Life Lately: Easing into Fall

The first days of Fall are hard to beat. The air feels crisp but it's warm in the sun and everything smells so fresh, especially up north. Summer in Lake Geneva will always be the time when I feel most alive but there's a sense of calm when the leaves start to change and you can smell the wood burning of a neighbor's fire. Our recent Family weekend at the lake was the perfect kick off to the new season...

We ordered breakfast from the tiny convenience store down the street and ate it outside on the patio in sweatshirts and blankets. We walked around the neighborhood under the most amazing blue sky with not a single cloud. My parents hosted our first ever "Fall Fest," (in place of our usual 4th of July event), complete with cherry & apple brats, Oktoberfest beers, golf cart rides and pumpkin decorating. We put on our pajamas at 6 o'clock one night and snacked on leftovers and poured champagne. Ro and I spent a warm afternoon at the park followed by a snack at my favorite coffee shop. Mike and I checked out an open house down the street and fell in love, as we do almost every time we look. FYI - we're not actually hoping to move, it's just something we've come to love doing on weekends - It's great for gathering ideas and it's fun to imagine different scenarios that could play out in the future. We ate until our pants no longer fit...everything from my Mom's DIY nacho bar to the taffy apple salad was quintessential Fall and we didn't want to miss any part of it. 

SHOP THE LOOK:

If we're being totally honest, I spent most of this weekend in sweatshirts, overalls and leggings but I did manage to spend one day looking like a real human by putting on a swipe of bright lipstick and taking this new denim skirt for a ride, which btw, I now want to wear on a daily basis. I usually have trouble finding skirts that are just the right length - Either they're too short for going out in public or too long for being 31 years old but this one is high-rise and still fits just right. It's got frayed edges and I love pairing it with long sleeves or sweaters & booties so I will be doing that as much as possible in the next few weeks while I can still get away with bare legs. On another note, I'm not into all of the Fall trends (not too keen on the wide leg denim just yet), but I AM happy that belt bags (aka, fanny packs!) are having a moment because they're actually so much fun. I love this leather one from J. Jill - like, it might be the cutest one I've seen but I own the iPhone 8+ which is massive and unfortunately, doesn't fit in the bag so if I'm wearing this, I usually stick my phone in my back pocket or the diaper bag. 

Since my style was this weekend was mostly cozy chic, I reached for this open front cardi quite a bit. It's textured and runs fairly long so it's awesome for pairing with leggings on cold mornings and I've been wearing it daily for early walks with Ro and the dog but it was also a nice addition to this skirt/blouse combo.

We have so many fun things coming up, I can't wait to recap it all including a mini trip to San Fran (baby free!), the pumpkin farm, dinner with good friends and planning Ro's first trick or treat outing!

How are you enjoying the first week(s) of Fall? 

How to Style Overalls for Spring

WEARING:

Overalls: Old Navy | Top: Old Navy

Bag: E Street Denim (similar) | Heels: Sole Society (old, but similar here)

Sunnies: Old Navy

I'll be honest: I wore these to work today. I wore them to Donut Fest last weekend. I wore them to the park with my Family on Sunday. And I'll most likely wear them again before this week is over. When I love something, I tend to wear it out - That goes for songs (currently listening to the Hamilton soundtrack on repeat), food (I've been eating turkey sandwiches for 30 years) and of course, clothes. I'm on a big overall kick right now and I've decided they are basically the dresses of the denim world. They are so easy to throw on for an effortless look and in my opinion, require less getting ready time than trying to style a jeans and top combo because there are so many simple ways to style them. My go-to is usually a black and white striped but I like how I've been seeing them for Spring with a peasant/off the shoulder top. This keeps things fresh and feminine which is a great way to avoid looking like a farmer, especially if you follow my lead and add a strappy yellow block heel - typically not a farmer fan favorite.

Quick, fun story about these - I had my eye on them on the Old Navy website for a while so I recently made a pit stop to the store to try them on but the sales associate informed me they were an online exclusive. Even she looked upset by it and I left disappointed, because like I said, when I love something, I want it now/on repeat (so Millenial of me). I checked online when I got home and they were sold out! Seriously? I missed out twice and I was so bummed...

BUT THEN -- about a week later, I was in Old Navy (yes, again, Mike) and just happened to peruse the sale section to see if there were any gems. I spotted ONE pair of overalls hanging up in between a lot of other chunky Winter leftovers and figured I couldn't possibly get this lucky, right? Wrong - It was one pair in my size and they fit me perfectly. This was definitely a case of wardrobe destiny so I feel like I owe it to the overalls to wear them as much as possible. They were just waiting for me to bring them home ;)

And P.S. Both my overalls and off the shoulder top are on sale!
Click the images above to shop 💚

Do you have any overalls in your closet? 

I'm excited to add a pair of white shortalls for Summer!