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! 🙂

August 15, Ankle Socks

It honestly almost pains me to post this before photo because in my opinion it is SO BAD!! And please note, I wouldn’t actually wear this- but I have seen women that do, and I feel it is my duty to point out that ankle socks with tennis shoes are a major don’t!

It’s not just the ugly socks that are wrong in my before look, the denim shorts are also a problem. They don’t fit well- they are too tight, creating almost a baby romper look! They pinch at the thigh- which is not flattering at all. The after shorts allow a little room- making my legs look thinner. I also like the lighter denim for this casual outfit.

While this is adorable on a 2 year old, it’s not so cute on me! Photo creds: Ruffle Butts!

But the problems don’t even stop there. The oversize, crew neck is also bad. As mentioned, it is too big- you can see how the shoulders drop down my arms, and I had to tuck it in or else you’d wouldn’t have even been able to see the shorts. And to be frank, it’s just a plain, boring shirt. The Michael Stars shirt in the after photo is a better option. It’s still super casual, but also has some style to it with the Henley neckline. My Converse All Stars (with no socks) complete this easy outfit.

June 6, Sweatshirt

My daughter is mad at me because the sweatshirt in the before picture is hers, and truthfully, on a 16 year old paired with leggings, this oversize sweatshirt is adorable. On me, not so much!

It’s especially bad when worn with ankle socks and dorky tennis shoes! I know better than to wear this, but I wanted to show actual looks that I see people wearing.

My after outfit is still super casual, super comfy, but a little more stylish (if you can call ripped jeans and a sweatshirt stylish?!) But, the slimmer sweatshirt, with a cuter neckline and sporty black tennis shoes* are definitely an improvement.

Jeans- Target

Shoes- Adidas

Sweatshirt- old!

*and Kelly D, this post is for you!

May 20, Grey Monday

Good morning! It’s dark and grey outside, and I have a feeling it’s going to be like this all day, so I am wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and tennis shoes.

However, I do have to go to work, and the outfit on the left is a little too casual. While I love my Seahawks hoodie, this is not appropriate for my workplace. The cute camo sweatshirt is a little dressier (did I just call a sweatshirt dressy? Oh my!) and the black tennis shoes make my legs look a lot longer since there is one continuous line of black. Do the half tuck to emphasize my waist, throw on some bracelets for a little sparkle, and I’m ready for you 1st graders!

A close up of my bracelets today. The 3 on the left are new- a gift from a dear friend. Love them!

Jeans- Gap

Sweatshirt- American Eagle (this is similar, mine is last season)

Shoes- Adidas

Jan 28th, Tennis Shoes

Let me share with you a little story… if you are a long time reader you will know one of my all time LEAST favorite looks is tennis shoes with jeans, especially ‘mom jeans’.

Well, about a few months ago I was down at the school bus stop waiting for my daughter to get home from school. One of my good friends was standing there in jeans, a cute shirt and flip flops. It was 45 degrees out. I exclaimed, ‘oh my gosh, aren’t your feet frozen?’ to which she answered, ‘yes but I didn’t know what shoes to wear. You (meaning me) are always writing about how you can’t wear tennis shoes with jeans, so my only other option is flip flops.’

Sigh… I realized that she didn’t quite understand what I meant when I said no tennis shoes with jeans. She thought I mean NONE. EVER. PERIOD.

The thing is, there are some versions of tennis shoes that are actually quite cute- and will look adorable with skinny jeans, or whatever you are wearing. Puma in particular has come out with an incredible line of ‘tennis shoes’ that are actually styled to look like ballet flats (which happens to be my favorite shoe of all time).

So readers- when I say don’t wear tennis shoes with jeans I mean the old clunky tennis shoes that you wear to work out in (as seen above right). Instead, invest in some cute, streamlined ballet flat style ‘tennis shoes’ and your feet will be comfy, and toasty (although you CAN NOT wear socks with these. EVER) and stylish!

Obviously my favorite are the Puma ones, which you can see here but there are some other cute ones as well, as seen here or here.

Here are some more examples of outfit for you!

Mom jeans and tennis shoes- a HUGE ‘no no’ in my book!

By switching out the mom jeans for dark skinnys, my legs look leaner and the ballet flats (my Pumas would have looked cute here as well) complete the look.

Even if all you are wearing is a tank and a zipped up hoodie, these streamlined tennis shoes are so much cuter!

Very simple and casual ‘everyday mom’ look!

*These are all old pictures that you might recognize from older posts, sorry! I’m still flat on my back wearing my sweats.

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

 

Nov 18th, What to Wear at Disneyworld

Over the past year and a half of blogging, one question I hear over and over is ‘what should I wear at Disneyworld?’.

Well, this week my family is on vacation at Disneyworld, so I thought it was the perfect time to share with you my suggestions!

Here are my top 5 things not to do:

1. Wear new shoes

2. Wear high heels (think of Gloria from Modern Family)

3. Wear a bikini top as a shirt (I’ve seen this on hot days).

4. Wear a fanny pack (See picture below for further proof)

5. Dress your entire family in matching outfits

Now that I’ve gone over the “dont’s” let’s talk about some “do’s”!

In my opinion, the 2 most important “do’s” are: 1) comfort, 2) layering.

The weather in Florida can change quickly- so you want to be prepared for anything! Also, you will be walking ALOT so you definitely need shoes that are ultra comfy.

Let’s look at the photos above. As you can see from my picture on the right I am wearing a colorful t shirt, cropped jeans and my comfy tennis shoes. Problem is, I look like a total dork!

On the left I have on much cuter cropped jeans (ankle length is much more flattering than mid calf), a striped tank and a bright zipped hoodie. During the day when it’s warm, I can take off the hoodie and the tank is cute enough to stand on it’s own. In the evening, I’ll throw the sweatshirt back on.

As for my feet- I have replaced the clunky (and dorky) tennis shoes with my Puma’s. These are as comfy as tennis shoes, but much sleeker and stylish.

The last item I would recommend is either a cute backpack (especially if you have small children who can’t carry their own stuff) or a large cross body purse. I’ve opted for the purse option. My kids are old enough now (9 & 11) that they can carry their own drawstring bags with sweatshirt, sunglasses, water bottle, hat, snack). That leaves me to carry wallet, camera, guide book, scarf and a bottle of water.

My aim isn’t to be the most fashionable person in Disneyworld- but I at least want to look somewhat cute- espcecially since we will be looking at the photos from this trip for years to come…

This large, cross body bag will hold my phone, camera, water bottle, scarf… the essentials!

Surely this picture doesn’t even need an explanation.

By the end of the episode, Gloria was in slippers!

Oct 5th, A Day Off

 I apologize for the delayed post today! My kids have the day off from school, so I have taken the day off as well.

It’s been lovely! I slept in until 8:30, took my dog for a long walk, and just went and played tennis with my kids.

Even though it’s really not that stylish or fashionable, I decided to show my work-out outfit- since realistically many, MANY, moms spend their days dressed in this type of clothing (don’t get me wrong, on my days off I am in my yoga pants too!)

The thing with exercise clothes is that it is so easy to look really outdated and frumpy- and it’s so easy to look cute. It’s your choice!

Take the outfit on the right- these baggy black pants- with the white stripes down the sides- do nothing for me. They look like something my mom might have worn in the 70’s. The black fleece is also shapeless. While sometimes I like dressing on all one color- in this case, it’s boring. To make matters even worse, my bright white tennis shoes are also a little out of style.

On the left is my new look- I’ve switched out the dated track pants for fitted Lululemon workout pants. I swear by these- yes, they are expensive, but it is worth it. They are so thick that they hide my cottage cheese- and they are so comfortable!  For my top, I have also selected Lululemon- this gray and white striped top is cute- and the bright purple jacket adds some style. My colored tennis shoes (with the bright orange laces) finish the look off.

I bought this jacket at Nordstroms (Zella), off the sale rack! I love the pattern (it’s very subtle) and the bright color really pops!

I can remove the jacket and still look cute!

Sept 4th, Jeans and a Shirt

I’m a huge fans of jeans and a shirt- it’s an easy, comfy, ‘go to’ mom outfit for me.

The thing is, I see so many moms wearing a similar look (jeans and a tee), but instead of looking cute- it can be frumpy.

A big, boxy t shirt is not flattering and tennis shoes with jeans just isn’t a good look.

Trust me.

Truthfully, if you still own any t shirts from college- it’s time to get rid of them. Unless you are really sentimental about one (like the one I’m wearing on the right was my waitress uniform back when I met my hubby)… I’d say get rid of all of them.

On the left is my re-worked outfit. It’s the same pair of jeans- but with this interesting tank and grey cardigan- my outfit seems more stylish, and yet it’s just as comfy.

You’ll notice I’ve replaced the tennis shoes with my Naot sandals- but my Puma flats would have worked here as well.

This time I tied the tails of the tank.

Here is the tank all alone. I picked this up at a flea market in Palm Desert last spring. I loved the color and the pattern.

May 19th, Denim on Denim

In my opinion, there is something very cool about denim on denim, I just love it!

The important thing to keep in mind when wearing it is to make sure you have two totally different shades of blue.

As you can see on the right- the top and jeans are too similar and it looks awful. To make matters worse, these jeans are too long (see how they puddle around my ankles) and then the tennis shoes complete the look of awfulness (is that a word?).

On the left I have replaced the poor fitting jeans with my skinnys and replaced the tennis shoes with these cute ballet flats by Frye. I like the neutral colored shoe with this outfit. And, as opposed to the dark blue on the right, this denim shirt is a nice light blue, contrasting perfect with the dark jeans. I’ve unbuttoned it a few buttons, rolled the sleeves and added a tank- (remember my rule of 3? Shirt, tank, necklace)!

Just for fun, I added a little touch of color with this pink necklace.

Shirt on left: J Crew, Shirt on Right: Martin and Osa, Jeans: Anthropologie (James Jeans), Shoes: Nordstrom (Frye), Necklace: Target