thoughts about work.

old navy cardigan   ·  merona crepe blouse

j crew factory wool skirt   ·  cl by laundry bol wedges

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

something i've thought about for a while is sharing some thoughts on dementia but i haven't been sure if it's too heavy of a topic for a silly fashion blog.  however, it's a disease that affects so many families lives these days and something i'm passionate about, so i thought i would share a little information about it today.

dementia is an umbrella term used to describe the symptoms associated with many forms of cognitive impairment. alzheimer's disease is one type of dementia, characterized by plaques and tangles that slowly destroy cells in the brain.  the other most common forms of dementia are vascular dementia (from strokes) and lewy body dementia (clumps of protein forming on the brain cortex that results in symptoms like hallucinations and rigidity often associated with parkinson's disease.)

what helped me so much early in my career was understanding dementia is a medical condition that affects the brain.  think about everything different parts of your brain do for you - it helps you reason, it helps you remember, if helps you remain oriented to time, it helps you communicate and use language, it helps you make good choices (judgement).  dementia first affects one's memory, then gradually begins to affect  parts of the brain that performs those aforementioned tasks.  it's progressive, the functioning doesn't come back, and it requires the caregiver to enter the world that the individual with dementia is experiencing, which is something that i quite honestly feel can be a gift.

this is the briefest of brief explanation of some characteristics of dementia, but i thank you so much for letting me share.  it is a big part of my life on a daily basis as a social worker on a memory care unit at a nursing home.  i hope someone may have found this interesting or informative - and i promise i won't make it a focus of my posts in the future, but i certainly welcome any thoughts or questions anyone may have.

thanks for visiting!

friday repeat & pantone link-up reminder!

j crew factory cutaway top

old navy skinny boyfriend khakis & cardigan

dexter claire flats

a couple months ago i implemented the hanger switch-a-roo in my closet where you rotate the hanger backwards after you wear something.  i think it has helped me reach for other tops to wear before reaching for something i just wore... but at the same time, there are tops like this in my closet that are fairly new and i've only worn once and i just want to wear it again!  the hanger switch is definitely a good trick and i think i will continue to follow it, but i'm also going to 'allow' myself to wear some newer things to prevent them from becoming too neglected.  do you flip your hangers around in your closet after you've worn something?

get the look:  similar shirt / similar cardigan / exact khakis / exact flats

and just a final reminder that marissa & i are hosting our pantone-inspired fall link-up next week, november 17-21.  feel free to reference the graphic below to plan some outfits if you'd like to join us or snag it to include in your posts if you are scheduling some ahead of time, then come back next week to either of our blogs to link up!  have a great weekend!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://literatelystylish.blogspot.com/" title="literate &  stylish"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/whatwedo/Fall2014PantoneInspiredColorChallengeButton.png" alt="literate &  stylish" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

punk floral.

j crew factory printed cutaway blouse  ·  merona linen skirt {thrifted}

old navy perfect cardigan  ·  mossimo ona flats

i was able to take advantage of a gilt offer for 30% off at j crew factory recently which is a nice discount to have there even though it seems like they've been offering it more and more lately.  i had a couple things in my cart i kept going back to, and the during one browsing i saw this blouse!  i couldn't believe it!  sure, this print is everywhere but it was one i was always drawn to and i was so excited to add it to my wardrobe.  it was only offered in petite at the time but i've found one size up in petite is consistent with what my regular size would be. however, when i added the link at the bottom of this post, it was available in regular sizes xs & s, so it may still be available in random sizes if you are interested.   

all in all, i'm really happy with then purchases i made from j crew factory with that gilt offer.  i also ordered the lace panel tee in black & i found this blouse in coral - another moment of disbelief!  i guess it pays to browse and browse because you never know when items will be added to the sale section.  i've really become more lenient with the amount of money i spend on certain clothing items.  i'd rather spend $25 for a blouse that i know will have a place in my closet for a long time like these ones vs spending $3-5 on multiple tops at the goodwill that i just end up thrifting back in six months or a year.

get the look: exact blouse {same print in pants & skirt} / similar skirt / similar cardigan / similar flats - same brand / similar stripes

linking up with andi & inge for skirts week!

easy floral scarf.

old navy cardigan {similar} & skirt {similar}

handmade (by me) scarf   ·   merona emma flats

sept 4th / i really enjoy browsing through the red tag clearance fabric at joann's when it goes an additional 50% off.  it's where i get most of the fabric from that i make my handmade skirts out of and i've recently started thinking of other possibilities for the cheap fabric, too, like scarves.  i picked up about three bolts of fabric to make skirts out of last week and 3 bolts of fabric to make scarves out of, like this one.  i tell ya, it's so easy... no longer will i stare longingly at the rows of fun, printed scarves at target that cost $15-20 hoping i may eventually snag one at 70% off.  i think i'd much rather buy a yard of fabric for $3 and make my own!

if anyone is interested in the easiest tutorial ever to make a scarf, let me know... i'd be happy to put something together!  meanwhile, i'm already dreaming of how i can wear this scarf with my favorite orange dress.

thanks for visiting!

tuesday (seventy)

old navy cardigan   ·   talbots painterly floral skirt

lela rose for payless wells pumps {more lela rose}

 

minnesota was granted a near 70 degree day today stuck in-between our usual highs in the 50s, so i had to pull out this skirt to wear at least one more time before next spring.  come to think of it, maybe it didn't matter that i tried to mimic my outfit to the environment outside as i work in a windowless basement office and didn't even know what was happening outside at all today!  i am a little touchy about this some days. ;)  well, at least i didn't have to turn on my heated seats this morning!  hopefully many of you still have some sunny, warm days left yet this fall - it's too bad i couldn't get outside to enjoy ours today!  thanks for dropping by!

wednesday {calm}

gap button-down {thrifted}   ·   old navy perfect cardigan

isaac mizrahi for target skirt {thrifted}   ·   dexter kylie wedges

calm / please excuse my frizzy hair {late afternoon downpour} and the weird skeleton-looking imprint of my hand in my pocket, is that creepy or what?  are my hands that bony?  this is real life in my world and it doesn't always seem that stylish - this is usually what i look like by the end of the day, a little frazzled.  usually i blame it on the weather though and not my work, although that is stressful too.  no matter what i may look like on the outside i always try to project calmness and patience from the inside.  i have a handful of clients on my caseload right now who are really trying my skills and a big focus in recent months has been in not allowing myself to perseverate on a problem someone might be dealing with and end up getting just as worked up about it as they are.  it's hard when i become so invested in the success and health of my clients that i tend to want to fix every problem because i have the power, connections, resources.  but if i come across as level-headed and neutral it helps to deescalate intense emotions and my clients can more easily see the steps to take to advocate for themselves or reach a goal.  i bet teachers might agree with this too and not just those like me in social services.

one of the best compliments i've received lately was from my former boss who said that i have a "calming & reassuring presence" and that she's looking to use that strength of mine during a very large gathering our building is hosting tomorrow by helping her manage a large number of volunteers.   i think it's a good reminder that our clothing choices are only a fraction of what others perceive about us--a great pair of heels or skirt may give me extra confidence in the way i present myself to people, but it's great that those closest to me in my work environment have picked up on other strengths i have too, not just my ability to put together a cute outfit {okay, that's debatable some days!}.  thanks for dropping by and listening to my late-night ramblings, i appreciate your visits so much!

tuesday {rebellious}

the limited skirt {thrifted}   ·   old navy perfect cardigan  

thrifted necklace   ·   merona milena wedges {thrifted target stock}

 

rebellious / the heavier, tweed-like texture of this skirt gave me pause for a moment, thinking that it might only be appropriate to wear in the fall or winter, but i'm breaking it out a few months early!  let's all be rebels with our seasonal clothes, shall we?  lately the temps inside have been tolerable enough to wear longer sleeves or heavier fabrics and i can get away with it on days like today when i do not have any appointments or home visits scheduled outside the building where i'd be running back & forth to my car and to my office building.  i don't normally gravitate towards black & white prints, but i liked the unique texture of this skirt and for a few dollars at the GW it was worth trying something a little different.  are there any fabrics that you only wear during certain parts of the year?  i have a mustard colored corduroy skirt that i didn't wear at all last year because it just didn't feel right to wear in the summer and soon enough fall and winter passed by too.  i'll have to remember to wear it during an early fall day.  thanks for visiting!

thursday.

old navy cardigan   handmade (by me) skirt

merona milena wedges (thrifted target stock)

today must be the week of repeats after the discussion i started monday about re-wearing the same outfit or components of the same outfit close together.  i didn't post tuesday or wednesday but both were pretty copy-cat looks and this outfit today is a twin to the outfit i wore last monday.  my mind has been so overwhelmed with the theft of my car, trying to get any sort of information or timeline from my insurance company (that finally came today and i am sensing some pending closure), and busyness at work so i have to give my self a little break in the wardrobe department.  at the same time, this is definitely my "uniform" and so i'm glad that despite everything going on i could still pull something together with minimal effort that is aesthetically pleasing to me and appropriate for my work environment.  thanks for visiting!

thursday.

old navy perfect cardigan   ann taylor loft rose print shell {thrifted}

mossimo slacks & virginia heels {thrifted target stock}   forever 21 belt

hello, thursday.  let's work towards wrapping up this week on a high note, shall we?  i'm doing my part by wearing a burst of color to mitigate the damp and dreary outlook outside.  today is a great day anyway because it's my friend whitney's birthday - happy birthday {eek i hope so anyway, i'm second guessing myself on the date now!}.  have a great day!

tuesday (sunset)

 

mossimo capris   old navy cardigan   remnant turned scarf {fabric here} 
merona perfect summer tank   mossimo odell nude ruffle flats

i've started paying more attention to the remnant bins at joann's whenever i pop in to browse for fabric.  sometimes you can get some good deals!  for example, if the remnant fabric is still on the store floor and is also on sale, you get the yardage of the remnant for that sale price in addition to the 50% remnants are always marked down to.  i used to avoid the remnants because i didn't quite understand how the price was figured or if it was really a good deal, but it sure can be!  this batik remnant was 2/3 of a yard, and at regular price that would have been $6.66.  to me, that's expensive - for not even a yard of fabric!  but because it was a remnant and was automatically 50% off, the fabric itself was on sale, and i had another 20% off my total purchase coupon, it came to $1.86.  a fun, printed scarf for less than $2?  now that is my type of price point!

turning a scrap piece of fabric or remnant into a scarf is such an easy project, too.  the length wasn't long enough to work as a scarf on its own, so i tore it in half horizontally and sewed those two pieces together to create one long strip.  i hemmed the long sides and that was seriously it.  hopefully it will soften up in the wash a little... and i will definitely be scouring the remnant bin from now on for more remnants i can turn into scarves or belts or sashes... actually, i should look through my fabric stash first!  thanks for dropping by!

tuesday (punchy)

handmade (by me) skirt   old navy cardigan

isaac mizrahi for target scallop blouse {thrifted}
lela rose for payless finsbury pumps   forever21 belt

this is the fabric i thrifted last week that i wondered how it would transform into a skirt.  all i can say is that it's punchy and a little vintage and i love it.  i think i will wear almost anything that is colorful and has a fun print to it.  still, sometimes i have to step back from that and think about how others might analyze my outfits - i can't imagine anyone i encounter in my day-to-day life would know what a fashion blog is or understand that for "us" it's no big deal to mix patterns, wear chunky necklaces outside of a blouse, belt scarves, etc.  i love how much creativity i've developed from seeing one person try one of those above looks and thinking, "i am going to do that too."  i think my propensity towards color and boldness has come out of that confidence.  and i definitely have not always been this way so directly or indirectly, thank you for being an inspiration!

isn't it amazing how one little punchy piece of fabric can lead me into this output of insight and appreciation?  hopefully many of you out there know what i mean!  thank you so much for dropping by!

wednesday (bubblegum)

old navy perfect cardigan & turtleneck   handmade (by me) skirt

mossimo kachiri boots   loft necklace (giveaway win)

this is definitely the pinkest shirt i have ever owned.  i used to shy away from a lot of colors (red, pink, orange, yellow) just because they never appealed to me, but variations of the shades are slowly working their way into my closet, even if just as an accessory.  sometimes it's nice to be the brightest dressed person at work--at least i cheer myself up!  and hopefully others too.   speaking of work, my office is in the basement of a beautiful building, so unless i purposefully go upstairs hours pass and i have no idea what is going on in the world outside.  since i basically worked through lunch today at my desk, i made it a point to go outside and take a walk today and was pleasantly surprised by the beautifully sunny & relatively cool day.  it was so refreshing.  hopefully i can make it a point to do the same tomorrow!  have a nice evening!