march 18th {neglected gingham}

merona button-down & skirt {both thrifted target stock}
old navy scarf    ·   merona melinda wedges

for "no longer neglected" today i'm wearing a combination of old and new, all of which i'm happy to say are no longer being neglected.  i last wore this button-down july 9, 2012 but it had sadly been shunned as i favored my black & white gingham shirt with slightly larger blocks.  after wearing this one today i realized it is quite versatile too.  the lighter print mixed well with the floral paisley pattern on the scarf i received in a recent order from old navy.  if you skim through my archives you'll notice i do not have a penchant for pattern mixing, but after today's effort i think i am getting the hang of it!

the bottom half of the outfit could have worked better, perhaps with a gray skirt, but my creativity is still stunted with the need to wear tights and i felt the easiest route to go was black & black.  and i'll admit that even though i am wearing these BRIGHT PINK wedges in this picture, something about it felt off to me all day and i ended up switching into a pair of black flats i keep in my desk drawer at work.  i'm not one to feel uncomfortable in color, but these shoes seemed to stand out too much against the black tights.  i don't know what my deal was--hopefully they don't become neglected!

thanks for visiting!

hey monday.

merona shirt {thrifted target stock}  ·  j crew skirt {ebay}

target belt  ·  dexter kylie wedges

 

i really like how you can make a more casual button-down shirt work in a professional setting with a structured skirt and nice accessories.  i have been eying this belt for so long at target and my sweep through the accessories section this weekend finally paid off when i saw that little red clearance sticker on it for half off!  usually i would have waited for another price drop but with one belt left in my preferred size, i went for it.  i'm having a hard time justifying spending money on myself after i just bought a new car a couple weekends ago, so i feel that for a while my trips to the goodwill and purchases like this may be few & far between, no matter how much use i feel i may get out of something.  i get tempted to buy clothing items or accessories if they meet my price standard and i have a hard time saying "no" to myself if it's a "good deal," whether or not it fills a hole in my closet.  but if i just stay home and don't go to the goodwill or stay away from the clearance section at target, what is there to see and be tempted by?  well, there's still ebay but after i was burned on a recent purchase i'm upping my standards there, too.  i'm pretty happy with this great neutral, taupe colored pencil skirt that i purchased a few weeks ago, though, even if it wrinkles upon contact!

 

are you pretty good about saying "no" to yourself if you are browsing around and see something that's a good deal, or do you have to literally stay away from your favorite shops so you're not tempted?

thursday (layered)

old navy faceted button cardigan {thrifted}   merona classic heritage shirt {thrifted target stock}

merona slacks {thrifted target stock}   blowfish blyth booties   target necklace {thrifted target stock}

today was so cold, but i wanted to look nice and work appropriate while still finding a way to be warm.  so, out came the layers.  i really liked the effect of the turtleneck layered underneath the button-down shirt, layered underneath the cardigan, in calming pastel colors.  i like to think that just because it's winter & it's cold doesn't mean that i have to dress in dark colors and heavy fabrics. 

thursday (spontaneous)

gap cable knit sweater, leggings, & knee highs

merona doubleweave skirt & classic heritage shirt {both thrifted target stock}

old navy faux suede boots & bracelet

i had a really long home visit at the end of the day yesterday, so i shaved some time off of the end of my workday today and stopped by this spot along the river on my way home.  sometimes i have a hard time being spontaneous when i am so engrained in my daily routines.  i like heading straight home after work so i don't get stuck in unexpected traffic, but that routine makes me miss out on experiencing new things.  so, i'm really glad i stopped here today, took a few moments to breathe the fresh, crisp air, and enjoyed the beauty of our fall season (even though i cut my head off of the pictures!).  hopefully you all are able to do the same thing in your part of the country!

have a wonderful evening - but before you leave, take another look at this post and help me offer my first giveaway.  thanks for reading!

monday (merona)

merona classic heritage shirt, merona doubleweave pencil skirt, & mossimo verity heels {all thrifted target stock} 
croft & barrow necklace {kohl's}   silver belt {thrifted} 

i know it's probably pretty boring to see me always dressed in my merona finds from the goodwill but i just can't help it, they come to me like magnets and i always feel so polished & put together in their pieces.  this outfit cost me a whoppin' $13.66, and that also feels pretty good!

today is day 1 of freckles in april's 21 day challenge.  we're to pick an item to remix three times over the course of the challenge.  i am choosing my black pencil skirt!