my outfit: basic!

These days I seem to be craving ultra-simple outfits.  I love to layer, I love to love my outfit for the day and I love to be creative in putting those outfits together BUT I just want a simple relaxed style.  It feels as if it's a shift in my personal style... it could be temporary or a reflection of the busy season (wanting to simplify in spite of the busy-ness) - I'm not sure.  But it feels good.  Simplicity often feels good even though it's easy to forget that.

With this simplicity that I am seeking I am reaching for my most basic pieces and trying to look and feel very un-fussy in them.  Relaxed and comfortable is my total goal lately.

This may make me a 'boring' blogger... I hope not.  I feel like it's just the evolution of my personal style. Does it ever feel like your personal style is always evolving as well?  Who knows... next week I may be on to something else!

Details:
Striped Sweater, Forever 21
Beige Turtleneck, Old Navy
Jeans, Gap
Shoes, Dolce Vita
Watch, Fossil via Nordstrom Rack (courtesy of)
Bangles, Gold: Forever 21, Red: Marc Jacobs
Clutch, Mimi's the Look (courtesy of)

work it wednesday: LBD!

So who has some fun swanky parties to attend now that the holidays are upon us? I always LOVE a good holiday party - unfortunately, we don't have any to attend.  Since I don't work outside of the home anymore and my husband's company cut out holiday parties about four years ago due to the economic shift we are without soirees to attend.  But enough about me!

If you have a fun party to attend this season and you are fretting about what to wear... I suggest: the LBD.  The Little Black Dress!  Any LBD will do... just work in some fresh and new accessories for the current trends and you are set to go!  If you don't have an LBD that you are loving right now... well, don't worry your pretty little faces about that either - these three selections are from Modcloth and are all under $55!  Score!

I love the sheer sleeves of this dress paired with a faux fur vest... the vest will keep you cozy while downing canapés and the sheer sleeves will have their place in the limelight!

(above: dress, necklace, clutch, shoes, vest, ring, nail polish)

This back-less dress is to.die.for.  The ultra-feminine open back is perfectly balanced by a conservative front of the dress.  Add some fun tights and bold gold accessories and you will be one stylin' gal!

(above: dress, earrings, ring, shoes, tights, clutch)

Okay, okay, this dress is technically dark grey and not black. But I love that it's a fresh spin on classic black in a really fun cut.  It has a little bit of drape in all the right places and paired with leopard and bold accessories it makes for a superb outfit!

(above: dress, necklace, ring, shoes, clutch)

Now it's your turn! Link up with your Work it Wednesday looks below!

For info and buttons click here!

my outfit: in the car + a giveaway!

Do you like road trips? I'm not a huge fan... I mean, in theory I like them... but in practice - not so much.  Being in the car all the time makes me so sleepy and groggy.  For Thanksgiving we drove about 2 1/2 hours to the East side of the state to spend the day with my in-laws. I always like seeing family... I just hate getting there.

The other tricky part is what to wear... I want to be festive for the occasion, but comfortable for the car, you know?  I decided on this drapey top from Zara (that I also wore for the gifting photoshoot for the winter & holiday looks:book!) and my fav pair of skinny jeans.

I'm always so cold in the car too so I packed a cozy scarf and socks - I just slipped off my flats and slipped on socks for the ride.  I don't know why I didn't think of that like 10 years ago.  And for some added festive-ness I wore my new shoe clips from ban.do! I'm SO smitten with them - they completely dress up this very old pair of flats that I almost sent to Goodwill (good thing I didn't!)

We like to listen to plenty of This American Life podcasts too (much to the kids dismay). What are your tricks for staying cozy and comfy for long car rides?

Oh, and did I mention a little giveaway!?!? I sure did... Linkel Designs is offering up a $50 credit to her shop to one of my lovely readers!  Lucky lady she will be!  Visit Linkel Designs shop and check out the offerings and then pop on back and leave a comment on what you are loving from her site!  Here are some of my favorites... cute, huh? And use code 'JILLGG' for an extra 10% off!

loving: bauble bar!

I am completely smitten with Bauble Bar lately... have you checked out their pieces yet?  Each time I visit the site I'm more smitten than the time before... I'm totally an 'accessories' lady so this is totally my thing.

Here are a few of my favorites (yes, I have like a million 'favorites'...) PLUS jewelry makes great holiday gifts for teachers, aunts, sisters, bff's and mothers!  So keep Bauble Bar in mind for holiday shopping too!

(above: wishbone necklace, red drop earrings, toggle necklace, 

tortoise bangles, braided cuff, rose gold ring)

(above: tortoise cuff, brushed gold ring, quartz drop earrings, gold cluster necklace, 

polka dot bangles, target ring, tortoise stud earrings)

(above: stud earrings, gold 'caviar' bracelets, multi-strand necklace, pave ring, 

rose gold chain bracelet, silver 'caviar' bracelet, bow cuff, angular earrings)

my outfit: winter white!

So how was your Thanksgiving weekend? Do tell! Any great Black Friday deals, shopping stories or otherwise to report?

Our 'weekend' was basically the entirety of last week as my kids only had school the beginning of the week and my husband was off the entire week.  It was nice for a break from the norm and some quality family time, but I'm ready to get back in the saddle... I freak out if there is too much un-organized time.

Some highlights include:

• A weird thing with my ear where I am constantly hearing "whooshing" like when you hold a seashell to your ear. I'm thinking it's an ear infection - but I'm telling you right now, don't google these symptoms. It scared me silly. I've just been rinsing it with peroxide and taking some IB.  Wait, is all this TMI? Really, I'm fine.
• Seeing Arthur Christmas with my kids.  Seriously - SO cute and SO funny!  A little long at the end, but when is a movie not long for kids (um, and for me and my short attention span)?  I highly recommend it!

• We bought The Elf on the Shelf. His name is Fred. This is better than the 'I'm going to call Santa Claus' bribery I've previously used on my kids.  Again, highly recommend!  It's turned into this weird confessional-booth type thing for my kids... they tell him what they want for Christmas and that they are sorry for misbehaving.  Funny stuff.
• I have {pretty much} ALL my Christmas shopping done. I need to pick up three more items (but I know exactly what they are - which can sometimes be the hardest part!). Boo yah!  All done online baby... how did we EVER live without the internet?  Plus, who else loves when the UPS truck pulls up to your house!??!
• We finally got a new Vacuum Cleaner... our old vacuum was seriously like 20 years old and was held together with duct tape and several other unsightly DIY fixes.  It was so ridiculous.  So guess who's house got vacuumed this weekend? (This is my least favorite chore, you would be appalled to know how rarely I vacuum... hopefully this is changing with my new 'wheels' though!)

• My son puked in the car on the way home from Thanksgiving dinner. Oh yeah - the stuff memories are made of! (I'm only wishing it didn't happen in my brand new car.  That's parenthood for you!)
• I'm now officially hooked on Gossip Girl ... I finished Felicity on Netflix so now it's on to this new series.  It's a little shallow, I admit... but Blake Lively is serious girl crush material and the outfits are more fun to watch than all the catty banter (although - who can resist a little catty banter now and again!?!?). Also an early crush is forming (on my part) to Penn Badgley... cutie patootie!
• I finished A Reliable Wife and started Loving Frank: A Novel (which btw, I am loving, but it's a little slow in the middle, no?).  Are you reading any books this cozy time of year? I just love curling up in bed or by the fireplace to read... mmmm...

Details:
Coat, Tulle (courtesy of, previous season)
Scarf, Limited
Leopard Print Sweater, J.Crew
Orange T-Shirt, J.Crew
Jeans, Gap
Thigh-high Socks, Target
Boots, Nine West

cloudy with a chance of sweaters!

I feel like every time I sit down to talk about clothing or outfits lately I always come back to the weather.  And while talking about the weather is so cliche - it also can not be avoided when talking about clothing or fashion in general.  Designers base their lines on the seasonal shifts and I clothe myself based on the weather predictions for the day or week.  It's inevitable.

We had a few mild days over the Thanksgiving break but it looks like that was the last of decent weather... it's going to be pretty chilly from here on out, like it or not.

So for this week I am forecasting cloudy with a chance of sweaters... and jeans.  My winter uniform.  Let me not mince words, this combo can get downright boring if you are not careful - so here is how I mix up the pairing to keep it fresh!

(above: jeans, sweater, wedges, scarf, charm bracelet, watch)

(above: ring, jeans, sweater, boots, clutch, earrings, bracelets: top & bottom)

How do you un-boring your sweaters!?!?

sunday splurge!

It's not Christmas in my house until the aroma of pine is wafting through the air... we always cut a fresh tree down each year (this year, I'm hoping for TWO!) and that in and of itself smells pretty darn good.  But I always love to have a pine scented candle of some sort burning during the holidays.  And if I don't burn the whole thing in one season then I carefully pack the candle away with the ornaments for the next season... this candle smells of fir and cedar. MMMMmmmm!  What a great hostess gift as well!

Last year I burned a really yummy Mrs. Meyer Pine scent... but I can't find it again this year (but I did find Cranberry or Orange Clove - yum!).  

Do you have a favorite holiday scent? 

what to wear: black friday!

Put your game faces on ladies.  It's time to shop.  So you might as well do it stylishly.  No? Slip some leggings and oversized sunglasses on (thanksgiving hangover, anyone?) and get your bottom out there for some sales!

(above: leggings, sunglasses, turtleneck, cardigan, clutch, necklace, shoes)

Or, if you are the online shopper type (I kind of am)... check out these deals!

• Shop Amazon's Special Black Friday and Cyber Monday Magazine Deals - Just $5 Per Year

• Starts 11/25: Black Friday Offer: Save 20% at Piperlime.com with code TWENTY at checkout. Hurry ends 11/28.

• Starts 11/25: Black Friday Offer - Save 35% off at BananaRepublic.com with code BRFRIDAY at checkout. Hurry offer ends 11/25.

• Save up to 60% off EVERYTHING at Gap.com. Hurry ends 11/26

• Starts 11/25: Black Friday Sale! Everything's on sale at OldNavy.com. Hurry ends 11/28!

thank you.

There are a million ways to say 'thank you' and none of them seem enough.  Thank you endlessly for giving this little blog a little place in your heart.  It means the world to me.

(above: slippers, necklace, stationary, thank you philosophy kit, sweater)

Have a fabulous day with friends, family and loved ones!

my outfit: dreaming of warmth!

We've had a very mild fall so far... so I can't really complain, but seriously, I'm craving warmth like crazy!  I want beaches and pools and shorts and flip flops.  And really, it's way to early in the winter to be wanting this stuff.  I've got a good four plus months of it ahead of me.  Not good.  And I seem to be freezing and shivering all the time...

Take this outfit for example, I thought a sweater and a chambray shirt would be enough (yes, there is a chambray shirt somewhere under there).  But NO - I was still freezing just in my own home. So I added the scarf and then the vest and kept on shivering.  I'm getting very nervous for this winter. Very.

So it's always this time of year that I am scheming on how to get to some warmth... Jackie suggested California (duh.)  And a few of you on Twitter suggested the deep South.  At this point, any and all suggestions are being taken.  At this point I'm just wondering if my husband has any chance of being transferred somewhere warm for work any time soon. Next week works for me.

I always say I love living in Michigan because of the four seasons... but I usually say that in the spring.  I'm thinking this four seasons thing is over-rated... I'll take two or three.

Details:
Sweater, Zara
Vest, second hand
Scarf, via Nordstrom Rack (courtesy of)
Jeans, Zara
Flats, Old Navy

ps - check out what's on my holiday list this year over at gs lillian!

work it wednesday: TOMS!

A few weeks back a reader requested doing TOMS Shoes for a Work It Wednesday... and since I've been totally loving on them lately (and I have their new styles dancing in my head from the catalog I just received) I figured it would be fun to feature them today.

Plus, they are a great casual shoe for one of the most casual weekends of the year... right!?!? Slip on your TOMS post Thanksgiving meal for the trek home, or first thing Friday morning for your Black Friday escapades - either way they are comfy and stylish.  Plus, giving a pair of shoes to a child in need is always in style.  Here's how I would style up some TOMS this holiday season!

(above: bracelet, jeans, striped top, scarf, jacket, nail polish, sequined TOMS)

(above: earrings, leggings, tunic sweater, bracelet, coat, velvet TOMS)

(above: sunglasses, jeans, sweater, bag, jacket, corduroy TOMS)

Now it's your turn! Link up with your Work it Wednesday looks...

For info and buttons click here!

my outfit: a departure!

Super chill.  That's how I would describe this outfit... it is a departure from my norm.  I'm not a 'super chill' person in general, I'm more - well, I don't know. Just not super chill, that's all.  And I don't usually pair an oversized top with more flowing jeans either.  But sometimes it's good to take a break from your 'usual' and go out of your box a bit.  I loved this outfit, I did feel like it was a lot of fabric to be wearing at one time, but it worked.  It was perfect for a fall day.

Do you ever take departures from your 'usual'? I am admittedly bad at it.

Details:
Poncho, Target
Turtleneck, Old Navy (similar)
Jeans, Gap (similar)
Shoes, Dolce Vita
Bracelets: Forever 21,  Monet (courtesy of), Fossil
Watch, Fossil via Nordstrom Rack (courtesy of)

what to wear: winter brights!

I just love the idea of adding a bold pop of color to my winter wardrobe... it's a piece of sunshine for gloomy winter days.  It's perfect for holiday parties or everyday wear...  Trying pairing these bold hues with your blacks, browns, greys and army greens for a seasonally appropriate look!

(above: top, metal chain bracelet, 'caution' watch, cocktail ring, wrap bracelet, topsiders, purse)

(above: necklace, purse, dress, iPad cover, belts)

Oh and I'm totally crushing on this yellow sweater at the Gap... maybe a Black Friday purchase!?!?

So are you up to 'brights' this season? Are you feeling it? 

my outfit: yellow for fall!

As I mentioned on Friday, we hosted a little Thanksgiving feast here this past weekend.  I'm still feeling like there is pot to be stirred or a dish to wash - we literally cooked/baked/basted/ate all weekend long.  It was super fun though and the food was so good... it's hard to believe I have to turn around and do the whole thing again (well... only the eating part!) on Thursday.  But a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Did you by chance get the TOMS catalog in the mail recently?  It is SO cute... I love catalogs (seems more personal than websites sometimes) and I loved reading the stories and seeing their new styles for winter.  (pink soles? sequins upon sequins? leopard wedges? yes, yes and yes!)

You know I've always been a fan and every time I watch those shoe-drop videos I am just balling (the ugly cry).  It's just such an amazing program.  I've decided it's my new life goal to go on a shoe drop.  I'm hoping to start researching if that is even possible soon... wouldn't that be amazing?!

Details:

Jacket, Lands End Canvas (courtesy of, a few years back) (it's THIS style, but yellow is n/a :( )

Vest, Gap (similar)

Green/Blue Striped Top, H&M

Blue Button Up, H&M

Jeans, Zara

Shoes, TOMS

wardrobe consult: Karah!

After a crazy weekend, I have a quick wardrobe consult post for you... hopefully I'll be back in the swing of things for an afternoon post today!

~~~

I recently put together a great wardrobe consult for Karah... she's a stay-at-home mom that wanted some simple but put-together outfits for her busy lifestyle.  Check out a few of the looks!

(above: earrings, jeans, sweater, jacket, flats)

(above: cords, sweater, boots, scarf, jacket)

(above: jeans, sweater, scarf, bracelet, flats)

(above: necklace, cords, sweater, boots, jacket)

For more info on my wardrobe consultation services... click here!