spring pantone challenge (radiant orchid)

merona tie front dress & merona bella flats

limited floral scarf {thrifted}

i am so excited that today is the first day of the pantone-inspired spring color challenge marissa from the modern austen & i are hosting!  we really enjoyed the participation we received with this challenge the last two times we hosted it and we are glad to be back again with some more spring colors.  in fact, i think this may be my favorite collection of colors yet!

we're starting off today with radiant orchid, "THE" color of spring 2014.  i interpret it as a bold violet, but i think any shade from dark purple to mulberry to magenta works!  i have a handful of items in these colors to choose from, but i settled on this dress as it was what first popped into my head when i saw the color radiant orchid.  i didn't plan too well since you may remember i wore the shirt version of this dress on friday but honestly, i doubt anyone noticed!

how did you interpret this color?  grab a button and add your link below, then join me back here tomorrow for paloma!  we'll be linking up with marissa wednesday-friday.

get this look:  similar dress / similar scarf / similar belt / exact flats

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An InLinkz Link-up

stumpy legs.

evan picone blazer {thrifted}   ·   old nacy lace tee

old navy sweetheart bootcut jeans   ·   merona kalama shooties

haha, i just have to poke fun at myself with the title of this post because it's the only thing that runs through my head when i look at this picture!  my legs look so stumpy... i think jeans with a wider leg opening would have looked a bit better with these shoes or these jeans would have looked better with a different shoe.  isn't it amazing what jumps out at us when we look at a picture of ourselves vs in a full length  mirror?  i definitely didn't catch how funny my feet looked before i left this morning!  then again, it's a wonder i got dressed and out the door in anything at all.  today was one of those mornings where i woke up and had absolutely nothing planned to wear, so aside from the jeans (thanks to it being a friday), i just quickly threw something together.  i love this bright magenta blazer and was pleased to find this lightweight scarf was a perfect match.  now, if only my legs didn't look so stumpy!

after work, i stopped by target and spontaneously bought an ipad air.  the 10% off cartwheel deal + $30 gift card + another 5% savings from my redcard was hard to pass up.  do you own an ipad?  am i the only one left on the planet who didn't own one before today?  i already have an iphone so i'm trying to discover what more i can do with it... any suggestions?

get the look:  similar blazer / exact tee / exact jeans / similar scarf / similar wedges

april 10th {belted blazer}

isaac mizrahi blazer {thrifted}   ·   old navy oxford   ·   old navy flats {thrifted}

limited scarf {thrifted}    ·   merona doubleweave skirt {thrifted target stock}

i am so happy with this outfit!  if only i were wearing different shoes and the lining of the skirt wasn't showing i would have felt unstoppable but, well, this is what i really wore and how i really looked.  :)  i saw a woman at ikea over the weekend wearing a blazer belted with a skinny yellow belt and a floral scarf, jeans, and boots, and i loved how put together she looked.  i didn't think that i could recreate the look with my limited scarf options, but somehow this outfit came together.  i picked up this blazer over the weekend as well from the goodwill, brand new with the back vent still sewn shut, for less than $5.  a great gray blazer has been lacking from my blazer collection, so i was so happy to finally find a nice, fitted one at the GW.  thanks for dropping by!

february 28th {colorful}

merona cardigan {thrifted target stock}   ·   limited scarf {thrifted}
j crew factory pencil skirt    ·   lela rose for payless heels

it's funny, i read about 3-4 blog posts today in which the blogger lamented for spring, either because of the potential for warmer weather or for the opportunity to wear brighter clothes.  well, not this lady... we're still in the dead of winter here in minnesota but i'm already dressing like it's spring!  i can get disillusioned after reading so many other people's thoughts about getting dressed, but sometimes i just want to say, "wear what you want, when you want, the end!"  is that bad?  what i mean is, there should be no rule that you have to wait until a certain calendar month to wear a certain color or print.  because really... who should it matter to aside from anyone but you?  when i bought my green gingham shirt and orange button-down at old navy a few weeks back, the cashier said, "looks like you're doing some spring shopping!"  and i thought to myself, "er, no... i do not plan to stick these in the back of my closet and not wear them until may."  i'm all for wearing what you want and wearing it proudly... and that includes color (can you tell!).

i don't mind winter, but one reason i am looking forward to spring is so i don't have to wear tights as often.  i'm getting stumped on matching tights to my outfits and then shoes.  i also have some shoes that just don't look right with tights that i'm ready to wear again (nude wedges, i'm looking at you).

do you feel as though you have to balance colors, textures, prints with the seasons or do you wear what you want, when you want?  i think it is so interesting to hear other people's take on this!  thanks for visiting.