Goober

Casual Workday

2010-06-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a furlough day, but I had tons to do. I figured the more I did yesterday the less I had to do this weekend :) It's always such a treat to be able to wear casual clothes to work.

blouse - BR outlet
pants - Gap outlet
flipflops - Clarks

San Diego - iPhone addition

2010-06-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

So, what have I been up to? Well, I had another seminar a couple weeks ago, this time in San Diego. The weather was absolutely lovely and I got the opportunity to wear a bunch of new purchases.

tee - TJ Maxx
pants - Gap outlet
shoes - Kohl's
necklace - BR outlet

I've also been self-tanning. Obsessively. I look a bit orange in these pics, but I'm about 99.9% sure that is just poor picture quality and not my actual color. I also got my hair highlighted extra blonde. I felt right at home in San Diego with all the blonde hair and "tan" skin. I'm very much enjoying this California Girl look.

While in San Diego I had a ton of work to do for a trial (which I lost, then cried about - ah, sleep deprivation and stress, what a combo). I did, however, have this view from my room, so it wasn't all bad.

There was a lovely trail along the water that I jogged on the three days I was in SD. At the end of the trail was a great view of downtown San Diego (which you can sort of see through the haze).

MIA

2010-06-01T15:55:00.000-07:00

Work has been SUPER busy, my computer's harddrive is still full, and I've been rotating the same few outfits lately out of sheer laziness. I have another seminar this weekend and a bunch of trials coming up. Hopefully I'll be back in the swing of things soon! My outfits just haven't been the same!!!!

Fashion Emergency

2010-05-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

Clarification: (First thanks everyone for their input so far, and keep it coming - I appreciate it! And I still haven't packed, so let the opinions flow!) The 3 jeans outfits were drinks outfit ideas, the 2 bermuda shorts were seminar outfit ideas.

So it seems I really need to clear out my computer as my harddrive is full after only 2 years. To do that requires going through photos and figuring out which are duplicates, which means a long tedious process. So, until then, say hello to sub-par iPhone photos :)

This weekend I have a seminar in LA for work. I thought it was just me and one co-worker. Turns out it is going to be 2 other co-workers. Any guesses who the second one is? That's right, the guy down the hall. There has been some talk about drinking one night, not sure if it's going to happen, but just the thought of it spun me into what-the-heck-to-I-wear drama. Here are my options so far for the seminar and the possible drinking. Thoughts are welcome! Please!

I'm Back!

2010-04-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Well that was quite a little break, wasn’t it? My birthday was last week (32 – gah!!) and my present to myself was to take a week or so off of work. I was off all last week and I also took Monday and Tuesday of this week off. It was divine. I ate lots of desserts, did lots of shopping, and hung out with my parents for several days (they came to visit for part of my time off). Being back to work is pretty brutal, but I’m trying to pace myself.

Those were just some of the yummy treats I had on some of our day trips last week. I went to the gym a bit, but not like usual. Not surprisingly some weight has crept on (the week prior to my birthday wasn’t great either eating and working out wise). I decided my second gift to myself was a personal trainer. A lady who teaches some really great classes at the gym that I often attend, does personal training. I met with her Friday to discuss goals, schedules, etc. and I had my first session Tuesday night. Just like at her classes, time flew during our session. She measured my body fat (terrifying), took my measurements, and we dove into an hour of weights. I woke up yesterday feeling just fine, but today I woke up with calves in extreme pain. I'm walking around the office like a gimpy old lady, but I'm loving it - no pain, no gain :)

Anyway, outfits to follow soon, but wanted to say “Hi and I missed you guys!”

SoCal

2010-04-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

Hello all. Things have been crazy at work and while I've been taking pics I haven't been posting, and I've been reading your blogs, just not commenting. Hopefully it will all slow down soon.

Meanwhile, I need your help! I have a seminar next month in LA. I'm staying an extra day to have a mini-vacation. I've never spent much time in LA. Any recommendations on what things to do for the day?

Friday / Easter

2010-04-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

On Fridays I usually have to deal with a lot of clients in court. I always want to feel extra-professional, so I feel extra confident. The skinny belt over a cardigan really is a favorite of mine. I can't believe something so small (a belt) can make such a big difference - but it really seems to!

cardigan - Nordstrom Rack
belt - Ross
skirt - Kohl's
shoes - BCBGirls via Marshalls

On Easter I decided, despite the non-springy weather, to wear a springy dress. We stayed inside and hid eggs, ate candy, and I opened early birthday presents from my sister. Abigail wore a cute dress too so I thought I'd keep her in the picture :)

dress - Ross
cardigan - Costco
shoes (not pictured) - gingham flats, Sam & Libby

Dress to the Rescue

2010-04-07T12:54:00.001-07:00

I wish I was organized enough to always have my outfits planned in advance. But I'm not. On those mornings where I simply canNOT decide what to wear, nothing saves the day like a dress. This purple print one is only a few months old, but it's become one of my favorites. I've yet to wear it without tights, and I'm really hoping it isn't too short for that.

dress - Ross
cardigan - Ross
tights - ??
shoes - Etienne Aigner

Hello jeggings

2010-04-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

I jumped on the fashion bandwagon and bought a pair of jeggings. I keep putting them on to wear on the weekend, decide my thighs look too fat, and change out of them. Yesterday was a court holiday, so there was no need to dress up for work. I decided to be brave and actually wear my jeggings out of the house. I still think my thighs looked fat, but the longer top and long cardigan helped tremendously. FYI - jeggings are pretty much the most comfortable pants ever!

scarf - old navy
necklace - gift
top - old navy
cardigan - marshalls
jeggings - kohl's
boots - Ross

Wuss

2010-03-31T15:40:00.000-07:00

Well, the overwhelming concensus re: attorney down the hall was to go for it. I did find out through the secretary he is semi-recently single (he hasn't been on match.com in over a month so it was unclear). Too bad I'm a giant, giant wuss. We've done some reassigning in our office so the two of us are now on a team together, so I figure it's just an opportunity to get to know him better and go from there. You know, the wussy way :)

Anyway, back to the fashion!

I was inspired by an outfit Liz Lemon wore on last week's episode of 3rd Rock, so I added a cardigan over my favorite dress, and rather than wear the belt through the belt loops on the dress, I wore the belt over the cardigan. This dress is great, but you can't do a lot with it, so I enjoyed being able to style it a bit different than usual.

dress - Sangria via Crossroads
cardigan - Nordstrom Rack
belt - Ross
shoes - BCBGirls

On Saturday a friend and I went to a cooking demo at the Cordon Bleu campus near my house. It was really fun, and we found out they have one-day Saturday classes on sauces, knife technique, etc., so we are going to sign-up for some. Then we went shopping for hours and hours. That evening she came to my house and we ate mexican food and watched Nurse Jackie. A lovely day with a lovely friend. I was talking to my Aunt when I remembered I needed to take an outfit pic, hence the multi-tasking :)

tee - Ross
cardigan - Marshalls (it's a deep purple, though that isn't how it shows up in the pic)
scarf - Old Navy
jeans - Old Navy
flats - Target

The universe is trying to tell me something, but what?

2010-03-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

First, the fashion. I am really behind in my posts. Case in point - this is Thursday's outfit. Part of me feels like I should be wearing wintery things still as there will be plenty of warm months ahead. That part is losing to the part that is sick of winter clothes and wants it to be spring. This blouse hasn't been worn in months. I added a basic black skirt and what have become one of my favorite pairs of shoes.

blouse - Old Navy
necklace - Kohl's
skirt - Esprit
shoes - BGBGirls

Now, on to the bizarre-ness. A couple weeks ago we had going-away drinks for a co-worker. I was talking to a different co-worker and we were discussing break-ups. He mentioned something about match.com. A couple weeks ago I had sort of half-heartedly begun the eharmony stuff, but wasn't really feeling it. He planted a seed, so that weekend I filled out just enough so I could start looking. I was doing this on my iPhone, so the search parameters were pretty minimal. I started getting daily emails with potential matches. They were all really young or short (I'm not shallow, I just don't want to tower over them when I wear heels) or didn't want kids, etc. Then one day I get an email and one of the little pictures looks familiar - it is the young attorney down the hall! Random, right? Well, it gets random-er.

That night I decided to do a search online, which lets you do many more parameters. I tried to keep it basic with things that are really important to me - wants kids, liberal, educated, not religious, and included physical features and common interests. It came up with one match -- the attorney down the hall. I tried making it more broad, eliminating all physical features (e.g. eye color, hair color, build), expanding the search area to 40+ miles. Still one match, still the attorney down the hall. Now I feel like the universe is telling me to look at this person in a new light. He's good looking and nice and funny and smart, I've just never considered him as anything but a co-worker. It just seems so statistically anomalous that out of the thousands of people on match.com, he is my one match. Am I just so sick of being single that I'm looking for signs that aren't there. Is it a sign? Thoughts????

A Weekend In Between

2010-03-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

Since I didn't get around to posting Friday's outfit, this will be a Friday/Monday combo.

On Friday we were having going-away drinks after work for a co-worker. I wanted to feel pretty but be comfortable as it was going to be a long day. This green sweater is a bit too long to wear untucked, but paired with a pair of lowrise slacks and it worked wonderfully. I got so many compliments on the shade of green. I adore green and the way it makes my eyes pop, it's just so hard to find the right shade. I will definitely have to keep my eye out for more green tops.

sweater - Ann Taylor via Ross
pants - Gap via Crossroads
shoes - Nordstrom Rack

Monday's are client interview days, which means the days are often long and stressful. Combined with a weekend where I felt like all I did was eat, I wanted something nice and loose. I tried this combination with different belts, but in the end I think it looked best loose and flowy. And my goodness was it comfortable!

dress - Target
cardigan - Ross
shoes (hidden behind Anna) - Nine West via Marshalls

Weekend Wear

2010-03-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to be fashionable on the weekends. My tendency is to be boring and comfortable, but then I feel like I'm wasting my entire casual wardrobe. I have lots of cute weekend stuff, I am just usually too lazy to take advantage of it.

I've been really wanting to try out the tall boot / skirt combo for a long time. I finally found a pair of boots that fit and got up the courage to try this. I don't know why, but for some reason boots and skirts feels so daring to me. I must admit, I liked the final product. I felt like I had a little swagger in my step as I ran my weekend errands, and that's always fun :)

cami - Costco
sweater - Kohl's
skirt - Old Navy
argyle socks - Target
boots - Ross

This past weekend the weather was warm, and I was itching to do some shopping. The spring weather seemed to call for bright colors. This Old Navy scarf has quickly become a favorite and I wear it all the time. The shoes are an ebay purchase from years ago that I've never worn. I'm sad to realize they are a bit too small, but for short shopping trips I think they'll be fine.

tee - Marshalls
scarf - Old Navy
bracelet - teen store at mall
jeans - Old Navy
shoes - ebay

A Happy Accident

2010-03-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

Tuesday continued with the lovely spring weather. However, while the days are warm, the mornings are still a bit chilly. So when I put on this outfit, which is a repeat, I was cold with the sheer blouse. I needed a loosely fitted cardigan to fit over the blouse, so I grabbed this teal one. I love the punch of color. Sometimes outfits are carefully planned and sometimes they just fall together.

Once again Anna wanted in on the action :)

blouse - Macy's
necklace - QVC
cardigan - Kohl's
skirt - Esprit
shoes - Nine West via Marshalls

Spring - a time for fresh starts

2010-03-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

It seems the weather has finally started to warm up. The forecast is for highs in the 70's all week - yippee! I'm anxious to start wearing items in my closet that have been ignored for the past several months. Over the weekend I finally got around to doing a task that I had been needing to do for months, but avoiding because it was going to be emotionally draining. Well, I finally did it, and it sucked about as much as I had imagined. But it's done, and it needed to be done, and now I can move forward. I don't mean to me cryptic in all this, I just don't want to bore you with all the particulars. Bottom line is, by Monday morning I needed a pick-me-up as too much of my weekend was spent on what I dubbed "The Project." I needed to stop at Costco after work, so I picked up a big cheerful bunch of flowers for myself. There's nothing like a bouquet of sunflowers and lilies and daisies and other pretty flower I don't know the names of to boost the spirits! Anna liked it too as she was sniffing away :)

sweater/blouse combo - Kohl's
belt - Target
skirt - Nordstrom Rack
shoes - Michael Shannon via Off Broadway

Heavy Rotation

2010-03-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

There seem to be a few pieces in my wardrobe I've been wearing quite a bit lately. They are all wintery, so I guess it's good to get some use out of them before I have to pack them away for the 9 months of warm weather we have. I wore both this top and skirt recently, and decided to try them together. I tried to add some interest with pattern tights and my new earings.

sweater/blouse combo - Michael Kors via Marshalls
necklace - gift
earrings - Kohl's
skirt - Nordstrom Rack, altered by my mom
tights - ??
shoes - Chinese Laundry

Trying Something New, With Something Old

2010-03-12T07:36:00.000-08:00

I've had this skirt for many, many years. I usually pair it with black or white because in my mind its tiny tweed/plaid/check pattern is enough pattern and the rest should be neutral. Piff - how boring! I was feeling bold, and decided to pair it with my often-worn pink cardigan. The chilly temps meant I needed a scarf, so why not add some adorable pink and green preppy plaid? It was definitely a fashion stretch for me, but I think it worked out, and it was certainly fun to try something new.

scarf - Ross
cardigan - Costco
skirt - Nordstrom Rack
tights - ???
shoes - BCBGirls via Marshalls
bracelet - H&M
watch - Anne Klein via Marshalls

Wintery March

2010-03-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

We've had a few really nice days, and some in the forcast, but in between it has been cold (lows in the 30s) with rain and cloudy days. Ugh. I much prefer pants on rainy days, and these Gap dress pants are turning into a favorite item of clothing. I have to really force myself NOT to wear them more than once a week (reasoning I have so many clothes I need to wear more things). Purple continues to be my favorite clothing color lately. I have to make sure to plan outfits in advance so I don't show up to work everyday in some purple-black combination :)

blouse - Marshalls
cardigan - Marshalls
belt - Marshalls
pants - Etienne Aigner

Black and Blue

2010-03-09T19:19:00.000-08:00

While staring into my closet, unable to decide what color cardigan to wear with my charcoal gray skirt, I decided to go with a neutral palette instead. I added a navy cardigan over a black shirt - with a black belt to give the untucked shirt some definition - and black tights and shoes. I kept with the same color palette in my jewelry and I really liked the overall look. I think Anna did too, because she was very excited to jump into the picture with me.

cardigan - Marshalls
tee - Kohl's
belt - Ross
skirt - Nordstrom Rack
tights - ??
beaded ring - Pier 1
stainless steel ring - QVC
necklace - Kohl's

Last Week - Black, Gray, and more Black

2010-03-03T12:11:00.001-08:00

The continued cold weather apparently had me reaching for lots of black and gray last week. Which is really too bad, because I am realizing now that black as a primary color for me, at least in tops, is no good. I look much better with color next to my face. It's amazing how much better just having some neckline or gray helps. Live and learn.

turtleneck - Kohls
jacket - Target
pants - Gap via Crossroads
shoes - Chinese Laundry

Michael Kors just understands my body. His clothes fit so well and I'm always excited to find his pieces at Marshalls (discount prices - hurrah!). I can't believe this is the first time I pulled out this cashmere sweater this season. I will definitely have to put it in heavy rotation before it gets too warm

sweater w/ attached blouse - Michael Kors
skirt - Banana Republic Outlet
shoes - Etienne Aigner

I adore this Paul and Joe for Target blouse. Someone always makes a wise-ass comment about it when I wear it, but I don't care. I love the colors, the interested print (repeating "Paul and Joe"), and the fact that it snaps rather than buttons.

vest and blouse - Target
skirt - Nine West
shoes - Etienne Aigner

When in Doubt, Go Red

2010-03-02T08:03:00.001-08:00

I went to my parents house over the weekend, which meant I got in late Sunday night and wasn't really prepared for the week (I was very late to work yesterday - oops). I stood in my closet Monday morning totally lost. All my tights were in the laundry, so skirts were out of the question. I didn't really have any clean pants. Thankfully I purchased a pair of black pants at Old Navy last week - new clothes to the rescue! (And yes, I did laundry last night, otherwise I'd have had to call in "sick" to work today, or show up in pjs). I always adore pops of red in accessories, so I added touches of red and I was all set.

blouse - years ago at random small boutique
cardigan - Nordstrom Rack
belt - Target
necklace - Ross
pants - Old Navy
shoes - Target

Catch-Up

2010-02-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

I've been so busy either working or worrying about how I shouldn't be doing whatever it is I'm doing because I have WORK to do, that I've gotten very behind in my posting. So, here you go - my catch-up post :)

Today:
Kimberly's inspiration calendar to the rescue - bow blouse and vest combo was on the menu for today. I didn't tie my blouse into a bow because the cotton fabric makes a very dorky bow, so I prefer to tie it in a knot and let it hang loosely.

blouse - Old Navy
vest - Marshalls
pants - Gap via Crossroads
shoes - Madeline via Ross
flower hair clip used as a pin - Simons department store, Canada

I spent my weekend either working, or goofing off but thinking how I REALLY should be working. I went into the office on Saturday and tried a little pattern mixing.

cardigan - Target
scarf - Old Navy
long sleeve tee - Kohl's
jeans - Gap Curvy

On Friday I decided to bust out with some pattern tights that had been in my drawer much too long. I wasn't sure if they were a bit too much, but I got lots of compliments so that made me feel good. Since the tights were the real focus of the otufit, I kept the rest simple.

blouse - Target
belt - Ross
skirt - Ross
tights - Dillards
heels - Etienne Aigner

Thursday I was lacking in inspiration. Looking back, I could have really jazzed up this outfit with some bold jewelry pieces. Oh well, next time I guess.

sweater - Kohl's
pants - Gap via Crossroads
heels - Chinese Laundry

Spring Tease and Why I Don't Work From Home

2010-02-17T11:36:00.000-08:00

It has been unseasonably warm here lately - e.g. today's high is going to be in the 70s. I'm enjoying every moment of it! It was so warm I decided I didn't need to wear tights yesterday. Too bad I haven't touched a bottle of self-tanner in months and months. Oh well, don't think of my legs as scary white, think of them as a lovely alabaster :)

cardigan - Marshalls - I purchased this navy and pink cardigan a few months ago and yesterday I wore it for the first time. I love having new clothes to wear!
skirt - Ross
pearls - graduation gift
shoes - Madeline via Ross

Today and Monday are work holidays. While I'm enjoying not having to be in the office, I still have tons of work to do. This is what I wore Monday and today while working from home - not stylish, but oh so comfy!

tee - Target
pink tank (okay, fine, it's my sports bra, can't we pretend it's a tank and then it won't seem tacky? - super!) - Costco
jeans - Gap
slipper - Costco

Thursday - jersey comfort

2010-02-11T20:29:00.000-08:00

Figuring no one would notice that I wore the same pair of black pants in one week, I wore my new Gap pants again. I remembered seeing Kimberly belt a loose jersey cardigan and thinking how cute that looked, so I tried it. I really like how it gives some structure to a very unstructured garment. The lovely folks at Old Navy sent me a gift card a few weeks back and I've been saving it for something special. When I spotted this adorable flowered navy scarf last weekend I knew I had to have it. And I couldn't go a week without some red shoes, so into the mix they went! There really is nothing quite so comfortable as wearing jersey knit at work...

cardigan - Marshalls
scarf - Old Navy
cami - Costco
belt - Ross
pants - Gap via Crossroads
shoes - Michael Shannon

Wednesday - she's got legs

2010-02-11T20:22:00.000-08:00

Last time I wore this dress I also wore this purple cardigan. To try something a bit different I added one of my favorite combos of late - the skinny belt and flower pin. Having no plain black tights clean, I was forced to wear patterned gray ones. I was a little unsure about them, thinking maybe it was just too much, but I got lots of compliments and in the end, the look grew on me. I think the pattern of the tights, with the vertical lines, really made my legs look long and I always enjoy that.

The greatest accessory of all - a good hair day!

Pattern!

dress - Ross
cardigan - Marshalls
belt - Kohl's
flower - H&M
tights - Kohl's
shoes - Etienne Aigner
jewelry - Kohl's

Tuesday - keeping it simple

2010-02-11T20:15:00.000-08:00

Since it will likely start to warm up here soon (near 70 this weekend) I figured I should start wearing my turtlenecks and warmer sweaters while I still can. A turtleneck and black pants can be a bit borning, so I tried to add enough silver jewelry to keep it interesting.

This purple jacket is something I almost didn't buy, and have ended up wearing all the time. I tried it on in Marshalls one day while shopping with my mom. I decided I shouldn't buy a purple coat, I mean when would I wear it? But I kept thinking about - how it fit so perfectly, how the tie actually fit around my short torso waist and not around my hips like trenches usually do, how purple is such a lovely color. So I decided to buy it. But my Marshalls was out, as were the few others I tried in the area. My mom, trooper that she is, made a trip to the Marshalls near her house where we had originally seen the jacket and picked it up for me. Thanks mom!

These wedge heels are the most comfortable heels I own. Having something more than a tiny heel to balance on makes all the difference!

coat - Marshalls
turtleneck - Target
pants - Gap via Crossroads
shoes - Chinese Laundry
jewelry - Kohl's

Monday - oh no, just no

2010-02-11T11:55:00.001-08:00

This outfit did not work out. I didn't realize how much so until I saw the pictures. I think my face just about says it all :) I like each piece separately, but I am just not feeling this outfit. I don't know if it's the tights, or the cardigan or what.

skirt - Ross
cardigan - Costco
belt - Ross
tights - Kohl's
shoes - Etienne Aigner

Go Red

2010-02-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

As I was getting dressed Friday morning I heard the news anchor say it was the day to wear red for women's heart disease awareness. And I thought "thank you nice anchor lady for helping me with the daily morning question of what the heck am I going to wear today." I tried out my phone camera in one of the work bathrooms - not great, but a decent backup when I don't snap a pic at home.

cardigan - August Silk via Nordstrom
belt - Target
pants - Gap via Crossroads
shoes - Michael Shannon via Off Broadway

On Thursday I had gone to the dentist for a filling it turned out I didn't need (at least they caught that little factoid before they started drilling), so for my dentist-trauma I treated myself to a stop at Crossroads used clothing store. I have been needed black pants and I found a pair of like-new Gap dress pants for a mere $13.50 - score!

I feel pretty

2010-02-04T17:05:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I come upon an outfit that just makes me feel pretty and confident - and this is one of them. The cut of the skirt, the drape of the blouse, the length of the necklace - all combined to make me feel awesome. I love when that happens.

blouse - Macy's
necklace - QVC (this is a really long necklace that I usually wrap about 5-6 times to be fairly short, this is the first time I wore it wrapped just twice - I really like it - it has a Coco Chanel feel to me)
skirt - Esprit
tights - ??
shoes - Etienne Aigner

Comfortable vs. Flattering

2010-02-03T12:32:00.000-08:00

Tuesday:

jewelry - Kohl's
top - Kohl's
skirt - Banana Republic Outlet
tights - ??
shoes - Nine West via Marshalls

I don’t know if it is the weather (cold, rainy) or my workload (insane, stressful), but I just want to be really, really comfortable at work. Sure, I still break out the super high heels, but when it comes to my clothes I want to be able to move and breath and not be reminded of my remaining extra weight. Enter the too big bottoms. I have a bunch of skirts and pants that are a size or two too big. As such, they aren’t that flattering, but good heavens they are comfortable. Take this skirt, it hangs low on my hips and makes me appear larger than I am, but when I add a super soft turtleneck I’m almost as comfortable as I am in my pjs.

So what’s your take on comfortable vs. flattering? Do you suffer in the name of looking thin and stylish? Or are you willing to look a bit heavier than you are, and possibly border on sloppy, in the name of comfort? What are your favorite items that combine the ability to be both comfortable and flattering

Hip to be Square

2010-02-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

Mondays are a good day for pants, and it's always a good day for plaid. I saw my Isaac Mizrahi blouse, with its subtle square pattern, and thought it would be perfect with the pants. I remembered seeing Meg wear a scarf like this and decided it would give this outfit some punch. Sticking with my plaid/square theme, I pulled out this black and white check scarf (with tiny skiers) and I was all squared away - ha! What can I say, it's Monday, stupid jokes amuse me :)

scarf - Gap
blouse - Isaac Mizrahi for Target
pants - TJ Maxx
loafers - Nine West via Marshalls
book - law school, I felt this outfit looked very scholarly/academic so I figured a book was an appropriate accessory :)

Sunshine Day

2010-01-31T14:14:00.000-08:00

The last few days have been full of sunshine and blue sky and I couldn't be happier. I feel my productivity increasing and my mood lifting. Too bad all next week the forecast is rain :(

I ran some errands yesterday and resisted the urge to just throw on an old college sweatshirt.

cardigan - Kohl's
tee - Wal-Mart
jeans - Old Navy
flats - Marshalls
earrings and necklace - Kohl's

On Friday, I went through several variations of this outfit, and finally settled on this. The cardigan is more teal than the picture shows, and it is incredibly comfortable. I have finally gotten rid of some of my Christmas vacation weight, and was happy to welcome this skirt back into my wardrobe.

blouse - Wal-Mart
cardigan - Kohl's
skirt - Esprit
tights - ??
shoes - Marshalls

Pattern and Texture

2010-01-28T19:43:00.000-08:00

I had such good intentions last weekend about planning my week's outfits. Then it rained all weekend and it made me just want to cozy up on the couch, and not a single outfit got planned. Oops. Which is how I ended up wearing the exact same thing today as I did last Thursday. How very boring of me.

Yesterday I did try something new. I was inspired by Kristen’s post Monday where she did a fabulous job mixing patterns and textures. Kristen’s outfit turned out much better than mine, but this is definitely something I am going to try again. I have so many black and grey items in my closet and this is a nice idea to make outfits with more interest. So thanks for inspiring me Kristen! This weekend’s forecast includes some sun, so hopefully I will have some energy and finally, for once, actually get around to planning my week’s outfits like I always mean to.

Wednesday’s attempt at pattern and texture mixing:

The tights have an almost snakeskin pattern to them, but they were really a pain to try and capture in a picture...

Cardigan – TJ Maxx
Skirt – Banana Republic Outlet
Tights – Kohl’s
Shoes – Michael Shannon via Off Broadway
Necklace – gift
Earrings – Kohl’s

Patterns and Flower Pins

2010-01-26T06:55:00.000-08:00

Today I tried some pattern mixing. I'm no sure if plaid with argyle is a bit much, but I'm spending my day in my office so not many people are going to see it :)

vest w/ blouse attached - Kohl's
pants - TJ Maxx
shoes - Ross

Over the weekend I found this pair of black pants hanging in the laundry room - I had forgotten all about them. They are a cotton fabric, and a bit casual for work, but I figured add some heels, and who'd notice? I combined it with one of the other looks from last week's outfit evolutions and I was good to go.

pants - Gap
shoes - Nine West via Marshalls
belt - Marshalls
cardigan - Costco
pin - H&M, gift

A couple years ago my mom bought me this magnet that attaches to your pins so you can wear them without having to stick the pin into your clothing. She picked this one up at QVC, and I adore it. It is a really strong magnet and it makes it easy to wear pins even on delicate fabrics that you wouldn't want to stick an actual pin through.

A really long post, with subheadings, oh my!

2010-01-21T21:41:00.000-08:00

Lesson Learned

I’ve been struggling a bit figuring out outfits lately since I put on a few pounds over Christmas. It’s the kind of weight gain that people might not notice, but is enough to make a lot of clothes too tight. I guess that’s what happens when you don’t workout at all for 2 weeks and eat a million cookies. I will remember that next year and plan better. I haven’t made much (okay, any) progress in shedding this weight in the last 2 weeks. So I’ve made an arbitrary deadline of the start of the Winter Olympics to get back to my pre-Christmas weight. That’s about 3 weeks to lose 5 or so pounds – totally doable. I do well with deadlines, so I think this will work. Until then, I will just have to flex my creativity in finding things to wear to work.

Here’s some pics from last week that I never got around to posting.

Thursday
This is a total bargain outfit – the dress was $4, the cardigan was $3 and the belt was $3 – and crazy comfortable too. The dress is this shapeless thing, but I think the belt really helps to give it some shape. I was going to be boring and just wear a black cardigan, then I realized the blue in the dress matches a blue cardigan I have and I figure if some color is good, then more is better!

Cardigan – Target
Dress and belt – Ross
Necklace - Ross

Friday
I slept in Friday leaving little time to figure out an outfit. I wanted to again wear something comfortable so this elastic waist skirt was perfect. After a few tries, I ended up going with one of my new favorite looks – cardigan + belt + flower pin. I didn’t used to be a fan of navy and black, but it is really growing on me.

Skirt – Ross
Cardigan w/ attached blouse – Kohl’s
Belt – Marshalls, Christmas gift
Flower pin – H&M, Christmas gift

On to this week:
Monday was a holiday and Wednesday was a furlough day, so my outfits involved a lot of comfy oversized pieces, definitely not post worthy. Tuesday, um, I guess my excuse is it was really stormy? Anyway, the outfit was not post worthy.

Today:
These wool pants have a pretty short shelf-life in these parts. There aren’t many months that it’s cold enough for pants this warm, so I’ve been wearing the heck out of them. Not to mention they are a size or so too big which makes them really comfortable (do we sense a pattern here? It seems my main goal these days is comfort – I think if I could wear my pajamas to work I would seriously consider doing so). This outfit isn’t much different than how I’ve worn these pants in the past.

Sweater – Kohl’s
Lace trim tank – Old Navy
Necklace and earrings – Kohl’s
Pants – Limited via Marshalls
Shoes – BCBGirls via Marshalls

Another evolution of an outfit

2010-01-13T06:39:00.000-08:00

I had a total brain malfunction this morning and ended up wearing this repeat, rather than the new dress I had intended to wear. I guess staying up late and not getting much sleep was a bad idea...

Yesterday I did try a new outfit combination. Once again it took me several tries before I finally settled on an outfit, and once again I took a photo of each stage. So, what do you think - did I choose the right one?

Gray, gray and more gray

2010-01-11T18:43:00.001-08:00

I took Friday afternoon off and got my hair done - oh there's nothing like a fresh head of highlights to make you feel pretty :) I went to the Apple store on Saturday and got an iPhone - I'm in love. I spend a lot of hours just sitting in court, and I think my new iPhone is going to make those hours MUCH more enjoyable. I also did some baking over the weekend and even managed to get 8 hours of sleep last night. I was ready to face the week this morning!

It's been awhile since the sun has shown its face around these parts. It's not rainy, it's not really foggy, it's just gray - and it's making everyone a little depressed. Apparently the weather is influencing my fashion, because I found myself today in a palette of grey and black.

blouse - Target
earrings and necklace - Kohl's
bracelet - H&M, christmas gift
skirt - Banana Republic Outlet
tights - Kohl's
shoes - Etienne Aigner via MGM Shoes

Sticking With It

2010-01-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

I was a silly girl and didn’t plan today’s outfit ahead of time. Which worked out okay, because I woke up this morning with a terrible stomachache so I had to dress for that (whenever my tummy hurts I always want to wear the loosest clothes possible – no additional pressure on my poor tum-tum). These pants are a couple sizes too big, but I didn’t care this morning because they are super comfy. I stood in my closet for awhile before picking out my top half of the outfit, and it went through several incarnations before I found a way to make it work. I was proud of myself for trying different button/sleeve/accessory combinations and not just giving up. Look at me with my new-found patience (yes, taking the 10 minutes to figure this outfit out really IS patience for me).

Here are my first few tries

The cardigan wanted to spread out a bit on the bottom, but with some careful tugging it draped nicely. The far right is the final look.

blouse - Marshalls
pants - Target
cardigan - Nordstrom Rack
belt - Crossroads
shoes - BGBGirls
necklace and earrings - Kohl's

Can't Get Enough Purple

2010-01-05T20:35:00.000-08:00

I find myself really gravitating toward all the purple items I see in stores lately. Over my Christmas break I did a lot of shopping with my mom (of course) and picked up this purple dress at Ross for only $13 - what a deal. It's made out of a nice stretchy fabric that doesn't cling - making it both comfortable and flattering. I added some new jewelry and some old favorites and I really like the overall look.

A closer look at the print

My new bracelet

Silver!

cardigan - Marshalls
dress - Ross
tights - Betsy Johnson via Marshalls
shoes - Etienne Aigner via MJM Shoes
earrings - Kohl's
bracelet - H&M, Christmas gift
necklaces - Kohl's

Happy New Year

2010-01-04T20:09:00.000-08:00

I love a new year, if for no other reason then the sense of Fresh Start it creates. And I’d like a Fresh Start. To steal a quote from the ever-funny author Jen Lancaster, 2009 can kiss the fattest part of my ass. Oh 2010 – you will be better, in fact you will be great! This year I will remember to embrace hope, to believe that things will work out, and to look on the bright side. This picture in my Mary Engelbreit calendar has inspired my New Year's Resolution

In that vein, on my first day back to work I tried to have some fun. I got up early enough so I could actually sit down in my kitchen and have a nice breakfast and leisurely read a magazine (rather than eating at my desk while reading emails). I chatted with co-workers and laughed out loud. I wore a new ring and fun tights and a bunch of shiny silver jewelry.

Top – Kohl’s
Earrings, necklace – Kohl’s
Watch – Anne Klein via Marshalls
Ring – Cost Plus
Pants – Limited via Marshalls
Knee highs – Target
Shoes - Payless

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-20T12:34:00.000-08:00

Before I head off on vacation I have a couple of outfits from last week to post.

Thursday
I got the idea for this outfit from something I saw on How I Met Your Mother. Lily wore a ruffled blouse with a cardigan and I immediately thought of my purple ruffled blouse that I didn't think I was going to be able to wear again until it warmed up. I added a skinny belt and I really like how it turned out.

blouse - Marshalls
cardigan - Marshalls
skirt - Kohl's
tights - ??
shoes - Etienne Aigner via MJM Shoes

Friday
I wore this cardigan a week or so ago and didn't like how the outfit turned out. A couple of days ago I saw a similar cardigan worn over a pencil skirt and blouse - I loved the combination of the tailored with the loose fitting so I gave it a whirl, and I like it.

cardigan - Marshalls
blouse - Esprit
skirt - Marshalls
shoes - Nine West via Marshalls

I'm off work the next two weeks - between guests and travel the blogging is going to be minimal until next year. This past year has had its ups and downs for sure. I've found this blogging community to be so supportive and wonderful. I've enjoyed sharing my clothes, and my life, with all of you, and I look forward to continuing to do so in 2010! Happy Holidays everyone!

Dress For the Mood You Want

2009-12-16T16:38:00.000-08:00

Last night and this morning I was generally in a bad mood. Today I didn't even feel like putting any effort into my appearance. But I decided what I needed to do was to dress for the mood I wanted - so I did my hair, put on make-up and picked out a cute outfit that made me feel good. I think it made a difference. When I went to the dentist this afternoon I got all sorts of compliments on the color of my top (which is a beautiful eggplant and I could not seem to capture in the pics) and my braids. That made me feel even better. I'm happy to report my mood has turned around and I'm feeling good :)

top, necklace, earrings - Kohl's
jeans - Old Navy
scarf as belt - Mervyns (purchased w-a-y back in high school)
shoes - Target

Tuesday was a long day in court (hence the low heels). A wool skirt, comfy sweater, and colorful scarf got me through a long day and the happy colors were a lovely contrast to the cranky clients that I dealt with all afternoon.

sweater - Kohl's
scarf - Target
skirt - Old Navy
shoes - Marshalls

Slow Down, You Move Too Fast

2009-12-14T18:46:00.000-08:00

I don't know about all of you, but for me Christmas is approaching much too fast. Lots of presents to wrap (and some still to buy) and a TON to do at work before my 2-weeks off. However, I did manage to be super-productive over the weekend. I did all sorts of Christmas shopping and returned a bunch of things that have been hanging around the house (added bonus that the returns offset the purchases on the credit card). I went to the gym, cleaned the house, caught up on my DVR watching, and picked out my week’s outfits. That last one is going to make my mornings so much better. I went a step further this time and made sure to put tanks, tights, jewelry, etc. all together with the outfit in my closet. This morning, even with hitting the snooze button until 6:30, I still got out of the house on time – in large part because my entire outfit was all ready to go. I think this should be included in my new year’s resolutions – pick out week’s outfits over the weekend! It would tie in nicely with another potential resolution – get to work on time :)

Today was a mixing of neutrals, keeping in mind I would spend most of my day at my desk so I needed to be comfortable. This stretch skirt did the job nicely. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m going to mention it again because I’m so grateful – my mom saved this blouse by stitching down the pin tucks (which previously and puffed out rather unflatteringly) turning it from sloppy to tailored. Thanks mom!

Necklace, earrings, bracelet – Kohl’s
Blouse – Target, altered by mom
Skirt – Nordstrom Rack, altered by mom
Tights – Vera Wang for Kohl’s
Shoes – Etienne Aigner via MJM Shoes

Hmm. I edited my pictures from the end of last week on Friday, and had them all set to post, and then I got distracted by something and never got around to it. Oops. Here are last week’s remaining photos.

Thursday:
These pants are a bit too big, so they are even longer than usual. My pink heels were the only shoes tall enough to avoid my pants dragging on the floor. I didn't really think they matched, but my only other option was black - yuck. However, later in the day I realized the pants have little pink flecks the same color as my shoes.

top - Kohl's
pants - Limited via Marshalls
shoes - BGBGirls via Marshalls

Friday:
As always, my in-the-office-all-day outfit was less than polished. But it was comfortable, which was good because I ended up running around most of the day on work and personal errands.

dress - Target maternity
tee - Kohl's
cardigan - Nordstrom Rack
belt - Marshalls
scarf - ???
flats - Ross

Baby It's Cold Outside

2009-12-09T19:43:00.000-08:00

California has had quite a cold snap. When I left my house for work today and yesterday it was in the twenties! The twenties! I know for lots of people that's nothing, but here you can go most of the winter without a coat so being in the twenties is crazy. I've been trying to layer and I turn on my little heater at work as soon as I arrive.

Tuesday I was all about layers and warm fabrics. I sort of felt like an east coast 1970s college student, something about the blazer and longer skirt I think.

blazer - Marshalls
mock turtleneck - Kohl's
skirt - Target
tights - Betsy Johnson via Marshalls
boots - Gottschalks

Today's outfit was comfortable, and that's about the best thing I can say about it. The proportions were off, the flats didn't look good. This is definitely not a keeper.

earrings - Kohl's
long sleeve tee - Kohl's
jacket - Target
skirt - Old Navy
tights - Marshalls
flats - Ross

Just Glad the Week is Over

2009-12-04T17:55:00.000-08:00

First, thank you to everyone who commented on my last post with your super-helpful suggestions - I really appreciate it and am going to try them all!

This was one of those weeks that was just l-o-n-g and fairly unpleasant. I'm really glad to see it go. This weekend includes a Christmas parade and my niece's 3rd birthday party (complete with bounce house - awesome!). I'm going to try to relax and regroup and face next week rested and with a better attitude. And I am DEFINITELY going to schedule time on Sunday to pick out my week's outfits. It's getting cold and I haven't quite gotten into the swing of winter dressing yet.

Wednesday
I felt like I spent the whole day looking at my watch. Too bad every time I looked only a few minutes had past. The day was painfully long. I was at my desk all day so I figured I'd wear my comfy pants, pairing them with black rather than the usual purple top.

turtleneck - Kohl's
pants - Limited via TJ Maxx
shoes - Target

Thursday
This outfit featured one of the new pairs of tights I picked up over the Thanksgiving holiday. They have an almost lace-like pattern, but it didn't seem to photograph. The cardigan is actually navy (again, didn't photograph well), so the outfit was a mix of neutrals - navy, grey, black.

cardigan - Ross
skirt - Nordstrom Rack
tights - Kohl's
shoes - gift

Friday
Today I was very thankful for my optimistic and positively-thinking co-workers. Their attitude complimented my tending-to-the-negative thoughts. It was yet another desk day so I wore my too-big pencil skirt, which while a bit sloppy looking was super comfy. Sometimes I think it is worth it to choose comfort over fashion. My feet were in some serious pain this morning so I didn't even try to wear heels.

blouse - ??
vest - Target
skirt - Banana Republic Outlet
necklace and earrings - Kohl's
shoes - Marshalls

Hope everyone has a WONDERFUL weekend!

I blame the turkey

2009-12-01T18:28:00.000-08:00

I'm not that pleased with my outfits so far this week. And, as the title states, I blame the turkey. There's something about 5 days of relaxing and eating that makes getting back into the swing of work (and dressing for it) a little difficult.

Exhibit A - this dress is just too short

But I really like the neckline. So I'm hoping to salvage it somehow.

dress - Target
tights - Kohl's
shoes - Etienne Aigner

Exhibit B - it was really comfy, but I feel it lacked polish

scarf - outdoor market in D.C.
necklace and tee - Kohl's
cardigan - Marshalls
skirt - Ross
tights - ???
shoes - Chinese Laundry

As to the boy update - we've exchanged a few texts, but I'm hesitant to call as he's in the middle of law school finals. From what few memories of law school finals I haven't repressed, they sucked and I spent every waking moment studying and being sick to my stomach from the stress and anxiety. His finals are over in a couple weeks, so I guess I'm just going to have to be patient and see what happens.

Gobble Gobble

2009-11-25T07:15:00.000-08:00

Happy almost Thanksgiving! I'm going home for food, shopping, and relaxation. Hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving and enjoys their 4-day weekend.

In an effort to not freeze in my cold office I've embraced the joys of tights - it's amazing how they keep me warm. Sure I have a bunch of pairs, but you just know I'm going to have to pick up some new pairs this weekend :)

From the Pages of a Magazine

2009-11-16T18:11:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I went through a bunch of magazines. In some of the pages I had torn out I found an adorable outfit that I recreated using a sweater I picked up at Kohl’s on Saturday for less than $10 and a skirt I’ve had in my closet for 10 years and have never worn. I just love when I manage to salvage an item of clothing that's been lingering so long.

The inspiration:

My version:

earrings - Kohl's
necklace - Target
sweater - Kohl's
tank - Costco
skirt - Old Navy
shoes - Nine West via Marshalls

So, yeah, I'm still waiting on a call. Am I supposed to call? Is he going to call? Should I just shut up already? So many questions...

Joy

2009-11-13T19:39:00.001-08:00

Earlier this week I decided Friday the 13th was going to be a GOOD day. Thirteen is a lucky number, Friday is a good day, why not declare it a good luck day? And it was. My go-to color is usually pink, and today I combined my new favorite pink cardigan and what has become one of my favorite accessories - the pink flower pin.

cardigan - Costco
belt and flower - H&M
skirt - Kohl's
shoes - Michael Shannon via Shoe Pavilion

So, why was today such a good day? Well, I finally tapped into my inner brave self and marched over to cute boy, sat down and had a lovely long chat. Which led to us going to lunch. Come to find out today was his last day - which meant it was do or die time. After much consultation with one of the girls at work, I had a game plan. I was just going to march up and give him my number. Well, that would have worked but he wasn't at his desk. So I left him a note to come see me before he left. And he did. We chatted for a bit, and then I couldn't quite read the situation. Lunch went really well, and I knew I should just give him my number - nothing ventured nothing gained, right? Well, me being a total dork, I said to him after a long uncomfortable pause "I'm a total idiot, I'm sorry." Whereupon he reached into his wallet to hand me a card with his number just as I got the nerve to pick up the card I had with my number and had it to him. Numbers were exchanged, and victory was mine! He said something about having a nice time at lunch and gave me the most adorable smile and I just about melted. So yes, today was a very good day. That goofy smile in the picture - it's still on my face and I couldn't be happier to feel really happy again - it's been too long.

The Lure of On-Line Shopping

2009-11-10T20:10:00.001-08:00

Today was a repeat outfit, so let's talk about what I bought on-line at lunch. Macy's had some really cute petite dresses on their website, and I was powerless to resist. Plus, there was free shipping and you can return at the store - extra awesome. Hopefully at least one of these will work out.

I Heart Purple

2009-11-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how excited I am that purple is an in-color this season. Usually fall clothes are full of rust and mustard yellow and other colors that I look like death in. But purple - purple likes me and I like it! This top is a new purchase from Kohl's. It is made out of thin t-shirt-y fabric and is so incredible comfortable and soft - just what a Monday calls for!

Anna wanted in on the action too!

top, earrings, necklace - Kohl's
skirt - Esprit
shoes - Nine West via Marshalls

Shopping as Therapy and a Road Trip

2009-11-07T08:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was, for various reasons, a little disappointing. To soothe myself, I took an after work trip to Marshalls and found lots of good stuff. You wouldn't know it by this picture though - I look so sad and grumpy. I bought this pleated skirt probably 10 years ago and I don't think I've ever worn it. This is why I do not subscribe to the philosophy that says to get rid of anything you haven't worn in the last year. I think sometimes it just takes awhile for inspiration to strike, so you should hold on to things.

cardigan - August Silk via Marshalls
belt - Target
skirt - The Limited
shoes - Michael Shannon via Shoe Pavilion

This weekend I'm headed to Napa with some friends. Today is wine tasting and dinner out, tomorrow the spa and more wine tasting. My parents were nice enough to come up and dog-sit for me. I'm looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend.

In Good Company

2009-11-05T20:38:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days that I really liked my job - and all becuase of the nice people I work with. I work in a pretty small office, and everyone is so incredibly nice and helpful, it makes a very stressful job much easier to deal with. I was feeling very thankful today to have found a place to work where my co-workers really are a joy to work and socialize with.

necklace - Ross
earrings - Kohl's
sweater - Gap Outlet
skirt - Nordstrom Rack
shoes - BGBGirls via TJ Maxx

Too Tired For a Title

2009-11-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

It's been a l-o-n-g week. I've spent most of my days in court and my office is stacked with more files than I even want to think about. So let's not think about that, and instead talk about clothes :)

I finally purchased a new black pencil skirt this weekend. I'd been having a really hard time finding one. My mom and I went to Kohl's this weekend, and she is my shopping good-luck charm, so of course I found one. Plus a cute top and a ring. I had a 15% coupon and a $10 off coupon, so I got all three for $33. Oh bargains, how I love you.

I like to think of this as a sort of Mad Men look. It was cute-boy day so of course I put more time into picking out my outfit. Yes, I am in fact that shallow :) I think the fit of the top and skirt make for a very slimming profile and I was feeling quite cute today.

The skirt has cute little pleats on the bottom, not sure you can see them in the pic...

necklace, earrings, skirt - Kohl's
top - Macy's
shoes - BCBGirls

Yesterday was an insanely long day. I had to get to work early to prepare for court, and then stay late to visit clients at the jail. All of that added up to it being about 12 hours from the time I left home in the morning to when I returned in the evening. I felt as tired as I look in this picture. I was planning on being lazy and not adding any accessories, then I remembered this and added the flower pin.

blouse - Kohl's
pants - TJ Maxx
flower pin - Marshalls

Comfort Above All

2009-11-02T17:39:00.000-08:00

Some days my only goal is to be comfortable. If I also manage to be even a tiny bit stylish, well, that's just a bonus. Today was one of those days. I anticipated a very long day, with many client meetings, and knew I would want to be as comfortable as possible. Enter my jersey dress, which is as comfortable as pajamas. I added a bunch of necklaces for some interest.

dress - Target
necklaces - Kohl's
shoes - Marshalls

For Halloween my niece dressed up as Tinkerbell. So cute!

Such a little model:

Two Thumbs Up

2009-10-30T17:10:00.000-07:00

I had a fabulous Friday. I got tons of stuff done, I took off early to get ready to head to my parent's house for the weekend, and I had a nice long chat with cute-guy at work. That is just the way to end the week.

Yesterday was a really long day. I was in court most of the day and did NOT wear appropriate shoes for that amount of standing. My feet were killing me by the end of the day, so I gave them a break today and wore some foot-friendly flats. I'm always a fan of red accents so I added the red necklace to a comfy cardigan and elastic-waist skirt combo and I was ready to tackle my Friday.

necklace - Ross
cardigan - Nordstrom Rack
skirt - Ross
shoes - Target

Off with the cranky pants! On, with the, um, non-cranky pants!

2009-10-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

It hasn’t been a real joy to be around me the last couple of days. All day Monday I was super cranky. Yesterday wasn’t much better. Add to it PMS, and my increasing frustration with myself for continuing to eat way too much and the resulting fear that all the weight I lost will come back and then what will I have to show for my break-up and ensuing depression? It’s fun inside my head, isn’t it?

I decided enough was enough. Off with the cranky pants! I’m making a real effort to be in a better mood. Knowing my diet influences that I’m working hard to make healthy choices. So, it’s now a little safer to be around me. This morning I almost had a mini-meltdown on the way to work. So I gave myself a little pep talk, and I felt pretty darn good all day!

Tuesday
Inspiration comes in all sorts of places. Tuesday was my doggy’s birthday, and this outfit is inspired by her. Khaki and white because that is the color of her fur, with pink and purple accents because, well, she’s a girl. Thanks Anna-Banana I had no idea what to wear until you inspired me.

Skirt – Ross
Blouse – Kohl’s
Pink heels – BCBGirls (which you can't see because of the birthday girl)
Coat – XOXO via Marshalls

Of course I had to post a picture of Anna with her new stuffed cat. It was supposed to be indestructible. Yeah, um 5 minutes in and she was pulling the stuffing out. Oh well, she had a lot of fun in those 5 minutes :)

Wednesday
It was another possible cute boy day, so I wore my favorite dress that makes my legs look miles long. I'm having a hard time doing much to remix this dress, so I just tried it with a different necklace. I actually had a conversation with the cute boy, and in the course of the conversation he called me skinny. Ah, compliments, I'm sucker for them. Of course, my inner 16-year-old was in full force so I had a seriously hard time making eye contact. I am so darn smooth.

Anna wanted somemore blog time so she posed with me.

Dress - Sangria via Crossroads
Necklace - Kohl's
Shoes - Nine West via Marshalls

It was such a nice weekend, too bad now it's Monday

2009-10-26T17:58:00.001-07:00

I had a lovely weekend. I declared it a driving-free weekend and enjoyed walking and biking in the cooler fall weather. Today was a long day and I was cranky. I was going to hit the gym tonight, but I've decided not to. I'd rather take my dog for a long walk, clean up the house, and get to bed early.

On Fridays I sometimes run into a cute guy at work, so I try to look extra adorable, you know, just in case we run into one another. It's true, I'm 16 at heart :)

cardigan/blouse combo - Kohl's
belt - Target
skirt - Ross
shoes - Michael Shannon via Shoe Pavilion

Knowing today was going to be l-o-n-g I opted for comfort first and foremost. Pants, a stretchy top, some low heels and I was good to go.

top - Macy's
pants - TJ Maxx
necklace - Kohl's
shoes - Ross
fishnet knee highs - Target

An Exhausting Day

2009-10-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

I am tired. I knew today would be crazy when I arrived at work before 8am and the phone was already ringing with clients with problems. I spent the entire morning in court, as well as the entire afternoon. I got very little done because I was in court so much – grr! Tomorrow should be a good catch-up day. Luckily I wore something that was comfortable while sitting on a hard wooden bench for the better part of 6 hours. Tonight I did manage to get myself to ab/core class and do some cardio. That was about all I did – the rest of the evening was spent on my couch, remote in hand. I am looking forward to Friday!

Blouse – random boutique
Vest – Marshalls
Flower pin – H&M
Earrings – Kohl’s
Necklace – QVC
Skirt – Nordstrom Rack
Shoes – BCBGirls via Marshalls

Mid-Week Break

2009-10-22T07:01:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a court furlough day, and I have to say I am LOVING them. Others complain that it makes Thursday feel like Monday and who wants two Mondays in a week. I totally disagree. I think it is very energizing to have a whole day off in the middle of the week - it feels like such a treat. The weather was absolutely perfect- sunny, but cool with a nice breeze - so I decided it was a great day for biking. I biked to a couple classes at the gym, biked to lunch, and then to the grocery store. It was a like a little vacation. Can you tell I enjoyed myself? :)

Me and my bike:

My comfy flats - perfect for biking and walking

cardigan - Kohl's
tee - Target
jeans - Old Navy
flats - Payless

Three Posts in One

2009-10-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

Good heavens, I'm finally getting around to posting. When will I learn I need to do this before I go to the gym, because by the time I get home I'm too tired to do anything but sit on the couch and watch TV?

Friday - My parents came up for the weekend so my mom was nice enough to take Friday's pics for me.

tank - Banana Republic Outlet
shoes and cardigan - Nordstrom Rack
necklace and earrings - Kohl's
skirt - Esprit

My mom was also nice enough to help me pic out my week's outfits. It's so nice to have a second opinion and another person's input when putting together outfits. It's also made my mornings much smoother having outfits already picked out and ready to go.

Monday - I felt very 50s librarian in this outfit.

cardigan - TJ Maxx
skirt - Nordstrom Rack
necklace - QVC
shoes - Nine West via Marshalls

Tuesday - It was much colder than I anticipated so I veered from my planned outfit. This was a mistake. I don't really like this look. Too much black perhaps.

cardigan and skirt - Ross
blouse - Marshalls
scarf - Target
shoes - Marshalls

Meh

2009-10-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

That about sums up today. I can’t say I was very inspired this morning when I was getting dressed. I knew I wanted to wear pants, so I pulled out my blue pair (they are much more heather blue in real life then they are in the photo). I wasn’t feeling especially colorful so I went with a black top. Once I added black shoes I looked okay, but very blah. So I went to my jewelry collection - which has grown enormously in the past few months thanks to Kohl’s clearance section. They have TONS of jewelry, and often they have extra 15% off coupons, so I can score lots of great stuff for usually no more than $5 a piece. I think they help jazz up the outfit a bit - I still think the overall look is "meh" but the jewelry makes it a little less so.

pants - Limited via TJ Maxx
blouse - Target
necklace, bracelet, earrings - Kohl's
ring - QVC
shoes - BGBGirls via Marshalls

Showing My To-Do List Who’s Boss

2009-10-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a blustery stormy day (um, 2 weeks ago wasn’t it 100 degrees out? Yeah, I thought so) so practicality played a big role in what I wore. A skirt was out of the question (as was wearing my hair down). I decided to do a bit of a nerd chic thing (maybe I’ve been watching too many episodes of The Big Bang Theory) and broke out my plaid pants and my sweater vest. The little polka dot flower pin adds just a touch of pattern mixing and femininity. I was comfortable, weather-appropriate, and kicked my to-do list’s butt! I also ate as much as an Olympic athlete in training, but let’s just say I burned tons of calories crossing things off my to-do list, right? I thought so :)

blouse - random brand, from a random boutique
pin - Claire's
vest - Target
pants - TJ Maxx
shoes - Marshalls

Where Did the Weekend Go?

2009-10-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

Good grief, is it Monday already? I only work a 1/2 day today since I had to take the morning off so the plumber could come, so I guess I can't complain too much. It really does seem like it was JUST Friday though. My weekend consisted mostly of catching up on sleep (finally!) hanging out at my house with a couple of trips out for workouts and food.

On Friday I wanted to wear some of the new accessories I got at H&M last weekend. I remembered seeing this on academichic so decided to add my flower pin to my belt. I like the results. Apparently some random guy outside of Target did as well - because as we passed he says to me "cute" while pointing to the location on his waist where I was wearing the flower. This guy did not look like he was into fashion so I found the whole thing fairly amusing. Thanks random dude!

cardigan - Costco
belt and flower pin - H&M
skirt - Ross
shoes - Kohl's

Today is a court holiday - which means we work, but can wear whatever. It's getting much cooler out so I decided to wear a light jacket and a scarf - how I've missed layering over this long hot summer!

scarf - purchased on vacation in DC
top - Kohl's
jacket - Old Navy
jeans - Old Navy
shoes - Target

New Suit, Laundry Time

2009-10-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago I finally bit the bullet and did one of the most dreaded of shopping excursions - a suit shopping trip. My build (short torso requiring petite fit, long limbs requiring regular fit) make suit shopping extremely craptastic. However, none of my current suits fit and I have at least a half-dozen trials coming up in the next month or so. I found this suit at Marshalls. It's made out of an almost jersey fabric - so the stretch makes it incredible comfortable. It looks more rumpled in the pictures than it seems to be in real life (I hope!).

Suit - Kenar via Marshalls
Tee - Marshalls
Shoes - BGBGirls via Marshalls

Today I was just in a hurry to get out the door. I need to wash darks so I started with a black blouse and went from there :) I also recently purchased some Tarte eyeliner for the inner rim of the lower eye. I wore it for the first time today. I rarely wear eyeliner but I absolutely love how when I do wear it, it makes my eyes pop.

Blouse - Target
Skirt - Ross
Shoes - Nine West via Marshalls
Necklace - Target
Earrings - Kohl's

Pinstripes and Tarts

2009-10-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

Today I wore the stretch pinstripe skirt my mom recently altered for me, and it's become one of my new favorite skits. Last week I paired it with a purple cardigan, and wasn't too fond of it, so today I tried a different cardigan (what can I say, I love cardigans). I think I like this with the dark green cardigan the best so far. I'd like to try it with a blouse, but I'm not sure which blouse is going to work, and I haven't taken the time to figure it out.

cardigan - TJ Maxx
earrings - Kohl's
skirt - Nordstrom Rack, altered by mom
bracelet - Ross
shoes - Nine West via Marshalls

Lately I've been in a baking mood. In the last few weeks I've made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookie bars, oreo fudge, and brownies. All of it goes to work, and everyone eats it up. I love to bake, but don't want to eat it all myself - so thanks coworkers :) Last night I made Pioneer Woman's Apple Tart and I don't know how it tasted (I don't like fruit desserts), but it sure was pretty. It was all gone by the end of the day, so apparently it was a hit at work.

Hello Cool Weather

2009-10-06T05:46:00.000-07:00

The last week or so has continued to feel very fall like - with chilly mornings and mild afternoons. I'm enjoying wearing different things in my closet (or the same things without being hot).

Thursday - I'm really glad I got these plaid pants, they are really comfortable and I think I'm going to get a lot of use out of them.

pants - limited via TJ Maxx
top - target (with new black buttons courtesy of mom)
earrings - kohl's
shoes - nine west via marshalls

Friday - These pink shoes have turned out to be a favorite, and I happened to just buy them out of desperation (I needed cute shoes for an event and I was shopping the day of) - I love when that works out!

cardigan - Nordstrom Rack
skirt - Old Navy
shoes - BGBGirls via Marshalls

Monday - it was so cold in the morning I had to add a scarf - it's been months and months since I've been able to wear a scarf - I've missed them!

scarf - purchased on vacation in DC
cardigan - nordstrom rack
tee - kohl's
pants - tj maxx

Starting to Feel Like Fall

2009-10-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

The weather here, at least temporarily, has started to feel decidely less summer-like. After a weekend of temps near 100 the last few days have had highs only in the 70s - ah, what a relief.

Tuesday I thought I would have to appear before an intimidating judge so I made sure to wear a blazer - I thought I would feel more professional that way. There was a visiting judge so my nerves were for nothing.

Another new pair of earrings I purchased last weekend

blazer - Michael Kors via Marshalls
blouse - Gap
skirt - Esprit
earrings - Kohl's
shoes - Madeline via Ross

Yesterday I did a repeat outfit - though I did change out the shoes and jewelry (including yet another new pair of earrings). My hair was nice and cooperated with me getting fairly wavy. Having my hair trimmed and colored last week has much SUCH a difference - it seems to behave and I have no more roots - how lovely!

dress - Sangria via Crossroads
necklace and earrings - Kohls
shoes - BGBGirls via Marshalls

Monday and Oh-No

2009-09-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

Shocking, I'm behind on my posts :)
Monday's outfit started out well with my pinstripe a-line skirt. The green cardigan I wore it with last time was dirty so I wore this plum one instead. This cardigan needs help. I've yet to wear it in a way I like. Perhaps it will be better as weekend wear... Or maybe it's the belt... I dunno.

one of the five new pairs of earrings I bought over the weekend:

cardigan - Kohl's
belt - AE via Marshalls
skirt - Nordstrom Rack, altered by mom
shoes - Nine West via Marshalls
earrings - Kohl's

As for the Oh-No - well there is this intern at work who is cute and in his thirties - score. I mentioned it to the secretaries so they could acquire information for me (heaven forbid I talk to a cute boy on my own!). They did, but in doing so he now knows someone in the office has been inquiring as to his dating status (which, I might add, is that he is single). Um, there are only 2 single attorneys in the entire office, plus the girl interns. Crap. Now my shy self wants to just close my office door and never make eye contact with him again. Yes, I am a wuss. Obviously.

I Feel Special

2009-09-30T12:24:00.001-07:00

Two of you lovely ladies were kind enough to give me awards - and it warms my heart.

Nurmisur gave me the Award Blog with a Golden Heart - thank you!

Eednic passed on the Honest Scrap award - thank you! This involves my telling you 10 honest things about myself - and I've been thinking about it for the last 24 hours - this is tough!

1. I fear dating. I didn't really do much of it in my twenties, and now the idea scares me. I just want to get to the point where your in a relationship and it's comfortable and fun and not nerve-wracking.

2. I was in marching band in high school and loved it. If there was a marching band for adults I would TOTALLY join.

3. I worry. A lot. About everything.

4. When I wake up in the morning the only thing I feel like eating is some kind of sweet - a cookie, a piece of candy - and because I can, I go ahead and eat it.

5. I tend to be quite shy.

6. My current favorite TV shows are Big Bang Theory and Glee.

7. My favorite part of vacations is the walking around the city all day - I love the outdoors when it doesn't involve dirt and bugs and, well, nature :)

8. I love politics, what can I say, I was a political science major and I adored every minute of it.

9. My make-up knowledge is extremely limited. I have about 5 minutes of stuff I know how to do and then I'm done. Some day I'll get up the nerve to go to Sephora and have them teach me something.

10. I love to grocery shop.

Last Week

2009-09-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

Since my inspiration was still minimal last week I tried to keep things simple.

Tuesday I pulled out my argyle sweater which shrunk quite nicely in the wash and now fits much better. I realized that it matches the colors in my flower shoes that were dumped on the closet floor) (not putting my shoes away comes in handy!). Add some pearls and I was good to go.

sweater - Target
necklace - gift
pants - Limited via TJ Maxx
shoes - Kohl's

Wednesday I was feeling FAB as it was my last work day for the week and the trial I had scheduled for the next week was dismissed so that meant I didn't have to spend my long weekend working. I pulled out my new hot pink cardigan in celebration. I was feeling so good I even busted out the curling iron and curled my hair. I like the end result, but I'm going to have to get quicker than the 20 minutes this took to do it again.

cardigan - Costco
top - Marshalls
scarf - Gap
skirt - Old Navy
shoes - Nine West via Ross

Keeping It Simple

2009-09-21T19:01:00.001-07:00

Thanks for your comments about breaking out of my lack-of-inspiration fashion rut. I've written them all out on a post-it I put in my closet - I'm sure they will help me through my mornings until I get my inspiration back.

Friday I kept it simple with a classic white and khaki combo with a bit of black and red and a little bit of "dot" theme going on.

blouse and necklace - Kohl's
skirt - Ross, altered by my mom
shoes - BGBGirls via Marshalls

Today I was mostly just daunted by the 100-degree forecast and tried to find something I wouldn't melt it. Not really sold on this look (hence the "dunno" pose). I don't think the silhouette of the skirt works with the blouse - they are both too A-liney to work together. Next time I wear this skirt I'm going to try it with a more fitted top.

belt and shoes - Target
skirt and blouse - Kohl's

Uninspired

2009-09-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

Lately getting dressed has turned into a real chore. I don’t know if it’s because the weather here still thinks it’s summer (the highs for the next 10 days include upper 90s) and I’m just sick of dressing in a way to stay cool enough to avoid sweating all day. I don’t know if it’s just because I’m generally feeling blah and it’s carrying over to my wardrobe. All I know is that I used to love getting dressed – finding new outfits, accessorizing, trying new things - and now the fun is gone.

I have tons of pics from blogs of outfits I really like that I’ve put in an electronic file. I have a ridiculous amount of magazine clippings of cute outfits. What I don’t have is any sort of idea of how to turn that into reality. I just feel overwhelmed, and that's just sad. I mean, it's fashion, it should be fun, not overwhelming.

So here is my question – where do you find inspiration? Once you find inspiration how do you go about translating that into your outfits? Do you work with what you have? Shop for new stuff? I’m feeling really lost – give me some guidance dear readers!

Preppy and Plaid and Ruffles

2009-09-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY
Friday (yes, again I’m so very late posting pictures) I was channeling Jen Lancaster and went preppy. (As a very long aside – if you haven’t read - or listened to on tape - her books – do it! Now! They are laugh-out-loud funny) Preppy is one of those timeless styles that I do have a fondness for. I don’t consider myself to have a certain look – I think I dabble in all sorts of different kinds of fashion – put preppy is one that is always fun to me. My doggy decided she wanted in on this shot as well...

Argyle cardigan – Tommy Hilfiger via Marshalls, gift from Mom
Blouse – Gap (purchased in college)
Skirt – Old Navy
Shoes – Nine West via Ross
Necklace and earrings – gifts

MONDAY
Over Labor Day my mom and I hit up Marshalls and TJ Maxx (among others) and I finally found dress pants for work. I went back and forth over this plaid pair – how practical were they? Would I wear them much? Was $20 too much to pay? Am I really so cheap that $20 is too much for me to pay? Finally I decided they were cute and I like them so I would “splurge” and purchase them.

Sweater – Banana Republic Outlet
Pants – Willi Smith via TJ Maxx
Shoes – Target
Necklace – gift

TUESDAY
I have developed an intense love for ruffles. The timing of which seems to be spot-on as I’ve been finding ruffles everywhere – joy! This blouse is yet another Labor Day Weekend purchase – and quite a deal too for the bargain Marshalls clearance price of $10. Given the nice comments I’ve been getting when I wear colored tops I’m making an effort to purchase and wear more color – in this case a lovely magenta/plum hybrid.

Blouse- Marshalls
Skirt – Esprit
Shoes – Nine West via Marshalls

Tomorrow is a court furlough day, and I must say I am VERY much looking forward to the mid week break.

Early Morning

2009-09-10T20:45:00.000-07:00

Because my brain tends to shut-down around 3:30pm (I am SUCH a morning person), I didn’t get all my work done yesterday. Which was a shame, since I needed it done in time to go to court at 9:00am today. All of which meant another morning at work right about the time the sun started to rise. Ugh. Add to that my hitting the snooze button more times than I can count, equaled a fairly frantic morning. My outfit was totally grab and go.

cardigan - TJ Maxx
earrings - Kohl's
skirt - Esprit
shoes - Nine West via Marshalls

In light of what I discussed yesterday I’m trying to let it go more. To not worry about everything all of the time until my stomach hurts and I want to cry and I start to eat whatever I can find even if I’m not at all hungry. A few years ago while reading this blog she mentioned she gets these emailed Notes From The Universe. I've been hooked ever since. They often provide just the words of wisdeom I need. Here are a few recent ones - ones I definitely need to try to keep in mind on my quest to let it go (and to remember the importance of thinking good thoughts and to generally just BELIEVE everything will be okay).

Whatever it is you want, think about it. Think and think and think. And as surely as day follows night, that which you have thought about will be drawn into your life - be it answers, friendships, health, abundance, or love.

It's the law.
The Universe

Do you know why dogs are so quick to wag their tails and cats are so quick to purr? Even the ones that have been lonely, abused, and betrayed? Because, as is true of all animals, they were instilled with the distant awareness that no matter what the world shows them, they're still deeply loved and needed, that their presence alone has made a difference, and that in just the shake of a leg, seemingly without reason or rhyme, everything can FANTASTICALLY change for the better.

As is true of all people, except sometimes they tend to forget.
Purrfectly,
The Universe

It doesn't matter that the road's been rough, that you now have challenges, or that uncertainties loom on the horizon. None of these change the fact that for every thought you think today, worlds will come tumbling into existence. For every word you speak, legions will be called into action. And for every step you take, matter will be drawn from the ether.
Jeez -
The Universe

One of the trickiest things about life, Heather, is that, at times, it happens so slowly.

The real reason so many have trouble with the baby steps -- doing all they can, with what they've got, from where they are, no matter how humble or seemingly futile -- is because they haven't yet grasped that the baby steps trigger unseen forces that throw wide the floodgates of unstoppable momentum, infinite abundance, and eternal life.
Just some tiny steps,
The Universe

Living the life of your dreams is a lot like sailing. You pick your destination, hoist up your sail, make minor adjustments while the journey is underway, and let the wind do all the hard work. In other words, imagine the end result, do what little you can, make minor adjustments while the journey is underway, and let me blow your mind. Of course there are also a few "don'ts." Like don't think that just because there's magic in life you won't have to hoist up your sails, or that doing so will instantly deliver you to your destination. Don't assume that just because there isn't wind one day it's a "sign" that something is wrong, or that you won't have it tomorrow.
Phe-e-e-e-e-e-e-w!
The Universe

New-ish Things and Slow Learner

2009-09-09T20:03:00.000-07:00

My mom has been helping me revive some wardrobe items that have been out of commission for a variety of reasons. The zipper on this skirt broke years ago, but I also gained too much weight to fit into it, so there wasn’t a big rush to fix it. Once it did fit, my mom was kind enough to replace the zipper and now I have a good-as-new skirt that I haven’t seen in years. Awesome. Since I couldn’t figure out what to wear with my new high-waist skirt, I wore this skirt instead. Khaki is such a nice summer staple, and since California weather is confused and has decided September is a perfect time for 100+ temps, summer items are super appropriate. I can’t wait for fall - with its layering and not being hot all the time…

Blouse – Old Navy
Earrings and Necklace – Kohl’s
Skirt – Ross, fixed by mom
Shoes – Kohl’s

I can be a really slow learning sometimes. I’ve been having some really cranky days lately. As in temper tantrum and/or crying fits cranky – not pretty. It all boils down to what I have struggled with for YEARS – letting it go. I want to control things, people, events, time frames, -- the works. The more I try to control them, the less things happen the way I want them to. When I do, somehow, manage to let it go – and seemingly like magic things often just fall into place. But getting to the point where I’m willing to let it go, to try and NOT micromanage everything, that’s the hard part. When failing to do it makes me so cranky I throw hissy fits left and right, at that point I think it is a big sign from The Universe to chill the f&*% out and just let it go. I’m trying Universe, I swear I’m trying.

When in doubt - go with red

2009-09-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

It is no secret that I am a fan of red accessories. I really feel that they jazz up an outfit like no other color can. And so, on this Tuesday morning, when I woke up groggy from too little sleep and my brain didn't want to work, red accessories saved the day. This outfit would have been pretty boring without the red belt and shoes. So thanks red accessories!

(yes that's a giant weed in the bottom right corner - can you tell I need to do some yard work?)

blouse - Kohl's (new purchase this weekend)
earrings - Kohl's
belt - Target
pants - Limited via TJ Maxx (new purchase this weekend - clearance for $7 - score!)
shoes - Madeline via Ross

A Favorite Color Combo and An Old Standby

2009-09-04T17:25:00.000-07:00

Kimberly’s inspiration calendar said Thursday was Aqua and Red Like Diana. This is a favorite color combo of mine – both for dressing and decorating. I’ve worn this cardigan-belt combo before but decided to pair it with a khaki skirt. This skirt is a bit too snug, and did very unkind things to my bottom, but I really wanted to wear it. My solution? Hike it up a bit so it rested a few inches above my waist, thus giving my dupa more room and my outfit a better rear view. I haven’t worn this skirt possibly ever, even though I’ve had it about 10 years. I was delightfully surprised to find it had zip pockets! Oh how I love pockets.

Cardigan – August Silk via Nordstrom Rack
Belt – Target
Cami – Costco
Necklace - Kohl's
Skirt – Old navy
Shoes – Nine West via Ross

Today I would have gotten to work about 30 minutes early had I been able to figure out what to wear!!!! It was one of those frustrating mornings where nothing looked right and I cursed myself for not picking out my outfit the night before. I finally ended up with a virtual repeat, only with a different black skirt this time around. It was comfortable and cute, even if it was a bit on the boring side. I’m going to my parents house this weekend, but I will definitely set aside some time Monday night after I get home to pick out my outfits. It really makes for much smoother weeks, and I know this, I just don’t make the effort to make the time to Get It Done.

Blouse – Target
Skirt – Esprit
Shoes – BGBGirls via Marshalls

Hope everyone has a great 3-day weekend! See you Tuesday!

More Bold Color

2009-09-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

Once again using Kimberly's calendar as inspiration, I wore a pencil skirt today. Well, a dress that looks like a pencil skirt. It's a repeat outfit so no picture. Tonight was also my chick lit book club night. It was 99 degrees at 6pm, so I opted for something nice and cool. I bought these capris a few weeks ago and this is the first time I've worn them. I really like the bold coral color. Overall, today did not go as well as yesterday. My sour face says it all.

top - Ross
necklace - QVC
earrings - Kohl's
capris - Old Navy
shoes - Sam & Libby

My camera battery had to be charged, so I couldn't take pics until I got home from the book club. I was having some serious issues finding a good indoor spot for my pictures. And I had some issues with my remote. This inadvertent pic makes me laugh - it really is quite the pose :)

A Big Splash of Color

2009-09-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

According to the always-lovely Kimberly and her September inspiration calendar, today was “Make it Bright like Treesaw”

Given that I had to go to court today (a.k.a. the land of drab black suits) I decided to add a punch of color to my basic black skirt. This blouse is incredibly comfortable and I adore the color.

blouse - Tommy Hilfiger via Marshalls
skirt - Esprit
earrings - Kohl's
shoes - Nine West via Marshalls

Today I am finally starting to feel back to normal after my new birth control pill fiasco. I wasn't yawning all day and barely staying awake. And I didn't randomly burst into tears. How lovely. It had me jumping for joy :)

August Recap

2009-08-31T20:05:00.000-07:00

Once again my posting went all wonky and non-existent. I have such good intentions…

Thursday 8-27-09
I'd like to think this outfit looked better in person than it does in pictures.

Blouse – Old Navy
Vest – Marshalls
Skirt – Ross
Shoes – BCBGirls via Marshalls

Friday 8-28-09
A day of getting things done around the office. Comfort was key. Then leaving work a bit early (it was FRIDAY after all) and driving to my parents house (hence my childhood bedroom setting)

Tank – Costco
Cardigan – Target
Necklace – Ross
Skirt – Gap
Shoes – Madeline via Ross

Saturday 8-29-09
My niece was sweet enough to pose with me – what a cutie. We went to her soccer class this morning and then out for donuts (my favorite breakfast). Then we did some shopping and then hung out at my sister’s house. These cutoffs are new (finding shorts in August is hard - how weird - it's going to be hot here for another 2 months and I need more shorts!) and they just say summer vacation to me – I want to swing in a tire swing and drink lemonade and just r-e-l-a-x.

Tank – garage sale
Tee – Old Navy
Shorts – Kohl’s

Monday 8-31-09
I took my last of the stupid new birth control pill Saturday and I’m starting to feel a bit better this morning. Yesterday I was still tired and my moods were all over the place, but today slightly less so. Though I was ridiculously cranky…

I brought home some clothes that needed alterations to my mom over the weekend, including this skirt. It had a small tulle ruffle that was attached to the lining of the skirt – which made it sort of dressy and was also scratchy. My mom took it off, re-surged the seam and it was good to go. She also removed the rhinestone buckle from the satin sash and hand stitched the sash so it just lays flat across the waistband. I haven’t worn this skirt in 6 years because the tulle and buckle made it too dressy for work – now I have something comfortable and cute to wear that is “new” and didn’t cost a penny – thanks Mom!

Cardigan – Banana Republic via Crossroads
Tank – Costco
Necklace – Kohl’s
Skirt – Nordstrom Rack, altered by Mom

After eating ridiculous amounts of food the last couple weeks (which I also choose to blame on my birth control) I felt like I had a "food baby" today - all bloated and icky. Add to that my general cranky attitude and this is about how I felt today:

I'm looking forward to the start of September - a love new months, and especially September. It makes me think of back to school and cooler fall mornings and new beginnings.

Getting it DONE

2009-08-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

A bit of pattern mixing:

blouse - Old Navy
skirt - Esprit
necklace, earrings, shoes - Kohl's

I dragged myself out of bed this morning at 5:00. It was much easier once I could tell myself – you are tired because of your medicine, more sleep isn’t going to help - that made avoiding the snooze button much easier. I got to work before 7:00 and started working on my Writ. It is due tomorrow, but I needed to get it done today so I had time to fix any corrections that might need to be done when I try to file it with the Court of Appeals tomorrow. And you know what? I. Got. It. Done. It was a good feeling (especially since my anxiety/stress about this Writ has led my cookie/candy consumption to increase by about 1,000,000% - yikes!)

Inspired by this, I continued on with my “let’s get it done“ attitude this evening. I did laundry, went to Boot Camp, went to Target and Kohl's, washed dishes, and got my lunch/outfit/bag ready for tomorrow. And now? I’m exhausted, but happy to have been so productive.

Thanks for all your comments to yesterday’s post – it’s nice to know other’s have had to go through various birth control pills before they found the right one. I left a message with my doctor, so hopefully I’ll hear back from her soon.

Another Frantic Morning

2009-08-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

(I still need to charge the battery for my good camera, hence the crappy photo quality)

Cardigan – Nordstrom Rack
Earrings – Kohl’s
Necklace – QVC
Skirt – Kohl’s
Shoes – BCBGirls via Marshalls

Despite my attempts to pick out my weeks outfits on Sunday, my plan seems to have failed. The outfit I picked out for yesterday seemed fine on Sunday, but when I put it on Monday morning looked awful – which led to a flurry of outfit changes and my being late to work. This morning was no different. I went through four cardigans before I settled on this one. It’s a cardigan! Where’s the big decision?? Jeez. I need to do better at this outfit planning stuff. Nobody really cares (other than me) if I’m 10 minutes late to work, but I just hate the frantic feel these mornings have – it is just not a good note to start your day, you know?

I know I’ve mentioned before that lately I simply cannot seem to get up in the morning without hitting my snooze button for at least 30 minutes. While I’ve yet to find an explanation for my lack of ability to pick an outfit, I do think I’ve found an explanation for my fatigue. I recently started a new birth control pill. I talked to my sister/pharmacist about it and how tired I’ve been. She told me the new birth control is basically the third week of my old pill all the time. The third week of my old pill was the week I was bone tired. So my new pill basically makes me bone tired for the ENTIRE MONTH. And it makes my skin breakout like a teenager. I think I’d rather deal with the side effects of the old pill.

On a brighter note – last night as I was leaving the gym my friend J called and invited me over for wedding cake. So I went over, along with a few of her other friends, and ate wedding cake and watched a slideshow of some pics of the wedding her bridesmaid brought over. And she sent me home with a large wedge of cake - yummy. It was such a nice evening – spontaneous fun!

Weekends - they move too fast

2009-08-23T20:27:00.001-07:00

This weekend went by way too quickly. Saturday was my friend J's wedding. It was a very nice ceremony and the bride and groom looked so happy. Weddings and I have some issues - they make me simultaneously hopeful, bitter, and sad. Oh well, the day wasn't about me, it was about J and her new husband - and I wish them a lifetime of happiness. A couple years ago the ex-boy invited me to a wedding. It required an emergency trip to Macy's for a dress. I've since worn it to four weddings - it's so nice to have an oufit all ready to go.

Today I didn't really feel like socializing so I took myself to the movies to see Harry Potter. I only managed one picture before my battery died...

cardigan - Gap
tee - Kohl's
shorts - Old Navy
flip flops - Clarks
necklace - Kohl's

I did some surgery on a new necklace. I just didn't like the way it looked with all the chain, so I took my needle-nosed pliers and made some adjustments. I like the finished product.

I Really Should Buy More Dresses

2009-08-21T15:23:00.001-07:00

Getting ready this morning was so fast - it was great. I put on a dress and I was good to go. Too bad I have a hard time finding dresses that fit - with my short torso and long limbs. But I will not give up, I will continue to shop :)

dress - Sangria via Crossroads
heels - Nine West via Marshalls

Happy Weekend!

Laundry and Seersucker

2009-08-20T21:20:00.000-07:00

LAUNDRY

Tuesday I once again dressed according to what load of laundry I needed to do. Darks is the next to be washed to I wore my bold coral cardigan. It is definitely a can't-be-ignored color and it's a nice contrast to the blacks and grays that dominate courtrooms.

cardigan - Nordstrom Rack
skirt - Ross
shoes - Nine West via Ross

SEERSUCKER

Earrings – Kohl’s
Jacket – Michael Kors
Sleeveless top – Ross
Skirt – Gap
Shoes – Madeline via Ross

Today was one of those mornings where I just could not pick out what to wear (and don't really like what I ended up wearing) and ended up being about 20 minutes late to work because of it. I’m running out of pants and skirts that aren’t too big (I know – wah, what a problem to have) and have limited options in terms of bottoms. I had to go to court today so I didn’t want to be too casual, but I also wanted to wear some color, or at least not all gray and black. It is definitely the season for seersucker so I decided to wear half of my seersucker suit. This skirt really started to tick me off today – when I walked it kept wanted to get sucked (for lack of a better word) between my thighs like it was trying to be a shorts. Can you tell I was generally having an off day? I was tired and cranky and I didn’t run into any of the cuties at work today – maybe tomorrow. Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday. I’m going to get a donut tomorrow morning because you just can’t have a bad day when you start it out with a sprinkled donut :)

On a better note – I had yesterday off and went to the boot camp class at my gym. It was great! It totally kicked my butt in a really good way. I am definitely going to try to go every week. Yesterday I finally got around to scheduling a repair person to come fix my microwave and oven. He also fixed my dishwasher so the bottom drawer now stays open when I load it – such a little thing, but SO nice to have it fixed. It felt good to finally cross those things off my to-do list.

From The Shoes Up & Yum-O

2009-08-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

sweater - Marshalls
earrings and necklace - Kohl's
skirt - Esprit
shoes - Kohl's

A couple of weeks ago I went to Kohl’s with my friend J. Armed with a 15% coupon and an eye for sales, we scoured the store. I found these fabulous flower print pumps for just $10 – oh how I love a bargain. I decided to let the shoes be the focus, and kept the rest of the outfit simple with a black pencil skirt and a fine gauge sweater in the same blue as the shoes. Add some silver jewelry, and I was out the door in record time. Which was good since I needed to be at work by 7pm to finish prepping for my 9am hearing (thankfully the rest of this week should be less crazy).

As though the Universe was atoning for the fact that I had to get to work so early today, it provided me a fabulous surprise after work. There are a couple of very cute guys that I come into contact with periodically in the course of my job. One of these guys must have been going to the gym after work and was walking to his car shirtless. Even from across the parking lot I could see his sculpted torso. Now THAT is how you end a day of work.

Score

2009-08-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

I popped into Old Navy on Sunday with the idea of looking for new workout clothes. I grabbed some workout stuff and on a whim picked up a few pairs of jeans to try on. While none of the workout clothes I tried on fit, I did pick up three new pairs of jeans for the low price of $19 each. And, as an added bonus, they are 2 sizes smaller than what I usually wear at Old Navy. Break-up weigh loss you are a true delight - please stick around, okay? Thanks!

Punches of Purple

2009-08-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

Once again I had a no-court Friday, so I busted out the casual wear. I had to get to work early (6:30 - ugh!) to finish a motion, so I was all about comfort. I've work this cardigan before, but never with a color underneath. I like it with the punches of purple.

cardigan - Nordstrom Rack
tee - Vera Wang for Kohl's
pants - Gap Outlet
belt - AE via Marshalls
shoes - Target

Not sure if I like the cardigan better buttoned or unbuttoned, so I just went back and forth throughout the day :)

A Favorite

2009-08-12T19:52:00.000-07:00

I had yesterday off, so it was a little tough getting up and ready for work this morning. So, I turned to one of my fashion favorites - red accessories.

blouse - Old Navy
earrings - Kohl's
necklace - Ross
skirt - Esprit
shoes - Michael Shannon (I actually wore different red shoes today, but forgot them at work)

I spoke too soon yesterday when I said things were calming down. I got to work this morning, went to my box, and found about 5 new jury trials assigned to me, including one that starts Tuesday of next week and requires a researched motion by Friday. Yikes. I'm trying to take it bird by bird so I don't get overwhelmed.

Party Recap and a late pic

2009-08-11T15:11:00.001-07:00

Thanks for all the help with the bachelorette party. I took an emergency shopping trip to Marshalls and found no metallic shoes or purses. So I went into my closet and decided I MUST have something that would work. I ended up doing red accents - a small red shoulder bag and red strappy sandals. We had a blast - I drank margaritas, talked up a cute guy (a total player, but still, it was fun), and even danced a little (so not like me). If my camera had worked that night I'd have pictures to post.

Since I haven't taken any outfit pics lately, I'll post an outfit from last Friday that I didn't get around to posting earlier.

cardigan - Nordstrom Rack
necklace - Kohl's
top - Marshalls
pants - Gap Outlet
shoes - Sam & Libby

I'm hoping to actually get back into the groove of taking pictures and posting them regularly. Things have been a bit crazy, but they seem to be calming down now. Thank goodness.

Fashion Question

2009-08-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

I'm going to a bachelorette party tomorrow night. Which will include salsa dancing and going to a club to dance. I think I've settled on a teal jersey dress (pictured below) but now the question is what shoes and purse? We will be walking from restaurant to dancing to club, so I need to be semi-comfortable. I also don't have pockets so I need someplace to put my phone-keys-money-etc. What kind of purse does one take to a club? Help!

Outfits and photos are funny things

2009-08-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

Why is it some outfits you KNOW are cute in person, but do not photograph well at all? And other outfits you THINK look cute are revealed to you in pictures to be utter disasters?

It was a case of the latter on Wednesday. I love this grey skirt – it fits low on my waist (my preference) and is stretchy making it super comfortable. I knew it was a little big, but I didn’t think it looked so darn lumpy. Good thing I looked at my photos on my computer before I went to work. I did a last minute skirt change and I think it was for the better.

Before:

After:

top - Gap Outlet
flower pin - Claire's
necklace - QVC
skirt - Gap
shoes - Madden Girl

Back to Basics

2009-08-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

blouse - Isaac Mizrahi for Target
necklace - Trifari
skirt - Banana Republic Outlet
shoes - BCBGirls

When I’m having trouble deciding what to wear, I turn to the pencil skirt and blouse combo. It’s classic, it’s professional, and it’s my go-lo look of late. Added to this decision making process was the laundry situation. Do you ever dress according to what load of laundry you’re going to do next? I have some whites soaking in the washer (darn sweaty summer pits) and figured I’d wear another white blouse to add to the already soaking laundry. I do this a lot – if I have a bunch of darks in the laundry, I continue to wear dark colors. When you do laundry for one it just makes sense – otherwise you end up doing teeny-tiny loads that just aren’t worth the effort.

Tonight - my bookclub meets (once again I will be finishing the book at lunch the day of the meeting - oops).

Such a Monday

2009-08-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

cardigan - Nordstrom Rack
earrings - Kohl's
skirt - Target
shoes - Nine West via Marshalls

It definitely feels like a Monday and I just have nothing to say. It's going to be a long week at work. I'm a bit tired. My mood is all over the place, and I can't blame it on PMS anymore. Let's hope I perk up tomorrow :) Since there was no perk today I wore happy spring flowers. It didn't really help, but at least I looked perky.

Splashes of Red

2009-07-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

cardigan - Nordstrom Rack
belt - Target
cami - Costco
necklace - QVC
earrings - Kohl's
skirt - Old Navy, altered by Mom
shoes - Shannon Michael

I adore red accessories. I wonder if it’s inherited as my mom loves red shoes. Give me a lovely red shoe any day of the week. I took a bit of time last night to pick out something cute to wear today – nothing like feeling good about what you’re wearing to start the day off right. I followed Kimberly’s lead and used accessories to punch up an otherwise basic (and a bit bland) ensemble. I think the red patent belt and red patent shoes definitely add something to this outfit – and make me feel darn sassy.

In Between and A Big Step

2009-07-27T20:18:00.000-07:00

Earrings – Kohl’s
Necklace – graduation gift
Blouse – Forever 21
Skirt – Esprit
Shoes – BCBGirls via Marshalls

I have this skirt in 2 sizes (the one I originally bought and the one my sister bought and then passed on to me) – the one I wore today is a bit too loose and the other is a bit too tight. This seems to be how my wardrobe is lately – things are either too big or too small. I’m in that awful in between period where nothing really fits. I guess I just have to keep hitting the gym and wait until this phase passes and my too small clothes become just right. This is exactly why I have clothes in multiple sizes – because my size fluctuates. The other day I overheard this conversation in the halls of my office, “I don’t have 21 suits, unlike X I don’t stay the same weight, I gain it, I lose it” – what made it really amusing was that it was a man saying that. I usually think of weight fluctuation and clothes not always fitting as a female thing. It’s nice to know some things are universal :)

The big step? Well the ex-boy left for his 2-weeks of National Guard 2 weeks ago. He assured me he would send me his rent check (the one he owed me from APRIL!) before he left. He did not. I texted him Friday. Nothing. I texted him Sunday. Nothing. I texted him today. Nothing. I was getting good and worked up and finally just called him. I said can you please send the check tomorrow, verified he knew my address and told him I needed him to let me know a time we could meet so I could get some pictures and stuff off his computer and he could drop off his key (I know, I know, he shouldn't still have it). And then I said, "okay, that's all, bye" and hung up. That my dear internet, is personal growth for me. Not trying to chitchat. No asking him why he didn't send the check when he said he would. I feel like he has no desire to be friends, and I can't be dragged down by this anymore. I got off the phone and burst into tears. So I guess it's all baby steps. But it's still steps forward.

Weekend Update - it was hot, but I had fun

2009-07-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

Well, this weekend was quite social by my usual standards. I tend to get really nervous before parties or meeting a friend I haven't seen in a long time, and this weekend was no different. But I pushed through and had a good time. Go me :)

Saturday Bridal Shower:

annoyed look - the heat (almost 100 - yuck!)
dress - Ross
necklace - QVC
sandals - Rocket Dog via Marshalls

The shower was fun. I didn't really know anybody but the bride, and I was pretty quiet, but I did try to chitchat a bit with some of the ladies there. I must admit, I left the party with a lingering sadness. I'm totally happy for my friend and her husband-to-be is great, but then I start to feel sorry for myself. Weddings and wedding-related activities have this affect on me. I'm trying to push through though. I think of the sign I have over my mantel "whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should" and remind myself that things happen at different times in people's lives - we are all unique. And then I took myself to get some fro yo :)

Sunday Lunch:

blouse - Old Navy
necklace - QVC
shorts - Old Navy
sandals - Rocket Dog via Marshalls

I met up with an old friend from college that I haven't seen in almost a decade (yikes that makes me feel old). It was REALLY good to see her. We chatted over lunch, then got more fro yo and chatted for a couple hours longer. It was good to catch up and I'm going to do my very best to make sure we meet up again soon and not let another decade pass!

TGIF - hello weekend!

2009-07-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

Blouse – Kohl’s
Skirt – random brand from Ross (this skirt can be added to the fits-thanks-to-break-up-weight-loss - score)
Necklace and earrings – Kohl’s
Shoes – Nine West via Ross

Let’s talk about hair - I’m usually a hair-up kind of girl (it’s just so darn easy), but after all the nice comments I’ve gotten from you lovely ladies I’m going to try to wear it down more. I hit the snooze button for an hour (yikes!) this morning, so there was no time to wash my hair. Instead of giving up and putting it in a ponytail, I gently combed it with a wide tooth comb, added some mouse, and used my diffuser. Not bad at all for a second day hair. Who knew?

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! I actually have social activities both days – so unlike me. My friend’s couples shower is Saturday, and an old friend from college contacted me through facebook and we are meeting for lunch on Sunday. I’m so excited about both!

Summer Loving

2009-07-23T21:23:00.000-07:00

It’s really starting to feel like summer. The days are warm (or hot), but the nights cool down and I’ve been loving eating popsicles on the patio in the evening and enjoying the long hours of daylight. I broke out the sunless tanner last week, and my legs are slightly less ghost white. This is good, because it helps to cover the ridiculous amounts of bruises I have (thanks to a combo of my dog running into me when she has her cone on and the ladder I was using last week to paint).

Blouse – Target (my mom changed the buttons – which had been tacky white – and it looks so good, thanks mom!)
Necklace and Earrings – Kohl’s
Skirt – Banana Republic Outlet
Shoes – Nine West via Marshalls

I’m enjoying putting all my dress pants to the side and breaking out skirts for the summer. I would have preferred this blouse tucked in, but it just wasn’t long enough and kept partially untucking itself – not a good look. Pencil skirts are my new favorite clothing item – they look so chic and polished. I may have to swing by Marshalls this weekend to look for another pencil skirt to add to my collection. I bought this necklace at Kohl’s about a month ago, and hadn’t figured out what to wear it with. I love how it jazzes up a simple blouse-skirt combo. It’s amazing how accessories can change the look of an outfit!

Tina – look my hair’s down! Just for you :)