feeling famous.

loft floral blouse {thrifted}   ·  gap cardigan {thrifted}

old navy skinny boyfriend khakis   ·   merona bella flats

{ similar blouse / similar cardigan / exact pants / similar flats }

even though i always find it kind of funny when i happen to wear clothes from all one brand because they coordinate so well together, i also really love how three items from three different stores can coordinate so well together like in this outfit!

so, one final story to share from my hanson weekend in tulsa a couple weeks ago.  i submitted a story explaining what one of their songs meant to me and was one of five fans selected to go on stage and talk about it with taylor.  no, taylor does not still look like this {but who would really mind if he did}.  my story was about how i was encouraged by one of their songs when i was in grad school to continue pursuing my master's in social work and entering a helping profession and it led into a conversation about how my career path parallels the meaning in one of hanson's songs - it was incredible!

it was such an awesome opportunity and came completely as a shock as i was the last person selected.  we didn't know ahead of time who would be chosen so by that time i figured my odds were pretty slim.  it was a complete blur walking up to the stage, hugging taylor, and figuring out how to talk into a microphone (why is that so awkward?!), haha.  luckily, i tracked down a fan in the audience on instagram afterwards who took a bunch of pictures and sent me these gems and my friend i traveled with took a video of our entire conversation, so the memories will never fade!

thanks for visiting and thanks for letting me share!

pantone fall link up: sangria

apt 9 blouse {thrifted}

gap cardigan {thrifted}

j crew skirt {via eBay}

dexter hensley wedges

welcome to the second annual fall patone-inspired link-up marissa from the modern austen and i will be co-hosting all week.  we always enjoy browsing through the pantone colors each season and having you join us to feature some of those colors.  i think we have a great batch of colors this fall and i am excited to start out with sangria.  i pulled a couple "sangria" colored tops and bottoms to potentially wear today and settled on this top that i think i have only worn once.  sangria to me is a deep magenta and this top seemed to for that description!  

how are you interpreting the pantone color of sangria?  grab a button and link-up with us here!

get the look:  similar blouse / similar cardigan / similar skirt / similar wedges

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<br><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>
<br>

An InLinkz Link-up

scrooge.

gap cardigan {thifted}   ·   merona doubleweave skirt
dexter kylie wedges   ·   target belt & necklace {thrifted target stock}

with every major holiday that rolls around i ask myself if i want to dress in that holiday's assigned colors or be a scrooge.  usually i'm a scrooge but i decided to embrace the color coordination that comes along with st patrick's day and wear some green in the form of this hunter green skirt.  after all, green is my favorite color and i was pretty much a walking leprechaun today anyway!  i wore my green winter coat, i carry my work stuff and lunch bag in a teal green tote, i used my green coffee thermos today, and i brought in a water cup with a green lid to work for the week! 

do i have you beat or did you be sure you wear green today as well?

get the look:  similar cardigan / similar button-down / exact skirt / similar wedges / similar necklace / similar belt

carafe.

converse blouse   ·   gap cardigan {thrifted}

merona skirt {ebayed}   ·   mossimo wedges

today marks day 4 of the patone-inspired fall color challenge marissa & i have been co-hosting this week.  today we should all be wearing carafe-colored clothing, right? this is one of those colors that stumped us for a while - is it brown?  olive green?  mossy green?  a combination of all three?  i knew right away that i wanted to go toward the olive green route, and this skirt was the perfect selection as in natural light, it even tends to look more brown than green.  i figured with this chameleon skirt that goes from green to brown it was the perfect selection for carafe.  i've worn it with a bunch of different colors, but this coral-pink was a new combination that i loved.

i can't wait to see how you interpreted the color "carafe" - link up below!  i'd also be interested to hear what color has been easiest for you to participate with so far this challenge or put outfits together with.  thanks for joining us!

get the look:  similar cardigan / similar white blouse / similar wedges

<div align="center">
<br><a href="http://literatelystylish.blogspot.com/" title="literate & stylish"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/whatwedo/Pantone-InspiredFallColorChallenge2.png" alt="literate & stylish" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
<br>

An InLinkz Link-up

a new look

 

j crew shell {thrifted} · gap cardigan {thrifted / similar} 

merona linen skirt {thrifted target stock} · mossimo wedges {similar} 

sept 24th / i'm taking my own advice from friday and trying to wear some different outfits than what has become my standard of button-down + skirt combo. i really love this blouse every time i wear it (even if i always pair it with this cardigan​... who cares! it works!) and even though it isn't an exact match, i like how the yellow + green in the blouse complements the yellow-green hue of the skirt. like many skirts at target, this is one i eyed when i first saw it pop up in stores. so of course i was pretty happy to snatch it up from the GW for a few bucks. 

thanks for dropping by!

monday {thrifted j crew}

j crew blouse & j crew skirt {both thrifted}   ·  gap cardigan {thrifted}
banana republic tiona heels {thrifted}   ·   forever 21 belt & bracelet

welcome back!  well, i guess i am really saying "welcome back" to myself since i was off all last week and am back at work today.  i'm wearing one of three things i thrifted at the goodwill down in georgia last week - this great j crew shell.  it looks like it's never been worn!  i thought the pairing with the pink cardigan and more subdued gray skirt worked well.  of course i struggled with what color tights + shoes to wear since nothing in my mind seemed to go but i'm pretty happy with what i settled on (the tights and shoes are both dark gray).  and huzzah for a 100% thrifted outfit (of high quality brands too, in my opinion).  i hope you all had a great holiday and have had a chance to enjoy some time off!  i'm off tomorrow, but look for a book review that i'll be posting of a book i read in a just a few short days last week.  thanks for visiting!

tuesday (struggle)

eddie bauer button-down {thrifted}   ·   gap cardigan {thrifted}

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

struggle / i've felt a little "blah" this week about getting dressed, stemming from pulling on an outfit yesterday that just didn't fit. i wanted to wear one of my new merona skirts that i ordered from target.com recently but i think i shrunk it in the dryer and it was too tight.  it was not a great way to start the day and it didn't leave me that excited about finding something to wear today either, especially since i'll be working most of the day from home.  i'm mad that i threw the skirts in the dryer instead of letting them air dry, as they both fit great when i first received them in the mail and tried them on.  i can't put all the blame on the dryer (although it really did shrink the skirts... i swear!  the one i'm wearing today is the same size and has been washed many times and fits great.  maybe the sizing changes from season to season.) it still makes you feel a little down on yourself when you expect something to fit and maybe it did at one point, but it doesn't in the moment that you wish it to.  well, i'm making the most of moving forward and hopefully i can exchange the skirts for the next size up.

how do you deal with clothes that you may either expect to fit if you buy them straight off the rack because it's the size you always wear and they don't or you find that you tend to grow out of something after owning it for some time?  i am struggling with this!

friday (dotted)

 

gap outlet skirt {thrifted}   gap cardigan {thrifted}

old navy button-down   merona mattie cap-toe flats {thrifted target stock}

what led me to buy this skirt this week at the gw, i don't even know.  i am not a big fan of polka dots, nor am i ever drawn to browse the clumps of black & white printed skirts because really, i have a hard time getting my creative juices flowing and figuring out what to pair with black & white.  but nonetheless, i was drawn to this skirt and the quirkiness of the print, the pockets, and pleats.  so, it came home with me and it's taking its test run today.  i mean, what better day to wear polka dots than friday!

friday (paisley)

j crew pilar paisley cami {thrifted}   gap coral cardigan {thrifted}

gap slacks   old navy bow belt   mossimo veronica heels

this cute blouse was another one of my finds at the goodwill this past weekend.  i'm always looking for solid colored blouses with some sort of visual interest or patterned ones that i can wear underneath cardigans, so i'm so glad i spotted this one!  a lot of people comment on my thrifted finds but honestly, i don't know how to explain it.  there are 3-4 goodwills that i rotate around each weekend that are closest to my house.  some days i have a pile to try on in the dressing room and sometimes i'm in & out of the store in twenty minutes.  i never know what i might find, but when i find gems like this blouse it's really exciting - i love that i can add to my wardrobe in a cost-efficient way (this blouse was $3.50!) and by supporting such a great organization. 

do any of you guys shop at the goodwill as much as i do?  what are they like in your area? 

friday (finally)

old navy printed blouse   gap cardigan {thrifted}   target studded belt {thrifted new} 

isaac mizrahi for target pencil skirt {thrifted}   mossimo nude ruffle flats   that aerie necklace again

you guys, welcome to my very favorite spot in saint paul.  it's fitting that the first picture for l&s was taken here.  i used to only come here every couple months to sit on a bench and read, but now i think it needs to be my friday ritual.  what better place to decompress after the end of a workweek rather than rushing through traffic just to get home?  i certainly needed that after my afternoon today.  it's such a unique little spot at the edge of downtown that i just LOVE.  do you have any spots like this in your city?  i'm so happy to share mine with you!