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

in the 3rd person

A few weeks ago, some friends gathered, drank some beer, ate some food, and played some Cards Against Humanity to celebrate someone's birthday. And a great time was had by all.

The above is what one party-goer wore. She was concerned about being cold as the evening wore on, but didn't want to be too warm whilst patio drinking. And somehow, she was able to strike juuuust the right balance. A white v-neck tee, black skirt, boots to keep her feetsies warm, and a chambray to take on and off according to the temperature and her activities.

And those fancy, pretty jewels she's sporting?

From Rocksbox - read more about that here.

white v-neck: c/o Aéropostale

chambray: Lauren Conrad via Kohl's

black skirt: from a friend

boots: The Frye Company via Nordstrom

jewelry: rented from Rocksbox

for the love of scarves

When it's warm outside, but your office/where you work/where you spend most of your day is freezing, what do you wear?

*not a trick question*

LAYERS.

Additionally, scarves, boots, and jackets. Extra points if you print mix, mix color palettes, try something monochromatic, and/or do something interesting.

Aaaand, that's what I did here. I've been getting some, *ahem* "feedback" on my wearing of scarves (how often, how many, how big they are, etc., etc.), and to that, I say:

"They help to keep me warm, transition my outfit for different events, and transition my outfit for different temperature extremes (from warm to freezing to hot and back again).

And, I like how they look and help to make my look 'complete'. For the love of scarves, people!"

;)

striped dress: WalMart

floral scarf: Target

navy cardigan: Banana Republic Outlet

teal faux leather jacket: local boutique

boots: The Frye Company via Nordstrom

monday does it again

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, or a tugboat tooting my own horn, or Kanye singing his own praises, this outfit is another one that just came another in the early morning (yesterday did, as well). This look has a few different elements that, when combined, form a cohesive (and dare I say, classy?) look.

First up is the colorblocking with the navy top half, and the wine-colored pencil skirt. Colorblocking works best when the 2 colors are of the same saturation, or level, of color. So, a deep wine color, and a rich navy blue work here. Or a deep emerald with another equally deep and rich jewel-tones (see some of my past not-so-great colorblocking looks over here...).

Next is the monochromatic layers up top - the navy blue button-up under the navy blue vest.

The third is tying together the boots with the necklace and scarf. Cognac meets brown paisley and brown + gold - not matchy-matchy, yet coordinating and pulled together. And lastly, I wore a necklace under the scarf so that if/when I took off the scarf and vest (which I did), my outfit would still look complete, and not like it was missing some element.

button-up shirt: thrifted (J. Crew)

vest: Old Navy

scarf: gift

necklace: Target

pencil skirt: J. Crew Factory

boots: The Frye Company via Nordstrom

sassy

Just in case I haven't made it clear before, I love my Frye boots and wearing them with dresses or skirts. Without tights. It feels so sassy and fun. And almost like I'm getting away with something - like cheating winter and its subsequent snow and gross weather.

It DOES help to wear a warm dress when foregoing tights in winter - this sweatshirt dress from J. Crew Factory has a great fleece-y lining, and since it's such a nice basic color, pairs with just about any scarf in my closet.

dress: J. Crew Factory

scarf: gift

boots: The Frye Company via Nordstrom

jacket: c/o Aéropostale

plum. 2 ways.

If you have a deep purple/plum colored dress, and you want to wear it in more ways than one, fear not! Here are two ideas for your purple-wearing self.

The first, a bit fancier. Maybe for a date night or nice party. Deep purple dress, magenta wedges, statement necklace and a clutch. Keeping it pretty simple, yet something so simple and classy packs quite the punch, don't you think?

Also, maybe I should quit with the center part in my hair? I'm not sure it's doing me any favors.

Up for discussion...

And this second look is a bit more casual. Perfect for dinner at a bar, then a rousing evening of grocery shopping and the hardware store (like I did when I wore this). Jacket, scarf, belt & boots to add a bit of depth, and also keep you warm - in case you have to park REALLY far away in the parking lot and/or wait for a table. Or something.

linking up over here, at A Touch of Tartan

dress: thrifted (Banana Republic)

wedges: ALDO

statement necklace: WalMart

clutch: thrifted

jacket: c/o Aéropostale

scarf: thrifted (Lucky Brand)

boots: The Frye Company via Nordstrom

belt: Target