Cozy Santa

I wore: 

Loft sweater

Gap skinny cords

Nine West boots

When I was getting ready this morning, I was overjoyed by the fact that weather.com said it was 33 degrees outside! That's the perfect number of degrees to wear cords and a sweater and not look overheated.

These are the most versatile red pants I've ever met. They go with everything. Other than being a little too big because I tried them on after lunch, they're perfect. So spruce up your holiday wardrobe and go grab a pair!

Have you finished Christmas shopping yet? I haven't. Last year my shopping was finished and my presents were wrapped by this point. I haven't even made a shopping list yet. I need a list or else I just end up buying for myself and forgetting everyone else until Christmas Eve and struggling to find something appropriate in Wal-Mart. Oh, the holidays!

A side of surprise.

 I wore:

Gap striped top

Gap Vintage Flares

Toms shoes

I know what you were thinking when you saw that first picture...BORING. But then you got to the next couple and realized my shirt had a zipper on the side- a zipper that was partially unzipped. If it wasn't for that white t-shirt, you might have been able to see my belt loops. How daring! How risque!

I wore this last week at some point. I honestly don't remember when or where because the past week has been a complete blur! However, my day probably involved work, class and a bit of studying at Barnes & Noble- my standard/classic/staple kind of day.

This shirt is kind of funky and I love the thicker material it's made of but my goodness, that zipper would not stay down at all. Apparently gravity has no effect on this shirt. It does, however, have an effect on me. I fall down a lot for an adult.  I fell down TWICE on Black Friday. The first incident happened around 5:30 am at work. Nobody would have seen if I hadn't screamed right before my knees hit the ground. Then that night around 11 pm, I tripped over somebody else's feet and fell right down again. I also walked into a table and bruised my hip. 

This weekend really took a toll on me. But I'm not glad it's over.

Outlaw on the run.

I wore: 

Gap skinny jeans and t-shirt

Nine West boots

a Target scarf

earrings from Nordstrom

My motive:

The past week hasn't been altogether stressful but it hasn't been quite so fun either. Most of my time has been spent trying to get ahead/caught up on all the work I've been procrastinating against all semester.

This is the first year that I'll be missing Thanksgiving with my family and most importantly, midnight shopping with my mom at the outlets. I'm thankful that this will most likely be my last year working a retail job. It's been fun but it's almost time to cut that cord.

Anyway, that has nothing to do with what I'm wearing. To be honest, today was the first day since last week that I tried to spice it up. And apparently my spice makes me look like a cowboy or an outlaw and less like a sailor or at least that's what a girl in class said today. I think it was a compliment but I'm not entirely sure.

Happy early weekend!

These are a few of my favorite things.

I wore:

a Gap top

J.Crew outlet skirt

Worthington tights

Gap City Flats

My motive:

I have a lot to talk to you guys about. 

First, last night I started getting ready for bed at 9:45. My routine involves the usual brushing of teeth and taking out of contacts, as well as choosing what to wear the next day. Now usually I get dressed without thinking twice but on days when I'm going to my internship, it takes me a long time. Last night, I was still up and trying on clothes at 11:45 trying to find something that would look professional but not prudish.

Then once I find something to settle on, I get to school and realize that this skirt is too short and too loud to wear at school. Oh well, lesson learned. It won't happen again. Unless I get desperate. 

With that said, yellow, stripes and messy ponytails always make up for a hectic day. You know, those that are so long that the morning feels like it was some other day altogether? 

Next up: the weather. It was in the mid-sixties today. Need I remind you it's November? Thanksgiving is next week! When will I get to wear all the cozy sweaters boxed up in my closet? And get this, it's going to warm up over the next week. The high on Black Friday is 72 degrees. Just the weather one wants when buying Christmas gifts!

And finally, check out these outtakes below. Me and the self-timer got into a bit of a brawl. I think the camera won but we still need to clear that up...

"I believe I can fly..."

Hi hand, you're looking extra handy today.

The master plan.

I wore:
Gap vest, shirt and skirt
tights from Target
Nine West boots


My motive:
I had this really great idea of what yesterday was going to look like. It didn't quite turn out the way it did in my dreams.


I was supposed to teach a lesson at school to record and add to my teaching portfolio. Then I found out it was an early release day and ended up only having 15 minutes with the students instead.


I was supposed to meet with my advisor for student teaching. He cancelled.


I was supposed to feel great all day because I looked like a teacher. I stayed up until after midnight on Tuesday figuring out what to wear. Then,  I got stopped on the way in to school, being mistaken for a student. To top that off, these tights are REALLY uncomfortable. Not unbearable but just annoying enough that I constantly have to readjust.


I was supposed to come home after teaching and edit a paper to turn in tomorrow. I took a nap instead.


Sometimes things just don't turn out the way you thought they would. But then you remember you're going to NYC on Friday and things get better!

Talent search.

I wore:

an Anthropologie dress (only $30!)

a cardigan from TJ Maxx ($20)

boots from Target ($20)

a bangle from Ten Thousand Villages (gift from Meller)

My motive:

Today, I sat for most of the day writing lesson plans and unit plans and reading for class. I also watched quite a bit of MTV since I like a little background noise to be productive. This dress is not so comfortable for sitting. The tapering in at the bottom is my worst enemy because it slowly cut off circulation every time I got comfortable. 

Can you believe it's almost the middle of November? Today it really hit me that the year is almost over! In about seven months, I'm going to have a master's degree. Sadly I will also have to get a job. Unless I get famous before then. And getting famous requires having celebrity parents or a talent. My parents are great but they're no Brangelina. So I guess it's time to figure out a talent? If I could get paid to online shop, I'd be rich! Also if I quit shopping, I'd be closer to rich than I am right now. 

But then again I wouldn't have as many clothes. It's a vicious cycle. Will it ever end??

I ain't no hollaback girrrl.

I wore:

a Gap cami and belt

Target cardigan and boots

Worthington tights

Target boots

My Motive:

There's no story behind this outfit but I did have an awkward encounter while wearing it. Some guy in a car decided to woo me by yelling out of his car and silly me assumed he was talking to someone behind me, so I turned around to see what was going on. He took that as a sign to stop traffic in order to continue yelling. I know this skirt is yellow, which in stoplight lingo means slow down but come on. 

As sweet as it was getting yelled at and subsequently confused about said yelling, this outfit was pretty comfortable and Anthro-esque, two things I value in choosing what to wear.

Turtle turtle turtle.

I wore:

a Gap turtleneck, belt, cords

Nine West boots

My motive:

I love snarky comments. No, really, they're great! And I love that I get them every time I wear these pants. "Red pants, huh?" with a smirk isn't condescending...nope, not even a little bit. 

I wore these to the holiday meeting at work because I thought they were festive and I love how punchy they are in general. Also, this turtleneck is the softest. I wore it all the time last year and just pulled it out for the first time this season.

Now I'm off to do some lesson planning and portfolio making- there's only 4 weeks left in the semester and I've got quite the load of work to get through.

The title of this post is a throwback to this movie. 

Oxford style.

                                   

I wore:

a scarf from a little shop in Oxford

Gap gray shirt

Gap skinny jeans

oxfords from Target

My motive:

Here's the thing- I've wanted a pair of oxford shoes since last year but thought they were too mannish for me to pull off. Then I saw Serena and Blair wearing them on Gossip Girl and knew I had to have 'em. Despite friends who disagreed with me on their cuteness, I ordered them online only to find out after it was too late that they had been shipped to my old address. So finally, after 5 weeks, I finally got them and wore them!

And since they're oxfords, I decided to be secretly ironic and wear a scarf I bought while in Oxford, England a few years back. Sounds pretentious, doesn't it?

Today these shoes got some looks/comments. My two favorite ones being "Hey, look at you wearing man shoes!" and "You look like you're about to tap dance in those. When's the show?" These small town snarks need to chill because if characters in teenage dramas like to wear oxfords, then so do I!

Robin Hood: (wo)man in tights.

Pursed lips smile- classic.

So much rain!

I wore:

Gap t-shirt dress

Gap cardigan

Gap belt

Worthington tights

Nine West boots

My motive:

Yesterday, I woke up slowly and did work in bed. I got a lot done if you consider watching my Friends dvds work. At any rate, I forced myself to get up and change out of my comfy pajamas before going to Starbucks where I ordered the most delicious hot chocolate when it hit me that it was going to be a great day! The drink is called salted caramel hot chocolate and is well worth the $4 I paid for it, even if several pieces of  my wardrobe cost less than that. 

My only complaint is that I felt a little bit like Robin Hood. Hunter green stripes mixed with black tights and unidentifiable colored  neutral boots? Umm, I practically dressed like Russell Crowe.  And did you know that when I went to see that movie I was confused because I grew up thinking that Peter Pan and Robin Hood were buddies? 

Teach 'em how it's done.

I wore:

a Gap cardigan, button down and belt

Target shoes and pencil skirt

My motive:

Today I had to teach my very first lesson at my internship. For some reason, I wasn't nervous at all going into it but about 5 minutes before I had to go, that nauseous feeling overcame me. Luckily I got through it and the kiddos learned quite a bit about the 1920s. 

I picked this outfit out of my closet a couple of weeks ago and just got around to wearing it. I thought the oatmeal color of the cardigan would look awkward with the black skirt but (hopefully) I was wrong. 

Also, I got compliments, as opposed to questioning glances, today at work when I walked in wearing this. Nothing like a good ego boost, eh?


On a different note, I took these photos well after midnight after being up since 6 am. Don't you hate that feeling of being so tired that brushing your teeth is practically running a marathon? 

I'm a little bit indie...

New haircut!

I wore:

a Jessica Simpson scarf

Gap sweater

Gap gray skinny jeans

Nine West boots

My motive: 

Some days I wake up and think, I'm going to look indie today. Then I end up wearing things like preppy striped sweaters and scarves by Jessica Simpson. At least I have bangs now, they give me a little edge.

To be perfectly honest, I didn't get dressed for the day until almost 3 o'clock in the afternoon. I bummed around in my pajamas all morning doing work and enjoying not having to rush off to work. It was like having a weekend after a 1 day work week! The only reason I got dressed was to go to class. And then I abruptly came home and changed back into my pajamas.  

Life in a small town is too exciting.

Fishnet Monday.

I wore:

a Gap trenchcoat  ($15)

a Jessica Simpson scarf ($13)

an Old Navy dress ($20ish)

Mix It tights ($2 at J.C. Penney)

Nine West boots ($50ish)

My motive:

So this dress is my go-to outfit for anytime I wake up late or just want to feel good, which is often. In the summer time, it's fun to wear it with bright sandals or my Toms but in the winter, boots and tights are perfect!

Even though you can't tell from these pictures, I had on nude colored fishnet tights. I bought them for mega-cheap one day over the summer and wasn't really sure if/when I'd wear them. To be honest, they were kind of uncomfortable and just made my legs look a little bit weird. On the other hand, I felt like a very classy streetwalker in them.  And the dress always makes me feel very patriotic.

I suppose what I'm saying is that I dressed up like a patriotic streetwalker the day after Halloween. Oops. 

A Spotted Halloween.

If only the song went "I've got two hands in my pocket..."

Close(r) up

Mismatching blacks?! Oh no.

 I wore:

 Gap vest, polka-dotted top and gray skinny jeans

Target shoes (not pictured)

My motive:

I went to Chapel Hill for my first homecoming as an alumni. To be honest, I felt a little bit old.

I wore this to church on Sunday, lunch with some friends and the drive back to Greenville. I had to buy these pants on the way to Chapel Hill because I realized that I'd packed about eight shirts and no pants. Brilliant, right?

Luckily I'd been wanting these for a while and popped into Gap on the drive over. I'm still on the fence about them but have still worn them the past three days. Maybe I'm not on the fence anymore.

Our only trick-or-treaters were a brother and sister combo that had some pretty stellar costumes. The boy was a baseball player and the girl was a dog. She never broke character. She barked and had shoes on both her hands and feet so that she could walk like a dog. Kids these days, so inventive!

P.S. Do you like my haircut?