Pop of Neon for Winter

With this horrible Winter we've had, I have really been itching for Spring! I can't wait to walk outside without a coat, or in a stylish faux leather jacket, and drive with my convertible top down! I'm so tired of shoveling, icy road conditions, dodging pot holes, getting my car washed, and wearing gloves. 

One way to get in a Spring state of mind is to add a pop of neon to your Winter wardrobe. It helps to remind us that Spring is really just around the corner!

For this look, I'm featuring my new neon orange Merona mini crossbody from Target. I just bought it recently when I was shopping the Peter Pilotto collection. It caught my eye and I just had to have it! It doesn't hold much- I can just about fit the essentials like my wallet, phone, car key, and a lipstick. But it's perfect for a night out or a shopping trip... or if you just don't carry that much.

To complement the purse, I styled a black and white striped Merona sleeveless belted dress from Target paired with my black INC International Concepts ruffled faux leather jacket from Macy's. I absolutely love this dress because it's a nice, flattering silhouette and it's the perfect Winter to Spring transition! It's timeless and can be styled many different ways for every season.

For jewelry, I chose this gorgeous green floral Capwell statement necklace that I received in the LuckyFABB gift bag in October and my emerald quartz Kluster earrings. I also wore my gold White House Black Market ombre beaded bracelet with my emerald onyx Kluster bracelet. I accessorized with emerald Apt. 9 ribbed tights from Kohl's and black embellished Call It Spring ankle boots.

Paisley's Pick: Chambray Dress

Paisley and I have spring fever! We are so ready for this winter to be over. With the end of February nearing, we are starting to take another look at her spring/summer wardrobe. She can't wait to wear all of her favorites, again!

So for Paisley's Pick today, we chose a Throw Back Thursday spring look featuring her Martha Stewart chambray dress! We got it last year from Petsmart and it's just so adorable. I love how dog clothing tends to follow the current fashion trends.

I especially love the red gingham straps! We paired this look with a small red Top Paw bow to complement the straps.

Winter Style: Faux Fur Vest

This has been the most brutal Winter that we've seen in New Jersey in years! And certainly the worst since I've been an adult and had the responsibility of car clearing and shoveling at my house. I'm sure many of you experienced this same crazy weather. There was so much snow that we had trouble parking! This weekend we finally got a break with 50 degree weather. It was the perfect time to break out my favorite faux-fur vest!

I love this faux-fur vest paired with my favorite gold Target glitter braided belt. I consider a faux fur coat to be the epitome of glamorous! There's just something about it that's luxurious and feminine. The glitter belt gives it an extra ounce of glamour and contributes a more flattering silhouette by adding a waist.

For the look, I chose a forest green Banana Republic A-line skirt and my favorite gingham Chaps no iron button-up top from Kohl's. I absolutely love this skirt because the color is such a nice, deep hue and it has cool faux leather accents. It's also such a flattering silhouette!

To complete the look, I accessorized with black Simply Vera Wang ribbed tights and nude Cole Haan pointed-toe heels. 

It's My Birthday!

Saturday, February 22nd was my birthday! Yep, I'm about to embark on my 26th year. I'm excited to see what it has in store for me! I'm hoping for mostly good things!

Over the weekend, I celebrated me and my mom's birthdays during a weekend trip in PA. Her birthday is the day after mine, so we always celebrate together as a family (happy birthday, mom!).

Me posing with special birthday balloons that my sister got for us.

Me and Paisley.

Happy Valentine's Day

It's Valentine's Day! And I hope you're all celebrating with someone you love, whether it be a significant other, a friend, or your beloved dog. This is my Valentine to YOU!

To get into the Valentine spirit, check out some of my Valentine's Day themed posts:
His & Her Valentine Gift Guide
Valentine's Guide to Accessories
Celebrating Valentine's Day Without a Boyfriend
Office Wear for Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day Date Night

Happy Valentine's Day!

Paisley's Pick: Valentine's Day

This week for Paisley's Pick, we're celebrating Valentine's Day! Petsmart carries fashion for all seasons and occasions; Valentine's Day is no exception. There's heart-shaped treats, care bear toys, and everything to show your pet that you love her this Valentine's Day holiday. Paisley is on an organic and gluten free diet and she rips all of the cutesy stuffed toys, but we're really enjoying the cute themed fashion.

For Paisley's Valentine look, she's wearing a pink and magenta Top Paw heart sweater that she got for Christmas from her grandparents. It's such a cute sweater because it has hearts all over it and it has an adorable bow detail at the collar. I also love the light pink and magenta color palette. It looks really nice on her white and black fur. We paired this sweater with her lavender bow. 

Peter Pilotto for Target: Look Three

Still wanting more of my Peter Pilotto for Target series? Well, you're in luck then! Today is the last day of my three-day collection. I'm wearing my favorite piece from the Peter Pilotto for Target collection; a floral print maxi dress. Most of the pieces from the collection had a bold, sporty-chic vibe. There were some sporty silhouettes, mesh fabric, and beachwear. This dress is meant to be a sheer beach cover-up but, with the proper pairings, can be a lovely dress.

I really love it because it's feminine, with it's flowy silhouette and pretty floral print. It can also be styled many ways! It actually has halter-like straps but I left them hanging, pulled it up, and belted it. 

I love a pretty maxi dress with a leather jacket, so I paired it with my black INC International Concepts ruffled faux-leather jacket. I accessorized with Target crystal drop earrings, a black White House Black Market elongated bow belt (my fav!), and a gold White House Black Market bib statement necklace.

What's your favorite piece from the Peter Pilotto for Target collection?

Peter Pilotto for Target: Look Two

Are you still beaming from shopping the Peter Pilotto for Target collection last weekend? I know I am! For my second Peter Pilotto for Target look, I got the light blue floral and check pencil skirt. I love a classic pencil skirt silhouette, but this skirt is anything but ordinary. The pattern is so bold and abstract! It's sure to turn heads! 

What's really unique about this skirt is the fact that it combines two completely different, but both equally fierce, prints on a single piece. The top half of the skirt is a funky floral print, while the bottom half is a geometric print. 

I paired my new Peter Pilotto for Target pencil skirt with my favorite Chaps no iron gingham top. My complete look verges on print overload, but I think the classic black and white color combination on the top reigns it in. I accessorized with black opague tights, black square-toe heels, a White House Black Market elongated bow belt, and a mint envelope clutch.

Check back tomorrow for my third, and favorite, Peter Pilotto for Target look! It's the final installment in my look book, so you don't want to miss it!

Peter Pilotto for Target: Look One

Yesterday marked the release of the latest Target designer collaborations; Peter Pilotto for Target! For the past few collaborations, I took my sweet time getting there and missed out on some of the best items. This time around, I made sure I didn't make the same mistake! I managed to get my act together by 10:00am and to my surprise, they had a pretty nice selection still.

It was such a complete collection! They had everything from shoes to bags to dresses and even a romper! I have to admit, I wanted that romper and it was one of the only items they didn't have my size in. It was so difficult to choose which items to get since everything was so nice, but I ended up with a maxi dress and two skirts.

For my first look, I chose the Peter Pilotto for Target red floral asymmetrical skirt. I absolutely love this skirt because it's such a different piece. The asymmetry and mixed prints gives it a funky, fashionable look. It's also really flattering and... has pockets! I couldn't say 'no' to that! I paired the skirt with my favorite black and white striped White House Black Market top.

I accessorized with a variety of silver and gold bracelets from Charming Charlie and my sister's metallic Cole Haan cross-body bag. I also wore hot pink flower statement studs from Target and hot pink Revlon lipstick.

The back of the skirt is an abstract red and blue floral print. It shows a bit of this print on the front, too. I love the combination of this print with the classic black and gray diagonal stripes.

Be sure to check back tomorrow and Wednesday for looks two and three of my Peter Pilotto for Target shopping spree!

Valentine's Day Date Night

Valentine's Date Night by theclosetbychristie featuring a black purse

Got a hot date lined up for Valentine's Day next week? Well then you'll need an extra special outfit to wear! There's so many options. You could wear a splash of pink or red, or you could wear a classic black and white look with a red or hot pink lip. For this look, I went with a black, white, and red color palette because it's a classic. Red is known as the color of attraction. When you wear it, you become more attractive to the eye!

In the above look, I paired a lovely black and white Rochas polka dot midi skirt with a red bow blouse. It's such a mature, lady-like silhouette! I accessorized with red suede Modcloth bow heels and a black Stella McCartney envelope clutch. These pieces just really emphasize the femininity of this look. For jewelry, I chose striped Kate Spade stud earrings and a J.Crew pyramid studded crystal bracelet.

Are you going out for Valentine's Day? What are you wearing?

Modcloth Uniquely You Challenge

Modcloth Little Black Dress by theclosetbychristie featuring lanvin shoes

Modcloth has invited me to join their Uniquely You campaign! Here's the challenge- style a look featuring Modcloth's new Evening of Extravagance Dress. I have to admit, I could hardly refer to it as a challenge because the dress is so beautiful, feminine, and elegant. It's completely in line with my personal style and it's versatile, so I had many options when it came to styling it.

I decided to go for glamour, so I maintained a pretty simple color palette- black and champagne- and really focused on the detailing. The lace makes the dress so feminine, so I maintained that softness throughout the look.

I accessorized with a black embellished Dolce & Gabbana chain strap bag and beautiful champagne Lanvin calf skin pumps. The bag has a lace overlay to be consistent with the dress and the pumps have a lovely ribbon ankle-strap that really adds a feminine touch. For jewelry, I chose a champagne pearl and crystal bracelet set and Modcloth chandelier earrings.

And of course, if your goal is glamorous... then you absolutely need a fur coat! I finished off my look with a black Harrods fur cape. I love that it's black like the dress so it's cohesive and adds just that extra bit of texture.

It's a perfect look to wear to a wedding or on a fancy date!

Office Wear for Valentine's Day

Valentine Office Wear by theclosetbychristie featuring a bangle bracelet

Valentine's Day is next week! And if you're like me, you are wondering what to wear to work for the special holiday. There's no need to go overboard, but it's nice to acknowledge the holiday in one way or another. If anything, it breaks up the hum-drum of the typical forty-hour work week. I usually wear a festive color and sometimes I even bring in yummy treats, like cookies or donuts.

The above set is my dream Office Wear for Valentine's Day look! I paired a pink Tory Burch embellished blouse with a Marni crystal-embellished jacquard skirt. I really love these items together because both have contrasting black lines. The blouse has a line of embellishments down the center while the skirt has a line of stones off-center, giving it a cool asymmetrical look. It's a perfect Valentine's Day office wear look because it's a mostly neutral color palette with a splash of pink and very feminine detailing. It's subtle and classy!

I accessorized with gold glitter Old Navy pointed-toe flats and a black Chloe bow-detail chain strap purse. For jewelry, I chose a white and gold J.Crew etched enamel bangle and crystal J.Crew earrings.

What are you going to wear to the office on Valentine's Day?

Gifting Style: Housewarming

The twenty-somethings are a decade when many people embark into the real world, discover new things about themselves, and reach life milestones. A few of my friends are landing first jobs, planning weddings, and now... buying houses! This month my friend Jen bought a house with her soon-to-be husband and had a housewarming party this weekend. It's so much fun to see friends evolving and it's really nice to be apart of such a celebratory moment. Naturally I wanted to get them a little something to help them settle in.

My go-to is a pair of wine glasses and a bottle of wine. That's a pretty neutral gift! But I wanted to do something different. I had recently been raving to her about Pier 1's statement pillows, so that's how I got the idea to get some decorative pillows. I considered it might have been something they hadn't thought of since they were probably concerned about getting the basics, like a couch and kitchen table. 

The decor was too beautiful to wrap so I stacked the two pillows and picture frame- and tied it all together with turquoise and sheer gold ribbon!

Love it? Get it for your next housewarming party!

1- Emerald Velvet Nailhead Trim Lumbar Pillow, Pier 1 Imports

2- Gold Simply Vera Wang Chrysanthemum Pillow, Kohls

3- Sonoma Chevron Frame, Kohls