Monday, March 18, 2013

Dress for success?









This statement is so very true.  I also like the statement “Dress for where you want to be”.  In other words…if you want to feel successful, dress successfully.  If you want to be lazy, dress to be lazy.  My new job is casual.  Meaning jeans and t-shirts.  OK, remember the picture of my closet?  Yeah, I have about 4 pairs of jeans, 2 of which are not cut off at the bottom due to being too long, and about 5 t-shirts.  Now, I can easily pull of my sweaters and dress shirts with jeans and heels, no problem there.  It’s the wearing jeans to work I’m having a hard time with.  I’m in my 3rd week here and although it’s comfortable to wear jeans, I’m not really comfortable because I don’t feel professional.  Maybe it’s just the 10 years of dress/business clothes I’m use to wearing 5 days a week that’s throwing me off.  If I dress up though, I look out of place and I make people feel intimidated.  I’m not an intimidating person, so I don’t want to come off that way to people who don’t know me.  So, I went out and bought new jeans.  Just 3 pair, so now I have 5 pairs of jeans to wear to work that aren’t cut off at the bottom and will look good with dress shirts and shoes.  I know, I purchased something new again, but I did say that I could buy things for work.  And the jeans were on sale for $20 so I got a good deal there as well.  

On another note, I’ve decided not to go the whole year without wearing the same outfit twice.  Although I’ve not failed at this (like I have at buying a few new things over the last couple of weeks), I’ve decided that there are outfits I like to much to not wear again.  And since it’s been a month since I’ve taken any pictures, I’m sure my memory will start to fade as to what I’ve worn and haven’t.  Also, I’ve worn all the sweaters in my closet at least once and since I’m wearing jeans to work now, I’ll have to repeat.  But I’m not worried about it and don’t think I’ve failed at this portion of the resolution for 2 reasons: 1.  Landed my dream job and wardrobe changed.  And 2.  I actually went almost 4 whole months without repeating an outfit.  Can you go 4 months without repeating an outfit?  Now, things might have been a little different if the weather would do what it should be doing, warming up.  But it’s mid-March and still 30 degrees outside.  Therefore, sweaters are still in full swing, just now with jeans.  I can’t wait for it to warm up though so I can start wearing skirts to work.  I can dress most of my skirts down and I’m excited for that challenge.

And one last little problem I want to discuss with you all…  My huge need to hit some clearance racks right now.  This is the time to buy winter clothes for next year.  Super markdowns and it’s killing me not to be taking advantage of it.  I’ve done so well not purchasing anything (except the 2 shirts for $2 each and $10 boots, and then the jeans for work).  But when I was out looking for jeans, it took everything I had in me not to search through the 12 clearance racks at 80% off.  Ok, I’m lying, I did search, but I didn’t buy.  Although I wanted too, I didn’t.  Is that progress on my addiction?  I mean, is it good to even search?  Should an alcoholic sniff beer and not drink it?  I wonder if it would make me feel better if I did buy something.  I mean something I don’t need but really want and looks really cute and I can get a good deal on.  Or would it make me feel worse.  Hmmm….  Food for thought.  Until next time… Dress for where you want to be, for how you want to feel and how you want others to feel about you. 

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Epic fail or major gain?

  So, I haven't posted in a month because there have been many changes in my world and with those changes I've forgotten to have pictures taken.  Although I haven't forgotten to wear something different everyday.  Also, I've failed.  Or cheated, however you want to look at it.  But, I don't feel bad about it because I got 2 great deals.  As a matter of fact, they were so great not only could I not pass them up, but I feel I need to shout the news of the great deals I got.  Therefore, epic fail or major gain?  You decide.


I purchased these 2 shirts for $4.  I know, you're thinking... "WHAT?  You're lying".  But I'm not.  They were on clearance for $4 each with 50% off the mark down price.  How could I not buy them?  Please, someone tell me how I could not buy them.  Still not believing me, are you?  Here's proof.


See the $4 price tag?  I guess I can't prove that they were 50% off of the $4 but you'll just have to believe me on that one.  Now for the next deal... Boots for $10.


Once again, $10, my size, how could I not buy them?  I don't have boots like these, although I don't make double purchases anyway.  All my shoes are different, or at least a different color, lol.  And the same with my clothes. 

So, now you're thinking one of two things "She really has a problem", or "she's amazing, how does she find deals like this and will she teach me how."  If you're thinking the latter, yes, I will teach you.  All you need to do is ask.  

Let's go back a little.  First off, I want you to know that I didn't go shopping for myself.  Hannah is growing like a weed so we were shopping for her.  I just happened to come across these things while we were out for her.  And she gave me a hard time for buying them too.  She kept saying "You're breaking your new year's resolution, mom."  But I still didn't feel bad.  I don't have anything like these items and I spent $14.  And, I was rewarding myself for getting a new job.  That's right, I got a new job.  I'm the facilities designer for Angie's List.  Basically that means I'm the in house interior designer.  I think spending $14 on myself, to reward myself, for finally landing my dream job is quite alright.  I mean, most people go out when they achieve such a goal.  And in going out, they spend at the very least $100.  Either on dinner or drinks and dancing, plus the sitter when kids are involved. So, although I did break my resolution and I don't have pics of my outfits, I'm still doing pretty well.  I mean, come on, 3 1/2 months and I've spent $14 on myself and only purchased 3 things.  I'm AWESOME!  And, like the quote states  "extract happiness from things that make you happy".  These things, these deals + the new career... = happy girl.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Harry Winston


Yes, people will stare.  I do.  Well, I wouldn't say I stare, I look at people and notice what they are wearing.  Some people are just hard to miss.  For example, the woman that came into the bar on this past weekend to see the band.  She was wearing a black tool skirt with fishnet tights and white lace-up knee high boots.  How could I not notice that outfit?  I figured she either didn't have a mirror or she didn't have a friend to tell her it was not an attractive outfit.  Then I figured she probably got exactly what she wanted, for people to stare at her.  Mission accomplished?  People will stare, I'd much rather make it worth their while than have them blogging about how hideous I look.  Thank you Harry Winston for the best fashion advice passed on yet.




Did my nails myself last week.  And I must say, although it took me a good hour to do, it wasn't hard and I got lots of complements.  And, they just look fun. 


Tuesday, 2.5.13.  Simple outfit, another shade of gray.  You thought I was kidding when I said I had a lot of gray clothes.  I don't kid when it comes to my clothes or my shoes. 



Wednesday 2.6.13.  Yes, I know I wore this sweater last Wed. but I it's so easy to wear.  This week I paired it with gray pants, black ankle boots and a different black tank under it.  Truth is, I woke up late and was in a hurry and this sweater covers everything.  So it didn't matter what pants I wore or how I did my make up because it just works with everything.




Thursday 2.7.13.  This is a short sleeve dress that I absolutely love!  I really like how I can throw a sweater on and it looks like a winter skirt.  You'll see this in the spring with fun shoes and a scarf. 




Friday 2.8.13.  The weather was in the 50s so I pulled out the long 3 1/2 length sweater.  Another favorite.  What am I talking about, they're all my favorites! LOL.  This one goes with black or brown though, which makes it easy to mix up and make a lot of outfits.



Saturday 2.9.13  Working.  Here's a full shot of what I usually wear to work.  Much better pic than the one I took of me in the bathroom mirror.

Sunday 2.10.13 Sweats.  No pic needed.
Monday 2.11.13  No pic today.  Running late and couldn't get it in the morning and forgot to have one of the kids take it when I got home.  Gray pants, black boots, black tank, black sweater.  Sound familiar?  Haven't worn it before but I have a ton of black sweaters so we're all good. 




Tuesday 2.12.13.  One of the few brown outfits in my closet.  I love these boots but don't have a lot to wear with them.  This skirt is fun and flirty.  I have a few skirts that are this shape.  They are easier to move in than pencil skirts.



Wednesday 2.13.13.  Jeans day at work again.  I don't usually like wearing jeans to work, but this sweater looks best with jeans so I took full advantage of it today.

Well, tomorrow is Valentines Day.  You know, I've never really had a good Valentines Day.  Hopefully I look fabulous tomorrow and won't care if anything goes wrong.  hehehe.  Yes, I totally plan on being cheesy and wearing something red or pink and heart hearings and necklace.  Why, because sometimes that's just how I roll...


Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Days 25 - 30, Irrational Fear



I tried to find who said this because it sounds like something someone famous would have said, but no such luck.  I posted it anyway.  I really like this quote.  I mean... it has two ways of looking at getting dressed in the morning.  One way is to always wear a "good" outfit because you never know what may happen.  The other is (and this is how I see it) to dress well and make sure every day is not insignificant.  I have this fear that my life will be completely insignificant, except for my kids.  I think it's why I shop, to make me feel more important maybe.  Kind of a "the more you have the better you'll feel" complex.  Not a good complex to have my friends.  I guess it's better than having a drinking or gambling problem though, right?  And, is it really a problem if it's under control?  I don't know.  I do know, it's day 31 and I haven't bought anything new!!!  Yay me!!!




Day 25, Wed. January 30th.  Wednesday is kind of a dress down day in the office.  We can't wear jeans unless the boss says we can, but we don't have to get all gussied up either.  So, I chose to wear my favorite cargo pants and this black sweater.  Simple, comfortable and still nice.



Day 26.  Thur. January 31st.  I love brown and tan but I don't have a lot of it.  Most of my closet is black and gray.  I would say I should go buy some more brown, but I can't do that now, can I? 





Day 27, Friday, Feb. 1st.  Yet another shade of gray...



Day 28, Saturday, Feb. 2nd. Had the day off from Bailey's and got to have a girls night out.  I had a black shrug on with this tank but after a few songs on the dance floor with my girls, I needed to take it off.  Looking at the size of my arms in this picture, maybe I should have kept it on.  I had on dark jeans and my black stilettos with silver studs.  Yeah, I'm hot.  Hahahaha.



Day 29.  Sunday, Feb. 3rd.  I worked at Bailey's for the Superbowl.  Same outfit as last week.  Ref shirt and shorts.
 



Day 30, Monday Feb. 4th.  Love this sweater cover thing.  It's very light weight and the color goes with black or brown.  It's so unique though I don't wear it often.  But I guess that's the purpose of this project, to not wear the same things very often.  And to save my bank account.  And to feel some since of accomplishment.  And so on and so on...




Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Day 19 - 24... In the eye of the beholder


     William Morris was an English textile designer in the 1800s.  He was also an artist and a writer.  Very famous name for artist, fashion designers and interior designers.  I find this quote to be right up there with the phrase "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".  What you find to be useful or beautiful and want to have in your house, is really up to you.  The key words here are "your" and "you".  I know, it's a simple quote and I'm probably reading way to deeply into it... but I love everything in my house (Even though my mom thinks I'm a horder).  On with the outfits...

Day 19, Thursday, Jan. 24th.  I've decided to start putting the date with each picture.  This will give me an idea of what the weather was like and why I chose to dress a certain way.  On this Thursday, it was 0 degrees outside.  I'm really starting to like pencil skirts.  I only have 3 or 4, so it's going to be tough to not purchase a new one this year.  I hope they don't go out of style by next year... or maybe I do.  Out of style mean $5 clearance racks!!!




Day 20, Friday, Jan. 25th.  Love this!  These are my favorite gray pants, you'll see them often.  I have a few sheer tops, but this one may be my favorite.  And I got lots of complements on the necklace.  Along with the full closet I also have a full jewelry box.  So full in fact I can't even fit all my necklaces or rings in it.  See the following pic.


The standing jewelry box is full too.  Yeah, it's a problem.  I wish it were all worth some money, but I sold everything that was worth money already. 



Day 21, Saturday, Jan. 26th.  New work shirt.  I don't like it, but I wore it with black shorts and black leg warmers.  Wish I had a full body shot, but this was a random pic a friend took.  She said "smile" and I did.  I'll wear this shirt on Sunday for the Superbowl, since I'm working then too.  Then I'll go back to my Bailey's shirt.  I'm looking forward to wearing those gold pants!

Day 22, Sunday, Jan 27th.  Jeans and a sweatshirt.  No one to take a pic.  Nothing special though.




Day 23, Monday, Jan. 28th.  I love this sweater.  I know in the magazines they put a belt on over the sweater, but I'm to short to do that, it just makes me look even shorter. 



Day 24, Tuesday, Jan. 29th.  The weather here in Indy has been crazy.  Last week we had sub 0 temps and today the high is 63 degrees.  So I decided to not wear boots, or a long sleeve sweater.  And since the temp is dropping to 19 degrees on Thursday, I thought I'd take advantage of the one nice day we'll have for a bit.  Even if it is raining.


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Days 12 -17... Keep Calm and Carry On



This quote couldn't be more true.  I know it's not an official quote from someone famous, but when I saw it I thought I have to post that.  You won't see me dress immodestly.  Now, keep in mind there is a difference between immodesty and sexy... Day 12 was a sexy outfit.  Wore it to work with a sweater over it, then out to Mass Ave. for an evening of cocktails and catching up with my sister.  I love it when I don't have to change from work clothes to "going to dinner" clothes.  But I also love it when I do change into something a little more eye catching.  Although, eye catching doesn't mean slutty.  My dad always said, the more you show, the more guys think they can have.  Of course, right now with this sub-zero temps I'm not showing anything...


Day 12... Love this skirt.  Got it just before Christmas at Forever 21 for $7.  I mean $7!!! And it's perfect.  I can wear just about any shoes or black shirt with it.  I can dress it up with something sheer and some heels or dress it down with a black T and flats.  (Who am I kidding, I don't own a pair of flats...but you get my drift).

I told you I was going to do black shorts and boots with the fur for my work outfit this week.  Nailed it!  Hahaha.  For next week I'm wearing gold pants.  You can't see it, but on the back of the Bailey's shirt it there is a gold shamrock.  Therefore, gold pants should be fabulous!  And please excuse this picture.  When you don't have anyone to take a pic of you, you must use the full size mirror in the bathroom of the bar where you work. 

Day 16...I know, you are wondering where the pics for days 14 and 15 are, right?  Well, day 14 was Sunday and I was in my pajamas most of the day.  I did get up and put on some jeans and a sweatshirt to go see my parents, but then I came home and went back to bed because I was exhausted from working Saturday night.  Day 15 was Martin Luther King Jr. day and I was off work.  So, once again I did jeans and a sweatshirt.  I was going to have my son take a pic of this, but I forgot and it really isn't anything to get excited about anyway.  The above pic is day 16.  I love these pants, but the more I see the pics of me in them, I'm thinking they don't look as cute as I thought they did.  I love this sweater.  Mostly because I can wear it with anything.  Jeans, skirts, dress pants...with a shirt under it or just a tank, it looks great with anything.  I wish I would have gotten it in every color. 



Day 17.  Since it's 4 degrees outside and we don't deal with the public at work on Wednesdays, my boss said we could wear jeans.  Please note, the shoes match the sweater.  Yep, that's how I roll...matching my shoes to my sweaters. 


I wanted to give a special thank you to my cousin Carrie for sending me a gift card for T.J. Max.  I did have a rather bummer of a weekend and shopping always makes me feel better.  I got the card in the mail on Friday and thought I would hang on to it for a day when I was feeling really down, but Sunday seemed like a good a day as any to go shopping.  I bought the gold pants I'll be wearing to work on Saturday night.  So, THANKS CARRIE!!!  I'm so grateful for the people supporting me in everything I'm doing in my life, not just this project and blog.  The card Carrie sent me said "Keep Calm and Carry On".  So, I will...

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Days 9-11



     Well, let me tell you, this taking a pic of myself every day is a harsh realization that I do not look as good as I think I do when I leave the house in the morning.  I mean, some outfits I love but others are not so great.  Like the red sweater, cropped pants and red boots.  Yeah, someone should have said, "hey, that makes you look super short and pudgy."  But nope, I just got a lot of "I like those boots."  Maybe the boots took away from how bad the outfit actually looks on me.  But when I compare that pic to the other ones, there is a very big difference in the shape of my body.  Note to self, take pics in the morning and if it doesn't look good, change clothes and take another pic.

     Actually, now that I'm taking the pics, I recommend it to everyone.  You'd be surprised at how different you look in a picture than you do in a mirror.  I say try it...if you're not doing it already.

Here's days 9, 10, & 11...


Day 9:  Another 50 shades of gray outfit.  I have a lot of gray so I probably can come up with 50 different gray outfits over the course of the year.

Day 10: My only other piece of leopard print is this scarf.  I love this black dress, but it needs something to spice it up.  I think it will be super cute in the spring with no tights, heels and a bright scarf.

I bought this shirt for $3 on a clearance rack.  This is only the second time I've worn it.  Still deciding if I like it as much as I liked the price...


     Dressing up everyday, just in case I have a run in with my destiny...