I'm Crushing...

I change favorite stores so often...but I'm seriously crushing with some preppy playful girliness.  This week's dare is to buy something from at least one of these stores and just revel in being a girl!
 

So. Much. Fun. 
 

I'm tellin' ya--you'll be obsessed! 

 

First, I want you to say hello to some J. Crew fabulousness. 

 

I went through a stage where I really didn't like the preppy J. Crew look.  I think it was the ribbon belts, the chinos, the sweater, and boat shoe mix.  I thought it wasn't really my look.  I'm not sure if they've re-invented themselves in the last few years or maybe I just reinvented myself...either way--

I love me some J. Crew.

 

 

This adorable, perfect for fall shirt is only $34.50 right now...run to J. Crew right now and snatch this little beauty up!  Wouldn't this look great with a white collared shirt popping out from under it?

 

I've been in a blazer-obsession-mode lately.  Seriously, how many blazers can a girl wear to work this week...4 out of 5 days.  If I only had this blazer, I can guarantee I would have made it 5 out of 5.  Does anyone rival this streak?

 

Only 99.99 right now!  J. Crew

 

Go try a silk, printed blouse--with what else?  Hearts.  Adorable.

J. Crew

Sigh.

J. Crew

 

Yes, pink polka dots, we all know your cute.  Quit throwing it in our face. J. Crew

 

.   .   .

 

Secondly, I want to introduce you to some Kate Spade amazingness.

 

On sale for $129.99 from $258--this little spunky bag could be yours.  If you get it, promise to send me a picture and let me drool.  Go to Kate Spade.

 

 

Now, let's all take a moment to re-visit my obsession with leopard.  But just like the lecture I gave my husband in Target this week...there is a fine line between cheap looking animal print and superiorly classy...this, my friends, is the latter.

 

Go buy at Kate Spade

 

And since I'm attempting to persuade you to give the girly life a try--I've been dreaming of these for quite a while. 

Don't judge--just try them.  These are every little girl's fantasy done in a grown up, classy way.   Kate Spade

 

If these shoes don't quite fit into your budget, you can always do what I did...buy a $8 bottle of nail polish and wish you had it on your whole shoes.  Word to the wise: Don't put this polish on your piggies before going to get a pedicure.  The salon techs will hate you. 

Glitter just doesn't want to leave my feet, who knew?!

OPI- Rainbow in the S-Kylie

 

 

Oh, well aren't you the cutest little fluffy skirt that ever was?

Kate Spade

On Sale $199. Just to help you fuel a new obsession. Kate Spade

 

 

I'm hoping I hear at least one person give this obsession with being a girl a chance...

Monday Happies

Boy, do I have a treat for you!

Check out this cute little chevron shirt. 

I found it on Pinterest.  If you don't do it already, click on the links associated with the photo and actually buy that cute outfit you've pinned.  More often than not, it's affordable and you find yourself lost in a cute little boutique site that you would have never discovered otherwise.

Follow me on Pintrest here!

When I clicked on this shirt a few months ago, I discovered Tobi.com.

Today, Tobi's CEO is proposing to their stylist.

Meaning:  

SALES ALL AROUND!

Yipee!

I've devoured the site and picked out a few of my favorites! 

Run on over there and type in promo code KENLOVESMARIA50

and get everything 50% off of their already low original prices! 
New clarification because mine may not have been clear enough: Valid on regularly priced items
and 50% off the original retail price of all sale items.

(This post is not sponsored.)

Get Disco Collar Top here  

Get Striped Batwing Dress here

Get I'm with the Bandage Skirt here

Get Break it Up Button Down Shirt here

Get Zig It Back Open Jacket here

Get Swirled Around Belted Dress here

Get Poppies & Peonies Blouse here   

Get Who's Dot Pocket Shirt here

Get Gettin' Ziggy With It Tunic Dress here

I'd love to know if this post helped you find anything on Tobi! 

I bought the Gettin' Ziggy With It Tunic Dress

and True Dot Sleeveless Button Down.

Happy Monday!!!!!!!!

Million Dollar Accessories

I wish I had a million dollars....

If I had a million dollars...

I think I would pay an assistant to pick out my accessories!

And I would shop for everything trendy that I could imagine.

I started thinking that maybe, just maybe, there are others out there too who don't have

 all the time and money to shop all day.

Bear with me as I start up this new fashion journey...

and know that behind these pictures, there are a couple of men sitting on their porch offering beer, asking what a blog is, and making me feel insanely strange about taking photos of myself.  

(Right above them, there was a cat that wouldn't quit staring, but that's another thing...)

So as we start of this new look with awkwardness, please hope with me that these photos get better.

Pull out your favorite black skinnies, roll them up, and strap on your favorite wedges for easy summer style.

But don't forget, add some mint to your toes.  I'll give you a fair warning: 

you may deem mint chocolate chip ice cream a necessity in your future.

To make this outfit even better...I'd ditch the gold necklace and buy this pretty little thing:

Sadly, $150 for a pink bubble necklace wouldn't fit in my budget this week.

Buy this top: Here, Buy similar pants: Here, Buy similar headband: Here, Buy similar shoes: Here

Stay Tuned...

Stay tuned! The Musings will be back.

Warmer days

I've never been a full-time office clothes wearing work girl in the spring and summer months.  In fact, I lived my warm months on a golf course for the last five years.  All that warm weather outdoors means my wardrobe for the summer consists of shorts, flip-flops, and tank tops.

Does anyone feel my pain for investing in a whole new working wardrobe for warm months?  

As a tall girl:

Skirts are too short for working.

Dresses, where they're supposed to hit my hips, they hit me at my waist line.

Maxi dress?  Goodness gracious....hello awkward lengths.

Pants....trust me when I say a good pair is hard to come by.

Shirts-- now I can do shirts.

Summer jewelry.  Didn't need that on a hot golf course!

Pretty much, my work clothing is severely lacking.

Let's all take a moment to mourn our ponytail hair, flip flop feet summers.

Okay, that's over.  

.   .   .

Let's go shopping!!!

Colored pants are a must on my shopping list.  

(And this polka dot shirt....dying for it!)

 I already have a hundred shirts picked out to wear with blue and red skinnies.  I'm just having a problem finding some with the right structure, length, and weight.  I'm not into the super thin fabric that these colored pants often come in...I think they make my knees look funny.  

Strange?  Yeah, probably.

This style blouse is so classy and chic.  I already own quite a few, but for work they go with everything!

I'm loving these pantsuits!  They're not very work appropriate, but look around on your next shopping trip.  There are some seriously cute ones!

Two words: Colorful Jewelry.  This stuff would make any outfit that burst of spring time color.

White skinny denim.  

White skinny pants. 

 I'm having the hardest time with these two!  Where are you girls finding yours?

I think they make any shirt look fresh for spring and summer.

Loving this silhouette-- anyone else dying to recreate this?  I'll do it with dressier pants.  Statement necklaces always make an outfit look pulled together and thought through.

 What's on your shopping list for your warm weather work clothes?

The Bass Pro Ugly

Attention:  Ugly Shoes Below.

Now that, right there, is some Bass Pro Swag.  

I feel like they have succeeded in getting the most horrid collection of redneck men's shoes even designed.  There is just no fashion on that wall.  Zero, zilch, nada.

But, hey, they got them some camo, waterproof, bulletproof, style-proof shoes.  

And Zachary is a proud owner of some of them.

And he looooooves it.  

He found me a great pair of boots while I went with him.

Who wouldn't want some dogs on their rain boots?

Actually, on second thought...give me these hot pink Hunter boots.  

Mkay, thanks!

I'll leave the Bass Pro ugly to my husband.

Gap

I miss my creative outlet!  Between my husband hogging the computer for his online classes and me attempting to find my new routine, I've completely abandoned The Musings---and I don't like it.  Not one little bit.

In Gap the other day, I bumped into this beautiful little scarf and it inspired my Gap post.

Gap was a favorite store in high school, then they found themselves on my bad list when they started making old lady clothes. I would visit from time to time but never found anything that appealed to me.  In the past few years, they really hit the mark with some classic pieces.  They're doing great with colors, yet they're still keeping it simple.  It's classic and every woman needs some class in their life!

Aren't these colors fabulous?

One thing I appreciate about Gap is that they make dresses, pants, and even sweaters in tall.  

It boggles my mind how stores always seem to have a petite section and leave the tall girls out in the cold.

Haters.

Here's the beginning photo of my slight obsession with stripes lately.

How cute is this?  

I think my mother had a belt similar to this in her day....

I'm sure I made fun of it 10 years ago.

S-T-R-I-P-E

Last one, I promise!

Every girl needs a handful of basic t-shirts to look effortless.

I must get this adorable Maxi....hooray, it comes in long!

You have no idea how hard it is to find a maxi that comes to the floor. I had a cute little black maxi for a couple of years when my sweet, precious husband decided to put it in the dryer our first month of marriage....it now comes up to my knees.  I'm not even exaggerating.  

Now go to Gap and get yourself some class :)