Tres-Chic, Bows, and Stripes

I'm excited to be co-hosting with Agi for her Tres-Chic link-up! Today, I'm also kind of in love with outfit. This bow sweater is definitely one of my favorite purchases from this winter, so I was excited to get to wear it again.  Originally I was thinking of wearing booties but changed to my boots last minute and I'm so glad I did. It's perfect for the cold temps. we've been having. The mix of sparkle from the bows on the cardigan, lace from the top, and texture of the skirt make this a winning combination for me.

I'd love to have you link-up down below and show off your tres-chic look too!

Have you entered my sponsor's giveaway here yet?

Leopard and Stripes

Ok, so I'm pretty crazy about today's outfit.  I got the inspiration from this pin after receiving this scarf from Born Pretty.  I already have an infinity version, but really wanted a tradition one.  You guys.  I love it.  I'm not sure the pictures does it justice, it's really luxurious and not chintzy on the length at all.  I also got the chance to layer a necklace and a scarf and love how it came out too.  Yep, I'll definitely be wearing this outfit again.

Have you entered my sponsor's giveaway here yet?

A Utility Vest Three Ways

I'm excited to be collaborating with Heather at Style Journey and Inge at This Ever Evolving Life to show
you three ways to style a utility vest.  I've ogled over Heather and Inge's vests for quite sometime, but it just got my recently on super clearance at JC Penney and have been wearing it like crazy! The first time I wore it on the blog I wore it like this, and if you follow me on Instagram you've seen it a few times on there too.  Today I decided to pair it with my new navy striped dress I got from Gap for $6. New for $6. I actually laughed when she told me the total.  I wish a big thanks to whoever returned this gem, so I could get it for a steal. I'm crazy about this combo and love the gingham touch the button down adds too. Make sure to stop by Heather and Inge's blogs to get the details to their great looks too.

Blazers and Boots

I found this Loft blazer last year at Goodwill and wore it a ton, but for whatever reason it's been totally under utilized this winter.  I decided to pair it with my polka dot sweater, also totally under utilized this winter and my red scarf.  I feel totally cozy and warm, and when it's ridiculously cold outside that's a winning combination.  

How To: Style a Boyfriend Cardigan

I'm excited to be starting a how-to series, which I'll be sharing with you all weekly.  This week I'll be sharing tips on how to style a boyfriend cardigan.  Now, these cardigans can be great, but the length and tendency for them to be over-sized can make them difficult to style.  I have some great tips on how to style them for you all today.

• First, when trying a boyfriend cardigan on in the store, try on your "normal" size and then one size smaller.  You might find that the small works better than the medium, etc.  Also, check the length.  For me, having a boyfriend cardigan hit right below the hips is most flattering.  Due to my short petite figure, cardigans that are longer than this are not flattering on me and look more like a weird dress with buttons on the front.  Not cool.
• One great way to style a boyfriend cardigan once you've gotten a well fitting one is with a jersey dress like this one I'm wearing in the first picture below.  Boyfriend cardigans are more casual in nature, so wearing it with a jersey dress works great.  I'll done this quite a few time and and always feel put together and cozy all day long.  A belt also helps to accentuate your waist with this combo too.
• The second ways to wear a boyfriend cardigan is with skinny jeans.  This is a great combo for casual Friday or for a weekend look.  I think skinny jeans are best because you don't want to create more volume with the outfit by adding a wider leg jean; this outfit can have a tendency to look overwhelming and make you look bigger than you are.  I styled mine below with booties, but you could also easily wear ballet flats or tall boots too. I also feel that tucking in your shirt or wearing a more form fitting shirt is the most flattering with a boyfriend cardigan too, just like with the jeans, an over-sized shirt can make you look bigger than you are.
• The third way to style a boyfriend cardigan is with a mini-skirt.  Now pencil skirts can be ok with boyfriend cardigans too, just keep in mind the casual nature of this piece, so a cotton skirt is probably best.  Once again tucking your shirt in will be the most flattering for this look and I think booties are boots look best.  I don't recommend wearing an a-line skirt with a boyfriend cardigan, just like I stated above with over-sized shirts or wider leg jeans, adding more volume is not very flattering.
• The last way I'm going to show is to wear a boyfriend cardigan with leggings.  I love this with a longer tunic and boots or booties.  I don't recommend wearing leggings to work, I'd stick to wearing this combo for a night with friends or on the weekends.  You also want to make sure your rear is covered by the tunic and cardigan and that the legging are nice and thick.  To wear this look at work, simply swap out the leggings for black jeans or the gigi pant and you're ready to go.

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? 

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.

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!

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.....

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.