Casual Friday

Another color question I posed to Jessie this fine morning: what went best with this navy striped Lands End cardigan (Gwynnie Bee, of course)? I had the choice of emerald green, a pretty coral, and white. All new t shirts I picked up from Old Navy for the summer that I am itching to wear. :)

Part of my dilemma on the color was that I wanted to highlight the gorgeous infinity necklace that Shopping Friend gave me last night as my bridesmaid gift. It's just so so pretty, and the sweet story of us being friends through infinity now got me a little teary-eyed. Thank you, my friend. Now lets go get you hitched! :)

Outfit details
Cardigan: lands end from gwynnie bee
T: old navy
Jeans: old navy dreamers in long
Shoes: Clark's artisans
Necklace: Tiffany's, from Shopping Friend

The answer to the color I wore is revealed in the second to last photo. :)

The last photo is the fun clutch I am using tonight when I meet my husband at the casino. I had it handmade along with a larger cross body a couple of years ago at a local studio but I do not give it nearly enough wear.

Have a lovely weekend everyone! Any fun plans? I am going to Great America amusement park tomorrow!

No foolin'

We are outside again! Finally warming up enough to shoot in natural light, hurray. So, you know, enjoy the shots of our electric meter. :)



The jacket was a Gwynnie Bee surprise; I have over 40 items in my virtual closet so I never know what they are going to send me. This python print faux-suede number was a great transition piece for spring, light and fun and fitted. I added a dark green LOFT tee, a multi-metallic circle necklace, and my usual Gap modern bootcuts.

The snow was nearly melted on the patio, which made my husband's latest folly that much more visible. He had purchased a new kind of birdseed for the feeder (flamingos aren't the only birds who hang out on our patio) and discovered, to his dismay, that the birds did not like it. Specifically, they did not like the black seeds that comprised 70% of the mix.

The birds hated the black seed so much they actually spit it out and separated it from the rest of the seed that they did eat. They left PILES of it underneath the feeder.

I am not exaggerating.





So now he has to figure out how to clean it all up when the last of the snow is gone. In the meantime, even the flamingos are staying away from the feeder. Hee!



ANYWAY.

This was my favorite outfit of last week. So much so, I wore it twice. :)



First off, it has my new Longchamp nylon purse, which I am LOVING. The size, weight, durability, and style are exactly what I was looking for in a spring purse, and best of all the sensible look of it is fitting well in my revamped-and-returned "Yalie" look, as Jessie called it.

The real appeal of this outfit, to me, is the simplicity. I was meeting Shopping Friend for wedding-shoe shopping, and I could not find an outfit that was working; I kept trying all these color combinations, and either the shirt showed off too much muffin top, or the sweater was too heavy, or I just looked awful. Then I looked at the combinations I was struggling with, and it occurred to me that I was making  it too hard; my perfect tee, in black, would work just fine. As soon as I put it on and saw how it made the striped sweater pop all on its own, it occurred to me that I had never worn this sweater with a neutral top before. Never. I have no idea what I was waiting for!

The black top gave all the other other elements of the outfit a chance to really shine, in every way.

My hair looked blonder against it.



The cozy ribbed texture of the sweater stood out more.



My beloved embellished animal print Sam Edelman flats got a chance to roar.



My pretty circle pendant from LOFT Outlet shone the most against the neutral background.



Sadly, this was the last wearing of this necklace; it wasn't well-made (no surprise since it was an outlet piece), and the clasp linking the circles to the chain finally gave up the ghost the next day. So it's been "edited" (i.e. thrown away), but it will be fondly remembered!

No jokes or pranks here, but I hope you guys have a good April Fools Day. I always dread this day because it turns out I am super-gullible. Maybe this year I should keep count how many pranks I fall for...

Outfit catchup

As the last few blasts of winter have been rolling through, I've been bundling up and having fun with my blogger bubble necklaces.



Cozy and casual on a random Saturday. ON ivory waffleknit sweater, white ON collared knit shirt, ON Dreamer jeans, Me To two-tone flats, and the teal bubble necklace.



The teal necklace got worn again for work, over a new grey pullover sweater from Nordstrom (part of my birthday purchases), a fantastic purple Lands End button-down knit shirt from Gwynnie Bee, black pants and Clark boots.

I am really digging the collared-shirt-under-pullover-sweater look lately. Spoiler alert: expect to see it a few more times in this post!





Another killer Gwynnie Bee selection, a drape-neck brown and blue patterned top from Karen Kane. Worn under a brown ON heathered brown cardigan, black pants, and um I guess I was barefoot, LOL. Who cares, the top was just so, so lovely.



The purple Lands End top from Gwynnie Bee got another wearing, this time to herald spring in my beloved Lands End striped knit jacket, black Gap bootcut pants and Clark booties.



Quick upper-body shot that I sent to Jessie one morning, to show her how much better the blue Gap jacket looked on my compared to a red one I had to return to Gwynnie Bee (the red was just waaaaaay too cool and made my skin look all splotchy and weird).

I mentioned birthday purchases earlier, and I wanted to show for the record that I did buy both the purple/blue anorak and the small Longchamp bag as (a couple of) my gifts. It's not quite warm enough yet for the unlined coat, but the purse is already getting tons of use. LOVE it.






For instance, with this weekend outfit. Yet another new sweater (I swear, this was the end of the birthday shopping!) this time from Eddie Bauer, and the purple Lands End top in its third and final wearing. I was not sure if the red and purple would go together, but they really did. As I said to Jessie in our email exchange about it, it was like the way hot pink and orange work together: complementary but also clashing.




*cough* I lied. I got this bubble necklace too. (Same outfit and day as above, I just switched necklaces.) But now I have something in "blush" aka pale pink.

Whee, I'm trendy!




Wore it to work yesterday too, this time with neutrals. Mushroom knit Ann Taylor Outlet cardigan, the perfect white tee from Project Color: White, straight leg Gap pants, and the Me Too flats. I liked this, it felt pretty and soft.




The last two outfits are not soft, but they're fun to wear.





Hunh, I've been wearing a lot of casual lately. Or that's the only time I have time to take photos. Could be both reasons!

I'll try to get more work outfits next time. It's funny to me how few blogs there are that actually show clothes you can wear to work; this whole casual pants thing has me so flummoxed and irritated. What am I supposed to wear to the Nun House? Silky track pants ain't gonna cut it.

Anyway, colored dress pants remain my elusive shopping goal. If I find them, any impulse shopping habits will quickly return.

As always, if you are interested in Gwynnie Bee, follow this link to sign up for a 30-day free trial, and consider using it beyond then too. (I do get some compensation for pimping GB, but I think I prove in every outfit post how much I love the service, and how much variety it gives my closet. This is a reminder of all the reasons why I love it.)

Nothing Much to Say

It's weird when you run out of things to say. But that's my excuse for not posting so far this week, sorry! Work is stressful, all the links I have been reading are about soap operas, and the most complicated dish I have made in two weeks has been spaghetti and meatballs.

But! I did manage to get some pictures of my burgundy Gap cords! I got them last month during December's shopping spree but I hadn't gotten any shots of them for the blog until now.



First I wore them for Friday casual in the office. I am still working my way through my white shirts, so I started with this Lauren Conrad embellished tee from Kohls. This one has lasted nearly 3 years now, and is still going strong. For a scrappy little shirt, it's kind of amazing to see it still in my closet.

The top has a bit of a rocker vibe, so I added one of my metallic long pendants and my Sam Edelman embellished animal-print flats. The brown long cardigan softened all of that up and worked well with the colors. Wish I had gotten close-ups because it definitely worked better than it appears in the full picture; my co-worker kept complimenting on the details coming together so nicely.

I re-wore the cords on Saturday for an entirely different look.



I had to cover a full day of brunch with my girlfriends and Babyfriend, hanging out, possible shopping (didn't happen), and then a night out at the casino. I think this look covered the events nicely.



I had a good hair day that day, at least in the morning.



The infamous blogger bubble necklace, and an Old Navy tie-neck cotton blouse. The blouse is loose and flyway, so I usually wear a black ribbed tank underneath to provide coverage around my middle and butt. Since the cords are low-rise, this prevents any "I See London, I See France" incidents.



Love the color and feel of these so much! I wish they had come in other bright colors, but there was only the burgundy/purple left when I found them on Gap's site. I am considering a black pair, though...



We have had only one minor snowstorm this winter so far, and the snow quickly disappeared. So I can still wear my suede and faux-suede shoes. These are a pair of Target boots I got a few months ago that I love.



I was really pleased with how my hair turned out. Last good hair day I've had since -- when the temps drop and the heat goes on everywhere, my whole head becomes a giant static ball, so it's been up for days now.





It was Jessie's birthday celebration, so I treated her to dinner at the delicious buffet at the casino. Save room for dessert; the bread pudding is fantastic, especially with one of their gelatos. This flavor was apple -- worked great with the caramel of the pudding!



What have you guys been up to this week?

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!

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!