What I wore: Winter Gray

Happy new year folks!

Already my resolutions/intentions are off to a terrible start. No blogging last week but total writers/block.

That being said! I’m back! Happy 2017! Again!

jcrew tippi sweater

[pants | shoes | sweater | button down (similar) | necklace ]

tippi sweater

I’m absolutely in love with the Tippi sweater. It’s super versatile, I want it in all of the colors. (i have two currently. I also love the Charley sweater from JCrew Factory which has since been discontinued but can be found on Poshmark.)

{Near duplicate outfit here! See, multiple colors.}

FTC disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links and may provide compensation from clicks or purchases. All opinions are mine and mine alone. Thanks in advance for supporting my little blog habit! 

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What I Wore: Holiday Party Girly

I am the WORST wanna-be style bloggers ever. I had the CUTEST outfit for my holiday party a couple of weeks ago and alas, I did NOT get a picture of it. Not one. So Much FAIL.

 

[Skirt | Top | Necklace | Shoes (old, similar) ]

These shoes y’all. I have had these shoes for FOREVER, they’re Steve Maddens and I love them. They desperately need new inserts but I wear them two, maybe three times per year because they’re my holiday shoes. I usually trip and near break my ankle at least once each time I wear them (true story), and this year was NO different. But every time I wear them I feel fun, flirty and festive – which is how any girl should feel around the holidays.

My outfit was inspired by this pin – I DESPERATELY wanted to try a tulle skirt. For no other reason than I wanted to try something different and I really don’t get that many opportunities to dress up throughout the year so, I wanted to get a little girlier than I normally do.

Another “fun” fact: if you’re going to shop at Charlotte Russe (which is where, after scavenging many retail establishments in the greater Annapolis area, I finally found a tulle skirt), be prepared to size up at least 1 to 2 sizes from where you normally are. Don’t take it personally. Their size 8 is more like a size 4. Vanity sizing is disgusting my friends.

All of this and of course I forgot to snap a picture. I’ll get better at this whole blogging thing again I promise – its a new years resolution.

What’s your favorite festive party wear?

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OOTD: Gingham and Camel

When you’re stuck in a blogging rut my friends, find an OOTD post that you’ve been meaning to post for 3 weeks but haven’t taken the time to write up. Voila! Insta-blog! AMIRITE?

Anyhooo, One of my favorite fall looks is gingham and/or plaid. Put it together with navy and camel – two neutral staples in my closet and you’ve got a winning combo! Usually, Friday’s are casual days, but earlier this month a business meeting up near Philly had me dressed up during a normally, dress down day.

{shirt – J.Crew Factory | Pants – J.Crew Factory | Shoes – J.Crew (consigned), Similar | Cardigan – JCrew Factory, Old; Similar | Necklace – Loft Factory, old; Similar}

And y’all…those shoes. What I call my power shoes because leopard heels? Rawr. Those are JCrew heels that I found on consignment for $20. There is nothing I love more than a fantastic deal – which is why I’ve been loving Poshmark and Amazon lately for shopping. And those pants? Six months ago were too tight. Now? They’re too loose. #winning.

What’s your favorite look that leaves you feeling confident? 

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In My #Inbound16 Suitcase

I tend to be an over packer. Like serious over-packer. I was gone for five days and I think I packed nine tops, four bottoms and four pairs of shoes. So, taking a lesson from some of the inspiration I used to pack  for this particular trip (this post, this one and this post mainly), I’m sharing my best packing tips and what I loved in my #inbound16 suitcase.

 

inbound suitcase

Tops:
Blazer (Gap – old, similar) | sweater | tunic | button down | ruffle hem sweatshirt (LOFT, similar) | striped tee | Striped Peplum top (similar..ish) | pintuck popover |

Pants: 
Black Ponte Pants | Jeans |

Shoes:
booties (Old Navy, similar) | Flats | leopard flats (Madewell via Poshmark – similar)

Not pictured: this fantastic sweater which I wore home on Saturday with these leggings (which are back this year and on sale for 40% off!!) and these riding boots.

Lessons for dressing for a conference – from conference room to the cocktail hour 

Plan, plan, plan. Seriously. I had an idea what I wanted to wear but really, I suppose I didn’t need to bring ALL of my favorite fall wear. I did some pinning, but if I stuck to my outfits and did a little more suitcase capsule planning, I might have been better off and been less likely to over pack.

Dress comfortably. This goes without saying, but heels are out. I didn’t end up wearing my booties so I could have left those. I did pack my riding boots – but I wore them on my way home from CT not at the conference as I suspected. We didn’t go back to our hotel rooms between conference/keynotes/dinners/going out – a luxury I had during my first Inbound experience so dressing business casual was a good thing.

Check the weather. I forgot my jacket, y’all. I lived in Boston for five years, just because it’s in the 60’s and I don’t need a jacket in Maryland, doesn’t mean I should leave my jacket behind. I totally did this as I rushed out the door on Tuesday morning. WHOOPS. You see, my suitcase didn’t have room for my blazer, so I just wore that. Except, it was like 10 – 15 degrees colder in Boston than in Maryland. Dress for the weather where you’re going homies. Don’t forget a jacket when going to New England in November. Rookie mistake.

I loved inbound – that’s a separate post for another day but between the fantastic people watching and the incredible speakers and breakout sessions, if you’re in marketing, this is one conference you don’t want to miss.

What are your favorite packing hacks?

 

 

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OOTD: Stripes and Peplum Love

If there’s one thing you can probably gather from my outfits, it’s that I have a strong love of neutrals (ah-hem black, white, navy) and stripes.

So when I picked up this black and white ruffle hem top it was love at first wear.

ruffle hem top

[Peplum Top (similar)| Pants (similar) | Shoes | necklace (similar)]

ruffle hem OOTD

It’s just one of those classic looks – stripes, peplum. And let’s all be on the same page here, there is NOTHING that doesn’t go with black pants. Nothing. Black ponte pants? My go to. I think I need another pair of these because I wear them so frequently. I don’t know if this falls under a signature style but if I had one? Stripes and black pants might just be it.

What is your signature style? Do you have go to pieces in YOUR closet?

 

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What I Wore: Black and White

I’m a big lover of neutrals. Like, seriously give me a wardrobe of black and white and navy with a splash of blush, olive and burgundy and – oh wait. That is my wardrobe. Throw in some stripes and plaid and polka dots and you’ve pretty much got my closet.

That’s why I love, love, loved the simplicity of this outfit. And I love getting dressed up for work

black and white striped

Striped shirt (Similar) | Skirt | Flats | Necklace (similar)

This skirt is one of my favorites. Hands down. I have it in three versions (tan linen, camel wool and black) and love all three equally. I also may have just ordered it in turquoise. #sorrynotsorry.

Also, this striped shirt (though I couldn’t find the exact) comes in a few  different colors and totally feels more expensive than the $12 I paid for it. That is #winning.

Many thanks to two of my favorite bloggers Anne and Katie for inspiring this outfit – they both rock the stripes and the skirts on the regular and I finally was like “oh wait. I should put these two together!” I did and it’s a new favorite in my work outfit rotations.

Happy fall. Happy neutrals.

What’s your favorite fall skirt? 

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September Stitch Fix Review

stitch fix

Ahhhh another month, another stitch fix! I WAS excited to receive this fix, but then I opened it up and…well. Ho-hum.  The pieces themselves were not at all my style, not really seasonally appropriate and just…I was so bummed about all of them. All the posts I’ve read about getting a good fix say “leave specific feedback!” So, I did. And it like…wasn’t read. Or fell on deaf ears. I’ll try ONE more time in November…hopefully I get redemption because I do love the service… it’s a fun package to get every so often. But I’m not going to drop $20 for nothing….

Piece #1: Hailey 23 | Nita Knit Dress

stitch fix dress

A nice, thick, marled type dress. It was nice, but not really office appropriate. And the short sleeves confused me. It was nice quality but I didn’t love it for the price tag. Verdict: return.

Piece #2: 41Hawthorne | Lizzy Colorblock Striped Sweater 

stitch fix sweater

I don’t really…do color block? Like, it was certainly a unique piece, but I just couldn’t imagine myself wearing it. At all. It’s not me and it certainly wasn’t something I would wear to work. Verdict: return

Piece #3: Papermoon | Spierings Mixed Media Top

stitch fix papermoon top

Somewhere, in my style guide, I remember saying no neons. Like seriously. The floral print, while certainly pretty, was off-set by the bright poppy back/collar. The fit was good and the shape was nice – but the colors? Not so much. Verdict: return

Piece: #4: Rune | Porter legging

So these are the leggings I was wearing in the above picture. I did love these, they were comfortable and they fit well. But my office has a no leggings allowed policy soooo no dice because I have my Ann Taylor Ponte pants, my Loft Ponte leggings, and the red ponte pants from last winter (via Stitch Fix). So as much as I would have loved to have kept them, I didn’t need them. And i’m pretty sure leggings =/= business casual (as i mentioned in my Style notes). Verdict: return.

Piece #5: Pixley | Stacey Scallop Hem Cut-out detail skirt

stitch fix skirt

If it was skirt weather, I would have kept this skirt. But we’re moving out of skirt weather and this is more of a spring/summer skirt than a fall/winter piece. Nevermind the fact that it didn’t quite fit…serious womp womp here because the cut-out detail was pretty and I love nothing more than anything navy in my wardrobe. *sigh* Verdict: Return 

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being like “ima cancel my Stitch Fix right meow…” I’d label myself at a 3-4 on the satisfaction scale. That being said, shortly after I sent my “so sad” email to customer service I got an email about custom fixes. So if you want a 9-5 fix, or an all trends fix, you can request those. I requested the 9-5 fix because well, 40+ hours of my week are in a setting where it’s business casual. I can wear leggings and a tunic or a chambray shirt on the weekend – but if I can dress that shirt up with nice pants, then I’m sold. But man, stop with the effing prints Stitch Fix. I prefer solids. Or plaid or stripes or polka dots. But really, solids will win me over every time. As long as it fits. That’s always the problem.

Have you tried Stitch Fix? I still highly recommend giving it a try – i know a lot of people have had amazing success with it, and it’s always a fun package to look forward to! Use my referral link to sign up!

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Navy Gingham

I am obsessed with all things navy. Navy was my wedding color (navy and kelly green), it WILL be a predominant feature in my decor at home as soon as I get around to decorating…you know, with all that free time I have.  It’s also a predominant color in my wardrobe.

So when I saw this adorable navy gingham dress from Loft, I knew I had to try it – easy to justify since my wardrobe has NOTHING like this. The drop waist with the ruffle hem pretty much sold it for me.

 

It’s a little preppy librarian, but the dress is super breezy, looks really cute with a cardigan, and could definitely be belted to accentuate any curves (i did that the first time I wore it but ahaha forgot to take pictures and forgot to put it on this time around. WHOOPS.)

navy gingham dropwaist dress

[dress: Loft | Shoes: Target (on clearance!) | Sweater: Gap (similar, similar, similar]

I can’t decide if I’m ready for fall weather yet – I don’t think I am, because I’m still loving dresses and skirts and tank tops but then again…fall means cozy cardigans, comfy leggings and beautiful boots. I’m pretty sure next

I’m pretty sure next months big purchase has to be a new pair of nice cognac boots. Mine kind of look like crap after surviving Snowmaggedon 2016 so I’m in desperate need of a new pair (never mind that they’re nearly 3 years old in February… suggestions of favorite wide calf boots welcome!)

Are you ready to bust out the fall wardrobe yet? What are your favorite fall pieces??

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Meet Carly: AKA My First Lularoe Dress

I’ve been tracking the Lularoe phenomenon for a while – and have gotten into scouring for cute clothes. They’re a little more than I would usually spend on a t-shirt or a dress so I’ve not bought that many pieces.

Then I saw Molly’s post about five ways to wear the Carly dress and I knew that this was the dress I was going to try. I got really lucky winning a 25% off raffle in a facebook party that a friend of mine had which worked out because there was a heathered blue Carly dress that was in my size and I was sold. 

lularoe carly dress

Friends, I’m in love. People don’t lie when they talk about the Lularoe fabric being so super soft. I’d probably go ONE more size down (size down twice) since it was still a little bigger than I’d like but returns and exchanges are tough and i didn’t feel like dealing with them.

As for how I intend on feeding this newfound Lula obsession of mine? A former colleague of mine just opened up her shop (check out her page here) and she always has the CUTEST outfits posted. I’m going to be co-hosting an online pop-up shop in mid-September with another favorite consultant that a friend of mine introduced me to and can NOT wait. I’m dying to try the Madison skirt, the Randy tee and of course, the never-ending mission of finding leggings with a most-perfect pattern (i like subdued. Black ideally because I can wear them with anything). I’m also going to be co-hosting an online pop-up shop in mid-September with another favorite consultant that a friend of mine introduced me to and can NOT wait (hi, free clothes!). I’m dying to try the Madison skirt, the Randy tee and of course, the never-ending mission of finding leggings with a

I’m dying to try the Madison skirt, the Randy tee, the Amelia and MAYBE a maxi skirt – maxi dresses and skirts are so hit or miss on me because I’m short. 

Conclusion: I give this dress a whole-hearted two thumbs up. If you’re on the fence, definitely try it (and if it doesn’t work out and you’re a size S or XS? Let me know, I’ll take that dress off your hands 😉 )

Have you tried Lularoe? Any favorite consultants I should check out? What’s your favorite piece? 

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What I Wore: Navy & White

Back in March, I left the agency life. I got lucky with an in-house gig for a company that was similar to one of my former clients. As time went on, the commute was a lot (usually 45 – 60 minutes one way), and I wasn’t feeling satisfied. Like something wasn’t fitting quite right and my unhappiness was seeping into home – which is never a good development especially with a stubborn, sometimes trying 3 year old in the mix and a husband who didn’t deserve any of my grumpy mood swings. 

Somehow, an amazing opportunity showed up that was more in my wheelhouse. I started about a week and a half ago, and I’ve gotta say, I’m super jazzed to pull out my business casual attire and feel like I’m going to a big girl job again. The bonus for the blog here? I get to post more like this. Maybe one day I’ll get hubs to take pictures OR get a photographer pal of mine to do some styled shoots….maybe. 

navy and white outfit
Top: Exact | Pants: Exact | Shoes: Similar, Similar | Necklace: Similar

The shoes, I have to talk about the shoes. I found these babies at one of my favorite Annapolis consignment shops, Uptown Cheapskate and nearly peed my pants when I tried them on. The shop itself skews younger and trendier than I usually am but I’ve found a few gems there like a Lush roll tab tunic, a pair of Stuart Weitzman flats, and of course, these JCrew Leopard Print beauts.

uptown cheapskate annapolis jcrew finds

Another consignment gem in the Annapolis area is Savvy Consignment in Severna Park where I found a super cute JCrew Silk tank and a like new clare cardigan both for about $25. This shop has racks of JCrew, Vineyard Vines, Lilly Pulitzer, and other high-end brands – definitely worth a browse if you’re looking for quality pieces on the cheap. 

What is your favorite consignment store find? Any other amazing consignment shops in the area I should check out? 

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