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!

hey monday.

merona shirt {thrifted target stock}  ·  j crew skirt {ebay}

target belt  ·  dexter kylie wedges

 

i really like how you can make a more casual button-down shirt work in a professional setting with a structured skirt and nice accessories.  i have been eying this belt for so long at target and my sweep through the accessories section this weekend finally paid off when i saw that little red clearance sticker on it for half off!  usually i would have waited for another price drop but with one belt left in my preferred size, i went for it.  i'm having a hard time justifying spending money on myself after i just bought a new car a couple weekends ago, so i feel that for a while my trips to the goodwill and purchases like this may be few & far between, no matter how much use i feel i may get out of something.  i get tempted to buy clothing items or accessories if they meet my price standard and i have a hard time saying "no" to myself if it's a "good deal," whether or not it fills a hole in my closet.  but if i just stay home and don't go to the goodwill or stay away from the clearance section at target, what is there to see and be tempted by?  well, there's still ebay but after i was burned on a recent purchase i'm upping my standards there, too.  i'm pretty happy with this great neutral, taupe colored pencil skirt that i purchased a few weeks ago, though, even if it wrinkles upon contact!

 

are you pretty good about saying "no" to yourself if you are browsing around and see something that's a good deal, or do you have to literally stay away from your favorite shops so you're not tempted?

monday.

j crew jackie (?) cardigan {thrifted}   converse white blouse {thrifted}

j crew abstract lattice print skirt {thrifted}   dexter kylie wedges

 

if i could wear this outfit every day of the week, i think i would.  every outfit i put together with this skirt becomes an instant favorite and i have lots of more ideas now thanks to polyvore.  it's so funny to me now that the first time i wore it i didn't know what to wear with it.  also, finding this j crew skirt at the goodwill has led me into obsessive ebay searches lately for more j crew pencil skirts i can add to my collection at a reasonable price.  there is something about a great pencil skirt that makes you stand a little taller & feel a little more confident and j crew knows how to do it so well, do they not?  thanks for dropping by!

wednesday (the reasons)

 

old navy blazer {thrifted}   merona shell {thrifted target stock}

merona slacks {thrifted target stock}   mossimo kat booties

i have the greatest colleague who always compliments my outfits, even when i am wearing something as simple and basic as this:  black slacks & a blazer.  what i wear to work is dictated by who i see, the type of client i might be visiting, and the culture of their environment.  what she wears is also guided by the same principles, but we have very different jobs and interact with our clients in very different ways.  i'm often seen as the "expert" in navigating state programs and health insurance plans; people put trust in me because i have the power to approve services or connect them to needed resources.  i feel a lot of responsibility to exude that  competency and professionalism when i meet with my clients face-to-face.  when you see me in outfits like this it's pretty easy to figure out what was on my schedule for the day, but it's something i can always count on working for me.  with all that in mind, where is the "me" in this outfit?  it's there in the fitted blazer, the pop of color, and the accessories.  and i save my more casual outfits or printed skirts or open-toed shoes when i am sitting at my desk in the office all day making phone calls and charting.  getting dressed is so complex, yet interesting, isn't it?  is it like this for you as well?

thursday (fantastic)

 

gap shell {thrifted}   old navy facet button cardigan {thrifted}   

semantiks cotton shine skirt {thrifted}    silver belt {thrifted}

missoni for target suede pumps {thrifted target stock}

croft & barrow necklace   forever21 ring

how about a 100% thrifted outfit?  minus the necklace and ring, but just go with it for my sake!  you know that feeling when you get when an outfit comes together and you feel so fantastic in it all day long?  that was this outfit.  i felt put together, professional, feminine, and fun too with the accessories and shoes.  and my weird hairdo, i'm trying to branch out and try some different hairstyles.  have a great evening!

friday (peachy)

 

gap denim shirt   old navy cardigan   handmade (by me) skirt {thrifted fabric} 

old navy faux suede boots   forever21 bright skinny belt   croft & barrow necklace

lately it seems like the weeks have been flying by, this week especially since i took a half day monday for my birthday and was consumed in a lot of meetings & trainings the rest of the week. it leaves me feeling very uneasy when i feel like i can't devote uninterrupted attention to the people i work with. hopefully i can start fresh monday. this weekend i am volunteering on saturday and my aunt is taking my sister & i out for indian food to celebrate our birthday on sunday. yum!  i hope you all gave a great weekend as well!

one last reminder that you have a chance to win a skirt like the one i'm wearing today, just check out this post.  i'll announce a winner on monday... and then i'll get sewing!

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!

wednesday (j.crewing)

j crew abstract lattice print skirt {thrifted}   gap shrunken cardi  
croft & barrow necklace   mossimo odell ruffle flats

when i saw this skirt at the goodwill on monday i knew i couldn't leave it there--i mean, j crew for $2.50, come on!  i wasn't sure what i would pair with it though.  skirts that come in two colored prints like black & white or tan & white kind of throw me off - what do you pair with them other than one of the two obvious colors?  then i remembered these pictures of kelley, and i think she looks fantastic so i just copied her!  hopefully she doesn't mind.  it sure is nice when you can rely on other people to help you get dressed!

monday (merona)

merona classic heritage shirt, merona doubleweave pencil skirt, & mossimo verity heels {all thrifted target stock} 
croft & barrow necklace {kohl's}   silver belt {thrifted} 

i know it's probably pretty boring to see me always dressed in my merona finds from the goodwill but i just can't help it, they come to me like magnets and i always feel so polished & put together in their pieces.  this outfit cost me a whoppin' $13.66, and that also feels pretty good!

today is day 1 of freckles in april's 21 day challenge.  we're to pick an item to remix three times over the course of the challenge.  i am choosing my black pencil skirt!