I made some amazing friends when I was in grad school. After graduation, I resumed my life here in Durham while many of my favorite ladies stayed in Greenville. We keep in touch and try to visit as often as possible, since we’re only about an hour away from each other, but unfortunately life tends to get in the way. A few weekends ago, however, a couple of my favorites 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. It was much warmer that day, so I wore flats and changed into a cute pair of nude heels I purchased during our shopping spree, but since it’s cold and snowy now, I tried it with ankle boots and really like the outcome.

BTW, these friends convinced me to join Snapchat, so there’s that. I’ve used it a few times, but I feel like I’m an old dog trying to learn new tricks! We’ll see if I can stick with it long enough to master it.

Blouse: Gap | Blazer: Banana Republic | Jeans: Banana Republic | Ankle Boots: BP Trolley via Nordstrom | Jewelry: Old Navy 

Linking up with Hello Monday | Confident Twosday | Start the Week Stylish | The Pleated Poppy | Tucker Up

In the title of this post, cold refers to temperature in NC this week, and gray refers to my denim. On Monday I asked where’s winter because it was warm enough to wear a light blazer and, this week, winter came calling! I took these photos on a very cold day. So cold, in fact, that I wanted to get more/better photos but I just couldn’t handle it and ran back inside. Now, as I type this on Thursday night, we’re awaiting the snow. I’ll probably wake up tomorrow to snow before this post is even published.

Anyway, I wore this outfit mostly chilling – literally – around the house on MLK Day, watching Angie Tribeca. I did run out to get lunch so the only folks that saw me were the guys as Jimmy Johns. As for the jeans, they’re gray. Not really much to say about them except that the knee patch hits right below my knee instead of on it. #shortgirlproblems

Sweater: Old Navy | Scarf & Denim: Banana Republic | Shoes: Gap Outlet

A whole month has gone by and I haven’t posted a single thing. For that, dear readers, I apologize. I’ve mentioned a time or two how I’m not the greatest blogger and that’s only made more difficult when life starts to get the better of you.

We received some unfortunate news a few weeks back; Nick was informed he’d be getting laid off from his job, along with about 200+ other employees of this company. Needless to say, I had to focus on more pressing matters than taking pictures of my clothes. I don’t make any money from this blog so it was put on the backburner while we kicked up our job search, reached out to our networks, applied to every job we could find, and considered the very real possibility that we may have to give up our life that we’ve worked so hard to build in a community we love so much.

There is a bit of good news, though! I have amazing friends that have helped out in big ways. Thanks to my friend, Sarah, I started a part-time job as the office manager of a women’s rights organization that I really admire. I’ve also started a job in retail and Nick has picked up a part-time job in a bottle shop so I know we’re going to be alright. I feel really confident that more full-time opportunities in my field will pop up soon and Nick has a ton of poosibilities (not to mention a great mentor) so I just know something will come along for him soon, as well; life can’t get me down just yet!

The other good news is that I regularly get dressed for both of my jobs so that means more outfit posts! In the meantime, here are two outfit that I was planning to share before taking a break:

Blue Stripes Vol. 2:

You’re not experiencing déjà vu, I have worn an outfit almost identical to this one here. When you find a good formula, you should stick to it. I don’t have a lot to say about this one so I’ll just leave it here.

Top & Scarf: Gap | Jeans: Banana Republic | Shoes: Gap Outlet | Necklace: Loft Outlet

Palazzo Pants:

How fun are palazzo pants? They feel kind of like pajamas when I wear them. I feel like they’d look better if I were about 5-10 inches taller but these wedges make them work. I’ve only worn these once because they’re a tad snug these days but maybe this summer I’ll throw them on more often.

Top: Banana Republic | Pants & Wedges: Target | Jewelry: Old Navy

Since I’m regularly getting dressed for work, I’ll have more posts this week so stay tuned!

I’m a scarf-draping fool lately! Did you notice that all of the colors in this outfit match perfectly? I was inspired by the colors in the scarf and the result was this light pink tee paired with chambray shorts.  I love that adding a scarf gives you an extra layer of interest without the added bulkiness of a vest or jacket, because when it’s this hot outside, bulkiness is the last thing you want. I’m also not entire sure these shorts are actually chambray but they look and feel like it so, that’s good enough for me.

I wore this outfit a few weekends ago while I was hanging out at my parents’ house and then on the ride back to Durham so unfortunately, no one saw it’s cuteness. Or it could be fortunate that no one really saw it because that means I can wear it again soon!

Tee: Old Navy | Shorts: Patagonia via Vert & Vogue | Shoes: Gap Outlet | Scarf: Loft Outlet | Necklace: Old Navy

I’ve been doing a bit more outlet shopping than usual lately, and I’m kind of loving it. Visiting a Banana Republic Outlet in undergrad is what sparked my love for Banana Republic. It was around the time that I got my first part-time office job and needed appropriate clothing for it. So, I went to a BR Outlet and purchased an adorable pencil skirt, a great pair of trousers, some cute jeans and several blouses and hence a new love affair was born.

In an attempt to save money and closet space, I’m trying to only purchase pieces that I absolutely love and will wear all the time. I love both this shirt and pair of shorts. I’ve worn them several times already in several different outfits so I know I picked some winners. I also purchased a cute little skirt with this top so that I can wear it in an office setting once I find a job. I’m just hoping that’s sooner rather than later! I wore this outfit at home, while I was clearing out some clutter in the office and then to dinner at our favorite taco spot, Nanataco.

Top: Loft Outlet | Shorts: J. Crew Outlet | Sandals: Target