My vision is complete!

There has been something about this summer. I can't quite put my finger on it, on what has changed and what has made these past few months so satisfying. Maybe it's that I'm actually content with life, at where I'm at and where I'm going and what I felt this time last year isn't relevant anymore. It just isn't relevant. What a pressure lifted. While I still hold some weight on my shoulders, probably always will, I have been able to enjoy things easier than I have in the past - like updating Mostly Lisa here and there, going on spontaneous adventures with friends and enjoying these luxurious summer nights driving with the windows down. Listening to Ella Vos, Exes, Bleachers. Singing and then talking back forth, especially about the perfect summer trends.

So many conversations in person and online about those trends. Since it is the end of the second week of August, I am trying to cram in one big trend of finding summer dresses to wear to work and on those adventures. Luckily, there have been many to choose from and I have only just scratched the surface of wearing and finding them. My last post included one of the finds, however, I had to talk about this black challis crochet maxi shirt dress from Torrid, which has easily become my favorite casual summer dress this year. The 3/4 length sleeves are perfect to keep the look casual and are my type of sleeve. I paired this look with the same boater hat and flats (yeah, I totally changed in the woods for this photoshoot) to tie it all together. Ugh, I love this summer and I do not want it to end. Who wants to be swept away with me into a romantic next few weeks? I'll be here waiting in my many dresses.

The weather in Minnesota for the past couple of months has been unbearable. It's supposed to be spring, right? With 20 degree temps, the white stuff deterring the green stuff from showing and just plain gloomy days, I am consistently looking for ways to make these long days feel a little brighter.

The age old trend of florals for spring will more than likely never stop bringing a huge sigh of disappointment from those high-end fashionistas. However, there are now so many different ways to wear the trend that options are limitless for anyone willing to try. I, for one, am never going to tire from this trend so I knew I hit the jackpot when I found this stunning Who What Wear x Target ruffle slit dress featuring a gorgeous floral pattern that I had not seen before. (similar).

This dress in particular has given me so many compliments from so many different people that I simply want to wear it every time I go out. It has become a staple piece for my wardrobe and it's so much fun being able to mix and match various accessories with it. For this version, I paired it with an adorable belt from Target featuring a fox head clasp. To complete the look, I slipped into these comfortable tan braided booties. Think work appropriate that can easily transition into a date night look. This one's for you, Miranda Priestly!

What does your reflection say about you? For me, it says that I have every right to be who I am and to love the person I have become. Do you know how long it has taken me to actually be able to say these words with confidence?! If you had asked me even a year ago if I liked who I was completely, inside and out, I would have laughed in your face and probably broken down ugly crying. While I am always on the verge of tears anytime someone compliments me on a part of myself, I can now actually accept the words that are given to me and not think they are lie. Progress people, progress! Most of my insecurities are still always looming in the back of my mind, however, I now know that I can work on improving what they are and not feel like a victim to them. My main insecurity is pretty obvious, weight issues, but I can now realize and understand that that is not the only part of me that is worthy of being accepted. I can fix that part when I chose to, and people care about me no matter what number is on the scale.

Again, this is serious progress for me mentally and I am hoping that every part of my self and my reflection continues to improve while I get older.While I am currently seeing all of this, I'm also seeing another important aspect of myself that I never had before. I have damn good fashion sense + style for someone who shops on a budget. This may not seem that important, but hello, I have a fashion blog and a fashion degree! We may all know that I have several people I look to for style and that have a major influence on the fashion industry, i.e; Ashley Graham, Nicolette Mason, Alex Michael May, etc., I have taken their inspiration and made it into something that is completely me. The latest trend I have incorporated into being my fashionable self? Velvet, baby! It is a MUST-HAVE for fall and winter, and I am thrilled that it has lasted for the past year or so. I have been wearing this velvet kimono from Torrid on rotation for the past month or so, as it is so comfortable and sophisticated at the same time. It is the perfect cardigan to dress up or down, and I am for sure going to be wearing it even into winter.

This time of year is always my favorite when it comes to fashion. I always tend to find myself wearing a little bit more sparkle, daring to wear dresses when it's freezing outside and finding ways to incorporate winter accessories into whatever outfit I'm wearing. All of this definitely tests my desire to be super casual, but I think I've actually found a good balance on how to be both this holiday season. It's all about the details!

Details are so important for any outfit - they can make it or break it, let's be honest. I've been pretty lucky to have a keen eye for finding a lot of items that have exactly what I'm looking for, and this outfit is definitely one of them. You may be thinking that an all black outfit can't necessarily be 'festive' during this time of year, but like I said, it's the details that will bring out everything you need to be in the holiday spirit. My favorite part of this casual outfit? It has to be the AVA + VIV Bell Sleeve Peasant Blouse from Target! I purchased this during the fall and I've worn it several times, especially during October, but it has transformed into one of my favorite blouses to wear on a special occasion. The bell sleeves are probably the best part of it, as they bring out extra bohemian vibes along with the lace accents on the sleeves and upper area of the blouse. It's easy to wear with pretty much anything, so that is why I put the Mossimo Loose Fitting Long Vest from Target over it. It just adds a nice sophisticated touch that you can dress up or down, which fits perfectly into my type of style. Finally, I put on a pair of my favorite Mid-Rise Pixie Ankle Pants from Old Navy, the cutest ankle velvet booties + a velvet choker to complete the look.

This entire look cost under $100 as well, so you can't go wrong with finding something that matches your style + budget. I'm definitely looking forward to wearing this at least a couple more times, in various forms, this month and the next. At least I know I'll be casual + festive!

It has been one interesting + exciting week for Mostly Lisa! So many new ideas and collaborations are in the works this month and the next. I'm beyond excited to finish off this year with a bang! I am also just completely game to collaborate, connect and be inspired. One of the bigger sources all of this came from was the partnership that I have now started with Caribou Coffee! You may have seen the post/giveaway I did with them last month for #CaribouTribute! Well, they asked me to participate again with their holiday campaign this year. Ho-ho-ho, indeed!

The company's campaign for Holiday 2016 is all about the toppings - whether you put whip, chocolate chips or even Snickers on your drink, you are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. So you have your classic drink combos, right? Well this holiday season, you can now choose from 500+ drink combinations.  Caribou Coffee has officially gone over the top! So they set out on asking influencers (yes, ME BEING ONE OF THEM!) how do we #TopBou? There was really only one way they could get us to answer, and that was by hosting an amazingly cool pop-up coffee lab in Mall of America on 11/15 + 11/16. They invited me, a few other local bloggers and guests visiting the Rotunda in the Mall to stop by and create our own unique holiday drink on Caribou!

Once we chose our drink of choice, whip cream flavor + toppings galore, we could then capture our creation on the special Coffee Cam they had up on the big screen! It was a really unique + interactive experience for everyone that attended. Being able to share the drink you made with people at the event and passing by felt like a really fun way to express yourself. You will see mine above + below, to which I decided to call the Mostly Lisa. Smart, right? The Mostly Lisa is pretty straightforward - a milk chocolate mocha, vanilla whip cream, vanilla chocolate chips, candy cane, toffee caramel crunch and brownie bites! It was pretty dang tasty, if I do say so myself. That being said, I would absolutely LOVE if any of you went to your local Caribou Coffee and ordered this drink. Make sure to do so on Tuesday because you can get $1 off a large holiday drink! Oh, and you better share a photo of that drink with me! #drinkgoals

Thank you so much to Caribou Coffee for inviting me to the #TopBou event this week! It was an absolute blast and I loved being able to get a jump start on the holiday season with a delicious drink.

I have literally always wanted to find a staple piece that could transition from day to night with ease. Being able to have something that you could wear to work and then seamlessly change into for an outfit later on that night - whether you're going on a date, or having a drink with friends - is a must! A major trend for fall 2016 that I've seen lately is the embroidered bomber jacket, and I thought what better staple piece to bring into my wardrobe that fulfill that need?! The obsession that grew while trying to find the perfect one for me was insane, and luckily the turnaround on finding one went pretty quickly after searching through boohoo.com!  Not only is this jacket fun and playful with the embroidered floral print on the sleeves and back, but the EXTRA magical part is that this jacket can also be turned inside out and be multi-functional.

When deciding what I actually wanted to wear with the jacket, I decided to opt for more neutral tones that would sit back and let the staple piece speak for itself. Fun fact - I actually didn't realize that the night portion of this would have me looking & feeling like a Pink Lady from 'Grease', but I guess that's not such a bad thing. I decided to wear a relaxed tee from Old Navy - that would also transition easily to the night outfit and other outfits that I decide to wear throughout the season. I paired the tee with my favorite pair of dark blue skinny jeans from Ava & Viv - Target, as well pointed Mary Jane flats that are also extremely perfect for fall! Keeping everything the same, besides the pants, the night portion saw me incorporating a black pencil skirt from Old Navy as well.

There is nothing better to me than being able to have multi-functional use for an item, especially when I'm on a budget. If one piece of my wardrobe can accentuate an outfit in several different ways, I'm going to be a happy camper. This bomber jacket is definitely going to be used quite a bit this year and the next!

from day

to night

If there was thing that would make me happy above everything else, it would be if the weather could stay the way it is right now all year round. It's magical, it's romantic and above all, it's comfortable. By that I mean, you can truly take the time to enjoy the little things and embrace them fully. There is more time to appreciate the colors that are so vibrant, and the sunsets that are consistently so beautiful every evening. You don't get those chances any other time during the year, and that makes me really enjoy autumn. The state I live in, Minnesota, offers both of those so nicely during October + November that I really dread when it becomes December.

I say that because, the other thing I really appreciate about this time? There is still the motivation to be happy and want to be outgoing. Winter brings out a really dark part of me, where I tend to be more depressed than I usually am, and I hate that it can affect me so much. It's brutal, I tend to want to isolate myself more because it's so cold outside! At least in fall, your outside view is like a painting waiting to be seen. Here's hoping this upcoming cold season won't be too bad, and then we can go right into spring!
I should probably slow down though, right? Jumping too far ahead, so let's go back to last weekend! My sister and her family joined me on a trip up North, to Gooseberry Falls in Two Harbors, Minnesota. This time of year is so beautiful up there, you get the best scenery of colors and atmosphere. It's beginning to become tradition to go up there, whether it's with family or friends, and I'm quite liking it. The chance to get away, even if for a few hours, is super relaxing and you're still in the same state!

 If you should ever visit the Midwest, I highly recommend stopping by this area and enjoying it like I do. Which area in your state do you enjoy seeing the autumn colors and scenery? Let me know in the comments below, and I hope you have a beautiful weekend!