Safari

Tee: Banana Republic
Skirt: Ann Taylor
Belt: Banana Republic
Shoes: Crocs
Earrings: Kohl's

I almost like this outfit. I think I like the idea of it better than the execution. I needed something that would be appropriate for work - and the walk to and from - on a relatively warm day and this fit the bill.


I've had this tee shirt for, roughly, forever; by forever I mean since 2006. It's a little too long and quite sheer, but it stays in my closet because it (a) layers nicely and (b) has a zebra on it. The zebra is important.


I kinda like the zebra tee with the elephant earrings and leopard belt. See? It's like a theme! I'm going to tell myself it's subtle, okay? I like my delusions.

Rawr.

All remixed except shoes
Dress: Target
Belt: Target
Shoes: Kohl's
Bangle: H&M
Earrings: Kohl's

Do y'all ever have days where you just don't want to get dressed? Like, you wake up and it's grey and steamy out and you just want to stay in your pajamas inside? That was me this morning. When that happens, I put on a dress. Because it's easy to put on dresses.


This dress is one of my go to pieces. It's professional enough for the office, and casual enough for a day of running errands. I had to do both today, so this dress was a go.


And it's got that safari vibe I like so much. I threw on the brown belt to make it a little interesting and a big, plastic bangle to make it a little more modern.


And because I'm trying to wear all those things that I hardly ever/never wear, I put on these leopard print wedges. I have two pairs of leopard print shoes, and they're both just a little too big, which hurts my heart because I love leopard. You can tell that these are big in the picture, but they stayed on, and I didn't clomp around in them.

Overall, not bad for a day when all I really wanted to do was stay home.

Photo Dump aka Outfits # 19 -23

I have about a million outfits to post, y'all. I think this qualifies as a photo dump....

First up, Friday:

All remixed
Dress: New York & Co. via Ross
Sandals: Chinese Laundry
Hoops: gift

This was what I wore for our drive down to VA. I needed something that would keep me cool as we drove 3 1/2 hours without AC, so I kept it simple.


Which was just as well, because we ended up having car issues and it took us way over four hours to get down to my parents' house. Boo.

Saturday:

All remixed except bangle
Tee: Target
Skirt: Gap
Belt: Target
Sandals: Chinese Laundry
Earrings: Target
Necklace: gift
Bangle: gift from my uncle sixteen years ago

Y'all - I love this outfit. My mom made fun of my DIY job on the tee, but I didn't care because it's just so comfy.


I felt like the accessories really made this work. The necklace is so much fun, and that bangle is one of the first pieces I ever got from my uncle, and it is, quite possibly, the coolest. I've had it for sixteen years and I still think it's just gorgeous.

Sunday morning:

All remixed
Dress: J Crew
Bolero: Ann Taylor
Belt: Banana Republic
Wedges: Soixante Neuf thrifted
Earrings: gift
Bangles: Banana Republic

This was not my original plan for Sunday morning, but I think it worked out pretty well. My original plan was to wear my striped shirt with this dress, but the shirt was just too big to work that way, so I threw this bolero on. Not terribly creative, but it works.


I also love the leopard print belt peeking out under there.


I have to say it was pretty great for blasting AC and steamy outdoors. Plus, I just love brown and blue together.

Sunday afternoon:

All remixed:
Skirt: Target
Tank: Target
Belt: Target
Scarf: J Crew
Sandals: Chinese Laundry
Niece: Absolute cuteness decked out in head-to-toe Gymboree.

Y'all, I don't know where I'd be without Target. I mean, really. This outfit was so comfy for our trip back to Philly - this time with AC and no car problems. (Yay!)


That's the kind of cuteness that was going on on the drive home.

And, the last outfit for this post - Monday:


All remixed:
Dress: Target
Wedges: Nine West
Belt: Banana Republic
Earrings: Target
Bangle: gift

If you feel like you're experiencing deja vu, it's because this looks a whole lot like outfit #9. I'm going to go ahead and say it's a different outfit because of the belt.


I had a job interview for a part time position today, so I dressed up a bit. Perhaps this isn't quite as conservative as I could have gone for an interview, but A, it's a part time position, B, a friend of mine works there and told me it's really casual, and C, my interviewer was wearing jeans and moccasins. I figure this was dressed up enough.

And now for a totally random picture:

Dressing down aka Outfit #16

All remixed
Tank: Target
Knit pencil skirt: New York & Co.
Belt: Banana Republic
Sandals: Chinese Laundry
Bangles: gift
Earrings: Banana Republic

I am past the halfway point, which meant I had to drag out a piece I haven't yet worn during this challenge. Enter the brown skirt.


I don't know why I included it. As soon as I took the pictures and posted them, I regretted the choice. But, what's done is done, and this is a skirt that I wear a lot when I'm working, but I'm not working right now.


It is comfortable, though, so at least there's that. I tried to dress it down with a tank and some sandals, and I'm not sure that I'm totally sold on it, but it is what it is.


I have to say that I'm diggin' the safari look of the belt with the bangles, though. I do love some safari looks, though I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority on that.


If I look a little disheveled in these pictures, it's because I'd just finished cooking a big Puerto Rican meal. We're having dinner guests, otherwise, I never would've done so much cooking. It's too hot for rice and beans, y'all.
In other news, I figured out how to do a fishtail braid!

Also, I finished my skirt yesterday.

I was so stinkin' proud of myself. This is my first sewing project in sixteen years, and it involved pockets. Is it perfect? By no means. But it is complete and it is WEARABLE! I was amazed.


I messed up the hem. Big thumbs down to that....


And only one of the pockets is big enough for my hand, but there are POCKETS! It's amazing! Also, if it looks like a curtain, which is what B. told me when I modeled this for him, it's because it was. Just call me Scarlett O'Hara. (Ha!)

Finally, here's me after B. told me I move too much when taking pictures:

ANTM aka Outfit #9

All remixed
Dress: Target
Belt: Coach, thrifted
Wedges: Nine West
Bangle: gift from sister-in-law
Earrings: Kohl's

Y'all, I'm feeling waaaaaay better about remixing today. I remembered that I picked out seven dresses and I've only worn three of them, which means I have plenty to wear. And even if I spent the morning taking B. to work in a downpour, dealing with a leaky roof, running to the post office, and going to the gym, that's no reason that I can't dress completely inappropriately for cooking dinner and hanging out tonight. Heels and a dress it is.


Sometimes I like to imagine what Tyra and the crew would say about my pictures if I were on ANTM. To the above, she'd say, "You look like a catalog model. This (she'd imitate my pose, here) is not what a top model does. You should stand in front of the mirror and work on poses." And I'd nod as if this were the best advice I'd ever heard, thank her, and take my place in the line.


I like to think she'd tell that I'd "found the light" in this one. And then Miss J would say something about my hand looking like a baseball mitt.


"I'm starting to think you can only give us one face...."


"You look like it's your first time in front of a camera. I can see fear in your eyes. Smize!"
"There go those mitts, again," says Miss J.


"You've found the light again, but there's just something weird about that smile..."

And then they send me home and I tell the cameras that they haven't seen the last of me because I will be a top model.

All that to say, I like this outfit and I'm glad I'm not on a reality tv modeling competition.

Old habits die hard

Black dress: Ann Taylor - gift from my sister
Gold sandals: Baker's - gift from my aunt
Red beaded cuff: Banana Republic - gift from my mom (remixed)
Ball earrings: Banana Republic - gift from my mom (remixed)

Back in black, y'all. This is the dress that I have been eager to wear since I got it, right before the Summer Black-Out. My sister sent it to me for my birthday, and it's FABULOUS!


It fits like a dream, looks safari inspired, and is simple enough to dress up or down quite easily. I can tell that I'm going to get some real use out of this beauty.


I wore it with these sandals because B. and I decided that I should find subtle ways to not follow the dress code this week. It's only three real work days, so I figure I should be able to do one thing each day.

Today, I decided to go with casual sandals. I don't know if these really fall into the camp of OVERLY casual sandals, but I'd classify them as such because they're flat.


I added the red and gold bracelet and the earrings, which I just love, to echo the gold of the sandals and to add another color to the outfit.


Overall, it's a good return to black. I think I've done well incorporating color into my clothes since spring began, but I'm not ready to give up on one of my favorite colors to wear. There's something about black that makes me feel very sophisticated. Plus, it's easy: I could throw anything in with this dress and it'd work.

I have to say, my sister did a fine job picking this dress out. Does she know me or what?
TQM, sister!

In and out of my comfort zone

Denim dress: Ann Taylor (remixed)
Canvas and leather belt: Banana Republic (remixed)
Espadrille wedges: Soixante Neuf thrifted
Gold chandelier earrings: gift from sister-in-law, A.
Bangles: gift from my mom

Can y'all believe I didn't wear this dress last weekend?! Neither can I. I was absolutely in love with this outfit yesterday. I've decided I'd like to look like I'm on safari every day of my life, and this outfit made me feel like I was on safari with lovely, if inappropriate, footwear.


So, let's talk about these shoes because I can't get over how much I love them. B. and I went to the thrift store on Friday and I picked up a Tommy Bahama shirt for my dad because, yes, my dad wears way too many Hawaiian print shirts for not being Hawaiian. While we were paying for his shirt, I spotted these wedges in a size 37 which is almost my size. So I tried them on. They are buttery soft, soles made of leather, and $16. Now, I don't know about y'all, but $16 at a thrift store is a bit much for me. But B. reminded me that I've been looking for espadrilles and that these were really cute.
Then we saw the label on the sole: $158. I'm terrible at math, but even I can figure out that that's about 90% off, so I went ahead and got them.


These shoes are a DREAM, though. Yes, the heels are insanely high, but those leather soles make all the difference: they're flexible and shock absorbent and comfortable. I may have walked through our community garden in these shoes, that's how easy it is to walk in them. B. thought I should lace them up my legs, but I didn't do it because these shoes are too high and the laces up the legs would've pushed it into "too-sexy" territory.


Forgive me the armpit shot, but get a load of these earrings! B.'s sister A. sent these (and another pair) for my birthday. They are just GORGEOUS. She totally got my style with the earrings she sent, and I'm excited to wear the other pair soon, too.

Now, on to today!

Vintage floral dress: Karin Stevens Petites thrifted
Zebra print belt: Target (remixed)
Studded yellow gladiators: Chinese Laundry (remixed)
Medallion earrings: Target (remixed)
Snakeskin wooden bangle: gift from my mom

This outfit was so far outside my comfort zone and I'm still not sure what I think about it. I feel like I take a lot of outfit risks at church, just because I don't feel like folks aren't really paying attention to what I wear there. Today's outfit was quite a risk - definitely not something I would've worn before I started reading style blogs.


I put this dress on and then looked at myself in the mirror and asked B. if it wasn't too Little House on the Prairie. He said no, but I wasn't convinced, so I took off my trusty black belt and put on this zebra print one instead. Then I told him, "Don't say anything about the zebra belt; it's awesome." I'm still not convinced of that, but I said it with lots of confidence.


To further mitigate the "Little House on the Prairie" factor, I slipped on these studded sandals. Not too matchy-matchy and certainly not prissy.


Throw on the snakeskin bangle and the medallion earrings, and it's like a whole different look. Right? Maybe? Meh....


So here's the breakdown: I got this dress for $1 at the thrift store and I've put it on and taken it off a gazillion times since I got it, but it's never gone out of the house. Part of that is that it feels like it's adorable for someone with more of a romantic style, and I think I'm a bit more - safari? minimalist? I don't know, but less floral from head to toe. That part I'm pretty sure of.



I'm not ready to give up on this dress, yet though. I still love the buttons up the back and the softness of the material. And wouldn't it be adorable with my cowboy boots and a denim jacket? I could see this worn as a skirt, too, you know, when it's not 90+ degrees out.

At least I'm still in love with Saturday's look:


P.S. It may have taken me about two hours to write this post because the Germany / Australia game is on and I am busy telling Germany to make more goals. Deutschland!