replacement sandals

You guys, a rare day of sunshine. No joke - it's been raining for the past three weeks or so. Flood warnings all over the place, and everything is SO GREEN (except for my hydrangea plant, which died just a few days after it came home, so, that stinks).

And I got some new sandals. I got asked if I really needed them, and my answer is decidedly "YES." I got rid of my brown sandals at the end of last summer, and have been on the outlook for replacements (same with my black sandals - I'd had those bad boys since 2008). I found these tan t-straps with jangly beads on a recent shopping trip with a friend (I also found some black tassel sandals - I'll show you soon!). So, to all you haters who questioned my big girl decision to buy some sandals, I DID need them. And they look goooood.

And that pretty necklace? From Rocksbox. Use the code sweetbananiexoxo for a free month of jewelry rental.

white v-neck: WalMart

mint jeans: Lauren Conrad via Kohl's

white cardigan: thrifted (Hollister)

tan sandals: Kohl's

brown belt: American Eagle (a decade ago...)

blustery

This is the perfect outfit for a not-quite-cold, not-quite-warm, gray day in Colorado. My arms were covered, yet I never overheated because of my bare legs. However, I would avoid wearing a skater-skirt dress like this one if the wind is out to play. Unless, of course, you want to show off your knickers. And then, by all means...

dress: c/o Aéropostale

cardigan: Ann Taylor

black belt: thrifted

black flats: Target

green bag: gift

playing closet: Tate

This is my friend, Tate. And she is great (my rhymes – do you appreciate?).

We joined Zeta at the same time, and we fell in love just after Bid Day. She spent two years with the Peace Corps in Botswana, and came back to the States almost a year ago (I know we’re all glad to have her back – me, her family, her friends, me, her boyfriend, her animals, me).

She’s a smart lady, who loves science, and loves to help people, so she’s going to med school, natch. She starts this summer and asked for my help in putting together an updated wardrobe for this next chapter in her busy life. Being the interested-in-fashion-and-style friend that I am, I wholeheartedly agreed (and by that, I mean I replied with a very enthusiastic “YAAASSSSS!”).

We started by Tate sharing her style "Pinboard" with  me via Pinterest, so I could get a better sense of her style, especially after living abroad for the last 2 years. We discussed her between-jeans-and-business-casual dress code for medical school, and the her style: boho meets young professional. Then we were finally able to get together one evening (after several weeks of planning and "would this evening work? what about this time?" discussions), with the company of her dog and cat.

Currently, her clothes are spread between a few different places, all over the State, so we tackled what she had in her closet currently. We went through each and every item and discussed:

Could she wear this for med school?

What about clinicals in a few years?
Can she pair this with items she already has?

If not, what are some pieces that would complete several outfits?

We came up with a list of items that would be worthwhile to add to her closet, a few of those items are: a black pencil skirt, some new Converse, a chambray shirt, flowy cardigans, and a faux leather jacket, as well as a list of items to replace when she happens upon the perfect item: an LBD, a polka dot shirt, and a big black belt.

We also discussed several ways to wear some of the items she already has, such as her flannel shirt under a pullover sweater, or a cardigan, and the easiest way to print mix: florals and stripes, or polka dots and stripes.

And, just this weekend, we were able to get together again and work on her closet. I don't have any pictures to share, but we did pretty much the same thing as before. And she took a few items off my hands for me, including a really cute floral dress that she might wear for her white coat ceremony this summer...!

teaching & librarian-ing

Back in elementary school, I had dreams of becoming a teacher, or perhaps a librarian. And this is something I might have worn in either of those careers. But, my outfit would also depend on my location, and who I was working with – maybe this skirt would be too short for getting up and down from a reading circle in Kindergarten, or maybe not long enough to reach up to the top shelf when restacking books.

Either way, consider this peplum, cardigan, glasses, and oxfords look a nod to teachers and librarians, who are soon-to-be free for the summer!

dress: Target

cardigan: Eddie Bauer

oxfords & leopard print belt: thrifted

glasses: America’s Best

*edit: I had to add tights and booties, because, #springtimeintheRockies

tights: Target

ankle booties: Old Navy

linking up: Charming Lucy

gaming in comfort

This outfit was perfect for a game night, which just so happens to be what I wore it for. We had friends over, and they brought lots of delicious food (tapas and desserts, only). We supplied the beverages and the gathering space, and some of the games. The Mr. is really into games, but me, not so much – I’m more into the socializing that goes along with the games, although I play a mean game of Catchphrase.

But a Game Night did occur, and this is what I wore to participate and host. A mint v-neck tee (knotted – it’s what all the fashion bloggers on Pinterest are doing…tres chic, non?), pants (harem pants? parachute pants? MC Hammer pants? joggers? athleisure wear? I don’t know. I DO know that they are very comfortable, and I’ve been told they make my rear look nice. So, continue to wear them, I shall.), and my trusty python print flats, which might be headed to the dumpster soon – they’re not holding up so well, but I can’t expect much more from my sweet $10 shoes. I added the gray statement necklace for some visual interest, and clipped my hair half-up/half-down, a small switch from my usual curls or ponytail.

Have you ever tried these type of pants? All my girlfriends shower me with compliments when I wear them, but the Mr. is not a fan...

maybe I need to add a few more pairs to really show him how versatile they are...

mint V-neck: Old Navy

harem pants? parachute pants? MC Hammer pants? joggers? athleisure wear?: WalMart

statement necklace: WalMart

python print flats: WalMart

greening up

Things are really greening up around here...

Exhibit A: this wall of greenery behind me

And Exhibit B: my grassy green purse

And things SHOULD be greening up – it rained here in Colorado for the past week or so. Talk about lots of flooding, standing water, and even hail and snow. In May. And a lack of Vitamin D, which is a bit disheartening, and hurts our “300 days of sunshine per year” average. The sun came out for a bit yesterday, and it took me a minute to remember what that’s like… ;)

and now, it appears that wonky weather is back for good.

Or, at least today, anyway.

navy blue dress: from a friend

sweater: c/o Aéropostale

scarf: thrifted (Lucky Brand)

boots: The Frye Company via Nordstrom

purse: gift

playing closet: Amanda

Many many weeks ago (back in March - yikes!) my friend, Amanda, and I decided to "play closet" at her house one evening. We had some wine, Mean Girls, and puppy love from her shiba inu, named Kirin (find him on Instagram: @kirintheshiba).

The plan was to evaluate her closet a bit, and transition her closet from winter wear to spring/summer wear. Amanda works in a local school district, with a business casual plus dress code. She occasionally attends conferences and teaches seminars, and has to break out the suit and heels. She also kicks my rear every time we run together, and teaches a mean Zumba class - girl loves fitness and being healthy and working out. 

Here is her closet before we started. And an almost empty glass of red...

We started by examining each piece of clothing and asking a few questions about it:

1) Does it fit? (getting at if it should be donated or kept)

2) Do you love it? (again, getting at the same as above)

3) How recently have you worn this? (again, keep or donate)

3) Is this wintery, or can you wear it during the warmer months?

Amanda's winter stuff got moved to the back of her closet, so it's out of sight, and out of mind until the fall. Personally, I find that helpful and useful - it's the worst to look at heavy sweaters in the middle of summer; it makes me feel like I have nothing to wear because I can't wear what's in front of me.

There were a few items we hung a little bit to the side - lighter sweaters, perfect for the snowy days in April and May (*cough* Mother's Day *cough*), or a cold office. And when we get to the heat of the summer, they can easily be added back into the winter clothes pile. 

When we rehung the clothes she can wear for warmer weather, we grouped them by sleeve type/length (some people do color, or style). We then moved to pants, jeans, dresses, and skirts, and worked our way through those.

Last were shoes and scarves.

Here is the after shot of Amanda's closet. Truth be told, we didn't really get rid of that many items - I think a handful. All we really did was sort, and condense, and discuss potential outfit options:

"This polka dot shirt is great. What do you normally wear it with? This would also be really great paired with these pants, or under a dress. Or what about this color skirt?"

Dresses and maxi skirts.

We also discussed a few pieces Amanda should consider adding to her closet as a young, hot, fun, stylish lady and professional: #1 being a chambray (she ended up coming to my house a few weeks later, and taking one off my hands. win-win.), and a skirt or two, plus a few dresses. 

So, even if my sweet friend doesn't end up adding anything to her closet, or changes around the organization of it, I think we came up with some great ideas for outfits, and multiple ways to wear some great pieces she has. And, we got watch listen to Gretchen Weiners and Regina George in action. I mean...

Happy Saturday - I'm off getting my toesies did with girlfriends, then to a Zeta event, then a graduation celebration, all in one day! Whew - this girl is going to be tiiiiiired.

Zeta Day

me & Cat. love love love.

Chelsea. you know her!

I'm a bit behind on a few outfit posts, especially this one. My Zeta Tau Alpha alumni group recently hosted Zeta Day/State Day/ Colorado & Wyoming Zeta State Day (whatever you want to call it - I call it Zeta Day). All of the Zetas in the great state of Colorado + Wyoming get together for brunch/lunch and celebrate being zisters.

This year's theme was "Zeta Carnival." Unfortunately, I was a bit too busy manning corn hole to take pictures of the rest of the decor, but trust me when I say that my fellow alum did a bang-up job with the decor. We had a photo booth, carnival games, raffle tickets, popcorn buckets, oversized lollipops, and lots of Zeta, everywhere (no clowns, though).

This year's event was held where I live, so my commute was about 10 minutes, which is a nice change from driving to Denver and beyond. I know a few current collegiate members, so got to catch up with them, and reminisce about living in the house (triple room. 2 years in a row).

The attire for these types of events is always "pin attire" - business casual to professional to brunch to what you'd wear to see your classy grandmother. I chose a Lilly (after much discussion and trying on of outfits) and some shoes that don't get out much. They're a fun t-strap with tweed & faux-croc on the toes (I never know what to wear them with!).

My bestie helped me come up with the idea to wear my pretty white Lilly (that can lean a little Stepford, depending on the accessories and styling) with some darker shoes and a distressed fish tail braid. I'm often guilty of taking a look a little too far (tweed + pearls + kitten heels + nylons + Stepford wife/Martha Stewart extraordinarie/Suzy Homemaker). Not that that look is bad, but I tend to take it a little bit too far, so I am really trying to tone it down and go with more "mixed" looks: classy Lilly meet dark shoes and casual hair + accessories (or another look you'll see in a few weeks for another Zeta brunch - scholarly meets a young, fun, maybe a little funky, professional).  Or sometimes it's preppy meets studs, or casual meets business professional. Follow?

All of that to say, I think I hit the nail on the head with this look - appropriate, age-appropiate (I'm not 21 anymore *sigh*), comfortable, pretty, and the receiver of lots of compliments :) 

What's your best trick to styling, or juxtaposing looks in one outfit?

And, I'm still alive after yesterday's race. Look for an update in a hot minute...

white dress: Lilly Pulitzer

shoes: Mudd via DSW

linking up with A Touch of Tartan

30 for 30: April 2015 recap

Ta da!

All of my 30 outfits, in one place. Just what you were hoping for on a beautiful Colorado Saturday morning :)

day 1 // day 2 + 3 // day 4 // day 5

What have I learned completing this challenge FOUR (4! yes, FOUR!) times now?

day 6 // day 7 // day 8 + 9 // day 10 

It's important to pick items that go (not match, just go). All black, all gray, all brown, all blue, etc. But it's also important to have a few items that require creativity. Prints, layers, things I might not normally pair together, or items I don't wear that often because I'm stumped on how to style them.

day 11 + 12 // day 13 + 14 // day 15 

This challenge always reinforces to me that less is more. Truly, truly, truly. 

Case in point: I created almost 30 different outfits with 30 items, including shoes and light jackets. 

I've got plans to go through my wardrobe (yet again) and pare down even more. I recently switched out my winter items for my spring & summer clothes. I thought I had more winter clothes than summer, but, nope. Turns out I have more summer clothes - they take up significantly more space in my closet than my winter clothes, except for my sweaters...riddle me that.

day 16 // day 17 + 18 // day 19 + 20

I also unearthed that the next time I do this challenge, I don't want to include light jackets/outerwear in my 30 items. And here's why - I tend to wear those jackets to & from somewhere, not during whatever activity I'm doing (usually working). So, from here on out, blazers are part of the 30, but faux leather jackets are not. Either are heavy winter coats, down vests, ski jackets, or things that I will take off once I enter my destination/layers that go OVER my clothes, that are designed to keep me warm. Follow?

day 21 + 22 // day 23 // day 24 + 25

Additionally, it's hard to dress for spring. Is it going to be warm? Cold? Why am I wearing so many dark colors in the spring? Why won't winter go away? Is it going to snow? I don't want to wear a heavy sweater, but it's less than 40 degrees right now. I could wear skirts and dresses, but I'm trying to move past tights for this season. The struggle is real, folks.

#springtimeintheRockies

day 26 + 27 // day 28 // day 29 + 30

So, there you have it. This time wasn't quite AS eye-opening as previous challenges, BUT it did reinforce what I already know, and serve as a great reminder of those lessons.

What's your favorite outfit from my 30? I've got a few:

day 1 //  day 4 // day 6 // day 15 // day 30

And some least favorites...

day 3 // day 5 // day 21 // day 26

See my 30 items here

Thank you for reading!

30 for 30: day 29 + day 30

The last two-fer, for the last two outfits in my April 30 for 30 style challenge. So, sit back, relax, sip that glass of wine, and continue to wait on the edge of your seat for my recap of these 30 outfits (you'll be waiting a few days. Did I mention I'm running a half marathon on Sunday morning?

because I am...)

day 29

These tights didn't photograph so well - they look more puke-green than in their packaging from Old Navy. Disappointing.

BUT

Never fear. One of my favorite dresses, my favorite boots, and a new necklace make for a redeeming outfit.

blue sweatshirt dress: J. Crew Factory

green tights: Old Navy

boots: The Frye Company via Nordstrom

navy floral scarf: Target

necklace: WalMart

day 30

The last one. Not to read too much into this and create some meaning out of something that is probably pretty insignificant, but this is one of my favorite outfits. Not just for this month.

But EVER.

Polka dots, leopard, skinnies, flats + a faux leather jacket. I mean...

Do I have to say it?

All of my favorite things. Together. In one outfit.

And the print-mixing. This cardigan. This shirt.

LOVE.

 (apparently I've lost the ability to speak in complete sentences. excuse me. Friday?)

leopard print button up: WalMart

polka dot cardigan: J. Crew Factory

dark skinnies: c/o Aéropostale

black flats: Target

faux leather jacket: Target