Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! I'm currently in London for Halloween, so we aren't doing anything to crazy as Halloween isn't a big deal here. But, that's okay! I've been in the Halloween spirit all month long. S/O to Freeform for feeding my Halloween movie cravings. From Hocus Pocus, Nightmare Before Christmas, Halloweentown, Haunted Mansion, and more! 

In honor of the holiday here are some pictures of Chuck and I getting spooky in his pumpkin sweater. 

Hope you have a safe and happy Halloween! 

XOXO 

Miranda

What I'm packing for the U.K.

By the time this post goes up I will officially be in London!! I could NOT be more excited to be back in my favorite city. As some of you may know I'm London obsessed and studied abroad in the city three years ago. It's one of my favorite cities in the world, so I always will find an excuse to make a trip. This go around I am traveling before my work trip to Barbour's headquarters in South Shields, England. London is a super easy stop along the way and I will be spending about 5 full days in London with my bestie. Be on the lookout for lots of London content to come. 

As for this trip, it is a mix between business and pleasure so I needed kind of a wide range of outfits for the trip. Most of the clothing I am bringing for my personal London travels is from the recent release from Nordstrom the Halogen x Atlantic Pacific collection. I can't wait to photograph all of these pieces in London. It will be the perfect backdrop for these colorful pieces! Most of them I am pairing with jeans or black pants. When packing for a big trip like this I always will bring basic bottoms that I can re-wear multiple days. Then I bring shoes that will work with basically every outfit. The last thing you want is to carry around a bunch of shoes you will only wear once. So, don't be afraid to re-wear! 

I'm also bringing two coats as the temperature and weather will kind of be unpredictable. I'm wearing my red Millfire Barbour quilt for warmer days or if it rains as it has a hood. Then I'll wear my Barbour Beadnell Polarquilt if the weather gets chilly as it is polar fleece lined and longer. With a matching scarf that goes with either jacket if extra warmth is needed. 

When it comes to bags I'm only bringing a larger Henri Bendel Influencer backpack for carrying around my camera and essentials during the day. Then a smaller Jetsetter backpack incase I get tired of the larger bag. I will also use the leather backpack for work! 

For my work outfits I'm obviously repping Barbour. So, I'm packing multiple Barbour button downs with brown corduroy or leather skirts. Paired with my Cole Haan boots and tights it will be the perfect work ensemble. 

These are the main clothing pieces I am bringing on my trip! Would you want to see a breakdown of my toiletrees or how I pack my carry on? Let me know in the comments! 

Get ready for lots of London photos soon! 

XOXO 

Miranda

OOTD: Cozy Meets Cool

Cozy vibes meet your Bucktown cool girl? I think so! Normally I am not a leather skirt kind of girl, but I love this faux leather mini skirt from Forever 21. It's a rich redish brown color which makes it perfect for fall. Usually leather skirts are black and dark, which just isn't me. So, I love this option to still rock the trend! Best part it is currently on sale for under $13! Such a steal. It's actually pretty good quality too! 

I paired the skirt with a classic ruffled button down to add a little bit of preppy style to the look. Layered on top is my favorite cozy fuzzy sweater. Fun fact: I've had this sweater since high school!! You don't always have to buy a ton of new clothes each season. Let's be honest, sweaters don't really change that much. So, be sure to re-wear some of your past favorites each season. 

Might I add that this sweater is so cozy. It has a zipper closure so it has a little bit of fun details. Plus pockets are always a positive. Fuzzy cardigans like this are a great substitute for a light jacket when your fall weather is on the mild side for the day. It's like wearing a blanket, but socially acceptable outside of the house. 

I'm bringing the beret back out to play guys, sorry bout it. This beret is from Forever 21 and is on sale for under $10! So affordable, but you still get the trend for the season. I love the oversize pom pom on the top too! 

Then my classic tall Cole Haan boots are back to play. You can expect myself to wearing these on repeat until March. Tall riding style boots, in my opinion, work with practically any look! 

Where it's from: 

Sweater: Nordstrom (old) 

Shirt: J. crew (old) 

Skirt: Forever 21 

Hat: Forever 21 

Boots: Cole Haan via Nordstrom

Bracelet: Hermes  

Location: Bucktown Chicago, IL

What is your favorite fall trend this year? Can you tell I'm on the beret trend? Let me know in the comments below! 

XOXO 

Miranda 

OOTD: 70's Vibes

70's style is in! I love when trends from fashion history come back around. Essentially fashion is just an ongoing replay of trends from the past. Usually I'm not a 70's girl, but this little corduroy mini skirt was calling my name. Best part is that it was under $20, score!  

I paired this little skirt with a simple sweater from J. Crew's new line Point Sur. Its pretty sheer so I layered a little t-shirt under it. Since this sweater is a cream color it's perfect to pair with so many skirts and bottoms. Also, it's not too heavy so it can be worn into spring! 

The star of this look is my cheetah booties, which I love. I picked these up from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale and I'm obsessed. I'm so onboard with the cheetah trend to be honest. So much so that I even have a cheetah headband to match my boots! 

My boots are Cole Haan which makes them super comfortable. I love their shoes because they are stylish, but don't kill your feet. Running around the city is a breeze in these as they won't give you blisters. Unlike another pair of boots I recently wore for the first time that gave me major blisters!! Ouch! 

Then there is the cheetah headband... I'm sorry I couldn't help it people! The inner Blair Waldorf in me is just busting to come out. Headbands are in people I'm telling you. Plus they can keep your hair out of your face so that's a plus. 

Where it's from: 

Sweater: J. Crew

T-shirt (layered): J. Crew

Skirt: Forever 21 

Headband: Nordstrom

Shoes: Cole Haan via Nordstrom 

Bracelet: Hermes 

Location: Bucktown Chicago, IL

That's all for this throwback look, what is your favorite decade for fashion inspiration? Let me know in the comments! 

XOXO 

Miranda 

OOTD: Exploring the City

Last weekend we took a trip to a new part of Lincoln Park we hadn't explored yet. The main purpose of the exploration was to pick out new glasses for my boyfriend at the Warby Parker store. But, we stayed around for wandering around and lunch!

This patch of Lincoln Park is lined with stunning homes and architecture. To live in one of these homes is major goals. So, if someone wants to lend me about $1.5 million that would be fabulous. In the meantime I'll settle for wandering around down these streets. 

To say I found my dream home would be an understatement. Cute doorstep decor, a PURPLE DOOR (aka my favorite color), and a gorgeous facade this place had everything a girl could ask for. Hence why I had to stop and take photos in front of it. This was just one of many gorgeous places we found while walking down Bissell Street in Lincoln Park. 

As for my outfit, this was the perfect fall outfit for a Sunday afternoon. The temperature was in the high 50s and was gorgeous out. We had some very cold days, in the 40s, so this day felt so refreshing and perfect. This kind of weather is what I call Beadnell weather. If you couldn't tell I've been living in this Barbour jacket. I have it in olive and navy and it is absolutely perfect for days in the 50s. 

Paired with my go-to jacket is a sweater I bought last year. I know shocking, a blogger that doesn't have a whole new wardrobe each season! Let me tell you something, re-wearing things is a fact of life. There is no way someone can never re-wear an item in their wardrobe. Unless they are like someone famous or uber rich or I don't know something crazy! In real life we are Lizzie McGuire outfit repeaters. Embrace the wardrobe you already have. I bought this sweater at Kohls of all places last year. Yet, it still works this season. The great thing about sweaters is that they don't really change all that much year to year. I still have sweaters I wore in high school because they were good quality and timeless pieces. 

This sweater is a gorgeous maroon color and has little lace up details near the shoulder. It's warm and cozy which is good in my book. Change up how you style your old sweater with a new skirt you bought this season or add a cheetah bootie. Simple changes can really revamp a piece in your wardrobe. Accessories are powerful things! 

I kept my accessories pretty simple. Just a super cute pair of Kate Spade rhinestone stud earrings with rose gold hardware paired with a stack of Disney rose gold Alex and Ani bangles. Then of course my trusty Cole Haan boots are out to play again. 

Where it's from: 

Coat: Barbour Beadnell 

Sweater: Kohls (old) (similar)

Jeans: Paige Jeans 

Boots: Cole Haan 

Earrings: Kate Spade (old) 

Bracelets: Alex and Ani 

Location: Lincoln Park Bissell Street

What is your favorite piece to re-wear season after season? Let me know in the comments! 

XOXO 

Miranda

Dose of Disney: Monsters University Gear

MU baseball cap | MU white Spirit Jersey | MU blue Spirit Jersey (pictured above)

MU backpack | Oozma Kappa hat | Mike plush | Squishy tee 

Monday's Scare Me tee | Oozma Kappa tee | sticky notes 

men's Oozma Kappa polo | MU yearbook tee | MU varsity letter ladies sweater

There is no doubt that I love Monsters University. It is for sure my favorite Pixar movie. I love it more the original Monsters Inc. (don't kill me). But, it's so true! MU came out on my birthday weekend the summer I was going into college so to say I related to the film was an understatement. I think that's why it is my favorite! 

Anyways, since I'm obsessed with MU, I am obsessed with merchandise that goes along with the movie. So, I rounded up some super cool pieces for all the fellow MU and Monsters Inc. fans out there! I'm loving the Oozma Kappa hat, Squishy tee, and MU yearbook tee. There are some really cool pieces from ShopDisney and BoxLunch so be sure to check them out! 

Who is your favorite MU character? I'm a Mike fan for life!! Let me know in the comments below! 

XOXO 

Miranda 

Atlantic-Pacific x Halogen Collection: Dressing Room Try-On + Chicago Event!

Today, I'm sharing my dressing room try-on photos plus some snapshots of the Halogen x Atlantic-Pacific collaboration at Nordstrom. Woah, slow down. What is this collab you may ask? Well Blair Eadie the blogger behind Atlantic-Pacific collaborated with Halogen to create a capsule collaborative collection of clothing, accessories, and footwear. I am a huge fan of Blair and her style. To say she is colorful, sophisticated, feminine perfection would be an understatement. She makes wearing color so fun and easy. As a huge fan of color and all things pretty naturally I was so excited to see this collection get announced! She only recently announced it, so you may not have heard the buzz. I can assure you though that this collection is not to be missed! Out of all the recent collaborations Nordstrom has done this is by far my favorite! 

As part of the launch of the collection Nordstrom Michigan Ave was having an exclusive event to shop the collection EARLY and to meet Blair! Naturally I had to attend. I showed up a little bit before the 5:30pm event to shop the collection, which was a smart move. Since the collection was available to shop all day a lot of sizes had already been snatched up. No worries though, that didn't stop me from picking up a ton of good pieces! 

I wanted to walk through everything I picked up along with fit info as well as pricing!

First, we need to talk about this blouse. If you know me and my style you know this blouse was practically made for me. Pink, bows, velvet, pearls, and a button down... enough said. This was the one piece I knew I HAD to have from the collection. It was the first thing I saw when I walked in and there it was in my size. Meant to be! The fit on this is great. I purchased an XS and it works great. If you are petite this would fit you great! I have longer arms, but the length was perfect. Not too long or short. The back has a zipper closure so it is super easy to get on and off. The best part is the quality is incredible. 

Price: $89

Style name: Halogen x Atlantic-Pacific Bow Front Pleated Blouse 

Color: Pink Chintz

Size I'm wearing: XS

Here you can see the details of the shirt. Pearl buttons, gorgeous velvet bows, and pleats to the front of the shirt. Gorgeous!

Next up is this purple perfection sweater. I love purple, it's my favorite color, but sometimes it's hard to find purple clothing. Oddly enough. When I saw this purple turtleneck stripe sweater I knew I had to have it. There is also a rainbow style version, but they had already sold out of it. But, I think I'm gonna try and pick it up online on the release date! Although, I am loving this purple color. I am wearing a size small, which is a bit oversize but I think it still works. An XS would have fit better, but gotta take what I can get right? The material is soft, not itchy. 

Price: $79 

Style name: Halogen x Atlantic Pacific Stripe Turtleneck Sweater 

Color: Burgundy-Lavender Stripe

Size I'm wearing: S

This next piece is so gorgeous, and versatile. A tweed jacket with a bow near the neck, perfection. The bow is detachable also! It's hard to see it in this photo, but the jacket is a black textured tweed with a chiffon bow near the neck. I'm wearing an XS which is surprisingly a little big on me. The sleeves could be shorter, but I think it would fit pretty well on most people. It's hard to get the fit just right when you are the size of a small child (I've come to terms with that a long time ago it's fine). 

Price: $169

Style name: Halogen x Atlantic-Pacific Bow Detail Tweed Jacket 

Color: Black 

Size I'm wearing: XS

This blazer is perfect for fall or winter! I also think it would be a great piece to add to any work wardrobe. It's casual enough to pair with jeans, but would look great with slacks, skirt, or a dress. Since I don't go into an office sometimes I wish I could dress up for work sometimes. But, then I remember I work from my apartment and I'm okay. Any who, this blazer is so great! This was one piece I found in an XXS and I think it fits perfect! Normally I wear a XXS in J. Crew so I'd say it is true to that sizing. 

Price: $149 

Style name: Halogen x Atlantic-Pacific Menswear Plaid Blazer Regular & Petite 

Color: Black Plaid 

Size I'm wearing: XXS 

A classic sweater is always a good idea. I'm loving this white cable knit sweater. The perfect fit and the perfect basic. I believe it comes in a bunch of other colors as well, but this was the only one in store in my size. I'm eyeing a lavender version of this sweater that I may need to pick up. It also looks great layered underneath the blazer! This fits true to size and isn't itchy! 

Price: $79 

Style name: Halogen x Atlantic-Pacific Cable Sweater 

Color: Ivory Pristine 

Size I'm wearing: XS

I'm a bad blogger because I forgot to take a picture in this sweater, but you can see it in the background of some of the other photos! It's so cute! I tried it on in the pastel blue color way, but preferred this one. Also, the pastel version was a small and it was just a little too big. It's meant to hug your body so the XS was a better fit. This is SUPER soft! Plus it has a lot of great colors so it will pair nicely with a lot of things. 

Price: $59 

Style name: Halogen x Atlantic-Pacific Shimmer Stripe Sweater 

Color: Navy Multi Stripe 

Size I'm wearing: XS

As for the event, it was CRAZY busy! So, I wasn't able to snap too many photos of everything set-up. Also, I was so in the zone for buying my items that I wasn't too concerned with photos. But, I got to meet Blair the blogger behind Atlantic-Pacific and she was so sweet! I showed her what I ended up picking up and talked about how excited I was for the launch. It was so great to meet her in person and to see how her collection unfolded. 

At the event Nordy reward members, which is Nordstrom's new rewards program, could shop the collection early. They also had a DJ, live music, flowers for attendees, and treats! Then obviously you could meet Blair herself! I snapped a fun photo with her at the photo booth, which had a gorgeous balloon backdrop. 

I was so happy I was able to come to this fun event! Thank goodness Chicago is getting some fashion events in town. 

You can find more info on the collection here!

Are you planning on shopping the collection? It officially launches October 22nd, which is Monday, at 9am EST. Let me know what you plan on picking up! 

XOXO 

Miranda