Belgian Cardigan

I know you've heard of Belgian chocolate, but did you know that Belgian cardigans are a thing, too!?  Okay, okay, maybe it's not a thing, but I did buy this cardigan in Belgium!

Speaking of cardigans, do you get as excited about cardigan season (a.k.a. fall) as I do?  I just feel more pulled-together and stylish when I can add a layer to my outfit.  And since this cardigan was a souvenir and is a bit more stylized with the swingy fit and shorter sleeves, I'm extra happy to pull it out of the closet on chilly days.

In other news, I finally made plans to get back into blogging about style.  I put together this outfit and wore it on a day when Justin would be able to take a few outfit pictures...and then my camera dies!  I guess that's what happens when you're an absentee blogger and neglect your camera for a few months.  So this is my only picture!

But you're in luck!  If you are looking for other long cardigan inspiration, make sure to head over to The Blended Blog or visit Lana at My New Happy to link-up and peruse lots of cardigan-themed ensembles.

Kellyann. Sarah. Andrea. Deena. Carrie

Lana. Vanessa. Whitney. Abbie. Shelly

Sweater Weather

At the risk of sounding basic, I adore fall!  I love cider mill visits, tights under dresses, football season, and pumpkin spice everything.  But possibly most of all, I love sweater weather!  What could be better than wrapping yourself in a chunky knit to stay warm and cozy all day?

When Shein contacted me about reviewing one of their pieces, I was excited to browse their many options!  If you aren't familiar with Shein, they sell all of the season's latest trends for prices that can't be beat (seriously, you won't believe the bargains!).

Anyways, as I'm looking through their many fun and fashionable styles, I came across this large-knit cardigan and was sold!  The brownish-mustard hue makes it fun but neutral enough to easily mix into my wardrobe.  And the texture!  The knit is super soft and really thick!  The material makes the sweater feel like it costs much more than it actually does.  In fact, I wore this outfit for a sushi date with a few girlfriends and received so many compliments!  They couldn't believe what a deal it is!

My new cardigan came just in time for week one of the October Style Series with The Blended Blog! This week, a few of our featured contributors are showcasing their Sweater looks.  Make sure to stop by TBB for some knitspiration (see what I did there?).  Please link-up your own sweater looks below and make sure to come back next week when the featured look is Boots!

Oversized

Bri's Third Thursday Threads theme "Oversized" couldn't have come at a more perfect time of the year.  I don't know about you other teachers out there, but March is one of the most difficult months to get through.  Waking-up early is a challenge, getting through the school day with a smile on my face is exhausting, and wearing real clothes everyday?  Now that's something that I really don't want to do.  Combine my midyear ennui with a couple of extra pounds gained from snow days spent lounging on the couch and snacking, and all I want to wear are comfy, oversized  pieces.

On this particular day, all I wanted to do was wear leggings to work.  Unfortunately, I don't have any tunics long enough to make leggings appropriate for teaching.  But isn't a swing dress really just an oversized tunic?  I thought so!  And somehow the all black made my practically pajamas ensemble somewhat chic.  I even had a seventh grader tell me that it looked like I had spent hours putting together my outfit.  No no, darling girl, I somehow managed to make this work before my eyes were fully open in the wee hours of the morning.

While I'm thinking about it, though, perhaps I should invest in some nice tunics so that I can wear them to work on difficult mornings.  I'm loving the ones with the feminine embroidery for spring!  Or maybe I should just tell it like it is and wear the one that very accurately describes the current state of my body.  Or I could continue the trend and swear swing dresses as tunics.  What do you think?

What I'm Wearing:

Swing Dress: ASOS (similar, similar)

Leggings: Nordstrom (exact)

Necklace: Gift (similar, similar)

Flats: LOFT (similar)

Where I'm linking-up!

Blogging Besties: Black and White Print, French and Boyfriend Jeans

Blogging Besties is a weekly series featuring Whitney of Whitney à la mode, Alex of Undergraduate Style, 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!

I think that Selah had me in mind last week when she wore this outfit and prompted me with the following choices: black and white print, French, boyfriend jeans or an arm party.  I mean, I am the lover of all things French!

I decided that this week's edition of Blogging Besties would be the moment to break out the most perfect sweatshirt for me...well, almost perfect!  You see, how could I resist wearing an "À la mode" sweatshirt on Whitney à la mode?  But wait!  There is a spelling mistake on the sweatshirt that drives my French teacher self absolutely crazy!  Can you spot it?  Come on, Banana Republic, how about a little proofreading?!

Looking to add some fun French pieces to your closet?  Être Cecile has bunches of cute tops!  I am one online shopping spree away from purchasing the Voilà sweatshirt and how cute is the No Way Rosé tee?  While I'm at it, I also might need that French Toast purse...or the donut purse.  I don't know but I'm starting to feel hungry for breakfast foods!

Alright Alex, here are your choices of pieces to pass on next week: something not quite right, a sweatshirt made dressy, polka dots and pearls or distressed jeans!

What I'm Wearing:

Sweatshirt: Banana Republic (similar, similar)

Shirt: Express (exact)

Jeans: American Eagle (exact)

Flats: LOFT (similar)

Where I'm linking-up!

Little Changes + Link-Up

Before I got into reading personal style blogs, I would wear one clothing item only one particular way.  Take a shirt, for example.  I would wear said shirt with the same pair of pants, same necklace and same pair of shoes every.single.time.

Remixing has definitely been the biggest lesson I've learned in being more creative with what I've got hanging in my closet.  One thing that I still have to remind myself of, though, is that remixing doesn't have to be drastic.  You can make little changes to create an entirely different outfit.

Let's compare the above outfit to this outfit, for example.  Essentially, each outfit consists of jeans and the same lace top.  I think they both have a casual yet slightly more glamorous feel (perfect for a date night)!  But a different glitzy necklace, different colored denim and different shoes make for a completely different outfit without much extra effort.

Which lace look do you like better?  And what's your favorite little change that helps to create an entirely different look?

What I'm Wearing:

Shirt: LOFT (similar, similar)

Tank: Old Navy (exact)

Necklace: c/o Rocks Box (similar)

Jeans: American Eagle (exact)

Flats: LOFT (similar, similar)

And now it's time for our weekly Lovely à la Mode Link-Up!

My Take on the GYPO Fall Challenge + Link-Up

With a blanket of snow covering the ground here in Michigan, I think it's time to recap my experience with the Get Your Pretty On Fall Challenge so that I can move on to winter style!

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Get Your Pretty On challenges, I'll start with the basics.  Each seasonal challenge costs around $50.  Upon signing-up, you receive a shopping list of both classic and trendy items that comprise a capsule wardrobe.  You purchase the items according to your own budget or find the pieces (or similar ones) already hanging in your closet.  Once the trial begins, you receive daily outfit formulas featuring the items from the list.  You get twenty-some outfits that are ready-to-wear!

What I liked:

I really love this challenge in theory.  I love the idea of remixable pieces.  I love pairing classic and trendy looks.  I love the hunt for all of the items on the list according to my budget.  And I especially love having cute outfits already planned for me (that way, getting dressed for school at 5:30 in the morning doesn't feel so daunting).

What I didn't like:

But like I said, I love the challenge in theory.  In execution, it just didn't work for me.  For one, sometimes the "outfit of the day" didn't work for what I had planned.  I just can't wear distressed boyfriend jeans to work on a Tuesday.  I ended-up using the outfit ideas out of order to fit with my plans but, for me, this created more work than just choosing an outfit from my closet.  I would spend my evening combing through all of the outfit combinations to find one that would fit my needs.  The next struggle was in making sure that all of the pieces I needed for that outfit were actually clean.

The other trouble I encountered was with the clothing items that I substituted.  For example, I couldn't find the grey cable knit sweater on the shopping list so I substituted the recommended neutral sweater that I already had in my closet.  I just didn't like my outfits featuring substituted pieces as well as I would have if I had purchased the actual recommended items.  This makes me feel like I want to buy each specific piece on the lists in the future...which just isn't compatible with my teacher budget.

In Summary:

I know that lots of women love these challenges so I'm in no way trying to portray it in a negative light, I just want to be honest about my experience.  And even though I found the program to be more difficult than I expected, I did find myself in the middle of a great Facebook community of women who were participating as well.  Everyone in the group was super encouraging and supportive.

All of that being said, I will not be participating in the Winter Challenge.  I'm hopeful that I can try another one in the future but I just don't have the money or time to give this next one a go.

The Outfits:

And finally, here are two outfits that I created based on the prompts from the Fall Challenge.

This was one of my favorite outfits that I created from the daily prompts.  I really enjoyed the color pairing that I wouldn't necessary have thought of myself.

And this is an outfit that I didn't necessarily dislike but I would have liked it better if I had the grey cable knit sweater with a white shirt underneath.

What I'm Wearing:

Scarf: Target (similar, similar)

Pink Shirt: Old Navy (exact)

Red Pants: c/o Stitch Fix (similar, similar)

Gold Flats: DSW (similar)

Camel Sweater: J.Crew Factory (similar)

Pearl Necklace: Amazon (exact)

Black Jeans: Zara (similar, similar)

Leopard Flats: LOFT (similar, similar)

And now it's time for the Lovely Little à la Mode Link-Up!

Polka Dots and Leopard Print + Link-Up

Ahh, I had such a wonderful and relaxing weekend!  What about you?  On Friday I threw a monster-themed baby shower for one of my best friends.  The rest of the weekend I spent passing out Halloween candy and relaxing with my handsome guy.  My one complaint?  That the weekend isn't longer!  I'm not ready for it to be Monday just yet.

Although I suppose Monday feels a little better with the help of a cute outfit and some pattern mixing!  Do you have a better day when you feel really good about what you're wearing, too?

While my favorite pattern mixing combination is leopard print with stripes, this fun animal print paired with polka dots is a close second!  I think it's the ease with which these patterns come together that makes the combinations so great.  Especially when you're working with black and white stripes or polka dots, you don't even have to wonder if leopard print will go, it's a no-brainer (and let's face it, we all need those when we're getting ready for work on a Monday morning).

Are you interested in seeing a couple of other ways to pair polka dots with leopard print?  Head over to Carrie and Casey's blogs to see how they mixed their patterns today!

What I'm Wearing:

Shirt: Express (exact)

Cardigan: Target (similar)

Necklace: Amazon (exact)

Skirt: Land's End (similar, similar)

Tights: Nordstrom (exact)

Flats: LOFT (similar, similar)

And don't forget to link-up the remainder of your Create28: Fall Looks or anything else you want to show off below!

A Classic Piece and the LLALM Link-Up

What is the quintessential classic piece to have in your closet?  A little black dress?  A white button-down? A pair of nude pumps?  I think the concept of a classic piece can mean something different to each of us depending on our personal style and lifestyle.  For me, I would consider leopard print flats and a denim jacket to be classic and staple pieces in my wardrobe.  But the garment that I want to talk about today is a black and white striped dress.  Combine neutral stripes with a flattering fit-and-flare style and you have a classic piece, in my book!

I love black and white stripes because they can be combined with a seemingly limitless number of patterns and colors.  Plus a simple dress can be paired with so many cute pairs of shoes, belts, tights and completer pieces!

With a classic piece, it's sometimes fun to have a bit of unique detailing and I think I've found that in the contrasting stripes of this dress.  Even with this special touch, I've been able to wear this dress so many different ways!  Here are a few of my favorites looks!

What is your most classic wardrobe item?  Make sure to pop over and visit Carrie and Casey to see the pieces that they've chosen!  And now it's time for our Lovely Little à la Mode Link-Up!

What I'm Wearing:

Dress: LOFT (similar, similar)

Cardigan: Banana Republic Outlet (similar, similar)

Belt: Target (similar, similar)

Flats: LOFT (similar, similar)

Create28: My Graphic Tee Look

Welcome back for Day 2 of Create28: Lovely Summer Looks!  Today it's my turn to show you one of my favorite ways to style a graphic tee!

Graphic tees are a great way to express your personality or interests (like my love for Hop Cat in East Lansing) through your clothing.  On top of that, there are so many ways to style a graphic tee.  You can wear one simply with a pair of skinny jeans or boyfriend shorts.  For a little bit of interest, you can add a vest or cardigan.  If you want a more glamorous look, add a sparkly necklace and a pair of heels!

I really like to create a feminine look by wearing a graphic tee with a skirt.  However, when I was putting this outfit together, I felt like I had exhausted all of my skirt pairings.  Where did I look next?  To my dresses!  If you aren't feeling excited about your skirts, try layering a shirt over dress to create a faux-skirt look!  When I wore this outfit to a get-together with friends, a girlfriend of mine complimented me on my skirt...so I think I pulled this one off!

Need some more inspiration?  Take a look at my graphic tee Pinterest board:

Follow Whitney R.'s board Graphic Tee Looks on Pinterest.

Are you playing along with Create28?  Snap a photo of your graphic tee look and share it with us on Instagram (#Create28SummerLooks) or during our Monday link-up!

Come back tomorrow to see how Casey styles a maxi dress!

What I'm Wearing:

Dress: Target (similar, similar)

T-Shirt: Hop Cat 

Flats: LOFT (similar, similar)

My First Le Tote Experience

From clothing to jewelry to make-up and even snacks, subscription services are all the rage lately!  In the past I've tried Stitch Fix and Rocks Box and have really enjoyed my experiences.  There's something so fun about receiving a box in the mail filled with surprise goodies to wear!  

I've been curious about Le Tote for quite awhile now, and given that it's my birthday month, I decided to splurge a little and see what it's all about!

The details:

• Subscribing to Le Tote costs $49 per month.
• Le Tote sends you a box filled with five clothing and jewelry items.
• You get to wear the pieces as much as you want, then send them back when you're done!
• As soon as you send your box back, Le Tote will send you a new one (yes, that means unlimited boxes each month)!
• If you like an item, you can purchase it at a discounted rate!

Now obviously there are pros and cons when you compare Le Tote to Stitch Fix.  Le Tote is definitely more expensive compared to Stitch Fix's $20 boxes.  However, with SF, you only wear what you decide to keep and pay for, there's no taking the rest of the pieces for a trial run.  And not only do you get to wear all of your LT items, you can receive multiple boxes a month for the $49 whereas with SF, it's a one time deal.

Now on to my first Le Tote delivery!  Here are the items I received:

To be honest, I was a little bit disappointed with my first "tote."  There are a few items that I liked but I'm a bit underwhelmed overall.  However, I think there are a few things I can do differently to ensure that I like my next delivery even better!

• Striped Shirt: This is my favorite item from my first tote.  I had already "added it to my closet" to help my stylist understand my taste in clothing.  If you've spent any amount of time reading Whitney à la mode, you know that I love stripes.  So stripes going in different directions?  Sign me up!  I had fun wearing this shirt but the fit just wasn't perfect (too short sleeves) so I will be sending it back.
• Blue Dress: Holy cling!  This dress is made from a thick, knit, clingy material.  So lumps and bumps, you could see them all!  Let's not even get started on the size of my behind in this dress.  I won't even show you a picture.  Yep, that bad.
• Cable-Knit Sweater: Umm, have you checked the weather in Alexandria lately?  Clearly my stylist did not.  It's been in the 80s here so I could barely convince myself to try this sweater on.   Aside from that, I wasn't a fan of the zipper or the color or the fit.
• Pink Earrings:  I also placed these earrings in my closet, so I was excited to receive them.  I'm going to get one good wear out of them and then send them back so I can receive my next tote.
• Necklace: It's pretty and I'll wear it, I'm just not in love with it.

So there are a few things that I'm going to do to (hopefully) improve my next box.  I wrongly assumed that the LT stylists take the weather into account when choosing your items.  Since that isn't the case, I went back to my "Style Profile" and requested that I do not receive sweaters.  If I'm still doing LT when the cooler weather rolls around, I'll go back and change that.  I also realized that I wasn't excited to receive jewelry...probably because I love my Rocks Box subscription.  I also went back and requested only clothing.

So please forgive this lengthy post, I just wanted to share my experience with you in case you've been considering Le Tote as well!  If you are at all curious, I would greatly appreciate if you sign-up using my code.  We each get $25 out of the deal!

As you can see, I really did enjoy wearing that striped top!

What I'm Wearing:

Shirt: Le Tote (similar, similar)

Shorts: Anthropologie (similar, similar)

Flats: LOFT (similar, similar)

Purse: Nine West Outlet (similar, similar)

Linking-Up:

Fizz and Frosting- Mix It Mondays

I do DeClaire- Confident Twosdays

Pink Sole and ChaCha the Fashion Genius- #HowISpring

Swing Dress Love

Oh, ASOS!  You've done it again!  You are quickly becoming my go-to site for fun, comfy and adorable dresses (in other words, my favorite pieces to wear).  And you definitely didn't let me down with this little polka dot number!

If you haven't ordered from ASOS before, I would highly recommend checking out this British clothing site!  You could spend hours browsing the dress section alone, let alone admiring their cute tops, bottoms and accessories.  I usually spend a few months saving all of my favorites while awaiting one of ASOS's fantastic sales.  When the discounts start rolling, I'll place a huge order.  Given the company is British and they sell clothes from lots of different designers, I purchase each item in a couple of different sizes.  Obviously I return all duplicates and, truth be told, many of the items completely (returns are free).  But since I order so many things, I typically find a few gems!

My favorite style of dress from ASOS is the swing dress closely followed by the skater dress!  Both are comfy and flattering...plus they come in brilliant colors and fun patterns!

Here are a few of my other finds from ASOS!  Click on the links below to see the original posts.

black swing dress/polka dot dress/paisley dress/bright skater dress/bright shift dress

What I'm Wearing:

Dress: ASOS (similar, similar)

Tights: Nordstrom (exact)

Flats: Loft (similar, similar)

Jacket: Pimkie (similar, similar)

Purse: Nine West Outlet (similar, similar)

Linking-Up:

The Brandied Pair and Style Honestly- Fab Five Friday

I Do DeClaire- Confident Twosdays

Pink Sole and ChaCha the Fashion Genius- #HowIFall

Co-Hosting Très Chic Fashion Thursday

I am very excited to be co-hosting Très Chic Fashion Thursday with Agi from Vodka Infused Lemonade!  If you haven't visited her blog before, I hope you will stop-by today.  Agi is one of the most put-together moms I know and she posts great tips for wardrobe remixing.

In the process of becoming more thoughtful about my wardrobe and how to put my outfits together, I've discovered a trick to getting dressed that is so easy, I feel like I'm cheating:  if there is a piece in your closet that you absolute love, buy similar pieces to fit each season.  That way, you can recreate your favorite previously-worn looks regardless of the weather!

For example, I love my 3/4 length-sleeved, black and white striped top!  I wear it all of the time when the weather is chilly.  Since I know that I get tons of wear out of this shirt, I knew that purchasing a short-sleeved version would be worth every penny.  Look at how I recreated one of my favorite winter ensembles featuring the striped top!

What is your favorite closet staple?  Do you have a version for every season?

And sometimes this happens when your friends volunteer to take outfit pictures:

What I'm Wearing:

Striped Tee: Old Navy (similar, similar)

Belt: Anthropologie (similar, similar)

Skirt: Old Navy (similar, similar)

Flats: LOFT (similar, similar)

 It’s that time of the week for my link up. Thank you to all 107 of you fabulous ladies that linked up last week!!! A great turnout, I love it!!!!! If you are interested in co-hosting please email me at vodkainfusedlemonade@gmail.com. If you’ve already co-hosted and would like to again, don’t hesitate to email me.

This week’s fabulous co-host is Whitney from Whitney a la mode

Here are my favourite looks from last week:

Eliz from Tiny Bits of Nonsense

Jaime from Regally Soled

Lindsay & Skyla from Dearest Darling

Rules

1. Must be a new post, or fairly recent one. Please link the post not the blog.

2. Please follow me via Facebook, Bloglovin, Pinterest or Twitter.

3. Please follow Whitney from Whitney a la mode via Bloglovin.

4. Please stop by the other blogs and say hi. The idea is to get to know other bloggers .

5. Please link back to my blog or post this button on your blog.

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