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.

Finally, an outfit post!

I’ve written about how my lifestyle has outgrown a lot of my clothes, so I’m working hard to clear my closet of any item that doesn’t make me feel like a million bucks every time I wear it. I’m also trying to live a more minimal life to focus more on experiences than material things. It’s harder than it should be due to the emotional value I place on things. I’m working on that, as well. I don’t think I’m quite ready for a capsule (or minimalist) wardrobe yet, but I might be moving more toward that direction.

A few weeks ago, we got a babysitter and went to dinner for Nick’s birthday. We ate at St. James Seafood Restaurant and Raw Bar in Durham, one of Matt Kelly’s (of Vin Rouge and Mateo’s bar de tapas fame) newest food sensations. Seriously, I love all of his restaurants and would let him cook for me for the rest of my life. Anyway, we went there for my birthday in December and Nick liked it so much that we went back for his. We had just started the Whole30 diet at the time and we were going to try really hard to stick to it, but as soon as we saw the fried oysters, we threw the diet out the window and didn’t feel the least bit bad about it! It was totally worth it.

Birthday Boy!

I’m taking a break from the rain and gloom of today by sharing with you an outfit that I wore last week when we still had some beautiful sunshine. I picked up this faux wrap dress from Target as the Mossimo brand is being fizzled out. It has a satin weave and a breezy silhouette, giving it a style that is perfect to take me from a casual day or the office to fancy formal events. If it were the weekend, I would’ve kept it simple by pairing it with sandals, but since I wore it to the office, I decided to dress it up by slipping on my new open-toe booties.

I love the pink and olive colors. For some reason, the colors, pattern and style of this dress reminds me of Miami. I’ve only been there once and I wasn’t really paying much attention to what folks were wearing, but it’s definitely what I picture Miami ladies wearing. Maybe I’m just imagining things!

Real talk: I had this dress altered for a better fit. I asked to shorten both the shoulders and the bottom hem of the dress and I think it turned out pretty well. However, there is a snap in the front that allows you to choose how deep you want the front V to go. I love this feature but since having the shoulders altered, it’s very easy to snap open with even the slightest pull so I have to be careful, especially while at work! Next time I’ll wear a thin cami underneath, just in case.

Dress: Target | Cardigan: Banana Republic (old) | Shoes: via Rack Room | Necklace: Old Navy | Watch: Target

This past week has been one of green sweaters. I think these darker forest & olive green colors look really good on me and I’ve fallen in love with this adorable fox sweater that I got in my last Le Tote box. Yes, I finally tried Le Tote and I *love* it. I’m writing a whole post about why I prefer it over some other services and I’m hoping to post it sooner rather than later. I haven’t decided if I’m going to keep the sweater but I’m definitely leaning toward yes. Anyway, I wore this super cute outfit to brunch with my ladies for Galentines Day. What’s Galentine’s Day? Only the best day of the year! I’ll let Leslie explain it below:

image source

Valentine’s was very low-keyfor us; we got Chinese take-out and watched tv. Ah, the life of a married couple. <3 #marriedlifeisawesome

Also this week, I wore this olive cable knit sweater from Banana Republic. This was a work outfit, and a coworker commented that even when I’m dressed down I look fabulous. I sure work with some sweet and fabulous people! I didn’t get a chance to get good photos because we’ve been crazy busy at work, so I hope these are okay. I should be back to normal once this winter weather moves out.

Photo 1. Sweater:  via Le Tote | Jeans: kensie via Stitch Fix | Boots: Banana Rrepublic | Necklace: Target
Photo 2. Sweater: Banana Republic | Jeans: Gap |  Boots: Mix No. 6 via DSW | Necklaces: Target & Old Navy

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