Caitlin’s Closet – The Sol Compass

My Go To Airport Outfit

I’m going to be pretty blunt with you all. I have been raging war against airport fashion since I was ten and saw my fellow children getting on the airplane in pajamas (didn’t they know what my mom said about pajamas not being acceptable in public?!)

That being said, airports are the only place I don’t overdress for. Au contraire, I am probably judging you pretty hard if you wear stilettos to the airport.

My travel outfit is pretty much what I can be most comfortable in without sacrificing personal appearance. For example, sneakers I can get on board with, leggings I cannot.

Long Blazer. The long blazer is crucial to looking polished, but keeping yourself warm during your flight. This is an old blazer-coat hybrid from Old Navy, but I love this one and this one.

Uniqlo Leggings Pants. These were a recent addition to my travel wardrobe and I would recommend them to everyone going on a long haul flight. I normally just wear jeans to the airport, but these are so comfortable for those cross-country flights, while looking like jeans! Plus, they’re only $30. You’re welcome.

Nikes. I used to exclusively travel in white lifestyle sneakers (think Chuck Taylors or Stan Smiths), but I’ve been loving the comfort and walkability of Nikes. I have TSA Precheck, so I don’t have to take my shoes off at the airport, but the sock form makes it super easy to slide in and out of if you do!

Cape Scarf or Travel Wrap. I know I’m not the only one out there who gets cold on planes… This travel wrap from Target is absolutely perfect – you can wear it as a scarf or as a cape, and even use it as a blanket!

Layers. Most obviously, I always wear layers I can take on or off, particularly based on the arrival destination. If I’m going somewhere down south, a t-shirt will be perfect for the warm sunshine waiting!

What’s your travel uniform? Let me know in the comments!

xo, C

5 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

Hi everyone – welcome back! I was looking for something in my OneNote app last week, and I found this post that I wrote last year and never published! I actually really like the way it came out so while it’s not completely relevant (I’m not doing Whole30 this year, and our trip to Florida was over a year ago), I decided not to change it and just leave the text as it was. It’s a good little reminder for myself too, since we’re right in the thick of those tired winter blues right now!

Today I want to share with you a few things that have helped me the past month combat those winter blues.

Take advantage of the slow season to focus on your health. While I was in Florida, I was really starting to feel the effects of eating out for every meal and snacking unhealthily throughout the day. There was no way I was going to pass up a beignet or a churro or a Mickey bar… I have never dieted a day in my life, but I was starting to feel the effects of all the bread products and sugar I had been having. Towards the end of the trip I started thinking about going on Whole30. Then I got a stomach bug and pretty much didn’t leave my bed for three days. After sleeping more than I usually do in a month and always being tired, I finalized my decision to start Whole30. My goal wasn’t to lose any weight or have a miraculous appearance change, but rather to force myself to make healthier habits. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit, and my hope was that at the end of Whole30 I would reach for healthier breakfasts (over my usual bagel) and have a better knowledge of what foods would help me feel better and give me the energy to keep going throughout my very long days (I usually wake up before six and frequently come home after 11). Researching a lot about food, what I could have, and experimenting with recipes also got me into a pretty good habit of meal prep and actually taking time to make my own breakfast, which was my ultimate goal. During the first week I missed carbs so much. Mentally I kept thinking I was hungry or needed a more “filling” part of a meal as I stared at chicken and vegetables on repeat. I can definitely say that my Whole30 journey was a success in steering me away from the empty carbs and towards food with a nutritional value, and having a slower social season to focus on it was really helpful as well.

Drink more water. This is one of those things that everyone sort of knows we should do but hardly anyone actually believes they do enough. I always thought S’well bottles were the best way to help these. Every morning I try to make myself drink a full bottle of water before I got up from my desk for the first time. Unfortunately I tend to get up a lot, so sometimes it’s a challenge but it is pretty good motivation. Especially while I’m downing that morning coffee it is extremely good to mix some water in. Then wanting to get up to fill my water throughout the day is another decent excuse to keep drinking (and stretching the legs).

Read more. While I was sick, I got that judgy message from Netflix asking if I was still binge watching New Girl. I usually only watch one episode of anything at a time, so seeing that really struck a nerve with me. I actually deleted my Netflix app on my iPad the next day because seeing that message just made me feel awful. I started to keep two stacks of books on one of my nightstands. One with nonfiction books on my list, and the other with fiction. I’ve been trying to get in the habit of reading more at night because reading really does bring me so much joy (my mom used to joke that she would punish my sister and I with “no reading for fun”). Unfortunately, it’s one of the first things I put to the back burner when my life gets busy and I always feel the empty hole it leaves when I stop. Whatever genre you choose to indulge in, reading is amazing for your creativity and critical thinking.

Self care. Face masks are one of those things that feel so indulgent and not a single bit guilty. You get to relax and give yourself a quiet night in, and your face gets treated to some much needed care? Win win. Same with going to the gym. When did you ever feel bad after going to the gym? Sometimes it’s hard and sometimes it sucks, but in the end it’s over and you get to eat pizza for dinner.

Schedule downtime. I am always out and about on any given night of the week. December was particularly busy, and between Christmas gatherings, movie releases, store opening parties, Taco Tuesdays, and my friends coming back to Massachusetts for the holidays, I felt like the only down time I had was spent on writing five blog posts per week! Socializing is something that can seem so urgent and important, but I have always known that I need some time to myself. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found that scheduling my nights alone is something I need to be better at. My problem was always that I didn’t know in advance that I would have time alone, and so I would wind up wasting an entire evening. Planning my time alone ahead of time (planning a meal or a book even) and not just allowing myself to waste the night away busying myself has been really important to my ‘me time’. Michaela and I will very easily pop on a movie with our laptops or tablets in front of us, and then all of a sudden I’m answering emails and working on finding links for next week’s post. One of the greatest things about blogging is I can do it any time, any place. But it also makes it that much harder to turn it off and take myself off the clock.

What are your favorite ways to beat the winter blues?

xo, C

My New Favorite Dress Line

Happy Monday my loves! Back in the fall, B and I had a vow renewal ceremony to go to, and I really struggled with finding the right dress to wear. I happened upon one at Target (seen in this post) and it was absolutely perfect. Five months later, it’s still one of my favorite dresses. So when I had a work trip come up that took me to Southern California in January, I knew just where to go.

The Who What Wear line is filled with fun patterns and rich colors in event appropriate hemlines. I love the materials they use, and the silhouettes are super flattering (but prepare to size down a size or two!) Best of all: at these prices, you can fill your closet up with new dresses and not feel guilty about it one bit.

Thanks so much for stopping by – hope you have a great week!

xo, C

Glam Winter Denim

Welcome back everyone! You may remember seeing this Teddy coat paired with an LBD for a similar glam-ed up winter look, but for those days that it’s just too cold to wear anything but jeans, it’s perfect to add a little bit of fabulous into your daily wardrobe.

Coat: H&M (sold out, similar here, here, and here) | Jeans: Lucky Brand | Booties: Banana Republic | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban | Bag: Sole Society (old, similar here)

Thank you so much for reading!

xo, C

Primary Colors With A Twist

Happy Monday everyone! I had some fun mixing primary colors together in the spring in this post, and I thought it would be fun to mix red, yellow, and blue again; but in some less conventional shades. I love the way sky blue and burgundy play off of each other, and the mustard really adds in another fun dimension.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you have a great week!

xo, C

Winter Casual

Hi everyone, welcome back! I am beyond obsessed with this jacket – the fun cropped length makes it perfect for a dress (like I wore here) or high waisted jeans!

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you have a great day!

xo, C

Teddy Coat

Hi lovelies, happy Monday! I’ve been searching for a fluffy statement coat for a while now, and I expected myself to find a fitted long tan number that I loved, but my sister bought this glamorous pink one and I knew it would be the perfect third piece for winter! Whether you’re a jeans or dress lover, I think it’s the perfect way to add a touch of fabulous to your January uniform.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you all have a great week!

xo, C

A Few Things Borrowed

Hi everyone, Happy Monday! A few weeks ago on an unexpectedly mild Sunday, my mom let me raid her closet and borrow this gorgeous coat + tote combo.

Somehow my mom, sister, and I all have different shoe sizes, which we used to joke was cosmically unfair (not to mention nearly impossible). Three girls in the same household and none of us could share shoe sizes. Luckily, in clothes, sometimes we lucked out. And if not, there are always the accessories.

Thanks for stopping by – I hope you have a great day!

xo, C

Magenta Dress

Hi everyone, welcome back! I’m really excited about today’s outfit because the entire thing cost me less than $100 (save for the necklace and earrings, which were gifts from B and my sister, respectively). I’ve always believed that anyone can slap on some high end labels, but truly stylish people can make things from any price point work for them, so I was pretty unabashedly proud when I realized how budget friendly this outfit was. My heels are a couple years old, but I found them at Target, which amazes everyone who asks me where I got them. My dress was a clearance find from LOFT, and this belt is a knock off from Amazon for only $15!

Thank you so much for stopping by! What are your favorite budget shopping tricks?

xo, C

What’s In My Bag

As a self proclaimed “shoe girl” I really have to dedicate myself to looking for handbags when I have a need arise. When I decided I needed an everyday tote bag, Black Friday was calling for me and I found this gorgeous Tory Burch one for a complete steal from Nordstrom. After seeing mine, my sister bought the camel colored one! While Nordstrom has sold out of them, I did find them available other places online, though the deals are not quite as good as the one we found, unfortunately. This time I got lucky with Black Friday sales, but normally the outlets are my go-to for bag and wallet purchases.

With my brand new bag, I wanted to share some of the things I always have in my purse!

Kate Spade Wallet. I had another Kate Spade wallet for years before I bought this one (another Black Friday purchase!) There was really nothing wrong with my old one, it was still in great condition after five or so years, but I needed a change and I love the plum color!

Kate Spade New York business card holder. As a blogger with a first name that can be spelled half a dozen different ways and an unconventional blog name, this is incredibly important. I have business cards for my blog accessible at any given time; whether I’m at a networking event or shooting in the Public Garden when someone tells me they like my outfit (true story).

Ray-Ban Erika Sunglasses. I like having a pair of plastic sunglasses with me always, since they tend to be a little more comfortable than metal aviators. My most recent purchase is these Erika ones. (Also I’m pretty sure my best friend has them and maybe that’s why I gravitated towards them so quickly. Jennifer can you confirm?!)

Mophie Powerstation Plus Mini. I have spent forever looking for a perfect, reliable charger. I love this one since the charging cable is built into the battery. This means I don’t have to carry around a three foot long cable all day, just the battery itself.

Too Cool For School Blotting Paper. I haven’t used these much over the past few months, but in the summer they will absolutely be my best friend. When I go on my Saturday or weekend adventures, I always wind up shooting blog photos so I usually have a full face of makeup on, even if my destination happens to be 90 degrees and humid. These blotting papers are perfect for mattifying my “dewy” (sweaty) face while keeping my makeup in tact.

Herschel Leather Card Case. My mom bought me this card case for Christmas two years ago and I am so into it. It is my go to for crossbody bags, or really any smaller occasion that I don’t want to carry my full wallet around. Usually I use it for my license, debit card, and Charlie Card, but it’s currently holding some gift cards from Christmas and my Dave & Buster’s card from last weekend. I also love this one from Kate Spade.

Drybar Lil’ Lemon Brush. As someone who does not bother doing their hair most days, this might be a surprise to anyone who has seen me on a bad hair day. Nothing frustrates me more than when I have that frustrating tangle of knots at the nape of my neck from the winter wind or when I’m shooting and have a snarl to work through. Hence this perfectly portable brush.

Well-Kept Screen Cleansing Towelettes. I am a major germaphobe and clean my iPhone regularly. So regularly, in fact, that I just ran out of these, panicked, and immediately ordered a few extras (so they’re unfortunately not pictured). Normally, I keep a pack of these in my purse at all times in case my phone gets something on it or in case someone else asks me to use their phone for something and I voluntarily give it a good cleaning before touching it…. That is what my mom calls rude but I call proactive.

Clare V x Sephora Makeup Case. This was a Christmas gift from B’s parents and I absolutely love the pattern, so I immediately replaced my older pouch and started using this one to organize all of my beauty products that I carry around with me! (Take a peek at the next photo to see what I keep in here!)

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Rollerball. I am not much of a perfume person, but I always keep at least one of the Nirvana scents in my purse. Black, white, and bourbon are my favorites!

Kopari Coconut Lip Glossy. Perfect for when you have dry lips but want a little bit of shine. You can get three of them in this kit from Sephora!

Hair Elastics. I have a very no-nonsense attitude about my hair – which usually means no matter what I do in the morning, by 10AM I’m throwing my hair up in a bun out of my face. Incidentally, I go through hair elastics at a borderline alarming rate. I’ve been trying to be better at using these or these ones, but the Goody ones from Target are still my go-to.

Hand Sanitizer. I used to hoard hand sanitizers from Bath and Body Works in troves. In the past two years I have realized that I really don’t like using scented things on my body when I don’t have to, and started straying away from the body lotions and hand sanitizers of that nature. Target’s up and up brand has been my new go-to in this category.

Neutrogena Hand Cream. No matter how many lotions I try, this is the one I always go back to. It is $4 and yet I have never found a better one. If you have the kind of extra dry hands that sometimes start bleeding during the winter (I know my life is so glamorous), this is an absolute Godsend. You only need the tiniest drop to moisturize both hands, and you can then move on with your life instead of being unable to pick up anything because of your slippery hands, like with some other lotions!

Burt’s Bees Lip Balm. Another drugstore staple that I cannot live without, I have these stashed all over the place, including usually two in my purse!

What do you always have in your bag?? Let me know in the comment section! Hope you all have a great weekend!

xo, C