inspired by...

j crew button down {thrifted}   ·  j crew factory basketweave skirt

adrienne vittadini flats   ·   target belt & necklace

old navy denim jacket

{ similar button-down / exact skirt / similar flats / similar belt / similar necklace / similar jacket }

every once in a while i'll revisit blogs whose names i remember that i may have stopped following for whatever reason, usually if i find i am not as inspired by or connected with that blogger's style anymore.  i recently revisited what i wore and really enjoyed scrolling though the first grew pages of her blog, especially when i spotted this outfit.  i must have stared at it for several minutes (creepy?).  i just love the floral skirt, the denim jacket, the simple tee underneath.  perfect!

i had that look in mind as i got dressed today as i knew i wanted to wear this floral skirt again, but i didn't really think it through as i should have worn a lighter weight tee underneath instead of the button-down whose sleeves i could have pushed up easier, but i wasn't certain i'd keep the jacket on all day as i get so overheated at my workplace.  i still like the look of the denim jacket worn as a layering piece with a skirt and definitely see myself trying another variation of this look sometime without the belt or necklace.

throwback necklace.

j crew button down {thrifted}   ·   talbots blazer {thrifted}

j crew factory printed pencil skirt in vibrant currant

crown vintage tisha mary janes   ·   target necklace

every year i struggle with what color tights to pair with whatever top/bottom combo i want to wear and then struggle again with what shoes would look appropriate with that color tights. every year!  if i were wearing this without tights i may wear burgundy flats, but i didn't think that color shoe would look right with navy tights. so, i tend to match my tights with my shoes even though that eliminates a lot of shoes from my closet that can be worn over the winter months.  either way, i'm happy with the way this outfit turned out and i was glad to find another patterned skirt in my closet i could wear this green blazer with!

it is a bit of a stretch, but i'm joining alice at happiness at midlife and her throwback thursday fashion link up with this necklace. i've only worn it once (back in march) and figured it's been long enough to apply. plus, since i couldn't wear the burgundy flats i wanted to wear i incorporated that color into my outfit with my necklace.  thanks for visiting!

get the look:  similar button down / similar blazer / similar skirt / exact heels / similar necklace

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

embellished.

old navy embellished sweater   ·   merona skirt

dexter kylie wedges   ·   target necklace

for my sake i hope it was just a one-time promotion, but two sunday's ago i got an email from old navy highlighting a handful of items online that were priced at $10.  after taking a quick scroll through the site my cart was full and an order was placed, which included this sweater.  gray seemed an odd color choice at first since i gravitate toward color and prints when i'm shopping... but i love it!  i don't own embellished anything, but the little faceted beads definitely make it interesting enough to get along with the brights & patterns in my closet.

the skirt was a pretty big hit at work too.  it always feels kind of good when others recognize the effort you took to put together an outfit and choose to comment on it (why else would all of us operate these blogs!), but maybe it also has to do with the attitude you exude when you're wearing something you feel great in.  i think others pick up on that and it may make them more inclined to offer a compliment.  who knows--either way, i loved how this outfit turned out and i'm glad i could add a great sweater to my closet for such a reasonable price!

get the look:  exact sweater / current style skirts / similar wedges / similar necklace / similar button-down

day one.

mossimo slacks {thrifted target stock}
mossimo ultrasoft sweater   ·   merona mollie booties

today was my first day at my new job!  i was told i would be in orientation all day but i didn't know what the schedule for the day would be, how formal it would be (ex: a classroom setting vs computer module trainings), etc.  with so many unknowns, i wore something that would pass as business-casual but wouldn't leave me feeling completely out of place if others defined "orientation" as an opportunity to dress casually.  these slacks used to get a lot of wear a couple years ago and were the easiest item to build an outfit around because they indeed are dress slacks but the fabric almost looks like fancy denim rather than a shade of navy.  i figured if some people were wearing slacks and others were wearing jeans, i'd land somewhere in the middle - and that's actually exactly what happened!

even though i'm gaining more confidence with my personal style, i wanted to wear something that allowed me to fit in more than stand out, which i may have if i'd worn one of my normal bold printed skirts or colorful shoes.  i've been trying to put into words why this made sense to me and i think i just wanted to focus less on myself and what i was wearing so i could focus entirely on learning about this new organization i'm now a part of.  does that make sense?  of course, i may totally change it up tomorrow.  how do you approach first days at new workplaces in terms of what you wear?  do you always play it safe on day one?

oh, and i finally got my hair cut to donate to pantene's beautiful lengths program.  how crazy different do i look?  whoa!  it's been pretty easy to draw a parallel from the date on the calendar to these new changes... new year, new you.  new job, new hair.  but they're good changes.  i think we should open ourselves up to recognize small, good changes all the time.  i'm trying  hard to keep this in mind & am wishing the same for you at the start of this new week.  thanks for visiting!

get the look:  exact sweater / similar button-down / similar slacks / exact booties  / similar necklace

easy monday.

j crew button-down {thrifted}   ·   forever 21 bali print skirt {thrifted}

american eagle myles riding boots   ·   world market pashmina

i feel like i should preface this post by saying, "hey!  i'm back!"  i know blogs tend to quiet down during the holidays but i didn't announce my absence last week so it felt extra quiet around here.  anyway, i'm back from my holiday travels and this is what came together for a monday at the office.  even though i had plenty of time in the car to dream up outfits for this week (think 1,100 miles worth of traveling), i still played it easy with this printed skirt i thrifted before i left and a white button-down.  i haven't worn any of my tall boots yet this winter, so today seemed like a good day to pull them out as it was a mere -9* this morning.  plus, my agenda allowed for something a bit more casual -- just a farewell breakfast with some of my coworkers and the rest of the day in the office deleting files from my computer and email in preparation for winding down my current position by the end of the week.  it feels a bit bittersweet, so i really thank those of you who have been supporting my job search.  it is so powerful and humbling knowing others are sending positive energy my way because i know that can have so much of an impact.  hopefully i will have good news to share soon!

get the look:  similar button-down / similar skirt / simialr boots / similar pashmina

changes.

j crew button-down {thrifted}   ·   cherokee cardigan

j crew skirt {ebayed}   ·   worthington booties

hi everyone, are you guys having a good week so far?  mine has been busy, no rest for the weary.  i had a 2.5 hour long home visit this morning with a client and after looking at these pictures (that i took when i got home) i can't help but wonder if she was looking at me odd the entire time because of my weird hair.  i swear, it has to be long enough to donate by now!  i will miss having the flexibility of these types of home visits with my clients but i'm looking forward to a lot of changes in my life around the first of the year... new haircut, new job, moving... i know january 1st is just another day on the calendar, just another wednesday, but it still feels good looking forward to new, positive things.  do you feel that way about the start of a new year, too?  anything you're looking forward to change in your life?  thanks for visiting!