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I swear I don’t realize how somewhat of a routine life/schedule I have until the time change happens. We spring forward and I feel I am in another dimension like not eating lunch till 2 (believe me I do not skip lunch), taking a week to finally set all my clocks in my house and car to the proper time, and l didn’t realize losing that one hour of sleep kind of did get to me this year! Well, I will be honest though I am totally down to spring forward since that means that warmer weather is closer and it stays lighter out later…yippee! This whole getting dark at 5 pm has been getting pretty old. Yes, I have been that person in her pajamas with bedtime tea at 7 pm…this is 30…wait I mean 31.

So in the spirit of springing forward I wanted to start the conversation about what you guys are wearing this spring? Is it florals, pastels, bold colors, neutrals? Well, if you are sitting there like, “Catherine, I don’t even know if I remembered to put deodorant on this morning, let alone know what my wardrobe will be for the whole season!” Let me meet you half way and introduce you to my friends at Ellos. I am so excited to be collaborating with them once again to share with you all the magic of their Swedish inspired style! I know you guys have heard me chat about Ellos before, but they are totally my go-to for quality basics, but then they pepper in pieces that have really unique prints, textures, and detail!

This blouson-sleeve satin floral top from Ellos is super light in weight and can tuck in perfectly to jeans, a pencil skirt, or even just on its own untucked! I styled this top for more of a night out look, but you know I love a good daytime sequin so I feel like it totally balances out.

So when building your spring wardrobe let’s start from the top and literally work our way down. Check out my Instagram stories (@dreamrealist_) for a round up of favorite tops from Ellos that can pair with anything in your closet and the cost is not too bad either! Stay tuned for more pieces in future posts. Happy almost Spring friends!

XO

Catherine

So I decided to give you guys a break from my overload of NYFW Instagram posts and stories…what a weekend! Stay tuned though for a lil recap of the runway shows I saw, what I wore, and also tales about how fishnets in 20 degree weather is never a good idea, but dang it looks so good with so many looks!

To be honest I am not much into Valentines Day, but I mean don’t get me wrong I am always down for a Galentine’s Day hang out! The one part of Valentines Day that I do enjoy the most is seeing you guys all rocking one of my favorite colors…red! I am over here like finally I am getting overloaded with all of these lovely ladies and gents rocking different shades of red, pairing with mint and pink, and yes this makes me very very happy to see. Most of the time I hear some of my followers, friends, or even people I follow say that they want to pull of red, but they don’t think they can.

For those nay sayers of rocking red I did a round up of some of my favorite fashion bloggers bringing it with red accessories, dresses, skirts, and more to give you a boost of inspiration on my Instagram (@dreamyrealist_).

Now the second half of this post is a bit different. For those of you who are staying true to yourself and cannot get on this color trend then let’s explore some alternatives for whatever plan you may have for Valentines or Galentine’s Day, whichever you prefer to celebrate. Now I know a great go to is the little black dress, but my eye has been drawn to a different shade lately, teal green. I wore this teal green Furla bag from Rent the Runway all weekend and it was such a dream since it matched perfectly with shades of orange, red, pink, purples, and the list of the rainbow goes on. Check out my roundup of looks you can shop with the links below!

Hope everyone has LOVEly week!

XO

Catherine

In this edition of Self-Conscious Chronicles we are chatting about “that one top.” We all know this top too well. We want to wear it because you know you will feel fierce in it, but you just can’t style it the right way to feel 100% in it.  Well, to understand what I mean lets take a trip down memory lane to NYFW last year.

 I packed this little scarf top beauty from Boo Hoo with the intentions of wearing it with a high waisted tulle skirt. As I am sure you have all experienced sometimes how we envision something looking in our head is no where near how it actually is. Although I absolutely adore the pattern, cut, and style of this piece I felt like no matter what I paired it with I just couldn’t get comfortable.

I attempted high waisted jeans, joggers, skirts, shorts, almost even attempted a pair of bathing suit bottoms…just kidding.  I finally narrowed it down to what it was. The way it is styled online has the appearance of like a long sleeve bikini top. Really random way to describe it, but you know what I mean.

In my head I really wanted to feel comfortable with this look, but I really had a hard time coming around with it. So in conclusion I think everyone should try this style because it does make you feel super fierce while still feeling chic. Then again if you just try and try and just can’t seem to get a piece feeling right its ok…just restyle it!

I was determined to wear this piece this year so here you go friends! I definitely recommend incorporating into your closet a lace shell like I have pictured underneath the top, which is from Ellos. Light in weight and can layer well under tons of pieces like maxi dresses or tanks you want to transition into cooler weather or even on its own with a bralette and leather jacket. I want to make this a space to always encourage you guys to dress outside of your comfort zones and to express yourself, but sometimes just styling looks different ways does the job too!

What piece of clothing in your closet are you going to restyle and hit the streets with this weekend?!

XO

Catherine

The idea for this blog post came to me around September 1^st. Everyone is all like “Happy Fall ya’ll” with their cute pumpkin scented candals, getting bonfire ready, and of course how can we forget the beloved, PSL, and for those of you who do not know what PSL stands for (honestly, I didn’t either until recently) Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Don’t get me wrong I love a beautiful crisp fall day and to see the changing of the seasons, but I am still aggressively sweating still in this 90 degree weather we have been having guys!

So I figured to take baby steps into getting into the fall spirit without full blown diving in I thought I would share with you guys some of my own tips and tricks for incorporating your fall wardrobe in while still rocking those summer looks for those hot days we still have left.

Mixing tapes…I mean textures- Pairing that linen sun dress and that moto jacket can be perfect for a daytime look and then transition into the night by just adding a jacket. This can also even go for pants that have a more linen texture like in my main photo. I think these contrasting textures can give you that soft/edgy look.

Kimonos are your friend- My all time favorite purchase last year was this Boohoo kimono, but with it being long sleeved it was tricky to wear in these warmer temps. Since we are the cusp of cool wearing kimonos open with a basic tee or tank underneath and jean shorts can still keep you cool and it is a piece that can be worn year round!

That layer life– I love seeing tanks that can be worn with bare arms or worn with layers underneath like long sleeves. Now when I say long sleeves I would suggest a sheer sleeved bodysuit. This gives the perfect bit of layering without making you feel too hot and is perfect for evening chic.

You get a jean skirt and you get a jean skirt!– This is why I never gave up my jean skirts, because I knew they would eventually come back around again. I totally understand why! They have the fit/length to keep you cool when its warm out and the thicker material you can wear with over the knee boots when that hint of fall chill is in the air. Another great year round piece of clothing.

I love hearing your guys tricks too! What pieces do you all use year round?! Share them with me!

XO

Catherine