Monday, December 3, 2012

THAT Moment

Yes, I am having one of those moments where I am looking into my overflowing closet and seeing NOTHING to wear!


My husband will be graduating from Officer Candidate School in just a few days (FINALLY!!!!) and I need something to wear!

I have to have one outfit for Family Day and one outfit for Graduation Day.

Both events will be outside, in Virginia= COLD

The first day, Family Day, is casual and jeans is what I have in mind. However, the rest of that outfit, I am completely clueless.
Graduation Day is somewhat formal but nothing over the top fancy-schmancy.

The problem is:
1. I haven't seen my husband since September so of course I need something super cute.
2. I will be meeting several of his Officers so I need to look respectable.
3. It is outside and cold and I don't want to freeze.


I am completely open to shopping (when am I not?) but I know I have tons of stuff in my closet I could wear.
I just need a magic fairy to come whip out her wand and POOF, the perfect outfits will appear :)



So, any fitting outfit recommendations?
What do you do when you are in such a dilemma?

I need help Blogger friends!!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Girls Night Out

Most of my good girlfriends from high school have spread across the Midwest over the past few years
Luckily, everyone's family still lives here in good 'ol Webb City
Which means, all the girls make their way back for holidays!


We always make a point to get everyone together to catch up on each other's lives
AND have a really good time :)


It never fails, that every time we get together, I remember why I love these girls so much!
There are always good stories, exciting news, and many laughs.
No matter how far apart we all may be or how much time passes between each get together, we always reconnect like we are back in high school!


Please excuse the dark pictures!

Sweater- Old Navy $28
Long Sleeve Shirt- Old Navy $10
Necklace- Old Navy $7
Belt- Buckle $12
Jeans- American Eagle $25
Boots- Michael Kors via Ross $80

Hope you all are having a great start to this week! I am getting excited about the holidays!

Sunday, November 25, 2012

THANKSgiving!

I had lots to be thankful for this year:
My husband, family, sweet puppies, and our new adventure in Oklahoma.

Although my husband is still gone, it was great to spend time with family for this holiday!


I am slowly realizing that I may or may not be obsessed with Old Navy lately.
I didn't realize how much I have been accumulating until people have been asking me where I got things and ON seems to be the most common answer...
I used to HATE that place!


I actually swiped this sweater vest from the little girl's department
Surprisingly, a lot of the L's and XL's in the girls, seem to fit similar to S's and M's in women's
I always do a quick sweep through the children's department because the style for little girls is similar to women's, just in a smaller size. AND CHEAPER. haha


Polka Dot Sweater- Old Navy $15
Sweater Vest- Old Navy $7
Bubble Necklace- Ebay $9
Jeans- American Eagle $25
Boots- Payless $40

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Drive Me Crazy... Maybe?


I decided to channel my inner-Beyonce and go for these fun fall colors!
However, I was substitute teaching in a 3rd grade classroom and her take on it just wasn't quite appropriate!
It was jean day though, hallelujah. 
I think that was about the only perk of being in a 3rd grade classroom. I don't know how you elementary teachers do it. I came home hoarse, stressed, and tired.
23 8-year olds will sure wear you out. 
I won't even get into the issues I had to deal with... But I will say that I am SHOCKED at how much these little kids know (about the things they aren't SUPPOSED to  know)!!


I stole Beyonce's rust, white, jean, and boot concept and made it my own.
Please excuse the pictures. They just don't ever turn out as good inside!
I am determined to get better pictures for this blog one day. 



I went shopping at Savoir-Faire this weekend in Fayetteville, Arkansas!
I have shopped them online several times but it was exciting to actually get to go IN the store.
Not to mention, they had some pretty killer sales going on and I was able to snatch up a few pieces for this look.
If you are in the area, go check them out.
Or, you can check them out and shop here!


Rust Blazer: Savoir-Faire $21
White Chiffon Button Down: Savoir Faire $10
Necklace: c/o Rocksbox
Jeans: American Eagle $25
Belt: Target $12
Boots: Michael Kors via Ross $80


What is everyone's plans for the upcoming holiday? Yes I mean Thanksgiving AND Black Friday ;)

And more importantly, what will you be wearing??

Friday, November 16, 2012

TOO Chunky

I love a great cable knit sweater just as much as the next girl
but when is chunky just, TOO much chunky?



I had originally put this outfit together with a great plaid flannel underneath
I loved the colors and style
However, I looked like I ate the cookie aisle!



I tried belting it & it just made it WORSE!
I have seen so many bloggers pull this off and it looks adorable!


Sweater: Target- $24
Necklace: Ebay- $9
Jeans: American Eagle- $25
Boots: Payless- $50


What do you do to layer chunky sweaters together without looking chunky yourself?
PLEASE share with me how you layer sweaters like this!!!

Thank you :)
Have a blessed Friday!

Monday, November 12, 2012

THANKFUL

If you follow me on Facebook you know that I have been posting each and everyday what I am thankful for. It has been fun to reflect on life and specifically choose one thing to be thankful for!

But today, I want to bring it to the blog.
I am thankful for the selfless, brave, and courageous Veteran's of this great nation's military.

This past week was also the Marine Corps birthday. Although my husband and I were unable to attend the birthday ball this year, we have some great memories over the past 7 years.

So in honor of Veteran's Day and the Marine Corps Birthday, I wanted to introduce my own very special hero!
Please say hello to the very handsome SSGT Jake Layton!


This photograph was from our wedding day in 2010. 


I want to extend a big 'ol THANK YOU to all of our other Veteran's out there! May you have a blessed day :)

Thursday, November 8, 2012

"It's Ok" Thursday


Today I am linking up over HERE for my first edition of "It's Ok" Thursday!


IT'S OK:

To have all my Christmas shopping done! It feels so good!


That I see my husband in 34 days!!


That I have been eating Casey's (gas station) doughnuts for breakfast almost everyday


That I shouldn't be shopping yet I have about 6 tabs open of various shopping carts online :)


That the election didn't turn out exactly how I hoped it would because God is still in control!


That my Pandora station has been stuck on some OLD school music for the last week!


That I have a new obsession with Criminal Minds


That my little German Shepherd terrorist scratched TWO cars! (Who does that!??)


That I am obsessed with buying boots.. Every color, every design. It's all necessary right?


That I am NOT looking forward to the little 2nd graders I have today in class... I might have no hair left afterwards


That this is my first link-up & I am excited to continue with this, as well as add more in the future :)



Have a wonderful Thursday!


 Be blessed-
Mrs. L

Monday, November 5, 2012

New Boots!

 I am a little boot obsessed! And when I find a Michael Kors pair on sale.. I really just can't pass it up. It's like, NOT allowed!


See! Prettyyyyy :) 



I also love this big bulky sweater! It is easy to throw on over a shirt for a good "fall" look. 


Sweater: The Rage- $42
Long Sleeve Shirt: Old Navy- $12
Bubble Necklace: Ebay- $12
Jeans- American Eagle- $27
Boots (Shop Here!)- Michael Kors- $79 (Scored on Sale at Ross!)


And this is my other furry "child" Lexi! She is a deaf Catahoula Leopard Dog. She has the most gorgeous blue eyes and is such a sweetheart. We also rescued her from the Humane Society. Several families had adopted her and taken her back a few weeks later because they didn't understand how to work with a deaf dog. However, we have trained her with hand signs for sit, stay, no, speak, lay down, and play dead! Leiba and her are best friends and I don't think they could survive without each other. Lexi relies on Leiba an exceptional amount because she is deaf and looks to her for a lot of things.
 I love the special bond I have with my puppies!


Sunday, November 4, 2012

& On the 7th Day... She Shopped!

I have a nasty habit of doing an unacceptable amount of online shopping on Sunday's. 
And since I can't break that habit, I will share with you what is on my list for the day..
Mind you it is only 8:30am :)


This adorable skirt is an Ebay order from China. They have 25 colors of this skirt for a whopping $9.85 each (free shipping too!). I ordered this color (expect 3-4 weeks for shipping) and should receive it this week! I can't wait to wear with tights and blazers. Yum!


I am loving the tulle skirt for holiday parties! They styled it exactly how I would in this picture with tights, heels, and a simple shirt. It is a little pricier at $62 but it just seems too perfect to pass up!



Now if this sweater doesn't scream holiday party, I don't know what does! The black and white with the sequins is to die for. Even better? It is Mossimo from Target for $29.99! Absolutely love this.



On the much more casual side, I love this t-shirt! I am thinking it wold be super cute with a motorcycle jacket and burgandy skinnies? I haven't purchased anything too casual lately so I think that needs to be changed! For $23.99, I think I can do it.



Alright, now this is seriously at the top of the wish list. I love a good tailored jacket and it doesn't get better than this peplum fit! ASOS has several different colors ranging in price from $36.94 to $61.57. I'm actually finding my favorite colors are the navy and grey marl.



Ok, how great is this boot? The detail, style, height, and color of this "Battlefront" boot from The Elle makes it perfect for an array of outfits! At $69.99 this is obviously a pretty good find. My boot collection might need to grow by 1?!



Show me what you are finding today online that I might need to have too!

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Leave of Absence

I have been MIA for the last several weeks but I am excited to be back in the Blogger world!



I have been adjusting to life without my husband, living in Missouri, and most of all: THE WEATHER! I am loving the fall weather right now but the little pieces of winter that we have had make me want to go right back to California. 



I spent the morning out running errands and literally threw this ensemble together. I was actually quite pleased since I typically pre-plan outfits. I more or less grabbed a few things and put them together and for one, I like it :)


Button Up: Old Navy- $12
Sweater: American Eagle- gifted
Bubble Necklace: Ebay- $12
Jeans: American Eagle- $22
Leather Boots: Chinese Laundry- $50 (steal!!)


MOST IMPORTANTLY!! I wanted to introduce you to my oldest child! Her name is Leiba and she is such an important part of my life. We rescued her from the Humane Society where she had been adopted from twice and then returned. She is a 3 year old German Shepherd mixed with a little devil. She has severe separation anxiety which has led to many issues. However, I could never get rid of this little one! She is also SUPER smart. I could go on for hours about everything she knows how to do. I absolutely adore my Leiba!


Tuesday, October 9, 2012

More Chevron Please!

I have made it pretty clear I am somewhat obsessed with Chevrons!
Chevron dresses, scarves, throw pillows, rugs, socks, ANYTHING!


I originally bought this dress for my birthday this summer. It has a great, deep V back and looked amazing with wedges! However, I decided to "fall-ize" this outfit for the day!


Chevron dress: The Rage $40
Blazer: Buckle $46
Necklace: Express $15
Leggings: Buckle $18
Studded Booties: Naughty Monkey $65
Sunnies: Target $16

Have a blessed one, friends!
Mrs. L

30 Day Challenge

So when I started this blog, some of the things I wanted to achieve included more strategic closet organization and maximization of what was in there.

With moving across the country and putting some stuff in storage, I felt like things were just really cluttered in my wardrobe. But then I realized that this could be the perfect time to sort through everything since I had a smaller section of my stuff. However, I did bring most of my closet. I left behind most sandals, wedges, shorts, tanks, and anything too "summery."

Nonetheless, I decided to proceed with what I have. Jessica over at Here (and) Now did something similar and inspired me to get started.

I feel that I if I have a more structured view of what I have, I will be able to have more clarification on what I can wear. I hate the feeling of looking in my closet and feeling like I have nothing to wear! While I clearly know I have more than plenty (as you will see), I don't always have a confident idea of what I can put together.

So here is the challenge to myself: Inventory my closet, wear 30 different outfits over the next 30 days, and most important, starve my shopping addiction for the next 30 days. 
(Boy is this going to be a long 30 days)

I already have a predominantly organized closet. Everything is separated into the categories (like the inventory states below) and then color coordinated. When I say I want to attain more intentional closet organization, I mean I want to have stronger organization for pairing things together. That way, I don't come up with a blank stare when looking at my closet. So this starts with an inventory. This is an inventory of what I currently have with me in Missouri. I have a few boxes in storage of my summer/spring stuff.

Tops
Tank Tops: 44
Vests: 14
Short Sleeve Tops: 72
Long Sleeve Tops: 53
Sweaters: 43
Blazers: 10
Heavy jackets/coats: 7

Bottoms
Jeans: 26
Pants: 11
Skirts: 10
Dresses: 39

Accessories
Belts: 17
Scarves:  13    
Necklaces: 70
Watches: 8

Shoes
Flats: 23
Pumps/Wedges: 10
Boots: 11
Athletic shoes: 4


The next step is to stop shopping and start crafting 30 outfits! 
I better get started!

Friday, October 5, 2012

Frugal Friday Favorites!!

Since Friday's are my favorite day (end of week, payday, football, and today- BRAVES game!), I thought I would pair it with another favorite- shopping! And of course, I had to do it on the cheap. I found some pretty good pieces and some pretty stinkin' awesome prices :)

Here are a few of the items currently at the top of my shopping list!



I love mustard coats and the added faux fur is a bonus!


Tobi: Side Cross Ring $8
I own a bracelet and necklace like this so of course I need to add a ring to the collection!


Tobi: Cobalt Shift Dress $33
You can't go wrong with shift dresses! They are great with & without leggings. And this just happens to be my favorite color!


H & M: Checked Fitted Dress $35
This is the perfect teacher dress in my opinion. I think I need it!


Rage: Preppy in Peplum $34
I have been dying to get a peplum top and I think the color and style of this may have finally sold me on one!


Tobi: Skully Scarf $11
What can I say... I love skulls! In the most feminine way possible though of course!


Tobi: Leopard Loafers $23
I am really diggin' the tuxedo flats this fall and as I have already said, leopard is my favorite color this season!


Alright, let me know what you think! What is on your shopping list?
I love me some FRIDAY FAV'S!!!

Thursday, October 4, 2012

The Face


I decided to share my face with you lovelies today!
And I am actually wearing sunglasses because I just bought them yesterday :)
I have had the same $5 sunglasses for the last four years, they have broken many times but I have been able to fix them. My husband HATED them though so when they finally snapped in half, I decided it was time to move on. So I invested a whopping $16 on these bad boys at Target. If $5 sunnies lasted 4 years, I foresee a long life for these guys!


LOVE them!!


I wanted to show that you CAN wear white after Labor Day!
Throw in some "oxblood" (does this color name skeeve anyone else out?), some boots, and a fringe vest and you are set, my friends!


Sunnies: Target $16
Long Sleeve oxblood V-neck: Target $12
Fringe vest: Buckle $36
Bubble necklace: Ebay $12 (Awesome deal I posted about HERE)
White skinnies: American Eagle $30
Booties: Target $25

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Along the Lines of Style

Head on over to Along the Lines of Style where I am featured as a guest blogger today!

Women Who Work is a great series that Whitney puts on, where working women are featured to discuss how they incorporate the latest trends with work dress codes!



Let me know what you think!
I'll see ya'll back here tomorrow... Have a great day!


Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Red Chiffon


I got this GORGEOUS red chiffon dress over at Savoir Faire recently and bought it knowing I could dress it up and dress it down. It is all about VERSATILITY guys! It is super comfortable and the perfect length for me. {I am a not-so-short 5'8"}

For today I decided to dress it down a little so I paired it with a motorcycle jacket and a little leopard!
You can wear leopard with anything right? Thats my philosophy for this season anyways...

I wish I would have added a few more accessories to the outfit but I will definitely keep that in mind. I can promise you this pretty thing will get lots of wear!


I am looking forward to dressing this up for a date night, wedding, or other "fancy" event!



Dress- Savoir Faire
Jacket- Buckle
Belt- Ross
Flats- Payless

Have a fabulous Tuesday!


Monday, October 1, 2012

In Missouri, LOVING fall!

I made it, I made it, I made it!
It was a long, lonely 26 hour drive from San Diego, CA to Webb City, MO
I went to straight ZOMBIE mode- bloodshot eyes and all!

It took me the full weekend to get caught up on sleep
I am still in the process of transitioning from California time to Missouri time.. but I will get there!

Today I finally crawled out of bed and put myself together! Felt good to feel "fashionable" again


Since I am in cooler weather, I can finally feel comfortable wearing my cool weather attire!
Something about boots, reds, and khaki that I love!


Cardi- Target $6
Dress- Target $6
Necklace- H&M $6
Boots- Payless $40
Watch- Liz Claiborne (gifted)

Yes, you see right!
I spent a grand total of $18 on the necklace, watch & cardi
That is the way clearance shopping is done my friends!