Manic Monday: 9 to 5 Color

With winter now in full swing, I find myself reaching for rich berry hues.  For today's Manic Monday post, I styled a pretty burgundy pleated skirt from ASOS.

Skirt:  ASOS (Available here)

This skirt paired with a deep forest blouse is a sophisticated take on the classic Christmas color combination.  I don't think red and green need to be relegated just to the Christmas holiday - this is just a great color combination for winter! 

Blouse:  Who What Wear x Target (Available in ivory or black here and here)

Belt:  ELOQUII (Available here)

The shapes work particularly well for the office, and I love how the pleats of the skirt play with the pleats on the blouse.  The belt and booties help tie the look together.

The look has a little bit of a late 70s/early 80s vibe but still feels modern.

Boots:  FarylRobin Fawcett (Available at Target here)

Purse:  Target (old)
Glasses:  Coach

Do you wear green and red together outside of the holidays?

Wild Card Wednesday: All The Bells & Whistles

Whenever the holidays approach, I find that my work style gets a little more fancy.  This season is no exception, and this look is a perfect example. 

Skirt:  ASOS (Sold out; Similar available here)

Trench:  Booohoo Plus (Available here)

Between the velvet skirt, metallic shoes, satiny camisole, and faux fur clutch, this outfit has all the bells and whistles.

Camisole:  Who What Wear for Target (Available here)

Shoes:  ASOS

Glasses:  Valentino

I love the pastel grey mixed with soft pinks - it's an unexpected combination for fall.  A simple silver necklace ties in the shoes. 

Necklace:  New York & Company

Clutch:  ASOS

Does your work style get dressier around the holidays?  What "special" fabrics do you enjoy wearing - velvet, faux fur, satin, sequins, metallics?

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate!!

Manic Monday: Black & Yellow

Yellow is one of my favorite colors to wear, but sometimes, it can be difficult to find fashionable options in this color.  Thankfully, this hasn't been a problem this fall as yellow has been one of the "it" colors.  I picked up a couple yellow pieces this season, including this pleated skirt and flower bow neck tie from Eloquii.

Blouse:  Eloquii (Available here)

Neck Bow:  Eloquii (Available here)
Earrings:  Target

Skirt:  Eloquii (Available here)

Recently for work, I paired these pieces with a black button-down top and booties for a cute pulled-together look.  The temperatures are starting to dip, so I will add a blazer and tights soon.

Satchel:  Express

The ruffle detail on the sleeves of the top add such a unique detail to an otherwise basic button-down.  I'm always looking for interesting basics, and this top really fits the bill.

Belt:  The Limited (old)

I hope to add a couple more yellow pieces to my wardrobe before the color loses traction in the fashion industry.  While I sometimes enjoy color trends, I mostly seek out my own personal favorite colors to wear (yellow, greens, and blush/peachy pinks).  When they become popular, I like to stock up!

Glasses:  Valentino

What colors do you like to wear?  Are you a fan of the yellow color trend this fall?

Manic Monday: Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Ugh!  I feel like I keep apologizing for being away from the blog so long.  Lately, it has just been so hard to get things back on track. 

Dress:  Eloquii (Available here)

As I have discussed on the blog before, I have five kids who all live in the home with my husband and me full-time.  I don't talk about them too much to respect their privacy, but sometimes being a mom/stepmom is just really, really hard.  And very often, the chauffeuring, psychological counseling, crisis intervening, personal shopping, tutoring, and everything else that is parenting takes its toll mentally and physically.  And that is in an ideal situation!  In my case, we are dealing with all of that plus the blending of a family, two special needs children, a biological mother to three of the children who is deeply mired in drug addictions, and a very angry and hurt teenage stepdaughter.  It's a lot, and it has definitely forced me to put my blogging on the back burner lately.

Boots:  New Look Wide Fit

I have always tried to keep things fairly real on the blog, but we all have that "best" version of ourselves that we usually present to the world.  I usually try to keep the blog light because for me, it is a means of release and of sharing a part of myself that is fun to me - my love of fashion!

Glasses:  Coach

That said, being real doesn't just mean showing you one part of myself.  Sometimes, it also means getting into the yuck of it all, the painful, stressful, and sometimes downright depressing circumstances that life and parenting can bring.  I often feel like I do a craptastic job of parenting and with five kids who each have different needs, I usually feel like I am individually not meeting any of their needs or giving anyone the attention they deserve.  One or two of the kids, because of their problematic behaviors, seem to perpetually get the most attention but for all of the wrong reasons, making me feel like I'm neglecting the other kids and that I never have anything positive to say to the "troublemakers."

Purse:  Express

Some days, I feel lucky just to get through the day and feel relief when they are all finally asleep.  One more day down and a few hours of peace until it's time to do it all again.  Then, I feel guilty for feeling that way.  As my kids are starting to grow up and face puberty, interest in sex, body hair, and all the things that come with adolescence, I am reminded of how quickly time passes.  I know they won't be around the house much longer, and I feel sad about how often I wish the days or time away. 

Parenting definitely has its awesome, beautiful, and hilarious moments.  It has its touching moments, its moments when you feel like you made a real difference in your child's life, moments when you know that they appreciate your efforts and love you despite your own imperfections and limitations.  But parenting is definitely not sugar and spice and everything nice, and it isn't for the faint of heart!!  And I feel like this isn't talked about enough.

Pom:  Torrid

You want to know what is sugar and spice and everything nice?  This sweet and pretty dress from Eloquii!  Between the peppy pink shade, the ruffles, and bow, it's just too adorable.

I love this dress so much that I tried three sizes before finally going with a 14 in Eloquii's new Viola fit.  This dress didn't come in petites, so I first ordered it in a 16 (drowning on me) and then a 14 (fit weird in shoulders and bust and seemed to accentuate my tummy).  I then decided to try the Viola fit.  The Viola fit is designed for women who are a size or two bigger on bottom.  I actually have the opposite body type - I'm generally a size bigger on top than I am on bottom.  That said, I thought the Viola would give me the extra tummy room I wanted while also giving me a better fit up top.  I was right! 

Ring:  The Limited

Even though the overall fit wasn't bad, I did have to make some alterations, and through those, I definitely made this dress my own!  It originally was too long and came with a bottom ruffle that I really didn't care for.  So, I had the dress hemmed and lost the ruffle.  The sleeves were too long as well, but I didn't want to lose the great ruffle/button detail on the wrist.  To shorten the sleeve, my tailor took the sleeve up in the middle and created a seam around the cuff portion.  Lastly, the dress was too big in the hips, so I had it taken in on bottom.

I kept the styling simple and played up the gold buttons through gold hardware on my booties and bag. A pink pom and rose quartz ring add some additional pink to this sweet look.

What do you think - how would you style this dress?  For those of you who are parents, how do you balance your parental duties with all the other life responsibilities and time for yourself?

Manic Monday: Soft Layers

Fall style usually means lots of dark colors and no shortage of black.  While it definitely still means all of those things, fall style can also include pastels and soft neutrals. Paired with everything from black to olive to unexpected lemon yellow, blush pink is a big color this fall. 

Dress:  Who What Wear x Target (Available here)

Trench:  Boohoo (Available here)

Booties:  Revel x Target (Available here)

The olive midi dress and taupe boots are soft neutrals that both really pop against the blush pink trench.  

Clutch:  The Limited

The belted dress, while soft, has a bit of structure and is streamlined, while the soft trench adds a relaxed, unstructured touch.  

I have definitely found my new work uniform in the form of dresses with soft duster jackets and trenches.

Do you like wearing softer neutrals and colors in the fall or do you stick with darker colors?

Manic Monday: Dressing As A Woman in the Workplace

Sorry that I have been away from the blog for awhile.  I think I needed a mental break, plus even though I have lots of outfits to post, I haven't had much opportunity to take pictures.  I hope to get back on track with my favorite season for fashion and everything else - fall!  I have lots of fall fashion posts planned, but this week, I'm saying goodbye to summer with some warm weather looks.

Skirt:  Eloquii (Available here)

Today, I'm talking a little about dressing for work as a woman.  Growing up, I saw bulky shoulder pads come and go.  I witnessed the power suit and the concept that women should dress more like men at work if they wanted to be taken seriously.  These days have really gone by the wayside, and while it's still important to dress somewhat conservatively for the office, women today are freer than ever to express their femininity and flair for fashion while at work.

Camisole:  H&M+

Femininity and fashion certainly mean different things to different people, but the idea that women can dress how they see fit is refreshing and liberating.  As women in society, the bottom line is that we are always going to be judged no matter what we wear, so I am a big proponent of wearing whatever you want as long as it doesn't violate workplace dress codes (and even those can and should be challenged at times).

Cardigan:  Old Navy (Available here)

During my first year of college, I took my first feminism class.  I remember a discussion about clothing and the differences in expectations for women and men.  At the time, I actually felt a little sorry for men.  Women have sooo many fashion options available to them, that I really felt like we really had the better deal when it came to fashion.  We were free to choose our own style and pick from pants, skirts, dresses, and more.  Men were pretty much relegated to chinos or slacks and button-down shirts (and typically a very limited color palette) for work. 

Booties:  Target
Necklace:  Eloquii

Even though I was definitely an unwilling victim of such standards, I didn't fully grasp the difference in beauty/appearance ideals for men and women and the unrealistic expectations placed on women at that time.  I also didn't understand that so many choices available to women also meant that women had more chances to "get it wrong."  I didn't understand fully that as a woman in the workplace there weren't necessarily many "right" fashion choices. 

While I now have a much deeper understanding of the differences for men and women in appearance expectations and understand that workplace dress codes can often be extremely sexist and racist, I still can't help but feel that when it comes to fashion, women get to have a lot more fun.  For women who aren't into fashion, there are plenty of easy office options.  Simple slacks or skirts with a cardigan or blazer are comfortable, coordinated, and very acceptable workplace attire.

Glasses:  Valentino

Again, women are judged in the workplace (and elsewhere) no matter what we wear, so if so inclined, women should feel free to express their individuality and personal style in the workplace as much as possible.  If you work in a business casual environment like I do, then you have a little bit more freedom to experiment than if you work in a more formal setting.

While I wouldn't wear a tulle skirt to work everyday, I had fun wearing this colorful look to work recently.

Tote:  Target

I paired the aqua tulle skirt with a silky tangerine camisole for a pretty color contrast, then added in a softer aqua cardigan and tote.  To give the look more of a daytime feel, I added in nude shooties.  A simple pump would also have worked well.

I loved the look with my tan and felt l was bringing a little summertime to the office.  :-)

Do you feel any pressure to dress a certain way for work? 

Manic Monday: Colorful Blazers and Fun Prints

Just as I had hoped to do, I literally did NOTHING this weekend...well, I breathed, and ate and stuff, but that's about it.  It was WONDERFUL!  

Skirt:  Eloquii (Available here)

My daughter did get me hooked on Monopoly Bingo though!  I never download game apps because I get addicted too easily, but she was playing on her phone, and next thing I knew, I was downloading the app on my phone.  Ugh!!! Currently addicted. LOL

So, I had a relaxing weekend, but alas, it was back to work today and back to another Manic Monday!  For today's work style post, I paired bright blazers with fun prints. 

Blazer:  Eloquii (Available here)

With the first look, I paired a matching pencil skirt and shell with a blue blazer, all from Eloquii.  I just love this interesting mixed stripe print.   The variety of colors make these pieces very versatile.

Shell:  Eloquii (Available here)

FYI, the fabric of the pencil skirt and blouse are different, and the colors on the top are a little lighter.  I personally think the pieces still work well together, especially if you're adding a blazer or cardigan on top.

Necklace:  Eloquii (Available here)

For the second look, I went with one of my personal favorite easy work combos - black pants, a soft blouse, and blazer. 

Blouse:  Eloquii (Available here)

Blazer:  The Limited

This star print blouse is such a great graphic print, one that I think pairs really well with red.  I cuffed the blazer to show the polka dot lining on the sleeves.

Clutch:  ASOS

Heels:  Target

I can't believe I caught a rainbow in the pics.  How cool is that!?  It was actually a double rainbow, but the second rainbow was hard to see.

Pants:  The Limited Petites (Available here)

Glasses:  Valentino

For the red blazer in other looks, see here, here, here, here, here, and here.