I went right for my green patterned dress. I love this dress in spring, but it has great colors that work well in fall and winter too. I’ve known that I wanted to try wearing this dress beyond warm weather, so I picked up a pair of hunter green tights on one of my recent Target trips. They matched perfectly. The dress is short sleeved, so it definitely needed a sweater over top. I liked the way my beige open knit cardigan paired with it because it had a similar length. The beige heels were an unexpected pop and kept the outfit interesting at the bottom. Two chunky bracelets and a pair of drop earrings were all this outfit needed accessory-wise. It’s not nearly warm enough to go jacket-less, but my trench coat was the perfect weight coat for a unseasonable high of 60 degrees today.

After doing this Closet Challenge, I feel like I have a few more pieces I can convert to this season. What’s in your closet from (or for) spring that you can wear now?

Dress $22.50, Forever 21 • Ray Ban Sunnies $55, Saks off 5th • Merona Green Tights $6, on sale Target • Trench Coat $69, Banana Republic Outlet • Nude Pumps $20, Aldo Clearance Outlet • Gold Hammered Bracelet $6, Loehmann’s • Green Beaded Bracelet, Gift from my Mom & Sister via Key West • Gold Drop Earrings $4, Accessorize Clearance

*Photography by the incredible Katelyn Calautti

Now that I’ve managed your expectations, onto the outfit of the day. I call this one “Casual Friday.” The weather is pretty gross and I’m tired from staying up late last night baking mini vegan donuts (more on that in my next post) so I wanted to dress comfortably. The outfit began with the jeggings, followed by a chunky cowl neck sweater. The trick I use to not look like a total shlub is fitted bottoms with loose top or loose bottoms with fitted top. When you go loose on both, that’s when things start to look sloppy. Once I had only my blue and and gray, I knew I needed a pop of color. My red and navy houndstooth scarf and my red bag were just the right amount of color. For comfort, I threw on my Grandma Heels. (Definition – Grandma Heels: A Practically Spoiled term for a comfortable low heel that gives the slight illusion of an extended leg, in turn making you look slimmer.) Finally, my beige swing coat was perfect for today’s weird temperature spread (high 59, low 34.)

So there you have it; My casual outfit. Because sometimes, even fashion bloggers need a day off.

Swing Coat $35, Black Friday Sale L.Y. at Old Navy • Striped Sweater $19.99, Banana Republic Clearance • Red and Blue Houndstooth Scarf $6.80, Forever 21• Dark Denim Jeggings $22, Juicy Couture Outlet • Navy “Grandma” Heels, I forgot the price via JC Penney many years ago • Gold and Crystal Hoop Earrings, $18, Kate Spade Outlet • Citrine Cocktail Ring, Gift from the BF • Vintage Chanel Drawstring Bag, Fabulous eBay Find

*Photography by the incredible Katelyn Calautti

I’m gaining winter weight. Ugh. It happens each year like clock work. January hits and all the holidays did was get me craving warm comfort food rather than lean, healthy things like salads and fruits.

As my pants are getting tighter I need to remind myself that I’m in a wedding in April and I need to fit into the dress comfort foods don’t have to be covered in cheese or deep fried to be satisfying. This soup proves that (and will help me get into that dress.) At just 130 calories per bowl it’s an incredibly filling and delicious alternative to everything bad for me.

Low Cal Potato Cauliflower Soup
(Dairy Free, Vegan, Gluten-Free, but still tastes good – I promise!)
Serves 6

• 3 Small Potatoes (peeled and diced)
• 1 Head of Cauliflower (leaves and thick part of stem removed, the rest chopped up)
• 3 1/4 cups Vegetable Broth (about 3 cans)
• 1 Medium Onion (diced)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic (diced)
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Special Equipment: Blender or Food Processor

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil and garlic over low-medium heat. Once oil is hot, add the onion and cook until onion is translucent. Add the cauliflower and potatoes. Cook for another 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add the vegetable broth and bay leaves (I added a bit of pepper now, so it cooked the flavor in, this is optional) , then bring to a simmer. Once simmering, place on low heat and cover. Cook for 25-20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Remove bay leaves and transfer soup to either a blender or food processor. (I recommend doing this small batches at a time.) Blend until an applesauce like consistency. Return to pot and reheat. Taste, add salt and pepper as desired. Enjoy!

*Counting calories on Livestrong? You can find this recipe by typing in “Kelly’s Low Cal Vegan Potato Cauliflower Soup”

And that’s exactly what I was thinking this morning. Cold legs or not, I wanted to wear shorts. Wool shorts, with tights of course, but still… I paired the shorts with a warm fitted turtleneck, black booties and threw on my faux fur coat for additional warmth. The coat tends to skew on the glamorous-looking side (even though it was $39.99 at Target) so I needed to dress up the outfit with some jewels. A long crystal necklace and rhinestone clutter earrings did just that, while my standard arm party got a glittery upgrade to match. Finally, I grabbed my newly organized (more on that here) Chanel bag to complete the look.

So maybe it’s not a spring dress with sandals, but it took the edge off my jealousy for the moment.

Wool Shorts $9.99, Clearance The Limited • Black Turtleneck $12.99, Clearance The Limited • Xhileration Faux Fur Coat $29.99, Target (2 years ago) • Tights $4.00, Target • Leather Booties $29.99, Nine West via T.J. Maxx • Faux Diamond Band $3.95, Forever 21 from set of 3 • Rhinestone Earrings $6.99, Loehmann’s • Crystal Drop Necklace $6.99, Clearance The Limited (ages ago) • Bracelets $4.50-$6.50, Forever 21 & Target • Michelle Watch, gift from my Dad • Ray Ban Sunnies $55, Saks Off 5th • Vintage Chanel Jumbo Flap, Fabulous eBay Find

*Photography by the incredible Katelyn Calautti

As my muse for this handbag clean out I’m using my absolute favorite bag, my Chanel Jumbo flap. When I stuff her (yes, her) full not only is she heavy, she gets misshaped. And clearly that’s no way to treat a gorgeous bag like her. She’s about the average size of most of my bags, so it’s a good gauge on what will fit in many of my bags. Here’s what I wound up with:

Wallet: Money makes the word go round, so I obviously need my wallet. I was using my large Marc Jacobs wallet, but I realized it was additional weight and space, so I transferred to something smaller, my Micheal Kors. That took a bit of editing itself, as I feel the need to carry around loyalty cards and coupons from every store (because you never know when you may hit a good sale.) But the downsize was worth it, so much smaller and lighter.

Keys: Work keys, car keys, house keys, supermarket and pharmacy loyalty cards. No cute key fobs or keys to things I don’t need on an everyday basis.

Make-Up Bag: I admit, my make-up isn’t always on my face when I leave the house which is why I need to carry it with me. Again, I edited the contents a bit (that’s a whole other post) and it now weighs a bit less than it did before. I also made room for when I need to carry monthly feminine needs, so they aren’t aimlessly floating around my bag.

iPhone: I couldn’t live without it. Because of my phone I don’t have to carry a camera, notebook, pen, agenda, iPod, etc. It’s a life changer.

Brush: You never know when you’ll get the tangles. At a 1/3 of the size of a regular brush, this baby does the trick. And it was just $.99 at Sally Beauty.

Small Clip and Bobby Pins: You never know when you’ll want a ponytail, or when you just won’t be able to stand your bangs on your forehead. I like using a small claw clip to make a messy pony or bun when I need my hair off my neck. I always keep bobby pins to hold down the bangs in windy, rainy or super humid weather (they’ll puff up if not.)

Lipstick and Chapstick: One is for fashion, the other is for function. I never leave home without them. I keep them in an interior pocket, rather than my makeup bag, as it’s quicker to find and reapply.

Train Card: That’s my monthly train pass, I keep it in the exterior pocket of my bag for easy access (thought I really should be more careful with it…)

Sunglasses: Back to the point about my makeup not always being on when I leave the house, rain or shine, I always have my sunnies with me. I did realize that all cases are super bulky so I purchased one of these, which still protects them but takes up no extra space in my bag.

All of the other junk I carried just weren’t necessities. My bag is much lighter and more organized. Now are there going to be days when I’ll need an item or two more in the bag? Yes. But now there’s room for those items and once the day is through, they won’t be staying in the bag!

So what have I been doing aside from wearing down coats, eating junk food and watching reality TV? Well, I’ve had lots of good intentions about blogging, so I’ve been snapping lots of pics, writing half entries and procrastinating. From holiday shopping and parties to cooking, eating and scoring some crazy after Christmas deals, this past month has actually been chock full of things Practically Spoiled. And I’ve missed sharing all of it with you, so I’ll be sure to recap the good stuff over the next week or so. Until then, have a peek below at what’s been going on in my world. Practically Spoiled is back!

I hope you all had an amazing holiday! Here’s to a very happy 2012!

The outfit began with red denim. I bought these babies with my blue ones (seen here) at Marshalls for the incredible price of $19.99. Next came the striped sweater. I know you can hardly see it under the coat, but it’s freezing here in NYC! The black and white chunky stripes paired nicely with the red pants. My grommet belt was a tiny nod at my classic golden arm party, earrings and bag. Chunky black heels, a faux leather jacket and my new leopard hat were my outwear pieces a la mode to finish my weekend red-dy outfit.

Happy Friday everyone!

Albertus Swanepoel for Target Hat $19.99, Target • Striped Sweater $9.90, H&M  • Faux Leather Jacket $39.99, Random Boutique • Red Denim $19.99, T.J. Maxx • Black and Gold Wrap Bracelet $7.90, Forever 21 • Black Scarf $5, Street of Manhattan • Black Grommet Belt $3.98, Target Clearance Find • Square Drop Earrings $4.80, Forever 21 • Gold Michael Kors Watch , Gift From BF • Matt Bernson Leather Booties $49.99, Marshalls • Ray Ban Sunnies $55.00, Saks off 5th • Chanel Jumbo Flap, Fabulous eBay Find • Chai Latte $3.81, Path Cafe NYC

*Photography by the incredible Katelyn Calautti

I started with my dark gray top and my light gray cargo pants. In warmer weather I would wear this combo on it’s own, but being as it’s a little chilly I threw on this open sweater. It has both grays in it, so it was a winner. The soft colors inspired the super feminine jewelry; Arm party of faux pearls and crystals & a big clear bauble necklace. My nude pumps played to my super neutral color pallet. Finally I grabbed my Michael Kors Hamilton bag. It’s a great blue-gray that kind of matched. Looking at the pictures, I’m still questioning it with this outfit but there’s something about it that I liked. Maybe it’s because it looked just like the dark rain clouds in the sky… Wow, am I pathetic poetic today or what?

Sweater $8.59, Target Clearance LY • Dark Gray Top $4.00, Forever 21 • Gray Cargo Pants $19.00,Club Monaco Clearance • Clear Bauble Necklace $4.99, Banana Republic Outlet • Faux Pearl & Crystal Bracelet Set $5.95, H&M • Pearl & Crystal Bracelet $6.80, Forever 21 • Michelle Mini Urban Watch, Beloved Gift from my Father • Nude Pumps $20, Aldo Clearance Outlet • Michael Kors Blue Hamilton Bag $149, Final Sale at Michael Kors LY

*Photography by the incredible Katelyn Calautti

I started with all black. A simple black sweater and black tights were my base. I tried on a few skirts in different pattens, colors, etc., but wound up going for the basic gray mini. Like black, gray is slimming and it always matches. In an attempt to spice up the bland outfit, I went with pops of leopard for my shoes and scarf. Keeping the outfit un-boring, I threw on my go-to black and gold arm party that matched my new belt (I’d brag about it now, but you can see the price below.) Gold hoops and my simple Coach Station bag finished the outfit.

So it’s not my most amazing outfit, but it’s a good use of basics that’s very work appropriate. Not to mention I felt good in it, even after eating my weight in sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie and green bean casserole all weekend.

Gray Skirt $6.95, Loehmann’s Clearance • Black Sweater $18.99, Banana Republic Clearance • Merona Leopard Heels $22.00, Target.com • Black Grommet Belt $3.98, Target Clearance Find • Gold Earrings $5.99, Target from a set of three • Leopard Scarf $5, Mandees on sale • Black Grommet Bracelet $4.99, Clearance J Crew • Black and Gold Wrap Bracelet $7.90, Forever 21 • Michael Kors Gold Watch, Birthday Gift from BF • Vintage Coach Station Bag $24.99, Fabulous eBay Find

*Photography by the incredible Josh Schweser

]]> http://www.practicallyspoiled.com/2011/11/29/basically-tuesday/feed/ 5 http://www.practicallyspoiled.com/2011/11/24/dress-thankfully/ http://www.practicallyspoiled.com/2011/11/24/dress-thankfully/#comments Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:19:05 +0000 Kelly http://www.practicallyspoiled.com/?p=713 2011 has been quite a rough year for me in many ways, but despite the bad, there has been some good. I’m very blessed and have a lot to be thankful for this year.

To pay homage to all of the things I am thankful for, I assembled a symbolic outfit that I’m wearing this Thanksgiving. No, it’s not a pilgrim or native American costume. Each piece represents something that I am thankful for.

Bright Top: For memories of bright times with my father, that I will carry with me always.

Patterned Tights: For how tight my mom, sister, grandma and I remain despite the tribulations of this year. In fact, we’ve probably grown closer.

Pleated Skirt: For my boyfriend who supports, loves and puts up with me everyday. He com-pleats me.

Peep Toe Heels: For rising to new heights and finally committing to this blog (which has been more well received in the first few months than I could have ever imagined! Thank you for “peeping” it!)

Chanel Bag: For… well, this bag (hey it’s honest!)

Finally, I am so thankful for everyone who reads and follows Practically Spoiled! Thank you for allowing me to share with you and thank you for supporting me! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving (…and a VERY successful Black Friday!)

Floral Shirt $39.99, Missoni For Target • Pleated Skirt, Necessary Objects (which I think I’ve had since high school) • Patterned Tights $16.99, Missoni for Target • Xhileration Peep Toe Heels, Target $16.99 • Green & Gold Cuff $6.00, Loehmann’s clearance • Gold Necklace, Vintage Inherited • Chanel Jumbo Flap, Fabulous eBay Find

*Photography by the incredible Katelyn Calautti