may 31st {we love target... favorite score}

merona doubleweave skirt & merona bella flats

old navy blouse   ·   jc penney scarf

today marks day 5 of the "we love target" link-up whitney and i have been hosting all week.  we're keeping it open-ended today and asking everyone to link up with their favorite score.  now, as much as i love clothes from target, it was really hard for me to pick my favorite item.  i settled on this skirt as it was one that i lusted after for the longest time (probably after first seeing it on whitney!).  i'm pretty hard-headed, though, and waited until it finally dropped down to 70% off on clearance before buying it.  i'm also really in love with these bella flats.  i have them in this coral color, navy, and the non-cap toe version in a birchy/neutral.  i can't say enough good things about the quality of the leather and how comfortable they remain throughout the day... and the color, the color!

thanks so much for linking up with whitney and i this week.  it was fun for us to wear the same item and style it differently and have you guys participate along with us too.  we hope you enjoyed our link-up!

<div align="center"> <br><a href="http://literatelystylish.blogspot.com/" title="literate & stylish"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/whatwedo/targetchallenge.jpg" alt="literate & stylish" style="border:none;" /></a></div> <br>

may 30th {we love target shoes}

lands end canvas gingham shirt {thrifted}

merona doubleweave skirt {thrifted}   merona melinda wedges

as i tried to think about what outfit i wanted to build around these turquoise wedges whitney and i are wearing today for our we love target link-up, i was at a total loss.  i think it is because i have felt like all of my outfits and color combinations have felt really predictable lately.  skirt, belt, button-down is a pretty typical uniform i wear almost every day.  i hardly ever wear black and i hardly ever walk out the door without a statement necklace and a belt.

so, today i really pushed myself through the discomfort of wearing almost all black (seriously... i never wear this much black) and only one accessory in the form of a necklace.  the verdict is still out, but as i walked out the door i definitely felt pretty sharp.  it feels good to dress differently like this once in a while!

thanks for linking up with us and i this week during our "we love target" challenge.  it's clear that many of you do too, and it's been fun to see some of your favorite target finds.  if you have a pair of shoes you want to show off, grab a button and link up with me below!

<div align="center"> <a href="http://literatelystylish.blogspot.com/" title="literate & stylish"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/whatwedo/targetchallenge.jpg" alt="literate & stylish" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

may 29th {we love target accessories}

mossimo sweater {thrifted}   ·   handmade (by me) skirt

merona emma flats   ·   target necklace & belt

 

we love target accessories, do we not?  one of the first areas of the store i veer towards whenever i go to target is the accessories section.  i love finding clearance necklaces and scarves, and sometimes i find pretty good deals on purses and bags, too.  this necklace is just another example of all of the identical target items my friend whitney and i have in our respective closets.  see the other ways i have worn it here.  and be sure to head on over to her blog to see how she wore hers & link up your outfit to show off whatever target accessory you are wearing today!

 

{sorry about the frumpy, stretched out sweater... it got very humid & i got very hot by the end of the day!}

 

tomorrow whitney and i will be wearing the same pair of shoes from target, which if i think about it would have gone really well with this skirt (another easy elastic-waist skirt i made a couple weeks ago.  if anyone is wondering, i go by this tutorial but as you can see, i make an actual waistband to cover the elastic and sometimes i skip the pockets).  we'll be linking up our target shoe posts here at my blog tomorrow, so be sure to come on back!

 

 

may 28th {we love target skirts!}

merona skirt {ebayed}  ·   old navy crochet lace top

evan picone blazer {thrifted}   ·   steve madden sursey pumps {thrifted}

today is bottom day during the we love target link up whitney and i are hosting this week.  i loved seeing everyone wear their favorite target tops yesterday.  i have long admired this skirt on whitney, so much in fact that we did a clothing swap a couple years ago and she let me have it for a week.  i finally found my own on ebay not too long ago.  the shade of the print can look olive in some light, brown in others, so it really lends itself to be paired with so many different colors.  i chose magenta this time around.  head over to along the lines of style to see how whitney wore her skirt and link up if you're wearing a target skirt today, too!

may 27th {we love target... tops!}

merona lace popover blouse  ·   handmade (by me) skirt

mossimo pearce pumps {thrifted target stock}

welcome to day one of the we love target link-up whitney from along the lines of style and i are hosting.  be sure to head on over to her blog to add your link!  today we are featuring tops and we are both showing off our merona popover lace blouses.  i tell you, i have been yearning for a lace top for a while.  i thought i had found the perfect one when i bought an xhilaration lace blouse, but it is unlined. so, my search continued and target came though for me again with this merona blouse.  i think it's utterly perfect and i'm sure many of you who also own it probably agree.  what are your other favorite tops from target?

http://alongthelinesofstyle.com

may 20-24 {week in review}

{week 21}

may 20-24, 2013

i hope you all had a good week!  so, i've never put a great deal of thought into what holes exist in my closet.  i'm one of those shoppers who buys what i like if it's a good deal, that's really all there is to it.  but it became very clear to me on friday that one hole that is becoming increasingly apparent in my closet is structured trouser jeans.  i've had this pair for many years and although they're okay (good length, nice dark wash, no rips/holes), i'm not crazy about the pockets and buttoned belt loops.  now that i've started the trend of dressing more casually on fridays at my workplace that allows staff to wear jeans, i've realized i need to add more jeans to my wardrobe that meet both the criteria of being casual, yet professional.  i don't often see trouser jeans for sale at the stores where i typically shop, but hopefully i'll be able to fill this hole relatively soon.  if you've spotted any, do let me know!

 

one last reminder about the we love target link-up whitney and i are hosting next week.  from one fellow target lover to another, i can't wait to see what items you are going to share with us!

 

may 23rd {revived}

old navy camp shirt   ·   handmade (by me) skirt

dexter kylie wedges

i made this skirt last august, but despite my desire back then to wear it again soon with a different color scheme, it took nearly nine months for it to be worn again due to a silly sewing issue.  i used fusible hem tape when i made it but applied it wrong and the hem came out after one wash, and it took until this week for me to repair it.  i guess that is a clear indication of how much sewing i did over the winter--sad.  but now that this skirt has been revived, i feel like i have a brand new skirt in my collection and yes, if the hem doesn't fail me again i do hope to wear it with a different colored top--and belt too, for that matter!

thanks for visiting!  don't forget the link-up whitney and i are hosting next week.  show us your favorite target wares!

may 22nd {shirred}

old navy sweater   ·   j crew shirred wool skirt {thrifted}

merona maye heels {thrifted target stock}

this skirt was one of my finds when i went thrifting with my mom this past weekend.  over the period of the week she was visiting, we went to four different goodwills, one of them twice!  i bought this skirt with the intention of selling it on ebay as it's shorter than i normally wear, but when the temps dipped back down to the 50s with rain in the forecast, it seemed like the perfect day to wear it at least once with tights!

here's a spread of some of my other goodwill finds from this week.  my clothing spending is ridiculous this month (and i know i'm not going to be able to stay away when the GW is going to be 50% off on memorial day) but it was fun thrifting with my mom and finding some good deals!

 

{j crew argyle & lattice print, mossimo pearce pumps, picture frame for work cube,

fun stripey placemats, old lady floral fabric for a handmade dress--it's in process!}

are you getting your target outfits ready for my link-up with whitney next week?!

may 21st {we love target!}

i apologize for the silence this week!  i've been enjoying having my mom in town and benefiting from her sewing prowess.  i've really missed sewing a lot and am energized to get back into it after the projects we've finished.  hopefully i can show you all what i've made with her help very soon!

until i can get back into the swing of posting outfit pictures, i wanted to mention the target challenge my friend whitney from along the lines of style and i are hosting next week!  after noticing that we both own so many of the same clothing items from target we thought it would be fun to style them individually and wear them on the same day.  finally our fun idea has come to fruition and of course we wanted our readers to be able to participate as well, so we're inviting you to wear the same article of clothing as we are {ex: a target top on monday... hint... we'll both be wearing this lace top} each day next week.  we hope you'll join us!

may 13-17 {week in review}

{week 20}

may 13-17, 2013

please forgive the fact that it looks like i wore nearly the same outfit on wednesday and thursday.  i suppose i could have glossed over that and not posted a week in review for this week but getting dressed can be hard and sometimes outfits just don't translate well (cough, wednesday) as they did in our heads.  i tend to feel more comfortable in layers, and keeping the jacket on was what i needed to do to feel okay with that outfit.  but somehow i ended up wearing it again on thursday.  speaking of that jacket, it is the old navy linen blazer i wear all the time.  when i spotted another one at the goodwill this week for $2.99, i snatched it up.  is it odd to buy not just multiples of the same item in different colors, maybe, but the exact same item?!  i figure one day i'll wear the blazer out and it will be nice to have a back-up, and $2.99 wasn't much of a second investment.  have you ever done that before?

thanks for visiting this week!

check out what i wore to work weeks 1-19 of this year by clicking here!

may 16th {what i wore}

merona tie front dress   ·   mossimo belt

mix no 6 otavia wedges

i was so unhappy with the outfit that i wore yesterday.  at the last minute before i left for work i thought of this dress, but by that time it would have been too much work to change completely without the assurance this outfit would work out--i wasn't sure if the colors in the wedges would "match" as well with the dress without pulling them both out and putting them next to each other.  turns out, the purple hues in the wedges is more of a true purple, not magenta like this dress.  the green in the shoes is more lime green, not mint green like my belt, but i still think that they blend well enough to "go."  i'm really so glad i purchased these wedges at DSW a couple months ago.  even though they were more expensive than shoes i typically buy, they're interesting and coordinate with so many different outfits.

thanks for visiting!

may 14th {cool thoughts}

old navy crochet trim top   ·   talbots watercolor floral skirt

predictions karmen heels

the high today is supposed to be something ridiculous, 85-90?  we had such a long winter {it was less than three weeks ago that i was commenting on a large snowfall} but apparently mother nature is catapulting us right into summer.  or maybe i can just blame my mom who is visiting this week from georgia for bringing the southern heat with her!  either way, i knew i wanted to feel cool & fresh on this blasted hot day so i pulled out a bright white top {recent clearance find at old navy} and this pretty floral skirt i've waited eight months to wear.  in addition to thinking cool thoughts, i think it worked pretty well!

linking up with marionberry style and her trend of the month: yellow challenge! i know it's not much yellow, but as you remember, i don't have much yellow in my wardrobe.  i do like to incorporate it where i can, though, and as a part of a print is a great option.  thanks for visiting!

may 13th {colorful in floral}

old navy surplus roll-up shirt    ·   merona iconic floral scarf

calvin klein skirt {thrifted}   ·   dexter kylie wedges

i am slowly working on adding colorful, printed scarves to my collection.  on monday mornings such as this, it is the perfect accessory to build an outfit around that requires minimal thought but looks as thought it was created with much more effort.  i stuck with a basic navy skirt and navy wedges to tone down the floral print and other colors i incorporated, but if i were feeling bold i would have worn my magenta wedges.  one of these days i'll work them into an outfit, one of these days!  until then, i'll keep looking to jess for inspiration {that girl knows how to rock the magenta wedges}.

thanks for visiting!

may 7-10 {week in review}

{week 19}

may 7-10, 2013

happy friday! thanks for visiting my blog this week!  this was a week of coming down from my high of my travels over the weekend, dressing colorfully, and getting adjusted at my new office and workspace.  i mentioned a few weeks ago that i would be moving offices to a cube, and hey, it's not so bad.  i actually feel as though i have plenty of space for me and the work that i do {even though my desk has been taken over by a huge monitor in addition to my laptop!}.  i'm gradually bringing in some color and personal touches, first by the way of some colorful file folders i found on clearance at target this week and my lamp that was on my old desk.  i'm on the hunt for a new shade for it and will eventually make this tray!  this was a good week--i hope yours was as well!

may 9th {bullseye!}

merona doubleweave skirt & skinny belt {both thrifted target stock}

merona floral scarf    ·   gap cardigan {thrifted}   ·   merona emma flats

if this isn't the easiest outfit i've ever put together, i don't know what is.  the scarf and the shoes were ridiculous deals from target yesterday, so why not wear them right away.  have you used your target coupons yet?!  these shoes were an online return priced at $9.06, you can do the math to what they came to after using my $5 merona shoe coupon.  i know!  i also used my $5 off accessory purchase of $20 or more on two clearanced scarves, including this one, and a tote {mine's emerald green} that was marked down to $8.98 {what?!} bottom line:  one pair of flats, two scarves, giant tote for $23.  have you gotten any deals at target lately?

speaking of target, i spotted two new pencil skirts today... restraint, stay with me!

may 7th {hi!}

mossimo pencil skirt   ·   merona cardigan

dexter kylie wedges

so, hi!  i feel like i need to ease myself back into blogging after being gone for almost a week.  i was traveling late last week through monday, so i feel a bit rusty as i try to write this post and describe what i'm wearing today.  my thought process after an 11 hour long car ride yesterday was basically to throw something on this morning and look presentable.  thankfully, i'd purchased this skirt late last week after seeing rebekah wear it during the pantone-inspired spring color challenge marissa and i hosted last week and it was the perfect skirt to just throw on today with a coordinating cardigan.

speaking of the pantone challenge, a big THANK YOU to all of you who participated with marissa and i!  we had a lot of fun putting this challenge together and sincerely appreciate everyone who joined us.  we'd never done a link-up before but i think it went pretty smoothly (after i figured out how to correctly paste the linky tool code!).  marissa posted a great recap over on her blog and i hope to do the same by the middle of the week, in addition to finishing visiting everyone's blogs who joined us.  so, thanks again!

i hope your week is off to a great start!

may 3rd {poppy red}

merona ponte pocket dress {thrited target stock}

isaac mizrahi for target blazer {thrifted}

worthington ankle booties

well... we've reached friday, the final day of the pantone-inspired spring color challenge marissa and i have been hosting all week.  first of all, thank you so much for your interest and participation in our first ever challenge and link up.  it's been really fun interacting with everyone who has commented and linked up at our respective blogs throughout the week.  this may sound corny, so prepare yourself, but i feel like i connected with many of you and found many new blogs to follow -- i hope you can all say the same!

today's color is poppy red, and as evidenced above i'm being a bit liberal with my interpretation of the color.  there are really only two colors that are not prominent in my closet--yellow & red.  with my hair color (i don't even know what color to call my hair) i never thought i could wear, much less looked good, in yellow or red.  the same could be said for orange, but for some reason it's been creeping into my wardrobe lately, and at least it's on the continuum toward red.  maybe one day i'll get all the way there.

be sure to head over to the modern austen and share your link.  thanks again to everyone for joining us this week!  we'll both be putting together a recap post of some of our favorite looks you all have shared this week, so if you want to link up be sure to do so before the linky tools close (you have a couple more days!).

may 2nd {linen}

old navy linen blazer   ·   merona lace popover top

calvin klein skirt {thrifted}   ·   merona maye heels {thrifted target stock}

welcome to day four of the patone-inspired spring color challenge.  thank you all so much for participating with us so far this week, it has been so fun seeing my blog filled with such colorful thumbnails and i'm sure marissa agrees.  if you are just joining us, the link-up for emerald (monday) and african violet (tuesday) was right here at my blog.  marissa is hosting us the rest of the week!

i am so curious to see how people interpret the color linen for today.  is it tan?  blush?  since i couldn't quite figure that out, i went the literal route and wore this great linen blazer that i thrifted forever ago.  i really wear it year round, but i'm especially excited to pull it out this spring!  i paired it with this great lace blouse from target i also couldn't wait to wear and brought in a print with the shoes.

be sure to head over to the modern austen to add your linen look!

may 1st {lemon zest}

merona cardigan {thrifted target stock}   ·   talbots skirt {thrifted}

we are on day three of marissa's and my pantone-inspired spring color challenge!  as a recap, monday we featured emerald looks and african violet was on tuesday.  even though it's the middle of the week, there is still time to link up!  but today we're talking lemon zest. i have to admit that when we choose this color i knew quite well that i have only two yellow articles of clothing in my closet.  i picked this cardigan up not too long ago though in an attempt to add more yellow to my closet, so it was really the only item i had to wear to come close to lemon zest.

sadly, i wish i were more excited about this outfit.  i think yellow & gray pair great together, but it just felt like it was missing something.  maybe another accent color?  a belt?  how did i not add a belt?!  i'll see what i can come up with the next time i wear this cardigan!

are you wearing lemon zest today?  be sure to head over to the modern austen and add your link!  thanks for participating with us!

check out the emerald post here and african violet post here!