snowvember.

mossimo sweater

j crew skirt {via thredup}

mossimo kachiri boots

so, before i went to bed on sunday night the meteorologists were going nuts predicting anywhere from 6-100" of snow to fall sunday night through the day on monday.  okay, maybe this is a slight exaggeration, but i think it maybe snowed 2-3" where i live?  not really the early november snowpocalypse that was predicted, but i'm still satisfied with my outfit choice as i've found that tall boots really are the way to go whenever there is going to be a substantial snowfall.  i suppose if i were a true minnesotan i'd own actual snow boots, but boots like this work for me on days where i either wake up to a million snowflakes on the ground or the snow falls throughout the day and i have to trudge out to my car and unearth it to go home.  i'm not sure that i like the way more casual looking tall boots pair with pencil skirts, but at least the taupe boots found a color partner of the same shade of brown in the skirt. i kept the sweater untucked to mimic the more casual vibe the boots present.  and i spent all day listening to people trade stories about their drive into work and their prediction of how much it was going to snow throughout the day.  i swear, everyone in minnesota is a meteorologist!

dare i ask how you're getting along with winter (oh, it's still fall you say?) where you live?

also, i mentioned yesterday that marissa and i are doing another pantone-inspired color link-up next week but i failed to mention what colors we will be featuring.  here you go!  pick out something sangria, cypress, royal blue, mauve, and cognac from your closet.  if you're feeling extra adventurous, add a blazer to your look (bonus points if it's in one of these colors), because andi is hosting blazers week next week as well!  yay!

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conference attire.

loft diamond print cropped pants

loft scalloped ruffle sweater

cl by chinese laundry bol wedges

i wore this outfit to attend an annual aging conference recently.  i could have gotten away with wearing a nice pair of jeans, but i still like to dress as i would throughout the week if i am attending a conference or seminar, even if i am just sitting listening to speakers all day.  at first i thought the conference would be a good day to test run wearing the j crew factory skimmer pants i mentioned in my september budget post, but i tried them on ahead of time and just wasn't sure at all that i could "pull them off."  so, i'm not sure what i will do with them -- list them on ebay or send them to thredup?  i'm a little disappointed with that purchase, but hopefully i'll be able to make back the $25 i spent on them one way or another.

the aging conference that i went to was fantastic!  i love attending presentations, conferences, etc in my field of aging.  the speakers were so thought-provoking, i ran into an old grad school classmate, and i really came out on top with freebies from vendors - 3 water bottles, 20 something pens, and a dozen post-it note pads...  i definitely DON'T need any more pens at home or at work, but it's so hard to snag free stuff when you are visiting vendors.  do you have the opportunity to attend any sort of conferences related to the field you work in?

get the look:  similar button-down / similar sweater / similar pants / exact wedges / similar necklace

april 8th {doubleweave floral}

merona doubleweave skirt   ·   gap cardigan {thrifted}

merona milena wedges {thrifted target stock}

i get such a thrill when i can add cute, versatile pieces to my closet for mere dollars--or less.  this may be why i bought two target stock blouses at the goodwill yesterday for 99 cents each (seriously... they had a 99 cent rack of target stock) and why i was willing to wait for this skirt to drop to 70% off at an actual target.  the thing about target is that as soon as new merch hits the floor, you know it is going to go on sale soon.  i blogged about this season's new doubleweave skirts at the end of february and they went on sale almost exactly a month later.  after items go on sale you might have to wait another month or so, but then they start to go on clearance.  once something is on clearance, an additional drop from 30% to 50% or 50% to 70% off happens roughly every 2 or 3 weeks... so i just kept watching this skirt during my normal target trips until they got to 70% off.  it's not often that i come across clothing that i feel i NEED to have, clothing is something i want, so i tend to be pretty good about playing the waiting game for a good deal.  i'm glad it paid off this time for me and i could finally buy this skirt that i've been admiring for a while.  i don't have many tops in the same exact shades as the colors in the skirt, but that might push me a bit to experiment with different color schemes.

how do you feel about buying clothing at full price vs playing the waiting game for a sale or clearance markdown?

february 14th {girly}

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january 9th {accessorized}

old navy sweater   ·   dexter kylie wedges {other colors}
merona doubleweave skirt {thrifted target stock}   ·   inpink necklace

often times when i assess the outfits those around me are wearing {come on, you know you do it too} the one thing i often see missing is an accessory.  a great necklace, belt, or scarf does so much to turn a standard outfit into one that's memorable.  when i look back through my weeks in review what stands out to me is that there is always one dominant accessory that i think ties my outfits together.  what i'm wearing today would have been pretty boring on its own - tan skirt, purple sweater, who cares - but the bold, chunky necklace in similar colors and a simple skinny belt makes it cohesive and interesting.  the shoe color choice is also a little unexpected but works with the other brownish/goldish tones coming from the necklace.  i spend very, very little money on accessories - they almost all come from goodwill, forever 21, the clearance racks at target and kohl's, and giveaways/gift cards {like this necklace} - but i've found that they have the biggest impact on my outfits.  of course this is all my own bias so you're welcome to challenge me, but i see an immediate difference when i look at this outfit with accessories and without:

let's chat! / i'm curious, do you see it too?  how much importance do you place on accessories?

wednesday (tiered)

old navy button-down   ·   merona cardigan {thrifted}
eshakti tiered genus skirt   ·   merona milena wedges {thrifted target stock}

i have the worst luck when it comes to ordering items at eshakti, but for some reason that doesn't stop me when they request that i review an item or i win a giveaway.  i purchased this skirt during a promotion and despite thinking that i've finally figured out my size, it is still too small.  i swear, i have ordered a range of three sizes from eshakti in both skirts and dresses and they have all differed so much that i don't know what size i am in their brand!  well, thank goodness for layers of cardigans and blazers to hide a side zipper that isn't zipped all the way.  at least the length is perfect!  as for the wrinkles... i'm not sure that there's anything that i can do about that by the end of a workday.  thanks for visiting!