If footwear doesn't go past my ankle, I'm not interested!

As I was cleaning out my closet the other day, I became aware that I have a type...of shoe that I can't get enough of. High-tops and boots.

Let me introduce my collection of Converse and Sperry from left to right:

• Black Converse High-Top - Chuck 70 Canvas
  • ​I was inspired to get these shoes a few years ago at a vintage car show. They had stunt motorcycles performing in the street and one of the riders had a pair of these on. I purchased some immediately. Do I look as cool as the guy on the motorcycle? No. Am I glad I got them? You betcha.
• Brown Leather Sperry Boot - Torrent Lace-Up
  • ​The Torrent is hands down my favorite type of Sperry. Explaining why you'll see the same shoe again in a couple of bullet points! These are waterproof and made of "seam-sealed premium leather." I've worn them as a stylish winter boot. They look good, are warm and extremely comfortable. Sperry doesn't have these on their site anymore, may be discontinued and why I got them at a deep discount.
• Moss Sauce Green Converse High-Top - Chuck Taylor All Star Lift Platform
  • ​​The shade of green of these Chucks is not for everyone, but I love it. The pop of color it brings to an outfit is unmatched by my other shoes. They are also one of my most comfy pairs. The platform on these is a feature I enjoy, it elevates them in a way - in look and adding some height to this shorty!
• Dark Green Sperry Rain Boot - Torrent Chelsea
  • ​​These are my slip on garden boots. I'm not too much of a Crocs person, I'd much rather wear these. Barefoot or with socks, equally wearable. And if they get dirty, a quick rinse with the hose shines them up like new. Unfortunately, Torrents are not showing up on Sperry's site anymore, so an alt site is the place to look for these.
• Grey Sperry Boot - Torrent Lace Up
  • ​My gateway Sperry boot and number one favorite. I wear these all the time. They lace up, but are pull on, which I prefer. They are waterproof but don't have super warm lining, so thick socks are recommended when worn in the winter. I wore these every single day of an 8-day cruise and my feet were never sore (or soggy) at the end of the day. To me, that's the biggest testament to how great they are! That's why it's such a pity they've been discontinued...they are available on alt sites like the other Torrents I shared.

What kind of shoe person are you? Dressy, casual, low-top, high-top, neutral, colorful? I'd love to hear some of your favorites!

The "I crave new shoes" switch got turned off inside me awhile ago. I used to veer to that section first, buy way too many, would get pairs that were too big or small if I liked them enough, etc. There were several instances where a shoe would be a few sizes to small for me, usually in my sister's size, and I forced her to buy them so I could live vicariously through her. Yeah. I loved shoes that much.

Nowadays, I try to stick to the basics and wear the basics until they literally give out on me. I came to this point with the brown and black pairs of tall boots I bought over five years ago. The brown pair lost their heels. The black pair became so saturated with salt (Iowa life) I couldn't keep them clean anymore.

I heard that Payless was going out of business across the country, including the one in our local mall. I thought this would be a great opportunity to find a deeply discounted pair of one or both of the tall boots I had to dispose of (RIP).  If you've ever shopped for tall boots, you know they're not cheap.

I was right! The current promotion they are running in store only right now is 20% of all shoes, 40% all tall boots. Score! I was able to snatch up these pairs:

I wore the black pair to an event my organization had a booth at for 10 hours and they were very comfortable! I even walked on a good amount of ice in them and didn't fall. So I think that speaks volumes about the stability of the boot due to the heel's height and thickness!

While at Payless, I of course checked out what else they had and ended up leaving with two pairs of shoes I had my eye on for a few months. A pair of slip on tennis shoes in a yummy burgundy shade:

And this pair of booties that I'm not going to lie, I dreamt about. I had visions of me in these boots. I had to have them. They will help me fulfill all of my punk rock girl band fantasies (minus me actually being in a punk rock girl band part...). I'll wear these for the first time tonight for a girls' night and I can't wait to pair them with a pair of tight skinnies and a fitted biker jacket.

This is the look I'm going for on girls' night:

Also loving this option for work:

And that's that. Check back in another 5+ years for the post where I share the new shoes I had to purchase because all of these pooped out on me!

I’m going to be candidly honest. Over the past year or so, I have accumulated a little extra insulation. Over 20 pounds worth…Partly due to my own bad habits and partly due to some thyroid issues I’ve been working with doctors on over the past couple of years.

It has been difficult for me to adjust to this new body. I continue to shove my new body into old clothes which is just no good for my already sinking confidence. I keep saying to myself the weight will come off soon enough, like it always does. But it seems to like its new home…

Until I can get my lifestyle worked out and bring a lot more healthy habits into my life, I’ve chosen to look for staple clothing pieces in a larger size so I don’t feel like a loaf of bread overflowing its pan in everything I own!

I was forced into purchasing my first new staple piece, jeans, because 1) the one pair I was down to physically hurt to wear, and 2) I bent down to pick up a box and a hole ripped in the knee. (Insert monkey covering eyes emoji here.) It was truly only a matter of time before something burst open…I’m happy it was at my knee since I was at work.

On the evening of the jeans explosion, Joel went along with me to Plato’s Closet to look for a new pair. It is jeans day at work until after the new year, so I had to find something. Plato’s always comes through for me and this visit was no exception. I tried on four different pairs in larger sizes than I have purchased in the past and found my favorite jeans EVER.
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These. Jeans. Old Navy Rock Star Mid-Rise Jeans.

To make things even better – they were only 8 DOLLARS! Are you kidding me with this? They are stretchy but have a traditional jeans structure/feel – a step above jeggings. They go up a little higher on my tummy/lower back, which I am all about right now. I really like the dark wash. And the best part? They don’t hurt me when I button them up!

With a bandana (that I found in our garage when we moved in) and a pair of ankle boots (from Old Navy that I have had for years) my outfit was complete. I felt like a completely different person.

We must be gentle with ourselves in times when our body image may not be at its peak. There is a level of acceptance that needs to take place at every stage, which is different for everyone.

Even though I may not feel comfortable with my body right now (a lot of the discomfort also comes from accepting the fact that I’m not honoring my body the way I should), I am grateful to it for keeping me alive. Getting me around. Sheltering my mind and soul (and internal organs!). It deserves to be appreciated at the very least. And if I have to go up a jeans size (or two), that’s OK. I am honoring my body as it is in this season, and clothing it in a way that is now comfortable – both physically and emotionally.

Although it's still August, that hasn't stopped me from thinking ahead to Fall. Because you know, I'm THAT girl!

​How can I help it when I ran across this combo at WalMart?

I'm a huge fan of mustard, so the pants were a must. For some reason, peplum tops have never spoken to me, but a peplum top with a flower print, I can get into that!

​Both pieces are really comfortable. The shirt is loose and flowy. I've gained a bit of weight over the past few months so I appreciate how forgiving it is. It is also a little bit longer, which I like, especially with a tighter pant. I am going back and buying the pants in EVERY color available. They are stretchy and forgiving and hit at the ankle - my favorite pant length. The fabric is really nice so these pants can easily transition between casual to business wear.

​Unfortunately, neither of the items I found are available online!! So here's what I can tell you:

• ​I found my items at the Waterloo, Iowa WalMart.
• ​Top is Time And Tru Floral Peplum - $9
• Pants are Time And Tru Millennium Skinny Pant - $13

​Here's a little bit more of a close-up with my fashion assistant:

If you were to buy similar items (including the booties I'm wearing, which I got at Old Navy and have had for years - always shop your closet first!) at a place like Maurices, instead of $22, you'd look at spending over $117!

• ​Maurices Floral Ruffle Sleeve Top
• Maurices Honey Spice Jegging
• Maurices Side Buckle Bootie

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Each of these items look super close to what I found for WAY cheaper at WalMart! Yet another reminder to thrift or look in stores that normally offer good products for low prices. I've watched WalMart's fashion evolve and I feel that right now is a really good time to keep your eye on them for fashionable, reasonably priced items if you're looking for something new vs. used.

​Happy deal finding my fellow fashionistas!

I'm a Fall girl to my core, but I'm having a hard time accepting that Summer is almost over...Summer at The Farm is the best season. I think what I'll miss most is walking around barefoot in my garden.

To lift my spirits about the inevitable end of this lovely time of year, I put on my new floral dress and had a photo shoot!

This post is for styling inspiration only - I don't have outfit details - and here's why: The dress I am wearing came from a very unexpected place...the Gift Shop where I work, Covenant Medical Center! They have special order, "boutique" style clothing, so I have no idea how to tell you where to go for it! And the booties, I've had for years. They are awful to walk in (I almost broke my ankle walking in our yard with them) but they are one pair that I just can't part with. If I remember right, they were from Target.

I love how this dress is light and easy. It's just the right length and I love the peek-a-boo cutout in the front. I usually shy away from sleeveless dresses because I am insecure about my arms, but I made an exception for this dress! I picture myself transitioning it into winter by wearing an olive green cardigan, black tights and heels with it.

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Here's a close-up of the print and of the booties:

Those booties are so cute though, right?! And here's one more, with our new family member, Homer, stealing the show!

Downsizing my closet has challenged me to get creative with what I have. I was scrolling through my Pinterest for some fashion ideas and couldn't help but start yearning for spring. Light jackets. Exposed legs. Exposed arms. Ahhh.

The outfits that caught my eye don't look traditionally "springy," but to me,  they seem like the perfect transition outfits into spring. I spotted many items I already have that I can put together to create these looks! I love the girly touches mixed with edgy pieces. Sweet and Sassy. Always the perfect balance.

Fall is my favorite season and Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. When both things pass, I tend to feel a little down. So to curb my impending sad feelings, I decided to dress up a bit on Thanksgiving.

The outfit I wore is styled similarly to my last post. Same scarf, same belt, same boots. But can we appreciate this dress?! Another beautiful find from Orange Possum.

This dress was warm, flowing, and forgiving as my belly grew larger from all of the indulgence. I tried something new with the triangle blanket scarf (that I got many compliments on). Instead of wrapping it around my neck, I chose to drape it over my shoulders and belt it at my waist. It ended up looking like a long vest from the front.

​I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday full of love, memories and gratitude!

There is something truly marvelous about the right shade of mustard yellow. I am not a person that wears very much yellow, but for shades of mustard, I make an exception.

I caved and made a trip to Orange Possum in Hampton. If you read my previous post, you know that I was fighting the temptation to visit this store due to the overwhelming number of amazing pieces they have in right now. The dress I'm sharing today, along with the scarf, is featured in image four of that post. I just had to have that outfit!

They only had size large left in the dress, which was actually perfect. The material is very comfortable, but clingy, so anything smaller may have showed off lumps and bumps I didn't need anyone to see! I believe that you can fix anything with a belt, so as you will see, I belted this dress off to give some shape to the silhouette.  The large also fell better in the skirt - long enough for work and it hit in just the right place on my legs so I look a foot taller than usual!

I wore this to work and ditched my standard heels. I paired the dress with brown tights and ankle boots from Old Navy. I topped everything off with the triangle blanket scarf I purchased at Orange Possum and was very pleased with the outcome!

If you can't already tell from my title - I LOVE blanket scarves. They are warm, cozy, and so versatile. Today, I paired my infinity blanket scarf with a comfy grey v-neck t-shirt, camel wool blazer, my favorite pair of jeans, and dark camel ankle boots. This outfit was just right for the unseasonably warm weather we've been experiencing in Iowa. It still feels like Fall, which is fine by me because it allows me to wear my stylish blazers, scarves, and boots just a little bit longer! In no time, I'll be putting on anything and everything to keep me dry and warm.