How Pinteresting!

I think of all the style inspiration sources out there, Pinterest has become one of my most utilized. I'm most drawn to the format and the ease of the site, where I'm continually finding images of styles (from friends, virtual friends, and even total strangers) that I know I not only can recreate with my current wardrobe, but will look good on my body type. This outfit is case in point!

Army green vest - Lane Bryant / Beige cami - Banana Republic / White pencil skirt - Talbots / Belt - Banana Republic

I first came upon the original pin thanks to Tina (whose style I seem most often to emulate), and not only did I already have all the pieces, but it gave me a great way to wear my new white pencil skirt!

And here I am, the consummate girl-on-the go (in her own backyard in front of a camera)...

Handbag - Tano / Shoes - Payless

And hey, lookie! I'm finally sporting the necklace I won from Ariana's CatMooreDesign Giveaway  way-back-when! I love the pop of color it gives the otherwise neutral hues of the outfit - which, I just noticed, is reminiscent of the teal shoes in the runway picture inset in the pin!

Necklace - Cat Moore Design (giveaway) / Earrings - Dress Barn

Recovery

Thank goodness for Casual Wednesdays. Truth be told, I've now begun the casual season at work in general. That is, fewer events for me to attend at night means fewer days I'll be dressed up! Not quite sure how (my wardrobe and) I feel about this yet, except for a general excitement that my hours will be somewhat normal for a little while!

Double zip jacket - LOFT / Striped boatneck top - Banana Republic / Washed pencil skirt - Lane Bryant /
Cut-out heels - Payless

I took off from work Monday and Tuesday to recover from a two-day 28-hour work weekend spent mostly on my feet running around with my head chopped off. Also known as Commencement Weekend. Things went smoothly, all in all, but I think my feet only just recovered yesterday.

Gotta say, though, these shoes now immortalized by Kendi really are crazy comfortable. There's something about the way they bind your feet that provides really fantastic support. I was on them for 10 hours on Saturday and I could have gone longer if I wanted. And they go with everything. For realsies. Stylish, comfortable, inexpensive and versatile?? Hellz yeah. The holy grail of one's closet.

As for the outfit, I really did want an elevated casual look today. I recently nabbed this skirt from Lane Bryant during their 40% off everything sale. A causal pencil skirt an a neutral olive? Duh. (I got it in the khaki color, too.) Naturally, paired with striped shirt and a little jacket makes for casual chic with minimal effort.

Handbag - Gustto

Summer Whites

This post was meant for last Thursday, when Blogger was down and put all the Blogger world in disarray. I've only just now started to recover from one of my busiest weekends of the year, so I'm only just now able to post it! =)

I had a great photo session today. Of course, you can't go wrong with a sunny day, a lush green background, and a pretty dress! And it's (still) been high 80s and humid here, so I thought I could get away with summer whites since, er, it feels like summer anyway…

Dress - Lane Bryant / "Instant Sleeves" - Lucie Lu (genius!) / Belt - Talbot's (via TJ Maxx) /
Shoes - Payless (a must-have, thanks to Kendi)

I feel like I should be going to a summer garden party in this ladylike outfit. (Does happy hour count? Good, cuz that's where I just came from. Check out the last picture for proof.) Even though I confess I felt a tad overdressed for an otherwise uneventful day, I got over it pretty quickly. I got oodles of compliments today, too, so it's been a good day all around!

Necklace - Talbot's / Earrings - Maurices / Ring - Banana Republic 

And now I shall bombard you with (more) pictures. There's just something about this dress that brings out the 5-year-old girly girl in me...

And then I decided to tempt fate in this lovely white frock by eating buffalo wings during tonight's girl's night out, in all its vinegary red goodness that stains everything it touches. Nothing a napkin tucked into my cleavage can't prevent...

Please do note the sauce on the corner of my mouth. Thanks to my well-placed napkin, that's the only place it ended up.

A Floral Arrangement

Hello (long lost) friends! I thought I'd interrupt my little hiatus with a little Everybody Everywhere floral love! It's an uber windy day (as you'll see from my rouge whips of hair and the sway of my top), mid-80s and humid as hell. (So much for spring, eh?) But it's also sunny and the greenery is lush, I'm aaaaaaaaaaaaaaalmost to the end of year, and I have a pretty outfit to wear, so I'll take it!

Walled City Blouse - Anthropologie / Skinnies - Gap

The best part is that my EBEW participation is completely accidental. With my head stuck deep in the sands of commencement preparation, I had no idea when the EBEW was going to be, and I only had a vague recollection that it was going to be florals. Well imagine the serendipity that, after randomly checking out the EBEW blog and learning that today was the day, I had planned not only debut this lovely floral top today, but was going to do everything in my power to post as well!

Handbag - Gustto

But don't you love this top! The minute it appeared in the Anthroplogie catalogue, I looked it up and wish-listed it right away. I even pinned it to help aid my lusting. (Yep, that's right - I'm on Pinterest! I just love the Anthropologie photo shoots, and I pin them whenever I'm ogling a new item they've featured.) It then almost immediately sold out, and I began to consider buying it for full price once it came back in stock. Over Easter weekend, Bob and I poked around the Third Ward in downtown Milwaukee, with my sole mission being that I spend some time at the Anthropologie there and hunt down this top. Glory be, there it was, even if they only had (10!) size mediums. What the hell, I thought I'd try it on for shits and giggles. What the what?! It fit! It's a little snug in the chest and and hips (where I'm the bulkiest, of course), but thanks to its unique layers, you can't really tell. And it's a gorgeous article of clothing, to be sure. Such a beautiful painterly floral print, luscious silk, swingy layers, and the amazing detail of a hand-braided neckline  - I haven't regretted paying full price one bit. I did end up ordering my usual size (large) just to compare the fit, and fortuitously enough, the medium fit better.

I also have to say that I LOVE the Anthro Reversible Seamless Tank. I'm wearing one in "Pearl" here, though you can't really see in the pics. (The top is rather sheer and I wanted another layer.) Sure, you can probably find a basic tank for cheaper elsewhere, but this is more shaper than mere tank, and I love that it's reversible! The material is super comfy as well. I plan to stock up in multiple colors!

Earrings - LOFT / Ring - Banana Republic

I considered a few necklace options, especially since the neck opening is so large. But rather than filling the open space just for the sake of it, I opted to go without, letting the intricate braided neckline and the colors of the print have the entire spotlight.

"Lalita" Cut-Out Peep-Toe Pump - Banana Republic

All in all, a great day for a post! Until next time...(whenever they let me out again!!) =))