Creating Outfits: Part 2

As I was taking photos of my new pieces yesterday I decided to keep going and create more spring outfits. Here is some of the creations I came up with.

I bought this dress at a boutique around the corner from our apartment. I haven't had a chance to wear it yet, but I am taking it to Odessa this weekend.

I bought this infinity scarf while my mom was here. I am still getting used to the weather here. Layering is important. Scarves are great for layering dresses.

I bought this scarf a few months ago and have had a hard time finding something in my closet that goes with it. These stones in these shoes turn purple and the specks in the dress blend well with the scarf.

It is easy to change this dress by simply switching the belt. I found this belt and knew it would be perfect with the dress. It looks adorable! This outfit is a winner, I will definitely be taking it on my trip!

I made this necklace from 2 of my great grandmothers necklaces and wanted to wear it. I thought it looked pretty with the lacy blouse.

Love this gold wrap!

I would love to wear my denim jacket more, but I need some khaki capri pants for the summer. While creating outfits you will start to see some "holes" in your wardrobe. Write them down on a shopping list when you see a hole. Examples of my shopping list: pants to go with a denim jacket, print top to match my new pink skirt, Gold sandals, shirt to match purple scarf. Once you have a shopping list going give me a call and I will help you find the pieces to fill in your wardrobe holes!

Creating Outfits!

My mom was in town this weekend and we did some shopping! Nothing too exciting, but I did find 2 new pairs of sandals, a skirt and 2 tops. After shopping. I always come home and put new outfits together with my new pieces. Too many people "save" their new clothes for a special occasion, but I say "wear it today" before it gets boring from seeing it in the closet everyday. (Let me apologize ahead of time for the photo quality of my pictures. I am planning to get a new camera for my birthday, in August, so until then we will have to struggle through together..)

Here are my new sandals. Great purchases from Nordstrom Rack! Love the discount stores!

It is important when you are looking at buying colored shoes that you have pieces in your wardrobe that will match them. I knew that I had recently purchased 2 pink sweaters and I also bought a pink skirt, so I felt it was worth the purchase.

Above is the pink skirt I found for $14 at Nordstrom Rack. These skirts are very popular this summer. I knew the grey pair of sandals would fit perfectly into my wardrobe! The stones turn colors with what I wear. I will wear these out this summer!

This shirt is soo pretty! Jeffrey loves me in ruffles. Remember ruffles fit into my girlie personal style! This shirt will need a little alteration, it is a little too long. I love long shirts, but this one is too tight around my hips, so I am going to have it taken up a few inches and maybe have some slit put in on the sides (the bigger size was too big in the top of the shirt).

Shopping is so much fun! Call me and we can shop and create fun outfits out of your clothes!

My Favorite Summer Polish!

This year I had to find a new fingernail polish because my favorite from last summer was discontinued. Doesn't that always seem to happen? One of the biggest complaints with selling makeup is when a client's favorite lipstick is discontinued. I know it is a pain, but it is actually a good thing. It is a way to keep us updated. If I people continued to wear their favorite colors year after year, they would be quickly get stuck in a time warp.

Last summer I wore OPI's "Nantucket Mist." By the power of the internet I was able to find one more bottle of it from an online cosmetic company (I just couldn't let it go..). I found this year's color when I saw it on my friend Megan. The moment I saw it, I knew it was perfect! It is by OPI and is called "Party in my Cabana." Sometimes colors do not look the same each person, so I was excited when this color worked.

I LOVE to paint my nails. Unfortunately, since I work with food at my part time job, I am not allowed to wear polish when at work. On my day's "off" I try to paint my nails, just because it keep them from breaking. If you can learn to do your own nails, you can save a lot of money from getting manicures and pedicures. I have found that when I get my nails "done" I don't like what they look like as much as when I do them. Here are my 3 essential products for getting a professional polished look.

1.) OPI Nail Envy: It is expensive ($18), but not when you consider how much you are saving on weekly manicures. Apply one coat daily for stronger nails, also your nail polish will last longer. If you are wearing a colored polish do not apply Nail Envy under as the base coat or the colored polish will bubble.

2.) Sephora Cuticle Pusher: I found this product in when I was in high school and could not live without it! It pushes your cuticles back and also scrapes off the wet polish that gets on your skin as you paint your nails.

3.) Cuticle Clippers: I know many people do not believe in clipping cuticles, but mine are too thick to leave. Be careful not to clip to closely. I got my last pair from Sephora and they have been great. Try to find a pair with narrower blades so that you will have more control (hopefully that makes since) .

Other colors that are in my nail polish bag are: Grand Canyon Sunrise, Chapel of Love, and Baguette Me Not... (all OPI colors.)

Wedding Ideas!

My best friend, Katie Wheeler, got engaged last weekend! She has been planning her wedding since before she even met her fiance...but don't most girls! I remember choosing my bridesmaids in elementary school (3 of the girls from that list actually were my bridesmaids!)

Katie and I at my wedding

Recently, Katie told me about this fun website called "Ruffled Blog." It is a website devoted to vintage styled weddings. If you are planning a wedding I suggest checking it out. If you like to look pretty things you should also take a look! I have had so much fun with it and I already had my perfect wedding. Some of the dresses are amazing, and the ideas for favors and decorations are beautiful!

I love weddings! Doing makeup for brides and the bridal party is one of the best parts of my job. The brides are so happy. This is the most important day of their life and I am always honored to know I had a part in making it special. If you know someone who is getting married soon, please send them my name and website!

That's Not You, Don't Buy It!

This is a lesson I have had to learn for myself. I have tried to change my image several times in my life. Mostly when going through life changes, puberty, college, my move to Los Angeles... Each time I realize, "this is not me!" and revert back to my natural instincts.

Many image consultants have written books on personal style traits and how they relate to clothing. Some of the books I have read are, Style Source by Alyce Parsons and Triumph of Individual Style by Carla Mathis and Helen Villa Conner.

Most of the books tell of  6-7 categories of Personal Styles that a person will fit into.

1. Traditional or Classic- Tailored clothing, think Ralph Lauren or Liz Claiborne

2. Sporty, Athletic or Natural- Casual, Laid Back think Lucky, Pacific Sun, J Crew

3. Elegant- this reminds me of the First Lady, It is tailored with a little softness

4. Feminine or Romantic (I call it Girlie)- Flowers, Lace, Jewels, Oh My!

5. Alluring or Sexy- Well... you know what this is!

6. Dramatic- Trendy, over the top Fashion, think Sex and the City, Devil Wears Prada

7. Creative, Arty or Bohemian- From Punk Rock to Hippie, all to "weird" looks you see out there, or the ones that you think are really cool, but you can never pull them off...or maybe you can! I see a lot more of this style in LA than I did in Texas.

Can you think of what I am?....Feminine of course! I have always loved flowers, lace, sparkles...anything girlie. I will now tell you my stories of trying to be someone I am not.

• When I was in middle school all the "popular" girls were in Athletics and wore t-shirts, tube socks, tennis shoes. I really wanted to be popular so I tried wearing these things. I didn't even own t-shirts or sweatshirts so I had to borrow some of my mom's! After a few months I realized these clothes were not me!

• When I went to college, I tried to fit in with some of the sorority girls (I wasn't in a sorority, but I was hanging out with a friend who was). They were all wearing short denim skirts, low cut blouses, big earrings, dark eyeliner (trying to attract the boys I guess). I started wearing these things for a while to fit in, soon I realized, THIS IS NOT ME! (the picture on the right is on me and Jeffrey during the college sexy stage...embarrassing!)
• Then, as I was getting ready to move to Los Angeles, I felt myself reverting to my changing ways. I was trying to be more hip and creative. By this point I had no excuse, I knew my personal style, but I wanted to look like I fit in, so I bought a few pairs of super skinny jeans, gladiator sandals, and belts. I actually liked these looks, but only after I learned to make them more girlie and less arty. So my point is you have to still with who you are on the inside and translate it on the outside.

Most people are not fully one personal style, but a mixture of two or three. When I shop for people I instantly pick up on what there personal style is and help them to achieve a look that is updated, cute, and pulled together, while keeping with their own personality. If you need help with this please call me! I would love to help you shop!

Welcome ~ About Me!

I have been trying to get this blog going for a few weeks. In that time I have come up with many ideas for articles and I am so excited to starting sharing my advice with you! Many of my readers know me well, but if you are new I would love to share a little about myself and what I do.

I am from a small town in Texas (Odessa) and I am now living in the BIG city of Los Angeles! It wasn't a complete culture shock due to my five years in Dallas/Fort Worth before the big move. I have always loved fashion, but being from a small town my only shopping experience was in a tiny mall, my favorite stores being Dillard's and Express. Every once in a while we would venture to the Midland mall where we could go to Gap! So imagine my surprise when I moved to Fort Worth to major in Fashion Merchandising at Texas Christian University and I was surrounded by names such as Louis Vuitton, Prada and Fendi. I quickly hid my Dooney and Bourke purse under my bed and started reading up on my W Magazines.

As part of my curriculum to graduate from college I needed a summer internship with that was fashion related. Many girls were lucky enough to travel to New York for the summer and get slave jobs with designers such as Marc Jacobs, while I ended up at a small Image Consulting Firm in Fort Worth. At first I was worried I would be bored, and I didn't even know what an Image Consultant was. After that summer I knew it was my destiny! After all, while in high school I was constantly giving my friend's makeovers. I would pick out their hair cuts, give them shopping advice and even take "after" pictures. I also hosted "Spa Parties" where I would do the girls makeup and nails.

Elaine Stoltz is one of eight image masters in the world. She took me under her wing and taught me everything about makeup and image consulting. I soaked everything in and soon she started letting me consult clients with her, then on my own! I had a dream job for over 4 years and it was VERY hard for me to make the decision to move, but a girl has to follow her heart! My heart was with my love of 7 years Jeffrey, and were finally married last October. He is pursuing film, therefore...Los Angeles! Now I am working on developing my own image consulting firm called, Shelbi Keith Fashion and Makeup Consultant.

I love the idea of Image Consulting. We are different from personal stylists, as we don't try to make a person look like someone else, or make the outfit creation be the statement. We aim to make the outfit and the person come together as one statement. Even though I know all the designer labels now, I don't like that to be my focus when creating a vision. I want the person's personality to direct their wardrobe. Recently I told one of Jeffrey's aunts, stop buying clothes that don't look like you! And I will end there, because this will be the subject of my first official article: "That's not you, don't buy it!"