Black is back

This week has been a long and stressful week, so I have been relying on my comfort zone of clothing......lots of black.  Today, was no different.....black tank, black wrap top, black blazer, black boots and a black, grey and white geometric skirt.  The skirt is new to me from Ebay (originally Ann Taylor)

Tomorrow will be busy too......curriculum committee meeting, MS student thesis proposal defense, faculty meeting (3rd week in a row, when normally we have them once a month)....then drive to SC as I am running a half marathon on Saturday morning.

Take Two

Since I brought this sweater to work on Tuesday and didn't wear it, I decided to wear it again on Wednesday.  Take two......

The sweater is on top of some old wardrobe standbys.  Black pants, with a black, grey and white geometric print top and grey lace trimmed cami.  One of the things I love about this top is that in some places the print looks out of focus.  That's not a camera issue.....in real life my shirt looks like parts are out of focus.

the sweater I didn't wear

My building on campus was boiling hot today.  So while I put on a sweater this morning........

it came off almost immediately in my office and sat on the back of my chair until I headed home for the day.  Considering the high was in the 80s today, I didn't need it outside either.

This outfit may not be very exciting, but I had a long day on campus 13+ hours, so I just wanted an old stand-by. 

An old stand-by with some kick-ass boots.  Love these boots.....they always make me feel like I am Catwoman.

weird shadow

There is a strange shadow on my sweater today from my head.  Oh well, no time to retake the photo.
It is a rainy day here that seems very Fall like....so despite the fact that it will get to the low 70s before the day if over I went for a crewneck sweater.  This is a Thanksgiving standby outfit, as it just seems very Autumnal.

The pants are Gap and were bought 2+ years ago at a consignment store.  The sweater is Target last Fall.  the mustard tee underneath is from Goodwill.

Casual Saturday

I don't often post my weekend wear.  Mostly because the whole point of this blog initially was to make sure I wasn't that professor, the one who wears the same thing over and over again.  Plus I am pretty much a tee shirt and jeans sort of girl on the weekend. 

I have been wanting these White House Black Market jeans for a few years now.  I finally found a pair on Ebay that was in my price range.  They make me oh so happy.  There is also a 3rd black flower on the left rear pocket.  The stripey shirt feels like pajamas, and was a Goodwill purchase.  This is the perfect outfit for enjoy some weekend coffee.  Of course after the first cup of coffee will be grading, and working on a paper.  But at least there is college football in store for later today.

Fun shoes

I have been waiting for the right opportunity to wear these shoes.  A casual Friday seemed like that day.  Of course lunch with some colleagues, a faculty meeting, and after work drinks with colleagues gave lots of opportunities for comments.

The men in my department quite enjoyed mocking my shoes today.  But I take all the teasing in stride.  This outfit is 100% Goodwill (well exception being underwear).  The shoes, footless tights, tank top and dress are all from Goodwill.  The dress is from Old Navy originally and still had the original price tag.  I saw the dress in an Old Navy 2 weeks after I purchased the dress, so sort of confused how someone purchased the dress and then decided they didn't like it and would donate to Goodwill in a time frame so fast that the dress was still in the original store at full price.

a fall like skirt

I recently found this skirt at Goodwill, and it feels like the perfect fall piece.  It is a cotton and flax blend that feels like a linen.  It's coloring if Fall, but it feels more like a summer fabric which is perfect for our upper 70s/ lower 80s weather lately.

The cream faux-wrap top is from Goodwill too (purchased over a year ago).  Just an olive tank top underneath, and my relatively new navy Talbot's boyfriend cardigan (previously worn here).

I like how the fuax wrap gives me a well defined waist. And while you can't see them, trust me when I say I am wearing these shoes.  I am debating shortening the skirt by an inch or so, what do you think about the length?

grey and rainy

Today was one of those days where I tried on numerous outfits.  Even though I didn't teach today, so my wardrobe choice was more flexible.........It can be hard to fins something appropriate when all I really want to wear is yoga pants and a t-shirt.  I finally settled on this black and grey number.

These pants are via Goodwill last Fall and are an awesome grey and black stripe with a cuffed leg and the perfect length.  The sweater is from the Talbot's outlet last year.

This lace top is from when i weighed 50 pounds more, but was masterfully altered to my smaller frame by mom.  Oh and my nail polish is a dark navy blue ("Star of Bombay"), although the kid working the grocery checkout this past weekend asked me if I had gotten my mails done for Halloween.  Does that mean the goth look is no longer in and my nail color choice is only holiday appropriate?  I could care less, as I love the color.

Good question day

Today was one of those days where a student asked a question that made me feel like a proud mama bear.  It was the sort of question that showed me three things: 1. The student was following what I was currently talking about. 2. The student had retained knowledge from the class I taught last spring (which is a prerequisite for the current class) and 3. That the student was able to apply that retained knowledge to the new problem at hand.
What I wore during this education success was:

The skirt and cardigan are both Banana Republic and came into my life via Goodwill.  The top was clearance at Suzy Shier from Fall 2008.

Friday

We were supposed to have a faculty meeting today, but instead are having a smaller division meeting.  Main objective today is writing an exam for one of my classes for next week.

This navy cardigan is one of the 4 cardigans I got at the Talbots' outlet with my birthday money.  It was a whopping $7.  The shirt is from Goodwill ($4), and the shorts are Kohl's clearance rack ($11).

Fall embrace

Broke out the brown tights and brown boots this morning, as I am full embracing Fall now.

Not sure if I like the new sitting picture location, or the old standby of my kitchen.  Which do you like better?

This skirt is from a Talbots' super clearance in January 2009.  The green and brown jacket like top is from Goodwill.  Just a plain white t-shirt underneath.

can't do it anymore

I can't do summer any more.  Temperatures may be in the 80s, but I am so done with summer.  I tried to embrace it this morning, and originally put on the skirt below:

But it just felt wrong in October.  So I changed into the more seasonal neutral grey capris (Liz Claiborne via Goodwill), cream lace top (Banana Republic via Goodwill) and my cream cashmere cardigan  (from an actual Ann Taylor store during a holiday sale a few years ago).  I don't need the sweater outside, but I do need it in my office.

Fall break meeting

Today was still Fall Break, but I had an afternoon meeting with a prospective grad student.  It was one of those things I got roped into because I was the only one in town.  Oh well.  The prospective student was a nice kid.

But when I was getting dressed this morning I felt robbed of a day on campus of wearing whatever I want because students aren't around.  I'll get over it.  This is all thrifted from Goodwill.....sweater and dress are Ann Tayor, the black and white checked shirt is some random brand, but oh so cute.

Date night

I had a date last night.  I wasn't quite sure what the plan was.  There was indication it would probably be dinner and a movie, but I wasn't sure where we were going for dinner.

I wore purple ballet flats with this outfit.  I am normally a heel girl, but this guy is a little on the short side, and since this was only our second date  I decided it wasn't yet time to break out the heels.

This top is one of my go-to date items.  I usually wear it with jeans, but since we are still in the 80s here, I wore some grey capris.  I got a compliment from my date on my outfit, so it was definitely the right choice.

comfort clothes

I must admit black and white is one of my fashion fall backs.  I love black and white florals, polka dots, and stripes.  I recently found this t-shirt material skirt at Goodwill, which is oh so comfy.  The wrap top is also Goodwill and is making it's second appearance this week. 

And my default for a pop of color with black and white?  RED.  In 8th grade I had a mostly black, white and red wardrobe, so I feel very self-retro today.

Even though it is Friday, I went with a skirt because I am thinking of going to see the musical 9 to 5 tonight, and if I do, I don't want to go home to change first.

Shall I twirl for you?

I was moving something in the kitchen and then rushing to get back in the frame when the picture was taken.  But I sort of like the movement to the cardigan. This dress is Ann Taylor and new to me via Goodwill ($4.99).  I needed another lbd like I need a hole in my head, but this dress was too perfect to pass up.  It is made out of that type of jersey that never wrinkles and takes up virtually no space in a bag.

 I think this dress will be wearable year round and easy to dress up or down.  And it is oh so comfy.  I wore this today as I needed something that was easy, comfy and looked great.  I was functioning on 3.5 hours of sleep after a late night of grading Midterm exams.  And I had 2 classes to teach today (1 hour 15 minutes each) followed immediately by a seminar on my research for a seminar series for the PhD students in a multi-disciplinary PhD program on campus.

Court Jester?

This dress I really like but it challenges me.  I feel it is too short for the classroom, so I wore this week on a day I just have office hours.  I also wore it with leggings.  It is somewhat see through and the leggings make me feel like I don't need a slip, which was good as I don't have the right length slip for this dress (yet another sign probably too short).  I am not sure it is the most flattering look on me.

And on the car ride to work I looked down and felt like the pattern was very court jester like.  But it feels like pajamas.....maybe it is the comfort that draws me to this item?

purple

Purple has become one of my favorite colors for clothing in recent years.  Probably because it does cool things to my hazel eyes.

Who doesn't love a dress with pockets?  My office is freezing cold so a sweater is an absolute necessity. 

I love how the boots and this belt work together.  I tried another belt first this morning.  I tried purple pumps first too.  In the end I was happy with what I chose.

Finally feeling like Fall!

It is finally starting to feel like Fall in the Southeast part of the US. 

I got this dress last Winter at Goodwill, but this is the first time I have worn it.  I have put it on several times, only to take it off feeling it is too short.  And in the summer when I feel more comfortable with a shorter skirt/dress, the colors of this dress seemed too dark and Fall/Wintery.  But I don't teach today, so a slightly shorter skirt is ok.  Plus I am wearing kitten heels, which compared to regular heels makes it seem like there is not as much leg.  The cardigan is from Banana Republic via Goodwill, and I have many times before (examples here and here)

Sunday afternoon date

These shorts have apparently become my go-to item for 1st dates, as I wore them on a 1st date 2 weeks ago.   The striped shirt is from the Talbots' Outlet last Fall.  The short sleeved wrap top is from New York and Co, via Goodwill ($3.79 but was brand new with the original tag still attached). 

day of comfort

This is the outfit from last Thursday.  It was a busy day, as I taught and then drove down to Columbia, SC as I was scheduled to give an invited seminar at the University of South Carolina on Friday.  I needed easy-peasy and comfy.