Dress: Black, Red and White

gray dress: Target, white cardigan: NY&Co., socks: NY&Co., red ribbon, black oxford heels: Payless

According to Kimberly's Outfit Calendar today, I'm technically supposed to be wearing a black dress.  I actually had this outfit in mind last Thursday, until I glanced at Today and realized that it fit almost perfectly.  I wanted to chance to try knee-high socks again, and I like it a lot better than the last attempt.

Thursday & Friday

FRIDAY:

yellow striped sweater: Old Navy, white tee: Hanes, jeans: Express, brown belt: Old Navy (circa 1996), boat shoes: Speery

THURSDAY:

black turtleneck: Old Navy, khaki pants: NY&Co., pink necklace: NY&Co., pink heels: Bandolino (DSW)

Seminar Clothes

pink striped oxford: The Limited, brownishy skirt: NY&Co., black maryjanes: Payless, bird necklace: Charlotte Russe

Quick post today.  Busy, busy bee = Me.  Had a training seminar this morning on some new software, and tomorrow I have a continuing education class in land and leasing.  Should be interesting.

Didn't get to follow the Outfit Inspiration Calendar today because I just couldn't find a patterned dress appropriately length for a business seminar.  I really need to invest in some new dresses apparently.  Decided on just a tried and true combination of an oxford and pencil skirt.  Can never mess that up!

Lots of blue and green!

jacket: The Limited, green tee: Target, black capris: Cato, black sandles: CL, blue scarf: Burlington
Coat Factory (man's pocket square)

Today I'm wearing a cropped suit per the Outfit Inspiration Calendar.  I've felt the perfect mix of business casual today in cropped capris, black blazer and fun silk scarf around my neck.  I love the cobalt blue silk in this scarf!

I was inspired by my outfit and did something very no-no...I matched my make up to my outfit!

And my toe nails!!

I made this necklace a bracelet today, and its working out fabulously!!

Jobs, Babies, and Monopods

red knot shirt: Express, black lacey vest: Old Navy, black and white circle skirt: George (Walmart), maryjanes: Payless

Lots of highlights to hit on today! 

1.  I'm LOVING the Outfit Inspiration Calendar the longer I do it!  I thought I'd get bored with it by now, but it is actually the opposite of boring--it really forces me to take a good hard look in my closet and come up with new ways to wear pieces, or at least rework pieces in my closet to make new outfit!  Thanks again, Kimberly, for all your efforts with the calendar!

2.  Congratulations to Leila for her wonderful news last week!  She is going to be the newest (and possibly best) speech pathologist at MD Anderson in Houston.  I'm sure a few of you have heard of MD Anderson.  Its a wonderful hospital, and will be even better once Leila is on board.  Leila = Smarty Pants!

3.  Welcome to my newest family member (we'll just call her a cousin), Taylor Clarice!  Congratulations, Joyce, Nathan and Dylan for that bright new little girl in your lives!  We can't wait to meet her! :)

4.  So, I've known I needed to order a tripod for a while.  I want to take quality pictures like most of you do without having to ask people to take them for me.  I want to be able to go to the park to take pictures like Andie or outdoorsy pictures like Danielle, and of course, the ultimate dream is gorgeous pics like The Pioneer Woman (ha), but I think my first step is acquiring a tripod.  That being said, I can't really go out and blow $100 on the kind I want (you know, the kind that is 6 feet tall and will capture my equally tall body), and I just don't know if I should spend like $30 on a shorter one without knowing if it will work.  So I have been debating this for a while, but the main problem is just that I won't GO BUY ONE.  So, last Friday, I'm searching for them online to check them out again (for the eleventy-thousandth time) and see a...monopod.

I tell myself that there is no way this will work...I am a smart girl, I graduated from college, I realize that something with one tiny leg can not stand on its own.  Then I read the reviews, and I SWEAR, they tell me how some centrivical force of balance and nature and sci-fi lets this monopod balance a camera (as long as its under 5 pounds).  Best part?  Its only $16.

So, against my better judgement, I order it.  It amazingly came in today.  One-half of me is thrilled to open it, but the other half knows that I have misunderstood the reviews and that this one...stick...cannot possibly stand on its own to take a picture.

And it doesn't.  Turns out, its used to help improve your camera and video shots from shaking and swaying due to our natural inability to stand perfectly still.  I'm forced to supply the other two legs...namely, my own, in order for this to balance the camera.  So, needless to say (unless, you know, you're thinking of ordering one), its not made for self-portraits.

So, the lesson is, Dear Readers, I really did try to improve my pictures for you and for me.  But even I can't compete with gravity.

So, the way I see it now, I have two options:  Suck it up and buy the tripod, or invest in a part time photographer.  Hmm.

Being Preppy: Crisp White Shirt, Scarf & Loafers

white oxford: NY&Co., high-waisted jeans: NY&Co., loafers: Etienne Aigner, scarf: used to be attached to a headband

I had a little fashion meltdown last night, which I haven't had in a while.  All my jeans felt too short, or too tight, or too big...I'm unhappy with my bras right now...I didn't think I had any clothes. 

Finally, I took a deep breath, referred back to the Outfit Inspiration Calendar, and decided yes, I do have clothes.

So, I'm wearing the outfit to a "t"...because the creativity in this closet was a bit limited last night!

Dress w/ Denim Jacket

dress: NY&Co., denim jacket: Gap, boots: Old Navy

Today's outfit is simple (a cotton stretch dress with a denim jacket), comfortable (a cotton stretch dress with a denim jacket), and warm enough to keep this rainy weather at bay (hello denim jacket).  I have usually retired my winter boots by now, but the heels I was going to wear were not appropriate for stomping in mud puddles.  Luckily, I think equestrian boots can get me through the Spring a little longer.

Totally justified for not doing your hair in the rain! :)

A La Chanel...with a little Glee

white tee: Hanes (Ross), gray wide-leg trousers: NY&Co., black and white cropped jacket: Cato, mary janes: Payless, sweater clip: homemade

The Outfit Inspiration Calendar told me to wear Chanel inspired pieces today in blacks, whites and grays.  It took everything I had not to add some color to this, but I wanted to keep in Coco. 

Last night's episode of Glee made me want a sweater clip all over again (Thanks, Emma/Jayma Mays.)  She was wearing a gold sweater clip with a gold bow on one side...that reminded me of this necklace of mine.  And I thought....I can do that!

Here's my attempt, and I have to admit, I'm really loving it!

This is the necklace normally.

Scarves and Belts = All Mixed Up!

purple tee: Target, jeans: Victoria's Secret, pink ribbon: Gap (w/ dress), pink and black heels: Liz Claibourne, pink and white jacket: Thrifted (originally, Old Navy)

On the Outfit Inspiration Calendar today, I was supposed to try belting a scarf over a pair of jeans.  Try as I might, I just could not get it to work for me.  I tried numerous scarves, and numerous belts, and none looked like the model.  I should have taken pictures of my attempts so that you could have vehemently agreed with me.

So, I went old-school and used a "scarf" as a belt!  But then I realized that this isn't really a scarf!  Its a ribbon sold as a BELT on a dress I bought last year from the Gap!  I'm so silly!  Cue the laugh track.

Trying something new with my hair:

This pretty jacket was SIX DOLLARS! 

Sheath Dress and Stripes

pink printed tunic: Nine West (Ross), black sheath dress: NY&Co., beige heels: Bandolino (DSW), beige scarf: NY&Co (w/ dress)

Week 2 of Kimberly's Outfit Inspiration Calendar.  Today brought "a sheath dress over stripes".  A look into my closet for stripes has made me realize that I do not have many striped shirts to choose from!  I have a few striped oxfords and several striped skirts, but not many just normal shirts.

I paired a basic black sheath dress over this silky tunic that I also wore here, and complained about not knowing how to wear it exactly.  Its not technically striped, but the print does go in a verticle pattern, so I figured it was close enough!

I threw on a beige silk scarf to give me a waist and matching heels.  Pearls to match!

Saturday Sun-Day

pink skirt: thrifted, but brand is Old Navy
white shirt: Old Navy
black sandles: Cato
bird necklace: Charlotte Russe

After spending all day at the pool on Saturday, I was very excited to go to a barbeque that afternoon!  Then Rebecca burned the steaks though, so we went to a restaurant instead.  It was still a fabulous day of SUN, and I got to break into the "summer" box in the guest bedroom closet! :)

Suspender-Less

Fuschia vest: Express, black and white shirt: NY&Co., jeans: Express, black loafers: Etienne Aigner (DSW), Tie: French Toast

I have been wanting to try a pair of suspenders for ages now, but not enough to spend a lot of dough on them or to even put much effort into finding a pair.  I was regretting that laziness today when the Outfit Inspiration Calendar called for Suspenders!  Alas, I had to stick with my "Blair" tie, which I think pretty much adds the same amount of nerdy prep that a pair of suspenders would :)

Does anyone have any big plans for the weekend?  I'm looking forward to some SERIOUS pool time...and there may even be a fruity Sonic drink in there somewhere, too :)

Thou SHAWL Wear...A Flower!

mustard t-shirt: Old Navy, black pants: NY&Co., black shawl: thrifted, gold sparkly flats: Academy

I'm supposed to "add some dramatic flare with a big scarf" but I didn't have any huge silk scarves like in the inspiration photo, and its a bit too warm today to wear the giant pashmina that I own (from L.C.) so I figured this lightweight shawl added the same bit of covered drama as a scarf, but didn't make me sweat for most of the day.

Even though its a little cooler today than it has been, I'm still feeling springy!

Two Posts and a Baby

TUESDAY:  blue striped short sleeve oxford: Express, white cardigan: NY&Co., brown skirt: Ross, brown heels: ?

So according to the Outfit Inspiration Calendar, I was supposed to wear a scarf draped around my shoulders, but I really liked the example outfit with the sweater thrown around the girls shoulders.  I loved this look!  I felt so preppy, but of course, I loved it!!

WEDNESDAY:  white sleeveless silk shirt: Target, turquoise skirt: NY&Co., denim jacket: Ross, black mary janes: Payless

Today I switched the outfit up a little again, because I was supposed to wear a dress with a loosely belted jacket...but I didn't feel like wearing a dress!  I figured a skirt is pretty much the same idea!  I just bought this jacket and LOVE IT!  And it was only $14!!  And in the Color Issue of InStyle, one of their feature combinations was turquoise and blue.  I love it!

A special shoutout goes to my FABULOUS friend Kimberly and her beautiful baby boy:

Happy Birth Day, James Grayson!

A Belted Scarf

gray pschedelic oxford: NY&Co., black skirt: Cato, red and black scarf: ?, red heels: Walmart

This month I'm trying to do Kimberly's Outfit Inspiration Calendar again! 

Today called for a belted scarf.  Although this isn't my favorite outfit I've put together, its nice to try something new, and also nice to incorporate this scarf into an outfit.  Also, I wasn't sure if these red shoes were a little "too much" with all the other pieces of red in the outfit, but I had the cutest conversation with my husband when I had one red shoe on and one black shoe, comparing the two.

T: "Oh, definitely the red one."
Me:  "You think?  It might be too much."
T:  "Nope, the red one.  I nailed it."
Me:  (grinning) "Well, okay."
T:  "I'm getting really good at this."

How could I wear the black ones after that??

Plus, I remember I owned these Minnie Mouse-like bows, and of course I had to slap one in my hair!