Oct 21, Monday Flannel

Another Monday, another flannel! This time it’s my grey flannel from Uniqlo. Boy do I love this shirt! It’s soft, cozy & warm. And, since it’s from Uniqlo, it’s super affordable. Mine is old, but they have some cute ones this season, check them out here. In my opinion, a flannel shirt is the perfect choice for a crisp fall day.

At first I thought I would try the flannel with grey jeans and grey Converse, but then I decided that’s a little too much grey, so I switched to dark wash jeans. These jeans are from Lucky, and I cropped them myself. They have the perfect amount of stretch to make them super comfy. For my feet, the slip on pointy toe booties from Target are a little more stylish than the sneakers. Tucking the shirt, rolling the sleeves and adding this big statement belt complete the look.

Have a great Monday! I’m off to sub in middle school again. Yikes! What was I thinking?! If you are a middle school teacher- I applaud you! All teachers are amazing, but middle school is a whole other story!

Oct 17, Athleisure Wear

My little sister once asked to do to a post on how to transition a tennis outfit into a running errands outfit, so that is what today’s post is all about. I have a tennis match today, but will be running a couple errands before the match, so I wanted an outfit that worked for that.

I started with my cropped Lululemon leggings and black Adidas tennis shoes, I then added this cute dolman sleeve top from Target. I think the color is gorgeous, it’s kind of a purple grey- perfect for fall. I like this top because it’s casual- but can easily be dressed up. To add even even more warmth, and a little style I then added this cute black vest. When I get to my match I can take off the vest and top to reveal my tank underneath, then I just need to add my tennis skirt. Easy!

Wish me luck on my match! 🙂

Leggings- Lululemon

Top- Target

Vest- Nordstrom Rack

Tank- Lululemon

Skirt- Tennis Warehouse

Shoes- Adidas, Nordstrom Rack

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 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 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)

Sept 24, Growth Mindset

I’m not even going to talk about today’s outfit, party because I think it’s just an ok outfit (these early school mornings are killing me), and also the changes are pretty self explanatory.

Instead I want to tell you about something I learned about myself last night. 

I was out to dinner with friends and I shared that I have been trying some new vegetarian recipes for my family, and how my daughter has been reluctant to try my amazing concoctions. However, rather than force her to eat it, in our family we have what I call a ‘no thank you bite’ meaning you must take a bite and try it and then you can say ‘no thank you’. I always thought this was a great way of getting my kids to at least try new things. 

However, after I shared this story, my clever friend Stacey said, “why wouldn’t you call that a discovery bite? When you call it a ‘no thank you bite’ you are already setting the stage to saying no….” 

Wow! How had I never thought of that? She is totally right, and that is the perfect example of a growth mindset.

Have you ever heard this phrase? I honestly hadn’t until I started back teaching 3 years ago. Now, I hear it daily. Growth mindset is the idea that instead of saying to yourself ‘I can’t do that’, you say ‘I can’t do that- yet’! Meaning there is always a possibility that you may grow or learn something new! Cool, huh?

So, now I will say to my family, “would you like to discover Ginger miso salad?! Smokey cauliflower tacos? Chickpea faro stew… ?” and I’m hoping their response will be, “I’ve never had that- yet… but I’d love to try! “ Do you see where I’m going here? By simply changing the way I phrase my suggestion to try something new- I hope I can teach my kids to explore- and grow! 

I don’t know why I had to share that, except for the fact that it really made me reflect on how I present things to my children (and students) and maybe even possibly myself. Am I saying no to things because I haven’t mastered them? Am I afraid to try something new? Do I have a growth mindset? Thanks to Stacey, I will now approach my life in a more open minded and exploratory way! We are never too old to learn! 

(jeans- Gap, flannel- American Eagle, boots- Nordstrom)

Sept 15, Black Joggers

When I think of wearing joggers, I immediately think of a very casual outfit, but today I am showing a way to actually dress your joggers up a bit- and perhaps wear them to work, church, or even out to dinner.

I started with this gorgeous wine colored polyester blouse from Nordstrom (similar). Growing up in the 70’s, when I hear ‘polyester’ I think of the Brady Bunch- but honestly, it’s come a long way since then. It’s a great (and more affordable) alternative to silk, plus it washes easily. Tip of the day, don’t be afraid of polyester!

Here is how I improved the before look. I tucked in the blouse, added a cool necklace, rolled the hem of my joggers and swapped out the boots for these cute peep toe booties. Now have a cute outfit that is super comfy while also being stylish.

*full disclosure I’m not actually wearing this today, but I totally would! Instead I’m heading to yoga 🙂

Sept 10, Fall Y’all

It’s Fall, Y’all! We have been having the weirdest weather the last few days. Normally September is still warm and sunny for us in the PNW, but lately it’s felt a lot more like fall. We’ve had crazy rain, wind and overall dreary weather. Perfect for breaking out my flannel shirt!

In the before photo I paired this cute windowpane flannel shirt from Old Navy (old) with grey jeans and grey orthopedic shoes. I think this look is just blah. It’s too boring and predictable. To change it up a bit, I have chosen my distressed skinny jeans and slip on tennis shoes from Dr. Scholl’s. I like how the color of the shoes matches the shirt, and how the blue distressed denim gives a super casual, relaxed vibe to the outfit. Rolling the sleeves and loosely tucking the shirt add to the casual look.

Sept 8, Camo Leggings

Today I’m dressing super casual in my camo leggings and a top. I actually went on Instagram for inspiration again, and this time wasn’t very lucky. I found a ton of photos of women posing in camo with their butts, their boobs or their rock hard bellies! Not really what I was looking for…

In my before outfit I tried a black v neck top with the camo leggings. I’m fine with the black, but the length is too short and overall it just seemed a little too dark. I decided to try a white tank instead. I like the contrast of the bright white with the leggings, but this top is also a little short, so I needed to add this grey cardigan to cover my butt! To add a little interest, I threw on a long necklace and my black tennis shoes finish the outfit. Definitely not my favorite outfit of all time, but it’s warm and comfy and will have to do!

Enjoy your Sunday!

Leggings- Nordstrom Rack

Tank- Fabletics

Cardigan- Target

Shoes- Adidas