orange is the new fit

I was a little depressed about turning 35 this year so I decided to go shopping and treat myself to a cute birthday outfit to wear out over the weekend.  My thirties have been pretty amazing so far and I would trade them for my twenties because I’m in a better place both physically and mentally than I ever was in my previous decade of life.  The life lessons I’ve learned and confidence I’ve gained with every passing year have brought me to wear I am today.  However, that number – 35 – stings a little!  So why not buy a kick-ass outfit to celebrate how far I’ve come and show people that age really is just a number.  That 35 is the new 25 and appreciate the fact that I’ve worked hard to make myself into one strong mama.   And that’s what I did.  I was in the Free People store looking for something else and ended up with this amazing flowy top that criss-crosses at the back of the neck and plays a little bit of peekaboo with the lower back.  It’s super feminine and sexy with a touch of that signature hippie Free People style.  Classic “me.”  Since there really is no structure to the top, it’s low cut in the front and essentially backless, it needed a pretty stellar bra to go with it.  I went with this dusty rose colored lace halter bralette that I can only describe as phenomenal.  I want to wear it under everything.  Right now, because I’m still pretty tan, it almost camoflouges with my skin color.  My brother gave me a Free People gift card for my birthday and I may just get another one for the hell of it in a more noticeable color.  This top and bra combo made my husband ask me if I bought something new.  If he’s asking that means he’s noticing…and liking 🙂  So check them out.  The top comes in two colors and the bra in several more.

So this is what I’m wearing this Wednesday…And I apologize for the grainy night photo.  I had to snap a quick picture when I got home that night!

Floating Floral Cami – Free People in Tea Combo

Galloon Lace Halter Bra – Free People in Copper

For the past 10+ years, all I wanted was for my hair to be long.  I wanted those textured beachy waves but also be able to throw my hair back in a messy bun for workouts when needed.  I literally would give my hairdresser the evil eye when she told me it was time for trim.  But long hair is so much work sometimes and I got to a point where I felt like the ends were just weighing everything else down and I contemplated possibly going a bit shorter.  I started saving pics of various shorter hairstyles and colors on Pinterest.  I confessed to my hair stylist that I was secretly hoarding photos of shorter hair and her eyes lit up.  It took me about 4 or 5 months though from that point to actually make the big snip.  I literally gave Lindsay a deadline.  January of 2015 we’d do it.  And we did.  And I haven’t stopped cutting since.  The first cut was amazing.  We went with a longer textured A-line bob.  She took a picture I gave her and recreated the cut and style and added some amazing balyage to give my new hair dimension.  And my hair was soooo much healthier.  Not to mention the added volume and ease of styling.  What I didn’t expect though was this aggressive impulse to keep cutting.  It’s like I can’t get it short enough.  Every time I go in now, I’m like, maybe we should take another inch or so off???  My latest cut is the shortest I’ve gone and I absolutely love it.  We kept that same A-line style with lots of texture but have taken it up even more.  Lindsay is a color and styling genius, not to mention just an all around amazing person who loves to talk about food, fitness and fun.  She currently works at Mockingbird Heights in Petaluma, CA.  If you’re in the vicinity, she’s worth the extra few mile drive.  Since I started seeing her (sounds like we’re dating, huh? But isn’t the bond between you and your hairdresser kind of like a relationship haha) the number of people I know who now use her is steadily increasing.  Get in while you can…I just referred her another client 🙂

So I’m wearing a fresh new hairstyle this Wednesday…

Lindsay Delagarza – Mockingbird Heights Salon– Petaluma, CA

This week blew past me ano I didn’t have a chance to post my usual Wednesday fashion find so I’ll do it today as my flashback to last Friday. Target has seriously upped their game when it comes to clothes lately. I didn’t need a dress for my cousins wedding last weekend but this hidden gem caught my eye because, even though my most favorite color is orange, when it comes to clothing, I have A LOT of shades of the coral slash salmon variety. It’s my signature color and looks amazing against tan skin. It was $29 but the only sizes they had were a large and an extra large. I tried on the large just in case. Way too big. But the dress was so freakin amazing, one that is so simple in its silhouette that it will never go out of style that I figured I could have it tailored by my favorite tailor in town who is dirt cheap. Think $7 for hemmed jeans. The next day I thought maybe I’d look on the target website to see if they had a smaller size, which I can’t even remember if they did because I got so excited by the fact that the dress was now $20 on clearance. I figured what the hell. I was going to have to get it hemmed even if I did get a smaller size so I just kept the large and went back to target with proof of the online price and got an adjustment. All in all, a $20 dress with a $20 alteration fee to take in the sides and hem the bottom equals a $40 dress that could easily be mistaken for something I could buy at Nordstroms. And, I’ll wear this over and over. I’ll take it! You can NEVER go wrong with a simple classic maxi dress. I plan on wearing it again in a few weeks to my Mom’s breast cancer fashion show fundraiser. I actually can’t wait to wear it again it’s that perfect. For future reference, please pardon the double Instagram outfit post #repeatoffender 😁 PS, I just checked…the dress is now $14.99. Click the link below. Lucky you!!!!

So flashback to what I was wearing last Friday…

Coral Maxi Dress – Target

Innis Bead Woven Pendant Necklace – Francesca’s

After the 100+ temperatures this last week it’s finally cooled off a bit this morning so I had to throw on a sweatshirt to run a few errands. Since my husband has been gone for FOURTEEN DAYS now and is finally coming home Friday night…I think…I threw on this light sweatshirt because I am SO ready for the weekend to be here!  I found this sweatshirt via Instagram and my mom got it for me as a gift not too long ago.  I love that it’s that 80s kind of off the shoulder Flashdance style that goes perfectly with my workout clothes, which we all know I’m wearing 90% of the time.  I went with a size Medium because I wanted it to feel a little on the cozier side.  Check out @ilycouture on Instagram.  They’re that kind of brand that makes statement pieces that are fun to add to your wardrobe on occasion.

So this is what I’m wearing this Wednesday…

Weekend Sweatshirt – Ily Couture

Normally I would buy my bikinis pre-summer because I want to maximize the amount of time I get to wear them, but I just got this one last week.  Months ago I signed up for this pretty large CrossFit competition and in recent years, swim WODs have almost become a staple in competing lately.  Anyways, I realized that none of my current swimwear is competition appropriate, so I asked my friend Molly Vollmer about recommendations for a good athletic two-piece since she’s competed numerous times.

She gave me a couple of brand names to research but everything was online.  Ordering swimsuits online when you’ve never tried on a specific brand is sketch.  I took a chance and ordered a Jolyn two piece and when I got it in the mail last week I was not disappointed!  However I AM disappointed in the fact that I have to withdraw from the competition this weekend because my two male teammates, one of which is my husband, are out of county on a strike team fighting fires.

I’ve been training months for this competition, and sacrificing many cheat meals, as it has some very legit athletes that sign up and I wanted to be in the best shape possible for my performance and teammates…not to mention I wanted to make sure I could rock this bikini for the swim WOD.  Turns out…

One…There’s no swim WOD programmed, and two, I obviously am not competing anymore.  Double bummer but, hey, I got a cute swimsuit out of it and the bottoms are great for tanning 🙂

If you’re interested in checking out Jolyn, they have a variety of cuts and colors.  The color selection is out of control.  Amazingly bright colors that will get you noticed.  I opted for the solid triangle top with a criss-crossed tie in the back and the Euro bottoms because a bottom that is “full” coverage tend to come up a little too high on my short frame.

I ordered a medium in both top and bottom and I consider myself muscular and curvy.  Because the top has a tie in the back you can adjust the fit easily and the bottoms have a drawstring built in as well to make sure they are secure.  Even though this is an “athletic” swimsuit it’s super cute.  So i’m wearing it while I lay by the pool and showing you all since I don’t get to wear it this weekend 😦

Pardon the nursery room pic, it’s the only full length mirror I have in the house!  So this is what I’m wearing this Wednesday…

Jolyn Triangle Top – Black

Jolyn Euro Bottom – Lava

I feel like my What I’m Wearing Wednesday posts lately reflect what I’m wearing  about 20% of the time.  Believe me, I love getting dressed up and I love putting outfits together, but let’s be real. The majority of the time I live in workout clothes so those are just as important to post because workout clothes can be fun too. I like getting new workout clothes. One, because I wear them every day and two, because if I’m wearing workout clothes it means I have to get my ass to the gym. Motivation!

Two years ago, I met this great couple down at the Crossfit games who own a Crossfit gym in the Sacramento area.  The husband, Charlie, was talking about this company he was starting that was based on thefairly  combination of caffeinating and lifting weights. Hence, the brand name Caffeine & Kilos. At the time it was just in the works, and now, two years later, his company had absolutely exploded in the Crossfit community and beyond. Charlie and Micha are such down to earth awesome people that I’m happy to see their success and happy to support their brand.  Plus I consider them fairly “local” since we’re both NorCal so it kind of feels like that whole shop small idea…and their stuff comes fast 😊

I have to admit that my husband was the first Morlock to sport C&K apparel in this relationship but I quickly jumped on his bandwagon. I love their stuff. The tanks are great and the muscle tees like the one I just got are super soft and flattering.  What I also like about their products is that their logo is simple and their colors are great.  I don’t like busy workout apparel. They keep it real and I appreciate that.

For reference I wear a size small.  So check out the Caffeine & Kilos website and support The Movement.

So this is what I’m wearing this Wednesday…

Mint Women’s Muscle Tank – Caffeine & Kilos

I’ve added a few new maxi skirts to my summer wardrobe.  You can’t go wrong with a maxi skirt.  I prefer a solid maxi to a printed one, but that’s just me.  My black go-to maxi is from Target but I just got this white one from Splendid that can either be worn as a maxi or a dress so it’s versatile.  I know white can get super dirty but it just looks so good with everything!  Especially in the summer!  I lovvvvvvve crisp white clothes on tan skin.  Nothing says summer more.  I like to keep my maxi skirts simple and fitted.  A hip and butt hugging silhouette that hangs straight down with not too much excess material is most flattering on my short and muscular frame.  What I also like about maxi skirts are that they can be dressed up or down.  They pair so well with racer back tanks or a breezy top.  Your accessories of choice are really what define the casual vs. fancier look you’re going for.  This skirt was moderately priced.  Obviously it ain’t a Target, but it’s not terrible and it’s not like it’ll be going out of style anytime soon, so that’s how I justified it!  Spledid clothing is kind of on the pricey side but they’re having a 50% off sale right now if you check out their website Here.  Their stuff is super light weight and comfy.  Perfect for summer time and goes with practically anything. I actually bought this skirt on Shopbop because the Splendid site didn’t carry it. I’m wearing the XS.  And if you end up getting one, just make sure you have a nude colored pair of low rise Hanky Panky thong underwear to go with it 🙂

So this is what I’m wearing this Wednesday…

Splendid Maxi Tube Skirt – Shopbob

Hanky Panky Low Rise Thong – Nordstrom

Since the 4th of July is fast approaching, and one of my all-time favorite holiday’s, I’ll be sporting some Americana apparel this week!  I consider myself pretty patriotic – I’m a high school U.S. History teacher in my real life – so this holiday means a lot to me.  It’s all about Family, Fun and most importantly Freedom.

So when June starts to wrap up and I start to see all the red, white and blue come into the stores I get a little excited.  I usually avoid all the cheesy sparkly Fourth of July type clothing, but I dig anything Americana, country or retro that I can rock this time of year.  And this tank that I found at Nordstrom’s a few weeks back totally fits my style.  I just can’t decide if I want to pair it with daisy dukes and wear my cowboy boots, or go with a white maxi skirt – maybe i’ll do both 🙂  Shorts during the day because it’s been hot as hell around here and skirt for the evening.  Win-win situation! Continue reading →

My husband Steve is a firefighter and has been working A LOT lately.  When he works a lot that means he can be gone anywhere from 2 to 4 days at a time with only a day or two off in between shifts.  During the school year when I’m working, in some ways, it doesn’t feel so bad because I’m busy and the days can go quickly.  However, when I’m in summer mode, the days can be LONG.  In my pre-mama days I couldn’t get enough of long summer days because it meant working out, laying out, eating out and general relaxation.  Now, with Reesey Girl, a long summer day consists of keeping an 18 month old busy for 16 hours a day.  There’s only so much we can do around the house and her current park activities are limited to the swing, so that means one thing…we go shopping 🙂  A mama’s got to do what a mama’s got to do. Continue reading →