OOTD: Countdown to Capsule Wardrobe

Greetings peeps! Here I am posting nearly a month later! Ugh. Our  move is a mere 14 days away and I promise I'll be a better blogger then! Plus it will be SUMMER. Speaking of summer--our MN weather cannot decide what it wants to do. One day it's 75 and sunny and the next day its 49 with pelt-y rain. I have not fully transitioned my winter clothes over to my spring and summer due to this manic approach to the weather. I am trying to transition from one season to the next by wearing skirts with tights and utilizing layers. In addition, I am just a mere weeks away from implementing my first capsule wardrobe--the packing and moving is my impetus--and am trying to wear a few questionable pieces to see if they make the cut. More on my capsule wardrobe to come!

My go to neutral this winter and now into spring has been NAVY. It simply goes with so so much. I feel like every color I pair it with is an immediate yes. Gray? Yep. Coral? Absolutely. Yellow? Ding!

 I have also worn this exact outfit without the tights and just the boot sox when the weather was nice enough to expose my painfully white knees.

{Shop the Style}

Sweater: The Limited

Skirt: Loft

Tank: Gap

Necklace: Premier (ancient!)

Tights: Target

Boots: Target

OOTD {Clearance finds!}

This really is one of my favorite times of year for excellent fashion finds. Despite the fact that I am writing this during another snow day for it being just too darn cold here...this time of year provides some of the best clothing steals. Target has huge clearance right now and I have been scoring big time! I hope to share another outfit this week made up mostly of Target clearance as well.

I know a lot of people around where I live that avoid dresses during the winter. My apologies to them for their craziness. You can bundle up a dress and be just as warm, if not warmer than if you were wearing pants. Leggings, tights, boot socks, and boots make this possible. This outfit was super cozy and comfortable. I almost went rogue and wore yellow tights as well but chickened out at the last second. Instead I accented my pop of mustard cardigan with a new necklace (Christmas gift from my sis--Thanks Janel!) and called it good. 

{Shop the Style}

Cardigan: Target (clearance)

Sweatshirt Dress: Target (Clearance--I own the khaki one too)

Tights: Target

Boots: Herberger's

Necklace: Gift (need to find out where its from!)

Stay warm peeps! 

OOTd {Fave Floral Fall Dress}

I kept eying this dress at Target over several shopping trips. My hesitation centered on the fact that I am not really a "floral" person. Animal print. Of course. Houndstooth? Sign me up. Floral?? Ummmm...? I am not sure what it is. Maybe its my fear of looking like a set of curtains, or a table cloth, or a couch from the seventies. Floral print is HUGE right now and I really wanted to attack it one way or another. This dress caught my eye for two reasons- (1) I enjoy the navy background. Navy is my go-to neutral as of late. (2) The floral print seemed large enough to not seem busy but small enough to not seem like I should come with a scent of some sort. The tipping point on the scale was actually SEEING it on someone else at a school event. SOLD! I have styled this dress so many different ways over the last few weeks that I am so glad I didn't skip on purchasing it! I also wore it for our fall family pics! Sneak peak at the end!

{Shop the Style}

Dress: Target 

Sweater: Target

Necklace: The Limited

Boots: Steve Madden

Socks: Target

Belt: Old

My hubs is sooo handsome ;)!

OOTD {houndstooth}

All dressed up today for parent teacher conferences! It's a tough balance between dressing professionally and dressing comfortable for a 12 hour day! I'm in love with this pixie length pin stripe dress pants from the limited and knew they would be crisp and comfortable at the same time. The weather is cool enough--sweater weather-- and I finally busted out this adorable hounds tooth sweater. Love me some pop of color so yellow shoes it is! 

{Shop the Style} 

Sweater- Gap outlet

Pants- The limited

Shoes- Gap

Bracelet- boutique 

Two Weeks of Teacher Outfits! {Days 8 & 9}

Wow am I enjoying this small tiny Indian summer we are having here in MN. I am squeaking out a few last days with my summer dresses and sandals. The weather has been nearly perfect and despite really wanting to bust out some boots, I will relish these last few warm, sunny days and the outfits they bring.

{Day 8}

This is one of my favorite Old Navy clearance finds from the summer. A super cute shirt dress that I dropped a mere $8.99 on sometime in August. I adore mint and couldn't pass up on the stripes either. This dress transitions well to fall with an outer layer cardigan. Throwing on my Emily sandals from Target made me super happy as well. The necklace is from Groopdealz and is hands down the necklace that I get asked about most often while wearing. Pssst...I have it in four colors! Side story--I spilled smoothie on the sleeve of the sweater and four WHITE stripes on my way to work. Argh! The curse of wearing white! Thank goodness for baby wipes!

{Shop the Style}

Dress: Old Navy

Sweater: Old Navy

Sandals: Target

Necklace: Groopdealz 

Tank: Old Navy

{Day 9}

Oh. My. Goodness. I saw this top in a Limited email and it haunted me for the better part of a week. Turquoise? My favorite color. A little bit of peacock vibe? Smile. Loose, drapey fit? Swoon. How about 40% off? Why thank you very much! I'm head over heals for this shirt AND I already owned a cardigan that matched it perfectly!!! (Insert evil laugh here!) I busted out some black booties and I was one happy camper. 

{Shop the Style}

Top: The Limited

Skirt: Old Navy

Booties: Target

Cardigan: Vanity

Necklace: Charlotte Russe

Two Weeks of Teacher Outfits {Days 6 & 7}

Here we are at week two! I have kept up with all of this better than I thought considering its the BUSIEST time of the year for people like me! Whoot Whoot!

{Day 6}

I really had to put an outfit together for Monday {Day 6} because it was school picture day! There are few professions where you get to see yourself age from September to September, year after year. I even get a few pictures to give away to my friends and family. Am I too old to be doing this? Eh. Who cares?! This outfit has so many separate pieces that I love and it all adds up to a pretty snazzy picture taking outfit! These pants are the new ankle length from The Limited~ the waistband and pockets are faux leather trimmed and so chic. I love the bold print of the top as it adds just enough wow to stand out in a picture. I just had to match the studs on my shoes to the ones on my necklace to complete the whole ensemble.

{Shop the Style}

Cardigan: Target (Merona)

Top: Target

Pants: The Limited

Shoes: Von Maur (Naughty Monkey)

Necklace: Charlotte Russe

{Day 7}

Well the temps here in Minnesota are following the typical, fickle Fall trends. We are now having highs back in the 70's. It is very chilly in the morning, but by the afternoon it settles right down on gorgeous. A maxi skirt is the perfect match for this kind of weather as it allows my legs to be covered when its chilly but offers air flow for the hotter temps later. In the morning I sported a full sleeved jean jacket and traded it out later for the sleeveless version. I love accenting black with gold and adding it with the necklace and shoes was the perfect flair. 

{Shop the Style}

Tank: Old Navy

Jean Vest: Old Navy

Skirt: The Limited

Necklace: The Limited

Shoes: Born 

Check back for Days 8 & 9! 

Two Weeks of Teacher Fashion! {Days 4 & 5}

Turns out doing two days at a time is waaaay easier than everyday! I wrapped up my first week back at school this week. Over 300 sixth graders are now feeling like real middle schoolers and I am exhausted! Thank goodness I planned my outfits out ahead of time so I could hit the snooze button once. Or twice.

Day Four~

We are barely topping out at 50 degrees right now--leave it to MN to go right from 80 and humid to needing to wear two layers. Oy. I am pretty pumped to be adding blazers to my outfits now but dread the frigid temps that are around the corner. Fall is a perfect time to wear summer pieces mixed with fall pieces to create a great transition outfit. My day 4 outfit is a perfect example!

{Shop the Style}

Top: The Limited

Blazer: Kohl's

Pants: American Eagle Skinny Kick

Wedges: Target

Necklace: Von Maur

Day Five~

We have school spirit days on Fridays--especially if there is a home football game. I'll be honest and tell ya that I don't take advantage of these days very often. I'm not really a sweatshirt kinda gal. I like comfy clothes when I am doing comfy things. However, when I am teaching I really do like to look professional. I AM willing to do it ever since I found this stellar home team sweatshirt in groovy tie-dye. It is a wonderful light weight. An outfit like this also gives me an excuse to where my Converse. Win for me. Now let's hope our team wins too! 

{Shop the Style}

Sweatshirt: Local team store

Pants: J Crew Skinnies

Converse: Shore from Von Maur

See you on Monday! 

Two Weeks of Teacher Outfits Starts NOW! {Day 1}

I received TONS of great feedback on the last post about teacher basics for your wardrobe. I am going to challenge myself to take a picture of EVERY outfit I wear for the next two school weeks and post them EVERYDAY! We just started school today as our school district had summer construction projects and needed a tiny bit of extra time to get the schools ready for us all. So....Here goes day 1!

{Shop the Style}

Dress: The Limited (marked down as we speak---such a cute dress!)

Shoes: Target (current)

Jacket: Kohl's 

Necklace: Origami Owl

{OOTD} Anniversary!

My sweet hubs and I celebrated 17 years of wedded bliss this month! Hands down, he is still the most amazing man I have ever met and I am not sure what I ever did to deserve such a gem of a spouse. Each year we take turns planning our anniversary date. It was his turn this year and I was completely looking forward to what he had in store. He told me to dress cool and comfortable but still dressy. We ended up spending the afternoon at a local art fair followed by paddle boating on a local lake and dinner at my FAVORITE restaurant (Asiago encrusted walleye to die for!). We had perfect weather and simply enjoyed celebrating the day we chose to become one. So very blessed!

{Shop the Style}

Dress: The Limited

Necklace: The Limited

Shoes: Target

{OOTD} Stripes and bubbles

Here I am fresh from our family vacay to the Black Hills of South Dakota! You would NOT want to see any of my outfits from the trip. Nothing cute but everything comfy. Outfits for car riding, hiking, and kid wrangling. Instead, an outfit from the week before....I was singing in church and decided to go bright with stripes and a bubble necklace. I paired it with a simple denim-ish skirt and wedges that pulled out the army/khaki/brown stripe in the shirt. I love this top and love it more that my daughter calls it my "lifesaver shirt"! Hee hee! (Eek--there is even a little peek at my cute puppy Phelix! Love him!)

Check back soon as I will be doing a few posts on back to school wardrobe ideas for teachers!

{Shop the Style}

Top: The Limited

Necklace: Groopdealz

Skirt: Ann Taylor Loft

Shoes: JC Penney

Puppy: not for sale! 

OOTD {Casual Converse}

School's out for the summer!!! I am trying not to fill my already precious summer days with all my to-do list items. Still, I can't wait to share some of the projects I am working on with all of you here on the blog, so stay tuned!

Despite it being summer, we are still in the midst of spring basketball with our third daughter. She has quite the knack for the sport and it has been so fun watching her grow in her skills and confidence. I always want to dress comfy for the all day tourneys in order to be able to stand up and yell and cheer. It was a bit cool at our last tournament which let me extend the wear of my ALL TIME FAVE skinnies from J.Crew factory. I am also sporting my new white Converse and I adore them!

{Shop the Style}

Top: Limited (similar)

Pants: J Crew Factory (exact)

Shoes: Converse (Von Maur)

Watch: Michael Kors (similar)

Bracelet: Limited

Necklace: Boutique

OOTD {Nautical}

Whew! It has been hard to get posts up these last few weeks as I am winding down another great school year with my middle schoolers! It has been a fantastic year but I am royally ready for summer. Only three days left...whoo hoo! Despite the spring weather I have still had to dress rather warmly as my building is fortunate enough to have air conditioning and it's a bit chilly. I am grateful for this but also anxious to bust out a sundress.

The other day I snagged one of my favorite cardigans and caught the nautical vibe and went all the way with it. I am obsessed with anchors and love how the necklace really finished the look. My latest obsession is with slip on tennies. I have been searching everywhere for the perfect Vans. My goal was to lace them in a way that I would not have to tie them--just slip them on and deal with the laces inside. Turns out I was not a fan of this set up. I instead settled on this adorable pair of Sperry tennies with the laces already curled and set. I wear them with some non-slip footies and they are so comfy.

{Shop the Style} 

Cardigan: Limited (old)

Tank: Limited (similar)

Necklace: Limited (similar)

Pants: Old Navy (similar)

Shoes: Sperry--Von Maur (same)

BY THE WAY----if you are looking to add to your summer wardrobe THIS is the weekend to do it. Memorial Day sales are in full swing and they are amazing. Many of my favorite stores (Old Navy, The Limited) are having 40-50% off of everything through Monday. Eeeeek! JCrew Factory--where I got my favorite distressed skinnies---is having 50% of all women's clothing. The skinnies end up being $44! 

Have a wonderful Memorial Day! 

OOTD {Pop of Color}

I'll be the first to admit that I love me some neutrals. I used to have WAAAAY too much black in my closet and actually had to self-impose a moratorium on buying anything black for a year! Yes-a year. What did I learn from this experience? That color was my friend--bright, funky hues especially. I also learned that blacks and grays and tans look AWESOME with pops of color. The whole process made me rethink how I put outfits together and really helped me rework my closet.

Today's outfit of the day has TWO of my fave purchases from the last month. I searched high and low (price wise and location wise) for a great pair of distressed skinnies. I needed my skinnies to be distressed in a way that looked grungy but actually contained no "real" holes so I could wear them to work. I finally settled on a pair from J.Crew Factory and am in LOVE. 1) They are a midrise so those of you that hate the low rise trend and what it does NOT do for the ever lovely pooch, these are perf! 2) They are not skin tight skinny. The have just the right amount of give and stretch which makes them very comfortable and flattering.

My other favorite recent purchase are my lemon yellow moccasins from the Gap. They are literally like wearing slippers but offer the ultimate pop of sunshine to my neutral gray button down. This outfit was super casual but had such a put together vibe that I could get away with wearing it anywhere! LOVE!

{Shop the Style}

Top: Old Navy (similar)

Skinnies: J.Crew Factory

Shoes: Gap (similar)

OOTD {Easter}

I love to plan my outfit for Easter. I'll admit, its partially because I have an excuse to buy a new dress. Not just for me either~ my ladies all get new dresses too. My youngest even asked if she could get a maxi dress this year! It was a pretty proud mama moment I must say!

Fashion aside, my hubs and I really try and make sure the true message of Easter gets to the hearts and minds of our girls. We were actually really shocked this year at how much Easter is starting to feel like Christmas with people's need to buy gifts. Gifts? Really? Maybe a few eggs hidden here and there and a new tub of sidewalk chalk but c'mon. Bottom line--Jesus died for our sins. That is THE gift. He is Risen!

I should have snapped a few outfit pics of the whole fam because we were really all decked out to head to church for Easter. AND....it was the most beautiful day so far this year. 75 and sunny with a slight breeze. Such a blessing! So, here's what I wore...

{Shop the Style}

Dress: Target (similar)

Cardigan: Marshall's

Shoes: Target (same)

Necklace: F21 (same)

Bracelets: Mix

Inspiration for an OOTD!

One of my favorite fashion blogs (and one of the reasons I started my own) is J's Everyday Fashion. The best part of her blog and the foundation behind nearly every post is an inspiration photo. She must scour fashion catalogs and magazines for hours for these photos! Does she have a stock pile? I would love to know her process! Magically, she then pulls items she already owns and puts together an outfit eerily similar to the inspiration photo. There are times when instead of creating the exact outfit in the inspiration photo, she simply tries to replicate the color scheme or pattern. I have always marveled at her ability to do this.

One of my favorite places to go for inspiration (as crazy as it sounds--I don't subscribe to really any fashion mags or catalogs) is Polyvore and of course, Pinterest. Polyvore is an account based site where you can build outfits using fashion pieces they provide. We have all probably pinned these "body-less" outfits that we wish would just magically appear in our closets. I have found myself in a winter clothes rut the last few weeks and have been relying heavily on outfits I have pinned from Polyvore. I'm telling ya--they have come through when I am desperate for some outfit inspiration. The plan is to share a few of these with all of you!

Here is a super simple look that looks super pulled together. I love combining black and brown (which a few of you are still afraid to do...bah!--get over it!!) I boycotted our endless winter and showed some pretty white knees but stayed warm with some cozy boot socks. I tried to stick very close to the inspiration photo using items from my own closet. Sometimes the best part of this process is getting to try out a combination or color scheme that you would have NEVER come up with on your own. Go ahead and get some outfit inspiration and re-create the look!

{Shop the Style}

Scarf: Steve Madden at Herberger's

Cardigan: Old Navy

Dress: Ann Taylor Loft

Boot Sox: TJ Maxx

Boots: Steven Madden 

Clearance find [OOTD}

There's nothing like rushing through Target trying to snag a last minute supply for homemade valentine's when a cute little dress catches your eye. Even better when you go check it out and it is on clearance for $11.48! I have always wanted to get my hands on a striped dress after seeing a post on Putting Me Together on how she styles hers....and then to snag one on Target clearance?! Get out! It has the cutest details too--cuffed sleeves, a zipper on the right shoulder, and a scalloped hem. It came in burgundy and navy as well. I've worn this beauty three times since then and have styled it several different ways and it is pretty much a no fail. I love mixing the black and brown together as well. Now I must be on a search for a lightweight version for spring and summer!

{Shop the Style}

Sweater: Target

Dress: Target

Tights: Target

Boots: Steve Madden

Necklace: Charlotte Russe

Six Ways to Style! {A Plaid Shirt}

Whew! Better late than never on this post! We are in the midst of a very busy basketball season for both my daughter and my hubby and blogging and watching an intense game just don't mix! I've been blessed with a long weekend so here is a new Six Ways. I picked up this plaid shirt at Forever 21 a few weeks ago and have really enjoyed styling it. I am even on the lookout now for one with even more red. Keep your eye out for one for me! I love the bright hues in this shirt and how it goes together with so many different closet pieces. I didn't even get pics of one of my favorite ways to wear this shirt--as a an underlayer--because I had so many other looks I wanted to fit in. Let us know how you style this trendy piece.

Need a plaid shirt?

One    /   Two   /   Three 

1. Maxi

I love this comfy look. This is a great way to wear your maxi in colder weather. Tying off the shirt keeps the look loose and casual. The finishing touches of a red scarf and red flats are spot on. 

Skirt: homemade

Flats: Gordman's

Scarf: Boutique

2. Army Vest

We did a post earlier on how to style this army vest and it has continued to be a fashion star for me. It adds an extra layer of warmth while being effortlessly stylish at the same time. As for the shoes--I have been totally swept up into the bootie trend and struggled at first to style them with skinny jeans. I wasn't in love with the scrunched up look. I solved the issue by cuffing or rolling my skinnies up to work with the height of the booties. Love! 

Vest: Old Navy

Skinnies: American Eagle

Boots: Kohl's

3. Cardigan

Pairing a neutral cardigan over this bold hued shirt is a perfect styling option. The neutral cardigan balances out the pattern of the shirt as well. 

Cardigan: American Eagle

Skinnies: American Eagle

Boots: Not Rated

4. Puffer Vests

Here in the frozen tundra (and I mean that LITERALLY) I need as many warm layers as I can find while still looking stylish. I have reached for my puffer vests over and over this winter. They had tons of warmth and keep you looking cute despite the frigid temps raging outside. I balanced my top half with my mustard skinnies which pull out the slight yellow in the plaid shirt. 

Vest: Eddie Bauer

Skinnies: Herberger's 

Booties: Old Navy

5. Blazer

This look was an OOTD of mine a few weeks back. I have worn it at least twice since then. It is dressy enough for my job yet cozy enough to feel dressed down. The bottoms are my FAVE coated navy skinnies. I would probably even throw on a cream scarf with this too!

Blazer: The Limited

Skinnies: Old Navy

Flats: Target

6. Color Match

This is my running around on errands casual look with this plaid shirt. A flowy top keeps me comfortable and loose. The red skinnies are a color match for the red in the shirt and gives the whole look continuity. I accessorized with a turquoise necklace and red flats. 

Top: The Limited

Skinnies: Gap

Flats: Target 

Influenza +OOTD!

So, I haven't gotten "dressed" for four days in a row. Why? A little evil thing called influenza. Man have I been sick! Body aches, fever, chills, cough....you get the idea. I couldn't put together a coherent thought not to mention an entire cute outfit! I am on the mend now and vow to really get "dressed" tomorrow! Here is an outfit I wore last week pre-flu. I'm very into layers right now because of the climate I live in. The temperature change from outside to inside can be extremely dramatic and one must dress for it!

I've also mentioned in other posts how I love to wear bright, bold colors when the weather is dreary and blah. I enjoy being a tiny spot of color in an otherwise white landscape! I have been wearing this plaid button up from F21 all the time lately because it just seems to go with everything! Maybe a Six Ways post in the future!? The best part of this outfit is something you can't even see--my navy blue skinnies are COATED! I snagged them for 9 bucks at Old Navy! I can't really describe the texture--they feel like they have a layer of something on them but its a good something! Finish it all off with some ruffle red flats and all is good, even in my winter wasteland.

Blazer: Limited

Plaid: F21

Tank: Limited

Jeans: Old Navy

Flats: Gordman's

Scarf: Old Navy

Trend Watch~{Knitting Scarves +OOTD!}

Knitting is not just for "seasoned"(there is no easy or polite way to say older people without appearing offensive--please forgive!) people anymore! It has become a very trendy and hip hobby. I tried knitting a few years ago when scarves were really only an outside/winter weather accessory and not the fashion accessory they have become. I decided to pick it all back up again when my mom showed me a few projects she was working on over the holidays. She taught me a new stitch called the seed or moss stitch. It is a bit more involved then just your basic knitting stitch but the results are wonderful. It took me about five hours (and a few movies) to knit this gorgeous butterscotch scarf. I cannot believe the attention this scarf has garnished! I am so ready to crank out a few more in some colors that I need to add to my collection! It acts as the perfect pop of color to this otherwise neutral outfit. Check out some of my favorite knitting resources after the pic!

Cardigan: Forever 21

Tank: Old Navy

Pants: Target (leather stripe down the side)

Watch: Michael Kors

Boots: BOC at Herberger's 

KNITTING KNOW-HOW

1. The best yarn to use for this chunky, warm scarf is by Lion Brand. It is their Thick and Quick wool blend. You can order it online or find it in JoAnn's and Michael's stores. I use my coupons to get a good deal. The scarf takes one and a half skeins to complete. 

2. My mom found the pattern for this scarf HERE. The scarf ends up being five feet long and makes a large double loop around my neck.   It calls for 17" knitting needles. These are also pretty cheap and can be found at any craft store. (She does offer a shorter, cowl version HERE but it is crochet.)

3. Need to know how to "cast on?" Need to know how to do a basic stitch? Check out Knitting Help  for great tutorials! 

4. I certainly made mistakes on my first scarf. In the beginning my mom was there to help me fix my mistakes. When she left I kind of panicked! What if I made a mistake? Would all my work be for naught? Well, I did make a mistake(s) and this YouTube playlist helped a ton! 

Please let us know if you knit yourself one of these babies! 

Christmas {OOTD}

It has been a wonderful week celebrating Christmas with those we love. Just wanted to pop in and share what I wore for our family Christmas. Took a spin on Holly's Christmas Cheer post and wore a deep rust hue and black with gold accents. I was also going for comfort as we would be traveling to a Christmas as well. The leggings/pants have a great quilted leather tuxedo stripe down the side which are a great alternative if you don't want to rock full leather leggings. Look for a Six Ways post soon on the rust sweater!

Wishing a wonderful Christmas to your family!

Sweater: Target

Pants: Target

Tank: Old Navy

Necklace: Southern Charm 

Watch: Michael Kors

Bracelets: Various

Shoes: Target