april 2nd {magenta floral}

old navy blouse   ·   mossimo slacks {thrifted target stock}
lela rose for payless charson pumps

whenever i think to myself, "pants, you are dull" i think i need to remember this outfit.  throw on a lovely printed blouse and fun colored shoes and suddenly your attention is diverted away from the boring pants.  i can get behind outfits like this that come together so effortlessly!

in other sad news, i think payless has ended their relationship with lela rose.  i frequently pop over to the payless.com website to browse around and she no longer seems to have any offerings there.  she surely came out with some great shoes for payless (i have quite a few pairs), i'll really miss that collaboration!

thursday {trial}

talbots blouse {thrifted}   ·   merona skirt {thrifted target stock}

lela rose for payless charson pumps

trial / this look is a little different for me, i can't really say that i have many flowy or black & white blouses in my closet, but that's the great thing about thrifting - maybe a brand, pattern, or style appeals to you and if the price is right, you're willing to give it a try.  part of me bought this blouse just to re-sell on ebay but i thought i would give it a test run first to see if it has a place in my closet.  i'm still not totally sold {the sleeves and hidden front placket are weird!| but i would like to try it with a colored bottom.  i think i played it safe today.  i also wish i would have some sort of other yellow accent, but my yellow belt just seemed a little too much--a bracelet would have been nice!

the skirt i'm wearing i found as donated target stock at the goodwill in january 2011, but the same version is still being sold in stores and in so many fun colors... i haven't looked closely enough to know if they're all featured in target stores yet or not but do i ever love these new colors & prints.  these merona skirts are some of my favorite skirts and they hold up so well.  i hope i can add a couple of these to my wardrobe before the end of the season!

two other pieces of business:

1) i'm linking up with marionberry style today for her statement necklace challenge--you know i love a good necklace and this clear bauble one seemed like a good way to go since there is a large print on my blouse.

2) THANK YOU to all of my followers--i reached 100 yesterday!  i am so excited about this.  i hope you will pop in the comments and say hello.  it really means a lot to me to have a dialogue with my readers and i hope to do something special soon to commemorate this milestone.  thank you so much for visiting!

friday!

if there were ever a day to wear yellow heels... it should be on a friday!  happy weekend!

{ps:  target released a new apparel coupon yesterday for 20% off any merona item!}

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 (mustard + a cat)

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

lela rose for payless charson side-bow pumps

i wish i could say i wore these shoes with this outfit all day, but this photo is all lies.  i know, the deception!  i schlepped them to work to change into once i got into the office but they felt a little bit off as i walked around my office in them... they are 1/2 size too big and so i need some heel pads or something.  aren't they lovely, though?  and i noticed that i have quite a few skirts with some mustard yellow in them that these shoes will go wonderfully with.  i'm glad i caught them at a good deal online when i did, especially since they are now sold out {although still available in navy online!}.  i can't wait to see what lela rose's next line of shoes at payless are like!

a couple of my favorite ladies have posed with their cats this week and i have to say, i think outfit photos are 100% better when furry friends are featured.  i love seeing pictures of people's cats!  my cat, who i inherited from my nana, has appeared a couple times on my blog before, but i wrangled her into these shots with me.  she wasn't too into it, probably because she hadn't had dinner yet.  eating comes before snuggling.  say "hi" to ann!  have a good weekend!

thursday.

merona dora dress {thrifted target stock}   mossimo cocoon cardigan {thrifted}

lela rose for payless madison heels

i thought about prefacing this post by apologizing for wearing this outfit before, but you know what... i'm not sure that anyone reading this would have known that i have!  i'm a pretty perceptive person but week after week, i can't remember what my coworker who i share an office with wears and i highly doubt that people who look at pictures of me on the internet really remember what i wear either.  isn't that weird, when all of us are so into personal style & following others' whose personal style influences our own?  or maybe i'm totally off.  either way, welcome to my life where i really love pairing this denim-like dress with  maroon and these heels, which were a smashing hit everywhere i went today.  i really think we all need fabulous heels in our closets and i find a lot of great pairs at payless!  i'm thinking about ordering these two pairs since there's a BOGO going on  right now and i found another coupon code online... i'd prefer the navy pair that also come in yellow, but my size isn't available.  decisions, decisions... feel free to weigh in!