Bloggers Who Budget: Blush for Less

I purchased this J.Crew Factory skirt a few months ago & really liked how I styled it for the blog back in February (post here), but then I saw a Kate Spade shop girl wearing a similar pleated skirt with flat motorcycle boots & she just looked so gosh darn COOL that I knew I had to recreate what she had going on! This is my best attempt - while I usually trend more preppy in my style, I like this extra bit of edge added to the sweet pink skirt!

Looking for an extra does of blush in your life (one half of the dynamic duo that Pantone named as the colors of the year), be sure to check out my fellow Bloggers Who Budget to see how they are styling their budget friendly blush pieces this month!

Pearls & Twirls | Let It Be Beautiful | Here&Now | Living in Color Style | Stylin in St. Louis

skirt: J.Crew Factory pleated blush skirt (no longer available in the blush color, but I found this near identical style for only $49 & linked several similar skirts below)

tank: J.Crew Factory layering tank

jacket: H&M faux leather jacket (several years old, but they have a similar style available now)

shoes: Rockport Chelsea boots {now under $100} (similar + budget friendly options here & here)

necklace: Sheer Addiction jewelry 

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography

I have a yellow pleated midi skirt that is similar to this skirt, & I have found myself re-creating some of the outfits I originally styled with the yellow skirt including this look & these outfits too! When you find what works… buy it in every color…? That is a saying, right?!

What pieces have you been wearing & re-wearing already this Spring?

Get the look - shop blush midi skirts:

Miriam Collection

skirt: J.Crew Factory metallic tweed skirt  (worn previously here)

tank: J.Crew Factory racerback tank (such a staple, worth stocking up on in multiple colors/patterns!)

jacket: H&M faux leather jacket (shop similar: 1 // 2 // 3)

hat: J.Crew Factory felt fedora

necklace: Miriam Collection "spear rosary" necklace ℅ FashionABLE

purse: Rebecca Minkoff (currently 40% off!)

booties: Indigo Rd. fringe booties ℅ Belk 

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo 

I previously wore this tweed skirt with a black & white striped button down, but was dying to also give this classic piece a little more edge.

My foundational Fall accessories are my felt hat, aviators, & leather jacket. My (faux) leather jacket was purchased at H&M for under $50 going on 3 years ago & it can't believe how great it has held up after many many uses! This year I added these fringe booties to the mix - kind of outside my usual style wheelhouse, but I'm happy that I initially gravitated towards them & made them mine. I am also loving the dainty jewelry from the Miriam Collection line at FashionABLE. This is the "rosary" necklace & it has been my go-to piece, adding the perfect detail to any outfit. 

So yet again, my outfit came together from various pieces in my closet, things that I absolutely love & cherish! It is a hard habit to cultivate, but I am certainly getting better at identifying items that are going to have staying power in my wardrobe, & eliminating any articles that aren't getting worn enough. So far this Fall I added the black & white striped button down, tweed skirt, pointed toe black flats, updated my felt hat & finally found the perfect pair of ripped knee black jeans.

As I have already added to many great pieces to my closet, that means that the things I'm not wearing enough have to go. I just added 15 new listings in my Poshmark Closet - from a tweed Zara blazer, to some wear everyday J.Crew tees! I have had great experiences buying and selling on Poshmark & if you haven't tried it for yourself yet, sign up using my code & get $5 off your first purchase (my items start at $10 - so it is like getting it 50% off!).

Sign up for Poshmark & use code "HNDCJ" for a $5 credit!

How do you keep what's in your closet at a manageable level? Extra storage? A strict one-in-one-out policy? Swapping clothes with friends?

home.

pants: twill jeans ℅ DL1961 denim*

tee: ℅ The Home T**

boots: Old Navy (currently crushing on this slip on Chelsea style boot from Old Navy too)

jacket: faux leather H&M (several years old & holding up beautifully!) - shop similar (all under $70!) 1 // 2 // 3

purse: Rebecca Minkoff 5 zip cross body (currently 50% off)

*DL1961 denim is having a super Labor Day sale that ends TODAY! Get up to 40% off new & sale items. Use code LABOR30 at checkout. (obsessed with this new rust color denim!)

**This isn't just an insanely soft tee. The Home T donates a portion of each sale to fund research finding a cure for MS. Read more about their charitable mission. 

All Photos | Kiernan McMullan

I'm thankful for talented friends that step in to take my photo in a pinch! Kiernan is my former roommate who also happens to be an amazing musician and more recently, been trying out his photog skills! If you are looking for new music, check out Kiernan!

Home is a funny thing. I have lived in Nashville, TN for the past 6 years, & it is the longest place I have ever lived since I left my childhood home at 18. Nashville truly is my home, the place where I am raising two adorable pugs with my smart & hunky husband, the city where I got my first real job, & the place where I have grown an incredible amount.

However, deep in my heart, is a country girl from Arkansas. This past weekend, I took my husband to a place of my youth - the Buffalo River in north central Arkansas. We floated the river with my mother, spending our days taking in the beauty of the rock cliffs shooting up around us, & our nights staring up into the deep black sky - so clear we could see the Milky Way. Driving back home Monday, my husband & I decided to avoid the same stretch of interstate that we have seen so many times on our drives between my parents'  home in AR & Nashville (I swear I've memorized every sign along the way!), & opted for winding back roads instead. The one lane highway connected tiny knots of towns - each with their own diner & antique shop that I was dying to stop in to get a peek! This slice of Arkansas certainly is a different way of life than the hustle & bustle of Nashville (one town we drove through had a population of only 33!), but it is these two pieces of me that make up my home.

What is home to you? The place you grew up? Where you are now? Some place you are dreaming of creating for yourself in the future?

Bloggers Who Budget: Spring Trends for Less

Sharing My Sole | The Style Letters | Let It Be Beautiful | Here&Now | Pearls & Twirls | Stylin in St. Louis | Living in Color Style | The Pumpkin Spot

This month the Bloggers Who Budget are back showing our favorite Spring Trends for under $75! Check out how you can link up below!

My favorite spring trend? Dramatic maxi dresses. I love that I can wear this PB&J Boutique dress right now with leather accents, & also am excited to peel off the layers exposing this fun back detail when the weather heats up. 

Looking to add some fun maxi dresses to your closet? PB&J Boutique loves Here&Now readers so much that they are offering 20% off your entire purchase using code "JESSICA20"!

{What I Wore for dinner + drinks: Caribbean Maxi dress ℅ PB&J Boutique // H&M faux leather jacket // Nine West lace-up heels ℅ Off Broadway Shoes // Kendra Scott "Rayne" necklace // Gorjana Bracelet via RocksBox subscription* // Ray Ban aviators // Red lipstick ℅ The Lip Bar }

*I was provided a complimentary subscription to Rocksbox, but am truly hooked! Sign up using my code and get your first month free! "HEREANDNOWXOXO"

(UPDATE: sorry if you tried to use the code & it was incorrect! All fixed now!)

all photos | Kate Davis Photo 

Bloggers Who Budget Link-Up Details: The Bloggers Who Budget ladies would like you to join in on the fun every 3rd Monday of the month, starting 8 AM EST! The BWB link-up is all about sharing how you shop on a budget. Each month will have a theme, which will be announced ahead of time. We want YOU to join in the fun of styling something around our monthly themes & can’t wait to see it!

Want to join the BWB link-up? The third Monday of each month at 8 AM EST, you can head to any one of our blogs to link-up your post. We kindly ask that you please follow all of our blogs (via Bloglovin’, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram!). Also, please provide a link to this in your post or add the button below to your blog. If you tweet, please use the hashtag #BloggersWhoBudget.

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Holiday Happenings: Christmas Party

Joining up with my girlfriends to show you how we dress for Holiday parties!

It seemed that everyone was having parties last weekend (if the time I had to wait for an Uber was any reflection), & I was right there with them! We celebrated the (almost!!!) end of the first semester. This first semester of teaching has been trying in just about every way possible, some that I didn't even know existed, & we are so close to the half way point (3. More. Days.)

Nothing like celebrating teaching the next generation like wearing a ballerina tutu & toasting to funny stories from the trenches - kids DO say the darndest things!

{ What I wore to my work holiday party: J.Crew factory striped top (similar, under $20!) // H&M faux leather jacket (similar, under $60!) // Shabby Apple tulle skirt // ShoeMint heels // earrings ℅ Amelia Rose Design // RayBan sunglasses // Daisy Gem necklaces }

All Photos | Kate Davis Photography

This skirt really does make me feel like a princess! I have worn it before more casually, & then for Christmas last year as well, but I think this is my favorite way yet!

The edgier accessories & these stunning earrings really seal the deal for me.

What are you wearing to your holiday parties this year?

windowpane

{ What I Wore: skirt ℅ Chicwish // faux leather jacket from H&M // Steve Madden over the knee boots // J.Crew Factory tank // nameplate necklace ℅ T. Audrey }

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

Black and white and easy all over.

P.S. Stretchy skirts are key during this season of eating.

What is your post-Thanksgiving meal outfit trick?

yearly PSA

{ What I Wore: dress ℅ White Plum // J.Crew scarf (love this season's style) // H&M faux leather jacket (similar, under $100) }

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

Apparently I am making this my yearly announcement (the last announcement came in January 2013) - Ladies, your maxi dresses/skirts work just as fabulously for Winter as they do for Summer. Layer up the jackets, scarfs, & hide an extra layer of tights underneath… the maxi truly is a year-round staple!

I could live in this dress (& have before) so my arm definitely does NOT have to be twisted to leave it hanging in my closet even in cooler months (thank you polar plunge!)

What Summer look are you surprised to find works equally well during the Fall/Winter months?