“You’re really quite lucky”

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

“Oh yes ! – some accessories”

Hmm… didn’t I wear this cardigan with a similar dress and grey tights in yesterday’s outfit?  Why yes I did.  And you know what?  I’m just fine with that.  I have a very small closet.  I have a limited wardrobe, because I only keep clothes that I love, and I don’t have tons of money to buy tons of new clothes.  So sometimes I may wear some elements on an outfit two days in a row.  And that’s perfectly okay.  The main thing to me is to make sure that each outfit is unique, and my favorite way to do that is with accessories.

Yesterday, I punched things up with a new color scheme of yellow, green and blue.  Today, I dropped the green.  I switched out my black Dansko boots for my blue Fluevog ones.  I added some grey accents with the long sleeve tee layered underneath.  I added a different necklace, and my new black belt.  So while the outfits are similar, they are not the same.

Do you sometimes repeat elements of an outfit two days in a row?  What do you do to keep them fresh and unique?

Dress: Express
Cardigan: J Crew (via Ebay)
Layering Tee: Kohls
Belt: Anthropologie
Tights: Hue
Boots: Fluevog Heather (via Ebay)
Necklace: Chocolate Cake Jewels

Quote: Fancy Nancy, by Jane O’Connor

“Wildflowers grow all by themselves”

Some people like to dress in head-to-toe black for the entirety of winter.  To me, that just feels too depressing.  I like lots of fun and happy colors in my outfits.  The only time I  ever wear head-to-toe black is at funerals.

I wore this outfit to my nephew’s’ 2nd birthday party.  I wanted to be comfortable and warm, since there would be lots of standing outside and kneeling down to play with toddlers.  The length of the dress and the leggings helped to preserve some modesty, while the boots, sweater, and scarf kept me nice and cozy.  I think I’m going to be wearing this scarf I just got at Anthropologie quite a bit.

I always get my nephews and niece books for their birthdays, because I feel that books have greater long-term worth to the children than toys, and most of them have plenty of toys anyhow.  I got my nephew Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, and it was so cute, because when his mom gave him the gift to open and told him who it was from, he got confused and tried to give it to me.  I eventually had to open it for him and show him the book to explain to him that “No, this is actually for you”.  Too adorable.

Do you like to dress colorfully in the cold months, or do you prefer neutral ensembles?

Dress: Boden (via Ebay)
Sweater: Ralph Lauren (garage sale, re-conned)
Leggings: Target
Boots: Fluevog Heather (via Ebay)
Scarf: Anthropologie
Purse: Timbuk2

Quote: Fancy Nancy: Explorer Extraordinaire!, by Jane O’Connor

“I’d make a few changes”

I just got this denim jacket last weekend at Revolve Clothing Exchange.  I’ve been trying to find the perfect denim jacket for awhile now, and I had some store credit, so I figured I’d go for it.  I don’t really think that it’s “the one”, but it fits well (as opposed to my old one, that was way too tight in the shoulders), so I’ll try it out for awhile before deciding if I want to invest in one that I like more.  I will definitely need to modify it by adding some pockets though.  It just feels weird to me to wear a jacket without pockets.

I bought this Boden skirt during my shopping ban last fall.  It’s actually the same design as one I already had, but instead of being one size too small, this one is one size to large.  It’s much easier to alter garments that are a bit too big for you, so I took in the waist and hemmed it about five inches (post coming on that soon!).  I might still take in the waist a bit more, because I’m not completely happy with where it sits right now.

I decided to wear my Fluevog boots with this outfit, because a) it was too cold to wear pumps and b) I like how it matches one of the colors in the skirt.  I’m still not quite sure what I think of flat boots and skirts though.

I have to admit, while I love how each of these pieces looks on their own, now that I see the pictures, I’m not crazy about how they all looked together.  I’m not sure exactly what it is that turns me off.  Maybe if the jacket had been a bit more cropped.  Or if I had tucked in my blouse.  Or if I had worn heels instead of flats.

What do you think?  How would you style this outfit differently to make it work?  Or do you think it’s fine as is?

Tee: American Eagle (thrifted)
Jacket: Gap (via Revolve Clothing Exchange)
Skirt: Boden (via Ebay)
Tights: Hue
Boots: Fluevog Heather
Scarf: Target
Purse: Vintage (via Advintagous )
Earrings: Efy Tal

Quote: If I Ran the Zoo, by Dr Seuss

ETA: The boots I was wearing in today’s post were Fluevog Heathers.  This is unfortunately a discontinued style.  I found mine by searching on Ebay for “fluevog boots”.   I saved the search, so that Ebay would e-mail me new items that fell into those search terms every day, and after watching for months, I finally managed to snag a pair in my size.  Fluevog has a pretty good range of sizes, but since these are discontinued, it’s really a matter of watching and waiting.  If you click on this link you can see all the boots they currently sell.

“Ready to kick up their heels”

I am continuing to adore this magenta cardigan I got for Christmas.  I’m discovering that drape cardigans are insanely versatile.  Last week, I wore it draped with a pair of skinny jeans and a blouse. For today’s outfit, I paired it with my little black dress and my goldenrod Malibrans.  Yellow and magenta was never a color combination I had given consideration before, but now I’m discovering just how great it is.

I love how the soft, light fabric of this cardigan ties up perfectly as a bolero.  I tried tying it back as a wrap sweater as well, but I didn’t like the effect, as it visually added bulk.  I love how tying it as a bolero adds a bit of waist cinching.

As you may know from previous posts, scoop neck of this dress is really low, and requires some layering underneath to be decent.  I originally tried a solid colored blouse for today’s look, but then I decided  that adding a bit of black and white pattern would complement the rest of the outfit best.

What color or pattern combination have you tried lately that surprised you?

Dress: American Rag Cie (via Revolve)
Blouse (under dress): Ann Taylor LOFT (thrifted)
Cardigan: Fossil
Tights: Target
Shoes: Fluevog Malibrans
Purse: Morelle Oyster
Pearls: Coryell Design

Quote: The Three Silly Billies, by Margie Palatini

"Snuggles right down underneath the bedclothes”

This outfit came together quite nicely.  I was still feeling a bit run-down from my cold, so this outfit became all about warmth and comfort.  I wanted soft, comfortable fabrics all around.  Physically, all I felt like wearing were pajamas pants and a cozy hoodie, but that won’t exactly fly at work.  Combining leggings with a jersey dress, flat boots, a nice soft long-sleeve tee, and a cozy scarf wrapped around the neck made for the perfect formula of feeling comfortable while still presentable.

I really love how my hair is looking lately.  At the end of December, I went to a Bring Your Own Blow Dryer class at the salon I go to, Tribeca (which is pretty much the most awesome salon in Tampa, both in terms of their sense of ethics and in the fantastic style they have).  At the class, everyone got to sit down one-on-one with a stylist and learn how to style their hair at home.  I never really understood the concept of styling my hair with a round brush and blow dryer before, but now I’m addicted.  I feel like I can finally achieve the look that I want my hair to have.  Tribeca has these events once a month, so if you’re in Tampa, you should check it out.  The event is free, you get to sample delicious teas and attendees get a discount on any  products they buy while they’re there.

Oh, and I continue to adore these boots.  My nephew told me that he liked them too because they’re his favorite color.  Blogger tested, toddler approved.

Dress (as skirt): Express
Long Sleeve Tee: Apt 9 (Kohls)
Leggings: Target
Boots: Fluevog Heather (Ebay)
Scarf: Target
Necklace: Chocolate Cake Jewels
Belt: Thrifted
Earrings: Efy Tal

Quote: How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? By Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

"Lined up to buy his creations"

Way back in August of 2007, when this blog was still Kittys Creations, I posted about this beautiful little cardigan.  Both the cardi and my blog have experienced many transformations since then.  Yet would you believe that this was the first time I wore this cardigan outside of the house?  Even after my renovations, I was just never happy with the way this cardigan fit.  Until I tried using a shawl pin to close it like this that is.  Now, I think I will be wearing this frequently on chilly days.  The merino yarn is soft and nice and warm.

This was my first “difficult” knit and it ended up being a really long time in the making.  It feels so good to finally find a way to wear it.  After I took these photos, I modified it a little more with buttons, so that the shawl pin is optional.  You’ll see the mods tomorrow, because I ended up wearing this cardi two days in a row!

Dress: Lush (from Velvet Rope)
Cardigan: Sweet Mary Jane (handknit by me)
Tights: Target
Socks: Bella (Village Shoes)
Boots: Fluevog Heather (Ebay)
Purse: Easy Spirit
Shawl Pin: Nicolas and Felice
Bangles: Jill Popowich

Quote: When Pigasso Met Mootisse, by Nina Laden

"Snap, snap, snazzy snap!"

My boyfriend and I have both been feeling a bit under the weather lately, so we decided that it was best to stay home and chill out for New Year’s Eve.  However, that didn’t stop me from putting a sparkly dress on.  Even if I did change into jeans and a pretty top about an hour later, at least I got to wear my sparkly dress for a little bit.

I’ve decided that there need to be more occasions for fancy dresses.  This is the only time I’ve worn this dress since I bought it a few years ago.  And yet I can’t bear the thought of getting rid of it, because it’s so beautiful.  So this year, one resolution I have is to wear this dress again before 12-31-2010.

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year’s Eve, whether it was festive or laid-back.  I’m certainly looking forward to what this new year will bring!

Dress: Speechless (via Revolve)
Tights: Target
Shoes: Fluevog Malibrans
Short Pearls: Coryell Design
Long Pearls: Garage Sale
Earrings: Coryell Design
Bangles: Jill Popowich

Quote: This Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt

"This must be my lucky day"

Back to my fun new location again!  I really enchanted by this spot right here.  It’s a set of stairs leading directly into a “lake” (which is really a drainage pond).  This pond is too small to really use any kind of boat, and there are other ways to access ground level from this park.  So why do you need stairs leading to the water?  I couldn’t figure it out, but it made for fun photos.

I like how this one ends up being a sort of self-portrait, because my reflection’s in the water.

So why was this my lucky day?  This was the day I found out that I won a giveaway from Village Shoes, which included a cashmere scarf and a John Fluevog belt buckle.  Woo hoo!

Dress: Ecote (Urban Outfitters)
Cardigan: Target (thrifted)
Tights: Target
Shoes: Fluevog Malibrans
Scarf: Bought in Chinatown
Bracelet: Zad
Earrings: Modern Bird
Purse: Morelle City Bag

Quote: My Lucky Day, by Keiko Kasza

Shoe Lust: Fluevog Heron

Fluevog Heron  $425

Aren’t these boots gorgeous?  I love the dark charcoal with the pop of red coming from the sole and stitching.  The one inch heel makes them close enough to flats to be comfy, but dressier than completely flat boots.  I love the double buckles and the subtle slouchiness too.  They’re too pricey for me right now, but that doesn’t mean I can’t long for them.