Don't Judge a Shirt on Its Hanger

Hi there!

This Saturday has been a day fullllll of errands with my husband! We went to store on store on store today--but we (eventually) finished everything we set out to do! (In case you were wondering, most stores are sold out of floating coolers. Apparently nobody else waits until the last day of August to buy accessories for the pool/river/lake!) Here is the comfy outfit I wore all day:

Top H&M (Spring 2013) // Tube top (underneath) Wet Seal // Jeans American Eagle // Flip Flops Unknown // Earrings World Market

My top is from H&M, and I wasn't a huge fan of it when I first saw it in the store. The color was unlike anything else I owned, and I doubted it would be flattering on me. My sister convinced me to try it on, and told me she loved it once I did! I liked it much more than I expected to as well. A complete stranger in the store told me she loved the top too, and it was at that point I thought to myself "Well, I have to get this now!" This just goes to show that the way a piece of clothing looks on a hanger (or on a mannequin!) does not truly represent how it will look on you! If you like something but doubt that you can pull it off or that the color is right for you, try it on! What do you have to lose? :)

My favorite part of this top is how its straps tie in the back. I love just about anything with a bow! :)

Casual Friday 8/30

Hi there!

Iiiiiiit's Casual Friday! It's also the start to a 3 Day Weekend! Wheeeeeee! :)

This morning I was feeling a little snazzy, and didn't want to dress too casual for "Casual Friday". I did something I'd never tried before: stripes with lace. I'm pretty happy with the end result!

(Please excuse the markings on the bottom of my mirror!)

Classic "Black and White" are definitely going to be a trend this fall--so chic! I'm really glad I bought this striped black and white blazer from Target at the end of last winter.

I paired the blazer with this cream colored lace top, and I felt like I needed something to pop against these neutral colors. This necklace works perfectly! It looks very similar to necklaces that were popular at J. Crew last summer. I was seeing them all over Pinterest and I wanted one, but I thought they were a little expensive. Luckily, I found this necklace on Etsy. I wear it all the time!

Cami Charlotte Russe // Top Forever 21 // Blazer Target (Winter 2013) // Jeans American Eagle // Necklace Etsy: JGirlsJewels ($17, Winter 2013)

This lacy top is very romantic, and very fitting for Date Night tonight! My husband and I are going to Studio Movie Grill tonight. We've never been to a theater where you eat a full meal while watching the movie! We're not sure what to expect, but I'm excited. :)

Mad For Maxi Dresses

Hi there!

Today I had plans to go to a church event after work, and I wanted to wear something nice for it. I also didn't know how much time I'd have after work to change, so I wanted to pick something out that I could wear all day long. The result was this dress!

Cami Charlotte Russe (Summer 2013) // Dress Goodwill: Enfocus Studio // Cardigan H&M (Spring 2012) // Earrings Charlotte Russe (Summer 2013, $1.99) // Sandals I can't remember :(

I love maxi dresses! They are simple to wear, and they are so comfortable. When I wear one, I basically feel like I'm wearing pajamas, but it looks like I'm a little dressed up--and that's what counts! ;)  A few months ago, I didn't know if maxi dresses would be considered "office-appropriate" enough to wear at my job, but once I began seeing other women wear them to work, I realized they're OK!

I also wore these earrings from Charlotte Russe. Their color highlights the light purple splashes in the pattern of my dress. These earrings were on clearance for $1.99! I had been eying them all spring, and when I saw them on sale a few weeks ago, I couldn't resist making them mine.

I won't show you a close up of my shoes because they're pretty worn out! I think they must be at least 5 years old. They are black gladiator sandals with studs. I don't even remember where I got them, and I can't find a brand name anywhere, but I love them! In my experience, it's hard to find affordable sandals that last longer than one summer, so I plan on holding on to this pair until they fall apart!

Goodwill Hunting

Hi there!

I knew today was going to be a good day when I made the most perfect blueberry pancakes this morning! They weren't burnt, and they weren't undercooked! It made me feel pretty accomplished before the day had even started.

This morning was also quite warm and sunny, so I thought I'd wear a warm and sunny outfit to match!

I love the bright, pretty color of this dress, and I'm obsessed with the applique at the top! I actually got this dress at Goodwill. My husband has shopped at Goodwill for electronics for the past couple of years, but I'd never thought to look there for clothing until my sister introduced me to it a few months ago. (Shout out to my sister! ;]) Let me tell you, it's pretty addicting. Sometimes we have to dig a little bit to find something we like, but I would say that about 80% of the time we walk out of there with something we can't wait to add to our closets!

Dress Goodwill: Kay Unger New York // Belt Goodwill // Heels DSW: Tahari (Winter 2012) // Earrings Charlotte Russe (Summer 2013, $1.99 for pack of 3)

My dress was priced at $9.99, but it was Sunday, AKA Student Discount Day, so I got it for 25% off and only paid $7.50 for it! I wasn't familiar with the label, Kay Unger New York, but I did some research and let's just say $7.50 was a STEAL!

I kept the accessories pretty simple. I paired my dress with these white flower earrings to match the applique on the dress. I bought these a few weeks ago from Charlotte Russe. They were on clearance and came with 2 other pairs of earrings for only $1.99! I also wore a gold belt cinched at my waist because the dress is just a little loose-fitting.

Here's a close up of the detailing on the applique. . .it's my favorite part!

I completed my outfit with these nude pumps because I thought black would be too harsh against the bright color of the dress. These are one of my favorite pairs of shoes! They are so comfy, and I love the little wave on the sides of the shoe. Nude colored shoes also help make legs look longer! :)

Day to Night

Hi there!

I recently graduated from college, and am now working full time in an office that has a business-casual dress code. Since I'm wearing "business-casual" clothing 5 days a week now, when I go shopping I look for pieces that I can easily transition from day to night. When I get home in the evenings, I'd rather quickly change part of my outfit then have to come up with something entirely new!

My outfit for work today was this:

Cardigan H&M (Spring 2012) // Cami Charlotte Russe (Winter 2013) // Sleeveless Blouse Goodwill: Full Tilt // Pants H&M (Spring 2012) // Earrings World Market (Winter 2012) // Flats DSW: Adrienne Vittadini (Winter 2013)

When I got home, I was able to just quickly change into some shorts and a pair of sandals and I was ready to go to dinner at a friend's house with my husband. Voila! ;)

Cami Charlotte Russe (Winter 2013) // Sleeveless Blouse Goodwill: Full Tilt // Shorts Kohl's: SO (Summer 2013, 50% off) // Earrings World Market (Winter 2012) // Sandals DSW: Unisa (Spring 2013)

I wear this little cardigan to work all the time. It covers my shoulders so I can wear it on top of a sleeveless shirt, but it is also short-sleeved and very thin so I don't get too warm when I wear it. I also like that it hits right at the waist. It has a very flattering fit.

(I wear flats whenever I wear pants because I am never satisfied with the way heels look! I always feel like the hem of my pants are too long or too short!) 

Fun fact: I bought my very first pair of white shorts last summer! I never had a pair growing up because my mom thought I'd get them way too dirty way too fast (OK, she was probably right). I love them now though! They can really make the colors in an outfit pop, and they make my legs look more tan--I'll take all of the help I can get! I bought this pair of shorts from Kohl's last week for 50% off!

Chambray and Boots in the Office

Hi there!

It's the end of August, and it's already starting to feel like fall! Cooler weather, rainy nights--I'm loving it! I broke down and bought some pumpkin at the store this weekend, and have been eating pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin oatmeal for the past couple of days. I love pumpkin everything.

This cool weather is also making me want to wear some boots! Now, when I say it's starting to feel like fall, I mean that the high is in the 90's. It is still way too warm for tall boots. I bought some ankle boots on sale from Charlotte Russe last month, so I decided it's about time to break them out!

Lately on Pinterest, I've been seeing girls wearing chambray tops with pencil skirts. I'd never even thought of wearing chambray to my office-job before, but I wanted to give it a try! Here's the final result:

I would just like to point out that I ironed this skirt last night with a brand new iron we got at our wedding. It looked wrinkle-free last night, I promise! I don't know what happened, but I do know that I hate ironing. :P

I kept accessories simple because of the detailing that is already on the shoulders of the shirt. I just wore a pair of hoop earrings.

Shirt Charlotte Russe ($10, Spring 2013) // Skirt with belt H&M (Spring 2012) // Ankle boots Charlotte Russe ($7.99, Summer 2013) // Earrings Francesca's (I think!!)