Number 30, at last.

shirt: ann taylor, cardigan: ann taylor loft, pants: old navy, shoes: nine west

Here it is, finally- my 30th day post.  I've been such a neglecting blogger these past few days, but I have a good excuse.  I've been at work almost non-stop facilitating previews of a new exhibit.  I actually wore this maybe five or six days ago, but haven't had the time to sit down and write about it.  One exciting thing is that this was probably my last time wearing cords until next winter.  I think spring has sprung :). 

The fact that I'm allowed total access to my closet hasn't completely sunk in yet.  My room is a disaster and clothes are everywhere, so I've pretty much just been wearing what I can find.  Hopefully I will have the time this week to clean up and get my closet together.  And the rest of my life.  Please bear with me through the chaos!

Sweet Valley Life

blazer: gap, shirt and skirt: loft, belt: target, shoes: nine west

I'm wearing so much pink and purple that I half expected an invitation to join the Unicorn Club in  my locker today (okay, office mailbox, we all know I'm too old for a locker).  This joke will be lost on those of you who never read the Sweet Valley Twins books, but for those of you in the know, you'll have to agree that Jessica Wakefield would've been bffs with a girl in my outfit.  Looking at all this pink and purple in the mirror today made me realize it was missing something:  a little piece of Elizabeth Wakefield.  So I threw the blazer on top to show my true nerdiness.  And then I got to thinking.  Were Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield symbolic of the duality of feminism?  Did they represent the idea that girls are perceived as either smart of beautiful and rarely both?  Was my 7th grade teacher wrong in not letting me do a book report on a Sweet Valley High book?  Maybe I could have exposed some sort of cosmic genius behind the series....  And finally, how does someone as busy as me have all this time to think about the freaking Sweet Valley twins? Ha.

This outfit is for you, Wakefield twins.

Everybody, Everywear: Polka Dots

shirt: tucker for target, dress: nine west, shoes: yard sale

I've strayed slightly from the 30 for 30 challenge today to participate in Everybody, Everywear.  I love this Tucker for Target polka-dot shirt but it has a really weird shape to it and it's a challenge to style.  For me, it pretty much only works under things, which is fine because the bow collar looks cute poking out over a plain dress or sweater. 

Did all the other 30 for 30 girls finish the challenge?  I have two days left and I can't wait.  First stop, TJ Max.  Ha.  And then I will be reassessing my closet and doing a spring cleaning.  I'm so lucky to live in a place that has true seasons.  It's fun pulling out clothes you haven't seen in 6 months and getting excited all over again about them!

Leave me a link to your blog if you're doing Everybody, everywear.  I want to see your polka-dots!

Your outerwear is showing...

jacket: vertigo, cardi and boots: target, shirt: ann taylor, pants: old navy

Because here in Atlanta we went from 30 degree weather to 70 degree weather almost overnight, I thought we had completely missed trench coat weather.  But today it arrived.  A day too chilly to go coatless, but one in which you feel ridiculously over-prepared in your winter wear.  Trench coat weather.  I love this coat because from far away it just looks like a cool graphic pattern, but a closer look reveals HORSES!!  What girl doesn't love horses??  And what a perfect coat for a semi-cold boring day: while you keep warm you can name your horses or count them or give them all a little kiss.  This is why crazy people shouldn't wear clothing with animals on it....

How to make a marriage last

shirt: ralph lauren, jeans and boots: target

As you can see, we still haven't cleaned up the mess left over from the wedding.  That's how you make a marriage last a lifetime; you never clean up after it.  Who needs pictures?

Actually, speaking of weddings, we have our family reception in just a few weeks now and I've been going crazy getting stuff together for it.  Tonight I paired 80 dessert plates with 80 saucers- all with mismatched patterns.  But they can't be completely mismatched, they have to still coordinate (it's like wearing stripes with florals- it can work if you have some uniting detail).  So now that I have the plates for every table, I have to throw the teacups into the mix.  Let me just say that there is not enough room in the world for me to do this in an organized manner.  People may just have to deal with the fact that their teacup doesn't match their saucer.  I'm a bit of a perfectionist though, so I'll probably die trying to have everything coordinate.

I said yesterday that I was going to try to finish my 30 for 30 by Tuesday.  I don't think that's going to happen after all.  I never changed into my second outfit for today and, unless you count my pajamas, I don't plan on changing into anything else between now and bedtime.  And tomorrow I'll be at work from 9a.m. till 9p.m.  My co-workers already think I'm strange enough; they don't need me to change outfits mid-day with no apparent reason.  So cheating is my only option to participate in Everybody Everywhere this week.  Arrest me.  :)

Speed dressing

shirt, shoes, belt: target, skirt: loft, jacket: ross

For the second time in this 30 day challenge, I cheated.  I went shopping (gasp).  But technically, I had a gift card so does that really count as rule breaking?  I bought this awesome pink belt at Target.  I tried to stay within the rules a little and at least I didn't get another piece to add into the 30.  I felt less guilty about an accessory.  A free accessory, people.  Don't judge.  I wandered around in Target though for about an hour picking up things and putting them back down.  I knew I was only going to buy this belt though.

So I've been looking around out there at other 30 for 30 bloggers and I'm really far behind.  Damn wedding.  Ha.  In order to catch up I'm doing a bit of double duty.  When I got home today from work, I changed clothes.  I'm not planning on really going anywhere, but I promise to watch t.v. in this:

Trade a skirt for jeans and a jacket for a loose cardigan and go from work to weekend.  And from outfit 25 to 26.  I'll be honest, the real reason I'm in a rush to finish is because on Tuesday, the girls at Everybody Everywear are doing a polka-dot challenge that I really want to take part in,  but I don't have any polka-dots in my 30 items.  I've done the math: I have to wear 2 outfits tomorrow and 2 outfits on Monday to catch up.  I may end up cheating again.  Third times a charm! 

23 and 24

dress and boots: Target

blazer: gap, cardigan, jeans, boots: target

Today the temperature went plunging to what would have been tolerable a few weeks ago, but after a long stretch of spring-like bliss, now feels unbearable.  I want to just curl up in bed, even though its only 50 degrees out there. 

I finally counted my outfits and was a little bummed to realize that I still have 6 days to go.  I'm ready to shop and to burn this green cardigan.  No, I'm glad its in my 30 pieces, but it'll probably be awhile before I wear it again.  I still have 1 piece I haven't worn and that's a good way to find out what doesn't belong in my closet, I suppose.

Check out my new necklace above.  It's a pair of wings that I tricked my husband into buying for me.  I told him it was tradition to buy your wife a present after being married for one week.  I think he knew I was making that up, which makes this necklace even sweeter.  I'm so lucky.  And he even picked it out himself.  I've trained him well.



emb-ear-assing

dress: nine west, boots and cardigan: target, scarf: ross

I've made a decision to no longer be ashamed of my giant ears.  Expect to see them around here more often. 

Yesterday I did not post an outfit.  I did wear one, I  promise.  Is it cheating to recreate an outfit later in the week just for pictures?  I might do that if no one objects.  If anyone does object, I say to that person "you're reading the wrong blog."  We don't do things by the book in these parts.  We're not ashamed of our ears or our slackness.

3 easy pieces.

cardigan: old navy, skirt: lands' end canvas, shoes: nine west

Today's outfit photos are nothing short of amazing.  No, I'm not being an ego-maniac, I mean that it's amazing that I even bothered to take outfit photos and that I stayed composed long enough to do so.  Today's outfit, though I've never worn this particular combination before, is an old standby.  Cardigan, cami, skirt.  One thing I've learned from these wardrobe challenges is that you have to have enough basics to throw together an outfit without thinking about it.  No one said "cute outfit" today, but I'm just happy they didn't send me home from work to put on something more appropriate (this has never happened at work, but it did occur once or twice in school).  Speaking of inappropriate, yes those are my legs and yes they may have blinded one or two people who stared directly at them today.  Clearly that week long package I bought at the tanning bed did little more than make me think my flesh was melting.  Maybe I should have gone more than twice.  

Do you guys see all my wedding decorations in the background?  I think I  might just leave them up permanently.  We'll see how my husband feels about hearts, ribbon and lace decor.  This will be the true test of marriage.

I still don't know what outfit number I'm on....  I would count, but it's almost time for American Idol.  Ha.