rhinestone collar.

old navy ponte sheath dress

elle rhinestone collar blouse {thrifted}

dexter claire flats   •   target belt

{ exact dress (also in plus size) / similar blouse / similar flats / similar belt }

this outfit is pretty similar to one i wore a week ago but i just had to do it.  i love the look of sleeveless dresses, button-downs, and a belted waist!  i lamented the poor fit of this blouse a couple months ago but hidden underneath a dress no one is any wiser that a few of the buttons don't stretch far enough to button!  of course i realize the rhinestones aren't even that visible beyond my hair and the way the collar falls - grr!

i usually don't condone keeping clothes that fit poorly or have to be rigged in order to be worn - i once found a new target stock skirt at the goodwill that was about 4 sizes too big so i pulled the fabric taut on one side and affixed a binder clip to keep the waistband together and masked it with an open cardigan and big belt - that is way too much work for a skirt that wasn't even all that great!  after that silly experiment, i decided never again.  it's too easy to get sucked into thrifting things that aren't your size that you convince yourself you can make work.  it was hard to accept that reasoning and pass up this blouse though so i'll have to reassess the fit the next time i want to wear it to see if i am going to keep it around!

four things friday (favorite/least favorite foods)

j crew factory printed cutaway blouse

old navy sweetheart skinny jeans

dexter claire flats

for today's "four things friday" post i'm to talk about four foods i love & four foods i avoid.  now, i am by no means a picky eater so there really may only be about four food items that i prefer not to eat!

seafood:  i've never been able to stomach the thought of trying fish, scallops, shrimp, etc - it just has never appealed to me.  i will eat canned tuna fish and i tried a bit of smoked salmon once but i don't think i'll ever be one to consume seafood.  sorry, omega 3's!

mustard: i have never, ever cared for the condiment but put a bowl of potato salad in front of me and i'll demolish it.  and those honey mustard pretzels?  same thing.  it makes no sense, i know!

mushrooms:  now, mushrooms aren't my favorite but if they're in a dish where they are sautéed and cook down quite a bit or are masked amidst many other ingredients, like in a casserole, i can handle them.  likewise, i won't pick them out of something like just a small mushroom on a supreme pizza, but i do try to avoid them.

malt flavoring/malted milk balls: see, i told you i was kind of stretching myself here in coming up with foods i avoid, but i was reminded of how much i dislike malt flavoring of any kind when a jar of candy was passed around the table at a meeting this week and i passed them on to the next person upon learning they were whoppers.  no thanks!  i don't care for the texture and i don't think they provide that sweet flavor i look for in candy.

and i might as well just lump in there four of my favorite foods:

pizza (any kind of supreme pizza will do)
quesadillas (nix the sour cream, but add chicken and lots of guac)
chips (cheddar and sour cream ruffles are #1)
sandwiches (seriously.  any kind of sandwich with lots & lots of fixings and fancy bread.)

winter's best dress.

 

old navy sleeveless fleece dress

merona cardigan   ·   forever 21 belt

simson's jewelry necklace   ·   dexter claire flats

sadly, i guess i have been a bit lax about posting outfit pictures with this dress because i feel like i have been wearing it quite frequently but i've only featured one outfit with it on my blog so far!  we'll, here's another to add to the mix.  i'm so glad i purchased this dress back in december because i have definitely gotten good use out of it this winter.  our temps in minnesota are inching toward that threshold where tights are suitable in the early morning but are regretted in the afternoon, so i'm not sure i'll be wearing many more outfits like this, but i'd still like to try wearing this dress without tights as we transition into spring.

get the look:  exact dress {only available in xl} or another similar option from old navy / exact cardigan / similar necklace / similar belt / exact flats

an ode.

j crew factory lace-stripe blouse

merona doubleweave skirt

dexter claire flats

i have expressed my love for merona's doubleweave skirts many a time in the past so it was pretty disappointing when i found this floral one for $7 and change on clearance before thanksgiving only to find it wouldn't budge over my hips when i tried it on at home.  whomp whomp.  i guess they changed the style to be more high waisted and that just doesn't work for me.  i did find the same pattern in a blouse version though which i actually prefer considering i have quite a few merona skirts in my collection, including the one in wearing today.  i thought it would be fun to create a line up of all of the merona doubleweave style skirts i have, but i still hope they don't make all of their skirts so high waisted in the future!

get the look: similar skirt / exact blouse / exact flats {take an extra 15% off with code 'zzlights'} / similar necklace

friday repeat & pantone link-up reminder!

j crew factory cutaway top

old navy skinny boyfriend khakis & cardigan

dexter claire flats

a couple months ago i implemented the hanger switch-a-roo in my closet where you rotate the hanger backwards after you wear something.  i think it has helped me reach for other tops to wear before reaching for something i just wore... but at the same time, there are tops like this in my closet that are fairly new and i've only worn once and i just want to wear it again!  the hanger switch is definitely a good trick and i think i will continue to follow it, but i'm also going to 'allow' myself to wear some newer things to prevent them from becoming too neglected.  do you flip your hangers around in your closet after you've worn something?

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

and just a final reminder that marissa & i are hosting our pantone-inspired fall link-up next week, november 17-21.  feel free to reference the graphic below to plan some outfits if you'd like to join us or snag it to include in your posts if you are scheduling some ahead of time, then come back next week to either of our blogs to link up!  have a great weekend!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://literatelystylish.blogspot.com/" title="literate &  stylish"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/whatwedo/Fall2014PantoneInspiredColorChallengeButton.png" alt="literate &  stylish" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

gray & mint.

 

old navy embellished sweater

cabi jordan almond pencil skirt {thrifted}

dexter claire flats   ·   simonson's jewelry necklace

this is an outfit i have had hung up in my closet waiting to wear for weeks.  i never thought i would be complaining about true fall weather (60s-70s) but it's prevented me from wearing tights lately.  i'm glad we had a cooler day today so i could wear this outfit as i imagined it.  i thrifted this skirt back in july but haven't worn it yet.  i know some people choose not to wear certain colors during certain parts of the year and one may think mint is a spring/summer color, but i kind of think any color can be worn year-round depending on what you pair with it.  anyway, i'm more open minded about permanent tights weather because it opens up my closet so much.  i definitely have more skirts than dress pants and i am sick of rotating through the same few pairs of pants that fit... so hopefully this outfit will inspire a shift in my dressing the rest of the week.  thanks for visiting!

most complimented.

merona ponte fit & flare dress

dexter claire flats

ourworldboutique necklace

if i were to give out awards to the items in my closet, this dress may receive "most complimented" - and the funny thing is, today is my first time wearing it because i just bought it yesterday thanks to the 25% off women's clothing cartwheel that popped up this week.  now, don't misunderstand me... i'm definitely not saying that i was complimented, it was all the dress.  i love the thick ponte knit, the 3/4 sleeves, and the pockets (that i didn't even know existed until i put it on this morning).  is this not the perfect dress?!  i'm looking forward to going through all of my solid colored button-downs to layer underneath it matched with a coordinating necklace (you know me).

get the look:  exact dress {i have my eye on the solid green one too} / similar flats / exact necklace {get 25% off with code "heyoctober"}

candy colored.

  

old navy blouse   ·   merona skirt & belt

born pretty necklace (c/o)   ·   dexter flats

the online jewelry and accessories retailer born pretty recently sent over this necklace for me to review and i have been pretty excited to put an outfit together with it.  i love colorful statement necklaces, so this is a great addition to my jewelry collection.  the candy colored stones offer a starting point for many combinations of outfits--actually, i'm sure it would look great with any solid colored top!

if you're interested in some new jewelry for yourself, be sure to check out born pretty's jewelry & accessories page.  there is so much to choose from!  they are also offering 10% off your purchase with the code "HAT10."  happy shopping!

get the look:  similar blouse / exact skirt / exact necklace / exact belt / exact flats