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!

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.

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!

Save

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?

Travel Capsule: Summertime in Europe- Introduction and Outfits One, Two and Three

Hey, gals!  I'm super excited to be starting a new mini-series on the blog today!  When I traveled to Europe in April, I did so with a small, capsule wardrobe.  I loved the cohesiveness of my look throughout the trip as well as the ease of packing lightly.  I loved it so much, in fact, that I decided to do another capsule wardrobe for my summer travels.

On Birthday Coupons and Splurges

If you stop by here frequently, you know that I recently celebrated my 29th birthday.  One of my favorite things to do during the month of May is to treat myself to a few things using the assortment of birthday coupons that flood my inbox.  My biggest birthday splurge this year was this comfy, flowing maxi dress from Anthropologie!

For a busy birthday on-the-go, I paired the dress with some flat, strappy sandals.  I can't wait to dress it up with a cute pair of wedges and perhaps a statement necklace!

Gotta love a goofy face and a cat photobomb!

As much as I love birthday coupons, I do have to say that I'm growing a bit disappointed in the offerings from certain stores.  I loved my "no purchase necessary" make-up sample from Sephora and the "no strings attached" $5 coupon from DSW.  But stores like Anthropologie and Gap really let me down.  Truth be told, this dress wasn't purchased from Anthro with my 15% off birthday coupon, but rather with the 20% off Mother's Day Sale code.  Call me greedy, but I think that my birthday coupon should be special and should trump the other sales that are currently happening!  Similarly, for having a Gap card, I received 25% off a purchase for my special day.  Meanwhile, a 40% off sale was happening.  Don't you think that your birthday deal should be more of a special occasion that the typical store sales??

What I'm Wearing:

Dress: Anthropologie (similar)

Sandals: France (similar, similar)

Linking-Up:

Spy Girl- 52 Pick-Me-Up: United Nations (I think I've got a little Mexican flair going on here!)

Maxi Dress Love

About a year ago I mentioned that I really struggle with finding maxi dresses that fit and are flattering on me.  I still find this odd considering how many maxis are on the market.  Anyways, last year I found the perfect maxi dress at the Banana Republic Outlet.  It hugged my body in all of the right places while skimming the rest of my, well, let's call them curves.

I was in for a sweet surprise this past weekend when I walked into the BR Outlet with my mom for our annual back-to-school shopping trip.  As I was perusing the racks of clothes, I found the exact maxi dress from last year but in new prints!  Major score!  I went home with two new maxis that I love and that I feel great in!  I purchased this great palm print dress as well as a little striped number.

I wanted to post this exciting news right away in case any of you struggle with finding maxis like I do.  Head straight to your nearest Banana Republic Outlet and try these dresses on!  (They were even 50% off this past weekend).  I can't speak highly enough of them!  And Banana Republic, if you are listening, you will have a very happy shopper if you come out with new versions of this dress every summer!

P.S.  You may notice that I've had most of my hair chopped-off!  I'm in an "out with the old and in with the new" sort of a mood lately and I'm loving my new, breezy 'do!

The original!

Fun, new pattern!

What I'm Wearing:

Dress: Banana Republic Outlet (exact)

Sandals: France (similar, similar)

Linking-Up:

Penniless Socialite- Look What I Got

Rachel the Hat and Lena B, Actually- Passion 4 Fashion

Simply Sequins- Fashion Item Friday

Style Elixir- Friday's Fab Faves

Vodka Infused Lemonade- Très Chic Fashion Thursday

Sweet Summertime and a Giveaway!

Greetings from the Mitten State!  Though I currently live in Virginia, I am from the great state of Michigan and it is still my all-time favorite place to be.  I am spending my last three weeks of summer vacation at home with family and friends.  I have been busy eating lunch every day at my parents' restaurant, exploring new shopping with my best friend and boating on the fresh Michigan water.  There is something about this place that always helps me to breathe a little easier!

Here is that denim vest again!  I told you that it has been so versatile and that I've been wearing it non-stop.

In fact, my new summer staple + a comfy maxi skirt = the perfect outfit for bumming around during a Michigan summer!

Another activity that I have been doing a lot of while relaxing at home is reading!  I adore reading but I don't get to do as much of it as I would like during the school year (darn you, lesson planning and grading).  This just means that I make-up for lost time during the summer by reading as much as I possibly can.  Most recently I finished Peril at End House by my ultimate favorite author, Agatha Christie.  If you enjoy a good murder mystery, Agatha is your girl!  In fact, if you are a mystery lover like me, I'm going to give you some homework (yes, it's summer vacation but I am still a teacher at heart)!  First of all, enter the amazing giveaway below and you could win a Kindle Paperwhite!  Then, download an Agatha Christie novel, curl-up with a cup of tea (perhaps iced) and lose yourself in a mystery!  Let me know when you are finished because I do enjoy a good book discussion!

Giveaway Details:
-Enter using the Rafflecopter below.
-Open from August 4th to August 18th.
-Open for Continental U.S. residents only.
-Winner's entries will be verified.
-Hosted by Marissa from The Modern Austen.
-Co-hosted by the following bloggers:
    Brittney & Staff from Urban Cashmere
     Kristin from My Life as a Teacup
     Rhea from Rhea Et Cetera
     Sam from Sam Bell Creative
     Whitney from Whitney a la Mode
     Karen from Fearlessly Authentic
     Inge from This Ever Evolving Life
     Meghan from Hayes Days

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

What I'm Wearing:
T-Shirt: Gap Outlet (similar, similar)
Vest: Old Navy (exact)
Skirt: Dressbarn (similar, similar)
Sandals: In France (similar, similar)

Linking-Up:
Cha Cha the Fashion Genius and Pink Sole- #howisummer
DC In Style- Monday Bloom
I Do deClaire- Confident TWOSday
Style Elixir- Style Sessions

Summer Style

Earlier this week the D.C. temperatures soared into the 90s for the first time this year.  I feel like summer has arrived and it's not even June yet!  I'm not quite ready for the heat, but the weather does make for good timing of Bri's latest Third Thursday Threads theme: sandals!

I purchased these sandals a few years ago during a trip to France!  I'm glad that they've held-up well because they are some of my favorite summer shoes.  I love that they are simple and classic but with a bit of pretty, feminine detail.

I've worn this dress on the blog before but underneath a cardigan and a denim jacket.  While I've loved layering the dress, I knew it would be great for warmer weather, too!  The dress has enough detail that it can stand on it's own...especially when I add a statement necklace.

I do have to say, though, that I don't get as excited about summer style as I do about dressing during the cooler seasons.  I love the creativity in adding blazers, cardigans, tights and scarves.  There is only so much you can wear when it's swelteringly hot outside.  Although, this will be my first full summer with a style blog so I'm hoping that I can be inspired and creative as the temperatures soar!

What I'm Wearing:
Dress: LOFT (similar, similar)
Necklace: Etsy (exact)
Sandals: France (similar, similar)

Linking-Up:
Penniless Socialite- Favorite Fashion Friday
Perfectly Coutured- Three-fer Thursday
Rachel the Hat and Lena B, Actually- Passion for Fashion
Simple Sequins- Fashion Item Friday
Style Elixir- Friday's Fab Faves
Vodka Infused Lemonade- Très Chic Fashion Thursday
Work Clothes I Suppose- Third Thursday Threads

Style Swap with Alex

I hope that you are beginning to recognize Alex from Undergraduate Style by now due to our various guest posts and style swaps!  If you haven't checked-out her blog yet, you must because she is just the best!

Alex and I had so much fun swapping styles before that we decided to do it again!  As soon as Alex asked if I was game, I immediately knew which of her outfits I wanted to "steal."  (Is it stealing if I give her credit?)

I know I've mentioned the versatility of detailed blouses before, but these wardrobe staples become even more important to me as the temperature rises.  When it gets hot, layering scarves and blazers to add interest just isn't an option.  For that reason, I love sleeveless blouses with cute details (like the real bow and the cute printed bows on this blouse).  You can throw one on with a pair of jeans or shorts and you are good to go!

In other news, have you seen this picture that is making its way around the interwebz?

Allergies have seriously been kicking my behind lately!  Pollen in the Washington D.C. area is out of control (I didn't have such serious issues in the lovely state of Michigan, that is for sure).  Anyway, I am currently enjoying my spring break by sitting on the couch with my cat and a roll of toilet paper that I'm using as Kleenex.  I know, I know, cue the song "Glamourous" by Fergie.

And don't forget to stop by Alex's blog to see which of my styles she recreated today!

What I'm Wearing:
Blouse: LOFT (similar, similar) <--Neither of these feature bows but I liked the ruffles and stripes!
Jeans: LOFT (exact)
Sandals: From France (similar, similar)

Linking-Up:
Penniless Socialite- Favorite Fashion Friday
Simple Sequins- Fashion Item Friday- Think Pink! (let's support Renae as she continues to fight cancer!)
Style Elixir- Friday's Fab Favorites

Maxi Dress-ed Up or Down

So, I’ve finally done it!  I’ve finally found a maxi dress that I absolutely love!  I know that maxis have been a chic and comfy trend for a few years now, but I have had the hardest time finding maxi dresses that work for me…they have been unflattering, too revealing up top, too long, too tight on the bottom…you name it, I’ve struggled with it!

But my struggles are over!  This weekend my mom and I took an outlet mall trip that we have been planning for months.  I LOVE outlet shopping and a trip to my favorite outlet mall with my favorite (and only) mother made for a spectacular day!  I’m looking forward to sharing all of my lovely finds with you, starting with this marvelous maxi!

The fit of the dress is what makes all of the difference and the empire waist of this dress really works for my body.  The print is really fun and almost animal-esque without being too crazy!  I like that the print is done in neutrals because it provides a fun base for some creative remixing.

My first maxi dress look is a bit dressy with coral heals and a chunky coral necklace.  The second look is more casual with black sandals and a jean jacket.

Have you ever been frustrated because you can’t quite make a look you love work for your body?

What I'm Wearing:

• Maxi Dress: Banana Republic Outlet (similar, similar, similar)

• Coral Necklace: Premier Designs (similar, similar)
• Coral Heels: DSW (similar. similar)

• Jean Jacket: Hand-Me-Down (similar, similar)
• Sandals: Bata (similar, similar)