Floral Maxi Dress and Marley Twists

Hey hey! Today I wanted to showcase a new dress and a new hairstyle. As I mentioned in my last post here, I love dresses!

Maxi dresses, like the floral one I am wearing above, are so stylish along with being super comfortable. You can wear maxi dresses and flats for a casual, errand day or pair it with heels for a chic, brunch outfit.

I decided to pair mine with flats for a more casual look. This floral maxi was a great deal at Nordstrom Rack for only $12!

I love shopping at the Rack because the deals are so great and it helps that I get an employee discount too. My flats are from Nordstrom, my only issue with them are that they get dirty so quick because they are white. During the summer time, I definitely plan on wearing this dress with cute sandals.

On this past Monday, I decided to do my hair. I love red hair on me. I’ve even considered dying my natural hair red because I love it so much, but that will happen later in life.

I’ve done red braids before, but this was my first time doing red twists. Besides how they look, the main difference between braids and twists are how many pieces of hair you use. To form a braid, you use three strands of hair and to form a twist you use two strands of hair.

Once I get a video camera, I will showcase how I do my protective styles (braids and twists). Be warned, it is time-consuming. These twists took me 8 hours to do, but once you get the hang of it its fun and definitely worth while.

My twists allow me to give my natural hair a break and it’s a cute, new hairstyle. What’s your go to dress style? What hairstyle are you currently rocking? Let me know in the comments below!

And I will leave you with this quote my boyfriend and I came up with today as inspiration to help you get through your week:

Flowers bloom even in darkness. So even if you feel like there is no light in your life right now, you can still bloom in your dark place. You are a flower 💐

Rocking a Topshop Hoodie Dress and Vans for a Casual Slay

Hey hey! I hope your week has been fun and productive so far. It’s been a chilly and rainy few days here in LA, so after work I’ve been staying warm and cozy inside my apartment, doing yoga, catching up on a few of my favorite podcasts, and reading.

When it gets chilly in LA is definitely nothing compared to chilly in Baltimore, but i still try to dress appropriate for the weather. LA chilly is around 50ish degrees and requires a light jacket or sweater.

Some of the LA natives would call 50ish degrees cold but thats because they never felt 20 degree Baltimore or east coast weather lol.

I love dresses more than any article of clothing. Anytime i get to wear one I will. I recently found a great deal on this topshop hoodie dress.

Right when i saw it I knew I had to have it in my closet. It comes in a dusty rose pink color and the bright red color I purchased. I purchased it in red because I actually don’t own a lot of red and I loved how bright it was. I love having a colorful wardrobe!

Now some might say that this dress is outside my normal dress attire and they would be correct. My dresses are normally fit and flare, bodycon, or maxi dresses. Having it be so different from what I already own is one of the main reasons I wanted to buy it.

I paired this dress with gray and white checkerboard Vans that have red roses on them. The red in the shoes popped along with the red dress. I wanted this look to be casual, but still stylish as well. Buying a dress that is super comfortable and cute is a great find! Throw on some boots or heels with this dress and you have a cute brunch outfit or party outfit.

Aside from loving dresses, I also love fun walls! That’s why I was so excited when I found this wall near my job. The wall is green plants in a wooden pot fixture in the shape of arrows. I didn’t realize how cool the wall looked with my outfit until I saw the pics.

Visit my Instagram page @coralbuttons to see more pictures and to get some style inspo. Let me know in the comments below if you would rock a hoodie dress and if you would wear it more casual, dressed up, or both. Have a lovely rest of your week!

#OOTD

Hey hey!

This #ootd is actually from my birthday which was November 18th, but life has been a little busy since then with Thanksgiving and flying back home to Maryland from LA to visit my family! 🙂

I don’t have many pictures from visiting my family because I was trying to focus on spending time with everyone and staying disconnected from social media as much as I could.

I did however take a lot of pictures on my birthday so I hope you like my outfit pictured throughout this post!

This dress was actually given to me by one of my previous coworkers…thanks Kelly! It fits great and it is super flattering.

I got my blue heels from Macys last year for my birthday and I thought that it would be a cool tradition to wear them every year on my birthday until I forget or outgrow them lol.

On my birthday, Shawn and I just went to the movies and out to eat at a restaurant called Sizzler. Have any of you eaten there before? It was yummy!

I am blessed to see another year and sorry for the late post showcasing this outfit, but let me know in the comments below if you like it! Enjoy your week lovelies!

Dresses are my fave!

One clothing item I could wear forever are dresses! They are so easy to wear and have a style for every occasion. Want to go for a walk, but still look cute, wear a sundress. If you are going to a party, wear a cocktail dress. Attending a black tie wedding, a fit and flare gown will look gorgeous!

Any event you need to attend, you can wear a dress for that occasion. I wore the dress pictured in this post is for a dinner date with my boyfriend Shawn. I wanted to wear something flattering, but also fun. The bold pattern on my dress, paired with the pop of orange makes this a stylish look. The best part of this dress is that it has pockets!

All my ladies know that we love when dresses have pockets, it makes the outfit 10 times better 🙂

I actually recieved this dress as a gift from one of my former coworkers so I’m not sure how much it cost. The shoes I paired with the dress are white BP flats from Nordstrom that cost around $20. 

What’s a clothing item you could wear forever and never get tired of? Maybe it’s a dress for you to or maybe it’s button up shirts; let me know in the comments below. And don’t forget to relax and stop and smell the flowers often!l

Secret Swing at Elysian Park

Happy Monday beautiful people. I hope your September is off to a great start!

Today I want to take you to a land far far away…well not really far away but moreso up in the air. I recently visited a hiking trail in Elysian Park in LA to try to find a secret swing and to my surprise I found it!

It’s called the Secret Swing because it is up a secluded hill and not many people know about it unless you did some research like I did. I really wanted to visit the swing because the view is amazing.

To visit the swing I wore a simple black maxi dress paired with floral vans. Shawn and I rode a Lyft to the bottom of the hiking trail and from there its just about a 5-7 min hike up to the swing.

I wouldn’t reccomend swinging too hard on the swing because it is very high up and there is no fence to protect you from falling. Gently sitting on it like I did will still make for a great shot.

If you are in LA and want to do an easy hike I definitely reccomend visitng Elysian Park and the Secret Swing.

Do you like the view? Would yoy be scared to sit on the swing? What do you think of my outfit? Let me know in the comments below and have a great week!

The Mondrian Wall

Los Angeles is full of art! Every few blocks there’s either a wall painting, a stylish modern building, or an awesome tourist spot where you can take gorgeous photos.

Recently, I found a photo spot called the “Mondrian Wall” here in LA.The wall is on the side of an art store called, Artist & Craftsman Supply LA.

It’s super colorful and makes for a perfect photo op.

At the wall, I wore a black, ruched, bodycon dress. I decided to go with a black dress to make the colors behind me on the wall pop.

I paired my black dress with yellow Vans and Quay, cateye shades. This is a look that definitely can be dress up for a nighttime dinner or kept casual like how I wore it.

I challenge you this week to find a new photo spot in your city. You may have to walk a few blocks or drive a different route, but it will be worth it!

Acknowledge your Glow Up!

Happy Thursday lovelies, I hope your week has been great so far.

It’s Day 29 of Motivational March and if you follow me on Instagram at Coralbuttons, you already know what the goal for today is, but if not here it is: Acknowledge your Glow Up! (Hence the title 😄)

If you don’t know what I mean by that, no worries, I’ll explain!

I posted the picture above on IG to show how I changed over the last four years and to acknowledge my glow up. Urban dictionary defines the term “glow up” as: “To go from the bottom to the top to the point of disbelief. An incredible transformation.”

Not saying I was at rock bottom in 2014, but I wasn’t as healthy or confident then. I just big chopped and that was the shortest my hair had ever been so I was adjusting to that and I was in college stressed about everything.

My style was still evolving and changing and my eating habits weren’t the best. This year, I’m happier, more positive and healthier.

My confidence is boosted because I practice self-love and self-care a lot more. “Positive” is a word that comes out of my mouth on the regular because I surround myself around positive people, do things beneficial for my life, relationship, and career, and make sure to take time to just sit and be happy.

In four years, I graduated college, continued my relationship with my highschool sweetheart and moved across the country from Baltimore to Los Angeles. It’s not about bragging about your accomplishments, it’s about recognizing how much you’ve grown!

Take time to acknowledge your glow up today. You are amazing!

Spring is here! 🌻

Happy second day of spring everyone!

Spring is my favorite season because everything is starting to blossom and grow after a long winter. We get to see flowers and trees full of life and birds and bugs enjoying nature.

Continuing with my color for 2018, I wore a ruched, olive dress that I purchased from Nordstrom and paired it with black heeled sandals I got from Nordstrom Rack.

The dress is currently on sale for only $23.40 and comes in burgundy, black, gray, pink, and olive like I’m wearing. You can shop for it here!

I love this dress because it is very figure flattering and lightweight, perfect for cool, spring days.

Back home on the east coast my friends and family are experiencing a snowy spring day. In LA, we are getting ready for spring showers.

As you already know, I love the rain, but a lot of people see rainy days as gloomy days. Since LA and California overall is pretty dry, it will be nice to get some rain showers, especially since rain is essential for the beautiful spring flowers to bloom!

Recently, I’ve been loving the ruched dress and ruched top trend. It’s a slimming silhouette that flatters every body shape.

How do you feel about the wrap trend? How do you like to wear it? Shirts, bikini tops, dresses?

Let me know in the comments below. Also, I hope Motivational March is still going well for everyone!

For day 2 of spring and day 21 of Motivational March here’s an encouraging quote from an amazing role model, Michelle Obama: “We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.” Remember to take time today to show yourself some TLC. #selfcare #selflove

Enjoy the rest of your week lovelies!

Dressing for a LA Winter

On a beautiful, sunny, winter day in LA I was able to wear this cute streetwear inspired look.

I paired a black dress with a rust colored Topshop hoodie along with colorful Converses.

It’s funny experiencing winter in LA. Here I wear a light jacket and short dresses and skirts in the middle of winter. Back at my hometown of Baltimore, I would be bundling up in a big coat and preparing for snow!

I decided to pose with some patio lounge chairs and it made for a nice backdrop. The sun definitely helped highlight my facial features and made my hoodie’s color pop.

The hoodie can also easily be paired with jeans, shorts, or a denim skirt. In a few months apring, my favorite season, will be here and I’ll still be able to rock my hoodie because it is lightweight.

Speaking of spring approaching, I can’t believe that January will be coming to an end in just a few days! I hope that your 2018 is off to a great start.

Stay focused on your goals and stay stylish. Enjoy your weekend!

What I Wore Wednesday

Happy hump day! I hope your week has been great and productive so far.

Today, I am showcasing an outfit I wore to work recently. As some of you may know, I currently work at Nordstrom and specifically in the Young Contemporary department also known as YC.

YC consists of three subcategories/brands: Savvy, Brass Plum/BP, and Topshop. Savvy has special occasion items such as dresses, jumpsuits, and blazers.

BP, a Nordstrom exclusive brand, has everyday wear such as sweaters, tshirts, blouses, and jeans. BP also carries dresses, but are more casual than the Savvy dresses.

Topshop, one of my favorite brands, carries a mix of BP and Savvy-esque items. It is a trendy, low price, but high fashion brand.

Topshop carries everything from leather jackets, to sequined dresses, to embroidered jeans, to fur vests! Anything trendy and up and coming in the fashion world Topshop has.

Working in YC allows me to dress more casual than I would have to dress if I was in another department, but also allows me to be trendier. The outfit seen throughout the post definitely represents what YC is all about.

I paired a Forever 21 Rugrats bodysuit with super comfy green cropped ASOS pants. To add more color to this look and accent the colors on my bodysuit I wore a lightweight linen Halogen cardigan as a layering piece.

To wrap up my look, I paired the outfit with red TOMS. What do you think about this look? And I hope you learned something new about YC brands!

Have a wonderful rest of your week lovelies.