1 2 Check Check

{Shirt: J. Crew | Shorts: Forever 21 | Flip-flops: Rainbow | Flower pin: bando | Watch: Sophie via Nordstrom}

Casual, my friends. I forget how much I love this shirt sometimes. Until I take my flower pin out and see two drastic holes in the fabric. I hope they shrink back up. Does this sound like a realistic possibility?

I have a short work week and am lucky enough to be headed off for a little visit to Minneapolis tomorrow for my long weekend! :) See you back on The Daily Dani in a few days!

3rd time's a charm...

{T-shirt: StyleMint | Vest: J. Crew | Pants: Urban Outfitters | Huaraches: JustFab | Watch: Nordstrom | Bow pin: States of Alteration | Flower pin: bando}

This outfit is mostly a copy-cat outfit. Last Friday, a 3-year-old in my class wore this outfit. Yes, seriously. Then Monday, my coworker Laura wore it, inspired by the little be-bop. So Tuesday, i just couldn't resist! Let me tell you, if the little doll has this sense of style at 3, be very prepared for her style blog come 20 years...

P.S. Are there any So Cal bloggers interested in the blogger meet-up that Meg over at henning love is planning? Currently it's scheduled for October 16, and I believe the tentative location is Tanaka Farms in Irvine... Comment here, shoot me a tweet/e-mail, or let Meg know you're interested - would love to get more fashion bloggers on board and have a blast with y'all!

Pinteresting.

{Top, Watch, Belt, Boots: Nordstrom | Scarf: Foreign Exchange | Necklace: Luna}

Are you all on Pinterest? You need to be! I'm kind of obsessed with it. I pinned this outfit awhile ago, and it was (hopefully, clearly) the inspiration for this outfit! Or shall I say, pinspiration? (Maybe I won't say pinspiration, since it sounds like perspiration. Ew. Sorry.)

Eggplant?

{Shirt: RVCA via Laguan Surf & Sport | Jeans: Hudson | Huaraches: JustFab | Necklace: JewelMint | Watch: Nordstrom | Ring: Luna}

I don't like to eat eggplants, but I do like to wear them.
I am in love with my new huaraches.
These are my favorite jeans.
Eloquence is a gift.

Blogger Feature: Suze of Miss Vinyl Ahoy

I'm so excited to be able to feature one of my favorite bloggers here on The Daily Dani! Please welcome Suze!

  3 words to describe your personal style? Colorful, eclectic, pattern-y (is that a word? It is now!)

 You are definitely a proponent of COLOR here in the blogosphere - but how would you style the classic LBD to reflect your personal style? I’d probably select a LBD that was of a more retro cut, or had interesting detailing. Then I’d pair it with bright, bold and fun accessories. I do wear black sometimes. 

Where do you find inspiration for your outfits? Usually it’s me reaching into the closet in the dark, feeling around and pulling things out to wear. No, seriously I tend to just put stuff together. I really don’t read magazine, so I’d rather place my inspiration on other bloggers (which it is sometimes), books that I’m reading, or me just putting together things that I think will work, regardless of if they do or not.

How do you to take your fabulous style into the "real world," finding a balance between fashion and professionalism? Thankfully, I work in a fairly liberal workplace, so I can wear skirts, dresses, jeans or even sweatpants (if I really want to). So I’m able to take some liberties with my wardrobe. But, I have certain rules I always follow:

Nothing too short (that “finger-tip” rule doesn’t work if you’re my height)
Nothing see-through
No sweatpants (even though I can wear them, I don’t)
Anything that would be worn in a nightclub is a no-no.

I go by the “dress for the job you want, not the job you have” adage, so while I may be very fun with my outfits, I try to make sure that whatever I’ve wearing is appropriate, covers my stomach and doesn’t make me look unprofessional.

  
Make sure you head over to Suze's blog, Miss Vinyl Ahoy, and check out her absolutely fun and fabulous ensembles!

Pattern Play.

{Cardigan, Tee, & Pants: Zara | Shoes: Aldo}

I wore this to work this week. It stands by my tried and true affinity for clothes that look like pajamas.
1. My boss asked me if "hammer pants were back in style." Duh.
2. A kindergartener told me I looked "kind of like a clown."
So, all in all, this outfit was an obvious success.

StyleMint. Take 2.

{Top: StyleMint | Jeans: JustFab | Flats: Blowfish via Century 21 | Knuckle ring: Luna | Necklace & Watch: Nordstrom)

So, I've previously talked about my original StyleMint purchase here. I just got a white t-shirt to start out, to try out the service. I wasn't especially impressed a couple months ago, and I'm still not really. I love those Olsen girls, but the options they've been pumping out are either boring or weird, to be honest. Nevertheless, I went for this polka dot top, as I've been told that polka dots are back in for fall haha. I like the cut of this top, and it is INCREDIBLY soft, 50% cotton/50% micromodal. I'm guessing it's supposed to look worn in, but it kind of looks old to me in person. Like what your clothes look like after you wash them 100 times. Is this a good thing? I'm not sure.

Come on, Mary-Kate and Ashley, impress me...

I chose to wear clothes.

{Dress: Forever 21 | Wedges: Steve Madden | Belt: Urban Outfitters | Turquoise ring: Luna | Watch: Nordstrom | Other jewelry: Vintage}

This past Sunday was my friend Katelyn's 3rd bridal shower. Theme? Lingerie. Outfit of choice? Clothes. As I don't technically get to choose my outfit for her wedding (I'm a bridesmaid), I'm using the many activities and soirees leading up to the wedding to show off my personal style. For the first two showers, I wore this and this. Bachelorette party is this weekend, followed by the rehearsal dinner, then the wedding! Photos to come, don't you worry!

P.S. Is it just me or do my teeth/mouth look XL in these photos? Hahaha.

Got that glitter on our eyes...

{Top: Foreign Exchange | Jeans: JustFab | Boots: Steve Madden | Purse & Large mirrored ring: Forever 21 | Headband: Borrowed | Beaded earring: OC Fair Boutiques | Feather earrings & Om stud: Target Turquoise bracelet &  Knuckle ring: Luna | Feather hair clip: Three Green Hearts via Luna | Southwestern bangle & Watch: Nordstrom | Dreamcatcher necklace: flammable hearts | Dinosaur necklace: anthropologie (gift)}

Whew! Holy accessories! Anyway...

On Saturday night, my friends and I went to see LMFAO and Ke$ha! Before you judge, just know, these two artists put on such a fun show, that all judgment bounces off of us and turns into glitter! Seriously, though. Incredibly fun and incredibly worth it!

I really loved my entire outfit, especially my accessory overload. I liked that I didn't feel like I was wearing a costume, just that I took my typical style and went a little overboard. Leopard print + excessive accessories = my happy place. :)

eShakti Discount Code for Daily Dani readers!

Remember my eShakti review? Thanks to traffic generated from the post, eShakti has been kind enough to offer my readers $20 off with the code DAILYDANI0811 through October 31! Check them out! :)

Blogger Feature: Tracy of The Closet Shopper

3 words to describe your personal style?

Oh man. The answer to this question is ever changing for me. I’m not exactly sure but I would have to say, Modern, Classic, Simple.

Who are your celebrity style icons?

Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Jessica Parker, Anne Hathaway, Reese Witherspoon, & Sandra Bullock.

What would you consider the 5 essential items to a fashionable wardrobe?

1. White blouse
2. Simple sheath dress. Doesn’t have to be a little black dress (LBD) it can be any solid color. I love mine in camel.
3. Black dress pants. (cigarette or wide leg. Preferably both!)
4. Structured blazer
5. Jeans (a pair that fit you perfectly! Buy two pair and hem one for heels and one for flats)

What is your favorite/most versatile accessory?

 I would have to say my vintage woven belt that I found at a thrift store years ago for $2. It’s the perfect cognac brown and it can cinch any outfit and make it look fitted and tailored and super duper cute.

I love your juxtaposition of higher fashion with the everyday. Do you have any tips for spicing up everyday outfits?

 Thank you for saying that, Dani. I think that you should be able to wear everything in your closet for any occasion. So, I use accessories to make the outfit casual or dressy. Scarves, shoes and jewelry can give an outfit a fancy feel or a more relaxed feel. It’s important to not categorize your wardrobe too much. I mean, if you bought it because you love it, why not wear it? Right?

I have to admit, I am overwhelmingly jealous that you have a real-life job as a fashion consultant! How did you get into the field, and how did you make such a great career out of it?

 Don’t be too jealous. It’s not my full-time job. Not yet at least. I have my own fashion consulting business but I do work a boring 9-5 job as well. The day job makes it really hard to focus on my fashion business alone since I can only see clients at night and on weekends. I’m not complaining. But as far as making a great career out of it? That’s a work in progress.

As far as how I got started, a friend said I should so I did. I’ve been styling my friends forever but until one of them said, “You are so good at this, why don’t you start your own business?” I had never thought of it. It started as word of mouth then I launched my website in 2007 and it’s been going strong ever since. I didn’t start posting outfit pics on my fashion blog until July of 2010. I decided it would be important for potential clients to see me as a normal woman that dresses in a regular normal way. I was hoping it would help them feel less intimidated to hire a stylist.

Working with women to empower them to love the body they’re in and to dress it appropriately has been the biggest high for me. I always leave a session feeling like I could climb the highest mountain. In other words, I really love this work. And maybe someday, I can quit my day job. Here’s to the dream.

Make sure you visit Tracy over at her blog, The Closet Shopper, to see more fantastically styled outfits!

No BBQ stains on my white t-shirt...

{Top & Watch: Nordstrom | Jeans: JustFab | Shoes: Jessica Simpson via Nordstrom Rack | Earrings: Forever 21 | Bracelet: Birchbox}

Wanna hear something funny? Yesterday, after reading Kelsey's awesome post about her "six-item theory," (aka the idea that six pieces of clothing is the magic number for a truly interesting outfit) I was shaking my head in agreement thinking, "Yes. I need to start wearing six items to make my outfits truly interesting!" So what did I do today? Throw on jeans and a t-shirt and minimal jewelry. Gotta love 7am. Either way, read Kelsey's post! It's awesome! It also made me realize, that's probably why I love every single one of Blair's outfits - they are so visually intriguing because she is fantastic at layering and mixing & matching!

Also funny? I still am really into this super comfortable outfit. That's probably because I can describe it as "super comfortable." Really, any adjective preceded by super is, well... a super fun way to describe anything.

Please feel free to applaud me on wearing this brand new white shirt to work today and not getting any paint, glitter, glue, or snot on it. Anyone who works with kids, has kids, or has been around a kid for more than 2 minutes knows this is a great feat!

Can you tell that my hair is curled differently? No? That's ok, because I'm going to fill you in anyway. Anyone who knows me knows that I (very pathetically) rely on reality tv for much of my entertainment. This includes Teen Mom, all the Real Housewives (besides Atlanta), The Real World (and all its subsequent Challenges), and most recently, The Bachelor franchise. Bachelor Pad 2 just ended, but I spent most of it wishing I could be Michelle Money's bff and also wanting to steal her hair and eyebrows.

Well, lucky for me, she has a beauty YouTube channel, and last night, I learned how to do "The Michelle Curl." Check it out, my friends. Check it out.

P.S. Perhaps you've noticed I didn't do a "Flashback Friday" today. That's because I've quickly realized, I don't really like Flashback Friday. Don't hate me. Or, do. I'm still discontinuing Flashback Friday. ;)

P.P.S. Enjoy the 2nd to last pose. A rarely-seen outtake from my mom's directional cues. Today's? ("Move to the beat of the drum!" in response to the high school marching band practice across the street.) You're welcome.