Aida ~

This week I had the unexpected and unwelcome challenge of needing outfits that could take me overnight at the ER (and help with errands, chores, etc.) after a close family member was hospitalized Monday. Luckily it hasn't been necessary and hopefully the next few days are the same. Minus Monday, these outfits are more typical of my weekend wear rather than my usual work wear.

#2 Monday 01.25. Experimenting with soft pants tucked into tall boots. Liked the cropped sweater at first, but found it fussy at the hospital (plus way, way too warm). Felt much better after changing; ...
  Newer: pants, sweater, earrings
  Older: boots, coat, clutch, sunnies

... in the evening hubby brought me an overnight bag including the brown boots in #5 and an oversized charcoal sweater which I wore with the pants in #2 straight through Tuesday night. Was tooooo tired to snap a photo when I eventually got home after 28 hours (most of it awake) at the hospital, but I actually liked the outfit so I'll probably wear it again sometime.

#3 Wednesday 01.27. Was bummed to find that this sweatshirt dress shrunk a bit when I last washed it; I'm hoping I can re-block it back to longer next wash! Simple styling with leggings, boots, and neon necklace.
  Newer: dress, sunnies
  Older: leggings, boots, necklace, coat, clutch

#4 Thursday 01.28. Similar to an outfit from last week for a very soggy day, swapping the top half for a cozy oversized sweater. I liked the other hair 'style' better; this felt a little too boyish. Worn with sentimental necklaces, the shorter a gift of a few favorite charms from my mom and the longer a gift from my husband way back when.
  Newer: sweater, jeans, hat
  Older: boots, necklaces, coat, clutch

#5 Friday 01.29. Not sure what this is but I felt very happy in it! Western 70s glam? ;) Initially tried untucked with stud earrings but MUCH preferred tucked with giant hoops. Bonus that my husband likes this outfit!
  Newer: blouse, jeans, sunnies
  Older: boots, earrings, coat, clutch

#6. Detail photos.

Comments, critiques, thoughts and questions welcome!

After the previous week's neutral heavy looks, last week I was in the mood for more color. While I was quite happy with all of these, the last three outfits had a significantly higher happiness factor -- am mulling over what that means exactly! Please pardon the extra inconsistent/incorrect lighting due to the volatile weather; bonus toothy grins to make up for it ^^

#2 Monday 01.18. A simple tonal look: aqua, faded blue, and gray. Charcoal coat and silver holo clutch to pick up on the tonality, and plum gloss for a little wintery darkness. Hair is sooooo overdue for a cut; couldn't control the flopiness so I just left it!
  Newer: jeans, sunnies
  Older: sweater, boots, earrings, coat, clutch

#3 Tuesday 01.19. Long-line white out, without single matching shade ^^ Burgundy moto coat for a totally opposite outerwear darkness (balanced by the boots' black bits) and finished with candy pink lipstick.
  Newer: blazer, sunnies
  Older: sweater, jeans, boots, necklace, coat, clutch

#4 Wednesday 01.20. A colorful black+cognac outfit because, well, you know me. Really liking the cognac accents with this sheer floral blouse and am curious to also try with white bottoms. After not buttoning all-the-way-up in a while it felt fresh to do so again. Orangey lip balm and no jewelry, just because, with a few more prints in the outerwear.
  Newer: pants, scarf, earrings, sunnies
  Older: sweater, boots, coat, clutch

#5 Thursday 01.21. Fun print mix for a VERY soggy day, coupled with a fuzzy leo hat and faux side-swept asymmetrical hair. I have yet to hem these jeans to kick-crop length but decided to wear them just the same along with my silver glitter jelly boots, and added some bright red lipstick for that little extra girly/glam touch. I hadn't really considered this print mix as much of anything, but got several comments on "how crazy" "all of the" patterns were (do picture me doing overexaggerated air quotes). I think I'm getting immune ;)
  Newer: jeans, hat
  Older: blouse, vest, boots, coat, clutch

#6 Friday 01.22. A few days earlier Angie mentioned the "Poppy, Rust & White" color combo which I just love and I've got loads of options for this color combo once the weather warms up. Here's a sort-of-wintery version for a surprisingly warm day. This jacket leans a bit more watermelon (though way less than the photos show!) and, while I know it won't be everyone's cuppa, I find the rust pairing deliciously clashing both in hue and in saturation. Finished with more red (lips) and orange (sunnies, booties).
  Newer: sweater, earrings, sunnies
  Older: jeans, blazer, booties, clutch

#7. Detail photos. Going light on the earrings for a bit, apparently my ears need a little break.

Comments, critiques, thoughts and questions welcome!

It was a neutral-heavy set of outfits last week, predominantly light as usual, with bits of orange and blue. Pretty typical of the types of outfits I've been wearing, lots of skinnies with the occasional something+tights :)

#2 Monday 01.11. Super simple styling, which seems to be my preference with this dress: various shades of gray and brown (the tights are a significantly less purpley taupe despite what the photograph shows). No earrings (weird), finished with plum gloss.
  Newer: dress, sunnies
  Older: tights, boots, coat, clutch

#3 Tuesday 01.12. This ponte top always gives me some trouble despite its interesting, almost-overly-simple design. I think I've about accepted that it's just too large and will likely pass it on shortly. Either way, I've enjoyed most pairing it with light shades as done here -- a slightly longer take on the the cropped pants + high shaft ankle booties look. Plum gloss, big two-tone hoops, and All The Patterns for outerwear.
  Newer: jeans, sunnies
  Older: blouse, booties, earrings, coat, clutch, scarf

#4 Wednesday 01.13. Quite like wearing this tunic and blanket scarf together; extra soft, fluffy, and long. Big scarf means hair up (plus it was pretty rainy). Candy pink lipstick and pink rock crystal studs for a little girly clash.
  Newer: pants, scarf, earrings, sunnies
  Older: sweater, boots, coat, clutch

#5 Thursday 01.14. White-out with cognac/cognac-like accents. Chose the gold belt over actual cognac to soften the contrast a bit, and finished with giant gold hoops and soft cherry pink gloss. My sister got me this brilliant (literally) orange/blue plaid coat over the holidays and I'm quite happy to put it right into rotation! Also sporting a cute little aqua clutch my husband got for me.
  Newer: boots, coat, clutch, sunnies
  Older: tee, vest, belt, jeans, earrings

#6 Friday 01.15. I'm off shirts for the most part these days, but couldn't pass up this very soft flannel which _perfectly_ matches these jeans; the plaid has a patchwork denim feel and I enjoy the almost-denim-on-denim vibe the two (top, jeans) have together. More cognac/cognac-like accents, orangey-pink lipstick, and of course the orange coat with More Patterns.
  Newer: shirt, jeans, earrings, coat, sunnies
  Older: belt, booties, clutch

#7. Detail photos.

Comments, critiques, thoughts and questions welcome!

Hello ladies! Here's a little collection of my holiday outfits. Mainly I wanted to have them all in once place for easy future reference, hope you don't mind a photo heavy post (I'll keep chatter to a minimum, feel free to skip the text!) ^^

#2 11.26 [Thanksgiving]. My husband likes to bang out ALL the families in one go to get it done, so this year we hit three families on Thanksgiving day. I chose a dark-and-rusty dressy outfit that's friendly for a full day of eating (seriously, soooo much food), and popped light shoes on to keep my happiness up. Pink lipstick for contrast with the rusty print, and giant gold hoops for a little extra glam.
  Newer: blouse, jeans, flats
  Older: earrings, coat, clutch, sunnies

#3 11.28 [Friendsgiving]. We host a large annual Friendsgiving (13 this year), and it's always a trick to find the right balance of casually-dressy-but-also-cookable. This year I used Angie's holiday plaid ensemble. Easy peasy!
  Newer: jeans
  Older: shirt, shoes, earrings, coat, clutch, sunnies

#4 12.06 [Holiday party]. Worn to a very fun "Awesome Girl" holiday party hosted by a couple of (shy ^^) forum members, Beth and Sanda, and it was wonderful to also see forum member Kari there. These crossover pants aren't at all wintery but fun for a party so why not! Added my mom's vintage crystal earrings and holographic clutch for some serious extra sparkle. Also did sheer sparkly eye makeup (party!), though I forgot to actually get a photo of it.
  Newer: sweater, pants
  Older: pumps, earrings, clutch, sunnies

#5 12.24 [Xmas Eve dinner]. Whenever possible, we go out for Chinese food with friends on Christmas Eve. Kept it ultra casual with faded denims, and festive with a cheerful red sweater and giant crystal earrings. Sequins and puffers totally go together, right? ;)
  Newer: vest, jeans, earrings, sunnies
  Older: sweater, booties, coat, clutch

#6-8 12.25 [Xmas]. Same as with Thanksgiving, we spent the day across three families including hosting dinner. For an early breakfast at our house I went simple and repurposed my Friendsgiving outfit. For lunch away I went a little dressier and rewore a recent meetup outfit. And for dinner back at home I modified that outfit by swapping the sweater for a lace moto and the booties for pumps.
  Newer: cream sweater, tunic, jeans, flats, earrings
  Older: plaid shirt, jacket, booties, pumps, cuff, coat, clutch

#9 12.31 [New Year]. My dad's birthday is New Year's Eve, so we always spend the evening with my folks. Casual dinner followed by gifts, games, and watching fireworks on TV.
  Newer: jeans, boots, sunnies
  Older: sweater, jewelry, coat, clutch

#10 01.02 [White elephant]. Took the opportunity to dress up for an annual White Elephant holiday party friends of ours host.
  Newer: sweater
  Older: skirt, hose, pumps, earrings, coat, clutch, sunnies

#11 All the details in one photo.

#12 And a bonus photo of my husband's gift to me: an original Ms. Pacman arcade machine (my favorite game of all time), minus the cabinet paint job which I will be restoring/re-stenciling once it warms up a bit. Soooo fun! :D

Whew! As always comments, critiques, thoughts and questions welcome.

As per Angie's challenge I'm adding a little extra festivity to my outfits! At the moment much of my winter wardrobe is composed of essential elements with very little sparkle (and I usually have a good bit of sparkle!). But of course there is still plenty of pretty and glam, as both are a big part of my style. I had to think a bit about what exactly upping the festive could mean for me, then, and ultimately decided the best approach would be adding an extra element (or two or three) that I would normally leave off. Which should take my usual Minimally Maximal style up a few notches on the maximal continuum ('tis the season, why not!).

For this short work week I thought it'd be fun to wear outfits that could actually go to a casual holiday party with minor changes (listed under "Upgrades for party wear"), and of course which are all a little "more" than how I'd normally wear them (listed under "Festive additions"). Also played with layering my lip colors again, which I haven't been doing lately, and had a lot of fun with that. For actual holiday wear I'd add a little sparkly eyes, and probably some shiny gloss over whatever lipstick I'm wearing.

#2/3 11.23. Textured grays with deep cranberry lipstick. Fun to pull out this rarely worn sparkly tweed collar. This black coat was a gift last winter, and although I wore only it a couple times then (didn't like it as much with my shorter hair), I think I'll wear it plenty this season (like it much more with my longer hair, strangely). Retro-glam outerwear.
  Newer: sweater, pants, earrings
  Older: booties, collar, coat, clutch, sunnies

• Festive additions - tucked top, sparkly tweed collar
• Upgrades for party wear - booties to black patent pumps, and maybe sweats to slim black pants

#4/5 11.24. Boho punk (because, extra crazy hair!) with candy red lips (two sheer reds, layered). For a very casual party, obviously ;) But I could always swap to similarly faded non-shredded jeans if needed. Modern-trendy outerwear.
  Newer: poncho, earrings
  Older: jeans, booties, coat, clutch, gloves, sunnies

• Festive additions - stack of spike bracelets, colorful gloves
• Upgrades for party wear - black tights to glittery tights, boots to gray ankle strap pumps

#6/7 11.25. A favorite holiday color combo, green+white+cognac, with electric orange lips (matte neon orange, sheer frosted orange, and pink gloss). Feeling a bit unwell today and wanted a happy FFBO. Retro-ladylike outerwear.
  Newer: blouse, boots, earrings
  Older: jeans, necklace, coat, clutch, sunnies

• Festive additions - deco necklace
• Upgrades for party wear - tucked top + gold belt, rock studs to giant gold hoops

Comments, critiques, thoughts and questions welcome!

And a Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate ^^

For my 10th wedding anniversary I figured a (pseudo) white-out was in order ;)

This outfit formed around this new extra cozy BIG blanket scarf which I picked up this past weekend during the meetup -- in my favorite color/neutrals (orange/white,taupe,black) and my favorite print (checks), couldn't pass that up! -- and popped over a column of white/cream to really highlight the scarf (and hair too, it's extra sassy today woo!). I specifically chose this open-weave tunic sweater for the added vertical integrity, which also minimizes the (truly) giant scarf a little bit. Added my husband's favorite piece of jewelry, pearl studs that were a 5th anniversary gift, and chose a deep cranberry lipstick inspired by how striking dark lips+light outfit looked in Anna's lovely outfit yesterday. For outerwear went with More Lightness and More Prints because, well, ya'all know me ^^ If it weren't cold I'd have preferred the no-coat look, but what can you do.

  Newer: scarf, sunnies
  Older: sweater, jeans, boots, coat, clutch, earrings

Comments, critiques, thoughts and questions welcome!

Three work outfits which prominently feature blue for a short break in between fall storms. First two weren't intentionally both blue; today I figured I'd finish the theme before switching to more hectically bright/colorful/patterned outfits for the upcoming rain. In the meantime, quite happy with these three, very different, outfits!

#2 11.09 - Monday was extra crisp and dry so I figured suede boots were in order. Love how cognac looks with light blue, going with cognac mid-calf boots and a column of light blue (periwinkle, aqua) fully tucked for a crisper feel, plus a vintage cognac belt; after mostly low contrast belting the last couple years this was a nice change. Finished with red droplet earrings and cherry lip gloss for a little extra color depth, then orangey outdoor accessories to play with, but not match, the cognac boots in the peachy sunnies and tan/neon orange clutch. I am lukewarm on how the coat looks here but currently lack something more suitable for brown footwear in an outfit that doesn't feature black.
  Newer: jeans, boots
  Older: blouse, belt, earrings, coat, clutch, sunnies

#3 11.10 - Yesterday I wanted to wear this ink fringed sweater again so I could snap some outdoor photos with it while it's dry ;) Originally tried the sweater with my olive joggers but wasn't feeling it so swapped in tuxedo stripe knit pants (i.e. fancy sweats) for a cozier overall feel. Paired with black patent pumps for a little more "luxe", and cherry gloss + cream/black striped hoops to add a little brightness for my face. No blush here AND you can't see the ink with it, but still inspired by Angie's ensemble to wear my burgundy coat with this. Also popped this outfit back on, subbing in black patent loafers and my nighttime high bun, at 4:30am to drive my sis to the airport. No photos of that but it was extra cozy for three hours in the car!
  Newer: pants, sweater
  Older: pumps, earrings, coat, clutch, sunnies

#4 11.11 - Today (after the loooong car ride followed by a nice warm shower) I wanted to try the denim shorts+tights thing, which I haven't worn in a few years. Fully opaque black tights felt too heavy so I opted instead for a semi-sheer black pair instead. Paired with a cobalt tunic sweater because, blue, and then little boho touches (boots, earrings, peachy nude lip gloss) to soften the look. For outerwear chose predominantly black with lots of patterns (plaid coat, taupe bird print scarf, creamy leo clutch). Also enjoyed the vaguely mod vibe with the legs ^^ Bonus: my husband actually liked this so I'll be wearing again this weekend for a short anniversary trip.
  Newer: sweater, sunnies
  Older: shorts, tights, boots, earrings, coat, clutch

#5 - earring/lippie details

Comments, critiques, thoughts and questions welcome!

Outfits worn to various recent meetups! The first two are from this past weekend, and I'm throwing in two outfits from meetups earlier this fall as well. Going to have to wear something colorful to the next one ;)

#2 11.06 (Seattle) - Expected rain but happily it was dry. This semi-sheer tunic is actually a really lovely mossy olive unlike what the photos show. Worn with a very cropped cream sweater, black waxed jeans (hems folded under), and cream booties. Finished with cherry pink lipstick and gray rock crystal studs, plus plaid coat which picks up on the creamy bits for the cold and black+neon clutch for some hectic print mixing. After a few years of minimalism I'm feeling like the occasional venture back into layering, this time around with several light/gauzy layers. We'll see.
  Newer: sweater, tunic, jeans, earrings
  Older: booties, coat, clutch

#3 11.07 (Tulalip outlet mall) - Expected rain and got LOADS of it. I mean, I had to bring an umbrella (fellow Cascadians will understand why this is A Weird Thing). Dressed mainly for warmth, skewing casual for the environment. This fringey sweater is actually ink; the Finds photo shows the color and texture. Paired with charcoal and black, plus cream trench for rainy outdoors bits. Finished with giant gold hoops and peachy-nude lip gloss for a little extra casual/sporty glam.
  Newer: sweater, jeans
  Older: shoes, earrings, trench, clutch

#4 09.09 (Seattle) - Way back in September when Una was in town for a layover! A favorite white-out combo, with cheetah booties and gold sequin clutch for depth.
  Newer: [none]
  Older: [all]

#5 09.26 (Seattle) - Oatmeal tunic with faux kick-flares (straight leg pants with hems rolled under) and a very old pair of higher shaft ankle booties. Side note: really good hair day!
  Newer: [none]
  Older: [all]

#6 earring/lippie details - #2 top left, #3 top right, #4 bottom left, #5 bottom right.

Comments, critiques, thoughts and questions welcome!

Rain has returned -- I'm making my usual extra effort to wear contrasting, colorful, bright and/or cheerful outfits while the weather is gloomy. Been quite wet and windy, but not the usual constant rainfall we get this time of year (at least not during the day); and it's been a bit warm so my cream trench was more than enough for outerwear the past few days.

#2/3 10.28 - Wednesday I went with a graphic black and white because I felt like wearing these equestrian-seamed, extra cozy and thick leggings. Paired with a dropped-waist cotton dress, black patent pumps (would've preferred black pointy flats if I had them), pink rock studs, and a white cuff. A little extra bling (holo clutch) and color (turquoise scarf) for outerwear, and finished with peachy-nude lip gloss.
  Newer: dress, earrings, sunnies
  Older: leggings, pumps, cuff, trench, scarf, clutch

#4/5 10.29 - Yesterday I was in the mood for a little navy+olive+cream. I have a new fringed navy sweater which I keep threatening to wear with these mossy pants, but for an extra gloomy and dark day I wanted a little more cheer so instead chose a floral navy sweater. Paired with my favorite cream booties (one of my oldest wardrobe pieces, pre-YLF even, a la Angie's post today), and tucked the top for a crisper feel. Cherry pink lip gloss and double-mascara to add extra life to my face (I find navy tough to wear), black and white chevron earrings for some pattern mix (and to pick up on the booties/coat), and a little twist on the color palette for outerwear subbing in teal for navy. As always my camera seems to be sucking out the warmth of these pants; the richer mossy green in the Finds stock photo is accurate.
  Newer: pants
  Older: sweater, booties, earrings, trench, scarf, clutch

#6/7 10.30 - Today I'm wearing a lovely sheer watercolor floral blouse from Sharan/Firecracker, one of her creations (she also graciously gifted me a pair of silvery coated charcoal jeans). Paired with slouchy white jeans, slouchy tall boots, and giant gold hoops for a soft 70s vibe. I'm very ready to pass on these slouchy white jeans in favor of a more fitted pair but will likely wait for spring to replace them. Chose orangey accessories (sunnies, clutch) for outerwear to keep with the 70s feel, and finished with plum lip gloss for a little extra autumn dark.
  Newer: blouse
  Older: jeans, boots, earrings, trench, clutch, sunnies

Comments, critiques, thoughts and questions welcome!

Some recent black and gray work outfits! (Meantime, gloomy weather has returned so I'm back to more contrasting/colorful/bright/cheerful looks ^^)

#2 10.21 [work] - My favorite high-waisted pants, experimenting with how the lyocell fabric feels in cooler weather (result: just fine! surprisingly warm, actually). Worn with fully tucked sweater for maximum high-waistedness; skinny glitter belt and charcoal wool pumps for added texture; b/w hoops and white clutch to add a little extra lightness; cherry pink lipgloss to keep from being too washed out. Loved this, going to keep it in my pocket as a future holiday party option.
  Newer: pants, sunnies
  Older: sweater, belt, pumps, earrings, clutch

#3 10.20 [hair dresser, work] - Hadn't been planning for the hairdresser and booked the appointment last minute while half dressed. I had soooo little time to get ready and decided to just take the easy route and popped this new sweatshirt dress over the pants and shoes I had already put on. Very voluminous and super comfy. White clutch to pick up on the footwear, my biggest sunnies because I felt too hectic and big sunnies cure all, and a swipe of plum lipgloss.
  Newer: dress, flats
  Older: pants, earrings, clutch, sunnies

#4 10.24 [Sharan's for wardrobe editing!] - Really enjoyed wearing the sweatshirt dress outfit, so went with a weekend-style variation on it (swapped pants for leggings, and flats for booties). Bonus that this dress made me think of Sharan when I spotted it! I had a great time :D
  Newer: dress, sunnies
  Older: leggings, booties, earrings, clutch

#5 10.27 [work, sis's birthday dinner w/family] - A casual outfit for a casual birthday dinner for my sister following work (variation of an outfit worn earlier this month). Chose these satin checked flats because we both have a pair and yesterday was the last dry day for a while. It's not too visible in these photos, but when styled this way the ends of my hair are suuuuper wispy which has a very soft and pretty effect that I really liked against the dark outfit. Finished with a peachy nude lipstick and holo clutch because, well, holo. My sis was super cute as always, wearing a dark denim shirt with black skinny jeans and light purple sneaks.
  Newer: jacket, jeans, earrings, sunnies
  Older: flats, clutch

Comments, critiques, thoughts and questions welcome!