A Sparkle in Time

Weekend wear

2011-08-22T20:54:00.005-04:00

I find that I put so much thought and effort into what I wear to work that on the weekend I just wear the same few things over and over again. And I wear the same pieces all weekend. Lately, my weekend pieces have been this skirt and top, plus floral maxi skirt, nude tank, jeans and as-of-yet-unblogged stripey tank.

Although, I must say that the minute I stepped outside I thought, "It's too hot for this shirt." And then I thought, "Oh, well, I'm wearing it anyway."

And then I answered a text and it was caught on camera and my hair looked nice! And this is what I look like about 40%-50% of the time anyway. Always on my iPhone.

Here's some skirt detail. It's pretty! My mom brought this home for me from the Gap one day. I love getting unexpected gifts. And expected ones. And sales at the Gap.

bits from last week (and the week before)

2011-08-20T21:33:00.005-04:00

(from the Friday before last, doctor's appointment day which led to Starbucks and movie by myself afternoon, quite nice.)

(pink toenails!)

(only good picture I got of this outfit, darn rain)

dull and sticky

2011-08-11T23:12:00.004-04:00

Isn't the faded and fuzzy effect on my pictures cool? Yeah, it's because it's so humid out that my lens kept fogging up and I had to wipe it off between every picture. The jacket is necessary for my very air conditioned office, but after being outside in it for 10 minutes, the lining literally stuck to my skin. You guys, it's humid here. I do not like it.

But I DO like that I just got a new job! I've been hired as Public Affairs Associate by Planned Parenthood of South Florida! It's so very exciting. Not only do I get to leave my stinky current job that I hate, I get to go do something meaningful and important with a group of people I really like. It's kind of a win win win win situation. Full of win! See goofy jumping picture below for a graphical expression of my excitement.

(Oh, I also DO like this new jacket and shirt, both on sale, from H&M and Anthro respectively. A little congrats gift to myself, teehee!)

pretty girly

2011-08-02T22:01:00.003-04:00

Anything in which I feel remotely like a ballerina, I like. This outfit is one of those things. Sometimes I get nervous that maybe if I dress too girly, people at work won't take me seriously. But I then remind myself that I don't care. And that I am good at my job so they will take me seriously because of that, right?

always falling behind

2011-07-30T21:50:00.005-04:00

Once again I'm falling behind on blogging! These pictures are from Monday. And now it's Saturday night. Where did the week go? Oh yeah, it went to work and physical therapy for my stupid knee and going to the hospital because my boyfriend had to get his appendix out. (If you remember, my cousin had hers out not long ago and I was her hospital-buddy too. If you're having your appendix out let me know, I'm good at keeping people company! Or maybe I'm the cause...)

Oh, yeah, so, outfit. Not much to say about it except I like it. I have been wearing lots of light neutrals (nude, grey, white) and blue together lately. All my favorite work outfits right now fit that color scheme. I think I might need to branch out and get some skirts that are neither blue nor black, I don't seem to have any that are work-appropriate.

(P.S. I just realized I really am always falling behind, our two year blog-iversary was almost 2 weeks ago! I'm so proud of Sasha and myself for sticking with this even though we are so far form each other now. I can't believe 2 years ago we were about to start our last year of college and now we are both "adults" with jobs and everything. Time flies!)

pajamas for work

2011-07-29T20:05:00.000-04:00

I got these fun, super-comfy pants in Spain. They feel like wearing pajamas to work (except the shoes, of course), but they look great! Kind of make me think of something Kyla from Blue Collar Catwalk would wear.

pink toes!

These photos are actually from the courtyard of my old apartment a few weeks ago - I moved this week! I'm sad to see my old roommate leave Worcester, but she's headed back to Colorado for exciting law school adventures. I'm around the corner with two of my favorite ladies and our lovable cat Max. (Kitty photos to come, no doubt.)

Who's going to the swap in Boston tomorrow? I'm super excited for my first swap finally!

Papa

2011-07-25T22:19:00.004-04:00

Guess where I went this weekend! Give up? I know it's a tough one....Ok, I'll tell you. I went to Key West (where the Ernest Hemingway Home is, of course!)

I know the whole country is having a heat wave right now, but I'm pretty sure Key West is always that hot. I don't think I was ever sweat-free, not even in the pool or the shower or the hotel room with the air conditioner and fan all the way up.

But, I did have a really great time hanging out with my boyfriend while he scouted and did preliminary shooting for a documentary he's working on (and looking at cute cats at the Hemingway Home!) He's working on a movie tentatively called "Papa" about the Hemingway look-alike contest that happens in Key West every year. It's pretty cool and hilarious.

before the heat wave

2011-07-24T11:51:00.000-04:00

These are from a beautiful summer work day before this ridiculous heat wave. The sort of day that makes me love my walk to work and take every excuse to run outside mid-day.

I have just 2 thing to say about this heat: my New England body does not know how to handle it. I didn't realize how much sweat I can produce in such a short period of time.

I really like this outfit! Simple, easy and so fun with my Ghana jacket (thanks Mom, the seamstress).

Pretty toes!

I'm lounging in my living room with a wonderful group of friends for the morning after of my roommate's birthday/going away party. Last night included grilling, laughing, cake & pie, so much beer (that I didn't drink any of...way to hot for me to drink anything without ice), and walking to two of our favorite bars. This morning so far has been iced tea & west wing. Soon we're relocating to a diner for brunch. We'll miss you Sam! Law school is lucky to have you!

until the very end

2011-07-16T22:52:00.003-04:00

This is what I wore to go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 with my mom today. It seems to rain every time I go to the movies with my mom lately (ok, it rains almost every day in the summer) and I seem to always get caught in the rain with a long skirt! But I don't mind, I get to lift it up and feel like a princess.

After the movie we popped into Old Navy so I could get a white skirt, which my mom insisted I have to wear in Key West next weekend. I never argue with shopping! And I think it will be a good thing to have, it's SO HOT in the Keys in the summer.

Point being, I took these pictures in the fitting room at Old Navy because it was raining and was getting dark anyway, so no nice outside pictures today.

By the way, today was my second time seeing HPDHpt2. I went to the midnight showing Thursday night and wore a more theme appropriate outfit. (Needless to say, I am a Harry Potter Nut!)

day outfit, night outfit

2011-07-15T10:05:00.000-04:00

There are not the best ever outfit photos, but I really liked both outfits:

Perfect for a summer Friday at work

Outfit for a casual benefit concert for YouthGrow -

a local program to get kids involved in gardening and environmental things

I'm off to New York City for a long weekend with my little sister and visiting a good friend. Plans include everything from The Russian Tea Room (thanks to restaurant week) to a Brooklyn Cyclone baseball game. Can't wait!

black, white & gold

2011-07-12T22:23:00.003-04:00

Here's a story about me and Marshall's. I went there once to return something and meandered over to the purses, where I found a gorgeous leather tote bag with a long gold chain handle. It cost $200 and I bought it. About an hour later I realized I was crazy for spending that much on something when I had just bought new tires (ugh) and am trying to save money. So I went back to Marshall's to return the bag and meandered into the dress department, where I found this dress. It cost $19.99 and I bought it. And I'm keeping it.

I felt kind of French and kind of chic in this outfit, although I also felt kind of scandalous wearing an over-the-knee skirt to work. In a place where 90% of the women wear black pants every day, I like standing out. And knees? They stand out. (Actually, I don't know if anyone even cared, by in my mind I pretended they thought, "oh she's so young so she can wear such a short skirt and it's OK.")

Sidenote, this is one of my favorite necklaces of all time. Got in at H&M in London 2 years ago and I feel like it's kind of Harry Potter-ish. Speaking of Harry Potter, I'm going to the midnight showing of the FINAL movie on Thursday, oh my gosh!

all my red, white & blue

2011-07-11T23:47:00.000-04:00

I did 4th of July weekend this year, with all of the festivities and red, white and blue everything.

watermelon mojitos to kick off the weekend

outfit 1:

red and white necklace

white lace crop top

blue and white striped tank

jean bermuda shorts

red canvas shoes

veggie burgers for dinner with appropriately dressed friends

blueberries, strawberries and whipped cream to bring to the fireworks

on the way to Worcester's fireworks

yay! freedom! independence! fire!

I'm from NH where fireworks are legal, so we usually set off our own. My dad does quite a good fireworks show, but it was fun to see the city show with everyone else. I haven't done city/town sponsored fireworks in a while.

post-fireworks smiles

outfit 2:

red and white necklace

blue shirt

cut-off jean shorts

(can't remember what shoes I was wearing)

Annie's Clark Brunch (a favorite of most Clarkies and Worcester-ites)

beach!

outfit 3 (which you can't really see):

black bikini and black cotton dress cover-up

red cut-off tee

nautical red tote (same one that Anna has here)

blue beach towel

more lovely times with friends

outfit 4:

blue dress

white belt

blue beaded necklace

natural/bronze flip flops

red tote bag

There was so much excitement, fun, and sun, and so little sleep that I actually went to Boston for dinner on Monday and left before the fireworks. A good long sleep seemed so much more appealing.

A delightful weekend! Thanks to our founding fathers for the excuse to celebrate :-)

just an outfit post

2011-07-10T23:07:00.000-04:00

Signs of beautiful summer weather (finally): I am really behind on indoor things, like reading blogs (seriously, so many posts in my google reader), reading magazines, ironing, and laundry. It's great.

new shoes! 10% off, my favorite way

I've been doing so many great summer things between 4th of July weekend and this past weekend. Pictures and stories to come, of course.

nightblogging

2011-07-10T22:06:00.004-04:00

This is a post-lounging in the pool with snacks and drinks and then getting rained out and watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix outfit. Which is what I did on Friday, and what I wore.

I love when something effortless actually works on me and doesn't make me look like a shlub. Usually what I wear is effort-ful. I don't mind that, but the effortless look is one I usually envy. So I'm giving myself an A+ and a pat on the back for effortlessness!

in the details

2011-07-06T19:38:00.002-04:00

Today's bracelet, slip & epaulette...(the slip wasn't showing, but it's just so pretty!)

another summer day...

2011-07-06T18:58:00.000-04:00

...another cotton dress, same straw hat

This was a feel good, lots of compliments outfit and so perfect for a summer day.

Turns out, riding your bike is not just good for you and good for the environment, it's even good for the economy! Not just your personal, less-gas-buying economy, the national jobs-needed economy. Check it out! :-)

rock, flag & eagle!

2011-07-04T14:46:00.005-04:00

Happy Independence Day! The United States of America is 235 years old! Well kind of...we weren't really independent until the British surrendered in 1781, right? And then the Constitution didn't even go into effect for another 7 or so years...but hooray for independence and patriotism nonetheless, right?

It seems that I don't have very much red to wear, so I had to rely on my glasses and bag to get in the holiday spirit, clothing-wise. Thanks to our friend Pia, Sasha and I both have these awesome nautical red totes! For some reason nautical and patriotic go together. If only I had a sailboat, the look would be complete.

Most of my day off has been spent watching the HBO John Adams miniseries and doing stuff around the house, but there might be some fireworks in my future if it doesn't rain too much.

I think this clip from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia pretty much sums up America, don't you?

strawberries!

2011-07-03T23:45:00.000-04:00

Fresh produce season (also known as summer and fall) in New England is the best time of year. My family picks and freezes strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries so we can eat them through the cold, dreary winter. It's a basic 4-season survival tactic.

I went strawberry pick twice in the same weekend this year, to make sure I got enough.

YUM!

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend. Mine has been full of all appropriate activities: fireworks & friends with most of worcester, veggie burgers, berries & whipped cream, watermelon mojitos, friends and new apartment cat-adoption adventures (more on that later), ocean beach fun, and more fireworks & friends tomorrow. It's been great, needless to say.

fringe benefits

2011-07-02T19:50:00.002-04:00

First of all, I wonder how many bloggers have used "fringe benefits" for a post about bangs before, probably a ton...but I like it.

I got my hair trimmed, and I let the stylist (who I totally trust) give me an asymmetrical bang. At first I was kind of wary, thought I looked a little Vulcan-like (hi, I like Star Trek.), but everyone else (mom, dad, boyf, people in salon) seemed to react positively.

After 24 hours with my new look I realized, I totally have the Emily Fitch bangs I always wanted! At least I will when they grow out a little.

summer day: cotton dress, straw hat, sandals

2011-06-29T23:15:00.000-04:00

This straw fedora is easily one of my favorite summer items. It goes with everything and almost every situation and it makes everything outfit that much more summer fun.

This dress is from Target last summer, but they're selling it again this summer in so many pretty colors! Purple and turquoise, anyone? Quite possibly coming soon to this blog.

And this is what my bag looks like on a busy, but organized morning:
keys, camera case (the flowered thing), sunglasses, iced coffee and smoothie - homemade breakfast to go, and of course my wallet, checkbook, and sparkly daily toiletries/make-up pouch

(and if you can't tell, it's a pretty big bag to carry all of that)

Today was kind of stressful at work (website technical issues and grant writer's block) but then I ended the day with a compliment on a different work thing, got a few little things fixed on my bike for less than $10 and took a bike ride in the lovely lovely summer weather, and even had yummy leftovers so I had a great dinner with no cooking. It make tackling the website and grant tomorrow seem so totally doable.

I'm lazy

2011-06-25T00:29:00.005-04:00

I think an over arching trend in my portion of this blog is my laziness, whether it be in my wardrobe choices or my picture-taking (or lack thereof). So this is just another example of that. Thursday after work I was so tired and ready to start my weekend (4-day 40 hour work week, I love and hate you) that I just took some quick mirror phone pics.

This is one of my favorite work outfits recently. I like that I can wear this denim dress if I dress it up with a blazer, sparkly-toes shoes, and pearl earrings. It transitioned perfectly into a post-work summery date outfit! Too bad the movie times were changed we didn't get to see Tree of Life after all.

summer requirements

2011-06-19T12:56:00.008-04:00

It's here. The thing we(Floridians)'ve all been dreading. Summer. You guys, it's terrible. It's super hot and humid and rains almost every day, but the rain doesn't make it any cooler or less humid! So there are a few summer essentials that make going outside almost bearable, which every Florida girl should know, as seen in the following pictures.

1) Summer dress. Light fabric, preferably floral or striped in my case. Above the knee a must, to maximize breeziness.

2) A good pair of sandals, appropriate for most occasions. A pair of really casual flip flops (like those great 2 for $5 pairs at Old Navy) and a nicer pair of sandals also works, but I like to kill two shoe birds with one shoe stone...so to speak.

3) Hair ties and bobby pins! To get my long hair off my neck and my bangs off my forehead.

4) Finally, you need a good attitude! The summer will be over soon, right?

I'm still working on that last one...

Oh, and don't forget lots of sunscreen! That's the real way to survive in the sun. Especially if you are a porcelain princess like me.

mom, daughter, skirt

2011-06-17T19:42:00.000-04:00

Remember the pile of beautiful fabric I brought back from Ghana? My mom and I made a bubble skirt:

and I already owned the perfect matching cardigan

So fun & colorful to wear!

It's the weekend! And it's already raining on my plans. I am going strawberry picking this weekend and biking or walking to the farmer's market tomorrow.

Speaking of fun weekend things, if you're in the Worcester area, check out next weekend's best event (hosted by my organization): African American & Juneteenth Festival. Good music, yummy soul food, and vendors!

sunny days & short hair

2011-06-16T23:22:00.000-04:00

I cut my hair! and it turned into summer!

Well, not exactly like that. It was actually already a beautiful summer day when I cut my hair and for about a week (or two?) after. Since then it's been mostly rainy. Hey, Mother Nature? My straw fedora looks a little silly in the rain.

Anyway, these were sunny day outfits!

This dress? The more than your money's worth, once Mom's, always receive compliments dress. It's by go to for a hot, summer day - I'm a big fan of guaranteed comfort & guaranteed compliments, you know?

In other exciting summer news, 3 of my 4 herbs have sprouted and my tomato plants look great (though little yet)! And the farmer's market starts this weekend:-)

Final thoughts for the evening, if you haven't read Keiko and Gala's posts about body image and blogging, you should check them out:
Keiko: On Body Image
Gala: Blogger Beautiful?...
Gala: Body Pressure...

my turn

2011-06-12T22:49:00.006-04:00

Ok, time to play catch up. Here are some more outfits from my mini hiatus.

First up is another version of my Free People shirt, remember the one with the birdies? When I saw this one (also on sale, thank you Macy's!) I kind of knew I had to get it.

I've pretty much been rocking this hairstyle every day that I don't wash my hair, which I probably embarrassingly more often than it should be. I always wanted to be one of those cool girls who wore a bun on top of her head, and my hair is finally long enough to be one! Goal accomplished. One step closer to self actualization.

(sorry about my messiness of my room! I can't get it together and be clean...not that close to self-actualization after all...)

Next is an outfit made possibly by the wonderfulness of H&M. Maxi skirt + scarf = easy summer weekend outfit! I've been wearing this skirt a lot. I can get away with it at work and it's so easy on the weekend, I can't help myself!

I hope everyone who might be reading this is having a great summer so far, involving lots of lovely summer clothes and enjoying of sunshine. I certainly am enjoying the easy-going nature of summer clothes, and finally getting used to the fact that I just can't wear layers in Florida heat. I'm also enjoying silly summer TV shows, So You Think You Can Dance, anyone??

kind of a long time ago

2011-06-11T15:17:00.000-04:00

Good things

-women's leadership conference with my mom

-walk to celebrate world refugee day this morning

No so good thing
-it rained on my strawberry picking plans! didn't the weather know that today was a particularly bad day to rain?

No story for this outfit, just something I wore sometime in the last couple of months when I wasn't blogging much.

fancy pantsy

2011-06-10T18:16:00.003-04:00

Hi blog! Miss me? I missed you. I did some stuff while I was neglecting you though, and that was fun. I went to a wedding and I got to dress up. Wanna see? Ok!

Spain is lovely

2011-06-07T00:11:00.000-04:00

Not all that long ago, before many busy weeks at work and fun weekends and a delightful busy spring, my parents and I went to Spain to visit my sister!

Jet-lagged in Madrid and o-so-happy to see Nadia

yum.

botanic gardens in Madrid

desperately in need of spring after a long New England winter

jamón, so much jamón

churros & chocolate. yum.

garden wall at La Caixa in Madrid

Cuena y las casas colgadas, houses literally hanging over the gorge

driving from city to city and taking in the beautiful country

"Love Milk, Love Fruit, Love Chocolate"

more yum.

Granada was so pretty.

♥

Semana Santa

Flamenco!

La Mezquita in Cordoba

so much luggage. and I actually wore pretty much everything I brought.

So, um, I'm back? I have a bunch of stuff to post, since it's been a couple of months...

summer steeze part 2

2011-05-13T15:35:00.001-04:00

Blogger deleted this and I don't know if it will come back, so here it is again!

summer steeze part 2 by annafaceface featuring wrap around bracelets

little birdies

2011-05-07T11:15:00.003-04:00

Hihi everybody! In the past week I got this shirt and then got the flu. Love the shirt, hate the flu.

I've worn it three times since buying it, and have not managed to take a "real" picture, but that's what iPhones and apps are for. I'm wearing it with skinny jeans, and I wore it with my teal skirt to work.

Happy Mothers Day weekend!

just a quick note about maxi dresses

2011-05-02T09:39:00.002-04:00

Hey there readers, I'm back from Spain but hiding under a lot of pictures to sort through and a long to do list, but I promise to post some outfits soon. In the mean time, let's just all appreciate how pretty Anna is and how great her outfits are :-).

Anna posted about wanting more maxi skirts, so I thought I'd share this maxi dress post from Ramshackle Glam.

And I am aware that a dress and skirt are different...

mirror mirror

2011-04-27T00:11:00.003-04:00

I took this picture just to kind of test how I looked, but I really like it. For reasons unknown. I am officially obsessed with wearing long skirts now.

This is actually a dress from Target, but it works. Where can I find more maxi skirts?! Need more.

old into new

2011-04-24T16:09:00.005-04:00

This outfit doesn't quite fit into the ideal that I posted about yesterday (long and flowy and spring colors and ease) but I managed to take some old things and kind of get the look I was going for.

First, I took my favorite dress from last summer and wore it as a skirt, making it longer. Then I found my old Rufus Wainwright "Gay Messiah" t-shirt (listen, it's a great song!) for some bright pink. And with my new Betsy Johnson tropical birdy earrings and pink balled flats, I think I managed a nice spingy comfy look.

summer steeze

2011-04-23T00:42:00.002-04:00

summer 2011 steeze by annafaceface featuring lace up booties

I'm so ready to transition into summery style. It's been getting really hot here and every time I step outside, I'm met with them feeling of impending doom that preempts summer.

I took to Polyvore to kind of design my vibes for the summer. I feel like I'd be happy wearing this skirt every day, varying tops and accessories as the mood strikes.

Anyone else got a summer steeze?

gloomy days

2011-04-15T15:09:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone, I have red(er) hair and red glasses now. It's so satisfying, I can't even explain. When life gets me down, I like to change things up a bit, and this is very much working to help pull me back up.

So has anyone else noticed that all the best street style blogs (The Sartorialist, FaceHunter, etc.) have been featuring a LOT of gorgeous ladies in long flowy skirts lately? Well, I noticed. And I also noticed that they look great. And I also noticed that I have the perfect skirt to achieve that look, which I have had since I was 14. 14! That's almost 10 years. Never again will I listen to people (my mom) who tell me I should get rid of clothes. I must save everything!

I decided the aesthetic of this look is "hippie goth." It embodies my spirit of wanting to help people while also hating most of humanity. It works, right? Although it should probably be "hippie goth nerd" with the glasses, and since it's me, a perpetual and proud nerd.

Do you like my clogs? I've had them since January, but haven't worn them yet, because of my general fear of being taller than everyone in my family. Which I already am. So I'm just going to say screw it and wear them. They are SO comfortable and make me feel funky.

Now a questions about Blogger? How can I get my pictures to be bigger?!?! I know it's possible, I've seen it done. But I can't figure out how to do it. Please help?

in a hurry

2011-04-03T21:43:00.003-04:00

Hi blog world! How I've missed you! The past week has been pretty crazy, with exhausting work days and forcing myself to go to the gym. And then my cousins are their two little daughters arrived, with all their belongings, to become Florida residents! I'm so happy about that, but it's made life so hectic. Watching two kids is HARD. Remind me that if I ever say I want any.

Anyway, I've had no time to even read blogs, let alone post to my own, but I managed to get my mom to snap some phone pics in a parking lot while we were rushing from one place to another:

My new favorite look! Flowy Free People top (all time fave) over shorts, with a light sweatshirt and knee socks. It's my way of saying "hey seasons, I love you all!" Also, I just threw random stuff on and then ended up really liking it so wore it all weekend....

sneak peek

2011-03-29T22:16:00.005-04:00

I'm way too tired and lazy right now to upload the outfit pictures I took, but here's a preview phone picture!

The theme of this outfit is "things I'm really excited I found: either in my house or on sale." Also "red and green but not in a Christmassy way."

spring for an evening

2011-03-29T20:34:00.000-04:00

A bit ago delightful things happened:

1. it was warm and springy

2. a couple of friends visited and a whole bunch of us had a wonderful friday evening out-saturday morning brunch together.

shirt: taken from roommate's cousin's donate bag (on the favorite free find list*)
jeans: grane (via Macy's)
necklace: vendor at an African festival in Worcester
shoes: talbots (thrifted)

My getting excited-good things are going to happen face?

*Yes, I just made up the favorite free find list. But I think I'll keep adding to it.

I like this, do you?

2011-03-26T00:21:00.000-04:00

This is one of those mom-knows-best stories. Last spring, Free People sold a full length, black, wide leg, strapless jumper/romper and my mom said it would look great on me. I was skeptical and it was a typical Free People price which is a bit out of my range.

Recently, I've been day-dreaming of that jumper, mixed in with day dreams of warm enough days to wear a jumper. It would be so great with a belt, and appropriate and fun with a jacket at work. Free People doesn't sell the jumper anymore, but! today, I saw this on Modcloth:

Modcloth Got the Move Jumpsuit

I bet it would look great with a belt or a jacket. Do you like it? I'm still a bit skeptical if I would wear it enough to be worth the money, so I need some opinions!

winter layers & spring flowers

2011-03-24T22:56:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago it was cold (actually, it was cold again today...) and I wore this cute layered outfit:

Then I went to the Smith College Spring Bulb Show. It was beautiful and warm and really got me in the mood for spring (as If I wasn't already ready for spring).

Did you all see the Ann Taylor LOFT Sale on the Sale that Madeline posted about? I wasn't thrilled with the selection, but it's 50% off everything on sale and there are good deals to be had. I ordered this cute lacey shirt in 2 colors, and spent less including shipping than the original price of one shirt :-)

With those, the skinny black cropped pants I bought with the Gap sale this past weekend and the skirt I'm going to sew this weekend, I'll be ready for my vacation in two weeks. And I am so counting the days. Spain with my parents to see my sister and enjoy warm weather yesssss!

sparkle toes

2011-03-23T19:30:00.005-04:00

I mentioned before that my green flats are kind of...dead, so I looked and looked for a replacement pair, but it seems that pointy green flats with gold studs on the toe are no longer in. I had to settle for finding a different style, but I just couldn't give up having gold on my toesies!

As I tweeted, I feel kind of like a princess witch in these, which is a feeling I very much enjoy. The picture was taken with the hipstamatic app on my iPhone, so the color is a bit off (the shoes are darker and my tights are green) but aren't they purdy? I love them. Almost as much as the green ones...

spring dreams come true

2011-03-17T23:47:00.000-04:00

A picture story of why I haven't posted any outfits recently:

I wrote my first federal grant (with my co-workers). Have you ever written a federal grant? With a collaboration? It's a lot of work. A lot lot lot of work in very little time. There was a well deserved celebratory lunch out (Vietnamese soup & spring rolls) followed by cookies.

(photo: http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2008/06/fudgycoffeebrownies)

I accidentally made a whole pan of brownies, when I meant to make half a pan.

So I had to spend a lot of time eating brownies:-)

Recipe (my mom's brownies are sooo good).

(photo from last fall)

First bike ride of the spring today, and it was still light out at the end of the ride.

:-) :-) :-)

Gap: Slim Crop Pants

I started making a spring/summer wishlist and thinking about what I want to buy before my trip to Spain. Trip to Spain where it will be warm and lovely and my parents and I will finally see my sister (who's been abroad all semester). Daydreaming about the trip has been taking a lot of time.

post-30!

2011-03-12T11:03:00.003-05:00

I'd like to introduce you to my first post-30 for 30 purchase, this denim dress from the sale

rack of Anthropologie. It's my new best friend.

I've got a couple more awesome clearance rack finds and a new pair of flats coming in the mail to replace a pair that have reached the end of their life. RIP green flats, I'll never forget you.

news

2011-03-09T23:47:00.000-05:00

Good news 1: I pick 30 for 30 outfit favorites!

I actually had a really hard time narrowing down my favorites. What are your favorites?

Good news 2: I really liked my post-30 for 30 outfits this week.
Bad news 1: I only took pictures of 1 of the 3 outfits...

Good news 3: I have some glittery links for you!
My Edit - Thrift Thursday. Sequin Formula. I the third outfit a lot.
Required to Be Inspired - Glitter Under Heel DIY. This is just great.

3 good news, 1 bad news, that's pretty good!

30 for 30 recap

2011-03-07T22:16:00.001-05:00

This 30 for 30 was definitely a challenge for me but I do like a lot of the outfits:

In all honesty, I don't feel like picking favorites right now.

Remix Recap

2011-03-07T19:07:00.003-05:00

I don't know if you noticed, but I had a really hard time with this challenge. It was my first 30 for 30, and I just started a new job with a professional dress code I'm still not quite used to. But I did come up with a few outfits I love and I realized that I can manage with a lot fewer items of clothing than maybe I would like to have.

My favorites were 2, 5, 12, 23 and 28. And I must say, the best lesson I learned is that life is so easy when you plan outfits ahead!

twenty nine/thirty: finally!

2011-03-06T16:25:00.003-05:00

Finally posting these outfits and finally done!

Last week was so hectic at work that I didn't even bother taking pictures after Monday because I was so tired and probably would have looked extremely stressed out. Because I was. So this morning I did a little re-creating of outfits and viola! 30 for 30 complete!

These are taken in my (super girly and probably not age appropriate for a 23-year-old) bedroom. Notice my Harry Potter shrine? Yep, I'm a cool kid.

I am sosososo happy to be done, and I'm going to do a little recap post later. Just so you know, I've already been shopping. I need serious help. In the form of lots more money so shopping a lot isn't an actual problem.

28, 29, 30: the bittersweet return of choices

2011-03-03T21:00:00.000-05:00

Alright the title was a little dramatic. but I'm done!

I actually wore an extra outfit on Tuesday night hanging out with friends (I went pilates after work so I had to change anyway) because I was so ready to be back to my full closet. This 30 for 30 was necessarily hard, and I could have made more outfits out of my items, but I was getting bored. There really wasn't a lot of color or variety in outfit options, and maybe I just don't remix as well in the winter. I was way more ready to be done this time than during summer 30 for 30 (my last).

Anyway, the last 3 outfits:

I really liked this outfit.

This was one of those outfit that I expected to look a lot better than it did,

but it was a work morning which means once I'm dressed, I'm dressed.

Whew! Ironically, I had a tough time deciding what to wear this morning. So many choices and I kind of wanted to have some great post-30-for-30 outfit. I didn't, but I thanks to a pretty shawl scarf it all worked out:-)

Good luck to everyone still remixing! I'm heading home for a weekend of Winter fun (because it is still very much winter in New England) and relaxing with my parents and a taking a break from outfit photos.

27: Monday is best with a little sparkle

2011-03-02T19:12:00.000-05:00

Monday morning when you're getting up early and know it's going to be a busy week isn't always the best. Monday morning with tights with sparkles is so much better. In fact, this week is busy but it's going really well considering that we are working on a huge project at work that could be going not well at all. I give Monday's sparkles at least some of the credit. (And some credit to my and my co-workers hard work).

sparkles are a bit tough to photograph

Layers:

Black dress - Macy's

Scarf - League of NH Craftmen's store

Tights - funky women's store in my hometown in NH (LisAnns)

Boots - Etienne Aiger (via Macy's)

Tank top - Old Navy

twenty eight: I like to repeat repeat myself

2011-03-01T21:28:00.002-05:00

I find that I only think of interesting ways to wear something while I'm wearing it. So red stripey here got to go out two days in a row!

I am so so glad to be almost done. I don't like having limited choices, you guys. Not at all.

26: colorful sunday

2011-02-28T23:29:00.000-05:00

My lovely friends visited me Saturday-Sunday and took my blog photos before Sunday brunch (caramel-apple bread pudding & coffee, delicious, thank you Armsby Abbey)

sweater pattern - most colorful grey

Generally, I like taking my own photos because I can take them whenever I want and try strange poses and be picky and anything else that maybe doesn't show my best side. It's fun to have friends direct my shots now and again and pretty things like the mirror picture happen!

Layers:

Purple tank - H&M?

Scarf - Old Navy

Sweater - Delia's

Jeans - Faces (in Northampton, MA)

Clogs - Ariat (via Walking Company)

Belt - mom's closet

twenty seven: oops...(you know what comes next)

2011-02-28T19:29:00.003-05:00

I did it again. I skipped taking pictures of my outfit. On day 26. So here's 27. (I still wore 30 for 30 things, so it still counts and man I just want to get back to my other clothes already!)

I find that I'm not a big accesorizer. For instance, I felt like I shouldn't wear any jewelry with this outfit because the hat was enough. And I rarely wear more than once piece of jewelry together, unless I'm being super fancy. I think this tendency has made the 30 for 30 challenge more difficult.

25: trying something different

2011-02-27T23:24:00.000-05:00

I stepped out of my comfort zone last night and wore this shirt with a different scarf and no purple. The outfit worked & I had a fun night.

Notice how a bit of my hair is clipped back there? It won't stay that way. At all. I've tried a bunch of ways and each time my hair just slowly (actually pretty quickly) slides out of the clip/bobby pin. Might have to add "learn how to do interested things with short hair" to my to do list.

Layers:

Scarf - college vendor

Shirt - Talbot's

White tank top - Old Navy

Jeans - Grane (via Macy's)

Boots - Etienne Aiger (via Macy's)

twenty four/five: shorts story

2011-02-27T00:43:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it took me until day 24 to wear my tweed shorts! I love them so. I always feel like a dickens character when I wear them. So when I wore them once (Thursday) I just had to wear them again (Friday). I'll probably wear them one more time next week, just for good measure. Don't want my shorts to feel neglected.

All of these pictures were taken in my parents newly re-painted, re-carpeted, re-furnished bedroom. It looks soooo pretty and SO much better than it did before, I thought it deserved a little love on the ol' blog. And I think tomorrow is going to be spent helping move all their stuff back in there...

24: snow bunny at the office

2011-02-26T11:32:00.000-05:00

I felt like I should go skiing or ice skating in this outfit with my new Smartwool tights and the glitter (on the neckline of my shirt). But I went to work. great story, right?

The tights were super comfy and warm:-)

This was Thursday's outfit, yesterday I didn't get dressed. I worked from home, it rained all day, and I only left my apartment to do laundry and take the recycling out. I wore leggings and long sleeved tee and slippers all day. The night involved West Wing and Bones with my roommate, a phone call with my parents and going to be early. Yes, it was relaxing and great and I do plan to get dressed today...

Layers:
White tank - Old Navy
Grey skirt - Gap
Scarf - Urban Outfitters
Tights - Smartwool
Shoes - Shoemania

23: just my 23rd outfit

2011-02-24T22:11:00.000-05:00

It's been a crazy week and I couldn't think of a title for this post. The crazy part of the week is over, especially because my boss decided we should work from home tomorrow because we worked so much already this week. It's great.

It's been mostly good crazy - we've been working on some exciting things and I do like my job.

Layers:

Black tank top

Striped turtleneck - Target

Black pants - Express

Shoes - Aldo

Scarf - college vendor

twenty three: sunny days

2011-02-24T19:24:00.003-05:00

The weather has been so pretty, but I spend all of my day inside at a computer. It's tragic. I am making a resolution to enjoy the outdoors this weekend. Even if it's just for an hour.

I forgot to put my shoes back on before going outside to take these pictures. But they were grey flats, in case you were wondering.

twenty-two: is my favorite number!

2011-02-23T20:01:00.003-05:00

Ready for some more photoshop silliness? I never got to take a picture of yesterday's outfit, so I kind of did a mash up of other pictures to re-create it:

Looks pretty accurate don't you think?

Ok, it sucks. But it was fun!

22: bright colored soul

2011-02-23T09:42:00.001-05:00

I had a bunch of meetings yesterday, but I wanted to be colorful too:

Tweed dress, purple scarf & argyle tights was just the thing to

be appropriate and not look like everyone else at the meeting.

Layers:

Black tank - Old Navy

Black sweater - Target

Tights - Hue (via Nordstrom Rack)

Dress - Banana Republic

Shoes - Aldo

Scarf - DIY (bottom of a maxi dress)

twenty-one: look what I can do!

2011-02-22T21:03:00.003-05:00

I had my mom take my pictures last night so I didn't have to re-create yesterday's outfit today! She's the best. But then I didn't take outfit pictures today. Soooo, I'm back where I started.

Today at work I had training in InDesign, which is the best layout software ever, and I learned a cool trick that you can also do in Photoshop, with the pen tool.

For instance, here's me outside a restaurant in Florence, Italy!

And here's me with sky where my face should be!

And also my outfit, which I thought was kind of boring.

21: sweaters & songs on repeat

2011-02-22T08:30:00.002-05:00

This sweater felt so perfect on Sunday, so I wore it again on Monday. With an not yet worn in the remix piece - this skirt.

It was a casual day at the office, since many people took the day off. I was super productive in the morning and got to sneak away for lunch out with friends.

I can't stop listening to these two (entirely different) songs:

Layers:

Black tank- uknown, swapped

Grey sweater - Nordstrom Rack

Necklace - NYC Union Square Holiday Market

Skirt - Buffalo Exchange

Tights - Foot Traffic

Shoes - Aldo

20: not yet worn

2011-02-21T23:43:00.000-05:00

Day 20 and I realized I had some unworn pieces, including this grey sweater:

I was feeling casual, cozy Sunday (it's been so windy & cold and I was up late Saturday),

but I was meeting a friend for a craft fair, so I want a touch of artsy fun.

What to know a secret about my scarf and the easy DIY ever? My scarf is actually the bottom of a maxi dress that was used in shortened version for a dance performance. I just couldn't let a good piece of circular fabric is such a fun, bright color go to waste!

Layers:

Black tank top - unknown, swapped

Grey sweater - Nordstrom Rack

Earrings - League of NH Craftsman's Fair

Scarf - see above

Jeans - Grane (via Macy's)

Boots - Etienne Aiger (via Macy's)

Recap Number 2!

2011-02-21T20:51:00.004-05:00

Ah, you guys, it's been 21 days! Wanna re-live the last 10 days? I know I do.

Once again, click the picture to see everything bigger.

Today was one of those days when I was inside from dawn til dusk, not a moment to spare to take a picture. I guess I'll have to re-create my outfit tomorrow? Sigh. The life of a blogger is so hard. (Only not really at all.)

19: going out & staying cozy

2011-02-21T08:32:00.002-05:00

Saturday night was the kind of cold, windy night that makes you think twice before leaving the warm comfort of home. I pulled out my New England ability to ignore cold weather and had a delightful evening with live music and funny encounters at a local bar.

Layers:

Scarf - gift

White long sleeved sparkle shirt - Talbots (gift)

White tank top - Old Navy

Jeans - Faces (in Northampton)

Shoes - Aldo

twenty: sunday substitution

2011-02-20T22:42:00.003-05:00

In my last post I predicted that I would want to wear something not part of my list and have to replace my un-worn khaki pants. Today I found my favorite black Gap t-shirt, which had mysteriously gone missing until this day. And this is why I believe in fate. (Not really. I do. But not because of clothing-related miracles.)

Anyway, the weekend was mostly spent taking all the things out of my parents bedroom to prepare for it to be painted and re-carpeted. THEY HAVE LOTS OF STUFF! My arms are shaking slightly right now from tiredness. And that's why I look kind of like a shlumpy sue today. But I like it. I think I'm a fashionable shlumpy sue. Also you can tell I'm tired from my rambling. OK PICTURES.

Oh, and these pictures are special because my mom took them! Except for the one I obviously took.

18: fast photos

2011-02-20T21:32:00.001-05:00

I took these photos really quickly so I could change from casual work day to Friday night dinner & ice skating. This outfit turned out great & just as I pictured it:

My feet didn't make it into any of the outfit pictures, so I took a picture of my pretty toes in my favorite heels:

It's Sunday evening & that's really all I have to say...

Layers:

Shirt - Victoria's Secret

Grey tank top - unknown

Jeans - Faces (Northampton)

Belt - gift from a gallery store

Shoes - Aldo

Necklace - Modcloth

nineteen: getting there

2011-02-20T00:39:00.002-05:00

Another shirt on my list I hadn't worn yet: this lovely silk one from Banana Republic. That leaves only my khaki pants. Which I need to shorten and I don't think I'm actually going to wear. Meaning, there's going to be another substitution at some point, when I decide I really need to wear something else from my closet.

17: when I like an outfit, I wear it again

2011-02-19T10:39:00.000-05:00

This shirt, sweater and pashmina just keep telling me to wear them together, and I keep listening. I even thought to myself as I was putting this outfit on "maybe I'll wear my black or grey sweater." And the purple sweater said, "uh, no, clearly I make such a good combination with the pashimina and shirt. there is no other option."

Shirt/sweater, sweater/pashmina and shirt/sweater/pashmina worn here, here and here.

Layers:
White tank - Old Navy
Ivory tee with gold design - Talbots
Purple sweater - mom's closet
Belt - mom's closet
Pashminia - street vendor in NYC
Black skinny pants - Old Navy
Purple socks (they matched the outfit!) - Gold Toe (via Hubert's)
Boots - Etienne Aiger (via Macy's)

Happy Weekend everyone! I am still in bed now, but I'm off to find a good cup of coffee or tea.

eighteen: going out (staying in)

2011-02-18T20:09:00.002-05:00

I was supposed to go out this evening, but plans changed and I'm staying at home. Which I am quite happy to do, socializing isn't my favorite thing. But I did get dressed and take pictures before the plans did their changing, so let's pretend I wore this out into the world today, shall we?

color love

2011-02-18T19:10:00.002-05:00

For someone whose favorite colors are STILL pink and purple, I don't wear them enough. I'm getting some good color inspiration though:

(Kendi Everyday, Keiko Lynn, The Sartorialist)

Okay, back to 30 for 30-ing.

16: familiar colors

2011-02-17T23:35:00.000-05:00

I like this outfit, which is shocking (read: not at all shocking) considering it's black, grey, blue, and made of lots of comfortable pieces. I wasn't sure I could pull of the knee socks and skirt look, but I got a few compliments, so you'll be seeing this again.

Matching necklace and earrings!

Layers:

Black long sleeved tee - Gap

Grey tank top - Old Navy

Grey skirt - Gap

Blue belt - mom's closet

Black sweater tights - Foot Traffic

Grey socks - Hubert's

Black oxfords - Navid o Nadia

PS - I posted my fitness goal on Blue Collar Catwalk for Sweaty Wednesday and I'm doing especially well this week! Ice skating Saturday and Sunday, pilates Monday-Thursday (yes, 4 days!), run on Wednesday, and more ice skating planned for tomorrow. I even starting using 8 pound weights in pilates (started with 3 pounds in July, moved to 5 pounds, now 8).

seventeen: kinda casual

2011-02-17T22:54:00.002-05:00

When Thursday rolls around, I just want to wrap a blanket around myself and wear that to work. So I tend to go a little more comfy and casual than during the rest of the week. I'm technically supposed to be wearing a royal blue polyester-ish polo shirt emblazoned with my town's logo on it, buuuuuut I don't do that. (I work for local government, btw.) I'm getting a black button-down with the logo which I will start wearing on Thursdays instead of the awful blue. I just hate that shirt so much.

Anyway, this is what I wore today to be comfortable.

The best part about these pictures is that you can see my little fluffball of a cat in the background hunting some lizard prey! She's the cutest.

15: halfway!

2011-02-16T23:21:00.002-05:00

I'm not feeling as creative this 30 for 30 as I was in the summer...which may have a lot to do with the significant number of neutral black or gray items in my 30. Whatever the reason, I'm hoping to come up with some good new outfits in the second half of 30 for 30.

Tuesday was cold again, so I decided a turtleneck and wool blazer were necessary:

Shoe and necklace close-up, two of my favorites.

Layers:

Green turtleneck - Gap

Black tank top - Old Navy

Wool blazer - Scotland (via mom's closet)

Black skinny pants - Old Navy

Wool socks - Smart Wool

Shoes - Aldo

Necklace - Faces (in Northampton, MA)

14: warm enough for shorts!

2011-02-16T22:40:00.001-05:00

I wore this on Monday when it was not just above freezing, but even hit 40 degrees. Obviously not warm enough for shorts on their own (or work appropriate), it was nice to celebrate the warm weather a bit:

You can't see it too well, but there is a line of sequins around the neck of this shirt.

Just a short post, off to edit more photos!

Layers:

Tan tank top - Old Navy

White sparkle tee - Talbots

Scarf - vendor at my college

Leggings - unknown

Shorts - Express? (via Buffalo Exchange)

Boots - Etienne Aiger (via Macy's)

sixteen: half and half

2011-02-16T21:50:00.006-05:00

I'm more than halfway through! And my dad just went to buy half & half for our coffee tomorrow! Life is good.

I realized that there a few items I hadn't even worn yet, and this skirt was one of them. And I had actually never worn this skirt at all. I got it from Target right before the challenge started and I've been sort of stumped by it. Luckily, this turned out to be one of my favorite outfits yet! I mean, I love love love stripes. Of course I love this outfit.

fourteen: in a rush

2011-02-15T20:05:00.003-05:00

I literally sped home at 6 yesterday evening to make it home to take pictures before the sun set. And I just made it, but barely. These pictures are brightened significantly in photoshop.

I've hit the halfway mark of 30 for 30 and I'm kind of in a rut. Today I wore an outfit I've already worn and I felt like my hair was all wrong and I have a pimple sprouting on my chin AND nose. So no pictures. It's like a day off in the middle of the week. Kinda.

thirteen: nothing doing

2011-02-14T19:18:00.002-05:00

Truth be told, the only thing I did in this outfit yesterday was buy some buttons and eye make-up remover. And groceries. The rest of my day was spent at home in sweatpants. But I think it's nice to add a little excitement to a really boring Sunday with an animal print. Too bad I got the wrong size buttons and have to return them!

Also, this is the purse I use pretty much every day. It's the perfect size and very comfortable and I'm really sad that it's starting to fray a little in some places.

weekend in review: 12 and 13 and a bonus

2011-02-14T19:07:00.000-05:00

My parents visited this weekend and we did all kinds of lovely weekend things:

Saturday outfit for a relaxing breakfast at my apartment & ice skating.

(No, my slippers are not part of my 30 for 30 picks, but they are so cozy).

Layers:

black tank top - Old Navy

green turtleneck - Gap

jeans - Grane (via Macy's)

wool ski socks - Smart Wool probably

Saturday night we went out for a delicious Indian dinner with my roommate.

Excited face on the left :-)

Layers:

black tank top - Old Navy

black long sleeved tee - Gap

grey skirt - Gap

black sweater leggings - Macy's

scarf - League of NH Craftman's store

boots - Etienne Aiger (via Macy's)

Sunday lazy outfit for another relaxing breakfast, family skype with my sister, and more ice skating.

Layers:

black tank top - Old Navy

grey long sleeved tee - Gap

scarf - street vendor in NYC

jeans - Grane (via Macy's)

wool socks - Smart Wool

clogs - Ariat (via Walking Company)

So...has anyone noticed that I'm always wearing a tank top (usually from Old Navy) and wool socks? They're my necessities of winter warmth.

11: good combo for friday

2011-02-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

This felt like a great outfit for Friday of a very busy week: nice jeans, cardigan, blazer & heels:

I wish you could see in the photos that I'm wearing a lacey top. It's actually the black version of this shirt - it was such a good deal at Nordstrom Rack that I ended up getting both colors.

Layers:

black tank top - Old Navy

black lacey top - Nordstrom Rack

purple cardigan - mom's closet

tweed blazer - Scotland (via mom's closet)

jeans - Faces

belt - League of NH Craftman's fair

heels - Aldo

necklace - also Faces

10: your opinions please

2011-02-13T20:02:00.001-05:00

I couldn't decide if I should wear the belt over the sweater or not for this outfit. I ended up not - what do you think?

I was already feeling like this outfit wasn't too creative (I like it, but it's black and grey with accessories I love and have paired many times before)...now there's an interview with Lady Gaga on 60 Minutes which really makes this seem entirely boring haha.

and my layers:

black leggings - unknown

belt- vintage shop in NYC

black skirt - Banana Republic

boots - Etienne Aiger (via Macy's)

black v-neck tee - Gap

sweater - H&M

black tank top - Old Navy

twelve: dapper

2011-02-13T12:07:00.002-05:00

This is my "menswear inspired" look. I think I subconsciously knew to wear something kind of dapper yesterday, because I was going to see The King's Speech, which is full of dapper-dressed-men. (And also an excellent movie which I highly recommend!)

eleven: here come the clouds

2011-02-12T14:06:00.003-05:00

This is yesterday's outfit, when it was rainy and cloudy and gloomy. I quite liked it, actually. It's nice to stay in a be a lump on the couch when it's stormy outside. But I did have to make a quick run to the bank and the pharmacy (and Starbucks), and this is what I wore.

That's my bedroom window, if you were wondering. It's had some adventures, like when some young hooligans climbed through it and stole our TV (while I was in MA, thank god I wasn't there!) or when I forgot I have no screen and my kitty cat escaped into the world! She came back though.

It's sunny and CHILLY today. Like under 60 degrees chilly. That's cold for Florida, okay? I'm going to have to do some strategic layering of 30 for 30 items...

20 days to go!

2011-02-11T17:19:00.003-05:00

I'm one third done! I really liked yesterday's outfit, all black and grey and classy, but by the time I got home it was dark out. And since I take my own pictures, conditions were not great. So here's a recap of the past 10 days, with the final day small and fuzzy!

Click on the picture to see everything bigger!

My favorite looks are day 2 and day 5. Least favorite are 4 and 7. What do you think?

because the couch is comfy: pretty things & links

2011-02-10T22:26:00.000-05:00

I had a crazy day, just crazy and I even had to be smiley-tension-resolving Sasha (for those of you who don't know me, I'm great at putting on a smiley face in between two people who sound like they are not particularly please with each other. It's hard to be tense and annoyed over a smiling co-worker. Not to "toot my own horn..."). Unfortunately, smiley-tension-resolving Sasha sometimes absorbs some of that tension.

And now I'm on the couch, with tea and pineapple, and I just don't want to get up to get my camera and today's outfit pictures. So here's a few pretty pictures and some links instead:

(from Blue Collar Catwalk)

(from Stockholm Street Style)

(from: Keiko Lynn)

On Being a Feminist Beauty Blogger and How to Buy Makeup that Reflects Your Ethics, Logic, and Pocketbook from Those Graces

DIY: Wear Your Heart on Your Knees Tights from Modcloth (not sure I would wear these but the video and idea is cute)

Should You Shave Your Legs flow chart from Bite

Enjoy! Happy-almost-much-needed-Friday!

nine: blah

2011-02-09T21:58:00.003-05:00

Today I felt pretty crappy, and when I came home for lunch I just wanted to eat my leftover Moe's burrito and not think about anything. And then I decided to go to the gym after work to work out all the negative feelings and get some endorphins going.

Thus I googled silhouettes and found this great image, and drew my outfit on it! So this is kiiind of what I looked like today:

(For reference: Free People top, Bloomingdale's blazer, Target black cropped pants, gap ballet flats.)

Here's to a better day!

9: Cozy and Professional

2011-02-09T18:33:00.000-05:00

When I got up this morning, weather.com said it was 7 degrees outside and felt like -10. A hour later we progressed to 10 degrees feeling like -7. I know you'll appreciate these outdoor photos extra now that you know that. And if you happen to be the weather god and you make it above freezing tomorrow, that would be great. really really super awesome great.

I had a professional networking & training lunch meeting today, so I had to be warm & comfy (networking is awkward, comfort is essential) but look professional. Obviously that meant the wool blazer. And it worked - I met some nice, talented women in my field & learned a bunch, and even enjoyed a delicious soup lunch.

Layers:

Grey tank top - Old Navy

Pink-Purple Layered Shirt - LOFT (a closet favorite)

Wool Blazer - Scotland via Mom's Closet

White Pashmina - street vendor in NYC

Black skinny pants - Old Navy

Cognac boots - Etienne Aiger via Macy's

Wool socks (another essential for today's temperatures) - Wigwam

Not picture but essential for the weather - knee length, down, puffy jacket with hood

Day 7: cognac and blue

2011-02-09T10:19:00.003-05:00

Let's make it official, I'll write it down: cognac (orange-tan or whatever you want to call that color) and blue look so good together. Besides, any color that is sometimes called cognac must be pretty. And for the record, I think cognac-the-drink is disgusting but it's just kind of a cool word.

Enough rambling already? Fine.

PS - The outfit looks better in the photos than I thought it looked all day. Does that ever happen to you?

seven & eight: matching monday & tuesday!

2011-02-08T22:14:00.000-05:00

The story of Anna and Sasha's apparent inability to count
Part 1: Anna's great idea
Anna realized that we both had grey skirts with black waistbands and grey shorts in our 30 for 30 picks and suggested "Matching Monday." It was meant to be.
Part 2: Sasha is forgetful
On Monday morning, I completely forgot, put on my black pants on went merrily about the day. There was "du-oh" moment in the evening, post blog photos and a grey skirt Tuesday. Yay for second chances?

So here is Anna's day 7 and Sasha's day 8, both styling our grey skirts:

If nothing else, it is obviously colder in MA than in FL.

Look for Matching Monday again next week. I'll try to wake my brain up before I get dressed.

eight: bright jewels

2011-02-08T20:12:00.003-05:00

So wait? What happened to 7? Sasha shall explain in her next post, don't you worry!

On to 8. Bare legs! Scandal! That's kind of how I felt going to work today without tights on. It's possibly the first time, since I started a little over a month ago, I've shown my gams. But I felt my skirt was long enough to make it appropriate, and MAN it's warm out. (Sorry northerners!)

I like to mix my jewel tones: teal and mustard and maroon, oh my! Unfortunately, my heels were kind of sinking into the grass and the maroon isn't showing too much.

Ok, time to watch TV and zone out, my favorite time.

six: simple (superbowl) sunday

2011-02-07T20:32:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was so gorgeous. I had to venture a little farther from my house into the abandoned golf course which is my backyard.

I finally got this shirt back from the dry cleaners! And then hemmed and hawed about weather I should wear it (in case it got dirty again!) or wait until the work week. Clearly, I couldn't wait.

And I think wearing the shirt might have been good luck, because I won $100 in my work Super Bowl pool! And when this shopping ban is over, I'm going to spend it on another shirt probably.

6: sunday basics

2011-02-07T08:58:00.000-05:00

What to wear when you don't want to think about what to wear? Favorite skinny jeans, favorite boots, and a basic tee with glitter. Comfy, easy, always matches and a little sparkle.

Yes, those are outdoor photos! It has finally been a little warmer (read: in the 30s instead of the teens and 20s) and I had some time to be outside when it was still light out over the weekend. You can see, unfortunately, that the warm weather did not melt away all of the snow...

and now, Monday and I stayed up a little too late watching Glee last night. Dear Fox TV, in the future please play Glee before the Superbowl and before 11pm.

5: clogs and a cardigan saturday

2011-02-06T17:38:00.000-05:00

So...getting ready for the Superbowl or getting ready for Glee? I didn't even know how long the Superbowl was until today, and only learned because I need to know when Glee starts :-)

Here's what I wore yesterday, for a community event and relaxing with friends:

If it looks a bit familiar, it's the same pants, shirt and scarf worn here.

Layers (it's finally a bit warmer this weekend!):

white tank top - Old Navy
shirt - Talbots
caridgan - unknown (via mom's closet)
jeans - Grane (via Macy's)
clogs -Ariat (via Walking Company)
purple knee socks (not seen in the picks but specifically worn in case they were seen) - Gold Toe

five: change of plans

2011-02-05T20:58:00.005-05:00

Remember how I ordered a shirt online from Gap to be part of the 30 for 30? Well, it finally came and it was HUGE. Not, ooh it's long enough to wear as a dress huge, but it looks like I stole the shirt of a person 20 lbs heavier than me huge. So back to Gap it went, leaving with me with only 29 things to wear. That's where my shorts came in.

I was actually really needing more casual weekend wear, so being able to replace the shirt with the shorts worked out well. AND! A 14 year old girl in the hair salon said my outfit was really cute, so I think the shorts were a good idea. Seriously, that girl made my day.

Oh, and this is my favorite shirt ever. This 30 for 30 is going to be more like "how can Anna remix 29 items with this top?" for 30. Oh again, the shopping ban is already getting hard, I think I might be an addict.

4: black and blue and grey and stripes!

2011-02-05T08:42:00.000-05:00

Creative title, yes? To be fair, I was up at 8 on Saturday morning and, well, that's all I've got. Anyway this was a great Friday outfit:

It's going to get hard to count on my fingers after outfit 10. Hadn't really thought of that.

Layers:

Sweater tights - Foot Traffic

2 tank tops - both probably Old Navy

Striped t-neck - Target

Black skirt - Banana Republic

Cognac flats - Talbots (thrifted)

Belt - mom's closet

3: meeting-new-people-at-work outfit

2011-02-04T20:37:00.001-05:00

I had another snow day/work at home day on Wednesday so I never really got dressed and had no outfit pictures to post yesterday. I'm as tired of the snow as anyone, but I'll spare you my complaints. (Actually, that's probably not true, I don't mind a little snow and I ice skate & cross country ski. I bet there's a lot of people more tired of snow than me.)

I had a work meeting with a bunch of people I hadn't met before yesterday, which obviously requires a particularly nice and comfortable outfit. This dress/shirt/boots combo is exactly the thing.

Happy weekend! This was a crazy week, I'm ready to relax.

Layers:

2 tank tops - both Target?

leggings - unknown

Blue button up - Victoria's Secret

Dress (part wool) - Banana Republic

Boots - Etienne Aiger (via Macy's)

Knee socks - Hubert's

three/four: 2 days 2 ways

2011-02-04T14:10:00.004-05:00

Ok, post numero dos from Panera!

I didn't have time yesterday to take outfit pictures (had lunch at work and then drove straight to Miami after work to see Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!) so I decided to put on yesterday's outfit, take pictures, and then re-style the shirt it for a casual day off.

Work:

Weekend:

Everything was going great until my earring fell off...and into the pool.

I tried to rescue it, but I couldn't get a good grip with the pool cleaner thingy! So I might have to dive in tomorrow and see how much damage the chlorine has done....

Oh, and if you're thinking "Hey, it's not the weekend yet! Why aren't you at work?" it's because I have a 4-day work week. Which means working 10 hours Monday-Thursday and then having Friday-Sunday off. It's great in theory, but 10-hours sitting at a desk is no fun.

two: my internet broke

2011-02-04T13:40:00.005-05:00

Hello Sparkle in Time readers, this is Anna, writing to you from a very crowded Panera Bread, where I have taken up residence for the afternoon. Instead of blogging from the comfort of my couch, I am forced to be here by a broken modem and an unwillingness to interact with Comcast Cable.

Due to this unfortunate technology malfunction, I couldn't post my outfits Wednesday or yesterday, so here's Wednesday's:

So, if you haven't noticed, I live in Florida. Thus, I can take my photos outside next to my swimming pool. And that's my only gloating, I think the photos do the rest.

Anyway, this is another work day outfit. Sadly, this is pretty wild for my office. Literally. I'm wearing animal print. (Haha!) I think it's okay with my co-workers that I dress a little more "interesting" than everyone else, though. Because I'm the youngest person there and I'm in a creative position. I'm just going to keep telling myself that and dressing how I like!

2: cozy for a snow day

2011-02-02T23:02:00.001-05:00

I didn't exactly plan my 30 for 30 to include the constant snow storms that are hitting, well everywhere, including New England, and the resulting snow days (or work at home days in my case). Luckily I included weekend-wear in my picks:

So, for the record, I wore yoga pants and a different cozy cardigan for most of the day but was enticed out of the house (during a short break in the snow) for lasagna and a movie with my lovely friends...which luckily gave me reason to get dressed and have 30 for 30 photos.

EDIT: Layers:

Circle Scarf - the bottom of a dress (via Forever 21)

Cami/tank top - Old Navy

Grey long sleeved tee (a nice thick, long one, none of the $5-no-warmth-nonsense) - Gap

Flowered cardigan - Delia's

Jeans - Grane (via Macy's)

Wool ski socks - probably Smart Wool or Wigwam (two companies you should know of if you're going to be warm in the winter)

Clogs - Ariat (via Walking Company)

one: my tights are blue

2011-02-01T19:29:00.008-05:00

I forgot something when I posted my 30 for 30 items. Something important. And that something is this amazing blazer that I got for like 70% off (or something close to that) from Bloomingdale's. This top was also purchased with that same deal. (Because we all know I can't afford something from Free People without a significant discount. At least now we all know that.)

So yeah, I kinda forgot about my feet. I was in a hurry when I took these, as it was on my lunch break, and I wanted to eat. What a silly thing to want. I was wearing my black heels with metal detail.

I think I will be taking all my week day pictures during lunch, because I don't have time in the morning (and I refuse to get up before 6am) and by the time I get home, all I want is sweatpants. Are sweatpants? What's the correct grammar here?!?! My brain stopped working a couple of hours ago.

OH NO! Another thing I forgot: to go to the dry cleaners and pick up my shirts. Darn. Tomorrow's outfit needs a little re-thinking....

1: my tights are purple

2011-02-01T17:06:00.001-05:00

I liked this outfit and it was super simple to put together on Monday morning, but it didn't really photograph well...which is probably partly because I didn't get around to taking my photos until after working and I was skyping with my sister while taking my photos...

Really my tights are purple, like the purple text purple.

EDIT: After reading Kendi's posts on sweater tights and layering, I'm going to be listing my layers for each outfit.
Layers:
Black tank top - Old Navy?
Black sweater tights - Foot Traffic* (via a cute shop in Salem)
Purple tights - Gap
Black dress - Calvin Klein (via Macy's)
Scarf - street vendor in NY

*I don't normally link to things I'm wearing, but I'm pretty sure my tights are the Foot Traffic "Combed Cotton" tights. They're amazing, warm and comfy, and they make people think I'm cool for wearing skirts in winter. (I also have Hue sweater tights from Nordstrom Rack and sweater stirrups from Macy's. I'm a equal loving sweater tights kind of girl.)

Happy 30 for 30 if you're participating this round! (Happy reading everyone else.)