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 | A Red Hat for the Alley Cats

Pom Pom Hat // Burton   Polkadot Button Back Blouse // LOFT (similar) 

 High Wasted Skinnies // Madewell    Leather Boots // Steve Madden

We spent the entire afternoon in Boulder last Saturday with Matt's parents. After a day of walking about Pearl Street, swooning over old maps and prints at a really neat shop, lunch at Pizzaria Locale, and surprise early birthday shopping trip to Anthropologie, we had a little down time before cooking in, and spending quality time all together in our home (and making palisade peach oatmeal crisp!)

During the in between, I whisked Matt out to our back alley to take a few photos of the outfit I wore that day. The cold hit a bit later, so Boulder didn't get to see this red hat, but the alley cats did. All twelve of them. (Oh and this hat! So soft and slouchy I cannot even begin to describe. It makes cold weather just feel so good. Invest in a great hat that you love this fall/winter. The ten dollars I spent on this pom pom number? Worth. Every. Penny).

*clothing items purchased when on sale // hat $10 // blouse $15 // denim $30

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).

Patriotic Romper Style

Last week my friend Natalie shared her Shorts Story as part of The Love Yourself Linkup. I could totally relate to Natalie's shorts sentiments. Something Natalie wrote really stood out, especially so as we women try on outfit after outfit and spend many a battle in fitting rooms across America: "clothing is meant to fit me—not the other way around."

Small Closet Triumph

After leaving our 1930's town home in Burbank (which had the smallest closets ever) I thought I'd be moving on from teeny tiny storage space. I clearly thought wrong. And I should probably just get that out of my head, because we tend to like older homes. And older homes mean small closets. 

Two Thrifted Looks

I strike gold, adding up to an average $5, each time I stop in at the Goodwill down the street. Does anyone know it exists? Because I seem to be finding the best clothing items for my pennies--and this is always on a whim. I hardly ever drive there with fashion as a mission. Usually furniture and revamps are my focus. Lately, no such luck. But clothes, tons of luck. So I find myself casually looking through the racks when furniture is a miss. My latest finds, a down puffer vest, a boat neck striped tee, and a brown midi skirt (a velvet / cord hybrid fabric that makes it feel vintage). I love that you can find clothes from a different era, or items that can complete a modern look--thrift stores are the one retail store that can always meet the ever evolving you ( and for that, they are forever my favorite).