Fall Scarf Wearing

Now that it's officially Fall, I'm so ready to bust out my cute scarves and boots! Pairing a scarf with a light sweater, my favorite jeans, and a lovely pair of brown boots is like some serious Christmas in October for me. Meaning that I pretty much live and breathe that outfit during the Fall season. Since I don't have as many scarves as I wish I did (372618!), I like to tie them differently every once in awhile just to spice things up a little bit. There are so many great scarf tying tutorials out there right now like this one, and also this one if you're looking to learn a new way or two or forty.

I, personally, have four go-to ways of tying my scarves, and they are:::

1// Braided

2// Bow

3// Infinity

4// Loop and Tie (I'm not sure what the real name of this one is, so this is what I'll call it!)

Do you have any favorite ways to tie your scarves? There are some really cool things you can do with a scarf, I just want to learn them all! I'm sure you'll be seeing me in my favorite outfit and a scarf quite a bit this Fall, especially if you're following us on IG! ;)

XO-R

A Wedding Wardrobe Fashion Fix

Tonight I had the great pleasure of hanging out with my amazing other sister {Merrily Jessica} and my sweet, adorable and fun nephew Philip.

 (He's already cool enough to have a nick name at day care; just call him Pip-Pip)!

She is attending the wedding of a high school friend in Savannah, GA in a couple of weeks and she all but literally 

b e g g e d

 me for my help with her wardrobe for the trip.

Just kidding!

 But, she did ask me to help her and I was very obliged and excited and wait until you see what we came up with Merrily's!

I had three tasks: 

1. Find her an outfit for the airplane.

2. Find her an outfit for the rehearsal dinner.

3. Find her an outfit for the wedding.

This was all without, well, any information.

Is the rehearsal dinner formal? [she didn't know]

What will the weather be like? [Hot, but really she didn't know]

Are you invited to the rehearsal dinner? [she didn't know]

Ah well, no worries.
What we came up with, I am swooning over. My sister is so beautiful {inside and out}, and I was honored to help her.

Airplane:
As younger girls, my sister and I used to fly to visit my uncle Mike (who was in the Army) wherever he was stationed. HE taught me that flying does not mean it is acceptable to look like you just rolled out of bed.
[I'm not knocking those people who do opt for comfort on an airplane]
I have just always followed his advice and try to dress what I call as comfortable business casual.


So, with that being said, I chose for Jessica a crisp pair of dark blue jeans cuffed at the bottom
[I cannot stand when jeans are too long, why would you NOT want to show off your shoes?!?]
For the first look, I paired the jeans with a chiffon, very pretty beige color with the lightest of gray polka dots.
Still comfortable and light, but slightly dressy.
I completed the look with a dark purple belt, black flats, and bracelets.

For the second look, we took the same pair of jeans, and again, a dark navy blue chiffon sleeveless top with the prettiest of pearl buttons.
Paired with a scarf, black flats, and bracelets.

For the rehearsal dinner, because she is unsure what the attire or atmosphere is (casual or formal), I chose outfits that fell somewhere in between. 

Both of these, you can change slightly (flat shoe instead of a high heel to be more casual, or add a piece of statement jewelry to dress it up a little).

For the first look, Jessica has this great pleated maxi skirt that I paired with an orange aztec inspired top. I made her tuck the shirt in and wear the skirt sitting at her waist instead of her hips. Try it! It gave her a shape, and enhanced her beautiful shape that she does have! We finished the look off with a great pair of classic black pointed heels. I know if she does not choose this outfit for the rehearsal dinner, she has a bonus outfit that she can wear to the office.

For the second look, I almost died when she pulled out a black and white houndstooth pencil skirt (you all know of my love for pencil skirts). I paired it with a long sleeve chiffon B EA U TIFUL teal top, tucked that baby in and topped it off with her black pointed high heels. OMG!! I am still dying over this, and ALL of these clothes she already had in her closet! 

For the wedding, I chose a beautiful green wrap dress that I found in her closet. It is so flattering on her figure, and again, paired with her classic black heels. Both of these pieces are perfect for a afternoon weekend wedding in the beautiful and historic city of Savannah.

 Jessica had already chosen a modern pattern sheath dress in beautiful shades of purple and blue. Paired with the classic black heels, it looks really sharp and classy on her.

Jessica is going to look FABULOUS at this wedding.

Our sister is so beautiful, and I think she looks amazing. She kept looking at the pictures and commenting that she did not think that was how she really looked [in real life].

She truly has a wonderful soul full of love and patience, and it shows inside and out. I feel blessed to help her feel more confident and beautiful, and see HERSELF how WE all see her. 

Love you sissy! 

{P.S} Some funny moments happened last night after we finished. She asked me to do a mini "ransack session" of her closet and pull out items I thought she should throw away. I wish we had a video of the hilarity that ensued but some examples:

A black sweater [according to her.] I thought it looked more like an oversized doily that she had hanging on a hanger.

A long sleeved (tshirt) that was very...umm...psychadelic. [The 1970's called, they said PLEASE do not give that shirt back]

Two worn out, ribbed [omg] turtlenecks [double omg] that were so raggedy I told her to immediately take them out to our Merrily bro in law Matt to use in his garage. 

All in all, it was a lot of fun and I know she will go to this wedding and rock those outfits!! 

BY THE WAY, one last thing before I go. Did you guys know we offer styling services? Do you have an event or just need assistance with collaborating outfits in your closet? Merrily Raechel and I can help! 

That's all with the wardrobe you already have!! No shopping necessary. 

 Please CONTACT US for more information and pricing.

All my love, 

xoxo

j

Merrily Favorites: Chambray and Ruby Red

R: My Chambray top is becoming a total staple for me these days. 

You can wear chambray with so many different things! Colored denim, pencil skirts, flowy skirts, dresses and leggings are just a few of my favorite things to pair it with. I've seen quite a few different shades of chambray and there hasn't been one I didn't like. As long as your not pairing it with the same color jeans you really can't go wrong. If you don't  have one - seriously get one!

    

                  

J:  Ruby red smackers....as in lips! That's what I am talking about.
PERFECT for the fall season.
There is not a more perfect accessory or {YOU} statement than red lips.
Every time I see a sista rockin em, it warms my heart inside.
Red lips are beautiful, they are bold, and they are daring.
They exude confidence, and I love it.

If you haven't given red lipstick a try, I DARE YOU!
I venture to promise that you will not be disappointed, and neither will your fans.


 Three of my favorite looks:
1. A brighter pink hue
2. Classic Red
3. Deep burgundy


 Happy drooling Merrily's!

 

Want the look? Check out these fabulous reds!

Mac Flat Out Fabulous-$15.00 Coming soon.  {maccosmetics.com}

Maybelline Color Sensational in Red Revival- $8.79 {CVS}

Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Color in Pirate- $34.00 {chanel.com}

Forgive your Fashion Faux Pas, Forgive Yourself

I know that a lot of us have watched those shows on TV that exploit celebrities when they have a less than perfect fashion day and I don’t know about you, but I cringe at those shows. I put myself in that celebrities shoes, because I KNOW that I have had days where my vision was just not syncing with what items I actually had in my closet. Could you imagine being called out every time you had a bad hair day, or wore the wrong pair of shoes (God forbid), or put the wrong color combination together? I would probably never leave my house!

With that said, thank God I do not have the paparazzi following my every move and documenting days of mine where I am not 100% on my game, or even 90% or 80%! I have definitely chosen fashion pieces that (and thank god for my wonderful girlfriends) just did not work for me (If any of my posse is reading this, remember the “shalom” curl??)

The point of my post, [fashion wise], is that YES, we all are going to have times where we do not choose a piece or clothing, or accessory, or hair color, that fits us best and flatters us the most. However, I am here to tell you that it is OK. Because I know that some days when I have questioned a fashion piece and whether is would be a ‘yay’ or a ‘nay’ in the eyes of my critics (or just the general public), sometimes I have been right. My girlfriends will tell me {Ummm, Jenna, not digging this shirt, or untuck the pants from your shoes}. You get the idea. My 70’s inspired high wasted AND pleated white shorts immediately come to mind. I mean, I got them at the thrift shop for $1.50. But I decided to rock them anyway, despite the seemingly horrid mental picture you probably have in your head following my description of them, and I actually got A LOT of compliments.

Sometimes, those risks we take end up being some of our biggest fashion successes. Like an artist who paints beautiful pictures, I look at my clothing choices as my canvas. It is an outward expression of who I am inside, and it helps make me {ME}. So forgive your fashion faux pas, and you know what I say, keep making em! Because you never know, you might surprise yourself and experience some of your best fashion successes.

There is another point to my post though, and I am going to get a little deep here….bear with me! As important as it is that we allow ourselves to have bad fashion days, we also must remember to forgive ourselves for being human. I am talking about mistakes, my merrily readers. We all make them, no one can possibly ever be perfect. [although I claim I am darn near 98%]. I have definitely done things in the past, or said things that I wish I could go back and erase. Some have taken me longer to let go than others. But, I have found ways that work for ME, to forgive myself. Whether it be promising to never do something again (and following it), or some other method, it really is important because when we do not forgive ourselves for our transgressions, the only person that is hurting…well….is US. When we find the grace to forgive ourselves, it is amazing the process that follows. When we practice {grace} with ourselves, it allows us to give others the grace of forgiveness as well.

All I am saying my merrily readers, is forgive your fashion blunders and forgive your blunders in life. We only have one life to live and everyone is going to mess up. Love yourself enough to allow imperfection, because it is what makes you beautiful. One of my favorite quotes says exactly that:

xoxo
j

Fall-ify Your Polish

One of my favorite things about Fall is trying new nail polish colors. I'm not really one to always have my nails painted, but that's mostly because I can't finish painting them without screwing them up before they dry. I either randomly bang my hand against some inanimate object, have to chase my kid around, or I fall asleep and wake up with the blanket imprint on them. The truth is- I just really suck at painting my nails. 

So, with that being said, one of my goals for this Fall season is to broaden my horizons in the nail polish world! According to Glamour, there are 9 hot nail polish colors for this Fall season and they are:::

1. Navy Blue // Essie: After School Boy Blazer

2. Purple// Nicole by OPI: Show You Care

3. Blood Red// Essie: Bordeaux

4. Classic Nude// Sally Hansen: Nude Shimmer

5. Chocolate Brown// Essie: Litte Brown Dress 

6. Gray// Maybelline: Imbeccable Greys

7. Teal// Maybelline: Tenacious Teal

8. Burnt Orange// L'Oreal: L'Orange

9. Metallic Chrome// Essie: For the Twill of it

I'm a total Target lover, so I pretty much stuck to brands that you can easily find there & that are also fairly inexpensive. Now you can broaden your horizons in the nail polish world right along with me! Are there any colors that you can't live without? Tell me so I can try them!

XO - R

Merrily Favorites: Booties and Shooties

R: This week I'm totally loving booties. 

Not the "baby got back" kind, but the "check out what I'm wearing on my feet" kind. They are perfect for the warmer weather and even more perfect for Fall! There are a ton of different styles of booties out right now - and I think I seriously love them all! My favorite look for them is when they are paired with a cuffed loose fitting or boyfriend jean. Swoon!

 

 

J: OMG Merrily Raechel!

Would you believe me if I told you that my favorite this week are shooties?

Yup-I'm being serious. 

Shooties. 

A cross between a boot and a shoe, and I am in L.O.V.E. That peek of the ankle is a little sass and a litle sex appeal. Can you tell that R and I are totally ready for fall? Here are a few of my favorites! I envision these beautiful forms of art with a pair of skinny jeans, or a short flowy skirt and some fall tights. 

Perfection.

P.S: The best part? 
The super hip and sexy black buckle shooties are from Macy's! Get them here for $139.00.
And...you can grab your own grey shooties similar to these lovies at DSW for only $69.95.
Me want!

~Happy FALL Merrily's~
xoxo
j & r

Merrily Jenna: Red, Red Barns Everywhere

Sooo I know I mentioned in my first post that right now, I have a connection (ahem, ok it's an obsession) with red barns.

I don't know what it is about these pieces of our early history that makes me feel so drawn to them. It could be the vibrant red color that sticks out so regally against a bright blue summer sky, or it could be the stature and sheer vastness of the different roof angles, windows peeking out here and there, and the wonder of what treasurers lie inside. I could go on and on. But, I know the biggest reason that these big red beauties tug at my heartstrings every time I see one is because of the wave of nostalgia I feel every time my eye catches a glimpse, near or far. I am pulled back to my childhood, when most of my summer days were spent inside my grandparent's or the neighbors barn visiting the cows, pigs, and sheep, or tinkering with my grandpa's old tools, or swinging onto huge bails of hay at the Williams' barn down the street. It takes me back to the time when life was simple, when all I had to worry about was making sure we were inside before the yard light came on. When I felt like I would be a kid forever and my precious grandparents were eternally invincible; a time in my life where laying on blankets with my grandma Margie, Merrily sister Jessica, and my aunt Kortni in the middle of our vast green yard watching hundreds of shooting stars during a meteor shower at night was just another moment of my childhood. Thoughts never crossed my mind that these memories would become just that...memories that I reflect on now to remember my amazing grandmother and continue to keep her legacy and presense alive in my life. I was invincible, and I lived in the moment. To me, these red barns represent that state of mind...living in the moment. We are told to do this as adults, but is so much harder after enduring the stresses that adulthood entails. Let these red beauties be a reminder to me, and to you, our merrily readers, to try to do just that. 

Live in the moment. 

Every time I feel the little girl of my childhood stirring inside of me at the sight of these lovely structures, I will remind myself of who I was then: full of each day, and fulfilled with each moment. I hope you will do the same as well! 

A couple sidenotes: When I first started brainstorming for this specific blog, I intended to make it fashion related, however, as you can see it took a different path. I thank my strong headed grandma for that, who I believe guides me and is always with me. I miss her every single day.

Merrily Raechel is experiencing some computer issues, so I will try to take over and post as much as I can until she is back up and running again! 

Now....for your viewing pleasure, please scroll below, and enjoy. 

In Loving Memory of Margaret Eyvonne Myers

May you rest in peace, Grandma. <3

Here's to love and living in life's merrily moments,

xoxo

j

10 Things...

Haaaaayyyyy all, (internet hand wave), it's Merrily Jenna here! I'm so excited to kick off this blog and I know my Merrily sissy is super excited as well! What better way to begin to get to know the one and only moi, <the one and only> Merrily ME, than a list of ten things that I absolutely <3 <3 <3 <3 right now!

1. Instagram. I am literally addicted to Instagram. The filters, my followers, the people I follow. I don't know about you all, but Facebook just seems so, so depressing right now, know what I mean? I am LOVING the positivity that Instagram exudes. Don't get me wrong, I know life isn't perfect, but isn't it nice to focus on the perfect things in life??? LOVE.

2. Red Barns. Again, obsessed. I recently ran a half marathon through the countryside of cornfields and farms, and every time I passed one of these bright beacons of our state's history, it was hard for me to stop myself to snap some pics and Instagram them (of course!! see item 1.) There is just something about these lovely buildings that tug at my heart strings. Maybe it's their beauty...the color, the texture, the mystery of what lies inside. Who knows? But, I'm lovin em, and they can be a great inspiration for some really sweet fashion picks! 

 3.Chevron. Anyone else absolutely loving this pattern? It's super hot right now, classy and modern, and it literally goes great with any piece of clothing or outfit. I'm particularly partial to chevron dresses (pair with a skinny belt and heels), or a chevron printed scarf. Can you say jeans + chevron scarf = match made in heaven! 

4.Mint Mini Cooper. Don't know why, because I've never particularly wanted a mini cooper before, but I recently saw a picture of a mint colored gem and I melted. Now, it's all I can think about. Every time I see one, I imagine myself cruuiisssinn. It could just be that every time I think about that cute mint mini cooper, it reminds me of one of my OTHER favs in life....MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP ice cream. Mmmmmmm. Who doesn't love mint chocolate chip ice cream? And there you have it.....why I am loving mint mini coopers.

5. Chihuahuas…and…Jack Russels. Anyone who knows me would look at this and say...duh! My Jilly Bean, my beaners, my little gizmo the gremlin, my pup. She's from the streets of Ft. Wayne Indiana and she rocks at being a little chihuahua Jack Russel Mix. I mean, she's awesome, and anyone who's met her most certainly agrees. An easy favorite right now!

6.Flats. Not only do I love love love flats right now because they are so comfortable and versatile, but they are also adorable, and they look great on a casual day with a pair of skinny jeans and a T-shirt. Throw on a piece of statement jewelry and head out the door! I'm in search of the perfect pair of leopard print flats right now and I am going to ROCK them for fall! Send me a pic if you have a pair! I would love to see you rockin your fav flats! 

7. Men’s watches. I have had my eye on these for a while now. Sissy Raechel knows because I am always drooling over them in her store. Well.....to my surprise my Merrily Mama got me one for my birthday and I am IN.LOVE. It literally goes with everything, I can dress it up or down, and I get so many compliments on it! The best part, it was under $50! 

8. Gladwin, MI. My little hometown. The best little hometown ever. So quiet, peaceful, full of so many memories. Every time I go home, I remember who I am, where I came from, and where I'm going. I come back home to the hustle and bustle that is my life with a sense of inner peace and well being and it helps me breeze through life and be happy doing it. This will ALWAYS be on my favorites list.

 9.Pencil Skirts. Since this IS mainly a fashion blog, I figure I should give you guys a glimpse of what I am hearting right now in my closet. Pencil skirts...omg. If you don't have a relationship yet with the pencil skirt, you should start one. They are a great fashion piece! Professional, yet fun. They come in all colors, details, patterns. You can dress them up with a soft shirt and high heels, or dress it down with a t-shirt and flats or sandals (I've done it!) They are classy, sassy, and I promise you, you will get compliments. Plus, they are figure flattering so come on ladies show off what your mama gave ya!! ;)

10.White Wine. Summer is starting to wind down now, and I never thought I would say this (I am a red wine lova), but white has been my preference lately. There is nothing, I say nothing better, than sitting out on the eve of a beautiful summer day, watching the sunset, laughing with girlfriends, drinking a chilled glass of pinot grigio. It's even BETTER when it's a local or Michigan white. I got to spend my 30th birthday with my amazing girlfriends in Traverse City this year wine tasting and wow did we have a great time!! Haaaayyy girls (shout out to you beauties). #jennasflirtythirty you know what I'm talking about!! 

///

Okay, that's enough, Jenna. ;) Here are 10 things you didn't know about Me, Merrily Raechel. Maybe we have a few things in common? I can't wait to get to posting more, this is just the beginning of a beautiful friendship...

1// I've got a pretty good blazer collection going. They just look so cute with anything dressed up or dressed down!

2// I'm not very adventurous when it comes to food. I really could eat American or Italian food every day for the rest of my life.

3// skinny jeans are my comfort zone. My current favorite pair are my Mossimo brand from Target.

4// I'm Instagram obsessed (@raechelmary//@merrilysisters//@nennalee23)

5// If I could go back to school, I would go for graphic design. I probably wouldn't be any good at it but I think it would be so interesting and fun!

6// I really hate eating toast without chocolate milk. It's just wrong.

7// I love Pumpkin beer. I like to try as many different ones as I can each year. It's one of the MANY reasons that Fall is my favorite season. Sweaters, jeans, boots, scarves, ahhh so many reasons to gush about it!

8// I have a lot of random tv shows that I watch. My current favorite is Pretty Little Liars. I've been netflix-ing the crap out of it!

9// I have a handbag obsession. I have to get a new one every couple of months. I mean, you have to have one to match all your outfits, right?!

10// I probably go to Target at least once a week. What? I don't ALWAYS buy stuff. okay, yes I do. It's Target, people - I know you love it too!

/ / /

Thank you for stopping by for our very first post! We are so excited to start this journey and hope you are ready to discover all of the upcoming surprises we will be unveiling! Also, stay tuned for visits from Merrily Mom and the oldest Merrily Sister. Follow along our merrily way! 

xo 

j + r