sweater, slacks: thrifted
short-sleeve button-down: New York & Company
flats: Target
necklace: gifted (Kate Spade)
Welp, you're looking at a pretty close approximation of my outfits all this week: sweater, a layer under it, warm dress pants and flats that are easy to throw in my bag while I wear my heavier winter boots. Because all week, temps have been in the teens or single digits, with negative-degree wind chills. Yesterday morning, the actual temp was -6 Fahrenheit, with a wind chill of -22! It's not okay, guys. I'm too delicate for this bitter winter clime.
But I haven't been letting the chill get me down too much. I layer fleece-lined leggings under my pants for the walk home from the bus stop. (Matt, who works second shift during the week, is a saint who drives me to work every morning in his well-warmed-up car.) I have my rated-to-20-degree boots that perform well enough even when the temps are below 20. And I have a killer long down jacket I got at the end of last winter from Burlington Coat Factory. I'm even managing to make it to the gym most evenings! If you know anything about me, you know that's a feat even in nicer weather. So I guess I can't complain too much.
In other news (cue abrupt subject change), our wedding is exactly four months from today! I still have so much to do...cutting wine bottles for our centerpiece vases, making the flower-petal candle holders for our other centerpieces, assembling all the flowers we made, making my veil, doing my dress fitting(s), designing and printing our invitations and other miscellaneous stationery, doing final meetings with the few pros we did hire to confirm all the details...eesh. It's gonna be a very busy four months. I can't think about the big picture too much, or I get super stressed out and panicky. I just have to take things in baby steps: This weekend is devoted to bottle-cutting and editing some photos from a newborn session I had the other weekend. Keep it small and manageable, that's my motto :)
How do you deal with massive projects? And while we're doing the whole ask-questions-at-the-end-of-the-post-to-encourage-feedback thing, are the temps abysmally cold where you are, too? How do you even handle that? (I'm thinking of you, Sydney, up in what I can only assume is the frozen tundra of Canada. I'm shivering just thinking about it.)
Sometimes, I sit down to write a blog post and feel like I have literally nothing to say. Maybe it seems like this happens frequently, because I often blather on about nothing in particular around these parts, but most of the time my blathering is semi-planned or constructed. Days like today, though, the blinking cursor just kind of mocks me.
It's times like this that I wonder whether Verbal Mélange has a shelf life, an expiration date. My three-year bloggiversary came and went with little fanfare, and while on one hand it seems like an accomplishment (three years of committing to a thing!), it also kind of seems like a pretty weird thing to celebrate (three years of talking about and posting pictures of myself!). The reason behind the lack of fanfare--because if there's anything I love, it's making a big deal out of things--is that April is triple anniversary month for me, and two of the three (my start date with my current job and more importantly, Matt's and my dating-anniversary) land at the end of the month. So I tend to mentally lump the blog anniversary at the end too, even though it's really in the beginning.
Anyway, where I was going before that tangent about anniversaries: I've been doing a lot of thinking about VM and what it is now vs. what I originally envisioned it to be vs. what it's evolving into. But that's a post for another day, I think.
So much for said "writer's block," I suppose. Funny how that works.
And just to give your eyeballs a little visual stimulation, here's a fairly nondescript representation of what I've been wearing a lot lately: plain tee, cardi, slacks, flats. Warm weather, where art thou?
t-shirt: Old Navy
cardi, flats: Target
slacks: thrifted
necklace: Jane.com
Man, girls have it so easy for business casual wear, it isn't even funny. "Business casual" for dudes means ties and Oxfords, but I can wear a t-shirt as long as I dress it up with layers and a statement necklace. I kind of love it. (And to guys who may be tempted to complain about the unfairness of this double standard, I have two phrases for you: "gender pay gap" and "glass ceiling.")
So I spent most of my lunch break today pinning various silk flowers from afloral.com to a hidden Pinterest board (because probably no one following me cares to see a billion variations of the same anemone/peony/dahlia/ranunculus clusters, amiright?) and now I feel completely overwhelmed by flowers. I mean, I know I'd be spending $1,000+ more if I go with a professional florist, especially because our wedding is the same weekend as Mother's Day. But seriously, I know nothing about how to make a floral arrangement look good. And now I'm a teensy bit freaked out at the prospect of figuring it out. Halp.
In other news, I found an older, colder-weather outfit in my queue of outfit photos. Originally this post was supposed to have a "thank god that's behind us" slant, but the forecast for tomorrow includes an inch of snow and I basically am just about ready to give up on the hope of ever seeing a live tulip in my yard again.
sweater, slacks: thrifted
blouse: The Limited via Discount Fashion Warehouse
flats: Target
necklace: Etsy
But, as I promised Sydney on Instagram, I shan't complain. After all, our temp range tomorrow is gonna be a whopping 40/28 Fahrenheit, which is a bit warmer than her 1/-6 Celsius. But (and this is not complaining) seriously. Nature. Wat r u doing? Nature. Stahp.
Yup, I'm still here. Remember that "upcoming climbing trip" I mentioned last Tuesday? Yeah, it was this past weekend. It was rather spur-of-the-moment and took us out of town from Friday afternoon through Monday night, and it was a bit different from our normal climbing trips in that it focused on bouldering, which is done on lower climbs and without ropes. I can't wait to tell you all about it, but first I have to edit the 200-some pics from the trip! (I brought my DSLR and got some incredible shots as a result. I actually took more than 500 photos, but a lot were repetitive and/or poorly shot, so I was able to narrow them down quite a bit.)
I'm hoping to finish up those photos tonight, but in the meantime, here's an outfit!
sweater and necklace: Express via Discount Fashion Warehouse
slacks: thrifted
flats: Target
This sweater might just be one of my new favorite things. It's a nice olive green with gold studs down the arm (which pair well with these studded-heel flats) and I love it. I'm actually pretty bummed that I got it so late in the year, because now I can only wear it a few times before it gets packed away for the season. We're supposed to get some snow tomorrow (WTF Ohio, it's 65 degrees today!) so it looks like I'll at least get to wear it once more this week or next.
I must have been in a bad mood when I took these pics. Almost none of the shots had a decent facial expression going on! Oh, well. Expect to see this bad boy again around these parts before spring officially thaws the frozen tundra formerly known as Columbus ;)
sweater: thrifted (American Eagle, I think?)
blouse: Express via Discount Fashion Warehouse
slacks: thrifted
flats: Target
necklace: gifted
Perhaps you've noticed a relative decline in outfit post frequency. Well my friend, it's only because Ohio is still JUST LIKE THE FREAKING NORTH POLE and I can't handle all the cold. Seriously. When it's -4 outside and I have to get dressed, I just throw on a pair (or two) of tights, some slacks, socks, a sweater (and usually a few other layers), then pack my dress shoes in my bag and clomp out the door in my snow boots, down jacket, giant scarf, hat and gloves. AND I'M OVER IT. This outfit is literally the most creative business-casual combo I've come up with in weeks. I'm dying of boredom. And hypothermia.
And since I'm not shooting outfit photos as often, I am constantly forgetting to straighten these dang curtains before shooting. Until I go to edit the photos in my backlog, and then I get all annoyed at how crooked they're hanging...until the next day, when I again forget to straighten them.
It's times like this — when the crooked curtains and frigid temps have me at my most annoyed/frustrated — that I turn to a little tune I recently heard for the first time. That's right, I'm wayyyy late on the Frozen bandwagon, but fortunately when my sisters and I all got together at OU last weekend, they didn't need much convincing to see it again. (For Ellen, it was actually her fifth viewing. I'm not kidding.) So without further ado, this is what I'm belting in the shower...and the car...and in my head pretty much every second of every day.
blouse: The Limited via Discount Fashion Warehouse
cardigan: Express via DFWh
slacks: thrifted
flats: secondhand
necklace: The Limited
For me, most really bad colds usually have a turning point, or a hump. After days and days of feeling crappier and crappier, suddenly there's a day where you don't feel quite as bad as the day before. And then another. And that's when I realize, I'm getting over the hump. I think that's where I am now; I hope it is, because I don't know how much more of this going-to-bed-at-nine-every-night-and-still-waking-up-exhausted stuff I can take.
Of course, this week, "the hump" also means the same hump as everyone else's: Wednesday. Due to holidays, vacation days and sick time, this is the first full week I've worked since before Christmas. I'm not complaining, but man, that extra day seems like five this week :)
Today's outfit is another month-old gem from my stockpile of photos. It's crazy how much my hair has grown in that time! Well, I guess any amount of growth is significant when you have a pixie. Also, you can see my work badge in that first pic. Forgot to take it off at first! If you look reeeeeeally close, you might get a glimpse of my shoulder-length hair from almost two years ago. Hard to believe it's been that long!
blouse: secondhand
slacks: thrifted
cardi, flats: Target
necklace: Etsy
Hooray, you might be thinking, she finally put up another outfit post! (Who cares if it's a month old, right?) Or perhaps you're mentally rolling your eyes at the mention of being sick yet again. Well, I agree with you in either case. I know I complain a lot about colds and whatnot around here, but that's only because I have a terrible, crap immune system that doesn't seem to understand what it's supposed to do. Seriously, I've had this cough for like a week and it's showing no sign of letting up.
I had a hugely busy weekend planned for yesterday/Sunday, full of venue tours and DMV visits and dance rehearsals and various other things. The mere thought of it on Friday was exhausting. But fortunately for me/my immune system, literally every task/event I had planned was cancelled due to a sizeable snowstorm. Except our friends' engagement party. Happily, that continued regardless.
So instead of running around like a chicken with my head cut off, I was able to stay home almost all weekend and relax. I got some writing done, I napped, I read, I napped some more, I watched a few movies, I went to bed early every night...it was just what the doctor ordered.
How was your weekend, all? Busy like mine was supposed to be, or relaxing like it actually was?
shirt: The Limited via Discount Fashion Warehouse
necklace: Express via DFWh
slacks: thrifted
cami, shoes: Target
...when I have entirely too much to do and not enough time to do it in. Yay! Between my regular freelance work, a new side gig I picked up doing some marketing for Everything But Hair (the salon I did a giveaway for last month) and of course Christmas shopping and trying to narrow down venue options for the wedding, I have been one busy gal. In fact, I had to deliberately force myself to take a couple of hours yesterday to just hang out with Matt and not actually do anything. It was really nice.
I'm hoping to use this week to catch up. I planned ahead and used vacation time so that today's the only day I actually go to work. Then it's driving all across Ohio the next two days (though we blessedly get to sleep in our own bed each night, hooray!) to visit families. Thursday and Friday (and I guess Saturday and Sunday) are my big get-things-done days. Writing, fixing a few blog things, taking the cat to the vet for her shots, fiiiiiinally cleaning the house...it's going to be glorious. I might even get my Christmas thank-you cards sent out before New Year's this year! (What?!)
In other news, can I say how much I'm digging this shirt? I got it on a recent trip to Discount Fashion Warehouse, during which I managed to stay UNDER my clothes budget for the month (instead of blowing double the amount like last time). Anyway, I've been searching for a cute open-back blouse for a while. Three cheers for finding one at a crazy discount!
So anyway, are you traveling for the holidays this year? Or are you one of those lucky ducks who will stay at home and enjoy a nice, quiet holiday?
sweater, flats: Target
slacks, blouse: thrifted
necklace: gifted
Oy,vey. Matt and I haven't even been engaged a week and I'm already trying to figure out centerpieces. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's meticulous planning. If there's one thing I'm bad at, however, it's prioritizing effectively. I'm sitting here, trying to figure out how many adorably mismatched vases I'll need to procure, and I don't even know how many tables we'll need because we don't even have a solid guest list or even a budget planned yet! Objectively, I know those big details have to come together before I can start thinking up the little ones. But the big details are scary and expensive, and the little ones are so light and fun!
Okay, enough about that. I promised I would try to keep wedding stuff in check here on the blog :) Sooo let's talk about dressing for work in the winter. It kind of sucks. I find myself gravitating to one of two extremes:
1. Proper business casual that keeps me warm but is boring as hell. See above. The cardigan/blouse/slacks combo is kind of my go-to on those dreary mornings when the sun doesn't rise until after I leave the house and I just don't feel like trying.
2. Pushing the "casual" aspect of B.C. a little too far, like yesterday's outfit. I wore this shirt, these khaki skinnies and these boots. Definitely not a professional look, but it kept my feet dry in the snow and it was comfy under all my bundled layers. Fortunately, it's the week before Christmas and most of the folks who would care are already on vacation. Yay, loopholes!
So here's my question to you: How do you stay comfortable and stylish when there's four (or six, or ten) inches of snow on the ground? Do you wear skirts and tights and just suck it up, even when the wind chill puts the temps in the single digits? Or do you go for comfort/function like me and just look less comfortable in the dark, cold months of winter?
shirt: secondhand
slacks: thrifted
flats: Buckle
necklace: Stella & Dot (giveaway win)
This shirt is weird. I mean, I like it, and it was pretty fun to style, but it's weird. I lightened the photos here to give you an idea of what I mean. It's got that cross-chest bit of fabric, and on the inside the bottom layer only goes down halfway. It's crazy-comfy, and I think it looks pretty cool, but all day when I was wearing this, I kept trying to pull the top layer of fabric down for some reason. It felt like it should fall below my boob? It makes zero sense, I know.
Not really much else to say today. The holidays are always super-stressful for me, between parties and gift-buying (which I'm wayyyyy behind on this year) and various other social demands and constructs. But I love food and family, and the holidays always bring lots of both, so I really can't complain. Just don't judge me if I don't really get around to putting up a Christmas tree this year, 'kay?
sweater: New York & Company
Oxford and slacks: thrifted
shoes: Target
necklace and bracelet: Etsy
I apologize for the lack of quality posts this week. My friend Hayley is getting married this weekend, and I've spent most of the week fulfilling various bridesmaidly duties and just generally preparing myself for a weekend in Pittsburg. And just kind of catching up on life in general, since this weekend was kind of a major bust in terms of productivity (but not in terms of fun...there was lots of that).
And I guess while I'm at it, apologies might be owed for these photos as well...they were my first indoor shots of the season, from a few weeks ago when we got that wild flurry of snow. Ugh. It's warmed up since, so I have a few more outdoor shots to share, but I know those days are numbered. Guess I'll have to improve my indoor shooting skills as well. They were never all that good to begin with, but I'm hoping that now, thanks to the help of my DSLR and the wonders that are RAW Photoshop editing, I might be able to improve upon them. What I really need is a quality light and some reflectors, but let's be honest. Ain't nobody got time for that.
What are you all getting into this weekend? Fellow U.S.-dwellers, any fun plans for the long Veterans Day weekend?
blazer and slacks: Express via Discount Fashion Warehouse
blouse: The Limited via DFW
heels: Target
Sorry for my absence yesterday; I had the day off for Columbus Day and used it to the fullest extent. My whole weekend was kind of jam-packed, in fact, but in the best way possible.
Friday night was date night. Matt and I went out to dinner and saw Gravity. Fantastic visuals and audio effects, great soundtrack, lousy script. Seriously, I think I could have written better dialogue. See it in 3D if you go; the effects are absolutely worth it. We had a Groupon, so both tickets, two bags of popcorn and two drinks only cost $21. Not bad for a 3D flick in Columbus.
Saturday we slept in a little, then I went down to Athens for Ohio University's Homecoming. Matt isn't a huge fan of crowds, so he opted to go camping instead. I crashed in my sister's dorm room (she's a freshman) and had a blast catching up with some friends while she was at work. Then I introduced my sis to Anchorman, because (BLASPHEMY!) she'd never seen it. Sunday we hung out some more, saw some folks, enjoyed campus, then I came home and tried to recover ;) ...Hey, it's OU. Always requires some recovery time.
But yesterday I was a whirlwind! I slept in till 8 or so, then started tackling my to-do list. I finally did something about all my purses living on my closet floor, hung a bunch of art in our living rooms, did four loads of laundry, did the dishes, got groceries, and attempted a delicious dinner. (I only say "attempted" because my slow-cooker and I have some issues we need to work out. It's getting to be a problem...) I also worked on a few freelance projects. By the time Matt got home from work, my to-do list was done and I was free to chill with him. Pretty awesome, I say.
So on a completely unrelated note, I'm about to switch over my closet from warm weather clothes to cold weather clothes. I'm thinking these white pants are done for the season. It's a shame, because they're lined and would probably be pretty warm for winter. Any idea how to style these for cold months?
t-shirt: Old Navy
button-down: New York & Company
slacks: thrifted
flats: Target
necklace: Stella & Dot giveaway win
bracelet: H&M
Let's talk about this outfit for a sec. I don't know why, but I kind of love it. It's so simple and classic, but with fun accents that keep it from being boring. I won the necklace in a giveaway hosted by Jess over at Here & Now. I never win giveaways, so it was pretty exciting! I love how she styled it with a bold shirt, but for my first time I wanted to keep it fairly simple and let the necklace speak for itself.
When I was putting this outfit together, my mind flashed to Fran's post about how to wear a button-down under another shirt without all the bunching and weirdness. At the time, my sleepy brain thought, "Nah, you're good girl. No need to take off that tee, find a cami, put it on, then put the tee back on. Let's goooo!" But looking at these photos, I'm thinking I should have done it. Note to self: Morning brain is kinda cray.
Like this morning, when I woke up and for some inexplicable reason, was overcome by energy and the intense desire to clean everything in my house. Well, I guess only the energy was inexplicable. The cleaning bug probably was because the house is a *tad* overdue. So I tidied my closet and wiped down the kitchen counters and stove instead of writing a post this morning. Cause I can write a post on my lunch break, but I sure can't clean my kitchen, amiright?
I'm just hoping I can keep that energy/desire to clean this evening. It's my off night at the gym and I don't have any immediate deadlines to work toward, so instead of vegging out on the couch for an Adventure Time marathon, I want to try to catch up on house stuff. Including a couple projects for Phase 2 of house decorating :) It might be a coffee-in-the-afternoon type of day...I also find that music is a great motivator for me. So I'm trying to think up a good "getting shiz done" playlist for this evening. Any suggestions?
