Chunky and Chic Sweaters on the Cheap

In the September issue of InStyle, there was an awesome piece about luxe sweaters and incorporating them into your wardrobe for Fall. I loved all of them, but they were just a tad out of my budget. 

So I went on a quick hunt for some fun alternatives after being inspired by the colors, textures, and flexibility of this type of piece. Pair this comfy duds with mini-skirts, tuck them into a pencil skirt, or just keep it casual in jeans or leather leggings (yes, please!). Add you favorite simple accessories and your go-to and you'll be ready for Fall in a snap!

Enjoy these finds!

Metallic and Leather Animal print

$75.94

Aztec Eye Patterned Sweater

$59.07

 

Structured Tiger Knit Sweater

$60.75

Sheer-sleeved White Sweatshirt

$39.95

  

Foil Landscape Sweatshirt

$69.00

Fall for Glam Party

To put a new twist on the traditional girls night out/cocktail party, my friend Kaite and her friend Allie hosted a Fall for Glam party. All of the guests brought fun Fall appetizers and drinks. I brought my styling chops and pulled together a few Fall outfits from Allie's closet. I paired each outfit with jewelry from Stella & Dot pieces provided by Kathleen Wolney!

I love this kind of party because the hostess gets some fun ideas to spice up her wardrobe, and the guests get to see Fall outfits before the season turns. 

 

I pulled a few work and casual outfits from Allie's wardrobe and here are the pics:

For a day to night work outfit, I paired a zebra print inspired pencil skirt with a black striped tee. For a bold statement against the black and white, I combined it with the Peacock Necklace that has bold blue hues and for an unexpected pop of gold, the Eden and Gilded Arrow bracelets. I love mixing metals and these all complemented each other so perfectly.

I was immediately drawn to this pair of chunky heels in Allie's closet. I had to include them in one of the outfits, and found a funky printed blouse to pair with black jeans, and this awesome chain and beaded necklace called the Tessa Fringe necklace from Stella & Dot.

For a fun Sunday shopping or lunch with friends, I selected a chevron print blouse, colorful scarf, and dark denim with cute black flats that have a surprise zipper up the back. Jewels from Stella & Dot included two bangles and Twila drop earrings that were clean and simple. The blouse and scarf do all of the talking so the jewelry should be understated and complementary.

Finally, I pulled a sundress from Allie's closet and styled it for Fall. This is a great trick that helps you extend those lovely summer pieces for another season. I wrapped it up in a millitary styled jacked and paired it with this awesome metallic tote that is perfectly named How Does She Do It.

(apparently I lost this pic!)

It was a beautiful day on a downtown rooftop and all of the guests looked lovely! I almost wore a very similar dress to Misha's navy and white striped wrap dress (Nordstrom). After talking more to her I found out that her dress can convert into a maxi-skirt, and the straps can be twisted and tied in multiple ways. Misha did a great job of keeping it simple with an awesome pair of red leather wedges that she found at a boutique in Las Vegas.

There were skirts, shorts, wedges and flats, and I loved it all!

Stella & Dot's latest jewels really impressed me! I love the vintage inspired pieces, and ended up picking out a intricately woven ring called the Haven ring, and another piece that is an arrow wrapped around my finger.

Thanks to the glam team! It was a great party and I can't wait to do it again. Want to host a party? Contact me!

Pink and Petals Everyday

I may be guilty of having too many pairs of these, but they are something I cannot live without; leggings. On a recent trip to Seattle, my friend Jenn spotted a pair of faux leather leggings with a laser cut flower pattern. She thought they were right up my alley, and she was right! I fell in love with these immediately.

Now, how to style them. I like the patterned detail that adds some attitude to any outfit, so I kept the rest of the outfit simple. I wore this look to work the other day so I threw on a black blazer and my favorite pink dress.

To accessorize, I picked up the starfish bracelet my mom found in Florida (and has currently loaned out to me, her favorite daughter. Just kidding, Elise). My parents recently ventured to Spain and purchased this beautiful pink and rose gold necklace for me, so I've been rocking that often.

The pink and black ensemble is a bit edgy while still being work appropriate.

Outfit head to toe: black blazer and pink dress from H&M, leggings by Lovely Day, jewelry gifted, and boots by Diba.

Nostalgic for Tie Dye

Today I threw on a simple outfit. I didn't think too much about it but then I remembered that one of my first blog posts featured this LOFT tie-dye dress. Just two years ago I was writing about how this dress is perfect for those hot summer days when all you can throw on is a light jacket and glam it up with some accessories. One styling tip that I have more recently been living by is throwing on a button-down shirt over dresses and skirts to cover up rather than wearing a cardigan. There are very few cardigans that I like for some reason, but I'm pretty obsessed with collared shirts these days, so this crisp white button-down was perfect to throw over my dress. I stayed comfortable in the office in the blasting air-conditioning, as well as on the hot Chicago streets.

I layered on a few necklaces, stacked a couple colorful rings and slipped into my studded brown leather sandals that I've been wearing just about every day since I bought them.

Recently, I'd been searching for a pair of those trendy rounded frame sunglasses, and randomly found these pink poppers at target. Im also obsessed with these since they add my favorite color to any outfit on sunny day.

Outfit from head to toe: sunglasses from Target, shirt by Levi's, dress from LOFT, shoes from ALDO, vintage necklaces, rings from Madewell.