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?

I'm Still Standin (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah)...

Hi all!
While I still consider myself to be getting back into the swing of posting, the swing has been kinda jerky and bumpy. Nonetheless, I have been *taking* some outfits shots -- I just haven't managed to actually get a post put up.
I am working on revamping the way I do my posts by taking all photos during the week + spending time on the weekend to edit photos, create collages, and write and schedule my posts. It's tough to get things done in the evenings, so I think this new plan will help be get back onto a regular schedule.

Despite my lack of posts, I really have been getting dressed. And leaving the house, too. In fact, I even managed to get myself to my first-ever blogger meetup!
I recently joined a Google group called DC FABB, which is for DC-area fashion and beauty bloggers. One of the gals put together a meetup, so I went! The only person there whose blog I was familiar with pre-meetup was Allie from Wardrobe Oxygen. But once there, I met several other gals and I am now following a handful of new blogs. Yay for newness!

Here is a photo of me and Allie (please excuse the craptastic quality of my point-n-shoot camera:

Allie is even sweeter in person than I already thought she was.

Also, here is another (still craptacular quality) shot of some of the other lovely ladies there:

From L to R: Oby (aka Vivi), Fashion Cloture, Allie, and Katherine.

I also managed to get a few late-night shots of my outfit after I got home.


Top: JC Penney
Pants: Marshalls
Shoes: Payless
Bracelet: thrifted
Earrings: gift
Scarf: made by me

Closeup:


I was really excited to be sporting this scarf I made, and it was a hit at the meetup! Many bloggers have been sporting similar scarves over the last few months -- it seems to be one of those DIYs that has been making the rounds.
I finally decided to make mine after it was chosen as the first DIY for the Made This, Love This group, started by Indiana of Adored Austin. I'm now kinda obsessed with it and want to wear it all day, everyday. I totally plan on thrifting tshirts in all colors so I can make myself an arsenal of awesome.

Day to Night...

Remember back a whole month ago when we were wearing red for women? I managed to post two of my red-themed outfits that month, but I really did wear red every Friday in February. I didn't manage to snap a photo of the last Friday of the month, but I did get a few shots of my third-week red-Friday outfit.

I was going straight from the office to a girls night out, so I needed something that could transition from work to play. Here is how I did it:



Top: Forever XXI, altered
Skirt: Old Navy
Cardi: NY&Co
Shoes: American Eagle for Payless
Earrings: gift
Bangles: thrifted
Jeggings: ANA via JC Penney

Closeup of the Work Outfit:



I really love the pattern that runs down the front of this tank, but the straps aren't really work appropriate. Let me show you:



Totally cute, but not quite office attire. Hence the cardigan. It pulls double-duty of keeping me warm AND taking a casual piece and making it appropriate for daytime.

But, as I said, I was heading out for a night with the girls. While I love the skirt, I thought it would be chilly, so I wanted a little more coverage. Plus, to be blunt, after downing a few drinks, I didn't want to have to worry about being too ladylike in a skirt. Enter the jeggings!



I also peeled off the cardi, but I carried it with me in case I would need it. (Thankfully, it was an unseasonably warm evening. Other than the drive home, I didn't need it.)

But ladies, cute outfits aside, let me share with you the lesson I learned that night. Sometimes, it makes no difference how MUCH you drink. The combination of alcohols alone can be enough to leave you praying to the porcelain god. For six long hours. Ugh. My once-in-a-blue-moon reminder of why I'm not much of a drinker.
But hey, at least I looked cute!

Fashion FAIL...

I. Hate. This. Outfit.

Seriously, can you tell by the look on my face that I just wasn't feeling it?



Top: H&M
Skirt: Old Navy
Shoes: American Eagle for Payless
Earrings: Old Navy
Necklace: Claire's?

Closeup:


This outfit started out with good intentions. Really, it did.
The skirt. You all seems to love it. I hadn't worn it in a while, plus it was hot. Seemed like the perfect time to pull it out. But alas, I almost Marilyn-Monroe-a-la-Seven-Year-Itched the DC Metro area several times.
And the shirt. I wanted to pull out the orange in the skirt for this wearing. But the shirt...is so bright. and loose. and baggy. I was futzing with it all day.
And oh, little black shoes. I really need a new pair of black flats. Somehow, I manage to have gotten fat in the feet. Seriously people -- in the FEET. This day, my ankles were swollen for some reason, which makes my legs look *extra* stumpy, and really, I should have just worn heels. But no, I wore flats for comfort (I had been on my feet for several hours a few nights before at a reception for dear fiance's office and was not warned ahead of time that there would be no seating. DOH!) and my feet were still hurting.

So, this top has already been tossed onto the giveaway pile. The skirt is slowly crawling its way there, and I'm thinking these shoes are next.

Casual Night Out...

This outfit was worn the same day as my Hillary outfit. After getting home from work, dear fiance and I decided to have a casual night out, so I decided to throw on a top I almost never wear, since it sorta screams 13-year-old teenybopper. Open tie-shoulders and a hole in the back combined with polka dots? Definitely pushing the boundaries, but at least the fiance thought I looked cute!
(Excuse the blurry photo -- I used dear fiance instead of my regular tripod.)



Top: Rue 21
Jeans: Levis
Shoes: Payless
Earrings: made by me

Closeup:


I attempted to do the cute jeans-pegging look that I have seen several other bloggers sport, but alas, on me, it just looks like I rolled up my jeans to go dig for some clams. Methinks I need pants that are actually fairly wide-fitted to get the look right, and frankly, at my size, I'm not about to invest in pants and larger than they need to be.

Black-Out Challenge, Day Four...

For some reason, wearing this outfit, all day I had the song "Red Red Wine" stuck in my head...



Top: Anne Taylor Loft, thrifted
Skirt: Old Navy
Shoes: American Eagle via Payless
Necklace: Claire's?
Earrings: Claire's
Cami: very old
Bracelets: thrifted

Closeup:


With all of the other outfits I have worn so far this week, I seem to have unconsciously created a theme of pairing contrasting colors. It wasn't intentional, but I guess when I try to avoid neutrals, I end up looking like a rainbow threw up on me.
When I put this outfit together, I didn't intentionally dress monochromatically; I just didn't have anything that seemed to want to contrast correctly with this top. (Side note, is it possible to correctly or incorrectly contrast?) All-in-all, I really liked this outfit. I received several compliments, it was figure-friendly, and I was comfortable all day long.

The other night, dear fiance and I had a fun talk about wedding stuff. And by fun, I mean NOT fun. Basically, we realized that we seriously need to stop spending money on non-wedding stuff so we can actually afford the wedding stuff we want!
Inspired by all of the other bloggers out there who I have seen do so, I decided to start writing down some new rules for my spending for at least the next few months. However, instead of naming these practices a "Shopping Ban," as so many of my predecessors have done, I have decided to call my experiment a shopping "diet."
You see, whenever I try to BAN myself from something, my willpower holds for a while, but then it eventually gives out and I gorge. I am hoping that in calling this thing a diet, I will understand that I am still allowed some indulgences, but it's all about portion control. Y'know, just like an actual diet.

Here are the rules I have come up with so far:

(1) No fashion-related purchases that aren't related to the wedding.

(2) Exceptions to rule #1:
(a) Goodwill/thrift/consignment
(b) Items already on my WANT list
(c) I am allotted $50 per month to spend on pretty much anything. However, this money does NOT roll over to the next month if it is not used.
(d) I am allowed one "emergency" purchase over $50 between now and the wedding.

(3) Any non-fashion-related expenses (other than regular bills/expenses) must be discussed and agreed up by dear fiance and myself.

I think I will be able to follow these rules quite easily, and honestly, I think I will be able to not spend my $50 in free money each month.
Do you have any thoughts or suggestions on these rules?

Artists Can Color the Sky Red Because They Know it's Blue...

I used to have oodles of red pieces in my closet because someone once told me red was my color. Lately, though, I have realized that I actually have very few red items, so I have been trying to keep an eye out for things in that punchy color.



Top: Anne Taylor Loft, thrifted
Pants: NY&Co
Shoes: American Eagle for Payless
Cami: Forever XXI?
Earrings: black coral from Curacao, gift
Necklace, made by me

Closeup:


I love this necklace. Like seriously, when I whipped this thing up, despite having initially made it as a Christmas gift, I knew it would be mine. I think it may be my favorite of the few pieces I have made so far -- I'm darned proud of it.

I also really love this top. I think it was my first Anne Taylor Loft purchase, and I was smug to have bought it thrifted. It is so soft and comfy, and the wrap styling really makes my waist look tiny.

Finally, I really love these new shoes! Payless had the end of the BOGO deal this weekend, so despite trying to save money, I decided to head in there (hey, I need wedding shoes, right?) I wasn't able to find a second pair to BOGO these with, but these were so cute and cheap that I snatched them up anyway.

It's such a happy feeling to be wearing several pieces that you really love.

Take a moment to view the link about the earrings I am wearing. It is really fascinating to me to read about the black coral and the man who makes this jewelry.

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?

Na-na-na-na, Hey-hey, Goodbye...

I would apologize for cutting my feet off in the full-body shot, but sadly, my shoes bit the dust when I took them off to travel home, and I had to wear my comfy traveling shoes (aka, tennies) to take the photos. Side Note: I usually try to somewhat match my traveling shoes to my outfit, just in case.



Top: Sweet Pea via Nordstrom Rack
Pants: Old Navy
Jacket: don't recall the brand, thrifted
Earrings: gift
Shoes: very old, via Payless?

Closeup:


I loved this top when I found it at Nordstrom Rack. The colors are very "me" and I love the stretchiness of it -- it will fit through weight fluctuation, but it isn't lycra or spandex or some other material that looks cheap. I love the detailing at the bustline. It is work appropriate, but special enough to wear out for dinner or drinks. I hadn't heard of the brand Sweet Pea when I purchased this top, but being that I'm not a brand snob, that didn't matter much to me. However, I receive daily emails from Rue La La, and imagine my surprise when they featured Sweet Pea. It seems I managed to get me a schmancy brand without even knowing it!

Sadly, in the last 2 weeks, I have lost 2 pairs of jeans. My jeans wardrobe was already sadly tiny, at only 4 pairs (2 casual, 2 trouser style), and it was my 2 casual pairs that bit the dust. What's a girl to do? I've been trying to curtail extra spending, but this was an emergency.
Dear fiance and I hurried to the mall last night (jeans-shopping has never been a hobby of mine, so I like to bring him along for feedback and emotional support). I found many, many pairs to try on -- after all, we gals really do need to try on many pairs to find just one that will work, right?
Magically, I managed to find not one, but THREE pairs that all had promise! The dilemma: save money, or buy up the whole lot?
The solution presented itself like an angel in the light with a choir singing in the background: my darling dear fiance offered to purchase one pair for me, and then reminded me that I still had gift cards left over from Christmas and my Bday. One pair from him and one pair "from Nana" left me just one pair to purchase for myself!
In the end, I've not got a lovely pair of Calvin Kleins, and rockin pair of DKNYs, and a practical pair of Levis.
Ahhh... what won't we do for the perfect pair of denim?

Pop of Blue...

I was so excited to spy this belt at NY&Co for half off. I have really gotten into the habit of belting my outfits in the last few months, and I love having a colored belt that can instantly add a pop of color to an otherwise neutral outfit.



Top: H&M
Vest: H&M
Skirt: Land's End, swapped (actually a skort)
Shoes: American Eagle for Payless
Belt: NY&Co
Earrings: Claire's
Necklace: made by me

Closeup:


I had dear fiance play photographer for me again, as it was late, dark, and raining outside. Between experimenting with Kasmira's tips and directing him better, I think I am getting the hang of having a personal photographer!

I had an evening where I was actually able to pull out some of my jewelry supplies and play around. This necklace was the result. It's not exactly what I had envisioned (my skills are very elementary, so I'm still figuring out how to create when I picture in my mind), but I'm really pleased with how it turned out!

My mom surprised me right before I left work to let me know they were in town, and would I like to meet them for a drink? Why yes, it's Friday, it's been a long week, and I think I will have a drink, thankyou. This was a great outfit to transition from work to happy hour with my parents.

Do you make jewelry? If so, do you plan your creations, or do you let them organically take shape?

Double Vision...

Since it has been so long since I've posted outfit photos, there were some pictures on my camera that I'm not sure sure how long ago I wore the outfit. I'm fairly sure that I wore the first outfit below on Monday of last week, and I know for certain that the second outfit was worn on Thursday of last week.
Remember how I was complaining of being in a bit of a fashion rut? Here's photographic evidence:



Dress: swapped
Belt: Marshall's
Sandals: Payless
Earrings: made by me

Closeup:


And the second outfit:



Dress: swapped
Belt: Betsey Johnson via Marshall's
Shoes: NY&Co
Earrings: Claire's
Necklace: made by a friend

Closeup:


This jersey dress is just so comfortable that wearing it feels like wearing PJs. It's no surprise that when trying to get back into the swing of things I opted not once, but twice for something that looks good and feels great.

It does make me giggle though, that there are some bloggers out there like Sheila who can go months without wearing an item again, and then there's me, who wears it twice in the same week and doesn't even realize it.
At least I managed to style it nicely both times around!

A Toe in the Water...

I'm dipping my toe back into the fashion waters today.
This post almost didn't happen because I didn't get home until late last night, and when I pulled the camera out, the battery was dead. I almost went to my bedroom to change into my PJs, but then I decided to have the fiance take my photo on my cameraphone. The quality is utter crap, but at least there are pictures!



Striped Sweater: Pretty Good via Marshall's
Yallow Top: H&M
Pants: NY&Co
Shoes: Payless
Earrings: gift from fiance from a stand in the mall
Bracelet: thrifted

Nothing fashion-forward here; this outfit was more for function. My feet have been hurting, and I had a happy hour after work, so I wanted to wear flats. It's been chilly (and with the oncoming of summer, I know my skirts will get a workout) so I decided to wear pants. I love this sweater because it's easy and comfy. A little pop of yellow in the tshirt and accessories.
Easy Peasy.

And because Kristen requested a larger image of the full outfit:



Are there any other changes/features you'd like me to incorporate into the blog?

No Bullseyes...

Neither of these looks is a fashion bullseye. One is a bit off-target, and one missed the whole target entirely.
But in the interest of full disclosure, I share them with you.

Tuesday, I wore this:


Cardi: NY&Co
Top: Old Navy
Pants: thrifted
Shoes: American Eagle
Scarf: vintage, thrifted
Earrings: (faux diamond studs, unseen) Claire's

While the scarf adds a much-needed pop of color, the outfit felt much like the weather -- drab and dreary. Nothing exciting. Forgettable.
At least I was able to repeat the dot theme in the scarf, the neckline of the top, and the sequins of the shoes?


Wednesday was a bit better:


Top: Faith21
Pants: Marshall's?
Shoes: Payless
Belt: KMart
Necklace: Cato
Earrings: (unseen) Target?
Headband: Claire's or the Icing

The color had returned both to the world, and to my outfit. I wanted to build an outfit around the rarely-worn headband, which I think is just-too-cute.
These pants are definitely up on my wardrobe's chopping block. The fabric just screams 1970's polyester suit to me every time I see them in photos. I have held onto them because I need me some chocolate brown pants, and these keep surviving until I find a better pair.
I *LOVE* the pattern on this top. L-O-V-E. But I think I need some help with how to style it. It is sheer, so it requires a cami underneath, which I have no problem with. Because it is large and blousy, I always feel the need to belt it, so I don't like enormous, but sometimes I feel like the belted look ends up making me look... expecting. As in, several gentlemen on the Metro offered me their seats.

Mission (for myself, and for you, if you choose to accept it!): How to create a shape in this top, without that shape saying "with child."

On the bright side, I picked up this belt at KMart for a mere $2! I have been trying to find a belt this color for about forever, and this one fits both my waist AND my hips, so this is a major score!

Stay Fabulous or Get Slapped Friday...

As most of you probably already know, Erin over at Work With What You've Got has instituted a new holiday entitled "Stay Fabulous or Get Slapped Friday." The rules are pretty simple:
(1) Stay Fabulous.
(2) If rule #1 is broken, get slapped.

This is what I wore while hoping not to get slapped:



Striped Turtleneck: Target
Sweater: H&M
Pants: Lane Bryant
Shoes: American Eagle for Payless
Flower: H&M
Earrings: Gift from fiance

I have been coveting the stripes I've seen on other bloggers for WEEK now, and I'm excited to have landed myself an awesome striped turtleneck! Of course, the weather is finally supposed to turn warm on us, so I will have to pack this baby away soon until fall/winter, but maybe I'll have one or two more chances to wear it before its too late. (I haven't yet crossed "Long Sleeved Striped Top" off the Want List on my sidebar because I still want one that isn't a turtleneck. Still hunting...)

Have you ever seen an outfit on another blogger and totally fallen in love with it and filed it in the back of your brain... then one day, you get dressed, totally NOT imitating another outfit, only to realize that your outfit is completely inspired by the one you loved? (Did that thought totally not make sense to you?)
While there are several differences between the two, I think my outfit today was utterly inspired by Hillary's outfit from a few months ago.
True, the sweaters are different colors, and hers is a cardi whereas mine is a pull-over, but I remember loving that she had the striped peeking out past her sweater sleeves. And since I don't have a striped scarf to tie bow-style around my neck, I added my striped flower as an extra stripey pop (and they also mirror the flowers that are part of her cardi).
Still love that outfit, Hillary!

Free Shipping at Payless...

This Just In!

From today through Wednesday (2/24) receive free shipping with any purchase of $50 or more at Payless.com

Enter code 3DAYFEB at checkout to receive the discount.

Ta-Ta Tights...

This outfit was supposed to include a pair of tights (the same Spanx pair, worn last week in this post) but alas, having worn them only once before, when I was putting them on this morning, my finger went RIGHT THROUGH THEM, thus relegating them to the garbage. Thankfully it was relatively warm outside, since I didn't have time to dig out another pair or find pants to put on instead.
I am considering writing to the company -- Spanx is a reputable brand, and I would expect their product to be a lot sturdier. I am smack-dab in the middle of the size range for the pair I had, so it's not like I was stretching them to their limit.
What do you ladies think?
Should I write to the company? Do you think they would respond?



Top: NY&Co
Skirt (with built-in shorts): Land's End, thrifted
Shoes: Payless
Earrings: Claire's

This outfit felt very *blah* all day without the tights.
Looking at this photo, I'm not sure if the top is too tight, if my pose is awkward, or if maybe I really am more of a pear/inverted triangle shape than I believed myself to be. But I feel as though this outfit is really emphasizing my midsection, and not in a good way. Suggestions?