friday (snazzy)

 shirt: gap  skirt: merona {thrifted new}

necklace: target {thrifted new}    belt: kohl's    flats: old navy bauble flats

this gap denim-ish shirt is from 2003. i love how the gap brands have tags inside the clothing that notes the season and year it was released; it does so much to quell my curiosity, especially when i find a gap brand at the goodwill. does anyone else ever look at those? this is one of the first items i ever bought at gap, the first probably being that over-sized gray hooded sweatshirt from the men's department with "GAP" sprawled across the chest. i don't know about you guys, but those sweatshirts were it around the time i was in high school (?) and i thought i had to have one. if i still had it, i'd check the tag and tell you the exact era. anyway, it's nice when a piece of clothing sticks around for eight years and is still pretty classic, like this shirt.

so is this outfit too snazzy for a friday? i don't often think about "dressing down" at the end of the week but maybe i should. i've started to wear flats more frequently on fridays, but that attempt was probably negated by my big, chunky necklace. ah, well. i'm entering into the weekend with style.

friday: where i blog

welcome to my desk!  this is where i blog, online window shop, pay bills, and spend hours on google reader reading all of your lovely blogs!  in all of the apartments, houses, and dorm rooms i've lived in i have always had a desk.  i remember when my family moved into a new home in georgia before i started third grade.  i was so proud of my desk and my matching desk accessories and remember smiling proudly for an equally proud mom as i had my picture taken in front of my big desk.  my current desk was a $20 find from ikea and its flanked by bookcases in front of my window.  it's been in several different locations in my room as i try to figure out the best arrangement of my furniture, but i think this is where it will stay.  aside from early mornings when the sun is so bright that it's blinding sitting in this spot, i love this little nook and being surrounded by all of my favorite things...

 

thanks for hosting this fun visual fbff, suze!

thursday (repeat)

gap cardigan {thrifted}   converse blouse {thrifted target stock}   old navy skirt    

merona belt {thrifted target stock}    lela rose for payless finsbury pumps

i've worn this exact outfit a couple times before, obviously never on this blog (yet), and took my direct inspiration from e. at academichic.  it's so sad that the chics won't be posting past the month, theirs was one of the first that i started following and has been such an amazing source of inspiration and knowledge.  hopefully it will stay around for a long time to come... i know there are more outfits in their archives that i can attempt to replicate!

tuesday.

 

old navy chiffon tiered tank   banana republic cardigan {thrifted}

merona doubleweave skirt {thrifted target stock}   merona leather belt {thrifted target stock}

aerie beaded necklace   merona maribel wedges {thrifted target stock}

after working from home yesterday, it was nice to get dressed for real and go back to work today.  i've seen this old navy blouse on a few lovely ladies and purchased it myself this weekend with my old navy groupon that was about to expire.  i think it will look great paired with basically any color cardigan, and i like it tucked in as well as untucked and tiered like the ladies above wore it.  does anyone else have this tank as well?  thanks for reading!

the weekend.

just a couple little photos from my weekend...

at the goodwill on saturday i found this over-the-door shoe rack for my closet to replace it's twin that has been falling apart.  it was only $2.99!  time to buy more shoes to fill up the last empty row on the bottom!  or maybe buy new shoes all together since a lot of my heels look pretty beat up!

i finally forced myself to purchase some concert tickets to some upcoming shows this fall... hanson {of course} and foster the people.  their cd has been in non-stop rotation in my car for the past month.  i won't lie, i often listen to their performance of "helena beat" from jimmy kimmel live on youtube on repeat when i'm at work and need a burst to fun to get me through filling out paperwork & forms.  i'd definitely suggest checking them out!

i also finally used my groupon to old navy and picked up this chiffon tank that many other lovely bloggers have been sporting lately.  old navy is such a hit & miss for me so it's no surprise that i couldn't find anything to buy until the week before the expiration date.  i don't know why that is, since i sure spent a lot of money when i worked there.  random fact: i also used to work at the gap!

lastly, here's ann, passed out!  she's like my little baby who i get to post embarrassing pictures of on the internet!

i hope everyone had a great weekend!

friday!

button-up: gap {thrifted}
pencil skirt: old navy
bow belt: old navy
necklace: aerie
nude ruffle flats: mossimo

i think the universe was getting back at me today for unintentionally skipping out a little early yesterday from work (it was unintentional, honestly!) by really making me work today.  i was left to my own devices in the office and fielded quite a few phone calls from clients and providers and had my own struggles working the system for some of my clients.  such is the life of a case manager.  i can say one thing, it felt darn good at the end of the day to know that i had accomplished so much.  and i'm so glad i was able to take a little break and breather outside this afternoon and found this gorgeous place to take photos.  isn't that green door something?!

thursday.

ann taylor factory store cardigan {thrifted}   j crew frances blouse

old navy capris   unlisted patent heels {thrifted}   kohls necklace

i think these pants aren't doing me any favors.  what do you think?  you can be honest.  it's interesting looking at yourself in a different way when you post pictures of yourself to a blog.  i'd been taking daily pictures of my outfits for almost a year before starting l&s yet it's somehow different now.  i wonder if everyone goes through this revelation & transformation upon starting a little blog.  either way, i really appreciate this creative outlet as a whole and any visitors that might be popping in.  i hope you'll continue to visit!

one picture from my little break away from my desk to take these pictures... it's amazing how a 5-10 degree drop in dew point affects the weather!  it was so lovely today.

wednesday.

 

merona artist cardigan {thrifted target stock}   banana republic full skirt {thrifted}

merona belt   xhilaration rosette flats {thrifted target stock}

today was another hot one so i didn't even attempt to take a picture outside. instead you get a picture in front of my closet.  i didn't even notice until i added the picture to this post the creepy little man peeking out from inside my closet by my right foot... that's just my miniature boyfriend who i like to keep hidden in there, that's all!

back to the outfit!  this is one of the cardigans i picked up on sunday and i knew i was going to wear it with this skirt.  i love the color and the unique embellishment and everything about this outfit; it's so me.  hope everyone had a great wednesday!

tuesday.

purple blouse: merona {thrifted new}   pencil skirt: merona {thrifted new}

green belt: f21 {thrifted new}   purse: lplp linea pelle {target}   black pumps: unlisted {thrifted}

it is so cliche to moan about the weather, but my gosh it is hot in minnesota.  it's definitely not cold here year round!  well, maybe cold as in i nearly melted running outside to take these pictures this afternoon.  i'll take the blame for this poor decision, it  definitely was not my hair's idea.  i wish i knew of some good products that would keep my hair frizz-free in the humidity, but it's probably just in my genes!  i do sincerely apologize about the frizz-tastic hair and harsh sunlight and awkward pose... i tell you, something has got to give!  until then, this is what i've got.

monday.

 

i took today off work so i could visit one of my oldest friends in southern minnesota.  we met each other in fourth grade when i lived in georgia and she lived in wisconsin through being pen pals!  it is so neat to think that we both ended up in minnesota and now only live a couple hours apart.  we still aren't able to see each other that often since she is a busy teacher during the year and momma all year round to two adorable girls, so i'm glad i decided just to take a day off during the week and go down and visit her! of course the day i chose ended up being the hottest day of the summer so far for us {mid-90s that felt like 115!}, but i kept cool in the car on the way down and enjoyed the scenery--the drive down to southern minnesota from the metro is beautiful!  we had fun catching up and it was fun to meet her new little one who is four months old and to see her other daughter again, who is two.  

whenever i drive down to this part of minnesota, i always stop in the same place, lake pepin, to admire the water and boats.  it was simply too hot for that today though so i just snapped a few pictures and hoped that they came out!

 

gap shrunken cardigan   old navy scoop-neck tee   old navy perfect khaki pencil skirt

thrifted silver belt   mossimo odell zebra flats {thrifted new}

the weekend.

this weekend was a nice & long one.  i spent it lounging around the house, which is exactly the way i like it.  i am so exhausted and mentally drained by the end of the work-week that i never want to jam pack my weekends full of activities and plans.  i'd rather lay low at home.  on saturday, i made a quick trip to savers {no luck} and then spent the rest of the afternoon reading emma, watching hallmark movies, and planning my trip to southern minnesota on monday.

also, meet my cat ann!  my sister and i inherited her when our nana passed away.  she likes to hide in the oddest places around our apartment.  here she is nestled in my duvet comforter, which i just have to brag about for a second.  it's a dwell studio for target queen sized comforter that i found new at the goodwill for $6.99!  i've never gotten to the bottom of it, but the goodwills here have a pretty sweet deal with the local targets to take all of their clearanced or slightly damaged merchandise.  i couldn't believe it when i saw this lovely.  don't worry, i washed it!

 _________________________________________

on sunday i took my usual trip to the goodwill, to one i actually haven't been to in a while, and scored these two cute new-from-target cardigans for $4.99 each {i'll debut one of them on tuesday!} and some smelly fifteen cent books.  i had a very filling lunch at chipotle and did more reading and organizing my two overflowing bookshelves with my new finds from this morning.

 

you guys are probably going to get sick of me talking about all of the target stock i get at the goodwill!  hopefully one of these days i can do a giveaway of one of my finds.  did you do anything fun this weekend or score any good thrifted deals?  do you like to chill out on the weekends or stay busy?  hopefully i'm not the only homebody out there!

be sure to check back tomorrow night or tuesday morning to hear about my trip to southern minnesota; i'm really looking forward to it!

friday.

i didn't intend to only post every other day this week, but yesterday's photos didn't turn out and all and today's almost didn't, either.  the weather was so dark & ominous starting really early in the morning and i was lucky to catch a break in the rain to get out of the office to take these.  it's pretty obvious what the weather forecast was today by looking at my hair, oh my!  yep, rain and humidity make it frizz out in seconds.

also, i'm practically wearing head to toe merona {the purple belt is f21 and the hot pink shell is old navy} so i didn't think it was necessary to list out each item and its source.  my goodwill is really good to me since they stock so much target merch, but it doesn't really do much to diversify my wardrobe.  this is something i really want to try to focus on more in the upcoming months and to add a few more unique pieces to my wardrobe.

have a great weekend!

wednesday.

cardigan: old navy
slacks: mossimo {thrifted}
heels: lela rose for payless
necklace: target {thrifted new... have i mentioned how awesome my goodwill is?}

sometimes i am hard on myself when i wear an outfit like this... sure, it's a perfectly acceptable business-casual outfit, but it didn't scream, "WOW!" to me right away.  but then i looked a little closer and realized that i'm not dressed in drab black (yes, i'll be honest, it's a bias i have... i think too many professional women wear too much black!) and instead in a colorful cardigan, i'm wearing a nice pair of dress pants, and there's a unique and fun twist to my outfit in the statement necklace.  and it still might not scream, "wow," but to me, this is the perfect outfit for my line of work and to wear in front of the people i interact with (older adults).

monday.

j crew swiss-dot fontana dress {thrifted}  target necklace  
xhilaration rosette flats {thrifted target stock}   kohls bracelet

this dress ranks as one of my all-time favorite goodwill finds.  i'm not sure what the original price point was, probably over $100, and it came home with me for $6.99.  this is one of the reasons why i love thrifting so much--there is the potential of finding really high quality, lovely pieces like this dress.  it's a second chance to find something after it's passed through the stores and at a much more reasonable price.  finally, it's an economical way to update or add to your wardrobe.  i've only worn this dress a couple times {the first was to an big event hosted by my work}, but each time i do it feels so special to me... and i think that's exactly how our clothes should make us feel--no matter where they come from.  i'm so proud to showcase this dress on ebew!

let's goodwill!

my favorite activity on sunday mornings is going to the goodwill, because it is the start of a new colored tag sale.  i thought it would be fun to start a weekly feature here at l&s since i enjoy goodwill'ing so much.  they're all so different that it might be a little interesting to highlight what i find at mine!

today was all misses at one goodwill that is just about five minutes from my house.  i have not had much luck there in the past {save for finding a silk chiffon blouse from jcrew for $3.50!}, but since it's so close i pop in every other week or so.  i came away empty handed today, but found a couple pieces i wanted to share.

giorgio armani skirt: i don't follow high fashion and i don't know a thing about fashion designers, but i definitely took a second look when i saw the tag of this skirt and had to snap a picture when i saw the original tags that were still attached.  somehow this $725 skirt ended up in a tj maxx and then to the goodwill where perhaps someone will take it home for $8.99.  would anyone have snatched up this skirt based on the designer alone?

jcrew knock-off: i thought this was a pretty nice replica of the j crew frances blouse, which i love and have in white.  i also love the color, but unfortunately it was a couple sizes too big so i didn't even try it on. 

khaki skirt: i thought this was a really cute skirt (no tags whatsoever), and was so sad when it just didn't fit!

it's always a little bit of a bummer when i comb the racks and have nothing to take into the dressing room with me, but there's always next sunday...

let's shop!

i mentioned in this post that target.com regularly posts apparel coupons on their website, and i just wanted to share that today three new apparel coupons were posted, including 20% off any merona item, $3 off any plus sized item, and $5 off any handbag of $19.99 or more.  it's a great idea to print these as soon as they're posted (you can print each one twice) and wait for a sale or  check the clearance racks for some great apparel deals!

 

(coupons image from target.com)

friday.

as a new blogger, i'm feeling a little daunted trying to "introduce" myself to my readers.  i'm taking a tip from something i saw on another blog {ashlee at casual & clueless} and posting a fact about myself for the first week of to l&s.  i'm looking forward to getting to know you all as well, too!

#4: i love to coupon!

no, not the "extreme couponing" that you might have seen on tlc.  my favorite part of the week is sunday mornings when i get to flip through the ads and coupon inserts and file them away in my coupon binder.  one should never pay more for something than you need to, and couponing helps with that!  i've had some pretty awesome trips to the register in the past and it's all about combining great sales with coupons.  there are a few blogs i follow that are great about getting people going with coupons and sales, let me know if you're interested in the links!  is anyone else out there a fellow couponer?

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purple ruffle blouse: old navy

celery green cardi: style & co

black pencil skirt: merona {thrifted}

silver belt: thrifted

black bauble flats: old navy
necklace: charm and chain from michaels

so, one should never be the last one in the office on a friday, but if you are it can be the perfect time to snap a quick outfit photo.  since starting this blog a whoppin' three days ago i have constantly been scanning the sides of the roads to & from the office and when i am out in the community meeting with clients for places to take pictures.  those perfect locations aren't always going to pop up though, so sometimes you just have to make do and head home!

thursday.

as a new blogger, i'm feeling a little daunted trying to "introduce" myself to my readers.  i'm taking a tip from something i saw on another blog {ashlee at casual & clueless} and posting a fact about myself for the first week of to l&s.  i'm looking forward to getting to know you all as well, too!

#3: i love to read.

literacy had to come in here somewhere, as it is the very important half of my blog's title {kudos to anyone who can make the reference.}  i've always loved reading and learning and precious square footage in my small bedroom in my apartment is overtaken by two bookcases that are filled to the brim.  i don't have anything profound to say about my love of reading and i'm not quite sure how/if it will be worked into this blog in any way, it's just my favorite hobby.  i love collecting classics {the older & more worn, the better}, mostly through swap.com or the goodwill.  the 15 cent bin of books at goodwill is my favorite, it's how i have come to amass so many books!

so what am i reading right now?  emma by jane austen.  my sister and i recently watched the 1996 adaption through our cable company's free movie channel on tv, so afterwards i felt inspired to read the book, which i received in high school in and had never read until now.

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button-up: gap {thrifted}  slacks: merona {thrifted new}

heels: lela rose for payless    magenta belt: merona {thrifted new}

this is usually what i wear to home visits with clients who i have never met before. black slacks, a nice button-up shirt, and heels with dark hose since i most likely take my shoes off in their homes. i think today's outfit fit the bill for what i needed to accomplish. on days like this, it's all about function and feeling comfortable and professional... with a pop of something fun, too.  i love how the belt works so seamlessly with the print in the shirt!

also, these black lela rose for payless heels were the first "grown up" heels i bought and i liked them so much i got them in brown, too. they're looking pretty beat up these days, but they have served me well in the beginnings of my professional wardrobe.

wednesday.

here's fact two of my week-long facts to help you get to know me!

#2: i'm a social worker
i realize now that my post from yesterday may have come across as though my favorite band rules my life, but my career as a social worker actually (usually... there's paid time off for a reason...) takes precedence.  i have a masters degree in social work and my job is to support older adults to remain living successfully and independently in the community.  i also provide care coordination to some members of a state-wide health plan.  i was blessed to find a part-time job in my field six months after completing grad school, and through some pretty early-on networking i landed a second part-time position that went full-time a couple months ago.  i work in a small, but close-knit office with four amazing women.  i would love to talk more about  my career in the future if anyone expresses an interest in learning more about my field.  until then, here's a nice segue into what i wore to work today:






cardigan: merona
white cami: old navy
black belt: merona
navy skirt: banana republic
black heels: unlisted

i started doubting this outfit after i glanced at myself in the bathroom mirror a couple times today, so it felt good when one of my coworkers said how nicely i looked!  she asked if the skirt was new and i stated that it wasn't... new to me, yes, but actually my entire outfit is from the goodwill except the white cami!

tuesday (welcome!)

simply vera top {thrifted}   gap shrunken cardi

merona pencil skirt {thrifted new}   forever21 belt {thrifted nwt}

mossimo odell ruffle flats   aerie beaded necklace

i don't know about you guys, but going back to work today was rough.  i may have completed forgotten any tasks related to my job description, but thankfully i've mastered the art of looking fashionable and appearing busy while sitting in front of my laptop.  this outfit has been planned in my head since saturday morning when i found this lavender top from miss wang at savers.  the previous day i'd roamed around the mall for about as long as i could handle (two stores) and spotted this mint green cardi at gap.  even with the additional 40% off clearance, i couldn't bring myself to spend the $11.99 on it.  you'll come to learn how thrifty i am.  but i had to go back on saturday because i felt it the only suitable option to pair with the lavender shell.  i think they look pretty good together, especially with the lovely mississippi as the backdrop.