guest post >> favorites for fall.

Happy Thursday! M is currently up to her eyeballs in getting her classroom ready for her very first first grade class (so proud), so I'm taking over duties today. I'm sure you've seen me around here before, I'm Kera from Nugget On A Budget. Big sis to M. And sisters gotta support each others' blogs, ya know.

But boy do I have a treat for you today...everything I'm totally into regarding fall wear for moi and for baby girl. Pinterest-style.

Really, who's NOT ready to welcome in fall and leaves changing color and cooler weather? Exactly. So here are a few tidbits of style to make you wanna get your shop on.

For the Mama (with or without baby sidekick)

>> I'm pretty much obsessed with getting myself a great pair of boots and wearing them with everything. And infinity scarves. They dress up any outfit and you can get them at TJMaxx for $10.

                                                                                                                Source: blogging2fun7123.blogspot.com via Murphy on Pinterest

>> This layering combo and the awesome necklace just scream comfy-ness. Although S would have a hay-day with that thing. (Oh and minus the pregnant part...not ready for that just yet!)

                                                                                                                 Source: pinkpistachio.com via Melissa on Pinterest

>> There's the boots obsession again. I love them with the jean jacket and bulky warm scarf.

                                                                                                                      Source: fashionfreax.net via Emery on Pinterest

>> Isn't this blazer great? I love the lace touch. And I love anything with 3/4 sleeves. Not so into those '80s jeans though.

                                                                                                               Source: howtobestunning.blogspot.com via Emery on Pinterest

>> Everything about this outfit is perfect for a cool fall day out shopping or running errands. Boots, a must. Skinny jeans and big long cardigan, definitely. I usually don't wear bracelets or watches, but these can be worn with just about anything.

                                                                                                                Source: ohjoyy.info via Tristan on Pinterest

For the Little Lady

>> Probably the most adorable little girl outfit that I've come across in the past few days. I love the layering for fall and the bloomers + tights combo is just too much.

                                                                                                                                           Source: gap.com via LaFawn on Pinterest

>> I usually would never put S in an all denim outfit (I just feel all that jean material seems so uncomfortable for a baby)...but the stripes, ruffles, and bows make this too adorable.

                                                                                                                                    Source: zulily.com via Anesthasia on Pinterest

>> Classy mary-janes for a classy cutie. Best part? Can be worn with just about anything!

                                                                                                                                    Source: zara.com via Kera on Pinterest

>> My new favorite place for kids' clothing is Zara. They have absolutely lovely things for little girls. Including those shoes above and this dress (come on, how sweet is the detailing at the neck and that bitty belt?) and boots to match below. Now I just wish I could afford them!

                                                                                                                                        Source: zara.com via Kera on Pinterest

>> That dress with these boots and your little one will be the talk of the baby style world. 

                                                                                                                                             Source: zara.com via Kera on Pinterest

That's it! Hope you enjoyed and became just a little bit more excited to dress yourself (and maybe your little one) for this fall season. I don't do style posts very often over at my blog...I'm more into writing about my life and living it up with my baby girl. Like what you see? Stop on by, I always love meeting new friends :)

lengthy inhibitions

maxi dress ny&co(old); cardigan LOFT; necklace oldnavy; clutch j.crew factory; sandals target

seeing as i rank in at a whopping five foot, zero inches, i never in a million years would have thought a maxi dress would be an article of clothing in my closet.  but two years ago i found this little number at new york and company and figured i'd give it a whirl. with a few alterations in the length department done, i packed it up and took it to the beach. i'm not sure if it was the sunkissed skin or the encouragement from my brutally honest sister - but the dress was a hit and i've been in love ever since. i figured, if i'm confident, who cares if i'm a little guy in a long dress, i love it and that is all that matters.

this number has been proven versatile: worn alone, with a light cardigan, and even a long sleeve shirt underneath. and it hasn't hurt that i've gotten a smile or two from that waiter at the restaurant either.

now, go and enjoy yourself on this very first day of august (say wha?!) and keep on screaming your lungs out for team usa. i'll be rambling more about the history making, voice losing, and tear shedding that occured last night, tomorrow...U S A!

olympic fever and a blog take over

today i will be over at the blank pages talking about my summer go-to item and completely taking over amy's blog.
this is the best thing that has happened to a monday in a long time!
if you have found me via my blog takeover then welcome! i hope you decide to stay awhile and follow along on my journey, and in return, i can get to know you all as well!

also, does anyone else have olympic fever? i swear i've got #teamUSA on my mind all.the.time. i think it is a little unhealthy how involved and how anxious i get while watching these events. i'm talking full out-peeking through my fingers-holding my breath-nervous for the outcome of these events. i even have two olympic apps downloaded (which, by the way, aren't working as well as i had hoped - hello, i want reminders!).
and bela karolyi. how precious are you on my tv screen right now?
what events will you be watching through these olympics?

the curious case of eyelet short

tee j.crew factory (here); shorts f21; sandals bakers (similar) (similar); sunnies h&m; necklace old navy

since i recently decided to look like a lobster (it's the newest-hottest-trend, didn't ya know?) my clothing choice when i wake up in the morning is...well...complicated. i've easily narrowed down my closet to anything that provides my aloe the space to do its job of healing my sun-kissed skin and is loose enough that i do not have to wince with every step i take.

so for a day of errands and laundry and an early evening ice cream run planned, i reached in to my closet and pulled out the shorts that i once mistaken for a skirt, and then a skort, and then -for what they really were- just a very voluminous pair of shorts. and as much as i misunderstood these little guys, i instantly loved them due to the eyelet material and the feminine feel i had been looking for. being a piece i usually wouldn't tend to wear, i took a risk, and my sunburned legs thoroughly appreciated the $10 i risked spending on them as much as i did.

the little chambray post that couldn't

shirt ny&co.(similar); shorts h&m (old-from big sis)(similar); shoes lucky brand via tjmaxx (old)(similar); necklace american eagle; watch momma's; wallet vera bradley; sunnies h&m

i had this really great post planned. it was all floating around in my head. i would talk about how much i adore the chambray shirt and how i think it is such a vital piece year round. how this little guy has been paired with this, that, and everything - and was quite the perfect choice for a day of running errands and being comfy but pulled together. and how adorable the little broach was keeping it tucked together in the back. it was such a great little post idea. it made me smile all day. i even managed to snag my melon inspired nails, freshly painted last night, in the pics.

oh...those pics. that wonderful little post just danced out of my head when dad was riding around mowing the lawn as my photog (mom) was snapping those pictures of me for that blessed little post. she even got a picture of dad...

darn those blurry iphone pics. but i have photographic proof of what happened next. dad, being the sly guy he is, stopped that mower and said "are you taking those photos for your e-harmony account?"

and just like that the little idea for my chambray inspired post was gone. and it was much more important to state a very vital lesson learned:

do not take outfit photos while dad is home.

sorry little post, but this will have to be as important as you will get, an easy statement of how much you love chambray shirts and how everyone needs to go out and buy one right now. and for the record, i do not have an e-harmony account - although i do not think poorly of anyone who does. my dad is just a huge jokester like that, also because he asked if he was going to be put on my account as well. gosh dad, i sure do love you.

a hop, skip, and a jump

today you need to take a little hop, skip, and a jump on over to this little blog, Nugget on a Budget, to check out my post on all things essential to an impromptu trip to the beach! now if i had all of the pretty pennies in the world i would most definitely scoop up all of these items, but i pulled some inspiration from my closet to find some beauties out there on the world wide web for you to scoop up and add to your beach bag this summer. so go ahead, you know you wanna...

a la simple

there are plenty of trends that i am currently craving, which, seeing as i made wednesdays dedicated to all the things i'm craving out there in the fashion world, it makes each wednesday an exploration of what i cannot wait to get my hands on next.
seeing as complicated as life has been as of late, i'm craving simplicity. yes - even in my wardrobe. lately i have been craving some simple pieces that can stand alone or, on a much more enthusiastic day, paired with neon brights, pretty pastels, or an array of different accessories or other pieces. the simple piece of choice for today: a dress with just enough simplicity and just the right amount of statement that it can be thrown on and out the door i go.

i half way blame pinterest seeing as after i found these two little beauties i was hooked and have been searching ever since:

pinned on my fashionista board, source here

pinned on my fashionista board, found here

a few little beauties i want to call my own:

ruffles

mellow yellow

kimono

and my own take on it:

blazer LC lauren conrad for kohl's (similar); dress f21 (old); wedges simply vera vera wang for kohl's (seen here); sunnies h&m

something old, something blue

blouse ann taylor (old-from seester); skirt h&m (old); clutch banana republic; shoes payless (old); name tag bracelet (anciently old)

i have always adored the color combination of pale blue and browns and that is where the inspiration lies for this outfit i wore to church yesterday morning, and a little help from momma dearest, since it was her day i wanted her influence present.

i was overjoyed when i found this pencil skirt a year or two back at h&m for a steal of a price on the clearance rack.  needless to say, i only took the tags off today and that little beauty has been hiding away in my closet all of this time. i'm not too sure why because it isn't snug, but form fitting, in all of the right places and gives enough structure, even for an unusually warm morning like yesterday. it may or may not become a staple in my summer wardrobe but i'd keep my eyes pealed because i'm sure it will pop up again. have no fear, little blue beauty, no one will be hiding you in the corner any longer.

as for, well, everything else, it's old. items that i rediscovered as i did a massive purging and organizing of my closet when i graduated college and moved home. items that big seester graciously collected in bins for me to go through. i didn't even attempt to try and link up because i knew i'd be out of luck finding any of them. the clutch is the most recent, and it is about two years old so you get the picture, old. the heals were practically a robbery of payless and the blouse, a glorious hand-me-down from big sis in which i was drooling over all day long and day-dreaming of the ways i'll mix it in to other combinations (stay tuned for a revisit pretty soon). oh the days of having to steal things out of her closet...memories....

happy teacher appreciation week!

ahh yes, the time has finally arrived in my life that i am celebrating my very first teacher appreciation week. am i celebrating it as a contracted employee? no. am i celebrating it as a substitute teacher with a bunch of sticky-fingered kindergartners? yes. do i get to indulge in all things teachery and chocolate fountainey since my school is cool enough to have a chocolate extravaganza for us in the educational profession? yes. and boy oh boy do i love it. so here ye, here ye all of you educators out there: you are wonderful and summer is only a few short weeks away!

oh, and here is where you can find it all:

outfit 1:
tee f21

skirt h&m (similar in polka dot)

scarf francesca's (similar)

flats francesca's

outfit2:

top banana republic (old from sister)
skirt target (similar)

belt target (recent!)
flats oldnavy (old) (similar)

outfit3:

blouse banana republic factory store
linen pants banana republic factory store (similar)

wedges ny&co (recent!)

stripe-o-rama

dress gap; necklace thrifted; belt ny&co (old); wedges ny&co; bag h&m (old)

remember when i told you about that amazing steal of a shopping trip to Gap last week? well here is one of those cozy little clearance babies i picked up during my excursion. i have always been in love with stripes, and a striped dress has always been on my "to-buy" list, so to speak, but for some reason i could never find the right one. i have found plenty that i adore. plenty that are in the right price range (and of course plenty that aren't). so when i tried this little beauty on i was more than ecstatic. it is a heavier fabric then most dresses i pick up and a boxier cut which isn't typically my choice, but with a belt or broach cinching it in, i'm more than head over heals. not only can i throw this on for a cool night at the beach but i'm already dreaming of it with thick tights and the perfect sweater for the cooler months. it's all about transitions in my book ladies and this little beaut just about knocks my socks off.

here are a few other little beauties that are making me see stripes. (that last little baby keeps trying to make her way home with me, in a "i'm practically jumping myself into your car" type of way. one of these days my wallet is going to just have to give in...)

scalloped stripes

high low

nautical

jules dress

kimono-sleeve

azalea

ch-ch-check it out

today i'm over here...that's right, go ahead and click on it! today i'm over there at my big sista's mommalicious blog, nugget on a budget, talking about what i am absolutely loving for this summer (which works out particulary well since today is wednesday, and wednesday is fashion day right here on my little blog). so go on and check it out and maybe i know you will fall in love with her little space the same way you have fallen in love with mine.

oh, and of course -- all those wonderfully delicious summery closet lovin' summer trends. i am sure  you will fall head over heals for those as well.

so, what are you waiting for....CHECK IT OUT!

fruit punch

scarf in deep peri, j.crew

there are some things that i simply can't get enough of all year round and a nice scarf is by far one of those things.  when people started wearing scarves in the summer i wasn't one to jump on the fashion bandwagon, so to speak. i loved the look, i adored the prints, but i didn't quite love the idea of adding an extra layer of cloth tied around my neck. of course, i happened upon a floral scarf and after slipping it on my neck, it was an instant hint and thus, my obsession for scarves spanned way past brisk autumn days and white-washed winter afternoons. this year i'm attempting to make myself accessorize more and began a hunt for some perfect sweet-summer add-ins to introduce to the bare neck and shoulders of summertime.  i picked up the scarf from the j.crew outlet (pictured here) and saw that little beauty above in CHERRY RED, but i walked away with only the previously mentioned. thinking my heart would forget about the punch of red, i went home happy with my finds. seeing as my heart did not go on (no titanic reference intended), i decided i NEED this scarf. wellp, it is not online (why i posted it in the pretty periwinkle color) and have yet to find it at other j.crew outlet stores i have bumped in to. will my heart ever find that red-spun beauty? i sure hope so. but in the mean time, here are a few other summer scarves i'm lusting after.

1.

2.

3.

4.

and on a side note of something else that is punched full of that cherry red deliciousness, these red rainboots, which i also, regretfully did not pick up
did i mention i am a terrible decision maker?