boot copier.

ab studio chiffon dress   ·   j crew riviera jacket

inpink necklace    ·   mossimo kiriana booties

it's true, one look at me and you know it -- i'm a boot copier.  i've loved seeing these boots on my blogger friends whitney, brynn, and alice (any others??) so when i casually strolled down the clearance shoe aisle at target this week and saw them for $24 minus a $5 fashion boots target coupon i had, i snatched them up.  i'm not sure if they make my legs look stumpy or not, maybe a skirt/dress with a higher hemline would help my legs look longer, but i think they're a fun alternative to the ankle booties i usually wear this time of the year that have a skinnier heel.

what are your favorite types of boots to wear in the winter?  surprisingly, i haven't dug any of my tall boots out yet...

get the look:  exact dress / similar jacket / exact booties

orange & taupe

 

 merona dress {similar} & pumps {both thrifted target stock} 

j crew riviera jacket · handmade (by me) scarf 

oct 3rd / this is an outfit i have had in mind ever since i made this scarf. i love the combination of the orange & dark taupe in the scarf and was so happy when i found these heels that are an exact match! k from live chicly  wore an awesome dress recently in this same dark taupe color that just solidified my new found love for this taupe color as a neutral... less harsh than black, a tad more interesting than a lighter khaki or tan. i'm pretty convinced after seeing it paired with orange that it would also probably look pretty great paired with just about any other color! 

are there any new colors you've been gravitating toward lately?

april 22nd {drabby}

j crew riviera jacket   ·   loft skirt {thrifted}

mossimo varana booties {thrifted target stock}

i feel pretty drab in my outfit today of olive greens & tans/browns.  it's true, even though i dress in a lot of color each week, the snow on the ground outside and the temps that can't seem to get out of the 30s and 40s often wear on me.  i have hope that spring is on its way soon after one more snowfall (!) tonight, and one of the easiest ways for me to get inspired about the change in seasons is pulling out fresh and bright colors from my closet! what better way to explore some new color combinations than looking to PANTONE?  most of us are probably familiar with PANTONE's color of the year, emerald, but did you know they also forecast hot colors for the spring season?  my friend marissa from the modern austen and i picked our favorites and are inviting you to join us in this PANTONE-inspired spring color challenge the week of april 29th!  pick a top, bottom, accessory, or pair of shoes in the color for the day and show off your spring colors with us! we will be linking up to my blog next monday & tuesday and at marissa's blog wednesday-friday.

we are so excited for this link party and encourage all of you to participate! don't have all of the colors? that's okay! just participate whatever day you can. don't have a blog? don't sweat it! we'd love to read your comments of how you wore each color and you could email us your photos, too. at the end of the week, marissa and i will pick our favorite looks from the week and feature them in a wrap-up post!

**this link-up challenge is in no way sponsored by or affiliated with pantone--we just love their colors.  for more information about pantone llc and PANTONE® products, visit www.pantone.com.**

february 27th {detour}

retro poplin dress {c/o eshakti}   ·   j crew riviera jacket

merona maye heels {thrifted target stock}

i figured i would jump right in and wear this dress that i reviewed from eshakti on monday with a look pretty similar to what i posted but with a different necklace and shoes.  there is time to be more creative but i like how the neutral jacket and shoes paired against the bright orange dress.  looking for a dress of your own at eshakti?  they are offering my readers 20% off with the code LTERTELYST valid through 03/10/13.  happy shopping!

today i was in my car nearly half the day, which is unusual for me... i have a lot of clients and a lot of visits each week {i'm a social worker and provide care coordination to seniors as a part of their health plan for anyone who might not know or may be new around here}, but i try to plan my visits the previous week so i can spread them out so i only have maybe one a day.  today i had to go to a care conference for one of my clients who lives 30 miles away from my office, so i decided to tack on some other visits as i worked my way back... unfortunately the care conference ran long and i had to cancel my second appointment.  then, as i was attempting to get back to the office, a major highway i needed to take was completely closed and i had no idea how to get to my third visit, much less back to my office!  i wanted to go east on this highway but was forced to go west and ended up going 20 miles out of my way before i finally recognized familiar exits and could maneuver back to my office.  so my original intention of combining trips backfired on me and i only got through 1 of the 3 visits i wanted to make and ended up needing to take a ridiculous detour. 

i blame this on minneapolis!  minnesotans are funny... i think those of us who live in st paul are more comfortable staying in st paul and the same goes for those who live in minneapolis.  we don't understand the layout of one another's cities and it seems like such an effort to cross over the mississippi river (the dividing line) to go into the other city.  i'm a st paul girl and the visits i had today were in minneapolis suburbs.  unfortunately i think i'll have to head back sooner than i'd prefer since i missed two of my visits today. does a similar feeling exist between your city and a neighboring city?  more importantly, how did we handle getting lost before smart phones existed?!

thanks for visiting!

february 12th {ikat}

handmade {by me} skirt   ·   merona tiered top 

j crew riviera jacket   ·   mossimo odell flats

i know i've already posted once today, but i wanted to post today's actual outfit too.  i love wearing this jacket & this skirt or this skirt & this necklace together, see: exhibit A and exhibit B.  i just can't help it!  at least i changed it up a little this time with a different top and different tights color.  these are kind of taupey color, which is a nice departure from the usual black, dark brown, or occassional navy/maroon tights i usually wear.  speaking of, most merona tights are 50% off at target right now, these were only $4!

so, bear with me if this isn't a novel idea to anyone else out there aside from me, but i saw a blurb in good housekeeping magazine this month where someone explained how they stick their iphone in a glass to act as an amplifier/speaker.  i enjoy listening to the radio in my bedroom but unfortunately i can never find a signal to a decent station on my alarm clock and i'm often too lazy to open up itunes and pick a cd to listen to on my computer... so i loved this idea!  i downloaded my local NPR station's app on my iphone, selected my favorite channel, the current, and stuck it in a pint glass {my favorite atlanta beer, i wish they distributed this far north!}.  instant radio!  and it works surprisingly well!  this may just be a quick fix until i find a good ipod dock with an fm digital tuner to buy but i thought it was pretty creative.  has anyone tried this before?  i think it would work really well if you want to hear music in whatever room you're in but i've yet to test the range.  :)  thanks for visiting!

friday {dressy}

dressy / if there were ever a day to wear a dress you made yourself (!) it should be on a friday!  happy weekend - i hope to get caught up with your blogs this weekend {is there a limit of how many posts google reader will hold?  i hope not!} and get back into my normal routine next week.  

here's a picture of what the dress itself looks like and how i would wear it without a blazer/cardigan.  can you believe i made this?!  okay, i had my mom's help, of course.  it's simplicity 2444 if anyone is interested!

monday (ikat)

 

 j crew riviera wrap jacket   gap shell {thrifted}

handmade (by me) skirt   mossimo varana shooties {thrifted target stock}

within a day or two of buying this fabric i made this skirt out of at joann's, i stumbled upon this photo of the heritage ikat skirt currently selling at banana republic.  the ikat on my skirt obviously isn't an exact replica, but it's a good alternative.  plus, the cost difference between the two skirts is pretty cuh-ray-zee {yes, that obnoxious emphasis was needed!}  the banana skirt sells for $98 and this fabric was $4.49 total.  have i convinced you to dust off your sewing machine and get going yet?  :) i think this is one of my favorite skirts that i have ever made, and i don't say that often... i'm still working on it, but i think i am finally learning how to pick out fabric with prints that suit my personal style.

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!