Irresistible Braids

Over the past year/year in a half, I've tried a variety of different hair lengths - shoulder-length, a lob, an actual bob, very long with extensions, longer in the front and so on. I change my mind often, never on the color, but always the length - When I see Lucy, I immediately want to cut my hair short with blunt ends. But then I come across yet another flawless picture of Blake and lusting after the short bob becomes a thing of the distant past. At the heart of my personal style, I am just a girl who loves long, beautiful hair…but for those brief moments in time when I change my mind, there is a simple solution: Extensions. 

As you guys know, I had beaded weft extensions in previously for about 3 months and I had so much fun with the process…the only thing I didn’t love was sleeping on them so to combat that, I decided to try clip-in extensions from Irresistible Me which you can put in and remove any time you want. I had been following them on IG for awhile and was really impressed with how natural they looked on everyone. The best part of these is the ease of use...Even if you just want longer hair for a few hours or a certain event, it takes no more than 10 minutes to attach the whole set, making for a fast new look!

I would wear a different style braid every day (if I didn’t hit the snooze button so often) and the extensions make braid looks so much more fun to play with! Not only is the length gorgeous but you have so much more hair to work with so you can make them as fat and messy as you want. This was my first time styling these, so I look forward to mastering the process and trying different looks. Next on my extensions list, I'm aiming for a fishtail or pull-through braid…stay tuned!

P.S. - If you have liked Sisters Marie on Facebook, you can see all the ways we have styled extensions in the past...Warning: Waves ahead.

How do you change up your look?  Have you ever tried extensions?
Wearing:
Top: Target (old but similar here) Jeans: Old Navy Jacket: J. Crew (similar) Boots: Gilt (old but similar here) Bag: Just Fab Hat: Neff via Amazon Necklace: Target (similar) Glasses: RayBan via Ditto (Get your first designer pair free with code SISTERSMARIE)

Wrapped in Plaid

 Unlike previous years, I didn’t do much Black Friday shopping (or Cyber Monday, for that matter) this year. While I absolutely love browsing the deals from my couch (or desk at work) with a coffee in hand, I just didn’t feel compelled to push the “complete order” button on many of my online carts…with the exception of one amazing item: This plaid coat. 

I definitely have enough coats to get me through the winter but I reasoned with myself that I don’t have a long one like this that can be dressed up OR down…yes, us women tell ourselves anything to justify a purchase. I spotted it at Forever 21 (Yes! Forever...and the quality is awesome) a few months ago and added it to my Christmas list but couldn’t wait any longer…I mean, by the end of December, I would have missed so many coat-wearing opportunities….or so you would think. Chicago – What’s up with the arrival of Spring? NEVER thought I’d say the following words but I kind of miss the white stuff. After all, nobody sings about a green Christmas...

I also love  these boots but have only worn them a handful of times because they're not the most practical...that's also why they're so much fun, though ;) I had a blogger twinning moment when Zahra and I both showed up in them to our holiday shoot last year...I actually have her to thank because I first saw them on her IG and knew they needed a permanent space in my closet ;)

Did you do any deal shopping this season? What were your favorite finds?

Wearing:

Coat: Forever 21 (On sale!)

Sweater: H&M (old but this is very similar)

Jeans: Old Navy

Boots: Gilt last year (similar)

Bag: Just Fab (similar)

Necklace: T+J Designs

Lipstick: Glominerals (color is "crush")

Shop, Lately?

1. "Wait, what is the hash tag?!"
2. "We gotta do the Ellen selfie! .... "Yes! I love that everybody calls it that!"
3. "What's your phone number? I only have your social media handle in my phone..."

Conversations like these are just routine when #ChicagoBloggers get together for a photo shoot. These fun opportunities are just one of many reasons why we feel so lucky to be part of such a supportive blogging community. We have met so many sweet girls and it's like worlds collide when we can collaborate together in order to blend everyone's unique style and ideas. 

We were really excited to team up with ShopLately to showcase a few must-have wardrobe staples for all the festivities over the next few months. ShopLately is a marketplace that gives designers and brands the opportunity to showcase their products to an audience, so it's similar to Etsy but specifically fashion focused...Yes please!?

Here is my holiday look (perfect for NYE or cocktails with the girls):

Dress: JC Penney (similar) | Blazer: Piperlime (similar on sale!) | Boots: GILT | Purse: BISTM 

Necklace: Shop Lately | Rings: c/o Shop Lately | Bracelet: LOFT | Lipstick: Kate Spade

Back Row: Love Zahra, Myself, Stilettos & Diaper Bags

Front Row: Defining Tabitha, Hallways are my Runways, The Naked Canvas, 101 Things I Love

Let's take a much deserved moment to address this necklace from Lily Wang (currently sold out, but here is a very similar piece). I have a vast collection of neck wear but this one was placed in my regular rotation immediately, especially with holidays coming up. I think it works great with this dress for an evening look but I also love the idea of wearing it with a simple white t or knit, taking something from very basic to super chic...they don't call them statements for nothin' ;) 

You can shop more of our holiday picks here...it's refreshing to find a selection so unique and it makes me feel good to know everything is coming from entrepreneurs fulfilling their passion.

Have you browsed Shop Lately? Let us know what you think!

P.S. The answer to number 1 is #ShopLatelyBloggerHoliday...now you can see all of our Instagram posts!