Polka dots and Mussels

Top/Old Navy:: Skirt/Thrifted:: Wedge Sandals/DSW:: Necklace/Gift

It is official. I love this skirt. I found it a few weeks back at Goodwill. I honestly couldn't believe my luck that the following occurred:
1. It fit, beautifully
2. It had no stains or horrible tears etc. In fact, it was in immaculate condition
3. It was three dollars. 

After some frustrating thrifting attempts, I was so happy to bring this gem home. J and I are going back to Iowa for ten days and this skirt will definitely be coming with us. 

I wore this outfit to run errands, work on school prep and meet J for drinks and mussels at a local mussel bar. We were celebrating J's a pro bono case he had been working on for the last couple of weeks that was finally settled. I was so proud of J for working so hard on the case and creating a very favorable outcome for his client. Good job, J!

Pedi's in the Rain

Dress, Belt/Thrifted:: Wedge Sandals/Target:: Necklace/Swapped

Wore this dress to meet up with a friend to get much needed pedicures. When I say needed, I don't mean needed in the sense that I get them weekly. I just mean with the beginning of summer and the more regular wearing of sandals, I like to get one pedicure and just hope it last for the remainder of the season. It never does, but I always hope it will. I even get the pedicure in a color I have at home, for easy touch ups. 

The minute the pedi's were done, the torrential downpour began. It was a soppy walk with J from the metro to the car. Good thing I took photos before I went out!

 The one drawback with the pedicure is the way it softens my feet. All that exfoliating leaves my feet silky smooth - and perfect targets for blisters. On Saturday night, J and I went to the Roundhouse Theatre to see Double Indemnity. The play was wonderful, the evening was perfect - except for the rather large blisters I acquired on my pinky toes from my heeled loafers. Should have stuck with sandals...

A Simple Fix

 Top (Challenge item# 4) Thrifted (Charlotte Russe Brand):: Necklace/Swapped:: Rockstar Jeggings/ Old Navy:: Wedge Sandals:: Moto Sweater/Target

I liked this outfit. Although not the most practical outfit in the world, it was fun to wear an unexpected piece for an average day of “facilitating”. I’m pretty Charlotte Russe would consider this item of theirs a dress but, on me, it is definitely a top. I think this item was also meant for someone with a flat chest as the elastic band where they considered the waist to be was a little too close to the ladies. 

It was an easy fix. I simply removed the elastic gathering at the “waist” to have more control over where the waist should be. Normally, I would belt this top (it came with one) but on this particular day, I didn’t feel like have anything clinging to my body. So I let it go. (Sorry Stacey and Clinton!) 

I quite liked it this way, as it allowed the top to feel more casual for a day of running errands and teaching prep (lots of reading) for the fall. 

The major problem I had with this top was how much it made me perspire. But now that I know it is easy to layer, I might hold off and wear it more in the cooler months. I might give it a whirl with shorts next week. Since I don’t have many tops in this challenge, I will probably have to wear it again.

What do you think? With shorts? As just a top with a skirt? 

Summer of Arms

Dress (Challenge item #1), belt/Target:: Necklace/Swapped:: Sandals/DSW

I have declared this summer the “Summer of Arms”. No, I will not be taking up arms but, rather, embracing the exposure of my arms to the world. If there were one area of my body I would gladly cover with clothing all the time it would be my arms. 

From shoulder to wrist, I find my arms to bit of a problem. They flub, they blub and thanks to a lovely condition called Rosacea they are red and blotchy most of the time. My love for the colder months is very practical. Colder months = layers and that means covered arms. So it no surprise to those who are close to me that I dread the warmer months because of their forced removal of my protective sartorial layers.

Since J and I have moved to the east coast, an area known for some seriously oppressive summer weather, I decided that I have no choice but to embrace the inevitable and bear a little arm. And since no place in DC is without AC I can still bring that security-blanket/cardigan to cover up when out of the heat zone.

This dress is my declaration of the “Summer of Arms”. Right off the bat, I received a boost of confidence when J told me how nice I looked and how much he liked the dress. Boost of confidence from my love? I’ll take it!

This dress was purchased last fall (on super sale). After some minor fixes (taking out the unnecessary elastic waistband and taking in the area under the arms, I can say with confidence that I will be wearing this dress for many days to come. It is so comfortable, almost like wearing pajamas as a dress and is the perfect blanket pallet to remix accessories with. 

Try it. Trade it

Top (Challenge item #4):: Tank top/Target:: Jeans, necklace/Thrifted:: Sandals/DSW

Ugh, this top. There is a reason I have avoided wearing this shirt. Let me start by saying that I bought it with good intentions. As I have mentioned before, the mantra of “defined waistline” follows me through out the day. I’m not sure if it is brought on my an irrational fear of running into Stacey and Clinton and them putting me directly in the 360 mirror but in case it is with me like white on rice. So when I find shirts that provide that defined waist while also being ideal for warm weather months, I get pretty excited. This top fit that description and was on super sale, so I tried it on, imagined it's wearability with pants, skirts, shorts and happily bought it confident of (or, at least envisioning) the many wears it would get in the spring/summer months.

And then wear-reality sets in with its awkward drape and the strange v-shaped, billowy “sleeve”. And even my go-to solution of “just add a layer” doesn’t work because when you throw a cardigan over this top, the drapey sleeve being even more awkward under the sweater. Even tucked in, this top still makes me feel even more awkward than I already am.

So this top is definitely going in the consignment pile. I did my duty. I wore the top. And now I can safely say I will never be wearing it again.

In light of this, I am adding a rule to my challenge:

4. Once I’ve worn an item, and it has proven not worthy of continued possession, I am allowed to trade out that item for recently purchased item. Seems fair, right? (See, it works because the new item has also not seen any wear, so it can still be considered an unworn item. Ha! I’m so sneaky. But really it’s my challenge and I’ll trade out clothes if I want to..)

I like this new rule.