2 Basic Ingredients

 

 

  

 

 

These two outfits each contain two similar ingredients: a chambray, and polka dot pants. Yet, very different outcomes! It's like when you make banana bread, but instead of adding bananas, you add zucchini, or pumpkin. Similar inputs, change up a thing or two, and voila! A different, yet equally delicious outcome.

Have I mentioned that my chambray collection has really grown? We're talking upwards of 5 shirts...not to mention a dress...and a skirt. Don't judge - they go with everything!! So, I find myself reaching for them all the time . And if I'm shopping and see a wash or fit that I don't have, it doesn't take much for it to come home with me. Sorry not sorry?

on the left:

chambray: thrifted

pants: Ann Taylor LOFT

scarf: thrifted

sandals: Target

on the right:

chambray: Kohl's

sweater: Hollister via Plato's Closet

pants: Old Navy via Plato's Closet

flats: thrifted

Mr. Picks Mondays: Fancy Pants

This week, the Mr. chose the polka dot pants AND the white button up - normally he chooses one (typically tricky) item and it's up to me to style around it, or in the words of Tim Gunn, "Make it work!" But this time around, he chose the main parts of the ensemble and I statement necklace-d and glitzy shoe-d myself.

How'd I do?

Better yet, how'd HE do?

Hope your week is off to great start headed towards a great hump day!

SHOP THE LOOK...OR SOMETHING SIMILAR

shirt: Gucci (from a friend, can you believe it?!) [similar below]

pants: Ann Taylor LOFT [similar below]

shoes: KMart [similar below]

statement necklace: local consignment store [sort of similar below]

1 pair of pants. 2 scarves.

 

 

 

The brown paisley scarf (on the right) is the one I actually wore with this outfit. But right before we started taking outfit pictures, I realized my blue plaid scarf would look just as good with this ensemble - it has stripes of bright pink, which match the polka dots on these pants perfectly.

sweater: Old Navy [[exact and similar below]]

pans: Ann Taylor LOFT [[similar below]]

shoes: thrifted [[similar below]]

brown scarf: gift from my sis-in-law [[similar below]]

blue plaid scarf: thrifted (Target) [[similar below]]

SHOP THE LOOK...OR SOMETHING SIMILAR

Mr. Picks Mondays: Clearing Snow

subtle print mixing. sneaky sneaky.

The Mr. chose this cream sweater that I found at Old Navy a few weeks back. I've worn it twice already, because I just looooove it. It's just the right weight, a nice cream color, isn't itchy (this is BIG, people), and goes with just about everything. I didn't realize what a huge hole I had in my closet until I brought home this lovely cream cable knit sweater. Who knew?? Makes me wonder what OTHER holes I have in my closet...care to take me shopping, anyone?

Bueller?

The day I wore this we had a lot of snow. This is myself with my darling co-worker and a big shovel that has been dubbed "Sultan of Snow." No big deal, we just had to clear two HUGE sidewalks, (mostly) by ourselves. But the snow kept coming down, so 5 minutes after we'd cleared an area, you couldn't even tell! boo hoo :( You might have seen this before on my Instagram, but if not, as soon as we started clearing this big area behind us, someone turned on the big loader behind us and back-dragged the snow, so, that was nice :)

linking up with:

Because of Jackie for Favorite Winter Trend

Vodka Infused Lemonade for Tres-Chic Fashion Thursday

Simply Lulu Style for What I'm Loving Fridays

Two Thirty-Five Designs for Casual Friday

Simple Sequins for Fashion Item Friday

shirt: Old Navy exact below & similar below

sweater: Old Navy exact below & similar below

necklace: Old Navy many similar below

pants: Plato's Closet (Old Navy) similar below

booties: Old Navy exact below

coat: Coldwater Creek similar below

scarf: I made it! something sort of similar below

snow boots: SOREL exact below

SHOP THE LOOK...OR SOMETHING SIMILAR

Stripes on Dots

I don't know that I would have ever done such "large scale" print mixing before I started this blog in March - I mean, my top AND bottom in different prints?! This is the girl who used to match EVERYTHING (by match, I mean shoes to belt to bag to earrings - and the. exact. color.). But, here it is!

Too much? Too risky? Or just right?

linking up with:

Two Thirty-Five Designs for Casual Friday

Still Being Molly for Funday Monday

sweater: Express

pants: Old Navy via Plato's Closet

boots: Rack Room Shoes

30 for 30: (No Day 24) Day 25 & Day 26

Day 24 

was another sweatpants day, simply because we were packing boxes/moving boxes/moving furniture/unloading boxes/unloading furniture/unpacking boxes all day. 

Aaah, the life of a fashion blogger - not always so glamorous ;)

Day 25

Sequins, polka dots, boots, a sweater, and my sweet Cali girl in our new home.

My idea of perfection.

Day 26

You'll have to trust me that in person, this dress does NOT make me look an inmate like the picture seems to do. Maybe it's the braid in my hair...? I really like this dress, but it just doesn't photograph well, which is a HUGE bummer, since, y'know, I like to take pictures of my clothes and post them on the interwebs. 

In other news, that dark square up above is my newest pair of tights. My new fleece-lined tights that I'm obsessed with. Everyone should own a pair of these. 

Fleece-lined tights for EVERYONE! 

They are the key to world peace, solving world hunger, and global warming, I just know it. 

Because, really, you can't wear these and not be cozy, 

and warm, 

and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

#trustme

So Sweet

I call these my "ballerina shoes," simply because they're pink, have a bow, and a slightly boxy toe-shoe shape. However, I do not have to tear them apart, lace them up, and they do not make my toes hurt and bleed.

I made these bracelets a few months ago. By made them, I mean I bought the beads and the stretchy string, then strung them together, then threw them on my wrist.

Before Halloween I attended a Dessert Party hosted by the collegiate members of my sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha. This event is an annual fundraiser, and the proceeds go to benefit Breast Cancer Education & Awareness, Zeta's national philanthropy.

I sported my event t-shirt from 2009, when I was one of the girls hosting the party, but subtly covered up with a cardigan and a scarf, but still showing my Think Pink! support :)

shirt: Zeta
sweater: thrifted (Kohl's)
scarf: gift from my sis-in-law
pants: Ann Taylor LOFT
shoes: Coldwater Creek

linking up here

30 for 30: Day 12 (and some new schtuff)

yes, that is Turbo's tongue in the lower right - it's a very long dog tongue

Here is the new coat I mentioned the other day. Fancy, huh? I'm a HUGE fan. I was really drawn to it initially, then "hem-ed" and "haw-ed"over it while I perused the rest of the store. 

"Is it ME?"

"Is it too trendy?"

"White? In the winter?" 

(It comes in navy, too. So that added another 30 minutes to the decision making process)

But as you can see, I overcame all of those objections and got the coat. I've been on the hunt for a new, shorter coat. I've got a red peacoat, which I love, but it's very dressy and comes to my knees; a knee-length purple down coat, and several fleece jackets from The North Face/Columbia. I was looking for something nicer than my fleece jackets, but shorter, more casual, and not quite as heavy as my other coats (that's a lot of criteria!).

I love this coat for many reasons:

1) it fits my above criteria

2) it's got (faux) leather sleeves, which is SO on trend for this year. AND, who doesn't love (faux) leather?

3) it's two-toned - do YOU know anyone with a two-toned coat? I don't.

4) it dresses up jeans, but not TOO much

5) it was provided to me courtesy of Aéropostale, as one of their VIPs for this season

Needless to say, I'll be wearing it a lot this winter, until we hit below freezing temps for weeks at a time.

YUCK.

this pink peplum top really doesn't photograph well, does it?

I matched the pink polka dots in my pants to my top

 

Yes, that is a bulldog. On a pair of socks. They are my (2nd pair of) bulldog socks. I love them.

I can't find this sweater online (boo), but it's much prettier in person - the pink is not as blinding, I promise. I'm envisioning it with leggings (most likely these, also from Aéropostale), boots over my new bulldog socks, a large cup of coffee, and a good book (currently I'm in the middle of 2 books, and 1 audiobook)...

For something similar to this sweater, imagine:

this Sheer Striped Knit Sweater, mixed with this Marled Slub-Knit Sweater, topped off with this Sheer Ribbon Yarn Sweater.

A scarf with hearts, that masquerade as black polka dots. Could this scarf be any more darling? I think not. Can't wait to wrap myself up in it - it's nice, and big, and square-ish-ly shaped, without being too heavy, although it does have a nice weight & bulk to it. Good job, heart/polka dot scarf.

And the gray infinity scarf I wore the other day, that my husband said I didn't "NEED", is here.

Aéropostale keeps hitting it out of the park - keep it up! Can't wait to see what else they've got in store!

Hooray for the weekend! Any fun plans in store?

linking up this BRIGHT top [that looks neon in these pictures] over here