Today is my last day at work in 2009. Most of the people in my office have already taken off for the holiday, so it should be a quiet and very productive day. Given that most people are off today, I decided to keep my outfit a bit more casual than what I typically wear to the office.
I found this sweater and scarf combo on the clearance rack at Target over the weekend. I am trying to incorporate more patterns into my wardrobe and this sweater is a start, I have a feeling it will be very versatile. If only I could break out of my love of neutrals.
This morning my 6-year old son had his promotion test in Tang Soo Do (karate). It was a two-hour long test in which they were tested on all forms and at one point had to throw 100 consecutive punches while squatting. He also broke two boards with his fist. He was promoted from white belt to a white belt with gold stripe. 
Like a lot of women, I tend to gravitate to wearing more neutrals (particularly black) during the winter months. Today I made a conscious effort to break out of the rut and wear more colors. I was really pleased with the end result. I think chartreuse and purple make a good combination. Unfortunately, I fear the head-to-toe color is temporary...
Last night, Rob and I attended a Christmas party for my office. Per tradition, we played the "White Elephant" or "Yankee Swap" game. For those of you who have never played, each guest brings a wrapped gift and places it under the tree. Each player then chooses a number out of a hat to determine the order. The player with #1 starts and selects a gift from under the tree. The next player can either choose a new gift from under the tree or steal the gift from player #1. This goes on and on, until each player ends with a gift.
Necklace - Target
With the temperatures dipping into the single digits and the wind whipping up to 60 mph, I crave comfort and warmth. A simple sweater dress, leggings and boots provide both of those. I just picked up these black suede slouch boots and I am loving them! They are very comfortable and go with everything. Definitely a winter staple this year.
Like most people, December is a busy time of year with the holidays. For me and my family this our busiest time of year as we have many birthdays to celebrate. Today is our daughter's birthday. 
In most areas, the snow was less than an inch. However, it was enough to cause headaches and multiple accidents during morning rush hour. Thankfully, I made it work safely.
My boss and I showed up to work both wearing black and this shade of green. Of course, colleagues took this opportunity to tease us. Several asked if we called each other to discuss our outfits. What can I say, great minds think alike.
As promised, I wore a different LBD today. This is a wrap dress that I chose to pair with a jacket. This dress is both stylish and comfortable, but it the V-neck is low and a bit risque for work. A black lack cami underneath and a jacket on top, convert it to work ap
propriate wear.
I am attracted to Little Black Dresses, I have more in my closet than one woman needs. I think it comes from my mother telling me growing up, that a LBD is a classic and you can never go wrong wearing one. Each day this week, I will wear a LBD differently. 
I am still getting used to my new hair color. I predict that I will be wearing a lot of black this week as I try to determine which clothes go best with red hair. Perhaps I will have to do some shopping this weekend.
I became a red head on Saturday. My hair dresser and I have been planning this change for several months now. I waited until after my sister's wedding to make the drastic change. The challenge the last few days has been dressing for my new hair color. It might be awhile before I wear pink again. Rob's comment this morning, "Hey, your hair is the same color as the drapes!"
I don't know about the rest of you out there, but this week seemed extrememly long. I am really glad that Friday is finally here. We have a busy weekend planned. Dinner with friends tonight, a hair appointment and baby shower tomorrow.
This is one of my favorite dresses, it is super comfortable, has pockets and the best part was it was inexpensive. Typically, I wear it with purple or black, but today I decided to pair it with burgundy. I really like the combination and have received tons of compliments on the jacket today.
I love presents!! Who doesn't? I am wearing two presents today, shirt and necklace. My mom bought me this shirt for Christmas last year. I love it on, but it doesn't photograph well due to the print. My sister bought me this pendant as a bridesmaid's gift for her wedding. It is a small silver circle with a script 'S'.
I have been a blogging slacker of late. Work, kids schedules and my sister's upcoming wedding have prevented me from dedicating time for posting. Please scroll down as I have included pictures from last week and yesterday. The outfit:
Tank - The Limited
Wrap T - Old Navy
Jacket - Ann Taylor Loft
Skirt - New York & Company
Heels - Naughty Monkey
Necklace - Tiffany & Co. (gifted)
I love Halloween, the crisp fall air, kids in costumes and candy. However, as an adult, I don't particularly enjoy dressing up for Halloween. Conceptualizing and finding a costume can be difficult and stressful. Every year my sister-in-law and her husband host a Halloween party, of course, our kids love it when we dress up. I went to work as myself, but to the Halloween party as Kat von D from LA Ink.
I am a member of ShoeDazzle (a.k.a. Shoe of the Month club). This is a fantastic idea and I can't believe no one has thought of this before. For $39/month, an awesome pair of shoes of your choice is sent to your door. October is Breast Cancer Awarness month. To recognize those who have been afflicted by breast cancer and to raise money to help find a cure, ShoeDazzle offered a hot pink shoe to all of its members. This shoe literally called my name. The name of the shoe...Stephanie.
Per the title, I spent most of my time at work today in back to back meetings. When I finally made it back to my office, people wanted impromptu meetings with me. People, I have work to do! I didn't get much accomplished today, but at least I looked good!
What happened to fall? The high in Cincy today is only supposed to reach 43! Today's temperature is typical of November/early December. I am not quite ready to pull out my winter coat.
Sorry, no title today as I could not think of one. Nothing really imaginative about today's outfit. I stood in front of my closet this morning thinking of what to wear. I wasn't really inspired by anything and decided to go with a classic red/black combination. I am glad that I went with a black shirt today since I spilled coffee down the front of it walking out the door. 
I like to think that I do a pretty good job of getting rid of clothing when I haven't worn someting for a while (6-12 months generally). My husband my argue differently based on the quantity of clothing in my closets. But if something doesn't fit anymore or it hasn't been used, I donate it so that others may get some use. However, I cannot seem to part with this jacket. I haven't worn it in many years, but every time I try to part with it, I can't. I love the suede collar and the different tweed patterns throughout. Since boyfriend blazers are back "in" I thought I would give this baby a spin during fall.
Can you guess how long I have had it? I think it is about 15 years old! Easily one of the oldest pieces of clothing I have in my closet. Do you have anything in your closet that you just can't bear to part with? How long have you had it?
The outfit:
Jacket and trousers (purchased more than a decade a part) - The Limited
Cowl neck shirt - Merona
Brown heels - Target
Short gold necklace - gifted
Long necklace - Ann Taylor Loft
We had a busy weekend, but thankfully I had time to pull out my fall/winter clothes and pack the warm weather clothes away until next year. During the warm weather months, I wore this skirt with a coral color jacket. Since the fabric of the skirt is tweed, it can be worn into the cooler fall months. Today I decided to pair it with orange. 
I spied this look on Milly a few weeks ago and immediately thought it would be a good weekend look for me. However, I needed practical dressing for work today since I have a physical therapy appointment in the middle of my work day and no time to change. Several months ago I injured my shoulder and have been doing PT for the last two months in the hopes of preventing surgery. Hence the need for practical dressing. I did bring a pair of flats to change into, PT in heels is probably not recommended.
My husband saw me in this outfit this morning and said, "Hey, didn't you just have pants and a green top on?". "Yep, but I didn't like it, so I changed." That was followed by him rolling his eyes. Since he wears a polo shirt and shorts to work everyday, he just doesn't understand.
A little something extra, since I "pose the same way everyday." Can you guess who the critic is?
According to the weatherman, the forecast is gloomy for today. It has rained here for several days and is supposed to continuing raining today and tomorrow. What fun is fall if you don't get to see the sun? I should have dressed in bright colors to offset the dreary weather, but it was one of those days where I wanted to stay in bed. 
The drape and bulk of this sweater make me feel like a Jedi. I have had this sweater since last spring, but this is the first time that I have worn it to work. It is big, soft and warm. I usually only wear it around the house when I am cold. I think I like it belted and will try it with a pencil skirt next.The outfit:
Sweater - New York & Company, Tank - Ann Taylor Loft, Trousers - The Limited, Necklace - gifted, Belt - Target, Heels - Shoedazzle.com (June 2009)
A La Kimberly's Inpiration Calendar, today's inspiration was menswear and animal print. I really like the look of neckties on women, especially when the rest of the outfit includes feminine details such as a pencil skirt and/or heels. I got my first necktie in highschool, but have been hesitant to wear one for over a decade. For some reason, neckties on women are still not widely accepted. I think this is a look that I am going to try and incorporate more during the fall and winter months. 
My camera is fixed, but seems to be leaving a bright cast to my pictures. I have been thinking about this outfit for awhile. The inspiration was ketchup and mustard, two of my favorite condiments. I received alot of compliments throughout the day on the color combination.
Ahhh, back to a more structured look today. I have several meetings today, so I needed to look more professional. If I had to choose a "style", I definitely think that I am "classic". I look best and feel most comfortable in more structured and tailored pieces. 
Coming off a long and busy weekend, I was uninspired and unmotivated to pick out my clothes for today. Dresses are fast and easy and I just picked this one up at New York & Co. I decided that it was probably too short after I was completely dressed and didn't have time to change. At least I didn't have any scheduled meetings today. Tomorrow, I will be more covered up....
Woo hoo! It is Wednesday, only two more days of awakening to go to work/get kids off to school. It improves my mood to know that we have a 3 day weekend coming up. I can definitely make it over the "hump" today and finish out the week. The Inspiration Calendar called for aqua + red today. This is not what I originally planned to wear, the intended skirt somehow had a stain:(. I have never worn this dress with aqua underneath, but I think it works.
Outfit:
Dress - Target
Tank - I.N.C.
Necklace and bracelet - New York & Company
Shoes - Ann Taylor Loft
