Welcome October

It's finally fall and I am ready for some seasonal temps! Who's over the 80s? Me!

Don't you just want to be outside when the air is crisp?

This season's trends are SUPER focused on the colors of autumn. And there's a surprising and completely affordable place to shop for them!

Trending for fall are all the autumn favorites- deep mauves, rusts, all shades of brown, taupey greys, mustards and maroons.

Of course, you'll find all of these shades in items like flannels and lightweight sweaters, cardigans and even pants. And I'm sure you've heard about the shacket, a combination of a jacket and a shirt. It's super popular as well.

I have to admit, these colors don't always love me back. But that doesn't stop me. If that shade of mustard isn't quite right by your face, wear it on pants or a piece of jewelry. Or add a print that has some of the the trendy colors with colors that also look amazing on you. Think outside the box!

I also have to admit that this said store, that has some of the greatest colors and patterns for the season all at reasonable prices, is not my favorite store. Infact, it's one of my least favorites. Maybe I'm getting older, or maybe they just really hit a note this season, but the place that I'm referring to....is MAURICES. Of all places... they seem to have hit the mark for fall.

Check them out online below-

https://www.maurices.com/p/new-arrivals/fall-must-haves/N-13912?nav=new-arrivals:fall-must-haves

I'm taking you on a journey of some of their seasonal items that I tried on that maybe you'll love. This was after a day of soccer and I left the house with wet hair, so please excuse the way I look. I was being fast and didn't plan ahead on what I was wear, so the shorts don't really work for each outfit! Focus on the tops. LOL

Here's my first shirt. It's just a flannel but I really like the fit on this one. It doesn't make me feel so much like a lumberjack. And it has our team color in it so I know that I would wear this one a bunch.

This sweater is a little out of my wheelhouse. I don't normally wear these kind of crazy prints but this sweater is SO SOFT. And sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone. But I wasn't crazy about the fit.

Here is an adorable shacket. It again is amazingly soft. And I enjoy the colors. I also like how it fit. I don't feel like I'm swimming in it.

I picked this sweater again for the softness and the print. But this taupey grey color wasn't my friend. I also don't like things that are so shapeless.

Here is a cute little henley in a great mustard color.

This was my favorite sweater in the store. Incredibly soft but once I got it on I wasn't a fan of the color on me. I know the rest of you will love it though. It's the prettiest shade of brown- I think called golden rust or something.

I also liked this little tank top but I needed a size bigger and they didn't have one.

And that's my try-on session at Maurices! Go check them out for yourselves and pick up some great fall favorites!

A New Season

I blame it on a case of mild seasonal depression, but there has been a shift in my household.

When school starts I always go through the blues. You get used to having the kids around all the time and you realize the passing of time as each summer with them slips away.

And then it starts to rain and there goes my mood. I truly believe I am solar-powered. I go way too high and low with the sun.

I love fall. I used to love this season best before I had kids. I have an ongoing love affair with soup, fires, football and all things cozy. It makes me want to light some candles, pour another cup of coffee, play some vinyls and snuggle up with a book.

This brings me to the point of this post. My mood around the house is slipping from white and bright to moody and warm. What does this mean?

It means I have been lead from siren call to some pops of moody rich colors. I am not ready for total color saturation, just like I am not ready to completely embrace letting my kids go. But the changes are starting.

Have you felt it too? Suddenly I am drawn to colors like clay, rust, green, goldenrod and brown. It feels so 1970s and homey. It's like the brown floral couch that nearly every household in America had. It's comforting, reassuring and nostalgic.

All you need to do is flip through Target's bedding line and clothing or Anthropology's home to see that designers are feeling it too.

And while creativity comes with its own downsides. Seriously some days it is a curse that you can't turn off, like the tv playing in the background when you want it dark to sleep. Some days I wish I could just live like a normal person who doesn't even care about such things. I guess it helps alleviate the blues with some fresh and welcoming new colors.

Not only are these colors seeping into my home but also my wardrobe. I have never seen so many versions of brown since the late 90s. But instead of flat brown. These colors are rich and warm and full of life. You can even find it at Walmart.

This fall, I will show you some spaces in my home where I am adding pops of dark. It's boho with a touch of farmhouse. It doesn't mean throwing out the baby with the bathwater and ditching all things white and lovely. It just simply means small updates here and there. Curating them into my home so that it feels fresh and not old.

You can check out some of my favorite on my Pinterest board, Moody Fall.

Moody Fall

Are you feeling this change of season too?

Ten Year Anniversary

Today is the big day. I have been blogging for ten years. I can't even believe that.

When I first started, I used to blog daily. DAILY. Now I am lucky to blog seasonally. But I really enjoy helping others find their identity and expression through style. Creativity is what makes me tick.

I have some things still cooked up for this summer and hope to post them before the summer ends. LOL

So for now, enjoy my very first blog post, ten years ago. When I had a one-year-old, four-year-old and five-year-old. My youngest wasn't even a glimmer in our eyes!

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I live in Iowa, the land of the not-so-fashion conscious. However, I do believe that many of the people who live here do take pride in their appearance. Fashion is truly my passion. As a stay-at-home mom of three, it is also my outlet. It is an escape to dream up outfits that I may potentially wear to some fabulous venue. If you need to pack for vacation, it is my time to shine. No one else can pack you in as few outfits but still have so many options. I am also a bargain shopper, as we live on one income. I am hoping that with this blog, I can find ways to show anyone who stumbles across this blog how easy it is to put together outfits on a shoestring budget, build a wardrobe and have incredible versatility with the clothing they own. It just takes imagination and some forethought! Enjoy my Style from the Sticks! Holly