Wardrobing with Chrisoula

Too fun!  Chrisoula (niece in black coat) had just returned to college a week early to rush for a sorority.  That meant a week of outfits that had to be wardrobed - HELLO Aunt Donna!  Julia (melon sweater) is already in her chosen sorority and doing just fine with her complimentary melon sweater and blue scarf!

 This is the casual outfit....tight jeans tucked into boots.......killer rope necklace to tie it all together!

Each day Chrisoula wanted to look "pretty yet unique/edgy"

Color-blocked shift with patterned leggings (hanging at neckline) - taking the jacket off if she wanted to feel more "edgy"

Funky/grungy brown boots with a feminine dress is her edge here - another killer necklace that her sorority sisters would not forget!

 C'mon!  Splashy tight skirt with patent leather spectator pumps and a fuschia top ......  This has Chrisoula written all over it!  I am here to shine...

Dressier dress with complimentary-colored necklace and sassy belt......put your hair 1/2 up for this one, Soula!  The bare tights with beigy pumps will make your legs look a mile long...

What do I do with a free Saturday? Wardrobe my own closet!

It's a new season and a new career journey for me and I've gained a little weight around the middle so what do I do with a free Saturday?  SHOP IN MY CLOSET!  I had recently made some fall purchases, and wanted to create some outfits for work around them so here goes...

Bought identical suits in tan and black (the jackets are being returned for a better size - who knew I wasn't tall on the top half of my body?) so here are the pants.

Then I pulled out seasonal clothes in the same colors and started to mix and match:

Two things to point out here:  The details or final accessories are ALWAYS what matters to make the outfit fun and "pulled together" and so it's the pin, necklace, shoes and bags in each picture.  Also make note of how completely different the outfits would have looked had I paired the black sweater with the black pants and the color-blocked top with the tan pants.  It's OK to do that, but the look would have been totally different.  So how do I know which goes with which?  I start with some words on how I want to look: "casually professional".  Approachable, friendly, roll-up-my-sleeves kinda worker.  That's achieved by making it look like I just "threw something together" but trust me, this takes work!  The all-black column woulda looked more sophisticated and therefore standoffish....better if I were an executive vs. and executive ASSISTANT.  Get it?  Also, the black-on-black without the blouse better if I were going out for cocktails vs. going to work.  So I guess here's my point and passion:  EVERYONE can work with what they have in their closet and pull together the best possible outfits.  You don't have to have the style "gene" because even stylists will try one necklace vs. a 2nd one and will immediately be able to tell which one works better. Trust me - YOU can do it too, you just may not have the patience to pull outfits out of your closet and experiment, but once you do, AND THEN RECEIVE COMPLIMENTS, you will keep doing it!  

OK, here are the details/accessories up close - which make me excited to wear each of the above outfits.

My Online Beijo Bag Boutique!

I was walking around the other day....carrying what I thought was a "winter" Beijo Bag and received two compliments on it......the receptionist at the doctor's office and the sales women in the high-end shoe section of Nordstrom's - who deftly pointed out that the color combo perfectly matched a new fall shoe that had just arrived.  Well, that inspired me to go get my online Boutique so these women could have access to purchasing these stand-out bags!

So, here it is.....  Donna's Online Boutique

The bag I was carrying that day is called "ZIP IT UP" in Deep Purple: This is a medium to large size single strap handbag, beautifully decorated with trendy zippers that can be used to expand the opening of the bag. This hip handbag features great hardware, an inner zip compartment, and magnetic snap closure. A cell phone pocket and PDA pocket enhance this bag’s functionality.
Item #1211 Product Type: Handbag Dimensions: 16″ L x 2.5″ W x 14″ H Strap Length: 8″ Opening: 8″ Trim Colors: Charcoal, Black SRP: $120.00
Deep Purple, Pewter

Ms. California, Emma Baker, loves to “ZIP IT UP”with Beijo! Shown here, Emma is carrying the sleek patent handbag; enormously popular for  its modern silhouette, chunky zippers and contemporary silver hardware accents.

Back at It!

I think it has been 3 months since I last posted, so I decided to just post anything to get back in the groove!  This  is what I have been doing......fixing up our new townhouse.  It has been interesting to read my prior posts about paint colors, etc.......because these walls were going to be gray and ended up a soft, sagey green.  I love them, of course, but goes to show how decorating is a process.  I paid an interior designer to come in and check out the colors I had chosen, and she gave me the advice of not breaking up the bedroom and bathroom - to use the same color.  GREAT advice as it is a contemporary design and there is no door between the two rooms.  Woulda been awkward to change colors.  AND I had no intention of maroon being the "pop" color for this room, but two things made it come together:  the proportion of the flower picture (it was the biggest artwork in the house) and the fact that the maroon is a great complimentary color for green. (Although a nice shade of pink would also work, but I don't think my husband is ready for pink!)

Neutrals vs. COLOR!

Carol posted the question on her blog Sofas and Sage "When a top designer hones his or her "look", is conscious thought given to the palettes used, based on how they will photograph?"  


I'm answering her question here with a resounding  "No!  I believe the designers truly like this look of neutral and how the white-on-white plays off of each other.  I read all the comments to her question of the post on February 27, 2011 and the only answer that came close to my belief is that designers might later want to pop some color in the neutral palette and change the accessories of the room to create a completely different look."


This is a question that intrigues me because I have a sister that is as equally fascinated by wardrobing and designing as I am.  She has formally studied it way more than me (architect by degree and recent fashion design student in NYC), so I will put her in Carol's category as a "designer".  I have no formal training.  I like color way more than she does and have recently been fascinated by our differences in wardrobe and interior decorating choices.  I think the answer goes back to personality.  I am a little more outgoing than she is and if you think about it, wearing bright fuschia draws a little more attention to oneself than a mellow pink.  I will try to differentiate our differences in home and wardrobe choices:

Meet Sarah and Donna.  Donna on the left and Sarah on the right.  I like colors; Sarah gravitates toward classic neutrals.

Donna needs bright fuschia!

Sarah likes a more pastel pink.

Donna needs a ton of color in her home.

Donna pops the color with orange in her living room.

Sarah has a classic neutral and white on white theme in her kitchen....recently painting her oak cabinets taupe and matching the kitchen wall color.  VERY stunning in person.  Very clean and inviting!

Sarah's Dining room looks like it belongs in a magazine....if it were professionally photographed...

So, even though Sarah is the designer and Donna is not, this would seem to support a theory that designer's may be thinking of how their work may photograph.  My theory is this:  Sarah truly loves the look and has created the home and wardrobe that reflect HER and her personality.  I also strive to dress authentically and decorate my home in an authentic manner.  Has nothing to do with marketing or photgraphs.  Color is what I like.  Neutral sophistication is what Sarah likes.

Home Decorating is Much Like Wardrobing

I thought I was in a funk - wasn't coming up with inspiring outfits or accessories particularly well.  Then it hit me:  in the process of moving between homes I've been concentrating on paint chips and staging a new home with my old belongings, etc.  I was reading decorating blogs, trying out new colors on Benjamin Moore and trying to take a "crash course" on decorating.  Well, this is what I learned:

• buy what you love
• if something has meaning to you; use it!
• pay attention to scale and proportion; think about focal points in a room
• trust your gut...you will be drawn to things you love
• surprisingly, it will all come together!
• punctuate solids or neutrals with small doses of vibrant colors!

So, not much different than the clothes you put on your body.  I can DO this!.

In the process of putting together a color scheme for an entire townhome all at once, I came up with the following:

We started by all agreeing that we liked the deep brown currently in the living room.  It would look great with our dark leather furniture.  But, I chose a deeper brown with red in it, because the existing wood blinds on the main level were a reddish brown.  From there, I decided on a popular neutral:  gray.  This is very current and can be accentuated with almost any color:  turquoise, oranges, fuschia's you-name-it!  With the bright open space and cathedral ceilings I wasn't afraid of going too dark.   However, I was intent on having our ceilings painted non-white.  The painter advised me that anything we put on the ceilings will appear darker.  Hence, we're going to have a lot of silver going on up there...like the "silver lining of a cloud".  I like that idea!

I worked with a color expert at my local paint store and she helped me get hues of colors that all worked together.  But here's the amazing thing........when I brought the paint papers home and put them with fabric swatches that I had pulled out for inspiration weeks earlier, it all came together!  Just like wardrobing...you will be attracted to the things you LOVE!

The painting pro advised me not to mix the subtle green (spanish olive) with the dark gray (galveston gray) I was choosing for the bathroom/master bedroom combo.  I vetoed that advice.  Sure enough, when window shopping for linens and towels yesterday, I saw the perfect combo of printed (checked) green and gray towels!  And....some really cool kiwi green bathroom cabinets that will give a "punch" of color to the whole bathroom.  I had only envisioned the bedroom being gray, black and white - with shots of purple or fuschia, but then I saw the perfect duvet cover.......white with a trail of green embroidered leaves running across the foot of the bed.  Perfect!  Like a "yellow brick road" leading the eye right to the green of the master bath!  I didn't hesitate to buy the duvet as I KNEW I wanted an almost entirely-white bed.  (My husband and I think we are minimalists...)  I also know that the nature theme is popular right now and I like pulling the "outside" in.  Like the snowball-type lighting fixture I had in an earlier post.  No, I don't think our new home will be filled with bamboo........but there will be hints of nature, for sure!

Oh.......and I did my homework by studying the interior decorating of the other townhomes (on-line) and noticed that when the woodwork that trims the fireplace is painted white, it actually looks odd.   So, ours will be painted the same color as the walls - with a glossier finish.  The painter said it will look "rich".  YES!  That is the adjective I like to hear.....simple but "rich".

Okay, so I'm driving myself crazy with figuring out how to "re-purpose" almost everything in our current home.  At first thought, this shower curtain makes perfect sense in the light green bathroom.  But then I pulled the color swatch "shaker beige" out of my fan deck and VOILA...looks perfect.  I kept noticing how "gold" the shower curtain looked and how it wouldn't go with the silver accents of the master bath.  That's when I thought of my son's bathroom.

I'm not a beige(y) kind of person, so I had picked a really deep sand color for our son's bedroom.  He took one look at it and decided it was too "poopy" and asked me to lighten it up.  The painter pro picked out the Shaker Beige.  Of course, I'm imagining reds or blues for that pop of color, but for now, we needed a neutral. And take a look at this stunning clay bust.  A dear friend from Michigan gave it to us 18 years ago - she said it reminded her of our two boys (who are eight years apart).  The older boy is cuddling the baby boy.  Is that not too precious to be put away and not displayed!!!????  It's going in the BEIGE room or bathroom, for sure!

Do you have a house or room redecoration going on?  Would love to hear your comments!

Another Great Week

Moving forward toward moving into the new townhouse, one step at a time and recovering from knee surgery - literally one step at a time!  With post-surgery lack of energy, I found myself forced to create a work outfit one day this week, when I wasn't even in the mood to get dressed.  This is what I chose:

 The reason?  Yellow is an instant "pick-me-up!"  For me, and everyone looking at me.  I've been reading other blogs and everyone is talking about the snow and the unusually harsh winter we're having - all across the country.  I'd rather talk about energy.  Or lack thereof.  It's OK for you to be dragging.  That's what lack of sunshine (vitamin D) does!  So, how do you combat it?  You can hibernate and "be woken up in April" or you can take some positive steps:

• give yourself extra time to rest - don't beat yourself up
• do something nice for yourself....bubblebath, swim at a pool, manicure, GNO
• plan a fun dinner for your "significant other" for Valentine's Day
• linger for 5 more minutes in the parking lot during the middle of the day when the sun IS shining!
• play with COLOR.....both in your wardrobe and in your home

Here are some explanation of colors that I found interesting:

Color Psychology

Do different colors affect your mood?

by David Johnson

Like death and taxes, there is no escaping color. It is ubiquitous. Yet what does it all mean? Why are people more relaxed in green rooms? Why do weightlifters do their best in blue gyms?

Colors often have different meanings in various cultures. And even in Western societies, the meanings of various colors have changed over the years. But today in the U.S., researchers have generally found the following to be accurate.

Black

Black is the color of authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner. It is also stylish and timeless. Black also implies submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God. Some fashion experts say a woman wearing black implies submission to men. Black outfits can also be overpowering, or make the wearer seem aloof or evil. Villains, such as Dracula, often wear black.

White

Brides wear white to symbolize innocence and purity. White reflects light and is considered a summer color. White is popular in decorating and in fashion because it is light, neutral, and goes with everything. However, white shows dirt and is therefore more difficult to keep clean than other colors. Doctors and nurses wear white to imply sterility.

Red

The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the color of love. Red clothing gets noticed and makes the wearer appear heavier. Since it is an extreme color, red clothing might not help people in negotiations or confrontations. Red cars are popular targets for thieves. In decorating, red is usually used as an accent. Decorators say that red furniture should be perfect since it will attract attention.

The most romantic color, pink, is more tranquilizing. Sports teams sometimes paint the locker rooms used by opposing teams bright pink so their opponents will lose energy.

Blue

The color of the sky and the ocean, blue is one of the most popular colors. It causes the opposite reaction as red. Peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, so it is often used in bedrooms. Blue can also be cold and depressing. Fashion consultants recommend wearing blue to job interviews because it symbolizes loyalty. People are more productive in blue rooms. Studies show weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms.

Green

Currently the most popular decorating color, green symbolizes nature. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing color. People waiting to appear on TV sit in "green rooms" to relax. Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients. Brides in the Middle Ages wore green to symbolize fertility. Dark green is masculine, conservative, and implies wealth. However, seamstresses often refuse to use green thread on the eve of a fashion show for fear it will bring bad luck.

Yellow

Cheerful sunny yellow is an attention getter. While it is considered an optimistic color, people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. It is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused. Yellow enhances concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It also speeds metabolism.

Purple

The color of royalty, purple connotes luxury, wealth, and sophistication. It is also feminine and romantic. However, because it is rare in nature, purple can appear artificial.

Brown

Solid, reliable brown is the color of earth and is abundant in nature. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown is similar to wood or leather. Brown can also be sad and wistful. Men are more apt to say brown is one of their favorite colors.