The new leaf

After Saturday's post about promising to not let negativity get the best of me, I actually had a really wonderful weekend. We grilled out and watched the OSU Final Four game with a bunch of friends (even though it was a heart-breaking loss, I'm proud of our boys! Go Bucks!) and went downtown to the outdoor climbing wall to get in a few good routes. It was lovely.

It was actually pretty easy to be positive and in a good mood this weekend. But like all good things, the weekend had to end and here we are at Monday. Matt just left for a five-day business trip in Texas; the longest one he's been on since he started this job. In fact, this week will be the longest we've been apart since I was a junior in college and had to spend winter break at my parents' house. And while it's definitely easier to be happy when he's around, I'm not going to let this (and the whole stressful job situation I mentioned on Saturday) get the best of me. Positivity!






blazer, tights: Target
blouse: The Limited
skirt, pumps: thrifted
watch: Walmart
necklace: gifted from Matt
I wore this for my job interview back in January. I was going to save it and post when I had an official start date, but I got tired of waiting. Plus, pretty soon all my photos will be outdoor shots, so I'm trying to get rid of the inside ones now.

This actually isn't the first interview I've had in the past six months. I wore this outfit way back in October to an interview for a job that I didn't end up getting. That's okay though. I know I'll like this new opportunity, when I finally get started with it, more than I ever would have enjoyed the job that I didn't get.

I'm thinking I might make that outfit my "first day at a new job" one, actually. It's one of my favorite professional styles that have appeared on this blog. Positivity! This week could be the week! And if it's not, well, that's okay too. Some things are worth waiting for.

Discount codes and odd neighbors

Big celebratory dance time, guys. This is my 200th post! I had wanted to do a giveaway or something like that, but I didn't want to hold the Limited giveaway I just did, and I don't really have anything new lined up. I do have some discount codes from a few of my affiliates, though!

The first is for eShakti, which I did a review of here. Use promo code EMMA0811 now through December 31 to get $20 off your order (excluding the overstock items).

The second is for INDi custom jeans. I'm new to their affiliate program, so I haven't done any reviews or anything, but you can use the code NEWINDI to get $20 off any pair of jeans (even the custom-sized ones, where you input your measurements for the perfect pair!) and get free shipping on your order. That code is good through Nov. 20, so use it soon!








sweater, button-down & slacks: New York & Company
shoes: Target
necklace: Tiffany, gifted
watch: Walmart
ring: gifted
How many people wear a Tiffany necklace with Walmart watch? Just me? Yeah, I'm super classy.

So the whole time I was taking these photos in my backyard, one of my crazy neighbors was watching. Like most fashion bloggers, I'm petrified of being caught shooting. That's why I usually stick to the backyard instead of going to the park or somewhere more scenic. But no. This neighbor came out right as I was getting started to ask what I was doing. "Oh, just taking photos of myself, by myself, in the yard. NDB." Yeah. To say it was awkward is an understatement.

Too bad we don't have a privacy fence. Oh wait. We do. Apparently, since the 7-foot fence is too tall to see over, he thought it would be fine to stand on his porch so he could see me/talk to me. Yeah. Kinda defeats the purpose there, buddy.

What do you do when you get caught shooting for your blog? I think next time, I'll just run away. Much cooler.

Blogger event!

Today, I'm going to my first-ever blogger event. It's actually pretty exciting; The Limited is opening a new store here in town, and I (along with a bunch of other bloggers) have been invited to the ribbon-cutting ceremony. There's some swag involved, I'm told, and that means you guys will get a chance for a little somethin' somethin' too! (Hint: Giveaway coming up!)

But for now, here are photos of one of the classiest outfits I've ever thrown together.








blazer, belt, purse: Target
dress: H&M, thrifted
scarf: also thrifted
shoes: Buckle
watch: Walmart
So I guess it's true. Even us awkward girls can clean up pretty well when we want to!

I got a few compliments on this scarf, too. One woman even told me she's have to start styling her bag with a scarf. I just wanted a pop of color, and this 25-cent piece of fabric happened to match my shoes/lipstick/belt. I told Matt that you know you're a true slave to style when you have to start accessorizing your accessories.

The Perfect (Anti-Blogging) Storm

It seems like lately the universe is conspiring to make blogging particularly difficult for me to accomplish. For one, it's been quite rainy these past few days/weeks, meaning indoor photos or no photos at all. For the record: I hate taking indoor photos. The lighting is just never good enough.

Take, for example, this outfit. I wasn't going to blog it, but I liked the look so much that I decided to just bite the bullet and shoot inside (no word yet on how winter will affect me...either I'll have frostbite or I'll just get used to crappy inside shots).

Then there's the general craziness that is my life. Our company was just bought out by another media outlet in town (if you follow me on Twitter you probably already know this), which means big changes for my coworkers and me in the coming weeks/months. I'm considering taking another freelance job so I can quit waitressing. It's not as lucrative as the hiring manager swore it would be ($30 on a Friday night? No thank you) and it's really adding more stress to my life than it's worth.

On top of all this? I'm coming down with something. I've had a sore throat since Monday and I have been ex. haust. ed. Honestly, just dragging my butt out of bed in the morning is a miracle, let alone getting dressed. Suffice to say that few of my outfits have been blog-worthy lately. Slacks and a T? That's my not-feeling-so-awesome attire.






shirt: don't remember
button-down: New York & Company
slacks: thrifted?
pumps: definitely thrifted
watch: Walmart
I did manage to pull out this gem of an outfit, however. I really like it, even though the purple shirt is a bit too tight to layer over a bulky button-down. Still, it looks nice, and that's the important part, right?

I promise, I'll start dressing better again, despite it all, and I'll try to start cooking some more so there are delicious recipes for me to share. And tonight, I'm going to try to hit up Joann Fabrics with my grandma, so there may be a how-to-make-your-own-curtains tutorial coming up at some point. Oh, and stay tuned for a product/shop review. I have a gorg dress hanging in my closet that I can't wait to share!

Mannish

I love the women-wearing-men's-clothes trend. When I saw Elaine's recent post on wearing your guy's clothes, and the recent VMA/Emmy attire of Lady Gaga and Jane Lynch, I knew I had to give it a try!

Unfortunately, I am woefully shy about going out on a fashion limb, at least when it comes to what I wear to work. Wearing Matt's shirt seemed just a bit too casual, particularly because it was so big on me, so I went with all-me pieces that gave a little more masculine/feminine mix. So really, I suppose this outfit isn't "mannish" at all...I just like the way the word sounds as a post title.






button up: New York & Company
tank: Walmart or Target?
belt: thrifted
skinnies: The Limited
shoes: Payless

See that headband? It was actually once a ribbon that came with a pair of flats. It looped through the back of the shoe and tied around my ankle. The shoes fell apart (of course) but the ribbons were still nice, so I washed them and kept them around. Glad I did, they're the perfect length for a double-wrapped headband :)

Do you watch Glee? Did you see the season premiere last night? I won't go into a Gleek rehash, but I have to say I was a little let down. I watched it with the girls who live upstairs, and one of them put it really well: It seemed like a mid-season episode, not the blowout season starters we've come to expect. We watched New Girl with Zooey Deschanel (love her!) after that. It was good. I can't wait to see the show/characters evolve.

Now that the fall season is underway, what shows (haha, I just accidentally typed "shoes"--ever the style blogger) are on your must-watch list?

Jump for joy!

Okay, that might be a bit dramatic. But I had a really, really great day yesterday, and I wanted this post to reflect that. So I decided to do a "jump for joy" shoot. On my first attempt, I got a perfect jump shot, but my face looked goofy:

So I tried again. Several more times. And wouldn't you know, I just could not get the timing right!

So I gave up on that and went back to regular outfit shots.

items: 11,15,24,26
necklace: The Limited
watch: Walmart
bracelets: various, years ago

I swear, our deck is not dangerously tilted. Slightly not-level-anymore, yes. But my photo taking is kind of janky at the moment...my bendy-tripod broke, so I've resorted to propping my non-bendy tabletop tripod up on a chair, which means I'm shooting up at an angle, and it makes things look all out of whack. I'm getting a better tripod, I promise.

Now, as for my awesome day yesterday. I got some really awesome news, which I unfortunately cannot share for another week. But trust me. It's pretty sweet. Then I set the ball in motion for what may *possibly* be my first giveaway. Stay tuned on that one!

In the afternoon, Matt and I signed a lease on a house! I'm thrilled about this. Our apartment is nice, but we found out they're raising rent if we stay, and the place is definitely not worth it. So this house has a fenced-in yard (you better believe I'm going to start begging for a puppy!), a dishwasher, a washer-dryer in the basement, and a lovely mid-size closet that I'm going to commandeer and make into an awesome mid-size closet. Pretty excited. We move in September :) Expect some awesome decorating posts!

Finally, I went to a Tweetup event for Cbusr, this online community of young professionals in Columbus. I had so much fun! I got to chat with the guy who made the site, as well as a social media mogul who is basically the most awesome girl ever. And I met a few new friends as well, which is always great.

Phew. Longest post I've done since starting this blog. Sorry for jabbering your ears off...I'm just excited!

An update!

Yesterday, I mentioned that I was considering dropping a couple items from my 30 and replacing them with others. Well, I wound up doing just that. After all, who needs eight pairs of shoes for a remix challenge?? That's overkill.

So I dropped two pairs of shoes and added in a pair of long pants that I can wear to work (and cuff up when it gets hot again, hehe) and a coverup. I wore both items today, because the magazine is doing a luncheon thing at a hotel downtown, and I wanted to look professional rather than trendy. So here it is:

items: 24, 13, 23, 27
watch: Walmart

That would be my "oops" face. As in "oops, should have thought about how many shoes I included in my 30" :)

In other news, it's not even 10 and I know today is going to be long and stressful. It's a great feeling.

Update: Just realized this works for the Bloggers Do It Better assignment of neon and neutrals. Go me! Really though, I'm excited to finally jump on that bandwagon.

Oversleeping

I'm running late today so there's not much time for chit-chat. But I do think it's funny to be posting a photo of me in a blazer in early June...suffice to say that when I wore this last week (or the week before?) I had to ditch the blazer for most of the day. But I just love the jeans-heels-and-blazer combo, don't you?

Blazer: Mossimo via TargetShirt: The LimitedJeans: Silver via Macy'sShoes: Franco Sarto via Marshall'sNecklace: FigleafWatch: Walmart

And before you ask: No, I don't know what kind of crazy dance move that is in the second photo :)