Outfit log: Pink and Red

Happy Monday, y'all! How was your weekend? Mine was pretty awesome, with a nice combo of indulgence and productivity.

Some highlights:

• Happy hour + mingling
• Assisted my third patient through part of the labor (including birth! what a bad ass!)
• Took a sunset walk in Alameda along the water
• Got a fantastic hair cut + color from my girl, Aurora
• Did responsible adult things (cleaned my apartment, grocery shopped, and picked up cat supplies)

And then it was over :( But looking forward to a productive workweek followed by a jaunt to Santa Cruz to see some fabulous ladies I haven't spent time with in FOREVER.

In other news, here's a recent outfit featuring the likely familiar red pencil skirt I've been donning quite a bit lately.

Occasion: Workin' it, January 19th

Outfit details:
floral top - h&m
belt - h&m
red pencil skirt - thrifted vintage
tights - assets
boots - madeline "bendall"
necklace - anthropologie

I decided to try another direction in this ensemble, pairing the red skirt with a colorful top instead of my previous black & white variations. Even though the floral in the top doesn't "match" the red skirt per se,  the look still felt cohesive.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Outfit log: Cowling

Double the outfit pics today, peeps! First... with the blazer.

Occasion: Workin' it, January 11th

Outfit details:

sweater - french connection via tjmaxx
pants - the limited
moccasins - minnetonka via dsw
necklace - forever 21, gift
blazer - theory via tjmaxx

And now, without said blazer.

This wasn't one of those looks that made me feel so creative or brilliant. It was simple and comfortable and easy. But also felt AMAZING. I felt sleek and put together and professional and warm and very me. Yes!

By the way, can we give cowl necks some props? I love how they keep my neck warm without the suffocation feelings induced by turtlenecks. Also? Fantastic for layering with vests and jackets.

Finally... I was going through my blog archives trying to decide what to do with my hair next (secret perk of style blogging, yo) and I realized I stopped doing makeup shots with products awhile ago and I wanna bring 'em back! Well maybe sometimes. 

Makeup details:
urban decay eye shadow primer potion in sin
urban decay naked palette eye shadows - sin, toasted, hustle
mac fluidline liner in blacktrack
nars blush in orgasm
clinique concealer, tinted moisturizer & mineral powder

For this look I used my favorite purchase ever, the Urban Decay Naked Palette, combined with my favorite cat-eye liner look. Yay for makeup favorites!

Outfit log: The Importance of Experimenting

Do you know what the main difference is between my clothing choices now and before I started blogging?

Taking style risks. Playing around with trends and proportions and personalities outfits exude. And sometimes? The stars align and magic happens and an outfit feels so damn GENIUS and GORGEOUS and AMAZING and I walk around all day on a cloud waiting for people to compliment me because I know I've created a damn masterpiece.


And then... there's outfits like this.

Occasion: Workin' it*, January 10th

Outfit details:
suede tie belt - from separate skirt
tights - outlet (forget which!)
otk socks - target
necklace - flea market

Which felt... awkward. To me at least. Perhaps someone else would feel the sensations I referenced above in this getup, but I didn't. And hey! That's okay. Because just like in life, if you play it safe all the time you miss out on the big successes that you get rewarded with for making it through set backs and "failures." So, thanks weird outfit that didn't jive with me. You'll make the next awesome one feel that much sweeter :)

*By the way, my best advice for getting through the day in an outfit that makes you feel less than wonderful and perhaps a bit self-conscious? Fake it 'til you make it. Strut your stuff like you look like a million bucks, because confidence makes ANYTHING look fabulous! Plus, at some point that pretend confidence might just roll over into the real deal.

Outfit log: Pencil Skirts and Running

I used to have this wild idea that I couldn't "pull off" pencil skirts. I wrote them off as being the wrong shape for me, and not a flattering option. But coming around to an appreciation for pencil skirts on my body was a lot like realizing that I don't hate running. Seriously.

Occasion: Workin' it, January 9th

Outfit details:
pencil skirt - thrifted benetton
belt - betty page clothing
ruffly top - express, gift
tights - assets
boots - type z "soha," stretched
necklace - anthropologie

Because, with running, once it dawned on me that if I listened to my body and went at my own pace AND (very important) stopped myself from self-bashing with thoughts like "you call this running? you could probably just walk fast and go faster than you're going," then I actually enjoyed it! And with pencil skirts, once I discovered (while thrifting, duh) the type of fit that worked well on my bod AND was comfortable, I understood how silly I'd been before. And now I looooove them :)

Outfit log: Welcome to MAC!

Or... Welcome to Aveda!

Or... Thanks for joining my improv group!

Wearing all black makes me feel kind of like an imposter, and also kind of like a BAD ASS.

Occasion: Workin' it (though not at Aveda or MAC), December 16th

Outfit details:
thrifted (by mom) cowl neck sweater/tunic (it's a fancy brand, but my memory sucks)
gap ponte pants (not leggings, yo)
target OTK socks
type Z "soha" boots

Like Sandy in Grease when she tries to get Danny back by being all rebellious-like. Unfortunately, due to the amount of times I had to lint roll this entire ensemble before leaving the house only to STILL be covered in cat hair, I fear I will not don this combo again. Unless I get a new job, that is.

Happy Freaking Friday! Man... what a long two day work week I've had...

Outfit log: Karaoke Birthday (not mine)

Oops, meant to line this up to post yesterday, but then I got sick on Tuesday and didn't want to do anything but watch Battlestar Gallactica all damn day. And then I did the same damn thing again yesterday! I think it's becoming an addiction. Must. Find. Out. More. Gah!!!! Going through withdrawal at work today...

Anyway, I still sound disgusting, but I'm feeling better! 

Occasion: Karaoke Birthday Party, January 8th

Outfit details:
gap v-neck
antique fair necklace
vegas vendor wrap skirt
aerosoles wedges

Here's the outfit I wore to Ramona's fabulous Karaoke Birthday party last last weekend. I knew I wouldn't have to walk anywhere, so I opted to wear some wedges that are pretty comfortable anyway. I figured throwing in an extra pattern to the ensemble by way of the shoes would be fine since the skirt is such a gorgeous mishmash already. Plus, leopard/cheetah print is arguably the most mixable pattern in the world, right??

Outfit log: Purple & Brown

Not so much to say about this ensemble, other than:

• I have a lot of purple in my wardrobe;
• purple and brown don't always feel right together, but I think it works; and
• I may have just been telling myself that so I could rock my new danskos again.

Occasion: Workin' it, January 5th

Outfit details:
gifted gap dress
gifted cardigan
kohls tights
dankso "reeny" mary janes

This dress was a gift back in college, and when my mom gave me this fabulously ruffly purple cardigan over the holidays, I knew they'd be great together. Also, the tights have a basket weave kinda print, which incorporates some subtle pattern mixing. Kinda a snoozy paragraph, but there ya go!

Hope you're enjoying the long weekend! I'm in LA again, waiting for my cousin to wake his ass up so I can say goodbye and head on back to NorCal. My good friend Sadie accompanied me on the way down, but it's gonna be a solo drive north today. Not that I'm complaining... driving for hours by myself always feels kinda wonderful. A great time to reflect, sing a lot, and just let my mind wander.

Outfit log: Hawaiian Burst

There's nothing like an island print to bring some color and life into a dreary day. I did regret my decision to go bare legged on my commute home, though. The skirt is really a glorified slip, and the wind just blew right through it as I was waiting for the train... brrr! Next time I'll remember to sport some leggings underneath, like last time.

Occasion: Workin' it, January 4th

Outfit details:
jcrew outlet cardigan
nordstrom cami
modcloth pocket watch necklace
roxy hawaiian print skirt
born "sage" boots

In other news, meet my new brown boots! They are ridiculously comfortable, fit the ole finicky calves, and give me even more options for brown-based looks. Score times a million.

Outfit log: For the Shoes

I promised I'd be sharing real camera outfit shots featuring my new favorite shoes, and here they are!

Occasion: Workin' it, January 3rd

Outfit details:
skirt - nordstrom
top - h&m
necklace - modcloth
tights - kohls
shoes - dankso "reeny"

Of course I put together the outfit around the shoes, knowing I wanted to wear them. I had been on the hunt for fabulous brown comfortable shoes for work for a long ass time, and when I saw these fabulous danksos on Hillary my obsession began. Thanks to some extra Christmas cash these puppies are now mine and I luuuuuurve them!

This skirt is an old stand by that has been neglected since the soles of my trusty brown boots got jacked. (I plan to get them fixed eventually, but haven't gotten around to it, mostly because I'm lazy. I mean, because they're not my dream boots anyway so I'm not in a rush. In fact, I may have some new brown boots that are even better!) The point being that these danskos fill such a crucial wardrobe gap I've been suffering with for months now, and I couldn't be happier. Strategic wardrobe purchases just feel so good.

You know what also feels good? Rocking the crap out of an outfit that an ex said didn't work. Ohhhh yeah :) It's the little things, people.

Outfit log: B&W for NYE

It just so happens that this next outfit I had lined up to share with you was black and white, just in time for Everybody, Everywhere!

Occasion: New Year's Eve, 2011

Outfit details:
handed down sequiney skirt
handed down fluttery top
handed down black slip
handed down steve madden pumps
tjmaxx belt

I'm sad about the crappy quality of the photos; my camera was dead and this was the end of the night when I was ready for pajamas :) I really liked my New Year's Eve outfit, though! The skirt has just enough sparkle to feel festive, and I got to debut two new to me items (blouse and belt). Also, I managed to keep the heels on for the entire evening... what what!

Outfit log: Layered Look + Weekend

Here's an outfit from one of two days I worked between time off for Christmas and New Year's.

Occasion: Workin' it, December 28th

Outfit details:
handed down dress
swapped vintage blouse
cost plus necklace
thrifted belt
kohls tights
dankso "reeny" mary janes

I've done this look before, previously layering everything over slim fitting cords, but this time I wanted to debut my recently acquired BEST SHOES EVER! You can't really see them in all of their glory here, but better outfit shots taken with an actual camera that show off their amazingness are coming later this week (pinky swear!).

Happy Monday, by the way! I'm feeling pretty freakin' cheerful this morning, which is weird being the beginning of the work week and all. But I suppose it is because my weekend was pretty fantastic! On Friday night I hit up The Albatross in Berkeley for some delicious beer, connect four (ohhhh yeah), darts, and popcorn with a new friend. Then Saturday morning my buddy Kate and I went for a hike in Tilden Park, which was my second hike of the new year (loving this trend I've got going).

Then I lugged two huge ikea bags of laundry to the laundromat and got all my clothes, bedding and towels clean (ahhhhhhh... still sighing with relief from that activity) before heading over to my lovely friend Ramona's karaoke birthday party at her pad.

Yeah, that's right... Mona's so bad ass she rented the equipment to have a PROFESSIONAL karaoke situation, complete with stage AND props. So fun.

Sunday morning I went for a walk around my neighborhood, then hit up grocery and pet stores so me and my cats can all eat this week. Spent the afternoon Sunday watching Battlestar Gallactica (I'm in lust with Starbuck, btw), did a little skyping with my girl Gaby, and made myself a healthy and delicious dinner at 9pm.

Somehow I was able to get my ass out of bed AHEAD of schedule this morning, which meant I had time to eat some breakfast (a spinach/oatmeal/greek yoghurt/almond milk/banana/berry smoothie) and I got to work 5 minutes early, which has not happened in a long while. Hell yes!

Hope your weekend was rockin' and your week is starting off splendidly :)

Outfit log: Christmas

I didn't spend my entire trip drinking. Between Christmas eve and Christmas day my mom, her hubs, and I watched four holiday movies: Love Actually, Bad Santa, It's a Wonderful Life, and Elf. Bad Santa wasn't quite my bag, but the other three are my absolute favorite holiday movies.

Occasion: Watching movies, at mom's and in the theater, Christmas day

Outfit details:
cowl neck sweater dress via tjmaxx
borrowed leggings
type z "soha" boots, stretched
handed down tiffany & co necklace

Mom and I also headed out of the house... to watch another movie (and I wore this)! My mom grew up reading Tin Tin comics, and continued the trend with me as a little tot. So, naturally, we decided to see the movie together, in 3D! It was my first 3D movie experience, which was fun (thought wearing two pairs of glasses isn't)... and while the movie wasn't my favorite of all time, it was great to see it with my mom. She's the best!

Outfit log: Billy's Bar

The night before I left IL, my step sister drove up to Springfield so my mom and her dad could take care of her kiddos while she took me to her favorite bar. And proceeded to get me druuuuuunk.

Occasion: Getting hammered beers with my step sister, December 26th

Outfit details:
tjmaxx cowl neck sweater
modcloth pocket watch necklace
gap jeggings
type z "soha" boots, stretched

Annnnd I wore clothes. More specifically a new sweater I picked up at TJMaxx with my mom that day AND new jeggings I snagged at the Gap for $20. Yes, jeggings! I've been wanting a pair forever, and now they're mine! They are comfortable while sassy, just as expected, and kept me warm in the cold ass Midwest. Win!

Since Angela is friends with Billy we got to stay in the bar after all of his other patrons had left. Ang pumped up the juke box volume to the MAX and we played all kinds of rockin' songs. And this happened:

Good times, y'all! Made for two shitty flights back the next day, but we sure had a blast :)