what's red & pink & tweed all over?

RED: check.

 PINK (about 12 shades): check check check.

 TWEED: check. 

 or, for you overdo-the-pink-on-V-Day purists, TWEED: UNcheck.

 shoes: converse brand. tweed jacket: talbots. scarf: gift. bracelets: forever21 & gifts.

Hey guys, it's Red-and-Pink day at Everybody, Everywear. Fitting for Valentine's Day, obv. I actually have a red maternity corduroy skirt that I contemplated wearing with this shirt, but I'm glad I didn't. Seemed a little too bleeding-pepto-bismol for me. Not that that's a bad thing, of course. Oh, wait. Yes it is.

You know what's weird? (Aside from the fact that my 3-year-old is developing an affinity for pickle juice. No lie. Ew.) I think pregnant bellies actually look better when you can see their real outline. Which is the paradox of the universe, but there it is. 

If I had my way, I'd drape myself in a canvas tent and call it good for the next 2 months. But there are others to consider. Like my husband. And the circus clowns who, frankly, need those tents to make a living. Speaking of...is it odd to wear red chucks with a tweed jacket? Probably. I mean, are we college-professoring today or boarding at the skate park? One just can't tell. Which, to me, makes the combination a little Unexpected & Maybe Awesome.

Happy Valentine's Day.

other cute red and pink stuff (maternity & regular):

More LOFT...

bacon by any other name...

 shoes: converse brand. skirt: american eagle. shirt & bracelets: forever21. sash: off a shirt from kohl's. watch: target. earrings: hawaii.

Today's jumping-off point was EBEW's "pattern mixing" theme. You all probably know by now that I love me a mixed print or eight. In one ensemble. Which, really, if you took that exaggerative statemet literally, would be equivalent to a hole in one, a 3/4 court buzzer shot, and three Heath blizzards from DQ, all in the same day.

So far, I've only mastered the DQ blizzard, but that's okay because those puppies are delish. Do I feel a little white-trashy proclaiming that? Sure. But it's not that different from how I feel after settling in with a gigantic bowl o' popcorned butter to watch Swamp People and finding that, after awhile, I really don't even need the subtitles. If you've seen the show, you'll know what I mean.

So. Enough about you, let's talk about me. I like the irony of the girly pink satin bow/belt and the Chucks in this outfit. Unexpected & Maybe Awesome for me here. Like bacon in our salad for dinner last night. Something is definitely right in the world when everyone at the table is happily gobbling up salad as the main course, as long as that "something" is spelled B-A-C-O-N.

Happy Tuesday.

p.s. Ad slots are available for the coming month; contact me if you're interested! brittneynesmart [at] yahoo [dot] com

Want this look? Shop below.

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Unexpected & Maybe Awesome Guest Post Series: Meredith from Yours, Mine, & Ours

Hey! Meredith here from over at yours, mine & ours. 

I blog freepiled, modest, mama style and I'm excited to be a part of this sweet new feature!

 So usually when I put something together I give it very little thought, but just because I don't have the time to

(my boss is a very crazy two year old and he's one strict task master. who wears a diaper. scary.). 

So I tend to focus more of my attention on the shape of clothing and not on the patterns. 

Sometimes this gets me in fashion trouble but other times it totally works out.
______________________________

Here are a few of my favorite Unexpected & Maybe Awesome styles:

Red, White and Ikat.

I love how the traditional colors worked to pull these not-so traditional prints together.

 Feminine mod.

 All of the feminine details in this outfit (the bow, the floral and the kitten heels) 

helped me feel really pretty and yet modern in this multi-patterned look.

Where's Waldo meets a Lumberjack.

I love me some plaid! And some stripes ...

So what the heck: put them together so you don't have to choose between the two.

Pair with neutral pants and voila.

______________________________

Thanks for inviting me Brittney! 

I really feel like some patterns were born to be mixed so why hold back? 

You might just end up with something unexpected and maybe awesome.

[Thanks, Meredith! You're beyond adorable...I love your (seemingly) effortless style for so many reasons, not the least of which is how you fearlessly dress for your lifestyle and end up looking awesome and uninhibited. Everyone go check out (and follow, if you're not already) her blog!]

Unexpected & Maybe Awesome Guest Post Series: Brandilyn from Cats & Cardigans

Hey, Day in the Life-ers!  So excited to be hanging out with you here today.  I'm Brandilyn, and I blog over at Cats & Cardigans about my simple personal style and life as a recent college graduate and boutique owner.  So very nice to meet you!

I've totally got something unexpected and maybe awesome to share with you today.  It's my favorite ways to make a modest skirt because, honestly, those guys are tricky to find.

I started with a flowy tube top with elastic lined throughout the top, like this one from Forever 21:

(Please excuse my closed eyes. It was a bright day and this, sadly, was the best picture that came of that shoot) ...and I just yanked that bad boy down to my hips.

BAM!  It's a skirt! I'll bet you totally didn't see that one coming, huh? 

I also think (and this is just a guess, because I have yet to join the ranks of stylish mommas everywhere) that this would be a comfy option for any pregnant ladies out there.  I can only imagine how uncomfortable that summer heat must be, and how nice a stretchy-banded skirt would feel on a growing tummy.  

Now go have fun turning your tube tops into skirts!

[Thanks, Brandilyn! This is sheer genius! I'm now on the shopping hunt for something I've never thought to look for before...the perfect tube top, slash, skirt. Everyone go check out (and follow, if you're not already) her blog!]

Unexpected & Maybe Awesome Guest Post: Elissa from Dress With Courage

Hi all. I'm Elissa, and I blog over at Dress With Courage. I was thrilled when Brittney asked me to guest blog about unexpected and totally awesome personal style. I blog a lot about dressing as you want to, not as you "should," and I was so flattered that Brittney thought of me for this series.

Have you ever seen the TV show Dharma and Greg? It revolves around an extremely mismatched couple - quirky, free-spirited, yoga-teaching Dharma, and conservative, old-money, silver-spoon lawyer Greg. When my husband and I were dating, Dharma and Greg was one of the few shows we enjoyed watching together, primarily because we could relate to the lead characters so well. Like Dharma, I was eclectic and liberal. I came from a performing arts background and had wildly colored hair. My husband, meanwhile, was a young lawyer working at a midtown Manhattan boutique law firm. He wore lots of Ralph Lauren, read Wine Spectator Magazine, and was president of his college's Young Republicans club.

As our marriage has evolved, we've both somehow managed to retain our individuality. I've gotten tattooed, remain fiercely independent, and spend at least two days a week digging through the racks at the Goodwill. My husband, meanwhile, is employed at a large, extremely conservative insurance company, where he sports expensive cuff links and rep striped ties and enjoys conversations about residuary charitable bequests.

A few weeks ago I met him for lunch at an upscale restaurant near his office, the kind of place visited by old-money Dallasites who wear couture purchased at Stanley Korchack and own private yachts. Visiting a restaurant like this always causes a bit of a crisis concerning the need to dress appropriately, and my desire to remain true to myself. I am extremely hesitant to sacrifice my personal style in order to appease those around me. It has taken me a good long time to fully accept who I am, and embrace all the qualities that make me unique. That includes my proclivity towards vintage clothing, and my loud girlish laugh. I truly appreciate who I am, and am proud that I don't blend in with the crowd. Furthermore, due to my tattoos and red hair, I am undeniably noticeable and unique. I couldn't blend in if I tried. And that's perfectly fine with me. Life is too short to be anyone other than who I am.

Yves Saint Laurent said, “Fashion fades but style is eternal.”  My personal style is here to stay. It is forever. I believe that too often women downplay their personal style because they are either too busy to refine it, lack the confidence to reflect it, or fall into the trap of dressing as they believe they're "supposed to." It isn't easy to be courageous and embrace who you are. You have to be brave and authentic, and take risks. That's what dressing with courage is all about. I realized years ago that I was never going to be the glamazon my mother wanted me to be, or the romantic woman dolled up in ruffles and lace. I am only comfortable dressing as me.

However, there are occasions where it becomes necessary to reign in my personal style in order to be respectful. Dressing respectfully often means "doing as the Romans do." In an establishment like the one I visited, that translates to subtle jewelry, covered shoulders and subdued make-up. I personally have no problem trading in my 1970's beaded sheer blouse for a simple crewneck sweater, if that's what the occasion merits. Furthermore, I understand that my value as an individual is not defined by what I do or do not wear. Just because I outfit myself in long-sleeves and simpler styles does not mean that I have abandoned my own beliefs to take on that of those surrounding me.

Respecting other people's beliefs does not mean you have to give up your own. It also does not change who you are.

[Thanks for this fabulous, insightful, and totally honest post, Elissa! You're one of my favorite Unexpected and Maybe Awesome style bloggers. Everyone, you should head over and check out (and follow, if you're not already) her blog! Seriously. I'm always inspired by Elissa's style and/or food-for-thought posting.]

Unexpected & Maybe Awesome Guest Post Series: Selina from Sisters 4 Say More is More

hey lovlies! i am Selina from Sisters 4 say MORE is more...  we were super excited when Brittney asked us to talk a little bit about unexpected and maybe awesome outfit choices... its kind of our favorite topic {well, shoes, are probably our FAVORITE...}

Sophie and i were talking on the phone one day {ok everyday...} and she told me that she couldn't think of a thing to go with this adorable floral skirt she had just made, so in all my infinite oldest sister style wisdom i said to her "just pretend its a neutral, or even denim... now what would you pair with it?" honestly, i have no idea why i said that, it just came out of my mouth! But Sophie and i decided to apply that little blurt... and found that in fact it was a great way to style, pretty much anything!

printed dress as top + striped skirt + orange lipstick....

Striped crop top + baby doll dress...

striped cardi + printed dress + acid wash jeans

mustard jacket + green silky blouse + leapard print skirt + neon yellow nails

unexpected always has a better chance at being awesome than expected... odds are that you will probably come up with one or two doofus outfits along the way {trust me, we certainly have... just ask our husbands...} but you wont be bored with your closet!  maybe you will even pull out some of that stuff you have crammed in the back and try to make an unexpected and maybe awesome outfit out of it and magically double your wardrobe! 

we also love to turn unexpected thrifted crap into awesome magical things...

its the most fun when the item we find is super ugly... ;)

thanks for having us Brittney! we love your blog and i personally laugh my tush off everytime i read it!

~Selina {sis #1}

[Thanks, Selina! I love this post--your creativity and personal style are definitely awesome and totally inspiring. Everyone go check out (and follow, if you're not already) their blog!]

Unexpected & Maybe Awesome...ness

So, over the coming weeks, you're going to see some guest posts from a variety of bloggers who, to me, exemplify Unexpected & Maybe Awesome style. What exactly do I mean by that? I talked about it a little bit here. And since I'm too busy (translation: lazy) to re-type it, you can read it there. Just trying to do my part to conserve energy, guys. Go green.

But because I'm running around like a headless chicken trying to get my family ready for a weeklong camping trip (helllooooo, bear spray), and because headless chickens are rarely, if ever, wearing anything bloggable, I've decided to get you all pumped about being Unexpected & Maybe Awesome.

Exhibit A: jeans & heels. I've come to love this combo. Not so much in summertime, if I'm being honest, but any other season.

Exhibit B: pops o' color and/or texture. Colored tights do the trick for me, as do fun scarves and, well, just about anything that has color and/or texture. That last sentence was succinct of me, I know.

Exhibit C: mixed prints/patterns. Florals + stripes + plaid + whatever. Love love LOVE love love. It's fresh, it's fun, it's fliberating, which is an even better version of the word "liberating." I guess I could've used sysnonym "freeing," which legitimately starts with the letter F. But isn't "fliberating" so much more unexpected...and maybe awesome? No? It's actually quite lame? Oh. Oops.

Feel free, if you'd like, to check out the outfits I've considered, for one reason or another, to be Unexpected & Maybe Awesome through the past few months. Or steal the Unexpected & Maybe Awesome button (on my right-hand sidebar, keyword: turban) for your blog with your URL in the comments below. I'd love to check out your stuff.

Welp. There you have it. What do YOU do to keep things fun while you get dressed? What unexpected things have you done, style-wise, that have turned out better than you thought? C'mon. Spill it.

In any case...Happy Tuesday.

p.s. If you'd like to do a guest post on Unexpected & Maybe Awesome style for this blog, just contact me! I'd love to hear your take, and I'm betting my readers would, too.

elementary, my dear watson

 shoes: mudd brand. shorts: express jeans (cutoff) (no kidding). shirt: gap. bracelet & belt: forever21. flower clip: downeast basics. earrings: hawaii.

Confession: cutoff shorts are turning into a major guilty pleasure for me. It feels like cheating, really, wearing them as much as I do. But I can't help it. There's something deliriously liberating about the irony of pairing total garbage (which, let's be honest, cutoffs really respresent nothing more than trashed jeans that needed to be either thrown out or cut up into oil-changing rags) with some sort of socially acceptable top.

The result? For me, it's an Unexpected and Maybe Awesome mix of high & low, trash & treasure, dumb and dumber & pride and predjudice...

Which brings me to my most recent scientific breakthrough that there are, really, only two kinds of people in this world: those who like Dumb & Dumber, and those who don't. My husband loves it. Further evidence, actually, that opposites really do attract. Know what doesn't attract? A peacock to another peacock, because apparently (says my 6-year-old son, who happens to be King o' Trivia Facts) there's no such thing as a female peacock. Those are called peahens.

Feel free to use that little tidbit in whatever way you deem necessary to get ahead in life. I know it's done wonders for me.

Happy Monday.

Want this look? Chop your garbage jeans, then shop below...

More J.Crew...

something old, new, borrowed, blue...and painted

 shoes & necklace: forever21. shorts: who knows, who cares. shirt: old navy. earrings: hawaii. bracelets: a zillion places.

I wrote a post to accompany these pics last night, full of snappy wit and self-deprecation. The brunt of my jokes were centered on these paint-splattered shorts, which I happen to love but which are, shall we say, white trash. Which makes for some good jokes, I have to say.

But Blogger ate the post, and I'm too lazy to write it again. So do me a favor: smile real big, spontaneously, as you read the next few words. Maybe even chuckle a little and shake your head, if you're a head-shaker-while-laughing kinda girl. (Or guy. But let's be honest. If you're reading this blog...girl.) Ready? Go.

Either way...I think this outfit is Unexpected and Maybe Awesome here. So it was a great day.

Happy Wednesday-turned-Thursday.

Want this look? Buy stuff below, then bust out your paintbrush...

More Forever 21...

red: a neutralizer or distraction? discuss...

Wow, it's only Day 3 and I'm already getting lame with the rhymes. Dah well.

 shoes: converse brand. skirt: american eagle. shirt: j.crew. sash: off a shirt from downeast basics. necklace: handmade by daughter with keychain pendant from an eiffel tower souvenier shop in paris.

I love this shirt. Love the snaps on the sleeves. Love the neckline. Love the weight and fit of the fabric. Love it all.

Wanna know a secret? C'mere. Closer...closerrrrrrr... This shirt is cream-based, and the skirt is white-based. I have always--ALWAYS--had a thing for keeping those two separate. Combining them is like drinking orange juice or eating sour patch kids right after brushing your teeth. (Guess which activity loses out almost every time around here?) (Wait, don't guess. It's alarming how well you guys are already acquainted with my limited dental hygiene habits...) (Okay, so that's not exactly true. I sure don't floss like a champ, but I brush my teeth! Faithfully! Often! I swear!)

[Editor's note: Um, the Punctuation Police called and said they're running out of parentheses and exclamation marks. Easy does it.]

(psssst...Editor...the Jerk Store called and said they're running out of YOU!)

And if you've never watched Seinfeld and/or are unacquainted with the fabulous fictional character that is George Costanza, you won't understand that last parenthetical aside. And also? My heart bleeds for you.

So. Cream, meet white. White, cream. Let's throw in a pop o' red and call it a day, shall we?

Happy Wednesday.

Want this look? It's super fun to wear! Click below...

More American Apparel...

simplicity doesn't have to be boring.

 shoes: converse brand. leggings: old navy. skirt: thrifted. sweater: vintage (american eagle). belt: forever21. flower clip: handmade gift.

Last night after tucking her in, I told my 2-year-old daughter, "I'll be back in 5 minutes to turn out your lamp." To which she responded, "I wuv you too, mom." Talk about unexpected and maybe awesome.

Know what else is unexpected and maybe awesome? (Queen of segues, right here.) These shoes. With this skirt. With this sweater. With some leggings. This outfit is pretty basic, but I love it so much! How can that be? I think it's partly because each piece speaks for itself; it's not hidden or manipulated in any way...which is what I feel like I do too often. Cheat.

Annnnd the other-partly reason I like it is because my lips match the Chucks. And the Chucks are bright red.

But, enough about me. Let's talk about Ahnold. Whut the...? Okay, enough about Arnold, let's talk about The Voice. Love its entertainment quotient (minus Christina's "unfortunate bleach job," as Elissa so aptly put it). Okay, enough about The Voice, let's talk about how I'm going to sort through about 28 boxes of baby/kid clothes and de-junk.

Wait. Let's not talk about that. Makes me depressed.

Happy Wednesday.

Want this look? Click on stuff below and buy it if you want...

More Forever 21...

twists and turns

Apparently there was something super interesting outside my window. Like the garbage truck.

 shoes, jeans, & slouchy tee: american eagle outfitters. striped tunic & wide belt: forever21. cardigan: don't recall. earrings: hawaii. watch: target. bracelet: burntsiena designs.

Allow me to totally geek out on you all for a minute...please? (You hesitate, probably because you're baffled as to how this would be any different from any other post on here...) So. Geek Central: I love the balance of circles-and-stripes in this outfit. Belt clasp, watch face, earrings, necklace = all circles. Tunic and the line of the sash on my head = stripes. Unexpected and maybe awesome for me here.

And I didn't even plan it, really. Which makes me think today is going to be a normal day with pops o' fabulousness. Probably dinner will taste okay tonight. My kids won't hit each other when they argue. And my sore throat won't progress into a full-fledged cold. How could I not love a day like today?

Which makes me also think that my future's looking pretty stinking bright as a psychic or fortune cookie author. "You will do great things when you take your kids to the playground and offer a crying stranger a slice of your gala apple." "You will meet someone new who has purple hair and a garage band." Sure, they're a touch specific, but that doesn't mean they won't happen...and if when they do, think how disturbing crazy-awesome that would be!!!

Happy Tuesday.

p.s. I wore my slouchy tee backwards under the tunic today. Thoughts on that little rule-breakage?

Want this look? You don't have to answer that. I already know. (Remember? I'm psychic now.) Shop below...

More Forever 21...

a wide leg trouser by any other name...

I think I have "cuffed pants" on the brain (prob because of this post). But before you make any judgments about today's ensemble, I have an explanation and an apology and a fascinating early-morning internal dialogue documented below. So. Read on.

shoes: unionbay brand. pants & denim jacket: gap. shirt: ana brand. belt: vintage. watch: target. necklace: forever21. bracelet: open jewelry market in hawaii.

  As the weather gloomified and chilled over course of the morning, I had to modify my outfit. First: I threw on a denim jacket and struck a weird facial expression.

 Second: I unrolled the trousers. Which, frankly, I liked better anyway with these pants. 'Tweren't broken. Shouldn't've tried to fix 'em. (Allsofasudden my fingers think I'm a redneck? Awesome. Something fried and delicious for dinner, I guess...)

Let's start at the beginning, shall we? Sometimes I make odd choices. Take this morning, for instance. I pulled out these sweet wide-leg plaid trousers because it's still raining and coldish. [Editor's note: I could've worn a skirt with colored tights, but I think I temporarily burned myself out on colored tights.] Despite their (the pants') fabulous features (e.g., wide leg, front crease, great colors, classic plaid print, good fit, etc.), I thought to myself, "these pants are too ordinary. I need to do something to make them unique."

(I also thought to myself, "what's for breakfast?" And then my brain answered, "toast." And then I complained, "what? toast again?" And then my brain said, "yep. and it'll be toast tomorrow, too, if y'all don't get yo'self to the grocer sto'.") (It's good to know my brain and my fingers speak the same dialect.)

Wow. Long story short (too late): I tried to peg and cuff these pants and get away with it. Shame on me. Which is why I love doing this blog--I find out all sorts of things. Like: don't try to make a garment something into it absolutely inherently isn't. And also: stop listening to country music for a while.

Do you guys ever do stuff like that? Try too hard to get something to be different when, really, it's best just to leave it alone and let it shine for what it is?

Either way...Happy Thursday.

 Want this look? Click below, buy some stuff...then don't cuff the pants, k? Thanks.

More Tory Burch...