Lightening up my winter wardrobe

If you guys have been following me for a while now, or you just know me, you know my wardrobe consists of a lot of black and neutral colored pieces year round. I have been seeing a lot of pastel colors lately and I think its a nice way to not look so harsh in the winter time when you have to be layered up in a million different layers and it's freezing cold! I was kind of inspired by my last post, which was a thrift store sweater haul. I found a bunch of light colored sweaters and turtlenecks when I was at the thrift store and it made me want to get a bunch to layer underneath cute coats. I recently ordered my favorite grey trench coat in a light camel and a blush pink color and it also gave me inspiration to put together some outfits with a little bit of light in them! I wore the same pair of jeans in all 6 looks to show you guys that you can still wear light-wash denim in the winter and how it will add to lightening up your outfit! This coat is on my love list at the top of my blog and it's always on sale! It comes in a bunch of different colors and it is a must-have for fall and winter! Here are some of the outfits I came up with and links to cute pastel pieces at the end!

Thrift Store Sweater Haul

One of my favorite things to do is go thrift store shopping. I picked that up from my Mom and Grandma, who I used to go with when I was younger. It's definitely not for everyone, but if you have patience and don't mind searching for things, it can be a really great way to save money! I think it makes your style unique and really makes you get creative and think outside the box when you are shopping in a thrift store and not a perfectly staged and merchandised store where everything looks good. One of the best things to get at the thrift store are turtlenecks and sweaters because there are certain styles that are so classic that something like a black turtleneck is never going to go out of style and always looks so chic. I have really been wanting some new long sleeves to layer under jackets, but Christmas is coming up, so I have been trying to save money for gifts! I typically go to Value Village, I feel like they have the best stuff! They were having a sale on all green tag items for 50% off, which was great because I ended up getting 5 really nice sweaters for under $25. I think one of mine was $9, which was kind of expensive for the thrift store, but I really loved it and that is still less than what I would spend on a less quality one at one of my go-to stores to shop at. They had SOOO many plain sweaters like these! I even found a light blue chenille one, which is really on trend right now! Plain sweaters like these are always something I grab for to layer under cute jackets or just to wear over leather leggings or tucked into high-waisted jeans with a cute belt. Here is a little try-on of all the sweaters I picked up. I hope it gives you some inspiration of what to look for at the thrift store!

Gift Guide for Father/ Father-In-Law

Probably the hardest gift to buy in my opinion! I am going to include some good ideas for things that I have bought for my dad over the past few years and a few others that I think just think would be great gifts. Another thing you could do if you have siblings, is go in on something big together! Some ideas for this would be: a new BBQ, smoker, or cool fire pit for the deck or patio. Some people are anti-gift cards because they think they are not thoughtful, but I personally LOVE getting gift cards. A gift card to a fancy restaurant that your Dad has never been to or a stay at a hotel for a weekend getaway with his significant other would be a great idea too if you don't think any of these gifts would suit him. If he is a sports fan surprise him with tickets to a game that he maybe wouldn't spend the money himself to buy tickets for! Okay, let's get into the gifts!

1. Sports gear. I feel like anyone's dad would love a sweatshirt, zip-up or hat from their favorite sports team!
2. North Face -- Always classic and will last for years
3. Nike polo -- Always a good idea because they are so dang expensive, but great for work or golfing
4. Headphones -- I picked ones with good reviews that were under $100, but you could always split a really nice pair with a sibling!
5. Slippers -- Always nice to have a new pair!
6. Cooler -- I wanted to include this fancy Yeti one, but you could always do something less expensive
7. New gym bag -- Something no one really likes to buy themselves, but is always great to have a new one
8. Nike workout gear -- My dad always love getting new workout clothes like these
9. Yeti Tumbler -- These are amazing and make great gifts because you might not want to spend $50 on a water bottle or coffee cup for yourself, but they are worth the money in my opinion
10. Hotel Collection robe -- I included this on my women's gift guide too and last year I got my mom and dad matching white ones to have at their cabin for when they get out of the hot tub! Something about a white robe just makes you feel like you are at a spa or on vacation :)
11. Steamer -- I think most guys I know don't enjoy ironing things so these just make getting the wrinkles out so much easier! A travel one would be nice too if your Dad travels a lot or doesn't have a lot of storage space! 

Gift Guide For Your Mother/Mother-In-Law

Hey guys, sorry it has been so long! The fashion posts will be back soon-- I promise! My room that I use to take all of my pictures and everything is being occupied right now as my in-laws have been staying with us. Anyways, I have been seeing a lot of gift guides lately, and I thought I would do a gift guide for something that I find a little bit more challenging than gifts for my friends or husband. My dad complimented me a few months ago after his birthday saying that I always give the most useful gifts. That meant a lot, because I find it a lot harder to shop for parents or grandparents or even in-laws! I always like to put a lot of thought into gifts and I'll be doing another one of these for your dad/father-in law soon! I kept most of the gifts under $100 and I separated the women's one into two categories: gifts for the fashion-forward mom and gifts for the more practical mom. Here is what I came up:

1. Classic Sunglasses
2. Classic Leather Jacket
3. Designer Costume Jewelry
4. Nice Travel Tote
5. Cosmetic Cases
6. Kate Spade Wallets
7. Classic Trenchcoat
8. Black Heeled Boots
9. Rain Boots

1. Fitbit
2. Luggage
3. Slippers
4. Facial Brush
5. NutriBullet
6. Northface Jacket
7. Sorel Boots
8. Matching pajama set
9. Oil Diffuser
10. Hotel Collection Robe

Tip: I am big into presentation for gifts and using things like cute baskets or bins from Home Goods or TJ Maxx makes any of these gifts so much cuter and you can usually get them for only a few dollars more than you would spend on wrapping paper or a gift bag!

TARGET BRIAR STUDDED COMBAT BOOTS

Hey friends :) I am writing this blogpost from bed, I have been so sick this past week, but wanted to get a post up for you guys! I recently found the most perfect pair of affordable statement boots and wanted to share them with you! I spotted the Givenchy boots a while ago and fell in love. They were everything I could dream a boot up to be! However, the price tag was a little out of my budget so I have been looking for an affordable dupe for them. I snagged these Target boots for $37.99 plus I got an additional 20% off on my Target App. I cannot wait to wear these all Fall, Winter and probably years to come! They are such a statement boot and make any easy outfit look that much cooler! Plus, I love that they are flat because I am such a casual person. I ordered mine is a size 7 (usually anywhere from 6-7 and they fit great!) I wanted them a little bigger so I could wear thick socks with them too. Anyways, here are a few easy ways to wear them with basic pieces in your wardrobe!

5 WAYS I KEEP COZY IN THE FALL AND WINTER

Fall is my favorite season when it comes to fashion, but where I live it quickly turns into winter! We get lots of snow and chilly weather, along with dark evenings. It is so important to keep your home a bright and cozy atmosphere year round and it becomes even more important during these darker, colder months. I wanted to share my favorite ways that I stay cozy and enjoy these months!

Such an inexpensive way to freshen up you home. I usually just head to my local grocery store or Trader Joe's and get whatever is on sale. I like to match my home so I usually go for neutral, lavender, blush, or greenery. Roses are always my favorite, but since they don't last forever I try to just stick to what is reasonably priced! I pull off all of the leaves on the stems (it makes them last a little longer) and put them in vases around the house. Tip: go to the thrift store, they have soooo many glass vases for a couple of dollars and you can even spray paint a mason jar with chalk paint for a more rustic look!

I never had a robe until a few years ago and I use it sooo much in the fall and winter! I wear it over my clothes when I am cold and just hanging out watching TV or doing chores around the house. Something about a big fluffy robe just makes me feel like I am in a hotel or something. Another one of my favorites would be matching pajama sets. I looovveee these. They are such a great gift to give someone too because usually people don't spend money on pajamas. I have had all of mine for years so they are a good investment as well. It's nice sometimes to actually look cute instead of my usual pajama outfit of sweats and a hug t-shirt!

I mentioned this on my Instagram a week or so ago, but I have recently switched over from coffee to tea because coffee was breaking out my skin really badly. I have fallen in love! It's so much lighter on your stomach and I can get away with drinking a few extra cups without feeling really jittery. This is the best way to start my day on a cold, fall morning! And why not drink it out of a cute mug too? My favorite teas recently have been: Celestial Tea Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride, Vanilla Breakfast Tea and Chai tea. I put Califia Farms vanilla almond milk creamer in them all and it's sooo good!

Any excuse for extra throw pillow and blankets! This instantly makes any room feel so much cozier. A faux fur or shag rug would also be a great idea, but I have a 90 lb dog that gets wet and muddy outside and I know he would destroy one. I love having extra cable knit or fur blankets laying around all of the beds and couch, they are a nice touch for guests too!

Probably my favorite way to cozy up my home by making it smell good! I have recently tried to switch over all of the scents in my home to more healthy ones. The Illume brand has really great candles that smell amazing and have pretty good ingredients! I think most are made with essential oils and are soy based candles. I love my oil diffuser too and peppermint is probably my favorite scent to diffuse! It smells really fresh and delicious. Another thing you can do too is go on Pinterest and find different combos of oils that you can mix with water and make room sprays with to spray on all of your linens and around the house. I have a coconut lime one that was made locally and I am so sad I am almost out! I always like having my house smell good, especially for when guests come over! 

5 COZY AND COMFORTABLE COATS: CAPSULE WARDROBE

Something that I always look for in my clothing is comfortability! I like to be comfy in the clothes that I wear, and be able to move around and not look or feel awkward when I am moving around in it.  I went through my wardrobe and wanted to show you guys my favorite 5 comfortable coats that will keep you stylish and cozy this fall and winter! If you read my blog posts or follow my Instagram account, you know that I always try to follow a somewhat capsule wardrobe and stick to a pretty basic color palette. I wanted to show you guys how I style mine and linked exact or similar ones! Hope you enjoy :)