dots & leopard spots

This was a "first day of school" outfit. Not MY first day, but for plenty of people where I work. It drizzled for most of the day, and I ended up hoofing it across campus a few times - probably should have worn some better shoes, like, galoshes...?

shirt: Old Navy

pants: from a friend via Urban Outfitters

shoes: Kohl's

1 Black Maxi. 2 Ways.

 

 

 

  

 

Here are two different ways to style a basic black maxi dress. Yes, they both include denim, but trust me, they’re different! 

One incorporates a denim jacket AND a scarf (a wild, leopard print scarf), and the other a chambray shirt. The chambray can be worn similarly to a jacket (open, unbuttoned), OR buttoned up like a shirt, letting the maxi shine as more of a skirt than a dress. Whatever you prefer! Great for when you need options...or when the weather’s being weird and you may or may not need layers...

maxi dress: Old Navy

on the left:

denim jacket: from a friend (Old Navy Outlet)

scarf: WalMart

Cleopatra sandals: Shoe Carnival

on the right:

chambray: Lauren Conrad via Kohl’s

Cleopatra sandals: WalMart

Double the Animal Print, Double the Fun

Double the animal print, double the fun, amiright?? Leopard AND python - it works because they're both accessories, rather than a whole piece of clothing, so they don't compete.

In other news, this shirt (and it's navy blue twin) didn't wash so well. The sleeves have this cute little cuff, and my washing machine kinda tore that up/out/to pieces. So, any tips to make the cuff stay flat without having to iron or sew would be greatly appreciated!

Happy Memorial Day Eve! I'm at home, waiting for the rain to quit so I can go on a long run - training for my next half-marathon in September!

shirt: Eddie Bauer

sweater: Macy's

pants: Aéropostale

scarf: WalMart

flats: WalMart

Safari...?

Let's call this a safari outfit, shall we?

Animal (print)? Check.

Olive green pants, perfect for traipsing around the jungle? Check.

And vegetation (in the form of a bush, and coming-back-to-life grass? Check.

Bet you didn't know appearing to be on a safari was so easy ;)

shirt: WalMart

pants: Aeropostale

sandals: Target

Tall(er) Shoes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yet ANOTHER two-fer outfit post today - I'm feeling so behind! I can't really show you layered winter looks when it's nice and warm and sunny out, now can I? And that's where the weather is finally headed - skiddleydee!! 

Summer is my most MOST favorite season. Mine and the Turbo pup's - he just loves laying in the sun on our patio. We're both sun lovers, while Cali and my Mr. are more snow & winter lovers (Cali bounds through the snow like a rabbit - cutest thing you ever did see). Now, don't misunderstand me, I do like skiing, and a few other things about winter, but summer takes the cake.

It's warm.

The sun stays out longer.

People seem happier.

You don't have to scrape your car.

Or shovel the driveway.

Did I mention it's warm?

So, here are two more colder weather looks that I'm trying to eek out before it's totally inappropriate to wear sweaters. Or even think about sweaters and coats.

SHOP THE LOOK...OR SOMETHING SIMILAR

on the left:

top: GAP similar below

scarf: WalMart similar below

jeans: Aéropostale <--exact

shoes: thrifted (Target) similar below

on the right:

shirt: Old Navy similar below

sweater: Eddie Bauer similar below

jeans: Kohl's similar below

shoes: Famous Footwear similar below

Some Football, and a WiLd sweata'

I'm writing this post during the last quarter of Super Bowl 48. 

*shakes head & sighs*

I do not profess to really "follow" football, but this season I HAVE been watching the Broncos with my husband. I provide a really funny commentary peppered with comments like:

"That was dumb."

"Why did he do that?"

"What does THAT mean?"

"Wait, what?! I thought the rules were THIS way...do they keep changing them??"

"Why are their pants so tight?"

Confession: even being married to my husband-who-was-previously-my-high-school-boyfriend who was a tight end and a defensive end, and having a brother who was All-State Football, played the O-Line & D-Line, and attending almost every game since he started playing tackle football at the tender age of 10, I'm not TOO sure on all of the rules. I mean, I get the premise of the game (you have 4 tries to move 10 yards, touchdowns are worth 6 points, yadda yadda yadda), but some things trip me up: the names of ALL of the positions; when and why you can't tackle someone (you mean tackling is not the name of the game?), etc. etc. 

Anyways, given my limited knowledge & understanding of the game of football, I DID watch (almost all of) it. And I was really disappointed in the Denver Broncos. I did just jump on the bandwagon, but hey, they're a Colorado team, and I'm obligated to cheer for a team from the Mile High City. And I'm a big fan of Peyton Manning. He seems like such a genuinely nice guy (like you could backyard BBQ with him & his family and have such a great time - I have many dreams in life: 1) hang out with Peyton Manning; 2) get to be Dinger [the Rockies mascot] for a day (or 5. or forever. whatever); and 3) be BFFs with Tina Fey & Amy Poehler).

That being said, I'm shaking my head over here at how the Broncos played. I'm wondering why it took us 3/4 of the game to show up and put some points on the board?! I'm also wondering why we played the way we did. Was it really the "12th Man"?

Anyways, I'm sure you don't want to hear more about our terrible loss, and Seattle's win...

Oh, did you want to read about my outfit? I'm sure that's why you're here. That, and my dazzling smile & fabulous sense of humor, no? ;) 

This outfit is nothing super special, but I've come to realize that every outfit simply can't be a home run (or, ahem, Super Bowl win *sigh*). They can't all be knockouts. And that's ok. Some days I just can't get the creative juices flowing while I'm picking out my outfit. Especially when it's early in the morning and I haven't had my coffee IV hooked up just yet (I wish someone would hurry up and get those on the market). Not to say that this outfit is bad (far from it!) but it's not my most creative. 

Wait. What am I saying?

Back up.

This sweater is pretty wild (let's hear it for leopard print, the new neutral!), and I knew that, so I let it steal the show while keeping everything else pretty simple, with dark wash skinnies & black and white ;) 

Quick recovery, huh? See what I did there? Very unlike Denver today...oy.

P.S. I know it looks like I'm wearing the same vest from yesterday, but you'll have to trust me that there were a few days in between these 2 favorites.

sweater: Target similar below

vest: Aéropostale similar below

jeans: Gap very similar below

boots: UGG similar below

SHOP SOMETHING SIMILAR BELOW

30 for 30: Day 27 & Day 28

Day 27

I feel like I spent this day running around like a chicken with my head cut off – work was BuSy! And then, since I’d been slacking, I had to go to the store after work to get everything for our Thanksgiving Dinner. The grocery store was a MADHOUSE. [Note to self: don’t ever, ever, ever, EVER wait again until the day before Thanksgiving to go shopping] People were blocking the middle of the aisles (pet peeve of mine), cutting each other off, and generally not being very “thankful” the day before Thanksgiving. 

*harumph*

However, I did make it out alive, and with all the fixin’s we needed for the next day! Oh, and the liquor store was a happenin’ place – I gave them some business, too, in the form of wine (white for myself & my mom, and red for my Dad). The Mr. had plenty of beer in the fridge, and my mother-in-law likes to bring her fancy cocktails when she comes to visit. This time it was “Hot Apple Pie" (she threw a Halloween party this year and made a “Dumpster Sludge, which was a really gross-looking brown-ish gray color, but was really quite yummy). I didn’t have any (I just love a good Pinot Grigio, or Riesling), but imagine Apple Pie, but with vodka & caramel & other yummy flavorings instead. Sounds pretty delicious, right??

Day 28

Day 28 was Thanksgiving. My mother-in-law came to visit, along with her sister and her husband. They are the first company we had in our new house (my folks came up Saturday - Sunday, so they were a close second)! Everyone loved our new home (we do, too!) and our meal feast was AAAAAMAZingggggg.

My sweet Mr. wanted to be in charge of the turkey – he didn’t let anyone else do anything to it. 

He also made sweet potatoes and apple dumplings (from my new Pioneer Woman Cookbook!).

He followed the recipe and prep and carving instructions in the book for the turkey, and it. 

Was.

DELICIOUS. 

I’m not normally one to go gaga over turkey at Thanksgiving, but as soon as the delicious aroma of turkey began to fill up the whole house, I couldn’t wait to dig in.

We had a nice Thanksgiving Dinner, just the 5 of us. There wasn’t a lot of stress – we’d told our visitors we’d still have boxes everywhere, so they weren’t expecting our house to be put together. We didn’t end up having boxes EVERYWHERE (we grouped a lot of them in the basement or the garage…aaaah, the joys of having a basement AND a garage!), but we did have them placed in corners and a few in every room.

All in all, a nice & relatively quiet Thanksgiving, made even more special by the fact that we celebrated in our new home – just one more thing to be thankful for :)

linking up here today

30 for 30: Day 22 & Day 23

Day 22

Not sure if you can tell or not, but I LOVE this plaid flannel shirt from Old Navy. I wish I'd gotten it in every color so I could wear it every. single. day. (that's an exaggeration...every other day!) I love it so much I keep wearing it, keep wearing it, and keep wearing it. 

But if the shoe shirt fits, wear it!

Day 23

You might have seen on my Instagram last week that the Mr. and I went to see "The Book of Mormon." It's a Broadway show created by the same guys who created the show South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone (both guys are Colorado natives - woot woot! AND South Park, Colorado is a real place #truestory). 

Whatever your views on organized religion, Christianity, Mormons, missionaries, or even musicals, the show was very well done - the tunes were catchy, the singing and dancing impeccable, and the acting superb. It had all the elements of a great musical (I love musicals, did you know?).

We had a wonderful time catching up with the friends we saw the show with, and it was a welcome reprieve from the cycle of packing/moving/unpacking we'd been in for a few days at that point.

goofing around during intermission - he doesn't like to take selfies. boo.

I wore this outfit (with gray tights) to see the show. Yes, that is a flashy gold handbag.