Steve Madden

OOTD 2.24.2016

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It seems that despite my best efforts to be done with winter clothes, Indiana is not yet done with winter. Womp womp. 

Today was a return to temps in the 30s and snow tonight (remember when it was 72 degrees just four days ago?), but fear not, we’re supposed to be in the 50s by Saturday and 60s by Sunday. This is Indiana, after all. Transitioning weather calls for transitional outfits, and although I posted a version of this one here, part of what I love about it is you can change the outfit up just by changing the scarf. 

Today was a black-and-white plaid blanket scarf from Old Navy last year, but it can just as easily be swapped for a lighter and brighter scarf when the days get warmer. Draping the scarf lengthwise around your neck and belting it gives a bit of a polished, faux vest look, while secretly keeping you warm and cozy at your desk all day. A basic black long-sleeved top  (like I said, I may have a slight obsession with black tops), my favorite Minnie pants from J.Crew, and some black pumps provide a sleek base for the outfit. Topped with my faithful Kendra Scott earrings, monogram necklace, and this pop of bright pink lip color I can’t get enough of, and I was ready for the day. 

Here’s hoping this is the last of the winter things for awhile! 

  

OOTD 2.11.2016

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Do you ever have those weeks when it seems like everything is on fire? That was this week. Lots of long and crazy days, and Wednesday was an especially late night of work. Going to sleep on nights I’ve worked late is near impossible for me – it’s like my brain just can’t turn off and still needs hours to wind down again. While it gives me some solo quiet time to catch up on the day’s social media I missed, it’s not so great for waking up the next day at my normal time. On day’s like that, I like to have some easy outfits I don’t have to think about, so I can just throw them on and go.

Black and camel is one of those color combos that never fails to feel classic and polished, with minimal effort required. These wool skimmer pants are actually from last year, but I can always count on J. Crew Factory to keep the classics in stock. There’s no camel left, but it looks like the ones they do have left are marked down to half price (love the crimson or black). Add on a black top – I have so many variations of black tops, my husband thinks I’m crazy when I come home with another one – my favorite Kendra Scott earrings, black heels, red lips, and you’re out the door!

I was exhausted, and it was another crazy, long day, but I felt put together enough that I still looked ready for the invite from one of my girlfriends for a much needed impromptu sushi and beer break after work.

How do you make late nights and long days better?

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OOTD 2.5.2016: Travel Days

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It’s been a crazy busy week, but what else is new. I realized I hadn’t done any OOTD posts this week, so I thought I’d share a travel day look from Friday. My job requires a decent amount of travel to our other offices in the state, so I’ve gotten used to figuring out what travels well and is comfortable for the long days.

The key factors for travel day outfits are how comfortable I’ll be in the car for two (or more) hours there and back, and how well what I’m wearing will hold up through the drive. There are few things worse on travel days than leaving the house looking your best, then arriving looking like a wrinkled mess after sitting in the car for so long. My pink skirt is a thick wool find from a few years ago in the J.Crew sale room, but they have a pretty consistent variation of it from year-to-year. This year’s is on sale with an extra 30% off, and I love how they come in classic colors that go with everything and hold up over the years.

I’m a big fan of stripes (just look in my closet), and I love how spring time seems to mean stripes are everywhere every year. My shirt is an oldie from Ann Taylor Loft, and you can’t see it very well, but it has the cutest bow on the neck to jazz things up a bit. This version doesn’t have the bow, but is still just as cute and versatile.

Another thing I’ve learned over the years is that driving in my heels will tear them up. I wore my go-to black booties for this pic, but one of my comfort and shoe-preservation secrets is that I always drive in Uggs, flats, or sandals depending on the weather. This is a lesson learned from experience, because these little booties were in need of some desperate repair after the backs of the heels were DESTROYED from driving too much in them, plus walking around on the salty/snowy sidewalks when our office was downtown. Tip: Find a good cobbler near you to revive your shoe investments. I have my father-in-law to thank for introducing me to the guy who SAVED these favorites from the trash and my wallet from a new bootie investment. I’ve also learned to wear boots when I’m commuting, then change into my heels or booties once I get to my office – live and learn.

Add on some sparkly crystal drop earrings (mine no longer available from J. Crew Factory, but look how pretty these are!), and I felt comfortable and polished for the long day!

Do you travel for work? What are your travel day style tips?

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OOTD 1.21.2016

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A bit delayed, but I meant when I said I could not wait to wear these new Kendra Scott beauties – I wore them the very next day! I kept it basic with black pants, a black long-sleeve, and a black and white blanket scarf so that the pink really popped. Cold days in January need more hot pink.

My black pants are a J.Crew winter favorite I’ve had for a few years. Mine are a wool dress pant, although the link is a new version in a cotton twill, but either way they’re a great slim-fitting dress pant for the office. You can’t go wrong with basic long-sleeve tees that can be dressed up, dressed down, and worn a million different ways. Old Navy is a favorite for picking them up in a rainbow of colors for super cheap. Blanket scarves are by far one of my favorite “trends” that’s lasted a couple years now. They instantly make you feel pulled together, while keeping you cozy whether it’s just starting to get cold or when it’s well into winter’s freezing days. What are your winter fashion go-tos?

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One of those weeks…

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You know those weeks when you have big plans laid out, then life kicks your butt, and you’re just happy if you can pick out clothes that sort of match? Yeah, it was one of those.

Working late every night meant blogging took a serious backseat, but then again, that’s part of why this one has “real life” in the title…it’s going to happen. On weeks like this, my priority is to actually find time to have real conversations with my husband, preserve my sanity, and get some sleep. During these weeks, I try to remind myself that I’m lucky to have a job that has allowed me to pay off my car and for us to by a house, and just give myself a lot of room for grace.

I had every intention of doing a post or two this week, took pictures and everything…they just never made it up on the blog. I never really intended for OOTDs to all be on one giant post, but since I haven’t had time, this will unfortunately be another week of grouped pics.

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I was nervous about the over-the-knee boot trend at first, but when I found a pair at H&M for $60 this fall, I decided to give them a whirl. Short answer: I’m obsessed. Seriously, some OTK boots and red lipstick, and you’ll feel like you can rule the world. Pairing them with black tights, a tweed skirt, a “sweater set,” and my favorite pearls from J.Crew (they’re at J.Crew Factory now, on sale!) helps tone them down enough for the office without being too over-the-top.

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Polka dot pants are a good way to add fun to your work wear, and Old Navy’s Pixie pants are a favorite. I know, I know, another pixie pant…it must be the name! I have a few pairs from Old Navy in solid colors and these polka dot gems, but the price can’t be beat and they’re so versatile.

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The Friday of a long week meant I was ready for a comfy swing dress, faux fur vest (not sure this is my exact one from H&M, but its a steal nonetheless), my OTK boots, and another Kendra Scott favorite. My swing dress was from Old Navy this past fall and doesn’t seem to be around anymore, but I’ve seen them around from other brands/stores for pretty cheap. My outfit was intended to be a day-to-night date night outfit…but then we both worked too late and ended up at Five Guys instead. It happens.

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Our only Saturday plans were to pick up patio furniture my aunt and uncle were getting rid of (high five for free furniture!), so leggings, a boyfriend tee, comfy cable sweater, and boots were all I needed. I’m still working on not washing my hair every day, and let’s be honest, who hasn’t hid their day-two hair with a headband? This one was beaded, so it makes me feel like it at least looks like I tried. Flowers in the background courtesy of my sweet husband who knew I was having a rough week…working on actually decorating our room is a project on the agenda for this year.

Today is a slow cooker Sunday, and my sister and her fiancé are coming over for dinner, recipe to come. I’m off tomorrow thanks to a girl’s weekend that’s since been rescheduled, so here’s hoping this week benefits from a slower start thanks to a long, relaxing, and snowy weekend.

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OOTD 1.6.2016

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Ahh January, you’ve only just begun and I’m already over the weather. Some people love the winter weather, but once we get past Christmas, I’m pretty much done with winter and ready for the warmer days ahead. Another chilly day means another day of warm tights and a go-to sweater dress. Tassel earrings and red lips are just to perk up a Wednesday.

What’s your go-to winter outfit?

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Back to Real Life

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The first day back to work after a vacation is always rough. In my head, I tell myself I’ll be there bright and early now that I’m all renewed from the time off. In reality, getting up comes way too early, getting ready happens at a snail’s pace, and my brain takes a little extra time to get in gear.

Remember how exciting it used to be to plan what to wear on the first day back to class? Planning exactly what to debut from the fun new clothes you got for Christmas (or the sales after with your friends) to feel on top of your game for a whole new schedule of classes? This wasn’t it. After spending a week and a half primarily wearing various forms of leggings, the idea of putting on work clothes again was a little…foreign. How do I even do this again? Plus, winter has finally started to make an appearance in Indy, so I needed warmth and comfort to ease myself back into the swing of things. I’m also a big believer in forcing myself to feel better with something bright and sparkly. Enter fleece-lined tights, a pop of hot pink, sparkly earrings, and an embellished top…Ok, fine, it’s a fancy sweatshirt – but it does have fun beading, and I always put a collared shirt under it to dress it up for the office.

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You totally cannot tell it’s basically a sweatshirt, right? We’ll work on the photography thing.

The other thing that both got me through the day and gave me heart palpitations was the semi-annual Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale. It’s always high anxiety, from the “there are 2,500 people in line ahead of you and here’s our best guess as to how long it will be before you can even see the goods” queue page, to the high-stakes race to see how fast can you look at EVERYTHING, pray your size is left, get it in your tote, and pay to confirm it’s actually yours.

The two After Party Sales are the only time Lilly is in my budget (other than my lovely assortment of koozies and a pretty sweet insulated cooler bag), so I try to make the most of it. My general plan of attack is to try to find two main items: one nice, typically non-print, dress to wear for any occasions I know are already on the calendar (hello, wedding season), and one cotton type dress that I can dress up or down. Last After Party sale my cotton item was actually a romper, but it’s still adorable and made me look like I hadn’t stayed up until 5 a.m. when I wore it to lunch the day after our wedding, so I’ll take it. This After Party was no different, and I was thrilled to snag both an amazing halter-esque shift dress and a super cute cotton dress in a fun print for less than it’d normally cost for just one Lilly dress. I’d link to pics, but it seems the crazy Lilly crowds have done it again, and there are no hints of either dress to be found on the website. Guess we’ll just have to wait for delivery and warmer days to come.

My holiday season officially ended yesterday with our Christmas celebration with my aunt and uncle on my mom’s side. Aunt Cheryl was the relative my sister and I would stay with every summer for a week of pool days, movies, candy, and all sorts of other fun with her and my uncle, so it’s always a good time when we’re all together.

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(Left to right: Me, Aunt Cheryl, Mom, and my sister, Sarah. You can’t tell, but Cheryl is actually standing on a crate to look a little taller, so this is one of the few pictures we aren’t laughing hysterically about it.)

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We force our boys to take pics for pretty much any and every occasion, so obviously yesterday was no different. Ahem, and note my aforementioned leggings. They’re actually J.Crew’s more structured Pixie pant. I’ve had my eye on them for years, but never took the plunge because of the price tag. Let me tell you, they are worth every penny, and I’m going to wear the crap out of these. I loved them so much, I even snagged a pair of them in charcoal, because who can resist a markdown AND an extra 40% on top of that? And how cute are my sister’s boots?

Finally, because no visit with with my aunt and uncle is complete without receiving our body weight in candy, I give you the candy from the “stocking” bag. I need you to keep in mind that this is just the candy for me and my husband.

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Yes, my husband still sorts the candy like a kid on Halloween. I love it.

Happy first day back to real life!

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