Fall Style – A Dash of Solt

FALL PICNIC ESSENTIALS WITH WINC WINE

Published on October 5, 2020October 4, 2020 by ShannonLeave a comment

2020 has challenged us all and taught us many lessons. I think one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is how to embrace the present. That includes embracing the season in which we are in. This is definitely easier said than done. It’s so easy to be planning and strategizing for the next big thing, but with 2020 stopping us in our tracks, literally, I’ve found joy in the simpler things.

One of the unexpected pleasures of 2020 has been the amount of time we spend outside. I can’t recall any other time in my life where, no matter the weather forecast, we spend much of the day playing in our own backyard. I find myself craving the fresh air every day now.

Because we are outside so much, I’m always looking for new activities for our family and one of the fall activities on my list for this year has been to set up a picnic in our backyard. It’s the perfect way for Rob and I to relax with a glass of wine and some snacks while we watch Lilly delight in chasing Gryff around the yard.

If you are planning a picnic of your own this fall, here are a few things you will need:

A plaid blanket for sitting.
A charcuterie board filled with your favorite snacks – I’m trying to eat clean, so ours consisted of nitrate free salami, green apples, and raw almonds. (Rob likes to include cheese and crackers for himself).
A scarf or cozy sweater if there is a chill in the air.
A nice selection of wine. I tend to choose dry reds this time of year (Pinot Noir is my all time favorite). And bonus: I have a discount code for you guys to use at Winc! Winc is a monthly wine club that delivers wine right to your doorstep! Upon sign-up, you take a very short quiz to determine your tastes and Winc will select and curate wines specifically for you. You can choose dry, sweet, red, white, low sugar, low sulfur – the options are endless. By clicking here, you can get a $22 discount plus complimentary shipping which comes out to 4 bottles of wine for $39! And personally, I have not had a wine I didn’t like from Winc – everything they recommend for me is so good!
A couple of pumpkins for those photo ops.
Great company – I choose my hubby, my baby girl, and my furry pup.

That’s all you need! I hope you guys create a fall picnic of your own! Don’t forget to check out the Winc Wine Club – you won’t regret it!

Slainte,

Shannon

STYLE: FALL CLASSICS

Published on September 14, 2020September 13, 2020 by ShannonLeave a comment

The days are getting cooler, the evenings are getting dark earlier, and I find myself needing to grab a light sweater or cardigan in the early mornings – fall must be just on the horizon. As sad as I am to say goodbye to summer in a few weeks, I do enjoy the cozy aspects of fall. Think plaid, sweatshirts, red wine, OSU football, apple picking, pumpkins, yoga pants, striped sweaters, and cozy knits. Ohio actually does fall pretty well (maybe not as good as New England), but we have a solid 3-4 weeks of gorgeous fall foliage and we try to make the most of this fleeting season every year.

I’m excited today to be chatting about fall wardrobe classics with my favorite fellow mamas, Sarah from Cozy Little Joys and Stephanie from Linen and Littles. The three S’s are teaming up again to share our favorite staples for fall.

My fall look is pretty consistent with my summer look – easy and effortless. It might come across as slightly dressier though because I do wear a lot of button ups. I’m consistently inspired by the New England prep look for fall. I wish I could wear the warm/natural colors of autumn but my skin tone is just too pink so I stick with my signature blue and white aesthetic.

Below are some basic pieces that are must haves in my fall wardrobe.

Puffer Vest: Honestly, everyone should own a puffer vest or two. I have one in navy and I wear it all the time. When the temperature hovers around 50 degrees, a chunky sweater with a puffer vest is the BEST. These are so easy to layer and I even layer my vest under my puffer coat in the winter when it’s bitter cold.

Hunter Boots: From October through April you can pretty much find me in my Hunter Boots. These are the best fall/winter boots. They keep your feet dry (although wear warm socks in the winter) in rain and snow. And I just love how they look tucked into skinny jeans with an oversized knit sweater, puffer vest, and cozy knit hat. I have these in their signature Hunter Green and black.

Classic Striped Sweater: Everyone needs a striped sweater in classic navy and white for the fall. You can layer it with a button up underneath or a puffer vest on top – or both! It’s an easy, effortless, and always stylish addition to any fall wardrobe.

S.Lynch Knitwear Hat: If the temperature is under 55 degrees, you better believe I’m wearing a hat and the handmade knit hats from S.Lynch Knitwear are my FAVORITE. I have three of them, that’s how great they are. The quality is superb, the craftsmanship beautiful, and the styles are classic New England prep. Do yourself a favor and get yourself one!!

Classic Button Up: I love a classic button up shirt. I wear these almost daily in the fall because they can be layered in so many different ways. I tend to lean toward ones that are striped, gingham, or chambray – usually in shades of blue (shocker!).

Sweater Blazer: The sweater blazer was a new addition to my closet last fall and I’m in love! I have a blush pink one and I wear it all.the.time. It’s perfect for work but it’s also equally perfect with a tee-shirt and skinny jeans. A must have for every fall wardrobe.

Plaid Scarf: This may be my Scottish heritage talking, but everyone should own a plaid scarf. Plaid is the ultimate print for autumn and you really cannot have too many plaid scarves. I’m fortunate enough to have three from Scotland, but L.L. Bean, J.Crew, and Gap always have great options. I mean, is there anything cozier that a plaid scarf and hot coffee on a crisp fall morning?!

For more classic styles, be sure to check out Sarah (Cozy Little Joy) and Stephanie’s (Linen & Littles) fall staples!

Slainte,

Shannon

STYLE: SUMMER BLUES

Published on August 31, 2020August 30, 2020 by ShannonLeave a comment

I must preface this blog post with a recap of this photoshoot and a little behind the scenes. Taking photos with a toddler in tow is always exciting and unpredictable, but this photoshoot in particular was exceptionally challenging. When we arrived down by The Docks, Rob and I both realized we forgot our wallets at home (for those not local, The Docks are a row of high end restaurants situated snugly along the Maumee River with gorgeous views of the Toledo skyline across the way). Eeeek. Not a huge deal as we were not planning to eat or shop, but a big deal if we happened to get pulled over!

Fast forward a bit and as I gave Rob the go ahead to start snapping away, three geese came out of nowhere, charging towards me! While I had geese chasing me for food, Rob realized that our camera battery was dead. Clearly we were not off to the best start! To add to the frustration, L fell and skinned her knee and we realized after 30 minutes of being out in the sun, we forgot to put sunscreen on L. Oy! Nonetheless, we continued on with the photo shoot and L had a great time running along the boardwalk. And looking back we can have a good chuckle about how imperfect this blogging world truly is.

Now onto the fun stuff! It’s that time of year where some people hold on to summer, some rush towards fall, and some try and blend the two seasons as best they can. I’m definitely feeling those summer blues and I’m more apt to hold on to summer as long as possible, but the cooler mornings and evenings means that fall is inevitably on its way. I’m finding myself reaching for my beach sweaters and button ups as an extra layer in the morning and then going back to full on summer come the afternoon. Sometimes the transition in between seasons is the most challenging to dress for, so below I’m sharing some ways that you can keep blend two seasons together.

For this outfit, I styled a three quarter length button up tunic in summer stripes (fall style with a summer print), navy chino shorts in navy (summer shorts in a fall-ish color), swapped out my sandals for tassel loafers, and kept my summer straw tote and rattan headband – it is summer after all.

For Those Team Summer

> Do keep styling your straw tote and tortoise shell sunglasses.

> Add a rattan headband or straw hat – rattan and straw are both must have styles of summer and are perfectly acceptable to style through Labor Day.

> Keep wearing stripes! Stripes, especially blue and white ones, are the epitome of summer style. Never stop wearing blue and white stripes.

> As long as it’s warm out, keep styling those shorts. I love to wear my shorts with a tee and layer with a beach sweater or cardigan.

For Those Team Fall

> Swap out sleeveless shirts for button up shirts. You can roll the sleeves as the day continues to warm up.

> My summer style is very casual and mom chic (I have to chase a toddler after all!). To transition it slightly, I swap out my denim jean shorts for my chinos in dark navy.

> Pair ballet flats or loafers with shorts and a three quarter length shirt.

> Vice versa, you can style denim pants with sleeveless tops.

You can choose your color palette and accessories depending on your preference for summer or fall. Really though, the most important style tip to remember when you have two seasons colliding is to dress in layers.

Happy End of Summer and Happy Almost Fall!

Slainte,

Shannon

SHOP THE LOOK:

STYLE: FALL HEADBANDS WITH S.LYNCH KNITWEAR

Published on August 24, 2020August 23, 2020 by ShannonLeave a comment

With the official start of fall less than a month away, (eeeek!!) many people are starting to think about transitioning their wardrobe to fall. Fall is actually my second favorite season, so I will embrace it in due time, but I prefer to love summer until the last possible moment. I won’t officially break out my fall wardrobe until October, but I will start to add in subtle touches like ballet flats, leopard print accessories, and maybe a denim jacket.

I’m thrilled that S.Lynch Knitwear designed a collection of autumn inspired headbands. This is the perfect way for me to subtly acknowledge the end of summer and the return of fall. The fall collection of headbands from S.Lynch Knitwear is so good. Think purples, dark gingham, leopard, and fall florals. These headbands are the perfect way to blend my summer wardrobe and autumn inspired colors.

Below are two ways I’ve styled two of the new patterns from the fall collection. Be sure to shop the new collection from S.Lynch Knitwear on Instagram when it drops this Friday, August 28 at 7:00 p.m. est.

LEOPARD PRINT

I paired the leopard print headband, which is a perfect neutral for fall/winter with a striped t-shirt dress, white canvas sneakers, and a classic denim jacket. The perfect amount of summer and fall mixed together. Don’t be afraid to treat leopard as a neutral and mix it with other patterns!

GINGHAM PRINT

I knew the minute I saw this print I needed it. I love gingham all year round and the deep purple makes it an easy transition into fall. I paired this headband with classic denim white shorts and a three-quarter length chambray shirt.