The Critics' Choice Awards 2016.

I know this weekend were the Sag Awards (which I missed because I thought they were on Sunday Jan 31st), but a couple of weeks ago the Critics Choice Awards were held and those I did watch. In general, I was underwhelmed both by the show and by the fashions, but still there were some pretty gowns and some not-so-pretty ones. Some women wore pants and separates too. The colors of the year: Rose Quartz especially and Serenity made several appearances on this big night (as you will see below) but also last year's color Marsala made a comeback as shown by Krysten Ritter and Rachel MacAdams (not pictured). In general though either pale colors or black were what the stars mostly wore: no bright yellow, red, cobalt, or hot pink. Of course, my favorite moment of the night was Leo DiCaprio winning. He accepted his award life from London, England where he was to promote his movie "The Renevant". I will cover the SAG Awards next week but today let's talk Critics' Choice Awards.

The Best Dressed:

Liv Tyler in Cushnie et Ochs

Third-time Mom-to-be Liv Tyler wowed me in this dress showing off her baby bump. I loved the Navy color, the thigh-high slit, the kimono elbow-length sleeves and that sexy open back. I love the sleek metallic accessories she chose for it and that she kept her makeup and hair fresh, classic and beautiful. Hands down she was my favorite of the night.

Gina Rodriguez in Safiyaa

My second favorite of the night was Gina Rodriguez. Before this January I had no idea who she was. She is the lead on this funny comedy "Jane the Virgin" which I just started watching. The tangerine shade of the dress suits her olive complexion beautifully and the shape of the dress shows off her curves and toned arms beautifully. It is quite the simple dress but because of the bright feminine color and the classic shape, makes a great impression. And that big silver sparkly cocktail ring was the perfect accessory.

Kate Beckinsale in Monique Lhuillier 

Rounding up my top three is gorgeous Kate in this Beaded Gown that is between Silver and Serenity (aka Pale Blue). The Long Silver Earrings and that Box-shaped Silver Clutch made the right fashion impact, too. And I loved that she chose a Dark Nail Polish.

The rest of the Best:

Bryce Dallas Howard in Balmain

Constance Zimmer in Tracy Reese

Krysten Ritter in Zuhair Murad

Note: This stunning Cabernet Dress worn by Krysten would round up my top 5. Krysten is funny and pretty - I want to check out her new Netflix show.

Niecy Nash in Rubin Singer

Alicia Vikander in Mary Katrantzou

Kirsten Dunst in Chanel Couture

Helen Mirren in Dolce and Gabanna 

Note: I would put Dame Helen into my top 5, easily my 4th favorite and easily this and Liv's gown (but in non-maternity version) are the two gowns I would love to own the most, from this award show. Helen is 70 and looks AMAZING!

Leslie Mann in Monique Lhuillier

Amy Schumer in Calvin Klein

Tracee Ellis Ross in Randi Rahm

Regina King in Krikor Jabotian

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Saint Laurent

On the Fence:

Hayden Panettiere in Maria Lucia Hohan

First of all let me say that I love this dress and I love Hayden Panettiere. She is wearing Rose Quartz which we saw quite a bit of at the Critics' Choice Awards. But this dress shows way too much of her boobs or dare I say boob job (in combination with her growing size from nursing) and that is why I put her on this "on the fence" list. The dress would have looked gorgeous on someone taller and lean with a smaller chest. But Heather is one stunning girl.

Sarah Paulson in Naeem Khan

This 60s inspired dress is chic but I would have preferred it to be less sparkly. There is something off here. Perhaps the dress is more suited for a wedding or a cocktail party than a big award show? I do love her Rose Quartz/Nude Satin Pumps though and Sarah Paulson is a funny actress.

The Worst Dressed:

Melissa McCarthy in Judy Swartz

Why do plus-size actresses continue wearing wide mumu dresses? This mess of a dress which looks like ugly curtains is doing her no favors. And Melissa is very pretty. You can barely see her body or any of her womanly curves either because the dress is too wide and also she is completely covered in it. I also hated the color and that scarf-like bib on the front. Too much ugly in one gown. She was the worst dressed by far.

Mayim Bialik in Karl Lagerfeld

Oh Mayim you are on a hit TV Show/Number One Comedy on CBS "Big Bang Theory" and you cannot afford a stylist? She even won Best Supporting Actress for a TV Comedy. First of all unlike Melissa's ugly green, this gown has a lovely emerald shade and the skirt part of it with the flowing train is pretty. But I hate the top part and the bodice. It definitely ages her by 15-20 years like she is in her 50s. This is not Polygamy Couture Fashion Show!

Jennifer Aniston in Saint Laurent

Oh Jen, I did not like this dress. It felt like a night-gown. Between the style of it, the very pale blue color and that super high slit which almost shows her VJ, I hated this gown on Jen. And to be honest I am sick of seeing her in the same gowns, same shoes, same lifeless hair down hairstyle, same makeup, same lack of accessories/jewelry and same colors (pale or non-colors like white/black) since 1999. It is time she changes it up a bit, no? In general though she looks very nice but I much prefer her everyday style than her red carpet style.

Who were some of your favorite looks/best dressed ladies at the Critics Choice Awards? Did you watch them? Which dress do you hate? And in case you missed my Golden Globes recap, take a peak.

Also, check out my June 2015 recap as I have been recapping my 2015 blogging month by month. And, as you may remember I left off this week with a Leopard Cardigan as you saw me wearing it to work but I will wrap up Animal Print tomorrow with a special Mommy+Daughter Post showing a New Favorite Piece, so stay tuned. Thank you.

Recapping 2015: June.

There are still 7 months to recap from this blog of mine from 2015. Today I am talking about June and early next week I will recap July and August. But yeah Summer of 2015 was so busy for me and filled with a lot to do, so many people to see, visit and meet up with, so much to get ready for. June in general was a busy month as Vivian's health improved a lot and we enjoyed a 10-day Beach Vacation by the Adriatic sea with my husband, my daughter, my husband's parents and his sister.

Busy Busy Summer, indeed. In the second weekend of June we started with our Beach Vacation and then celebrated our 10th Anniversary; we had my cousin's arrival from USA and a wedding in July; and of course lots of packing and getting ready to travel in August (first coming back to Michigan and later on for our lake vacation in St. Joseph, MI). Due to all of this, I didn't have time to photograph every single outfit I wore. And in Summer time especially, I usually change twice a day. From the outfits I photographed, only about 65-70% of them made it into the blog. There were at least a dozen of outfits each month I didn't have a chance to blog. And I didn't have time to recap our June Vacation either.

Despite all that I had going on, I managed to post 20 separate times in June and showed you guys 21 fresh outfits, three of which were part of twofer posts (like this one and this one) and I even did a three-fer post (Light Spring Knits). I continued wearing my White Skinny Jeans a few times and my Trusted Blue Denim Jacket especially over a couple of Sleeveless Dresses (in this post you can see 22 ways I have styled this Denim Jacket). I remixed my Periwinkle Pinstriped Button-Down Shirt and my Olive Corduroy Skirt a couple of times each for a Mom to Work Wear post. As far as Shoes you saw a lot of Sneakers, Loafers and Peep-Toe Sandals or Wedges. With the start of Summer, Floral started popping into my Outfits, quite a bit. But I wore a lot of Polka Dots, also. You saw a couple of Colorful Shirtdresses and of course lots of other Dresses. With the 4th of July coming up, June found me wearing a lot of Red, White and Blue. As far as collaborations and other fun posts, I started off the month co-hosting "Bloggers Who Have Inspired Me" a Tuesday Linkup with Rachel. I ended up loving that outfit and it closely made it into my favorites from that month. My Currently post was focused on my upcoming Beach Vacation and I posted another Vacation-related post featuring my packing list. In June, I started my series of Guest Posts from the Summer with Grace who gave her own tips on what to pack for a Summer Vacation. In June, I also posted an easy salad recipe (I need to post a recipe or two each month, don't you think?) Last but not least my sweetie Vivian made it into the blog four times.

My Most Favorite Post and Most Favorite Outfit of June 2015.

I had two favorite posts in June of last year. This was one of the two. This post featured a photo-shoot I did with my little girl at a photo studio, earlier that Spring. Vivian looked like a doll in her Baby Pink Velvet Dress and Matching Dressy Fleece Coat while I layered my Sleeveless Hot Pink Sheath (which I love) with a Pastel Geo-Print Blouse underneath (which come to think of features the two biggest colors of 2016: Serenity and Rose Quartz). I also wore my Gorgeous Turquoise Tassel Loafers - my favorite shoes I purchased in 2015 and that is saying a lot, since I purchased a LOT of shoes lol. I loved this post because it showed some of my favorite pictures of my daughter and I together and features one of my most favorite outfits. For all of these reasons, this post is tied for #1 Most Favorite Post with the Father's Day Post (below) and this Outfit is tied for #1 Favorite with my Jumpsuit+Cardigan Outfit (further below).

My Other Most Favorite Post of June 2015.

I did this post as a tribute to my Husband Piro for Father's Day and this was a little recap of our current June 2015 Vacation by the Adriatic Sea, also. Hands down this was one of the best posts I wrote last year and ties as number one for June. My husband is such a loving father to our gorgeous little girl. She is both a Mommy's Girl and a Daddy's Girl. She is so affectionate towards him and loves to hug him and piggy-back him. They enjoy making faces at one-another and being silly, playing and having fun. He makes her laugh so much. I had so much fun compiling this post featuring some of my favorite Vacation Photos too and my most favorites of them all are the pictures of my husband and our daughter together.

6.

Original Post.

5.

Original Post.

4.

Original Post.

3.

Original Post.

2.

Original Post.

1. (Tied for #1 with the Hot Pink Sheath).

Original Post.

Clearly I had a thing for pink in June because not only did I wear pink a few times but both of my top #1 looks (and my #2 favorite) featured Hot Pink and I loved them all so much. I love pairing Hot Pink or Fuchsia with Navy. This Silky Artsy Floral Jumpsuit was a favorite closet arrival in the Summer of 2014. I wore it a few times that Summer and at least 4-5 times last Summer too. But paired with this Chiffon Rossette Hot Pink Cardigan and my Black with Gold Pave Bow Perforated Wedges, it made for a very chic and feminine look which I wore to work and later for a special children's event I was invited to, for Children's International Day. I even picked up some fresh Calla Lillies on my way home, that day. I think the Love Bag and Hot Pink Rossette Cardigan would be great to style around this time for Valentine's Day.

Once again, it was fun taking a walk down memory lane with these looks. Which are your couple favorites and why? Do you have a thing for Pink? Are you all in for Rose Quartz as the color of the year? Happy TGIF Everyone!

P.S. Linking with Ann, Adri + Jessica, Birdie, Carrie, Caryl, Christie, Claire, Dawn, Doranda, Fizz & Frosting, Grace, Heather, Jaymie, 

Jennie, Jolynne, Lauren, Lauryn, Lisa, Lizzie, Megan, Melissa with Rachel, Mollie, Osy, Rachel, Rachel Garay, Tara, Vicki and Whitney.

Leopard Cardigan to Work.

I know, I know lots of cardigans/jackets this week in Animal Print. Well Leopard is my favorite animal print and in my opinion a Neutral, so by far this Cardigan is my favorite. It is by White House Black Market and I have raved about their Cardigans many times before, they are so pretty. I paired it with a little Strawberry Red Tee underneath (I love Leopard with Red) and my Brown Wide Legged Trousers. For this time of the year, as we are approaching Valentine's Day, Leopard makes a great pairing with Red. I decided to go simple with the Jewelry and let my outfit speak for itself. I like how my legs look longer since I wore my Brown Oxford Wedges and they matched my Brown Pants. It ended up being a Chic+Elegant Work Look. Pictures were snapped with my phone (at the office) so they are not the best, I apologize. Do you own a Leopard Cardigan? If not, get yourself one, you will wear it a lot. =)

Leopard-Print, 3/4 Sleeve Cardigan: White House Black Market (similar, Splurge, love this), (similar, Steal).

 Strawberry Red, Soft Cotton Tee: The Limited (similar, great deal, love this), (similar, Steal).

Brown, Wide-Legged, "Drew" Style Pants: The Limited (similar, Splurge), (similar, Steal).

Silver Chain Necklace w/ Circle Black Stone: c/o Fred's Jewelry (similar, Splurge, love this), (similar, Steal).

Silver, Sparkly, Globe Drop Earrings: c/o Fred's Jewelry (similar, great deal, love these), (similar, Steal).

Gold Pearl, Stretchy Bracelet: Express (similar, Splurge), (similar, Steal).

Brown, Patent Leather & Faux Suede, Oxford Shoes: Simple Shoes (similar, great deal, love these), (similar, Steal).

P.S. Linking with  Adri + Jessica, Alice, Birdie, Carrie, Caryl, Christie, Claire, Dawn, Doranda, Grace, Heather, 

Jacqueline, Jalynn, Jaymie, Jennie, Jill, Jolynne, Lauren, Lauryn, Linda, Lisa, Lizzie, 

Megan, Mix&Match Fashion, Mollie, Nicole, Osy, Rachel, Tara, Vicki and Whitney.

Zebra Girls.

After a day of feeling down and a little ill, I am much better and unlike yesterday, today I am in the mood to post a new OOTD and ramble a little bit. Last time you saw an outfit, I styled a Black+White Giraffe-Print Jacket for a dressy, elegant office look. While today I have on a Black+White Zebra Cardigan/Jacket (as does Ms. Vivian) and this was a very casual shopping and errands' day outfit.

This outfit is quite simple and let's face it without the Hat and the little Ruched Boots it would have been quite boring. Also, since it is mostly a black monochromatic look, the brown/taupe shades of the Floppy Hat and Mid-Calf Boots add a second color the outfit. The Bright Red Pendant Necklace adds that necessary dose of bright color the outfit needs. And also because of the fun Zebra Pattern on top, the Open Cardigan/Knit Jacket adds interest to this Outfit. Vivian is matching me in her own Hooded, Fleece, Black+White Zebra Jacket complete with a Black Dot Top and Gray Leggings. Vivian is doing a little pattern-mixing between the Zebra Print and the Silver Dots. And yes, we took some indoor photos before heading out (complete with slippers for me lol) because it was freezing outside. So, you own a Zebra Cardigan, Jacket, Blazer or Coat? Have you worn it this Winter? Oh and BTW, this is the last outfit post featuring the Christmas Tree. This one was back from Jan 2nd, reserved for this Animal Print week.

Black+White Zebra Open Cardigan: Express (similar, Splurge), (similar, Steal, love this).

Black, Fitted, Boat-Neck Sweater w/ Long Sleeves: White House Black Market (similar, Splurge), (similar, Steal, love this).

Off-Black/Gray Wash Straight-Leg Jeans w/ Studded Back Pockets: "Blanc" by White House Black Market (similar, small Splurge, love these), (similar, Steal).

Brown Wool Floppy Hat w/ Tan Suede Belt: Meijer's (New) (similar, small Splurge, love this), (similar, Steal).

Gold Tone Long Chain Pendant Necklace w/ 2 Red Oval Stones & Tassel: Wal Mart (New) (similar, Splurge, love this), (similar w/ earrings, Steal).

Silver Stretchy Bracelet w/ large Circle Crystals: White House Black Market (similar, Splurge), (similar, Steal).

Gold-Tone Stretchy Bracelet w/ Oval Beads (part of a bundle): Wal Mart (New) (similar, Splurge), (similar, Steal), (similar, dainty option, great deal).

Taupe/Nude Mid-Calf Slouchy Suede Boots w/ Wide Heels: Nine West (similar, small Splurge), (similar, Steal, love these).

Vivian's Outfit:

Black+White Zebra, Fleece Hoodie Jacket: Garanimals.

Black Tee w/ Silver Metallic Polka Dots: Wal Mart.

Heather Gray Cotton Stretchy Leggings w/ Red Studded Heart (on the bottom of one leg): A Children's Boutique in Albania.

Pink+Coral "Hello Kitty" Lucite Hair Barrette: An Accessories Boutique in Albania.

Heather Gray+Hot Pink Sneakers: Carter's.

P.S. Linking up with Alice, Allison, Amanda, Brooke with Erica, Carrie with Jill, Claire, Denise, Elle with Jacqueline Elizabeth, Grace, Jalynn, 

Katherine, Kristen, Lauren, Leeanne, Linda, Lindsey, Lisa, Liz, Madeline, Monica, Nicole, Rebecca, Sarah, Sharon, Tara, Tilden and Victoria.