Blue Maxi.



When J and I got married exactly five years ago (tomorrow!), many of our friends and family members had either already tied the knot or were in the process of planning their upcoming nuptials. But, after our wedding, there seemed to be a relative lull in wedding celebrations (which had quickly been replaced by baby showers). 
The wedding hiatus came to a screeching halt this past year when we received not one, not two, but SIX wedding invitations for the summer of 2015--four of which were going to be held out of state (Mexico, Colorado, Illinois, and California). So, after we got through the initial chaos of planning out vacation hours, plane tickets and hotel rooms, we put on our dancing shoes and decided that we would spend the next few months burning up dance floors and teaching the youngins how it's really done. Because, as my favorite Colombian blonde once proclaimed: these hips don't lie. ;)

Since posting the above pic on Instagram (from our Colorado trip/wedding), a number of people requested outfit details. Given that I had just bought the dress from Macy's a week or two prior, I thought that I would be able to easily find it online and share the link with you. But, the dress turned out to be my unicorn.
I couldn't find the exact dress anywhere, even when I searched for it by brand name. So, I did the next best thing and put together a few lists of similar dresses and accessories that I love just as much as the ones that I wore to the wedding. For those looking to purchase this exact dress, I suggest hitting up your nearest Macy's.
It might be hiding out in the clearance section!

||Blue Maxi Dresses||

||Black & Gold Belts||

||Chunky Gold Necklaces||

||Gold Cuffs||

||Purses/Clutches||

||Black Pumps||

Ann Blanche Ballerina Flats & Scarves--Exclusive 50% Off Sale + Giveaway!-- CLOSED.

It's funny how much personal style can change over time. 

If you've been following my blog since the beginning, you have probably seen me go through a lot of different stages. But there's one thing that I'll always come back to: ballerina flats. 

And I am completely head over heels in love with Ann Blanche ballerina flats. 

I don't know where these beauties were when I was coming of age and finding my own style. (Truly, I had ZERO style before my twenties. I like to think that I'm still making up for not having fun with fashion for so many years.) But, these flats are the perfect shoe. They look amazing with jeans, skirts, ankle pants, and dresses. They come in a variety of colors and adorable designs. They are comfortable, lightweight, and can be folded up and carried in a purse. AND they are totally affordable!

Now, what if I told you that I have teamed up with Ann Blanche to bring you an exclusive sale:

50% off 

the entire Ann Blanche website (including their gorgeous scarves!) through next Wednesday, Aug. 12th

(Coupon Code: YASI50)

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! 

No, seriously. Shut the front door and get to shopping this fabulous sale. Just plug in the 'YASI50' discount code at checkout. 

As an added bonus, use the Rafflecopter app below and enter to win a pair of these gorgeous flats. Happy shopping!

The small print: The exclusive Ann Blanche/Hello Gorgeous sale and giveaway ends Wednesday, August 12th. The giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents only. Winner will be announced on the Hello Gorgeous Facebook page and must claim prize within 48 hours. If prize is left unclaimed within this time, a new winner will be chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lace & Cargo.

It's amazing what outfit combinations you can come up with when you're behind on laundry. 

Case and point: a rugged cargo vest paired with a dainty lace dress. It's like they were meant to be together, no?!

Check out the details, below:

Lace shift dress c/o Flourish Boutique (Exact no longer available; Cute versions here, here, here, & here)//Cargo vest c/o Avery Lane Boutique (Exact sold out; Similar here, here, & here)//Skinny brown braided belt-Forever 21 (Similar here, here, & here)//Brown ballet flats-Target (Similar here, here, & here; Love this pair with a gold toe here)//White watch c/o Wristology (Exact here; Use code GORGEOUS20 for 20% off orders over $30)

Summer Style Link-Up!

After spending a week in beautiful Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, celebrating my friend Nicole's wedding, I'm back at it with a fab hosting gig. 

Today I'm excited to co-host my first ever style link-up with the gorgeous Tara from Mix & Match Fashion! 

I first discovered Tara's blog through Pinterest and it has since remained one of my absolute favorite blogs. Not only does she have fantastic style, but she's a working blogger who posts tons of office-appropriate outfits. Plus, her looks always include lots of prints and colors-- a win-win in my book!

...

For this Summer Style Link-Up, I wanted to mix it up and try something new. So, I decided to pair a bright yellow blazer with cuffed denim shorts and flats. Hey, if you can wear a blazer with regular jeans, why not wear one with jean shorts?! And even though I had all but sworn off bubble necklaces last year (I wore them NON-STOP for quite a while), I really liked how this black bubble necklace played into my black and white polka dot top. Finally, I threw on a pair of flats...and voilà!

Check out my outfit details in the photo caption below:

Black and white polka dot top c/o Hawthorne Collection (Exact sold out; Similar here, here, & here; Especially love this one here)//
Yellow blazer c/o Teodora B (Exact here, but only medium left; Similar here, here, here, & here)//
Cuffed jean shorts-American Eagle (Exact here; Great options here & here)//
Black chained ballet flats-Target (Similar here, here, & here)//
Black bubble necklace-eBay (Almost exact here; Love these other black statement necklaces here, here, & here)//
Black and gold watch-Anne Klein (Exact here; Similar here, here, & here)

Check out Tara's outfit details on her blog: Mix & Match Fashion

Thanks for having me as your co-host for this Summer Style Link-Up, Tara!

We'd love for YOU to join us in this link-up, too! Just follow the directions below. :)  

Summer Style Weekly Link-Up Guidelines: 

1. Follow Hello, Gorgeous! via bloglovin' and Mix & Match Fashion via bloglovin’.

 2. Please link from today’s specific blog post, not your blog’s homepage. 

 3. Use the button below to link back to this linkup on your blog post, or use your own link if you would like.

<div align="center">
<a href="http://mixmatchfashion.com" title="Mix & Match Fashion" target="_blank"><img src="http://mixmatchfashion.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Summer-Style.jpg" alt="Mix & Match Fashion" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

An InLinkz Link-up

Neutrals, pearls, & sequins.

This past week was all about neutrals, pearls, and animal prints. I even surprised myself by mixing in an old sequin top!

Here's what I've been wearing :)

Ivory blouse-TJ Maxx (Similar here, here, & here)//
Green cargo vest c/o Avery Lane Boutique (Exact no longer available; Similar here, here, here, & here)
Skinny jeans-Rock Revival (Almost exact here and here; Love these more budget-friendly versions here & here)//
Leopard print flats-Target (Cute options here, here, here, & here)//
Pearl necklace c/o T+J Designs (Exact here <-Use code 'YASI20' for 20% off)//
Rose gold watch-NY & Co. (Similar here, here, & here)//
Silver spike bracelet-eBay (Similar here)//
Skinny metallic belt-Forever21 (Similar here, here, & here)

Chambray button-up-Old Navy (Similar here, here, & here)//
Khaki blazer-H&M (Exact here; Similar here)//
Skinny black pants-The Limited (Exact here; Similar here, & here)//
Leopard print flats-Target (Cute options here, here, here, & here)//
Chunky brown watch-Target (Exact here; Other cute ones here & here)//
Skinny braided brown belt-Forever21 (Almost exact here; Very similar here, & here)//
Glasses c/o Firmoo (Exact here, but no longer available in tortoiseshell)

Gold sequin tank c/o Sugar Love Boutique (Exact sold out; Very similar here; Love these other sequin tanks here, here, & here)//
Khaki pencil skirt-Zara (Similar here, here, here)//
White blazer-H&M (Exact here; Similar here, & here)//
Nude ballet flats-Target (Exact here; Similar here & here)//
Chunky pearl necklace c/o Avery Lane Boutique (Exact sold out; Adore these pearls here)

Five Major Fashion Don'ts and How To Avoid Them.

Image Source

*Most of these "fashion don'ts" are taken from my own experiences. I've made the mistakes (possibly many times) and later thought "what was I thinking?!"         As with most advice, please take this with a grain of salt. If something makes you happy and you feel fabulous wearing it--rock it, baby! Nothing looks better than true confidence. :)

1. Super frilly tops and dresses. 

I know these are "in" right now and in theory they sound cute and oh-so-bohemian. But, let's get real--super frilly pieces generally don't flatter adult women. These styles are simultaneously too dated and too 'young'.  So, let's make a pact and leave them where they belong... in our childhoods.

2. See-through whites.

Unless you live on a beach in Costa Rica and you barely wear anything other than a bikini most days (lucky duck!), do not wear see-through white fabrics. Please, for the love of all that is fashionable and chic, check to see if your skin color shows through the fabric. If it does, DO NOT wear! I repeat: Do not wear! It looks trashy and cheap. Instead, wear whites that are lined or thick enough to hide your goodies. It's best to leave some things to the imagination!

3. Ankle pants that are too short. 

As a vertically challenged gal, I love a good ankle pant. No hemming required? Where do I sign up?!

However, if the bottom of the pant hits too far above your ankle bone, the pants are too short and they're going to look like clamdiggers. Proportion is key when it comes to dressing well, and ankle pants that don't hit at the right spot can make you look wider and shorter than you probably intended. 

4. Shorts that are too short. 

You might look amazing in a pair of itsy bitsy booty shorts. But, if you're above the age of 30, it might be time to let those babies go, regardless of how awesome you look in them. Your legs might say "hottie tottie", but the little voice inside your head probably says "I'm an adult with responsibilities". Listen to that voice. Booty shorts look juvenile. And honestly, who really wants to re-live their teenage years? Not me!

5. "It looks great on the model...I'll take it!" 
I still remember the day that I discovered that products modeled in online stores and catalogs are often altered to fit the body of that particular model. I was shocked. SHOCKED!
I always knew that retailers used photoshop and that model's bodies did not represent the bodies of us normies. But, to perfectly tailor the products and then try to sell them to us like they came that way? Liar liar, pants on fire!    
My point is, just because something looks a certain way on a model doesn't mean that it will look that way in real life (even if you have a similar body shape as said model). Read the reviews. Often times, if there is something truly "off" about the product, someone will have already given it a poor review.

...

Dressing your age, size, and to your specific shape is a beautiful thing. The more you embrace this concept, the more fun you can have with clothes that truly flatter you. Our bodies will change a lot over our lifetimes (mine already has and I'm only 30!). There are things that we can wear at 20 that will look ridiculous at 50, and vice versa.

Isn't it kind of a relief to know that we can dress well our whole lives, regardless of age?!

Skirts & Prints.

I've been wearing skirts and dresses (especially printed ones!) like nobody's business. But, who could blame me? 

We only get so many months that are appropriate for bare legs! :)

Red & white patterned dress-Forever21 (Love these versions here & here , & love this plus-size version here)//
Mustard yellow cardi-Target (Similar here, here, & here)//
Brown ballet flats-Target (Similar here, here & here; Super cute laser-cut design pair here)//
Skinny brown belt-Forever21 (Similar here & here)//
Glasses c/o Firmoo (Exact here, but no longer available in tortoiseshell)//
Chunky brown watch-Target (Exact here; Other cute ones here & here)//
Necklaces c/o Accessory Mercado (Exact here & here <--use code 'Yasi' for 15% off)

Mint green sleeveless top c/o Catch Bliss Boutique (Exact no longer available; Similar here, here, & here)//
Colorful patterned pencil skirt-Target (Love these ones here, here, & here; Very similar, but in black & white here & here)//
Purple cardi-Gap (Similar here)//
Nude ballet flats-Target (Exact here; Similar here & here)//
Necklace c/o Accessory Mercado (Exact here <--use code 'Yasi' for 15% off)

Ivory lace top c/o Flourish Boutique (Exact no longer available; Similar here, here, & here);
Ivory cami (Similar here, here, & here)//
Pleated skirt c/o TeodoraB (Exact sold out; Similar pleated skirts in various colors here, here, & here)//
Wide stretch belt-Forever21 (Similar here & here (just turn the buckle to your back))//
Structured ivory blazer-H&M (Great options here & here)//
Nude pumps-Target (Similar here, here, here, here)