Powder Room Fashionista - Week 11

Today is a great day. My mama arrived safely from Seattle late last night, and we're mere hours away from the weekend. I'm so looking forward to spending the next two weeks with her, visiting local favorite restaurants, shops and taking some excursions throughout the state. I'm sure she's looking forward to some pool time, even if the upcoming forecast is looking story (which I'm SO happy about!)

Cheers to spending time with family. Happy weekend!

1 - top: Nordstrom // skirt: ann taylor

2 - top: urban outfitters // scarf: c/o Karen Kane // black skinnies: levi's

3 - top: forever 21 // black slacks: banana republic // belt: banana republic

4 - top: forever 21 // scarf: too old to remember! // black skinnies: levi's

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p.s. the arm pop, FTW. That's all.

{Powder Room Fashionista - Week 10}

Ahh 4th of July weekend. My annual escape to San Diego to unplug, unwind & breathe in the clear ocean air. A packed weekend filled with wedding planning, new restaurant trying, neighborhood touring and shopping was more fun than I could have imagined. Now back to reality for at least a few days, until my mama gets in town! It's already been a great summer. Keep it coming, universe!

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{Powder Room Fashionista - Week 9}

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I'm going to see Magic Mike tonight. There, I said it. 

I feel so much better.

1 - top: vintage // belt: forever 21 // white skinnies: levi's

2 - top: urban outfitters // jacket: urban outfitters // black skinnies: levi's

3 - tank: american eagle // sweater: forever 21 // black skinnies: levi's

4 - sweater: ann taylor // black skinnies (not pictured): levi's

In other news, clearly I'm at a lack for words today. And I look SO sleepy in all of the photos! 

Goal for next week: sleep more, less caffeine.

Happy weekend friends!

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{Powder Room Fashionista - Week 8}

I'm shocked that June is almost over. This year is absolutely speeding by, and I'm thrilled with the way it's going! Travel is on the horizon, with plans to visit San Diego, Seattle, San Diego (again!) and Las Vegas in the next few months. I'll have visitors in Arizona in July and August, which will allow for some touristing activities in this state. What wonderful things to look forward to! Summer is here, and life is good.

1- dress: urban outfitters // sweater: forever 21

2- top: nordstrom // white skinnies: levi's

3- top: j.crew // black skinnies: levi's

4 - maxi: splendid, neiman marcus // button up: j.crew // belt: forever 21

Any fun travel plans coming your way?

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{Powder Room Fashionista - Week 7}

Today is Friday. Cooler temperatures have come to the Valley (between the hours of 5-8:30 a.m., but I'll take it), and the 5:00 p.m. whistle which will launch me into the weekend is quickly closing in. The summer solstice isn't officially until next week, but the overabundance of berries, late sunsets and my urge to be in a pool 24/7 say otherwise. I think I'll take advantage of all three things this weekend.

In the triple digit weather I can't imagine putting anything on other than oversized t-shirts & short shorts on the weekends, which wouldn't exactly fly at the office. Thank goodness for air conditioning! Powder room fashionista week 7, have you joined in yet?

 

1 - top: forever 21 // black skirt: forever 21 // belt: banana republic

2 - top: forever 21 // white skinnies: levi's // scarf: c/o Karen Kane

3 - top: forever 21 // black skinnies: levi's 

4 - maxi: forever 21 // sweater: nordstrom // belt: forever 21

What are you looking forward to most this weekend?

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{Powder Room Fashionista - Week 6}

Taking a break from New Orleans recapping to share this week's Powder Room Fashionista photos! This was a wonderful week full of catching up with friends, life prioritizing, and trying to get a better handle of where I want my next steps in life to take me. No real decisions made, but at least I'm thinking about it.

This Sunday I'm so excited to be joining my friend & super talented photographer, Sarah, of Arrow & Apple, at the Phoenix Bridal Expo! If you haven't seen the photos from this incredible wedding, you've been living under a rock and may as well stop looking at blogs all together. Only joking. (not really.) We'll be at the Arrow & Apple booth, and I'll be acting as part assistant, part body guard trying to keep the brides from totally attacking Sarah. She's that good! Tweet us at @kthornhill or @arrowandapple if you're coming to the show, and come say hi!

1 - top: old navy // scarf: can't remember! // jeans: citizen of humanity

2 - top: banana republic // black skinnies: levi's

3 - top: ann taylor LOFT // belt: banana republic // scarf: ann taylor // black skinnies: levi's

4 - dress: forever 21 // sweater: nordstrom // belt: forever 21

5 - dress: forever 21 // belt: forever 21 // necklace: c/o Le Mode Accessories

Outfits four & five was a work to happy hour remix.

Hope you all have lovely weekends! 

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{Powder Room Fashionista - Week 5}

Monday sneaks up on me every.single.week. In the past week, I started in Phoenix, flew on a redeye to Newark in a nightmarish journey thanks to United, landed in Louisiana, spent a whirlwind amazing vacation in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, then another nightmarish journey (thanks to United) to Texas, then back home to Phoenix. Work, events, a concert, plans with friends and then...nothing. A whole weekend full of nothing.

A belated Powder Room Fashionista post. Home/hotel/airport/starbucks...no mirror will go un-photographed!

1 - tshirt: souvenir from my last trip to nola // jeans: citizen of humanity

2 - top: forever 21 // shorts: old navy

3 & 4 - dres: forever 21 // scarf: nordstrom // belt: banana republic // arm party: banana republic, nordstrom, michael kors

5 - Extreme outfit repeat! Don't judge, you've done it too. top: forever 21 // skinnies: levi's

6 - top: forever 21 // sweater: forever 21 // shorts: old navy // scarf: ann taylor LOFT // belt: banana republic.

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{Powder Room Fashionista - Week 3}

Hi weekend! I see you! You're here! 

A long week means a mind of complete mush by the time Friday rolls around. 

This weekend is made for froyo, movie dates & sunbathing. 

 Perhaps a little pre-vacation shopping is in order as well!

This week's Powder Room Fashionista is brought to you by the colors pink, blue & white.

Also, can I get a high five for doing my hair one whole day this week?

1 - top: nordstrom // sweater: forever 21 // necklace: c/o Le Mode Accessories

2 -  dress: forever 21 // scarf: Ann Taylor

3 - sweater: nordstrom rack // tank: forever 21 // white skinnies: levi's

4 - top: forever 21 // black maxi skirt: urban outfitters

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week 1 // week 2

{Powder Room Fashionista - Week 2}

Thrilled that Friday has finally arrived. Thrilled and surprised as well, since I've been feeling all week like I just can't wake up. Moving through the motions of gym, work, home, cook, sleep, with my brain hovering somewhere over last Saturday morning. I'm hoping it catches up to me by tomorrow so I can actually enjoy my days off!

Last night my friend Kortney & I went to see the This American Life - Live! show in Scottsdale. It was a live broadcast of the NPR show on stage in NYC, beamed to more than 500 theaters across the US, Canada and even Australia. Bottom line, Ira Glass is the man. At one point in the show, OK Go performed on stage while everyone in the audience played musical notes on an app downloaded on your smartphone. Each person had a different range of notes, based on the color the app opened up to, and the music cues were displayed on screen much like a game of guitar hero. The beautiful music that everyone in the audience made, with rhythm kept by a series of stomps & claps (by the non-smartphone owners) and the singers of OK Go harmonizing on stage...it was incredible. I kept getting such chills, to know this was happening all over the US at the same moment in time, never to be repeated again, what a wonderful moment to be a part of.

...Did I lose you? Pardon me, my geek is showing. 

Onward, to Powder Room Fashionista week two!

1 - top: forever 21 // black skinnies: levi's // wedges: ann taylor LOFT

2 - top: forever 21 // skirt: ann taylor LOFT // scarf: c/o Karen Kane

3 - top: j.crew // white skinnies: levi's // shoes: zara in barcelona // headband: j.crew

Have your own powder room fashionista photos to share? Link to the post in the comments below!

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{Powder Room Fashionista - Week 1}

I'm always saying I want to incorporate more fashion & outfits into this blog, but never get around to actually taking the photographs to support that goal. Mostly due to pure laziness. It finally dawned on me that I could take photos in a mirror, via iphone, and since I've been posting them on the regular to instagram, I figured I may as well start a new series on le blog. Props to Melissa of Dear Baby for doing it first.

Fuzzy bathroom shots for the win! If nothing else, this will really cut down on my outfit repeating (thank you, terrible memory.) I give you...Powder Room Fashionista week one!

The theme of the week was "I'm too tired & lazy to curl my hair."

1 - top: vintage // skirt: Ann Taylor LOFT

2 - top: Forever 21 // sweater: Forever 21 // scarf: Nordstrom // black skinnies: Levi's

3 - top: J.Crew // blazer: Zara in Barcelona // wide-leg jeans: Citizens of Humanity

4 - top: Splendid // slacks: Banana Republic // belt: Forever 21 // necklace: c/o Le Mode Accessories

Next week, I think I'd like to open this feature to link up with fellow 8-5 "night bloggers" who refuse don't have time to squeeze in well-planned outfit shots.
Think you'd play along?

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{Cool Tones}

I've never been a big fan of warm colors. There's something so peaceful about deep blue hues that match the colors of the ocean, something elegant about navys and deep purple tones, and I'm drawn to the light lilacs, mints, and grassy, earthy green colors. When I was child, the cerulean crayon would sneak into each of my drawings, and even to this day my apartment is filled with blue vases, plum dishes & sheets and olive green wine bottles are scattered throughout the living room.

In recent years I've tried to push myself out of my cool colored boundaries, but always find myself back at navy blue/white, multiple colors of blue, and dark purple.

top: Target // black skinnies: Levi's // shoes: Rio Grand Wedges, c/o Ugglebo Clogs

Colored shoes are an entirely different arena. I don't think I've owned a pair of colored shoes since the jellies yeas - circa 1995. These Ugglebo Clogs have officially changed me for the better, or worse perhaps, considering my intense need to run out and buy shoes in all the cool colors of the rainbow!

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{Pic Stitch}

An ode to my new love of the iphone app, Pic Stitch, and other important reasons why I've been so missing round these blog parts. 2012 has proven to be quite the rollercoaster so far, and sometimes I feel like I'm barely hanging on for dear life. For the most part, it's all been wildly entertaining & fun, with a few other "learning experiences" and less than warm & fuzzy times. All in all, still surviving, and happy to be returning to the blog, mostly for an opportunity to decompress from everything else going on in my life.

The last two weeks have reinvigorated my extreme coffee addiction. A 55 hour (straight!) client event was the official test of how much caffeine my body can truly handle, which I discovered is a ton. Good or bad thing? I haven't decided yet. Also, I discovered  I am an equal opportunity coffee drinker - einstein bros, starbucks, home brewing, dunkin, hob nob, I don't care really as long as it brings on a good jitter!

Post-event I fled from desert to desert, leaving Phoenix behind for a glorious weekend in Palm Springs with one of my closest friends, Alli. Staying at a house where Oprah & Katy Perry have taken up residence does wonderful things for the mind, even if my inner-diva had a hard time re-situating back into my one bedroom/one bath apartment at the end of the weekend. We drank ciroctails, sunbathed drenched in maui babe, stayed up late gossiping & giggling and generally had way to much fun.

In the past two weeks, where blogging fell short, instagram stepped in! I've been attempting to photograph each day's outfit, which makes for plenty of myspace mirror shots. Follow along if you'd like! My username is sparklefarkle.

In addition to not blog writing, my blog reading has fallen even lower on the priorities list. So tell me, friends, what have you been up to?

{The Sock Bun}

I finally bit the bullet and made myself a lovely sock bun scrunchy...as if I needed another excuse to not do my hair in the morning! A plush athletic sock was sacrificed in the process of making this contraption, one that had lost its mate a long time ago.

The steps could not be easier. Almost too easy, I attempted to use this craft as a gym-aversion tool. Much to my surprise it only took five minutes and I still had plenty of time to get in a workout. BLAST.

Drumroll please...

This is a work friendly sock bun attempt, lower than the blogger friendly sock bun I plan to create this weekend...a.k.a. directly stacked on top of my head snowman style. Paired with my favorite stripe Karen Kane maxi, and I have managed to accomplish the most put together casual outfit I've ever worn. A somewhat relevant side note - read this. Hilarious.

sweater: Nordstrom // dress: c/o Karen Kane // belt: forever 21

Happy Friday!

{This Means War - A Review}

I love a good chick flick. The romance, the feeling in your stomach when the hero swoops the heroine off her feet, the pretend shock you play along with as each and every story follows the "boy meets girl, boy looses girl, boy gets girl" format. I swear each time it gets better and better.

{hi world, my name is katherine, and I'm addicted to mushy love stories}

When I agreed to host the private screening of This Means War in Scottsdale last night, I was expecting a cute rom com chick flick with two hot gentleman fighting over a beautiful woman. It was exactly that, but surprisingly even better. Ladies will absolutely love the film, and I think men will enjoy it as well! Plenty of action/fight scenes, funny one-liners, and certainly some outfit and apartment bachelor pad decorating tips they can pick up on. I walked out with an even stronger girl crush on Reese Witherspoon, thinking Chelsea Handler is hilarious, and swooning over pretty much the entire movie.

The screening took place at Scottsdale's Studio Movie Grill, which offers dinner and drinks along with your movie. This seems to be the new trend in movie watching, with no complaints from me! The seats are plushier, the food is much nicer (goodbye cheesewizz nachos) and I can't say no to a glass of wine with my flick!

{hosting outfit. I was so nervous!}

Huge shoutout to all of my lovely friends who came out to the event! From what I can tell, everyone was loving the movie. I've started my own one-man campaign to get everyone to see the movie, and in the process I'm hoping Chris Pine will track me down and try to date me. Logical, right? It opens in theaters next week, so plan your night out now and let me know what you think!

{A New Year & Fancy Shoes}

New Years Eve 2011 was such a success. My friends & I piled aboard an Argosy Cruise in Seattle, and sailed around on a beautiful, clear night. We drank champagne, saw fireworks erupt from the Space Needle, and eventually kicked off our shoes and had a wild dance party. Apart from a few rocky waves that nearly knocked me over, and a very slow bartending staff...the night was perfect!

Dress: Francesca's, Belt: Banana Republic, Boots: Vince Camuto

My last purchase of 2011, I decided to go out with a bang. I saw these booties from across the store and knew it was love. Some pushing from my mom to put my practicality aside for a moment, and all of a sudden I was checking out. Probably the best decision I made all year.

Hope you all had a fun & safe evening!

{Prep}

This morning I woke up feeling preppier than usual, and pulled out my trusty argyle sweater.  A day filled with client meetings, off-site events and a few quick Christmas errands to run after work, it's going to be a busy Wednesday!

sweater: forever 21 // white button-up: ann taylor // belt: forever 21 // pants: banana republic

It's a new years resolution of mine to share more glimpses into my daily outfits, although you'll have to pardon the mirror iPhone shots! My photographer unfortunately leaves for work at 5 a.m., and I'm just not ready to commit to being ready that early. I just love sleeping.

{Karen Kane Holiday 2011}

Over the weekend I was invited to attend a fashion show for designer Karen Kane, to get a glimpse into the brand's Holiday line. Together with fellow Phoenix bloggers Courtney & Kara, we headed to Scottsdale Fashion Square where Dillard's had set up a miniature runway next to the Karen Kane department.

 

Before I received the invitation, I wasn't familiar with the Karen Kane brand. I spent a little time perusing the website, oogling this, this & this before heading to the show, already excited to see some of my favorites worn by real people/models. The designer shares my love of an extreme sparkle, asymmetrical cut, stripes and cozy sweaters, and that was all it took to sell me on the brand.

From my first impression, a majority of the clothing leans to an older demographic. The pieces are made well, are sophisticated and I loved the dark color palette. I purchase the majority of my clothing with the idea that I'll be wearing it to work more than anything else, and was happy to find pieces that would fit into my professional and personal wardrobe.

Mixing pieces that are more mature into my overall outfit is something I do quite a lot, although I could see how a younger shopper might be swayed in a different direction by the overall feel of the line. This thought was immediately followed by good news for all you twenty somethings and young 30 year olds! After talking to Michael Kane, the brand's new director of marketing, the Karen Kane line is looking to expand their audience in a big way, while still catering to the diehard brand followers who have been around for years.

They're definitely headed in the right direction and nailed this Fall's trends of sparkle, shimmer & bordeaux. We also got to take a peek at Karen Kane's Spring 2012 lookbook and you can already tell the improvement the team has made to refresh the entire brand. Bright colors, stripes (more!), long dresses and tanks fill the book's pages, and I can't wait until they arrive in store. 

Looking to try on some of the Karen Kane looks I posted? You can find the line at Nordstrom, Dillard's, Bloomingdales and of course KarenKane.com for all you online shopping fans!

A huge thank you to Michael for hosting us PHX bloggers, Karen of Scottsdale Fashionista for bringing us all together, and the rest of the Dillard's team for putting together a great show. Some of the other fabulous bloggers in attendance included: Courtney, Kara, Kristianne, Sarai, Dustin & Lauren! Check out their blogs for other fashion show recaps!