march 2013 {budget & spending}

here's a recap of my march spending.  i'm linking up again with franziska and other budgeting bloggers, although she may kick me out of the club after reading my purchases summary because... budget, what budget?  well, let's just get right into it:

march	paid	original
old navy red chambray top	13.99	29.94
old navy blue camp shirt	10.50	24.94	worn here
old navy paisley print scarf	9.06	12.94	worn here
old navy boys plaid shirt	11.90	17.94	worn here
merona melinda wedges - pink (14.23)	ppal	29.99	worn here
merona tie front dress - violet (13.28)	ppal	39.99	worn here
xhilaration peter pan collar lace top (14.25)	ppal	17.99	worn here
merona classic navy long sleeve shirt (new-gw)	4.99	19.99	worn here
*gap kids boys plaid shirt (gw)	1.49		worn here
*merona magenta chunky sweater (new-gw)	2.99		worn here
*merona green cable knit sweater (new-gw)	1.99		worn here
*jason scott oatmeal blazer (gw)	3.99		worn here
k9 by rocket dog odetta floral pumps	gift card	30
shabby apple andes skirt	giveaway	44	worn here
shabby apple first date earrings	giveaway	18
mix no 6 otavia wedges	29.95	39.95	worn here
merona bella flats - navy	14.99	39.99
merona bella flats - coral	14.99	39.99
	$120.83

pluses: i've already worn almost everything that i purchased this month, which says to me that they were all good purchases as i couldn't wait to wear them!

minuses: i really paid no attention to any sort of budget this month, seeing as how i spent about twice as much as i typically do.  i had a cushion of money in my paypal account (sales on ebay) that i used to justify 4-5 online purchases but even so, i still spent a lot of money out of pocket.  i did have good restraint in staying away from the goodwill after i started noticing the pattern of how many online purchases i was making, but i think i would have spent less money if i'd stuck to shopping at the GW compared to online retailers.  the printed wedges (bottom left hand corner) were a total impulsive, emotional purchase at DSW one day.  actually, i bought heeled sandals that i quickly realized were too tall and sexy for my workplace, so i returned them.  the cashier got me when she encouraged me to find something to exchange them for so i didn't lose the $10 rewards coupon i'd originally used.  so i grabbed these wedges, which were about $8 more oop, but i'm immensely more happier with them and think they'll add some jazz to my shoe collection.

weaknesses: i'll admit it, i have little self-control when i have a) gift cards, b) coupon codes, c) free shipping offers, d) redemption points.  all of these bit me this month.  it could be considered "smart" shopping because i always get good deals, but i know i went overboard this month.  i am going to try to hold myself to one online purchase next month.

how do you stay away from online deals that lure us in?  maybe i should unsubscribe from all of the store emails i get so i'm not tempted by their promotions!

notes:  items with an * are not pictured above.  if the item is available for purchase online, the link will bring you to the retailer's website.  "gw" stands for "goodwill" - meaning the item was thrifted.  "new-gw" stands for new target stock i find at the goodwill.

march 25-29 {week in review}

{week 13}

march 25-29

here is what i wore to work this week!  we're short a day as today is a day off for me, and has it ever been glorious.  i ran to target to pick up some neosporin for my skinned knee, snagged some free razors (come on, bare legged season!) and cheap kleenex (thank you, target mobile coupons), and treated myeslf to the new issue of real simple magazine (i had a coupon, but still!).  i caught up on the mindy project, did some quick cleaning, and listed about half a dozen things on ebay.  maybe if i'm really feeling crazy i'll finish my taxes, too.  :)  it's nice to have a day off to get caught up on things.  thanks for visiting this week!

march 29th {5D5W: casual friday}

it's true that i don't  really dress too casually on this blog.  only this year did i start wearing some casual friday outfits with trouser jeans, so that was about all i had to pull from to put together this post.  i was so inspired by fran & whitney's great casual friday looks that i think i need to step up my game on fridays.  here is a typical spread of casual friday looks for me when i wear my trouser jeans, and the fun outlier when i wore my skinny jeans cuffed:

thanks to F & W for hosting this challenge, it has been fun looking through my archives these past couple days pulling together different ways i've worn certain items!  have a great weekend!

march 28th {5D5W: dresses}

eshakti dress {c/o}   ·   merona cardigan

mix no 6 otavia wedges

is it crazy to think that an orange dress can be one of the most versatile items in my closet?  it's definitely true!  give me color over black any day, and i'll show you it's just as--if not more--versatile.  i featured three ways to wear this dress in my initial review after receiving it from eshakti and wanted to share another option as i'm wearing it today for fran & whitney's 5 days, 5 ways challenge.  i have worn the dress one other time too that you can check out here (it's similar to the middle picture below).

oh, and please ignore the tear in my tights... i slipped on ice (again!) this morning and skinned my knee through my tights.  what am i, 6?  who skins their knees?!  at least the shoes were unscathed, that's all i can say.  i mean, how awesome are these shoes!  thanks for visiting!

5 accessories 5 ways

i was surprised when i was looking through my archives and realized i've already worn this polka strand necklace from bauble bar five times.  it seemed like a great opportunity to do a recap and participate in fran & whitney's 5 ways, 5 days challenge today for accessories, especially since my outfit today isn't all that exciting. ;)

who knew a chunky white necklace would be so versatile?  i love wearing it with just about everything... under button-downs, layered over dresses and sweaters, and a combination of both!  it has definitely become one of my favorite accessories.

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!

march 18-21 {week in review}

{week 12}

march 18-21

here is what i wore to work this week!  on friday i also wore a pretty neglected denim skirt, last worn april 20, 2012, and cardigan, last worn july 20, 2012.  by the way, i did end up selling that polka dot skirt i was wearing in that post, i just couldn't make it work for me.  i think the same will be said for the denim skirt i wore on friday.  it is a size too small, high waisted, and really tight.  i felt self-conscious in it all day.  it's a nice length and shade of denim, but i'm not sure sure if i'll ever squeeze comfortably into it again knowing my exercise habits.  sad, but true, as i must have fit into it at some time.  looks like my "to sell/to donate, but i'm not quite sure yet" pile keeps growing.

see everything i've worn to work so far this year here!

march 21st {neglected pumps}

land's end button-down, merona sweater, merona skirt, mossimo pumps 

{everything was thrifted!}

this is what i wore on thursday, an extremely tiring + emotionally draining day.  i'm a care coordinator and on this day my client files were audited.  it is always stressful when your work is being picked over or critiqued, whether it be by your direct supervisor, a colleague, or in this case... a health plan with strict requirements i have to follow in working with their members.  there were some low moments, but i feel re-energized moving forward and making my work the best it can be in 2013 in preparation for it to be audited in 2014!  that's what i tried to take away from this day, anyway.  i also took away a love for green & purple paired together and a new-found love for these shoes, which i think i have only worn a couple times (the last time was may 8, 2012!) because i thought they were too pinchy & painful, but they really weren't!  neglected no more, i say!

march 20th {lacy}

xhilaration peter pan collar lace top   ·   merona doubleweave skirt

old navy linen blazer {thrifted}   ·   merona mariela heels {thrifted}

i've been hanging onto this cute lace top for a couple weeks now and today was the perfect day to stop neglecting it and wear it for marionberry's trend of the month challenge: lace!  i know i've basically hidden the entire blouse under the blazer and scarf, but it is a cute top despite being a little too short - it is a junior's brand, after all.  i imagine it will work okay for me though as i'll still be able to tuck it into skirts.  i've wanted to add a lace top to my wardrobe for a while and i think i will definitely get a lot of wear out of this one!  i think navy & magenta always look great together too, so this turned out to be one of my favorite recent outfits (except the snagged tights).  thanks for dropping by!

march 19th {neglected Q&As}

old navy camp shirt   ·   j crew factory skirt

mossimo wanda wedges   ·   inpink necklace

yes, i not only neglect clothes but i also neglect blogger memes.  both bri & kate tagged me for the little 5 things Q&A going around, so i wanted to try my hardest to participate.  i looked in my drafts and saw i had about two of these started from various awards i've been given in the past (sorry!).  i enjoy getting to know bloggers but sometimes in the moment it's hard to think of five random facts to share about myself!  it seriously took me about a week to finish this post, but here goes:

01 / pet peeves:  one of my biggest pet peeves is hearing coworker's dings, chimes, message alerts, and ring tones on their work cell phones when we are in meetings.  i know everyone is busy and might be awaiting a pertinent phone call from a patient or colleague, but it gives the impression that they're not fully present at the meeting if they are attending to their phone every few minutes.  i mean, if your cell phone is sitting on the table in front of you, you can still see if a call/message comes in when it's on silent!  right?  i think this is a big problem in the technology era we live in... poor cell phone etiquette. 

02 / volunteering:  i volunteer with my aunt at a local organization that sews baby clothes and puts them all together in a diaper bag and delivers them to local hospitals and organizations for underprivileged new moms.  my responsibility is cutting out little sleepers and then i help to put all of the bags together once a month.  it's nice taking time out of my life to do something for someone else's and to share in something meaningful with my aunt!

03 / guilty pleasure: i have a major guilty pleasure of reading romance fiction stories on fictionpress.com.  that's probably why i haven't posted any book reviews in a while, i'm too busy reading amateur cheesiness!  actually, that is not fair--i have read some great stories on there.  and i'm willing to recommend, don't be bashful!

04 / talentless: growing up, i never participated in any sort of organized sports or dance classes, two extracurricular activities i feel were the norm for kids to start getting involved in even as early as elementary school.  i never played a musical instrument growing up either (i was in chorus in middle school & high school).  i'm come to face the fact that i don't have much talent!

05 / traveling:  the u.s. city i have visited more times than any other outside of cities in the state i live in (minnesota) and grew up in (georgia) is... wait for it... tulsa, oklahoma.  random, i know?   i know i can't just leave it there so i'll explain why--my favorite band is from there and, well, i'm still a teenybopper fangirl at heart and i think it's a rule that i have to pilgrimage back there every year or two for events they host.  it's true, i'm making visit in may.  what city have you visited the most?

okay, enough disclosures for one day!  thanks for visiting.  :)

march 18th {neglected gingham}

merona button-down & skirt {both thrifted target stock}
old navy scarf    ·   merona melinda wedges

for "no longer neglected" today i'm wearing a combination of old and new, all of which i'm happy to say are no longer being neglected.  i last wore this button-down july 9, 2012 but it had sadly been shunned as i favored my black & white gingham shirt with slightly larger blocks.  after wearing this one today i realized it is quite versatile too.  the lighter print mixed well with the floral paisley pattern on the scarf i received in a recent order from old navy.  if you skim through my archives you'll notice i do not have a penchant for pattern mixing, but after today's effort i think i am getting the hang of it!

the bottom half of the outfit could have worked better, perhaps with a gray skirt, but my creativity is still stunted with the need to wear tights and i felt the easiest route to go was black & black.  and i'll admit that even though i am wearing these BRIGHT PINK wedges in this picture, something about it felt off to me all day and i ended up switching into a pair of black flats i keep in my desk drawer at work.  i'm not one to feel uncomfortable in color, but these shoes seemed to stand out too much against the black tights.  i don't know what my deal was--hopefully they don't become neglected!

thanks for visiting!

march 11-15 {week in review}

{week 11}

march 11-15

happy 11th week of 2013!  here is my collection of outfits from this week of mostly neglected items and some new pieces... i still have a few new things that i'm itching to wear and plenty of other neglected clothes, maybe i'll really go crazy next week and wear one of each.  

i'm trying to be better about documenting my daily life--i know i do that with clothing, but what about the other random things that happen to me that are fun to be reminded of later?  this prompted me to buy a 5 year journal, hoping my short-attention span will at least allow me to write one sentence about what happened each day.  instagram is helping too... here are a few from this week:

{ gap kids boy's shirt at GW / winter laughs at minnesota / free food from social work event / it's &@(% still winter }

see all of my 2013 week in review pictures here.  have a great weekend!

you'll be seeign a lot of these

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march 14th {neglected nothing}

old navy boys plaid shirt   ·   merona doubleweave skirt
merona mattie flats {thrifted target stock}

i'm taking a break from no longer neglected today to start wearing some of the new items that i've purchased recently.  i did some ironing last night and felt a little overwhelmed with all of the new or new to me items that are entering my closet.  i seem to always be scrounging for hangers, especially when all of my laundry is done.   i have a sneaking feeling my closet is trying to tell me something...

i've been itching for a plaid shirt for a while in a more masculine print and found this one in the kids department of old navy.  even though there's pulling around the bust i'm willing to deal with it because i love the plaid print so much!  maybe some fashion tape would help.  here are some of my favorite looks lately that inspired me to get some plaid into my closet:  peggy / cee / ginny / m /  there have probably been more, i should start utilizing pinterest i guess to remember what i have been inspired by!

in other news, did everyone hear that google reader is being retired on 07/01/13?  i'm pretty devastated.   what other readers do people use to follow blogs?  it's going to be hard for me to transition to something else but i better start figuring that out now!  bloglovin' i guess?

march 13th {neglected pants}

gap outlet slacks {thrifted}   ·   merona sweater {thrifted}

j crew blouse {thrifted}   ·   predictions karmen heels

if you've been hanging around here with me for a while, you might pick out today's no longer neglected item immediately.  PANTS!  as all of my pants are sadly neglected.  i'm not even sure why that is - i wore them maybe once a week in 2012, but it feels like it's been ages since i've pulled on a proper pair of dress slacks.  i'm glad i made it a point to do so today for this challenge.  there is something about a well-fitting pair of slacks that make me stand a little taller and feel a more professional.  and it felt good to pull out a pair of heels that have also been neglected all winter!

this outfit came together pretty easily too as i was inspired by one of bri's recent outfits and paired a printed blouse with a solid cardigan, leaving the bottom hem of the blouse to peak out.  i really liked the effect and that the higher neckline of the printed blouse peaked out over the neckline of the sweater, too.

how do you feel about dress slacks?

march 12th {neglected blazer}

 jones ny blazer {thrifted}   ·   merona ponte skirt {thrifted target stock}
dexter kylie wedges   ·   old navy scarf

i'm back today featuring a true neglected item for "no longer neglected" - this striped blazer.  here's a run down:

last worn: sept 28, 2012

date purchased: i cannot find this item on my clothing purchases spreadsheet i keep so i guess i missed it!  i thrifted it sometime late summer/early fall 2012.

reason for purchase: i had seen a couple cute outfits others had worn with a navy & white striped blazer.  when i saw it at the goodwill, it just seemed like something worth buying for that reason.  the price must have been right.

why neglected:  i know bloggers are required to love stripes, but i just don't think i do.  maybe one of these days i'll find the perfect striped tee, but i'm never drawn to wearing this striped blazer.  there isn't a proper button, either, just a little hook & eye closure, so it doesn't lay open nicely and always has to be closed. 

verdict: i'll keep it around!  do you agree?  i would like to pair it with one of my orange dresses next.  one of my coworkers also gave me a great compliment today stating that i always dress so "fun."  i don't think i can get rid of this blazer after a sweet comment like that.  it might sound corny, but i think it is awesome if someone looks at me and smiles because they think i dress fun!

speaking of fun, here is what i looked like today after i tried on a gap kids boy's shirt (you know i love 'em) in the dressing room at goodwill and it fit.  it only takes $1.49 to make me this happy - i mean, look at how sweet this plaid is!

it's good not to take ourselves too seriously, right?  thanks for visiting!

march 11th {neglected turtleneck}

j crew lattice print skirt {thrifted}
merona turtleneck & merona melinda wedges

i am trying to be loyal to this no longer neglected challenge, but today's outfit is a little bit of a stretch--again.  i wear this skirt all the time, the last time was in october 2012.  i love this skirt so much that i try to wear it at least once a quarter though, so it was definitely time to be worn again.  this dark brown turtleneck is another story, i haven't worn it in over a year!  now that's neglected.  since my turtleneck wearing days feel numbered, i wanted to make it a point to wear it today and try a new color combination of brown and blue accents with this skirt.  i wear a lot of different colors with this tan & cream skirt, but this may be one of my favorites.

i promise i'll dig out some more neglected pieces from my closet to wear this week!

march 4-8 {week in review}

{week 10}

march 4-8

here is my week in review post for this week.  i know it looks like i have been having a lot of four day weeks lately, but really i just had another self-imposed snow day this week and worked from home one day.

i want to talk about my outfit on thursday (the second from the right) for a minute.  it is quite possibly one of the worst outfits i have ever worn.  i think anyone in their right mind would gloss over it, not draw attention to it, but i'm actually glad i suffered through the entire day in that ensemble as it taught me that something about it clearly didn't work & i should quit trying (by that i mean the dress is going in the ebay/goodwill pile).  

the dress hadn't been worn for nearly 3 years, and rightfully so.  it's a wrap dress with too deep of a v-neckline.  i attempted--badly--to make the neckline higher with a safety pin, which is clearly obvious.  i put my hair up halfway through the day, which looks sloppy.  yes, that is a giant hole in my tights.  and the drapey knit fabric of the dress highlights lumps & bumps in all the wrong places.  am i missing anything?   probably.  i'm not trying to be hard on myself, but i definitely understand that i wouldn't be doing myself any favors if i believed any part of that outfit to work.  that's one of the reasons why i like taking pictures of my outfits everyday and why i am enjoying this "no longer neglected" challenge.  who knows how much longer that dress would have stayed taking up space in my closet if i hadn't finally worn it this week and realized it just doesn't work.  if anything, hopefully i can inspire others out there to pull some neglected items from your closet and give them a try or give them away.  just do me a favor and don't click on the picture to look at it any bigger (oops, i know by saying that you're going to click it now, aren't you?!)

stay tuned for more neglected items next week... but hopefully better outfits!

march 8th {neglected new stuff}

merona tie front dress   ·   old navy cardigan
mossimo belt {thrifted target stock}    ·    dexter kylie wedges

i promise i am still participating in "no longer neglected," today's outfit is just going to be a little but of a stretch.  i ordered this dress from target.com on tuesday and received it in the mail on wednesday (how awesome is that?) and i have a hard time waiting to wear new clothes, so here we are.  i paired it with a belt i picked up at the goodwill a couple weekends ago that i haven't worn yet either.  i really liked pulling the colors out of the belt to coordinate with the rest of the outfit -- navy, magenta, and rusty orange/cognac.

by the way, i highly recommend this dress!  aside from the strange fabric (it's mostly modal, whatever that is, so there's almost a filmy texture and sheen to the fabric), it's a great color, length, and price!  it has long sleeves that i envision rolling up when it gets a bit warmer outside and it's fun to think about the different types of belts or cardigans/blazers to layer with it.  that's definitely the mark of a good dress in my opinion!  i do need to cut those silly ties off though.

here are the other items i picked up in my target.com order that i'm really excited to wear (thanks to my reader jennifer a who inspired me to get the pink wedges, and the top is on sale through tomorrow!):

Merona Melinda Wedge Pump Pink

Xhilaration® Juniors Peter Pan Collar Lace Top - Assorted Colors

linking up with these lovely ladies today:

march 6th {neglected merona}

merona ruffle front dress {thrifted target stock}   ·   nicole miller blazer {thrifted}

today's item that i am proud to say is "no longer neglected" is this purple ruffle dress from merona. here's a breakdown:

last worn: never!

date purchased: august 2012.  that was also the last time i wore this blazer, so it's kind of neglected, too!

reason for purchase:  i had no reason!  the goodwill always gets me with their cheaply priced target stock.  some of the GW's in my area are like mini targets, but that does not mean i have to buy all of the target stock... i need a major intervention.

why neglected:  sometimes merona dresses work for me lengthwise, other times they don't.  i think i had blinders on when i tried this on in the dressing room because it's too short for my comfort to wear with bare legs.  so to the back of the closet it went, and here we are nearly through winter and i am just now wearing it.


verdict:  undecided.  i like the dress, but it seems silly to keep something around that i will only feel comfortable wearing with tights during the winter.  i was also fussing with the neckline and hem all day, which felt like just too much.  feel free to weigh in!

march 4th {neglected vera}

simply vera skirt {thrifted}   ·   merona tiered top

merona belt {thrifted target stock}   ·   inpink necklace

i am going to hit the ground running today as i join kate in finding items in my closet that have been neglected for far too long--something i haven't worn for a really long time or at all.  today's outfit features a mixture:

skirt:  thrifted in georgia last november (almost four months ago)
belt: thrifted a couple weeks ago (but not yet worn)
necklace: last worn seven months ago

yeah, i would say all of these items have definitely been neglected! honestly, i am not sure if i will keep the skirt around for very long as there doesn't seem to be a lot of options to wear with it aside from cream or gray, but we'll see.  thanks for visiting!

feb 25-march 1 {week in review}

{week 9}

feb 25-march 1

here is what i wore to work last week!  i love the variety of color and print i wore.  click on the image to see it a little bigger or see all of my weekly work outfits from this year in review here.

i have big plans for the rest of march.  i recently found kate's blog a journey in style and was inspired by her self-imposed challenge for the month of march, "no longer neglected."  she is aiming to wear items that have not seen the light of day in far too long or don't get worn as often as they should.  i've thought about trying something like this myself but i like the idea of a challenge, so i am going to participate with her throughout march.  i'm hoping you guys will help keep me on track!  thanks for visiting!

march 1st {!}

merona cardigan & cherokee button-down {both thrifted target stock}
talbots painterly floral skirt   ·   dexter kylie wedges

happy casual friday, right?  casual friday was instituted at the building where my office is (a senior living community) a few months ago and even though sometimes i'll wear my trouser jeans, most of the time i continue to dress as i would throughout the week.  there is a bit of a disconnect when i look at myself in an outfit like this and other women dressed in distressed jeans, tall boots, flannel shirts, casual tees.  should i start dressing down more on fridays?  at least i brought in my denim shirt, right?  happy weekend!