Easy Breezy

April 29, 2013November 12, 2013 by gemilbourne ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

(Outfit Details: Dress: Cynthia Rowley, Blazer: Kimchi Blue c/o Urban Outfitters, Sandals: BCBG; Bracelets: J.Crew and TK Designs)

Some days call for stress free, laze-in-and-out-of clothing. For instance, weekend afternoons sharing a meal with friends, relaxing in the sun light, or catching up on things that have fallen by the wayside on the weekday. I like both this blazer and dress because the fabrics are both comfortable and yet a little polished. Look for dresses that give you shape, whether by a structured top half, or a high waist.

Who wouldn’t want the best of both worlds, meaning going from brunch to your afternoon nap in one seamless outfit choice?

Style Now: A few little things

April 26, 2013November 12, 2013 by gemilbourne ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A few little things by grace-milbourne featuring rebecca minkoff

Sometimes it’s the littlest accessory that makes all the difference. Here are a few items I’ve kept visiting around the interwebs (does anyone else have that problem?) that I know would take a plethora of outfits to the next level. If a piece can stand alone, that’s when you know it has that stopping power, and is actually worthy of investment.

Garden Glory

April 24, 2013November 12, 2013 by gemilbourne ♥ 1 Comment

The Details: Sweaters: TJX, Borrowed (Thanks Sister!), Jacket: Thrifted, Jeans: Ann Taylor LOFT, Scarves: F21, Gifted, Shoes: Target, Sunglasses: Ray Ban, Bag: Longchamp)

Took a few lessons from my own book (and posts) and went for a neutral based, casual look. I went, with family in tow, to a beautiful botanical garden which was perfect for meandering around and taking loads of pictures. Conveniently, my muted look really looked great against the bold and abundant flora.

It was pretty chilly at points, so my style tip for the day is this – take two scarves that are a similar length and bulk, and wrap them together as if they were one piece. This adds more body to some of those lackluster scarves that may be lurking around your closet … (case in point: remember those wimpy scarves that were popular like 5 years back?)

Hope everyone’s having a lovely week!

Style Now: Boho Summer

April 16, 2013November 12, 2013 by gemilbourne ♥ 1 Comment

When Mango is doing everything right.

Who else is going crazy over these spreads? All I want is tribal prints, embroidery, and turquoise jewelry. When a lookbook inspires more than just a viewer to buy their clothes, you know that something special is being shared. Can’t wait to channel my own bohemian looks …

Cleaning Out

April 8, 2013November 12, 2013 by gemilbourne ♥ 2 Comments

[S/S Nail Colors – displayed and organized of course!]

I’ve gotta be honest- I live for organizing closets. Changing season from winter to spring is especially giddy-inducing because it means swapping my darker colored pieces for more brights, and airy dresses.

I understand that this experience isn’t a joy for everyone, so I’m sharing some of my tried and true tips for organizing a closet that is neat, inspiring, and aesthetically pleasing.

1. Start with what you always use. Pull out pieces that you wear mostly year round (for me this is long and short sleeved tees, along with some tank tops for layering). Cotton fabrics are fine folded if you don’t have room to hang them. I like to organize mine in color families from dark to light. Store them somewhere easy to get to and pull out in a hurry (Monday morning anyone?). Also, don’t let your folded stacks get too high or they’ll get messy and may collapse on one another.

(Confession: I have a whole stack of various striped shirts … )

2. Say ‘Bye Bye’ – Put away clothes that are out of season – I store mine in under the bed boxes. Use labels to record what pieces are in each box in case the weather changes (vacation, for example), or you need things in a pinch. Also be honest with pieces that you barely wore all season, and put these aside for a clothing donation site in your area.

3. Make friends with your closet – Despite the fact that my closets have no overhead lighting, and are quite narrow, I make them work. I organize by tank tops, short sleeves, long sleeves, and then jackets (left to right). I try to hang things that wrinkle easily (linens, silks) or that get lost easily in the folded piles below. I also color coordinate in terms of each section of my closet (tanks, short sleeves, blouses, jackets), but find a system that helps you find things easily, and see the dominant colors you own – this is also a great way to see what colors your are drawn too, and have an ample, or meager selection of.

4. Get artsy – This one may only be applicable for true fashion lovers, but I always use my shoes as decorative art – besides, I don’t have enough room for them in my closet anyway …

I hope these tips help each of you find a system that works for your closet space, style, and type of pieces. I’d love to hear if you are trying a new approach this season! Also, hope you enjoy the new layout – working out a few kinks with templates, etc!

Thanks for visiting!

Good things come (Spring, that means you)

April 5, 2013November 12, 2013 by gemilbourne ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

[The Details: Top: Banana Republic, Skirt: F21; Necklace: Random, Pumps: Nine West]

As we all know, Spring has been quite late in arriving this year … even now I am patiently cuing up new items to debut. In the meanwhile though, I thought I’d share this outfit from my Easter weekend. I was inspired by an outfit (featured here) and had to test out my own version.

I think red paired with peachy pinks, or even a more icy blush tone, would work nicely no? Don’t worry about me, I’ll just be here planning spring outfits that will see the light of day in May (if we’re lucky).

Signing off on a high note,

Happy weekend!

Neon Violet

March 27, 2013November 12, 2013 by gemilbourne ♥ 2 Comments

[The Details: Sunnies: Ray Ban, Lipstick: Covergirl Fairytale, Blazer: Apostrophe, Tee shirt: Gap, Necklace: F21, Jeans: J.Crew, Flats: Nine West, Watch:Fossil]

SO, not going to lie, I’ve been waiting, just dyinggg, to wear these pants for months. Snagged them on a sale earlier in the winter and finally felt it was appropriate (read, sunny and spring like enough) to wear these out. They actually are a lot more neon than I initially thought, but a saturated hue works just as well as a pastel. Instead of pairing with another light color (as I would with a pastel), I thought something more stately, like a navy would complement nicely. I finished the look with some light jewelry and a bold lip – because I never need an excuse for that. I’m crushing pretty hard on any and every shade of purple this season, so look for more of that on the blog.

Hope everyone’s having a great week!

The Weekend Kitchen

March 25, 2013November 12, 2013 by gemilbourne ♥ 4 Comments

One thing you should know about me is that on occasion, I find peace and creativity in the kitchen. On the weekends, I love to unwind with adventurous new recipes. Meet my challenge: homemade soft and chewy bagels to rival those in my current NJ. There’s nothing more comforting than a good carb, am I right? Scroll down for the full recipe and salivating photos …

These were amazing hot out of the oven, and will be finding their way into my belly all this week.

Here’s the recipe courtesy of A Beautiful Mess:

Bagels, makes 8

1 1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons (one package) active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg

In a bowl, combine the water and sugar and stir to dissolve. Pour in the yeast and allow this to sit for 6-8 minutes. In a larger bowl, whisk together the flour and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Once the yeast mixture has had time to activate, pour it in to the flour mixture and stir until a crumbly dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 6-7 minutes until the dough begins to become elastic-like. You can also do this in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into eight equal pieces.

Shape into a ball and press your finger through to form the center hole.

Once you have shaped all the bagels, allow them to rest for 10 minutes or so. Now place them into a pot of boiling water. They should float. Let them cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute on each side, then remove to your prepared baking sheet.

Once transferred to your baking sheet, mix 1 egg and 1 tsp water together, and brush this mixture over the dough. Sprinkle on whatever seasonings you want (I used oregano and onion salt)

Bake at 425 degree for 20 minutes. Serve warm with cream cheese, eggs, or whatever the heart desires!

I hope these make you as happy as they made me! xo

Style Now: White Out

March 21, 2013November 12, 2013 by gemilbourne ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

(Photos via: Pinterest, my boards here, & A Cup of Jo)

In the fashion world, we can sometimes get so caught up in mixing colors, prints, and patterns that we lose the subtlety and class of true style. The all-white look, whether in winter, spring, or summer, brings the right amount of freshness to each season while staying current with appropriate pieces. For now, we can focus this with white jeans and a t-shirt (we all have those!), or try a short-suit like shown above. I also love the full length A-line which brings some old glamour with it.

For a look that stands out, without being fussy, go for all white. If that’s a little too bold, pair two white items with one neutral to get a similar effect. Or if you want to go with a trendy look, test out white nails (I know this is on my list to try).

Will you all try this look? I’d love to hear your thoughts! xo

Trial Safari

March 17, 2013November 12, 2013 by gemilbourne ♥ 1 Comment

[The Look: Dress: F21, Shirt: J.Crew, Necklace: F21, Boots: Unisa]

I’ve already shared how much I love animal prints – but this outfit was really created out of a frustration with my current closet, and the same old same old weather. Starting with a simple sheath dress, try adding a button down shirt- either tied at the waist like I did, or open and loose for a more relaxed look. I went with a statement necklace and a classic pair of brown boots. You could also pair this look with heeled booties, and more jewelry for an off-duty weekend look.

Remember that your closet always holds more potential than you think it does! Happy weekend friends. xo