Casual Dressy for Fall

Dress - Old Navy / Cardigan (similar here and here) - Halogen / Maternity Tights - Loft / Booties - TOMS / Bag - Tory Burch / Necklace (similar here and here) - Madewell 

Over my long weekend, I went to not one, but two rehearsal dinners with "casual" dress codes. Let me tell you, a casual dress code for a normally dressy event like a rehearsal dinner or a wedding is basically the most confusing thing. Some people will still really dress up because they feel the event calls for dressing up, whereas other people will show up in jeans. I always try to ride the middle in this type of situation, with some pieces that feel more dressed up but casual elements too. 

To break it down for this outfit - just wearing a dress in itself can make your outfit feel dressed up, while the actual fabric (it's just basically a giant tee shirt) help it hit that casual note. According to my sister, the tights also make me look dressed up, although really, they're just tights ;) And the color helps too - black automatically looks dressier than other colors. 

Instead of choosing heels, I went with my favorite casual booties which brought things down a notch, and added a longline cardigan for a little more visual interest (and warmth since we've already hit icy tundra stage in Chicago!). A cardigan like this is great because it really toes the line - it's appropriate with a dress, with jeans, with leggings, and even with dress pants for work. Oh and my jewelry - this long necklace reads casual, while a sparkly statement necklace or statement earrings would dress things up a little more. 

In case you're wondering what I wore for the second rehearsal dinner, it was basically this outfit but with the black tights, booties, and bag. Outfit repeats for the win! 

Oh and hey, look at that bump! We're at 23 weeks right now and I'm feeling the baby kick a lot - especially after I down some ice cream ;) 

Dress - Old Navy / Cardigan (similar here and here) - Halogen / Maternity Tights - Loft / Booties - TOMS / Bag - Tory Burch / Necklace (similar here and here) - Madewell 

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October Budget

Every month I post about my clothing budget. My budget per month is $350, which may seem like a lot to some and a little to others, but feels just right for me. You can read my thoughts on my 2017 budget here.

Yay for fall, the season of plaid and sweaters!! I know that come January I will be so tired of wearing sweaters, but for now I'm all about it! Here's what I purchased in October:

J.Crew Factory Plaid Scarves - originally $29.50, on sale $17.70 x2. I ordered one of these last year and loved it, so I snagged a few more when they were on sale. I wear these with my winter coats but also just over a sweater or tee.
New Balance Sneakers - originally $69.99, used coupon $49.99. I saw these on Jill and basically had to have them - I mean, how cute is the leather tag?! These are also the sock style of sneaker that I love, which makes them super comfortable and also means they easily slip on and don't need to be worn with socks.
J.Crew Factory Plaid Flannel Shirt - originally $42.50, on sale $25.50. I'm just getting to the point where I'm having a hard time buttoning shirts, so I've been wearing this open over a tee shirt. I love the white base, it's different than everything else in my closet and will be fun for the holidays but doesn't scream Christmas so I'll be able to wear it outside the holidays too.
Loft Open Cardigan - originally $59.50, on sale $29.75, used giftcard $0. I discovered a couple gift cards from last Christmas and ended up ordering this - it's so cute and luxe looking in real life! I've only worn it once because Jeff spilled beer all over it and it's been in the laundry pile since then, but I'm excited to get more use out of it! Oh and just a note, I don't know what the fabric is but it's basically impermeable, because I didn't notice being spilled on until Jeff freaked out haha ;) Definitely size down - I ended up getting a medium and the fit is perfect.
Loft Striped Poncho - originally $69.50, on sale $34.75, used giftcard $0. I wanted another layer since cardigans are basically my pregnancy uniform, and this one definitely fit the bill. Just a note that this is not particularly warm, probably better if you're in the South and have not already entered winter haha. I usually size down in Loft ponchos but ordered the L/XL because it was the only thing available at the time, and the fit is actually fine.
J.Crew Factory Sweaters - originally $49.50, on sale $29.70 x2. This was another favorite from last year that I reordered. I got XLs this time (last year I ordered larges) to be able to wear them for longer and the fit is way oversized but not enough to look crazy. I wore one here, and you can see that they typically fall off of one shoulder which I think is cute, but if you want them to fit less oversized I would size down.
J.Crew Quilted Field Jacket - originally $168, on sale $100.80. I've been wanting this for over a year now and decided to pull the trigger during a sale earlier this year. It was backordered in the tall sizes for six weeks, but finally got delivered and was definitely worth the wait. I love that it's warmer than my regular field jacket and has snaps on the sides to make the fit more flattering. I'm hoping to get a lot more wear out of it this fall before my belly gets too big!

Total Spent: $271.09
Total Saved: $167.40

For November, I'll probably be looking for some holiday pieces (it's my favorite to dress for!) but I also already ordered a few things (including this vest) that I'm waiting to come that have already taken a chunk of the budget for the month.

Did you score any good deals this month??

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This Weekend...

photo by Matt & Jaymi

This weekend I...

...stood up in my friend Tracy's wedding!! The wedding was outside in Northwestern Indiana and was freezing but so beautiful! So really, I spent the weekend laughing with my best friends, getting beautified and having my picture taken, which are a few of my favorite things ;) The wedding was at Wicker Park which has the prettiest little gazebo for weddings plus a gorgeous reception space if you're currently planning a wedding. If you're in the area, we did go to Harvest Room and Cafe Borgia and I would recommend both - I especially loved Harvest Room's breakfast crostinis!! 

...spent some time up in my hometown watching my niece and nephew (who recently started smiling and laughing at people who aren't his mom, and he stole my little heart!!) and then going to the rehearsal dinner for my cousin's wedding at Tacos El Norte, one of my favorite restaurants in the area. I was so bummed I had to miss the wedding but it was great to catch all of my family at the rehearsal! 

...ordered a few more of my favorite scarves when I noticed they came out with a few more patterns for the season! I also ordered a bunch of stuff from Sephora since they're starting their holiday sale - I'll have a full recap of the sale coming up this week. I also have my October budget post coming up this week so stay tuned!

Here's hoping you had a good one - now go stuff yourself with some Halloween candy!

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Friday Finds

Happy Friday!! Like I mentioned yesterday, this is a wedding weekend for me - I'm the co-Maid of Honor (never, ever Matron hah) for my friend Tracy from college. Today is all of our prep stuff and rehearsing, and then tomorrow is the big day! Fingers crossed the speech goes well!!

Here are my finds this week - apparently I'm over fall colors and into the blushes and grays! And how cute is that sherpa pullover?! Can you believe it's from Old Navy?!

one / two / three / four / five

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Quilted Field Jacket

Sweater - J.Crew Factory / Jacket - J.Crew / Maternity Leggings - Blanqi / Sneakers - New Balance / Bag - Tory Burch / Necklace - Stella & Dot

How freaking cute is this quilted field jacket? I ordered it waaaay back at the beginning of September but my size was on backorder (always go for the tall!) so it just came last week. Somehow I had the foresight back when it was still 90 degrees that we were going to have a really cold fall, so I'm glad to have a cute layer with a little extra warmth! It's definitely comfy and cozy, and I would categorize it as a 50-60 degree coat. I'm very specific in my coat temperatures (I'm always too hot or too cold, and constantly adding or removing layers!). In contrast, I'd consider my other field jacket as a 60-70 degree coat.

Oh, and I'm finally showing you these sneakers - I bought them mainly for the leather tag detail! Which I know is a silly reason to buy a sneaker, but I already owned a super similar style from New Balance so I knew they would be really comfortable for me. In addition to being very temperature specific, I also have amazingly picky feet. I recently discovered the sock style of shoe where the top is stretchy like a sock and there is no separate tongue, and let me tell you, they are a total game changer for me! I'm in sneakers almost every day now since I've been mainly working from home as of late, and my feet have never been happier!

Today is the start of a crazy couple of days for me. This afternoon I'm driving up to my parents' house to see a bunch of my family at my cousin's rehearsal dinner. But, fun twist, we aren't actually going to the wedding, because on Friday I have to drive down to Indiana where I'll be the co-MOH in my best friend Tracy's wedding! Somehow in all my years of wedding attendance, which included back-to-back weddings for weeks on end and the occasional two weddings in one weekend, this is the first time I actually have to miss one. I'm so sad to miss a family wedding (they really are the best!) but am freaking psyched for Tracy's wedding. I know some people are down and out on being a bridesmaid, but I love the whole experience, from hanging and getting ready with the bride to taking a million pictures (clearly I'm pro having my picture taken haha) to getting to see all of the love a wedding entails up close. Just a little nervous about having to give a speech, especially without the calming effects of a cocktail ;)

While I'll be out running around for the next couple of days, I do have a post scheduled to go up tomorrow, and you can catch a glimpse of what I'm up to over on Instagram! Have a great weekend!!

Sweater - J.Crew Factory / Jacket - J.Crew / Maternity Leggings - Blanqi / Sneakers - New Balance / Bag - Tory Burch / Necklace - Stella & Dot

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Would You Have A Drink When Pregnant?

Before I got pregnant, I always assumed the whole not drinking for nine (or more) months thing would be hard. I thought I would be that pregnant woman having the occasional glass of wine or sip of beer, just because I missed it or craved it. I know that the current recommendations are no alcohol ever when pregnant (actually, you technically aren't supposed to drink at all if you aren't on birth control!) but I always figured that if light drinking during pregnancy is a part of other cultures, it must be okay. If a pregnant friend wanted a glass of wine at a party or some champagne at a wedding, I would encourage it or even go to the bar to get it for her so she wouldn't feel awkward. I just always assumed that I would enjoy the occasional drink while pregnant as well.

Well imagine my surprise when, after finding out I was pregnant, I haven't wanted alcohol at all. I always assumed I would crave it, but that hasn't been the case. I don't miss drinking, and I don't look at a cocktail or a glass of wine and get jealous. That first weekend we found out (on our anniversary trip to Napa!) was hard, but since then it has been a total breeze. The only alcohol I've had was a few sips of champagne at a wedding when we hadn't told people we were expecting yet. It just is the weirdest thing to me, I always assumed it would be such a hard thing to give up.

Oh, and obviously the best thing about not drinking has been the lack of negative alcohol symptoms for the past few months! No hangovers, no wine headaches, no waking up feeling incredibly dehydrated or having a hard time getting out of bed on weekend mornings. It's so great I would consider cutting back on my alcohol consumption post-pregnancy, although I hear that mommies really like their wine ;)

I've heard that for some people that they wanted to drink but that wine tasted different to them during their pregnancy, or that they wanted alcohol but just the worry about how it would affect the baby was enough to hold them back. I'm curious though - if you've been pregnant before, did you drink a little or go cold turkey? What was your reasoning? And if you haven't been pregnant, would you ever have a drink?

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The Best Quilted Pullover

Quilted Sweatshirt - L.L.Bean / Jacket - J.Crew / Maternity Jeans - Old Navy / Bag (similar) - Sole Society / Boots (similar here) - Coach

This sweatshirt was a favorite last winter, and I'm happy to see they brought it back again this year! I love that it's basically a slightly dressed up sweatshirt, but isn't bulky like some of my other pullovers and still fits easily under another jacket. Since Chicago decided that winter should come a couple months early this year, those layers have been key! 

I actually ended up convincing my sister she needed it too - hers came in the mail last week and she loves it. Her words - "I just got that llbean pullover in the mail and it’s so nice! Nice length, not too short on the sleeves or too tight in the shoulders!" If you've been reading Kristina does the Internets for a while, you may have caught on that my sister is very picky and often despises my wardrobe choices, so to earn her stamp of approval is a big deal! 

Just a note - maaaaaybe don't buy the white version? Every time I wear it, I get something on it! And I'm not the kind of person who always spills on herself. Luckily everything has come out (thanks Spray & Wash!) but man, I swear it's every single time. On this particular occasion, I looked down and had what I can only assume was watermelon juice and something that was highlighter yellow all down the front. Come on. 

Quilted Sweatshirt - L.L.Bean / Jacket - J.Crew / Maternity Jeans - Old Navy / Bag (similar) - Sole Society / Boots (similar here) - Coach

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This Weekend...

This weekend I...

...ended up canceling our plans to go see First Man in favor of ordering pizza from Coalfire and catching up on our DVR instead. We've been loving The Good Place lately and are now fully caught up, and of course had to watch a few episodes of The Challenge too. Anyone else in their thirties and still watching MTV??
...dragged Jeff out to shop for baby furniture! We ended up going with this crib and this dresser (both in white), which both happened to be on sale this weekend - win!! Now we just have to finish clearing out what will be the baby's room so there will be space for the white glove delivery men to assemble everything :) Normally I weirdly love assembling furniture, but the white glove service actually ended up being about the same price as a regular delivery, and this way poor Jeff doesn't have to carry everything up four flights of stairs.
...drove out to the burbs for a charity event with Jeff's family for Sarah's Inn, which supports domestic abuse survivors. The event was beautiful and it was fun to have the excuse to dress up a little. I was a little concerned about figuring out something to wear since I'm currently rapidly expanding, but then I remembered that my closet is full of shift dresses! I ended up wearing the velvet dress from this post (sold out, but this one is really similar and I love this printed option too) and was comfy and warm all night.

Here's hoping you had a good one!

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Cozy Convertible Sweater

Pushing back this post because of the LOFT sale post yesterday - will be back to Friday Finds next week!!

Sweater (currently on sale for $36!!) - Gibson / Jacket - J.Crew / Maternity Leggings - BLANQI / OTK Boots - Kaitlyn Pan / Bag - Tory Burch / Necklace - Stella & Dot

There really is a baby in there! 

I think I'm starting to feel the baby wiggle around this week, which is so cool because it makes this whole pregnancy thing feel really real! I'm currently at 21 weeks, which is the end of month five. Of course I also started dealing with hip pain over the past week or two which has been less fun. I have a gigantic pregnancy pillow but it isn't actually long enough to support my feet too, which the internet says might be causing some issues. Going to try adding another pillow under my feet and see how that goes! Soon my bed is just going to be a giant nest haha. We have also needed to get a new mattress for a while now, but we couldn't decide between a king and a queen so we just never bought one. The story of our combined life. Well, now that Jeff has to share the bed with my monster of a pregnancy pillow, he is all on board for a king size bed. I'm hoping that a new mattress with some memory foam will help with the hips as well! 

In case you aren't just here for the pregnancy talk...

This sweater is kind of funny, because I actually remember ordering it last fall and not liking it. I think it was because it's supposed to be convertible and I expected to be able to wear it off the shoulder. It looks terrible that way on me (maybe if you're less busty it will work)! I reordered this year when I saw it was on super sale and was felling particularly open minded, and lo and behold I like it now. The tunic length works great with the leggings I've been wearing on the daily lately (and works for the growing bump!), and the cowl is a cute touch without being overwhelming. Oh, and plus it's so soft, like wearing pajamas. But despite the coziness, it works well for work or the weekend. Win win win. 

I also just pulled out these OTK boots again for fall. I bought them two years ago and they're still going strong, I'm kind of impressed by how good the faux suede looks despite them only being $99! The fit is still great (definitely size down though - I exchanged my normal 11 for a 10.5, and feel like I still could have gone down to a 10) although after so many wears they have been starting to droop a little. They don't fall all the way down or anything, just droop to knee level. For the price and how many wears I've gotten out of them, I'm not mad about it. I love OTK boots in general because it's like wearing a second pair of pants, they add a ton of extra warmth to your outfit on a chilly day. Which is especially nice since Chicago has already decided to settle down into the 40s. Chicago, I'm mad at you both for limiting my dress wearing abilities and for making the children of Chicago find turtlenecks to layer under their Halloween costumes. 

Sweater (currently on sale for $36!!) - Gibson / Jacket - J.Crew / Maternity Leggings - BLANQI / OTK Boots - Kaitlyn Pan / Bag - Tory Burch / Necklace - Stella & Dot

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