OOTD: Fall Floral + PinkBlush Giveaway!!

One of my favorite trends this year is florals, I've been wearing them since Spring and the "fall" season isn't slowing me down! I L-O-V-E this gorgeous emerald floral print, just looking at it makes me happy! I plan on wearing it for Thanksgiving this year, maybe with a hat?  

Bring on the Leggings!

Tunic // Leggings (c/o White Plum) // Booties (old, similar here)

October means legging season is upon us! Soft, comfortable, and easy to wear, I welcome leggings season with open arms! White Plum has some of my absolutely favorite ones, they are so incredibly comfortable and honestly some of the best quality I've seen. I nearly live in them when I'm outside of work and throw them on first thing when the temp drops.

These camo ones are super fun and I'm excited to wear them again this week to the pumpkin patch. I'm also loving their cable knits and these black and white pair. Right now, White Plum is offering 20% off your entire purchase through 10/17 using HD20 at check out!

Don't know how to wear bright or patterned leggings? Check out White Plum's guide for some great tips!

Feeling Fall

Scarf // Jeans // Sweater // Boots // Purse

Last week we had two glorious days of rain and it was awesome! Mostly, because I had no where to go and got to stay inside with my girls. Everyone is so over the moon about fall, but living in CA, I won't get to really wear fall clothes til Halloween, so I have a few weeks left to enjoy the heat before it's gone. 

Those two days last week really got me thinking about my fall wardrobe (especially after my closet purge) and what outfits I'm excited to wear...which led to looking online for new stuff. I'm dying over these accessories and I'm so in love with the scarf and purse (both under $40!). The two things I seem to never have enough of and wear all the time year after year is a good crew neck sweater and a great scarf. My scarf game is on point all year long and this one will definitely have to find it's way to my collection.

Closet Purge + Purchases

While my aunt was in town, we tackled my closet and dresser and purged a ton. Some things were easy to toss and other things she had to twist my arm. See all of those pretty bras? Thanks to pregnancy and nursing, they'll never fit again. See ya later C cups, I've moved on to bigger jugs. I totally had to take a break after that drawer, it was really hard to see all those pretties gone. We got rid of everything that didn't fit, was badly pilled, or hadn't been worn in the last year. There's really no need for several cocktail dresses when they only cocktails anyone is drinking around here are the ones my body produces for a baby.

Life is just different now that we have children and although Matt and I have date nights once in a blue moon, I'm not wearing anything fancy. The trips to Vegas have stopped, weddings and bachelorette parties are almost done, and baby showers have started to slow a bit too. It was time to go through my clothing and keep only the items that work with my lifestyle and get a lot of wear (i.e. mostly work stuff). It was awesome having a third person there to help evaluate items and talk about memories with; I remember where I wore something, what I bought it for, if anything special happened in it, etc. I'm totally a sentimental closet hoarder.

Now that my closet was clean and I could see a purpose in my clothes, I made a mental note of the items it was missing or needed to be replaced.

- A dark and a light wash pair of jeans
- Black denim
- A gray and a tan long cardigan
- Black flats
- Some lightweight short sleeve tops for work
- Black blazer
- Every day white tee



Here's some items I've purchased to replace the items I tossed above:
-Tan Cardi
-Gray Cardi (shown in black)
-Black Skinnies
-V Neck Tank
-Light Wash Skinnies

Light Wash Skinnies // Top (Old Navy, not online)

I absolutely love these jeans! I bought them at the regular length so they would hit just above my foot and look good with both flats or heels. They're really comfortable and have a nice tight stretch to them.

This top is perfect to look pulled together and comfortable. It's great for CA weather too, I can wear this all year and the nice plum color is perfect for fall and winter.

V Neck Tank // Tan Cardi // Light Wash Skinnies

So I bought this top thinking it was solid white and apparently didn't bother to read the description or zoom in to see that it's white with oatmeal color dots on it. I don't think I would have ever have bought it or tried it on had I seen it in store, but I'm so happy with it. It was a great surprise. I love how it looks with the cardigan too. I do wish it was available in more solid colors because it fits great and it really thin so it's perfect to layer. 

This is the best inexpensive cardigan! I have it in three colors that I bought last year and they've really washed well. I'm kinda surprised since they're less than $10. Sometimes a win is a win though.

Gray Cardi  // Light Wash Skinnies

I love, love, love both the jeans and the cardigan! The cardi is really soft and I love the length. My only gripe is that it's a woven material that will snag so easily and everywhere. I'm thinking about returning it just for that reason, but it's so cute! Ugh. My heart is torn.  

These skinny jeans are amazing! They are more comfortable than the light wash jeans and are black perfection. They fit like a glove and stretch so well. I love how they fit and can't wait to wear them with some cute booties.

So, that's what I've been up to around here! I donated all the clothes above and I hope that someone will get a lot of wear out of them. They're all in good condition (I threw out anything that was worn out) and some items I was really sad to see go, but if I'm not wearing them someone else should be. It's been a real relief though to purge and it's nice to actually have room in my closet. 

When I've been out shopping, I've kept an eye out for items that will really add to my closet. To choose and try on items that I need and I know will get a lot of wear. I'm trying to stick to just needs and not wants and think about different ways I can style them and picking what will be the most versatile. It can be really hard! Especially with a new season upon us and tons of new trends and styles coming out. I've been strong so far though!

What are you looking to buy this fall? How often do you clean out your closets? 

Fall Beauty Inspiration

Although it's barely chilly in the morning and the weather isn't cooperating with my fall wardrobe (still dying to wear my new beanie!), fall makeup can still be worn. Ha ha Mother Nature, I pulled one over on ya! Neiner neiner neiner! Back to being adult-ish.

With the cool mornings, I've been yearning for deep wine and rich gold hues and have been checking out Pinterest for some inspiration. I love the warm looks of the season with deep berry lips and wine hued shadow. I also love the flip side of the bronzes and nude (I'm always down for nude, regardless of the season). Here are some of my recent pins of looks I want to try and copy.

Aren't these looks gorgeous? I can't even pick a favorite, I'm fond of them each. My makeup for work has been the same lately (check out my Every Day Face post to see what I use) and I'm dying to switch it up. I've been digging through some of my makeup and found a few items to hold me over, but I found some products that are perfect for these looks.

Here are some products to re-create the looks on your own (and they're totally on my beauty list I keep on my phone to check out at Target/Ulta)!

Revlon Wine Not // NYX Copenhagen // Revlon Black Cherry

NYX Terra Cotta // MAC Love Joy

NYX Cabana Boy // MAC Keepsakes - Beige Eyes // NYX Prima Donna

Lucky for me, I think I'll be swinging by an Ulta in the next couple of days. I've been dying to check out the holiday MAC line too. They make the best stuff and I just want to add all of it to cart and check out. Back in college, I used to do that without batting a lash. Now, I have a mortgage payment and toddler hair bows to buy. Priorities my friends. Maybe I'll add an item or two to my Christmas list... 

What are some of your favorite fall looks? Do you change your makeup routine at all with the seasons? 

Fall Necessities

Well, I'm still waiting for cooler weather to hit and dreaming of cardigans and boots. We're at that awkward point in the season where it's chilly in the morning and the Sahara Desert by noon. So, while I'm waiting for our temperatures to drop, I thought I'd post about my fall must-haves. These are pieces that I wear year after year and look to buy each season because I know they'll get the most use.

Draped Cardigan // Boyfriend Cardigan

I've always been a cardigan hoarder, but these last two years I've loved big cozy and boyfriend style cardigans. They're great to layer with this mood swing weather we're having and they're perfect with leggings or skinny jeans.

Ankle Boots // Riding Boots

A girl can never have enough boots! These ankle boots are perfect, I love the bit of edge the leather strap gives them. This year I'm in the market for another pair of riding boots and I love how these riding boots rise up in the front and dip in the back. Plus the color is gorgeous! 

Infinity Scarf // Plaid Scarf

It's no secret that scarves are part of my love language. I wear them year round and I've been itching to wear my thicker textured ones. 

Tweed Vest // Quilted Vest

Vests are perfect to wear when it's chilly, but not cold or you don't want the extra layers weighing down your arms. I snagged this tweed vest last year and loooooooooooved it. So glad to see it back again! This year I'd love to add a flatter quilted vest like this fun red one. 

What are your fall must have pieces? 

Fall TV Reviews- What's on my DVR

With every move or new season, I try to drop a few TV shows from my DVR. I think I entirely watch too many shows, and since becoming a parent, I want to drop even more so I can focus my extra downtime for more family oriented activities. Also, Matt and I have nearly 0 television shows in common (only Big Brother- and that’s only in the summertime) so I do try to check out a few fall shows to see if there’s anything that will peak his interest. He mostly only watches reality shows that are based on the outdoors or cop/prison life (like all the Alaska everything (fishing, hunting, living, fish/game) shows, the First 48, etc).

Here are some of the shows I’ve dropped from my DVR: The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, New Girl, Revenge, and The Following to name a few. We also dropped Sons of Anarchy, but we’re thinking of picking it up again to finish the series (we watched half of the last season). Nothing wrong with these shows, I just missed a few episodes and never cared about picking them back up. Some of them just seemed redundant every episode or had more ridiculous plot twists with every season. I’m also thinking about dropping Nashville, CSI Las Vegas (I know! I’ve watched since college, but since Grissom left it’s not the same), and Once Upon A Time as well, they’re just a little boring to me now.

With the new fall season starting up, I’ve checked out a few of the new series and there are some really great shows I’m excited about watching! Here’s my list of what’s great and what’s awful (All series’ summaries are from Entertainment Weekly).

The Good:

Red Band Society: A group of teenagers meet as patients in the children’s wing of a hospital and become unlikely allies and friends in this comedic young soap.

My Take: I didn’t catch the first two episodes and didn’t have any interest in the series, but my sister and a friend told me how great it was so I watched it one night and fell in love! I enjoy all of the characters and the dynamics of their relationships. Each character has a different disease/illness, but they’re all bonded by living in the hospital and the typical high school social rules don’t really exist there. I’m interested to see where their stories will go. Matt and I are actually watching this together, so as long as the series stories stay on track, I think it will be able to keep both of our interests.

How to get Away with Murder: A sexy, suspense-driven legal thriller that centers on ambitious law students and their brilliant and mysterious criminal defense professor who become entangled in a murder plot that could rock their entire university and change the course of their lives.

My Take: Shonda Rimes can do no wrong, she is a show writing genius! I knew I would like this show with the very first commercial I saw for it. Viola Davis, murder, college/career life- I’m sold! The very first episode was everything I was hoping for; plot twists, back stories, intertwining stories, lust, and murder. The second episode kept up the speed and I’m pretty hooked on watching it all unfold. I’m so excited for this series and my Thursday nights (and weekends- that’s when I get to watch all the shows!) just got a whole lot better!

Stalker: Psychological thriller centered around a pair of detectives who handle stalking incidents for the Threat Management Unit of the LAPD.

My Take: I’ve watched the first episode and I really enjoyed it and was pretty creeped out by some of the plotlines. Especially the part that was in the commercial when the woman was in her room changing and in the mirror you see hands come up from the floor and roll her rug up. Eek! I love crime drama shows and I like the twist that this one has that sets it apart from other shows, but I’m not sure if it will keep my attention. The acting was great, the story lines believable, and there’s a dark history yet to be revealed for each main character. I just don’t know if it’s good enough to add to my DVR on the regular.

Gracepoint: The 10-episode series follows a detective duo and their investigation into the murder of a young boy in a small town.

My Take: The Killing is one of my favorite shows, every episode kept me on the edge of my seat and I’m so glad that Netflix picked it up to finish the series with one more season. Now that it’s over, when I saw a commercial for a 10 episode series special for Gracepoint, a story surrounding a child’s murder I knew I had to watch it! I’ve seen the first episode and enjoyed it. It doesn’t seem to be as dark as The Killing and I’m looking forward to some twists and surprises.

The Terrible:

Scorpion: An eccentric genius and his international network of super-geniuses form the last line of defense against the complex threats of the modern age.

My Take: This show is terrible- I didn’t even finish the first episode. I didn’t care for any of the actors or their characters, the acting is awful, and the storyline was laughable. No suspense like I thought it would have at all, the action was over the top, and the fashion was bad. Nothing to care for in the show whatsoever. Blech all around.

Selfie: Comedy inspired by My Fair Lady tells the story of a self-obsessed 20-something woman who is more concerned with “likes” than being liked. After suffering a very public and humiliating breakup, she becomes the subject of a viral video and suddenly has more social media “followers” than she ever imagined — but for all the wrong reasons. She enlists the help of a marketing expert at her company to help repair her tarnished image.

My Take: I don’t know how I ended up watching this! Ok, I do. My sister said it was funny (she had to have been drinking) so I watched the preview episode from my DVR Fall Preview option and although I like John Cho, I’m surprised he ever signed up for this gig. I would be shocked if it made it halfway through the season without being hacked off the network. The only funny point of the show at all was how it made fun of social media and how obsessed people have become with having followers and likes instead of focusing on their real life.

NCIS: New Orleans: The NCIS New Orleans office handles cases from Pensacola through Mississippi and Louisiana to the Texas panhandle. New Orleans with its rich setting of music, fun, and debauchery is a magnet for military personnel on-leave. And with fun comes trouble. It is a natural backdrop for a unique character driven spin-off.

My Take: NCIS isn’t a show I watch regularly and have seen a few episodes here and there, but when I saw they were introducing a new series with Lucas Black I quickly added it to my DVR. That only lasted for the first episode before I deleted it. The first episode wasn’t much for a series opener and it just didn’t set off any spark for me. My mother-in-law said it was better the second episode, but I think I’m going to ditch it altogether.

Wow it seems like I watch entirely too much TV, but I mostly only watch them at night before bed or have it on in the background while I get ready, eat breakfast (before Ellie is up), and clean. That being said (or typed/read), I still want to ditch more shows so I can focus on the bigger things in life.

What shows do you watch? What’s on your DVR? Has any new fall show caught your attention?

Fall Polish Favorites

Essie Wicked // Essie Bahama Mama // Essie Chinchilly // Essie After School Boy Blazer

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark // Sally Hansen Slick Slate // Sally Hansen Uptempo Plum // Sally Hansen Black and Blue 

Happy first day of fall! After posting my Summer Polish Favorites, it's only right to post my favorite fall ones today. I scoured through my treasure chest of polish and picked my favorite top eight to share. Most of my colors are close to black when applied, and I love how dark they look on.

Essie Wicked- A dark burgundy, I lived in this color last year and I'm excited to wear it again this season.

Essie Bahama Mama- A gorgeous dark purple, almost wine colored. I've had this on my toes for weeks now. It's so much darker than it looks in the above picture.

Essie Chinchilly- A total cult classic for a reason! Looks great on everyone and is the perfect neutral.

Essie After School Boy Blazer- Another almost black shade, I've been obsessed with Navy and I'll be wearing this one all season for sure.

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark- Another cult classic, a wine-black shade and gorgeous. It's so chic and dark.

Sally Hansen Slick Slate- Very similar to Chinchilly, but darker. It's perfect for your toes or fingers and pairs perfectly with a nude pink mani to match.

Sally Hansen Uptempo Plum- This has been one of my favorites for a few years now. It's a beautiful dark plum with some shimmer. It's perfect for a special night out.

Sally Hansen Black and Blue- I loved this shade last year! To get the dark color I wanted, I put two coats over a black coat and it was a beautiful color change with the blue, green, and purple. Very fun!

What are some of your favorite fall colors? Any color I'm missing out on?

Recent Purchases- Labor Day Haul

Yesterday was such a good mail day! My Labor Day Old Navy haul arrived, woohoo! There's a few items from my Wishlist post that I'm so excited I got my hands on. I'm still waiting on an order from Carter's for Ellie, that I'll be sure to post as well. I've been so excited for this ON order. It's all items I've had in my cart for a while. There's still a few items I'm eyeing (like a hat and some boots), but I'm waiting until it cools off to get those.

Lightweight Cardi // Ponte-Knit Dress

I'm in LOVE with this dress. I can't wait to wear it! It's the perfect dress to wear year round. The sleeveless silhouette makes it perfect for summer and the textured fabric bring it right into fall. It's going to be perfect with tights and boots. I ended up getting the cardigan I posted about (in this Wishlist) in white to go with the dress and some other items in my closet.

Plaid Flannel Shirt

This flannel was added to my cart immediately and I was worried it would sell out before I pulled the trigger on checking out. I love a good plaid and these colors are so cute together.

J'Adore Tee // Fabulous Tee

These Ts are everything. I've already worn the Fabulous one (which is why it's wrinkled- I hung it up to dry) and order the J'Adore one next. I bought one size up in a large so that they would fit a bit big and I could tuck in the front. These tops are so comfortable and soft. I'll be wearing them 24/7 I'm sure.

Marled Crew-Neck Sweater

I'm obsessed with all things marled. I fell in love with the pattern last year and I'm so happy I'm finding it everywhere this year. This sweater is gorgeous and I love the 3/4 sleeves. It's perfect to layer and Old Navy knit sweaters are some of my favorites. I bought a plain long sleeve gray one last year and wish I bought it in every color.

Shawl-Collar Open-Front Cardi

After seeing Rachel Parcell of Pink Peonies in a simple pink cardigan, I went on the hunt to find one. I loved the feminine, simple look of it. This shawl collar is so soft and comfortable. It kind of reminds me of Olivia Pope of Scandal too, which I'm totally loving right now.


One thing I'm so happy about is that all of the items were great purchases! They all fit great and were exactly what I was expecting. Initially I was worried that some items may not fit how I wanted them too, or it would look how I expected them too in real life, but each item worked out. Love when the worlds collide like that.

Did you buy anything from their Labor Day sale?

Apple Picking

Well, we finally crossed off an item from our Fall To-Do List! The whole family and some friends went to a place near our home, Oak Glen, and had such a fun time! The scenery is gorgeous and would be a perfect place for family photos (took note for future family shots!).

This was such a fun day, I recommend it to everyone! Down the street from the orchard, there was a little town/street fair at Apple Annie's where we tried fresh cider and cider doughnuts- which are amazing!The hubs and I had so much fun, we plan on going again next year...and maybe checking out the berry orchards too.

Don't forget to enter my BDB Brow Buddy giveaway!