may 7th {hi!}

mossimo pencil skirt   ·   merona cardigan

dexter kylie wedges

so, hi!  i feel like i need to ease myself back into blogging after being gone for almost a week.  i was traveling late last week through monday, so i feel a bit rusty as i try to write this post and describe what i'm wearing today.  my thought process after an 11 hour long car ride yesterday was basically to throw something on this morning and look presentable.  thankfully, i'd purchased this skirt late last week after seeing rebekah wear it during the pantone-inspired spring color challenge marissa and i hosted last week and it was the perfect skirt to just throw on today with a coordinating cardigan.

speaking of the pantone challenge, a big THANK YOU to all of you who participated with marissa and i!  we had a lot of fun putting this challenge together and sincerely appreciate everyone who joined us.  we'd never done a link-up before but i think it went pretty smoothly (after i figured out how to correctly paste the linky tool code!).  marissa posted a great recap over on her blog and i hope to do the same by the middle of the week, in addition to finishing visiting everyone's blogs who joined us.  so, thanks again!

i hope your week is off to a great start!

thursday {work to weekend}

i recently received a comment asking if i wear the handmade skirts that i wear during the week to work on the weekends as well.  the current answer to that is "no" but i hope in the future that will turn around.  my weekend wear is really nothing special.  during the fall/winter i am always in jeans--and not even what one might consider stylish or on trend jeans like skinnies or colored denim.  nope, my jeans of choice are dark-washed old navy boot cut jeans.  in the summer i tend to wear more casual skirts (like this one or this one from old navy) and some sort of more casual blouse (like this one) that sometimes get pulled into work rotation.  i don't do a lot on the weekends and don't really have a reason to be intentional about the way i dress but that doesn't mean that can't change! this reader's comment made me wonder if maybe i could start getting more wear out of my handmade skirts on the weekends, so i took that thought and turned it into a challenge for myself.  here's what i came up with:

this navy & white scroll fabric is one of my favorite skirts that i've made recently.  the picture on the left is how i wore it to work today where i went to a continuing education seminar with other professionals in my field, back to the office, and then to a care conference for one of my clients.  the picture on the right is how i wore this skirt on sunday when i went to get my hair cut and ran a couple errands.  i really liked both looks and i think they were both suited for my agenda each day. 

there are three main things i look at when comparing my weekend wear to work wear:

1. shoes: i always wear flats on the weekend and i usually always wear heels or wedges to work.  wearing cute flats on the weekend tones down the professional vibe that heels give an outfit and gives me a chance to wear shoes that aren't in my rotation that often.

2. jewelry: my standard is some sort of statement or long beaded necklace to accessorize during the week.  on the weekend, i still like to wear some sort of necklace so i'll reach for a simple silver chain with a charm.  it adds some visual interest to the neckline but in a more relaxing way.

3. tops: i like to layer blouses and cardigans to work but like less fuss on the weekend - i think this is the time to pull your your tees.  it instantly adds a more casual vibe to the look of your outfit!

do you have any skirts that you bought (or made!) intending to only wear them to work?  do you think my three steps would help transition them to weekend wear as well?  also, be sure to let me know if you'd like to see more posts like this in the future!

wednesday (rut)

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

mossimo slacks {thrifted}   js by jessica oscar pumps {thrifted}

i didn't really mean to take the first half of the week off from blogging, but i have been in a... what shall we say... a RUT.  the changing weather in minnesota this week has left me less than inspired in my closet.  i love skirts but i feel more comfortable in tights and let's be real, i hate having to shave my legs so frequently, so i've relegated myself to wearing pants and my outfits just haven't come together quite as easily.  the warmer temps also = humidity, and before i even step out the door my hair is frizzy and it ends up in a  messy ponytail {this picture is from yesterday when it was a bit cooler & kept a decent curl most of the day.  you don't want to know what my hair looked like today!}.  all of these things combined have just put me in a rut.  does anyone else out there experience the same frustrations?  the transition from winter -> spring/summer always takes me a little getting used to, so hopefully i'll find a way to work with my closet and the temps outside.  in the meantime, thanks for bearing with me - and feel free to let me know any suggestions you have!

wednesday (refashioned)

xhilaration juniors dress (turned skirt by me) {thrifted target stock}
merona cardigan {thrifted target stock}  merona meaghan flats

does it count as a refashion if you just turn an inappropriate juniors dress into a cute skirt by chopping off the top and putting in a waistband?  this was my little project this weekend.  i immediately saw potential in the fabric of this dress and it was a pretty easy sewing job to take in the sides a bit and create an elastic waistband.  voila! a new skirt for $4.99.  i debated about it the entire hour i was at the goodwill on sunday, but i'm glad i ended up getting it as i really love the watercolor effect and the muted tones, and i think it turned into a pretty cute skirt.  here's the original dress:

thursday (thrifted)

gap shell {thrifted}   merona artist cardigan {thrifted target stock}
j crew abstract lattice print skirt {thrifted}   mossimo varana shooties {thrifted target stock}

dkny tights {thrifted nwt}   handmade necklace {from jewelry show}

thrifted, thrifted, thrifted - what does that mean to me?  lately i've been drawn to ensure my presence with this blog focuses more on sharing my beliefs behind thrifting & sewing & shopping smartly.  i hope that when people glance at my outfits and the tags i put behind my clothing items that they see that there is potential in shopping second-hand and on the clearance racks with coupons and dusting off a sewing machine you've never used before and learning how to make skirts in any color or print of your choosing.  i follow so many blogs that i can easily become inundated with seeing too many "c/o" tags and "want lists" and dressing room reviews and i wonder who out there is getting dressed out of their own closets or if people have packages piled high on their doorstep every other day of new stuff.  i hope that my readers see something different here and that it comes across that i like being a different type of consumer & shopper.  for some reason, this all came to me when i put this outfit on this morning.  hopefully these disjointed thoughts will reach someone out there, and of course if you have anything to share i welcome hearing it!  have a nice evening!

monday (proud!)

 

 handmade (by me) blouse   merona artist cardigan {thrifted new}

merona doubleweave skirt {thrifted new}   merona marylynn mary janes

in case you were busy shopping during black friday {i definitely wasn't!} and missed my post, this is the handmade blouse that my mom & i made last week!  of course i couldn't wait long before wearing it.  i love how it turned out.  dare i say that i think my sewing skills are improving after tackling that blouse, and i'm feeling the urge to try my hand at something else, like this or this! have a wonderful evening!

tuesday (ebew: tights)

 merona balson dress {thrifted target stock}   j crew button-down {thrifted}

merona cardigan {thrifted target stock}   forever21 belt {thrifted nwt}

simply vera tights   lela rose for payless finsbury heels

i'm pretty conservative in my tight color choices due to my conservative work environment, but of course i had to participate in today's ebew challange: colored tights!  i love these maroon colored tights, it's a nice change from the brown & black tights that i usually wear.  i like, too, how they're not too pronounced and easily blend into the dark skirt depending on the light.
 

happy tuesday--and thanks for all of the nice birthday wishes in my post yesterday.  if you missed it, i'm offering a giveaway of a handmade skirt, so please enter before sunday!

 

monday (professional)

merona leigh crosshatch dress {thrifted new, $4.99}   merona artist light cardigan {thrifted new}
target belt {thrifted new}   merona "marylynn" mary jane heels   forever21 bracelet

i've been hoarding this dress since may and decided it was high time to just wear it already. no sense in waiting for the perfect opportunity.  honestly, what really detracted me from wearing it up until now was that it almost felt too professional for my work environment.  i figured today was as good a day as any to wear it, though, since we had some guests in our office.  and i think i felt better once i put a cardigan over it.  nothing like setting the tone for the workweek with a great dress!