baubles & lace.

 

j crew lace panel tee

old navy skinny boyfriend khakis

mossimo ona flats   ·   target necklace

do you ever put two words together to describe what you are wearing and think, "hey, that would be a good blog title!" ?  "baubles & lace" just sounds like it would be the title of someone's blog (and maybe it is) but nope, it's just what i'm wearing today.  i took a giant leap and instead of buying this shirt in navy & green, i bought the version you see today in black & gray.  i think the former would be much m ore versatile in my wardrobe, but i already have this navy & green blouse, so i made myself purchase the latter.  hopefully i'll find myself wearing it with non-black bottoms.

get the look:  exact shirt / exact khakis / exact flats / similar necklace

july 3rd {aranciata}

eshakti dress {c/o}   ·   gap boys button-down {thrifted}

predictions karmen heels

 

i haven't really been that inspired by my closet lately, focusing more on what i lack than what i have to be creative with.  "i have no printed or patterned pencil skirts in shades of green!  i have no yellow button-downs!"  you should have seen the pile of clothes on my bed tuesday, discarded outfit options and garments that were tossed aside in frustration.

 

so, today i picked an outfit i'd stored in the back of my mind i thought might work, put it on, and went with it.  i've been neglecting wearing this orange dress again {last worn here} because it is so bold and my new office environment is a bit static, but there are a couple of older fashionable ladies who always dress in bold colors & sky high heels, so i used them as inspiration today.  work has been a bit tough lately, so this  punchy dress was just what i needed to get through the day before a holiday.

 

thanks for visiting - and don't worry, i have since vacuumed ;)

january 2nd {kids wear}

gap kids button-down {thrifted}   ·   forever 21 belt {similar}

merona doubleweave skirt & missoni heels {both thrifted target stock}

there is definitely an advantage to shopping in the kids department--that is, if you're willing to sacrifice appropriate sleeve length and buttons on the wrong side of the placard.  for $1.49, i figured i would take the risk to add a pretty nice business-casual button-down to my closet.  thanks, gap kids!

let's chat!  do you ever shop in the kids department?  do you find that boys or girls items tend to fit better?  my denim shirt is girls sizing but the sleeves are normal length! do little boys have shorter arms than little girls? :)

lastly, with the start of a new year i'm re-energized with my lil blog and i'm going to try to start adding more detail shots like the one above, posing more questions to spark dialogue in the comments, and linking to similar items i'm wearing if i can find them online!  thanks, as always, for visiting!

thursday (layered)

old navy faceted button cardigan {thrifted}   merona classic heritage shirt {thrifted target stock}

merona slacks {thrifted target stock}   blowfish blyth booties   target necklace {thrifted target stock}

today was so cold, but i wanted to look nice and work appropriate while still finding a way to be warm.  so, out came the layers.  i really liked the effect of the turtleneck layered underneath the button-down shirt, layered underneath the cardigan, in calming pastel colors.  i like to think that just because it's winter & it's cold doesn't mean that i have to dress in dark colors and heavy fabrics. 

tuesday (pants: take two)

 

old navy v-neck sweater   banana republic silk blouse {thrifted}

gap slacks  mossimo kachiri boots   target necklace

thanks for joining me for pants week this week, you guys.  i am pushing forward in these gap slacks.  when i worked at the gap, i was smart enough to buy a few pairs of slacks with my discount and have since managed to pick up a few other pairs through some great sales and the goodwill, of course.  they remain some of my favorite slacks!

what i really want to talk about today is this blouse.  i know its hiding under my sweater, but what a great goodwill find.  whenever i find more recent pieces from banana, j crew, or gap at the goodwill i snatch them up and don't even look at the colored tag because they're usually too good to pass up.  i hadn't been to the goodwill in forever, but last week i found this blouse, the ann taylor blouse i wore last thursday, and another gap shell.  if you're patient & persistent, you can find great items at the goodwill!  i stopped by a different goodwill on my way home from a home visit today and found more donated target stock, including this merona dress for $2.99, this converse dress for $1.99 {that i may chop into two pieces}, and this pure energy dress for $2.99 i am going to chop up into a skirt.  please, someone come visit me so we can goodwill together and so i can have someone to share in my excitement about these good deals!  :)  have a great evening!

tuesday (menswear)

 

merona button-up {thrifted target stock}   gap v-neck sweater   
 merona doubleweave slacks {thrifted target stock}   merona marylynn mary janes  
target bauble necklace {thrifted target stock}   kohl's belt

this outfit might not be truly menswear inspired since i'm not wearing a vest or a pair of suspenders, but the look of a collared shirt always feels a bit more masculine to me, especially in this color scheme.  if it were cool enough (it was towards the end of the day), i would have added a blazer.  truthfully though, i loved this look and i felt really classic & put-together all day... which is definitely my goal.  either way, i think i am going to have to be on the look out for a great little vest the next time i go to the goodwill!