Nashville packing list

Every year at my big work conference people ask me "oh, didn't you bring your family?" and I always think that sounds kind of terrible - I'm busy with meetings or attending conference receptions/dinners much of the time, and when I get down time, my usual introvert self just needs some me-time. But going along to a conference of Peter's? Yes, please! Thanks to my in-laws taking the kids, tagging along to a spouse conference for me is a true delight as I'm more than happy to entertain myself while he's at sessions all day, and then go out for fun dinners/activities together in the evening...

white tee (similar) | striped tee (similar, similar) | t-shirt dress | faux suede moto jacket (similar) | crochet mini dress (similar, similar long-sleeved) | knit cami | sneakers | flatform sandals (similar) | striped button-down (similar, similar) | ruffle blouse | bikini top, bottom | shorts | kick-crop jeans | belt bag | sunnies (similar) | cross-body bag (similar)

 

I could entertain myself (uninterrupted reading time!!) in pretty much any conference location, but I was excited about this one as I've never been to Nashville. Looking forward to wandering around and checking it all out, visiting a couple of museums, trying some good restaurants - oh, and sitting with my uninterrupted reading time by the rooftop pool at the very cool and swanky hotel I booked for us. 

Thus my packing list! Some comfy but cute things for being out and about with a warm daytime forecast, pool attire (the button-down can double as a cover-up), and then a dress/fancy top for evening. And as always, a cohesive color palette so everything mixes and matches. Hopefully it won't be too hot to wear the moto jacket, as this felt like my Midwestern girl wardrobe's best nod to Nashville. And I'm branching out on that camisole top with the corset detailing - I don't really have a "going out" wardrobe because that's not our life, but on some parents night out vacationing, just have to spice things up a little.

wearing lately: light spring in late spring

Sometime last year I started following Created Colorful on Instagram, a small woman-owned business that does virtual color consults to help people find their "knockout" colors to wear. I was really intrigued because I have no idea whether my skin is warm or cool; I had a general sense that black was probably not doing me any favors but still had a bunch of it in my wardrobe; and I was just drawn in by the vibrancy of seeing photos of someone in gorgeously rich colors paired with a gorgeous beaming smile, while I've been in a bit of a neutral phase over here... So I mentioned it to Peter, who gave me a gift certificate for Christmas, and last month I finally got around to getting the virtual consult done. When I got my results back, I got a palette name - light spring - that most suits my complexion, along with color swatches and lots of personalized suggestions, even for makeup and nail polish colors, plus further resources to explore like blog posts and Pinterest pages. And now I'm exploring my colors! 

striped tee | floral blouse | creamy white tee | cargo jacket | bone denim shorts (similar) | stovepipe jeans | floral blouse | sunglasses | sneakers | sandals | t-shirt dress (similar)

 

I have been gravitating toward neutrals in my late 30s as I like the classic feel, so it was nice to find out which ones are best suited to me (no surprise, it's not black), and I'm embracing the camels and creamy whites suggested, rather than going for the stark white on denim and tees. But I've also been feeling a little wardrobe blah in general, so why not try to give myself a boost via color, now that I know my best ones! I'd have expected myself to gravitate toward the pretty pinks that were shown in my color palette, but as we head in to summer and I'm seeing lots of bright colored pieces in my online window shopping, I'm trying out some of my brighter blues and even periwinkle as fun accents. My mantra when trying to determine if a color is "right" thanks to Created Colorful is now bright over dusty (you wouldn't believe how much "dusty" is in the tones of clothes - I'm looking at every top you make, Madewell!), and light over dark. 

Having fun making outfits out of my old standby stovepipe jeans and adding in my new version of the olive cargo jacket, in a more flattering-for-me color, plus some fun pops of color on top - J.Crew has so many pretty floral blouse options in multiple palettes right now, and some on major sale to boot, so that was the first way I decided to explore the palette, along with this blue striped tee (branching out from the usual navy and white does make me feel snazzy, it turns out). And turns out my favorite "cool-kid" New Balance sneakers also come in a lovely coordinating colorway, so I'm eyeing those when I've got Madewell birthday moth $ coming up...

In addition to exploring wearing more colors, I'm also loving how this helps reduce decision making when it comes to considering any wardrobe additions - not that I couldn't buy something outside of my palette (but let's face it, I'm a rule follower), but knowing when something is not in my palette means I don't have to consider it and can just move on. Easy decision making for the win.

(By the way, not sponsored - I'm just really excited about what they do and about having my personalized results in hand and a re-energized feel about clothes and style thanks to them. Highly recommend checking out a Created Colorful consult if you have any interest in a similar wardrobe confidence/satisfaction boost, and happy to share more about the process of the consult if curious!)

beachy Bahamas packing list

January had me fooled for awhile there - no snow, not even that cold (though the gray skies and 100%  lack of sunshine were real) - but Michigan winter feels like it's here in full force now as we head in to February and I'm just channeling my feelings about that into extra gratefulness that we are soon to be BAHAMAS BOUND! I feel like I've been working on packing for ages, partly because I haven't vacationed like this in so long by now that I hardly remembered my process. But as with my travels of yore, putting together a little mix & match suitcase graphic really helped me plan out (and edit down) my packing list, so I thought I'd share.

tie-shoulder cami | beachy sweater (similar, similar) | exercise dress (similar) | maxi dress (similar, similar) | cover-up | white denim shorts (similar) | bikini top, bottom | swimsuit | white jeans (similar) | sunnies | linen tank (similar, similar) | linen tee (similar) | birkenstocks | sneakers (similar, similar) | hat

 

Most of my sweaters are neutral colors, and much as I do love them, there's something very happy about getting to pull some hot pink out of the back of the closet, which feels very tropical island appropriate.

And I did manage to remember, when looking at the huge pile of stuff I had initially pulled, that for a vacation at an all-inclusive resort - even if it's for a full week - I really don't need all that many clothes. We basically go from starting our day with a walk or some tennis to sitting by the pool with a book, to eventually cleaning up for dinner... so the "regular" outfits of things like shorts + tees don't really even get worn that much. Thus I've got a couple of bathing suit + cover-up options, some exercise gear, and then a few things that can dress up/down to be worn with shorts in the daytime or with white jeans. Of course have to have a cute dress (probably will throw in another) for the "nicer" dinner spots too.

wearing lately: fall favorites

While I am not really on top of taking/editing outfit photos these days, I've really been feeling the fall wardrobe lately. Honestly, it helps that we've had a decently warm stretch for fall, so I can actually wear my jackets and cute jeans + sneakers with bare ankles looks instead of already having to cover up everything with boots and big coats. That'll be coming of course.... But for now, here is a little capsule of what have been my faves - they all mix and match so well that you can just imagine my cute outfits :)

long-sleeved henley | cool-kid sneakers (more sizes) | striped sweater (similar, similar) | gingham button-down (similar, similar) | square-toe flats | quilted jacket (similar) | patterned dress (similar) | stovepipe jeans (similar) | sweater blazer | navy cross-body (similar)

Several of these are old favorites - and really, the stovepipe jeans and sweater blazer that I've had for years are kind of season-less. They're lovely in fall with some rusty and burgundy type pairings, in particular - and along with a few new (okay, there have been a lot of good sales lately!) items to mix and match. Definitely best purchase of this fall has been my new sneakers - they make every outfit so cute and fun and they're so easy to wear. Currently it's a gloriously sunny fall day in the 60s and I have on the jeans, henley, and sneakers - and even though it's simple and has no layering, the colors and textures and little details just make it feel like an outfit.

I'm loving my navy cross-body bag too. Perfect size to hold a book on the occasion I'm out and about by myself, it comes with two straps (cloth and leather) to change up your look, and I got it monogramed too. So snazzy!

wearing lately: family roadtrip packing list

At the beginning of the month we took a little family road trip to Cincinnati to visit some of our old favorite places and some friends from when we lived there. Feeling out of practice with traveling in general made prepping to do a 5-hour drive and several out-and-about vacation days with a baby in tow even more daunting, but luckily some friends loaned us their house since they were gone - complete with baby gates and a crib - so I didn't have to worry about too much gear... And of course I made things easier on myself by coming up with a little mix & match wardrobe capsule!

striped tee (similar, similar) | linen tank | denim jacket (similar, similar) | midi dress (similar, similar) | midi skirt (similar) | white denim shorts (more sizes) | hat | necklace (similar) | cropped tank (similar) | linen shorts | sunglasses | birkenstocks | sneakers (similar) | mini tote (similar, similar)

 

I didn't end up with exactly this configuration in my suitcase, but close. Laying it out like this and quickly trying on the outfits in advance definitely helped me know what would work for our various activities and how much I'd need to bring - which then freed up time for figuring out kid suitcases, travel snacks, etc.

Thought it would be fun to share the lineup since it made for such a great collage, and a great mix of outfits - good for hot weather, kid-friendly outings like the zoo and children's museum, dinners out at restaurants and a friend's house, and even an outdoor concert for Peter and me (another bonus of visiting friends: they have trusted babysitters you can borrow!). Maybe foolhardy, but I even went to Graeter's for our must-have Cincinnati ice cream while wearing the white denim shorts and it all worked out great.

wearing lately: summer work trip packing list

Okay, admittedly I was not that excited to return to work travel - had my first in-person conference since summer 2019, and first time in an airport since November 2019, and much as I do like to visit interesting places and people, I think I didn't miss it? Especially right now, with a baby at home, and with not getting to pick the date (4th of July) and the location (Miami...in July...so sticky), I didn't have the best attitude ever about going. HOWEVER. Something I did miss? Putting together suitcase packing posts!

crochet sweater tee (similar, similar) | sweater blazer (similar) | cardigan (similar) | swing skirt (similar) | cross-body purse | woven mules | sneakers (similar) | sunnies | block heels (similar) | ankle pants | tank (similar) | white tee | jumpsuit (similar)

 

And actually thank goodness for my old habit of making mix & match suitcase posts like this, because after this long it turns out I pretty much forgot what to wear and how to pack it, when it comes to work conferences. Took me a while to get around to actually posting this, but making the collage and trying on the outfits below really helped me manage to get myself out the door for this trip.

 

I dug up an old jumpsuit, blazer, and heels that came to Copenhagen in 2019 (had to replace the ankle pants from that trip... post-partum bod), and for the rest, wow, do I really not have work clothes in my wardrobe at this point. Some of my summer acquisitions were able to work double-time here though, thankfully. Haven't bought a cute little skirt in forever, but I'm (back to) loving a simple skirt + white tee summer outfit, and when you throw on a blazer it's totally a work outfit! 

Also, this might seem like a lot of long sleeves + pants for a summer trip to Miami, but one thing I didn't forget about is the excessive air conditioning of hotels and conference meeting rooms. This was all necessary! On the plane too.

So here's just some of the outfit possibilities from the above:

dinner/reception look | board meeting look

editor meeting look | travel look

another meeting look | actually having a chance to set foot outdoors on a break look

dinner/reception look | travel look

 

No other major travel plans on the horizon except for a family road trip to visit our old Cincinnati stomping grounds... but  Peter and I are determined to finally get that postponed Hawaii anniversary trip, so hopefully in the next year I'll have another reason for a good suitcase post - and that will be gooood. 

wearing lately: spring showers

The last day of May seems a little late to finally be posting my go-to "spring showers" outfit for the year - but then again, spring was rather late to arrive, and there have been lots of showers lately... which I find myself a bit more tolerant of when it's an opportunity to wear this cutie gingham rain jacket. 

I'm a big fan of owning a range of fun outerwear to cope with any inclement conditions, really - so how could I resist this guy on clearance? Makes a whole outfit when you throw it on over jeans and a white tee - couldn't be easier.

Speaking of clearance, I also scored this adorable canvas mini tote a couple of months ago for a steal of a deal (sadly not available any longer, but some similar ones linked above), and I just cant get enough of the cute. Plus it's perfect for rainy days, when I don't want my leather crossbody to encounter the wet. Admittedly it doesn't fit much beyond wallet, keys, and phone so not always 100% ideal - but it does coordinate very nicely with the diaper backpack, so I match well when I require kid gear to be carried along too. Ha!

wearing lately: classic casual family photo outfits

When Hendrik was about 8 months old, we had some family photos done, his first official session, and I still love those pictures so much - especially how they capture not only his sweetness and chunkiness at that age but also his nursery and our first home. So now that Freddie has reached 8 months, I thought it was time to do another round of the same, but in our current house and with our family of four! Of course that means figuring out more outfits... here's what we landed on for a casual, coordinated-but-not-matchy-matchy, classic look: 

I just adore how they turned out, capturing our home and our little misters' personalities so well. 

As for the outfits: We like to keep it casual with a fairly quick, informal, candid session (my mom's friend Janelle has done our periodic sessions since we moved here, and she's super easy to work with in this way), so fairly casual outfits that feel like "us" but have some polish are the way to go. That usually means jeans + a solid color sweater for me (can't go wrong with the sweater blazer!), and jeans + a button down for Hendrik and Peter. Except with Freddie in a button down this time too, it felt like a lot to coordinate all the plaids and blues, so we put Peter in a solid sweater too. An easy formula for any photo session!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

 

Only problem is that babies change so darn fast - by the time the Christmas season rolls around, he'll be so much different... so might have to figure out a different photo for our cards! Meanwhile trying to decide which one of my many favorites to order as a canvas print to add to our upstairs hallway gallery wall.

wearing lately: summer prep

Okay, it's barely even spring weather here yet, but I have my reasons for summer dreamin': being cooped up because of my lack of mobility - going on week 3 of at least 4 of being in a boot for a stress fracture) is really starting to get to me - and it's going to be a slow recovery even when the boot is done. But if I put in the careful work, but summer I'll be running free!! Not to mention wearing my regular shoes again, rather than the boot + the right shoe from this kinda silly pair of platform high-tops that I had to buy in order to even out my gait. Gah!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Also, having been pregnant last summer, I'm kind of looking forward to the return to regular wardrobe possibilities for the season... not to mention that our Covid-cautious life has a lot more possibilities when outdoor weather is back. Ahh, can't wait! And thus I *may* have placed some online orders in anticipation of and preparation for everything, as you can see above.

I've been Instagram influenced on a couple of things... hoping that the ubiquitous nap dress will be as cute in person as it is on everyone I've seen - loving the idea of being able to wear something with this more fit-and-flare silhouette this summer rather than the sheaths or muumuus of pregnancy last summer, so fingers crossed. (If you're feeling tempted to try it to, do it via this link for 20% off!) Could be adorable with a denim jacket for dressing down, and much as I love the one I've had for a zillion years, I'm excited about pulling out this lighter colored one too.

Also influenced to go all-in on Birkenstocks this year - I loved my rubber ones last summer, but now adding the "fancier" pair to my collection after seeing them looking so cute on a few people. Love the copper color, especially with some of the browns I've been gravitating toward lately, like this tank - all so cute and easy with a pair of pull-on linen shorts, and a cute initial baseball cap (really want my own to go with Hendrik and Freddie in theirs!)

And then finally, no maternity bathing suit needed this year, but I am back into the territory of needing good stay-put coverage as by beach time I'll probably have a crawling baby to chase across the sand! Not to mention that he likes grabbing at all parts of me, so if I've got him in the water I definitely want something that is not pull-down-able. Love this type of high-neck top + a high-ish waist bottom, and the fabric is great too, so nice and smooth.

What are you getting excited to wear?!

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wearing lately: Madewell picks

I'm not your regular "influencer" constantly posting about the latest sales... but I can't help but mention the current Madewell Insider sale (20% off everything for members of their free rewards program, or 25% off if you're a higher-level rewards member...which is me...whoops) because of how much I love my wardrobe staples from Madewell. Pretty much all I have been wearing this winter is a Madewell jeans + sweater combo (such as this), and it's going to be the same as the weather warms up too, as you can see:

I love a nice, sturdy cotton sweater for transitioning into spring when - as I've mentioned a zillion times I know - the weather is still decidedly chilly but I'm sick of all of the winter stuff and don't quite need the heavy wool ones any longer. This recent acquisition just makes me happy with the embellishments, and paired with my trusty roadtrippers (seriously, I've had these for probably 5 years) and some nice off-white (it's not spring YET) sneakers, I've got a perfectly cute and comfy and weather-appropriate outfit. Early spring wardrobe, done and dusted! Though obviously I have a bit of a wishlist while this big sale is going on:

The above are some things hanging out in my cart as I mull them over - some great basics that could fill some wardrobe holes for me, but also some fun springy things too. Especially liking the look of those off-white jeans in a new silhouette. I will always love my skinny jeans from Madewell, but the cropped stovepipe/straight leg has been a new favorite style, and after not getting to wear white jeans at all last year because I didn't have any in my maternity wardrobe, I think it would be fun to re-enter the arena with these. Especially if I start to be able to actually go out to more places this spring! 

If you're looking for the classic, totally worth the investment but event BETTER when you can get them on sale like this type of items that I swear by from Madewell, here's a great roundup, all 20-25% off till next Monday!

(Post not sponsored in any way, but does contain affiliate links.)

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wearing lately: real life

While retailers and influencers have had their spring outfits all over the place lately, I'm here with a dose of real life style... because it's still winter! (Case-in-point, I took these photos last Thursday, and by the next morning everything was covered by a couple of inches of snow.) 

Coats, boots, and sweaters are still 100% the norm (if I even set foot outdoors), no matter if the calendar does say March. Drives me a little nutty to see so much spring stuff online because it's hard enough to have winter drag on without having these unrealistic yearnings - but oh well, at least we had a couple of days last week before the snow came back when I could wear this cocoon coat that I love so much, and some cute booties. Back to the huge parka and snow boots now. The other upside for those of us still in winter is that the gear is all on sale now, like this coat, so you can get a great deal and still be able to wear it right away!

And for fun, here's what the outfit looked like indoors where I spent the day hanging with Freddie - had to take a couple of silly mirror selfies when I noticed how cute our stripes looked together 💛

wearing lately: short hair!

Well, it's happened again: we've reached the point in winter where I can't stand anything in my closet after wearing (what feels like) the same 3 outfits on repeat for months. The options actually are narrower this year as I generally am wearing certain items that have nursing/pumping access. And also I'm still not really going anywhere and thus have somewhat limited motivation for cute outfits - and no justification for adding new things to my wardrobe. However... 

....There's another way to feel like a whole new woman: go in for a chop! My hairstylist told me I was about the 5th person she had seen last week who said the same thing - I'm over winter and totally bored with my look... let's cut off some hair. It has been years since I've had it this short, so it feels like quite a change. A whole new me for now, even if it's a length I've done before. And actually, thinking back to when I had it short it did inspire me to pair it with a bit of a throwback outfit of the black jeans + chambray shirt variety. This one is a nice cozy flannel with cute side-button details, but it's the same idea as that go-to outfit of my past. 

Not a very exciting ensemble for my first foray into outfit posting in 2 months - but we'll reframe that to calling it "classic," shall we? Also, it's real life! I'm just a work-from-home, new mom who's trying to stay warm and have someone to show off my new haircut to - you! 

wearing lately: re-booted

It's been a few years since I had a more "dressy" type of ankle boot - finding that they just weren't that great for winter because they didn't keep my feet warm enough, were too slippery out on the sidewalk or in slushy parking lots, and weren't all that comfy anyway. Luckily my Sorel flat and wedge selections covered all of that plus being waterproof, and they could mostly dress up as much as I wanted/needed them to. But then I noticed that this year Madewell has re-booted (pun intended?) their leather heeled ankle boot that I loved for the looks but got rid of because of the above...

This time around they've got a lug sole, which helps with grip and also with warmth, keeping the cold from the pavement from seeping in a bit. And their insoles are way more comfortable now too. 

I'm feeling quite pleased with having boots in this style back in my closet for how they make me feel a bit more polished than the excellent but undeniably sportier Sorels. It's just jeans and a sweater (in the henley style that is 100% my thing right now whether in t-shirt or sweater form thanks to this season of nursing), but with these boots it's an outfit, right? Not entirely sure why I am looking for this when it's still quarentimes here and I don't really need to dress up... but I like this updated boots situation anyway.

wearing lately: a bit like Christmas

Now that it's starting to look a bit like Christmas around the house, my wardrobe is starting to lean the same way... just like the decor, keeping it simple this year (even though I usually love putting together a little holiday capsule like this or this - it's not like I'm going to holiday parties at the moment, or really anywhere for that matter) but trying to capture a little of that feeling of having some special outfit touches to make things feel festive.

A plaid flannel shirt like this doesn't necessarily scream *Christmas* which is nice because it can be used all fall and winter long - but the coziness still feels very seasonal, and even a bit festive when paired with some red. I like textures for seasonal wear just as much as colors, I think.

Plus: party-ready hair! When it's a new haircut day, the 'do really must be shown off, so I had to snap a few quick photos (since, again, all done up with nowhere to go). Got the whole holiday package here. Oh, and speaking of hair: the easiest way to turn any outfit into a holiday-ready outfit is a plaid headband! Try something like this or this for instant festivity and cheer.

wearing lately: new mom uniform

I've gone through several iterations of a "uniform" over the years, essentially basic outfit formulas that make it super easy to get dressed in outfits that might seem different but are essentially the same, like jeans + sweater with nice details, or dress + white sneakers in the summer. And I've gone through several versions of a "mom" uniform as well - here's the newest one: jeans + henley tee + machine-washable tailored cardigan. Not ground-breaking or anything, but it's all comfortable and conducive to parenting activities, but also makes me feel put-together and season-appropriate without requiring much thought!

Not only is this a new version of a mom uniform, but it's also a version for a new mom... If I'm going to wear a tee, it's got to be a henley version for nursing access - so I got a lot of use of these short-sleeved versions (I liked that the sleeves were slightly longer, to give it a little more class than your standard henley tee), but now that it's chilly I'm using this long-sleeved white one a lot. Now that I look at it again, it might actually be meant as a pajama top. Whoops, still loving it as my under-layer, so we'll just pretend

And since I'm getting back into the swing of things after maternity leave now, I thought I would pull out some cute flats just to make myself feel the part of working mom, even if I'm still not leaving the house. Have been a fan of Rothy's for a long time and finally tried out the square-toe silhouette. Tres chic! Especially with the fun details on the back, and the jeans-matching color.

wearing lately: zippers and buttons

I love a simple sweater with special details that take it up a notch - a zipper front and waffle knit, say, like on this one - but I had to laugh at myself in this outfit (much as I felt stylin' in it) because I'm basically a walking version of a toddler's busy board. You know, those learning toys to help them develop skills like tying and buckling and such? Here I've got zipper on the sweater, button-front on the jeans, and laces to tie on the sneakers - plus some buckles on the bag! All I need is to add in Freddie with his little shirt jacket, and we'll have everything covered with snaps too.

Jokes aside, this is a favorite type of outfit - so easy, but the little details on the sweater (and even jeans) make it a little more luxe and interesting. Not to mention nursing-friendly, unlike my existing collection of crewneck sweaters that are going to end up benched for the season. 

Oh and I didn't even really manage to capture well the details on the shoes! Love how Rothy's always adds some fun colorful piping or heel stripes, and the gum-colored soles on this pair make a (creamy) white sneaker feel perfect for fall, rather than my usual crisp white pair that I wore all spring and summer. A washable sneaker is a great plus too - highly recommend, and you can use my discount code if you want to trt them too!