Winter Fashion Wonderland

I’m back after a much too long absence to bring you my first week and a half of looks from the Winter Style Me Pretty Challenge! I LOVE cold weather fashion, so this is so much fun for me! So…here we go!

Day 1

We started off with a pretty simple outfit. I actually JUST got this sweater at JCP the weekend before the challenge started because I didn’t have a cable knit sweater and even though this one isn’t cable knit either I thought it would work (and I ended up getting it for about $8!).

The fur scarf from Maurice’s is something I got during or just after the fall challenge because I kept seeing fur for winter and wanted to add an easy piece to my wardrobe. I LOVE it! I’m so glad I went for it!

My skinny knit pants (another favorite!) are from Maurice’s and the boots are Naturalizer.

Day 2

This is a cute outfit that was great for work! I was wearing a tunic from Maurice’s, black pixie pants (beware- these pants collect lint like CRAZY!) from Old Navy, my J. Crew knockoff vest purchased through Groopdealz and my Naturalizer boots.

I was SO excited to get this vest and it’s better quality than I had expected it to be but does run small. But that’s not a huge issue since I didn’t plan to wear it zipped anyway and it looks fine.

Day 3

I LOVE this outfit. Perfectly cozy for chilly days!

I can’t believe I’m wearing a poncho! And I LOVE it! This was one of those things that I thought was crazy the last time it came around, but this time I love it. And I’m even wearing a turtleneck underneath! That’s crazy too! But I love the stripes underneath. Both are from Old Navy, but the poncho is now sold out.

This is also my first adventure with Ugg-type boots. I’ve always kind of liked them, but not in an I must have them kind of way. I happened upon these Skechers boots at a local shoe store’s going out of business sale. I can’t find the exact ones online, but I love these from Target. These boots are SO comfy and warm. I’m wearing them way more than I expected and wondering why I didn’t try them a long time ago!

Day 5

I skipped around a little bit and wore Day 4’s outfit during the weekend and took 0 pictures 😦

Anyway, another cozy outfit! My top and cardigan are from Maurice’s. I wanted it but was holding out till I saw that one of the challenge pieces was a fair isle cardigan! Perfect opportunity! Then I saw this top that was so cute with the cardigan…what’s a girl to do??

My jeans AND scarf are also Maurice’s! Booties are Toms.

Day 6

Not my best composed picture, but hey, it’s real life! I wore this to a work Christmas lunch and changed a few things around. It was supposed to be gray jeans with an embellished sweater, but my sweater is gray, so I wore my favorite Old Navy pixie pants in burgundy. I also switched the suggested black pumps to black boots because I’m just not a pumps kind of girl.

I thought this was perfect for the occasion!

Day 7

Beware the photo bombing cat!

This was actually supposed to be a dressy outfit, but I modified it to be a comfy, cozy outfit that I wore to church and to run errands.

Several of these pieces are all oldies but goodies! My sweater is LOFT last year, Plaid top is Old Navy last year, pants are Maurice’s skinny knit pants, and shoes are leopard flats from Target this summer.

Day 8

Cozy and cute! This outfit was perfect for running errands and hanging out at home (though I did loose the vest and scarf at that point!). Top and vest are Old Navy, jeans and scarf are Maurice’s and boots are Skechers.

Day 9

I switched out an embellished sweater for this Maurice’s embellished baseball top (only available in plus sizes online now). I also wore my Old Navy Pixie jeans and Naturalizer boots.

That’s all for this week! Looking at all this pictures, the word I keep thinking of is COZY and that’s perfect for this time of year! Make sure to check out the other style challengers I am linking up with!

Shoes to Shiraz | Confessions of a Frumpy Mommy | A Lovely Little Wardrobe | R Squared

Two Teens and Their Mama | Foxy’s Domestic Side |  | Mishaps and Mayhem of Solitary Life

Sheila’s Potpourri | Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After |  Sprinkled Just Right 

Quilty Joy Joy | From Plaid to Pearls | Daily Style Finds | Fast Life Slow Life

 The Blondissima | Looks Like Lauren

Winter Hats

Well, it’s my second post on this link-up, and it’s once again something I don’t really do- winter hats! I have one winter hat and it’s all about warmth, though it is kind of cute too. I got it last winter when I lived in Colorado, which is a place you NEED a warm hat! Mine is Columbia brand and has omni-heat reflective material inside which keeps you extra warm! Here’s a similar hat to mine on Amazon right now. It comes in several cute colors and patterns.

Now for things that are still warm but perhaps a little more stylish!

These next two hats are from Maurices

  

The black hat with a pompom is here (I love a pompom hat!) and the black and white hat is here. I love the look of these hats, but it’s kind of a dressed down look that doesn’t really work well with my life. I live is a small town and drive everywhere I go. I don’t spend tons of time outside in the winter and if I’m outside for a long time, I’m usually playing with my kids in my comfy, warm hat above. However, if I were to add a winter hat, it would probably be the black and white one.

Now for something more classy from ASOS

How adorable is this floppy felt hat? I love this look so much but it REALLY doesn’t work in my life! Maybe if I lived in a city and walked to work in the cold everyday? Anyway, it’s cute, well priced, and should be purchased by anyone who has a place to wear it!

Be sure to check out the hats these lovely ladies are featuring today!

Shoes to Shiraz | Two Teens and their Mama | A Lovely Little Wardrobe | R Squared  Confessions of a Frumpy Mommy | Family Love Inspiration Education   The Mishaps and Mayhem of Solitary Life | The Blondissima | Familiar Joy Positively Learning | Quilty Joy Joy | Daily Style Finds | Sheila’s Potpourri | Puppies and Pretties She thought she could | Looks like Lauren | Foxy’s Domestic Side |  Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After

What’s black and white and cobalt all over?

ME! In this cute, work appropriate Pinterest re-creation! I love when I see something on Pinterest and know immediately that I already have all the pieces to put together a similar outfit already. I actually pinned this months ago but hadn’t gotten around to actually wearing it until last week. Here’s the original photo:

By Outfit Posts via Pinterest

Here’s how I interpreted it:

My top (color no longer available in this exact print, but here’s an option with smaller dots) and pants are from Old Navy, sweater is from Loft last year, boots are from Maurices, and necklace is from Charming Charlie.

I loved how this outfit came together! I did a pullover sweater instead of a cardigan and boots instead of heels. I bought the pants this past spring. They were my first pair of Pixie Pants and I haven’t looked back since! They’re so cute and comfortable! I also loved the gold and blingy jewelry. I think it dressed up the outfit just enough.

I can definitely see myself wearing this outfit again!

Closet Organization

Shoes to Shiraz | Two Teens and their Mama | A Lovely Little Wardrobe | R Squared  Confessions of a Frumpy Mommy | Family Love Inspiration Education   The Mishaps and Mayhem of Solitary Life | The Blondissima | Familiar Joy Positively Learning | Quilty Joy Joy | Daily Style Finds | Sheila’s Potpourri | Puppies and Pretties She thought she could | Looks like Lauren | Foxy’s Domestic Side |  Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After

Ya’ll I’m just letting you know that today’s topic is ROUGH for me because I’m not an organized person…ESPECIALLY at this point in my life! I’m a creative, messy, big picture kind of person. I am also way more likely to keep my kids’ room clean instead of my own. In addition to my normal crazy, I am in a transitional phase in my personal life and my kiddos and I are staying with my parents for a while. Thus, I have no pictures to show you of my organized closet because my closet is a mess and kind of the dumping ground for stuff I don’t know what to do with! My clothes are fairly organized by type and color, but the rest is a mess. SO, instead of showing what I have done, I’ll show you what I hope to do once I’m in my own place again. All links found via Pinterest (of course!).

One of the first things I want to do is organize my jewelry. Currently all of my necklaces and bracelets are clustered up on a WAY too full jewelry stand and my earrings are in an old jewelry box. SO not working! Things are always getting tangled up and I can never find two matching earrings without dumping everything out and who has time for that?!

Here’s some ideas I’ve been eyeing:

By OldReflections on Etsy via Pinterest

Cute, right?! I love the rustic-ness of the pallet with the colorful jewelry. It may be too big and heavy for my space, but I love the look and the idea.

By Twinkle and Twine

This looks so nice and clean. I actually have a picture frame that I’m saving to do just this with. To get my earrings looking good again. I also like the little shelf space to put things that don’t hang.

By The Frugal Homemaker

This is probably the direction I will go with my necklace board. I already have an old cork board and all that this takes is some paint and pushpins. That’s definitely do-able! I also like that I could move things around to accommodate different necklaces and sizes. Just take out your pushpin and stick it somewhere else! So easy! Plus, I’m a sucker for chevron! 🙂

One thing that I actually AM doing already is this little scarf trick with a hanger and shower curtain rings:

By Peeking Pines

It’s so easy but gets your scarves out where you can see them and find what you want easily.

Unfortunately, that’s all I’ve got! But be sure to check out what the other ladies have posted! I will be taking notes too!

Fall Style Challenge Week 4!

What a fun challenge this has been! The outfits have been a lot of fun and I’ve found some new favorite pieces as a result. The Facebook group has been HUGE but so much fun with so many ladies posting. And the blog link-up has been great too! So, here are my last several looks.

Day 17

I got to break out my faux leather striped leggings! I thought this outfit was so cute and fun! The pieces are actually all pretty new too.

The cardigan and top are both from Maurice’s. I love burgundy this fall. If I see something burgundy I basically want it…now. My leggings are from JCP. I can’t find the exact ones online, but these are pretty similar. Shoes are from Target.

I like all the fun details going on. I think it’s a lot of fun without being too much. It would be a great going out outfit too- especially with some heels!

Day 18

So…more burgundy! I LOVED this outfit. I made a few alterations to the prescribed outfit- like changing out jeans for colored skinny pants and adding the cardigan but I think it came together so well. This may be my favorite look of the challenge and I have the Facebook group to thank! I was inspired by this picture from Groopdealz that one challenger shared. I HAD to have this vest that I have wanted for over a year (so glad it got popular enough to have knockoffs made! lol!).

I didn’t recreate it exactly, but I LOVED my Old Navy leopard cardigan (sadly, they are almost sold out now, but there’s also this pullover version available in a few more sizes) with the black puffer I got at Old Navy last year. I also added my burgundy pixie pants (color is wine purple) ALSO from Old Navy and my Naturalizer boots that I love more every time I wear them!

Day 19

I think this day was supposed to include the neutral sweater over the plaid, but I decided to go with a tribal print cardigan instead. I liked the subtle print that I think mixed well with the plaid. I was kind of unsure about it when I put it on, but I ended up really liking this outfit. The sweater is the only thing still available (but just in a few sizes) and it’s from Maurice’s.

Day 20

One lone picture of this outfit…and I’m not even wearing shoes! I actually did denim on denim…sort of! I put my dressy sweatshirt on top of my denim shirt to ease me into this. Imagine my cognac boots completing this ensemble! 🙂

Unfortunately I missed day 21! The last day! But it was also an INSANE day when I taught children’s church, threw a birthday party and participated in my church’s Trunk or Treat. I DO have a picture of me and my kids and my sister looking adorable in our Halloween costumes though!

We were literally FROZEN this weekend when it got really chilly for our Trick or Treating and Trunk or Treating! But we had a lot of fun too!

Thank you so much for joining me as I’ve blogged through this challenge! I’ve had a lot of fun and I’ve stretched myself some. I think I’m really getting comfortable enough to change things up when I wanted or needed to and added my own flair to the outfits. I think that shows some growth!

I’ll be participating in a new link up starting Friday with some bloggers I have met through this challenge. So stay tuned! Till then, be sure to check out what some other ladies did in this last week.

Deena | Christy | Jordan | Carrie C. | Shaunacey | Danielle | Beth | Joy | Sarah |

Leslie | Katie | Jennifer | Carrie M. | Lisa | Mary | Sheila | Lana | Lauren | Anna | Alison

New Challenges

Literally!

Alison of Get Your Pretty On is starting a new style challenge called Build Your Wardrobe Basics for Women Over 40. Registration just opened today. I think I am personally going to sit this one out because I feel like I’m in a pretty good place with my wardrobe right now (somewhat because of doing several of these challenges this year). Also- I just turned 30! 🙂 I don’t think age is really an issue though. These are basically just classic pieces that will work for anyone.

Check out these cute sample outfits she shared:

   

I am really digging the denim on denim look on the right. I might need to try that myself since I already have all the pieces to make it work. That’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while, but my younger self is screaming at me that denim on denim is NOT ok!

Another reason I’m taking a break is that I REALLY need to NOT shop for a while! I could be a professional shopper, but my budget just won’t let me. So, I’ll be focusing in the next few months on using what I’ve got to mix and match and make some things work without adding extra pieces (even though that will be really hard for me!). Expect lots of Pinterest inspired looks in the next few months (I’m getting pretty excited about that!).

I will definitely be following this challenge through Alison’s blog and other ladies who are part of this challenge sharing their outfits. I will also jump back into the Style Challenge scene with the Winter challenge that will be coming up in November and December. Alison has said that it will be lots of building on the fall challenge, so hopefully that means I won’t need much to make the outfits work. I’ll let you know more about that when the time comes!

Fall Style Challenge Week 3

We are already at week 3 of the Fall Style Challenge! This week was a little crazy (what week isn’t crazy, though??) but I only missed getting a picture of one outfit when I was busy pumpkin-patching with my kiddos (and sweating in my flannel shirt and jeans in 80 plus degree weather!).

Here’s what I put together this week:

Day 11

 

I loved this pattern mixing day! I also loved my boots with this outfit. CUTE! My shirt is old, from LOFT Outlet, scarf is old and I don’t remember where it’s from exactly but it was a cheapy junior’s store. I don’t usually but clothes from those places, but I love their cheap accessories! My vest is Old Navy (color no longer available), pants are Maurice’s and boots are Naturalizers. 

Day 12

This is a very simple outfit, but I felt good in it all day. I’ve never been a big neutral person. I’m a big fan of color, but I think adding in some more neutrals has served me well and creates a nicer canvas for my more colorful pieces. This day I stuck with the neutrals, but I think it made my denim jacket look especially cute 🙂 Also, it’s hard to tell in the pictures, but I put a navy tank under the sweater and I liked mixing so many neutral in one outfit.

This sweater is Old Navy and it’s cute, soft and currently majorly on sale!

Day 14

Not my most attractive picture, eh? However, the outfit is cute! Stripes, military jacket, skinny jeans, and leopard flats is such an easy, classic outfit for transitional weather months.

Day 15

I pulled out this dressy sweatshirt that’s about 2 years old and I was glad that it’s still fashionable (and still fits!). It’s very comfy, but still dressy enough for the office. I added a little pop of pink with my tank and another pattern with my leopard flats.

Day 16

Wearing my neutral sweater again and another striped shirt. If you hang out with Alison doing these challenges for a while, you will get quite the striped shirt collection (I have 6…I think)! 🙂 But, there’s a good reason! Stripes are such a classic pattern and mix really easily with other patterns. I’ve become a big fan! I pulled out an older striped scarf to add some color and I thought it made a big difference. I’m also wearing my leopard flats AGAIN (four outfits in a row- but actually five because guess what’s on my feet today)!

One thing I was not so sure about pre-challenge were boyfriend jeans. If fact, I had decided to say no to them and just wear skinnies instead. I didn’t think they would look great on a short girl with bigger legs and ankles. Well, after seeing LOTS of ladies in cute outfits with their boyfriend jeans, I decided I needed to try them after all. I went with GAP sexy boyfriend jeans and I am so happy with them! I had a coupon code from GAP and got a good deal. I also sized down so they wouldn’t be too slouchy.

That wraps up week 3! Just 4 outfits to go, but I’ll also add my missed outfits at the end.

Make sure to check out what other ladies did this week!

 

Deena | Christy | Jordan | Carrie C. | Shaunacey | Danielle | Beth | Joy | Sarah |

Leslie | Katie | Jennifer | Carrie M. | Lisa | Mary | Sheila | Lauren | Anna | Alison

Also linking up with Alison at Get Your Pretty On

Maurice’s Work Wear

I went to Maurice’s several weeks ago to try on some work wear and realized that I never put up a post with the pictures! The good news is, some of the pieces are on clearance now, so you can get a great deal! I really love work wear at Maurice’s. It’s NOT your traditional, conservative stuff. It’s fun, but still office appropriate. For some reason I tried on a LOT of black this time. I’m usually all about color, but not this time! All of these things can be mixed and matched with colorful items to make things a little less dreary! Here are a few of the things I tried on

First of all, Maurice’s has great pants. I’ve said it a million times, I think. They have great fit, they wear and wash well, have lengths from x-short to x-tall (not available in every style, but still, that’s a big deal!), and they’re not ridiculously priced. I just love them! These skinny knit pants are just fabulous. They are like leggings, but better. They’re thick and stay put and look like pants. The lace front tank is so cute and could be worn with a cardigan, jacket or blazer over it, or even by itself. I am crazy about this zip front cardigan too. I love the black/white knit and the embellishment on the shoulders is sooo cute! I think this would be a great day to night look. You know, for someone who went out at night (aka, not me). But I would look fabulous at work AND as I sit on the couch watching The Voice and trying not to fall asleep!

Same cardigan and pants as above with this really cute belted tunic top. It is sleeveless and chiffon, so not exactly warm, but really darn cute! It layers so well with a LOT, so I think it could work. I didn’t end up buying this shirt, but now that I am looking back at these pictures, I’m wondering if I should? Wouldn’t it look great with a burgundy cardigan? (YES!!) Or burgundy pants?! Maurice’s had some adorable burgundy knit pants that are now sold out online. That is so very sad. Look how cute they were-

I tried them on with this cute olive lace tank (on super clearance now!) and the embellished cardigan (again).

This outfit I liked less than I had expected. This jacket was cute, but just didn’t fit me well. Same goes for this simple flared circle skirt. I liked the idea of this with black tights and black booties, but probably for someone taller than I am! Unfortunately the skirt is now sold out too, but you can find lots of other skirts here– there are some adorable print pencil skirts in there!

Maurice’s currently has a BOGO 50% off offer in stores and online with the code SHOPFALL1014. It would be a great time to try something new (like skinny knit pants and a great cardigan!).

*I have no connection with Maurices or compensation from them, I just really like shopping there! 🙂

Fall Style Challenge, Week 2!

This was a fun week of outfits, but I missed a few. I’ll try to make those up once the challenge is over. Here’s what I came up with this week.

Day 4

I substituted some burgundy ON Pixie Pants for jeans in this outfit. I can wear jeans to work, but I prefer not to most of the time. Since the challenge calls for lots of jeans, I decided to change things up and throw in some more work appropriate pants! I liked the pants with my dressy sweatshirt from JCP. It’s so comfy, but dressy enough to wear anywhere. My leopard flats were a perfect finish along with some gold accessories.

Skipped days 5 and 6

Day 7

I mixed this one up some too (I pretty much do everyday, right?!). The outfit called for leopard flats, but these jeans just don’t like flats. They are too long to wear regularly, but I know if I hemmed them, they’d fit funny and they are a weird material that is really soft, but does not cuff well. I still really like them, but they are pretty much just for boots! So, anyway, I went leopard with my scarf and pulled on my black boots. Striped top is from Nordstrom (great shirt and I LOVE the length!) and cardigan is from Old Navy.

Funny story, this was Sunday so I wore this to church. Pretty much as soon as I walked in, two of the older ladies were commenting on how I mixed patterns and they really liked it, but wouldn’t have thought of doing that themselves. One lady said, “The young people just know how to do that better!” I wanted to tell them all about the challenge, but just said thank you as I was hurrying my kids to their classes!

Day 8

This was my favorite look of the week. I had two plaid shirts in the wash and though I really like this black and white one from Old Navy, I thought it might be too plain to wear with the military jacket. So, I added some gold jewelry and it totally amped things up! I wore my Toms booties with it and loved how it looked!

Though I did really love this look, I decided that I needed a new  military jacket that would be warmer and easier to layer. I looked around online and didn’t see much selection at my usual stores, but I checked again at JCP and found this adorable jacket in the junior’s section. It was even available at my local store, so I got to try it on and loved it there too. I might have also found another plaid shirt (sold out online)… Hey, it’s burgundy and I don’t have one that color yet! 🙂 (And yes, there are little feet on the bench behind me. My kids were “sleeping.” It didn’t last long!)

Day 9

I adapted this look too! The look called for a dressy sweatshirt over a striped shirt on top (bottom is leggings and leopard flats- check!). I tried various combinations of stripes and sweatshirts and didn’t love any of them. So, instead I went for this embellished baseball top. It’s not a sweatshirt, but it’s the same idea. I wore my mixed media denim jacket (Old Navy, but no longer available) with it in the morning. I thought it was a cute, different outfit that worked pretty well!

Day 10

Today’s outfit is cute, but I’m still not 100% sure my shirt and scarf don’t clash. I thought there was a stripe of burgundy in my scarf, but I think it’s just red. Oops! Oh well, I think it’s got enough colors to cover that little mix up!

I’m also wearing a cardigan from Maurice’s a few years ago. I even got a shot of the back. I love that crochet detail. Maurice’s is great at adding a fun detail to their clothes and I LOVE that!

My jeans are new. They are Old Navy pixie JEANS! I didn’t know they existed until recently- maybe the didn’t? I’m loving them so far! The material is soooo soft and the cut is just like the pixie pants that I love so much. I love the dark, even wash which makes them great for work.

I think that’s it for today! Thanks for checking out my outfits for the week! Which was your favorite?

*Head’s up! Today, October 22, Old Navy is 30% off with FREE 2 day shipping! Might be something to check out!*

Make sure to check out all these other lovely ladies’ interpretations of this weeks’ outfits!

Deena | Christy | Jordan | Carrie C. | Shaunacey | Danielle | Beth | Joy | Sarah |

Leslie | Katie | Jennifer | Carrie M. | Lisa | Mary | Sheila | Lana | Lauren | Anna | Alison

Fall Style Challenge- Week 1!

Here we go on a new Style Adventure! This is now my third Style Challenge with Alison at Get Your Pretty On. I love knowing I’m going to be stylish every day and I love getting to put my own spin on the outfits. I also LOVE seeing how other ladies style the same pieces and getting ideas from them through the Facebook group. If things continue as they are going, this may be my favorite challenge yet! “Week” 1 is really just 3 days, but here they are!

Day 1

Day one- I literally thought on Sunday evening- I hope Day 1 isn’t a striped shirt since my favorite one is in the wash. And, of course, day one was indeed a striped shirt! I made do with this one from Old Navy. It’s a recent purchase, but it surprised me when I got it in the mail because I thought it was going to be black and white, but it is black and grey. It was majorly on sale and not worth sending back. It looked cuter than I had expected!

The outfit called for a tassel necklace, but mine is silver and I wanted more contrast, so I added this ladder necklace I got on jane.com this summer. The jeans are supposed to be boyfriend and I just improvised some straight leg jeans I got super cheap at JCP a while ago.

My booties are Toms that I bought myself for Christmas last year! Lol! I love them so much!

Day 2

I had most of this in my closer already, but didn’t think of putting it all together! The scarf (sold out) and boots are both new from Nordstom. I decided to invest in some nicer boots this year instead of my usual cheap ones that just last one season. These are the second pair I tried (Thanks to Nordstrom’s free shipping and returns). Wide, short calves are not easy to fit! These are still a little snug, but should stretch nicely. They are leather and are very comfy.

I love my little military jacket. It’s from Maurice’s last year. I get lots of wear out of it all year long! Black jeans are also Maurice’s from a few years ago.

Day 3

This outfit is just fun! I added a tank underneath and a sweater on top of my GAP plaid shirt (now sold out). It made it a little edgy but also really cute.

My sweater and booties are new from Maurice’s and my jeggings and necklace are also from there but are no longer available. They do have a lot of jeggings right now and I have several pairs from there that I really like.

If you want to know more about the Style Challenge, click here. You can still get in on the fun!

Check out how other ladies styled these looks by clicking on the links below!

Deena | Christy | Jordan | Carrie C. | Shaunacey | Danielle | Beth | Joy | Sarah |

Leslie | Katie | Jennifer | Carrie M. | Lisa | Mary | Sheila | Lana | Lauren | Anna | Alison

Also linking up at Get Your Pretty On