winter coat

Urban Explorer

December 5, 2017 by jessica 3 Comments

Last week I couldn’t stop singing Paul Oakenfold’s “Starry-Eyed Surprise” as I worked on the post for my star-print dress and now I can’t stop singing T-Pain’s “Low,” specifically the “boots with the fur” lyric, for obvious reasons. (My music choices are questionable, I realize this.) Hiking boots really aren’t my thing, but I fell in love with this quasi-practical pair because of the speckled navy and tan fur. It’s such an unexpected accent on a winter staple, and it’s pretty fun to boot. (See what I did there? 😉 ) I walked a few miles in them on Saturday and they stayed comfortable and plenty warm. Admittedly, we weren’t exactly experiencing true Midwestern winter temperatures at the time, but they seem like they’ll be a good choice when I’m not actually trudging through snow.

Mint in Milwaukee

February 6, 2017 by jessica 6 Comments

Last Friday, Dave and I decided to book a last-minute hotel for Saturday night in Milwaukee. We didn’t have much planned other than joining in the Mitten Fest hoopla at Burnhearts, a small bar in neighboring Bay View with an excellent beer lineup. They host the annual outdoor festival to raise money and collect donations for a local nonprofit, and lure people there with beer, food, and live music. And while I wore a more practical coat than the one featured here (and one I didn’t mind having beer splashed on), this outfit is a pretty good representation of what I typically wear in the winter for daytime drinks at cozy beer bars, running errands, and sightseeing strolls around the city. Plus, it’s a great example of why having a fun coat collection is vital for beating the winter doldrums. It’s hard to be unhappy about winter’s chill when there’s a pretty coat in your arsenal!

P.S. Remember to enter to win a sterling silver “XOX” charm necklace from Helen Ficalora!

*Try them yourself! Sign up for a FREE month of DITTO’s Endless Eyewear program with code BEDKNOBS.

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Linking Up: Still Being Molly, Pink Sole, More Pieces of Me, Style Nudge, Claire Justine

Winter Wonderland

December 12, 2016 by jessica 11 Comments

If you’ve been following along on Instagram or Snapchat (username: bedknobsbaubles), you’ll know that Dave and I in Chicago for a couple of days and getting in the holiday spirit at the Christkindlmarket. Scouring the market in search of a new Christmas ornament or decoration (or, let’s face it, both) and overindulging in glühwein and German pretzels has made this my favorite annual tradition. We’ve gone to the market three years out of the five we’ve been together and I don’t see it ending any time soon! This year, we’re adding in a couple of new holiday adventures: glogg at Simon’s Tavern and the ZooLights at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Let me know if there’s anything I should add to our itinerary!

P.S. You can enter to win the pearl earrings I’m wearing in this post right over here.

Grey Daze

December 5, 2016 by jessica 14 Comments

When you live in an area that experiences true winter weather, I don’t think it’s terribly overindulgent to own a wardrobe of coats to beat the frigid temperatures. After all, you’ll be reaching for one just about every day from November through March! Wearing the same coat day in and day out would become boring awfully fast!

In additon to a goes-with-everything black peacoat (which I recently purchased in mint, too), a brightly colored cocoon coat, a practical and flattering parka (that I’m still on the hunt for), my ideal coat collection includes a sophisticated day-to-night number like this gorgeous coat from Garnet Hill. The belted, wrap shape is effortlessly elegant while the faux fur collar makes for an eye-catching statement that’s perfect for the holiday season. It’s versatile, too. It elevates a pair of jeans, looks great with work garments, and complements cocktail dresses.

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Linking Up: Still Being Molly + Lipgloss and Crayons, Pink Sole, More Pieces of Me, Fizz and Frosting, Style Nudge, Claire Justine

Newly Minted

November 14, 2016 by jessica 15 Comments

At this point, purchasing a wool winter coat isn’t fulfilling any sort of “need” in my wardrobe. I have plenty of them as a Wisconsin resident. What I don’t have — and should have been shopping for — is an insulated parka from The North Face that I can bring along to Iceland if that happens next year. However, the [newly conjured] dream of owning a peacoat in my favorite color wasn’t going unrealized when this beauty went on sale at J.Crew. Dave gave me the black version of the peacoat a couple of years ago for Christmas. It’s one of my winter staples, so I knew the mint version would get just as much love and would be a welcome splash of color on winter’s dreariest days. Besides, when you live in a cold climate and wear winter coats a third of the year, you can never really have too many options. (At least that’s what I’m telling myself!)

Coat: J.Crew (the mint has been popping back on sale in various sizes)
Turtleneck: Banana Republic
Skirt: LOFT (old, similar)
Shoes: Ferragamo c/o Shopbop
Clutch: Diane von Furstenberg (on sale for 40% off at Nordstrom; here for full price)
Brooches: Vintage via eBay (search for “starburst brooches” for similar options; also check out Sweet & Spark)
Rings: c/o Julie Vos (similar); Monica Vinader
Sunglasses: Prada

Linking Up: Still Being Molly + Lipgloss and Crayons, Pink Sole, More Pieces of Me, Fizz and Frosting, Style Nudge, Not Dead Yet Style, Claire Justine