a lovely living

There aren’t a ton of items in my closet that I’d refer to as must-have’s, but this anorak jacket is certainly one of them! You likely saw me wear it all fall long and I briefly broke it out this past week as we enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather, and it’ll certainly be out all spring as well. If you don’t have anything similar in your closet, you should check this one out because it’s 40% off at the moment (and stocked in all sizes!). It’s a staple for sure in my wardrobe!

This top is another great piece that’s wonderful for now but will work well in spring as it’s rather lightweight. Oh, and it’s $12! I receive a lot of questions about SheIn apparel as many are unfamiliar with them. They do send me pieces that I select every so often to review, but I only wear items that I feel are worth sharing. When browsing their site, here are a few quick tips that I use myself. Read the reviews. They can be very helpful in determining fit, color, sizing etc., especially when pictures are included. I tend to hold off on anything that has yet to be reviewed or that I haven’t read about from other bloggers. Also, check the material so that you know what you’re getting, it can be difficult to tell by the picture alone. I tend to follow the you get what you pay for motto, but have been pleasantly surprised by many of the pieces that I have received from SheIn and I also do my best to include pieces at a range of price points on my blog as to appeal to a broader range of readers. I’d compare their pieces more to an Old Navy, rather than Gap or Anthropologie, but again, that’s their price point. Hopefully you’ll find this helpful when shopping next!

Details: SheIn top c/o / BP jacket / JCrew jeans (similar) / Boots (similar)

I got this overalls last year and they’ve gotten much more wear than I had originally expected. With spring ahead of us, I’m thinking I may want to grab another pair. Maybe white? But I have kids…so maybe a lighter wash? That could probably work. Or possibly a cropped pair? Oh, decisions! I’m thinking of pairing them with fun spring jackets and fresh sneakers (you saw Wednesday’s post, right?). They are such a fun alternative to basic jeans and they seem to be gaining popularity instead of waning, which is good news for those of you that already have them! I joked on Snapchat yesterday, but in all seriousness, use caution when you’re using the bathroom….those straps are wild!! ;)

Details: Madewell overalls (similar) / JCrew tee (similar) / Target sweater / Booties / Madewell tote / Scarf (similar)

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I can’t help but think spring with the warm-ish weather we’ve been having lately. I even switched out my wreath on our front door, only to notice that I still had some pine remnants sitting in the bucket beside it, haha. The kids have been swinging and riding their bikes and I don’t want to ruin their fun knowing that there’s a very good chance they could be back in their snow pants before the season ends! With all of the activity going on, new sneakers have been on my mind. I love that sneakers are so hot right now because I always love cute but I certainly love comfortable! I have this pair from last year and they are still in great shape, but I’d love to add something like these slip-ons which would be great as I constantly run in and out of the house all day. I also love the high-top style of these sneakers (I apparently have a thing for Ked’s lately!), which is subtle enough for my personal style. I still have some narrowing down to do, as you can see…

Sorry for the short week last week! The end of our week turned a bit hectic and I ended up being out of town for a couple of days. The upside was that I was able to visit one of my favorite friends, her two sweet kiddos and amazingly adorable three month old! Goodness how I love baby snuggles and her little guy sure knows how to give them! Don’t worry, no baby fever here though ;) We’ve been friends since our oldest children were only a few weeks old and we met in a new moms group. There’s something to say about those groups of women that you walk through those first few months and then years with as a new mom! They get to see you experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows….or is that just me?! Over the next two months I’ll get to see my sister and SIL experience the birth’s of their first children and I’m so darn excited for them! Although the first is always a bit of a challenge because it’s all so new to you (I remember thinking, ‘these nurses are sending me home with this baby and I’m to keep it alive how?!’), it’s also an amazing, life altering event that earns you one of the most rewarding titles, Mom :)

Going off on a bit of tangent here….I found myself recently responding to another mom that I was a full-time mom and then I always pause and debate whether I should add in the fact that I blog and take on various projects here and there. Basically as an attempt to reassure her that I’m not just a mom. I hate that I always feel slightly awkward after a conversation like that because being just a mom is one of the hardest, most draining, emotionally challenging jobs on this earth. I have half-jokingly said to my husband on a number of occasions that I needed an out of the house job that I could basically run to! I don’t say this to be arrogant, because I am so very thankful that I am able to be home with my children while they are young, and I know that’s not always an option for everyone. I do say this though, to the many women who are home raising children and may not feel appreciated. Being a mom is hard! But it’s also one of the most rewarding positions one could have. There are more good moments that out weight the bad (most days), and watching my 1.5 year old play peek-a-boo while looking right through her own fingers can totally distract me from the fact that I haven’t washed my hair in three days ;) If you aren’t connected to a group of women you can lean on however, you need to reach out and find them! It honestly takes a village, and I couldn’t do it without mine! And whether you work in the house or out of it, high five to you! Motherhood is one heck of a ride but I’m happy to be on it with so many of you ;)

And this all relates to the outfit in absolutely no way at all, haha! But you know me and ruffles, and this top being mainly cotton with a touch of spandex means it’s super comfortable, not to mention adorable. Being that it’s still technically winter I tried to keep it somewhat seasonal with black denim, but the 60 degree temps allowed me to pair it with a denim jacket. I can’t wait to pair it with my pink pants or distressed denim or navy trousers….it’s going to be on repeat for sure!

Being President’s Day and all, I wanted to also share some of the great sales going on, so be sure to scroll down to check out what’s happening!!

Details: Ruffled top / Denim jacket (similar)/ AG denim (similar here and here) / Booties / Stella & Dot Necklace (similar here and here)

President’s Day Sales:

Ann Taylor: 40% of full priced items and extra 50% off sale with code: WEEKEND

Anthropologie: Extra 40% off sale items

ASOS: 205 off site wide with code: PREZ20

Banana Republic: 40% off purchase, some exclusions

Gap: 40% off plus free shipping with code: PRESDAY

ILY Couture: 20% off site wide with code: PRESIDENT

JCREW: 30% off purchase

Madewell: 30% off sale styles with code: MOODLIFT

Old Navy: 35% off purchase with code: HUGE

With Valentine’s Day just behind us and a Pinterest board filling in this hue, it was clear that I was to do a little ‘blush inspo’ post. Blush pink tops the charts in just about any season for me, although with spring on it’s way, it’s sure to be making a statement over the next few months. It’s so soft and feminine and it can work in the most casual or dressy of ways. These suede sneakers would be adorable with some distressed denim and a cute white tee, or with a fun mini skirt and denim jacket once the temps rise. This sweet dress is on sale and would be perfect for any upcoming showers you may have on your calendar. Oh, and these booties, I don’t even have words…I just wish they were in my closet currently, waiting for the snow to melt! I know backpacks have been big lately, but this one might have finally sold me. What do you think? Which of these might you not be able to live without??

(click on image for details)

Can I just throw it out there that titling blog posts might be the most difficult task of this whole blogging thing?! I can easily edit photos, draft a post and then stare blankly at the title for I don’t know how long. Sometimes (often) I go with the obvious, sometimes it’s witty….and then once in a while I’ll ask my husband. In this case, his response involved something along the lines of sexy and scarf, lol! Not exactly what I was going for but thanks babe ;)

This past weekend we enjoyed some beautiful weather which was warm enough to go coat free. I recently got this scarf (which I’m hoping comes back in stock!) which will make a perfect transition piece into spring. I’m basically over shopping for winter (unless there’s an amazing deal to score), and I’m turning my attention on what I’ll be wearing in the upcoming months. I’m all over stripes lately as well, so I’m planning on ordering this cute striped tee to layer with scarves and jackets. And since this scarf is unavailable at the moment, I started to search for a few others to share and had trouble narrowing them down! Hi, I’m Marisa and I’m a scarf-aholic ;)

Details: BP scarf (see options below) / Striped shirt (similar) / Denim (similar) / Boots (similar) / Target sweater / Bag

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Maybe like me, you’ve seen this style of sweater pop up on Instagram and other blogs etc. throughout the winter? I love the look and I especially love that ruffles are having a huge moment right now…because I love ruffles, always. This particular style, however, I’m classifying into the ‘trendy’ section and that’s why I tracked it down for $25! You know how I roll with trendy…cheap! And for $25, this sweater is so worth it. It also comes in black, white and red, all of which would work perfectly for Valentine’s Day, wink, wink. If this look is a little too over the top for you, I’m sharing some other ruffled favorites of mine below, so check them out!

Details: SheIn sweater c/o / JCrew denim (similar) / Pumps (similar) / Stella & Dot necklace / Noonday Earrings

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That feeling you get when you turn on your camera and the battery light is flashing…ugh! To give you an idea, we shoot somewhere in the range of 50-75 images per shoot and this one we managed to squeeze in a whopping 16 before the battery died on us! Some professionals we are! Well, like my kids and I recite daily, ‘you get what you get and you don’t get upset’ ;) Fortunately I was able to pull just enough images to squeeze a post out of, and I’m glad because it sure has taken me long enough to get this top on here! I’ve worn it a number of times over the past few months and I just love it. It’s thermal, so super loungy and comfortable and the peplum totally makes it. I wear it out often, but at home I throw it on with some grey joggers and call it a day.

I hope your week is off to a great start!

Details: Free People top / LOFT sweater (similar) / Pilcro bottoms (similar) / Booties (similar) / Kate Spade bag (similar)

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If it’s going to be winter, I’m one who appreciates having some snow on the ground. I love watching it fall, laying on the trees and covering the ground. It’s so beautiful! You also know I love layering and bundling up and I’ve been breaking out this sleeveless turtleneck sweater again and again. I love them for the fact that they can be worn so many different ways, they bring warmth to an outfit and maybe best of all they don’t add any extra bulk to your sleeves when you’re wearing a jacket. Then you can go ahead and pull out my secret weapon….a plaid scarf! ;)

Details: Turtleneck sweater (similar, see options below) / LOFT shirt (similar) / AG denim (similar) / Boots (similar) / Scarf (similar)

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