Back to the Start

After some long periods of radio silence on my blog, I'm back! I had to take some time off to take care of me... Everything is good, but there comes a point when you need to take a break from social media. But, I'm getting back into the swing of things, and hope you're still here to follow me along!

One thing I didn't take a break from in the past couple of weeks was my fashion game. You know I could never really say no to shopping, or being forever on the hunt for my next favorite dress. Well, I think I found it! I love this trompe l'oeil printed dress that I bought at Forever 21. It's a mixture of cherry blossoms and stripes. In other words - it's a "Jen dress".

To emphasize the pattern of the dress, I applied this Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips. I applied this on a Friday night, and no joke, 12 day later, they looked like they were only on day 1. Officially hooked! Plus, with fall upon us, I'm going to have to change up my nail routine. 

Be on the lookout for a post about my top picks for fall nail colors!

In the meantime, throw on a cardigan and enjoy the cooler weather!

Floral Print Dress - Forever 21 / Chanel-Inspired Boy Bag - Forever 21 / Coach Tassel Heels - Marshall's / Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips in Spot On / Alex and Ani Bracelets

Mellow Yellow

Hey kids! Sorry I fell off the Earth since last Wednesday. I was feeling really tired, and have been spending as much time resting and regaining what energy I can in this humid, muggy weather. New Jersey has been hit with a stanky heatwave of humidity and killer thunderstorms, which explains why my hair is up and off my neck.

The only way to get my hair completely out of the way is with a hair donut bun. Since my hair is very long, I use an extra large hair donut and two elastic bands - one for the pony, and one to flatten my hair over the hair donut. 

To get the remaining hair that sticks out from under the bun, I create 3 braids and secure with bobby pins that I wrap around the base of the donut. And, I even added braids on the crown to give it some extra texture. Not too bad for a girl who isn't totally updo savvy, right?

As for the dress, this is the 3rd time I'm wearing it on my blog. It was the first maxi dress I ever bought, and even though it's a couple years old, it's holding up through all the wears and washings I've put it through. Plus, it's incredibly comfortable and breezy. 

Some dresses you just can't let go of... and for me, this is one of em.

 Striped Maxi Dress - Urban Outfitters (old) / Dual Tone Sandals - Target / Camille Laser Cut Bag - c/o Sole Society / House Of Jeffers nameplate necklace - c/o ONecklace.com

Naming Conventions

As a child of the 80s, that means I'm one of how many millions of Jennifers in the country. Even my best friend's name is Jen (not the reason we're besties). I used to not like my full name since it was very common, and what was even worse was being called "Jenny", a nickname I didn't choose for myself but was dubbed with. 

However, that opinion changed back in my teens, and now, I really love my name. Yes, it's common, but I like to think I'm a rather uncommon Jen. 

And at one point, I thought about changing my blog name... I questioned if it really represented me and my blog. But, as you can see, it's now proudly adorned in gold thanks to Onecklace.com, who let me created a personalized necklace! No plans to change House Of Jeffers into something else since it's part of my last name. 

So what's in a name? Everything!

Favorite Short Sleeve T-Shirt - Gap / Polka Dot Jeans - Forever 21 / Tortoise Shell Sunglasses - H&M / 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Mini Satchel / Gold Cap Toe Flats - c/o Charlotte Russe / House Of Jeffers personalized necklace - c/o Onecklace.com / Bracelets - Unique Thrift / Buckle Ring - Henri Bendel

Leather and Stripes

My affliction for stripes as finally found it's way into my pants... Um, okay... that sounds a little raunchy...

I've been searching for a pair of striped pants for a couple of months, but every time I tried a pair on, either the fit wasn't right, the stripes were too thin, the cut of the pant made me feel like I had on clown pants. But, leave it to the Brits to make a proper pair of striped pants: Thank you, Boohoo.com for letting me wear my favorite affliction!

This outfit is how I do a casual Sunday... jeans, a tee and some sick accessories. The laser cut details in my Sole Society Camille bag set off my theme of subtle details with slight contrast. All about leather and lady-like lace details - right down to my Shoemint Gina wedge shoes.

What I'm Wearing:

Black Tank - Old Navy / Valencia Striped Skinny Jeans - c/o Boohoo.com / Camille Bag - c/o Sole Society / Gina Wedge - Shoemint.com / Necklace - c/o Sira & Mara Jewelry

Road Trippin': East Coast Style

I'm back from my mini-getaway to Pennsylvania and Atlantic City! Sun, shopping and a little bit of Lady Luck was just what I needed. 

While I might complain that Mike's job consumes so much of his time, it does have its perks. I don't think I'd see some of these places we've been to if it wasn't for his job taking him all over the place. It's fun, and gives us time to explore towns we'd otherwise not know existed.

Here's a look at some photos I snapped on my iPhone. You might have seen some on Instagram on my House Of Jeffers account.  Feel free to follow me to see more!

 1. This is Mike's brick, I mean, lasagna from Buca di Beppo. It's a family-style Italian restaurant,

where a small portion (above) normally serves 2 -3 people. In this case, he finished it the entire thing!

2. Fashion bloggers never really take a vacation. What I wore to a soccer game. 

Mint V-Neck Tee - Gap

Pink Shorts - New York & Co.

Gladiator Sandals - Nine West

Fedora - Charlotte Russe

3. Milky Way Farms in Chester Springs, Pa. So beautiful.

4. The ice cream at Milky Way Farms is named after their cows. How cute! I had Trudy's Raspberry Truffle, and Mike ordered Molly's Mint Chocolate Chip.

5. At one of the soccer tournaments, there was a stand for The Pulsera Project. While I though it was just an ordinary booth selling friendship bracelets, I found out that the Pulsera Project is a non-profit organization that educates and connects Nicaraguan youth with students in more than 200 students in schools across the U.S through the sale of these hand-made bracelets. Each comes with a personalized name tag and a photo of the person who made the bracelet. Such a personal touch, and it really makes an impact on you... knowing that you could possibly help someone. They're typically sold for $5, and I ended up buying three. The cause is truly amazing, and I'd encourage you to check it out by visiting The Pulsera Project website. This is a great project for teachers and students!

6. Swooning over Gucci in the King Of Prussia mall.

8. Revel in Atlantic City was a pit stop on our getaway. It's absolutely ridiculous! 

Next time, I'm staying here!

9. Geeking out inside Revel.

10. Yes, there are Sex And The City slot machines in Atlantic City. No trip to A.C. is complete without blowing your money on these slots!

What I'd Wear To: Coachella

Music culture is the biggest influence on my style. At the age of 13, I fell in love with music - hard, and soon found myself going to shoes and eventually, getting into freelance writing for music magazines throughout the U.S. There wasn't much to be desired back then in terms of stylish girls at shows - you were left with lots of t-shirts and baggy jeans - but we d id our best. 

And shows really weren't about clothes, unlike Coachella, which celebrates both perfectly. Seeing the stylish concert-goers enjoying 2Pac's hologram made me think of what I'd wear... and yes, I'm DEAD serious about what I'd pack for Coachella.

The leather jacket - a must. Neon leggings? Dead serious.

House Of Jeffers: What I'd Wear To: Coachella by houseofjeffers 

Colorblock Bright Choice Top  -Modcloth 
Striped Tank - Madewell
Daytrip Asymmetrical Jacket - Buckle.com
Skinny Leg Jeans - Pink - Topshop
Marni by Coconuts - Piperlime
Red Sandals - Asos
The Big Link Bracelet - Henri Bendel
Aztec Necklace - Lulus.com
Cross Over Block Tring - Topshop
A Sherbet Thing Dress - Modcloth
Your Tribe Has Spoken Leggings - Lulus.com

Hearts and The Arts

Fall isn't my favorite season, but when the temperature abruptly changes to 88 in the middle of October, you adapt. Besides, any signs of a sun-kissed glow on my skin are gone. Enter pasty white legs.

And no, this isn't the normal brick wall I take my pictures in front of. This mural happens to be located in a walkway in Montclair, one of my favorite towns in New Jersey. It's filled with adorable shops, great restaurants, and the bar I met my husband at... Egans. Plus, this alleyway leads to my latest obsession: The Gap.

So as the weather turns cold, I still wear my summer clothes and accessories, especially this dress. Perhaps it's not so age appropriate for a lady of my age (am I too old to be wearing a dress with hearts?), but I still love it. Plus, that's what my big girl bag is for aka. my coveted Marc by Marc Jacobs satchel - the first major designer piece I ever bought!

Outfit:

Heart print dress - Forever 21

Bombay Satchel - Marc by Marc Jacobs

Patent leather tassel loafers - Zara

Arm Party - studded bracelet from Forever 21/ my grandmother's vintage watch

Tortoise shell wayfarer sunnies - Forever 21

Dare To Be Different

Ever get that rush of excitement from getting a new dress or accessory? In this case, this handbag courtesy of Urban Expressions made me giddy!

Outfit:

Blush blazer - The Gap

Dolman sleeve top - Bloomingdales

Jeans - Forever 21

Quinn satchel - c/o of Urban Expressions (available at Lulus.com)

Granny shoes - Bakers

Turquoise and brass statement necklace - Forever 21

Arm Party - Spiked Bracelet from Forever 21; leather bracelet from The Gap

Quinn immediately struck me - as I own nothing of the color sort. I usually stick to basic black, but being that I'm trying to step outside my fashion box, I went with something a bit different. Okay, I know it's Fall, but I'm not waiting another season to rock this color. It's got a slue of compartments, doesn't get heavy when you load it up and is vegan friendly and PETA approved! 

While I might have gone a little overboard with the pink for this look, I had to wear my new blazer with it. Cost me $20 on sale at the Gap! I normally don't brag about my bargains, but seriously, major score!

Ripe For The Picking

I needed a dress pronto for something that a.) made me nervous and b.) I can't tell you about... yet. When I can tell you, I will - and I'm uber excited about it!!!

Outfit:

Striped Bandage Dress - Robert Rodriquez

Spiked Bag - Zara

Shoes - Mandee

Necklace - Forever 21

Jade Bangle - Chinatown NYC

But back to the dress... I had gone to a couple of stores in search of something that was my style, but yet, put a twist on the kinda of stuff I normally wear. Something fresh for my wardrobe. Of course, nothing in my closet was working, and I went shopping. I feel like that happens a lot - you have something you're going to, and end up buying something new for it. 

Regardless, this Robert Rodriquez dress caught my eye due to the asymmetrical hem. And there's never been a striped dress I didn't like. 

What Would Tim Gunn Do?

Ever have something in your wardrobe that you don't really wear, but keep it because:

A: It's in good condition.

B. You paid practically nothing for it.

C. You feel bad throwing/donating it because it's still intact and figure you'll find a use for it.

Outfit:

Racerback tank: Madewell

Floral print silk skirt: Urban Outfitters

Pink studded flats - Warehouse sale circa 19??

Studded bag - Primark UK

Cut-out floral necklace: Mandee

Those would be my pink flats. Honestly, the sole of the shoe curves up, making the toe look rather elf like, and... I'll admit it, they're a little fugly. Consider it a "make it work" item (Thanks, Tim Gunn). But, not all fashion is pretty. Sometimes, you get drawn to something that is so ridiculous, you must have it. While my shoes aren't the worse, they aren't my best either.

I've got a slue of clothes classified under the "make it work" category. It's like holding onto pants you know don't fit, or a dress that's definitely out of style, but you think, "Someday, this might be back in style." The reality is: it'll never have the luster it once had. But, if you're going down that path, remember:

If you have an inkling that something looks ugly, and it's older than eight years old... And you're thinking, "Just one more time," please don't. Instead, think "What would Tim Gunn do?" 

Honestly, he'd use some fancy big words to tell you in an eloquent way that your look just isn't cutting it. What would I tell you to do? Put that item down like Old Yeller. Take it out back, have a nice service for it, bury it... and then deny ever wearing it. Trust me, your closet and your embarrassed friends will thank you later.

Technicolor Overload

Outfit:

Button front technicolor printed top - Forever 21

Jersey skirt - Forever 21

Gladiator Sandals - Nine West

New Jersey necklace - Maya Brenner

Leather cuff - Etsy 

As summer winds down, I still have clothing I haven't worn. There's no time better than now than to cut those tags off and wear em because as soon as Fall arrives, I'll probably be donning jeans.

My outfit somewhat loud, but I think I needed a printed top to break up the skirt. A solid top looked dull, and the blue was a tad loud. Oh, and I haven't stopped wearing my New Jersey necklace from Maya Brenner, by the way. NJ pride!

I usually start purchasing seasonal attire two months prior to that season's weather arriving. You know the feeling - seeing a new item hanging in your closet, just waiting for the appropriate weather to arrive so you can finally wear em. Money saving tip: For me, I keep a handful of newly purchased shirts in my closet longer; makes me less prone to shop because a.) Guilt kicks in that I haven't worn these items and b.) You might forget you had em!