TBMD

Sale alert: At J.Crew, take an extra 40% off final sale items + free shipping on every order with code STYLE40. Today only.

Also, at Ann Taylor, take an extra 60% off sale items. No code needed, ends tonight.

Lastly, at Gap, take 30% off regular-priced + extra 35% off sale items with code GAPSHOP. Today only.

I keep about ten pairs of shoes within easy reach for everyday wear. The rest are stored in shoeboxes on the top shelf in my closet. One of which are these hot pink heels. Since they require me to stand on a chair to reach the top shelf, my lazy self doesn't wear them as often as I'd like. I had taken them down earlier to wear to an event, so I figured I'd wear them as much as possible before they're never to be seen again for months.

Have a good Wednesday, everyone!

Over the weekend, DH and I went to a wedding held at the Ronald Reagan Building in downtown DC. The venue was absolutely gorgeous, with a traditional neoclassical exterior and contemporary interior complete with high ceilings and glass everywhere. I wish I had taken more photos, but was too preoccupied with making sure we didn't get lost (one of the few times a smartphone sure would've been handy!) The building is open to the public though, so we'll have the chance to visit again. Just a heads up that IDs are checked and people/cars are screened by metal detectors upon entrance.

[photo above]: On the Pavilion room balcony overlooking the Woodrow Wilson plaza

I envisioned finishing this outfit with brightly colored closed-toe (preferably suede) pumps. Unfortunately, the shoes as described do not exist in my closet, so I went with the next best thing. Dressy color or casual suede? Color won out after much debate. I figured the scarf dressed up the outfit a bit so the shoes don't look entirely out of place. I've been pulled away from pastels and towards brights this spring, so hopefully there will be more colorful outfits to come!

Normally when I go up to the rooftop parking lot to take pictures, there is no one around. Today I went up earlier than usual and was doing my thing, ie: walking, prancing, twirling, whatever you want to call it. Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw this minivan back out of its spot. Eek! I quickly seeked shelter in the nearest stairwell and pretended that my timing was a coincidence. Who knew how long that person was sitting in the car before I noticed, possibly staring at me. When there's a crowd, I feel like I can blend in, even if people could be looking my way. When it's just one person? I get all self-conscious. Time to add this to my list of things to work on. Are you a public picture-taker?

I feel like the first half of this spring's 30x30 has zapped me of all my creative juices. So bear with me down this home stretch. There may be more head-scratchers (ie: boots + socks fiasco) or boring outfits to come :)

Silver necklace, silver hardware on belt & bag, and... gold ornament on shoes? I think it's safe to say most people are fans of matching hardware, but it doesn't bother me when I mix and match. If it's something big and noticeable, I'd probably be more careful about matching, but otherwise, I feel it's another one of those "old" fashion rules (ie: don't mix browns and blacks) that everyone breaks. What are your thoughts on this?

I haven't done an inspired by feature in awhile, so here's one by J.Crew. I fell in love with the model's outfit almost immediately but couldn't duplicate because I own exactly... one sweater. A cowl-neck, long sleeved sweater that wouldn't do. After I picked up this Ann Taylor tank, I knew it would be perfect to double as a sweater/vest. In fact, I sized up on purpose just so I can layer. I still like J.Crew's styling better (currently drooling over her shoes as I type); she made business appropriate look fun.

*J.Crew image courtesy of J.Crew

Hosted by Jess @ Stylepint, Petite Fashion Challenge #6: Dress Up Your Basics has us starting off with jeans and a tee, and dressing it up to show off your personal style with accessories, jewelry, etc.

I took the easy way out and picked a blazer and scarf *chagrined* But, I went out of my comfort zone and wore heels. It's progress, even if I only wore them during this photo shoot. Baby steps, I tell myself.

Silly as it seems, I couldn't bring myself to poke holes in my beloved theory blazer, so I taped the flower pins on. Yes, another ghetto fabulous solution to my fashion dilemma. Knowing me though, instead of a holey lapel (since I wouldn't have gotten the placements right in one try), tape seems like a great decision now.

When Paula, President and CEO of The Vintage Scarf contacted me about hosting a giveaway with one of their scarves, how can a scarf lover like me resist? Their online boutique sells one of a kind vintage scarves -- so be sure to check them out!

Giveaway rules:
The contest is open to everyone (US and international) and will end on March 25, 2011 at 6pm EST. A winner will be selected by a random number generator and announced soon after. The winner will receive the exact square red scarf with white polka dots that I modeled below. Winner will have 48 hours after the announcement to respond with their mailing address.

To enter:
- Be a public follower through Google Friend Connect (left-hand sidebar)
- Visit The Vintage Scarf and leave a comment with the name of your favorite scarf. Also include your email if it's not visible in your profile/blog.

For extra entries (leave a separate comment for each entry):
1. "Like" The Vintage Scarf on Facebook
2. Follow The Vintage Scarf on Twitter
3. Tweet about this giveaway, ie:  
 @BrightenDay scarf #giveaway c/o @VintageScarf http://bit.ly/dX2b3r
4. Post about this giveaway on your blog

That is! Good luck to everyone!

Petite Fashion Challenge #2: Wear it Now, Wear it Later has us going into our closet and creating two outfits, one for spring/summer and one for fall/winter, both centering around one item. In my case, I've selected my LOVE 21 knotted shift dress.

Bottom left is my summer outfit where I wore the dress as a top. What I love about summer is the ability to accessorize with bright, fun colors against crisp white. Oh, and of course, getting away with wearing short skirts ;)

Bottom right is my fall outfit where I wore the dress as... well, a dress :) The color itself transitions well into cooler weather. Add a blazer, tights, suede wedges, and I'm ready for work.

The famous (or is it infamous?) Carrie's missing Manolo Sedaraby from Sex and the City might be one of the most recognized Manolo styles today. So of course when I saw it at department stores, I instantly fell in love. But the price tag of $715 (ouch!) is just a bit too steep for me because of the number of times I get to wear them. Not to mention, the fuchsia color and my size were nowhere to be found!

I couldn't believe my luck when I stumbled across these rsvp Taran in fuschia satin, size 6 (currently sold here) one day. Aren't they pretty much an exact match --- and for only $89 to boot! As usual, Zappos customer service is superb and I received my shoes in 2 days. Along with the shoes, I was pleasantly surprised to see the inclusion of a pink dust bag.
The lighting is kind of dark in this image, but the pink definitely pops in real life! I ordered these in my US size (half size up was sold out) and found them to be a wee bit tight. I figured I'd wear them around the house for a bit to break them in and hopefully stretch out the toe box. After wearing them for half an hour (most of which I was sitting down :P), my feet were killing me! So I gave up stretching them myself and stuffed a pair of woolen socks into each shoe. I took it out after 2 days and voila! the shoes now fit perfectly.
I had no problems wearing these shoes and standing all day. Very comfortable, left no blisters, and doesn't even require a breaking-in period. Love, love, love these shoes!

*Stock image courtesy of Neiman Marcus