June's Featured Blogger: Mimika's Little Wonderland

This month, I'm featuring Mimika from Mimika's Little Wonderland! Mimika blogs mostly about beauty (which I love!), but today she's sharing her favorite outfit and a little about herself and her blog. :) I must say, I absolutely LOVE the outfit!

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First off I’m very honoured to be a guest blogger for Megan’s blog! I love her blog and her style. :) Thanks so much for having me as your guest blogger. I look forward to your guest post on my blog too! In this post I will tell you something about myself, my style, and share with you one of my current fave outfits!

About Mimika...
I love to write and I love everything that has to do with fashion and beauty as well. I started blogging only a couple months ago. I love to eat and have a sweet tooth! I am also a BIG tea lover! My secret little dream is to open my own tea shop one day! I also love travelling and my current fave destination is Japan. I am crazy about Japanese food, beauty products, and fashion magazines!

Mimika's Style...
I love a classic, lady-like style with a girly twist! Occasionally I will try something entirely different, something very fun and cute, or very glam rock. Some of my all time fave pieces include:
• One-piece dress
• Suit jacket
• Cardigan
• Open toe kitten heels

My current favorite outfit...
I bought this dress from Forever 21 and absolutely love it! I paired this dress with a cardigan and a classic cropped jacket.


Green cardigan (bought in Tokyo)| Jacket (Forever 21 in Japan)| Rose Coral Bracelet (Folli Follie bought in London) | Shoes (bought in Tokyo) | Belt (Forever 21) | Purse (Kate Spade)

I think the highlight to this outfit is the color combination; it’s very pastel and girly. The shoes, since they are close to the color of my skin, help create the illusion of longer legs. I have a lot of girly/lady-like elements in this outfit - bows (both shoes and bag), lace (cardigan), and chiffon (dress). The jacket is from Forever 21 as well. I got this in Forever 21 Japan and it’s so nice and easy to wear. This looks like the classic Chanel cropped jacket. Of course the materials and workmanship are very different, but so is the price. I think for a fashion piece for a season or two it’s good enough.
This outfit looks more mature (due to the jacket) and is great for more formal occasions, such as for work.


Love the detailing on this cardigan. Very typical Japanese style.


The shoes have a very cute bow in a lovely shiny pink.


Close up of the bracelet! Love the details of this bracelet. I am a fan of Folli Follie jewelry!

I hope you enjoyed this post. :) Please visit my blog for more posts. Thanks again Megan!

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Thanks for being my first featured blogger, Mimika! :) At the end of every month, I'll be featuring a new blogger! If you'd like to be featured, please see this post for more details!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Petite Fashion Challenge #17: Candy Colorized

I absolutely love this challenge hosted by SewPetiteGal! I was never into bright colors until recently, so this really opened up outfit possibilities.

This month's challenge: Candy Colorized
"Take a bowl full of colorful candies (M&Ms, Jolly Ranchers, jelly beans, etc.), close your eyes, and draw 2-3 pieces. Now use those colors (+ a neutral of your choosing) to form the basis for your ensemble."

I decided to use my favorite candy-- Dark Chocolate Mint M&M's. Even though they only consist of different shades of green, I had the perfect dress to match them! My outfit is more office appropriate because I wore this outfit to work that day. :)

I can't wait to see what everyone else came up with! You can see SPG's challenge photos as well as the full list of participants on her blog!





Dress: Ann Taylor (Out of stock online, may still be in stores) (Similar)
Blazer: Issac Mizrahi for Target (Thrifted)
Belt: From these shorts
Shoes: Steve Madden (old)
Bag: Tory Burch Robinson Saffiano tote (Rented from Bag Borrow or Steal, invite link here)

Two more days to enter my summer beauty bag giveaway! :)

White Blazers are the New Denim Jackets

One of my favorite casual outfits is a simple sundress with a classic denim jacket. You just can't go wrong with that! However, while I do love my denim jacket (I own just one.. it'll forever be my favorite) I've found that a white blazer works just as well, if not better, with sundresses.

It'll almost "freshen up" your outfit and give it a dressier feel when need be. I wore this outfit for my first ever men's fashion consultation, where I transformed one lucky guy from shabby... to well-dressed. I should have taken before and after pictures, but I know for sure I'll be doing it again! :)







No summer outfit is complete without a nautical touch, so I added this anchor belt that I bought 60% off! It's one of my favorite purchases yet. :)

Dress: Marshalls (Similar, super cute)
Blazer: H&M (Similar)
Belt: Lands' End Canvas, sz XS (runs big)
Shoes: Steve Madden

Four days left to enter my summer beauty bag giveaway here!

Mani Monday: Essie's Vanity Fairest

Happy late Monday, everyone! For some people, it's probably already Tuesday, but everyday is a great day for a mani! :)

I've realized that a lot of my featured mani's will be composed of Essie polishes. I do own quite a few other brands of nail polish, but Essie is always my go-to brand for nail polish. So just be prepared for a lot of Essie posts! (I'll try to spice it up though!)

This week's mani: Essie's Vanity Fairest... A super-sheer pink with just a hint of sparkle. This color reminds me of my all-time favorite, Essie's Mademoiselle, just with shimmer.





The only issue I have with this color is that I have to apply about four coats for it to be this opaque. If you love just a pretty sheer wash of pink on your nails, this is a lovely color! :)

Two last things: Enter my summer beauty bag giveaway here! (Ends 07/01/12)
And see this post for details on how you can be a featured blogger on Long Live Classy!

Enjoy the rest of your week! :)

***CLOSED*** GIVEAWAY: Win a bag of my favorite summer beauty essentials!

Welcome to my first giveaway, everyone. :) I put lots of thought into what I wanted to do for my first giveaway, and I wanted to make it personal. So I figured I'd send out a makeup bag filled with my favorite drugstore summer beauty essentials (brand new of course!) to one of my lovely readers! Just as a token of appreciation that I have for you :)




To enter, use the entry box below. You will have six opportunities to win, but only one entry is mandatory. Just leave me a comment below and let me know what your favorite makeup product is! For more entries, follow the instructions in the entry box.

The giveaway starts today and ends at 12:01am EST on July 1, 2012. The winner will be chosen at random and I'll announce the winner on my blog as well as Twitter. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me, otherwise I will redraw! :)

This giveaway is not sponsored and the prize will be sent out by me personally. This giveaway is open to US residents only. The winner will be verified as well, to be fair.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rental Chic

A splurge-worthy bag is not in my budget at the moment, but it will be someday! I want a classic bag in all leather with pretty accents that works with all outfits for all seasons.

But for now, I'm fulfilling my need for a splurge-worthy bag with rentals through Bag Borrow or Steal! I first heard of them through Vicky's Daily Fashion, when she bought her Chanel bag at an awesome price (they do private sales, as well as rentals). They offer a ton of designer bags and other accessories at weekly, monthly, or 3 month rates.

This bag is my first rental, and I know for sure I'll be back for more. The pics are "bag-heavy", but I wanted to show you all what you can have for a week (or a month... or more!) without the hefty price tag. :)






Blouse: Gap (Similar)
Skirt: Dillards (old)
Belt: From these shorts
Shoes: Ann Taylor Perfect Patent Pumps
Bag: Tory Burch Robinson Saffiano Tote, rented from Bag Borrow or Steal (Invite link here)
Watch: Fossil "Stella" in rose gold

If you haven't seen my previous post, you can be a featured blogger on Long Live Classy!
Info and details here.

I'll have my last special announcement of the week up tomorrow! :) See you then!

P.S. This is not a sponsored post. :)

Want to be featured on Long Live Classy?

Happy Thursday everyone! I want to end the day with a special announcement--
I'm featuring up-and-coming bloggers every month! I think this will be a great way to discover new blogs and allow new bloggers to get some traffic!



At the end of each month, one blogger will tell us a little about themselves and their blog, as well as showcase one of their favorite outfits (seasonal or of all-time)that represents their personal style. It's nothing too complicated, just a friendly post!

The only condition: You must be a fashion blogger to participate!

Please send an email to longliveclassy@gmail.com if you'd like to be featured. I'll just be going down the list of emails, so do it ASAP if you want to be featured sooner! For the following months, I'll be sending the next featured blogger an email about a week or two ahead of time so you can prepare your post.

And of course, you don't have to be a brand new blogger to participate. Beginners and "seasoned" bloggers are welcome!

Hope to hear from you soon. :)

Earth Tones + Vintage Coach

Why has it been considered a faux pas to wear brown with black? I suppose I can imagine some black/brown outfits that wouldn't look too great, but basic black with brown accessories? So chic!




I scored this all-leather vintage Coach satchel on eBay last week and I absolutely love it! I'm not a big fan of the Coach bags around these days, but their vintage ones are so classic (some were made in New York!) and are all leather. There's always great vintage ones popping up on eBay, so if you're interested, just search for "vintage coach" and let the searching begin! :)



Dress: Gap (old)
Sweater: Target (old)
Shoes: Lands End (similar)
Bag: Vintage Coach via eBay
Belt: Target (similar)
Necklace: Dillards (old)

Don't forget to check out my new blog sale here!

Mani Monday: Essie's Knockout Pout

The greatest thing about summer is the excuse to wear bright polishes. Sure, you can wear them in the fall and winter, but I'm one of those that matches my polish shades to the season. What about you? :)

This week's manicure consists of bright Barbie pink-- Essie's Knockout Pout





Also... Here's my first announcement of the week! I have now a blog sale set up, where you can "shop" my closet. I just have a few things up, but I clean out my closet often (especially at the end of each season) so look out for more items!

Click on "shop" in the nav bar, or go to www.shoplongliveclassy.blogspot.com
Have a great day, everyone :)

Sunday Brights

I want to wish a Happy Father's Day to all the great dads in your lives. :) I am so blessed to have a dad that encourages me to pursue all of my dreams, no matter what they may be. Thank you for everything, dad! :)

I had planned to wear this outfit yesterday, but the weather was unexpectedly rainy. And as per AZ weather, it was extremely hot and sunny today, so my outfit plans were good once again! I bought this romper last summer but was afraid to wear it. Since I've now become more confident with what I wear (fashion blogging does that to you), I've brought it out and am loving it!





I just realized this outfit mostly consists of Target clothes!
Romper: Target (super cute similar here)
Cardigan: Merona for Target
Belt: Target
Sandals: Target
Bag: H&M (Recent)
Necklace: eBay

A quick note about this necklace... This is a complete dupe of the J. Crew bubble necklace that a lot of bloggers wear. I happened to find this off eBay, and though it is similar, there are little differences that prove it's not actually J. Crew. So I just wanted to let you guys know that if you find a cheap similar looking one on eBay, it's not J. Crew, just a dupe!

I will have two announcements this week, so check back for those!
Enjoy the new week! :)

Blogger Inspiration: To Brighten My Day

I want to give credit to Cee (from To Brighten My Day), one of my favorite bloggers, for the inspiration to create this outfit! I would've never thought to pair a classic blue oxford with a black pencil skirt and a brown belt. I loved it!

See her outfit post here. :)






Shirt: Lands' End Canvas, sz 0
Skirt: Dillards (similar)
Belt: From another skirt
Shoes: Ann Taylor Perfect Pumps, sz 7.5 (patent version here)
Bag: H&M (recent)
Necklace: AE (old)

We had to get creative with the angles in the pics because these were taken in my parent's messy garage! Taking pics at noon is definitely a challenge.

Enjoy your weekend! :)

Pretty Preppy

As a prepster, you can't go wrong with Lands' End Canvas. I love them for all of the preppy casual essentials you need! Not only that, but their sizes are much smaller than that of Lands' End, and their styles are classic yet youthful. Just what I need!

Today's outfit is one of my most favorite yet. I can't get over the teal oxford... I love that color for summer time! This outfit garnered quite a few compliments, so that must mean that it's a keeper in my book!







Shirt: Lands' End Canvas, sz 0
Skirt: Lands' End Canvas (old)
Shoes: Steve Madden "Ulltra" (In black here)
Belt: Target
Bag: H&M
Pearls: Gifted from my grandma

Special thanks to Nick for taking some amazing photos!
Enjoy the last half of the week! It's almost the weekend. :)

Stripes and Brights

I've been thinking of other ways to style this bright green skirt, and so far I've come up with only two in the same color family (see my first outfit here). I've been buying bright colors just recently, so my closet is still full of neutrals and navy blue. What's a girl to do?





Shirt: Mark. (similar)
Skirt: Ann Taylor Madison skirt, sz 0
Cardigan: Merona for Target, sz XS
Shoes: Tory Burch 'Caroline'
Belt: Target (Similar on eBay)
Bag: H&M (Recent, check in stores now!)

And here's a style tip for today!: Pair neutral accessories with a prominently bright outfit to pull it all together without going overboard.
Have a great day. :)