An ordinary Wednesday outfit

I have seem to forgotten how much I absolutely love this skirt and how often I should be wearing it. The red is a great color and pairing it with neutrals seems to tone down the brightness a bit. Finally - an outfit worth blogging about!

Today I paired it with my new sweater from the Gap that I picked up for 17.00. When I asked the husband about it in store I asked him if it looked like a pretzel on the front, and he agreed. So I bought the sweater and instantly wanted a pretzel with cheese sauce. Oi. And underneath it is the Banana Republic jeweled collar blouse I bought after Christmas and this blouse has been frequently worn. The jewels on the collar are so subtle and I love pairing it under a cardigan or sweater.

Adorable Kate Spade phone case... Love the flowers!

I did get lots of compliments on the skirt at the office today so I figured I'd finally add something fashiony to the blog again.

Linking up with WIWW & Mix and Match Fashion!

Sweater: Gap (similar)

Blouse: Banana Republic (similar here on sale!)

Skirt: J Crew (Factory version here - check stores)

Rediscovering my closet

It appears (and feels) that summer has finally made its way to San Francisco. Fog has given way to warm days, gorgeous sunsets, and sadly balmy weather that I'm not that used to. I'm not complaining and wishing I could stop time a bit and enjoy the sunshine more.

This past weekend I decided to take every item out of my cedar chest and re-evaluate it. And I've discovered the following:
1) I clearly have an addiction to sweaters, and
2) I have a lot of items that I've forgotten I've even had.

I think that part of this is due to the fact that space is at an all time premium in our apartment - since my cedar chest stays closed to keep a certain furry female out of it it's very hard for me to search for items in my mad dash in the mornings. But after going through my clothes one thing has been made very clear - I don't need any more clothes any time soon. Sure, I might need a pair of black jeans or to replace a cardigan with holes, but other than that... I really have no excuse or reason to purchase anything new.

Take for instance this awesome sweater I discovered. Stripes. I love stripes. And black and white can be paired with just about anything. Like a blue blouse and my J Crew wanna be necklace. Pardon the bad lighting, but I'm hoping to get my camera up and going some point soon.

Has there been anything that you've recently rediscovered in your closet and are excited to have found?

Button down: H&M (similar here)
Striped sweater: J Crew tippi in linen (similar here)
Skirt: Gary Graham, gift
Necklace: GroopDealz
Shoes: J Crew cece ballet flats (new colors here)

Monarchs and stripes

Hello June! I'm finding it hard to believe that half the year is already over. But.. onward with the rest of the year and so far it's been pretty good so I'm not at all complaining.

With May's shopping ban over I'm officially back in the market and able to spend. But I'm being a lot more selective and thoughtful when it comes to buying items. The one thing I saw in May that I loved was the J Crew tippi in monarch. I finally nabbed it the other day for about 44 after the in store 30% promo and my mom's teachers discount.

You'll have to pardon the hair. I paired this over a white button down and a blue skirt. Also, I have no idea what my collar is doing but I promise it behaved itself for the first 10 hours of the day. I took my normal size Medium in this, and I feel as though it runs a tad larger than the other tippi's but since I tend to wear them over blouses I'm ok with that.

Props to dh for taking this photo and doing laundry last night. Boom.

Monarch tippi: Online, check stores for cheaper prices
White button down: J Crew factory

Liberty for J Crew Floral Blazer

Oh Liberty, how I love you, let me count the ways. There is something about the Liberty of London for J Crew line that seems to get me every time. Whimsical floral prints that before I'd shy away from have suddenly become some of my favorite go-to's in my closet. And these little notebooks found their way home from London with me, too.

When I first spotted this blazer I was too sure about it... but it eventually grew on me. So I took the plunge this past weekend when it was marked down in store to 99.99 - 30%. I figured it would be a good transitional piece from spring to summer here - and since our summers often go through September I'm hoping to get some good use out of it. The material is a lighter fabric and the buttons are gold with an adorable coat of arms on them. I took my normal size 8 in this blazer and its the schoolboy fit.

 
And oh look, crooked smile up above. Because it's almost 5 PM.

I'm also really excited about the chain necklace my mom got me - I might need to add an extender on to it but its a good weight and good length.

Blazer: Liberty of London for J Crew
Turtleneck: J Crew, exact
Necklace: Gift (thanks mom!), similar
Jeans: Seven for all mankind

A new outfit favorite

While shopping this past weekend at both Target and the J Crew outlet I picked up another gingham shirt and a black pullover sweater. I feel as though I've been waiting all week to wear this outfit and I've decided its a new favorite of mine. The weather is pretty overcast and chilly here today so I'm glad for the layers and extra added bit of warmth as I try not to freeze in my office.

See what I mean about this new favorite outfit thing? Maybe I just need to go back to simple outfits that I feel comfortable and confident in. Such as this one.. that I have to try not to wear every day.

Are there any pieces or outfit combinations that you just feel the most confident in?

Button down: Target (exact)
Pullover: J Crew Factory (exact)
Necklace: Forever 21 (exact)
Jeans: Seven for all Mankind
Shoes: Gap

And linking up with Mix and Match Fashion for  What I wore to work today!