Bringing in Fall Tones w/ Eyelet + Lots of Texture

CHAMBRAY TOP (similar) // EYELET SKIRT (sold out but this one's similar)

SUEDE BOOTIES (similar here + here) // FAUX FUR CLUTCH (made by me)

This Sunday style look is from a couple of weeks ago but, I still love it. And that's how I know it's blog worthy (lol). Any outfit that includes eyelet, suede, a pretty necklace and some chambray definitely falls into my favorites category. Especially when I can wear it during my very favorite season of the year. Now that it's officially fall and the predicted temps next week are going to start feeling like it, I am ready to jump one hundred and fifty percent into all out autumn decorating, baking, dressing and plan making.

For our family, that will most likely mean lots of homemade applesauce, spending loads of time outside in the perfect weather, attending every fall festival we possibly can, picking pumpkins, teaching the boys how to rake (and jump into) leaf piles, hayrides, picnics, evening movies and game nights when the sun starts going down earlier than bedtime and so much more. I'll be looking at event pages the next few weeks and planning as many field trips and family days as I can, when the hubby and I aren't sitting in the deer stand. I'm so not kidding when I say that this really is my favorite season.

It's amazing to me how much style really changes with the end of summer and beginning of fall. We're hurrying away from sleeveless tops and swing dresses and running, full throttle, toward boots, leggings and those perfectly cozy sweaters. I love taking a few summer pieces with me in those early weeks of fall to help it seem more gradual a transition and something like this outfit works really well for that. A light and airy skirt that is a great length but still very breathable paired with a long sleeve top I would usually use to layer or tie around my waist in the summer, works for those in between days with the sleeves rolled and a necklace on top. (Tip: Although I usually would wear one, no undershirt or cami makes this an even cooler transition look. That way you're not roasting as the temps climb mid afternoon.) Just pair with your favorite neutral ankle booties and maybe a textured clutch or tassle bag and you'll be cool and comfy while going right along with the season.

I also love this skirt with a button up tied in the front instead of tucked in. I wore it like that yesterday with a pair of neutral sandals and my favorite tassle cross body and it was perfect. Fall, there are so many options! Look for A TON of outfit inspiration in the coming weeks that just scream fall and all things cozy. And, can we talk about the colors I've seen popping up the last few weeks?! The pantone color report has me starry eyed and I've been dreaming of sewing something (anything!) in Fireball (21 on the list below). Sandpiper, Patch of Sky, Peacock Feather, Star Anise and Glowing Embers are more of my favorites. But, really, I love them all. What are you loving and planning to style in the upcoming weeks for fall?!

Layering Classics

| OUTFIT DETAILS |

Old Navy Dress | thrifted (I found the exact dress here!)

Faded Glory Flannel | Walmart (I also have this one and LOVE it)

Denim Jacket | Levi's (thrifted but I also love this one)

Sandals | Nine West (thrifted last year)

Leather Backpack | GH Bass & Co (old but similar here + here)

When I think of fall, I get giddy about layering my very favorite pieces together in the perfect way. Even summer staples can be great for transitioning and this Old Navy cami dress I thrifted for a dollar (it's still very available online though!) a few weeks ago is the perfect example of one. Just by tossing a cozy flannel and denim jacket over it, it gives off a completely different vibe. And I love it. I would totally never guess that this flannel was from Walmart but, honest to goodness it is! It is so, so soft and works great layered or by itself. I also have the blue/red print and it's even better. So great to tie around your t-shirt dress and go. Especially when you're heading to fall soccer in the evenings and want to be comfy but still cute. The price is pretty great too and that's always a win. There are lots of patterns available online or in store and I would for sure recommend grabbing one (or two!) if you like to layer half as much as I do. I also love adding in warm hues when I'm starting to transition my closet and this leather backpack does that perfectly. Plus it makes momming a lot easier and, Lord knows, I can always use an extra hand with my four active boys. 

The only thing that could have made this outfit any better would have been a pair of white sneakers, and long hair curled into loose waves (ahem...but, that's a whole nother thought lol). Seriously though, I've been crushing on some white Converse for the longest time and have decided to add them to my Christmas list this year. We'll see if they materialize (lol) but, really, a great basic sneaker is a working addition to any wardrobe, no matter the season. I love these on amazon and, though they have lots of color options, I really, really love the white. It's so versatile and goes with LITERALLY everything. Want. Want. Want. 

I wore this look for a labor day barbeque with my hubby's family and, although I had to shed the jacket because of the 90 degree weather that day, it was perfect for lounging around outside in the shade. Everyday style has been coming a lot easier to me lately and that's a pretty cool feeling. I feel like it's so easy to overthink what we wear daily and that really takes a lot of the fun out of it. Fill your closet with things that you love and get rid of all the extra stuff you never wear. It clouds the view of the good stuff and can really put a damper on getting dressed in the morning (or afternoon, or evening if you're me..whatev). I've tried to be super intentional the past few months about paying attention to what I'm wearing often and what I'm never even trying on and purging the latter so I can focus on things much more important. Like my growing boys and sweet, blessing of a man hubby. And boy has it been liberating. I am so very, very blessed and I don't want even a smidgen of that to be wasted. What a joy it is to have my family so close and to be able to see them and kiss them and love on them whenever I want. Thank you Lord for this life you've given me and may I always remember how truly BLESSED I am.

Pretty in Pink Peplum

| OUTFIT DETAILS |

Pink Peplum Top | made by me (inspiration from this one + this one)

Almost Famous Jeans | similar

Tassle Purse | Jane.com (deal expired but I love this one from Kohl's)

Slip on Sandals | Charlotte Russe (sold out but similar here)

Necklace | Lisa Leonard

Blush Link Bracelet | Viva La Jewels

I've sewn a few peplum tops for myself over the last several months but none of them even come close to this one. It all started when I saw a post from the lovely Liz Adams featuring a pretty bell sleeve peplum (that I still plan to copy almost completely in the near future) and I fell head over heels for it. Just not the price tag. So, I went in search of some white fabric but, never found anything I loved. I did, however, find this pretty pink kind while in the store one day and it hit me, this would be perfect! I stayed up half the night sewing this little thing together so I could wear it to town the next morning and oh my, was it worth it. Besides the fact that it's one of my favorite colors, the fabric is soooo soft, lays perfectly, shows off the peplum exactly how I'd hoped and (aside from a little wrinkling from wear) it can really stand a full day of chasing my boys around. I shortened the length from what I tend to stick to and I like where this one hits me. It's just slightly longer in the back than the front but I don't feel like it makes my smaller frame look too "squated" for lack of a better term.

Pairing the feminine detail of the top with a little edgy, distressed denim gave me just what I was looking for, especially when I added this pretty blush enamel bracelet from Viva La Jewels and my favorite Lisa Leonard necklace. The tassle on the bag along with the neutral color really just made this outfit for me. Totally a no brainer and definitely worth repeating in the future, only I hope to swap out the sandals for some cute booties as soon as fall weather sticks around for good! Back to these sandals though, they're the best. I snagged them on major sale from Charlotte Russe online a few weeks back and they go with literally everything. From dresses, to skinnies, to capris, they are the perfect neutral shoe. And the slightest hint of shimmer on the second strap gives them a little something else that I just love.

I used the same method I generally use for almost everything I sew to make this and it's really, incredibly simple. Pop over to Merrick's Art and read her sewing tutorial for a very similar top to see what I mean. I'm not even kidding, she's so inspiring you'll be wanting to buy alllll the fabric so you can sew to your hearts content. Is it just me, or is sewing addicting?! 

September Florals

| OUTFIT DETAILS |

Floral Dress | jane.com (deal expired but more great options here, here + here)

Olive Military Jacket | Twenty One (thrifted - these are great also 1, 2, 3)

Nude Pumps | Mossimo (thrifted but I love these, these + these are so cute)

Tassle Bag | jane.com (deal expired but other great options here + here)

When I think of transitioning my closet to fall, I don't want to just jump into sweaters and boots. Besides the fact that Missouri weather won't allow for that this early in the season, I like to take a more gradual approach. Mixing florals with some great fall basics is one way to start gearing more towards those richer tones and layered looks and feel less summery. This floral swing dress is everything and so perfect for that fall transition. The darker florals make it super easy to style with olive jackets, nude or tan booties and darker bags. 

I gifted this dress to myself while the hubby was on his big Alaska trip and I don't regret it one bit. It is perfect. So soft and stretchy, the perfect length and the floral pattern is my absolute favorite. It works well on it's own with some simple sandals or neutral booties but also looks great with some light layers, like I styled it here. Seriously such a closet staple and one that I will be using as a pattern plenty in the future to make more similar dresses. I just love the silhouette of the swing dress. It is so very flattering and literally looks good on everyone. 

Now I'm impatiently waiting for my hair to reach my shoulders and beyond so I can feel a little more confidence styling it. Kind of weird, isn't it. When your hair is in a less than ideal phase it can really effect how you look at yourself and style certain items. Yea... Happy September!! Can't you just smell fall in the air!