make do.

j crew floral eyelet blouse {thrifted}

mossimo straight leg jeans & ona flats

one wink necklace

{ similar blouse / exact jeans / this season's flats / similar necklace }

today i wanted to reach for this top that i have in a melon color but realized i haven't worn this one in cornflower blue as often.  there's a two size difference between the two tops and the size missing in between would be perfect but i make do with both.

i thought i would give an update on my fitbit today.  i've had it for about a week and have already found that it's motivated me to keep moving.  it was interesting wearing it to work the first few days to better gauge just how much i get up and walk around at work - not much!  i thought i moved around much more than i do, but there are still long periods of time when i am sitting at my desk or only get up to walk a few steps to the bathroom or something.  i'm still trying to take walks around the block my work is situated on, but as the weather gets warmer i think that will be more difficult as i don't want to come back a sweaty, smelly mess.  i am not sure how i could work in much more activity during the workday to reach the 10,000 steps goal before i get home so i have had to add in treadmill walks, but i think this is a good thing because i need to have that physical activity in addition to just steps from point A to point B.  if i got all my steps in at work during the day, i think i would be less inclined to actually exercise when i get home.

the fitbit is also helping me be more active on the weekends.  i am a homebody and like to sleep in, lounge around on the internet with coffee or lay in bed and read for hours and only leave the house for my weekly grocery store run.  i've been very motivated so far to take a walk outside on the weekends and usually another jaunt on the treadmill or shorter outside walk in the evening to get my 10,000 steps.  in the past, i never would have done that.  exercising twice in one day?  crazy!  i can find any excuse not to exercise but this little tracker on my wrist has wiped all my excuses away and since i got it, i've exercised every single day.  i'm so proud of that and i really feel my fitbit will continue to have a positive effect on my health.

thanks for letting me share - have a great weekend!

see ya.

old navy blouse   ·   loft ankle pants

cl by laundry nima wedges

one wink necklace

{ similar blouse / similar pants / exact wedges / similar necklace }

so, i've decided to say goodbye to...

...

...

... 

these pants!  i knew i wouldn't fool anyone in thinking i was saying goodbye to this blog.  what would i do with all my free time if i didn't keep up with it!  no, these pants are going in the eBay pile.  they just don't look flattering on me and i was actually quite self-conscious the day i wore this outfit to work. the pant's proportions are off and/or my proportions are off and i don't think i will ever be able to make them work.  perhaps i'm just not meant to wear ankle pants?  quite honestly, i have never thought they looked good on me (reference this gem from the time capsule) but i kept trying so i'd have an alternative type of pant to wear in the spring and summer months.  but no more; i'm over ankle pants, yall, and it feels good.  have you said goodbye to any clothing items recently?

copycat dress.

merona button down   ·   old navy ponte sheath dress

impo tesla booties   · forever 21 belt   ·  one wink necklace

{ similar button down / exact dress / similar belt / similar booties / similar necklace }

i am one of those people who doesn't mind drastic changes in the weather from week to week at all.  last week we had warm temps in the low 70s and this week it's 20-25 degrees cooler.  perfect opportunity to wear more outfits like this with tights, booties, and thicker weighted materials before "spring" hits.  it's hard to see, but there the pindots on the shirt are the same color as the pink belt.  :)

if this old navy dress looks familiar it's because i also have it in navy (review here, outfit here).  it fit so well that i had to buy it in a second color (this one is a charcoal gray) when i came upon it for a pretty good deal online.  i also just have to share a funny story: these booties get such a rise out of some of my older residents.  one of my memory care residents wheeled up to me in her wheelchair today and said, "WOW!"  i bent down and said, "do you like my shoes?" and she gave me the biggest nod and smile.  i said, "do you want to try them on?!"  and she vehemently said "no!" and wheeled right on by me.  haha!  i know i don't talk about my job a lot because hipaa and confidentiality (in fact, i probably shouldn't share that above story at all), but my residents lift me up so much.  i wrote in my five year diary right around a year ago, "i feel like a tool for goodness at work.  that feels amazing.  i thank god every minute for the love he lets me share, because i know i do share it and that it is received" - and i feel blessed that i continue to have interactions that resonate the way i felt a year ago.  i hope all of you, my dear readers, have equally as fulfilling jobs!

thanks so much for reading!

the replacements.

 

 

old navy sweater & button-down

the limited skirt {thrifted}

impo tesla booties

one wink casted crystal necklace

last month, i mentioned i got rid of a few pairs of shoes, including this pair of fioni booties from payless.  i snagged them on ebay after having kept them in mind for years and years, seeing them on one of the first style bloggers i ever followed.  unfortunately, they were pinchy tight and uncomfortable and i didn't wear them that much!

i had some  reward money to use up at dsw by the beginning of the month, and after two trips to an actual store and multiple searches online, i finally bought both the necklace and the booties you see me wearing here.  black booties seem kind of like a boring purchase to me, kind of like toilet paper -- necessary, but money you'd rather spend on a new purse or something.  either way, i was happy to find a more simplistic style with lower heel that appealed to me for a reasonable price tag.  i've also been looking for a statement necklace with predominantly black/clear stones ever since this one arrived broken, so i was glad to also find one at dsw.com i could add to my order to qualify for free shipping!

it feels good  to make replacement purchases that i know will have much more staying power in my closet!  do you often get rid of specific items in your closet as you know you can replace them with a better alternative?

get the look:  similar sweater / similar skirt / exact booties / exact necklace