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

I’m a little jealous of Nick because he gets to wear shorts to work. Like, every single day. And not just for his current job but the one before that, too. I guess I understand it. Their work is online so I suppose there’s no need to dress to impress… there’s no one to impress but each other.

Taking a page from his book, I decided to wear these shorts to my own office. I figured if any office would allow it, it would an awesome nonprofit and if any shorts would be appropriate, it would be these. They’re classy and fancy and about the same length as any skirt I would feel comfortable wearing. When you pair them with a bright top and heels, you get a nice, polished look. I think I look pretty darn cute, and no one at my office complained.

Also, I got a haircut! I love this length and think I’ll stick to it for a while.

Anyway, happy Friday everyone! It’s been a long week and I’m ready for the freedom of the weekend. We’re thinking about painting our bathroom tomorrow – a project we’ve been meaning to do for years. I’m not even kidding, we’ve had two paint swatches on our bathroom wall for several years now. Here’s to hoping we can follow through this time.

Shirt, Shorts, and Shoes: Banana Republic | Necklace & Bracelet: Old Navy | Watch: Target | Handbag: Anne Klein via Belk

P.S. I could be a walking ad for Banana Republic in this outfit. I didn’t plan it, but all the pieces are from BR. Hey Banana, please pay me to be your real-life model?

I’ve been blogging for several years now — even thought it certainly doesn’t feel like it’s been that long — and I was curious as to just how much my style has changed over those years, especially now that I’m pregnant. It was really interesting to go back through the blog to see my outfits and the way I’ve evolved from year to year.

Reflections: I see consistent uses of a completer piece and denim. As much as I want to have a well-rounded wardrobe of jeans, dresses, and skirts, and non-denim bottoms, I always find myself reaching for the denim because it’s quick and easy to style. Also, I went through a phase, mostly when I was consistently working in an office, of wearing blazers ALL. THE. TIME. I still love blazers but it seems as though today’s style trends have started to move toward a more casual look, and blazers don’t feel that casual to me. I’m more interested in vests and sweater cardigans these days. Perhaps if I find another office job, I’ll be more likely to bust out my blazers. The biggest change I see is that my style and outfit formulas have gotten slightly more simple, which I think is a trend we’re seeing everywhere.  I don’t have a ton of time to plan what I’m going to wear so keeping it simple will also keep me sane! Do you think about your style evolution? Is it different or similar to what you were wearing 4 years ago?

2017 Original Post: Tee + Jeans + Boots

I wore this outfit to my doctor’s appointment and learned that I should be eating more peanut butter, avocados, loaded baked potatoes, ICE CREAM AND COOK OUT MILKSHAKES.

2016 Original Post: Girls’ Day Out

A couple of my grad school friends came to visit me and we had a wonderful girls’ day out. We started with brunch & margaritas, then went to a wine tasting, then shopping, had “hipster” coffee, and ended the night at the best sushi place in town. And this is what I wore.

2015 Original Post: Distressed Denim and New Loafers

Flats in the winter because it felt like spring. NC just can’t make up it’s mind on whether or not we have seasons!

2014 Original Post: Winter Pink

This was a January day when NC decided it actually was winter and gave us 20-degree weather. Some of you might laugh at me because you regularly deal with negative temps in the winter but this was really cold for us!

This is a redo of an outfit I wore on one of the coldest days in NC two years ago that I called “winter pink.” I’m wearing the same sweater and jeans, but I switched up the details just a little. My vest is more ivory than white and it isn’t as puffy, I’m wearing ankle boots instead of tall boots, and my necklace is shorter. I’m still wearing a floral scarf but it’s a different one. It definitely wasn’t as cold this time around as it was a few years ago!

So, I was going to wear this to work yesterday but I had a bad case of the Mondays. My car wouldn’t start so Nick was nice enough to drive me to work, but when I got there, I realized that I grabbed his computer on  my way out of the house so he had to turn around and bring me home to get my computer. I decided to cancel my one afternoon meeting and work from home. I’m extremely grateful that I have a job that will allow me to work from home in a pinch like that. Btw, we had to get a new battery for my car. Blah!

Sweater: Banana Republic | Denim: Gap | Vest: Old Navy | Boots: BP Trolley via Nordstorm | Scarf: Planet, a boutique in Wilmington, NC | Necklace: via Le Tote

Linking up with Hello Monday | Let it Shine | Confident Twosday | Garay Treasures | Trend Spin Linkup

This is the most comfortable outfit I’ve ever worn in my entire life. And I’ve worn it for everything: Christmas with my family; a surprise birthday house party for my friend where I swapped the boots for pumps and then to the club later that night; on my birthday to travel to DC, have dinner with friends, and then attend another house party; and I’ve worn it to work on several occasions. A funny coincidence is that I’ve seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens three times (thanks, nerdy husband) and it just so happened that each time I saw it, it was raining AND I wore this outfit. So that leads me to believe that the outfit is perfect for rainy weather, and for watching Star Wars in the theater. But, really, it’s just my new favorite outfit!

Cute story: this knit hat was the first thing Nick ever bought me when we started dating. He went to New York on New Year’s Eve, which was my 19th birthday, and brought back this hat, a matching scarf, and some confetti. I still have all three, and wear this hat mostly to walk the dogs on cold mornings. It means so much to me that I’ll never let it go!

Sweater and Blouse: Banana Republic | Leggings: BB Dakota via Le Tote | Ankle Boots: Old Navy | Scarf: Banana Republic | Necklace: Old Navy | Hat: Gap (really old)

Linking up with Flashback Fashion Friday