Holiday Week Day One

November 30, 2015







Top: J. Crew Factory (very similar). Pants: Vince Camuto (similar). Shoes: Zara (similar). Necklace: Loft (similar). Clutch: Target (similar). 

Welcome to day one of Holiday Week here at My Inner Fabulous! I'll be sharing a different holiday look every day this week, so be sure to come back every day to see new looks. Today's outfit would be perfect for a dressy holiday party, or even NYE. I'm going to a Christmas concert in a couple weeks and this is an outfit I'm considering wearing to that. It's dressed up, but the trousers keep it a little bit more on the casual side. 

How was your Thanksgiving weekend? I went home to MN and it was so wonderful. It snowed! That was my ultimate wish, so I was a happy girl after that. It was a short trip, but so nice to be able to spend a few days with family and friends. Now I'm in full on Christmas mode (hence the week full of holiday outfits!) and am counting down the days until I can go home for two weeks!

xo Catherine 

California: Six Month Update

November 25, 2015


This week marks six months since I up and moved across the country from Minnesota to California. Can you believe it? In some ways it feels like I've been here much longer than that and in others it seems like I just arrived. That's life for you. Today I'm actually flying back home for Thanksgiving, so it's kind of fitting to be reflecting on the past six months and the changes I've gone through. 


Favorite things about California: 
Seeing Mark everyday. Long distance feels like forever ago. We've fallen into our life together quite nicely and I couldn't be happier that I get to spend every day with this guy. 

Wearing flats in November. Okay, so this is a pretty material favorite thing, but seriously it's so great. In MN you had to resign yourself to boots from November-March. I'm really loving the extended footwear options year round :)

All the amazing destinations within driving distance. In the past six months I've been to Sonoma, Half Moon Bay, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and done the 17 mile drive. It's been so fun to discover a beautiful new state and everything that it has to offer. 


Not so favorite things: 
The weather. Now in November it's starting to feel like fall and I can wear my beloved sweaters, but it definitely doesn't feel like we're headed into the holiday season. I know most people would be psyched to have California weather, but I actually really miss the noticeable change of seasons.

The traffic. Goddamn, the traffic. You always hear about how awful it is, but I never really experienced it until I started commuting to work. I'm lucky enough to have a shuttle that I can take to work so I can work or read, or just relax, but when I do have to drive I want to rip my hair out. 


The hardest thing:
Making friends. I think this one is pretty self explanatory, but it's something that I've struggled with since being here. I definitely had a core group of people in Minnesota and it's hard to be without them. 


On my well being: 
I'm happy. That's all you can really ask for, right? Overall things are going really well. Just like college, or any other big life adjustment, it's tough in the beginning. There may be tears and phone calls home, but you get through the worst part and can look back and reflect from the better side of things. I'm happy to say that I got through the first six months with minimal trauma ;) here's to the next six months. Can't wait to see where things go!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! See you back here Monday for a week full of holiday posts.

xo Catherine

Elephants on Parade

November 23, 2015










Skirt: J. Crew Factory. Turtleneck: Ann Taylor. Booties: Old Navy. Sweater: J. Crew (similar). Necklace: Baublebar. Hat: Anthropologie (similar). Sunglasses: Rayban. Purse: Coach

As soon as I saw this whimsical elephant print skirt I knew I needed to have it. It's definitely a statement piece, so I paired it with a lot of black so that the skirt could shine. I wore this exact outfit to work and out for brunch over the weekend. I'm considering wearing this for Thanksgiving, but I may change my mind for something less form fitting at the last minute ;) Now all I need to do is get through this two day work week and then I'm on my way home!

Have a good one!
xo Catherine 

Links 'N Things

November 20, 2015


Soooo excited it's finally Friday! Is it just me, or did this week drag by? Anyway, we made it and to reward us here are a few fabulous links 'n things:

1. Um, F yes. Harry Potter in illustrations! Adding to my Christmas list. 
2. All renters, listen up, here's a list of things you should be thinking about/checking for when looking at apartments. Bookmarking! 
3. It's the middle of fall and hot drinks are sounding more and more appealing every day. Here are 15 yummy ways to spike your hot chocolate. 
4. Here's another Buzzfeed link (I could get lost there for days) about how Jack Dawson was actually the worst. It's hilarious, even though I do love him :)
5. This video is so sweet and a nice reminder that there are good things in the world after last Friday. 
6. Here are some tips from the Everygirl (love them!) about how to style a small space for the holidays. I've been struggling with this while making plans for our Christmas decor! 

I don't have anything planned for this weekend, except maybe working on some blog things and I am A-OK with that. Hope yours is wonderful and relaxing!

xo Catherine 

Life Lately

November 18, 2015


I really wanted to have outfit pictures ready for you this week, but a lot of things went wrong and thwarted both attempts at taking pictures. Oy. Anyways, here are a few pictures as of late!


I cut my hair! I've been gradually cutting it shorter and shorter over the last six months. I didn't love it the first week, but now I think I've got a handle on how to style it and I like it much better. Btw, this lipstick is Revlon ColorStay (my tried and true!) in Supermodel and it is the perfect fall/winter neutral. 


Over the weekend we did the iconic 17 mile drive down by Carmel and boy was it beautiful. The ocean was the most gorgeous blue, and the houses were stunning. The first picture above is from the drive also. 


Here's another picture from our day trip over the weekend. My hair may be a mess, but I am a happy girl when I'm near the ocean. We saw seals frolicking, I got to wear a lot of layers, and I spent the day enjoying the beautiful state I live in with my favorite person. 

Life is seriously so good right now. I probably shouldn't say that, right? I'm just asking for lightening to strike. Oh well, I'll say it again: life is good! Time could speed up a little bit to get me to next Wednesday though. I decided since it was my first year away from home that I would go back for both Thanksgiving and Christmas and now that it's in sight I'm getting antsy.

Have a lovely Wednesday :)
xo Catherine 

Pretty Holiday Things

November 16, 2015


It's that time of year again! Don't worry, I won't bombard you with holiday content yet. After Thanksgiving all bets are off though ;) I have had the holidays on my mind a lot lately both at work and with planning trips home. Mark and I may have put up our holiday decor over the weekend...I just couldn't help myself! I was so excited to actually decorate for the first time in our first home together! So that holiday cheer may have overflowed into this post. I love all of the above things for fun little touches around the house over the holiday season. All of these things would be great for holiday entertaining!

We did do a few non-holiday related things over the weekend too :) we went out for burgers on Saturday night and yesterday we went and drove the 17 mile drive and wow it was so beautiful! You can see more on my Instagram and on Snapchat (@myinnerfabulous). 

Hope your week gets off to a good start!
xo Catherine


Chooka Duck Skimmers

November 11, 2015









Shoes: c/o Chooka. Jeans: Gap. Sweater: Nordstrom (similar). Vest: Old Navy (similar). Purse: Tory Burch. Necklace: J. Crew Factory (similar). Trench coat: Calvin Klein (similar). 

If you're a long time blog reader, then you may know how much I love the brand Chooka. I bought my first pair of duck skimmers in bright yellow before studying abroad in London in 2013. They were a godsend in London! They are honestly the shoes that I get complimented on the most, because they're cute and practical. You can see my last post featuring them here! I wore the yellow pair to death and was so excited to receive this new pair from Chooka! The black will definitely go with everything and be perfect for the coming seasons. I  highly recommend!

Hope your week is going well :)

xo Catherine

Pink Hunters

November 9, 2015







Boots: Hunter. Sweater: J. Crew Factory. Coat: Ann Taylor (similar). Scarf: Gap (similar). Purse: Tory Burch. Jeans: Gap

I'd been wanting a pair of pink Hunters for a while now, but couldn't seem to find the right pair anywhere. Then these beauties walked into my life and I knew I had to have them. I wore my red ones out, so it was time for an additional pair. My red ones have holes that are being held together with super glue - not exactly water proof! I'm hoping that El Nino really does happen this year so I can wear my rain gear a lot!

My weekend was very relaxed. I ran a ton of errands (might have started buying Christmas decorations!), got my hair cut (still trying to figure out how to style it when it's this short!), and did a lot of reading. I feel recharged and ready to tackle the work week!

xo Catherine 




Recent Reads Vol. 3

November 4, 2015


Happy Wednesday! It's been a while since my last Recent Reads post, so I wanted to fill you in on some of my good book recommendations as of late. Reading is one of my absolute favorite pass times and I'm lucky enough to find time for it every day. I use the app OverDrive to rent books on my Kindle through the library - it's pretty slick!


This is the second installment in the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy and it did not disappoint. If you haven't already, start with the first and then pick this one up. They're hilarious! The books follow several high society, crazy rich (like billionaire) families in China and Singapore. Kevin Kwan does such a good job and his writing is just on point. 


Heads in Beds is not my typical genre, but I really enjoyed this book. It's written by a guy who worked in the hotel industry his whole life. He shares stories about celebrities, some unpleasant (read: gross) behind the scenes tales, and tips for how to get the best room, etc. The author is witty and kept me thoroughly entertained throughout. I found myself talking to several friends and family members about this book and stories from it!


In my last Recent Reads post I featured Dead Wake, which is also by Erik Larson - he has a knack for storytelling. You may have heard of this one, as it is being turned into a film adaptation featuring Leonardo Dicaprio (!!!). The story is split between Dr. H. H. Holmes, a serial killer who was at his prime during the World's Fair, and Daniel H. Burnham, the lead architect for the Fair. The World's Fair wasn't something I knew much about, but I'm so glad that I read this book and learned more about it because it's fascinating. So many things that we have today came out of the fair - like shredded wheat!


Jojo Moyes is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Everything I read by her is just. so good. This is the story of Sophie Lefevre who was alive during WWI. Her husband was a painter and her portrait later ends up in Liv Halston's home in present-day London. The Lefevre family claims that the painting was stolen during the war and they want it back. Drama! The story switches between past and present, which I found a bit confusing at times because there are so many characters, but it was such a good read!

Would love to hear what books you've loved lately! I'm currently reading and enjoying The Knockoff, and then Mindy Kaling's new book is next!

xo Catherine

Easy Neutrals

November 2, 2015









Sweater: H&M. Top: J. Crew. Jeans: J. Crew. Booties: Sole Society. Purse: Coach. Sunglasses: Rayban

I just got this cozy sweater from H&M and I can't wait to wear it once it (hopefully) gets chilly here or when I'm at home over the holidays. I was overheating a bit for these pictures though - oops! Can you believe we're starting to think about the holidays?? So crazy that it's already November. May need to start planning holiday outfits ;)

Our weekend was pretty laid back. On Friday we headed to a local hotel where there's live jazz music and spent the better part of the night hanging out there. Then on Saturday we decided that after four years of going out for Halloween in college we really just wanted to stay in. So no costumes or parties for us, I know - how boring. We had fun watching movies and handing out candy to our one trick-or-treater though! 

xo Catherine 

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