Enjoy Winter While You Prep for Spring

If you were looking for a blog that complains about winter, you’ve come to the wrong place.

I get absolutely giddy when the news starts reporting snow fall. I mean it – I start dancing around the house like it’s Christmas. I love hunkering down and watching every snow report from all over the city, taking a walk outside with the pupster, sledding, eating snow cream, having my husband trapped at home and all to myself for a couple days. It’s fantastic.

But I will say, after the whole thing is over it is nice to get out of the house for a bit. Get away from everything you’ve been staring at for days, maybe go to the store and buy some new things to freshen up your house and get prepped for spring (I’m throwing the “prep for spring” thing in there for others who wish this weather was gone).

This week on the show I got to showcase all the great things Altar’d State in West Town Mall has to offer. So watch this brief clip and get yourself in there to freshen up!

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The Perfect Graphic Tee and Plaid Sweater

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View More: http://southernrootsphotographybybrittany.pass.us/the-spiff--january-blog

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she is clothing, proverbs 31:25, proverbs 31:25 shirt, plaid sweater, black and white sweater, ootd, knoxville fashion, beauty blogger, knoxville fashion blogger, elizabeth ogle

View More: http://southernrootsphotographybybrittany.pass.us/the-spiff--january-blog

View More: http://southernrootsphotographybybrittany.pass.us/the-spiff--january-blogAs a writer and lover of words, I’m always on the hunt for a good graphic tee. Unfortunately it’s hard to come across ones that I can get behind (ha, literally, cause I’m right behind…you get it).

I love coffee just as much as all the shirts claim to, but you can talk to me before I’ve had it. I wake up pretty happy. I’m generally not a sassy pants, so shirts that have text with underlying attitude don’t reflect who I am, nor do shirts that say harsh things like “Satan is a liar.” Yes, he is. But it just comes across pretty strong/weird when imprinted in gold letters on your sweatshirt.

This shirt, with it’s perfectly scripted text and message of strength (without crossing over into soap-box territory) is just perfect.

And I love it paired with this sweater I picked up from Target. A black and white plaid is juuuust what my closet needs. It’s not stripes or animal print so it’s the perfect pattern for me right now.

You can pick up your own “Elle es Forte” shirt here (it’s French for “she is strong – from Proverbs 31:25). And you can get your own plaid sweater (on clearance) here!

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A Cute and Comfortable Winter Outfit

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Still taking some time to sale shop stop and reflect about the coming year ;) Enjoy today’s post from last season then tune in Monday when we set some style goals for 2016!

swacket smile jpg

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Similar necklace; swacket; skirt; shoes; undershirt came from here (believe it or not).

My favorite purchase of this fall/winter has hands down been this sweater (or jacket…maybe swacket?).

I actually took it right off the back of an unsuspecting mannequin, and I’m so glad I did (she had it coming). I love having one cool go-to piece that I can grab and consistently feel good in throughout the colder months. It’s especially nice when I’m stuck trying to figure out what to wear – I just grab this and style it differently.

This time I changed things up by buttoning it up. It works especially well with this voluminous skirt and really helps showcase this gorgeous statement necklace my Aunt Kathleen got me for my birthday this past year.

Think about any swackets you’ve got, could you get more mileage out of them by wearing them buttoned?

Maybe now that you’ve learned the word “swacket” you’re confused as to what the proper pronunciation would be, AND need help styli

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3 Unexpected Reasons to Love Winter

There are very few people out and about with a smile on their face as big as mine. I can’t help but get a little giddy with this snow.

I know people are tired of it (don’t ever move north…not even slightly. We’ve only had 2 weeks of it, they’ve had months) and I know it’s popular to complain, but I’m loving it. And I’m going to try and pass on some of that excitement to you…

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1. No bugs.

When was the last time you saw a bug? I can’t remember at this point. Because by now they’re all either dead or hibernating or doing whatever bugs do – just not out in the open, thank God. Relish in that, because as soon as spring hits they’re going to be every where and in the summertime it’s hard to walk around outside without getting bit. That’s not the case now and I’m loving every minute of it.

2. You’re forced to slow down.

I’ve learned over the past two weeks that I’m a hard core home body. I’ve not been sad to have to stay at my house, I’ve been pretty content. And even when I start to feel frustrated, I think about the fact that in just a few short weeks we’re going to be running at high speed – especially on the weekends. So soak up this time of rest. At some point in the coming months, you may find yourself thinking you wish you could have just a lazy day inside – enjoy those days now. Everything is cancelled, soak up the free time.

3. Bundling up is less work than a bikini.

Yesterday I made the biggest snowman (actually snow-woman) I’ve ever built, ever. In fact this round of snow is the most I’ve ever seen in my life. Building it made me think of playing in the sand on the beach, but one thought made me realize it was 1,000 times better than that. You know why? Because I didn’t have to worry that my boob was going to pop out, or be concerned with how closely I had shaved. Yes the summer heat is nice, but it’s so much work. Being outside in the winter means I have to think about what scarf to layer over my sweater – not whether or not I’ve painted my toes, shaved high enough on my legs and gotten an even tan. Let’s all revel in this low-maintenance time period. I certainly am.

Each season has its pros and cons. I choose to enjoy the pros in whatever season I am, simply because life is better that way. And it’s what Paul did in the Bible…”I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances.” -Philippians 4:11

And hey, if you have found yourself being a little less content with being inside…come to West Town Mall tomorrow! I’ll be hanging out at The Limited from 12-2:30pm. I’m there to help you find some pieces that you can wear now AND later. Plus if you have accessorizing questions, or need help with a certain piece, bring it in! We can chat all about it and get you feeling good in your clothes. Can’t wait to see you there!

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Style Yourself Like a Star

Well I tried watching the Oscar’s live in my bedroom, but that was in a different room than my husband and my dog would have none of that. He came in the room and cried at me until we were all in the same room together. Oh well, that’s what TiVo is for ;)

Even though every year I’ve seen maybe 1 of the movies nominated, of course I love to watch to see who’s wearing what. I can’t imagine the pressure that goes into choosing a dress for this thing. Can’t. Imagine. Especially since the very next day you’re going to be scrutinized by the likes of Kathy Griffin…or people like me.

But instead of just saying which dresses I liked and disliked the most, I prefer to give you something to walk away with. So here are my picks for this year and the style cues we can take away from them….

(All of these images, by the way, are courtesy of eonline)

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I’m not even going to include Aniston and Lopez in this list. They brought it. They woke it up, worked it out, covered it in jewels. Done. Check. The ladies I chose for my best dressed are ones that caused me to look up from my phone. These gals really captured attention with their choices.

Anna Kendrick looks just floaty, glowy gorgeous in this coral gown. As the camera panned down to the bottom, the outer layers were billowing in the breeze as if on cue. The diamond neckline is the perfect amount of sparkle and notice how she pairs that with simple diamond clusters. This proves that when the neckline is high, you don’t need earrings fighting over your face. Go with something gorgeous and simple. Also, coral looks good on pale skin.

It looks as if Naomi Watts may make some “worst dressed” lists, but I think her dress is fresh and unexpected. She always makes an edgier choice, and in this case I love the fact that it’s the playful black sparkly band. It’s just something different and that’s nice to see (without going overboard, Lady Gaga). Again, her jewelry is subdued and I love how her hair is half back. We’ve seen A LOT of this style in the past two award shows, but I really really like it. You get to wear your hair down comfortably, but you’re still showing off your earrings and giving your look a modern edge by tucking it behind one ear. Try that next time, it’s definitely not the kind of style that requires a team of hair experts which is nice.

Finally on my best dressed, is Meryl Streep. Seems like every year someone does some version of a female suit. I think Ms. Streep nailed it this year. It’s feminine, very age appropriate yet still glamorous enough to work. Sure it’s safe and not as sparkly, but it’s a great take on a classic. Don’t be afraid to work a blazer into your formal look, especially if you’re looking for something that’s more flattering. I’d rather be simple and flattering than sparkly and slightly unflattering.

meh dressed

I didn’t want to use the phrase “worst dressed” because it sounds so harsh. But I would have loved to seen a few simple tweaks on these gals.

Marion Cotillard is such a beautiful woman, and I really love her hair with that deep side part and the earrings which compliment her hair style just perfectly. But the dress…girl, the dress is just meh. What would be really cool is if the bottom layer was nude and the overlay was black. That would have added some visual interest. I’m just not at all a fan of white formals, especially ones that take over your shape and make you think of paper towels.

This next gal is Adam Levine’s wife, Behati Prinsloo. I think the dress is pretty neat. It’s something different and interesting. And her accessorizing is spot on – the necklace is the right amount of pizzazz. What I’m so not a big fan of is completely slicked back hair. All I see when I look at her is her part and the unusual shape of her head (which is a phrase I don’t want passing through people’s heads when I’m all dressed up). I think this look would have been 1,000 times prettier if she would have worn her hair down, half way, or even back a little looser. Really gals, only J-Lo can pull off the sleek back look.

Finally, Rosamund Pike. Love this dress, I really do. My favorite part is how it darts in at her waste. HOWEVER, I feel like she could have taken the “less is more” rule a little less seriously. To me, her tiny earrings make it look like she just walked in off the street and tried this dress on and those are the earrings she happened to be running errands in. I just would have loved some larger maybe gold accented numbers dangling down a little bit.

Of course it’s easy to say all these things from the comfort of my couch. If I ever make it to the red carpet you’re going to love everything about what I have on, ok? Ok. ;)

Happy Monday!

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