Although I like really busy (normally floral) prints and bright colors, there are times when I love pairing classic black and white pieces.

Truly, nothing beats a tailored button-up tucked into pixie pants that fit just right. I wore this outfit to work and felt effortlessly pulled together.

The shirt was given to me, the pants are from Old Navy, and the flats are from JCPenney.  All three pieces are items you can find anywhere, at anytime. If you enjoy thrifting, I can guarantee you could pull together a look similar to this at a place like Stuff Store or Goodwill.

​Here's a closer look:

If you're like me and gravitate towards the "wild side" of fashion - don't forget that classic pieces of clothing exist for a reason - they are timeless examples of how to look chic at any age, during any period in time!

​Weddings, graduations and getaways are in full swing. We're already booked every weekend through July!

Our first big event was the wedding of our sweet friends, Ryan and Sarah. The whole affair was simple and classic. Good weather, good ceremony, good company. I was in tears watching Sarah come down the isle to the song "Here Comes the Sun" in her lovely dress, her dad on her arm, smiling from ear to ear, with the sunlight glowing through her blonde hair. And the vows. The most genuine vows I have ever witnessed. I love love - and these two together are spilling over with it!

I kept it light and easy with my outfit, taking inspiration from Joel's outfit for my accessories.

The shirt I wore is actually a shirt dress! It was a tad bit too short for a wedding, so I opted to layer a longer, more appropriate, skirt over it. The shirt dress is from JCPenney and the skirt is from Old Navy. To tie my outfit with Joel's, I chose a caramel brown (my favorite tone of brown) leather belt and heels. The belt actually came with the shirt dress and the shoes are also from JCPenney. All discount finds at the time I am sure!

I ended up matching quite nicely with my hubby. We enjoyed our evening together so much. I count myself lucky that he is mine everyday! Here's a picture of us in all of our cuteness!

Joel labeled the outfit I'm sharing today as my "riding outfit." I see it! Thus the title. But unfortunately, no horses were ridden in this outfit.

We were asked to dress "business casual" for our volunteer duties at the Grout Museum over the weekend, so this is what I came up with. An outfit that is young, comfortable, and as Joel pointed out, very "equestrian."

The houndstooth blazer I have on is my tried and true. It is from H&M and has been one of my go-tos for probably a good eight years now. The reason I like it so much is so much is definitely the print and the cut. The print transitions really well from casual to professional. The cut adds shape to whatever outfit I'm wearing. I also machine washed it as needed and it has held up really well over time. I don't have the money to dry clean everything, so it's been nice to be able to wash it on my own.

I paired the blazer with a navy blue, semi-sheer button up with a collar from Old Navy. The pants are black jeggings from Old Navy. The brown boots are ones you've seen before in previous posts (and are on their last leg...so, so sad) from JCPenney. I'm a big fan of wearing black and brown together. A lot of people don't like it, but I look at it this way - wild cats have brown and black stripes/spots - it is a natural color combination!

Here's a close-up of the blazer print and collared shirt:

And here's me and my dog, Madison. She wanted in on the fun!

What a November so far! Can't beat this beautiful Iowa weather. It feels so strange to not  be bundled up a little more each day as winter approaches. 

In this abnormal warm streak, dressing for the day has been a bit of a challenge. It's cold when I step out the door at home in the morning, but warm when I leave the building after work. I've partially transitioned into my winter wardrobe with boots and tights, but have kept it light otherwise. 

I have several different variations of the collared button-up top I am wearing below. They are from the I Heart Ronson line at JCPenney. These shirts are great because they are long, perfect over leggings, and light, so they can be tucked into a skirt or layered without adding bulk. They offer a lot of look possibilities. They are also a tad bit sheer, which I like because there's good air flow and it adds a bit of sexiness to an outfit whether you are wearing this top casually or professionally, especially when you have it buttoned all the way up.

I paired this particular version of the I Heart Ronson top with a vintage olive green skirt (with pockets!) that I found at Goodwill. My boots are from JCPenney.

This outfit was comfortable and held up well during a day full of meetings and video shoots!

If my headline wasn't enough...FALL IS HERE! My absolute favorite season. You can call me "basic" all you want - I don't care!

Joel and I had the opportunity to indulge in an anniversary getaway to celebrate seven married years together (10.5 years together total). We did our normal wandering across Northeast Iowa and I was dressed for the occasion.

I bought the olive green, anorak jacket I am wearing below this summer for $5 from Sears! I have been waiting patiently to wear it and since our trip I have worn it every single day! I paired the jacket with a cream t-shirt with stud details from JCPenney, skinny jeans from Old Navy, and tall boots that I've had for years from JCPenney. As an accessory, I wore a quartz crystal necklace that I found in a vintage store in Des Moines. 

I would post other outfits from the weekend, but all were covered by my jacket, so they probably wouldn't offer up too much inspiration!

I've been proud of the creativity I've brought to dressing up for work this summer. Our new house has better closets that allow me to see everything I own vs. 50% of it (at our old house, the rest was hidden in the back - I had to press against and squeeze in my clothing to see everything I had). I think the new closets have helped a lot. 

The cute combo I am wearing below is a JCPenney/Old Navy creation. Jacket, top and nude flats from JCPenney, skirt from Old Navy. It is an easy breezy look that is both comfortable and professional. I always love the look of a good blazer. They pull everything together, making an otherwise casual look appropriate for the office.