a lovely living

Happy Wednesday and Happy Halloween! I have two very excited little fairy’s and one 4th grader that doesn’t care about collecting candy one way or the other. I think that may be hitting me harder than the fact that he no longer believes in Santa. What child doesn’t want free candy?? Hopefully he’ll at least humor me tonight, and then hand his candy over to me ;)

Earlier this week I had a styling appointment with a client that I’ve worked with for a few years now. After I had a chance to rework her wardrobe and play around with some of her recent purchases, we discussed some items that would be beneficial for her to add to her closet. She mentioned that she never focused much on loungewear but always wished she had some cute pieces to wear around the home and still feel stylish. That talk inspired me to pull together an inspiration board for those of you that may also be on the hunt for similar pieces. This time of year has me wanting to be cozy every minute I’m home, and in all honesty there are many days where I never make it out of my loungewear! Thankfully there are so many cute options to choose from these days that you don’t have any reason to change when you head out to run your errands. Hopefully you find a cozy piece or two that will add some warmth and comfort to the chilly days ahead!

Fall colors aren’t always the ones that look the best on me, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t do wonders out in nature. I adore seeing all the warm shades brightening up the sky and I block the fact that I’ll be raking them all to the curb within the coming weeks!

This top was all too perfect for fall and I couldn’t pass it up during one of LOFT’s sales. It’s one of those tops that I could wear with jeans and boots or dress up with trousers or a cute pencil skirt. And yes, I’ve got my white Elvis shoes on again ;) I love the way they pop without feeling out of place.

I hope you’re all excited for a great week, I’ve got my coffee in hand and am ready to roll!

Details: Top / Pants / Jacket / Booties / Earrings

Hello Friday! We have plans to attend the PSU game tomorrow and then a soccer game on Sunday, so if you’d all help me pray away all the rain that’s in store I’d be very grateful! We’ve had such beautiful weather lately though, so it’s hard to complain. I finally broke out this turtleneck and received so many compliments on it yesterday. The colors are what make a statement, but the fit is also right on. Not too thick, not too thin and the perfect amount of stretch. I think I’ll be pairing it with my overalls and a jacket or cardigan  next.

Let’s also take a moment to discuss white booties. Ok, ivory booties ;) My best friend tracked down a pair a while back and she loves hers. I was hesitant about how much I would actually wear a light pair of booties. My eye had been drawn to these (I love the overall shape and the cut around the front of the ankle that’s so very flattering), but I was ready to order them in tan. Out of curiosity I went with ivory and I’m so glad I did! They look so chic and pair with much more than I had expected. If you aren’t sold on this color, you have quite a few other options to choose from…I still may order the tan as well!

One final note, this trench coat is finally marked down and most sizes are still available.

Details: Turtleneck / Denim (similar) / Jacket / Booties / Sunglasses

For those of us that live in parts of the country that experience winter weather for more months than some of us may prefer (I’m looking at you northeast!), winter shoes are an absolute must. I had a request from one of my good friends to track down some boot options for her. Not snow boots, and not booties, but those that fall right in between. Something that would keep your toes warm, give you some traction and look cute with everyday outfits but not exactly what you’d wear to shovel your driveway. I knew exactly what she meant because I feel like that’s ‘the boot‘ I’m constantly seeking year after year. Anyone else with us?

I scoured the internet to find those very shoes and am quite pleased with the results, although trust me, it wasn’t easy! Winter boots are abundant, but style often flies out the window with that added factor. I get that some of these carry a price tag that’s not what I would pay for my average bootie. But when it comes to a unique pair like these that I turn to day after day, it averages out to be more than worth it for me.

What are your thoughts? Is this a type of shoe that you’re often seeking out or would you rather play it safe with a legit snow boot?

Since we all love a good LOFT sale, I did my due diligence and tried on some of my favorites to share with you. Let’s just say there’s a lot of goodness, so be prepared!

Let’s start with this adorable cropped cardigan in the prettiest shade of pink. It pairs beautifully with the plums and greens of fall.

Here it is layered over one of their pretty fall tops. Paired with trousers or a pencil skirt, this would easily be work appropriate.

After discussing how I’ve been paring down my closet in Wednesday’s post, I had to really consider this top….because it’s soo pretty. I rationalized all the ways I could wear it….and then it came home with me. So stay tuned ;)

This sweater has gained popularity very quickly, and I can see why. The bold leopard print and the slight bubble sleeve give it a fun bit of flair.

Tunic sweaters are always great to have in your closet because they pair perfectly with leggings in addition to denim or dress pants. And it’s hard to pass up a this beautiful shade.

I love the plaid print and subtle ruffle detail on this blouse. It’s a great layering piece, as you can see here…

I’d love to see these pieces paired with some navy pants and heels. The jacket is very comfortable and the herringbone pattern is so pretty in person.

This hooded sweatshirt cardigan basically makes it ok to head out in your bathrobe, maybe even better.

I’m not sure any picture could do this dress justice. This Lou & Grey dress is made with their softest material, yet shaped into a chic little dress. Basically the best of both worlds.

Since we’re talking cozy, I’ve had this top for a few weeks now and have been changing into it just about every evening. You can pick between this pretty green or a lovely pink, but I promise you won’t regret this one. And if you want a great pair of black sweat pants, check these out.

This is a great casual sweater. It has a nice length although not quite tunic length and a hood is always a fun addition.

Lastly, here’s a great faux wrap top. Perfect for work or weekend and it’s sewn at the top so there’s no need to worry about it staying in place.

Shop the pieces:

I’ve been doing quite a bit of purging in my closet over the past few weeks. I frequently donate and consign a handful of items every so often but lately I’ve felt the urge to pare down my wardrobe a bit more. As a blogger, it’s most helpful to be able to share current clothing with you all (or at least very similar options) which means my closet is ever evolving, which also means it’s a lot of work to keep up with! I’m also discovering that, like many others, I mostly turn to the same handful of items day after day. With that in mind, I’ve been keeping my focus on the pieces I wear consistently and doing my best to make purchases that will fit into that revolving wheel. I decided to share with you some of my most worn pieces (or very similar pieces) that I’ve been wearing lately, in hopes that this may help you to mix and match your wardrobe in more ways than one (or two, or five!).  And funny enough, no one will even notice that you’ve only been rotating through a handful of pieces of clothing! I’ll have all of these items linked below for you if you’d like the details.

As a side note, I’m curious what modes you use to clean out your own closets. I’ve used ThredUp (which I have found to be convenient, though not very lucrative), local consignment stores, Poshmark, various FaceBook groups as well as donations. What have you found to work the best for you?

Shop these looks:

Happy Monday guys! My two oldest were up, dressed and eating breakfast before I was even up this morning. And even though I sent my son off to school in a jacket that he ‘hates’, I’m still chalking it up to a decent start to the week! You can find said jacket here. Despite his opinion, this momma thinks he looks adorable in it! Do you guys find a difference between girls and boys when it comes to dressing them? My son has always been particular with his clothing and we’re currently in the phase where he only wants to wear gym clothes. We do our best to compromise (okay, I do my best to compromise), but after offering a number of jackets to him I finally gave up and declared the last jacket I bought the final one. My girls definitely have an opinion in clothing as well, but I find they are much more open to things than Jack is. We may show up in (purposefully) mis-matched socks and shoes on the wrong feet, but hey, I can’t win every battle. Yesterday we went in to church with Audrey in knee-high socks and leggings pulled up above her knees so that her socks weren’t hidden!

Ok, enough of that tangent, apparently I needed to vent ;)

This wrap sweater is a favorite of mine this season. I actually purchased it a while back but haven’t had a chance to share it on here yet. It comes in a few beautiful colors and has such a wonderful fit. It’s not overly bulky and allows to be layered under or over top. This time of year I love tossing on a pretty scarf to add a little punch to an outfit. Did anyone else grab this one during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale? It’s since sold out but I have a number of other great options for you below. The booties are a recent purchase for me. I’ve been wearing a lot of the same booties for years now and I decided it was finally time to update some of them. This pair is comfortable and adds a nice amount of height without any discomfort, which is key for me! I find that this taupe shade goes with a large amount of my wardrobe, so I guarantee you’ll be seeing them more than a few times on here.

Details: Sweater / Pants / Scarf (sold out, see similar options below) / Booties / Earrings

I hope your week has been going well! I’m off on my second field trip of the week, today with my 4th grader and his classmates visiting a few historical buildings in our area. We’re also stopping for ice cream, so you know I was sold on attending ;)

I have a bunch of great finds I wanted to share with you today. A few are recent purchases,  some are on order, and others I’d like to be on order! Fall brings out all the goodies, doesn’t it?! Beautiful scarves, cozy sweaters, warm layers and pretty details. I stopped dead in my scrolling when I came across this beauty, talk about detail! And don’t forget the basics. I love this cognac baseball cap, it’s such great quality at a can’t beat price. And a sweater tunic or two is essential for sure to layer up with in the coming months. Basically, you’ve got some decisions to make and I’ve got some narrowing down to do ;)

Happy shopping and cheers to a wonderful weekend ahead!