Friday, October 31, 2014

Hola, New York!

You can bet the happiest girl in the world. No place makes me happier than NYC. It is truly magical. Chris has other thoughts, but while he is worrying about us getting mugged and me getting kidnapped (seriously, he is convinced only crime happens in NYC), I'll be roaming the streets of New York, gazing up at the buildings, crossing streets when I'm not supposed to, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to take a picture, and soaking up the blessings of life all around me. 

I really hope you enjoy your weekend! You can follow our vacation on instagram @SarahTuckerUp

And before you go, don't forget about tomorrow's The Lovely Lookbook link up! Come back here or head to Caitlin's blog to link up your stripe inspired outfits. I can't wait to see what y'all come up with!

Last month's link up was all about the fall colors and these two woman let their fall colors show! Riva did it right with her DIY blanket scarf. Who needs Zara when you can make your own? And Robyn mixed patterns like a pro! Thank you, ladies, for linking up with us and we can't wait to see you back on Saturday.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

10 Takeaways from Whole 30

1. I can do without corn and black beans. I never once missed either of them and I think from now on I may pass on both, if given the option.

2. People told me my taste buds would change and my beloved Blue Bell would be too sweet for me. Wrong. That stuff is like heaven in a 1/2 gallon carton. Pure bliss.

3. I get really grumpy when I haven't eaten anything good for weeks. Poor Chris, he was a trooper.

4. Homemade ketchup should not even be in the same category as real ketchup. They don't even compare. And don't even get me started on homemade mayo. Anyone who tells you that stuff is good is lying to your face.

5. I'm going to start buying organic, sugarless marinara sauce because it was actually really freaking good. Prego may have to take a backseat for now.

6. Almond butter with apples is like candy to me. I could eat those two things together for snack everyday.

7. I lost six pounds and probably a couple inches off my waist and that is motivation to keep up a version of this diet. I don't want to fall back into my old ways, so I am going to have to come up with a plan to keep incorporating in some version of these Whole 30 meals.

8. Lettuce wrapped burgers are actually pretty good. I don't even miss having a bun, but the fries, that's another story. I missed those little things so much!

9. I have had more energy and been able to workout all week, compared to on the diet when I only had the energy to workout four times. Working out for me is something I've been doing my whole life due to playing sports, so to not be able to was stressing me out. I don't work out to be a fitness model, but it truly does relieve my stress and I am happy to be back in the swing of things.

10. It is doable. This ice cream eatin', chip dippin', fried food Texan girl made it 22 days, so you can too! I know the program is 30 days, but I chose to do it in October because Lord knows I am not giving up my Thanksgiving meal for no rabbit food! Nor am I giving up my Christmas meal either! It just so happens that we are going on vacation, so I am not going to beat myself up for not making it the full 30 days. I know I could have had it not been for our vacation. You get into rabbit food mode and it just becomes a habit to eat healthy, so going another eight days would have been a breeze.

A few FAQs I've got:

Do you feel better?
Honestly, yes and no. I feel skinnier and less bloated, but I had no energy. I did sleep really well, better than I ever have, but I also felt exhausted all the time. I think there is a happy medium somewhere, I just have to find it.

Would you do it again?
Probably. I always love a good challenge, so I'm not going to say no, but I'm not planning my next Whole 30 by any means! I think if I can continue some of my new eating habits then I'll be less inclined to cut everything out cold turkey like I did this time.

What was your favorite recipe?
These sausage balls. So good! I will continue to make them because they are great for breakfast and as a snack.

What did you miss most about having such a restricted diet?
Food brings people together. Not sure about your family, but everything my family does is centered around food and when that is limited, it is just no fun. I missed the ease of being able to grab a snack or a sweet treat. I also missed eating with my husband because we would eat apart because he didn't want to tempt me with his meals! There were some meals he would eat that I cooked, but he isn't a fan of such healthy food.

You have the willpower of ____. How do you do it?
My parents always have pushed me to push myself. I have a sports mindset and there is very little I am not willing to do or try. I think that is how I approached this challenge. Was it something I wanted to do? Not really. But the fact that some people said I wouldn't be able to (cough cough, husband, brother, and dad) that gave me the motivation to suck it up and do it.

If you have any other questions please feel free to ask!

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

WIWW: Denim and Stripes + Link Up








Chris, bless him. As a blogger, I think we are all guilty of forcing our significant others to take our pictures. And, if they're like Chris, they always strive for the best. Sometimes the best isn't necessarily what you get.

Take, for instance, the bottom two pictures. Chris was trying to "get creative" and I have about a dozen pictures of half (or less!) of my face. We got a really great laugh out of it! 

Now let's talk outfit. I could sleep in this dress and wear this jacket everyday. I got the dress a couple years ago on major clearance at Target and the jacket has been a staple in my wardrobe since we went to San Francisco in June.

I also expressed to Chris that this dress could work when I am pregnant as well. That led to him asking me to model for him the different stages of pregnancy using a towel (totally realistic, right?! ha!). After every month stage I modeled he said, "Nooo...you aren't really going to get that big, are you?" Yes, husband, I will be growing another human. He was a little in shock, so I might have just pushed back the process of having a Tucker Jr. another year ;) 

One last thing, don't forget to come back on Saturday and link up with Caitlin and I for The Lovely Lookbook. This month's topic is stripes!

Now for the link up!

- All I ask is you link back to my blog and link to a specific post.

- Write about something fashion related!

Thanks for linking up and to see other WIWW posts, click here.

Linking up with Because Shanna Said So, Get Your Pretty On, The Pleated Poppy.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Whole 30: The Weaning Process


I successfully completed three weeks of the dreaded rabbit diet, also known as Whole 30. I am happy to report I started the reintroduction phase where I am bringing back old foods in order to try and pinpoint what makes my stomach upset.

Since we are going to New York later this week, I really didn't want to be restricted with what I could eat while I was there. After many of you suggested me starting the reintroduction process a little early, I happily took your advice and am on my happy way to eating delicious food again.

Before I get into the foods I've introduced, let me confess what went on last week.

It was awful. I was hungry all the time. I ate protein, lots of it, but couldn't seem to stay full. I was grumppyyyyy and almost to the point of tears from being so hungry all the time. The food prep is ridiculous, and I don't even have kids. I can't imagine having to prep these dishes with kids needing your attention. Sometimes you just want to order a freaking pizza and call it a night. Not happening with Whole 30!

I was getting really fed up with chicken and Chipolte. Eggs for breakfast were starting to make me gag. And I just wanted some ice cream, dangit! Plus, having a husband and friends who 100% supported me, but ate whatever they wanted right in front of me made me want to cry. Chris was really the best about concealing whatever he was eating, but it didn't hide the fact that I knew his meal was better than mine!

I am in no way bashing this program, because it has proven to rid me of my acid reflux for the time being, but this is something that takes a lot of willpower and time...geez the time to grocery shop and food prep, whew! I don't have that kind of time! Nor, do I want to make time for it. I was cooking all day during the weekends and that was no fun. Don't get me wrong, I love cooking, but when it isn't even something that tasty, it started to get annoying.

Friday night I forcefully decided to start reintroducing legumes into my diet due to having to eat fast food while driving down to Houston. We went to Wendy's and I had their chili and a baked potato. The chili had beans in it and I felt nothing. No upset stomach, no bloating, nothing. Check!


Since I am a skilled dietitian (sarcasm), I decided that by Saturday morning it was time to reintroduce dairy. Bring on the cheese! I went to The Egg and I and got a Mexican omelet that had cheese all over the top of it. It was the best, BEST thing I've had in three weeks! I was instantly in a better mood than I had been in almost a month! With the smile on my face you would've thought I won the lotto. Nope, just finally had some freaking delicious food!

After pigging out on the omelet and potatoes I waited to see if anything would happen with my stomach and...nothing. Yipee!! My biggest fear was being intolerant of dairy due to my obsession with ice cream, so this was a relief. Naturally for lunch I had to test the waters again with ice cream and...nothing! Fist bump.



At the wedding Saturday night I resisted anything with gluten and dairy in it, just to make sure I was pinpointing the symptoms, if there were going to be any. We went to the hotel that night and throughout the night and into Sunday I felt better than I had in a long time! My malnourished body was finally feeling energized! Hallelujah!

Sunday I decided to stay off the gluten until dinner just to make sure I was able to pinpoint any problems that may arise. At breakfast I had a completely gluten-free, so by dinner I was feeling good and ready to tackle the gluten monster!

What better way to fill your body with gluten than to go to a pizza place, dun. Cane Rosso it was and I devoured an entire 14" Margarita pizza by myself. And then it hit...the stomach pain. Surprisingly, not bad, but this was the first time in three weeks I felt bloated and had some acid reflux. No bueno.

Now it is Tuesday and I haven't had gluten since Sunday night. I think I am going to ease back into it with gluten just because I am thinking that is what makes my acid reflux flare up. Am I going to give it up completely? No! Heck no! Is that a dumb idea? Maybe. But at this point in my life, I love food way too much, and I have learned from this experience to modify, modify, modify, so I am confident I will be able to turn things away that are not my favorite and be able to splurge here and there.

Thursday I hope to have some things I've learned from this experience for those of you interested in doing the challenge!

Monday, October 27, 2014

Weekend Getaway




Another wonderful weekend in the books. I love having summers off, but something is so sweet about a fall weekend out of town with your husband. 

Friday after work we raced home and loaded up for a trip down to The Woodlands. Our friend, Chris's old roommate, lives down there and he offered up a place for us to stay for a night before we headed to a wedding Saturday.

Something about being around old friends makes you miss college really bad. My last year in Tyler was spent with these two guys and being together again made us miss those college years!

When we arrived, Grant and Chris did started in with guy stuff while I just laid around and eventually fell asleep, letting them carry on way later than I wanted to be awake.


Grant lives right by all the happening stuff in The Woodlands, so while the guys went to golf on Saturday morning, I decided explored a little and then got breakfast to go and headed back to Grant's apartment. I ate and then took a long nap. It was glorious.

Speaking of eating. After many recommendations, I decided to start weaning off of my Whole 30 diet due to not wanting to be sick and miserable while in New York next week. I had beans Friday night in some chili I ate. They did nothing to me, so I decided to move on to the dairy portion of the weaning process. See photo above.

There will be more on that tomorrow, but I will let you know I haven't felt this full in three weeks! I am one stuffed, happy girl!!



Saturday night we left Grant's and headed just about 15 minutes away to check into our hotel then head to the wedding. The wedding was so gorgeous. It was outside at the groom's parents house and they had the prettiest twinkle lights wrapped around all the trees and a huge white tent set up. It was decorated Pinterest worthy and the couple was just as happy as could be!

Sunday we met back up with Grant and had breakfast before heading back to Dallas. It was so good to get away from the house for a couple days. It is hard to relax at home because I feel like I always need to be doing something.

This week is going to be crazy as we will be preparing for our big trip!!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Linking up with Leann and Kimberlee!

Friday, October 24, 2014

The Scarf Bandwagon

I did it. I ordered the scarf. The one that is all over Pinterest, blogland, and basically every woman in America. Ain't no shame in my copy-cattin' game.


This is not the exact scarf I ordered, because mine is coming from Target, but they are literally the same scarf. Target seems to be out of stock everywhere and this Nordstrom Rack one is only a couple dollars more, so if you're dying for one of these like I was, you better hop on it. 

I plan on wearing mine with a navy and white striped shirt, jeans, and riding boots because originality is my middle name. 

Happy weekend!

Thursday, October 23, 2014

"It looks like a butt!"

Teachers aren't perfect. If you're sending your child to school thinking that their teacher is a saint, you've thought wrong. Do we always have what's best in mind for your child? Yes! But do we mess up occasionally? Yes, yes we do!

Case in point:

Last week I was going over some visual representations of some science vocabulary words with my kids. I had shown them beakers, which represent volume, and a triple beam balance, which represents mass, etc. when it was time to show them the visual representation for the vocabulary word molecule.

There I go projecting what I saw as a molecule. That was until it was blown up on my projector. And there it was, a giant butt, right there on my white board, projected as big as could be. I instantly died inside and thought, "Hopefully none of my kids have a mind like mine and they see a molecule..." They started shouting, "H2O!! H2O!" and then the room got silent.

I slowly started to rotate the picture as I am explaining to my kids what this picture could represent when all of a sudden one of my cherubs yells out, "It looks like a butt!!"

We died laughing. All of us. Tear forming, gut wrenching belly laughs. I was mortified, but, honestly, it was just what I needed at 1:55pm. It was classic and definitely a moment I will never forget. The genuine laughter coming from those 10 year old bellies made me realize that these silly cherubs get to be mine for an entire school year and with that comes silly moments like this.

Now I'll let you be the judge; butt, or molecule :)


Thoughts for Thursday

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

WIWW: Me + Link Up


If I were an outfit, this could be me. Mostly neutral, with a pop of color. Nothing too flashy. Glasses on, dirty hair, curled to look nice. Oh, and a diaper bag used to hoard everything and anything.




I feel like I am pretty neutral and low key. I have zero drama in my life, which is so nice. But, there is that occasional pop of color. I have a hard time holding back my thoughts, but I always make sure I can back up my point. My color wouldn't be hot pink, or anything out there like that. Just something with enough color to not blend in with the crowd.


If there were an outfit for my mood this week it would probably be a devil costume, or something along those lines. This diet is making me not be in the best mood ever, but luckily my students are being total gems this week (side-eye) and my husband hasn't commented once on how cranky I am (double side-eye). 

I'm getting healthier here, people. Deal with it! At least the pups still love me :)


shoes - my most favorite shoes, ever!

Don't forget Gap's 75% off sale!!

Now for the link up!

- All I ask is you link back to my blog and link to a specific post.

- Write about something fashion related!

Thanks for linking up and to see other WIWW posts, click here.

Linking up with Because Shanna Said So, Get Your Pretty On, The Pleated Poppy.



Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Whole 30 Confessions: Week 2


Hey guys, I'm alive! I survived two weeks of this crazy Whole 30 challenge and I'm feeling...like I could eat a gallon of ice cream and chips and salsa for days.

FOOD:
Besides my cravings still in almost full force, things were better last week. I was way more prepared and that helped a lot. I made several meals that lasted me almost all week, and Chris was out of town, so I wasn't tempted at all.

Some hits for the week were:

- this chili

- this sausage 

- potatoes fried in coconut oil

- all natural turkey sandwich meat

- homemade ketchup: 8oz organic strained diced tomatoes, 4oz organic tomato paste, 2 tbs lemon juice, 1/2 tsp dry mustard, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 garlic powder, 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Blend all together in a small blender.

- potato chips made in the microwave (I microwaved mine for 7 minutes)

- guacamole

- almond butter

- bacon, eggs, and hash browns


Let me say something about these hits. As much as I'd like to sit here and say that these hits were delicious, that'd be a lie. Yes, each items is/was pretty good, but nothing so far has compared to how it tastes normally. Out of that list, the only thing I plan on making after this challenge ends is the breakfast sausage. That is some good stuff right there. And of course the bacon, eggs, and has browns.

Chili isn't the same without cheese and cornbread. Potatoes fried in canola oil or crisco are just better. Natural turkey meat is dry. The ketchup is nothing compared to the real stuff. The potato chips are a great replacement for now, but not even in the same category as out of the bag chips. The guacamole is just about the same recipe as I've always used: an avocado, scoop of salsa, and some lime juice. The only difference is the salsa is organic and has no sugar. And yes, that makes a difference. The almond butter is delicious!

Some misses:

- I tried frying chicken patties and they were alright, but probably not a repeater. I mixed ground chicken, an egg, and some spices together, then battered them with almond flour and fried them in coconut oil. Not terrible, and they might have been a hit with real ketchup, but they just weren't my favorite.

- Beef stew meat. Just eww. I need to remember to never buy that again. I might as well just chew on Chris's boot.

- An egg, spinach, onion, a steak frittata. It just wasn't that good.

- Banana ice cream. Specifically this banana ice cream. Don't get me wrong, it was okay, but almost too rich after caramelizing the bananas. Let's just say it wasn't Blue Bell.

As for the misses, although they weren't the best tasting things around, I still ate every last bit of them. I refuse to waste the food that I am cooking and, to be frank, sometimes I don't have the time or energy to fix something else, so gross leftovers will just have to do. I'm not that picky.

My theory on the foods I don't like is...watch tv or distract yourself while eating and you won't pay so much attention to how gross the food is. In the end, I get full on eating a healthy meal and that's what this is all about.

Sunday Chris grilled chicken and I devoured two huge pieces. It was by far the best thing I have had in two weeks and he will be grilling much more this week.



MOOD:
My mood the first week was similar to dancing with a lion; dangerous, and something you probably wouldn't want to do. I was moody and cranky and if Chris Tucker were writing this post he would probably tell you that I was extremely unpleasant to be around.

I am happy to report that last week I felt like my mood was better. Chris wasn't in town to witness my gleeful attitude, but I'd say I felt less groggy and out of it. I did have some moments of fog, but for the most part, my mood was more upbeat and I felt like I had more energy than the first week.

Can I just say something? I felt like I had a lot of energy before I started this challenge. I was working out every morning, eating pretty healthy, for the most part, and was feeling really great about my body and how I was feeling. I'm not sure I can credit this diet to making me feel great...just a thought.


HEALTH: 
Y'all, I am so freaking excited to say that I have not thrown up/had any stomach pain at all since I started this!! My acid reflux hasn't bother me at all!! I used to have stomach pain after every meal, like piercing pain, but I haven't felt that in over two weeks. That makes me think my stomach may not agree with something I was eating and I hope to have an answer to that at the end of this whole challenge!

WORKOUTS:
These are few and far between. The first week I think I only went to the gym twice. Last week I only went once. I am starving, STARVING the moment the alarm clock goes off and the last thing I want to do is go to the gym when I'm starving. I am eating a lot, but I feel like I can't eat enough. Everything I am eating is healthy, but not calorie dense, so I need to work on eating more protein later in the day, so when I wake up, I have enough energy to make it to the gym. I did make it to the gym Monday morning, but felt a little nauseous when I got home because I was so hungry.

OVERALL:
Overall, I feel...I'm not sure. I love how my clothes are fitting and I know I've lost inches. I tried on my best friend's bridesmaids dress (for her wedding in January) a week before going on this diet and it fit perfectly snug, with no room to spare. I tried it on again on Sunday and it was almost too loose! I no longer have any love handles and I am starting to see all my abs, so that is nice. But, if I'm being honest, the biggest motivator in this is my acid reflux being under control. That has been such a huge pain in my butt for almost eight years now, so to know I potentially have that under control is a great feeling. On the other hand, there is no way I could keep up these eating habits forever. The meal prep and lack of delicious (to me) food is something I'm not willing to give up. Call me crazy, but ice cream and chips are just too delicious to never eat!!


And no offence at all to those people who live this healthy lifestyle all the time, because I commend you for doing this because it is really freaking hard, but no, Paleo ice cream is not better than real ice cream and homemade ketchup doesn't taste like the real stuff. So, for all those items you claim to have mastered to taste like "the real thing," I'm sorry. Pillsbury has perfected the cookie and there is just no substitute for that. Blue Bell is the master of ice cream and no frozen banana treat is even close to tasting as delicious as Cookies N Cream. And kale chips dipped in homemade organic no-nothing ranch are nothing like Chuy's chips and jalapeno ranch dip. Sawwrryyyy.

I have ten days left until we go on vacation and I am going to try my hardest to eat healthy for breakfast and lunch, then splurge for dinner. I am a little worried about upsetting my stomach, so I am going to try and take it easy, but no guarantees when you're in NYC!

Has anyone else tried Whole 30? Do you have any delicious recipes? I'd love to try them out!

Bless Her Heart Y'all

Monday, October 20, 2014

A heart so full.


This weekend. Ahhh. It was perfect. Just looking at these pictures makes my heart burst with happiness.

Last week was hectic as ever. Chris had been in Atlanta all week and I was ready for him to be home. Friday night his flight got delayed almost five hours and he was finally able to make it home around midnight. I don't really remember him coming in, but I do remember waking up to him on Saturday morning!

Saturday was the most gorgeous day of the year! The weather was perfect. Not a cloud in the sky, temperature was in the 70's, and we didn't have a thing planned. 

After eating breakfast and lounging around, we decided it was time to head to the pumpkin patch. We felt guilty if we didn't get out of the house on a day like that! 



Every year Chris buys me a "Cinderella" pumpkin, so off to the pumpkin patch we went.

After discovering that most of the Cinderella pumpkins were rotten on the bottom, we stumbled across this grey pumpkin. It was the perfect size, and the color was what I really loved. I felt as though the color is very symbolic for our lives right now.

I feel like Chris and I are in that grey stage in our life. We aren't exactly newly-newly weds, but we don't have kids yet, so we are kind of in the grey...and I love it! We no longer are figuring out how to live with one another like when you first get married, but we haven't yet tackled the reigns of parenthood. We are in a really, really great place and my heart is just so full. 


Chris's engineering side came out in full force while searching for the perfect pumpkin. He analyzes every single pumpkin, looking for the perfect one.




We came across this squash(?) and it was as light as a feather. Literally, so light! Ordinarily, Chris made me take a picture with it.




We also came home with this colorful little guy. I am always smitten with unusual pumpkins to decorate the house with and this one made the cut.


In true Tucker fashion, I dared Chris to pick up this huge pumpkin and, of course, he accepted my challenge. That smile, those squinty eyes, that pumpkin. He melts me.
  

I am so sad to see this weekend go. Chris and I had so much fun together and it made me excited to be in this stage of life with him. 

After the pumpkin patch we went grocery shopping together, the later Saturday night went to church with some friends. 

Sunday was full of football and grilling out with more friends and my heart continued to burst. 

We are so blessed and I can already tell this fall season is going to be one for the books.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Linking up with Leann and Kimberlee!

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Let's Shop Saturday!



I am in the mood to shop today. It doesn't hit me often, but today, I am on the hunt for some key fall pieces!

Here are some of the sales going on (all clickable links):

J.Crew Factory - Extra 30% off Clearance | Code: YAY30

Kate Spade - 30% off entire purchase | Code: F14FFUS

Ann Taylor - Extra 50% off Full Price Tops, Accessories, & Shoes | Code: STYLE50

Saks Fifth Avenue - 25% Off  | Code: FRNFAM

Old Navy - 25% Off | Code: TREAT

J.Crew - 30% Off Sweaters & Outerwear | Code: SHOPFALL

Madewell - 30% Off Sale | Code: PICKMEUP

Club Monaco - 25% Off Select Fall Styles | Code: FALLFAVES

Forever 21 - Extra 30% Off Sale | Code: TAKE30

Saks Off Fifth - Extra 40% Off Contemporary | Code: 40FORYOU

Gap - Extra 25% Off Entire Purchase | Code: HAPPY

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Super Random Thoughts


- This has been my dessert lately. If you shut your eyes and think sherbet or ice cream...nope, it doesn't taste like either.

- Everyone and their mom is pregnant. I'm not going to drink the water at my school because I'll be guaranteed a baby due between March and April. And I'm not even going to start counting the babies ready to hatch in blogland. Congrats to all!

- Last night, while on a walk with the pups, they spotted a rabbit. I had stopped to talk to some people and their leashes had a slack in them as they sat and watched the rabbit's every move. Within a split second, the rabbit moved and both Wrigley and Bailey jetted towards the rabbit. I kid you not when I say that I thought they pulled my arm off. They jerked me into the street so hard I got tears in my eyes and now I have leash burn on my hand. Gosh those dang pups. I blame it on Chris because he always says, "Go get those rabbits..." in a sneaky voice so both dogs run after the rabbits!

- Speaking of Mr. Tucker, he has been out of town all week and that has made for an easy week with no temptations to stray from my Whole 30 plan.

Don't forget to check out yesterday's post to see the best flag scarf ever!

Thoughts for Thursday

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

WIWW: Flag Scarf + Link Up



  



Last weekend Chris and I were on a hunt to get him some new fancy business shoes and a new belt that didn't look like it had been through a war. We hit the jackpot on some shoes from Marshall's, but it was a no-go in the belt department. Luckily, a couple stores down was Stein Mart and I just happened to have a store credit there from last Christmas.

In we went and right away spotted a belt that was perfect. But, since Chris had gotten four new suits (thanks to Jos. A Bank's buy one, get three free deal), a new pair of dress shoes, and a new belt, I figured it was my turn to get something.

I spotted this American Flag scarf and was in love. It is not too bright, so I won't scream "I love America!" everywhere I go, and it isn't too bulky. Some of those bulky infinity scarfs make me feel like I am a little swaddled baby trying to gasp for air.

Also, can we talk about this lighting that my husband managed to catch in these pictures? Way to go, hubby! These pictures were taken before I had actually gotten ready for the day, hence the sunglasses because I am wearing absolutely no make-up. Just trying to keep it real.

Scarf - here
Jacket - here 
Boots - here

And don't forget about Shopbop's 25% off sale going on now! Start that Christmas chopping early!

PS: The Lovely Lookbook's theme for November is stripes. I can't wait to see what y'all come up with. Come back on November 1st to link up your striped outfits!

Now for the link up!

- All I ask is you link back to my blog and link to a specific post.

- Write about something fashion related!

Thanks for linking up and to see other WIWW posts, click here.

Linking up with Because Shanna Said So, Get Your Pretty On, The Pleated Poppy.