Make A Statement

A while back (December to be exact), all I wanted was a few good books.  Lucky me, I ended up getting all three!  After a very busy Sping and Summer, I finally finished reading Style Statement by Carrie McCarthy and Danielle LaPorte, and I'm really glad I did.  I may not be someone who is totally oblivious to style, but it wouldn't be a stretch to say my style needed some fine tuning.  Sometimes all of the passing trends and influence from others can muddy the waters of your true self.  This book aims to pull the real you out of everything else with a lot of questions and guidance.  Of course, everyone's Style Statement will be different, and should be different, but here is what I came up with:

First of all, a Style Statement is encompassed in two little words, the first of which describes 80% of you, the second, 20% of you.  My Style Statement is... drumroll, if you please... Cherished Inspiration.  Since I'm better with pictures than with words, I'll explain it just that way.

My Cherished side, which makes up the largest part of my personality, is all about family and home.  It makes sense, considering the fact that my husband and I are just starting our family (anytime now!) and live close to our families.  Naturally, my home and the way it looks is important to me.  I spend a lot of my free time there!  My dream home?  A Parisian apartment- located in Houston.  (Photo via Elle Decor.)

Light and airy is what I love.  Light colors and lots of white are relaxing and clean.  Heavy, dark decor makes me feel weighted down.  It would seem I need to make a lot of changes to my current furniture!  (Unfortunately, the vanity above has been sold, but isn't it great?  By deerdane via Etsy.)

My Cherished wardrobe: Tailored jeans and simple tees a la J. Crew with just a little bit of sparkle (like the gorgeous dangly earrings below!)  My Inspired wardrobe:  A healthy dose of sparkle courtesy of Rodarte (file that one under I Wish...)

For everyday, I like my sparkle in small doses.  A pair of earrings (Indian Stone Earrings in Fuschia by Chameleon Jewelry from Charm and Chain, $48) or a necklace is all I need.

My Cherished side always needs a project and loves to take care of people.  Baking delicious french macarons will kill two birds with one stone!  (Macarons from Sparkles Kitchen via Etsy- yum!)

If you're a sucker for style, I'd highly recommend reading Style Statement.  It was a lot of fun to complete all of the questions, and it has helped me develop a style all my own.  Nothing better!