friday (aqua & brown)

merona cardigan {thrifted target stock}   ·   handmade (by me) skirt
merona linen stretch belt   ·   merona mariela pumps {thrifted}

i was really excited to wear this belt and these shoes today because i got such good deals on them.  i've been eying this belt in the clearance section at target for weeks now the price finally dropped to 70% off.  yes, please!  i also picked up this belt for $3 and change.  these shoes were a find at savers yesterday for $2.50.  i feel that i have more luck at the GW, but i do pop into savers whenever they have sales.  yesterday all clothes & shoes were 50% off and i was pleased to also find two great button-up shirts in colors i don't have (lavender and hot pink) and another orange cardigan (i know!).  i love thrifting!!  

 

have a great weekend - i am going to try to get started on some more skirts (like this one) so i can have my mom help me finish the waistbands and zippers over thanksgiving... that part of the construction always gives me trouble.  i have a feeling i'll have a pretty crazy assembly line going, but it'll be really rewarding and fun if i can crank out several that i can have ready to finish with my mom's help.  i have a lot of fabric in my stash i've been eager to make skirts out of.  thanks for visiting!

wednesday (unpinned)

old navy sweater   ·   handmade (by me) skirt

dexter kylie wedges   ·   thrifted necklace

 

the colors in this outfit are ones i've had in mind to pair together ever since my friend whitney wore a great turquoise skirt and tan cardigan about a year ago.  this must have been before pinterest took off or i signed up for an account, otherwise i definitely would have pinned her outfit and that would have made it easier to link back to her original post.  unfortunately, all i had was a picture from her blog saved in a folder on my desktop!  i found her original post though by looking at the properties of the picture, which told me the date it was taken, and i found the post on her blog that way (wow, pinterest definitely would have made this easier!  whitney, please don't think i'm creepy--i just wanted to give you credit as my inspiration!).

 

i definitely have not jumped onto the pinterest bandwagon; my involvement and activity at this point is pretty limited although i do have a pinterest for my blog where i pin outfits of mine that i especially liked, outfits of others i like (duh), and outfits featuring items i also have in my closet for future inspiration.  no pressure to follow, seeing as how i don't pin much.  i've always been one of those people who doesn't latch onto fads or popular activities unless i felt involved or knowledgeable of it from the get-go because it seems too overwhelming to "figure it out" if i'm already well behind the curve.  so i tend to sit out of things for a while until i get to know it on my own time.  

 

pinterest & i are slowly becoming friends, but we've had some growing pains.  i've found that if i'm looking for something specific (ex: storage ideas for tall boots), all of the same pictures come up and i can never find any unique or interesting ideas.  it's a little overwhelming when so many people have pinned (repinned?) the same pin and that's all you see... i think it clogs the site and makes it more difficult to find any unique ideas/pictures/pins.  has anyone else noticed this?  i mean, there's got to be more than just the same 5 ideas on the interweb of how to store your boots!  maybe i need help learning how to better search for stuff?  or does anyone have any good ideas of how to store tall boots?  :)  thanks for visiting!

let it be friday (the 20th)

if there were ever a day to wear that thrifted NWT ann taylor breezy dot skirt that i'm kind of indifferent about... i think it should be on a friday!  ann & i request your vote on its fate, please!  leave a comment below with your thoughts {i had to remove the poll because it messed up the formatting on my whole blog for some reason, but the overwhelming response was pretty much for me to keep it - i think i will!}

wednesday.

mossimo ultrasoft cardigan {thrifted target stock}  

loft abstract floral pencil skirt {ebayed}

lela rose for payless wells pumps

i had high hopes for this outfit this morning, but as the day wore on i began to dislike more of it than i liked.  it let me feeling pretty uninspired about the way i was presenting myeslf towards those i interacted with and even lose a little confidence.  i think when we feel that way at the end of the day, that's when the pictures stay in the camera and the blog post goes unpublished.  why rehash an outfit you felt so indifferent about?  i'm hoping that you guys will give me some constructive feedback though, as i know that's what will help me look at this outfit a little differently or choose other items to pair with each other next time. 

i will stay that i like that the copper colored cardigan brings out the orange tones from the skirt, which at first glance is primarily a lot of yellow & pink.  the skirt itself was my first ebay purchase ever and i'm pretty proud of my bidding & winning.  my understanding of ebay was totally skewed and i didn't realize exactly how bidding worked so i'm glad i figured it out in time to win this auction.  do you do much ebaying?  have any bidding or searching tips that you can share?  it has definitely been sucking up a lot of my time lately but so far i've just been doing a lot of watching and not a lot of bidding, so hopefully i won't get into too much trouble!  thanks for visiting!

monday.

mossimo crewneck sweater   mossimo flare chambray pants {thrifted target stock}

target necklace   lela rose for payless charson pumps

this is the type of outfit i wish i had put together last week when i was in such a rut.  great fitting slacks, fun heels, a solid colored top, and a statement necklace.  it is a simple enough combination that worked really well for me a couple fridays ago, just substitute the pants for skirt.  i'm starting to think that when you're uninspired in front of your closet it doesn't mean you need to head to the mall to buy something new to be excited about--it means you need to figure out what your uniform is and what combination of tops & bottoms & accessories works for you time after time.  i think this is definitely one of mine!

after work, i headed to target to buy this purse that i've been stalking for the past couple weeks.  i knew it would go on sale 2-3 weeks after i saw it pop up in store - everything at target always does, so it always pays to wait.  during that time, you can decide if it's an item you really just want vs something you've realized that you need or fills a hole in your closet.  i have such a hard time finding purses that work for me - it has to be roomy enough to fit my dslr, a colorful/light inside, and a flat bottom that keeps the bag open or a bag that keeps it's shape so it's easier to grab what i'm looking for.  i like that this one also has handles & a longer strap, so i think it ended up being a really good purchase. plus, i put a couple gift cards towards it and only paid a couple dollars out of pocket for it!

i'm a little disappointed in myself with how much money i spent in the month of april and how little self-control i had to stick to any semblance of a budget, so i'm proud with the thought that i'm putting into my purchases so far this month.  these slacks were a find at the GW yesterday, and for $4.99 i think they were a wise purchase.  the dark navy/chambray fabric has a slight sheen to it will be a nice alternative to the standard black slacks that i wear so often.  thanks for visiting & listening!

friday.

mossimo scoop neck sweater {thrifted target stock}   haberdashery blazer {thrifted}

semantiks skirt {thrifted}   mossimo wanda wedges   target belt {thrifted target stock}

three cheers for when an outfit comes together & you feel awesome all day.  am i right!  i love my printed & handmade skirts but there is also something that is so streamlined about classic-cut skirts in neutral colors and colors that pair well together.  i only wore this blazer outside as a light layer against the chilly temps this morning {and as i ran into target this afternoon to buy this dress in the blue print!}, but i loved how the blues played together and had to snap a shot of the whole ensemble.

thank you so much for dropping by this week and supporting my lil blog, have a great weekend!

thursday (thursday)

old navy v-neck sweater   handmade (by me) skirt

mossimo wanda wedges   target belt {thrifted target stock}

here is what i wore today to wrap up what was an exhausting, yet not entirely productive week.  i don't lie leaving the end of the week like that, but i'll be sure to make up for it next week.  i hope those of you who have tomorrow (or monday) off make the most of your extended weekend!  i will be at the mall bright & early tomorrow morning to finally get some new prescription sunglasses (mine were stolen when my car was broken into a couple months ago and i've gone too long without getting a replacement pair!).  maybe i'll pop in with what i wore since i don't post any of my weekend looks.  thanks for dropping by!

friday (hurtin')

old navy v-neck sweater   j crew riviera wrap jacket

merona slacks {thrifted new}   kohl's necklace

mossimo vassie snip-toe pumps {thrifted}

these shoes have the weirdest name i have ever heard.  i guess i am not much of a fashionista because i don't know what the "snip-toe" style actually means but i think that saying "vassie snip toe" too many times can turn into something else really quickly so it's best to not try it!  i got these shoes at the goodwill for $4.99 last weekend and they were worth every last penny of pinching pain (or were they?!).  as i was walking the long & winding sidewalk back to my car at the end of the day today that appeared to be at least 33 miles long, i honestly questioned if i could make it.  and again as i walked up the three flights of stairs to my apartment.  i lack the words to put to the pain that i felt, you guys.  and... i think i'm starting to understand how these shoes ended up at the goodwill.  on that note, happy weekend! 

tuesday (rosy olive)

fossil button-up   merona artist cardigan {thrifted target stock}

handmade (by me) skirt   merona belt {thrifted target stock}

handmade (by me) necklace   american eagle myles riding boots

question:  do olive green & dusty rose "go together?"  i tried on about thirteen different outfits this morning, which sucked up way too much time out of my morning routine, so i finally settled on this so i could get out the door.  really, i just wanted to wear these two donated target stock items that i found at the goodwill this weekend immediately.  i am such a sucker for merona cardigans - the colors, prints, and embellishments - and i love finding them at the goodwill.  to hear about another gem of a gem that i found at the goodwill this weekend, check back tomorrow!! 

tuesday (challenged: khaki blazer)

 

 american eagle blazer {temporarily swapped}  banana republic skirt {thrifted}
fossil button-down   merona cardigan {thrifted new}
gold flower necklace {temporarily swapped}   xhilaration rosette flats

this week my friend whitney from between the lines and i will be participating in a challenge to style some of each other's clothes that we get stuck wearing the same way over & over.  i am glad that she sent me this blazer to style, as i don't have many blazers in my wardrobe that i wear that often as anything other than an outerwear layer.  since the piping of the blazer is navy, it may feel a little safe to pair it with a navy skirt, but i love how the full & flowy skirt is balanced out by the structured blazer.  whitney also sent me this great necklace to wear this week--hopefully it's not too hidden underneath all the layers i was already wearing!

after work, my coworkers and i met for happy hour, which was much needed after a phone conversation i had leading up to quittin' time.  i work with such great women and it's so awesome that we can meet up outside of work and continue to strengthen our team through fellowship!  it does make for a long day, though... i'm nearly ready for bed!  have a good evening!

{see how whitney wore it here & here}

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}