Fresh Style: Thrifted for Social Television

Last Thursday, my agency hosted KIRO TV's 'Connect with Jenni Hogan' at our office. I came in for the late-night live taping to tweet for the agency after hot yoga, not expecting to be on camera but putting on a smile, a top knot and my thrifted Club Monaco blazer just in case. I got the blazer for $10 at Value Village!

Thrifted Club Monaco blazer / A/G black leggings / Zara booties / LAmade double v-neck tee

With one of my dear friends Nikki (@NikkiBalcerak)

This episode of 'Connect with Jenni Hogan' was an experiment fusing social media and live television. Despite it being a Seattle-focused, local show, we got #KIROconnect to the top trending topic in the country on Twitter during the taping and dominated the Twitter conversation here in the city. For the full episode and details, check out the official Connect page here.

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IFB Links a la Mode - March 29th

I am so honored to be a monthly editor for the Independent Fashion Bloggers' Links a la Mode roundup! If you're an IFB member, make sure to submit your links each week in the group thread!

Here are my picks for March. Enjoy!

Inspiration Station 

Edited by: Jess of Fresh Jess

The turn of the season can trigger a serious need to purge, refresh and recharge our style. While the sun shines brighter and each day gets longer, our bloggers are finding fashion inspiration everywhere they look. From runways and designer collaborations to hip-hop and the Hunger Games. From gardens and fairy tales to rainbows and relics of beautiful starlets past, this week's Links a la Mode is just a peek at what’s making bloggers tick this spring. Enjoy!

THE IFB WEEKLY ROUNDUP: LINKS À LA MODE: MARCH 29TH

• Arash Mazinani: 5 Things The Notorious B.I.G. Taught Me About Personal Style


• Bang by Lo: The Purge


• Beauty & the Budget: 5 Ways to Wear Pastels Shades for Summer


• Bubbling with Elegance & Grace: Don’t Let Cancer Stop You from Feeling Fashionable & Beautiful


• Catwalk of Words: Chadstone Autumn/Winter ‘12 Runway


• Estoy, Je Suis: Bathing Beauties: So You’re a Girl


• Fashioned by Love: Russian Top-Models: Olga Pantushenkova


• First Came Fashion: Mint Condition


• Glitz Glam Budget: 7 Ways to Style a Blazer...on a Budget


• Javicia Leslie: Oh Coachella


• KP Fusion: Spring Cleaning Your Closet & Defining Your Personal Style


• Le’Love: Pretty. Photoshop Basics: Colour


• Mademoiselle Sonoushka: Inspired By...Maria Callas


• Morbid Glamour: Get Inspired: Art Deco


• She Wrote: Impassioned


• Style Island: Stay Hungry: Hunger Games Mania


• Style Through the Eyes: Little Red


• That Haute Dude: Bring on the Velvet


• The Aquarians: Ultra Violet Ray


• The Shopaholic 24/7: J’adore Dior

SPONSOR:
New at Shopbop: Zespa, Cobra Society, CNC Sandals, Chris Benz, Milly, DKNY Dresses, Black Halo, Tai Bracelets, Enza Costa, Kors Watches, Sailormade, Tibi Sandals & Heidi Klein

PLEASE READ IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE
If you would like to submit your link for next week’s Links à la Mode, please register first, then post your links HERE. The HTML code for this week will be found in the Links a la Mode group will be published later today. ~Jennine

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West Elm Seattle Urban Garden Event (recap)

I was invited by West Elm to an urban garden demonstration in their South Lake Union store tonight. Being a downtown dweller and self-proclaimed plant killer, I was intrigued and hopeful I'd walk away with some tips on making life a little greener.

Tiare, West Elm Seattle's resident green thumb, showed us a few quick and easy ways to bring plant life into city life. Turns out, all you need are some decorative glass bowls, a little bit of rocks & garden soil, some household items and a few succulents (cactus plants!) Thanks West Elm for a great night. Enjoy the photo recap!

Lavender sticks + mason jar = gardening

Got chopsticks, pasta rods & paintbrushes? You've got gardening tools!

Tiare showing us how it's done

Aren't these gardening shears awesome?

The finished product! Rocks, garden soil, succulents, more rocks & moss

Shells

More decorative ideas 

So many beautiful plants to choose from!

A printed how-to for an indoor garden (Click on the photo to zoom in on the fine print)

The breathing wall is my favorite thing in the store!

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Tiffany & Co.'s Rubedo Collection

These pieces are so beautiful, I had to share!

In honor of its 175th anniversary, Tiffany & Co. unveils RUBEDO™ metal, a new jeweler’s metal. RUBEDO™ metal is the first such creation in Tiffany’s history. In the medieval philosophy of alchemy, 'Rubedo' was the title of the very highest achievement, when matter and spirit fused to create something of rare beauty.

RUBEDO™ metal marries the richness of gold, the brilliance of silver and the warmth of copper. 

RUBEDO™ is the company’s latest in a history of innovations in metallurgy. It debuts in Tiffany 1837™ designs that feature elegant contours polished to a high luster and finished with the jeweler’s hallmark. Light plays over the generous surfaces like the blush of early morning across the sky. Tiffany 1837™ RUBEDO™ jewelry designs inscribed with the signature of founder Charles Lewis Tiffany are available for 2012, in celebration of Tiffany’s anniversary year. 

You can find the RUBEDO™collection at Tiffany stores & online.

Tiffany & Co., Tiffany, T&CO., RUBEDO and Tiffany 1837 are trademarks of Tiffany and Company and its affiliates. All photos are courtesy of Tiffany & Co.

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Social Sharing for Parallels Desktop for Mac

Mac users who need to run Windows but don't want to go back to the dreaded PC - this is for you! This week, Parallels is giving power to the people with an innovative sale that can drive the price even lower.

Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac will be on sale for 25% off starting tomorrow, Thursday, March 29. But - the more people share the Parallels Spring Break sale on Facebook and Twitter, the lower the price goes for everyone. Just 4,000 shares will drop the sale price to 65% off!

Here’s how it works: 
 • Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac lets people run the Windows operating system on a Mac, giving users the best of both worlds.
• For every 500 shares on Facebook or Twitter, Parallels will lower the sale price by 5%. If they get 4,000 shares, Parallels Desktop for Mac will be available for $28 at 65% off.
• The number of shares by midnight TONIGHT will determine the opening sale price at 9 a.m. PST tomorrow, Thursday, March 29.
• People that share over Facebook and Twitter will have the chance to win one of three iPads!

Easy enough, right? Head to ParallelsSpringBreak.com for more information.

This is a sponsored post, fully written and reviewed by me. All opinions expressed in this post, as with all posts on Fresh Jess, are mine.

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Workout & Stay Fly in Nike Women S/S '12

Working at Nike in my college days left me with a soft spot in my heart for the brand that'll probably be there the rest of my life. While they're known best for their innovations in running shoes, top-dollar endorsements of the best athletes in the world, and most recently, their social media integrations - I've always liked their Nike Women offerings.

Getting back on my Gym Jones routine has me wanting every piece from their spring/summer '12 collection to keep me fly during my workouts. If you're looking to update your workout wardrobe and want to add some variety beyond your basics, check out the cuts, colors and fabrics in some of my favorite pieces below:

Peep all the looks over at the Made by Nike Tumblr

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Sitting Pretty in Shopbop Spring Dresses (+ Giveaway!)

Along with a new season comes spring fashion shows, graduations and other fun special events to fancy up and dance the night away. Interestingly enough, Shopbop's bridesmaid dresses are great whether you're part of a wedding party or not. These sweet numbers are sure to light up any a wedding, cocktail reception, fancy dinner party or dance floor. 

Strapless dress // V-neck suede dress - see all Jenni Kayne dresses

Silk dress with draped chiffon sleeves // One-shoulder gown w/embroidered detail dress
See all Marchesa Notte dresses

BCBG Max Azria Fei Fei dress

Thread Organza one-shoulder dress

Alice+Olivia Side Drape Dress

Need a special occasion dress of your own? You're in luck! I've got a $100 Shopbop gift card to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me where you'd wear one of these lovely frocks.

Extra points if you:

1) Fan Shopbop on Facebook

2) Leave me a comment with a link to your favorite Shopbop bridesmaid dress selection

I'll draw a winner on Friday, April 6th at 6:00p.m. PDT. 

Good luck! Happy spring shopping!

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Vision Boards: Keeping Your Goals in Sight

Vision boards are a powerful way to keep your goals and ambitions top-of-mind. It's always very humbling when people ask me how I stay on top of it all, and I'm quick to tell them that I have to work really hard to stay focused on what I want to accomplish. It's super easy to lose sight of our goals, and super tough to figure out how to balance our day-to-day responsibilities with the steps needed to reach the goals we set out for ourselves.

Inspired by Jammie (@VAFashionGirl)'s post on making vision boards for the new year, and prompted further by my friend & art director Byron Gronseth, I made a couple of vision boards in January. One for my goals for the year, and one for my blog. Here they are below:

In both, I put plenty of images of strong, confident women, bold colors and words to motivate me. I decided to go the old-school vision boarding route so I could hang these in my closet, where I'll see them every day when I'm picking out my outfit. 

I strongly encourage you to make a vision board whenever you feel unproductive, uninspired or need something to get your mind back to the goals you want to accomplish in life. You can cut & paste out of old magazines like I did, or take your vision boards online via Pinterest or Polyvore. Oprah even has a few tips for you in making a great vision board here.

If you do make one (or have already), I'd love to see them! Leave me a comment with a link.

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Get Your Coachella Wardrobe Ready!

I had so much fun at Coachella last year, and definitely recommend it if you're a big fan of the artists on the bill. This year's festival is just three years away, and my girl Andrea over at SkinnyPurse has a few of her favorite Coachella-inspired looks from ThreadSence's latest lookbook. 

Check out the rest of Andrea's faves over at SkinnyPurse!

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West Seattle Junction's Annual Fashion Spring Fling - March 29th

The West Seattle Junction's annual Fashion Spring Fling is coming, next Thursday, March 29th!

Head to any of the participating boutiques to pick up a punch card, then make your way to the others to fill out your punch card. No purchase necessary, but there will be some sweet deals, door prizes, sparkling wine and treats at each of the boutiques to usher in spring. When your card is full, you can redeem them at West 5 for a complimentary glass of sparkling wine.

Attendees are asked to bring a donation to the West Seattle Food Bank to help those in need.

Carmilia’s: 4528 California Ave SW
Clementine: 4447 California Ave SW
Edie’s: 4310 SW Alaska Street
Sweetie: 4508 California Avenue Southwest
West 5: 4539 California Ave. SW

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Fresh Jess for Market Publique (+ Happy 1000!)

This is my 1000th post! Thanks to my friends & family who told me to keep going after the first 25 posts, and for readers new and old alike! I'm still having a blast writing for you. If there's anything you want to see on Fresh Jess, please let me know.

With that said, I'm happy to announce I'll also be guest blogging for Market Publique, the online vintage marketplace. I'm a longtime fan and shopper of MP, so it won't be much of a stretch to write about what I'm shopping for. On Market Publique's blog, I'll highlight current pieces and sellers in the marketplace alongside current trends and styles in the fashion world.

I'm so excited to start writing for MP and hope you'll join me there too! You'll see my first post go up later this week. In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite pieces in the shops right now. Get 'em while they're hot!

Not sure if I can pull off high-waisted cigarette pants - but I'm willing to try!

Big red sunnies

I see this leopard print crop top making its way into day and night outfits!

A vintage Christian Dior pastel turban!

DOLLA DOLLA BILL Y'ALL

This boho maxi skirt is the business. Love that print!

60s mod mohair overcoat

Because I can never get enough plaid or high-waisted shorts

Love this sweatshirt

This velvet black Victorian coat is from the freaking '30s. Still amazing!

To many more posts and fun experiences ahead! 

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