Worn || Ready or Not

I’m a week away from my 50th birthday and I have so many feelings about it; very few are good. I desperately want to be one of those people who celebrate their birthdays for the entire month but I can’t remember ever being happy about getting older.

Not to get all “therapy” speak, but I’m certain it’s because I rarely give myself permission to exist and enjoy the present. I’m either punishing myself for the past or anxiously trying to micromanage the future.

My goal for the week is to live in this moment. Enjoy the person I am right now. appreciating the life I have is so much more than I ever imagined it could be. 50 is on the horizon, ready or not.

dress here || bag here || shoes here || jacket vintage\thrifted || necklace here

Worn|| Yellow

Trigger warning: This post refers to an eating disorder and body image struggles. If these topics are difficult for you to read about, you may want to skip this post.

Be gentle with yourself. I’ll see you next time.

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about body neutrality. As someone who suffered from an eating disorder for more than a decade and has had body dysmorphia and a really shit body image for my entire adult life, body positivity was close to impossible for me to wrap my brain around. However, body neutrality focuses on appreciating what your body can do instead of what it looks like. This approach may not work for everyone but it’s working for me.

In a move that feels very Goop/New Age/Boss Babe-like, I’ve started writing down a few body-neutral affirmations a week. I know that I’m essentially using affirmations as a rebuttal to all the negative self-talk in my head, but it still feels awkward, cultish, and more than a little cringe.

All of that aside, two of the affirmations I wrote down this week to focus on are:

• I will accept the body that I have right now.

• I deserve to wear clothes I like.

I have had this skirt for five years. I found it in a thrift store and had to buy it because sequins(obviously) and yellow is my favorite color. It’s been hanging in my closet for five years because it was too big when I bought it and I didn’t have a tailor I trusted enough to fix it for me. It’s now a perfect fit. This revelation is something that would have sent the old me into a spiral of depression and self-loathing.

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But today I’m choosing to revel in the fact that the body I have right now is perfect for this skirt that I absolutely adore!

Nothing here is new. The skirt was thrifted five years ago, and the shirt was thrifted last year. The jacket and the shoes are older than my youngest kid. I still like each individual piece and collectively this outfit made me feel a little like my old self. It’s good to know that I haven’t buried the old too deep. She’s still in there somewhere!

Generation Inspiration

I’ve had a pair of vegan leather- pleather for all the GenXers in the crowd- on my Pinterest board for a few years. I’ve had them in various online shopping carts for months. For whatever reason, I couldn’t click buy. Maybe it was the thrifting gods whispering “we got you” in my ear. But, a few months ago I went thrifting with my daughter, and there they were. The perfect size, exactly what I was looking for, and only 7.99.

I will confess that most days I wear a uniform that consists of leggings and a sweater. If I’m feeling fancy, I swap out the leggings for a pair of jeans. I’m trying to force myself out of this rut. What’s the point in buying things I love if I never wear them?

First, I styled them in the way I would most likely wear them- blouse, trench, and heels. Classic and appropriate for most occasions, although I would probably swap out the stilettos for something with a chunky heel if I was headed out for the day with my 8-year-old.

Then I got some fit inspo from the Tik Tok generation. This time I paired them with a chunky sweater, a hat, and my Air Force 1s. I gotta say the kids are alright because I really like this!

Worn||Coming of Age

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about aging. Living through a pandemic gives the saying “growing old isn’t guaranteed”, a certain poignancy I hadn’t considered. However, knowing what a gift growing old is doesn’t make it easier to accept. Being nearly 50 in a culture that is youth-obsessed is hard. And as much as I wouldn’t want to be 20, or even 30, for all of the money in the world, I can’t help constantly comparing myself to the images we’re inundated with on social media. I find myself checking the mirror daily for a wrinkle that wasn’t there the day before. Being discouraged because I now have to work out twice as hard to get half the results that used to happen with very little effort. Even my eyebrows are sprouting gray hair. It’s honestly rude at this point! I vacillate between feeling like my life is over and wanting to do all of the things before I run out of time…or energy.

Worn|| Coming of Age

I remember my mom telling me that her 30s were the decade she had the most fun, her 40s were the decade that she really got to enjoy being a mom, and her 50s were the decade where she fully came into her own. I guess there’s something to the idea that once no one is checking for you(as the kids say!), you’re free to do exactly what you damn well, please. I’m working on shifting my focus from the things I feel have passed me by. Instead, choosing to pursue the things that I’m currently passionate about. When I think about all that I’m capable of I’m excited to step into the next decade.

Teenage Dream|| Worn

This is a full circle fashion moment.

“My god, are we gonna be like our parents?” *bonus points if you know the movie ;)

I’m fairly certain I wore this exact outfit nonstop the summer between seventh and eighth grade. The sneakers were probably K-Swiss instead of Adidas. The watch was definitely analog by Swatch. And the shorts were, if memory serves, a little bit longer. I went through several decades thinking my thighs were too big to see the light of day. One of the many things I’d tell my younger self is to wear less clothing!

We aren’t leaving the house too often. But, our library finally reopened and I occasionally get to take a solo trip to pick up books. And for a second, it feels a little bit like how life used to be.

Worn || Happy

Sadness and grief make the world look different. Everything is the same but different. The world keeps moving. Life, as they say, goes on. The sun isn’t shining but the temperature is blessedly warm for a mid-western winter. So, I’m keeping things simple- a favorite sweater, jeans, sneakers and a coat from my mom.

This and That || Holiday Edition

I went to Goodwill looking for a few kitschy Christmas ornaments and came out with two pale pink sweaters. Go figure! I knew this one would be perfect for a few holiday-inspired outfits.

This soft pink sweater with the embellished collar is perfect to be dressed up in any number of ways. Perhaps, you’re going to grab a few drinks after work with colleagues or maybe your office is has having a simple lunch during the work day and you want to look festive but not over the top! I paired the top with a knit Missoni+Target skirt, tights and booties. Casual, festive and work appropriate.

This may be my personal favorite because sparkle, obviously! Sweater, leggings, heels and you’re done! Easy peasy! And while everyone may not own a pair of sequin leggings- if you don’t, you should- but this outfit could be equally adorable with plain black leggings and a glitzy shoe. I’ve been binge watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and this feels very Midge to me. This is a perfect look for your partner’s work party at a brewery. If that seems oddly specific, it’s because I’m wearing this to my husband’s company party at a brewery. LOL!

A cinched waist and full skirt is a classic silhouette. I think this would perfect to wear to a holiday luncheon or perhaps a cocktail party at a friends home. And, I’m never going to pass up the chance to wear my wedding shoes!

And, once you’ve survived the holiday madness it’s perfect with jeans and over the knee boots for grabbing brunch with your best girls.

Pink sweater with jeweled collar Goodwill $4.99/ similar here *

Outfit details:

Outfit 1:

Skirt: Missoni+Target- Target here *

Tights: Old Navy

Booties: Goodwill /similar here *

Outfit 2:

Sequin leggings: Express/ similar here *

Heels: Kate Spade/ similar here *

Leopard Coat: Forever21/ similar here *

Outfit 3:

Skirt: Zara- Goodwill/ similar here *

Heels: Sam Edelman/ similar here *

Belt: Amazon *

Outfit 4:

Jeans: American Eagle

Boots: Forever21 / similar here *

School Dazed || 3 Quick Looks For Every Day

Let me preface this post by saying that as parents, especially moms, we are all doing the very best we can! I’m not posting this to shame anyone or to say you should dress a certain way. Getting kids up and out of the house every day can be as tough as climbing Kilimanjaro. I know first hand that sometimes all I can manage is to throw a sweater over whatever I slept in and pull on the pair of leggings at the top of the laundry basket! However, I’ve found that having a game plan/an idea of a few things I can throw and feel good about myself is an enormous help when I’m running on autopilot.

Like most parents, the start of school is a welcome relief from being the 24/7 entertainment director for my 5-year-old. Of course, this means we have to be up, out and look fairly presentable far earlier than we’ve grown used to.

Here are three easy ways to look low key pulled together when you’d rather be wearing pajamas.

This outfit is all about elevated basics. We all have leggings and sweatshirts that we most likely live in. This look uses the faux leather texture of the leggings and the graphics on the sweatshirt to take it up a notch. The leopard scarf says I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100% that bitch.

This a look we all have. A favorite cardigan, a t shirt and a pair of skinny jeans. Boom! Out the door in 15 minutes.

I’ve been adding graphic t-shirts to my closet this summer with the sole intention of wearing them with something other than leggings. Here my favorite distressed jeans and a thrifted Minnie Mouse t-shirt feel a little more dressed up when I wear them with a timeless cropped trench coat and sparkly flats!

Nothing here is fussy or overdone. It’s all comfy enough to keep up with my kid. None of it is groundbreaking or edgy. But all of it makes me like I’ve got my shit together…even when that’s not even close to being true!

This or That|| Neon

Hi, I’m Courtnee and I love neon. I grew up in the 80s when neon was a big deal so my fondness for it is firmly rooted in nostalgia. These days I prefer to pair it with a neutral instead of another neon color which is what my 10 year old self would do. Because neon+neon= Totally Rad!

I found this skirt on the clearance rack marked down to $12 at JcPenny a few years ago and it’s been a favorite. What’s not to love? Chiffon, pleats, a pop of neon paired with tan…yes please! All of those details come together in an unexpectedly modern way that I love.

Anyone who knows me knows that gray is my favorite neutral. It’s not as harsh as black. Easier to wear than brown. And, pairs the easiest with other neutrals. Mixed metallic shoes are perfect for subtly tying together the gray+tan color palette. This outfit feels romantic without being fussy and I love it. Lately, I’ve been having so much fun digging through my closet, rediscovering things are years old, and styling them in completely different ways. Nothing in this outfit is new. The skirt is the newest addition and it’s probably 4 years old. I’d forgotten how much I love the creative process of putting together an outfit and it feels good to get back into that head space again!

This is an easy look for everyday mom life. The same color palette in a super casual way that makes me look a hell of lot more pulled together than I actually am. The tee and chambray shirt are fun and recent thrift finds. I love making a casual outfit out of a piece that at first glance seems “dressy”. If I saved all of my dress up clothes for special occasions, they would literally never leave my closet! Don’t be afraid to experiment!

This or That || Episode 2

This striped top is one of my latest thrift store finds. I was immediately drawn to the stipes and the colors. When I pulled it off the rack I was pleasantly surprised by the boat neck and the bracelet sleeve. The fabric, though polyester, feels luxurious and it was only $5.99. We were obviously meant to be!

The top lends itself to dressing up but because my life as a SAHM is pretty laid back, I needed to work out how I could dress it down a little.

So, I made it a little more casual with white jeggings and black flats. While this is more put together than I tend to be when running around with a five year old, because white pants with a kid are a disaster in the making(!), I would definitely wear this for a day date with my husband or brunch with friends.

What’s a night out without a little or in this case a LOT of leg! I wouldn’t have thought twice about wearing shorts this short a decade ago! But, few extra pounds and few more years have made question my style way too much. I fell in love with the sweet scallop detail so they came home with me even though I was unsure if I’d have the nerve to wear them. This year I promised myself to give less damns about what people think I ought to be wearing so here we are!

D E T A I L S:

B L O U S E- Banana Republic- thrifted

J E G G I N G S - American Eagle

F L A T S- find here

S H O R T S- Forever21- thrifted

P U M P S- Aldo

C L U T C H- Banana Republic

*this post may contain affiliate links