New Year's Eve Style Confessions

Happy New Year's Eve! I hope you have something fun planned to ring in the new year!

The hubby and I decided to go ice skating this afternoon and then grab a beverage or two at a restaurant near our house. When we were making these plans, a couple thoughts ran through my mind:

Awe, ice skating is so romantic! And then...

...reality set in about my skating abilities.

So, naturally I decided to focus on a cute, color coordinated outfit to wear ice skating, instead of the actual skills needed to ice skate!  

Here's what I came up with!

I'm SOOOOO excited to share this look with you, because the scarf and beanie are SO CUTE! They were the MatchiN'spiration pieces for this outfit. Did you see the matching socks?!?

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. this outfit!

In all honesty, the scarf and hat aren't something I will wear year after year, because the color will probably be out of style by next season. HOWEVER, I was able to put aside practicality because they were so inexpensive! I mean fall-out-of-your-seat, must have MatchiN'spiration pieces, less than $7, kind of inexpensive!

Shop the look for yourself:

Old Navy Cable Knit Beanie here//Old Navy 'HAPPY' scarf here//J. Crew Puffer vest in Saddle here//American Eagle jeans here//Exact socks no longer available//UGG Bailey Button boots here

SO CUTE, right?!?

I have a confession. As much as I love this outfit, I'm NOT going to be able to wear it ice skating. :-(

We are expected to get lots of snow (YES! YES! YES!) and frigid cold temperatures, so I'm afraid I won't be warm enough in this outfit.

I will likely pull out my hot chili thermal top and bottoms (SO WARM), my cozy North Face fleece,  throw on some jeans, and wear my marshmallow-arm ski jacket AND matching mittens!

This outfit is definitely NOT up to MatchiN'ista expectations, but it will have to do! ;-)

I'm going to put aside my matchy-matchy, color coordinated outfit obsession passion for now, and enjoy the day with my hubby! :-)

What are your New Year's Eve plans?!? Whatever you do, stay warm, safe, and have fun!!!

Happy matching!

Marcie

My Latest Closet Confession: Socks to Match!

I have a confession to make: I don't usually wear socks to match my outfit! GASP! Ok. breathe.

I know, I know, for being such a matchy-matchy person you would think I would color coordinate my socks with my outfit, but that hasn't been the case. To be quite honest, I've always bought neutral colored socks. The typical black, brown, navy, tan, cream, etc., which have worked ok...until NOW!

 

Get ready to be amazed by the transformative power of SOCKS!!! Yes, that's right, SOCKS!!

I found the perfect Christmas sweater from J. Crew. It's sort-of nerdy chic, which I love!

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

J. Crew Ski Sweater in Deep Turquoise Poppy here

 

 

I paired my nerdy-chic sweater with my super soft, comfy-cozy, favorite jeans.

Similar pair here.

 

 

And then I added a pair of neutral colored socks.

BIG MISTAKE! I took one look in the mirror and realized that this MatchiN'ista was not going to wear this in public without different socks!

 

So, I searched, and searched, and searched some more for matching socks....

 And I found some! A PERFECT match!!!

Not only are these socks the perfect match, but they are warm and cozy too! 

Want your own? Check out the J. Crew Women's Camp sock here.

 

I love wearing them with short boots, too!

 

 

 Now you see the transformative power of socks! Matchy-matchy from head to toe is just what this MatchiN'ista is obsessed with LOVES.

 

 

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that my philosophy with things that I LOVE is this: if one is good, two is better and three is fabulous! Thanks to my hubby, I am now the proud owner of the J. Crew Women's Camp sock in EVERY. SINGLE. COLOR!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy matching!

Marcie

 

A Little Bit of Everything CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! I hope this post finds you and yours in the Christmas Spirit. I know I sure am. It's been a few days, ok maybe more than a few, since my last post, so I thought I would share a little bit of everything today. Outfits, baking, crafting, all of the above!

First up, SHOPPING! and more shopping! and YES, more shopping! I enjoy finding the perfect Christmas gift for the special people in my life, which means I spend a lot of time at the mall and local stores this time of year. This was my go-to shopping outfit this year.

The red puffer vest was the MatchiN'spiration piece for this outfit! It's so Christmasy!

Shop the outfit: American Eagle jeans in similar wash here//Shiny puffer down vest in roasted pepper from J. Crew here//Similar tissue-t turtleneck here//Plaid scarf from J. Crew Factory store here//Similar gray cable boot socks from American Eagle here (they are out of the all gray ones, but they have cream and gray which is super cute, but not a match for this outfit) //Similar brown boots here, distressed look here, love these and these, too!

 

Another one of my go-to shopping outfits featured one of my FAVORITE scarves!

The scarf is from one of my Stichfix picks, so it's not available at an online retailer. If you like the scarf, you can join Stitchfix (learn more here), pin my photo to your Pinterest board and they will try to send you the same item, or something similar. 

More from this outfit: Similar navy toggle coat here//Jeans from American Eagle here//Similar brown boots here 

This next outfit just melts my heart! It incorporates two of my favorite things: a scarf and plaid!

I wore this to work last week and got so many compliments! The red plaid tunic was an item I received in one of my Stichfix picks, so once again, it's not available from any major retailer. You can always join Stichfix, pin my photo to your Pinterest board and share it with Stichfix.

 

Also in my outfit: Similar pant leggings in black here//Waffle infinity scarf in dark poppy from J. Crew factory here//Similar boots here//Alex & Ani bracelets here

Next up, Christmas cards! Who doesn't love to get Christmas cards in the mail? Of course in order to get them, you must send them...which can be a bit of a time consuming process. In years past, we've sent out store bought cards, but this year we decided to do a photo card! Talk about time consuming!! I was a little obsessed passionate about having a theme to our card, staging the photo and color coordinating our outfits, so that we could create the perfect card. YES, I love the nerdy cards where the entire family is dressed alike...I just can't help but smile when I see these cards! I surfed Pinterest for ideas and found so many great ones! Well, it was anything but easy! Lesson learned: hire a photographer if you want a perfect Christmas card photo! Here's some of the pics we took a long the way.

 Mike suggested that we wear our Kansas Jayhawks outfits (he's an avid fan and I just thought the matching Kansas sweatpants and sweatshirt from Victoria's Secret was cute!). Once we settled on a theme, we decided to add the candy cane heart idea (thank you Pinterest). Let's just say that Wesley was less than cooperative! He was interested in licking the candy canes, NOT smiling for the camera!

 

Eventually we settled on a not-so-themed or color coordinated card, which was ok with me. I got over sending the perfect Christmas card because truth be told, I was exhausted from trying to capture the perfect picture life isn't perfect! :-) 

 

I've also been tapping into my creative gift giving, cookie baking side! I really wanted to follow the Swedish tradition (Mike and I are both Swedish) and bake 7 different kinds of cookies (spritz cookies, thumbprints, pepperkaka cookies, etc.) but there weren't enough hours in the day! So, I relied on my go-to source for everything, Pinterest, and I found this recipe for Red Velvet Crinkle cookies. Mike LOVES anything red velvet, so I knew these would be a hit with him. They were soooo easy to bake!  

I baked two batches of these cookies and then packaged them up in vintage-style, wide-mouth mason jars. I tied ribbon around the top and voila, they're ready to give as gifts! If you're a baker or a crafter, or both, then you're probably not very impressed, but this MatchiN'ista is neither, so I'm grinning from ear to ear at my craftiness!

 

More Christmas crafting!

Mike and I both had ugly Christmas sweater days at work, so we decided to make one together! All you need is a little tinsel, felt, bows, a hot glue gun and you can make one of your own! We had a blast putting this together, and it was a hit at both of our jobs!

 

In all of the Christmas craziness, I've been enjoying White Christmas coffee from my favorite Starbucks ceramic mug!

 

 

That's all for now! Have a very Merry Christmas!

 

 

Happy matching!

 

Marcie

 

 

 

Part II: Stuff the Stocking with Sprinkles of Sparkle!

Get ready for more stocking stuffers, ladies! If you're new to my blog, thanks for stopping by :-), and welcome to my "I LOVE stocking stuffers" Christmas confession! If you want to see my full confession on stocking stuffers, check out this post.

Thanks for joining me for part II of this post which happens to be a stocking stuffer guide for anyone in your family that adores a touch of sparkly, shiny, glittery, delicate things! I want to highlight the word delicate, because this MatchiN'ista is not one to wear anything flashy. As the saying goes, all good things come in small packages dosages...including glam and bling. This rings true for my beauty routine as well. My everyday makeup look is pretty plane jane, with the exception of my lip gloss. There's nothing that I love more than glamming up my lips with a healthy dose of lip gloss. Shiny lips make this MatchiN'ista feel fabulous, and who doesn't love to feel fabulous?!? Yes, I'm a girly girl at heart. <3

What exactly do you fill the stocking of a modern, classic, sparkle, little-bit-of-glam, kind of girl?!?

1. & 2. First up, Kate Spade Skinny Mini Bow stud earrings and matching bracelet. Aren't they the cutest things you've ever seen?!? I bought these at the Kate Spade outlet store, but you can buy the earrings here and the bracelet here. I highly recommend visiting the outlet store if you can! :-)

 

If you adore the bow earrings and matching bracelet as much as I do, then you need to sit down for what I'm about to share with you! Are you sitting?!?

 

Wait for it....Wait for it....

 

It's a perfect match!

This outfit is so stinkin' cute!! If you have been following my blog for a while now, then you know that I am obsessed with love matchy-matchy outfits! The bow earrings and bracelet are the perfect accessories to wear with this outfit! How about the black flats with bows!?! Too cute! I had to add my favorite jeans to the mix, or the outfit wouldn't be complete! ;-)

Shop the outfit here:
~Bow Tied Pullover from Anthropologie (only available in size medium)

~Intarsia Bow Sweater from the Limited (great selection of sizes available)

~Matchstick jeans in Classic Rinse from J. Crew (30% off - limited sizes, but check out the same jean in other washes)

~Emery Glitter Bow Flats from J. Crew Factory (plenty of sizes available-on sale!)

3. Another everyday favorite are my Montana Blue earrings by Alex & Ani. If you aren't an Alex & Ani fan, I hope after reading this post, you will check out their website and become one!

4. For the LOVE of NARS! I could be considered a NARS lip pencil hoarder, but I'm ok with that! :-) I love the rich colors they carry. They are available in 3 different finishes: Velvet Matte, Satin and Velvet Gloss. They glide on just like a creamy lipstick! It's basically lip liner, lipstick and gloss all wrapped in one beautiful color! I'm wearing the NARS Satin lip pencil in Garnet in this photo (same color that's shown in the collage).

 

 

5. My favorite lip combo is a NARS Velvet Matte lip pencil color (in any color) topped with Fancy Nancy Nourishine Lip Gloss by Mary Kay. Fancy Nancy matches everything, and it creates the perfect amount of sparkle and shine on your lips! When I want a gloss with a little more color, I go for my Nourishine Lip Gloss in Red Passion.

 

6. I was shopping for Christmas gifts at Bath and Body Works the other day and I discovered the Thousand Wishes body spray. I fell in love....instantly! It takes a lot for me to focus on anything else other than the 3-wick candles because I am obsessed in love with them, and insist on smelling each one every time I shop in their store! If I were you, I would get that girly girl, glamour loving, sparkle and shine, wonderful person in your life, the Thousand Wishes body spray. They carry it in body lotion, body scrub, and perfume, too. Personally, I like the body spray because I'm sensitive to strong scents and the spray tends to be a light scent, perfect for every day wear.

 

7. Up next is one of my all time favorite, year round products, by Mary Kay: the Satin Lips Set. My lips stay smooth and hydrated all year round, even in the winter, because of this product. You apply a lip mask, first, then wash it off, and apply lip balm. It's wonderful!

 

That wraps it up for today's last minute stocking stuffer ideas!

 

 

Happy matching!

 

Marcie

Part I: Stuff the Stocking with Sprinkles of Sparkle

I was working on tomorrow's post, which happens to have a few items from one of my favorite online shops, BaubleBar, when I discovered that TODAY is the last day to order from them, if you want your gifts to arrive in time for Christmas! Panic set in when I made this discovery, but quickly dissolved when I decided to split this post into two parts! So, I threw together part I of this post.

Welcome back for my next confession, which also happens to be a stocking stuffer guide for anyone in your family that adores a touch of sparkly, shiny, glittery, delicate things! I want to highlight the word delicate, because this MatchiN'ista is not one to wear anything flashy. As the saying goes, all good things come in small packages dosages...including glam and bling. This rings true for my beauty routine as well. My everyday makeup look is pretty plane jane, with the exception of my lip gloss. There's nothing that I love more than glamming up my lips with a healthy dose of lip gloss. Shiny lips make this MatchiN'ista feel fabulous, and who doesn't love to feel fabulous?!? A healthy mix of modern, classic, sparkle, and a little bit of glam, just about sums it up for me! Yes, I'm a girly girl at heart. <3

Ok, so here's what I have for you today. A few items from one of my favorite online jewelry shops, BaubleBar. They have the most fabulous gifts for the girly girl in your life, who enjoys a little touch of sparkle every now and then!

First up, this Everyday Stud Gift Set. 

I absolutely adore these earrings. Stud earrings are an everyday look for me, and these ones just happen to have the right amount of sparkle for this MatchiN'ista! :-)

Maybe you already knew this, but monogramming is on-trend right now! Yipee for me, because I have always adored monogrammed things! In fact, I use my handy dandy label maker to "monogram" everything in my house! Ok, maybe labeling and monogramming are NOT the same, but there's some similarities, right?!? I digress...

Next up from Bauble Bar, is the Classic: Metallic Personalized Gift Set, which just happens to be on my wishlist this year!

I don't know about you, but I love the layered look! The initial personalizes this piece and makes it a wonderful stocking stuffer, or gift, depending on your price range. Keep in mind, you're basically getting two necklaces for the price of one! Not to mention that the special someone in your life will melt over it.

If you're looking for other monogrammed items, be sure to check out the personalized section on the Bauble Bar website. They have a wonderful collection of necklaces and bracelets that can be monogrammed!

That's all for now, ladies! I will be back soon for part II of 'Stuff the Stocking with Sprinkles of Sparkle"! Don't forget, if you want to order something from Bauble Bar in time for Christmas, today is the last day to do so!

One more thing...Don't forget to stop by soon, because I will have more stocking stuffer ideas related to beauty and bling!!!

Happy Stocking Stuffing!

Marcie

Stuff the Stocking of an Exercise Enthusiast!

The official Christmas countdown....

 

11 days! YIKES!

 

I have a confession, one that's not related to style, but still worth sharing!

 

My FAVORITE Christmas gift is my stocking!  

 

Let me tell you a little bit about the stocking tradition in my family. My mom does the BEST job at finding AMAZING stocking stuffers for each one of my sister's and me (and the spouses and kids). Not only does she fill the stocking with a few of our favorite things, but she finds fabulous stockings for us too! Everything from Vera Bradley bags, gym bags, totes from thirty-one, and tool bags have been filled with tidings of joy! Well let me tell you, the other day I almost fell out of my chair because she sent me this text:

 

 

GASP!! Once again, I almost fell out of my chair! Let me back up a little here. I have absolutely NOTHING wrong with giving or receiving gift cards, but my mom has this incredible ability of finding the most unique, meaningful gifts for our stockings! At 30+ years old, I STILL get giddy with excitement on Christmas morning when I get to open my stocking! So mom, gift cards...really?!? On the flip side, I understand that filling stockings for all of us kids is like a second job. I'm sure there are other amazing stocking fillers out there, so I decided that I could be on the look-out for perfect stocking stuffers for the gals in your family, including a MatchiN'ista, and here are a few things that I found. 

 

  

At this point in my life I wouldn't call myself an exercise enthusiast, but more of a recreational, every now and then, when I get the chance, need a stress reliever, I have to accomplish everything on my to-do list before I exercise, enthusiast! However, it wasn't that long ago that I was training for half ironman distance triathlons, running marathons, and teaching Spinning classes. So my point is, that when I WAS an exercise enthusiast, I had a few things that I could NOT live without, and that would make GREAT stocking stuffers!!

 

1. First up, the Sweat Happens Liner Bags from Lululemon. Absolutely MUST HAVE! If you are someone who showers at the gym, where do you put your sweaty, smelly clothes and dirty shoes? Why in these bags of course! It's kind of a pricey stocking stuffer ($42.00), but you get three bags, and they are just fabulous! The exercise enthusiast in your life will thank you for years to come (and truthfully, if you live with that person you'll be equally as happy to have stinky, sweaty clothes kept in a not touching anything else, organized, bundle).

 

2. Up next, Bondi Bands. I'm jumping out of my seat excited to share these with you!!!! They are the most comfortable, durable, and FUN headbands around! Whenever I workout, I wear a Bondi Band. They have a variety of different sayings (like the one pictured); themes (holidays, sports teams, sports); patterns, whatever you're interested in, they have a Bondi Band to match! As a MatchiN'ista,  I have quite the selection of Bondi Bands, so that I always have one to match my workout outfit! If you're looking for a sweat towel, they have those too!

 

3. Next up, a storage case for those tangled, what a mess, super frustrating, earbuds! The case in the picture is specifically for my FAVORITE earbuds (#6 on the list), but there are a variety of cases for other brands. Another "thank you for the best stocking stuffer ever!" kind of gift. Why??? In my opinion you should invest in a quality pair of earphones, which means you should also take care of them so that they last. With this handy dandy earbud case, not only will your earbuds last forever, but they will be organized too! If you don't already know this by now, this MatchiN'ista is ALL about staying organized (I could write a separate blog on my obsession passion for organizing).

 

4. Who can exercise without socks?!? Hands down, these are my favorite socks to workout in. They are thin, lightweight, and breathable. My favorite part is the mesh section that hugs the center of the foot. If you are a runner or know someone that is, it is beyond frustrating when your socks slide down into your shoe. These  socks DO NOT do that! You're probably thinking well, socks are pretty specific to the person wearing them, but at less than $9.00 per pack, they are worth the risk!

 

5. Everyone NEEDS a towel wrap! It's a towel that velcros at the top so your hands are free to carry all of your shower goodies. I keep mine in my gym bag, but I would love another one to keep at home. If you or a special someone in your life showers at the gym, this is a truly a life changing stocking stuffer! It takes away all the frustration of having to hold up your towel, carry shower belongings, clothes, etc. This is something every gal should own!

 

6. Yay for Yurbuds! I love these! I have tiny ears, so I have a difficult time finding earbuds that fit in my ears. These definitely do the trick! They are so comfortable, I don't even know that they're in my ears. Not sure about the pink color, that's ok because they also come in blue. Some retailers carry them in other colors too, you just have to do a little searching. The link I provided is to Target, simply because I bought mine from Target...and I love Target! :-)

 

 

That's it for now! I hope you have found a few stocking stuffers for the exercise enthusiast in your life! Stay tuned for more stocking stuffer ideas!

 

 

 

 

Happy matching!

 

Marcie

 

If One is Good, Two is Better, and Three is Fabulous!

It's been a while since my last post...the Christmas season has taken over!! :-)

Anyway, youu probably know where I'm going with this post...

Style Confession #5: When I am obsessed fall in love with something, I buy one in every color! It makes total sense. A MatchiN'ista needs a variety of colors and patterns to create the perfect outfit, right?!?

YES! YES! YES!

 

This quote sums it up perfectly! Because, after all...

 

 

 

All the MatchiN'istas out there know exactly what I'm talking about. 

Consider this scenario: You've got the perfect outfit; color coordinated from Head. To. ALMOST TOE. Why ALMOST?!? You don't have the right color flats for your outfit because you didn't buy them in every color! ARGH! Now you're stuck with a neutral...which looks great, but the MatchiN'ista in you is saying "ugh, if only I had those flats!"

 

I truly believe that if you love something you should let it go you should buy it in bulk, multiples, one in every color! I'm going to share some of my favorites with all of you!

1. The J. Crew Tissue Long Sleeve T

 

These are the softest, most comfortable tees that I have ever owned! Who doesn't love to walk out of the house looking fabulous in a tee!?! They look adorable with a scarf, under a sweater, with a fancy necklace...they are what I like to call a matchiN'spiration piece.

 

Oh, but wait! It gets better...

 

The MatchiN'ista in you asks, "is there a matching tank to wear underneath?!?"

 

YES! YES! YES!

 

Here it is, the J. Crew Perfect Tank

 

 

Not into the round neck collar?

 

Check out the J. Crew Vintage Cotton Long-Sleeve Scoopneck Tee 

 

 

 WAIT FOR IT, WAIT FOR IT...

 

 

YES, there are matching tanks!!!!

 

The J. Crew Vintage Cotton Tank

 

 

2. The  Extra-Fine Merino Wool Pullover

 

 

I'm all about layering and this sweater looks great with a long-sleeve tee, tank, or a button-down underneath. Banana Republic offers this sweater in a variety of colors for each season! It is so soft and cozy, like lounging in your PJ's, sipping hot cocoa cozy!!!

3. American Eagle Outfitters Skinny Pant

 LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! these pants. At 29 + 365days (maybe add few days to that #) years old, I walk into a store like American Eagle Outfitters and think, "um...am I too old for these clothes?" Most of the time the answer to my inner critic's question is "yes, I'm too old to wear a crop top and a drapey sweater"....Until one day I came across these pants! They are the perfect fit AND they come in a variety of colors, lengths and sizes! I'm fortunate enough to be able to wear business casual to work, so these pants are a staple in my work wardrobe. Did I mention they come in different colors?!?

 

Another MatchiN'ista confession...when I find apparel that I love, I look for it season after season! There's nothing more frustrating than walking into a store and finding out that they discontinued your favorite pair of jeans, shirt, etc...!!! More reason to buy staple matchin'spiration pieces in multiples! :-) Each item you see here has been around for at least 3 seasons (or more) and fingers crossed, it will stay that way!!!

 

Have a fabulous Tuesday!!

 

Happy matching!

 

Marcie