High Five for {Halloween} Friday!

In honor of my most favorite holiday, I thought I'd mix up my "Friday Five" post to write about my five most favorite things about Halloween.

Low and behold! Why Halloween is so amazeballs:

1) The smells: Apple cider slowly boiling on the stove, spice candles burning, the crisp air of cooler nights, leaves falling (unless you're in Texas... Where we're still green), the smell of cutting open a pumpkin for carving... All of the smells associated with Halloween are fantastic!

Image via Pinterest

2) Two words: Candy corn.

3) Decorating! Whether you like to keep it classy or get gory, decorating for this fun holiday is a blast.

4) Horror films: I love them all! Only a small few are truly scarey to me, the bulk are entertaining, and the rest are just hilarious. Whenever I'm a bit overdosed on the "bad" horror films, we pull up a classic on Netflix. Seriously, check those out (especially if you're prone to get scared - these are just great classic films!)

5) Dressing up: Now, I'm not a big fan of dressing myself up... But man do I love dressing up my dogs and baby! I had grand plans for Henry's first costume, but dang ol' Tejas is still 90 degrees and all baby costumes are furry animals. Heat + fur = no bueno for Henry, so I had to make other plans. But look at these dogs!

Baxter is a fireman; Otis is a pirate

Happy Halloween! I hope all you young, kid-less readers are going out to a wild party tonight. The hubs and I will be taking our small flock of two and four legged babies around the neighborhood for some treats, then (hopefully) checking out some kiddos that come knocking on our door for some candy.

 

 

 

Athleta's Fall Textures Are Killin' It!

You may have read that I turned 30 last week.

You may also already know that I'm biiiiigggg into working out; specifically, yoga and barre. Because I spend so much time in yoga/athletic wear, I'm all about high-end fitness apparel. The difference in quality between, say, a Target brand and Athleta (or Lululemon or Lucy) is unmatched, and once you get a taste for the high quality stuff, you literally cannot tolerate the cheap stuff!

My MIL sent me some cash bills inside a lovely card for my birthday, and I immediately knew what I'd go get: some fall yoga wear! I have summer stuff and deep winter items (thanks to living in MN) but nothing for the light Texas winters.

Dallas just got an Athleta store not too far away from me, so I packed up my little man and rolled over to check it out.

And I was pleasantly surprised to see that Athleta's fall lines were KILLIN' it! There were textures galore. I find that this brand really nails the "transitional" pieces - as in, what you wear to and from the studio, and also mix and match items for everyday wear. I tend to get super sweaty in yoga/barre classes, so I only wear a sports bra/pants (usually crops) but I'm clearly not going to walk around town like that, and Athleta had tons of great options to cover up!

Look at these amazing textures from Athleta's fall line! Top: slouchy sweater // bottom left: crop pants // bottom right: leggings

I ended up picking out one long sleeve shirt, one pair of crops and one full-length pant. I was slightly irked that they don't carry their tall sizes in the store (earth to Athleta! Carry your tall sizes!) but the leggings were so stretchy that  they worked.

The thick waistband of these crops means no "muffin top" spillage during yoga!

I plan on wearing the shirt and the full length pants on and off the mat/barre because they're SO cute and SO comfy! The textures of all these items are what really sold me. They all have interesting patterns and weaves of the fabric, yet manage to stay light enough that I'll be able to wear them throughout our mild winters. #winning

Getting the pattern to show in these Athleta legging was impossible!

What are your thoughts on workout apparel? Do you go pricey or stay on the affordable end? Have you checked out an Athleta store? They're starting to open up across the country! Of course, they're online at athleta.com too.

Mommy Monday: When Baby Has A Cold + Weekending

Likely because we were on a plane last week and breathing recycled air for a few hours, Henry has his first cold.

Slight fever, runny nose, crabby and generally not feeling well (as determined by extreme fussiness).

I'm all about healing as holistically and naturally as possible, but there are some things that demand a little over the counter medicine to help with symptoms - especially when it's my baby whom I don't want to feel icky!

While we can't make the cold disappear faster, we've tackled this cold with a few essentials to better manage his symptoms. Infant Tylenol, to help reduce Henry's slight fever. The Nose Frida, which is a nifty sucking tool that draws out all Henry's excess snot (motherhood is so, so glamorous.) And Hyland's Baby tiny cold tablets to help with congestion and sneezing. These people also make the all natural, drug free teething tablets we use.

Baby cold symptom remedies

All of this combined is helping Henry get through his first cold! Obviously, they don't make the cold go away faster, but they do help a baby manage the symptoms until the cold clears on its own. And also obviously, I'm not a doctor (more like a holistic granola munching hippie) so consult your child's pedi before busting out any of these remedies, ok? Good!

In completely unrelated news, I ventured over to Fort Worth on Saturday afternoon to meet with Making Mrs. M and Miranda Writes! We hit up a wine bar, and ended up staying for about six hours (!!!) It was so fun to meet other bloggers in person and hang out for a bit. Thanks for the fun time in the midst of a sick kiddo, ladies!

Blogger gathering! Making Mrs. M, Miranda Writes, and (the very tall) An Uncomplicated Life Blog!

Have you ever had a sick little one? Have any other good tips for me and Lil' H until this passes? You know, besides escaping to meet other bloggers and drink wine?!

Want to see what other awesome bloggers were up to this weekend? Then check out Biana's "Weekending" link up over at B Loved Boston! Just click this sparkly button... AFTER you give me your sick baby advice :)

High Five for Friday!

Whoa! We've been gone more or less all day for the past few days for appointments, meetings, mommy groups, and on and on. Basically, I've had no time to finish writing this post!

So in light of my "fail", here is a funny pic of Henry, who tried solids this week for the first time... And HATED it.

He kind of slurps at the spoon, like a dog laps up water from a bowl. Hilarious!

I hope you all enjoy your impending weekend! Make sure to check out these lovely blogs I link up with every Friday to complete your Friday blogging entertainment.

 
 

Birthday Weekend Recap

I turned 30 last Thursday.

I honestly forgot it was my birthday. My hubs came home late from work on Wednesday and had a cupcake with a candle (ok, it was actually an upside-down match, since he forgot the candle!) and a few presents for me since we'd be traveling on Thursday. The presents were sentimental and Henry-related with the exception of a half day at a spa. I can't wait for that!

On my actual birthday, we flew into Savannah, GA, where my parents live. My mama has been excited about this trip for months now, and has spent the time outfitting their SUV with a car seat, putting together a crib for Henry, and shopping for necessities like diapers, wipes, etc. for our visit.

This made our life so much easier!

My BFF Amber drove down the coast from Richmond, VA to join me for my birthday. Friday morning, Ambular (yes, like in the movie "Clueless") and I road tripp'd to Juliette to check out the town where the movie Fried Green Tomatoes was filmed, and to eat at the Whistle Stop Cafe. We are both obsessed with this movie - I easily watch it 12 times a year. We went to grad school in Savannah and always *meant* to go check it out, but it took us six years to actually get around to it!

Drinkin' sweet tea from mason jars and indulging in fried green tomatoes, BBQ and fried chicken!

Fried green tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

After our mini road trip, we headed out to my parents beach house on Tybee Island. Henry, my hubs and the fam stayed in Savannah. It was late, so we just grabbed some al fresco dinner and went back for a night cap on the veranda. This is what "doing it up" when you're 30 looks like... Yup.

The next morning, we got up and went on a four mile beach walk (I know it was four miles thanks to my RunKeeper app!) We also professed our undying love for each other:

We have a "ride or die" kind of love for each other: "Paige & Amber Partners In Crime 4 Life"

After our morning exercise, my mom came out to the beach house with the baby, and Ambs and I went and met my stepdad and husband at a bar... They picked us up in style: On my fam's boat!

Inter-coastal waterway

Selfie at AJ's Dockside before getting on the boat

After a day out on the water, we got back to the beach house around 4pm. I decided it was late enough to take Henry to the ocean without a risk of him getting sunburned. So I put him in a seersucker diaper cover embroidered with crabs (designer, that I picked up at a consignment shop for one whole dollar!) put on his hat and headed across the street to the beach.

Henry loved every minute of the beach! Even putting his toes in the cold water. He's a beach baby, for sure.

Baby on Tybee Island beach

 My folks, son and hubs headed back into Savannah and Amber and I were on our own for our last night. We walked to a place called Stingray's for supper, and sat outside while we enjoyed a bucket of beer, mahi mahi and crab cakes. We also ordered a local micro-brew, called Tybee Island Blonde. Because, photo-ops. Duh.

Blonde chick, blonde brew.

We had to get up early to head back into Savannah to meet up with the fam for our flight home. Amber took off for her long drive back to Richmond, and we took off for our two flights for Dallas. It was a lovely weekend, and the BEST way to turn 30.

I may be working on my wrinkle collection with three decades under my belt, but I have the absolute most wonderful friends; the greatest hubs for coordinating all this; the kindest and most giving parents for taking us all in and hosting us; and GET FRIGGIN SERIOUS: the cutest beach baby that ever was! Kid couldn't be more handsome if he tried.

Mommy Monday: Air Travel With Ze Bebe

I was absolutely terrified to fly with Henry last week.

What if he cries the whole flight? What if he poops and I have to change him in the nonexistent plane bathroom and it goes everywhere? What if we don't make our connection in Atlanta? I always have to run through ATL... I can't run with a baby! What if he spits up on the person next to me? What if all that happens, and my seatmate says something snarky to me and I punch him/her in the face??? Ohhhh, please little baby, just don't poop!

And guess what? The screaming and the poop did happen. Thankfully, we made all connections and no punches were thrown.

It's enough work to get out of the house with the baby, but fly on a plane? Ahhhhh, shap shawty! LOADS of work. It's all in what you pack in the diaper bag. Get ready to become a pack mule, because little humans have lots of needs! I think I carried about 20 extra pounds of stuff, plus a 17 pound baby. So, you know, that counted as a workout.

The Diaper Bag:

All of this easily fit into my Better Life Bags "Emily" diaper bag

The key to flying success lies in the diaper bag. Here's what we packed for a 2.5 hour flight to ATL followed by a 30 minute flight to Savannah:

- 5-6 diapers (can NEVER have enough)
- wipes
- one change of clothes
- 2 extra bibs (drooly Henry wears one at all times, so we had 3 total)
- 4 unmade bottles
- 2 pacifiers
- small container of formula
- three small toys
- gripe water
- Tylenol
- Bamboo blanket

We were able to distract Henry during take off and landing with the bottles, keep him fairly entertained with the toys mid-flight, and had "emergency supplies" in the form of gripe water and Tylenol in case nothing was working. Those went unused. Whew!

I nearly forgot the bibs! As you can see, there's still plenty of room in the bag for them.

We opted to carry Henry in a Baby Bjorn as opposed to navigating busy airports with a bulky stroller. That made things much easier, especially getting on and off the plane. Plus, we didn't have to wait at the gate to collect our curb-checked stroller after the flight.


Flight one is in the books, and flight two is scheduled for Christmas! After this, I'm asking everyone to just come to us in Dallas, because MAN is this a ton of work with a mini-me!

High Five for {Being In Georgia} Friday!

As you read this, I can likely be found on Tybee Island, GA, where my parents have a beach house. Or I may be in downtown Savannah, recuperating from a night out on the town at my parents row house. It's hard to say.

Forsyth Park, Savannah, GA

Either way, I'm back in southern Georgia and it feels soooooo good! In light of that, here are my Top Five favorite things about Savannah:

1) The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where I went to grad school, has done a wonderful job renovating all the old buildings in this historic city. There isn't a "campus" per se, but rather all the school's buildings are located throughout downtown.

2) There's ghost tours. Year round.

3) When I lived here, I had an apartment on the inter-coastal water way. My parents now have a boat, and I plan on being on that thing as much as possible. I LOVE living near water, and the shores of Savannah are some of the prettiest.

4) When driving on US 80 out towards the islands, you can pull off the road and purchase shrimp fresh off the shrimping boats. And it's pretty much the best shrimp you'll ever eat in your whole life.

5) How do you prepare said shrimp? In a big low country boil! Crab legs, crawdads, shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes are all boiled with Old Bay seasoning and a few lemons, then dumped on a table. It's my favorite way to eat seafood!

Have any of you been to Savannah? If not, what the heck are you waiting for?! I laugh as I type that because when I lived there the tourists drove me NUTS! But seriously, you should go.

Happy Weekending, y'all!

Gettin' Your Veggie On

I've had TONS of requests (seriously, I was shocked) on the recipes for the vegetarian meals I've posted on here, Insta and Twitter. I'm so happy to see that all my veggie dishes look appetizing enough for folks to want to try them!

Here are the recipes for two of the most popular (and, frankly, the best) veggie dishes I've forced on my meat 'n' potatoes hubs:

Slow-cooker Vegetarian Lentils:

Slow-cooker Vegetarian Lentils - before cooking

- 64oz vegetable broth
- 2 C green lentils
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 4 celery stocks, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 15oz can diced tomatoes
- 1.5 C fresh green beans, cut in half
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 large red potato, chopped (optional to remove peel - I don't)
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
- 1 T rosemary
- 1 T oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste (you'll need a good bit of it)

In qualifying for the "easiest recipe ever" all you have to do is throw everything into your slow cooker, and cook on med-low (for 9 hrs) or low (for 11 hrs). Boom. A pot of deliciousness. *Note* That cook time isn't negotiable! I tried to cook it on a higher heat for 6-7 hours, and all the veggies were still crunchy. So leave yourself lots of time!

Slow-cooker Vegetarian Lentils - cooked

Portabella-Spinach-Caramelized Onion Linguine with Chevre-Thyme Sauce:

Portabella-Spinach-Carmelized Onion Linguine with Chevre-Thyme Sauce. Had I known everyone wanted the recipe, I'd have taken pics while I cooked!

- 1 package whole wheat linguine
- 3 T chevre (goat cheese)
- 1 package portabella mushrooms
- 2 C fresh spinach
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 3 T butter
- 3 T flour
- 3 T olive oil
- 1 C milk (NOT skim. Please don't cook with skim. Please don't drink skim.)
- 1/2 to 2/3 C dry white wine
- 1 T thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Slice the onion into small rings. Melt butter in saucepan and add the onions. On a very low heat, caramelize the onions until a translucent golden color. This will take about 45 mins, so go super low with the heat! Otherwise you'll burn them. After they're done, add oil, mushrooms and spinach and saute until tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Boil the linguine according to the directions on the package, cooking the pasta to an al dente consistency.

Once veggies are done, add the flour to create a roux. After the four has cooked for a minute or so and you have a paste, slowly add the milk, stirring constantly. Add the wine and thyme, and return to a slow simmer. Once simmering, sir in the chevre. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add the cooked linguine to the sauce and toss the pasta until coated. I topped mine with some cracked black pepper. Enjoy! Hopefully with a dry but light red wine.

Mommy Monday: Preparing for Solids

At our four month appointment, our pediatrician told us that when Henry started to become interested in our food, grab at it, and mouth for it, he would be ready to introduce solids. She said it would likely be around the five to six month mark. Well low and behold, peanut is now five months old and is all about what mommy and daddy are eating.

Of course, we had no baby spoons, bowls, plates, etc. Nor did we have any baby food supplies. So this weekend, Kirk and I went out and about to pick up the necessary supplies to introduce some REAL food to our little goober!

But first, brunch! We hit up a place called Toulouse on Saturday morning for brunch. Benedicts, bloodies, and beignets served as fuel for this exciting adventure:

A French brunch for fuel as we prepared baby for solid foods. No, we didn't feed Henry any of this!

After that, we headed over to Pottery Barn Kids to pick out ceramics and to cash in a bunch of gift certificates we received from Henry's birth. We decided on three bowls, three plates and two boxes of spoons. I thought about some of the sippy cups, but I think we're a ways out from that and y'all know me - I don't want that crap hanging around my house unused! So we'll wait until Lil' H is a bit older for those.

Our pedi recommended oat cereal as opposed to white rice cereal, as that has essentially no nutrition and the oats at least provide fiber and iron. She also said to start with orange veggies, like sweet potatoes, squash and carrots (these go over the best with a baby-palette) and eventually introduce green veggies. She said we should hold off on fruits so that Henry doesn't develop a taste for the sweetness and refuses to eat anything else. 

Dishes: Pottery Barn Kids; baby food: Whole Foods

I thought she had excellent advice for us! I hope to cultivate an adventurous eater and I certainly don't want to promote a sweet tooth early on. I also don't want to feed him "filler" food - aka nutritionally devoid rice cereal.

You have to make many decisions and compromises as a parent. Excellent nutrition and eating habits is something I will fight tooth and nail for because it effects all other areas of your life; from cancer to heart disease to obesity/weight issues and beyond.

We were going to try solids this weekend, and thus I *would* have some hilarious and adorable pics of Lil' H to include here, but I was warned by several of my friends with slightly older babies that introducing solids causes some nasty constipation. We're taking Henry on his first flight later this week, so we're holding off on actually feeding him this good stuff until we come back. Because nobody wants a screaming or fussy, constipated baby on a flight. Nobody.

 Be prepared for some great pics to follow shortly!

 

High Five for Friday!

Ohhh, Hey Friday! It's been a while since I have posted you. Because two weeks ago my sister was in town and I was slacking off, and last week Ebolanado rolled through town and knocked out our power for FIVE DAYS (This storm lasted 20 minutes and no tornado was actually involved. Just rain and some wind.)

So now that it's October, I'm back at it!

1) I've been cooking up a lot of vegetarian meals recently. This one was a portabella-spinach-carmelized onion pasta with a goat cheese + thyme sauce. Hubs either liked it (!!!) or choked it down without complaining... Either way, we got our five daily servings of fruits and veggies!

Portabella-spinach-carmelized onion linguine with chevre-thyme sauce

2) My name has been legally changed for eight months or so now... And I just started to change my bank accounts and credit cards to the new one. It was easier to change my name with the frickin' government than it is to change it with any financial institution. Go ponder that one.

3) I dressed my kid in monsters twice this week:

Henry isn't as thrilled about the monsters as I am.

4) I was selected to start working with the BlogHer Publishing Network this month. I'm soooo excited about that!

5) A group of mommies and myself went to a pumpkin patch and petting zoo! It was the first time I've been to a pumpkin patch when it was well north of 90 degrees out. We were all sweating, but had a great time!

If you follow me on Instagram, you've might have seen this shot already. Just sweatin' it out at the pumpkin patch.

I hope everyone enjoys their October weekend! Before you clock out today, make sure to hit up these blogs, too:

 

Tour de Halloween Decor

My last post got all hot and heavy on you, so I'll lighten it back up on my Hump Day post!

By this point, we all know that Halloween is my favorite holiday. I adore decorating our home, and I'm not just talking about cutesy glittery stuff. I have an affliction for skulls. In fact, sitting in my living room as I type this, I can see five skulls of various sizes and shapes.

Given my deep love for this bizarre holiday, I thought I'd share some of my favorite decorations around the house. This is, AHEM, just a sneak peak of what I put my poor family through. There's much more, including more skulls, skeletons and lights. But I don't want to overwhelm your senses, so I picked my favorites!

And now, the Best Of the Leitch's Halloween Decor:

Ceramic pumpkin; usually full of candy corn. From Home Goods circa 2007.

I got this at Michael's Craft Store last year, and it FREAKED the dogs out. Nonstop growls. Now, he's their homie.

Candy dish and resin pumpkins from Target. As you can see, our garage got so hot in the Texas summer, it started to melt and deform the pumpkins. Can't wait to have a house with storage!

Even my dish towels turn Halloween in the fall. From Target.

Skull cookie jar we picked up in New Orleans last fall. This little gem is one of my all-time faves!

What kind of Halloween stuff are you into? Sparkles and charming things or blood and gore?! Or do you keep your home decor to the more neutral "fall" theme?

Mommy Monday: Struggling With Body Image

There's been a lot of "fluffy" posts on An Uncomplicated Life Blog recently. I like lighthearted stuff too, but I don't want this to become just another fluffy, tip-providing lifestyle blog. Thus, I figured it was time to shake things up and have a serious conversation about an obnoxious, tricky subject: body image.

Last week, I shared this pic on Insta, comparing my pre-pregnancy self with my super-pregs self and my current self.

I was flattered by how many positive and encouraging comments I got from it! Seriously, thank you all. I'm also sure there were plenty of eye rolls and smirks, too. I still want to thank those folks, because you didn't publicly post any of your negativity. Thanks for keeping that tucked inside your dark self!

I'm always honest on this here blog of mine, so why stop with body image and baby weight loss, right? There are many challenges that come with motherhood. Body image has been the biggest personal hurdle for me. Well, that and lack of sleep... But that post would start and end with "Oh my gosh I am so unbelievably, uncontrollably, undeniably tired. The end."

I digress.

As you can see from the pre-pregnancy pic, I'm a fitness and nutrition nut. I enjoy working out five to six days a week. I enjoy eating veggies. Because all of that effort enabled me to be strong and athletic.

I worked out five days a week throughout my pregnancy. Even in the exhausting and pukey first trimester and even in the massive, back-breaking third trimester. I developed a pretty big sweet tooth. While I gave in occasionally, I mostly stuck with my veggie-based organic diet. All that discipline resulted in me gaining 25 pounds, the low end of what's recommended during pregnancy.

After Henry was born, I just started dropping weight. I lost 20 pounds in the first three weeks! Every day I woke up to a smaller waist! I thought returning to my pre-baby body was going to be so easy! I mean, I had done everything right before and during the pregnancy, so that was a given, right? Yeah. No. I thought wrong.

I started seriously getting back into my workouts and eating insanely healthy. Everyday. And still, the results were (and still very much are) S-L-O-W.

I mean, what the heck?! Why wasn't this happening for me at the rate I wanted it to? I have two distinct body image memories from this early time after Henry was born. First, someone said that my priority should be on my baby and not my body. I nearly punched this person in the face! Feel free to dictate your own priorities, but please leave mine alone. After you have a baby, EVERYTHING becomes about the baby. I mean, I didn't go to the bathroom so he could eat when he wanted! Getting my figure back and working out to feel good again was one piece of me that I wanted for me. For my sanity, not my vanity. (Ooooook, maybe a little vanity too. Whatevs, I'm human.) I also wanted to punch all the new mom's who said they "weren't even thinking about the baby weight right now" as they slipped back into their pre-pregnancy jeans. REALLY? You didn't think about it at all, huh? Well good for fickin' you.

The other memory is tougher to share. I debated not going there, but hell, I'm already this deep into it, so why not? I was getting out of the shower (yay, a shower!) when I made the mistake of looking in the mirror that was {not}strategically placed to spotlight your shower exit. I think it was six or eight weeks after I had had Henry. In place of my former yogi-six pack, I saw a bloated, excess-skin covered tummy and a bright red c-section scar. In all honesty, I simply looked fat. I was a 29 year old newlywed and I looked like heck. So I sat on the bathroom floor and sobbed. And sobbed. And contemplated smashing that stupid mirror.

Then I smacked myself in the face and got over my pity party. I no longer sob when I get out of the shower. But there is still a long, disappointed sigh.

One of my close friends told me she really couldn't tell the difference between the first and the third photo. But I can. And at the end of the day, I don't care what others think of me, I care what I think of me.

Because body image isn't about pitting yourself against someone else. There's no comparison. Its about how YOU feel about YOU, and how you see yourself.

I have come a long ways, and am feeling good about my progress. There's still skin hanging around my midsection that I have great disdain for. But I'm also getting my strength back, and I feel great about that. I thought the battle would be losing the baby weight and once that happened, magic! All would be well again. But that's not it at all. The battle is coming to terms with yourself, with what your body just accomplished, with the permanent changes and scars you gathered along the way, and loving yourself anyway.

My hyper-Type A personality isn't there yet. Like I said, I have work to do. And it isn't all physical.

And Then I Got Trendy

Disclaimer: I know this is starting to resemble some sort of fashion blog given all my recent posts about style, but I promise you that just happens to be a coincidence and not a new, strategic direction for An Uncomplicated Life Blog.

Anyway, back to business: Since my sis was in town, we spent all day Saturday out and about around town, and ended up spending a good bit of time in the Bishop Arts District. You know what happens to be in the B-A-D? Tons of boutique shops. I bet you already know where I'm going with this... Yes, we spent a good chunk of the day shopping.

And I liked it. Cray cray, right?! Nearly as crayzay as me buying less classic, more trendy NON-J Crew clothes.

This day simply had to be documented. And it was documented at 9am on a Monday, thus the glasses and hair up situation (and sidenote: I'm loving being a red head! This color is sticking around for a while!)

Regardless, here's some of the goodies I scored:

The grey "sweater" (I use that term lightly because it's a Dallas-weight sweater, which is basically as light-weight as you can possibly get) was an instant favorite. It was a bit pricey-ier than I'd usually spend on an impulse, trendy buy, but hey... The hubs approved the purchase so it was game on!

Sweater: Scrapbook, leggings: Zulily, boots: Audrey Brooke; studded wristlet: Len Druskin (Minneapolis boutique), gold stud earrings: Tiffany & Co

Sweater dips down in the back for legging-booty-coverage

Next was this little gem. I LOVE Halloween, so clearly, this belongs on my Christmas tree, too. Add sparkles and this ornament was pretty much made for me. This has nothing to do with being trendy... Just some of the weird stuff I'm into. Keepin' ya guessing with this random post, right?! #whatjusthappened?

Finally, after putting down an infinity scarf, because get real - I rarely get the chance to wear those - I found this. I really liked the rust color. I don't have anything in my closet anywhere close to it, and I really liked the faux-leather details. I mean, I'm wearing faux-leather now?! Whoa. Has anyone checked to see if hell froze over, too?

Sweater: Janet Paris, jeans: J Crew, heels: BCBG, bangles and studded braclet: J Crew, gold stud earrings: Tiffany & Co

I'm still mostly into classic looks (cardigans, jeans and t-shirts, simple gold jewelry) but it is fun to have a few trendy pieces to spice up my look this fall and into the winter. I've found that you're either a classics person or a trendy person, and we rarely cross into each others' camps. Although we should far more often, yeah?

Do you tend to gravitate towards classics or trendy?