Denim Week 2: Weekend Edge

Hi everyone!  Today marks the start of Denim Week 2!  If you missed my first Denim Week, you can check out the looks here, here, and here.

This denim look was a recent weekend outfit.  I wore it out for a casual dinner with the family. 

Jeans:  The Limited (Similar here)
Jacket:  The Limited (old)

I haven't featured a flats look as of late, and I decided it was time to give my poor abused feet some rest.  The studded flats add a little edge to the outfit, and I've always been of a fan of black and grey mixed with red.

Tote:  The Limited (old)
Flats:  Target (Similar here)

Blouse:  The Limited (old)

For the longest time, I didn't like grey jeans - I saw them as faded black jeans, and they reminded me of old outdated jeans from childhood.  Over the last year or so, they started to grow on me to the point that I decided to try a pair.  Guess what?  I love them!

Ring:  The Limited

Do you like grey jeans?

For these jeans in another outfit, see here and here.
For this jacket in other looks, see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

12 Days of Holiday: Casual Glam

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Jeans:  The Limited (Available here)
Jacket:  Torrid (Sold out on-line; may be available in stores)

Today's holiday look is something I would wear to an evening holiday house party or a low-key evening out.  

Camisole:  Ann Taylor (Available here)

Necklace:  LOFT (Sold out on-line; may be available in stores)

Shoes:  Target (Available here)
Purse:  The Limited

The sequins, silk, and rhinestones feel festive and fun, while the jeans and relaxed shapes keep the look laid-back.

To make the look more casual or snow-friendly, you could switch the heels out for a pair of knee-high or over-the-knee boots.

Bracelets:  LOFT (Available here and here)

What you wear for an evening holiday house party or holiday evening out?

P.S.  Sorry for the wrinkles on my shirt.  I decided to snap pics before I got the iron out!  :-)

Thanksgiving Casual

Hope you all have had a lovely Thanksgiving!

Being the most casual of the fall/winter holiday season, I kept my Thanksgiving look simple with jeans and a cardigan.

Sweater:  LOFT Petites (Available here)
Blouse:  LOFT Petites (Available here)

Jeans:  The Limited (No longer available on-line)
Boots:  Fergalicious by Fergie (Available here)

The tuxedo bib-front tank and gold threads on the cardigan add just the slightest festive feel to my outfit.

The gold snaps on the jeans and gold jewelry accentuate the gold in the sweater and help bring the look together.

Necklaces:  The Limited and Target (Available in silver here and available here)Bracelets:  The Limited and New York & Company (Available here and here)

Purse:  Target (Available in navy here)

And, I love a pop of color like this deep green satchel.

Do you dress up for Thanksgiving or go casual?

Happy Thanksgiving again, and happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish readers!!  

Singin' the Blues: Casual Rock-n-Roll

Singin' the Blues Week continues with a denim and cobalt blue faux leather look.

Jeans:  Torrid (Available here)

Tee:  Torrid (Available here)

I added my Blondie tee to my Stiletto skinny jeans from Torrid for a comfy casual look with a cool rock-n-roll vibe.

I recently picked up these jeans with the 26" inseam.  When I originally bought this style of jeans, they didn't carry the short length.  I couldn't hem the jeans because of the zippers, so I was trying to make do.  I finally broke down and nabbed this pair - the length works much better!

Jacket:  Forenza by The Limited (Similar here)

Ring:  The Limited
Clutch:  The Limited (Available here)

The cobalt moto jacket adds a fun pop of color to this laid back look.

Boots:  Payless (old)

Are you a fan of moto jackets?  Have you tried the Stiletto skinny jeans from Torrid?

For this jacket in other colors, see here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Ready to Roll

I almost didn't include this outfit on the blog.  

Jeans:  The Limited (old)
Military jacket:  Old Navy (Similar here)

It is ultra casual, maybe too casual?  Heck, just a year ago, I wouldn't have even worn an outfit like this anywhere I expected to be seen, let alone publish photos of myself on the web.  

Purse:  The Limited (Similar here)

T-shirt:  Torrid (Available here)

These jeans are at least four years old.  I ripped them myself, and the years of frequent wear have worn the holes much more than originally intended.  I love these jeans.  They're comfortable and the perfect length for my motorcycle boots.

My motorcycle boots...worn on actual motorcycles....I couldn't possibly feature these boots on a fashion blog, or could I?

Can you tell I think way too much? I was over-analyzing and taking myself too seriously.  It's just clothes, after all.

Besides, I have always meant for my blog to show everyday style.  Life presents itself with many different occasions, and sometimes you just need clothes that you can throw on and go.

Bracelet (Purchased locally)

I wore this outfit the weekend before last.  My honey was still home-bound from his accident, and he was getting super stir-crazy.  While I was ready to spend my Sunday lounging at home, surfing the internet, he was longing to get out of the house.  I took pity, and we loaded up the kids for a Sunday drive along the Mississipi River on the Great River Road, the Midwest's version of the Pacific Coast Highway (love you, Cali!). 

We had fun checking out a local kid-friendly art fair, nibbling at a delicious fudge shoppe (where I also found this cool snake coil bracelet!), and ending our day at a local Mexican restaurant.

My outfit was perfect for walking around the art fair, and the military jacket was just the right cover-up for the slightly chilly temps and occasional raindrops.

All in all, it was a Sunday much better spent than had I trolled the internet all day!  Darn it...I hate it when the man is right.  ;-)

How do you dress for extra casual days?

For this tee in other looks, see here and here.
For this jacket in another look, see here.

Denim Week: Heart On My Sleeve

Today's denim look is a recent casual Friday work outfit. 

Jeans:  Torrid (Available here)
Blouse:  New York & Company (Available here)

I love the Stiletto Skinny Jeans from Torrid.  When I got my blue jeans (see here, here, and here), the store didn't carry different lengths.  Now, Torrid carries both 26" and 28" lengths in this style, so I was able to get these black ones in a better length.  The shorter length works much better for me!

If you're 5'3" or under, you will likely prefer the 26" length for more of a true ankle fit.

Cardigan:  Target (Available here)
Bracelets:  The Limited and H&M

I recently picked up this cardigan with faux leather heart elbow patches.  This is an early fall clothing purchase.  I start thinking about fall fashion when it's still sticky and humid out - probably because I'm longing for cooler weather. 

This summer has had some oddly cool, but delightful, weather, so I was super comfortable wearing this outfit - even in July!

I kept the look simple and neutral for work, but I think this cardigan will be cute with more faux leather touches when fall actually gets here.

Purse:  The Limited

Sandals:  Payless

Are you thinking about fall fashion yet?  Any trends on your radar for fall?

Honorable Mentions

Today, I feature several looks from the last two months.  I call these looks honorable mentions.  These are outfits that for various reasons I decided not to include in full blog posts.

The first of these looks is from a recent casual Friday at work.  I paired dark denim (a casual Friday staple) with a more professional blouse and blazer.  I generally try to keep my casual work looks very polished, with fresh denim, dressier blouses, and an overall clean look.

Jeans:  The Limited (Available here)
Blouse, blazer, and purse:  The Limited
Shoes:  Target (old)

The next two looks pair my workhorse skinny black pants with cute blouses and blazers - a look that has definitely become a bit of a uniform over the last year.  I added in mixed bracelets and other accessories to liven up these looks.

Pants:  The Limited (Available here)
Blouse, blazer, and necklace:  The Limited
Bracelets:  Target, World Market, Claire's
Shoes:  Target

Pants, blouse, blazer, and clutch:  The Limited
Earrings:  Purchased local jewelry sale
Bracelets:  Express and eBay

Today's last featured look is an evening outfit, pairing a faux leather skirt with a fringed top and cropped blazer.  Dangly bead earrings (same as in third photo) and lace-up stilettos complete the all black look.

Skirt:  The Limited
Fringe top:  Ann Taylor Petites
Blazer:  Forever 21+ (Available here)
Shoes:  Prabal Gurung for Target
Clutch:  Target

Hope you enjoyed my "honorable mentions"!

November Budget Wrap-Up and December Wish List

Hope you all had a great month!

I'm planning my December shopping list.  This month, I'm looking for some festive holiday pieces.  I am hunting for some cozy sweaters and thinking about getting some colored denim.  My search for a mint green blouse continues.  I also have my eye on this adorable striped bow blouse from LOFT.

The Limited ivory tuxedo blazer

The Limited sequin tee

The Limited Art Deco Fan earrings

Forenza by The Limited sweater

LOFT striped bow blouse

Target skinny jeans

Now for what I did with my November budget:

I received some additional birthday money this month.  I also received a $70 rewards card through the Lucky Rewards program (see here for more discussion of this rewards program and other ways of saving money on fashion).  My budget this month jumped from $150 to $270.  I stayed within budget this month, but obviously, it was a bit of a "cheat" month since I received unexpected bonus money.

I got a couple items off my November Wish List.  I tried all three of the dresses from Target that I had my eyes on; however, none of them had a flattering fit for me.

Here's what I got this month: 

The Limited embellished neck blouse

The Limited Cassidy Fit velvet pants

The Limited dress (no longer available on-line)

The Limited tweed cardigan jacket

LOFT blouse (no longer available on-line)

LOFT ring

Target MaryJane heels

Target leopard print heels

The Limited flat-collar jacket 

LOFT jeweled collar cardigan

  
First Row:  Pants $31, Blouse $28
Second Row: Jacket and Dress $71
Third Row:  Blouse and Ring $31
Fourth Row:  Shoes  $40
Fifth Row:  Cardigan $32, Jacket $37
 Did you get any great finds last month? Planning any gifts for yourself this December?

Shopping Failures and Pitfalls

Happy Friday everyone!

I've been trying to add more color to my work outfits this week.  I really love wearing black and dark neutrals in the fall/winter time and tend to use a lot more color in the summer when my style gets more bohemian and more casual.

Blazer:  The Limited (Available here)
Jeans:  The Limited
Clutch:  The Limited

In an effort to add some color splashes to my blog posts, I wore this lime and taupe blouse with teal and yellow beads in a causal work look. I was drawn to the color when I bought this last spring, but I haven't worn the blouse much.  It would look great with teal pants or a skirt or toned down with taupe or navy, like I did here.  

I can think of several different outfit possibilities for this blouse, but at the end of the day, I've come to the conclusion that it's been hanging in my closet not getting worn simply because it just isn't me.  It's a pretty blouse, and I would like it on someone else.  I think this one just goes down as one of my shopping blunders. 

Blouse:  The Limited
Heels:  Target (Available here)
Bangle:  Target (old)
Earrings:  The Limited

Over the years, I have gotten better at avoiding shopping pitfalls.  I used to buy lots of multiples, but then I would get bored with wearing the same thing everyday in a different color.  I still buy multiples on occasion (especially shoes since I have a lot of trouble with fit), but when I do, I do so with more purpose.  Buying multiples of everything discourages creativity in your wardrobe and gives you fewer options for mixing and matching.

I also used to purchase items when they were on clearance sale simply because they were a great deal.  I still love a bargain, but I have learned to weigh the benefit of having a wardrobe of pieces that I want to wear often vs. a closet full of clothes that I find "just okay."  The likelihood is that the higher priced item has more use value and will get worn more often than items purchased simply for their low initial costs.

Nowadays, I have largely learned to purchase items that I really love rather than just pieces that are "nice" or "cheap."  I have learned to appreciate having less clothes, but spending more money for quality.  I've also learned that having a large diversity of clothing isn't necessary if you are comfortable in your personal style and know what you enjoy wearing and feel comfortable in.  

Unfortunately, this top was a bit of a blip in my improved shopping skills.  I had noticed this blouse when it first came out, but it wasn't something I liked enough to purchase - even after several shopping trips.  At some point, I decided to buy it because it was a pretty color, or on sale, or it was different than other things in my closet.  I can't really remember.

What I do know is that it hangs in my closet simply because I didn't listen to my shopping instincts.  I was attracted to the color and the beading.  The problem was that I settled for an item that wasn't quite my personal style.  

Assessing your closet and making a running shopping list can be a great way of avoiding some of these shopping mistakes.  It helps focus your shopping to avoid impulse purchases and mistakes that initially look tempting due to price, color, or attractive store displays.

How do you avoid shopping blunders?

All Hail to Alma Mater!

The weather outside is still hot, but I'm ready for fall.  On this casual Friday, I paired denim with a mustard top and a deep purple knit blazer.  I really like the autmnal take on colorblocking.

Bag:  Old - Payless?
Blazer:  The Limited
Top (Available:  New York & Company)

I also realized that I was wearing the colors of one of my alma maters (Go Knox!), which got me thinking.  With Fall Homecomings coming up, wearing your school colors in a look like this is a great way to show school spirit without the usual alumni t-shirt or hoodie.  

Jeans:  The Limited (Similar:  Levi's)Shoes:  Target

This look would work for a reunion brunch.  Substitute the heels with boots or flats, and the look is perfect for a football game.  The look is casual but put-together.

Cuff:  New York & Company (Similar: Express cuff)
Earrings:  The Limited

Do you plan on attending a high school or college Homecoming?  Would you wear a look like this for that event?