friday (challenged: zebra skirt)

 merona zebra skirt   cherokee girls denim shirt {thrifted new}
forever21 embossed belt   old navy bauble flats

this week my friend whitney from between the lines and i have been participating in a challenge to style some of each other's clothes that we get stuck wearing the same way over & over.  i am going to be sad when i have to send whitney all of her clothes back!  now, i love a good skirt and this one is wow!  however, like i mentioned in this post, i sometimes struggle with what to pair with skirts that are just two colors.  in fact, i just put a floral print black & white skirt in my goodwill bag.  but, i was up for whatever whitney wanted to send me and felt pretty good about how this outfit turned out.  i've learned that you can pretty much pair denim or chambray with anything and it will look pretty decent.  what a way to end the week than in a great skirt!

friday (bullseyed)

old navy sweater   merona doubleweave skirt {thrifted target stock}

mossimo belt   simply vera tights   old navy bauble flats

i went to target yesterday afternoon to buy rice krispies and marshmallows because i was craving rice krispie treats, and ended up leaving with an armful of other odds & ends.  why is it that one can never go into target and come out with only the items on their list?  i suppose all the browsing is worth it though when you find super clearance accessories, like this belt... it was marked down to $2.14!  so i couldn't just leave it there.  it's kind of fun & different!  i like taking little risks like this just to add some pizazz to my wardrobe. 

happy weekend!

wednesday (defensive)

merona kasey cowl sweater {thrifted new}   to the max gray skirt

simply vera wang tights   croft & barrow necklace   old navy bauble flats

when i came into the office today, my coworker assessed my outfit and then asked if i went on a shopping spree when my mom was in town.  she must think that i never repeat an outfit, but she's been working with me for over a year so she should know better than that!  i found this sweater in april at the goodwill for $1.50 on a half-off red tag day (the red tags here are all of the donated target stock) and this skirt three years ago in the clearance rack at a wal-mart in georgia for $5 that i've never worn until today (it's too short to wear bare-legged and for some reason i didn't wear it last winter).  i know i wear these black flats all the time, but my legs rebelled against being put inside my tall boots today. 

since i primarily shop at the goodwill, i think i do amass more quantity of clothes (but hopefully still good quality items) that maybe leads people who see me on a daily basis to think that i shop all the time.  i haven't felt it necessary to disclose my shopping habits and deals with other people when they comment on my dress though, and despite the fact that i stick to a really low budget every month and do reevaluate the purchases that i make, conversations like the one i had today with my coworker make me feel a little defensive.  do you ever feel that way?  maybe i should just say "thank you" and not think so much about it!

tuesday (in tights)

old navy high waisted skirt   fossil white button-down shirt  old navy blazer {thrifted}  

merona belt {thrifted new}   old navy bauble flats   dress barn earrings

l&s readers, welcome to tights season in my land.  i couldn't be happier.  i love the season changes in minnesota!!  i got my outfit inspiration today from a banana republic photo i saw on kimberly's september outfit inspiration calendar (see below).  this skirt is a little too short for me to wear without tights, so i was happy to finally pull it out since it's become a seasonal skirt.  i paired it with this great old navy blazer i thrifted a couple years ago at the goodwill and accented with the black accessories instead of brown (those loafer heels are cute though!).  so happy that fall is here!

{photo from bananarepublic.com}

tuesday (handmade)

handmade skirt {fabric from joanns / adapted tutorial from freshly picked}   

old navy sweater    merona wide black belt {thrifted new}   old navy bauble flats

i have to gush about this skirt.  after my skirt misadventure on saturday, my mom & i tired again with some more clearance fabric from joann's.  we followed the tutorial linked above, but made an actual waistband to feed the elastic through.  i was so ecstatic after finishing this, and i think my mom was too.  she's been an avid sewer and quilter for as long as i've known, yet i can barely sew on a button.  i'm really proud of this skirt, and have another batch of fabric waiting to make another one!  this one turned out so cute that i'm not sure if i'll ever buy another skirt again!  i love the elastic waistband, the pockets, and the fact that i got to choose the hemline (i prefer my skirts to hit right at my knees).  all in all - i think this turned out perfectly. 

i'm also linking up to day 21 of the 21 day challenge because i think this outfit really encompasses my personal style and i felt SO great in it all day.  i would wear this outfit everyday if i could!  okay, i'm done gushing!!

thursday (blocked)

merona nicole dress {thrifted target stock}   merona essential cardigan {thrifted target stock}

old navy bauble flats   target belt {thrifted target stock}

you guys, is this color blocking?  i googled the term and the images that came up weren't that helpful, so i just picked my brightest skirt (actually it's a dress) and a cardigan with a hue i thought was complimentary and called it color blocking.  does it still count if i break it up with a belt?  should i have buttoned all the buttons on my cardigan?  please advise.  meanwhile, i'll go check out the other color blockers who are taking part in freckles in april's 21 day challenge.  tomorrow we're all wearing belts, hopefully i can figure that one out on my own!

friday (snazzy)

 shirt: gap  skirt: merona {thrifted new}

necklace: target {thrifted new}    belt: kohl's    flats: old navy bauble flats

this gap denim-ish shirt is from 2003. i love how the gap brands have tags inside the clothing that notes the season and year it was released; it does so much to quell my curiosity, especially when i find a gap brand at the goodwill. does anyone else ever look at those? this is one of the first items i ever bought at gap, the first probably being that over-sized gray hooded sweatshirt from the men's department with "GAP" sprawled across the chest. i don't know about you guys, but those sweatshirts were it around the time i was in high school (?) and i thought i had to have one. if i still had it, i'd check the tag and tell you the exact era. anyway, it's nice when a piece of clothing sticks around for eight years and is still pretty classic, like this shirt.

so is this outfit too snazzy for a friday? i don't often think about "dressing down" at the end of the week but maybe i should. i've started to wear flats more frequently on fridays, but that attempt was probably negated by my big, chunky necklace. ah, well. i'm entering into the weekend with style.