EBEW Pattern Mixing Day

I was excited that today's EBEW was a pattern mixing challenge.  I love mixing different patterns in my closet and the more that I work on it, the easier it comes.  For instance, I would have never thought to put this outfit together a year ago.  I would have paired the skirt with a solid color top, worn loose over the skirt, creating an outfit that doesn't work all that well proportionally with this skirt (hence it's frustration in my closet).

I was going to go the route of mixing florals and stripes, but this outfit came to me yesterday as I was walking back from lunch and I decided to use this pretty tie-neck blouse.  In other news,  I think this blouse is going to get a lot of play this fall.

Speaking of things that don't go well together, I would like to lump the contestants of the Bachelor Pad and general intelligence into that category.  I love the Bachelor/ette and its various forms, but after last night's 3 hour cranium-bludgeoning that it effected on my head, I don't know that my brain can literally survive another six weeks.  When the word "dysfunctional" is referenced as a "big" word, or general grammar discarded like yesterday's trash, my years of schooling rise up in revolt and say "No more!".  I promise, I am not such an intellectual snob that I don't enjoy trashy reality TV as much as the next person, but sometimes a girl just has to draw a line somewhere. :)

There's Still Some Minutes Left in the Day...

Better late than never, right?  This is a crazy week for me - which seems to be the norm lately, but this week especially so since I am getting ready to go away for a week to Young Life camp with 60 high school kids.  Lots of things to do and prepare for!  But I took time today to take some outfit pics for today's Everybody Everywear "Yellow" celebration.

What was kind of odd today was that it seemed that everybody literally got the memo to wear yellow, whether they were a style blogger or not! My coworker was wearing this amazing gypsy-esque bright yellow maxi skirt (should have taken a pic) and then one of my best friends was wearing a yellow heart-noodle necklace that her son had made for her!  Like really, it was everywhere! :)

I hope everyone had fun celebrating yellow - I love color, so it was really really fun to stretch the boundaries and try this color combo that I wouldn't have put together without this style challenge.

Marigold Shirt - Marshalls
Tank, Shorts, Belt - J.Crew
Sandals - TJ Maxx
Sunnies - Target
Earrings, Necklace - Jess LC
Flower Necklace - Etsy

Stripes & Florals - Part ?

A little over a year ago, I started to really play around with my style and branch out, taking pictures and posting them on this medium called a blog.  After a few months of trying this blogging thing out, I started to really explore with different patterns, textures, and layers, drawing inspiration from this great wide world of style-blogging on the interwebs.  I remember feeling so bold and daring - I was mixing a stripe with a floral print! Oh My Gosh!  Who WAS I?  Well, it turns out that once you start down the path of mixing prints, you rarely go back.  My first forays down the path (seen here, here, and here) led to this (here), which still continues to be one of my fav outfits that I've put together.

And this is why when I was putting together my outfit for incorporating florals for today's EBEW, I decided to scrap the original plain white tee (and now "Hey Delilah" just popped into my head) I was going to wear and mix it up with the candy-colored stripes.  The thought that literally ran through my head was "Why Not?" :).  And I'm glad I did, because even though J.Lo might not approve, I love it.  And that's all that matters :).

Skirt, Flower pin - Old Navy
T-Shirt, Sweater - J.Crew
Belt, Sunnies - TJMaxx
Shoes - Target
Necklace, Earrings - Jess LC

Rockin' the Dots

So, probably only people who live on the West Coast will see this before Polka Dot Day is officially up, but I did actually participate!  I just am late in posting these.

Thank you for your patience as I get through these adjustments in life right now!  It is an adjustment to what my regular routine has been.  Life right now is all about finding the new routine and being flexible and adaptable to the changes - exciting changes - that are going on in life.  It's all about finding new times to take pictures, finding new times to edit them, finding new times to post and write about the process, finding new times to visit my inspiring fellow bloggers and see the creations that they are coming up with.  So again, thank you for bearing with me :).

Anyway - This outfit came out of the fact that it was National Polka Dot day, according to the lovely founders of Everybody, Everywear :).  I decided to participate.  I love polka dots and actually posted an outfit quite recently that was entirely made up of polka dots.  Instead of submitting that picture though, I decided to search the closet and come up with something new, while also taking a bit of a risk.  This outfit is all about the pattern mix.  A zebra stripe with polka dots, using brown and red to unify the look.  It's kind of crazy, but kind of works, and is all me.  And as my new coworkers get to know me, it's going to be outfits like this that is going to introduce them to the creative side of me :).

Cardigan, Shoes - Banana Republic
Skirt, Tights - Target
Blouse - J.Crew
Belt - ?
Necklaces - Botanical Bird via Etsy, Jess LC

Blazin' It Up

Well - First of all, today bloggers across the blog-o-sphere donned their blazers to blaze a trail of awesomeness across the interwebs.  You should click on the link below (by clicking the image) to see the unique stylings of some awesome ladies and how they rocked their blazer today.

A blazer is one of my favorite wardrobe items.  I think it often adds an extra touch to an outfit, providing that one layering piece that can take an outfit from good to great!  I've really gotten into belting my blazers, because nothing adds more to an outfit than a great belt!  Belts and Blazers - I think that should be a book title!



In COMPLETELY different news and ramblings, some major, major happenings have been going on in my life the past week.  My small world that I have lived in for over six years is going to change - for the better, and I am super, super excited.  I got offered and accepted a new position over the weekend at a firm in my little town!! (which I randomly found out that the lovely Megan Nielsen actually lives in - SUPER small world!!)  But anyway - NEW JOB!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!  I can't quite comprehend it - I have been with my company for a long, long time through the best of boom times to the worst recession in our economy since the Great Depression, in the industry that arguably got hit the hardest and has actually been in a depression while everyone else has been in a recession.  I have had so much opportunity and done a lot with the company, but it is time to take a leap of faith, a risk, and a step out of my comfort zone.  A CHANGE!  For this small town girl, it is a big, big deal.

BUT because of this new development, I have really been wrestling as to whether or not to try to continue on in this 30 for 30 challenge.  I honestly still haven't narrowed down my items yet - STILL.  But, to be fair to myself, I've been a little bit distracted with other life developments.  I really don't want to quit, which is evidenced by the fact that I am still trying to work within the items that I did actually select.  I hate quitting or giving up things.  But because of the impending changes, I don't know if it is the right time to be limiting my closet.

SO - I am going to continue with this challenge until I leave my current job - but I just wanted to throw it out there that I am only going to be halfheartedly in this.  Hopefully when spring or summer rolls around, I'll be in a better position to jump in again.  So please don't hate me!  All 3 of you who actually read up to this point! :)

Blazer/Jacket, T-shirt, Dotted Blouse, Belt - J.Crew lovefest
Jeans - Michael Kors via TJMaxx
Boots - DSW
Sunnies - Old Navy
Earrings, Necklace - Jess LC