Bam!

Buy it now: Cardigan (similar), red skinny jeans (similar), heels (similar)

Red pants. Enough said.

I had to take this pair in at the waist to make them fit (my usual deal with Forever21+ pants) but for the price, it's worth the tweak. These pants make such a statement, and they're surprisingly versatile for such a bold piece. You'll be seeing more of them for sure!

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Berry and Blue

Finally getting to posting a few outfits from last week. This was a fun little combo I put together with a few pieces Mom got me for Christmas, as well as the berry skirt (would you call it berry?) I got from my local NY&Co outlet while Christmas shopping. I like the pairing of the pink with the navy sweater and printed top - especially how the the skirt makes the cream in the top look almost pale pink, even though it's not at all. Looking at this now, I wish I had worn a skinny belt over the sweater, but oh well. We live and learn right?

Top, cardigan: TJMaxx
Skirt: NY&Co
Tights: Hue
Heels: Bandolino
Bracelets: Greece, Ebay, Brooklyn Flea

Serpentine

I took these outfit pics over a span of about 10 minutes, and just look how much the light changed in that short span of time! I'm grateful for the beautiful sunshine we've had here for the last day or two, but man is it cold! I was hoping we'd keep a balmy 45 degrees around all winter, but no such luck.

This winter has been all about the sweaters for me. My mom gifted me some great stuff from TJ Maxx for Christmas, and though it didn't all fit, I'm not complaining because I picked up this awesome belted sweater with my store credit. I love the variation of the brown hues with the black, and also love how the solid black sleeves give it the look of a short sleeved sweater over a long sleeved shirt.

I was in the mood for some texture so instead of plain black leggings or jeans, I decided to pair the sweater with these flippin' awesome snake print leggings I picked up at Target a few weeks back. I love these so much! They're subtle enough that it just looks like a slight metallic sheen from far away, but up close you can really see the fantastic snake skin print.

Is there a staple you just can't stop wearing this winter? Boots? Hats?

Sweater: TJ Maxx
Top: H&M
Leggings: Target
Necklace: gifted
Bracelets, from left: bought in Greece, Brooklyn Flea
Boots: Evans

Fluffy stuff!

Well! It's been a lovely few days of jewelry pictures, but I think it's time to get back in the Ootd groove!

The outfit itself is not anything fancy shmancy, but when I woke up to a sparkly blanket of snow and some extra time before work yesterday, I had to get out there and take some outfit pics in the fluffy stuff :) You're loving the polka dot boots, right? Thanks, mom!

I do love this sweater though, mostly for the pretty collar. It can stretch out and be worn over the shoulders for more of a boatneck look, but I prefer to let it dangle around my neck like a scarf. My accessories for the day (excuse the scaly hands, it was cold out there!) - My new favorite broken glass cuff, and a necklace and ring from ASOS.

Sweater: TJ Maxx
Jeans: F21
Boots:  Mom's
Necklace: ASOS
Ring: ASOS
Cuff: Syms
Polish: OPI You Don't Know Jacques and American Apparel Mount Royal

And here - because everyone loves an outtake.

My reaction to my mom, who didn't understand that the self timer on my camera could take five pics in a row rather than just one, yelling out the window: "You MISSED it! It flashed...IT FLASHED!" Geez.

I love my backyard in the snow <3

Those blue and yellow purple hills

Ha! I didn't mean for this post title to be as inappropriately hilarious as it is, but it works!

Christmas shopping is dangerous. Such good sales and deals, for every present I bought for someone I ended up buying a present for myself as well...not that I'm complaining lol! This ruffled top from Macy's was one of my multiple Christmas gifts to myself. As soon as I saw it on the sale rack, the bright and funky print had me at hello. Today I paired it with my trusyt purple cardigan (it's been getting a lot of play lately, I think this is a sign I need more cardigans), but I love that there's so many colors to pull from...I would have loved to pair it with a yellow cardi if I had one!

Doesn't the print sort of remind you of a butterfly wing? I also love the fact that it zips in the front, you all know how I feel about zippers! I do have some cons on this top though; It's not printed all way way around, the back side of this top is a  black stretchy jersey. I guess this is good for the fit of the shirt, because it doesn't slide around as much as a fully silky top normally would, but I do find it annoying because I feel like I can never wear this without a cardigan over it. Also, I had trouble keeping the front of the cardi in place because of the silky fabric; it would just sliiiiiide right on off the girls. That's why I belted it, to keep the cardi in place as well as giving it structure. Next time I think I'll have to play around with safety pinning the cardi right to the shirt. I just hate having to tug at my sweater all day to make sure the girls are covered!

Do you like my new bling bling watch? The wristband is rubber! This style is great because you get the perfect combo of the masculine (I like the large face with the different gauges, even if I don't know how to use them) and the feminine sparkle. I love pairing a big watch with lots of bracelets :) Both of these came from Syms, which, If I'm not mistaken, is owned by Filene's Basement. If you have a Syms in your area, it's worth a trip! They're like TJ Maxx except geared more towards business casual, and also much more organized. I find that the quality of the clothes they sell are generally better than what you find at TJ Maxx. They have a good plus section, too (at least mine does). I've gotten LOTS of great stuff from Syms, including an awesome pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers yesterday for only $60!

Top: Macy's
Cardigan: TJ Maxx
Belt: Off some dress or other
Jeggings: Old Navy
Boots: Evans (on sale!)
Watch: Julia and James via Syms
Bangles: Syms
Ring: New York and Company

Welcome to some new faces :) Cid, of Cid Style File, Maria MM, and Heather!


Hope everyone's getting their holiday shopping done and staying warm! Stay tuned for a review and giveaway coming next week!

There's just something about a slouchy sweater...

There's just something about a slouchy sweater that makes me feel so snuggly warm and chic at the same time. A sweater like this black kimono-sleeved number I snatched up at TJ Maxx are great because you get the same level of comfort as when you're in your favorite sweater or hoodie, but with way more style points :)

I wear this particular sweater constantly, and styled in every way you can think - casually with jeans, a tank and flats, with leggings and boots (a la today's Ootd), over dresses; it's one of my go to's when I want easy but still cute...which is pretty much all the time. I love the kimono three-quarter sleeves even though they are a little awkward to maneuver into a coat - good thing it's so thick and warm by itself! It also has a convenient little hook and eye closure mid-way down that I'll sometimes close if I want more coverage.

I wore this outfit to hangout with some friends last night and it was just what I needed - casual, comfortable; perfect for lounging while having some drinks and laughs.

Yay for accessories :) I will never have enought jewelry. The love knot on my ring finger I picked up from a shop on Etsy - it was only $6!

I got about four different colors of these skinny belts from Old Navy ages ago but hardly ever wore them until recently...I guess I never really knew how to style them. Now though, they've pretty much become a staple as far as my accessories go - this gold snake skin one especially.

Slouchy sweater: TJ Maxx

Top: Old Navy (no longer available)

Leggings JCPenny

Boots: Evans

Love Knot Ring: Etsy (no longer available)

Swirl Ring: H&M

Bracelet: Got it in Greece

Necklace: New York & Co (no longer available)

Belt: Old Navy (no longer available)

Polish: Orly Cosmic FX Galaxy girl

Big welcome to some new faces - soniam.griffiths, Beatrice, and Kinsey of In Kinsey's Closet!

In other news, I'm super excited to be participating in Big Beautyful Mess' Secret Blogger Gift Exchange! 

BBM is so awesome for setting this up, I can't wait to find out my secret blogger :) I love exchanging gifts! The great thing about the exchangees having blogs is that we can scope out each other's style to help us pick out that perfect present! Check out the the list of bloggers involved, these are some seriously stylish ladies!

November's a tricky devil!

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a lovely weekend - I know I did! There's nothing better than just hanging out with friends, laughing and having some drinks! After a chill Saturday night of beers and The Game of Life with The Green E and some other friends, I headed out to a local bar on Sunday afternoon to celebrate another friend's birthday with some Sunday football.

The weather has been all over the place around here! After a pretty chilly week,who woulda thought Sunday would be back in the 60's?? I decided to take advantage and try out my new Gorilla tripod to catch the last bit of afternoon rays for some outdoor shots.

Lookie! It's the yellow ruffle top I ordered on sale from Torrid. It came so quickly! I was in such a bright mood that I couldn't resist going all out with the colors, so I decided to remix the purple cardi I wore to work earlier that week. Paired with some dark denim, yellow loafers, a belt, and a white cami underneath for modesty (gotta keep the girls under control while it's still daylight lol!) and I was good to go!

Like I've said before, I'm usually not such a big fan of Torrid, but I like this top a lot. The yellow leans a bit more towards an egg yolk-y hue than I though it would, but I'm not much bothered by that. The fabric is a nice, stretch jersey with matching lace, which makes for a really pretty, flouncy ruffle down the front and around the bottom. The ruffle extends all the way around the back, which is a plus -  I can't stand when a pattern or detail stops and the seams and doesn't continue to the back, it makes things look so cheap! Like any other jersey piece, the fabric is a bit clingy, so either layer a tank underneath to camouflage any bumps, or size up if it's very bothersome. I got the size 2 and it works perfectly for me. Thumbs up, Torrid!

Top: Torrid
Cardi: TJ Maxx
Belt: Old Navy (no longer available)
Jeans: Calvin Klein via Macy's
Shoes: Old Navy (no longer available)
Necklace: Vintage

It's casual, not heartbreaking

When I rolled out of bed yesterday I hardly had the energy to put together an outfit, let alone put on heels! Some people can be super dressed up everyday, but let me tell you, I'm not one of those girls. There's nothing wrong with keeping it casual, but no one said that has to mean sloppy. In my opinion, there are two main ways to keep your casual outfits looking cute: color and accessories.

For a lazy day like yesterday, this is the kind of thing you'll usually find me in. Skinnies, a tee, a cardi, and some sweet jewelry. This purple cardigan is one of my favorites simply because the color is so vibrant! It definitely gives a bit of energy to the whole get-up, much more than if I had just thrown on a black cardi or blazer. It also toned down the tie-dye thing I've got going on this t-shirt, though the grey palette keeps the tie-dye from being too...woodstock?

I want to talk about these skinny jeans really quick. I picked these up from Faith 21 a few weeks ago for SUPER cheap. I got the 18 because they fit well on my thighs and hips, even though they were a teensy bit loose in the waist. After a day of wear, it felt like there had been a party in my pants because the waist had magically become practically two sizes too big!! Now, I'm no seamstress, but putting darts in a waistband is nothing I've never done before. Some sewing skills later, my jeans fit once more :) Moral of the story is, make sure your waistband fits - but if the jeans are only $7 (I shit you not; that wasn't even on sale!), a little bit of DIY is ok!

Back to the outfit...These are some of my favorite pieces of jewelry, and it just so happened that the purple cardigan tied them all together. The necklace was another outlets steal, a Rachel Roy piece with a big toggle closure. The ring was my mom's, a gift from her uncle, but it had been sitting in her jewelry box for ages because the thin band snapped. I'd been eyeing it since I was a wee little tyke, so my parents finally got it fixed and resized for me :) I love this gold bangle too, the designs on it give it a vintage feel.

Top: Target (no longer available)
Cardigan: TJ Maxx
Jeans: Faith 21 (no longer available)
Flats: Preview via Nordstrom Rack
Necklace: Rachel Roy via Syms
Ring: Vintage
Bracelet: My sister's :)

What do you usually wear on a lazy, casual day?

Fenn who?

TJ Maxx and I have come a long way in our relationship. At first we weren't friends - TJ was way too messy, way to complicated, and we didn't get along at all. In fact, I used to leave TJ frustrated and disappointed, vowing I'd never waste my time on him again.


Enter The Green E, who's had a long enduring love affair with TJ. Somehow, TJ always caters to her every need and seems to simply hand her the very best stuff he has. She convinced me; I decided that I'd give it another shot.

And I'm so glad I did. Things have gotten steamy lately with TJ. It's red hot love and I don't plan it to stop anytime soon.


This outfit features two of my latest purchases at TJ Maxx; This grey wool tie-blazer thingy, and black patent almond-toe pumps.


I am in love with this blazer/jacket/sweater creation. I felt very professional, but still chic when I wore this to work yesterday.  I love it because it has this great structure to it with seaming in the shoulder, yet it's still sort of business casual because of the fabric and the tie detail.

The name on the label is Fenn Wright Mason, which I'd never heard of. It turns out to be a relatively upscale label in the UK as far as I can tell, and this jacket probably retailed at somewhere in the $200 (£125) range. I picked it up for $40! I love a bargain :)
 I paired this with a basic black scoop neck tee and wide leg denim trousers. On my feet are the new pumps I mentioned. They're super comfy, and I love the almond toe, it's updated from the classic pointy pump. You can't see it in the picture below, but they also have a cone heel. Love!

Blazer: Fenn Wright Mason via TJ Maxx

Tee: TJ Maxx

Jeans: Target

Shoes: Unlisted

Bracelet: One Stop Plus

Necklace: Nordstrom Rack

Ring: New York & Company

So I was still feeling a little guilty about the whole ASOS thing today so I asked my mom what I should do. After I reassured her that they gave me the refund long before I got my package, she shrugged, gave me a high five and told me I lucked out. Mom's word is law! I'll happily wear my new booties with a clear conscience :)