Wow! November flew by and as the last days of Fall are approaching, I’m soaking up every single moment I can wandering through our forests filled with Autumn leaves. One of the nice things about living here in Houston is that because the city is so geographically large (unlike NY which is more population dense), you can see all sorts of different nature environments. From soaring pine trees of Cypress, Tomball and the Woodlands to the beautiful lakes of Conroe – the views are beautiful if you can look past all of the concrete of highways and skyscrapers.

Layering has become a skill I’ve really mastered since I moved to this part of the country. We don’t have cold weather stick around for months at a time (or even weeks for that matter), so building a wardrobe or outfit in layers is one of the most comfortable ways to dress. Whether it be a puffy vest (see here) over a lightweight sweater or thick scarf, layers can be easily removed for comfort. Another thing I really like the look of for colder climates is to layer coats. It works best if you have an oversize longer coat and you layer on top of a shorter coat. You can also layer over a lighter weight trench coat.

For today, I decided that a simple black long-sleeved tee would be best with a hat and scarf. As the temperatures rose, I took the jacket off, but scarf and hat kept me pretty cozy. I made this skirt a long time ago and have worn it over and over again. I used A Pair & A Spare’s Circle Skirt Tutorial for the instructions. It’s pretty easy and this one was actually handstitched. I love the look of a houndstooth print. It is a little preppy, but at the same time classic.

For someone who usually loves color, I’ve noticed this season I’ve worn more neutrals – here, here, here and here. My favorite neutral colors are camel and cream. I have several cream coats and a few camel pieces as wardrobe staples. You really can’t go wrong with a classic peacoat. It never goes out of style and is great for a more casual look. This one is from Old Navy and no longer available, but I’ve found a few options here and here.

On another note, if you are in the Houston Area, there are so many fun things going on around town right now to include an outdoor ice skating rink. This week I took my daughter there for a spin on the ice. It was so magical to actually skate outside! Check out a quick picture here, and you can visit Discovery Green's website to learn more.

There is also an amazing light installation by Bruce Munro called, "Field of Lights." I made a quick video of it on Instagram. It felt like I was in this pretty technicolor field of flowers. It doesn't cost anything and is worth making a trip downtown to walk through for a few minutes. It's also right beside one of my favorite restaurants in town, Pappasito's. I love traveling my own city! It's so easy to get stuck in a rut, but branching out to see new parts of where you live is what life is all about. I love making memories with my dear friends and family.

Back to the clothes, I wore this a few years back in August 2013 here with a red necktie blouse. Although both looks are in classic color schemes, they are geared towards completely different seasons. The summer look was in the 90s while the fall/winter look was much, much cooler. When I made the skirt I looked for something that was easy to wash and would hang nicely. I oftentimes choose to go with cotton since it washes, irons and breathes well. I hate dry-cleaning. I grew up as an Army brat and we just didn't dry clean. Sounds funny, but from a pretty early age I learned how to iron and look for materials that don't need dry cleaning.

No. 8: Fast Forward Friday

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