recap: april

[wearing]
i finally realized that i feel more put-together when i'm wearing at least one pattern and a jacket, so that's been the name of the game this month.  

[buying]
gap luxlight cardigan: $34 via gap.com. this silk-blend cardigan is a replacement/upgrade of an old gray cardigan that has seen better days.  (seen in this post)
calvin klein striped dress: $50 via t.j.maxx.  this was a last-minute purchase for an event and i'm hoping that it will make itself useful as a summer work dress.
collective concepts sheer print top: $10 via nordstrom rack.  i adore this brand's prints, but it seems to be all synthetic materials, so this dress had been the only collective concepts piece i owned.  this shirt is sheer and an oversized dolman cut, so i think that helps the polyester-ness.(seen in this post)
old navy pointed toe flats in "high voltage": $20 via oldnavy.com.  i already own these flats in nude and dalmatian print, so i thought bright yellow would be a fun pair to add to my collection.  they're a wee bit too highlighter-ish, so if i can't muster up the courage to wear them soon they'll be headed back.  
old navy black pointed toe flats: $20 via oldnavy.com.  before i bought these i had no black flats in my closet and there were a few times this winter when i wanted a pair to go with black tights.  nothing fancy here, just filling a closet hole.
gap dot legging skimmer jeans: $38 via gap.com.  i can't wear jeans to work, but i am still super excited about these fun jeans.  my colored denim doesn't seem to be getting much attention lately, but this pair adds some oompf to jeans+tee weekend outfits. (seen in this post)
merona leopard-print pencil skirt (not pictured below): $22 via target.  (seen in this post)

april total: $184 
and i sold $52 of old clothes, so really it's $132 out of pocket this month.



[reading]
hemingway's the garden of eden.  this book seemed kinda racy for 1946, so maybe that's why he never published it while he was alive.  i've been reading a hemingway every few months and it occasionally reminds me of high school english class....like i should be writing a five paragraph essay on symbolism.  in conclusion, this was not my favorite hemingway and i definitely hated catherine, but it was still a good read.  
david rakoff's don't get too comfortable.  during one particularly boring time at work several years ago i listened to all the this american life archives and since david rakoff is a regular contributor, i've had this book on my "maybe i should read that" list for awhile.  the stories are funny and i listened to this in the car so it was like a this american life marathon without ira glass there to ruin things.  
david sedaris's holidays on ice.  it's not december, but i hadn't read this sedaris book yet and the stories are funny even in april.  

dotty, double boots, and snuggies

[wearing]
dress: joie (similar)
cardigan: forever21 (similar)
tights: apt. 9
suede ankle boots: target

[three things]
1. yup, right after i posted last week about impulse purchases at target i bought these ankle boots on clearance when i stopped in to stock up on greek yogurt.  as you can see below, they look a whole lot like the pair i bought clearance at the end of last winter...just a little more cowboy-ish.  
2. this outfit was crazy comfortable.  this cardigan is like wearing a blanket and since snuggies aren't socially acceptable, this is the next best thing.
3. i'm pretty excited about some warm weather this week.  my office is always extra cold, so i'll still be wearing sweaters inside.  #lamesauce

dotty, patterns galore, and a shiny clutch

[wearing]
hearts: asos (similar)
jackety cardigan: forever21 (similar)
black pants: zara (similar)
heels: missoni/target
clutch: marc jacobs/target

[three things]
1. it's surprising how often i end up mixing patterns just because two pieces end up hanging next to each other in my closet. i used to organize everything by color, so these two might never have met if i was still so organized.  
2. judging by my shoes and clutch here, apparently i am all about target designer collaborations.  i really wanted to like the most recent kate young one, but none of the dresses seemed me-ish.
3. it's friday!  my day is meetings and meetings and meetings, some of which are not going to be pleasant ones, but then it will all be over and the weekend will be here.  yessss!  

dotty, pencil skirts, and loudness

[wearing]
sweatshirt: target (similar)
skirt: target (similar)
boots: forever21
bag: banana republic (similar)
necklace: forever21

[three things]
1. this sweatshirt was an impulse purchase at target back in november, but it has proven it's worth by going to work, yoga, and everywhere in-between since then.  
2. this skirt was a more recent random purchase at target.  i totes want to wear it every day that i'm in the office even though i haven't been that into wearing pencil skirts lately.  i have to wear pants whenever i am on-site, so my skirt days have been a bit limited these days.  
3. the combination of the two is a bit loud,  but i'm liking it.  so there!





[previously on] target (mossimo) red foil-printed sweatshirt

dotty, red again, and green stairs

[wearing]
sweater: vince (exactly)
skirt: thriftastic (similar)
tights: apt. 9
boots: target (similar)
purse: target
necklace: forever21

[three things]
1. i wore a similar outfit that paired this sweater with red recently, but i felt it was a little too casual for work. pencil skirts always seem to dress up things a bit.  
2. this skirt is kinda memorable, so i tend to wait awhile before i re-wear it.  i really liked the last combination it was apart of, so i'm glad that it made one more appearance before i pack up all my wool clothes until next fall.
3. these green stairs make this outfit way more christmas color-ish than i felt wearing it.  

dotty, glitter shoes, and black pants

[wearing]
top: collective concepts
trench vest: forever21 (similar)
black pants: zara (similar)
purse: target
glitter heels: nine west (exactly)

creative: this trench vest can look really casual, so i paired it with a pretty pattern and dress pants to lessen the casual-ness.
young: glitter heels!  i bought these for fancy events since last christmas i had a bunch of work events that i had to dress simultaneously professional and festive for.  i have now figured out that the perfect thing for this is fancy shoes with a plain dress.  now that i've got the fancy shoes i want to wear them all the time.  i have become that person that wears heels to the grocery store...but they're so sparkley and fun!  
professional: since i've gotten over my fear that black pants are boring, i've embraced the closet staple-ness of this pair and wear them all the time.  

+
thanks to everybody for the feedback on my linkup idea last week.  how about we meet back here next tuesday and make that happen.  yay!


find more posts like this one over here.

dotty, triangles, and spikey shoes

[wearing]
geometric tee: gap 
jacket: mine (similar)
pants: j.crew (similar)
flats: steve madden (exactly)
purse: target
sunnies: ray-ban

[three things]
1. i wear gray v-neck tees a lot of the weekends, so this triangley shirt is perfect for mixing things up just a tiny bit.
2. this outfit is totes just a bunch of pieces that i've been liking lately plus some excitement about wearing a non-winter jacket.  eep!  
3. look at all those trash cans!  as it turns out our alley is actually meant for trash pickup, not outfit photos.