Eye of the Tiger Lily

Having only two real "working" days these days, I find myself in much more need of casual outfits. When I'm not in the classroom, I'm either in my home office or coffee shop "office," both of which provide some real sartorial challenges. While I've actually grown to love my home office (especially with my precious La Perla de Oaxaca a la French Press), it doesn't really encourage me to get dressed for the day. (Yoga pants and old college sweatshirt does not a bloggiful [totes just made up that word] ensemble make.) And the coffee shop certainly doesn't require pencils skirts and heels! (Not that that has stopped me.) So what to wear, what to wear... Alls I can say is, thank goodness for denim in its many varieties!

Top - Lucky Brand via Gwynnie Bee / Skinnies - Lane Bryant (old)
Sandals - Christain Siriano for Payless (old)

I've honestly loved wearing my skinnies with some kind of voluminous top lately. It's not only a chic way to do casual, it's comfortable and, better yet, a great way to dress for the hotter fall days we've been having in the Midwest. (86° in October? C'mon now...) And once again, Gwynnie Bee comes to the rescue with yet another cute top to don for just such an "occasion." I know I wore this exact outfit at least 5 times before finally sending the top back!

Ring and necklace (old) - Ruche

I loved pulling out the pink in the top with a few choice accessories. The orange and pink made for an unexpectedly fabulous color combo! In fact, I think the accessories pretty much made the outfit.

The other thing about heading downtown to my fave coffee shop is the need to lug more than a few books with me. Sure, I have a backpack, but what fun is that? This is where my many oversized bags come into more "functional" play...not that such function has ever been a consideration for me before - the bigger the better, I say! Happily, and pretty much outta nowhere, the kind folks over at Gustto - after seeing my blog header with one of my favorite handbags ever (my fuchsia Gustto Pavia, worn OFTEN) - offered to send me a bag from their eye-popping, budget-friendly handbag line, Miss Gustto. Was I going to jump on a chance for a free handbag from a designer I know and love? HELLZ YES. The difficult thing was only which to choose! I settled on this goes-with-everything taupe number (The "Katie") both for its fabulous size and delicious hardware. The unexpected surprise was that it not only fit a number of books, but also my laptop! All while able to sit comfortably over my shoulder for all those now easy jaunts downtown. I was also really impressed with the quality of the bag itself. It's a vegan/budget bag-lover's DREAM - smooth faux leather, good construction and really fun details. I tend to think this brand nails the oversized trend, too. Pretty sure I'm officially in the market for a few more...

"Katie" Handbag - c/o Miss Gustto

And you know what, Miss Gustto is offering my readers a chance to win one of their bags! Stay tuned for details regarding the giveaway in the next few days!

Earrings - LOFT (old)

Hmmm...that fuchsia Pavia would have been a perfect choice for this outfit, too, eh?

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