Year in Review: Spring and Summer Favorites

I thought it would be fun to show some of my favorite looks from this last year.  Today I'll be sharing some of my favorites from spring and summer! I hope you all have a wonderful New Year's Eve, have fun and be safe!

I loved how this unexpected combination came together, the pop of green from the necklace is my favorite part.

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Chelsea and Ginny Take On: Winter

Today Chelsea and I are going to take on Winter. It's definitely here and this combo today is my favorite for winter this year. A couple weeks ago I showed you a Herringbone Vest Remix and I wore an outfit similar to this one, but the indoor light just didn't do this herringbone and pink sweater combo justice. I love the bright color combo! I swear it is colder this year than it was last winter and these layers are definitely a necessity. I'm not going to lie, after taking these pictures I decided to switch to my booties, it as just to cold for bare ankles. Yep, Winter is definitely here.

On another note, Chelsea and I are going to take a little break from our Take On series. Now that the holidays are over there is really nothing for us to "take on" in January. We plan to resume closer to Valentine's Day.

Born Pretty sent this necklace over and I really like it. I think I'll be able to wear it a lot. It is crazy inexpensive and good quality, they also have free shipping. The one pitfall is it takes about a month to get.

 

Year in Review: Greatest Hits

I thought it would be fun to show some of my most successful and most viewed posts today.  As much as I like showing my OOTDs, my most viewed posts were generally more focused on "How-to." As much work as these posts are to create, I also love doing them.  As I'm starting a new year, I'd love to hear some ideas you for have for other "how-to" posts you'd like to see, questions you'd like answered, or styles you'd like covered. Hit me with your best ideas!

Also, I want to thank you for your continued support.  This has been such a fun hobby and it's crazy for me to think about how many of you stop by here daily. It's so flattering to think that some of you find inspiration from me.  Thanks so much! Here's to another new year, and I'll do my best to make my posts worth your while :) 

Most Viewed and Pinned: "What's Your Style" Post

I really do love this look but am totally surprised at the number of re-pinnings and page view I've gotten.  I didn't blog it but this year I wore it with booties to switch it up a bit. : )



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Plaid and Polka Dots

Today Grant is at daycare and my mom and I are going to go to lunch and to see The Book Thief. I loved the book, so I'm super excited. Grant and I saw Frozen on Tuesday and it as super good. Two movies in a week doesn't usually happen, so this should be fn!

I recently found this scarf  at JC Penny, it's Joe Fresh and although it looks like it's wool, it's actually not. It's lighter and easier to wear all day without getting hot, which I love. I decided to pair it with my polka for sweater, black jeans, and boots. I seriously want to wear these jeans everyday. I tried on these recently and wanted to love them, but without pockets I didn't feel they'd be appropriate for me to wear at school. What do you girls think? Am I crazy? 

Fur and Plaid

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, I know we did, although I feel like I'm in a food coma.  Grant and I are off to go to the indoor exhibits at the zoo today and it would be a great time!

I wore this outfit on Monday while I did some last minute Christmas shopping.  I ran around all day, thinking this vest and scarf would be enough.....well it was like 5 degrees here Monday.  My arms were freezing although the vest and scarf definitely did the trick.  I'm all about combos like this now, it's like I've found my casual groove and with the weather this cold skirts are definitely out of the question, even one as cute as this. Oh, who am I kidding, I think I need this skirt.

This scarf was sent over by Born Pretty, I really like it, although based on the picture online I thought it was gray.  Whomp, whomp.  It's crazy inexpensive though and I'm happy with the quality. Shipping is free, the one downfall is it's takes about a month for items to arrive.  

Pink, Gingham, and Christmas Eve

I'm really enjoying getting to be home with Grant. Some recent conversations have me rolling.

Me: "Grant, should we get Grandma another Christmas present?"

Grant: "How about a cape and mask?"

Me: Dying.

Me: "When you were a baby you were in my tummy."

Grant: "when Gracie was a baby was she in Daddy's tummy?"

Gracie is our beagle....

I've got to do a better job of keeping track of this stuff.

Now to my outfit: I picked up this sweater and shirt last week when J.Crew factory was running a 50% off sale. How could I not go, right? I love this bright pink color, and this gingham is perfection! Last year I picked up a different gingham shirt at Plato's closet, but I felt it was a little big every time I wore it and it had a texture I just wasn't crazy about, so back to Plato's it will go. This outfit is perfect for spending Christmas Eve with the family.  We always go out to my parent's house for a dinner of appetizers.  Growing up I always begged to open a present early on Christmas Eve, you think as an adult I'd be over that, but I'm totally not. :)

Chelsea and Ginny Take On: New Year's Eve

Christmas is right around the corner, and I'm so excited for that! However, I bet some of you are already finalizing your New Year's Eve plans.  Today Chelsea and I are going to take on New Year's Eve.  Now, I have to be honest with you, Brian and I are not party goers.  We enjoy the occasional BBQ and we did host a Christmas party at our house, but it was nothing fancy and with kids involved everyone cleared out my 8:00.  Yep,  we're living on the edge.... So, I'd be lying if I said I was going to wear this outfit on New Year's Eve, even though I do think the outfit would be perfect if you're going to a party.  The patterned tights (I really want this polka dot option too!) and fancy necklace make this look perfect for a New Year's party where you want to look nice, but age appropriate.  Face it, we're not all 20 anymore.  : )  Instead I am wearing this to celebrate Brian and my wedding anniversary this following Saturday.   It'll be six years, crazy how time flies.  On New Year's Eve Brian and I typically stay and home and don't even make it until midnight, so I sure am not going to waste this cute outfit on that. 

Have you entered my giveaway for $200 in Amazon cash yet?

Black and Neon

I wore a version of this outfit last winter and truly couldn't wait to wear it again. This year I added tights,  booties and my new black vest. I also decided to try my neon necklace and I love the bright pop of color and how it contrasts with the black. 

Today marks the beginning of my Christmas break and I am totally ready.....so are the kids.  We have an end of the semester "fun" day today and then we're out of here!  Two weeks off will do us all some good! Grant is still going to go to daycare on Monday so I can get some last minute Christmas stuff done and that'll be a nice little break for me too.

Have you entered my giveaway for $200 in Amazon cash yet?

Fancy

This sweater. It's fancy, right? It's actually Mossimo brand and I snapped it at Plato's Closet for $5. I actually wore it the first time with this skirt to church and I thought I'd try it with jeans and heels this time. I love how it turned out. How do you think I should style it next?

Have you entered my giveaway for $200 in Amazon cash yet?

Twelve Ways to Wear: The Herringbone Vest

You all know how crazy I am about my herringbone vest,  Meghan suggested I do a re-mix with this vest and I thought it was an amazing idea. Now the J.Crew, my Coldwater Creek, and the Shopko versions are all sold out but Kohl's has a similar one out that is sill available.

 Today I'll show you 12 ways to wear my favorite vest! To do this I used 20 pieces to create 12 looks.   Many of these pieces I used today were interchangeable, so it made creating outfits pretty easy.  Now a few of them are Pinspired, but really I think this vest might go with everything! Also, I think bloggers like Audrey have the right idea, taking blog pictures inside is so much easier!!! Here are my twelve looks and I've added details about each one down below.

Chelsea and Ginny Take On: Christmas (and my herringbone vest)

This week Chelsea and I are taking on Christmas!  It's almost here and today we're going to share with you a delicious breakfast recipe and a comfy outfit idea. I'm loving my herringbone vest and think it's perfect for Christmas day! This time I tried it with red, my chambray, and flats.  I love this look and am so glad I ended up getting this vest! When it comes to Christmas day I definitely want to be comfy so I think this look will be perfect!

Also, I really wish it was socially acceptable to wear vests and black jeans everyday, because it's gotten really cold here!

*Make sure to come back tomorrow, I've got a fun post planned that has to do with this vest!

Have you entered my giveaway for $200 in Amazon cash yet?

Gift Giving Guide with Coupons.com: Sponsored Post and Huge Giveaway

Christmas is almost here and I'm so excited!  Today I'm collaborating with Coupons.com to share my family's wish list as well as a giveaway for you all too!  Coupons.com has a ton of great coupon codes for different retailers and that really helps to stretch your dollar! Here's what on our wish list this year:

• This year Grant is all about superheros!  He would like a superhero mask for every superhero out there.  Luckily Target has a Spider-man one on sale.  He also asked Santa for a Green Goblin Toy??? This surprised me a bit, because "the Green Goblin is not nice..." however, if that's what he wants, Santa can deliver.  I also found some great new slippers for Grant and an Iron Man action figure too.  He will be in Heaven!
•  Brian has an iPad mini on his list, I had an iPad and love it and it's perfect for surfing the web.  He also lives in Express' jeans and button-down shirts, so they are on his list too.  Lastly is a coffee mug, he had two of the exact same one's he loved, however some how lost them both......really.  I've been trying to find a replacement that is similar enough to the old one's to make him happy.  
• For myself, I'd like a white vest to round out my vest collection....that's not weird at all, right???? I also am all about sweaters this winter and love  this J.Crew option.  I'm also on the hunt for the perfect plaid scarf and a new watch.  I'm loving this Michael Kors option!
• We always fill a stocking for our beagle, Gracie, too.  She loves to chew so Nyla bones are great and she loves her treats too. 

Me:sweater / vest / watch / scarf  Brian:shirt /  iPad mini / jeans / mug /  Grant: slippers /  mask /action figures / Iron Man figure  Gracie: Nylabone DuraChew Dino  

Coupons.com Holiday Sweepstakes is going on right now and they are generously giving away some awesome gift baskets full of $500 worth of gift cards!  Check out the links below and enter to win!

Bows and Dots

Today I decided to pair my bow cardigan with my polka dot blouse and my purple pencil skirt. I was feeling pretty optimistic about the weather when I took these pictures about a week ago, but reality: I'll be wearing tights with this outfit today, and probably with every skirt I wear until spring.  Sigh....

Stripes and Elbow Patches

Today I'm happily wearing my elbow patch sweater again. I love how this outfit came together, it was by accident, really. I had another skirt in mind, and when I tried it on, I looked horrific. Whomp, whomp. I'd originally thought this skirt was more summery (it's linen) but when you pair it with tights and a sweater, it suddenly looks wintery. Sweet! 

Also, I picked out a Chi flat iron for a Christmas present and "may" have opened it early to see if it was all it's cracked up to be.  It. Is.  I'm pretty sure it's only going to be good hair days from this day on. : )

Floral and Stripes

This combo has been in the back of my head for awhile, but I just hadn't tried it out until today, and I have to say I love it! I found this blazer at Goodwill a month or so ago and have worn it a few times with jeans, but love it with is dress today. I added the bright scarf for something different and finished it off with my boots.  I think I'll mix it up and wearing it with a scarf like this and my black boots next time.

Chelsea and Ginny Take On: Family Game Night

This week Chelsea and I are taking on Family Game Night. Now, I thought I'd spare you the pictures of me in lounge pants and a tee shirt, because that's really what I wear at home in the evenings. Instead, I thought I'd share some great games with you.  Grant is just getting to the age where he can understand how games work. He loves Go Fish, Candyland, and we've also borrowed some great learning games frm the library too.

Now that it's getting close to Christmas we're in the market for some new games.  I found a great Jake and the Neverland Pirates board game, and a great Superhero one too. I also saw a fun Disney matching game and Apples to Apples Disney version. Lastly, I found some fun interactive games I know Grant would love too. Any of these games would make for a great game night. What recommendations do you have?

The Wonder Forge Disney Classic Charecters Matching Game / TOMY Mr. Mouth / Goliath Sonny the Seal : Target / Disney Apples To Apples The Game Of Goofy Compar... : Target / The Joker Fun House Game : Target / Jake and the Never Land Pirates Never Land Chal... : Target / Hungry Hungry Hippos Game : Target / UNO MOO Preschool Game

Herringbone Vest

If you follow me on Instagram, you already got a sneak peek at this vest (which is now sold out).....I've worn it three times since getting it and could probably devote a whole Pinterest board to pinned looks I have for inspiration. Today I decided to pair it with this in a solid chambray and my black jeans with boots.  It was a super cozy and easy look, but I totally felt put-together.  This outfit combo has quickly become a favorite, I hope you all don't tire of it too soon, because I think you'll see a lot of variations this winter. : )

*Important note to all who missed the J.Crew version and the Coldwater Creek version: Shopko is selling the perfect dup for under $20 here. I'm not going to lie, I'm a little jealous of all of you who can score this at such a crazy cheap price!

Bow-tastic

I'm not sure what happened, probably the 20 degree temperatures, but I'm all about casual looks right now. I ended up wearing this on Thanksgiving and was cozy all day long. Last winter I was crazy about this J.Crew cardigan, but didn't have the chance to get it in stores. Now that the factory store is so close I'm able to nab the pieces I love easily! I was able to pick this up for a steal and have quite a few looks in mind for it.  What would you wear with it?

Pattern Mixing

Are you all ready for Christmas? I so enjoyed my small Thanksgiving break and had a chance to do a little Christmas shopping, as well as get the decorations out. I love how the house looks at Christmas, and although Brian needs to finish the trim in the basement, it's done otherwise.  We're really enjoying the extra space and I'm loving having the majority of Grant's toys down in his playroom. Yay!

I'm loving this combo today, I was inspired by this pin, then put my own spin on it. I picked up this sweater at J.Crew Factory and this button-down at Gap factory and love how it came together. I don't know what it is about plaid this year, but I love it! I wondered about these with it, what do you think?

Chelsea and Ginny Take On: A Christmas Party

This week Chelsea and I are taking on a Christmas party.  Now, I must confess, Brian and I don't really go to Christmas parties that call for dress like this, as fun as it would be.  We're just really not that fancy.  However, we do go to more casual get-togethers, and today's outfit is definitely one I'd wear to one of those.  When I saw this top at Gap, I knew I wanted it, and my first thought for styling it was with a simple pencil skirt and heels, which I think I'll try, but then I got this idea. I pretty much love it. Last time I wore this vest to school, a student petted it, and Grant told me I was fancy, so that's pretty much a win. I figure it's definitely Christmas Party worthy. : )