Tuesday 8.31

Last day of the month! That means only 2 months and 2 weeks till our trip to Boston :)

Anyways, I learned something new about this dress today. It has the bra strap holders! Faaaaannnnccccyyy!



Dress: Antonio Melani, Dillard's (not the clearance center, just the regular store)
Cardi: Bealls
Shoes: Jessica Simpson, TJ Maxx
Earrings: Gold Lacey earrings, Premier

Monday 8.30

I just love the color combination of pink and navy blue! Feeling a little more put together than I have been over the past few weeks. I also went to the gym today plus I am back on my limited soda, coffee, and alcohol. Here's to a more fashionable September!



Skirt: Antonio Melani, Dillard's clearance center
Cardi: ATL
Shirt: Mossimo, Target
Shoes: Jessica Simpson, TJ Maxx
Earrings: Premier

Saturday Dinner with friends!

I picked up this cardigan from Belk's today. It is Ralph Lauren and was marked down to $15! Love the color and it is a good weight for Florida. It is still warm here but we're going to a restaurant tonight and I'm always cold.



Cardi: Ralph Lauren, Belk's
Shirt: Mossimo, Target
Jeans: ATL
Shoes: Antonio Melani, Dillard's Clearance Center
Bracelet/Earrings: Premier



Shirt: J Crew
Jeans: Banana Republic
Boots: Clark's

Uninspired

It's been crazy at work. I end up shutting down fashion wise when things go crazy at work! No excuse though and I promise to get back in the swing of things. I definitely need my fairy godmother of fashion to bestow some inspiration on me!!

Quick Post

Visiting my sister and work conference in Orlando this week. Obviously, you can see where my priorities were today!

A slight detour from fashion blogging

I attended a region wide meeting for my employer today. One of our sessions was titled "The Civility Challenge". This presentation challenged us to think of civility and how to deal with people who are rude and inconsiderate. One of the shared readings was this lovely piece by Mother Theresa. I found it inspiring and wanted to share with you.

Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

Tuesday and Wednesday 8.17 and 8.18

Well, the week is just chugging right along! Excited about the weekend as I get to spend the day with my little sis in Orlando. I also have a work conference, which will be a nice break from the daily routine!

Here is Tuesday's OOTD



Dress: Dress Barn
Cardi: ATL
Shoes: Michele D, Dillard's
Necklace: Premier



Shirt: J Crew
Shorts: Gap
Shoes: Sperry

And Wednesday...



Dress: Ronni Nicole, Bealls
Shoes: Antonio Melani, Dillard's Clearance Center
Earrings: Charming Charlie



Shirt and Shorts: J Crew
Shoes: Sperry

Sushi for dinner, then Top Chef?

Monday 8.16

This is another find from the Dillard's Clearance Center! I liked how I felt in it but I'm just not used to all the excess fabric. I felt "hippy", and not in the Haight-Ashbury way! However, Joan on Mad Men owns it when it comes to her curves, so I'm following her lead!



Shirt: ATL
Skirt: Antonio Melani
Shoes: Bandolino
Necklace: Forever XXI

Don't forget to share your closet organizing tips with me!

Closet Clean up

Inspired by Tina, of T Minus T Plus, I decided to clean up my our closet this weekend. As I start shopping for fall items, I really needed to assess what I had. Also I am a very visual person, I need to be able to see everything, otherwise I forget I own it! I did not take "before" pictures, as I did not intend to even blog about this. But when I tweeted about it on Twitter, Tina wanted to see some pictures. Thus a blog post is born :)


Here is a view of the upper half of the closet. The top shelf has my boots, purses that I don't use as often and large tote bags. The clothes are organized with dresses on the left, shirts in the middle and cardigan sweaters on the right.


A close up of my dresses.


You can see that on the floor, I have a box full of sandals and flip flops. Some of my smaller purses are hanging on the hanger. Next to that are skirts, then pants, then jeans.


Shoes--my favorite! I know you all appreciate seeing my hot pink fuzzy slippers too!

What you can't see if on the bottom shelf, in the far right corner, sits my sweaters. I also have my jackets hanging in the right hand corner. I probably won't need those till October :(

I still have a closet to-do list, to include:

- More wooden hangers from IKEA so I can change out all the plastic and dry cleaner hangers.
- A basket with my lint roller and other clothes maintenance items

Also, cleaning out my closest reminded me that I need a pair of tall brown riding boots. I had to throw out my favorite (and only!) pair of brown boots as they were falling apart.

Any other closet tips would be appreciated!

Wednesday 8.11

This outfit was picked so I wouldn't have to shave my legs today. That is all. :)



Shirt: Ralph Lauren Sport, Marshalls
Pants: NY & Co
Shoes: Antonio Melani, Dillard's Clearance Center
Necklace: Starfish, Premier



I love all shades of blue on J!!

Shirt: J Crew
Pants: Banana Republic J Crew
Socks: Banana Republic
Shoes: Clark's Desert Boots

Tuesday 8.10

I think this is the first time ever that I have worn a fuller skirt. I felt very Mad Men-eqsue!



Skirt: Antonio Melani, this was my super buy of last week. Around $12 for a skirt that retailed $129. Awesome!
Shirt: Ann Taylor Loft, from several years ago
Cardi: Bealls
Shoes: Naturalizer
Necklace: Liz Clairborne
Earrings: Stein Mart

Here is a close up of the pattern on the skirt:



I think the next time I wear this skirt, I'm going to pair it with pink or red.



J's embracing the chambray shirt trend today!

Shirt: J Crew
Jeans: Banana Republic
Shoes: Desert Boot, Clark's

Monday 8.9.10 (!!!!)

For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you saw that I knew exactly what I was going to wear today! With J's help, I planned Monday and Tuesday's outfits. Then I helped Lola plan her outfits too! While I like to menu plan, I don't do it much since J cooks most nights. Outfit planning is a good substitute ;)

Today marked the debut of the ivory dress! I have to say, I felt put together all day. It was super easy to throw on this morning!



Dress: Antonio Melani, Dillard's (and NOT the clearance center this time!)
Cardi: Bealls
Shoes: Jessica Simpson, TJ Maxx
Necklace: Forever XXI
Earrings: Stein Mart
Bracelet: Premier

J just got a new shipment from J Crew, so he's debuting a new item also!



Sweatshirt: J Crew
Oxford: J Crew
Jeans: Gap
Socks: Banana Republic
Shoes: Desert Boot, Clark's
Watch: Timex with J Crew Band

I really love J's new watch. He order the Timex of Amazon for around $30. He purchases the watch bands from J Crew and they cost around $15 a piece. I love that he can swap it out depending on his mood. This is a great gift idea for your man, ladies!

Here is a close up.



It's Tacos and Mad Men on the TiVo for tonight's activities!

Organizing my "Bling"

My jewelry was getting a little disorganized, so I spent some time cleaning up and putting it back together. Thought I would share how I store and organize my jewelry!



The brown leather box holds my sunglasses. The crystal bowl holds my hair ties and other hair items. The trays are all from TJ Maxx. You can find them in the section with all the stationery items (random, right?). The bottom tray holds miscellaneous items like rings and broaches. The top tray holds earrings. The small tray holds my bracelets. The necklace "tree" is a repurposed ornament display tree from my mom! I saw it in her garage and asked her if I could have it!

Here are some close-up pictures:



You'll notice a few sets of bracelets on my tree, along with necklaces from Premier, Forever XXI, Liz Clairborne, Stein Mart and Target.



Most of my bracelets, including the Rachel Leigh in the top left, the wooden bracelet, silver bracelet in the bottom middle, and the 2 dainty looking bracelets on the right, were gifted. The gold/white one in the top middle is from Premier. The black and gold bow bracelet is from Forever XXI. The large dragonfly broach was a gift from the "Will" in my life, who brought it back from Montemarte in Paris! He also gifted me the Rachel Leigh bracelet. I'm so lucky to have my own personal accessory shopper!



I love earrings! I purchase my earrings from all sorts of places: Forever XXI, Premier, Stein Mart, World Market, Local Boutiques and thrift stores. The gold lacey earrings towards the left bottom are my favorites!

I would love to hear how you organize your jewelry! I'm very visual and lazy so I need things right in front of me! :)

Stylish Blogger Award

The lovely and stylish Andie awarded the above to me! Thanks Andie! Now I must share 5 things about myself! I will try to include things about me and J!

(1) I have traveled to the following states: FL, GA, AL, NC, SC, VA, MD, NY, NJ, MA, RI, IL, WI, MI, IN, TX, LA, NM, MZ, CA, WA, KY, OH, TN. Of these states, the following are the ones I visited with J: WA, CA, MD, GA, and IL. I would love for us to go to NY together! I'm looking forward to our trip to MA in the Fall!

(2) I love live music and enjoy concerts, however they are not J's cup of tea. However he did see Pink Martini with me a few months ago and enjoyed it! The best concerts I've been include Death Cab for Cutie and Barenaked Ladies. My first concert was Debbie Gibson when I was 12. Saw Ms. Deborah again in concert when I was 27--at The Cubby Bear in Wrigleyville (Chicago). Awesome!!

(3) I'm a fast reader. J always comments on this. I'm usually reading a couple of books at a time. If I hit a plateau with one, I instantly drop it for another one and return to it later. Currently, I am reading "The Mayflower and The Pilgrims New World" (in anticipation of our vacation) and Jen Lancaster's "My Fair Lazy".

(4) I struggle to read all the magazines to which I subscribe. The magazines I subscribe to are Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living, Food Network Magazine, Cooking Light, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, Everyday Food and Reader's Digest (don't laugh! It was a gift and I love the little stories). J subscribes to the New Yorker (which I also read), The Atlantic, Golf Magazine, and Harpers. We horde our magazines, which I know we shouldn't but oh well!

(5) Finally a quick fact. J was Greek in college and I was not. We definitely had very different college experiences!

I hereby tag the following lovely stylish bloggers!

Allie at My Wardrobe Today
K at Excavating K's Closet
Mariel at Preppy with a Twist
Fashion for the Economically Challenged
Bianca at Deals for the Short and Curvy

Friday 8.6 and Saturday 8.7

First off, wondering what happened to Thursday? Well I wore the EXACT same thing I wore to brunch last Sunday. My workmates were fans of it, much like y'all were!

Onwards...Friday 8.6



Shirt: Ross (Like Sarah of Classroom Chic, I'm a HUGE Ross fan!)
Jeans: Ann Taylor Loft Outlet
Shoes: Madison, Belk's
Necklace: Forever XXI

Normally, I don't post weekend OOTD, but I snapped this pic with my good friend at her baby shower today!



Dress: Ronni Nicole, Bealls
Necklace: Premier
Earrings: Charming Charlie

Sorry I didn't get a pic of J. He was especially handsome in his Lands End Heritage Button Down and J Crew Pants yesterday!

Saturday night plans include little bit of eggplant parm AND veal scallopini. I'm so very grateful J is an AWESOME cook. I'm passable, but he really takes it to another level. Dinner + a jazillion episodes of "Friday Night Lights"...yup, that's my night! :)

Wednesday 8.4 marks the return of J :)

The theme of today was "No Cardigans!" I love Cardis, as you can tell from past pictures. However, I know I'm stuck in a rut so I wanted to ensure I wouldn't wear one today! This dress satisfied my requirements! It's hard to see in the picture but it has gray stripes intermixed with the print, making it a little more than a black and white print matte jersey dress.



Dress: Ann Taylor Loft, outlet
Cami: Gap
Shoes: Bandolino, TJ Maxx
Necklace: The chain is from another necklace. The charm is from Forever XXI
Earrings: World Market

Close up of the necklace




Finally, J is home when I'm taking pictures!!



Polo: J Crew
Pants: Banana Republic
Shoes: Clark's Desert Boots
Watch: Timex with a J Crew Band (LOVE THIS!)

Tuesday 8.3

I never tire of the pink and grey combination. Again the shoes I wore today were in my car! I have a habit of changing shoes in the car for the drive to and from work -- not quite great at driving in heels!



Cardi: Ann Taylor Loft
Shirt: Merona, Target
Pants: THE BEST PANTS EVER! from New York and Company
Shoes (in the car): Black open toed heels, Bandolino, TJ Maxx

Monday 8.2

Let me apologize about my hair. I'm debating on growing it out. So in the meantime, it is in its funky state!



Shirt: Merona, Target
Pants: New York & Company
Shoes: Antonio Melani, Dillard's
Earrings: Charming Charlie

Here is a close up of my new earrings from Charming Charlie!



Off to spend time with J!!!!

Readers' Challenge!

I mentioned an Ivory dress that I purchased on SUPER sale at Dillards. Regular price $169. Marked down to $50. With an extra 40% off, I purchased for $30. I'm wondering if there would be any way to make this appropriate for after Labor Day. So I thought I would turn to you, dear fashionable readers! Your suggestions would be appreciated!!! Also if you think there is no way to make this work for post Labor Day, let me know that too :)



Close up the great fabric and adorable buttons!

Sunday, 8.1

Off to brunch!



Dress: Ross (the one I bought yesterday)
Shoes: Nine West, Ross
Necklace: Premier

Closing out July!

I apologize for the sporadic posting! I've been a busy bee--especially trying to keep busy as J is out of town. Lukily he returns very late tonight. So quiet without him :( I've been keeping busy with dog-sitting, spending time with my parents, visiting a friend who was in the hospital, church with a friend on Thursday...busy busy!

Here is Thursday's OOTD!




Dress: Ruby Road, Dillard's - Gift from my mom :)
Shoes: Bandolino, TJ Maxx

Friday's OOTD



Polo: Lilly Pulitzer, TJ Maxx
Skirt: Merona, Target
Shoes: Michele D, Dillard's

On Saturday, I went shopping with my mom at Ross. I bought both of us new dresses! Then we went next door to Bealls and saw the dress I just bought her, still at full price! I purchased her dress for $16.99. It was $65 at Bealls!

I also stopped by one of the local malls with the intention to check out Charming Charlies. However the allure of the "Take 40% off already clearance prices" sale at Dillard's drew me in! I purchased a lovely Ivory dress that retailed for $169 and came home with me at the price of $30. With it being Ivory instead of summer white, I'm brainstorming on ways to winter-ize it. I think I may take a picture of the dress and let y'all help me sometime this week! I made it out of Dillard's, on my way to CC, and detoured into Talbots. I checked out their final sale items and found an adorable black cotton/twill jacket that is perfect for Florida Fall and Winter.

So did I ever make it to CC? Yes! It was much bigger than I thought it would be! It was a madhouse, with it being a Saturday afternoon. I did find the prices to be reasonable and the style to be very fun! I purchased a pair of turq colored drop earrings with gold details, to match one of my Premier necklaces.

What's on the agenda for Sunday? Meeting a friend for brunch, checking on the doggie one more time, and straightening up for when J gets home!

Have a wonderful day :)