monica vinader

Gingham Girl

March 14, 2016 by jessica 16 Comments

Another week, another dress I’m likely packing for our upcoming trip. (Which is coming up in 24 days, but who’s counting?) I’m completely on the fence about this dress, though. One one hand, it’s incredibly comfortable (so soft!) and easy to pull on for weekend wear. On the other hand, it’s a bit too tomboy for my usual tastes. If you spring for it, it does run true to size and I’d recommend adding a slip underneath for extra coverage when you sit down (the space between the buttons can gap open if you’re not careful).

Dress: Madewell “Courier” Buffalo Check Shirtdress (also here and here)
Purse: Rebecca Minkoff “Mini Affair” (the blue one is half price)
Shoes: Ferragamo “Varina”
Sunglasses: Karen Walker “Number One”
Necklaces: c/o Helen Ficalora, Gorjana (similar)
Rings: Monica Vinader, c/o Julie Vos
Lips: Stila “Bella”
Nails: YSL “Day Bloomer”

Queen of Hearts

February 10, 2016 by jessica 16 Comments

If you follow along on Instagram, you may remember my fitting room chronicles of this dress. I came across it in the sale section of Nordstrom Rack and fell for the mod, a-line shape (a favorite of mine) and the whimsical heart print. However, the length was laughable when I finally tried it on in the fitting room. The dress went to my knees, making me feel like a frumpy art teacher instead of the Valentine’s vixen (ha!) I had hoped for. It was too good to pass up, though. One trip to the tailor and five inches later, the dress is everything I had hoped for: romantic enough for Valentine’s Day, but versatile enough to wear year round thanks to the graphic black and white print.

I’m linking up with four other ladies to share our Valentine’s Day looks. Scroll down to meet the gals!

Ada from Elegance and Mommyhood
“For this Valentine’s Look that can take me from work to a date night, I decided to shop my closet. I have always loved pairing Leopard with Red. For this look I mixed prints by adding a subtle pinstriped jacket on top. And since all the clothes are items I have owned for a long time, I did accessorize with new jewelry from Rocksbox.”

Jessica from Bedknobs and Baubles
“When I happened upon this dress at Nordstrom Rack, I knew it was the perfect way to incorporate Valentine’s Day romance into my wardrobe without being too saccharine. (I’m not one to go overboard with pink and red on the big day.) This dress stays true to my style with a whimsical print that’s wearable throughout the year, thanks to the graphic black and white design.”

Monica from Jersey Girl Texas Heart
“Hey Everyone! First and foremost thank you Ada for hosting this collaboration for Valentine’s Day. My look is extremely subtle for those of you who don’t like to wear too much red or anything too festive for Valentine’s Day. This is something that I would definitely wear to dinner because it’s black with a pop of pink, and the pants have enough room if I eat too much at dinner with my date!”

Megan from The Fashionista Momma
“When Pinkblush asked me to share their products, I jumped at the chance. I fell in love with this floral dress and had to style it for Valentine’s Day. I decided to add a little edge with the leather jacket and lace up shoes against the soft floral pattern.”

Emily from Darling, Dearest
“Valentine’s Day is a day where I want to feel girly. Embrace my femininity and get all dolled-up. That’s exactly what this outfit does for me. The daintiness of the lace skirt and the bold red top – even the nude heels! I feel pretty in it. Whether it be drinks with the girls or date night with my boy, I’m ready!”

Ten Things

March 16, 2015 by jessica 29 Comments

My favorite bloggers are women who are smart, self-assured, and authentic. And I love getting to know more about them, which is why I love the “Ten Things” posts from Fran and Alissa earlier this month. To follow in the footsteps of these lovely ladies, here are ten things you might not know about me:

I’m allergic to cats, Bacon included. Fortunately, I don’t break out in hives around him like I do most cats. I just need a rescue inhaler for the asthma he caused. (And, yet, I still can’t resist his fuzzy little face.)
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I’m comfortable around guns. My dad is a retired police officer and a hunting enthusiast, so we always had firearms around the house growing up. He was very open about them and answered questions my brother and I had, so we weren’t curious enough to snoop when our parents weren’t home. I didn’t share an interest in hunting, obviously, but I was required to take a hunters’ safety class. I earned top marks on the written test and the field test. I remember being surprised that not everyone hit the bullseye. I mean, you look down the barrel and shoot. How hard is it?! Haha. (My brother is in the U.S. Army and is an excellent marksman. It must run in the family.)
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I took Dutch for two semesters in college. It’s a shame I only retained a handful of phrases and the correct pronunciation of “Gouda.”
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I have a tooth on the roof of my mouth and only three incisors on the bottom instead of four. The one on the roof of my mouth is dormant (thank God), but there’s a calcium deposit where a tooth could have formed. Strangely, my brother has the exact same deformity and his tooth came in. Poor kid had to have it removed in elementary school. (His wisdom teeth never formed, so don’t be too sympathetic.)
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I will always choose beer over wine. (Any fellow beer geeks can find me on Untappd with username jmhamm.) Also, I’ll never order soda. I stopped drinking it two years ago and now find it sickeningly sweet.
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My dad trimmed my bangs when I was little by taping lined paper to my forehead to make sure his cuts were straight. I remember seeing the scissor shadows come dangerously close to my eyes!
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I make really good sugar cookies. My mom is an fantastic baker and I’ve inherited plenty of family recipes, including the sugar cookie recipe that I’ve perfected.
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I was in Girl Scouts long after it was socially acceptable. I stuck it out for twelve years and earned the Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouts, by organizing a summer reading program for first through third grade children.
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I’m named after the main character in some tawdry romance novel my mom read when she was pregnant with me. (Bonus: I was born in May and my parents briefly considered giving that to me as a middle name. Until they said “Jessica May Hamm” out loud. A little too close to “mayhem” for their liking. They picked Marie.)
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I hate watching movies, but I love binge-watching television shows. A movie seems like such a time commitment to sit through, even though I have no problem planting myself in front of the TV for hours of House of Cards.
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Top: J.Crew Factory (similar here and here)
Shorts: J.Crew
Shoes: Sperry
Purse: Tory Burch
Bracelet: Monica Vinader
Rings: Lulu Frost, c/o Vrai & Oro
Sunglasses: Dolce & Gabbana c/o SmartBuyGlasses
Nails: Zoya “Blu” (and a Band-Aid on my index finger 😉 )
Lips: Clinique “Peony”

Sale Alert | Monica Vinader

January 6, 2015 by jessica 3 Comments

Monica Vinader has taken up to 70% off gorgeous gemstone jewelry in the final cut sale, giving you even more reason to kick off the year on a sparkly note. The delicate pave diamond accent makes the Riva cocktail ring my favorite and it’s a steal at just $109.50. There’s also a bold green agate ring that comes in at under $100. The grey agate Baja earrings (also under $100) are a simple staple you’ll wear year round. Prefer diamonds? Check out the Riva cocktail earrings that are 70% off the original price of $750. Shop the entire sale here.

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