Wednesday's Wardrobe: I Love the Night Life

This weekend I did something I have not done in a very long time. I went out two nights in a row...in the city nonetheless. There are so many birthdays this time of year among our friends that it was bound to happen sometime but finding club ready clothes at 30 is so much harder than it was at 20. Here are two outfits I put together for night's out on the town.

Friday night Corey wanted the gals to go out dancing for her birthday so we all donned our best dancing duds.  I would have preferred to wear a higher heel since I'm the dedicated shortie among my friends but I had 16 miles to run Saturday morning and dancing in heels are a runner's worst nightmare.

Shirt/Clutch - Ann Taylor Loft, Jeans - Old Navy, Shoes -Macy's, Bracelets -  Forever 21/Ann Taylor Loft,  Necklace - Gift, Earrings - Charming Charlie's,

Saturday we celebrated Becky's birthday with a Mexican feast and night of shuffleboard and beers.  I picked up this colorblocked top for $10 at Marshall's on Friday.  I love that it shows skin without revealing too much.  My feet were done after my dance outing and my run, so ballet flats it was.  Too bad I failed to look at the forecast and missed the blizzard-like wind/temps ripping through DC that night.  Oops!

Shirt - Marshall's, Pants - Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes - GAP, Clutch - Gift, Necklace - Chicago, Bracelets - Target/DIY

What do you wear on a girls night out or for a Saturday on the town? 

Wednesday's Wardrobe: Bold As Love

Back in December I wished for the Frye Melissa button boots in Bordeaux, and on Christmas Day Santa delivered them to me...twice.  My parents got me my Bordeaux boots. Jamie tried, except they were in the wrong color so they were returned and I was given an I.O.U.  Since our Bloomingdales is closing and many deals line the aisles, my IOU came in the form of a bright red Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Ikita last week.  I am in love with this beautiful, bold, soft bag and have carried it almost every day since getting it so here are some of my purse pairings from the past week.

These shoes have been under my desk at work for literally a year.  I completely forgot about them but found them while doing some cleaning at work. I thought they would be fun to show on the ol' blog. So I paired my red blazer, mustard belt, black skirt and polka dot tights with this look to play up the fun colors of the purse and shoes.

Blazer - Nordstrom, Tee - Ann Taylor Loft, Skirt - Old Navy, Tights - Hue, Shoes - Rocket Dog, Necklace - Jewelry Bar, Belt - Marmalade in San Francisco

I wore this on Thursday to work and dinner and drinks with some gal pals.  These are now known as my blueberry pants at work.  I really like the pops of red and feminine pearl accents in this all-blue ensemble.

Shirt/Jeans - Old Navy, Shoes - Me Too via Nordstrom, Pearls - Gift from Husband, Ring - from my Nana

I wore this on Friday (my day off) for errands, appointments, lunch with an old friend and a Stella and Dot party.  I picked up this beanie a few weeks ago for $4 and thought it picked up the colors of this top perfectly.

 

Jacket - INC via Macy's, Blouse - Ann Taylor Loft, Tank/Shoes - Old Navy, Jeans - J Brand,  Beanie - Laila Rowe,  Necklace - Charming Charlies

And last but not least, we went to NYC on Saturday night for my dear friend's 30th at the Ritz-Carlton.  I did not mean to match this dress to my purse but I forgot to bring another bag.  Does this dress look familiar? It's the BB Dakota dress I wanted for my OWN birthday back in October.  It came on Gilt Groupe a few weeks ago and I had to snag it while my size was available.  It's just a great color and style, the perfect party dress.

And here's a final funny.  My friend and I are both on the shorter end of the spectrum but have a love of very tall heels.  In this first picture we are wearing our heels, note our head placement with the range's bottom.

And here's flat foot, a good 4-5 inches shorter.

Dress - BB Dakota, Tights - Hue, Shoes - Cole Haan, Necklace - Charming Charlies

So I have to ask, do you rotate out your bags on a daily basis or do you carry one a week/month/season? I'm definitely a several day in a row gal because my purses are on a shelf I cannot reach and I'm too lazy to get my step stool from the kitchen. :)

Happy Wednesday!

Wednesday's Wardrobe: New duds

Prior to starting my shopping ban minimization here in 2012, I scooped up some sale items before the end of the year that my wardrobe absolutely needed, or I have lusted after for a long, long time.  It's been awhile since my last Wednesday's Wardrobe so I wanted to feature some of the gifts/sale picks I nabbed in late December.

Way back when I talked about wanting this J.Crew pencil skirt, and alas it finally went on sale with an extra 25% off at the register.  The patient bird gets the skirt, mwahaha!  I love the color, and decided to play up the color and fit with some animal print, a chunky necklace and headband for a holiday dinner with friends.

Sweater - Old Navy, Skirt - J.Crew, Necklace - Charming Charlie's, Earrings -Filene's Basement, Headband - Nordstrom, Shoes - Steve Madden

These pants cost me $11 at Loft after Christmas shopping with my mom.  Again, I love the bright color and the cropped style. My in-laws gave me a Nordstrom gift card for the holiday so when I saw this silk top there, I knew I needed it for my blue pants.

Top - Nordstrom, Sweater (old, old, old) - ?, Pants - Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes - Steve Madden, Necklace/Earrings - Gifts

These tights are not new, but almost! I did a quick assessment of my tights collection on New Year's Day and found them all over again.  I like the herringbone pattern, and decided to play up the pink pattern with this pink checkered scarf.

Dress/Silver Bangle - Ann Taylor Loft, Scarf - Filene's Basement, Tights - DKNY, Shoes - Seychelles, Colored Bracelet - Target,  

I've seen blanket cardigans all over the Internet and was really wanting one at an affordable price. When I saw this one at Forever 21, I loved the pattern, colors, and length.  It's cozy and blanket-like without being huge. And the beautiful footwear?  Merry Christmas me! Thanks Mom and Dad, I L-O-V-E them.

Cardigan/Spiked Bracelets - Forever 21, Shirt - Ann Taylor Loft, Leggings - Target, Boots - Frye, Earrings - Charming Charlie's, Necklace - Gift from Key West,  Rhinestone Bracelet - DIY

Did you pick up any fun wearables during the post-holiday sales?  Also, how do you feel about more than one outfit post a week?  Just curious...

Everybody, Everywear: Black and White Shirtdress

I am clearly not made for pressure situations as figuring out a black + white outfit this morning almost sent me back to bed...or maybe it was just Monday morning rearing its ugly head. When I saw that the next Everybody, Everywear challenge was black and white, I was excited!  I have a strong preference for black and white separates and patterned dresses.  I own at least 10 black and white work dresses, they are so easy and always chic!

When a few attempts at creative black and white ensembles failed me in my haste to get out the door, I reached for this tried and true patterned shirt dress.  I paired it with black tights, suede loafers, and my neon yellow flower pin for a spot of color.  Quick and simple for mornings when you have to get out the door fast.

Dress: Ann Taylor, Tights - Target, Shoes - DSW, Bracelet - Provincetown, MA,  Flower Pin - H&M

        What do you wear when you are running for the door, or better yet on just another Manic Monday? 

Wednesday's Wardrobe: Blue Suede Shoes

Sorry for the delay on Wednesday's Wardrobe, would you believe I burned the entire palm of my hand cooking dinner last night? No? Believe it, I tried to type this up and kept yelping in pain! All good tonight, so here it goes...

Elvis* and I could have been friends.  We both love(d) dancing, peanut butter banana sandwiches, donning leather and blue suede shoes.  While I don't own loads of leather/suede I do occasionally indulge in a rich, buttery piece of leather or a bold suede piece.  Most often my cow products or vegan takes on said products are in the form of a shoe, jacket or purse. So, here are a few suede/ vegan leather items in my closet.

I wore this last week when it was still warm enough to forget tights for another day. You cannot tell but the neckline of this top is almost stained glass like, i.e subtly sheer in spots. Also, if you've never tried Dansko clogs, I highly recommend them.  The arch and heel support is top notch, and a pair will last you forever, or six years, whatever comes first.

Shirt - Target, Skirt - Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes - Dansko, Headband - Gift via Nordstrom, Earrings- Ireland

most comfortable shoes ever, they are my favorite post-marathon shoes! 

I wore this dress to work this week.  I love the big buttons, color blocking and subtle nod towards mod.  I tried to pair it with chevron tights and booties for a subtle nod to the 1960s.  These suede booties have become a quick favorite as they are comfortably classic but also on trend with the season's loafer/oxford/menswear-inspired footwear.

Dress - Maggy London via Nordstrom, Turtleneck - Target, Tights - Filene's Basement, Shoes - DSW, Bracelet - Provincetown, MA.

I wanted this vegan leather skirt the second I saw it on Gilt Groupe but it was gone by the time I tried to purchase it at 12:04pm.  Does anyone else have these issues on Gilt Groupe?  Anyway, I received an email from Gilt during a break from jury duty last week stating that my skirt was now available. I scooped it up and have loved it since I took it out of the box.  The elastic waist (awesome-town), pleats and superior comfort can't be touched.  It's such an easy piece to dress up or down.  I intend to dress it up for holiday gatherings over the next two weeks.

Cuffed Shirt/Striped Shirt - Old Navy, Vegan Leather Skirt- Free People via Gilt Group, Pantyhose  - ?, Shoes - Tory Burch via Nordstrom, Black Pearl Earrings - Gift from Parents, Pearl tin cup necklace- Gift from Husband

*So we're clear, I'm talking about early 1950's cuffed jeans, striped tee, leather jacket Elvis, not bloated Vegas jumpsuit Elvis.

With that, have a good weekend. We're on a quest for the perfect tree this weekend, finishing the Jingle Bell 8k race and all sorts of other fun stuff.  Have a good weekend everyone!