i n • p u r s u i t

In April, I read an article about fast fashion. I almost exclusively wear fast fashion and don't generally think about how it affects the planet. I'm a total nature lover, so it seems to be backwards that I am creating so much waste on clothes I honestly don't wear for long. And its sad, but I don't generally think about the people working in garment factories making Target's $7 tees. Even though I have had family members working in garment factories. Its sadly easy to turn a blind eye to the hardship of the rest of the world. I became really convicted after doing more research. So, I challenged myself to go one full year without buying new clothes. I can, however, buy new-to-me clothes from thrift stores, consignment shops, and the like. Last Saturday, I spent $17 at the thrift store and bought two dresses, a pair of shorts, and a dress for Ruthie. Read more about fast fashion: https://theethicalist.com/buy-better-high-cost-cheap-clothes/ ...

I wore this outfit to church this morning: white long sleeve top and plum jeggings topped with my navy vest and gray fringe scarf. I kind of love how my pants match my hair, haha! What I liked about this outfit: I love the top because it has lace detail. I love the jeggings because they're a pretty color and SO comfortable. I love the vest because it keeps me warm without being bulky. I love the scarf because it adds warmth and interest. I love the boots because they're a nice color and low heel. What I didn't like about this outfit: the vest is too big. Later, we went up to the Asheville Outlets and since I knew we'd be spending most of our time outside, I decided go with a warmer outfit. I changed out my vest and gray scarf for my cardi-coat and patterned scarf. Its really clicking with me how different textures help make an outfit interesting. For example, I wouldn't pair the knit scarf with the knit cardigan. I think it would look weird. Wha...

So, I wore this outfit the other night to a meeting. Well, meeting . That sounds fancy. It was a MOPS leadership team meeting. Still sounding fancy.  It was a bunch of moms desperate for a break getting together at Panera to drink chai lattes and plan out a couple MOPS meetings. (MOPS stands for "mothers of preschoolers" for those of you who don't know. If you're a mom check out MOPS. They also have MOMS next which is for moms who have older kids.) ANYWAY. I also wore it this morning to drop the kids off at mothers' morning out. Because hallelujah , everyone is well enough to have someone else watch them again.  I broke from the PMT challenge prompt because I was in need of easy and comfy and cozy. Also, the more I search Pinterest for outfit inspiration, the more I find myself drawn to athleisure-ish.  I've been browsing more capsule wardrobes and I'm realizing that someone else's capsule wardrobe isn't made for me. I ...

Today's formula: solid colored top + cognac moto jacket + black jeans + cognac booties + metallic statement necklace As you can see, I hardly stayed on prompt at all. I DID have black jeans and a purpley-maroon top first. But the collar was kind of wrinkly and when I tried to iron it, it got all stretched out and looked awful. And THIS purple top didn't look good with black jeans. What I like about this outfit: super comfy. I feel very "me" in this outfit. What I don't like about this outfit: The zipper doesn't lie smooth and you can see the very high rise and long zipper haha. And yes. My hair is purple; Vidal Sasson London Lilac to be specific. And yes, I'm loving it!

The prompt for yesterday was: printed colored top + navy vest + dark wash jeans + solid scarf + cognac booties + gold earrings. She uses a mustard colored scarf which adds a nice pop of color, but I don't own one. I do own this gray scarf though and it goes with everything! Also sneakers are so much more comfortable than booties and I'm embracing that. I loved this challenge. I went from pajamas to ready-to-go in less that five minutes because I didn't even have to think about what to wear.  Still have a love/hate relationship with this vest. I hate that it's too big but I also feel like its not too big that probably other people notice? I dunno. I also thought I would hate the navy vest on dark wash jeans (navy on navy), but turns out, its not soo bad. I loved this outfit and felt very put together. Which is appropriate since its the "Putting Me Together" challenge. ;) Close up of my face. I'm trying to take better care of my skin late...

This outfit seemed blah to me. It could be because the colors are not like the ones Audrey used (olive dress & cognac jacket & leopard flats). I think maybe its the proportions? The mini-length dress with the jacket that comes to my hips? (I definitely prefer the way I wore this dress the first time.) Today's prompt: solid dress + cognac moto jacket + leopard print flats + metallic statement necklace.

I kind of hate coats. I hate how they feel bulky and feel like they restrict movement. So last year I got this "cardi-coat" from Old Navy. Keeps me warm enough for SC winters and is super cozy. But its a oversized and I don't always love oversized clothes on my small frame. For some reason, though, adding this scarf REALLY makes it work. I have no idea why, but now I love it. The challenge called for a leopard print scarf, but this one is new and I was looking forward to wearing it. This scarf is now my favorite thing in my closet! I love this outfit so much, that it was yesterday's prompt, but I'm wearing it again to a moms' night out tonight. ;) Formula: solid tee + utility jacket + black jeans + leopard print scarf + cognac booties.

This dress is one of my all time faves. Its just so flattering! I really loved pairing it with the moto jacket and I got a lot of compliments. The jacket is Faded Glory and its SUPER cheap and almost kind of hard to move in, but it looks good and that works for now. ;) Today's formula: printed dress + cognac moto jacket + colored flats.

Well, hello hot mama! I'm LOVING this outfit! Today's formula: printed neutral based blouse + solid skirt + black cardigan + black booties + pendant necklace. My outfit looks nothing like the example outfit because she used a navy top and a maroon skirt. But man, do I love this outfit! 

Even though I don’t love this particular vest -- because I wish it was a bit more fitted and I don't love the windbreaker type of fabric -- I’m totally sold on vests in general. I hate coats because they’re so bulky and in the way. Luckily, I live in a pretty moderate climate! I think vests are ideal for our mild winters, they keep your core warm without too much additional bulk. Also, I think they make outfits more interesting! I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more vests. All these clothes were bought specifically for this challenge and I'm glad I have them! (Today is day five.) Tops to bottom: Tee: Merona (thrifted) Vest: Old Navy (via Plato's Closet NWT) Jeans: Daughters of the Liberation (via ThredUP) Shoes: Dexflex (via Poshmark)

THIS OUTFIT Y'ALL. The scarf and booties really elevates this plain and simple dress. Formula: solid dress + leopard print scarf + taupe booties. (She added a cardigan & tights for those who needed it for their weather. Its still super warm here in SC!)

Today's formula: printed colored blouse + light neutral cardigan + gray jeans + cognac booties + long pendant necklace

Today's formula: solid neutral tee + dark wash jeans + cognac moto jacket + leopard print flats + metallic statement necklace. So, I don't have a cognac moto jacket or any brown jacket/cardigan at all. So I just skipped it. The only time I kind of wished I had one was when we went to re|engage that evening and it was a little chilly in open group. I also don't have leopard print flats...YET. So I subbed these nude ones. And here is Ruthie's outfit. Lookin' so stylish!

{Blazer: Old from, uhhhh, Belk? | Tee: MOPS tee! | Jeggings: American Eagle via Miracle Hill | Shoes: Caroline String Tie Flat  | Earrings: Gift | Watch: Garmin} I've been googling "how to style a graphic tee" a lot lately. I have a couple fun tees that I want to figure out how to actually style when I feel like doing more than just pairing them with jeans or yoga pants. Anyway, cute blazer with black jeans and graphic tee underneath! I'm loving it. And yeah, this isn't really a "graphic" tee, but it's still a good combo to keep in mind when one has to (or wants to) wear a team t-shirt or something like that.  I wore this outfit to my MOPS meeting earlier this week. I don't even remember the last time I wore this blazer (you can see it styled differently here ) but it's always been to cute of a piece to get rid of. The lace detail in the back puts it over the top! These black jeggings feel like yoga pants. The blazer is jer...

Because I am SO READY FOR FALL. That afternoon, I traded in my olive jeans for my navy shorts because it was warm outside. It was also the perfect outfit for the first Harvest Market of the year. Each Thursday in October, at a local park, we have a bluegrass and harvest market. It feels so much like living in Stars Hollow because you run into so many friends! There is bluegrass music, food trucks, some farmers market vendors, and families on blankets with kiddos running around. I'm starting to think its my favorite time of the year!

{Top: Forever 21 old | Scarf: gift | Jeggings: American Eagle | Shoes: dexflex via Poshmark | Watch: Garmin } That's what I texted Rachel on Sunday. I actually got this scarf from her at last year's annual scarf swap party. I love the party but I don't even really like scarves! I never feel like I am wearing them correctly. But she texted me back that it looked good, so I just decided to go for it. And you know what? No one stopped to tell me that I looked ridiculous in my scarf. (Obviously.) Also, these jeggings. You can't tell in the photo but they're plum colored. They're American Eagle Outfitters Sateen X Jeggings. They're amazing. They fit so well and they are SO SOFT. I wish I had one in every muted color of the rainbow.  You will be seeing these shoes quite a bit for a while. I have too many pairs of running shoes, but as far as my other shoes... I have one pair of sad leather Teva flip flops, one pair of white Keds that won't...

{Scarf: Amazon | Top: Zenana Outfitters via TJ Maxx | Jeans: Daughters of the Liberation via ThredUp | Shoes: dexflex via Poshmark} Okay, so wearing leopard print is way out of my comfort zone. And I haven't worn colored jeans since I donated my red ones . Kicking myself for that now, but I genuinely wasn't ever wear them, so it made sense to get rid of them. Anyway. Since I signed up for Audrey's style challenge , I had to buy colored jeans and a leopard print scarf. As it turns out, these pieces are really not THAT out there. It's still pretty basic perfectly practical for momming, but I also FELT really stylish and put together. Perfect combination. Also, filling out a specific capsule wardrobe list when your closet basically has been purged gets REALLY expensive. I've been using thredUP and poshmark and thrifting a lot. Everytime I successfully shop secondhand, it makes me want to stop shopping retail altogether. But retail is, of course so d...

Back before Jojo was born, I fancied myself a pseudo-fashion blogger. Trying new things (like floral blazers and hot pink tights ) still put my out of my comfort zone, but I embraced it. Well, since I've had kids, it's been less about dressing boldly and more about practicality. But there is no rule that bold and practical cannot go hand in hand! While these outfits aren't necessarily bold, they are the first outfit photos I took after deciding to do the PMT Style Challenge . {Top: A New Day | Shorts: J Crew Factory | Sunnies:  Bell's Brewing  |  Necklace: belonged to my Grandmother} The above mirror selfie was taken in the Starbucks bathroom during a quick pitstop on our way to the beach! {Top: Old from Ross | Jeans: Gap | Necklace: Forever 21} I wore this outfit on Tuesday when we went to the SC Aquariurm. But then I wore it again on Thursday when I went to bible study. I also wore pretty much the exact same outfit here . Not sure how else ...

It all started off with an email from this lovely lady: Her name is Jenn and she handles the web presence and event coordinating of Miracle Hill Thrift Stores . Also, she's super sweet. :) Anyway, I got an email from her about a month ago. She'd stumbled across my blog and wanted to know if I'd be interested in being in their Spring commercial. Um, yes! I met up with her a few weeks later at one of the local Miracle Hill Thrift Stores and we started combing the racks. It's a thrift store, you've gotta dig to find good stuff. We managed to find lots of great pieces from great brands. Forgive my face in the first photo! These are a few of the pieces we found. I had a lot to try on! These were all actually rejects for the shoot, but I ended up purchasing the Forever 21 top (left) and Mossimo skirt (right). That was such a fun day. My mom came over to babysit and I got out of the house! All by myself! Shopping followed by lunch with Jenn and home again to ...

Mossimo dress \\ Cynthia Rowley scarf \\ Kate Spade necklace \\ Xhilaration earrings \\ Aersoles shoes So, I know, last Saturday came and went with no bumpdate. Then Sunday, Monday and Tuesday wooshed by. And suddenly, it's Thursday. With my 28 week photos due the day after tomorrow, I decided to just skip week 27. As far as I can remember there isn't a whole lot of interesting to report about last week. Since I got a lot of compliments on my outfit today, I decided to do a quick SMP post. :) I got this dress from Target pretty soon after I found out I was pregnant. It didn't look very good on me, but it was $6 and I was pretty sure it would be useful in the coming months. I tried it on maybe around 20 weeks, and it still looked frumpy. Well, last night, as I'm trying to decide what to wear to my OB appointment (their scale always says I'm a few lbs heavier than mine does, so I wanted to dress as lightweight as possible, lol), I decided to try it ...