Sometimes you want to make a change in life but you’re too scared to go ahead and make the leap to something new. I’ve been thinking about changing up my hair color for a few years now, but every time I went to my hairdresser I made an excuse for why I just wasn’t ready to commit to a different shade. This past year has been quite the year of changes for me. We bought our first house, I started this blog, I got a new job, and I feel like I finally pinpointed my personal style so now I feel more and more like myself. With all these positive changes happening, it just felt right to take a jump into the dark(er) side of hair hues and try out an ombré colored coif for a bit.

Top/Forever 21, Jeans/H&M, Shoes/Steve Madden, Bag/H&M

I actually made the change while Todd was recording in Texas on his recent trip and kept it a secret until he got back. I was terrified he was going to ask me to Skype with him and I’d have to wrap my hair in a bath towel and pretend I just got out of the shower to keep the new strands under wraps. Thankfully it never came up, so I was saved- phew! The surprise part was partially also to get back at him for “surprising” me by shaving his head before he left for his trip. That surprise did not go over so well with me…

So far I like my new hair a lot. I know how I usually feel as a blonde, so we’ll see if this hair evokes any new personality traits. Overall I think my biggest problem will come if I have to fill out any new forms that ask for hair color. Can I check the boxes for blonde and brunette??

Jump for joy, this tank’s got a giant leopard and studs! Life doesn’t get any better…oh wait, I can add a bag made of buttery ultramarine leather to the ensemble? Well hot damn, sign me up!

Speaking of hot, I guess it’s technically still too warm for these waxed jeans (I had to change immediately after this photo), but it’s hard to be patient when all my leather leggings are begging to be brought back into rotation.

Top/Forever 21, Jeans/H&M, Shoes/Aldo, Bag/Foley & Corinna

Looking forward to cooler weather, I bought two pairs of black boots today and I’m making a list of what other gems should become their roommates on the boot rack. Just be patient winter clothes, I’ll see you soon enough!

There are plenty of horrible, disgusting, depressing things in this world- but shirts with cats on them is not one of those things! Especially if that cat is wearing sunglasses. Boo-ya.

It may be September, but I see four days in the next week’s weather forecast that are going to top 90 degrees, so my cat themed muscle tanks will still be around for a while (and that’s the way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it, uh huh, uh huh).

Top/Forever 21, Shorts/Forever 21, Shoes/Aldo

Don’t worry, I’m already acquiring warmer versions of my beloved kitty knits (and I still have this catastic DIY project around), so I should be prepared for all seasons by the time the snow hits.

Happy weekend!

Let’s talk about personal style for a second: I know it may seem like all the clothes you wear are “you” because you picked them out and it’s your body they are walking around on (unless your sister or roommate borrowed your stuff without asking again), but that’s not really always true is it? I noticed last year that I had a lot of things in my closet that weren’t really an extension of my personality- they were just a bunch of random items that I though were cute for a hot minute, but there wasn’t much of a real theme or coherent feel to my closet. Once I started to get rid of things that didn’t seem to match me and focused on which clothes I felt most like myself in, I finally started to develop my own sense of grown-up style. It definitely seemed weird to reevaluate my fashion taste like that in my late twenties, but I have to tell you that I felt so much better once I did.

I know that clothes are not what’s important in life (although I do have to remind myself that from time to time when I want to spend our mortgage payment on another pair of black boots), but if you’ve ever had to wear a uniform or stuffy office code clothing and felt like you just couldn’t wait to get back into your “you” clothes at home, then you know what I’m talking about. It’s a comfort thing. A I-feel-good-about-who-I-am-and-what-I-like thing (at least most days anyways). Whether you know it or not, your style choices are in some way an extension of you and they say something about yourself. I switched jobs this year and I absolutely love that I can wear whatever I want to work now- it’s great! I get to feel like myself all the time, and that’s a big change.

Top/Forever 21, Bottom/Express, Shoes/Prabal Gurung for Target, Bag/Posse’

So for me, outfits like this are my go to look- black, white, a pop of neon, and playful accessories. I feel right at home when I can get all those things happening together at once.

What’s on your signature style list?

Cobalt blue is one of my all time favorite colors. It’s a shade that I’ve always liked, but the past few years I’ve been extra in love with the hue. It was my wedding accent color and I’m already planning on using it as the color theme of my backyard next summer (Next summer? Yes, I’m a planner. So sue me). So when I see cobalt in a store, my gait quickens a bit and I bee-line for the sweet blue colored goods. Got it in my size? I’ll take it…

Shoes/Jessica Simpson, Dress/Forever 21, Clutch/Handmade

I also love that cobalt isn’t a seasonal color (at least not in my book), so I can wear it to my heart’s content all year round. Cobalt bikini under my cobalt sweater? Pile it on, I’m not afraid of overdoing this shade…