Style + Work = Poise


This is my last post (for now) on style from Kate Spade. I wanted to share her formula for poise and demeanor in the office.

~ Consider the type of job you have: whether you work in a corporate environment, at a fashion magazine, or in real estate, the sensibility of your job and your position will guide your dress choice. 















photo credit Hoang-Kim Instagram account


~ Geography counts. Small town, big city, rural or urban are relevant indicators of dress.

~ Draw attention to your work, not your dress. How you dress may be one way of communicating, but your PERFORMANCE is always the best way to “talk about” yourself to your colleagues or your boss. 



~ Err on the side of discretion, not obsession: you might be proud of your tattoos and many earrings, but at work cover body markings and keep the earring count down to a pair -an earring on each earlobe.


~ Workstyle is not about the gym-fit figure but about demeanor: no matter how flat your stomach is, don’t show it.

photo credit Mariah Hewines 

~ Blue hair, purple hair, overly hennaed hair, or architecturally spiked hair is best left to after-work hours. 


~ Be observant. Some rules are spoken. Many others are unspoken. 

~ For presentations or lectures, select something with color so that you won’t fade into the background. Avoid looking washed-out.


~ What’s good for the goose is not good for the gander. Just because your boss might deviate from the normal office attire, don’t copy her or him. (Or at least not until you’re the boss and get to set the rules!)



Above all, be confident: posture and demeanor go a long way in an office. What you wear is part of the secure image you project. 




(Text via Kate Spade)

In the Office


I wanted to share these fabulous tips from Kate Spade. I am a firm believer in office dress codes. People will push “causal” to the max if you let them.

“To be honest, I don’t dress that much differently in the office than when I’m not working. Sometimes my choice of colors (or clothing is based on hooky and going to museums).”

I so agree with this! My wardrobe doesn’t change much from weekend to work week.

photo credit Sabine Instagram account

Dressing for work means dressing for your company and your responsibilities. If your company has a dress code, apply your style within those parameters. If you see a lot of clients or customers, consider that what they see is also how they’ll feel about you. Remember: NO ONE EVER GETS REPRIMANDED FOR DRESSING WELL!!!


Amen sister!







photo credit ffnf Liketoknowit



I love this quote from Kate. I hate casual Fridays! People come to work in the craziest things.


“I know I should like “casual Friday, “but in truth, I find it silly. It’s not that I feel there is only one right way to dress for work, and of course, I want everyone who comes to our office to feel happy. Yet when staff show up in shorts and sneakers, it’s as if they’re saying good-bye before even saying good morning.” 

photo credit Mariah Hewines 

Another aspect of dressing well is beauty and the most important thing about beauty is to leave SOMETHING to the imagination. That is still very important. 


I hope you enjoyed this post and continue to look beautifully dressed at work.



(text Kate Spade) 

Fine Jewelry with Costume Jewelry

I am finishing my reading in Kate Spade’s book called Style. The next section that I wanted to share was fine jewelry and costume jewelry. Should they be worn together?

Kate mentioned:


Real pearls are costly, yet you adore them. Is it all right to mix fine jewelry with costume?

Wearing jewelry with style is about considering shape, color, and proportion. If your grandmother’s pearl necklace is perfection with your costume Dior pearl brooch, then wear them together often.

Make them a signature look all your own. 

I love wearing my salt water pearl necklace with my faux pearl Chanel necklace. They look so chic together.
I have also worn my black Eva Mendes statement necklace with my pearl necklace from my mother in law. Lovely together….
And I have worn my Talbots statement necklace with my pearl necklace from my mother in law. Again, very chic together. 
I hope you take your fine vintage jewelry and mix it up with your costume jewelry. The look together just might surprise you. 

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

The Beauty of Accessorizing

I have pulled out my book by Kate Spade called Style and decided to review the “Have You Ever Wondered” section of the book.

Kate says:

You have a perfectly good dress for evening, but admittedly it’s a bit on the plain side. How can you look more spruced up?

Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. Nothing elevates something simple like necklace of brightly colored stones or shoes with a lot of lift and sparkle.

It’s what you add that gives personality and style to your appearance.

I love this lace dress and earrings that I picked up at Banana Republic.
I love accessories and believe that they can and will set you apart. 

My stripe dress that I picked up at New York & Company.
I purchased the brooch from a vendor last year. 
The shirt I found at a thrift store 2 years ago. 
The necklace is from Talbots also purchased 2 years ago.
The earrings are Ralph Lauren and the shoes are from Ninewest last year and unfortunately sold out!
I love to pair this with my flowy black skirt. 
The shirt I found at Banana Republic last year along with the bracelet. The earrings I found at Charming Charlie sales rack and the shoes are from Payless
I love to pair this with a gray skirt. 
The shirt I found at a thrift store. The shoes are from DSW. 
The bumble bee brooch is from Banana Republic and the earrings are from JCrew.
To read about my bee brooch see here.
To read about my shoes see here.
This has been one of my favorite dresses this year. I saw it on the Gal meets Glam blog in September of last year. 
I just loved the way it looked and had to purchase it. Here is the link to the blog post to read about it. 
The necklace is from the Eva Mendes collection at New York and Company, the earrings are vintage Chanel earrings that I got from Tradesy and the shoes are from DSW. I love this dress it is so comfortable.
And these are just some of my other accessories that I enjoy wearing. Accessories are a wonderful way to add your own sense of style to your clothing. I do hope that you enjoyed this post and I hope that it inspires you to add sparkle to your day.
Enjoy!
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Floral Beauty on Pinterest


Most of us are on Pinterest and enjoy finding inspiration there. I have mentioned before that I have a couple of boards but this past weekend I found myself on my Floral Beauty board longing for some spring….

My roses at home

My peonies at work




My bouquet in our bedroom

My tulips in my office two summers ago!



Hopefully, spring will be arriving soon. I won’t hold my breath. We always seem to get snow in March. So I will just have to wait…..


(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Spring Cell Phone Cases

Well all this talk about spring has got me thinking about flowers and more flowers. One thing to know about me is that I hate to buy new cell phones!

Once I have a phone I like to keep it forever. But we all know that is pretty much impossible with all the new updates constantly going on with the companies.

Another issue for me is that all the great cell phone cover cases are for IPhone carriers. I don’t own an IPhone. My husband loathes IPhones so we are android people.

I always complain about how I can not find a cell phone cover that I like until I found these…..

These are by a company called Cutebe and they are on Amazon. 




I purchased two of them and I love them!
These are actually photos of my phone. They work well and are not in the way.
My daughter loves the one with the blue flowers on it. I will probably order two more.
I really like the cherry blossom one.
And the butterfly one;
You should definitely check them out if you are an android phone carrier.  I have had no complaints and I do love the way they look. 

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)


My Spring Shoes

I thought I would share a quick post about my shoes for spring. I have been trying to find fun, chic, comfortable shoes for spring and this is what I have so far. 
I have more in my closet (trust me) but these are the new additions to my shoe wardrobe.
These I purchased at DSW and I mentioned them last week on my blog (see here).
I can’t wait to wear these!
These were so chic and feminine. Very comfortable!
I really want the orchid pair also!
These I picked up from Von Maur last year. 
Here is a photo with me wearing them and watching my husband shoe shop.
These I picked up last year from Nine West.
People stop me all the time about these.
Sorry I could not find them online anymore. 

These are the BCBGeneration Niro Pump.
Super comfortable and chic!
These I posted about in my February finds entry. See here.
Well I hope you enjoyed this post and the shoes! I try to find shoes that are affordable and lovely. That is always the best combination.
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)