Hey all! I just wanted to drop a line real quick to introduce Livi. Yes, I know that she has done so already, but I wanted to brag about her. I am SO lucky that Livi is joining me here at Sensibly Styled! We were next door neighbors in college, and let me tell you… she was always dressed to the nines! (while I was hardly noticed for having any style at all…. probably because I didn’t…). And yes, that is me making a HORRIBLE face below, and Livi looking all cute. She emailed me this picture yesterday and it made me laugh, so yes, I am allowing you to laugh at me as well. (This was a party at her place in college-a themed/dress up party- and that is my then crush, now husband, wearing the bandanna in the background.)

Livi is awesome, she is the master “accessorizer” and she is just dang cute, all. the. time. As you can see in the side bar on the right, Livi’s email is now there… so, if you have any questions, or ideas, or even have some great finds… shoot Livi an email at livi@sensiblystyled.com Of course, I am still available as well, so shoot me an email too if you want! natalie@sensiblystyled.com

Alright, welp… I’ll see you later gators!

P.S. DownEast Basics Blog is having an awesome giveaway… check it out! (the prize is a $150 gift certificate!)

Hi,

I’m Livi and I am so excited to say that I am going to be posting on Sensibly Styled!    I love shopping (just ask my husband) and especially online shopping.   I am going to have so much fun sharing my finds with you and I hope you enjoy it as well.   Some of my favorites: red lipstick, packages in the mail, bike rides, popcorn, gwen stefani, boots and more!

Feel free to email with any questions, comments or ideas!  Contact:  livi@sensiblystyled.com

I already think you’re all FABulous!

Hey guys! I put together an outfit for today’s post but something weird is happening with my site! It won’t let me upload the image. So, I’m afraid that I will have to wait until Zach gets home to help me figure out what is up. Sorry!

So… while I was away, we went camping near Hood River in Oregon. (Jane was SO excited to see her cousin Cash that she just couldn’t keep her hands off of him! It was so cute, and a little scary!) Then we went white water rafting in White Salmon WA. It was the first time I had been and it was a blast!

In the top picture you can see that the rafting guide tricked me and my sister and her husband into sitting on the front of the raft (I don’t know why I listened) And it was HORRIBLE! SO much water went up my nose. And you can see all the guys in the back laughing at us. jerks. Anyways, that was that!

Afterward we went up to Seattle to stay with my brother and his family. While we were there we went to Gas Works Park (top left) Then to see the troll that lives under the bridge (top right) the gum wall at Pikes Place (also shopped around but didn’t seem to take any photos) (middle left) Had a birthday party for me at my parents house (middle right… this was before we went to seattle…) And then Zach and I rented a canoe and went out on Lake Washington.

It was a fun trip!

I have a question about what to wear when you’re in that awkward stage when you’re newly pregnant before you start showing, but your big bloated belly makes it look like you are.  I’m only 11 weeks along so I don’t have a baby bump, but by the end of the day I can barely do up my pants.  I’m not ready to wear maternity clothes or tell my boss that I’m expecting…what should I wear??  Any suggestions?  I have to wear business clothes to work and I’m having a hard time balancing comfort and professionalism.

Thanks for your help!
Tiffany

Dear Tiffany,

First off… congratulations! Secondly, I would check out this post that Emily did a while ago about being “barely pregnant”. Thirdly…  Dear Readers: any ideas from you that you have used?

Image from the post "barely pregnant"

Congratulations Melissa! Please email me your contact information! Thanks so much to Sara of Simple Serendipity for making such cute jewelry for us all to drool over!

If you didn’t win… now worries! Use code SENSTYLE at checkout to recieve 10% off! (You will be charged full price, but 10% will be refunded to your paypal account)

Kristin, at Simple Sage Designs, saw the dress on the left… and made the dress on the right. I love it! Go to Simple Sage Designs to see how she did it! Thanks Emily for the link!

Yay for giveaways! Sara of Simple Serendipity is giving away a $20 gift card to one lucky winner to spend in her shop however you would like. I’m sure some of you are thinking… “only $20?” But… EVERYTHING in her shop is $5 or less!!! That means you are getting AT LEAST 4 items if you win!!! And everyone knows that cute earrings are perfect accessories for any outfit! Go on over to Simple Serendipity and then come back here and leave a comment letting us know your favorite item!!!

Here are some of my favorites:

All entries must be received by Thursday July 29th at midnight!!! Good luck!

I have been HORRIBLE at answering emails these last several months. I’m sorry!!! I got the email below a couple days ago and thought I would look to my readers for answers…

Dear Sensibly Styled,

I’ve been struggling with this, and I thought, who could help me better but the awesome people at Sensibly Styled? My problem is skinny jeans. I love them, and I want to buy them, but I have ginormous calves and “athletic thighs” with small hips and no waist at all. Every time I go out to buy skinny jeans I can’t find any that fit – I’ll try on a pair that fits my legs but is humongous around my hips, so then I go down a size and can’t get them over my calves. Have you heard of any good jeans for this problem? Right now I just buy bootcut jeans or stick with my good old trouser jeans from Gap, but there is such potential for skinny jeans that I really want a pair. I know this is a challenge for lots of women, and hopefully someone out there knows of something that works!

Thanks, you’re fabulous!

Sensibly Styled readers… do you have any suggestions for this lovely lady?

Hey guys, so… The Girls With Glasses Show just put this video together and Sensibly Styled is quoted at the end… check it out!

What People Are Saying from The Girls With Glasses on Vimeo.

PLUS: Remember how cute their clothes are from their theme song??? Well… go to Black Eiffel to get a breakdown of all your favorite looks!

Sorry I didn’t post at all this past week… my parents computer had a bug and it was just not happening… I hope your week was great and I hope you have a FANTASTIC Fourth of July!!! I’ll see you back here on Monday!

A while ago Emily wrote this post on Personal Uniforms (mom uniforms) and Melanie of You are my fave just did a post about her summer uniform. And I was thinking… what is my uniform? But really all mine is, is a t-shirt, and jean shorts or a skirt and flats. Nothing too exciting… What’s your summer uniform???

Photo of Melanie in her uniform

I’m off tomorrow morning to Portland OR to visit family and friends. Posting may be sporadic until I get back (first of July).  Jane has been on many flights between here and Portland and she has always been great but I am especially nervous about this flight since she is definitely a toddler. All she wants to do is run around and be loud… any tips? She is 15 months.

ALSO… this is the last week for voting for the Crocs Ambassador… and if you wouldn’t mind… I would love you if you went here and clicked on the “vote now” button!!! (It will take you straight to my brother Phillip’s page) I would really love for him to come visit!!!

Alright, so today I want to introduce you to Maggie. She is one of my dearest friends and is so freakin’ fun, cute, and stylish! In fact… when I was first coming up with the idea of Sensibly Styled I was talking to Maggie about it and she is the one who came up with the “Sensibly” of Sensibly Styled. Anyhoo… she studied Fashion Merchandising and let me tell you, if you saw her, you would know it. Welp, she did a little guest post for us today, but if we are lucky… we will get to see more from her soon!

So… what do you think? Do you just love her already? Check out Madewell right here.

P.S. I’m picking up a neighbors Wi-Fi… WOO HOO!!! I’m pretty sure I would die without the internet!

Hey, SO… voting is going on right now for the 15 semi-finalist to become a Crocs ambassador over on Crocs website (look for the button on the far right of your computer screen) and Facebook page… and my brother made is into the top 15!!! So, if you don’t know anyone who is also in the top 15 will you PLEASE take a minute to vote for him? If he wins than he gets a trip out here to CO and I would love to have my brother visit

This is a link to his direct page. His name is Phillip Cronin… look for this picture:

Isn’t my nephew Cash so cute? I think so… especially in those Crocs! Also… you can vote every 24 hours… if you love me… than you may just do that. haha

So… what do you think? Would you sport a pair of TOMS wedges?

found via Unruly Things

Zach and I went on vacation to New York City in April and while we were crossing the street I saw these two women who are both wearing white tops and black pants, but have completely different styles.

The girl on the left looks like she is a beautician or works at the cosmetics counter in Nordstrom and is going for a walk on her lunch break. Super trendy in her flats, leggings, long top, over sized sunglasses and accessories. She seems like a girl who loves shopping and magazines.

The lady on the right however looks like she is an artist, carrying her canvas to a coffee shop to show her friends. Her white top is the most basic white top you can find, with black capris and some converse all stars to top it off. She seems like the type of girl who is very creative and artistic.

haha. I had fun pretending to know what these girls are like. But I do think it’s interesting how basic a black and white outfit is, but also, how much it can say about you. (yes, I know… my little comments about what these girls are like are probably a little ridiculous… but it was fun)

Hey guys! I just wanted to let you know that I am going to try to blog as regularly as possible… but we are moving in less than 2 weeks! So things are pretty crazy over here. Okay, like really crazy. I shouldn’t even be on here right now because I have someone watching Jane so I can pack! So please excuse the inconsistency that will probably be experienced in the next couple weeks. However, like I said, I will try to be good!

Did you have an awesome Memorial Day? Tell me about it!

As anyone knows who is a frequent reader to this blog… we love Naomi over at Rockstar Diaries. Today… I wanted to share with you all that Naomi makes beautiful headbands! The good news… they are in stock right now! EVERY SINGLE time I have gone to look at her headbands… they are ALL SOLD OUT!!! But not today! So if you love her stuff… you better jump on the opportunity to get something before they are all gone! I have to say, that these are the perfect accessory to any outfit… any time of year!

Which headband is your favorite?

p.s. I went a little crazy and cut my hair yesterday…. myself… 4 inches off! I’ll post pictures when I can get them off my husbands phone. I thought I was going to have to make a 911 hair appt today but luckily… it turned out OK. (I think anyways)

Images via the ever-so-talented Rebecca Reed of  Rebecca Reed Photography.

Okay, so here’s the thing, I love Shade Clothing. I’m pretty much a devotee. But the first 100 times I looked at their website I just didn’t get it.  I don’t know where the disconnect in my brain was, but I just saw lots of sort of plain-ish clothes that I had no idea what to do with.

Then, I saw it.  Their Style Guide.  Shade does an AMAZING job of putting their clothes with the kinds of items that we all have in our closet anyway to create really wearable looks.  I love seeing the looks that they put together with clothes of theirs + clothes from other places, because isn’t that how we all dress?

Shade has really livable, wearable clothes.  Of course I love a J.Crew kind of look and an Anthropologie kind of look, but, I love the Shade look, too, and this is a perfect match for my lifestyle of picking up toys, playdates, wiping noses, etc.

Plus, the best part, is when you have a simple canvas of really wearable clothes that are easy to mix and match, then when you buy a special top or necklace from Anthropologie, it really takes the outfit up to a new level.  An easy upgrade.

Take this girl in the middle here:  I never would think to pair that sweater and that blazer together, but I think the outfit looks great.  I think we all have some dark wash skinny jeans in our closet, so we’re halfway there to that cute outfit.  Then, if you wanted to add a blouse instead of the sweater…upgrade!

two things I should mention:
1. Shade did not pay for, sponsor, or solicit this post. I’m seriously just a mega-fan of Shade and wanted to share.
2. The Style Guide is kind of hard to find on the website (why, Shade? Put it front and center!) but click the link, or from their blog you can go the the Style Guide category on the right and view all of the posts showing past Style Guides. I definitely recommend it.

I think that turquoise is one of those great colors that is so likable that it’s hard to overdose on turquoise. Is there anyone out there who doesn’t like turquoise?  What’s not to like?  It’s cheerful and bright, it’s just perfect for summer, and I bet it’s a color that flatters just about everyone.

I’m a little obsessed with the belt and necklaces here, as well as that floral tee.  I don’t know how those gathered sleeves would look on me, but I think I’m going to give it a shot.  It reminds me (in a good way) of a top I would have worn in the fourth grade.  Sometimes this 80’s trend happening right now can get a little ugly, like a redo of the worst the 80’s had to offer.  But I can appreciate some of the good that the 80’s brought us, namely a bright floral print.  Remember bodysuits?  I can distinctly remember wearing floral bodysuits with ruffled skirts in elementary school.

How about you?  Are you on board with the 80’s?  And am I guessing correctly, is turquoise a universally loved color?

striped tee, cardigan, beaded belt, ring, necklace, shirt, swimsuit, floral tee, swim wrap, skirt, necklace, tankini top, bikini bottom, swimsuit, earrings, skirt

No joke. This ad was on Targets website. I think we are doing it ladies (along with many many people who don’t know anything about this blog) But I think we as women are making a difference. We are making our standard known to the world. Known enough that we are a big enough group for them to advertise to! SWEET!!!

Sorry for the short post. I have jury duty today… and should have left hmmm about 5 min ago!

I am not an anthropologist, nor am I a guy…so this post is all just from my observations, but it seems to me that there are two kinds of cute out there when it comes to women’s clothing: one is girl cute and the other is guy cute. Girl cute are the kinds of things that other women compliment you on when you wear them. Most of these fashions tend to go right over the heads of the male population. Things like bows, ruffles, frilliness, or any type of adornment that doesn’t have a function.

Take these examples:
Pointy shoes? I don’t think guys appreciate that look. I’m not sure I do either, but most guys I know seem to have a very clear witch correlation in their heads.
Big bib necklaces?  All of that stuff, and it doesn’t really do anything?  Doesn’t make sense to guys.
Big sunglasses?  Honestly, I love me some killer Mary-Kate Olsen sunglasses, I’m definitely a fan.  I think, however, that these are firmly in the girl cute category.
Hair pieces?  Girl cute FOR SURE.
Dresses with big bows, big rosettes right in the middle, or ruffly skirts?  I think that to guys, it’s just a lot of fabric that has no purpose, which means they just don’t get it.

Of course, the bottom line to all of this is, who cares?  If you like it, then wear it.  Simple as that.  I remember a post from A CUP OF JO once where Joanna linked to an article she wrote for Glamour about this topic (she calls it girl pretty vs. guy pretty).  The most interesting part to me was the comment where a guy said “Cute girl in ruffles = a cute girl in ruffles.”  I think that’s exactly right.  Of course, I don’t think you have to give up your feminism or sense of self if sometimes you want to dress in a way that men can understand and appreciate, too.

It’s just interesting to see the chasm between girl taste and guy taste.

What do you think? What else is in the girl cute category?

Congratulations Tina! Please email me with your dress size and address! Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway, and a BIG THANKS to William Riera for having such an awesome giveaway! Don’t forget, if you didn’t win but would like to purchase a William Riera Dress… use code SENSIBLYSTYLED at checkout for 15% off your purchase!

I’ve had my eye on that cute short-sleeve jacket from Shade Clothing (bottom left) for a little while now, so a light spring green color came to mind this week. I’m definitely feeling the freshness of green lately. Oh, by the way, you know that these Color Wednesday boards are just a big round-up of lovely things all in the same color, right? I was thinking about it this morning and wouldn’t want someone to think I’m implying that green chino trousers would look great with a striped green cardigan, green earrings, and green espadrille wedges. Yikes, that’s a lot of green! These are just fun options to consider adding to your wardrobe to liven it up with some color, but color when it’s all matchy-matchy looks kind of silly, no? What do you think?

striped cardigan, button down shirt, floral skirt, cardigan, earrings, v-neck tee, dress, skirt, slingback flats, pants, knit dress, lightweight jacket, slingback wedges, espadrille wedges

Congratulations Kayleigh! Please email me with your address and swimsuit size! Thanks so much for everyone who participated in our Shade giveaway and a BIG THANKS to SHADE for making this happen!

p.s. There will be another post later but as of right now my daughter is on my lap trying to type with me… so I’m gonna have to wait until she is napping! So, stay tuned!

I love coral, although I usually refer to it as “salmon pink” because my husband has a rad thrift store shirt that is very clearly pink but he calls it salmon. Anyway, this is a great spring color. I love it paired with gray, tiffany blue, or with red in a monochromatic look.  I’m a little obsessed with that wrap cardigan at the bottom, and I’m A LOT obsessed with Emersonmade’s crazy awesome flowers.  Maybe the perfect Mother’s Day gift?  What’s your favorite?

swimsuit, maternity dress, wrap dress, scoop-neck dress, thong sandals, wedge sandals, cardigan wrap, sunglasses, scarf, espadrilles, swimsuit, wrap cardigan, boyfriend cardigan, necklace, printed heels, blazer, ruffled jacket, flats, flower pin

Alright, seriously ladies, I went a little crazy with the purple this week. And I’m not even purple’s biggest fan! But I kind of found a groove for searching sites for items of a specific color, and within minutes I found so many cute things. So…this week we have double the Color Wednesday fun because I just couldn’t edit down.  I think I would love all of these things.
I think that a deep purple is definitely one color that I need to try more often.  Like the shawl collar cardigan in the first picture?  It kills me.  So cute.  Or that belted dress with the silky bodice in the second picture?  Perfection.
It’s really interesting picking things by color because I usually have my favorite colors to wear (black, gray, red, white, florals, etc.) and don’t even pay attention when something cute is available in a purple color.  But, I guess that’s the point of Color Wednesday, to get us out of a color rut and show some new options.
Let’s all add some (grape) punch to our wardrobes with pretty deep purples!

dress, top, cardigan, ruffled blouse, belt, knit dress (it’s gorgeous!), crocs, moccasin flats, scarf, capri yoga pants, boyfriend cardigan

dress with rosette, layering tank, knit henley, swimsuit, striped dress, heels with bows, crochet hat, dress with waist-tie, houndstooth shift dress, silky belted dress, suede heels

For most of my life I hated the color navy. I thought it was just about the most boring, nondescript color ever. Lately, however, I’ve been warming up to the idea and find myself drawn to navy clothes quite often. It’s a perfect neutral, and pairs itself so well with tons of great colors.
Want to add more color to your wardrobe? Use navy as a neutral base and then add pops of color. Ballerina pink and bubble gum pink look great with navy, as do lime, a soft tangerine or salmon color, and golden yellow.  For example, look at the pretty tank with the floral collar.  The coral rose just pops right out at you and then later you notice the navy top.  I like that.

Navy is also a great color to use when you’re sick of wearing black, but want the chicness of black.  That navy pump is a perfect replacement for all the times when you’d probably wear your good ol’ black pumps, but want something just a little more interesting.

clockwise from top left:
loose cardigan, necklace, dress, sweatshirt, yoga pants, blouse, scarf, belt, swimsuit, silk pullover, pumps, shawl cardigan, floral tank

Hey everyone! Give a big thanks to Meredith for letting us know about a HUGE sale at New York and Co. Everything is 50% off through Sunday, including shoes and accessories. Maybe pick up a great pencil skirt for $24.97 or a cute tunic for $28.47. That tunic would be great with skinny jeans and sandals, and the skirt is perfect for work wear. They even have some great jackets to pair it with.  Oh, and use the code 1254 to get free shipping over $65.  If you find some great deals, let us know!

Thanks Meredith!

Fey Handmade just got some new designs in. You should check them out!

Alright… so I’m not the one organizing this blogger get together, but I’ll be there! I hope all of you who live in the Denver area will make it so I can meet you! Go on over to You Are My Fave to RSVP!

Congratulations Melissa! Please email me with your daughters dress size and address! Also, thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway and a big thanks to DeAnne from The Dress Party for making this happen! As for those of you who emailed… let me just say that I have shed many tears from reading your emails. We will email the winner by the end of the day today… and thank you for sharing your stories and others stories.

Hello ladies! We have a wonderful giveaway today! DeAnne over at The Dress Party wants to giveaway 2 dresses for your little ones! The Dress Party has a ton of cute modest dresses for your little ones for all occasions including: holidays, baptisms, church, and more! So… there are two ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment saying which is your favorite dress after going over to the dress party and picking one out.

2. Email me with a little write up of someone you think deserves a dress. (In the email subject line write “Dress Giveaway”) This could be someone you know who’s parents are out of work, or someone who just needs something nice. Tell us why the person you are nominating to win a dress deserves to win. (this can be your own kids or someone elses)

There will be a winner picked by random from the comments. And a winner picked with a lot of thought from the emails sent in. Winners will be announced on Wednesday March 3rd (The random winner will be announced here on the blog, and the email winner will be notified by email, for privacy reasons) Alright good luck!

This is a reminder for myself, but I have a feeling that many of you are in the same boat, right along with me. I am a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl, and that suits my lifestyle pretty well since I’m a stay at home mom of three boys under the age of three. But sometimes, even I get a little tired/bored of my super-soft Gap tees and comfy jeans. Here’s my solution: Cute knit tops!

It’s not a novel idea, for sure. But there are so many options for knit tops out there, and since they’re basically just a dressed up t-shirt, I can’t resist their soft and stretchy powers. I love ruffles, pleats, cowls, plackets, different sleeve lengths…I never met a knit I didn’t like.

So, this spring I’m going to upgrade my comfy style with some fun knits and switch up my jeans with some cute pants.  Top everything off with some bangles or a necklace, add some cheap and easy sandals and it’s just as comfortable as your favorite sweats and a baggy tee – but a million times cuter.

gray with rosettes, charcoal with ruffles, striped with cowl, green henley, bangles, necklace, black pants, pink ruffled henley, purple with smocked waist, red with ruffles, silver sandals

Bonny D! Congratulations! Please email  me with your size and shipping address!

For everyone else, thanks so much for participating and making this giveaway fun and successful. Next time I’ll try to make it more clear as to which outfit is by which person. And I’ll try to figure out why it only allows one vote per network, and not one vote per computer… (really sorry about that)

ALSO, if you want to know where to find the things in the outfits, if the outfit was made on polyvore, you can click on the picture of the outfit and it will take you to their polyvore page and show where everything is from. IF they didn’t make their outfit on polyvore, than you are out of luck… at least from me. It would just take way too much time to post where everything is from. I’m sorry. But there are 26 outfits! I’m sure you understand… Thanks again everyone, and a huge thanks to DownEast Basics for the giveaway!!!

Natalie

Alright, time to vote! Look below at all 26 outfits, then vote for your favorite! Voting will end Wednesday February 3rd at 7am and the winner will be announced!

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