outfit of the day: green and navy + www

Jun122013

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Green and navy are a classic combination.

Ann Taylor pleated sea stripe top • J. Crew No. 2 pinwheel eyelet pencil skirt • Stella & Dot Juniper necklace •  Stella & Dot renegade cluster bracelet and Tiffanys bead bracelet • Target wedges

 Classic color combinations like green and navy are the PB&J of the fashion world. Navy is to me what black is to other people – I could wear it every single day and pair it with every single color.

But seriously – can someone tell me why navy shoes are SO hard to find? I hated wearing gray ones with this outfit. I’ve been searching for navy wedges/pumps/sandals and have not liked anything I’ve found so far. Have you had any luck finding navy shoes? If so, PLEASE tell me! I need a pair badly!

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It’s time for Whatever Works Wednesday!

Whatever Works Wednesday link-up party on smalltownbigwardrobe.com

 

How it works:

  1. Make sure your link is no more than one week old (older links will be deleted).
  2. Add your link (please link to the specific post and not to your main blog page).
  3. Add a link to my blog in the post you linked up to!
  4. Visit as many other links as you can!

18 Comments Filed Under: outfit of the day, work fashion Tagged With: , , ,

outfit of the day: camo and blue

Jun42013

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Old Navy tunic • Gap skimmer jeans • Target purse • PROJECTDAHLIA long necklace (gold version) • Talbots sandals

Whew – my blog had a little downtime yesterday but after some fabulous help from my web hosting company (who I highly recommend), everything seems to be back to normal! Now to get caught up on the post that was supposed to happen yesterday…

We had a lovely if low-key weekend that included meeting my dear friend Lindsay’s adorable new baby, hanging out with my brother and sister-in-law and painting with our dogs. Yes, I was that person who saw Jenna Marbles’s latest video and insisted on doing this with our boys. It was SO MUCH FUN. I love craft projects.

I’ll be honest – I only wore this outfit Sunday evening. I pretty much stay in my favorite J. Crew t-shirts and jeans, until I have to go somewhere for dinner (in this case, my boyfriend’s parent’s house). But it is fun to have an excuse to dress up – even if my version of weekend dress-up includes camo jeans.

Don’t forget – tomorrow is Whatever Works Wednesday! Come bring your links!

A tunic with camo jeans and blue accessories

Oops – my shirt looks massive in this photo! I definitely caught the wind blowing it up a bit!

7 Comments Filed Under: outfit of the day, weekend wear Tagged With: ,

outfit of the day: my own worst critic – plus a giveaway!

May302013

A floral blouse and emerald green pants

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Gap shrunken boyfriend print shirt (same style, different colors) • J. Crew cafe capri (last year’s color, current versions here) • J. Crew belt • LOFT sandals

I almost didn’t post these photos.

Tucking blouses into pants is not my best look – which is frustrating, because I think it’s a great look on so many other people. Why do my pants wrinkle in the front like that? Do anyone else’s? It sure doesn’t look like it, considering most of the photos I see on blogs are perfect. Perfect hair, perfect makeup, perfect outfit. All a perfect lie, because if it looks perfect to you, you can bet it doesn’t to that blogger. My boyfriend often tells me I am my worst critic, and I hate that he’s right. And what kills me is I really liked this outfit all day – and then when it came time to edit photos, all the perceived issues are screaming out to me. Whatever. I love this blouse (IT FITS!), I love these pants, I love the colors together, I love these shoes even though they hurt my feet at the end of the day, and I am working on loving myself – and ignoring the critic in myself.

Ok, enough of that – it’s giveaway time! My fabulous sponsor Meghan of Whatsername Jewelry is giving away this adorable personalized necklace to one lucky reader! The giveaway ends Tuesday at midnight – good luck!

A floral blouse and emerald green pants

a Rafflecopter giveaway

15 Comments Filed Under: outfit of the day, work fashion Tagged With:

outfit of the day: keep it simple

May282013

A simple white t-shirt, boyfriend jeans and a hat for an easy weekend look  IMG_9077 copy

LOFT tee (similar) • LOFT boyfriend jeans • Stella & Dot sunset beach charm necklace • Chaco sandals (similar) • Banana Republic hat (old, similar here)

 Oh what a glorious weekend. Yesterday was Memorial Day in the U.S., which meant no work and jeans. Even though it wasn’t quite as warm as I’d have liked it (my poor legs need some sun!), I still had a wonderful weekend with family and friends. Memorial Day feels like the kickoff to summer, and I can’t wait for the fun I have planned in the coming months. I found this hat on sale last July and have barely worn it – and I’m not going to let that happen this year! Weekends are all about being comfortable – after stressing myself out over what to wear to a family luncheon, I realized it shouldn’t matter. These may not be my prettiest sandals, but they’re darn functional and comfy. Sometimes an outfit is just an outfit, and I don’t need to be making a statement with everything I wear.

Unless that statement happens to be, “I love this hat.” Because I do.

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Meghan of Whatsername Jewelry

It’s time to introduce my third sponsor, Meghan of Whatsername Jewelry! Meghan’s shop is full of stamped and personalized jewelry and other pieces – you’ll have trouble picking out just one! Meghan has a GREAT giveaway coming later this week – stay tuned!

Name: Meghan Haskell
Where you live: Providence, Rhode Island
Favorite foods: That’s a toughie.  I love to eat and my tastes change often.  Sometimes I go for weeks eating lots of Honey Wheat Pretzels then I stop eating them completely and go for Doritos or Baked Cheetos.  I also love ice cream, chocolate chip cookie dough or cookies and cream.  Oh my gosh, I ‘m getting hungry.
What would you do with a free afternoon: Since having my daughter, my afternoons, and mornings, have been focused on her, so if I had a free afternoon, I would work.  I would head to a coffee shop, surf the net and read my favorite blogs, definitely yours, and write a post or two.  Then I would come home, give my little girl a kiss, and make a few pieces of jewelry for my shop.
Current nail polish: None because my hands are constantly near Kira’s mouth and I just feel safer without it on, but if I had to choose a color for this time of year for my nails, I’d say pink.  A nice light bubble gum pink.
Favorite music on your iPod: Baby Einstein…it’s funny, I now have children’s tunes like The Itsy Bitsy Spider stuck in my head but I really like Jay-Z to help me stay upbeat and motivated and  there is nothing like some Fergie and Black Eyed Peas to get me dancing with my daughter in the kitchen.
Thank you so much Meghan for sponsoring me! Don’t forget to visit Meghan at her Etsy shop, blog, Facebook and Twitter!
6 Comments Filed Under: outfit of the day, weekend wishlist Tagged With: ,

outfit of the day: punk floral (plus sponsor intro!)

May232013

J. Crew punk floral - bright green with neon pink

J. Crew punk floral - bright green with neon pink

J. Crew punk floral swoop top (it keeps selling out online and then popping back, so keep checking!) • J. Crew No. 2 pencil skirt (last year, but here’s this year’s cotton version) • Karen Scott peep-toe heels • Tiffany’s and Zenzi via Stitchfix bracelets

This top is part of J. Crew’s punk floral collection, which makes me laugh, because I am the least punk person ever. Apart from a few colorful hairdos, I am about as punk as a bright pink skirt with a green top. Bright color is punk, right?

I have seen this top on adorable outfits from Annie and Tara and when J. Crew had a 20% off sale (and I saw it in my size), I went for it. I love LOVE the color and can’t wait to try this top with jeans for the weekend or white pants. Oh the possibilites.

J. Crew punk floral - bright green with neon pink

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   A cute navy blazer with patterned leopard jeans

It’s Sponsor Intro time, and I’m super excited to introduce you to Katy of Sugar and Chiffon! Katy was one of the first bloggers I connected with when I started my blog, she’s a fellow Midwesterner and she just graduated from law school! Which basically means she’s amazing. (I mean, obviously – look at those pants!) I’m so excited to have Katy sponsor my blog! You can also check her out on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest!

Name: Katy Hanawalt
Where I live: Cleveland, Ohio
Favorite Foods: Iced coffee, good cheese, chips & fresh salsa, and peaches when they are in season
Free Afternoon: Probably go shopping! I love going to Marshalls/TJ Maxx/Home Goods and spending hours digging through everything.
Current Nail Polish: something neon pink from Zoya. I got it done at a salon and can’t remember the name, but it’s super bright and fun.
Favorite music on my iPod: This one always throws people…mostly rap and old, classic rock. Right now I really like Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Pitbull, and I’ve been playing that Florida Georgia Line “Cruise” remix with Nelly nonstop. Simon & Garfunkel, Pat Benatar, Bon Jovi, and Journey are always favorites.
15 Comments Filed Under: outfit of the day, work fashion Tagged With: ,

outfit of the day: when outfit dreams don’t work out (plus a giveaway!)

May212013

First of all, I am heartbroken by the news coming out of Oklahoma. I’m so sorry to anyone going through that tragedy right now. If you can, please consider donating to the Red Cross – text “REDCROSS” to 90999 for a $10 donation. And make sure you have an updated weather app or radio. It’s only the beginning of storm season for the U.S.

A striped dress with a baseball cap makes a fuss-free weekend look

Gap striped sleeveless jersey dress • J. Crew Cece flats (similar color) • hat from the best college in the world

Do you ever have an outfit in your head that you’ve been thinking about for ages? You try and collect all the pieces and excitedly put it together – only to realize it doesn’t quite live up to your outfit dreams. I was inspired to create a cute weekend outfit by the Herve Ledger Fall 2013 collection – mostly because of their awesome mix of bandage dresses and baseball caps. While the runway is out of reach for me, I fell in love with this dress from Gap and saw it in my head as going perfect with my beloved IU cap and thought it would be finished perfectly with my new Converse sneakers. Not so much. This dress is about three inches too long, and I’m seriously considering hemming it. With my sneakers on, I may as well have been wearing snowshoes, my feet felt so big.

Sigh. Have you ever had a perfect outfit in your head, only to be disappointed with reality?

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And now, a picture for Jojo. This is a bit of an inside joke (my grandmother requested more relaxed photos, and I ended up pricking my finger on my roses.)

A striped dress with a baseball cap makes an easy weekend look

On the plus side, I’m also excited to be participating in a giveaway hosted by a blog I sponsor, The Tiny Heart! Thanks Sharon for organizing this – some GREAT prizes available!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

17 Comments Filed Under: outfit of the day, weekend wear Tagged With:

outfit of the day: peplum for girls who hate peplum

May162013

Black and white patterns with pink, yellow and orange accents

Black and white patterns with pink, yellow and orange accents

Ann Taylor blouse • Old Navy striped jersey pencil skirt • J. Crew belt • J. Crew Factory pumps • LOFT necklace

Ever since it started showing up in every store, I have tried on peplum tops and dresses to no avail. From more expensive ones to peplum from Target, nothing worked. I’m convinced that peplum isn’t for me – but the idea of peplum is still incredibly flattering and easy to recreate. One of the frustrating parts about peplum tops for me is that the peplum often hits my torso at the wrong point. By using a belt, you can adjust where the “peplum” starts in order to most flatter your figure.

Just grab a longer blouse or top, and add a belt at your natural waist. The fabric shouldn’t be too flowy, because part of peplum’s advantage is structure. This look goes great with pencil skirts and pants equally.

I really, really liked this outfit. The neon accents were fun and added much-needed color. This is a definite outfit repeat.

Also: shoulder pads, when used correctly, can be incredibly flattering. The more you know.

Black and white patterns with pink, yellow and orange accents

I almost forgot to tell you all – my second column for a magazine produced by my local newspaper was published! It’s all about building a wardrobe based on classic pieces – you can read it here (go to page 5)!

Linking up with Mix and Match Fashion and Toronto Shopoholic!

24 Comments Filed Under: outfit of the day, trends, work fashion Tagged With: , ,

outfit of the day: red flowers

May72013

A red statement necklace with a white blouse and navy trousers

A red statement necklace with a white blouse and navy trousers

Old Navy blouse • Etsy necklace • J. Crew cafe trousers • J. Crew Cece ballet flats (same color in suede)

So, confession time: this necklace is based on one from J. Crew, but I bought it on Etsy.

I feel a little guilty admitting that.

If I am being honest, I fell in love with the necklace too late. By the time I decided I wanted it, it was already sold out at J. Crew. Ebay searches turned up necklaces at retail price and higher, and I just couldn’t afford them. So I went with the knockoff version. Sometime’s a girl’s gotta budget.

Whatever. I have to say I love this necklace. It’s one of the few short pieces I have that doesn’t annoy my very sensitive neck.

Duck lips with a red flower necklace.

Duck lips! I couldn’t resist.

Duck lips with a red flower necklace. Please don't pin this!

Don’t forget tomorrow is Whatever Works Wednesday – my link-up party! Bring your links and discover some great new blogs.

11 Comments Filed Under: outfit of the day, work fashion Tagged With: , , ,

outfit of the day: twirl

May32013

A black and white blouse and an orchid pink skirt make an easy spiring outfit!

A black and white blouse and an orchid pink skirt make an easy spiring outfit!

Gap Outlet blouse • J. Crew skirt • Talbots pumps

I’m going to try something different. I haven’t gotten any questions for Ask Catherine lately, but I think I just need to change up the medium. So this weekend I’ll be filming the first Ask Catherine VLOG! Do you have a question for me? I’d LOVE to hear it!

And it’s a good excuse to get into vlogging, which I find really fun. I plan on filming at least two vlogs this weekend and trying to do more blog posts that I can write ahead of time. Though I do think I sound totally awkward on camera. Anyone else annoyed when you hear your voice?

A black and white blouse and an orchid pink skirt make an easy spiring outfit!

11 Comments Filed Under: outfit of the day, work fashion Tagged With: , ,

outfit of the day: corporate pattern mixing

Apr302013

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Stripes and polka dots mix together for a fun work outfit

Luii blazer via Stitchfix • J. Crew shell • Old Navy skirt • Target wedges

Every time I mix patterns, I’m always a little worried it’s too much – which makes NO sense, because I love too-much outfits! Still, even when there’s a lot going on, mixing the same colors together still makes a relatively simple outfit.

Speaking of which – I’ve let outfit photos slip lately, and that makes me sad. Well, no more. Even when life is busy, it’s important to make time for your hobbies. Mine just happens to be posing in my outfits next to the trash cans in the alley.

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