Black & Blue

Top: TJ Maxx Skirt: Charlotte Russe Heels: Target Jacket: TJ Maxx

Sorry for my mini blog absence for the last couple of weeks! I'm still trying to pull myself back into the swing of regular blogging. I know it's a matter of making the time for it, which shouldn't be as hard as it's been because I love doing this. But bear with me! :)

One of the many perks (or something) of blogging is being able to see photographs of your clothes on your body. I think it's a bit more realistic than the mirror. Maybe? One thing the mirror did NOT tell me about this outfit that these photographs are telling me loudly & clearly is that this skirt does not fit as well as it used to. I blame all the squats in the gym, making my butt and quads fill out this skirt. Yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking with it. You guys would tell me if I was getting fat, right? ;) 

I kid, I kid. <3

Honesty.

Sweater: H&M Skirt: Thrifted Necklace: Forever 21 Heels: Target Purse: London Fog via Burlington Coat Factory

Just so we keep things nice and honest around here, I did not end up wearing this exact outfit today. At the last minute, I decided that the skirt was just a touch too short to be considered office appropriate, and I ended up changing into a longer skirt. But I really hope I can find a place to wear this outfit, because this is one of exactly two outfits I have been able to come up with for this skirt (the other can be seen here). 

I got the skirt because it was one of the least ugly things I could find when I first (and last) tried shopping at a thrift store (and by thrift store I mean consignment shop). Husband didn't like the skirt, and I think I just liked the color, without realizing the style might be a few years old, so I bought it. But I actually liked this possibly-outdated-layered-skirt situation paired with my favorite sweater from H&M (which I purchased this season and I've seen in other fun colors like indigo and emerald, and I'm considering picking them up too because I just love this sweater!).  And the giant necklace (the one I so lovingly refer to around my apartment as "my fishtail necklace") kind of makes this outfit look holiday party-esque. So maybe I will find a way to wear it to one of the three holiday party's I'll be going to this year (doesn't that make me sound so popular? One work party a piece for myself and my husband, and a family party. Has there ever been anyone more socially active than me?).

A little bit of life (& fitness)

Just a little bit of my life today. That's all I have for you. I don't plan on regularly inundating you all with the boring details of my personal life, but I figured since most of you have hardly heard a thing from me in 4+ months, I'd post a few little things from the past week.

So if you follow me on Instagram, you're aware that I went hunting (and ate my weight in pancakes) with my husband this past Sunday-Tuesday. It was my second time ever hunting, and I feel like I can't even say that I actually hunted. Because what I actually did (other than eating copious amount of afore mentioned pancakes) was sit in the woods in the blind and play solitaire on my phone. I also fell asleep sitting up and started snoring. Maybe that's why we didn't see any deer...

A rose my husband left in my car and I found on my way out of work Sunday afternoon. Swoon. He's magical. ;) Must be pre-payment for going hunting for three days!

Calories galore. I regret nothing!

My cute little husband and I in the woods. I could just eat him up! Don't gag!

And of course, stylish as ever in the woods with my ponytail similar to that of Michelle Tanner from Full House, and my giant camo hunting boots. It was a fun little trip! Though hunting isn't necessarily my jam, being away from home and pancakes are. :)

Also, one of the things I've probably gotten the most e-mails/questions about is my diet & exercise regiment. I'm always a little cautious to do full-on posts about my diet & exercise because I've just done so much experimenting in the last year, I hate to commit to a post and say "This is what I eat, I swear it makes you skinny!" only to find later that that type of diet made me tired/cranky/fat/whatever. And by diet I don't mean any kind of crash diet or anything unhealthy like living off of Special K and protein bars, but just a set diet that focuses on a certain number of macro-nutrients (fat, carbs & protein) and amount of calories. Also, to tell someone what I eat and expect it to work for them without them also doing exactly what I do in the gym is not going to be good for them either. At the end of the day, you've kind of got to just experiment with your diet (ALWAYS staying within the realm of healthy and balanced!) and your workout regiment to find what works for you, because what works for me may not work for you. But let me know if you guys would be interested in more fitness posts, or at post about my diet/exercise, or any other questions. Lord knows that for those of you who follow me on Instagram are probably getting pretty used to all the shots of me flexing my little baby biceps or posting about my workouts. ;) You've probably also seen the following videos, but in case you haven't... who wants to be impressed by my muscles?!?! (That first video, I deadlifted 135 pounds, my friends!)

And then there's me, today, just chillin' at my desk at work. A little sleepy, a little thoughtful, and certainly looking forward to Thanksgiving next week! Matt and I will be visiting his family in Grand Rapids, and I'm excited to see family and eat tons of delicious food. And then spend the following three days in the gym trying to work it all off. 'Cause that's the best way to maintain a healthy weight, right?** 

 **No. Not how it works. ;)

Fur & poofs.

Jacket: c/o Charlotte Russe (same) Top: c/o Elegantees (same) Jeans: H&M Sunglasses: Francesca's Purse: London Fog via Burlington Coat Factory Shoes: Payless

Time for a list!

1. I feel like such a stereotypical style blogger when I see these photos of myself ("sunnies" on, coffee in hand), but I laugh because I literally took these photos in a rush. It's a miracle that I didn't have my car keys in my hand while my husband snapped these, because I was literally outside of my car with my gym bag balancing on the hood of my car and my door open. It was one of those mornings where I said "I'm gonna be out of the house by 9:45!" and by the time 9:45 rolls around, I was barely even dressed, let alone have my gym bag packed, my meals packed (yes, meals, this girl is a hungry girl and I eat like 6 meals a day), my work bag packed, etc. I feel like a soccer mom everywhere I go, toting around snacks and gym shoes and portfolios full of paper. 

2. Fur around my neck makes me feel fancy. I would like to add fur to the collars of all of my tops and jackets, please. My pinky is up in the air as I type this. (jk..)

3. I don't usually wear my hair up on the blog (because hair up means it hasn't been washed in 3+ days, and I don't need to expose you all to that kind of nastiness), and I'm laughing at these photos because my bangs are back in what my husbands calls, "the poof". Husband does not like "the poof". He thinks it's weird. He can't explain why, he just doesn't like it. But you know what? I like the poof. The poof is there for me when no amount of hair product will de-greasify those bangs. The poof understands. :)

4. The shoes I'm wearing were $11. $11, people. This is my third pair of nude heels in a year. I generally don't spend more than $30 on heels but earlier this year I spent a very pretty penny on nude heels from Nine West (photographed here). Oh how I loved those foxy mama's! And they were ridiculously comfortable. Except, guess what? $100 heels apparently get worn out just as quickly as $30 heels. Those heels lasted me approximately three months. Granted, my job often requires me to walk sidewalks and hills and whatever scary thing might be inside of a bank-owned home, so I don't exactly give my shoes an easy trip. But I do expect more from expensive heels! And after coming across these $11 heels at Payless, I figured, why not? If these are 1/10 the cost of my Nine West shoes, I'm free and clear as long as they last me at least 1/10 the amount of time my other ones did. So check back with me in approximately 10 days. I think we might be okay. :)

Cap-toed heels go with everything.

Jacket: TJ Maxx Top: TJ Maxx Jeans: Macy's Purse: Love Culture Heels: Payless Necklace: Gap

One thing I'm certain I'll never have enough of is jackets. Well, that and heels. One makes me taller and one hides my food baby (there is always a food baby). The dynamic duo! I love this jacket in particular. I've been looking for a cream/tan colored moto jacket for a while, but I didn't want a bomber style (which is the style I see the most) and I didn't want the shade of cream/tan to clash against my skin color. I think I nailed it with this one? Seems to look okay against my complexion! If not, just leave me be in my naivety. What I don't know can't hurt me. ;)

And I have to say, I avoided cap-toed heels for a long time because I felt like they'd be hard to wear. Is that weird? I don't know, every time I tried them on I felt stumped as to how I'd wear them. I eventually let a girl at Payless who was wearing an aqua skirt with pink tights talk me into buying them. She said she had them and wore them with everything. And I mean, if someone's confident enough in their fashion choices to wear an aqua skirt and pink tights, I feel I can generally trust you with my fashion choices. So I bought them, and now I can't take these shoes off. Because guess what? Cap-toed heels go with everything. Aqua skirt girl was right.

Navy 2.0

Jacket: c/o Charlotte Russe (same) Top: H&M Skirt: Windsor Necklace: c/o Charlotte Russe (same) Shoes: c/o Charlotte Russe (same) Bracelet: c/o Charlotte Russe (same) Purse: London Fog via Burlington Coat Factory

Last year sometime I bought a navy blazer due to blog-y peer pressure (you know, them feels that make you feel like you need to buy something because every other blogger has one), and after fighting to come up with one single outfit with it, I returned it. I figured navy and I were just not meant to be. Until recently, when I started seeing navy jackets around and falling in love with how classic they looked. Wouldn't luck have it that Charlotte Russe would send me this lovely gem? The gold zipper down the front is just dreamy. And it's not as hard to come up with ways to wear navy as I remember last year. Probably because this time around, I threw caution to the wind and said "I can wear navy with black. I can and I will." And I did.

Open House Apparel.

Top: Gap Skirt: Windsor Scarf: Rue 21 Belt: Charlotte Russe Shoes: Shoedazzle Earrings: Francesca's

A few things.

1. I wore this outfit when I held an open house this past weekend. I've learned a few lessons from the few open houses I've held, and rule #1 is this: don't wear heels (rule #2 is to try and sell the house, but I mean, first things first).

2. I still am not a fan of how I look in flats. I guess because I've worn heels 4+ days a week for the last three years of my life, and so I'm used to passing my reflection and seeing a wonderful, proportionate 5'11 glass of water. Flats make me feel... stumpy. I'm not body snarking, I swear. Just sending out the wish into the Universe that I'd like to be about 5 inches taller.

3. You can only catch a glimpse of the earrings I'm wearing (third photo), but I just bought them a week ago and fell madly in love with them, only to realize today I've lost one of them. It could be anywhere, honestly. This is why I can't have nice things. It's truly a miracle that I get myself out of my apartment every morning and back into it at night in one piece. Sans one earring, I guess. :( So if anyone sees a pretty, gold earring lying around, let me know, it's mine. Also if anyone has seen any stray cats anywhere, those are mine too.

#crazycatlady 

Eight dollar dress.

Dress: Target Jacket: Forever 21 Necklace: Forever 21 Belt: Charlotte Russe Heels: Payless

For being a dress that I was so apathetic about when I found it, I sure have fallen in love with this dress. Granted, I've pretty much just been wearing it in this exact outfit, but I have a feeling it could be quite re-mixable if I put any amount of effort into it. This was a dress I found on clearance at Target for around $8, and you know how it goes at Target. Pretty much anything in your size under $10 on the clearance rack at Target comes home with you, am I right? 

Speaking of cheap clothes, the jacket I'm wearing was only $15 as well. I found it on a trip to Chicago over the summer. I can barely fit my burly biceps in it anymore (har har) but turns out that fake pleather jackets give quite a bit if you're as unrelenting as me and my biceps are. ;)

Tweedy.

Blazer: H&M Top: H&M Pants: H&M Boots: Charlotte Russe Necklace: Forever 21 Earrings: Francesca's

Somehow I managed to take about two dozen shots of this outfit this morning and exactly zero of them had me looking at the camera. Well, I take that back. A few of them had me looking in the general direction of the camera, but I either had hair across my face from the wind or else it was just very obvious that at 8:30am this morning, my face still had not woken up entirely. So I hope you enjoy these clumsy-looking, cliché fashion-blogger poses this evening. Along with the clothing I am wearing.

I challenged myself to find a way to wear this tweed blazer. I bought it last fall when I started blogging, and it was one of those pieces I bought thinking more about the ways I could wear it on the blog rather than the ways I could wear it in real life and feel cute in it. Most of the time, it makes me feel like an 80 year old man, and no matter how much pink and pearls I pair with it, that feeling never quite fades. So I kind of went with it today and wore pants and a button up in the manliest color I own. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

A stab at a fall outfit.

Sweater: H&M Scarf: Rue 21 Skirt: Forever 21 Purse: H&M Heels: Payless Bracelet: Charlotte Russe Glasses: Firmoo Earrings: Gifted

I bet some of you had started making me out to be a big fat liar, huh? Over a week goes by after my promise to start blogging again, and I'm a no show. Well, turns out that I'm still living most of my life at my office or in gym clothes, but I dragged myself outside to take some pictures for you all, because I meant what I said and I said what I meant! A style blogger's faithful 100%. 

It sure is strange to be back in fall clothes for photos. I started this blog almost a year ago, and was most active in it while wearing winter clothes. And it's funny how one's personal style changes and trends change, because I feel lost all over again when looking at my closet. I definitely have a healthy-looking closet, but having spent most of the summer focused on pretty much anything but fashion, I feel like I'm starting over in the world of fashion. But I believe sweaters and tortoise-shell glasses are still in for fall, no? That's two steps in the right direction, hey? :)

Pardon my gigantic absence....

Hello there!

I've been trying to figure out how to properly come back from a nearly-four-month blogging break, but I'm not sure there's a formal way of saying "Hey, sorry I let all of you Internet friends thing I may have died or gone missing or gotten myself stuck in an underground cave, but here I am!". I would like to say thank you to all of you pretty people who e-mailed or tweeted me in my absence. It was so nice to be thought of!

I wish I had a really fantastic reason for being gone all summer (like being trapped in an underground cave) but the truth is, life happened. Life and other goals and work, etc. But outfits did happen as well. A few of them anyway. Here is photographic evidence of such:

What else has happened since I got sucked into a black hole?

I moved on up in the real estate world.

I got into the best shape of my life:

I turned a year older (22 on August 16th!) and celebrated one year of marriage with this hunk o' hunk o' burnin' love.

And last but not least, my husband and I acquired our first little love child:

Yes, a cat, not an actual child. Because this girl is still on Team No Kids. For now.

But I have missed blogging so very much, and I feel like I've lost touch with the fashion world due to my lack of blogging. What do I wear with navy? Are denim capris okay, sometimes? What about mom jeans? No? Even if they're belted? Okay. See? Clueless. 

And to be serious, blogging was such an outlet for me. Obviously. Why do any of us do it? It's fun. It's an outlet. It's a million great things, and I've missed having it in my life. And tonight, like many other nights, I leaned over to my husband and said "We should start taking photos of my outfits again so I can start blogging again." And usually he just nods and agrees, but tonight my husband said, "Okay. Tomorrow." And being the type of person that cannot commit to anything (seriously, how did I even end up married?), I decided to promise all my Internet friends (or what's left of them after my four month hiatus) that I would be back within the next few days. Just give me a chance to put on something cute, okay? You don't wanna see what I'm wearing now. I'll give you a hint: it starts with "Yoga pants" and ends with "covered in cat hair". ;)