a lovely living

Monthly Archives for September 2021

Loft Try-On

Fall apparel is working its way onto the shelves and I had a great time trying on some of Loft’s newest arrivals and mixing and matching a lot of their pieces! Fortunately they have extended their 40% off sale so you can still take advantage of this discount on what I’ll be sharing below! Unless otherwise noted, things run true to size.

dress

This dress was one of my favorite pieces. It’s prettier in person, soft and feminine and not too overwhelming. Perfect for family pictures, church, work, dinner out, you name it! Will also look cute with a denim jacket over top.

shirt / joggers

These joggers were another favorite of mine. The color, first of all, is fall perfection! But they aren’t just your typical Lou & Grey jogger (which I love btw), but they have a subtle sheen to them that makes them have a little more edge. This tunic shirt is also a great fall staple. Perfect for layering and long enough to wear comfortably over leggings.

shirt / joggers / sweater

Cute cardigan, nice weight to it and this color was bright and cheery, yet fall appropriate.

shirt / jacket (also in green) / joggers

Another must have. I’m obsessed with this jacket guys. It also comes in a green which wasn’t in store, and if I didn’t own enough green jackets already, I’d grab this one too!

jacket / jeans

I love that you can also wear it as a tunic shirt if you wanted. It’s definitely a heavier weight, appropriate for a jacket, but not overly heavy in that it couldn’t be worn this way. I sized down to an XS so I could wear it a variety of ways, but if you want it slightly more oversized, I’d stay TTS.

fleece

An adorable and comfy animal print fleece. I’m not ready to think of the bitter cold days ahead, but I do realize this would be perfect to have on hand!

fleece / jeans

These jeans seem to be selling out online, but they are a great cropped jean in a washed black. They do run large, so I’d size down.

top / jeans

Cute short sleeved sweater that would be a great option for work with a skirt or trousers, but also works for weekend with a pair of jeans.

shirt / jeans

Love this sweet plaid top. The colors are even prettier in person and this is another versatile piece that can easily go from week to weekend. I’ll be pairing it under my sweater jackets and jean jacket alike.

shirt / jeans

Here’s another cute tunic button down, and one more below…

shirt / leggings

Although I love the pinstripe on this one, it is a much lighter weight shirt. Feels more appropriate for summer, but could also be a benefit if you want a lighter weight to layer with.

shirt / sweater / leggings

I’m loving the sweater vests coming out this year. They are perfect to layer with, or not….

sweater / pants

I love the look of a sleeveless sweater which is great for these warmer fall days. But as the temps drop, it’s easy to layer under (as seen above) but also great to layer over without having to fight the bulk of the sleeves if you want to toss on a jacket.

shirt / pants

These pants were another favorite. They are very similar to my Everlane cropped pants but they have a longer length to them. They do run a bit large, so if you are in between sizes I’d size down.

shirt / pants (also in pink)

One final pair of pants I tried were these pull-on tapered pants. I love the way they are tailored, not to mention they are pull-on. The material is a soft, brushed flannel, yet they come off as a structured pant, great for work or a cute casual look on the weekend (think a white tee with a denim jacket). They do run large and also come in a beautiful shade of pink.

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Casual Friday

Friday always flies in out of nowhere, doesn’t it? It’s always welcome, don’t get me wrong, but it makes me realize what a whirlwind Monday-Thursday are! We have some fun plans over the weekend to look forward to as we continue to take advantage of the gorgeous fall weather. I hope you all are looking forward to it as well!

If you’re doing any shopping today, Loft is currently offering 50% off your purchase as well as free shipping. I’ll include some of my favorites below, but this striped sweatshirt is one of them. I love a good quarter zip sweatshirt, and stripes are always an added bonus. I also recently purchased these mules which perfectly fill a void in my closet. I love the braided detail and the fact they they can be worn with jeans and dresses (and cargo pants) alike.

sunglasses / sweatshirt / pants / mules

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Fall Kitchen Updates

As fall continues to approach and I begin to layer up accordingly, I also find myself spending more time in our kitchen. Throughout the summer we spent a lot of our time outdoors and our grill was constantly put to use at dinner time. But as the seasons change, so does my desire to prepare more comfort foods and get back into the baking mode. It’s always fun and refreshing to make small updates every once in a while in our kitchen. Just as a new workout outfit gives me a boost of motivation to tackle my workouts, I find that same thing to be true in the kitchen. Whether it’s a practical set of bowls, a new pair of towels or a touch of life with a faux plant (I get the irony there), these things have a way of refreshing a space.

If you have yet to add a mini lamp to your kitchen counter, please let that be the first thing you add to your cart. Trust me on this one. I’ve had countless people reach out after purchasing one and their reactions are always the same, why did I wait this long to add one?! Despite the need to have endless practical things in the kitchen, you can always find a way to make them pleasing to the eye. I think retailers are finally catching on to the fact that even canisters and teapots can be pretty. Another easy but impactful change can be switching out your hand/dish soaps from their plastic containers to pretty glass dispensers. There’s an endless supply of options on Etsy alone if you care to scroll through. Place them on a cute tray with your sponge and wait until you see the difference. So, a mini lamp and new soap dispenser, got it? ;)

Loving Lately: Fall Jackets

I’m never one to rush summer on it’s way, but guys, I adore fall. For all the cliche reasons but most of all for the drop in temperatures. 60-70 degree (sunshine filled) days bring me so much joy. Our outfits obviously fall in suite with jackets being one of our key wardrobe staples. The beauty of a jacket is that you can get a ton of wear out of them, pairing one jacket with any number of outfits. My denim jacket especially goes from being topped over a maxi-dress to being worn over a t-shirt with sweatpants. And if you’ve been around for a bit, you know how much I adore my sweater blazers. They are comfortable and versatile and you don’t feel the need to remove them once indoors. I’ve lost count on how many colors I currently have hanging!

I took some time to dig a bit to find a number of styles that I’m drawn to and would recommend for fall. From the oh-so-popular shirt jackets, to practical rain jackets and blazers for work, there should be a bit for everyone’s lifestyle. You can find direct shopping links to each item below. Which is your favorite?

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It’s Friday, we have a long weekend ahead and the temperature has dropped into the 70’s which is my idea of perfection. There are a lot of great fall pieces coming out and I recently placed an order at JCrew Factory. I love both JCrew and their Factory store because you can get a range of price points but also because I can find pieces for everyone in our family. As I was browsing, outfit ideas kept coming to mind, so I decided to put together a few looks to share with you today. Many of these pieces could be mixed and matched to take you from weekday to weekend. Let me know which look is your favorite. Also worth noting, everything is up to 60% off at the moment!

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Stars and Stripes

It can be challenging moving along with our everyday lives at times when there is grief, suffering and loss happening in other parts of the world yet hitting so close to home. My heart has ached and my prayers have been lifted for the lives that were lost this past week. I feel so very grateful for those brave men and women that fought and sacrificed and for the thousands of others that continue to selflessly serve for our country. I thank you.

You can find the details for this outfit linked below. A t-shirt dress is a great summer to fall staple to have on hand and this star jacket has been growing in popularity. I’ve linked the exact jacket as well as similar options for you below.

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