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!

Spotlight Weekly Link-Up: Geometric Print

Happy Thursday lovelies!! I am so excited to be guest co-hosting this week's Spotlight Link-Up this week with Jacqueline and Elle. Every week these incredibly stylish ladies host a link-up for all things fashion. This week's theme is geometric patterns, which are an easy way to add a little punch to an outfit. I love, LOVE the dress that Elle is wearing, its a great print and very versatile, especially if you are going from work to play without a lot of time to do a complete wardrobe change. Jacqueline's pants are such a cute print, and although I am still a little hesitant to wear patterned pants, she is totally rocking them, especially with her pup tee and blazer, perfection! Be sure to check out each of their posts for more details. 

Cardigan - Target / Dress - Target / Tights - Target / Purse - Phillip Lim for Target

Booties - Old Navy / Tassel Necklace - Mint Sugar Boutique / Bracelets - Forever 21 & Rue 21

I decided to use this post to show one of my go-to ways to transition my summer dresses for fall wear. Its nothing ground breaking, and I bet you have seen this formula all over Pinterest and the blogosphere, but here's my take. As a huge fan of tights, especially colored tights, I obviously advocate throwing them on with your fave dress as the temps start to drop. When selecting tight colors, I opt to use neutrals or muted toned tights when my outfit is full of brighter colors, and select brighter hues when my outfit is more subdued. Leggings are also a great option for keeping your stems warm. Next, trade out your wedges for booties or boots, maybe throw on a pair of knee-high socks or leg warmers with your taller boots for another peek of color. Lastly, grab a cardigan, vest, and/or jacket - leather, jean, military, or otherwise (I personally tend to grab at least 2 of those 3), and you are good to go. Layered to perfection and warm too!

Since I tend to gravitate towards mixing patterns, I love the idea of mixing in different textures too as the weather changes. This soft knit printed cardigan with the lace shift dress is a perfect example. The lace is both a texture and pattern, so mixing with the geometric patterned cardigan feels natural to me. As the weather gets colder, I tend to add layer upon layer, I just can't help it, its a sickness I swear!

I am so excited to see how all of you style your geometric patterns this week! Even if you don't have a geometric pattern to showcase, we would love for you to share your favorite post. The inspiration I get from my two co-hosts and all you fashionable ladies is boundless! It's so fun to check out what other girls are wearing as they move fully into fall fashion too. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous day!

HOW TO LINK-UP:

1. We kindly ask that you follow the two hosts and co-host of the week: Elle from Living in Color Style, Jacqueline from Stylin' In St. Louis, and Ray from Four Season Fabulous via Bloglovin or GFC. (The first three links in the link-up.)

2. Use the button provided on Elle or Jacqueline's sidebar, or link back to the link-up on your blog.
3. Enjoy reading other blogs and make new blogger friends!