Sunshine and clouds

Howdy, howdy!  Hope your Veteran's Day is going fabulously well!

I'm enjoying the beautiful weather we've been blessed with in Fort Worth - upper 60s with a breeze, and lots of sunshine!  It's gorgeous!

I took these photos over a week ago on a more cloudy day.  A dress, tights, and a cardigan is so my go-to outfit for fall - so much so that I recreated this exact same outfit earlier this week, but I exchanged the mustard tights for some olive green ones and my oxfords for some boots.  The rest stayed the same!  I wore the green tights version for one of my testing days earlier this week.  I knew that I'd be sitting in front of a computer typing for hours for my comprehensive exams, and this outfit is beyond comfortable.  I always prefer dresses and tights to jeans!

Now that my written exams are completed, I'm just trying to prepare for my oral exams.  I test next Friday, and I'm feeling pretty confident.  I can't believe I'm almost done with grad school!

Any recommendations on what I should wear for my oral exams?  I don't want to look overly professional, but I don't want to look too much like a student either!  After all, I do want to teach college students when this is all over with!  Please leave any suggestions in the comments!

  



Forever 21 dress (love this silhouette)

Target tights (similar)

Jessica Simpson cardigan, via Ross (similar)

GoMax oxfords (similar)

Don't forget - you can get 10% off spa services at ATI Laser clinic until November 23!  Click here to learn more!

Sweater weather

Sweater Weather by jessicamarie626 featuring a studded satchel

Who's ready for sweater weather?  I am!!

Party outfit

Party Outfit by jessicamarie626 featuring a leather buckle belt

I know I'm getting a little ahead of myself, considering it's definitely not cool enough for coats yet in Texas, but I would love to wear this to a party sometime this fall or winter!

Fashion Blogger Fall Trend Report: Polka dots

The bloggers over at Fashables were kind enough to invite me to participate in their Fall Fashion Blogger Trend Report.  As soon as I got the email, I knew which trend I wanted feature: polka dots.  Who can resist such a fun, classic print?

The trend report features 17 fall trends, with contributions from some fabulous bloggers, including the lovely ladies of Grit & Glamour, House of Jeffers, and fellow DFW blog My Fashion Juice.  It's chock-full great information, so I hope you'll check it out.  You can see more photos of my polka dot shoot after the jump.

Coming home

in resort lobby, before leaving for airport

Leaving vacation is always bittersweet.  Caleb and I had a phenomenal time in the Riviera Maya, and there's not a thing we would change.

Inspiration Monday: Honesty time

Let me preface the rest of this post with this:

Honesty is the best policy.

Compensation

 Don't you just love those days when you giddily laugh out loud because the day is just so perfectly awesome?

I'd love to say that today was one of those days, but, truthfully, it wasn't.

It's beginning to feel a lot like spring-time

It feels like spring!!  It's so hard to believe that there was snow on the ground just a week ago.  This only further demonstrates the bi-polar nature of Texas weather.  You never know what to expect!

While I love bundling up with cute scarves, I've mention before that I am a certified wuss when it comes to cold weather.  I don't know weather or not (haha) the warmth is here to stay, but I've been taking full advantage of 70 degree weather.

Some colors are more equal than others

I usually think I look awful in red, but this deeper cranberry color always tends to catch my eye.  I've learned that jewel tones complement my skin tone better than most brights.

Are there any colors that you think just don't suit you?  You know...colors that you put on and just feel like, how shall I say, bleh?  Hear my sad story [enter violins playing somber music]...

What's in a dress?

From the moment I picked this dress off the rack, I knew it would become a favorite.  Almost every time I put an outfit together, I'm drawn to this flowery frock.  I've resisted the urge to repeat this dress over and over, but today I thought the time had come to let it see daylight again.

It's June!

And by June, I of course mean my wonderful pup.  I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but our adorable little dog was a wedding gift, and since Caleb and I married in June, we named our sweet girl after the memorable month.  June is a wonderful companion, and she keeps me company while I study, work, and do, well, everything else I do around the house.  In fact, she's sleeping on my lap as I type.  She's so precious.

Patches

I went back on the road yesterday...well air, really.

I flew to San Antonio to 'return' Keira, and I'll be staying here until Saturday.  Caleb stayed at home for work for this one, but I'm sure he'll be catching up on some R&R after a week and a half with a toddler.

Lugging a stroller, carseat, luggage, and three year-old through an airport called for comfort and practicality.  I extended my hair wash a day with one of my favorite knitted berets and wore very little makeup.  Now you can see what my eyebrows look like when they're not filled in [gasp!].  :)

My outfit was far from spectacular, but I quite enjoy the blazer I wore.  Like many of my favorite items, it's a recent thrift purchase.  It was marked at $5, but it had the "color of the day" tag, so I received an additional 50% off.  That's right.  A whopping $2.50 for a cute and comfy blazer.  It's about a size larger than I would normally buy, but I actually kind of like it that way.  And I love the arm patches!!  Maybe that'll be the blazer's nickname...Patches.  I like it.

In other news, Texas finally decided to act like it's winter.  It snowed in DFW the day before I took off, and freezing temperatures are supposed to remain throughout the week.  It's not quite as cold here in San Antonio, but yesterday it was wet and chilly - definitely not the makings for splendiferous outfit pictures.  Today the sun is shining brightly, though, so I'm optimistic about the rest of the week.

Wishing you sunshine and happiness!

sweater - Delia's, via Plato's Closet
jeans - Elle for Kohl's
boots - Diba, via DSW
blazer - Banana Republic, thrifted
infinity scarf, beret - Forever 21

Photos taken by Sarah Moore.

I rock...just ask my niece

I took Keira ice skating today at the Galleria Mall in Dallas.  (Please excuse her hair...she kept fussing with her headband.  She is a three year-old, after all.)  They have a huge four-story Christmas tree in the middle of the rink, and today was the last day it would be up before they took it down.  Naturally, we had to take advantage of its last hoo-ra.

After ice skating, we did some shopping...I mean, we were at a mall.  We got Keira two belts and a purple shirt from The Children's Place.  (By the way...isn't her sweater awesome?! Got that one at Kohl's.)  We also stopped in at Lush and got some bath bombs.  She used one of mine the other night and just thought they were the coolest things, so I wanted to get her more to use for her stay here.

If you've never been to Lush, you can check them out here.  They offer handmade bath and cosmetic products that are absolutely wonderful.  I recently discovered them, and I've really enjoyed my purchases.

Ice skating and shopping with a toddler definitely called for a casual outfit.  My sweater is a silk/cashmere blend, so it felt fabulous against my skin during the long day.  I also appreciated my beret giving me an extra day before a hair wash.  :)

I don't usually post prices of objects (unless I'm able to link to a website), so if you ever have any questions concerning the costs of items or where you can find similar items, please let me know!

sweater - Moda International, via BHFO e-Bay store

jeans - Levi's, via Ross

boots - Mustang, via DSW (now on clearance!)

beret, lover's knot ring, earrings - Forever 21

scarf - Echo, via Ross

purse - Ecko Red, via Ross

Beautiful

Today was a beautiful day!  It was still chilly (in the 30s), but the sun was shining brightly.  It was a welcome relief from the wet cold that had taken over Hot Springs the past couple days.

We took advantage of the glorious weather by going to the Garvan Woodland Gardens.  There was a chapel in the woods that had large windows and beautiful architecture.  It was truly stunning! And it provided the perfect location for a photo shoot.  Just look at how splendiferous it is!

coat: Pelle Studio, via Wilson's Leather; dress/infinity scarf/necklace/ring: Forever 21;

tights: Charlotte Russe; socks/earrings: Kohl's; boots: Diba, via DSW;

purse: Sparrow True, via TJ Maxx; sunnies: J. Lo, via TJ Maxx; belt: thrifted

Be sure to check out the Statements in Fashion Forever 21 giveaway here!