It’s spring break for me this week, so I’m off to the beach with my mom today. Thus the short post. Happy Thursday everyone!
Blouse: Anthropologie
Cardigan: Ann Taylor LOFT
Capris: J Jill (altered by me)
Sandals: Dansko Sela (via eBay)
Purse: Axcess by Liz Claiborne (thrifted)
Bangles: Jill Popowich
Quote: I’m Still Here in the Bathtub: Brand New Silly Dilly Songs
All that lovely cold weather made me forget what a challenge it is to dress professionally in warm weather. Even my light cardigans like this one are starting to feel too warm, and it’s only April! I feel like there are fewer ways to remix outfits when I have to put away my scarves, tights, and cozy cashmere. Being a native Floridian, I really should be more adept at dealing with high temps, but they still stump me every year.
This outfit still came together nicely, even though I’m struggling with dressing for warm weather. The light layers, the simple cotton, and the bare legs helped to keep me from getting over-heated. I really love how all these colors work together – I think that the mix pale blue and red is one of my favorite color combinations.
Oh, and it’s hard to see in these pictures, but I altered this blouse to make it work better for me. The v-neck was pretty deep, so I was always having to wear a camisole under this to keep me from being over-exposed at work. Then it dawned on me that I could sew the deepest part together. I moved the buttons around and added a little keyhole at the top. I think it will work much better for me this way, since now I can wear it on its own.
How do you deal with hot weather style slumps? How do you remix outfits sans winter accessories?
Blouse: Anthropologie
Cardigan: New York & Co (via Classy Consignment)
Skirt: Semantiks
Shoes: Tsubo Acrea (via eBay)
Watch: Target
Quote: Fancy Nancy
Sorry if I seemed really stressed out the other day. I am actually feeling really happy overall, and I’m gradually learning how to arrange my new schedule in a way that meets my needs.
I’m learning that the most important thing to me is to have meaningful relationships with other people. This includes family, my boyfriend, my in-real-life friends and my blog friends. Reading blogs used to stress me out, because I felt like I was always behind and never able to keep up. I recently culled my Google Reader down to my absolute favorite blogs and to the blogs of those who stop by here frequently. This is allowing me to focus my blog reading time on a few people (well okay, it’s still about 50 blogs, but that’s a lot less than what I was reading before). Now, I feel able to actually comment and cultivate relationships with other bloggers. My stats may have suffered for it, but I really don’t care.
On to the outfit: I was trying to find a way to make too-short dresses work at my new job. Then I realized that if I simply view them as tunics and wear them with leggings, they work just fine. Since the weather has officially become too warm for tights, I’m thinking about getting some new leggings from We Love Colors to expand my options.
How do you remix not-quite-appropriate items in your wardrobe to make them work?
Cardigan: Fossil
Dress: Express
Belt: Anthropologie
Leggings: Target
Shoes: Born Sokal (via eBay)
Quote: The Rag Coat
Wow! Now that I’m working full time at a job where I actually have something to do eight hours a day, I’m finding myself with significantly less free time. I really love my new job though. I love what I’m doing, and the hours seem to fly by because I always have something to be working on. I’m just having to learn how to budget my time outside of work. It’s hard, because I have so many things that I love doing. I love to blog. I love to workout. I love to cook. I love to knit and watch movies with my boyfriend. And while I don’t love it, I also have to take care of everyday tasks like cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, etc. And fitting all of these things into the hours between 3:30 pm (when I get home from work) and 9:00 pm (when I go to bed) is no easy task.
I don’t want to give up doing the things I love, so I’m finding compromises. Some days, I’ll go to the gym and not have time to comment on blogs. Some nights, I’ll stay in and catch up on the blogosphere. I’m learning quicker recipes to cook during the work week, and saving the more complicated stuff for the weekend. I’m still wishing I had about five hours more in every day, but I’m learning to live with less free time. The fact that I love my job helps a lot.
In order to keep myself from stressing out, I’m changing up my blog posting schedule a bit. Starting this week, this is what I’ll be posting: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays will be daily outfits. These are my favorite posts to write, so I don’t want to cut back on them too much. Wednesdays are Etsy Love, because I love supporting handmade. Saturdays will just be Links a la Mode. On occasion I will post feature articles on Saturdays, but they won’t be regular. And Sunday’s will be Shopping Plan posts. Changing things up will let me still post daily, without feeling stressed out. I love this blog, I love the blogging community, and I do not want to stop. I just have to cut back a bit. I’m still visiting other blogs and commenting, but not as much as I used to. I still love and appreciate all my readers, and I try to visit your blogs as much as I can, but please understand that often I won’t have time to read blogs until the weekend.
How to you budget your free time to make room for all the things you love?
Blouse: Anthropologie
Cardigan: Fossil
Jeans: Gap Curvy (altered by me)
Shoes: Born Sokal (via eBay)
Necklace: Jorgensen Studio
Purse: Morelle Charlotte
Quote: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
I wore this last week when meeting the district support team for media specialists. I wanted to be polished and professional, since this was my first time meeting most of them. I think the outfit came together quite nicely. All the color allowed me to feel “me”, but the structure of the blazer and pencil skirt plus the smart heels kept me looking sharp.
Putting together outfits like this over the next few months will be very important. I want to make sure that I am constantly making a good impression, because how I do over these next few months will determine whether or not I get to work at the same school in the fall. Learning to dress in a way that is professional, while still incorporating my own personal style, is going to be an enjoyable challenge.
I love how it looks like I’m flying in that picture. Fun pictures really are the best pictures ever.
What do you wear when you want to make a good first impression?
Blouse: Anthropologie
Blazer: Forever 21 (thrifted)
Skirt: Semantiks
Shoes: Clarks Apple Sky
Purse: Vintage (via Advintagous)
Necklace: Coryell Design
Watch: Target
Quote: Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?
The weather is definitely warming up. This was the first day where I started with tights and then had to ditch them. While I’m happy that it’s spring, I have mixed emotions. It feels great to not have to wear four layers just to leave the house, but at the same time, I feel so exposed without all my winter layers. I know I’ll get used to it. Spring is wonderful and bittersweet at the same time, because it means that my boots, tights and sweaters will once again be hidden in the back of my closet til October.
But the weather is so beautiful right now; I can’t stay grumpy for long. We only get a few weeks of spring here in Florida before the brutal summer temps start to hit, so I want to enjoy these glorious days in the 60s and 70s while I can. It is wonderful to be able to wear a light cardigan and have bare legs. Soon it will be so hot, that I will be sweating like crazy after standing outside for five minutes.
I guess I’m just really mixed on my weather preferences. Maybe I should live somewhere like San Diego. The weather was so fantastic there when I visited back in October. But then I would probably miss Florida. I guess the grass is always greener.
Still, I’m feeling great, and I’m so excited to start my new job next week. It will be so great to finally have a regular job with regular hours (and regular pay!). I’d always fought the concept of a 9 – 5 (or in this case, 7 – 4) job but right now, I think that consistency is what I really need. One day, I would love to own my own business (a vintage shop maybe? or start an indie clothing line? or be a professional photographer?) but for now, this is really, really what I need.
How do you feel about the changing of the seasons? What would your ideal climate be?
Dress: Ella Moss (via My Mosh Posh)
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Shoes: Dansko Sally (courtesy of Dansko)
Purse: Vintage via Advintagous
Ring: Belonged to my grandmother
Earrings: Coryell Design
Quote: Do Like Kyla (Orchard Paperbacks)
Last Friday was absolutely awesome. Kate from A Tale of Two Closets was in town, so I met up with her in downtown Sarasota for an awesome afternoon of thrifting and yarn shopping. We went to SPARCC Treasure Chest and Mustard Seed Thrift Shop, and had some awesome finds (you can see mine in my shopping plan post). After that, we went to Picasso’s Moon and bought some beautiful fiber. Kate bought her first spindle, and I taught her the basics of spinning.
It was such an awesome, fun day. This was the first time I had ever met a fellow blogger in person. Kate and I had a great time talking about life, style, knitting and kitschy Florida decorating.
Have you ever met a blog-friend in real life? What did you do together?
Blouse: Anthropologie
Cardigan: Ann Taylor LOFT
Jeans: Express
Shoes: Dansko Sally (courtesy of Dansko)
Purse: Timbuk2
Necklace: Garage sale
Bangles: Jill Popowich Designs
Quote: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
I really loved this outfit. It was soft, cozy and comfortable. I always find pale blue very calming, and I love how wonderfully it combined with brown and a pop of yellow. It was the perfect thing for a busy, unpredictable day of work.
I know I keep saying this, but I’m trying to enjoy my winter items in the last few weeks that I’m able to. Unfortunately, Florida tends to skip Spring and go straight into Summer, so even this was a bit too warm to wear by late afternoon. Highs have been in the 70s this week, and I know that it will be even hotter in a few weeks.
At the same time, I’m happily embracing the transition to Spring. The air feels fresh, the sun feels warm, and it’s so nice to let my toes breathe. I didn’t realize just how much I love to go barefoot until this long cold spell we had here this winter. I guess you don’t always appreciate what you have until you have to go without it for awhile.
What do you love best about this time of year, as Spring is fast approaching?
Tank: Old Navy
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Trousers: Worthington
Shoes: Dansko Sally (courtesy of Dansko)
Scarf: Anthropologie
Purse: Vintage (via Advintagous)
Quote: Fancy Nancy’s Favorite Fancy Words: From Accessories to Zany
After winning a free pair of We Love Colors tights, I was eager to put together an outfit incorporating them. Because the tights are so bright and saturated, I decided to keep the rest of the outfit to simple black and white, with an additional touch of green in the necklace.
This outfit was a lot of fun to wear. I admit, wearing the tights made me feel just a bit 80′s, but I think since the rest of the outfit was simple, they worked fine. These tights are insanely awesome! These are the nylon/microfiber tights, and I can see myself by many, many pairs. They are thick, opaque, soft, and best of all, the waist-band fits but doesn’t feel constricting. With 51 colors to choose from, what’s not to love?
What do you think of colored tights? Are they just a passing trend, or are they here to stay?
Dress: Express
Cardigan: Ann Taylor LOFT
Belt: Anthropologie
Necklace: Pixisette
Bangles: Jill Popowich
Tights: We Love Colors, Scout Green
Boots: Dansko Risa (via eBay)
Quote: You’re Only Old Once! A Book for Obsolete Children
I’ve received so much support and encouragement from my readers since lamenting about my job situation on Monday, and I can’t thank you enough. I feel so very lucky to be a part of such a wonderful, caring community. My spirits have definitely improved. You helped me to realize that there’s no point in dwelling on all the what if’s. The right job will come along, and it will work out eventually. I have to keep in perspective that this will probably be the hardest time for me in my career – which means that it can only get better from here.
Another antidote for blah days is wearing some of your favorite items. For me, that means my favorite goldenrod Fluevog Malibrans, my oh-so-comfy Ella Moss dress, and a cozy handknit cardigan. Wearing things that make you happy is a good way to get your spirits up. In fact, I try to get rid of anything clothing that doesn’t make me happy when I wear it. Life is just too short to wear boring or uncomfortable clothes.
This navy and white striped jersey dress really has become a staple for me. I love how endlessly versatile a dress like this can be. I’m curious to see how it will transition into spring and summer, though, since it generally requires layering to be decent. I think if I get some lightweight slips and cardigans, it should work just fine.
What do you like to wear as a pick-me-up on days when you’re feeling a bit down?
Dress: Ella Moss (via My Mosh Posh)
Cardigan: Minimalist, handknit by me
Belt: Anthropologie
Tights: Hue
Shoes: John Fluevog Malibrans
Cuff: via Classy Consignments
Necklace: Kira Ferrer
Quote: Did I ever tell you how lucky you are? By Dr Seuss
