Spring Style Essentials for 2017

Hello, friends! It's been a busy week over here, mostly playing catch-up after being sick. I still have frequent sinus headaches and a cough, but I'm getting there, and I've been picking up the pieces from last week, when not much got done at all, especially around the house. On Tuesday I deep-cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, and now it's time to move on to the rest of the house, which is mostly just vacuuming up all the crumbs left behind by my cracker-loving baby.

Today I'm excited to share my spring style essentials for the year with you! I usually love fall and winter and would be more than happy to have the cold weather hang around forever, but after our particularly gloomy winter in the Pacific Northwest, lately I've been craving the sunshine and warmth of spring. These are the top items that I'm loving for spring this year:

01. The Perfect Trench Coat      I've been on the hunt for a new trench for a while now, ever since I gave away my not-so-great black trench. It's such a classic silhouette, and it pairs well with so many items. I love how it can upscale even the simplest t-shirt and jeans look into something chic and put together. This one is initially from H&M, but I picked it up on Poshmark for a fraction of the price, and I'm super in love with the fit of this guy. I also love the striped lining! So cool.



02. A Pair of Slides or Mules      Oh my goodness, I don't think I've ever jumped on board with a trend as fast as I did with this one. Since I had Adelaide, I've given away all my crazy high heels (which I always felt like an ungraceful giraffe in anyways...though they did make my legs look pretty great), and started carefully bringing more practical footwear into my wardrobe. And these guys are super practical, in addition to looking really cool and modern. This pair is from Forever 21, which, I know, I know...but they look really similar to the Madewell version, which this stay at home mama is far from being able to afford. I will say, though, they look expensive, they're really comfortable, and the quality is not bad for the price.

03. A Baseball Cap     Another trend I was super excited about. I've always been a fan of baseball caps. When I was little, I had an American Girl cap that I wore all the time, until it got ratty enough that my mom wouldn't let me wear it out of the house. And when I worked at Panera, I actually really liked the hats that we had to wear. I wasn't entirely sure how often I would wear it now, until I saw a super cool mom at the store rocking one, and I was like, "Yes. I need one." It's great for bad hair days, and I love it for when we're out and I have my hair up, because I have all those awkward baby hairs that stick out after a while, and this hides it perfectly. I chose this one because well, denim goes with everything. I also kind of want to pick up a leather one.



04. A Bandana     Yet another trend that I was happy to jump on board with. I wore bandanas all the time when I was a kid. I don't think they were cool then, but I loved them. These guys look super chic worn as a neck scarf, as a headband, or tied around the strap of a purse to add a bit of flair. This one was a cheapo one I picked up at Fred Meyer, and I went for black and white, because it goes with everything and feels a little more Parisian than cowboy.

05. A Tote Bag     I've been wanting a cognac leather tote bag for ages now, and I finally picked this (faux leather) one up at Fred Meyer. I waited for this one to go on clearance, and I finally picked it up for $11, marked down from $40 (which, if you're in the market for a cool tote bag and you live near a Fred Meyer...there are still a bunch on sale, and they're reversible!). I love the color and the simplicity and the fact that I can use it as a diaper bag!



06. The Perfect Spring Lipstick     This dusty rose-colored lipstick is my current favorite for spring. This particular lipstick is NYX's Thalia. It's a great formula, super pigmented, and wears well. I'm also on the hunt for more of a rose-brown color.

07. Pastel Nail Colors     These are my current favorite nail colors for spring. The blue is almost a denim shade, and I find that it goes with just about everything. This one is Nedra by Julep. And the pink is just so gorgeous. It's Daisy Bloom Marguerite by CoverGirl, and I bought it to wear for Easter, so I can't vouch for the formula yet, but I'm really hoping it's good, because it's so pretty!



There you have it! My essentials for spring. What are your essentials? Have you tried or would you try any of these?



Shop this post:

Spring Capsule Planning

Happy Monday, friends! I hope this start of the week is treating you well.

Can you believe Easter is this Sunday already? I feel like it really snuck up on me this year, and as always, I'm behind in preparations. I still haven't quite decided if I'm going to do an Easter basket for Adelaide, or if I'm going to wait till next year, and what, if any, traditions we want to start this year. I think I definitely want to start dyeing eggs as a family this year, even if Adelaide can't really participate. And I want to make a special breakfast for Easter morning, something simple so I don't have to get up too early before church, haha. We will also have a couple family dinners to attend, which will be interesting with Miss Baby, to say the least. It really all depends on her getting her nap in after church! What Easter traditions does your family have?



I always feel that Easter symbolizes the start of spring in the Pacific Northwest. The weather has finally started to warm up a little, the trees are in bloom, and it's hopefully a tiny bit less gloomy. I started itching for spring sometime in the beginning of March, and since then, I've been very carefully and intentionally building my spring wardrobe. The bulk of my wardrobe is layering pieces and more cold-weather pieces, so I wanted to really focus on bringing some spring/summer elements to my wardrobe, while of course working with what I already had in my wardrobe.

I also wanted to build up my closet a bit after purging so drastically, and so I've been working on adding in new pieces that work well with what I have to create a cohesive wardrobe.

And I think I'm just about finished with my spring capsule! I'm just waiting on one pair of shoes to come in the mail, and then I'm really excited to be able to share the whole capsule with you! (By the way, yes, this look is from my spring capsule! I just couldn't wait!)



What pieces are you adding to your wardrobe this season?



//Outfit Details://sweater: ThredUp (originally from the Gap, similar) / tunic: Ross (similar)/ necklace: Dear Muschka / bag: Fred Meyer (brand: Under One Sky) / leggings: Forever 21 / boots: American Eagle (similar) //



Shop this look:

My Favorite Minimalism Resources

Whether you're attracted to the idea of minimalism, but aren't sure where to start, or if you're a committed minimalist in need of inspiration, or just enjoy learning about minimalism, these resources are for you! These are some of my favorite resources for inspiration and tips. Even if I'm currently at a good point in my minimalist lifestyle, I still enjoy seeing how other people do minimalism. I find it interesting and inspiring to see other perspectives.

Documentary

Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things  - This documentary was put out by the Minimalists, who I think are the ones credited with starting the whole minimalist movement. I watched this documentary on Netflix (it's still available for streaming) right before I did my massive edit in January, and found it really inspiring. I liked seeing all the different lives they showed and how they made minimalism work for them. There were a lot of different stories, and it really does show that there is no one way to be a minimalist--minimalism is whatever you want it to be for you. What I didn't like was that personally, the message came across as a bit pretentious and over-dramatized. There was a little bit of eye-rolling from me. Those do sound like some pretty heavy criticisms, but I recommend it, especially if you're new to the concept of minimalism.

YouTube Channels

I came across a lot of really great YouTube channels when I was first starting to get on board with the idea of minimalism. Some of these are old favorites, others are more recent finds. All have a wealth of great videos to inspire you.

Lavendaire - I really enjoy Aileen's channel. For one thing, her lavender hair is mesmerizing. I also am inspired by her decluttering videos and her videos on the KonMari method. Again, it's just fun to see how others implement minimalism in their lives.

Light by Coco - Coco offers great advice for minimalism, or living light, as she calls it. She also has the most gorgeous speaking voice. Her channel has videos about decluttering and capsule wardrobes, and is what introduced me to the idea of a year round capsule wardrobe.

Jessica Avey - This isn't a minimalism-centered channel in any way, but Jess Avey is a mama and vlogger who decided to minimalize to get her house back under control, and she's sharing the process on her channel. It's been so fun to follow and I love that she's inspired so many others! I think her series is a great resource for anyone who is intrigued by the idea of minimalism but isn't sure where to start or how minimalism would work for them. Also, Jess is such a great person, and I'm so happy I found her channel.

Muchelle B - This is an awesome resource for minimalists. It's probably at the top of my list. I found it really great in January, as she was doing her Simplify Your Life challenge at the same time. I really enjoyed watching the videos and listening to her tips for all 30 days of the challenge. Also, just a really great way to guide you through an initial edit.

Samantha Lindsey - Samantha shares tips and encouragement for minimalism and a sustainable lifestyle. Her minimalism videos are helpful and practical, and I love her personality. She also inspired me to take further steps to living a more sustainable, waste-free life.

Books

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

If you're considering minimizing, this is the book to read. I read it within the past few months, over the span of just a couple hours, and her philosophy really resonated with me. It's definitely geared more toward a Japanese audience, and she does focus a lot on her own experience, but at the root of it all is the KonMari method. It's not a literary masterpiece, nor is it a manual on minimalism, but it is a very good place to start. And even if you don't want to go full-on minimalist, but just want to reduce clutter, it's a great handbook for decluttering.

Clutterfree with Kids by Joshua Becker

If you don't have kids, Becker has other books that are great. His blog (becomingminimalist.com) is also a great read. But minimalism and children are two things that don't seem to go hand in hand, and for parents looking to minimalize, this book is great. You can have kids and be a minimalist. Speaking of which, this is a great article on the subject.



If minimalism is something that's interested you, what have been your favorite resources? I'd love to check them out!

Winter Capsule Wardrobe Additions

Happy Tuesday, friends! I feel like my blogging schedule has been all over the place these days, but I'm working on getting it whipped back into shape, and hopefully bringing you more regular posts!

Anyway, I wanted to share some additions I've made to my capsule wardrobe. I mentioned in a previous post that I wanted my capsule to be more fluid to allow for flexibility, and also for the potential to replace pieces. I've already cut a couple of pieces that just didn't work for me because of poor quality and fit, and I've added maybe four pieces. Three of them are included in this post.


First, I picked up this little black dress for $6 on my last Goodwill trip. It's in great condition, it's the perfect length, a great cut, and the fabric feels nice, which is always important for me. I've already worn it 3 or 4 times since bringing it home, and I know it's going to be my new wardrobe staple!

Next, I snagged this gray turtleneck from the Target clearance rack for $4. It's so soft and cozy and the perfect shade of gray. I used to hate wearing turtlenecks because they felt too constricting on my neck, but now I have 3 that I absolutely love and are my favorite layering pieces. This one also has been on constant repeat since I bought it.


Finally, these boots. I think they've actually been part of all of my outfit posts since I got them for Christmas. They're comfy, practical, and they go with just about everything. If I had to choose one pair of shoes in my closet to keep and discard the rest, it would be these (or my wedding shoes...but those are neither comfortable nor practical).

I'm planning on doing a full capsule update right before I share my spring capsule. Is anyone else really over winter weather? I mean, I love all my winter pieces, but I'm just really excited for warmer weather (or even just sun? There was an article shared recently that Seattle has had only 3 days of sun since October!), and my spring capsule pieces.

What are you most looking forward to about spring?

//Outfit Details:// Dress: Thrifted (similar) / Turtleneck: Target / Belt: Thrifted / Bag: Thrifted / Boots: American Eagle (similar) / Necklace: Josh//



Shop this look: