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.  

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?

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: 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.  

 

What to Wear With Wine

This week I thought it would be fun to do a mini-series focused on color.  I recently joined a fashion page on Facebook where women post their OOTDs.  It's a great group with a lot of stylish women, but one of the things I see people post often is a picture, then the question: "Do these go together?" Another common question I see is: "What color goes with this?" This prompted my mini-series.  I thought I'd pick three color that are big this fall and try to help give some direction as to what to wear with them.

Today I'm focusing on wine, burgundy, ox blood....whatever you call it, it is definitely a great color for fall.  The problem can be deciding what colors look best with it.  I came up with some different colors which I think pair nicely with wine.  

• The first is another shade of the color for a monochromatic look; this is also a big trend this fall, and definitely one worth giving a try.  
• The second is to pair it with neutral colors, either a combination of warm tones, like browns and chocolates, or cool tones like grays and blacks.  I chose to pair it with cool tones today (mainly because I wanted to wear my Phoenix Pendant again.  
• The third is with a complimentary color like mustard or navy.  I'm a big fan of both of these combinations too. (Look below for examples of these color combos).

To help out you visual learners (like myself) here's a handy little chart for you to reference:

Blogger Love: ...for Lauren and Lauren

Next up in my Blogger Love mini series is Katie from ...for Lauren and Lauren. Not only is Katie super sweet, she's a teacher, a Christian, and a new Mom. Katie shows off her daily styling along with engaging her readers with posts about her life and faith. I sometimes feel stuck about what to write about, but Katie's always seems to have the right words. It could be a beautifully written letter to her daughter Addilyn or a Summer Steal, Katie's writing always feels authentic. 

When I came across this look of Katie's I loved it immediately, the leopard and stripes combo is perfection, and I never would have thought about pairing them with charcoal, like this skirt, but I loved it.  I got my charcoal skirt last winter as the weather was warming up, so it only got worn once. I was excited to try it out and create my spin on this look. I added the cardigan and booties and am pretty excited about the final look!

Make sure to stop by ...for Lauren and Lauren to say "hi" to Katie!

Feeling Great with Hanes Undercover Color-Sponsored Post

Hanes is unveiling a brighter, more colorful look this summer with panties, bras and tees in on-trend patterns and vibrant hues that women want the most. With this being said, I was excited to get to try some of these new great pieces first hand. 

I got to try the Bandini ComfortFlex Fit Bra, which is super comfortable.  I got one with light foam padding and two without any padding in great bright colors.  I'd say the coolest thing about them, other then how comfortable they are, is that they can work with a varity of tops.  Because of the flexible straps I can wear it traditionally with both straps, I can wear it with one strap for one shoulder tops, or I can wear it with the straps down for strapless shirts and dresses. Seriously cool.  I'd happily wear the one with light foam padding ($10.99 retail) to work and the two without padding (two pack retails for $10.99) for relaxing at home or trips to the store. They basically have the comfort of a sports bra without looking like that's what you're wearing.

Hanes comfy and colorful styles are available in a variety of silhouettes to offer a great fit for every body type at a price point that everyone can feel good about. They also sent me some great boy shorts in bright fun colors.  The cut helps to eliminate panty lines which is a total plus.  These would great for everyday wear, and are seriously comfortable.

 Hanes also sent me a  Live.Love.Color tee, which is available in various colors to help women feel bright and carefree all season long and a pack of boy briefs in bright colors too.  The shirt was super soft and the boy briefs are perfect for bedtime.  I've been wearing them most nights with the  Hanes tee and am loving them.

Here's all the cute pieces I got from Hanes.  So cute, right?

This is how I styled my Hanes bra and undies for the Go Blog Social this last week.  I love the bright colors and the comfort of the product was great, as I was having to sit and listen for most of the day.

Hanes also created this fun mood board with tons of different great graphic to show your mood.  Bonus, they're tweetable : )  My Hanes #Undercovercolor is pink.  Click on the Hanes link to pick and tweet your own : )

Bras, undies, boy briefs, and tee: c/o Hanes

Cardigan: Old Navy $5 (thrifted) similar

Dress: Loft $35 same (with giftcard from Chippmunk giveaway I won)

Necklace: Stella and Dot just bling from Sutton

Bracelets: Stella and Dot Chimera, Julep, Renegade

Shoes: Bandalino $30 similar

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Swag Giveaway

I'm getting settled from being in KC and I thought I'd do a little giveaway for you guys today.  I got a bunch of cool items at the conference and was able to get doubles of a few to share with you guys too.  Look below for giveaway and details about the sweet swag. : )

Oh, yeah, I got a new Coach recently too.  It's official, if a small child can't fit in my bag, it's not big enough.  Regardless, I love it and think I'll get a lot of use out of it this fall.

Linking up withTrend Spin today too.

Top: American Eagle $3 (thrifted) similar

Shorts: Kohls $20 similar

Necklace: Stella and Dot Sutton

Bracelets: Stella and Dot Peacock, Renegade, Urbane

Shoes: Target $30 similar

Bag: Coach same

Now for the swag: There were a lot of great companies represented at the conference and I thought I'd share a few of them with you today.  This isn't sponsored, I just thought it would be fun to share and promote some of these small businesses too. 

Black earrings from Shira Melody Jewelry
Bangles from InPink
Sivler hoops from Tulip
Tear Drop earrings from House of Cochon
Socks from Socks 101
Hair Bands from Twistband

Enter the Rafflecopter below to win all these goodies.  Contest open to U.S. residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Neon Fun

Recently my husband and I got a new truck and with it we got a few months of XM radio for free.  The last time we got a truck we got it free then, but felt it was silly to pay for radio after the free trial.  I'm loving it this time around, especially the 90's station.  How can you not smile while Warren G is singing "Regulator" or Lou Bega is singing "Mombo #5?  Anyway this outfit is a little bit early 90's too.  I got this shirt at Goodwill back in the fall, it's actually too big, but I couldn't pass it up.  I've successfully worn it tucked to work, but wasn't sure how to make that work this summer, until I also remembered the "tie your tee" trend.  Success. 

Also, thinking about growing your blog? Let me help. Check out my sponsorship options here. Spots start at $5!





Shirt: Target $3 (thrifted) similar

Shorts: Gap $5 (Plato's Closet) similar

Necklace: Express $30 similar

Bracelets: Stella and Dot Harlow, Foundation, Light

Shoes: Target $30 similar

Linking up with:

What I Wore Wednesday

Get Your Pretty On

Snakeskin and Neon

Today is Grant's three year appointment.  I always look forward to these wellness checks and to where Grant is with his height/weight, etc.  It's also a great opportunity to ask his pediatrician questions, like how much sleep should he be getting right now, should he be taking vitamins and so forth.  This tee and shorts combo has definitely been one of my favorites this summer and it's great for days like this.  After Grant's appointment we're going to a water park and I'm pretty excited to get a chance to soak up some rays. : )

I also decided to enter Chippmuck.com's Expert Shopper Contest again with this outfit. I came in 7th last time and the top five won. Help me make the top five this time by loving my look here. You can vote each day too. I seriously appreciate it ladies!

Also, I've decided to start accepting sponsors! If you're interested in growing your blog, take a look at my stats and options for sponsorship here. Ads starting at $5!

Top: Express (old)

Shorts: Gap $5 (via Plato's Closet)

Necklace: Express (old)

Bracelet: Stella and Dot (now)

Shoes: Target $12 (old)

Orange and Scallops? Yes, please!

Tuesday is library day with the Granster, and this is what I wore.  I was always a part of a reading program growing up and loved it! Now, I'm so glad that it's available for my son as well.  During the time at the library there's story time, a craft, show and tell, and a snack.  The kids love it and it's a great opportunity for Grant to build his literacy skills. The kids go in on their own, so that means 45 minutes of me getting to cozy up with a book of my own. : ) 

 I was super excited to find this top and these shorts recently at Plato's Closet.  I'm so loving the scallop trend and love the bright color.  Up until last summer I was very self-conscious about my arms and would never wear a tank top solo, but when you have a toddler whose favorite past time is playing in the park you learn to adjust your clothing or sweat to death.  I'm still not crazy about my arms, but I've come to realize there isn't one mom out there who will take the time to criticize them while they're out and about; they all have more important things to do, like enjoying the time with their own kids.  I'm glad I've come to realize this.



Top: Art and Co. $6 (Plato's Closet)

Shorts: Gap $5 (Plato's Closet)

Necklace: Stella and Dot Gitane

Bracelets: Stella and Dot Julip bangle, Renegade, and Target bangle

Shoes: JCrew (circa 2007ish)

Bag: Stella and Dot Metallic Ikat

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Niki did a post like this a out a week ago and I thought it was a great idea, so I thought I'd take a crack at it too. Here goes nothing:

The Good:

• I'm devoted to my friends and family and will try to be there for them at all times.
• I'm empathic, I always try to see where others are coming from, and walk in their shoes. I truly believe most people are doing the best they can. I don't think anyone wakes up in the morning and says, "Hey, I want to suck as a human being today!"
• I'm a hard worker, I try to do my best at my job and at home. I can't just sit and do nothing when there's a list of things to do.

The Bad: 

• I take things personally and stew about things I can't control. I had a parent issue at school and although this parent was on a tirade and bringing up other non-issues with about a half dozen other teachers and administration, the situation was all I could think about for days.
• Because I can't sit still when there are things to do around the house, I don't always stop what I'm doing the second my son wants to play with me. I feel guilty about this. When he's grown up he won't care if the dishes were put in the dishwasher, but he will remember the times we played. I really need work on this!
• I don't eat very healthily and I don't work out. Bad combo. I worked out daily before Grant was born but haven't been to the gym once in almost three years. This will come back to bite me if I don't do something about it!

The Ugly:

• I'm a perfectionist. I like things "just so" and can be critical of myself when things don't work out as I'd like. 
• I can be obsessive, like checking planned posts multiple times before posting to make sure they're "just so," see above... 
• I lack confidence, specifically with certain friends. About a decade ago I was pretty wild and ran with a group of similar girls. My life was chaotic and I finally came to a point where I knew I needed to change. I decided to quit drinking and get right with God.  My friends did not take this well, and I soon realized drinking was the common denominator in our friendship. They pretty much dropped me like day old bread. I have some really great friends now who I know love me for who I am, but there are times when I don't speak up like a should for fear of rejection. I am working on this. 

Top: Target $6

Skirt: LOFT $5 (thirfted)

Necklace: Express $10

Bracelets: Express $14

Shoes: Nine West $30

Linking up with:

Real Girl Style

My Thrifty Chic