WEAR | Long and Cropped, & Why I'm Doing Style Posts

Booties | Anthropologie (last year)    Sweater | Anthropologie     

Maxi Dress | Anthropologie ( similar here & here )

I started up these style posts again knowing full well I had no time to scout out pretty building fronts and locations as my style backdrops. Style posts went silent for months, until yesterday, because I just couldn't wing them. It was too much time and planning. What held me back was the production of it all. You know, making a trip to River North to stand in front of a bright warehouse door in an outfit that I do wear, yes, but that I planned out to a T for the shoot; making Matt go with me, and finding somewhere to be photographed that wasn't surrounded by people. I so admire fashion bloggers, who walk the streets of places like Nashville and New York turning heads while being trailed by their photographer. But for me, that's just not my thing - you know? 

Maybe I'm more of an introvert style blogger. I love pretty things and I love making myself feel like a piece of art, and expressing myself through clothing. I have no problem doing that in real time, in person, face to face. However, blogging it is different. And it never felt completely natural for me to go and do full on photo shoots for blog posts. I still am a bit modest and don't like to be showy (which can be a real fine line with blogging at times), so at first style posts felt truly uncomfortable. I mean, I sell clothes daily at my job, and put together head to toe looks for myself and others hundreds of times - but to blog about it became too much for me. I think the novelty wore off a bit, and it started to feel unnatural to make Matt fill in as photographer while I posed in front of buildings. Not to be confused with a lack of confidence. I always felt great in what I was wearing and my inner and outer beauty, but I just didn't want to spend my time trudging Matt to take my photo. It's somewhat hard to explain, but I bet some of you can follow my sentiments. Truly, for our marriage, our time together is spent more organically on bike rides, working on our house, adventuring, and being with friends - not on style posts. SO, I stopped asking him to take my photo for style posts, set them on the back burner entirely, yet continued getting dressed every day with WEAR posts completely out of sight and mind.

Now here I sit. Adding words to a style post after saying that I don't do style posts. Well, this week things shifted. My dear friend Anne, who has such great style, started talking about maybe chronicling her personal looks on her blog - my response was a resounding YES! I really want her to do it. But Anne is a busy lady. I mean, she blogs full time, is a student and wife full time, and is somehow always in Boulder doing a million things. I don't know how she does it. And I want her to blog her style. So to support Anne and show her that style posts can be done in the moment and with ease, I decided it was time for me to do them again - but this time differently. When I decided to pick up sharing my own style on here again, I chose to do it the most realistic way I could - in the moment, in what I literally step out the door and go to work in, and what I might have truly just figured out five minutes prior while juggling feeding the dog, making coffee, and making sure my teeth are brushed. I decided my wear posts are going to be completely, one hundred percent, real. Like, if you bump into me later that day, I will be wearing that outfit. And I might have taken all the photos myself. (With my phone. In my house. With Shelby photo bombing.) Because for me, this is the most natural and genuine way I can share who I am in what I am wearing. It just feels the most honest and true.

So I hope you stick with my not so perfect style posts.  I hope you feel inspired. I really find so much joy in putting together a head to toe look for both myself and other women, to help them feel confident and radiate the beauty inside, and I hope that you can see that here in this little blog space of mine.

Happy weekend, beauties.

p.s. Go tell Anne she should blog her stylish self.

WEAR | Candied Ginger, Braids, & the Slouchy Sweater

Theca Cardigan | Anthropologie    Polkadot Blouse | Anthropologie (old)    

Wooden Bib Necklace | DIY    Pilcro Hyphen Chinos (in candied ginger) | Anthropologie (on sale!)    

Braided Locks | Darling Magazine DIY

The reality of my look is that my alarm clock went off at 4:30 a.m., yet I continued to sleep through it until waking up when I usually am out the door. So in day old braids and an outfit that I thankfully laid out the night before (because who can honestly pick clothing out of a pitch black closet without waking up their husband who sleeps one foot away from the closet door?), I hurried to work, and now nine hours later I sit in my backyard, hold the camera out for some down to earth in the moment style. You can use your imagination a little with this head to toe look, because without a tripod, photographer, or a crafty set up, taking a photograph with my entire body in the frame all by myself? Yeah, I wasn't that clever.  Selfie's are hard. And I'm sure my neighbors were watching through our connected backyards scratching their heads. But I can tell you this sweater made by Moth is pretty much the best investment I've made in my summer to fall wardrobe. Hear that, neighbors? I love this sweater. Its perfect with pants, pencil skirts, AND dresses. Actually, Moth has some of my favorites right now. Like this cropped knit pullover with buttons down the back (which I literally did wear four days in a row right after I bought it…) So versatile. Cost per wear, cost per wear! ;)

(The items in my look are below, minus the top and the shoes which aren't available any longer - I added two tops and flats that would still make the same vibe.):

Fall Swimsuit Sales!

Can I tell you a secret? I own too many swim suits. Growing up in California, swim wear is the summer uniform. But now, since pools and beaches are hard to come by in Colorado, I can't justify spending a lot on a leisure suit that I'm only going to wear a few times a year (and for waterfront vacations and hot tubbing). Also, floating down a river or going to the springs can eat away at swimwear, so so affordable is important. I've started only allowing myself sale swimsuit purchases over the last few years. And literally fall has been discovered as THE BEST season for swim sales (the selection is still there but with really great prices!) I'm a fall swimsuit shopper who ends up getting bottoms and tops for dirt cheap. Like this mix and match top from Anthropologie I snatched up for $10 which I will be living in when I visit California in a few months. And bottoms from Target found while picking up olive oil and coffee.

The key is being open to mixing and matching. You might pair bottoms from Old Navy with a top from J.Crew. Just stick with a color palette and patterns that work well together! My go to is teal, poppy, black, navy, and tan and I love adding in a few fun prints. Fall swimsuit shopping really is the best bang for your buck, the sales are pretty wild and it really is so great come next summer when your swimsuit collection is ready to go.  I've rounded up a few of my favorites from J.Crew, Anthropologie, and Target just for you above, in case you want to think ahead and get some good ones for next year. (Another tip is to just rummage through Target's clearance racks or ask the gals and Anthropologie if they have any swimsuits in the back…that is how I've had my best luck, as well as online shopping because you can always return it in store if t's not quite right!)

*With the expectation of full disclosure and honest & true blogging, the links in this post are affiliate links; meaning, should you purchase one of these items I get a kick back of the cost. This is not a sponsored post, however purely items that I love and believe that my readers would too, reflecting my true style and the aesthetic of this blog. Thank you for supporting the brands I choose to share about and that keep this blog going. 

WEAR | Floral Peplum

floral peplum // anthropologie     striped skirt // LOFT (similar here & here )  

  sandals // anthropologie (similar here)     bag // gift from my mom

Oh warm nights! YES. They are finally here. And to think that last weekend we saw over a foot of snow. Oh, Colorado, you are teaching this California girl what Spring is all about. This weekend was an amazing 80 degrees and to celebrate, I wore tank tops, linen shorts, cotton skirts, and even a big floppy hat while out in the yard pulling the never ending weeds. Sunday night we cleaned up and went out on a double date for some serious Mexican food and margaritas with our cousins. We managed to squeeze in these style shots literally as I walked out the front door. Oh yeah, this is the front door of our house! Which I am going to be painting this summer! Speaking of, this peplum top is a metaphor for how my heart longs for the vibrant hot days of summer. The back detail might be my favorite part, but of course we forgot to photograph that (don't you worry though, the peep hole back detail is shown off pretty great right here.) I hope your weekend was refreshing. Happy Monday!

The Most Comfortable Shirt Ever

I've found it. I've found the most comfortable shirt to ever grace my sensitive skin. Some might put me in the category of tag-cutter-outer and sock-seam-loather. As a child, I refused to wear jeans until junior high and I cut those seams at the toe out of my socks (oh the holes). Although now, I've learned that there are such a thing as comfortable jeans, and my feet have adjusted to socks, I'm still just as sensitive to clothing. I've always been picky when it comes to how clothes feel on my body, so when I bought this swing tunic at the Anthropologie in the Chelsea neighborhood last week, flattering and pajama-comfort collided--and I did no want to wear anything else. At all. So I didn't. Besides, we got stuck in the city for a day longer do to the snow storm, my packed clothing was already way deep in my suitcase, and I didn't want to unpack (and that totally justifies it ;)). Convenience and comfort won, obviously.

We've only been home since Thursday morning, and I've already found myself in the tunic at work and while running errands. And you know I'm being extremely vulnerable in writing this, confessing to have worn it so much, as you might think I'm a crazy lady (yeah, you counted right, five times). But hey, I just can't get enough. Shouldn't life be like that? Worn in and loved like you can't get enough? If anything, this shirt has been somewhat of a metaphor for life.

The shirt is by Puella, who makes really simple and flattering dresses, too, by the way. You can shop their other super cute and comfortable clothing here (I have my eye on that maxi dress):

WEAR | Black, Metallic, and an Unexpected New Start

January never feels like the first month of the year. Snow, short days, frozen ponds at the park, leafless trees, the Christmas Season passing by--these all feel like the end. The finale. Spring is what feels new, the start of something full of warmth, and life. Color coming up out of the cold, out of the dormant, and the dark. So when the New Year arrived today I expected to feel the same. To be left with the feeling of normalcy, just trekking forward from December. Just another day. I expected that this wouldn't feel like a new start, because it never really does, and it never really has. But you know what? It feels a bit like new things are here. 2014 feels bright and warm, even with the snowy, grey sky that lingered this January 1st. It feels like this inner warmth building up, with color coming out of new adventures in my life. I'm pretty sure the warmth has been building for months, and I'm just now taking the time to notice. There are so many things on the horizon, that are new, and at the start. My new creative outlet at Anthropologie, new friendships building, contributing to exciting projects, learning calligraphy, traveling to New York for the first time. And these are all just the new things for January. I'm kind of blown away.

To start off the New Year, and the unexpected blessing of these bright and hopeful things on the horizon, we played games with friends and treated ourselves to a delicious Italian dinner donned even with a sweet dessert wine. And I wore an entirely new outfit. Not thrifted, and mainly from Anthropologie as my gift from Matt's side of the family this year. A serious treat to wear a brand new outfit to ring in the New Year, and the unexpected feeling of excitement I would find myself wrapped up in today as I see all the things planned for the beginning of January and February. Hurray, and hello, 2014!

Ankle Boots : A Sale Round Up

Ankle booties are pretty much my jive these days. A lot of you were wow-ed by the $40 booties I got for a steal last week, and although no longer available online (although check Anthropologie in store, the one I work at has tons of sizes left!) there are a ton of other super cute booties in the same camel leather tone and suede still available at Anthropologie right now. The best thing is that all of these are on sale, and all of sale is an additional 25% off right now! So if you've been waiting for some ankle booties, and saving up, now is the time to snatch up a pair, while this sale is still happening. Let's be honest, its all about the bargain ;)

Moto Booties // 49.95 + 25% off

Lasercut Booties // 99.95 + 25% off

Tilden Booties with zipper // 99.95 + 25% off

James Embroidered Booties // 99.95 + 25% off

There are also a pair of ankle boots that are so similar to the ones I bought in Buenos Aires last year. The texture is almost exactly the same. If I didn't already have more than enough ankle boots to last me awhile, I'd totally get these in the black. 

WEAR | Neutrally Cheery

blouse // Anthropologie sale   necklace // handmade (DIY here) 

black jeans // citizens of humanity (denim here, similar & on sale here)    booties // clona

The sun warmed up Denver today, so I braved the still snow kissed ground without a jacket. I needed a break from being swallowed whole by my sleeping bag (what I've now named my down coat). Totally worth it for just a few goose bumps from my trek to and from the car. The word merriment was spoken a record amount of times today, as we popped open poppers at work and I told customers about the holiday survival guide that anthropologie has over at their blog right now. For working retail on a Saturday, everything and everyone were just so cheery. Also, I forever have the smell Aloha Orchid memorized from my first day. Have you smelled the Capri Blue candles? They're Aaaaaah-mazing. If you need a gift for the person that is hard to shop for, I'd go with one of these. 

Gold Gifting // Round Up

I definitely grew a gold crush a long time ago. I think it began for me in the aisles of antique shops. More of a muted, brushed, or rusty gold, but gold none-the-less. It's just so timeless. And this time of year, the metallic hue just seems so fitting -- for home decor, personal style, and festive gifts. So I bring to you just a few of my favorites from around the web, after checking out a few sales going on today. I definitely have that lamp on my wish list. I'm needing better lighting for late night writing at our new desk, and I'm a fan of the industrial look. (It's really quite pretty in nickel and hunter green too).

The Diamond Whisp Bracelet // 31 Bits. The beads are made from recycled paper, can you believe it? This company is so great. Women in Uganda are given business opportunity through 31 bits. You can learn more about it here.

Vintage Oversize Watch // Le Mer Collections. Don't you just love this feminine combo of aqua and gold?

Laqueur Tray // West Elm. My cousins gifted this tray to me on my birthday. It is so much larger than I would have thought, and the gold is slightly muted compared to the photograph. It is where letters and papers collect on my desk.

Essie Good as Gold // Target. An affordable but fun little gift idea: nail polish ;)

Monogram Mug // Anthropologie. Who doesn't like a gold monogrammed mug?

Knitted Ear Band // Anthropologie. I really like the thickness of this head band. I own it myself, and the hints of gold are really subtle and pretty. Its perfect if needing a bit of sparkle when still trying to keep warm.

Metallic Print Glassware Set // West Elm.

Copper Cook's Tools // West Elm.

Olive You // Lindsay Letters Print. What a cute print this is, and would be perfect over a bar cart or hanging in the kitchen.

Industrial Task Table Lamp // West Elm. My dream lamp right now. And we know how nickel ages--beautifully.

Gold Knit Print iPad Case // West Elm.

WEAR | Peruvian Scarf

Dress // Thrifted   Earrings // Anthropologie Sale  

 Scarf // Hand-made in Peru   Knee Socks // H&M   Boots // Steve Madden

My Peruvian scarf is the comfort blanket of scarves. Made of alpaca, and purchased on our travels in the Sacred Valley last year, it has become my go-to scarf. Even being as bright red as it is, I find it works with nearly everything. Every girl needs a scarf in their wardrobe that when they close their eyes, it feels like that are wrapped up in a warm blanket in the sanctuary of their bed. That and knee high socks. Boots and knee highs are like PB & J. You can't have one without the other.

Autumn Wishing List

Even frugal girls have wish lists. So here is mine. If I were to pick a few things that would fit into the season and my current style, both for wearing and decorating, these are what you'd find me wishing for.

one // Oh this bag! Madewell gets me.

two // West Elm trophy hooks from the New Heritage Collection.

three // Furniture Makeovers (I've flipped through this book so many times I really should just get it at this point...)

four // What's not to love about this Corduroy puffer vest at Anthro? (I shouldn't have tried it on the other day...I really didn't want to take it off!)

five // Patterned headband trio (those prints!)

six // This pillow cover from West Elm (the chartreuse and heathered grey speak for themselves).

WEAR | On The Fence

Top//Marshalls  Skirt//Nordstrom Rack   Bracelet//Thrifted  Belt//Mango  

 Roller Wedges//Anthropologie   Sunnies//Steve Madden.

I've been on the fence lately. Fall has clearly made her presence--with the Aspens changing to bright golds and burnt oranges, pumpkin flavored brews popping up all over Denver, Oktoberfest this past weekend, and the inevitable fall to winter chapped lips. Yet, my wardrobe and personal style still holds on to lingerings of summer. I love my boots, sweaters, and cozy socks, but I'm not quite ready. I've been on the fence as summer transitions to autumn, not wanting to part with my maxi dresses, bare legs, sandals, and short sleeves. So I'll hang on for another week or two. I'll milk this warm weather and get a few more days of legs free of tights, toes free of socks, and Vitamin D accessible attire. Am I the only one not fully ready for boots? (Maybe I'm really just not ready for cold days and snow. I'll blame the California in me.)