roz.

merona button down {thrifted}

j crew factory basket weave skirt

c label sherry flats   ·  bauble bar necklace

{ similar button down / exact skirt / similar flats / similar necklace }

although i love this new skirt from j crew factory, i'm not at all impressed with my first stab at styling it.  i don't really like the way this chunky stone necklace looks with the button-down and it's a lot of navy.  i think the skirt would look sharp with just a crisp, white button-down and nude heels but our temps still call for tights in the mornings.  i will look forward to the freedom i have with wearing different shoes when i don't need to match them to my tights, but navy tights & navy shoes seemed like the way to go today.

i still wanted to post this outfit in case anyone has been considering buying this skirt.  overall, i'm really pleased with it as i usually am with skirts from JCF.  it's a nice, thick fabric with well made construction.  the green background is a little more neon than i expected but i think wearing a lot of navy in today's outfit helped balance that out.  this pattern also comes in every item imaginable if skirts aren't your thing but you like the print.  i guess it's the pattern of spring for JCF!

thankful for: mossimo watercolor dress

 

mossimo dress {thrifted target stock}

merona button-down {thrifted}

merona mary jane heels

baublebar necklace

it may seem silly to be thankful for certain items of clothing when there are probably more worldly things to be thankful for like life, liberty, and happiness, but i honestly am thankful for the clothes i have in my closet and having the means to spend money on clothes and cultivate the interest i have in fashion.  i'm sure most of you guys who have and/or read style blogs would agree, so hopefully that statement doesn't sound too far off-center.  anyway, this week i thought i'd focus on some items in my closet that i'm especially thankful for that have come to be such wearable pieces i reach for again and again.

first up is this mossimo watercolor dress that was new target stock i found at the goodwill in july 2013 for $6.99.  i wear it year-round and i think i've become pretty creative at finding different tops to layer over/under it.  after reviewing the ways i've worn it so far, i'm surprised that it took me this long to wear it with my green heels, and i can't believe i haven't worn it with navy heels yet or layered a white button-down underneath it.  i'm glad that i'm still excited about this dress a year and a half later and can still think of other ways to "remix" it.

here are all of the other ways i've worn this dress so far (click to enlarge):

get the look:  similar dress / similar button-down / similar heels / similar necklace / similar belt / exact tights (in heather gray)

never been worn before: coral tee.

old navy boat neck tee   ·   merona skirt
fioni flats   ·   baublebar necklace

this week i'm taking part in a self-imposed challenge i'm calling "never been worn before."  i have tracked all of my clothing purchases since 2011 and i turn the text from red to black once i have worn something.  those random red-colored items nag me every time i browse through my spreadsheet, so this week i am committed to wearing at least five of them!

i'm starting out with this 3/4 sleeve coral boat neck tee from old navy.  there's really nothing special about it, but i purchased it in october 2013 (oh geez, was that really almost six months ago?) because i felt i needed more solid colored tops to wear casually or with skirts such as this one.  granted, i have needed to layer more in the winter months and i haven't been reaching for 3/4 sleeves, but i also clearly needed a bit of a push to wear it.  so, here we go!  done!

get the look:  similar tee / similar button-down / similar skirt / similar flats 1, 2 / similar necklace

shoe cravings

merona doubleweave skirt   ·   merona lace blouse
madden girl pumps {thrifted}

august 21st / i wasn't really drawn to this skirt when i first saw it at target, but i was more inclined to take it home with me and give it a try for $4.99 from the goodwill.  pairing it with a blouse from the same brand made this outfit impossibly easy but hey, it worked for me!

what i was immediately drawn to during a recent target run were these two pairs of shoes... oh, it is going to be hard waiting for a sale!  the booties are perfect and can replace my poor, worn out mossimo varana booties {i can't even count how many times i have worn/blogged those shoes!}. the only hard part will be deciding which of the four colors to get.  the ones pictured below are taupe but they also come in a very similar gray shade, dark brown, and black.  these merona olive/moss green wedges also really stood out!

i get much more excited for fall/winter shoes than i do for summer flip-flips and sandals and i target always comes through with such great selections!  are you looking ahead yet to next season's footwear?

april 29th {emerald}

mossimo blouse {thrifted target stock}   ·   limited skirt {thrifted}

xhihlaration blazer {thrifted}   ·   bauble bar necklace

it's a little hard to believe this time last week i was wearing tights and layers of long sleeves and now i have bare legs!  it always takes a little bit of adjusting to such stark contrasts in temperature, but it's been lovely so far to get to experience some low 70s before another cold front hits mid-week.  i really think that minnesota has come back alive with the warmer weather!  it's still chilly in the morning and in offices so i grabbed this blazer, but it was the perfect time to pull out this emerald flutter sleeve top that i haven't touched all winter.

i can't wait to see how you are also wearing emerald for day one of the pantone-inspired spring color challenge marissa and i are hosting.  grab a button and submit your link below -- and if something is off, please bear with me as i've never used a linky tool before and i may not be able to correct it until this afternoon.  thanks!

<div align="center"> <a href="http://literatelystylish.blogspot.com/" title="literate & stylish"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/whatwedo/PantoneSpringChallenge_days2.png" alt="literate & stylish" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

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 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!

january 21st {sub-zero}

merona ponte dress {thrifted target stock}   ·   j crew blouse {thrifted}

haberdashery blazer {thrifted}   ·   old navy sliver wedge boots

bauble bar ivory polka strand necklace

so, what does one wear when the temperature is -9 when you leave for work and the high for the day doesn't get above 0?  lots & lots of layers, i guess!  i have on a long-sleeved shirt underneath the button-down/dress/blazer combo, two pairs of tights, and wool knee highs under my boots.  i keep hearing the phrase "fleece lined tights" from different ladies around the blog o sphere and on a day like today i kind of wondered why this minnesota lady doesn't have any in her closet...?  does anyone have any recommendations or stores i can chek out that carry fleece lined tights?  i survived, though, with no frostbite to speak of so i will make today off as "successful" for that reason.  see ya, january 21st!

thanks so much for visiting.  don't forget to enter my giveaway for a cute pair of bauble bar earrings!