serial.

merona pencil skirt & cardigan
jack floral blouse {thrifted}
 fergalicious irene pumps

this past week i was in georgia visiting my family for thanksgiving, and the 16 hour drive there from minnesota was more than enough ample time in the car.  my sister and i love listening to podcasts like this american life, wait wait don't tell me, and ask me another to pass the hours and this year we added another favorite to our list:  serial.  this is a new podcast supported by this american life that tells a nonfiction story week by week.  the current season is outlining the case of a high school student in maryland who was convicted to life in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend in 1999.  the case was almost entirely based on one witness and cell phone records.  how much weight would you put on cell phone records in 1999?  fifteen years later (this podcast is told in real time), the case receives a fresh look with new investigations, interviews, and detailed digging that appears never to have been done by the detectives in the first place.  

i admit when my sister read the description of the podcast to me when we started our drive on a pitch black, cold, early morning in november, i wasn't so sure it was something i wanted to delve into.  i am not a mystery book reader, scary movie watcher {it took me for-ev-er to read/watch the hunger games because i couldn't fathom the idea of reading a book for pleasure where kids kill other kids}, or dateline type of gal at all. but once the sun rose we started listening and were both immediately gripped with such fascination that we binge-listened to the available 9 episodes all the way to kentucky.  i'm not sure that serial is something i'd want to listen to at the dinner table or if i'm out for a walk around the neighborhood, so i think it was actually perfectly suited for an insanely long car ride.  i'm really looking forward to listening to the rest of the season though so i'm sure we'll figure out an appropriate time to listen.  has anyone else been lured into this podcast? or the podcasts of the podcast that pick it apart?

this has absolutely nothing to do with what i'm wearing today (hey, first day back to work in a week) but i knew i wanted to introduce other people to this podcast and have the opportunity to dialogue about it in comments if anyone else has listened, so i hope someone has!  as for what i'm wearing, i just grabbed a blouse i thrifted when i was home in georgia and a coordinating skirt and cardigan.  so easy!

happy monday!

get the look:  similar skirt / similar shirt / similar cardigan / similar heels 

red & black.

merona top & skirt

dexter harriet heels

there are certain color combinations that always strike that chord of nostalgia.  for me, red & black is one of those colors:  it will always remind me of my college alma mater, the university of georgia.  i'm reminded of grabbing our college newspaper (aptly named the "red and black") and doing the crossword puzzle before classes began, my cute off-campus apartment (oh i loved that apartment), and of course football games.  many of the sorority girls would dress in red or black dresses, heels, and pearls (this was the south) but i always dressed in jeans & a college t-shirt for football games.  those really were some of the best weekends in college and i love being reminded of those memories whenever i dress in red and black these days, even if my college days are ten years in the past!

is there a color combination that evokes similar memories for you?

get the look:  similar top / similar skirt / similar heels / similar necklace

don't forget about the pantone-inspired fall link-up next week, nov 17-21:

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candy striped.

old navy eyelet button-down   ·   j crew factory lightweight scarf

merona pencil skirt   ·   crown vintage tisha heels

i just can't get off my kick of wearing lightweight, patterned scarves this summer!  this one was definitely a good find for a pretty reasonable price at j crew factory.  i pulled out the darker red with my skirt, but the pairings of skirts and solid colored tops feels kind of endless!  i also really love the eyelet detail on the button-down, it makes a basic staple have a little more visual interest, which is something i'm always looking for.  thanks for visiting!

get the look:  exact button-down / exact scarf / similar skirt, similar color / exact heels

all about the shoes.

merona cardigan {thrifted target stock}   ·   merona skirt
fergalicious irene pumps

 

happy monday!  i feel like i have been dressing really casually to work lately (last friday i actually wore running shoes, which is just so different for me!) so it felt good to pull on a pencil skirt and heels... even if it led to a number of looks and comments throughout the day.  is seeing a woman in a pair of high heels really gawk-worthy?  i guess it is at my workplace!  i really like these fun pumps though, DSW always hits it out of the park for me and i consistently find unique and interesting shoes there.  this cardigan hasn't been worn in who knows how long, either, but i felt it was a good complement to the neutral shade of the shoes.  now, if only my hair would grow out a little and cooperate... i miss my longer locks!

 

thanks for visiting!

 

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

take two.

forever 21 dress as blouse {thrifted}

merona classic pencil skirt

predictions karmen heels

when i first wore this top i thought it would look great with a dark red skirt even though that color isn't really featured in the print (i think the leaves on the flowers are more brown) but since then i've imagined many other outfits to create with a dark red skirt. shopstyle came through for me and found one at target, of course.  i don't know why i didn't think to look there first!

unlike the doubleweave skirts i like so much, this one is a different style that i almost like better.  the length is a little longer and the the fabric is a lighter weight. it comes in some other classic colors too. overall, i am so impressed i am with this skirt and i really do love how it looks with this blouse.  isn't it a great feeling when an idea you had in your head ends up working perfectly?  thanks for visiting!