a lovely living

Oh, hey moss green pants, long time no see! Yea, I’m being facetious which you already knew if you read Monday’s post. So far what I’ve realized about these pants (outside of the fact that they’re overly comfortable and a nice alternative to everyday jeans) is that this shade of moss looks beautiful with pastels. Don’t worry though, if you tend to stick to another color wheel, they also offer them in black. That should cover about all of you, right? And if I could sell you on another must have fall piece, it would likely be this sweater. I love the oversized, boxy fit, the color and the fun texture. Super cozy for the cold months we have ahead of us!

Details: JCrew sweater / LOFT pants (50% off today using code: OURTREAT) / Snakeskin pumps (similar) / Cookie Lee earrings / Kate Spade bracelet (similar) / Michele watch

Regardless of the season, I am always drawn to shades of blue. From clothing to accessories and home decor, I love being surrounded in blues. I’ve grouped together a bunch of items that have recently caught my eye to share with you all. I’m smitten with this cape jacket, so fun yet ladylike. This light blue sweater is very similar to one I purchased last year and I plan on getting just as much wear out of it as I did last fall. These shoes had me at the bow. I’m hoping for a great sale which may allow me to snag them! Aren’t these earrings stunning? Even without a special occasion, I’m thinking I’d wear them with a white button-up and denim. And heels, of course heels. Oh and let me mention this layered sweater. How amazingly comfortable does it look?! I’m pretty sure I’m in trouble with this list, yikes!

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I love fall. What I don’t appreciate is when the weather decides to jump from the 70’s to the 50’s in the blink of an eye leaving no time for light layering. I’m hoping this weather was just a tease and we’ll be seeing many sunny 60 degree days this month! My teeth were nearly chattering for this shoot, but I braved the chilly wind and put on a smile, all for you ;) I don’t think I appreciated those quick summer months where weather rarely interfered with our photo shoots. Alright, enough complaining Marisa, it is what it is. Let me briefly mention that I recently picked up these pants from LOFT and haven’t wanted to take them off. Actually, you’ll be seeing them again later in the week styled another way. I love finding alternate options to my everyday jeans and these totally fit the bill!

Details: LOFT jacket (similar) / LOFT pants / JCrew t-shirt (options) / Cookie Lee bracelet / Scarf / Flats (similar)

Linking up with Style Elixir for this week’s Style Sessions

I’m almost positive that there are certain clothes that are meant to end up in  your closet. Call it fate. This dress, for example, was an online exclusive that happened to be returned in store. I came across it a few weeks prior to a wedding that I was attending. Not only was it a beautiful color, made of a lovely lace with a flattering shape, but it was my size! I had something that I had contemplated wearing, but when this crossed my path, the deal was sealed. Actually no, what sealed the deal was when it rang up around $40 with a price tag over $100. Yep, that would be fate.

This past weekend I wore the dress to my cousin’s wedding. The ceremony took place at my Aunt and Uncle’s farm. Imagine a picture perfect horse farm on countless acres with an immaculate lake. Maybe it’s considered a pond, but in my mind it’s too big for that. The ceremony was set up overlooking the water while the horses managed to be conveniently strolling along directly across the lake from us.  It was all breathtaking. The rest of the details were elegant and simple which was fitting as we had an overwhelming amount of beauty surrounding us. It really had me appreciating how beautiful simplicity can be.

Details: LOFT dress / LOFT necklace / Bag gifted / Circa by Joan and David pumps (similar here and here)

Shop Lace Dresses:

I’ve recently received a number of questions/comments around the beloved bootie. How exactly do you wear them? There are actually a number of ways you could style your booties. By my count, there are five.  I browsed through my archives to dig up as many examples as I could for you. Have a look and then check out some of my bootie picks below!

1. Baring your ankles. Let’s just pretend for examples sake that I didn’t have these pants rolled.  Ankle pants are a very flattering way to show off your booties, and by baring your ankle (aka the skinniest part of your leg) you’ll get an overall flattering look.
2. Rolled or cuffed pants. When wearing your straight, boyfriend or bootcut jeans, you have the option of cuffing them by using a thick cuff or by rolling them a few times. Again, just enough to bare your ankles.
3. Tucked. Tuck those skinny jeans/pants into your booties for a clean (and warm) look.
4. With a dress/skirt. Bare those legs and throw on those booties with your fall dresses/skirts for a fun, casual look.
5. With tights. Again with your dresses/skirts, feel free to throw on a pair of tights when those temps begin to drop!

Shop the bootie:

Tailgating may not be the place to break out your most fashionable pieces, but everyone certainly sports their own unique style. A few of my tips include staying comfortable and layering up. Games can be long enough on their own, but throw in any extra tailgating time and your feet will be crying by the end of the day if you’re not in the right shoes. Weather can be quite difficult. From shade to direct sun to the eventual possibility of snow during games, you’ll need to think ahead and prepare for what mother nature may bring. Jackets, sweaters, scarves, whatever it takes.

I’ve always been a Penn State fan, but since we moved to State College, the home of PSU last year, our enthusiasm for the team has drastically increased. My 5yo football fanatic may have a little something to do with that as well. I was actually at a wedding this past Saturday so I missed our team’s unfortunate loss, but I was proud to support them the following day regardless. We live within a few miles of Beaver stadium and we always enjoy strolling around the empty, massive stadium. If you’re an NFL fan, make sure you check out the cute array of t-shirts Old Navy has to offer here.  I won’t even try to tackle options for every team, you don’t need to look far to find sports apparel!

Details: T-shirt purchased locally (options) / JCrew pants / New Balance sneakers / Pilcro via Anthropologie jacket / Madewell tote / Necklace gifted / Michele watch

Linking up with Style Elixir for Style Sessions