RED LIPS & DEAL OF THE WEEK!

It's a long post ladies.  Blogger was down for awhile and all of a sudden I had so many things to talk about!  Let's get started!

Red Lipstick

2 words that both excite and scare me simultaneously.  I love the sexy boldness of the red color and yet I'm also terrified of looking like a creepy vampire (and yes even when I am a Twilight fanatic).  For some reason, red lips have seem to have become a runway exclusive these days.  If you wear a true red on a day to day basis, people's first reactions is "Where you going?".  How about "Wow..that's a great color on you!".  I've decided to kick the nude lips to the curb for awhile.  Red here I come!  Here's the best red I found for my skin color.  Believe me it was insanely difficult to pick a red amongst the 20 shades of reds they had.  What do you think???

Next up!  BLING BLING (well sort of...)
A girl can never have too much bling.  But who says they alllllll have to be real.  Mix and Match and no one will know nor care.  You got $30 bucks?   You got internet?  Heard of this little store Target? Alright!!!! Trust me you will look amazing!  Ladies...say hello to the best looking cubic zirconia earring EVER...from TARGET!!!  Click HERE to get yours! 

They look so stunning and sparkly it's hard to believe that it's not real.  Even with is relatively big sized stones in the center they look very classy and not one big "fake" and cheap looking.  It wasn't easy getting pictures of these babies but I think you will see what I mean.  GO GET YOURS TODAY!

Classic Pencil

Top: Lauren Conrad (Khols)

Skirt: Classic Pencil Skirt (it's really really old from my college years!)

Shoes: Bakers Melina Pumps

Bag: Classic Chanel Jumbo

Ring: Right Hand Bejeweled Ring (Vintage)

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers of the world! I hope you all had a relaxing (that's a relative term I know that...) day! Last year on Mother's Day I actually had a to do list! What was wrong with me?!??! This year I had nothing but eat and sleep! That I did!

This outfit was my version of classy chic. You can never go wrong with a pencil skirt that goes JUST past your knees. The keyword is PAST the knees. The point is to create the illusion that your legs are a mile long, so hiding the knees are essential. I prefer a nude/flesh colored top for this outfit vs white b/c it is less harsh than pure white. You want the attention to be focused on the "slim" part of the pencil skirt. Black super high pumps are a must of course! Mine are 5 1/8 inch heels but any heels is better than flats for this look. I purposely kept the jewelry/accessories to a minimum so it does not distract from the clean look of this outfit.

Casual Vera Wang

Blouse: Simply Vera Ruffle Tank

Cardigan: Simply Vera Open Front Cardigan

Pants: Gap Slim Crop (My absolute favorite!)

Belt: H&M

Shoes: Jessica Simpson Pumps

Earrings: Stella & Dot Deco Drop Earrings

Bag: Louis Vuitton Palermo PM

Sunglasses: Armani Aviator Shades

Flower (in my hair): H&M 

One of the best things is when the most luxurious brands and top designers start a more affordable line at department stores.  Vera Wang's Simply Vera is one of my newest favorites!  Now it's not H&M prices, but once you see it in person you see that it is worth the slightly higher prices.  The styles are feminine, classy, elegant and yet still casual enough for everyday.  I feel very put together in her pieces without looking like I'm trying to be on the runways.  This cardigan is actually more gray in person than the picture shows, and it's great because it goes with any color blouse you have underneath.  Versatility is a must!  I grabbed this teal blouse and threw on the cardigan and the THIN belt (thin is the keyword here ladies...) polished the outfit!  Without the belt, I would look sloppy and lost in all the layers.  I love ruffled blouses because it creates a more sophisticated look so I don't necessarily HAVE to wear a necklace.   As much as it would be nice to accessorize, having my son constantly tugging on my necklaces was getting a little old and uncomfortable.  Add a little ruffle to your shirts and voila!  

I cannot tell you how much I'm obsessed with my Gap Slim Crop pants.  They not only fit like a glove with the perfect Audrey Hepburn-esque cut...it is seriously like wearing pajamas! It's soft, moves with your body and all of you should get a pair!  

Lastly, a note about the pig tails.  It's my secret to a bad hair day...or in my case, that's almost everyday b/c I have no time to style it.  Pig tails instantly give you that youthful look and it literally takes 5 seconds.  The key is to make sure they do NOT look perfect.  Loosely tie the hair on each side and leave it as is!  Don't try to fix the loose strands and pin back the fly aways.  The "mess" is  what makes it so natural.   I always put a flower in my hair to counter balance that messy look. It surprisingly looks like I spent a lot more time on  my hair.   Why not save yourself 15 minutes next time and hang out in your pig tails!

Girly in Pink

 

Blouse: LC Lauren Conrad Ruffle Drop-Waist Camisole

Cardigan: H&M Pink Cardigan 2011

Pants: Gap Slim Crop Pants (The most amazing black pants for petite gals!)

Shoes: Bakers Melina Pumps (5 1/8 inch heels!!!)

Bag: Chanel Chain Me Tote 2011 Collection

I've always been a dedicated fan of the color Black.  You just can't EVER go wrong with black.  In fact I think I read an article somewhere (Vogue I'm sure) that Angelina Jolie only wears black because she has 8 kids (ok maybe it's less than 8) and she just doesn't have time to coordinate colors. I thought that was genius...until my closet started to look like a dark cave of NO colors and ALL BLACK.  Time to spice things up.  It is after all spring time!  I still stuck to my trustee Gap Slim Crop pants because they are AMAZING!  I contrasted it with a flowery printed blouse with a beige pink cardigan to pull the look together.  Something about this cardigan just screams Chanel to me!  Pink is my new "safe" color.  It just makes you feel all giddy inside as if you're a 18 yr old girl again. 

  I normally wouldn't do a head down shot of the shoes. BUT, it gives you a perspective of the height of the 5 1/8 inch heels!  These Bakers heels are absolutely god send!!!  I can jump around, walk forward, backwards, sideways and not even feel the slightest wobble.  And most important of all...I can carry around my 25 pound toddler without any problems!  THAT is the ultimate high heel test would you all agree?  Happy Spring and happy shopping!

Lookbook: Running out the door

 Top: Nordstrom Tunic

Jeans:  Dark Wash Skinny Ankle Jeans Forever 21

Belt: Forever 21 Leopard Belt

Bag: Marc Jacobs Quilted Satchel 2007

Shoes: Jessica Simpson Purple Suede Pumps

Earrings: Stella & Dot Deco Drop Earrings

Bracelet: Forever 21 Purple bead & Chiffon Bracelet 

Birth of the Ultra Chic Mama

Meet the love of my life! My adorable, sweet and energetic little munchkin!  He is the reason this project came about!  They say having babies will change your life.  True.  But there are some things that SHOULDN'T change..aka...fashion.  Before I had my son, I vowed that I will never become a mom who loses herself and never wear makeup and never do this and never do that.  I can see all of you rolling your eyes already.  Well, reality hit and suddenly sleeping 2 hours seemed adequate and showering became a luxury!  I realized that there is nothing I wouldn't do for this little person that I just met 1 year go.  And yet, a year later, I also learned that the single most important thing a mommy can do is to take care of herself!  I am a firm believer that if you let yourself go on the outside, all else will slowly crumble on the inside.  That is where I came up with my blog slogan.  

"First comes fashion then comes babies."

Taking care of yourself means so many different things to each person.  Whatever it is, keep doing what you love PRE-baby!  For me, if you haven't already gathered from the blog title...is finding ways to be fashionable and chic while running after a little toddler (ok usually a screaming toddler).  I look forward to sharing my fashion finds, experiences, faux pas with all of you and I invite you to join me as I chronicle my path down Ultra Chic Mama Lane!