One beautiful afternoon in the fall, before the weather turned cold and icy, I ventured to Laurelhurst Park in Portland to take some photos.  I'd never been to this park before.  It was absolutely beautiful. I love the old trees and watching the ducks waddle in and out of the water.  It was a delightful place to be for an hour, and I wish I could have stayed longer.

This is a look I wore to a laid-back brunch with friends.  It is casual and comfy, perfect for running around town on the weekend.  While these pieces (aside from the shoes) are no longer available, I still wanted to offer my reviews and give you some outfit inspiration.





The Off-Shoulder Active Sweatshirt from Lane Bryant (check out all active tops) is more like a tee than a sweatshirt.  It is made of a soft knit fabric that is so comfy and pajama-like.  Whether it is Livi Active or not, I typically have to size up in Lane Bryant active tops; this was no exception.  I am wearing a 26/28 and find it just a tad long, but fine otherwise.  (I find that when a top hangs too long on me it tends to accentuate my tummy roll, so length has to be spot on for me.)  The asymmetric shoulder design was what really drew me to the piece and made me want to pick it up.  Plus, the plum color is really pretty.  I do wish it showed my tummy roll less, but I think a thicker fabric would have solved that.  In the future, I would pop on a thin-strapped cami underneath to help smooth things out a bit.

These Premium Stretch Cropped Boyfriend Jeans from Torrid (see current boyfriend styles) were a clearance steal at $20.  They are incredibly stretchy and fit really well. I love the way my butt looks in my Torrid jeans.  I can size down to a 22 in Torrid's boyfriend styles, which is the size I am wearing here.  The distressed bits are a little larger than what I am used to, but I felt like the placement was good instead of awkward.  The size of them was more in proportion to my body, so it didn't look odd to me.  I find these capris so comfortable!  I cannot wait until the weather warms up and I can wear them again.


I have been combing through Zulily less and less lately in order to save money.  If I don't look, I won't buy. haha  But prior to my self-inflicted blind spot, I found these Comfortiva Linette Slip-On Sneakers over on Zulily, which means they were half the price.  I love slip-on sneakers year round, but especially for casual looks in the non-winter months.  They are easy and comfortable and great for travel.  I am wearing these in an 11 wide, but I do think I would have been fine with the medium width.  The ankle seems a little big on these, which is an issue I have very occasionally with Comfortiva wide widths.  Still, I love these black suede sneakers and their shiny star print.  The insole is also removable, which will allow for a different insole if you need it.


Now, I know I have mentioned my charm holders on the blog quite often, but I absolutely LOVE them and the shop owner is so wonderful and helpful.  I've since bought a third one and moved half of these charms to that one.  My first one is more personal charms that Sean has given me as gifts, like one with our wedding date on it, some of our dearly departed chihuahuas initials and birthdays, a charm that looks like my sweet angel Rusty, etc.  My second charm holder now houses a charm for every state I have lived in (8 of them in total).  My third charm holder is the home of my travel charms. I love collecting a charm for every special trip I go on or place I travel to.  I have charms for the Grand Canyon, Crater Lake, the Redwoods, Hawaii, Victoria, BC, and most recently a guitar pick that was gifted to me when I went home for my high school reunion.  All of these represent special trips, moments, and memories that make me smile.


Off-Shoulder Active Sweatshirt - Lane Bryant (all active tops)
Premium Stretch Cropped Boyfriend Jean (Distressed Medium Wash) - Torrid (current boyfriend styles)
Black Linette Suede Slip-On Sneaker - Comfortiva (& at Comfortiva.com)
Charm Holder - HillCountrySilver on Etsy

Just because I am obsessed with taking photos of trees