Warning: The following post is loaded with vacation pics! We’re fresh off our spring break trip to Italy and I’m finally catching my breath enough to write a post about it.
I promised to give you a few style (and footwear) pointers from our experience, which I’ll get to later, but first up some pics from our time there!
Two years ago, we explored Rome and the Amalfi Coast so this time we headed north to Florence and Tuscany. It was an eight day whirlwind but we saw and did A LOT. We explored as many of the Tuscan hill towns as we could fit into our schedule – including Siena, Pienza, Montepulciano, Pisa, Lucca and San Gimignano plus a few others that I’m probably forgetting. We stayed in the Chianti region so did tons of exploring around there too.
First stop Florence!
Moving on to Siena where we caught the last day of a chocolate market with artisans from all over Italy. Serendipitous indeed!
We ate gelato everywhere, lots and lots of gelato!
Decisions, decisions…
A sunny day in picture perfect San Gimignano.
Silly girls at the train station.
The highlight of our trip – a perfect day in Cinque Terre. The sunset at Riomaggiore was magical!
Our last night we had a wine tasting and pasta making class in a castle built in the year 1084. The family who built the castle had their coat of arms above the door created by Donatello. I’m a total art history nerd so this was the highlight of my night.
A beautiful day for dining al fresco in Lucca.
Stopped by Pisa, got the pic!
Now onto the style!
I’ve been asked for my packing list quite a few times which to be totally honest consisted of five pairs of jeans, tops for layering, three jackets and two scarves. Not all that interesting but totally functional! It didn’t really matter because my jacket kept my outfits covered most days.
The most asked question I got was,
What shoes did you wear in Italy?
I honestly wasn’t quite sure what I was going to wear beforehand. I took a pair of ankle boots, three pairs of sneakers and a pair of riding boots. The ankle boots never came out of the suitcase but I did wear the heck out of the sneakers and riding boots.
Best Shoes for Italy Trip
My New Balance sneakers were my go-to on days with lots of walking. I wore them with no-show socks.
My Dr. Scholl’s slip on sneakers aren’t quite as comfy so they weren’t my first choice for lots of walking. But they did work well with a pair of sock liners.
My riding boots were my first choice when we weren’t doing a lot of walking and I wanted to dress a little nicer. My exact boots are a few years old and sold out but these are similar pairs.
In case you’re wondering if I was the only American tourist running around Italy in sneakers, the answer is a resounding NO. ALL of the locals wore sneakers so I felt right at home. I took these snaps of some of the shops in Lucca to show you just how prolific sneakers are in Italian fashion for both men and women this spring.
Are you on the sneaker bandwagon yet? If so and you want to pair your sneakers up with cute spring outfits, then join me for the Style Challenges Spring 2018 Capsule Wardrobe! You’ll get your shopping list of spring basics and trends plus 31 days of mix and match outfit ideas – including a few cute sneaker looks. Learn more and sign up HERE.
I FEEL PRETTY
It’s the day of the week at GYPO where we celebrate what makes us feel pretty. Whether it’s a new outfit, hairstyle, or makeup, the I Feel Pretty link up is about anything and everything that makes your life prettier. Even if you’re not a blogger, you can still play along. Just tell me what made you feel pretty this week in the comments.
Welcome to another edition of SAHMonday – outfit inspiration just for the stay at home and work from home moms of the world (like me!) who aren’t heading out of the house on Monday morning. You can check out the other outfits in this series here.
These outfits are perfect for when you want to feel comfortable, yet put together, so that you can face the day and any errands you may need to run. Plus, most of these outfit formulas can be pulled straight from your closet!
Floral Mixed Media Top, Cardigan and Jeans
Want to know one of THE most frustrating things as a blogger? When you buy a new piece you absolutely love and it sells out online before you even get to post it. #bloggerproblems
That’s exactly what happened with this mixed media top in today’s post. I bought it at Target two weeks ago and now it’s nowhere to be found online. #thankstarget
UPDATE! The shirt IS in stock online. You can get it HERE.
Now to address the elephant in the room…YES, I’m wearing flip flops.
Before you yell at me, hear me out. I live in Texas, we wear flip flops year round. The end.
I know, I know, many of you are still in snow up to your, well, pick a body part. But we’re already having temps in the 80’s (don’t hate me) and I couldn’t wait to show off my lavender pedi that’s been under wraps.
For this week’s stay at home Monday outfit, I’m pairing up my mixed media floral top with a beige cardigan, frayed hem jeans and yes, my flip flops…because I can. 🙂
Remember – you can try out this outfit formula using pieces from your closet. Be creative and substitute where you need to! Because I shop my closet a lot, sometimes my pieces are no longer available but I link up similar items.
Our Aubrey Braided Tassel Bracelet Set goes with all things spring. I love building outfits around the colors in it. You can also try this with a printed scarf, use the colors to get inspired.
The Vivie Fringe Fan Earrings were just named our first A+A Must Have. We’ve gotten so many great reviews on these. They’re lightweight and go with everything.
Go figure, of course my jeans are sold out! I also have this pair in the same brand and love them so much. There are also some similar pairs linked up below. And yes…I know these sandals are pricey but I’ve had mine for three years and have more than made up for it on a cost per wear basis. Trust me when I say they go with everything and you’ll wear them nonstop!
Get the Look
Closet Staples Casual Capsule Wardrobe Builder
If you’re rebuilding your wardrobe, the Closet Staples Casual Capsule Wardrobe Builder is a great place to start! I give you all the tools you need to rebuild your wardrobe. You can spend as much or as little as you want (most women shop their closets first). You also get 64 days of mix and match outfit ideas created from pieces on the list that cover all four seasons of the year – that’s 16 outfits per season. Plus most pieces on the shopping list are used in more than one season – saving you money and allowing for less stuff, more style. Learn more and download it immediately HERE.
I came across The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margaretta Magnusson as advertised by one of my favorite little bookstores. Of course the name caught my attention and being that I was in a cleaning mode, I gave it a try. The author is charming and straightforward. It was a quick read, some of which I did not find to have practical applications, but it did give me a few nuggets of wisdom that have been helpful. Below are a few of my favorite excerpts, but I encourage you to read the entire book if these strike a chord with you.
“Life will become more pleasant and comfortable if we get rid of some of the abundance.”
I find this to be true. Even though giving away my things can be painful, once I am through, I feel lighter and my home looks better. There is less to take care and less to manage so clearing clutter becomes the ultimate time-saver. Organizing is also much easier when there is less to organize.
“In my opinion, all garments in a closet should look good together, and you should be able to mix and exchange them with one another.”
This has been my goal regarding the clothes in my closet. The ultimate resource for learning how to make the most of fewer pieces is by signing up for a Get Your Pretty On Style Challenge (GYPO).I am into my second year of an annual GYPO membership which includes four seasonal challenges, and my closet has been happily transformed.In addition, I have learned how to effortlessly polish off each outfit I create with tips on trends and accessories. You can also learn how to curate a stylish wardrobe with GYPO’s Closet Staples WardrobeBuilder.You might even surprise yourself with how many of these pieces you already own. With the wonderful support of the GYPO community, I now have a solid base of classic basics that wonderfully mix and match and make choosing my daily style easy.
“When you live in a big city where people seem to replace their kitchen and bathroom fixtures as often as I replace an old sweater, you will see huge dumpsters on the sidewalks filled with bathtubs, sinks and toilets. When the next owner wants to put their personal stamp on the apartment, everything is changed again; it may be one year or two!”
Here the author is making the point about our culture of consumption. This was impactful to me because I have been wanting to renovate our home for quite some time. It made me reconsider how much in my home actually needed to be changed. My home is functional and beautiful even though it may be considered outdated. I plan to eventually update the paint colors, add some new rugs and/or pillows and only change out what I absolutely have to (namely carpet that has seen better days, no amount of accessorizing can make that pretty), and leave the rest. Not only will this save me time and money, but there is less waste.
“A loved one wishes to inherit nice things from you. Not all things.”
For some reason, this hit home. Maybe it is because I remember how hard it was to clean out my parents’ house after my mom passed away, with much of the burden falling on my sister and dad since I lived out of state. Maybe it is the realization that my things mostly have value only to me. My kids are not going to want every journal I have written in, or keep every card I have ever received in my lifetime. It is better, not always easy, but better to go through things as they arrive and let them go before someone we love has to do it for us.
Remember, we are more than our things. We are loving and loved, kindness given and received, but mostly, what we carry in our hearts is all we ever truly need.
About Diana
Diana is a stay at home mom to two remarkable boys, J.R and Keaton. She is immensely grateful to the Cubs baseball organization for finally winning a World Series in her lifetime, and for hosting her very first date with her husband, John (married 14 years). She is also a freelance blogger who writes intentionally that others may find hope in her words. You can learn more about her life and family on her personal blog Writes For All Mommies.
Did you know that 60% of GYPO readers work outside the home? This may come as a surprise since I rarely show work wear on the blog. I don’t feature it because I don’t wear it so it doesn’t feel authentic to me to go out and buy something just to wear for blog photos. Also, GYPO was started as a way for me to get provide casual outfit inspiration for women struggling to get out of the yoga pants rut. Today I’m operating outside of my zone of genius. 🙂
Having said all of that, here I am showing you work wear today. Why? Because it’s consistently one of the things I get asked for most of all. Plus, to be totally honest, I miss work wear. Most days I don’t miss working in a traditional office environment but I do miss getting gussied up once in awhile. Doing work wear posts allows me to live vicariously through you and show you what I would be wearing if I worked in an office.
Today I’m sharing two of my favorite outfits from the Spring 2018 Work Wear Capsule Wardrobe from Style Challenges®. This capsule has 16 days of mix and match outfit ideas created from a 20 piece spring work wear basics and trends shopping list. If your work wear could use a little refresh for spring, check out these outfits from this capsule.
The Spring 2018 Work Wear Capsule is now available! You’ll get all 16 days of mix and match outfit ideas and your spring work wear shopping list immediately upon sign up. Learn more here.
I FEEL PRETTY
It’s the day of the week at GYPO where we celebrate what makes us feel pretty. Whether it’s a new outfit, hairstyle, or makeup, the I Feel Pretty link up is about anything and everything that makes your life prettier. Even if you’re not a blogger, you can still play along. Just tell me what made you feel pretty this week in the comments.
Welcome to another edition of SAHMonday – outfit inspiration just for the stay at home and work from home moms of the world (like me!) who aren’t heading out of the house on Monday morning. You can check out the other outfits in this series here.
These outfits are perfect for when you want to feel comfortable, yet put together, so that you can face the day and any errands you may need to run. Plus, most of these outfit formulas can be pulled straight from your closet!
Closet Staples Series
It’s the third and final week in my Closet Staples series where I’ve been styling some of the spring outfits from the new Closet Staples Capsule Wardrobe Builder. If you’re not familiar with it, this is my online styling program to help you rebuild your closet with staples that you can use year-round. It also includes 64 mix and match outfit ideas that cover all four seasons of the year. You can check out week one’s outfit here and week two here.
This week I’m taking some liberties with the outfit prompt and subbing some pieces from my closet. I stuck with the same colors but subbed my olive cardigan for the military jacket and a gray tank for the tee. I also wore my light wash skinny jeans and stuck with the gold sneakers pictured.
Remember – you can try out this outfit formula using pieces from your closet. Be creative and substitute where you need to! Because I shop my closet a lot, sometimes my pieces are no longer available but I link up similar items.
If you’re rebuilding your wardrobe, the Closet Staples Casual Capsule Wardrobe Builder is a great place to start! I give you all the tools you need to rebuild your wardrobe. You can spend as much or as little as you want (most women shop their closets first). You also get 64 days of mix and match outfit ideas created from pieces on the list that cover all four seasons of the year – that’s 16 outfits per season. Plus most pieces on the shopping list are used in more than one season – saving you money and allowing for less stuff, more style. Learn more and download it immediately HERE.
Do you struggle to put outfits together? Are you stuck in a yoga pants rut? Not sure if you can make the latest trends work for you? You’re in the right place!
I’m Alison, a mom of three and recovering yoga pants addict on a mission to make getting dressed and feeling pretty the easiest thing you do all day! Learn more about my story HERE.
I am so glad I was part of the Fall 2019 Style Challenge. It gave me confidence and so many great outfitt ideas. The ladies in the group were very supportive and I will defintetly be doing another challenge in the future.
Betty Weyandt December 20, 2019
I’ve been participating in the GYPO Style Challenges for three years now and I’ve loved it. I’ve always loved clothes, but I didn’t know how to put outfits together. My closet is now full of mix-and-match outfits, I have learned how to dress myself, and there is no more stress in figuring out to wear. The private FB group is full of wonderful ladies that build each other up. It’s so fun and is seriously the best group on FB.
Kirstin Rasmussen November 20, 2019
Get Your Pretty On has changed my life, seriously. I have always chased what is trendy but found from season to season, that things go out of style and I was wasting money on items that I would only end up wearing a few times. GYPO has enabled me to simplify my closet, helps me make smarter purchasing decisions, and I feel so put together and confident using the outfit formulas that are provided. This program is a GAME CHANGER. I've been following GYPO for a few years now and my only regret is not jumping on board sooner.
Michelle Kline November 20, 2019
Great community of ladies, helping each other look stylish, without breaking the bank, and using much of what you already own.
Chosen Faith November 19, 2019
GYPO challenges have been one of the best things I have done! It had taught me so much more than just creating a closet of clothes that I love but also to have confidence in myself, how to pick and choose colors that work for me instead of against, and had given a wonderful community of Pretties who are so special.
Maraline Freeman October 16, 2019
I love GYPO!!! I finally feel put together and stylish! The shopping lists and outfit combinations make shopping and getting dressed effortless.
Krista Probst October 16, 2019
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Diana is a stay at home mom to two remarkable boys, J.R and Keaton. She is immensely grateful to the Cubs baseball organization for finally winning a World Series in her lifetime, and for hosting her very first date with her husband, John (married 14 years). She is also a freelance blogger who writes intentionally that others may find hope in her words. You can learn more about her life and family on her personal blog 
