Skirt: J. Crew Factory. Sweater: Old Navy (similar). Necklace: J. Crew Factory (similar). Clutch: Gap (similar). Booties: Aldo. 

I find that it's really easy to shy away from color and towards a sea of neutrals during the winter months. I try to make a conscious effort to wear more color during the winter and I think it helps lift my spirits :) I grounded the neon with black pieces to complete the outfit. I think it makes the colors more seasonal. 

I wore this outfit out to dinner and a Tower of Power concert at the Dakota Jazz Club with my mom and sister over the weekend. It was so fun! My mom loves R&B and funk and it's definitely rubbed off on me. Live music is always a blast. 

Hope your Monday is short!

xo Catherine

*Keeping it real: I got this skirt from J. Crew last spring (styled here, here, here, and here) but it got stained so I had to get rid of it. Then I saw a very similar skirt at J. Crew Factory for a fraction of the price and was so excited. I ordered it right away and when it came I realized it was exactly the same as the old J. Crew one! 

Sweater: Michael Kors (similar). Skirt: J. Crew (similar). Tights: Kate Spade. Booties: Aldo via Zappos. Purse: Forever 21. Necklace: Loft Outlet (similar). 

Aren't these tights adorable? I love that they're fun without being too in your face. The perfect compliment to a metallic sweater! And what about this little purse?! It's so baby! I can't get over how cute it is. I bought it in red too :)

How was your weekend? Mine was excellent. Mark and I made dinner for my mom, watched lots of movies (watch The Intouchables on Netflix--so so good!), had drinks with a friend, spent time with family, and watched the Golden Globes of course :)

Happy Monday!

xo Catherine 

Sweater: Nordstrom. Faux leather leggings: Club Monaco (very similar). Booties: Aldo via Zappos. Purse: Forever 21 (very similar). Necklace: Add-a-Pearl. Earrings: Baublebar. 

I have a feeling that you're going to be seeing a lot of these booties over the next few months. I'm obsessed! Mark gave me this ultra-cozy sweater for Christmas and I think I've worn it four times already! It's so cozy and the high-low hem is perfect to wear with these faux leather leggings. The necklace I'm wearing here is very near and dear to me. It's an Add-a-Pearl necklace and so it started as just one pearl that I got from my grandma when I was probably seven or eight. My sister has one too. My grandma has since passed away, but my mom continues to give us pearls for birthdays and Christmases. The idea is that eventually we'll have a full string of pearls. 

Hope your week is going well!

xo Catherine 

Top: J. Crew Factory (similar). Waterfall cardigan: Loft (similar). Necklaces: J. Crew (similar) and J. Crew Factory. Jeans: Gap. Boots: Aldo via Zappos. Purse: Forever 21 (very similar). 

I wore this outfit out for a casual date night with Mark last week; it was perfect for dinner and a movie. These booties are one of my favorite Christmas presents that I received. I already have so many outfits planned around them! 

Well the last three weeks of break have breezed by. It's back to work tomorrow, and then classes start again in two weeks. Mark and I had a very relaxed NYE. We ordered pizza, made champagne drinks, and watched movies (I may or may not have fallen asleep before midnight #whoops). Then we went to my cousin's wedding on Friday night, which was so fun! I love weddings. We also celebrated Christmas with Mark's family and then had a fancy night out in Minneapolis last night. 

I just wanted to say a quick thank you for following along with this little blog. I love creating content and it's amazing that someone's actually reading it! So thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your support!

Happy Monday!

xo Catherine 

1. An adorable bow pump from Forever 21. I bought these on Cyber Monday for a wedding in January!

2. I've given up on finding the perfect plaid pant, but now I just want a pair of pants that aren't jeans to mix things up a bit. These ivory cords from J. Crew fit the bill.

3. So in love with this plaid moto jacket from Gap. I didn't buy it on Black Friday/Cyber Monday because I felt that I had plenty of coats (can you ever really have too many?) and because it doesn't look that warm for a MN winter. However, it looks perfect for a CA winter :) so I may just have to snap it up if it goes on sale again.

4. Love this little leopard cross body by Kenneth Cole.

5. I put these ALDO booties on my Christmas list and am hoping that Santa brings them :)

6. I'm hoping that someday in the near future I'll have enough room in my apartment for a bar cart because they are just so cute (and functional for entertaining). This gold one from Target is currently catching my eye. 

Happy Friday! Did you have a good week? I sure did. I barely had any homework (the calm before the finals storm), my volleyball team won the intramural championship (I've been playing since 3rd grade!), and I have a fun weekend ahead. Tonight I'm doing happy hour with my sister and cousin (margaritas!), and then I have a holiday party, tomorrow I'll start studying for finals, but then I have another holiday party! Love this festive time of year!

xo Catherine 

p.s. to learn a little bit more about me head on over to The Trendy Chick to read a fun interview!