A Ruche Lookbook: Class Act

I'm always elated when I get an e-mail about a new lookbook from Ruche. While I've been attempting to curb my shopping habits while we work on the new house and prepare for our baby to arrive at the end of the year, I still love to be inspired. That's why I love Ruche so much. Their collections inspire me with their beautiful clothes and thoughtful details and sets. We're getting close to my favorite time of year, which is also my favorite time of lookbooks: the fall and winter. I love all of the plaid, stripes, loafers, booties, textures, lace, gorgeous scarves, creative layering, and glitter and bling that comes along with these seasons.

Take a look and be inspired by their Back to School lookbook, Class Act. 
These are my favorite ensembles! You can see these and more in their New Arrivals this week.

the dirt on the pencil skirt

I think that's the last time I wore a pencil skirt. (That's me on the left).
Fancy, right?

The thing is, I was in a super dress-coded choir all throughout college. Pencil skirts abounded on a near-daily basis. Pencil skirts, heels, button-ups, cardigans, lipstick, curls. The whole 9 yards.
In fact "dressing to the nines" was a repetitive phrase among us.

When I graduated and finished the last choir tour, I threw out all pencil skirts, lipsticks, and curled hair habits. It was freeing, it was deliberate, and it was wonderful. 
I had grown tired of the hairspray, the split ends, the hours of getting ready. The lipstick teeth. The chapped lips. The sore feet.
My hair has been straight, my skirts have been loose and twirly, and my feet have been clad in boots, sandals and flats.
Until yesterday.

LOOK OUT.
The pencil skirt is back.

In classic rebellion, I went as casual as humanly possible while still donning the fitted skirt.
I've gotta ease back into it.

I've bought two amazing pencil skirts in the last few months, both on sale and too good to pass up. The first was a great textured navy skirt from Anthropologie, which I have yet to wear, and the second is this delightful caramel number from LOFT.
My work is so casual that I'm not sure I'll ever go back to choir-mode again, ever, but I may go as far as tucking in a blouse or two. Maybe I'll even curl my hair again.
Too much, too soon.

Top/Skirt (shop!): LOFT, Shoes/Purse (shop!): Target, Sunglasses: Ruche

#myfoxpurse

Everybody loves foxes.
I posted a video at the end of my last post, and since then it has exploded (definitely not because of me), gone viral and caused children of all ages to go wild with foxiness. I'm all for it.
If you haven't watched it, you're currently over 14 million views behind the times.
(The Fox by Ylvis). 

I've pretty much driven my husband crazy singing it, because I think it's in my head until I die.
What does the fox say?

15 items, 15 outfits

I actually meant to post this yesterday, but things got a little busy and I had to postpone!

I am embarking upon a new kind of outfit challenge, taking a leaf from my "5to5" outfit post from two months ago. 

I am taking 15 basic items from my wardrobe, and attempting to remix them into 15 unique outfits. Yesterday was day 1, so this challenge will last for every last day of June!

Introducing the 15:

15 items for 15 outfits.

As you can see, these items include not only the basic clothing but also the accessories and the shoes!

I spent time planning and figuring out the best way to maximize these items, and am excited to show you what I come up with. 

Until outfit 1,

Caitlin