“Nestle – to snuggle and be cozy”

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, by Jane O’Connor

“One day, I’ll grow up to be really excellent at something”

(Note: Fair warning, this post gets a bit personal.  I usually don’t go into personal details on this blog, but every once and awhile, a girl needs a chance to get something off her chest.  This is not meant to be a pity party.)

I have a confession to make: I’ve been feeling a bit down lately.  I know that it’s a combination of factors: One) I’m actually getting tired of cold weather.  I feel like I’ve exhausted my winter wardrobe, and I’m ready to be able to go outside wearing only one or two layers and sandals.  Two) It’s been six months since I finished my Master’s Degree, and yet I still don’t have a permanent, full-time job in my field.

Number Three is the biggest factor in why I haven’t been feeling myself lately.  I went back to school so that I could work in a field that I love, and yet I have only had three interviews in the past six months.  I thought that once a librarian position opened up with the system I worked in before, I would be alright, but when I applied for an opening a few weeks ago, I didn’t even get called in for an interview.  Money has been really tight while I’ve been substituting and working at a grant-funded temp job, and both of those will be ending after May.  I’ve got to start paying off my loans as well.  All this stress is constantly getting at me, even when I don’t consciously realize it.  I’ve been eating poorly out of stress, I’ve gained a few pounds, and I’ve bitten down my nails pretty badly.

I really started realizing how much this stress is taking its toll on me when I was going through the pictures of this outfit.  I wore this on my birthday, and I loved how the outfit came together.  And yet, hardly any of my smiles seemed genuine.  And that really bothered me, because my philosophy on life is to always stay optimistic, and that plays a big part in this blog.  But now I’m realizing that, sometimes you just don’t feel like smiling.  And that’s okay.  I know that I will get through this.  I know that things will get better.  I’m just ready for them to be better right now.

What do you do when stress rears its ugly head in your life?

Dress: Boden (via Ebay)
Cardigan: Sweet Mary Jane, handknit by me
Tights: Hue
Boots: Dansko Risa (via Ebay)
Purse: Vintage (thrifted)
Earrings: Wear-thou

Quote: The OK Book, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld

“That’s how librarians are”

(Don’t forget my knitted gloves and mittens giveaway!  It ends at midnight EST tonight)

I substituted at a media center in a high school this week, and on my first day, I was mistaken for a student twice.  On my second day, I decided to make sure that my outfit made it clear that I was an adult, not a student.  There’s nothing quite like a good dose of librarian chic when you actually are a librarian.

I decided to go for a sort of Joan Holloway look with this outfit, wearing my favorite pencil skirt.  I paired it with my new Anthro blouse, and then echoed the colors of the blouse in everything else.  A little yellow in the handbag, red in the shoes and necklace, white with the cardigan.  To me it seems intuitive, but one of the best ways to create a put-together outfit is to wear a beautiful pattern blouse with a skirt or trousers, and then echo the colors of the blouse in your accessories.  This works equally well with patterned dresses.

Because I was substituting all week, I’m quite behind on my blog reading and commenting.  So if I didn’t visit your blog this week, please know that it’s nothing against you.  I’m still trying to learn how to balance all the various aspects of life and work. Because I haven’t had time to read blogs this week, there won’t be a Link Love post this afternoon.

How do you balance life and work?  How do you make time to read other blogs?

Blouse: Anthropologie
Salmon Tank:  The Limited (via Revolve)
Cardigan: Ann Taylor LOFT
Skirt: Semantiks
Shoes: Tsubo Acrea (via www.ebay.com)
Purse: Vintage (via AdVintagous)
Necklace: ??, via clothing swap
Cuff: ??, via Classy Consignments

Quote: The Boy who was Raised by Librarians, by Carla Morris

“I would make you a birthday cake out of bananas”

Today is my 26th birthday!  Yay!  I’m actually substituting today, so this is not what I am wearing.  My outfit posts are always a few days behind, so this is what I wore for an amazingly relaxing Sunday.  We seemed to have a warm front then, because the weather was perfect.  It was nice to feel a hint of spring coming.  I opened up all the windows in the house, got the laundry done and cleaned the kitchen.  I actually find cleaning relaxing, because it’s such a relief to be able to get it done without feeling rushed.  I got some spinning done as well and took an afternoon nap while listening to the birds outside.  Absolutely. awesome. day.

This outfit contains two new items.  That J. Crew breton striped blouse is a deliciously soft cashmere/cotton blend that I scored recently on Ebay.  For $15.  Love.  You saw the Dansko Sela sandals on Saturday.  I really didn’t expect to get to wear them so soon, but it was wonderful to finally let my feet be free of socks for a bit.

After I get off work today, I plan to check out a new thrift store near where I’m subbing.  Thrifting on my birthday is starting to become a sort of tradition for me.  I love taking time to explore the racks and search for treasures, but I often don’t have the time.  On my birthday, I make the time.  After that, I’m going out for sushi with a friend.  My boyfriend is working the night shift tonight, so we’ll be celebrating my birthday together this weekend.

What makes a perfectly relaxing day for you?  Do you have any special birthday traditions?

Blouse: J Crew (via Ebay)
Jeans: Express
Sandals: Dansko Sela (via Ebay)
Purse: Vintage (via Advintagous)
Necklace: Chocolate Cake Jewels
Cuff: ?? (via Classy Consignments)

Quote: I Love You Stinky Face, by Lisa McCourt

“Expect the joy that rainbows bring”

(Don’t forget to enter the knitted gloves and mittens giveaway!!)

Color plays a very important role in my personal style.  I always love to experiment with it and find new and interesting combinations.  But I’ve noticed that I usually won’t use more than two colors, and I rarely have three colors that are next to each other in the color wheel (Academchic would probably know what the proper term for that is).  For today’s outfit, I decided to push my boundaries a bit, and wear yellow, green and blue together.

I’m really quite happy with how they look together.  I think the fact the there’s only a little bit of green peeking out probably helps to make it look balanced and not over-whelming.  I though about wearing my red coat with this as well, but I decided that would make me feel a bit too much like a box of crayons.

Might I mention that I am completely in love with my new scarf?  It’s so warm, and the elastic ruching makes it so easy to casually wrap it around my neck.  It makes me feel like a French woman who just effortlessly throws a scarf around her neck and instantly looks chic.  Anthro still has it (in four colors)!

What are your favorite color combinations to wear?  Do you tend to stick to the same ones, or do you love to try out new mixes?

Dress: Ella Moss (via My Mosh Posh)
Cardigan: J Crew (via Ebay)
Long sleeve tee: American Eagle (thrifted)
Tights: Hue
Boots: Dankso Risa (via Ebay)
Scarf: Anthropologie
Ring: from my grandmother
Earrings: Efy Tal

Quote: The Happiness Tree: Celebrating the Gifts of Trees We Treasure, Andrea Alban Gosline

“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.

“Bright like green”

I knit this sweater last year, but recently I’ve been struggling with how to style it because it always looks a bit slouchy and casual.  But this was the weekend, so a little bit casual was okay.  For this outfit, I layered a long-sleeve green tee underneath, and folded up the cuffs over the sleeves of the sweater.  Because the colors are so similar, it looks more like one piece.  I decided to wear a green necklace to keep with the theme, and then threw in a bright yellow purse for a little extra color.

This outfit was really soft and comfortable, and it was perfect for getting things done around the house, as well as spending time with the family.  The only problem I had was that the elbows of the sweater kept getting stretched out, but I think a fresh wash and blocking should fix that.  For non-knitters out there, blocking is when you shape a damp knitted garment and pin it into place to make it stay that way.  Usually I only block garments the first time I wash them, but sometimes it helps to do it again.

I’ve got an interesting trick for how I made these cuffed sleeves work.  Initially, I didn’t like how the inside seams were showing when the tee was cuffed.  But then I realized that the cuffs were the only part showing, so I turned the layering tee inside out, so that the right side of the garment would show when the sleeves were cuffed.  It might sound a bit odd, but it worked in this case.

I am so in love with this vintage purse I got on Etsy recently.  I’ve never had a frame purse before, and I love how easy it is to snap it open to pull something out, and then snap it closed again.  And I love that it’s roomy enough inside to hold all of my everyday items.

I also used this outfit to premiere my latest Etsy purchase, these gorgeous earrings!  I’ve been loving the look of long, silver feather earrings, but I wanted something that was a bit more modern and less organic.  I wanted them to be long, but not too long, and to have a good bit of movement.  These fit the bill perfectly, and I love them!

I love that almost every accessory in this outfit is from Etsy.  What has been your favorite Etsy purchase?

Sweater: Handknit by me
Long sleeve tee: Gap (thrifted)
Jeans: Express
Boots: Dansko Nena (eBay)
Purse: Advintagous
Necklace: Pixisette
Bangles: Jill Popowich
Earrings: Wear-thou

Quote: One, by Kathryn Otoshi

“Tut-tut, it looks like rain”

It seems that rain and this dress go together.  Or maybe I’m just drawn to this dress when it’s rainy out.  Either way, it was the perfect dress to wear today.  Florida’s weather is being ridiculous lately, and it’s already starting to feel like spring.  It’s a bit frustrating for me, because I’m really not ready for winter to be over.  Still, I was going to my cousin’s bridal shower today, so I wanted to look a bit springy.

I’ve done pale pink accessories with this dress several times before.  Something about that combination just feels right to me.  Today I also added my grandmother’s brooch.  It’s a pink rose cameo, and it worked perfectly with the rest of this outfit.

And I can’t believe I’m wearing sandals in January!  Somebody please send a little cold weather my way.  I don’t want to retire my boots and scarves and coats just yet.

Do you have a certain outfit that you find yourself drawn to on rainy days?

Dress: Ecote (Urban Outfitters)
Cardigan: Ann Taylor LOFT
Sandals: Dansko Novalee (Ebay)
Pearls: Garage Sale
Brooch: Vintage (belonged to my grandma)
Bangle: Vintage
Purse: Easy Spirit Outlet
Umbrella: ??

Quote: The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A. Milne

“Smart people are those who have asked lots of questions”

In my high school days, I was drawn to preppy styles.  I liked button-down shirts and polos, even though a majority of my wardrobe was jeans and t-shirts.  I’m not that into the prep-school look anymore, but on occasion, I like to take cues from it.  When I saw this lovely striped cashmere sweater on Ebay selling at a mere $20, I couldn’t resist.  I’ve already planned several outfits with it.  It’s delightfully soft and quite flattering.

Because I didn’t want this outfit to be an overload of blue, I added the goldenrod brooch and bracelet to break things up.  I definitely need to get a lot more brooches.

What styles were you drawn to in high school?  Do you still like them now?

Sweater: J Crew (Ebay)
Camisole: Gap
Skirt: Ann Taylor LOFT (Ebay)
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Dansko Sally
Purse: Morelle Charlotte
Brooch: via Revolve
Earrings: Modern Bird
Bangle: Vintage (via Sherry’s Yesterdaze)

Quote: The Rag Coat, by Lauren Mills

“Lost… in the woods somewhere”

Don’t worry, I’m not actually lost in the woods.  Rather, this is a lovely field near my work that has somehow managed to escape development.  I’m still not sure how, because it seems that every bare piece of land in Tampa is quickly turned into the next suburban development or strip mall.  This type of background is what I think of when I think of how Florida really looks.  Everyone tends to focus on the beaches, but the majority of Florida looks a lot like this.  Oak trees, grassy fields, Spanish moss.  All this location needs is a few palmetto bushes, a little swamp, and a citrus grove and it would be perfectly quintessential Florida!

I grew up in a little town about ten minutes north of Tampa, and it used to be pretty rural.  There were lots of cow pastures and citrus groves, and I used to go exploring in the woods behind my house.  Those woods are still there, but a lot of the cow pastures and citrus groves have become subdivisions.  It’s kind of sad; everyone wants to move to rural areas to get away from the crowds, but they just end up destroying the very thing that they were seeking.

I felt like my outfit had a warm, prairie feel to it, so this background really suited my mood.  I wasn’t crazy at first about having so many warm tones with the boots and the cardigan together, so I added blue accessories in the belt, necklace and bracelet to cool things down a bit.

Dress: Express
Cami (under dress): Old Navy
Cardigan: J Crew (Ebay)
Leggings: Target
Boots: Dansko Nena (Ebay)
Belt: Vintage (via Sherry’s Yesterdaze)
Purse: Morelle City Bag
Necklace: Chocolate Cake Jewels
Bangle: Thrifted?
Earrings: Modern Bird

Quote: Where’s My Teddy? And Other Stories By Jez Alborough