#OOTD: Fierce In Florals (Feat. Make Me Chic)

One of my favorite things about Sunday is the fact that just about every week my mum and I spend the day together starting with brunch, which is generally the kick off to our "Sunday Funday" activities. This past Sunday was no different, however instead of going to one of our regular spots downtown, we decided to change it up a bit, and went to the Sewickley Hotel, considering we love their dinner menu we figured why not try brunch! I also took this opportunity to wear my new floral dress from my sponsor Make Me Chic, which definitely added a much needed touch of color to the currently grey (and cold) landscape of South Western, Pennsylvania. 

Flowers & Fur

Since my mum and I decided to take a step out of our comfort zone and try somewhere different for our weekly Sunday brunch, I decided this was a great opportunity to step out in style and show off some of my favorite old and new pieces. The new being this floral dress from Make Me Chic, and the old being one of my grandmother's gorgeous silver fur coats that she had left me after she passed away. I also can't forget to mention that to complete this look I styled some of my favorite Rocksbox pieces along with my trusty Louboutin pumps that I purchased from Tradesy.

I have to start off by saying that this adorable floral dress has become an awesome addition to my wardrobe. Though I have a handful of dresses for work, I don't have many that are appropriate for going out on the weekends, however with this dress, that problem was solved! The reason I love this dress isn't only because it is well made, but also because of how well it fits me. This dress is cut perfectly at the bust, giving it a fun and flirty feel, without showing too much skin. The length of this dress is also is a key factor to why it has become a fast favorite of mine too. The reason that is, is because it isn't too short, which just makes me feel much more comfortable while wearing it, because due to my long legs I always am a bit self-conscious when wearing mini dresses.

The one thing I have to admit about this dress is, it isn't something I would normally style in the winter due to its fresh summer feel and floral pattern. However since Sunday was all about trying new things, that is why I decided to style this summer dress for winter. The first reason why this dress works great as a winter piece, is as I mentioned earlier it simply adds the perfect pop of color that us Pittsburghers will be missing until at least late March. However, it also works perfectly as a winter piece due to the fact it is versatile and could be styled with many different pieces. Though I chose to simply style it with a coat and accessories, this piece would look great styled with a sweater over top of it, much like how I styled this dress from SheIn back in October. 

Curious about the rings? Stay tuned to get all the details in February! (Hint: If you follow me on Twitter you may have read the conversation the company and I had about it earlier this month.)

Lastly, I would like to talk about the gorgeous jewelry pieces I chose to style with this dress, because quite frankly I think these pieces really make the outfit. For this look I really wanted to go for a warmer vibe (especially due to the dreadfully cold weather we've been having here in the Ice'Burgh lately) so I chose to style these gorgeous Carla Rose Gold Earrings by Kendra Scott with my Crystal Points Necklace and Moonlight Daydream Cuff by SLATE. The reason these three work so well with this outfit is because each of them have an earthy but sophisticated vibe, which plays off the floral pattern of the dress perfectly.

One Last Look

Sunglasses by Oscar de la Renta

What are some of your favorite ways to style a summer garment for winter weather? Let's chat  about it in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic! Have an outfit you're just dying to show off? I'd love to see it! So feel free to snap a picture and tag me in your post or story on Instagram at @StarkRavingChic. Stay warm, babes! (And to those of you who are down south or on the west coast, I'm looking at you with envy!)

Xx, Bree

P.S. Psssssst! If you love the jewelry I styled in this post as much as I do, you can try Rocksbox for a whole month 100% FREE when you sign up using my promo code "starkravingchicxoxo". Don't know what Rocksbox is or how it works? You can learn more here!

Back To School Essentials (Feat. Amazon)

Ever since I was a child, I have always been very academic and have always valued my education. This hasn't changed since I have gotten older, if anything I have just developed a greater appreciation for it, and with that being said I think it's pretty clear that I am absolutely thrilled when a new school year (or in this case semester) begins. Besides being excited to be back in school and to be pursing my psychology degree, I am also excited because this is the first time in two years that I've gotten to do back to school shopping! In addition, even though I'm perpetually buying clothes and accessories, I have to admit I've gotten a kick out of buying many of my back to school essentials, perhaps I'm just giddy to start this new chapter of my life. (Except for my textbooks, almost $500 dollars later, yikes!)

And along with me returning to school, I also have an exciting announcement that I have become an affiliate of Amazon and will be partnering with them for a handful of posts this semester including this one. (Remember my Winter Beauty Essentials post from the beginning of the week? Yep, that was for Amazon too!) So, for this post I'm going to share my top back to school essentials that I purchase using my Amazon Prime account, which totally made my life a lot easier. (Note, if you are a student, you can try Amazon Prime for 6 months free here.)

A Stylish but Serviceable Backpack

Yeah, I know, a backpack for school is kind of a no brainer. However, I'm sure many of us know the struggle of finding a backpack that is stylish and serviceable. I know that I personally have bought trendy backpacks in the past only to be disappointed with the amount of wear and tear they had shown by the end of the semester. Well, I've finally found a backpack that is as stylish as it is durable and is also affordable! This backpack by the Amazon Shop, Weekend Shopper, is a perfect choice for any college student who wants to carry their books in style. This backpack is roomy, lightweight, and can hold a standard 15.6" laptop.

A Cute and Compact Wallet

I'm sure every girl knows the struggle of trying to carry a purse, a backpack, and whatever other necessities you may need for class. However, now that we have found an attractive and roomy backpack to keep our things in, why don't we just skip the purse and just carry a compact wallet that could neatly tuck away into one of our pockets? This little leather wallet by Orient Bee is perfect for just that! And it also comes in a wide variety of colors so you have tons of options.

A Personal Agenda

I know that in this day and age, most of us (myself included) keep a calendar on our phone. But, when it comes to classes, homework, and in my case, my blog's editorial calendar, I find keeping a physical agenda keeps me much more organized than just relying on my calendar app. Perhaps it's just the act of actually writing something down that helps me remember to do it, however this is definitely one of my classroom necessities and since I need one, it might as well be a cute one! Which is why I chose this adorable gold agenda from my affiliate, Kate Spade New York.

A Smart (and Affordable!) Fitness Tracker

Though I will be the first to admit that I hate the gym and therefore never go, I do however try and keep a healthy lifestyle via diet and exercise on my own. My daily workout routine is generally just an hour of yoga and 30 minutes of walking, but now that I am back downtown, I am walking exceptionally more. So I figured it would be great to get a fitness tracker to see just exactly how much activity I was getting walking to and from class. (and you know all the other parts of Pittsburgh I enjoy hanging out in!) However, I didn't want to break the bank so I decided to give this little fitness watch by LESHP a try and I have to say it works great! This watch tracks steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, and active minutes. This watch also can sync to your smart phone and will notify you if you have a text or call, but the last awesome thing about this watch is, is that it is water proof meaning if you enjoy swimming (like me) you can wear it in the pool or on the beach!

Coffee-- I mean, a Travel Mug

I don't know about you, but I personally cannot start my morning without an Americano or a cup of tea. However, I also am not a fan of waking up incredibly early before class either, meaning I generally enjoy my caffeinated beverages on the go more often than not. So naturally I decided I needed a good travel mug and lucky for me my mum got me this adorable rose gold mug by Bubba Brands for Christmas last year! This mug honestly works just as well (if not better) than the Yeti Rambler I received as a Christmas present from DSG, and in my opinion it's more attractive to boot! This mug keeps my tea or coffee warm for up to five and a half hours, even when out running around in the cold Pittsburgh weather, and I have to say I found that quite impressive.

Fun Phone Cases

So okay, maybe this isn't an absolute necessity, but a playful phone case is a great way to show off you style and personality in a subtle way as well as being a great conversation starter, especially while in class and on campus. And the reason I chose this phone case by DOMIRE is simply because hippos are one of my favorite animals (only second to bears, actually) and I just think this phone case is adorable.

A Chic Lunchbox 

The reason a lunchbox has made my back to school essentials list is due to the fact, during my first four years of college I went out to eat a lot. And though it was never anywhere overly expensive the cost really added up and it was not conducive to me saving money (not to mention it wasn't all that good for my waistline either). So I decided this time around, I'm going to practice eating healthily and save money by packing my lunch, which is why I decided to snag this insulated lunchbox by Kate Spade, because nobody wants a warm salad.

An Adorable Umbrella

To finish off this list, I thought it would be a good idea to add an umbrella. There have been so many times that I have rushed out the door to class without checking the weather and then was suck walking home in a downpour from campus. So much like with the lunchbox, this time around I am older and wiser and therefore will always be prepared! That is also the reason I chose a bubble umbrella opposed to a retractable umbrella. The reason this is, is because for one bubble umbrellas definitely keep you dryer, and two because bubble umbrellas are much less prone to getting blown inside out. The reason I chose this SMATI umbrella? Well hey, if I'm going to need an umbrella it might as well be cute!

What are some of your back to school essentials and must haves? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me about them at StarkRavingChic! Want to show off one of your adorable essentials in action? Feel free to tag me on your Instagram Story at @StarkRavingChic. Later babes, and happy studying!

Xx, Bree

#OOTD: Monochromatic Madness (Feat. SheIn + Rocksbox)

One of my fondest memories from grade school at Mount Gallitzin Academy was the adorable little uniforms we got to wear. Even though as I got older and went to OLSH for high school and hated uniforms, MGA's will always hold a special place in my heart, and are honestly probably the reason why even as an adult I still just adore jumpers! Unfortunately, jumpers are seemingly extremely hard to come by so for the past four years I have unsuccessfully found one that I liked (or any at all for that matter, aside from playing with the idea of begrudgingly purchasing one from School Bells). However, while I was talking to a representative from my sponsor SheIn, I mentioned my predicament and lucky for me they actually had an adorable jumper in stock. So they sent me it along with a daring mesh detailed blouse to style for this post.

Black Magic

I don't know about you, but recently I've really been digging the "soft goth" or "pastel goth" trend lately. I don't know what it is about this style trend, but I've been really drawn to it since the latter half of 2016 and have just been dying to experiment with it. So to fulfill my wish, I decided to channel my inner Marina Diamandis and pair this stylish jumper with a mesh detailed blouse, black skinnies, and some sky high booties. And though most would think dressing in a monochromatic outfit would be a boring style choice, I beg to differ because there is actually a lot you can do to bring a monochromatic ensemble to life.

To give this outfit some more flare, the first thing I did was pair this jumper, black skinny jeans, and boots combo with this charming mesh detailed top. As I am sure many of you know, mesh detailing is a huge style trend this year and for good reason: mesh is an awesome way to add depth to an outfit due to the fact it adds contrast and nicely breaks up an outfit. This blouse's detailing also adds a touch of playfulness to this outfit, giving it a softer feel.

Speaking of adding depth to a monochromatic outfit, another great way to do this is by layering and picking the right accessories. As you can see, I chose to pair this jumper with this pretty mesh detailed blouse not only because I wanted to go for a pastel goth look, but because of the way this jumper and the blouse compliment each other. Due to how this jumper is cut and the way the mesh detailing is placed on the blouse makes this duo a perfect pair.

Lastly, to add the finishing touches to this fun outfit, I chose to wear my wide brimmed felt hat and my round sunnies from SheIn. I also decided to wear this gorgeous Jenny Bird Pollux pendant necklace along with my Jenny Bird Moonsong cuff. The reason I chose these accessoiries and jewelry to go with this outfit was due to their industrial and steampunk-esque feel, which I felt complimented the soft goth vibe of this outfit perfectly.

One Last Look

What are some ways that you add life to a monochromatic outfit? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me about it at @StarkRavingChic! Have a photo you want to show off? Feel free to tag me on Instagram at @StarkRavingChic. Later dolls!

Xx, Bree

P.S. Psssssst! If you love the jewelry I styled in this post as much as I do, you can try Rocksbox for a whole month 100% free when you sign up using my promo code "starkravingchicxoxo". Don't know what Rocksbox is or how it works? You can learn more here!