Easing into the Work Week

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family! My husband and I enjoyed our first married Thanksgiving in North Carolina with my family but were fortunate enough to see his family as well. We ate entirely too much and spent more time on I-95 than we would have liked, but it was totally worth it!

We returned to DC and immediately welcomed the Christmas season.We attended a local tree-lighting ceremony and put up our own Christmas tree and decorated the house while listening to Christmas music. It was so much fun and I just love having the decorations up - it makes the home that much cozier.

I'm not ready for the long weekend to end so I'm copping out on office attire a little bit. I picked this top up on Wednesday last week and I wore it while traveling home, decorating the tree, and running errands. So, why not wear it to work?! It's a jacquard, almost sweatshirt material so it's super soft and cozy. And warm. I just don't want to take it off.

Top: here | Pants: here | Necklace: here | Shoes: old, similar here

Black Friday Starts Early

Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals have started early and this means I can get a head start on my holiday shopping and avoid the crowds (I never participate in in-store Black Friday deals). I thought I'd share some of my picks for the tall women on your list (including yourself!). These are items that are on my wishlist or things I already own and recommend.  All are on promotion.

Top (left to right): pajama bottoms (available in tall!) / hat / Kendra Scott necklace

Bottom (left to right): slippers  / dress coat (available in tall!) / Tory Burch bag

 I own the coat in navy in tall. See it here. I also own and love the necklace. See it here and here.

The coat is very tall friendly, the sleeves are plenty long and it falls just below my knee which I love for an overcoat because it means it totally covers my dress or skirt. Also, I've never considered searching for pajama bottoms in tall. I have no idea why not because I've never had a pair that weren't complete high waters which leaves my ankles a little chilly in the winter. These are top on my wish list. As for the slippers - how can I pass up leopard print slippers (especially when paired with striped pajamas)!?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Wishing everyone safe travels and good times!

Anything Anywhere

This top and vest combo has become my go to for any occasion lately. I stumbled on it a few weeks ago when I was throwing something together for my birthday dinner with the husband in early November. The night was a little chilly, but I didn't want to pull out a coat, so I figured what the heck - I'll try my favorite shirt with my favorite vest. It was a winner in my opinion and I've reached for the combo again and again since. 

I've worn the top and vest to work with dress pants. It's worked for sight seeing and weekend adventures when paired with flats (as pictured here at the National Portrait Gallery), for grabbing drinks with a friend, and for date night when paired with heels or wedges. I've also played around with my accessories to change the look up a bit. 

This shirt was originally a dress that I had made into a shirt (it was originally a dropped waist dress so they moved up the waistline with the ruffles instead of simply chopping them off). See how I've worn it before here. I've styled this vest for the office here. For some reason (probably because our photography and editing skills need improvement), it always photographs more neon than it actually is. Don't get me wrong - it's definitely bright, but not quite so neon. 

See another dress I turned into a shirt here. I've found that if I get the dress on sale and I love the color, pattern, or style it's well worth it to me to spend a little extra to have it altered.  

Here's to a short work week!

Vest: here | Jeans: old, Joe's via Marshall's | Shoes: old, but identical here

Wednesday Shift

We're grinding through the work week in anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday next week?!? How did that happen? How is it late November? Thanksgiving is next Thursday! I'm not sure where the time goes, but it goes. Our work schedules have been pretty demanding lately so I'm hoping next week we can enjoy some time off and with my family in North Carolina. It'll be the first Thanksgiving my husband has spent with my family and our first as a married couple! 

In the midst of a hectic work load, preparing for the upcoming holiday season (which if you look around DC seems to have started in full force since just before Halloween), I've been enjoying easy, no-fuss, and comfortable outfits. Comfort has always key and seems to be growing in importance as I get older, and certainly tops my wishlist on the mornings I know I'm going to be working late. 

Enter this shift dress. I've mentioned before that I'm not always the biggest fan of shift dresses because I don't believe they provide enough definition without an accentuated waist. Yet, I pick them up occasionally because for whatever reason, they always seem to come in the best colors and patterns. This dress is no exception. I couldn't pass up a dark green work dress - again. I made that mistake once years ago and I've regretted it ever since. I didn't know it was possible to have such retail regret (or whatever the opposite of buyer's remorse is), but it is. And, I've vowed never to let another dark green work dress pass me by. So, I pre-ordered (on sale!) this dress and it finally arrived last week. I wore it to work the very next day. And it's on repeat today. And I'm tempted to purchase it black. It's just so easy to wear, the 3/4 length sleeves are the best things known to man, and I think the curved detail at the hemline adds some nice interest. Plus, it does seem to have a little bit of tailoring at the waist to make me feel like I'm not wearing a green paper sack. But, even if I do look like that, I'll continue to wear it because I think it's just that awesome. 

Dress: here | Tights:* here | Boots: old, similar here | Necklace: old, similar here , prettier here | Booties: old, similar here

*I love hue brand tights - they're super opaque, very warm, and I'm pretty sure they're as close to indestructible as a pair of tights can get. I have always picked them up in store at Nordstrom Rack, but they are currently on sale at Nordstrom for the same price I generally find at Rack (+ free shipping, no minimum).

Layered Ruffles

I've been on the hunt for a layered top for the longest time now and I just couldn't find anything that I liked and fit well. I've also been on a "miss streak" at Anthropologie. I love finding unique dresses and sweaters from Anthro to compliment my pretty classic wardrobe. But, since they carry a variety of brands, I find the fit and quality to be hit and miss for me. 

When I stumbled on this sweater during the recent promotion, given its length (and color!), I figured it was worth a shot. I knew it was a keeper as soon as I got it on! I wore it to work the very next day only to spill my breakfast and lunch on the ruffles. I ended up with some sort of grease stain so I immediately made a trip to the cleaners. Lucky for me, the stain came out and I wore it again this weekend! It is such a great shirt that I was prepared to buy it again if it was permanently stained. It's going quick, so I recommend scooping it up!

My husband and I are both homebodies, but sometimes we find ourselves in a weekend rut. It's not uncommon that one of us has to work over the weekend and when you add in household chores and errands, we're inclined to lounge on the couch. This weekend we decided to make a concerted effort to enjoy some of what DC has to offer so we stopped by some of our favorite museums. It was a little chilly, but we enjoyed the afternoon walk around the city and being a tourist in our own city. 

As side note, I purchased this coat in February on sale from JCrew. I tried it on, fell in love with the long sleeves and length and then stuffed it in the closet for later use. When I pulled it out last week, I noticed the right pocket was sewn in upside down. I immediately called JCrew and they overnighted me a replacement coat! I've always had great customer service experiences with JCrew, but this is probably by far my best. The new coat (pictured) offers the same perfect fit and great, deep pockets. It's very warm without being bulky. 

Coat: here | Shirt: here | Jeans: here | Booties: here

Corporate Casual Remix - JCrew Excusrion Vest

You've probably realized by now that I regularly wear the same pieces casually and remix them for the office. So, I thought I'd design a new series to show you exactly how I wear an item both casually and professionally. I'm kicking off the series with a vest that I think is decidedly more casual.

I've tried on this JCrew Excursion vest dozens of times and always passed because I didn't think it fit well. But, I just couldn't give up on it so I ordered it during one of the recent promotions and once I had it home and on for a little while, I realized it became more tailored and a better fit - less puffy, I guess. I also prefer wearing it with the collar folded down. It's still a little shorter than I'd like, but it's just too good to pass up. Maybe JCrew will release a tall vest next year!

The benefit of the shorter length is that it pairs perfectly with dresses (I'm always sensitive to proportions with dresses and skirts) and longer tops. 

Casually, I've paired it with a chambray shirt dress and cognac booties. 

Vest: here | Dress: here | Booties: here | Necklace: here

For the office, I paired it with a traditional white dress shirt and grey dress pants. I've been mixing gold and grey a lot lately; it's a combo I really love!

I've totally gone from zero to sixty when it comes to vests. They're a lightweight piece that keep me super warm while sitting at the desk.

Vest: here | Top: here | Pants: here | Necklace: here | Shoes: old, similar here

Separates

 

The weather continues to be in constant flux so I feel like I'm constantly searching my closet for something to wear that crosses seasons. 

This sweater is surprisingly warm yet light, so I've been reaching for it more than I ever expected. See it paired with a skirt here. It is a little shorter than I like to wear my tops when paired with pants, but it would work well layered of a button down and of course it's a great length to layer on top of a dress. I do wear a button down underneath my suiting dresses from time to time, but I can't ever seem to shake the school girl feeling when I do. I love the combo on others, but not so much when I wear it for some reason. Does anyone else feel that way about certain styles? So, layering on top of instead of under the dress is a great option for me. 

Sweater: here | Dress: here | Shoes: old, similar here

Easy

The forecast has been all over the place here lately which makes getting dressed in the morning a little bit of a guessing game. On cooler mornings, I'm much more apt to hit snooze one too many times so I end up in a hurry with nothing to wear.

During one of Loft's flash sales, I picked up this dress. I was sure it would be too short since it doesn't come in tall and it's very rare that one of their regular dresses fit. But, it was worth a shot. It ended up being the only thing in the entire order I kept (the local store loves me, I only ever go to return online orders). It turns out it is long enough and you know how I feel about the color. The fit and flare makes it a perfect throw on and go outfit because it's flattering no matter the day I'm having and doesn't require much thought - just black tights and a jacket. 

I received this Kendra Scott necklace as a birthday present from my mother-in-law and I've worn it every day since. I'm obsessed! 

Blazer: here | Dress: here | Tights: here | Boots: old, similar here | Necklace: here

Wedding Registry Review

Tyler and I celebrated six months of marriage on Monday (we didn't really celebrate), and I thought it would be a great opportunity to do a review of some of our favorite items from our wedding registry. 

When registering, I tried very hard to only register for items I knew we needed and would use regularly. We did register for china and although it remained in boxes for months before eventually finding a home in a dining room sideboard that lives in our bedroom (hubby had fun explaining that to the delivery man), I'm glad we have it and can't wait to host friends and family.

Some of our favorite and most used items are below. 

Crate & Barrel Bennett Dinnerware. Before we got married, I had Corelle plates which I loved because they were white, lightweight, and chip and break resistant. I actually seriously considered registering for an additional place setting of Corelle and sticking with it for our every day dinnerware since I wanted fine china. But, I was interested in swapping the square for round dishes and finding a more substantial, dressier dinner set. 

We ended up decided on the Bennett dinnerware set from Crate & Barrel. I was worried it wouldn't be as durable as the Corelle - no matter how hard I try to be careful - I always manage to bang and clang the dishes, especially when loading and unloading the dishwasher. But, they have held up exceptionally well despite how hard I feel we've been on them. Pictured with Caesna silverware. 

Please excuse me while I proceed to gush about these drinking glasses (here). I hate (as much as one can possibly hate glasses) heavy drinking glasses. So much so that I've typically just used plastic cups. But, we wanted to up our game and enter adulthood as a married couple with real glassware. So, we walked around C&B endlessly while I picked up and pretended to drink from every glass in store looking for the lightest possible. These fit the bill and then when we added them to our registry we realized how incredibly cheap they were, we worried that they would be cheap and breakable, but decided to give them a try. They are THE BEST GLASSES. We love them. We have very little cabinet space and given the size of these we can stack them two high which saves us a ton of space. They're lightweight, the perfect size (holds a can of soda), and hold up well in the dishwasher and to all of my banging and clanging.

These coasters (here). I know, it's silly to get excited about coasters, but I love the shape of these and the fact that they blend in given their marble appearance. They'd make a great hostess gift for the upcoming holidays.

 When it came to bedding, I knew what I wanted (basically the white version of this), but then the mister didn't want white so we settled on the tan version (here). I'm not a fan of duvet covers (the down inserts are also falling down), so the search for a cotton bedspread was on. I'm convinced that the world is against cotton bedspreads so this was a rare find. 

What you can't see pictured above are the best. sheets. ever. (fitted, flat, pillow cases). They're expensive, but totally worth it. They don't show any wear after weekly washings. I'm tempted to pick up a second set (my only hesitation is that means I'd have to fold sheets instead of just putting them back on the bed). 

Lastly, I can't forget Roomba. She works very hard for us cleaning up all the dog hair and city grime. 

We were very lucky and received  so many wonderful gifts in celebration of our marriage. They've help us turn our house into a home.

The Perfect Top

I'm pretty sure this shirt contains almost all of my favorite elements that could possibly be combined in a top. It's jacquard, which as you may already know, is a favorite of mine and when coupled with a peplum style and self-tie belt, I can't say no. The neckline is also about as flattering as they come in my opinion! Plus, the colors in this pattern make it a wardrobe staple all year long (a fit and flare skirt is also available in this pattern, in tall, here). I've already worn it twice in the two weeks I've had it because it's just so easy and comfortable. 

I will say, I've had a hard time deciding what to pair it with besides black. I'm looking to pick up a black cardigan with white stripes (as opposed to a primarily white cardigan with black stripes) to spice things up a bit. I also think it looks great as pictured on Banana's website with the heathered/speckled pants. But, unfortunately, I don't have any like them in my closet currently and I'm rarely tempted to buy dress pants (except in the fall when I'm not ready to admit its tights weather and I'm too cold natured for bare legs and then I don't buy the heaver material or wool versions). 

So, I've paired it with black dress pants and a pencil skirt. I don't think they do the top justice, but it's what I've got to work with and I do think the top makes a statement on its own.

Shirt: here | Skirt: here | Cardigan: here | Shoes: old, similar here

Mixing Neutrals

I'm back! I missed blogging last week so I'm excited to be back. I picked up this sweater to wear for our holiday photos and I wasn't sure how versatile it would be. But, it's a great way to transition this skirt from summer to fall (see it styled for summer here). The shoulder detail contains navy and black lace which I love because I struggle with mixing and matching black and navy. 

 Has anyone else noticed that cognac boots seem to rule the world?! Don't get me wrong, I love my cognac riding boots, but I find that they aren't dressy enough for the office. I love these chocolate boots with the navy skirt and the chocolate leather is dressier in my opinion. I'm on the hunt for some black knee-high boot that will be appropriate for the work week and weekend, but that's easier said than done when you have the smallest, skinniest calves known to man.

Hope you have a great week!

Sweater: here | Skirt: old, similar here | Necklace: here | Boots: old, similar here