Inspiration Monday: Emma Watson

Emma Watson

shirt: Old Navy, skirt: thrifted, shoes, Target, scarf: Giant Eagle

the jacket I would've added today if it would've been cooler than 85 degrees! :)

Inspiration Monday at Two Birds this week is this look by Emma Watson. I love the edge the leather jacket gives to the look, but it was warm enough today that I didn't need the jacket for my 20 second walk from the parking lot to the office. My outfit ended up much more girly than the Inspiration Monday photo, but I really liked it and was super comfortable all day. Pattern mixing is something I still haven't been brave enough to try, so I let my scarf do the work. I still can't believe I found this scarf at Giant Eagle. We have a Giant Eagle Market District here in Columbus, and apparently it's only one of five in the country. They have amazing selections of prepared foods, an extensive bakery, cooking demonstrations, and apparently handmade scarves! Who knew?!

A Well-Deserved Lazy Sunday

shirt: Old Navy, tank: Forever 21, pants/scarf/watch: Target, shoes: Nike

I swear I didn't match my outfit to our walls!  My husband and I were first time painters, and painting this room was our project this weekend.  This room is just an extra bedroom with nothing in it.  The perfect place for indoor outfit pictures, so of course I wasn't going to argue a new paint color.  Gray is much more fun than that shade of tan it was painted before! :)


Today my husband and I ran a 5k race together, went to lunch at our old favorite restaurant, and have been camped out in the living room ever since.  It's been a great weekend, and I'm really dreading going back to work tomorrow.  I hope everyone had just as great of a weekend!!

High Five For Friday

Linking up with Lauren today over at From My Grey Desk for High Five For Friday so I can share my favorite things from the week!

1. My new rose gold watch I bought today at Target. (What?!  They're different enough I swear....plus you can't beat their prices)

2. Lippies!  Lots and lots of lippies.  There were on sale, buy one get one 50% off.  My friend gave me the heads up, and she also bought me two of them.  Plenty of new colors to try out!

3. My water bottle.  I'm trying to cut back on my soda intake and increase my water intake, so this thing did not leave my side this week.

4. My first soda since last Saturday.  I didn't miss it as much as I thought I would, but it tasted so good with lunch today.  Also good about lunch?  My boss treated us (yay for free lunch!), and when I asked the kid behind the counter for extra feta on my pasta, he said to me "I bet that smile always gets you whatever you ask for, doesn't it?"  I bet he uses that line a lot on all the ladies. :)

5. My new teal pen!  Not pictured are the teal post-it notes I found in the supply closet this morning at work.  Does anybody else get really excited about fun office supplies?!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Confessions

shirt: Old Navy, pants: New York & Co., shoes: Kmart, necklace: Francesca's, watch: Kohl's

First confession: This is the second time I wore this shirt this week.  Monday it was under a sweater and today by itself, but nobody seemed to notice!


Second confession: I passed up this outfit in favor of my fancy sweatpants (yoga pants!) and a hoodie for dinner with my husband.  


Eh, one of those days!

Switching It Up

 

jeans/sweater/tee: Old Navy (apparently I'm a walking Old Navy ad this week...),
belt: Kohl's, necklace: JCPenney, shoes: Target

The first time I wore these shoes, I paired them with this sweater.  (See that post here)  This time I wanted to switch it up a bit so I added these really flared jeans (hooray for those fitting for the first time since 2009!), then changed the look of the sweater by adding the belt.  I added a newer statement necklace, and headed out the door. Later in the day I read Merrick's post about elevating an outfit and realized that’s what I had done!  I must admit, I was pretty proud of myself. :)

By the way, I picked these jeans this morning because these shoes paired with skinny jeans made my feet look enormous.  As I said, it’s been a few years since I’ve worn them, so let me ask you this:  flared jeans – still in style or no?!

A Whole New Mind-Set

sweater/button up: Old Navy, pants/bracelets: thrifted, shoes: Target,
necklace: Walmart, watch: Kohl's

I was lucky enough to win some money in our company’s NCAA pool.  I don't think I've ever won anything before, but of course spent the money on shopping.  This time I went to Old Navy yesterday to spend some winnings, rather than my usual Sunday trip to Goodwill, and for the first time ever, I noticed a change in my shopping experience.  Old Navy had some good sales going on and I could have easily spent a fortune on a bunch of sale items.  I made my way through the store with patience and a really clear head.  I loaded up and headed to the fitting room.  I walked out having made some responsible shopping decisions.  I’m sure you’ll get a better look at it sometime soon, but the button up shirt pictured above? It was the only item I paid full price for, but I found myself calculating price per wear like over at Thrifted Shift, and decided it would be down to pennies by the time I’m done with it.  Striped sweater pictured above?  Black and white stripes are so practical, and the $6 price tag was impossible to pass up. I’m looking forward to more level-headed shopping in the future!


Linking up over at Mingle Monday today!  Join me?

I Told You So

tee and cardigan: Target, necklace: thrifted, pants: Shopper's World, shoes: Payless

I told you it'd be coming soon - here's my try at mixing blues!  The tank hanging way out of my tee looks sloppy, but it's Friday and I don't care. :)  I love these Target boyfriend tees so much, that this is my third gray one.  I just can't stop wearing them!  I mostly wear them on weekends, but today I pretended that teal denim dressed the tee up a bit.  


Happy weekend everyone!!

Coral and Navy

shirt/blazer: thrifted, jeans: Gap, shoes: Kmart, belt: Forever 21

I liked my polka dots so much yesterday that I decided to wear them again today.  Is that bad?  I vote no!  I wanted a completer piece as Audrey calls them for this outfit.  I grabbed this blazer I found for $1, then realized I had matching shoes!  I don't think I've ever considered pairing coral and navy blue together before this morning, but it's a combination I'm sure I'll repeat.  I'm also loving Sharon's teal and royal blue outfit featured in her post today...plan on seeing my efforts to replicate that look soon!  What are some of your favorite color combinations?

I Like to Match

tee/scarf/watch: Kohl’s, cardigan/skirt: thrifted, shoes: Payless

Sometimes I like to match my coffee mug to my outfit. No joke. Just yesterday I searched and searched for my purple mug to match my purple shirt, but couldn't find it and had to settle for the teal one. I couldn't resist participating in my first swap, the coffee mug swap over at Suzels Says. I was partnered with Christina from Life in Mi Casita, who blogs about her genius DIY projects. Really, I think if I did this but with the Cleveland Browns elf mascot, my husband would nominate me for wife of the year! When Christina sent me this great coffee mug, I just knew I had to plan my outfit accordingly! Animal prints match, right?!  If not, then at least I have the neutral tones going on! Thanks Christina! :)

This skirt may be a new closet staple for spring/summer.  I pulled it off the drying rack this morning because I figured it’d be a wrinkly, stiff mess and it would need tossed in the dryer, but it was perfect!  It somehow doesn’t even show the lumps and bumps that a tucked in tee and tank usually create either.  Thrifted at only $3.99, I can’t help but be super excited about how much wear it’ll get!

Too Much of a Good Thing

Kerry Washington

shirt: thrifted, pants: NY&Co., shoes/necklace/belt: Target, 

laughing a little about the electrical outlet between my legs...haha

Over indulging in Easter candy and beverages throughout the past week has led to an almost 3 pound weight gain for me. A few pounds may not seem extreme, but I can feel it, so the photo for this week’s Inspiration Monday at Two Birds provided the perfect excuse to wear a flowy over-sized blouse so that I could look pulled together even though I wasn’t quite feeling like it.  I added the belt so that there was a little more shape and definition to my outfit.  I don’t own any bright shoes that I feel like went well with this blouse, but wanted to still wear a fun shoe like Kerry Washington did, so I went with the animal print shoe.  I’ve owned them for years, but never would’ve thought of wearing them to work!

Thrifted Purses

I love thrifting a good purse! I found the purse in the first picture while I was shopping on a recent day off of work.  I was on the phone with a friend and wandered around the store about 10 times until our conversation ended, because I can't stand to be on the phone while checking out.  I was browsing through a few shirts, when I saw a girl put the purse back on the display at the end of the aisle.  I snagged it, and avoided her as I continued to wander around the store, just in case she changed her mind and wanted to try to get it back! :)


The second purse I found while at a conference in Akron this past week.  The hotel I choose to stay at was not right by the conference, but it was right by Salvation Army.  I checked it out on my way out of town and found the purse and a few more good finds I'm sure you'll see soon.  When I looked inside, I found this:

Advertisement for a funeral home in the form of a nail file.  It seemed a little sad!  Has anyone else had some odd finds in their thrifted purses??

It's Good To Be Home

shirt and jeans: Old Navy, jacket: thrifted, shoes: Payless

I normally cannot stand to wear red and green together (I guess because it reminds me of Christmas?), but apparently I'm ok with red and olive green.  It's a color combination that I never considered before this outfit, but I like it!  I promised myself that I would constantly wear these red shoes in order to justify the purchase of another pair of shoes, so I'm on a mission to pair them with as many items in my closet as possible.


Today I attended the last few sessions of the conference I went to, had lunch with my aunt, and did a little thrifting (more on those finds later) before making the two hour drive home.  I'm somehow exhausted and was in my sweatpants with my hair in a ponytail in record time as soon as I took my outfit pictures.  Now excuse me while I go catch up with my husband and DVR. :)  Happy weekend everyone!! 

Busted

shirt: Target, skirt: thrifted, boots: JCPenney

busted!

I decided to try pictures outside in my driveway before leaving for work today and my neighbor completely busted me!  I decided to still go ahead and take the picture, but I look awkward and I'm pretty sure you can see my incredibly red face!  Determined to get at least a little better picture, I moved inside and gave it another try.


The unseasonably warm weather a few weeks ago made me pretty resistant to wearing tights again, but it had to be done today.  I do however, love this skirt.  I have such a hard time believing I thrifted this!  It's like color blocking for beginners, don't you think?  It's definitely been one of my favorite finds.


I'm now at the conference I mentioned and wore this outfit to work all day, then to the orientation and opening reception.  The reception was at the Akron Art Museum, which is only a few blocks from the conference location.  We all walked, and the local women's roller derby team escorted us.  How cool is that?!  Anything I know about roller derby is based on the move Whip It, so I was expecting crazy colored hair and a bunch of tattoos.  Not the case.  They seemed like a group of women with 9 to 5's and a sweet hobby.  It was pretty cool!

Completely Distracted

tee: Urban Outfitters, sweater: Old Navy, necklace: Walmart,
pants: thrifted, shoes: Target

I must admit that I'm drawing a blank on what I want to write about today.  My sister-in-law just talked me into running a race I'm not ready for, so my out of shape self is exhausted from my three mile jog I did tonight.  Add to that, tomorrow afternoon I leave for my first regional conference for the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA).  I don't know a single person going to the conference, but I am super excited to meet new people and  gain a ton of knowledge.  Naturally I've been obsessing about what to wear.  I guarantee I'll pack way more shoes, clothes, and accessories than anyone needs to have for a two day trip! 


Linking up with Everybody, Everywear.  I needed the inspiration today!

Thank You Wind

shirt: thrifted, pants: Shoppers World, shoes: Target

I love when windblown hair makes it hard to tell that my hair needs washed and has spent most of the morning in a ponytail!  A day off work yesterday meant running lots of errands, some fun, some not so much fun.  This outfit carried me through the first half of the day, getting my car's oil changed, doing some shopping, and meeting a friend for lunch. I had yoga pants and a hoodie on ready to run out the door, but changed my mind at the last minute and went for this outfit instead. More progress!

High Five for Friday

Trying something new today by talking about my favorites from the week and linking up with Lauren over at From My Grey Desk for High Five for Friday. Happy weekend everyone!

1. No work today!  I was busy the whole day, but got a lot done, thrifted this great bag, and had lunch with a bestie I hadn't seen in awhile.

2. A road trip home for Easter with my husband. It's exhausting to drive all over the whole weekend, but worth it to see our families.

3. Getting my nails done.  Shellac may be something I can't bear to go without from now on!

4. Apparently the color red! I'm loving my new red shoes and red skinnies.

5. Instagram for Android! Can't you tell? :)

A New Classic

shirt: Walmart, jeans: Target, shoes: Payless, necklace: souvenir from Jamaica

These are kind of awful pictures, but I was in a hurry and I have the hardest time getting good pictures of outfits when I'm wearing black.  Clearly nothing ground breaking going on with my outfit today, but I wanted something comfortable and kind of classic.  Can you count skinny jeans as classic?  It's probably a stretch, but I'm going for it!

A Little Too Much Floral?

skirt and button up: thrifted, sweater and boots: Target

A look at the print without the sweater

Today was one of those perfect days when the sun is shining, but the temperature is still cool enough to get away with a skirt and tall boots with no tights.  I love it and hope we get a lot more of those days before the heat hits!  About the outfit, about half of it was a thrift store find.  The shirt is a little loud for me, so I threw on the sweater over it and called it an outfit. Anyone else upset it's already Monday again?  Ugh.  

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!

my "fake Toms" from Kohl's - on sale for $17.99

turquoise and black flats: Target online - both pairs for $26 total
red shoes and white/black flats: Payless - $20 each

No cute outfit today, just my favorite jeans and a Target boyfriend tee.  I'm showing you this because even this outfit is far better than the sweatpants I used to always wear when I left the house to go grocery shopping and other errands on Sunday.  Progress is good!

I've always loved shopping and over the years I've always had an item that I can never get enough of.  First it was jackets/blazers, then I moved on to bright purses, then cardigans, then Target boyfriend tees (the one pictured above is one of many in my collection), then watches.  Apparently now it's shoes.  

All the shoes in this post were bought this weekend.  Now before you go planning an intervention, hear me out, I'm about to justify my purchases:

The fake Toms: Great alternative to the flips flops I usually wear with all my boyfriend tees and cute sports teams tees. (I should've added those to the list...Go Buckeyes, Cavs, Browns, Blue Jackets, Indians, and Wildcats!)  I would've bought the real thing because I love that they give shoes away, but Kohl's sale prices matched my budget.  

Target shoes:  Buy one get one 50% deal online, and my redcard debit card got me free shipping.  This might be my fifth pair of the black ones.  For years I've worn these until they're worn out and gross, then I pitch them and get a new pair.  At $12.99 a pair, can you blame me?  And those teal shoes...do I even need to explain?!

Payless shoes: The black and white shoes are the perfect dressier flat for work and they have a ton of cushion inside.  The red shoes?  If you're familiar with Kendi's blog, then you've probably seen these shoes in a bunch of her outfit posts.  These red shoes will be my version.  Worn over and over again, a wardrobe staple.

Convinced?  But seriously, if another new pair of shoes pops up on this blog, intervention may be necessary!