Statement necklaces aren’t going anywhere. I, for one, am happy about this trend because bold accessories are a terrific way to liven up a neutral outfit. But if you are like me, and sometimes wonder which type of necklace to wear, check out this chart to help you choose the right necklace for necklines.

 Armed with the knowledge of how to best wear your accessories, you can pull together an outfit that accentuates your look in all the right ways. Feel free to pin this chart to Pinterest so you can refer back to it. Wear those statement necklaces well, friends!

A few weeks back, the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders sponsored their annual Parade of Homes. I gave you a tour of the 2014 Ideal Home, but there were other homes on the parade that I knew you’d like to see as well. Byrom Builders, a local Birmingham company, had a lovely home in The Preserve, one of Hoover’s premier neighborhoods.

Homes in The Preserve are styled after classic American architecture. They are inviting and welcoming, and the Byrom home is no exception. When you walk in the front door, you are immediately enveloped in the open floor plan. The dining room is to your right, just waiting on a family dinner.

Adjoining the dining room is the light, bright kitchen.

With white cabinetry, marble countertops, and top of the line appliances, this kitchen is not only functional for a chef, but the looks is timeless and classic.

There is an amazing bar space that provides a hostess everything she needs for entertaining. The stone wall was stunning, as were the concrete countertops.

And it opens directly onto the family room. The family room is a large, open space with plenty of room for the family to gather.

Byrom paid very close attention to detail in this home.

There is a short hallway connecting the den to the master bedroom, which is the perfect space for a small chest and gorgeous painting.

The master suite was a dream!

The millwork could not have been more gorgeous!

But the crowning glory of the master suite was the closet. And by closet, I do mean a closet big enough to be a separate room. I die! Do you die?

There were other gorgeous bedrooms…

And other gorgeous bathrooms…

There was a small office, just perfect for a busy mom to keep her things straight.

But if this home were the Hill Hangout, the space we would use most is this fabulous outdoor room. It was by far, the best outdoor space we saw on the entire Parade of Homes.

It was large and provided space for a sitting area.

There was also an outdoor kitchen and dining area.

Along with a massive stone fireplace to keep everyone warm on cool nights.

Again, this space had exquisite attention to detail!

I hope you enjoyed touring this home in The Preserve. The guys at Byrom did a fabulous job. I know there are lots of details that you want to keep in mind as you are making your own home a beautiful place of peace and rest for your family.

My friend Megan LaRussa Chenowith, style coach and style blogger at Southern Femme, is back today for a short lesson on how to find the perfect pair of jeans. I admit, I don’t always know which jeans to hold onto and which have outlived their style. Thanks, Megan, for giving us the “cheat sheet” on this question! Here’s Megan…

Recently when cleansing a client’s closet this exact topic of denim came up.

We were sifting through a heaping pile of her jeans (most that she didn’t even wear anymore) and with each jean we looked at she turned to me and said, ‘well they fit, but are they even current?’.

It was an excellent question to ask because jean styles DO come and go, and even certain classic styles sometimes need to be put on the ‘keep but don’t wear now’ shelf in your closet.

This got me to thinking… if my clients are asking me these questions then other women must be wondering the same thing! So, if you have ever wondered what type of jeans to hold on to, which ones to wear, and which ones to toss, then this week’s Style Secrets with Megan video is for you!

How to Find the Perfect Pair of Jeans from Megan LaRussa on Vimeo.

Thanks as always for watching and happy jean shopping!

Yours in Style,

Megan

P.S. Need a lil extra style help this spring? Don’t forget I offer one-on-one Style Strategy Sessions to get you out of your style rut and into looking and feeling your best! Click HERE for my Style Yourself Chic in 30 Days program!

UPDATE: This giveaway has now closed, and our winner is #22, Susanne! Congrats, Susanne!

A few weeks ago, I told you about the Finish Max paint sprayer by HomeRight. I used it to make over a $17 glider that I found at the thrift store, which eventually landed itself in the aTeam Ministries apartment. When I spotted the glider in the thrift store, I knew it has potential to become a place where mamas (or daddies) could rock a sweet little babe to sleep.

All it took was a little elbow grease. I tightened up a few loose screws to give it stability. I used my Finish Max sprayer to spray it with chocolate brown paint to match the crib.

The Finish Max paint sprayer made this job super easy. I stitched a new cover for the pillow out of fabric I found on the clearance table at the fabric store. I was quite pleased with the way the glider looked after just a little effort.

The gracious folks at HomeRight would like to give one of YOU a Finish Max paint sprayer! Isn’t that fun? I absolutely LOVE mine, and I have used it on several projects since I got it. You guys know how much I paint furniture, and the Finish Max has saved me HOURS of painting time. You just can’t beat a good paint sprayer when it comes to painting small cracks and crevices!

Leave me a comment and let me know what kind of painting project you need to tackle. I’ll randomly choose one winner next Friday to receive a Finish Max paint sprayer from HomeRight.

Don’t want to fool with entering the giveaway? No problem! You can order a Finish Max paint sprayer today!

A few months ago I signed up for Stitchfix. I’d heard about it around the internet and seen pictures of some really cute clothes, so I decided to take the plunge. My first Stitchfix box came Friday, and I was quite pleased with it. Since several people have asked about it, I wanted to give you the low-down in case you want to sign up for it, too.

The first step is to go to Stitchfix.com and fill out your style profile. They ask you a ton of questions so that they can get an idea of your size, shape, and style. Questions include things like your hair color, age, bra size, height, whether you like fitted or loose clothing, whether you prefer classic, Bohemian, romantic, or preppy styles. You get the idea. They’ll even show you several outfit collections and ask you to rate them. They ask you how often you attend dressy events, business casual events, casual events. They also give you the ability to choose a price range that you’d like to spend on items. And you can link your Pinterest fashion boards to your profile, and they really do check them out before they select your items.

Each month (or however often you specify) they will send you 5 items to try. You try them on and decide what to keep. If you send them all back, you are charged a $20 fee. If you keep one or more items, your $20 fee is applied to the item. If you keep all 5, you get 25% off everything.

Sounds great so far, right? But this kind of thing only works if you really, really like the items they send you. To give you an idea of what they would send, I’ll share a little of my profile:

• I’m 5’2″.
• I’m apple shaped, meaning I carry any excess weight in my stomach/bust area and not in my legs.
• I prefer styles that are classic, preppy, bohemian chic, with a few pieces that are edgy. I do not usually choose pieces that are glamorous or romantic.
• I’m a mom who typically wears laid back/casual clothes, but I’m looking to build up by dressy/business casual wardrobe.
• I’d like to avoid wool.
• My preferred price range for most clothing is $50-$100.
• I sometimes like trying new trends and brands.
• For my skin tone, I prefer to avoid clothing in yellows, navy, purple, or pinks.

And here are the items that I received in my first shipment:

The pale green dolman sleeve top was cute, but fit a bit funny for me. I never could get it adjusted just right and felt like I fidgeted with it constantly. The white jeans were a dream. They had the perfect amount of stretch without falling down. The length was even perfect, which doesn’t happen often when you’re 5’2″. The handbag was cute and versatile. It was a different style than I’d normally choose for myself, which was kind of fun.

The flowy peach top was terrific. It was a gauzy fabric with beautiful stitching around the neckline. The white jeans are the same from the first picture. The same handbag is shown here, but I’ve removed the shoulder strap.

The gold bar necklace was dainty and sweet. This would be a great versatile piece that you could wear everyday.

So here’s what I ended up with:

Green Knit Dolman Top: Sending back because the fit wasn’t right. Great color, though, and I’d love to have something else this color.
White Jeans: It pains me to say it, but I’m sending these back. I already own white jeans and can’t justify buying another pair. I asked for these same jeans in another color in a future shipment.
Peach top: Sending back because it was a little sing in the bust line. I really loved this top and told them to send similar items in future shipments.
Handbag: Sending back. It was a great color and a new style for me, but Jonathan gave me a really nice handbag in this color last year.
Gold Bar Necklace: Sending back. While it is a great piece, it’s a little too dainty for me. I need chunkier necklaces. If you look in the two outfit photos, you can’t even see that I’m wearing the necklace. A small dainty necklace just doesn’t show up on my.

All in all, even though I’m sending it all back, I feel like the stylists nailed my style. We just need to work on getting the correct fit. I have to say, it was really fun seeing what a stylist would choose for me. There were several pieces I wouldn’t have chosen for myself, and it was fun to step outside of my box a little bit. I got notice that my June items have already been chosen, and I am super excited to see what they send next time!!

If Stitchfix looks like something you’d like to try, go to the Stitchfix website and start filling in your style profile. They have a great referral program, as well. For each friend who you bring to Stitchfix, they give you a $25 credit to apply to your purchases. (That’s why those are affiliate links.) Y’all get to Stitchfixing. I want to see pictures of what they send you!

If you’re local to Birmingham, you might want to check out the grand re-opening going on this Saturday at Swoozie’s. Swoozie’s is one of my go-to spots for printed invitations, cute party supplies, tween gifts, and baby shower happies. They are staying in the Summit, but they’ve moved down by Bed, Bath, and Beyond. This means they have tons of parking – one of the problems of their old location.They are hosting an open house at their new location on Saturday, May 3rd, from 11:00-2:00. They will serve mimosas, give away door prizes, and have lots of discounts.

Swoozie’s hosted a preview party for bloggers on Wednesday night, and I stopped by to see their new inventory. I wanted this sign for my home. Isn’t that sweet?

Lilly Pulitzer was well represented in the party supplies!

As always, they had tons of cute bags. Many of these can be monogrammed.

They had a gorgeous line of frames. These came in a variety of colors, including pink and blue for the bebes.

And these chew beads are my new baby gift! They are made of a soft rubbery material that is great for teething babies to chew on. I’d totally wear these even though we have long since moved on from that stage at our house!!

Y’all stop by Swoozie’s and congratulate them on their new place. It’s going to be much more comfortable and convenient for everybody!