Cozy in a Cable Knit

I have a growing collection of thick, white knits in my closet. Much like stripes, I feel like this is one thing you can never have enough of, especially living in the Midwest. Cable knit sweaters give me all of the, "sipping hot cocoa by a fire in the woods" feels. Though, let's be honest, my weekends no longer involve sipping...If I'm drinking anything, it's water (or iced coffee on occasion) and it's most likely being chugged so I can check off the next task on a very long list. Ah, the joys of Motherhood - Now I totally understand what Cat and Nat are always talking about ;) 
This sweater is so cozy and is pretty long in length with an a-line hem so I tucked it in a bit in the front for a casual feel but it would also be so cute untucked with leggings and snow boots. I'm also a huge fan of these color block touchscreen gloves - They're by Verloop Knits, a brand I discovered in one of our local stores a few years back and they make the cutest (and functional!) Winter accessories. I always enjoy a good pop of color against an otherwise neutral palette and their line(s) are always so bright. Merry and bright, that is...

Wearing: Sweater: c/o J. Jill Jacket: c/o J. Jill Jeans: Old Navy Booties: TOMS Necklace: c/o Evereve Hat: Old (similar)  Bag: Target Gloves: Verloop Knits

A Christmas Eve Look

Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the year. All the excitement and anticipation of the big day without any of the letdown that it's all over which is pretty much always how I feel when I go to sleep on December 25th. I know, that sounds a little crazy but it's the truth. I feel like Christmas Day is similar to your wedding day -- It's something you wait for for SO long and when it's finally here, you spend all day trying to soak every piece of it in and just hope that it doesn't by too fast, but it always does. 

Can you tell I'm a girl who just loves the holidays too much? I attribute a lot of those to my wonderful Parents who always made Christmas such a magical experience for my brother and I. From the earliest ones I can remember, it was everything a child hopes for -- Half-eaten chocolate cookies and a note from Santa on the morning of, a plentiful stack of presents under the tree, holiday music all month long and a long list of traditions that are special to our Family. I have so many memories of going to pick out a real tree as a Family, driving through the Grand Geneva lights (which we still do each year), eating chocolate croissants on Christmas Eve after Grandpa's house, sleeping in a fort on the floor in my brother's room, helping my Dad put the angel on our tree each year and so on. 

Sometimes I miss being little, living at home and experiencing the festivities the way we used to but I'm so lucky to live so close to my Family so we can still share in so much together and I look forward to passing many of these traditions onto Ro as he grows up. I'm also excited to start our own and participate in things like Elf on the Shelf (yes, I know - it's a lot of pressure!) and watching Christmas movies in sleeping bags by the fire...that's one I can't wait for! We always spend Christmas Eve at my Grandpa's house with a lot of Family and so many of my cousins have young kids or new babies as well so it's going to be loud and chaotic but so much fun. Santa will make an appearance and now that I have baby, I get to reclaim my spot on his famous couch in front of the tree :) #kidperks

SHOP MY HOLIDAY STYLE:

And speaking of Christmas Eve, I'm thinking this outfit will be perfect. I want to LIVE in this dress -It's so comfortable (and leaves plenty of room for cookie snacking), a great length, very flattering AND most importantly, it's fa la la festive! It shows just the right amount of skin when paired with these OTK boots, which by the way -- THESE ARE UNDER $40. AND...They don't slouch! I was super skeptical since they were such a steal price wise and I figured I would be returning them a day later but so far, they have not disappointed. I really can't justify spending hundreds of dollars on the real thing so I'm glad to have found a stand-in that works with everything from dresses to jeans. Think these will be go-to this season, until it snows that is...

What are your favorite Christmas traditions? 

Thanks for stopping by! Xo

Wearing:

Dress: c/o J. Jill

Scarf: c/o J. Jill (similar)

Boots: Target (under $40!)

Hat: Old Navy (identical version!)

Purse: c/o Sole Society (old)

Lip color: Crush - Glo Skin Beauty

Matchy Matchy Workout Wear

I am a sucker for cute workout clothes...but aren't we all? I can be sitting on the couch, Netflix bingeing (binging? Is there really an appropriate way to spell that, because all I keep thinking about is Chandler) and thinking of ways to get out of going for a run but then remember I have new leggings to wear and suddenly, my interest is peaked. We work out for many reasons, one of them being to look and feel better about ourselves, but it's also important to have that state of mind WHILE exercising - It's motivational and confidence building to keep us going through our exercise routine... Hence why I was SUPER stoked when I found out J.Jill launched an athletic/leisure line, Pure Jill Fit. 

The online shop (and a few select stores) has everything from leggings and tank tops to cozy cardi's (perfect for post-yoga) and a cowl neck dress (which I want to LIVE IN) that you can wear with or without leggings depending on how much you want to dress it up. Thanks to the J.Jill team, I have tested out quite a few pieces and I can honestly say, it is some of the most comfortable athletic wear I've ever owned. With an infant at home, I find myself also wearing it around the house which I know is the stereotypical "Mom uniform" but when the apparel is this cute, it feels like I put in a little more effort than I actually did ;) 

By the way, my husband snapped these photos for me and you should have seen his face when I walked out in this hat. "Is that velvet?" followed by "aren't you photographing exercise clothes?". I love the man dearly but let's not pretend a fashion is his sixth sense. I am kind of loving the return of velvet...I feel like it's a little Clarissa Explains it All, a little Alex Mack and the 90's in me is giddy with excitement, even if it is short lived.

What J.Jill workout pieces are your favorite? 

Run, don't walk to add a few to your closet!

Wearing:

Top & Pants: c/o J. Jill

Jacket: c/o J. Jill

Velvet hat: Target

Water Bottle: Swell 

Shoes: Nike 

A Feel Good Fall Outfit

Wearing:

Plaid Top: c/o J. Jill (similar) | Jeans: Old Navy Booties: Target (old, similar) | Necklace: c/o Park Lane Jewelry Purse: Target (similar) | Sunnies: Raen Lipstick: Crush by Glo Skin Beauty

Sometimes on the blog, I'm looking to step out of my comfort zone and try something new or find inspiration in my current wardrobe to make things feel fresh again. But this look just felt quintessentially me -- A favorite pair of jeans, a classic plaid shirt with the perfect fit, a pop of fun with the leopard print bootie and two necessities in tow: A hazelnut iced coffee and a taupe bag that will never go out of style. OH...and my favorite red (dish) lip color, "crush" by Glo Skin Minerals. It's a little bit red, a little bit orange and screamingly bright which works out well for an otherwise muted color palette. 

This blouse has quickly made its way to the front of my closet. I'm very willing to admit I wore it multiple times this week (each time in front of different people, ok!) and it received numerous compliments. It's so soft and the a-line shape (with a peplum cut party in the back) keeps an otherwise masculine print looking a little more feminine. I love it with jeans but would certainly work well with a suede skirt for the office or under a shift dress with booties. Think I'm going to take my own advice and try wearing it differently next time...

SHOP THE LOOK:

What kind of outfit makes you feel your best? 
Happy Wednesday! Xo

The Coziest Cardigan for Fall

No, your eyes are not deceiving you...I AM standing here in a thick, cozy cardigan while it's most likely 80 something degrees outside right now. For a brief moment, it was cool enough outside for starting the fireplace inside (hence this outfit) but now, we are being blessed with a second chance at Summer. While most of us had already moved on to the excitement of Fall, let's just remember how thankful we'll be for this in a few months when we're cursing our frost bitten car windows for making us late for work in the morning. 

It's certainly hard to dress for this "in between" weather because the mornings are still a little nippy but then you're sweating by happy hour so layers are key and this is a great time to style your favorite Summer dresses with a few Fall-like pieces such as a cozy cardigan, a blazer or neutral booties. That way you're playing to both seasons and enjoying the best of both worlds...especially if you're drinking a Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin cold brew while doing so. Guys, I went to the drive-thru almost immediately after seeing a commercial for the new drink and it's REALLY good. It's certainly the way to a Fall-loving, iced coffee year round kind of gal's heart. Pair that with the chocolate chip pumpkin loaf I picked up at our Farmers Market last weekend and we've got the perfect recipe for my husband to start hating me extra early... once a pumpkin hater, always a pumpkin hater.

Even though we're in sundresses and shorts right now, I still want to pay homage to this amazing cardigan which made multiple appearances the first week I had it and we're just getting started. This maroon shade is typically my go-to for Fall pieces and I am sucker for the marled texture. Not to mention, it's long in length (so important to me!) and has POCKETS. Do you guys agree that pockets automatically increase the cool points of any clothing item? Seriously, I had them in a bridesmaid dress I wore recently and I thought it was genius 💓

But back to cardigan chat, it's just another J. Jill piece that has become a part of my everyday style. I have to say, it's not one of those brands that I would normally gravitate to just by walking past a store window but after working with them for a few years now, I can officially say some of my all-time favorite pieces are from them and not to mention, the ones I get the most compliments on. Their brand isn't meant to be flashy -- The pieces are classic and extremely well-made, giving them staying power to be a part of your closet for many years to come. Sometimes it just takes a bit of your own personal style to see something in a new light.

Wearing:
Cardigan: c/o J. Jill Jeans: c/o Blank NYC via Fitcode Bag: Target (similar) Booties: Toms Necklace: c/o Park Lane Jewelry Hat: Target (similar)

Rocked it & Swapped it

Everybody needs a great cross body bag, so why not pick one up that has a cute tassel detail on it? That's just what Kaitlyn did when she found this neutral beauty at Target (which sadly is sold out), but have no fear I have search high and low for cute alternatives. If you feel like doing a little shopping today, feel free to click on the photos below! 

SHOP CROSS BODY TASSEL BAGS:

When Kaitlyn styled her bag back in May, she kept her look casual with a sweatshirt, skinny jeans, sneakers, and oversized sunglasses. Her pink lip and neck scarf took it up a notch giving the outfit a more chic look. When I recently styled her bag, I too was wearing a more casual everyday look. By adding it to my stripe maxi t-shirt dress & block heel mules, I was good to go for my day of errands. In the end, I added a bright red lip and a scarf, but I added my scarf to the bag. That has to be my favorite timeless trend to mix up your bags, wouldn't you agree? I know my grandma did it and that makes it even more special to me. 

Do you own a great cross body bag? How about a tassel one? Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today, I hope you make it a great day! xo

The Waiting Game | Pink Blush Dress

GUYS! Today is our DUE DATE! July 26, 2017...a date we've been saying out loud and repeating over and over in our minds for 9 months now. A date that seemed so far away, like it might take forever to arrive. I know it takes that long for the baby to grow and become healthy enough to enter the world but I also think the elongated time frame is intended to give new parents (Moms, specifically) a chance to get used to the idea of the huge life change that's about to occur. However, now that I have reached 40 weeks, I can officially say, no time will ever be long enough to realize your world is about to be turned upside down. No matter how much preparation you do or how much you talk about future plans, I don't think you can truly grasp how HUGE this is until the little person finally arrives. On one hand, I'm so ready to not be pregnant anymore (especially since I just ordered a few things from the Nordstrom sale in my normal size...here's hoping!), but on the other hand, that means I will be responsible for another HUMAN...

On that note, there have been so many feelings running rampant these days – I feel like I have been the most emotional in the third trimester, perhaps because it’s getting so close but I also feel like I have no control over it most of the time. Different reactions come in waves and I found them to be summed up beautifully by a blogger I follow:

“It could be any day now or you could keep us waiting to see your face a whole month longer. There's something so delicious and frustrating about the not knowing. My body hurts from trying to provide you comfort. A place for you to do your final growing before you're ready to join us here. I try so hard to understand what it'll be like to hold you in my arms, but I can barely imagine you. My son. Some days I feel like I know everything there is to know about you, other days you're a mystery to me kept safely under my ribs. I lie awake at night thinking about all the unknown, the fear and the excitement dancing together in a giddy show. 

I watch your Daddy sleep, I think about all the things we've achieved together, all the moments I've spent laughing and crying next to him. How much I need him now more than ever. And in a moment I feel so overwhelmed with happiness that we'll share being your parent together and a quiet sadness at leaving just the two of us behind. That's where we are right now. Stuck in between. Soon you'll be here and it'll be hard to remember a time before we knew you. Soon I'll know the sweet smell of your neck, the color of your eyes, and the way your hair crumples as you sleep. Soon there will be so much new but for now there is what was, in all it's imperfect beauty.”

SHOP MY STYLE:

Next time we talk, it's possible I'll be sleep deprived and snuggling a tiny little monkey. Okay, it doesn't sound half bad, does it? ;) Also means this is possibly my last maternity post...I feel like I have been talking about bump style for so long and for the most part, it's been a fun journey. Look back on all of my maternity posts here!

Talk to you guys soon...Wish us luck! Xo

Wearing: 

 Dress: c/o Pink Blush

Sunnies: Target

Purse: c/o Sole Society (Currently available in white)

Sandals: c/o Sole Society

Jacket: J. Crew

Bracelet: Alex & Ani