the Good Ship Stripey

   The navy blue, stripes, and vaguely flag-shaped enamel pendants made me feel just a bit nautical in this outfit.

     I've been wearing this necklace with pretty simple outfits, just because I think the turquoise, mustard and purple are pretty on their own. However, I'm going to eventually challenge myself to mix it with something other than a neutral to see whether I like the look.

Try-it-out Tuesday: tassels and midis and stripes, oh my!

     Sunday is the most-anticipated day in our house -- it's the day when Mom and I head out to run errands (and do a little shopping as well). I tried out an armload of stuff at Nordstrom Rack, but nothing looked good. I met up with Mom in the clearance section and while idly flipping through the rack, came across this lovely midi skirt -- heavily marked down to $5.40!!

     That night, I checked out Clothed Much's Rule Breaking Monday midi skirt challenge for some styling tips and ideas. I learned that: 1) heels are a must for short people like me, and 2) a belt was a nice complement to the fullness of the skirt. I've always admired how Dotty of dash dot dotty sets her belt so artfully askew, so that's who I'm copying inspired by in regards to the off-center belt.
     On Monday, my first eBay purchase came in the mail. I just had to try on all of my new stuff together, although now I'm wondering whether the necklace and the stripes are a little too much?

     On Monday afternoon, I put together this outfit and reached for the camera, only to find that the battery was completely dead. Somebody needs to check her battery before getting dressed for a photo shoot.
    Anyhow, I soldiered on with the MacBook Photo Booth, and had fun with it. There's something about this skirt that makes me want to do goofy things, like spin around and watch how it flares out, or pretend I'm meeting the queen and doing my very best curtsy, or take silly self-portraits. I suppose a good outfit sets your imagination free ...

    

Hello, blog world! See, I do have a face ...

    

J. Crew sale finds

    Couldn't resist picking up these two tops for bargain prices on J. Crew's web site. I was lured by the free shipping as well as the 30% discount on top of the sale prices! I got the first top (the lace pintucked shell) in a dark green and the cowlneck tank in deep grape.

confidence boost

J. Crew striped T (XS); Calvin Klein pencil skirt (size 2); gold belt (old), Unlisted shoes. 

       I’ve been on the low-rise wagon for a while, but I’ve fallen hard for this pencil skirt. I wore this outfit to get some papers notarized and get fingerprinted for my new job on Wednesday, and I felt GOOD. I felt the goodness even spilled over to the people I interacted with – they seemed to respond to me with a lot of positivity. Or, maybe I just felt more confident and more comfortable. 
      These shoes are glorious, but I didn't wear them on Wednesday. I just didn't have my sensible black sandals on hand when I cajoled the Mr. to snap a few photos.
      I am enamored with stripes, and I picked up this T for less than $8 when they were offering 40% off sale items AND free shipping. (Side note: I filled out a J. Crew survey about my purchase, and mentioned my appreciation of the free shipping. I was thrilled to receive an e-mail reply, thanking me for my comments.) This T is a little too sloppy and shapeless on its own (maybe the next time I can size down to XXS?) but it tucks nicely into the skirt.