Sept 1, Blue and White Dress

Today we are headed to friend’s for a bbq and I decided to wear a blue and white striped dress. You all know how much I love blue and white together, it’s such a classic, crisp color combo!

To be clear, there is nothing wrong with the dress on the left- it’s just a simple, cotton blue and white striped dress that with the right styling could be cute… however, isn’t the dress on the right a lot more fun?!

It’s still a blue and white cotton dress, but the halter neckline and the fun geometric stripes are so much more interesting than the simpler version in the before photo.

I bought this dress years ago at the Gap and it is one of my all time favorites. Its one of my ‘go to’ dresses for any occasion. It’s not too dressy and not too casual, just the perfect staple in my closet. If it gets chilly I can throw on a denim jacket or a sweater. I can pair this dress with tennis shoes, flip flops, flat sandals or even wedge heels as I’ve done today. It’s so versatile!

Happy Sunday!

August 30, Date Night

This is my ‘fake date night outfit’, I say ‘fake’ because I’m not really going on a date with my husband tonight, unless you count watching TV on the couch together a date? If so- than I have a HOT date tonight! But… if we were going out on the town- this is what I would wear. I love the all black look- but as usual, just throwing on black jeans & a black top is not stylish. I know I say this ALL THE TIME but it comes down to details. 

In the outfit on the right, the blouse has some lovely details. It’s super hard to see in the photo, but below is a close up so you will get a better look. This sheer top with Swiss dots has a built in v neck camisole underneath. It’s a leotard, so it all stays together nicely and doesn’t come untucked. Plus, I love the poofy sleeves, and the ladylike neckline. Paired with  ripped black jeans & pointy heels = a sexy, edgy date night outfit. Now if I could just get my hubby off the couch?! LOL! Truthfully, on Fridays, we are both so exhausted that the couch is my favorite place to be!

 Blouse is from Nordstrom Rack, Shoes from Nordstrom 

August 29, Back to School Shopping

I took my daughter back to school shopping today. Yes, I know- most of the country is already back at school, but in the PNW we wait until after Labor Day to start, so we still have a few more days of summer. Yeah!

I knew I wanted to wear jeans because I am always cold in the mall, and I decided to keep it simple and classic by pairing my jeans with a white button down. However- comparing the two looks above, you can see that in order for this to be a cute outfit, I need to make a few changes.

Instead of the dark straight leg jeans, I decided to go with distressed skinnies from Nordstrom (7 for all Mankind). Since a button down is a little dressy, the distressed jeans balance it out by being super casual. To keep from looking like I’m wearing my husband’s dress shirt (which I am in the before photo), I swapped out this thick starched shirt for a much thinner, casual one from Nordstrom (Treasure and Bond). Then I rolled the sleeves and unbuttoned a few buttons. To add some interest, I choose my leopard belt from Target and added a white cuff bracelet. My leather braided sandals completed the outfit.

August 27, Frumpy Mom

One of my worries when getting dressed is that I don’t look like a frumpy mom! It’s so easy for me to fall into a pattern of wearing jeans, a top and a cardigan. It’s casual, it’s comfy and it works… but can I elevate this look?

While I don’t HATE the before picture, in fact I kind of like it, I think the after look has a little more style to it. Something about the edgy jacket and the peep toe shoes take this regular mom outfit up a notch.

However, since I am running errands all day- I will compromise. I’ll wear the jacket, but switch to tennis shoes. My poor old feet can only stand heels for so long. #keepingitreal

Jacket from Evereve, Top from Nordstrom

August 26, Striped Shorts

I’ve worn these cute striped shorts from Athleta a few times already this summer, but always with a white top. So today I decided to pair them with this bright orange top instead! I love blue and orange together- it’s such a great combo.

A few things to note:

1. In the before picture, you can see my bra straps, which looks terrible. If I was wearing a bralette, that might be cute- but in this example, it’s not a good look.
2. The denim shorts in the before photo don’t fit well. I used these the other day in a post and compared them to a baby’s romper. There is just something super weird about the way they look! They are not flattering at all!
3. The black Birkenstocks are comfy, but add very little style.
4. In the after photo I have on neutral wedge heels. I love the way they make my legs look super long- and don’t distract at all from the outfit.
5. In case you were wondering, my before shot is from an old post- hence the reason why my legs are so much tanner in the after shot!

And there you have it! Simple, easy changes = a much cuter outfit!

August 25, Jeans and a Tank

Today’s look is a very basic, very simple look of just jeans and a tank, but as usual, it all comes down to the details.

In my before look I’m wearing straight leg cuffed jeans that look really awkward, especially paired with these orthopedic shoes! Paired with this boring logo t shirt- I look dated and out of style.

So, instead I will wear skinny jeans and this cute v neck tank. I’ve tucked it in to give it some shape, and added a belt, bracelets and my leopard slides. These little details make all the difference in the world. Happy Sunday!

August 24, Maxi Dress

I have to say I have the BEST friends in the world- and I am so grateful for them. Yesterday, to keep my mind off my son being 2000 miles away, my friends Alice, Annie and Christy planned a girls day out of tennis, lunch & shopping. This is what I wore!

I started off with this cute grey maxi dress that I found at Marshalls for $20.

I love a maxi dress. It’s such an easy and comfy outfit- but a little plain on it’s own. So, I swapped out my flip flops for my cute snakeskin sandals. I then threw on my denim jacket (rolled the sleeves of course) and added a cute long necklace with a turquoise stone.

Have you noticed I’ve been finding some great stuff at Marshalls lately? I love that store! The key is going often and being very particular. I know what brands I like- and I study what is currently trending- and then see what I can find. Some days I walk away empty handed- and that’s ok!

My jacket is from Target (similar), the shoes are old and from Clarks, but here are some similar ones. The dress is Marshalls, but Here is a similar one I found on Amazon!

August 23, Spirit Wear

I just got home from dropping my son off for his freshman year of college, (sniff!) so now I feel like I can officially wear TCU spirit wear!

The last night I was in Fort Worth a group of Washington parents got together to go out for dinner after moving the kids in all day. This is not actually what I wore, but I thought I’d show it as a cute example of how to wear spirit wear.

In the outfit on the left the baggy grey pants are too long and I don’t care for the 2 shades of grey. My Birkenstocks, while comfy, aren’t adding any style to the look. On the right, I have replaced the baggy pants with my distressed skinny white cropped jeans. I’ve tucked the front of my t shirt in and added a belt for polish. My neutral sandals with a block heel add some height and style to this otherwise super casual look.

And what’s that, you ask, on my shirt? Why it’s a Hornfrog! Not sure I’ll ever get used to saying ‘go Hornfrogs’, but I’ll try! 🙂

August 20, New Joggers

You all know I love my joggers, and today I am super excited about this brand new pair I just bought at Marshalls. They are Tencel, which is one of my favorite fabrics because it is so soft, and I LOVE the color! Gorgeous!! It’s sort of olive green/ grey, which will be a great neutral going into the fall.

One thing I like about these joggers is the length, they are just a tiny bit cropped, which gives them a super relaxed look. I also love the cargo pockets- which is a fun detail. The joggers in my before photo are too long (see how they actually cover my shoes?), plus they have this weird puckering thing going on down the sides. Not sure what that is all about?! To make matters worse, the logo t shirt isn’t adding any style. In my after photo, I have paired my new joggers with this super cute striped silk top from Ann Taylor (old). I’m always a HUGE fan of stripes, and I love how this top looks like a t shirt, but is actually silk- so fun! My Target slides complete the look.

Friends, I need your love and support for the next few days. I’m dropping my son off at his first year of college 2000 miles from home, and my heart is literally breaking. But, I’m super proud of him- and know he will have a fabulous time. It’s just hard to leave him. Please send virtual hugs my way… thanks!

August 19, Trendy

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a super trendy person. My style is more classic, plus I’m not a huge risk taker. And some trends I just can’t get on board with. Biker shorts? No thanks! Fanny pack? Not for me! But this is one trend that I absolutely fell in love with the first time I saw it. It’s a woven guitar style purse strap.

I first read about this cute strap here, but being the frugal shopper that I am, I refuse to fork out $140 just for an accessory on my purse. However, a few months went by and I kept thinking about that cute strap. Then, finally it dawned on me- I could probably find something similar on Amazon- and lo and behold, I did!

What I love about this strap is that it personalizes my otherwise generic handbag. It’s funky, it’s cool, it’s fun! There are a ton of different styles to choose from. I played it safe and went for black and white, but there are lots of bold, colorful ones as well. Check out these cute ones I found on Amazon and Etsy.

This top is much cuter than the plain t shirt.

Joggers- Target

Blouse- Stitch Fix

Shoes- Lucky Brand

Purse- H&M

Strap- Amazon