2014 Closet Remix Challenge

Hi, my name is Ray and I'm a shopaholic. Legit, I'm verging on Confessions of a Shopaholic bad. Nothing makes me happier than the thrill of a new purchase, I love the high I get when I find a great sale item and when playing the mental math game to make my money disappear into glossy shopping bags. Due to my obsessive compulsive tendencies, I can get a little out of control without realizing it and easily overspend, leaving my budget on life support. I even have mood swings depending on whether or not I am able to get the items I actually set out to get, usually after some serious stalking. Both planned and impulse shopping are dangerous for me, because I can always find more things I want (I'm like a bird attracted to anything shiny). I am easily seduced by coupons, sales, and clearance items, part of the thrill of the "game" is the challenge of seeing how far I can stretch my money. In a weird way shopping, for me, isn't always about the clothes or shoes or accessories, but the addiction/compulsion to get more for less. It has gotten a little out of hand, especially with the stress (which exacerbates my compulsions) of the holidays and the end of the semester, I was spending way too much on things I wasn't even sure I needed or even wanted, just because the price of something was amazing. I also feel guilty about not picking something up on super sale, even if I barely have the money to afford it, I feel bad. It's strange to think about. In addition to this compulsion are the mood swings associated with it. Feeling sad, mad, depressed, etc. are all common things I experience if I could not get something I actually want. 

image via

I have become a spending monster and this spending, especially through the holiday season where I mentally justify everything with the promise of money coming in the following year, has left my insides and my bank account empty. I don't need more stuff. I don't want more stuff. In fact, I tend to hate stuff. It means less space with more to clean. So, what's a shopaholic to do? With what do I replace the elated feeling shopping brings me? The answer, thanks to the wonderful @jen_murph on instagram, is the #2014closetremixchallenge. Joining instagram last year has been both a blessing and a curse to a shopaholic like myself. Within it I have found an amazing community of wonderfully kind, stylish, and creative fashionistas, whose friendships and inspiration have meant the world to me this past year. The flip side to meeting and following all of these amazing women, is that it gives me a serious case of the I wants. So many of the things I purchase is because I see them on instagram and immediately need to have them too (I used the hashtag #instagrammademedoit more than I would like to admit last year). I am only human, and as hard as I try, can't help but sometimes compare myself to other bloggers and IG'ers, and can even fall victim to feeling the need to keep up with the Jones' of the blogging and fashion world. But, I also get so much inspiration that I also buy pieces to recreate or give my own spin on outfits I love. The reasons to shop are endless,  right? ;-)

Well, this year I am going to rehab. Participating in the challenge means that on a monthly basis, I will commit to not shopping - no new clothing, shoes, or accessories, and only creating outfits out of the clothing I already have in my closet with the exception of exchanges, returns, and giftcards, or replacing damaged necessities (runs in tights, leaky snow boots, etc.). January is my first month, and so far, so good! I participated in a closet remix challenge last June and had a fun time mixing and matching pieces I had from my closet. The challenge really encourages you to bust out the items in your drawers with tags still on them, dust off things you have forgotten in the back of the closet, and pair unexpected pieces to create fun new outfits, giving a twist on your trusted favorites. This new mental game of mixing and matching the things I already own is new puzzle for my compulsions to grab onto. The satisfaction of making new outfits out of things I have already used in other great outfits provides enough of a high to keep me from shopping, at least for a month or two at a time. I am also going to be more selective with the pieces that I do add this year, sticking to more classic pieces (I don't even own a pair of plain nude heels) and fewer trendy items. 

I have written on here before about getting the most out of my clothing, and this challenge is definitely in line with that goal. I have put together some collages of my favorite pieces that I bought this fall and winter and the multiple ways that I have worn them as inspiration for myself during this challenge, and you too, if you choose to join me! 

Cable Knit Cardigan

Herringbone Vest

 Polka Dot Pencil Skirt

Leopard Loafers

Striped Sweater

Plaid Blanket Scarf

Taupe Ankle Boots

Crystal Sunburst Necklace

As you can probably tell by these collages, I definitely play favorites! All of these pieces highlighted are things I have purchased in the last 4 months and I have tried to get as much wear out of them without feeling like I wear the same thing everyday. Some of these items were bought because of instagram, such as the J.Crew Factory herringbone excursion vest and the Zara plaid blanket scarf. But others were filling a whole in my wardrobe, such as the taupe booties, which were my first pair of booties ever. My hope is that after rehab, every piece that I add to my wardrobe is used as frequently as I wear these favorites. This is also a pretty good representation of my style; comfy, colorful, creative, and all about the details. Being on a remix challenge only pushes my closet creativity further. I hope that this post inspired you to mix-up your closet this month too!

For those you of who are not on a challenge and would like outfit details, please visit their individual posts on my instagram account. Please shop the links below to add my favorites to your closet!

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous day!

Fall Brights: Polka Dots, Herringbone, + Yellow Cable Knit

Happy Friday's Eve Lovelies! The week is in full swing and so I will keep today's outfit post brief. Yesterday it was cloudy, rainy, and gloomy pretty much all day. While I absolutely love this weather, I also can't help but feel a need to bust out some brights to add some sunshine to an otherwise grey day. Knowing that this weather was going to continue today, I prepared an outfit to combat the rainy day blues. Additionally, I think this is a great opportunity to show you how I incorporate my bright colored clothing and jewelry into my fall outfits, which can tend to get a little monotonous with all the neutrals I gravitate to this time of year. Adding a bright colored piece or two is an easy way to freshen up a look and bring some lightness as the day light start to creep away.

Today I am wearing a bright yellow cable knit sweater over my favorite polka dot top (also seen here). I threw my herringbone vest on for an extra layer in the cold. I even found these amazing herringbone tweed and patent leather flats while I was cleaning out my closet this week (don't you just love when that happens??), which I thought were a perfect pairing with this vest. Since the yellow of this sweater is quite bright I wanted to pair it primarily with black and white, that way the sweater becomes the focus of the outfit. Keeping the prints small, in herringbone and tiny polka dots also keeps the outfit from becoming overwhelming with the mix of prints and bright yellow. Lastly, I accessorized with my amazing J.Crew inspired techni-colored floral statement necklace I was lucky enough to find on super sale from Groopdealz at the beginning of the fall. It is a perfect splash of autumn brights to complement this outfit. Just for fun I threw on a bright pink lipstick to mix it up from all of the dark lips I have been drawn too lately. A finishing whimsical touch to this outfit that I think pulls it all together (minus my wind blown bun which is taking on a life of its own, eek!). 

Polka Dot Shirt - J.Crew Factory (in lilac)(option)(option) / Sweater - Gap (option) / Vest - J.Crew Factory (option)

Necklace - Groopdealz (option) / Bracelets: Enamel - J.Crew (option) / Cuff - Forever 21 (option) / Bangles - Rue 21 (option)

Shoes - Naturalizer (option)(option) / Purse - Phillip Lim for Target (option) / Leggings - Target

 

Do you incorporate your brights into your fall outfits?

P.S. Today is the last day to enter to win the Zara blanket scarf featured in the giveaway post,
don't forget to enter here!

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous day!

In(sta)vested

So in yesterday's post I wrote about my favorite things and I realized I haven't posted any outfit pictures featuring my beloved herringbone vest, which is seriously crazy because I wear it ALL.THE.TIME. Today is the day I correct this grave travesty! For today's post, I wanted to do a quick compilation of photos from my iPhone and instagram showing how I have style this amazing piece so far and tomorrow I will have a full outfit post featuring the vest.

As you can probably tell from these photos, I am a huge fan of layering and mixing patterns, which is why this vest is so perfect for my personal style! You can also see that I definitely re-wear my clothing and accessories, I just can't afford to buy new outfits every week, so I try to be creative and resourceful with what I have and the selective new pieces I add. Getting the most out of my wardrobe is important to me and I hope I have inspired you to combine some pieces you may have otherwise thought not to. For more details on the items in these pictures, please check them out on instagram!

What's your favorite way to style a vest this fall?
Do you pattern mix?

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous day!

Weekend Recap...Two Days Tardy

I had EVERY intention of getting this post up Monday so that it would be fresh off the weekend, and I would feel like I was kicking off the week right! And then...life happened. Mostly grad school life. You know the story: girl meets weekend, girl falls in love, girl neglects homework to spend quality time with her new love...it's a classic tale really, one full of adventure and inevitable procrastination. The kind of story that ends in staying up too late Sunday night to finish a paper, leaving not quite enough time to write a post or sort through photos for it. Oops. So as much as I really wanted to start the week off with a Monday post, I have accepted their impossibility in exchange for keeping my love affair with the weekend. So, I offer my apologies and vote we move swiftly along from my shortcomings to talking about said love affair. 

Gingham Flannel Shirt - Old Navy / Jeans - Old Navy / Booties - Old Navy

Vest - J.Crew Factory (option) (option) / Scarf - Zara  / Purse - Phillip Lim for Target (option)

Necklace - Mint Sugar Boutique (option) / Spike Bracelet - Urban Peach Boutique

Link Bracelet - c/o Hawthorne Collection (option)

Friday night I came home from work and it was gorgeous outside. My bf and I seized the opportunity to take some outfit photos for the blog. We were able to walk down to the park at the end of my street and snap some shots in the warm glow of the setting sun. Afterwards, we settled in to our normal Friday night of frozen pizza dinner while catching up on the DVR and watching movies. I even treated us to hard cider (him) and delicious pumpkin ale (me) for surviving an incredibly intense week of school and work.

Saturday was spent at Panera studying and homeworking for a good 4 hours. Timeout. Have I mentioned that my bf and I are in grad school together? We are. If you didn't figure that out already, you are probably really confused. My bad. So yes, I met my bf while going to school, which is another long story that maybe I will tell you about sometime ;-) We are in our last year of our program, working on our Masters of Science in Engineering, Architectural Engineering to be specific. He is studying boring mechanical systems engineering as his focus, and I am focused on the superior subject of electrical systems engineering, opposites attract, right? However, we are in all of the same classes. Thank God. Seriously, I could not get through this without him (and Him) by my side. So in addition to being my best friend and significant other, Kevin (yup that's his name, such a dramatic reveal, no?) is also my incredibly smart and patient study buddy. I think that is all you need to know to understand what the heck I am talking about for now. End timeout.

Okay. So, we spent most of Saturday like we do every Saturday, holed up in the Panera by my apartment. After sufficiently depleting our brains of energy, we hit the Old Navy across from Panera so that I could exchange some items. Although their huge sale was going on, I behaved and didn't purchase anything new. It's the little victories. We headed back to my place to read a few chapters of the book we needed to write for the aforementioned paper. I read one chapter before it bored me into a nap. Best. Nap. Ever. It was warm and sunny and breezy and awesome. I love afternoon naps. Kevin was a much better student then I and continued to read during my power nap. Around 6 pm he ended my nap, reminding me we had plans to go to my sister's for dinner.

My sister recently moved into a new apartment with her long term boyfriend. Timeout. Okay more sharing time. I have three younger sisters and I love them each to pieces. We are all a year and a half to two years part in age, which means we are all in our mid to late twenties. The two middle sisters are both teachers and used to live together until recently. Christina, the younger middle child, recently moved out and it was her new apartment we were going to see. My youngest sister lives with my mother and grandmother, very close to Christina and my other sister. Yay family tree! End timeout.

So, we headed out to spend the evening with my sister and her boyfriend. It was about a 20 minute drive, which we spent singing like lunatics (a normal occurrence for us). We arrived and entered. Their apartment was so cute! Seriously, it was impressive how everything had come together in such a short time, although, given my sister is an art teacher, has an impeccable eye, and is a gifted painter, it shouldn't have been such a surprise. After the short tour we ordered Chinese and settled in to a night of comfort food, Netflix, and Scrabble. It was a perfect evening; great food and company, relaxing and fun. If you are reading, thanks so much Christina!

Sunday morning rolled around and the gorgeous weather persisted so we decided to steal away a few hours from homework and go apple picking. It was sunny and in the 60's, the trees had started to turning a kaleidoscope of fall hues. Our drive out to the orchard was breath taking. It was the type of experience you take pause and want to remember for the rest of your life. At least it was for me, which is what I did along the drive. Mental snapshots. I couldn't help but feel so grateful for...well, everything, the sceneary driving out of the city is beyond majestic. After our drive, just shy of an hour, we arrived and were ready to fill our half bushel. Kevin was kind enough to snap a few pics of my outfit as we wandered through the rows of apple trees.

We were able to fill our bag quickly; the apples were large and shiny, such pretty glossy shades of red and green in the streaming sunlight. We then moved along to pick some raspberries and to select our pumpkins. After a little debate, we finally settled a large, a small pumpkin, and a few gourds. On our way out of the orchard we also stopped along the fields of fall crops, the vegetable plants were all full of pipe goodies, cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, squash, peppers, and more, but we settled on just a few fresh peppers which we were able to pick ourselves!

Our last stop before heading home, was the cider mill at the front of the farm and orchard. After some cider, donuts, and apple goodness (piece of apple crumble pie for me, and hot apple dumping a la mode for Kev), we decided to call it a day and head back to finally finish homework. It was a perfect day and I am so lucky and blessed to have had it. This weekend was my little miracle weekend of the semester and I relished it. We spend the remainder of Sunday cooking dinner, cleaning up, and finishing homework. It truly was one of my favorite weekends in recent memory.

I absolutely love this outfit that I wore to the apple orchard, its the perfect combination of patterns and the layers were perfect for the temperature swings throughout a fall day. I am 100% head over heels for this plaid Zara blanket scarf and although I broke my #noshoptilnovember, it was totally worth it and I know it will be on major repeat this fall and winter. This Old Navy booties are also so comfy and fab, I would highly recommend them if you are in the market for affordable taupe booties. 

So this turned out to be quite a lengthy post. Thank-you so much for listening to my excessive rambling and I am very impressed that you made it to the end. I promise I will be more brief in the future =)

Do have favorite fall pieces?

Did you do something fun this weekend?

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous day!