challenge accepted

Recently, a friend of mine was over while I was going through my closet for the umpteenth time this year. I was getting rid of some things, and starting to swap summer items for fall/winter items. I grabbed all of my white dresses in one handful and started to put them away with the summer clothes. And my friend said "Wait, that lace one. Keep it out. You can wear it in when it's colder."

And I said

"Are you challenging me to find a way to wear it this fall?"

And she deviously smiled and said

"YES."

So, here it is. Attempt number one. Not sure if she'll give me points for this, since we've had weather in the 80s and 90s, but I've got plans to try it again, don't you worry your pretty little head. I wore a light jacket and a scarf since I knew we'd be out and about in Denver this day - we ended up going in and out of museum exhibits (air conditioning & temperature controls, warm lobby, air conditioning & temperature controls, warm lobby, lots of warm bodies, even warmer lobby, you get the idea...). I was even a bit warm in this, but the layers did allow for more versatility than the dress by itself would have given me.

I chose the jacket because I feel like this jacket needs more wear, and because it adds a nice masculine/utilitarian element to this lacey & feminine dress. The scarf was an addition because it ALSO needs more wear, but the sequins and girlie print lend themselves to be worn with anything. And I think we all know the best to get me to wear anything is by adding lots of texture. And this outfit has several: lace, khaki/olive green cotton, ocean-inspired gauzy print, sequins, and plaid shoes. Let's not forget the braided headband.

Stay tuned for this dress's next appearance, most likely to be seen with tights, a sweater, and a scarf. Maybe a heavy jacket and snow pants. I really can't say...

dress: Kohl's

scarf: Lilly Pulitzer for Target

jacket: thrifted (Land's End)

shoes: COACH via DSW

linking up:

Sydney Fashion Hunter // Shopping My Closet // Cappuccino & Fashion

 The Pleated Poppy // Book of Leisure // Tucker Up

Home of Malones // East Coast Nat // A Liz Adventures

Two Thirty Five Designs // Lizzie in Lace // The Sits Girls

GARTH BROOKS

warning: lots of pictures and talking ahead...

Two weeks ago, something magical happened.

Garth Brooks came to Denver. He hasn't been here since 1999. As soon as we heard he was coming to town, we made plans to buy tickets and go with a group of friends.

And we did - it was great. Such a great show, great company, and I think we all had a terrific time. As did the thousands of other people in the arena, and the thousands of other people who saw him perform that week.

We ended up going on a Tuesday (a school night! what?!), to one of his last shows. And then we stayed in Denver for the night, got breakfast, and took our time getting back to work the next day. If I could go to a great show every Tuesday evening and work a half day on Wednesdays after a leisurely breakfast, I'd be a very happy girl. 

from my Instagram, before the show

my friend and her husband, before the show

the girls

my friend Lyndsie - she's a wonderful photographer

obligatory mirrored elevator ceiling selfie

boots boots boots
from my Instagram

and another obligatory selfie: the bathroom mirror shot

the man himself

The Mr. is not a huge country fan like myself, but he does love Garth, and he's slowly but surely coming around to my way of thinking, almost a decade later...

And, here is what I wore to the concert. I know that's the main reason you're here.

Don't lie. Let's be real. We're all friends around these parts ;)

You might have already gathered that I like to NOT dress like everyone else. And my girlfriend, Chelsea, mentioned that almost every female at the show would be wearing some variation of either a floral print dress, white dress, jean skirt and cowgirl boots.

And she was right.

That was proven to be true before we ever entered the Pepsi Center.

So, I took a different route and opted for chambray, sequins(!!!), and my trusty Frye boots. And I didn't even see anyone wearing anything similar. I even got complimented on my ensemble a few times by complete strangers. 

Now, you might think that my boots look a lot like cowgirl boots. And you might be right. But, I was at a country concert. And, they're my favorite. And I wouldn't actually wear them to wrangle cattle or ride horses or anything.

And don't they look good?

I think this will be my country concert outfit formula in the future: sassy, fancy, shiny, sparkly, denim, boots, leather, and big hair.

chambray: Lauren Conrad via Kohl's

sequin skirt: Lauren Conrad via Kohl's

boots: The Frye Company via Nordstrom

bag: thrifted

game day: part 1

A few weeks ago, my friend, Chelsea (her blog here) gave me an idea for a blog post. She told me she struggles to look cute at sporting events, without looking like a hot mess express student wearing a t-shirt turned strapless dress. Not that a t-shirt turned strapless dress is a bad look, but if you're trying to look a bit more mature and classy while watching your favorite team, you're probably looking for some other ideas. 

Here are five warmer-weather looks you could wear to your favorite team's football game this fall.

Look for game day: part 2 later this fall, as the temperatures drop (it will include A LOT more layers).

A graphic tee of your favorite team and white pants. Or try white shorts. I'd wear this to watch the game at a friend's house - I'd probably stay away from tailgates and bleachers in these pants...

A graphic tee, a skirt and some boots. Boots of any kind would do well for tailgating, especially if the parking around the stadium is in fields, rather than on blacktop.

Another skirt, but this one a solid. It also has pockets. 

 

Don't be afraid to layer over your shirt - sometimes it gets cold watching games, and your chambray can act as a light jacket. I probably wouldn't wear flats to tailgate or attend the game in person, but definitely to watch the game with friends at someone's house, or a restaurant.

And if you don't have a graphic tee for your team, fear not! Just wear something that incorporates your team's colors (the Denver Broncos are orange and blue) - that way you're still showing team spirit.

I found my "Broncos Pride" tee at Victoria's Secret - they've got a whole line of apparel for NFL & college teams, as well as stuff for your favorite MLB team (I've got Colorado Rockies yoga pants). 

However, there are plenty of other places to find an outfit for your favorite team. WalMart, Target, the thrift store (sometimes they have the best stuff - I got a t-shirt from the Rockies inaugural season there, 1994, baby!), JCPenney, the team's official website, or make something yourself. In high school, we used to take tees & tanks and paint on names and numbers of the guys on the football and basketball teams.

I'd love to see how you show your team spirit - do you go all out? When my brother played high school football and baseball, I wore lots of too-big sweatshirts and windbreakers in navy blue and forest green (our school colors) with our school logo & mascot emblazoned on them. I'm sure I still have a few of them around...

that being said, I like to think I've matured a bit when it comes to what I wear to sporting events.

Broncos Pride tee: Victoria's Secret 

orange striped tank top: Target

chambray: WalMart

white pants: Old Navy

striped skirt: J. Crew Factory

black skirt: from a friend

gray skirt: from a friend

tassel flats: Target

boots: Steve Madden via DSW

python flats: WalMart

plaid tennis shoes: Coach via DSW

blue scarf: WalMart

America's Pastime

Several weeks ago, the Mr. got tickets to watch the Rockies play from work. So we headed to Denver for an evening of baseball - the only sport I can keep up with...!

Oh, and here's a few pictures of what I wore :)

our seats - just a few rows up on the 1st base side. it's a rough life

view from the new rooftop bar/beer garden at Coors Field

can't wait to come back to this place later in the summer!


shirt: thrifted (from the Rockies inaugural season!)
plaid button up: Old Navy
jeans: thrifted (True Religion)
shoes: COACH via DSW
North Face jacket: Sports Authority

Saving 2nd Base

As many of you know, October is a BIG month for breast cancer education, awareness, research, and fundraising. What you might not know, is that my sorority (Zeta Tau Alpha)'s national philanthropy is breast cancer education & awareness. What you also might not know, is that several NFL teams have paired up with ZTA for a "pink-out game." Depending on the organization, some teams keep it low-key, while other teams go all out and sports pink jerseys & cleats. The Broncos allowed us to hand out ribbons, magnets & programs at every gate of the stadium hours before the game, and for at least an hour after kick-off. There was a large number of active collegiate members, and a good group of us local alumni.

Zeta's philanthropy is one of the main reasons I chose ZTA over any other house during recruitment. Breast cancer is something that has affected several women in my family, and several women in friends' families, so the cause is near and dear to my heart. And pink is my most favorite color, so the match was really meant to be ;)

Luckily, I got paired at a gate with some of my good friends from the house, so it was really quite the fun little reunion. We handed out countless pink ribbons that say "Think Pink! Think Zeta!" which is trademarked by ZTA, so that's pretty cool. Another corporate sponsor of the event was USBank, and they were with us, handing out pink ribbon magnets - mine is proudly displayed on my car (one on my husband's car, too). 

The downfall to the day was that inside our gate to the stadium, we were completely in the shade. So, within 20 minutes we had chattering teeth and numb fingers - not conducive to handing out little safety-pinned ribbons. However, we took shifts warming up in the sunshine, and handed out pins, magnets & programs with smiles on our faces. It was really fun seeing some people get so excited to wear pink for a great cause, and even more fun seeing some dear friends I don't get to see too often.

the whole group before going into the stadium

the alumni group, with some active collegiate members in the background

this girl is one of my oldest friends from Zeta - we lived in the house together and spent many nights sneaking snacks from the kitchen, staying up late studying & writing papers, and early mornings going to an aerobics class :)

back at home, after the game. glad to have some downtime with my pups

the shirts we all wore

I made sure to layer up, because I knew it'd be really really warm, or really really cold (like always in Colorado!). I got stuck at a chillier gate and was still a little chilly, but at least I had some layers & a scarf to help ward off the chill!

I didn't stay for the game - my friends and I went to get a bite to eat at a sportsbar, then I headed out before the end of the game to avoid that awful post-game traffic. All in all, it was a good day, but I was pooped and slept like a baby that night :)

t-shirt: local ZTA alumni group with the Denver Broncos

chambray: thrifted

scarf: gift from my sis-in-law

pants: Old Navy

shoes: Nike via Finish Line

linking up over here today!