Necklace: Charming Charlie (c/o) | Bag: 3.1 Phillip Lim (shop other colors HERE) | Top:JCrew Factory | Bracelet: JCrew (shop other cuff bracelets HERE) | Bottoms:Gap | Sandals:Sperry (option, option) (shop traditional Sperry style shoes HERE)
The first day of spring started with snow flurries. Well, I'm putting my fingers in my ears and saying "lalalalalalala" because I'm totally in denial that it's freezing outside! What's funny is that I really don't think winter was as harsh as some of the past years, but for whatever reason, I'm craving spring style SO bad. Brights like this top and these skinnies are getting me through this residual cooler weather.
If you saw yesterday's post, it was all about my shopping list for Black Fridayweek and what I had my eye on. If you noticed, there were no Express items on that list! That's because Gina summarized my wish list items in her post HERE. I honestly wasn't planning on posting anything else until after my Black Fridayweek purchases were complete, but then Jenna said she was waiting to see some outfit collages from me of all the things she needed from Express! I figured she may not be the only one with this request, so here is YOUR shopping list post! For the sake of time, I am only linking to those items I know are available and on sale, so if there is something I have not linked to that you'd like to know more about - please let me know, and I'm happy to dish the product info!
Well, it is officially fall, can you believe it? Because I can't. I was super excited to wear leggings and a lightweight scarf this week, but by yesterday, we were back into the upper 80s. Such a tease! Luckily, many of these looks I have rounded up for you are nice transitional outfits for fall. Speaking of which, if you missed my big fall wardrobe post, be sure to check it out here!
Ok then, let's get started because it's going to be a busy weekend for me!
My weekend festivities officially start at 5:15 this afternoon. We have the rehearsal dinner tonight and then we're meeting at the salon at 8:45 tomorrow morning for hair and makeup! The ceremony is in the afternoon, then we party bus it all day until the reception at night! I'm exhausted thinking about it, but also seriously excited because I know it will be so much fun! Follow along on Snapchat if you'd like - carylee07! Have a great weekend!
Oh my goodness, guys! Sorry for the radio silence today! I only had my Monday and Tuesday posts pre-written over the weekend, and when it came time to try and write this post last night, it was not happening. Needless to say the birthday festivities were a success, but it was probably just a wee bit much wine for a Tuesday evening, and I was dragging this morning! All I have on my agenda after I write this post is curling up in my chair and napping! I will have to share all the remaining details about my birthday celebrations (including gifts!) in another post!
Sunnies: Ray Ban (other colors here) | Earrings: Old Navy | Necklace: Express | Bag: 3.1 Phillip Lim (shop all the colors and sizes HERE and use code "INTHEBAG" for 20% off!) | Top:Express | Skirt: LOFT (option) | Heels: Saint Laurent (other colors here)
When I saw this portofino as I was browsing the Express website, I added it to my cart immediately. It's striped. It's got navy in it. And basically those two reasons are enough. I wanted to style it two ways for you - one a little bit more dressy with the floral lace pencil skirt, and a second look with some distressed denim shorts and flat sandals.
Clearly I love pairing this top with white - it feels more summery when paired with something white or ivory! It will be a great piece in the fall with my quilted ivory vest! Oh! Excited thinking of it!
Alright, that's all the writing I can manage tonight! I promise I will catch up on life here soon! Thanks for all of the sweet birthday wishes! You guys really made my day!!
The things that I've found that I'm lacking in my closet are basic, solid tees. I love my patterns, maybe too much, and sometimes a basic solid is what an outfit needs. I love how they create a blank slate for layers and accessories. When I shop for basics like this, I still look for details that add interest. Basics with a twist. And that pretty much sums up what I love about this easy, lightweight, tissue tee.
I wanted to style it a couple of ways for you, so when I was brainstorming over the weekend, I put together the flat lay above with Jenna's help. She reminded me of my awesome blush colored skinnies that I have, and look how great they work together! I would like to try it with a skirt also or maybe layered over my tank dress - I will have to play around with the silhouette a bit!
What I love about my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale purchases is that they are great on their own or styled with each other. I've been mixing and matching them all week and you can check them out here and here if you've missed those outfits. Today I'm pairing the lightweight tee with these berry colored flats and my new Nadri bangle.
Speaking of Nadri bangles, I posted this photo above on Instagram this weekend. You may remember me talking about them during Black Friday last year. I hadn't ever tried them before, but Jenna introduced me to them, and I loved how well they fit my wrists! Ever since then, I try and buy them at the Rack or whenever else I see them on sale. I couldn't resist taking the family photo above.
Alright well I guess that's enough enabling for one post! :)
Before I get into this post - yesterday, Gina dedicated a post to shopping bans and how a few of us *really* feel about them. Check it out here.
Ok - so, if you've been a long time reader of mine, you already know how much of a big fan I am of Keysocks - you can see my original product review here. It's been about a year and a half later, and I'm still swooning, if not more. As long as I'm wearing pants, Keysocks are the only socks I wear, and I have about 6-8 pairs now in my collection as a result. For me, I don't use them for my pumps and I very rarely wear flats - I've purged the majority of them from my collection because I just don't wear them enough. However, these socks are invaluable to me when I'm wearing sneakers or booties. Seriously, they changed my life.
Keysocks reached out to me to do a product review, not knowing that I was already gaga over them. For the sake of full disclosure, I let them know that I've already done a review on the blog just so they're not sending me free socks I already own. (I mean, I would take them because clearly I love them, but I do want to be new and sincere when I share my reviews with you guys!) I didn't realize they had a new "light" line that are a little thinner and geared more towards spring and summer use! They're eco-friendly also. The soft, lightweight fiber is converted from coffee residue.
Honestly, I don't feel that much difference in the weight of the socks - they do feel a little bit thinner, but I really didn't think that the original style was that thick to begin with and I wore that version year round regardless. But, I am happy to add these to my collection and I do love the lavender and yellow colors that they come in!
As you can see in the photo above, they're a bit visible from the side view, but it's never bothered me because no one will ever be laying on the ground like this staring at my ankles. Plus, you can't see them at all from the front view and they will never ever ever slip off your heel.
Sunnies: Ray Ban | Necklace: Express | Bag: 3.1 Phillip Lim | Top:Express | Bracelet: Express | Bottoms: Express (option) | Shoes:Converse (similar color here) | Socks: Keysocks ℅ (available on Amazon standard here and light here)
Do you all ever have the issue with your skinny pants riding up on your calf and bunching at your knee? Keysocks are the perfect solution for that as well. When you don't have anything between your bare skin and your pant leg, there's no friction barrier to keep your pant legs down and in place. Since Keysocks are knee high, they provide that friction barrier and help minimize this movement to keep your legs looking longer and leaner. I love this before and after example below. The pants on the left are just a little bit cropped, so my Keysocks were too visible to wear them. And you can see how horrible they bunch at my knee as a result. I switched to non-cropped pants so I could wear my Keysocks, and now the bunching is minimal and it makes such a noticeable difference for me. Not to mention I'm not constantly tugging my pant legs back down….
I can't speak more highly of them and it's no wonder they are a best seller on Amazon! I hope this has all been helpful. There are a few things that I swear by, and Keysocks are definitely on that list. I truly could not live without them, especially with all my booties!!!
Well, I hope you don't like the color of this portofino because I couldn't tell ya what color it is! I saw it in store and loved it, but there were a couple other things I loved too that my store didn't have my size. And the line at the registers was hella long, so I decided to place my order online. Which is great, because I ended up paying a whopping $1.48 for two portofinos and a barcelona cami after online discounts and some rewards credits. Woo!
Except, when my order came, the portofino was totally not the same color. I ordered "peach desert" which was the closest one online that matched what I thought I tried on, but it was definitely more orange than pinky coral. Luckily, I was able to do an in store exchange, so no big deal. But outside of sending you a photo of the tag, I couldn't tell you what color it is! My next best guess would be "neon coral" but yeah, I don't know!
I haven't bought regular pants (as in non jeans or non super skinny) in a long time. I decided to take the plunge on these striped pants during Loft's 40% off sale, and I'm happy I did. They're adorable, no?
I've definitely been on a pastel kick lately, but spring is in the air and has swayed my fashion mood for sure!
Spring always has me obsessed with blushes and nudes and I just absolutely love pairing them together. This outfit has a little bit of everything that I am obsessed with at the moment. The colors, my favorite knot tee, distressed bottoms - it's a recipe for outfit success.
I've had this blazer forever and at one point, I almost purged it. But it's the one piece in my wardrobe that always surprises me when I put it on and I realize how much of a staple it truly is. Especially when finishing out an outfit like this!
I feel like I just can't get back into the swing of things as it relates to the blog! Ever since I finished the capsule challenge, I've been excited to settle back into normalcy. Take my photos on the weekend, share my new purchases with you, etc. But between travel, and busy weekends, and travel, and now trying to fight this dumb cold, I just can't quite get back on the horse.
I'm also still in the transition period at work. Everyone keeps asking me how I'm liking my new job, but I'm maybe only dedicating 30% of my time to it, if that. Just when I thought I was almost into it, we lost someone outside of our department, but related to my old position. Since he gave the standard two weeks notice, it wasn't enough time to hire and train a new person so all of his responsibilities were absorbed by my team, which has handcuffed me a bit to my "old" job.
So, just as the weather is in between seasons right now, I'm in this weird in between phase in all areas of life right now!
Well, hello there, and welcome to another edition of Random Roundup! As you read this, I will be en route to Denver, so I hope to have pretty pictures of my trip to share with you next week. For now, here are some outfit selfies that I have accumulated! I will only be linking to the items that are still available!
When I posted this outfit on Instagram, I made a reference to Jordan Catalano because I totally felt like this is a 90's inspired outfit! I can't remember where I was - I think at one of the malls in California over Christmas break, and a girl walked by me in leggings, a denim jacket, and a plaid shirt tied around her waist. I thought about how I've always loved how effortlessly casual the outfit looked, but I cannot remember the last time I tied anything other than a belt around my waist! Running errands one weekend, I figured I would try it, and 90's or not, I still loved it.
I've worn this tee three times already during this #RemixFix2015 challenge, so I thought it would be nice to showcase these looks side by side by side. The fit is really great on the tee - I love that it still looks seamless under the cardigan even though the cardigan isn't a chunky knit. A good graphic tee is certainly a wardrobe staple!
I'm sorry to taunt you with this cardigan. I wish that it were still available because it's pretty amazing, as you can see. And I had purposely picked it for my capsule hoping that it would be available for the duration of the challenge. But alas, it's gone. You can see how else I've worn it below!
I need to wear it with my white skinnies and cognac boots next! Or with a vest layered over it! Or even my army green jacket over it! See! Such a great piece. The possibilities are endless.
The day I wore this outfit, I had a two hour meeting in a conference room where the thermostat literally read 80 degrees. Oh my gosh, I was dying. I took the vest off, but the sweater over the long sleeve FLANNEL was still so hot! In 80 degrees!! We kept trying to open the door to let some cooler air in, but it was right off the lobby and very noisy, so we couldn't keep it open for more than 5 minutes at a time. Thank goodness my hair was in a top knot, because I would have probably passed out!!
This outfit is just a little famous. I posted a flat lay of it on Instagram (with different booties), and it ended up getting regrammed by a mega account here. One of the first comments was that it is the ultimate man outfit, and I was thinking - oh my goodness, do they really think this is meant for a man?! Certainly not with my necklace and bracelets, right?! But, you know, it really could pass for a man's outfit, so I guess I can't blame them either way! I cheated a little with my capsule and chose these leopard booties over my cognac booties, because, well, LEOPARD.
I feel like leopard and buffalo plaid are pretty overdone on Instagram, but I don't care because I still love it. But it's funny because I wore this to the mall (hence the dressing room selfie), and I got a couple of compliments from people telling me how they loved how I paired leopard with the plaid. I will certainly take that compliment, but at the same time, I know it's not a Carylee original since it is EVERYWHERE on Instagram. But it just goes to show you that no matter how massive the Instagram network feels sometimes, it's really just a drop in the bucket compared to real life population!
And on that prophetic observation - I shall bid you ado! Ahem. I meant, adieu. :)
There's still time to enter the ultimate cash giveaway HERE!
