{exotic} pants in not-so-exotic places

One of the perks of being a campus minister with 70 plus young women? Sometimes they're from exotic foreign countries and bring you cool, billowy pants! And of course, I chose to wore these pants on an equally billowy day (ahem, see above). And how do you pair said exotic pants in a city very far from exotic? Simply; with a black tee, chunky necklace, denim jacket, and sandals worn approximately 3 weeks too early (worth it, my toes got to breeeeathe!). Originally, I thought these pants would be more of the beach cover-up variety but after trying them on, I've decided that they're comfortable and perfect and that I should wear them as often as possible! And these harem pants definitely deserve more than a brief trip to the beach:) 

 I know that some of you may not be as lucky in the exotic-friend department so I did a little research for you...and now I'm on the verge of a harem pant buying binge! Enjoy.

These black-and-white ones from H&M

Love this pattern from Abercrombie (they have lots of cool options - all on sale!)

And this fancier version from Express

xoxo

A+J

PS I'm selling some spring clothes over on my Instagram account (@alexandraghoman) all week. Check it out and help me do some spring cleaning!

{apple picking + the autumn basics}

After yesterday's autumnal events, I think that I can finally say that I am a real New Englander. I picked apples (for the first time!), ate melt-in-your-mouth apple cider donuts, and made an apple pie (also a first). Now, before you get to thinking that I'm abandoning my Southern roots - I also said "y'all" multiple times and kept up-to-date about the Bulldawgs' injuries in Saturday's game. See there? I'm the same girl - but just, New England-a-fied. We had so much fun with two of our best friends, Jon and Rachel, as we soaked up the incredible fall day - gosh, I love Monday's:) 

Now getting dressed for such an occassion is a whole other matter entirely. Would I be climbing? Would it be muddy? After realizing that my chivalrous husband would be all too pleased to climb trees - I breathed a sigh of relief and wore whatever I wanted:) I'm always big on buying basic pieces that are interesting enough to wear and rewear a thousand different ways. I'm too broke for many statement pieces!Two of the latest additions to my wardrobe are this denim vest and this white cut-out shirt. I'm loving the possibilities both of them are giving me. The key to my New England wardrobe is simple - can I layer it? Will it look good with a scarf? These two new pieces passed the test and made me feel cute and feminine for a day in the orchard.  

Denim Vest: Old Navy

Cut-out Shirt: Forever 21 (similar)

Navy Cords: J. Crew Factory

Red Flats: Old, similar

xoxo

Happy Autumn!

the one with Kendi {and some totally awesome Old Navy jeans}

A month ago, I experienced what it's like to be a giggly, excited fan-girl. I got to meet my favorite blogger, Kendi Skeen of Kendi Everyday, -- and if that wasn't enough, she personally styled me and my Boston bestie, Amber! Although we attempted to act oh-so-cool, I'm pretty sure our constant squealing and hyperventelating outted us as total nerds:) Please forgive me for not telling you sooner - I think the excitment of it all put some pressure on my writing juices to post the perfect post to mark the occassion. I finally admitted to myself that if I waited any longer it would no longer matter anyway - because it would be awkwardly irrelevant! So anyways, after following Kendi's blog for several years - laughing at her jokes, admiring her style, and commiserating with her (albeit virtually) in hard moments - I felt like I was meeting an old friend. Kendi herself is the most down-to-earth person imaginable and her actual friends are some lucky folks! We talked about everything from wedding bands to cameras to the south (southern girls unite) and I felt like I could have picked her brain for several more hours. It's a pretty incredible feeling to find out that your cyber fashion hero is a genuinely fantastic person:)  

But it wasn't just fun to meet Kendi - it was a blast getting styled by her and getting some brand new clothes for the fall! Kendi dressed Amber and I in matching polka-dot chambray shirts, zipper ankle jeans and red flats and accessories. Twinsies! Interestingly enough, Old Navy has been my go-to for jeans for years now. In college I was constantly on the look-out for jeans that didn't lose their shape hours after putting them on. Come on, admit it, you too have been a victim of the "saggy butt" at the end of a day too. Hawt. So anyway, several years ago I discovered the Diva jeans (heyyyy) at Old Navy - and my end-of-the-day saggy bottom probs vanished! Other bonus? They're less than $30. So when I heard about Kendi AND Old Navy Jeans teaming up - I was pumped. The new jeans are stretchier than I'm used to but I'm loving them so far. They're just so comfortable! At the end of our styling session, the pop up shop put bright lipstick on Amber and I and out we went - feeling fabulous and ready for autumn. Denim on denim by Old Navy and Kendi Everyday - I would say this season is off to a pretty great start:) 

Another cool thing? Kendi even had a photo of Amber and I on her blog - check it out HERE!

Obligatory "we're-so-excited" selfie after we found out that Kendi wanted to style us both!

Twinsies + Kendi. So fun.

I was simply too pumped for a serious fashion-outfit-face.

Thanks Kendi and Old Navy for a fantastic memory and some great clothes!

the denim jacket confessional

True life: I've had my Gap denim jacket for 13 years. That's right:I just admitted to owning a piece of clothing for more than half of my life. I'm not sure if that makes me incredibly resourceful or incredibly cheap. In college, I once did a project where we had to judge articles of clothing by cost per wear. This jacket was in the half penny range - score. Needless to say, I'm pretty satisfied with this Christmas gift of yore. I love that denim jackets always seem to come back in style and I'm even more grateful that I never got rid of it when it was "uncool" for about 5 minutes. So to all of you out there who are still wondering if investing in a denim jackets is worth it: take it from me, they are. They are the perfect thing to go with summery dresses, layer with fall sweaters, and match with colored jeans. In the case of this outfit - the jacket is also the perfect thing to make you feel like a beatnik for a night. Double score. 

If I wasn't so obsessed with my own....I would definitely buy one of these bad boys: 

JCrew Factory's lighter shade and slightly over-sized pockets make this the perfect choice for a dress-down layering look. 

Anthropologie's interesting wash gives me an 80's flash back but in a totally rad way.

Gap's dark wash still makes me swoon. These people know how to make the perfect classic.

Happy Denim-Jacket Season (ahem, every season)!

xoxo

A+J