December 31, 2010

Goodbye 2010


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{Dress: Urban Outfitters, Blazer: Target, Necklace & Bracelet: LOFT, Shoes: Bandoli

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Hey friends, in lieu of a regular post I bring you my first week participating in Friend Friday. This week's topic is about resolutions. Enjoy! I hope you have an amazing New Years!


1. What's the one thing you vow to learn or do in 2011 to improve your blog?
I’m always open to new ideas and developments, but I’m specifically hoping to improve my outfit pictures. I’m a little gun shy {and lack the necessary tools} to trek outdoors for pictures. But I’m thinking that with some warmer weather and the help of my sister, I will start branching out of my bedroom for pictures.


2. What did you learn about blogging in 2010 that you plan to put into practice next year?
I began reading blogs in 2009 and everyone always mentioned the community. Having started my own blogging endeavor in the last few months of 2010, I’ve had the great pleasure to experience that community first hand. It’s really made me appreciate the blogs I read more. I also especially appreciate those who take the time to check out my little blog.


3. Do you have any high-level goals for your blog in the coming year? Monetization? More comments? More connections with other bloggers? A new template?
I kinda feel like a blogging toddler. I’m still feeling my way through, figuring things out, and hopefully growing. I’ve made some design changes here in the last week {did you notice?} and everyday I’m learning something new. As far as goals, I’m hoping to settle into a posting routine, incorporate some non-work outfits and improve photo quality.


4. If you could collaborate with one other blogger within your sphere of influence in 2011, who would you like to collaborate with, and what would you like to collaborate on?
I would love to collaborate with Kinsey from In Kinsey’s Closet. I discovered her blog right before starting my own and I absolutely fell in love her style {and her of course too}. Kinsey is so sweet and I’m constantly inspired by her outfit choices. It’s really encouraging to find another blogger with a similar style and shape. Since Kinsey is moving back to the Midwest, I would love to work on a blogger meet up or do a clothing swap.


5. What do you plan to do to support other bloggers next year?
I think it's fair to stay that prior to starting 26 and Counting, I was a style blog lurker. I read and loved A LOT of blogs, but I rarely commented or reach out to those who I were my favorites. Slowly that started to change in the last few months of 2010 and it radically changed when I started blogging. I'm hoping to continue to comment, e-mail and connect with other bloggers in 2011.

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December 30, 2010

Jeans? Yes, please.


12-30-10 4
{Shirt & Cardigan: J Crew, Jeans: Gap, Necklace: Banana Republic, Bracelets: H&M, Shoes: Bandolino}


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I know my photos aren’t always the best for showing detail {a resolution I’m hoping to work on in the New Year}, so I thought I would point out that I am in fact wearing jeans. Jeans are a bit of a rarity on the blog since I focus on what I wear to work, but I promise they are a staple of my closet. But guess what? It is a work day and I am in fact wearing jeans! Today is one of the few days where the dress code is a bit lax. And by lax I mean no one is here, so I’m making up my own dress code. Shh, don’t tell my boss.


It’s a bit dreary here in Kentucky today, so I thought I would jazz up my outfit with a bit of sparkle. Sparkle and a lot of coffee. I’m feeling pretty tired today and I’m going to need my energy for tomorrow night’s festivities. So on that note, I’m off to Starbucks. Time for a refill.

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December 29, 2010

Great Expectations


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{Top: Anthro, Cardigan: Martin & Osa, Skirt & Tights: Gap, Belt: J Crew, Boots: Macys}


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This isn’t a post about Pip and Estella {I’m no Charles Dickens}, it’s about that little upcoming holiday, New Year’s. There's lots to love about the New Year – the idea of a fresh start, an excuse to brush away the bad and a reason to open yourself to the new and exciting. Of course, I also really love the celebration of New Year’s Eve {who doesn't love a PAR-tay?} If there was ever a night to pull out your glitzy-est, blingy-est, most fabulous-est outfit, it's NYE. Despite the great outfits, the past few NYE have been a let down to say the least.


There was that one NYE where I cried {i know, i know}, the one where I accidently kissed a boy who was still in college {and I most certainly wasn't} or the one where I opted to stay in and to watch Gangs of New York instead {I love you Leo but that movie is scary}. You could say when it comes to NYE, I have great expectations. I can’t help but wonder if this year I’m bound to be inevitably let down. I have the outfit, now I'm just crossing my fingers.


What are you guys doing?

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December 28, 2010

Merry Fair Isle?


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{Top: LOFT, Sweater & Earrings: Anthro, Pants: Banana Republic, Shoes: Bandolino}


12-28-10 5


Apparently this print is something called Fair Isle. I wasn’t aware of the technical term when I wore it on Christmas Day, but I was fortunate that someone informed me of it's true name. I'm fairly certain that this sweater would not have appreciated it if I continued to call it my "Snow Bunny" sweater. Or my “Do I look I’m from Vermont” sweater. But now that I'm in the know, I will only refer to this warm and cozy knit by it’s true name, Fair Isle.


But this isn’t what I wore on Christmas, it’s what I’m wearing today. I had hoped to get around to taking outfit pictures on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, but apparently endless games of Apples to Apples and cookie decorating superseded style blogging. I suppose that’s okay because it gave me a reason to style this Fair Isle sweater again today. Yep, only 48 hours have passed and I was experiencing Fair Isle Withdrawal {FIW}. After a few hours of Googling symptoms and cures, it seems like the only way to treat FIW is to simply wear more Fair Isle. Who am I to argue with the Google Gods? If they say more Fair Isle, I will give them more Fair Isle. They also recommended saying {or typing} Fair Isle as much as possible to ease the pain {in case you’re counting, the Fair Isle count is up to 9}.


So thanks for letting me get that out. I’m feeling much better now, because I know you were concerned, right?

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December 27, 2010

Playing Favorites


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{Top: LOFT, Cardigan/Skirt/Belt: J Crew, Necklace: Lia Sophia, Tights: Gap, Boots: Steve Madden}


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Did everyone have a holly-jolly holiday? Did you get lots of goodies? Shockingly, I got {I’m sure you can guess} clothes! I was fortunate to receive a few lovely items and I am so excited to start wearing {and remixing} them! But getting dressed today was erringly like getting dressed for the first day of school, a feeling which I haven't experienced in a long time. I don't know about you, but sometimes I get a little overwhelmed with too many new choices.


What to pick? Which tag should I yank off first?


Just like when I was 7, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to wear first. I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Yes, that’s right, my clothes have feelings. So do yours, so please be nice to them. They can be sensitive.
This morning was like playing favorites and I didn’t want any one piece to feel like it was the last kid to be picked for dodge ball.


But I had to make a decision because 1) I was running late to work and 2) I was getting really cold standing around in my under-roos. I suppose all along I knew I would wear this skirt. I've been pointing it out to my mom for what seems like months now. I even sent her a direct link to Kendi's blog after she wore this. I think she got the message. That or Santa did a really, really good job this year.

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December 24, 2010

Today is the day


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{Top: LOFT, Cardigan: J Crew, Skirt: Banana Republic, Belt: NY & Co., Boots: Target}


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Something about the holidays makes me want to dress up. If you can’t squeeze into your very best {actually it’s my only one, but it is the best} lace skirt and proceed to over stuff yourself with holiday treats and goodies, when can you? When I bought this skirt I wasn’t sure if it would be very versatile, but the hints of glamour and vintage were too good to pass up. Fast forward 2 years and I’ve finally managed to style it with something other than a black turtleneck.


This outfit was actually the first one I planned post 30 for 30. During the challenge I began to realize how many missed opportunities I had within my own closet {work vs play} and how I was neglecting several beautiful items {trophy pieces}. After putting this outfit together I instantly wanted to wear it! But lounging around your apartment isn’t the best way to re-debut a lace skirt, is it? Instead, I did something I rarely do and showed a little self restraint. So I proceed to hang all the pieces together in the front of my closet as a reminder to myself that some day soon I would get to wear this beauty. And today, well, it’s the day!


And lovelies - have a fabulous holiday! {and eat a few extra goodies for me}

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December 23, 2010

Messy Chic


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{Top: J Crew, Sweater: Martin & Osa, Skirt & Tights: Express, Belt: Limited, Boots: Target}


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When this shirt arrived in the mail {hello jcrew additional 30% of sale, love you}, I knew I wanted to wear it right away. But truth be told I was a little hesitant. Button up shirts and I, well let's just say, we have a tumultuous past. One day it's all "I love you", "no I love you". And the next it's game playing and saying mean things behind each other's back. Oh wait, that's the wrong tumultuous relationship. Let's try that again.


I love button ups, I really do. But they don't quite love me back. It's a bit of a one sided relationship. In fact, I think it's fair to say I repel button ups. You see the buttons on these shirts love to magically come undone. It's like the shirt is literally trying to force itself off my body. It's not good. Suffices to say, I was a little worried about this darling. We would we have the same history? Was our fate sealed? Luckily, there was no such problem with this shirt. Perhaps I've met my soul mate button up.


The shirt is a little casual for the office so I knew I wanted to dress it up a bit. I'm not sure why, but I've been heavily avoiding pants. Maybe it's a winter thing. Or a love of tights thing. Or I don't want my pants to get wet and dirty from the snow thing. Tangent aside, I knew I wanted to wear a skirt. This skirt is currently resides in the "needs to be altered" section of my closet. It's a bit big so going with the old tuck and go {that's Liz speak for tucking in my shirt} wasn't an option. But, hey I kinda it like it. It's a little messy, but kinda chic at the same time. That might be an oxymoron, just go with it.

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December 22, 2010

The Blah Feeling


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{Top: J Crew, Skirt: Banana Republic, Scarf: Nordstroms, Belt: H&M, Boots: Steve Madden}


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When I initially started thinking about the idea of “trophy pieces” I knew this skirt fit the bill. Fit the bill meaning that I bought this lovely for a specific event and proceed to never wear it again. The latter isn’t quite true, as I have actually worn this skirt twice, but being the outfit repeater that I am, it was {of course} the same outfit.


So as I've been doing lately, I laid my skirt out and started pulling random pieces from my closet for inspiration. Nothing really screamed “wear me, pick me”, so I hung my skirt back up figuring I would {hopefully} have better inspiration the next day. No such luck. So there I was standing in my tights and skirt feeling rather blah. Are you familiar with the blah feeling? Blah and I, well we go way back. Not too long ago, blah used to make me give up. At the first feeling of blah, I would stop trying and instead pick some old standby work outfit. Better safe than blah? Well that was the old me.


In my moment of blah, I remembered something Kendi said on her “why I remix" post that stuck with me. She said “It reminds me that I do have style, but style isn’t something you buy, style is something you create. It reminds me that I have enough and with a little bit of creativity I can have even more.”


And with that thought I tried again. I liked the way this outfit turned out, especially the mix of the colors. But I really like the fact that I didn’t give up. I fought with blah and today I won.

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December 21, 2010

The Curious Case of the Unbuckling Belt


12/20/10
{Dress: H&M, Cardigan: LOFT, Necklace: Forever 21, Boots: Macys}

12/20/10


Being the shopaholic that I am, I love shopping for those moments when something “special” is required. Be it a party, a trip, or any other fun occasion. Some people take photos for keepsakes, others {or just me} collect clothes. Is it strange that I can associate specific events with exactly what I wore? Or that I’m hesitant to re-wear these pieces for the next special event? I need something new! Something better, right? I’m starting to realize this train of thought is silly {ridiculous actually}. Why buy clothes to wear once and then proceed hang up as if they’re trophies?


I’m bound and determined to start re-wearing and styling these pieces, this dress is my first attempt. I wore this dress originally {and by originally, I mean the only time} on a trip in May and I suppose as the months passed, I forgot the belt on this dress was broken. Well, maybe not broken, but definitely defective. Defective in that it will suddenly unclasp at any given moment. I didn’t mind it so much when it unbuckled when I was driving to work, but boy did it start getting really annoying as the day went on.


Like when I was walking down the hall waving to a co-worker.
Or as I was walking out of Starbucks with 2 coffees in my hand.
Or best of all when I walked into my boss’s office to answer a question.


I mean how to do you re-buckle your belt without looking like a total spaz? If you have the answer, please let me know. In the mean time, I will remember to change the belt the next time I wear this dress.


And in case you were wondering, I walked straight out of my boss's office when it snapped open. Spaz. Total Spaz.

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December 20, 2010

The Blazer Issue

12/17/10
{Blazer: Gap, Top: J Crew, Skirt: BR, Scarf: TJ Maxx, Tights & Belt: Limited, Boots: Steve Madden}

12/17/10


I have an issue {actually I may or may not have a lot of issues}, but this particular issue is my love/hate relationship with blazers. As a working girl I love the idea of blazers - they have great structure, they're crisp and of course professional. The hate part, unfortunately, is that I never can seem to incorporate them into my wardrobe, so they're left hanging in an obscure part of my closet collecting dust.


I bought this particular blazer with the intent of wearing it a lot. It's a bit longer {which I love}, it has a beautiful lining {adore} and fits like a glover {hallelujah}. You'd think considering all of the above, I would have managed to style it more than twice. Well friends, I haven't. But I promise I'm going to try.

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December 17, 2010

Comfy Is As Comfy Does


12/16/10
{Sweater & Top: Banana Republic, Skirt: Limited, Belt: NY & Co., Boots: Steve Madden}


12/16/10


After yesterday’s post you might be thinking, what’s work and what’s play in this outfit? I may be throwing you for a loop because this particular piece of red loveliness is neither. This sweater is comfy and comfy trumps both work AND play. Unfortunately, comfy does not have a designated closet. Instead, comfy can be found in random spots all over my apartment. Meaning it may be under my bed, stuffed into drawers or hiding on the floor of my closet. Since comfy is, well, comfy, I let it do as it pleases. If it wants to be on the floor, who am I to judge?


I thought this sweater was appropriate for the day because I woke up to find myself in the midst of a snow storm. Yep, that's right! I slept outside and was literally caught in the midst of the storm {i kid, i kid}. Regardless, what's more perfect than your favorite, most comfortable sweater on a snow day? Actually, I wish it was a snow day, but instead it was dig your car out of the snow and slide your way to work day {i kid not, i kid not}.

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December 16, 2010

Work vs. Play


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{Top & Belt: Anthro, Cardigan: Banana Republic, Pants: Express, Boots: Target}


12/15/10
{ps, cardigan is purple. silly camera}


I have the tendency to categorize things in my closet as a) work or b) play. My obsessive nature thought it would be a fabulous idea to use my 2 closets {I know I’m one of the lucky kids} to separate my work clothes from my fun clothes {it should be noted that each closet is color coded, I have a thing for color coding}. After completing the 30 for 30 challenge, I began to realize that maybe I was creating more of a problem than a solution. I always thought separating the 2 would make it easier to get dressed in the morning/for a night out with friends. Just go to the appropriate closet and select the appropriate outfit.


Sounds great, right?


What I’m coming to realize is that by separating my clothes based on situation I’m cutting my wardrobe in half. The unforunate result is that my “I don’t have anything to wear” syndrome has doubled. This is not good guys. I’m a long time sufferer of “I don’t have anything to wear” syndrome and I’m in the market for a cure. Today’s outfit is a first step as it's a combination of both sides of my closet. This shirt and belt came from the “fun” side, while the pants and cardigan came from the "work" side. I was pleasantly surprised that by adding a nice pair of pants and longer cardigan this shirt instantly became work ready.


Now my head is in a scramble and my closet, well, it’s about to receive an overhaul. Stayed tuned as I continue {and by continue and I mean try} to style my more playful fun pieces into office ready looks.

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December 15, 2010

Hey, Remember Me?


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{Top: Anthro, Cardigan: NY & Co., Pants: Express, Belt: J Crew, Shoes: Bandolino}

12/14/10


Oh hey, it’s me again, Liz remember? Nice to see you too. Now that the 30 for 30 is behind us {it was a group effort, really}, I bring my first real outfit of the day {dailys if you will}. I’m in the process of making a few changes around here. Don’t mind me, please just go about your usual business. Leave a comment if you feel so inclined. Head over to formspring if you have a question. Or you know, there’s always good ole e-mail.

New to 26 and Counting? Click here to find out a little more about me.

As for the outfit, well it started with this shirt. After standing around my bedroom in only this shirt for 20 minutes I figured I really should get dressed. The co-workers definitely wouldn’t appreciate me coming into work half dressed. But it was the first day post 30 for 30 and I felt the need to take it slow. My first thought was to pair it with yellow, but I couldn’t reach for an item from my 30 on the first day. That’s against the rules. Wait, you mean there aren’t rules for every day dressing? I can pick whatever I want? Ohhh, okay. After a few different combinations {because I could} I finally settled on this. I kinda like it.

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December 14, 2010

What now?


All 30


Yesterday marked the end of the 30 for 30 challenge. And all I can say is WOW. Wow – what a great experience! Wow – how great are my new blog friends? Wow – I actually finished! Like many have done before me {and I’m sure others will do as they finish} here are my random observations and thoughts.

- I finished the remix having only used 28 pieces. Yep – after trying and trying again to remix my green skirt I just didn’t like it. The fit was all wrong so instead of holding onto yet another adorable {but unworn} item, I took it back along with the green sweater.

- What I didn’t wear is kinda boring though, right? So how about what I did wear! My most worn item? Two pairs of black boots. But that’s not what I want to talk about, I want to talk about my challenge savers. My lovely cardigans {black, pink and yellow}. Surprisingly my black cardigan came out as the most worn item. Through the course of the challenge it was a pretty versatile piece. Don’t believe me? Check it out as a top {here and here}, a layering piece {here and here}, and naturally as a simple cardigan {here and here}.

- The most surprising piece? My LOFT pink cardigan. Truth be told I’m not really a pink person – but I’ve been trying to branch out with more color – so voila. Come to find out the color changes with what I wear it with. See it can be bright pink, slightly purple, even more of a magenta color. Who knew?

All in all, I’m really glad I participated in this challenge. Last night I went home and stood in front of my closet with new eyes. I was both in awe and slightly terrified. As others have mentioned it’s a little intimidating to return to the unrestrained world of your entire closet. So I’m going to take a few of my daily 30 for 30 practices and incorporate them into my everyday style routine. This means taking the time to {thoughtfully} pick out pieces for the next day {or week}, documenting {a fancy word for blogging} so I have a record of what I did {and didn’t} like and maintaining my involvement in the style blogging community {you just can’t get rid of me}.

Thank you to everyone who’s followed me along on this journey. I hope you’ll stick around for the next chapter {whatever that may be}. For now I’ll leave with my 10 favorites.

Top 10

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December 13, 2010

Well This is a First


30/30 [12/13/10]
{Dress & Necklace: H&M, Top: LOFT, Cardigan: Martin & Osa, Belt: Anthro, Boots: Target}


30/30 [12/13/10]


I find it rather amusing that today {day 30 no less} is the first day that I’m actually blogging an outfit while actually wearing said outfit. To all of you who were able to take, edit, blog and post pictures in the same day, my {imaginary} hat’s off to you. But nonetheless here I am, finally wearing a dress as a skirt {go me}, all the while being able to write about it in real {blog} time {go me x2}. Speaking of wearing a dress as a skirt, did I fool you? Did you notice? No? I can’t put anything past you guys, can I?


Speaking of this dress, I picked it {actually it picked me remember?} for 2 reasons: 1) for its potential remix pool of colors and 2) for the possibility of wearing it as a skirt. I’m really glad this whole dress as a skirt thing worked because I waited until the last day {and literally the last option} to give it a try. I like to think the higher aboves off in remix heaven were looking down on me today. So thanks to those folks {whoever you are}, I owe you.

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December 12, 2010

Scarves Don't Lie


29/30 [12/10/10]
{Cardigan: LOFT, Pants: Express, Belt: J Crew, Scarf: Local Boutique, Top: NY & Co., Boots: Steve Madden}


29/30 [12/10/10]


Remember when I was all nervous and self conscious about trying the belted scarf? And how I rambled on about hippies and Shakira? Yeah, me either. Well the ever wise {and fabulous} Kendi commented that scarves, well they don't lie either. So after silencing that nagging little voice in my head and receiving some words of encouragement from you {which ps in case you all missed my memo, you rock!}, I knew I wanted to try it again.


So here you go, the belted scarf take 2. This look may be a little deceiving, so I'm just going to be up front and tell you that, yes I am in fact wearing a top. I know it may not look like it, but it's there {albeit hidden} I promise. While you can't really see my brown shirt in these pictures, {seen here) I really think the combination of all these colors mixed well.


Now I'm off to plan something fabulous for day 30 tomorrow. Actually, don't hold me to that. I hate to disappoint you guys, but I'll do my best.

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December 10, 2010

If You Will


28/30 [12/9/10]
{Top: LOFT, Cardigan: Nordstroms, Pants: Banana Republic, Scarf: J Crew, Belt: NY & Co., Boots: Target}

28/30 [12/9/10]


Until recently, yellow {or mustard if you will} wasn’t really a color I wore. But I was fortunate that on a lovely day during the Nordstrom Annual Sale, that this little guy found me, and I’ve been enamored with yellow ever since. So with the challenge winding down {yes I will probably mention the end of this challenge in every post until it’s over} I thought I would give this cardigan one final hoorah. I was really excited by the idea of this outfit. I had yet to wear this cardigan with pants, nor had I worn this particular scarf. So I thought the combo seemed great, fabulous actually.

The actual result was, unfortunately, less than fabulous. These pants are a little big {and while I wouldn’t complain about that most days} it just made the look feel a little sloppy. This shirt was also not cooperating as it refused to stay tucked in. I thought a belt would help the pants from falling down/shirt untucking itself, but it was more a pain than anything.

C’est la vie. Not everyday can be a winner, right? Better luck tomorrow {today actually}.

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December 9, 2010

The End is Near


27/30 [12/8/10]
{Top: Banana Republic, Dress & Tights: Express, Cardigan & Belt: Anthro, Boots: Steve Madden}

27/30 [12/8/10]


I could keep it short and sweet today and let the title of this post speak for itself, but if there is one thing I love it’s the over use of italics and parentheses {actually that’s two things}. So that means I have to come up with something to say {write}, right? I know you all love {or loathe} my italics and parentheses. So I’ll suck it up. I’ll suck it up for you. That’s right I don’t do this for me, I do it for you {actually I do this for me too}.

Parentheses aside, with the end of the challenge looming it raises some essential blogging questions.

What I’m going to wear on day 31? Do I keep style blogging? How often?

I’m not really sure what’s the plan for the day 31 – so it’s a good thing that today is day 27. Perhaps it’s the sub freezing temperatures or maybe it's me scrambling to come up with these last few outfits, but layering has become my answer for everything.

Well let’s see. I’ve worn this shirt. And this dress. But I haven’t worn them together. Hmm, I wonder if I can layer the two? Oh, I can! Sweet. Now what? A cardigan? ALWAYS A CARDIGAN.

Sorry about the caps, but it’s true. If anything, my go to of this challenge has been, when in doubt, add a cardi. And once again here it is.

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December 8, 2010

Kind of Awesome


26/30 [12/7/10]
{Shirt: Anthro, Cardigan: Boutique in Cali, Pants & Bracelet: Express, Belt: NY & Co., Shoes: Bandolino}


26/30 [12/7/10]


Holidays just wouldn’t be the same without your traditional {and slightly awkward} work parties, am I right? I’m sure you can imagine the scene: co-workers hovering over a {spiked} punched bowl, a few outliers lining {poorly} wallpapered walls & perhaps one too many {tacky} Christmas sweaters.


Now I can’t promise that no one wore a tacky sweater, but I can say with certainty that my work Christmas Party is pretty awesome. This year Darius Rucker {or Hootie as I like to call him} was the performer. Previous years include: Lionel Richie, Kristin Chenoweth, Michael Buble & Harry Connick Jr.

See I told you it was awesome.

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Remix Recap: Days 21-25


Remix Recap: 21-25


Per usual, here is your remix recap! It's hard to believe there's only 5 more outfits until the end. Today also marks an improvement upon my previous 30 for 30 this summer. Yes, yes I am a remix vetern {sort of}. While I wasn't posting outfits on the blog, I did participate via flickr {proof}, but unfortunately I only lasted 26 days. As I sit here, typing up this little summary of sorts, I am in fact on day 27.

Looking back on this set, I'm partial to day 22. I'll be back later today with day 26. In the mean time, leave your favorite{s} in the comments!

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December 7, 2010

It started with a broach


25/30 [12/6/10]
{Top & Belt: J Crew, Skirt: Banana Republic, Scarf: H&M, Tights: Limited, Shoes: Bandolino}


25/30 [12/6/10]


With only 5 outfits remaining in the challenge, I’m fairly certain I’ve exhausted most of my “planned” ensembles. I was a little nervous standing in front of my closet without even an inkling as what to wear for the day. But then I remembered a recent What I Wore post – in which the ever fabulous Jessica used the most adorable broach.


Ah, a broach!


And so began the search through my {disheveled} junk drawer. Thankfully the sparkle from the broach gave it’s location away without much hassle. And with that I was on my way to this outfit. A sparkly belt & headband later and I was good to go. Although my colors aren’t very “tis the season”, I think the sparkle gives it a holiday flair.

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December 6, 2010

Lost in the Mix


24/30 [12/3/10]
{Jacket: Gap, Sweater & Belt: Limited, Skirt: Banana Republic, Tights: Hue, Boots: Steve Madden}

24/30 [12/3/10]


It’s starting to become clear which pieces {hello pink and yellow cardigans} have become my go-to remix items and which pieces have sadly gotten a bit lost {this green jacket} in the mix.


Truth be told, I planned my 30 items without considering the fact that I may begin working a second job so it seems the few casual pieces I included have been neglected. Jeans – a staple of my weekend attire – have only been worn twice {prior to job #2 and a surprise day “off”} . My black dress – a replacement piece, has actually been worn a lot. But begrudgingly I repeated day 15 almost every time {no need to post repeats, right}. And this jacket unfortunately falls into the same category.


I love this jacket. Its mixture of military and comfort make it a piece thats great after work or on the weekends. But circumstances being what they may, haven’t lent themselves to after work adventures or relaxing weekends. So when I thinking through this particular outfit, I decided to give my lil green jacket some extra attention. Being 7am at the time my judgment skills were still warming up and I couldn’t decided if the green actually went with my red tights. But hey if you can’t get away mixing green and red in December, when can you?

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December 5, 2010

When in doubt or freezing


23/30 [12/2/10]
{Top: J Crew, Cardigan #1: Martin & Osa, Cardigan #2: LOFT, Belt: NY & Co., Pants: BR, Boots: Target}


23/30 [12/2/10]


If I had it my way I would enjoy the first snow fall of the winter by staying {warm} inside and enjoying a {large} cup of coffee while watching my favorite {the princess bride} movie. But being the grown up that I am, I must instead go to work so I can do grown up things like pay my rent. On this particular day I could feel the cold creeping in before getting out of bed. Instead of trying to savor the warmth of my {3} blankets and hitting snooze for the third time, I quickly got up and got dressed. Despite my tweed pants and cardigan I was unfortunately still freezing. Rather than spending my day shivering at my desk, I opted to throw on a second cardigan.


You may or may not remember seeing this particular cardigan just two days ago. Sometimes necessity trumps my highly scientific scheduled cardigan system. Sometimes.

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December 3, 2010

Hips Don't Lie


22/30 [12/1/10]
{Dress: Express, Scarf: Nordstroms, Belt & Bracelet: H&M, Boots: Steve Madden}


22/30 [12/1/10]


Guys, we’re in the midst of a phenomenon. The phenomenon known as the belted scarf. It’s a force to be reckoned with! Need proof? Ohhh, I have proof!


Kendi, Sydney, Tania, Linley & Kinsey


Entering into the 30 for 30 I knew I wanted try this trend. Clearly I love belts and scarves so it should be easy, right? Wrong. Friends, I’m a hippy girl. No, not in a bohemian 70's way. More like in a Shakira kinda way. It’s just the simple truth. No matter how many days I work out, or miles I run, I have hips. And these hips, they don’t lie.

I tried to put the belted scarf into action on days 1, 13 and 15, but I just couldn’t do it. Being a hippy girl you learn certain tricks over time. And these tricks, well, they’re sacred.


Belts under, never over. 1 fitted piece + 1 fuller piece. Love handles? Try a cardi.


So when I had to belt over, not under AND add more fabric to the mix, I was scared to death hesitant. So enter today. Outfit #22 and I have finally managed to put my fears aside.

Actually if you follow me on the twitter, you may have noticed some of my hot mess paranoia tweets. Admittedly, I was nervous most of the day. Debuting the belted scarf with a form fitting sweater dress was definitely out of my comfort zone. But all was {is} good. By the end of the day I received the fashion stamp of approval from my co-workers {they know about the challenge – I can’t keep a secret}. And looking at it now, I think it just may be my favorite of the challenge.

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December 2, 2010

Pink + Green


21/30 [11/30/10]
{Shirt & Belt: Anthro, Cardigan: LOFT, Skirt: Banana Republic, Tights & Jewelry: Express, Boots: Steve Madden}

21/30 [11/30/10]


Somethings go together naturally. Coffee and peppermint {hello peppermint mocha}, nutella and pretzels {yumms}, Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling {please get back together}, and of course pink and green.


Pink and green happen to be my sorority colors so maybe, just maybe, I'm biased. Speaking of my sorority - a few of you asked what I meant by being a "professional sorority girl" on my 7 secrets. It's all true I promise. After college I was hired {as were a few others} to work as a consultant {10 points for anyone who can spot me} for the national organization. In a nutshell, we jet-setted all over the country working with chapters and collegiate members on operations, recruitment and leadership development all while living out of a suitcase.


I loved the 2 years I worked for Delta Zeta. I traveled, met and worked with inspiring women, and learned a lot about myself in the process.

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