Oops!

I promise I didn't fall off the face of the earth! I've been extremely busy lately, but I'll try to have a shoe post for Friday. I'm not sure. I've been having tons and tons of dance competitions lately. But I'll have some time over spring break. Hopefully!

Random fact: People have read Birdy's List in every continent except Africa and Antarctica! I'm hoping for Africa really soon!

Bye, my Birdies!

Welcome to the 50's!

Happy IMOS, mi amigas! And sing the title to the tune of Hairspray's Welcome to the 60's. It makes more sense that way.

Anyway, I was inspired by the 50's neon. And in case your wondering, that does MOT mean poodle skirts. Even though I did wear a poodle skirt for a dance recital a long time ago. I was inspired by neon colors, with modern shapes. With a teeny tiny hint of early 1700's casual dress. Just a smidge.

On to the shoes.

{J.Crew}

I made my goal to use less J.Crew/Madewell/Hollister/AE and never use the same store for more than one piece in my outfits. And for this look, I wanted magenta sandals with a heel. Something refined, but fun and playful. And as I scoured the internet, I found that low and behold, J.Crew has EXACTLY what I pictured! 

Oh and the reason I didn't post the inspiration picture first is that I like to post the shoe first, because in this new template, some formats only show the first picture. And I want you to know what the shoe of the day is. It's International Month of Shoes. Not International Month of Inspiration. But that sounds cool. 

Again, I was inspired by the COLORS. Not 50's silhouettes. Even though I love those, too. 

Without further ado, the skirt.

{Juicy}

Are you not in love with those pleats? That's the smidge of early 1700's European casual wear. They wore pleats. They were also ahead of their time. 

And all it needs is a simple white drapey shirt. 

{Anthropology}

It needs to be drapey. If you take a regular semi-stiff Hanes t-shirt, it just doesn't work. It needs to be a bit less casual. And silk would work well in this situation, but I wanted cotton.

For my last attempt to neon-ify this outfit, I want aqua. At first, I wanted an aqua cashmere boyfriend cardigan. Then I realized that this only exists in my fantasy land. Well, lots exist, but either the color or the fit or something was off. So I decided I'd accept a not-necessarily-cashmere cardi or a not-necessarily-boyfriend-style cardi. And I came up with nothing. It was like that color just didn't exist. So I lowered my standards. And threw blazers into the mosh pit. That's when it all came together. 

{Rag & Bone at Bergdorf Goodman}

Sure, the color's not perfect, and the fit isn't what I had in mind, I think it totally makes the outfit. 

If you wanted to be really fancy, you could wear pearls.

{Tiffany & Co.}

So what do you guys think of my neon-inspired look? And how about those killer shoes? Am I the only one who's obsessed with the pleats on that Juicy masterpiece? I know how many people read this blog, and I know how many comment. That ratio is so off. I know you have opinions! Every human does. And probably lots of primates and dogs and such. First commenter gets an entire post inspired by/dedicated to her. Or him. So comment and tell me what you think or what your idea of the perfect outfit is. I'll definitely consider IMOS suggestions! So comment away!

The Print Paradise

Good morning! It's International Month of Shoes, and I hope you're all excited because I know I am!

Today I wanted to continue with my thoughts on simple, easy-to-recreate fashion. And what better way to start out a "complicated" ensemble than with classic white boat shoes.

{Sperry Topsider}

Yesterday, I talked about simplicity and how easy it is to look put-together and fashionable. I also used print mixing as an example of "complicated" fashion. But really, it's not too hard. Some print mixing is crazy and makes my head spin, but it can be so simple. The easiest way to do it is to use stripes or polka dots with florals or something bold.

Florals are my first print. And I want a simple, easy floral.

{Hollister}

And because it's Presidents Day, I'm going to incorporate a classic: stripes. 

At first, I don't know why, but I really really really wanted yellow and white stripes a la Jane Fonda.

But, I realized that it wasn't quite right.  And if it's on the internet, it needs to be right. Before I came to this realization, I was piddling around the interweb. And I looked at Rag & Bone. Ahhhhhhhhhh. And I stumbled upon this. Ahhhhhhhh. (You can interpret that any way you want to. Ahhhhhhh.)

{Rag & Bone}

Ahhhhhh. It's crocheted!!! I don't know how they could possibly make that but it is magnificent. And it's blue. 

Add a mint or sky scarf... (mint is big for spring. It's weird how I know all the trends, but I rarely ever actually try them. Except colorblocking which is did accidentally the entire year before. I've always been a little random with color.)

...a huge tote... and viola! An outfit. I didn't exactly show you how to mix prints, but I accidentally demonstrated getting dressed in the morning. It's a process. You think you want one thing, but really, another thing is better. 

And I have no idea how this outfit came to be. I don't know what happened. But it's right. That doesn't mean I would wear it to school (partly because I wear a uniform). But I need to change the skirt. I like this one...

{Hollister}

...a lot. Sometimes, you need ruffles and scarves and boat shoes and a crocheted shirt from Rag & Bone. Sometimes you just need to be right. And yes, you can quote me on that. 

Have the best IMOS you've ever had. Ever in your life. 

Oh, and happy Presidents Day!!!!!! 

Hear me Roar!

Hello, Birdies!  I hope your IMOS has been fantastic!

Recently, I've been experimenting with blog designs. And I changed it today. I don't know why, but my views skyrocket every time. Today, I got about 5 times more views than the average day! Should I change my design more often?

And today, the shoes are a bit on the wild side. They are seriously feisty. ;)

{Stubbs and Wooton}

Something about blue and green leopard loafers makes me smile. And I feel relatively matchy today. Don't get me wrong, I feel weird about it, but there are no rules in fashion. If I want my outfit to coordinate more than most, that's okay. And that's the point of this outfit: to show my little Birdies that you can be matchy and still look good. But you can also be random and look good. It's all about confidence and shoes. 

{J.Crew}

A little color blocking, madam? Why, of course, darling! 

{Arden B}

Yay cobalt! I predict it will be big very soon. Probably not for spring, but summer and fall, watch out. But it's just an educated guess. And by educated, I mean wild guess. But I like cobalt, and I'm seeing it more often. So it is an educated guess. Like a hypothesis.

And surprise! I have 2 options. They are the exact opposite of each other. I mean exact opposite. One is navy and green color block top with a cobalt skirt...

{Madewell}

...and the other is a navy sweater with a cobalt and green color blocked skirt. I said they were opposite, right? Well, I was wrong. They aren't exact opposites. One has navy and green colorblocking while the other has cobalt and green colorblocking. I was so close. Sooooooo close.

{Gap. Or is it The Gap?}

Who doesn't need a navy sweater? Well, technically me, because I've never thought, "Hmmm. What to wear, what to wear. Oh! A navy sweater with ________. Oh wait. I don't have a navy sweater." But now I'm thinking of all the ways I could wear it. So yes, everyone needs a navy sweater. 

Simplicity reigns. You don't have to be avant-guard with mixing prints and so on to look fabulous. A colorblocked sweater does the work for you. Add a flouncy skirt and loafers and you look ah-maze-ing. That's all it takes. Yes, the complicated print mixing and randomness can look oh so stunning, but you don't have to do all that to look sophisticated and I-don't-live-under-a-rock-ish. 

Accidental Trends I Used

Hello, my people! Happy IMOS! Today I looked at the Nordstrom catalog for February and I saw happy things. And I saw some shoes I loved (of course), but naturally, I couldn't find them. But Nordstrom introduced me to Vince Camuto. I found some shoes that I loved. If you are surprised, you don't know me.

{Vince Camuto}

Everyone says neon is huge for spring this year. Teenagers have worn neon for at least a year. If adults would pay more attention to us, they would have recognized the fabulousness of neon brights! And I love neon accessories. 

And I also read that printed pants are in style. I've always loved them, but I wasn't sure how to wear them, so I remain printed-pants-less. But I'm going to prove myself wrong. 

{DVF and Current/Elliot}

I'm on a roll today: mint green, printed jeans, neon shoes... I didn't even realize it! And I think the simple two color print is easiest to work with. Meaning I could wear pink, blue, purple, orange, yellow, anything with green and white. But I strongly discourage red. 

And because I want to keep the ball rolling, I want a texture. I want ruffles, pintuck, pleats, anything.

{ZARA}

Now I can add sheer to the list of trends I accidentally used in this outfit! 

And it needs something. Something like this.

{Madewell}

Go ahead. Add it to the list of trends I used: light denim shirts. I would wear it open as a jacket to show off the cool neckline of the sheer shirt.

Now I need a neon "echo" for the shoes. IMO, the best place for an echo is the purse. I think yellow suits my trendy ensemble perfectly.

{Kate Spade}

Add a day clutch. Actually, I'm fairly sure it's a day clutch because of the color, but the style looks more evening. Oh well, it's my blog therefore it's a day clutch. 

TTFN (ta ta for now)! I'll be back tomorrow with more and more and more and more itemmmmms. And I have a list 55 miles long of shoes I love. I might extend IMOs!

An Early Late Valentine's Day Present

Hi guys! Happy International Month of shoes!!! I hope it's amazing so far! I know mine has been!

So every year, my brother and I get a small Valentine's Day present. And I had a dress rehearsal on Tuesday. We were finishing alterations, practicing the upside-down French braid and bun, and working on rhinestoning my costumes. You couldn't even tell it was Valentine's Day. So we "postponed" it. It's tomorrow in my family! Anyway, my point is, I found a plastic bag that contained the March edition of People Style Watch! I casually asked my mom about it, and she explained that it was part of my Valentine's gift! So naturally, I begged her to let me read it early, since it was actually the real Valentine's Day, and she gave in. So I got an Early Late Valentine's Day gift. And I've read it at least twice. Or more.

And of course, the shoes of the day are from People Style Watch.

{Naughty Monkey}

Wow I love that print! I love the Aztec/Navajo/tribal look! 

And because I'm kind of on the wild side today, I'm going to take you on a safari. With the Aztecs.

{Old Navy}

I've never loved shirtdresses. I liked them and appreciated them, but never saw one worth buying. Until I saw this one. Actually, I'm lying. I wouldn't buy this, but I love it. Mainly the color. Color makes everything better. Color and chocolate. 

I could stop here, or give you a few other things to add. I choose the latter. I won't leave you hanging. But I saw the shoes, and what I'm about to show you all on the same page of People Style Watch. I get excited about the little things!

I don't know why, but I checked Google Images first. And I saw exactly what I wanted. But then I checked Olivia + Joy, and all I saw was this!

{Olivia + Joy}

Depressing! I don't know what happened, but I think the first one is so spectacular! I love it! 

Prepare for whimsy. Don't say I didn't warn you.

{Mango}

And there it is, folks. Actually, the one I saw in People Style Watch was teal with an orange head, but oh well. If they have it, they have it. 

Happy Friday!

Oops!

A Quickie Little Post was supposed to go up on Thursday morning! Just don't read it until then! ;) Or just pretend it's Thursday morning! Happy International Month of Shoes (IMOS)!!!!! :)

A Quickie Little Post

Hey, Birdies! It is Wednesday night and I still haven't done my Thursday IMOS post! So it's going to be brief. I warned you. Well, I'll try to make it brief. No promises!

For the shoe, I want something sparkly. It's Valentine's week. I want happy shoes.

{Sam Edleman}

Yep. That is what I wanted. Exactly what I wanted. And I used to loathe loafers. Now, I'm on the verge of wanting them! Of course, I think I'll stay on the yes-they're-okay-but-I'm-not-in-love side of things. 

And I love the blush ones, too!

And since this is a quick, shortened post, I'm going to do something very simple but IMO, stylish. 

I'm starting with a blazer from none other than J.Crew!

{J.Crew}

But scrunch up the sleeves a bit. Observe.

Much better! Now I really love the stripes. Now I need stripes!

{The Gap}

Now I need skinny jeans. I really would prefer a color to work with my all neutral ensemble. 

{AE}

I could also do citron. I'm sad we don't see much citron. I think we'll see more in the near future though. Same with blue. Lots of blue and citron, along with other colors of course!

And my inspiration outfit has beautiful, big, bright, red sunglasses. And I don't usually take my inspiration this literally, but I really needed that today. I don't usually write posts on Wednesday nights, and I need it to be quick! And I needed that hit of bright!

{Ray Ban}

That's all, folks! I may be from Texas, but I'm actually so terrible at southern accents! I'm wayyy better at Valley Girl or New Jersey! Happy IMOS!

Down by the Homestead

Hey, Birdies! Happy IMOS (International Month of Shoes)! And happy Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!

I have some depressing news. It didn't snow today. Well, it snowed, but not at my house. It snowed at my friends's houses, but not mine. And that is why I'm sad today.

So today, I wanted something to replace the snow. Something light and fluffy and airy. And I was thinking that the perfect compliment to sheer and girly, was rustic and cozy.

{Old Gringo}

Old Gringo makes the coolest boots ever. I love them! The designs are amazing! And... they will work perfectly with the pure frilly, girliness I have planned for today. 

And here it is!

{Dresses from Free People}

I love polka dots. I love sheer. I love floaty things. And I love blue. In other words, I love this dress. With cowboy boots, you need something light and ethereal. Obviously, there are other ways to wear cowboy boots, but this is the look I'm going for. 

It also comes in white!

And I'll throw in some more possibilities for good measure.

With neutral boots, you can pull off a whole spectrum of brights. In this case, tangerine works brilliantly. And according to this post, tangerine is big for spring. I am ecstatic. I love brights and bolds. I love every single color on that post. I love the brights (coral, citron yellow, kelly green) and the not-as-bright (pastels such as mint green). I'm kind of a fashion chameleon. Some days I want bright, colorful patterns and prints, and some days, I want to look ethereal like a Free People model. I have so many "looks" I admire, I could wear a different one every day for the rest of my life with no problems. Well, probably no problems. No promises. 

I love the sheer panels! Lucky says sheer is huge for spring, and I'm so excited! 

Every girl needs ruffles! 

I'm loving it. But it needs a purse. I think a cross body would do the trick. In leather/tan suede or a more vibrant hue. 

But I went neutral!

How fabulous is this?! I love Kate Spade!

And that concludes my western 1 part saga. Do you guys ever wear cowboy boots as fashion statements? Or are they strictly for the ranch? 

Slight Complication

Happy International Month of Shoes (IMOS)!!

Well, I've had some technical difficulties lately. I meant to set The Brits to post on Saturday. Flower Girl was supposed to go up on Friday. Oops! I think it was my mistake. But I could always blame technology...

Today, I'm feeling ethereal. I want pretty pastels and I want it to be summer-y. In Austin, we get snow approximately 8 hours a year. The weatherman said that we might get a light dusting today, so I'm so excited. But cold. So I'm going 110˚ weather for today's outfit.

{J.Crew of course}

It looks so pearly! I love the little flower! Now if it's really 110˚, all I wear is a swimsuit. But this is a fashion blog. I think that a short little skirt would work too. Your legs don't have anything touching them, so that helps a smidge. 

A few minutes of pure reality later, I realized that the skirt I'm looking for doesn't exist. All I see are maxi skirts, denim skirts, or A-line skirts. I want something light and flouncy! So I think I need to find an alternative: shorts. Big surprise, huh?

{Roxy Nomad Shorts}

These are so utterly pretty. They're light, short, and not bam-in-your-face-I-love-bold-pattern-and-color. And they also come is pastel blue!

For the shirt, I could take the easy way...

like this...

Or this. 

Or I could do the other easy way...

{AE}

Because there really isn't a hard way! It's summer! -Er, we're pretending it's summer. Because I'm cold. 

Happy IMOS! And happy winter!