Honeymoon Dress...

When hubby and I got married 8 months ago, we honeymooned in Disney World at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Having gotten married at the end of October, we predicted autumn-like weather for our time there, and holy cow, were we wrong! We had packed mainly jeans, tshirts, and hoodies, but we were so hot on our first day out, I knew we wouldn't make it through the whole week dressed like that. Luckily hubby had brought a few pairs of shorts, but I don't own shorts and hadn't thought to bring a skirt other than my dressy outfit. I knew I had to remedy my sartorial situation STAT!

Our first day out, we decided to visit Animal Kingdom. I spied this dress and instantly fell in love. It was a tad more expensive than I normally would have paid for a piece like this (yay, tourist-pricing!), but I knew it would be a nice souvenir of our honeymoon, since I would be able to wear it again! (And I did -- every day that week -- talk about a capsule wardrobe!) I knew once I got home I would be able to wear it on weekends and after work, but I wanted to find a way to make it office-appropriate. On weekends I would just wear this dress solo, but for work, I wanted to ensure there would be no wardrobe malfuntions, so I opted to wear both a bra and a cami underneath, just in case. All straps are hidden by the cardi, which was also needed for extra warmth in my overly-air-conditioned office.


Dress: Disney World
Cardi: Target
Shoes: Fioni via Payless
Ring: Laila Rowe
Earrings: gift

Closeup:


I love being able to make more casual clothing work for the office. While my office is business-casual, we are really allowed to lean a little heavier on the casual side. I'm lucky in that respect. I know not everyone would be able to wear a dress like this one to work, but I love that I was able to pick up a fun reminder of my wedding and honeymoon that won't just sit on a shelf. Every time I wear this dress, I remember all the fun we had and how lucky I am to have such a fabulous husband.

Do you have any souvenir clothing that has special memories for you?

Flash, Bam, Alacazam, Out of the Orange Colored Sky...

To be honest, I can't even remember when I wore this outfit. My best guess is sometime at the end of February or early March. I know it wasn't recently, but we must have been having a "heatwave" if I want tights-less.

There is not too much to note about this outfit other than the fabulous shoes.



Blouse: Forever XXI
Skirt: thrifted
Shoes: Michael Shannon via Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse
Scarf: Laila Rowe
Belt: Amazon.com
Earrings: gift

Closeup:



These, dolls, are my wedding shoes. And man, were they a biotch to find!
You see, orange heels are tough to hunt down to start with, and when you add a VERY picky bride, darned near impossible! I was just about to give up and resign myself to more traditional shoes when I found these on the clearance rack -- just over $20. Umm, yes please!

I have already posted a few of my wedding photos, but I haven't yet posted one with my shoes -- and how can I not do that?!



Dress: Michelle Roth via Kleinfeld
Shoes: Michael Shannon via Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse
Earrings: Gift from hubby a long time ago
Sapphire Bracelet: shower gift from MIL
Hair Feather: Etsy seller sibodesigns

Our wedding had a "Rustic Elegant" theme, with a strong reliance upon natural elements and autumnal colors. I hadn't told my hubby that I would be wearing these shoes (as they were intended to be a surprise to everyone except my mother and my 'maids), and I was shocked when he decided upon orange ties and pocket squares for all the guys in our wedding party -- could we be more in tune? I went with the flow and had my gals' gorgeous flowers wrapped with orange ribbon. As you can see from the photos I had already posted, our "aisle" brought us down a short flight of steps, and everyone was pleasantly surprised to see my shoes as I descended. I got so many compliments on them!
What I love most about them, though, is that I can still wear them. Had I opted for more "traditional" wedding shoes, I'm not sure that would be the case. But I love that most of the pieces I wore that day (other than the dress itself) are ones that I can still wear.

Something old,
Something new,
Something borrowed,
Something blue,
And a sixpence in your shoe.

Of course, I still have the sixpence taped inside my shoe.

Black-Out Challenge, Day Three...

I once asked for help finding other colors that I could pair with this skirt. I love this skirt -- it is soft and comfy, has pockets, and an elastic waistline which is very forgiving. However, I often find myself limiting myself to purple, violet, and white when finding tops to pair with it. Last time I wore it, I paired it with a black top, but LyddieGal had suggested that I try pairing it with rust or teal.



Top: thrifted
Skirt: NY&Co
Shoes: xhilaration, thrifted
Belt: NY&Co
Earrings: Claire's
Necklace: Laila Rowe

Closeup:


I'm not sure the drapey top was quite right to pair with the flowy skirt, but I think belting it helped rein it in a bit. I was glad I added the shoes so that the top didn't seem to come completely out of left field.

What do you all think of this pairing?
Do you think it works?

Black-Out Challenge, Day One...

I almost ended up with a belt that had black in today because the buckle is blue and I think of it as my blue belt. Glad I caught that detail in time, since I'm planning on going totally and completely black-less!



Dress: NY&Co
Belt: NY&Co
Shoes: Fioni, thifted
Necklace: Laila Rowe
Earrings: very old

Closeup:


I have further challenged myself to try to avoid neutrals as much as possible during this challenge, with one exception: white. I don't really think of white as a neutral, though it is. In spring and summer (whose door we are knocking on!) white just lifts an outfit to a different level of cheeriness.
While this outfit has no white in it, you will be seeing some tomorrow!

Totally unrelated, I had a few days of outfit photos and even a product review all lined up for you, but now those pictures are nowhere to be found. Not on the camera, not in the Flickr, not on the home or work computers.
How Bizarre.
Anywho, if you're interested in my review of The Morbid The Merrier, just sneak over to Hillary's review, since hers has images. I pretty much second everything she said about the perfume solids. I ordered Dessert Absynthe, Natali, and Black Leather, and seriously, I can't stop sniffing my own wrists when I wear these scents.

May the Winds of Destiny Carry You Aloft to Dance With the Stars...

I have coveted this cardi ever since I first saw Hillary wearing it. Gray has quickly because my favorite neutral-of-choice, and I absolutely love the floaty petals.



Top: Marshall's?
Cardi: Loft
Skirt: NY&Co
Shoes: Vera Wang for Kohl's
Earrings: Laila Rowe

Closeup:


I haven't worn this skirt in a while because I had it in my mind that it had gotten too snug and was uncomfortable. However, after buying this cardigan at Loft's amazing sale over the weekend, I thought the softness of the sweater and the kinda-sorta edginess of the snakeprint in the skirt would be a perfect pairing. Surprisingly, when I put the skirt on, no snugness at all!
I wonder why I had that in my mind.
Does that ever happen to you?

Blurple...

Years ago, my best friend bought herself a new car. All of the lights on the dashboard were this blueish purple that we had never seen before.
We dubbed this color "blurple."

Behold my blurple dress:



Dress: NY&Co
Cardi: Marshall's
Belt: NY&Co
Shoes: Payless
Earrings: CATO
Necklace: Laila Rowe

Closeup:


(images are fuzzy again today. apologies!)

This outfit is, in essence, the total negative of my Pop of Blue outfit from last week. In that outfit, I wore all neutrals with a pop or two of some color.
This outfit, instead, makes me look like I was attacked by a rabid bag of Skittles, but yknow what? I love this outfit! I did add in some neutrals with the belt and shoes, but really that was the safety rope that kept this outfit tethered to the side of good fashion -- another color and I may have been eligible for clown college.

Do you prefer neutral outfits with a pop of color or colorful outfits grounded by neutral?

Feeling a Little Stepford...

When I saw this dress on a table at a clothing swap I went to last year, I immediately snatched it up. It is so very different from what I think of as my style (though, I've been finding since I started this blog that a lot of what I wear is different from what I think my style is -- perhaps I need to either redefine my style or shop more specifically?) but I thought it would be perfect for slightly dressier events such as summer weddings, date nights, and classy backyard barbecues.



Dress; Nine West, swapped
Cardi: NY&Co
Shoes: Modern Vintage, thrifted
Belt: wrap belt from another dress
Bracelet: gift
Earrings: Laila Rowe

Closeup:


There is something about the fitted bodice and flared skirt that makes me think of this dress as my Stepford Wives dress. Clearly I need pageant hair, strappy shoes, and a plastic face to go full-on Stepford, though...
I admit freely, however, that I caught myself twirling a few times during the day.

Well I Never...

When another blogger pointed out weeks ago that pastels are a huge trend for spring, I said that I hardly ever wear pastels because they tend to wash me out, and also because I tend to see them as an overly-feminine style that I don't reconcile with my own style.
Well, color me a liar.



Aqua Wrap Top: Charlotte Russe
Orange Tshirt: H&M
Pants: NY&Co
Shoes: RSVP
Faux Peal Earrings: very old
Orange Pearl Necklace: Laila Rowe

Closeup:


Here I am sporting not just one, but two pastels. At first, I was concerned I would look like an easter egg, but the longer I saw the two tops together the more I liked the pairing, which was initially inspired by the orange pearl necklace.
I bought myself this necklace last spring from Laila Rowe, which is truly one of my favorite stores for accessories. I bought the necklace to add to my more delicate pieces, then I'm fairly certain I never wore it. If i did, it was only once or twice. I could just never quite figure out how to style it. After having already paired the two tops together, the addition of the necklace was purely natural.

Unrelated, I finally got myself a tripod, so I can venture out a little more with my photo locations. Of course, there are still actual, yknow *people* around, so I haven't ventured out very far just yet. Terra often posts about people catching her "in the act," but dare I saw that she is much braver than I am!

Is there a fashion trend of style piece that you once swore you would never take part in, only to find yourself wearing it later?

ETA: BTW, Danielle also has this same top in white. Small world!

Mixing high and Low...

I wore this outfit on Monday, and I must admit, I felt rather smart in it.



Top: swapped
Jacket: Nordstrom Rack
Pants: Marshall's
Shoes: NickelsSoft, thrifted
Earrings: Claire's
Necklace: Laila Rowe
Bracelet: Tiffany

I love the idea of mixing high-end and low-end pieces in one outfit.
I don't recall the brand of this jacket offhand, but I bought it at Nordstrom Rack, and it is definitely something I couldn't have afforded if I would have had to pay full price for it. Likewise, this Tiffany bracelet was a gift from my parents for my 30th birthday. (Every girl needs a little piece of Tiffany, dontcha think?)
However, the pants were purchased at discount retailer Marshall's, the shoes were thrifted, and the top was free via a clothing swap.

This is of of those outfits that proves that you don't have to pay an arm and a leg to feel like a million bucks.

PS: Let me introduce you to Raul Duke. Some people have children, some people have "fur babies," and some people, such as my fiance and myself, have these adorable little monsters waiting for us at home:

Wardrobe Capsule Challenge, Days 4 and 5...

Apologies for the delay in posting, but on with the rest of the challenge photos!



Green Sweater: Marshalls?
Gray Cowl Neck Top: NY&Co
Gray Pants: NY&Co
Purple Heels: Vera Wang for Kohl's
Scarf: Laila Rowe
Earrings: NY&Co
Purse: Nine West via Marshalls

I wasn't sure if i liked the scarf as a belt with this outfit, but I received several comments around the office, so it must have been a hit! I initially tried the belt-over-scarf look I saw on S. over at Academichic, but the belt and scarf I had selected for this challenge just didn't work. Rather than force it, I decided to hold off on that experiment until I had the proper tools at my disposal.



Dress: Moda International via swap
Green Button-up: Merona, thrifted
Purple Heels: Vera Wang for Kohl's
Earrings: NY&Co
Purse: Nine West via Marshalls

I spent Thursday evening trying on TONS of combinations. Despite having several outfits planned on paper, the only way to know if they truly work is to actually try them on -- and several on-paper outfits just didn't look right in real life. Added to the fact that I was seriously growing weary of these pieces, I finally settled on this combo. I probably should have worn tights under the dress since (1) my legs are glow-in-the-dark white, and (2) the dress is a bit short on me.

Wardrobe Capsule Challenge, Day 1...

For the first day of the challenge, I wanted to start out with something simple.
Wrap dress, scarf, hoops, heels. Easy Peasy. Since hosiery was a freebie, I decided to add in a pair of blue-gray tights.


Dress: Moda International, swapped
Scarf: Laila Rowe
Shoes: Vera Wang for Kohl's
Earrings: NY&Co
Purse: Nine West via Marshalls
Tights: Target?

I originally intended this scarf to be a Christmas gift for my future MIL, but I ended up finding something I liked better for her, so the scarf defaulted to being mine. I don't mind so much, trust me. I love the colors! Surprisingly, this is the first time I've worn it!
I've seen E. from academichic wear her scarves under tops so that they look like a layering top, and I've always found it to be a very chic look, so I thought I would try that here. I really love that the purple in the scarf ties in the deep purple of the shoes. (Yes, those shoes are deep purple, not black!)
There is no other olive green in the outfit besides the purse, but I am quickly becoming part of the camp that sees olive green as a neutral. I'm not fully-converted, but I do think olive green can go with most anything. And if not, let's just consider it a pop of color!

What are your thoughts on my attempt for Day 1 of the challenge?

The First Post After the Prolonged Absence...

OK all, I have been a bad blogger since I moved, but in my own defense (1) we got hit by the snowiest winter in DC-area history (which doesn't seem to be quite finished yet!), (2) we moved -- and the room where the computer lives now is totally freezing, so it's tougher to motivate myself to go down there, (3) my commute is a little longer now (and I have been extremely busy these last few weeks outside of work too) so there's less free time when I get home...
I could go on, but I sense that you're not here for excuses, you're here for photos.
At least there, I can help you out! See, while I may not have posted during the hiatus, I did at least remember to snap photos during a few of those days.
So prepare for a seriously long post, full of lots of outfit piccies!!

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Top: NY&Co
Vest: H&M
Capris: Torrid
Boots: Ros Hommerson
Necklace and Bracelet: Claire's
Earrings: a stand in the mall

Remember how I told you that the outfit I ended up wearing on Go Red for Women day wasn't the one I planned on wearing? Well ladies and germs, *this* is the outfit I had planned on wearing -- only I didn't end up wearing it until last week on Tuesday. Better late than never, right?

(no detail shots for this one, I'm afraid, as I just completely forgot!)

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Black Cardi: NY&Co
Top: Forever 21, altered
Pants: Lane Bryant
Shoes: thrifted
Necklace and Earrings: gift from fiance
Bangles: thrifted

This outfit was worn on Wednesday of last week.
I was following Kimberly's Inspiration Calendar, which that day called for "Black and Tan." I apparently have a severe lack of tan in my closet, so I opted for cream instead. I love the pattern on this top, but the straps make it extremely work inappropriate. It sadly had never dawned on me before to wear it under a cardi, thus rendering the straps irrelevant. I was super-happy to be able to get more use out of this top, since I bought it against my better judgment and put extra money into it by having it altered (when I bought it, it was about a FOOT longer in the back than in the front -- WHY F21??)
In the end, I really loved this look.

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Tshirt: 2 Skinnee J's concert
Dance Pants: Champion
Dance Sneakers (not pictured): Capezio

As some of you may recall reading, I am a member of a dance team. I have been a dancer since I was 2 1/2 years old. I grew up doing mostly jazz, but throughout my life I have also done tap, ballet, poms, modern, hip-hop...you name it! I blame college (and thus quitting dance for 4+ years) for the huge change in my body.
A year ago, a friend asked me to audition for an adult hip-hop team run by another gal we knew. We expected it to be fairly basic -- after all, we are OLD now -- but no such luck! We are pushed pretty hard each week, and this team is serious! And just to make it that much tougher, our coach has us perform with the high school gals. But so far, we have competed twice, and won first place twice. Yay!
Anywho, this is the kind of getup I wear to practice -- baggy tshirt, dance pants, dance sneakers. Nothing exciting, but I figured it would be fun to show you something other than a work outfit!

(bonus points to anyone who has heard of and loves 2 Skinnee J's as much as i do!)

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Top: Nordstrom Rack
Skirt: thrifted
Olive Green Tights: We Love Colors
Shoes: thrifted
Necklace very old, JC Penney's?
Earrings: Claire's

As you know, we just moved about a month ago. My favorite part? Finding out the there is a Nordstrom Rack just minutes from our new house! I have already dragged dear fiance there twice, and this top was one of the items I scored there.
It's tough to tell in these pictures (I still need to find a place to take some outdoor photos at the new house!) but these tights are actually an olive green. I was unsure about pairing the green tights with the teal shoes, but since both colors are in the top and the rest of the outfit is grounded with black, I felt ok with it. and I love it! (This outfit was worn last week on Thursday.)

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Navy Dress: swapped
Floral Shirt: thrifted
Burgundy Tights: We Love Colors
Shoes: NickelsSoft, swapped
Earrings: Laila Rowe

I had a really great outfit that I wore last week on Friday, but alas, I got no pictures of it. Perhaps I shall recreate it, just for posting purposes.
The reason that I was unable to snap a photo for you was because I left straight from work to go to Atlantic City with my dance team (for the second competition, discussed above). We were there for the whole weekend, only to return Sunday night with another practice! So alas, no outfit shots for you until Monday (aka yesterday).

I was feeling really tired and lazy Sunday night, so I didn't feel like picking out my outfit. I charged dear fiance with this task -- surprisingly, I think he is actually the more "fashionable" one of the two of us, so I really like getting his opinion on my outfits!
The first thing he pulled out was this top, which I'm not sure I've ever actually worn. I got it on a thrifting trip and wasn't completely sure about it, but it was cheap so a grabbed it. I half expected him to pull it out only to crack a joke about it, but it turns out he really liked it and wanted to style the outfit around it.
I helped him out a little by pointing out items I thought might work with it, but he made the final choices. The only thing I added was a pair of tights, but I let him choose which ones I wore. Hand-down burgundy, he told me.

Personally, I would have liked to have added a belt, since I think the outfit needs some definition at the waist, but overall, I think he did a good job!

Have you ever let your significant other pick out your outfit for you?

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Turtleneck: H&M
Pants: thrifted
Shoes: thrifted
Necklace and Earrings: Laila Rowe

Finally, we come to today. I normally don't have time to take outfit photos in the morning but (1) I was running early this morning and (2) I knew I was going to whip up this post at work today, so I decided to sneak today's pictures in so I wouldn't end up a day behind.

This isn't the most exciting outfit, in fact color-wise, it is all neutrals. But there are some details in the outfit that I think make it not-so-boring.
(1) The pants have a windowpane pattern on them that isn't showing up in the photos.
(2) I mixed my brown-toned neutrals by mixing chocolate, khaki, and orange-brown all in the same outfit. I think this makes for a richer color palette.
(3) The necklace. I am absolutely in love with it. While the necklace itself really does just come off as silver, there are little hints for pale green, aqua blue, and milky white going on in there. Not enough IMHO to constitute actual color, but enough to lighten up the dark sweater and break up the great expanse of brown.

This idea of wearing a non-boring all-neutral outfit is something that Rose has been talking about over on her blog.

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*whew!*
well, there you have it -- all caught up!
On my honor, I will try never again to let so much time go by without regular updates!

Peacock Strut...

Do you have a piece of clothing that you really love, but you just can't seem to make it work right?
That's how I feel about this top -- I love the peacock print, and I even love that it is sheer, but I haven't really figured out a good way to style it. Because it is larger and blousy, I always feel the need to cinch it at the waist, but then I feel it makes my proportions look awkward.
I am thinking this top will be easier to style in the summer when I can just wear a cami or tank under it. I think since it is sheer, my figure will show through and I won't feel the need to belt it. Right now, since I am forced to layer thicker (i.e., *warmer*) layers beneath it, I don't think my figure shows through as well, and it makes me feel frumpier -- hence my constant desire to belt it.



Turtleneck: H&M
Peacock Top: Forever 21 (Faith 21)
Pants: NY&Co
Belt: NY&Co
Scarf: Laila Rowe
Shoes: Kenneth Cole Reaction
Bracelets: various -- Laila Rowe, thrifted, from a friend, gift from mom
Earrings: gift from future MIL

What I love about this outfit is how the orange scarf brings out the touches of orange in the top, which I usually pair with green accessories.
I also love the cluster of bangles that I stacked up on my right arm. Usually I try to go a little more sparingly with my accessories, so as not to look overdone, but this top has sort of a boho feel, so I think the tall stack of bangles works.

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On a side note, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the wonderful bloggers who have already made me feel very welcome in this large community. I am still learning the ropes and gaining a "fanbase," but already I feel like I am carving out my little niche here.
I am grateful for all of the help and feedback that you provide, and most of all, I truly appreciate having the chance to read your blogs and get to know all of you.
You really have created a wonderful community, and I am happy to have finally become a part of it!

Long Weekend Ahead...

I have this coming Monday off for the MLK holiday. My fiance and I are going to be spending much of the weekend looking at rental homes, as our lease is up at the end of February, and we don't want to stay on where we are living now. Since we have so many places lined up to look at, we decided to take Friday (tomorrow) off to make an extra-long weekend out of it. In addition to house-hunting, I also have 2 bridal shows, 2 concerts, and an extra long dance practice scheduled for the weekend -- we shall see how many of those actually happen.



Dress: Mossimo via swap
Tights: We Love Colors
Shoes: xhilaration, thrifted
Earrings: Laila Rowe
Necklace: vintage, thrifted
Belt: TJ Maxx

I wasn't initially sure about the color combination I put together with this outfit -- mainly, I wasn't sure if the dress and the shoes went together. However, the belt contains both a dark blue and a pale blue (though the pale blue of the belt isn't the same as the blue of the shoes) so I decided that it worked.

I think a lot of fashion is attitude.
I have seen so many women wearing amazing outfits, but there is something in their personality or demeanor that makes the outfit just not-quite-right on them. Conversely, I have also seen ladies wearing outfits that would look totally ridiculous on others, but because they have the attitude to make it work, they totally rock the ensemble.

For example, take the lovely Gwen Stefani and her posse of Harajuku girls:

(image originally found here)

These gals have decided that they look hawt, and thus are ROCKIN their fashion!
However, if I were walking down the street in that getup, I'd look a total fool!

The lesson?
If you decide that something works, and you carry that attitude along with you, others will agree. It's all about confidence.