Tuesday, April 30, 2013

What I Wore Wednesday

I'm baaaaaack! I'm still sick (11 days now!) but I made a supreme effort to dress up most days. I was hoping that I'd feel better because I was dressed up, but unfortunately that hasn't happened. I'm linking up with Real Girl Style and the Pleated Poppy as usual, so click on their links on the right to see what other bloggers are wearing.

Outfit #1

My first attempt at joining the world again, but I ended up only going to the doctor. I've had this shirt for a year or two and though I love the color and love ruffles in general, the ruffles on this one never quite lay right. Plus it's pretty shapeless, so the belt is needed to make it look even partly respectable, but it really doesn't. I think I'm going to give up on this one. I should have gotten a better pic of the belt because it's great - two braided leather ropes joined together at the back and the front. I really like it.

Top - Target / Cardi - Matty M / Belt - ? / Pants - Chadwicks / Shoes - Coach

Outfit #2

Finally made it back to work this day! Another top I'm not sure of, though this one is new-ish. This is the first time I've worn it even though it's been in my closet for a couple months. I love the lace and the color and the Peter Pan collar, but I don't like the length of the sleeves or the length of the top in general. It's kind of short and the scoops in front and back put the sides at a really odd length. Also, it does not look good after its first washing - there are a lot of threads coming off.

Top - Target - $17.99 / Tank - Target / Pants - CAbi / Shoes - Coach

Outfit #3

I didn't give up my quest for printed pants after all! I know they are not the most flattering on me, but I love them and that's what matters! Also, they fit really well, which is practically unheard of. They fit both my thighs and my waist! Hurray!

Top - Target / Pants - Dana Buchman via Kohl's - $48.00 / Shoes - Coach

this pic shows the ruffles of my shirt better
Outfit #4

Yet another shirt I've only worn once and I don't think I love it on me. I love the fabric - it's got these super cute dogs printed on it and I love the lace, but I just don't think it's that flattering on me and I couldn't get it to stay where it was supposed to - the elastic waist kept creeping up and the neck kept falling down. Sad...


Top - Princess Vera Wang via Kohl's - $44.00 (sale price?) / Jean Capris - ANA / Shoes - Target

Outfit #5

Can you believe it? It's finally getting nice here! This day was at least 80 degrees. :) I was so excited to finally wear these items that I've had in my closet for a bit. This top takes a peplum to the max - it's an extreme peplum. I love the "scuba" fabric and the exposed zipper placket is a fun coral color that practically matches my toenail polish. And the skirt's chevron stripes are great.


See how long the back is compared to the front - it's kind of crazy, but I love it!


These shoes have a small wedge. I love the patent leather and I love the peep toes. That toenail polish color (Essie Tart Deco) is the color of the zipper placket.

Top - Lab Works via Target (online only) - $29.99 / Belt - from a skirt / Skirt - Target - $22.99 / Shoes - Calvin Klein

Outfit #6

Another beautiful day, another summery outfit! Though I did wear my jean jacket over this in the morning because it was a little chilly. The skirt is more minty in color than it comes off in the picture.

Tank - Old Navy / Belt - ? / Necklace - Forever 21 / Skirt - Target - $19.99


Whew! That's a lot of outfits! Hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next week!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

What I Wore Wednesday

Welcome back to my weekly outfit wrap-up! I don't have many to share this week as I've been sick for the past four days and haven't even left the house, let alone gotten dressed. So, I apologize for that. Also, it seems like winter is not going to let go of it's hold on Denver, so I'm still rocking the sweaters and warm clothes that I'm totally sick of! Of course I'm linking up with Real Girl Style and the Pleated Poppy, so click on their links over on the right menu to see the other bloggers outfits.

Outfit #1
 
Nothing here is new or different, just paired slightly differently than the last time... I had been freezing in the office the day prior, so I layered it up this day.

Sweater - Target / Buttondown - Land's End / Jeans - Old Navy / Boots - duoboots.com

Outfit #2

I thought that the next time I wore this dress, I'd be able to wear it without tights and a shirt underneath, but alas, it's still too cold to do so. I also thought of wearing this with a sheer black buttondown, but decided I wanted the warmth more. I had to go to an industry event/cocktail party after work and wanted to be slightly dressed up and this fit the bill.

Dress - Target / Turtleneck - CAbi / Belt - ? / Tights - Assets / Shoes - Coach

Outfit #3

I actually wore a black cardi over this because it was too cold without, but it really kind of ruined the outfit, so I chose a picture without it. I really like the pairing of stripes and polka dots - so fun!

Top - Elle via Kohl's / Belt - from a skirt / Jeans - J. Jill / Shoes - Liz Claiborne via JCP


I just LOVE these shoes! I definitely need to wear them often this spring!


That's all I have for the past week - so sorry! I'll definitely have more for you next week!

Monday, April 22, 2013

Boy Bits - Part 6

After having a few flings and dating around for a few years, I realized that I really wanted a serious boyfriend. I wanted to have one person to count on, one person to do things with. I wanted to find one special person and spend the rest of my life with that person. A lot of my friends had and were getting married and I wanted the same. The guys I had been meeting and dating were not necessarily similarly inclined. My big task was to figure out how to meet like-minded guys. I decided to try internet dating. Way back then, this seemed like a relatively new thing and I didn't really know many people who had tried it (or so I thought). I was wary but willing to try it.

I determined that I would not be the one to initiate contact with men while on match.com. Not a very liberated way to do things, but I wanted the man to make the first move. I just did. That's what felt right to me at the time. I don't remember how many guys I ended up "talking to" online, but I did eventually make a plan to go out with one of them. I would have been open to another date with him, but he wasn't into me. Strike one. The second guy I went out with ended up really irritating me. He was really hard to get rid of, kept asking me out even though I didn't do anything to reciprocate his attention. I don't know how many times I had to say no to a second date before I finally told him I didn't think we were a good match. Strike two.

The third guy I went out with was Jared*. (Name has been changed.) Though I was a little unsure of going out with him because he was at the upper limits of my age range (7 years older, which seemed like a lot when I was in my late 20s), we had really good chemistry online and then in subsequent phone calls. I thought it was a good sign that he shared his birthday with my sister and my Grandma. Our first date was full of good conversation and he gave me a nice little kiss when we said goodbye. He even called me later that same night to make sure I made it home okay in the snow. Our second date was even better and ended with a steamy kiss by my car. I liked that he wasn't afraid to make a move. And he wasn't afraid to call when he wanted to - he wasn't playing any games. It was refreshing.

After a few dates, I decided to introduce him to my friends - always a big deal, almost as big as introducing him to my family. Everybody seemed to get along great! Soon enough, both of us had taken down our internet profiles and were seeing each other - and only each other - regularly.

The beginning of our relationship was great. I mean, really, it wouldn't have become a relationship if it wasn't great, right? We had fun together, would go out regularly, we met each other's families and friends, made an effort to be a part of each others lives. He was attentive - he realized I liked Coach purses and got me a beautiful one for my birthday, just a few months after we started dating, which was a nice change from the oblivious guys I had been dating. He once sent me flowers at the office for Valentine's Day, and since he knew I was going to be out of town on the actual holiday, he sent them a week early. It was quite thoughtful. I ended up getting along really well with his sister-in-law, and was able to be there for the birth of her first child. (She is actually still a part of my life since she is my accountant.)

He took care of me when I was down. Once when I was sick, he made me breakfast in bed. No matter that I had absolutely no appetite and the smell of food made me want to vomit. It was the thought that counted. I still fondly remember my amusement when I realized he made the scrambled eggs in a soup pan. :) When I had a small procedure on my foot and could barely walk, he walked Lulu for me. And every time I cried from the pain or had to take a pill, he would curse the doctors for doing the procedure in a way that caused me pain. It was sweet.

I was traveling a lot for work at this time, which meant that we were constantly being "reunited", which was kind of fun. With all of that travel came lots of free flights, so Jared and I took quite a few vacations together. In addition to my free flights, since Jared was a poker player, he would regularly get rooms comped for him in Las Vegas. It was kind of cool - getting an awesome room comped at the newest (at the time) and most beautiful hotel in Vegas - The Wynn. We loved it.

@ Austin's - my fave steak restaurant in Vegas

We went to Vegas a lot. Always Vegas. Jared would play poker into the wee hours and then sleep most of the day unless I guilted him into doing something with me during the day. It was like pulling teeth so mostly I did my own thing. I toured around, went shopping, went to museums. Once I even spent the day working since I actually did most of my work in Vegas at this time. Don't get me wrong, Jared would do some things with me - we went to some great restaurants, saw a few shows, spent obscene amounts of money at the spa, and lounged at the pool. But it got kind of old for me. I'm so not a gambler, so that part of Vegas never interested me much. And since he was gambling at night, I didn't have anybody to go clubbing or dancing with. I got to be pretty lonely on these trips after a while.

@ The Wynn during the holiday season - this was actually our joint Christmas card that year
After we had been together for a while, I became uncomfortable with Jared's drinking habits. At first, I just didn't like the way his personality changed or his mannerisms when he got drunk. But then I realized that it didn't seem like he could stop drinking once he'd started. He'd finish whatever he opened. Whether it was a bottle of wine or a bottle of vodka. I started dreading any time he had a drink. When he didn't stop, he'd get stupid drunk and be completely useless the next day. I'd nag him about the habit and he'd stop drinking for a while. But that never lasted for very long before he'd start up again. He never admitted that he had an actual problem, he never sought help, never went to an AA meeting.

He seemed to have certain "triggers" that "made" him drink. For example, the one I remember most vividly was if he went golfing with friends. Playing golf equaled getting drunk to him. He'd start the process while golfing, then come home and continue drinking. He couldn't/wouldn't stop. It would literally ruin the weekend because I wouldn't go see him while he was like that and then he'd need the whole next day to recover.

One time when Jared came by after work I smelled alcohol on his breath. When had he had time to have a drink? When I confronted him, he said that he had a couple vodka shooters in his car that he'd bought earlier. He actually said he didn't think I'd be able to smell the vodka on his breath. Word of advice to people who assume this - vodka still smells like alcohol. Especially to someone with an acute sense of smell. It was disheartening. It just seemed so wrong to 1 - feel the need to drink in the car before coming over, and 2 - feel the need to hide it. To me, hiding something means you know it's a problem and you're ashamed of it.

I stopped keeping alcohol in my house. If I had it, he'd drink it. All of it. So I didn't want it around at all. Other people noticed. My family noticed. It was a huge issue. It became the biggest issue in our relationship, the thing we fought about most often.

To be fair, Jared had his own issues with me, too. I know that I'm not perfect, that I wasn't his perfect match, either. He always had problems with my shopping habits. I know that's a huge problem of mine. And Jared (and probably his parents, too) had issues with the lack of religion in my life. I believe he considered himself a born-again Christian. His parents were really religious and apparently before he met me, he'd been a regular church-goer. He and his parents really wanted me to share religion with them. I was raised Catholic, but it didn't really stick. I tried going to church with them and sort-of thought I might be able to incorporate it into my life as it was quite different than Catholic mass, but I quickly realized that I am not a believer. Though I found the music at the church they went to lovely, I knew that religion was not going to be a part of my life. Jared wasn't happy about that, but I thought he accepted it. His parents blamed me for Jared's poor attendance at Sunday morning church, but really they should have blamed his drinking.

Over the years, it became more and more apparent that Jared and I were not a fabulous match in other ways, too.

I liked being social and going out, dressing up, seeing friends, going to the theater and concerts. Yes, I love being a homebody sometimes, too, but Jared hated being social in any way. He had anxiety issues that I couldn't understand. Getting him out, putting on real clothes (god forbid dressing up!), talking to people was like pulling teeth. If I did get him to go out, he'd have to have a few drinks first, then he'd hang back by himself and brood, sometimes he'd even go into a different room just to be by himself. And more often than not, he'd get drunk.

Dinner w/ my parents @ North
I'm kind of a touchy-feely person. I like to demonstrate my affections with touch and I like to say "I love you" when I feel it. Jared wasn't like that at all. In fact, I think I can count on both hands the number of times he told me he loved me in the years we were together. It was really difficult for me. Who doesn't want to hear or feel that they are loved?

Jared and I had started fixing up his condo to sell and had discussed buying a place together, discussed what we both wanted in a new place. We even went to see some places together. Even though things weren't perfect with us, I was excited about this progression in our relationship. We had been going to a lot of weddings - all people who had met and gotten married since he and I had been together. I felt like it was time for us. And even though we had issues, even though I sometimes felt like I was settling, I was determined that this was it for me. I was going to spend my life with Jared; I was going to make it work.

@ a friend's wedding
By this time, the housing market was crashing and I barely had a job anymore. I was home a lot. Way more than I had ever been before. Since I was home so much more, I wanted to spend more time with Jared. We had spent years on a sort-of schedule - spending one or two evenings together during the week and then spending the entire weekend together. But I wouldn't have minded seeing more of each other. In addition, money was becoming tighter than it had ever been. I couldn't afford to take vacations or go to the same restaurants anymore. I didn't feel right having Jared pay for everything, which he couldn't really do anyway because I had always made more money than him. These changes created a lot of stress for us.

One night while discussing what needed to be finished to get his condo on the market and how much money we could save by living together, Jared blurted out that that wasn't going to happen. Say what? He said that if he sold his condo, he wasn't going to buy another place, he was going to use the profits to fund his dream to become a professional poker player. Um, okay. Isn't this something we should talk about?

The discussion evolved into a huge disagreement about the state of our relationship. Jared said it seemed like we were too comfortable with each other. Huh? That's a bad thing after you've been together for years? It wasn't until much later (seriously like a year) that I realized what I think he meant. We had stopped trying; we had stopped making an effort for the other person. We had settled into a sad, comfortable routine and started taking the other person for granted. We had both let ourselves go a little bit. I realized I couldn't even remember the last time we had kissed - not just a little peck, but a serious passionate kiss. Sure, we still had sex, but even that was routine. There wasn't anything passionate about our relationship anymore. I have to believe that's what he meant by "too comfortable".

But this conversation came out of the blue for me. We hadn't been fighting any more than usual about anything different than usual, so it was incredibly shocking to be suddenly breaking up. And even though our relationship wasn't perfect, I fought to keep it. He was such a huge part of my life that I couldn't imagine it without him. I couldn't imagine my life without his family, either. They were such a big part of my life, too. I was losing more than just him. In the end, nothing I said mattered. Jared wanted out and I think he had probably wanted out for a while.

I was sad, of course. Really, I was quite sad. I cried a lot. I tried to talk him into coming back. I was sad some more and for a long time. But it was never as bad as the aftermath of Zach. (You can read about him here and here.)

Nothing has changed in Jared's life. His sister-in-law gives me sporadic updates (even if I don't really want them.) He never sold his condo. He never pursued his dream of being a professional poker player. Last time she updated me, he'd never introduced another girlfriend to his family as he hadn't dated anybody seriously enough. We don't run in similar circles or frequent the same places, so I haven't seen him in many, many years. I saw his dad once at the grocery store and he was so pleased to see me that it was kind of sad. I liked his dad a lot.

It took me a really long time to come to the conclusions I've written about here. I would never have been able to put into words my issues with his drinking while we were together. I never realized that I might have been settling. I just really wanted to be with someone, to get married, and since he was there I decided he was the one.

I can now say that I learned a lot about what I do and don't want with a life partner from my relationship with Jared. That's a good thing for sure. I've also realized that two people need to constantly put in some effort to make it work in the long run. And there definitely always needs to be passion. I won't settle for less than that in the future.




Tuesday, April 16, 2013

WIWW

Back again for another addition of What I Wore Wednesday! I putting this together a little late on Tuesday (I've been posting early on Tuesday for Real Girl Glam), but I totally tuned out from the world today. After texting in sick to the boss man, checking facebook and email once, all I did was read and nap all day long. I felt exhausted, like maybe I'm fighting a cold, but that's not it. I think I'm actually fighting a slight depression - nothing to worry about - but it makes me really anti social and lazy.

But that's not why you're here - you're here to see what kind of outfits I put together this past week! So, without further adieu, here they are! (Of course I'm linking up with the Pleated Poppy and Real Girl Style!)

Outfit #1

I wore this to an interview last week. The good thing about my line of work is that proper suits aren't really expected, or necessary, or really even wanted at an interview. Though being professional looking is still desired, so something like this is totally okay for an interview. And, of course it snowed, again, so the black tights haven't been packed away yet. Unfortunately, I didn't get the job. But they thankfully let me know the next day, so I wasn't left wondering forever. And it's honestly not devastating because though I really want a new job, I wasn't totally psyched about this one.

Blazer - Talbot's / Shell - Soprano via Nordstrom Rack / Skirt - Target / Tights - Assets / Shoes - Coach

Outfit #2

Wearing my new favorite color combo - navy and bright pink! John and I had a really great lunch this day at Lucile's - a place with New Orleans style food. I've never been there because it's usually packed, but this day wasn't so that's where we went. Such good comfort food. So, so good. I even liked John's grits.

Blazer - INC via Macy's / Top - Loft - $20.65 sale / Pants - H&M / Shoes - Nine West

Outfit #3

Casual Friday. I realized how much I liked this jacket when I wore it last week, so I pulled it out again and wore it with the belt that came with it.


I also pulled out these shoes that I last wore in the fall. I'm planning on putting away all of my fall/winter shoes and since these are suede, they'll be in storage soon, but I wanted to wear them one last time. (To me, suede isn't a material well-suited to spring and summer.)

Jacket - St. John's Bay / Tank - Old Navy / Jeans - Levi's / Shoes - Anne Klein

Outfit #4

I wore this out on Saturday to two different birthday parties. One friend had her big 3-0! And the other had his 40+1. That's what he called it, but who am I to judge when I just celebrated the first anniversary of my 35th birthday? :) The top is new and the sandals are showing their face for the first time this season.


I also gave myself a quick pedicure with this totally springy peachy color - Essie's Tart Deco.

Cardi - Target / Top - ANA via JCP - $18.00 / Necklace - White House Black Market / Jeans - J. Jill / Sandals - Nine West

Outfit #5

I found this cardigan at the bottom of a pile and decided it needed to be worn. And since it was snowing - AGAIN - I actually needed the warmth. I really like the colors of it - the plummy purple/pink, grey, brown, off-white. It's kind of springy, which I needed on this snowy day. (Can you tell I'm completely sick of winter and ready for spring?!?)

Cardi - Target / Tank - American Living / Pants - AB Studio / Shoes - Coach


That's it for the past week. Hope you enjoyed my outfits and stop by again!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

What I Wore Wednesday

Another week has gone by and again I've tried to wear things I've never worn before or haven't worn lately. I'm linking up with the Pleated Poppy and Real Girl Style, so click on their links over on the right menu bar to check out other bloggers style!

Outfit #1

I was too exhausted to put together a very exciting outfit, so I stuck with black, a touch of leopard, and red lips. Can't go wrong.

Sheer Top - Jeans by Buffalo via JCP - $20.00 sale from $30.00 / Tank - Target / Necklace - Kohl's / Pants - Style & Co. / Shoes - Charles David

Outfit #2

Yep, wore the same pants two days in a row. I didn't see any of the same people and they weren't dirty or anything. I love this top - the green is very springy. There's actually a very dark navy in the plaid along with the black that is really hard to see. And there's a fun exposed zipper on the back.

Top - Liz Claiborne via JCP - $14.00 sale from $22.00 / Necklace - Loft / Pants - Style & Co. / Shoes - Coach

Outfit #3

I wore this springy outfit to go out for drinks with friends after work. I bought the skirt ages ago and have been so jealous because I keep seeing other bloggers wearing it, but it hadn't been nice enough here to wear it until recently. I also haven't worn this necklace since Christmas, so it was time to pull it out again.

Jean Jacket - Gap / Tank - Old Navy / Necklace - vendor at Junior League's Holiday Mart / Belt - Target / Skirt - Target - $19.99 / Shoes - Cole Haan

Outfit #4

Wore this to go see a very disappointing movie adaptation of one of my favorite books. :( Seriously, don't go see The Host, it really wasn't worth it. The jean capris are new, the scarf hasn't been worn since the fall, and the jacket hasn't been worn in probably a year.

Jacket - St. John's Bay / Scarf - H&M / Tee - Rebecca Beeson / Jean Capris - ANA via JCP - $25.00 / Shoes - Steve Madden


 Here's a closer look at the scarf and the perfect nude patent flats.

Outfit #5

Casual work day for me. Boss man was in Dallas with clients and I wasn't going to see anybody or go to the Design Center, so I had no need to dress up.


Here's a closer look at this cute cardi - it's got a lace overlay on the front (that was really difficult to photograph!).

Cardi - Apt. 9 via Kohl's - $50.00 (I know it was on sale, but I can't find the receipt) / Tank - Target / Belt - Coach / Pants - Eddie Bauer, thrifted / Shoes - Steve Madden


That's it for this week! Hope you come back next week to see what else I've put together!

Monday, April 8, 2013

Christmas in April!

When I moved all of my belongings into storage months ago and moved into John's house, I never anticipated that they would still be there six months later. That's why I had no qualms packing up all of my spring and summer shoes and only bringing with me the shoes and boots I knew I would need for winter. Well, here we are, moving into spring with summer hot on its heels (I'm sure), and I have absolutely no cute sandals to wear. It's not like I'm working enough to go buy all new shoes - not that I want to anyway. I have some seriously cute shoes already!

So I decided that I absolutely must venture into my storage unit to find the boxes that contain my cute shoes. The problem was that I had no idea where in the unit the boxes might be. I had a lot of wonderful friends and family that helped me move, which made my presence almost superfluous when loading the unit up. Therefore, I had no idea where anything ended up in there.


This is what it looks like in there. Pretty daunting. The boxes are stacked well over my head and this narrow area was my only access point. I also attempted to do this by myself and some of these boxes are really heavy. But I persevered. And now I have bruises all over my body. I have a big one on my foot from where I dropped a box on it, another on my shin from who knows what. Then I have a deep one on my shoulder, I guess from running into something. That one still hurts. The worst looking bruise, though, is on my ass. Yep. I backed into the corner of something and right then I knew it was going to make an awful mark. It hurt so bad. It's about the size of an orange and is the deepest shade of purple, almost black. Lovely.

But, I did finally find the three large boxes that held the majority of my shoes and was able to get them home. Unpacking them was like Christmas in April! I love my shoes! My mom was laughing because I have such a wide variety of shoes - from Target to Prada. Variety is the spice of life. :)

Here are some of my favorites:

Tory Burch flips

Steve Madden bright yellow silk flats

Prada heels, thrifted from a great consignment store in Las Vegas
they have a seriously funky metal heel, a fun cap toe, and a contrast bow

Tahari peep toe Mary Janes
I love the linen and leather combo

Boden patent leather t-straps, that I bought for my sister's wedding
the small cork wedge was perfect for their outdoor wedding

Sam Edelman wedges, made of the softest leather
the raffia covered wedge is fabulous

Red suede and ribbon Coach slip-ons
they have a great scalloped edge and grommet detail the ribbon is woven through


Funky linen and leather Target sandals
they're kind of military inspired, which I think is still on trend this summer


There you have it! Some of my favorite shoes that have just been rescued from storage! 

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

What I Wore Wednesday

I managed to pull together five great outfits on four days this past week, none of which were for Easter. I was sick for three days and therefore didn't get to wear the dress I specifically bought for the festivities this year. Sad. :( 

Outfit #1

I've only worn this chambray top once since I got it, but I love it so it needs to go in the rotation more often. I bought this skirt many, many years ago but haven't worn it in quite a while - probably over two years. It's a beautiful super-soft brown suede and the last time I wore it (for a birthday dinner) the waiter dropped my sauce covered silverware on me when he cleared my plate. It stained the skirt even after I sent it away for a very expensive cleaning. I decided to ignore the stain because I love the skirt too much and paid way too much for it to let it go to waste.


The skirt has a slight high-low hem, which makes it even more flattering on me. I always get complimented on it when I wear it.

Top - Old Navy / Belt - Target / Skirt - CAbi / Boots - David Tate

Outfit #2

While it hasn't been very long since I wore this general outfit, what is totally new is the belt. I love the bow and the color of the leather is spot-on with the boots.

Dress - Target / Jean Jacket - Gap / Belt - Kate Spade / Boots - duoboots.com

Outfit #3

The same day I wore the previous outfit, John and I realized we had an event to attend that we both forgot about. I looked at my dress and what he was wearing and said - we need to change, neither of us is dressed nice enough for a company's 40th anniversary party with formal invitations and champagne cocktails. I came home and found this dress in my closet. I bought it ages ago because it was such a great deal, thinking I'd find an event to wear it to eventually. While I determined it was nice enough to go bare legged for the first time this spring, I did end up throwing on a black cardigan over this for a little warmth. I was dressed totally appropriately for the event and the bright royal blue was perfect for spring!

Dress - Soho Apparel via Ross - $19.99 / Necklace - White House Black Market / Belt - from a skirt / Shoes - Coach

Outfit #4

I felt like I hadn't worn this blazer in a long time, so I pulled it out and paired it with this pearl necklace that I've had for probably ten years and recently rescued from storage. I bought it in High Point, NC when I was there for Market one year (absolutely everybody had them!), and I used to wear it shorter with a big bow tied from the black satin ribbons. I think it's more current tied long like this. I also wore its matching bracelet, too. :)

Blazer - Target / Tee - J. Crew / Necklace & Bracelet - Boutique in High Point / Belt - Coach / Jeans - Levi's / Shoes - Audrey Brooke 

Outfit #5

I wish I could retire the black tights for the spring, but of course it's cold again. Here I'm wearing one of my cheap F21 necklaces for the first time and a skirt I haven't worn in years because it didn't fit. In fact, the last time I wore it, I couldn't tuck in my shirt and show the cute inset grosgrain ribbon because it was too tight and looked like crap. But now it's good! I originally planned to wear a darker pink pleated skirt today, but I decided the color wasn't springy enough, so I pulled this one out and felt like a breath of fresh spring air on this cloudy, rainy, cold, blah day. (Can you tell how I felt about the weather today?)

Top - CAbi / Necklace - F21 - $7.80 / Skirt - The Limited / Tights - Assets / Shoes - Coach


I'm linking up with Real Girl Style and the Pleated Poppy, so click on their buttons on the right menu to check out the other bloggers outfits, too!