September 1, 2010: I'm Back

Sorry for being MIA the past few days. Monday I had taken the day off for a long weekend at the beach but, ended up staying home sick which carried over into yesterday. Now I am feeling a little better... good enough to go back to work, at least, because another day off and I will return to an avalanche of paperwork and e-mails (as if I'm not going to already!) I thought about keeping it super casual today (AKA yoga [like] pants) but, I need to finish wearing the forgotten shoes!

• Top: purple tank top, Old Navy; another tank top underneath for the modesty
• Bottom: white skirt, GAP
• Shoes & Accessories: floral print wedges, Hollywould. I will be bringing flip flops as well, just incase; rainbow beaded earrings, via now defunct Moxie Bee; gray Balenciaga Le-Dix/motorcycle bag

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

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August 27, 2010: Third Time's A Charm

I was hoping to keep the outdoor picture thing going but, BF woke up late and had to rush out the door leaving me photographer-less. I'm all for independence and doing it myself but, traipsing downstairs with my tripod during the morning rush seems like a bit much or, maybe I'm just lazy... Either way, back to the hallway! I am so ready for the weekend, can't you tell?

• Top: teal zipper trim top, Mossimo via Target/gift from BF. I think it's a little long but, I couldn't resist the zipper detail! It reminds me of one of my fav Project Runway looks... Jeffrey where did you go?; tank top underneath for the modesty
• Bottom: denim jeggings, LOFT birthday gift from Mom
• Shoes & Accessories: bronze sandals with genuine stone embellishments, bo'em via DSW; tiger's eye earrings, Citygirl Accessories; yellow alley bag

Items from this outfit are previously seen here and here:

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August 25, 2010: Get Your White In

I'm not sure who said don't wear white after Labor Day but, it's one of the few silly fashion rules that I always have stuck in my head. So, now that I'm feeling the pinch of summers imminent close some part of me says that I have to get all my random white pieces in! Either way, you can bet that I will be breaking this skirt out no questions! Whales and jolly rogers just don't seem as appropriate for fall as a fabulous animal print! Plus, this ensemble gave me a great venue to showcase a pair of forgotten shoes. Only four pairs left, piece of cake! Are there pieces in your wardrobe that prompt you to break fashion rules? Do you follow the "no white after labor day" rule? What rules do you follow?

• Top: yellow short sleeve embellished t-shirt, New York & Company; gray tank top underneath for the modesty
• Bottom: cream and navy printed skirt, Libertine for Target
• Shoes & Accessories: Marianna espadrilles, Coach; red coral earrings, mall kiosk in California; purple bag, Coach

Items from this outfit are previously seen here:

August 20, 2010: Twice In A Row

Today is another "need to be comfy" day (this time it's BF who needs an early morning ride) cleverly disguised as casual friday and the perfect excuse to rock my jeggings. I am a total convert but, I digress...  Today's fantastic and comfy outfit makes me feel (on some level) like I'm relying to much on clothes that could be worn when the weather gets a bit cooler and that I'm not utilizing all my warm weather things to their best advantage. I could totally see myself wearing this exact same outfit, for example, with a scarf/ballet flats and it being perfect for the fall but, according to my official rules that would be cheating. O well, I will make it work when the temperature starts to drop!

As for today, I'm sure you would (correctly) expect that I am so excited this week is over, especially after these past two days of early morning rising. At least I have fun things to look forward to this weekend. Dinner with one of my besties after work today and a visit from my fav cousin tomorrow... fun times! Maybe I'll snap some pictures while we're out and about. What are your plans this weekend?

• Top: gray v-neck top, Old Navy with a tank top underneath for the modesty
• Bottom: denim jeggings, LOFT birthday gift from Mom
• Shoes & Accessories: gladiator sandals, Christian Siriano for Payless; rainbow beaded earrings, via now defunct Moxie Bee; purple Coach bag

Items from this outfit are previously seen here:

August 13, 2010: No Friggatriskaidekaphobia Here!

Today I am happy for the weekend. No silly superstitions can bring me down! Thanks for letting me know what you thought about my outfit yesterday! It was a "landslide" victory for Double Take. I had reflected that this personal style challenge is helping me to see the potential in my wardrobe and yesterday was an ideal example. A few months ago I might not have put together that blue skirt with that coral top especially when I had something that was closer to an exact match even though I (now) know that it is a color combination that works well. I'm eager to see how my style continues to evolve as I move progress through this challenge! Any fun plans for the weekend?

• Top: yellow ruffle collar shirt, LOFT
• Bottom: denim jeggings, LOFT/gift from Mom 
• Shoes & Accessories:  red Bridget Thong Sandal, LOFT/gift from mom; red coral earrings, mall kiosk in California; cherry print tote, Luella for Target. That's right people, as in the first Go International capsule collection for Target! Even if you don't remember this specific pattern maybe this tartan plaid dress will jog your memory...

Items from this outfit are previously seen here and here:

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August 4, 2010: Endless Possibilities

One of the reasons why I love the summer (besides the warmth and sun neither of which are happening today) is the simple yet chic wardrobe choices. It is so easy to create a perfect summer outfit by throwing on one or two basic pieces, jazzing them up with metallic accessories, and going on your merry way.

This dress does it all with it's lack of zippers or buttons (I literally threw it over my head) and embellished collar AKA attached necklace! All I have to do is grab my purse, shoes, and earrings and I am on my way. This dress also works because althought I am wearing it for work right now I could easily change/add some accessories and make it work for drinks after, a night out with friends, date night, a special event... almost anything else you can think of!

• Top:  blue floral dress with metallic bead embellishment, LOFT borrowed from Mom
• Shoes & Accessories: silver gladiator sandals, Isaac Mizrahi for Target (similar and on sale here); silver bead earrings, Tiffany & Co.; yellow alley bag

August 2, 2010: T-Minus...

I'm actually getting pretty excited about my birthday (it took long enough...) and so begins the countdown to the end of another year of my life and the beginning of a new one. At least I have something to look forward to this weekend other than being out of work!

• Top: yellow blouse with floral embellishment, New York and Company
• Bottom: brown pinstripe pencil skirt, New York and Company
• Shoes & Accessories: silver gladiator sandals, Isaac Mizrahi for Target (similar and on sale here); coral, swarovskit, and natural stone necklace, V'ta; natural stone earrings, mall kiosk in Cali; limited edition Tracey Emin for Longchamp Pliage via the outlet  

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

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July 30, 2010: Less Casual Friday

As you know I experience the joy that is "casual friday!" Being allowed to wear jeans in the workplace is just another way of recognizing that the weekend is just around the corner, or at least that's what I like to think! But, on this particular Friday I have been slammed with lots of tasks to complete and a morning meeting so the weekend doesn't necessarily seem as close as I would hope.

I know the people that I am meeting with from previous dealings so, the ambiance of the meeting doesn't have to be hyper formal but, I feel like showing up in denim capris and a fun graphic tee is also inappropriate. What's a girl to do? Fancy jeans I think! Normally I don't wear these to work because in my mind it defeats the point of a truly casual friday since they are so long I need to wear heels but, in this case they are perfect for the meeting and they give me another reason to use a pair of forgotten shoes again!

• Top: red floral print top, Old Navy
• Bottom: dark wash trouser jeans, Not Your Daughter's Jeans via Nordstrom Rack
• Shoes & Acccessories: yellow suede wedges, born; silver bead earrings, Tiffany & Co.; purple bag Coach

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

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July 28, 2010: I Though I Was...

I'm was going to give the forgotten shoes a break today. But, I know they are itching to be worn and I was struck inspiration for this outfit while I was getting ready to run out the door. I really was not intending for all of these shoes to be worn in the order that they are pictured but, it seems to be working out that way...

I'm not sure that I LOVE this final choice but, I only have so much time in the morning to come up with an outfit. One would say, "You should lay out your clothes the night before"  and in this case I had but, when I put it on this morning it just wasn't working for me, such is life.

• Top: yellow ruffle collar shirt, LOFT
• Bottom: gray cropped pants, Bitten via Steve & Barry's
• Shoes & Accessories: turquoise wedges, born; turquoise and silver earrings, Pennyweights; multi-stone bracelet, V'ta (not pictured); purple bag, Coach

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

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July 27, 2010: Piece of Cake

I didn't intend on wearing my forgotten shoes in the order that they are listed but, it's kind of working out that way. So far, it has been fairly easy to incorporate them into my wardrobe (knock on wood.) Maybe I was just being complacent before, relying to heavily on the easy combination i.e.: silver gladiator sandals that go with everything. Do you have any "go to" items that make you forsake all others? Either way I'm glad I have pushed myself to make these work with what I have!

• Top: white, blue, and green argyle sweater, Merona for Target (similar and on sale here)
• Bottom: gray pencil skirt, New York and Company
• Shoes & Accessories: yellow suede wedges, born (their shoes are not my thing but, the sandals are fabulous); silver bead earrings, Tiffany & Co.; purple bag Coach

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

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Use Your Shoes

Inspired by Lyddiegal's Shoe Challenge I took a look at my own shoe collection. I have a "few" pairs of sandals that I still have not utilized this summer (or ever*). Well, I am going to rectify this by following her example and wearing my forgotten shoes! How would you style these fab kicks?

floral wedges, Delman

yellow wedges, Born

tourquoise wedges, Born*

purple espadrilles, Christian Louboutin

hot pink espadrilles, Christian Louboutin

fish espadrilles, Coach

floral print wedges, Hollywould

lilac sandals, Due Farina (worn here but, it was not during the summer)

brown suede wedges, Prada

nude wedges, Prada*

polka dot wedges, Volatile*

July 23, 2010: Friday Finally

It's back to normal today. No makeup or contacts (did you guys even notice?) just plain old me in my casual friday best, complete with pejorative eyesight and "natural beauty." I still have no idea what the weekend might entail but, I am pumped for it to start! Do you have any fun plans?

Don't forget, I will be "drawing" the winner of the silver and smoky quartz necklace tonight! Good luck to everyone who entered...

• Top: teal tank top, Old Navy with another tank top underneath for the modesty and layering fun!
• Bottom: trouser jeans, GAP outlet
• Shoes & Accessories: purple flip flops, Bitten via Steve & Barry's; coin pearl necklace, V'ta; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from mom then altered; yellow alley bag; multicolor polka dot scarf, New York and Company (not pictured)

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

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Last Chance! Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

July 21, 2010: Double Duty

I have seen this color combination used in some of my other daily outfit blog reads and I love it! So, I thought there must be some similar yellow and navy in items my wardrobe somehwere that I can use to emulate this pairing... and I found it. I had actually worn this outfit a few weekends ago (with purple flip flops and a different purse) but, thought that it could be appropriate for work so I saved it for workwear instead of doing a Weekend Wear post with it. I'm glad I did because although I have my standard work duties to take care of today there is a huge picnic at one of our other locations that I will be going to in the afternoon. This outfit fits the bill for both as a more casual summer work look for a hot and humid day, as well as, cute "fun in the sun" picnic wear, no?

• Top: navy blue ribbed tank top, Old Navy (before they started making everything ridiculously long)
• Bottom: yellow and brown polka dot skirt, Merona for Target [remixed]
• Shoes & Accessories: silver gladiator sandals, Isaac Mizrahi for Target (similar and on sale here); coin pearl necklace, V'ta; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from mom then altered; vintage Louis Vuitton speedy, eBay

Items froms this outfit are previously seen here:

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

July 12, 2010: Dressing For Dinner

Today is the start of New York City Restaurant Week and I am excited to get my eat on! For those of you who don't know, NYC Restaurant Week debuted in 1992 when it was developed as a one-time culinary event to welcome the Democratic National Convention (DNC) to the City. Though created to appeal to delegates and other DNC attendees, the program also found a strong following among residents excited to dine at some of the City’s top restaurants for a fraction of the usual cost—$19.92 for three courses—and who wanted NYC Restaurant Week to be a recurring event. Now it's slightly more expensive ($24/lunch and $35/dinner) but, totally worth it!

I have a few reservations over the next two weeks and tonight is Asia de Cuba. I've actually eaten there before (delish!) but, it's been a while and since BF has never been there we are going so I can introduce him to the culinary wonder that is Asian Latin fusion. Because our dinner reservation is on the earlier side of things I have to be able to seamlessly transition from work to acceptable dinner attire. The easiest solution: a comfy yet chic dress, the right accessories, and a touch of make up before I leave! How would you dress for dinner?

• Top: navy blue jersey knit dress, New York and Company with a tank top underneath for the modesty
• Shoes & Accessories: yellow vintage inspired cut-out wedges, Merona for Target; semi-precious multi-stone necklace and earrings, custom V'ta jewlery; gray Balenciaga Le-Dix/motorcycle bag

July 9, 2010: Going Through The Motions

I got so many compliments yesterday on my sandals! Which was great but, as an added bonus I noticed that they are already stretching a bit. I passed along the info to everyone who asked me where I got them. In one case the person in questions literally ran back to her office so she could order them in her size... Sure Payless, I'll take some free sandals as commission for all my promoting! How about these?

I'm excited about it being Friday today but, at the same time not as much as I could be if I didn't have a million important things to do this weekend. So getting ready this morning was all about going through the motions... Denim on the bottom? Check. Flip Flops (even though they are not allowed)? Check. T-Shirt? Check. Shirt I would normally wear to work? Check. Counting down the minutes till 5PM? Check!

• Top: red floral print blouse, Old Navy with a tank top underneath for fun
• Bottoms: dark denim capris, Macy's
• Shoes & Accessories: purple flip flops, Bitten via Steve & Barrys (just as comfortable as Havianas but, a small fraction of the cost... come back Steve! How about you Barry?); Tiffany & Co. silver bead earrings; blue Foley + Corrina City Clutch gifted via Plaza Too (not pictured because you've seen them before and I'm being a bit lazy)

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

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July 6, 2010: Slave To The Grind

How was your long weekend? Mine was like a breath of fresh air! But, it's back to work today... I'm attempting a little pattern mixing with polka dots and argyle but, should I have gone all the way and added the pinstripe skirt? I thought about it but, it just felt to me like I was trying too hard.

On another note, the roundup is coming soon... I'll be honest, I checked out these past few days and didn't even attempt to finish it. This weekend was all about relaxing with loved ones so I barely checked my personal facebook or email and I'm pretty sure my BB was off. Speaking of Facebook, you can like 260 Days, No Repeats or follow us on Twitter... I am 5 people away from a unique URL so any love would be appreciated!

• Top: white polka dot button down, Merona for Target; gray, yellow, and white argyle vest, New York and Company
• Bottom: black pencil skirt (with pockets), Old Navy
• Shoes & Accessories: black patent leather t-strap pumps, Ann Taylor Loft; Tiffany & Co. silver bead earrings; blue Foley + Corrina City Clutch via Plaza Too

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

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Weekend Wear: Patriotic Barbeque

People can go astray with their wardrobe choices for Independence Day but, that doesn't mean that everyone should. I wasn't sure if I was going to go the red, white, and blue route for my fourth of July outfit but, after reading an article that Jessica of What I Wore had written on the topic I was inspired to give it a whirl! Especially, after I found this fabulous skirt when Mom and I were out thrifting. This was what I wore to a BBQ at a friends and to a movie after but, it would be great for a celebration at a pool party, casual summer cocktail event, or picnic in the park!

• Top: red ribbed tank top, GAP
• Bottom: white skirt with blue embroidery, Willi Smith via Unique Thrift (thanks Mom)
• Shoes & Accessories: silver gladiator sandals, Isaac Mizrahi for Target (similar and on sale here); silver beaded necklace, Bitten via Steve & Barry's; Tiffany & Co. silver bead earrings

June 30, 2010: Three Months Down!

I cannot believe that I have been at this personal style challenge for three months! I am definately going to do a roundup so I can take a comprehensive look at my progress but, I will say one thing right now... I can see the benefit!

These shoes are a perfect example, I got them at an end of season sale at Target last summer and they have been sitting in my (shoe) closet every since (shocker I know, they are too cute.) I don't think I would have made such a concerted effort to utilize them if it had not been for the way I am challenging myself. Do you have items in your closet that you had/have trouble using? What did/are you do(ing) to resolve that issue?

• Top: blue short sleeved sweater, Ann Taylor Loft (same shirt different color here and here)
• Bottom: white skirt, GAP
• Shoes & Accessories: yellow vintage inspired cut-out wedges, Merona for Target; coin pearl necklace, V'ta; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from mom then altered; brown leather bag with silver floral embellishments, GAP

Items from this outfit are previously seen here: