Holiday Outfit Inspiration

Merry Christmas! I can’t believe it is already that time of year. Where has December gone? I wanted to get this post up before Christmas since my life is going to get even crazier starting tomorrow (if that is possible). I really love dressing up so I wanted to do a holiday outfit inspiration post. These are the five outfits that I have been wearing for the past week and that I will continue to wear at least through New Year’s. I love plaid but did not feature it too much since I usually wear the most plaid leading up to Christmas. I did want to give you all some ideas for ringing in 2020.

I feel like dark green and blackwatch plaid carry through January since they are a little more muted! Blackwatch skirt old Pendleton (similar), blazer similar (another option that is on sale), headband Nordstrom Rack (I could not find the exact color online but they might still have it in store, I was there over the weekend and they still had lots of them), heels Nordstrom (on super sale!).

I did have to include at least one other plaid in here. I wasn’t very sure about this skirt in the beginning but I love it! Plaid skirt J. Crew Factory, t-shirt Everlane (I actually planned to wear a black turtleneck with this but somehow it did not make it into my bag), heels Nordstrom.

I had to include this Gal Meets Glam dress (similar from the most recent collection) since it is so perfect for New Years! I also just think Gal Meets Glam has great dressier options (here is another great one). Jacket is Mark and Graham and shoes are Nordstrom.

I think this is my favorite outfit of them all! It is also not very holiday specific so it could work through spring. Blouse is topshop, shoes are Sam Edelman, earrings are J. Crew Factory, bag is Kate Spade (similar color), sunglasses Karen Walker and I actually borrowed the pants from my sister but originally planned on wearing black leggings or a skirt with this.

Okay my last outfit just has to be this plaid KJP dress (their cable knit dresses would be great for the rest of winter). It is so comfortable and perfect for this time of year. I paired it with some KJP socks and Bean boots but I also wore it at Thanksgiving with tights and riding boots.

Have a wonderful holiday!

❤

Erin

Books to Get in the Halloween Mood

This time of year is the best! I just love everything and probably talk about it way too much. Halloween is such a fun holiday and I love embracing October as that season. Give me all the pumpkins, corn mazes, costumes, witches, etc… A big part of what influences my mood are books. I love theming my books to get me excited and even more into that season. So here I am listing books that give me all the fall/Halloween feels. Most are mysteries but my criteria are just books I either love to read at this time of year or books that I always pictured set during October. I have not read a lot that would probably be on this list so I am just giving a disclaimer that I am only including books I have read or am reading now.

The Seven and a Half Death’s of Evelyn Hardcastle: I am reading this now and am really enjoying it so far. I can just feel the crunchy leaves, forest paths and cool air. It is the perfect choice to get me in the mood right now.

Harry Potter (any but especially the first book): It is true that I could read Harry Potter any time of year but the best time to read it is October through December. I just love all the holiday scenes and it goes perfectly with a cozy blanket and cup of tea.

Murder on the Orient Express: Agatha Christie is a fantastic writing and this classic story lives up to the hype. I first read it for a project in eight grade and it has been a favorite ever since.

Sherlock Holmes: I have loved every Sherlock Holmes mystery that I read. They are relatively short, interesting and great for October evenings. I also enjoy great detective stories in general!

Magpie Murders: A great murder mystery (involving a editor) that has great twists and is perfect for Halloween.

A few books I am looking forward to reading: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, The Women in the Window by A.J. Finn and Serpant and Dove by Shelby Mahurin.

I would really love to hear about any books you love for this time of year!!!

❤

Erin

2018 in Pictures

I am a little later than I had hoped for this, but I wanted to do the same thing as last year and review 2018 in photos (here is the link to 2017’s year in pictures). I think this is such a fun way to look back on the year and remember all that has happened. I will sat that 2018 was filled with more challenges than 2017 but there were also some major life changes and fun adventures. I hope to do a bigger reflection post on this in the future but for now, here was my year in pictures:

I am so thankful for all the opportunities I had in 2018 and for all the people who have been in my life (and who I met!). I look forward to continuing to grow and challenge myself in 2019.

Happy 2019!

❤

Erin

Casual Trail Walking

SO this post is going up much later than I expected. I had a whole bunch of posts planned and started for the end of April but the WiFi in Nebraska would not let me upload any pictures no matter what I tried. So I am just going to be releasing all those posts from April throughout the next week.

This is the perfect spring/summer casual outfit. I love it! It is so comfortable but also very cute and great for warmer weather. My mom and I headed out for a walk on Earth Day on Bobolink Trail in East Boulder. It is a great trail for mountain views and it follows a nice little creek. I haven’t had great internet here in Nebraska so finishing blog posts has been tough.

Shirt similar, Shorts similar, Sunglasses Amazon, Shoes Keds, Hat similar

❤

Erin

Rainy Days

The last couple of days have been really rainy (we even had a little snow). We always need moisture over here so it was a great way to end the week. I spent some time getting cozy with a book and a good cup of tea on Friday and went out for a fun adventure on Saturday. The rain gave me a great excuse to try my new rain gear. I really loved both the umbrella and the yellow rain jacket! They have held up well so far and I love how the umbrella covers so much.

I hope you are having a good weekend!

❤

Erin

Around the Web

This month has been a crazy one so far. I am still in such a place of transition, attempting to find my way and figure out my next steps in life. I almost definitely will be attending graduate school next year and am in the process of making some big decisions in that regard. I have been able to do tons of reading and have loved getting caught up on all the current books. I loved both the book Big Little Lies as well as the TV show, although I did not love the way the TV show did the ending (I know they are trying to set up for a second season). Anyways, here are some things that have been on my mind lately:

Hunter for Target: I have had this marked in my calendar for the last month and was so excited when it launched on Saturday. I will start my saying it definitely will not be as high quality as Hunter, which is why I was a little surprised to hear about this collaboration in the first place. Hunter has always been about quality and while I love Target, it definitely is not normally a place to buy high quality items. Women’s tall rain boots were delayed but they have some great items. I love their kids items. They are all so cute, plus kids grow so fast that having a cheaper option for rain gear is great! I bought the yellow rain jacket which I absolutely love. I also got the bubble umbrella in pink, which is so cute. It doesn’t rain a ton where I live so I have been really wanting something cute but I don’t really need to splurge on quality since I rarely use it. I do have a nice North Face rain jacket for hiking and backpacking trips but wanted something for day use around town. I am also eying this sweatshirt. I tried it on in store and it is so flattering!

Friendships: This year one of my goals has been to focus on friendships. It can take so much time and effort to maintain relationships once they are no longer part of school or work. Since I graduated last year I have started to realize just how much more you have to work when it is not already worked into your daily schedule. Although I was already well aware of the things on this list, it served as a good reminder to reassess my goals and put some extra effort into my friendships, especially while I have the time to do so.

The Simple Sophisticate Podcast Episode: I loved last week’s podcast episode from the Simple Sophisticate. It was an interview with M.L. Longworth and I am so excited to read her books. I also just really enjoyed hearing about France from her. She also talked about some great summer sandals that am very curious about.

Get Better Mindset Talk: My dad sent me this talk a few weeks a go and I didn’t get around to it until yesterday. It is all about the mindsets most people have and how they  revolve around being good and proving ourselves. Hedi Grant Halverston introduces the “Get Better” mindset as an alternative to the “Be Good” mindset. I found it to be useful and it couldn’t have come at a better time for me.

❤

Erin

A Perfect Spring Day

This week has been so crazy. I went to some incredible sessions at the Conference of World Affairs at CU. One was on Technology, Science and Agriculture and sparked my curiosity in how we produce food as well as how we teach younger generations about where our food comes from. That is not something usually included in schools, especially high school, so I am so curious about how it can be integrated into the classroom in public schools. The other session I went to was on impactful books. Although I have such a long reading list right now, I can never pass up an opportunity to learn about books that have been life changing for people. One book that intrigued me was Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges, which is a collection of short stories. One speaker shared Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain, as one of her books, and I am reading it right now!

I also had an amazing day shooting for RockHill Designs on Thursday and wanted to share some pictures. This is the white top I am wearing, its perfect for spring and summer (here is a similar one and here is another with that same hem)! I am going to do a bigger post with some RockHill favorites next week, but here is a sneak peak. I chose my favorite behind-the-scene shots:

I hope you have a relaxing (and warm) weekend!

❤

Erin

Book Review: The Bookshop on the Corner

Happy Monday!

This book review is going to be a little shorter than the last but I have been reading a lot lately and really wanted to keep you all updated on my favorites. I recently read The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan and loved it. It has actually been on my radar since last year and I finally got the chance to read it. It is the story of book lover named Nina and her journey. Her passion for books is very strong and she can’t imagine doing something that does not bring that love into her life every day. The catch is that she also is not a risk taker and struggles a bit with having confidence in herself.

When the library Nina works at closes, her whole world is flipped up side down. She has no idea what to do. A crazy idea hits her, to run a bookshop from a van. This story takes you through this whole endeavor and her relationships with the people she meets from taking a giant leap of faith.

Several moments in this story helped me remember how important it is to be good, to help those who might be in a much more difficult situation than my own. This seems pretty vague now but makes much more sense when you read the book. I don’t want to spoil anything and this is one of my favorite parts! Beyond just helping others, I thought a lot about how much we jump to conclusions and see people how we want to see them, not how they really are or how they want to be seen.

It is overall just a great read that is very heartwarming while also being a quick, easy read. I am looking forward to reading some more of Colgan’s books!

❤

Erin

Lemon Lovin’

Yellow is always a great spring/summer color and this year it is especially in. I absolutely fell in love with this dress the moment I saw it. I love the colors and the lemon print. I was a little concerned about the fit because I ordered a small but when it arrived the wrap didn’t seem to fit very well. It kind of drooped really low in a weird way. Instead of getting a smaller size, I decided to just move the snap. The rest of the dress fit perfectly and I loved it so much that I really wanted to make it work. I am really glad I kept it because it is going to be perfect for any spring/summer event. I took these photos at Magnolia Plantation, just outside of Charleston. It is such a beautiful place!

Dress Ella Moon, Shoes Soludos, Sunglasses Amazon, Bag Everly Oak

I hope you are having a great week despite this crazy weather. It seems like spring is not too sure about really coming to stay. Happy Wednesday!

❤

Erin

10 Favorite Outfits: March

This month went by way too fast (this past week in particular). I am at the airport as I am writing this, headed back to Colorado. It is bitter sweet since this week was so great and I am really going to miss a lot of people. I am really excited to see my family, and the beautiful mountains though.  Here are my favorite outfits from the past month:

Snow day: Jacket ASOS, Shirt similar, Jeans similar, Socks similar, Boots similar, Belt Talbots

Work day: Blazer similar, Jeans similar, Shirt similar, Booties similar (also these), Earrings Baublebar, Sunglasses similar (also these)

Work day: Jacket ASOS, Pants similar, Booties similar, Sweater Abercrombie, Necklace similar, Glasses Oliver Peoples, Scarf Halogen (similar)

Walking around town: Jacket H&M, Top Aeropostale, Skirt similar, Booties similar, Bag Tribe Alive

Work day: Shirt similar, Belt Talbots, Jeans similar, Shoes similar, Watch Cluse

Cloudy beach day: Sweatshirt Vineyard Vines, Leggings J. Crew Factory, Sneakers Nike

Myrtle Beach: Top similar (also this one), Skirt H&M, Hat vintage Nordstrom

Charleston: Coat ASOS, Pants Lost + Wander, Top similar (also this one), Bag Everly Oak, Shoes Soludos, Scarf Halogen (similar), Sunglasses Amazon

Last day of work: Top similar, Pants similar, Shoes Aldo, Scarf Halogen (similar), Earrings Baublebar

Travel day: Jacket H&M, Top similar, Sunglasses similar, Pants similar, Shoes similar

Happy Saturday!

Erin