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This (Two) Week(s) in Outfits

April 23, 2016
No, I haven't been stricken with any ridiculous illness, I've just been so busy that the blog had to take a back seat these last few weeks.  I haven't even had time to get all my outfits snapped this week....but here is a compilation of the last two weeks worth of outfits!

Tuesday (4/12) - Monday I wasn't feeling well, so fielded emails from home in my PJ's....so Tuesday was the beginning of my week.  You've seen this outfit before, but I'm slowly transitioning from long layers to skirt and short sleeves!


Wednesday (4/13) - This is a pretty great transitional dress.  I've paired it previously with tights and some layers on top during the cooler months, but as it was over 60 degrees last week, it also looks great on it's own with some accessories!


Thursday (4/14) - Another warm work day.  I will normally keep a cardigan at my desk in case the AC is pumping or I have a meeting where I need to be a little more covered on my arms, but for day to day work showing some shoulder isn't prohibited in my office.


Friday (4/15) - I mentioned on Instagram and I'll say it again, a blazer changes everything.  Basic t-shirts and tanks can be taken into the office place by just throwing on a fitted blazer.


Monday (4/18) - I found these work pants hidden under a pile of clothes as I was cleaning out my closet over the weekend.  They are a shorter hem, which means I can wear them with flats, but as I was wearing them I found myself not a fan of the cut...which I believe is a boot cut.  I LOVE boot cut denim, but a fabric with less structure like this is best suited for a straight leg but.


 Friday (4/22) - Just another example of a basic tank top being made work appropriate with the help of a blazer...have I convinced you to buy one yet??


No more travel for a while, so hopefully I'll get back to my regular posting schedule.  The weather is going to be fabulous here in Peoria, and I hope it is for you too!  I'll see you all later, back here in my closet!

Finding Inspiration - Who I Follow

April 12, 2016
Obviously nowadays social media has become a hub for inspiration.  You can find someone that loves just about anything you do.  Pinterest was the big bang for me with fashion.  I use to tear out magazine pages and put them in a binder....I had a hard copy version of a Pinterest board.  Man if I'd thought of that first....but, shoulda, woulda, coulda.

So, I thought I'd get down the accounts I follow and get the most inspiration from...both in fashion/beauty and in fitness.  I mostly use Instagram, and if they have a corresponding YouTube channel I'll normally follow.  Photos have (unfortunately) become the new spoken word to get people to understand you're message.

Fashion/Beauty - 

I love the 'Like to Know' instagram page and the program is entails.  If you register on their site and 'like' any IG post associated you get an email with shopping options!  Takes the thought away from 'where do I find that?'  You'll notice a lot of women I follow use the #liketoknow option to email you.









Fitness - 

There are a LOT of 'get fit quick' options on social media.  Lots of before and after's with a 3 month span.  I try to stay away from that.  I know the result I'm looking for is a long term process.  I follow some local Peoria ladies, but for you all I'm going to talk about more global accounts.  I follow products (Cellucor, Buff Bake, DOUGHbar, etc) for tips and inspiration from their sponsored athletes, but I find my inspiration from other female lifters.  I mainly follow Alicia Coates, Heidi Somers (Buff Bunny) and Nikki Blackketter.  They have physiques I'd aspire to, but know my body will never look like theirs because that is their JOB.  The balance between what you aspire to and what is attainable is hard for a lot of women.  When you see lifters, of course you want to look tight and fit, but know that you don't have 2 hours a day to spend in the gym and get paid by companies to promote their product.  You have a full time job, probably a family and you want to keep yourself sane!




Hope these accounts give you some good inspiration, and let me know who you follow and I'll check them out!

I hope the weather gets better so we can get out and do some photo for content I want to put up!

Have an amazing week!

The Week in Outfits

April 9, 2016
My time management has been crap this week, so I apologize if this post seems a little rushed....I won't be linking similar options, but if there is every something you'd like me to find, I'm more than willing to help - just ask!


Monday - I was all over the place!  I wanted to wear this dress (purchased at a consignment store), but it was pretty chilly outside still.  I had a chambray blouse over it, but felt it was too casual for Monday at work...so 5 minutes before I left I switched to this mint blazer.  It's not the best outfit, but working with engineers they didn't know any different.  The shoes are Dr. Scholl's and they are my go to summer wedge for work....I can walk around all day with them on!


Tuesday - Back to some staple pieces.  This Talbots shirt is linen, so I find myself having to be really careful when I put it away otherwise I have to steam it before every use - which is just annoying.  As I sit here looking at this photo I'm trying to decide if I could pair this blouse with a pencil skirt....what do you all think??


Wednesday - Man this week was a bunch of repeats!  I've said it before and I'll say it again, having those go to pairing makes it easier to get ready in the morning.  I know a lot of you are working parents that may not have ages to stare at your closet and pick out pieces....and that's OK!!  I recommend really purging down to what you actually wear so that your mornings are less hectic!


Thursday - I commented on Instagram how I remember vividly that you were 'not allowed' to wear black with brown in the 90's/00's.  My how times have changed!  All neutrals (black, brown shades, nude, white, most animal print) can be worn mixed and matched together.  You could even make an entire wardrobe out of neutrals and make your accessories the accents!


Friday - This is probably the most simple outfit of the week, but the one I'm most in love with.  It's unassuming, chic, casual and put together at the same time.  Proper fit is key in my eyes to making you feel put together.  If they pants had been baggy or the blouse hadn't come in at the waist a little, this outfit could feel frumpy....know the different between fitted and 'tight' on your body - it makes a huge difference!
PS - I also curled my hair with my tapered wand this morning, just because.  I always get a lot of complements on it and love the look myself, but most days never have the time to do it!


Well, that's my quick round up.  Again, I'm sorry I couldn't do links this week, but most items have been worn before and have links in previous post (scrolling at the top).  I promise to get back to three posts a week, I just am struggling to find time to sit down and write them!

Have a great weekend, and I'll see you later - back here in my closet!

First FabFitFun Box!

April 5, 2016
I've tried a LOT of subscription services and boxes.  But most of the time after about 6 months I get tired of the samples or just start to accumulate too much stuff - which is against my new-ish mantra.

I've seen a few YouTube unboxing of of FabFitFun box and it intrigues me for several reasons:
1) It's quarterly, or not a lot of unnecessary junk
2) It's fitness related
3) For $50 you normally get about $200+ of product


Already interested???  Use this referral link 'here'

So I decided to give it a go!  I went for the annual subscription because it knocked $20 off the total price.

I got my box last week and was pleasantly surprised by the range of items!  Here's the spread!





The first thing about this box is it comes with a little catalog giving you descriptions and MSRP of the product, and talks about the brands it works with.  A lot of videos I've seen show that this box curates around small businesses or businesses that 'do more good' by helping employ women in underprivileged areas. ASIDE - this has recently gotten my attention since Stella Artois started the 'Buy a Lady a Drink' campaign and I realized that $13 can supply a person with 5 years of water!! END ASIDE -- Total retail value of this box is $282.91

Let's dive a little deeper....

I got two gift cards, one for 31 Bits ($25 value) and one for Sterling Forever ($30 value).  31 Bits is an online retailer of handmade jewelry by artisans in Uganda, giving them access to a customer base and allowing them to rise above poverty.  Sterling Forever seems to be more of trendy and knock off style jewels.  I've narrowed it down to a few items I like on each site, I need your help on how I should spend my gift cards!  Sound off on my facebook page!

31 Bits options - this or this (in black and gold)
Sterling Forever options - this or this


The next item falls into the 'fitness' category for them.  The Mat Strap Plus by Merrithew is sort of a triple threat: you can use it to carry your yoga mat to class (which I don't), you can use it to help you hold difficult yoga poses (which I won't) and you can use it as a light resistance band (which I will!).  I see myself using this more for warm-up moves at the gym or fit I want to get a few light sets in at home.  I've already used it after volleyball to help stretch out some tight muscles!


The next item falls into 'beauty/health' and just plain fun.  I love bath bombs and bubble bars from LUSH, so this Jus D'Amour Bath Bomb Trinity will get some use.  There are three scents: eucalyptus/peppermint/lime (awakening), lavender/chamomile/ylang ylang(relaxing) and jasmine/rose/sandal wood (feelin' sexy).  It's fun to have these, since there isn't a LUSH around me and I always forget to hit it up in St. Louis.


 The next item is beauty related again, the Bodipure Keratin Gloves & Socks.  I imagine the premise is like when you're at the nail salon and you get a heated moisture glove-thingy.  Keratin is a moisturizing oil so these will soak/deposit the lotion and then you're suppose to rub in the remaining after removal.  I'm sure my hands and feet will feel awesome after, but I would never buy this for myself.


 This next item is probably what I was most excited about.  The ISH Contour Kit was made just for this box and I've been REALLY wanting to dip into a pre-curated contour palette for a while.  I've already used this several days before work.  They are all powders, with a highlight, blush, contour and bronzer (clockwise from upper left).  The contour color is meant really just to hit the areas you want to chisel on your face (cheek hollows/jaw line) and the bronzer is meant for more of the all over glow.  I attempted to do some swatches below, but as you can see I need a little more practice at that.



Next up is this full size bottle of Argan and Hemp Oil Therapy from Marrakesh.  It's a hair oil/treatment that smells amazing.  I've been using it after my shower/before blow drying to give my fine hair a little weight so it doesn't static out in the drier air we've been having.  I even used it on baby J to tame his wild mane after bath time!  There are cheaper products out there that do the same thing, but I'll definitely use this up!


I'm super excited to reap the rewards of this MakersKit Herb Garden.  It's already up on our kitchen window and J waters it every day.  They give you everything you need, seeds, growing medium, canisters to hold it all.  Soon we'll be cooking with fresh Thyme, Mint and Basil!

Also in the box is the HelloLegs Shaving Emulation Lotion.  I used it today AFTER my shave, but you're also suppose to use it while shaving for a soft, smooth result.  I'll have to circle back around and give a better review after I use it as intended.  Right now it smells great and gave my morning shaved legs a smooth feeling!


The last item is really cool, this letter press necklace from Jook & Nona.  I got 'dream' but others could have gotten 'inspire', 'love' or 'happy'.  It's just a fun delicate necklace that'll look great with my Stella & Dot pieces I love.


So that's the box!  I enjoyed seeming the range of items from fitness to beauty to health AND I loved that they were all full size items!  Let me know if this post got you interested, if you want more detail on a specific item, or what you think I should buy from 31 Bits and Forever Sterling! If you're interested in your own box, make sure to use the link above!

I'm excited for the post coming later this week, talking all about pant hems and how them make you look taller!

I'll see you guys later, back here in my closet!


This Week in Outfits

April 2, 2016
Hope everyone had a great week doing whatever you do!  My boss was out of vacation, it the pressure was really low at work and it was nice to just to able to catch up on little things that normally get put aside for high profile projects.

Here's the roundup of what I wore(check the links because I referenced some new stuff!):

Monday - It was particularly beautiful to start the week (see all the direct sunlight pouring in?) so I channeled it with my floral tank and bright red blazer combo!

Blazer - similar
Tank - similar, similar
Pants - similar (ASIDE - I linked a LOT of NY&Co pants this week, they are having a great sale and have a great size selection!)
Heels - exact
Jewelry- Necklace


Tuesday - One thing I really like about my job is it does allow for some short mobility.  I can easily work from home if I have things going on that demand I be all over.  I still recommend you put yourself together every day, even if you work from home or are a Stay at Home parent....trust me, it'll make you feel more productive even if it's just the fact you managed to get real clothes on!

Top - similar
Jeans - similar
Shoes - similar (Want to sign up for JustFab?? Use this link!)


Wednesday - I woke up really sluggish and not even remotely prepared to 'adult' at all, so this is a bare minimum outfit.  Jumping off of the last post, shake up your style by wearing your normal button up shirts open with a layer underneath, it'll give you so many more options!

Shirt - similar
Tank - similar
Pants - similar
Shoes - similar

Thursday - How much difference a day can make!  I'd really bounced back on Thursday and I had a great workout to start the morning!  I really wanted to pull these Just Fab heels into the rotation, so I planned my outfit around them!

Top - similar
Pants - similar
Heels - similar
Jewelry - Necklace, Bracelet, Bracelet

Friday - No real rhyme or reason to this outfit, just needed to get out the door so threw these two pieces together!  I think I spent more time picking out my jewelry than deciding on an outfit!

Top - similar
Pants - similar
Heels - exact
Jewelry- Necklace (only the short strand), Bracelet, Bracelet, Watch (extra strap)

Well, that's a wrap on this week!  Enjoy the weekend, go be active and knock stuff off your to-do list!  You'll feel better coming into Monday knowing you got so much done over the weekend!

I'll see you all later, back here in my closet!!

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