Just a quick outfit post today. For some reason most of my photos of this outfit didn’t turn out so great. That drapey top is so comfy, and actually looks a lot prettier in real life.
Top: Old Navy (via rummage sale)
Jeans: Gap Curvy
Shoes: Courtesy of Dansko
Necklace: Garage sale
Bracelet: Garage sale
Quote: Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson , by Louise Rennison
“…e.g. I will think less about my nose and more about my quite attractive teeth”*
*Note: I have no issues with my nose, I just like the quote.
It’s finally starting to feel like fall in Florida with temps in the *gasp* 70s. I was actually able to wear long sleeves and scarves this week. Of course, it warmed up by the middle of the day, but it’s nice to not feel drenched in sweat everyday.
Oh, did you happen to notice something new in this outfit? Why yes, that is a new yellow purse. Or at least, it was new a few months ago. It’s so beautiful, that I was scared to take it outside of my house. This outfit was it’s first official outing.
So here’s the backstory: back when I was underemployed, broke, armed with a master’s degree, and searching for a full-time job, I promised myself that whenever I got a (permanent) full-time job, I would treat myself to one of three things: 1) a watch, 2) a pair of Fluevogs, or 3) a new Morelle bag. I found out in June that I would get to keep my full-time job (which I love), but money was tight, so I had planned to wait until the fall to get my treat. Then, Morelle announced that she would be closing up her shop. And my decision was made.
Despite money being very tight, I ordered a yellow leather slouch from her. And it was over $200. Which I did not count against my shopping plan because it was special occasion. But let me tell you: this. bag. is. the. best. bag. ever.
I love it so much. The gorgeous yellow color, the soft leather, the roominess without bulkiness, the wrapped chain handle. It is pretty much perfection in purse form. I’ve treated it with water-resistant leather spray, and now that I’ve braved taking it out of doors, it will definitely be one of my regular purses. Love.
Tee: Old Navy
Cardigan: Anthropologie (via eBay)
Jeans: The Gap
Shoes: Keen Barcelona (via eBay)
Purse: Morelle Slouch
Scarf: Target
Quote: Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson , by Louise Rennison
Yep, I just used a Twilight quote as a post title. What can I say? I love and hate the series at the same time. The writing quality is not so great, yet I found the stories engrossing. Bella’s insecurity and her feeling of incompleteness without Edward really annoy me. But I absolutely love the character of Jacob Black. He’s caring, loyal, emotional, sometimes erratic. And I love reading about the wolf pack and their Quileute history. So with this outfit, I decided to show my Team Jacob spirit, with a lovely little piece that you may not notice in that first picture:
That’s right: I got my Wendy Brandes Little Woolf necklace!
I love this little necklace. The charm is so tiny, and is beautifully detailed. If you haven’t checked out any of Wendy B’s jewelry before, you totally should. The quality is fantastic.
Quote: Jacob Black in Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga)
*Week 35 of My Great Shopping Plan of 2010, where I attempt to stay on a budget and fill out my wardrobe*
Last week, I finally did what I’ve been saying I would do for months, and I actually bought a pair of grey work slacks that fit. At full price. In polyester blend. Which is something I pretty much never do. Why, you may ask?
Eventually, I’ll probably replace these slacks with some cotton blend ones and take them to a consignment shop. Hopefully, the Gap will learn that some people don’t like polyester, and start offering some alternatives. But until then, I at least have a decent pair of work slacks.
I had $114 left in my September (rolled over) budget. Another $125 was added with the start of October. So I started the week with $239. The slacks were $59.50, so I now have $179.50 left. I really need to get around to going on that shopping spree 
I’m not one to be vainly interested in clothes, but I am coming to the realization that my closet needs an overhaul. I have a lot of great clothes that currently don’t fit, since I gained a little weight over the summer. I have a lot of clothes that I don’t completely love – the fabric isn’t soft, the color is wrong, etc. Some of these problems I can fix, but really, I mostly need to get rid of a lot of my clothes and buy some new duds that I actually really love. I would estimate that right now, I only regularly wear about 25 – 30% of my closet on a regular basis. I think I should maybe revisit my wardrobe inventory and wardrobe gaps lists, and really take a look at what I need.
I’ve also got another change in the works: I’m buying a pair of running shoes. I’ve been wanting to do this for awhile, but good running shoes are expensive, and I didn’t have enough money saved up to afford a pair until recently. I want to get a really good pair, because my feet pronate (or is it over-pronate?) – the thing where your feet tend to roll to the outside. I like to wear running shoes that correct this, because it helps prevent injury, and I really don’t want to screw up my knees.
I used to run three times a week for about 20 minutes, but for the past several years, I switched to just working out at the gym, and then recently, I added yoga. I absolutely love practicing yoga, but the gym just isn’t doing it for me anymore, and my membership rates are about to go up, so I’m thinking it’s a great time to take up running again. We’ll see how it goes.
Tank: Sonoma (thrifted)
Cardigan: Anthropologie (eBay)
Jeans: Gap
Shoes: Keen Barcelona (eBay)
Bracelets: Jill Popowich
Earrings: Mackie Jewelry
Quote: Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat
Well, summer has been a lot of fun. However, irregular sleep patterns (sleeping past 5am!), irregular eating habits and a little too much snacking has taken its toll on my body. I’ve gained a little weight, which is leading to most of my jeans and slacks not fitting well (hence why I’ve been wearing the same pair of black shorts about 75% of the time lately).
These Gap Curvy jeans were too loose on me at the end of the school year, but right now, they fit perfectly. I’m happy with my body, and I’m not freaking out and going on a crash diet or anything. I’m working on making some small changes in my diet, and I’m pretty sure things will regulate themselves once I’m working again. For now, I’m just happy that I didn’t get rid of these jeans. I think that it makes sense to hold onto at least a few items of clothing that are either too large or to small on you, because weight generally fluctuates.
The important thing I’ve learned is to always be kind to yourself. Beating yourself up about weight fluctuation and getting depressed only makes things worse. A shift in weight doesn’t stop you from being a beautiful person, but having a foul attitude about things will.
Blouse: Coda (via Revolve)
Jeans: Gap Curvy
Flats: Easy Street
Earrings: Garage Sale
Necklace: Chocolate Cake Jewels
Bangles: Vintage (via garage sales and Sherry’s Yesterdaze)
Quote: Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon
Due to my crazy schedule right now, today’s post is short and sweet. Yay for fun, spring colors and florals!
What’s your favorite Spring trend?
Blouse: Anthropologie
Cardigan: J. Crew (via eBay)
Jeans: Gap Curvy (altered by me)
Shoes: Born Codders
Purse: Morelle City Bag
Earrings: Efy Tal
Quote: Mañana, Iguana
After talking about how I wear a lot of blue the other day, here is another primarily blue outfit. Oh well. I just recently altered these capris from a pair of slacks, and they are perfect for slouchy spring weekends. The fabric is a nice, light-weight cotton, and they fit just loose enough to be really comfortable without looking too sloppy. I’m still working on figuring out new color combinations for them. So far I mainly pair them with white and blue, but I’m hoping to branch out soon.
This outfit is made up of entirely second-hand and handmade items, which I think is fitting for Earth Day. With so much of modern fashion being made to be disposable, buying second-hand garments and giving them new life is a great way to fight the cycle of waste that our society has developed. And buying quality handmade items ensures that the things you buy will last longer, and you’ll be helping someone make a living doing something they love.
What are you doing to help the planet this Earth Day?
Tee: Gap (via Revolve)
Cardigan: NY & Co (via Classy Consignment)
Capris: J Jill (thrifted and altered)
Sandals: Dansko Sela (via eBay)
Purse: Axcess by Liz Claiborne (thrifted)
Necklace: Lii Lii
Bangles: Jill Popowich
Nail Polish: Essie Calypso
Quote: The Three Silly Billies
This outfit was all about week-end comfort. My favorite comfy shoes, my favorite comfy (and flattering!) jeans, a nice soft, 3/4 sleeve cardigan. Absolutely perfect. And the weather was spectacularly gorgeous. Winter was fun and all, but I’m totally soaking in the 70 degree warmth of spring. In only a few weeks, I won’t be able to go outside in a outfit like this without sweating buckets, so I’m savoring it while it lasts.
I also wore my two lovely new gifts with this outfit. Isn’t that robot necklace freakin’ awesome? And I love how the rainbow bracelet that Kate gave me ties in the color of my shoes and my cardigan.
What’s your favorite comfy and stylish outfit to wear on Spring weekends?
Tank: Old Navy
Cardigan: New York & Co (via Classy Consignment)
Jeans: Gap Curvy (altered by me)
Shoes: Born Codders
Necklace: Love Spell Jewels
Bracelet: Accidental Artists
Quote: In My New Yellow Shirt
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
