26

Feb

Spring Fling…

I am so glad that groundhog’s forecast was for an early spring! My wardrobe needs a breath of fresh air and sunshine, and that’s what this season’s style has in store. I’m ready to break out my culottes, expose a little bare shoulder and tuck my coats and boots away. If you can’t tell, I’ve got spring fever–and here are a few seasonal tips and trends (as seen on Talk of Alabama this morning) to keep in mind:

  • Pantone, the company which selects an annual signature color, has chosen two for 2016: ROSE QUARTZ and SERENITY. So expect to see blush pinks and baby blues in everything from home décor to clothing and accessories for the whole family. Pastels are pretty much expected for Spring, and that will continue.
  • Wearing WHITE head-to-toe is white haute this spring.Yes, you totally CAN wear it Memorial Day and after Labor Day. Let’s put this argument away for good, shall we?  Just make sure the fabric is appropriate to the season, and that the shade of white compliments your complexion.
  • PATTERNS are a great way to add visual interest. Some will say “FLORALS for Spring? Groundbreaking!” but they are a seasonal staple. You can try something delicate like a daisy print, something more abstract and graphic, or even something a little more dark and edgy. But other options include STRIPES and GINGHAM. If you’re worried about fit or “doing too much,” try a top, sandals or purse in the print, against a more neutral outfit. Gentlemen, try a gingham tie or dress shirt would work. Ladies, try a striped cami or gingham-print shoe. The more adventurous shopper will try wearing patterns from head to toe.
  • This season is all about the chunky heel, the flat mule, sandal and slip on shoe, all of which are super easy on the feet. But what keeps it interesting are again, color, pattern and texture. Do us all a favor and be sure to get a pedicure…you can add a pop of seasonal color to your tips and toes!
  • Little DETAILS can make or complete a look this spring. There areso many to choose from: a romantic touch of lace or delicate ruffles, a long necklace that adds a touch of sparkle, textures such as tweed and laser-cut patterns. These extra little touches add a bit more oomph or edge to an otherwise run-of-the-mill outfit.

Happy shopping!

Image via Giphy.com

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24

Feb

Tune in to Talk of Alabama this Friday!

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Toss some sequins and tune in to ABC 33/40 on Friday (February 26th): I’ll be sharing some news you can use during the 9:00 A.M. hour! Not in the local viewing area? Try live-streaming it by clicking HERE, or catch the video when it’s posted later by clicking HERE.

Xo, Alexis

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28

Jan

J. Crew invites you…

  
Happy shopping!

Xo, Alexis 

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21

Jan

Haute off the press!

Here’s one more exciting announcement for the week: I’m excited to be featured in B-Metro magazine as its “Look Grand for Less” feature for February! Thanks to the Outlet Shops of Grand River, I was able to find several fab items that fit a $250 budget!  In fact, the deals are so amazing that I came in under budget. Putting together versatile, well-made and fun pieces I could wear in a variety of ways was actually quite do-able thanks to the variety of options at the outlet. Don’t believe me? Grab your copy  of B-Metro for details; it’s available on newsstands now!

Special thanks to Kim Colvin (makeup artistry), Chuck St. John (photography) and Tracy James for making this an awesome experience!

Xo, Alexis

Images via Tracy James and B-Metro

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22

Dec

Tune in to Talk of Alabama this Thursday!

Toss some sequins and tune in to ABC 33/40 on Thursday (December 24th): I’ll be sharing some news you can use during the 9:00 A.M. hour! Not in the local viewing area? Try live-streaming it by clicking HERE, or catch the video when it’s posted later by clicking HERE.

Xo, Alexis

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30

Nov

Be the hostess with the mostest!

beourguest

As activities move indoors for game nights, girls’ night and dinner parties, the aim of any good host or hostess is to ensure their guests feel welcome. And there are some chic but super simple and affordable ways to entertain with intention but not break your budget!  Here are our tips for welcoming your guests for short or long-term visits:

  1. First, think about what makes YOU feel like a VIP when you are visiting for an evening or even an extended stay. Then incorporate those touches in your home. If you’re staying out of town at a hotel you get your own KEY, right? And you also generally have free access to WIFI. So perhaps you give your guests their own key so they can come and go without waiting on you, make it easy for them to connect to your home internet.
  2. Next, consider about your bed and bath linen. Who doesn’t like crisp SHEETS and plush BATH TOWELS? Are your towels ratty or discolored? Do your sheet sets still match?  When was the last time you bought new sets? If you need to, upgrade yours with affordable options for TJMaxx and Home Goods. While you’re there, pick up some luxe BATH PRODUCTS and indulge yourself after your guests have head home!
  3. If you can’t spend every minute with weekend guests, make it easy for them to find their way around your city. Be ready with  SUGGESTIONS for local attractions, restaurants and shopping venues. This frees up your time and theirs!
  4. Stressed about what to serve? Consider easy but delish SNACKS that you can leave in your guest room for them to enjoy. Fun, budget-friendly gourmet options can be found at local stores like TJ Maxx and World Market, and these can even be customized for guests with certain dietary sensitivities or those who are health conscious.
  5. RELAX! The object should be enjoying your company, not sweating over the details.

 

Image via Etsy

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05

Nov

Balmain x H&M is here!

Toss some sequins! The day many of us have been waiting for is finally here: Olivier Rousteing’s amazing capsule Balmain x H&M collection is on sale today!

Check out our favorite our favorite looks:

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Shopping the line? A few points to keep in mind: Online purchases are limited to only 1 item per product. If you’re shopping in store, you are limited to two items per product. Items you have placed in your cart aren’t actually yours until you check out; trust us, hesitation will get your feelings hurt today if you’re slow about finalizing your purchase.  Also, if you traveled to Huntsville to shop the collection, the first 420 people in line will receive a colored bracelet that determines when you can shop. If you are just vising H&M for other items, you will not need a bracelet. Once the final group with bracelets has shopped the collection, it will be opened to all other customers.

And yes: the site has already experienced issues. But you saw that coming, no?

A final question from SCDD: when is BIRMINGHAM getting an H&M? We’re putting it on our 2016 wish list…along with Uber!

All images via Balmain x H&M

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28

Oct

What not to wear: Magic City Classic

Whose uncle is this?
No ma’am.

https://findingmontauk.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/nene_headshake.gif

It’s time for the 2015 Magic City Classic, the 74th annual face-off between Alabama A&M and Alabama State Universities, and one of Birmingham’s most fashionable events! Whether you’re rooting for the Hornets or the Bulldogs come October 31st, today we’re revisiting some tips to keep you from being fashion roadkill!

  1. LAYER. Weather can change from hot to cold and back in an instant. Shivering half-naked makes you look silly. And sweating with a coat on is unacceptable as well.
  2. Fur is FIRE (if the temperature deems it appropriate)…but please leave anything that resembles German shepherd, raccoon, or squirrel in your closet. Better yet, trash it. Simply put, if it looks like it can move with you, don’t wear it!
  3. Rock boots and stiletto heels if you must, but only if you know how to walk in them. Hobbling,stumbling and/or stomping are not sexy. If you just bought them and haven’t broken them in, don’t bother.
  4. Furthermore, if your toes are hanging over the edge of your shoes, or if the heels are missing taps or look like they’ve been gnawed by a rabid animal, please don’t wear them.
  5. This is a family-friendly weekend. No one wants to see the tattoo(s) on your exposed stomach, cleavage, or lower back. Thanks!
  6. If your ‘gators are the same color as Kool-Aid or Now&Laters, spare us.
  7. We know you’ve got school spirit, but that 1964 band sweater is not the business. Matter fact, NOTHING from 1964 is okay.
  8. No one is starching their jeans anymore, we hope! We don’t want to see any super stiff creases in your denim!
  9. If you’re wearing Spandex and are visibly pregnant, expect to be tapped on the shoulder and asked to leave.
  10. Ditto for anyone in an extra smedium vest (male or female).
  11. Wear your ice, but don’t be mad if it gets snatched. You’ve seen Birmingham on The First 48, right? Please don’t be a fashion casualty!
  12. No one wants to see your underwear (bra straps, panty lines, boxer shorts, etc.). Take our word for it.
  13. You’re not on the dance line, so why would you wear booty shorts or a leotard and fishnets to the game?
  14. If you absolutely must wear a (zoot) suit to any of the events scheduled this weekend, please remove the tag(s) from the sleeve.
  15. If your lacefront game is not up to par (and by “up to par” we mean: no visible glue tracks, it shouldn’t look like old Barbie doll hair, and it shouldn’t be perched right above your eyebrows), expect to be a topic of discussion for all the wrong reasons.
  16. Need we inform you that baby hair is for BABIES?
  17. Ladies: please keep your shoes on in the club and everywhere else for that matter. You’re welcome.
  18. Men in skinny jeans or jeggings – well, if you’re guilty of this crime you probably aren’t even reading this blog regularly – so…never mind.
  19. It’s not Halloween or Mardi Gras. Unless you actually are Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, or Lady Gaga, don’t show up dressed as a misguided geisha, Barbie, Smurfette, or wearing meat.
  20. Keep it chic!  This weekend is the time to take a calculated risk, either with your ensemble or accessories!

For more gameday fashion “do’s” tune in to ABC 33/40’s Talk of Alabama tomorrow during the 9 AM hour!

Images via Facebook and Finding Montauk (Nene Leakes)

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27

Oct

Tune in to Talk of Alabama this Thursday!

Toss some sequins and tune in to ABC 33/40 this THURSDAY  (October 29th): I’ll be sharing some news you can use during the 9:00 A.M. hour! Not in the local viewing area? Try live-streaming it by clicking HERE, or catch the video when it’s posted later by clicking HERE.

Xo,

Alexis

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21

Oct

Shop, Save and Share with the Junior League of Birmingham

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Calling all shoppers! If shopping is your cardio, why not “exercise” with a fabulous cause in mind? Here’s your chance!

Haute off the press (release):

For the tenth year in a row, the Junior League of Birmingham* will hold its Shop Save & Share program from late October to early November. This fundraiser supports the League’s 34 community projects while at the same time driving customers to local retailers and restaurants.

When you purchase a Shop Save & Share card for $40, you receive a 20% discount on merchandise and dining at the fundraiser’s more than 550 participating stores and restaurants throughout greater Birmingham. For 2015, we have the highest number of Shop Save & Share supporters ever including business participants from Trussville to Hoover from The Summit to the 280 Corridor, as well as the communities of Homewood, Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills and many others.

This year’s Shop Save & Share program will run from October 21 through November 1, and the purchase of one Shop, Save and Share donation does the following:

-Provides one student the opportunity to participate in the College Admissions Made Possible program.

-Provides one week of snacks, magazines, books to mothers restricted to bed rest in the UAB NICU.

-Provides one child who is suffering from “under nutrition” to have food provided to them for the weekends for an entire school year.

-Provides 1.5 children one book per month for 5 years through Better Basics & JLB Imagination Library.

Ready to celebrate this fantastic shoppertunity? There will be a kickoff party TODAY — October 21 — at The Summit! It will be at The Terrace near Lilly Pulitzer (in between Belk and Gus Mayer), beginning at 6pm.  A little birdie tells me there will be light bites, something to sip while you shop, live music and chances to win fabulous prizes! Click HERE to RSVP.

Visit www.jlbonline.com or www.shopsaveshare.net to purchase a Shop Save & Share card and to review a complete listing of participating merchants and sponsors.  Additional Information about the fundraiser can be found on Facebook:  Shop Save & Share or Twitter:  @JLBirmingham (#jlbshopsaveshare)

*Disclosure: I am a member of the Junior League of Birmingham. All thoughts posted are my own.

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