july 18th {my job...}

i have been thinking a lot about culture this week, which directly relates to the outfit i'm wearing today.  you don't see me wear pants that often, but when i do it's either because i'm going to visit someone in a part of town that i don't feel comfortable in and want to "blend in" as much as possible (ie: not drawing attention to myself by wearing high heels, bare legs, long flowy hair) or more likely, i'm meeting with one of my culturally-diverse clients and i know i'll need to remove my shoes before entering their house so i want to be wearing socks and shoes.

my mind has definitely opened up with the opportunities i have had to work with culturally-diverse clients.  i've had (or have) clients who speak arabic, hmong, oromo, somali, vietnamese, spanish, russian, cantonese, karen, nepali, punjabi, and a rare dialect from liberia called sapo.  today i met with a client who speaks cambodian.  i've learned to veer from my assessment and focus first on asking the uncomfortable (for me) questions about their immigration to the united states, typically as refugees, and their family system.  i've learned that through those tough questions comes trust.  one of the best days of my career thus far was when a karen man played me a church hymn on the accordion while his wife sang along.  the same client loaned me dvds depicting the ongoing wars in his home country and what life was like for refugees, including himself.  i've had a nepalese client make me a traditional noodle dish and spiced tea with milk.  i've had countless clients refuse to let me leave their home without giving me something, a can of coke or an apple.  by that point, i usually realize that the purpose of the visit wasn't about my interview at all but was to open up my worldview a little wider.

i've been working through an online module training course this week about cultural diversity.  one section i read yesterday talked about how our cultural values inform every part of our day – how we dress, how we act, and how we react.  all of this is informed by our culture, so when you come in contact with others, there are always multiple “cultures” present.  i think that is why cultural competency is so necessary and why i adjust parts of me (someone who likes to wear skirts with bare legs and no socks) to respect the culture of my clients when i know we are going to interact.  i don't think it means i always need to mask my culture, but i have the competency to know when it should be and that it always goes beyond just removing my shoes.

i feel really blessed to have the job that i do and to have these opportunities to interact with different people, so thank you for letting me share a bit of that with you today, along with this not-so-smashing outfit...

are there certain aspects of your career that prompt you to dress slightly different than you ordinarily would?

april 22nd {drabby}

j crew riviera jacket   ·   loft skirt {thrifted}

mossimo varana booties {thrifted target stock}

i feel pretty drab in my outfit today of olive greens & tans/browns.  it's true, even though i dress in a lot of color each week, the snow on the ground outside and the temps that can't seem to get out of the 30s and 40s often wear on me.  i have hope that spring is on its way soon after one more snowfall (!) tonight, and one of the easiest ways for me to get inspired about the change in seasons is pulling out fresh and bright colors from my closet! what better way to explore some new color combinations than looking to PANTONE?  most of us are probably familiar with PANTONE's color of the year, emerald, but did you know they also forecast hot colors for the spring season?  my friend marissa from the modern austen and i picked our favorites and are inviting you to join us in this PANTONE-inspired spring color challenge the week of april 29th!  pick a top, bottom, accessory, or pair of shoes in the color for the day and show off your spring colors with us! we will be linking up to my blog next monday & tuesday and at marissa's blog wednesday-friday.

we are so excited for this link party and encourage all of you to participate! don't have all of the colors? that's okay! just participate whatever day you can. don't have a blog? don't sweat it! we'd love to read your comments of how you wore each color and you could email us your photos, too. at the end of the week, marissa and i will pick our favorite looks from the week and feature them in a wrap-up post!

**this link-up challenge is in no way sponsored by or affiliated with pantone--we just love their colors.  for more information about pantone llc and PANTONE® products, visit www.pantone.com.**

march 25-26th {combo}

just popping in quickly to say hello and to show what i have been wearing this week... dresses & blazers.  i guess i've needed an easy combination to fall back on.  now i must go and decide whether or not i want to take advantage of the buy one, get one 50% off shoe deal going on at target.com.  i've ordered two skirts this month, both of which haven't fit (so frustrating!), but at least i know i can't get my shoe size wrong!  have a great week!

january 21st & 22nd {oh and two}

here's what i wore tuesday {what was i thinking, orange two days in a row?  and the scarf didn't come across as infinity-esque as i would have liked} and today {this outfit looked better in  my head but aside from the washed out looking pink hue of the button-down, i guess it's not that bad}.  

maybe i'm being unnecessarily hard on myself, i just had higher hopes for putting together better outfits this week since i loved monday's outfit so much.  well... the good news is i get to try again tomorrow.  thanks for visiting!

don't forget to enter my giveaway for a cute pair of bauble bar earrings!

january 14-15 {blah}

is it just me, or do you get discouraged with getting dressed and posting to your blog if you have an outfit or two early in the week that were misses?  this is what i wore on monday and i felt so incomfortable in it all day.  i was thankful to be holed up in my office all day aside from one quick meeting with my boss so i didn't have to see anyone!  what's wrong with it? 

i wanted to bring in another color and immediately thought of the magenta pumps on the left i got at target over the weekend.  i have a goal this year to add more colored shoes to my closet and was willing to take the plunge at $14.98.  they're my normal size, but something about the hidden platform and higher than high heel made them incredibly uncomfortable and pinchy.  i was thankful i wore flats into the office and carried these in my bag to change into and didn't wear them outside as they were promptly returned.  i wanted my shoes & necklace to match, but even though i have a lot of accessories, i am still missing certain colors of necklaces.  the necklace is more red/coral toned and my eye can immediately pick out that my shoes and necklace didn't match as well as i would have liked.  finally:  the button-down is another boy's shirt from the goodwill, donated target stock.  it fits but it's still a bit baggy in the sleeves and of course the sleeves are too short length-wise so i had to roll them up so it didn't appear as if i had shrunk the shirt in the dryer.  the cut and fabric of the blouse also feels more casual paired against the full, girly skirt.  maybe i should stop buying little boy's shirts?? 

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here's what i wore on tuesday--i love this skirt, but the sweater is too tight and showed too many lumps.  i tried the tank-top trick over the button-down so the buttons didn't press through and show through the sweater, but it just made for too many layers and i couldn't get them smoothed out.  maybe i also have bad posture!

let's chat / do you share your "outfit fails" on your blog?  what are your thoughts my outfits so far this week?  you can be honest, seeing as how i've already pointed out all of the flaws i see!

monday (approaches)

i went to the crentist {office fans, anyone?} monday morning, which is an experience that i don't mind at all, but this visit felt a little off-putting.  apparently my teeth are now suddenly prone to cavities even though i feel that i take pretty good care of them... i mean, it's not like i'm swallowing pixi sticks on the hour every hour.  either way, apparently i have some cavities that need to be dealt with.  i felt in the wrong the entire visit as my hygienist asked if i chewed sugared gum or sucked on candy all day.  i think a better approach to take would be to show me how to effectively floss or offer a tip that brushing in circular motions is better instead of pointing out that my gum line is receding because i brush too hard. 

it got me to thinking about how easy it is to re-frame our conversations and words towards others to bring about a more positive reaction.  i definitely try to do that with my clients (seniors).  i encourage them to advocate for themselves the most joy i get is when we talk about their strengths and interests.  who wants to be berated for the enamel on their teeth wearing down or any number of other unpleasant things?  why not approach it differently, like, "your teeth are nice & straight!" or "i don't see much tartar, good job!"  we're all called to serve in some way but we have the power to make that service for someone else meaningful.  the approach we take means so much to the customer or client.  maybe i think about this a lot because in my profession my words are basically all i have... i'm constantly thinking about what i am going to say (this is why my brain is so tired at 4pm) so i can have the most efficacy with my clients.  i wish my hygienist had tried a little harder to do that. well, i'm going to try to carry this with me the rest of the week.  thanks for listening!

tuesday (turquoise)

merona cardigan & mossimo varana shooties {both thrifted target stock}  

old navy button-down {thrifted}   ·   merona doubleweave skirt 

 

i know i wore a skirt practically this same shade last week but i could barely remember that, so i'm hoping you guys won't really mind or have remembered either.  :)  that skirt was just a stand-in anyway until i could exchange this merona skirt for the correct size.  these booties were a staple in my wardrobe last fall/winter and i wore them a lot with tights but this is my first time wearing them without tights.  i think they look kind of funny, but i'm convinced that it's good to mix things up once in a while even if it takes you out of your comfort zone.  i'm kind of surprised that we're into october and i haven't pulled out the tights box yet, but i know it's coming (friday??).  

 

and just for the heck of it, here's what i wore yesterday (another merona doubleweave skirt!).

 

 

i hope your week is off to a great start!  

tuesday.

 

mossimo blouse & slacks & shooties {all thrifted target stock}
inpink orange & beige beaded necklace

whoa, hey mossimo.  sometimes when an outfit comes together you don't even realize that all the pieces are of the same brand.  i love this little flutter sleeve top that will be perfect this summer.  i'd been eying it at target {it's now on clearance} but found it at the goodwill last month instead, only missing the little ribbon around the waist.  for a fraction of the price, i was okay not having that little ribbon!  i wore these slacks last monday and am already pulling them out again - i love the dark denim-like fabric but that the straight line cut makes them appropriate for work.  and can you believe i am not wearing a belt today?  i feel like i always wear a statement necklace and a belt in every outfit and i've started to feel incomplete if i leave one of those items out of the equation, but i think these pants stand up fine on their own. 

thanks for dropping by - and thanks to appgirl at musings on the mountain for being my 75th follower through GFC, i think it is pretty awesome (and unbelievable at times), that you guys support this blog so much.  thank you!

monday (ikat)

 

 j crew riviera wrap jacket   gap shell {thrifted}

handmade (by me) skirt   mossimo varana shooties {thrifted target stock}

within a day or two of buying this fabric i made this skirt out of at joann's, i stumbled upon this photo of the heritage ikat skirt currently selling at banana republic.  the ikat on my skirt obviously isn't an exact replica, but it's a good alternative.  plus, the cost difference between the two skirts is pretty cuh-ray-zee {yes, that obnoxious emphasis was needed!}  the banana skirt sells for $98 and this fabric was $4.49 total.  have i convinced you to dust off your sewing machine and get going yet?  :) i think this is one of my favorite skirts that i have ever made, and i don't say that often... i'm still working on it, but i think i am finally learning how to pick out fabric with prints that suit my personal style.

thanks for dropping by!

monday (the shooties)

mossimo ultra soft cardigan {thrifted target stock}   j crew frances blouse

handmade (by me) skirt   mossimo varana booties   target necklace
 

some of the older adults i work with or who i run into in the senior building where i work have a lot of comments about my outfits & my shoes... mostly my shoes.  i love it.  today i encountered a group of three women waiting for an elevator who, as i passed, said, "we're all talking about your shoes."  each one proceeded to comment about the heel height, ask how i walk in them, and how i don't lose my balance.  i'm never quite sure what to say when i receive comments like those!  these are really the easiest shoes to walk in since they surround my whole foot and aren't prone to slip off like a traditional high heel, but how to explain that?  maybe i need a couple statements i can pull out in situations like this, like "well, i've had a lot of practice" or "i'm sure i won't be wearing shoes like this for many more years!"  but i'm young enough to do it now, right, so why not?  i love working with older adults and the comments they have for me that literally keep me on my toes!  and these have honestly become my favorite shoes, so hopefully those ladies will get used to seeing me wearing them!  :)