Showing posts with label polka dot dress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label polka dot dress. Show all posts

Oct 11, 2017

Common Threads Challenge: Week 1

We are already one week into the Common Threads Challenge!  You know, the style challenge where you choose five pieces to incorporate into each and every outfit you wear during the month of October?

I'm having so much fun with this series!  It's getting my creative juices flowing without being too much to handle for this tired teacher brain.  Granted, it is only the beginning, there is a chance that I will begin to struggle towards the end of the month.

But I'm trying to plan in advance so that won't happen.  I have a list of outfits I've already created in my head that I can pull from as the month progresses.  As I'm making this list, I'm making sure that each of my five pieces are represented equally.  I've also started a Pinterest board where I'm pinning looks that are easily replicated with my five items and other pieces from my closet.

The only thing I'm struggling with are my days off when I wouldn't necessarily get dressed.  Admittedly, on day one (October 1st), I ran a 5k and then spend the rest of the day moving in a sweaty t-shirt and shorts.  And today?  Today (as in the day I'm writing this) has been the first day I've spent resting at home since July (I'm not exaggerating) so I'm shamelessly still wearing my pajamas.  I do have outfits planned for these days so I plan to feature my unworn outfits at the end of the month and vow to wear them in November so that I can say that I fully participated in this challenge!

How are you doing?  Are you finding this to be easy or a bit tricky?  Are you having fun being creative with your wardrobe or wish you wouldn't have committed to this challenge?  Please share your ups and downs with us on our Facebook support page.  We're also having fun sharing some of our daily outfits over there!

Now that I've gotten the words out of the way, here are my looks from the first week of the challenge:


October 2nd featuring my Olive Skirt: It's still pretty warm in my neck of the woods but I love that I was able to channel some fall with some autumn hues in this outfit.  And it was fun to put this skirt back into rotation since it's been so long since I've worn it.  Why did it get shoved into the back of my closet again??


October 3rd featuring my Ankle Boots: The jury is out on this look.  While I liked the idea of a pretty dress with these ankle boots, I don't think the combination is quite right.  But a really stylish girl I met in the bathroom of a restaurant told me she loved my outfit.  So maybe it works?  In any case, experimenting is a part of this challenge so I'm glad I tried the outfit!


October 4th featuring my Tunic: I'm finding this challenge is helping me to use lots of pieces I haven't worn lately beyond my chosen five.  This vest and pair of ankle boots used to be fall staples so I'm excited to be using them again this fall.


October 5th featuring my Mustard Cardigan: This is my favorite outfit of the challenge so far and it was so simple to put together!  Comfy dress + favorite cardigan + scarf = how can you go wrong?


 October 6th featuring my Skinny Jeans: I'm a teacher so most Fridays you'll find me wearing jeans and a school shirt.  Although this particular Friday, I attended a football game at my high school!  Yep, this sweatshirt is over a decade old!


October 7th featuring my Mustard Cardigan: My whole family convened in my hometown this weekend for a number of events including family photos.  It's a good thing the decided-upon color combination for the shoot was mustard, burgundy and grey!  Mustard cardigan for the win!


October 8th featuring my Mustard Cardigan: And to round out the weekend of festivities, my nephew was baptized on Sunday morning.  This cardigan is the only one of my pieces that works for really dressy occasions so I wore it two days in a row.  Luckily, cardigans are such a basic staple piece that no one seemed to notice!

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you'll join us as we continue this really fun challenge!  If you're already playing along, make sure to link-up below!


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Aug 3, 2015

A Lovely Little à la Mode Link-Up

Happy Monday (I know I know, easy for me to say since I'm a teacher on summer vacation) and welcome to the first Lovely Little à la Mode Link-Up!  I hope that you will stop by and say "hi" to Carrie and Casey today as well as link-up a favorite recent post of yours below!


Now this is what you call an easy, breezy summer dress!  The lightweight, jersey material makes it oh so comfortable even when the temperatures are soaring.  I also love that the cute polka dots help it to stand on its own, while the neutral scheme of navy and white make it easy to accessorize.  In fact, I wore this dress twice during April's Create28: Spring Looks: once with a denim jacket and my Converse and the other time with mint accessories for a baby shower.

Today I'm keeping it simple with cognac accessories including a sparkly headband.  Which brings me to a few questions I have to ask you...what do you think of hair accessories?  If you wear them, how do you combine them with your other jewelry?  I heard a Coco Chanel quote once, "Before you leave the house, take a look in the mirror and take at least one thing off."  As a pretty simplistic accessorizer, I really take this advice to heart.  So when I put on a headband, sometimes I feel like it's just too much.  I know that others can pull-off dangly earrings and arm parties but that just doesn't feel like me.  What do you think?  Can I rock a headband?



While I'm still a bit unsure about my hair accessories, I do love to mix my patterns...even polka dots on polka dots (especially when they're subtle).

What I'm Wearing:
Dress: Old Navy (similar, similar)
Headband: Gift (similar, similar)
Belt: Anthropologie (similar, similar)
Sandals: Target (exact)

And now it's time to link-up!

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Mar 24, 2015

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.


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
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Jul 13, 2014

Parisian Café

Yesterday I went on a lovely afternoon excursion.  My friend and I ate a late lunch at a French café and popped into a few art galleries.  If you are in the D.C. area, I would highly recommend dining at Le Diplomate.  The ambiance and the food really made me feel like I was back in Paris!




Quite coincidentally, when I posted this #ootd picture on Instagram, my best friend commented that I looked like I should be in Paris!  I suppose I was channeling my love for all things French yesterday!



And keeping with the French theme today, my dear friend Maricel, the intelligent and witty creator of My Closet Catalogue, has nominated me for a Liebster Award.  You may recall learning more about me than you may ever want to know the last time I received a Liebster Award (which is a way for us small-time bloggers to talk about how wonderful our blogging friends are).  Anyway, Maricel has written several thought-provoking prompts and has challenged me to respond in French!  Allez-y!

-Je vois...trois photos: une photo de mon église à Bordeaux, une photo de ma meilleure amie et moi, et une photo du mariage de mes parents.
-Je trouve...que le temps fait trop chaud aujourd'hui.
-J'ai...le chat le plus mignon du monde.
-J'aimerais...lire beaucoup de livres cet été.  J'en ai déjà lu trois : The Goldfinch, The Storyteller et Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?  Je viens de commencer The Silkworm de Robert Galbraith.
-Michigan me manque beaucoup.
-J'ai peur...des araignées.
-Je me sens...contente parce que c'est dimanche et je suis chez moi avec un café et mon petit chat.
-Je désire...un cupcake d'Occasionally Cakes à Old Town Alexandria.  Miam miam!
-Je cherche...la paix dans ma vie.
-Je me demande...où voyager pour mes prochaines vacances?  Vous avez des idées?
-Je ne regrette rien!

(And just in case you don't speak French)

-I see...three photos: a photo of my church in Bordeaux, a photo of my best friend and me, and a wedding photo of my parents.
-I find...that the weather today is too hot.
-I have...the cutest cat in the world.
-I wish...to read lots of books this summer.  I've already read The GoldfinchThe Storyteller and Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?  I just started The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith.
-I miss...Michigan a lot.
-I fear...spiders.
-I feel...content because it's Sunday and I'm at home with a cup of coffee and my cat.
-I crave...a cupcake from Occasionally Cakes in Old Town Alexandria.  Yum yum!
-I search...for peace in my life.
-I wonder...where I should go for my next vacation?  Any ideas?
-I regret nothing!

Instead of nominating the wonderful bloggers who have become my friends for yet another Liebster Award, I am instead going to simply list them.  If you have a couple of free minutes, I hope you will visit the pages of these inspiring women!

Brynn of Brynnash

What I'm Wearing:
Dress: ASOS (exact)
Purse: Coach Outlet (similar, similar)
Shoes: Aldo (similar, similar)

Linking-Up:
DC In Style- Monday Bloom
I Do deClaire- Confident TWOSday
The Modern Austen- Sunday Best
Style Elixir- Style Sessions
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