Must Haves – Beyond the Suit

Another Celebrity Fashion Line to Check Out – Great Work Pieces

October 1, 2014 Leave a Comment

Let me start by saying that I am not one of those people that buys things because it’s celebrity endorsed. These last few posts have been purely coincidental.

sandy alex roadtrip

This past weekend, while my friend and I were driving down back to NYC from a girls’ weekend in Cape May, NJ (Yes, I have a life aside from my day job at tech giant EMC and night jobs of blogging & mother/wife/house manager AKA CEO of the Brunetti Family ) we stopped at a mall in Freehold, New Jersey. As we were perusing the mall, my friend spotted a 50% off all items sign at New York & Company so we had to go in. Can’t pass up a good sale! I discovered that Eva Mendes had collaborated with the store to create a line of clothes. The clothes are really colorful and quite stylish – several pieces that would be perfect for the office. A couple of things caught my eye but I eventually left the store with just one (no reflection on the clothes – this was the last store we hit and I was exhausted so I didn’t want to try much on.) Below is the Isabella Polka Dot Bow Blouse that I picked up. It’s a great blouse that can be paired with so many things – think an endless array of solid colored bottoms and even large prints, possibly plaid. I am wearing it with a red skirt and black pumps. I went light on the accessories because that bow is pretty massive but I did add statement earrings that really stand out, although I forgot to take a picture of them. Check out your nearest New York & Company to find the collection or shop online.

I should mention that the shirt was not on sale, but almost everything else in the store was. Shirt retails for $49.95, which is still a good price for such a versatile piece.

Shirt: New York & Company, Skirt: Escada, Shoes: Saks Fifth Avenue

Now We Can All Shop Olivia Pope’s Closet

September 23, 2014 2 Comments

Something amazing has happened. The Limited teamed up Scandal star Kerry Washington and costume designers Lyn Paolo & Elliot Staples to create a collection inspired by Olivia Pope. If you watch Scandal, and who doesn’t, this is a dream come true. No one embodies confidence, style and success like Olivia Pope. You can shop the entire collection on The Limited website, but I’ve pulled some of my favorite pieces from the collection. Only problem, we don’t have a Limited in NYC – ugh! Guess what I’ll be doing this weekend!

Fall Must Haves for Work

September 5, 2014 Leave a Comment

Labor day is behind us which means fall is right around the corner (technically 16 days away). Although I am trying to get my last couple of wears of my summer wardrobe, which is definitely going my way in NYC with the recent “heatwave”, I’m already thinking about all the things I need to get ready for the upcoming season. So I’ve put together my list of must haves and am sharing them with you. What do you think?

Leopard flats – I love leopard print anything but when you’re talking about incorporating it into your work look, you do want to be subtle. Shoes are a great way to rock this animal print. And bonus – they are flats! I love heels (more than I love leopard) but sometimes you want to give your feet a break.
Swarovski ballpoint pen – Sure, you can get a fancy Mont Blanc, but if you lose it, like I did, you are out $200 – minimum. This pen is functional, absolutely beautiful and most importantly, the price is right. And if you lose this one, you are only out $35.
Button down white shirt – You can never have too many button down white shirts. What I love about this particular one is that it is not your standard oxford shirt. The bow is so feminine.
Productivity tools – I love a good app, but I especially love apps that increase my productivity, help me be more organized and ultimately give me a competitive edge at work. Evernote is all the talk right now and I encourage you to check it out.
iPhone 6 – I’m not a tech geek but everything I read about the iPhone 6 has me excited for the big unveil on September 9th. We work in a world where we don’t sit at our desks all day. We work from anywhere and all the time. The (rumored) bigger screen on the iPhone 6 but all the upgrades (speed, technology, camera, battery, etc) definitely makes this an awesome mobile device for our on-the-go integrated work-lives.
Berry colored lipstick – I have nothing to say other than I really like this color! The jewel tone of this particular one by Milani (drugstore brand) will work well from fall into winter (did I just write winter? gross!) And the color lasts all day.
Statement bracelets – Bracelets are the new ‘it’ accessory. Move over statement necklaces – I still love you but I am going to start incorporating bold bracelets into my look. I especially love this one from Banana Republic. It will look great with my work outfits but also works well with my weekend looks.
Vision board – As we get closer to the end of the year, its important to give thought to what you want to accomplish in the upcoming year. I think vision boards are a great way to visualize your career aspirations and helps keep you focused. I especially like the vision board tool on Oprah.com. Great way to create a board without paper cuts and sticky hands.

Click on my Polyvore board to get links to all my must haves!

Must Have Snake Print Shoes!

August 22, 2014 4 Comments

Earlier this week I stopped by Macy’s @ Herald Square during lunch. Unfortunately for my wallet, but fortunately for their stock price, I work a few short blocks away. If you haven’t been to this Macy’s in a while, you are missing quite the transformation, especially of their shoe department which is now an entire floor!!!! I was on the hunt for a leopard print flat, which is one of the must-have items for this fall. However, midway through my search I aborted that mission when I stumbled upon the beauties you see below. I love all animal prints but it’s hard to find it done tastefully. And it’s even harder to find ones that can be worn to the office. But these Sam Edelman snake print pumps are perfect. The coloring is neutral enough that I can wear these heels with many outfits for work. As soon as I got to the office I took a picture so I could share them with all of you. They go perfectly with what I wore that day – blouse and skirt from H&M. By the way, that skirt was one of my special finds of the summer. It’s such a fabulous skirt that I think it deserves its own post.

Unsure what to pair these shoes with, let me make some suggestions:

your go to LBD that’s work appropriate, of course.
any colored suit – tan, navy, gray, brown. Would look extra adorable with a pant suit, showing off just a hint of the snake pattern.
any color would look great with these shoes so your options are endless.

If you are nervous about incorporating animal print into your work wardrobe, I strongly encourage you to try snake print. It’s a nice, neutral print. Other animal prints, like leopard as an example, can be a little intimidating. What do you think of these shoes? Good choice?

Sam Edelman Snake Print Pumps

I couldn’t wait to put the shoes on!!

One Accessory You Cannot Live Without – Self Confidence

August 15, 2014 Leave a Comment

Did you think I was going to say shoes or handbags? Maybe next time.

The one accessory you cannot live without doesn’t cost anything, you cannot buy it and it will never go out of style. It’s your self-confidence. Think back to a woman you recently met who had it all together and had you in complete awe. She’s probably someone you look up to and want to be like. What stood out about her? Sure, maybe she dressed impeccably or was articulate and polished. But what really made her stand out and leave you with that lasting impression was her self-confidence.

Attributes of someone who is confident: successful, accomplished, leader, expert, sure of one’s self, self-aware, composed.

Attributes of someone who lacks confidence: weak, failure, incapable, insecure, self doubt, fearful.

Lack of confidence can be detrimental to your image, brand and ultimately your career. You will not be viewed as an expert; you will be viewed as someone with limitations, someone who may not have the ability to be successful.

Being self-confident leads to success. Self-confident women know who they are and what they stand for. They are comfortable in their own skin. They don’t know about limitations or failure – these things aren’t in their line of sight. They are fearless and take risks. Does this sound like someone you want to be?

You will encounter people in your career that will try to place limits on you or hold you back. They will make you question yourself. If you ever start to have these feelings, remember that you are special and offer something unique. You are not defined by others, you are who YOU want to be.

Be comfortable in your own skin. Don’t conform to the accepted norms – be true to you. Look for those opportunities where you can take risks and prove people wrong. And tuck your fears away in a drawer. If you don’t think about them, they won’t materialize. The only limitations you have are those that you put on yourself, so don’t!

If you start to doubt yourself, go look in the mirror, take your power pose stance and say, “I am intelligent. I am passionate. I am fearless. I can accomplish anything. I am making amazing things happen. “