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!

tuesday {neutrals}

this is what i wore to work on tuesday, but it was not what i wanted to wear.  at all.  i had on a different skirt that i realized was dark brown, not black, about five minutes before i wanted to head out the door.  i suppose i could have changed into brown tights, but at that point i figured it easier to slip on a new skirt that wrangle out of tights and into a new pair.  instead i tried on about three different skirts before settling on this one as it matched well enough with the gray sweater.  ordinarily i wouldn't have posted this outfit since i felt so uninspired and boring, but it's a good reminder to myself that hey, it's okay.  and now, looking back on it a day later, i actually kind of like it!

it also felt a little redeeming when one of my coworkers said, "i like your bracelet!" and i was able to reply, "it's actually a belt!"  learned that trick from dotty - thanks, lady.  i'm not sure if my coworker though it was "cool" or not but at least it gave me reason to think my outfit wasn't totally dullsville boring.

have a great week!

thursday 9/27

old navy oxford shirt {on sale!}   ·   old navy blazer {thrifted}

calvin klein skirt {thrifted}   ·   dexter kylie wedges {other colors}

 

this may look like an outfit i've worn recently (navy skirt + khaki blazer) but i just couldn't help myself, i love these two items paired together.  i did bring in some new pieces i haven't worn before (blouse + necklace) to help it feel a little fresher.  i think it works - i love the jade green blouse and khaki blazer together and a fun chunky beaded necklace.  this button-down is really lightweight and has that worn-in feeling but is still professional; i think it will be great in the spring/summer but for now as we're transitioning into fall it can still have a place this season paired with some darker neutrals that counteract the pastely spring vibe. 

 

speaking of springy, i was stopped this morning in the bathroom by an employee in the building where i work who said that i always wear the "cutest outfits" and that she really liked the bright orange and floral skirt that i recently wore.  my hands were lathered up in soap as i was turned awkwardly away from the sink to take in her compliment and was racking my brain trying to think of what bright colorful skirt i'd worn recently until--duh--she was talking about the springy talbots painterly skirt i wore last week!  i have really only said "hello" to this person in passing so the fact that she remembered something i wore last week and pointed it out to me in passing today was definitely a sweet surprise.  it's amazing how little it takes to brighten someone's day and make them feel good - i'm going to try to remember that through tomorrow and pay it forward.  have a great day!