Black Watch Plaid at Brunch

I went to brunch with some friends this weekend and took little Wednesday with me. I got dressed up in the first outfit, went outside to take photos, and realized it was 80 degrees with a ton of humidity. I couldn't wear a flannel shirt with a blazer and a ton of jewelry in this weather, so I took off a layer and changed into different pants and shoes. I realized that I really like the first look for maybe a casual Friday at work or something. Maybe I'll get to wear it out of the house soon! Sorry that it seems like I only own one shirt...I've been loving this shirt for weekends after a lot of polyester blends during the week :) I really needed the comfort of cotton this weekend after this past week of work - I worked until 9:30 2 nights and Friday night I worked until 11 writing a last minute motion. The good thing is I really love my job, so it could be worse!

Blazer: Forever 21 (similar)

Shirt: J. Crew (similar)

Jeans 1: Rock & Republic (similar)

Jeans 2: Forever 21 

Shoes 1: Forever 21 (similar)

Shoes 2: Sperry

Necklace 1: Forever 21

Necklace 2 (pearls): Nordstrom Rack (similar)

Bracelet 1: Ann Taylor

Bracelet(s) 2: Forever 21 (similar) & Brace URself

Ring: Forever 21 (similar)

Bag: B. Makowsky

Crossbody: Dooney & Bourke (similar)

February Budget Recap

I'm linking up with Franish for Budgeting Bloggers!

Wouldya look at that? I'm in the clear for my whole budget this month, and I blame it completely on my boyfriend moving to Chicago! Well, I can blame the low restaurant category for him being gone, because I don't have anyone to go to dinner with on the regular. As for clothes, I guess I didn't spend much because I've been trying to be more shrewd about my purchases and really only buy things I need or have been on my "want list" for a while. I only bought 2 clothing items for myself this month for a total of $24. I got a pair of pearl earrings off Ebay for about $5, and I got a pair of red skinny jeans from J. Crew during the recent 40% off plus free shipping sale. However, I just received the pants today and they are way too big. I'm a little peeved because I specifically tried them on in-store when they were full price with the anticipation of buying them when they went on sale, and obviously they fit well enough for me to feel comfortable to buy them on final sale online...but unfortunately the final sale pair were big. Anyway, if anyone wants to buy a pair of red Matchstick jeans from J. Crew in size 24 for the price I paid ($20) + shipping, I'd be glad to sell them to you. I did get a great price on them, so I'm even more sad they didn't work out. Email me at professionallypetite@gmail.com if you are interested, otherwise I'll be putting them on Ebay soon. 

In the "personal care" category, I purchased a 3-pack of the Monistat Chafing Gel off Amazon to act as a foundation primer. I'll update in the future with results once I actually try it. I didn't want to buy a 3-pack, but Amazon only had the 3-pack as a Prime shipping option, and since I get free Prime shipping I'll be damned if I have to pay for shipping! The rest of the $42 I spent on various nail supplies from Ulta - I got a new color of Red Carpet Manicure polish, a 4-sided nail file/buffer thing which I have no idea how to use, and some cotton balls. Now that I'm regularly doing my nails, I needed some essential supplies.

Since I have no exciting pictures to go with this post because I didn't really buy much, I thought I'd share my "want list" since it's really only been mapped out in my head up until this point.

• Red jeans - I thought I could scratch this off my list with the J. Crew purchase but I'll have to keep looking
• Breton striped top - I find myself wishing I had more simple patterned shirts to add interest to outfits but I just don't own any striped shirts except a tee shirt. I'm holding out for the perfect striped shirt, I'm not sure that this Ralph Lauren one is "the one." 
• Utility Jacket - I love all my jackets in my closet, but I realized I have a ton of the same styles. I mostly have blazers and an absurd number of moto jackets (black, brown, tan, tan/white stripe, navy tweed, orange) but I think I need something like this utility jacket to add to my wardrobe as a lightweight casual option. Sometimes moto-jackets are just too edgy for the occasion, lol. I'm hoping the J. Crew jacket goes on sale, or J. Crew has a sale on full-priced items soon because I've now have a $50 gift card burning a hole in my pocket courtesy of winning Bri's giveaway! I was so excited when I found out I won because this specific jacket has been on my mind since I tried it on as a new arrival. 
• Replacement gold curb chain bracelet - my etsy bracelets that I wear ALL the time broke and although I could probably fix them, I think there are enough cheap options on Ebay to not waste my time and poor DIY skills on this project
• Classic black pumps - my black pumps that I wear to work all the time are starting to show serious signs of wear :( I love them and they are so comfortable but the snake-skin embossed material is starting to peel and become discolored. I generally have great luck with Ann Taylor shoes but I just think this particular material can't stand the test of time, which, by the way, has only been a year. 

Anyway, how'd you do on your budgets this month? Head on over to Franish to check out the other budgeting bloggers!

mix & match

Had to go to court today and my grey pants were wrinkled and my black suit jacket needed a dry cleaning soooo I mixed and matched the two suits, and added a shirt with some texture and pattern to hopefully make it look like I tried and that it wasn't laundry day, lol. I also took a chance wearing these wedge shoes for the first time to court. I've worn them before under pants but have been hesitant to wear them with skirts because they aren't a typical low/modest heel. However, the other day I noticed a girl was wearing stilettos with a t-strap and ankle strap with spikes... andddd I'm pretty sure my shoes are 100% more tame than that, lol. 

Also, funny story.. So I'm standing in the hallway of the courthouse talking to some people and my boss out of nowhere goes, "Why are you so pale?" Lol. I mentioned before that I've been feeling really pale lately but I guess the cue to actually purchase some self tanner is when other people start to comment :)

Jacket: Theory Gabe B

Skirt: Theory Golda

Blouse: Ann Taylor

Shoes: Ann Taylor

Necklace: David Yurman

Bag: Loeffler Randall Rider

Black & White

I'm linking up with MarionBerry Style for this month's Trend of the Month challenge, which happens to be "Black & White." Pairing black and white is definitely a classic combination, and I'm glad it's considered "trendy" this season. I tried to shop my closet for this challenge, and I'm excited about 2 necklaces I'm wearing that haven't seen the light of day in years. The longer faux onyx necklace is from some store in the mall about 5 years ago where everything was $2.99. The shorter onyx heart necklace is from Tiffany and has not gotten nearly enough wear since I received it for a birthday years ago. How are you wearing black and white this season?

Jacket: ASOS Biker Jacket

Blouse: Old Navy

Pants: Forever 21 (similar)

Shoes: Paprika via Marshalls (similar)

Bag:Loeffler Randall Rider

Necklaces: Tiffany (similar), random mall store, Forever 21

Bracelets: Brace URself, Forever 21 (similar), gift (similar, similar)

J. Crew Funnel Coat & Plaid

Today was the coldest day of the season in Miami and I took full advantage by wearing boots, a coat, and a scarf. I walked around the Coconut Grove Arts Festival for a few hours with friends. Honestly, I thought it was a bit of a ripoff because the same vendors are always at the South Miami arts festival which is FREE whereas this festival had a $10 entry fee. However, there was a lot more food at this festival along with beer so this festival wins for the culinary aspect. It was freezing in the shade, but in the sun I was hot with the jacket. I'm a little nervous that the jacket won't be warm enough for the cold weather in Chicago when I go visit my boyfriend. What did you do this Presidents Day weekend?

I also wanted to thank everyone for the primer suggestions in one of my recent posts. I ended up ordering the Monistat Chafing Gel off Amazon because it was one of the cheapest options and The Internet (and you all) says it is a dupe for the Smashbox primer. I've never felt better about my makeup and I'm almost excited to do it every day since I discovered how well primer works!

Jacket: J. Crew Funnel Coat

Shirt: H&M (similar)

Scarf: Forever 21 (similar)

Jeans: Forever 21

Boots: Steve Madden

Bag: B. Makowsky

Necklace: Forever 21 (similar)

Linking up with Glamamom. 

Black Watch Plaid, Grey, & White

I'm wearing new freshwater pearl (possibly faux, don't care) stud earrings from Ebay. After a bit of self-reflection I realized that I like the way I look better in person and in pictures when I'm wearing earrings. Unfortunately, 90% of the earrings I own don't have sterling silver posts, so every time I wear them (brace yourself if you get grossed out easily) my ears bleed and then scab and I can't wear earrings again until they heal. I don't have a diagnosed metal allergy, but I think I can self-diagnose at this point lol. So, I'm trying to slowly build my earring collection with some earrings that at least have sterling silver posts so I don't have to be uncomfortable and bleed to look nice :) Next up, I'm thinking of buying some silver or gold knot earrings. However, before I buy any more earrings, I need to know  - are 18k gold plating or silver plating enough, or does the entire post need to be gold or silver not to inflame a metal allergy? Thanks if you know!

Shirt: J. Crew Perfect Shirt (sold out in this color, but here)

Vest: Forever 21 (similar)

Jeans: Forever 21 (similar)

Boots: Bakers (similar)

Bag: Longchamp

Earrings: Ebay

Necklaces: Nordstrom Rack & vintage

Lips: Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie

Purple Green White

I have good news and bad news. The good news is I tried a sample of a Smashbox primer, and it made a HUGE difference in how my makeup looked and how long it lasted. The bad news is it costs $36-42 for a small tube! I generally use drug store makeup, but after seeing the results of this primer, I think I need to buy this. I only give myself $50 a month for "personal care" in my budget, which includes makeup and other toiletries such as toilet paper and tampons, lol. If I end up buying this primer, I will have to see how long the tube lasts (hopefully more than 1 month) and decide if it is something I can't live without. I'm pretty "meh" about most of my other makeup, as in, I'm not too attached to any particular formula or brand, so maybe I can cut corners with other products to make room for primer in my budget. The next problem will be choosing which exact primer to buy, because there are like 9 different types of Smashbox primer! I loved reading Julia's explanations here, but I'd like to go into Sephora or Ulta and talk to somebody there about it, and/or try some on myself before purchasing. Do you use foundation primer? I'd love to know about any more affordable options to dissuade me from buying the Smashbox one!

I wore this out for a nice little Saturday running errands. I stopped by CVS, Target, the dry cleaner, and Chipotle :) I love, LOVE Chipotle...

Vest: Zara (similar)

Blouse: Old Navy

Jeans: Forever 21

Shoes: Target (similar)

Scarf: Cynthia Rowley (similar colors)

Bracelets: Forever 21 (similar pyramid, similar pave link)

Bag: Longchamp

Almost Black

Took these photos after work and dayum do I need to reapply my makeup or something midday! I know I'm in Miami and I could go to the beach every weekend, but I've just let myself get so pale I can't stand it. I don't want to risk skin cancer or anything so maybe I need to invest in a really good self tanner. If anyone has any recommendations I'd love to know, especially if it's affordable. 

As far as the clothes go, I've been dying to wear my "new" Express pants for a while. I bought them the day before Thanksgiving during an extra 50% off sale (and gave them to my mom to give to me for Christmas). I got the pants and matching jacket for ~$60 which I think is pretty good for a full suit. I knew the pants were long when I bought them, but I was hoping that wearing really tall heels would fix the problem. These heels are pretty tall and the pictures don't lie - they need to be hemmed an inch or 2. I like them because the deep teal and black herringbone pattern is very subtle and they almost look like black pants. But, when the right light hits, you can see the pants are teal instead of black!

When I cleaned up my jewelry this weekend I found this necklace which I haven't worn in years - I'm pretty excited to have rediscovered it. 

Blazer: Theory

Blouse: Ann Taylor (similar)

Pants: Express (exact pant but color no longer available, exact color at BR)

Shoes: Ann Taylor

Bag: Michael Kors

Necklace: Forever 21

P.S. - you can't tell in the pictures but my nails are painted! I've been using my Red Carpet Manicure at-home gel polish kit and I found a great color ("Simply Stunning" - swatch here) which almost matches my skin tone (so no attention is drawn to the fact that my nails are so so short) but has a bit of sparkle to it too to make me feel more put together. Hopefully in a few weeks my nails will be long enough to wear any color polish and not look silly :)

Oblivious

When I was transferring all my files over to my new computer, I came across some old photos from my freshman year of college. I looked back fondly on the memories, but as I was scrolling through the pics the first thing that really caught my eye was the fashion that was present, and my total obliviousness to it. I'm scrolling through these pics of 18 year old kids and everybody had a designer bag (except for me!). I had no idea who Louis Vuitton was, or Fendi, or Chanel, and the only reason I even knew Prada was because of 10 Things I Hate About You ("There's a difference between like and love - I like my Sketchers, but I love my Prada backpack.") I have no idea why a parent would get their 18-year-old kid a high-end designer bag (not even a run-of-the-mill designer bag, but like a designer designer bag) but that's maybe a topic for another day.
My point is, when I was younger, I bought what I liked because I thought it was cute and looked nice on me. I didn't buy anything because it was "designer" or brand name. I can't put an exact date on it, but I think I became "aware" of fashion and designers when Longchamp bags became popular a la 2007-2008. I saw them, I liked them, and I wanted to have one for myself. Even then, I liked Longchamp because I liked the look of the bags, not because it was considered a designer brand.
Anyway, when did you become conscious of fashion? Enjoy some pics below of some of the designer bags via 2005 and some of my freakin' awesome fashion choices :)

A Fendi bag next to my little Guess bag. So many things wrong with this picture. 1) my roots - this is why I didn't stay blonde for very long, 2) stomach showing?? 3) matchy matchy belt and shirt, 4) flip flops to go out at night?!? 5) pants dragging on the ground. At least we can look back and laugh now. 

Oh, you know, just carrying Chanel out to the bar! NBD!

Louis Vuitton mixed with Abercrombie & Fitch. What a great combo!

Watch out that your beer doesn't spill on your pink Prada!

I apparently only owned 1 necklace and 1 bag, lol. Say goodbye to 18-year-old me because I'm 99.9% sure I will never post pictures this old again, lol!
I think this is a good post for Random Wednesday - it's pretty random!

Neutrals & Turquoise

I wore this out shopping on Sunday. I did a major cleaning of my apartment and the thing that bothered me the most about how I was living was that all of my jewelry was being thrown on my dresser in a big pile. I have a jewelry box, but the location changed when I moved apartments and its new location wasn't ideal. Instead of using the box, I was throwing jewelry in random places, which made a mess. I ventured to Ross and they had a surprisingly good selection of various jewelry trees, over the door hangers, and jewelry boxes. I ended up buying a jewelry tree for $8 and an over the door jewelry hanger for $8, too. I wasn't expecting to even have to use the door hanger but I had a lot more jewelry than I anticipated :) 

One of the other things I did during my apartment cleaning overhaul was organize my makeup. I found a couple makeup samples that I never used so I decided to try a foundation primer for the first time. I honestly did not notice any difference in the "look" of my makeup, nor did I notice any extra longevity. I tried a sample primer by Pixi that came in this Target beauty bag I got a few months ago. I also found a Smashbox primer which I'll be trying tomorrow to see if there is any difference. 

Jacket: Forever 21 (similar in navy stripe)

Blouse: Ann Taylor (similar)

Jeans: Forever 21 (similar and only $10.80)

Shoes: Target (similar)

Necklace: Amrita Singh (1, 2)

Bag: B. Makowsky

Lips: Revlon Lip Butter in Cupcake

30 x 30 Recap!

Here are the 30 outfits I put together with my 30 items (not in order because my cropping was off so I had to move around pictures). See this post for a list of the 30 items I used. 

I learned quite a few things about my closet (and what I have no use for) during the past month:

• I only wore my leopard loafers once in the 30 outfits. I found that I reached for the other pair of flats by Miss Me almost 100% of the time. Even the outfit I wore with the loafers I think would have looked better with the other flats. I think it's time to donate them or find a cuter replacement...
• I only wore my green blouse twice, and I had to force myself both times. I think I was a little over zealous in purchasing 5 different colors of the same blouse, but I think all of them will get use, just some more than others :)
• I had to force myself to wear my grey boucle skirt. Maybe it's because it's not a pencil skirt (it's more of an A-line shape), maybe its the color grey (I like wearing golds and browns more than greys and silver)... I don't know. I just don't love it anymore.
• My olive ankle pants have proven to be the most versatile item of the challenge - I wore then 6 times! No other item was worn that much (except my snake-print heels - I wore those 13 times!)

So, will I do this again? Absolutely! But give me a while to take a break and wear the rest of my closet :)

30 x 30 Day 29 & 30: The End

Life: So, I had another semi-embarrassing moment yesterday in court. A judge asked me in a condescending tone "Are you a lawyer??" - NO I'm just standing here in a suit, at the podium, calling the client's name because I'm a random person off the street?? I just don't even understand who he thought I could be? Whatever haha! 

Also, I'm currently in the process of transferring ALL my files to my new computer that I got for Christmas. Yes, I realize it's February 2 and I haven't done this yet, but I haven't had time! Case in point - according to my computer monitor, the files should be done transferring in 20 hours 14 minutes - "Ain't nobody got time for that!" I needed an uninterrupted weekend to do this, and this is the first one I've had since Christmas (ahem, it's also the first weekend boyfriend will be gone - he moved to Chicago yesterday)

Clothes: We have reached the end of my first ever 30x30! I've got 2 outfits to close up the month. First up is a more casual work outfit. I almost paired the blue sweater with my cobalt blouse, but in the end went with pink instead to try to bring some spring into this winter 30x30. Although I had my tweed jacket with me at the office, it was just WAY too hot to even put it on for pictures. 

Blazer: Ann Taylor (similar)

Shirt: J. Crew

Sweater: Gap (similar)

Pants: Banana Republic

Shoes: Corso Como (similar)

Necklace: Forever 21 (1, 2)

Bag: B. Makowsky

I also got a bit more creative than usual and used my black suit dress as a skirt. I used a thicker belt to cover up the fact that my shirt isn't actually tucked into anything, but is instead just rolled up. I'm sure a ton of people already know this trick, but I learned how to do it from Elle and Jean. All I did was gather my shirt in the back, and cover any lumps and bumps with the belt. The only problem was that this somehow made my dress shorter than usual. This is about as short as I'd go for a work outfit. 

Blazer: Theory

Dress worn as a skirt: BCBG (similar)

Blouse: Old Navy

Bag: Michael Kors

Shoes: Ann Taylor

Necklace: Tiffany

I'm excited to be done with the challenge, but I certainly had fun doing it. I'm going to post a recap tomorrow along with a reflection about what I learned.

30 x 30 Day 27 & 28: Grey Boucle Two Ways

Blazer: Zara (almost exact at F21)

Blouse: Bebe

Sweater: Gap (similar)

Skirt: Ann Taylor (similar)

Shoes: Ann Taylor

Necklace: Forever 21 (similar ish)

Bag: Loeffler Randall(now comes in mini, it's so cute!)

Lips: Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple

Confession: I didn't wear the 2nd outfit anywhere. I was trying to go for a "geek chic" thing by buttoning up my shirt the whole way and by wearing plaid, but it just didn't feel right IMO. I also felt like the shirt has been pulling and bunching in weird areas since it shrunk so I think I'll have to wear it untucked and unbuttoned at the neck from now on. It's a shame because I really liked this look and was hoping to wear it again. I'll have to recreate it with another plaid shirt that actually fits me :) P.S. - you like my awkward hand in the photo below? It reminds me of Scary Movie 2 with "take my hand!"

Blazer: Theory

Shirt: H&M (similar)

Skirt: Ann Taylor (similar)

Belt: Forever 21 (similar)

Shoes: Ann Taylor

Necklace: Forever 21 (similar)

Bag: Loeffler Randall
Lips: Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple