spare me

oh my goodness, sooo soo much to talk about when it comes to day 2 of Charleston Fashion Week!!
let me just apologize ahead of time if I start rambling, because Wednesday thru Friday were jam packed and I don't want you to miss out on any of the juicy bits!  As i mentioned before, I was asked to join an incredible group of bloggers to sit on Belk's Southern Style Summit and upon checking into the hotel, the pampering began!  Seriously you guys, the fact that they put me up in a hotel had me feeling spoiled enough (and I fully embraced having that big ole bed all to myself) but the amount of swag I received was off the charts!  from dresses to jewelry, shoes, makeup and so much more, I am still sorting through all my goodies and will most definitely be posting some sick looks courtesy of Belk with my (hopefully soon) post baby bod.  already floating on cloud 9, we were shuttled off to a private dinner with THE Trina Turk!  yes, you read that correctly.  Mrs. Turk herself joined us for an intimate dinner at The Grocery alongside the queen of Belk, Arlene Goldstein.  I mean, I don't know what in the world I ever did to deserve such company, but I totally soaked it in (and of course stuffed my face) while we discussed everything from spring trends to dirty diapers.  and honestly, it was mostly the latter.  How refreshing is that to meet such a prestigious group of women and know that they are just like you?  no façade, no ego, just total down to earth chicks.  It was one of the best nights I've ever had, and to top it off, Trina (i feel that we're borderline bestie status at this point, so it's ok for me to leave off the Turk) hand selected and item from her spring collection for each of us to have.  for me she chose this gorgeous orange lace romper that has been on display in my closet since the second I got home and will probably be the very first thing I wear when my waist returns!  I mean, incredible!  and this was just the first night!!  wait till you hear about the events that unfolded the next day!!  for now, you'll have to wait, but I promise it's goooooood!!
 
so lets dish on this dress shall we??  Belk highlighted specific style statements for every night in the style lounge and on this night the theme was "Spare Me".  not sure what that means?  it's ok, I didn't either, but thanks to a little research I found that it is a modern/architectural aesthetic.  thinks A-line, columns and trapeze dresses in modern fabrics with bold cuffs and chokers and oversized clutches.  my vision of this statement came to life the second I saw this dress!  trapeze cut, bold choker . . . I couldn't have hammered the nail on the head any harder if I tried!  so, sold on the dress, I wanted to keep everything else fairly simplistic with a few specs of shine.  art deco earrings, a little nod to mod with my sunnies and some extra metallic in my heels kept the look chic and then for the wow factor, I added a bright pop of fuchsia with this ridiculously fabulous cross-body.  I got to carry an assortment of Taxidermy bags throughout the week (one more drool worthy than the next) but this little guy is quite possibly my favorite!  the bold color, the chain, just everything about it is perfection!  did i mention its python??  oh yea, and the gold antlers make it the perfect "trophy" to add to my collection!!!  everyone should have the privilege of carrying a bag this gorg!
 "always put your best foot forward, but don't step on other people's toes"
 

ALL IMAGES MARIE RODRIGUEZ
 
dress Gracia c/o Tres Carmen // faux fur Forever 21 // heels Charlotte Russe // "Carrie" cross body c/o Taxidermy // sunnies c/o SEE Eyewear // "Gramercy" studs c/o Moon & Lola // bracelets c/o Peyton William // lip "Orchid Haze" c/o Kismet Cosmetics


special thanks to Belk for this amazing opportunity and to Mrs. Arlene Goldstein for being our gracious host
 

palmdale


its a new week and a fresh start!!  my house is clean, the dishes are washed, laundry is folded and put away and its not even noon!!  I am feeling incredibly proud of myself!!  small successes people, I am after all a stay-at-home mom/housewife. 
but, sometimes I get to play fashion blogger, and after a week of recuperating, i'm excited to finally be bringing you all my looks from Charleston Fashion Week!!!
I don't know what's more exciting, the fashion on the runway or the fashion in the streets.  everyone comes out, A game a blazin, ready to put their most stylish foot forward.  i had the immense privilege of working with some of the cities best designers and boutiques to curate the perfect wardrobe for the week, and let me tell you, being 9 months pregnant did not make this an easy task!  for the first night, there was no specific theme, so i wanted to be springy and chic and represent one of my fave 'tiques Tres Carmen, which was showing on the runway.  i chose this palm print dress, originally thinking i would style it with a boho vibe seeing as it is mumu and all, but after spotting this white trench, i did a total 180 and kept it classic.  these mules might be my new fave heel and totally brought my vision to life (plus, they're stupid cheap you guys) and my emerald and pyrite accessories gave the look just enough pop of sparkle.  i took full advantage of the week by trying multiple new hairstyles, so for this look i finished it off with a straight/messy pony and coral lip.  i only wish i had had time to paint my nails as well, but at least i had a fresh pedi. 
i hope you all have a great day and kick Monday off in style!!!!
 "its a new era in fashion.  there are no rules.  its all about the individual and personal style" 

ALL IMAGES MARIE RODRIGUEZ
 
palm dress Show Me Your Mumu c/o Tres Carmen // trench 1 State c/o Warren on King //
mules Charlotte Russe // sunnies c/o SEE Eyewear // clutch Gigi New York c/o Tres Carmen //
bracelets and rings c/o Peyton William //
lips "crushed coral" c/o Kismet Cosmetics

girl, put your records on

to say I'm "kind of" pregnant at this point would be an understatement, I am however "kind of" about to pop and somehow still managed to squeeze into this head to toe look from the freshest new line to hit Belk stores KIIND OF!  ok, so I totally had to do the old hair tie through your button hole trick and layer a belly band under this top to make these pants pretend to fit, but no one was any the wiser, so lets just keep that between us, shall we??  thank you to those of you who follow me on social media and helped me choose the perfect pair of heels to complete my look!!  I think the turquoise was a definite hit, and even though my feet weren't to thrilled with me, sometimes we pay the price for fashion!  GNO (girls night out) at Belk was so fun and I truly appreciate everyone who came out and supported and shopped!!  I had the pleasure of styling some amazing ladies and even ran in to a few of them at fashion week rocking their threads!!  you have no idea how thrilling it is to meet you guys in real life, it truly is the reason I keep blogging and its such an honor to know you are following along on my fashion journey, so Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!
if you didn't get the chance to swing by, you missed out on some amazing cuisine from Cru Catering, including lavender macarons!!  I honestly can't remember what else they were serving because once I spotted these purple pretties, it was all over for me.  I even managed to use the pregnancy card in my favor and go home with a dozen which I polished off for breakfast the next morning.  along with food and bev, there was crazy good giveaways and the musical styling's of the one and only DJ Rasyrious.
on the the deets you really care about . . .  this outfit!!  I got to shop the new spring collection to create my look and of course I wanted everything, but my bump didn't look so cute in bodycon midis and crop tops, so I chose these ombre acid skinnies and worked the outfit around them.  is anyone else loving this raw hem trend as much as I am??  usually im a rolled up kinda girl, but I have been wanting every raw hem skinny I can get my hands on!  this tank was an easy choice because its flowy enough to cover the belly and I love the double layer illusion V-neck.  for the topper (because you know I can't live without one) I chose this razor cut leather moto.  the style is perfection, and the perforated cut-outs make for the perfect spring layering piece!!  assuming you're not bumping it, check out how I styled 2 more looks from the collection HERE
this bungee pipe necklace from Mila Amor totally sealed the deal and added that extra "cool" factor and pulling from the neon rope I finished off the look with a few pops of neon yellow and turquoise.
I hope you all have a fabulous Friday!!  and be sure to check back next week as I start breaking down all things CFW!!!
"it is higher and nobler to be kind"

ALL IMAGES BILLY STRATO
 
climbing rope necklace c/o Mila Amor // heels GoJane // wristlet Marshalls
 
“Belk has provided me with compensation for this post and my appearance at the event. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.“

navajo

back to boho today for a little belted tunic action.  I love how in fashion you can change your style on a moments notice.  I'm still really utilizing a lot of black these days, but its nice to switch it up from the rocker vibe I've had going on lately.  coming into spring, I'm happy to see that the Navajo/bohemian influence hasn't gone anywhere because I totally have a closet full of kimonos and fringe that I plan on keeping in heavy rotation.  this tunic is the perfect transition style, and if I wasn't so pregnant, its actually long enough to wear as a dress, but I chose not to scare the neighbors and paired it with these coated leggings.  I usually love flowy tops over my bump, but I tried something new and belted it for a little accentuation to my new found "curves".  I had a hard time deciding on heels and totally did the mirror shot selfie test to ask my bff her thoughts.  tell me i'm not the only one who does this??  at least once a week I text outfit options to my gfs asking for advice on which shoe/bag/jacket looks best.  seriously, what did we do before camera phones??  in the end, these nude lace-ups won over black for a little POC (even if that color happens to not actually be a color).  for my accessories, I really embraced the arrowhead trend, which I'm obviously totally into right now, and layered on this double tier necklace and my B&B bangles.  for an added touch of bohemian, this handchain from my current RocksBox set seals the deal!!  and FYI, rocksbox is totally spreading the love by giving you guys your first month for free!!  just use the code:  TARAXOXO2
I promise, i have yet to be disappointed in my sets, the only sad part is having to box up the goodies and send them back, but in a short 3-5 days my new set arrives and I fall in love all over again!! 
 "happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony"

ALL IMAGES MARIE RODRIGUEZ
 
tunic c/o Its Retail Therapy // leggings American Apparel // hat Vestique // heels ShoeMint //
bag Marshalls // "love" necklace c/o Towne & Reese // arrowheads Caroline Hill c/o Synergy Style // handchain Gorjana c/o RocksBox // watch Michael Kors // arrowhead bangles Bourbon & Boweties