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.

Inspired by: Erin...

Last week, I inadvertently conjured Hillary in one of my outfits. This week, I have inadvertently channeled Erin.



Top: KMart
Skirt: thrifted
Shoes: thrifted
Earrings: made by me

Closeup:


Now, this outfit isn't nearly as Erin is my Hillary outfit was Hillary. But here are the main connections I saw:
(1) Flowy top with cute detailing
(2) Super-cute piece bought for a super-amazing steal
(3) Mostly pretty and feminine, with a touch of rocker-chic
(4) thrifted gems
(5) DIY

Erin often wears pretty pieces that seem to just float on her. I happened to snatch this top at Kmart (along with that dress I wore last week) for just $10 -- not only is it floaty and gorgeous, it seems to be cut like it was made just for me. Now, I haven't often seen Erin in pencil skirts, but she does wear thrifted items quite a bit, and that's where the skirt ties in. The shoes too -- even though her shoes are normally funkier than a pair of peep-toes, I love these the way she loves her signature pieces.
Now, the earrings are where I really felt like I was channeling Erin. Not only are they DIY, but the little skulls toughen up the outfit just a hair. They are long and dangly, so still quite feminine, and most people probably didn't even notice how tough they truly are. But feeling a little Erin, I loved throwing on something a little edgy and unexpected with this otherwise pretty outfit.

I got a new dress...

I got a new dress! I got a new dress!



Dress: Kmart
Shoes: Vera Wang for Kohls
Cami: Old Navy
Earrings: Claires
Necklace: made by me

Closeup:


Let's jump in the WAY BACK machine for a moment and look at the stuff I was wearing a year ago. OK, i didn't have this blog back then, but trust me, a year ago, dresses and skirts were NOT my go-to look mid summer. Not loving the weight I am carrying these days, last summer I would wear skirts and dresses only on the absolute hottest days, instead preferring to cover myself as much as possible and suffer the consequences (aka sweat and stinkiness).
Seriously, y'all -- what was I thinking?!

This year, I have pulled my head out of my arse and invested as much as I can in skirts and dresses. They are FAR more comfortable, and frankly, much more flattering on my figure! Plus, it's a whole outfit in just a piece or two -- couldn't be easier.

I scored this little number for just a song at Kmart last week. Kmart is one of those stores I wouldn't have thought to look in for clothes, since in my mind they aren't even on-par with other similar retail chains. But I have seen several other of you ladies sporting really awesome pieces you found at Kmart, so when dear fiance and I were there the other day, I decided to pop my head into the clothing section, and I'm glad I did! This little ditty was just a mere $15, and I also snagged a top for only $10. (I'm sure the top will be making an appearance soon.)

This dress does have a self-tie that I would like to remove, but I need to take a closer look before hacking away. I am not skilled at all at sewing -- or even un-sewing, since that's what removing pieces would be! I'm hoping to take a class somewhere (maybe AFTER the wedding) so I can know how to do basic stuff like hemming things and maybe even creating basic little pieces like the ones I have seen other bloggers wear. My mind is creative, so I would love to know how to do this stuff!

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.

Dress Your Best: The Girls...

Day 3 outfit for the Dress Your Best Challenge:



Dress: H&M
Shoes: Vera Wang for Kohl's
Belt: TJ Maxx
Earrings: Claire's
Necklace: made by me

Closeup:



Sal always says that cleavage is never, ever, ever appropriate for the workplace. And 99.9% of the time, I agree.
However, on a day when I am celebrating the girls, I decided to go for it.
Normally I would wear a cami beneath the dress, but I knew I had no meetings today and wouldn't be interacting with clients. For just sitting at my desk, I figured I could deal with a little cleavage.
Of course, when I went to my hair appointment later, my hair dresser told me I was dressed like a St. Pauli girl, and the poor college kid sitting in her chair before me couldn't look me in the eye on his way out.
Oopsie!
But I guess that attests to just how awesome my ta-tas are!

I don't have amazingly huge breasts. I wear a B-cup, and sometimes I don't even fill that out. When I was younger, I absolutely despised my flat chest, and was mortified to have to go to a bra fitting. I remember being 11 years old, and my dance teacher told my mother it was about that time, as the studio was cold, and well, you know... I just never saw the point of needing a bra when I had nothing for it to hold up.
Then I discovered padded bras. Something that would GIVE me a little something up there. For several years, padded bras were my savior!
Fast forward to recent years, when I have put on some weight, and wow! The first place it went was to my chest! As I said before, I still don't have the kind of knockers that are gonna rival Dolly Parton. But in being smaller boobies, they have stayed seriously perky over the years, and mine are still right up there where they started while several friends' larger gals are already heading south.
Mine are like goldilocks and the three bears -- not too big, not too small... but just right.

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.

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!

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.

Kickass Scarab...

Today is another day that I decided to follow Kimberly's Inspiration Calendar. Today's theme was "Dress with a Major Necklace." Truly, I was already thinking of wearing this necklace since I haven't sported it in far too long, so when I saw the theme for today, this outfit was a no-brainer.
Now, while I did make this necklace (and the matching link bracelet) myself, I totally have to give credit where credit is due. I first saw this pendant over on Erin's blog, and when I saw it at my local craft store I snapped it up and totally rode off her. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, no?



Dress: Target
Cardigan: NY&Co
Shoes: Fioni, thrifted
Earrings: aqua stones (unseen) Claire's
Scroll Bracelet: Claire's
Link Bracelet: made by me
Scarab Necklace: made by me

BTW, please excuse the huge nasty bruise on my leg -- dance team is kicking my keister! Despite being a dancer for almost all of my life, I took several years off from competing or even really seriously practicing when I was in college and for a few years afterward. Despite teaching itty-bitties for a few years since then, my body just doesn't work the same way it used to! Needless to say, joining a competitive hip-hop team may have been a bit ambitious. ;)

PS: now that I have a few posts under my belt, I'm interested in hearing your feedback. What are you interested in seeing here on my blog? Simple outfit posts like I have been doing? Coupons/sale alerts? Analysis?

I'm Blue (da ba dee, da ba da)...

When I put my outfit together last night, I wanted something simple and comfy. These pants have always felt good for a long, boring day at work. This sweater is new, and very soft. Blues and grays always bring out my eyes, so they are go-to colors for me when I am feeling otherwise uninspired.

There are a lot of things in my world right now that are a little hectic, so comfy, easy, and cozy are huge keywords for me right now.



Sweater: NY&Co
Button-Up: Gap via Thrift
Pants: Larry Levine via Marshalls
Shoes: Sam and Libby via Marshalls
Earrings: Target
Necklace: made by me

Learning Curve...

I have learned a lot of styling tips and tricks in the time that I have been reading the fashion pages, and I have incorporated several of them in this outfit.



Gray Top: NY&Co
Teal Top: thrifted
Floral Dress (worn as skirt): Swapped
Tights: Spanx
Boots: Ros Hommerson
Belt: NY&Co (I think)
Earrings: made by me

Here are some of the things I have picked up from other bloggers that helped me pull this outfit together:

(1) Layering for warmth.
(2) Making non-seasonal clothing appropriate for the current season.
(3) Turning a dress into a skirt.
(4) TIGHTS!
(5) Thanks to Allie of at My Wardrobe Today for featuring these fabulous boots, "Maryland" from Ros Hommerson. I have a very hard time finding boots to fit over my calves. Combine that with my being extremely picky, and that totals up to two years that I searched for the right pair of boots. As soon as I saw Allie's post featuring these beauties, I knew I had to have them! Alas, they were sold out in my size, but the wonderful customer service staff took it upon themselves to email me and let me know that they would be back in stock in mid-December. So onto my Christmas list they went, and Santa brought them to me! YAY!
(6) Belting.
(7) Hidden layers (you can't see the extra socks I have under the boots or the cami I am wearing beneath the dress and two tops).

Is this the perfect outfit? No.
But it does get me thinking creatively about my clothes, and it inspires me to actually wear what's in my wardrobe.
I received many compliments, comments, and questions on this outfit yesterday, so I think I must be doing something right?