J Crew, Classics with a Twist

A couple of weeks ago our local J Crew asked me to come in and do some styling on the spot.  As a J Crew junkie that fell out of love during the last few years, I was excited about it for a few reasons…

1. I love meeting all of you guys IRL (in real life)

2. I’m in my zone when I’m styling someone or there’s a fashion challenge that needs to be fixed (like what do I wear with this?? or what do I wear to my high school reunion, a funeral, a work presentation, my kids’ soccer game – you get the idea)

3. And, I was able to get all up close and personal with J Crew’s latest collection – it’s the first collection with new head designer, Chris Benz (who originally worked at J Crew under Jenna Lyons back in the day). 

Like J Crew Back in its Heyday

I’m happy to say this new collection gives me all of the classic J Crew feels, but updated for 2020. For a while, after Jenna Lyons left, it was like J Crew lost its identity, and quite frankly the quality seemed to plummet as well. But, this collection is back on track. Yay for us all!

A Woven Bag  – Your Most Versatile Accessory This Summer

Back in the spring, I ordered an adorable little woven bag from Shopbop and I took it to one of our blog and IG photoshoots. I was surprised, but not really, how that woven bag went with almost every outfit we had planned for the day!  It was neutral and fresh and it felt like it lightened up each outfit we put it with.

Fast forward to today, and I am still wearing it, like daily, along with one other woven bag I received from Causebox. Basically, it’s just the two of them on repeat. That’s my summer bag uniform.

When I add a woven bag to my tried and true outfits from last summer, like my army green pants and white top or my goto day dress – the bag makes my old stuff feel new!! Now that’s what a great accessory is meant to do!!

Why a Woven Bag is so Great…

Sephora Sale – Now’s the time to Stock up and SAVE

Sephora is having a BIG sale! TRUE FACT – Makeup rarely goes on sale at your local beauty counter. But, this week, NOW THRU MAY 6, at Sephora it does!  Yeah, you might get a freebie from your beauty counter to stack in the back of your drawer. Or, maybe a pretty bag that you end up giving to your kids or grandkids, but do you actually really use the stuff? We vote NO because 9 times out of 10, those are the bags we recommend a client donate when we do a closet cleanse. So now’s the time to take advantage of an actual sale at Sephora. And save on products you’ll use.

How it Works…

The Beauty Products We Swear By

I am not a total beauty product addict but I’m also not a wash my face with a bar of ivory soap and walk out the door girl either. Call me a moderate beauty junkie. I like products that offer good results and if I am being honest, I’m a little vain. Meaning, I like to look good and I put effort into trying to look my best. Not my best to one-up someone else but my best so I feel good about me. I like it when my skin is smooth and clear, I like it when the concealer I use covers my dark circles and I looooove it when my hair products stop my hair from frizzing out. Extra points if it’s quick, fairly priced and eco-friendly too.

Elana and I have been swapping beauty product reccos with each other, and with our clients for a while now – it’s one of the many fun parts of spending 3 hours in a closet together. And we thought it was time to get you guys in on the action too… so we’re sharing some of our most loved beauty and hair products with you and in return, we hope you’ll comment below and let us all know some of your favorites too.

Our If I Was Stranded On An Island I’d Take…

We used the “If I was stranded on a desert island” method to narrow down which products to recommend – but what surprised me…

Alo Yoga-The Exercise clothing brand you NEED to know about.

I’m not much of an exercise person, although I am trying to change that for 2019. But, I know many of you are waaaay into fitness as well as exercise clothes, so it’s been on my “to blog about” list for a while now. And then, the other day Elana showed up at my house wearing THE CUTEST workout outfit – and her butt and thighs looked really good in the leggings too… I was obsessed and promptly placed an order.  Of course, you guys need to know about this brand and why it’s so great too. So Elana is taking over the blog this week to talk all things ALO…

Elana’s favorite exercise clothes

Wearing gym clothes outside of the gym wasn’t my thing.  I’d constantly worry that my butt might look too big, or the flab that hangs over my sports bra was showing. I’m good at hiding all of that under my regular clothes, but in exercise clothes I never found it to be so easy.  So, in the past, if I was buying clothing, I’d generally prefer it to be everyday stuff like jeans, sweaters, and t-shirts. This is the kind of stuff I felt good in. Which meant my exercise wardrobe was really lacking. I needed an update, like ASAP, so I turned to some pros.

Inhabit-Our Favorite Sweater Brand.

Sweater season is here! And to celebrate, we’re sharing our favorite sweater brand with you AND a 40% off savings just for TWC readers with code HALLIESPICKS! We’re in love with Inhabit sweaters. Seriously you guys, they are good! Not just good, SO GOOD! They’re a fave of celebs like Alessandra Ambrosio, Katie Holmes, Emma Watson, and Jessica Alba to name a few…

So when the awesome ladies at Inhabit reached out to collaborate with us, we yelled “YES” from the rooftops. Hallie has had an Inhabit sweater for years and years and it’s withstood the test of time both in wear, and style, and in the compliments department, too. So this collab was a total no-brainer because we were already loyal fans of the brand. And you know we only share stuff here that we fully believe in, because we are NOT salespeople – we’re matchmakers between real people and fabulous, tried and true finds!!

Inhabit sweaters are luxe, and delicious, (yes delicious as only a sweater can be), and can be worn in multiple ways over the long, long winter. (IF you live in the CLE you know what we’re talking about.) And since there are so many cold winter days (are we sounding glum?) we wanted to share sweaters that are cozy, warm and can be worn over and over again different ways for both work and play.

Inhabit = Effortless Style.

Not only are these sweaters beyond toasty,  but they have an effortless style that never goes out of style. (Just like the one Hallie has had for years and years.) They’re classic with extra little details that make them so special. Inhabit adds inverted seams, pin dot holes, interesting sleeve, shoulder, and neck details that give the extra oomph we love so much when putting outfits together for clients and ourselves.

Each sweater is totally cool and effortless on its own, and can easily be worn as a basic with pieces you already own too. When you invest in a sweater like this, you want it to function for all parts of your life, work and play, girls night out and kids soccer games. It’s that cost per wear thing we’ve spoken about in the past. It becomes worth it when you can reach for the same piece again and again and wear it in multiple ways.

We totally get that, so we’re going to show you HOW TO STYLE 6 DIFFERENT SWEATERS FOR WORK AND PLAY…

Arcona Transformed my Skin

Maybe saying the Arcona skin care products transformed my skin is being a bit over dramatic. But I’m telling you I think it actually did! Back in January, my friend Laura, who works for Arcona, offered to send me a sample starter pack from the Arcona skin care line if I’d share it on Instagram and/or Facebook. I agreed to share an Instagram post of me in one of their face-masks, but in truth, I don’t necessarily like to “endorse” a product or service unless I’ve really tried it and can share my honest feelings and opinions about it.

To be honest, my expectations were low. I have pretty sensitive skin and often break out when I change products. That’s why things like Birchbox were never really my jam. Getting a bunch of samples to try just means I’ll be getting a rash or zits or both, and I ain’t go time for that…I’m not really a beauty junkie at heart, but I am all for looking better and of course sharing things that work.

My friend Laura, a breast cancer survivor, insisted that Arcona saved her skin after chemo, so I was cautiously optimistic. She also told me about how it’s all natural and organic, made in small batches and cold processed to ensure full potency and benefits. Since it was time to replace what I was currently using, I decided to give it a shot.

OMG am I HAPPY

What constitutes the BEST luggage?

Talking about a favorite luggage, be it brand or style, is kind of like talking about a favorite breed of dog. So much of it is personal preference and what aligns with your individual likes, dislikes, needs and values. There are a few features like roller wheels and weight that are basically required for a bag to be user friendly while traveling. But other than that, what makes a piece of luggage great??

Pass on the “Iconic” Luggage

Let’s not even talk about luggage like Louis Vuitton or Goyard. They are certainly iconic and lovely to look at. And very recognizable, like you might as well paint the price tag on the outside of your suitcase. But those pieces are not meant for the way most of us travel today. If I lived in the 1900’s, traveled by steamer ship and had a butler and ladies in waiting traveling with me, I’d be all over those logo happy brands. But, alas, I don’t…

I’m usually traveling by myself or with my family and schlepping my luggage thru multiple airports to get to my destination (that was a little bit of a dig at the airlines that have pulled out of Cleveland as a hub, meaning it’s dang hard to find a direct flight anymore!!) Bottom line, light weight roller bags are a need not just a want.

All roller bags are not created equal.

What’s better? Soft Sided? Hard Sided? 2 wheels? 4 wheels? The list could go on… We did a little recap from the many, many clients we’ve packed for and picked their brains about what they look for in luggage. Then we did a reader round up (and you guys were AMAZING!!) to find out what luggage you all think is best and why…

Red, White or Rose, You Need to Know About This Wine Gadget…

This is not a fashion post. This is however, something you need to know about, especially if you like wine. I may be making a big leap here but, from comments on IG,  FB and on blog posts, I think many of you guys are winos just like me! A glass of wine (or two) at the end of a day takes the edge off. It makes the frame go a bit fuzzy, not like hard alcohol drunk, just a little happy. A glass, one could argue, can make me a better mom and wife. And my friends like it because I loose a bit of my filter and might say what I’m thinking, even though it should probably stay in my head.

Having a glass of wine is heaven, but drinking a whole bottle alone, that’s waaaay above my tolerance level. When, I’m at home, thinking about having a glass of wine,  I usually pass. WHY? Because I don’t want to open an entire bottle of wine, knowing I’ll only drink a glass or two and the rest will go to waste. By the time I’m ready for another glass that delish bottle of wine will have become vinegar.

Does Any of This Sound Familiar? If So, Then You Will Be Thanking Me for Telling You About This Gadget.