Last week

Some random shots from last week...



Emily and I goof around in the doorframe, then I did a real shot. Truthfully, I liked the goofing around one better.



The remaining coral Old Navy sweater, black tee, grey Gap modern bootcuts, ivory and black patterned scarf. The scarf did not last long with the outfit once I got to the office. Hot flashes don't like being contained by a scarf. :(



I had a meeting with some snazzy dressers on Thursday, so I was glad I had gotten this gold bird-patterned top from Gwynnie Bee a few days earlier. The suit is Gap, actually -- it is my usual Gap bootcuts (I have many pairs of them) and I bought the Gap suiting jacket a while ago just to be able to turn it into a suit when needed.



The necklace is a smoky glass one that I've had for a few years; it had way too many other cluttery items on it when I first bought it from Ann Taylor, but I trimmed it down and it's been a workhorse ever since. So pretty against the gold top -- I got tons of compliments all day.



This cracked me up -- a couple weeks ago, my co-worker D and I had the same color scheme idea for casual Friday! We had one of the guys take our picture.

I am on Staycation this week, and have already been picture happy. I'll post more in a bit.

Emily and me

This set of photos just made me laugh.

Me: Em. we're going to be on the internet.
Emily: Mew.



I play with my hair, Emily notices the camera.



I button my jacket between shots, Emily watches me, befuddled.



We both get one good pose in. 



Shrunken piped blazer from Gap, heather grey drape neck top from Target, grey pinstripe modern bootcuts from Gap, black Naturalizer booties.

Random December outfits

A few random outfits I have been wearing lately:



Grey on grey on grey on black. I am crazy about all the draped necklines around these days; this one is a heathered grey sleeveless one from Target that has worked well under many of my blazers. The drape at the waist is a problem, though. I put this grey mix together because I wanted to wear my grey pinstriped pants but there is something about the hue that makes it hard to fit with my more brightly-colored tops. So I went with neutrals instead. The jacket is a knit Alice + Olivia that I got during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale; for a while there I had my doubts it would get much wear but I've been putting an effort into finding the right use for it, and it's worked well. 



More neutrals of the navy and brown school.  The grandpa cardigan is a little too grandpa-y here, but I decided to give it some structure by tucking in my Gap navy-and-brown striped top and adding a brown belt. Now that I look at it, a stronger gold necklace would have worked better instead the delicate long one I wore.



Casual Friday with a mustard v-neck shirt from Nordstrom, my beloved striped Lands End blazer, the Gap trouser jeans, and rose gold Tahari flats from DSW.

We went to Detroit this weekend (photos coming tomorrow!) and I somehow only managed to get one outfit photo. Which is a bummer, because I did finally break down and bought some new clothes from Lane Bryant, all of which I wore -- and that went together perfectly -- all weekend. I was so excited about my weekend packing, and I have no visual evidence to show it off. Doh!



This was Friday night; we stayed at the MGM Grand casino, so we spent the night "in" and downstairs gambling and hanging out. The long cardigan and black top are new from Lane Bryant, the jeans are those Jag jeans that I am still on the fence about (they did not fare well by the end of the weekend, waaaaaay too stretched out) and my sparkly Vince Camute suede flats. I am in love with the weight, fabric and stripe size on that cardigan; it is going into heavy rotation this winter, I can tell you now. Probably going to wear it today!



The purse is from a consignment store from a couple of years ago; it's a faux Chanel that I paid about $15 for. I love the idea of it, but I have only used 2-3 times. This is the last one; the "leather" in the strap is completely shredding and left little red pieces everywhere. It's in the bag for donation now!



This is yesterday's back-to-work outfit: the top is from Gwynnie Bee, and I knew as soon as I saw it on their website I had to wear it with my cobalt blue blazer. On its own, I didn't really love the top; the knit was too static-y and too short for my preferences, but under the jacket? Perfect.



I am so enjoying my Gwynnie Bee experience, I am considering upping my subscription to 3-pieces out a a time. Hmm, maybe for the new year when the shopping itch starts up anew. Right now I think I am doing okay finding things to wear. :)

Goldilocks

You guys, I am absolutely LOVING my wardrobe these days. I had no idea that getting rid of the clutter, allowing myself to routinely weed out items that aren't working, and cutting back on the shopping would be so darned freeing. Instead of constantly trying to outdo myself in terms of being fashion-foward, I am finding it is more satisfying to find ways to wear what I already have.

Of course, they don't all work -- at least not when I look at the photos sometimes -- but that too helps further hone my closet.



I liked the idea of this -- two versions of grey with a cobalt blue tee and a scarf for visual interest -- and for the most part it worked. But it's one that when I look at the photo, I realized it didn't. I think it's finally time to concede defeat on these dark grey Gap straight legs; there is just something about the fabric or the color that makes it look frumpy and dated, like they were black and now have faded to this grey. It drives me nuts!



This I liked a little better, even though it is just a whole lot of black. I have two of these "blogger" necklaces, but this cobalt blue one gets almost no wear. (Maybe I should have gotten it in red instead.) I don't have a lot of good contrasting colors for it, so it really only work against black or white. I thought it worked pretty well here, playing on that idea with a patterned B&W tank from Target, black cascading cardigan, and my trusty black Gap modern bootcuts.

This one, from yesterday, was Goldilocks approved, as it was just right.



Also lots of black but it doesn't feel that way. The purple skirt and knit jacket are two purchases from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale that I have been waiting to wear (patiently, for months!!) and it is finally cold enough to do so. See how the turquoise bloger necklace works just so much better than the cobalt one does? I think it might be just a more flattering color for me.

The top is from Gwynnie Bee, and it might just be the best one I have gotten from them yet. It's a simple INC black knit long sleeve top, but it fits and drapes PERFECTLY. It is the Holy Grail of black tops. I am taking it to Macys tomorrow to see if they still have any in stock; I need to own this to complete so many other looks. Assets tights and my Franco Sarto Deer shooties finish the look.



I had my doubts about that skirt, but now that it is cold enough to wear, I expect it is going to get lots of mileage. It's the first skirt or dress that I have had in a long while that looks good on my dupa.

Coincidentally, I got a couple of questions about that leather-trimmed tweed jacket from my last post; it was also from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (and is out of stock now, sorry). It in fact inspired the color combo of this outfit. I may try the skirt and necklace again with the jacket next time!

If you are interested in Gwynnie Bee, anytime during the month of November,  you can sign up for a free 30-day trial. Leave me your email (or email it to me) and I will send you an invite. I really cannot speak more highly of this service. It's rejuvenating my closet!

Fashion Flasher

I still haven't gotten back into the rhythm of daily outfit photos, but I have been trying to do a quick partial shot here or there to at least capture the flavor of what I am wearing.  So here are a few flashes of the last week.



One of the prettiest Gwynnie Bee tops, with a tie-dyed pattern draped cowl that I just adored. I wore this a few times before shipping it back, my favorite being when I wore it on Halloween with this cobalt blazer at work and then with a simple black sweater in the evening to highlight the "spookiness" of the pattern when we took Babyfriend out trick-or-treating. This version was with a short-sleeved royal blue sweater, which worked well with our in-between weather.



Not an outfit, I just thought that was a clever carving. :)



I was undecided about this pattern-mixing so I emailed the photo to my girlfriends and my mom. Mom thought it was chic, but my girlfriends were on the fence, not really being fans of pattern-mixing. But I got their replies too late, and I had decided for myself that I liked it so I wore it anyway. And got a surprising number of compliments!



What made it work for me is that they were all in the same color tone, and because that tone was grey, black and white it allowed for a little more creativity. Plus I just love love love that Target blouse with the buttefly pattern and pussybow. It is the one cheap-fashion shirt I do not regret buying whatsoever.

That said, I tried a more subtle outfit with that jacket later in the week.



Keeping the necklace grey kept it nicely subtle; there's a lot going on with the jacket trim and zippers, so it doesn't look as good if I contrast with a colored top.

So all that ruckus over trying to find the perfect bag for fall? (None of the booties worked so they were returned too.) I walked into the new Michael Kors store at my mall last Friday and fell in love with The One.



Medium sized tote, simple and clean, but with just the right details: a lovely chestnut/luggage color in a just-soft-enough leather, contrasting lighter handles, and best of all two side outside pockets where I can slip my phones in and be able to reach them without having to dig under my arm when the bag is on my shoulder.

So far, it is my one purchase for November. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It was already in rotation the next day, and I was ready for the weekend.



The boots and jacket are October purchases. First is a much-needed casual anorak jacket from Old Navy, with a removable lining and is surprisingly well made. Second are a pair of faux-suede nude booties from Target; I had seen them months ago online but since most Target shoes are crazy uncomfortable I resisted. Saw them on clearance in the store last week and gave them a try. They've been worn all day for several days now and are more comfortable than the $200 Munro ones were.

Sometimes cheap fashion is confusing, you guys. Obviously they won't last 4 winters like my Franco Sarto Deers have, but they're a nice addition for this year.

This is what was under my jacket.



Usually with a patterned top like this one (Target, of course), I wear a sweater over it to break it up visually. But since it was Saturday I spent most of the day in my jacket anyway running errands, which served the same purpose.

One of those errands? Getting my hair cut and colored. I went a little dark on the color so it matches better with the silvery-greys that are exponentially sprouting up. (That seems counter-intuitive, but it's true.)

This was how it looked on Sunday.




I went with a Sheila look, a tissue-weight short-sleeved tee over a long-sleeved tee, and added that weird blue-grey jacket I often have trouble working into an outfit. (Told you I was cycling through more unworn items, thanks to the Great Closet Purge.) Comfy and a little tough, I liked it!





Lastly, we get to Monday. The flash was in use outside because it was dark out so my hair already looks blonder again. So weird!






This other Gwynnie Bee top -- a rich pink cowl neck from Tablots -- breathed new life into this striped cascading cardigan from White House Black Market (remember when we bought this in Vegas, Mom?), black Gap straight legs, and my trusty Naturalizer folded cuff booties.

And that's all I got today! Have a lovely Wednesday, my friends. Off to back-to-back meetings, UGH.

Fall Style: Blazers and pants

I may have mentioned in my Closet Purge post that I am wearing a lot of blazers and suit-like outfits these days; mostly it's due to having so many meetings these days at work, but blazers are also an easy cop-out on weekends to having to buy more fall jackets.

This is what I wore yesterday:



Pretty much everything is from Gap or Old Navy. The cobalt blazer is this one, the pants are the modern bootcuts, and the button-down is actually this military style jersey. I've decided I like this better than a stiffer cotton button-down, which tends to square my torso off in terrible ways.

But the parts of this outfit that make it interesting, IMO, are the necklace and the shoes. The necklace is what Gracie over at Fashion for Giants teasingly (and affectionately) calls the "blogger necklace", the colorful statement style that has definitely been making the rounds on many blogs. I picked two of them up as part of a Groopz deal that Kimberly from Fab Finds under $50 linked to a while back, and I've been wearing both all summer, and getting many real-life compliments on them. Even though the turquoise is a summer color, I used the inspiration from a Nordstrom display to wear it for fall too.




(Next time, I am going to try it with my trusty striped blazer.)

The other item of note are my flats. I have been thoroughly unimpressed with the shoes out for this fall; I've bought many and returned just about all of them, only keeping one pair of black studded flats so far. But these flats have been sitting in my closet for a few years now, an impulse purchase from the Ann Taylor Factory outlet, picked up for about $10. They've been mostly unworn because their style hasn't quite fit with my dress obsession or any casual looks on the weekends. But since hurting my back last week I've been wearing mostly flats with shorter-length pants, so I pulled them out and gave them a try. Good thing I didn't purge them; they look professional and cute with my new blazers look.



All in all, I thought this worked well for the season. I was actually one of the better dressed people at my meeting!



(Our new fish doormat says hello. A birthday gift from my parents to my fisherman-husband, heehee.)

Blazer Craze-r

You guys, I am obsessed with blazers right now.

Maybe it was the rousing success of my striped blazer this summer, or that I need to wear more suit-like outfits at meetings at work, but all I am buying these days are blazers. This fuschia one is on its way to my house now, courtesy of Gap, a 30% off sale, and a fistful of $10 reward certificates I had collected. 

This royal blue one is traveling with it. Hope they both work out! I love a good punch of color.

I was so crazy about Ally's striped jacket with the shirred sleeves I went tip-toe-ing through the Karen Kane site and spotted this lovely clay one. A rich brown hue gets me everytime. I am resisting buying it, for now.

This one I picked up during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for half the price. Love the leather trim and the moto styling. I also got a purple pencil skirt that I am going to ROCK with it.

I'm heading out for a well-earned beach vacation starting tomorrow, but once it's fall I think I know what I'll be wearing. Even better, these will work well through the winter too.

What's catching your eye (and wallet) for the fall?

Summer Business Uniform

Sometimes it is worth paying full price for a brand-new item. My Lands End navy striped blazer has become my go-to item this summer for any business meetings where I need to be in "business formal" in theory but I can dress it down a bit in practice (i.e., not a full suit but nice pants and a blazer).



This was yesterday for a whirlwind set of meetings at two different hospitals. It's in the high 80s and getting warmer every day, so I needed to beat the heat and still look professional and like myself. The pants are navy Gap modern bootcuts, the top is a light purple LOFT tee semi-tucked a la Angie, the necklace is a new favorite silver circle pendant from LOFT Outlet, and the sandals are my trusty nude Clarks from last year. Between the stripes and the seme-tuck, it looks on trend, but not too trendy, I think.



I just adore the detail of the chambray on the interior of the cuff. It's on the underside of the collar too, but I am not fond of the popped collar look so no one gets to see that.

It is still full-price at Lands End ($80), but they have a coupon for $20 off any $75 purchase online, and in Sears (where I bought it) they also have other sales going on. (They're not paying me to plug it, although they should. I am a walking advertisement for this jacket this summer.)









And several other outfits that I never got photos of...

Do you have a favorite item this summer that you can't stop wearing?

Hello Mudder

After 10 years, they are finally, FINALLY repaving the access road and parking lots of my condo complex. Before I start complaining, I will admit they're doing a thorough job, adding in curbs, redoing our walkways, pulling up years of crappy asphalt and starting literally from the dirt up.

That said, it is highly inconvenient, mostly because every exit in and out of my house is a muddy mess. It has rained several times since the project began, and there are still puddles everywhere. My husband and I now have car shoes that we have to wear to walk through the dirt and mud to our cars parked on the other side of the complex; we carry our real shoes in our hands or bags to switch out for work. The paving is expected to take two-and-a-half weeks but we're are in the middle of week 2 now and it doesn't look anywhere near completion.

And I am really kind of over walking through mud every morning.

ANYWAY. At least this will be gone.



The workers are usually here early so I can't sneak out and get many outfit pictures, but I've gotten a few. Hubby took this one after work last Monday; those red-bow leopard print wedges from Payless are still going strong, and I still get lots of compliments at work about them.



I did quite a bit of spring shopping, which definitely perked my spirits. The best purchase so far is this navy striped knit blazer from Lands End; I was actually at Sears returning some other items I bought online when I spotted it. It's so cute and versatile, I've already worn it 3 or 4 times in the last 3 weeks. It has great detailing, too; the cuffs and collar are a light denim chambray. This was one of the first outfits, with a new purple tunic blouse from Old Navy, my trusty Gap skinnies, and new Me Too flats in tan and black. This might be one of my favorite outfits in a while...



Last Saturday was grocery shopping and cooking, and it just felt like a day for my grey Converse kicks. I added this new Old Navy red striped henley and a new olive green cotton jacket from Kohls wih my faded Old Navy Dreamer jeans. Comfy and casual!




The last bit of news before I log off and get ready for work is that we have resisted ordering pizza for TWO weeks now!! I was feeling the weakest last night so I had picked up some sirloin tips for fajitas, but Hubby had a late lunch so I settled for a chicken salad wrap instead.

Even better news is that it is starting to pay off at the scale; I had been hovering at a 3-pound loss since the beginning of the Bottom Line Challenge, but the numbers are finally moving down beyond that. 5 pounds as of this morning. Woohoo!