Patterns in Blue

I bought this skirt and shirt last week and wanted to get a little bit out of the box and mix up some patterns by wearing them together and toning it down with gray accessories. Overall I liked the outfit, but I have since done the skirt with a basic black tank top and black accessories and I think I liked the outcome of that a lot better. I will for sure be repeating that in the future to get some pictures. 

I was so glad to find this skirt, not only because of the ability to wear it as a high-waisted skirt with a shirt to give off the appearance of a dress (that can be more easily customized), but because I was in love with the springy feel of the light blues on the white. What other ways would you style the skirt?

Outfit

Shirt, Skirt, Cardigan, Purse: Old Navy

Scarf, Sunglasses: Forever 21

Boots: DSW

A Summery Spring

Temperatures have already hit the mid 80's here in Southern Indiana, and it's becoming apparent that our extremely mild winter is transitioning straight into summer. This means tights and leggings are largely out of the picture and sandals are being dug out of the closet!

Outfit
Dress, Sunglasses: Target
Cardigan, Flip Flops: Old Navy
Bracelets: Charlotte Russe

Lipstick: Revlon Colorburst in True Red

I have definitely been favoring coral this spring for everything from lipstick to shoes. Are there any spring trends or colors that you are in love with this year?

Tulle Time

Yes, you're welcome for that cheesy Home Improvement reference.

We have less than two weeks left in the Chicago apartment and are trying to make the most of it (though I'll be gone this weekend for a wedding), so last night we went to dinner at one of our favorites: Sullivan's Steakhouse. Long Island Martinis, Filet Trio, and White Cheddar Au Gratin Potatoes? Check, check, and check. Yum.

I love this dress because it's comfortable, cute, and so easy to accessorize with a million different things. I like to keep a little edge on the tulle so it doesn't look too frilly, and these boots did just that.




Oh! And you'll have to excuse me because it does have a little bit of product in it, but for the most part my hair is still pretty silky and shiny from the olive oil treatment the other day- even after a coloring! I'm thinking I might start doing these at least once or twice a week.

Now you'll have to excuse me, I'm off to pack for my second of three moves in less than 6 months. Let's cross our fingers that by the end of January I'll be settled in Denver and won't have to worry about moving for a while!

A Night Out in Denver

Outfit
Dress: TJ Maxx
Leggings, Purse, Cardigan: Old Navy
Boots: DSW
Socks: Target
Necklace: American Eagle
Bracelets: Charlotte Russe

I just got back from spending a few days in Denver and I miss it already! The day we landed the weather was right around 50 degrees, which was a welcome change from the temperatures in the 80's that we had been experiencing in Chicago before we left. I'm not totally in love with Indian Summers... when fall gets here I am always much too excited about it to have it taken away again so soon!

The temperatures got up to the 70's the other two days in Denver, but because we would often leave in the mornings and not always come back until later at night I had to work with layers to make sure I wasn't too hot/too cold at any given time. This outfit was the perfect blend for a nice dinner at the Capital Grille downtown on Larimer followed by a few bars with my dad and what ending up being nearly a whole convention of friends from his industry who were in town. I am absolutely falling in love with these boots and I am so glad I kept them! (They were a bit of an impulse purchase and I wore them around the apartment for two days trying to decide)

Larimer Street in Downtown Denver

East Ukrainian Village

My friend Mandy was in town from St. Louis this weekend, and on Saturday we set off to explore a section of Chicago I had not yet been to. It's called "East Ukrainian Village" (or East Village) and has a lot of vintage shops and much to my delight an amazing Western store called Alcala's. We're talking walls upon walls of cowboy boots. It's a shame I don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on them. I'll definitely be going back, as they also had some really awesome belts and really cheap real leather purses.

Hey, look, Wonderland graffiti!

One of the vintage stores was called Kokorokoko and is specifically 80's/90's. What I wouldn't have done to have THAT around back in high school when those were frequent party themes. I ended up getting a few more buttons for my denim vest and a "brief purse" (It's a purse that just has a built in handle so it makes it feel like a brief case? I don't know, I like the way it felt in my hand AND it was sparkly.) and Mandy got a ring and a necklace.

We also made a stop at Margie's ice cream, a place we had both heard of. It's a super old school ice cream and candy shop with THE BIGGEST sundaes ever. Seriously, huge. And they come with an entire side of fudge. REALLY GOOD fudge. Thank god we had not eaten lunch that day.

Grandpa's Turtle Sundae from Margie's. Unbelievably one of the "smaller" options.

This weekend overall was a pretty good one for Chicago exploration, and I'm definitely looking forward to doing more of that in the near future.

Back in Boots

Fall has definitely happened in Chicago, and I love it. I don't know if it's just that I love fall so much or that I'm so glad the humidity has gone away, but I have been in just about the best of moods ever since the weather started getting cooler last week. My house has been in constant candle-mode, alternating between Slatkin & Co's (Bath & Body Works) "Leaves", "Creamy Pumpkin", and "Autumn Apple." Yum!!! I also made the first batch of Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars of the season last night, and then proceeded to eat two of those and drink a glass of Sauvignon Blanc as my dinner. As someone on Facebook commented "I'm sure that covers at least 4, maybe 5, of the food groups anyways!" Haha.

What fall means as far as my wardrobe goes is this: SWEATERS AND BOOTS ARE BACK! I threw a big chunky sweater on Wednesday night and had forgotten how super comfortable and warm they always are. Mmmm. Here's today's outfit:

Outfit
Dress: TJ Maxx
Scarf: H&M
Sweater, Leggings: Old Navy
Boots: Durango via RCC Western

And in the background? Only my absolute favorite flowers- gladiolas! They were surprisingly cheap at Whole Foods... $3.99 for 10 stems.

What are your favorite parts of Fall that you are excited about? Or are you like me and it's just about everything to do with it?

Hello, Red

Outfit
Shirt: Old Navy
Jeggings: Forever 21+
Sunglasses: Forever 21
Vest: J.C. Penney
Shoes: Target
Bracelets: Charlotte Russe

Oh, and I don't think I ever posted a decent picture since I colored my hair red. Well, more red. When your hair is this dark it's difficult to get it to do anything you want, but I attribute getting it this far to Garnier Nutrisse Ultra-Color (R3- Light Tint Auburn) which is (gasp, finally) a coloring meant specifically for dark hair. OK, maybe this existed before... but I just found it and I was damn excited about it.

(Even if the red was still coming out in the shower a week later. Just invest in a cheap red towel from Target, it's totally worth it.)

A New Love for Brown

This is a dress that was a little bit of a surprise purchase the other day at Target. We had to go to get some other things and it had been a few weeks since I had looked at their dresses and thought I would check it out. I picked up four or five to try on, and was hesistant about this one because the pattern at first glance almost seemed a little too "camo" or something to me. I'm not normally really attracted to thinks with a brown base color, but I gave it a shot. It didn't hurt that I knew I could wear it with my brown wedges, which were really my first brown-based inspiration.

I didn't end up liking a single other dress but LOVED the fit of this one! This is actually the dress I mentioned in the last post about wanting to get in more than one pattern or color but they only had this and leopard print. I was also surprised how much I ended up liking this print... it paired REALLY well with the belt from Forever 21 that I have been favoring lately, and of course my brown pair of super-favorite-wedges from Target. And I won't lie, I think this dress really emphasized my tan, which is always a big plus in my book.

One of my favorite parts is the neckline. It comes up high enough to cover plenty and not be too revealing but is also open enough to not feel too restricting. (Forgive the bangs, they're looking a mess in this picture)

Outfit
Dress, Shoes: Target
Purse: Nine West via TJ Maxx
Belt: Forever 21
Bracelets: Charlotte Russe

Edgy Floral

Taking floral prints and adding an edge is becoming one of my new favorite go-to's for outfits, whether it's the denim vest, or going with all black accessories, lots of rings, and feather earrings. This was another night in Destin of dinner/shopping, and maybe a few cocktails. We went to a restaurant at The Village at Baytowne Wharf called The Village Door (Which was REALLY good by the way! The food was great and apparently they always have some kind of live music going on.) and sat on the back deck which was right on the marina. It was a gorgeous night, and I only wish the weather had been so nice and not humid the rest of the week!

Outfit
Dress, Flower Ring, Wedges: Target
Bracelets, Feather Earrings: Charlotte Russe
Purse: Carlos Santana via TJ Maxx
Belt: Forever 21
(Drink: Vodka Cranberry)

(By the way, this is the little bun I have more or less been rocking for the entire summer. I am so sick of humidity, and SO glad the weather in Chicago has been gorgeous this week. Hard core contemplating cutting a few inches off my hair!)

Yet Another Leopard

Remember the Forever 21 leopard print dress I posted about a while ago? Well, of course I bought it. I really wanted to wear it with my black strappy wedges, but this was on a night in Florida when we were going out to dinner and potentially doing a bit of walking around a shopping area so I didn't want to end up with angry feet.

Outfit
Dress, Belt: Forever 21
Sandals: Target
Earrings, bracelets: Charlotte Russe
Purse: Carlos Santana via TJ Maxx

I actually just got another dress from Target that I REALLY loved the fit of, enough that I wanted to buy it in another print. It's a pretty basic pattern so could easily have been dressed up in different ways, but unfortunately the only other pattern was leopard print. LOVE leopard print, but given I now have this and the other leopard print dress I posted in the last outfit post, I figured I probably was good on that for a while.

(Side note: Does anyone know how to get pictures to not be quite so blurry when you make them bigger? When I upload pictures, even though the original size is HUGE and can be seen by clicking on it, the vertical pictures are always too small and get blurry when I enlarge them. I have it set on the largest upload setting, but don't know if there's any way to get around this and make it bigger but still clear?)

Chicago Brunching

Three of my good friends were up in Chicago last weekend for Lollapalooza, but we didn't walk over to Grant Park until 3 or so most days which left plenty of time for experiencing some of South Loop's finest brunch locations... or at least our favorites. This was probably the first time in quite a while I had made any real attempt at getting dressed/dolled up with moving and as hot as it had been, so I made a point of getting some pictures.

Outfit
Dress, Shoes: Target
Belt: Forever 21
Bracelets, Earrings: Charlotte Russe
Headband: DIY
Purse: Nine West, TJ Maxx
Sunglasses: Delias
(RIP... these little guys didn't survive the weekend, and they didn't even get worn to the actual festival!)

Brunch was at Eleven City Diner, a particular favorite of ours. I alone have been there a handful of times and somehow had never discovered how amazing their pancakes are!!! I definitely stole a few bites from Katelyn.

Pattern Mixing Procrastination

Yesterday, the plan was to get up and finish packing so I could clean.

Instead, I woke up, did some pattern mixing, and went to lay out in the pool with my cousin instead. It's ok though, I got a nice tan.

Outfit
Dress: Forever 21
Sandals: Charlotte Russe
Sunglasses: Delias
Bag: Old Navy
Swimsuit: Target

Have I mentioned how much I hate packing? As if I don't procrastinate enough when I'm packing for a weekend trip, multiply that times 50 with me attempting to pack everything for two different destinations. I think my problem is really over analysis of the organizational methods of all of it... and my strong point is standing around assessing the situation without the motivation to get it finished. Oops! I think I'd make a great supervisor. (Haha) I guess one way or the other it's all getting thrown in a car or truck Saturday and on it's way!

Where Have You Been Hiding?

This outfit is made almost entirely out of things that I have not worn in a really long time. Or, now that I think of it, I'm not sure that I've ever actually worn this tank top. I'm totally baffled as to why I haven't worn this skirt in something like a year. I think I was under the impression that it didn't fit anymore, or that it fit awkwardly, or something. Who knows, but it was a stupid impression because I love this skirt.

I'd like to say a special thank you to Sunday's storm that cooled the weather down to a tolerable level and in turn allowed me to do something with my hair other than wearing it in a tiny little bun.

Outfit
Tank, Skirt, Wedges: Old Navy
Bracelets, Earrings: Charlotte Russe
Ring: American Eagle
Belt: Target
Necklace: Forever 21

Heat Wave, Martha and the Vandellas Style

It finally rained today and brought the temperatures down just a little bit, but prior to that I think most of us in the U.S. have been dealing with some not-so-pleasant temperatures. So what's the plan for getting dressed to leave the house? Easy: things that are as un-clingy as possible, as uncovering as possible without being too-showy, hair UP, and little to no makeup. Here's how that plan pans out...

Outfit
Dress: Old Navy
Pocket Vest: J.C. Penney
Sandals: Target
Purse: Nine West, T.J. Maxx
Headband: For Love 21
Necklace: Target (I think?)

These shoes have been my "go-to nicer-than-flip-flops-but-still-comfortable-summer-sandals"... SUPER comfortable, though even these could not stand up to all of the walking required by a NYC visit. At least they match my summer purse almost perfectly.

How have you been staying cool?