PMT - Wear Red, Pink, or Purple

Since Valentine's Day is coming up, the challenge this week is to wear red, pink, or purple.  I decided to try the red and pink route again, like I did last year.  First, I pulled out all the red and pink items from my closet and laid them out on my bed to see what tones would look good together, and remind myself of what I even have.  I ended up with this lighter pink skirt that I've been neglecting since the 30X30 got over, and my red polka dot scarf, which I should also wear more often.  A little gray and black helped tone down the obscene Valentinesy vibe, I think.  At least, I hope.

Anyway, I thought it turned out pretty cute, so that's what matters, right?

Jacket: Target
Scarf: Target
Sweater: Gap
Skirt: Loft
Boots: Madden

Holiday Week

Well, it's that awkward week between Christmas and New Year's Day.  I'm working this week, but not quite back into the normal swing of things.  Plus it's exactly ZERO degrees right now, so going outside is going to be an unpleasant experience.  (I'm writing this before I venture out to go to work).
We got back from New Mexico on Sunday evening, and I'm fairly exhausted.  Then I had 2 of my best friends over last night to hang out and catch up on life.  I'm thinking tonight should be quiet, and maybe I can rest up for NYE tomorrow.  I'm not sure if I'll even make it to midnight.  Hashtagpregnancyproblems.

I still need to write up my Christmas week recap at some point, and my favorite books of 2014.  Maybe I'll have time on Thursday, if I'm not sleeping all day.

Anyway, I hope you are all having a nice week (and that it's warmer wherever you live).  This outfit was from before Christmas, when it was cold out, but not zero.  I won't be out taking outdoor pictures today, for sure.

Sweater: Gap (similar)
Top: JCF
Skirt: Old Navy (similar)
Tights; Old Navy (similar)
Boots: Madden (exact)

Grayscale

John thought this was a fancy outfit.  I think maybe because there are no colors.  Because fancy people don't have time to wear crazy colors, so they just stick to neutrals?  Or maybe the white jeans seem fashiony, because you don't see many people wearing white pants in Nebraska in the winter.  I don't know.  All I can say is that I liked it better in real life than in pictures.  

When wearing white jeans, I really should have found a better place to stand.  The dirty snow piled up behind me isn't doing this outfit any favors.  But it was really cold and windy out, and I didn't feel like finding another spot to set up, so this is as good as it gets for today.  

Oh, and it was inspired by this pin.  So I'm linking up with Pinned It & Did It and Style Swap with Ginny and Jenn.  

Blazer: H&M

Sweater: Gap

Necklace: InPink

Jeans: Limited

Shoes: J.Crew Factory

Trendy Tuesday - Gingham

I think it is so fun that Danielle and her co-workers do Trendy Tuesday each week.  One of my co-workers tried to institute "Flannel Friday" every week, but I didn't have any flannel.  I think mostly 3 of the guys participated.  Anyway...  today's theme is Gingham and/or cords.  I don't have any corduroy items at the moment, so I went with my one gingham shirt.  And I got my inspiration from this pin.  

I really want a blue/white gingham shirt.  This one is dark blue and light blue, and I just don't like it as much as I want to.  Plus it is a really flimsy fabric and doesn't look as sharp as others I have seen.  So this is an item on my wish list.  I think this popover from Target would be perfect, but it is not available in my size online or in stores.  On Friday, I went to Old Navy looking for this option, but it was really boxy on me, so I ended up getting a random polka dot blouse instead.  I keep hoping to catch a 40% off sale at JCF and snag this one, because I'm not willing to pay $50.  So the search for the perfect gingham button-up continues.  

Also linking up with Pinned It & Did It and Style Swap with Ginny and Jenn

Sweater & Top: Gap
Skirt: Target
Boots: Madden

Valentine's Week - Red Jeans

It's the first day of VALENTINE'S WEEK and I'm kicking it off with a little red and pink combination.  I'm so excited to have 5 lovely co-hosts for this theme week!  Make sure you go check out Laura, Kate, Inge, Brynn,  and Danielle to see how they are styling red and/or pink this week.  (And you can link up your own posts any day this week!) 

 

Now I have tried to rock red and pink in the past, and it ended up in the 2013 Hall of Shame.  In that outfit, I went all in, and it was too much, but that's how fashion goes sometime.  So, today I'm going for a smaller scale.  It's possible I will get more adventurous as the week progresses, but for today, just a pale pink necklace with my red jeans.

Here's a free piece of advice - when you are wearing a light-colored wool sweater, and a dark colored blazer, by the end of the day, it will look like you were snuggling with a polar bear.  So maybe throw a lint roller into your purse!    

Sweater: Gap
Blazer & Necklace: H&M
Jeans: Old Navy
Boots: Steve Madden

Winter is Here

Are you ready for more weather talk?  Because Nebraska got seriously cold last week.  When I wake up in the morning, I usually check the weather so I know how to dress accordingly.  When it says ZERO, I just want to give up and crawl back into bed.

On Saturday, I went on a returning spree at the outlet mall.  I didn't even buy anything new to replace the returns.  The parking lot was crazy, the lines were long, and I really wonder why anyone thinks it is a good idea to have an outdoor mall in Nebraska!  Put a roof on it!  Or better yet, one of those retractable roofs that they have on football stadiums.  That'd be pretty cool! 


Necklace: InPink
Sweater: Gap
Dress, Belt,Tights: Old Navy
Boots: Steve Madden

Literary Junkies Link-Up

It is Literary Junkies Link-Up time again!  YAY for book nerds!

What are you currently reading? Tell us about it.

Currently reading Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.  She is an Omaha native, and it is interesting to read a story set in my city.  I went to a book signing a couple weeks ago, and Rainbow Rowell was great, so I liked the book before I even started reading, just because I liked her so much!  I'm not very far into the book yet, but it is about 2 teenagers in Omaha in the mid-80s.  I think they are going to fall in love. Plus the main character, Eleanor, has hair like mine, but bright red.  I'm pretty much imagining an awkward teenager version of Merida.

What book do you recommend the most to people?

It really depends on the person, and what I have been reading lately.    A few books that come to mind are The Pillars of the Earth, East of Eden, A Tale of Two Cities.  I just read The Fault in Our Stars, and have been telling everyone to read it.   

What are the top 3 books on your "to-read" list?

• The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright

• A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

• Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

What do you "do" while reading? (i.e. listen to music, eat) Any weird reading habits?

I really don't do anything else while I am reading.  I'm usually just curled up on the couch or in my bed.  Sometimes John is watching TV, and if it is a boring enough show, I can read, but usually any other noise is too distracting to me.  I almost always read when I am flying somewhere, but I can't read in a car.    

Blazer, Sweater, Shirt: Gap

Necklace: Bass Outlet

Jeans: Old Navy

Boots: Wanted

In the Garage

 

Outfit photos are so difficult in the winter!  I am getting bored of my indoor spots, so I decided to be crazy and take pictures in the garage.  It's kind of like being outside, because there are leaves on the floor.

After raving about the awesomeness of knit pencil skirts recently, I was pretty excited when I found this one on the clearance racks at Macy's.  And this is way more practical than my other purple skirt!

Sweater: Gap
Scarf: Charming Charlie
Tank: Old Navy
Skirt: Sunny Leigh via Macy's
Tights: Chinese Laundry via TJ Maxx
Boots: Wanted via Piperlime

300th Post and Blogiversary

I can't believe it has been one year since I started this little blog!  Time flies when you are having fun, I guess.    One of my favorite posts from the year was this "Repeat Offender" one, where I showed some of my most worn pieces.  One of the reasons I started blogging was to get out of my style rut.  I was wearing the same outfits on a rotation and was just getting pretty bored with it.  In the last year, I've really had fun trying new and different combinations!  Here are just a few of my frequently worn pieces:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

1, 2, 3, 4

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Thank you all for reading along!

Winter is Coming

As I mentioned on Saturday, Nebraska can't really decide on a season.  I almost wore shorts to run errands on Saturday, but it just didn't feel right for November.  Then Sunday morning I had to bust out my big winter coat.  The rest of this week is supposed to be more fall-like, so I am hoping for some more moderate days before the cold months set in.

I keep seeing "Winter is Coming" in random places and I'm never sure if people mean for it to be a Game of Thrones reference or not.  I also don't like how the TV show (which I haven't seen) is called "Game of Thrones," but the book series is really "A Song of Ice and Fire."  I just finished book three, and will likely finish four and five in the next few weeks and then I will have to be patient, because I suspect book six won't be out for a few years.  I should really wait to start a series until all the books are out!

Any recommendations for good books I should add to my list?

Coat: Old Navy
Sweater: Gap
Skirt: Autograph
Shoes: Seychelles
Necklace: Dillards

Cognac - the Color, not the Brandy

I'm pretty excited about my new cognac boots.  I'll be honest.  I know almost nothing about Cognac.  Wikipedia just informed me that it's a type of brandy, which I also know nothing about, unless we are talking about the singer.  In that case, I can probably sing "The Boy is Mine" from memory.  That's a song I never really understood.  I mean, if I had a boyfriend who had another girlfriend, I don't think I would want to keep him.  But I digress...

Also, it is 10/11/12.  Pretty cool.  I should probably set this post to go live at 7:89am, but that would just be 8:29, and not very cool.  I'm going with 8:09am.  So, 08:09am 10/11/12 will have to be good enough for a post about brandy and Brandy and boots.

Sweater, Belt, Dress: Gap
Boots: Guess
Pearls: gift

Court Jester

Sometimes, when I don't know what to wear, I just pick one ridiculous item and go from there.  The other day, I started with these tights.  I have no idea where or when I got them, but I've had them for a few years and never worn them.  When I first pulled them on, I immediately felt like a court jester.
To tone down the silliness, I went very neutral with the rest of my outfit. I have to say that I really loved the way it turned out. 

It rained all day on Tuesday, so the boots were a necessity.  My umbrella helped some, but it was so windy that I got pretty soaked when I was walking between buildings at work.  I'm hopeful that spring might be here, but it's pretty likely we will get a couple more snows before winter is really over.

Shirt and Skirt:  Old Navy
Sweater:  Gap
Tights:  ???
Boots:  Bare Traps via DSW
Necklace:  InPink

Patriotic

 Red, Gray, and Blue is close enough, right?

This outfit is from Tuesday.  I don't have as many stories as I did on Wednesday.  Mostly, it was really cold, but I didn't want to wear jeans, so I grabbed my cozy fleece lined leggings. 

Isn't it cool how my network cord matches my shirt.  Totally didn't plan that.  I just took pictures at work, because I was going straight to Zumba class, and wanted to blog this outfit.  Zumba is fun.  You should try it.  If you think that is a Wizard of Oz poster behind me, you are right.  It's because I'm from Kansas.  Get it? 

Sweater, Shirt, Skirt:  Gap

Leggings:  don't remember

Boots:  Wanted via DSW

Hello Winter

Winter has definitely arrived!  Sweaters and boots will be in heavy rotation for the next few months.

This skirt is from Express, circa 1998.  Back in the good old days where they regularly had an extra 50% off clearance items.  I very rarely find anything from Express these days.  I love this skirt, and even have the same style in black/white polka dot. 


Sweater: Gap
Camisole:  Gap
Skirt:  Express
Boots:  Bare Traps
Necklace:  In Pink
Sunglasses:  Guess