Day 26: The Baltimore Blues

I have a new favorite museum: the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. None of their artists have received formal training, so their works are all over the map. For the most part, though, they are humorous, glittery, interactive, and whimsical, so I love them all.
For a trip to the museum and lunch with Dave's sister Rebecca and her husband Dan, I wore this blue dress and a scarf as a belt. A good day!

Dress: Gap

Scarf: J. Karma

Necklace: Goodwill

Sunglasses: Who knows?

Dave also looked good; here he is looking casual and playful in a Twins shirt from Champs at the Mall of America and plaid shorts from Target.

Day 25: Sitting Around Saturday

Today was another quiet one: we didn't have any plans to go out, and we couldn't venture far, since I agreed to babysit for some neighbors tonight, and because it's hot out there! So we went downstairs and played card games with Courtney and Jeff, and now I am watching tv in someone else's house. Let me know if you ever want to play games, because I am loving them right now!
If I get out before midnight, I will head over to Mike and Jen's house. I really hope I do!
Shirt: Gap
Shorts: were Aunt Kim's, Ralph Lauren, probably from an outlet in Indiana.
Belt: J. Crew

Day 24: Very Casual Friday

Because of my recent travels, I had off of work today. I slept in, ran on the treadmill, and cleaned up the house before heading to Wegman's to pick up ingredients for a pretty serious dinner. For a night in with friends, we had Microwaved Honey Eggplant, Watermelon Feta Salad, Scallop and Peach Ceviche, and a Caprese Salad. Recipes are more exciting than this little outfit which could barely handle the heat.

Top: Gap, 2004

Shorts: Old Navy, Betsy's

Day 23: pinknplaid66

On Thursday I needed an outfit that could transition easily from a workday to a flight home. With a change from a skirt to jeans and wedges to sandals, I was on my way. I wasn't even too warm in this outfit when I returned to Philly at 7:30. Did I mention I'm home in Philly? Hooray!!
Shirt and skirt: J. Crew
Wedges: Payless
Jeans: Tommy Hilfiger via TJ Maxx
Sandals: Old Navy

Day 22: Basic is the new boring

 When I woke up this morning, I was very chilly. That was a function of the air conditioning more than the Minneapolis temperatures, but it still made me want to bundle up for the day. 

What do you do when you think your hair looks bad, but you want it to get longer? Should I get a haircut anyway? I also want to find a new skincare/makeup regimen.  And my other new goal will be to stop wearing hair ties* on my wrist. I'm not sure what the alternative is, though.  Maybe I can hide it under my watch.

 I would also like to provide you with a close-up of my new scarf. I'm really looking forward to pairing it with fresh, white outfits.

Shirt: Merona, via Goodwill from my mom. It's one of those shirts that hardly seems worth getting rid of, but it doesn't contribute significantly to my wardrobe

Pants: Gap.  Today's pictures are making me think they're getting a little baggy. Seriously??

Wedges: Payless

Scarf: Club Monaco from the Mall of America

Earrings: j. karma boutique in Old City, Phila.

Ring: Gift from Steph

Watch: Gift from Mom, probably

*I grew up calling them ponytails.  I now understand that the ponytail usually only refers to the actual hairstyle, and not the item that secures the hairstyle, and that most people get confused when I call it a ponytail.  This causes a fair amount of hesitation in my conversations that involve these essential stretchy things.

PS: For my evening of shopping/wandering/dining, I changed into these khaki J. Crew shorts and whale flip flops from a store on Nantucket's Straight Wharf

Day 21: Professional Print

Sometimes I think about how if I had to get rid of one item of clothing, it would be this dress. I can't decide if I like it or not, but it is so easy to wear, so I haven't given it away yet.  What do you think? Would you wear it? Would you like me to give it to you?

Dress: Sonata, via Ross

Belt: Francesca's

Laptop bag: Gift from Dave (the purchase went toward breast cancer research)



Day 20: To belt or not to belt?

It's important to plan well for a day of sitting or standing in a booth at a conference, attempting to sell books and give away journals about engineering.  Here is the thought process behind this outfit:

• Must look professional
• Must wear something I don't usually wear
• Must have comfortable shoes
• Preferably needs to be ironed

I always bring clothes that need to be ironed to conferences because I prefer ironing when it's not at my own house. I think that's because it's easier to get the ironing board out of the closet when there aren't 15 coats in front of it, and because people will put it away for me when I'm done. 

Vest: Merona (Target) via a clothing swap

Collared shirt: Gap

Skirt: Sears

Wedges: Payless

Belt: J. Crew

Day 19: Sculptures and stripes

I'm in Minneapolis! And enjoying it! The Hilton Minneapolis is so not my style. It's enormous all over, glitzy on the first three floors, and ugly with no view in my room. But I had a lovely and fun outing with my cousin Katherine and her boyfriend Randy. We saw the beautiful lakes, the sculpture garden, and ate at an uncategorizable restaurant called Loring's Pasta Bar. We did not dance the tango there. But I did wear this outfit.

Top: Gap (I have a striped shirt and a polka dotted shirt in these colors, strangely enough)

Shorts: Old Navy, via a clothing swap

Day 18: Vintage Delight

My mom made this dress right around the time she married my dad. She gave it to me a few years ago but I wondered if it was too quirky for me to wear. Besides, someone in Bermuda told her it was too low-cut when she wore it on her honeymoon. But I've worn it three times now, including on my honeymoon, and I am very happy to have it. And not just because I saw a similar dress at H&M recently. Today it was perfect for eating red velvet waffles and going thrift shopping.
Dress: made by mom
Belt: J. Crew
Bracelet: was my dad's mom's
Sandals: yes, kohls. Be happy, because I bought a new pair of shoes today
Purse: Coach

Day 17:More pockets

This weekend, I will escape to cool and temperate Minneapolis for a work conference. I'm looking forward to temperatures in the 80s and the opportunity to wear outfits I don't love as much, since I won't know anyone at this conference (besides my cousin, coincidentally, but she is kind and forgiving).  I will spend most of my time in a big, air-conditioned Hilton, but I'm not sure how to spend the rest of my time there.

I could've used bolder accessories with this dress, but I don't exactly have any. How would you wear it?

Dress: Old Navy

Headband: J. Crew (I haven't worn it since someone spilled beer on my head at Varga)

Necklace: from a Lewisburg antique barn

Friendship bracelet: Authentic from about 12 years ago

Tote: Banana Republic

Sandals: Kohl's. I've realized I only have 2 work-appropriate (read: non-flip flop) pairs of sandals

Day 16: Perspiring in Purple

An endless work-week like this one requires an easy dress on Thursday. This is one of the most comfortable dresses I have, and I would like to curl up and take a nap now, please.

Dress: Converse @ Target

Belt: Don't know! Kayla says she has the same one, which she thinks is from Old Navy. I think mine magically appeared in my room about 10 years ago. I was under the impression it was American Eagle.

Sandals: Old Navy

Day 15: Another scorcher

Today is carb day/crab day! Free bagels at work, and all I can eat crabs at Wishing Well for dinner! I am so excited! I just hope this outfit can take the heat.  I am prepared to get Old Bay seasoning on it.

Top: Betsy's, from Old Navy

Skirt: Anthropologie

Heels: Barefeet Shoes

Necklace: Ten Thousand Villages (Vancouver)

Day 14: Truth

Quizzo is a great time to show off the quirkiest shirts. Here I am in my "Reading is Sexy" shirt, which I have considered wearing on Casual Fridays when all of the bosses are out, but I have never followed through with.  It may not be a result of the shirt, but we did win first place!

Day 14: Dressed to chill

Another heat wave is starting, and I was sweating before I even left the house.

I'm sure that the readership of this blog is going to skyrocket now that my interview has aired on NBC and I was quoted in the Metro. There is a purse-stealer on the loose, which means I've stopped carrying my purse, and I have now informed Philadelphia of my precautions. Now I'm focusing on clothes with pockets, so I can just carry my phone, lipstick, keys, and mace with me.  Nothing to steal here, folks.

Top: Gap. Very infrequently worn.

Skirt: Anthro. It has pockets!

Headband: In the Village salon

Earrings: Gift from Jen C.

Sandals: Old Navy

Cardigan for the office: Ann Taylor

Day 13: An evening at Han Dynasty

My in-laws were passing through town on their way home from a Vermont vacation, so we took them to Han Dynasty. Dave has been wanting to take his dad there ever since he learned that it is a restaurant that is built on spice.  I had a feeling Dave's mom would like this dress because of the vaguely Asian print, and she complimented both the dress and the necklace.  I've lent this dress to Betsy for a few years, but I have it back, and I think I'll hang onto it a while longer.

This is a mystery outfit. The dress might be from Ross? The necklace might be from my mom?

The shoes are from Kohl's.

Day 13: Persistence at J. Crew

I have learned that J. Crew can be affordable if you are patient. I bought these white jeans at the end of last summer, and the shirt is from a few months ago. Total cost for the two: $34.  But this isn't a bargain blog. The important thing here is that I am wearing clothes. And that my boss has worn white jeans to work, so I can too.

Sandals are from Kohl's, shirt and pants are J. Crew

Day 12: Beach in blue

On Sunday, Dave and I had a nice little beach day in Stone Harbor. We were able to avoid disastrous sunburn, so I consider it a success. I learned that this is really the only cover-up I have. I could get creative and wear a belted, buttoned men's shirt, or I could wear something a little fancier, but nothing works as well as this. That's why I wear it every single time I go to the pool, too. That's like 4 times a week.

One side effect of this project is that it encourages me to shop less in order to make the challenge go faster. However, I do get to see where the holes in my wardrobe are. Right now, my shopping list looks like this:

Cover-up, white skirt or shorts, and white wedges or other sandals. I could also use another bikini. And, as I've known for a long time, more work-appropriate shirts.

Old Navy dress, way cute beach tag accessory, Victoria's Secret bathing suit,

and flip flops my mom bought from a store in Stone Harbor, coincidentally

Day 11: The clothes you don't see

I have tons of big old t-shirts to wear, and most of them say Kappa Alpha Theta or Bucknell in some form. Everyone else must think I'm 22 years old, but I an just happy that I'm working through so many outfits in my workouts. This outfit is by no means from Lulu Lemon; I actually have no idea where either the shirt or the shorts are from. But it was a nice break from an oversized t-shirt with a picture of a bison on it.

Sunglasses: Target
The rest: ???

I actually wore a cute outfit to two BBQs on Saturday, but my phone battery died before we were able to get a picture. First of all: does anyone else have a Fascinate and know why they die after 4 hours since the latest update? Second of all: I will wear that outfit again soon just for you.

July 15, 2011: Day 10

Here is a good example of an outfit I have never worn before and am only wearing because I challenged myself to wear all of my clothes. I have a decent number of shirts that fall into this category of not being appropriate for work, the gym, parties, dinners out, or essentially anywhere.  So I'm turning Casual Friday on its head and instead of wearing a dressy shirt with jeans, you get a t-shirt with a skirt. This shirt really makes me want to go right here for a sandwich with sprouts on it.

Shirt: Something Natural on Nantucket

Skirt: Ralph Lauren

Belt: Francesca's

Sandals: Old Navy

Ice cream: Free from the Bourse! (a work perk for today!)

July 14, 2011: Day 9, Part 2

After leaving work early due to no water, I did some grocery shopping and then got changed for a walk across town. Dave and I only had a little bit of time before his a cappella rehearsal, so we grabbed delicious sandwiches from Pumpkin Market, which is pictured here. My turkey, brie, and apple sandwich was perfection.
Top: Kohl's, circa ~2005
Dressy black Bermuda shorts: Old Navy, via a clothing swap

July 14, 2011: Day 9

When Jan and I were walking past Independence Hall on our way to coffee, we stopped for pictures. Everyone does it, so it must make people look good, right? Actually, we thought it would be funny. However, the sun is no joke, and I got incredibly squinty and couldn't smile or look up. Make your own joke about being squinty and taking pictures in front of tourist attractions.

But you can still see my outfit:
Shirt: Betsy's, but has been in my closet, so it counts
Pencil skirt and shoes: Old Navy
Bag: Coach

July 13, 2011: Day 8

I know we are still just getting started, but one thing this project has been good for so far is getting me out of bed. As you might have noticed, my face was not included in the first couple posts. This is because by the time my trusty photographer husband was ready to leave for work, my hair was wet and my face was makeup-free.  To avoid the self-timer-quality image that was last Friday, I've been moving a little faster in the mornings. I do still need to figure out what to do with my hair, though.

Dress: Francesca's

Belt: J. Crew

Shoes: Old Navy

Tote: Gap

Earrings: Shirley Pewter (it's a long story)

and Bracelet: Christmas when I was 12?

 Something like that. It has two heart charms, and one of them says "dream". 

Day 7: Floral tank

Today looked like this: work-->gym-->pool-->Triumph Brewing Company with Courtney and Jeff. Each of those elements required different attire, and this is what I wore to the bar. Shirt is Anthro, shorts are J. Crew. Can you see the earrings?

July 12, 2011: Day 7

I had one rule for myself today: Do not tuck a shirt into a skirt.

You've seen enough of that lately.

My neighborhood is cute and provides an easy backdrop.

Shirt: Apt 9 from Kohl's, circa 2008
Pants: Anthropologie. Not sure of the brand, but the inside of the waistband says, "With clothes, the new are the best, with friends the old are better." Thanks for editorializing, pants.
Shoes: Payless
Also wearing coin pearl earrings from Dave and a skinny brown headband from my mom.

Day 6: Love this skirt

I feel rejuvenated and happy after this past weekend, and it was easy to get out of bed this morning. It might have been easier because I already knew what I wanted to wear this morning.

Shirt: Banana Republic

Skirt and belt: J. Crew

Earrings and necklace: Ten Thousand Villages

Brown heels: Chinese Laundry via Macy's

Since this wardrobe challenge is my idea, I get to make my own rules. So in case you are wondering, I am going to wear everything in my closet and my dresser, as well as the hall closet, my shoe closet, and also what is currently under my bed. I will not, however, be taking pictures of myself in all of my workout clothes, pajamas, undergarments, and bathing suits. These items either go right back where they came from, or I put them in a duffel bag in the closet so I can work through everything else and only go back to them when I need them. I suppose I need to wear all of my various scarves, hats, and jewelry, as well.

July 10, 2011: Day 5

On Sunday, we woke up around 8 am to take Betsy to 30th St. Station to catch a bus to Syracuse so she can spend a week swimming and hiking in Ithaca. Then I had a date with the treadmill, and by the time we went to the Headhouse Square farmer's market, we'd already been up for hours.  In this picture, I'm wearing my navy blue keyhole dress and enjoying a fresh, cherry mango lemonade.  Yes!

Dress: Merona via Goodwill

Sunglasses: Still Gap

Shoes: Invisible, but they were my whale flip flops, which you will see sometime soon, I'm sure

July 9, 2011: Day 4

This is what I wore for a warm, summer hike at Wissahickon Valley Park. It's only our second time going there, but I am so impressed. There is a path for bikers, strollers, and walkers, and we took the rocky, hilly route to replace a trip to the gym. We still make it to the gym for a post-hike swim, however, since we skipped the Tarzan swing into Devil's Pool.

Because this shirt is also from Vancouver, I think I owe an explanation of why so much of what I wear is from there. I attended a statistics conference in Vancouver last August, and I ate at a number of good restaurants, went for morning walks, explored the market at Granville Island, biked around Stanley Park, and shopped on Robson Street. The street of stores was around the corner from my hotel, so I skipped out on an afternoon of promoting journals to take a look around the stores. I left with about 12 items of clothing, for a total of about $150. It's not that the exchange rate was all that favorable; there were just 3 stores that offered everything I wanted.  So the first day's outfit and yesterday's blue skirt (in addition to several other items) were from RW&Co, and I also got a skirt with bicycles on it from Zara that you will see at some point.  This shirt (the brand is Wilbur) and another similar one, as well as a striped dress, are from a pretty high-end store whose name I don't know. It was just the luckiest shopping day of my life, and the items are all versatile, practical, and they all still fit.

Shirt: Unknown store in Vancouver

Shorts: J. Crew

Sunglasses: Gap

Sneakers: Old classics from Nike

Envelope necklace: Gift from Dave!

July 8, 2011: Day 3

Here I am on Casual Friday. Cas. Fri. is tricky in July, since I don't want to wear jeans, and it's never permissible to wear shorts at work. So, here I am dressing down my skirt with a Nantucket Nectars shirt circa 2005. I wore this shirt when I worked at the Allserve General Store, birthplace of Nantucket Nectars, but haven't worn it so often since.  This skirt is also from an unknown store in which I had great success on my Vancouver business trip last summer.

July 7, 2011: Day 2

My sister Betsy visited last night and picked this dress out of my closet for me to wear today. I'm glad she was there to help, because I wouldn't know whether to start with the clothes I already wear all the time, or the clothes that I might not get around to within the year. This Anthropologie dress is one that I wear often because of how easy it is. Just the dress and a pair of navy heels, and I'm ready to publish some journals.

My husband Dave has apologized for not being a professional photographer. Or even someone who likes taking pictures.

July 6, 2011: Day 1

And now introducing...my fashion goal! I am going to wear all of my clothes between now and July 6, 2012. I claim not to have that many, so I want to make sure I will wear the clothes that I have. So here we go with Day 1: Two pieces from my 2010 Vancouver shopping spree; the purple shirt, gray and purple skirt, paired with silver heels.

I never said I won't re-wear my clothes, so you may see these again in the next year. But you will see everything else I own, as well. Nothing will sit at the back of my closet forever. Not even my wedding dress!