Gettin' By

Wardrobe Wednesday.

Dare I even tempt Mother Nature by pulling out a pair of sandals before the end of May? I hate to get too comfortable with the streak of warm weather we've been having, lest she remind me of her capacity to dump a foot of snow all over our bare-toed, short-sleeved selves.

I couldn't quite resist the lure of my blue sandals, however. And I did try to pay homage to the (hopefully long gone) chills of winter by pairing up cool tones of navy, aqua, and royal blue. Ah winter, we shall miss ye. Not. Of course, pops of white, yellow and even a little pink can only mean spring is here. Break out the sandals and let's paaaartay!

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Gap Jacket - similar
J. Crew tee - similar
Old Navy crop jeans
Lucky Penny sandals
DKNY clutch - similar
Burberry sunglasses
Forever 21 bangles
necklace - made by me

Wardrobe Wednesday.

Until recently, I've only sported neon footware when I've been out burning off my cheeseburger consumption on the running trails. And I've delighted in purchasing every day-glow pink, purple and green pair of athletic shoes I've ever owned. But not so much as a recent splurge on neon yellow pumps. I was giddy when they arrived, positively gushing when I tried them on, and have been seen wearing them most waking hours ever since (despite my family's insistence that they don't go with pajamas.)

So here's an ensemble I think they do work with: my white cropped jeans (also making their debut appearance for spring), a simple tee and my trusty jean jacket. It's just as comfy as pjs, and undoubtedly more publicly appropriate. I am wearing heels, after all!

I kinda adore this yellow paired with aqua, as evidenced by my goofy grin in several of these shots. Proof that the mood-boosting powers of good shoes (and electric yellow?) should not be underestimated.

Happy Wednesday, fashion friends!

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jean jacket & graphic tee - Old Navy
cropped jeans & skinny belt  - Target
canvas tote - Gap
Calvin Klein neon pumps - Zappos
watch - Fossil
similar earrings - Etsy

Wardrobe Wednesday

Spring has popped in for a bit here in Colorado - this weekend it was near 75 degrees! - and I took that opportunity to dust off a pair of shorts and sandals and style a spring-ish outfit:

Granted, with the cool morning temps, I had to pair them with a chambray shirt and cardigan, a look that was totally inspired by this outfit in a recent Garnet Hill catalog:

 

I topped my trusty chambray with a favorite sweater that I got a few years back at Anthropologie since it has a similar embroidered pattern across the front.

And of course I had to add my obnoxiously yellow clutch because despite my deep, deep love for this color, there's only so many outfits it works with. Gotta go with the neon when you can!

And it will tide me over until my neon yellow pumps arrive...which should be just in time for the six inches of snow we're supposed to get today. Bah.

Rest assured that when spring does arrive, I'll be celebrating it by wearing copious amounts of neon. You have been warned.

 

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Tabitha embroidered cardigan |  similar; similar
 J. Crew chambray shirt
Banana Republic bermuda shorts
Old Navy wedge sandals | similar
Isaac Mizrahi patent clutch | similar

 

Wardrobe Wednesday.

Since we returned from our spring break trip to Mexico, it's been snowing every Monday and Tuesday. I'm starting to get the feeling it's Mother Nature's way of assuring us we didn't miss out on any of the Colorado winter with our little tropical getaway (gee thanks, Ma!)

Anyway, for the past two weeks, my Wardrobe Wednesday posts have been derailed by weather because (1) I can't figure out how to take decent photos indoors and (2) shots of me in snowpants, oversized sweatshirts, and puffy down jackets do not a suitable fashion post make. So I put my Wardrobe Wednesdays on a bit of hiatus until things warmed up a bit.

But this past Monday dawned (deceptively) sunny and warm, so I headed out for a quick shoot to compose this week's post. Despite the building wind, I managed to get in one decent (though slightly overexposed) shot:

And then the gusts heightened, threatening to blow my camera off it's perch, but I donned a smile and snapped on, refusing to let weather ruin yet another post.

Within minutes, the temperatures started to drop. And I was wishing I had grabbed a jacket. But I needed just a few more pictures.  The wind was relentless, blowing my hair annoyingly in my face where (of course) it stuck to my lip gloss and whipping the scarf off my neck and sending it tumbling across the backyard, with me running (in heels) after it.  But are we having fun yet?!

So yeah. I decided to give up and work with the few shots I got. And less than an hour later, my location looked like this:

In the end, I resorted to shooting just the clothes, while I happily relaxed in flannel pants, fuzzy slippers and a giant sweatshirt.  I'm just hoping that next week spring shows its face and I won't have to resort to renaming this blog feature [Wacky, Windy Winter Weather] Wardrobe Wednesday.

 

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Gap Jean Jacket
Old Navy crepe blouse 
Hollister cargo pants | similar
Marshalls scarf | similar
Dollhouse mary janes | similar
Kohls earrings & bracelet
Ray Ban shades

Wardrobe Wednesday.

 

'Tis the season for spring break and zipping off to tropical destinations to treat the cabin fever that's been brewing for the last month! (or maybe that's just here in Colorado!)

At any rate, I'm dreaming of beaches and swaying palm trees (and the fruity umbrella-laden drink, natch!) and the outfit I'd wear en route to that destination!

It's always tricky to dress warm enough not to freeze your hiney off in the airport parking lot at DIA, but cool enough that you're not sweating bullets when you arrive at warmer destinations. To solve this multi-range temperature dilemma, I love this maxi dress (or as close to maxi as this tall girl can find!) because it covers my legs, but still feels cool & breezy when the mercury rises.

To stay toasty on the flight, I've got a lightweight scarf that can double as beach wrap once I'm on the warm sand. And the jean jacket can be peeled to reveal the short-sleeves beneath.

Of course, you can't forget the trusty waterproof beach bag (I adore this one from Thirty-one!) that's big enough to hold your beach essentials but also doubles as a purse/carry-on. And did I mention it has six exterior pockets that are perfectly sized for, I dunno, a cold Corona with lime?

Did someone say Corona? Well, yes, I believe I will!

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Nordstom maxi dress  |  similar, similar
Old Navy jean jacket
Cynthia Rowley scarf
Reef sandals  |  similar
Thirty-one tote
Smith "Cameo" sunglasses

 

Wardrobe Wednesday.

So what's a girl to wear to her husband's surprise 40th birthday party? Well, it has to be comfortable -  to hide your excessive anxiety about the impending surprise. And pair nicely with your go-to staples of a jean jacket and cowboy boots. And um, a quick-dry fabric that hides nervous wine spills is an absolute necessity!

So here's what I came up with. An easy, breezy coral dress cinched with a brown belt and paired with some decidedly western accessories.


I usually don't like such blouse-y tops, but this one seemed to work (and I loved the ruffled edging). And not having to worry about bra peekage is always a bonus!

Luckily the warm temps of the weekend that we needed to get the guys on the golf course also meant I could go bare-legged, though a quick spray tan was definitely in order!

Another reason I love this outfit? It lets you move effortlessly from party host to (almost) pro golfer:

 

So when the ladies of the LPGA start wearing boots, you'll know who started the trend.

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Modcloth Dress | similar, similar, similar
Old Navy jean jacket | similar
Old Gringo boots
Forever 21 necklace | similar, similar
Forever 21 bracelets
Target belt

Wardrobe Wednesday.

Hey peeps!  I'm popping on today with a Wardrobe Wednesday involving a quick and easy outfit. It's perfect for trips to the grocery store, carpooling children to various activities, or speed-dialing the pizza delivery guy when you have forgotten to go to the grocery store because you're too busy shuttling children around to various activities. Not that that's ever happened around here.

This tunic makes my inner hippy girl very happy (I'm a child of the 70s! How can I not like paisley??) It's flowy, breezy, and cleverly camoflauges the problem-area thighs.  On someone shorter, it might work as a dress but I've paired it with denim jegging to avoid showing off more hippy girl than is publicly acceptable.

I also added a corduroy motorcycle jacket (since we're technically still experiencing a bit of winter here!) and gold pendant necklace.

And now I'll take a brief intermission to sing some John Denver refrains: Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy.... (I warned you the hippy girl was surfacing!)

 

Don't be fooled by the dreamy look - I'm really just imagining which pizza toppings I'll be adding to my order tonight!

Hope your Wednesday is wonderful!

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Diesel Jacket
Ruche Tunic
Target jeggings
Frye Boots
Guess Necklace
TokyoBay watch | similar, similar

Wardrobe Wednesday

We had lovely weekend with warm spring-like temperatures that got me thinking about sundresses, sandals, and bright happy colors. But it's not quite that warm around these parts yet, so I settled for donning some bright yellow jeans to (hopefully) welcome the spring season.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature was not in a welcoming mood because about 20 minutes after I snapped these photos, she proceeded to dump about three inches of heavy white snow on my spring wardrobe parade.

Luckily, I was smart enough to pair my sunshine-y jeans with a knit striped sweater and cozy scarf, all topped off with my well-loved jean jacket.  Which isn't exactly snow-worthy, but I was gonna finish the day in my yellow jeans, white stuff be damned!

Too bad my choice of footwear wasn't as versatile. Red patent ballet flats do not good snow boots make. So I did what every Colorado girl does when the snow's too deep to tip toe through it in flats...put on my Sorels and cursed the weather gods for ruining a cute outfit.

Hmmm...maybe if I stand out here long enough, the light radiating from my jeans will melt all this snow? If only I had matching mittens...

Hope your Wednesday is warm and wonderful!

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Old Navy Jeans
Old Navy Jean Jacket  |  similar
J. Crew Factory striped sweater
Cost Plus scarf  | similar
Mossimo ballet flat

 

Wardrobe Wednesday

It's Wednesday already!?! The three-day weekend (we celebrated as Abe Lincoln and George Washington would have wanted: skiing the powder-filled slopes of Winter Park) has me scrambling to catch up this week. And yes, there are about 1,567 other things I should be doing besides blogging about clothes. But I've always been excellent about ignoring the "should-dos" in the interest of the "want-tos."  It's a gift, really.

So let's talk about outfits, shall we?!

I am one who firmly espouses the belief that leggings are not pants. Unless you've been featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, I do not really want to view your butt covered in lycra. But admittedly, I can see the lure of the stretchy, warm and undeniably comfy legging. Especially when winter temps are frigid and that red velvet cake you might have eaten for breakfast is preventing you from buttoning your favorite jeans.

So I offer this slight modification to the my rule: Leggings are still not pants. But if you can pair them with with a top that adequately covers your red-velvet enhanced tush, then go with it.

Along with the leggings, this new scarf is helping me stay warm and cozy. It was a birthday gift from my Aunt Kansas and I adore the jewel-toned pattern against the neutral sweater dress.

To keep the look from being too top-heavy, I added my chunky Frye boots, which are currently my absolute favorite footwear. I've got two pairs of Frye boots and they are SO worth the investment. I swear they get better with every wear. Every girl needs a pair!

Something else every girl needs? A purple purse with a big ol' bow. You'll get fewer weird looks carrying this purse than wearing big purple bows in your hair. I speak from experience.

And with that, I'm off to tackle the other 1,566 things on my list. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

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J. Jill Tunic  |  similar, similar

Modcloth legging

JC Penney scarf | similar (use code FEB to get 20% off!)

Frye Veronica boots

Catherine Cole Boot Socks

Mossimo purse  |  similar

 

 

Wardrobe Wednesday

Today's post is brought to you by hearts, bows, flowers and the color red - just in time for Valentine's Day!

I love to imagine my Valentine's Day would require a fancy little cocktail dress for an equally fancy candlelit dinner with...dare I dream?... champagne! But realistically, that type of outfit just doesn't work for my duties of car pooling, baking cupcakes for classroom parties, or scrubbing red food coloring out of carpet (long story.)

So instead of lace and pearls, I'm pairing my old stand-bys of jeans and a tee with a cute little striped shell featuring oh-so-festive red bows. To keep with the love theme, I've added a red heart belt and an old heart charm necklace that used to be my mom's.

And since I'm pretty sure there will be no romantic flower deliveries arriving at our house, I'm toting around the next best thing on my purse (and they don't ever die!). I love this floral-adorned tote from Thirty-One and I've added a few extra flower pins from my stash to dress it up even more.

Finally, I've got my favorite red mary janes to keep my feet happy. Put it all together and I've got a mom - and cupid - approved look for the day of love!

And while there may be no LBD or heels this year, you know there's always room for chocolate.

Happy {early} Valentine's Day!

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Timing Striped Shell
Old Navy Perfect Tee
Pilcro Stet Slim Ankle jeans
Thirty-One purse
Forever 21 belt
Forever 21 bangles
Crown Vintage shoes | similar;  similar