Hi friends! I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve been a Flavors To Follow but don’t worry, I didn’t forget about it.  In my two year blogiversary feedback, many of you said that you loved these posts so I felt like it was about time I owed you one.  This week’s current obsession is color blocking.  This trend has been around for a couple months now but I’ve finally just got around to embracing it.  It’s basically where you pair a few bold colors and wear them together, or the colors can appear in a single item.  There’s so much you can do with this as the color combinations are endless!  Some of my faves are turquoise + aqua, black + white + coral, cobalt + turquoise, neons + neutrals and green + yellow!  Here’s a few items I have found and love!

1 These DSW black pumps with a touch of red (and blue) hot!
2 Loving the yellow and green pairing of this Nine West satchel.  I think it’s about time I buy a new bag, don’t ya think? Who’s with me?
3 This Ayca knit scarf is quite the beauty and sure to keep you warm too in these cold winter days.
4 What a gorgeous pairing of coral with black and white in this LaPetitPaillette necklace, what a great contrast!
5 Go bold with color blocking in this Asos skirt.
6 Or be a little more subtle and sweet with this Shopkempt dress!
7 Be comfy casual chic in this flowy Forever 21 top.

P.S. The winner of the Fresh Tangerine earring giveaway is Kait from Pretty Things!  Congrats girl!  Please email me at sandyalamode(at)gmail(dot)com with your mailing address and we’ll get the earrings sent out to ya!

What are your favorite colors to color block together?

Hi there, Kristin from BonBon Rose Girls here. I’m elated to be guest posting on Sandy’s lovely blog while she’s enjoying the bliss that comes with being a new mama!

I thought I would share with you a trend that I’m really looking forward to rockin’ this spring. I know…I know…Most of you are firmly entrenched in frigid winter weather and can’t even think about what you’re going to wear come spring. Think of this post as a mini vacay. Forget about the snow outside and imagine yourself in warmer weather…And if you’re really adventurous, consider sporting this spring trend NOW! Which spring trend am I talking about? Pastels of course!

I just love a beautifully feminine sorbet hue, especially when we’re talking about footwear. This pair of Steve Maddens comes in a fabulous array of pastels. Whether coral, mint or lavender is your poison, the Steve Madden Dynamite Sandel has you covered!

So, which color would you go for lovelies?

- Kristin from BonBon Rose Girls

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Would love it for all of these items to be under my Christmas tree on Christmas morning… just saying.    Here’s to hoping that Baby a la Mode makes his arrival this weekend! Hope you all have a great one!

P.S. Don’t forget to enter the Cotton Lane giveaway, friends!!

P.P.S. The winner of the December Group Sponsor giveaway is Amanda Aranowski from SalvagedStrawberry!  Congrats!  Please send me an email at sandyalamode(at)gmail(dot)com and I’ll get you in touch with my sponsors!

What are you hoping to get from Santa?

Hi friends!  It’s almost the weekend and I am SO excited.  This has been a busy week at work and I’m just looking forward to unwinding and relaxing.  We have a game night and another Thanksgiving dinner planned with friends (can’t wait for more pumpkin desserts), once Baby a la mode comes it will be a lot harder to just go hang out with friends on a whim, ya know?  Lately, I’ve been super obsessed with all things sequins.  I guess it’s the season as it’s always fun to sparkle a little at those Christmas and New Years parties!  Here are a few that I looouuurve!!   Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

1 Let your hair make a statement with this adorable Ruche bow hair clip (you know I have a soft spot for bows).
2 These Yesstyle boots are will keep you dancing all night long!
3 This Shopkempt skirt would be so perfect for a night out with your significant other of your girl friends!
4 Peter pan collar and polka dots, such a great combo for a shirt from Chicwish!
5 Pair this Asos sequined jacket with a plain outfit for instant fabulousness.
6 And lastly, who says your staple little black dress can’t be one with Francesca’s sequins all over it?
7 Such a timeless little dress with a removable sequined collar from Modcloth.
8 This Sosie top look so comfy and so glam at the same time, love it!

Have you entered the $35 credit giveaway to the lovely Seek First rosette accessories shop?

Are you a fan of sequins?

Entries for this giveaway have been closed, thanks for entering!

Our next giveaway is for all you mama-to-be’s, mamas, or friends of mamas with little ones!  My little baby boy-to-be is a proud owner of these adorable Mr. Mustache Yellow Baby Booties and I just can’t wait for him to be born so I can try them on his feet… and take lots and lots of pictures, of course!  Seriously, doesn’t Pleasantly Plump Knits just have the most precious little booties you ever did see and not just because everything in miniature size is 100 times cuter.

{BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY #2 of 6}

Win a pair of adorable baby booties from Pleasantly Plump Knits!

To enter:

1. What was your most memorable birthday? (mandatory entry)

For additional entries, leave a separate comment for each action.
2. Visit Pleasantly Plump Knits and leave a comment with your favorite item!
3. Be a Google Friend Connect follower of this blog
4. Be a Google Friend Connect follower of Pocketful of Pretty blog
5. Like Pleasantly Plump Knits on Facebook and write on the wall saying I sent ya
6. Follow @sandyalamode and @meghanknits on Twitter
7. Blog, facebook, or tweet about this giveaway (make sure to include @sandyalamode and @meghanknits in your tweet) and include the link (one entry each). 

Feel free to use this tweet:

Celebrate @sandyalamode’s birthday with 6 #GIVEAWAYS! Enter to win adorable @meghanknits baby booties! http://bit.ly/tGBBi5

This giveaway is open to US/Canada readers and closes on Monday, November 7, 2011 at 12PM CST. Good luck!

Entries for this giveaway have been closed, thanks for entering!

hello from new orleans!  i’m out here for the first time ever and am excited to see the mardi gras aftermath haha.  so anyways it’s been awhile since i’ve shared my randomness so i figured it was about time again!  thanks carissa!

{1} a mini-date

this past saturday, marv and i went on a mini lunch date.  pretty much every time we go out to eat just the two of us i call it a date, HA.  we hit up a local bbq joint called the filling station and it was interesting to see an antique gas pump that read 23 cents a gallon.  i did a little research and that was pretty much back in the 1960s.  crazy to think that it’s grown about 15 times that in 50 years.

on a less depressing note, here was our scrumptious smokie joe and carolina pulled pork.  nom nom.  if any of y’all want to visit me in kansas city, i’ll take you out for a bbq marathon.

{2} daylight savings

when we woke up on sunday morning, the times in our house were set to three different times.  manual clocks were on old time, internet/atomic clocks were on the correct spring forward time, and my phone time was a little ambitious and sprung forward 2 hours.  happy to say, that all times agree now!

{3} healthy chips

marvin came home from the grocery store with a bag of food should taste good cheddar chips the other day and i must say… these are pretty darn fantastic.  these chips are made with cheddar cheese, quinoa, flax, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, soy, and brown rice, talk about healthy!!   i can’ t wait to try the sweet potato and chocolate varieties.

{4} yoga jeans

you’ve heard of jeggings and pajama jeans, but have you heard of yoga jeans?  with faux pockets and fly detail, and contrast stitching, these pants have a jean-like look but are made from a stretchy, breathable fabric that are great for the downward dog (i’ve done yoga once or twice in my life, yes i have).  these babies are totally my airplane pants that i wear with a sweater and tucked inside my steve madden boots.

{5} red hot shoes

every strong woman needs a pair.  apparently i just became a strong with these delicious babies that i picked up for my best friend’s wedding!

{6} three giveaways

i have three giveaways ending this tuesday at 12pm cst.  you could win $25 credit to chicgeek designs print shop, a vintage turquoise and green necklace from  no. 17 cherry tree lane or $25 credit to mary rebecca jewelry and accessory shop!  oh.. and i have three more giveaways coming up mid-week too, so don’t forget to check back!    i guess i like the number three lately.

now it’s your turn, tell me something random!

Blouse: Express, Cardigan: Gap, Skirt: H&M, Tights: Forever 21, Shoes: Payless, Necklace: Forever 21

Well, I’m off to California this week!  I have to say, I was fully expecting it to be 70s/80s, but looks like it will only be 50s/60s… but who am I to complain, it sure beats 20s/30s and all that snow you see there!  So anyways, you see this hot pink blouse?  Well, how can you miss it?  I probably bought it about 7 years ago (that’s like senior year of college, dang have I really been working that long?!?) from Express, and that’s probably the last time I wore it too.  Good thing I have outfit posts on my blog so I can be held accountable for making sure I remix what I have in my closet and bring out those oldies but goodies.  And thank goodness it still fits!  You see, I have a plan to wear at least 1 new item each week, and by new, I mean an item that hasn’t been worn in the last 6 months (I’m kind of a hoarder and have trouble getting rid of clothes).  It’s fun, you should try it.  It’s another way of remixing your closet since I’m not brave enough to do Kendi’s 30 for 30 yet! 

What’s the oldest thing you own in your closet?

I am sooooo excited to kick off the week with some photos for a Lookbook (it was really just a photo shoot but I’ve always wanted to use this word, haha, and no, we weren’t paid/hired for this) that my sister-in-law photographed of me and my nephew in our new Keep shoes.  I had never heard of Keep shoes before my last trip to Los Angeles, but found out about it through a friend who works at the company (a friend that I happened to meet about 7 years ago at an Asian American conference, hi Jon)!  So on one Friday afternoon, my sister-in-law and I ventured down to the Hollywood area store location and spent an hour or so looking through all the shoes.  The style is very urban, hipster and trendy.  Cool thing is, all the shoes are unisex too!  So you and your man can have matching shoes!    We left the stores with a pair of shoes for my sister-in-law and me to share, a pair for Marvin and two little pairs for my nephew.  A few days later we headed to the middle of nowhere in Corona and had a little fun!

Here’s Evan’s first pair of shoes, the Guerra.  They were a size too big for him but we made it work.

Look at his little smile, makes my heart melt! <3

He’s quite the curious little boy, taking me in and under random structures!

And here are my shoes, The Benten, the style and colors match with Evan’s!

How perfect we found a random elephant on the ground, if you didn’t  know, Evan’s first birthday party was elephant (and other safari animals) themed!

My Outfit – Cardigan: Target, Tunic: Boutique in LA, Scarf: Burberry, Jeans: Express, Shoes: Keep

Loving the perspective of this shot!!

I just love the time we spend together bonding, nephew and auntie style.

Another sweet shot by my sis-in-law, you should follow her blog foreals, she always posts cute pictures of Evan!

Evan was really drawn to the elephant and we had fun jumping around!!

And here’s kid shoe #2, Benten style.  And if you didn’t notice, we had an outfit change. I just swapped the Target cardigan for a Target button down, if you can’t tell, I love Target.

And my fur-niece, Bella, decided to make an appearance too, *woof*

And quite possibly my FAVORITE PICTURE EVER… that’s my brother (sporting the Solis), Evan (with his belly showing and adorable smile) and me!

Thanks for being our awesome photographer, sis!  Thanks for introducing us to these awesome shoes, Jon!  And I’m so excited because I’m going to see my little Evan Bear next week again!!   Now everyone, go get yourself a pair of Keep shoes!

how was your weekend friends? did you attend a super bowl party? what was your favorite super bowl food? what was your favorite commercial? and for those who actually watched the game, were you happy with the outcome of the game?

here are my answers: good, yes, chili, either bridgestone “reply all” or  volkswagon “the force”, sure

{1} color coded vending machine

have you seen such a thing? this is the one in the break room of our office. green is 200 calories or less, yellow is 200-300 calories, and red is more than 300 calories. makes you think twice about dorito’s and m&ms.

{2} planting love

yes, teacher! and domestic, but not martha are hosting a fundraiser to help a blogger in need.  several small business owners have already agreed to help. they are going to donate items from their shops so they can have a huge group giveaway!  they’ll sell raffle tickets for items in the giveaway, and all the proceeds will go directly to amy and her family.  to find out more information, click on the button above!

{3} heeled oxfords

i want these shoes, i need these shoes. these are the steve madden trikki oxford shoes, they don’t have them in my size anymore. if anyone finds shoe like these in this color (cognac) in my size (7.5) for a reasonable price, please please please let me know! i will pay you in gummy worms.

{4} big sister/little sister

i signed up to be a big sister in after i do‘s big sister/little sister mentorship program and i just wanted to take this time to reveal my little!  are you familiar with chocolate and cream cake? based on the blog name alone, i think you should follow her. mandy blogs about happenings in her life, inspirations, books, movies and even has a fun feature called “nerd news“. go check her out!!

{5} cocoa roast almonds

these are my new food obsession. and they are quite addicting. an excellent source of vitamin E, tastier than regular almonds, dark chocolate is everyone’s friend, it’s the perfect snack to eat at 3pm when your blood sugar starts getting low. buy a pack of 4 here, because you won’t want just one.

{6} new sponsors!

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beautiful fabric hair accessories, clutches and bags!

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Happy first Friday of 2011!!!   Hope you all had a great week!  For this week’s Flavors to Follow I wanted to start it off with the 2011 color of the year, Honeysuckle (picked by Pantone)!  This is so exciting because pink if my absolute all-time favorite color!!!  Yellow and grey are my faves too but those are only recent faves haha.  Honeysuckle, is a reddish-pink that is encouraging, uplifting and as I like to describe it “big girl pink”!  I think this color would go well with blacks, greys, browns as well as darker green tones, don’t you?  WellI’ve scoured the web and found some perfectly honeysuckle finds for you to swoon over!

1 Bedroom designed by Grant K. Gibson seen on Creamy Life
2 Chaise Louis XV Jacob chair seen on Dodeline Design
3 Valentine Crochet Heart Garland made by BobbiLewin found by Mandipidy
4 Essie nail polish in Fiesta
5 Lovely long bridesmaid dress from Dessy
6 Abstract watercolor greeting card by Chic Geek Designs
7 Inna flats by Simply Soles seen on Dedicated Follower of Fashion
8 Mini Chalkboard sold by The Door Stop
9 Wesley Purse made by So Cute It Hurts

Don’t forget to enter the FOUR GIVEAWAYS going on right now!!!  You could win two beautiful prints from City of Blackbirds, a mustard headband from Maie Dae, a Polaroid pocket mirror and postcard set from OPB Studios, or a cowl in your favorite color from Holly Knitlightly!!

Are you a fan of honeysuckle?  What colors would you pair with it?