old navy

January Favorites

By Holly on January 3, 2013

How about we take a break from talking ALL food ALL the time and instead talk about some really awesome things that I am loving lately? I don’t know about you, but I love a good random recommendation. Here’s what’s lighting my fire lately.

Favorite Podcast: I threw a call out on Twitter to find out YOUR favorite podcasts because I am trying to overload my phone with good stuff to listen to during my commute. Blog reader Megan (who has given me some awesome book recos too) said I should check out Watch What Crappens and you guys — LIFE CHANGING! If you enjoy yourselves some bitchy TV guys talking about Bravo-lebrities then you will love this podcast. If none of that even makes sense to you, don’t even worry about it. I’m going to round up some of the best Podcast suggestions next week, so if you have one to add, leave it in the comments.

Favorite TV Show: As with most shows that everyone raves about, I really didn’t think Homeland sounded that interesting. I don’t say that to imply my stellar TV taste, quite the opposite. I only watch crap TV, ao when people recommend a “great show” I generally just think “hmmmm…paying attention sounds like a lot of work.” Anyway, a Marine Sergeant comes home 8 years after going missing in Iraq and a CIA agent thinks he’s been turned and is helping plot an attack on America. Ok. Sounds fine. I’m not going to run out and rearrange my schedule to catch it or anything. BUT OHMYGOD I SHOULD HAVE. And don’t worry, I kind of have in the past couple of weeks. I think these raves should have included that Mandy Patinkin is involved, because I love just about everything that man is ever in, and I think I should just be less stubborn about TV recommendations because this is right up my alley with its mystery and intrigue. Netflix it, yo!

Favorite Headband: I am not a fan of short hair for workouts, and right after I cut my hair there was literally a time when my bad workout hair was so dramatic that I thought to myself I may just have to shave my head — because I sure wasn’t quitting CrossFit. Not with all those holiday cookies I’ve eaten! But I couldn’t pig-tail it, regular headbands weren’t working, and just letting it fly free wasn’t going to work. For starters, hair flying in your face is annoying. But secondly (and frankly more importantly) I can not deal with sweat just dripping off the back of my head freely all over the place with nowhere to go (because see it used to just go into my ponytail but now what used to be like 7 inches of surface area is only 1 inch of surface area.) Are you understanding the dramatic science that was happening here? IT WAS AWFUL AND I ALMOST HAD TO GO ALL BRITNEY AND PULL OUT THE CLIPPERS. But instead I found this headband and life is so much less dramatic.

Favorite Dress: I am really enjoying this dress because it is not quite baggy while at the same time not being too clingy and that is just what I’m looking for right now. GOD YOU GUYS, QUIT BRINGING UP ALL THE COOKIES I ATE. Anyway, I love this dress, it fits well, looks stylish and is in a fabric that will transition well from being work in winter with tights to being worn with bare legs in Spring. I love it and I feel like I’m going to get a lot of use out of it. It will definitely show up in an outfit of the day near you soon. Speaking of outfits of the day and stripes, I organized all of my 2012 Outfit Photos into a set the other day and man there are a lot of stripes. No apologies! If you are into that sort of thing, check it out. It was actually kind of fun to look back.

Favorite Hand Cream: This awesome little cream is made from shea butter so it is super moisturizing, but doesn’t the fragrance sound kind of weird? Let me assure you, it totally isn’t weird. In fact, it’s delicious. It’s clean smelling and the scent is not too heavy, but the cream itself is super emollient and great for winter. I generally reserve my “clean” scents for spring, but this is a great alternative. It’s actually really winter-y feeling but still so fresh!

Favorite Ankle Boots: Ankle boots are RISKY fashion for me. I don’t have particularly big ankles but because my calves are just off the chart ridic something that cuts off at the wrong spot could really accentuate that. I happened upon these at Old Navy (I know, two Old Navy items on this list! I can’t believe it myself!) and decided to try them on. I purchased them on a whim because they are cute and I’m so glad I did. They are a fun little addition to my wardrobe and for only $19 I don’t have to get wound up if I don’t wear them into the ground.

Favorite Album: Come on. You’ve heard songs off of this album right? Two Words: Booty Shakin’!

*****

So what is rocking your world lately? Any Podcasts/TV Shows/Albums/Random Clothing Purchases you need to share about???

Time To Stock Up?

By Holly on October 17, 2012

I generally don’t recommend Old Navy with zeal. Their sizing is funky, things are often ill fitting an hour after you put them on, and the quality of garments vary depending on the place they are manufactured. Every once in a while I find a gem, so I never completely count them out, but mostly I prefer to get my clothes from other places.

(Ok let’s be real, mostly I prefer to get my clothes from Target.)

But when it comes to well made, inexpensive active wear OLD NAVY IS WHERE IT’S AT. (Also: This is NOT a sponsored post. I just really really like the Active line, I promise.)

Their workout tanks are always cute and stylish and the compression pants are a part of My Workout Essentials. It’s rare that I hit the gym not wearing some element of Old Navy clothing, and (surprisingly) it is totally durable and the quality holds up over time.

Which is why I had to pop in to point out today that their Active line is pretty darn cheap right now!

$9 Tees

$7 Tanks

I recommend both! And while my favorite compression capris aren’t on sale right now, $23 isn’t too shabby.

And from now until 10/24 everything is 20% with the coupon code ONSAVE20.

If there ever was an excuse to go on a shopping spree, this might be it. I don’t know about you but new workout clothes always get me pumped to workout. (Lame, but true!)

June Favorites

By Holly on June 15, 2012

Another month, another set of favorites! All of these things have felt like steals, scores or just simple things that are making my life happier this month!

1. Philosophy Help Me Retinol Day Treatment (SPF 30)

So listen, my mom and I have this bad habit of calling each other when there are fun things on QVC and then making impulse purchases. Wait, now that I think about it, it’s always me that’s making the impulse purchases and my mom that’s doing the calling…hmmm. Anyway, she talked me into buying this in May because as you know my skin is kind of a nightmare and I had been looking for a good sunscreen AND a retinol product. Turns out this is one of the only 2 for 1s on the market and I’ve been using it for about 30 days and am pretty sure I want to marry it. Judge me if you must. The texture of my skin has become notably smoother and my jawline breakouts have not been as severe. They haven’t gone away completely, but on a scale of 1 to 10 the are about a 3 instead of the usual 7. And that’s ALL MONTH LONG, ahem.

2. Stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Flash

True Story: I am suuuuuuuuuuuuuuper lame with liquid eyeliner. Eyeliner in general, really. My friend Sarah was kind enough to break it down for me once and I am still not confident. I mean, I wear it, but I don’t feel like it’s pulling together my look, you know?
I got a sample of this Stila liquid liner in my birchbox a couple months back and kind of shook my head. Who the hell wants to wear gold, glitter, liquid-eyeliner, birchbox? “Birchbox, you are on notice!” I thought. And then I tried it and um, apparently *I* want to wear gold, liquid eyeliner. It’s super easy (and idiot-proof!) and very subtle. But also, definitely a step up from my plain brown eyeliner. What is not idiot proof is taking a picture of my eyes with my iphone. You will just have to trust that IT FREAKING RULES!

3. Oil of Olay Silk Whimsy Body Lotion with Rose Extract and Almond Oil

You will just have to forgive the stupid name. I don’t find that I have a particular need for a whimsical body lotion, but I will tell you that in summer I don’t even touch half of my stash because it is too thick. And super emollient lotion + Sacramento’s HOT HOT HOT HEAT is a recipe for unsightly ass sweat marks on your clothes. You know what I’m saying, right? If you don’t, you are on of the lucky ones. Anyway, I am impressed with this lotion’s ability to moisturize while being INCREDIBLY light, so as the temperature’s have increased it has become my Go-To. But do you know what I really love about it? The scent. Now, when you hear Rose Extract and Almond Oil it sounds a little bit Old-Lady ish. It also doesn’t help that Garrett calls all of my Olay products Oil of Old Lady. But let me assure you, it actually smells subtle, a little sweet, and the scent lasts ALL DAY LONG. From a lotion! And for the record, I’m not a fan of floral scents, so the rose isn’t exceptionally floral or overpowering. Promise.

4. Old Navy Vintage V Neck Tees

I read about these a couple of weeks ago over on Wardrobe Oxygen and I have to say, I was skeptical. Old Navy quality is just so hit or miss and in the past few years I have found most of their stuff stretches and becomes ill fitting while you are actually wearing it. I HATE THAT! Not worth the bargain. But for $8.50, I had to check out this alleged amazing tee. And I ended up totally falling in love! They are super thin and worn in (you do have to wear a cami or something under them unless you like your stuff a little see through) but they are comfy as all get-out AND mine didn’t even shrink in the wash!

The other fun thing? They have a men’s version, and that one is cheap and totally Garrett approved! If you must know it took me years of convincing to get him to wear a v-neck shirt (he didn’t want to “look like a girl” — um, WHATEVER.) But he is a total lover of these tees. The kicker though — you must look where the v-necks are manufactured. For the women — the ones made in Vietnam are the softest. For the men — pick the ones made in India. The have a million colors, and the also come in crew-necks if you prefer those, so seriously — CHECK THEM OUT.

5. Dresses

Interesting fact about me: I hated dresses in high school. Like, so much so I eschewed the entire prom experience because the thought of picking out some 1990s dreamy Gunny Sax number actually made my skin crawl. Thank you very much I will enjoy my flannel shirts and work boots while I’m listening to Pearl Jam, reapplying Toast of New York lipstick. Ah…memories.

Anyway, as I’ve gotten older I’ve come to embrace dresses. They are fun, stylish, flattering…yada yada yada. But do you know what else they are? A LAZY LADY’S WAY OF LOOKING PUT TOGETHER WHEN IT IS HOT AS BALLS OUT! Lately all I want to wear is a dress. The other day I put on pants and a work appropriate blouse and I just felt…frumpy and hot. As such, I’m amassing quite a collection this season and you know what? I’m having so much fun with it! I know most of you are probably shaking your head and thinking “DUH, Holly.” But this is sort of a revelatory moment for me, so I’m going to enjoy it. Also — I’m going to recommend it highly, because throwing one item of clothing over your head in the morning completely trumps trying to coordinate 3 or 4!

Um…Winning!

******

So what’s rocking your world this month?

30 Days of Denim – Day Thirty!!!

By Holly on September 30, 2011

Oh you all!

We have reached the end! I can’t believe that I put together 30 outfits that I actually thought about in advance (well…you know, more or less) for an entire month. Style Blogging is no joke! And don’t worry, it is not in my future.

Thanks again for coming along for the ride and not shouting “You’re so vain!” in the comments section.

I have learned A LOT over the last 30 days and I will wrap and recap in another post, but for now, how about we talk clothes.

Here’s What I Wore Today:

Earrings: Mom hand me down
Necklace: Gift from my mom (Dude, my mom is nice.)
Cardigan: Merona for Target, obvs
Belt: Target
Dress: Target
Shoes: Old Navy

My favorite part of this outfit is my hair which you can’t even SEE in that picture, but how hard is taking a picture of your hair where your face looks cute? So hard! It’s a fun braid, but you can hardly tell. You will have to take my word for it.

Thanks again for playing along. I’ll recap on the flipside, friends!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

30 Days of Denim – Day Twenty Eight

By Holly on September 28, 2011

The inspiration for today’s outfit?

Dry shampoo.

More accurately, me being a little sleepy and not wanting to wash my hair — meaning, what can I wear with a headband? Well glad you asked, I’ll show you.

Here’s What I Wore:

Headband: Gap
Earrings: Mom hand me down?
Necklace: Target
Cardigan: Halogen for Nordstrom
Tank: Mossimo for Target
Jeans: Old Navy The Diva Skinny Jeans
Shoes: Target Clearance!

And for the record, I don’t feel like a flasher in THIS particular cardigan. Maybe because it’s pink…

****
What did you wear today?

Join the group and play a little show and tell.

30 Days of Denim – Day Twenty Seven

By Holly on September 27, 2011

Well I’m running low on cardigans so you know the end is near. If I have discovered one thing, it is that cardigans are definitely the major items punctuating my style statement.

Here’s What I Wore Today:

So squinty!

Cardigan: Old Navy
Tank: Merona for Target
Skirt: Gap
Belt: Target
Yellow Flats: Target
Bracelet: Target

I love this tank because I never have to think up a necklace to wear with it. That’s lazy fashion for you. I think some celebrity should “design” a line of clothing that is 100% accessorized for you already. Hollywood glamour, already attached to your pants! and sweater! Right? RIGHT?

Ok maybe not. But it’s a nice tank top anyway.

****
What did you wear today?

Join the group and play a little show and tell.

30 Days of Denim – Day Twenty Six

By Holly on September 26, 2011

When I woke up this morning all the power was off in our house. Irritating. I scratched my head feverishly in hopes that it would help me figure out a way to brew coffee with no electricity (we have an electric stove) but to no avail.

Instead of sitting around staring at the wall (in the dark) I took my book light (good thing I got new light bulbs, eh?) to the closet and picked out the brightest, most obnoxious shirt I could find and then built an outfit around it.

Here’s What I Wore:

If there was ever an excuse to wear chartreuse, right? The rhyming makes me feel like this would make a good title for a children’s book. Although this outfit should never be mentioned in the context of children’s books though because all day long the sweater has kind of make me feel like a little bit of a flasher, and we could never work that into the plot because the would be kind of awkward.

Sweater: Gap Outlet
Chartreuse Tee: Banana Republic Factory Store
Necklace: Target
Tank: Gap
Jeans: Old Navy The Flirt Jeans
Shoes: Old Navy

Maybe I’ll try to work this outfit into the plot line of my Young Adult Paranormal Romance Novel.

Maybe not.

****
What did you wear today?

Join the group and play a little show and tell.

30 Days of Denim – Day Twenty Five

By Holly on September 25, 2011

So I may have mentioned how lazy I feel already today, but it should be repeated: I FEEL LAZY. Yet these groceries, they don’t shop for themselves you know? I don’t know how we have gotten to 2011 without Costco figuring out that they should offer some Amazon type delivery service.

Why Costco, why??

I think at the end of this coming week, when I have denim’d myself out after 30 days and am doing some reflection, I will say to myself, “Next time, Holly, give yourself the weekend off.” Because on the weekend? I am not my most fashionable self. And for the most part, I am okay with this.

Here’s What I Wore On My Great! Costco! Adventure!

It’s a shock that Vogue isn’t beating my door down right now isn’t it?

Sweater: Old Navy
Tank: Mossimo for Target
Jeans: Gap Slim Boyfriend — yep, picked them up off my closet floor this morning. How’s that for gettin’ real?
Shoes: Target Clearance Rack. No brand, just an owl logo?

I’m of the opinion that they don’t call it lazy Sunday for nothing, and I’m just doing my best to abide by the rules.

****
What did you wear today?

Join the group and play a little show and tell.

30 Days of Denim – Day Twenty Four

By Holly on September 24, 2011

Hola!

Very busy day that included celebrating my cousin Chelsea’s 1st Birthday. And we all know that celebrating a child’s birthday involves eating lots of cake right?

I celebrated like it was MY JOB.

Here’s What I Wore:

After 24 days I figured you could use a change of scenery, so this is my mom’s backyard.

Earrings: Target
Sweater: Merona for Target
Shirt: Gap Outlet
Belt: Target
Jeans: Gap Slim Boyfriend
Shoes: Missoni for Target

These are the second pair of shoes I scored at the Missoni Madness and boy do I LOVE THEM:

They will be a fun pair of flats to have around this fall. You know, assuming it starts to actually feel like fall, instead of just being a bazillion degrees out every day. UGH.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend!
****

What did you wear today?

Join the group and play a little show and tell.

30 Days of Denim – Day Twenty Three

By Holly on September 23, 2011

Pssssst! It’s Friday night! And I will admit to finding Rihanna’s silly “Cheers to the freakin’ weekend” song slightly less annoying when I hear it on my way home from work on Friday nights.

Only slightly though.

What happened to Rihanna? Remember when she was cute and innocent?

Now she’s like *cough* Pass the Jameson while I smoke a cigarette *cough* Avril Lavigne and I need another DRINK! So sad! I mean, it can’t ALL be blamed on Chris Brown, can it? Maybe one of her tatoos can be blamed on him, but the rest of it??? I don’t know.

Anyway, what was I saying…

Ah, yes. It’s Friday! And do you know how I feel about that? About like this:

Are you gettin’ what I’m puttin’ down here?

And here’s a more normal-ish picture of what I wore:

Sweater: Mossimo for Target
Tank: Mossimo for Target
Jeans: Old Navy The Diva Skinny Jeans
Shoes: Mossimo for Target
Necklace/Earrings/Headband: Target, YOU KNOW!

Shiny face and squinty eyes courtesy of the blazing hot as balls sun. Thanks Mr. Sun!

I hope you have a fantastic weekend, whatever your plans!
****

What did you wear today?

Join the group and play a little show and tell.

January Favorites