When I got this $42 jacket I didn't get my hopes up, but I've been wearing this little guy so much the past few weeks! It's cozy and trendy, and I love the color. I've always hated to spend lots of money on coats and jackets, so I was happy to find this one for such a steal. I feel like it helps to make my winter outfits more interesting too!
Trey and I laid low most of the weekend as we're both under the weather. I did get a few blog photos in and some photo editing done, but other than that I was honestly pretty lazy, which was so nice for a change!
We watched the Golden Globes last night and I thought it was a great awards show. I loved all of the pointed references to gender biases and inequalities in Hollywood, the US and the world! It's definitely ridiculous that it's still as much of an issue as it is today. I especially loved when Debra Messing called out E! live on air for paying Catt Sadler far less than what her former male cohost makes (more on that here). It's time for a change, that's for sure!
Did you catch my 2017 Holiday Gift Guide for her, for him, and for kids? Well today I'm sharing my own Christmas list! When Trey or family ask me what I want for Christmas I usually have zero ideas off the top of my head for them. So this year I made up a little list! You'll noticed some towels in the mix because we're currently renovating our master bathroom and I've been on the lookout for new towels :)
Hopefully these help you with some ideas for yourself as well :)
I was shocked when I woke up this morning and saw so many amazing sales in my inbox already! So today, instead of simply an outfit post, I'm also giving you the info for some of my favorite sales I've seen so far, as well as some picks! I'd like to knock out some Christmas shopping and "me" shopping today to take a little pressure off of Black Friday since we'll be at a football game!
I of course have to share when Shopbop has a sale a) because it's one of my favorite places to online shop and b) because now would be a great time to combine some goodies for you and for gifts to get a great discount! You can get all of the sale details and exclusions here. Some of my favorite brands to shop at Shopbop are Free People, BB Dakota, and Moon River. They also have an awesome gift shop this time of year!
Urban Outfitters | 20% Off Your Entire Purchase for Rewards Members I always look to Urban for unique clothing and gifts, and you can get 20% off your entire order today only if you're a rewards member!
Express | 50% off Sitewide + Free Shipping I don't shop at Express super often, but I do find awesome stuff there sometimes, and their sales are amazing! I've included some picks below, and I'm pretty sure I'm ordering this cozy half-zip because it looks like the sweatshirt of my dreams!
Frasier Sterling | 40% Off VIP Sale (Sitewide) w/ Code BLACKFRIDAYVIP Frasier Sterling is a new-to-me jewelry brand that my friend Bri introduced me to! I have this choker, and their customized necklaces would be a super cute gift idea too.
H&M | Up to 60% off Winter Wardrobe Pieces Today You all know that H&M is one of my staple stores (love it both online and in-store), and they have some amazing deals going on all week! Today they have a ton of winter wardrobe pieces for up to 60% off! They also have a lot of great guys and kids stuff if you're shopping for presents, Christmas outfits, or outfits for family photos.
This is one of those outfits that I threw together with stuff I've had for awhile, but I really, really like it! Sometimes I struggle to come up with outfits to blog when I don't have a bunch of new stuff, but there really is something to be said for shopping your own closet and coming up with unique pairings!
Also, how amazing are these peachy-pink walls on a random office building in Columbia?! They're giving me alllll of those pretty millennial pink vibes 👌
This week I realized how into red I am lately! This cracks me up because red used to be my least favorite color. Yep, literally at the very bottom of my list. Maybe it's the transition to fall, or the contrast against my blonder hair, but I just can't get enough these days!
I absolutely love this little bell-sleeve top (the perfect muted red 👌), and you'll never guess where it's from! It's also on sale for 15 freaking dollars right now, which I cannot wrap my mind around. Scoop it up now!
Have you by chance seen the Shopbop re-brand? I looovvve their new logo, and the look of their site. So chic. They also have an amazing promotion for their app right now... You can take 15% off full priced items on your first Shopbop purchase using the Shopbop app and code APP15!
Hey hey! It's been a minute since I posted. I gave a little update on my Instagram story last week about what transpired with my father-in-law, but if you missed it here's a quick scoop without going into too much detail. Friday before last we found out he was being airlifted to a hospital about an hour from us (from Arkansas where he lives) with serious bleeding related to his cancer & treatments. After rushing to the hospital, we found things to be much much worse than we expected/knew and Friday night to Saturday morning was undoubtedly the scariest night of our lives. We are incredibly grateful that his surgeons/doctors and nurses did an amazing job, and that his mental strength and any remaining physical strength pulled him through that night and the remaining weekend. Over the course of last week he recovered and made gains at a rather miraculous pace (he was very popular at the hospital!), and we got to bring him home on Wednesday. Trey and I came home to work Friday, then headed back down to Arkansas over the weekend to visit, keep him company, and help with his care.
We are just so grateful that he's okay and that his cancer outlook is now looking really positive. We were not ready to lose him, and knew he wasn't done fighting. We look forward to our kids knowing both of their incredible grandpas!
Needless to say there was no time over the past week and a half for photoshoots, dressing up, or even giving a thought to Instagram and blogging. However, it's great to be back in a routine, and back to both blogging and work!
So, this outfit is definitely a more experimental look for me, but this fall and winter I really want to push myself out of my comfort zone with my styling combinations and purchases. I was honestly getting a bit bored, so want to take some style risks!
Cropped, relaxed jeans paired with tall ankle boots are definitely a look that's new to me, but I'm diggin' it right now and want to play around with the pairing more in the future. This super oversized tee from Maude Boutique is so comfortable and versatile. I love that I can style it as a cute lounge look around the house, or dress it up a bit with denim to head out the door. See another way I styled it here.
Hey gals! I hope your week is off to a great start. After a really fun Sunday in KC (our first MLS soccer game!) and a late drive back home, I'm still recuperating a bit. Turns out I can't function well off of 4 hours of sleep like I used to 😅
So I feel like this top and this photo location are giving total vacation vibes and I wish that were actually the case! Turns out this is just a random tree in front of a vacant building in my little Missouri town lol. But I love this little top! I'm not typically a strapless fan, but I saw this on megababe Sivan Ayla (honestly looks significantly better on her gorgeous tan skin!) and knew I wanted it for Mizzou games! The first couple of football games are usually hot as balllllz so I knew this top would be perfect! It was my first time ordering from Vici, but they always have a ton of cute stuff I keep my eye on.
While
I've always been fairly "successful" and put-together for my age, I've
still made my fair share of stupid choices and grown from a lot of
learning experiences over the years. Over the past few years I've worked
through not regretting anything, and simply learning from my mistakes
and experiences - whether serious or silly. If you live with the
perspective that everything happens for a reason and should be grown
from as a result, it will truly improve your life!
Since
these are some things I've reflected on over the years, and found
myself chatting about with my friends, I thought I would share them here! I think it's such an interesting conversation topic :)
If the guy you're dating isn't marriage material, don't waste your time.
You've
probably heard this advice repeatedly from your parents, but maybe it
will sound different coming from me ;) Even if marriage isn't on
your radar right now (or ever!), why would you invest yourself and your time in
someone who is immature and would not make a good husband or dad? I wish
I could answer why I wasted time on stupid boys.
Step away from the tanning bed sista.
I
straight up cringe when I think about baking myself in a tanning bed.
Nothing ages you faster, not to mention the highly increased risks of
skin cancer! After my mom had several cancerous cells removed (and as a
result received several scars), it really opened my eyes that I wasn't
invincible, and that it wasn't worth it. I'm already thanking myself for
quitting a few years back, and know I will even more down the road!
Don't weigh yourself everyday or count every calorie.
Instead focus on clean eating, healthy portions, and nourishing your body.
I
first have to include the disclaimer that these practices are helpful
to a lot of people. However, they were extremely harmful to
me. I succumbed to disordered eating off and on in high school and college. I was
obsessed with being bone thin and would only eat very low calorie foods. I wrote down every calorie I consumed (starting at 15 years old! 😢) and analyzed each night. I
obsessed over my calorie counts and mentally beat myself up if I went
over my limit by even a couple hundred calories. Unfortunately when I
went through this in high school I was dancing 5+ days a week and my
strength and overall ability declined, and I stopped having my period
for over a year (which messed me up for many years afterward). I'm
thankful that one of my dance teachers and one of my best friends
noticed what was going on and helped me through it.
To
avoid those negative and unhealthy thoughts (which I still struggle with sometimes), I now turn my focus on
clean eating, nourishing my body, and healthy portions. If you're
someone who fixates, find some healthy goals to fixate on. I actually don't ever weigh
myself anymore and instead evaluate where I'm at based on how I look in the
mirror, how my clothes fit, and most importantly - how I feel. Sometimes I even ask nurses not to tell me my
weight because it's just healthier for me mentally if I don't know. I now try to
workout for muscle tone and health rather than "to get skinny" just
because it's a much more positive way to approach things.
In summary...Love yourself and take care of your mind, body and soul :)
Explore LOTS of careers while in high school and college. I can't even tell you how many interesting careers I've learned about as a working adult that I would have been so interested in when I was younger. While I mostly enjoy my work in communications and PR, if I could go back in time I would explore the nutrition and dermatology fields. My advice: - Think about things you're interested in, and research all of the careers that tie into those interests - Take personal strength and career strength tests (there are both free and paid ones) to narrow down fields you may excel in, then explore from there! - Think about what intrinsically motivates you, and what grinds your gears. What jobs include tasks you hate, and what fields encompass principles that motivate you? - Do lots of job shadowing, and don't be afraid to simply email or call someone to ask questions either!
Have more fun! I was always so school and career motivated, and while that's ultimately served me very very well over the years, I often look back on my college years and wish I had had a little more fun and stressed less! I wish I had spent more time with friends rather than studying and working constantly. Not that adult life isn't fun, because it's as fun as you make it, but definitely enjoy your younger years and take advantage of having fun with friends!
Did any of these resonate with you? And what pieces of advice would you give your younger self??
And just a quick note on my outfit... You've seen this tank on my Instagram a couple of times because it's already been such a summer staple for me! I love that it's simple and low maintenance for hot weather, but the tie details add a little somethin' somethin.' I also scored this amazing hat on sale for $19 (originally $48)! It has a high end look and feel, and I love the unique color (called 'cinnamon').
