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.

Color Project: Red

The Color Project: Red has officially begun!

I started two weeks ago with this Lane Bryant top under a Gwynnie Bee sweater. The red top is tons of fun, and an easy staple in the closet. No question it is staying.



Last week I wore a number of tops from the project.

First was a purple Old Navy collarless blouse. I've struggled to find outfits for this before; it's one that I have to work into the rotation consciously, not one I grab because I want to wear it, like the red LB above. Not sure this one is going to last the month.
(Worn with a B&W striped cotton cardigan from Lane Bryant, faded Old Navy Dreamers, pewter Privos, white camisole, and my Brighton silver pendant. Variations of this are definitely my weekend wear.)





This mauve LOFT tee is the twin of the white one I dithered over during the White Project. Funny how a different color makes all the difference; I love the softness and tone of this one. It will be staying in the closet, for sure.
(Worn with a black Target cocoon cardigan, same faded Dreamers, and multi-stone long necklace from LOFT Outlet. Barefoot because it was my work from home day. :))







I forgot to add this purple-and-grey abstract banded top from Old Navy to the original Red pile, but it is mostly purple so I am adding it in. Trying with a tone-on-tone look with a purple Babeau draped cardigan from Norstrom from a few seasons ago, black NYDJ stretch straight legs, and Clarks Artisan fauz-moto booties.





Close-up of the Brighton silver pendant, a Christmas gift from my mom. It's supposed to be a badge holder but it's much too pretty for that.



This last outfit was my favorite of the week. I got this red polka-dot drape neck blouse from Nordstrom this fall, and I've struggled with the right outfit for it. I think my search is over.





What makes it work is that both pieces have a black heathered quality to them, so there is an underlying commonality to the patterns that makes them work together. It made me happy to wear all day long.



5 down, 5 to go. I might get through this chapter of the project faster than the White round.

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?

Summertime Outfits

It's funny, I'm still wearing the same dang black and/or dark pants that I wear during the rest of the year, but I am doing my best to make them summer-ified.

For example, going with an all-white look on top.



Black Gap straight leg pants, brown peeptoe Clark shooties, white Loft tee and white Loft Outlet cascading cardigan.



What really made this work for me was the chunky smoky necklace. Can't believe it has lasted this long; I bought it at Loft a few years ago, and removed almost all of the extra crap on it so it is just the stones and gold.



I also have been scooping up as many summer blouses as I can find. My friend J and I bought this same pink-and-orange sheer blouse from Loft Outlet last month. I debated keeping it, but I just love the colors too much to give it up!



That is my Rebecca Minkoff bag that has been getting a tremendous workout since I got it in April. I've switched out to clutches or a casual crossbody on weekends, but the Minkoff is definitely my everyday bag this year. Love it.



(Mental note: watch that it doesn't buckle funny around my waist and make me look larger than I am.)

I am also in love with my Donald J Pliner bronze sandals (as seen in above shot). I got them last year at Nordstrom Rack; Hubby and I had gone downtown to celebrate our anniversary, and it was so abnormally hot (it was October, for cryin' out loud) I frantically picked them up on Michigan Avenue off-season. Now that the braid has softened and broken in, they are crazy comfortable, and I just adore their chunky chunkiness.





Another summer look I have been embracing is the striped blazer. I love the one I got from Lands End (on sale now in stores!) and have been wearing it at least once a week. It's great in a business casual office; we're supposed to be in business attire when we go to meetings but no one else in our new company does the same. So I often throw this on over a dressy top and pants and look more professionally dressed than anyone else in the room.

This outfit is more business casual.



(Yes, that is me taking a photo in my mirror. Horrors! But I really like this outfit and wasn't sure if I could get outside in time to get a shot.) I like that this is also kind of monochromatic: grey Gap straight pants, pale blue Loft tee, and navy striped blazer. The silver-gold pendant necklace added to the casual vibe, and the orange Clarks sandals gave it a contrasting pop of color.

Oh, hahahaha, right I did get outside but it was kind of a disaster. Very windy!





I perservered and got one good shot.



This outfit is remarkable only because I got busted by the neighbor just as the timer started going off. As evidenced by my panicked expression and fast approach to the camera. LOL!





Target top and aqua cardigan. I think I will try this one again with my new WHITE PANTS.



Gap finally made my beloved modern bootcuts in white. I snapped those babies up the moment I saw them. Wooohoooo! I haven't owned white pants in years; it's so hard to find the right ones, that aren't too sheer or too tight or too cheap. I definitely like these!



The top is also Loft from last year (boy, I did not realize how many of those I have!!) and I've never quite been able to find the right bottom to bring out the lovely snakeskin print of it. Now I realize it just needed some white pants. :)



You may have noticed in several of the above shots that I have a lot of bracelets on. I tend to wear them more in the summer, which is kind of counter-intuitive. They get warm on the arm in hot weather -- but in cold weather, I'm more bundled up and the metal gets too cold!

This was just this Friday. A hot pink Old Navy top, new navy Gap modern bootcuts, olive wedge Clark sandals, an arm of bracelets, and a new long silver pendant necklace I picked up at Loft Outlet on my shopping trip with J. (See what I mean about needing the pendant to be longer than the boob shelf, J? This way it doesn't bounce when I walk.)

I also tried Angie's suggestion of half-tucking the top, and I think I liked it. 



Heh, and here is a perfect example of the striped blazer raising the level of the outfit. It was too hot to put on outside, but I sure wore it for my meeting that day!




So that is what I have been wearing so far this summer. Does it spark any ideas for you? Any suggestions you have for me?

Heh, now that I am looking at this, I also realize it is time to look at my calendar. Methinks I am due for a haircut!