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Fashion

Summer Closet Refresh

Hey everyone! Happy Wednesday! I hope you are having a great week so far!

At the start of the summer season, I did a bit of a closet refresher for some work clothes. Whenever I am out and about I always see what dresses or tops are in stock at Marshall’s or T.J. Maxx, but back in May, I made a trip to the outlets to get some deals and get a few clothing staples.

Here’s a bit of a summer clothing roundup of outfits I have been loving this season and wearing to work. This is a mix of dresses, tops, pants, and blazers. I got a number of items of clothing for the fall season too and will share those once the weather gets cooler, but why rush the warm weather and sunshine? We all know the cold weather will be here soon enough. 

Here’s some of my favorite new clothing items from a recent shopping haul.

J. Crew pink dress– Pink has been my go-to color for summer. I wore this dress for my birthday back in May and it has easily become a new favorite dress. I got it from J. Crew. It’s professional enough to wear to work, but could also be a great dress to wear to a bridal or baby shower, a cocktail hour or even a wedding depending on the dress code. Some of my favorite details include the V-neck top, and the flowly-ness of the bottom. You can dress it up with a pair of heels or dress it down with sandals. I would tend to dress it up for a fun summer occasion. 

J. Crew Coral Pants and White Blazer-I teased this outfit a few weeks ago, but here’s a full look of this blazer and pant combo. Both the white linen blazer and coral/pink pants are from J. Crew. The black and white top is a few years old from Calvin Klein.  I have been adding more blazers to my collection. So far, I have a black, navy, tan, red and now white blazer, all great colors to mix and match with dress pants. I think this white linen blazer is great for the summer season. I paired it with the pink pants which just makes the outfit fun, but you can pair this blazer with navy or black pants. 

These pants have been so fun to mix in with my wardrobe. I told you pink has been my color this summer. It can be a hard to find a top to go with a pair of bold pants, but I have found neutrals go best. I wore the black and white top with it, a plain black top and a plain white blouse. 

I typically go with neutral pants, but these bold pants are fun for summer and are professional too. Once again, I wore white heels from DSW to match the blazer and white piping in the top, but you can wear a neutral or even pop of color heel with them too. If you are looking for a more comfortable look, you can dress the outfit down with sandals or a white or black sneaker too.

J. Crew Sweater Set-This next look is a bit more conservative and would probably be best worn in the office. I love a classic sweater set and light blue has been my other go-to color this summer (remember the tennis skirt and dress from Amazon?). I love the matching short sleeve and long sleeve sweater. I am always cold no matter the temperature outside, you can catch me with a sweater on most days at my desk. This matching sweater set kills two birds with one stone, not only is it professional, but comfortable and you can shed a layer if the temperature changes through the day. Once again, I wore white pants with this sweater set, but you can wear navy blue pants or maybe even a tan, depending on the color. You can also match this sweater set with a navy skirt too.

Ann Taylor Floral Top-Back with the pink, but throw in some white. I really love Ann Taylor for their tops. They always have so many different prints and colors to add to a dress pant or even blazer combo. In this outfit, I paired this floral top with a pair of navy blue pants and heels. The top is sold out, but here is one similar. You can pair this top with a pair of white pants, black pants or even a neutral skirt. I love the colors in the top and the little bow too. This would work great for a day in the office as it pairs well with suits and skirts, but I still think you could pair with some capris if you want to elevate a casual look.

Ann Taylor Purple Top– When I saw the color of this top, I knew I had to get it. I have purple tops and pink blouses, but not this shade of the two. I am always on the hunt for bright tops and patterns, and this certainly checks the boxes. I actually have this same top in white and when you find something you like and that works for you, there’s no shame in getting it in another color or two. Unfortunately, it’s sold out, so I don’t have a link for it. Because it’s a brighter and bold color, I would recommend a neutral pant or skirt, white would be best in the summer and black would work well in the winter. As far as skirts go, any neutral works well. If you want to dress up a casual look, you can pair this top with some fun jewelry and capris (I would recommend white capris or jeans), then add some fun sandals or made a pair of cute sneakers.

That’s a peak into my closet with my summer wardrobe for work clothes.

Tell me, have you made any fun clothing purchases recently? What stores or brands are you loving?

Let me know in the comments below! 

See you on Friday for another edition of Friday Favorites!

Categories
Fun Ways to Organize

Getting Ahead of the Game

Hi guys! Happy Wednesday! I hope your week has been going well. I’m in full on Christmas mode over here! From shopping to listening to music and having my décor up. This time of year is always fun but also busy.

There’s so much to get done in such a short amount of time, it can be a lot to keep track of which is why I always like to stay ahead of the game by planning ahead. Whether it’s the holiday season or a random week in July, planning ahead ensures my week goes a little smoother.

In a world of chaos, there’s only so much you can control which is why taking a few minutes every week makes my days and nights smoother. 

Here’s three ways that I prep to get ahead in the game.

Weekly To Do: Every Sunday I make a weekly to do in my planner. A tip I got from Emily Ley on how to best use both a digital and paper planner, if you use both. She recommends to put all your important dates, information, events etc. in your digital calendar. So whenever you have an appointment or something that needs to go on the calendar, you put it in your digital calendar so it’s always accessible. Then every week (or me it’s Sundays), I transfer everything from my digital calendar to my paper planner, I also add any to-dos to my planner and extra notes.

A look at my planner (and old page that’s pretty generic)

Meal Prep: Another way I prepare for the week ahead is by lunch planning. Since I eat dinner at home, I only meal plan for my lunches in advance. Sometimes, meal planning is buying some boxed salads, and setting aside pretzels or fruit for my lunches. Other times it’s making baked chicken and veggies and portioning them out for each day of the week. No matter what the form is, I always spending time getting my meals organized for the week so I can just grab and go for each day.

An example of one of my meals that I make for work.

Outfit Plan: Another way I save time and plan ahead is by planning my outfits for the week. Again, I spend 10 minutes checking the weather and planning what to wear from clothing to shoes and accessories. I can change an outfit if need be, but for the most part I have them all lined up and just grab it for each day. I started to plan out my outfits in college and it was a huge time saver. It also makes my mornings go much smoother.

Outfit planning

Those are just three ways that I plan ahead which makes my days and weeks run smoother. What things do you do for streamline your daily lives especially in busy seasons?

Categories
Fun Ways to Organize

Back to School Essentials

The last week of August means its time for back to school, whether it be the smell of new supplies, the feel of new clothes, or the excitement of learning new things…I love it all. I always loved going back to school and this year is no different. I officially started classes yesterday and today, I’m sharing my back to school essentials.

Pinterest quotes just gets me!

  • A planner
    • Whether it’s a big calendar blotter, a small planner you can pop in your backpack or even an app on your phone. A planner is critical for keeping you studies and social life in order. I can’t live without one! Plus the designs are so cute and creative, it might as well be a fashion statement.
  • Fresh supplies
    • You can’t start the new school year or semester off without some new supplies. It’s okay to splurge, get the fun notebook, buy the colorful pens. It will keep you organized and it will make you smile, when you are slaving over homework late at night.
  • A new outfit (or two)
    • Confidence is key for taking on new adventures. One way to boost your confidence is with getting a new outfit or two. Show off you style. Be comfortable with who you are.
  • Goals
    • A new school year means its time to set new goals. What things do you want to accomplish? What do you want to get out of this year. How much effort do you want to put in? It’s all about what you make of it. You have the chance to make this school year great!
  • A positive attitude
    • Each school year brings its own worries and excitements. The best way to embrace it all is with a positive attitude. Tackle any struggles or fears you have with a smile. It will go a long way.

Keep those essentials in mind as you take on a new semester or school year. What things are essential for your school year or your first day of school? I have one last summer look for any Labor Day picnics, then it’s time for fall fashion. See you on Thursday!