seasonally

Apparently this season is not my best, in terms of blogging. I seem to get a nice rhythm going with a few posts written and scheduled, then BAM – something shakes it up and I stop writing. Things like packed weekends with friends and family, packed weeks with fun stuff after work and/or baby classes (or both, sometimes). Busy times at work. Appointments. And trying to get so many things done before the baby actually arrives (we’re less than 1 month out!) and we become a family of three humans + a naughty, yet handsome, and ever-so-endearing, bulldog.

So, here is what I wore a few weeks ago – but the weather is pretty much the same around here, so it's still pretty appropriate for spring time in Colorado. I'm still hoping I can get away without purchasing TOO many maternity items for winter because I’m due in early summer, but the way this weather is hanging around makes me wonder. Can't it just be warm and I can wear my sandals and dresses and flowy skirts in peace??

*all items are part of my Maternity Capsule Wardrobe

black & gray

We've had some less than desirable weather the last few weeks - I'm talking cold and rainy (and some snow/slush, as well). So, as much as I'm dying to break out clothes for warmer weather (dresses & sandals), I'm holding off in favor of not freezing every time I walk outside. And, apparently, wearing lots of dark colors (cause I love 'em).

*all items are part of my Maternity Capsule Wardrobe

texturize

All of these neutral items are part of my "Maternity Capsule Wardrobe" (more on that soon!). My regular olive skinnies (RIP) were donated to Goodwill after heavy use over the past two and a half years. So I was thrilled to find these maternity olive skinnies at the thrift store - I think I even did a little jig in the dressing room when they fit. I won't sing the praises of olive-colored skinnies, but if you need some idea of how versatile they really are, check out these posts from the past. That's just the tip of the iceberg, trust me.

This oatmeal-colored sweater from my Mama has provided a nice backdrop for some different color combinations, while also extending the wearability of my wardrobe. It's a keeper, until it doesn't meet my pants anymore, then it will get boxed up with the rest of my pre & post-bebe wardrobe. But, for now, it's a nice & neutral color that plays well with others and provides any look with an interesting texture (and we know how I luuuuurve texture).

oatmeal sweater: Coldwater Creek from my Mama

scarf: gift from a friend

olive skinnies: thrifted

nude flats: Jessica Simpson via Nordstrom Rack

fickle spring

I could only salvage a few decent pictures of this outfit due to the wind. A "perk" (curse?) of living in Colorado, I guess. The latest perk is that after a few weeks of sunshine and warmer weather, it snowed this past week (I knew we weren't done with snow yet) and I even had a snow day!

Springtime in the Rockies is a tricky thing, and the earlier you embrace it, the better. Just because you were able to patio drink (not me) in March doesn't mean that spring is here - it means that it will still snow in March, April, and most likely May. Just take it as it is, roll with it, and don't get too bummed about having to continue to wear your sweaters and coats and boots. But also appreciate being able to wear a lightweight sweater and no socks when it's not freezing, like yours truly ;)

white sweater: Coldwater Creek from my Mama

jeans: PinkBlush Maternity

scarf: Target

cobalt flats: Calvin Klein via TJ Maxx

open-ended

The Mr. got me this lightweight silver/gray sweater for Valentine’s Day and it’s been a big hit – I’ve received lots of compliments every time I’ve worn it; it’s very comfortable, and easy to wash & take care of. And with such a neutral color, the styling possibilities are very open-ended: today, cobalt. Next time, maybe blush. After that, maybe black. After than, maybe some neon. WHO KNOWS?!

gray sweater: Kohl's (maternity)

leggings: Old Navy (maternity)

cobalt flats : Calvin Klein via TJ Maxx

statement necklace: local consignment

hello, it's me

Oof, October was truly not my month for blogging. Chalk it up to still sharing a car (that’s now resolved – hallelujah!), something different after work most nights of the week for most of the weeks, being out of town for at least part of the weekend almost every weekend, a very slow laptop and a very ill desktop computer, and, most likely the real culprit, a lack of motivation.

I’m trying here, but I’m feeling quite uninspired lately: by my wardrobe, and to write. I’m not sure why – I’m purposely cutting back in some areas of my life, and perhaps that has translated its way to the screen/keyboard? Whatever the reason, even though my outfits have not been that great for the past month (months, let’s be real), I do have a few to share here. Perhaps I just need to ease off, throw away any “schedule” and let this be a place to come hang out when I’m inspired, instead of forcing it. That sounds quite deep, yes? We’ll see how that pans out for this schedule junkie...

And now, a monochromatic look to share with you, made interesting with the use of different textures, and a belt. Obviously, this picture is not TOO recent (late September, methinks) - it’s too cold for open toesies now. In an effort to not look like a black blob of clothing, I wrapped my sweater around me and belted it, almost creating a karate-style-type jacket, but not quite (the wrapping of the sweater was essential, because I tried it hanging open and belted, and be glad I’m sparing you those terrible scars on your eyeballs).

Bear with me, as it’s now dark at noon (exaggerating), and my pictures will be relegated to a quick weekend outfit shoot (not my favorite), if they happen at all. Still friends?

black sweater: Ann Taylor

black belt: thrifted

black pants: c/o Aéropostale

black sandals: Kohl's

the end of a sweater era

Here we are. The end of an era. The end of a sweater wearing era.

Ha. Not really.

I'll be wearing sweaters (and layers and coats and scarves and boots) until at least May.

But I AM at the end of my posts about my 31 sweaters (trust: I wore them all in January. I'm a bit behind on posting, so my apologies for this style challenge bleeding into February).

So, I did it. I wore my 31 sweater-y items (sweaters, sweatshirts + sweater dresses) in 31 days.

And took pictures and then posted them here on the internet. 

What did I learn? 

That I might have too many sweaters. That I don't need any more. And sometimes it's fun to pick out your outfit within some constraints - it forces me to get creative and come up with ways to make something wearable that I might have otherwise glossed over. 

So, again, reinforcing that I don't need to add to my closet, and that I like style challenges - both things I already knew. But those are both nice lessons to reinforce ;)

See all 31 sweaters here.

And read about "The Sweater Saga"

part 1 / part 2 / part 3

part 4 / part 5 / part 6 / part 7

the sweater saga, part 7 + sweater #22

previously, the sweater saga...

part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5 / part 6

I'm not at all an expert, and I'm not saying you have to , or should do, the same. But I find myself leaning more and more towards less. I've accumulated a lot of stuff in my 20-some years, and have some sorting and tossing to do, as I always will. But my goal is to never be a "manager of stuff" - keeping things just because I MIGHT someday, in 30 years, need it. For one thing. One time.

But, instead, keeping around and actually using the things I use and wear and enjoy every day, as opposed to things that the maintenance of stresses me out - you know, a 90% piece of furniture, instead of a 10% piece. Or appliance. Or feature of my home.

And this argyle sweater is the perfect layer on top of my bulldog tee. I just love my little sweeties so much, I wear them on my shirt. They're so stinking cute, you guys. Olaf runs circles around me when I get home and can't wait for me to play tug of war with him. And a little update: we adopted him with several infections - ears, eyes, and skin (fungal & bacterial). He's got quite the pharmacy, but it seems to be helping!! Hoping we can get his skin issues sorted out soon, so he's not quite to itchy.

shirt: J. Crew Factory

sweater: from a friend (J. Crew)

pants: J. Crew Factory

flats: Target

the sweater saga, part 4 + sweater #13

part 1

part 2

part 3

of my Sweater Saga

So maybe I've got a backwards American dream - I don't want a bigger house, I don't want a bigger car, or a bigger yard, or a bigger kitchen, or even a much bigger closet space.

We purchased a new (to us) car about a year ago, and we had a discussion about a 10% car - we shouldn't buy a car for specific functions that we will only do about 10% of the time (i.e. driving to the mountains, hauling, home improvement projects). That led us to my little Saab sedan. In the past year, there have been 2, maybe 3 times, where I've said "I wish I had a bigger car, like an SUV or truck, for this." One was getting beadboard home from The Home Depot, another was driving in the snow - specifically getting over a small drift in the road. Turns out, my little car does great in the snow, but lacks clearance. But if the weather and roads are that bad, I probably don't need to be going anywhere, anyways.

I've started applying the 10% idea in a lot of other areas: recently, my in-laws came up for a belated Christmas celebration and we broke out our electric turkey roaster, making the total number of times we've used it 3. For us, that's a 10% appliance. It’s nice to have, but rarely gets used in my kitchen.

We don't even inhabit all of our house - with extra bedrooms, an extra bathroom and a half, and a basement and garage, we've furnished spaces. Sometimes I think our house is a 10% house, at least for now. 

to be continued...again...

shirt: Ann Taylor

sweater: thrifted (GAP)

velvet pants: J. Crew Factory

necklace: WalMart

boots: c/o Aéropostale

eye-popping blue + sweater #6

This “skirt” is really a dress – I’m really trying to get more wear out of my (summer) dresses by layering and adding tights. I know I could always wear a black cardigan over a dress, but that feels a little too easy to do all the time, so I tried this dress on with most of the pullover sweaters in my closet. There just so happens to be teeny bits of blue in this floral print, so this eye-popping-blue v-neck was the clear winner.

And now, an explanation for featuring my sweater "collection" this month...

A few weeks ago, I counted how many sweaters I had, and I had about 26. Couple that with my attempt to come up with my own style/blog challenge, and I came up with the idea to wear a sweater every day in January. I purchased one more sweater, and have a few nicer sweatshirts, plus a few sweater dresses/skirts, bringing the total to 31.

And there's 31 days in January, soooo

I figured January is as good a month as any to wear sweaters - it'll obviously be too warm in the summer, and the fall and spring in Colorado can be hit or miss (60 degrees or -20). But January is pretty consistently cold, and so, a sweater a day in January was born!

dress: c/o Aéropostale

sweater: GAP

scarf: gift

tights: Old Navy

boots: c/o Aéropostale

two New Year's Eve outfit ideas

In case you need some last minute ideas for what to wear tonight (and tomorrow will have some ideas for New Year's Day ON New Year's Day - mindblowing, I know), here are two a wee-bit-more-than-casual looks, incorporating skirts and tights.

This first look is a black sweater layered over a black dress, with some purple tights for a little pizzazz. I added a polka dot heart scarf, booties, and a purple headband to pull it all together. This would be a great look if you're not into wearing sequins - monochromatic, with a bit of fun color thrown in.

sweater: American Eagle

dress: thrifted (Target)

tights: ???

scarf: c/o Aéropostale

booties: Old Navy

But if you ARE into wearing sequins...

And if you want to be festive in sequins, but tend to get cold like yours truly, try wearing a sweater with your sequins. It's a fun juxtaposition - snazzy party-ready sequins with a warm sweater and boots. And, as an added bonus, this look incorporates ALL OF THE textures: cable-knit sweater, sequins, tights, leather boots, peacoat, and curly strawberry-blonde hair (some of my favorite things!). 

sweater: Old Navy

skirt: Lauren Conrad via Kohl's

tights: Old Navy

boots: The Frye Company via Nordstrom

coat: Old Navy

bag: TJ Maxx