Casual Friday, With a Twist

While tweeting up a storm last week I came across an article about reasons for opting out of Casual Friday. I was intrigued, as I'm sure you are. What would possess someone to want to give up their well earned Friday comfy time? Well, after perusing the article I noted some very valid points and gave the whole idea some more consideration. It lead me to realize that many of the senior members of my department (all women) choose not to wear jeans on Friday. They might wear fun colored or patterned pants but, no jeans. Maybe it's time to give it try and do something different so today I am not wearing jeans! I am wearing a denim skirt, baby steps.

We also have to talk about my sandals. I bought these sandals in 2008 then in 2011 they died, then a few weeks ago we crossed paths again! I was wandering around Brooklyn with a friend and we stopped at an awesome local thrift store. I found these sandals (brand new with the tags) in my new skinnier shoe size... it was meant to be. The only issue was that because of how long they had been sitting around unworn the heels were falling off which I didn't notice until after I tried to wear them for the first time, awkward... Lucky for me Hubby is pretty handy at fixing things, even shoes, problem solved. Now, inquiring minds want to know: Do you think it's a good idea to opt out of casual Friday? Would you skip your office jeans time?

• Top: floral t-shirt, Simply Vera by Vera Wang for Kohls; brown blazer, LOFT
• Bottom: denim pencil skirt, Torrid
• Shoes & Accessories: silver sandals, Isaac Mizrahi for Target via Buffalo Exchange; silver wire flower earrings, MOMA

I'm linking up with Fashion Fun Friday

(F)Unemployment Files: The First Day

One of the things that I was initially most excited about regarding my (f)unemployment was the amount of free time that I anticipated I would have. I didn't really have time to see my friends or do the things that I wanted to do as much as I would have liked while working in that position. Naturally, the first thing I decided to do was meet some former co-workers for lunch and catch up. Effectively taking advantage of the seemingly unlimited amount free time is one of the important things about (f)unemployment. While you need to be an effective job seeker (if that's what you're looking for) you also need to break up the monotony of the search by doing nice things for yourself like grabbing a coffee with friends, heading to a museum, or getting a mani/pedi if you can manage the expense. I was also in the midst of holiday shopping so this outfit had dual purposes as I ran all over the area hunting down the best gifts/deals for family and friends after lunch.

• Top: gray tunic, Frazier Lawrence via Mom
• Bottom: peach skinny jeans, Demin Licious via Torrid/gift from BF
• Shoes & Accessories: black and white ruffled snake print flats, Coconuts via DSW; coin pearl necklace, V'ta jewelry; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered by me; black tote bag, Coach (not pictured)

August 17, 2012: A Druzy Of A Time

A few weeks ago I went to a sample sale at W/A Studios in midtown. I found out about it through The Blogger Collective, a fab group of blogging fashionistas that I'm a part of because I'm cool... Anyway, some of the founders happen to know the couple that runs the jewelry design house and arranged a private sale for us with jewelry samples from current and past seasons and a sneak peek at what they are working on for the upcoming seasons. If the company doesn't sound familiar to you don't worry, I couldn't quite place it either but, when I saw some of their offerings I was knew I had seen it before. Their sparkly baubles are sold at big names like Henri Bendel and small specialty boutiques all over the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

While I was there I got some gifts and a few things for myself. When I had this druzy necklace in my hands I fell in love and when the designer found similar earrings it was a done deal. Because I sometimes subscribe to the school of instant gratification I wanted to pair one of those druzy items with whatever I was wearing the next day! Thankfully they are fairly neutral but, let's be honest I would have been hard pressed to find nothing in my extensive wardrobe. I was excited to rock my new earrings but, even more excited for it to be a denim Friday and most excited for my fun after work activity seeing the Yayoi Kusama exhibit at The Whitney Museum... I'm packing all the fun things in before the end of summer (darn it)? What fun things have you done so far?

• Top:  blue crochet neck blouse (same shirt different color here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here); beige short sleeved jacket, GAP
• Bottom: denim pencil skirt, Torrid
• Shoes & Accessories: silver Genero Sandal, SE Boutique via DSW; pink druzy earrings, W/A Studios; Neverfull GM, Louis Vuitton/gift from BF  

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

Weekend Wear: International Gem & Jewelry Show

Today I took my mother to the International Gem and Jewelry Show in White Plains. We had a great time! If you have nothing going on tomorrow you should totally head to the Westchester County Center and check it out. With prices starting as low as $2.00 there is something for everyone! You can also come across some fantastic one of a kind pieces like the ring my mother got me, love it! 

After we went to the jewelry show we grabbed lunch at one of my fav spots, Panera. I can't get enough of the creamy tomato soup. Mom took the outfit pictures today, it was an interesting process. She is half a foot shorter than me so the first few pictures were from completely different than BF who is taller than me. We worked it out! Have you done anything fun this weekend so far?

• Top:  lilac and white striped t-shirt, LOFT; khaki green blazer, GAP
• Bottom: denim pencil skirt, Torrid
• Shoes & Accessories: brown topsiders, Kimmie Smith for Sebago courtesy of Sebago via Robert Verdi's Luxe Lab; mother of pearl earrings, Elizabeth Showers Vintage; gray scarf, H&M; mockingjay pin, NECA via eBay; citrine and sterling silver ring, Designs by Terra via International Gem and Jewelry Show/gift from Mom; purple patent leather tote, Coach

February 9, 2011: Breaking All The Rules

So I am down to my last few days in this office and I am feeling a little wild and crazy... You remember last week when I recklessly paired brown tights and black boots? Well, I'm doing it again today! I know it's Wednesday but, I am going to wear denim to work. I can see the horrified looks on your faces now... I know it's cray cray but, I don't care. I have a feeling that things are going to take a turn for the conservative around here and I wanted to push my sartorial limits as much as I can in place where I am comfortable leaving. Sadly, my "reckless" interpretation of the dress code (specifically the denim) is pretty standard around my current office. Even though I personally kept it classy who might be in for some culture shock? That's be me.

• Top: green scoopneck sweater, LOFT with a tank top underneath for the modesty (same sweater different color here and here)
• Bottom: dark denim pencil skirt, Torrid (similar here)
• Shoes & Accessories: black Madison Heights Tall Boots, Timberland via Zappos; brown tights, Merona; coin pearl necklace, V'ta jewelry; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from mom then altered; purple tote bag, Coach

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