A to B

If you've got a busy weekend ahead of you, with several places to be, that happen to be one right after the other, pay attention - this post is for you.

One of my friends gave me the idea to do a few posts on "transitional dressing." Not winter to spring, or summer to fall (although I could definitely do some of those, if you're interested), but this is more of a "when you're running around and don't have time to change, but you've got to be somewhere, wearing something different than what you left the house in."

Sometimes that's the gym to brunch, or brunch to gym, or errands to lunch, or pedicures to dinner.

Or, perhaps, dogsledding to lunch...

I went dogsledding with my family a few weeks ago (this was my 3rd time going). And, you guys, if you ever have the opportunity, GO! It's such a rush - you're on a sled, pulled by a team of running dogs, the air is crisp and the snow is bright. You can pretend you're competing in a dogsled race on the frozen tundra, the wind in your hair, the dogs smiling as they run...

If you DO go dogsledding, dress warmly - you'll be in the snow, cruising right along, but you'll also be running and helping to push the sled.

I dressed like I was going skiing, with a few minor substitutions: long underwear/cold weather running gear (long sleeve technical shirt + running tights/leggings) as a base layer; warm technical-fabric sweatshirt; snow pants & ski jacket; mittens, a neck "gator," hat or headband, and warm snow boots, instead of stiff ski boots.

I chose my under layers knowing that I would be heading out to lunch after the dogsledding adventure...

I ditched the sweatshirt, snow pants and jacket, neck "gator" and mittens. I added a buffalo plaid shirt over my long sleeve technical shirt that was my base layer, added a scarf over top, and swapped my hat for a solid black fleece one with a pom-pom on top. Those leggings are ones I wear running, and also the ones I wore under my snow pants while dog sledding (and skiing the next day).

I changed my whole look, in the parking lot of a brewery, without ever baring skin. Keeping my base items the same, and making sure they weren't sheer, see-through, or wildly inappropriate or skin-baring, I was able to easily step out of my snow pants and ski jacket and don a new layer.

And if your base items are basic enough (black, gray, easily matching what you're going to wear next), you can easily dress them up, down, in, out, or under just about anything you might need to don to make it to your next "appointment,"

However, if a quick deck-change isn't an option, there's always changing in the car, or ducking into a restroom. More on that later...

Ever end up running from place to place and need to change up your outfit on the go?

How do you make it work?

ski jacket: Anakie

snow pants: Sniagrab. in high school...

sweatshirt: 2013 Denver Hot Chocolate 15k

snowboots: SOREL via JAX

mittens: Hestra

neck gator: gift

gray beanie: Sniagrab. in high school...

sunglasses: Target Mens' section

buffalo plaid button up: Kohl's

scarf: c/o Aéropostale

running leggings/tights: TJ Maxx 

snow boots: SOREL via JAX

black beanie with a pom-pom: Old Navy

kindergarten and a sweater a day in January + sweater #3

 

After examining these pictures, I’ve come to the conclusion that I look a little bit like a kindergarten teacher in this outfit. Not knocking kindergarten teachers – they do an important job. It’s just that I am NOT a kindergarten teacher. Or educator of any sort. That being said, I really like this printed scarf paired with this polka-dot cardigan. Call me crazy? Or Mrs. Frazzle…

And also...I'm starting the year off with a style challenge. I don't have a fancy name for it (yet), and I have yet to hear of someone else trying it (but if I'm mistaken, please let me know!). My plan is to wear one of my sweaters each and every day during the month of January. According to my count, I've got about 26.

My interpretation of a sweater is pretty loose (i.e. it's a knit cotton, but it's a cardigan, so it's a sweater, and I'm also including a few nicer sweatshirt-y types in the mix), but, 26 gives me a few "off" weekend days where I won't migrate out of sweats, and a few days that I'll be skiing in long underwear and snow pants, so even if I do discover a few more that I've overlooked (because they're in the wash or hiding somewhere...), I can easily add them to my count and not have to double up one day.

There's a few reasons I'd like to do this, but look for those in a few days, as well as my official sweater tally, and maybe some rules guidelines.

If you're interested in joining, let me know and I can figure out a link-up deal type thing-ey, or just post your outfit(s) in the comments, too. Would love to see what you come up with! Is the number of sweaters I own excessive? Just right? *gulp* Too little?

Hope your 2015 is still off to a great start!

shirt: J. Crew Factory

cardigan: J. Crew Factory

scarf: gift (Old Navy)

jeans: c/o Aéropostale

flats: Kohl's

black, purple & gray

  

Again with the dark colors. It's just so easy to wear darks in the winter. Especially gray - one of my favorites. I added some color and texture with my tights, and a bit more with my necklace and boots. I tend to like to wear basic pieces, and then throw in a little something different - like purple patterned tights, or a bright necklace, or...both?

Merry Christmas Eve eve!

sweater: thrifted (J. Crew)

necklace: Kohl's

skirt: from a friend

tights: I don't remember...

boots: The Frye Company via Nordstrom

still classic

One of my best friends gave me this cardigan over the summer. I was so excited to have a classic argyle cardigan, but I wasn't sure what to wear with it. I was a little stumped, until I decided to think beyond solid black, white or gray. Somehow this striped button-up got put next to the argyle, and a slightly print-mixed outfit was born.

The shirt and the cardigan are both classic pieces on their own, and paired together, they're still classic, but a bit more modern, and slightly cheeky. And instead of defaulting to skinny jeans, I chose mint jeans to brighten this up a bit. And my new black boots were a no-brainer.

shirt: GAP

cardigan: from a friend (J. Crew)

mint jeans: Lauren Conrad via Kohl's

boots: c/o Aéropostale

tights & dresses

By now you might have noticed I'm wearing more tights and skirts/dresses than I have in the past. 

There's a few reasons for that:

1) in an effort to stave off the inevitable mid-winter "I hate everything in my closet because I only wear skinny jeans and sweaters," I'm trying to keep things interesting.

2) I'm taking advantage of the cold, but not yet frigid, temperatures we are bound to experience in January and February.

3) my new Frye boots are great, yet a wee bit snug in the calves, so I'm trying to get them to relax a bit before I pair them with pants.

4) I've started viewing tights as accessories. Sure, they're technically "clothes," and my legs would freeze without them, but wearing different tights with the same dress or skirt changes up my look, just like switching out shoes or jewelry.

So, here's to more tights&skirts&dresses this winter. Until it's WAY too cold outside...

dress: Nordstrom

tank: Kohl's

cardigan: Eddie Bauer

scarf: I made it!

tights: GG Boutique

booties: Old Navy

all the dark colors

When we were doing laundry the other week, the Mr. asked me "So, since it's cold out, do you only wear dark colors?" I started to protest, but then I looked at the large pile of darks compared to the smaller piles of whites and colors. So, I guess I wear "all the dark colors!" in the winter.

Whoops...

shirt: Old Navy

sweater: Maurice's

scarf: c/o Aéropostale

pants: c/o Aéropostale

shoes: Kohl's

90 miles to cuba, part 3

I wore this the one evening when it was COLD COLD COLD in Key West. Normally, I’m more than prepared with jackets, and layers, and options. Not this time. So, I was a little chilly through dinner at the A & B Lobster House, then strolling around Duval Street. We stopped in at Sloppy Joe’s, Captain Tony’s, Kermit’s Key Lime Pie, and The Lazy Gecko before we headed back to our condo because my teeth were chattering so bad.

This dress is a versatile little number – I’ve worn it to a country concert, on vacation, and to a work awards ceremony (in the summer, before this dress shrunk a few inches in the west). I just change out the shoes and accessories, and switch up my hair for a different look.

dress: Kohl's

wedges: thrifted (ELLE)

bracelet: Target

number 6 of 7

from the Mr:

"I liked the style when I looked at these shoes in the closet and couldn’t remember if I had ever seen her wear them. I think she’s had them for a long time, so I thought it was time they saw the light of day again."

These heeled loafers. These have been around for a long time, as well – freshman or sophomore year of high school? I’m never brave enough to get rid of them, and clunky stacked heels are coming back, right? RIGHT?!

And they’re brown leather.

And almost perfectly (genuinely) distressed.

And they make me a wee bit taller.

I just never know what to wear them with…so I tried out bootcut jeans and gingham. Not a complete miss. But not a complete hit – I didn’t sink the Battleship…any ideas for next time?

shirt: Kohl's

jeans: thrifted (Old Navy)

belt: American Eagle

shoes: MIA