Oct 25, Teddy Coat

I apologize in advance for oversharing, but I’m a bit bloated today- and didn’t want to squeeze into jeans, so instead I opted for this long black cotton dress. It’s the ultimate in comfort- no tight waistband, no clinging in the hips, no pinching seams… just a super easy black dress.

All alone though, it’s a little basic, so I wanted to add something to it. I decided that since the dress is so comfy, I needed to stick with that and add even more comfort- hence, the teddy coat. This is actually my daughter’s coat from American Eagle, but she let me borrow it for today. And oh my gosh, I may never give it back! It’s like wearing your favorite blanket, but better! It’s truly the coziest thing ever and may be my new favorite item!

Keeping with the comfort theme, I decided to wear my black tennis shoes. To be honest, I struggle with what shoes to wear with this dress because of the length. In the summer I wore flip flops or flat sandals, but now that it’s cold and I need a closed toe shoe, I find it to be a challenge . The black Adidas tennis shoes give the outfit a casual, street style that I like. Plus, they are super comfy- so win- win! Here’s to the weekend! 🙂

Sept 26, Leaving on a Jet Plane

Hello Friends! A quick post today on my OOTD and a message that I won’t be posting for a few days as I am heading out of town to go visit my son at college for parents weekend! Woot hoot!

I’ve chosen to wear a grey maxi dress on the plane today. As many of you know, whenever I fly I always bring a scarf. It not only keeps me warm, but also comes in handy on my trip as a quick swim suit cover up or as a shawl. One note, when choosing a scarf, I always like a big bulky one- it looks so much better than a thin or skinny one.

Gotta run… I’ll be back next week! 🙂

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 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 6, Maxi Dress

Tonight is National Night Out and my neighborhood is having a street party & BBQ to celebrate. The idea is to gather neighbors together to get to know one another, as well as form a relationship with local police. The more you know your neighbors, the safer your community is!

I’m going to wear this cute maxi dress that I bought back in June at Nordstrom Rack. There is something retro about this dress that I love. The embroidery reminds me of something my mom would have worn in the 70’s. I love the vertical stripes because they make my legs look longer, and the cute ruffle detail at the hem adds some interest. Best of all, it has pockets. I LOVE a dress with pockets!

Since there is so much going on with the dress, I’ve kept my accessories very simple with a dainty necklace, a few bracelets and flat sandals. Once the sun goes down, I will throw on my dark denim jacket to keep warm.

Is your neighborhood celebrating National Night Out? If so, have fun! 🙂

August 4, White Tank

Today I am showing how versatile something as simple as a plain white tank can be. This tank is from Uniqlo*, which is one of my favorite stores for basic items.

If you’ve got one last vacation planned this summer, packing a white tank is a must. Throw it in the suitcase with some shorts, a patterned skirt , a maxi dress or even white jeans and you’ve got 4 easy, effortless looks. Which one is your favorite?

Shorts- Athleta, Shoes- Target

Skirt- Target, Shoes- Lucky Brand

Jeans- H & M, Shoes- Naot, Purse- I bought this in Italy 20 years ago!

Dress- Gap, Flip Flops- Havianas

*I tried to find the tank from Uniqlo to link, but couldn’t find one. Here is a link to a cute one from Target instead.

June 15, Striped Dress

My son is graduating from high school on Monday, and today is their Convocation. I don’t know much about this event, and have no idea what people will be wearing, so I decided to wear a casual cotton striped dress and hope I’m not underdressed!

Colorful striped dresses are very on trend right now- but I’m not one to wear super bright colors, so instead of totally following this fad, I have opted for a more muted version that is more my style. I just found this fun dress at Nordstrom Rack, and I absolutely love it. I think this will be a perfect summer staple for any occasion. The length works for day or evening, and it’s so different than anything I own. Today it’s a bit chilly, so I am pairing it with my denim jacket (with the sleeves rolled up), but for a hot day- I could easily wear it alone with cute white slides.

And check out the cute back! Love the tie!

Here is what the tag says, which I think is awesome!

These are words to live by!

Sidenote- I was in a classroom last week and there was a poster on the wall that said ‘Grace is showing kindness when it isn’t deserved’. I thought that was such a great way to define grace. While I’d like to think kindness is always deserved, I think what this means is that even when someone is being a total jerk- you still show kindness to them. I love that our elementary school children are learning that character trait. I need to remember that in my own life!

Dress- Nordstrom Rack

White slides- Target

Brown slides- Steven (TJ Maxx)

June 11, Maxi Dress

I bought this striped maxi dress a few years ago- but I rarely wear it, because I don’t love the way it looks on my curvy body!  But, it’s going to be a hot day today, so I thought I’d see if I could make some small changes to the way it looks.

 I decided to tie a white tank over the dress. This breaks up the stripes while creating the illusion of a skirt and top. Without the tank the dress is unflattering, all those stripes across my tummy area are not doing me any favors. But by tying the tank- I have created a waist, and broken up all the stripes. Adding the long necklace also helps break up the solid tank. By also tying the bottom of the dress, I have a cohesive look that is super relaxed, easy and fun to wear! Enjoy your day!

Dress- Gap (old)

Tank- Fabletics

Shoes- TJ Max

May 28, Black Dress

I bought this simple dress three years ago when I was going on a trip to Europe. I wanted something super casual, super easy and super versatile. This dress is definitely all that! It fits loosely, is made of cotton and is incredibly comfortable.

Alone it might be a little boring, but by tying a J Crew denim shirt at the waist, I have added interest and variety, not to mention made my legs look a lot longer! The cute long necklace also adds some style. Since I’ll be on my feet all day, I’ve chosen my Superga tennis shoes. A sandal would also be really cute.

Now for my public service announcement. Yesterday I was at our local pool and a 5 year old boy was found unconscious at the bottom of the pool. It was absolutely terrifying. Fortunately, a few bystanders (one of which was a doctor) sprang into action- pulled the child out and performed CPR until the paramedics arrived. The child survived (thank God), but it was a horrific moment that I hope no one ever has to witness.

I share this today because drowning is the number one cause of death among children ages 1-4, and can happen in an instant. And the scary thing about it happening at the pool- is that the parents were right there, but they probably thought the life guards were watching, which I’m sure they were, but there were a ton of people in the pool, and it’s impossible to watch everyone. I remember when my kids were little we went camping on Puget Sound with a bunch of families and one of the moms stated- ‘when everyone’s watching, no one is watching’ which really struck a nerve with me. She’s right, it’s easy to assume somebody else is paying attention and let our guard down a little. We simply can’t do that. So, please be safe with your kiddos this summer. Sorry to preach, but I felt it was important to share this important reminder.

Dress- Nordstrom, here is a similar one

Shirt- J Crew

Shoes- Superga

April 18, Black Dress

I bought this black cotton dress at Nordstrom three years ago when my hubby and I were going to Europe to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. I thought it would be a great staple to have on vacation- since it is a perfect base piece that you can add anything to!

Today I’m keeping it super simple and easy by just throwing on a cute long chenille cardigan and my slip on tennis shoes. This is such a comfortable outfit, the cotton dress is not too snug, my feet are in heaven and the sweater is keeping me nice and warm. I love outfits like this!

Dress- Nordstrom here is a similar one! And another! (these are actually cuter than mine!)

Sweater- TJ Maxx, here is a similar one!

Shoes- TJ Maxx (Dr Scholl’s brand!)