Green!

     Happy St. Patrick's Day!  This outfit is from Tuesday, but since I wore my green sweater vest, I decided to save it until today.  
     Looking in my closet this morning, I realized that I don't have much in the way of green.  Sure I have plenty of turquoise, but anything that most people would call green? not so much.  I'm not entirely sure why either.  I've never been one to shy away from color, but at the same time, I've focused on basics a lot lately.  I think this has resulted in my having tons of black and white and cream and a few other colors, namely turquoise and red, and very little of other colors of the rainbow.  This is going to have to change.  While I'm all for basic colors for suits, its tops and shoes and sweaters that tend to bring more interest, ie color and pattern, into my wardrobe.  Next time I want to get a new top I'll just have to put black, white and cream on the no-go list (unless of course its something spectacular).

From: Here

     So the inspiration for this outfit came from 2 very different sources.  The first is a probation officer that works in our court system.  He dresses beautifully every time I've seen him.  This last time I saw him, he was wearing a suit, and rather than wearing an overcoat to stay warm, he had on a sweater vest.  His outfit was in shades of black, gray and white with a red tie.  It was tailored and just plain put together.  So that got me thinking.  Then I went home and watched part of Love Actually while I rode my stationary bike.  If you've seen the movie, do you remember Hugh Grant's assistant's first outfit?  (pictured above).  While entirely too low cut and tight, I've always liked the idea of it.  In the end, I feel like I combined the two to make my outfit.  Where do you draw inspiration for outfits?

The Details:

Blouse: Zara Similar

Sweater vest: L.L. Bean

Pants: Gap

Heels: Nine West in Brown Croc

Pearls: by me Similar Color

Blazer: Loft (no longer available Similar

alley chic

    Woo outfit post!  This outfit post is brought to you by my lovely Fiance.  You see, last week after taking the bar, I took advantage of some free time and wandered around the mall.  I just went to look.  THEN I stepped into Ann Taylor Loft and had a very serious dilemma.  I found this gorgeous brown velvet blazer that was on final sale for $19.99.  I tried it on and liked it.  Then the salesperson told me that it was marked down an additional 40% and would end up around $14.  Suddenly, I had fallen in love.  I didn't buy it right then because I wanted to really think through this (albeit small) purchase.  So I left the mall and thought about it.  

     Well I thought about it all weekend and decided I wanted it.  Originally, the Fiance and I were going to meet up at Target in town on Wednesday to do some shopping.  I was going to take that opportunity of being in town to head to the mall to buy the blazer.  Well the Fiance wasn't feeling it on Wednesday, so I asked him very nicely if he would go to the mall on his way home and get the jacket for me.  His original answer on Monday was no, that he didn't know where he was going and would be tired and wouldn't know what it was I wanted.  The next day I took the initiative and called Loft and asked them to put the jacket aside for me in my size.  That night, I again asked the Fiance to go get it for me as now it was set aside.  He lovingly acquiesced.  And so I sent him a map of the mall signaling where Loft is located so he would know EXACTLY where to go.  I even sent him a link to the jacket so he would know what he was getting too.  Wednesday night arrived and the Fiance walked in with a Loft bag and my awesome new blazer.

Laughing at myself

     Thinking about it as long as I did really made me fall in love with the blazer.  As soon as I got it home, I tried it on and was hit with inspiration lighting as I knew that I just *had* to pair it with this skirt.  And then I realized that the Tsubo Hepti booties were perfect.  You see, I had seen Heather Armstrong of Dooce wear a pencil skirt, tights + booties combination before and loved it on her.  So this outfit was born.  I felt super chic all day long with my new velvet blazer.  That and its kind of hard to not feel spectacular wearing these Tsubo Shoes.  

alley chic?

The Detailss:

T-shirt: NY&Co. Similar: Here

Blazer: Loft (no longer available online, but call your nearest store just in case.  Online told me it wasn't available near me when I knew there was a whole rack's worth of jackets at the mall).

Skirt: NY&Co. Similar

Tights: Merona (target) In Black

Boots: Tsubo Hepti (no longer available) 

   

     P.S. I took these pictures in the parking lot/alley behind my office.  I'm laughing hysterically in the above picture because I was just waiting for someone I knew (read another lawyer) to come out and ask what the hell I was doing posing for pictures with my camera perched on a dumpster in an alley behind our office.  If you're an outfit blogger--where is the silliest/craziest/most interesting place you've taken outfit pictures?

Post of Many Names

    This post could go by several names: To my mother, Where the Sidewalk Ends, The Little Post that Almost Wasn't, Third time's the charm. . .  Essentially, I wrote the post about my mom over a week ago.  It took wearing the outfit 3 times (yes I do laundry) to finally get decent pictures, something I wasn't sure would happen.  The sidewalk behind me literally ends right there.  So yea, here goes. (finally)
    I (originally) wore this outfit a week and a half ago on  Thursday when I went on a quick grocery trip.  I actually wore it that night and decided to recreate the outfit so that I could get good pictures (again).  But that's not the point of the post.  This is about my mom.  (When I originally put the outfit together) I was standing in my closet and grabbed my new pair of black jeggings.  I knew I wanted to wear them with my new Tsubo Hepti booties.  But then, what else to wear?  I didn't want to be weighed down by a coat, so I looked in my sweater section of my closet.  I decided to go with this soft caramel colored sweater.  And, yes, it used to be my mom's.  This was also part of the haul that my sister brought me after her Christmas break.  

     I've always loved this sweater.  The color is a soft neutral that works with everything.  It is also the perfect length.  A lot of sweaters that I've seen lately are way too long for me.  I get that a lot of tall ladies prefer the availability of long sweaters and shorter gals may like long sweaters with leggings, but for a short curvy gal like me, a shorter sweater works best with skirts and pants.  To add to the list of awesome characteristics, this sweater isn't all that bulky either.  Its not skin tight, but it does highlight my figure.  All in all, I love this sweater.

     Naturally when I grabbed this sweater I was thinking about my mom.  In fact, my mom probably wore some version of this outfit 20-30 years ago.  Thinking that makes me feel connected to her, even though she is several hundred miles and several hours worth of a plan ride away.  Little did I know when I threw on the sweater and stepped out my door that she would end up text messaging me.  Apparently my poor mother has a kidney stone (still) and spent all of that Thursday in the Emergency Room.  They gave her pain killers, but she expressly told my sister and me that she would rather give birth to several babies in a row than have to deal with a kidney stone.  While it was hilarious to hear her say this, I felt really bad.  She's so far away and only has my dad to take care of her.  I know they're adults and have lived on their own for a while, but I feel at least marginally guilty that I can't be there to help her out.  

Isn't the zipper just killer?

    If you want to know the story about these booties--Check out my review of them here. 

 Do you feel connected to people through your clothes?  Is your closet a way to feel close to your loved ones?

The Details:

Sweater: Carara (thrifted) Similar Also Similar

Jeggings: Old Navy

Booties: Tsubo Hepti in Dark Chocolate Suede/Terracota  And for a limited time $2.95 flat rate shipping from 2/1 to 2/14!

Tsubo Hepti Review

     Let me tell you about these booties.  When booties first came into fashion, I was not their biggest fan.  Its not that I didn't like them, I just figured I wouldn't participate.  Then, several weeks ago, Tiffany of I am Style-ish had a post in which she was wearing a pair of really cute booties.  A day or so later, Sally of Already Pretty posted on Twitter that 6pm.com was having a sale on Tsubo shoes.  I've heard plenty of wonderful things about Tsubo shoes and boots from both Sally and Audi of Fashion for Nerds.  So I clicked over to 6pm.com and marveled at all the beautiful Tsubo shoes they have available.  I thought of getting the Tsubo Eini in Red/Metallic Dark Grey, Tsubo Nabu in Black/Light Grey, or Tsubo Acrea in Mecca/Chartreuse.  In the end I chose the Heptis because they were different and I need a new pair of brown boots and I kept thinking of Tiffany's post when I looked at the Heptis.  So I called mom to see if I could use the remaining of my Christmas money on shoes, got the go ahead and ordered them.  

    They arrived within the week and it was love at first sight.  Luckily I checked out others' reviews so I knew to order a half size larger than I normally wear.  They are really comfortable and I can barely feel that they have a 3 inch heel.  The metallic orange inside adds a funky touch that only I am privy to.  All in all, I would definitely recommend these booties.  They do have a 3 inch heel, so if you're not used to wearing heels over 2 inches, I might reconsider.  Also they're suede.  I am planning on spraying them to protect them, but I would not wear these out in the slushy winter weather some of you are experiencing.  
     And guess what guys--Today only: Tsubo Shoes Up to 70% off! at 6pm.com .  In fact, the Tsubo Heptis are $43.50!  In addition, 6pm.com is offering Heart to Heart Shipping Promotion - $2.95 flat rate shipping from 2/1 to 2/14!


*This review was neither asked for or compensated for*

Special Offer!

     eShakti recently contacted me to offer a special promotion to my readers.  From now until February 28, 2011, by using the code LAWSCHOOL2011 at checkout, you will receive a 20% discount at eShakti!  It can be used on any number of purchases you make until then.  It is, however, an exclusive code and cannot be used in addition with any other offer, gift certificate or promotion.  
   Since this is such an awesome deal, I figured I would also show you what *I* would purchase.  Below are some blouses, skirts and dresses with accessories that just scream romantic to me.  Any of these looks would be great for a certain romantic holiday coming up (if you celebrate it, that is.)  And if you want to check out my review of eShakti, here it is.  

eShakti by lawschoolfashionista featuring crystal jewelry

Buttoned shawl collar dress - eShakti.com, $70
eShakti - Shop Women’s designer fashion dresses, tops| Size 0-26W..., $60
eShakti - Shop Women’s designer fashion dresses, tops| Size 0-26W..., $55
Triple layer pearl necklace - eShakti.com, $30
Crystal stretch bracelet - eShakti.com, $30
Copper enamel blue stone pendant necklace - eShakti.com, $20
eShakti - Shop Women’s designer fashion dresses, tops| Size 0-26W..., $50
eShakti - Shop Women’s designer fashion dresses, tops| Size 0-26W..., $43
eShakti - Shop Women’s designer fashion dresses, tops| Size 0-26W..., $40
eShakti - Shop Women’s designer fashion dresses, tops| Size 0-26W..., $40
Wavy square bangles - set of 3 - eShakti.com, $20
eShakti - Shop Women’s designer fashion dresses, tops| Size 0-26W..., $18


Edited to Add: I do not get any payment if you use the code.  I recommend eShakti because *I* like it and *I* appreciate having clothes tailor made.  

Ladies Who Lunch

    This Dress is from the shopping trip I took just after starting working.  The fabric isn't solid black, it has white, gray and silver threads running through it.  I couldn't think of anything else to pair it with, so I threw on this cardigan that has the same colors as the dress on top of it.  I feel like the look is a bit "ladies who lunch."  I'm hoping to find a cute colored cardigan with which to pair this dress to keep it looking young.  I'm also considering wearing the dress with a button down underneath it in the fashion of a jumper in the same way I wore this sheath dress.  Thoughts?

The Details:
Dress: The Limited
Cardigan: Sam's Club
Heels: Nine West

P.S. These pictures right here are exactly why I need to wear makeup to work---I look ill!

Holes in my closet

    Now that my semester of not shopping is over as well as the uber busy graduation season, I wanted to share with you one of the things I learned from my shopping ban.  I have some serious holes in my closet.  HUGE in fact.  And now that I'll be entering the job market in August, I need to figure out how to fill these holes relatively cheaply in the next few months.   

My List
- blouses
- light knit sweaters
- blazers!
- cardigans in different colors, shapes and prints
- work appropriate skirts
- dresses (oh how I have fallen in love with dresses as of late)
- jewelry--it turns out that the reason I don't wear a lot of jewelry is b/c I don't have a lot of stuff that goes with different things.
- trousers, in particular ones I can wear to work as mine are all too big and really worn. 

How do you decide what holes are in your closet?  How do you decide what to fill first?

DONE

    Ok, so I'm done with my exams (YAY!).  I have one group project left to finish up, but for all intents and purposes, I' done. Which means that I will be back to blogging.  BUT I also happen to have 208 items waiting for me in my google reader, so don't be surprised if I'm slow to comment for a while.  

Bravissimo dress

    Also, I have zero outfits from this past week.  That's not to say I spent the whole week naked, rather, I spent the whole week in sweats.  But that trend won't continue on to next week as I will be working from Monday through Thursday and then driving down to Atlanta for my little sister's graduation on Friday.  Speaking of which, I apparently jumped on the floral bandwagon with my graduation dresses.  Since my graduation consists of 2 days and I'll also be attending my sister's graduation, I figured getting 2 dresses would be a good idea.  May end up going to get a pair of linen pants and a blouse for my trip to Atlanta just in case that ends up working best.  Anyway, the second dress that I bought is to the right.  I'm really hoping that the Bravissimo dress gets here in time for my trip to Atlanta.  I would love to wear it to my sister's graduation.  But really the best about the dress is that due to the cut and shape, I should be able to layer a cardigan or blazer on top and wear it to work in the future.  

Talbots Dress

    The other dress that I got is intended to be my graduation dress.  I got it from Talbots a week ago and LOVE it.  I initially went to Talbots figuring that since the store caters to women and not teenagers, that I would probably be able to find an outfit that fits my body.  I was SO right.  I tried on several dresses that all looked really nice.  Talbots definitely designs their clothes for women with busts and hips, of which I have both.  I was quite surprised that I am a size 12, I expected to be at least a 14.  I guess my healthy living challenge is paying off.  Anyway, I will definitely be heading back to Talbots to shop as I feel comfortable in their clothes because they fit and are of high quality (even if a bit expensive).   

The perfect shoe

    AND THE SHOES!  I fell in love with these shoes the first time I saw them while playing around on Polyvore.  I was lucky enough to find them in the store so I could try them on with my dress.  They are also from Talbots and incredibly comfortable.  The description says that they have 3 1/4 inch tall wedge, but I'm pretty sure its closer to  2 3/4 as the shoe has a bit of a platform.  Nonetheless, the espadrille wedge was exactly what I was looking for.  The color, the heel height, the chunky heel (that won't make me sink in to grass on graduation day).  All in all, its the perfect shoe.  And if it happens to go on sale anytime in the very near future I may just have to buy another pair in black or brown.
    So yea, I highly recommend going to Talbots, or any other store you think is out of your age/comfort zone, as you never really know what you'll find until you go.  What are your favorite stores that cater to a different audience yet work for you? 

(This review (?) was completely unsolicited and most definitely not paid for)

Graduation Polyvore

    So--graduation is coming up and I've been thinking of a couple different options on what to wear.   My first option is linen pants, silk top, espadrilles and sparkly jewelry.  I didn't intend on making it all pinks and grays, but that's what Polyvore had for me. The second option is spring dresses.  At the moment I'm leaning towards option one.  At some point in time I know that I'll have to walk on grass, so the wedge of an espadrille would be great.  Also, I think pants + blouse is more flexible.  I feel like I'll be able to use the pieces and outfit more often and in more varied situations.  On the other hand, I'm not sure if the standard graduation wear is spring dresses.  Considering we're graduation from law school, I think dresses may be more optional than for graduating from undergrad.  But really, I'm not sure.  Anybody have any ideas or suggestions on what I should wear or where I should shop?

Graduation Take 1 by lawschoolfashionista featuring Banana Republic 

Graduation Take 2 by

Rain!

    So it is Monday morning and instead of being at school learning stuff, I'm at home watching Big Cat Diary.  All because it rained yesterday.  The connection?  Well, water seeped into our basement and I had to skip my first class at 9 am so I could talk to our landlord and schedule the handyman to come out and I'm going to have to skip my second class because the earliest the handyman can come is 1:30, ie in the middle of my second class.  At the moment I don't know if I'll make it ot my third class at 3 pm.  If I had known I was going to stay home most if not the whole day, then I wouldn't have gotten dressed and might have slept in.  
    Instead I am sharing with all of you the outfit I put together yesterday to take Bella for a walk.  Saturday was a lovely day so we took Bella to the dog park, but of course Sunday, it rained and rained and rained ALL day long.  Well, my darling Bella can get a bit hyper if she's stuck inside all day, so I braved the weather and took her out for a walk.  But not before suiting up in my awesome new rain boots I got on Friday and the waterproof coat that Melanie gave me. 
    I am VERY excited to finally have a pair of rain boots.  It's even more exciting that they're leopard print.  The Fiance, on the other hand, is not such a big fan of animal prints.  (Boo to that, I say!)  Luckily for him, he's not the one that has the privilege to wear these awesome boots.  Bella, however, doesn't really care what I wear (another reason I love her).  So I wore them for the first time on my walk with her Sunday afternoon.  And were they useful!  Bella is no scaredy-puppy when it comes to water, and if it were up to her she would splash around in puddles all the time.  So instead of getting the bottom of my pants, my shoes, socks and feet wet, I got to stay dry and not worry about any of it.   

How do you deal with icky weather?  Tough it out with gear or stay inside?   

The Details:
Gray sweater: Gap
Yoga Pants: ON
Rain Boots: Capellia via Steinmart
White Undershirt: Hanes
Coat: gift (pics above and to right are from the collar and lining respectively)
Hat: Consignment store

Puppy: precious! 

(P.S. I have no idea how Bella ends up in most of my pictures looking at me.  But I absolutely love it!)

Holiday Hangover

    I hope everybody had a great Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate).  We went to the (future) in-laws' on the 24th and came back yesterday.  We had a great time and enjoyed spending time with his parents and grandfather.  Unfortunately we weren't able to visit my parents in Puerto Rico this year, but we're hoping that we might be able to next Christmas.  At the very least, we'll go in August.  

    The Fiance and I decided about a month ago that Bella would be our X-mas gift to each other, so we weren't supposed to get each other gifts.  Fat chance.  I didn't want him to feel left out so I got him a pair of boxers and so he wouldn't feel bad that he didn't get me anything, I got him a pair of L'eggs Bordeaux microfiber tights for him to give to me.  Little did I know that he had gotten me a Moravian Star all on his own.  I also got some yummy vanilla body wash and body lotion from Bath & Body Works and some cash.  I'll be using the cash to give myself some X-mas gifts since I used the check my parents sent me to get The Fiance and his grandfather gifts.  I figure I deserve to get myself some stuff that I want, right?

  I'm thinking that I'll get this dress on the left from Old Navy in gray and black.    The dress I really wanted from Bravissimo is now gone, but I might order this coat in its place.  I might head to the mall to see if I can find a pair of knee high boots that fit my calves or look for more cute dresses.  
    One thing I've noticed since starting the blog is that I really want to wear dresses and skirts more often.  I appreciate the ease and comfort of a dress now way more than I did before.   In fact, there are a lot of things that have changed since I started blogging.  So here is my list of things I've learned/done since I've started blogging (all of 3 months ago)

1. I am more willing to take a chance on clothes.  Examples abound just from the past month: I would never have bought this dress, or bought and belted this one until I started reading and writing a fashion blog. 
2. I am more creative with clothes now.  I would never have thought to belt a sweater or rework dresses the way I did here and here until now.
3. I have also become more accepting of myself.  This one is kind of odd considering I have been taking pictures of myself and posting them online for the past 3 months.  But rather than let myself become hyper-critical, I have come to accept that this is the shape of my body and how I look.  If anyone really feels that that should change, its their own problem and not mine.
4. People on the internet can be very sweet and kind.  I have not once received a negative comment or email because of this blog.  People have been nothing but kind, caring and helpful.  I have "met" several bloggers that if it weren't for the distance, I would love to hang out, go to dinner and go shopping with them on a regular basis.  It really is wonderful to be connected to people from all over the world because of a fashion blog I started on a whim.  
5. Lastly (for now), I've also come to the conclusion that money does not equal style nor do you need a lot of money to be stylish.  Sure, it helps to have loads of discretionary spending money, but even without it, anyone with a little bit of effort and creativity can create stylish looks and a flexible wardrobe that lends itself to stylish outfits.   

That's it for now.  I'm going to continue enjoying my holiday weekend by cuddling on the couch with The Fiance.  Hope you have a good one!

VS Wrap

Blogging is going to wear a GIGANTIC hole in my bank account---

I really want this wrap/cardigan like woah!

Happy Black Friday

Happy Black Friday everyone! 

This year was the first time I've ever woken up super early to stand out in the cold in order to buy something.  Luckily for us, there are two Targets in town and we happen to live right near the smaller one.  But I didn't just wake up early to go to Target.  I first woke up at 3 am hoping that Amazon would put the camera I wanted on sale.  Amazon had said they would put a Canon Powershot 12.1 MP camera on sale at midnight Pacific time, ie 3 am my time, but didn't specify which Canon 12.1 MP camera.  There just happen to be at least 5 12.1 MP Canon cameras.  So, I set my alarm, woke up at 3, grabbed my lap top and it turns out the one on sale was not the one I wanted. (Note the laziness, I didn't even get out of bed)  An hour later, The Fiance and I got out of bed and headed out to Target.  There were plenty of people there at 4:30 but we decided to stay anyway.  Target is super organized and we got in the store at 5, grabbed the vacuum cleaner, The Dyson Animal which by the way is *SPECTACULAR*, grabbed a robe and electric toothbrush for The Fiance and were out of Target by 5:15.  We then drove over to Home Depot and waited until 6 am for it to open.  We grabbed batteries and a wine cooler (for a gift) and were out of there by 6:15.  All in all, we were back home by 6:30.  For my first Black Friday, it was awesome.  But the story doesn't end there my friends. . . 

    After our early morning shopping, we headed back to bed.  I got up at 2:30 pm, let Bella out to go potty and checked my email.  It turns out that Overstock.com sent me a 10% off coupon for their Black Friday Event.  Originally Overstock had the camera I wanted for $369 when the lowest price I found overall was $349.  The 10% off coupon made the camera $332 with free shipping and no tax, about $100 less than if I had bought it at Best Buy in person (they had it at full price of $399).  So, of course, I bought it.  This is my new camera.  Let's just say that I'm *super* excited.  I'll let you all know how awesome it is when I get it, which I hope will be late next week or early the week after.   
    This is not the end of the story my friends, for after finding and buying my super awesome new camera, The Fiance and I headed out to look for a Christmas tree.  We went to a local general store that sells local crafts and supplies.  We took Bella with us and I found a gorgeous 7 and a 1/2 foot tree.  I managed to get a student discount and Bella got more attention than she knew what to do with.    She is now passed out on her doggy bed looking adorable. 

Holiday Wishlist Addendum

I JUST saw this dress linked to Corporette's post and I want to jump up and down in excitement.  I saw this dress this summer but decided not to buy it because I wasn't sure of the sizing or the price.  Now that it's on super duper sale, I'm going to have to let the Fiance know that I want this dress BAD. 

    It's an Old Navy shift dress that is super easy to individualize.  You could layer on a jacket or cardigan to make it office appropriate or wear a great statement necklace or brooch to make it evening special.  Also, if you find it a bit shapeless, a belt to accentuate your waist would definitely work.  Playing with different shoes and leggings would also be a fun way to make the dress your own.  Anybody have any other ideas?    

Holiday Wish List

Since Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas is right around the corner, I figured I would compose a Holiday Wish List even though I REALLY don't expect presents from anyone.  It's fun to pretend though.  So here is a list of things I want in no particular order. 

1. CUTE Rain Boots (Target)

2. Dresses from Bravissimo

3. Canon Digital Rebel

4. Knee high boots (that fit my calves) in both Black and Brown

5. Coat(s) from Bravissimo