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For our November Bubbles & Bloggers meet-up, we decided to be extremely basic and made a little field trip out to Butler’s Orchard in Maryland for pumpkin picking and photos ops. I’d never been to Butler’s Orchard before so I was super pumped when Caroline suggested it as our November location, and I’m so happy we actually made it happen! (Huge kudos to my fairy godmother, Dani for organizing and planning everything!)

Although it was super sunny out, it was also insanely windy so I opted for a layered look to keep warm while we were frolicking through the pumpkin patch. I don’t have a preppy style, but I felt insanely preppy with this flannel and sweater combo. To make the look a little bit more “me” I added my favorite ripped jeans and a pair of cut-out booties for some edge. The cheetah print belt was a total last minute accessory that I threw on while running out the door, but I think that it helped tie in the brown accessories.

One of my blogger pals mentioned that she was hesitant to layer because it made her feel bulky – which is exactly how I felt – but aside from a few wrinkles from the flannel’s pocket, I think it looks more streamlined than I felt. I’d recommend layering with a thin button-down and crop sweater to help avoid bulkiness and pair with high-waisted jeans to define your middle. Bonus points for a skinny belt to further define your curves!

After Butler’s we headed to Rocklands Farm for wine tasting and were thrilled to see that there were baby piglets at the farm! They were so stinking cute and if I wasn’t already a vegetarian I think watching them in all of their adorableness would have totally swayed me. I highly recommend going to the farm for their wine – I liked every single wine we tasted and came home with two yummy bottles – Cabernet Franc for the manfriend and a red blend for me.

Shop my look below!

Booties | Vestique

Jeans | TopShop

Belt | Macy’s

Crossbody | Dooney and Bourke

Sweater | H&M (similar)

Flannel | Francesca’s

 

Navigating discount sites can be tricky – you never know if the quality will be good, if the sizing will be right, or if it will look like it did online when you get it in the mail. Through my partnerships with discount sites Rose Wholesale, SammyDress, and Zaful, I’ve become pretty good at spotting  which items I’ll be happy with when I open my packages from the retailers. Read on for my favorite tops from Rose Wholesale that I think make the cut – I have two of them on the way!

1. Textured Cold Shoulder – I’m really feeling this olive green color. This is one of the tops I have coming and I can’t wait to pair it with OTK boots and leather leggings!
2. Turtleneck Sweater – blame it on the fact that the manfriend and I have been binging The Americans, but I’m really into the mod resurgence and this top just screams Elizabeth KGB member to me.
3. One Shoulder Sweater – there are few things that look more effortless than an off-the-shoulder sweater. Bonus points for styling it with a choker.
4. Baseball Bandage Sweater – one of the biggest trends I’ve seen lately are lace-up tops. Loosen up the laces for a casual look with a hint of sex appeal or keep it tied up for a more conservative vibe.
5. Geometric Cardigan – I LIVED in my open front tribal print cardigan last year. They’re so easy to throw over a tee on your way out the door or to pair with a loose tank during a Netflix and chill night.
6. Cut-Out Ripped Sweater – not sure why, but I’m really drawn to the burnout details in this sweater. The color screams fall to me and honestly it just looks hella cozy.

I’m a sucker for parody and humor Instagram accounts, so I’ve been following @WomenWhoLoveWine for awhile. Once I heard they were launching a clothing line, I was super excited, and even more excited when I came across this Puppies + Pinot tee! I’m a HUGE dog person and when I found out that the proceeds benefit Little Paws Of Love Rescue I knew I had to have it!

I’m an advocate of adopt don’t shop when it comes to pups – I used to heavily volunteer with the Washington Humane Society and have fostered 15 pups to date. This tee arrived days before I was set to puppy-sit my friend’s adorable Boston Terrier rescue baby, Pip, so I had to take advantage of the timing and do a little photo shoot with the precious little gal. (For more pics of Pip, follow my friend at @cevd on Insta.)

The tee is insanely soft and benefits a good cause – what more could you ask for!? Use code DAMSEL at checkout to get 20% off your own pup tee, or one of their other adorable tops before 12/31!

Puppies + Pinot | Shop Women Who Love Wine

I don’t know what’s up with this 80 degree weather in fall, but I’m not mad about it! While I’m excited for the temps to drop so I can pull out my sweaters, I’m secretly happy that I can extend the life of my summer clothes – like this floral off-the-shoulder dress. I’ve talked about transitioning your summer clothes to fall before, and I think this is another great example. By incorporating richer fabrics like the suede in my booties and hat into this look, it helped toughen up the flimsiness of the dress.

I wore this for a movie and dinner date night (we’re so traditional) and we went to go see Girl On The Train at Atlantic Plumbing Cinema. If you haven’t gone to Atlantic Plumbing, get yoself there stat. The cinema has a full-service bar, amazingly comfy leather seats, and lets you pre-pick your seat when you order online so that you don’t have to spaz out trying to get to the movies before the previews end.

While Girl On The Train was good – I highly recommend the book over the movie. I absolutely love Emily Blunt, but I feel like they almost didn’t develop the characters as well in the movie as they did in the book. P.S. – I don’t know why but they decided to change the setting to New York instead of London!? Hollywood – who knows.

Shop my look below!

Dress | Urban Outfitters

Hat | Forever 21

Booties | Steve Madden

Choker |Zaful

 

 

Photos by Dave Mentzer.

You’ve heard me talk about how my going out style has changed from body-cons to more flattering frocks in previous posts, so I figured I’d share my favorite spots to find unique party dresses. I used to solely buy my going out dresses at Forever 21 when I was in college (oh and there was that phase with AMI clubwear…R.I.P.) and while I still do pick up items from Forever, the below online retailers have become my go-tos!

ASOS

I used to manage college brand ambassador programs across the country for ASOS, so this brand holds a special place in my heart. Not only does the European retailer stock pretty much everything you could ever want – it has great price points, offers free returns, and has lines specifically for petite, tall, and curvy women. If you’re still a student, sign up for UniDays to get 10% off every order! I usually size up (think H&M sizes) when ordering pieces from here because European sizes are a bit smaller.

Nasty Gal 

I’ve been shopping on Nasty Gal since I was in college and my roommates used to think I was ordering unmentionables based on the name. While some of its pieces are pretty funky, don’t worry it’s not a NSFW website. Nasty Gal’s founder Sofia Amoruso (read #GirlBoss, anyone?) started the brand as a vintage store after her curated finds outgrew her EBay page. Today, Nasty Gal stocks unique finds that are high quality – think For Love and Lemons, Milly, Show Me Your MuMu. I usually hit up the sale section, but it’s worth the splurge for a special occasion.

Tobi

Tobi is always the ultimate spot for dress shopping. They organize every dress by fit – skater dress, shift dress, body con, etc. so it’s super easy to find the type of cut you’re looking for. Each dress is Tobi brand and typically comes in multiple patterns or colors – aka if you find a dress you love you can get multiples of it! They have a ton of 50% off sitewide flash sales and you get 50% off your first order – pretty sweet. This is also an excellent spot for New Year’s Eve dresses, they have an entire sequin shop during the holiday season!

LuLu*s

I’m a huge fan of LuLu*s shoes – I have three pairs of the same style in different colors because they’re so chic and comfortable! LuLu*s also has an amazing selection of dresses, including bridal dresses. Much like ASOS, they have a massive selection and it’s easy to fill up your shopping cart with a full new wardrobe when browsing the site! I’m really feeling their long floral maxis right now and am having a hard time restraining myself!

Shop my look:

Heels | LuLu*s

Dress | ASOS

Satchel | Rebecca Minkoff

 

Photos by Dave Mentzer.

All Devil Wears Prada quotes kidding aside, flannels are pretty much one of the most iconic fall pieces. I almost feel silly writing a post about them because they’re so easy to wear – but I’m really into this outfit and Dave Mentzer did a pretty fab job photographing it so here it is.

I didn’t get my first flannel till three falls ago – I used to actually strongly dislike them until I figured out how to style them to my personal taste. I have a smaller frame so sometimes loose button-downs make me look a little bit bigger than I am, which is why I was so opposed to them in the first place. I’ve found that pairing the plaid shirts with feminine pieces like waist-cinching skirts or a heel help glam them up a bit and that’s become my favorite way  to style them.

Another trick I like is tying up the ends, but this can quickly venture into cowgirl territory which is why I toughed this outfit up with the (p)leather skirt. I have yet to master the one tail in, one tail out tuck, but I’ve seen some other girls execute it flawlessly and that’s a good alternative to the tied-up look.

Lastly, another favorite trick is to button it up almost all the way to the top and then pair a statement necklace on the outside of your collar, which I think gives a pretty cool contrast against the laid-back pattern and fabric. You can see how I styled this tip here. (Moment of silence for my long hair from last year.)

But let’s face it, there’s some day when you just roll out of bed and pair your flannel with skinnies and your Converse and that’s okay too 😉

Top | Francesca’s

Skirt | Free People

Booties | Steve Madden

 

 

 

Photos by Dave Mentzer

I’m a summer girl. I love going to the pool, getting a tan, spending time outside, jean shorts, swingy dresses, sandals, tomatoes, corn – pretty much everything about summer except sweating while walking to the Metro. My summer items easily make up the largest portion of my wardrobe, just because I love the season so much. Since my closet is filled with floaty warm weather pieces, I try to make them stretch into fall as long as possible by layering my dresses and tops.

This blue open-back dress is one of my favorite summer dresses (It’s been a repeat brunch/date outfit) and by simply switching out my wedges for booties and tossing a sweater on top, I can easily take this dress into fall. I find that cropped sweaters look best when paired with a swingy dress to help keep the look proportional, and once you find a good cropped sweater the outfit combos are endless. (I love pairing this crop with high-waisted printed pants and my ripped jeans.)

When repurposing your summer pieces, opt for darker florals to avoid looking like you’re going to a garden party. Navy and white stripes translate well to fall, as well as paisley prints and polka dots. I’d steer clear of any neon or pastel patterns, but there really are no rules in fashion!

I probably don’t have to tell you this, but layering is key when taking your summer clothes to fall. A leather or jean jacket can seamlessly translate your look, as well as tossing on a scarf or putting a thin long sleeve tee under a slip dress (I haven’t tried this look but I’ve seen other fashion-forward gals pull it off effortlessly!) I’d steer clear of open toe shoes or sandals, but peep toe booties are a perfect transition piece!

Dress | Tobi

Sweater | H&M

Booties | H&M

Photos by Dave Mentzer

 

Raise your hand if you live in your booties in the fall. Right there with ya girl. I walk a LOT and I also walk pretty fast and hard (I think the correct term is clomping?) so I have to replace my booties about every two years. I’m pretty picky with my booties but it’s always a toss up between splurging or picking up a pair from a fast-fashion store.

This year, I needed to replace my beloved gray booties, and opted to splurge at Steve Madden because it’s pretty hard to find the exact neutral color I was looking for. Since I pride myself on finding affordable pieces and sharing them on my blog, I picked some of my favorite booties from Steve Madden and then found their dupes (or similar with the exception of 3 and 7) at a fast fashion store. Shop my favorites below!

SPLURGE

1. Velvet Eddie Bootie | $90

2. Grey Ankle Booties | $99

3. Suede Fringe Booties | $84

4. Cut-Out Booties | $109

STEAL 

5. Navy Suede | $50

6. Gray Suede Booties | $28

7. Lace-Up Peep Toe Booties | $35

8. Fringe Suede Booties | $50

Photos by Dave Mentzer

Blame it on global warming, but it’s hard for me to fully embrace fall fashions when it’s still hitting 80 degrees and as humid as ever outside! Over the past few years, I’ve taken to pairing sweaters with cutoffs during the in-between months. I think a long sleeve/shorts combo gives off an effortlessly cool look – especially when paired with a casual shoe like slip-on sneakers. I wouldn’t wear this look to a nice sit-down dinner, but it’s perfect for a trip to a neighborhood bar or casual brunch. I’m a big fan of pairing crop tops with high-waisted bottoms and can’t wait to wear this cold shoulder sweater with my vegan leather skirts and moto jeans as the weather cools down!

This crop is from SammyDress, and is only $11! For a staple item that I’ll continuously wear throughout the fall, this is a major steal. As you’ve heard me say before, this site is an awesome spot for on-trend items at a steep discount.

Cut Out Ribbed Knitwear | SammyDress

Major kudos to Dave Mentzer for snapping these photos – he’s an insanely talented photographer and you should definitely check out his work! 

When I saw the light blue version of this red dress on Glass Of Glam’s Instagram, I texted her immediately and ask if she owned that beautiful dress or if it was Rent The Runway, and was surprised when she said it was hers! (Of course she said I could borrow it too because she’s a good friend 😉 ). Fast forward a few days later when I was shopping for my next collaboration with Zaful and I saw it pop up in the dresses feed! This was seriously the fastest shopping decision I’ve ever made – I instantly selected the red option and within a week had the dress in my hands.

I actually purchased this dress with no special event in mind, and I’ve worn it twice already! These photos are from a tasting dinner at Graffiato (which was one of the best meals I’ve ever had) and I also wore it to a wedding this weekend. Both times I wore it I got a ton of compliments and people where shocked when I told them it was only $35! Zaful seriously has some amazing pieces at fantastic prices. (Psst you can even score an additional 15% off here.)

I don’t usually wear red, but loved the way it worked with my blonde coloring and feel like the dramatic color further enhanced the detailing on the dress. Another amazing plus – it has pockets. Best formal dress ever. Add it to your wedding dress lineup below!

Crochet Flower Dress | Zaful