Monochromatic Late Winter

Bottoms – Madewell tuxedo pencil skirt, Old Navy black skinny jeans.
Dress – Madewell Artdot dress.
Tops – b&w striped knit, Zara white lace top, Uniqlo black dot oxford, Madewell white true love oxford, Cher black cashmere cardigan.
Coats – F21 wool coat, H&M tuxedo blazer.
Shoes – black flats, silver pig flats.
Bags – red fold-over tote, Ne-net eco bag
Scarf – Madewell Tokyo scarf

Inspired by Madewell’s recent monochromatic looks I figured this would be an easy one to accomplish since I own a lot of black. I sorta want to switch to this right now :) But I’d miss my denim shirt and knit dress, ha!

Pastel Early Spring

Bottoms – Madewell denim jeans & shorts, Kastane beige skirt, Francesca mint confetti skirt.
Tops – Madewell silk blush blouse, Cher pink sweater, Madewell pinstripe dot oxford, Madewell true love oxford, baby blue striped top, cream knit sweater, Madewell light grey long cardigan.
Coats – Zara mint blazer.
Shoes – beige oxford wingtips, white open-toe flats, colorblock canvas flats, minnetonka moccasins.
Bags – alexa-inspired satchel, Shinzi Katoh crossbody bag, Baggu mint striped eco-bag.
Scarf – Dayan Wachifield light pink scarf.

I was surprised how much color my spring closet actually has. I also feel lucky to have all 4 seasons where I live so I can enjoy so many different options & wardrobe moods. Once spring hits I suddenly begin to reject black. I never think I will, and yet every year it happens. I’m not sure if I would ever actually go with an all pastel closet, but, never say “never!”

Looking at these makes me excited to wear the clothing I already own. It reminds me of the options I have at my disposal rather than “going on the hunt” for new spring items. This year I’ve really been able to enjoy wearing some past favorites.

I haven’t done a personal update in some time. Mostly because I’m not very good at remembering to take photos while I’m out these days.

I wrote this yesterday but never had a chance to publish it. Not much has happened since though I’m coming down with a flu I think now…

Last week I bought this “Tux Skirt” from Madewell.

Seriously no more black skirts for me. I’m self-banned!

I liked it because it was more fitted and shorter than my Banana Republic pencil skirt or UNIQLO wool skirt (which I wear only for work.) Lately I felt I had too few fitted things and that maybe adding a nice fitted skirt would be good for balancing out oversized tops. This tux skirt personified my needs perfectly plus it’s longer in the back so I feel safe (ha!) and it’s finally a pencil skirt with belt loops! I made sure to buy it in my exact size rather than doing my occasional “sizing up” for super-comfort. I think the summer was so hot this year that I grew accustom to hating form fitting items…

This weekend was pretty great. I got a ton of stuff accomplished.

I stopped by Anthropologie to buy a few hooks for the house. Just simple decor. Plus I found some more mt washi tape while there! I went to Anthropologie on a hunch a few months ago and they didn’t have any, but now they had a bunch. So I picked up the red set because it felt Christmas’y.

Later on Saturday we grocery shopped, BBQ’d outside, did some home repairs, put up my new Anthropologie hooks, completed Christmas cards, and went out that night to see a band & have some drinks.

Sunday was a bit more laid back because the great weather went crappy. Mostly just did a run to Target where I picked up the Herbal Essence “Color Me Happy” I mentioned in the shampoo entry. It smells great. The formula doesn’t do much for my hair. Leaves it limp but it is soft and smells nice. Burt’s Bees Very Volumizing is still the best combination for adding volume & shine to my hair, but I like to try other stuff. I get bored with scents or think there’s some better, more hol’ier grail product out there :). I tend to buy shampoos on a whim.

OK I’m off to eat some Chicken Noodle soup… :dizzy:

I thought I’d do a quick “packing” entry. Since this is an evolving learning experience I’d like to continue practicing.

I’m visiting family for Thanksgiving this week. The temperature there is now 37F – 73F and I decided to stick to a classic casual theme. I had started working this out a few weeks ago but now that I have the weather forecast to go by it got easier to plan.

• art dot dress //madewell
• striped top //yesstyle
• micro dot patterned oxford //uniqlo
• black skinny jeans //old navy
• black pencil skirt //banana republic
• red peacoat //h&m
• tokyo storyteller scarf //madewell
• black flats //payless
• fold-over tote bag //yesstyle
• tights (not shown)

First I took into consideration my current favorite items.
Next was temperature of course.
Followed by aesthetic.

Though being comfortable is important when lazing around with family, I also knew I’d like to look a bit presentable and maybe even somewhat matured when going out or attending the family gatherings. So I felt most comfortable with some clean classics. A basic palette of black, white, and red. The skinnies & striped top are extremely comfortable too. I’m actually wearing that on the plane. So pair the striped top with the pencil skirt and it balances out the relaxed/stiffness level. Same with the somewhat formal white dotted oxford and cotton soft skinnies. Most of all I still needed to feel comfortable in my own skin. Which I don’t when wearing just blue jeans and baggy t-shirts. :dizzy:

I’m bringing a few tights of various thickness as well. It can be challenging to pack for such a temperature change all the while sticking to a single carry on luggage.

So,
- dot dress +/- coat
- striped top + skinnies +/- coat
- striped top + skinnies + dot blouse +/- coat
- striped top + skirt +/- coat
- striped top + skirt + dot blouse +/- coat
- striped top + dot dress +/- coat
- dot blouse + skinnies +/- coat
- dot blouse + skirt +/- coat

8~16 looks depending on whether or not you count the coat. I count the addition of a coat as changing the look but that’s me :)

Worked out pretty great when I did this last year. Hopefully it’ll feel a tad warmer since it’s Thanksgiving & not New Year’s this time!

Last night I threw on some warm fleece tights and a sweater dress and grabbed dinner out. It was such a needed treat. I’m just so !@#$! this week

This knit dress is just so perfect for throwing out when you feel bloated and frustrated and blah. It’s just so warm and cozy and makes you feel like you can get through the stress.
:deco11:

Today’s outfit -

• Madewell Honeycomb Sweater
• Madewell Rail Straight denim
• F21 Wool Coat

Every Friday my office does “Casual Friday.” Meaning you can wear jeans. I don’t wear my jeans much. I’m more comfortable in skirts/dresses. However this denim by Madewell is so, so, so soft and relaxed fitting I found myself in the mood to wear them. This wool coat I’ve had for probably 6 years now. Every year I think I’ll replace it but in the end it still looks in good enough shape to keep so, maybe eventually.

It’s already hitting upper 30°F outside in recent weeks. Winter is setting is fast. Already my skin is drying out faster than I can switch to “winter lotion mode.” So I bought this the other day to help my chapping fingertips.

Burt’s Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme

The soap at work is extremely drying and so are the permanently set “scolding hot water” faucets. But nevertheless my skin gets extra dry this time of year anyway. My usual lotion routine wasn’t help offset the dry skin this time so I picked this Burt’s Bees up.
I like it.
The packaging is so pleasing aesthetically. Reminds me of the old Bag Balm tins my mom always used. The cream is very supple and the subtle sweet almond milk scent is nice. It doesn’t leave my fingers too greasy either. It’s beginning to help some. I need more time to really know if it’s a complete fix. Burt’s Bees has a lot of dry hand repair options I’d like to try. :deco3:

So far I’ve mostly been using it for thinking through what to pack for a short Thanksgiving trip (carry on only.)

Haha, ok I’m really not an artist in any way, shape, or form, but I am a persistent doodle’r and list maker. Since January I think I’ve gone through at least 7 journals. Journals I usually toss when I’m done and I feel so guilty & wasteful.

I made this today.
I often get asked to blog more outfit posts but thought maybe this would be an easier solution for me, haha! Well only if you can tell what these shapes are, ha!

• Madewell Colorfleck Boyshirt
• Madewell Knit Red Cardigan
• Madewell Metallic Skirt

And on the subject of travel, I stocked up on my favorite ginger treats from The Ginger People this weekend! Ginger really helps calm my often nervous stomach or an upset stomach from indigestion. The hard caramel candies are great for travel too. I often bring them on the metro with me or early morning car rides in case I experience motion sickness.

The spicy apple chews are my favorite snack though. But I saw there’s a coffee flavor too!? I’ve never seen it before and hope I come across it eventually. These can be hard to find. Usually I pick them up at organic markets and specialty stores. The original chews seem to be the easiest to find in my area.