Oct 29, Mom Jeans

I’ve been wanting a pair of straight leg mom jeans for a while now- and I actually bought a pair at Target about a month ago, but never really felt comfortable wearing them. Something was just off. Then I decided to splurge and get the Madewell ones that I kept seeing on Instagram. So today I am showing you the difference between the two.

As you can see, the Madewell ones are a tad longer on me- which actually makes big difference. The legs are also straighter- there is some weird bunching going on in the Target ones. The Madewell ones also are VERY high waisted- I mean above my belly button high, which may take some getting used to! One thing to keep in mind is that the sizing is way off! I am normally a 28 in most brands, in these I am in a 26, which makes me think what size are the skinny girls wearing?!

I’ve paired my mom jeans with a cute J Crew button down blouse that I tied at the waist and then for warmth added a green jacket. The pointy booties are more current than the worn out loafers.

Oct 24, Chunky Sweater

Today’s outfit is a pretty purple sweater I bought last winter. I’ve noticed that sweaters this season have a lot of detail to them, and this sweater is no exception. See below for a closer look!

In my before outfit I’m wearing black jeans (which are perfectly fine), but to add a little spice I decided to wear my distressed ones instead. I also have on my giant cozy fleece in my before look. Now, to be perfectly honest- I LOVE this fleece. I wear it around the house all the time. It’s so warm… but for out in public, I can do better.

This sweater is a lot cuter. It has a great knit pattern, the color is really pretty, and I like that it is sort of cropped, which makes my legs look longer! See below for a better look.

Gotta run! I’m taking the ferry to Bainbridge Island today for a tennis match, so full disclosure, I’m not actually wearing this outfit today. I wore it last weekend! 🙂

Oct 23, Jogger Inspiration

No time for a before and after post this morning, I am running late and need to get out the door- but I wanted to quickly show my outfit that was inspired by @CBStyled over on Instagram. She did a cute post yesterday showing how to wear joggers 13 different ways- and they were all adorable! As you know, I love my joggers- they are seriously the most comfortable pant on earth, so I was excited to see her post and find some cute ideas. Below is my quick take on building an outfit around my grey joggers from Target. I added a cropped knit sweater (Vince) and then threw on a scarf to tie the colors together. For my feet I am wearing wedge heel booties from J Crew that I have had for years. Gotta run, sorry for the quickie!

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 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 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!