Appropriate-ness Over Balance for Work

Decided to wear jeans again for a casual work day. I thought about doing my new skinnies, which have a dark wash and aren't too-too tight, but decided best to leave those for after hours. I think this top would look better with slimmer pants, but my desire to be work-appropriate outweighed my desire to balance my ensemble.


Simple look - I let the accessories be the stars. My long crystal J Crew necklace has become quite the outfit staple for me.




My new J Crew Parsley Metallic Mary Janes. I first saw these in an old J Crew catalog and thought they were gorge. I decided to not buy them, but when I found a new pair on ebay for a decent price, I jumped!

The shoes are more green than they looked in the ebay photo. I think my pictures is more true to color, but it's still a nice, toned-down green. I like them a lot and they're surprisingly comfortable. My only (minor) complaints are the rounded toe is narrower than other round-toe shoes I've worn and the straps are rather tight. I do like how they're adjustable, though, since most shoe straps seem to stretch at least a little bit.

Dark Wash Wide-Leg Jeans: Banana Republic
Cami & Flowy top: The Limited
Parsley Metallic Mary Jane Shoes: J Crew
Long Gold Necklace: J Crew

Sunny End-of-Summer Festival Attire

I went out to a local, outdoor festival with hubby recently. In honor of the last days of summer, I picked a bright yellow top and white cropped pants for style and comfort


(nice and breezy for that hot-hot sun!)
I haven't worn these pants in a couple years...mostly because I outgrew them. Thanks to getting back into working out, they fit again! I should have tried them out earlier in the summer for maximum wearage. Still, it was a great feeling when they slipped on perfectly.


I wore a simple golden chain with clear, faceted crystals. Isn't the seahorse pattern fun? I got this top awhile ago during a J Crew final sale.

Cropped White pants: Express
Yellow Seahorse top: J Crew
Long necklace: J Crew
Purse: Chanel
Gold flip flops: J Crew

Channeling Carrie Bradshaw: J Crew Ruffled Skirt

I've been stalking items on ebay lately in hopes of finding some good deals. My fave so far - the J Crew tiered ruffle skirt in barely gray. So...so chic! I took a risk getting a size too small, but found a nice review over at Goldenmeans saying the skirt ran big. At one size smaller than what I normally take, I took her advice and she was sooo right! The skirt fits perfectly!


Since there was already a lot going on with the skirt, I decided to pair the skirt with a simple cardigan.


My new gold, J Crew skinny belt helped cinch in the waist to add definition


Pearls keep it classy and the tank underneath helps with layering and adds a wee touch of lace


Love the ruffles!


This is my new fave skirt. I felt a little risque wearing this number to the office and though I think the look may not be the easiest to pull off, it is certainly fun to try!

My co-worker gave me the sweetest compliment when she said my outfit looked like something Carrie Bradshaw would wear and that it was very Sex and the City. Suh-weet!

Skirt: J Crew
Shoes: J Crew
Tank top: Abercrombie + Fitch
Cardigan: Gap
Belt: J Crew

NOTE: I got my skirt from ebay seller WestieGirl4me - she has 2 more ruffle skirts left if you want one, too! WestieGirl4me was an awesome ebay seller for me - she had great communication and was very helpful. Many of her items ship for free, too, which is a nice bonus.

Trend Love: One Shoulder Style

I'm seeing trend alerts everywhere for one shoulder top and dress styles, but seriously...the one shoulder look is a personal fave...one that I've rocked since high school (maybe even middle school?).

Here are some of my current faves:

Old Navy - Women's Ruffled One Shoulder Top - $9.99 (on sale from $22.50)


ModCloth - High Tide Dress - $74.99


Maggy London One Shoulder Dress - $128 (via nordstrom.com)


Foley + Corinna Zigzag Jersey Asymmetrical Dress - $212.50 (on sale from $425 via shopbop.com)

What do you think of the one shoulder look?

NOTE: images from oldnavy.com, modcloth.com, nordstrom.com, and shopbop.com

Catch Me While You Can...

I'm trying to catch the last warm bits of summer while I still can. I'm pulling out my fave summer/warm-weather pieces and rocking them out as much as possible.

This casual sleeveless dress is a personal fave because it's so easy to throw on and wear with metallic flip flops. The material breathes well in the heat and it's pretty darn comfy, too.

I was meeting friends for brunch at a local fave spot, so I went a little dressier than norm by wearing summary heels instead of flat flip flops. I brought a cardi in case things were cool inside but totally didn't need it. The internal temps were just fine and the food was just as good as usual.



Dress: Banana Republic
Shoes: Banana Republic
Bracelet: J Crew
Necklace: D Celestine
Purse: Chanel

Music on the Patio

Hubby and I met up with some friends for dinner followed by music on the patio of a local shopping center. The weather is taking a turn towards fall, but the air is still warm. I decided to wear something breezy but bring a cardigan in case things got colder than expected.


I started with the skirt because it's one of my faves.


I added the bright yellow tank top for a little extra color and because the yellow reminded me of sunny summers that will soon be over.


The cardigan is a light yellow knit to help me stay warm as the night cooled things down. I ended up only needing it when we hung out with the boys who were watching games at the restaurant bar. The weather outdoors was phenomenal!

Skirt: Urban Outfitters
Yellow tank: Banana Republic
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Wedges: Banana Republic
Purse: Chanel
Necklace: D Celestine

Martin + Osa: Labor Day Specials

Martin + Osa is offering some awesome Labor Day deals now through Labor Day: FREE SHIPPING (that's always nice, no?) on all orders and a free gift with purchase of regular price denim.

For the ladies:

With purchase of reg. price denim, you'll receive a M+O beautiful "Love Shop scarf (retails for $69.50).

For the men:

With purchase of reg. price denim, you'll receive a M+O awesome Two-color cotton web belt (retails for $39.50).

My pick for ladies:

If you're looking to update your wardrobe for fall, check out the Supercross jean in "Charcoal" ($120). This jean will help you rock out that tough-chic look that will be so popular. Pair with sky-high heels and a leather jacket to get the look.


My pick for the men:

I love these Vintage Slim Fit jeans ($99.50) in Black Resin Rinse Wash for Fall 2009. Same idea as above for the ladies but in a masculine way, of course. Pair with a simple light-tone, gray-wash tee and boots.

How the deal works:
- In store customers will have their choice of color for both the scarf and belt. Online orders color will be random.
- Max one men’s and one women’s gift per order (one men’s jean and one women’s jean = one belt and one scarf…. Two women’s jeans = one scarf)

Don't forget: FREE SHIPPING too on all orders!

Go to martinandosa.com to get shopping!

NOTE: Please check out martinandosa.com for full special details. Images courtesy Martin + Osa and from martinandosa.com

Working Woman - Girly Layers

I love wearing my super girly ensembles to work now and again. The short-sleeve button down paired with a simple skirt is a fave...add on a cardi and it's extra girly. I wore warm neutrals in honor of the incoming fall weather.


Outfit with cardigan...rocking out my new J Crew final sale heels!


Outfit without cardi - love this style for work!


Outfit re-worked for the cooler evening weather and my desire for comfort. I really need to teach hubby how to style my better...I'm not liking the way this outfit looks in this photo.

Anywho, for the last outfit, I kept the shirt and cardi and replaced the skirt with skinny jeans, the heels for flip flops, and added a scarf for warmth. Had to lose the belt, too.

Leather peep-toe heels: J Crew
Button down top: Banana Republic
Brown cardigan: Banana Republic
Skirt: Banana Republic
Belt: Banana Republic
Skinny Jeans: Guess
Flip flops: Rainbows
Scarf: ?