A Love Affair With Fall {And Loft Pants}

 

Is it just me, or have even pumpkins stepped up their fashion game?! The best thing about pumpkins is that they're no longer a Halloween-thang—they're a Fall-round decor game changer. Porches, coffee tables, mantles - you name it, they're adorning it. And seeing as how Fall is my favorite season, I'm certainly not going to complain about endless options for decorating all season long.

Another thing I'm not complaining about? Loft pants. Jeans, cords, flares, skinnies, joggers, capris, leggings—I. Am. Obsessed. I have professed this on my Instagram multiple times. It's borderline sales pitch, but I assure you that I do not work for, nor am I affiliated with The Loft - other than the mass amounts of money I spend on their soft, stretchy, bum-covering pants. 

Ya see, when you have a born & bred badunk, and then you "juice" it up with some PiYo, finding pants to comfortably cover said badunk without that awful back gap is near impossible. I now own 7 pairs of pants, all different styles & fabrics from The Loft and not one gaps, droops, overly stretches throughout the day, or loses it's color or softness after each wash. They are worth every penny—especially when they offer sales-on-top-of-sales, and therefore less pennies ;-)

 

Side Loft note: I know what you're thinking... "Isn't that a store for...my mom?" Au contraire. The Loft has majorly stepped up it's trendy game and is now one of my favorite places to peruse {and buy} this Fall. Trend meets comfort A N D quality?! The Forever21 teen in me cringes, while the now 30-year-old in me says, "Give me all the comfort & quality." So, don't fear, just Loft.

 

 

 

Pants: The Loft {I'm wearing Modern Straight, but they also have these in Modern Book Cut & Modern Skinny!} // Shirt: H&M {Oldie, but similiar & similar with flair} // Scarf: The Loft {What?! I couldn't pass it up! Also: similar & and tribally; and how cute is this animal print?!} // Booties: Old Navy // Purse: Nordstrom Rack {No longer available, but similar & similar} // Bracelet: The Loft {no longer available, but super similar}

 

 

Even Paris the pup got to take in some Fall festivities, and I think it's safe to say that she had a blast...and even met a friend! 

 

If you're local to the DMV and looking for an A M A Z E pumpkin patch, check out Councell Farms on the Eastern Shore. Fashion pumpkins galore! 

 

 

 

 {Feel free to save, pin or print for great backgrounds, fall prints & more!} 

 

 

XO,

Nik

Psst...some more Fall & Winter inspo! 

 That 70's Fall Style: Two Ways

 

Flippy Floppy Hat

Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie Shakeology

 

Growing up, I was never a fan of bananas—not banana cream pie, banana foster or even {gasp} sliced bananas in my cereal. I've since come to realize that I am a very picky fruit eater in that they have to be the perfect ripeness. Bananas are the biggest culprit of not-ripe-enough or too-dang-ripe. You have your too-green bananas that are actually painful to eat and leave your mouth somehow stuck like peanut butter. And then you have your spotted and mushy 'nanners that don't belong anywhere but in banana bread or the freezer.

Luckily, 1.) I've come to love bananas, and 2.) This ShakeO gets most of it's banana flavor from a delicious {yet healthy!} banana cream Greek yogurt. So, for all of my {now} fellow banana cream pie and banana foster lovers - dig in, because this is 'nannerlicious without all the calories of the aforementioned decadent desserts. My secret ingredient that helps to cut the calories by 75%? PB2. Yes, it's powder - no, you can't tell it's not real PB when it's swirled into your smoothie. Don't you worry your peanut butter-lovin' heart.

 The star ingredients in all of their glory

The recipe is as easy as {banana cream} pie! {P.S. Why do people say that? Have these people never actually made a pie?! Because, pie'in ain't easy.} Toss the following ingredients in the blender:

• 1 packet Vanilla Shakeology
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 Light and Fit Banana Cream Pie Greek Yogurt
• 1 Tbs. PB2 {25 calories opposed to it's "real" counterpart, which would come in around 100 calories}
• 1 cup raw spinach
• 1/2 cup unsweetened original almond milk
• Ice to preferred consistency

And, what's a pie without some whipped cream on top?! It's not a real pie - that's what. I used fat free Reddi-Whip for a whopping 5 calories—so. totally. worth it. I also used to have animosity against whipped cream, but that lapse in judgement is long gone.  

XO,

Nik 

Psst...More decadent Shakeology recipes to melt into:

Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookie ShakeO

 

 Chocolate Covered Berries Milkshake-O