Blogging Besties: Moccasins and a Big Comfy Sweatshirt

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!

Is "comfy chic" a thing?  If it is, Selah totally nailed this vibe last week with her cozy sweatshirt and sleek moccasins.  She gave me the following prompts from which to create my outfit this week: moccasins (girlfriend know I love a good pair of moccasins), tassels, monochromatic or a big comfy sweatshirt!

Selah's prompt could not be more perfect for the week that I'm having.  I am majorly jet lagged from my trip to China.  I was wide-awake until 4:00 a.m. last night!  What to wear to work after having only logged two hours of sleep?!  A big comfy sweatshirt and my comfy moccasins!

Thanks, Selah for helping me slowly get back into the swing of real life!  And Alex, your prompts for next week are the following: buffalo plaid, black and cognac or lazy-day chic!

What I'm Wearing:
Sweatshirt: L.L.Bean (exact)
Jeans: American Eagle (exact)
Moccasins: Minnetonka (exact)

Create28: Never Before Blogged

For my fellow personal style bloggers out there, do you have a piece in your closet that you wear all of the time but for some reason it never makes an appearance on your blog?  If yes, that's the purpose behind Never Before Blogged!  Let's showcase those hardworking items that don't get much glory!  Post yours on Instagram using #create28winterlooks

I've owned this sweatshirt for so many years that I've lost count!  I wear it so frequently that I'm surprised it's never been blogged before!  It is one of my go-to tops on sleepy workday mornings when I can't figure out what to wear.  Technically it's a sweatshirt so it's super comfy but the sequin polka dots make it dressy enough for work.  I also like it's thin texture because it can work over jeans or dress pants but it can also be tucked into skirts.  The pattern and sparkle give it enough interest that I don't have to add much else to the outfit.

Here I've paired the sweatshirt with my favorite skirt as well as tights and moccasins in shades of brown to accent the sequins.  So many of my favorite pieces come together here to create a really comfortable yet cute outfit!

Quality family time while taking blog photos with my brother-in-law, niece and the dog around!

Time to link-up your looks from this last week of Create28 or any other posts you are proud of!

Create28: Mocassins

I have a confession to make.  Boots and booties are not my favorite fall footwear.  Gasp, I know, what kind of personal style blogger am I?

While I love my cognac riding boots and have multiple pairs of suede booties sitting in my closet, moccasins are my favorite cozy shoes to slip into on a casual fall day!  There is something so effortlessly cool about a pair of moccasins.  They state, "this is who I am, I'm comfy and that's all that matters!"

Despite the inherent chicness of a pair of moccasins, their best feature is that they are so darn comfortable!  Who doesn't want to wear a pair of shoes that feel like slippers?  This fall, a stretchy pair of skinnies, a soft sweater and a vest make for the perfect, comfy Saturday uniform (yes, I know it's Tuesday but I took these pictures on Saturday #truthfulblogger).  By the way, this sweater (which might just be my favorite piece this fall) is on super sale in several different colors.  I want one of each, please!

After years of wearing moccasins purchased from Target, I decided it was time to step it up and buy some good-quality moccasins (I did love my Target pair but I wore them until they ripped last year).  I recently invested in a pair from Minnetonka and I couldn't be happier!  Have you checked-out Minnetonka before?  Not only do they have classic moccasins but they have some really fun colors and designs, too (I'm eyeing you, hot pink pair).  And if I can't convince you to step out of your boots, you could wear a pair of moccasin boots!  Here are some of my favorites!

Do you love moccasins as much as I do?  Share your love on Insta (#Create28FallLooks) and by linking-up on Monday.  I also hope that you'll stop back tomorrow because Casey will be sharing a look featuring falls hottest denim trend: flares!

What I'm Wearing:

Sweater: Gap Outlet (exact)

Tassel Necklace: LOFT (similar, similar)

Vest: Eddie Bauer Outlet (similar, similar)

Skinnies: American Eagle (exact)

Moccasins: Minnetonka (exact)

Where I'm linking-up!

Fall Capsule Wardrobe: Dress Edition

It has been quite some time since my last Fall Capsule Wardrobe Remix post but I haven't given-up!  In fact, I'm still going strong and have lots of fun ideas for remixing my 20 pieces of clothing into 30 different fall-friendly outfits!  Make sure you head over to Caitlin's blog, Greater Than Rubies, to check-out remixes created by some other fabulous, fashionable ladies! 

In remixing my 20 pieces, it was easiest for me to pick one item (like my MSU sweatshirt in this post) and to create a bunch of different outfits around that one piece of clothing.  For this post, I decided to focus on a dress that I bought from Dressbarn.  Now, Dressbarn is my hidden gem for cute, affordable clothes.  Admittedly, lots of things there aren't really my style, but if I spend a little time looking, I usually find something wonderful...like this dress!

I love this outfit so much, that I've worn it twice already this fall!  It is perfect for comfy weekend outings as well as for work!  I love these green tights but sometimes feel unsure about what to wear them with...particularly when it comes to shoes.  I think they work with the cognac moccasins.  What do you think?  What shoes do you usually wear with colored tights (I'm really looking for advice here)?

I've noticed that booties and tassel necklaces are pretty trendy this fall.  Adding a couple of fun accessories can really spice-up a simple dress!  I can very easily add tights and a cardigan or blazer to this creation when the weather turns chillier!  Do you think my green tights will work here, too?

The dress code at the high school where I teach is professional yet relatively casual.  Any of the outfits in this post are dress code appropriate for me.  This one is even a little more professional than I usually dress, but is perfect for the days when I want to step-up my game a little bit!

I love that when I wear differently colored accessories, different colors in the dress pop!  It makes me feel like I'm wearing a totally new dress!  Multi-colored dresses lend themselves to so many different remixing possibilities.

This last dress ensemble is perfect for a chilly, sleepy weekday morning when all I want to do is crawl back into bed...but I have to go to work!  Muted accessories and a chunky cardigan just scream comfort to me.  This outfit plus a cup of coffee and I'm ready to go!

Take a peek at my other Fall Capsule Wardrobe posts and stay tuned for the rest of my autumn remixes!

Fall Capsule Wardrobe: Skirt Edition

Fall Capsule Wardrobe: Go Green Edition

What I'm Wearing:

• Dress: Dressbarn (similar, similar)

• Jean Jacket: Hand-me-down (similar, similar)
• Initial Necklace: Simply Charming Boutique (similar, similar)
• Tights: France (similar, similar)
• Mocassins: Target (exact)

• Tassel Necklace: LOFT (exact)
• Booties: Target (exact)

• Blazer: Anthropologie (exact)
• Necklace: Lia Sophia (similar, similar)
• Heels: DSW (similar, similar)

• Cardigan: Kohl's (similar, similar)
• Belt: Charming Charlie (similar, similar)
• Flats: Hand-me-down (similar, similar)

• Grey Cardigan: Ann Taylor Outlet (similar, similar)
• Tights: Anthropologie (similar, similar)
• Boots: DSW (similar, similar)

Toning It Down

Temperatures have soared back into the 90s here in Washington D.C.  A couple of other bloggers have mentioned wearing neutrals during this summer-like weather in order to "feel" toned down and a bit more like it's actually fall.

Today's Remix Rewear Restyle challenge at Caitlin's blog, Greater Than Rubies, features neutral ensembles...a perfect reason to experiment with toning it down for a more fall-like feel.

In order to add some interest to an all-neutral outfit, I tried not to be matchy-matchy and incorporated black, white, grey and cognac.  I think the patterned shorts add spice to the ensemble as well.

My new necklace (a souvenir to myself from Iceland) was the perfect neutral accessory to complete the outfit!

And yes, I have jumped on the personal style blogger Everlane bandwagon.  These t-shirts are soft and have a great shape that doesn't cling to you.  If you are interested in Everlane t-shirts, I would appreciate if you would follow my link so that I may receive credit to buy more great shirts!

 What I'm Wearing:

• Shirt: Everlane (exact)
• Shorts: Old Navy (similar, similar)
• Shoes: Target (exact)
• Necklace: HRIM- Wolf and Moon (exact)