m street at night

C. Wonder top (on sale!) | Longchamp bag | Martin + Osa peacoat (old, but similar here and also loving this blue one) | Trouve leggings (similar here and here) | Nordstrom sunglasses (similar) 

Just quickly posting a few photos from strolling around M Street earlier this week. M Street is definitely my favorite shopping spot in the DC area. Now it's back to work - I've been working some pretty long days but love what I do, so it's all good. I will say that I am very excited to get some sleep tonight!

Thanks for stopping by :)

xo-ally

snowflake leggings in the boboli gardens

Red Dress Boutique leggings | Longchamp bag | Corso Como boots | H&M coat | Free People shirt | Chanel sunglasses | J. Crew bracelet (similar)

Living in Italy, it is a little difficult to shop online at my favorite US boutiques due to international shipping. Don't get me wrong, the shopping here is amazing (but can get pretty expensive), though sometimes I enjoy looking at the styles from the stores back home. I got these adorable Christmas leggings from The Red Dress Boutique and shipped them to my parents' house, and then my dad brought them with when he visited for Christmas. I can finally wear them! Yay! I love the variety of snowflake prints and the bright colors. Since they're not in the typical red and green Christmas colors, I will definitely be wearing these throughout the rest of the winter season!

xo-ally

rugby stripes; at the vatican

Florence boutique sweater (similar) | Trouve leggings (similar) | Longchamp bag | Ray-Ban sunglasses | Tory Burch flats | Henri Bendel earrings

Merry Christmas EVE! I haven't posted an outfit in a while but I was out and about in Rome yesterday and decided to take a quick couple photos of this outfit. I wore my cozy new sweater and leggings, perfect for the train ride, complete with flats for walking around the huge city, in addition to sunglasses because of the sunny (!) weather. The Vatican is gorgeous, and while I've seen it before, it never disappoints. It is honestly the most elaborate, most gorgeous church I have ever been in. Photos of Rome to come soon!

Have a great day, can you believe it is almost Christmas?!

xo-ally

christmas sweater and leggings

Subdued sweater | Trouve leggings (similar) | H&M sneakers (non-high-top version here)

Super casual outfit today. Last week I stopped in at a boutique in Florence and got this adorable baggy winter sweater! It is perfect for the Christmas season with the reindeer and tree. The hearts are cute too :) the whole design is printed on the back as well! It's super cozy and nice to wear while running errands around the city.

xo-ally

cozy winter knits

Vest Nordstrom (old) T-shirt Nordstrom (similar) Leggings lululemon Watch Michael Kors Mittens H&M Boots Sperry

Today's outfit is actually from the weekend as well! I wore this on the way back from the beautiful cabin in the mountains last weekend. When I think snow, I just want to bundle up in something cozy. Casual knits like this long sleeved t-shirt and hooded sweater vest do just that. I normally save my lululemon leggings for exercise, but since they wick away moisture it helps to keep me (kind of?) dry in the snow. Rain boots also kept me dry! Thick, fuzzy socks are a must underneath rain boots. Plus, no one needs to see crazy socks underneath! (The other day I wore Valentine's Day socks underneath my boots - when I got home and took them off my roommates kept making jokes about them being the wrong holiday. Haha!)

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

victoria's secret selling norts-like shorts!

I just about flipped when I walked into Victoria's Secret PINK and saw their new athletic shorts - I was so excited I took a picture of them on my phone!

A PINK version of my favorite Nike shorts?? I had to try them on. I tried on the grey/black ones in a size small (the same size as my Nike ones) and they seemed just a smidge bigger and longer:

I was pressed with time, so I didn't try on a smaller size. I didn't get the shorts this time, but might go back and see if the smaller size fits better! I did, however, get these new cropped leggings:

The colors are brighter in person, my phone didn't do the best job of capturing that... There are plenty of new options with different patterned bands though.

Click here to shop the shorts online!

xo

active wear

I thought I'd switch up my usual outfit post today from "regular" clothes to gym clothes! I go to the gym often, whether it is for dance team, zumba, rock climbing, running, etc. Many times I have to change quickly before/after class - or just wear my gym clothes to class - so I thought I'd show an example of what I'd wear on one of those days.

Shirt: Victoria's Secret PINK Leggings: Lulu Lemon Shoes: Asics Water bottle: Nalgene

I love these Lulu Lemon leggings. They are great for moving and sweating, but also can be worn with regular clothes as well! Basic black matches everything, and since the material is somewhat thick, they are warmer than most cotton leggings in the winter.

This top is so comfortable - I have it in two colors! It's great for lounging around or warming up at the gym. It doesn't necessarily look like a "gym t-shirt" so I can "get away with it" in class. After warming up, I can take it off to just wear a tank.

As for the sneaks, I've been Asics fan for years. They are great for running long distances and last a good amount of time. Plus the pink is a nice color, too. :) I always keep a hair tie on my wrist if I'm going to the gym so I can put my hair up, and bring a water bottle to stay hydrated.

What do you wear to the gym? What are your favorite brands of active wear?

PS - In the process of creating a shopping guide for active wear - check back for it later this week!

xo

casual sunday

Button-up, ring: F21 Tank: Nordstrom Bracelets: New Look (London) Boots: Chinese Laundry Leggings: Trouve

I was about to title this post "Lazy Sunday," but then realized that today is anything but! I've been out and about running errands, and tonight I have two meetings and dance team practice back to back. Busy day!

Because of all the running around, I decided to wear a casual outfit that is comfortable but not sloppy. I adore these leggings - they're very comfortable and warm - by Trouve. It may be hard to tell in the photo, but they are lined to give them a "riding pant/equestrian" feel. I saw a lot of leggings like these, or the ones with the patches, when I was in Italy.

Hope you have a great start to your week!

xo