whomp!

old navy blouse & cardigan

j crew skirt {via thredup*}

toms desert wedge booties

{ similar blouse / exact cardigan / similar skirt / exact wedges }

at least once a week i feel like i have one of those "whomp whomp" outfits where the idea in my brain wasn't fully conceptualized the same way in reality.  this is definitely one of those outfits!  i don't always like the way these wedge booties look with skirts but i keep trying for some reason.  i think the skirt needs to me a smidgen above my knees so my legs don't look so stumpy and there are three different shades of taupes going on that don't completely match.

instead of focusing on this whomp outfit, i wanted to congratulate my good friend marissa from the modern austen on her new blogging adventure called ampersand creative.  marissa is one of the most articulate, passionate, and driven gals i've met through blogging and i'm really excited about her new venture that focuses on helping bloggers like you and me and other young professionals identify and creative a fulfilling lifestyle.  the mission statement behind her new blog resonates with me so much and i know i will be learning so much from her!  congratulations, marissa!

*join thredup through my referral link and you'll get $10 to spend; i receive $10 once you've made your first purchase!

throwback jacket.

merona cropped jacket {thrifted target stock}

old navy lace top   ·   ann taylor pants

mix no. 6 wedges   ·   payless necklace

i'm linking up with alice today for throwback thursday with the emphasis on this blazer that i last wore in july 2014.  it felt good to pull it out again and i loved it paired with the yellow shoes and yellow necklace.  everything about it just seemed to work for me and made me feel tall and confident all day!  let's just hope my eyes didn't look as buggy in real life as they did in these pictures, haha!  oh well... i never said i was photogenic!

i definitely push the limits of footwear during the winter; usually what you see me wearing on my blog is what i wear into work, bare feet and all, considering i have maybe 40 steps to walk across the parking lot into the building.  however, on days it snows or the temp is sub zero (like today) i definitely wear socks and boots into work!  in fact, i finally feel like a true minnesotan because i just bought a proper pair of winter boots that i love so much i see myself wearing them into work much more often!

 

get the look:  similar jacket / similar blouse / similar pants / similar necklace / similar wedges / exact boots

summer garden.

old navy white lace tee   ·   talbots blazer {thrifted}

j crew watercolor garden skirt {thrifted}   ·   fergalicious irene pumps

i definitely still love this skirt just as much as the first time i wore it, even though that was only a couple weeks ago.  i was just really eager to remix it and it's one of the few skirts i own that fits really well.  of course i had to grab my fun green blazer and a matching necklace... i just couldn't help but coordinate with the colors in the skirt.  i definitely felt like i was in a garden all day!  one of these days i'll put together a recap post of all of the ways i've worn this green blazer as i'm a little abashed i've only written posts for two of the outfits but there have been many, many more!

speaking of gardens, now that i live in a place where i actually have a deck (and a really huge one at that!), we are trying to master the art of gardening.  so far we have some herbs that we stuck in a planter box and some lettuce in the other.  the lettuce is coming up slowly but surely; it has been really fun watching it grow!  now i just have to make sure we dream up some recipes to use the chives, basil, and mint that are cooking in the other planter.

have you ever tried planter gardening, or are you lucky enough to have a plot in your yard that you can dedicate to a true garden?

get the look:  similar blazer / similar tee / similar skirt / similar necklace / exact heels

j crew floral.

j crew skirt & axcess blazer {both via thredup*}

old navy lace top   ·   merona bella flats

target gold necklace

not much to say about this outfit other than, oh this is so me!  and oh how the blazer was necessary most of the day... there is an a/c vent right above my head in my office and it pumps out some cold air.  usually i am pretty adaptable with varying temperatures indoors/outdoors but this has me reaching for a fleece jacket at times.  i've learned to just dress for the environment though, even if it means a button-down and sweater in july one day and a long-sleeve blazer the next.  at least the added layers add some additional visual interest to the outfit! 

both this skirt and blazer were recent thredup purchases... oh darn you, kimmie, for introducing me to this website!  just kidding... i love it.  for whatever reason i'm just not getting to my local goodwills as often, but browsing thredup seems like thrifting to me.  and if you haven't signed up yet you can use my referral link and get $15 off your first purchase through july 6th (and i'll receive $15 too, which i'm pretty certain i won't have any trouble spending!).

thanks for visiting!

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

deja fleurs.

 old navy lace crochet top {similar} · charter club deja fleurs skirt {ebayed}
target necklace   ·   madden girl sursey heels {thrifted / similar}

sept 26th / the first time i wore this skirt last month i told you all how excited i was about it... and well, that remains true, but i realized i don't really have any tops that match any of the colors in it perfectly! so, white it is with some colorful accessories -- that always works! are you signed up for target mobile coupons on your iphone? they're just within the target store app, and sometimes you can text for extra ones.  anyway, there is a great buy one accessory, get one free mobile coupon available right now. being the frugal lady i am, i decided to use the coupon on two clearance necklaces;  this one that was $8.49 and another one that was $5.08... and this one ended up being free (usually the lesser price item is free for those types of promotions)! i definitely never feel guilty about getting clearance jewelry for free!  have you scored any great deals at target lately?

july 9th {love & hate}

merona doubleweave skirt    ·    old navy lace crochet top

merona flats {thrifted target stock}    ·   lisa leonard jewels {giveaway win}

this was just a simple outfit to get me through a busy tuesday of a home visit and an organizational meeting.  i haven't worn this skirt that often; despite feeling as though i had to have it, as i feel whenever a new season's worth of merona pencil skirts are debuted, i don't like it as much as i originally did and find it hard to pair the right top with it.  on the other hand, i love this white top {and it's on major clearance at oldnavy.com right now}.  i guess that works, right?  pairing something you love with something you're so-so about!  at least it got me to wear this skirt again!  thanks for visiting!

may 28th {we love target skirts!}

merona skirt {ebayed}  ·   old navy crochet lace top

evan picone blazer {thrifted}   ·   steve madden sursey pumps {thrifted}

today is bottom day during the we love target link up whitney and i are hosting this week.  i loved seeing everyone wear their favorite target tops yesterday.  i have long admired this skirt on whitney, so much in fact that we did a clothing swap a couple years ago and she let me have it for a week.  i finally found my own on ebay not too long ago.  the shade of the print can look olive in some light, brown in others, so it really lends itself to be paired with so many different colors.  i chose magenta this time around.  head over to along the lines of style to see how whitney wore her skirt and link up if you're wearing a target skirt today, too!

may 14th {cool thoughts}

old navy crochet trim top   ·   talbots watercolor floral skirt

predictions karmen heels

the high today is supposed to be something ridiculous, 85-90?  we had such a long winter {it was less than three weeks ago that i was commenting on a large snowfall} but apparently mother nature is catapulting us right into summer.  or maybe i can just blame my mom who is visiting this week from georgia for bringing the southern heat with her!  either way, i knew i wanted to feel cool & fresh on this blasted hot day so i pulled out a bright white top {recent clearance find at old navy} and this pretty floral skirt i've waited eight months to wear.  in addition to thinking cool thoughts, i think it worked pretty well!

linking up with marionberry style and her trend of the month: yellow challenge! i know it's not much yellow, but as you remember, i don't have much yellow in my wardrobe.  i do like to incorporate it where i can, though, and as a part of a print is a great option.  thanks for visiting!