Sweater Weather

          No matter what state or province you live in, it's that time of year where looking fashionable and staying warm is sometimes a hard thing to pull off. The frigid winter temperatures can make even the most fashion forward thinker, think twice about changing out of sweatpants and that perfect oversized hoodie. Well have no fear! We're here with loads of sweaters that can keep you stylish and toasty; Just throw one of these lovelies over a pair of leggings, jeans, or printed tights and slip on some boots and you're winter ready.

          Whether you're into the oversized pullover look or printed open cardigans are more your forte, there are so many options on the market you can't go wrong. Nowadays when it comes to sweater trends- it's the bigger the better- but there are also classic styles with a twist (see the embellished shoulders and cool collars pictured). If you love any of the sweaters featured in this post, be sure to check out stores like Forever 21, Aritzia, H&M, TopShop, Brandy Melville, Garage, Cotton On, and Amazon.com to amp up your winter style.

*Photos courtesy of many lovely retailers. 

Let's Polka!

CLOTHES
Polka Dot Jacket, in black & white ( $7 @ H&M Kids )

Peplum top with sweetheart mesh, in black ( $12.95 @ Conway )

Colored Skinny Jeans in Forest Green ( $16.99 @ Marshall's )

ACCESSORIES

Black beaded bracelets

Black Strappy Flat Sandals ( $16 @ Go Jane ) {Not Pictured}

Black Stud Earrings {Not Pictured}

J's Outfit of the Day

CLOTHES
Quilted Black Leather Moto Vest w/ gold studs on back ( $32.80 @ Forever21 )

White Sleeveless Button-Up Blouse ( $14.95 @ H&M )

Vibrant Floral Skirt, by Bongo ( $9.99 @ Sears )

ACCESSORIES

Black and Gold Retro Round Sunglasses, by LC Lauren Conrad ( $14.99 @ Kohl's )

Black Leather Clutch ( $5 @ Cotton On )
Black Tube Bead Sandals ( $12.80 @ Forever21 )
Dark Gold & Black Stud Earrings [ from various sets ]

HAIR & MAKEUP
A side part w/ an inward braid wrapped into a messy side bun.
Gold and neutral eyeshadow tones from different pallets.
Wet N Wild's Mega Liner for a cat eye effect. ( $1.99 @ Rite Aid )
NYC Cheek Glow Powder Blush in "Sutton Place Peach" ( $2.80 @ Sears )
Revlon Matte Lipstick in "Smoked Peach" ( $4 @ Sears )

A 20/20 Birthday Vision

          Hey all, C here! As you all may have seen from our tweets- I turned 20 years old on January 26th; This year I decided to have two parties, one at Guelph (where I go to school) and one in Toronto (where I live). My biggest concern about my birthday, as always, was finding the perfect outfits.

          Now since I live in Guelph for school I had to buy my outfits there, and Guelph is a pretty small town. The best store in our mall is H&M so that was my only hope; Thankfully H&M pulled through and I was able to find two bodycon party dresses. One was just $10 and it had a lace top and sleeves, with a sweetheart neckline and the second was $19.99, black with a zipper and a gold foil baroque applique along the front $19.99.
       
          Makeup-wise I kept things very simple and went with natural golds and browns. With my red dress I wore silver jewelry and for my black dress I wore gold jewelery, layering different bracelets. For both looks I opted for the same hairstyle: lightly curled and down with a hair bow. Making the bow is actually a lot harder then it looks, and even harder to do it on your own. Thankfully my roommate was able to help me out; It requires a lot of bobby pins and patience. You basically do the same thing that you would do normally when tying a bow, it's just a bit more difficult because your hair is very flimsy.        

          Besides all the fun I had with my friends at my parties, I also received some pretty sweet presents this year. I got Return to Tiffany Heart Tag Earrings, which I've been asking for FOREVER, a bracelet from Stella and Dot, Marc Jacob's Dot perfume, a cupcake Pandora charm, and some cute clothes. Happy Birthday to me!

Shine Bright Like a Diamond

Christmas time doesn't have to mean red & green, it can just mean adding a bit of holiday shine to your look.

This is the outfit I came up with for the Christmas party at my office, and it was a big hit. Here's a breakdown of what I wore:

Black blazer (not pictured), $19.95 @ H&M

Black & gold glittered tulip back top, $17.80 @ Forever21

Material Girl black & white vertical/horizontal stripe skirt with a back seam, $9.99 @ Macy's

Black suede platform pumps (not pictured), $29.99 @ Payless Shoe Source

Gold arrowhead necklace set, $5.95 @ H&M

Various bracelets from different Forever21 sets 

Gold etched square studs from a set, $3.80 @ Forever21

Black stockings (not pictured), $4.95 H&M

So I shared my look, now it's you're turn; We'd love to see what holiday inspiration works its into our reader's ensembles. Let's all get into the spirit together! -  J

Breaking It Up

          Hey all here's a look at one of my recent ensembles. For starters I decided to curl my hair and I think it turned out pretty gorgeous if you ask me. ;-] Prior to heat styling, I used John Frieda's Dream Curls spray and an olive oil moisturizing shine serum. (Product pictures soon to come.) I then parted my hair in the middle of my head (half up/half down style), clipped the top half to keep it apart, and separated the bottom into 1 to 1 1/2 inch sections- wrapping them vertically and horizontally around the barrel of my 3/4" Conair curling iron.

          I repeated the same steps on the top half of my hair, but did more horizontal curling- especially at the crown. I also alternated the direction of my curls to add some depth and variety to my style. After the curling was all done, I rubbed a few more drops of the moisturizing oil in my palms and put my head upside down to zhuzh my hair; This simple step adds a little umph and breaks up the curls a bit so they aren't so "done".

          Now for the clothes. In my office, we can wear jeans (as long as they are in good taste, whatever that means haha) so I take advantage of that option most days. This particular look included black washed skinny jeans from Forever21 last year, a beautiful floral peplum top from H&M for $12.95, and a black cropped gauze cardigan from JC Penney for $14. I kept it really simple with my jewelry, wearing some new earrings with a grid of stones and a square shape from Forever21 for $3.80 and a statement ring with a round rhinestone inlay and a black & white crackled stone. Black flats were the finishing touch to this outfit. I loved it, how about you?       -  J