Creamy Cable

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Haven’t tired of these flares yet. In fact, they are a fabulous wardrobe update and throwback all in one piece. To take your favorite pants into winter you need nothing more than to pair them with your favorite sweater, a close-toed shoe, and whatever piece of flare you choose.

I’ve got my eye on a round pair of sunglasses just to pair with these pants, that’s how  much I am loving the 70s resurgence this season. Stay tuned, I’m sure I will find a feasible way to pair these flares with snow boots. (I’m laughing at myself right now!) A girl can dream, right?

Have a wonderful day, and a blessed week!

XX, Megan

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Sweater: J.Crew (old, current season), Pants: Madewell (or this darker wash), Bag: Madewell (not available on Madewell’s site, but still over at Shop Bop), Shoes: Toms, Sunglasses: Ray-ban (or here), Lips: NARS Barebella

Fall Forward

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This weekend most of us will have the blessed (read government mandated) opportunity to participate in Daylight Savings Time. You know the saying Fall Forward!

I always forget which one of these “savings times” gives me another hour of sleep as opposed to making me feel as though I am being ripped from my warm bed at 5:30 a.m. rather than 6:30 a.m. But for purposes of this post, that information is neither here nor there.

I did a Fall Style Mash-up earlier this season for both gals and guys, but I wanted to follow up with an edit geared more toward winter. The winter toward which we are also falling (though not fast enough for my husband and his ski buddies). Above are some of my current winter favorites, below are links to the deets!

Have a wonderful Friday, a fabulous weekend, and a safe and Happy Halloween!!!

XX, Megan

Clockwise from top Left with the Middle square coming in at #9, here’s to Falling Forward in Fashion!!!

1. Faux Fur Stole

2. Bar Necklace

3. Cashmere Turtleneck

4. Keep out the Cold Coat

5. Dainty Diamond Eyes

6. The Perfect Skinny Black Jeans

7. Pattern Mixing Tote

8. Kickin’ it EVERYWHERE Booties

9. Lumber Jane Must-have Shirt

Jewel Pantones

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Color saturation happening over here on Refined + Rugged today. Trying to make as much ocular noise in this pristine environment as possible! 😉

Plus, have I mentioned how much I love sweater weather? LOVE. Really just the sweater part, but dipping temps enable the ability to wear items that were knit from animals that go BaH. So I’ll add weather in there, too.

I always find myself talking to you, my dear reader, when I write these posts. I mean, that is the purpose of posting, I suppose, to reach out to your audience. To have a proverbial chat as it were across the internets.

But sometimes I realize that I come across as though my wardrobe advice is made up of little quips. Like today, for example, I’d stand next to you in front of your closet and say, “Let’s do some color blocking with the most jewel, maybe most garish colors you can pull of your hangers!”

Then you’d grab a silky guava button up, a BRIGHT pair pants, your favorite leopard heels and call it a WIN! (Extra points for a cobalt coat!) Wow. You might look like an attention seeker, or you might just look AWESOME!

TGIT!

XX, Megan

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Sweater: J.Crew, Pants: Old Navy, Bag: Kate Spade (similar, splurge, save), Sunglasses: Karen Walker Super Duper, Cuff: Banana Republic (similar), Shoes: Enzo Angiolini (similar, splurge, save), Earrings: Gift (similar), Lips: MAC Candy Yum-yum

Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Sage

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Sometimes I sit down to write these recipe posts and I wish that I could convey all of the warmth, and delicious smells, and delectable flavors that eventuate from the making of a dish. This is definitely one of those main courses.

I LOVED this gnocchi recipe. I love the smells, the tastes, the ease of making it. I even loved the leftovers!

This will become a fall staple for our family. I performed a few tweaks by sprinkling the entire dish with flax seeds rather than using the walnuts, and skipping the addition of the parmesan cheese and using it as a garnish only instead.

The results are just one more reason that I LOVE the Six O’clock Scramble, and have the chance to pass on all this deliciousness to you!!!

XX, Megan

Ingredients

16 oz. gnocchi (potato dumplings, sold with fresh or dried pastas or frozen)
1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced into 3/4-inch pieces (3 cups squash)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
6 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped, or use 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. dried
1 large shallot, peeled and diced
1/2 cup walnuts, broken into large pieces
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste

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Prepare the gnocchi according to the package directions. Meanwhile, steam the squash with a couple of tablespoons of water in the microwave for 3 – 5 minutes until it is softened but not mushy. Drain it thoroughly.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter and oil. When the butter turns brown at the edges, add the sage and shallots and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 – 2 minutes until they are lightly browned. Add the walnuts and squash and sauté it, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the squash starts to brown in spots.

When the gnocchi is almost done cooking, remove ¼ cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the gnocchi and add it and the reserved cooking liquid to the pot with the squash, and stir gently to combine. Mix in the cheese and salt and serve it immediately.

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*The Scramble is a meal planning service to which you can subscribe here. For a fantastic price you will receive 8 weekly meals which means 8 recipes (main course plus a side dish), complete grocery list, the ability to tweak the number of people you are making for, and full nutrition facts.

PLUS tips as to how best to PREP your meal beforehand, add a punch of FLAVOR, and how to SLOW COOK almost every recipe if you’re especially slammed that night. This wonderful service really does live up to it’s name. You can come home at 6 p.m. and be sitting down to a DELICIOUS, HEALTHY, HOME COOKED meal by 6:30 p.m. most nights.

Leather Be Striped

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Here we are, cruising through the week already! Here I am dressing up and taking photos in front of another farm gate. Not ashamed!

I wanted to snap some pictures of this frock before the weather turned. This is also gives us another opportunity to talk about layering. What more is there to say? Ladies and gentlemen, LAYER!

Well, there is more to say. Layering is the stylists’ joy in the shoulder seasons. Why? Because it gives you TWO amazing opportunities. First, it gives you the opportunity to style up the perfect mix, the perfect mash-up, the perfect jive.

Second, it gives you the chance to play with your wardrobe in ways you may not have imagined when it was 90 degrees and sweltering outside, or -30 and close to frost bite!

Fall is that golden moment when you can go to your closet, pick out some of your favorites from opposite seasonal leanings– say a black leather jacket, and the perfect striped dress, and your go-to blush heels– and sha-ZAM! throw them together faster than lightning and head out the door for a date with your man in a snap!

Try it out. Go to your closet. Choose two pieces from seemingly differing seasons. Pick a chunky sweater, a floral or summery shirt, and your favorite ripped skinnies. But instead of wearing the sweater OVER the shirt like you would in frigid winter, tie it around your waist for some added outfit depth. It’s that easy!

Make it a good one, friends!

XX, Megan

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Jacket: Zara (old, similarsimilar, similar, save), Dress: Kate Spade (similar, save), Shoes: Joe’s Jeans (similar, save, splurge), Bag: Old Navy, Necklace: Gorjana, Lips: MAC Angel