thursday threads [a-loft]

i found this little peplum sweater gem at my favorite work-wear store, the loft. while they always have great clothes at very reasonable prices, i do have a few rules when shopping at there to get the max for my money [so i can afford crazy ridiculous otk boots. and yes, i'm going to be bringing them up for the rest of the winter, get used to it]:

1) do not buy anything full price. if you wait 2 weeks [i know, for the impatient like yours truly it's tough] you can almost always get it on sale

2) sign up for the store card. i usually stay away from these, but the rewards points i rack up [it doesn't take much] can be worth an item or two each season

3) sign up for their email list. they always send great deals & steals a few times a week

now that you're a loft-shopping pro, here's what i did with my newest loft find:

[loft peplum sweater (in some stores) - similar, h&m jeans, sam edelman tucker boots, c-wonder reversible belt & buckle]

 [leaning back a little too far... oh, and showing off the belt]

  [this look gets the beau-high-five of approval!]

[and in other good news, it's almost friday!]

oh and one more thing [the best things]

i'm having a less-than-stellar day. 

for no apparent reason. 

when less-than-stellarness presents itself, 

i like to remind myself of the [very] best things in life.

[and obviously share them with you guys]:

[life is short/a little vino]

[smushy face/gordon's fisherdog]

[let's get crackin'/dental hygiene is important]

[my sister is the coolest/crotch naps are the best]

[summer remix/new boots]

[normal smiles/my favorite boys]

[i love oysters now/porsche i want vs. porsche i can afford]

[hey girl, fashion blogger/where's beau wilson?]

come find me on instagram [natalie_hodak] for more of the best things.

[and i hope YOU are having a stellar day]

wear it wednesday [blogging zen]

it's no secret that i'm a yoga-holic [here and here] so when philly fabb sent the invite for a fabb yoga-themed event at philly power yoga i rsvp'd faster than it was probably cool to do so [hey, i never claimed coolness]. 

so sunday afternoon i threw on my [matching] yoga duds:

[all workout wear from target, nike sneakers]

did some yoga moves on the balcony for my [hot] blog photographer to capture [further proving to my neighbors that i am a very short supermodel who is now expanding into fitness-wear... or crazy, you know, whichever]:

[can you believe that i couldn't touch my toes before, let alone do this?]

and headed downtown [the most bass-ackwards way possible because who wants to be practical?]. after squeezing my car into the tiniest spot possible in a crowded lot, and high-tailing it to the studio [because i am perpetually running late], i definitely needed a little zen in my life.

thankfully, the instructors [thanks abby & lauren!] quickly had me focusing on my breath and stretching myself into calmness. if philly power yoga wasn't so far away [damn you, suburbs!], i'd take a class daily [if you live in philly, definitely check 'em out].

[here i am showing off my balancing skills - or lack there of -  with jade of stylewallflower. 

don't act like you're not impressed. (image via & taken by)] 

because you know you're hungry after yoga, there were delicious wraps from fuel philly and my new favorite drink from bai5 [i had the blueberry, and grabbed extra for the road... it was glorious]. 

on top of blogging for myself, it's these events where i get to meet such awesome local bloggers [check out stylewallflower.com, trendhungry.com, thestyledarling.com and get introduced to great new local places that make it all so much fun for me. thanks again, philly fabb!

[and of course another wiww!]

oh and one more thing [the vine]

you can find me on the vine!

[download the vine app, search 'natalie hodak', enjoy entertaining video snippets]

tuesday threads [business on the top]

i feel like i should be going horseback riding wearing this getup [or giddyup?] or at least be off to some equestrian-themed event somewhere. 

but no, lil ole me wore this to work. [and hid behind my desk because technically, i mean, the pixie's are kind of tight]. 

 [i call this my 'come hither' face. it's wholly inappropriate]

  [now on to something more normal]

  [h&m blazer - similar, target polka-dot bow top, j.crew pixie pants, sam edelman tucker boots via shopbop sale - also here]

 [oh man is my hair getting long or what?]

 ['how you doin'?]

one of my friends at work walks in my office and says "wow, you're wearing a suit jacket?" [as the rest of my outfit is cleverly hidden under my desk] and i say, "yeah, but take a look at the rest" and proceed to raise my pixie/booted legs in the air. [i am class all. the. way, people!]

oh and one more thing [sawing logs]

so because today is pretty crappy out and an ominous mood seems to be the theme, i though i'd share a youtube video of beau snoring to help lighten everything up. [i suggest you turn up the sound, you're gonna wanna hear this].

enjoy!

[just a shar-pei sawing some logs]

monday musings [coveting closets: olivia palermo]

another monday [another week of work, boo-hiss], and another coveting closets! 

this week we have the always perfectly stylish olivia palermo. her style never ceases to amaze me. i love how she can juxtapose colors, prints, and textures and always [seriously, always] hit it out of the park with her look. whatever you think about her, girl's got some serious style chops. 

i would basically take her entire closet if possible, but i've narrowed it down to these 5 items:

1) the first time i laid my [greedy little brown] eyes on this outfit i vowed to get myself some collar clips. [i haven't yet, but every time i see it, i make that vow again] aren't they genius?

[image via]

2) this skirt [perfection]

[image via]

3) these leopard print booties [everyone needs a pair]

[image via]

4) this bag. it's kind of ugly-cute. [and i kind of really want it for summer]

[image via]

5) this cape [because it clearly goes perfect with my 50/50s]

[image via]

 hope you're having a stylish monday!

friday favs [make a statement]

i [long, pregnant pause] need your help.

i am incapable of wearing necklaces. [i think you can count two times on this blog i've worn one.] 

and i love necklaces. i have many [just ask hubby]! but i get this mind block when accessorizing end up taking whatever necklace i have on, off. it's terrible.

the few times in the past years i've worn a necklace, it was of the statement kind. you know, the big, edgy, bib-like, gorgeous piece of metal that dresses up your plain ole tee? 

right, well, that's all i can muster. kind of like this:

[3.1 Phillip Lim raglan tee, proenza schouler jersey t shirt, rag & bone knit top, chain jewelry, stella & dot necklace,  forever new chain necklace]

but i want to branch out. i want to be able to get and wear the beautiful delicate necklaces [think ariel gordon and jennifer zeuner] i see on my favorite bloggers/normal necklace-wearing people in general. [insert dramatic sigh here].

so, i need your help! how do you wear necklaces? with big earrings? and bracelets? is that too much? am i doomed to a necklace-less life? [i hope you're reading this with a higher pitched voice for each question a la stewie griffin.]

the "it" list

hot damn! do the it list ladies have some sweet posts for you this week or what!

• do you j.crew? styles up a closet staple: the tweed jacket!  Check out her gorgeous round up!
• the luxury rehab features a sneek peek of the upcoming Prabal Garang for Target line. This floral dress is just stunning! (find the luxury rehab on Twitter!)
• everything but ordinary looks simply adorable in this polka dot on polka dot look. Wearing double polka dots is definitely on my spring-to-do list! (find everything but ordinary on Twitter!)
• live. work. style. is showing her 'blogger day off' outfit, which of course is just as fabulous as her blogger day 'on' outfits! A perfectly casual and comfortable look! (find live. work. style. on Twitter!)
• rose a la mode is perfectly Florida-chic in this striped top, casual shorts with a bright pop of color by way of her purse! I love this look and am longing for spring! (find rose a la mode on Twitter!)
• my confidence + me pulls together the perfect 'comfy & cozy' work from home outfit. I am really digging this, especially with all the cold weather the midwest has been having! (find my confidence + me on Twitter!)
• a little bit of wo.we experiments with layering in a new way (to her!).  It looks adorable and was well worth trying something new! (find a little bit of wo.we on Twitter!)
• from carpools to cocktails pulls off the perfect 'day date' look. It's charming and beautiful, but also totally appropriate for the day time. See how she does it! (find from carpools to cocktails on Twitter!)
• my thrifty chic steals her husband's top and styles it so effortlessly cool. Find out how she tweaked it a bit to make it fit her perfectly! (find my thrifty chic on Twitter!)
• loop looks invested in a great navy blazer and was excited to pair it with an adorable polka dot top. The look is classic and modern - check it out! (find loop looks on Twitter!)
• the second best dishes on her two must have items in her closet and wears them together.  Hint: you are going to want these two items as well! They are classic and beautiful! (find the second best on Twitter!)
• a fashion fixation is hosting a giveaway for a gift card to LOFT!  Head on over to enter! The LOFT is having some great sales right now! (find a fashion fixation on Twitter!)
• dahlia lynn lane is talking Alt Summit, unicorns and red maxi skirts. Random perhaps, but definitely worth checking out! This outfit is so fabulous! (find dahlia lynn lane on Twitter!)
• one hundred inspirations features Olivia Palermo in floral pants and a neon top. While this look sounds wild, it is pulled off effortlessly and worth recreating!
• sweetie pie style is jumping right into spring style on her blog, and really, aren't we all totally ready for it? Check out her fun looks! (find sweetie pie style on Twitter!)

the IT list is brought to you weekly by Jill of good life, for information on how you can be involved... click here!

oh and one more thing [slip 'n' slide]

there is nothing worse than going into your warrior two pose and ending up in an unintentional split because at some point during that hour 100+ degree practice, your yoga mat has turned into a [gen-you-wine] slip 'n' slide. i'm not saying this happened to me [because splits and me ain't friends] but i'm saying i've been pretty close a few times. 

but, during one of my lunchtime jaunts to target, i happened upon this awesome no-slip yoga mat! it's more like a towel that goes over your regular mat [if you prefer it cushy] or on top of the harder mats some yoga studios have out [like mine does]. the feel of the mat is a little grippy, so the slippage factor gets decreased to almost nil! [and i have it in 3 colors, naturally.]

with the slip 'n' slide threat eliminated, now all you have to do is keep your balance. but after all, isn't balance what you're there to gain? [namaste!]

[gaiam yoga mat]

thursday threads [pixie]

i guess we can call this the week of the pixie pants. since they're probably my favorite purchase in the past few months [don't worry, the 50/50s come in at a very close second] i've been wearing them a lot. they're just so versatile! [shhh, if you don't tell anyone, i even wore them to work. with a very respectable polka dot sweater and ballet flats]. 

my handsome photographer and i have also discovered that doing pictures on our perfectly good balcony is roughly 10 degrees warmer than outside in front of our place. [jackpot!].

so welcome to our balcony, and my outfit [if you look closely, it's a take on the 'light & bright' side of my 50/50 post. since i don't have a pair of white jeans, the pixie's'll have to do!]

 [coach leather penny purse]

 [h&m floral top (old), j.crew pixie pants, stuart weitzman 50/50 boots]

[what's up?]

[and a kiss for beau!]

wear it wednesday [wildfox]

have you heard of wildfox couture? they're a quirky women's knitwear brand whose t-shirts and sweatshirts i happen to love. because they tend to be a bit too pricey [like $75 for a t-shirt, whaaatttt] i only snag up some wildfox when it goes on sale [try shopbop or revolve clothing]. apart from this sweet off-white tee [yes, it says love potion no. 9], i have a black one [worn for new years] and a white one with a color print that's encountered an unfortunate laundry accident [don't you just hate those?] and is now a bit faded [other than that one experience, they wash/dry just fine]. 

so uh, now that you know of my small wildfox couture t-shirt collection [if you can call it that], here's how i usually wear it:

 [pjk patterson j. kincaid jacket (this baby just went on sale!), h&m denim shirt, wildfox couture love potion no. 9 tee (old) - similar, j.crew pixie pant, target wedge sneakers, coach leather penny purse]

 [oh, face]

 [just doing a little dance]

[a little cold gust of wind. winter, i dislike you]

in the summer [when it's not quite so freezing] it looks really sweet tucked into a pair of boyfriend jean shorts with a nice belt, and j.crew flip flops. if you're into the whole tucking thing. i'll, uh, just show you when it gets a bit warmer. 

[oh hey and i thought i'd link up with the pleated poppy for a little 'what i wore wednesday', or as the cool people say, wiww... check it out!]