FInd Your Inspiration

Shirt - Steinmart; Pants - Macy's (free); Shoes - Payless; Belt - TJ Maxx

I saw a dress from Kate Spade this summer in navy and lime and white, which I loved, and I've been dying to try the combo myself.  What better way than with Sophie's favorite print??  You can't really see in this photo, but the pants are polka dotted, too.  I'm so glad this turned out the way it did!  If I could do it again, I would not do the belt, though.  It gave me a weird shape, especially from the side.  Next time :-)

Smocks are NOT Just for Painters

 Shirt - TJ Maxx; Vest - Thrifted; Pants - Macy's; Shoes - Jessica Simpson (TJ Maxx); Necklace and Earrings - Steinmart; Ring - NY & Co

I don't really have that much to say about this outfit aside from it was super comfy and I loved the way this smock shirt flows and covers a bunch while still being feminine.  It even has pockets to store my paintbrushes or sticky fingers and paperclips.  I love dresses with pockets...I super love Tunics with pockets!

Arbor Day

 Necklace - Premier; Earrings - ??; Ring - Steinmart; Bracelets - Macy's

 Skirt - Talbot's (thrifted); Shirt - TJ Maxx; Shoes - Steve Madden (thrifted)

I have had this green and brown patterned skirt for years, but have only worn it three times, because I struggle with how to pair it with anything other than green, brown, or white/cream.  And here I go again, being boring.  I will force myself to wear it again very soon and break out of comfortable.

Donna Reed

Shirt and Skirt - Thrifted; Ring - Steinmart; Shoes - TJ Maxx; Bracelet - Old Navy; Necklace and Earrings - Premiere

I felt so fashion forward when I got dressed this morning when I put this skirt and shirt together.  The pop of green with the black & white.  The tiny black embroidered flowers on the skirt with the polka dots on the shirt.  And I got so many compliments on it, I knew Kasmira would be proud of me, even if my pattern mixing choices were excpetionally 'safe'.  I'm growing :-) The silhouette made me feel very feminine and the look was classic Donna Reed  No, I did not scrub any toilets, or even don yellow rubber gloves the entire day.

Shirt - TJ Maxx; Skirt - Old Navy; Shoes - Thrifted; Belt - Calvin Klein

I was in love with this shirt from the moment I saw it.  And was so disappointed when it ripped down the seams of the back as I leaned forward at my desk to type.  Shredding of the sheer material is more like it.  I was so sad.  But I am determined to turn this into a positive.  The sheer tie front is still in tact and my closet is filled with vests of many variety.  Let's see what I can come up with....

Feedback Wanted!

Dress - TJ Maxx; Shoes - Payless; Bracelet - Premiere; Necklace and Earrings - Me

This dress is one of those items I just can't quite decide on. I remember it fondly, having worn it on my first anniversary, but at the same time, I was also asked if I was prego in it... The pattern is cool, but also kinda dirty looking (covered in vagaygays??)....And in order to wear it where it belongs, with the crossed lines under my post-babies larger boobies, my bra shows. I fought with this dress all day to keep it up...I think I'm talking myself out of it more and more as this post continues. Will it survive?? What do you think??

Summer Brights

Skirt - Spiegel; Boots - Macy's; Shirt - Steinmart; Sweater Vest - August Silk (Macy's); Cardi - Loft (thrifted)

Although I felt way too bright for my engineering office, I'm pretty happy with how this uber bright outfit turned out.

Dress - Chaps (from sister); Shoes - Unlisted (from co-worker); Cardi - TJ Maxx

This dress was so basic, it was almost boring. Almost because the red was so vibrant, the basicness actually did it justice. I think this dress will be fun to play around with in the winter with sweaters and tights and boots... Thanks to my little sister who lost a ton of weight (jealous) and my co-worker who refuses to wear skirts after her third child (and gave me all of her sandals), my outfit was almost entirely free. Love that!!

Black & White

Dress - Old Navy (thrifted); Cardi - Steinmart; Shoes - Old Navy; Belt and Ring - Steinmart

Shirt and Cardi - Steinmart; Pants - NY & Co; Belt - Baby Phat (thrifted)

Cardi and Dress - TJ Maxx; Tights - We Love Colors; Shoes - Anne Klein (Stienmart); Earrings, and Bracelet - Steinmart

This last look is for my daughter, who is currently in love with Dorothy Gale. There's no place like home, sweetie.

School's Out for Summer

Skirt - Ralph Lauren (Macy's FREE); Cardi - Gap; Shirt - Style & Co (Macys FREE); Belt and Ring - NY & Co; Shoes - Jessica Simpson (TJ Maxx); Earrings - Premiere; Necklace- Thrifted.
I took my last two exams for the spring this week. I aced them both. Now, maybe I can take a moment or two to blog occasionally. I'm really behind.

Cloth Memory

Shirt - Style & Co (Macy's); Skirt - TJ Maxx; Shoes - Payless; Belt - JC Penney; Necklace - Premiere; Earrings and Ring - Steinmart.

Do you ever haer a song or smell a scent that instantly takes you somewhere or time? The smell of Drakar instantly takes me back to my first date with my Husband; the smell of coconut takes me to my sister's pool; and this outfit takes me to the day that I met with the dean of my college and he agreed to waive the equivalent of $10,000 and 1 year's worth of classes for me. I will graduate in the summer of 2013. YAY!!

Shirt - JC Penny; Skirt - thrifted; Earrings and Ring - Premiere; Shoes - Gift; Belt - Thrifted

This outfit, on the other hand, takes me back to one of the most embarrassing days of my adult life. I was walking through my office production room, and my heal caught the linoleum floor just the wrong way and I wiped out. With all of my bags and books on my shoulders, so I made an even bigger crash. In front of all my coworkers. I was mortified. And I don't embarrass easily. I didn't cry in front of them though. I waited until I was limped back to my desk and my incredibly, instantaneously swollen knees were propped and iced by my ever-so-sweet cubie neighbor to start crying. And I had the bruise for 3 WEEKS. A large horrible purple bruise, which meant I had to wear pants or longer skirts and was reminded daily of my shame. It's gone now, but I may just have to get rid of the shoes so I can forget about it a bit. On the other hand, this was another red-white-black attempt that I succeeded in doing my own way, so YAY to ME!

Disappointing

Cardi - Steinmart; Shirt - NY & Co; Skirt - JC Penny; Shoes - TJ Maxx;

Necklace - JC Penny; Earrings - Chico's; Ring - Macy's

This shirt is one of the most disappointing items in my closet. I had such hopes for it. I loved the ruffles, the dusty rose color, the interesting collar. But I wore it ONCE and the seams started fraying and by the end of the day, there was a huge, shredded, gaping hole under my left armpit. I had to throw it away when I got home. So very, very disappointing. If only I had worn it closer to purchasing it, I might have had warrant to take it back to NY & Co and get my money back. But I bought this shirt during their clearance sale at Christmas time so hopes of restitution are dashed. At least it was on clearance.

Rating - Two Thumbs Up

Farewell, Old Friend

Pants - Jones New York (steinmart); Shirt - JC Penny; Belt - Steinmart; Sweater - TJ Maxx;

Shoes - Nine West (thirfted); Necklace - Thrifted; Earrings - Premiere

This outfit was thrown together totally last minute as I saw this shirt that I bought last summer when I was rearranging my closet and wanted to wear it. I love everything about how this outfit looked and felt. This shirt was such a pleasant surprise. I would never have paired red, magenta and brown before purchasing this, and was drawn to the ugliness of the pattern. It's really quite beautiful.

The old friend, however, is the pants. These pants are brown with gold sparkles are highwaisted, wide legged and all sorts of amazing. But they are also wool and very itchy, so after this picture was taken, I retired them into my winter clothes bin to be resurrected next October. I'll miss you, sweet pants.

. Rating - Two Thumbs Up Always love it when I follow up a crappy outfit with a faboo one!

Snakeskin Strappies

Shirt - Loft (courtesy of Shessica's Smashion site); Cardi - TJ Maxx; Pants - Style & Co (Macy's);

Shoes - Thrifted; Necklace - Bakers; Cuff and Ring - Premiere; Belt - NY & Co.

These shoes are my favorite part of this outfit, although I'm quite happy about how the outfit came together. Mother Nature can't quite figure out if she wants it to be spring or winter, so I've found that my best bet with classes and work is to dress in layers. But the fact that it has warmed up enough to be able to wear open-toed shoes is flippin fantastic! These puppies were found at Plato's Closet for $8 if I remember correctly. And worth EVERY Penny. THeya re actually pretty comfy, too. I've worn them to work a couple of times. I struggled for quite some time to find a necklace that mixed metals as well as the fabulous cuff that husby bought me for Christmas last year. This gem was spotted as a co-worker and I breezed through a mall in Columbus to eat at the foodcourt before heading home from work meetings. My company's Columbus office is located within a mall....while I briefly considered relocating there when the office first opened, once I found that out I took my name out of consideration. We'd be bankrupt if I worked that close to shopping all the time!!

I loved my hair so much I made Husby take a side shot.
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Rating - Two Thumbs Up

Boudoir Chic

Skirt and belt - JC Penny; Lace Top - TJ Maxx; Shirt - Style & Co (Macy's);

Tights - Old Navy; Necklace and Ring - Steinmart; Earrings - Premiere; Shoes - Madden (thrifted)

When I got dressed this morning, I was a bit apprehensive that this outfit may be a bit to sexy for work. But, seeing as all of my naughty parts were sufficiently covered and I was in love with the outfit, I threw caution to the wind. And I'm so glad I did. I felt a bit more than the appropriate amount of sexy at work (which made me even more productive) and got tons of compliments on the outfit. Plus, this necklace, one of my favorite statement pieces, making an appearance always makes for a great day. AND, the proportions were just right, making me look long and lean(er).

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Rating - Two Emphatic Thumbs Up

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This outfit also got me thinking about my newly developed clothing worth theory (which is helping me curb my spending). Before I buy something, I always try it on and then try to put a monetary value on how much I like it. I liked this shirt $10 worth. THEN I look at the price tag. This shirt was $11. But its originality, both for my closet and in general, gave it an extra worth buck and I bought it. But how do I come up with this worth?

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Easy. I divide the amount I paid for the item by the amount of times I expect myself to wear it. If I can think of enough outfits off the bat to bring it's worth down to $2-$3 per wearing, I'll go ahead and purchase. Then, once it is in my closet, I try to wear it enough to bring that value down to $1. If I wear this $11.00 shirt 11 times, then I've suceeded in my challenge and adequatley valued it's worth at purchase. Currently, it's at $5.50. I've more than succeeded for the skirt, earrings, belt, necklace and shoes :-)

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I know, it borders on the ridiculous, but I am an engineer after all. Math is a part of nearly every thought I have.

Gradumacation

Sweater - Steinmart; Jeans - TJ Maxx; T-Shirt - Banana Republic (Gap Outlet);

Scarf - Thrifted; Boots - Macy's; Belt - Steinmart; Jewelry - Premiere

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This sweater is an oldie but a goodie. I bought this right after I had my son, who was my first attempt at nursing. This sweater got me through last winter, probably my most worn item, cause all I had to do was unbutton one of the sides and slide him under to nurse and I was still covered. Plus, I could wear my Baby Bjorn underneath it, giving Eli extra warmth when I was shopping.

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But after I didn't have him strapped on or nursing, I wasn't quite sure how to wear this. The color was so gorgeous that I was determined to make it work someday. Looks like a belt did the trick.

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This day I was heading to school (hence the jeans) but I was meeting with an advisor to talk about nailing down a graduation date. I didn't want to wear my typical sweatshirt and pony tail, because part of this meeting involved some begging. Begging them to count my full time job in my Civil Engineering firm as my Mechanical Engineering co-op requirement. Begging them to take the Civil classes that I had taken as part of my associates degree and count them as some of the mechanical technical electives. Begging them to waive the remaining technical electives because of my work experience. All of these items are possible, but at the whim of the person making the call, so I needed to look like a grown up who was taking responsibility, who wasn't just looking for the easy way out. I needed to look like the mom supporting her family while trying to further her education to make their lives better. When I'm in a sweatshirt and ponytail, I just look 12. I think I pulled it off nicely, because I may be able to graduate in the summer of 2013, instead of the summer of 2015 as originally thought. YAY ME!!
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Rating - Two Thumbs Up (which means a lot for a jeans outfit)

Tried and True

Shirt - thrifted; Sweater - BCBG (TJ Maxx);

Skirt - Old Navy; Belt and Ring - Steinmart;

Shoes and Pin - Thrifted; Necklace - Premeire

Whenever I have a bad outfit day, I tend to go to a tried and true combo for the next outfit. Since I'm in OHW month, I didn't have a 'Go To' outfit that I hadn't used all of the items a bunch. So....I settled for a tried and true color combo. You can't go wrong with the classic red, white and black.

The OHW of this outfit is the sweater. I bought it for my family Christmas picture of 2008 and hated how I felt in it. The neck was so widely opened that it kept falling off my shoulders and exposing my bra strap. But it was sparkly and red and I couldn't bear to part with it, even though it hadn't seen the light of day. It's very thin, so it didn't occur to me to wear it as a sweater over another shirt. This challenge forced me to think outside of the box, and I'm happy with how this outfit turned out. The striped shirt is an item that I don't think has ever been worn, simply because it was forgotten.

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Rating - Two Thumbs Up

And the best part of my day was when a random stranger in the bathroom complimented my shoes, saying that they were 'Like a suit for your feet.' Couldn't have said it better myself.

Sunshine Yellow

Shirt - Inc (Macy's FREE); Pants - Style & Co (Macy's FREE); Scarf as belt - Jones NY (TJ Maxx);

Ballet Flats - Jessica Simpson (thrifted); Bracelet - Premeire; Necklace - Street Vendor

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The necklace is the OHW here. Normally I wouldn't let myself get off so easily on a challenge, if it weren't for the fact that I've had this necklace for years and have been actively trying to find ways to wear it. So far, it's only been worn with my emerald green maxi dress in the summer. I'm pretty proud of myself for finally figuring out that this scarf has the yellow in it. Duh!! The necklace and scarf gave me the added bit of color I needed to brighten up this navy and gray ensemble. Plus, the whole thing was pretty comfy and casual, which is sometimes nice when you have a 10 hour work day followed by a 3 hour class.

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Rating - Two Thumbs Up

Grunge Faux Pas

Vest - August Silk (TJ Maxx); Plaid Tunic - Style & Co (Macy's); Skirt - Old Navy;

Boots - Macy's; Belt - Steinmart; Bracelet - thrifted; Earrings - Premiere
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The OHW for this outfit is the tunic, but this outfit represents a first for me. The first time wearing brown and black together. Also told since childhood that this was a fashion faux pas, I've seen others pairing brown and black lately and have been dying to try it. When I found this tunic at Macy's a few months ago, with brown and black lines making the plaid (it also mixes silver and gold), I found my perfect opportunity. Of course, the first time I wore it I chickened out and wore it with black leggings, sweater and boots. Baby steps.
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While Husby didn't like this outfit because it was too segmented, I absolutely LOVED it for the very same reason. The breaks added interest and made the outfit visually stimulating, while elongating me and taking focus off of my apple shape. I felt long and lean and fabulous all day long.
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And, Style Underdog, I am sporting Sock Tops.....I'll be suprised if I have any whole socks by the end of the winter.... THANK YOU!!!
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Rating - One Thumb Sideways (Husby), One Thumb Up (ME!)

My Evil Twin Donna

Shirt - NY & Co (thrifted); Pants - Steinmart; Vest - August Silk (TJ Maxx);

Shoes - Jessica Simpson Ballet Flats (thrifted); Belt - Baby Phat (thrifted)

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This outfit is not at all in the theme of the month, having not a singe One Hit Wonder involved, but it was an outfit from a few weeks back that I realized I hadn't posted. In the spirit of the blog, I'm including it now.

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I was raised in a very strict catholic home, and lived in both the fear of God and my mother, so I was always a good little girl that followed the rules and didn't do anything bad. But there were times when I wanted to (especially when I got into high school), and while I'd like to say I was too resolved, I was really too chicken shit to stray from the straight and narrow. I imagined that I had an evil twin named Donna who would drink and smoke and make out with boys, shop lift, swear...all of the things that I could never bring myself to try. Probably explains a lot of my rebelling when I moved out on my own...not the brightest period of my life, but I digress.

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When I got to work wearing this outfit, more than one person told me I looked like Donna from That 70's Show. I couldn't help but snicker thinking of my evil twin and all of the naughty things I imagined she'd do.

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Rating - One Thumb Sideways (husby); One Thumb Up (me)

Black & White and Read All Over

Cardi - TJ Maxx; Skirt - JC Penny; Shirt - Steinmart; Necklace and Bracelet - Macy's;

Earrings - Premeire; Shoes - Thrifted

This outfit was prepared around my shoes. Normally I wake up in the morning and I have an idea of an item that I would like to wear, then I build an outfit around it. This is the first time I wore these shoes to work and I found that they are a bit too small for me. I can still wear them on work days, but found that I should carry a pair of backup flats for walking to & from the car and on campus for class. I love the wingtips and the classic black and white style. Next time, I'm going to pair them with some bright accents. I've got a pair of green tights which would look like a dream with them.....

I've found myself getting really bored with the conventional radio stations in my city, so I've been listening to an Oldies's station which has a 'One Hit Wonder' feature. I started to think about my closet. I have many, many items in my closet which have only been worn once. So, this month, I'm trying to feature these 'One Hit Wonders'. Today, it's the shirt. This black wrap shirt with ruffled neckline and sleeves was worn on Christmas Eve, 2009. Then I put it away because I thought it was boring. I was merely lacking imagination. I love this classic look which kinda makes me feel like a 1940's dynamo. I need to find me a gumshoe to do some investigating with.

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Rating - Two Thumbs Up

Bruised Ego

Tank - Lauren Conrad (thrifted); Sweater - TJ Maxx; Skirt - Target; Tights and Belt- NY & Co;

Shoes and Bracelet- Steinmart; Necklace and Earrings - Premiere; Pin - Local crafter

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My big sister always told me to never wear navy and black together cause I'd look like a bruise. I've never even tried it before. I also try to stay away from wearing red and blue together, cause I equate it to 4th of July attire. I'm really happy with how this turned out, however. And despite the roller coaster that I feel my weight has been for the last 3 years, this skirt has been in my closet since before I met my husband (at least 7 years). And this day, I was able to wear it again. That makes me pretty durn happy :-)
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Rating - Two Thumbs Up