Life Lately - The Countdown is On!

Good Morning Y'all and Happy Monday.  I cannot believe we are less than five weeks away from the wedding!  I've been working on a lot of final details and I've got a walkthrough of the hotel planned this week with my wedding coordinator.  As you'll see, a lot of this Monday's post is dedicated to wedding details.

 skirt | shoes | top | essential fringe necklace | sculpted x cuff | hammered hoops | gwen ring

Started off Monday with my current favorite skirt.  It's a fave for a few reasons.  1 - I love a pencil skirt.  2 - it's yellow and grey. 3 - it's basketweave.   The top is a medium, which is what I usually get at J. Crew, unless it's a button down and then I size up to a large.  The skirt is a 12, which is my usual size at J. Crew.

Friday Favorites

Hello Friday!  Oh I am so looking forward to this weekend.  Work was crazy busy this week #isn'titalways

 

I had wanted to go to the Texas State Fair tomorrow, but I was persuaded that maybe Sunday was a better option as tomorrow is the Texas/Oklahoma game and there will be hordes of people.  We had a lot of fun last year and we went early enough so we could wander around before it got too crowded.  

 

Fair time is an interesting time weather wise because it could be 65 when you get there but 85 by the time the afternoon rolls around.  Here are some of my favorites that are casual and Fair appropriate but work with layers in case there's a chill.

 

Madewell t-shirt

 

My first suggestion is to start with a great tee.  This one from Madewell is perfect.  It's a nice neutral gray color with the pocket for interest.

 

For more options from Madewell, click here. 

 

Caslon Long Sleeve Tee

 

If you're looking for a long sleeve option, you can't go wrong with Caslon. I've had great luck with their t-shirts.  They fit well, they wear well, and they wash well.

 

For more Caslon options, click here.

 

KUT from the Kloth Reese Jeans

Now that you have the top, what to wear for pants.  If you're going to the Fair there is food and fun but also livestock, hay, lots of people, lots of walking.  So you want something comfortable but easy to wear and you can't go wrong with a good pair of jeans.  I am a big fan of the jeans by KUT from the Kloth.  I wear my Catherines all the time.  I am loving these Reese jeans though and I'm thinking they're going to go into my shopping cart...

 

 KUT from the Kloth Natalie Jeans

If you're more of a bootcut style girl, check these out.  The fit is perfect and there is a touch of stretch. I'm betting these will become your go-to jeans in no time.

 

For more KUT from the Kloth, click here.

bp Plaid Scarf

Because it's Fall, you have to have a plaid scarf #ofcourse

I have several bp scarfs in my entirely too large scarf collection.  They come in lots of fun options and are so well priced.  I prefer an infinity scarf because I am a terrible at tying a scarf. 

bp Autumn Scarf

 

If you are more adept than I am at tying a scarf, you should definitely opt for this one.  Does it not just scream Autumn?  Such a gorgeous color.  

Lucky Yakeena Bootie

 

If you're going to be walking around the Fair all day, you want a comfortable shoe.  If you're comfortable in heels, I'd suggest going with a wedge heel.  These Lucky booties would be perfect.

Converse Shoreline

 

To be perfectly honest, while I love the look of the bootie, I would suggest maybe going with a cute sneaker instead.  You will do A LOT of walking at the Fair.  The Fair Park is huge and you will be walking everywhere.  I love these Converse because you don't tie the laces - they slip and they are so comfortable.

 

 

Sole Society Thalia Crossbody

Since you're going to be running through Fair Park and finding yummy things to eat and checking out livestock and midway games, you need to have a crossbody bag so your hands and arms are free.  This Sole Society bag is a great option.  It's large enough to fit your wallet, phone, and essentials, plus a map of the park and your tickets, but not too large that it's cumbersome.

Sole Society Johanna Crossbody

 

I LOVE this one.  I like my bags to be pretty simple - no fringe, no studs, nothing hanging off, so this one fits the bill nicely.  And like the Thalia bag, this one is roomy enough for what you need to bring with you, but not too big it's going to make fighting your way through the crowds difficult.

 

For more Sole Society options, click here. 

These are just some of my Fair Fashion Favorites!  Are you ready for the Fair?  

xoxoxo

Life Lately

Hello Monday!  I'm trying to be cheerful, but Mondays are hard y'all.  I feel like we need to petition someone to create a 4 day work week, 3 day weekend. Anyone with me?

We've been getting back into the swing of things after vacation which for me, meant a return to barre.

 And this morning Niki kicked my butt!  It felt good.  i always leave class feeling ready for the day.  And to be honest, I was still feeling it in my quads most of today.  #barresohard #purebarrelascolinas

 dress (similar) | necklace and bracelet | watch | boots (similar) | earrings

Fall is here and I thought it was time to break out the boots.  Hooray!  Boot weather is here #kindof #itwasalmost90today

shirt | jeans | shoes (similar) | necklace

 

And Fall outfit #2.  I was so excited to finally break out this Treasure & Bond top that I bought during the Nordstrom anniversary sale.  Friday was the perfect day to do it.  No meetings at work meant it was a jeans day for me.  I try to dress them up when I do wear them.  Adding the necklace and the shoes helped elevate the look a bit.

 

 Saturday night we went to our last Rangers game of the season.  We always love a night at the ballpark.  Unfortunately, the Rangers lost Saturday but they've already clinched a playoff spot so I guess they've already won.

top (similar) | necklace | shorts (similar) | shoes | earrings | bracelets | watch

Sunday was a low key day.  We didn't really have anything on the agenda except heading to Southlake for lunch and then taking my laptop to the Apple Store to see if they could fix the issue.  A low key Sunday when the temps are in the mid-80s calls for cute birks, some denim shorts, and fun jewelry.

We went to TruFire for lunch and lucky me, it was still brunch so they were serving $2 mimosas.  #heckyeah

Oh Apple Store.  I love you and I hate you.  It is always so crowded in there, I cannot stand the wall to wall people.  On the plus side, they were able to diagnose the problem and instead of having to shell out for a brand new laptop, I got away with replacing the had drive for $150.  #whew #dodgedabullet #therosegoldonewasprettythough

My bright moment of the afternoon?  Starbucks now offers almond milk.  I splurged on a little treat and got it with almond milk.  Thank you Starbucks!

Sunday dinner is one of my favorite things.  Since we're into Fall, I was wanting something heartier and Phillip was too so I made meatloaf and roasted broccoli.  It was delicious.  And he is enjoying the leftover meatloaf for sandwiches for lunch.

I have been gaining and losing the same 5 pounds all summer and I have had enough.  I want to reach goal.  No more guesstimating.  The scale is coming out and I am measuring and tracking everything.

The nights have been cooling off so we have left the patio door open and Jack has been spending hours out there just relaxing on his favorite chair.  Or trying to eat that palm plant.  #hecan'tstayaway #evenwhenIspraythewater

 

skirt | top | shoes | necklace | watch

 

I took a cue from Cassie over at Hi Sugarplum and paired this striped top with this floral skirt for work and I am loving this look.  I've never mixed prints like this before but I like it.

 

 What's on tap the rest of this week?  Lots of work.  My work calendar this week is crazy.  I need to start working in a few more runs during the week - we've got a 5K coming up in a month!  I'm not abandoning barre though :)  I think I've got 5 classes scheduled this week?  #alittleobsessed

 

I think we're going to try to get to the movies this weekend to see The Girl on the Train and then the weekend after that we're going to head to the Texas State Fair #iwantacorndog

 

We're also rent house hunting so we're constantly looking for options and driving through neighborhoods.  Fingers crossed the right thing opens at the right time!

 

Have a great week everyone!

 

 xoxoxo

 

 

Date Night

Happy Monday Friends!  Time to ease into another week.  For those of you with kiddos heading back to school this week, I wish you luck and lots of coffee.  I thought I'd ease into the week with a recap of our date night Saturday night.

 clutch | shoes | jeans (similar) | top (similar) | essential fringe necklace

Saturday night is the night we typically go out for dinner.  We try and limit ourselves to one dinner out per week and cook the rest at home. This Saturday we opted for Gloria's.   There are several in the DFW area, but a new one opened up in Southlake and that's where we found ourselves.  Fortunately the rain had cleared out and it was a pretty nice evening.  Not oppressively hot and the rain had pretty much gone.

Gloria's has Mexican and Salvadoran food.  Usually I go for tacos or flautas because of course #tacosareneverabadidea.  This time though, I went for the grilled shrimp with garlic and rice and oh. my. stars.  It was so delicious.  Phillip went with one of his usuals, tacos al carbon.  My favorite thing about Gloria's though is the chips and salsa. They bring out a fresh red salsa, it has a little heat to it, but nothing too bad, but the other - I can't even it's so delicious.  It's blended black bean dip/salsa and it comes warm.  It's the thing I look forward to most.

Pretending like he doesn't know what he's going to order #tacos

 

shoes | top (similar) | jeans (similar) | watch | essential fringe necklace | alila earrings

 

 I like to dress up a little bit when we go out to dinner.  Nothing crazy, but a dressier shoe, a pretty top, and some great accessories.  Because here's the deal - it gets hot in Texas but it's usually very cold in restaurants and such so you need to find a balanced outfit.  The jeans keep me warm, but the top is summery.  This blue tank really pops and the gold Stella & Dot jewelry adds a nice finish.

 

 

Sorry for the seatbelt in the shot, but we were in the truck already, ha.  I went a little extra with the make-up though and wanted to give you a peek at what it looked like. One of the people I follow on YouTube is JamiePaigeBeauty.  This is her "summer going out look", and I love it.  I've worn this particular make-up look at least 5 times this summer and it never fails.  You can find the tutorial here.   

 

shoes | top (similar) | jeans (similar) | essential fringe necklace | alila earrings | watch

 

The exciting people we are, after dinner we headed back home to watch more of the Olympics #olympicsgeeks #teamUSA.  We are suckers for track and field so to watch almost a whole evening of it was right up our alley.  A glass of wine, some Olympics, and a delicious dinner from Gloria's - a perfect date night.

 

 

xoxoxo,

 

Friday Favorites

I don't know about you all, but I am ready for the weekend.  This was a really long week and at the moment my absolute favorite thing is my bed #truth #sotired #4weekstilvacation

 

One

 

 

I am addicted to barre class.  I love it.  I go to Pure Barre in Las Colinas and I love everything about it.  I love the workout I'm getting, I love the instructors, I love how I feel when I walk out after.  It is my favorite thing right now.

 

 

Two

 

These booties.  Now, I'm not usually a booties kind of girl.  I might make an exception for these.  The color is gorgeous and I am in love with the strap detail around the ankle.  How cute will these be this fall?

 

Three

I have been using Lancome skin products for ages.  This moisturizer has been my go-to for years.  It's not greasy or heavy and I don't feel like it's sitting on my skin.  

While almost all of my skincare is Lancome, I love this fresh black tea eye cream.  I have seen a noticeable difference with the fine lines around my eyes since I have been using this.

Four

These are, hands down, the world's most comfortable pajamas.  These PJ Salvage pajamas will make you want to stay in your pjs all day.  The jersey is super soft.  #trustme #socozy

 

 

Five

 

If you haven't bought a pair of kate spade glitter studs yet, you should.  They just add pop to any outfit - dresses for work, t-shirts and jeans, they work with everything.  I love them so much, I want to add these to my kate spade stud earring collection:

How gorgeous are these abalone stones?  So pretty - I could see wearing them with my plaid shirts, skinny jeans, and boots this fall. 

Six

 

 This is the last week of the Olympics #sniff.  We've watched every night, even the nights the Cowboys and Patriots have had pre-season football games.  Phillip and I love watching Olympics. I'll be sad when the games come to a close on Sunday.

 

 That's what I'm loving this week!  What are your recent favorites?  Comment below and have a great weekend y'all!

 

xoxoxo

 

 

Stranded! Footwear Edition

It's time for another edition of Stranded!  I'm linking up with Shay and Erika on this one.  This month we're talking about which shoes we would want if we were stuck stranded on an island.  

The first one is easy!  My reefs:

 

 I don't care which ones you pick.  Reefs are incredibly comfortable and last and last.  The pair I have now has gotten me through at least 3 summers of heavy wear.  If you don't own a pair of reefs, you should. #trustme

 

 For hiking and climbing around the island, I would have to go with these:

Skechers Go Walks.  Oh my goodness, these are the most comfortable shoes I own.  We're going to Disney in about 6 weeks and I am packing both of my pairs of Go Walks.  They are so comfy and they wash well.  I just throw mine in the wash with my workout clothes and let them air dry - good as new.

 If you're stuck on an island, you need to have a good pair of running shoes.  A few years ago I was fitted for running shoes and I walked away with a pair of Brooks.

Since I have been fitted I have not had any knee pain or shin splints, two things that used to plague me before.  They are so comfortable.  Mine are Ravennas, but they have a bunch of other styles as well.

 So there you go - the three pairs of shoes I would want to be stranded with.  What would you pick?

Come back on Friday - I'll be talking about my favorite books, movies, and tv shows of the summer!  Enjoy the rest of your week.

xoxoxo

 

Friday Favorites - Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Y'all.  I can't even.  It's here - my favorite shopping sale of the year, the Nordstrom Anniversary sale.  It's open now to cardholders so I've been scoping out the sale and finding my favorites.  So grab a cup of coffee and join me...

 

1.  Tops

 

Pleione Long Sleeve Top

Pleione Short Sleeve Top

 

 I love these Pleione tops.  I wear them with jeans and fun jewelry, I dress them up with pants and skirts for work.  They are so versatile and elevate any outfit.  The length on the long sleeved version is enough that you can wear it tunic style with boots.  They are at a great price point so if you're looking for some good tops that can go from work to weekend these are for you.  Check out all the Pleione options here.

Free People Crossover Sweater

How cute is this sweater?  I am picturing it with skinny jeans and boots for the Fall and Winter months.  The crossover detail makes this not-just-another-sweater.

 

Leith Cardigan

I'm a sucker for anything orange so this one may make it into my shopping bag as well.  Leith is a brand that I love.  That cute little racerback dress I have?  That's Leith as well.   Check out all of the Leith items here.

Treasure & Bond Plaid Shirt

I also cannot have too many plaid shirts it seems.  I am loving this one - just trying to decide which colorway I need to add to my collection.  It's light enough to get away with now with crops or shorts and sandals but will transition into Fall quite easily.

Chelsea28 Lace Top

Oh this one is darling.  I'm picturing it with jeans and heels for dinners out with my guy or with a cute pencil skirt and fun jewelry for work.  

2.  Coats

 Michael Kors Vest

I know, I know.  It's the middle of summer, I don't want to think about winter coats either but trust me that you should consider these.  I love a down vest.  They look so cute with jeans and boots and this Michael Kors ups the game with the fur trim on the hood.

Thread & Supply Pea Coat

If you've been wanting a pea coat raise your hand.  #mememe 

This one is a great option at under $40.  Yup, it's less than $40!  Go buy one right now.  I'll wait.  

Okay...now that you're back...

 Guess Hooded Coat

If you have a need for a coat that you can dress up a bit, this Guess coat is a great option, especially in the Winter White.  

3.  Work Out Wear

Zella Lean Routine Top

Zella Live In Crops

Zella Live In Crops

I've discussed my love of Zella before.  If you've been on the fence now is the time to try. #trustme 

There are several options in the Live In Crops that are under $30.  I love them for running or my 21 Day Fix workouts.  At under $30 you get a great quality pair of workout pants that will last and look great on.  For real.  My butt looks great in these pants #justbeinghonestwithmyreaders

4.  Accessories

Oh my favorite part!  Shoes and accessories and you can find some great options during this sale.  2 years ago I found my beloved grey leopard print Halogen pumps #restinpeace.  Due to a tragic accident with some bricks and gravel the heels were destroyed and I am hopeful to find my must have shoes during this sale again.  

 Hinge Cora Sandal

I LOVE these sandals.  I usually shy away from the block heel, but these are too cute.  I could easily see wearing these into the Fall months.

BP Tandem Booties

I am not usually a bootie person but these might make me change my mind.  I love the deep wine color and the strap that wraps around the ankle.   

 Tory Burch Ashlynn Boots

I know these are pricey.  I know.  But if you are looking for a good boot or you have been wanting to splurge on something from Tory Burch, might I recommend these?  They are 50% off their original price during the sale.  It's worth checking out.

TOMS Classic Slip-Ons

I know many of you are TOMS fans.  I can't wear this style due to my freakishly high instep but I wanted to highlight these.  At $45 it's a great find for those of you who can't get enough of them.

Rebecca Minkoff Bryn Hobo

 

If there was one thing that I saw in perusing the sale that made me stop in my tracks it was this bag.  Want.  Oh I want this bag.  I'm saving for a wedding and a house though, so at this time, I don't think this particular bag is meant to be mine.  But that doesn't mean one of you couldn't snatch it up.  Other Rebecca Minkoff options here.  

Kendra Scott Rae Necklace

 

I've spoken fondly of Kendra Scott before.  And this beauty would make a great Christmas gift - sister-in-law, babysitter, best friend...

 

It's at a great price point (under $50!) and comes in several color options. Shop all Kendra Scott here.

Leith Clutch

 

I told you I loved Leith.  And this is another great find at a great price - under $50.  Think how cute it would be with a little black dress for a night out.

 

 

Kate Spade Forever Studs

 

I love kate spade Studs.  These Forever studs are a great option and again would make a great stocking stuffer, birthday present, or Christmas gift.  Might also recommend the kate spade Glitter studs?  Again a super cute option in the gift department.

 

 

Kate Spade Glitter Studs

 

Kate Spade Holland Watch

 

I'm in the market for a new silver watch.  This one might fit the bill perfectly.  It's delicate but at the same time has the larger watch face which I prefer.

 

Whew...did you make it all the way to the end?  What are you loving?  Now I just need to decide what it most important..decisions, decisions, decisions!  Have a great weekend y'all!

 

xoxoxo