Collared blazer love

For some reason four day work weeks always feel longer than 5 day weeks. I mean you are really only working 32 hours instead of 40 (if you go by a clock) but the days just drag on. 5 o'clock is looming here and I can't wait!

I wore this to work yesterday and am kicking myself for not picking up more of the jackie sweaters when I got this one... they just look so good and have longer sleeves than the tippi. I think a red and royal blue would be nice... or navy. White? Beige? Oi vey.

 I also have to admit that I really like the new lighting in this office bathroom.

And can I stop for a second and mention how much I love peter pan collars, especially ones that have embellishments on them? When I grabbed this top from H&M sometime last year I thought it was going to be one of those purchases that I always regret. But I'm glad to see that it's versatile and I can pair it under sweaters to add a bit of glam to my outfit.

I've also been searching for a collar necklace or two to add to my collection..so if anyone has any that they've picked up recently let me know. I particularly like this one from C Wonder but the price stops me from pulling the trigger on buying it.

Are there certain items in your closet that you hesitated on purchasing but end up loving?

And because its a Friday... T minus 22 days until Europe!

Blazer & Jeans: Banana Republic similar blazer here, jeans here
Jackie sweater: J Crew
Scarf: Nordstrom, similar rose print here
Peter pan collar shirt: H&M

Stripes and sequins and plaid

Officially a new favorite combo of mine. Lets take a refresher from day one of TOPIO:

And that turned into yesterday's below:

Again, I think this shirt is going to prove to be more useful than I originally thought. And can we stop for a second and can I tell you how much I adore this plaid blazer? It came to me from a fellow J Crew lover who hadn't used it that much.. so I snapped it up. Blazer wardrobe officially completed. I had on a pair of maroon tassel loafers to tie this all together but ouch, they really hurt while trying to break them in.
Top: Loft
Blazer: J Crew
Jeans: Gap

And today... I mixed plaid with a skirt, plain blouse, and bright colored scarf to get this:

I apologize to you for the wrinkles on my skirt but I've been up since 5:45 (blech). I'm not quite sure if the purple in the scarf is too overpowering for this outfit but hey that's what fashion and experimenting is all about, yeah?

And can I also admit that I'm horrible at scarf tying? I really need to learn to do something other than the one style above.

Blazer, skirt: J Crew
Blouse: H&M
Scarf: Hermes

Do you have any tips on tying scarves? If so...let me hear it!

Standard work week uniform

One of the first things you should know about me is that I'm a creature of habit. More often than not, change scares me.

So this week (when I guess you could say) I transfered offices (and even though it's only 2 blocks away from the old one) I feel as though my entire morning and evening routine has changed. I don't have to cross streets anymore - I can walk all the way down on one side of the street. The same Starbucks I used to visit isn't the most convenient anymore. And don't get me started on the new floor button I have to press - I've been pushing 8 for more than 2 years and now 13 seems so foreign.

Regardless, something that has always remained constant is my love of blazers, dark jeans, and flats. I recently picked up this red merino turtleneck during the J Crew sale for about 15 and love it. This morning when I noticed the high wasn't supposed to hit 60 I just felt like something warm, cozy, and familiar.

Also, not gonna lie, I also picked up the same turtleneck but in grey. 

Tomorrow is Wednesday which marks half the work week already done - hurrah! And hopefully tomorrow I remember to push the right button on the elevator....

What are some of your cures for when you have to break a routine of yours?

Blazer: Gift, similar here

Turtleneck: J Crew merino turtleneck (check stores, mine had plenty)

Jeans: Gap skinnies

Necklace: H&M, similar here

29 before 29.

As Thursday and another year in my birthday belt notch grows I decided to put something down in writing about what I'd like to accomplish in my 28th year. So, I've compiled a list of the 29 things I'd like to do before I turn 29.

In no particular order....

1.  Read a minimum of 30 books.
2.  Spend less, shop my closet more.
3.  Take more photos.
4. Dedicate more time and effort to the blog.
5. Make homemade pasta and sauce.
6.  Go to a new city where I haven't been before.
7.  Volunteer for more shifts at the holiday window display for the SF SPCA.
8. Less time inside, more time outside.
9. Join a sports team/bowling league/sign up for ice skating lessons.
10. Bike across the golden gate bridge.
11. Take a how to make a terraneum class with my mom.
12. Take a photo every day for 30 straight days.
13. Go to the symphony with DH.
14. Learn to fix/sew a button.
15. Try a new beer once a month.
16. Go fruit/pumpkin picking.
17. Hike Angel Island.
18. Get as close as I can to the city where my grandpa was born in Italy.
19. Bake at least once a month with the new kitchen aid mixer.
20. Go gokarting with my family.
21. Define my style better.
22. Visit the Italian American museum in the presidio.
23. Organize and play a bocce ball day.
24. Be nicer to my cuticles (so I can finally have nice manicures...)
25. Take a spontaneous drive.
26. Make a new friend.
27. Make a stranger's day
28. Clean and reorganize my wardrobe AND keep it up (for longer than a week).
29. Exercise more and eat better.

And so this isn't totally boring, my outfit for today. I picked this necklace up on Monday and just adore it.

jeans: banana republic, blouse: jcrew, necklace: h&m, blazer: frenchi

necklace details

Well, that's it for now! On the eve of my 29th I feel... good. :)

Skirtaganza

With today being the first official day of summer and the sun actually being out on my lunch breaks I've been in a very skirt kind of mood lately. Couple that with JCrew's 30% off sale and my wardrobe is now home to several new colorful skirts.

Shirt: H&M, Skirt: JCrew (buy here), Shoes: BG

I wore this yesterday and the second I walked out the door a neighbor told me she loved it on me. So I'm glad I snapped this one up - I believe it came to about 35.00 with the discounts in store. I want to get a more bold and try pairing a green shirt with it, but I just don't know which shade would work best. I hesitated when I first tried it on in store but my sister uged me to go for it and I'm glad I did.

Silk blouse: Zara, Skirt: JCrew (different color here)

And here's today's outfit - I LOVE this skirt and I'm so glad I added it to my wardrobe (thanks mom!). I almost paired it with a plaid shirt this morning but I'm not to sure I'm that brave yet. ;)  And way at the bottom I'm wearing my spiked flats. Love these too! It gives me a little bit of edge with this outfit.

And a few other skirts that I picked up... Gondola stripe and the raj paisley pencil skirt.  I'm happy with my skirt choices but shaking my fist at Jcrew.. their sale is just too good!

Have you picked anything up at the JCrew sale lately?

Modern red

Modern red must also be code name for orange, because I swear this sweater is orange. It's even more orange when you join coworkers for a Euro Cup game at a German restaurant... (doh, it wasn't planned).

JCrew Factory: Vneck in modern flame; Blouse: H&M, Skinnies: Banana Republic; Necklace: Tiffanys (gfit)

Apologies for the frazzled hair and wrinkles as it was the end of the day. I own a normal JCrew version of the vneck and the factory version is just a bit thinner but I still love it. If it ever goes on sale again I'll prolly snap up another color or two just because they are so great to layer.

This weekend FH and I are off for our last wedding before ours - we're headed to Philly for the weekend. I'm especially excited as I've never been to Philly before and am fully prepared to eat a cheese steak (or 2) and see the liberty bell. Aside from that and the wedding, I'm hoping to explore a bit of a new city before hopping on a plane and coming home.

Speaking of weddings, we are now under TWO MONTHS! Can't believe how fast time is flying but to be honest I'm so excited. RSVP's have been rolling in and the responses/notes that people have been writing in make opening the mail that much more exciting. By far has been the best from my future brother in law which made me laugh for quite a bit.

The weather here in SF has been nice, albeit windy so I've been trying to soak up time outside on lunch breaks. This little guy was my buddy the other day and made me smile.

Hope your weekend is great... any big plans on your agenda?

What I wore to meet the President

On a Thursday back in May I was given a day off work to attend an event and have the amazing opportunity to travel to Seattle and to actually meet the President of the United States. So I grabbed my tiny carry on and filled it with clean pressed blouses, skirts, tights, and heels. After standing outside waiting to be let in, having lunch on the floor of the Paramount Theater, and then being whisked backstage I got to meet the President.

And here's what I wore...

Blazer: H&M. Skirt: JCrew. Blouse and Cardigan: Banana Republic. Heels: Cole Haan

And here's some other random pics from my 24 hours in Seattle:

Dave Matthews on stage before the President came out

  

Blue trees downtown

The Paramount!

Sun setting over SeaTac before heading home

And in case you were wondering, he is the nicest guy ever. ;) Even though I got completely tongue tied, it was just an amazing experience. Again, a big thank you to my MIL and to my boss for giving me the day off. ;)

Who is the coolest person you've ever met... and what did you do/say?



Scarfapalooza

Wowza, what a week. I was training my replacement at work - and in turn being trained for my new position so I really have no idea where last week went.Thank you all so much for the comments on my green scarf post the other day. :) As a result I've gone ahead and rounded up some of my favorite scarves in my collection to share.

 I got this cute little blue and gold scarf at an arts and crafts fair. It's a little small but it's cute nonetheless. It's so royal feeling to me too.

If I remember correctly this one came from Forever 21 but it's adorable. It has a crinkle to it so it stays wavy when its knotted up around my neck.

 I purchased this one on my last trip to London at Topshop. I fell in love with that store - they have a really awesome accessory section and they sell a lot of vintage items. I snagged this one and I love it. It clearly needs to be steamed but since I don't know how old it is I want to be cautious with it. I adore the dots on it! It looks great with blazers.

My scarf collection wouldn't be complete without something totally badass - hence my McQueen scarf from a good friend for Christmas a few years ago. It's definitely one of the more awesome stop people in their tracks pieces. It's really great to dress up too, and I never feel bad wearing it to the office when I'm wearing something drab.

Another one and only in my collection - my Burberry scarf from FH for a birthday a few years back. I love it because while it is traditional Burberry plaid its not in their normal color scheme. I don't have a lot of orange so I love that it brightens up the piece.

Of course I'm loving my recent H&M additions, too! Jaguar scarf, perfume bottles, and the bright green and gold scarf (and each under 9.99 if you need a pop of color without spending an arm and a leg).

Most definitely can't forget my Jason Wu cat scarf. LOVE this so much!

And of course, my scarf holy grail, my beloved Hermes Cave Felem. I'm fairly convinced that if (or when) Hermes ever re-released this scarf and I had a chance I'd buy every colorway that it came out in. I'm serious. I just honestly adore this patter, and well, I'm a cat lady.

Whew! Hope you enjoyed a look into my scarf wardrobe.... do you have a particular scarf that you always gravitate toward?

Green Challenge!

It's time for another Everybody Everywear challenge - and today it's green! Since the majority of the shades of green look not so great on me I decided to dress up a drab outfit today with a green scarf. It's pouring rain and dark here in San Francisco today so the bright pop of green helps brighten up my outfit.

Closeup of the scarf print.

Oxford shirt & Scarf: H&M. Skirt: Gary Graham. Blazer: Banana Republic. Shoes: JCrew.

I also have to say that I'm pretty jealous of people who can rock green in more than just an accessory. For some reason it doesn't bode well for my skin tone. D'oh.

Since St. Patrick's day is right around the corner... what's your favorite piece of green to sport?

Purple and gold

I have to admit that I've been on a scarf kick lately. H&M has had some nice finds recently - including the one I'm wearing today. I love it already after my first time wearing it - my mom treated me to it yesterday. Thanks mom! I've also decided to start stashing some cash aside for our honeymoon in Europe to treat myself to something nice - I haven't decided what it is yet - but I've been tossing about the idea of an awesome pair of prada shoes from Italy or an Hermes silk scarf (brand new, perhaps?). I started an ING account that's separate from my savings and add a few dollars to it at a time.

Blouse: Banana Republic. Slacks: Gap. Sweater and scarf: H&M. Shoes: Nine West

Again, I apologize for the awkward bathroom shots. I didn't get much time today to take any pictures since I'm training my replacement at work (woohoo!). 

I'm also realizing that I dress way conservative on Mondays and Tuesdays and taper off the rest of the week. Wonder why. Does that happen to anyone else?

So since I'm currently obsessed with scarves... is anyone else on a binge of a particular item lately? I'm also lusting after a blouse with a metal tipped collar, but we shall see.  Fingers crossed for better light tomorrow - I'd love to share some of my favorite scarves on Wednesday!

Prep school graduation

Okay, not really. I did go to a prep high school, complete with uniforms (a la Britney Spears in her baby one more time video. trust me, it wasn't that cool). And for some reason, despite the not so flattering uniforms there's a part of me that's always been a die-hard prep deep down inside. Plaid? Love it! Blazers? I'll throw that in too. And elbow patches? Some of my favorite things to go on shirts. I love some of the looks from Tommy Hillfiger and Ralph Lauren (but can't stomach the prices).

To beat the impending rain storm coming our way I decided to brighten things up -I found my red blazer! And my first chambray shirt, too! (I feel like I'm making progress..).

See? Elbow pads!

 Blazer, shirt, and scarf: H&M. Jeans: Urban Outfitters. Necklace: Tiffanys (gift). Shoes: from Morocco! (gift)

I also have to delve a bit into this scarf I spotted at H&M last night and decided I had to have. Someone in the office commented it looks a lot more expensive than the 9.95 price tag it had on it - and I have to agree. Plus whats not to love about cheetahs and irises? I mean, genius to put both those things together.

I'm also trying my hand at instagram - for anyone who is on there find me at makeupandpearls. There's a lot of my cat. But she's cute so I guess its okay.

Thursday morning FH and I are off to Hawaii for the wedding of two of our dear friends. It's a short trip, but look for my post on how I'm packing lightly (with the exception of the party goods I need to bring for the bridal shower).