Crochet Cardigan & Slip Dress: Creature Of Habit

To be perfectly honest, change is not one of those things in life that I enjoy…

THE STORY

…I’ve been on this Earth long enough to understand that it’s an unavoidable part of life. But that doesn’t have to mean that I like it. I’m an absolute creature of habit. My day to day life is very set in routine; fortunately, my husband is the same way. We aren’t world travelers. Sure, we’ve taken trips and visited other places, but we’re happiest sticking close to home. Sometimes I wonder if we’re missing out on things by not venturing out more often, but we’re happy and that’s all that matters. The armchair psychiatrist in me is pretty certain I crave routine and constancy because of the utter chaos I survived as a child. My lizard brain says predictability is good; upheaval is bad.

I’m the same way in all aspects of my life, work being no exception. Over the years I’ve taught in two different school districts and a total of five different school buildings, but you know what? My desk has been set up in the exact same arrangement regardless of where I was. The exact same arrangement. Right down to the location of my lovingly handcrafted paper clip dish that my son made for me in art class in elementary school. I kid you not; I’m a freak. Currently my work habitat is in a state of disarray due to movement of staff from place to place. And if any change will put me at the edge of insanity it’s changing the people in my world. It takes me a long time to decide to trust someone and fully accept them. Two people whom I’m used to having with me every day (one has been with me for almost 3 years) are gone or will be in another week, and someone entirely new arrived today. And a good chunk of this change was entirely unexpected, so ya, I’m currently feeling as tense as a mouse that wandered into a honey badger den. Yes, I know that I’ll adapt and things will eventually settle back into a routine, but dang, cut a girl a break.

THE OUTFIT

I wanted to give the over the knee boots one last hurrah before they’re banished to summer storage in the closet annex aka the attic. And nothing goes better with over the knee boots than a lacy slip dress. Since it’s still falling on the cool side in regard to temperature, layers were definitely in order. And what better layering piece than this gorgeous crochet cardigan gifted to me by Coldwater Creek? It’s just the perfect weight for this time of the year when it’s cool, but not cold. When I was browsing the Coldwater Creek Spring/Summer collection, this crochet cardigan jumped out at me because I knew it would fit perfectly with the boho vibe I’ve been rockin’ for a bunch of months now. I have a few other crochet jacket/cardigans, but this one is definitely of a much better quality. It’s lightweight, yet still substantially constructed. I chose navy blue because although I love it and it’s super versatile, I don’t own much in that shade. I added the striped top underneath because a) the aforementioned chill in the air, and b) umm…print mix my friends. When do I pass up an opportunity to mix prints?

THE TIP

The transitional periods between Winter/Spring and Summer/Fall are probably the toughest times to decide what to wear. I don’t know about where you are, but here I may well need a light winter coat in the morning and by afternoon I’m fine in a tee shirt with no jacket. The key is light layers. That way throughout the day, you can add and subtract as necessary. Again, I said light layers. The top layer should be a blazer or lightweight cardigan. Anything heavier weight would be too much.

THE LINK UPS

Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…

Cardigan: c/o Coldwater Creek; Dress: Three Bird Nest (Similar); Boots: Charlotte Russe (Similar)

DISCLOSURE: This cardigan was gifted to me c/o Coldwater Creek. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.