90's child

I will always be a dresses over pants girl - not only can you get fully dressed in 30 seconds flat when you wear dresses, but they are so much more forgiving & easy to find the perfect fit than when pants shopping!

I reviewed this dress on Snapchat last week (are you following? Find me by searching for jesshereandnow), but I'll repeat my gushing here too :)

I initially saw this dress online, & then again in the store, & didn't think much about it. However, when I was headed to the dressing room at Old Navy, it caught my eye once again & I thought "why not!?", adding it to my armful of clothes to check out in the fitting rooms. 

Once on, I was pleasantly surprised by its fit & details. Adjustable straps, slightly nipped in waist that looks great with or without a belt, flattering midi length, & smocked back to help it fit just right. And most of all, this dress *almost* makes me want to throw on a white baby doll tee underneath & re-live my 90s child glory days! But only if I still had my pair of Doc Martens! 

dress: Old Navy slip dress
Not a joke - Old Navy just posted an awesome coupon code: 41% off 1 item + 30% off the rest of your order! Code: NOTAJOKE

clutch: convertible clutch c/o Gigi NY

necklace: Kendra Scott chain necklace (no longer available, but achieve a similar look with this or this piece)

belt: J.Crew leather belt (from the men's department - I had my cobbler add a few extra holes so I can wear it at my natural waist)

shoes: Nisolo sandals

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography

Are you embracing the fact that the 90s are back?

Any other late 80s babies that are excited to finally embrace the more grown up styles of this decade??

Shop these exact pieces:

Rose & Serenity

dress: ASTR Lace-up bell sleeve dress (I'm wearing the XS)

shoes: Mora Malia mules c/o Hushpuppies

clutch: convetible "Carly" clutch c/o Gigi New York

scarf: vintage Vera scarf (loving this similar vintage Vera style for $30 & this one is only $15 (love me some Etsy finds!), although my heart is telling me that this Alexander McQueen scarf is totally worth its almost $400 price tag & who can resist the colors in this Kate Spade cutie?!)

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography

When the people of Pantone decreed that "Rose Quartz" & "Serenity" would be the colors of the year for 2016, I was, to be honest, left scratching my head in confusion... they seemed so grandma-ish & outdated. And then I proceeded to purchase multiple things with these "colors of the year" as the main colors - so, I am officially admitting I was wrong. Pantone was right. And these colors are the best.

These Hushpuppies mules are everything - the varied colors of blue are so fun! I have not only worn them with this dress, but also jeans, & love the results!

This dress has a fun retro vibe with the bell sleeves & lace up detail - it also comes in black if you have yet to embrace the "rose quartz" craze!

Have you added any rose quartz or serenity to your wardrobe lately?

Shop these exact pieces + some of the other blush/baby blue pieces I have added lately:

go green

Today's post sponsored by XFINITY, but all opinions are my own. Please see below for additional disclosure.

Nashville is expecting the arrival of Google Fiber later this year, & in the interest of making sure that we have the best option in cable service, my husband & I have been learning more about our current provider, & sharing some feedback about our experience. Check out my first XFINITY review post here.

Ever been locked in a heated battle over what to watch? Our house knows this struggle oh too well - husband has to watch his beloved Portland Trailblazer basketball games & I just want to watch E News! Luckily, as we have been learning more about the features of our system, we no longer have to worry about hogging the remote! I just figured out that we are able to stream every channel live with our current XFINITY system – a crucial feature that I learned Google Fiber doesn’t offer - straight from our devices!

Despite our sometimes very different TV watching preferences, with Cloud technology from X1, we stream channels live to our connected devices (I make him watch on his computer!) so we can both watch what they’d like. On week nights we are both pretty much camped out on the couch - me grading papers & catching up on my guilty pleasure shows, him following along with news/sports. While we may all have different favorite shows, it’s still great to spend time together (with the pugs squished somewhere in the middle). Our living room just became a multi-screen entertainment center!

Google Fiber doesn’t carry this capability, meaning you’re going to have to head to a different room or wait until everyone else is done with the TV to watch your shows. If you love live tweeting (and hate spoilers!) like I do, you’re always going to want to watch live!

To learn more about these & other amazing XFINITY features that we have been testing in our home, head to their live streaming FAQs.

dress: Elle collection for Kohl's

clutch: convertible "Carly" purse c/o Gigi New York (can also be worn as a shoulder/crossbody bag)

shoes: DSW mules (sold out, shop this similar pair for under $100)

sunglasses: Carrera sunglasses c/o Sunglasses Shop

necklace: super old (from when I worked in a boutique during college), but I love how much it looks like this mega expensive version from Oscar de la Renta. If you are looking for a similar resin link necklace I am into this from Neiman Marcus Last Call & this from BaubleBar.

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography

Shop these exact pieces:

XFINITY partnered with bloggers such as me for this program. As part of this program, I received compensation for my time. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about any product mentioned in these posts. XFINITY believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. XFINITY’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

Can we also talk about how amazing this dress from Kohl's is!?

I'm also partnering with Kohl's to talk about my undies drawer + giveaway a $50 Kohl's gift card. Read more about my panty drawer make-over here & enter to win the gift card below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

pep

shirt: Nordstrom striped peplum top (currently sold out, similar styles below). Additionally, this top is from the brand Chaser & I am super impressed with the quality of their items & how soft each tee is. How cute is this lip print tank!?

jeans: Citizens of Humanity flare leg jeans

shoes: Sole Society leopard pumps (one of the best leopard prints I have seen on a shoe yet!)

necklace: LOVE necklace c/o Sheer Addiction Jewelry

purse: "Carly" convertible purse c/o Gigi New York (told you I would be wearing this purse a ton! See how I wore it as a clutch in Monday's post)

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography 

Here is the problem with my budget shopping ways: I usually purchase things when they go on super sale, & then by the time I receive the item, photograph it, & write up a post for this here blog, the specific items are typically gone! Which is sadly the case for this adorable striped peplum tee (original link here in case they restock it - fingers crossed!).

But what I love about this top is the shape, so I have found several similar tops with peplum details for you. The peplum style this year is slightly less structured than the manifestations we have seen in previous years (some brands are even calling it a "flounce" instead of a true peplum), so pair it with more fitted bottoms or skirts for a super polished look!

Ladies - don't throw out your skinny jeans, but jean styles for Spring/Summer are popping up with more and more bootcut/flare leg options! I have had this pair of flare jeans since college (see all the ways I've worn them on the blog here) & I love how they look with a pointy heel!

If you have abandoned your wider leg options since their last round of popularity, I am linking my favorite premium styles below. These are all from denim brands I have worn & loved like Hart Denim & BLANK - with a couple of them under $100! And this style I found at Old Navy looks extremely similar to the style I am wearing today & they are only $30 (with most sizes in stock).

So what goes around really does come back around - if the resurgence of the 90s clothing I wore as a kid weren't enough of a reminder - it now time to embrace the peplum & flare leg styles once again!

What old-is-new again trends are you planning to rock for Spring?

Bloggers Who Budget: Neutrals for Less

Sharing My Sole | Lou What Wear | Let It Be Beautiful | Here&Now | Pearls & Twirls | Stylin in St. Louis

sweater: Nordstrom long open cardigan

jeans: ASOS Ridley jeans (I have the petite version)

tank: leather tank via Nordstrom Rack

scarf: J.Crew (solid version)

heels: Steve Madden "Stecy" heels

purse: "Carly" convertible purse c/o Gigi New York

hat: J.Crew Factory felt hat (also loving this similar style at Nordstrom)

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day weekend! Tyler & I tried out a new Nashville brewery - Smith & Lentz - on Saturday, & then continued our V-day dive bar tradition with burgers & pool at Gold Rush (super smoky, but with cheap beer + $1 pool games, we were willing to give it a try!)

Today the Bloggers Who Budget are back showing off our neutrals for less. I have been living in these ripped black jeans ever since I brought them home at the end of the Summer. In fact, they have already appeared on the blog 7 times (8 now with this post!), which is wild because if I photographed my outfits every single day, I'm sure the number would be closer to 70! The base of this outfit (black jeans + black top + black shoes) is also what I refer to as my "cat suit" because I can add accessories to it a million different ways, making a new outfit each time.

This leopard scarf was one of those J.Crew purchases that I paid way too freaking much for at the time, but now it's cost per wear is down to pennies & I wish they still sold this exact piece! I think it's best feature is that it is oversized & looks great worn looped around or just hanging straight. Plus it will always be my airplane wrap because it is the perfect size + weight for wrapping around my self during an on board nap (one of my super human skills is being able to settle in for a nap even before the plane takes off!). This print is currently sold out, but this is the exact J.Crew scarf (only available in solid colors) & I am loving the print on this scarf for Spring. 

I am also super excited that I tried out this long sweater look & it actually worked. As someone who technically qualifies for petite status (5'3" over here), I was worried that the longer length cardi would overwhelm my frame, but I am quite happy with the end result.  Unfortunately it looks like this exact sweater is now in limited sizes, but I've rounded up similar styles below: 

What have you tried out lately? Anyone else living in neutrals lately? 

Although, everything I've purchased in the past month is either baby blue or blush pink - I blame Pantone!

Shop these exact pieces:

hopeless romantic

skirt: swan print midi skirt c/o Chicwish (Love the fit of this skirt! The back has several inches of elastic, so it easily slips on, & fits perfect. I ordered the S/M size & it fits great, no alterations needed)

sweater: bedazzled neck sweater c/o Chicwish (last worn with jeans here)

heels: Steve Madden Stecy heels (I adore the minimal look of these heels!)

clutch: "Carly" convertible purse c/o Gigi New York (get ready to see A LOT of this cutie - it is love!)

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography

Maybe I'm the only one, but I think it is hilarious that we have made personalities for so many different types of animals. Polar bears like to party with Coca-cola, Pandas are couch potatoes, Raccoons are little robbers, pugs are the best dogs ever (duh!) & Swans are obviously birds of romance. I mean, they do mate for life, so I'll just go on assuming that they are die-hard romantics!

I also think that this skirt is so cute for Valentine's Day! This is going to be my teacher outfit on Friday (with my black Tieks of course), but it is equally adorable for a chilly date night look too!

What are you feelings on animal print clothes? Are you pro-swan?

Shop these exact pieces below:

cozy casual

sweater: oversized sweater c/o Chicwish

jeans: ripped white jeans c/o DL 1961 denim (shop the non-ripped version here)

shoes: Chukka booties c/o Hushpuppies

purse: monogrammed cross body bag c/o Gigi New York

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography

2 of the major factors that govern what I bring into my closet are where I live & the size of my closet.

Because we are lucky here in Nashville to have relatively mild Winters, paired with the fact that I have limited closet space in my 700 square foot apartment, the majority of my closet space is dedicated to the pieces that I can wear all year long. In fact, year long wearability is one of the biggest factors I have been considering when purchasing new items recently - especially when we are considering moving to the Pacific Northwest in the next year, which also experiences fairly mild year-round temperatures.

What I like about this outfit is that I can wear 80% of these pieces in any season & just by switching out the sweater for a lighter option top, this look instantly goes from Winter to Spring (just around the corner y'all!) 

I already wore these jeans + shoes + sunglasses (& the purse would have totally matched too!) in Fall (see the outfit here), so now I am dedicated to making this outfit work for every season. What can I say, I like a good wardrobe challenge!

This is one of the 20 murals I posted in my Nashville mural guide - check it out here.

Do you like to rock your clothes all year long or do you prefer switching over your wardrobe for each season?

This sweater is super cozy (loving the side splits!) & now on sale!

Shop the rest of my outfit below: