Blogging Besties: Kimono

Blogging Besties is a weekly series featuring Whitney of Whitney à la mode, Alex of The Cheerful Closet, Maricel of ::My Closet Catelogue:: and Selah of A Bibliophile's Style.  Each week, one of the bloggers will choose one component from the previous week's outfit to pass on in a brand new look.  This "take one, pass it on" challenge is an inspiration to stretch your closet and your imagination!

Last week Alex looked so boho-chic in her embroidered kimono and hat!  She gave me the following elements to pass-on in my own look this week: a kimono, maroon, a hat or something with a fun trim.

I thought about featuring a football Saturday look with a Michigan State hat but ultimately decided to pass-on a kimono.

The few instances that I've tried a boho look, I didn't feel like it was "me" so I paired my kimono with more classic pieces: straight-legged, cropped trousers and a pair of loafers.

I was super pleased with the way that this ensemble turned-out as a summer to fall transitional outfit.  It has been unseasonably warm around here but I was able to incorporate layers without the weight of a cardigan or jacket.  Plus, velvet is also going to be a big trend again this fall and I got to break in my new, velvet loafers!

So Selah, for next week you can choose from a summer-to-fall transition, velvet, or floral for fall!

Travel Capsule: Summertime in Europe- Outfits Thirteen, Fourteen and Fifteen

Wow, friends!  We've made it to the last post in my Travel Capsule: Summertime in Europe series!  Even though I took most of these pictures on my trip and had them ready to post, I've definitely struggled a bit to stay on top of this series.  Life can be so crazy sometimes!  Mine has been crazy in a good way lately but blogging has been hard to squeeze in.

Before we get to the last three, err two outfits (more on that later), let's recap what's happened so far:

Introduction and Outfits 1-3
Outfits 4-6
Outfits 7-9
Outfits 10-12

Outfit Thirteen

I think these pictures win the "best backdrop" award of the trip, don't you?  They were taken at the Magic Gardens in Philadelphia.  If you've never been, I highly recommend a visit!  And while we're on the topic of bests, I think this skirt is the best new purchase I made for this capsule.  I used mostly pieces that were already in my closet with a few new additions during my trip.  This skirt was so comfortable, feminine and easy to pair with my various tops!

Outfit Fourteen

You may notice that this background is decidedly less exciting.  Yep, this is real life!  My friend took this picture in her classroom yesterday morning.  I did wear this outfit when my boyfriend and I visited Niagara Falls.  But between the waterfalls and the rain, I was absolutely soaked before I had the chance to take pictures.  So here we are!

Outfit Fifteen or Lack There Of

Which brings me to my last outfit of the capsule...that I do not have pictures of.  I was so good at taking pictures throughout my two and a half week trip but it was a tad exhausting.  And once I ruined my streak in Niagara, I just couldn't bring myself to take pictures of the last outfit I wore while riding home to Michigan.  Plus I didn't even put make-up on or do my hair for the five hours spent in the car.  But there was an outfit fifteen!  It consisted of black leggings, the patterned shirt from outfit four and my Adidas!

And there you have it!  Fifteen outfits made of fifteen pieces for a summertime trip to Europe and the East Coast of the United States!  I'm planning to write a final post with tips and tricks for creating your own travel capsule but, truth be told, I don't yet have a date picked out for this post.  So please continue to let me know if you have any questions or requests for that post!

Blogging Besties: Black Jeans

The Blogging Besties series is the brain child of Alex @ The Cheerful Closet and Whitney @ Whitney à la Mode. In 2015 the series expanded to include Maricel @ My Closet Catelogue and me, Selah @ A Bibliophile's Style. It's based on the idea of "take one, pass it on," but we're passing on an element from another blogger's outfit. It's a fun challenge that inspires us to be creative!

We took a brief intermission from Blogging Besties last week, but the elements Maricel gave me to choose from were "an oversized grey top, black velvet boyfriend blazer, black jeans and knee-high boots."

This is another older one from last fall, but I loved the outfit so much I just had to save it! I pulled out the maroon of the tank and the blue of the necklace from the print on the trim of the kimono. I finished it off with a black hat, black skinnies, and booties!

Tank: Old Navy (similar, similar, similar)

Kimono: Forever XXI, thrifted (similar, similar, similar)

Jeans: LOFT (similar, similar, similar)

Booties: Forever XXI (similar, similar, similar)

Necklace: Old Navy (similar, similar, similar)

Hat: Leith (similar, similar, similar)

Next week, Whitney can choose from the following elements: a kimono, maroon, a hat, or something with a fun trim! 

Fall Bucket List (And My Summer Bucket List Update)

My how summer seems to fly-by every year!  While today is technically the first day of fall, I've felt like the summer season has been over for exactly a month since I went back to school on August 21st.  While it was short, I squeezed every last bit of fun and accomplished nine out of ten of my bucket list items!

Let's take a look at my Summer Bucket List before we head into fall!

1.  Run a 5k.  Check, check and check!  I ran not one, but three 5ks!  And I won't stop here.  I'm running another race on Saturday and plan to do one once a month from here on out!

4th of July 5k with my handsome guy!

2.  Go camping.  So this is the bucket list task that I didn't get to at all!  We ended-up filling most of our summer weekends with traveling and activities.  Ultimately we decided we needed a little breather and spent a much needed weekend at home instead of camping.  I don't regret this decision one bit!

3.  Take a boat ride.  This one almost got me.  On several occasions I planned to take boats out with friends only to experience broken pontoons and other dilemmas.  Luckily, while in Bruges, Belgium, my friend and I took a lovely canal tour by boat!

Bruges, Belgium

4.  Try a new grill recipe.  There was lots of grilling to be had this summer!  While we usually kept the meats pretty simple, I had fun experimenting with side dishes.  This grilled zucchini recipe was particularly delicious!

5.  Spend a day at the beach.  After a couple attempts, my boyfriend and I got a pretty solid afternoon at the beach (although it was pretty chilly, darned Michigan weather)!

Beach babes!

6.  Get a pedicure.  Done!  And I even found a cute little nail place near my new home!

7.  Try a new hiking trail.  I think my best friend and I tried a few on our monthly hiking adventures!

The Ledges

8.  Buy fresh fruit at a farmer's market.  I just accomplished this one over the weekend at an amazing farmer's market in Madison, Wisconsin.

 The juiciest grapes!

9.  Watch a sunset.  I actually really struggled to get this one in considering it was always cloudy when I had the opportunity to see a sunset.  I think this one counts though!  Bonus points for being in my favorite town from which to watch a sunset: my hometown of St. Joseph, Michigan.

Those rays of sun though.

10.  Explore a new-to-me city.  I did lots of this over the summer!  From Belgium to the New York and Wisconsin, I explored so many cool cities!  This picture was taken in Bruges, Belgium!

And with that, we are on to one of my favorite seasons!  I'm so excited for my bucket list because it will help me make the most of what I love about fall!

Here we go!

1.  Decorate the front porch for fall.

2.  Tailgate before a Michigan State football game.

3.  Wander through a corn maze.

4.  Run four miles without stopping to walk.

5.  Try a new crock pot recipe.

6.  Attend a high school football game.

7.  Try another round of Stitch Fix.

8.  Wrap up in a sweater and read outside.

9.  Go for a hayride.

10.  Visit a new hiking trail.  (A repeat from spring and summer!)

As usual, thank you Leslie for organizing these posts for us!  And make sure to link-up your fall bucket list below!

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An InLinkz Link-up

Travel Capsule: Summertime in Europe- Outfits Ten, Eleven and Twelve

Welcome back to the fourth installment of my Summertime in Europe Capsule!  I've you've missed a few posts, you can find them below:

Introduction and Outfits One-Three
Outfits Four-Six
Outfits Seven-Nine

Outfit Ten

Ahh, we've made it to the flying home outfit!  When you spend nine hours on an airplane, comfort and layers are key!  Truth be told, it was absolutely roasting for our entire flight home so I immediately ditched the jacket and scarf.

Outfit Eleven

You may be wondering why I have more outfits to show you if I already flew home from Belgium!  That is because I flew back into Washington D.C. and then proceeded to road trip up the East Coast as I headed back to Michigan.  Instead of packing for two separate vacations (European and road trip), it made more sense in my brain to continue the capsule!  Here I'm dressed for a hot day touring the streets of D.C.

Outfit Twelve

From D.C., we headed to Philadelphia.  When rompers feel like pajamas, they make for comfortable car-wear and a chic outfit for touring the city!

Make sure to stop by next week for the last three outfits in the capsule!  And I'm still planning a "how-to" capsule post afterwards so let me know if you have any questions or topics you want discussed.

Common Threads Challenge

Happy Monday, lovelies!  I hope the first day of your work week is going quickly and smoothly!  I'm having a bit of a crazy day.  On my way to school this morning, I found myself on the side of the road with a flat tire.  Three hours, one tow truck ride and a visit to Belle Tire later, I find myself with an unexpected "day off" to catch-up on life!

So, it's the perfect day to blog and tell you about a brand-new style challenge I'm participating in this fall: The Common Threads Challenge!

I have teamed up with five other bloggers to create a brand-new wardrobe remix concept called the Common Threads Challenge. During the month of October, we will be taking on this new challenge together and we would LOVE for you to join us!

Hosts:

•  Alex—The Cheerful Closet
• Maricel—My Closet Catalogue
• Whitney—Whitney à la mode
• Carrie—A Stylish Fit
• Ada—Elegance and Mommyhood
• Caroline—Tasteful Style 

Rules:

• Choose five specific pieces from your closet –for example, one pair of shoes, one blazer, one skirt, one dress, and one blouse. Try not to choose multiple items in the same category (e.g. two pairs of shoes, two shirts, etc.)
• For the duration of the challenge, at least one of those pieces must be used in every single outfit. The rest of your closet is fair game!
• Instead of limiting your options to a small segment of your closet like you would for a normal remix, the goal is to really stretch your creativity in how those five pieces. Document your daily outfits to keep track of the different ways you wear each of your pieces!

How to Participate:

This challenge is open to EVERYONE, not just bloggers! Our vision is to create a community where we can support each other in our goal to make the most out of the closet we already have! Here are some ways you can participate:

•  For the bloggers out there, we will have a weekly linkup that goes live on each of our blogs every Wednesday during the challenge.  You can post a weekly recap on your blogs each week, and link up those recaps!
• We have opened a private Facebook group for challenge participants to provide support and encouragement to each other! We want to see your daily outfits, ideas for remixing your pieces, or any questions or trouble you’re having! Join the group here.
• Share your looks with us on Instagram using the hashtag #commonthreadschallenge! 

The challenge will formally begin on Sunday, October 1. Our first linkup will be held on Wednesday, October 4 where we will be sharing the pieces we chose for the challenge. We will continue with weekly outfit recaps each Wednesday and wrap up with our final linkup on Wednesday, November 1!

These challenges are the most fun when lots of us participate so please consider joining us in stretching your wardrobe and imagination this fall!

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Blogging Besties: Intermission

Due to circumstances beyond my control, there will be no Blogging Besties post from My Closet Catalogue this week.

I apologize to all the readers of the other three ladies' blogs. They had nothing to do with this and were informed of my oversight at the last minute so they couldn't even create content of their own.

I hope this didn't inconvenience anyone and I promise to do better next time. I'm currently wearing an oversized grey top, black velvet boyfriend blazer, black jeans and knee-high boots. So for Alex's challenge next week, she can choose from any of the above.

Travel Capsule: Summertime in Europe- Outfits Seven, Eight and Nine

You know what I love most about travel?!  Great blogging backdrops!  Just kidding, it's the food.  I definitely travel to eat!  But isn't this background beautiful, anyways?

In case you missed it, I've spent the last couple of weeks sharing with you my travel capsule wardrobe from a trip to Belgium this summer.  If you want to check it out, you can find the fifteen pieces I packed as well as the first three outfits here and you can find outfits four through six here.

Outfit Seven

You know, I'm finding it difficult to write something original about each outfit on this trip.  That's because each and every outfit was comfortable, versatile, layerable and mix-and-matchable.  You know, just what a travel capsule wardrobe should be!  I wore this little number during a day trip to Antwerp, which I learned is called Anvers in French.  Yep, Antwerp and Anvers are the same place.  This made for some slight confusion during our train ride.

Outfit Eight

In all honestly, I was a bit underwhelmed with my outfit (and my hair) on this day.  Although I guess that is bound to happen in every capsule, you'll love some outfits more than others.  But this did make for an easy-to-wear ensemble while binging during a chocolate and beer tour of Brussels.

Outfit Nine

A possible pitfall of traveling with a capsule wardrobe is spillage.  Yep, I spilled wine on this tank top on day one of the trip (let's just blame it on jet lag).  We didn't have easy access to laundry facilities so I got a little creative and knotted the tank to wear over jeans.  I think I like this outfit better that way, anyways!

Alright, friends!  Stay tuned for more capsule outfits next week!  Also, I've decided to write a capsule tips and tricks post when I'm finished posting outfits.  Sarah got me started with a few questions she has about creating a capsule wardrobe but I would love some more!  Anything you want to know or need advice about?  Leave a comment!

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Blogging Besties: Mustard

The Blogging Besties series is the brain child of Alex @ The Cheerful Closet and Whitney @ Whitney à la Mode. In 2015 the series expanded to include Maricel @ My Closet Catelogue and me, Selah @ A Bibliophile's Style. It's based on the idea of "take one, pass it on," but we're passing on an element from another blogger's outfit. It's a fun challenge that inspires us to be creative!

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Last week, Whitney looked fabulous in floral:

The prompts she gave me were "mustard, floral print, or a piece purchased in a bind".

In all honesty, this was my initial reaction:

 While on a trip to Old Navy, I stumbled across this mustard top in the clearance section, and thought "why not?"

I paired my new top with a bracelet in complimentary purple:

 When I woke up to 52° F this morning, I decided a Fall look was in order as well!

Next week, Maricel can choose from summer-to-fall transition, complimentary colors, and "why not?".

Previous Editions of Blogging Besties

Travel Capsule: Summertime in Europe- Outfits Four, Five and Six

Hey, friends!  How have you been?  I had every intention of getting back into regular blogging once the school year started but I have been so dang busy.

There are lots of wonderful and exciting things happening in my life right now that I promise to share more about later, once things calm down a bit.  But for today, I promised the second installment of my most recent travel capsule photos!

If you missed it, you can find the list of items in my capsule as well as the first three outfits here.

Outfit Four

Did you know that during the first Sunday of every month, you can get tickets to many of Brussel's museums for free?  My friend and I were able to hit four museums in one day!  Therefore, as with the first three outfits, comfort was key.  This wrap skirt felt like pajamas but I still felt pretty all day.

Outfit Five

These might be my favorite blog pictures that we took during the whole trip!  You gotta love when the backdrop, the lighting and the outfit just come together so easily!  I wore this simple yet classic outfit while on a day trip to Bruges.  I was really happy that I wore my Adidas sneakers because we walked a lot this day!

Outfit Six

Can you tell I was tired when we took these pictures?  We actually snapped these right before enjoying a mid-afternoon nap.  This outfit made of classic, simple pieces took me through the Royal Palace of Brussels and an art museum.

Actually, it is the classic-nature of all of the pieces in my capsule that made these pieces so easy to wear!  What do you think so far?  Do you have a favorite outfit?

Blogging Besties: Vintage Vibe

Blogging Besties is a weekly series featuring Whitney of Whitney à la mode, Alex of The Cheerful Closet, Maricel of ::My Closet Catelogue:: and Selah of A Bibliophile's Style.  Each week, one of the bloggers will choose one component from the previous week's outfit to pass on in a brand new look.  This "take one, pass it on" challenge is an inspiration to stretch your closet and your imagination!

Last week Alex looked oh-so-pretty in a pencil skirt and top with feminine detailing at the sleeves.  She challenged me with the following prompts for my outfit this week: a pencil skirt, a vintage-inspired outfit or pearl jewelry.

So here you have it, ladies, my loose interpretation of a vintage-inspired outfit.  You see, I'm in the process of moving and don't have access to most of my clothing, shoes or accessories.  While planning this outfit, I couldn't find a single pencil skirt or pearl!  I do think the colors and floral print of this dress give-off a vintage vibe, though.  What do you think?

I also have a funny story about why I acquired this dress!  When I flew back from Belgium a few weeks ago, I flew into Washington D.C. so that I could spend the week traveling up the East Coast.  Well, the airline lost my suitcase.  On a direct flight.  I suppose my luggage just never made it on the plane?  In any case, I went straight from the airport to Target to buy everything that I needed for the next few days.  I purchased everything from running clothes for my 5k the next morning, to underwear to this dress!  And I'm quite pleased with it!  You gotta love impromptu Target shopping sprees!

Alright, Ms. Selah, your prompts for next week are as follows: mustard, floral print, or a piece purchased in a bind!

What I'm Wearing:
Dress: Target (exact)
Shoes: Bali Elf (exact)