casual blues

Vineyard Vines hat | J. Crew tee (similar) | GUESS coat (similar from Patagonia) | Hudson jeans | C. Wonder necklace (similar here and here) | Diva Shoes boots (from Italy)

Went to the Botanic Gardens the other day as part of a casual outing in DC. The gardens were gorgeous and it was nice to get out of the cold and into warm, jungle-inspired rooms. Seeing palm trees and smelling the flowers and greenery made it feel like spring despite the chilly winter air outside.

xo-ally

plaid

 Madewell shirt (loving this one) | Chanel sunglasses | Hudson jeans | Max & Chloe monogram necklace | Kate Spade long necklace | Aritzia carigan (similar) | Boots from Italy (similar) | Longchamp bag | Forever 21 belt (similar)

xo-ally

christmas gifts

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I had a good day and celebrated here in Florence. My dad came out to Florence for the holidays and we have kept busy by seeing major Florence "to-dos," like going to the Ufizzi and Accademia museums and the Boboli gardens, Rome for a day, and of course, eating some delicious Italian food at my favorite restaurants.

A few of my Christmas gifts:

A new Longchamp to replace my old one. I had my old one for seven months and wore it almost every day. I often cleaned it, but then eventually, even cleaning it wasn't enough - it hit the point of no return. I got great use out of it, so it's nice to upgrade to a new one. The surface on this one has a beautiful gloss and the Longchamp pattern. It's black, too - hopefully it will disguise any dirt or marks!

 Europe also destroyed my riding boots, so I got a new pair of Italian leather ones from a shop in Florence. I love them! They're very comfortable and go with everything, and will be nice to wear especially now, before I take my riding boots into a cobbler.

Some new bracelets: the top one is from Stella & Dot and the other silver ones are from a Seattle boutique.

Happy holidays!

xo-ally

stripes on stripes, with a dash of pink

Shirt Nordstrom (old) Jeans Nordstrom Sunglasses Chanel Earrings Nordstrom Boots Me Too Socks J. Crew (similar) Bag Guess (similar) Ring Kate Spade Watch Michael Kors Nail Polish Color Club in "Peppermint Twist"

Today I wore my olive green striped tshirt with skinnies, ankle boots, and striped socks peeking out in between! I continued to play up the pink from the socks with my earrings and nails. The pink really breathed some fresh air into the neutrals in the rest of the outfit.

Time to go change! Can't wear heels to Zumba. This is the last class I'm teaching till next semester! I'm going to miss it over the Christmas break, however, it will be nice to have some extra time to come up with some new routines!

xo-ally

hello, seattle

Shirt Subdued Firenze Jeans Nordstrom Boots Ralph Lauren Jewelry, Bow Forever 21: Necklace, Hair Bow, Bracelets Watch Michael Kors

I was welcomed to the Seattle area with none other than a huge rain storm. I'm used to Seattle's typical overcast and seemingly constant drizzle, but today was a blustery, rainy day. It was the first time I've used an umbrella since I was six years old I think (and that was just to take an outfit photo! For some reason people don't really use umbrellas here. Including me. Haha it's weird.) Wishing for some sun ... but we know that's not gonna happen here. At least not till July!

xo-ally

paris sweater

Sweater Wildfox Couture Pants F21 (similar here) Boots Corso Como Watch Michael Kors Bracelets F21 (similar here) Ring Henri Bendel

These olive pants are making yet another appearance this fall/winter season. One thing I like about olive is the neutrality of the color, yet olive colored pants add more interest than a regular pair of jeans or black leggings.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

xo-ally

weekend in the mountains

We had visit from a little deer family - you can see them in the background!

Shirt American Eagle (similar) Jeans Nordstrom Necklace Forever 21 (old, similar ring) Watch Michael Kors Ring Henri Bendel Boot socks Nordstrom (old, similar here) Boots Corso Como Sunglasses Chanel Coat H&M

This weekend I went to Schweitzer in Northern Idaho with a few friends. We stayed at my friend's cabin and  had a relaxing day watching the snow fall outside. While I'm not the (biggest) fan of snow, I loved having it in the perfect setting - on a mountain! That makes sense, right?

And we also had a little visit from some deer right as I was taking my outfit photos! How cute.

xo-ally

friday's fancies - bonfire beauty

This week's Friday's Fancies with long distance loving is bonfire beauty. Here is my look for staying cozy around a winter bonfire! While the outfit stays neutral in creams, black, and denim, I love the pop of pink with the pom pom hat. :)

boots, hat, jeans, coat, sweater, over the knee socks

xo-ally

friday's fancies - sweater season

This week's theme with Friday's Fancies at long distance loving is Sweater Season. I pulled together an outfit with an adorable scottie dog sweater dress, fleece-lined leggings (can you say warm?! Must be a gift from Heaven...), yellow Hunter rain boots, and gold accessories. This outfit will brighten up any dreary day!

sweater, leggings, boots, ring, bracelet

xo-ally

a cozy study outfit

Close-up of the headband

Headband Nordstrom Sweater Aritzia (old) Tank Nordstrom-old (similar) Leggings lululemon Knee Socks J. Crew Boots Ralph Lauren/DSW

I wore this outfit to the library yesterday for a marathon study session. I was there for more than four hours and totally forgot to bring snacks or a lunch! I was so hungry afterward, haha. Since I knew I'd be doing homework for a while, I wanted to wear something that was cozy but still put-together. The leggings, baggy tank, and boyfriend sweater are all very comfortable, and the knee socks peeking out from the boots added warmth. I could've gone the UGG boot route, but instead I chose to wear my new fave leather riding boots. They're just as comfortable!

And I couldn't resist adding sparkle with my headband. ;)

xo-ally

two-tone boots

Shirt: Madewell similar Belt: Nordstrom Pants: Forever 21 (old) similar color Bracelets: Forever 21 (old ) similar Boots: Ralph Lauren, DSW Watch: Michael Kors

Today marks the end of my last Fall Family Weekend. My parents came to visit and got to see me perform with dance team, and we got to go out to eat. I am wearing these olive pants - again! The color is so versatile. I also just got these two-tone boots. The top is dark brown and the rest is black. These will also become a versatile staple in my wardrobe. 

xo-ally

friday's fancies - leaf love

This week's theme with Friday's Fancies from long distance loving is leaf love. Here is my outfit inspired by the beautiful colors of the changing leaves! Isn't that Kate Spade glitter belt fun?

sweater, shorts, belt, boots, socks

xo-ally