Worn || Fruit Stripe

LulaRoe swept through my mom community like a tidal wave. One minute I’d never heard of it and five minutes later I was joining the cult of buttery leggings. Postpartum 2015 was a very strange time, friends. I was never a fanatic but I did manage to score a few pairs of those super soft leggings. They were the closest thing to wearing pajamas while still being “presentable” for the public. Although, one could ask if grown-ups being clad in the adult equivalent of Garanimals is really presentable for public consumption. But, that’s a conversation for another time.

Like almost everyone I know, I watched LuLaRich on Amazon Prime to get the behind-the-scenes story on how awful this company is. It was fascinating! I’ve long since donated my LulaRoe leggings and despite the stories online detailing how much of the inventory of former sellers ended up at thrift stores across the country, I’ve never actually seen it in any of my thrifting trips. Last week on the hunt for a few new sweaters, I spotted a brightly colored sleeve among the racks at my local Goodwill. I knew it was coming home with me. I was shocked to see that it was LuLaRoe! The quality was great and the stripes actually lined up. It was a LuLaCorn!

Cardigan- LuLaRoe- Thrifted similar one here || Oxford Button Down- Old Navy- Thrifted similar one here|| Jeans- Levi’s Jeans- here ||Booties- old as hell but similar ones here

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Worn|| It's A Wrap

Summer is officially over. I’m not sorry to see the heat go but that doesn’t mean that I’m in a hurry to put away all of my favorite summer dresses and skirts.

I bought this skirt at a local shop and I haven’t given it much love until this summer. I consider it my good luck skirt since I was wearing it the day I ran into Leslie Odoms Jr (yes, that LOJ!) on a sidewalk in downtown Cincinnati, but for whatever reason, I hardly ever wore it until this summer. The lightweight silk skirt paired with a tank top or a plain white t-shirt was an easy way for me to look put together in 10 minutes.

Today I when I spied my husband’s shirt on the ironing board, I remembered how I used to be much more adventurous with mixing patterns and styles when getting dressed. And, honestly, wearing your partner’s shirt all day is a top-notch way to make you feel……you get the point. I’d go into more detail but our kids read these blog posts and I don’t want to gross them out! Anyway, his gingham button-down paired with this skirt and my favorite boots were perfect for an early fall day outfit.

Rambling Rose|| Worn

Six months into the pandemic with no relief in sight and I’m still working to maintain a sense of normalcy from day to day. Getting dressed everyday, even if it's only for a few hours has become an important part of maintaining that.

As summer fades into fall, I’m trying to find things that are technically considered clothing but are so comfortable to wear it’s almost like wearing pajamas!

This dress checks both of those boxes! I have it in this floral, leopard print and I may have another two on the way! These are great layering pieces. As it gets a little cooler, I plan on wearing them over leggings with a chunky cardigan and my new fuzzy slippers. Although I rarely leave the house these days, I think this dress would also work with a jean jacket, tights and boots/booties on the rare out of the house day.

Worn|| Orange Crush

One of my favorite things this year has been rediscovering my love of clothes and trying to figure out what I still love and what no longer works in terms of style. There have been hits, a few misses and a couple of “WTF was I thinking” moments. And while I still haven’t figured it all out, I’m getting clearer about it.

For instance, this skirt. It’s actually a dress. I bought because I love the color and the hemline. It’s 100% silk so it makes the most magnificent swish when I walk! I wore it exactly one time in the six or seven years I’ve had it. It has a halter neckline which I never liked and it does something weird to my chest. But, I couldn’t get rid of it for some reason! I decided to fold the top down and use the ties from the halter as a belt. I immediately loved it. I managed to wear it a handful of times with t-shirts and tank tops over the summer. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that works really well in cooler temps. I tossed on an oversized sweater, paired it with Chucks, and was good to go for a day of running errands. I’m planning to have it turned into a proper skirt with a waistband and a zipper but until then I’ll continue to wear it as is. If there’s something you love in your closet that hasn’t work for whatever reason, look at it in a different way. You may discover a new way to wear it or style it and fall in love with it again!

The Girl With The Glasses

Earlier in the year I went to have an eye exam. I was expecting to finally get the news that is another harbinger of middle age…bi-focals. Color me shocked that I was able to hold that one off!

Anyway, a few weeks ago I finally got my act together and ordered my new glasses. Since I discovered I could get stylish and affordable glasses online I cannot remember the last pair I purchased from a regular retailer. Zenni is bae! I’ve flirted with a few other websites but I always end up back where I started. I ordered 3 pair. A new pair of sunnies, a pair to wear around the house, and a new every day pair. Three pair of prescription glasses and shipping was a whopping $75! I couldn’t be happier.

Worn{feeling fall}

Fall has finally arrived and I am here for it! Yaaasssss! Give me pumpkin spice! Give me scarves! Give me boots!! We’ve had temps in the 80s until last week! But, you know….global warming is totes not a thing y’all! ::insert your favorite eye roll gif here!::

Anyway, I’m deeply in love with jewel tones right now. So this combination of red, mustard, orange and teal is perfection. These sneakers tho! I’ve been contemplating a pair of high top wedge kicks for a while. They were on trend a few years ago. For some reason I couldn’t currently get them off my mind. Comfortable and a little bit of edge! Why did I pass on them before?! I had a pair sitting in my Amazon cart. A few weeks ago I decided to pop in Goodwill because I had some time to kill before I needed to pick Rowan up from school. These were the first thing I saw when I walked in the door! And, they were $4. It was meant to be!

Has the weather cooled off in your neck of the woods? Are you ready for all the fall things?

worn{heart of gold}

I've gotten really good at figuring out how well something will work with my wardrobe before buying it. I once read some arbitrary rule that proclaimed you should be able to wear something with at least five existing items in your closet before you consider buying it. I'm not sure where I read it or why it stuck but it seems reasonable. And while I don't treat it as a hard and fast rule, when adding things to my cart if can't pair it with a few things I already own or see me wearing at various everyday activities, I'll pass on it. 

And then, there are some things you buy that speak to you on a spiritual level so you click "confirm order" and immediately try to figure out how many things you can pair with them because if loving it is wrong, you don't want to be right! These shoes, in all of their shiny, rose gold glory, are one such purchase. I've been wearing them nonstop since they arrived and mostly with jeans because Mother Nature suddenly remembered that November in Ohio should be cold. How rude?!! I can't wait to wear them with some of my favorite dresses when it warms up a bit. 

Today was a quiet day around the house so I'm keeping it simple with a sequined embellished sweater, leather look leggings, and gilded sneakers. You know...wardrobe basics.

worn{fair isle and flares}

There's something about fair isle sweaters and flared jeans that gets me every time. Maybe because it reminds of the glory days of American ready to wear fashion, the 1970s. A decade that had the whole sporty, effortlessly chic thing happening for it. Perhaps it's that on this day, election day. A year to the day that my country broke my heart, I'm longing for the idea of what we used to be instead of the reality of what we are. 

worn{date night}

I haven't been on a proper get a babysitter, get dressed up and go into to town night out with my husband in a long time. On a recent and very warm Saturday night, I headed out with the husband. 

If I'm being totally honest with you, getting dressed is a struggle. I'm not happy with my body or my weight right now. Putting on a pretty dress and a pair of heels to go out with my husband used to be something that I looked forward to doing several times a month. These days the opportunity to go it is rare and instead of jumping at the chance to do it, I kind of dread it. It's hard for me to feel good in something when I'm uncomfortable in my own skin.    

I bought this dress a few years ago at Forever 21 of all places and it's been a go-to ever since. It's short and flirty. The low back is sexy without being too revealing and the shoes, what? Doesn't every girl have a a fur trimmed strappy sandal as one of their wardrobe basics?      

The event we attended suggested "street chic" as the attire. For two forty something, suburban parents, I think we nailed it ;)   

worn {10.3.16}

it's finally starting feel like fall around here! i celebrated by breaking out my boots!! we headed to a local farm on sunday morning for the annual sunflower festival.

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i've been pining for a pair of frye boots for the longest time! i've purchased several non frye pair in my look for less quest. alas, none of them got it quite right. i finally decided to treat myself and i ordered them! as soon as they got here i felt guilty so, i sent them back. can you guess what happened next? i regretted not keeping them! ha! i once again logged on to amazon to order. this is where the story gets good...i looked up my beloved boots and they had one pair in a half size bigger than my normal size BUT they were only $170...and i had a $30 amazon credit!! you guys, i bought a pair of frye boot for a $140!! they fit perfectly too!

they were probably not the best choice for a messy, muddy morning of the farm but hashtag YOLO ;) i came home and let the mud dry. brushed it off and they still look great!

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outfit details:

top-bcbg-thrifted similar here
jeans-american eagle-thrifted similar here
bag- coach classic crossbody-thrifted similar here
boots- frye melissa knotted in redwood