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!

Feb 21, Patterned Camisole

One thing you may have noticed about me is that I very rarely wear any patterns, except for stripes. However, occasionally I like wearing a patterned  camisole as a way to add a little color and interest to my outfit.

In my before picture I am wearing a printed t shirt (and for you eagle eyed readers that is from Free State Brewery in Lawrence, Kansas. That shirt is from back when I was in college, it is almost 30 years old and I still have it).

As much as I love it for the memories, the T shirt does not look good in this outfit. The neckline is way to high, it is super wrinkly and way too big. In my after look, I have replaced the t shirt with this cute printed camisole. Yes, it’s 40 degrees outside, but layered under this cozy long cardigan I am warm. The pattern on the tank is fun- and the neckline is more flattering.

Instead of blue jeans, I am wearing grey ones- and as you can see, I rolled up the hems a little. For my feet I replaced the orthopedic Danskos with my cute Paul Green booties.

One thing I’m trying to be better at is wearing more jewelry. I love the look of stacked bracelets, yet rarely wear them, so today I’ve added a few.

Jeans- Marshalls

Tank- OC Style

Cardigan- Nordstrom

Boots- Paul Green, Nordstrom

Jan 24, Airplane Attire

I’m heading out of town today, so my outfit needs to be airplane appropriate- meaning comfy, warm and layers!

So what’s wrong with jeans, a white tank and a cute cardigan? Nothing really- except in my ‘before’ look the cardigan is too small, the plain white shirt is a little boring and my shoes look old and tired. All of these pieces can be incorporated into a cute outfit- but not for today!

Instead, I’ve chosen these cute ripped jeans. These jeans have so much stretch to them they are like wearing leggings- I love that. I’ve also chosen a cute blue t shirt instead of the plain white tank. Normally I wouldn’t have tried blue shirt with blue jeans, but I’ve read that wearing the same color top to bottom is slimming. So here goes! The cute thing about this t shirt is the hemline. It’s gathered in a little knot- so it’s basically doing the half tuck thing for me. So easy!

 

Now for the layers- I absolutely love this giant cozy sweater from Free People. My 15 year old daughter loves it as well- and steals it from me all the time. It’s so warm and cozy, and a great layering piece. Plus it has huge pockets to slip my phone or ID in while going through security.  Since it’s grey- it goes with everything! To top off the look, I threw on this cute blue/ grey/ pink infinity scarf. Infinity scarves are perfect for those of us who can’t quite tie a scarf perfectly (there seems to be an art to that effortless look of a loosely tied scarf). Plus, it’s a is a great way to keep warm.

As for my shoes- I’ll be doing a lot of walking through the airport, so a cute comfy slip on is a must have. These ones are amazing. They are Dr. Scholl’s brand, and so comfy. I found them at Marshalls.

 

Top- Nordstroms Rack

Sweater- Free People, Nordstroms

Jeans- 7 for all Mankind, Nordstroms

Shoes- Dr. Scholls, Marshalls

Scarf- OC Style

 

 

 

Oct 25th, Purple People Eater

Does anyone else remember that song? Probably not… 

Anyhow- I’ve decided to wear my purple skinny jeans again today. I have a casual client meeting, so I thought these would be appropriate. I wanted to pair them with something simple- so I chose this cool black cardigan.

It’s made of sweatshirt material, so it’s super soft, super warm and super comfy! I like how it’s different than your typical cardigan too!

To add a little personality to the outfit I decided to wear my animal print tank underneath the cardigan. This way, you get a tiny little glimpse of the pattern, but it’s not overwhelming or too busy.

Lastly- I opted for my black boots- these are such a wardrobe staple! As you have probably noticed- I wear them almost every day. Definitely worth the investment!

Hope you have a great day- and thanks for all your comments yesterday. Wearing the dress without the belt seemed to be the consensus! Thanks!

Jeans: Target, Boots: Nordstrom (Frye), Tank: Express, Cardigan: Nordstrom (Bobeau)

August 26th, What Not to Wear

I’m sorry but I have to do this. I went to a PTA training last night and I honestly saw a few things that made me do a double take. First, I saw 2 women in Hawaiian shirts. Seriously?! Unless you are at a laua do not wear a Hawaiian shirt in public. The other shocker was a gal in a cute floral short skirt, a cute t shirt and then tennis shoes and socks! Gasp! The horror!

To show you how bad this looks- here are 2 outfits with the exact same pants and top. In the first I am wearing my tennis shoes and my pants are wrinkly. The striped tank is pulled down too low and hits across my widest part (hips) making me look even more wide.

To change this I ironed my pants, tucked my shirt in, changed my shoes and added a belt. Simple changes- big results. I know, I hate ironing as much as anyone, but it does make a difference. As for the shoes; yes, I want to be comfortable- so I chose a wedge heel. Try one- I swear, they are actually comfortable (this is coming from the gal who wears Birkenstocks). The cute necklace breaks up the stripes a bit and the piece de la resistance is my new leopard belt. It adds an unexpected pattern- and hence, a bit of style.

What do you think?

Unless you are running- do not wear tennis shoes in public!

A few simple changes turns this into a cute outfit.

Calling ANTM!! Just kidding...

Pants: Nordstroms, Tank: Target, Wedges: Ann Taylor Loft, Belt: Target, Necklace: Khol’s

August 24th, Skirting Around Town

Pairing a casual skirt with a cute top and flats- perfect for running errands!

I love this outfit for many reasons! One, it’s extremely comfortable- which is always great. Two, I think it’s somewhat flattering. The length of the skirt is appropriate and I like the gathering (ruching) of this top around my tummy, after having 2 kids this is my problem area. This top does a nice job of hiding that. I also love my red flats and necklace that pull the whole look together.

Skirt and Top: Nordstrom, Shoes: Target, Necklace: Cookie Lee, Purse: JC Penny

August 22nd, Jeans and a Cardigan

I decided to go with cropped jeans, a tank and a cardigan today. I just bought this cardigan at Nordstroms and I love it! I love the shade of purple- a color I rarely wear- and I love the texture. It’s sort of drapey and ribbed and oh so comfortable! I also happened to have a necklace with just the same shade of purple, how awesome is that? To top off the look, I went with my snakeskin Tory Burch flats.

Notice in my ‘before’ picture how different it looks when I am just wearing a standard cardigan as opposed to the new one; before it’s just kind of boring… I wonder if darker jeans would have made this even cuter? What do you think?

After: with a more unique cardigan, it adds a little style to the look

before: boring cardigan

Jeans: Express, Tank: Express, Cardigan: Nordstroms, Necklace: H&M, Shoes: Tory Burch

I apologize for the quality of these photos… I’m working on how to improve them. Thanks for your patience!

August 18th, More Mad Men then Jen

Retro Inspired Day Dress

This dress is just too cute to pass up, but I will admit, it is not at all what Jen would wear. Oh well… sometimes rules were meant to be broken, right?

I love the way this dress makes me feel like a 60’s housewife. I’ll be ready at the door with a cocktail when my hubby gets home tonight!

Dress: Marshalls, Cardigan: Target, Shoes: Nordstroms