I almost forgot to do an outfit post for what I wore on our Woodstock weekend in October! I just had to wear my new Mickey pumpkin cardigan for the occasion. I love that it is kind of subtle. Someone in a store asked me "Is that actually Mickey or just accidental placement" and I replied "It's Mickey! *laugh*" and he responded "That's amazing!"
It was so hard waiting to wear this after I got it in August, but so worth the buy! As mentioned in my wardrobe update that month, I actually bought the children's version of the sweater because I liked the silhouette better than the adult version AND I wanted to save $10 if it would fit, ha ha. In case you missed that post, here's the story again: I ordered 3 different sizes because I wanted to see if I could fit in a kid's size and got an adult as backup. I tried a Kid's XL Plus, Kid's 2XL and Adult PS. The 2XL ended up being the best fit, but they were all very close in size. I prefer the kids sleeves and the fact that the center pumpkin is not cut in half like on the adult size. When I ordered I had a $20 off of $50 purchase so I also grabbed some tees and a tank to save me $60 on the purchase. Then I returned the 2 other sweaters and ended up spending $38.11 on 4 items when just the cardigan would have been $39.99 ($49.99 if I got the adult size.) Now that's shopping smart!
Anyway, back to the outfit! We had a perfect weather weekend so I was super comfortable and not too hot or cold in the sweater. I knew we would be doing a lot of walking so I wore my comfortable Franco Sarto loafers that are stylish yet surprisingly comfortable.
Sweater: Old Navy x Disney Mickey Mouse Pumpkin Cardigan (I bought the children's 2XL)
Jeans: FRAME 'Le Skinny de Jeanne' (Shopbop)
Sunglasses: Gucci Aviators (bought in Rome)
Shoes: Sam Edelman Kyana Loafer in Plum Wine Suede (DSW)
I did a quick outfit change for dinner into a cozy purple sweater, corduroy skirt I have had for YEARS and one of my favorite pairs of fall boots that I've had since 2008-ish! I had to have them fixed last year because the heel caps both fell off and now they're good for another 15 years.
Sweater: Rachel Zoe (Marshalls)
Skirt: Old Navy (VERY old but I did find some on eBay and a few other similars, linked below)
Boots: vintage White Mountain (eBay)
Bag: Chloé Alphabet Mini Saddle Bag in Red and Brown leather (ebay)
The next day we had our King Arthur baking class so I wanted to have a layer I could take off for the class and something comfortable to bake in. I opted for a sweater tank with a cardigan on top. Funnily enough, this brown cardigan is a similar silhouette to my Mickey pumpkin cardigan. Guess I have a type! I also wore sneakers, even though they don't go with the look because I didn't want to get nice shoes covered with flour. Ha ha.
Cardigan: Marled Half Milano Button Front Cardigan in Chicory Coffee (Marshalls)
Sweater Tank: Old Navy Sleeveless Open Stitch Sweater in Gingerspice
Jeans: FRAME 'Le Skinny de Jeanne' (Shopbop)
Shoes: HOKA Arahi 6 Running Shoe in Grape Wine/Beautyberry
Christian and I have been spending a weekend around my birthday in/near Woodstock, Vermont for the past handful of years. This year we took my parents along as last year's Christmas gift because my Dad loves to take photos and we thought he would enjoy their small downtown area and the changing leaves. My Mom has been a baker since I was little so we also thought adding an in-person baking classes at King Arthur Baking would be fun! We looked through all the classes happening at the end of September and early October and the Sensational Sweet Breads class was the winner! I'll touch more on that later, for now let's get in to the rest of the trip.
Normally we camp in our electric car at a nearby campground (last year we had to have a hotel because it was in the shop) but since we were going with my parents we stayed in town. I found a place right in town above Woodstock Scoops ice cream! It even came with a dedicated parking space so we didn't have to worry about finding a spot if we left and came back during the day. We drove up Friday night after work so we could already be there Saturday morning to explore.
Summer to me means light and simplistic dressing. Throw on a dress and some sandals, hair in a bun and I'm out the door! But sometimes I want to add a bit to my outfit. Enter fun pieces like these earrings inspired by Marilyn Monroe. They feel weightless but add a little extra pizazz to the look! Aurate carries a wide variety of delicate threader earrings & drop earrings so there's bound to be something that fits your style. The Marilyn collection is particularly fun because it includes pearls, rubies, and white sapphires.
Fun fact about me - I love watching old movies, usually on TCM. If you've been here a long time you've likely come across my "Movies seen" page. We're over 4500 movies at this point. I have seen 22 of Marilyn's 29 films. Technically 30, but the last was unfinished. And a few of those are un-credited. Letterboxd also has a lot more listed because they include documentaries as well. I wish I could eliminate documentary films from the statistics to really see the percentage of movies I've seen for certain actors.
But back to the outfit! This is one of my favorite dresses (even though it's pink!) but unfortunately the brand, Edun, is now defunct. I bought the dress for $25 in 2019, funnily enough I posted it on the blog in 2012 saying I wanted it! I love when patience pays off. Bono and his wife founded the company in 2005 but it went out of business in 2018, which is such a shame because it was a sustainable brand and promoted artists in Africa via a fair trade relationship. I'm still hunting resale websites like The RealReal, eBay, Poshmark and others just in case more of their fun printed pieces pop up for a steal.
I couldn't find the exact dress, but I did see a couple using similar prints - one is an exact print from my dress. I linked both in the carousel below. Someone better buy the purple before I do, ha ha! It has the same feeling as my dress, just in purple, my favorite color! I linked some dresses from other brands as well. This dress also has a similar vibe.
Finishing touches include the fun little Italian leather bag I bought in Venice and Everlane block heel sandals. Side note: who else is so sad that they allowed themselves to be bought by SheIn. No more Everlane for me, unless it's an older collection piece/used on eBay.
Dress: Edun (eBay)
Shoes: Everlane Double-Strap Block Heel Sandal in Strawberry
Bag: bought in Venice
Sunglasses: Gucci Aviators (bought in Rome)
Jewelry c/o Aurate
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
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(Almost) every year since 1995 my family has gone camping in Vermont in the Summer. For a few Summers I went with my two best friends. Now Christian has joined in on the tradition and we enjoy our quick weekends away in the sticks. We hike/walk, do a little shopping at the Vermont Country Store and just enjoy the company of family and less screen time. Of course I always have my phone with me so I can take pictures, but I try not to do anything else.
I'm well prepared for our hikes with my comfortable orthotics from PowerStep. I have been using their inserts in various shoes for years now and they really do make a difference. This pair is by Rykä and have lasted me quite a few years. If you aren't sure what type you need, you can use their Insole Finder and take a quiz to see! No hiking outfit is complete without comfortable leggings - my favorites at the moment are from Colorfulkoala. I've also got on my tick/mosquito repellant socks, mosquito bracelet, and trusty Ray-Ban sunglasses. Plus my runDisney completer shirt from 2023!
A newer tradition while camping is grabbing a ton of sausages from A Crooked Barn Charcuterie. Pete makes artisanal sausages with locally and sustainably farmed ingredients! We usually leave with 3 or 4 varieties and freeze them to use throughout the year! This year we bought 5—we meant to buy 6 but since we were getting some for others in our group we miscounted. Pete told us that we were some of his first 50 customers when he started his business, which I didn't know, super cool!
Shop the camping trip: *This post was made in partnership with Responsival. Thank you for supporting brands I feature*
Christian and I don't usually go crazy for Valentine's Day, especially on the actual day. Normally I just make one of our favorite dinners and a fun dessert and then we might go out for a fancier than normal dinner on the weekend. Since Valentine's Day was on Saturday this year we went out for a lunch date in Mystic.
Before we get to the activities of the day, let's talk about my outfit! I decided to pile on some of my favorite jewelry from Aurate. They have everything from dainty diamond necklaces and gold rings to pearls, gemstones and more! There's something in every price range and style. My favorites are their earrings. 90% of the time I'm wearing a pair of Aurate earrings, I wear them in the shower, to sleep, everything!
For those of you that are new to Aurate, here's a quick intro. Their mission is to offer sustainable, ethical handmade jewelry at affordable prices. They use recycled gold, ethically-sourced diamonds, and sustainably harvested pearls. The pieces are handmade by artisans, not a machine churning out hundreds a day. I've been a fan since 2018 so I have amassed quite the collection and gifted pieces to family members as well!
It's still very cold around here so my coat was the major part of my outfit, ha ha. I wore my Burberry coat since it is bright red, perfect for Valentine's Day (and Christmas.) Normally I'll wear some form of red as part of my outfit to be festive but this year I just wore a comfy sweater, jeans and loafers since my coat took care of the red. I got these shoes for Christmas and haven't really had a chance to wear them because of all the snow and slush.
On our day date we headed to Mystic, one of the cutest towns in Connecticut. We decided to try a new restaurant this time and headed to The Port of Call. But before lunch we took a stroll around Old Mistick Village, there are so many cute shops we love to stop in - especially the olive oil & honey store, Sticky Situations. We made it out without spending any money in that store but we did walk away with donuts from Deviant Donuts.
Sweater: Rachel Zoe (Marshalls)
Jeans: FRAME 'Le Skinny de Jeanne' (Shopbop)
Bag: Chanel Classic 2.55 Double Flap (Madison Avenue Couture)
Shoes: Sam Edelman Kyana Loafer in Plum Wine Suede (DSW)
Coat: Burberry Brit Wool Minstead Duffle Coat In Military Red via Marijane Boutique
Jewelry c/o Aurate: Crossover Ring, Pearl & Gold Bar Stud Earring, Pearl Stud Earring, Simple Pearl Bracelet, Medium Paperclip Chain Bracelet, Toi et Moi Gemstone Mini Heirloom Ring with Citrine & Amethyst, and Pearl Lariat Necklace (no longer available)
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A look at the rest of our day:
*This post was made in partnership with Responsival.*
Last September after I went to the zoo with my best friend and her daughter I upgraded my ticket to an annual pass for Christian and I! We've always talked about getting a pass for this zoo because it's close to home and the perfect place for a morning walk on the weekends. We went the weekend after New Years to get some steps and fresh air.
I put some comfortable arch support inserts from PowerStep in my favorite Winter boots. I have walked miles and miles in these boots and the inserts really help make it painless. They fit in so man of my shoes so it's nice to be able to move them to whatever pair I'm waring for the day. To make them even cozier (and warmer) I added some fur FlatSocks!
We spent a couple hours walking around the Beardsley Zoo and saw some of our favorite animals! The American Red and Mexican wolves were enjoying a snack so they were super active and we spent a lot of time with the adorable Red Pandas! I also finally got a good view of the Brazilian Ocelot, it's always been napping out of view when I'm there. It may have been cold but the zoo does have a few indoor areas so we could warm back up while still enjoying the animals.
Sweater: Mīere the Label women's cotton knit sweater in terracotta
Jeans: J Brand 811 Mid Rise Skinny Leg Jean in Moral (Gilt Groupe)
Boots: Vintage Snowland Moccasin Ankle Boots (from Grandma - their first appearance)
Bag: Loewe Mini Puzzle Bag in Pomodoro red classic calfskin
Purple Coat: Greylin Longline Shirt Jacket in purple (Anthropologie)
Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika' c/o Shopbop
Scarf: Madewell Houndstooth Patchwork Scarf
Ombre Hat: Disney World
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Here's a peek at my shoe insole stack!
