It’s Friday, so y’all know what that means! It’s time to link up with Erika and Andrea to let everybody know what some of my favorite things are right now.
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KEEP OR RETURN?!?
Several years I tried out a post where I showed y’all tons of items I ordered, I reviewed each item, and then I told you if I was KEEPING or RETURNING the item. I did it several times, and the posts were always big hits, but for some reason I stopped doing them. Well, today we’re kicking it old school and doing another KEEP OR RETURN segment. Now, I won’t be showing y’all everything I return because that would take wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too much time, but I’ll definitely highlight some things and hand out a KEEP or RETURN verdict for those that are curious.
But it’s important to know, if I state I’m returning something, make sure you read WHY I’m returning it. Some things I’m returning because I don’t recommend them, others I’m returning simply because I don’t want or need the item, even though I think it might be a good buy for others. Or sometimes I might just say it was terrible quality and don’t recommend for anybody. 😉
This tiered mini dress is just as cute as can be. It’s got a bit of a boho vibe, but it can also lean a little bit western as well. Y’all know I love the longer sleeve, the short hemline, and the elastic waist. I think it’s fun, flirty, and flattering. The drawstring is functional, so you can cinch it in as much or as little as you want. Oh! And it’s lined and has pockets. The color is a really pretty wine color, but it also comes in an ivory/black combo. For size reference, I’m wearing a medium.
VERDICT: Keep! I feel like I can wear this now with sandals, but it will easily transition to fall with booties or boots. And it will of course look great with a denim jacket thrown on top.
tiered mini dress / bead hoop earrings / heart toggle necklace / bracelet set / tall boots
I always love a poplin shirt dress, and this is a great one. It’s a crisp cotton poplin and feels and looks more expensive than it actually is. The drop waist is a great fit, and I love the flirty little skirt. The dress has a bit of structure to it, which I do like, and I think the cuffs look great rolled up casually to show a little bit of arm. For size reference, I’m wearing a medium, but I do feel like it’s a tad constricting across the chest.
VERDICT: Return 🙁 … but only because it’s a bit too tight in the chest for me. If it wasn’t too tight, I would be keeping this one for sure.
poplin shirt dress / bead hoop earrings / heart toggle necklace / bracelet set / tall boots
Okay. I’m in love. This paisley ruffle cotton voile mini skirt is right up my alley. It’s lightweight, it’s obviously super comfortable due to the elastic/smock waist and pull-on styling, and this rich plum color is FAB for fall. And how cute is the wide bandana like hem!
Here I have it styled with just a regular white v-neck and denim jacket. It would look amazing with cowboy boots, and this is an outfit I would totally wear to a concert (although I’d also wear to just a regular ol’ dinner out)! For size reference, I’m wearing a medium. It is quite short, so if you’re tall, it might not work for you.
VERDICT: Keeping the skirt! This one was a no brainer for me.
white v-neck tee / similar denim jacket / skirt / beaded drop earrings / heart toggle necklace / bracelet set / tall boots
And just for a little bit different of a look, here I’ve paired it with a neutral striped short sleeved sweater.
Oh…. and I love these beaded fringe earrings.
striped sweater / similar denim jacket / skirt / beaded drop earrings / heart toggle necklace / bracelet set / tall boots
I figured I was going to love this short sleeve cardigan, but I had no idea how much. I’m smitten. It’s kind of a heavy knit, but although it says it has wool in it, I never would have guessed that. It just feels like a chunky cotton to me. The sleeves come right above the elbow (which I love) and they have a banded hem which is flattering to the arm. The sleeves also have a subtle puff at the shoulders. You could of course wear this open over a tee, but I really like the style now of wearing a cardi all buttoned up without anything under it. This tan-ivory stripe is what works best for my closet, but it comes in a grey-heather stripe as well. For size reference, I’m wearing a medium.
The jeans are on sale and have limited availability, but they are awesome. Stretchy, super comfy, and true to size.
VERDICT: Keep the cardi! Keep the jeans!
cardigan / bead hoop earrings / heart toggle necklace / bracelet set / jeans / Rothy’s Mary Janes
Wanted to show you the cardi with my must have ecru jeans too. Y’all know I’m obsessed with these jeans. They are ON SALE and starting to sell out (some sizes are already gone), so if you’ve been thinking about grabbing them, NOW is the time. Stretchy, comfy, flattering, and a great color for year-round wear. For size reference, I’m wearing my regular size 4.
Seriously, if you don’t have them and they are still available in the size you need, grab them. You won’t regret it. Looks how different the cardi looks with regular jeans and with these! These jeans will really stretch your closet!
cardigan / bead hoop earrings / heart toggle necklace / bracelet set / charm bracelet / ecru jeans / Rothy’s Mary Janes
I fell in love with Rothy’s last year when I got my camo loafers in the fall, and I’m now a huge believer in the brand. I think these Mary Jane’s are precious AND GOOD HEAVENS they are comfy! They are soft and flexible, and you can throw them in the wash (and then let them air dry). In addition to this leopard, they also come in black, a wine, and even a neutral sparkle that is actually really great in person. True to size for me, but if you’re between sizes, size up. I’ve also had several readers comment that you should size up if you have wide feet.
ecru jeans / Rothy’s Mary Janes
If you’ve never tried Rothy’s, they kind of feel like a thick and compressive sock when wearing them.
They are seriously DARLING.
And remember, if you don’t like the leopard, grab one of the solid color options.
I feel like everybody will love these shoes, but I feel like you NEED them if you’re a teacher.
I love this cardi jacket, but my mom is going to realllllllllllllllly love it. This is an item that I think will fly off the shelf. It’s a viscose fabric with a lot of stretch and give. It looks more red in this picture than it does in real life where I think it definitely reads a little bit more orange. I would say it’s a red/orange. It also comes in a beautiful camel color that would be a great neutral basic for just about anybody to have in their closet. I love it here with jeans, but it’s definitely nice enough to wear with our favorite stretchy black dress pants (true to size, but size down if between sizes). For size reference, I’m wearing a medium.
VERDICT: Definitely keeping the cardigan!
white tee / cardi jacket / bead hoop earrings / heart toggle necklace / bracelet set / jeans / Rothy’s Mary Janes
Super cute with the ecru jeans too!
white tee / cardi jacket / bead hoop earrings / heart toggle necklace / charm bracelet / ecru jeans / Rothy’s Mary Janes
I also want to highlight the two bracelets I’m wearing throughout today’s post. Both are adorable and will complement all of your fall outfits.
This floral blouse is very lightweight with a summer floral pattern, but the deep green color will help it transition to fall. I think the tiny pleats across the chest and the gathered and ruffled sleeves are feminine and lovely. For size reference, I’m wearing a medium.
The jeans look quite a bit different on me than they do on the model. I prefer the length on the model for sure. I do love the medium wash and the raw hem. For size reference, I’m wearing my regular size 4.
VERDICTS:
Keep the blouse!
Return the jeans. I just don’t love the length on me (I’m 5’4″ with long legs and no torso). If they were a couple of inches shorter, I would probably keep them! (Hmmmm, should I just cut them off? They have a raw hem anyway, so it would actually be easy.)
green floral blouse /bead hoop earrings / heart toggle necklace / bracelet set / jeans / Rothy’s Mary Janes
The neutral flowers make it a great pairing with the ecru jeans.
green floral blouse / bead hoop earrings / heart toggle necklace / bracelet set / charm bracelet / ecru jeans / Rothy’s Mary Janes
Do y’all remember the red Madewell ruffle blouse I fell in love with over the summer? This blouse totally reminds me of that Madewell blouse, but I love this one even more! The brown floral pattern is GORGEOUS and truly fall perfection. This blouse is really great for those of us that have mild falls. The fabric might not be what you typically think of for fall (since it’s so lightweight), but the colors are all fall. It also comes in a navy/mustard combo that is DARLING. For size reference, I’m wearing a medium.
VERDICT: Keep! DUH! 😉
floral ruffle blouse / bead hoop earrings / heart toggle necklace / bracelet set / jeans / Rothy’s Mary Janes
And you know I had to show it with these jeans.
floral ruffle blouse / bead hoop earrings / heart toggle necklace / bracelet set / charm bracelet / ecru jeans / Rothy’s Mary Janes
There’s no doubt that this puff sleeve dress is adorable, but it just kind of hung on me. The color is pretty, I love the big floral pattern and neckline, the sleeves are so cute, and it’s a good length on me. However, I didn’t love the fit or the fabric (it’s a rayon/nylon blend). For size reference, I’m wearing a medium. If you are interested in this dress, I would definitely recommend sizing down.
VERDICT: Return. I love the idea of this dress, but the fit and fabric were both off for me.
puff sleeve dress / bead hoop earrings / heart toggle necklace / bracelet set / tall boots
Of all the things I ordered last week, this pintuck embroidered top was the item I was the most excited about. HOWEVER, it didn’t live up to my expectations. It was just kind of “eh”. Nothing was really wrong with it, but I thought the sleeves were a little too puffy for my frame, and I wished the color was more vibrant. Click over and check it out on the model though to see why I was so excited! For size reference, I’m wearing a medium.
VERDICT: Return. This was a top that I thought I was going to love, but it just didn’t wow me.
pintuck embroidered top / bead hoop earrings / heart toggle necklace / bracelet set / jeans / Rothy’s Mary Janes
In case you’re interested, here are some other RETURNS I had from my most recent order.
I hated these jeans. I thought they looked cool online, but I didn’t like them in person at all (I thought the seams were ugly). And the length was all wrong on me. You definitely need to be like 5’7″ or over to pull these jeans off.
This Madewell denim puff sleeve top was another item I was super excited for. Sadly, it was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy to small. Like it lacked a solid 2 inches from even buttoning. If you want to give this top a try for yourself, definitely size up. I was really disappointed this top didn’t work on me because it looks absolutely adorable on the model
This dress was a bad fit (the seam on the chest cut my boobs in half) and I didn’t love the metallic thread running through it.
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COLLEEN ROTHSCHILD SALE
There’s a SITE WIDE sale going on over at Colleen Rothschild that is BUY MORE, SAVE MORE.
Here are a couple of current favorites…
Colleen says this Vitamin C Brightening Serum is highly potent and shares that it combines two skin-care superstars! Its got 15% stabilized Vitamin C (THD Ascorbate) and the workhorse antioxidant Niacinamide. These are two products that I read about all the time, so I’m happy to see them combined into this serum.
I apply this all over my face and neck right before I apply my moisturizer in the morning. It’s lightweight, and I love the way it makes my skin feel and look.
It has 259 reviews, and 226 of them are 5 STARS.
My favorite eye cream is everybody’s favorite eye cream.
It’s the Colleen Rothschild Illuminating Tinted Eye Cream.
It has 1,288 reviews and 928 of them are 5 STARS!
This was my personal #1 find when I first used it a couple of years ago now, and it was actually in my Top 3 finds for the entire year! It was in y’alls Top 5 for several months in a row as well. It’s an incredible product. It LIGHTENS and BRIGHTENS and HYDRATES!
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WEEK IN REVIEW
Monday’s post was all about my new favorite dress. Click HERE to see it styled several different ways.
As you can see below, I really latched on to the Western vibe.
The dress is 100% cotton, lightweight, and fully lined. It has beautiful lace detailing and a roomy and relaxed fit with loose sleeves and a tiered skirt (which adds some interest and volume). And it has pockets. Yay!
I would say it runs a bit big, so most will probably want to size down like I did. I’m wearing a small.
So you’ve seen it styled for summer with sandals, but look how cute it is with these tall boots too (and just imagine how great it would be with cowboy boots)! I really want these cowboy boots for myself. #justfyi
shift dress / heart toggle necklace / skinny hoop earrings / bangle bracelet / knee high boots
And just a reminder, on Wednesday’s post I gave you a COMING SOON collage, and today you got to see everything in the collage except the #10 jeans (because the shipping is delayed).
1) green floral blouse / 2) navy pintuck blouse / 3) shirt dress / 4) ruffle blouse / 5) hematite bead hoop earrings / 6) ruffle mini skirt / 7) beaded bracelets / 8) cardigan jacket / 9) short sleeve cardi / 10) wide leg jeans / 11) tiered mini dress
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That’s all for today, y’all! Have a wonderful weekend with your people!
Shay Shull says
THE RED! Oh my gosh, it just POPPED off my computer screen. I have said this a million times but red is certainly your color!
Kathy says
It really is!
Kathy says
You look amazing in dresses with tall boots!
Sheaffer says
You’re too sweet, Kathy! Thank you! xoxo