Blog of the Month: The Fashion Philosophy

If you're looking for a little wardrobe and lifestyle inspiration, we've got a philosophy you might want to adapt. Erica is high on our list of "I want what she has" when it comes to clothes and personal style. Not only is she naturally beautiful but she has a fashion sense all her own. Her individuality shines through perfectly undone ensembles, leaving her looking effortless and leading us to believe she actually DID wake up like this.

So, who is she?

The Fashion Philosophy, is Erica Lavelanet (otherwise known as @ericalave), born n' raised, New Yorker, and Wardrobe Stylist, who plans to save the world one Sheer Layer and Leather Pant at a time. Brooklynite, and Style Savant who believes in the power of Faux Fur and Stilettos, will never underestimate the savoir faire of mixing and matching, and who just can't say no to anything high waisted. Yoga enthusiast. Wine and Stinky Cheese Connoisseur. 

Are you gushing over Erica's closet yet? Who are some of your favorite style bloggers?

Ladies Who Lunch: Lake & Country Shoot

If you're not familiar, Lake & Country magazine is Wisconsin's only property and lifestyle magazine featuring homes, condos, vacant land and commercial opportunities available for sale in Walworth, Racine, Kenosha and Waukesha Counties.

The setting for our Lake & Country Spring issue photo shoot was just lovely - Sophia's Lake Geneva home was adorned with beautiful flowers from Lily Pots and filled with her own personal vintage touches, all of which made us want to take her shopping for home decor, she has an amazing eye for treasures. Not to mention, she is one of the sweetest (and most talented) females we have met to date. She truly made us feel like professional models for a day :) 

In addition to the photos, we also did a few interviews on film and as usual, Lisa and I were slightly anxious which led to quite a bit of nervous laughter but after a few minutes, we warmed up and it was so much fun to share our story and hear those from our fellow bloggers. 

We loved sharing this experience with some these amazing ladies - Lauren is a huge inspiration to us and we are so lucky to have made a connection with her. If you're looking to advance your social media and blogging knowledge, her social media with style workshop is awesome...can't say enough good things about it...true #GIRLBOSS.

Elizabeth has a great sense of humor and I'm pretty sure we ruined a good amount of the photos because we were laughing so hard. She's also a wonderful Mom who shares her family stories and their experiences through her blog. 

The photos turned out absolutely beautiful thank you to Anna - Not only is she talented, but such a joy to work with. She made both of our shooting experiences so enjoyable so we look forward to meeting again down the road. 

Stay tuned for outfit details on the blog soon!

Behind the Seams: Lake & Country

It's truly amazing how sometimes being in the right place, at the right time, can make the stars align. Last summer, we were dining at one of our favorite restaurants near our family lake house and took a moment to blog our summer OOTD's utilizing the gorgeous landscape. 

Upon returning to our table, a gorgeous stranger with epic long locks approached us: "This might be random, but are you ladies fashion bloggers? I love that!"...First thought: Somebody saw us posing and now we're totally embarrassed...Second thought: Okay, we're actually really flattered! 

We traded Instagram handles and fast forward 6 months to that gorgeous stranger (enter, Sophia) inviting us to participate in a lifestyle editorial piece for Lake & Country Magazine. 

The shoot took place at her lovely loft apartment in downtown Lake Geneva and we had a blast. We felt like we were preparing for a fairy tale wedding with all of the blush colored flowers, amazing photographer, and lots of laughs with some favorite new bloggers (Shout out to Lauren & Elizabeth).  

Here are some behind the scenes shots: 

Pre-shoot:

And some peeks from Instagram (see more with #ladieswholunch15): 

We feel so lucky to be included in this feature and it's a great reminder of how blessed we are to have the opportunity to be creative and fulfill our passion each day through our blog and business. 

Make sure to check back on Monday for the photos in print!

Rocked it & Swapped it

As Lisa and I continue to spend time together, our styles seem to merge more and more. She's always been a little more boho chic and I've always been more preppy but when we look at how we style our swaps, there's quite a few times where we meet in the middle.

We both ended up wearing this plaid cardigan wrap with our favorite jeans, ankle booties and a casual top. However, our individual style still shines through - My top knot kept things more proper while Lisa stuck to her roots with a wide brim hat.

Which style is your favorite?

Recreate the look(s):

Print Mixing & a Pop of Pink

How adorable is this top? I just love the pop of pink in the sunglasses mixed with the stripes. When I found this in my most recent swap bag from Kaitlyn, I was pumped. The obvious styling would be to pair it with denim shorts or distressed jeans, but I wanted to try a more "out-of-the-box" pairing. I will for sure be wearing this top again before I give it back! ;)

What goes better with stripes then polka dots? Not many things I say! I kept my look all back and white and then added one extra pop of pink in my clutch. To finish my outfit off, I added silver jewelry and my favorite Prada sunglasses.

Top: Swap w/ Kaitlyn // Pants: Victoria's Secret // Shoes & Bag: JustFab // Earrings & Bracelet: Rocksbox (Use code "sadbblogxoxo" to get your first month FREE!)  // Watch: Fitbit // Bracelet: Lokai // Sunglasses: Prada 

What do you think of this outfit pairing?

Do you ever print mix in the same color then add a pop of color to finish the look off? 

A Box of Rocks (in a Good Way...)

Here we go again...I'm guilty of being yet another "get your first month free" sucker. I always think, "I'll just test it out and cancel when I'm done" but here I am, on my third month of Rocksbox and officially addicted with no end in sight (and I have Bethany to thank for getting me started with a code!)

Once I got my first one in the mail and unwrapped the adorable chevron wrapping complete with a personalized note, I was in. I hadn't even SEEN the jewelry yet and I was melting. 

If you're on the fence about trying Rocksbox, here's 5 six things that may tip you over: 

1. Won't break your bank: Members pay a flat rate of $19/month to get access to a personalized rotating closet of designer jewelry, sent in sets of three at a time.

2. Never-ending new jewelry: You can keep and wear your Rocksbox pieces for as long as you like, so if you want to accessorize with new pieces every week, you can. Once the team receives your previous box, they will send out a new set of three right away. The beauty is you're being charged the flat rate of $19 no matter how often you exchange so as they say, this allows you to get the "most bang for your buck."

3. Keep your favorites: One of the downsides of Rent the Runway is that you have to give the dress back when you're done. Not the case here -- If you love a piece, keep it when you return your box and you'll be billed at the Insiders' Price for that item shown on your packing list.

4. Personalization: Your pieces are selected based on a profile you fill out so everything you receive should be a match with your personal style. Rocksbox is currently working with both established and emerging designers which is cool because that way, you get a taste of everything. 

5. Community Love: Rocksbox is all about sharing your style on social and as style bloggers, we're always ready to participate! By joining in the #Rocksbox conversation on IG, you can see other creative ways other fashionistas have styled their pieces to get ideas for your own. 

6. Your first month is FREE: Like I said, I know it seems like another day, another code for something you don't need but let's be honest, we all need an endless supply of jewelry...especially when you can just tell your husband, "Honey, I got my subscription free"...Just make sure you're the one to take care of those bills! 

For your first month free, use the code: sistersmariexoxo ... you thank us later ;) 

How to Pack for Europe in the Spring!

Before I know it, I will be taking off for Ireland for the trip of a lifetime with my husband. Even though we have been pinning and gathering resources for days, it still does not feel real. Perhaps that's because of how spontaneous this decision was - with another challenging Chicago winter under our belts, we have been itching for a change of scenery and a break in the routine so we considered a few places on our must-go lists including Charleston, New Orleans and Austin, Texas...

Hours later, here we are with flights booked to Ireland...while it may be considered slightly irresponsible, we figured that's still allowed at this point in our lives. The responsibilities will only increase in the coming years (don't worry Mom, kids are still in the plan!) so we decided this was a great time to make the trip we've always dreamed of. We are so excited and I can’t wait to share the journey with you guys.

I have traveled overseas a few times before (England, London, Rome, Switzerland), so I am taking this opportunity to learn from my mistakes (including poor choices for walking shoes and trying to be stylish and not practical. I know, I thought this was stylish? Really?) 

Plus, I read a great tip from Jess who just made the trip to Ireland...she suggested keeping everything in the same color scheme - that way everything you pack will be easy to mix and match. 

SHOES: We plan on doing quite a bit of walking so running/walking shoes are a must plus a solid pair of waterproof boots and perhaps one pair of flats for dinner's out.

OUTERWEAR: The weather is currently in the high 40's-low 50's and it tends to be damp/windy so a few different outwear options sounds smart including a rain jacket, wind breaker and anorak jacket, all the perfect addition to various layers.

BAGS: Once we leave our home base in the morning, I don't anticipate being back unit the end of the day so a backpack is key to carry everything I need for sightseeing including my camera, wallet, brush, hand warmers and map.

ACCESSORIES: Sunnies, scarves & a beanie are great ways to add some flair to your outfit but also necessary for staying warm. 

SHOP THE POST:

Traveled overseas before? Would love to hear your tips!