One of the reasons I gravitated towards this particular no-fuss black parka was for its versatility. It works well with a casual outfit and also looks great with business casual attire. The two outfits below are essentially the same with a few key pieces swapped out. I felt chambray and plaid shirts are both fairly casual, but the black/cream plaid pattern is in the same monochromatic color family as the rest of the "work" outfit (minus the shoes). Jeans for the weekend and black pants for work are obvious choices. Same for the brightly colored rain boots vs. metallic wedges. Knit gloves were chosen for the casual outfit, while for the work version I upgraded to a more "luxurious" pair of leather gloves.

There is a silver lining to this frigid winter that we've been experiencing. All it took was a few days of "bone chilling cold" for me to acclimate to "normal" winter temperatures. Not that I wish for this weather pattern every year, but just trying to stay positive and look forward to spring.

Have a good Monday, everyone!

I've been wearing this pair of gray dress pants quite often lately. I treat them like a pair of jeans because mine are feeling a bit tight. In hindsight, the tops I chose are on the casual side, therefore making the overall outfit sloppier. I need to remember that as comfortable as these trousers are, they're still dressy.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

I'm not sure what possessed me to layer two of my heaviest necklaces today. The need for more sparkles? I shall have to think more practically next time because my neck sure had a workout all day long.

Have a good Thursday!

I live in Virginia, but most of the locals will tell you that the northern part doesn't feel very southern. There is little southern hospitality, not many speak with a southern twang (y'all does slip past my lips once in awhile), and life is generally very fast paced. To sum it up, the region doesn't really have a sense of identity and instead is full of workaholic transients.

I hate to say it, but I've never fully appreciated the area I live in (darn you traffic for messing with my head!) Amidst all the changes over the years, there are still remnants of the South, in the historical landmarks, architecture, and even some of the food. So as the weather warms up, I've promised myself to slow down and smell the roses so to speak. Truly take in my surroundings, both the old and the new.

I like to wear a lot of white in the summer because the color goes with everything. In the winter, my color of choice is camel. I only have to look at my outerwear collection for confirmation. Over half of my jackets belongs to this color family! I'm still trying to figure out how my obsession with camel got so out of hand... stick to what you're comfortable with, I guess?

The other day Elle was asking for opinions on hemming a pair of pants. This got me thinking about the last time I took a pair of pants to the tailors... and I came up blank. How could this be? Petite pants are usually too short for me and regular lengths are too long. I then realized I almost always buy longer pants and DIY the hem to work with a particular outfit. Or as I told Elle, "Pants too long? Buy taller shoes." I can only claim to be half-joking because I'm speaking from experience, hahaha.

My DIY attempts typically consists of (1a) folding the excess fabric under to around the ankles or (1b) higher for a cropped look, (2a) rolling it up messily above my shoes, (2b) neatly folding for the cuffed look, or (3) leaving as-is for the scrunched look.

I'd say (1a) is probably my go-to look. With new pants it's kind of a pain because there are no prior creases from previous folds, so it takes a bit of trial and error to line up both legs evenly. (2b) is one that I don't wear often and today is the perfect opportunity to change that. Unless you look closely, the cuffs are barely visible with black pants. I don't know why I haven't tried this sooner, but this look is slowly growing on me. As the saying goes, there's a first time for everything.

Wearing a little red and some pink for today's occasion. Or in our household, it'll be known as VaLINtine's Day. We'll be staying in tonight to watch Knicks vs. Raptors as bf is all caught up in the hoopla. This weekend though, I'll be dragging him out to see The Vow, muahaha. Channing Tatum in a chick flick?! Sold. A no-brainer, actually.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Hello three-day weekend! If you're off Monday too, I hope you have a great one!