A Little Old, a Little New

For the most part, I've stuck to my one in one out policy regarding my wardrobe. Having a membership to Gwynnie Bee has certainly helped, a well as having a nice collection of garments that were purchased last year that I'm not bored of yet.

Lately I've been trying to mix newer items in with older items. When I buy something new I try to envision all the items in my wardrobe I can mix and match it with, and what old or ill-fitting item it will replace. 

For instance, this cardigan replaced a similarly colored cardigan that had seem better days. This scarf was purchased because I knew it would add some fun to a lot of existing  items in my closet and that it could be worn in the spring, summer and fall. This skirt and these sandals are both from last summer.

Outfit: Skirt- OldNavy similar from asos; Tank and Scarf- H&M; Shoes- B.O.C similar; Cardigan- Gap Outlet similar

Now if I would just take the giant bag of clothes I'm getting rid of to be sold/ donated... 

PS: If you live in Massachusetts, don't forget to vote in the US Senate Special Election today!!
Learn where to vote HERE.

Busy Lady

I had my three month review at work last week. I can't believe I've been there three months already. Lately I feel like I blink and another week has passed. I am definitely not complaining. I'm lucky to have a job that I love, a man that I adore spending time with, great friends, and lots of activities and social ventures to keep me busy. 

I'm also lucky to have some fun trips and activities planned for the coming weeks. I'll be spending Memorial Day weekend in New York, and then two weeks after that Mike and I are doing a little weekend getaway to the Cape.

I'm hoping I'll find plenty of time on those trips to take some outfit photos, so that I can stop posting photos 2-3 weeks after I take them!

Outfit: Skirt- ? Marshalls 2008; Tank and belt- H&M; Blazer- ? TJ Maxx; Shoes- Lucky Brand via Marshalls

I want to thank all of you that still read and comment despite my blogging negligence. I may not always respond to comments, but I assure you, I read and love all of them. I also love reading your blogs while I unwind in the evenings, or on my phone in the elevator at work. Y'all are awesome! 

Ignite the Nite 2013

Thursday night I attended Boston GLOW's third annual Ignite the Nite Fundraising Gala. This was my first year attending as a guest instead of as a volunteer. For the first two years I checked coats. Thankfully GLOW had a wealth of volunteers this year, so I felt free to buy a ticket and go for fun.

Who doesn't want an excuse to curl her hair and wear lipstick on a Thursday night?

The evening did not disappoint. There was good company, lots of food, some drinks and of course some ridiculous dancing. It seemed like there was a great turnout and some high bids for the silent auction prizes, so I'm hoping we raised a lot of money for the Ignite Change scholarship contest.

Outfit: Blazer and tights- Marshalls; Skirt - Prabal Gurung for Target; 

Blouse and necklace- H&M, Boots- Madden Girl

I was really excited to find this Parabal Gurung skirt at my Target (and in my size!). I enjoy the designer collaborations, but I'm not one to line up in the cold waiting for Target to open. I love the bright colors, and I'm really looking forward to styling it in a bunch of different way as the weather warms up.

Fuzzy

I would have liked to celebrate my blogversary with a fancy new camera, but that wasn't in the budget. Instead, I treated myself to a new tripod that is small enough to fit in my purse. I had high hopes that I'd be able to rig it up in my office and take some indoor outfit pictures. My office has great natural lighting, but not a lot of space so the pictures didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped.

They kind of remind me of the early days of taking blog pictures in my bedroom.

Outfit: Sweater- H&M similar from Old Navy; Skirt- Target; tights?; Boots- Me Too; Necklace - thrifted 

In my defense it has been beyond frigid in Boston this week. The thought of taking off my coat (and hat, gloves, scarf, legwarmers, two pairs of socks...) for pictures is just too much to bear. Taking fuzzy pictures in a fuzzy sweater will just have to do for now.

Weekly Wishlist: A Little Sparkle

In college I had a lot of sparkly clothes in my wardrobe. When I graduated and stopped going to dance parties I got rid of a lot of my "going out" clothes. Gone are my sequined party dresses and glittery belts. As a result, I struggle when it comes to putting together outfits for events that require "cocktail" attire. I want to invest in some sparkly basics that can be remixed for formal events, or just for days when I feel like wearing a little something sparkly.

image via DSW.com

Plenty by Tracy Reese Naia Wedge Bootie- $129.95 at DSW

It's boot weather in Boston about 60% of the year, so these sparkly little booties would definitely come in handy. I can see them with a cocktail dress and some funky patterned tights for an event, or with opaque tights, a black pencil skirt and a sweater for the office. 

image via forever21.com

Cropped Sequined Jacket- $29.80 at Forever21

This color is listed as bronze on the website, but I think it looks more like a rose gold color. I'm a little obsessed with rose gold jewelry right now, so I love this little cropped jacket. I'd use it to dress up jeans and a tee.

image via Nordstrom.com

Adrianna Papell Sleeveless Lace Sheath Dress- $140 at Norstrom

This dress isn't technically sparkly, but it's lacy and it's one of my favorite colors. It's sleeveless so it could be layered in cold weather or worn alone in warmer weather. There's also a 3/4 sleeve version if you don't like showing your arms.  I would style this dress with a sparkly blazer and pumps for an event, or with a cardigan and flats for the office. 

image via oldnavy.com

Braided Sparkle Belt- $8 at Old Navy

I love a braided belt, and this one is covered in pewter sequins! At $8 I'm strongly resisting the urge to order it for myself right now.

image via forever21.com

Sequined Scallop Skirt- $24.80 at Forever 21

Quality at Forever 21 is always a gamble, but how beautiful and delicate is this skirt? The sequined arches give it an art deco vibe, which I love. I think it would look great with a simple black sweater.

Which is your favorite?


PS: I did some blog design changes yesterday with my limited tech abilities. What do you think?

 

Frost and a Borrowed Skirt

I did it! I got up early enough to take outfit pictures before work! Okay, so it only happened once, but  at least it happened!  It wasn't exactly a warm evening either. It's hard to tell from these pictures, but there's frost on the grass! 

Outfit: Skirt- Kiyonna via GB; Shirt- H&M; Cardigan- Old Navy; Belt- Steve Madden; Boots- Madden Girl; Tights- Hue 

This skirt is my first item from Gwynnie Bee. I decided to take advantage of their first month free  promotion and sign up. After getting my first few pieces, and seeing the items they'll be adding to the collection in December, I'll definitely be continuing my subscription for at least a few months. Wondering what Gwynnie Bee is? Think rent a swag.

This skirt fit me perfectly except for the length. I like my pencil skirts to hit me at the knee and this one hit a little below my knees. I don't think styling it with boots was the best choice, but it was a chilly day. I think it would look better with platform sandals and bare legs, so maybe I'll borrow it again in the summer.

Weekend Only Skirt

I am so thankful that the storms we had last week didn't knock all of the beautiful fall leaves off the trees. I'm just not ready for the grays and browns of winter, at least not when I can have fiery yellows, oranges and reds! I couldn't help but stop and have Mike snap some pictures of me in front of these beautiful trees on our way home from Haymarket Saturday

I love this skirt, but I always forget about it. I think I only wore it once last winter.  It's too short for work, even with tights on, so it gets relinquished to my "weekends only" wardrobe. And let's be honest, I'd rather wear leggings or jeans on the weekend than a skirt. While I loved this outfit, I think next time I'll tuck in my shirt and belt the skirt.

Outfit: Skirt- Thrifted; Sweater- Old Navy; Cardigan- ?; Boots- Me Too via DSW; Tights- Hue via Marshalls 

Unfortunately these were the only outfit pictures I got over the weekend. On Sunday I wore leggings and a long sleeved tee all day. In my defense, I didn't leave my house except to get some tomato sauce from the grocery store! Here's hoping I can get up early a few days this week. I miss should go the gym, and take outfit photos!

From Dusk til Dawn

I am making real strides towards becoming a morning person. One of my biggest motivators has been joining a gym that is two blocks from my new apartment. I have gone to that gym more in the past two weeks than I went to my old gym in the previous two months. It's so much harder to make excuses when I don't have to haul a change of clothes to work with me. I just roll out of bed and run out the door with my keys, water and ipod then come back home post workout to shower and get ready for work. Monday morning I didn't get up early, I didn't make it to the gym, and I didn't take outfit pictures. I did put together a really cute outfit with my new mustard yellow corduroy pencil skirt and jewel toned leopard print blouse!

The other big motivator for getting up earlier? My day light hours are fading. Since coastal Massachusetts is about as far east as you can get on the eastern seaboard, it gets dark here REALLY early in the winter. We're talking 4:30pm early. I have no choice. I'm going to have to either get up early and take my pictures in the morning, or start bringing my tripod to my office.

Outfit: Skirt- Old Navy; Blouse- Target; Flats- Old Navy (old); Cardigan- Old Navy (old)

These pictures were taken around 6:20 in the evening. I this is the earliest I can get home to take pictures after work and the light was definitely low. I better become a morning person really fast!

Some Blogging Dillemmas

One thing that I do not love about my new apartment is the lack of natural light. I don't really have an indoor location that works for taking outfit photos. This is probably for the best because it will encourage me to take pictures outside more often. However on rainy days like Tuesday, it presents a real problem. I looked really cute, but I didn't get to take pictures! Instead you get some pictures from about a week ago.

Outfit: Blouse- Old Navy; Skirt- Alfani via Macy's; Shoes- Payless; Bracelets- thrifted; Earrings-?

These pictures were taken in the stairwell of my old building. I really missed that spot this morning!

Fellow bloggers- what do you do for photos on rainy days?

Remix: Geometric Print Skirt

I think I have worn this skirt at least once a week since June. I am so glad I rediscovered it in the back of my closet! It's a flowy, lightweight linen blend. Truly perfect for those muggy summer days when I don't want to wear anything too fitted. 

Outfit: 

Cami: H&M

Shrug" Forever21

Skirt: Marshall's circa 2008. 

This is this skirt's fourth appearance on the blog, but I've somehow managed to style it very differently each time. It's nice t have pieces that can be remixed in lots of different ways. 

June 20th

April

  

July 17th

Pencil Perfect

It seems counter intuitive to buy new clothes while attempting to purge my closet and down size, but I've been on the hunt for a new black pencil skirt for a really long time. I love pencil skirts, but they're hard for me. My waist is much smaller than my hips, butt and thighs. In fact, I have two pencil skirts in my closet that were online purchases that I can't wear until I get them altered.

When I saw this skirt at Macy's, I knew I had to try it on. I was in the plus size section, so I grabbed the 1X and I was really disappointed when it was too big. As some one who is in between sizing systems, I love it when stores carry the same pieces in plus sizes and straight sizes. I was stoked to find an XL on the other side of the store. Perfect fit! The stretchy fabric is forgiving of my curves, but helps it maintain its shape at the waist.

Outfit:

Tank: thrifted

Cardigan: Target

Pencil skirt: Alfani from Macy's- Standard Size, Plus Size available in store.

Leopard and coral are just too great together.

Do you have any luck with pencil skirts?

Purging

As I've mentioned on here a few times, my guy and I are moving in together. He's going to be living with me at my current apartment starting Friday (eek so soon!) and then we're moving into our first apartment together on September 1st. In preparation for the move, and the shared closet space that comes along with it, I've been slowly organizing and purging my wardrobe. Part of this process has been wearing items that I'm on the fence about or have trouble styling. 

This tshirt is one of those items. I love the coral print and modest neckline, but I have a hard time styling it in a way that doesn't look old/ matronly. A high waisted denim pencil skirt may not have been the best idea if I was trying not to look matronly, but it was Friday and I love this skirt! I think this shirt is going to be staying a little longer. I can see it working well with a cardigan and skinny jeans or slacks for fall. 

Outfit:

T Shirt: Target last year (solid colors still available)

Denim Pencil Skirt: Forever 21+ last summer

Belt: H&M

Shoes: Payless

Earrings: So Good

Bracelets: assorted 

Feeling a Little HOT Pink

Here's some neon/ hot pink that I wore on a very hot Monday. 

My mom was married to a military man for most of my childhood, so we moved around a lot. As a result I spent most of my life in South Texas (on the Gulf) and in Southern Maryland. I'm no stranger to heat and humidity...so you'd think I could hack a New England heat wave, right? WRONG! There are several things that I deem essential to summer that are missing here. 1. Air Conditioning- I live in a 3rd floor walk up with absolutely no AC, not even window units! 2. Ceiling fans. Until I moved to Boston I'd never had a bedroom without a ceiling fan! 4. Swimming. There aren't a lot of places to swim in Boston. No one I know has access to a pool, and the city beaches are mostly icky. 

Long story short, I have been miserable the past few days. I didn't get a blog post up yesterday because it was so hot in my apartment I didn't want to turn my laptop on! Also the shininess I have in this picture probably isn't from my bronzer. I was sweating before I even walked out the door. 

Outfit:

Neon Top: Old Navy

Skirt: old from Marshall's or TJ Maxx  

Sandals: Payless

Necklace and earrings: H&M

Belt: thrifted at Buffalo Exchange

A Skirt and a MFAwesome Evening.

TGIF y'all! This has been a really busy week at work and after work for me, so I'm really happy it's over.

OUTFIT- Skirt: Old Navy; Blouse: H&M; Cardi: Target (very old) Sandals: Payless

Wednesday after work I headed to the Museum of Fine Arts for a community building event with GLOW members, Ignite Change finalists, and their friends/ family. It was so fun to picnic and visit the museum with an inspiring group of young women.

The group of teens and women that came out for some museum fun.

The MFA is one of my favorite places in Boston. They always have exciting exhibits, and their collection is fantastic. Renoir, Degas, a statue that looks like a giant cheese grater... what more could you ask for? The best part? It's free every Wednesday after 4pm, and always free for children under 17. We had a lot of fun and even snapped some silly pictures with the art.

Lion Faces!

Special thanks to A.C. Gaughen for snapping these great pics with her phone and tweeting them for me to share. A.C. is an up and coming young adult author and one of the founders of Boston GLOW, so y'all should check her out.

Have a great weekend!

All Knotted Up

Knotting a button down shirt is my new favorite thing. In fact, I wore this outfit before I even saw the inspiration picture for Two Birds' Inspiration Monday. What could be better than a knotted shirt, a flowy skirt and some sandals?

Outfit:

Blouse: Old Navy

Cami and Skirt: H&M

Sandals: Payless

Necklace: Gift

Here's the inspiration picture of the lovely Eva Mendes. 

Have you ever knotted your shirt? Is it a little too 90s for you?

Keep or Donate?

In preparation for moving into a teeny apartment with my boyfriend, I've been doing some closet downsizing. I already have about four garbage bags full of clothes set aside to donate or swap, but I still feel like I need to downsize further. I've been making it a point to wear pieces that normally don't get a lot of wear to see if I really want to keep them.

This shirt is one that I'm on the fence about. I got it on clearance at Rue21 for like $4 a few years ago. I love the rosette embellishments, but they make it impossible to layer the shirt under anything, and y'all know I love my layers!

I'm still on the fence. I love the color, neckline, and sleeve length, but how often am I going to wear a shirt that I can't layer?

This skirt on the other hand is definitely a keeper. I think it set in my closet untouched for over a year until I rediscovered it and paired it with my yellow lace top. I love bold black and white prints! So versatile!


Outfit:
Blouse: Rue21 circa 2009
Skirt: Marshall's circa 2008
Belt: H&M
Shoes: Payless

Neon Pattern Mixing

I was really excited that this month's theme for Everybody, Everywear is Neon. I just bought this cardigan at Target last week and I was planning to wear it with a navy dress, but the EBEW challenge made me change my mind and layer it with my trusty yellow lace blouse.

I have a thing for cardigans, and when I find a style that I like on sale I buy multiple colors. I also purchased this cardigan in solid coral and white. 

Outfit:

Cardigan: Target (I got it on sale for $15!)

Blouse: H&M Conscious Collection

Skirt: thrifted

Sandals: Payless

Belt: Target

Necklace: gift

All Busines

This week is a busy week for me at work. Interviews, meetings and trainings every day mean dressing up a little more than I normally do. When I have to go a little less casual with my business casual I have a hard time getting dressed day to day. This outfit is nothing special, but pretty representative of my day to day officewear.

When I can't decide what to wear and a dress really isn't an option I reach for my trusty black pencil skirt. I've been enjoying the fact that the weather is finally at a point where I don't feel like I need a cardigan every day. Unfortunately the AC was turned up really high at my office, so I ended up wearing a blazer all day.

Outfit:
Skirt: Target last year
Blouse: TJMaxx last year (also seen here)
Belt: H&M
Shoes: Payless

Ignoring the Numbers

I've been searching for an animal print pencil skirt for a long time. I was delighted when I saw this zebra print one on the rack at TJMaxx for just $15!

Around the time that I started this blog, I also set out on a mission to improve my health. I started eating better, and joined a gym. For me it isn't about loosing weight, but that has been one of the many positive side effects of getting healthy. I try really hard not to get caught up in the numbers, so I don't know exactly how much I've lost, but I am starting to notice a difference in the way clothes fit and the way I feel.

Despite my efforts to ignore the numbers, I'm reminded of them every time I go shopping. I almost passed this skirt up because of the number on the tag. It looked like it might fit, but I thought "no, that size will never fit me!" Regardless of what size you are, never pass up an item because of the number on the tag. If it looks like it might fit, try it on! Do not let the numbers define you.

Outfit:
Skirt: TJ Maxx
Tank: H&M Conscious Collection
Cardigan: Old Navy
Sandals: Payless
Necklace: very, very old

One Time Only Skirt

I bought this skirt at Goodwill last year without trying it on, washed it and put it away to wear when the weather got warmer. I love the color and I was excited to add a little Maxi to my wardrobe.

After a day of wear this skirt is going in the donate pile. It's a touch too short and a bit too big in waist.I spent the day feeling frumpy. The color is perfect, so I'm sad to see it go, but you can't win them all! At least I got my $1.50 worth.

Outfit:
Skirt: thrifted
Shirt: Old Navy
Cardigan: Old Navy
Sandals: Payless
Earrings: Forever 21