Night Out: The High Life

I'm, not sure what other people do when they become (f)unemployed but, I had a massage and a delicious steak dinner courtesy of BF. While that is not necessarily the most practical thing, I didn't really have a choice and I wasn't going to complain about it. I highly recommend taking moments for yourself when you find yourself in similar situations or just in general. Perhaps if I had been more adamant about taking time for myself at work I would have seen that the job wasn't a great fit sooner. Similarly, taking time now is helping me stay focused on what it is I think my strengths are and what I am interested in focusing on in my next position. How do you treat yourself on a regular basis?

• Top: yellow ruffle collar shirt, LOFT; black and white pinstripe blazer, Calvin Klein via SYMS (part of this suit)
• Bottom: gray really skinny pants, GAP
• Shoes & Accessories: black ballet flats, Mossimo via Target; silver bead earrings, Tiffany & Co.; Glitz Knot Ring, courtesy of Amy O Jewelry; violet Clea Clutch, Katherine Kwei/won at Blogger's Night Out (not pictured)

Night Out: Blaze

Even though work was crazy I did manage to have some fun! One of the things that I did during that Fall was attend a festive event called the Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze. It's north of NYC in the Hudson Valley and features thousands of hand carved pumpkins set up in intricate scenes while you walk through and take in the slightly creepy but, utterly amazing spectacle. It's a fun thing to do around Halloween if you are looking for something festive but, want to avoid the creepy haunted houses/trick or treating. Check it out... 

Luckily for me, the date that we acquired tickets happened to coincide with a casual Friday. There was no need to rush home and change or pack an extra outfit which was convenient. It ended up being an extremely tepid night and the blazer was all I needed. It was also extremely humid because of earlier precipitation and my previously styled hair (thanks to Salon Caru in Hoboken) formed loose curls which I totally loved. All in all it was a fantastic (and stylish) night! 

• Top: yellow floral patterned sweater, Dana Buchman for Kohl's; black and white pinstripe blazer, Calvin Klein via SYMS (part of this suit)
• Bottom: skinny jeans, Forever21
• Shoes & Accessories: black Madison Heights Tall Boots, Timberland via Zappos; coin pearl necklace, V'ta jewelry; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered by me; Neverfull GM, Louis Vuitton/gift from BF

Night Out: Gala 2011

Do you remember last year when I went to a gala? Well, I am going to the gala again. Actually I'm at the cocktail hour right now thanks to the magic of previously scheduled posts. You can just imagine that my hair is flawless and my makeup is polished because I didn't really feel like going through all that trouble for picture taking Sundays. Maybe I will have some actually pictures from the event tomorrow and you can see what is really going on...

I find this evening outfit to be an amazingly excellent example of going from day to night. I mean, you saw what I was wearing earlier! I make a couple of simple swaps and the dress becomes a whole new world thing. I find it even more amazing for the work to evening swap because I've already used it that way a few times. The fact that I was able to make it come together for a formal affair makes it the best piece ever! I don't know what this dress is going to do next. Do you have anything like that in your closet: a piece you can take from day to evening and maybe even a fancy event?

• Top: ivory sheath dress, Adrianne Vitadinni via Loehmans/gift from Mom
• Shoes & Accessories: silver t-strap shoes, Due Farina; rhinestone studs, New York & Company/gift from BF's parents; Isadora Pearl Bib, stella & dot; violet Clea Clutch, Katherine Kwei/won at Blogger's Night Out 

Night Out: From The Mouths Of Babes

Not only has my work schedule been a little bonkers but, my social life has been a bit cray cray too. I really shouldn't complain; I get stir crazy when there aren't fun things going on, it's such a catch twenty two but, I digress...

With so many things going on I actually got a little stunted when getting dressed. I couldn't decide what to wear on Friday night so I threw a few things on and bounced the ensembles of my little brother and his friend. We collaborated and came up with this outfit which worked perfectly. Who do you bounce fashion ideas off of?

• Top: teal ribbed tank top, Old Navy (same shirt different color here, here, here, and here)
• Bottom: pink and coral polka dots skirt, New York & Company (same skirt different color here)
• Shoes & Accessories: silver gladiator sandals, Isaac Mizrahi for Target; coin pearl necklace, V'ta Jewelry; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered; Cerises Pochette, Louis Vuitton (not pictured)

Night Out: New Years House Party

What did you end up doing for New Years? I was performing in a chorus line... no wait, that's not right. One of my friends had a house party and heading over there before the ball dropped was a no brainer. BF took this picture at 4 in the morning when we got home; I just had to bring down the house with my assorted performing arts skills but, I digress... What to wear took a little more thought. I knew I wanted to keep it casual and wear jeans but, just any old jeans wouldn't do! Thankfully I found these chic trouser jeans while I was exchanging/returning some Christmas gifts at LOFT. These pants had some weird buttons on the pockets that I removed and I hemmed them because apparently I am shrinking but, other than that perfect! I should just quit my day job and become a tailor or a dancer, decisions decisions...

I also knew even though I wasn't going to be super fancy I still wanted to shine and/or sparkle (dancer for sure.) I had this shirt waiting in the wings but, was hoping to come across something else. My fashion prayers were answered when I stopped into TJ Maxx to pick up the last part of the awesome gift my brother I and myself got our mom. Thankfully I still had a little bit of cash left over from the shopping errands I ran for my dad and this glitzy number was on super sale. Mission accomplished now let's dance!

• Top: green t-shirt with sequins embellishment, Ellen Tracy via TJ Maxx/gift from Dad; white tank top, New York and Company
• Bottom: double waistband denim trouser tailored by me, LOFT Christmas Gift
• Shoes & Accessories: leopard print flats, New York and Company; Swarovski crystal teardrop earrings, V'ta jewelry; purple tote bag, Coach (not pictured)

December 3, 2010: Feeling Neutral

This outfit might seem a little fancy for casual Friday. I had meetings but, that wasn't the main reason for busting out these chic jeans. Immediately following work I needed to meet some girlfriends in midtown for dinner at a Korean restaurant. I didn't want to be over the top but, a t-shirt and jeans just wouldn't cut it! I think the outfit was a successful compromise.

I have to say this color palette is a bit revolutionary for me! Why, you might ask, it's just a bunch of neutrals? Well if you must know, I am a total chicken when it comes to mixing some of my neutrals, specifically black and brown. But, when I tried the outfit on with brown or gray shoes they just didn't work the same way as these simple black ones. They have seen better days but, I digress... Is it a hard thing for you to mix your neutrals or are you a neutral mixing pro? If so maybe you can give me some tips!

• Top: dark brown scoopneck sweater, GAP outlet (same shirt different color here) with a tank top underneath for the modesty; gray ruffle trim cardigan, LOFT/birthday gift from BF's mom
• Bottom: dark wash trouser jeans, Not Your Daughter's Jeans via Nordstrom Rack
• Shoes & Accessories: black pumps, Steve Madden; mixed metal earrings, gift from my co-worker Natalia/ModCloth; black Spy Bag, Fendi

Items from this outfit are previously seen and remixed here, here, and here:

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Night Out: Charity Auction - Mad Men Style

Two of my nearest and dearest friends invited me to an auction at their church. I have heard alot about the fun times that occur and could not wait to be a part of it! The theme of the auction was Mad Men so I needed to come up with an outfit that was representative of that era/show but, wouldn't cost me anything... The biggest challenge was the fact that I have never seen the show (for shame, I know) so I was working with a copious number of images from Google. While I went with a classic clothing pieces I really spiced everything up with the shoes. They style is vintage but, the leopard is so now! You'll have to forgive the state of my hair and makeup, these photos were taken at the end of the evening. I promise, everything was much more sleek at the beginning of the night. How do you think the look came out?

• Top: aqua cowl neck sweater, Mossimo for Target
• Bottom: black pencil skirt, Old Navy
• Shoes & Accessories: patent leather leopard print mary janes, Le Due; nude tights, Assets by Sarah Blakely; pearl earrings, gift from Mom; pearl and rhinestone brooch, borrowed from Mom; black satin clutch, Old Navy (not pictured)

Night Out: Gala

I got an invite to the very exclusive gala for my company about a week ago. Last minute, I know but, I was more than happy to oblige. I mean who wouldn't be excited for free dinner in a fancy hotel on Fifth Avenue?! Plus, this was a low stress situation; I already had a dress to wear, or so I thought... This unfortunate weight gain made that prospect null and void (maybe next year) and I was all of a sudden dress-less.

I resigned myself to try and make my Monif C. Marilyn Convertible dress work for the event; With 22+ different ways to tie it there had to be something that worked for this occasion, right? Not so much... Even though the event was not black tie the dress was too plain for evening wear. Now I was really in a tight spot, let the stress commence.

Enter my local Loehmann's! I got a coupon in the mail and thought, "Why not?" It was a good move because they saved me with a nice selection of modest pieces (it was a work event after all) and this lovely Calvin Klein dress was the winner. Seriously, if you are ever in need of a dress for a fancy occasion head to Loehmann's, if you can, they have an awesome selection! What do you think of the final ensemble?

The best part of this dress is that I don't have to count it in my purchases for November! Why, you ask? Because it was free! BF had gotten a rebate on our new cell phones and he gave it to me to get the dress (what a sweetie.) Still, I didn't want to squander all our free money so I was a discount ninja when it came time to check out. Let me break it down for you: Original cost of the dress $128.00, Loehmann's price $59.99, Gold member discount: $6.00, 15% off coupon discount: $8.10, Price after discounts, $47.90 (w/ tax) minus a gift card: $15.00, Final price: 32.90. I was honestly impressed with all that and still had money to give back to BF! I love it when things work out like this... What's your favorite discount ninja memory?

• Top: gray sheath dress with pearl embellishment, Calvin Klein via Loehmann's
• Shoes & Accessories: black and gray leopard print peep toe pumps, Hollywould for Target. Does anyone else remember that line?; pearl earrings, gift from Mom; black satin clutch, Old Navy (not pictured)

Night Out: Fashion's Night Out

This past Friday was Fashion's Night Out, as I'm sure you know, and there were so many options for events to attend/places to shop! Did you attend any of the festivities? I opted to avoid the sheer insanity of the Manhattan events and instead attended Re/Dress NYC's Count My Curves Event in Brooklyn! If you didn't know, Re/Dress is is a premiere vintage & resale clothing boutique specializing in sizes 14+ (vintage: 10+). It’s also a buy/sell/trade establishment allowing women to sell clothing for cash or store credit, which is an environmental and recession friendly way to refresh a wardrobe.

I thought of wearing an outfit in the morning that might transition well from day to evening but, because everything has been so hectic at work I figured a clean slate for the night was in order! There's no fun to be had when you are feeling grimy or reminded of the stresses of the day...

• Top: silver color block tank top, Simply Vera by Vera Wang via Kohl's; gray flyaway cardigan, New York and Company
• Bottom: black really skinny pants, GAP/gift from BF
• Shoes and Accessories: black pumps, Candies via Kohl's; my abuela's vintage silver hoop earrings; silver sequins embellished clutch, French Connection UK

Here are some more pictures of the evening and the goody bag swag! Please excuse the crappy quality they were taken with my Droid:

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Re/Dress was offering 10% off your purchase when you filled out a card petitioning some select big name designers to start making clothing for the average woman so I couldn't help but, take advantage and pick something out... The clothing selection was immense but, I ended up with this adorable pair of teal flats originally from ALDO. It was the color that initally attracted me to them but, the comfort that made me pick them up! It's like walking on clouds... I found the same shoes in black for more than 3x what I paid so I'm feeling pretty good about that!

Night Out: 21st Birthday

For my brother's actual birthday BF and I picked him up from work and took him out for a drink. He was actually going to just go to school, work, and home without doing anything to celebrate! Crazy, I know... I started to put together an outfit for going out and realized that I didn't need to be dressed in my normal chic bar going attire. We were just going to a local establishment and I didn't want to be completely overdressed in such a super casual place. So, I revisted what I would wear the bar in my college years...

• Top: red graphic tee, Noisebot
• Bottom: trouser jeans, GAP
• Shoes & Accessories: purple flip flops, Bitten via Steve and Barry's; polka dot scarf, New York and Company. I think the scarf dresses the super casual look up just enough without being over the top; Cerises Pochette, Louis Vuitton. This bag is the perfect size for going out. Just enough room for cash/ID, cell phone, and lipgloss.

Night Out: Birthday!

My friend Natalia (awesome earring gifter) is having a birthday party tonight. I am heading into the city to partake in the festivities at Verlaine. Although 260 Days, No Repeats is mainly meant to be about what I wear to work it's fun to show you a few of my after hour/special occasion looks.

• Top: gray ruffled v-neck tank top, New York and Company; black blazer (not pictured)
• Bottom: dark wash trouser jeans, Not Your Daughter's Jeans via Nordstrom Rack
• Shoes & Accessories: black pumps, Steve Madden; gray swarovski crystal earrings, Pennyweights