Nothing Special

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Yesterday morning was literally one of those mornings where I had 5 minutes to choose an outfit (15 minutes to get ready in total, whoops). The easiest route for me is a dress + blazer/cardigan and just match all my accessories. It seems so boring and blah, but sometimes it just works when you are trying to get ready fast. I chose my sequin black cardigan over my plain one though, just to add a little something more to the ensemble. It is still nothing special, but it happens. On the upside, the SUN WAS SHINING yesterday and got up to 46 degrees! I actually didn’t wear tights for this reason, but because I am refusing to wear them until next fall/winter, but it ended up working since I felt perfectly fine walking out of the office with bare legs at 5 o’clock. Cheers to that!

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Is That Your Grandma’s Coat?

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Why yes, yes it is. Seriously.

My mother went through her mother’s clothing last September after she passed away to see if she could find anything to give to us to remember her and thank goodness because I have gotten some really amazing pieces from her (other outfits with her clothes seen here and here).  I miss her each and every day, but this coat reminds me of her and it makes me smile! I love vintage clothing and to have pieces from her to remember her by… honestly I couldn’t ask for anything better. Have you had clothing passed down to you? I plan to pass this on to some important women in my life someday.

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Polka Dot Maxi + Cowl Neck Sweater

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To me, nothing is more comfortable or stylish than a maxi skirt. You don’t have to worry about length (which for tall girls is always a problem when it comes to dresses, pencil and mini skirts) and they look incredibly chic, but you feel like you are still at home lounging around in your pajamas. I love winterizing  maxi skirts by simply pairing them with a sweater. I always belt a combo like this because the skirt and sweater are looser items, so by adding a belt, I give myself shape. Add some tall socks and a pair of boots and the outfit is literally that easy to throw together and perfect for a Monday at the office.

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Casual Friday + Polka Dots

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This Friday’s casual outfit was a complete recreation of a look from Happily Grey (see her outfit here). I pinned this look awhile back from my friend and once I got this polka dot top for my birthday, I remembered how striking a beige/black polka dot top looks with a neon scarf (Yup, that’s right… I can seriously remember WAY too many of the things I’ve pinned… kind of scary). Since I just got my neon infinity scarf with my January budget, it was the perfect time to try this look. I hate to admit that Casual Fridays are not easy for me.  During the week I’m usually in pencil skirts, maxis or work pants, so I am really focused on dressing up.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE being able to wear jeans at my job every Friday, but because I’ve been out of the habit of dressing more casually or dressing up jeans, it makes it hard for me to get it right. This is why I need inspiration… this is why Pinterest, other bloggers like Mary from Happily Grey and YOU make life so awesome. THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS INSPIRING ME!

Stay Classy My Friends. (haha, anyone else a fan of Anchor Man?!) Have a fabulous weekend!

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Vintage Loving

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You don’t have to spend a lot on your clothes. I LOVE thrifting and finding great vintage finds for two reasons. 1) You can easily find unique pieces that everyone and their mother won’t have 2) Quality items at a LOW price

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December Budget

Recent Purchases

Although I’ve been trying to do a better job of budgeting, I just can’t help myself around the holidays! Thanks to Santa, I had a bit more spending money and thanks to the awesome sales, I ended up with three new pairs of boots, a new pair of neutral heels for work, a lovely pair of emerald earrings and a faux leather navy skirt (both on my Christmas Wishlist seen here)

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Holiday Spirit

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My sisters and I have a tradition of getting our nails done before getting ready for Christmas Eve mass and this year I decided to be just as festive for my Christmas Eve daytime wear as I am for my church wear!  With my new patterned pants that I scored for $7 and a vintage sequin shirt, I felt very festive for the day, full of holiday spirit.  I added a spiked bracelet to make the outfit more edgy, but my favorite accessory in these photos is my pup Emma in her Christmas sweater. Can you tell she loves the snow?! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday… back to work today for me, but another 4 days off is coming up in just a few! Happy Wednesday!

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Snow Ready

We had our first snow storm this past weekend in Minneapolis and I couldn’t have been more excited to pull out all of my hats! I found this little bow-detailed hat in Paris at a boutique near our hotel last summer.  I was secretly SUPER excited for colder weather this year just so I could wear this hat. It was actually quite a funny story when I was picking out and buying this hat.  The guys working at the boutique were being pretty flirty with my mother, calling her princess and catering to all of her needs. My little sister and I were cracking up, but hey we all got a discount on our items, so not such a bad deal, right?! As we left, one of the guys told us to never forget him.  Don’t worry sir, I won’t soon forget! No matter how much I’m in love with this hat, I love the memories associated with it even more.

Hope you are all having a great week!

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Channeling Carrie

Sex & the City is just one of those shows that I could leave on repeat and never get sick of. Lately I have been watching Season 6 over and over again since it is available OnDemand.  I really should just get the whole season in the big beautiful book! (Note to self: add to Christmas wishlist).  If you are a Sex & the City fan, you probably have picked out a favorite character and I can’t help but love Carrie, for many reasons, but mostly for her passion for writing (I am a writer as well, although very different as I write about manufacturing lines and sensors, I am still passionate about writing and miss writing for my college’s newspaper) and because she NEVER gave up on love.

Even after all she went through, she still believed she would find love and share her life with someone who loved her for who she is. In the season finale episode, when Carrie is telling Alexander about the party some Parisians are throwing her because they love her book so much, she is holding onto his arm wearing a big brown fur coat, cowl neck sweater, jeans and black boots.  Well Carrie, thank you, because you inspired this outfit and helped me wear my vintage brown faux fur coat for the first time! It is SO warm and will be making many more appearances in the upcoming winter months. Here is my favorite Carrie quote…Happy Monday:

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Polka Dots at Work

Some days I just want to match because honestly, it is just easy, right?  Well to make my gray dress and booties a bit more exciting, I added some navy polka dot tights and my mother’s polka dot earrings.  Sometimes I forget that earrings can add such a great touch to an outfit and after remembering to wear one of my more unique pairs with this outfit, I’m kicking myself in the butt for the days I forget to put earrings in at all. That my friends is life. It happens!

Happy Friday Eve!

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