Day to Night

 I live in maxi dresses while walking around campus to class, running errands, or grabbing lunch, and it is so easy to transform the outfit to a night time look! After a day of busy activities, the last thing you want to do is run home to change before meeting a friend for drinks or dinner. All you need to do is bring a few items to swap out to make your outfit happy hour or dinner appropriate, like a killer clutch, structured jacket, and wedged heels . Effortlessly transform a maxi dress from a day to a night with these simple tricks for a stylish, sophisticated look.

Day

River Island Black Maxi

Gap Denim Vest

Topshop Bag

Dorothy Perkins Bracelets

House of Harlow Necklace

Aldo Wedges

Night

River Island Black Maxi

Rebecca Minkoff Jacket

Zara Clutch

Kendra Scott Earrings

Donald J Pliner Wedges

Tee Time

Zara Tee, LOFT Skirt, Coach Wedges, Rebecca Minkoff Bag, House of Harlow Ring and (Short) Necklace, Madewell (Long) Necklace, J.Crew Bracelet

I've been loving what Ann Taylor LOFT has to offer lately! I picked up this skirt last week, (in two colors) and have been living in it. I initially bought them to wear to class and around campus but they get way more use than that! The jersey material is causal and comfy, but it can also be rocked out with a leather-detailed tee and gold jewels!

Hair Accessories

Hair accessories are a bit new to me. Unfortunately, I did rock butterfly clips back in the day, but that didn't last long too long, thankfully. I've completely indulged in the head scarf trend and love mixing and matching different patterns and colors. They totally bring my outfit to a new boho level, and I obviously have a huge affinity for anything boho. The summer heat in Florida doesn't allow me to wear them as much as I'd like, so why not flash a jeweled headband instead? I love accessorizing hair in new ways, and it's a quick fix for a bad hair day. Here are some of my favorites.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Got The Blues

Anthropologie Dress, Madewell Necklace, Rebecca Minkoff Clutch. Bracelets: Alex and Ani, Calypso, Oia Jules, Kate Spade

Blue is not a color that I'm typically drawn to, but I love the pattern of this dress, and of course the fit. I wore this outfit to dinner on Sunday night and was being optimistic about the weather. To my dismay, it turned out to be a rainy weekend, and I really need to learn my lesson that maxi dresses and rain are not a good mix!

Weekend Wrap Up

It was a rainy weekend in Florida and the weather completely got in the way of my plans to spend time outdoors catching some rays, but it did force me to get homework done! I spent this weekend running errands, going to the movies (something I haven't done in so long), and ate pasta at my favorite Italian restaurant Sunday night. Rainy weekends can feel like a drag, but at least I got break out my favorite rain boots! How was your weekend?

Color Crazy

H&M Dress and Bangle, J.Crew Necklace and Belt, Stuart Weitzman Wedges, mark. Clutch c/o, Kate Spade Ring

 Sometimes I feel like I have a split personality. Part of me loves the color black, almost too much. This side of me could wear black on black all day everyday, and feel totally fashionable and chic. And then there is the other side of me, the one that loves color, and lots of it! Hot pink allows me to be very playful with mixing the color with other bright hues. Pink and turquoise are a perfect match, right?

Lady In Red

Madewell Dress and Necklace, Theory Jacket, Coach Wedges, Rebecca Minkoff Bag, House of Harlow Ring and Bangle, Oia Jules Link Bracelet 

 So here's the deal. I love this dress because it’s 1) a maxi— you know I love maxi dresses, and 2) it's red. I love red, especially against black hair. I find this dress really cool, different, and trendy, (maybe because I bought it in the fashion capital?) but I have to admit, part of me feels like a very uncool school teacher when wearing it. You know the unfashionable teachers, we’ve all had them! Maybe it's the buttons? Or the drawstring waist? Or maybe I've been taking too many education courses? Whatever it is, I love this dress.

Thanks Vincent for taking these pictures!

A Year In Photographs

I cannot believe that Bright and Sassy is one year old! I started this blog as a creative outlet when I graduated college, and wasn't sure where it would lead. I wanted to share my personal style and love of fashion with the world and hopefully inspire readers. I've found so many other blogger gems through this and wanted to thank you all for reading and commenting— it truly keeps me going. It's also been really cool to see how my style has evolved through the year and here are my favorite 12 posts from Bright and Sassy's inaugural year!

Weekend Wrap Up

Over the weekend I took a trip to Sarasota and relaxed on the beach at Siesta Key. I loved walking around, I did some window shopping at the little boutiques, and even ended the day staring at the cutest little creatures at the aquarium— my favorite were the turtles. It's is so fun to take short day trips and explore new parts of Florida, because it is all so new to me! How was your weekend? 

Pastel Platforms

Steve Madden 'Dynemite'

The pastel trend completely took over many of our spring wardrobes, and now I'm all about taking it with us to summer! I love wearing light shades on hot days and look forward to mixing more neutrals with these colors. These shoes are on my must have list because the colors are beautiful and the shoe is stylin'. I could see myself pairing them with flirty dresses during the day or even skinny jeans, or a leather skirt at night. Are you carrying over spring's pastel trend to summer with me?

Girl Of The Month

I've always loved Jessica Alba's style, but over the past few months she has been scoring especially high on my celebrity style radar. I love that even though she is a mom on the go, she can still rock hot pink pants, colored denim, and boho pieces. Her California-cool style is such an inspiration to me because she keeps her outfits simple, casual, and trendy. And we share the same favorite accessory— an oversized scarf! What really stands out about Jessica is that she not only looks amazing on the red carpet, but in her everyday life too— she perfectly nails the laid-back, effortlessly cool street style look.

Dotty

Equipment Blouse, LOFT Skirt, DVF Heels, Target Clutch, J. Crew Necklace and Bracelet, House of Harlow Ring

Purple and black is one of my favorite color combinations to play around with in my closet, but lately I've been obsessed with pairing purple and green together. This outfit lets me use all three colors at once, and the unexpected mix of color ensures the outfit won't look too preppy. I wore this outfit to dinner on Sunday night. What are some of your favorite color combinations? 

Weekend Wrap Up

I can't believe it's already Monday. Unfortunately, I had to dedicate most of my weekend to writing papers, lesson plans, and working on a presentation for graduate school (only one month left of summer classes!), but I did get to take a few much needed breaks. Friday night was spent eating pizza while watching a magic show. I'm not kidding, there is a restaurant that actually does both! But I have to admit, the pizza was legit (only in Florida, right?). And Saturday night was spent playing a very fun, competitive (emphasis on competitive) game of mini golf. I haven't played mini golf since I was a lot younger but it brought out the kid in me— oh, and I won, just in case you were wondering. My summer school classes have been very overwhelming, but it's nice to take some little breaks during the weekend!

Sunburst

Addison Dress (Similar), H&M Clutch, Stuart Weitzman Wedges, Free People Necklace. Bracelets: Hermes, Oia Jules, J.Crew

Versatile dresses that can be worn for a quick lunch during the day, and to a nice dinner at night, are my favorite. It's so convenient to be able to wear a dress all day and just switch up some of the accessories to make it night-ready, much like this dress. The overlay of the dress is casual, yet the underlay of orange gives it a more dressed up vibe. Earlier in the day, I wore this dress with flat sandals, beaded bracelets and an oversized bag. What do you do to take an outfit from day to night?