back to #basic

I don't know what it is about fall, but it always makes me feel so basic. Not that I'm not (because I clearly am) but with the scarves and the boots and starbucks and the leaves, I turn into every single cliche pinterest picture...and I love it. 

But seriously, aren't scarves the best? I still can't get on board with the super oversized blanket scarves (trust me, I've tried) but I feel like I'm trying to smuggle Hans around under my scarf all day, that's how big (...and annoying) they are. I've been so happy with my slightly more manageable version from Target - I've had it since last fall, and it's probably my most worn scarf. It looks like they brought it (and this awesome reversible scarf) back again this year if you want to look like a more manageable pinterest cliche too ;)

Shirt: Loft [exact on major sale]

Pants: The Limited [exact]

Scarf: Target [exact]

Bag: Mulberry [exact]

Watch: Michael Kors [save | exact]

Shoes: Ferragamo c/o Shopbop [save | exact]

via instagram 

why I won't do a capsule collection

In the past year or so, a huge trend in blogging has been doing a capsule collection. For those of you who don't know what that means, you basically take a certain number of clothes (that you either already own or buy), and you wear that, and only that, for a certain amount of time. It's meant to teach you to buy less, live with less, and be more creative with what you already own. Awesome goals and in theory, totally makes sense.

I've had several people ask and email about why I haven't done a capsule collection, and my answer is...I don't want to? 

The long answer is this: I'm already limited in what I can wear every day. What I can wear now in school under a dress code, and starting in June when I'm on rotations, is restricted to business casual. I already don't wear a section of my closet, clothes I purchased and loved, because they aren't professional. That means when I do finally get to wear them, like when I go out with my friends or on a date with my boyfriend, I'm super excited to wear my lower cut tops, skinny jeans, or dresses I can't wear to school. So for me to restrict myself even more doesn't really make sense or really serve a purpose.

I think that's also why you don't see a lot of women who have clothing restrictions at work do capsule collections on blogs. It's already hard enough to be creative while being restrictive to work pants and pencil skirts, so cutting out a large part of the clothes you are already limited to... it's like triple as restrictive. It just isn't as easy (or frankly, interesting) as if you could just wear your jeans and sweaters and t-shirts and mix and match to make them work. Not to say it can't be done! Adina does it for her job, and MK does capsule/suitcase collections for business casual all the time. 

The thing is though, that the fundamental reason for a capsule collection is something that is really appealing. I'm clearly not a minimalist, and the urge to shop is something I have to fight with every day. But since I started blogging, I've been really working on defining my style, only buying things I love, buying less, and re-wearing what I own. It's fun to see the difference 2 years makes - look at this past month's budget compared to 2 years ago. The pieces I bought are cohesive, they make sense for my closet, and they are things I'll wear for years because they are timeless. Sure, it's not a 30x30 that makes me re-evaluate everything in 30 days, or a 37 piece capsule collection that I go on a shopping spree for beforehand, but it's like a real life learning experience about knowing yourself. Could I buy less? Absolutely. But I do think I'm a smarter shopper and lover of clothes than I was 2 years ago. Not as quick of a fix, but it worked for me. 

In addition, I'm already wearing certain things over and over and over again. I wear the same black pants, maroon scarf, tan cardigan, striped shirt, black boots ALL THE TIME. To the point where I look at recent posts and say "shit, I've posted that same maroon scarf 4 out of 6 times...yikes". So I'm already rewearing a lot of things I own, but because I love them, not because I don't have a choice otherwise. 

So in closing, I will not being doing a capsule collection now, or probably any time in the future (but never say never!). What I am doing is trying to build a working wardrobe, both by buying new versatile pieces, and by sorting through the things I already own. That is actually a huge thing for me right now because I'm moving at the end of May, and moving in with my boyfriend. I only want to bring things into our home that I love and need, and that's my own personal idea of minimalism / capsules / and loving what you already own.

Dress: Target [very similar]

Coat: Banana Republic [similar]

Scarf: Target [exact in stores | similar online]

Tights: Target [exact]*

Boots: Vince Camuto [exact]

Watch: c/o Shopbop [similar styles]

Purse: Kate Spade [similar]

* I suggest sizing down - these are in small! But so so warm :)

wearing rain boots to work

I really love my Hunter rain boots - I wear them at some point almost every single day between the months of September through May. Several people have asked me to talk about more how I wear them with professional attire and my answer is...

I don't....really.

Rain boots are meant to kept your feet dry when it is wet outside, so once you get inside, there's no real reason for them (plus my feet and legs get a bit sweaty after wearing them for more than an hour anyway). But I still want to wear my rain boots on rainy days, so I always wear a skirt or dress on those days. I think it's much cuter that way, instead of awkwardly tucking dress pants into boots. Then you just change into flats when you get to work. So...not the world's most innovative tip, but that's how I do it :)

My other tip if you don't want to bring a pair of shoes to change into, and if you have a slightly more casual work environment, is to buy waterproof boots like this classic style of boot. I wear ponte black pants and boots on slightly rainy days, or when it's snowing. No silly tucked in dress pants, but my feet are dry and I don't even have to change.

Skirt: Banana Republic [similar]

Tee: Everlane [exact]

Cardigan: thrifted [similar]

Scarf: Target [exact - back in stock!]

Shoes: Banana Republic [exact]

Rain Boots: Hunter [exact]

Watch: Michael Kors [save a ton | exact]

Bracelet: C. Wonder [exact]

via instagram

And while I really love my Hunter rain boots, there are some really great cheaper options out there. Below are 6 that are under $75. I would go with the first one if I were you - how cute are they?!

one | two | three

four | five | six

what's red and white and black all over?

Santa coming down the chimney. 

har har.

Thank you, I'll be here all night!

Lamest opener for a blog post ever? Possibly. But if you forced me to choose 3 colors to wear for the rest of my life, I'd be all about being like ol' St. Nick and go with red, black, and white. It's just what I feel most comfortable in now. I remember a few years ago when I was shopping, I would always buy an item in a color that I didn't own a lot of because I thought it would add versatility to my closet. Turns out, it really just added a bunch of clothes in colors I don't really like to wear. Lesson learned.

If you were forced to choose three colors for life, what would you go with? And do you find yourself shopping towards them now, or do you try to add a little bit more variation? I'm still trying to find the balance between sticking to what I'm completely comfortable with, and still keeping it fun.

Blouse: ASOS [similar]

Pants: c/o Zappos [exact]

Scarf: Target [exact]

Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [exact]*

Shoes: Tory Burch [exact]

Nails: Essie [exact]

*use code holiday_franish for 15% off

and because my Target scarf is sometimes hard to find, here are 4 similar ones. Not feeling the plaid? Try this pom pom scarf! I recorded a little video a few months ago about how I wear mine here.

one | two

three | four

boom!

boom - snow! While our neighbors to the north are being bombarded with seven feet of snow, we've luckily only received a little over a foot. Not a bad start to the first week of snow though :/

So now it's officially boot and tights weather. After I finally made it to Target earlier this week, I picked up these fleece lined leggings. I wear socks with tights anyway (when I wear boots), so I figured it made more sense to get the footless kind because the toe is usually the first to rip on other tights. They are just as comfy as you guys all said! I may just wear them around the house all winter long.

Dress: Old Navy [similar]

Blazer: J.Crew [exact on sale w/ code SHOPNOW]

Scarf: Target [exact]

Tights: Target [exact]

Boots: Vince Camuto [exact on sale]

Watch: Michael Kors [save | exact]

Earrings: eBay [similar]

Bag: Coach

In the spirit of Bri's Third Thursday link up (fall footwear), here are my go-to pairs of boots throughout the snowy fall and winter. I have wider calves (15.5 inches) which sometimes makes it difficult to find boots because I may not always need the wide calf sizing, but the normal calf doesn't fit right either. The following four pairs hit the sweet "in between" spot. The Hunter boots are especially great - their boots come in the original style, the huntress style for wider calves, and this in between style with an adjustable back. I love that they give me the look of the originals while still accommodating my calves. They also offer a few glossy colors as well!

 one: vince camuto

two: frye

three: hunter

four: c/o sorel

the perfect fall outfit

In partnership with Zappos, I styled my new Paige jeans and Freebird boots for the perfect fall weather look.

The deeper we get into fall, and the closer we get to winter, the more I've been trying to enjoy the last few days of the no-jacket, no snow boots, no gloves weather. I really do love fall clothes the most - layering, scarves, jeans, and boots - these are a few of my favorite things, which is why I was thrilled to be given the chance to try out a pair of Freebird by Steven boots and a pair of Paige jeans from Zappos. Beautiful leather boots and perfectly fitting jeans? Sign me up.

I've been a loyal Zappos customer for years and years - I love that you get free 2 day shipping and returns (and you guys know I'm all about returning things if I don't 100% love them), and they have such a large variety of items to buy, not just shoes (for example, I couldn't find a watch box anywhere I liked, and then I checked on Zappos and found the perfect one). They also have a huge selection of clothes (one of my favorite fancy dresses is from there), including all of the types of jeans you'd ever want. I have heard nothing but amazing things about the Paige line of denim - that the fabric is thick and soft, the cuts are flattering, and the color of the denim is always on point. That's probably all due to the fact that the founder of Paige is actually a woman (the only female founder of a denim company, which I think is pretty awesome) so she knows what women want in their jeans. I decided to go with these black jeans because I think black jeans are even more versatile than blue jeans. The more I figure out my own style, the more I realize that I really lean towards a neutral outfit with a few colors in my accessories. Black jeans allow me to wear as much chambray as my heart desires without the canadian tuxedo feel, and it means I can wear them from the most casual moments (like going on a walk) to more dressed up events.

In addition to my black jeans, I decided to try out these Bolo boots from Freebird by Steven. Freebird boots are made by Steve Madden, and are made by stacking leather and hammering them together to make a virtually indestructable sole. My first pair of riding boots were a pair of Steve by Steve Madden boots, so I think it's only fitting to my first pair of booties are by Freedbird by Steven. I love the slightly edgier look of these Bolo boots - they're cool while still being sleek and wearable. Best part is that even with a heel, they're super easy to walk in.

Sweater:  Soft Joie c/o Zappos

Jeans: Paige Denim c/o Zappos

Booties: Freebird by Steven c/o Zappos

A big thank you to Zappos for providing me with these beautiful additions to my closet. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

october budget

J.Crew Pencil Skirt: on sale for $66 [it's still on sale!]

Target Scarf: $16 [seen here]

J.Crew Blouse: on sale for $28 [also still on sale]

Tory Burch Reva Flats: birthday present to myself :)

October total: $110

Quarter budget: $155 in August + $189 in September + $110 in October = $454

With a busy past few months of school, I felt like I wasn't as meticulous about keeping up with my exact budget. I usually know at the top of my head how much I am working with, but that wasn't the case, at least not during our cardiology block! All month I thought I was wayyyyy over budget, when it turns out that I'm actually under, leaving me almost $50 under my quarterly budget. A big part of that of course has to do with buying myself a pair of shoes that aren't a part of my budget (I put $20 away every month and buy myself something for my birthday each year). I did decide that I am going to return the grey pants from the Limited - I love the look of the shape of them, but I think I can find a pair where the wrinkling/pulling isn't as apparent. I did order this pair from Express to try on as well, but the fabric was a bit too shiny for my taste, so they are going back too,

That leaves me with three items I'm really excited about. I finally have a black pencil skirt - it fits me well in the thighs but is about 2 inches too big in the waist, so I'm going to take it to a tailor (except mine just moved away so now I have to find a new one. booooo) so I have that perfect black skirt. The crinkle boy shirt was a lucky find on a sales rack while we were in Pittsburgh, and combined with an in-store student discount, it made it even cheaper. And of course, that Target scarf may as well be permanently stapled to my neck because I wear it that often. 

Looking ahead, I would really like to find a pair of grey pants, so I may just periodically order a few different ones when good sales come up. Speaking of good sales, like I mentioned yesterday, I did put in a small order which includes this moto jacket through LOFT during a flash sale, but since they haven't arrived yet (and I therefore haven't decided if I'm keeping them), they will be included in next month's post. I also have a fun few posts coming up that will include adding a pair of Paige denim to my closet, although I haven't decided if I'm going to go for the traditional dark wash, or something a bit more fun like these green skinnies.

I feel very grateful for the few amazing pieces that came my way this month. I received these SOREL boots (see the full post here), this beautiful necklace that goes along with a great cause, a rose-gold MK watch from Shopbop, and the perfect date night top from Kris and Kate.

So that rounds up another quarter of budgeting for me. I'd love to hear about how you did with sticking to your budget! Add your link below, and as always, please make sure you link back to this post so your readers can read and discover other budget posts!

steel city

I'm thankful that our schedule now is a little more relaxed than it was a few weeks ago, because it gives us all a chance to leave.

It's not that I dislike where I currently live, I just know there's places that are more fun to visit...which is why all of us jump at any chance to get out of here, even for just a day or so. A few weeks ago we were down in Pittsburg, while this past weekend we drove up north to visit CR's family and college friends. It's nice to be in a place where they actually mix drinks in front of you, have new places to visit and see, and maybe even have a few original restaurants ;)

Jacket: bought in Germany [inexpensive similar]

Sweater: Everlane

Tee: JcPenneys 

Jeans: Madewell [exact]

Scarf: Target [exact]

Purse: Coach via Etsy [current style]

Shoes: Sperry [exact]

via instagram

P.S. LOFT is having a 60% off sale until 10 AM today (use code FLASH). I picked up this beautiful moto sweater recommended by Jean, as well as this waterfall sweater (in grey!)

how to wear a blanket scarf: for work and for play (+video)

and by work I mean school and by play I mean the library, but really who's counting. Do I feel like a slight blogging cliche by wearing my blanket-like scarf all the time? Yes, but:

Okay but really, I've been loving this scarf and wearing it almost every day - one of my classmates has it too so we are twinning most days :) It's just so dang cozy and comfy and warm. It actually was out of stock for a few days when it first came out, but it's back online now if anyone wanted to pick one up for yourself (or as a Christmas present, which someone told me they did on Instagram, which is so smart!). There's a little video at the bottom of the post showing you how I "tie" my scarf, even though it's not really evening tying it so much as stuffing it together ;)

Shirt: J.Crew [exact]

Scarf: Target [exact]

Pants: The Limited [exact]

Belt: Madewell [very similar on sale]

Shoes: J.Crew Factory [exact]

Watch: Michael Kors [exact in rose gold @25% off]

Earrings: eBay [exact]

Bag: Kate Spade [similar]

slight switch for the library in my Boden tee, Gap ponte pants and Sperrys