Outfit #4 for the 30 for 30 Challenge. These are coming along quite nicely now that I’ve given the rules a little breathing room.

I wore this to a meeting at school about our internship requirements. The bad news is I was in a car for three hours because I had to drive to campus and back but the good news is they gave us free lunch.  I had planned to wear a black pencil skirt but decided to go with the crop pants because it was a little chilly out this morning. The plaid blazer was a good choice because it added some interest, but I could have incorporated some more color. Although, you clearly can’t go wrong with neutrals!

I really like wearing crop pants, which can be a bit tricky when you’re as short as I am (5’1”) because you run the risk of them being too long and then they’re not cropped, they’re just cut off below the ankle. I stick to petite sizes because they’re prefect for us shorties, and that’s what I recommend. Otherwise you can get them hemmed.

Since Nick has become my photographer, my photo shoots have gotten much more fun! He makes me laugh a lot. It’s a quality I love about him, a good quality to have.

BONUS: The photographer becomes the photographed! Here are a few shots I snapped of Nick this afternoon. Look at that handsomeness!

UPDATE: I’ve linked up with Bri of Work Clothes, I Suppose and Bethany of Perfectly Coutured so be sure to head over there to check out all of the other amazing fashion bloggers who are linking up!

As I mentioned in yesterday’s Sunday Morning Serenade, I’m a big fan of brunch. This was the outfit I wore to have brunch with Nick, our good friend (who is like a little sister to us), and her boyfriend. We went to a cute little French bistro downtown and I had delicious coffee and steak frites, which is a pan-seared steak topped with an egg and served with pommes frites (french fries) and Béarnaise sauce. Your mouth just watered, didn’t it?

So, I know I’m supposed to be participating in this 30 for 30 Challenge, but I did some unexpected shopping this weekend and wanted to wear all of my new pieces, which is what I’m doing in this outfit. The shirt and the black ankle boots are new and I figured they’d pair well with the black skirt. I also got Nick to take these photos instead of using my tripod and they turned out so much better than usual because I was able to have more fun. He’s going to have a new job from here on out!

I promise I’ll get to that challenege. Most of the pieces I chose for it are more “office wear” than casual wear but classes have started back so I’ll be able to wear the outfits in public instead of just sitting in them at my computer. Please be patient, they’re coming!

There are a lot of times on campus where I feel really out-of-place because I’m looking fairly fashionable and it seems like everyone else couldn’t be bothered to get dressed for class that day (i.e. they’re wearing yoga pants or just jeans and tshirts). Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, but, being one of the older students on campus, I’ve already been there, done that when it comes to wearing PJs to class. Just kidding, I’ve NEVER worn pajamas to class. The closest I’ve come is wearing track pants, and that was ONLY to 8 AM biology and chemistry labs. Those are tough!

However, I wore this outfit to present a proposal of a program my group created, and luckily, in graduate school, everyone knows that presentations = dress appropriately. So I didn’t feel out-of-place on that day. This shirt has very thin white and black stripes, which make it look gray. It also has a cute scoop neck in the back, but I couldn’t get good photos of it.

The wind was blowing, making it a little chilly so I added the black sweater cardigan for warmth.

Top and Sweater Cardigan: Banana Republic | Skirt and Belt: Target | Necklace: Francesca’s |  Bracelet: Old Navy | Shoes: Target (super old)

It’s really gray outside today but luckily it isn’t raining. Yesterday was the last day of classes and today is “reading day” which means I have all day today and most of tomorrow to study for final 1 of 2. Wish me luck!

I bought this vest right before Thanksgiving and it is quickly becoming my all-time favorite. It’s so easy to style, it’s soft and comfortable, and is puffy but not too puffy. I started off simple by pairing it with a black sweater, but you could pair it with just about anything! I wish the lighting was better so you could see the pattern.

Vest and Sweater: Banana Republic | Camisole: Ross | Denim” Loft | Boots: Steve Madden | Earrings: Target

I’ve decided to try Sarah’s Real Life Take One, Pass it On: 2.0 Challenge. As Sarah explains on her blog, the way  the challenge works is participants will:

• Start out by wearing any outfit you want to wear.
• The next day, take one thing from the previous day’s outfit and wear it again in a new way.
• The next day, take one thing (besides the already repeated item) from the day before, and…you get the idea.
• Do this for as long as you want!

Yesterday, I wore an easy outfit for working on a group project. Today, I’m “taking” those jeans and “passing them on” to today’s outfit (see photo at the bottom for recap). This is my first real attempt at pattern mixing and I’m pretty sure that polka dots and plaid are BFFs.

And these shoes! I’ve been looking for a pair of oxford/brogue style shoes for a while (heel optional) and finally found these. The color is flawless and the heel is just the right height, but those laces have got to go! I’m going to change those out and then they’ll be perfect. And look how great they are for playing in the leaves!

Top: Old Navy | Blazer: Target | Jeans: Old Navy | Shoes: Crown Vintage via DSW | Sunglasses and Earrings: Target | Necklace: Old Navy

Take One, Pass it On: Day 1