Dress: Market & Spruce via Stitch Fix | Wedges: J. Crew Factory | Sunnies: Target

On Wednesday, Nick and I took the day off of work to celebrate his upcoming birthday. We decided we would go to a fancy spa nearby and pamper ourselves with couple’s massages, relaxation, and a fancy lunch. This cute little Market & Spruce dress I got from my latest Stitch Fix is what I wore. The spa day sounded great in theory but, what I didn’t expect when I got there was just how out of my element I would feel in that setting. You see, I’m from a working class family where I was taught that your work ethic should be strong and the little luxuries were buying the name-brand cereal. Taking a whole day (or even half a day) to sit around in fancy robes and sip citrus water elixirs while harps played in the background was unheard of.

When most people think of October, they picture cool days, fall leaves, hayrides and apple cider, scarves and boots, and, of course, pumpkins! In the South, however, it stays 90 degrees and humid throughout most of the month. But that doesn’t stop us from sweating in our scarves as we roam the pumpkin patch, looking for the perfect gourd.

That’s exactly what we did this weekend! It was hot and humid, and we spent a good amount of time fighting the mosquitoes, but I was determined for Sebastian to paint a pumpkin at one of our local produce stands, Perkins Orchard. [Side note: we bought our Christmas tree here last year and it stayed green and fresh for so much longer than our friends’ trees that ended up getting dry and brittle really early] Despite the heat, we had a good time and got some cute pictures. And I purchased a bag full of produce (apples, avocados, strawberries, peppers, beets, and plums) and a small mum for $20! That’s a sweet deal.

Happy Friday, everyone! How’s this for a cute, summer-y office outfit? I’m declaring this summer the summer for dresses because they’re the first thing I reach for in the morning.  I previously wrote about how I have a closet full of dresses that I never wear (which is a lyric from a Shakira song, btw!) and even devoted a whole week on my blog to dresses in an attempt to motivate me to wear them more often. Nowadays, I can’t get enough dresses. Funny how the pendulum swings.

I love the colors in this dress. They’re so bright and happy! I think that’s why I wore this outfit to the office specifically on a day when we took our new intern out to lunch.  Do y’all do that, too? Plan to wear a specific outfit on a certain day because you’re going to be engaging in a particular activity? I do it all the time! I think “Oh, I have this new dress. I’ll save it to wear on X day because we’re doing Y thing.”

I love the flats with this dress but next time I’m going to dress it up with heels. I can’t wait!

Dress: Target | Necklace & Shoes: Old Navy | Blazer: Gap Outlet | Sunnies: Target

And when I’m not dressing it up with a blazer and flats for the office, I’m dressing it down with sandals for family time!

My little family

Fox sweaters are everywhere, aren’t they? And for good reason: they’re adorable. This is the second fox sweater I’ve purchased but not for lack of wanting all of the others. I would wear all of them if I could. Anyway, we’re finally starting to get a little bit of a chill in the air here in NC, so I was excited to throw on a sweater and my tall boots for the first time this season. I wore this outfit several times in the past week, the first to hang out with some of my colleagues and then again to do some outlet shopping on Saturday. My hang out session with colleagues was actually to commiserate with each other over our recent layoffs from the nonprofit we were working for. It’s a bummer and now I have to get back out in the job market, but I got this little fox to cheer me up.

Look at that cute little 21-week baby bump!

It was really chilly out on Saturday so I added the navy puffer vest for a little extra warmth. I hate that it covers up the fox, but you do what you gotta do, right? Gotta keep the bump warm. But I love all these colors together, the orange, navy, and cognac. They’re perfect for fall.

And here’s the fun one: I wanted to show how the fox’s tail wraps around the side of the sweater but I wasn’t sure what to do with my arm so I was joking around with Nick and he took this photo. It’s cute because I’m goofy!

Sweater: Loft | Denim: Banana Republic | Boots: Steve Madden | Necklace: Francesca’s | Vest: Gap

Linkups: Let it Shine | Hello Monday Linkup | Weekend Wear Linkup | Link Up On The Edge | Mix it Monday | Start the Week Stylish

I spent some time this weekend putting some outfits together for the coming week, and probably just to have on hand for those days when I don’t really feel like getting dressed. This first one is a great one to wear to the office, but I don’t have one of those yet! That’s why it’s photographed as a flat lay instead of as an outfit that I’m wearing. But it’s super cute and I can’t wait to wear it, whether it’s to an office or some other event. I also paired two different shoes with it. I love having options so that I don’t feel limited, but then having too many options can make me feel overwhelmed. I think I would probably wear the brown sandal with this outfit instead of the snake skin heels.

Blouse: Banana Republic | Skirt: Loft Outlet | Necklace: Banana Republic | Shoes: Banana Republic | Clutch: Coach (gift from MIL)

I did some unexpected shopping at a cute little boutique in Durham and purchased a few things without meaning to. Nick encouraged it so he can’t even get mad at me for spending money! These pieces are by patagonia, which is really cool because patagonia is typically outdoorsy and sporty. But these chambray shorts and 3/4-length sleeve top are perfect for running errands or hanging out.

Shirt & Shorts: Patagonia via Vert & Vogue boutique  | Shoes: X-Appeal 

Because it’s still extremely hot, I’m sticking to shorts. I love these black shorts because they’re the perfect length and fit so comfortably. So I’m going to pair them with this sleeveless top and sandals, which is another outfit that is perfect for hanging out, drinking beer or lemonade or even running errands.

Blouse: Banana Republic Outlet | Shorts: Gap | Shoes: X-Appeal | Necklace: Target | Bracelets: Old Navy

What do you think of these outfits? Maybe you’ll see them again on the blog soon.

Linking up with Molly | More Pieces of Me | Michelle’s Pa(i)ge | Fizz and Frosting