A few summer favorites

I have been working a lot this summer and find myself reaching for simple and classic silhouettes that are comfortable and flattering.  And although it is HOT here in Houston, my office can be a little cold. Here are a few of my recent favorite purchases.

  

I am obsessed with these pants.  They are so comfortable and flattering and versatile. I bought them in black and white (an ivory shade really and the white ones are lined).  For me, they will be year round staples.  I am 5'3" and so they come just to my low ankle so they're not as cropped on me but they also come in petite if I wanted a more cropped look. And they are 40% off today and an extra 10% off if your have a card. I'd say they run pretty true to size.

And I LOVE this summer sweater so much.  I thought I wanted it in ivory because I like a monochromatic look but in person I loved the flax color the most.  I seriously would wear this everyday and if I lived up north, I would buy more colors.

And one more GREAT deal I found online.  I LOVED the thin cotton sweaters that JCrew used to sell every summer.  They were perfect for me and for this weather.  However, they changed the length last year though and I am no longer a fan.  BUT I found these and they are under $20 and fit me perfectly (I wear a small).  I have both the crewneck and Vneck. They work with jeans, shorts, pants, skirts.  They are a new favorite basic of mine.

This comes in several colors (I got navy, camel and ivory).

Also comes in a very flattering crewneck.  I am in love with the fit, weight and price.

Hope you all are having a great summer.  I will be back soon with a family update.

fall shoe favorites

When I asked people what they'd like to see me blog about fashion and parenting were the top two requests by an overwhelming margin.  I was kind of surprised at the fashion response but am happy to do some posts on things I like. I have 3 posts planned this week on fashion and the college application process so check back.

This week we should see the beginnings of cooler fall weather here in Houston (finally!) so I thought I'd start with some things I like for Fall.  This summer, I spent some time decluttering (as I do a lot) and I worked on my shoes.  I realized that while trends come and go, I tend to stick with a few classics each season.  I know booties have been all the rage the last few years but they just are not for me.  I am petite and I don't think they're flattering on me even thought they look great on others. But also, I don't think they jibe with the rest of my wardrobe so that is a trend I am skipping.  I feel like if you build a wardrobe of quality classic pieces, you can add in a few trends you like here and there.  There are things I have had in my closet for over 20 years that I still love and still wear.

During my declutter, I realized that I wear a ton of loafers, pointy toe flats and ballet flats in the fall.  I also like boots, just not booties.  When I did my closet clean out, I had a few pairs of loafers that were in bad shape so I knew I needed to replace a few this year. I tend to wear cream, tan and black ones constantly.  So here are a few favorites I found and love.

I wear a lot of cream and winter white and I fell in love with the shoes immediately.

 I love this brand.  They make beautiful classic shoes that are comfortable and chic.

This one is currently on sale for half of what they typically run.  I would say they run true to size and do not require breaking in.  I love that the soles have a protective lining because it is rainy and humid here and I always get my leather soles lined so that I don't slip.  This saves me that expense and time.

This shoe is a similar loafer that comes in black, mink (which is the one I have and goes with everything!) and deep wine/brown color. I like the metal bit detail.  It reminds me of the Gucci loafer but at 1/10th of the price and honestly I think these are better quality after trying on both brands. I love this shoe in the Mink patent so much!

I bought these black patent loafers (mine do not have the tassel though) at Marshall's about 2 weeks ago and I LOVE them.  So check your local TJ Maxx and Marshall's but if you cannot find them there, you can order them here with the tassel.  If you prefer a penny loafer instead of the tassel (like mine) you can find them here too for under $40! That's what I paid. They are so comfortable and they are classic but a little edgy because of the sole.  I have worn them about 5/6 times in the last 2 weeks.  I think I will wear these a lot and they will last a long time because of the sole.  Here is a picutre of me in mine.

Sweater (favorite purchase this fall~ I got it in navy and gray but the navy is sold out now) /Pants /Belt Comes in black/brown and navy/orange or navy/cream/ Shoes

When doing my decluttering I also realized that I really needed a navy flat.  I wear navy a lot and have a navy skirt that I rarely wear because I didn't have the right shoe. I have honestly looked for a versatile cute navy flat for a long time and I recently found this one on major sale and ordered it.  It has not arrived yet but I know my size and comfort with Tory Burch so I think it will be great.  The best part is it was 60% off.  I do not think I will wear the detachable ribbon much. But it makes a pretty option with a skirt.

Finally, I love a calf hair or leopard shoe.  I have a few pair from past years so I did not need a new one but these are really cute and versatile and gets excellent reviews.  Mine are all a few years old but I wear them a lot all fall and winter.

I love really well made, classic shoes and I do love a bargain.  All of these are well under $100 except the navy which are just at $100 (regularly $250). I hope you enjoyed seeing these options.

My next post is the first of a 3 part series on the college application process.  I think the series has lots of useful tips and a good timeline too.  I will post other things in between though because I know not everyone is interested in the college application series.  But if you have any children in high school or even 8th grade, it should be a good read. Tell your friends who have high school kids too!

Disclosure:  Some of the links on my website are affiliate links. Many links on this blog are not.  I like to share with you where I get the things I love.  I have done this long before affiliate links existed. This means that if you purchase an item from an affiliate link here, I may receive a small commission.  I only link to products/companies that I like and use. I have never been compensated in exchange for a blog post.