Bedtime Epiphanies

Here we are: day 2 of the remix challenge and I’m remixing this polka dot popover (if you missed Friday’s outfit post, see it here). I actually had a different outfit planned, and then I was l lying in bed and I had this random thought that “hey, maybe I should layer the shirt under my black shirtdress?” One time a couple years ago I was lying in bed and had the random thought that “hey, maybe I should apply to law school?” As far as random bedtime epiphanies go, I have a 100% success rate: I’m getting my J.D. next May and I looked damn adorable in this outfit.

Dress // Shirt (on sale) // Boots (and lots more colors here) // Earrings

P.S. In case you missed it: A new giveaway was posted yesterday! Check it out here.

Not-So-Fancy Pants

Every woman should find that pair of pants that essentially lets her wear pajamas in public. Yes, I know plenty of people actually wear pajamas in public, but I judge those people. Unless you’re sick, there are very few excuse for such behavior. What would Stacy and Clinton say? Something sassy, I’m sure.

Anyway, I’ve been trying to jump on the lounge-pants-as-real-pants bandwagon for several months now, but it took quite a few tries to find the perfect ones for me. I loved the idea of a silky fabric nice and loose around the hips that just drapes gracefully to the ankle. This post on Pink Peonies was part of what sparked my interest. I actually went to Nordstrom and tried on the same ones. Let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty. Apparently the lovely blogger I admired is actually 11 feet tall with the hips of a 13-year-old, because I looked like an Oompa Loompa in them. A few other pairs I tried were no better – even at Ann Taylor, who very rarely lets me down in the pants department. I had almost given up, but I’m so glad I didn’t! Who finally came through for me, you might ask? None other than trusty old Target. These fit perfectly, and with a fun print to boot.

If you’re like me (short and curvy on the bottom), let me save you some frustration and share a few tips on shopping for relaxed fit pajama-esque pants. Mid rise: good. Pleats: bad. Slightly tapered leg: good. Overly baggy: bad. Cropped length: good. Elastic around the ankles: bad.

Pants // similar Cardigan // Bag* // Shoes (on sale) // similar Bracelet // Sunglasses (on sale)

*Bag provided courtesy of Asos.

Silver Linings Lookbook

First thing’s first: Today is the last day to enter the Lucky B Boutique Scarf Giveaway! At last count, there were only 20 entries. That means your chances of winning are pretty darn good. And your chances of getting tons of compliments on the scarf if you win it: even better.

OK. Moving on.

As much as I love fall, I kind of dread winter. Here in Indiana this past week, it seems like we hit the fast forward button on the calendar. “Oh, you like it when there’s a chill in the air? I’ve got a chill for you…” (That was the weather talking.)

So to help myself cope with the inevitable cold, I like to get a fun new coat each year. That way I have a reason to get excited for the first frost. You have to look for the silver lining, right? I think that’s a thing people say. This year, my new coat is this leather sleeved trench. I found my silver lining…or in this case, olive green lining.

similar Coat* (on sale) // another splurge-worthy option // similar Leggings // similar Shoes (on sale)

*Coat purchased with gift card provided courtesy of H&M.

2 New Staples

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To avoid aimless buying when the stores are bursting with newness at the start of a season, I try to make a list of things that I really feel are missing from my wardrobe. You know, to keep me focused. Sometimes it even works.

This fall, 2 of the things on my list were a light chambray shirt and skinny black pants. The chambray was easy, but for some reason black pants were really hard. I wanted a pair that I could wear to work (once I have one of those job things again), so not jeans. But I also wanted to wear them more casually with flats, so not too long. But that means they needed to have a nice slim fit without being too tight, so not leggings. You see how this got hard? Finally I found these from Ann Taylor and they’re about as close to perfect as I could find! I haven’t washed them yet so we’ll see how they hold up.

What on your shopping list is stumping you right now?

Shirt // Pants (on sale) // Necklace* // similar Shoes // similar Bag (on sale) // Bracelet

*Necklace provided courtesy of Max & Chloe.

Fantastic Fall

The first time I wore this blazer (not long ago) you guys pretty much FLIPPED OUT in the comments gushing over how great this faux-leather-sleeved baby is. Well, alrighty then. Point taken. I will wear it again. I knew I had to wear it soon because before too long, a blazer will just be that thing that makes it hard to put on a winter coat. (Picture Ralphie’s brother in A Christmas Story: “I can’t put my arms down!”) But right now it’s fantastic fall so I can wear my fantastic blazer. And I can wear it with a polka dot dress and pink shoes, both of which are also fantastic.

Let’s make it a goal to wear this one more time this month. What should I wear with it? You guys have my wardrobe memorized at this point, right? Help a sister out.

Blazer* // similar Dress // similar Shoes (on sale) // Necklace // similar cheaper Necklace

More Leather Sleeves & Polka Dots: It’s the Real Life Remix…

*Blazer purchased with gift card provided courtesy of H&M.

How the Leopard Got Its Stripes

I’m trying to decide whether I should comment on my bad hair day. I mean I know I was out of hairspray on a moist day and my hair was not looking its best. But there’s a chance if I don’t mention it none of you will be paying attention anyway. But if I don’t say anything you might think I looked like this on purpose or that my vision has taken a sudden turn for the worse. Still, if I make a comment like “OMG my hair looks like a hot mess fo realz” (because that’s how I talk), you might think I’m just fishing for compliments. OH, and all the hair talk might distract you from this awesome outfit.

OK, it’s decided. I’m not saying anything about my hair.

Now let me talk about this outfit, which is the only thing I’m talking about in this blog post. Does this count as all neutrals? I mean: black, brown, white, navy, and gray. All neutrals! And yet something about stripes and leopard print and knee high boots says “KAPOW! LOOK AT ME!” which is pretty much the opposite of neutral. I’m going to call it KAPOW because that’s more exciting.

Thank you for for reading this post that’s not about hair.

Dress (on sale) // similar Shirt // Boots (on sale) // Bracelet

KAPOW! Follow Sarah’s Real Life on Bloglovin’ so you don’t miss future posts that are not about hair.

Buried Treasure

Over the weekend, I cleaned out our coat closet and found this denim blazer. I know it’s mine because it’s too small to be Kristin’s, but I honestly do not remember when or where I bought it. This is really strange for me, because normally I remember everything about my clothes: where I bought it, why I bought it, whether it was on sale, whether I got it as a gift, what I was doing the first time I wore it, the phase of the moon the first time I wore it. You know, normal stuff like that.

But this jacket is a mystery! I can’t complain, though, because the roller coaster that is Midwestern weather is at a high point right now, so this little guy was the perfect layer for my trip to campus today.

Thanks, denim jacket. See you in another 10 years.

Shirt: J. Crew

Jacket: Nine West (similar)

Jeans: The Limited (similar on sale)

Scarf: Marc by Marc Jacobs (similar)

Shoes: Steve Madden (similar)

Bracelet: J. Crew

Earrings: Kate Spade

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For the Next 10 Minutes…

I went to see a community theater performance of The Last Five Years over the weekend. The show was great, and I was especially impressed with the guitar…Probably because I’m married to the guitar player, but also because of the mad strumming skills.

I figured the theater on Saturday night is a good occasion for (faux) fur, but a community theater is a good occasion for jeans, too. Combine the two and you’re good to go. All my jeans were dirty…so I wore these jeans that I hardly ever wear because the rise is so low it makes me feel uncomfortable and nervous that I’m going to flash the back and front of my underwear. You wanna know how little I wear these jeans? When I put them on, I realized there was a movie ticket in the pocket from the last time I wore them. It was dated August 26.

Of 2011.

Don’t worry, I’m doing laundry as we speak.

Sweater: J. Crew (very similar)

Vest: Ya Los Angeles (similar)

Really old jeans: Express

Shoes: Sole Society

Bracelet: J. Crew

Necklace: I.N.C. via Macy’s (similar)

Bag: old, from TJ Maxx (similar here and here)

An Outfit & a Movie Review!

I’m going to be one of the few people (perhaps the only person) to tell you that I saw Lincoln, and…

Meh.

No offense to Honest Abe. He was a great guy. I just expected a lot more from this movie, especially with all the Oscar buzz. I thought it was going to be epic, but the only thing epic about it was the length. I thought it was the story of Lincoln’s life, but it’s really the story of how the 13th Amendment was passed. Don’t get me wrong – I’m in favor of the 13th Amendment. Slavery? Not the best idea. But about 90% of the movie was the process of passing this amendment in incredibly boring detail. School House Rock could have done it faster and in a more entertaining way.

I also would have expected Lincoln’s death to be the big, emotional climax of the movie. But they didn’t even show him getting shot! Someone announced his death, and then you get a glimpse of his dead body with people looking only moderately morose standing around him. It was weird.

To be fair, I’ll tell you what I did like about the movie. Visually, it was very interesting. If there were an Academy Award for Best Use of Silhouettes and Top Hats, Lincoln would win, hands down. And it does get better as it goes on. I could barely pay attention the first half (normally I never have that problem – I love movies!), but the second half was more plot-driven. And there were quite a few funny lines, which was an unexpected bonus.

If anyone else was unimpressed by Lincoln, please tell me so I know I’m not the only one!

Oh, and this is what I wore to see the movie.

Shirt: J. Crew Factory (on sale!)

Necklace: Charming Charlie (similar)

Jeans: American Eagle

Shoes: Nine West

Bracelets: Forever 21, Stephan & Co.

Coat: J. Crew (on sale!)

Sunglasses: Kate Spade via TJ Maxx

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NYE

As promised, here is my outfit from New Year’s Eve! I went out to dinner with a group of friends, and then everyone came over to our place for drinks and games (Cards Against Humanity…look it up…now). And no one drove home drunk, so the party was a success.

eShakti sent me this dress, which was custom-made for me. Yeah, that’s right: custom-made. Because I’m cool like that. But really it’s more like eShakti is cool like that, because they’ll make you something special for not a lot of dough. They have an amazingly diverse selection of dresses, tops, and skirts, which come in sizes 0-36 or made specifically to your measurements for a few extra dollars. I took the extra time to measure myself so I didn’t have to worry about whether their version of my size ran big or small or tall or whatever. Depending on the item, you can also select different necklines, hemlines, and sleeve lengths – isn’t that cool? I think eShakti would be a great idea for bridesmaids dresses, in case anyone is in the market!

By the way, no cats got drunk in the making of this outfit post. The glass was empty. Happy New Year!

Dress: c/o eShakti (this particular dress appears to be sold out)

Tights: old (similar)

Shoes: Rampage, old (similar)

Clutch: MMS via TJ Maxx (similar)

Bracelets: J. Crew, Stephan & Co., BCBG