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Middle of Somewhere

An Albuquerque Fashion & Lifestyle Blog

How To Style A Cardigan

(image via Hello Fashion Blog)

Today I am excited to be joined by Stephanie of Lookbook Store to share some great ideas about how to rock a cardigan for fall/winter. Cardigans
are perfect for this time of the year because they can keep you warm and
cozy all day, and are personally one of my go-to pieces. Although sometimes one may think that they can look frumpy or unpolished, but I’ve got to tell you – their
fashion value is heavenly.Cardigans are actually a really important clothing staples for the season of layering. If you’re
wondering how to wear them tastefully this season, don’t worry because there are numerous possibilities.

Oversized cardigans are one of the most loved sweaters by many stylists. They’re very trendy and are perfect as the temperature drops. The downside, though, is that if they’re not styled properly, they can make you look sloppy. So, the key is to make sure that the look is balanced. If the top half garment is heavy then it is best to wear something that
will provide a slimming effect on your lower half so won’t look bulky.

   

If you want to layer your dress for cold days, choose a short or cropped cardigan. A layered look can be very sleek and pretty. A tip for this type of cardigan would be to make sure that its hemline falls right at your waistline so as not to create a disproportionate look.
Another type of cardigan that works best with fitted bottoms, such as skinny pants and leggings is the drape cardigan. A piece of advice when wearing this type of cardigan would be to attempt to stay away from loose-fitting jeans or skirts because it can create the illusion of a wider bottom half (which most of us try to hard to avoid!)
For a quirky and glamorous vibe, choose cardigans that are long. Don’t worry about their hem falling below your knee because they help create a more dramatic effect to your overall look. One of my favorite things about long cardigans is that you can wear them with shorts, short skirts,or dresses, and still maintain a polished look.

 
See how versatile cardigans are? Even the simplest outfit for the weekend can look stylish in an instant. So, if you’re wardrobe misses this type of clothing piece, I must say you need to go ahead and spice it up. Make sure to check out Lookbook Store for all of your outerwear needs, and a huge thank you to Stephanie from Lookbook Store for today’s post.
Linking Up With: Style To Inspire

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

Seriously though… I totally did. San Francisco holds a very special place in my heart. Ever since living in San Jose for a few years, I just can’t get enough of the city. I love visiting, and absolutely dread when it’s time to leave… plus it really doesn’t help when the weather is absolutely perfect when I visit. The day that we flew back to NM we walked from our hotel down to the Ferry Building. We enjoyed our first Pressed Juicery juices, which were so delicious and the perfect treat while we were out enjoying the warm sun. We then decided it would be nice to walk all the way down to Pier 39 because clam chowder was on my ‘must eat while in California’ list (please tell me I am not the only one who plans trips around food!). We had to have walked at least 6 miles that day round trip, leaving us exhausted and hot by the time we needed to head to the airport. As always, I was sad to head back to New Mexico and leave the beautiful Bay Area behind. This was our first trip back in two years, so I am hoping we won’t have to wait as long to return this time. What are some of your favorite vacation spots?
Wearing:
Splendid City Sweatshirt (similar version under $70 here and under $60 from Calvin Klein)
Kut from the Kloth Jeans c/o Blue Jean Baby Clothing
Target Leopard Loafers (old, almost identical Sole Society loafers here)
Rebecca Minkoff MAB Tote
Baublebar The Shoshanna Amulet
Free People Sunglasses
Michael Kors ‘Bradshaw’ Watch
Linking Up With: Style Me Wednesday, Trend Spin, What Wives Wear, Spotlight Weekly. Three-fer Thursday, Thursday Favorites
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Bundled Up At Donner Lake

On our recent trip, my husband and I stopped on our way from Reno to San Jose at Donner Lake. To say this place was beautiful and breathtaking is a total understatement. The lake was perfectly clear and surrounded by snow covered mountains and a gorgeous blue sky. Driving through the snow really got me in the mood for winter… actually more so for Christmas if I’m being honest. I am surprisingly looking forward to coat season, and would love to pick up a new one this year. JCrew Factory has so many coats I love right now, especially this high collar colorblocked coat, plus they’re all 30% off until tomorrow with the code EXTRA30. I was happy that I was prepared for the cold and brought a coat and a beanie along for the trip. While the weather in the Bay Area was nice and warm, the earlier part of our trip in Nevada was much colder. We had never driven through this area before, and I would love to go back and visit Lake Tahoe at some point! Stopping at Donner Lake was not planned, but I am so happy that we stopped to take a look around.
Wearing:
Old Navy Flannel (old, love this year’s boyfriend flannel shirt from Old Navy)
Old Navy The Rockstar Jeans
Old Navy Cocoon Coat (old, similar JCrew Factory coat here plus get 30% off with code EXTRA30)
Handmade Beanie (love this pom-pom version for under $9)
Shy by Sydney Evan ‘Love’ Necklace
Minimal Bar Necklace c/o Shop Layered Up (use code SHOP10 for 10% off)
Target Ankle Boots
Michael Kors ‘Bradshaw’ Watch
Linking Up With: Style To Inspire, Stylish Tuesday, Confident Twosday, Tremendous Tuesday, Weekly Favorites, WIWW, Bloggers Who Budget

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A Walk Through Union Square

I have been a total slacker on my blog this past week and I apologize (because I know you all noticed I was gone). I was so proud of myself before I left for vacation that I scheduled two posts, and then I totally fell off the grid after Monday’s scheduled post. We clearly do not travel often because I was exhausted when we got back! I was so glad I took an extra day off work to recuperate. To say our trip was a blast is an understatement. My favorite part of course was renting a car in Reno and driving to San Jose and San Francisco. We drove through Donner Lake, which was so gorgeous – pictures coming soon! It was so nice to visit our friends, especially since it’s been two years since we had visited the Bay Area last. On Monday night we decided to wander around Union Square in San Francisco, and not surprisingly, we ended up at an Irish pub for dinner (and had the most delicious Irish soda bread pudding ever!) I was excited that the weather was nice and cool because it allowed me to wear my favorite Target oversized scarf. The lighting is not the best on this set of photos, but like I said, I tried to be a good productive blogger while I was gone. I am clearly not a real fashion blogger because I look super uncomfortable in most of these pictures… I felt a little weird standing on a street corner to take pictures, but hey, you do what you gotta do! I hope you all have a great weekend, and I will see you back here on Monday!

Wearing:
Blank NYC Boyfriend Jeans
JCrew Factory Baseball Tee (no longer online, similar colorblock baseball tee here)
Target Oversized Plaid Scarf
Michael Kors ‘Bradshaw’ Watch
Gorjana Mika Necklace
Rebecca Minkoff MAB Tote
Target Ankle Boots
Linking Up With: What Wives Wear, Three-fer Thursday, Thursday Favorites, Fab Favorites

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Black & Gold

TGIF! I hope you all had a great week. I have been looking forward to this weekend for quite some time now because I am currently on vacation! Today I am sharing an outfit that I wore last weekend for a night out to celebrate a friend’s birthday. These faux leather leggings are totally my go-to for going out, especially now as the weather cools down. I have mentioned before that I am not a huge short dress girl, so I love that I can throw on a pair of leggings and not only feel comfortable, but look polished and put together. I clearly have some other favorite items this week, and you may notice a few similarities between Monday’s post and today’s post. I can’t get enough of these burgundy heels that I recently picked up at Target. I originally bought them for my Mad Men themed Halloween costume, but couldn’t help but wear them sooner. They’re really practical and easy to wear all night long, and you can’t beat the under $30 price tag! I hope have a fun and eventful weekend… I know I will, and can’t wait to share pictures from my trip when I get back!
Wearing: 
LC Lauren Conrad Faux Leather Leggings
LC Lauren Conrad Bow Tie Sweater (not available online, similar F21 option here and a tunic option here)
Target Heels
Baublebar Cuff
Baublebar Iced Lariat Pendant
Ash & Willow Sequin Clutch (use code BARutland for 10% off your order)
Clinique Lipstick in ‘Different Grape’
Essie Nailpolish in ‘Bahama Mama’
Linking Up With: Style To Inspire, Confident Twosday, Trend Spin, WIWW

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Killin’ It + Style to Inspire Link Up

This is the first Monday I have been ok with in awhile, and I only say that because this week will be a short week for me at work. We are headed to Reno and SJ/SF later in the week and I couldn’t be more excited for our trip! I am really looking forward to going to Reno for the first time for a friend’s wedding, and even more so to see friends in the Bay Area! I also can’t wait to indulge in a clam chowder bread bowl and hit up Coffee Bean! Since I only have a few days left before we leave, I should probably start packing. I always wind up being such a last minute packer, even though it sounds really good to start early, I almost never follow through. I have a feeling I will be packing most of the pieces I am wearing in today’s post, including this Killin’ It top from Style Lately. I am typically not a big graphic tee girl, maybe because it brings me back to my high school days when I wore a lot of band tees, however I do love this Killin’ It tee from Style Lately! You really can’t go wrong with a white v-neck top, as it is such a classic wardrobe staple. Style Lately has a ton of cute clothing and jewelry options, including this Chic Just Got Real tee and sparkle and shine bracelet. If you want to get your hands on the top I am wearing today, Style Lately has been kind enough to offer a great discount code to use toward your next purchase – at check out use the code LOVESTYLELATELY  for 15% off!
Wearing:
Killin’ It Tee c/o Style Lately
Target Plaid Blazer (this year’s version found here)
Love Always Cursive Nameplate Necklace (use code MOS for 15% off your own!)
Ash & Willow Double V-Ring (use code BARutland for 10% off)
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Linking Up With: Ada, Tremendous Tuesday, Confident Twosday, Trend Spin, Style Me Wednesday, WIWW, Style Sessions, Spotlight Weekly

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NOW FOR OUR WEEKLY LINK UP:
rheabar
Welcome this week’s cohost, Lindsay of Middle of Somewhere!
styletoinspire_lindsay10.27.14
Style to Inspire — a weekly link up creating an online fashion community to inspire and be inspired by our fellow fashionistas! Share your style with us!

LINK UP GUIDELINES
1) Please follow your host Rhea via Bloglovin and your cohost Lindsay via Bloglovin. Would love if you leave us a comment, too!
2) Link up your fashion post via the linky tool below
3) Link back to this link up by using the button code provided above, or a text link — either one is fine
4) Have fun — check out other blogs, comment, and be fashion-inspired!
Cohosting opportunities are available — if you are interested, please email Rhea at [email protected] — cohosting is a great way to promote your blog!