TBMD

Usually by this time of the year, I would have already jumped the gun and busted out my fall jackets. Multiple times. Sweating just a tad in the early stages of fall while sipping a pumpkin spice latte is like a rite of passage. Nope, not this year. I waited until I absolutely had to without jeopardizing my health. True to form though, once I'm in, I'm in. There's no such thing as going overboard with all the fall accessories -- scarf, suede (love this bag, btw! drapes so well), and of course bare legs while I'm bundled up like an eskimo on the top half. Welcome to fall and happy layering, everyone!

As promised, I finally decided to style this leopard skirt with something other than a black sweater (!) I felt a polo top was the conservative yin to the wild leopard yang of the bottom half. Personally I preferred the outfit with the trench coat as I felt it completed the outfit. As opposed to merely complementing, which unfortunately was how the outfit looked for most of the day as I spent it indoors.

Off the top of my head, there's nothing more spring-like than a wicker basket. The sight of one immediately conjures up picnics under a gigantic tree, or a lazy afternoon frolicking through the flower fields (making mental notes and adding both to my bucket list!) Though not very practical (perhaps only a bit more so than an evening clutch), I do love their whimsical nature. The easiest way to style wicker baskets is to pair them with feminine pieces (lace, frills, floral prints), light colors (white, pastels), and/or with warm temperature fabrics and textures (silk, linen, light cotton). I cannot wait to wear mine all throughout the spring and summer months. Yay or nay -- are you a fan of wicker baskets?

Rounding out the month of April on a high note! 4 posts in the last week, with the majority featuring one of my favorite jackets ever. I don't know how much longer this in-between spring and summer weather is going to last, so just trying to prolong jacket season as long as I can.

When I was putting together today's outfit, I was aiming for classic and understated (in my simpleton mind, that's how I equate neutrals and office appropriate-wear). By the end of the day, I was blown away at how much the caramel-colored wide tortoise belt stole the show. Ladies at work stopped to inquire, and I was only too happy to share it's a recent purchase and still available. Another generalization example: no comments = fly under the radar = understated. How wrong was I?! Time to change this mindset of mine.

I felt like a walking advertisement for Where's Waldo?, though of the female, colorful, and preppy variety. I've tried (and owned) a few shirtdresses over the years. My biggest problem with most is how they ride up when I raise my arms. To a lesser extent, they tend to somehow emphasize problem areas (too tight) or need belting (too loose). But this Waldo shirtdress is love at first sight! The fabric is thick and heavy enough that the hem doesn't ride up easily. I didn't feel fat nor felt like I'm wearing a sack. This dress is a throwback of J.Crew's from 1984 that they brought back. Unfortunately, I picked up the dress in the dead of winter, so very limited sizes are avail now. However, the shirt version is still available in many sizes in navy ivory.

I'm so, so behind on blogging it's not even funny. Thank you all who are still hanging around here willing to put up with my sporadic, weekly-at-best posts.

A recurring theme every spring seems to be me subconsciously reaching for feminine pieces from my closet. (I blame it on the blooms, because flowers = pretty). Some years, it's lace. This year, it's pleats. Pretty in pleats was what ran through my mind as I put together today's outfit.

Long time no post! Been busy with life, work, and more life that I just needed a break from blogging. Hopefully with the holiday season upon us, work will slow down some and I can share more winter outfits. For now, I'm still going through a backlog of photos, so bear with me as it's still fall on the blog.

As the weather cools, I become lazier at "completing" outfits with jewelry. Partly because they'd be hidden underneath layers; and other times it's due to the abundance of cold weather accessories for warmth. What today's look lacks in bling, I made up for it with colorful accessories -- berry suede bow pumps and smooshy cognac leather purse. Can I just say that I've carried this purse the entire past week and the leather still smells amazing. While minding my own business at work, I would randomly get whiffs of the leather from about 3 feet away.

As promised, today's post features a semi tucked-in sweater (now $25) with wide leg cropped pants (now $32). I loved how this outfit turned out, with the yellow pants being the main attraction against a palette of neutrals. It's just a tad crazy for my stuffy work environment (government), but not too much so.

Around this time last year, I switched jobs to one where I took the Metro every day. I wore heels perhaps 3 times max the few months I was there before an unexpected opportunity came along that I couldn't turn down. Since then, I've been back to driving daily. That meant, hello heels! I felt like a little girl wearing her mom's shoes those first few weeks -- taking baby steps and a bit unsteady on my feet. All these months later, I'm not sure if my heel-wearing skills are what they once were.

I got these Kefee heel inserts recently for my shoes that fit slightly loose, either from leather stretching out over time or just running a tad large. The sandals I'm wearing today are the latter, so I stuck heel inserts underneath my toes and behind my heels. Instead of using 2 separate pieces for each shoe's heel and having to trim the ends, I cut one piece in half. Voila, instant comfort without the wobbliness. Only time will tell how they hold up, but so far so good.