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!

May 17, Long Cardigan

On a yucky, rainy spring day such as today, what I really want to do is stay in bed all day and read or watch TV, but instead I have to go teach 5th grade. Ugh! So, I chose my dark denim jeans, a white tank and this cute pink long cardigan.

In my before photo I am wearing a tight white tank under the sweater. First off, you can totally see my bra underneath, which I don’t care for. Secondly, you can see my tummy (and believe me- I am holding it in for the photo). I would prefer breathing today, so instead I will wear this loose fit, flowy tank that is much more comfortable. Notice the cute detail of the extra layer underneath- this is actually built in to the tank. I love how it adds a little length and movement to the top. To add a little color I threw on this cute necklace and then swapped out the old loafers for booties- so that I can wear some socks and keep my feet warm! Have a great Friday!

No links today (I’m running late again), sorry!

Jeans- Paige

Tank- Anne Taylor

Cardigan- Nordstrom

Booties- Sam Edelman, Nordstrom Rack

April 22, Rainy Monday

It’s supposed to be gray and rainy today- so for my OOTD I’ve chosen a very casual, easy look of a black tank, jeans and a cardigan. I call this my grandpa cardi, because it reminds me of something my grandpa would have worn! The heathered cotton creates a great neutral color that literally goes with everything. Sometimes I keep this in my bag to have in case I get cold while I’m out.

All I’ve done to change up my before look is swap out the wool cardigan for this lighter weight one. The one on the left is too wintery, and also looks a bit like a bathrobe! I then rolled up my jeans to show a little ankle. Last, I threw on a long necklace to break up the solid black.

I love this sweater! It’s old (from 2015) and I tried to find something similar to link to- but failed. Sorry!

Super easy, super casual and so me! I love outfits that are comfy, relaxed and warm.

Jeans- Rich and Skinny (similar)

Tank- Gap

Cardigan- Gap (old, no link- sorry!)

Shoes- Vince

April 13, Black and Grey

You may have noticed that I’ve stuck to a pretty neutral color palette for my trip. When traveling, I always like to pack similar colors so that I can mix and match outfits and everything goes together.

Today I’m wearing grey and black. I love this grey t shirt- it has a cool shape, I love the neckline, and it’s cute with my black bralette peeking out. For warmth, I’ll throw on a black short jacket that has a little style- a big improvement over the black North Face on the left.

April 11, Rainy Day

My daughter and I are on Spring Break touring colleges, and today it’s supposed to be cold and rainy, so luckily I packed a sweater and my cute Burberry raincoat.

This raincoat was another purchase by my hubby (it was a birthday gift years ago.) I live in Seattle where a stylish raincoat is an absolute essential. If you don’t have one, consider treating yourself. It doesn’t have to be super expensive, but it should be something that has a little style to it. I see so many people in the Pacific Northwest wearing North Face black jackets (which I love), but it’s also nice to have a stylish raincoat. Plus, just looking at the photo above, it’s such an improvement over the big, bulky black jacket I have on.

The Burberry coat nips in at the waist, which gives me a little shape, plus the cute signature Burberry plaid peeking out at the cuffs adds some major style to the look. I’ve paired it with a cream colored sweater that I have (of course) tucked in. I packed 3 pairs jeans for my week long trip; the black ones from the plane, the light ones that I wore on Tuesday and these dark ones by Paige. A darker denim is a little dressier, and these will be perfect if we go out for a nice dinner. For my feet, I am wearing my cute black booties instead of my ugly Uggs. While I love those Uggs for warmth and comfort, they aren’t adding anything to the outfit.

Jeans- Nordstrom

Sweater- OC Style

Raincoat- Nordstrom

Booties- Kenneth Cole, Nordstrom Rack

March 25th, Rock Star

I’m calling this look my “rock star” look because it is inspired by Steven Tyler, lol! 

Seriously though- he always wears flowy scarves. When I wear a scarf, it’s usually an infinity scarf looped around my neck. Today I thought I’d take a little risk and try wearing it loose. And to be honest, I really like it!

I love the color it adds to this otherwise plain sweater. Plus, even though it is technically spring, it’s still a bit chilly, so this scarf actually provides a little warmth- while still looking ‘springlike’ with the pretty floral pattern. Speaking of being chilly… 

I had a reader write asking how to keep your feet warm, while still showing a little skin at the ankle. Here is how! Wear Smart Wool socks. These keep my feet toasty warm- and they work with my booties, as well as my slip on tennis shoes.

Originally, I was planning on wearing this scarf with a tee shirt- as pictured below, but it was just too chilly. However, if its warm where you live, consider trying a scarf with a tee shirt. It’s a fun way to dress up a plain shirt.

Jan 15th, Needing Some Color

 As I look back over my outfits these past few weeks, I noticed that I haven’t been wearing much color (which shouldn’t be a surprise since I feel most comfortable in neutrals). But today I decided I needed a little burst of color~ something about the grey skies and lack of sunshine I guess!

That being said- here is today’s look. I’ve decided to wear jeans and a bright orange top. I love this top- it’s a great color and super comfy. For my first look I simply paired it with jeans, added my orange bracelet and brown boots- easy does it.

Then I decided that I should maybe add another layer- especially for working moms- so I tucked the shirt in and added a blue blazer. Instead of the boots, I chose ballet flats (and yes, my feet will probably freeze- this look is for you lucky moms who live in warmer climates). I also chose my leopard belt as a fun little surprise.

Now let’s take a moment to discuss my ‘before’ look. I chose an old one for you today (so I apologize if you’ve seen it before) but it’s perfect to compare with today’s look.

This is another example of how to wear a bright shirt- yet this outfit isn’t working for several reasons. The tight orange shirt with the high collar and strange cuffs looks awful (especially tucked in), and the mid calf cropped jeans are really unflattering for many reasons. The high waist being one of them. Lastly, the tennis shoes- please, please don’t wear tennis shoes with jeans. It’s not cute. We’ll talk more about that another day…

Adding this blazer polishes the outfit up a bit.

I love this orange bracelet, thank you Julie!

The leopard belts adds a little flair!

Jeans: J Crew, Blouse: Nordstrom, Blazer: Land’s End, Belt: Target, Boots: Target, Ballet Flats: Frye

 

Oct 22nd, Tried and True

It’s nice to have an outfit in your closet that is your old standby, something that is tried and true and will look great no matter what.

It’s perfect for those days when you look in your closet and think “I have nothing to wear”!

Believe me, this happens to me all the time!

And when it does- I simply reach for one of my many striped shirts- add a pair of dark denim jeans and then throw on a cute blazer (rolling up the sleeves- of course). Finally, I add a statement necklace (or scarf) to finish the look.

It’s a simple, classic look that works for almost any occasion.  In my opinion, sometimes it’s ok to be safe!

I actually wore this over the weekend to an awards ceremony I was attending for my daughter. I was worried about wearing jeans- but being Seattle- there were many people in jeans (and some even in sweats! Really people?!).

Jeans: CABi, shirt: J Crew,(similar) Blazer: Land’s End, Booties: J Crew, Necklace: Stella and Dot

August 30th, Daisy Dukes (NOT!)

I bought this cute red and white checked shirt at Old Navy at the start of the summer- thinking it would be a fun 4th of July shirt. However,with temperatures in the 100’s (I was in Kansas over the 4th) there was no way I was wearing this… so it has sat in the back of my closet ever since.

Today I decided to bust it out. I layered it over a white tank and then paired it with my dark J Crew cropped pencil jeans, for shoes I opted for these cute sandals from Target. I know- these sandals offer absolutely no support- but I knew I wasn’t going to be on my feet much today- so I decided to go for it!

As for my before picture… please know that I would NEVER actually wear this outfit- I took this picture to make a point.

When wearing a shirt like this, you might be tempted to go all Daisy Duke and knot your shirt at the waist and pair it with denim cutoffs.

Please don’t!

Surely the picture on the right says it all!  This doesn’t look sexy, or hip or young… it looks like a sad, desperate attempt to look young.

If you are over 40, you really shouldn’t be wearing denim cutoff’s* (or actually any denim short in my opinion) any more. Opt for a cute denim skirt instead… or cropped jeans (just make sure they are cropped at the ankle and NOT the mid calf).

Dress classy instead of trashy… there you have it, I sound like my mother again today. I guess that’s a good thing!

By the way, it’s my sister’s b day today and I want to wish her happy day. Your card is going to be late. Sorry.

I decided to try it tucked in as well for a little more polished look (but then I have to suck in my tummy all day. UGH!)

* I suppose if you are going to the beach you could wear your denim cut off’s… but a cute swim suit coverup would be more appropriate.

April 11th, 6 Ways to Wear a Scarf

This outfit is so simple it’s almost silly that I’m showing it today- but it is also one of my favorites and one of my standbys for days when I can’t think of anything else to wear.

I call it my  ‘Parisian Chic’ look!

I am simply wearing my dark skinny jeans with a grey and white striped shirt. To add some pizzaz, I decided to complete the look with a scarf. I tried several different ways of wearing the scarf- and thought you all might enjoy seeing some of my options!

Below is my favorite:

Here I put the scarf on with the tails pointing to the back, I then brought them around front and loosely tied the ends together.

This time I did the same thing, but decided not to tie the ends together.

This time I folded the scarf in half- then put the loop end forward, I then pulled the non looped end through the loop.

I tied the ends together and then looped it around my head a couple of times- leaving the knot in the back.

I call this my 'rocker chic' look- where I just throw the scarf on and call it good. I very rarely wear it like this!

This was just me trying something for fun- wearing it as a belt. I definitely wouldn't really wear it this way- but some gals totally rock this look! It's a little too 'pirate' fashion for me! LOL!

By the way, it’s What I Wore Wednesday– so be sure to click over and check out some great sites!

Also- please (if you haven’t already) pop over to Facebook and ‘like’ me- if you want to! Thanks!

Jeans: Anthropologie, Shirt: J Crew, Scarf: J Crew, Shoes: Nordstrom

ps- I’m being profiled on Themommypage.com today- so if you want to see my face, here is your chance! LOL! Click here!  By the way, they have some great coupons- if you’re interested, see below!

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