Fall Boot Guide 2017

I know fall is already here so I'm a little behind, but each year I do a guide on how to wear boot trends and styles. What I am loving this season? The boho, high-heeled boot that is slightly slouchy, and the rich, velvet fabrics to add some glam to a basic boot.I picked above my favorite styles this year from different price points and I will share how best to wear them!

The Stacked Heel Ankle Bootie: (Styles #1 through #5)

These booties are probably the most popular and widely worn because they can be worn so many different ways. Remember it's all about proportion when styling short boots so they don't seem to "cut off" your legs.These boots look best with skirts (mini to midi), dresses, and skinny denim or leather leggings.

The Rugged Boot (with a feminine twist)

If Timberland's just aren't your style (raises hand) but you still want a boot to romp around the pumpkin patch in and look chic, look no further. The stacked wooden heel gives you some feminine height while still looking perfectly rugged for outdoor fall activities. Wear these with cuffed denim (straight, boyfriend or skinny) and some layered flannel and vest action up top.

The Flat Bootie

This particular style (plus the laser cut bootie) has been popular for a couple years now because it is cute for one, but an easy and chic shoe to throw on in the summer and fall months. These look cute with about any casual outfit (shorts, leggings, jeans, etc) and even with short dresses. This is more of an everyday bootie and a great transition shoe into colder weather.

The Dress Bootie (styles #8 and #9)

Oh my heart with these booties! Give me a sharp toed, black patent bootie anytime and I'll dress like I mean business! I call these the "New York City" boots as when I think of styling them, I think all black layers like capes, leather pants and a bad-ass attitude. In normal day to day living, these would be especially cute with holiday mini-dresses layered with a sharp coat and tights.

The Over the Knee Boots

These two particular boots I have been lusting over all season (also can we talk about the amazing color of the Zara slouch boots?!). Over the knee boots can be worn many different ways, such as over skinny denim and leggings, with dresses, etc. but as a nod to my love for throwback 70's style, I would style these babes with dresses of all lengths, long duster sweaters and faux-fur vests. For a more casual look, over leggings with a chic tunic and cape to top it off. 

What is your go-to style of boot for fall, and how do you like to style it?

xo

Maternity Pictures

 

Dress: Altrd State (non-maternity), Sandals: Topshop, Flower Crown: Francesca's Collections

I can't beleive I'm 8 months preggo tomorrow! 

Nothing like some spur of the moment maternity pics on the Iphone! We were out for my dad's birthday and passed the gardens on the way home and decided the light was perfect for taking some pictures in my favorite place on earth. I just know that as my little guy grows up in these gardens, he will love them too. 

PS: how funny is my dad? He decided to photo-bomb a couple of my pics and I couldn't breathe with how hard I was laughing. Those moments make the best candid pics! 

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Purchases

You are probably sick of hearing about this sale by now, but I figured I would share my purchases and do a review of the most anticipated sale of the year. For the first time in years, I only purchased a couple items instead of a bunch. Mostly due to the fact that I'm currently six months pregnant so come fall time, I will not be interested in dolling up or wearing new clothes so close to giving birth. The second is due in part to the fact that this year, the sale just didn't wow me. Sorry to say but I saw so many bloggers on Instagram with the line

"guys its soooo good, shop my picks" because if you click their links, they get paid for that but really, it wasn't that great! I feel like I saw a lot of the same boring styles from last year and even this summer (e.g. bell sleeves, basic booties, boring dresses, and a lot of basic pieces, nothing noteworthy). 

So what did I buy then?

1. Well the raw edge pocket tees from Lush in black and white to replace my old ones (I like the longer hem and looser fit on these, it gives a casual look some ease). 

2. The ruffle sleeve cardigan from Topshop. I tried this on in the store in the lavender color in a size 6, and it was cute but the arms were way too big. I figured it would be a cute updated piece for fall in black so I ordered the size 4.

3. The Breton hat.  I am so happy that this style hat is finally back, because it makes any outfit look model-chic. I love hats anyway and am totally sick of the floppy brim styles of the past 3 seasons.

4. Leith body-con dress in eggplant is a literal best-buy piece. It's amazing quality and is a perfect piece to throw on with a stylish sweater, kimono or jacket and go. I got my normal size and wore it at 5 months preggers for my gender reveal luncheon. I know this is a piece I can wear with or without a bump!

5. Finally, my favorite item purchased is my Treasure & Bond leopard booties. I have been wanting leopard booties for years now and have never been able to find the right pair. I figured I'd try them on when I was in the store, and they are must-have's. The perfect pointed toe, slight block heel, and Chelsea boot style make it the ultimate neutral shoe to make any outfit. I can't wait to wear these with tons of outfits from leggings with a long tee and moto jacket, to my fall dresses. A great statement piece! 

Check out my purchases below, and let me know what you loved or didn't love this year! Is there any piece you budgeted for that you just had to have?

xo

Back To School Style

Even though it's not fall yet, back to school time always kicks up that shopping bug in me. This week starts my second semester of grad school and since that's the big leagues, I technically need a new outfit right? Clean lines, updated neutrals (yes olive and cheetah print are neutrals), moody beauty colors, gold accessories, and a touch of lace is what the grown up classroom calls for. All the picks above can be found at Nordstrom, and are under $100 each! 

xo

PS: Sorry for the lack of outfit posts lately, I am moving in 2 weeks and have been shopping like a mofo, since I had to buy EVERYTHING from the ground up. It's been so fun and I cannot wait to show you a tour of my new apartment once it's all decorated!

Romping in the Gardens

Romper (in love) // Sandals: Topshop (last season), similar here //

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff // Sunnies: Nordstrom

What a beautiful weekend I had for my birthday. I celebrated it doing the things I love with the people I love. This was our visit to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, one of my favorite places in University Circle. Of course lunch was in Little Italy after with a stop at Presti's to gorge on my favorite sweets. If you really know me then you know I feel most at peace in the woods, but the gardens have a special place in my heart too.

xo

Loving Lately

 Look 1: Banana Republic // Red Heels // Silk Scarf // Peplum Tee // Jeweled Ear Cuff // Blue Suede Bag // Blush Leather Belt // Gold Choker // Teal Lace-Up's // Heart Sunglasses // Fuschia Matte Lipstick // Essie Nailcolor //  Moto Jacket (splurge) , save (similar) here // Sequin Striped Dress 

I'm craving spring people! I've already got my list started of what I want to refresh my wardrobe. How great are these bright, saturated colors for spring? I love that this year there is a resurgence of the primary colors and not just pastels.Personally I love to rock bright in-yo-face colors on my feet, but I can't help but want all of the above. That moto jacket?! ughh love. And yes, I am still obsessed with lace-up's. I just purchased those red ones, and I can't wait to get them! Typically my style is not girly, but as soon as I saw that rainbow striped sequin dress from Kate Spade, I saw possibilities. Layer with a tee, add a neck scarf, wear with a black turtleneck and tights until the snow melts; no need to wait to start rocking some cheery pieces. How about the neck scarf trend? I personally would take that gorgeous silk scarf and wrap it around the handles of my handbag to add a fun punch of print and color. And the choker necklace trend? Try the sophisticated approach and rock a classy gold chain collar necklace that hits right under the throat for a grown-up take on the 90's look. 

That furry little chunk of a groundhog better be right that spring is around the corner because I've got spring fever. So excited for fashion week to start this week, I'll be sure to post my favorites later!

xo 

Wednesday Wardrobe Wishlist

 

 

 

 

 

Dress: Topshop // Bag: Nordstrom // Nails: JINsoon // Earrings: Rachel Zoe // Hair Pins: Nordstrom // Lips: YSL // Heels: Sam Edelman

 

Swooning over a romantic, floral embroidered frock. There's something so dark and glamorous yet so ladylike and romantic about it. Paired with lux accessories such as the always sexy black suede lace-up heel and color coordinating beauty picks, I'm obsessed with this look. I also added the bobby pins because I can see a wind-swept, side braid for the hair.

Similar looks can be found on Dolce & Gabbana's runways, and the hit show Reign, on the CW. My personal style isn't particularly lady-like, but I can't get enough of this grown-up romance.

How to Wear Chelsea Boots

 

 

 

Boots can be tricky to style in my opinion since they take up more visual space on your foot and leg. The two hardest boot trends to style I think, are over the knee boots and flat ankle boots known as Chelsea boots. Here, I featured three different Chelsea's in a neutral color (yes, leopard print is a neutral) to anchor the look as the main piece. I didn't intend to create all neutral outfits, but hey, it is fall after all! The accessories I chose can really be worn with all three of these outfits. I know when I spend money on bags especially, I think how I can mix and match it with what I already own, that is how I determine if an investment piece is worth it or not!

 

So to be honest, I bought my first pair of Chelsea boots from Nordstrom about 4 years ago, and didn't wear them for TWO years because I didn't have what I thought was the right type of denim or tops to wear with them. My favorite look for these particular boots is a skinny and distressed pair of denim, which I included my favorite high-waisted pair from Topshop above. Now that my wardrobe has matured more with new jobs and getting older, it's fun shopping in my closet and coming up with new looks to pair with this particular style boot. The Chelsea tends to come across kind of edgy, but that doesn't mean you cannot style a preppy, classic, chic, or feminine look with these easy and chic boots. What are your favorite boots for fall?

 

xo

 

Labor Day White!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Obviously this is a very serious outfit shoot)

I am a firm believer in wearing white after labor day (I'm a notorious rule breaker) so I thought a patriotic coffee run was perfect for labor day. And if Monday's fell on a weekend more often, I could learn to love them!

Outfit Details: Button down: free people // shorts: express // flats: topshop // bag: coach // jewelry: swarovski

What I Wore Weekend: Feeling Groovy

 

Obviously this is the dreamiest summer mini ever. Get me in nature and my shoes come off and frolic I go. Ps, how cute are these gold metallic gladiators? I love a gold accent. The shoelaces that came with these actually were stiff raw-hide ones that probably wouldn't have laced well, but as soon as I got them, I switched out the dull pair for a rich brown suede lace to make them a little more S/S 2015 runway Chloe- inspired. I lace them up around my calves, and it gives the gold a pop for sure!

Dress (similar) // Gladiator Sandals

Life lately has been a whirlwind of busy plans, but I'm not complaining! This weekend (like the last) was super busy but the best part was seeing my best friend and her new fiancé on Friday for dinner. Andrea lives in New York (country not city) we were roommates in college. She is the funniest, outgoing, hardworking and loveable girl and I cannot wait to start the wedding festivities as one of her bridesmaids! The last time I saw her was in May TWO YEARS AGO which is a torturous amount of time to not see each other. I was definitely sad when they left!

I'm currently working on re-designing my office/blog space which I am super excited about, I'll give a sneak peek of my new space soon! Plus, Wednesday I have a all new style star I will be featuring on Stylin' & Profilin' so stay tuned for that as well!

xo

Look for Less: Fall Designer 2015

 

 

After perusing the September issues for hours marking with little post-its certain pages for my Fall Trend Guide (soon to be posted), I couldn't get certain looks and pieces out of my mind. That's what I do though, I obsess, and obsess some more until I buy it. This really is a problem lol. So I made it my mission to find some inspired looks from a couple of my favorite Fall 2015 Ready To Wear runway shows. Here is what I am loving now:

 

 

Splurge 1// Save 1     Splurge 2 // Save 2    Splurge 3 // Save 3

 

 

Every blogger on the earth owns a Celine, and just about a Chloe too. I love both shapes of these bags, especially the lighter saddlebag for fall (the equestrian look is always fall approved). My love of lace-ups cycles seamlessly into a new season with a chic, grown-up Maryjane, laced to perfection.

 

 

Style.com is my first stop when browsing the runway collections, and even though I loved too many, here are a couple of my ultimate favorite shows. Dolce & Gabbana is just always so good nailing down the feminine lady in sumptuous lace and details. When I saw this Topshop dress, the D&G show was running like a movie projector through my mind, and it was love at first sight. Chloe is the cool girl/slightly bohemian mixture of feminine tailoring and tomboy flair. Their signature piece this year added to coats, vests and floaty dresses is the skinny neck tie, which I found an outfit completely inspired by the runway for next to nothing. Finally, the luxurious gowns that are Valentino. Leave it up to Valentino to always produce a show-stopping embroidered gown made with mixed fabrics, and always a demure, almost medieval cut. This Nasty Gal dress is the modern party equivalent to the splendor on the left. A lot less serious, same amount of glam. 

                         Splurge 1: Dolce & Gabbana                         

Save 1

 

Splurge 2: Chloe

Save 2

 

Splurge 3: Valentino

Save 3

 

 

Thanks for reading, as always.

xo

 

What I Wore Weekend

Happy Monday?! My friend Danielle and her hubby moved to Vegas a while back for his job and flew home this week to see friends and family. The group ended up going downtown for a nice dinner Friday night at Luca. I love seeing Danielle and I miss her when she's gone. I am so lucky to have such wonderful women as friends.

 

Decided to wear a neoprene peplum top, dark distressed skinny's and silver metallic d'orsay heels as the neutral base which I think add more a fun "pop" than black or tan heels.

 

Top: Nicole Miller // Denim: Treasure & Bond // Heels: BCBG // Bracelet: Swarovski // Stacked Rings: Nordstrom

 

 

 

My stand-in for Anthony who hates pictures

 

 

Top: Topshop (obsessesd) // Denim: Zara // Flats: Topshop beyond obsessed) // Tote: Nordstrom // Watch: Michael Kors

 

 

My baby cousin's 1st birthday party! This chooch is Ethan.

 

 

 

He had to show me every outfit he opened, so naturally he's a blog baby : )

 

thanks for reading, and be sure to stop by Wednesday for a special back to school outfit post!

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I Wore Weekend

Hi lovelies, happy Monday! So I really wasn't going to post anything for today because my weekend was so relaxed I really didn't wear anything of notice! It was filled with relaxing on the porch, naps in the hammock, furniture shopping for the new house, a night downtown Friday for the Indians game with friends, a car show, a cookout and some shopping. I' m actually planning some really great content for the blog in the next month and I am very excited. It is a lot of work, especially working full time and trying to blog at least 3 days a week. I am not a patient person, so waiting to post all this great stuff is killing me! In the meantime, continue to check in for outfits photos and fashion know-how :)

PS: These are the only two outfits I actually wore this weekend, the rest of the time was spent in the PJ Salvage romper from Nordstrom, I practically live in it at home.

Fringe & Embroidered Crop shell: Topshop, Shorts: Stylus @ JC Penney

Swing top (new, obsessed): Nordstrom, Track Jacket: Fila, Sneakers: Coach