Lights, Camera, Style! x

Have you ever wondered what fabulousness goes into styling someone for a media event?  Well, I am here to take you behind the scenes on all the glitz and glamour. 
I was recently asked by Amber Harrison, the Style and Trend Expert for Wedding Paper Divas, to help style her for an upcoming media event in LA. An event to launch the new partnership between Wedding Paper Divas and celebrity wedding planner, Mindy Weiss.   Now, if I had to count my top 5 stylish Diva's, Amber would make the list, but, Amber has zero time to shop and style herself for an event, that's where YummoMummo steps in! 

Amber Harrison
Style & Trend Expert for Wedding Paper Divas. 
Photo credit Getty Images

Amber Harrison & Mindy Weiss
Photo credit Dennis Kwan Photography
(notice the dresser and chair embedded in succulents!)
To read more on the partnership between Wedding Paper Divas and Mindy Weiss, click HERE.

Amber let me know a few important facts about her and the event. We knew what Mindy Weiss would be wearing (for clashing purposes), the photo backdrop and that it was a day event.   Knowing this and other things are key to pulling together what would be an ah-mazing outfit, one that she would feel incredible in and ooze style and sophistication. 
So fast forward to many hours online and creating sets on Polyvore, and then I finally nailed down the inspiration for Amber's outfit.....................................

Styled by YummoMummo on POLYVORE. Click for details.

She purchased the skirt from Italy and it arrived in 3 days, and fit perfectly!  Next, the blouse and accessories. We ordered the bow blouse (pictured above) but it didn't arrive in time.But onward and upward, we located a similar shirt, the Brooks Brothers Oxford Dress shirt that she actually wore for the event. Would you believe Amber already had the black heels and bow earrings in her wardrobe. Meant to be!  

And lastly, the perfect manicure would have to be a black tipped French Manicure, so chic and complimentary to her outfit. Ooh La La.

So much fun consulting for Wedding Paper Divas, a division of Shutterfly. If you need YummoMummo for yourself, I can be contacted at yummomummomelissa@gmail.com.

And thanks to the gorgeous Amber Harrison for allowing me to feature her! 

Let me know your thoughts? I read and respond to ALL comments. 

BREAK UP with your (expired) MAKE UP x

Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! I rarely go through  my make up, but more for the fact that I don't want to accept that some of my favorite products might need to hit the bin.  I  have only two mascaras open at a time, as their expiry is especially short at 3 months. Next on my mascara wish list is Benefit's new mascara - Roller Lash which was just released February 27th. Check out Benefit's Roller Lash at Sephora stores here.   I am thrilled to see lipsticks last 2 years, not that they last that long for me before I use them up.  Check out the chart below for all expiry dates.

Some more guidelines to keep you're makeup in tip top shape, which in turn will help you look fabulous!

• Wash your hands before applying.
• Don't share makeup.
• Do not add water or saliva to dilute makeup.
• Keep cosmetics in a dry area, away from direct heat or sunlight.

If you’re still unsure about a product, here are some warning signs that will tell you if it has expired:

• The product’s smell has changed.
• It has been exposed to prolonged heat.
• There is an obvious colour or textural change.
• Mould is evident. *Warning and guidelines information credit Readers Digest Best Health.

Chart found on Pinterest

I hope you have enjoyed this very important and informative post on make up expiry dates. Now that Spring is upon us, time to do some spring cleaning. What expiry date surprised you the most?
Leave me a comment below with your choice? I read and respond to ALL comments.

Cocktail (Dresses) anyone? x

Time for a quickie blog post?  I wanted to share with you two dresses I am deciding on for our school cocktail fundraiser this weekend.

Drumroll please, 

 DRESS #1!

I love the empire line. I love the flowiness of the skirt. I love the art deco design of the bodice. I love the difference in design of the bodice from the norm. I love the gold thread in the bodice detail. I love the length. I love how this dress makes me feel.

And below the finer details. The black pleated lined skirt is so flowy and feminine. I think this dress paired with some red nails and red lipstick brings the right pop of color in classic red tones that compliment the design of the dress. The dress is Anthropologie.

And no successful outfit could be, without having to make some choices. So I am toying with the idea of wearing the following red dress. It is from JCrew and fits me like a glove. It feels so good on and hugs me in all the right places. I love the length and pairing it with my leopard print black pump gives the outfit a little something extra. Boom.

DRESS #2!

So it seems this is going to be a hard decision. As I would advise anyone, see what FEELS good on the day. It is always great to have a back up (or two)!

Stay tuned to see what YummoMummo chose on the night? 

Leave me a comment below with your choice? I read and respond to ALL comments.

*Disclosure: I am not a trained photographer nor trained in how to pose for photos, I am just a Mum trying to share some insights and inspiration with you. In being truly authentic to my cause, I have used my own clothes and used myself in the photos whole-heartily. Enjoy! 

Holy Shift Dress!

For my loyal readers, you will remember I recently did a post on Spring/Summer 2015 HERE. I said Shift Dresses are a season trend that we need to be on the lookout for.   Statement prints and bursts of color, such as blues, are hot on the list of patterns and colors. I'm a very lucky girl and was gifted a beautiful blue shift dress by a lovely girlfriend from Boden USA. I know I shall continue to get so much enjoyment out of this cheery dress as the season kicks on. I wanted to show you some different ways YummoMummo likes to wear a shift dress. I am very conscious of keeping things just below my knee, no higher, so some versatility in the dress is important to me as well as being fun and showing my style and individuality. Remember, rules are out the door these days, so play around with fashion and have fun, fun, fun. And I certainly did in the California sun! Also, since it's not sweltering hot yet but the season is changing, some of the ways I wear a shift dress adds some layers for warmth and comfort. In Northern California, one certainly needs to dress in layers they can peel off as the day warms up.

Glasses / Forever 21 / $5

Shift Dress / Boden USA / similar HERE

Gold Plated Bracelet / Jackie Link Bracelet from Stella and Dot / $69 / HERE

Below I have added a piece I purchased for my Spring Summer wardrobe. A super fresh white jacket. And I have added a flower detail to the lapel for a bit of something extra. Paired with some blue earrings and some gold flats, and I am ready to go and have some Spring fun! White Jacket / Forever 21 Classic Woven Blazer / $24 HERE

Northern California is all about dressing in layers so below is a perfect example of that. I paired the shift dress with some Curvy Gap jeans and added a belt.  I feel the belt really helps define my waist a bit more in a dress where it can otherwise get lost. Defining my waist is important for my pear shaped body type. I switched out the earrings for some more colorful statement ear candy and popped on my black wedges. Consider switching out the blue jeans for a beautifully crisp white pair!

Below is the dress just beautifully and simply paired with some black high heel pumps, and some blue statement earrings that pick up the blue in the dress. Add some red lips, and the look is simply and stylishly complete. Also, wearing this dress with some height in the heels helps elongate my legs.

Man o man, my legs need some sunshine (tan)! C'mon Summer!

I truly hope you have enjoyed the blogpost about some Shift Dress fun. 

Leave me a comment below with your favorite outfit? I read and respond to ALL comments.

*Disclosure: I am not a trained photographer nor trained in how to pose for photos, I am just a Mum trying to share some insights and inspiration with you. In being truly authentic to my cause, I have used my own clothes and used myself in the photos whole-heartily. Enjoy! 

Shopping with YummoMummo! 5 new items makes 9 new outfits! x

This time I took myself shopping and came up with a nine (9) fabulous outfits I could wear with items I already had in my wardrobe.  It always blows my mind how I can make this amount of go-to outfits by using new and old items. This sort of magic is especially important when going on vacation and there is limited baggage space. If you've been keeping up with my posts, you will see reference to my new Gap Girlfriends Jeans (read post HERE) and my Zebra print top (read post HERE)

Items I purchased (see photos below):
Rugby Stripe T from Forever 21 / $17
White Jacket from Forever 21 /  $24
1969 Girlfriend Jeans from Gap /  $53 (on sale 30% off from $70)
Glasses from Forever 21 /  $5
Zebra print top from Nordstrom Rack  / $35
Shopping total: $134

Already in my wardrobe:
Black pencil skirt
Shoes - black strap heels, black wedges, cheetah flats with bauble design, cheetah slip on Sneakers (see photo below for all shoes)
Assorted statement jewelry (see photo below)
Gold chain belt
Tangerine Jacket

Outfit#1: Black pencil skirt/ stripe top/cheetah shoes/sunglasses/tangerine jacket

Outfit #2: jeans/zebra top/ gold chain belt/strappy heels/black chandelier earrings

Outfit#3: black pencil skirt/striped top/strappy heels/pearl beads

Outfit #4: jeans/stripe top/strap heels/pearl beads/sunglasses

Outfit #5: Black pencil skirt/stripe top/strap heels/Stella&Dot necklace/white jacket

Outfit #6: jeans/zebra top/white jacket with flower brooch/cheetah bauble flats/statement earrings/sunglasses

Outfit#7: jeans/stripe top/strappy heels/statement earrings/statement bracelets

Outfit #8: Black pencil skirt/zebra top/Stella&Dot necklace/strappy heels

Outfit#9: jeans/striped top/white jacket/colorful pearls/black wedge shoes

I purchased the Vince Camuto Zebra print top from Nordstrom Rack / Forever 21 white Jacket / Gap Girlfriend Jeans / Heather Grey and Black Stripe boxy T from Forever 21.

I realize that I probably have more than the 'norm' when it comes to statement jewelry, but seriously, accessories are so valuable to transforming an outfit that you can never have too many. Maybe it's time you hosted a trunk show yourself to pick up some hostess goodies. To  know more about this read my post HERE.

If you want to read some more on shopping adventures with YummoMummo, read my post HERE

Leave me a comment below with your favorite outfit? I read and respond to ALL comments.

*Disclosure: I am not a trained photographer nor trained in how to pose for photos, I am just a Mum trying to share some insights and inspiration with you. In being truly authentic to my cause, I have used my own clothes and used myself in the photos whole-heartily. Enjoy! (Fun Blogger Fact - It took 100 photo shots to get the 13 I actually used.)

Stella and Dot Spring 2015 x

It was the start of the new year and I hadn't seen my fellow YummyMummy's during the break, so what a great chance to get a bunch of my girlfriends over and have a gorgeous glass of bubbles while shopping the new Spring Collection with Stella and Dot www.stelladot.com. I wanted to share with you what I chose with my hostess credits and hopefully inspire you to have some hostess fun so you can get some goodies too. Shock, horror to those that know me so well - I didn't choose a statement necklace but I'm throwing myself an arm party instead. Let's get into it.......

I love the Grace Chandelier earrings / $44 /  These are a great staple pair of classic gold earrings with a bit of length to add some fun. I wore these on Valentines Day and my ears felt so loved. 

Janice Studs / $24 / A pop of color on an outfit can really turn any frown upside down. With a beautiful coral lipstick, just imagine! 

De-ja-vu double sided studs in Gold / $39 / I love the versatility of these earrings. One side for a solid look, another for a pave sparkle. Or wear one of each on each ear.

Signature engravable disc necklace / $69 / Such a simple and stylish piece. The necklace comes with an elephant design storage pouch. Super cute. There are choices of font and style designs. I chose Circular and the letters "MEL", what my friends call me.

Renegade Cluster Bracelet / $59 / As seen on singer Katy Perry. That is all.

Jackie Link Bracelet / $69 / I got this piece to go with a necklace I already have in the same design.  I like the bracelets stacked, or not, I'm easy.

Amelie Sparkle Bracelet in Gold / $39 / This would have to be my most favorite piece I chose of the trunk show. It's just the right size for my wrist and the perfect amount of sparkle.

I'll do the math for you. That's just under $350 worth of jewelry for simply having some girlfriends around for a glass of bubbles. I made is crystal clear to my chicas that they were coming to catch up, not buy, so there was zero buying pressure. A lovely evening had by all. 

What's your favorite of the pieces I chose? Leave me a comment below, I read and respond to EVERY comment.

If you would be interested in hosting your own trunk show, I can recommend www.stelladot.com/sandysloan

*Disclosure - I am not affiliated with Stella and Dot, I simply hosted a party.

The Girlfriend Jean - Gap x

I was putting on a pair of Gap jeans the other day and it dawned on me, I have had those jeans for 7 years! I wore them before baby #3, and as much as I am doing the happy dance that I even fit back into these jeans after baby #3 (the third one really did my body in), it was time to update my wardrobe with a new funky pair of jeans. As always, my budget is tight as tight gets, so I needed to find some fun new jeans that wouldn't break the bank.  Gap were having a 30% discount the day I shopped so I walked out of the store with a $70 pair of jeans for $53, Happy Days! 
May I present the Gap 1969 Girlfriend Jeans. Every chick needs her girlfriends!
These jeans are 87% cotton, 12% polyester and 1% Spandex (I heart Spandex). So, what do you think of YummoMummo's new jeans? 

 I can totally see these jeans easily being dressed up or down.  I have paired the jeans here with my striped t-shirt and leopard print slip on sneakers (see my post on "Mixing Patterns" for more inspiration HERE). More ways to wear these jeans could include: 

• Imagine strappy heels, a white jacket and this striped shirt (shown);
• Be inspired by cute red ballet flats, a crisp white t-shirt and a statement necklace; or
• Feel fabulous in a button down shirt, some statement earrings, and matching flats for a casual Friday at the office. Boom.

So I am excited to be able to have a lot of fun with my new Gap 1969 Girlfriend jeans heading into the warmer months here in California. Say hello to my new favorite jeans! 

HERE  is the link to the 1969 Girlfriend jeans at the Gap site. If you decide to make them your new favorite jeans, I'd love to see a picture of you rocking them.

Got a comment? You know where it goes, down below! Keep on Styling!

*Disclosure: I am not a trained photographer nor trained in how to pose for photos, I am just a Mum trying to share some insights and inspiration with you. In being truly authentic to my cause, I have used my own clothes and used myself in the photos whole-heartily. Enjoy!