Thursday, September 29, 2016

Ready for Scarf Weather

When I showed you my “less-than-perfect” olive jacket a few posts back, I mentioned that I bought the jacket mainly to wear with one of my favorite scarves. Several of you asked me to show you the scarf in the comments and via email.

So here it is! It’s still too hot (it was in the upper 90s this week!!!) to wear around here, but I did find a few pictures from late last year (which explains the not-so-pretty backdrop; I've been working hard trying to take prettier and more interesting photos this year...): 

Olive Scarf 2

Statement Scarf 01
 Scarf details: BP Southwestern Scarf

The scarf is BP from Nordstrom, and it sold out pretty quickly last year. But it’s available again this year, and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing it quite a bit as it goes so well with greens and other fall colors…

Luckily, it’s supposed to cool down considerably, and we may even get a little rain (fingers crossed) on the weekend, so maybe I won’t have to wait too long to wear the scarf again after all...

Questions: Do you like scarves? YES! I LOVE scarves, and I can’t wait for scarf weather to get here!!! If you do like scarves, do you have a favorite one? I have too many to pick just one, but this one is in the top for sure...

Click here to check out the fabulous bloggers I’m linking up with.


Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Black and White Striped Tunic And Leggings

If you have been reading this blog for a while (or even just a few posts), it won’t come as a surprise that I’m featuring another tunic and leggings look!

Today’s tunic is striped, which shouldn’t surprise you either since I love stripes and feature them often. I sized up in the tunic; I like the slouchy look. Plus, it’s super comfortable!

Black White Striped Tunic 2

I wore the tunic last weekend when Andy and I had some time to hang out in Los Gatos after dropping off the kid at his friend’s house. Los Gatos is a cute little town with plenty of shops - including unique ones - and restaurants, wine bars, cafes and bakeries. It’s a nice place to spend a leisurely afternoon in the San Francisco South Bay area. 

Black White Striped Tunic 3

The silver lace-up flats continue to be comfortable, and I love wearing them.

Black White Striped Tunic 4

I like black and white tunics so much that I’m always drawn to them. I think you really can’t go wrong with black and white as it will always be in style. Here are some tunics I really like; some of them are affordable and others are “fantasy items.”


Questions: Do you like tunics? Do you like black and white? 

Click here to check out the fabulous bloggers I’m linking up with.


Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Floral Pants with (Mostly) Muted Tops for Fall

In Sunday’s post, I wore my new Banana Republic floral pants with a red shirt.

Floral Pants 6 
When I got the pants, I was drawn to them because they are very similar to the pair they replaced (and I LOVED that pair) and because I love all the different colors in the pants and think I will be able to wear them for most of the year here in California. 

Floral Pants with Muted Tops for Fall 

So I got out some fall and winter tops and sweaters and experimented. Since I’ve been under the weather all week, I didn’t take photos wearing the outfits (believe me you wouldn’t want to see me!), but I’m showing you the combinations I am thinking off. I know there are more possibilities hidden in my closet, but it’s a start: 

First up are the pants with a basic grey sweater. The grey of the sweater matches the grey in the pants and definitely mutes the outfit. 

Floral Pants and Grey Sweater

I also got out a deep red sweater. It matches some of the darkest reds in the flowers. I like this combination.

Floral Pants and Dark Red Sweater

Next I tried pairing the pants with a green blouse; I like that the green of the blouse matches the dark green in the pants.  

Floral Pants and Dark Green Shirt

And then I got a bit adventurous. I dug out a blazer I’ve had for about ten years. I bought it when my mom visited. To be honest, I didn’t really like the blazer, but she LOVED it, and so I bought it (not a good reason to buy clothing!). I’m not sure it actually goes with the pants, but I’ll have to make a decision about the blazer soon. In the ten years I’ve owned it, I’ve only worn it about five times. So either I’ll start wearing it, or I’ll have to find a new home for it.

Floral Pants and Purple Jacket

It is very good quality with nice fabric and interesting details. But I’m just not sure it’s me… Maybe I’ll just have to experiment with different outfits. 

IMG 2433

Lastly, I got out my yellow chunky sweater for a day when I want to make a bold statement. Maybe to brighten up a rainy day? I’m actually not sure I’ll ever be that daring. We’ll see...

Florla Pants and Yellow Sweater
  
Questions: How long do you hold on to clothing you haven’t worn in a while? At what point do you decide to find a new home for them? Have you ever been influenced by a shopping partner or salesperson to buy something you weren’t sure about? 

Click here to check out the fabulous bloggers I’m linking up with.


Be well,
Andrea

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Floral Pants for Fall

I had $10 in rewards and a $15 birthday coupon from Banana Republic that I had to use in August. There was also a 40% off the sale price promotion going on at the end of August (which is happening very often at Banana Republic). I had been looking for metallic flats, and I was happy when I found the pale gold flats as they are shiny but not too much so.

While browsing the website, I was thrilled when I came across the Avery-Fit Floral Crop pants (in tall) as I had been looking for floral pants because the ones I own are unfortunately quite a bit past their prime; they are 5+ years old, and I have worn them often, and they have been washed often. They definitely have served me well. I ended up getting the flats and the pants for $31 total and managed to get free shipping (at first, the website wouldn’t accept my birthday coupon along with my rewards with the 40% off, but after about 20 tries, I ended up getting it to work, and I was happy when my order qualified for free shipping even though the total was below $50).

Floral Pants 5  
Floral Pants 6

I like these floral pants because of the colors in them, and I look forward to creating different outfits with a wide range of colors. This time I stuck to red and pink, but there are so many possibilities: grey, red, pink, turquoise, yellow, green… While the pants are from the spring/summer collection, for fall I’m looking forward to pairing them with dark green, grey, and dark reds.

Floral Pants 4 
Floral Pants 2

I’m still loving my Coach satchel (similar); the little pink bag turned out to be much roomier and versatile than I had thought it would be when I bought it.

Coach Satchel

Questions: Do you like florals? If so, are you planning on wearing floral pants (or other floral pieces of clothing) in the fall? Or are you reserving them for spring and summer? If you are wearing florals in the fall, are you sticking to more traditional fall colors?

Click here to check out the fabulous bloggers I’m linking up with.


Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: Links in this post are affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]

Thursday, September 15, 2016

The Perfect Olive Jacket

In Sunday’s post I wrote about olive, a very popular color this fall, and featured my olive blouse. I bought the blouse on sale last year, and I’m very happy with it. I like the cut, and the fabric drapes well.

The Dangers of Buying Final Sale Items

Unfortunately, the blouse wasn’t the only olive item I bought last fall. I say “unfortunately” because the other item I bought didn’t turn out quite as well. I purchased an olive jacket online and it was a “final sale” item so there was no way to return it. When I bought it, I knew I took a gamble as the reviews were quite mixed - some loved it, others not so much. When I bought the jacket, I had one of my favorite scarves in mind. It’s olive/black/white/orange, and I really wanted to wear it with an olive jacket. Looking back, it was really shortsighted to buy a jacket mainly with one scarf in mind. I remember thinking “it’ll be okay if it’s not ‘perfect' because the big blanket scarf will cover most of it.” But does it really make sense to buy a jacket specifically to wear with one scarf?

Olive Green Jacket 1

Is a “less-than-perfect” Item ever a Bargain?

I was definitely swayed by the price when I ordered the jacket. I believe the original price tag was somewhere around $80, and I got it for about $12. So it was quite the deal! But was it really? I wasn’t too thrilled when the jacket arrived as the material was stiff and didn’t drape well. Is a “less-than-perfect” jacket really a deal? Or would it have made more sense to wait for a jacket I’d be truly happy with? I think the answer is pretty clear. Yes, I should have definitely waited for a jacket I would be completely happy with.

Is There Hope for the Jacket?

But maybe there is some hope for the jacket after all. I just washed it several times (the downside to this is that the jacket is now several shades lighter than it originally was), and I like it much better as the material isn’t as stiff anymore and flows a bit more (the photos in this post are post-wash). We’ll see how it’ll turn out in the next few months. Of course I have seen “perfect” olive jackets everywhere and maybe I should just get what will make be happy… But then again, maybe I should learn a lesson first and deal with the “bargain” I got last year a bit more...

Olive Green Jacket 2

The jacket is definitely a reminder for me to make sure I truly love an item before I buy it. And that means not to order “final sale” items online if I haven’t tried them on or seen them in person. You just never know, and chances are actually pretty high that the item turns out less than perfect, and then you are stuck with it. It’s of course possible to make a less-than-perfect item “work," but my goal for the future is to only purchase items I truly love. I believe it will help me reduce the items in my closet and ultimately dress with more joy.

These olive jackets look pretty fabulous:


Questions: Do you make sure everything you buy is “perfect,” or do you settle if it’s a bargain? Do you own an olive jacket? If so, are you completely happy with it? 

Click here to check out the fabulous bloggers I’m linking up with.

Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]


Sunday, September 11, 2016

Transitioning into Fall with an Olive Blouse

Olive Blouse for Fall


Olive is a popular color for fall and a color I like a lot. I’m very glad that I picked up an olive blouse last year on sale at LOFT as I have already worn it several times in the last week or so, and I know I’ll wear it a lot this fall.

First, I thought I’d transition my black and white striped maxi skirt into fall by wearing it with the olive blouse on a day when it was a bit cooler, especially in the early morning and evening.
 Olive Blouse 1
I got the maxi skirt about six years ago, but I have seen similar skirts every year. In fact, the day I wore my skirt I saw two women who wore almost identical ones. I think maxi skirts never really go out of style and neither do stripes.

Olive Blouse 2

I also tried tucking the blouse in, which I think I like better.

Olive Blouse 3
I did just a bit of pattern mixing by wearing my windowpane flats with the striped skirt.

Windopane flats

Olive Blouse as a Second Layer


I also wore the blouse open with a black tee and capris jeans. The light layer is perfect for early fall. Right now it’s still often quite warm here in the middle of the day, and I like that I can wear the blouse only in the mornings and evenings and take it off in the middle of the day if it gets too hot. And when it gets a bit cooler, I can add my black cargo jacket.

I wore the blouse with a tee and jeans when we ran some errands at and around Santana Row. Of course I had to ask Andy to take some photos in front of one of my favorite walls there.

Olive Blouse 4 
Olive Blouse 7

I also wore my black and white necklace.

Olive Blouse 6

And I carried my Rebecca Minkoff Dog Clip Saddle Bag. I have carried the bag every single day since I’ve gotten it (for school drop off, running errands, out on walks, etc). I really don’t know what I did before I bought it. Well, I do know. I carried an old, worn out cross body bag that has since been recycled…

Rebecca Minkoff Dog Clip Saddle Bag

Andy and I also made time for a quick lunch at The Counter. It was nice to sit outside, enjoy a good meal and catch up on life a bit.  

The Counter Santana Row 1
The Counter Santana Row 2

I look forward to playing with the blouse more in the coming weeks and sharing how I'll style it with you. 

Here are some olive blouses and tops that I like (some of them are currently on sale):


Questions: Do you like olive? Do you own an olive blouse or an olive top? Are there any other olive items in your closet, or are you planning on adding any to your closet?

Click here to check out the fabulous bloggers I’m linking up with.

Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]

Thursday, September 8, 2016

The Battle for Straight Hair

I have a hairstyle that only looks good when my hair is straight. Unfortunately, my hair is not naturally straight but has a wave to it (people who only see me on work days, don’t usually know that…), and the wave looks quite messy… To achieve the straight look I like, I usually blow dry my hair using a round brush - a task I don’t particularly enjoy. Plus, even after blow drying my hair with a round brush, it often still doesn’t turn out the way I want it to.

Irresistible Me Hair Straightening Ceramic Brush Review*

I was therefore very happy when I was contacted by Irresistible Me and asked if I wanted to try out the Irresistible Me Hair Straightening Ceramic Brush as it sounded like something that would make my life easier. 

Irresistible Me Hair Straightening Brush 2
Irresistible Me Hair Straightening Brush 3
Irresistible Me Hair Straightening Brush 4

Over the past couple of weeks I have been testing out the brush, and I have to say it has been working out great! I can let my hair dry naturally, which I prefer, and then style it with the brush. I also don’t have to worry when I go to bed at night right after washing and drying my hair as I can easily fix my hair the next morning with the brush.

I love that I can use the brush to fix a small area that “got out of hand” a bit after sleeping on it, etc.

Irresistible Me Hair Straightening Ceramic Brush 1
Irresistible Me 10

In the last few weeks, I have been using the brush in the morning to straighten my hair. I like that the hair stays straight throughout the day.

Irresistible Me Hair Straightening Brush 8
Irresistible Me Hair Straightening Brush 6


Irresistible Me Hair Straightening Brush 7

Even at the end of the day the hair stays straight when I straighten it with the brush in the morning.

Irresistible Me Hair Straightening Brush 5
  
The Irresistible Me Ceramic Hair Straightening Brush has definitely made styling my hair much easier. I love that I don’t have to worry anymore about blow drying my hair right away. It’s also very convenient to be able to fix my hair quickly in the morning (or anytime).

Questions: Do you straighten your hair? If so, what do you use to straighten your hair? 

Click here to check out the fabulous bloggers I’m linking up with.

Be well,
Andrea

*Disclosure: 1. I was provided the Irresistible Me Hair Straightening Ceramic Brush free of charge. As always, all opinions in this post are my own.

Sunday, September 4, 2016

One Tunic, Two Outfits

In last week’s post, I proclaimed my love for tunics. It’s definitely one of my signature looks, and I love that I can wear a tunic pretty much year round here in California.

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by StyleWe and asked if I was interested in reviewing a piece of clothing from their site*. StyleWe* is a website that sells clothing from different up-and-coming designers. You can search clothing by designer or by category. I like that you can search all the different items of clothing from a designer you like.

I first browsed through a couple designers and really loved the unusual designs. Price points vary widely from about $30 for a tee to $1,000+ for some of the unique coats. Many items on the website are in the $70 - $150 range, and there often are flash sales where certain items are up to 40% or 50% off. Of course I quickly searched the tunics, and I was not disappointed. There are so many beautiful, unique options, and I had a hard time choosing just one piece. I would have had no trouble picking a whole new wardrobe from the site...

I ended up choosing a multicolored silk tunic*, and I am very happy with my choice. It arrived looking just like I had envisioned it from looking at the photos on the website. I did size up one size as I like my tunics quite loose.

Multicolored Tunic with Leggings

First I wore the tunic with my trusted leggings. This is not much of a new look, but I love that the tunic works so well with one of my favorite pieces of clothing.

Multicolored Tunic 1
Mulitcolord Tunic 2
Multicolored Tunic 3

Multicolored Tunic with White Skinny Jeans

Next I wore the tunic with white jeans. I really like this look, and it was also Andy’s favorite look.

Mulitcolored Tunic 4 
Mulitcolored Tunic 5

I still love my silver lace up flats. They are so comfortable... 

Silver Lace Up Flats

I wore the tunic with white jeans and the silver lace-up flats when we hung out at Mission Creek Brewing Company in San Jose. Great place to grab a beer (or wine or cider or non-alcoholic beverage) and a bite to eat in San Jose!

Misson Creek Brewing Company

I’m thinking of wearing the tunic open over a dress next as I’m determined to be more creative and adventurous when it comes to clothes...

Questions: When was the last time you styled one item different ways? Do you come up with new combinations frequently or do you tend do wear items in true and tried combinations? I have to admit that I’m not always as adventurous as I could be...

Click here to check out the fabulous bloggers I’m linking up with.

Be well,
Andrea

*Disclosure: I was provided with the tunic free of charge. As always, all opinions are my own.

 

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Stylish and Comfortable Flats

I seriously injured my right ankle when I was 16 and despite a lengthy and complicated surgery, the ankle has never been the same. I probably also didn’t help matters when I went skiing four months after the surgery and insisted it was “fine.” My surgeon had said I would know when I could ski again. Let’s just say my judgement wasn’t all that great at 16!

So all my life, I had to wear mainly flats. I can sometimes get away with a wedge or a block heel, but only for short amounts of time. Saying that I have serious shoe envy when I see fabulous heels would be an understatement. BUT, flats can be stylish in their own way, and I have learned to live in flats.

Flat Shoes can be Stylish

Here is a collection of my current favorite flats. I haven’t worn the brown ones since last fall and am looking forward to wearing them again soon.

Flat Shoes 1
Flat Shoes 2

Because it’s not that easy to find flats I like, I’m ALWAYS on the lookout for stylish and comfortable flats (flats - stylish or not - are not automatically comfortable of course!). I just ordered some pale gold flats from Banana Republic. They are on sale and an additional 40% off. The sale price came out to less than $30, and I was able to apply my $15 birthday coupon AND a $10 off coupon. I read online that they are running small, so I went 1/2 size up. Fingers crossed that they are comfortable and fit!

Flat Shoes for Fall


Here are some flats that I wouldn’t mind adding to my collection:

Questions: Do you wear heels or flats? If both, which ones do you prefer? What are your current favorite shoes?

Click here to check out the fabulous bloggers I’m linking up with.

Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: Links in this post are affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]