Sunnies: TOMS | Earrings: Charming Charlie (c/o) | Necklace:CS Gems | Bag: Clare V (Shop other "Margot" style clutches HERE) | Top: Gap (shop other flannel tops HERE) | Jacket: JCrew (outlet) (similar) (shop other military style jackets HERE) | Bottoms:Express | Shoes:Hinge
Well if you couldn't tell from my lack of post yesterday, I only have 3 posts planned for you this week, which was for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I figured I should enjoy the long weekend to the fullest and not stress about shopping. I also figure everyone is as shopping hungover as I am, so I thought I would give you a break from all my enabling. Ha!
Sunnies: Borrowed from my friend! | Jacket: JCrew Factory (similar) | Necklace: Express (similar) | Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs (similar) | Top: Express (option) | Bottoms:Joe's | Booties:Hinge (option, option)
Happy hump day! Today I'm sharing another look I wore in Myrtle Beach! The trip was really fast - we got in Friday evening in time for dinner, had all day Saturday there, then flew out Sunday afternoon. Somehow it still took me forever to pack 2.5 outfits, just as it always does. I decided to reach for some of my old favorites knowing they would all work together one way or another, but not necessarily planning full outfits as I packed. I decided the layers would be perfect for the plane, but still felt cute enough to play tourist in for my last few hours there.
After all the dressing up I've had to do over the past couple of weeks, it was nice to just throw on some jeans and a sweater on Sunday with absolutely no plans but have a late breakfast with the husband. I definitely love getting dolled up. I love all the layers. I love all my heels. Despite all of that, sometimes the only thing I need is easy, comfort, and no frills. This outfit is all of the above.
I spent the majority of last week up in New England. Tomorrow I'm off for an overnight trip to Toronto, and then Friday I leave for a long weekend of work and leisure in San Antonio. Yeah, the thought of packing terrifies me!! But the good thing is, even when I'm traveling, I still get good content for the blog because (assuming the hotels have great full length mirrors), I can still share what I'm wearing and what I'm doing. Some of you got the real time updates of this if you follow me on Snapchat (carylee07) but it's always nice to formally document stuff here also. This blog makes for a nice diary of sorts!
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! :)
As promised, I'm here to recap my early access shopping spree at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! If you want to see what my wish list was and compare it to what I actually bought, you can read this post from last week here. Overall, I was pretty pleased with the sale. I didn't have high expectations only because I didn't find as much stuff in the catalog as I have in years past. What you're about to witness took about two and a half hours from start to finish. On an empty stomach and no coffee, mind you! Well, let's not waste any time, let's just get to it. As always, I started with shoes.
I really had my heart set on the Vince 'Adley' sandals I featured in my post last week, but sadly they weren't in my store so I mayyy have to order them. None of the boots were catching my eye - I'm not sure if it's just too early to think about boots, but I strangely had my eye on two pairs of flats instead, and I'm not normally a flats person. These studded Halogen flats are pretty perfect. They're true to size, if not a touch on the long side, but I purchased my normal size. I walked around in them for a bit and was surprised how comfortable they were. This was an easy yes.
I also ended up trying on the Louise et Cie 'Barry' flat. Again, I was surprised how cute and comfortable they were. I did have to go up a half size because the toe box was a little narrow in my normal size. I decided to go ahead and hold on to both of the flats and then we were off to Handbags and Accessories.
Luckily, I sent my list to my SA right after I made my appointment so she had an idea of what I was looking for because she grabbed this bag for me before it was gone! It was the only one left in the store, and the more I stared at it and held it (because I never put it down the entire time we were shopping) I just loved it! The color is more of a reddish brown than a cognac, which I loved since I already have a large cognac bag. And it's great that I can wear it single or double strapped, which transitions it from shoulder to crossbody. Versatility!!
Ahhh, how gorgeous is this multi-cord necklace? And it comes in so many other fabulous colors, I would definitely snag it! If the necklace isn't your thing, it also comes in matching bracelets! I resisted the bracelets, only because my cart was adding up quickly already, but they were pretty adorable! I did end up getting another Nadri bangle. I already have something similar in gold that I wear incessantly, so I thought having it in silver would come in handy!
I was a little relieved because just as we started looking at clothes, my SA told us (Jenna ended up meeting us) that her appointment after mine was pushed back, which allowed us to take our time! I was going to save activewear for an online order so I could prioritize my in-store touchy-feely time to "real" clothes. But since we all of a sudden had more time, I quickly grabbed my favorite Zella leggings in this mesh combo. I always buy a small in Zellas, which is my true size. And I normally size up in leggings, but I do not for these.
As far as the regular clothes, the lace pencil skirt I was eyeing in the catalog definitely lived up to my expectations! I ended up going with a regular size 6 (not petite), so I would say it runs pretty true to size. I love that it actually has some stretch to it, which many lace skirts do not! I wanted a shirt to try on with it since I knew I'd be taking dressing room selfies, and Jenna handed me this tee. It ended up being the perfect tee, not only for the skirt, but for real life, so I took it home with me. I bought a small.
And last but not least are these two pieces. I wanted to try on some designer denim just because it's been awhile, but I wanted to make sure they were a pair I would not have to get hemmed (ain't nobody got time for that.) Jenna recommended these Current/Elliott jeans because they came in more of a cropped length. Cropped for her, regular length for me. Not complaining! It was my first time trying this brand, and I loved the way they fit. I purchased a size 28 in the jeans and a small in the long sleeved tee.
My measurements for reference: Height 5'-2" | Bust: 34" | Waist: 28" | Hips: 36"
If you follow me on Snapchat (carylee07) then you got to see the play by play of my entire spree. But I didn't want to deprive my non-snapping blog readers of these selfies especially since I know some of you prefer to see the real life model verses the flat lay. I would say the length of the pencil skirt looks a little deceiving from this angle - while it does go passed my knee, it's not quite midi-length.
The only thing I am missing is beauty and cosmetics. But don't fret, I have that covered as well. Apparently the anniversary sale is the only time the ginormous pump bottle of Amazing Grace is available, so I was sure to purchase this set.
Quite a haul, eh? The hardest part was checking out. Let's tally this all up!
But wait! I saved up my Nordies notes ALLLLLL year for this sale. I ended up with $426 total in notes, so my grand total after the notes and after tax was…. $476! That is $789.90 in savings. Yes, I could have saved myself $476 by not shopping at all, but that's not the point right now! :)
Whew! That was a long post, so thanks for sticking with me. I'm happy to answer any questions, and I would absolutely love to hear what you all have your eye on and/or what you've already purchased! This is seriously the happiest sale of the year. There's just something about buying stuff on PRE-sale that makes it better than buying end of season or clearance stuff, you know?
Well, if you read yesterday's post, you know that I've been busy. And being busy means blogging takes a back seat and I was unable to photograph 4 new outfits for you this week! I'll share the outfit I wore to the rehearsal dinner tomorrow, but today I thought I would do something a little different!
This is a random roundup of sorts. I wanted to showcase some outfits using the flat lay version in comparison with real life and talk about how and why I prefer one over the other.
I definitely prefer the way the flat lay turned out vs. real life. I was lazy when I was getting dressed and kept my grey tee shirt on that I was already wearing in real life, which I wish I would have just eliminated. I also wish I wore skinnier jeans since the scarf and jacket are so voluminous. I love the combination, but the execution could have been just a little bit better.
The real life version wins for me in this outfit. The sweater/tunic combo looks a lot boxier, naturally, when laid flat. And leggings are hard to depict in a flat lay, so the proportions of this whole outfit are just a bit off when you're not seeing it on a real person.
Again, the real life version is the winner here. While this top is easy to "fluff" in a flat lay, the vest is a little thicker and harder to show how fitted it truly is when it is laying flat. I love how easy and effortless, but still interesting, that it looks in real life. While I love the bright colors in the flat lay, it definitely looks more boring than when I actually put it on.
I preferred the flat lay version of this over the real life version. I was skeptical about the flat lay because there are literally only 3 pieces and it's not on my super white background since I was traveling when I took this photo, but you lose the detail and colors of the shirt in the real life version - the real life photo doesn't do the shirt justice as a result. My Instagram followers ended up agreeing with me since the flat lay received 155 likes vs. the real life version that received 101 likes. Isn't it funny how the same outfit presented two different ways can have such different engagement results? I know other things like what time of day you post can affect engagement as well, but it all truly fascinates me, and I'm not sure I will ever truly figure out the perfect formula for success.
I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on this also! Let me know in the comments which you prefer in these 4 outfits - flat lay or real life?
I don't know if it's the fact that I just can't be monochromatic or the fact that I naturally gravitate towards cognac when I wear anything marled, but I had to finish this outfit off with my cognac booties. I could have easily worn my black booties or my black over the knee boots, but the cognac makes this cozier!
You guys were cracking me up yesterday with your comments! I'm so glad you enjoyed the little anecdote about my name. And of course, you can continue to call me Carylee whenever you're referring to me as the fashion blogger. I mean, Carylee can be my stage name! Ha!
I feel like I can't even top that story today! Well, I guess I can tell you about the dishwasher incident. So, yesterday morning, I was unloading and loading the dishwasher. We noticed that the dishes still seemed a little murky though, and we realized that the detergent was never released in the last wash. That made two cycles in a row, so I thought that maybe those pods had gotten too old, and were no good anymore. I looked under the sink to see if we had any liquid detergent, and I found a sample of another brand I had never heard of before, but figured it was worth the try. So, I popped it in and went about my morning getting ready.
A few minutes later, the husband says, "Um, the dishwasher is leaking!" He runs off to grab some towels, and I walk out of the bathroom perplexed. I guess the dishwasher was broken after all. Except. He opens the dishwasher a little and says, "This smells like laundry detergent!" Wait, what?
So I go digging in the trash to find the box I just threw away and show the husband. He reads the label, and sure enough. It's laundry detergent. Whoops.
As we're driving to work, I giggle a bit about what happened and said, "I can't believe I did that! But those pods look awfully similar!" And he says a bit timidly (I think to soften the blow of me feeling dumb), "Well... except for the fact that the front of the box has a ginormous picture of a front loading washing machine!"
Yesterday, I brought you up to my speed about last weekend's festivities, so today I thought I would recap what I wore. But I can't really recap what I wore until I recap what I bought. Yes, you read that right.
I totally caved.
I was only "allowed" to buy 1 thing this month but a) Express was having a 40% off sale, which included some new-to-the-season pieces b) there was no way I was going to go on our special weekend trip wearing things from my capsule (mentally, I could not do it) and c) Express was having a 40% off sale!! Yes, I'm weak, but I promise I'm not done with my capsule. I still have some other remixes up my sleeve, but here are some new pieces to act as an intermission of sorts. Let's start with the dressing room photos.
I'm a big fan of the partial tuck, so when I saw this tee, I was immediately drawn to it. I had visions of layering it over a long tank tunic and wearing with my skinniest leggings. The jeans, I "needed" because, if you haven't noticed, distressed jeans have taken over my closet. I needed a non-distressed pair, and these fit and feel amazing.
Same base with the tee and jeans, but I layered these jackets over them. You know I can't get enough of my green anorak/military inspired jacket - but the one thing that I wished was that it were appropriate to wear indoors as well. I found this green one, and thought it was perfect for this purpose - it's definitely still fine to layer outerwear over this vs. the jacket I have now, which really is more of an outerwear piece itself.
I expressed my love for the black blazer last week, and needed another backup that was just as versatile. The fit is just like my black one, and will look great with rolled up sleeves.
I loved the colors of this plaid top! I picked it up immediately and got two compliments just walking around with it in my hand in store. It's the perfect plaid color combination for spring! Though, that won't stop me from wearing it now!
Sunnies: Vince Camuto | Scarf: H&M (enter Rafflecopter to win a similar one!) | Top: LOFT | Jacket: Express (not online yet) | Bottoms:Express | Shoes:Nike
Everything I ended up buying, coincidentally, ended up being perfect to pack for the weekend. Which is exactly what I needed because I certainly did not have time to spend hours figuring out what to put in my suitcase. This outfit above was easy to throw on, comfortable, but I still felt put together. I wore this for lunch Saturday when I was barely alive from the night before.
This is what I decided to wear for Valentine's Day at the fancier Mexican restaurant. And I styled the tee just as I had pictured it in my head - over my tank tunic. I'm pretty sure I need it in different colors. I love the layered look and I also love that the tee is not baggy but not fitted either - hence, perfect to conceal my problem areas with leggings.
And last but not least is my outfit to road trip it back home in. The jeans and top go together effortlessly - all I needed were my cognac booties to formally make it an outfit. I seriously cannot recommend these jeans enough. I always size up in their jeggings because of my hips. And the short length is perfect for my 5'-2" self. No hemming required!
I'm sorry to let you all down by shopping. Please don't think less of me. If there's one thing I've learned about this remix challenge is that everything is in moderation, right? I definitely needed to slow myself in spending, but to go cold turkey, or even one item a month really isn't reasonable. I need to figure out what that bare minimum balance is...
And since I've caved and failed my shopping ban, I figured misery loves company and I would let you guys all fail with me. Except, I'll give you the money to shop with! I've teamed up with some fellow bloggers to bring you this $600 Cash Giveaway! It was so much fun seeing what was new for the season and shopping for not-as-cold weather. I hope I've given you inspiration on how to spend your winnings! Good luck!
Rules: Use the Rafflecopter form to enter daily. Giveaway ends 3/19 and is open worldwide. Winner will be notified via email.
Are you a blogger who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your blog? Click here to find out how you can join a totally awesome group of bloggers!
