Laced Down

Well, I got through an extremely rough week, capped off by a truly challenging day on Saturday. I'm still kind of reeling from it all, to be honest... This week, Bob is away on business, and while I'll miss him terribly, it does mean I have the apartment to myself! I have big plans: mega-cleaning, rearranging the living room (with the purpose of having a functional indoor photo location), eating too many Totino's pizzas (a guilty pleasure that lingers from my single days), hem and hang my bedroom curtains (finally), and - if at all possible - start decorating for the holidays! We leave for Boston on Saturday to spend Thanksgiving with Bob's family, so if I'm going to decorate, it'll have to be sooner rather than later. I just can't believe the holidays are almost here again!

"Fiona" Dress - LucieLu / Denim jacket - Theory (eBayed) / Grey tights - LOFT (?) / Flats - LOFT

I thought I'd try dressing down this lace dress today, so I started with a denim jacket. Tights were a must, but they made my shoe choices more difficult. I didn't want to wear boots, and I toyed with wearing sandals, but I was totally self-conscious about the tights-sandals combo, regardless of how popular it currently seems to be. So I opted for my trusty flats. Between the jacket and sandals, I think I succeeded in putting together a pretty casual look.

Ring - Banana Republic / Ginko and Gunmetal necklace - chrdesigns on Etsy / Earrings - Lane Bryant

And yes, you sure have seen a few versions of this dress before: the "Amelia" in grey and white and the "Piper" in black and pink with cream embellishments. I love the lace overlay, the straight skirt that hits perfectly below my knee, and the pretty embellishments that make each dress unique. I continue to experiment with more ways to wear them!

Handbag - Gustto

Flat Land

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I don't own a whole lot of flats. Regardless of the havoc they probably wreak on my joints and bones (thank goodness for my chiropractor), I'm a huge fan of heels and everything they do for my otherwise thick legs. But all this talk about leopard print flats this season, and spying them on more than one fellow blogger and co-worker, I figured I'd better jump on board. If there isn't a bigger DUH, I don't know what is...

Grey cardiwrap - Maurices / White long sleeve tee - LOFT / Dark flare jeans - Lane Bryant /
Leopard print flats - Target / Handbag - Furla (renting from BBOS)

As soon as these babies arrived at my door, I immediately began foraging for styling ideas online (blogs, Pinterest, etc.). My favorites were grey and coral or orange, cream and red, and cozy winter whites and brown. I've chosen the grey and coral for my inauguaral wearing (opting for a coral belt and earrings since I'll never be able to I don't own a Birkin), but I'm already plotting when and how I'll wear them next! Really though, they can be worn with pretty much anything to spruce up a casual look. Foolproof fabulous flats. Huzzah!

Belt - Talbots

Ring - Ruche / Necklace - The Limited / Earrings - LOFT

Pile It On

I actually had a hard time with the Yellow Everybody Everywear challenge today. It seems I only have yellow sweaters or yellow tees. Nothing in between. I had one outfit all picked out - lots of color and interesting textures with an teal embellished tank, yellow sweater and white bermuda shorts. Well, I'm glad I tried it on last night because, thanks to the too-long tank, the too-short sweater, and the winged pockets of the shorts, the proportions were terribly off. Plus, I knew the sweater was going to be a bad idea with the hot and humid weather we're having. So I ditched it all and went back to the drawing board, looking to my casual yellow tees to help round out this challenge instead.

Yellow tee - Gap / Navy trouser pants - LOFT / Yellow belt - The Limited / Camel peep-toes  - Banana Republic

I figured I couldn't go wrong with a yellow boat neck tee, but I wanted to dress it up, so I pulled these navy trouser pants. First pants all summer, I should mention. Still not terribly interesting, even though the proportions were much better (and a much more "professional" outfit than I've donned all summer), but what's a girl to do? Pile on all the yellow accessories I could stomach? Yep! Hey, we're celebrating yellow today. The varying shades of yellow in the accessories keep them one degree from overkill... Maybe?  =)

Earrings - The Limited / Necklace - Urban Outfitters / Yellow topaz ring - Banana Republic (eBayed)

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!!) =))

Maximize

I finally remembered to participate in Everybody Everywhere! Nevermind the fact I'm posting so late, of course...

The last time I wore this maxi dress, I styled it in attempt to replicate an Anthropologie ensemble included in FFUF March Inspiration Calendar. I did alright, but I had in the back of my mind to try this blue jacket the next time I wore it. (Thanks to EBEW, it got to be sooner than later!) It's closer in color profile to the original, of course, but I also think it is just an all-around more flattering combination.

The jacket's open collar, which is almost like a portrait collar the way it sits on my shoulders, highlights my neckline and face in all the best ways. The green belt, which I chose to wear over the jacket this time, creates a better balance of colors, which in turn creates better proportions on my hiptacular bod. I definitely think my re-interpretation is a winner!

Maxi dress - Maurices / Blue double-zip jacket - LOFT / Green belt - Banana Republic / Cut-out wedges - LOFT /
Handbag - Gustto

As you can see, I also ventured out for new picture locations today! Bob and I went for a walk around a nearby lake this weekend, which gave me a chance to stake out such locations. The vibrant teal paneling on the shed, this campfire area, and future lake view spots (which will probably have to wait until the summer when my life slows down a bit, unfortunately) have definitely given me a nudge to experiment with my camera more (i.e. to take better pictures). And during an extremely stressful week month as I've been having, it's just nice to get outside, have a little me-time, be a little creative, and enjoy the air.

Day to Night

I wore this outfit yesterday, a day which tested my ability to transition from being well-dressed with a slightly more daytime/professional vibe to a fancier look for evening. I rarely care about such things, but the day's multiple events seemed to dictate the need: meetings, office for paperwork and emails, interesting conference panels, more paperwork and emails in the office, meet with and brief staff on performance needs, attend lecture, performance and reception, followup with staff. I'm actually kind of impressed that my outfit had such mileage! I was also impressed that I was still standing at the end of the day. (For what it's worth, I'm not standing at all today.)

Grey embellished sheath dress- Dress Barn / Grey cardigan - LOFT / Embossed belt - Banana Republic / Flats - LOFT

I scored this dress on clearance at Dress Barn for $18 and I was actually surprised how easily it does transition from day to night. Throw on a cardigan and some flats and I was good to go! It was so easy it was almost criminal, really... I liked the choice of this grey cardigan in a slightly lighter tone, which gives the outfit a little more dimension without having too much contrast. I did add the belt to the dress, however. The dress is a sheath that was just a smidge big on me. Without the belt, I lacked any sort of definition in the waist. I also liked the addition of the lighter tan color of the belt to break up the grey. (You know I love grey and ivory together!)

And of course the natural (no pun intended) choice: a tan handbag...

Handbag - Steve Madden (via Endless.com)

Once evening had come around, I did need to meet with the staff, but as I was attending the evening's performance, I wanted to get a little fancier. Off with the cardigan and flats, on with embellished open-toed bronze heels! Saucy.

Bronze embellished peep-toes - BCBG (eBayed)

I just love the embellishment on the dress - so simple yet so striking. It's because of the colors in it, too, that I knew tans, bronze and cream would go smashingly.

Ring - Banana Republic / Earrings - The Limited

What a fabulous clearance find, eh?

Trapeze Artist

For an outfit that was planned entirely around being able to wear my snow boots, I'm impressed by what I've put together for today - especially considering that I finally settled on it around 1 a.m. this morning. Maybe that's why I'm wearing a smirk in all these photos ...

Brown trapeze jacket - Seven 7 for Lane Bryant / Grey studded tee - Lane Bryant / Dark skinnies - Gap /
Brown animal print flats - Payless

Having to commute to work in snow boots means that I'm wearing either skinny jeans so I can tuck them into the boots or a skirt/dress with tights, and then bringing an additional pair of shoes to change into at work, of course. (I'm sure I'm not alone on that one.) I ruled out a skirt and tights almost immediately, and I preferred easy flats rather than knee-high boots (which would have been too much of a pain to pack) - a rarity with skinnies for me lately. Thankfully (?) I could forgo socks because my boots have a sock lining. In the end, I'm impressed not only that I went to work today, but that I actually wore a blog-worthy outfit. (Comfortable frumpage was admittedly my first inclination.) OOh, and it's a remix too! [Pats self on back.]

Though I've never worn either of these tops yet on the blog, I've definitely never worn them together before. Considering that brown and grey is one of my favorite color combinations, I'm surprised I haven't! The jacket is tough to wear, though, thanks to its bulky trapeze shape and funnel neck collar. But, it turned out to be a perfect topper for skinny jeans!

Most of my work day was spent preparing to not be in the office tomorrow, whether (cuz of the weather...bahahaha) or not the university was going to be closed. Even then I had planned to work a half day-ish today so I could get the heck out of there before the snowpocalypse (as has been the buzzword) descended upon us. I made it home about an hour before it hit, and now I sit at my kitchen table watching the snow blow around the courtyard and obsessively checking email for updates regarding the status of work and, more importantly, performances tomorrow.

Handbag - Tano "Minilisa" in Blue Marine

As for tonight, we shall enjoy a roaring fireplace (hence all the wood you see in the background), hot tea, What Not to Wear, a little Wii, and snuggling (of course).

Earrings - Maurices (?) / Ring - Banana Republic / Sterling silver necklace - Kohl's

How does your daily transportation affect how you dress each day?

Edited to add: At the request of the ever-fabulously booted Tania, here are my snow boots!

Snow boots - Bare Traps (eBayed)

Risky Business

First off, new template!! I'm having so much fun playing with backgrounds, colors, and headers that I might be changing these more often than not. At least until I settle on one that is totally "me," anyway. Tell me what you think!

Friday was a gorgeous day in these parts. Chillier than I would like - as in, time for a winter coat and gloves - but still gorgeous. We had a wonderful noontime event planned at work, which meant lots of hustle and bustle first thing in the morning, but I totally loved all of that. It certainly made the day go by in a blink of an eye, and it was a great success, too! What a great way to end a work week.

Where my outfit was concerned, I'd been wanting to wear this for a few weeks. The skirt is one I'd had for ages, but only wore it once. I even tried to consign it, but no one else wanted it either - it's just such a bold print that it's hard to work with, I guess. I mean, sure, wear some kind of white or cream top and you're done, but how boring is that?  It's also a tricky shape for me - an a-line. I have such a short torso that A-lines don't work well for me unless I do something to emphasize my waist. A belt is a go-to accessory in this case, and often is all an outfit needs to help spruce it up, but that just wasn't enough with this skirt.

It wasn't until after I had delved into the fashion blogosphere that I started to learn how (and that was it totally okay) to mix prints. I was bashful about doing so, however - it's not something that I see often where I live, so I knew I'd be taking some risks. With that in mind, I wanted to choose the day I debuted this outfit carefully. It was a dressier ensemble, so I didn't want to just wear it on any old weekday, but I didn't think it would have been a good fit for a conservative event night, either. When Friday rolled around, however, I knew it was the perfect day for it.

Printed cardigan - The Limited / Printed A-line skirt - Anne Klien /  Wide black belt - LOFT / Black herringbone tights - Banana Republic / Black "Caiiro" flats - Madden Girl (via DSW) / Earrings - Lane Bryant

Now, I'm still a novice when it comes to this, but a good rule of thumb is to keep the prints in the same color palette, and you really can't go wrong. The wide black belt helped break up the prints, too, while still working with them. I even went with a printed tight in black herringbone, but it's subtle enough that it doesn't compete with the rest of the outfit. I'm pretty darn pleased with the results here, especially the retro vibe of the whole silhouette.

Honestly, I still felt a little self-conscious yesterday, but I knew I was taking a risk, and I'm glad I did. Will I wear it again? Who knows....but I do think I'll try mixing prints again.

Dressed-Up Denim, Part 3

Fall really is here, and for that I am thankful. Rather than taking my lunch back to my office, I've allowed myself to sit outside for a bit at the cafe's outdoor veranda, just me and my thoughts (nope, not even my phone). It's only 15 minutes or so, but it is so...lovely... I used to work pretty regularly at this cafe when I was a grad student. I have vivid memories of working on Russian homework here, reading various musicology articles here, even working on an early (and crappy) version of my master's thesis here. (Where did all this nostalgia come from all of a sudden?)  I guess I miss some aspects of being a student, but don't most people in the "real world" at some point? Especially in the fall? The question of whether or not I'll ever go back to my dissertation still lingers over my head on days like these though...

Hmm, all this moodiness is much like the color I'm wearing today...purple (not blue, but not rosy, either =7). Again. I had planned this outfit a few days ago, even before I became conscious of the purple-ness of all my outfits, too. Ah, purple. I'll swear to think outside the color box for the next few days...

Military green tie jacket - LOFT / Wide-leg jeans - Gap / Purple tank - NY&Co

I didn't feel as fabulous in today's outfit (though I think today was just an all-around blah day for me). I don't think it was as successful in the "dressed-up denim" theme as I would have liked, which I primarily attribute to the lighter wash of the jeans. The flats here are pretty dressy - metallic, buckle, open-toe - so I did about as good I could there for a flat, methinks.

Metallic open-toe flats - LOFT

This is also one of the few outfits you'll see me pair with scarf. I wish I were a scarf person, I really do, but I can't ever get them to work with as many outfits as I'd like. I blame my bosoms for that one - I really don't need extra bulk there! Still, this is one of my favorites...

Purple print scarf - Banana Republic

Earrings - NY&Co

Still diggin' the outside pictures, at least! I'm pretty sure I overheard my neighbors puzzling over why some chick was posing in front of a camera out in the courtyard, though...

A Day of Catch-up

Today is Sunday. Today is a day of football and cleaning!  Both Friday and Saturday were relatively busy days for me, so not only was I unable to post, but I'm really only getting one day of the weekend off to boot.  But, the BF went up to Chicago, leaving me here in welcomed solitude to catch up things. I've been pretty productive so far!

Friday I did take a half-day, though (when you work most nights and weekends, the weekdays get to be a bit more flexible), and I went shopping with a friend of mine whose weight loss now totals 80 pounds!  Since she has a completely new body, and NOTHING in her closet for fall or winter, she asked if I'd help her shop - I was happy and excited to do it!  We had a blast and, 6 Real Women Dollars later (i.e. the best deal Lane Bryant offers), we walked out of there with oodles of new things for a slammin' deal. I get so much joy in styling other people, especially under life-changing circumstances like this.   

For Friday's work/shopping outfit, I went for a casual military vibe. When I first debuted this outfit a few weeks ago, one of my co-workers commented that I looked like I could beat someone up.  While that wasn't quite what I was going for, the vest  (esp. its belt) and boots definitely toughen up the look. [Sorry this is so blurry. Still getting a hang of the camera!]

off-white tee - LOFT
army green vest - Lane Bryant (providing the link so you can see its detail better)
dark skinny jeans - Gap
wood circle earrings - Maurices (?)
Boots - Guess, DSW

These boots are my absolute faves. For soft, buttery leather, easy-on zippers at the back and at the insole, a sexy but manageable heel, and a wide enough calf opening to not only fit my calves but JEANS too, I can't believe I scored the deal I did on them - 50% off at DSW this summer!  I have been looking for a pair of boots like this for YEARS!  They're the perfect companion for my skinny jeans. I also have a few dresses that I'm dying to pair them with for the fall.

I will say, however, that boots and skinny jeans are probably the WORST things to wear when shopping.  You need easy-off and on when trying on clothes, and this outfit was definitely not that. It was totally poor wardrobe planning on my part, even if I did look good. =)

Saturday was a big night of performances at work, probably the biggest since the season began. I didn't have to be at work until 4-ish, but there was a lot I wanted to accomplish during the day.  The BF and I started off our day at the Farmer's Market (a weekend ritual we LOVE, even though I was rather crabby - sorry sweetie), then I got ready for an afternoon of quick shopping before heading into work. 

I already knew what I was going to wear for work, but while playing around with a few outfit options for my errands, I happened upon this cute little number:

Purple embroidered top - Gordman's
dark skinny jeans (cuffed) - Gap
faux croc ballet flats - LOFT

I had been wanting to experiment wearing skinny jeans with flats, and I think this particular experiment was a success! I really like the whimsy of this look, imparted both by the top and those cute little shoes. I decided that I like the jeans best cuffed when worn with flats, offering a little more balance to my heavier thighs.

The top and accessories happen to be the same I was going to wear that night for work, so after swapping out the jeans for pants and the flats for heels, I was ready for work!

Purple embroidered top - Gordman's
Beige wide-leg pants - NY&Co
camel peep-toe shoes - Banana Republic

I have been dying to wear these earrings ever since I bought them on sale in the spring, but I could never quite work them into any outfits I wore. I'm thrilled that they finally found their match!  This close-up shows a little more detail of the top and accessories. 

chandelier earrings - LOFT
ring - Banana Republic

Next post: What I bought over the weekend and how I might style it all!