Oct 15, Camo Sweatshirt

I’m honestly a bit surprised by how little camo I show here on the blog, considering it is one of my favorite prints. I have camo leggings, camo jeans, camo t shirt and two camo sweatshirts! And since today is Camo day in my themed week, my OOTD is my camo sweatshirt!

While I like both of these sweatshirts, I think the one on the right (American Eagle) is just a bit better for today’s outfit. The colors are more vibrant, and the cute stripes on the sleeves really tie in with the off white jeans. To keep the jeans looking current, I rolled the cuffs. I also pushed up my sleeves and added my bracelets. Finally, the cute pointy toed slip on shoes (from Target) look better than the tired old loafers.

Now- on to more important things (in my opinion). I need your help! What shows do you like to watch on Netflix or Amazon Prime? At the end of a long day I LOVE sitting with a glass of red wine and watching a show. And boy have I watched a ton of good shows! Here is what I have watched and enjoyed… but I am in need of something new! (list is in no particular order)

1. Indian Summer
2. Fleabag
3. Dorrells of Corfu
4. Happy Valley
5. Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
6. Friday Night Lights (my all time favorite)
7. Bosch
8. Sex Education
9. Schitt’s Creek
10. Call the Midwife
11. Broadchurch
12. Breaking Bad
13. Crazy Ex Girlfriend
14. Goliath
15. Sneaky Pete
16. The Americans
17. The Staircase
18. Parenthood
19. Wonderland
20. Making a Murderer

Wow! I can’t believe all the shows I’ve watched (mind you this is over a few years time…). But still, makes me think I need to get out more! lol! As you can see, I like a variety of different genres. If you like what I like, and see something missing from my list- please comment! I’m desperate for a new show! Thank you!

Oct 14, Cozy Flannel

I had so much fun last week with my Nordstrom inspired theme week, that I’ve decided to do another one- but on my own terms! It really does make getting dressed easier when you have a point of reference to start. So, here are my plans for the week: Monday: Cozy Flannel, Tuesday: Camo, Wednesday: Dress or skirt, Thursday: Athleisure Wear, Friday: Weekend Ready Graphic T shirt

What could be more fall than a flannel? I mean seriously! It’s like the quintessential fall outfit. My first look was ripped jeans, the flannel and tennis shoes, but that is a little plain.

So then I decided to tye the flannel around my waist and pair it with a white henley long sleeve shirt. I really like this look- it’s a great casual, weekend outfit! For a little less casual version, I thought I’d add this cute utility jacket. This jacket is perfect for chilly fall mornings, it’s not too heavy, but adds a bit of warmth and style at the same time. I swapped out the tennis shoes for my slip on ones, and made sure to roll the sleeves of the jacket. I think the last look would be appropriate for school- but I would not wear the distressed jeans. No school for me today though (it’s conferences, so no substitutes needed), so I’m off to have some fun with girlfriends! 🙂

Flannel- Target

Jeans- Nordstrom (7 for all Mankind)

Jacket- Khol’s

Shoes- Vince, Nordstrom Rack & Adidas, Nordstrom Rack

Oct 11, Dress

My week of Nordstrom inspired outfits has come to an end. I have to say, I liked having a theme for each day. It really did make getting dressed a bit easier! Today’s theme is a dress.

I wanted a dress that is casual enough for school, and then can be easily transitioned to a going out outfit for after work.

I choose this cute black and grey dress from Banana Republic (I bought this on my 40th birthday and I am 48, so it’s really old!)

For school today I have paired it with black tights, black booties and a super chunky, cozy grey sweater. Then, if I had a hot date tonight with my hubby I could take off the tights, replace the booties with heels and remove the cardigan and I’m all set for a fancy date night. Truthfully, I will be going to the high school football game tonight, so I will definitely not be wearing this! But one can dream of a fancy dinner out somewhere warm where one can have bare arms and legs…right?!

Have a great weekend! 🙂

Oct 10, Denim Shirt

Today’s OOTD is another Nordstrom inspired look from the email marketing campaign I received over the weekend.

The advice for today was to build a look around a classic accessory like a wool felt hat, which is adorable on some people, but not me! Instead I decided to build my outfit around a classic piece- my denim shirt.

I’ve had a denim shirt for years now, and if you don’t own one- I highly suggest you buy one asap. Either that or a denim jacket, which may be my all time favorite! A denim shirt (or jacket) is so versatile, it literally goes with everything. I always pack one when I travel, as it is the perfect layering piece. The one I’m wearing today is from American Eagle, but I also have one from J Crew that is more fitted.

Today I have paired my shirt with joggers. I like the casual, loose fit, but I don’t want to look messy, so I needed to tuck it in and roll the sleeves. To really add some style I have chosen snakeskin slides. While it’s tempting to just wear my comfy slip on sneakers, these shoes are a statement piece and truly complete the look.

Joggers- Marshalls

Shoes- Nordstrom Rack

Shirt- American Eagle

Oct 9, Menswear

Today’s Nordstrom inspired outfit is based on the theme of menswear.

I don’t own any menswear inspired pieces, so my black blazer will have to do. But wouldn’t you agree, it does add instant polish to my outfit!

A black cardigan could have worked, but the blazer adds a layer of sophistication that the cardigan lacks. Replacing the cotton t shirt with a cute striped silk top is also an improvement, and the cropped jeans & slip on driving shoes complete the look.

Jeans- Lucky

Blazer- Nordstrom

Top- Ann Taylor

Shoes- Vince (Nordstrom Rack)

Oct 8, Jumpsuit

As I mentioned yesterday, this week I am planning my outfits based on a marketing email I received from Nordstrom. Today’s look is a jumpsuit!

First of all, in the effort of full disclosure, I am not actually wearing a jumpsuit today. I’m teaching 3rd grade, and that would not be practical at all! But, wanting to follow the outfit suggestions from Nordstrom I thought I’d show a jumpsuit outfit anyway.

Truth be told, I’m still on the fence with the whole jumpsuit trend. I see tons of gals online wearing them- and they all look adorable, but I’m not sure it’s really me. And in my opinion, the most important thing in fashion is to wear what you are comfortable in.

So, since I’m not even 100% on the jumpsuit trend, I sure as heck wasn’t going to go out and buy one just for today’s look! Instead I am showing an old one that bought at Target years ago and have worn a couple of times (to my cousin’s wedding and in also in Vegas on a girl’s night out).

My before and after is pretty basic. Looking at the inspiration photo she kept her look very simple, but I decided I wanted to add some depth and color, so I added this gorgeous Free People blazer from Nordstrom (old). I think this look would be perfect in an office. So what do you think? Are you a jumpsuit fan? Or is this a trend you will skip?

Oct 7, Cozy Sweater

Every Saturday morning I wake up early and plan my meals for the upcoming week. To keep it super easy, I keep a general plan (Asian Monday, Taco Tuesday, Whatever Wednesday, Souper Thursday, Pizza Friday), this helps me plan meals without feeling overwhelmed. Once I’ve figured out what we are going to have I print all the recipes and create a grocery list. Then as soon as my hubby gets up we go out to breakfast and head to the grocery store. We think of it as our weekly date (how romantic!), plus it keeps me organized and is helpful after a long day at school to come home and know exactly what is for dinner that night!

I am sharing this because over the weekend I received a marketing email from Nordstrom with outfit ideas for the week (cozy sweater on Monday, jumpsuit on Tuesday, menswear on Wednesday… and so on) which made me think about how I spend so much time planning my menu- but have never thought to plan my outfits for the week. Below is what Nordstrom sent:

Today’s theme: a cozy sweater.

I’m wearing a color block fuzzy sweater from Nordstrom (old). It’s so comfy and cozy, and perfect for a chilly fall day. I’m going out on a bit of a limb by wearing ripped jeans, hoping the school I’m subbing at today won’t mind. It’s a middle school, so I thought the ripped jeans might be ok?! I sure hope so! As usual, I have tucked my sweater in, just so it doesn’t look like I’m swimming in it! And finally, the black booties are sleeker than the clunky Uggs.

Have a great Monday, and check back tomorrow for another Nordstrom inspired outfit!

Oct 4, Rain boots

This outfit started with my rain boots and then worked it’s way up. I often decide my outfits this way- choosing my shoes first, then building the outfit from that. I take into account several factors; including the occasion, the weather and how long I am going to be on my feet.

I’m teaching school today, so will be on my feet a lot, so need comfy shoes. Since it’s supposed to rain all day, these Hunter rain boots are perfect. They are comfy and warm, and much cuter than the clunky and awkward boots on the left.

As for my leggings, I’m not usually a fan of wearing yoga pants to work, they seem too casual, so I have dressed these up with a long blouse and cardigan. The black cardigan is fine, but isn’t the burgundy one on the right better? I love the pop of color, and the longer length is sure to cover my entire behind. The blouse also covers everything (front and back!), and has such a cute but subtle pattern.

The blouse (old) and sweater (new) are from Target, boots are Hunter (Nordstrom) and my leggings are Athleta. I recommend buying high quality leggings! Cheap, thin ones look terrible. They stretch and sag easily, and often you can see right through them. The more expensive ones hold their shape and last for years.

Oct 3, Athleisure Wear

This casual outfit is a combination of an athletic top paired with joggers, perfect for running errands.

I have a tennis match today, so need to be wearing this top, but wanted to show how it could be paired with casual joggers as an alternative look.

The joggers on the left are made of 100% cotton, and they don’t fit well. They are too loose. See how they bag at the knees? They also are too long- notice how they meet my shoes? The joggers on the right, which are made of polyester and spandex, are a more flattering fit. The rolled cuffs allow for a peek at my ankles and my cute slip on tennis shoes. As for the top, the way it flares out right at my hips makes me look a wider. By tying it in the back- and defining my waist- I look slimmer.

If it’s chilly, I will throw on a denim jacket with the sleeves rolled up.

Top- Altheta

Joggers- Target

Shoes- Dr Scholl’s (Marshalls)

Oct 2, Satin Bomber

I’ve mentioned my love of my bomber jacket several times, so forgive me for being repetitive, but boy do I ever love this jacket!

First of all, it is so warm. Like seriously warm. Secondly, I feel like it adds a layer of ‘cool’ to my outfit, which at my age, I can use all of the ‘coolness’ help I can get. I also love the color, it’s a gorgeous blush/rose- which is really different for me. And lastly, it’s a great alternative to a cardigan or blazer.

My outfit today started with my straight leg blue jeans and a grey v neck tank. For warmth, I added the bomber jacket- but then when looking at the photos, I decided I didn’t love the way it looks. I don’t know if it’s the shoes, the color of the jeans or what… but I wasn’t feeling it. So I decided to try grey jeans instead paired with grey booties. I like this a lot better!

However, then I saw this cute printed tank that I rarely wear, so I thought it would be fun to try it out. When I say ‘shop your closet’ this is exactly what I’m talking about. I’ve had this tank for years (I think it may have been an item I received back when I did Stitch Fix years ago), but I never wear it. But paired with this cute bomber, I really like it. Plus, I’ve been really trying to add more patterns to my outfits rather than always wearing solids.

So here’s my advice today. Block out some time this week (like an hour or more) and play in your closet. Combine items that you’ve never paired together to see how they look. Take photos to get a different perspective. Save the photos on your computer to go back to on those days when you think you have nothing to wear! It’s amazing how many different combinations you can come up with when you take the time to explore!

Jacket- H&M

Top- Stitch Fix

Jeans- Levis

Boots- Paul Green, Nordstrom