Dress: Loft Outlet | Cardigan: Banana Republic | Sandals: Old Navy | Sunnies: A New Day via Target | Necklace: via FabFitFun

Hi, friends! It’s been a busy few weeks but this dress just couldn’t stay off the blog.

I didn’t think Nick had gotten me anything for Mother’s Day – because he hadn’t! – so we went shopping at the Tanger Outlets in Mebane where I picked up this cute dress and a few other things from the Loft Outlet. It’s my favorite color (purple) and feels like those t-shirt sheets we all had on our dorm beds in college, which is to say it’s so comfortable. This particular Loft outlet has a great selection of petites and that’s why this dress fits so well.

Dress: Market & Spruce via Stitch Fix | Wedges: J. Crew Factory | Sunnies: Target

On Wednesday, Nick and I took the day off of work to celebrate his upcoming birthday. We decided we would go to a fancy spa nearby and pamper ourselves with couple’s massages, relaxation, and a fancy lunch. This cute little Market & Spruce dress I got from my latest Stitch Fix is what I wore. The spa day sounded great in theory but, what I didn’t expect when I got there was just how out of my element I would feel in that setting. You see, I’m from a working class family where I was taught that your work ethic should be strong and the little luxuries were buying the name-brand cereal. Taking a whole day (or even half a day) to sit around in fancy robes and sip citrus water elixirs while harps played in the background was unheard of.

Sweater: Loft | Jeans: Wit & Wisdom | Shoes: Universal Threads via Target | Necklace: Old Navy

Oh, hi there! It’s been a hot minute since I shared a *real* outfit post but here I am. If you follow my Instagram (or view the widgets at the bottom of my blog page) then you’ve probably gotten used to those office bathroom selfies with the harsh florescent lighting, but on one of my days off recently, I found these photos on my nice camera and decided to share. I realize that the weather in my neck of the woods (and most of the Southern US) is warming up because Spring is beginning to show itself in full force, but this was one of my favorite winter/colder weather outfits and it seemed a shame not to post it.

It has rained every day this week in Durham and I’m over it. But I figured the rain + casual Friday at the office is a good chance to wear my favorite ankle boots and an army vest that hasn’t gotten much love lately. When I put this outfit on, I realized that it is extremely similar to one I wore four+ years ago, so I decided that this was a recreation/update of that outfit.

Hey, look at me, back with some pictures of the clothes I put on my body!

So, how many of you, like me, have new year’s resolutions to clean up your space and are KonMari-ing? If you have Netflix, you’ve probably seen the show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo or you’ve at least heard of it. I bought the book a few years ago so I was already familiar with the KonMari method of tidying when the show came out. If you’re not familiar with KonMari, you organize by room instead of my stuff. Then, you take EVERYTHING out of your closet, drawers, etc. and hold each item to determine whether it “sparks joy.” If it does, you keep it, and if it doesn’t, you get rid of it.

The idea of taking every single piece of clothing out of my closet at once is still too daunting, but as I’ve mentioned a few times on the blog, I’ve been taking pieces out a little at a time to ensure my style reflects who I am now, and to help me achieve my goal of living a somewhat minimalist lifestyle. Freshly inspired by Marie Kondo and her show, I’ve taken even MORE pieces out of my closet in the past few weeks and I’m still feeling great about the pieces that remain, as evidenced by the return of my office-bathroom mirror selfies!

Anyway, on to the outfits!