I have included a couple of tops, blazers, and bags to help you out.

Yes, the Gucci bag will make most of us drool! Mostly because .. it’s GUCCI! BUT we don’t all want to spend $2000 on a bag right now. So, steal the look with the Steven by Steve Madden ‘Janine’ bag. It’s almost guilt-free!

Bags in this observation:

Walking to the pool should look as good as when you get there. The Rachel Pally maxi dress is the perfect resort piece. You can wear it as a cover-up, to lunch, and even onto shopping. The bathing suit is cut to accentuate your waist. The knot detail draws the eye in, and creates a lovely silhouette. Pair it with a Mod pair of sandals, silver with pink detail adds sparkle. Some people shy away from metallics, but they can bring light to an outfit – when done properly. The Miss Marc tote is sheer fun, is youthful, and ties the outfit together. It’s such a relief when you pack pieces that can work in situations throughout the vacation. Now, slap a little self-tanner on your pasty legs, and you’ll be ready to go!

Resort pieces in this observation:

It’s the flush in your cheeks, the sparkle in your eye, and the flutter in your heart that reveals the rarity of true love. Pink plays well with passion. It’s feminine and flirty, with warmth that will make you glow. It’s not just any pink though. It’s a burnt pink. A pink that’s not as bright as fuschia, and not quite as heated as hot-pink. It’s subtle, alluring, and practically made to intrigue. Pull it out before Valentine’s day, if you want to secure a date. Or wear it to make your honey’s pupils grow to the size of quarters when you walk in on Valentine’s day. I know, it sounds manipulative – but it’s much more enticing and less obvious than lingerie. Although, it’s a double whammy if you wear lingerie underneath it. That’s almost unfair to the poor guy … he’ll be babbling.

Passionate pieces in this observation:

Look #1 – Flirty and feminine. You can wear this outfit from the office to dinner without skipping a beat. The pieces in this look are all under $130.00

Sale items in this observation:

Look #2 Classic. Keep an eye out for basic pieces that are on sale. You’ll get your money’s worth on those items, because they will be in your closet for years. The pieces in this look are all under $109.00

Sale items in this Classic observation:

Look 3: flash forward. Search the sales for items that you can wear in the coming season. A cover-up, bathing suit, and beach tote are good investments. If you can get them for a deal – go for it! The swimsuit pieces are both under $10, the Cover-up is under $50, and the tote is under $250.

Summer sale pieces in this observation:

Let the sun shine in! A great way to chase away the gray is with a pop of color. Yellow is an especially happy color, and will lighten up your face. I like this coat because it’s classic but bold. It’s color is grounded with a brown faux fur hood and brown buttons. So, you can easily pair it with your winter colors. It will look great over charcoal, brown, navy, and green. So, let all the other girls fade into the crowd – be the one who stands out.

Items in this observation:

Running around the city on your day off can be a bit gritty – It’s down right sloppy in the winter. The beautiful white snow turns black almost the instant it hits the ground. So, you’re not exactly pounding the pavement in your winter whites. Black is easy. When done well, it reads modern and sleek. The Michael by Michael Kors puffer coat can be worn with a number of different outfits. It can be sporty with a pair of studio pants, or be more dressy with a pair of wool pants. The studio pants read relaxed, but they are not sloppy. You want to stay away from wearing slouchy sweatpants out and about. Instead of an old t-shirt, try a simple sweater in a bright color. It’s more refined that the basic tee. Finish the look off with a cool pair of sneakers. You’re ready to face whatever your day dishes out for you.

Sporty pieces in this observation:

Yes, it’s always my New Year’s promise to myself to get organized. However, it never lasts long. As the mother of two boys, three dogs, wife extraordinaire, CEO of my own company, and author of this fabulous blog … my tote bag takes on an ATLAS type role. It holds my entire world. However, sometimes the things that go in my bag never make it out. YIKES! That, is no way to do business. I’m thinking I have to bite the bullet and buy a Butler bag. I’ve tried the method of sectioning my things into separate bags within my tote, but that just becomes a giant mess of bags that I can’t remember which bag holds what. The Butler organizes for you, it has compartments so that your tote isn’t a never ending deep dark hole. I’m guessing when the phone rings I won’t have to dump my entire bag out onto the floor just to find my phone. They have a ton of styles, but my eye goes immediately for a pop of patent. So maybe this year I will keep it all together – fingers crossed.

Butler Bag in this observation:

Holiday weight gain happens to almost everyone, but don’t worry it will level out in a few weeks. So, to get you through this time we have some simple tips.

1. Wear wider, trouser cut pants – Just because you can zip your “skinny” pants doesn’t mean it’s OK to wear them. If they are tight, or pulling, they will make you look like you’ve gained more weight than you actually have. Go with a more relaxed style, but don’t go baggy or sloppy. You want to maintain structure, just don’t go too tight.

2. Wear a blousen top. Belt it if you want to show more curves. Avoid going for the super-tight t-shirt or sweater.

3. A longer cardigan will elongate you, and make you look slimmer. However, don’t over-layer. You don’t want to pile on the clothing to try to hide the weight – just slightly mask it for a bit.

Basically, you don’t want to wear clothing that will make you feel bad about your weight. Give yourself a break from self-loathing for a few weeks. Let you’re body get back into it’s normal routine, and with a little exercise, you’ll be back before you know it.

Items in this observation:

New Year’s to me is like the first day of school. It’s a fresh start, a clean sheet of paper – time to get organized. The place that always seems to fall apart the fastest, is my handbag. No matter how hard I try, it inevitably looks like it’s been ransacked by thieves. This year, 2009 will be different! I’m going to buy myself an organizer/journal that fits nicely in my bag, so I can actually takes notes in one place. As opposed to my current system, which consists of writing on the back of old receipts. I’m also going to buy a new wallet with plenty of compartments. That way, everything will have a home instead of being jammed in one place. I’m going to put my make-up in a travel size make-up bag instead of trying to find it at the bottom of the endless pit (my tote). My phone, which always finds the one place in my bag that I don’t look, will live in a Fabrix case and I will always be able to find it. Oh… and I’m planning on buying a really pretty pair of shoes on sale – that has nothing to do with organizing – just sheer pleasure. Let’s do it! This is the year I’m going to keep my bag organized for more than a few days!

Organizational tools in this observation: