We've had some pretty hot days so far this Summer so I've been trying to keep breezy and cool but still look cute when I actually have somewhere to go. I wore this to a family gathering at my brother's where it started off nice and warm and then we had to move in during a little rain storm. Rather than just wear a sundress I decided to layer with my favorite knit sweater tank, made by my Grandma for my Mom years ago. It's been in my possession since 2012 so it's already had a full second life with me, ha ha! 

Unfortunately I can't find this exact dress because it was a random no-name company from Marshalls in Missouri and I took the tag off without writing it down, ha ha! I even went through my phone history because I looked to see what else the brand had but it was just an old lookbook and nothing for sale currently. But I could not find it. I did find some similar designs and prints to help recreate the outfit. 

Sweater: Made by Grandma 

Dress: Marshalls

Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Kore of Berlin' Embroidery Sandal - 10th Anniversary Collection (Shopbop)

Sunglasses: Gucci Aviators (bought in Rome)

Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Natural Selection Mini Messenger Bag' (Saks Fifth Avenue)

Pearl Stud Earrings c/o Aurate

Shop the look: 

We had a couple different Thanksgiving celebrations this year, as we do most years. First was at my Mom's with just my siblings; this year we also had my sister-in-law's brother and girlfriend over. Since there would be dogs and lots of food at this gathering I went with a comfortable outfit of jeans and a sweater. 

I've been wanting to break out these old Free People flares for a while but I need to wear them with tall shoes so it had to be for a special occasion. They are so fun and always make me feel very tall! I think the last time they made it on the blog was 2019, yikes! Their first appearance was September 2011, so they're 14 years old! I was able to find a couple on eBay and linked them below if you want a pair!

Funnily enough, the major pieces are all from Marshalls throughout the years. Funny when that happens!

Sweater: Marled (Marshalls)

Jeans: Free People (Marshalls) 

Pumps: Coach 'Nacie' pump in burgundy (Marshalls)

Bag: Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather (ebay)

Necklace c/o Aurate Aura Beaded Necklace 

Necklace c/o Aurate Toi et Moi Gemstone Heirloom Ring

I added a new basic to the closet this month - a cozy brown cardigan I found at Marshalls. I've been keeping my eye out for a great brown sweater or cardigan for a while now and just happened to flip past this on the rack at Marshalls. It was the only one and was exactly what I was looking for. I couldn't find it online, but it is very similar to this sweater, also on their website and this wool & cashmere option.

Earlier this month, Nood sent me a couple of their products to try out. This is not something I usually talk about on the blog, but as someone who hates to wear bras I love when I can avoid that. I had been using another brand of non-adhesive nipple covers previously, so I was curious to see how Nood's covers differed. I received both their non-adhesive and adhesive covers.  The smaller size made them stay on easier and just like my other brand, they were invisible under my clothes! I wear the non-adhesive ones under tighter shirts and use the grippy with looser shirts. I'm interested to see how wearing them for a longer period of time goes, I've only had them a couple weeks at this point but I am very happy with them. The adhesive ones take a bit more maintenance, but it's worth it!

We had a big purchase this month. The Chloe Alphabet Saddle bag in brown and red colorblock leather! It's been on my list (see blog sidebar) since I first saw it on Net-a-Porter in 2022 and then on Italist for a little bit cheaper. I regretted not buying it from Italist for $700 and had been hunting for it ever since. I finally got lucky and one popped up on eBay for about $515 all the way from Australia!

I also got a couple new pieces during tax free week here in CT. For those that don't know, we do a tax free week around back to school time for all clothing items under $100. My Mom & I headed to Marshalls and found a few things each, ha ha.  I ended up returning one of mine at a different Marshalls but then found a replacement item I liked more so still ended up spending the money. Unfortunately I couldn't find either one online.

THE (modified) RULES

1. Be mindful of purchases 
2. Quality over quantity
3. Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

 

Clothes:

1. Purple Polo Ralph Lauren Cashmere Sweater ($0 with credit, $18 at Marijane Boutique, retail $?)
2. *NEW!* Joie Cardigan with Floral Embroidered Detail via Marshalls ($24.99)
   

Basics:

1. Old Navy Sleeveless Open Stitch Sweater in Gingerspice ($17.49, retail $34.99)
2. Old Navy Luxe Crew Neck T-shirt  in Wild Currant ($8.49, retail $16.99)
3. Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in Alpine Tundra ($4.99, retail $9.99)
4. Old Navy First-Layer Ribbed Scoop-Neck Tank Top in In the Navy ($4.99, retail $9.99) 
5. C&C California purple linen short via Marshalls ($16.99)
6. *NEW!* Elie by Elie Tahari Sleeveless Knit Tank via Marshalls ($16.99)
   

Shoes:

1. Ancient Greek Sandals Chania Sandal in Black ($110 via eBay, $270 retail)
2. Ancient Greek Sandals Thais Sandal in "Mure" Burgundy Velvet ($15 via Poshmark, retail $275)

Handbags:

1. Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag in Pomodoro red soft grained calfskin ($895 in Japan, retail $2650)
2. *NEW!* Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather ($515 via Ebay, retail $1050, used blog money)

Accessories:

1. None
   

Activewear/Swimwear:

1. None
   

Gifted from Brands:

• None
  

Spent in August: $556.98

Spent in 2025: $1,114.93

Spent in 2025 - counting ad money: $1,629.95

This was the first time in a few years Christian and I were able to attend the "extended family" Thanksgiving. Last year we were doing the runDisney 5K and the two years before we were in Missouri. I know it gets warm during large gatherings so I decided to brave the chill in the air and wear a sleeveless dress. Luckily this purple Greylin coat is super warm so it kept me toasty to and from the car (ha ha.)

Purple Coat: Greylin Longline Shirt Jacket in purple (Anthropologie)

Sweater Dress: Miss Selfridge (Lord & Taylor)

Boots: IMPO Patchwork Suede Boot (DSW, snakeskin version)

Sunglasses: Michael Kors (Marshalls)

Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)

Beaded Necklace c/o Aurate Destination Aura Beaded Necklace in Marrakech

I did buy a couple dresses this month, but they aren't fashionable in the least, haha! I bought them to be easily packable in my Day Owl backpack/don't care if they get wrinkly for my trip to Florida this week. They'll be comfy in the heat, have pockets and I'll fit right in at the specific location we're going, ha ha. I had a leftover gift card from Christmas that covered one of the dresses so it was $26 for both. Almost bought a pair of jean shorts like I've been saying I'll do for months, but the wash was slightly off.

THE (modified) RULES

1. Be mindful of purchases 
2. Quality over quantity
3. Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

 

Clothes:

1. C&C California Tropical Print Linen Dress via Marshalls ($13)
2. Cynthia Rowley leaf print dress via Marshalls ($13)
   

Basics:

1. Joie long grey vest via Marshalls ($14, retail $68?, used gift card)
   

Shoes:

1. None

Handbags:

1. None

Accessories:

1. None
   

Activewear/Swimwear:

1. Colorfulkoala High Waisted Yoga Pants with Pockets in Deep Teal ($20, retail $30, used CC rewards)
   

Gifted from Brands:

• None
  

Spent in June: $26

Spent in 2024: $26

Spent in 2024 - counting ad money: $0

This is what I wore for a morning/early afternoon of walking around Olde Mystic Village with Christian, my sister and her boyfriend. These boots are one of my favorite every day shoes. Ever since I bought them in 2014 they have been in constant rotation. So much so that I actually wore them out and bought a second pair. I still have the original and will wear those when I want comfortable shoes but they might get dirty/etc. 

I was recently introduced to PowerStep insoles and learned that, because of my high arches, I may need supination insoles for high arches to make walking more comfortable and reduce the amount of wear on the outer soles of my shoes. I bought a couple pairs of supination insoles to try out and see if they help me walk better and stop me from putting extra pressure on the heel of my foot. I chose the "PowerStep Bridge Adaptable Arch Supporting Insoles with Energize Foam" and then the "SlenderFit 3/4 Insoles" to wear with "fashion" shoes.

I always enjoy walking around the shopping center, there's new things to see every time! We perused a few shops but my favorites are always the kitchen related stores. Christian and I had a ball tasting olive oils at Extra Virgin and honey at Sticky Situations. We ended up splurging and buying 4 different honeys - orange blossom (our favorite,) rosemary and blackberry honey plus tangy citrus honey mustard. We couldn't leave without eating so we grabbed some donuts from Deviant Donuts and pizza at Mango's Wood Fired Pizza.

Back to the supination insoles - I took a photo of both pairs of boots side by side and you can definitely tell by looking at the older pair that I walk on the outside of my feet. I'm excited to see how long these boots last now that I have insoles to correct my step.  Unfortunately, the larger insoles I bought didn't fit into the boots as intended so I used the SlenderFit instead. Those easily fit in a lot of my thinner width shoes so I'll be swapping them between pairs as I need. The Energize Foam supination insoles will now live in my favorite Winter boots that were my Grandmother's. I've been meaning to get insoles for them for a while so that was a happy accident!

Outfit Details

Coat: Burberry Brit Wool Minstead Duffle Coat In Military Red (Marijane Boutique) 

Sweater: Banjo + Matilda Trinket Embellished Stripe Sweater (The Outnet)

Velvet Jeans: J.Crew 

Boots: Vince Camuto 'Davilla' (Marshalls)

Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)

Hat: Ricefield Collective (no longer open)

*This post was made in partnership with Responsival.  Thank you for supporting brands I feature*

Can't believe it's my last wardrobe update of 2022, wow! I did buy a couple things this month. One cheap, one not so much...

Christian and I took a walk through Marshalls while visiting his family in Missouri (I needed a taste of home, ha ha) and we each got a new Christmas sweater. They're both men's sweaters because I didn't like any of the women's options. Luckily they had a small for me! I wanted the same sweater as Christian, but they only had mediums.

I also finally visited Marijane Boutique in Guilford and splurged on a Burberry Brit coat. Earlier in the month I won an Instagram giveaway they held for a vegan leather bag by Melie Bianco. It's a dead ringer for the Bottega Veneta Jodie bag that retails for $2650. (I had them ship it to me because I didn't know when I'd be able to get up there, turns out pretty soon, haha! Whoops.) Lydia works there so I've been meaning to stop by for a loooooong time! Christian and I were "just going to look" but of course I spotted this bright red coat and instantly had flashbacks of writing a dream outfit blog post in 2011 for going to the Christmas tree farm. It featured a Stella McCartney sweater (which I bought 2 years later on sale) and a coat very similar to this one. I'm also pretty sure when this coat originally was for sale I had it on various wish lists, but never bought it because of the price tag, even on sale. The 2022 version of the outfit came out pretty good!

Got a couple clothing gifts for Christmas too. A sweater to (hopefully) replace a super thin sweater I like to toss in my bag on Disney trips and other Summer destinations and a super fun coat from Anthropologie I've had on my wish list for over a year.

THE (modified) RULES

1. Be mindful of purchases 
2. Quality over quantity
3. Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

 

Clothes:

1. Marc by Marc Jacobs cropped sweater ($12.50, retail $298, used ad money)
   
2. J Brand Maria High Rise in Purple Velvet ($7.50, retail $228, used ad money)
   
3. Current/Elliott "The Muscle" leopard print tank ($8, retail $75?, used ad money)
4. *NEW!* Aspen Christmas Sweater in green via Marshalls ($7, retail $19.99 - similar sweater)
5. *NEW!* Greylin Longline Shirt Jacket in purple via Anthropologie (Christmas gift, retail $178)
   

1. mīere the label "Frankie" knit sweater in Faded Black ($56.92, $32.15 if we omit shipping)
2. Madewell Whisper Cotton V-Neck Tee in Spiced Plum ($2, retail $19.50, used ad money)
3. Madewell Whisper Cotton V-Neck Tee in Sahara Sand  ($2, retail $19.50, used ad money)
4. *NEW!* Burberry Brit Wool Minstead Duffle Coat In Military Red via Marijane Boutique ($230, retail $995, used ad money)
5. *NEW!* Everlane The Featherweight Alpaca Cardigan in Taupe Grey (Christmas gift, retail $80)

Shoes:

1. Ancient Greek Sandals Kore of Berlin ($365, Shopbop gift cards + ad money + 15% off)
   

Handbags:

1. *NEW!* Melie Bianco Drew Woven Bag in black via Marijane Boutique  ($110 retail, giveaway win!)
   

1. None yet

Activewear/Swimwear:

1. Ryka "Belong" Walking Shoe in Plum Red/Burgundy via DSW ($26.58, $79.99 retail)

Gifted from Brands:

• Pearl and Gold Bar Duo Stud Earring - Rose Gold c/o Aurate  
• Gold Bar Stud Earrings - Rose Gold c/o Aurate  
• Gold Bar Stud Earrings - Yellow Gold c/o Aurate  
• Janey Sport Sandal - Pewter c/o Aetrex 
  
• Active Biker Short in Jungle c/o Dona Jo
• Adjustable Bra in Jungle c/o Dona Jo
• Urban Tank in Pitanga c/o Dona Jo
• Destination Aura Beaded Necklace in Marrakech c/o Aurate
• Endless Gemstone Station Necklace in Rose Quartz c/o Aurate 
• Libby Comfort Clog - Tobacco c/o Aetrex 
• Skinny Gold Hinged Huggie Earrings in yellow gold c/o Aurate
• Endless Pearl Station Necklace in rose gold c/o Aurate 
• Lavender Jade Endless Gemstone Station Necklace in yellow gold c/o Aurate
  

Spent in December: $7

Spent in 2022: $90.50

Spent in 2022 - counting ad money: $717.42