Wear a Bright Color

This week's style challenge prompt is Wear a Bright Color.  Again, easy as can be!  It's hard to find a day where I'm not wearing a bright color.  I just really love this skirt and wanted to sneak it in for one last hurrah.  Full disclosure - I'm doing the belly band trick!  Thank goodness for pencil skirts with side zippers!

Necklace: Charming Charlie
Sweater: Old Navy
Skirt: Limited
Tights: Target
Boots: Madden

Striped Blazer Remix

It's been awhile since I've done a good remix collage post.  And what better item to feature than my gray and white striped blazer.  Ever since John gave me this blazer for Christmas back in 2012, it's been one of my favorite things.  I've neglected it a bit this summer, but you can expect to see it in the rotation again for fall/winter.  Here are 8 other ways I've worn it over the years:

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

Blazer: Gap
Necklace: F21 (exact, similar)
Tee: Gap (similar, similar)
Skirt: Limited (similar)
Shoes: Old Navy (similar without captoe)

Floral Week - Black & White

Let's kick off Floral Week with this outfit from the gloomiest day ever!  It was cold, sleeting and super windy, but I really loved this outfit and wanted to get pictures, so I braved the elements.  I might have to wear this again on a nicer day in the future.

Anyway, I'm back home after a fun and busy weekend, of which I'm sure I'll be posting about later and you can get a sneak preview on Instagram).  My sister and nieces are in town this week, so we will be having as much fun as possible over the next few days.

Link up information is after the jump!  Share your floral looks!    

Cardigan, Tights: Old Navy
Top: Alfani
Belt: Chinese Laundry
Skirt: Limited
Shoes: J.Crew Factory

Stripe Week - Tank Top

Day 2 of Stripes Week continues with lots of blue!  

I really liked this outfit.  It felt very me.  I continued my pattern of wearing a cardigan of the same color over a striped top.  Pretty soon I'll have covered all the colors of the spectrum and then I'll have to come up with a new idea!

The striped top is actually a tank, but I try to stretch my summer clothes into fall and winter with layers.  Sure, I have a navy and white striped top with sleeves, but it doesn't have the lighter blue borders and it isn't as long, so I am glad I have options!

Make sure you stop by A Journey in Style to see Kate's look for today.  I'm also pretty excited that Inge has decided to play along all week!  Go check out her striped outfits! 

Top & Cardigan: Gap
Skirt: Limited
Shoes: BCBGeneration

Book Club Time

 

It's Literary Junkies day again!  Here are the questions for this month:

1. What are you currently reading? Tell us about it.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.  It's typical Gaiman - bizarre and fascinating and wonderful.  I've been so busy that I haven't had as much time to read as I want, and I'm struggling to stay awake to read a couple chapters each evening.  I was the weird girl at the gym yesterday reading while I rode the stationary bike.  I'm really hoping to finish it tonight.   I suspect it might be a 5-star rating! 

2. What book first made you fall in love with reading?

I have no idea!  I've loved reading as long as I can remember.  I remember my dad reading Little House on the Prairie to me and my brother when I was pretty young.  Once I learned how to read, it was ridiculous.  I read pretty much anything I could get my hands on.  High school and college kind of ruined "reading for fun" for me, but near the end of college, I read East of Eden and  The Chronicles of Narnia.  I really remember loving those and thinking I should start reading more! 

3. Summer is a great time for series. What are your series recommendations?

If you haven't read the Hunger Games trilogy, you really should!  Also, the Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings are must-reads.  This year, I'm working my way through Harry Potter for the first time.  Pretty standard recommendations, really! 

4. Does a song come to mind with the book you are currently reading? If so what it is?

No, not with this current book. 

5. Are you participating in any summer reading challenges?

Nope, I'm not a big fan of challenges.  I tend to rebel against requirements, even when I voluntarily participate.  I don't want to make reading a chore, so I just read what I want.  I usually end up reading less in the summer, because there is so much going on during the weekends and evenings, so adding a reading challenge just isn't the best idea for me. I just have my annual goal to make sure I remember to read, so I don't waste all my time watching TV and playing on my phone!

Have you read anything good lately? 

Top: Chaus
Pearls: China
Cardigan: Gap
Skirt: Limited
Shoes: Target

Confetti Shirt

When I saw Whitney and Kate wearing confetti shirts, I added it to my "want" list, so I was pretty excited when I found this one at Gap for $10.  Yes, it's exactly the same one Whitney has.  I have a feeling I will be wearing it a lot this summer.  You may remember it from my Orlando recap post.

The early evening light was not working out at all to show the fun colorful dots, so I had to go inside for a few close-up shots.

Also, I hate to beg for followers, but since Google Reader is going away, here's your friendly reminder to keep up with me on Bloglovin.   I migrated everything over a few months ago, and I actually prefer it to Google Reader, so I'm not as sad as I was at first.

Linking up today with Agi's Tres Chic, Look What I Got, and Summer Style.

Top and Cardigan: Gap
Skirt: Limited
Belt: Chinese Laundry
Necklace: Macy's
Shoes: BCBGeneration

Orlando Advice

 

You guys, I need some advice!  I'm headed to Orlando next week for a work conference.  I'm going to be pretty busy while I am there, but I basically have one free evening.  I get done with meetings around 3pm, and I don't want to stay out too late, because our mornings will start much earlier than I am used to waking up.  What are your favorite Orlando spots?  I'm not sure if the Disney parks are worth the cost of a few hours, but I could go to the free "Downtown Disney" area.  What do you all recommend?

I'm linking up again for Accessory day of the We Love Target challenge!  Go check out the other blogs!

Scarf: Target
Shirt and Shoes: Gap
Blazer: H&M
Skirt: Limited

Awkward Dress

 

Take One, Pass It On Item:  black belt from last Friday (not that you can see it!)

I bought this dress in January, and immediately tore off the tags, and it has hung in my closet for over a month, not being worn.  I'm pretty sure this was a wrong decision for me to purchase.  In my defense, I was distracted by the polka dots and didn't realize that this "dress" is a super awkward length for me.  I'm sure on a regular person, it is an appropriate length (evidence).   On me, it is too short to wear as a dress, even with tights, but it is just a little bit too long to be a shirt.  I'm not really a leggings person, so that's a no-go as well.

The outfit above is my attempt at styling this difficult item, and I am not 100% sold on this look.  Plus, I think I would get tired of wearing it over all of my different colored pencil skirts.  Do any of you have ideas for how I can make this work?  Right now, my best idea is to chop a couple of inches off the bottom, but there's a decent chance I would just ruin it.  Fashion blogger SOS!

Dress: Old Navy
Belt and Skirt: Limited
Boots: Target

Billy Elliot

Last week, I went to Billy Elliot, as part of our Broadway season tickets.  I have to say I was a little disappointed.  The dancing was pretty impressive, but I thought the story was pretty slow-moving and not very engaging.  The music was also kind of boring.  As I write this, I can't even think of how any of the songs went.  That said, I did think the actors were great.  The main character was played by a 14 year old boy, who was super talented.  The next show is Beauty and the Beast, so I can almost guarantee I will love it!

Sweater and Skirt: Limited
Coat: Gap
Boots: Etienne Aigner

1st of tha Month

Please tell me I am not the only person out there who thinks of this song on the first of the month.  I just learned that the song is actually about welfare (thanks, Wikipedia!).  I guess I never really wondered why they were celebrating the first.

I hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween yesterday.  I did not dress up, but I did give candy to some trick-or-treaters that came to our house.  I was pretty disappointed in the kids (or maybe the parents).  Most of them didn't even say "trick-or-treat!"  They just held out their baskets and very few said thanks.  Kids these days...

Blazer and Skirt: The Limited
Shirt: Marisa Kristina
Shoes: Seychelles