Hangin It Up

I think it's pretty obvious by now that I haven't had made the time to stay involved with this blog lately.  Sadly, I don't see that changing anytime soon, so I've decided to officially call it quits and stop pretending that I'll be able to make this a priority again.  I've been meaning to write this post for awhile, but I felt I owed it (and any readers I still have out there) a better explanation than I had time to compose.  Speaking of time, that's the primary reason for my decision.  Sure, I could just take some crappy pictures in a few minutes every day and throw them up here with little to no original thoughts, but that's not the kind of blog I'd want to present as a reflection of my interest in fashion and this community.  I still am very involved with clothing and my own style in real life, I just don't have the kind of time necessary to dedicate to a creating/continuing a decent blog between taking pictures, editing pictures, writing commentary, etc.  My real job and my real life hobbies (including fashion!) are taking priority for me at the moment, and after thinking it through, I wouldn't change that, so I know this is the right decision.  I still do read your blogs (honestly!) even if I don't have time to comment every day, and I hope to stay in touch with you all.  I'm much more active on Instagram, so feel free to follow me there (and leave me your name too)!

It's been a fun ride, and thank you all for being interested in my little corner of the internet for the last year and a half!  :)

-Laura

Red and Black and Tan All Over

This color combination isn't new by any  means, but I couldn't remember the last time I paired them together, and I also couldn't remember the last time I wore this blazer in an outfit post - both sad things that needed to be remedied right away.

I'm Wearing

J. Crew Factory blazer

Gap silky button down

J. Crew ivory belt

Michael Kors watch

HoH inspired necklace, online group deal (via Facebook I think?)

Black clovers necklace, NYC Soho street vendor

Gap pants

Jessica Simpson (via DSW) leopard pumps

I couldn't decide which necklace I wanted to wear with this outfit, so I tried them both on at the same time and ended up liking them together - love it when that happens, it makes the decision so much easier.  I think that's the secret to accessory layering - just randomly try stuff on together until it looks good.  Actually that might be my entire getting-dressed philosophy... but let's pretend like there's more to it than that, shall we???

Lots of Dots

I wore this to work yesterday and got quite a few compliments, so I really wanted to share it and thought it would be a good road back into outfit posts.

I'm Wearing

Gap Eversoft cardigan

H&M polka dot dress (worn as a skirt)

H&M floral scarf

J. Crew Factory polka dot tights

Adrienne Vittadini oxford booties (via Marshall's)

I rarely wear cardigans fully buttoned up, but since I wanted to use this dress as a skirt, I just buttoned the whole thing, paired it with a scarf, and wore it as a shirt all day.  Worked out pretty well!

Things are still crazy at work and in general, but thanks to Daylight Savings Time ending (starting? who can remember?), it's getting a little easier to take photos since it doesn't always feel like the middle of the night.  How have things been going in your world(s)???  I actually update on Instagram more than blogger lately, so feel free to follow me there (@lauraallison12), and leave me a note with your username here so I can follow you too!

Shout Out

Since I still don't have any cute pictures of my own (will I ever wear a cute outfit again??? Stay tuned to find out), I thought I'd give a little shout out today.

After having the supplies for this for 100 years since October, I finally did this DIY hair tie tutorial that the amazingly resourceful Bri put together!

Here's my finished product - 30 elastic hair ties for under $5:

I'll leave you to Bri's tutorial for the instructions, with one note from my own experience - I didn't try out the sizing of mine at the beginning (uhh, dumb), so mine are a leeeeeetle bit tight (they just barely fit over my hair 3 times), but I'm alright with that since these things tend to stretch out the more you use them.  In any case, YMMV, so test out the size before you go cutting all of your elastic strips.

Thanks for the awesome idea and how-to, Bri! :)

Heyyyyy

Just checking in to say I'm still alive!  It's been a really rough week, so I literally have been wearing black pants, cardigans, and ponytails every day and didn't have any motivation to take photos of my depressing outfits/mood.  I hope to be back next week with a better attitude and better clothes.  Hope you're all having a great start to your weekend!

February Budget & Buys

I'm actually really happy with this month's report, I have to admit.  Usually I kind of dread doing my monthly budget because I don't want to see it all together, but this year is going well for me in terms of smart buying and restraint.  I feel really... accomplished this month, for lack of a better word.  I feel like I spent smart, stayed in budget, and only purchased things I really loved and know will get a lot of use in my current lifestyle and wardrobe.  Even better is that even though they're "practical" (hate that word), they're still exciting to me because they're all appropriate for spring, which is where my mind's at even if there is snow on the ground.

I wasn't really planning on shopping (still riding that high of the way under-budget January) and actually didn't shop at all for most of the month.  I'm so over winter and being bundled up that even good sales haven't really been speaking to me - I'm just not in the mood to buy another sweater or pair of tights that I don't even want to wear and will be hidden under a massive North Face puffer anyway (side note that I think this is partially why I've been neglecting outfit photos...).  Anyway, I was planning on spending some cash in Florida while I was there, but (a) nothing really grabbed me there either (even hit up like 5 thrift stores and came up with nothing!), and (b) I bring a really small weekend bag when I go on those trips, so I didn't have much room to take anything home with me anyway.  So I thought I might get out of February with another low-budget month.

But then (of course), J. Crew and their dang 30% (and then 40%!!!) off sale items got to me last week.  I tried to stay reasonable, but since I still had my entire budget available, I decided to go for a few of the higher quality items that I usually wouldn't spend the money on.  Here's what I ended up with.

I didn't buy them to wear together all at once, but is it wrong that now I want to?

J. Crew Blythe Blouse in Alabaster - $62.48

J. Crew Tippi Sweater in Heather Turquoise - $36.25

J. Crew Scout Chino in Neon Rose - $40.40

J. Crew Mona Pumps in Deep Peri - $64.59 (no longer available)

Grand total - $203.48

Since I only spent $35 in January, I'm okay with that extra $3.48 - technically I'm still under budget for the year by about $160, so I think I'm good.  Quick and grateful shout out too - I actually bought these during the 30% off sale, but the awesome customer service gals price-adjusted for me when it went to 40% literally 2 days later, so that helped me keep all 4 things while staying in budget  :)  Also fun to note - I've only added 8 things to my wardrobe (including accessories) so far this year!  Should make spring cleaning a little easier...

Okay, details.  I've been lusting after the white Blythe for what feels like ages, and when it was randomly slightly on sale so it qualified for the extra discount, I was seriously giddy.  The Tippi sweater is pretty much my favorite color, and after a quick look in my closet, I found that I didn't have a sweater or even a long-sleeved tee in that shade (honestly!), so at that price I was definitely in.  The chinos are super cute and bright for spring, but they're not so neon that they're not work-appropriate.  I do have a (Factory) pencil skirt in this shade though, so these are the only thing I'm considering returning.

And, saving the best for last, the shoes... oh, the shoes.  I was really, really nervous about these because I did something really slightly irresponsible... I bought them final sale when I'd never seen them in person and have never tried the Mona pumps on before, so I wasn't even sure about my size - eek!  And even though they were on major sale, that's still a lot for me to spend on one pair of shoes, but since I've been so burned by cheap shoes, I think I'm pretty much persuaded that it's worth it to spend the money on a decent pair.  All in fitting with the quality over quality mentality, right?  Plus, I figured I could resell them at least for what I paid if I really hated them or they didn't fit.  I had toyed with buying them back in January too, but then they went out of stock.  When they came back in stock for like 1 minute, only in my size, during this sale, I frantically added them to my cart and checked out, like immediately.  Then I panicked for the next 2 days because I thought for sure my order would be cancelled due to no inventory, but alas, they were available, I got them, and... I LOVE THEM.  The color is even better than I thought it would be, and luckily for me, they fit like a dream - honestly one of the most comfortable pumps I own!  Fate & luck, I owe you one.

It feels awesome to only have bought 4 things rather than adding a bunch of cheap stuff that will fall apart or be obsolete sooner rather than later, and I'm happy to have spent the additional money on these pieces that I can see myself using for years.  It feels like money well spent rather than soon-to-be-wasted.  I'm also working on a new targeted wish list to help me continue shopping smart (probably one overall and one for each season, something like Fran's Holes in My Closet list), so I can continue to focus my spending and feel good about what I'm adding to my closet.

Also linking up with Fran's Budgeting Bloggers series - can't wait to see how you all did this month too!

Nifty Thrifty

Aaaaand here's that post I had scheduled for last week, but somehow I messed up the auto scheduler and it never went up.  I had a few meetings last week, so I needed to wear a black pants and blazer combo, but I really wanted to add something a little fun, so I threw in a bright blazer I found thrifting, polka dots, studded flats, and an Eiffel Tower pendant for good measure.

I'm Wearing

Thrifted blazer

Gap polka dot blouse

J. Crew sweater

Modcloth Eiffel Tower pendant

J. Crew bangle

Gap pants

Steve Madden studded flats

I've worn this blazer so many times since I found it thrifting that I think the CPW (cost-per-wear) is down to pennies.  It was such a random find, and the size is something like a 4 petite, which I'm totally not either of those, but it ended up working really well.  I've been meaning to change out the buttons for awhile though... any thoughts on what kind of button would look good on this?  I think a matte gold would be nice, but I'm not really well-versed in where to find such buttons - any suggestions???