Fashion Forward Fridays: Spring Shoes

Since I've been bartending so much, I have been wearing a lot of flats and sneakers recently. Which has led me to fall back in love with my KANDALS and want to order something similar but bolder. My decision would already be made if KANDALS created a shoe with some sort of pattern on it, but alas!

one: ModCloth | two: Target | three: UnionJack Boots | four: Blowfish Shoes

I've narrowed down my options to these four and really like them all for a different reason. At the bar, the other girls and I all wear the same t-shirt and jeans so really our shoes are the only part of our outfits that make us look different. Because of this, I have found a new love for flats and sneakers, which is mind blowing to me more than anything. Coming from the girl who wore heels everywhere for the past five years, this is a major step.

Which of these do you like best?

Fashion Forward Fridays: Pantone Color of 2015

Well I figured that it was about time that I talk about the Pantone Color of the Year. So for today's Fashion Forward Fridays, here are three ways to wear the color of 2015; Marsala. I'm in love with this color, mostly because it's in the red family, which is one of my favorite colors to wear. This isn't my favorite "color of the year" ever but I'm certainly loving it way more than last year's.

How do you feel about Marsala as the color of the year?

Fashion Forward Fridays: Wearing Leggings As Pants

Alright, alright, I know there is much debate on whether or not women should wear leggings as pants. Blah, blah, blah. Personally, I don't care what you're wearing as long as they are not sweat pants or GOD FORBID pajama pants in public. I also know that people are busy (and lazy) and I have been guilty of wearing yoga pants to work just so I could force myself to actually go to the gym afterwards too. So yoga pants, leggings, workout pants, whatever you call them (they are all basically the same) as long as the rest of your outfit is golden, they are all okay in my book.

For today's Fashion Forward Fridays, I've styled the same pair of workout pants in three different ways that you could "get away" with wearing them to places other than the gym. The typical argument about these usually comes down to keeping your butt covered, which with leggings (typically made out of thinner fabric than yoga or workout pants) I get that. But the other two (usually) have a decent kind of fabric that won't let everyone see your whole booty if you bent over. I'm not even going to get into the discussion about whether or not you should wear these for "modesty" reasons either, because I get dressed for me and if my cute butt is too distracting, that is not my issue. I'm distracted by guys who wear nice, fitted suits to work but you don't see me complaining that I cannot get my work done because of it.

I have literally worn these exact outfits before, which is why I know they work and look good. On a side note, if you're going to do the workout pants to work look, proceed with caution. There is a serious debate about these pants even if you haven't heard it, trust me, it's going on. I have worn this exact work look (shown last) to a corporate office before and no one thought twice about it because of the way it was styled. Your nicest workout pants should be the ONLY ones that you consider wearing to work. They should also be plain, no logos or visible patchwork to them and the rest of your look, including hair and makeup, should be polished. Otherwise, be comfortable! That's why we're wearing these pants after all, isn't it!?

Which look is your favorite?

Fashion Forward Fridays: Wearing Winter Hats

As I mentioned on Wednesday, I love wearing hats and I think winter is the perfect time to do so. For today's Fashion Forward Fridays, I'm sharing with you three of my favorite ways to style different hats during the cold months. 

Hope you have a fabulous weekend! Which is your favorite look?

Fashion Forward Fridays: Blanket Scarf Goodness

Happy Friday! I am already over the wintery cold and snow, but I cannot get enough of blanket scarves. I mean, who wouldn't want to wrap up in one before heading out in the cold? So for today's Fashion Forward Fridays, here are three looks I created in Polyvore for this trend! Enjoy and bundle up!

Which look do you like best? How do you wear a blanket scarf?

ALSO: Check out the Marion Claire Stationery review & giveaway on Sarah Hartley's blog! Click here to read and enter!

Fashion Forward Fridays: Wearing Colored Tights

I cannot even talk about how much I love wearing tights in the winter. I don't understand why, but tights with socks and boots is just my favorite trend. And I say winter, because it has arrived in Erie. I just realized yesterday that I guess I didn't really let the general public know that I moved. After posting about the snow yesterday on Instagram and Twitter, a lot of people asked where I was that there was so much snow. So, hey everyone, I live in Erie, in case you missed that memo, I move here in January. And we have plenty of snow already.

Moving on, I love wearing tights in the winter and I currently am obsessing over colored tights. So for Fashion Forward Fridays today, I put together three looks together on Polyvore inspired by colored tights that can be worn for winter.

The casual look is my favorite and is basically what I wore to work at Family Video on Wednesday night. I love the dressy look as well because it seems so sweet and romantic with pink tights, but the work outfit would be the hardest to pull off. I think that if you hair was up and you looked polished enough, it could happen and it'd be work appropriate.

Which look is your favorite? How do you style colored tights?

Fashion Forward Fridays: Easy DIY Halloween Costumes

If you're anything like me, you're all about dressing up for Halloween, but don't always decide on a costume until the last minute. And as you know, from Halloween's past, I'm the master of a great last minute costume. For today's Fashion Forward Fridays, here are four last minute costume ideas that I created on Polyvore for you to use with stuff that you can probably find in your closet right now!

The costume of this is easy, the makeup is the part that will take you a while. But paint your face like a candy skull,
wear a black dress and make your accessories pop with color and/or skull jewelry.

Even if you don't have the exact hat Waldo wears, as long as you have the red and white stripes, you're good.

This would be a great costume if you're going to an outdoor event!
And since I'm sure you don't have the goggles that Amelia wore, aviator sunglasses will certainly do.

Great for a rainy Halloween weekend! And you could empty out the salt container to hold your wallet, keys and phone!

Which costume idea would work best for you? I'm not sure about my Halloween plans just yet, but if I do go out the Morton Salt Girl costume is calling my name. So cute and simple! What are you doing for Halloween?

Be safe this weekend & Happy Halloween!

Fashion Forward Fridays: BLRG Gets Some Roots

You guys! I'm so excited about today's Fashion Forward Fridays post because Sam, from Broke Little Rich Girl, and I have been planning and talking about it all summer and now we've finally brought it together. I am such a proud little friend for Sam and her business that I cannot even wait to see the new addition in person the next time I'm back home.

If you remember a while back, Sam and her BLRG truck were featured on Fashion Forward Fridays and she's been on the rise ever since. Here's an updated interview with her about her next step with her fabulous business.

How did the idea for BLRG gaining a brick and mortar store come about? Was it always a part of the plan?
The original plan was to franchise my truck and I'm still open to that, however the store came about because my customers were always asking if I have a spot where I am most of the time so they can find me more easily to shop. I realized that women weren't just stopping by the truck to shop once in a while - they actually wanted to shop quite often and check out my new styles. I was also turning over inventory in my truck very quickly, which is a great thing, but women wanted new things and more of it so I opened a store! Now I'll have more of what women have come to know and love of Broke Little Rich Girl with even more size options, which was another request I get a lot. 

How does the truck play into this new role for BLRG? Will it still be traveling? 
The truck will absolutely still be out and about! I actually have events already scheduled for the truck after my grand opening day. The truck will continue to do home parties which is something a lot of people don't even realize I offer. I bring the truck to you with wine or cupcakes and the host gets 10% off their purchase at no charge. I have a few scheduled for the Fall. 

Do you see more trucks or buildings in the future of BLRG...or both!?
I would love to franchise the truck in the future and if I ever get to the point where I could open another store I would definitely do it. If the opportunity fits my brand and business and helps me achieve what I'm trying to accomplish then I'll always be open. 

What can we expect from the store that is different than the truck experience?
The style is still the same - very trendy, contemporary styles at an affordable price. That's the base of what my customers love about BLRG so that won't change. I will however have more pieces to share, more size options for my curvy Broke Little Rich Girl's, and the space is just awesome. Its of course filled with pink, black, and white fixtures, but its also very inviting and allows for a great and still intimate shopping experience - similar to the truck. The store will just be at one location at all times so everyone can always find me on 3816 Butler Street! 

So if you're in the Pittsburgh area, be sure to check out Broke Little Rich Girl!

This is a partnered post, I was not compensated and all opinions are my own.

I just happen to love Sam's business and stand behind her and BLRG 100%

Fashion Forward Fridays: NFL Game Day

Hey friends! Any of you who know me, or have followed my blog for a while, know that I love sports and am a die-hard Pittsburgh fan so with football season on its way, I was all about doing this preseason post! Fanatics is an online retail outlet for all things sports and they have some of my favorite football jerseys and so I, of course, could not choose just one to style, and thought that choosing each of the Steelers jerseys would make for the perfect Fashion Forward Fridays post. So, gear up for football season with me and check out Fanatics and these three ways to style your Steelers jersey!

I would also like everyone to know that I was watching the new movie Draft Day while putting these outfits together and actually liked it. Disclaimer: I love all movies about football, but it's saying something to tell you that I liked a movie about the Cleveland Browns.

Although I'd probably never dress up my jerseys, I like that the Steelers make it easy to do so with gold.

I would rock this, it's perfect for warmer weather and since the last Batman was film in Pittsburgh, the hat is perfect!

Okay, this seriously is exactly how I wear my white jersey. 

Which is your favorite look?

Don't forget that I'll soon be back to blogging about my Steelers for On Her Game!

Happy Friday & Here We Go!

Fashion Forward Fridays: emPOWERring Jewelry

Hey everyone! Today I'm happy to introduce you to emPOWERring, a jewelry company on a mission. The reason behind the name is to make women feel important, beautiful, and powerful with wherever they are in life. Whether single or taken, a CEO or just starting out, emPOWERring has got you, and your style covered.

I love that their products are designed and created with specific life stepping stones in mind and they have a variety of products, since no two women are the same. Their story of creating this business is so powerful and their products are gorgeous! I've selected my three favorite piece of theirs to share with you today and created a look inspired by each one in polyvore. Which is your favorite?

The Musical: Ring can be customized for your favorite song!

Mars & Venus: Focused on finding balance in relationships.

Put A Bow On It Upgrade: Your wish for something special.

Which piece from the emPOWERring collection is right for you at this point in your life?

Receive 10% off by using the code Power10 at checkout!

This is a partnered post but all opinions are my own.

Fashion Forward Fridays: Summer Festivals

All I can think about recently is going to summer festivals. So I thought why not use that for Fashion Forward Fridays? I know that I will be heading to a lot more than usual because I need to get Marion Claire off the ground and summer festivals seems like the way to go for me. But I don't think I'll be able to make it to any of the awesome music festivals that Eric and I really wanted to head out to, which is sad. So here's some fashion inspiration for those of you heading out to all kinds of festivals this summer!

I always want to wear sandals to festivals and then hate myself afterwards for doing that. So much dirt, so much walking, don't wear sandals unless it's in a mostly paved area. (Like the Three Rivers Arts Festival.) And you always need a bag that can hold a lot of stuff in, water bottle, blanket to sit on at any notice, wallet and necessities, camera, and room for stuff you buy. I'm getting excited just thinking about going to festivals! Where are you guys heading this summer?

Fashion Forward Fridays: Rain Boot Styles

Let's start this off right...thank you. You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for the positive response to my post and announcement yesterday! I'm so glad that so many of you are as excited as I am and are ready to go on this journey with me - I'll be sure to keep you updated on all the happenings of Marion Claire Stationery.

Now onto Fashion Forward Fridays! If you remember my post on Wednesday, then you know I need some new rainboots. And since I still have a black and white pair, I want a solid color. I loved the rainboots I wore Wednesday, but I always felt like I had to wear one of the colors in them and that usually felt limiting. So I want a color that I can wear with a lot of outfits and I have narrowed it down to either, pink, green, or yellow. And of course, I made style boards of Polyvore to go with each color.

Which outfit do you like best? And which color should I buy!? Happy Friday!

Fashion Forward Fridays: Reader Submitted - Meet Denise!

Happy Friday! I'm very excited to have a reader submission for today's Fashion Forward Fridays since I haven't had one for a while! Today I'm introducing to you a friend of mine from Seton Hill, Denise. She's a great girl and has recently launched her own blog, Beauty Beyond The Scale, so I was very excited when she submitted photos because I knew this would be a great time to introduce you to her blog as well. I hope you enjoy her interview and sense of style!

How would you define your style?
My style is very modest, professional, & dressy. Nothing is too formal for me. I like skirts, dresses, & fancy blouses. I especially love layering. Black leggings, cardigans, & big, chunky statement jewelry are a staple in my wardrobe. Also, I love black clothes & that's what most of my wardrobe consists of.

Where are you favorite places to shop?
Honestly, the majority of the pieces I buy come from thrift stores. I love that I can find unique things there, save money, recycle, & put my money toward charity all at the same time. There are a lot of great reasons to shop at thrift stores. Other than that, I'll shop anywhere I see something I like. I'm not picky at all.

If someone asked you for fashion advice what would you tell them?
Wear whatever you want. Do whatever makes you happy & confident. Honestly, don't ever worry about what other people think. I can't stress that enough. You don't want to live your life doing things just to please other people. There's nothing wrong with breaking "rules" when it comes to fashion, makeup, & beauty.

Tell us a little bit about your blog and why you started it.
 I love makeup, fashion, & all things beauty. I also struggle with my weight. I am currently implementing lifestyle changes to put an end to that struggle. Over the past year, I’ve lost 40 pounds and plan to continue losing weight & becoming a healthier person. In the summer of 2012, I started having health issues, no doubt because of my unhealthy lifestyle & food choices. I developed a stomach ulcer, Acid Reflux Disease, & became really depressed about the state of my health & overall self esteem. I set out to teach myself how to be a healthier person & to try & cure myself without having to start a course of scary medication at such a young age. Since then, I’m happy to say that I have cured my ulcer, have far less severe episodes of Acid Reflux, & have changed my attitude about life completely. With my blog, I want to share the things I have learned so far that have helped me, as well as things I am currently learning. I’m by no means, a health expert, but I have learned a tremendous amount of things that have helped me & my health. On my blog, I discuss healthy eating, exercise, makeup, fashion, & anything else that I have learned to help me build my self esteem & appreciate my own beauty beyond the number on the scale.

What do you hope to accomplish as a blogger?
I realize that there are so many blogs in the beauty, fashion, & health community that having your voice heard is hard. That's fine. I don't have to receive millions of views. If I can have even a few people read what I have to say & take away something positive that might help them, I've done what I'm here to do. 


Anything else you'd like to add...
Love yourself as you are now, today, just as God loves you. Express yourself & be unique. Otherwise, you're denying both yourself & everyone around you.

Hope you enjoyed reading through her interview as much as I did! Such good advice and inspiration. If you'd like to be featured on an upcoming Fashion Forward Fridays Reader Submitted post, email me at chelsandthecity(at)gmail(dot)com

- whether you're a blogger or not, I'd love to feature a fellow fashionista! 

Happy Weekend!