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Everyday Style & Recipes. Est. 2010

minimal style

Garden Party Florals

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It has really started to feel like Spring again and it seemed fitting to bring some Spring vibes to the blog, like this lovely floral tea dress from TopShop (which FYI has since closed down). This dress is perfect for any kind of outdoor occasion, and can be easily dressed up with heels or down with sneakers. On this occasion, I styled it for a more casual “garden party” look with the classic Converse All Stars because you can’t go wrong with a pair of chucks. The fit and flare shape of this dress is also a timeless and flattering shape that looks good on just about everyone. This floral pattern along with the blush color is such a pretty combo and has such delicate/romantic vibes. Blush is such a perfect color for Spring! If you want to find out more on this one, check out my Poshmark as I currently have a duplicate of this dress for sale!

For Spring, I couldn’t resist bringing out the woven circle bag again lol. In the back of my mind I have second thoughts that maybe I have worn this a little too much buuuut…oh well. It’s just a great bag that looks perfect with so many outfits–especially in the warmer months. Speaking of which, can we ditch the “this was so last year” mentality? For one, it’s a useless attitude and bad for the environment, and two, as long as the thing isn’t completely heinous, keep rocking it! But that begs the question, if it’s heinous in the first place, why was it ever trendy to begin with?! I digress. My general philosophy on trends is to pick and choose the ones that you actually like that have some staying power in your closet and have a classic look that won’t look stupid in one year’s time (looking at you extra wide leg pants). If it’s “in” for you that is what matters! Plus it helps slow down the fast fashion cycle which is a +1 for the environment too.

Outfit Details: Dress: TopShop; Shoes: Converse; Bag: unbranded; Jewelry: Forever21; Hat; Unbranded

Winter Pastels & Starting a Capsule Wardrobe 101

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Okay, that polar vortex thing last week was wild! It seemed like everyone I knew across the U.S. was experiencing bizarre winter weather. Here in Colorado we had temperatures as low as -15 degrees for several days, and some friends and family were dealing with -35F. Yikes. Good lord, is it Spring yet?

This post is all about the layers and layers of pretty pastels and neutral tones. The great thing about those combinations is that even if you do add a million layers, it will still look good together! Just pick a neutral palette and roll with it. For this one, I went with a color palette consisting of black, charcoal, tan, blush, cream and sage. Picking your color palette is a great way to get a capsule wardrobe started! The next step is identifying pieces that can be used for multiple occasions. For example, this camel trench coat from Zara will go with just about anything. I also can’t tell you how many times I’ve featured these skinny jeans and these chelsea boots on my blog, but it is A LOT for a good reason. They go with just about everything and are staples in my closet. For my capsule wardrobe, the name of the game is minimalism, so I try not to go overboard with accessories, so I pretty much just stick with the basics like a few nice scarves and bags to complete your looks.

Outfit Details: Coat: Zara; Sweater: Asos; Jeans: Levi’s; Scarf: MM LaFleur; Bag: Frye – Melissa; Shoes: Marc Fisher

Linen & Slate

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I had been hearing about the joggers trend for a while, but never found a pair that could be easily incorporated into my wardrobe. I try to keep my closet versatile, yet as minimal as possible so I just didn’t see any room for this trend or what I would even wear joggers with. How do you dress up joggers and make them not look like you’re wearing pajamas? It seemed like the options to make them look actually nice were limited, but I recently found a pair from Anthropologie that actually look…classy? I think it has something to do with the front pleats which gives it a bit of a dress pants vibe. Whatever the reason, these certainly don’t resemble pajamas, but they are so comfortable they might as well be. The material is Modal, which is seriously such a soft and luxurious fabric. I absolutely love these and have been pretty much living in them!

Pairing these pants with a linen cami from Abercrombie, and a cozy oversized cardigan dresses up the ‘fit while also keeping it pretty laid back. Completed the look with this great little bee pendant and some classic Vans kicks. Overall, I’m really happy with the addition of these joggers to my closet and I hope they will inspire a lot of other future looks!

Outfit Details: Cardigan: American Eagle; Pants: Saturday/Sunday Abroad by Anthropologie; Shoes: Old Skool sneakers by Vans; Necklace: Etsy; Cami: Abercrombie & Fitch

Touch of Grunge

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I usually don’t get sick of Winter until at least January after all the holidays have passed, but this year seems to have sped that up a bit. In any event, I am in the mood for a Spring outfit! This look is one part Spring and two parts Fall, featuring this pretty Boho top from Abercrombie. I love blouses like these because they are timeless and versatile. Pair them with a skirt, cardigan, jeans — whatever! It’s one of those items that should belong in every minimalist capsule wardrobe IMO.

Adding to this look are a couple more Fall inspired items made for your capsule wardrobe, like these Chelsea boots by Sutro which have been my fav for a couple months now. They’re so comfy and look good with just about everything! Since we are still in the dead of winter, this look would be perfect paired with a trench coat or cozy cardigan to keep yourself warm! I also went with a touch of grunge with these high-rise distressed jeans from Levi’s which have been featured in a lot of my previous blog posts. A simple pair of black jeans is another closet staple of mine, distressed or not — though I like to have both options in the closet!

Outfit Details: Top: Abercrombie & Fitch; Pants: Levi’s; Boots: Sutro; Bag: Teddi Joelle; Necklace: Urban Outfitters

Rust & White

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Early November has been so lovely and mild, it’s been kind of amazing. Finally, something in 2020 has been nice?! Somebody pinch me. We saw some absolutely perfect Fall days with temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. The latest look on the blog is all about Summery dresses coupled with cozy oversized cardigans. There’s something about big ole cardigans that I find so comforting, especially this one from Abercrombie, which is apparently a size small, LOL. I can’t imagine what the large is like, but I would imagine it’s bordering on tent-like proportions. Can’t complain though, because big-ass cardigans are basically like blankets that you can wear without resorting to snuggies and such.

You could say that Cardigans are like the socially acceptable blankets that you can wear in public without being socially ostracized — while still being cozy! It’s a win-win, especially during the winter months. Plus you can take a Summery dress, pair it with a cozy cardigan and boots, and voila, you have a perfect Fall outfit. These boots, by the way, are from Thursdays, and they have been such a great addition into my closet. I’m always a fan of “swiss army knife” additions because these boots look good with basically anything! Granted, this outfit wouldn’t do well in a snow storm but hey, you can’t have everything. Please keep this beautiful Fall weather coming Colorado, thank you very much!

Outfit Details: Dress: Abercrombie & Fitch; Cardigan: Abercrombie & Fitch; Shoes: Thursday Boots; Watch: Stock Watch; Bag: LeatherStrata

Tropical Dreams and Last of Summer

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It’s warmed back up into the 80’s this week and both myself and the garden are loving it! Fall is still in the air though as the nights get cooler and the leaves are starting to change. For now, the warm temps are inspiring me to post a few more Summer pieces, like this tropical print top from American Eagle. Gotta love those end of Summer sales. I have been in a small love affair with kitsch tropical prints since at least 2015 and I’m afraid 2020 isn’t any different. This top is very light and breezy, with a bit of elastic at the hem on the back and sides. The front was made to be tied at the front, like so many tops these days. The elastic is a neat feature since it makes it easy to tuck in and wear in a more cropped fashion, like with skirts or very high-waisted jeans. It also gives the impression of the shirt being “tucked in” without it having to be tucked in. Kind of a minor feature, but also cool!

Speaking of jeans, I recently picked up these high-waisted distressed jeans from Abercrombie and they are fab! It’s been a while since I’ve worn anything other than Levi’s, but I’m a big fan of these as well. The high waist is flattering with shorter tops and the distressed areas are nicely done, especially with the small details at the end of the leg. The sandals are also from Abercrombie, which seems to be creeping more into my wardrobe, but I can’t help it. They are offering some really nice items at affordable prices, so how can a girl say no!

Top: American Eagle; Jeans: Abercrombie; Sandals: Abercrombie; sunglasses: Ray Ban

High-Low Summer // Demeter Fragrance Review

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It’s almost September and I’m feeling a bit ambivalent since I still have a bunch of Summer looks in the pipeline that I haven’t posted yet, waah. It seems to be always the way where Fall kind of catches up with me. That said, I am so excited to get going on all the Fall things which are just around the corner! It has thankfully cooled down a bit lately but the days still reach well into the mid-upper 80’s. For now, I’m still all about the Summer vibes with this vintage high-low asymmetrical midi dress. Also love the classic t-shirt and skirt combo — there’s just something timeless about it and will always look fresh. This combo is a must have for the toasty weather we’ve had all Summer, especially when you add a pair of comfy sandals to the mix, like these flats from Abercrombie. I also like to add a small belt with skirts to tie everything together. While I am looking forward to Fall looks, I want to try to make Summer last as long as possible!

In other news, I recently tried out a bunch of different Demeter Fragrances. I have to hand it to Demeter, they do a great job at recreating some of the more unique scents in life. They have a dizzying amount of varieties but I selected a few of the ones that I was most curious about. Another cool thing about Demeter are all the formats you can choose from. You can buy each fragrance in a variety of sizes, or as a body wash, diffuser oil, roll-on or even lotion! That’s pretty cool. An overall impression of these fragrances are that they simply don’t linger very long on the skin, but they will stay longer on fabrics. A quick rundown of the ones I tried, from left to right:

Laundromat: This one is spooky accurate. If you’ve ever been inside a commercial laundromat, there’s a heady, humid feeling of wet clothes, detergent and dryer smells that fill the air. I would say this scent captures the atmosphere of the laundromat, rather than fresh laundry if that makes sense. It has quickly turned into one of my favorites and I often use this one to freshen up clothing and bedding. 5/5

Tomato: I grew tomatoes in the garden this year and I love their unique, almost spicy smell. This perfume comes really, really close to mimicking that scent but I wish there was just a little bit more green and peppery vibes. I feel like this perfume evokes the leaves of the plant, rather than the fruit itself which is what I had hoped for. Unfortunately this one has the worst staying power out of the five which is a bummer. Overall, this perfume does convey that essential tomatoey-ness so I definitely recommend if you are also a Tomato fan. 4/5

Fuzzy Navel: This fragrance is one of their more popular scents and they threw this into my order for free which was thoughtful! It’s pretty hard to rate this one since I’m not really into gourmand or fruity fragrances, but it has a very fresh, watery peachy orange scent. I guess this one is meant to capture the alcoholic drink, but I don’t get much of the vodka thing from it. Leaving this unrated since fruity fragrances just aren’t my thing but I wouldn’t knock it either.

Linden: This one is also one of their more popular varieties and there’s good reason for it. Boy, do I love this one. I spray it on my pillow/PJs like every night so yep definitely a fanboy. This fragrance is hard to describe but it’s a little bit greenery, a little bit Summer sunshine with hints of Lily of the Valley. I honestly have no idea what actual Linden blossoms smell like, but this fragrance is absolutely gorgeous. I feel like this one sums up the height of Summer, and I bet I will love this one even more in January to remind myself of warmer and greener times. 5/5

Paperback: I had high hopes for this one and really wondered if they could nail the smell of a fresh paperback book. I pictured this to smell like dust and aged paper (think old book shop) but unfortunately all I got from this was ‘vanilla candle.’ Such a bummer! Maybe I’m missing something, but this fragrance bears no resemblance to a paperback for me. Argh, I am so bummed out by this. I don’t mind the vanilla scent per se, it was just not what I was expecting at all. 2/5

Outfit Details: Shirt: American Eagle; Skirt: Vintage Blue Brand/Thrifted; Shoes: Abercrombie; Bag: LeatherStrata

Denim & Stripes

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My mind is thinking Fall outfit ideas but the weather is thinking 92 degrees. We are clearly not in sync right now. August is one of those months that you kind of just want to skip and fast-forward into September am I right? This outfit is all about classic Summer style, heavy on the minimal vibes. To deal with this weird month, I have whipped out this super lightweight button-down blouse from Abercrombie — perfect for this second round of hot-ass weather. I love tie front tops because they look great with both skirts and jeans. I am a big fan of the classic mom jean style and these cut-offs are actually quite comfortable!

Worn in this look are these Moroccan Babouches with a flip-up heel from Etsy seller FezSouk. I like the flexibility of being able to wear these like a slip-on mule or as a ballet flat. It’s really cool that this shoe can provide both styles! This little cross-body bag is also from Etsy at AFONiEStyle. Such a cute leather bag for a very affordable price. While I still have a couple more Summer looks up my sleeve (no pun intended), I am definitely excited to move on to Fall style inspiration!

Outfit Details: Top: Abercrombie & Fitch; Jeans: Levi’s; Bag; Etsy; Shoes: Etsy; Sunglasses: Ray Ban

Review: the Best Bralette for Summer

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I don’t often do reviews, much less a bra review, but I had to write a whole post about this! This Summer I have been on the hunt for a lightweight lace bralette that’s affordable and fits great. American Eagle’s brand Aerie recently started offering a wider range of sizing, including bralettes in defined cup sizes instead of the usual S M L XL. If you are someone that needs a larger cup and smaller band, try out their S DD/32DD. After educating myself on Reddit’s AbraThatFits several years ago, I am unfortunately just outside the usual size matrix for most US brands so I was super excited to see this available! I highly recommend getting sized using ABTF’s sizing calculator. Side note: I don’t know why the US is still so far behind the UK in offering decent size ranges (looking at you Victoria’s Secret) — I pretty much exclusively shop UK brands now and will never buy another VS bra again. It does seem like the tide is turning and US brands are starting to offer large cup/small band size ranges, praise the lawd!

I was still a bit skeptical if this would work out but I have to say this is literally the only bralette that has ever fit well for me, though I would probably have preferred a 30 band rather than a 32 — but I’ll take it. This one has definitely come the closest to a good fit since I’ve never been able to find a bralette that had a band size that was tight enough. This style comes with three hook closures which really helps it out. I’ve also been looking for a bralette that can stand out under clothes. The lacey style looks great when paired with tank tops meant to “show” from underneath. It also has removable padding with straps that can convert into a racer back which is amazing. It’s like having two bralettes in one and they often sell for under $30 when on sale. I liked these so much that I had to buy more colors. If you are sweating at this very moment and thinking about how much you hate your underwire bra, try this one out!

Outfit Details: Top: Urban Outfitters; Hat: Brixton; Shoes: Joie; Bralette: Aerie; Jeans: Levi’s

Linen & Silk

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All dressed up and nowhere to go = the current theme of the month(s) due to COVID-19. But that’s alright, sometimes when you’re #socialdistancing it’s important to put on something nice to feel normal again. The latest Spring look features a few of the best quality materials to go for — linen and silk! Don’t buy full price though since these can get pricey! You can find great deals online for well made clothing, like this top from Everlane which was on clearance for a big discount. Gotta love when clearance items are still available in your size! This top is light and breezy and so perfect for Summer that I’m almost looking forward to hotter weather to try it out. I sized down on this top and I’m glad I did since it’s meant to fit fairly loose.

The skirt and shoes were found at Roolee, a boutique online store, which has tons of great items for reasonable prices. I was overall happy with the quality of the skirt and shoes — especially the skirt which is made from a linen blend and comes with pockets. I am aaalways a fan of skirts/dresses that have decent pockets. The material is super breathable and perfect for Summertime, the beach…picnics–you name it!

Outfit Details: Top: Everlane; Skirt: Roolee; Shoes; Roolee; Watch: Stock Watches