These boots are made for walking....

I'm back home and enjoying some time with my husband and fur-babies this weekend. Yesterday I decided to break in my Anthro boots since I plan on wearing them a bunch next weekend when I'm traveling again. It turns out they don't need any breaking in because they feel great! This was a comfortable outfit for going out to lunch and then to a matinee showing of The Town (which turned out to be a better movie than I expected). It's not the most creative of outfits but my husband said I looked hot so I'll count it as a success! ;-) He even agreed to take my OOTD picture for me:

Sweater: LOFT
Jeans: Target
Boots: Anthropologie
Bow Earrings: F21

You might have thought I forgot about those great questions I got in the entries for my giveaway but I promise I haven't! I'll try to tackle a few of these each week. And if you have more questions, please feel free to post them in the comments and I'll add them to my list. :-)
Here's one that Kelly asked:
I have to ask, what got you into blogging? I'm always curious how other bloggers got their start!!!

I discovered the world of fashion blogs earlier this year when a grad school friend posted a link on Facebook to Academichic. I was completely inspired by their OOTD posts. They made me start to reevaluate my own outfit choices and put more thought into buying and wearing clothes that better reflect my personality. I like to look professional in the classroom when I'm teaching but I also like to include items that are "me" like fun tights, a cool necklace, or a cute belt. In addition to the influence of the girls at Academichic, the re-discovery of my love of Anthropologie has also helped me to define my sense of style and how I want to present myself to the world. I stumbled upon Kim's and Roxy's Anthro blogs and from there I found a whole wonderful blogging community that I wanted to be a part of. So that's why I decided to start this blog. I enjoy reading everyone's blogs everyday and try to post my outfits and other random thoughts as often as possible, although sometimes life gets in the way (as soon as the fall semester started, my schedule got so busy). My blog might not be the most exciting blog out there but I have fun doing it. I appreciate those who have taken the time to read my posts. I'm always excited to get your comments and I'm trying to be better at responding. I've met some really nice people through this blogging community! :-)

Anthro Reviews from the Road & My Conference OOTD

I had a little free time today after my conference presentation (which went well, by the way!) so I headed over to the Anthro store in Albuquerque.

This first outfit was my favorite. I wish I could have walked right out of the store in it! The jeans were so comfy and I just adore this plaid shirt.
Joe's Provocateur (Petite) Jeans with the Carefree Shirt:



Next I tried the same jeans with the Raining Lines Henley (strangely the website is saying this is no longer available but it just came out recently so there must be a temporary glitch). I accidentally grabbed an XS and it fit ok but I'd go with a S for a more comfortable fit. This shirt was just a tiny bit sheer so I'd wear a cami underneath. This is definitely wishlisted for me.



I also love this shirt in the purple striped version:



One of the first things I saw when I walked in the store was the bird skirt (a.k.a. In the Trees Skirt)! It's never been available at my store, so I was excited to try it. Unfortunately the largest size they had was a 6 and I couldn't zip it up all the way. It's kind of an awkward length on me too.



I was also looking forward to trying the Garment District Blazer but it turned out to be a disaster. I don't know why I keep trying on blazers since they very rarely work on me. This one looks weird in the hip area and is just unflattering overall. Love the plaid print though! ;-)



In the sale section I found the Two Worlds Tee and remembered that I've been wanting to try it on. I tried it on with some Pilcro jeans that I can't find on the website. This color was blah on me but the fit was pretty good. It's kind of embarrassingly sheer in this picture though!



I was hoping to find it in the orange but no luck. I think my store still had some of these left though so I might check there.



Here's what I wore this morning for my conference paper presentation. I wore darker colors which is typical conference attire but added a bit of my own personality with the purple tights and belt over the sweater.

Cardigan: Target
Blouse: LOFT
Belt: Anthropologie
Skirt: LOFT
Purple Tights: Hue via Anthropologie
Shoes: Steinmart

More Anthro Reviews

Here are some more of my reviews from the Tampa Anthro.

Alice in Autumn Sweatercoat in Grey

I'm not sure how flattering this is on me but I love it anyway. It's so soft and cozy! I love the big buttons and the ruffly collar. And it has pockets! I didn't realize that until after I took this picture and they were a little bunched up causing that weird bump on the one side. The sleeves are a little too long on me. Clothes like this make me wish I lived somewhere with weather that gets a little cooler.

I had to try the gold version also:


Here's what I'm wearing underneath:

The Humbled Hydrangea Top is really cute! I love the color and the tiny polka dots behind the print. It's very flowy so I sized down to an XS to avoid the maternity top look.

I paired the shirt with these Citizens of Humanity "Kelly" Bootcut Jeans.
These were really long on me but other than that I liked the fit. They are a littler lower rise than I usually wear but the top helped cover that. The wash is a nice color. I don't really need any more jeans but if these went on sale I might consider them.

OOTD: Grey, Black & White

I wore this outfit yesterday to teach. I was in a rush and had to throw it together on the fly but luckily it turned out ok! I don't usually wear outfits without any color but I like that these neutrals let the pattern on the skirt be the focal point.

Grey Ruffly Sweater Top: Target
Belt: Anthropologie
Skirt: Marc Jacobs via Macy's
Shoes: Steinmart

I'm headed to a conference in New Mexico today. Hopefully I'll have internet access so I can keep up with my blog. I'll try to get some outfit pictures while I'm away!

Anthro Review: Southward Stop Shirtdress

While at the Tampa Anthro I also got to try on the super popular Southward Stop Shirtdress. I've been resisting trying on this dress because I didn't think I liked the pattern but I changed my mind once it was on. I love this dress! The cut is flattering, it's comfortable & has pockets, and it will transition well into fall with tights, sweater, and boots.

Here are some of the way I "styled" it in the dressing room:

With the Roaming Frills Cardigan & Gift Bow Belt -- I know this is a lot of beige but I kind of like it!

With the purple Delicate Drafts Cardigan -- I LOVE this color with the dress!!

Anthro Review: Mullany Dress

A few days ago I was in Tampa and of course I had to visit the Anthro store there! So, I'll have some reviews for you this week. First up is the lovely Mullany Dress that has looked fantastic on so many bloggers. It has never been available at my local store, so I was thrilled to see it at the Tampa store and get a chance to try it on myself!



Mullany Dress with Precious Materials Cardigan

This dress is so adorable! I love the cut of it and the material was even nicer than I expected. I paired it with this cardigan (on sale, still available in some stores) which I think works really nicely with the dress. I have on a size 6 in this picture. Surprisingly, I was able to zip it up and it fit everywhere except being a little snug in the bust. I would have sized up but this was the largest one they had in the store. I'll be keeping my eye on this dress hoping that it goes on sale soon! :-)

Fall Boot Recommedations

Recently I got a request from reader Jenn G asking for my recommendations for Fall boots so I thought I'd share them with everyone in case others are also on the look out for some great boots. Feel free to leave links to your favorites in the comment section as well!

1. Target Merona Kamischel Suede Boots in grey
I tried these on the other day and they are so comfortable and cute! The price is great too. I'd say they run true to size. I see online that they also come in a nice chocolate brown and black but I only saw the grey at my store. I'm hoping to get a pair of these in grey!



2. Madden Girl Zarah Riding Boot
I tried on these boots in black at DSW and they were really cool. They rubbed a little bit on my left pinky toe though. I'd consider sizing up a half size in these because they ran a bit small on me.



3. Old Navy Silver-Wedge Boots
I've had my eye on these boots at Old Navy but they're only available online so I haven't tried them yet. They look cute though! I like the camel color but they also come in black. The style looks a lot like the Steve Madden Intyce boots and Target Kady Boots that were popular last year. Has anyone tried this Old Navy version? I'd love to hear what others think about the fit and quality.



4. Anthropologie Pebbled & Primped Boots
I haven't gotten to try these but I just love them! They are pretty pricey though.



If you missed my review of Anthro's Berry Stitched Boots last month, you can check it out here. I highly recommend these boots! :-)