Casual Perfection

Happy Black Friday! I hope you are all enjoyed your Thanksgiving, We sure did.  Today Brian has to work, whomp, whomp, but Grant, my mom, sister and I plan to do some shopping.  Nothing big, but if there's a deal to be had, I'm in : )

I was able to do a little Black Friday shopping early at J.Crew Factory and Gap Outlet.  They has 50% off on Wednesday day and I picked up this in a solid chambray, this in red, and this beauty.  Having the outlet mall so close could be dangerous.... I also found the perfect dup for the J.Crew herringbone vest I missed out on here.  I seriously think I have a dozen outfits already planned for it.

As for today I need to do some decor shopping for the basement.  Luckily we already have a nice couch set, end table, and coffee tables to put down there, but it's looking pretty naked in the accessorizing department. I love this pillow and this lamp.  We'll see how I make out at Target.  I'm lovin' that new Cartwheel app, I can also get an extra discount. : )

The inspiration for this look came a few weeks ago Whitley wore the cutest casual outfit, and I knew I wanted to put together something similar.  I wore it to go to a craft show with my mom and the Grantster. The puffer vest for perfect for being inside, but it didn't leave me too hot, which is a total plus because I hate lugging a coat around.  I ended up getting a cute leopard scarf, my mom found a super cute window with Santa painted on it, and Grant hit the mother load and got this awesome hand-carved train set and this felt superhero play set.  He's having the time of his life playing with it!

Tights Weather

 It's officially tights weather here and as much as I love tights, it's the general coldness I strongly dislike.  However, this year I stumbled onto the sweetest pair of tights I've even owned Esprit fleece lined tights similar to these.  They are amazing and they go perfectly with my new booties, which happen to have fringe on the back of them.  If you follow me on Instagram you already know that my 4th grade self would be pretty jealous.  Esprit and Fringe?  The awesomeness is endless. : )  I decided to pair these two with a gray dress, my favorite cardigan, and a chunky belt.  To finish this up I added my new infinity scarf I snatched up for $10 from an old lady at a craft fair.  Last year I tried to knit one for myself and I think I did about three inches in six hours, before I ultimately gave up. I'm telling you, craft fairs are the best!

What I Am and What I'm Not.

I don't know about you, but I can let my weaknesses be things I focus on instead of my strengths. Today I thought I'd lay out some of the weaknesses that are bugging me right now, and probably more for myself a list of things I can do well. Let's start with the weaknesses:

1. I stink at tweeting.  Seriously.  I think I might just be too old to keep up with the young "hipster" who tweaks with ease about their delicious breakfast muffins....
2. I am not good at saying no to chocolate, as is I have a serious case of "Eat all the Chocolate."  We rarely keep it in the house because if we did, I would need new pants.
3. I am not very patient with Grant at bedtime and it kind of makes me feel like a bad mom.  Let's face it, I'm tired at 8:00 and I don't have the patience for shenanigans like, "I want another kiss, drink of water, story, song, etc."  I wish I was better at this.
4. Sometimes I just want to be a person, not Grant's mom, Brian's wife, Jesse's teacher, but I totally stink at ever taking time for myself.  My one outlet is this little blog, which I totally appreciate.
5. Once I get an idea on the brain I have to go, go, go until it's done.  This is rarely healthy.  Take a chill pill, Ginny.

So, can any of you relate? Please tell me I'm not alone. : ) Now, to my strengths:

1. I am good at staying caught up on laundry, I used to wait until the weekends, now I do a load every time a hamper happens to be full.  It's the little successes, people.
2. I am good at waiting to buy until there's a deal, rarely do I buy anything at full price and I always end up being happier in the end.
3. I work with some great people and therefore it helps me to become a better teacher each day and my kids are successful because of it.
4. I (usually) have a pretty good sense of self worth and don't often dwell on things I can't control. For whatever reason I have a good "bounce back" gene.
5. I'm good at forgiving and getting over situations. I'm usually not one to hold a grudge. To me, no good comes from that.

Whelp, the strengths were more difficult to write! I think no one wants to feel like eyre bragging, but it's important to celebrate our strengths. Your turn, what are you good at????

Now to today's outfit: I'm styling my new black vest again.  I seriously love this thing and decided to pair it with this hounds-tooth sweater I snagged at Forever 21 for a mere $8! I love how it came together and think I might try it like this next time.  So cute, right? What did I do before blogs and Pinterest.....

Chelsea and Ginny Take On: The Work Day

This week Chelsea and I are taking on the Work Day.  Today's look to me is effortless-professional.  Expresses' portfolio shirt paired with Loft's polka dot skirt instantly gives the illusion that I put a lot of thought into my outfit, when I actually didn't have to, which is perfect for a Monday morning....or any morning where I push snooze an extra time. :)  The addition of my Stella and Dot jewels helps to finish off this look and make it feel a little special too.  I think having pieces like this in your closet that are comfortable and mixable are definitely essential in your wardrobe.  What are some pieces you feel are key in your own closet?

Guest Posting Today!

Today I'm guest posting for the lovely Jenn at The Brandied Pair while she's off having the time of her life in Europe. Lucky! Stop by and say hi! I'll be talking about tips for best utilizing your closet and showing off some of my favorite outfits too.

Fur-iffic

So, this outfit.  I'm pretty much in love. I found this vest at the end of winter last year for a steal, but only got to wear it once before it warmed up. I kind struggled with how to wear it then, but when I saw this blouse at Target I knew it would be perfect with the vest and my favorite navy skirt.  Yep, I pretty want to wear this every day :)  When I started this little blog about a year ago I was really trying to land on a style I loved, and I feel like that's what I've been able to do. Thanks you little blog, for your help :)

Linking up with Spotlight Link Up

Stripes and Dots

Life is pretty busy right now. We've been working on finishing our basement and are finally at the painting stage, which is where I come in.  Fun. The light is at the end of the tunnel and we are having the carpet laid next week.  Everything is set to be done by Thanksgiving and I couldn't be more excited!  I'm sure I'll post some pictures once it's all done. : )

I'm loving this professional look today.  This blazer, top, and skirt were definitely smart purchases this fall, the outfit possibilities are seeming to be endless.  I rarely thrift anymore, but the one time I went this month I found this new Loft skirt for $3 and I couldn't believe it, I have a bunch of pinned looks with red skirts, but actually came up with this one on my own.  I feel like I've come a long way since last year and now see possibilities in my closet that I never saw before, and that's pretty awesome.

Pinspiration

 I've really been trying to work on some more casual looks (that I can also get away with wearing to school).  A few weeks ago Tara wore black and red together with boots and I absolutely loved it. Then I pinned this.  I was sold! Around that time I was at J.Crew Factory and picked up this sweater, along with a number of other great J.Crew Factory options.  Great wool basics like this were definitely missing from my wardrobe! I was also on the hunt for a great black vest and Whitley posted on Instragram that Sears had this vest on super sale.  I love how this look came together and have some many outfit ideas for this vest in the future it's ridiculous.

Linking up with Glossy Blonde today.

Chelsea and Ginny Take On: Black Friday

This week Chelsea and I are taking on Black Friday!  I'm definitely not a "get up at 3:00 and shop all day" kind of girl, but I do like to go out for a couple of hours to try to snag up a few deals.  When it comes to Black Friday I think it's important to think about what you wear.  Here are some of my thoughts:

• To me, there's nothing worse than being too hot inside with a coat, but freezing outside, because you don't have a coat, so wearing a puffer vest is perfect.  
• I also think it's important to consider what you're shopping for. If you're looking for boots, you should  wear skinny jeans so you can make sure they work with the jeans.  Trying to find tall boots while wearing bootleg or flare jeans just doesn't work well. 
• Same thing goes for shirts, if you're on the look out, don't wear multiple layers, it will make changing in the dressing room no fun.  Keep it simple with a sweater and camisole. 
• Comfy shoes are important too, these boots are Borns, so they are super comfy for being on my feet all day. 

I'm super excited about today's outfit.  Recently I made made the (ten minute) trek to our brand new outlet mall, and if you follow me on Instagram you saw the loot I happily found at Gap and J.Crew Factory. I've been working to create some more put together casual looks and pinning quite a few too, so when we went to the outlet I had casual looks on he brain.  I was excited to find this sweater at J.Crew Factory, the back is green and it has ELBOW PATCHES!  I'm only slightly excited about this.....  I also knew I wanted a vest like this.  I wasn't crazy about Target's option when I saw it in person, and and the J.Crew Factory version (not online) was still $108. Luckily, Gap had an option I really liked (sold out online) and it was 50% off due to the grand opening.  

 

Skirts and Booties?

I feel like I haven't updated you all on my life lately with my recent series, so here's some random updates for you:

1. I'm pretty sure I've eaten my weight in candy since Halloween. It's ridiculous, people.
2. I've determined I'm the worst coffee maker of all time, I swear I get a mouthful of coffee grounds on a daily basis.  It can't be rocket science, why do I have such a hard time with that darn filter?!?
3. Fall TV!  Can I just tell you how excited that I am that Ted's finally going to get to How He Met Your Mother.  Love that show!
4. When you get to leave work at 3:40 but end up having to stay until 5:00 to work with kids who think homework is optional it gets old pretty fast. As in, holy smokes this is going to be a long year!
5. I'm still on the hunt for new brown riding boots, anyone see any real leather ones they love that are under $150? I tried these one's on, but they bunched at the ankle.  I really want these, but I'm pretty sure my husband is going to tell me to keep dreaming....
6. I have a bunch of pinned outfits I'm chomping at the bit to try next week, stay tuned!

Now to my outfit: Recently my blogging friend Inge asked what I thought about booties with skirts, I honestly wasn't sure, because it hadn't tried it. I decided to give it a try today and love the result. I feel like the booties give the outfit a more casual edge then a traditional heel does. I think the casualness of the cardigan helps make the combo work too, and I'm not going to lie, this might give me a slight case of Buy All The Booties!

Also, have you entered my sponsor's giveaway for an Old Navy gift card yet?

 

Sponsor Spotlight: Charming Lucy

I'm excited to have the wonderful Susan of Charming Lucy guest posting today wearing her gorgeous blanket scarf with the beautiful green sweater.  Green is totally her color!  Anyway, without further ado, here's Susan. : )

Hi and happy Wednesday! I am Susan of the Charming Lucy blog. I am blessed to be guest posting for my friend Ginny, the mastermind and super shopper behind the blog My New Favorite Outfit. I am sharing how to style one of my favorite fall/winter accessories today! Enjoy and thanks for having me over today Ginny! 

On November 1, I participated in National Blanket Scarf Day on Instagram with my cyber buddies. I think we should consider making this a national holiday, perhaps even giving us a four day weekend to allow for the proper selection and styling of this important accessory;) Even if I had to work on National Blanket Scarf Day, I had fun coming up with an outfit idea. I purchased a J Crew factory sweater this fall, and I think I need one in every color! This sweater can be worn with layers during colder weather, or on its own during the warmer months. It is soft, affordable, and versatile. If you don't have one, go buy one or four! You won't be disappointed! Seriously! I paired my new kelly green sweater with my Zara blanket scarf. I was warm and cozy all day! Let's celebrate National Blanket Scarf Day every year. Or maybe every month! MMMK?! Happy hump Day my friends!
 

I was inspired by my sweet friend Whitley to style this scarf and share it with you. Whit offers a blog tutorial on how to tie a blanket scarf! You can find it here! My scarf was purchased at Zara! It will become a winter staple for me!

Make sure to stop by Charming Lucy to say hi to the sweet Susan, and good luck with the giveaway.  What wouldn't I use this on at Old Navy????

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Utilizing Your Closet: Use It or Lose It

Finishing my Wardrobe Essentials series made me think utilizing what I have, as well as about doing a little bit of closet cleaning. This can be a daunting, but necessary task.  Once you begin to add some essential pieces to your wardrobe, it probably means you'll need to eliminate some other pieces. Today I thought I'd share some tips on for how to best utilize your closest, as well as how to determine if it's time to let a piece of clothing go.

Chelsea and Ginny Take On: Thanksgiving

Since Thanksgiving is almost here, Chelsea and I decided to take it on.  You know what that means? No, I'm not talking about Black Friday shopping, though that is fun. I'm talking about Thanksgiving Dinner and the need for comfy clothes. Enter my maxi dress, it feels like pajamas, but looks like actual clothes. Nice! I decided to try it as a skirt and love the result.It was pretty easy to throw a fitted tee over my dress, then I added a denim jacket and fun infinity scarf. I'm now official convinced that maxi skirts aren't only for warm weather, and I'm now on the hunt for one like this. To me, this will be the perfect Thanksgiving look, with plenty of room for turkey and all the other goodness my mom, sister, and husband will bring to the table....I don't so much cook....

Putting All the Pieces Together: Building A Wardrobe

I've spend the last week and a half sharing wardrobe essentials as part of my Build A Wardrobe Series, so now it's time for you to get started!

Here's a reminder of all the topics I covered:

• Essential Blazers and Jackets
• Essential Cardigans
• Essential Skirts
• Essential Jeans and Dress Pants
• Essential Shoes and Accessories
• Essential Shirts
• Essential Dresses

Here's a visual of all the pieces I recommend having as part of versatile wardrobe:

Building A Wardrobe: Dresses and Belts

I'm excited to be continuing my Building A Wardrobe Series again today. One the first day of the series I shared Essential Blazers and Jackets, one day two I shared Essential Cardigans, on day three I shared Essential Skirts, on day four I shared Essential Jeans and Dress Pants, on day five I shared Essential Shoes and Accessories, and on day six I shared Essential Shirts. Today I'm going to continue my Building A Wardrobe series by sharing essential dresses with you.  I love dresses and I definitely think it's important to invest in some great versatile pieces.  Here are my thoughts on essential dresses to include in your wardrobe:

• I recommend purchasing a great black and navy sheath dress.  These classic pieces will be well worth the investment and because of their classic nature can be worn for years to come.
• I also recommend getting a sold dress with great texture, such as the coral lace dress below. Texture will make this dress special, but due to the solid color, it will still be a versatile piece in your closet.
• Lastly I recommend getting a striped dress.  I'm showing a cute fit and flare option, but get a shape that fits your style, such as a sheath, jersey, or a-line.  A great black and white stripe dress will be very versatile and mixable in your wardrobe.
• I also picked some additional options for you, such as a plaid t-shirt dress, leopard, great print, and bold stipes.  I love all these options and they definitely will add value to your closet, however, I wouldn't start hear, as these pieces could be great outfit "show stoppers" but they probably won't be nearly as versatile.  I'd shop the sale rack for these types of pieces after you have a few more essential in your closet.

 black sheath dress / lace dress / navy sheath dress / stripe dress /  plaid shirt dress /leopard dress / print dress / 

 bold stripes /

I'm also going to discuss essential belts today.  A reader asked for my thoughts and I realized I hadn't planned to share any, whoops!  I think the number of belts you can have is endless but here are my thoughts on essential belts:

• I think skinny belts are most popular right now, but I recommend have a wider black and brown one, as these still look great when you want to belt a dress
• I also recommend having a metallic one, I have a brown metallic and I wear it all the time!
• Look at the bright colors you wear most, consider buying a bright belt in that color or in a complementary color.
• I also recommend getting a leopard belt, well, because it's leopard : )
• Lastly, I recommend having a skinny black and brown belt, these are the ones you'll probably wear most often.
• Shop the clearance racks, especially at Kohl's.  I've gotten most of my belts there for between $1-$2 bucks.  
• Belts can be key to defining a waist and I highly recommend wearing them with most outfits, you'd be surprised how much they can add to your final look!

Here's a visual for my thoughts on essential belts:

wide black / wide brown / leopard / fun color / skinny black / skinny brown / metallic

Today I'm wearing a great floral print dress and I've belted it to help define my shape. I can dress it up with a cardigan or blazer with heels or dress it down like I did today with a denim jacket and booties.

I'm working to start the spring transition in my closet. That means no more tights, if I have anything to say about it. I bought this dress last fall from Target for like $6 and it's one of my favorite pieces to wear. Today I thought it would be fun to style it casually with my denim jacket from thredUP  (use this thredUP link to get $10 off your first order) and my black booties. I'm thinking I'll be wearing booties for a few more weeks, then sayonara until next fall.   I'm also wearing this adorable  neckalce from Chelsea Row. I got it at a fashion swap brand new! I love a good statement necklace, but am really loving more delicate pieces like this lately.

Building A Wardrobe: Shirts

I'm excited to be continuing my Building A Wardrobe Series again today. One the first day of the series I shared Essential Blazers and Jackets, one day two I shared Essential Cardigans, on day three I shared Essential Skirts, on day four I shared Essential Jeans and Dress Pants, and on day five I shared Essential Shoes and Accessories. Today I'll be continuing my Building A Wardrobe Series by sharing some essential shirts with you.  As important as it can be to have a few basic tops, a great shirt can be the focal point of any outfit or definitely make a good outfit great.  Here are my thoughts on essential shirts:

• I've think there are five shirts that are essential to any mixable wardrobe, and that includes: a stripe shirt, chambray, gingham, a detailed blouse, and a polka dot shirt.  These pieces can go with so many things!
• Like I said above, basics are great, but often the key to a great outfit is a shirt that is a little more special than a plain tee shirt.  Think about color, texture, and print when you buy tops, they are guaranteed to help make your look great!
•  I recommend not just getting a plain white, black, gray, shirt.  I recommend getting one that has extra details, like a puckered neckline, or unique texture or lace.  These details make the shirt more special, but definitely still versatile in your wardrobe.
• Fit is definitely important too.  When buying make sure the buttons lay nicely on any button-down option and check the length too.  Can it be worn both out and tucked in?  This is definitely key in creating both dressy and casual looks with the same shirt.
• I picked some great additional options, I recommend getting a few great prints, like leopard, and I love the jeweled tops that have become popular too.  I definitely think these tops are special and are great additions to your wardrobe, though they are not quite as versatile as the essential shirts I've listed.

Here's a visual of my shirt recommendations:

stripe shirt / chambray /  gingham / detailed blouse / polka dot shirt /  jeweled tee / jeweled sweatshirt / bird print / bright blouse / leopard blouse 

Today I'm wearing a detailed blouse in lace. It's a fun mixable top that makes every outfit better.

Building A Wardrobe: Shoes and Accessories

I'm excited to be continuing my Building A Wardrobe Series again today. One the first day of the series I shared Essential Blazers and Jackets, one day two I shared Essential Cardigans, on day three I shared Essential Skirts, and on day four I shared Essential Jeans and Dress Pants.  Today I'm going to be sharing essential shoes and accessories with you.  The choices for shoes and accessories is vertically limitless, so today I'm going to simply share my recommendations for essentials with you.

Building A Wardrobe: Jeans and Dress Pants

I'm excited to be continuing my Building a Wardrobe series with you today! One the first day of the series I shared Essential Blazers and Jackets, one day two I shared Essential Cardigans, and on day three I shared Essential Skirts. and today I'll be sharing essential jeans and dress pants with you. Here are my thoughts on essential jeans and dress pants:

• I think it is essential to have good pair of skinny jeans, boyfriend jeans, and black, gray, and tan dress pants. I realized today that these are much more essentials for fall and winter, for spring and summer I'd definitely add white jeans.
• Although skinny jeans and boyfriend jeans are kind of a trend right now, they are definitely to key to making a casual look look great.  I also love the trend of cuffing skinny jeans to show your ankle; I think this is much more flattering then wearing them long.  I also love wearing skinny jeans with boots for the sleekest, most put together look.
• With dress pants, black, gray, and tan will be the most versatile.  Now, when I say tan, I don't mean khakis.  I'm a teacher, so I still see these everywhere, but I don't suggest spending money on them right now, as they are seeming dated at this point (we'll see when they come back, I'm sure they will).
• As for dress pants and jeans, fit is key. I'm not going to lie, I think finding great jeans and pants is pretty difficult. I also don't think buying because the price is right is the right way to tackle purchasing pants.  In the past I tended to focus on if pants fit my waist and I stopped there.  I didn't check how it fit in the thighs or check out the pants/jeans from the back either.  Bad idea.  This summer I took the time to try on all my jeans and pants and check them out from every angle.  They all fit in the waist, but if the thighs were too baggy it made me look much bigger than I was, and if the back didn't fit right, I looked very...well saggy.  I kid you not, I got rid of nearly a dozen pair of pants and jeans.
• I'm the most happy with a style I found at The Limited, they were not cheap (about $45 a piece) but the fit is perfection and I know the classic feel will mean I can wear them for years to come.

Now that I've shared my essentials thoughts on jeans and pants, here are some additional options to consider:

• I suggest investing in one pair of colored jeans, I love red. 
•  I also think a good pair of boot cut is a great go-to option for the weekend, I wear mine a lot for errands.
• I also love trouser jeans and depending on where you work, you might be able to wear them at work too.  The fact that they have the structure of dress pants makes them dressier and can give a casual outfit a more polished look.
• I'm also seeing a lot of black denim now and I love it. They haven't been cool since the early 90s, but they're back!

skinny leg jeans / boyfriend jeans / gray dress pants / black dress pants /  tan dress pants / red jeans / black jeans / boot cut jeans / trouser jeans 

Today I'm wearing black skinny pants, which I wear like crazy, they are great with a boot, heel or flat; a must have for every closet!

On Valentine's Day Brian and I had the day to ourselves, which was great. Prior to going out to dinner we stopped by the mall, as Brian had a giftcard to Scheels and I had one to J.Crew.  I found this striped sweater on super sale and was pretty excited because my other one needed to be thrown away. Black and white stripes are so great, but it seems like I need to replace mine each year. I got the inspiration for this outfit from this pin and love how it came together.

Building A Wardrobe: Skirts

Today is the third day of my Building A Wardrobe series, I hope you're finding it useful!  On day one I shared Essential Blazers and Jackets, one day two I shared Essential Cardigans and today I'm going to share essential skirts with you. It's not secret that I love a good pencil skirt, and today I'm going to share with you some essential skirts, as well as some additional options for you to consider as part of my Building A Wardrobe series.  There are lots of different types of skirts out there, but I feel that a pencil skirt has the most classic and timeless feel, therefore it'll have more longevity in your wardrobe.  Here are more thoughts on what to consider when buying:

• The essential skirts I would consider buying are a gray, navy, black, and one additional color you love; I picked wine. Because of the classic nature of these pieces they don't often make it to the sale rack, however, you can find these at most every retailer.  I personally love Target's options.  The prices are fair and I've always been happy with the quality.
• These essential skirts will probably not be the highlight of any outfit, but they are great pieces to add to so many looks.
• Once you have a few of the essential skirts consider buying the additional options; these could be the "show piece" of you look for the day.  Picking a great bright color, or fun print that shows your personality is always worthwhile. As I said above  Target's options are great for this too.
• Most pencil skirts are safely washed in the washing machine, but always double check to see if it must be dry cleaned before buying.
• As for additional types of skirt, a-line and mini-skirts can be great too: I'm wearing a mini today, however I don't think they are the best place to start when building a wardrobe, but a great additions later on.

 Here's a visual on my thoughts for skirt essentials:

gray pencil skirt / navy pencil skirt / black pencil skirt / wine pencil skirt / cobalt pencil skirt / geometric pencil skirt / leopard pencil skirt 

Today I'm wearing a fun leopard skirt, which had been on my wish list for quite sometime. Pairing it with neutrals like tan and black make this work appropriate, but anything except boring. : )