easy monday.

j crew button-down {thrifted}   ·   forever 21 bali print skirt {thrifted}

american eagle myles riding boots   ·   world market pashmina

i feel like i should preface this post by saying, "hey!  i'm back!"  i know blogs tend to quiet down during the holidays but i didn't announce my absence last week so it felt extra quiet around here.  anyway, i'm back from my holiday travels and this is what came together for a monday at the office.  even though i had plenty of time in the car to dream up outfits for this week (think 1,100 miles worth of traveling), i still played it easy with this printed skirt i thrifted before i left and a white button-down.  i haven't worn any of my tall boots yet this winter, so today seemed like a good day to pull them out as it was a mere -9* this morning.  plus, my agenda allowed for something a bit more casual -- just a farewell breakfast with some of my coworkers and the rest of the day in the office deleting files from my computer and email in preparation for winding down my current position by the end of the week.  it feels a bit bittersweet, so i really thank those of you who have been supporting my job search.  it is so powerful and humbling knowing others are sending positive energy my way because i know that can have so much of an impact.  hopefully i will have good news to share soon!

get the look:  similar button-down / similar skirt / simialr boots / similar pashmina

thursday (all 12 degrees of it)

old navy cardigan   merona turtleneck {thrifted target stock}

mossimo skirt {thrifted}   american eagle myles riding boots

i just had to take pictures today wearing my favorite winter hat from turtle fur.  plus, i'm sure my hair looks real attractive underneath {not really}.  when you live in a snowy, cold climate you have to have fun outerwear & accessories, and i love this hat because it covers my ears!  it hasn't gotten any wear yet this winter with our crazy heat wave so i'm glad i could break it out today.  do you have any fun winter accessories that make bearing frigid temperatures a little easier?

wednesday (wrapped)

merona wrap dress {thrifted}   mossimo ultrasoft cardigan

target belt {thrifted target stock}   american eagle myles riding boots

this is what i wore to work on saturday.  i had to put in some hours and get a few things done since i am on vacation this week.  late last week, i was going through a spreadsheet where i track the clothing & accessories i purchase and realized that i hadn't work this dress yet - i picked it up at the goodwill in april!  i was drawn to the print and wrap style, and even though it felt a little too short i thought i could deal with it.  well, not unless i'm wearing tights and tall boots, apparently, so i had to wait until winter.  plus, i'll admit it... it got lost in that dark side of my closet where all my dresses hang.  the length isn't that bad now that i'm looking at it (and boy, i thought that cardigan matched better!), but i might still turn it into a skirt.

do you track your purchases & spending throughout the year?  it's been an enlightening process for me, i hope to share some of my learnings later this week if i can find a way to consolidate them.  have a good one!

{don't forget to enter my giveaway!}

tuesday (rosy olive)

fossil button-up   merona artist cardigan {thrifted target stock}

handmade (by me) skirt   merona belt {thrifted target stock}

handmade (by me) necklace   american eagle myles riding boots

question:  do olive green & dusty rose "go together?"  i tried on about thirteen different outfits this morning, which sucked up way too much time out of my morning routine, so i finally settled on this so i could get out the door.  really, i just wanted to wear these two donated target stock items that i found at the goodwill this weekend immediately.  i am such a sucker for merona cardigans - the colors, prints, and embellishments - and i love finding them at the goodwill.  to hear about another gem of a gem that i found at the goodwill this weekend, check back tomorrow!! 

thursday (moving day!)

ann taylor loft blouse {thrifted}   merona artist cardigan {thrifted target stock}

old navy diva skinny jeans   american eagle myles riding boots

i did indeed wear this to work today in the middle of the week.  my office moved offices today, so we were allowed to wear jeans... i didn't think it would be that necessary, as a moving company picked up our plastic crates of belongings and brought them to our new office, which was literally to the building behind us... but it was fun to be a bit more casual today!  i'm glad i was wearing jeans as well when i found myself crawling underneath my new desk moving around cords to phones and computers.  i'm pretty blessed to have the career that i do and that it's continuing to grow and afford me new opportunities and experiences.  it's a wonderful feeling to love what you do so much.  have a wonderful evening!!

monday (colorful)

merona cardigan {thrifted new}  

xhilaration dress as skirt {thrifted & refashioned}
american eagle myles riding boots   target belt {thrifted new}

it was so fun to be in a different state this past week enjoying the thanksgiving holidays with my family, as i had the chance to check out some different goodwills!  the goodwills in georgia are really different from the ones i am used to here in minnesota.  each style of clothing is set at a standard price {ex: all dresses are $5.95} and given a colored tag and the colored tag sale lasts all week.  it was also interesting to see the different types of clothes that the goodwills in georgia had.  i could have really scooped up on vintage skirts in every color of the rainbow... but i only got a couple items, including this xl xhilaration dress that i chopped up and turned into this skirt.  i think i have a cardigan that would match every color in this skirt's pattern, which really excites me!  the pattern is so fun & colorful, which is just what i needed on my first day back to the office after being gone a week. 

i hope you all had a great holiday and that the week is starting off well for you!  thanks for dropping by!

wednesday (challenged: bow blouse)

 

 old navy bow tie blouse {temporarily swapped}   gap cardigan

semantiks skirt {thrifted}   handmade necklace

target belt   american eagle myles riding boots

why is it that the week leading up to a vacation is always so stressful?  i always feel twice as stressed before i can finally leave for a vacation and totally let it all go.  all i can think about is everything that needs to be done around my apartment before the end of the week {i can't stand coming home to a messy apartment after a trip... or knowing that my pet sitter is going to see my mess while i'm away!}.  hopefully my look didn't come across as disheveled as my mind feels.  i wasn't quite sure how to wear this bow-tie blouse whitney sent me for our challenge this week; i tried to be creative and wear it backwards but that didn't work, so i wore it the most natural way tied loosely in the front.  i remember seeing this blouse at old navy but didn't snatch it up, so i'm glad i got to wear whitney's!  if you haven't been with me this week, my friend whitney from between the lines and i are participating in a challenge to style some of each other's clothes that we get stuck wearing the same way over & over.  i have a few more of her pieces to wear, so stick with me!

thanks to any new followers who have come over here from whitney's blog, i hope you are enjoying following our challenge from both perspectives!

{see how whitney wore it here}

sunday (challenged: striped sweater)

 

old navy striped sweater {temporarily swapped}   old navy button-down

old navy diva skinny jeans   target necklace {thrifted new}   american eagle myles riding boots

this week my friend whitney from between the lines and i will be participating in a challenge to style some of each other's clothes that we get stuck wearing the same way over & over.  last week we each sent each other 5-7 items to style throughout this week.  when i got whitney's box, i squealed.  i mean, talk about excitement when you get a box of goodies to play with the entire week.  the first thing i did was stalk her blog to see how she wore the items she sent me and then try to get a rough idea of how i might work parts of her wardrobe into my week.  thankfully, we both have careers where we dress with a business casual mindset and we both love skirts & cardigans.  in fact, we might dress too much alike as it is because i sent her a blouse of mine to style this week that she already owns!  sorry whitney!

so, i couldn't find a picture of whitney wearing this sweater and it was one that kind of stumped me the most.  you may have noticed that i don't own anything striped in my wardrobe!  so, i'm starting the week off by getting out of my comfort zone right away and styling this cute striped sweater whitney sent me.  it's also nice to show how i style something more casually on the weekend as well.  so, for my first striped item how did i do?  i think i decided that i definitely need some stripes in my wardrobe!