floral berry.

merona boat beck tee

j crew factory skirt

merona flats

are you guys cartwheeling yet?   i've been thinking about getting a part-time job lately; maybe target will want to hire me as a cartwheel spokeswoman because i want to share it with the world!  there was a great 20% clearance apparel cartwheel a couple weeks back and so i had to take a hot lap through the clearance racks at my local store. i found these great tees on clearance for $6, which is awesome already, plus another 20% off cartwheel and 5% from my red card?  don't mind if i do!

i was pretty excited to see the shade of this berry purple matched pretty nicely with this skirt.  but it looked just a little too plain, so i layered a white & blue striped button-down underneath it (like this outfit, so sue me) and loved the effect that  much more.  yay for easy outfits!

get the look:  exact tee / similar button-down / similar skirt / similar flats / similar necklace 

throwback necklace.

j crew button down {thrifted}   ·   talbots blazer {thrifted}

j crew factory printed pencil skirt in vibrant currant

crown vintage tisha mary janes   ·   target necklace

every year i struggle with what color tights to pair with whatever top/bottom combo i want to wear and then struggle again with what shoes would look appropriate with that color tights. every year!  if i were wearing this without tights i may wear burgundy flats, but i didn't think that color shoe would look right with navy tights. so, i tend to match my tights with my shoes even though that eliminates a lot of shoes from my closet that can be worn over the winter months.  either way, i'm happy with the way this outfit turned out and i was glad to find another patterned skirt in my closet i could wear this green blazer with!

it is a bit of a stretch, but i'm joining alice at happiness at midlife and her throwback thursday fashion link up with this necklace. i've only worn it once (back in march) and figured it's been long enough to apply. plus, since i couldn't wear the burgundy flats i wanted to wear i incorporated that color into my outfit with my necklace.  thanks for visiting!

get the look:  similar button down / similar blazer / similar skirt / exact heels / similar necklace

an homage.

j crew factory pencil skirt   ·   gap sweater {via thredup*}   

inpink necklace   ·   adrienne vittadini flats

this picture didn't turn out the greatest, but i have to post it anyway because i loved this outfit so much, and i love lisa at respect the shoes for being my inspiration!  i have been eager to replicate her outfit here for a few months now.  the blue & white striped oxford underneath the cobalt sweater and chunky statement necklace is just the perfect amount of pattern mixing!  the weather in minnesota sure is crazy, but i'm fortunate for these cooler days (and an office with crazy air-con) that allow me to continue to wear some layered looks like this.

i also wanted to mention that my pal andi and i are hosting DRESS WEEK next week, starting june 16th!  my dresses have been sadly neglected, so i am glad she recruited me to host this theme week with her.  you will be able to link up at either one of our blogs.  thanks for visiting!

get the look: similar sweater / similar skirt / similar necklace / similar flats

*join thredup through my referral link above through july 6th and we both get $15 to spend instead of the usual $10.  yay!

a printed pencil skirt.

george button-down {thrifted/similar}

j crew factory skirt   ·   mossimo wedges {similar}

happy monday!  i'm starting the week of wearing this fun, brightly colored floral skirt -- honestly, i've never met a j crew/j crew factory skirt i didn't like, but i tend to browse their sites and wistfully add items to my cart more often than i follow through with making a  purchase.  i'm not sure what led me to j crew factory a few weeks ago, but there was a pretty reasonable clearance sale going on with this skirt, plus i had an extra percentage coupon from my birthday and money in my paypal account, so i took the plunge to add a new printed pencil skirt to my collection (and this lovely blouse).

my only gripe?  the skirt is unlined!  (and i'm annoyed i didn't pull it down before i took this picture, oops).  i wore a slip, but it still bunched up around the hem where the slip didn't reach as i walked due to the friction against my tights -- grr!  this won't be that big of a deal during the summer if i wear this skirt without tights, but i'd expect a skirt originally priced at $85 to be lined.  i'm willing to see past that since it's already in my closet and has been worn - and i love the colors.  have you found a solution for unlined skirts?