TBMD

I call this my "eating well at the buffet" dress due to its voluminous skirt that has enough fabric to hide anything you can imagine really. I'm all talk because I haven't actually worn it on a test run... =/ My eating skills aren't what they used to be, unfortunately. Darn you metabolism and old age.

I walked around all day in the office with my jacket on *insert upside-down face emoji* -- all because I thought for sure it's short-sleeve weather. This sweater tee is made of substantial fabric... but the office just needed to be about 5 degrees warmer. Watch me wear this ensemble again next week and be complaining about sweating because we're supposedly heading straight to summer.

My cube-mate is a 20-something guy who wears a blazer to work every day without fail. Blazers over dress shirts, over plaid shirts, over t-shirts. At first I thought he's trying to make a good impression since he's new. Then over time, I changed my tune and figured he must really love them. My thoughts were confirmed when he complimented me on my white blazer. Said it was "so fancy" and now he's looking to add one to his collection. The least expected comments always make my day.

You know when you have too many clothes when:
   1) you don't even realize an item is "missing"
   2) your closet starts to overflow
   3) you start buying duplicates of something you already own

Luckily #2 and #3 haven't happened... yet?

#1 threw me for a loop recently. This scarf I'm wearing in today's post is one that I thought I reached for often... but apparently not because I looked everywhere before realizing it's in my "dry clean" pile. I'm embarrassed to admit that pile has grown to a small molehill since I haven't made a trip in months. No excuses here; it's pure laziness on my part. I think I just needed the push from the warmer weather recently.

This skirt is one of those items that you just don't want to take off. I wore it on back-to-back days last week! That phrase "so comfortable you can sleep in it" is quite fitting... and I would have if not for my aversion of combining my "outside clothes" with my "home clothes".

Second only to stripes, gingham is right near the top of my all-time favorite patterns. To wear, admire, you name it, I'll want it. So naturally, my eyes bugged out with heart emojis when they saw these blue gingham sandals (currently 50% off + free shipping with code SPRINGTOIT). They are TTS, required no breaking-in, and perfectly comfortable for all-day wear.

PS - Since we're on the topic of Ann Taylor sales, I surprisingly tried and loved these pale yellow Marina wide-leg pants. Size 2P was a tad loose in the waist, so I have 0P on order. The petite length hits me above the ankles just like on the model. I'm already envisioning a pairing of these yellow pants with the gingham sandals...!

Notice anything new about the blog? (Hint: It's about damn time it started living in present day.) We're talking finally getting a makeover that's befitting of modern devices and browsers -- though I think the blog still looks best on a computer screen (non-mobile, non-tablet). I found a responsive template I liked before tweaking and customizing a few features. I believe everything works now, but let me know if anything looks off. All new posts going forward should look better in comparison to older posts.

TL;DR /end nerd talk

I've been kinda half-assing blog posts for awhile now... just really haven't had the motivation, I guess. But as of late, I think I've found a second wind, hence the blog makeover. For starters, I've been posting outfit photos with an accompanying sentence or two (!) Surprisingly I haven't been shopping all that much (relatively speaking). It's mainly been work that has been keeping me really busy, but is also the reason for this blog's sudden about-face. I've strayed so far from my comfort zone at work -- not really my choice, really, but I'm thankful for the opportunity to take on (and tackle) more challenges. So why not the same for blogging?

First the blog makeover with updated links and pages. Then I decided to start fresh on Instagram with a new handle and clean slate. That's enough changes for the short-term, lol. Fingers crossed that I can keep all this up.

Let me present my favorite new skirt.

I know, this sounds trite -- especially coming from bloggers, who shop more than most and are probably sharing something new every week. But hear me out!

This skirt drapes beautifully and moves like a dream. I already experience slight movement issues in pencil skirts that hit at the knees or above, so anything longer would be almost impossible to walk in unless I take teeny tiny steps. I had no such issues with this skirt because of the high slit. Showing too much leg? Simply shift the waistband a bit to the right. If there's still paranoia, wearing biker-like Spandex shorts is always an option.

After finishing this spiel, I have to revise my first comment. Not only is this my favorite new skirt, I felt amazing in this outfit. It will definitely be in the weekly rotation until sweaters become unbearable.

Flowers are blooming, snow is finally behind us (knock on wood)... I'm so ready for spring! In preparation, winter accessories are slowly migrating their way to the back of my closet. This faux fur scarf has proven to be a consistent favorite, so I could not resist taking it out for one last spin.

PS - I came across this oversized faux fur scarf that looks amazing tied and worn over the model's gray coat. Love. Can a girl hope that it hits the sale section soon?

Layers. Love them. They add so much interest to the eye. Today's look is all about layers in transitional weather. Including the scarf, I'm counting four layers of solids and patterns -- some shorter, others more visible, but that's of the fun of mixing and matching.

Today's outfit consists of taking a typical classic winter look (wool coat + suede boots) and adding a fun twist with accessories. Who says winter has to be dreary and boring?