In my new work role, the setting is much more casual than I am used to. More jeans days, which I was not quite prepared for with just one pair of jeans in my closet! 

​I'm not really a blue jeans person. Black jeans, leggings, skirts, shorts - that's more my style. In looking around for some denim inspiration, I ran across this outfit from Madewell:

Here's a cost rundown on what's pictured:

• ​Cardigan - $110
• Denim Top - $72
• Jeans - $168

​For a grand total of $350!

​I never thought I would be into the denim on denim look. Others around me have pulled it off, I just thought I may look a little hokey. But there was something about this outfit that appealed to me, so I gave it a try.

I visited Plato's Closet in Waterloo with high hopes that I'd find everything I needed - and I did! I hadn't visited this location before. It is a little off the beaten path so I never think to go there, but am glad I stopped by.

​Here are the brand and cost details on what I found:

• ​Cardigan - Love By Design - $8
• ​Denim Top - Carbon - $8
• ​Jeans - Express - $15
• ​Shoes (although not pictured, they looked like something Madewell would make, and they were super cute) - Dolce Vita - ​$15

​For a more reasonable grand total of $46!

I must say, I am completely sold on the denim on denim situation. I think as long as your denims are different shades, you're good to go. Makes it much less "Canadian Tuxedo"-ish!

I especially liked the cut of the jeans. I'm short and these hit me right at the ankle instead of pooling at my ankles like most jeans. The style was "Ankle Legging, Stella, Low Rise" for my fellow short girls out there!

The added cardigan makes this outfit super cozy, and the shoes will look great with pants, skirts, or shorts. 

​I wore this outfit the day after I got it, and then the next day (I made sure I was seeing different sets of people! Don't lie - you've done this, too!), ​and you better believe I'll be wearing it for my next jeans day at work.

​Happy thrifting!

​For background about my Outfit Imitation series, click here!

Lord, please give me the strength to stay away from Orange Possum this season.

Ladies, I have to tell you, I am a thrifter/discount crazed lunatic through and through, but sometimes I am very tempted to take all of my money, drive to a store, and buy all of the things at full price.

I want pretty much everything that is currently available at Orange Possum in Hampton right now. They've been tempting me on Instagram one post at a time...but I will stay strong...

Here are some of the items I need NOW!

I do not condone illegal activity. But I also do not condone the cost of movie concessions! That's why I resort to smuggling in my own goods when I know I'll be craving a sweet treat.

Shhh...don't tell...but I committed my latest offense this past weekend!

In the cute little getup I'm wearing below, I had just enough room in my jeans pockets and give in my t-shirt to carefully conceal my candy.

In the Fall and Winter, I wear my motorcycle boots 80% of the time. I got these boots from LBL on Main Street in Cedar Falls, one of my favorite stores. They have a lot of well-made, edgy options. My jeans and t-shirt are from Old Navy. And my flannel (funny story) is actually from the little boys' section at Target! I've found some gems in this section throughout my lifetime (I started shopping there sometime around Junior High). They have some cute options (that fit my style, not all) and the price is always right!

​Now that I look at this photo again, I kind of look like a little punk that would smuggle in sweets...I bet they knew I was guilty all along!

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 don't only wear business attire! Although I do normally like to be "dressed up" in some form, I keep it casual on occasion, especially on the weekends. 

If you were to stop by my house on a weekend, you'd definitely find me in some form of stretch jean or legging, t-shirt or tank (normally band oriented), a baseball cap or bandanna, and always, my white Chucks. 

I've included photos of two outfits from this past weekend below. Joel and I did a lot of adventuring around Iowa and Wisconsin, so I wore outfits that were acceptable for several different scenarios.

The first outfit includes my aforementioned Chucks with a pair of wool shorts from Old Navy and Ramones t-shirt from Kohl's. 

The second outfit is Old Navy head-to-toe! The flats are snakeskin, the jeans are my favorite pair (I cannot wear them without at least one person asking if I need money to buy proper pants), and the grey t-shirt is made of a super comfy material that helped hide my belly after eating waaaay too much delicious food...

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.