Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Top: New York & Company

Tank: Old Navy

Jeans: Express (x2 w10)

Shoes: Moda

Belt: New York & Company

Earrings: Gifted


I really wanted to wear these with brown slacks but I just didn't have the right shade of brown. I really try to stay away from denim at work more than twice a week, but it's a really laid back environment and I find myself grabbing jeans more often than I'd like. In fact, I actually get made fun of for the days I really dress up! But I like to do it, so I'm going to keep at it!

I've actually had this top for a couple of years. I got the belt last week for $4.99 because it matches a boyfriend cardigan that I picked up there over the winter. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it matches the top exactly! The buckle was a little too big for the front of the top, so I just turned it around and kept the buckle at the back instead. I was a little self conscious about it at first but after about an hour, I totally forgot about it!

Monday, June 29, 2009

Top: New York & Company

Pants: New York & Company

Shoes: Payless

Bracelet: Simply Irresistible

Earrings: Gifted

Feeling tall and streamlined in my all black ensemble today. I've had this shirt since high school (that makes it a decade old, ya'll!) but it's still in great shape and I just love it. I worked at Victoria's Secret in high school and the early years of college and we had to wear a black bottom and a black jacket every day. And what's easier to pair with black that white? I owned a TON of black and white back then and to this day I still have to fight a tendency toward that all-purpose combo. It's just so classic - I love it!

Do you have a color combo that you gravitate towards? Or a 'uniform' you can't seem to shake?

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Top: Old Navy

Tank: Old Navy

Jeans: Express

Shoes: Old Navy

Scarf: The Limited

Necklace: New York & Company

Bracelet: New York & Company

Earrings: Lia Sophia

Today was a tricky day to dress for. We attended first service at church, I worked in the nursery second service and then went out to lunch and a movie with a girlfriend. I felt woefully under dressed for church, despite the fact that many people wear jeans and even shorts. I just like to dress up for church and I missed doing it this week. I took off the scarf and necklace for nursery duty, and donned them again for the rest of the afternoon activities.

I'm not usually a hot pink kind of girl but for some reason I really loved this scarf. When I saw the pink striped T-shirt at Old Navy yesterday (on sale for $5, plus a 15% off coupon), I instantly thought of this scarf and the shoes. Voila! An outfit is born.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Tank Top: New York & Company

White Tank Top: Old Navy

Capris: Express

Sandals: Payless

Bracelet: New York & Company

Earrings: New York & Company

I decided to dip my toe into the neon trend pool today. I wore my fair share of neon in the eighties and I look back on those pictures now with mortification. Why, oh, why, would someone want to bring that look back?

But I think I can handle it in small doses like this. In person, this tank is the exact same color as an orange Hi-liter. I tried it with brown underneath first but the color is so bright, it just begged to be paired with white. I felt rather conspicuous while running errands today!

Friday, June 26, 2009

T-shirt: Free from work

Jeans: Express (x2 - Short)

Sandals: Payless

Ring: The Limited

Earrings: The Limited

Nothing much to see here today. I was super busy at work today, getting things ready for sports camps and the 4th of July parade next week. Hefting boxes, pulling signage and lots of other sweat inducing activity = cheap t-shirt and jeans.

I have these jeans in both short and regular lengths. At 5'4'', I am that in-between sizes height. Just barely short enough for short/petite length and not quite tall enough for regular. I wear lots of 3.5 and 4 inch heels just for the sake of not having every pair of pants I own hemmed. But every once in awhile, if I find a really great fitting pair of jeans, I'll buy them in both short and regular so I can wear them with flats and heels. Express is one of the few places where this trick works without any hemming required.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Top: The Limited

Tank: New York & Company

Jeans: The Limited

Shoes: Payless

Bracelet: ?

Earrings: The Limited

Today I was going for a little masculine/feminine juxtaposition. The pants are trouser cut denim which feels very masculine to me. I paired it with a floral, frilly top that I got last summer and had yet to wear. I love the print and the ruffles, but I just couldn't find the right thing to pair it with. I was not totally in love with the outfit when I left the house, but decided to go with it anyway.

By the end of the day, I was singing a different tune. I got two compliments on my 'look' from total strangers! And I took it as a good sign that the compliment wasn't just on my top or just on my shoes - they liked the whole ensemble. Note to self: more of this combination in the future!

I got these shoes at Payless nearly a decade ago - the last time t-strap sandals were 'in'. I don't wear them often and have contemplated throwing them out the last several closet cleanings but I'm glad I hung on to them. Even at two or three wearings a summer, they are worth keeping around.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Top: The Limited

Jeans: Express (Zelda skinny)

Sandals: Payless

Bracelet: New York & Company

After work today, a girlfriend and I headed to the mall - with her 3-yr-old and 2-month-old. I knew I'd be helping to wrangle a toddler, so simple and minimal were the keywords for today's outfit.

Knowing I had to go minimal with the jewelry, I chose a top that had a little bit of embellishment built in, but know glittery stuff that he'd want to pick off. I love the pintucks on the front of this top. I am also a big fun of the bright, fresh color.

I got these sandals recently during the Payless BOGO event. I love them! They were super comfortable, even after 10 hours and lots of walking. I think these are going to get a lot of wearing in the weeks to come.

Love #3

Moschino Cheap and Chic via Endless

Dear Shoe Fairy,

Please drop these off in my closet next time you come by. Size 7.5, please.

xoxo,
closet girl

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Top: New York & Company

Tank: Gap

Jeans: Express (x2 W10)

Shoes: Michael Shannon

Bracelets: Gifted

Apparently I'm going to have to start dressing Lola up every morning too, since she insists on inserting herself into nearly every picture. I took at least a dozen shots where she was in various stages of jumping on or around me before I finally just picked her up. Of course she calmed down immediately and smiled for the camera - spoiled baby, for sure!

Red/Burgundy is one of my favorite colors to wear. I always feel bright and cheerful in it. This top has the cutest little gathers in the sleeves and a sweet ribbon belt. I'm not normally one for tie belts like this one, but for some reason I like this one.

I echoed the circle pattern in the top with my jewelry and I like the way it turned out. If you look closely in the detail shots, even the shoes have little rings on them!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Dress: New York & Company

Tank: New York & Company

Shoes: Shi

Earrings: ?

Bracelet: Simply Irresistible

Today was one of those days where nothing I put on made me happy. It was so gray and overcast outside that I felt completely uninspired and just blah with everything I put on.

What's a girl to do when half her closet is discarded on the bed and only 3 minutes left to get dressed?

Pull out a cotton sundress, of course! We've all got them, ladies. Those go-to pieces that we know we can throw on in a hurry. This is one of mine. Super soft cotton, easy basic color, a few accessories and we're ready to roll.

I dressed it up a tad with the cute metallic wedges and then added drop earrings and this new coral bracelet. I am totally in love with this new cute piece! I kind of wish it was black so I could wear it a lot more often - I think the flower is so fun.

By the time I got to work, it was raining buckets and the hair made it into a ponytail only a short time later. I seem to be rocking the ponytail a lot lately. Bad for the hair, I know. But oh so necessary with all this awful rain.

So what's your go-to look when time and inspiration aren't on your side?

Weekend Recap: Saturday and Sunday, June 20 and 21, 2009

Top: Express

Jeans: Express (Mia Ultra Skinny)

Shoes: Shi

Earrings: gifted

Bracelet: New York & Company

Good Lord, somebody pass me the blotting paper! I am looking a little shiny in this picture. Ugh. Perhaps it is because Nate insists on keeping the thermostat at 75 despite the fact that it is 90 degrees outside?

Anyway, onto the outfit! I made a quick trip to the farmer's market in the early morning and then we didn't leave the house again until 7pm. It was so nice to just hang around the house for a change!

We went to dinner at a local sports bar and although it was hot and muggy outside, I knew it would be chilly in the restaurant so I went for jeans. I've had this top for years (I also have it in solid black) and love the fact that I can wear it like this for a date or put a camisole underneath and wear it to work. Gotta love tops that can pull double duty!





Dress: Ann Taylor Loft

Shoes: Baker's Shoes

Necklace: Simply Irresistible (local store)


I got this necklace at my favorite little local jewelry store the other day and couldn't wait to wear it. I wear a lot of black so I know it will get a lot of use and at 75% retail (I paid $2.50!) I couldn't pass it up.

The dress is a little less basic in person than it looks here. It has slanted pockets on the hips and little darts under the chest area. I'll be sure to take detail pictures next time I wear it. The necklace definitely added just the right touch to a slightly-more-than-basic little black dress.

These heels are one of my favorite pairs of shoes in my entire closet (and that's a lot of shoes!). I always get compliments when I wear them and today was no exception. The greeter at church commented on them as we walked in today. Nothing like a compliment to start the day off right! You'll see a lot of these babies this summer.

Love #2

I need want this dress. In a bad way. Maybe in the red, though. It's on sale, but not enough yet. I will continue to stalk it and it will be mine.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Top and Skirt: New York & Company

Sweater: Ann Taylor Loft

Bracelets: Ann Taylor Loft

Shoes: Naturalizer

So this is my version of 'getting dressed in the dark'....or at least without a mirror.

Nate had a dentist appointment this morning, so he slept late. I neglected to plan an outfit ahead of time, so I was left dressing the closet without benefit of a mirror. It turned out okay but I'm not thrilled with it. I feel a bit 'hippy' (and not in the '70's funkadelic way).

That said, I like the pieces of this outfit, just not the whole. I love the little flower and gather details of the sweater. And the bracelets were final clearance scores from the Spring and I have gotten a ton of use out of them already, both separately and together. This outfit is definitely a case of the whole not equalling the sum of its parts.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Tank: Ann Taylor Loft

Sweater: The Limited

Jeans: The Limited

Earrings: New York & Company

Bracelet: Lia Sophia

Shoes: Icora via Shi

I've got to figure out a better place to take pictures, so the camera will stop with all this blurry business and maybe brighten up a bit. Better pictures coming soon, I promise.

I loved the water color print on this tank. It's got a lot of colors going on, but I chose to pull out the purple with the cardigan. I'm still not quite over my purple obsession, even though I'm sure it's so last season by now!

I love these trouser cut jeans. I have to resist the urge to wear them every day. They are just the perfect cut and rinse. It will be a sad day when these jeans are put to rest.

I looked long and hard for a pair of purple heels. These weren't exactly what I was looking for, but I thought that the zippers were fun and they were less than $10, so they were close enough! I'm still on the hunt for a pair of purple patent peep toes but these will fill the void for now.