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?

Acknowledgements

Dear readers,

It's been six months almost to the day since I last blogged. It has been an unplanned, even unacknowledged absence on my part. In fact, I found myself ignoring the blog entirely. Some of you have emailed, posted on the blog’s Facebook wall, tweeted - and nothing in reply. For that, I am sorry. I've thought many times about posting an update of some kind, something - anything to address my silence. To be honest, I just have not been up to the task.

Among other things, I'll be leaving my job at the end of this month. I'm both thrilled and terrified: I don’t exactly know what I’m doing next, but I'll be job hunting and grant-writing (finishing the dissertation is a real item on my agenda) for most of the summer. Without going into too much detail, the job situation has been one of the most paralyzing things about this year, and it’s probably the source of many of the reasons I stopped blogging for a while. I made the decision to leave in November, but I committed myself to finishing the season and finally gave my two-months' notice in April. Guarding that secret so closely for as long as did (in fact, I often wondered if I'd even be brave enough to go through with it) only added to an already stressful job environment. And the job environment was killing me pretty damn quickly. When anger is the most frequent emotion you feel during a work day, it's time for a change. The regular season ended in April and the graduation season only ended last Tuesday, and then I was out sick with a nasty cold for the rest the week. (No coincidence there, I'm sure.) Only this past weekend did I feel like I could actually move on. That I’m ready to move on…

Most importantly, I really feel like doing things again. Starting with blogging.

The blog has been a real conundrum during this whole ordeal. I've worn some killer outfits over the past 6 months and regretted not sharing them with you all. But I also have had a hard time formulating any coherent thought about, well, anything. More and more of my posts from the last year started to sound so manufactured and one-dimensional, and I couldn't find a way to break out of that, especially when I couldn't be open about what was going on in my life anyway. I wanted to share more, but I didn't even know where to begin, and I was terribly afraid of coming across as too negative or even whiny. Not insignificantly, I'd also gained a lot of weight this year (no doubt related to the job stress), and I could no longer bring myself to take pictures of myself every day. Proclaiming self-confidence as a curvy blogger wholovedherbodynomatterwhat would have been an outright lie. And wasn’t that what my proclamation was supposed to be? I didn't know how to reconcile any of it, and blogging itself became a source of stress. So I just…stopped.

I’m sure many of you read Kendi Everyday. Well, her poignant post from a few weeks ago (“Life Lately”) deeply moved me because it hit so close to home. And I’d been struggling with my blogging mission (as I'll call it) too. Why do we blog? How much do and should we share behind the camera lens? Am I being dishonest somehow if I present the perfectly styled portrait of an outfit and only that? What do my readers really want, anyway? Am I a model or a stylist or just a regular person putting herself out there, using her personal style as a vehicle? I'm comforted by the fact that I'm not the only (style) blogger questioning these things lately, and I'm extremely intrigued that so many of us are saying the same thing almost all at the same time. (Courage begets courage!) I'm even more comforted by the warm responses I read on such blog posts - the blogging community truly is a remarkable one. So I think the answers to these questions come down to the first rule of blogging, as I learned it: focus first on the content and your readership will follow; figure out what you want your blog to be and let it be that fully. And then have a little trust...

But the other thing is that honest writing, if that's what is important, is just plain hard, and it’s always risky. This post sure as hell didn't come easily - I've been mulling over it since Saturday! A part of me just wanted to jump right back in with the usual outfit pictures announcing "Hi! I'm back! Here's what I wore on a bunch of random weekend errands! I missed everyone!" But I knew that would not have been complete and therefore not honest, and I found myself really caring about that, regardless of who might be reading the post, or when. It was the choice to either buckle down and take a risk, or continue in the same unfulfilling vein that made me stop blogging in the first place. Write what I actually want to say, or keep hiding and doubting myself.

So the question remains: Why do I blog? I believe my answer is just to connect and to share. And to find a little release.

I don’t know what direction this blog will take (a new title is just one of the ideas I’m tossing around), and I don’t know how often or even how long I’ll continue to blog. I do know that I've been wanting to get back to the kind of freedom I felt when I first started the blog, allowing myself that sense of immediacy and accomplishment that writing about a day (in the life of an outfit?) and hitting "Publish" gives. Yes, there’s something really fulfilling about that.

So if you've made it to the end of this manifesto of sorts, I thank you for connecting with me, for letting me share with you, whoever you are. There's something to be said for having a space to think, write, and share without knowing exactly who (if anyone!) I might be reaching. Anonymity is mixed blessing. And if I have reached or helped you somewhere along the the course of this blog, I am so humbled that I have and so grateful that I can. Your support, encouragement and inspiration has definitely reached me.

Sincerely,
Jessica

P.S. I DO know that I don't intend to stop sharing my style, so how 'bout some outfit pictures, eh? =)

Dragonfly tee - Dorothy Perkins / Denim pencil skirt - Queen Grace (n/a)

Sandals - Christian Siriano for Payless

Ring - The Limited (old) / Earrings - LOFT (old)

Hat in Hand

Major coup at work: negotiated having every Monday off! Brilliant! I don't know why it took me so long to think to ask for this schedule. I mean, more often than not I'm working the weekends anyway (and 50+ hrs/wk), and I would typically take the following Monday off so that I could have some kind of weekend. So now it's just part of my standard schedule, and I couldn't be happier! And as I get ready to dive into the busiest week of the semester, I couldn't be more grateful...

Mia Top - SWAK / Jeans - Lane Bryant / Hat - Urban Outfitters / Handbag - Ruche /
Sandals - Nine West

Thanks for everyone's thoughtful comments on my journey back into teaching last week, too. It went really, really well! I thought there were a few issues - pace, probably should have just used the classroom microphone rather than insisting I could speak loud enough over the music - but all in all I thought I covered the material well and kept the students engaged. It was a wonderful if scary feeling to be in front of a classroom again, especially with material that I didn't feel as comfortable with anymore, but it many ways it was just like getting back on a bicycle. I didn't end up wearing a wrap dress, by the way, but a great little pencil skirt and printed top ensemble that I hope to share with you next week. (I'm getting so much closer to being caught up!)

Ring - Banana Republic (eBayed) / Necklace - c/o Kiyonna / Earrings - Ruche

This outfit, worn quite a few weeks ago now (when the leaves hadn't yet fallen and I was still semi-obsessed with this hat) feels like a great way to start of the week, though. My perfect, favorite jeans paired with my now favorite top from SWAK. In fact, I warned (myself?) when I wore the coral version a few weeks prior that I would have to get the black and don the hat. Between those two tops, my best jeans and that hat, this was probably one of my most-worn outfits to close out the summer.

Top It Off

I turned on the heat in the apartment today. I feel it is far too soon for such an action, but the below-freezing overnight temps convinced me otherwise. I'm just not ready for this yet! Give the lovely temperate briskness of autumn its due! The temps are supposed to return to more seasonal levels later this week, so until then I'll reminisce (read: catch up) with even warmer weather outfits, such as this one.

Mia Top - Sealed with a Kiss Designs / Jeans - Lane Bryant / Sandals - Nine West

The top is actually my first purchase from Sealed with a Kiss. I'd been browsing their site for some time, but never felt up to a purchase until settling on this cute little top. It's nice and long, has a flattering neckline and elasticized waistband, and presents lots of possibilities for layering options yet this fall. I'm also a fan of its elbow-length sleeves, of course. It's definitely not made to be tucked in, and its length is proportionally too long for any skirt of mine, but I could see topping it with a belt if desired. (And I'm sure I will desire.) Jeans - skinny or flare - are this top's best friend. The colors it comes in are wonderfully cheery - summery turquoise, yellow and coral - and a black option (which I also got) makes it a great basic.

Ring & necklace - Banana Republic / Earrings - The Limited

Though I'd worn my hair down here, this outfit is also one of my favorites to wear with my straw fedora (first/last seen here), snapped ala Instagram with one of my admittedly multiple wearings. Now that I think of it, I wanna wear the black one with the hat next!

Handbag - Coach (gifted)

Something Blue

My Thursday nights have become jam packed with TV shows these days. Grey's Anatomy (uh, the most depressing season ever so far - and that's saying something), Glee (another show I keep watching despite better judgement, even though tonight's cover of No Doubt's "Don't Speak" was pretty awesome) and Project Runway (I think I watch mainly to follow along with Tom & Lorenzo's recaps) keep me unproductive and up late. I'm lucky if I manage to clean the kitchen after dinner! I mean, priorities, people.

And I gotsta catch up on my posts! It's a little anticlimactic when you go two weeks (or so...) before you get to write about a day in a life of an outfit. (Ooh, that sounds like a fabulous blog name.) This outfit, for example, was worn on one of the hotter days of the summer and, uh, that's about all I can remember. BUT BUT! The tank I scored on mega-sale at Banana Republic! And it's cute and fitted and it was just the thing for a casual summer day.

Ring  and Earrings - Ruche

It was also one of the many outfits in the past few weeks that have resurrected my love of these jeans. Other than the nastiness of hot summer days, I'm not sure why I've practically demoted them to the dark recesses of my closet. Like they weren't special enough, or something. The thing is, they fit like a freakin' dream and make me feel good no matter what I wear them with. I thought a few times of getting a new pair for the sake of something new, but then I realized that I couldn't possibly find anything better than these. I'm not at all sure why it's taken me so long to realize that.

Cardiwrap - Maurices / Henley tank - Banana Repulblic / Jeans - Lane Bryant /
Sandals - Nine West /Handbag - Banana Republic

Both bank account and self-confidence thank thee. And the many fabulous fall outfits to come.

Okay, okay - I'll go clean the kitchen now.

Well Worn

Holy smokes, batman, it was a crazy night last night. Busier than all get-out and I think I'm still recovering. But even if it's as stressful as can be and my head is spinning in utter madness, I think I almost prefer it that way. Nothing makes the night go faster - or with more pizzazz.

Don't worry, I did not wear this outfit last night. It was a huge night for us and, as you can very well imagine, I was dressed more than appropriately (in this gorgeous outfit - and since I've worn it before, I will not have a fresh set of pictures for you). But I did wear this outfit the day before - a casual day topped off with a much-needed happy hour with mah girls. I wish I had more Wednesday evenings free so we could make it a weekly ritual. Actually, with only one 2 weeks left in the season, I just may be able to! (Note that, girls?)

Double-zip jacket - LOFT / Top - Lane Bryant / Khaki pencil skirt - Lane Bryant /
Sandals - Nine West

I do love the combination of blue and burgundy though, and this is well-documented. I may love belting this particular jacket even more, since I've done so nearly every wearing (exhibit 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5). It pretty much made for an ensemble that put itself together.

Ring - Banana Republic / Belt -Talbots / Earrings - LOFT

As always, which belt is the question. I think I have about 50 belts of various colors and sizes (and all poorly organized, I should mention), so finding the right complement is always fun. I could have gone with a gold or brown here, or better yet a textured belt in a brown snakeskin (which was a very close runner-up), but I decided on this blue in a much lighter color that nicely complemented both the jacket and top. I fall just a bit out of love with these Nine West sandals (which I have in 4 colors) every time I wear them, though, mainly because I think they've fallen out of love with me...

Handbag - Tano

Pink Lady

Spring has arrived in these parts. That it to say that the 80 degree weather has been postponed (for now) in lieu of much more seasonal 60 degree days. While something of a shock to the system, it's nice to be able to go back to transitional layers for a minute.

It's been a refreshingly quiet week in my world, too, but it's really only the calm before the storm that is the end of season rush. This means my daily work wear can ease up with more casual styles, and even my ubiquitous ponte pencil skirts get a break. For some reason, though, my favorite pair of jeans has been a last resort when it comes to casual dressing lately. I guess it's been a bit of challenge to keep it transitional and yet polished at the same time. So I took the opportunity of a 50 degree day to layer a brightly colored long-sleeve tee under some neutral layers (khaki can be so drab and lifeless if you're not careful) and take my jeans up a notch.

Jacket - LOFT / Tee - Gap / Jeans - Lane Bryant / Belt - The Limited /
Sandals - Nine West / Handbag - Coach (gifted)

Such a bright, cheery pink can take anything up a notch, methinks.

Ring - Ruche / Necklace - Banana Republic (ebayed) / Earrings - Lane Bryant /
Nails - Cartwheels on the Catwalk (Sephora by OPI)

To a Tee

After a busy work weekend, I often take Mondays off. Such was the case yesterday. I typically don't wear anything blog-worthy on those days, and the world is I'm lucky if I get dressed at all. I also think my biggest style handicap is casual wear, i.e. anything without heels. It's one of the reasons you don't see much of these sorts of outfits on here! But I've really been loving the casual coolness of cuffed skinnies lately, and even more so with a vibrant colored henley tee.

Tee - Gap / Skinnies - Gap / Handbag - DKNY (via TJ Maxx) /
Sandals - Bandolino (via Endless) / Earrings - Lane Bryant / Ring - Ruche

Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised by this basic $7 Gap tee. All I had to do was add a few choice accessories - a statement bag, big jewelery, and strappy wedges - and I could actually be seen outside of the house.

Straptacular

And yet another outfit built solely (no pun intended) around the shoes. I just scored these cuties at Payless a few days ago and couldn't wait to wear them. I almost wore them with the zebra print top from yesterday's post, but I thought it was a tad too many things going on. (I may change my mind later on, though.)

T-strap wedge - Christian Siriano for Payless /
Nailpolish - "Bare It in Trafalgar Square" (O.P.I.)

I realize I didn't get very creative here, but it was a very casual-but-cute kind of day. I pretty much only went grocery shopping and ran to Target (I'm on vacation this week, by the way), but it was over 80 degrees by mid-afternoon so I thought this did the job nicely. (I can't believe I'm wearing such an outfit in MARCH!! GAH!)

Tee - The Limited / Denim pencil skirt - Lane Bryant /
Handbag (in first picture) - Furla (via Filene's Basement)

Basically, I wanted all the attention to go to the shoes, wearing more turquoise in my other accessories to accentuate them further. Simple but interesting white tee, casual denim pencil skirt, nude pedicure - just look at the shoes, k?? They are crazy comfortable, too, and I can't get over how flattering that t-strap is on my foot. Imma need to get more...

Earrings - Banana Republic / Ring - Ruche (gifted) / Belt - Dorothy Perkins /
Nail polish - "Cartwheels on the Catwalk" (Sephora by O.P.I.)

Sloppy Joe

This top is one of those tops that were better in theory than reality. What the theory was, however, I'm no longer sure.

What I thought was going to be a cool, casual topper (read: poncho with sleeves) is really just a sloppy mess. I suspected this the first time I wore it, planning to belt it lest I look like a mossy green tent. Well, belting it makes it even fussier since, as a poncho, the sides of it are completely open and just rides up when belted. Thankfully, taking 100+ outfit pictures means that I can find at least 5 that don't highlight the top's unruliness, making the outfit appear as I had intended it to: layered, causal, springy, cool. And then I write a blog post that unravels all of it. =)

When I got home I immediately removed the belt and threw on some yoga pants. Clearly, this is the only way the top should be worn.

Comfy Cozy

Another amazing Banana Republic sale find, this merino wool drop-shoulder cardigan cost me all of $25 - originally $120!! I can't believe it was marked down that much in store when it's still a steep $100 online... (I'm the Banana Republic sale master lately!) It's simply the most cozy, soft, comfortable sweater - the only thing for a long, gloomy, cold January day.

Drop shoulder cardigan - Banana Republic / Stripe tee - LOFT / Jeans - Lane Bryant /
Boots - Famous Footwear / Handbag - Gustto

Jeans and a tee were my immediate inclination (with colorful accessories for fun), but I'd like to see how it fares with a colorful pencil skirt, tights and boots. Hmm, the outfit in my head is coming together quite nicely...

Earrings - Lane Bryant / Ring - The Limited / Necklace - Ten Thousand Villages

Home for the Holidays

Sorry I disappeared for a few days there! We celebrated an early Christmas last Thursday, and though I had intended to blog (I managed to take pictures, anyway), I just didn't get around to it. Presents > blogging. I'm sure you would agree. =)

Rylan Ruched Top - Kiyonna / Dark skinnies - Gap / Scarf - gifted /
Nude pumps - Nine West "Hollyce" (via Zappos) / Handbag - Furla (via Filene's Basement)

The rest of the weekend was spent generally relaxing, including a quiet dinner at home with my mom and Bob on Christmas Day. On Friday, we went down to Milwaukee's Third Ward to see the holiday sights and do a little shopping and eating. I grew up in Milwaukee, so I always enjoy seeing how things have changed and how they've stayed the same. We really love the Third Ward, though. Great shops, great food. In some ways I can't believe what a trendy little hot spot it's become!

I was especially thrilled to find a plus-sized boutique down there. Usually such things are relegated to, I dunno, anywhere else (and places that never seem to be near me), and certainly not right next door to Anthroplogie! But when I walked past the window of  Boutique Larrieux and saw the Kiyonna Rylan Ruched Top in the window (which I'm wearing here, in addition to the purple that I already own), I exclaimed "This is a plus sized store!! We're going in!" While I didn't really need to buy anything, I was just so tickled by the selection of all the items I've come to know and love via their online stores - Igigi, Kiyonna, LucieLu, Anna Scholtz. They even had some lovely dresses by Adrianna Papell, one of which I was thisclose to buying for New Years - if I didn't already have an outfit, anyway. I did, however, walk out of the store with a great casual LucieLu wrap dress for 20% off - I'm always in the market for casual, perfect-fitting dresses! If you're in the area, definitely check Boutique Larrieux out!

Ring & Earrings - Ruche

We're still enjoying our holiday vacation time at my mom's house, but we may be heading home tomorrow. It's hard to let this lovely quiet time with family ever end...