Welcome back to another week! Hope your weekends were relaxing and/or productive. Mine was a little bit of both. I spent Saturday running errands and working at the office for a few hours. Sunday was all about blogging, much like it usually is, though it didn't take me as long to finish like it normally does. I feel like I've been buying all the things lately, which is helpful for blog content but not helpful for my bank account! Anyhoo, let's get started with today's outfit!
First of all, I apologize because I waited way too long to wear this cardigan and now it is sold out. So. Hopefully you saw when I originally posted about it and were able to snag it while it was still available!! I don't know about you, but sometimes you love things SO MUCH when you first get them. And yet they sit in your closet unworn. Why? Where does this change of heart come from?
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Seriously trying to submerge myself into the Christmas spirit, and that means finding all the embellished sweaters to wear for holiday parties, or just because! As I was searching through Black Friday sales, I found this sweater and I wanted to try it! Pearl embellishments are having such a big moment right now from sneakers to bags to jackets. It was time I partake!
Happy Monday, everyone! (If there is such a thing as a "happy" Monday anyway....) This weekend was nice and low key. I had a hair appointment early Saturday morning then got to spend a long lunch with Jenna as a belated birthday celebration for her! The husband and I then caught a movie later that afternoon (Geostorm, which was better than I expected. Really, I would have watched any movie, I was seriously just jonesing for some movie butter popcorn!) Yesterday, we had our annual fall car cruise with the Camaro club and I was able to catch up on some blogging. Nice and relaxing!
It's not only Friday, but it's the last day of March! I'm not sure if I'm excited or terrified that it's April tomorrow! But anyway, I digress! Last week, I wore one of my favorite sweaters of all time - this floral number I scored from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale a few years ago. Since it's long gone, I was trying to find other good options for floral sweaters that I could link to for my readers. Well, wouldn't you know, this very sweater popped up in my search and I decided I had to have it. It's funny how I blog because I shop but I also shop because I blog!
I love that it has a solid navy back, and just the front is this fun, vintage-feeling, floral print. It's labeled as a sweater, but it's super lightweight, and the fit is relaxed, but not baggy, which I appreciate! I originally styled it with my navy scallop hem skirt (see flat lay here), but the best part about a sweater like this is the ease of being able to throw it on with any color jeans and be good to go. Especially when you have fun lace-up sandals to finish off the look!
Speaking of these sandals, they were one of the pairs I snagged for Dillard's infamous New Year's Day sale and I'm so happy I did! Olive, suede, lace-up - they're really beautiful and the stack heel makes them extremely walkable. They do come in a handful of other colors, and some color/size combos are under $60 here! It makes me wonder if I need another pair....
Have a great weekend! We have a 90th birthday party to go to for his Grandfather, and then on Sunday evening we have our first Cardinals game of the season!!!! Needless to say, it will be a really good weekend!
Outfit details--- Sunnies: Tom Ford "Iris" (other colors here) | Necklace: House of Harlow 1960 (shop other colors here) | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff "Love" cross body (in pink on super sale here, Target dupe here) | Top: Charming Charlie (option, see the coral version on me here, splurge option) | Bracelet:Nadri | Bottoms:American Eagle | Shoes:Louis et Cie "Hermosah" (other colors here, purple pump option here and here) ---
On Labor Day, we celebrated our 7 year anniversary! We didn't really have any big plans. We've been going and going and going lately, that both of us welcomed a weekend of doing nothing. But then on Sunday we decided to take a cruise and find someplace new to try for dinner. We decided to make our way out to the state capital of Springfield, IL and dine at Coopers Hawk.
I love how frilly this top looks, especially in comparison with these super ripped jeans. It makes for an effortless combo. I had to throw in the pop of pink because navy and pink work so so well together. And since these jeans have a hint of a relaxed fit to them, wearing them with the pointiest and sassiest of heels is a definite must to keep the overall look feminine.
--- Left: Original post here | Right: Original post here---
Another case of "blogging makes me shop!" As you can see, I have this romper in grey and black already. Each time I write a new blog post or put together something for Instagram mentioning it, I go back to Gap's site to see if it's still available and/or if they have released additional sizes in the other colors. I had been wanting this teal one for awhile now, but they never had my size! Lucky for me, that changed last week and I was able to score it. This really is the perfect thing to throw on when it is blazing hot outside!!
This weekend, I'm headed to Vegas for a bachelorette party! I've been mentally packing for the last couple of weeks, and warm weather trips always make me reach for lightweight rompers. I came across this one last week and ordered it immediately. I loved that it had a normal top (i.e. I don't have to wear a strapless bra with it), it has pockets, and it has a scoop back for added interest. It arrived this weekend, and I loved it so much! Hence why I just ordered it in grey also!
Thursday means almost Friday and Friday means almost weekend! Over the weekend there is no such thing as too much distressing when it comes to my denim. The more destroyed, the better. Add an easy tee and fun wedges and I am set. I got this tee shirt for next to nothing, but it was last summer and it was too small. I decided to try it on now and was pleasantly surprised. Seriously the best feeling ever. Something splendid indeed!
Sunnies: Vince Camuto | Vest: Gap (other colors here) | Necklace:Bauble Bar | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff (other colors HERE) | Top:Express | Ring: Kendra Scott (other colors here) | Bottoms:Express | Heels:Louise et Cie (option)
OK, so this isn't your stereotypical spring color combo, but the layers are light, so I still consider this very much spring! I bought this striped ribbed sweater a few weeks ago and realized I hadn't worn it yet. Ribbed sweaters like this really scream 90s and remind me of when I used to shop at 5-7-9, Judy's, and Contempo! But alas, I did really like the way this fit, especially when I layer it under this vest and statement necklace.
I swear denim on denim just *feels* better when I'm wearing a pair of my "Licorice" style pumps by Kate Spade. (I've done this before here.) Thanks to an awesome sale price, I was able to snag them in glitter over the weekend. It's no secret that I have a TON of shoes, specifically heels, and this style is my favorite. I could own a pair in every color if I could! What do I like about them? They're the perfect shape, the perfect pointed toe, and they're awesome quality. They're as comfortable as 4" heels can be, and the fact that I have soon-to-be five pairs should speak to this fact. My closet room real estate is too valuable to waste space on uncomfy shoes!
I realized I have a hole in my wardrobe when it comes to pullover sweaters. The few that I do have aren't solid colored, or they are thinner and not conducive to layering. So, during Black Fridayweek, I was on a hunt for the perfect one. These cotton sweaters from Gap got a lot of good reviews, so I took a chance and ordered three of them. I sized up based on a few reviews and based on how it looked on the model. I'm thinking I could have just gone with my regular Gap size, but I still like them just the same!
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!
I don't feel like I have done one of these buying lately posts in quite some time, so I figured I should probably catch you guys up a little. These are things that I have bought but haven't officially worn on the blog yet. I do like to style things as soon as I receive them as a reminder to myself that I need to wear them. So when I'm in a "what do I wear" slump, I can just sift through my flat lays and it helps jog some ideas! Each of the outfits below features one recent purchase, so let's get started!
This Scarf: Nordstrom (similar here, shop other fringe scarves HERE)
I totally didn't mean to be wearing camo in the woods, it just kind of happened! Jenna and I met up over the weekend to take photos of each other. We met at Laumeier Sculpture Park, and there is a nice wooded trail off the parking lot. That's where we began our shoot for the day, and as I was editing my photos, I had to laugh at myself for being so accidentally literal with my outfit and my setting!
I can't even tell you how excited I am for this collaboration! You see, I stumbled upon Shawna's blog a couple of years ago, and she quickly became one of my blog crushes. I love her quirky personality that comes across in her photos, I love her writing style, and most importantly, I love her outfits. When she asked if I wanted to collaborate with her, I felt like a celebrity was reaching out to me! If you are new to her blog, I hope you'll pop on over and check it out here and that you'll find her to be as much of a style inspiration as I do!
The title of today's collab speaks for itself. I couldn't survive without a chambray (or 7) in my closet. It's a holy grail piece, and Shawna came up with the idea of styling it for day and then for play. Let's get started!
Man, I am still recovering as I type this. And no, I didn't even consume any adult beverages because a) I'm not going to pee during a Tswift concert and b) I can't afford for alcohol to impair my ability to remember every last detail! But alas, it was still a long night and having had such a long wedding weekend with the cousin, I think it's all catching up with me!
I mentioned yesterday that we thought our tickets were for Monday night. We made plans to eat a fun dinner before hand, and it wasn't until after we went through the metal detector and handed them our tickets that they informed us our tickets were for the wrong night. You can imagine how I felt! Equal parts embarrassed and disappointed! And it was totally my fault because I bought our tickets and didn't give my sister in law hers until that evening. Oh well, everything happens for a reason, right?
Top: Express (in select stores) | Necklace: Stella and Dot | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff (shop other styles in this season's color HERE) (budget option) | Bracelet: Banana Republic | Bottoms: Express (option) | Booties:Vince Camuto
I hemmed and hawed about what I was going to wear and my closet room still looks like a tornado hit it as a result. My biggest criteria was that I needed to be in comfy shoes. We had tickets in the pit, which means standing room only, no chairs. I was literally going to be on my feet for hours, so I had to be comfortable and was basically dressing around my booties. I really wanted to wear this skirt, but the booties didn't look right with them without tights, and it's not quite tights weather yet. I really loved this outfit, but didn't know if I loved it enough to wear it again for our actual show.
Top: Express (same print, different stylehere) (same style, different colors here) | Necklace:Kendra Scott (c/o) | Bracelet: Express | Watch: Fossil (option) (splurge option) | Bottoms: Express (option) | Booties:Sam Edelman (shop current colors HERE)
I decided to just grab a Barcelona cami and be done with it. This snakeskin print was perfect, and my flat Sam Edelman Petty booties were a great pop of color. (Seriously, the Petty is the best!! I have these boots in three colors.) Jenna suggested the Margot necklace with it, which finished off the look nicely. I was satisfied!
Ok, so let's get to the good stuff! TAYLOR! She is beyond awesome guys. Basically everything I said in my posts here and here when I saw her a year and a half ago still holds true. I had to share the seating chart with you so you could appreciate the goodness of our seats!! We were sitting in front of the main stage in "Pit L" but I shouldn't say "sitting" because there weren't actually seats - it was standing room only. It was also only about 3 people deep, so even though I was standing towards the back of the pit, it was plenty fine. Unfortunately for us, there were walkways separating the audience from the stages, so high fives to Taylor were not possible, but hey, I can't complain! I found the tickets 2 weeks ago - Ticketmaster had them on their site for face value. After I bought them, I went back to find them again a few minutes later (because there were a couple other pairs available), and they were double in price. SO YAY!
She came out right around 9pm after Vance Joy and Haim performed. It was pretty surreal seeing her so close. She's literally flawless! The girl does not even sweat, and I don't know how that's possible with all the running around she does! And can we just talk about her outfits for a second? Because all the sparkles and the glitter. WANT.
Clearly the good thing about being so close to the stage is being so close to the stage. Seeing everything up close! The downside (if there is any) is that Taylor really covers all corners of her many stages, and doesn't just stay up on the main stage. So you do end up watching some of the show on the screens anyway, especially when she's on the rear stage. If money were no object, it would be awesome to see the show twice - once up close and once in "regular" seats so you can appreciate the full production. Now, don't get me wrong - I'm extremely grateful and thankful for our tickets and if I had to pick one over the other, I would certainly pick pit!
If you follow Taylor on Instagram, you know that she has been bringing out special guests during select shows. We went round and round thinking of who she could possibly bring out, and the only two people that I figured it could be having roots in St. Louis were Nelly and Karlie Kloss. Karlie is indeed in her squad, so it could have happened! But I was definitely psyched for Nelly! Haim came out and joined Taylor as his backup dancers to Hot in Herrre.
I gotta add that these photos were taken with my new iPhone 6s. Sidebar but I can definitely tell an improvement in the camera! I loved the camera on my 6, but the 6s is noticeably faster. And the videos came out even better than the still photos!
This is a silly pose, but I had to post because her facial expressions are always the best - playful and girlie, and I'm just a little obsessed with her and we need to be best friends. She's SO MUCH FUN!
The show ended a little after 11pm and naturally she ended with some Shake it Off. I was surprised that she didn't do many of her "older" stuff. Not that I'm complaining because her 1989 album is just as amazing, but a lot of artists still end up having the majority of their playlist as older songs with new songs as supplements. It was definitely the other way around with her, which is pretty awesome and makes me love the album even more!
Thanks for sticking with me on this photo heavy post! I just had to share all the goodness - it was just the best. Sigh.
