Here are some May Day florals nonetheless. This skirt was a total clearance find at Kohl’s and I’m pretty sure the cashier gave me the “really, you’re buying this ugly thing?” look as I checked out. And maybe Bill too.

But I actually sort of feel like it’s a ‘so ugly it’s cute’ kind of piece. Do you have any of those hanging around your closet?

Jacket: Goodwill T-Shirt: Kohl’s Necklace: Gift Skirt: Kohl’s Belt: H&M Sandals: Target

Have you dared to experiment with this trend yet?

I decided to venture into it in a color scheme that was very familiar to me. I always gravitate toward bold, jewel tones so I figured I would be best served by finding an item that could pair well with items I already owned.

I wasn’t necessarily looking for this skirt but when I was at Old Navy with a friend who was in search of a replacement pair of $2 beach sandals, I happened across it and couldn’t not snatch it up for only $12. My only regret is not trying it on as I quickly learned that Old Navy sizes tend to run a size or two too large. Oh well, my should-be natural waist skirt now skims my hips. Worse things have happened in this world.

Anyways…. so I snatched up this little piece and immediately new I just had to color block with it.

The heels I’ve had for a few years but often pass over. I bought them for a specific dress for a wedding and have probably only worn them a few times since. This was a great opportunity to dust them off and let them go for a walk.

The necklace should look super familiar as I wear it any chance I get. This may be the best $15ish ever spent at Charming Charlie.

Finally, I added a simple white tee to keep everything in balance. One of these days I may go out and buy the perfect top to bring the full color blocking to life with this skirt, but until then I wanted to tone it down a bit and make this a little more every day wearable. (AKA, I didn’t want to look like a highlighter.) There’s no better way to do this with neons than by adding neutrals. Try white, tan or black the next time you want to show off your new neons and you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to wear!

T-shirt: Envy Necklace: Charming Charlie Skirt: Old Navy Heels: BCBG

Have you tried neon color blocking yet? Were you successful or are you still tweaking your non-highlighter combos?

Photo from LightMetals

Since the beginning of time, jewelry has played an important role in society. People have used jewelry as money, artwork and status and religious symbols. Today, metallurgists and artisans continue to shape precious metals and other natural items into hairpins, toe rings and anything in between. We are all used to thinking about wearing jewelry to add a bit of fashion into our everyday outfits, but jewelry’s history as a symbol of power or religious devotion should still be considered. Follow these tips on how, when and where to accessorize with religious jewelry and you’ll be set to showcase your beliefs in the best way possible.

How to Wear Religious Jewelry

Women wear heirloom pins to commemorate special occasions. A cross, Star of David, pentagram or Allah pendant associates one with the religion of his or her choice. These pieces are have sacred meanings and need to be approached with respect. Wearing religious jewelry without the proper care can cause accidental offense. If you are scantily clad it’s best not to wear items like cross necklaces or Stars of David. Additionally, adapting a burka or sari in a way that wasn’t intended could also become offensive quickly. It’s great to experiment with fashion, especially cross-cultural pieces. But when it comes to religious symbols – keep it traditional.

Where to Wear Religious Jewelry

Even if you wear a religious symbol as a fashion accent, someone might misconstrue your intentions and judge you based on what they see. Exercise sensitivity to your surroundings and to the people whom you meet by avoiding displaying religious jewelry during the following social situations.

• On an job interview
• While traveling in areas where openly displaying religions is not part of local customs
• During jury duty or other judicial obligation
• When meeting a significant other’s family
• Consider your work environment before wearing jewelry into the office

When to Wear Religious Jewelry

Many families have traditions surrounding jewelry. It’s an American tradition to give your daughter her birthstone on her 16th birthday. Many southern families feel that a girl’s first diamond, no matter how small, should come from her father. Older family members can make a point of handing down family jewelry on special occasions such as births, graduations, engagements or especially exciting news. No one of these traditions are initially religious, but religious jewelry generally has an even deeper tie to its wearer. Families may hand down an heirloom rosary when a son or daughter is confirmed, the same could happen with a treasured veil pin or ohm pendant.

Felicia Baratz is a freelance writer and style enthusiast living in Indianapolis, IN. As a contributor to beltsandbangles.com, she discusses the latest trends in fashion – including her interest in religious jewelry. When she isn’t writing, she can be found having philosophical conversations with her friends concerning a plethora of faith-based topics.

And here’s a rundown of what I wore:

Jacket: Sloane Boutique Top: Sloane Boutique Necklace: Sloane Boutique Jeans: YMIs Heels: DSW (more to come on these babies!)

Don’t miss my friend and fellow fashion blogger, Erin Flynn of Reality Chic and Righting Style on Fox 19 next Wednesday morning at 9:15 a.m. Yours truly will be serving as model showcasing some new trends from some of my favorite boutiques in Over The Rhine.

I’ll be sure to share a video after it’s all over!

The weather here has been downright beautiful. Maybe even, dare I say it, hot! I’ve loved bringing out my summer dresses (and purchasing some new ones). This dress was a new grab from a short trip home to see my family. I was at TJ Maxx with a friend and as she was trying things on, the print jumped out at me from the rack in the dressing room. I didn’t even try it on and just bought it! At only $14.99, it was a steal!

What have you snagged lately?

Dress: TJ Maxx Belt: H&M Wedges: Target Bangles: Various places

Yeah…

These just came in the mail! Woohoo!

Do you have a color that peaks your interest?

Dress: Max & Cleo Leggings: Target Heels: Vince Camuto Necklace: Charming Charlie Bracelet: Express Ring: Gift

Photo by Hanna B 

A good pair of leather shoes can be expensive, so you want to make sure you save money in the long run by keeping your shoes well-maintained. Wondering how you can maintain your shoes on a regular basis? Here’s what you need to know:

Clean Your Shoes Regularly

Cleaning your shoes on a regular basis can keep the leather from wearing down, cracking, and losing its shape. The more often you wear a pair of shoes, the more often you should clean them. Yes, it takes some time to clean your shoes, but it’s well worth your while if you end up keeping them in good condition for longer.

You should definitely own a leather brush for each color of leather shoes you own, and it’s a good idea to brush your shoes off regularly – especially in the wintertime when you’re walking around in wet conditions and corrosive salts. Brushing your shoes off daily takes just a few seconds, and then you can take more time to actually clean and polish your shoes every month or so.

To clean your leather shoes, you’ll need to use saddle soap and a conditioner made for leather shoes. Make sure you don’t leave any soap on your shoes after cleaning them, since it can dry out the leather and cause cracking, and you should only ever use saddle soap specifically created to clean leather.

Use Cedar Shoe Trees

Storing your shoes every evening on cedar shoe trees can help them maintain their shape, and it can also keep the leather from cracking and wrinkling. Untreated cedar naturally draws moisture from your sweaty feet out of the leather of your shoes, which keeps the leather soft and supple. It also helps replace the scent of less than pleasant feet with the aroma of fresh cedar.

When you’re looking for cedar shoe trees for your shoes, make sure you find ones that have a shape similar to your foot; so that the trees will help your shoes maintain their structural memory. Also, invest in cedar shoe trees that will fit most type of shoes that are on the market, so you can continue to use them for years, no matter what type of shoes you buy.

Rotate Your Shoes Regularly

It’s easy to get into a shoe rut and to wear the same pair of shoes every day, but doing so will just cause your shoes to wear down faster. Obviously, wearing your shoes every day will cause the soles to wear out faster, but this can also cause your shoe to lose its structural memory and can wear out the leather uppers more quickly.

Having at least two pairs of shoes so that you don’t wear the same pair for more than two days in a row can help your shoes last more than twice as long by giving them time to recover in between wears. You don’t have to put your shoes on any sort of rotation schedule, but try to switch to a new pair at least every couple of days so that every pair of shoes has a chance to recover.

Apply Protectant for Your Specific Shoes

Even if you regularly clean your leather shoes, they’ll wear out quickly if you fail to protect them with the proper protectant. Make sure you get the protectant that’s designed for the exact type of leather your shoes are made from, and apply the protectant after each thorough cleaning. It’s especially important to make sure your shoes are properly protected in the winter and in wet conditions, which can wear down shoes more quickly than anything else.

Maintaining your high quality shoes isn’t rocket science, and it can really save you a lot of money. If you buy higher quality shoes, you’re probably already aiming to save money on your shoes in the long run, since you know these shoes will last much longer than faux leather or poorly constructed shoes. Now, stretch your fashion dollars even further by maintaining your shoes with these four tips.

Ashyia Hill is a social media advocate at CreditDonkey.com.  Ashyia helps savvy families learn how to use credit on her blog.

Even though I’ve been blogging since about 2007/2008 (on StyleEveryDay.com since 2009), I have always some how rigged up some meh designs on my own. This is the first time I’ve committed to having a real (read: not me) designer spiff things up around here, get things in order and just overall make things pretty!

Here’s a tiny sneak peek of the new look that will launch soon.

Pardon our dust bunnies as we move furniture around this weekend. And, of course, I would love your thoughts as things go live. What works, what doesn’t and more!

Onward and upward!