a favorite, and a few things going back

top // madewell

jeans // articles of society [distressed version on sale]

sandals // steve madden [very similar]

Wanting to get back into blogging for me means it may be more about sharing (wrinkly) mirror pics once in a while rather than never sharing photo shoots with my good camera, so here we are ;)

Last night, CR and I joined my co-resident and his girlfriend for a night in Cleveland. We went to my favorite taco place (Barrio for all of you 'landers, but you already knew that) for make-your-own tacos and margs, and then went to the zoo to see the Asian light festival. So thankful we have such fun people in our lives and interesting things to eat and see! Also thankful to wear real clothes once in a while. I bought this Madewell tunic a few months ago and you guys...I am obsessed with it. Remember last year when I really wanted to try that Madewell central shirt but was all "I don't know if it's flattering, oh god, what a crisis" and then I bought the shirt and the world didn't burn down, and I ended up wearing it all summer? Well, it's that same style shirt, but as a tunic, which I just looooove. I'm wearing a size medium here. I've worn it with shorts, and black jeans, but this time paired it with an old pair of white jeans and cognac accessories. Easy breezy for a fun night out!

I had mentioned in my Nordstrom review post that I was going to try the Spanx faux leather leggings after that other pair was atrocious. I ordered them in a large as I was told they fit true to size. First things first, these definitely don't look like leather at all. They are more of a textured pair of leggings, which I'm down for, but I definitely wouldn't say "faux leather" for the finish on these. Second, they are made by Spanx, so obviously they do an amazing job sucking everything in. My hips looked smoother and my butt was lifted, but along with that, I feel it does restrict your motion a little bit, especially if you feel like you're putting on yoga pants but then you can't move as well in them. I still really looked the look of them, and was about ready to keep them, but then I sat down in a chair to respond to an email, and the waist rolled down. They almost go too high, so they roll down to your actual waist when moving. All in all, these were nice, but I knew that I just wouldn't reach for them often enough to make it worth it, even with the great Anniversary sale price.

Today is the last day of the Anniversary sale. I ended up keeping three items from the sale, and all are still available. These olive jeans are amazing, and I've worn them three separate times already. They fit true to size, and are perfect for adding a bit of interest while remaining in the neutral territory that my closet is in. The polka dot dress of my dreams has popped back in a few sizes - I'm wearing it to the all the weddings I'm going to this fall ;) And of course, the cami I've been raving about also has a few colors/sizes back. Mine is a medium!

college educated, she graduated

This weekend I traveled to Minnesota to watch my youngest sister graduate from college! She has worked incredibly hard, and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in marketing. Basically she's a genius, and we are so proud of her. 

It's been so long since I last posted an outfit picture! The scrub life definitely severely limits buying and wearing clothes, so I rarely do now a days! I did recently buy this amazing Old Navy dress though and I'm obsessed...so much that I also bought it in black! It fits true to size - I tried on both a tall large and a large, and found the regular length to hit me right above the knee rather than below. The fabric is a thick ponte fabric, so I find it to be a bit more flattering than a thinner cotton material. Overall, probably one of my favorite dresses that I currently own! It also comes in a really cute grey/white strip combo that I'm eyeing...

Dress // Old Navy [exact]

Shoes // Jack Rogers [exact]

Jacket // Paige [very similar]

Purse // Coach via eBay

baby, you're so classic

Is there anything more classic than stripes?

You guys know I love a good stripe, whether it's a shirt, skirt, pants, sweater, or scarf! My favorite though is a striped dress - I just find them the most versatile! I used to wear a black and white striped dress all the time back in the day! I've always been on the look out for a short sleeved, black on white, t-shirt dress though. I've tried several over the years, but for some reason could never find the right one - some were too short, others were just too tight. I found this St. John's Bay dress at JCPenney though, and it's truly perfect. It's long enough on my frame (very important), has the type of stripes I've been looking for, and it isn't too tight around my midsection and hips (I'm wearing a size large). Best of all, I got it for $25! 

I paired it with this jean jacket from Levi's - it's technically called a trucker jacket, but I find it to be the perfect jean jacket. Jean jackets are another one of those things I find a bit harder to shop for - sometimes the denim color is off, some are super cropped, or the fabric is too stiff. This one is really soft (you can actually move in it!), and it hits me at the hip, rather than the waist. It's just the classic American jean jacket 👌

Dress: St. John's Bay c/o JCPenney [exact]

Jacket: Levi's c/o JCpenney [exact]

Purse: Liz Claiborne c/o JCPenney [exact]

Shoes: Bamboo Festival c/o JCPenney [exact]

JCPenney's VIP Event is happening from 4/27 until 4/30. Use code BUYNOW13 to save:

Online: An extra 30% off $100 or more select apparel, shoes, accessories, fine jewelry, home, furniture & mattresses. 

In stores & online: Extra 25% off with your JCPenney Card or Extra 20% off any other method of payment select apparel, shoes, accessories, fine jewelry, home, furniture & mattresses

Below are a few of my favorite striped items! Happy shopping :)

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Thank you to JCPenney and ShopStyle for sponsoring this post!

cause i'm a nineties chick

 

I was born in the late '80's, so I'm completely a '90's girl. I had the velvet boot-cut pants, I begged for Doc Martens for Christmas, and diligently looked through every Delia's catalog that came in the mail. I had the stretchy chockers and chunky highlights and sparkly lotion. 

So let's just say when the '90s came back in style over the past year, I was not ready to jump into the trends that were popular when I was younger. But slowly, like  a lot of trends, I started to kind of love the look of the updated '90s style. It probably helps that I'm now almost 30 and feel a lot more comfortable with myself than I did when I was 13 (omg, is this what 13 Going on 30 was about?!). Anyway, there are certain trends that I kind love for right now! Black and white floral dresses with an updated cut? Yes, please! Mine is from LC Lauren Conrad, a brand found exclusively at Kohl's, and I love that it's fun and flirty, but also on trend. Instead of combining it with combat boots though, I'm embracing a look that's completely 2017 with a pair of open toed booties. I'll be honest: when this style came out, I was a bit confused. What's the point of a bootie where your toes are exposed? But the more I saw, the cuter I thought it was, so I finally wanted to try a pair out for myself. With the chunky heel, they are even pretty comfortable to walk in!

So while I'm a 2017 woman, I'm all about bringing back parts of that '90's girl...with an updated twist ;)

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad c/o Kohl's [exact]

Booties: LC Lauren Conrad c/o Kohl's [exact]

Purse: LC Lauren Conrad c/o Kohl's [exact]

Ring: LC Lauren Conrad c/o Kohl's [exact]

Kohl's will have a promotion for 20 percent off your purchase with code FF20OFF from 3/29 until 4/02. I picked out a few of my favorite LC Lauren Conrad pieces below. Did you know they made the cutest home items?! I had no idea, but I'm bookmarking them for when we move in a few months! I especially want that ruffle pillow for my future office space and the cream blanket for the guest room!

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Thank you Kohl's & ShopStyle for sponsoring this post!

easy breezy

Just popping in to share a quick outfit from when I was down in Gulf Shores a few weeks ago. I'm a terrible blogger on vacations, and never pack outfits to take pictures of or anything, but our house is next to this gorgeous teal house, so I convinced my sister to snap a few pictures while we went on one of our walks. 

I bought my black and white top when I was down in Miami in January. I love how the fit is loose, the colors are versatile, and how it's a bit more fun than a lot of my work tops are. Paired with a pair of boyfriend shorts and my trusty Birks, and it was the perfect outfit for walks and lounging with my family. I've brought the top along on every trip since then because it's just so easy to throw on and go. Good news is that it's no longer as expensive as it was when I bought it, so you can get it for almost half the original price! 

Shirt: Madewell [exact on sale]

Shorts: Rag & Bone c/o Shopstyle [save | similar]

Shoes: Birkenstocks [exact]

Sunglasses: Rayban [exact]

There are a ton of cute things in the Madewell sale section right now. Below are my picks - I of course highly recommend the transport tote (get it monogrammed!). 

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the blouse that goes with everything

Alternative title: all of my favorite things in one outfit

That blouse from Loft that I reviewed last week finally came in in the size medium and it's perfect! I'm so glad I got the exchange because it is such a beautiful shirt (and so comfortable!). I highly recommend it if you are looking for a versatile top for the spring - you can wear it with a blazer like I did here (which, btw, is currently on major sale! see my review here for sizing), alone with jeans, tucked into a skirt - basically, it'll be the most versatile item in your closet. You really can't go wrong with a white lace top!

I wore this out to dinner with CR and our favorite couple last weekend. It's crazy knowing that in three months, the little life we have built up here will be gone again. I think that's the thing they don't tell you about medical school - you may have to rebuild your life every few years. I'm so excited for my friends as they move close to Philadelphia, but I'm so sad I won't get to see them every week. Luckily they'll live in such a great city, so we see lots of trips in our future!

Blouse: Loft [exact on sale]

Blazer: J.Crew [exact on sale]

Pants: 7 For All Mankind [exact]

Shoes: Tory Burch c/o Shopbop [save | similar | exact]

Clutch: Clare V [save | exact]

Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [exact - use code FRANZISKA to save 15%]

And of course, Loft is having another sale (...because when are they not?) that includes 30% off tops, pants, and skirts. Here are a few of my favorites - that ruffled blouse though, right?! I love!

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it's still winter, y'all

Although much of the blogosphere is currently all "yay spring look at all these off the shoulder dresses!"...it's still very much winter around here! We actually just got three more inches of snow yesterday...

But that means I get to show you guys my amazing new coat! I actually forgot to mention this purchase in my last budget post, but that's because it ended up costing me just a few dollars out of pocket! I've been eyeing up Burberry's coat for a few months, and finally decided to order it...only to send it immediately back. It felt so cheap, and for that price, I do not want my coat to feel like it's from Forever 21. Then I stumbled upon this similarly styled coat from Cole Haan for half the price. With a little patience, it finally went on sale, and with Nordstrom notes saved up and a giftcard, it ended up costing me like $10 out of pocket.

And guys...this coat is amazing. I wore this on our trip to Montreal (where these pictures were taken) and it was perfect. I was very comfortable in the 10 degree weather wearing just this coat and my medium thickness sweater underneath it. I love that it's belted because it gives it a bit more shape (I wear it tied in a bow as you can see below). Even though all the cool girls in Montreal were wearing these complete fur hoods (I've never seen anything like them! Is this a thing everywhere or only in Canada?), I love that this has just a bit of faux fur right where you want it most - around your actual neck! I'm wearing a size large, and I find it fits true too size. If you are interested, I actually found the coat for more than half the price that Nordstrom is selling it for, here at Macy's and here at 6 PM.

Coat: Cole Haan [exact]

Pants: Express [exact]

Sweater: Caslon [exact]

Boots: Vince Camuto [similar below]

Apple watch strap: Amazon [exact]

Hat: similar

And because my black boots are four winters in and badly need to be replaced (there's a hole in one side of the boot and they no longer stay up on my legs), here are eight options that are currently on sale! Which ones are your favorite? I think I like the pair from Jessica Simpson the most!

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breezy

Ahhhh, vacation :)

We get four weeks of vacation each school year, and since it's been fifteen months since my last one, I am so excited to finally have a few weeks off! I'm currently in Chicago - my sister and I met up here for a few days for exploring, eating, and shopping! I'm heading back to Ohio today (after a SoulCycle class with Hallie!). Next week I'm going down to Miami for a little family trip for my youngest sister's birthday, and the following week CR and I are hoping to go to Montreal! So lots of little trips packed into a few weeks. 

Of course, I couldn't really post without quickly commenting on my outfit! The shirt is from Loft (currently 40% off!) and is something a little different for me with the looser fit and sleeves. Definitely fun to get a bit out of my comfort zone, even if it's just with a different style shirt! The shoes are probably one of my favorite things right now - they are tortoise shell! They look like they'd be uncomfortable, but I think these are actually more comfortable than the traditional Revas. 

Blouse: Loft [exact]

Jeans: 7 for all Mankind c/o Shopbop [exact]

Scarf: H&M 

Shoes: Tory Burch c/o Shopbop [save | exact]

Purse: Coach 

Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [exact - use code FRANZISKA15 for 15% off]

Loft is getting ahead of the weather and has a ton of cute (almost springtime) new pieces in! We're just starting winter here, so I can't get too excited about pencil skirts yet (although the tulip one is super cute, right?) but there are a lot of items you can either layer (like that amazing lace top that is now in my cart) or that wrap cardigan. Everything is currently 40% off!

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