Patterned Leggings + Weekend Recap

Hello Lovelies!! First of all, I hope you all had amazing weekends! Secondly, how the heck is it Monday already? Seriously. I am not so happy, as I am sure you all can relate, to be headed back to work and another week of class this week. I was having the best weekend and I am just not ready for it to end! Okay, enough moaning and groaning about that "M" word, on to happier things, like my on going love affair with the weekend =) 

As you may remember from this post, I definitely one of that gals that makes the most of her time with the weekend. I do it up right, I promise. This weekend was no exception. My family had a little "pre-Thanksgiving" dinner and celebration on Saturday and then spent the afternoon watching the massacre that was the MSU vs. UofM game. Time-out. How awesome does pre-Thanksgiving sound? Pretty awesome, right? Well it definitely is the best idea my mom has ever have. Hello favorite holiday, oh wait, you underwent mitosis and now there are two of you? Yes, please! 

Okay, so background story: my lovely grandma (g-ma) is leaving the state to spend Thanksgiving with my mother's sibs who live in Arkansas and so we celebrated at their place (my mom, g-ma, and baby sis live together) this weekend to make-up for not being able to do so the day of. Full disclosure, my mom is a phenomenal cook, g-ma too, so I consider myself extra spoiled to get two amazingly delicious Thanksgiving meals this year. Insert jealous glares here. Anyways, so we gathered for a day of food and fun, which was perfect because I feel like I haven't gotten to see or spend time with my family since this semester started and I was starting to feel a little sad (because my family is for realz the BEST). A day of rest and family was just what I needed =) 

Leggings - White Plum Boutique / Cardigan - Target / Thermal - Old Navy / Tank - Target

Shoes - Target / Purse - Target / Necklace - c/o Our World Boutique / Bracelet - Urban Peach Boutique

 

On the way to my mom's for supper, Kevin and I stopped to take these photos at a local park. The trees were breath-takingly gorgeous. The leaves were a vibrant kaleidoscope of warm fall yellows, the tree bark was almost black, saturated with water, it was the type of contrast that is like blessing to witness and you feel like your eyes can't soak up its beauty sufficiently. Additionally, the air was crisp and the ground was soft from rain, it was one of those moments when you feel a part of nature even surrounded by concrete, brick, and metal. Peaceful moments where you feel the infiniteness of the universe are sort of my weird obsession. Sorry, not sorry for that detour ;-)

If you follow along on instagram, you already saw a preview of these amazing patterned leggings. At first I was terrified of patterned pants, but after seeing these adorable patterned leggings on Jane.com for $10 I figured it was worth a try at that price; if I hated them I wouldn't feel too bad about the ten bucks. After receiving them in the mail a few days later, I discovered that not only are they adorable, but they are so soft and stretchy too! The fabric is not see-through and they definitely have so many styling options because of their color palette.

On Saturday I decided to dress comfortably since I knew we would be eating a sizable supper and sitting around for the game. I chose to through together some solid cobalt and turquoise pieces with neutral sweater for an extra layer of warmth; all colors present in the leggings, but no more patterns as the leggings are quite loud. I do however love that these flats have a zigzag of studs, which match the colorful chevron pattern of the leggings. 

Sunday was far less glamorous and was spent doing homework, taking a midterm exam in my on-line class, and running out for caffeine (red holiday cups are back at Starbucks, hooray!). I did enjoy my extra hour of sleep though, which was also much needed. 

Of course, there are so many more things that I wanted to get accomplished, but in the spirit of pre-Thanksgiving, I am deciding to be thankful for the time I did have with my loved ones, and that I probably didn't completely fail my midterm Sunday (fingers and toes crossed!). This will be the first full week of a new month so I am also incredibly grateful to have one more month checked off til graduation! Looking at it that way, Monday doesn't seem so bad after all...I guess...ugh, fine, Monday is okay by me ;-) I hope you all had amazing weekends, cherished your extra hour, and are kicking off this week on a cheerful note!

Do you wear patterned pants or leggings?

How would you style these patterned leggings?

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous day!

Lazy Days Plaid

Hello lovelies and happy Wednesday! Today I am showing you a typical outfit I would wear, pretty much any day of the week. I even wore it to work last week. It may seem a little casual for work, and I usually wear things that a little dressier, but I work at an Architecture, Engineering, and Planning firm, and it is very laid back. Even though jeans are only officially allowed on Fridays, during the week it tends to be a little bit more on the casual side of business casual. Of course the male staff wear khakis and polos all week (it's like the universal guy uniform) while the style of the women ranges from dressy to business to casual, with a lot of freedom to express your individual style. 

Flannel - Old Navy / Leggings - Target / Tank - Target / Purse - Target (out online, here in black)

Boots - Target / Bracelet - Jane (similar) / Necklace - Jane (similar)

In general, I always dress comfortably and I love to dress how I am feeling; sometimes dressy, sometimes preppy, sometimes trendier, sometimes cozier, it depends. I kind of just pick a piece I love that day (it's hard for me to pick out clothes before the morning of that day, because I don't always "feel" like wearing what I picked out ahead of time on that day) and then focus the rest of my outfit around it. My style is more about the other items I pick to go around that one piece, I love color, I love neutrals, I love prints and patterns, I love to play dress up. I have fun =) So while I probably wouldn't use one word to describe all the kinds of looks I wear (like girlie or preppy or vintage-y), I would say overall, I create cohesive looks, pieces that look like their marriage together (for that day) is a happy one. Back to the point, I really enjoy working somewhere where I can wear what I want for the most part and don't have to conform in someway that makes me uncomfortable or like I can't just be me.

My love affair with plaid is in full swing. I simply cannot get enough of it! Remember this post with my mad for plaid wishlist? Well, I may have caved and gotten the Zara Scarf...oops. It was just eating away at me, I couldn't resist it taunting me anymore and ordered it. I cannot wait til it comes! Plaid has also been featured here and here, so I would say I'm sorry for the plaid overload, except, I am not sorry at all. Buckle up, because there is going to be a lot of plaid on the blog this fall. <3

Sharing time: my hair is in this bun because it is on its last legs before requiring a washing. I don't wash my hair every hair, its more like every two to three days. I find that washing it daily dries my hair out, and also, quite frankly, I don't have the time to wash it all that often, its long and take forever to wash and condition, plus it's a pain in the behind to deal with when wet due to its wavy and unruly nature. So up into a bun it goes. I like to call this recycling my hair, it sounds better than I am lazy, tired, or busy, right? :-D I don't use a bun helper or anything, I brush the waves out, put it in a pony tail, use a brush to back-comb the half closest to the ponytail hold, smooth the outside hair of the now fluffy ponytail with a fine tooth comb, and twist into a bun, securing with a bobby pin or two. Secure with hair spray and off I go. Since my hair is long and heavy, I don't often where it up as it gives me headaches, boo. Anyways, now you know my secret to my dirty bun!

So this turned out to be quite a random post...probably because I cannot focus on anything lately! My brain is overworked, overwhelmed, and in serious need of a fancy coconut drink on a beach. But alas, that is not in my brain's future...it will have to settle for a glass of wine after the week is over. Well I am off to do more homework, hope everyone has a great day!

Does your job have a dress code?

Do you recycle your hair?

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous day!

Grad Student Uniform

Grad school is officially in full swing, which means two things: fall is just around the corner, and my caffeine intake and amount of sleep are about to have an inverse relationship. My week is spent running from work to school to the gym to home and repeat. The nights are late and every minute is packed. On the plus side, the days fly by; on the down side, they are a sleep deprived, stressed-out blur. However, on the weekends...well, the weekends are a little piece of heaven. The pace slows. The sun shines. The birds chip. Or at least that is how it all happens in my mind as I daydream for them during the week. Weekends are full too, don't get me wrong, between running errands, doing homework, and cleaning the apartment, I am definitely busy. It's just, well, the sense of urgency is gone, which is perfect because it doesn't matter that I am exhausted and going in slow motion. All of this being said, I have a confession to make. On the weekends, every weekend, I wear my grad student uniform.

Ok, so graduate students don't actually wear a uniform, obviously. This is just a term I came up with this weekend as I dressed on Saturday and changed after church on Sunday. Because my mind is doing a million other things and jam packed with tons of useless incredibly important energy engineering stuff, it really, really, really, doesn't want to think about clothes. It becomes a traitor. Goes on strike. Wants nothing to do with how I look. So, I basically wear some version of the exact same outfit every weekend, and to be honest, I don't even care! I am convinced that I am not the only one who does this either, but I could be wrong, you tell me =)

First, the staple piece of the grad student uniform is a pair of leggings, which by the way, I am certain were invented by a graduate student in the same mental state as I frequently find myself. They are like cute sweatpants, the same amount of comfort, without the bulk or judgmental looks in public (just make sure to wear a thick pair that is not see-through, to avoid a different kind of judgement look). Additionally, unlike yoga pants they allow for a cute shoe to be seen, thus giving the illusion that you are more put together and actually do care about looking cute, without any real effort at all. Which brings me to footwear. Really, anything goes, so I tend to choose whatever is the most comfortable considering the weather; riding boots, booties, sandals, flats, moccasins, they all work with leggings in my opinion. 

For the top half of the grad student uniform, I usually layer. On the weekends I do lots of errands and then set up homework camp at a local Starbucks for hours, so flexibility in comfort is always important. These are casual layers and typically include: long tank top, jersey tee or flannel button-up, and a cardigan. I cannot over-emphasize how much I consider cardigans to be wardrobe staples! I own a ton and wear one just about every day. They can instantly make you look put-together, keep you warm, add another dimension to your look, and come in tons of colors, cuts, patterns, etc. there is definitely a cardi for you out there! Finish with a statement necklace, standard arm stack, and top-knot or side braid and you are good to go! Cute, cozy, and little brain power required. 

I have included some sample "uniforms" below:

tee / tank / cardi / leggings / booties / necklace / coral bracelet / amber bracelet / blue bracelet / purse

I love the option of wearing a colored legging, its an unexpected way to add color to an outfit. For this outfit I did some pattern mixing with the tank and tee which I would typically leave untucked. Since there is a lot going on with the colored leggings and patterned top, I chose to keep the cardigan, booties, and accessories neutral, picking up on on the color pallet slightly with the jewelry to tie it all together. I am all about gender equality, so I am not above shopping the men's department for over-sized sweaters. The sweater pictured above is from the men's section at J. Crew Factory and I am not ashamed to admit that I would scoop it up in a heart beat if I was adding to my cardi collection. It looks super cozy and would add a touch of masculinity to an otherwise girlie outfit, a juxtaposition I happen to adore. Lastly, who doesn't like a bold bag to finish off a look? Loving this cobalt option for the fall...and the mint one..and the mustard one! 

tee / cardigan / leggings / bag / necklace (out online check in stores) / shoes / black bracelet / crystal bracelet

How darling are these plaid leggings?!? I am a sucker for tartan and I am definitely lusting over these. I am a little worried they are thin, if any one has them I would love to know if they are sufficiently thick. Traditionally, I have not been the biggest fan of leather- faux or real, however, seeing it in surprising details on all sorts of clothing this fall has given me a new appreciation for it. Whether as pipping, pockets, or striping, leather is adding a touch of luxe to everyday items. Between these patent bow flats and the faux leather color blocked cardi, this otherwise casual outfit is given an edgy upgrade. Lastly, add a neutral statement necklace and black and white swoon worthy satchel to carry all my school stuff, and I am good to go!

cardi / tank / flannel shirt /sunnies / leggings / necklace / purse / flats

For this look, I recreated the outfit pictured above that I wore to class one night last week. Tuesday and Thursday nights I spend five and a half hours in class, so comfort is a must. It was cool enough to break out the fab flannel from Old Navy, which I highly recommend picking up (20% off online with promo code ONTREAT). Additionally, I added some leopard flats for a little pattern mixing while also remaining in the neutral family. In my post I am carrying the new cognac satchel from Target, not available online, but check in stores. If I wasn't a grad student though, I would love to be able to afford this classic Robinson Double Zip Tote as well as these amazing sunnies by Tory Burch. Maybe next fall!  

Do you have a weekend uniform?

What is your go to outfit when you don't want to think about getting dressed?

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous day!