Outfit Of The Yesterdays (Peplum Power + An Important Note)

♫: Every Single Night - Fiona Apple (new)

First things first! I'm moving. 

Well...kinda.

When I first started this blog, Blogger was a good platform to use. It was easy to set up, easy to use, and had that handy dandy little Google Friend Connect widget, making it easy for readers and/or anyone who wanted to see me (obnoxiously) unravel over zombie models and mushrooms in my snow globes to follow along.

Blogger, however, has been undergoing a few changes as of late: redesigning the editor, nixing Google Friend Connect for non-Blogger.com blogs, trying to push people towards Google+, etc. I feel pretty indifferent about most of these recent changes, aside from the new editor making me feel like I have a weird, fuzzy form of low-blood-pressure-fueled motion sickness, but.

I think the time has finally come to shift this blog over to Wordpress. I have always been a bit of a techy-geek at heart, and Wordpress just...does that better.

But it also means that once I make the move to Wordpress, Google Friend Connect will likely no longer be a fully supported way to follow (or subscribe to) this blog. I am not entirely sure how it's going to go down, since I've never done this before, but if you do follow this blog using GFC and want to continue following this blog (thank you, by the way), here are a few ways to ensure that you'll still get my updates once I do move:

1. Follow on Facebook.

2. Follow on Twitter.

3. Follow on Bloglovin'

4. Follow by RSS feed + the reader of your choice

5. Follow via e-mail subscription (see the form to do this at the bottom of this blog!)

6. And/or (apparently) by typing "cloe conspiracy calvin and hobbes snowman lobotomy mc hammer pants" into Google search and then, uh, digging around for a bit. (Yay! Keyword analysis IS fun.)

In all honesty, though, I will admit that getting rid of GFC is a little panic-inducing. If I could bring it with me over to Wordpress, I would in a heartbeat. I feel incredibly grateful for everyone that follows me that way--almost 3,000 of you, believe it or not! And I know that when a blog changes how things work there will always be a few readers accidentally lost in the shuffle.

But this switch will be better in the long run, and I am super excited for the new layout that I have been working on for Wordpress. It will be fun, I promise, and you can even get a sneak peek of it on Facebook right here, right now.

Now on to some outfits. Peplum hems have been popping up everywhere this spring, and I snapped up this bright orange Forever 21 top about a month ago so I could get in on the action. I was also happy to see another of my favorite fashion bloggers rock it recently as well--you can see it on the fabulous Kim over at Penny Pincher Fashion, too.

I had also been searching high and low over the past few months for a jeweled peter pan collar to layer with blouses, something Lanvin or Miu Miu-esque to add a little sparkle and shine. Something like this:

{clockwise: purpleemoon.tumblr.com, hailee steinfeld in miu miu, 
latimesblogs.latimes.com}

I had ordered this dress from Miss Selfridge, and while I wasn't quite so keen on the fit, glitter-topped-pastel-tube-of-sausage wasn't exactly the biggest trend on the runway this year for some weirdo reason, the jeweled collar was perfect.

As it so happens it was also incredibly easy to cut off, too. Detachable jewel collar, done:

Cardigan: J Crew Perfect Mix-Tape Cardigan, old (similar here) (similar here) (similar at Banana Republic) (similar here in 'oro')
Peplum Top: Forever 21, old (similar at ASOS) (similar by Parker) (similar under $20)
Skirt: J Crew Wool Felted Mini, old (similar here) (similar here) (and an option at ASOS in 'lilac')
Collar: Miss Selfridge Dress DIY (here) (similar at Topshop) (similar at Modcloth)
Watch: Michael Kors Parker Watch (buy it here + take 15% off)
Leopard Wrap Bracelet: Express, old (similar here)
Wire Cuff: Rivka Friedman (buy it here) (similar here)
Rose Gold Bangles: Seasonal Whispers Crystal & Metal Bangles (buy them here) (similar here under $40) 
Bag: Lanvin Sweet Dora Crossbody, old (similar here) (similar by Frye) (similar by Proenza Schouler)
Shoes: Alexander Wang Isabeli Mules, old (similar here) (similar here)

And then I figured out away to keep cuff bangles from sliding off my wrists. Look at me go, look at me go--tomorrow I will tackle lacing up my shoes.Hahaha just kidding! I don't have shoes that need lacing up. But if I did...

 

 

 

Blazer: White House Black Market tux blazer, old (similar at ASOS) (similar at The Limited)
Cardigan: J Crew Perfect Mix-Tape Cardigan, old (similar here) (similar here) (similar at Banana Republic) (similar here in 'oro')

Peplum Top: Forever 21, old (similar at ASOS) (similar by Parker) (similar under $20)

Shorts: Zara (buy them here) (similar at F21)

Necklace: Ann Taylor, old (similar here) (similar at F21)

Bracelets: Forever 21 (buy them here) (love these F21 bracelets, too)

Shoes: J Crew Perfectly Patent Pumps in pink, old (similar here) (similar at Topshop) (similar by Nine West)

Bag: Botkier Cleo Satchel, reeeally old (similar here) (similar by Marc Jacobs in blush) (& an option by BCBGMAXAZRIA)

Outfits Of The Yesterdays (Catching Up + Easter + Four Outfits)

 ♫: The Recipe - Kendrick Lamar (ft. Dr. Dre)

Ah, so, where were we? I hope ya'll had a great Easter! It has been a busy past few days around here--between more travel, celebrating a job well done with Husband and some good news for him (hooray, so proud!), listening to my dad give a hilarious live analysis of Mad Men, stuffing myself full of my mom's delicious sugar cookies, and celebrating Easter with my fam...it was fun, but I am happy to be home again. I've always been a little bit of a homebody at heart, shh. Don't tell.

So time for some picture vomit. I've finally downloaded Instagram (uh huh), and I have also been trying to take more snapshots of my everything (riiiight), so the snapshots below are a hodge podge of iPhone, point & shoot, and new camera shots from whenever I remembered to pull out them all out.

It is a fine line, after all--it's like those people you see at concerts, nodding their heads to the beat of the music but tweeting/texting while doing so. In fact, they're doing it the entire time. Are they actually enjoying the experience, or are they enjoying the fact that they should be enjoying the experience, but they're so busy telling someone else how much they're enjoying it that they're not really enjoying what they should be enjoying at all? Right?

And to think, there's a reason why my extravagantly ambitious and industrious leap towards being a fortune cookie fortune writer never panned out. I know I sometimes use too many descriptors, can never stay focused, and worry too much about what others are doing...but can't they just make the fortune cookie bigger? In bed! Ha ha ha ha ha.

 Ooo-kay.

 My lucky numbers are always shut up, sad-face:

{clockwise from top left: dinner at the edge restaurant in the four seasons denver, outfit for that night, neon maxi skirt + blazer, flatness of Wyoming, funny-easter-bunny}

{a sparkly, colorful line-up}

{kitty!}

{the back of my favorite hoodie & what I wear whenever I'm not feeling well, hitting the gym, and/or going to the grocery store late at night: a comically badass, tatted, gun-toting marilyn.}

{he plays angry birds alllllll the time and it still took him forever to get the swim trunks out of the tree}

{twin sister + her husband + their dog}

{Husband + me + not our dog}

{our one and only attempt at a proper family photo}

{diane von furstenberg alba two mini dress in daffodil (available on sale in more colors here!) (and a cheaper option at ASOS), rivka friedman mina bracelet, forever 21 mint bangles}

Jacket: Nordstrom, old (similar at ASOS, on sale) (similar at F21) (& another option at F21)
Top: Ann Taylor, old (similar at Shopbop) (similar here) (similar at Banana Republic)
Shorts: Topshop, old (similar by winter kate) (similar by Tibi) (similar at Zara)
Necklace: Forever 21, old (similar here) (similar here)
Pumps: J Crew Valentina Pumps (similar here, coral no longer available) (similar here) (similar here) (similar under $75)
Bag: Lanvin Sweet Dora Crossbody (similar here) (similar under $200) (similar here)

Top: Sanctuary, old (similar here, on sale) (similar at ASOS)
Shorts: Topshop, old (similar here) (similar under $100) (similar under $30)
Shoes: J Crew Valentina Pumps in Weathered Rose (buy them here) (similar here for $100)
Bag: Marc Jacobs iPad Case in Coral (buy it here) (similar by Kate Spade) (similar at Mango for under $50)

Blazer: ASOS, old (similar by Alexander Wang) (a cardigan option here) (love this lace blazer at The Limited)
Cardigan: J Crew Perfect Mix Tape Cardigan in Henna (buy it here) (similar at Forever21)
Top: J Crew, old (buy it here) (similar here)
Belt: J Crew, old (similar at Express) (similar at ASOS for $11)
Necklace: J Crew, old (similar here)
Skirt: Forever 21 (buy it here) (longer, a-line option at Anthro)
Bag: Chloe Metallic Marcie in Gunmetal (similar here) (similar here) (similar under $200)
Shoes: J Crew Perfect Patent Pumps, old (similar here by Nine West) (similar here) (similar here)

Jacket: Alexander McQ for Target (similar at Zara) (similar here)
Cardigan: J Crew, old (similar here) (similar at F21)
Top: Modcloth, old (similar here) (similar here) (similar here under $50)
Belt: J Crew, old (similar at Banana Republic)
Skirt: J Crew, old (similar here) (similar here)
Shoes: J Crew Mona Pumps in Wild Berry (buy them here) (similar by Nine West in "pink suede") (similar at ALDO)
Bag: Lanvin Happy Mini Pop in gold python (similar by Lanvin here) (similar under $100) (similar under $100)

Outfit Of The Yesterday (The Layer Purveyor)

♫: The Suburbs - Arcade Fire

The weather wasn't playing nice when I snapped these pics, so I apologize for the less-than-stellar quality. I do finally have a new DSLR en route to me, so hooray!  Just a few more days, and then I can go back to pretending like I don't know how to shoot with that sucker, either.

Sooo. Just a quick post for today. Like many people, I tend to play favorites with certain items in my wardrobe, and so I think that it is pretty safe to say that the $15 Forever 21 neon yellow mini is going to be a heavily used item this spring. 

So prepare yo'selfs. 

(...yo'selves?)

 

Blazer: Zara (buy it here) (similar here for under $100) (similar here under $50)

Cropped Sweater: Forever 21 (buy it here) (a cardigan option here)

Shirt: J Crew Polly Popover (buy it here) (similar here for under $50) (an option at Modcloth, too)

Skirt: Forever 21 (similar at ASOS) (similar at Go Jane) (and a glitzy version at Topshop)

Small Bow Necklace: Kate Gray Designs, c/o (find more of her gorgeous stuff here)

Gold Stud Bracelets: Forever 21 (buy them here)

Purple Bracelet: brand n/a (similar by Vince Camuto)

Shoes: J Crew PIppa Pumps, old (similar here for $60) (and a non-bow option here)

Bag: J Crew Flutter Clutch, old (similar at Boden) (a zig-zag clutch here) (& a cool envelope-clutch here)

Nail Polish: Sally Hansen Insti-dry in Lively Lilac (buy it here)

What item are you currently loving in your own closet? Share in the comments! ♥

Outfit Of The Day (Neons & Neutrals: Take 2)

♫: Flutes - Hot Chip

{i'm a little teapot, short and....somethin'}.

Style inspiration can come from many different places, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't thinking of this pretty little flower arrangement currently sitting on our psuedo-coffee table right now when I put this outfit together. 

I am still using my Canon point & shoot for my photos at the moment, and I am still in limbo over a camera to replace my broken 5D. While I'm not completely sure, as a Libra I think that decision-making has never been my strongest suit (hardy-har) and...yikes.

So bare with me. My usual fancy remote + tripod set-up doesn't work with my point and shoot, which means I take photos the old-fashioned, sweaty way--using a 10 second self-timer; running back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

Which also means I get about 15 shots of me doing the exact same pose. Hooray for ingenuity, EXCEPT I DON'T KNOW WHY IN THE JIBBY-JAB THAT I KEEP TOUCHING/SCRATCHING MY HEAD IN MY PHOTOS BUT I PROMISE I DON'T HAVE FLEAS.

I mean, of course I don't have fleas. Urban Hipster Lottery Winning Lumberjack Sea Lion Drawing A Fancy Avant-Garde Caricature of Primo Prostitute Poop Cake Carson Daly simply ain't my thang and is sooooo third week of March 2012, anyway.

But I will totally use a thesaurus  daily news headlines yanked from a very legit online news source to string together nonsensical crap whenever I have a brain fart more often, hooray! Watch out CNN, you're next:

Blouse: GAP, old (similar here) (similar at Urban Outfitters) (and a pretty lace option at F21)

Belt: J Crew, old (love this at Ann Taylor) (and similar at ASOS)

Skirt: Forever 21, old (similar at ASOS)

Pink Necklace: Ann Taylor, old (similar here) (similar here)

Turquoise Necklace: Forever21, old (similar here) (similar here)

Bracelet: LOFT (buy it here) (similar here for $17)

Shoes: J Crew Valentina Pumps in Weathered Rose (buy them here) (similar by Nine West) (great peep-toe option for under $50)

Bag: Marc Jacobs Cooper in Nude (buy it here) (similar by Fossil) (similar by Rebecca Minkoff) (similar at F21)

Outfit Of The Day (DailyBuzz Style 9x9 Challenge: Neon + Neutrals)

 ♫: When I'm Small - Phantogram

I was super excited to be selected for DailyBuzz Style's 9x9 Challenge this month because it is all about one of my favorite spring trends: neons and neutrals.

It has been all over the runways for the past few seasons:

{l to r: christian siriano SS2012, michael kors R2012, tibi SS2012 - via style.com}

And has now been popping up left and right in magazines, fashion blogs, and retail stores aplenty.

What I like most about this trend is how easy it is to do. Sure, all my fellow Children Of The Early 90's are probably thinking, "Kelly Kapowski 101, bitch please--I still have all my slap bracelets!" (and if that isn't what you're thinking, well...I'm at a total loss) but while this trend might be a little influenced by what we saw nearly 20 years ago, like any good fashion trend it is now reinventing itself into something a bit more fresh and sophisticated. It is also easier to wear this time around, with no bejeweled t-shirt clips or LA Looks for your crunchy permed hair required.

Yes yes, I said it: it is easier to wear. Neon colors are blindingly bright and therefore can be pretty darn daunting to bedeck in large doses, but that's where the neutrals come in. The main trick is to mix the neon color with enough neutrals hues to subdue it to your own personal comfort (and taste) level; this helps keep the overall look chic, sophisticated, and hopefully tame. Try pairing neon greens with camels; neon pinks with taupes and grays; neon blue with corals or rusty reds, neon purples with mustardy or pale yellows, and neon yellows with navy and dusty olive greens.

The easiest way to work this trend is with accessories. If you usually reach for a brown or black belt to wear with your outfits, try swapping it with a neon belt instead. Try pairing sleek spring sheaths with a bold pair of pumps, and be on the lookout for cheap neon-hued jewelry at places like H&M, Forever 21, ALDO Accessories, and other 'discount' retailers. They have lots to choose from at the moment (especially in store), and you will get just enough wear out of those items to not feel too guilty for when the trend inevitably dies out or moves on.

Want even more tips and ideas on how to rock this trend? Head over to See Chloe Shop for a special 'Trend Watch' post dedicated to this very topic, too.

This is how I'm wearing neons and neutrals at the moment--how about you? ❤

(I am still missin' my DSLR, blargh.)

 Top: J Crew Talitha Blouse in "Vintage Berry" (buy it here) (similar here) (similar here, on sale) (similar at F21)

Belt: Forever 21, old (similar at F21 here) (similar here) (similar here) (similar here)

Skirt: Forever 21 (similar here) (& a pleated option here)

Ring: Banana Republic Tigers Eye Ring, old (similar at Ann Taylor)

Watch: Michael Kors Blaire Watch in Espresso (buy it here) (similar by Fossil)

Shoes: Christian Louboutin Greissimo Nude Pumps, old (similar here) (similar at Ann Taylor) (similar by Louboutin)

Bag:Hayden-Harnett for Target (similar here) (similar here) (similar by Rebecca Minkoff)

Nail polish: Essie Mamba (buy it here)

Lip color to match the nails: Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Belle Du Jour (buy it here)