my outfit: fur vest!

As promised... I have pictures of my faux fur vest for you all! I found this vest second hand two springs ago (wow, that was a long time ago... I guess I have good "vision"!). I knew I loved it, but I never wore it. Why? Because it had a big clunky HOOD. Now there is nothing wrong with hoods in general. But the combination of a bulky fur vest with an even bulkier fur hood was just a bad combo. I felt like a flea in a bear suit. (ha, that's a funny visual!)

I only paid $15 for the vest, so I figured I would try hacking off the hood and worst case if it didn't work out... I wouldn't be missing anything but a vest I never wore. But what I had to gain was a super trendy item on the super cheap. I went for it!

I took pictures of the whole process... not sure if they are relevant enough to post. But this outfit is! I love that the vest is sleeker, while still being cozy!

I felt all "Rachel Zoe" wearing this vest... so I piled on the bangles! Heck, why not! The mornings are brrrrr, baby already. It was 47 this morning at the bus stop. But I was cozy warm of course.

Piled over a slim sweater, I can see lots of use for this vest this fall/winter. Football games, bus stop standing (my new favorite activity) and running around in general.


And an obligatory shot of my boots. It's boot season... hip hip hooray! I'll be crying about this in my soup come March (NO MORE BOOTS, I'll protest), but for now I am relishing in the novelty of it again.


Details:

Vest, Second Hand (see my faux fur vest picks here!)

Sweater, Banana Republic (similar)

Bangles, F21 (similar)

Jeans, F21 (similar)

Boots, Michael Michael Kors (similar)

good look for less, EXPRESS!

I've got another good look for less EXPRESS consult for you today! Jennifer is a nurse that spends tons of hours in scrubs... when she's off work she wants a classic, preppy and practical wardrobe that is easy to pull together but still very stylish. She's a self-proclaimed clothes horse (nothing wrong with that!) and admitted that she has most of the basics, but just wanted more ideas on pulling together outfits quickly.

What I worked to do for Jennifer was pull together "ideas" for outfits... and to keep in mind that the actually pieces could be swapped out for items that she already owns.

This first look is a classic outfit to pull together. A day dress, with a jean jacket and boots. The specific items I pulled here are gorgeous, but you could easily swap them out for pieces in your closet already - that is Jennifer, or any one else reading this!

(dress, jean jacket, boots, earrings, tote)

In keeping with that theme... I really love this outfit. But if you look at the individual pieces of it, it's really quite basic. A great pair of jeans, a boyfriend cardi, belt and flats. If you are a busy lady, it's great to have looks like this in your arsenal to quickly pull on!

(belt, jeans, t-shirt, cardigan, tote, moccasins)

One of my favorite silhouettes for fall and winter is skinny or straight jeans with an oversized or super chunky sweater. It's not only practical (warm!) but it is also very flattering to most body types, especially when the top has a longer profile like this one.

(bracelet, jeans, top, clutch, sweater vest, flats)

~~~

Best wishes Jennifer!

Interested in my wardrobe consultation services? Click here!

yes, please.

For the most part I love gold accessories lately... they are warm and feel cozy and seem to be enjoying their time in the spotlight. But with my new silver TOMS hanging around... I seem more and more drawn to silver. During my recent internet wanderings, there were quite a few silver items that caught my eye - hopefully enjoy the inspiration as much as me!

Sheer Sleeve Dress, Topshop, $100

Skinny Metallic Belt, Banana Republic, $29.50

Infinite Scarf, Piperlime, $51

Marc by Marc Jacobs Tote, Bluefly, $96

Penny Loves Kenny Flat, DSW, $49.95

my outfit: September is here!

This is my first official outfit of September! We've had cooler mornings and the longer range forecast shows that temps won't cool off immediately... but more slowly. Which I am fine with. This outfit has a fall look to it, but it's still comfortable enough if the afternoon warms up.

I have been wanting to try the belted scarf look that I have seen other bloggers pull off so brilliantly. At first it feels weird, but I really like the way it looks. It has a boho feel which is a little bit of a change-up for me and the clogs add to that look as well. It's fun to step out of your comfort zone every now and then!



I am so looking forward to a long weekend... after not feeling good this week I am ready to recharge and then full steam to back to school! It's crazy to believe that some schools have been in session for weeks and we are only just starting next week. But I am ready... and so are the kids. We all need a little schedule around here!


Do you have any big plans for the long weekend? We are just sticking around home... hopefully doing some fun stuff with the kids and getting lots of relaxation in!


I have Mad Men on my Netflix queue and my husband and I are going to catch up on each and every episode from the start - hopefully starting tonight. I am very excited for this... I've missed some episodes and sometimes I get a little lost - so now I will be right back on track! What ever you do... enjoy the last official weekend of summer...

Details:

T-Shirt, Target (similar)

Scarf, Forever 21 (similar)

Necklace, Banana Republic (similar)

Jeans, 7 for all Mankind (similar)

Clogs, UGG

my outfit: fall preview!

This past weekend I spent a rainy morning raiding my closet and getting excited about fall... I played "dress up" big time to get a feel for what I already had in my closet for fall before I got TOO excited about buying more for fall. I think the 30/30 Challenge has made me more disciplined (success!). My fall shopping list seems about a mile long... not good. I wanted to dig into what I had first to make sure it didn't get shoved to the back of the closet with the new. This week I'll show you all my fun "existing" fall looks - then hopefully in the coming weeks I'll mix in some new as well!

~~~

I mentioned that this fall I will have more dedicated time away from the kids to grow and work on the blog. I am hoping to do a lot of my work in local coffee shops. One of the things I miss the most about being a mom is the ability to just be out and about around town on my own. I look forward to people watching while working and being able to dress up a little more fun than I would if it were me and the kids toting around town.



This outfit is a perfect example. Still casual, a bit more polished. I love the black and brown combo here - it's subdued but classy. It's a little hard to tell, but the boots are dark brown.



Layering on the necklaces this season is just TOO fun! I just love it! They get a little messy and tangled, but that's the name of the game I guess.



I have had this blazer from the Gap for forever, but I still just LOVE pulling it out and wearing it. It's perfectly broken in. Is there one fall piece you are looking forward to wearing again?

Details:
Blazer, Gap
Necklaces, Forever 21
Black Skinnies, Courtesy of TULLE
Boots, MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS
Tank, Banana Republic

Steal this look!

Tanks by Forever 21
Boots by Forever 21

my outfit: 15/30!

First off, HUGE thanks to all you lovely gals for the birthday wishes yesterday. Really. It never gets old to get well wishes from others! It was a low-key birthday (hard to do TOO MUCH with the kids being small and still so dependent) but a good one. As I right this, there is left over ice cream cake in the freezer. What else could a gal ask for?

Also, thank you for the words of encouragement about motherhood. I am glad to know I am not the only "crazy" one out there. (wait, did I just call us all crazy!?!?) It's silly to think I can let those little munchkins under my skin like that. Must be because I love them so much.



We've reached the half-way point with the challenge... WOW! I think this is where the rubber will meet the pavement... where things will really get interesting. I look in the closet and say, these old shirts again? (not that I have TONS of other options, that is...) But I'm not quitter... mixing and matching is the name of the game and I'm still IN. The lesson here is that though I may get sick of the individual pieces, there are still PLENTY of mixing opportunities. The well has by no means run dry.

I wore this outfit to a BBQ last weekend (I am a little behind on posting pictures - oops!) it was perfect for hanging with some other families and refereeing kids and eating tons of great food. Everything that summer is all about!

Cheers! Here, here to the next 15!

Details:

Top, JCrew (similar)

Jeans, F21 (similar)

Necklace, Banana Republic (this one is very similar and VERY cute in person!)

Sandals, F21 (similar)

my outfit: 9/30!

My whirlwind trip to Chicago was fantastic... now I am happy to be home and have the weekend in front of me though. That's what I love about trips... the fresh perspective and contentment with "home". The trip was busy and crazy... it included two days with my mom and my kids - one of those days spent downtown in the city, the other spent in my mom's residential neighborhood, still in the city, but away from the tourist stuff. Then the last day of my trip included meeting up with my husband in a suburb of the city where he was working and I got to "freeload" off his fancy hotel room, peace and quiet and hotel wifi. Also, several iced coffees were involved.



See that glimmer in my eye... that is me with uninterrupted sleep, meals, coffees and blogging time. Don't I look just radiant??? Ha! I wore this outfit for shopping til I dropped. Almost really.



...the glorious shopping. Most of it was for items for the house... our bedroom re-do is almost complete and some other little things I needed from IKEA were procured. (and shhhhh... new shoes - YES! Plural! - but those have to wait until after the challenge. I can deal. I just wear them to bed instead! I may or may not be kidding...)



Here's the highlights of the hotel room... who doesn't love a really great hotel room?

This sofa and ottoman set up was a perfect spot to blog from... how cute are those wood ottomans?


This oversized piece of artwork was cute and whimsical and a fun addition to the somewhat serious and masculine decor.


I also loved these little birds hanging out on the hanger bar... and one on the shelf above. So cute...


Details:
Polka Dot Top, courtesy of TULLE
Black Skinny Pants, courtesy of TULLE
Sandals, Forever 21 (similar)
Heart Necklace, Banana Republic (similar)

my outfit: heavy metal!

Watch out world... three (yes, THREE!) outfit posts in a row here. What can I say? Like I tell my kids... you get what you get and you don't complain. Well, actually I don't tell my kids that, but Noah came home from school saying that one day and I tried it once and they didn't get it. I think I am raising spoily spoiler spoils.

On to the outfit... I am loving all the layered necklaces that JCrew is flashing around these days in their catalogs and online. Of course they do it much more lovely (and expensively) than I can pull off... but they are JCrew for goodness sakes. Michelle Obama wears them and Jenna Lyons has her amazing pad featured all over the internets and suddenly they rule. (It happened in that order, right?) Here's a little inspiration montage...



I pulled from what I owned already and it was a fun exercise... once I got started I couldn't stop! The many necklaces were joined by some blingy bangles, my studded Cynthia Vincent for Target wedges and then I threw in the studded purse for good measure. Also, I probably weighed 20 pounds more in this outfit. But I liked it.



So, as you can see, I am back to inside pictures. The light isn't as great, but I often squint in the outside light (sensitive eyes, here) and that usually makes me look crazy or old and wrinkly. I have a fun idea for inside pictures that I hope to work on later this summer. So stay tuned for that...



Do you think you could pull some necklaces from your closet to layer? I'm going to try it again soon since it was so fun this time!



Details:
Necklaces:
Brown Beaded Necklace, Banana Republic (similar)
Peach Beaded Necklace, F21 (similar)
Gold Necklace, Estate Sale (similar)

Bangles, F21 (similar)
Tank, Old Navy
Jeans, F21 (similar)
Wedges, Cynthia Vincent for Target (similar)
Bag, Deux Lux (I got mine at GILT for way cheaper!) (in black)

Friday ramblings...

Did you check out the "it" list yet this morning? Man... good stuff there. While my brain, computer and body were busy "birthing" that stunning post this week - I feel like the blog got neglected a bit. Although not NEARLY as bad as my house... sheesh! Oh, and did I mention that I have house guests coming for the weekend this evening. My husband is so not thrilled right now... why? Not because the house is a mess... but because he knows he's gonna have to help! Eep!

But let's forget all of that for now... I've got some lovelies that have been on my brain this week. In no particular order:

TOMS finally (FINALLY!) launched their wedge shoe. And, hello... I die! I'm giving this shoe one very excited "yes, please"! Nordstrom's is carrying them for $68.95 (in two colors) and TOMS Shoes website for $69 (in 6 colors I think). The only hard part is deciding which color!


Call me crazy, but I really want to get my hands on some jeggings... (you know jean-leggings?) - I tried some on recently that were too thin - lesson learned. But definitely am on the hunt for a thicker pair. Looks like the cheaper stores like F21 & Charlotte Russe don't have them yet - or at least not online. I figured summer would be a good time to try them out, you know "skin is in", errr, tightly woven fabric, tightly over skin. That doesn't sound as great as it should, huh?


Speaking of TOMS, I am severely wanting the silver ones... mostly after seeing how Style your Life styled hers. Yep, that's me, a big fat copy cat. I don't care. They are adorable!


Introduce me to a bib necklace and I will probably fall in love. This one is no exception... just lovely!


After my dad spoiled me with a Coach purse for Christmas AND Mother's Day (am I one lucky gal or what???) I am a bit hooked. My next conquest? This lovely lilac bag... dad, are you listening?


Scarves with pom poms are not only so sweet you want to pinch them, but are actually popping up on store shelves so fast it will make your head spin. How cute is this green one? It's less than $20 at Old Navy. Sure!


Cheap sandals from Forever 21 are my new favorite. Last seasons (here) got a ton of use for the $8 or so I spent on them. (I should mention here than I had a rather nasty spill down the stairs in those... it's debatable if me or the sandals were to blame... but everything was fixed with some Gorilla Glue - the sandals, not me - and we lived happily ever after). Any who, these are the ones I want this year. $15 - that's it! Love them!


Gap(RED) always has cute graphic tees... this lil hippy chick is so cute and I am loving the coral color. Simple and easy for summer!


Have a super fab weekend! Any big plans?

empire state of mind?

Oh boy, oh boy! When a reader commented yesterday that I should put together a little Sex and the City outfits post... I just couldn't say no. (And quite frankly wondered why I didn't think of it myself!)

I am a huge SATC fan and was very, very excited to see the previews for the second movie. But when I saw that Aidan was returning, I just about had a heart attack. PITTER PATTER people!

If you are planning on attending the movie this weekend with some gal pals and need some wardrobe inspiration... I've got it for you. Although, it seems to be silly to try and even come close to the style and flair that this movie embodies. But heck, I'll try.


Are you a Miranda? Smart, sexy, a perfect mix of understated yet bold?

Black Dresses by Max Studio
Pumps by Jessica Simpson

Or are you a Charlotte? Sophisticated, conservative and always classic?

Evening Dresses by Arden B
Pumps by Antonio Melani

Or more of a Carrie? Always the belle of the ball with creativity mixed with quirkiness?

Evening Dresses by Forever 21
Platforms by Forever 21

Or last but not least, a Samantha? Very sexy, very smooth and very glamorous?

Evening Dresses by Forever 21
Rings by Banana Republic

Have fun if you are going to see the movie! I personally can not wait to see the Aidan/Big/Carrie love triangle unfold!