Winterizing My Summer Wardrobe

I'm not sure if it's because I'm tired of my winter wardrobe or if it's because I'm hoping for spring, but I've started reaching for some of my summer work wear recently. This skirt is case-in-point. I consider it a spring or summer skirt since it has a predominately white background. It's a standard weight dress skirt, but fully lined. Although I don't currently own any, I have been known to wear white cords in the winter. But, I don't do white jeans much past labor day (I find that white cords or other textured pants available in the winter are more of a "winter white" whereas white jeans are not). I'm just not capable of it. Maybe it's the rule against white after labor day, but I just don't find bright white to be a color I want to wear in the winter.

So although my entire spring wardrobe isn't available to me for wear during the winter months given the pattern or color, I own plenty of items that easily cross seasons. This skirt, one of the more decidedly summer pieces that I've recently winterized, is fairly easy to transition because of the blue and black pattern. I played up the blue and black color mixing by pairing it with navy tights and black booties - something I never thought I'd do, but I really like the pairing here. The sweater is also navy with black lace on the shoulder. Also seen here and here. 

I'm pretty sure this new approach to getting dressed in the morning means I can start buying new spring items and wear them now!

Sweater: old Tippi from JCrew, same style here | Skirt: old (but I'm loving this pattern and it would work well across seasons) | Tights: here | Booties: old, similar here

Blueberry

Winter isn't my season. I don't like cold weather and the late sunrise makes it really hard for me to get out of bed in the morning. My winter wardrobe doesn't help. I have the hardest time finding dress pants that fit. Banana Republic used to be my go to and I still have pants from there that are four and five years old that I wear weekly. But, the past couple of years have been a miss on the fit for me. My tries at Loft and JCrew have also been major fails and I haven't had the time to really scour the universe for work pants. 

All of that is to say I've been shopping my closet for things to wear - dresses mostly. That's when I rediscovered this dress. It's a couple of years old from JCrew. It's one of their collection dresses that I snagged on super sale. They brought it back since then (this year in tall as well) and it is currently on sale in extremely limited sizes. I failed to monitor it closely so I missed out on the talls, but it is definitely on my list of "must buys" if I catch it on sale again. 

I never wore it much because I always felt like a blueberry when I put it on. It's a thick wool dress definitely meant for the winter so I've always paired it with navy blue tights and usually grey or navy pumps which leaves me looking like a blueberry. Or a flight attendant. I'm not sure which. Either way, it's not the look I'm going for. Until I got on board with the riding boot and suiting dress band wagon out of necessity a couple of weeks back. Pairing the navy dress with navy tights offset with cognac riding boots did the trick. It's one of my favorite outfits now! I will say, I've been torn about the dress with grey tights. It's OK, but for some reason it just doesn't make the outfit like the navy tights and riding boots do for me.

Dress: here, similar here | Tights: here | Boots: old, similar here | Scarf: old, similar here

Snow Day Shopping and Hopping

We got a total of approximately 22-24 inches of snow in DC on Friday and Saturday. We live in the city and within walking distance of several locally owned restaurants that remained open during the storm, so we were able to get out and enjoy the snow, drinks, and dinner. 

Sadie, our lab mix, LOVED the snow. She's never seen this much snow before and she took full advantage - hopping around in it like a bunny. DC did an amazing job of clearing the sidewalks from the very beginning of the storm, so we had to purposely seek out non-shoveled areas to get a feeling for how much snow we actually got. It was as deep as Sadie's legs are long! See a video of her below.

I have to admit, I failed as a dog mom. Sadie's never shivered in the winter months and has never seemed to mind walking on snow and ice before so I've never thought it necessary to buy her a jacket or booties. She did just fine on Friday and Saturday when she was primarily walking on snow. Today, however, there were some areas that she clearly found it painful to walk on and my only guess is that since the sidewalks are now completely clear and there's no more snow falling, she was walking directly on the salt that they were using to treat the sidewalks given the melting mounds of snow that line the streets. I'm not sure if we should get her booties and if we did if she'd even wear them so I've been trying to navigate the sidewalks for her. But, since they've piled the snow so high along the curbs and in the flower beds, it's getting difficult for her to find a place to go to the bathroom. Any insights from dog parents is appreciated!

I was sick most of last week with a cold and sore throat so we had a low key weekend and I did some online shopping. There are so many great new arrivals (and JCrew is scheduled to release more on Tuesday)! See some of my picks below! All images are clickable.

 

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed the snow if you got some!

Weekend Roundup

I spent the weekend in Raleigh catching up with friends I haven't seen since I moved to DC in May. I had an absolute blast, but didn't have nearly enough time to see everyone and do everything! 

Also, I failed to take pictures all weekend. Whoops. But, I certainly ate my way through Raleigh. I ate breakfast at First Watch on Saturday and Sunday. I'm always a sucker for the traditional breakfast - can't go wrong with scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns. I highly recommend it if you're in the Raleigh area looking for a great breakfast or brunch spot. I also stumbled upon my new favorite coffee shop when I'm home - Jubula Coffee. 

I'm a huge fan of tapas, but I never thought much of the Triangle's tapas scene. That's probably because I never tried Mateo before. I'm gluten free and dairy free due to gastroparesis, but I still had a lot of options so I ended up ordering the BBQ, ribs, and patatas bravas. Oh, my friend got chicken croquettes that she said were delicious (but I had to pass on) and the best tasting brussel sprouts I've ever had! Note, I expect and can tolerate a certain level of cross contamination, so I can't say if it's a great option for those who are Celiac or hyper sensitive. 

I didn't leave quite enough room for dessert, but we headed to The Parlour for ice cream. I was in complete heaven - vegan chocolate and toasted coconut  "ice cream" in a gluten free and vegan ice cream cone. They also had vegan chocolate and whip cream as toppings.  I really wanted seconds but I just couldn't make any more room. I DID take a picture of the ice cream. Clearly, I have my priorities in line.

Here's to a four day work week with the chance of a snow day for those of us in DC. 

Black, White, and Dots

I wear a lot of black and white. It's easy, polished, and professional. And who doesn't want that combo first thing on a weekday morning...in the winter....when it's below freezing outside?!? I'm always drawn to black and white tops and dresses and I've been looking to add some dressier shirts to my wardrobe. So, I picked this one up this weekend on sale at my local Anthropologie. I always end up wandering in Anthro after yoga on Saturday morning just to look around. Lately, I've been doing more than just looking. Ooops. The deals have just been too good!

To be honest, I'm really torn about this shirt. I love the peplum like hem, the cut out detail, and of course the color combination. BUT and this is a big but, the white undershirt wrinkles horribly. I feared it might be too sheer. It's not. It just wrinkles within minutes of sitting down. So badly I don't think I can keep it. I want to, I really do. It's comfortable, soft, flattering, and so easy to wear. But, the wrinkles ruin the look for me.

Shirt: here | Pants: old, similar here | Shoes: here (color sold out), similar color here (wedges), here and here

Weekend Staples

My weekend uniform lately has been based around these tunics from Target. I also own this one and this one. My husband calls this my dish towel shirt. It's textured, plush, and very soft. I will say, I've ordered just about every variation of this tunic and they're not all the same - the fit and fabric varies wildly. The ones linked above are my favorites and believe me, I've tried them all!

The weather here has been all over the map. Saturday I ran errands in this outfit. It started snowing last night. I'll never complain about abnormally warm weather, so I certainly enjoyed it while it was here. However, I'm NOT loving the cold. Though, I wouldn't mind a good snowfall and being snowed in. 

Also, I'm in love with this bag. It was a Christmas present from my mother-in-law. It's a great size and accommodates everything I need with space to spare.

Top: here | Jacket: old, similar here | Jeans: here | Shoes: old, very similar here | Purse: here

Suiting Dresses + Riding Boots

 

Temperatures dropped to the teens last week and when combined with the windchill it felt like negative three degrees. I had no idea how to dress for work. No idea. None. I stood in my closet for a while completely stumped. When I lived in North Carolina the temperature didn't matter that much. I got in my car and drove to my office where I parked in a parking deck and walked up two flights of stairs and into my office. 

Now, I ride the bus to work. So, I walk to the bus stop and wait for the bus which means I'm out in the cold for much longer than I'm used to. I'm also really cold natured and a baby when it comes to the weather. 

I also have really narrow calves which means finding knee-high booths is extremely difficult so I don't own any black dress or riding boots. So, out of desperation, I reached for my cognac riding boots and paired it with black tights, a suiting dress, and a waterfall cardigan. I came up with the combination out of necessity, but I've repeated it several times since because I really like it! This is my new cold weather uniform.

Dress: old, similar here | Cardigan: old, similar here | Boots: old, similar here for narrow calves

Looking Back at 2015

I wasn't going to do a recap. Every blog out there has a recap of 2015 which means you end up re-reading what you've already read. So, I wasn't going to do one because I figured you didn't want to re-read what you've already read. 

But, then I realized 2015 was a big year for me and it was worth reflecting on. Even if no one wants to read it. 

I started out the year in Raleigh, North Carolina. I got married. See our wedding on Snippet and Ink here. I moved to DC. I started a new job. In fact, I did all three in May. That was a lot of change for me. I had to find a new yoga studio, hair and nail salon, grocery store and just about everything else you can imagine. Prior to moving to DC, I'd never moved outside of the Raleigh area. I think I've finally settled in and caught up on sleep.

Then, my husband gave me the push I needed to start this blog. And he gives me the push I need on lazy Sunday afternoons to take outfit photos. I'm lucky to have such a supportive husband. I enjoy blogging and I'm so thankful so many of you have started following along.  

But, I have to be honest. My closet is limited. I struggle sometimes (well, weekly) to create outfits that I think are "blog worthy." I try to share these struggles because I enjoy sharing this part of my life with you and I don't think it's trivial. We all have to get dressed in the morning and whether it's fair or right we are judged based on our appearance so I believe in owning that, making it your own, and letting it empower you. I'd like to think that what we wear can give us confidence and I'm all about harnessing that. I know when I was younger I felt like a giraffe or a giant or a man because of my height and build. But I've been working to not only be comfortable in my own skin but to love it. Clothes help me do that. And this blog helps me share that journey with you. 

 I'm considering expanding this blog to cover topics that I think are of interest to working women. Let me know what you think and what topics you might like to read about and discuss - I love comments! 

Below is a highlight of the blog. Links to original articles are below the picture.

Dresses as Shirts

Petite Midi Skirts

Wedding Registry Overview