Tag Archives: fall fashion

October Goals

October Goals. See more at pamelapetrus.comI feel a tad weird jotting down October goals because isn’t it like July?? October is Halloween and almost Thanksgiving…which leads right to Christmas…and I feel like there’s no possible way that it’s time for all of that. My Google calendar hasn’t let me down yet though, so I suppose it is indeed October 1.

In all honesty, I struggled a bit to set goals for this month. It felt hard to wrap my mind around the time of year and what I’d like to accomplish right now. These are the relatively simple items that I decided on.

  1. Finish two books. I’ve started reading again lately and I’ve decided that I really enjoy it when it’s something within the categories I mentioned here. This month, I hope to finish two books, one of which I’m already a good ways in to. I’ll likely have to give up a bit of Instagram and Pinterest time to make this happen. *gasp* Hopefully the weather will turn cooler and a fuzzy blanket will be involved too.
  2. Attempt a capsule wardrobe. I’ve seen this wardrobe approach  for some time now and it felt much too big of a task for me to accomplish. I just had too many clothes. Since I’ve pared down my closet so much lately, I’m thinking about giving it a whirl. I don’t feel pressured to get down to the exact number of recommended items, so I’m thinking of trying the approach somewhat loosely for now. Making a plan and consciously choosing the clothes I wear seems like a fun and rewarding task.
  3. Buy one light fixture. I found several light fixtures that I liked after the sink situation  and I haven’t ordered a single one. Actually making the commitment and purchasing one feels scary to me. However, I’m going to make it a point to order at least one this month!
  4. Burn more candles. I have tendency of saving the “nice” candles for a special occasion. This means I have a drawer of candles that I hardly use. This month, I want to burn them in celebration of the average day!
  5. Make progress in our new office. We’re been working on turning our guest room into a guest room/home office. We made a ton of progress right at first and I’ve somewhat stalled out. My goal isn’t to finish it this month. However, I hope to make a tiny amount of progress.

Interested in knowing how I did on last months’ goals? Well, wait no longer!

  1. I was 100% present for girl time! I got to see both my Tennessee cousin and my two best friends this month! For both events, I worked very, very little and focused on spending quality time with them. I loved getting this opportunity and look forward to doing it again very soon.
  2. I didn’t necessarily complete 2-3 house projects, although I did get several small things done around the house. I could stretch reality a bit and say that I made 2 or 3 big and wonderful things happen. While I did make some progress here and there, it wasn’t the 2 or 3 big items that I’d hoped for. Lesson Learned: I need to be more intentional about my house progress. It’s not going to happen on its own.
  3. I did review my 2015 goals and I’m happy to report that I’ve made progress on more of them that I thought! Even though I’d decided to focus on just one goal, I’ve made a bit of unintentional progress on several of the others. That’s great news!

September was a great, relaxing month for me, which I’m very happy about. I’m also looking forward to October because I’m hoping that any day now there will be a cool breeze lingering about. Fingers crossed for a cozy, easy-going, spectacular month for us all!

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Christmas 2014 Recap

Team Christmas Party

I simply can’t believe that the Christmas season has already come and gone. They say that time flies when you’re having fun, and that’s totally a reality here in my neck of the woods. The holiday season is always a blur for Matthew and I. I thought I’d take a moment to recap what our Christmas season was like this year.

Ernest's ( Black Velvet Dress Outfit )Ernest's Group Picture
We began the month with our annual trip to Ernest’s in Shreveport with Matthew’s grandmother and cousins. This is a tradition that she’s held for several years and everyone always looks forward to the event. We dress up, ride over, and eat lots (Seriously….lots.) of fantastic food. This year, I wore a black, velvet dress and a gold, vintage belt that I hadn’t had a chance to wear yet. Velvet is one of my favs, so I was pumped about the outfit. We were missing a few cousins this year, but we definitely had a blast catching up with the ones who were able to make it. (Holly, I’m still laughing at Tanner’s plunger stories…too funny!)

Amanda
Next up on the Christmas agenda was Amanda‘s birthday. We went to Cotton for her birthday dinner and ate all of the duck wraps. Then, that weekend we had a small game night/marshmallow roasting party at our house for her. I was blown away that Amanda and I have been friends since 2006 and I had no idea that she has a SERIOUS love for toasted marshmallows. You learn something new every day!

Christmas Recap (3)
The weekend before Christmas turned out to be quite a busy one for the Petruses. (Side note: I just learned that this is the correct way to spell our last name in this context. Maybe December was the month for learning new things!) Friday night we attended the Keller Williams Parishwide Partners Christmas party at a new downtown venue that I hadn’t been to yet. I’m now considering it for possible location for my 30th birthday party…more on that later. Matthew and I enjoyed the party. It’s always great to get together with colleagues in a non-work environment. I also starting working on some of my 2015 work goals while at the party, which made me happy.

Doe's
Centerpieces
Saturday night, we had our real estate team Christmas party at the new Doe’s Steakhouse in downtown Monroe. I work closely with 9 or so agents at Keller Williams through the Shane Wooten team (plus several assistants), so this was our chance to celebrate a successful year together. I prepped centerpieces and little bags of peppermints for each guest. My mom is great with flower arrangements, but it’s never been a prominent skill of mine. I think these turned out pretty well for how quickly I threw them together though! It was a lot of fun getting together with everyone and recapping memories from the past year. Plus, the food was outstanding!

Sunday brought along two more Christmas events for Matthew and I. For lunch, we gathered at our house with Matthew’s mom, step-dad, little brothers, and grandparents. Matthew made a delicious roast and the most amazing mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. We enjoyed catching up with family that we don’t see often. Then, we took a quick (and much needed) nap, and headed over to my father-in-law’s for dinner. We had a great dinner there and then watched the kids open a few gifts. (Jordan and Roxie, you were missed!) I just realized that we didn’t get any pictures from dinner here, which is a bummer. By this time next year, this side of our family will have grown and that’s exciting! Our newest niece or nephew will be making his/her debut next month!

After a fun-filled and crazy weekend, Matthew and I spent Tuesday night opening a few gifts for each other and looking at Christmas lights. I’m excited to see what next year will be like without Matthew working retail AND being in nursing school. We both worked retail our first Christmas together, and it was exhausting. I’m excited to see what next year looks like for us, even though I’m quite nervous about our daily routine changing completely.

Christmas Eve we hosted my side of the family at our house. Hosting gatherings is one of my favorite things to do, so I was excited to have everyone at our new home for Christmas. I also baked my first turkey, and it turned out edible…I’ll take that as a win! Basically, the night was filled with lots of jokes and candy-eating. What more could you want??

Christmas Pup
After my family left, we headed out for Texas. We arrived a little after midnight and spent Christmas Day opening presents there and playing board games. We got to spend some time with Matthew’s step-sister, Jenna, that we don’t see often. We had a blast learning to play Killer Bunnies (Such an appropriate game for Christmas, right?!) and having an easy day with family.

All in all, this Christmas season was a success. Matthew and I were really busy towards the end of the season, but I think we still enjoyed the hustle and bustle and made some great holidays memories. (I also got lots of pictures of us in front of our Christmas tree, which makes me happy!) In case you missed it, you can see some of our Christmas decor here  and details about our Christmas card here.

I’m sort of sad to wrap up the 2014 holiday season, but I’m definitely excited about 2015. I have a gigantic list of goals and plans for the year, and I’m expecting big things to happen. I hope you’re wrapping up 2014 with lots of great memories and equally great plans for this next year. Here’s to 2015 being a fantastic one!

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When can I start wearing boots?

BootsThis is one of the questions I got most often this time of year at Salt & Pepper. Keep in mind, this advice is primarily for folks in the southern states because for us here in Louisiana, it can – and will most likely be – quite warm until almost Christmas.

We had a bit of a cool snap on Saturday, so ladies like me who are itching to dip into our fall clothing options, pulled out boots and scarves and sweaters and wore as much of it as possible while we had the chance. Deep down inside, we knew that we’d have to wear something sleeveless by mid-week this week, but we were going to make the most of those 60-degree temps while we had them!

As I was thinking about which fall item I was itching to wear, I thought back on my time at S&P, and I thought about that ever popular question – When can I wear boots in Louisiana?

The fact of the matter is, I think you can start wearing boots in August – if you can stand it. For me, the fall season is in full swing once August arrives. I begin to put away and avoid the more summery things and start wearing more fall colors and items. However, it’s usually still HOT here, so I mix in whatever fall pieces I can stand. If I enjoyed taking outfit photos, I’d share a few here to show what I’m talking about. I’m really working on that, folks. (If you want to see some outfit options that I’m drooling over these days, check out my Fashionista board on Pinterest.)

When I start to pull out my boots, I typically start with a short pair. This isn’t some sort of “rule.” Instead, it’s usually just my way of getting to wear a boot when I’m ready to without sweating to death. So, if you’re ever dying to pull out your boots but it’s just a little too warm, I’d suggest starting with a shorter option. This has been my strategy for the last three years. I know this because I documented it on Instagram. After all, the day you get to pull out your boots is a day to celebrate!

If you just can’t resist that tall boot, go ahead and wear them! I completely understand what it’s like to miss those babies for months. If it’s still a little warm, pair them with shorts or a dress with bare legs. This usually gives you the chance to wear the boot while still not ignoring the fact that it’s still pretty warm outside.

So, if you’re wondering when you can pull your favorite boots out, I say do it now! If it’s still a little warm in your neck of the woods, try one of the options above. No matter how you wear them, it’s time to dust those puppies off!

September is in full swing and I’m loving it. If only it weren’t back to 90 degree temps already…

Also, if you’d like some suggestions on how to wear cuffed jeans with short boots, check out this post.

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My Favorites: Blazers

When I’m “all about” something, I’m “all about” it. Take colors for instance. If I’m shopping, I’ll gravitate to one color all day. If it’s gray, everything I notice, look at, and want will be gray that day. During my last shopping adventure, the color of the day was teal. Absolutely everything I wanted was a pretty blue color.BlazersThe same thing happens with trends. My favorite right now is blazers. If you follow my fashionista board on Pinterest, you’ll see that the majority of outfits I’m pinning include a blazer of some sort.I think my new obsession with blazers comes from my desire to bring my wardrobe to a dressier level since launching my real estate career. My favorite look right now is tattered jeans, heels, and a blazer with a big, chunky necklace. I haven’t mustered the courage to wear tattered jeans to work yet, but it might be happening in the near future.BlazersThe funny thing about the blazers I’ve acquired lately is that several of them even have shoulder pads! I’ve never been a fan of them in the past, but for some reason, I’m liking them lately! Basically, I can’t get enough of blazers in all colors, styles, and patterns. I’m looking forward to slightly cooler Louisiana weather so I can wear them without risking a heat stroke.

Blazers

Left to right: cream lace and denim polka dot (TJ Maxx), navy floral (Gap), red/orange (Kohl’s) 

My other fashion obsession right now is leather. (Faux, of course!) I’ve only invested in one leather-trimmed item so far, but I’d expect to see some leather items from me very soon!
What are your obsessions lately?? I want to hear about them!
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