Hot for Spring!

This week we wanted to share our checklist for the hottest spring basics that will take you from work to caravan to ball games.

1) Striped Shirt - This versatile item is a MUST-HAVE for both spring and summer (and maybe fall too!) Wear it with jeans, shorts, a suit or a skirt. You really can't go wrong! We like this Michael Kors striped, boat-neck, cotton shirt in Indian Ocean that we got from Belk.

2) Pencil Skirt - Ladies, no matter your size or build, the pencil skirt is flattering on everyone! Try a bright one in a cotton or linen fabric to take you right through the summer months. We snagged this one off the sale rack from J. Crew.

3) Neutral Shoes - Who doesn't need a pair of neutral shoes? You can wear them with anything anywhere.  Check out this comfy pair from Lucky Brand via Piperlime for only $89 (HINT: get on the Piperlime e-mail list and they will send you coupons!)

4) Accessories - Need I say more? Accessories help pull any outfit together. Stock up on some inexpensive bangles from Forever 21, Target or Francesca's. Buy necklaces that suit your style and wallet. And keep a variety of purses on hand for the finale. I bought this leather Michael Kors purse for $20 from Plato's Closet. Score!

Stay tuned tomorrow for more spring must-haves! And don't forget to check our "We Heart Sales" page for the latest sales where you can find your spring must-haves at killer prices!

Fit for the Cure

Belk is having a Fit for the Cure event today at their stores.  We all know the importance the proper bra which can make or break the look of your outfit.  So, stop by today and receive a bra fitting.  By doing so, you will be raising money for breast cancer.  Also, if you haven't had your mammagram lately they will be available at the store today.  It's a two for one deal.   Happy Friday!


Weekend Sales You Won't Want to Miss!

Gap - Extra 30% off sale for adults and body, extra 40% off sale for children and babies.
Banana Republic - 40% off select styles.
Limited - Buy one get one 50% off everything in the store.
Belk - Extra 15% off clearance.
Dillard's - Extra 30% off clearance.

Who wears short shorts?

Everywhere I look I see shorts. Shorts with ties. Shorts with sparkles. Shorts with scalloped edges. Long shorts. Short shorts. But most importantly, shorts on young girls with long legs. I am not young and I don't have long legs so when I first noticed this shorts trend, I didn't pay much attention to it. But they are so cute! So cute, in fact, that I gave in and now own one or two pairs (or three or four - who's counting?).

So  what's the lesson? We should not let our perceptions of our bodies or our age dictate our choices. If you like it and it makes you feel good, wear it!

Will you be wearing shorts this summer?

Shorts - J.Crew

Camp shirts - Banana Republic

Purse - J. Crew (old)

Shoes - Macy's

A little bit of orange, a little bit of navy....

It was so cold again yesterday! I want desperately for the warm weather to come back and stay. And the sunshine! It was so cloudy and cold that I really needed a pick me up so that I wouldn't bury myself under the covers and watch tv all day. So I decided to wear orange. Orange is a very hard color for me to wear next to my face so I had to tread lightly. I was hoping a light orange gingham print, a recent score from the Belk charity sale, wouldn't overpower my coloring. Plus I can do navy pretty well so I combined the two in the hopes that I would look bright and....cheery!?

So what do you think? Did I pull it off?

Gingham blouse - Belk (similar)

Navy sweater - J.Crew (only $13 at the store - score!)

Cafe capris - J.Crew

Slingback wedges - Banana Republic

Bangles - forever21

Purse - Coach (old)

Better late than never...

I realized that I never showed you which outfit I wore on Easter so I thought I would share it with you today. These are my kids. Ain't they cute? ;)

Dress - Free People (similar, on sale for $99.95!) via Belk

Necklace - J. Crew via e-Bay

It's too cold!

This little cold burst both irritates me and excites me. For one, I can't stand cold weather and two, cold weather makes me sleepy. I just want to curl up in the covers and do nothing! On the other hand, I like a brisk day so that I can wear layers in my outfit. It makes me feel like I made an effort. Do you know what I mean or is it just me?

White jeans - J. Crew

Silk top - J. Crew (similar)

Short sleeve sweater - http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=sweater_shortsleeve&ProductID=2000035983&VariantID=

Denim jacket - Old Navy

Purse - JPK (old)

Bracelet - Banana Republic

Shoes - Nine West (old)

Donna's Turn

Many of you have asked why Donna is never in the pictures. The answer: I don't know! So when we went to the Friends and Fashion event and saw the same color block dress that Donna was wearing on the Belk sales display, I just had to snap her picture. She had just bought the dress a few days before from Belk so it was fun to see it on display. It looks good on her, doesn't it?

By the way, don't forget Belk's charity sale Saturday from 6am - 10am. You will receive 20% off your purchases and the charity of your choice will receive some of the proceeds. If you can't make it on Saturday, swing by there today and pre-sale your items.

Katie Kalsi bags

One of the highlights at the Friends and Fashion event on Monday was seeing the Katie Kalsi handbags.  Katie is a busy mom of two girls who loves to paint.  She applied those skills of painting to her handbag straps.  Each handbag comes with an extra strap so you can easily change it out to suit your outfit.  I so love anything with a handcrafted touch as well as a story like Katie's.  There are two basic handbags styles which are the names of her daughters, Sophie and Sadie.   To get a view of these handbags go to your local Belk store or see them online.

Just a few of our favorite looks...

We just wanted to share some of the fashionable looks from the Friends & Fashion charity fashion show benefiting the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital on Monday. Enjoy!

Navy and polka dots. Oh my!

Bright colors and rockin' duds!

Color and lace with chic clutches!

Printed sheaths and sassy shoes!

Which are your favorite looks?

Friends & Fashion Event

Monday... Monday usually means I have to recover from the weekend by catching up on all of the lingering to-do's. And it was a rainy Monday which typically causes my motivation to be at an all time low. However, this Monday was different.

This Monday, Donna & I attended the Friends & Fashion event benefiting Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. The event was a bright spot on an ordinarily drab day. With lots of silent auction items to swoon over, the aroma of beautiful flower arrangements, loads of girlie shopping, a concert by hunky Canaan Smith and a fabulous fashion show presented by Belk, it was the highlight of my year!

If you missed it this year, plan to go next year. You will have the time of your life and will get to help the young children who not only need medical help, but HOPE.

A big thank you! goes to Belk for having us attend as their guests.
 

Check out all of the fun color blocking presented by Belk.

Girls Night Out Memories...

Trying on a Pippa dress at a fantastic price!

The food, catered by the Madd Platter, was divine!

Thank you to Belk for letting Two Shopper Moms promote our blog! We had a fantastic response to our closet consultation give-away and will be announcing the winner this week!

Check out this lovely presentation of some yummy food!

Have you ever had a mango martini? So, so good!

On sale, on sale, on sale! Need we say more?

Fun Friday!

Fun Friday means a fun outfit! I love the liveliness of colored pants and the challenge of mixing prints like stripes with the various designs in a fun scarf. Although I have never mixed blue with black before, I really like how this outfit turned out. The blue and black in the scarf tied the outfit together like it was meant to be. That's the great thing about scarfs - they can pull together your clothes or other accessories in a way that makes you look like you have a personal stylist at your beck and call!

Have a wonderful weekend! Donna & Julie

Pants - Gap Gap is having extra 25% off all sale this weekend in stores & online (CODE: GAPGO)
Sweater - Old Navy (similar) Old Navy is having 13% off online today (CODE: ONFRIDAY13)
Scarf - J. Crew
Coach Purse - Old (Similar)
Steve Madden Shoes - Old (Simillar)

Sword fights and biker chic?

Yep, that's right! I am playing swords in heels. Do you think my 6-year-old cares that I could twist my ankle and fall flat on my face? Nah! He just just wants to have fun.

Speaking of heels, I don't consider these heels to be too dangerous because they are platforms. I am pretty sure platform shoes were made just for people like me - the athletically challenged. Platforms provide more balance because the entire foot is raised rather than just your heels. As a mom, it's too hard to chase down 6- and 9-year-olds on my tiptoes!

My favorite platform shoe makers are Nine West and Lucky Brand. The pair I have on are from Nine West but Lucky Brand is my all-time favorite. I have three pairs of their platform sandals!

Did I mention I was a shopaholic in addition to being a sword-playing biker chic?

Dress - Piperlime (BTW, it's now on sale for $31.99!)

Jacket - Forever 21 (on the clearance rack for $9.99!)

Shoes -  Nine West

Belt - J. Crew

Necklace - Silpada

Bracelet - found at a craft fair

Girl's Night Out...Thursday 5-8:30 @ Belk

Ladies, don't miss this special event at Belk in Cool Springs Mall Thursday evening! Get 20% off nearly everything...designer clothing, jewelry, make-up, fragrances, shoes, handbags, accessories, fine jewelry, and more. Plus there will be food catered by the Mad Platter, beverages, prizes, a scavenger hunt and a trunk show by Brighton (begins at 2pm). Donna and I will be there as well. We would love to meet some of our followers so meet us out Thursday night at Belk for a FUN GIRL'S NIGHT OUT!!

Mix it Up

Did you play dress up as a kid?  It didn't matter what you put together, it was just fun, right? Layering jewelry. Seeing how many clothes you could put on and still move. You didn't care because taking fashion risks as a kid was outright fun! As adults we tend to be more conservative, but now the runways are asking us to take a major risk by mixing up our prints!

All of the spring runway shows had mixed prints but with a very bold, young approach to mixing prints.  You can still pull this off in a more mature way by always making sure there is one dominant color in your top and bottom.  If this is too much color for you, start with baby steps and try an all neutral approach with black and white.  You could do a floral black and white top with a small black & white check pant.  

Have fun with your clothes today and let us know if you decided to mix it up.  See the flyer below for a girls night out at Belk this Thursday night.  What a great opportunity to mix it up! Hope to see you there ;)

Back to Our Regular Schedule

So, spring break is over. There is only six weeks of school left until summer.  I feel as if I need a break from spring break! Yesterday, my children were on such a sugar rush from Easter candy and dessert that we had to spend lots of time outside.  It was hard getting up early and preparing for the week. Here is a ready to go outfit for the start of the week.    

The polka dot top, which we featured last time with a skirt, and skinny jeans, a must-have in your closet, is a cute "drop the kids at school and run errands" outfit.  The other must-have for this season is a shoe of color.  Most stores are only carrying colored shoes for the spring so you won't have to look far to find one you like. One of these stores is Belk. Check out their Girls Night Out event this coming Thursday evening. For all of you Brighton fans, there will be a trunk show featuring their new spring items that night.  Have a great Monday!

Last but not least...

Last but not least is this juicy little Kensie number I bought off-season at Belk this winter. I fell in love with the watercolor print and romper-ish shape. Paired with booties and minimal jewelry, this dress is young and fresh. But am I too old for it? Maybe, but I like it anyway ;)

Is this your vote for my Easter outfit?

Dress - Kensie for Belk (similar)

Booties - BCBG for Belk (similar)

Necklace - J. Crew (similar)

Bangles - Jessica Simpson for Belk

A Hue of Blue

Don't you think Easter outfit number 4 is romantic! The sheer lace dress filters the turquoise slip, turning the ensemble into a beautiful pastel shade of blue. The statement necklace and handbag balance the outfit with just the right amount of turquoise and aqua. I am really liking this outfit. What about you?

Lace dress - Free People via Belk

Slip - borrowed from another dress

Necklace - J. Crew via Ebay

Purse - vintage Dooney Bourke via Ebay

Shoes - you can't see them but they are Vince Camuto via Dillard's

Flirty Little Skirt

Easter outfit number three is a flirty little number, huh? I was tempted to do the black and white thing that is so hot right now, but honestly? I like the little punches of color.  What do you think? Is this the outfit I should wear?

Sweater - Banana Republic

Skirt - Forever 21

Shoes - Nine West

Belt - J. Crew

Necklace - Nordstrom's

Purse - Vintage Coach (similar)

Mixed Media

 

Have you noticed the latest trend, mixing patterns? I have. But I thought I would never try it. It's pretty busy. I was very worried that I would look like a clown. But I ended up liking it so much that I wore it anyway. 

Do you know what I realized? I have actually been mixing patterns for years! As a decorator, I am constantly mixing patterns amongst textiles. And clothes are textiles for the body, right? Right or wrong, Joan Rivers has yet to show up and arrest me so maybe this trend ain't so bad!

Blue dotted blouse - Piperlime

Pencil skirt - Banana Republic (similar)

Bangles - Forever 21

Shoes - Vince Camuto from Dillard's

Is this your choice for Easter?