different vibes

Here are two (slightly) different looks, using the same pieces of clothing. One with a bit more sass, the other more casual. Both are made up of black & white plaid, leather, and pearls - say what?

I like to think the fedora and the booties add a teeny bit of an air of mystery, or perhaps, intrigue...?

It's fun to play with different accessories to see how they can easily change up a look.

And then the Chucks dress down my look.

I've got several different vibes going on:

plaid (casual)

+

leather (tough-ish?)

+

pearls (sweet & classy)

+

glasses (super smart)

+

swapping out the shoes (trendy vs. casual)

+

the oxblood fedora (mysterious-ish?)

Not something I used to do a lot of, but now, I'm a big fan of combining different looks

(sassy + sweet, or edgy + warm&fuzzy) into a single outfit.

And, somehow, this worked (I think).

See how I did this just a few days ago here.

black and white plaid: Old Navy

leather skirt: thrifted

pearl necklace: Ann Taylor

bracelet: Target

glasses: America's Best

fedora: thrifted (Target)

booties: Old Navy

Chucks: actually, they're Converse One Star via Target...

not what I wore for Thanksgiving

This is not what I wore for Thanksgiving.

But if I'd had a more "traditional" Thanksgiving with a turkey and stuffing, I'd have warn something like this - stretchy skinnies, and a roomy button up. And see how I accessorized with my scarf, jacket, and purse??

Instead, I wore my bathing suit and lounged by the pool in the sunshine.

Instead of turkey, my brother and sis-in-law made a delicious low-country boil.

Instead of stuffing or sweet potatoes, we had a delicious conch ceviche. 

Instead of falling leaves or snow, we had lots of sunshine and a delightful sea breeze.

I've spent the past few days at the beach with my family, and heading home is going to be rough...however, I'm very thankful for the time I got to spend with them.

Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for reading!

buffalo plaid: Kohl's

scarf: from a friend

skinnies: Aéropostale

jacket: Target

booties: Old Navy

purse: T.J. Maxx

blues & greens

I found out yesterday that my high school football team is playing in the state championship (again!). And what do you know? Our school colors were navy blue & forest green. Above I'm wearing navy blue & neon green - close enough, right?

I also did some print mixing with the polka-dot scarf and plaid. Can't believe I haven't worn this combination before. Taking off the scarf and vest create a different look - so consider this vest an "accessory." At least today...

plaid: Old Navy

scarf: Aéropostale

vest: Old Navy

jeans: Aéropostale

booties: Old Navy

brunching & accessorizing

This outfit was just about perfect for brunching. The button-up shirt and stretchy skinnies allowed for maximum food intake, with minimal discomfort. And the plaid on the shirt helped to camouflage any food or beverage spills that might have happened...

The oxfords are borrowed from a friend (I've been trying to steal this pair from her for over a year, but she just. won't. hand them over). I added a sparkly statement necklace to glam up the plaid, and threw an old seashell clip in my hair. I belted my pants and half-tucked my shirt - it's a completely different look untucked, try it sometime. And the little teal clutch matched my shirt just perfectly.

Until I started this blog, I would have never:

1) worn these shoes and this belt together (they don't match)

2) worn this clip with this jewelry (they're different vibes)

3) mixed a sparkly statement necklace with dainty gold bracelets (they don't match)

4) worn pants other than jeans or dress pants (jeans were truly my comfort zone)

5) worn a sparkly statement necklace to dress up plaid (shouldn't your whole outfit just be the same aesthetic - dressy? casual? sporty? etc.?)

Look how far I've come! All with a little courage, time, guts, inspiration, and accessories :)


shirt & pants & clutch: Aéropostale
necklace: WalMart
belt: American Eagle
shoes: Frye (borrowed from a friend

number 3 of 7

from the Mr:

"I wasn’t sure if I could recall her ever wearing this belt, so I thought it might be fun to pick an outfit based on a belt rather, than the larger pieces. "

The focal point here is the belt. It came with a plaid patchwork mini skirt I got ages ago (still have it…), and it wraps around my hips twice – don’t think I’m super skinny, the belt is SUPER long. So, I put it on “backwards” and looped it enough so that the plaid patchwork showed, once I half-tucked my merlot v-neck in.

This was a tough day– our sweet Cali girl passed. Now every time I wear something pictured here, I think of her even more than I already do – it's very odd to come home to only one wrinkley pup, when you're used to two.

Do you remember what you wore on important/special occasions or specific days?

I definitely do.

shirt: Target

scarf: gift

belt: American Eagle

jeans: Aéropostale

flats: WalMart

harry potta' foreva'

If you follow me on Instagram (if you're not, you should: @sweetbananie), you probably saw that I did some Harry Potter trivia a few weeks ago.

I LOVE Harry Potter.

lovelovelove.

I think J.K. Rowling is a literary GENIUS.

So, I met up with a friend at a local brewery, and we nerded out and answered questions about our favorite book series. The trivia was surprisingly hard, even for die-hard fans like us. We didn't win, but we got to talk HP without other people rolling their eyes or making fun of us, so I'd call it a good time.

And here's what I wore to nerd out and then out for drinks after. Don't worry - I didn't wear the wand and glasses (above) once trivia was done

...or did I?

dress: from a friend (via Urban Outfitters)

shoes: Rocketdog via DSW

purse: Kohl's

AERO NOW and Minty-Teal Plaid

This plaid shirt from Aéropostale has quickly become a new favorite in my closet – it makes me wonder “How often is too often to wear this?” It’s not like jeans or shoes that you can wear repeatedly without fear of getting called out for wearing the same thing over and over. It’s bright minty-teal, with fun lace-detailing on the back, so it stands out. I’ve got a lot of clothes, so I guess I feel silly when I wear the same thing twice (or more!) in quick succession. Not sure why – if I like it, I should wear it, and everyone can…a-hem, get over it...and stop making Western jokes...

Right? 

We’ll go with that…

Be sure to check out Aéro’s new collection, AERO NOW, which launched just a few days ago.

shirt: Long Sleeve Lace-Back Woven Shirt

shorts: Cuffed Dark Wash Denim Bermuda Shorts

similar: Curvy Dark Wash Denim Bermuda Shorts

sandals: Target

Mr. Picks Mondays: Purple Plaid

The Mr. chose this purple plaid shirt, and I paired it with dark wash bermuda shorts to beat the heat. I love summer, but this heat lately is draining me - this girl is exhausted by the time she gets home from work, and ready for bed super early. Call me an old lady, but I sure do love my sleep ;)

shirt: from a friend (American Eagle)

shorts: thrifted (Citizens of Humanity)

sandals: Target