Double your color, double your fun!

Sometimes you spot an item in the store that just leaps out at you. It literally jumps into your cart. And then magically creates 10 new outfits you didn't know you had. This belt was one of those items. Its fit, comfort, and versatility are phenomenal. Here are 3 outfits I've worn so far utilizing both sides of the belt (magenta vs. blue & burgundy). More (way more!) coming soon. Thank you, Target!

 Black Dress: LandsEnd. Burgundy Dress: Dress Barn. Shoes: Prada (gift). Boots: LLBean. Tights & Knee Socks: Gift. Scarf: WalMart. Cardigan: Old Navy.

Back from the Dead (In Red!)

I'm back from the dead....dead meaning the daily grind of thesis writing, teaching, eating, and sleeping. Summer is half over but I am just now feeling rested and caught up. June is always crazy for me as a musician with summer teaching, music camps, and wedding gigs. But now I'm finding some time to breathe and blog!

I thought I'd feature what are quickly becoming my go-to pair of pants. Red jeans from Old Navy that I scored at Plato's Closet (consignment). Cool or warm weather, dressier or casual, cuffed or long, these pants work for all occasions.

 Shirt: TJ Maxx. Purse: Calvin Klein (Ross). Flats: Old Navy.

 Scarf & Shirts: Target. Cardigan: Old Navy. Black Flats & Sneakers: Clarks. Sandals: Dansko.

Blouse, T-Shirt, Cardigan: Old Navy. Button Down Shirt: Kohls. Belt: Gift. Scarf: Wal-Mart.

Farewell, Sweet Autumn

Apparently if you blink, entire seasons disappear. Where did autumn go? Here is a November recap.

Jacket: Old Navy. Cardigan: LandsEnd. Dress: Target. Boots: LL Bean

My friend, Heyni, recently did another closet purge. Lucky me! Out of the heap I scored this classic grey cotton trench from Old Navy. The grey goes with everything and can dress things up or down. One of my students informed me that this outfit is very "Autumn in New York." I'll take it!

Autumn is not complete without a trip to the pumpkin patch and corn maze. I love how the playing field is leveled and everyone is "allowed" to act like a kid. Normally I don my flannel and grubby jeans but this year I decided to class it up. Partly because my pinched nerve is still giving me pain and there wasn't going to be any running around in the maze for me.

Sweater: Gift from Mom. Orange Shirt: Kohl's. Jeans: From a friend. Socks: Target. Boots: LL Bean. Purse: Thrifted. Scarf: Plato's Closet.

My lovely cousin. She is a master with her curling wand.

Picking out gourds and milking cows with my brothers and cousin.

And now....out with the orange and in with the red. In two weeks the two huge Christmas concerts with my high school kids will be over. Time to take a deep breath and hit the ground running. December is bittersweet for musicians seeing as this is our busiest month of the year. But soon the concerts will be over, I get to sneak in a quick trip to Chicago, and then I'll be relaxing with my family around the tree, watching White Christmas. 

After wearing black stretchy pants for the past 2 months (due to my back/leg injury), I'm looking forward to busting out some fancy and festive holiday attire. Farewell, Sweet Autumn, and Greetings, Winter Wonderland!

Indian Summer Part 2 (AKA Best Skirt Ever)

Some time ago, I found this perfect Ann Taylor PETITE(!) pencil skirt for $6 at a local thrift store. Ann Taylor. My size. Goes with EVERYTHING and is also a great piece for transitioning from summer to fall. Last week was cool with freezing temperatures and morning frost. Today was in the 70s. Go figure.

Left: Turquoise cardigan: Ann Taylor. Shirt: Target. Belt: Steve Madden (gift). Shoes: Old Navy

Middle: Scarf: thrifted. Shirt & Shoes: Old Navy

Right: Cardigan: Gap. Tank Top: Target. Shoes: Old Navy

Scarves: Wal-Mart. Shirts: Target. Belt: thrifted. Boots: Rack Room Shoes. Shoes: Toms.

I am loving these infinity scarves from Wal-Mart, of all places. They come in many colors (I also have green!) and are super soft. I got the idea to wear a graphic tea with a pencil skirt from Audrey over at Putting Me Together. Here is the link to her fun ideas for dressing down a pencil skirt.

Putting Me Together: Ways to Dress Down a Pencil Skirt

Orange Cousins & Simple Pleasures

Nothing like fall break from teaching to have a day out with my cousin. We don't require much. Just some time at Barnes and Nobles, Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks, and posing with oddities at TJ Maxx. We must have been in an autumn mood because we both wore orange.

I am currently dealing with a pinched nerve in my back that is sending constant pain down my leg. Not fun. I have been living in sweats for the past three weeks so I was determined to look a little bit put together for our outing. I wore athletic pants/tights because I had Physical Therapy earlier in the day but dressed them up with the shirt and boots.

Chambray Shirt: Target, Orange Shirt: From a friend, Tights: TJ Maxx, Boots: LLBean.

Thanks to all yesterday's walking and shopping, I'm spending today on the couch icing my leg. This whole experience has been very eye-opening. I have a whole new appreciation for those with back issues and chronic pain. Some days I'm positive and other days I feel like this pain will never go away. But amidst this ordeal, I have been forced to sit still and appreciate simple pleasures. Such as a savory cup of tea. Or a beautiful evening sky.

Indian Summer

Top: Wal-Mart (I HATE Wal-Mart but once in a while find something I can't pass up.) Cardigan: LandsEnd. Jeans: JC Penney. Shoes: TopSiders. Boots: LL Bean. Necklace: Self-made with materials from Michael's.

90 degrees one day. 50 degrees the next. I'm ready for some steady fall weather. In the meantime, here are some outfits I concocted to deal with the transition from summer to fall. I've tried to wear outfits that look like fall but are tolerable in the heat because I refuse to wear shorts or tank tops in OCTOBER.

Shirt: Target. Cardigan: Old Navy. Jeans: JC Penney. Boots: Macy's. Scarf: Wal-Mart (Like I said....I HATE Wal-Mart but they sure do have cute scarves.) Purse: Gift from Mom.

I suppose this next line-up could go from cool summer nights to cold winter days. But I just bought this versatile top from Target and the vest from LandsEnd and was DYING to wear them!

Top: Target. Turtleneck: Thrifted. Vest: LandsEnd. Jeans: JCPenney. Shoes: TopSiders. Brown Boots: LL Bean. Black Boots: Macy's. Necklace: Luray Caverns gift shop (they have some cute and cheap jewelry!)

Summer Recap

July, August, September, OCTOBER! My how the time does fly. Another summer gone. Another school year started. My thesis is not quite finished but I'm trying to stay positive and focused in spite of a exercise-related back injury that has me on muscle relaxants and physical therapy. Folks, when it rains it POURS. That being said, the road to regular blog posts is just around the corner.

Exhibit A: THE DRESS. I have become borderline obsessed with dresses because they require little to no thought and make one instantly polished. Here is a recap of dresses that kept me smiling throughout the summer months.  Dress: Ross. Shoes: Keds. Bracelets: H&M.

Okay, confession time....the dresses below are from....THE DOLLAR STORE. I could not believe it. These dresses served me well this summer when I wanted to look nice but not too fancy. Everything else (shoes, belts, purse) were thrifted for under $2 each.

I wore this versatile black dress to a symphony concert this summer. It was at night and a bit chilly out so I opted for a scarf instead of a sweater.

Dress: LandsEnd. Scarf: Target. Pearls: Luray Caverns gift shop :-). Belt: Vintage (gift). Shoes: H&M

I have been looking for a green dress for quite some time-particularly since I like to be festive during St. Patrick's Day season. Love how breezy this dress is and how I can class it up with a blazer.

Dress: Ross. Blazer: Gift from Mom. Shoes: Prada (gift). Purse: Thrifted.

Last is this dress which I love for its combination of retro and modern style. I can use any color of belt and add a cardigan and tights when the weather turns cold.

Dress: JC Penney. Belt: Vintage (my grandmother's). Shoes: Dress Barn.