wear now & later: winter into spring!

Winter is far from over - at least in my neck of the woods - but the new spring items that are popping up in my favorite stores are oh so tempting! It's this time of year that I start craving a new spring wardrobe. Am I alone?

While we won't be wearing sundresses, shorts or sandals anytime soon there are a few new spring items we can easily start working into our wardrobe right now.  Here I chose two new tops I have had my eye on for spring (this striped top and this grosgrain embellished blouse) and showed how to style them for both winter and spring!  Simply by adding a cozy vest or cardigan and boots you can layer these spring tops up and they are suitable to wear now. Then this spring you can pair them with shorts, skirts, and sandals.

(get the look above: vest, jeans, bucket bag, ankle boots, striped top, scarf, shorts, clutch, sandals)

(get the look above: cardigan, jeans, grosgrain embellished blouse, ring, boots, necklace, skirt, bag, flats)

What spring pieces do you already have your eye on?

winter whites!

January calls for a fresh start.  I'm craving an organized home, a fresh new calendar and simple and fresh updates to my wardrobe. Like clockwork this time of year I crave fresh, fresh, fresh!

Winter white is the perfect way to freshen up your wardrobe. Not only are these pieces great paired with grey and black for winter… but they are a gentle nod to spring as well.  They will be great paired with pastels as the weather thaws.

vest, turtleneck sweater, gold stripe clutch, white peplum top, bracelet, earrings, blouse, sequined mini skirt, white jeans, cardigan, necklace, puffer coat (on sale!) , side stripe oxford (on sale!), zip dress, flats (on sale!), cross-body bag

12 gorgeous winter essentials!

Today I've got twelve gorgeous winter essentials for you… because, let's face it Christmas may be over but winter is just getting under way.  We've got a few months left of bundling up and multiple layers.  So now is the perfect time to invest in a few more basics especially with all the after Christmas sales and Christmas money burning a whole in your designer bag.

Now is a great time to snag new
 coats, boots, sweaters, and all the cute winter goodies you didn't get as a gift but still desperately need!

top row, from left:

faux fur cowl, white duffel coat (I'm obsessed with this!), hunter boots, plaid pajamas

middle row, from left: 

plaid top, hat, black jeans (on constant rotation in my wardrobe lately!), two-tone back zip sweater

bottom row, from left:

brown ankle boots, navy shawl coat (LOVE!), striped lounge pants, plaid scarf (only $10!)

three ways to style your LBD this winter!

A LBD (little black dress) is a classic wardrobe staple that can get your through all your holiday wardrobe needs.  A little black dress can be styled up or down for the holiday parties on your schedule large or small and even through Christmas into New Years. Here I styled it up three fun ways… and BONUS! These great dresses are all UNDER $20 - can you believe it? So snag one now and you will be set for the holidays!

top:

dress, plaid top, red shoes, necklace

middle: 

ring, necklace, cardigan, ankle boots, dress

bottom: 

dress, faux fur scarf, clutch, earrings, shoes

Or shop the pieces below!!!

my everyday style: bundled up!

Every now and again I like to bust out a monochromatic look and since I'm not exactly the queen of color these days - neutrals are the way to go.   Here I paired cream and camel hues together for a cozy winter monochromatic look and I really liked the result.

Winter has been pretty kind to us so far (except that big 3 foot of snow storm in November, which has since melted) and it's been fun to experiment with two or three layers instead of the standard five to six layers that it seems is necessary to keep warm in winter.  It's always surprising to me how warm a vest can be and paired with a cozy sweater and scarf it was nice to be warm enough to ditch a coat for a bit.

(photos by Jennifer Ketchum)

Details:

Scarf, J.Crew Factory (similar less expensive)

Vest, J.Crew Factory (or similar)

Sweater, J.Crew Factory - on sale! (or similar - also on sale!)

Jeans, Gap (similar or similar less expensive)

Ankle Boots, Sam Edelman (similar or similar)

Bag, J.Crew (similar or similar)

Or shop the pieces below!

my everyday style: winter classics!

I love nothing more than throwing a bunch of classic wardrobe pieces together to create an everyday look.  The result is always simple but sophisticated.  And let's be honest: way, way too easy! Who doesn't love a look that comes together in a snap?  I seem to have a major obsession with black pumps lately (see Pinterest for proof) and really, why not? They look great with just about everything and really dress up even the simplest of looks.

(photos by Jennifer Ketchum)

Details:
Faux Fur Infinity Cowl, LOFT (old, but similar or similar)
Blazer, Forever 21 - ℅ (similar or similar)
Striped Top, Gap (old, but similar or similar)
Waxed Jeans, Gap (similar or similar)
Bow Pumps, Sole Society
Earrings, Kendra Scott
Or shop the pieces below!

What to wear to holiday parties with Piperlime!

Are you asking yourself what to wear to holiday parties and events these days? This time of year every gal needs to have a dress or two waiting in her closet for all the holiday events that are the highlight of the season.  It's important to dress to impress… but also to be smart about our clothing budget at the same time!  If you don't have the budget to buy a new dress for every occasion, all you have to do is invest in one or two you love and them make them work for the entire season.

Here I've taken a few holiday dress styles and layered them up to prove that with a little creativity you can find the perfect holiday dress that won't only be worn once this holiday season! Simply by switching up accessories, shoes and adding a few layers you breathe new life into your beloved pieces and really stretch your holiday budget.

top:

holiday soiree - faux fur coat, necklace, flats

polka dot dress

santa's helper - cape, striped tote, hunter boots, earrings

bottom:

office party - faux fur & vegan leather jacket, clutch, black pumps

navy sequined dress - less than $100!

cocktails with your bff - denim jacket, earrings, leopard flats

Shop the pieces below, too!

This post is kindly sponsored by Shopstyle and Piperlime. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

outerwear! (at all price points!)

Oh my! Winter is here in the northern mid-west. I can't believe how cold it is already and with snow in the forecast no less.  I'm prepping my closet to bundle up… what about you? Are you ready for this cold weather in style?

Here I've got some amazing outerwear pieces at all price points… no matter your budget, I've got the perfect coat for you.

$

from left: belted camel coat, navy peacoat, fur hood puffer coat, grey shawl coat

$$

from left: two tone black/white, army/black zip up coat, grey double breasted coat

$$$

from left: navy bow puffer coat, coral cocoon coat, grey shawl collar, camel double breasted coat

or shop more options below!

keep warm. stay stylish.

November is here and it brought with it the standard cold temps… I almost think of November as winter, but technically it is still late fall.  Either way you are going to need a little extra something to keep you warm and stylish in the weeks and months to come.

I always love stocking up on a few new cold weather essentials this time of year to make sure that I am looking and feeling warm.  I tend to wear scarves from now until March all day long, so a few new ones in the stash are a must.  I happen to always be freezing.  I always like to make sure I have a hat and gloves on hand too just in case.  These stylish pieces will make staring down the long cold winter a little brighter!

top row, from left: grey scarf, red plaid scarf, white with red embroidered scarf, neutral hues scarf

2nd row, from left: black & white plaid scarf, pink & black plaid check scarf, burgundy infinite scarf, cream and taupe two-tone scarf

3rd row, from left: pale pink with jewels hat, black & white striped hat, grey pom pom hat, fair isle hat

4th row, from left: burgundy calf hair gloves (love!), fair isle mittens, camel fingerless gloves, grey wool gloves

falling for leopard coats… three ways to style them!

Each fall and winter I find myself falling for leopard coats.  They seem a little wild and crazy and somehow classic at the same time.  But one thing is for sure… not only are these coats super fun to style but they would also add a lot of "happy" to any dreary winter day!

Here I found a few fun leopard coat styles at several price points and styled them up… I hope you like them as much as I do.

Tell me, would you wear a leopard coat for winter? Do you have one already?

(above: jeans, sweatshirt, coat, bag, ring, flats)

(above: coated jeans, jeweled top, earrings, clutch, flats, coat)

(above: necklace, jeans, t-shirt, cardigan, bag, boots, coat)

swoon… it's sweater season!

What's better than a fresh crop of sweaters this time of year?  I'm loving the monochromatic and graphic selections at J.Crew Factory lately. These are just begging to be layered under or over your favorite fall and winter pieces to keep you looking stylish and warm all season!

one, two, three, four (love!), five, six, seven (want!), eight, nine

dress your home/dress yourself with #targetstyle!

This blog has been a discovery of my personal style over the past 6 years… and as I've slowly honed my personal style as it relates to my clothing choices, I have also found that my personal style for my home has fallen into place as well.  

It actually came as a surprise at first that how I dress my body is also very similar to how I dress my home.  Now I am comfy cozy with the idea and wish I would have realized it sooner.  When getting dressed in the morning I go for classic pieces with great texture that mix and match easily and add in a few stripes or plaids (especially this time of year).  The same goes for my home… I like classic pieces with great texture that mix and match easily - and even at home I throw in a few stripes here and there!

Isn't that just one of the reason we all love Target so much? We can dress our homes and our selves all with one simple stop (and stock our pantry/fridge, grab a few things for the kids and a couple of cleaning supplies and call it good!).

Here I pulled together a few of my Target favorites for home and closet… and these you don't even have to leave home to shop for!

dress your home:

throw pillow, throw blanket, desk, graphic rug, striped jug, fabric storage bins

dress yourself:

plaid scarf, earrings, ankle boots, pleather skirt - love!, miracle gel set (have you tried these yet? I'm dying to!), faux fur vest, flannel top

This post was created in partnership with Target and Popsugar all opinions are my own.