Trendwatch // Flipping for Flats

I've ALWAYS preferred heels to flats (the higher the better!), but moving to an area where I do a lot of walking has quickly altered my perspective on the once favored footwear.  That said, I hate to sacrifice style in the name of functionality, so I'm investigating the possibility of having both!

Each of the pairs in the following collection of flats have made my high-heeled-heart flutter, and I'll admit, I'm seriously considering one of these more "sensible" options as a potential next purchase.

All available (on-sale!) at The Outnet:

One, Two, Three, Four, Five & Six

Have you seen any great pairs of flats lately that I just need to know about? ;)  I always love hearing about your latest finds and where you're shopping for your favorite goodies!

P.S.  If you're doubting whether I would actually consider rocking numeros tres o quatro, you must not know me very well, because I TOTALLY would.

Got a minute?

Would love it if you'd send a vote my way -- I'm in the running for Refinery29's Next Big Style Blogger contest!

All you have to do is visit the site (you'll have to sign up for an account if you don't already have one), and click the little "heart" button next to my name/photo.  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

Thanks a mil, and cross your fingers for me!

XOXO - Jessie

Concrete Catwalk // Sequin Shorts

Business on top, party on the bottom?  If there's one place a look like this works, it's DEFinitely a blogging conference.  The sequins and sparkles were so liberally sprinkled throughout most of the outfits, and there are probably still pieces of glitter embedded in the carpet of the Grand America. :)

I decided to make my new favorite shorts do double duty and I wore them to the mini-parties on Friday night, as well.  Just a quick change of the shoes & bag...

A swipe of bright pink lipstick, a different shirt, and the addition of one of my favorite DIY's: my leather collar necklace, and we were ready to scoot out the door in minutes.

All images in this post by Megan from Mimi + Meg!

Don't you love it when an outfit can go from day to night seamlessly... I'd love to know if you have any standout pieces that make for a unique, but easy transition?  Help your stylish sisters out, and share with us in the comments!

Top to Bottom:
Tassel earrings - DIY (similar)
White silk shirt - Vintage, thrifted (similar)
Sweater - J. Crew (on sale!)
Sequined shorts - c/o Express (similar)
Tights - The Limited (similar)
Bangles - Vintage, Thrifted
Ring - Accessorize USA (similar)
Handbag - J. Crew
Grey heels - c/o Aldo (similar)
Chevron top - Vintage, thrifted (similar)
Black clutch - Vintage, thrifted (similar)
Black booties - Thrifted (similar)

Sunday Sprinkles // Alt Summit Recaps

 My business card and Style Shaker!

Image via La La Lovely, Card design by Julie Vinh

I've got a few new upcoming features that I'd like to introduce here at Style & Pepper, and the first one starts today!

Sunday sprinkles is where I'll be posting little snippets of things I've spotted around the web during the week... I always want to share so much beyond my regular posts with you guys, so let's start with a little link-love, and see how it goes, huh?

This week's sharing involved several of the great recaps & resources from a few of the lovely ladies who attended Alt Design Summit last weekend.

• My sweet roomie Meg indulged my fashion blogging self and let me take a few outfit photos of her adorable looks... we loved palling-around together all week, and she's one of my most inspiring friends.  (She was also a speaker and talked about "Up and Coming Blogs", so be sure to check out her round-up of those, as well!)
• So honored to have my card and style shakers (pictured above) featured on multiple different blogs this week... I always knew they were cool (thanks to my designer, Julie!), but seriously guys, you are too kind! See fantastic business card round ups on Camille Styles, La La Lovely, Design Crush, 
• Loved seeing this adorable collection of bloggers and their different iPhone cases by my new friend Jeanne, of Shop Sweet Things.
• I thought that 2011 was "The Year of the Top-knot", but it looks like this super-easy and glam hairstyle is not leaving us anytime soon!  Liz from Say Yes to Hoboken posted a round-up of all of the beautiful buns she saw.
• Erin of Apartment 34 shared her favorite sartorial sightings (including a little look from yours truly!) and also posted about a great tip for following twitter trending topics - have you guys heard of Storify? Such a useful tool!
• This little gem was a major bright spot in my week... if you like vintage-style and a girl who knows how to look like a million bucks on a budget, check out Tulip Louise for some serious style inspiration.  I can't tell you how many times we connected over random things we have in common throughout the week, and at first I told her we must be style-sisters, separated at birth, but I've changed my tune and now and I really just want to BE her when I grow up. :)
• Lastly - if you were bummed to miss the conference this year, you might be interested in the almost-launched Alt Channel (goes live this coming week!) where the amazing team from the conference will offer blogging, social media and networking online classes!  What a super idea!  Sign up for the Alt newsletter on the website to stay informed on dates/more info.
• Added bonus: I haven't gotten a chance to type up my notes from the conference yet, but for a fabulous run-down of helpful blogging information, I'd highly recommend checking out my friend Kelly's recap.  If you're a fellow blogger or creative entrepreneur, I'm willing to bet you'll find her takeaways useful, and I'll admit I bookmarked the post for future reference immediately!

Hope you're having a happy and restful Sunday, and thanks for letting me share with you today!

5 Under $50 // Wet-weather Weekend

I'm going to be honest with you this morning: I do A LOT of online shopping amidst my day to day activities... Very rarely is any of it is for me, but instead I find myself constantly sourcing and researching items for clients, hunting for inspiration, and of course looking for fun things to share here at Style & Pepper.

Much of the time, if I find something worthwhile, I end up posting it over on our Facebook page, but I decided to try doing a little round-up of the week's best from time to time, right here on the blog.  I'm going to do my best to keep the items budget friendly, and today's 5 picks are all under $50!  I love encouraging folks to try and get the most bang for their buck, and firmly believe that it's completely possible to look fabulous on a tight budget.

Alright, enough yammering... here are today's 5 under $50!!!

Military-style anorak - $19, Floral maxi-dress - $49, Cross-body messenger bag - $40,  

Lace-up black boots - $39, Neon pink knit cap - $6

A variation of the above is very likely what I'll be sporting this weekend... the temps are expected to be a little higher than normal, but we've had a decent amount of rain recently, so I'm going to attempt to brighten things up with a spring-like floral, and still stay dry at the same time!  

Event // IFB Conference, February 2012

Pretty excited for the upcoming New York Fashion Week, as it will be my first season living in the NYC-area!  I've got a feeling that it will be a completely different experience than traveling here just for the occasion, and I'm definitely looking forward to being able to sleep in my own bed each night after a weeks worth of jam-packed days!

One of the events that I'm already starting to prepare for is attending the IFB Conference as a speaker, where I'll be moderating a panel of pros!  Totally honored to be involved, and if you're in the area (or can make it here) on February 8th, I'd LOVE to see you at the event!  

I've attended as a blogger in the past, and not only does it provide incredibly useful resources and information about style blogging, but the networking alone makes it completely worth it.  Not convinced?  What if I told you that the swag is AWESOME.

Check out the amazing lineup!

Aliza Licht – DKNY PR Girl • Emily Schuman – Cupcakes & Cashmere • Bryan Boy – BryanBoy.com •  Erica Domesek – P.S. –  I Made This… • Wendy Nguyen – Wendy’s Lookbook • Connie Wang – Refinery 29 • Andy Torres – Style Scrapbook  • Nicolette Mason – Nicolette Mason • Karen Moon – Style Musee •  Tom & Lorenzo – Tom & Lorenzo • Macala Wright – Fashionablymarketing.me • Hilla O. – FashionTraffic • Jess Estrada – Fresh Jess •  Jinna Boo – Grease & Glamour •  Susan Schwartz  - Glamour • Jessie Thorpe – Denimology • Carmina – La Carmina • Jenni Radosevich – I Spy DIY • Kat Griffin – Corporette • Jessie Artigue – Style & Pepper • Lawrence Scholssman – Sartorially Inclined  • Joshua Kissi and Travis Gumbs – Street Etiquette • Sara Zucker – Farpitzs • Leah Chernikoff – Fashionista

The IFB Conference

February 8th, 2012 at Milk Studios, 450 W 15th Street, NYC
Doors open at 8:30 a.m., first panel at 9 a.m., with a lunch break at 12 p.m.

Come party with us afterwards!

There’s a Stylish Soiree at the Tribeca Grand from 9pm-12pm

Register for the IFB Conference here

$60 for IFB members (if you’re an independent fashion blogger, join here), $300 for non-members.

Many thanks to the partners who helped to make the IFB Conference happen: Milk MADE,  J Brand Jeans, Design Within Reach, Lyst, Fashion Traffic, Lifeminute.tv,  Bauble Bar, Lifebooker, Buyosphere, The Find and The Tribeca Grand Hotel.

Concrete Catwalk // Sequins and a Shirt-skirt

Images by my Alt roomie, Meg!

I shared a little winter white inspiration with you here last week, but now I wanted to show you what I wore to the Dinner en Blanc party on Thursday night at Alt!

The top is a vintage goodie that I discovered for $6 in Kansas City and just new it would come in handy somday, and the rest of the look just fell into place at the very last minute!  I was originally planning on wearing it over a creamy-gold cotton mini dress, but when I tried it all on (not until about 5 minutes before we left the room!) it just did NOT look right at all.  I didn't bring any other white options, and didn't want to have to throw on my jeggings from my flying outfit the day before, so I slipped on this cotton tank top, tucked the straps up into the snug waistband of the blouse and VOILA - a skirt!

DON'T tell anyone that I don't have any pants on, though, kay?!

Top to Bottom:
Tassel earrings - DIY (similar)
Sequined blouse - Vintage, thrifted
Tank top as skirt - Old Navy
Clutch - Gift from a friend (similar)
Cuffs - H&M, c/o Charming Charlie's, c/o Bauble Bar
Cocktail ring - Accessorize USA (similar)
Heels - c/o Aldo (similar - only $30!)

Spice Up Your Space // Gallery Mantel

We've been in our new flat for almost a full two months, and between the holidays and various trips/events I feel like we're finally starting to get closer to being completely settled in to our little love-nest. 

I'm trying to take things bit by bit, which means decorating little corners at a time, and being very patient with myself and my assistant's, er, husband's work schedule. :)

 Before: Not horrible, but that's a lot of negative space, up top!

While other areas took first priority (um, my closet!?), I began collecting some of our favorite art pieces from our old space and leaning them on the mantel (above).  I love that they all had a very similar feel to them, but I knew I wanted to take it one step further.  Then when I saw this gorgeous image from Better Homes and Gardens, I was inspired to try our own version! 

All items are vintage and were either thrifted or gifts from friends.

It might be hard to tell in the photos, but I love how the height of the new arrangement really accentuates our tall ceilings, and with everything going on in the rest of the room, it seems to feel much less cluttered.  I'm still experimenting with the other little goodies on the shelf, but I know that now with that space free, it will be an evolving and seasonal display - love that!

We're still working hard on getting the rest of the family room the way that we want it (including an ongoing debate on whether we want to paint the walls something other than the warmish-beige that was there before we moved in).  As first time renters, it's been a little tough getting used to not being able to do whatever we want, but I think it's made us be more creative and patient in our efforts - both definitely good things!

To all my readers who are renters, I'm so curious: is it worth it to paint the walls a color you love if you'll have to paint it back when you leave?  We don't know exactly how long we'll be living in this space, but we totally love it so I'm hoping it's not just for the year!  On the opposing side: we HATE painting. Haha, a true conundrum!

Concrete Catwalk // Conference Color-blocking

Today's outfit photos by Modern Eve

What a whirlwind weekend I've had!  Attending Altitude Design Summit and having the honor of speaking on a panel there was quite an amazing way to kick off 2012, and I returned feeling both exhausted and exhilarated and ready to make this little blog the best it can be!  Get excited for a new look, easier navigation and some fun new features coming in the very near future.  I'm also hoping to get my notes together in a nice and neat little document that you'll be able to download if you weren't able to make it for the conference this year... sound good?

Image by b.a.d. photography via Alt Summit Flickr stream

The outfit photos above were taken on Thursday right before our Fashion Blogging 101 panel, and it was so fun to share my thoughts alongside some other blog-sweetie-pies (Gala! Jessica! Summer!), but I have to say that my favorite part of being a speaker was getting to chat with the attendees afterwards and making some new dear friends.

Speaking of friends, I can whole-heartedly say that all of the new (and old!) blog buddies I got to meet and see was easily my favorite part of the whole trip, and I've got a LOT of catching up to do on the new-to-me sites I discovered. Give a little wave if we met this past weekend, because I'd LOVE to connect online and keep in touch!!!

I do believe it's time to pour myself another cup of jo and get back to work, but I hope you're having a good Monday morning and I'll see you back here tomorrow!

Top to Bottom:
Earrings - DIY (similar)
Silk blouse - Thrifted (similar)
Sweater - J. Crew, "borrowed" from my Daddy
Skirt - Urban Outfitters (similar)
Tights - Anthropologie (similar)
Socks - Target
Heels - c/o Aldo (similar)

Photoshoot // Winter Wonderland

Hello from Salt Lake City, my dears!  Having a great time at Alt Summit so far, and loving every moment...

The ALT Design Summit conference hasn't even officially started yet, and I've already been blessed with quite a bit of quality time with some of my major faves, plus have been frantically adding new-to-me must-reads to my blog-browsing list!  I've acquired a nice little stack of brightly colored business cards, and you better believe there have been lots of hugs and new friends that came along with them!

Today is full of some seriously awesome panel topics, and I'm getting very excited to share my perspective as a speaker at the Fashion Blogging 101 session!  Later tonight, Alt is hosting a Winter Wonderland dinner party, and everyone is dressing in white... to match the gorgeous snow-covered mountains, perhaps? 

As I was planning what I wanted to wear for the evening, I was reminded of this photoshoot I styled last February featuring some of my favorite vintage pieces in a fun (and freezing!) winter white spread.

Enjoy the eye candy, and stay tuned for an outfit post tomorrow and a recap of the conference next week!  As usual: follow along on twitter and instagram (@styleandpepper) for fun updates and an up to the minute account. :)

Love from the Rockies! XOXO - Jessie

All photos in this post...
Photographer - Nick Welch, Scout Photography
Hair & Makeup - Gina Ciaccio-Holmberg
Models - Katie Truitt & Joanna Alfers
Wardrobe & Styling - Style & Pepper, Yours truly!

Trendwatch // Backwards Cardigans

Images via Oh Captain, My Captain & The Sartorialist

If you follow along with the Delightful Dozen blog (which I would highly suggest - wink wink!), you may have already seen my exploration of this quirky trend, but after a handful of emails requesting more info, I wanted to follow up here with some tips and shopping help.

When attempting to try out the backwards-cardigan-look:

• Avoid sweaters with front-hip pockets! No one likes to have two saggy little squares on their cheekies!
• If you're reaching for a cardigan with any sort of pattern or embellishment on it, make sure it continues onto the back. (I'm always surprised at how many don't - we gotta look cute from behind, too!)
• Pay attention to the placement and visibility of the tag!  Snip it out and remove the threads carefully so it can't be seen from the front.  If you'd rather leave it in, find a pretty scarf or statement necklace that strategically hides it from view.

After shopping around a bit, I found some options at Urban Outfitters that I think would fit the bill quite nicely... 

Clockwise from upper-left: teal $39, striped $39, patterned $49, poppy $39

Check out my original post about backwards cardigans here, and above all - remember that experimenting with your personal style is supposed to be fun!

Concrete Catwalk // Denim & Fur

A mish-mash of casual separates, dressed up for drinks with friends by adding a flowy maxi-skirt and a vintage fur stole that I've been clipping on to nearly every jacket I own!  It's such an easy way to jazz up a plain piece of outerwear, and there's surely nothing wrong with a little extra warmth during this time of year.

Top to Bottom:
Earrings - Vintage, thrifted (similar)
Stole - Vintage, was my grandma's (similar - only $30!)
Sweater - c/o The Limited (here's a pretty rust one that I like just as well)
Denim jacket (also seen here & here) - Thrifted & DIY'ed by me (get this one & make your own!)
Necklace - c/o Angel Court Jewelry
Clutch - c/o Express (similar)
Bracelets - Vintage, thrifted (similar)
Double finger two-tone ring - Asos.com
Skirt - Vintage, thrifted (similar)
Boots - Asos.com (similar)

Happy Friday!

 Image via Better Homes & Gardens

Hello, my little chickadees - It's finally the end of the week!  I'm headed into the city today for a few meetings and some errands, but we're supposed to have 50mph winds, so I'm hoping I don't blow into the Hudson River on the way there.

I'm really looking forward to a three-day weekend with G, and even though I've got lots of work to do, the days are just MUCH more fun when he has the time off. :)  Here are some of the things I'm looking forward to crossing off our list:

• Finish packing for Alt Design Summit
• Hang our gallery wall above our mantle
• Find a piece of driftwood from the beach for a fun project
• Ikea + Bed, Bath & Beyond run (hopefully the last one for quite a while!)
• Checking out the Trader Joe's closest to our house
• Emptying out my jam-packed Google Reader, and pinning lots of inspiration for some upcoming projects
• Upholstering our box springs so we don't have to bother with a bed skirt

What are you guys up to this weekend?  Whatever you do, I hope you have a good one, and I'll see ya Monday!

XOXO - Jessie

Concrete Catwalk // Wanderer

 All photos taken by the lovely Megan Biram

I felt a little like a gypsy in the outfit shown above (must be something about this coat!), but it proved to be the perfect outfit for grabbing coffee a quick coffee, zipping over to the city for a few meetings, and wandering around some West Village shops with a dear friend.

Top to Bottom:
Sunnies - Arizona Trading Company (similar)
Tunic - c/o MiH for Shopbop
Necklace - c/o T+J Designs (on sale!)
Coat - No label, from a little boutique in San Diego years ago (similar)
Belt - Vintage, Thrifted (similar)
Gloves - TJ Maxx (similar)
Skirt (see it styled up as a dress for summer!) - Vintage, Thrifed (similar)
Handbag - J. Crew
Boots - Nine West (similar)

Concrete Catwalk // Black & White

It's been quite a while (far too long, to be exact!), but today's post is an Everybody Everywhere challenge, and as you may have guessed by the title, the current theme is Black & White!

If you're a regular around these parts, you already know that I LOVE color, and that's why today's challenge was a bit of a departure from the norm.  I do love a good monochromatic outfit though, so I pretended like I was dressing head-to-toe in some boldly fabulous hue instead of trying to blend in with the typical NYC sea of black.  I threw in a couple of different prints for good measure, red lips with matching red nails, and even experimented a little with a faux-bob hair style!

Speaking of short hair, have you seen my sweet friend Krystal's darling cut yet?! I might be having a little bit of scissor-envy... perhaps it's time for me to donate my locks again?

P.S.  Yes - Those ARE giraffes and zebras on my tunic. :)

Top to Bottom:
Sunnies - Arizona Trading Company (similar)
Tunic - Vintage, Thrifted
Blazer - Vintage, Thrifted
Cocktail ring - J. Crew (similar)
Handbag - Vintage, Thrifted
Leggings - American Apparel (but I've heard good things about these)
Ballet flats - J. Crew (similar, under $30!)