Sensibly Sharp

Chambray || White Vest || Plaid Jacket || Jeans || Socks || Boots (backordered) || Purse (old) similar || Sunglasses (can’t find online) similar || Watch

I just recently seemed to have gone on a shopping spree from Talbots because everything I have worn in the past few weeks has been from there but none have been a better investment than this gorgeous jacket! I love it because it looks like my favorite barbour jacket turned inside out. And it has little stripes of pink which signify you can absolutely wear this in spring.

I told you in my last post that we went horseback riding in the North GA Mountains this past weekend and would you believe me if I said this was the exact outfit I wore doing so?  I have a pair of cowboy boots, but I don’t like to ride in them since their more “city boots” and not actually functional, so I opted for Duck Boots. The weather was odd: cold in the morning and warming up to almost 70 later in the day. I don’t know about you but I don’t like warm winters, especially winters that resemble fluctuating desert temperatures.  Hence why I was wearing multiple layers!

I really can’t stress how much I am in love with these sunglasses! I am especially in love with how affordable they are. Nothing puts me in a good mood like affordable luxury. There’s an awesome website called EyeGlass Discounter  that has great prices on discounted sunglasses (as well as eyeglasses). They have tons of polarized options and popular styles but at a fraction of the cost. I love that I can finally bite the bullet and buy a pair of clubmasters to see if I really like the style for $15 before I spend $180 from Rayban. I’m just not sure if they’re too “hipster” for me, so I don’t feel bad spending $15 on them. I also love having a pair of knock around wayfarers for the summer when we go shootin’ the Hooch, riding, and hiking! They also have great prices for prescription designer eyeglasses, but I don’t wear eyeglasses, so that’s something that my family will enjoy the benefits of!

These Duck Boots are everything. Our first snowpocalypse in Georgia (2010) I only had my Hunter Rain Boots and my toes about froze off, so when April rolled around I promised myself I wouldn’t be so unprepared again and bought some Duck Boots with thinsulate! I’m so glad I did because I heard this horrible rumor that they were backordered until OCTOBER because they are in such high demand right now! But they are well worth the investment and the wait, so if I were you, don’t go buy similar options because these boots are true quality and I believe everyone should have a pair because they double just as well as hiking boots! That and the past ice storm we had that shut down Atlanta, the roads were so slick with ice, these boots navigated the streets as if I were walking on concrete- no slips!

Hope you have a fantastic week!

xoxo- Cynthia

* Eyeglass Discounter so very kindly sponsored this post, however all opinions are my own. Who doesn’t love affordable and well crafted sunglasses on a good discount? 

Tartan Shirt (sold out!) similar here here and here || Vest (10% off with code “sensiblysharp” at checkout) similar here|| Handbag (vintage) similar here and here || Sunglasses (can’t find them online) similar style here and here || Jeans || Hunters || Pendant Necklace || “&” Necklace (c/o)

So yesterday when I posted this photo on instagram there were a few of these tartan shirts left that I was anticipating to still be available until this morning, alas they are sold out now! So sorry, but I’ve linked some similar options above.

Do you have one article of clothing/ makeup/ jewelry that you just have to wear every day and if you don’t you feel naked? Well today, that was me with earrings. I completely forgot to put earrings on before I left the house! So I felt entirely naked all day.. I feel this way also when I don’t wear mascara (that and I also feel like I look like a Hanson Brother circa 1997).

Anyways, I am absolutely loving these sunglasses I picked up from TJ Maxx the other day. I love the oversized cat-eye looking sunglasses, and since I can’t justify dropping $300 on a pair of Karen Walker stunners, I instead opted for the Maxxinista option (and quite frankly I think I like them more!)

I’ve really been into layering this “&” necklace with other pendant necklaces. Carrie Grace Shop gifted me this necklace and I think it adds just enough touch of flair to every day outfits. If you want to receive a necklace every month you should join @carriegraceshop‘s necklace club! Use code “2015” for $30 off and sign up for $16 a month! I love that it is like a jewelry subscription box, except you don’t have to turn the jewelry back in when it’s over!

This weekend was decently prodcutive, we had TWO cookouts, went horseback riding in the North GA Mountains (quite majestically) and drank lots of homemade muscadine wine! The weather was incredibly lovely; sunny and 65 and all the rain clouds finally dried up. I kept very busy (and refreshed with a nap or two). To say I need a weekend from my weekend would be the understatement of the year (and it’s only 17 days in, so that’s not saying much– exaggeration implied).

What did y’all do this weekend? Any galavanting in the (hopefully) beautiful weather like what we had?

xoxo- Cynthia

Sweaterdress (old) similar here and here// Gingham (wardrobe staple) similar here and here// Boot socks// Boots (old) similar// Handbag// Sunglasses// Earrings// Necklace  similar here // Watch// Bracelet (c/o)

Happy New Year! Wow has it already been a busy one! Working in Finance, if you are so lucky to work at a company who runs on Calendar Year financial quarters (like mine) you will find that the Holidays bring a lot more traffic as well as a lot more responsibility and the work load quadruples because every one is trying to get numbers in by the end of the year!

It’s safe to say that Quarter/ Year End is officially over so I can get back to blogging (trust me you don’t want to read posts written by a half starved, caffeine infused Analyst who was working 12-14 hour days).

My first order of business is to tell you that some things are going to be changing around here. Not for the bad, but for the good. I saw that 2014 was a great learning year in terms of style and blogging and I’ve realized, I really don’t want to fall prey to trends so much again. Have you ever walked into your closet and said “I have nothing to wear?” There’s a good chance that’s because you’re closet is too trendy. This year, I’m going back to the basics and bringing out a lot of classic wardrobe pieces and showing how to mix and match those for a great wardrobe.  In fact, one month (very soon) I will be challenging myself to draw inspiration for 30 days of posts with the only classic pieces you need in your wardrobe! stay tuned..

A closet doesn’t need to be filled to the brim with the latest rockstud heels or Radiant Orchid Handbags, there’s a good chance that’s not going to be in style for 5 years and if I’m spending money on something, I want it to be quality pieces that are going to last me a lifetime. So I bring you, the timeless gingham layered under an old sweater dress (also worn here). Everything in this photo has been worn once or twice on the blog but it’s a completely new look to you!

Happy Mix and Matching my dears!

xoxo- Cynthia

We’re in the home stretch of 2014! This is the last Tuesday of 2014 so live it up! Champagne at lunchtime is officially acceptable because you have to practice for NYE right? It seems that since family was in town we had a ton of extra events to go to this past weekend. I believe we ended up having Four Christmas Dinners and a gender reveal party (spoiler alert- it’s a boy!) that was pretty casual so I decided to wear my winter errand outfit: a plaid button up, down vest and trusted booties. I dunno about you, but after 4 Christmas sized meals and a sugar induced diet, I start feeling like a busted can of biscuits and I couldn’t wait for the events to end so I can go back to eating healthier.

You know how sometime’s it just takes a year to really figure out if you want something bad enough to purchase it? Well that was me with this shirt (which unfortunately is sold out but try eBay!). So after months of going back and forth with myself and all of Factory’s amazing sales, I emailed my list to Mrs. Clause in hopes that I would see this shirt under the tree.

Unfortunately this shirt didn’t make it under there, but I was lucky enough to snag the very last one in JCrew Factory‘s store and was so happy it was my size!

So the lesson of this is, when you see a shirt you have to have, a pair of earrings or the herringbone vest that everyone and their mother is wearing, you just gotta bite the bullet and buy it! The only regrets I have with my closet is not buying items sooner, or giving away great vintage pieces (I’m looking at you sequin lion shirt). I’d love to pair this jacket with it in the future!

Shirt(sold out) try here and similar|| Jeans (old) similar brand and similar style || Booties (love these- next shoe purchase) || Necklace (unique find) similar || Vest || Ring || Handbag || Earrings || Watch
Hope you have a Terrific Tuesday!

xoxo- Cynthia

“Maybe it’s much too early in the game, ah but I thought I’d ask you all the same. What are you doing new years– new years eve?” This is from my favorite New Years Song that Zooey Daschenel and Joseph Gordon Levitt sing (because hey look at that chemistry).

New Years Eve is always an extremely fun time to dress up and drink your favorite Champagne and celebrate the coming year with friends old and new. Whether you’re going out or staying in, adding a little sparkle via sequins is necessary!

I just recently picked this dress up from American Threads and I am very surprised at how excellent quality it is for being $50! I love the full skirt: it’s fun and swingy and thick material so you won’t be too cold on your jaunt around town in search of champs and sparkling cocktails! Now if only I had known that this dress came in gold before I bought the black one at the store… By the way this dress is on super sale right now too!

I decided to add a little more sparkle to this outfit by adding my favorite baublebar earrings and this CUTE glitter bow belt! You won’t believe the price of it, and you should definitely go nab one! I’m wearing a small and it’s the perfect waist belt!

And if you’re somewhere up north where it gets absolutely freezing, you can add some polka dot tights to this and a big wooly jacket to stay chic and warm!

Hope you all got everything you wanted on your Christmas list and more! It’s funny how before Christmas Winter can seem like a wondrous and magical time and now once it’s over everyone is counting down the days until Spring Break!

Dress|| Bow Belt (similar)|| Earrings|| Shoes (sold out) similar|| Bag (old) similar|| Lip Color|| Watch

Shop the Look:

 xoxo- Cynthia

Yippee!! It’s officially Christmas eve, me and my gang are currently en route to grandmother’s house we go.. Well Tucker’s Grandmother and Andrew’s Parents for Christmas Eve lunch, then dinner and then the big event: Christmas Morning!

While we don’t have to fly anywhere to see family, we still have about an hour and a half drive to Andrew’s parents and no one likes being cooped up in their Christmas best in a car for that long. So my travel style airs on comfortable meets chic: oversized scarf, silky striped tee and stretchy jeans. Everything else I’ve added to this mix is just for pure chic-factor.

I love mixing prints, and when I saw this pin on pinterest, I just knew I had to try my hand at some crazy combo and I think the boldness of everything really works well! That and the perfect red lip really helps seal the deal for this outfit!

I just recently got onto the felt hat train (mainly because my blogger bestie had one and wanted to be twins and two because I had a giftcard where I bought it, so really it was basically free..)

Hope you all have a Happy Holiday and lovely Christmas! Didn’t want to jump the gun so I’m posting a cute New Years Eve look for y’all on Friday!

Striped Tee (sold out) similar and similar || Jeans || Blanket Scarf (love this one)|| Red Trench (old) similar and if I had a million dollars || Leopard Pumps (fun version!)|| Longchamp || Watch || Felt Hat (sold out) similar || Red Lip || Earrings

It wouldn’t be Christmas without this guy. *Little* Big dogs are the best! Who wants to see him wrapped up in a bow tomorrow? Check instagram and maybe he will be donning his Christmas best  

Truth be told, I’m a blogger on a budget. I can’t be the type of person who buys something for one occasion and never wear it again. This is called Sensibly Sharp for a reason.. because getting one use out of something is just not sensible (at this time in my life) or acceptable…

So when I saw my favorite romper collecting dust in my closet (which is finally color coordinated after our big move!) I decided it was time to re-wear it for colder months.

But how?

Here’s how to wear a romper in the winter: Grab a maxi skirt, your favorite statement belt and ta-da! new instant classic ready for a cold night out on the town!

I was lucky enough to have been handed down this maxi skirt from my mom, scored these shoes on sale at DSW and picked this statement belt up on sale at Francesca’s with a giftcard, so the total upcycle for this outfit for me came out to be $30 (the cost of the shoes.)

The Romper is from my favorite boutique in Alpharetta, South Harmony. And since I bought the last one in summer I can’t find the exact one so I’m linking some pretty cute shirt options (like this) below!

Romper (unique find) similar and shirt option || Maxi Skirt (vintage) similar || Statement Belt (sold out) similar || Shoes (sold out) similar and bows on toes version || Necklace (c/o) similar || Clutch (old) similar|| Lipstick (c/o) see my recent post here for more colors|| Nail Polish

This necklace was gifted to me by Kristen who is a Stella & Dot representative! We’ve been corresponding through instagram for a while now and she is truly the sweetest! She is amazing at being a personal stylist for Stella & Dot! She said she had the perfect piece in mind for me and when I received it I was surprised to find it was a pave chain link necklace that I had been eyeing for a while! She is incredibly saavy and smart and I will definitely be ordering through her again! There’s still time to order for the holidays so you can check out her site here.