Unseasonably Warm

So, yesterday it rained.  Kind of a lot.  But today, today was unseasonably warm.  Like in the 80s unseasonably warm.  Happily, I hadn't put away my summer stuff yet, so I got one more day in a flowy skirt:

I paired said flow-y skirt with a patterned top that in no way matches.  But it goes:

Probably.



I even snuck in some sandals:

Blouse: LOFT  Skirt, Belt & Shoes: thrifted

Because, as you may have heard, it was unseasonable warm here today.



Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

No Nonsense Denim Leggings

I'm wearing white today:

And yes, it's after Labor Day.


The thing is, I received these white denim leggings from No Nonsense, and I like them too much to relegate them to summer wear only.  They are extremely comfortable, and are a surprisingly good length, even after washing.  I got them in XL and they fit snugly, without being too tight.  I will say though, that they are probably better suited for an "apple" shape than someone with a "curvier" shape; there is a bit of a gap in the waist for me.



So, yes, I'm wearing white after Labor Day:

Leggings: c/o No Nonsense  Tunic: Nordstrom Rack (similar)
Pendant: v. old Old Navy (similar)  Vest: Nordstrom (similar)  Shoes: Via Spiga (similar)

Thank goodness there are no rules against that sort of thing, right?



Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Not Impressed

So, this combination of cardigan and dress drove my coworkers crazy:

Dress: Old Navy  Cardigan: thrifted (similar)  Sandals: Dune London "Ivanna"

They assured me that they liked outfit well enough, but complained that it doesn't match.  I agreed, but offered that it *does* go.

They did not look impressed with that explanation.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Bright and Stripe-y

Like much of what I wear, today's outfit features a bright and some stripes:

In this case, a very bright bright and some very stripe-y stripes:

But, what can I say?  I like what I like:

Blouse: LOFT  Cardigan: Nordstrom Rack
Skirt: Ann Taylor (similar)  Sandals: Camper (similar)

And what I like is bright and stripe-y.



Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

It's Not Polka Dots, It's Whales

I like shirt dresses.  And I like printed dresses.  But I *love* printed shirt dresses.  Like this one:

It's not polka dots, it's whales:

And it's adorable.



It's also blue and white, so I paired it with red:

Dress: eShakti (see similar below)
Belt: thrifted (similar)  Sandals: Fidji V623

Because, of course.



Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Shop Shirt Dresses

Almost, But Not Quite

Today I'm wearing another almost, but not quite, red, white and blue outfit:

I mean, make no mistake, this outfit has red, it has white, and it has blue.



Hell, it even has stripes:

But, instead of patriot-appropriate stars, I went with trees.  And some sort of scenery of something or other.  Look, I don't know, it's confusing.



The point is that, yes, at first glance, you see the striped top and the blue in the skirt and you might start humming a little Star-Spangled Banner:

Top: Nordstrom Rack (similar)
Skirt: gifted vintage  Sandals: Camper (similar)

But, then you take another look at the skirt, and the humming dies down as you realize that this outfit really isn't that patriotic after all.  Almost, but not quite.


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Summer Sweaters and Arctic Offices

I am fed up with the air conditioning at work.  It's so cold in my office that I was forced to wear a sweater to work today:

A sweater!  At the end of June!  I know!


Because, apparently, once the air goes on at work, they can't (won't?) adjust it.  So, on days like today when it was neither warm enough nor humid enough to justify blasting the air conditioner, they do it anyway.  So, in order to survive my Arctic office, I've learned that summer sweaters are not only a real thing, but a sometimes necessary thing.


I paired today's summer sweater with diamond-print pants and leopard flats:

Crap, but white is hard to photograph.  Well, trust me, those are black diamonds on my pants, not gray blobs.



And trust me that a sweater was more than called for today:

Sweater: LOFT (similar) Earrings: Mata Traders
Pants: Gap  Flats: Nine West (similar)

More than called for.



Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Wednesday Ends in Y

I've decided to limit my print mixing to those days that end in "Y".  Happily, today is just such a day and I'm taking advantage of that fact by mixing some prints:

This time it's palm and stripes:

Palm and stripes and t-strap sandals:

Skirt: LOFT (similar short) (similar midi)  Blouse: LOFT (same blouse, different print)            Sandals: Camper (similar)

Because today is Wednesday and Wednesday ends in "Y."


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Pinwheels and Pleats

I'm wearing pinwheels and pleats today:

The pleats are courtesy of my vintage skirt and the pinwheels are courtesy of this a LOFT blouse:

Well, pinwheels or something like it.

I paired the red blouse and the white skirt with a blue belt and blue sandals:

I love to wear red, white and blue during the summer; it is a such a great, classic summer color combination.  But, it can also be a bit hard to wear this time of year without looking as though Betsy Ross is your tailor.

Blouse: LOFT (similar)  Belt: Old Navy (similar)
Skirt: thrifted vintage (similar)  Sandals: ZiGi girl (similar)

My advice?  Skip the flag print muscle tees and star print cut-offs, at least (especially?) for work.  No, save those pieces for the barbecue, and instead try a red and white printed piece with white and blue solids like I did.  Or, if you're feeling especially adventurous, even a red, white and blue printed piece. 

You can see some of my favorite seasonally-appropriate but also work-appropriate pieces below.  (Hover to see brands/prices).

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Get the Look

Worn Two Ways: Citrus

I'm kind of obsessed with citrus-y hues like citron and grapefruit lately.  And I'm even more obsessed with wearing them together.  So much so, that I've recently worn them together two different ways:

The first outfit was for a Sunday brunch:

Top: LOFT (similar)  Skirt: thrifted (similar) 
Earrings: via Crafty Wonderland (similar) Shoes: Lollipops (similar)

Changing the look up for work required more grapefruit (because of course), so I added the cardigan. I also swapped out the earrings for a less dramatic pair:

Top: LOFT (similar)  Cardigan: Target
Skirt: thrifted (similar)  Shoes: Lollipops (similar)

To be honest, I liked both looks equally.  The colors pair well and, I think, look so fresh with the white.  But, what about you, Reader Friends?  Which outfit is your favorite?


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

They're Elephants

On my skirt, I mean:

They're elephants:

I'm also wearing hearts and polka dots.  But on my skirt, they're elephants.



Specifically, they are thrifted, vintage, pleated elephants:

Skirt: via Vintage by the Pound
Blouse: LOFT  Shoes: Via Spiga "Nalo" Wedges

And I think they're adorable.

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Diplomacy

My skirt is navy, not black:

Why does this matter?  Because, the Pittsburgh Penguins, whose colors are black and gold, are currently in the middle of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  This means that most of Pittsburgh is very involved in rooting for the Penguins right now.

And that means that when you wear buttercup and dark navy to the office, the dark navy is mistaken for black and you are cheered for wearing black and gold.  Even when you're not.



But, you smile and say that you are anyway:

Cardigan: Target  Belt: LOFT (similar)
Skirt: thrifted vintage (similar)  Shoes: Kork-Ease (similar)

Because although that sounds like lying, I'm pretty sure it's called diplomacy.



Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Shoe Review: LTS "Bali" Block Heel Sandals

These are my new sandals, courtesy of Long Tall Sally:

LTS "Bali" Block Heel Sandals

And, I have to tell you, they are perfect.  I know they don't look like much, just a simple leather sandals with a low block heel, but these are, hands-down, the most comfortable sandals I've ever worn.  I've worn them several times already with nary an ache or a blister.

As thrilled as I am with the comfort aspect of these sandals, what I like best is that they don't make my large feet look even larger.  Perfectly flat sandals can often make feet look bigger, which, at a size 10, is not something I need.  The slight, oh-so-walkable heel on these sandals keep my feet from looking even bigger.

Additionally, thin straps on sandals can make toes look long, which, again, can make your feet look bigger.  The front strap on these sandals is just wide enough to keep my toes from looking too long.  And, the ankles straps cross at the perfect place on my leg so I'm not sacrificing any of my well-earned (okay, genetically gifted) height.

This last bit is important to me not because I'm afraid of looking shorter, but because I wear a lot of clothes that are proportionally challenging which can be stumpifying.  Like my beloved midi dresses and skirts as well as my new go-to, wide leg crops.  The strap placement on these makes them perfect for all my potentially leg-shortening looks.


Like these cropped pants:

Tunic: LOFT  Pants: Old Navy
Scarf: thrifted (similar save, splurge)  Shoes: "Bali" Sandals c/o LTS

See?  Perfect.  Because of the strap placement, I'm still showing "enough" ankle that I don't end up a victim of what I like to call "The Crisco Effect" (i.e. artificial shortening).



In addition to my crops and the Bali sandals, I'm also wearing a striped tunic and a thrifted scarf:

Not for nothing, but white-on-white is a tricky as black-on-black.  I think this only works because the tunic is slightly sheer.  Otherwise it's totally a mismatched mess.



But even then, it wouldn't have been a total loss because, you know, cute sandals:

Just one of, I might add, several very cute pairs of shoes introduced as part of Long Tall Sally's "If the Shoe Fits" campaign.  As I'm sure most of you know, LTS specializes in cute, wearable, stylish shoes for women who wear sizes 10 to 15.  Sizes that, at most other retailers, can be impossible to find.  If you are large of foot, I strongly recommend you stop by Long Tall Sally for your spring footwear needs.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey