CMA Awards 2013 Fashion: Goodbye Cowboy Boots, Hello High-Heels

Not only were all eyes on some of the night's most outstanding winners, but many of country music's most prestigious women also stole the show with their elegant fashion choices at the 2013 Country Music Association Awards last Wednesday night. Many of our favorite country stars ditched their cowboy boots and slipped on a pair of their hottest heels for Nashville's big night. So, which women of country music undoubtedly seemed to steal the show? Let's find out.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Naturally, Carrie Underwood rocked just about every outfit she wore. From short and long to sequins and metallic, Carrie styled it all. She even threw in an interesting hippie look with a sparkly headband, crop top, and jeweled, high-waisted jeans, while her partner-in-crime, Brad Paisley, dressed in a black and white pin-stiped suit. At this point in the show, Carrie told Brad, "You kind of look like a referee going to prom." Brad ignored the jab and handed her a foam claw imprinted with her husband's hockey team, the Nashville Predators', logo. Carrie shouted, "Let's go Predators!" Brad's comeback, as he looked over the foam hand, was,"I don't think Miley done it that way." Apparently this explains their unique fashion of choice for this particular comedy-skit. Anyways, as we would all expect, Carrie flawlessly pulled off all of her ensembles on Wednesday night. The top picture displays four of her many wardrobe changes of the night, including the outfit with the foam hand. My personal favorite was her red carpet look, a stunning and heavily-embellished Ralph and Russo gown. 

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Another one of country music's most favorite blonde bombshells, Miranda Lambert, looked radiant in this low-cut, royal blue Roberto Cavalli gown. Not only did Miranda score Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2013 CMA's, she definitely won me over as one of the best dressed of the night. To the left, Kellie Pickler sure made a head-turning fashion statement with a black George Chakra couture gown, which clearly showed off her silhouette to perfection. 

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Sugarland star, Jennifer Nettles (far left), was dressed to impress in a Naeem Khan V-front gown. This lovely garment was from Naeem Khan's Resort 2014 collection. In the right picture, Taylor Swift styles a classier look in a big, bold gown by designer Elie Saab. Taylor picked up the Pinnacle Award at this year's 47th annual CMA Awards. This award was created to honor an "artist who has achieved both national and international prominence through concert performances and record sales at levels unique in country music," according to the Country Music Association. Taylor, preceding Garth Brooks from 2005, is only the second performer ever to receive the Country Music Association's Pinnacle Award, and what better way to look elegant doing so. 

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Speaking of elegance, Sheryl Crow (far right) dressed in a simple, yet elegant Ralph Lauren gown at Wednesday night's awards show. The black halter dress, consisting of a gold embellished neckline, fit this 51-year-old's frame beautifully. Kimberly Perry (left picture), of The Band Perry, posed in a Johanna Johnson cap-sleeved gown with floral embellishment. Coupled with a simple up-do, Kimberly definitely looked exquisite in her off-white gown and Swarovski clutch. 

Of course, as always, there are the stars who didn't quite make the "best dressed list" of the red carpet. Here are some of the other fashion hit and misses from Wednesday night's 47th annual CMA Awards. Also, did you happen to miss the show from Wednesday or just want to watch it again? There is still hope! Thanks to the wonderful world of social media, you can watch the entire 2013 CMA Awards at ABC's website or by clicking on this link! http://watchabc.go.com/the-47th-annual-cma-awards/SH55152460/VDKA0_7robmrvy/the-47th-annual-cma-awards-part-1

Lastly, it wouldn't be the CMA Awards if co-hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood didn't dig up the most talked about news of the year and convert it into a mini-comedy scene. Watch Brad and Carrie's opening act for 9 minutes of guaranteed, non-stop laughter!

The Textures, Patterns, and Colors of Scarves

My go-to look for the unbearable, arctic months of fall and winter is definitely scarves. If you refer back to a previous post of mine on "34 Unique Ways to Wear a Scarf" this fall and winter season, this post is going to take a slightly different turn on scarves. Not only are there an abundant amount of ways to wear/tie them, but there are a plethora of textures, patterns, and colors as well. You can dress up an outfit with scarves, you can dress an outfit down, or you can simply wear them for warmth in the brisk fall and winter months of the Midwest.  

Photo Credit: www.etsy.com

My personal favorite this year are the oversized, crocheted scarves. Not only do these warm you up, but they have the ability to add color and a unique texture to your attire as well. Pairing it with an oversized sweater will definitely hinder the nip in the air from reaching you. Plus, how much comfier could an oversized sweater and crocheted scarf get?? Check out the helpful video at the end of this blog post to see how you can crochet your very own scarf this season! 
Get this exact oversized, crocheted scarf here- http://www.etsy.com/listing/126178195/oversized-scarf-oversized-chunky?ref=sr_gallery_14&ga_search_query=oversized+scarf&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_ref=auto5&ga_search_type=all

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Patterned scarves are also a fun way to spiff up any outfit. There are thousands upon thousands of patterns out there to choose from that can be easily coordinated with any wardrobe. The cheetah/leopard pattern, in particular, has been a huge hit the last couple years and it looks like it will continue to be a trend this year as well. To the right are a few examples of the endless amounts of patterns that can be worn. One valuable piece of advice is to coordinate a print that picks up a color in the outfit you are wearing. If the prints on your scarf and outfit mismatch, your outfit could potentially appear too "gaudy."
Polyvore Scarves- http://www.polyvore.com/scarves/shopcategory_id=105

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Colors, colors, and more colors- another ultimate way to perk up your outfit with a scarf. Whether you choose a solid pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, or a mixture of them all, colored scarves have fabulous potential make an outfit go from bland to bright! If choosing to wear a multi-colored scarf, one tip is to make sure to keep your clothes simple as you do not want your scarf and outfit to look too disproportionate of one another. By choosing wisely, scarves have the ability to add the perfect pop of color to any outfit!
Shop Colored Scarves Here- http://www.scarves.net/trend/solid-color.html  

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Whether incorporating an oversized, crocheted scarf with a comfy sweater, styling a printed scarf, or matching a colored scarf to a simple outfit, scarves are the ideal layering accessory this fall and winter season (as the picture to the right displays). Like I said, they can effortlessly make your outfit look chic AND keep you warm at the same time. What more could a girl ask for??

Now, check out this fun video on how you can crochet your very own infinity scarf!

Top 3 Inspiring Fashion Bloggers of 2013

Beginning with my first blog post back in September, I mentioned how vital social media is in 2013. The interactive social system, known as Web 2.0, is one of the primary ways people do their shopping now-a-days. Not only are people shopping online, they are following their star influencers, doing business, keeping up with the latest news and gossip, and doing much more on social media. Bloggers, for instance, are some of the most innovative and up-to-date people on the Internet in today's world. The style tips and fashion knowledge of fashion bloggers, in particular, successfully reaches an immerse audience and users of social media cannot get enough of their stylish fashion and beauty tips. With that said, I am going to name my pick for the top three fashion bloggers of 2013 who have influenced me. In no particular order...

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1. Emily Maynard: fashionista from Season 8 of ABC's The Bachelorette and Season 15 of The Bachelor. Emily is always "dressed to a T" and never fails to be on top of the latest fashion trends. Her impeccable fashion sense is extremely inspiring and I guarantee that thousands of women around the world would give anything to own that closet of hers. So, join Emily's blog, follow her on Twitter (@EmilyMaynard), and "like" her Facebook page to be a part of her admirable fashion sense. 
Emily Maynard's Fashion and Beauty Blog- http://emilymaynard.com/ 
Emily Maynard's Jewelry Collection- http://emilymaynard.com/shop-the-collection

Photo Credit: Pinterest

2. Lauren Conrad: star of MTV's 2004 hit show, Laguna Beach, and MTV's 2006 hit show, The Hills. Lauren claimed her fame from her presence on these two reality shows, but now-a-days, she is an exceptional author and an even more exceptional fashion designer. She has a thriving blog consisting of not only the latest fashion trends, but also beauty tips, tips on getting fit, decorating ideas, and even crafting activities. In fall 2009, Lauren collaborated with Kohl's to launch her second fashion line "LC Lauren Conrad." Since then, her fashion line has been very successful. Lauren is well-known, well-liked, and just an overall inspiring role model for women all around the world. I admit that I was #TeamLC all the way and I was THAT girl who religiously watched her on all of MTV's reality shows. I am sure many of you reading this are just as guilty as I am! With that said, join Lauren's blog, follow her on Twitter (@LaurenConrad), "like" her Facebook page, buy her books, and shop her chic fashion line here: LC Lauren Conrad.

Lauren Conrad's Blog- http://laurenconrad.com/
Lauren Conrad's Books- L.A. Candy (#1 in Series), Sweet Little Lies (#2 in Series), and Sugar and Spice (#3 in Series)

Photo Credit: www.jamiefleetwood.com

3. Jamie Fleetwood: a young, midwestern girl from Iowa. I just recently followed her blog as a friend of mine mentioned how trendy of a fashion sense she has. And let me tell you, her style is indeed flawless. Since I started my fashion blog two short months ago, I have been inspired to search for other fashion blogs on social media. When I found Jamie's, I felt close to home knowing that a young girl in her 20's from a small-town in Iowa has thrived from her fashion tips and gained a large and dedicated audience doing so. It is always fun to find someone other than your average celebrity who has flourished on social media. I strongly recommend following her blog for an upscale Iowan's outlook on modern fashion! 

Jamie Fleetwood's Blog- http://www.jamiefleetwood.com/

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Emily Maynard, Lauren Conrad, and Jamie Fleetwood are only three of the many fashion and beauty bloggers who have inspired me so far on my own blogging journey. I'm sure their closets are the epitome of every woman's "dream closet," like in the picture on the left, for example, but a girl can dream right? So, thanks to the Web 2.0 and social media, we have the advantage to do endless amounts of activities on the Internet in this day and age. I highly encourage all of you readers to follow these three fashion bloggers in order to boost your fashion and beauty morale, gain some of the most credible fashion and beauty tips, and work your way up to that dream Pinterest closet that you are all yearning for!