The Martian-Inspired Outfit

Last week I reviewed The Martian and last night I saw the movie.  Verdict--I loved both!  And there were enough differences to keep my interest throughout the entire movie. 

Wardrobe in this book is pretty normal for an astronaut--you've got the standard spacesuit and then just comfortable work clothes.  All NASA-issued, of course. 

So for my outfit inspiration I decided to create a NASA-inspired outfit that would be perfect for a fall walk around the neighborhood.  So much of Mark Watney's story featured him walking around, fixing broken equipment, considering his survival plan.  So I wanted to design an outfit that was easy to work in, appropriate for outdoor weather, and representative of NASA's clean lines in design. 

And here's what I came up with:

Let's break it down:

• The puffy jacket of course is about as close as we get to a spacesuit.  I love the silver color; white coats aren't as practical and this still has a NASA feel to it.
• A comfortable sweater and leggings are perfect for walking and working.  I love the clean lines of the sweater with just a touch of blue.  
• Black combat boots are comfortable (yes, really) and good for all kinds of terrain.  Trendy right now, too.
• Astronauts don't mess with dangly jewelry, so simple pearl earrings (these are only $12!) add some femininity but just a touch.

So what do you think?  Would you walk around your neighborhood in this outfit?

Shadow and Bone-Inspired Look

Last week I reviewed Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo and gave it 5 stars--I loved it that much!  I loved the characters--Mal and Alina, the Grisha, the Darkling.  They were all fantastic!

One unique feature about the Grisha in the series (other than their special powers) is that they wear special jackets to distinguish them from normal people.  So I wanted to design an outfit that featured an awesome blazer.  Blazers are a great wardrobe staple because they can dress up an outfit, even if that outfit is pretty casual. 

Here's the outfit I designed:

Don't you love the green with the black and white?  Here's the rundown of the look:

• The rich green blazer is gorgeous!  It's slim-fitting, too, which takes away the bulkiness of some blazers.  This blazer definitely takes the outfit up a notch.
• I didn't want any colors to compete with the deep green, so I kept the rest of the outfit on a black/white/gold scheme.  The striped sweater and shorts are classy but casual.
• The accessories are chic but don't take away from the blazer.  And even though the necklace is large, it just keeps the outfit at a dressier level.  And I think the Grisha would like to look dressy.

So what do you think?  Would you wear this outfit?

To find the actual pieces of the outfit, click here.

REVIEW and Outfit--Cracked

I'll be honest--rehab books are not my favorite.  They're usually pretty depressing and even foul to an extent.  And I don't always want to add more drama to my life when I read!  So when I was assigned to read Cracked by K.M. Walton for an Indiana reading list committee, I knew I had to gear myself up for it.  But wow was I surprised!  Today I'm reviewing and sharing an outfit for the book!

• Standalone novel
• Realistic fiction

The Gist:

Victor's life is completely miserable.  He has no friends, his parents expect nothing less than PERFECTION from him (and punish him when he doesn't achieve it), and is relentlessly bullied by a classmate named Bull.  So he decides to end it all and swallows a bottle of sleeping pills.

But Victor wakes up in a rehab hospital, and now not only does he have to deal with his problems, but he also has to share a room with a teen boy and allow him to deal with his problems.

And then Victor sees his roommate--and it's Bull.

What I Loved:

• This book just had me from the plot.  How often do bullies and victims end up paired together at school, in sports, etc?  
• There's a double point of view--Victor and Bull both tell the story.  It's fascinating to see the story from both of their views.  At times you feel sorry for Bull and his living situation, but then you see his actions toward Victor and you remember that he truly is a bully.
• Victor's time in rehab not only shows how he deals with Bull but how he deals with his inward struggles and insecurities.  A lot of depth here.
• Definitely satisfied with the ending.

What I Didn't Love:

• The adults who worked in this rehab facility were idiots.  Victor is imploring with the employees to switch his room, and no one would give him the time of day.  Aren't they there to LISTEN to their patients, at the very least?!  Man I hope these characters aren't based off real-life people.
• The man who Bull "meets" in the cemetery is a little too good to be true.  

A really enjoyable read for me and one that I think my students will love as well (even though I said I don't prefer rehab books, teens LOVE them!).  This will be an easy one to recommend!

I thought I would design this book's outfit for Victor.  Victor is smart and well-behaved and his family/teachers expect top-notch performance from him.  So I designed an outfit that gives off a smart, studious vibe.  And here it is:

Wouldn't you assume that a guy wearing this outfit was a well-behaved young man?  That is definitely the expectation for Victor.

• The plaid shorts, denim shirt, and gray sweater all give off a preppy vibe.  The muted colors make the outfit appealing, not overpowering.
• Boat shoes do the same and really solidify this as a "good boy" outfit.
• A bright silver watch is the perfect accessory for a guy.

What do you think?  Would you like to see a guy wearing this?  Get all the details for the outfit here.

More fun coming this week!

No Drama Llama--A Playing Hooky Outfit

Happy Friday, ya'll!  Ready for the weekend?  We have a PACKED weekend with some fun dates ahead of us (we're going to the Symphony and chaperoning Prom!), so I thought I'd share an Outfit post from a date we took earlier this week.

Tuesday was Luke's birthday (he's now a handsome 34-year-old!) and we both took a vacation/personal day to celebrate with a day out on our own.  Let me tell you, with two little ones, having a meal together without having to remove all bottles/sharp objects is quite the luxury!

We spent the day in Indianapolis drinking coffee, having lunch at a (new to us) burger spot, and seeing a movie.  It was relaxing and just pure fun.

So since we had a date, I wanted to wear something fun, too.  And what is more fun than a llama?!

Look!  It's a llama sweater!

This sweater is actually called the "No Drama Llama" sweater from Brooklyn Industries.  And that's the kind of llama I need in my life--no drama!

I'm absolutely obsessed with chambray shirts, and this sweater fit over one so nicely.  I'm wearing a size Medium, which was probably a little shorter than I would have liked--order up on this one!

I paired the casual necklace with a glam necklace--I love the opposites of this look.

I paired the outfit with brown oxford-like shoes.  Kind of a vintage look that I love.

A pop of orange nails with gold sparkles.  The llama is orange, which was a total coincidence.  I never purposefully match my nails to my outfit.

 

Don't you love the teal stripes on the top of the sweater?!

A fun outfit for a fun day on the town!

Sweater--Brooklyn Industries

Jeans--Ralph Lauren

Shoes--X Appeal

Chambray Shirt--J Crew Outlet

Necklace--J Crew Outlet

*I'm not associated with the products/companies mentioned.  All opinions are my own.

Happy birthday, Luke!  Let's make your 34th year the BEST EVER!

The Saints-Inspired Outfit

A few weeks ago I reviewed The Saints by Lex Thomas, a crazy, unexpected, even disgusting dystopian book about a group of teens stuck inside a school.  And I loved it!  So today's outfit is completely inspired by one group of students who distinguish themselves by the color blue (I featured another group in this post from the first book in this series, The Loners).

I had a lot of fun designing this outfit--I LOVE the color blue (I have a bright blue velvet sofa in our living room!) and love that I can wear so much of it with jeans.  The blue clique, the Freaks, are artsy and ok with being weird, so I knew I could layer on blue for this look.

Here's the look I designed:

 

Here's what I love about this look--blue is the obvious inspiration for the outfit, but it's not overwhelming.

Let me break it down:

• I LOVE wearing chambray/denim shirts with dark jeans.  Half of my outfits right now do this.  You can add whatever you want on top and it looks like a whole new outfit.  Love.
• I really love this fun striped heart sweater.  Your eye immediately goes to the blue heart, so the gray stripes remind me of a blank canvas that I could totally see the characters in the book drawing on.
• Sky blue shoes and blue stud earrings give that extra blue pop and show off the various degrees of blue that you can have.

I totally love this outfit!  I would rock it as a casual or even a date night look.  Would you wear it?

Want to see all the details of this outfit?  Check it out here!

We Are the Goldens-Inspired Outfit

Happy Monday, everyone!  Are you geared up for Thanksgiving?  I am ready for the break--even though I have been out of school lately with various trips and conferences, it will be nice to have a chance to just collect myself again.  Moving to a new house has taken a toll, so it's going to be good to just re-group.

Today's post is an outfit inspired by We Are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt.  In the book, Nell and her sister Layla are soccer players.  So I wanted to design an outfit for Nell on game day.  Since I work in a school, I see the student athletes when it's game day--they dress nicer than the typical school outfit.  So that's the inspiration for the look.

And when I think soccer, I think stripes.  So I designed a classy outfit for Nell with sleek stripes.  Here it is:

Simple enough to wear to school and comfortable...but still stylish!

• Like I said, soccer makes me think of stripes, so I went for a simple yet chic black and white striped sweater.
• The black skinny jeans pair nicely with the sweater.  Keeps it casual.
• I always see my athletes wear flats when they dress up.  They're more comfortable in their dress, so flats just make sense (stereotypically, the star of the girls' basketball team doesn't do well with heels!).  But adding the bows to the top of the flats gives it a feminine touch.
• A simple but beautiful watch keeps the outfit trendy and accessorized.

What do you think?  Could you see a student wearing this before a game?

More reviews coming up!

Sweater--Uniqlo 
Jeans--House of Fraser 
Flats--Saint Laurent 
Watch--Nixon Kenzi 

*I'm not associated with any brands/companies mentioned.

OOTD (5)--A Fall Aztec Sweater

Happy weekend!  I'm just wrapping up my vacation in North Carolina, and it will be back to work on Monday.

We're definitely getting into the heart of fall, so this outfit of the day features a comfy but colorful long cardigan.  A great outfit for layering and handling the various temperatures of autumn.

Here's how the outfit breaks down:

• The Aztec-like sweater is from Target...yep, Target!  It's super comfortable and lightweight.  The colors are great and can be played up by the color tee underneath.
• The light aqua boyfriend tee underneath is also from Target.  I love these tees because they're super inexpensive, comfortable, and adorable (they have a tiny pocket on the chest!).  I stock up every season.
• Skinny jeans from TJ Maxx
• Gold glitter sandals from DSW.
• It's hard to see, but I paired the outfit with a gold bird necklace from F21 and light pink dangly earrings from Charlotte Russe.

So what do you think?  A good fall outfit?  

Have a fun and safe end to your weekend--I'll see you back here tomorrow!

Rise-Inspired Outfit

Happy Friday!  

Yesterday I reviewed Rise, the final book in Anna Carey's Eve series.  In the book we see Eve become pretty rebellious--she is mourning the loss of her love, Caleb, and therefore, out to kill her father.  She makes some dangerous decisions in this book and ventures out on some pretty risky missions.  So today's outfit focuses on the times when she sneaks out of the palace.  She's fighting for a cause and basically risking it all.

So here's the outfit:

Edgy, risky, dangerous...right?

Here's our breakdown:

• I chose dark colors--black and burgundy--to represent the seriousness of Eve's situation.
• The cross sweater is very trendy right now.  To me it looks like someone is fighting for a cause, standing up for their beliefs.  It's bold and difficult to ignore.
• I paired the sweater with burgundy pants.  Pants because Eve needs to move easily in a mission and burgundy to give it a different pop of color.
• The black booties toughen up the look but give Eve a chance to run when necessary.
• Someone out to avenge their love's death is probably not concerned about jewelry, so accessories are minimal here.  A bold burgundy watch (you need a watch on a mission, right?) and a simple, black headband.  Strong choices that aren't overly girly or frivolous.

So what do you think?  Suitable for Eve's mission?

I'll be back this weekend with a look at my older sister's home decor and an OOTD post.  See you then!