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Everyday Style & Recipes. Est. 2010

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Victorian Dreams

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Over the holidays, my Fiance received an amazing gift for a one night stay at the Nagle-Warren Mansion Bed & Breakfast in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  We decided that spending the weekend before Valentine’s Day would be a perfect way to use this gift, and also check out the local sites!  Last year we toured this historic house with family, and were amazed by the beautiful decor and history of the place.  The Nagle-Warren mansion was built in 1888 on the “Cattle Baron Row” in downtown Cheyenne.  This mansion is one of the few standing historic buildings as most were torn down due to faulty soil and foundation problems.  This place was fully restored to as close to original condition as possible, and it is a simply beautiful place to stay!  Not only was the place gorgeous and full of history, the owners were friendly and provided the best hospitality.  Even the ghosts were friendly!  Just kidding, we did not detect a single ghost.  The only visitor we got was a very friendly house cat who came to hang out with us in our room for a while.

We stayed in the the Francis E. Warren room, which was named after the U.S. Senator, and it was so beautiful!  I thought this comfy, chiffon dress by Sage would suit the decor of the room and I think it fits!  I think it evokes some Victorian style vibes, don’t you?  As always, Etsy has the best vintage stuff and this leather saddle bag is perfect for the occasion.  I chose some pretty gold layering charm necklaces from Etsy to complete the look as well.  Prior to the Nagle-Warren Mansion, we also did a little hike at Curt Gowdy State Park, and it was great checking out the local parks in Cheyenne!



Outfit Set:

Outfit Details: Dress: Sage Boutique, Bag: Vintage-Etsy, Necklaces: Etsy, Shoes: Free People Royale Flat

Winter Green

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Happy New Year everyone!  Winter has officially hit on the Front Range in Colorado, and I was looking to find a warm and cozy outfit for the colder days.   That’s why I love American Eagle sweaters so much, since they provide looks that provide comfy and stylish options that are great for everyday wear.  This sweater is so great as a warm pullover I have been wearing it non-stop!  It’s so comfy and warm–this Striped Crew Neck sweater is a perfect casual look that is great for winter weather layering.

In other news, I was recently gifted this minimalist leather lunch bag handmade by Homestead Leather on Etsy.  It was a perfect addition to my lunchtime routine!  I used to bring my lunch in plastic bags, but nooo more.  It’s a great environmentally friendly option for those who don’t want a big, bulky lunch bag. It also avoids bringing your lunch in wasteful plastic bags (yep, that was me) so in my opinion it’s a win-win!  Another brand I’ve been crazy about this past year has been The Frye Company and their fantastic boots.  I wore these leather “Celia” shearling-lined boots outside in sub-20 degree weather, and my feet were as warm as can be.  I recommend wearing these without socks, which sounds weird but they actually keep your feet roomier and warmer.  My feet get cold really easily, so I can’t recommend these enough.  Another recent gift was this extra cozy cable-knit scarf from Amazon.  It goes great with so many outfits that I have to hold off wearing it sometimes–it’s kind of ridic!

Outfit Details: Sweater: American Eagle, Leggings: Felina, Boots: Frye Company, Bag: Homestead Leather, Scarf: Amazon

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Wolf Tee & Coated Denim

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When I was a kid in the 90’s, I was pretty much obsessed with wolves.  I had wolves on everything, including my clothes.  As soon as I saw this graphic tee from Urban Outfitters I was instantly nostalgic for 80’s/90’s printed tees.  I gotta say, not much has changed! Still love fun, vintage-style wolf tees–sorry, not sorry.

Recently I came across faux leather denim, which is not exactly something that has been in my wheelhouse in the past. Leatherette jeans? No thanks, I am not an extra in Coyote Ugly (remember that movie, ya’ll?)  These coated jeans from AG are way, way different than what you’re probably thinking.   These are not anywhere near leatherette material–they are still like regular denim fabric, but they have a coated feel that gives an appearance of leather.  The thing that sold me on them was their very natural finish–they aren’t plasticy or shiny, but they still have an appearance of matte leather.  Plus, they are flexible and don’t feel painted on–it’s a win-win!  While these run on the pricey side, they’re worth it.  A side note about AG Jeans–they are by far my favorite denim brand.  Their sateen jegging is pretty much the softest material ever.  Below I’ve taken a few pics of their recent offerings–I am absolutely in love with their colorways!  If you want to know which styles and color varieties are in these photos, leave a comment or send me a DM on Instagram, and I would be happy to help you find the color you want.

I’ve also had a bit of an obsession with Frye boots lately.  It’s probably because winter is officially something to contend with, after having lived in California for years.  You need quality boots in Colorado that are built to last!  These Fryes are such an amazing color, aren’t they? I was instantly in love with that dark cherry finish!  I’ve never seen leather boots in such a beautiful color.  And they are super comfortable too, so you can’t get any better than that!


Outfit Details: Tee: Urban Outfitters, Cardigan: American Eagle, Jeans: Adriano Goldschmied, Boots: Frye Company

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Snow & Roses

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As the days get colder, my focus has turned to high quality boots and cozy knits.  This cardigan from Forever 21 has become one of my favorite over-sized pullovers in the closet.  The knit material is surprisingly good quality, and I love it in this “rose” color.  At first I thought it was more brown than rose when I first unwrapped, but in different lights the rosey tones come out.  I love in-between colors like that!

Something I’ve learned about Colorado winters: snow doesn’t stick around like Minnesota winters, and they come earlier too.  It’s already snowed twice here and it’s only mid-November! As I’m writing this, the snow from this shoot is all gone and the grass on neighborhood lawns is still mostly green.  It’s kind of weird, even after living in California for almost ten years, I still expect snow to hang around longer as a holdover from growing up in Minnesota, but I digress.

Another thing I have been loving are Frye boots–I mean who doesn’t love Frye?   I recently picked up these Frye Lindsay Ankle boots and I love how versatile and durable they are.  Comfortable, great quality and stylish–can’t ask for more than that!  They come “distressed” which everyone knows about with jeans, but I definitely haven’t heard of that with shoes.  Turns out I like the roughed up look, and it just gives the boots more character!

Outfit Details: Cardigan: Forever 21, Tee: Urban Outfitters, Skirt: Vintage/thrifted, Tights: Target,  Boots: Frye, Scarf: Forever 21 (old)

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Linen & Straw

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I’m all about comfortable looks that look put together at the same time.  I’ve personally never been a “wear sweatpants to the grocery store” kind of person, but if you are, more power to ya.  Stylishness is usually sacrificed for the sake of comfort, but these linen pants are a totally different story.

It’s not too often where I come across an item where I go “hey these could technically be pajama pants!” But these are waay better than  PJs; they look really fantastic dressed up with a nice boho style tunic and leather flats.  I’ve worn these out on hot days because of how lightweight and breezy they are.  Sometimes I’m just not in the mood for heavier material on really hot days.  Linen is pretty much the ideal Summer material for clothing in my opinion.  They are perfect for a Sunny day at the beach, poolside or a even a midday brunch.

Outfit Set:

Outfit Details: Pants: Caslon, Top: Forever 21, Sandals: Lucky Brand, Bag: eBay

Green Wrap Skirt & Summer to Fall Transition Pieces

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It’s unfortunate being so busy that I haven’t been able to post as quickly as I’d like.  I feel a bit of a time crunch since August has sped by and Fall is quickly approaching.  It’s not a good feeling when you feel like you’re running out of time.  It would be nice for everything to slow down so I have more time to post more Summer ideas!  In California, this wasn’t really an issue since the temperature swings were so mild in comparison.  I could post about Summer stuff all year long, but alas, Colorado has other ideas.  At the same time, I’m very excited for Fall to get in full swing so I’m feeling a bit ambivalent!

Here’s one of my late Summer looks featuring this lovely wrap skirt from Zaful.  I have been having a love affair with wrap skirts and dresses all Summer it seems like!  I am a huge fan of this color and floral pattern.  It’s a bit like a modern Ditsy pattern, and there’s so many different outfits you could wear with this one.  Since this skirt has a longer length, it could easily be worn as a Summer/Fall transition piece.  It would look fab with a suede or denim jacket, or even a chunky knit pullover!  Since it’s still in the 80s here, I went with a summery plain white tee and sandals, but as an affordable transition piece it is worth checking out.  This boyfriend style tee from Urban Outfitters is such a comfy and soft option for a white t-shirt.  I personally am super picky about t-shirts and this one has a nice loose cut and the fabric is very soft. Since the boyfriend style runs looser, I ordered a size smaller and the fit is perfect!

Outfit Set:

Outfit Details: Top: Urban Outfitters, Skirt: Zaful, Shoes: Nature Breeze, Bag: eBay

Summer Stripes

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Sometimes when you’re nowhere near the beach, you just gotta recreate it yourself right? That was the goal of this outfit.  Since I live in a landlocked state now, I was missing the beach a lot recently and I wanted to create the beachiest Summer outfit possible. Also, it’s back up to mid-90 degree temperatures so that might have had something to do with it!  I spied out this vertical stripe 60’s inspired mini dress on Urban Outfitters and had a big time nostalgia flashback–it reminded me so much of my favorite beach towel that I knew I had to snap it up.  The stripe pattern was almost exact, I couldn’t believe it! I also love the 60’s inspired silhouette and the light and breezey chiffon fabric.  The fabric has a double layer with a black slip underneath which really makes the stripes pop.  I love the muted retro colors of this dress and the fact it’s not SUPER bright.  I kind of avoid bright stripey patterns and this isn’t like that at all.

I’ve also been kind of obsessed with this woven circle bag.  They’ve definitely become more popular lately on social media which means that you can find them for much cheaper on sites like Etsy, Amazon and eBay.  This particular one I found off eBay brand new.  If you’re looking for a bag like this, I highly recommend going to more affordable sites first before you buy a branded bag for a big markup!  That said, you will be seeing a lot of this bag in the future because it goes with so many darn things–I can’t seem to get it out of my outfit ideas!  Same goes for these shoes, there are a lot of more expensive choices that are just like these, but I found these on Amazon and so far they have been way worth it.  The dress however, was slightly more expensive so sometimes you just have to pick your battles and know when to splurge or save!

Outfit Details: Dress: Urban Outfitters, Bag: Unbranded, Shoes: Nature Breeze

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Little Black Dress

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Lately I’ve been into 90’s inspired dresses, especially fit and flare styles with button down fronts. This “LBD” from Urban Outfitters is a perfect homage to 90’s style while keeping it modern and fresh. It works as a day-to-night option, perfect for every day wear that can be easily transitioned to an evening out–kind of hard to find in one black dress! In this case I paired it with more casual items, including my favorite pair of flats right now from Free People   and a few finds from Etsy: a vintage tooled bag and a few pretty little rings. How adorable is this mountain range ring? I must admit I am a little bit obsessed with VermeilSupplies’ rings and accessories–go check them out!

I wanted to also give a quick review of my two holy grail products for pale folks. As you can probably tell I am very pale and a lot of companies just don’t really have a great match for my skin tone. Most products are too yellow and look awful on me so after a lot of trial and error I wanted to talk about a few of my favorites. I’m not a foundation girl–it’s just too heavy for every day wear but I do have somewhat alarming dark circles. If I walked around without under eye concealer, you’d probably think I had a serious illness sooo I do have to rely on concealer to look normal. After I apply SPF (I like EltaMD’s physical sunscreens), I use NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly which is described as a “true ivory shade” which is 100% accurate. While it runs on the pricey side, its worth it for me since the benefits make up for the price. It’s a perfect tone match and as the name describes, it has a lovely creamy, matte texture and brightens everything up. While it’s a little thick, it does not settle into fine lines and dries perfectly matte almost immediately. I usually just apply this under the eyes and t-zone, or to calm down red areas. Another one of my favorite “pale folks products” (PFPs?) is this HD Finishing Powder from E.L.F. It has absolutely no pigment and goes on completely sheer. I can’t stand heavy powders and this one is completely transparent and gives a very natural matte look. And of course, leave it to E.L.F. to make it super affordable. So pale people, I highly recommend checking these two out if you are still looking for your holy grail products!

   

Outfit Set:

Outfit Details: Dress: Urban Outfitters, Shoes: Free People, Ring: VermeilSupplies, Bag: Vintage

Rust Romper

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It has really started to warm up here it’s crazy! It’s been in the mid to upper 80s all week so I’ve been brainstorming more Summery things to wear. After living on the California coast, where summers usually reached only the mid-60s, I am not used to wearing….fewer clothes I guess? I was out in a t-shirt one day and I felt so naked! Maybe I’m just used to layers and not wearing any just feel weird to me now. As for Summer ideas, I’ve been a lot more into rompers lately. They are so comfy to hang out in on a hot day, and they look great with sandals and Summery flats. I’m pretty much in love with this romper from Forever 21, mostly because of the color and material. It’s so soft and flowy, it feels like you’re not wearing anything at all–which is what I’m looking for on hotter days. I’m a big fan of the color too–it’s just gorgeous right? Love those rusty red tones.

Onto the accessories: this bag from Pendleton is one of my favorite recent additions. Love the design and size! The neutral colors make it super versatile and could easily become one of my everyday bags. I don’t like carrying around a lot of stuff in a huge bag so this is a good size for me. The necklace is…I guess you could call vintage? Because I actually got it as a gift when I was a kid years ago. Honestly, I have no idea who even made it. It’s a traditional medicine bag/amulet and I thought it would be fun to bring it out into the light. If you are looking for a comparable one, I looked around and found an Etsy store that makes very similar designs that you can check out. They are really cool looking necklaces!

 

 

Outfit Set:

Outfit Details: Cardigan: Bajee, Romper: Forever 21, bag: Pendleton, Necklace: vintage, Shoes: Free People

Mustard Dress & Circle Bag

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 Spring has officially Sprung here in Colorado! One moment the trees have tiny buds and the next they are in full bloom almost overnight. It’s nice being in a spot with real established seasons compared to California. In Cali, every tree, flowering plant or whatever had their own rhythm of blooming and dying off, with little regard to seasons. Here, the plants seem to all be operating along a similar pattern even though the weather here is all over the place all the time. I’ll take it though, I actually enjoy seasons and weather.  A good thunderstorm is one of my favorite things and that almost never happened in California.

Now back to some of my latest Spring finds–how about this dress from Forever 21? I love how much the color and style reminds me of Spring time. I can see this becoming a perfect dress for a Sunday brunch or just hanging out on a warm afternoon. Looking forward to the weather warming up a bit more so I can wear it more regularly!  Lately I’ve been getting more into wrap “fit and flare” style dresses, they seem like a perfect Spring addition to the closet.

I’ve also decided to share with you guys a review of some of my favorite hair products. My hair is a bit weird where it can straighten out really easily but can become fairly wavy if it air drys without heat. I’ve been trying to find a “holy grail” product that accentuates waves without using heat and I recently discovered Ouai Wave Spray. This product is a great way to get beachy, natural waves with minimal effort. All I really do is spray on dampened hair and run through with my fingers and voila–defined, natural waves. I am completely obsessed with this stuff and it smells so good too! A few other products, as shown below, are a couple of my tried and true favorites: on the left is my favorite anti-frizz product–one tiny little dab helps smooth out frizzies. On the right is Lush’s No Drought which is my favorite dry shampoo product. I’ve tried a bunch of other brands but I prefer the powder instead of aerosol sprays for one big reason–it lasts so much longer! You get way more for your money with this stuff. I apply just a few puffs to my roots and brush out with a boar’s hair brush and it soaks up access oil super well! I’m not really a hair product nut so these are pretty much the only three I use regularly over the years. Definitely recommend checking these three out!

Outfit Set:

Outfit Details: Dress: Forever 21, Bag: Alba Baskets and Shoes: Lucky Brand