30 for 30 Remix challenge

Good Morning! 

So I have finally worked up the courage to take on the "30 for 30 Remix Challenge". I figured the "Leap Day" was as good as time to start as any! The 30 for 30 challenge is the brain child of the ever wonderful Kendi from Kendi Everyday. 

The jist: take 3o items from your closet, and make 30 outfits in 30(ish) days, 
and NO shopping during the challenge!

Kendi has been doing the The 30 for 30 Remix for years, and has it down to a science. She has very helpful information for anyone thinking about participating {here}, you can also see all of the previous remixers on her site {here}.

When thinking about participating in this (self-induced) challenge, I checked out Kendi's previous Fall & Spring remixes, since that is what the weather has been around Nashville lately (and should be for the next 30(ish) days). There are also lots of lovely ladies who have successfully completed, and rocked this challenge including Natalie of "I Heart This Blog", and Sydney from "The DayBook"

Being that Kendi created this Challenge, I supported her and bought her 30X30 Remix Guide. What really struck home with me was why she decided to initially challenge herself:

"Why do I remix? Because it helps me. It helps me remember my weakness and reminds me of my strengths. It helps me save money while being thankful for what I have. It reminds me that I do have style, but style isn’t something you buy, style is something you create. It reminds me that I have enough and with a little bit of creativity I can have even more. And everyday I am able to get up and get dressed and be reminded of what I have to be thankful for. I am reminded that I have all of the resources I need, but to use them with great care. And that I can create and re-create myself each and every day"

Can I just get an AMEN or a DITTO!?

So what will I be remixing? Shirts, bottoms, pants and shoes. Outercoats, and accessories (belts, scarves, jewelry, hats etc.) don't count, and should be used to the max to get the most out of the remixed items!

I have picked out my pieces from my closet, and am ready to go for 30 days!

Button-downs: all J.Crew

Tops (L to R): StyleMint, J.Crew, J.Crew, Boutique, J.Crew

Pants (L to R): Gap, Citizens of Humanity, Blank Denim (ModCloth), Genetic Denim skinnies, Windsor Store Liquid Leggings

Sweaters&Jackets: Black Urban Outfitters Blazer, Forever21 Gray Sweater, Splendid Oatmeal Sweater, Thrifted Moto Jacket, Banana Republic Trench, JC Penny's Camel Sweater

Skirts&Dresses: Jason Wu Pleated Skirt, J.Crew Floral Skirt, J.Crew Pencil Skirt, Thrifted J.Crew Dress

Shoes: J.Crew Ballet Flats, Vince Camuto Derby Pumps, Guess Black Heels, Charlotte Russe Booties, Jessica Simpson Heels

If you want to participate along with me in the 30 for 30 Remix Challenge (and I really hope you do!), please add your link to the linky below so I can check it out, 
and we can cheer each other on!
xx
Jessica

resolution round-up: February

2 months ago I pledged to keep 12 resolutions in 2012... 

So how have I been doing? (January round up {here})

health: I started taking a Bar Method class - and let me tell you, the soreness I feel after this "ballet barre" inspired class leaves me feeling so sore, it has been an eye-opener that maybe what I have been doing at the gym prior to this wasn't really working out... hmmm

But I have signed up for another 5K, and am working to bettering my previous time of 30 minutes

financial: I am working on having a better balanced budget, and have cut the fat on some of my unnecessary spending ... a big update/challenge will be announced tomorrow

Oh and working on purchasing big ticket items once a month for my upcoming weddings and travel plans (aka stalking deals for plan fare)

relationships: February was a great month for meeting new girlfriends and strengthening the bonds with my current Nashville friends. Ty and I had some wonderful date nights (NEEDTOBREATHE concert), and have found a new favorite game for lazy Sundays (Settlers of Catan)

spiritual: Haven't found a "home" church yet... working on making a better effort to fight my desire to sleep in on Sundays, and in stead get up, participate in some worship, and make Sundays more effective

lifestyle: Broke out the sewing machine a couple of times this month... so far it is winning! But I am determined to spend some more time with it and make some new things for my nieces that will be coming to meet us very soon!

2012 has definitely already been a year of new things and changes

Loving every moment of my Here&Now

Did you make resolutions?

Are you keeping them? Be honest!

xx

Jessica

don't miss out

The word on the street has it that Google Friend Connect (GFC) will be disappearing and brought back in a new reincarnation but only for "Blogger" platform users. I do not want my non-Blogger followers to miss out, so please "follow" me via Bloglovin' (a free subscription that will channel all of you favorite blogs to you through your email daily!) or email (found on my left sidebar)

Click {here} to follow on Bloglovin' 

Let me know if you have any questions

myhereandnowlife@gmail.com

xx

Jessica

frugal fashionista

Wait, you didn't think my love of chambray stopped at button-down tops did you?

Nope, my love extends to dresses, tunics, ties, and other things for my bf 

(who is also totes a chambray believer)!

Dress - Seven for all mankind {similar}
Belt - boutique {similar}
Shoes - J.Crew {similar}

As I stated in my resolutions, I am dedicated to saving more in 2012. Fashion is a passion of mine, but not one that I want to go into the poor house for - all about saving up for what I want! Recently, I have been considering the fact that I am going to be moving out of my currently rental situation soon, and want to have a nice nest egg saved up for what may come my way next. I am a big fan of frugality when possible, and have found five easy ways to save money that I wanted pass along:

1. Make a budget

And stick to it!

2. Unsubscribe from "daily deal" emails 

Do you really need to buy that Groupon for the sushi making class?

3. Eliminate impulse buying 

Make a realistic "wish list", and purchase 1 item per month 

4. Allocate money for saving at the beginning of the month

Use what is left at the end for shopping (from your list)

5. Give yourself an allowance

Withdraw a certain amount of cash per week to be used for everyday purchases. I promise seeing cash disappear from your wallet is harder than simply swiping a plastic card!

Do you have any tips for helping my savings goal?

Is there anything big you are currently saving up for?

Stay strong and fashionable my dears!

xx

Jessica

the "IT" list

Happy Friday!

Take some time to enjoy these amazing links!

• good clean fun has the key to getting your favorite Girl Scout cookies all year long - a recipe to the oft sought after Samosas!  They look amazing! (find good clean fun on twitter!)
• here and now finds the perfect mint colored jeans.  She will clue you in on how she found them and  compare other options out there for you.  These are so cute! (find here and now on twitter!)
• gs lillian scored these darling cat-eye sunglasses for a steal!  Check out where! (find gs lillian on twitter!)
• sweetie pie style is obsessed with color blocked sandals for spring.  I am loving these styles too and can't wait to add a pair to my wardrobe. Check out her picks! (find sweetie pie style on twitter!)
• rachael really is looking just adorbs in double stripes! I love this look for spring.... (find rachael really on twitter!)
• along abbey road pairs a pink blazer with a leopard print top!  I'm absolutely in love with this combo! (find along abbey road on twitter!)
• the capital barbie rounds up the best kitten heels.  I love this shoe silhouette, it's perfect for a busy lady! (find the capital barbie on twitter!)
• one hundred inspirations recreates a classic and bold Olivia Palermo look for less!
• the tiemann girls have another round up of Austin eats - for all you gals heading to the Texas Style Council.  Check out their picks and make note! (found the tiemann girls on twitter!)
• live a lot sports some super cute patterned tights!  A great way to add some fun to your outfit as the winter comes to a close. (find live a lot on twitter!)
• suze wears clothes has three great outfits featuring your favorite boots - but I love that these outfits have a hint of spring in them.  The best of both seasons! (find suze wears clothes on twitter!)

TGIF!

xx

Jessica

signature scarf style

Hey ladies

A couple of you (ok, two!) asked about my scarf wrapping ways seen over here. I had wanted to show you a "tutorial", but my skills with iMovie are lacking (I'm working on it!), so instead I found you this awesome YouTube video. This lovely scarf magician shows you 25 ways to wear a scarf in under 5 minutes! Muy impressive, indeed! 

If you want to know my signature scarf style, pay close attention to the 15th way, also known as the "Magic Trick". While the result of this particular scarf wrap looks fancy, it is actually very easy.

Did you learn something new?

I sure did! Off to practice

xx

Jessica

Liebster Blog Award

Thank you so much to Sharon from The Tiny Heart for awarding me the Liebster Blog Award! Sharon is such a doll, and as a fellow petite lady, I definitely appreciate her style tips for lovely ladies in smaller packages, be sure to check her out! 
The "award" is such a great love sharing fest that is specifically for up and coming blogs with under 200 followers. I especially enjoy reading blogs of other newcomers like myself, and am so happy to pass the blog love along!

My daily blog reading list is long, and while it was hard to narrow down my awardees to only 5, 
I'm awarding the Liebster Blog Award to:

1. Currently Coveting. Erin is a fashionable lady who is completely darling!

{via}

2. Pearls & Pugs. Pearls AND Pugs... you know I am so there! 
Elizabeth finds the cutest clothes on the internets!

3. Sara Soda. I could totes imagine Sara and I being friends IRL. 
She is a stylish lady who also publishes a hilarious commentary of her life! Loves it

No one should look this cute after stepping in doo-doo

4. Threads & Buttons. She cooks, she crafts, and she is super stylin'! 
Kelley rocks in my book - check her out!

{via}

5. Back-handsprings Through Bridgetown. Laura is a lifestyle blogger with a sharp wit and an adorable smile. I hope to one day call her a blog friend and a real friend (cheesy!)

So please go check out these ladies and support the awesome blogging that they have been putting down. 

And if you've been awarded one of my Liebster Blog Awards:

Choose 5 "up and coming" blogs with less than 200 followers to award (leave them a comment letting them know)

Give thanks to the blogger that awarded you, but linking back to them (follow them too for extra appreciation)

Post the award on your blog along with links to the 5 bloggers chosen


Much love to you all
xx
Jessica

mint to be

Remember the mint jeans I was planning on purchasing with my tax refund? Well, I purchased them from Madewell, and then I purchased another pair from ModCloth... I might have a mint denim sickness! I fell in love with the Madewell pair, and then fell more in love with the cheaper, better fitting, shorter inseam ModCloth pair. I meant to take a picture of both pairs side-by-side, but was so infatuated with the ModCloth pair, that I sent the Madewell ones back with out a proper farewell.

I'm a happy girl with her new mint beauties!

 {Madewell ($125) Mint // ModCloth ($88) Mint}

Here are the two pairs I purchased. The Madewell pair was super soft, and had a great color, but that model must be about 6 feet tall, as I would have had to worn the pants around my armpits (petite girl problems)! The ModCloth pair was $30 cheaper, and was more of a true denim material, not to mention the actual true length of what a normal person would need. 

 { Paige Mint Denim //ASOS Mint Denim // 

Urban Outfitters Mint BDG Denim // Nordstrom Mint Denim }

I also rounded up these other options for you mint jean interested ladies - the styles I picked out range from designer prices (Paige Denim) to totally affordable options (under $60 for the ASOS and Urban Outfitters pairs!)

Old Navy bomber jacket {affordable option here}
ModCloth mint jeans
Tory Burch flats
StyleMint Jackson tee {sign up here}

I have only worn my new loves once, but I am already dreaming of how much these babies are going to get action this Spring and Summer!

Are you on the mint jean train?

What else are you lusting after for your pre-Spring shopping? (I need to cut myself off!)

xx

Jessica

P.S. If you are new here, I hope you will stay awhile and check out some of my other recent posts:
- Confessing to hoarding black pumps
- Rocking my Winter work uniform
- Have you checked out the Old Navy shoe collection recently? You should! (you might be surprised!)
- Sharing some blog love over here
- Winter has a little bit left, try out these 25 ways to wear your scarves while you can!
Enjoy!

ahoy! old navy shoes ahead!

Working in a research lab requires wearing "closed toed shoes" to protect my dainty toes from dangerous equipment and hazardous materials. I also work on my feet all day, so relatively flat shoes are a necessity as well. I do love ballet flats, but wear them all day everyday, and usually run a pair into the ground every season. As a daily ballet flat wearer, I appreciate the plethora of options available now, and also jump for joy when I find a source of attractive & affordable options. So there was definitely a happy dance when I saw the offerings of ballet flats/flats in general at Old Navy right now.

{ Red Snakeskin Cap Toe Ballet Flats // Sueded Espadrille Flats // Faux Snakeskin Flats // Cap Toe Canvas Ballet Flats // Polka Dot Canvas Flats // Penny Loafers //Laceless Oxfords }

These are some of the ones I fell in love with (all are under $30 too!). I also am crushing on these {Faux Leather Capri Sandals} and {Rhinestone Embellished Flip Flops} for days when I am actually not working in the lab, and when it is warm {oh, those will be the days!}

Have you seen the shoes at Old Navy lately?

Take another look!

xx

Jessica

meow

Gap Cords
J.Crew Ballet Flats & Sweater
Ann Taylor snow leopard shell

Good Morning!

I'm trying to rock stylish yet comfy and warm... so I fall back on my snow leopard pieces {here, here, here} with colored cords and a classic cardi. Wham, Bam, Thank you Ma'am.

Stay chic and warm my friends

xx

Jessica

buying in bulk

When "people" said that pointy toe heels were "back", I laughed. Black, 3" heel, pointed toe pumps are my go-to shoe, and pretty much have been since I started wearing shoes.  

I am very particular and only buy heels that don't have a leather covered heels, because, let's be honest, I am clumsy, and step in a lot of cracks/grates/dirt that do quite a number on my shoes, so I need them to be as hardy as possible (but my cobbler sure does appreciate my business! haha)

In fact, when I find a pair of heels that fit my perfect heel description, for a good price, I usually scoop them up immediately, and then hoard them away. In the above picture the pair I am wearing currently are on the far right, and the other two are my bench warmers ready to be called in to the game, if need be!

Do you have any go-to items in your closet that you stock up on?

What is your favorite pair of shoes? Are they the fanciest, or the ones you wear the most?

Hope you are enjoying your Presidents' Day (I'm at work, whomp whomp)

xx

Jessica

hail to the chief

Have you noticed - there are two things I love more than I should: J.Crew and a good steal of a deal! 

So it is not hard to image that J.Crew's online sale site, "J.Crew Factory" is right up my alley. 

When the online factory store first opened, I purchased two things. The shirt I scooped up was cute and a great deal, but the ballet flats were not of the regular J.Crew quality, and got sent back. My J.Crew Factory history has been 50% good (.500 batting average?), but I am ready to try it again now that it has been up and running for a while... and it couldn't be a better time!

This Presidents' Day weekend (until Monday night) J.Crew Factory items are all 30% off (as marked) with an additional 20% off when you spend $150+  (yay for Presidents' and their birthdays!)

Score these awesome deals: Classic trench for under $150; adorable $ 40 chambray skirt; $40 chambray shirt (my fave!); $40 white button down (can never have too many of these); totally mixable $40 sailor stripe shirt; fun $50 pencil skirt

Any Presidents' Day Sales you will be checking out?

I'll be at work Monday, but probably trolling for good deals online!

xx

Jessica

re:generation

Good Morning! I am back here on a Saturday to share a bit about a documentary my dear roommate treated me to on Thursday night (she is in the "music industry" and knows all the coolest things!)

I am very much into music (of all kinds) and am also super spoiled to live in Nashville where every restaurant/bar/hotel has free music nightly (and most of them all throughout the day as well)... and this new music collaboration featured in the documentary "Re:Generation" is like nothing I have seen before (I mean The Doors jamming out with Skrillex was so beyond, it gave me goosebumps!)

The gist is that 5 mainstream electronic DJ's (Skrillex, DJ Premiere, Pretty Lights, The Crystal Method, Marc Ronson) got together with 5 other genres of music (Classic, Country, R&B, Jazz, and Rock) to create a unique and modern "song". I think Mark Ronson best described it as "gumbo", in that each "ingredient" you put into the pot is tangible and unique, but when you mix it all together it takes on a state of its own that is unlike any of the individual elements... interested?

To learn more, you can watch the trailer, or find more information and participating theaters at the official website here

xx

Jessica

the "IT" list

Happy Friday ladies!

Take some time to enjoy these links!

• gs lillian is inspired by coral and aqua for spring... stop by to check out this gorgeous color combination and you will be inspired too! (check out gs lillian on twitter!)
• the capital barbie shares this chocolate cream cheese cupcake recipe - as if we haven't had enough chocolate this week!  But this looks too good to pass up! (find the capital barbie on twitter!)
• rachael really found the perfect sweater - don't you love it when that happens? Check out where she found it and how she styles it! (find rachael really on twitter!)
• suze wears clothes lays out three fun outfits featuring a simple red top... I especially like this dressed-up/dressed-down look featuring classic All-Stars! (find suze wears clothes on twitter!)
• stay in the lines styles up a perfect winter outfit featuring a great pair of red skinny jeans - see how she styles them and what her perfect winter day is! (find stay in the lines on twitter!)
• good clean fun makes champagne cake pops and they look amazing and delicious!  Check out her handy work and the recipe! (find good clean fun on twitter!)
• here and now snags the uber-popular leopard print skinnies that are all the rage these days for a great price!  See her secret source! (find here and now on twitter!)
• live a lot somehow finds a way to look amazing when she isn't feeling great - I think the cozy scarf and sunglasses have something to do with it!
• sweetie pie style has gorgeous garden inspiration... I know it's just what I need on these gloomy winter days.  Check out her finds and get inspired to start working in your own garden very soon! (find sweetie pie style on twitter!)
• along abbey road is looking stylish yet casual in simple gingham - stop by her blog to commiserate with her "first world blogger problems." We've all been there! (find along abbey road on twitter!)
• the tiemann girls round up their favorite eats in Austin - just in time for Texas Style Council.  I am for sure taking notes here! (find the tiemann girls on twitter!)
• 100 inspirations features an Ali Larter look for less (and lesser!) - check out how you can get the bold red look for yourself! 

the IT list is produced weekly by jill of good life, for information on how you can be involved, click here!

TGIF!

{and Happy Half Birthday to me!}

xx

Jessica