XoXo, Gossip Girl

I am officially naming this look "Gossip Girl meets Girl Boss." I am a sucker for anything with a bow, so I jumped at the chance to channel my inner Blair Waldorf with this feminine tuxedo blouse and and my absolute FAVORITE coat of the season, this beautiful plaid trench. (Not to mention, an ivy covered wall? I was pretty much living out an entire day at Constance Billard on the Upper East Side). To keep things modern, I paired my top with jewel-tone corduroys which are my go-to Fall color and SO comfortable. 

Let's not forget to draw attention to the best velvet loafer/flats I have probably ever owned to date...We have already boasted about them various times but it's only because they're the kind of shoe you want to wear everyday and that means you guys NEED to know about them.

Basically, there's nothing about any of this 👆 that I don't love.

With Gossip Girl on the mind, answer me this: Were you team Blair or Serena? I loved them both for different reasons (Blair, her attitude and Serena, her perfect hair) but I'm a huge Blake Lively fan in general so she generally won out. Does that girl EVER have a style fail? Sigh, I miss the good old days of teen dramas on the CW. 

But wait...I just finished the first season of Riverdale so I guess my taste hasn't changed all that much... 😂

How do you feel about this super prepster style?  Thanks for reading!
Wearing: 
Top, Pants, Jacket, Shoes, Bracelet: c/o Cabi Clothing Bag: Rebecca Minkoff (similar) Sunnies: Old Navy Lipstick: Glo Skin Minerals

From Hair Ribbons to Heirlooms

A 3rd year as Thanksgiving hosts has come and gone and it was wonderful...It may be a lot of work, but I love preparing our home to share with Family and we have a great space with a built in bar for entertaining so we're happy to have the chance to utilize it.

In addition to all the food and decor prep, I of course also thought about what I was going to wear and all I knew was, I wanted to plan my look around the ribbon in my hair. For some reason, I had this Brigitte Bardot half-up ponytail vision in mind, tied with a dainty suede bow. By adding knee socks and printed blouse, it seemed like just the right amount of precious. 

What's more important than any pair of socks or re-purposed ribbon is this gorgeous silver ring. It was my dear Grandmother's favorite piece of jewelry, as she was rarely seen without it on, even if she was just sitting in her corner chair watching Andy Griffith in her pajama's. Our family lost her this past June and I miss her more every single day...I felt a large hole on my birthday, as she would have been the first one to call and wish me the happiest of days. I missed her sitting at the head of the table on Thanksgiving and the abundant noise from her laughter when our Dog bounded towards her. 

But most of all, I will miss her this Christmas...My Parents, Grandma and I always shared a few special Christmas Eve traditions together... After the children's mass (which she absolutely adored), we'd head back to the house for a quick sandwich, followed by an evening at my Grandpa's with all the cousins (where she got a chance to watch all the children wait for Santa's arrival) and then back to Mom and Dad's house to finish the night off with chats by the tree and a warm cup of hot chocolate. No matter how obvious it was that she was fading over the years, she always seemed so much more present and spry in these moments because I think she cherished them so much, as did I. Her presence will be greatly missed this year and I will be wearing her ring all season long, which she had been saving for me until the end. When the single diamond shines extra bright in church this year, only she and I will know why. 

Wearing: 

Top: LOFT

Skirt: Old Navy

Knee Socks: Old Navy (Just $5!)

Shoes: Sole Society
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff (Love the red too!)

Ring: My Grandmother's

Bow: Ribbon from home 

Watch: c/o Aibi

Rocked it & Swapped it (the all seasons bag!)

When shopping for anything really, you always want to look for items that can be styled season after season. This beautiful Rebecca Minkoff bag from Shopbop is one of our many shared items. We trade it back and forth every few months and have found that it really is the perfect color for every season! 

Kaitlyn rocked this quilted beauty in the fall with her layered look. I wore it a ton this past winter as it just gave any look a great pop of color but also served as a timeless piece for any look. This spring, I wore the bag again and paired it with matching blue sandals. Most recently, Kaitlyn paired it with her super chic summer romper at the lake.

Seriously...so versatile! 

Here is how we styled the bag in each of the four seasons: 

Here are a few of our favorite favorite quilted styles:

What do you think of our quilted bag? Do you have a favorite bag you wear year round?

Tall Girls CAN wear Rompers...

Trying to find a dress that isn't actually a shirt...my number one tall girl problem. I am all for getting leggy in mini skirts but at 5'9," sometimes mini becomes trampy and that, I'd like to avoid at all costs. 

Let me be clear, I'm not complaining about my height...I typically embrace being tall (except when my husband complains about the extra lift from my heels, sorry not sorry sweets!) but there are some instances where I must work a little harder to find things that work well for my body and this issue applies to one of my favorite spring/summer trends...the romper. 

I have fallen in love with this one-piece style which despite making bathroom trips a little longer, is perfect for almost everything from a night out with the girls, a bridal shower, or even the office if you can find one appropriate enough which is what I set out to do. No matter how cute, I just can't shop the rompers in Forever because for me, they are LITERALLY the epitome of "cheeky," and not in a endearing way. 

So, I did some research and remembered that I had seen a few styles on the Rage IG page that stood out to me, plus they looked longer and a little more "covered up" than most. I spent some time on their site looking at the models in the photos to see how they fit and felt confident about some of the styles so I went with this floral romper and it ended up being perfect for my height. 

While still short, it doesn't make me feel self-conscious when I'm walking and can definitely be taken down a notch with flat sandals and a jean jacket.

I love all the bright colors and prints on this site right now so of course, I couldn't just order one item...I also scored a gorgeous floral maxi and a shift dress that will be just right for another weekend by the lake. 

Here are a few of my other favorite romper styles from the Rage: Stripes // Beach // Florals #2

Romper: The Rage | Shoes: Just Fab (similar) | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff (love it in hot pink too!) 

Sunnies: Swap w/Mom (similar) | Watch: T+J Designs (similar) | Ring: Swap w/Lisa | Necklace: H&M

How does your body affect your shopping decisions? 

Do you search until you find the perfect style?

Beauty & the Blog: Kaitlyn's OOTD

For our Lake & Country Magazine shoot, we were photographed in two different settings: Romantic daytime for the "ladies who lunch" theme and everyday, an invitation to share our personal style. 

The photos were shot in January so it was slightly difficult to find blush tones and Spring styles but my search came to an end when I consulted ASOS - I ordered two different dress options because I knew I would need a backup and of course, I ended up loving them both, but promised my husband I would stick to my word and send the one back that wasn't being used ;) 

Look 1:

Dress: ASOS (on sale!) | Shoes: Jennifer Lopez (similar) | Earrings: Forever 21 | Bracelet: Francescas

For our second outfit, we were asked to bring something that defined our style as bloggers - a look that we felt most comfortable in and served as a good representation of our daily life. I didn't think twice about this -- When it comes down to it, I am definitely and jeans and t kind of girl and in the cooler months, I almost always gravitate towards a leather jacket to dress things up (or down). This is a weekday look I would wear to work and with the necklace and booties, could be dressed up for evening drinks or dinner. 

Look 2: (photos by Anna Urban Photography)

Jeans: LOFT | Top: LOFT (similar) | Jacket: BISTM | Booties: Just Fab 

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff | Necklace: T+J Designs (on SUPER sale!) | Lipstick: Butter London

What do you think of these looks? 

What do you consider your everyday style?

Layers of Love

Lately, I have been in love with layers – Specifically, button-up blouses with sweaters where a hint of plaid, polka dots or fun patterns can peek out (like this, LOVE!) As long as you refrain from a bulky style, it’s not only a great way to keep warm (I'm beating a dead horse but I am seriously ALWAYS cold) but fun to try your hand at mixing prints to come up with new combinations. 

This is one of my favorite sweaters (obvi, it’s nautical themed) but to me, it always feels too summery for the winter months so I decided to add a plaid blouse underneath to make it more winter appropriate…think it did the trick?

Sweater: Old Navy (similar, LOVE!) | Blouse: Target (swap w/Lisa) (similar) | Booties: Just Fab

Purse: c/o Shopbop | Necklace: Shoplately | Glasses: Coach

How do you layer prints? 

Lace Up Love

A plaid sweater with leather trim, distressed denim, and combat boots...if it wasn't for the long locks and red lips, you'd think I was describing a handsome man (AKA the coveted #lumbersexual). I enjoy pink and sequins as much as the next girl but come wintertime, I tend to embrace everything rustic and rugged. 

 I pinned these boots to my Pinterest list a few months back and luckily my Mom took notice. I LOVE the standard lace up combat boot but when I saw them in this camel color, I was hooked. They paired perfectly with this cozy plaid jacket for a rainy sunday breakfast and coffee date with the family and I can't wait to mix them with skirts and dresses come Spring...Versatility at its finest ;)

Jacket: c/o Sheinside | Jeans: Old Navy | Boots: Sole Society

Bag: Old Navy | Watch: Michael Kors (similar) | Lipstick: Kate Spade

Recreate this look with a few similar pieces during Shopbop's BIG EVENT (details below!)

Rebecca Minkoff | JOA | Sam Edelman