I normally don’t post mid-week with just one outfit, but the Bloggers Do It Better challenge this round is animal print, WHICH, I happened to be wearing yesterday in a way that I probably never would have thought of on my own. My inspiration was a layout I’d seen in US Weekly that featured Kaley Cuoco – the mix of colors or patterns was so outside of the box to me, so I put my own, milder spin on it.

You can see a scan of the inspiring look over here. Also, I need to point you to my e-bff Beauty Fash Babe – who is beyond fantastical and also participating in the challenge.

Today is the first day I’m wearing a scarf in a long time. It feels SO right. Never you mind that it will bien the 80′s later this week. I do not care.

I’m not quite ready to switch over my closet – but the idea of layering and boots and scarves and jackets? Yes. Sign me up.
So here’s what I’ve worn since my last post. I’m trying to get better about doing these at least weekly – so far – not so much. But I’m trying. My super favorites from this batch would have to be 09/01, 08/18 & 08/21.

I don’t guess that I’ve quite figured out how I’m handling posting about what I wore. I can’t decide if I genuinely care enough about writing about it here, but I’m definitely still taking pictures daily. And let me tell you – it’s so helpful. I often reference those photos to see what I wore a top with or to make sure I’m not wearing the exact same outfit I wore last week. It’s one of the most brilliant things I’ve done to be completely honest. I’m my own fashion curator.

I’m not like most of the mainstream fashion bloggers, primarily because I’m not a fashion blogger ;), but also because I take the bulk of my images in the same place, every day. I pretty much leave my camera in the same spot & I use the self-timer to take my images, I do it as soon as I get home from work so it’s just become part of my routine, no matter how good/bad I feel. I just do it. And it’s so fun to look back it.

This is a HUGE dump, simply because I haven’t posted in a long while. But, there are some good outfits in there. I think I’ve kind of found a voice for my clothing and that’s a good feeling. When you feel good about the way you look, I think it reflects in so much of what you do.

Last week when my friend Steffy suggested that we participate in the Everybody, Everywhere challenge of mixing patterns – I got nervous. Here’s the thing – I love clothes. I love to buy them, I love to wear them. I LOVE them. But if you look back over the things I’ve worn, mixing patterns? So out of my comfort zone. However, fashion is supposed to be fun. I don’t take getting dressed that seriously and I don’t think anyone really should. So, here is my very, very tepid step into pattern mixing.

 

So, it appears that I have fallen in love with all things army green. Wait, do you call it army or olive? Is there a difference? No matter what you call – this color has become kind of my "thing" – if one can call a color a "thing". When shopping, I'm most often drawn to bright colors – I think they look best on my skin & no one wants to dress like they're going to a funeral every day. But, over time I've started to add this army green color to my closet because it plays so well as a neutral and it's a color my husband loves. So – it's basically a win/win.
These pants, which I've only had about 2 weeks were an AMAZING steal that i scored from Target for ~$13. They are crazy comfortable and so cute. I really am not comfortable in shorts but these are not heavy & keep me from wanting to hurl myself down stairs when I'm outdoors.

Also, in major rotation is this green linen jacket that I got at Lane Bryant. I actually tend not to shop there very often as I find their prices to be a bit steep for my taste – but this was on sale at 40% off so I think I paid about $40 for it, which is still kind of a lot, but has definitely paid for itself given the number of times I've worn it.

What about you, do you have any color obsessions or an obsession with a particular piece of clothing in your wardrobe?

Most of you already know that I take a daily picture of my outfit. Most days. I do occasionally skip a day here and there, or sometimes spend the entire day languishing in my pajamas. Generally when people find out that I do this, they either think I’m too vain for my own good or they think it’s neat. Obviously, I fall into the latter. Part of it is that seeing myself dressed in a photo helps me to objectively take a look at my wardrobe. There have been times I’ve gotten dressed & thought this totally works! Gone back, seen the photo & thought – ehhh, maybe not so much. So, even though I haven’t posted them – I haven’t stopped taking said photos. Here’s a gigantic backlog.

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My favorites are the outfits from 6/21, 6/16, 6/4 & 6/2. I am fully embracing the skirt and dress this year – something I’ve not been entirely liked or been comfortable doing in the past. And you’ll note that on 6/16 my shirt was sheer lace & I wore a bra underneath and that was it. I was surprisingly comfortable wearing it – and it’s probably THE boldest thing I’ve ever done with regard to fashion. It’s not crazy extreme, but for me? It was jumping off a building & I have to be honest with you – I like the way it felt.