Wednesday, November 5, 2014

A Mixed Day

I've got something of a mixed day in front of me, first a quick and casual work meeting, and then just a ton of working from home and running errands. I've dressed for the more important task, which is the work meeting. When I'm done with that, there's an very good chance I'll change into jeans and a t-shirt, just to be a little more comfortable!


In honor of my mixed day, I've worn my one mixed media shirt. I'm normally not a fan of this trend, but I like how the cotton back and patterned print work on this shirt. It's incredibly flowy and amazingly comfortable. I can't help but be drawn to the pattern as well.


However, upon second though I'm not sure how nuts I am about this top and skirt paired together. The greens don't seem to go together quite as well as I thought, and it's definitely a look I might re-consider in the future. The top is from Kohls, while the skirt is from New York and Company


And just a quick reminder, well behaved women rarely make history! So act up and make a difference!

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Voting Day!

It's November 4th, and across the country that means that people are heading to the polls. In a fit of patriotic fervor I pulled out an incredibly old t-shirt, and headed out to vote with a message! (Yes, this shirt is from over eight years ago, when message t-shirts were still a big trend.)
Be a Chooser, Not a Loser, Vote!
 When I finally was able to find my polling location, one of the workers complimented my shirt, which made me feel a little bit better about wearing something that felt a little bit old and maybe a little too on topic.


 To pull the look together as something other than just a t-shirt I paired it with a skirt from Loft and a red belt that I found on Amazon. I kept the colors really, really simple so that I could let the message of the shirt stay front and center, and so that it didn't feel too much like a costume.


This skirt is one of my favorites, although I don't wear it too often. It walks the line between casual and dressed up, and so I'm trying to figure out way s to make it work in a variety of ways, such as this fairly casual look. Isn't the overlay just too much fun?


 RBG voted that she should get to chew my shoes, but I had to veto that particular option! These are a relatively new purchase from Payless, and I love the menswear inspired details. You should definitely check them out, at $14 I think they're a steal! I find that they run just a smidge small, so if you're between sizes I would consider sizing up a half size. And make sure you vote today if you haven't!



Celebrate Southern Linkup: 2 cats & chloe.

Monday, November 3, 2014

Faux-Fall

I know that at this point I've talked a lot about the weather, and how it's never chilly in Houston. However, this weekend we had a cold chill, where the temps actually dropped down pretty darn low! I was over the moon, and excited to finally be able to share some outfits that featured sweaters, boots, and all the fun cool weather looks that are available. Unfortunately, the weather didn't stay, and the high today is int he 80s. So, I'll have to continue with the faux-fall looks, and I hope that you'll forgive me.


These boots are new, and I'm really enjoying their super tall shaft. I like that they go to my knee, which will make it easier to transition somewhat shorter dresses into fall. You can find them here, for only $23, and with free shipping and returns if you have an Amazon Prime membership. I have somewhat large calves, and I found these to be a good fit, so that's an additional thing to keep in mind!


This dress is about four years old now, and originally came from the sales rack at Delia's. I've mostly looked at Delia's products online and in catalogs, but the Houston Galleria has an actual physical location. I really like this dress, it's so simple that it can be accessorized in a ton of different ways, and the thick fabric means I can transition it into colder weather fairly well. The scarf was  gift from my sister, and to be totally honest, I'm not entirely sure where it came from, although I believe it's from Old Navy.


I had to include this picture. Not only do you get a better feel for the true color of the boots, but so that you'll know what I go through every day when getting dressed.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Wearing Orange as an Aggie

I've got very conflicted emotions about the color orange. I'll admit, this definitely makes me sound like a crazy. And I probably am a little crazy, but that doesn't really make a difference here. Ultimately I've never been much of a fan of the color, first because it was my little sister's favorite color, and then once I went to Texas A&M, it always reminded me of the University of Texas. (For those of you who don't follow Texas football rivalries, A&M and UT are two of the main colleges in the state, and they've been huge rivals for years, until A&M left the conference and joined the SEC.) However, upon moving to Houston, I started attending games for the Houston Dynamo, and then Dash, the professional soccer teams here in town. Their main color, of course, is orange. All of this is a long way of telling you that I've gotten a lot of use out of my one orange garment, this orange dress.


Luckily, it's much more of a deep, rich orange, rather than the burnt orange of the University of Texas. Once an Aggie, always an Aggie! I've worn this dress often to soccer games, since it's comfortable, and doesn't show sweat. The dress is a lightweight cotton, although the threaded flowers give a bit of detail to the dress.


Today I decided to wear the dress for work, by pairing it with my brown blazer. These two colors together felt very fall to me, in a way that was really appropriate. Plus the fact that the dress was sleeveless meant that I didn't die in the unseasonably warm weather we're having right now!


As you can see, I'm in a dressing room in these pictures. I'll be the first to admit, I love shopping on my lunch break. I was originally going to show you what I tried on, but since I ended up making a purchase, you'll see it soon enough as a regular outfit post!

Outfit Details: Dress is from Macy's, the blazer is from New York and Company, and the earrings are from Charming Charlie

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Game Night Dress

As I've mentioned, I don't actually have to go into the office on Mondays, and so I have to admit that I never really got dressed in more than shorts and a tank top yesterday. The most dressed I got was to go to the gym, and I don't think anyone really needs to see that outfit! I was working to finish  a big project, and so I didn't really leave the house. I'm going to try and do better and have an outfit worth sharing even on my more home bound days.


This is another one of those dresses with a lot of details. It's not only got a crazy pattern, but also a tie at the neck and gathered sleeves. However crazy it may be, it's definitely one of my favorites, and I like to wear it both for more casual days at work and for whatever else I have going on in my life.


Although the dress is a couple of inches above the knee, in my experience it is so covered up everywhere else that I can get away with it for work. Today I am wearing it with a brown blazer and my loafers, but a cardigan is also a nice pair with this dress. I found it at Modcloth about two years ago, and it's been in heavy rotation since. It's sold out now, but you can see the pattern in better detail here (as well as request that they bring it back!) I'll admit, the fact that this was called the Morning Noon and Game Night Dress definitely swayed it a little more in my favor, and I've definitely worn it to game night with friends!

As an accessory, I paired my Michael Kors watch (check out this one too!) with some mint nail polish. I normally don't paint my nails very often, because I chip the paint incredibly fast, but this is the Sally Hansen quick drying polish, and I find that it lasts a little longer on me, which is awesome!

And as I Houston girl, I've definitely got to go along with the Southern link-up!  

Bless Her Heart Y'all

Friday, October 24, 2014

Fall Confession

I think I've mentioned in passing, but I live in Houston. Houston means hot weather for practically the entire year. I'm originally from the Texas Panhandle, where the weather conditions are very different, and I'm still adjusting to the humidity and constant heat. However, we've been having some almost fall type weather lately. It'll be in the mid 50s in the morning, but still warm up into the mid 80s for the early afternoon. This makes it incredibly hard to get dressed in an outfit that will transition comfortably through all the weather and extreme air conditioning.


The uptake of all this weather talk is that I've had to find a way to dress that still feels like fall, and yet can stand up to the really odd weather. In come light weight but longer sleeve dresses, like the one I'm wearing here. This dress is perfect. Although it's a light color, it's pretty rich, and the sleeves give it the feeling of being appropriate for cooler temps. It's also just long enough that I can get away with wearing it to work without tights.


Boots are the compromise I make, because while they're really comfortable in the cooler temperatures of the morning, by the high of the day my legs are definitely feeling the heat! However, I think they really make this outfit, and keep it in the fall sensibility.


What do you say? What's your answer for dressing in the weird weather? I don't feel right totally committing to dressing for hot or cold at this point, and I also don't feel ok just ignoring the changing season. Am I just nuts and over thinking this? (You don't need to answer that!)


The great thing about being a bunny is that RBG never has to worry about if her outfit will be warm or cool enough, and she's always seasonal!


Outfit details: Dress is from a local boutique, Boots are Old Navy (from forever ago), and my necklace and earrings are both Charming Charlie.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

A promise

One of my goals in starting this blog is to only show outfits that I actually wear in my daily life. I want to use this as a chance to push me out of my clothing comfort zone a little, but I absolutely want to focus on wearable looks that actually work for my own use. Because of that, you might see a little bit of repetition, or outfits that aren't quite as magazine ready as on some other blogs. However, I am going to try and challenge myself, and I hope you'll enjoy the journey with me!


This dress is kind of exactly what I mean about challenging myself. Normally, something this flowy, and honestly, this short, would be totally outside of my comfort zone. Although I think it's a very pretty pattern, it's not something I would have normally gravitated to. However, I bought it from Amazon at an extremely cheap price, and there were no returns, so I wanted to find a way to make it work. I found that adding a belt with some tougher hardware and tights helped to make me feel more comfortable with the length, and also help ground the delicate pattern a little. 


One thing I love about these boots is the fringe. It's such a fun little detail, and I'll admit I really like the boots with this dress. I also like the layered look of the hem.


 Really, for me it's amazing what a pair of tights and boots can do to anchor a look. In my opinion these pieces helped to keep the dress realistically wearable, and so I felt more comfortable wearing this entire outfit. The dress originally came with a much more flimsy belt, which I like for other dresses, but I thought it was important to change it out for this one. What do you think? Isn't it amazing how a change in belt can really alter how you feel about a dress?


Outfit Details: As mentioned, the dress is from Amazon, the tights and belt are from Target, and the booties were an awesome find at T.J. Maxx!

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Better Late Than Never

I am so sorry that I wasn't able to post on Friday or Monday. It's been a truly crazy couple of days for me, and I'll admit that this blog kind of fell between the cracks just a little bit. However, I'm back now, and I'm working on getting a little bit of a buffer on posts so that I don't fall behind again!


One of the reasons that I fell behind is that I've picked up a second part time job, and I'm continuing to look for a full time, permanent job. I just recently graduated from law school, so I've been interviewing and figuring out my future. On Monday I had an interview that I was really excited about, and I wore this blue top with my regular black suit (Which you've all seen before).


What I really like about this top is that it brings a little more interest to an otherwise boring interview outfit, and can also be dressed down and worn more casually. In my mind, I'm more likely to get the job if they remember me, and this blouse is definitely memorable! Here, for a more casual look I've paired it with black jeans, and a belt. I wish my belt were more of a true white, to match the polka dots a little closer, but I worked with what I have.


This blouse is certainly filled with details. It's got the tie/bow neck, then it's pleated down the front, over the button placket, and obviously there are polka dots and 3/4 sleeves. All this detail could possibly be too much, but given the classic cut and colors I think it works cohesively for a really classy blouse! The blouse is from New York and Company, about three years ago, and the jeans are from Forever 21, about three weeks ago! You can see where I tweeted about the purchase here!

More about the jeans - I found them on sale for $7.90, as an introductory price. You can find the same pair here, but only available online in gray. I am actually really impressed with these pants, they've got a decent amount of stretch, and still retain their fit. I've been looking for black jeans, and you certainly can't beat $8!

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Hops 2: Return of Hops

I had a little helper when I was getting ready this morning! Although, to be honest, her version of help really just involves looking adorable and begging for a cookie! (and who can blame her?) Although rabbits aren't quite as easily trained as some other animals, I've taught RBG to stand when she wants a treat, and she knows she's most likely to get them in the morning when I'm getting ready.


 As for my actual outfit, today I am wearing this a blue lace dress with built-in slip and yellow belt, which was purchased from Kohls about two years ago. I've worn this dress for a variety of occasions, it's appropriate for everything from an Easter party to work, to dinner out with friends!

The sweater is from H&M, and my shoes are the ever comfortable Dr. Scholl's.
 



One of my favorite things about this dress is how the lace allows the skin to peek through in a super classy way. It adds a lot of detail, while still being appropriate for all situations.


And of course, the most important accessory of all, a pair of sunglasses! I love the shape of this pair.

Today I am linking up with Sincerely Jenna and Happiness at Midlife! Make sure and stop by and give these lovely ladies a read through!

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Focusing on the Details

Sorry that this post is so late in the day! It's been a hectic one today, and this almost the first time since I woke up that I've been able to sit down at a computer! I promise that tomorrow's update will be at a much more respectable time!

One of the things that I struggle with in the world of fashion and style is accessories. I'm both bad at remembering to put on jewelry, and kind of a cheapskate when it comes to the items that really complete an outfit. However, I know that as in life, attention to the details can really finish off a look, and make everything so much better. I'm challenging myself to get better at completing outfits with the appropriate accessories, and today was a slight attempt at that!



As almost every outfit post on this blog is apparently going to begin, a blazer and a dress. What can I say, the majority of my day is spent at work, and so what you see is the fashion I spend my life in. You might notice that this is the exact same blazer from yesterday, but I feel that it is so much more fun and relaxed when paired with a vibrant dress.



Speaking of a vibrant dress, I don't think you can get any more fun than a red pleated dress. This is literally one of the most comfortable items in my closet, and yet totally work appropriate. It's also great for so many other occasions, and would especially be great for a date night, given the bright red! I found this dress on mega-clearance at J.Crew this summer, when I stopped by for some retail therapy over lunch. Normally J.Crew is a little out of my price range (although I do visit J.Crew Factory almost religiously), but this time I happened to find a beautiful dress in my size, and at a remarkable price. It just goes to show that you always have to check the sales rack! Here's the same dress, currently available in red and black, although the price isn't quite as good as what I found in the store.



Speaking of the details that make an outfit, I love this necklace for almost any look, but it goes so well with this dress. This is actually an old cameo style broach of my great-grandmother, which I was able to re-purpose and put to new life! It always gives me a feeling of history to wear this piece, and I love that it's totally unique. There are so many places to find old broaches, so you should definitely give this a try!


And to finish off the look, a shiny gold bracelet! It's so hard to go wrong with anything shiny, and I really love this bracelet. What I love even more is that it totally covers my fitbit, which you've seen in so many of my other pics. I plan to have an entire post about my fitbit accessories, but until then this bracelet is perfect even just for the bit of fun it gives my wrist!

Monday, October 13, 2014

Business Professional

I've written a lot about dressing for work in the short time I've been working on this blog, and I think every single time has been a slightly more casual work look. Well, today I am going to show a slightly more formal work outfit, including a skirt suit.
That's right, I even brought out the (fake) pearls

For some reason, this suit appears to have photographed a little off-color, but it's a deep black, classic two-button suit. You can't see the skirt, but it's knee-length, which in my experience is the most professional length, modest and yet flattering.  One of my favorite things to pair with buttoned blazers is a v-neck blouse, because in my opinion the mirrored 'v' of the neckline and the blazer is incredibly appealing. I bought the suit at New York and Company about three years ago, and you can find similar options here. I also love this skirt and jacket combo. 


I paired the suit with this mint green top, which is also from New York and Company. I have purchased a lot of my work clothing from there, because not only do they have really high-quality suits, but they also tend to have buy one, get one half off sales, which has been a big help in transitioning from a student to a member of the professional class.


And to cap-off the look, a pair of cap-toed pumps, with menswear detailing. I am incredibly into heels that look like they are inspired by classic menswear fashion, and the appearance of stitching here is perfect to me. 

For a little bonus, and as a mea culpa for posting late today, I also wanted to attach this next photo, not for fashion or style, but just for fun! I attended the local Renaissance Festival, and took this at the Sherwood Forest. My flowery Ked-esque shoes were perfect for a day full of walking, fitting both the cute and comfy requirements!



Friday, October 10, 2014

Nothing Comes Between Me and My Calvin

I know, I know, technically Brooke Shields was talking about her Calivn Klein jeans, but I think the sentiment rings just as true for work dresses. No one seems to do a classic yet fun sheath quite as well as Mr. Klein. So many of my favorite work outfits start with seeing that wonderful Calvin Klein tag at Marshall's, T.J. Maxx, or even Ross. I was able to purchase this dress from Marshall's about a year ago for only $50.00! Definitely worth it, and a great budget find!


Please forgive the way I'm standing in this photo. I'm not entirely sure what I was trying to do, but instead it just makes the dress lay a little weird, and look like I'm trying to do some high-knees. I promise the dress normally doesn't pull like this, as you'll see in the next image.


One of my absolute favorite things about this dress, and most Calvin Klein work dresses, is the detail. I have other dresses with piping, fun flippy skirts, and with this dress it's the gathered and seamed midsection. It makes the dress so flattering, and just keeps it from being a total blank canvas.


However, the dress is still basic enough that I'm really able to spice it up with jewelry (and I should have spiced it up with some more vibrant lipstick!) I love the addition of any shade of blue to purple, and normally I pair this with turquoise. However, today I was feeling something in a softer color scheme, and so I chose this necklace and earring set from Charming Charlie's! I purhased both pieces on clearance for a recent wedding, and I was so happy to get to wear them again! I can't find this exact pair of earrings online anymore, but they're having a BOGO sale on all of their clearance jewelry, so you should definitely go check it out!


And finally where would I be without my trusty shoes! I promise I do occasionally wear more than flats, but I got a crazy splinter in the bottom of my foot the other day, and these padded Dr. Scholl's loafers are exactly what was needed to ease my walking. I love that the purple tassle echoes the color of my dress! For some equally comfy shoes, look here, here, or here! (P.S. for most of these brands, I find them at the outlet malls, where the prices are much more affordable!)

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Throw Back Thursday

Yesterday I talked about work outfits that could be a little more casual, and then dressed up quickly with the addition of a blazer. Today, I'm highlighting a look exactly like that, but with mostly silly photos! I tend to ham up for the camera, and I think that all of today's photo's definitely show that.

Additionally, like the title says, today is something of a Throw Back Thursday! These pictures show two ways that I wore the same dress, for Valentine's Day at work, and then at a work Christmas party. I still love this dress, and can't wait til it gets a little cooler so I can wear it some more! (I feel that it works best with tights and boots, to keep it work appropriate.)



I think you'll understand why I tend to wear this dress for holidays, the red is just so vibrant that it really pops for Valentine's Day and Christmas. I love dressing thematically for holidays, I think it's a remnant of when I did theater in high school and college, it feels like getting to wear a costume in real life!


A few co-workers and I decided to have what basically amounted to a photo shoot with these cookies, so forgive the common thread running through these last two photos. As you can see, here I was able to pair the dress with a blazer, tights, and pumps, in order to keep the look work appropriate!


Here's the same dress, styled for a Christmas party, and once again, I'm being a little ridiculous for the camera! (I'll try and not blame the champagne!) I wish you could see my boots a little better in this pic, they're really simple, but I love them. They're Guess brand, and I got them from T.J. Maxx for about $50.00. Given how much I wear them for work in the colder months, they were definitely worth it!  Here is a similar pair, and here's a better picture to see the detail on the dress.The dress is from Limited, and definitely one of my favorites!

You can tell that these images are part of a Throw Back Thursday, since I think it's been a while since I've had my hair that long! Go visit here, for more Throw Back Thursday fun!            





I've also linked up with Jenna Marie