Blending Together

vest: thrifted, shirt and pants: Old Navy, shoes: Payless

Whoa. It's like my pants, legs, and shoes all blend together! I wasn't feeling dress pants today, so decided to go for my super comfortable boyfriend khakis instead. Although I love these pants, I felt the need to pair them with heels to not only dress up the look a bit, but also to add at least a little bit of a feminine touch to the look!

Linking up again...

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Emerald?

shirt & necklace: Old Navy, sweater & shoes (I think?): Target, pants: thrifted

Are these pants emerald? They're probably considered more of a teal, but I just had to join in on Heidi and Marissa's link up for their Pantone-inspired spring color challenge! Even more fitting, the pants are thrifted Target stock, something Heidi has an absolute knack for hunting down. :) 

So I have to admit, I feel like my style has tamed down (aka gotten a little more boring) since I started my new job. I think I've been much less willing to pair unexpected colors together, and have been choosing instead to add only something black, white, or gray when wearing a piece of clothing that's a bold color. Adding the navy blue sweater was my attempt to slowly bring myself out of that rut. Anyone have some suggestions for other colors to pair with these pants?! 

Linking up...

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A Good Weekend

sweater: Old Navy, pants: JCPenney, shoes: Kmart, necklace: Maurices

This weekend was a good one! I made a quick trip home for a bridal shower and managed to fit in a night of enjoying wine and catching up with an old friend, going for a run, little bit of shopping with my mom, and heading to the local fish fry with both parents before heading back to Columbus. I was so exhausted by the time I made it back last night that my eyes ached, but there's just something about spending time at home and enjoying being out in the country that's just refreshing!

friends since as long as I can remember! :)

the line wrapped around to where I was standing to get into the fish fry...worth it!

Mom, Dad, and Duke saying goodbye as I headed back to Columbus :)

Copycat

tee: Target, blazer: Sam's Club, scarf: gift, pants: NY & Co., shoes: Payless

So I was being lazy this morning, watching the Bones episode that was on our DVR instead of getting up and getting ready for work while also reading through some of my favorite blogs. Although I love the colors of her outfit so much more, I just had to go for this outfit after seeing Inge's post. Nothing like dressing up a casual tee with a blazer, right?!  

Distracted

tee: Old Navy, blazer: Target, pants: New York & Co., shoes: thrifted

I definitely feel like I've been tired and distracted lately, so in an attempt to still put together an outfit with some personality, I went for another bright blazer. I know we've all been talking about the weather lately (and I should keep my mouth shut because the past few days have been beautiful!) but I'm ready for weather consistently warm enough to bust out the skirts and dresses without tights. Until it's so hot that I'm wishing for weather cool enough for ankle pants... :)

Staying Positive

tee & sweater: Old Navy, pants: thrifted, shoes: Target

Well...I didn't get the position I interviewed for. I spent a few days pouting and to be honest, only got out of my sweatpants once on Saturday, to run errands at Bed Bath & Beyond and Target. Didn't even bother to change to go to Giant Eagle for a few things, and was only slightly embarrassed when a former student was my cashier for my purchases of wine, lip color, chips, and salsa (hey, these things make me happy). But today, I think I'm over it, and truthfully pretty excited that at least I'll get to move into an advising team working with newer college students - a role I think will be a perfect fit for me and one I'll truly enjoy. So here's to a positive attitude...I'll raise my glass of wine to that!

Confidence

tee: Old Navy, blazer: Ambiance (San Francisco), pants: New York & Co., shoes: thrifted

So you know when you have those weeks that feel never ending....and then you remember that it's only Tuesday?! Yeah, I'm having one of those. I had an interview on Monday for a team lead position in our department, then worked 11 hours straight today, just to come home and freak out about a presentation/discussion I'm leading in a big meeting tomorrow. Since I'm feeling like I don't quite have it all together, I thought I'd at least share an outfit that makes it look like I do! :) This is totally a repeat outfit - worn Monday for my interview and here on my first day at this job. There's just something about the personality and professionalism that a bright blazer brings to an outfit that apparently helps me muster up the confidence to take on a new challenge. Do you have specific pieces that you turn to when you need that extra boost? 

Be back soon - I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone and finally visiting your blogs when things settle down in a few days - I hope you're all having a great week!

Fuzzy

tee: Old Navy, pants: Kohl's, shoes: thrifted, necklace: gift

My mind is fuzzy from being tired, stressed, and that glass of wine that was oh so deserved tonight. Is anybody else ready for the weekend?! :)

Linking up...

That Gremlin Voice

sweater: Old Navy, pants: New York & Co., shoes: Target

The gremlin voice (term stolen from our Director of Professional Development - ha!). It's the voice in your own head that creeps in and tells you that you're not good enough, that let's you accept defeat before you've even given it a try. I think we all have it, if not, kudos to you and please teach me your ways! :) I'm battling mine this week, trying to remember that we all have specific talents and experiences that have shaped the work that we do, and to not sell myself short when it comes to those skills I've managed to gain over the years. How have you been able to silence that voice?!

Linking up...

A Trip to Kalamazoo

tee: Old Navy, scarf: Target, belt/skirt/shoes: thrifted

Last week I got to attend our regions' annual National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) conference in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This outfit was perfect for staying comfortable on the 4.5 hour drive to get there while still looking somewhat pulled together (I have leggings on underneath...shh!). I learned a few good things at the conference that I can take back to work with me, and managed to have a great time too! Bell's Brewery started in Kalamazoo, and one of the conference events included a small tour of the original brewery. It was a pretty fun 2 days, but I was happy to get home and enjoy the rest of the weekend!

pictures from the brewery tour, and the necessary supplies to recover the next day! 

March Budget

Between some financial goals I've set for myself this year, being in a friends wedding this June, and going to another friends wedding in Jamaica in December, a budget is going to be an incredibly important thing for me to stick to this year! I started out the month without a clear idea of what I wanted my budget to be, which is probably the worst way to go into it, but it didn't take long to determine that $75 was a good amount to go with. Enough that I could enjoy some shopping, but still a low enough amount that I had to practice a lot of self control and really think about whether or not I really wanted to add something to my closet. So here's what I ended up with:

Blazer (Target) - I've had a pretty serious obsession with wearing blazers lately. I couldn't resist this one...the color reminds me that spring will actually happen and I really like the longer length of the "boyfriend" fit.

Gray Vintage Tee (Old Navy) - I love gray tees for layering and have lived in the gray boyfriend tees from Target the past few summers. This one from Old Navy will get plenty of use.

Black Skinny Jeans (JCPenney) - I now have 3 pairs of black jeans in my closet...2 skinny and 1 straight leg. This skinny pair fits much better, so I need to finally make myself donate the original pair. I have to admit, probably not my smartest purchase.

Black boots (Old Navy) - For $16, I just couldn't pass them up. Would you? :)

Thrifted finds (Goodwill) - I thought the ring was fun, and the new Target running shorts and tank was probably my wishful thinking for warmer temperature.

Total = $86.50

Even though I went over budget, I'm still happy with how I did. This month I'll just keep trying to make even smarter decisions, and hopefully stay within that $75 amount I set for myself.

Linking up with Fran for budgeting bloggers...