Buying and wearing lately

Thanks for everyone's sweet notes and understanding while I take a little step back from blogging for the next couple of weeks! It's all self-inflicted guilt over here feeling like I am failing by not being able to juggle everything at the moment, but I know at the end of the day, it is totally fine and you guys know that life just happens! It is SUPER refreshing to just let things go. It's amazing what it can do to lower your stress level and just give yourself some room to breathe and recharge. 

For example, I was going to take outfit photos this weekend of at least one outfit for today's post. But we didn't have anywhere in particular to go, so it would have involved me taking 45 minutes to an hour to get dolled up just to take photos for 5 minutes. The logic doesn't make sense, and the second I decided to NOT take photos and just share a random roundup with you this week instead, I immediately relaxed. And poof, I just gained a whole hour or more back into my day (on top of the extra hour we got falling back!) So yay for knowing when it makes more sense to just say no.

Top: American Eagle | Jeans: American Eagle (similar) | Shoes: Sole Society "Katarina"

I have been so busy that admittedly, I haven't been doing much shopping. But, I will sprinkle some recent purchases throughout this post for what it's worth. First up are these leopard beauties! I don't wear flats that often - really never. But I know that they are necessary as heels are not always feasible in life. Leopard is such a good option because they're fun to look at and can still be mixed and matched with so many colors and prints. These Rothy's flats kept coming up in my Facebook feed and I finally ordered them in the pointy toe leopard. My normal size (6) felt just a little pinchy in the toes, but fine everywhere else. I went ahead and sized up to a 6.5, but they felt too big. I was afraid they would fall off my heel when I walked. They were crazy comfy though, so I can definitely understand the appeal. I was sad that they didn't end up working out for me.

Fast forward and these Sole Society "Katarina" also showed up in my Facebook feed. I really like Sole Society in terms of fit, comfort, and quality for the price point. These are the perfect leopard print, and I love that it has a low heel so that it functions like a flat but with a little lift for my short self. I also love the little ankle strap so that I would never have to worry about these babies slipping off my heel. I was avoiding them because I was afraid they would be too narrow on my feet and they didn't have a half size up (6.5) every time I looked. Facebook is relentless though, so after having a bit of FOMO, I went ahead and ordered my normal size 6, and I am happy I did!! They are perfect in the width and extremely comfy! I wasted no time wearing them!

Sweater: Express | Necklace: SUGARFIX by BaubleBar (c/o) (option) | Pants: Express | Shoes: Sole Society "Katarina"

I just love wearing grey and leopard together, and since I hadn't worn this sweater yet, I thought it would be a good chance to do so with my new shoes! I am happy to report that even at 7pm when I got home from work that night, my feet still felt great. Honestly, sometimes flats and lower heeled shoes feel way worse on my feet than heels do. They end up rubbing or pinching or just making my calves feel tight. These low chunky heel gets an enthusiastic two thumbs up for me.

These pants are also a new purchase and are the same style I'm wearing in this post here. I ended up buying them in black as well as khaki after writing that post! The fit is great and this pair is a good alternative to my skinny jeans or jeggings.

I almost didn't keep this top because I thought it was too boxy on me, and while I would love for it to be a touch more fitted in the bodice, I'm still happy I kept it. The solid grey color is such a staple, but the ruffles make it special. I'm not sure why Express calls this a "tee." This feels more like a sweater to me.

Jacket: Capulet (c/o Shopbop) (option) | Necklace: Paperdolls Boutique (c/o) | Bralette: CS Gems | Top: Express | Skirt: Express (option, dress option) | Boots: Coach

All of these pieces are oldies, but goodies. People kept mistaking this outfit for a dress vs. a skirt + a top. I do love that this reads as one piece instead of two. Even though I'm in love with over the knee boots, I do find it hard to wear them with bare legs and skirts/dresses. For one - I like the tops of my boots to miss the hem of the skirt/dress. If they overlap, I feel it can look too chunky at my knees, and who wants chunky knees? But, if the skirt is short enough to clear the tops of the over-the-knee-boots and you have bare legs, all of a sudden you look like a street walker. 

So, my options are 1) wear tights + over the knee boots 2) wear bare legs + knee high boots 2) wear tights + booties. I was avoiding the tights this day because it wasn't quite cold enough, so knee high boots it is! I only have three pairs of heeled knee high boots - this cognac pair above, this black pair, and this suede pair. The rest of my knee high boots are flat, riding boots. Hrrm. Wondering if that is a potential hole in my wardrobe....

Jacket: Express (see current colors here) | Scarf: H&M | Sweater: Express | Jeans: American Eagle (in blue daylight) | Booties: Cole Haan

I ended up having to book a last minute trip to Detroit last week for work, so this is my airport style. I found these booties on clearance at Nordstrom a couple of years ago and they have turned into my travel boot! They have a 2-3" stacked wood heel, but they are extremely comfortable for all day wear - seriously. They're amazing. 

I decided to go with an easy sweater that has been in my closet for a few years now. You can't see the detail of it, but you can look back at this old school post here if you're curious. I love how easy a simple moto jacket and scarf can complete a look without adding a ton of bulk. 

Jacket: Gap | Scarf: Express (option) | Necklace: Kendra Scott "Rayne" (option) | Dress: Leith (similar color 40% off here) | Tights: Target | Booties: Christian Louboutin

Speaking of that scarf + moto jacket combo.... it works well with a basic tee shirt dress as well. This is the same "shacket" I was wearing in one of the outfits I shared in this post here. I love that it looks like my minus-the-leather moto jacket, but it's shirt-weighted, so I can wear it indoors all day.

Sweater: Free People "Valencia" | Jeans: Joe's Icon Ankle Raw hem skinny jeans | Heels: Kate Spade "Licorice"

And here's one more recent purchase for you - the sweater. This is the same Free People sweater that I bought in green from the Anniversary Sale I wore a couple of weeks ago in this post here. The stock photos really don't do this justice. It's a really great top!!! It's lightweight - maybe just a touch cozier than tee shirt material, and I just love the way it drapes. Even though it is dolman sleeved, I don't feel all-consumed by it. And the blue color is gorgeous. I'm wearing an XS.

Left: See outfit details here

I wanted to post side-by-side photos of these sweaters for comparison. You can wear it off the shoulder like I am on the left, or as more of a boatneck style like I am on the right. I want to wear it athleisure style with leggings and sneakers, too.

The most exciting recent purchase is my iPhone X!!! If you recall, my iPhone 7 got lost/stollen in San Diego back in July. I was able to get a 16GB phone that I used for a few weeks, but the lack of storage was killing me. I had to constantly delete pics and texts to just have enough space for my apps to function. When they announced the new iPhone 8 and iPhone X back in September and the fact that they would not be releasing the X until the first week of November, the husband decided he was sick of me complaining about my storage issue, so he found me a refurbished 6S on eBay to tide me over. The phone was fine and I was thankful for extra storage, but it was definitely quirky. The touch screen wouldn't always work right, there were always light streaks in my photos, and yeah. I could tell it was refurbished.

Left: Taken with the iPhone X | Right: Taken with the iPhone 6S

(neither edited)

I debated on getting the 8 or the X, but what really sold me about the X was the camera. I wanted portrait mode which only came with the 8 plus, not the 8. I was not interested in upsizing to the 8 plus because the husband has had a plus and it is way way way too big for me. When I found out the X had portrait mode on both the rear AND front facing cameras, I was sold! I had to post the photos above for comparison. The quality is unreal!

Outside of the camera, it's noticeably faster! I am enjoying the larger screen, though the X is a touch heavier than my 6S was. Not a huge deal, but enough to make my arm a little sore when I'm playing on if for hours! I thought I would hate not having a home button, but it hasn't taken me any time to adjust to it. I've had more difficulty remembering that I need to swipe down from the top right to get to the control center. I guess I never realized how much I go to my control center throughout the day!

I caved and set up the face recognition. Having to input a password every time was a pain, so, yeah. I think it's creepy but apparently my laziness outweighs the creepy factor. Today will be the first full workday I am using it, so I'll have to comment on battery life comparison later! I was freaking out for a hot minute when I didn't think I could see the battery percentage anymore. The husband quickly googled (because he hates my complaining, ha!) and found this article. So I can breathe freely again!

Alright, well, that turned into a really lengthy post! Hope you found a thing or two helpful in all this rambling! Have a great week! 9 days until my test out.....

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