Tag: Casual Fashion

OOTD: Blossoms and Bell Sleeves

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Blossoms and Bell Sleeves

Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone!

While I prepare for the launch of my radio show this weekend and line up my planned posts for next week as we get ready to wrap up the month of March (how?!)– I haven’t forgotten to keep things bright, cheery and as “Spring-y” as possible with my current wardrobe and accessory choices- even when the temperatures have occasionally dipped back into the more frigid digits these past couple of days.

Earlier this week I looked to an old favorite top I had picked up years ago while vacationing in Southern California to give me some much-needed color when the sky and the world around me was looking particularly gray as Winter continues to keep it’s tight stranglehold on us here in New England.

I can’t remember exactly which store in San Diego I had purchased this breezy, bell-sleeved floral half-shirt- only that I was wearing it out for a date and paired it with skinny jeans and a tank top underneath it. I still wear it that way to this day- opting for a glittery and dusty rose colored tank this time- although this most recent wear was for work and not for a date purposes.

Not pictured are the dusty rose kitten heels I wore with this shirt to give myself a little bit of height and my feet a break from boots for a day! I simply cannot wait any longer to break out my flats and my sneakers again!

And, side note- I love the small and unexpected details with this top- particularly the crochet neckline. It makes what is already a cute top feel a bit more elegant and appropriate to wear to more “dressier” events. I would just swap the skinny jeans for an equally breezy skirt, instead!

Next week on ‘Blondie Birdie’ I’ve got some more photos from recent travel, a pretty incredible French Toast recipe- and my favorites from this past month (and there’s a couple of interesting things that made the list, for sure!)

But until then- here’s wishing you all a wonderful, warm and safe weekend. Be sure to tune into Indie617 tomorrow from 12-4 PM (EST) to catch my show!

See you all on Monday!

xx

– Ashley –

Pastel Pinstripes…

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Pastel Pinstripes…

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, everyone!

It has been such a busy week so far- and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be calming down anytime soon! Between work, writing, a scheduled theater company meeting a little later on this afternoon and prepping for some radio work tomorrow evening- I’ve been going non-stop while simultaneously getting over a 24 hour stomach bug that swept through my office like wildfire earlier this week.

And despite feeling pretty awful on Monday- I did still manage to put together a cute outfit that added some much-needed color and brightness to my pale, cold and clammy skin while I was recovering and trying to get things done at the same time.

The first day of Spring might be a week away- but I’m pretty much forcing an early arrival by wearing pastels and anything floral as often as I can. My most recent attempt to summon the warmer weather (and it seems to be working, by the way!) was this pastel-striped blouse that ties in the front with a pair of skinny jeans and a larger-than-life pink flower necklace.

The blouse itself is revealing if you don’t wear anything underneath it- and seeing how this was what I wore to my office (while I was ill…) I opted to keep a basic white tank top under it to keep it work-appropriate- but I like that I can definitely play around with different colored tops under it, too- since there’s so many pastel hues I can match/coordinate it with!

And the necklace, while bold and fun- is admittedly a bit heavy- but you get used to it after a few minutes and from there you can barely notice it while you have it on!

I’m looking forward to wearing this outfit with one of my gauze or linen midi skirts and some sandals once the last of the snow finally melts- which I know won’t be for a little while longer- but it’s fun to plan those late Spring/early Summer outfits ahead of time.

I’m off to get some work done before I head out to the Pioneer Valley to continue efforts with one of my favorite side projects and meet up with some friends in the area. I’ll be back this coming Friday with some tips/tricks for Spring cleaning (and with a few updates on blog maintenance I’ve been performing!)

Here’s wishing you all a lovely “Hump Day.” Enjoy it! We’re so close to the weekend!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: Breakin’ Hearts…

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Breakin’ Hearts…

Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone!

I hope those of you who celebrated Valentine’s Day had a good and delightfully cheesy one yesterday- and those of you who are celebrating Pal-entine’s Day today score some awesome marked down candy and cards so you can share them with your pals at your next get-together (as is tradition!)

I worked my half day at the office yesterday- and while my sorta’, kinda’ Val/Pal-entine is presently out of state for work- I got a series of cards, texts, and little presents from friends, family and co-workers throughout the day that definitely kept me amused and feeling the love.

I dressed festive yesterday, too- without going *too* over-the-top ala wearing Cupid wings or an excessive amount of red and pink. I kept it simple via ModCloth (who are one of my all-time favorites) with this black and white striped short-sleeve sweater- which features bright red “Heart Breaker” lettering across the front.

Cute, a little funny and easy to match with pretty much anything- I wore this sweater with some simple black skinny jeans, black faux-leather combat boots and a black faux-leather jacket to give it an edgier vibe. With my signature red lip- a must in the Winter- and some red/pink glittery polish- I was ready to take on anything the day of love and romance had waiting for me.

What I love about this sweater, apart from how comfortable and flattering it is to my figure- is that I can wear it outside the realm of Valentine’s Day, too. Why I wouldn’t necessarily or actually consider myself a heart breaker- this would still be fun to wear in the Summer with a pair of denim shorts or with a black pencil skirt and some red heels/Mary Janes for a casual dinner with my friends or the fella(s?)

It’s definitely a new favorite in my closet, for sure!

This weekend I’m going to be heading out of town to support a friend’s band who haven’t been around the block in a while- and then try to swing down to lovely Newport, Rhode Island for a little day-cation getaway by the ocean before it’s back to work again first thing on Monday morning.

I’ll have some photos of my travels to share along the way, of course- but I also plan on giving you all another peek into my closet with some more Winter Wear- and a look at the makeup that has been saving my complexion this frigid, arctic time of year where I live!

Until then – here’s wishing you all a warm, safe, and most importantly- FUN– weekend ahead!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: Spooky Scary Skeletons

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Spooky Scary Skeletons

Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone!

Before we launch into another weekend (and before I head up to Haunted Overload with friends this evening and then embark on a day trip to Vermont tomorrow morning!) I thought I’d share another creepy and cozy classic from my closet- say that five times fast- that I wore during a recent outing to Amherst a couple of days ago where some friends and I dropped by to pay our respects at Emily Dickinson’s grave while visiting some notable and historic figures buried in the area.

I’m sure many of you have seen the skeleton printed onesies and hoodies that are popular around Halloween- it’s the festive costume that doesn’t require much work at all and is appropriate for pretty much any party in October- but to me they’ve always looked a bit plain. There’s nothing about them that particularly screams “unique” to me.

So this over-sized, soft, frayed black and white skeletal sweater- which is a lot more chic and easier to dress up or down- is one of my favorite things to wear this time of year! The bone print isn’t just limited to the front of the sweater, either. It’s also printed along the back and on both of the sleeves, as well!

I paired this sweater with some black, velvet & nylon leggings and my buckled boots with a low heel (so that I could still walk around Amherst comfortably!) I opted out of jewelry this time around- but completed the look with a bold red lip to give me a pop of color.

I’ve still got a couple more weeks to get some extra wears out of this sweater- which is good since I can throw it on with my skinny jeans or a black skirt and my knee high boots next time around- but I’d like to think I’m fearless enough to wear it year-round.

With the new ‘Halloween’ opening tonight (Michael Myers is actually the only horror movie villain that ever truly frightened me growing up- so this new movie is going to be wild to see in theaters!) and a weekend filled with visiting some of the spookier areas in New Hampshire and Vermont- something tells me I’m going to need to sleep with a light on come Sunday night!

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe weekend. I’ll be back next week with photos and recaps from my journeys over the next couple of days- and I’ll also have a great Game Day recipe I’ve been savoring with every Patriots victory this season!

See you all on Monday!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: Plaid, Interrupted

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Plaid, Interrupted

Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone! We made it to another (long!) weekend!

I’m getting ready to stop by the Indie617 studio to sit down and do a guest spot during their “Morning Glory” show/A.M. block. I’ll be talking new releases, upcoming shows, the 15 year anniversary of ‘Mr. Brightside’ and so much more! You can tune in at the station’s official website or through their App (free for iPhone and Android!) I’m really excited- and I hope my voice doesn’t sound *too* scratchy on-air. I’m not exactly a morning person.

But before I get to it and then head off to work and my plans for this weekend afterwards- I wanted to share one of my favorite pieces for the Summer-to-Fall weather transition we’re presently nearing the end of here in New England. While this may look like a simple knit navy blue sweater pulled on over a red and white plaid shirt- it’s actually a one piece top I picked up at Primark- and also happens to be one of the most comfortable and warm tops I’ve ever worn!

I called on this shirt and a simple pair of denim jeggings and brown, knee-high boots on Monday night to look chic and stay warm during an evening outing to the Bramble Hill Farm in Amherst. Troy had invited me out to watch his dress rehearsal performance in ‘Refugee’, a play he and his cast mates are taking to the Joakim International Theater Festival in Kragujevac, Serbia next week. The rehearsal, within a barn-turned-performance-space on the farm, tends to get chilly at night- but not wanting to load on layers- I knew this sweater/shirt hybrid would be perfect.

And I like attention to detail in my wardrobe, so the perfectly stitched collar and the buttons along the bottom part of the red and white “flannel” part are a cute touch.

A swipe of my matte brown NYX lip gloss and some neutral eye shadow and I was ready to go while looking very Autumn-esque! I also recently got my nails touched up and changed the color from a chocolate brown to a lovely burnt orange shade because, you know- Halloween Queen and all.

I was super cozy and comfortable throughout the hour and forty-five minute performance- which meant I really got to take it all in and enjoy it without distraction. It was brilliant and moving (I definitely teared up at a couple of parts!) I’m so proud of everyone involved and I can’t wait to hear all about the trip after they get back next weekend.

But I’m going to get radio ready and pumped up! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Despite Monday being a holiday and my having the day off from work- I’ll still be posting some content bright and early!

xx

– Ashley –