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Friday, January 29, 2016

Flat lay favorites: Gingham top remix

I'm switching it up a bit today and sharing my random roundup in the form of flat lays. As I was trying to pull together a group of outfits to post, I realized a common theme: this gingham button up. It's definitely a staple in my closet, and I consider it a neutral. Much like stripes, it adds instant interest to an outfit, and the pattern mixes well with other prints. Need to see it to believe it?

Jacket: Express | Necklace: Kendra Scott (gifted) | Sweater: American Eagle | Bag: Clare V (other colors and prints HERE) | Top: JCrew Factory | Bottoms: American Eagle | Booties: Sole Society
READ MORE... "Flat lay favorites: Gingham top remix"

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Berry and Camel

Sunnies: Ray Ban | Necklace: Kendra Scott (gifted) | Bag: The Clothes Line Boutique (option) | Jacket: Express (similar) | Sweater: Banana Republic (option) | Bracelet: Paperdolls Boutique (c/o) | Skirt: Express | Heels: Vince Camuto

I'm all about my neutrals this week. Yes, I consider berry a neutral. It just goes with all the things. And I forget that neutrals pair perfectly together. I really loved the way this entire combo turned out. Pretty effortless and just as comfy as wearing jammies. 
READ MORE... "Berry and Camel"

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Change of plans

Necklaces: CS Gems (c/o) (option HERE) | Bag: Chloe (other colors here) | Cardigan: CS Gems (c/o) (use code CARYLEE15 for 15% off!) | Top: bp. | Bracelet: Paperdolls Boutique (c/o) | Leggings: bp. | Booties: Cole Haan

So, I'm a little bummed because I should be in Florida right now having dinner with Rachelle, Charnele, and Daphnee tonight. The husband has a business trip there this week, and I was going to tag along using his Southwest companion pass (i.e. for free), do some work from the hotel room while he was at his meetings, then have dinner with the three beauties in the evening! Well, long story short, but his plans kept changing and it was no longer feasible for him to fly Southwest, which all of a sudden made dinner quite the investment having to pay for a pricey plane ticket. I was bummed.
READ MORE... "Change of plans"

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Kendra Scott launch event: Spring Collection 2016

"Kaplan" statement necklace

Last Wednesday, I had the pleasure of attending a launch event for the Kendra Scott spring collection. I always get really excited to go to these events because the Kendra Scott gals are always so much fun, and HELLO, so much eye candy in the form of jewelry! This collection certainly made me more excited for warmer temps and cooler colors!
READ MORE... "Kendra Scott launch event: Spring Collection 2016"

Monday, January 25, 2016

Three

Sunnies: Gucci | Jacket: J.CrewNecklace: Kendra Scott (c/o) | Rings: Kendra ScottCamera Bag: Lo&Sons | Top: bp. | Bottoms: Express | Booties: Dolce Vita

Today is a little bit special on the blog. I'm celebrating my three year blogiversary! It was technically on Saturday, but I figured I would make today the official celebration! For year one, I had a photographer friend take photos of me re-wearing some of my favorite outfits from that first year. For year two, I wore all of my most favorite and special pieces. I was once again stumped with what to do for year three. I decided to do what I've been doing best this year and style some basics, throw on an amazing jacket, and find an interesting photo spot!
READ MORE... "Three"

Friday, January 22, 2016

Buying lately

Buying lately 1/16
Clockwise from top left: Field jacket: J.Crew | Stripe sweater: Trouve | Fitbits: ChargeHR, Zip | Dress: Bailey 44 (shop more Bailey 44 dresses HERE) | Hoodie: Paige (shop more Paige HERE) | Sweatshirt: Private Party (shop more Private Party products HERE) | Leggings: bp.

Happy Friday! I haven't done one of these shopping posts in awhile, so I figured I was due! Sadly, I feel like this isn't "a lot" of shopping considering my normal volume! But it's still probably way more than the average person. Ha! It's the weird part of the season where I'm not really interested in buying anymore winter stuff, but I'm not quite ready for spring either. And let's face it, I don't NEED anything. Regardless, here's what's been recently delivered or on their way to me as we speak!
READ MORE... "Buying lately"

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Random roundup: The Gina edition

Nope, sorry, it's not Friday, it's only Thursday! But I wanted to adjust my blog schedule because TODAY IS GINA'S BIRTHDAY! Last year I had the pleasure of having a virtual coffee date with her, and I struggled with what to do this year because that was a hard post to top! I set the bar too high too soon! Well, I decided to give her what she likes best on her birthday - a good old random roundup post. But instead of showing my traditional front view selfies, I may as well share these in the format she has perfected - the top down selfie. I've also hand picked outfits that I felt she would wear herself with a few adjustments here and there. Enjoy!

Jacket: Express (other colors HERE) | Necklace: Vince Camuto | Top: H&M | Bottoms: Express | Shoes: Vince Camuto

Gina has this moto jacket in a few colors, and she likes olive, so I would like to think she would wear this. Except, I would venture to think she would opt for a scoop neck or her striped Barcelona cami with layered necklaces instead of this mock turtleneck. Swap the heels for her leopard wedges, and I do believe this outfit would be Gina ready!
READ MORE... "Random roundup: The Gina edition"

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

The poncho that didn't fit… at first

Sunnies: Gucci | Necklace: Kendra Scott | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff | Poncho: Grace and Lace | Top: bp. | Leggings: Express (option) | Boots: Vince Camuto (option)

Lately I've had a huge crush on ponchos, and I fell in love with this one the second I saw it online. I loved that the print was mixed with navy instead of black. I also loved the cowl neck and the chunky texture. It was backordered for a bit, but arrived last Friday and I was super excited to try it on. Based on how it looked on the model, I didn't think it would be *that* long on me. Long, but not ridiculous.
READ MORE... "The poncho that didn't fit… at first"

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Layers on layers

Sunnies: Gucci (shop Gucci sunnies HERE) | Scarf: JCrew Factory (option) (shop more stripe scarves HERE) | Vest: Bernardo | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff | Sweater: JCrew (option, option) (shop more sweatshirts HERE) | Chambray: Rubbish (option) | Bottoms: Express | Shoes: New Balance (more sizes here)

We woke up to the faintest dusting of snow on the ground on Sunday, it was nice, but man, it was so freaking cold! I'm not complaining because you know I've been wishing for snow. Plus, I'm a layer addict, so this weather is my jam! I was going through my closet over the weekend trying to plan outfits for the week, and I got really excited seeing this sweatshirt - I totally forgot I had it, and it's definitely one of my absolute favorites in my collection!
READ MORE... "Layers on layers"

Monday, January 18, 2016

Hello Monday: Nautical + the jacket find

Sunnies: Gucci | Earrings: Stella and Dot | Scarf: Charming Charlie (c/o) | Bag: Charming Charlie (c/o) | Jacket: Coach (found at Here Today) | Ring: House of HarlowBottoms: Express (option) | Booties: Joie

Last week, a representative from Here Today reached out to me about a potential collaboration. I love supporting local businesses, but I also want to make sure these partnerships are a good fit for the blog and are places I would shop whether the collaboration happened or not. Before I let her know either way if I was interested, I visited one over the weekend so I could experience it all for myself.
READ MORE... "Hello Monday: Nautical + the jacket find"

Friday, January 15, 2016

Random roundup

Scarf: The Fashion Lane (c/o) | Jacket: Express (option) | Top: ExpressBottoms: American Eagle | Booties: Dolce Vita

Well, the second work week of 2016 is under our belts... at least almost! Only 50 more to go! Ha! I can't think of it that way, that sounds scary! This week was quite a productive one though. My bathroom remodel is going awesome! Paint will be done today and then all the good stuff can start happening! I also have three trips booked already this year - end of January, end of April, end of May! So exciting!
READ MORE... "Random roundup"

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Wishing for snow

Jacket: JCrew | Earrings: Stella and DotScarf: The Fashion Lane (c/o) (other colors here) | Sweatshirt: Culture Flock (similar, tee shirt version here) | Bottoms: American Eagle | Boots: Sorel (other colors here)

I grew up in San Antonio where there was really only one season. Ok, two seasons - hot and hotter. Shortly after college, I moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan and that was quite the culture shock to say the least. Culture and weather. Summers in Michigan were my favorite - they are absolutely gorgeous and the temperature is perfect with little to no humidity. Winter, on the other hand, was pretty intense. It was great having all four seasons, though winter definitely dominated the other three.
READ MORE... "Wishing for snow"

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Purples

Sunnies: Gucci (option) | Scarf: Express (option) | Jacket: JCrew Factory (similar) | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff (smaller version HERE) (shop other "Love" style bags HERE) | Sweater: Banana Republic | Lace trim tank: Grace and Lace (in taupe) | Bottoms: Express (option) | Booties: Me Too

I need more purple in my life. I just do. I always forget how much I love it until I wear it again. I just never think to buy it or look for it. But last week when I was randomly shopping New Year's sales, I found this jumbo Rebecca Minkoff bag for 60% off. The price was unbeatable and the color was so saturated and gorgeous. I could not resist it. It showed up this weekend and I immediately had to wear it. That's when I rediscovered these purple booties in my closet. Whoops! But they're gorgeous, too!
READ MORE... "Purples"

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

How to tie a square blanket scarf

Scarf: Zara (similar here)

I've shared a couple of scarf tutorials on the blog already - you can catch one here along with a follow up video here. However, that method is strictly for rectangular scarves. Despite how prevalent blanket scarves are, I consistently get asked how I tie mine. Tying square scarves is even easier than tying the rectangular ones. And since the tutorials I've previously shared are specific to rectangular ones, I thought I'd go ahead and do a square tutorial of my own. There is one step I do that keeps my scarves neat and in place that other tutorials seem leave out, so hopefully you're able to learn something new with this post.
READ MORE... "How to tie a square blanket scarf"

Monday, January 11, 2016

Hello Monday: Improvising


Scarf: Zara (similar) (shop other scarves HERE) | Vest: JCrew Factory (option) (shop other vests HERE) | Top: Pulse STL | Leggings: Express (shop more leggings HERE) | Boots: Vince Camuto (option) (shop other over the knee boots HERE)

This weekend, some winter weather officially blew in, and while we didn't get all the snow I was hoping for, the temperatures plummeted. The wind chill was in the negatives, and it was windy and physically painful to be outside. That leaves quite a dilemma when it comes to taking outfit photos. I wish I could say I had a backlog of photos for times like these, but I do not. So, I improvised. I resorted to taking photos inside and figured I would try and make it a little more purposeful. You've already seen my closet room in all its glory HERE, but now you can see it (and me) in action! 
READ MORE... "Hello Monday: Improvising"

Friday, January 8, 2016

Fail and fix

Necklace: Bauble BarJacket: H&M (option, option) | Top: JCrew | Bag: Express (option) | Bottoms: Express (option) | Boots: Vince Camuto

I have a quick post for you guys today. I've been meaning to share this with you after I had a text convo with Gina about this jacket and a couple of variations of this outfit I put together. Then, Kristi left me a comment on one of my photos this week, and that reminded me once again that I needed to share this!
READ MORE... "Fail and fix"

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Bathroom remodel

Existing photo of my bathroom
(that pocket door leads to a walk-in closet which connects to my closet room)
(Yes, my closet room has a closet)

We had so many projects going on the week between Christmas and the New Year. We ordered a new recliner for the living room. We had new carpet installed in the basement living room. We were supposed to have the carpet removed in the sunroom and replaced with tile, but when the carpet was pulled up, the installers found like-new tile underneath! (The same tile pictured in the bathroom photo above, actually.) So, we just needed the old carpet discarded and all the glue from the tack strips removed from the perimeter tile. (Luckily we were able to return all the new tile we had bought.) On top of all this, for Christmas, my father in law is volunteering his own labor to remodel my bathroom.
READ MORE... "Bathroom remodel"

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

The pullover sweater obsession

Sunnies: TOMS | Scarf: Charming Charlie | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff | Sweater: Gap | Tunic: Express (Grace and Lace option here) | Fleece lined leggings: The Fashion Lane | Boots: DV Dolce Vita (option)

Last week in between the holidays, the husband and I finally downloaded both Netflix and Hulu. We spent the bulk of New Year's Eve watching The Mindy Project. I bought one of her books, Why Not Me, to read on the long, direct flight to Orange County. I'm a handful of pages from finishing it, which is huge because I haven't read a book in its entirety since I started blogging three years ago. So sad, right? I've developed a bit of a girl crush on her, so I definitely wanted to start watching her show also. I'm only halfway through the first season but I'm hooked! Anyway, I tell you this because now the husband has me into this documentary on Netflix called "Making a Murderer" and I'm just not used to getting into anything on TV other than baseball. 2016 has changed me, y'all!
READ MORE... "The pullover sweater obsession"

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Layers

Sunnies: TOMS | Earrings: Kendra Scott (option) | Scarf: Nordstrom | Necklace: Kendra Scott (c/o) (option) | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff | Jacket: Express | Button up: Express (other colors here) | Tee: Style Girl Boutique (c/o) | Ring: Rebecca Minkoff (option here and here) | Bottoms: Gap | Boots: Naya (Naturalizer brand)

After a random hot spell, and record breaking rain, it's finally feeling like winter again, which means I can pile on the layers. I've found that several light layers are just as warm, if not more so, than a heavy coat. And then once you add the blanket scarf, you're basically ready for a blizzard. Ok, perhaps that's an exaggeration, but a blanket scarf can get you quite hot really fast!
READ MORE... "Layers"

Monday, January 4, 2016

Hello Monday: Celebrating 2015

Sunnies: TOMS | Necklace: Bauble Bar | Bag: Tory Burch (option) | Tee: Old Navy (option) | Jacket: ExpressBottoms: American Eagle | Heels: SJP

Happy 2016! Not only is it a new year, but I'm approaching my third blog anniversary, and all of that just blows my mind! In the past, I've done a couple of resolution type posts, but reading back on them the following year always made me feel so bad about myself if any resolution was not fulfilled. Rather than focus on the negative or set myself up for failure by creating new resolutions, I decided to reflect back on 2015, but in a positive light. I'm sharing some highlights of 2015 and I hope you'll read on!
READ MORE... "Hello Monday: Celebrating 2015"

Friday, January 1, 2016

Dillard's Extra 50% off New Year's Day sale

Happy New Year! I've been awake for less than an hour in 2016 and I've already acquired 4 new pairs of shoes. All for the price of one pair! Dillard's New Year's Day sale is my second favorite sale to shop each year, second to the infamous Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! I've shopped it the last 4 years, and am always able to find stuff at ridiculously cheap prices. Shipping can be slow but worth it for the prices. Last year I got my Vince Camuto over the knee boots, original $250 for less than $100. This year, I bought 4 pairs of pumps, 3 of which were in styles I already owned and knew worked for me, all ranging in the $29-$41 range. Crazy! I've linked to them below and also threw in some of the other things that had me tempted. 

There are a ton of other things on sale outside of shoes, but obviously, you know where my heart is, and for the sake of time and sizes selling out, I'm focusing only on footwear at the moment! Happy shopping! Let me know what you buy!
READ MORE... "Dillard's Extra 50% off New Year's Day sale"