Two and a Half...

Since I have been bad lately about getting outfits photographed and posted on the same day (and I'm really not posting much on the weekends) I made the effort to get up extra early so I could get outfit photos before work today, instead of waiting until I got home. The downside is that the photos had to be indoors, but since we are expecting rain for the next few days, the photos would have been indoors this afternoon anyway.

So, here's what I wore yesterday:



Top: H&M
Skirt: NY&Co
Shoes: RSVP
Scarf: Claire's?
Earrings and Necklace: made by me

I really loved this outfit! The skirt is super-comfy with an elastic waistband and *pockets!* I usually pair this skirt with a white top. Because of the 2 shades of purple, I'm wary of trying to pair it with any color other than white or purple, and whenever I pair it with darker shades of purple, it just feels so...well, dark. If i had more purple items in my wardrobe, I would try to several different shades all at once, which is something that Audi is genius at! This more violet shade of purple brings out the lighter shade in the skirt, and the white scarf brings the lightness of the outfit up a whole notch. Throw in nude pumps to seriously lengthen the leg line, and yay!

Rose was wondering if it was too early to be wearing sandals and I told her NO!



Top: H&M
Jacket: Tommy Hilfiger via swap
Pants: NY&Co
Earrings: Laila Rowe
Sandals: Montego Bay Club via Payless

Most days, I wear either sneakers (when it's cold outside) or flip-flops (when it's warm) as my "comfy shoes" for my commute. I bring my "work shoes" with me in my bag. The work shoes are usually only worn within my office building, so really, I can rock any season's shoe anytime of year.
That said, I do usually put the sandals away during winter. Part of this is because I am always cold, so even inside, I prefer my feet to be covered in the winter. The other part is that, to my eye, sandals in winter just seems wrong. But who knows, maybe like plenty of other trends, my eye would adjust if I saw it enough.
Either way, I pulled out these sandals today, and I'm glad I did!



Umbrella: Target
Rain Boots: Laila Rowe

The other day, Fashion Therapist made the observation that almost everyone she saw used boring, black umbrellas when it was raining outside. This is something that I noticed myself a year or two ago. Working in the DC area, black is the go-to- color for most office-working professionals, so I see TONS of it. Suits, shoes, umbrellas, purses, briefcases... classic, yes. But that much? BO-RING. I went on a hunt for an umbrella with some color! Lots of umbrellas with color really are little-girl-ish, so you do need to have the confidence to not care if people look at you funny.
I had the same challenge with rain boots. I have to say, I am SO happy that rain boots became stylish a few years ago -- why had we not embraced these little wonders sooner?? My last pair of rain boots were red with black polkadots, complete with little ladybug faces on the toe box. I love those boots until this past fall when they split up the back.
In a panic to find another pair of cute boots that fit my large calves (this is a tough one!) I traipsed on over to my local Laila Rowe and found these beauties. Laila Rowe carries several pairs of boots in lots of different patterns and colors -- seriously, if you have one of these stores near you, you NEED to go, and take your dollars with you! Their stuff is fairly priced, but you will want to buy out the store!
I do wish in a way that the boots and umbrella were coordinated (how fabu would I be then?!) but individually, each piece brings a smile to my face on an otherwise dreary day.