Closet Diaries | No. 4

You know that saying that goes something like: Adulthood is saying, “things will calm down in a week or two” until you die…. That’s how life feels lately. Go, go, go, one thing after another, someone is sick, someone is celebrating something, I have to go to the grocery story (yet again), etc, etc, etc. And I don’t even have children! This particular season of life is so great but so busy. I’m thankful for it all, but I often wish I could go back to being about 12 years old when my biggest stressor was studying for a test and having to wash the dishes after dinner. You feel me?

Anyway, I’m going to take some time to relax tonight. I will probably watch the Rhianna concert, I mean the Super Bowl, and probably read my book while the actual game is going on. But before that, I’ve got to go through the 28 Day of Style Challenge and get an idea of what I’d like my outfits to look like this week. We’ve got the big V-Day coming up, and I know I’m supposed to wear red. I have one red sweater, so I’m hoping it’s cold on Tuesday! This past week I was able to follow most of the prompts for the challenge, and I’ve enjoyed having a task for getting ready every morning. I also have enjoyed shopping my own closet for the outfits. I haven’t bought anything new for the challenge, but that’s the fun of it. It gets your creative juices flowing to rethink what you already have, which is good for your pocketbook and helps you create and maintain a sustainable wardrobe. Win-win. Without further ado, here are my looks from last week.

Monday

Style Challenge- Style an outfit around sneakers.
Blazer, leggings, and sneakers all fit true to size
Chambray shirt was a Goodwill find but from Old Navy. I can’t find the exact style, but the one I linked is very similar. This one was one size too big but it fits a little oversized and is great for layering. Don’t forget about your local second hand stores.

Tuesday

Style Challenge was to winterize a spring dress. I just didn’t have the goods in my closet to make it happen. Plus it started in the 40s and climbed to the 70s today. I needed to layer. I also needed a spray tan, so I opted out of the style challenge today.
Everything fits true to size.
Head to True South to see if any of these tops are still in stock. It’s from the She and Sky brand.
The scarf is from an old Fab Fit Fun box. The one I linked is similar and much more affordable than what this one retailed for.

Wednesday

Today’s Style Challenge was to style a graphic tee with a blazer. Can you even with this shirt? It says “So Many Books So Little Time”. Perfect for a reading teacher. It’s from the Etsy shop, Powerfully Positive. Fits true to size.
My blazer is a Goodwill find. The Prattville Goodwill is good, y’all. I linked my favorite Amazon one. Get your regular size.
The jeans are, once again, Old Navy. I have had these several years, and they are much more faded than the ones I linked to. Honestly, I don’t think my jeans were jet black to begin with. They were more of a faded black. Fit tour to size.
The mules I’m wearing are very old from Target. I couldn’t find any there, so I linked my favorite Amazon ones that have a slightly different buckle. True to size.

Thursday

Still loving this shirt so much. It’s extremely versatile, though I’ve only worn it styled this same way with a sweater draped over it. Oh well! It fits true to size.
I’ll wear these jeans until they have holes all in them. True to size.
Chelsea rain boots are my favorite style of rain boots. I opted for this taupe pair and want a black pair too. They’re comfortable and fit true to size.

Friday

Today’s style challenge was Head to Toe Black! This is my sweet spot. My favorite color is black. I love to wear it and decorate with it, so I knew I’d find something to wear for this particular day.
My black shirt is old Entro from Wisteria Cottage. I think these types of shirts are easy to find at any boutique. I got my regular size.
Pants from Old Navy are old, but I was able to size down. They tend to grow with this linen/cotton blend.
Booties- get your true size.
My bracelets are either family heirlooms, unavailable, or Ronaldo. You can get Ronaldo at The Roost or McFerrin’s (I think), locally.

Saturday

The Style Challenge for Saturday was “Sweats but make it fashion”. It was a rainy day, and I had to get out, so sweats was utter perfection.
Get your true size in the sweatshirt.
My pants are Time and Tru from Walmart but are old and not sold anymore. They are a true sweatpant with the elastic at the ankle. If the jogger style that I linked isn’t to your taste, I’d look in the men’s department in Walmart and try to find some plain black sweatpants. Try these.
Shoes are true to size.
The jacket is old from H&M. I recommend sizing down in H&M with anything that says “oversized”.

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend and a very LOVEly Valentine’s Day!

Closet Diaries | No. 3

Thankfully, this week has been less eventful than last week. I wasn’t really feeling creative in my wardrobe. But then Candace Read came along with a February Style Challenge! Pulled me right out of my funk. That didn’t kick in until Thursday for me, but I now have a plan of action for what I’ll wear this week. Join me!

Monday

Similar Sweater | Jeans | Sneakers | Similar Earrings (Mine are from True South)

*Should have hit this sweater with a steamer. Can’t blame this one on the seatbelt.

Tuesday

*Zero inspiration. Sweater and jeans again because I needed flats and comfort.
*When buying a canvas tote from L.L. Bean, always opt for the long handles if you’re getting a larger size bag. There is no other option.

Wednesday

Blazer | Similar Shirt (Mine is old from Wisteria Cottage) | Jeans | Mules | Earrings (on sale)

*If I had it my way, I’d have this blazer in every color. It is so comfortable and lovely.

Thursday

Shirt | Linen Pants | Similar Boots | Necklace from McFerrin’s Jewelry

*This was the beginning of the style challenge for me. I don’t have any trousers in my wardrobe, which was the challenge for the day, but I did have some linen pants that I thought would work, and what do you know?! Perfect!

Friday

Similar Cardigan (Mine is from True South) | Black Tunic | Faux Leather Leggings | Similar Boots

*When buying Spanx leggings, go up one size than your normal size. I have found them to be the best fit. You can’t tell these are the faux leather leggings, but they are. They aren’t very warm, but they are very comfortable.

Saturday

My man came out of the deer stand for a breakfast date, so I threw on some gold hoops with my jeans and sweatshirt and called it a day. And if there’s a better waffle than a Waffle House waffle, you’ll have to work mighty hard to change my mind.

I’m looking forward to attempting all the daily style challenges for the week ahead. I hope you’ll take a peak at it and look in your own closet for outfit inspo. Have a great one, y’all.

Closet Diaries | No. 2

Another week in the books, and boy it was an eventful one. I got to go to an Auburn basketball game, we had awards day at school, and Paul surprised me with tickets to see Hamilton on Saturday! What a week!! Here’s what I wore.

Monday

Similar Sweater | Jeans | Mules | Same Scarf (Mine is True South) | Earrings

This sweater is nearly identical to the one linked. Get your normal size.
Old Navy jeans are on sale at least once a week. Get on the email list!
I am trying not to get too sucked into scarves, but I love finding new ways to wear them.

Tuesday

Size down one in this dress. It is 100% cotton, so maybe don’t dry it if you don’t want it to shrink.
The boots I linked are so cute, and I like them better than the old Target ones I own.
Couldn’t link the necklace, but it’s from McFerrin’s.
The earrings I linked are a smokey quartz instead of the black that I have, but they would go with literally everything.

Wednesday

Striped shirt is so cute and comfy. Get your true size. How is this WALMART? And only $20?!?!
The jeans- I’m trying to love them, but I don’t always. We’re getting to know each other. I will almost always wear them with a pointed toe boot or pump. These are not casual jeans for me.
This bag is Sole Society, a company that sadly went out of business. I did find the exact one on Poshmark and linked that one.
*For the basketball game I swapped the loose jeans for my favorite skinny jeans, swapped the boots for the Amazon mules, and threw on a white blazer to be warm and comfortable enough to walk around and stand during the game.

Thursday

This dress was my very first H&M purchase in the height of the pandemic in 2020, so this exact one is not available anymore. It was listed as a chiffon dress when I bought it. They tend to have lots of those options available, especially closer to spring. The one I linked is a little pricier than H&M, but it’s so beautiful. If you do H&M, I’d consider sizing down but read the reviews always.

Friday

The sweatshirt was an Etsy find and is so adorable.
The New Balance 327s are new, bought from Ebay, though I found them for the same price on the website where they’re linked. I got my true size, and they’re perfect.

Saturday | Hamilton

Similar Blazer (Mine is True South) | White Top | Pants | Nude Pumps

I took a gamble on wearing heels not knowing how far we’d have to walk once we parked our car in Birmingham. It wasn’t too bad, though, because these heels are actually pretty comfortable. I was also glad to have the blazer for the chilly night air before and after the show.
**Plenty of these blazers left in True South when I went Friday afternoon.

We got home from Hamilton at about 1:15am and had church at 8:00, so the thought of picking out any clothes for next week seems like the most daunting thing. Instead, I think I’ll go get back in bed and take myself a nice rainy Sunday afternoon nap. Have a great week, y’all!

Closet Diaries | No. 1

I’ve been enjoying sharing all my outfits lately on Instagram, but I don’t always have time to link each piece. I thought I could compile my week’s worth of outfits here on the blog, link everything I can, and *hopefully* find some similar pieces if what I wore isn’t available.
These outfits are what I wear to work. (Except this week, we were off Monday.) I’m a teacher and very fortunate to be able to wear jeans to work everyday if I want to. We just have to abide by a few rules when wearing them, such as no distressing and we have to wear a nicer top with them. On Fridays we can be more casual and wear t-shirts/sweatshirts. Also, please forgive the iPhone mirror pics, but I’m snapping these on the way out the door, and that’s the most efficient way I can grab these photos. Okay, let’s get started!

Monday

Hat | Similar Hoodie | Similar Faux Leather Jacket | Jeans | Sneakers

*Wearing my true size in these jeans but think I could have gone down one size.
*Wearing my true size in the sneakers.

Tuesday

Dress (Olive color no longer available) | Similar Booties

*Wearing my true size in the dress. It’s roomy, but if you’re busty, stick with your true size.
*Similar booties linked are the same brand as what I’m wearing. I wear my true size.

Wednesday

Similar Top (Mine is from True South) | Jeans | Mules

*Jeans and mules are true to size.

Thursday

Similar Blazer (Mine is from True South) | Black tee | Jeans | Sneakers

*Jeans, black tee, and sneakers are true to size.

Friday

Denim Jacket | Similar Top | Jeggings | Similar Booties

*Denim jacket is in shade Birdie. Size down one.
*Jeggings are true to size
*Booties linked are the same brand as what I have. They are true to size.

Bonus: Spanx Air Essentials Set

Pullover | Wide Leg Pants

*Go with your true size in Spanx. For me that’s typically one size up from my pants/top size in regular clothes.

I look forward to putting together these round ups again. If you have any questions about the looks or if I forgot something that caught your eye, let me know! I’d be happy to find it for you.

The Wear Color Challenge || What I Wore This Week (Part 4)

Hi, friends! Four weeks! I still have a few more days in April, but I did it! Well, I didn’t successfully wear color every day, but I came pretty darn close. This particular week was a bit of a crazy one because we were leading up to my brother’s wedding this past weekend, so all those outfits are included here, too.

Continue reading “The Wear Color Challenge || What I Wore This Week (Part 4)”

The Wear Color Challenge || What I Wore This Week (Part 2)

I got some positive feedback from my first week of outfits, and I just want to thank you for that. Y’all know I’m no fashion blogger nor do I pretend to be, but it’s been fun to do this. I’m still going for a colorful month and so far so good. Here’s what I wore this week.

Continue reading “The Wear Color Challenge || What I Wore This Week (Part 2)”

The Wear Color Challenge || What I Wore This Week (Part 1)

Since the great closet clean out of 2019, I was left with a whole foot of closet real estate. This also meant that I had parted with many of the options I had been leaving myself. I still have plenty to wear, but in an effort to really see what I have and wear, I’ve decided to document my daily outfits whether it be work or play. My goal is to figure out what I wear most, what I need more of, and what I do not/did not wear at all during the month of April.

Continue reading “The Wear Color Challenge || What I Wore This Week (Part 1)”