A Very Wisco Weekend

This weekend we headed to our neighboring cheese state to see Rob's brother, his wife & their baby {our Godson}. We also took a day trip to Rob's parents' place and hit up an anniversary party. It was sunny, breezy & beautiful.

The party was held in the couples' gorgeous barn & outside on the farm which had a barn roof slide, an awesome balcony, large spools tipped on their side, stocked with snacks & a nearby root beer keg.

I wore lots of thin garments, piled into layers, thick socks and boots & had a jacket handy.

It kept me perfectly toasty.

dress: H&M, long sleeved tee + cardigan: Merona, boots, leggings + shades: Target, earrings: Forever21 {gift from mom}, bag: Miche.

My sweet 'sconie boy.

photos by Peanut.

trans•atlantic petals:amsterdam fine style

The cool daytime temps in beautiful Amsterdam continue to dip with the sun.

This means that my tricky afternoon turned into an emergency evening.

It was time to bundle a bit. I stopped into the H&M: Dam Square and purchased a pair of sturdy brown boots, a couple of cardigans + some knee-highs.

This combination of staples actually sustained me through most of our trip ~ it certainly made a lot more of my items feasible via layering.

This new striped cardigan of I picked up flaunted it's camel colored elbow patches and it was a no brainer.

These boots literally saved our trip. There's no better way to say it.

I made a pretty blatant rookie mistake that I was well aware of & I know better than, and I ended up taking a risk and getting a wonderful pair of boots by the magic of fate.

So I'm not sorry that I made this decision.

dress: Forever21, cardigan, boots & knee highs: H&M, leggings: Target.

photos by Peanut.

Black 'n' Berry

Everything I'm wearing {except the earrings} is from this quaint little shoppe called Target.

You're welcome for being your walking ad, Target.

earrings: ND hotel gift shop, nail polish: Sally Hansen Salon Series ~ Right Said Red everything else: Target.

photos by Peanut.

New Year, New You

Happy New Year!

I love reinvention and what better time than the end of the year to say goodbye to the old & hello to the new? I spent the day gettin my herr did + getting dressed for some NYE celebration. We went to a friend's {amazing} place, overindulged for hours and laughed our butts off. It was perfect.

I went for a flapper vibe a bit, because for some reason 20's-30's makes me think of New Year's. And plenty of sparkle. It was a fun outfit to lounge in fancily. Fancy-lounging is my new favorite way to celebrate the holidays.

I got this awesome nail polish today too, it's from the OPI Burlesque line. It's called Sparklicious. It took 3 coats to get it opaque without a color underneath, a tip I snagged from awesome Katie, the nail polish maven. I love this color. It looks like fireworks...perfect for New Year's Eve.

black bubble dress & black sequined shrug: Forever21, black cowl neck tee: Target, tights: We Love Colors (gift from my mom), earrings: Charlotte Russe, nail polish: OPI ~ Sparklicious, headband: Bethany Lorelle (gift from my mom), neckalce: Lia Sophia {gift from my mom too!! :) }

I also couldn't resist including these snaps of the one I kissed at midnight. He looked so dapper. :)

photos by Peanut.

Stolen Goods

Nothing I'm wearing is actually stolen. I don't think. Wait... No. Probably not. It's also not a dress. I know...psych out. The cardigan was a gift from my mother in law and the cowl, tights + headband are all gifts from my mom. What was stolen was the idea. I stole the color & wardrobe combo from another Sarah. Even though I think hers worked better, I'm happy with how this turned out. It was very warm and comfortable, and after all, isn't that the nature of the business casual beast? Is that the beast behind me there?

tunic: blah blah, skirt: Wet Seal (I think it's at least 7 years old), cardigan: gift, belt & boots: Target, tights: We Love Colors (gift), headband: Forever21 (gift), earrings: Charlotte Russe.

photos by Peanut.

Bruiser

I suppose bruiser typically refers to something homely. But if you want to know what I think, I think bruises are cool. I think injuries are sad, but I love color and I just find bruises to be gorgeous. I do. What? I especially like how they are always morphing from one watercolor painting to another, day by day. Paint by Numbers. Paint by Blunders.

This outfit is a bit bruisey, what with the purple & black, green & blue jewelry plus the fleshy tones of the tights. We took these photos when I was home for lunch, so I am wearing slippers. I really wore these booties with these tights again.

tee: TJ Maxx, skirt: blah blah, cardigan, tights & boots: Target, necklace: vintaged, earrings: Charlotte Russe, nail polish: Sall Hanson Salon series ~ Gilty Pleasure.

photos by Peanut.

So Very Surely Me

Generally speaking, with a few exceptions, I wear what feels like me. I lean more toward one thing or another sometimes, but always with a me spin. Still, there are special, rare times when I put an outfit on and there is an, almost audible, "click". A very me ensemble. So undeniably matched to my mind & mood at the given time, that I feel an extra bounce in my steps and whistle in my pauses. This is one of those.

dress & boots: Target, striped tee: American Eagle, vest & earrings: Charlotte Russe, necklace: ?, tights: Gap.

photos by Peanut.

Forget-Me-Not: floral print dress ~ Target

Fleather & Flace

These boots are faux leather and these tights are faux lace.

Brrrr! Winter wants me to remember that he lives here now. And that even though he's just leasing the place, he's going to be a noisy neighbor.

You might think, then, that I would dress in many thick layers, tweeds & wools. Nah.

But I do pretty much layer all year long because besides style, modesty is at the top of my list. And although I frequently push the office-wear envelope without reprimand, I tend believe it's because I do not compromise modesty.

Also I have a space heater under my desk.

dress: Forever21 (a few years ago), scarf: thrifted ($1!), earrings: The Electric Fetus, everything else: Target

photos by Peanut.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Oh geez. Or am I just starting to look a lot more like Christmas? In my own mind, I always refer to this as my Christmas cardigan. I couldn't wait to break it out, I guess.

I have done most of my Christmas shopping in the last couple of days, and all from my own bed. No malls for me. I do have to venture out to get some supplies for a few gifts I am making however, and I am looking forward to being done with that task. Have you all braved the crowds?

tunic: Solitaire, cardigan: Merona, jeans: Charlotte Russe, boots: Groove, earrings: Urban Outfitters, mittens & cowl: knitted by my mom :)

photos by Peanut.