Date Night

Dress (Calvin Klein, Macy's); Shoes & Bag (Target)

For our latest night out we opted for the classic dinner and a movie date night.  So I decided on a classic date night wear; LBD (this one is of the more casual hooded variety) and shoes that scream something fabulous is happening below the ankle. I don't wear these gold loafers nearly enough, although my husband may have banned them after noticing the amount of glitter left in his car. But like I told him, he now has a sparkly reminder of our latest date night that should instantly make him happy :)  

And PS. Straight Outta Compton is an awesome movie - if you haven't seen it, you have an excellent reason to get a dinner/movie night of your own on the calendar!

Dress Remix

Dress (Target); Heels (Jessica Simpson find at Marshalls); Necklace (H&M);
Earrings (Nordstrom)

I love how a few subtle changes can completely recreate a look. Like this dress...  For a more casual look I paired it with wedges and tights in this post from March last year, and then wore the dress as a shirt in this post last August.  Hair up, nude heels, and a statement necklace fancy up this T-shirt dress for a mid-week Sushi date.  Remixes don't have to be overly complicated... a few tweaks and you'll find you can quickly change up a piece to create a look for any occasion :)

Same... but Different

Dress (Banana Republic Outlet); Scarf (Calvin Klein find at Marshalls);
Shoes (Target); Earrings (Nordstrom)

I recently found this bright lime scarf at Marshalls and thought it was perfect for Spring/Summer... and I also thought it would be a great contrast to the color blue.  And then I got a serious case of deja vu.  I have a very similar scarf, and had created a very similar color combo (original post here).  One could argue that the scarves are a different color and pattern = but the truth is I basically just bought the same scarf.  But it's okay - it makes the 10 shades of the same lip gloss color I own seem a bit less crazy :) 

Neutral

Dress (AGB find at Marshalls); Necklace (Consignment Shop); Shoes (Tahari find
at Marshalls); Sunglasses (Charming Charlie); Earrings (Nordstrom)
Belkis-Cruz Photography

When I got this dress I was so excited to add a pair of fun colored heels or a bold neon statement necklace... but every time I've worn it I've paired it with other neutral colors and minimal jewelry   And it's okay.  Overthinking things always leads me down a path best left alone... and this simple dress with it's 20's inspired flair is also best left alone.  Speaking of the 20's - did anyone see The Great Gatsby this weekend? I hope the movie lived up to those amazing previews!

Primary

Dress & Shirt (Loft); Scarf (Jones New York find at Marshalls);
Shoes (Jessica Simpson find at Marshalls); Earrings (Nordstrom)
Belkis-Cruz Photography

There is something that feels very elementary with primary colors... like I should be carrying a box of crayolas and a juice box (PS how awesome would it be if I walked into my next meeting armed with both?).  This bold and colorful look seems appropriate for the day after Cinco de Mayo - hopefully the tequila haze has settled and you are ready for the week. My travel schedule for work has been insane lately and I'm extremely happy to be in town this entire week... it will be spent doing important things like laundry, grocery shopping and enjoying some long overdue happy hours ;)

My Little Toto

Dress (Taylor find at Marshalls); Shirt (Old Navy); Tights (Target);
Boots (Guess find at Marshalls)

Rex is certainly not as tough as he thinks he is... and certainly not as tough as Toto.  Given my country girl meets Dorothy look, I thought some of Toto's courage would transfer to Rex (he did help Dorothy beat the wicked witch after all).  Poor Rex can't even face a bridge...  the entire time we were on it, he hunkered down and tried to slither as far away as possible.  So after a few pictures, we called it quits... and Rex will never be the same (yes, I plan on paying for therapy).

And I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge Boston... yet amidst prayers and sadness, it's impossible to make sense of something so senseless. I hope that the good of humanity will rise above the evil of Monday, and that the stories of heroes outnumber the images of tragedy.

Comfortable

Dress (Kohls); Sweater (Banana Republic Outlet); Tights (Target); Shoes (Naturalizer);
Necklace (Consignment Shop); Sunglasses (Charming Charlie)
Nicole Lai Photography

I love a good pencil skirt or fun belt to cinch in a dress... but sometimes I just want to be comfortable.  I removed the belt that came with this dress and to add definition I added this cropped sweater. All day long it felt like I was walking around in my pajamas - and it was awesome.  In other news, apparently Rex is getting too comfortable... got word from the vet the other day that he is about a pound overweight (which is significant when you are all of 8 pounds total.  So it's a strict regime of exercise and diet for this pooch (I hope Rex's grandparents are reading this... that means no people food!).  Given his sad eyes in this picture, I think someone is sensitive about his weight ;)

Remodeled LBD

Dress (Limited); Blouse (Target); Watch (Michael Kors);
Earrings & Tights (Nordstrom); Shoes (Naturalizer)
Nicole Lai Photography

There is nothing wrong with a little black dress - it's simple, classic, and always chic.  Today I wanted more out of of my LBD... I wanted pattern and texture - and needed more warmth.  The addition of a blouse and patterned tights created an update to this dress worthy of a whole new outfit.  Updating a classic item can have the same impact as a good home remodel. While the integrity of the piece remains, the renovations can create an upgraded style with more visual interest... ultimately resulting in increased curb appeal ;)

  And right now my Dad is most definitely shaking his head at that analogy...

Easter Best

Dress (Limited); Cardigan (TJ Maxx); Tights (Target); Shoes (Nine West)

Easter was pretty low key this year - there have been many trips back to Wisconsin over the past month, so we decided to stay in town this weekend.  It was a nice and relaxing day of church followed by mimosas and butterscotch sticky buns... then Nintendo and episodes of Mad Men (we just finished season 4)... and ended with a bottle of wine and an awesome ham/cheese/broccoli casserole.  It was wonderful. Even Rex got into the Easter spirit - seriously what is cuter than an dog in a bow tie? :)

#BloggerProblems

Dress (Limited); Vest (Eastside find at Marshalls); Tights & Necklace (Target);
Sunglasses (Charming Charlie); Shoes (Naturalizer)
Nicole Lai Photography

Most people have an outfit in mind for an occasion... a wedding date night, party, reunion, etc.  I wore this gray and brown combo specifically for the brightly colored wall, which makes zero sense since I didn't walk around with the graffiti wall as my backdrop all day. But when I saw all of the loud colors I thought it was so fun, and wanted a neutral outfit to compliment it.  Which again, sounds odd but it's the truth - and maybe admitting I have a problem is the first step to recovery? If you ever want to feel more normal about the random issues that bloggers have - go to twitter and search #bloggerproblems... I'm pretty sure dressing for a wall is one of them :)

Tough Girl

Dress (Target); Jacket & Tights (Kohls); Necklace (H&M); Heels (Nine West);
Earrings (Nordstrom); Sunglasses (Charming Charlie);
Belkis Cruz Photography

Even in the girliest of dresses, this motorcycle jacket makes me tough... And there are times (like this week) - when laundry is piling up, the bed hasn't been made since last week, there is no food in the fridge, the dog is out of dental sticks, birthday and baby gifts need to be purchased, and at some point taxes need to be dealt with...  And you feel like only a super hero can get it all done. And while I am no super hero, somehow my tough jacket made going to the grocery store a bit easier... as for the rest of the list - tomorrow is another day :)

Typecast

Dress (Taylor find at Marshalls); Shirt (NY&Co); Nylons (Kohls);
Heels (Franco Sarto find at Marshalls); Earrings (Nordstrom);
Dave Haas Photography

You know those dresses you buy for a specific occasion, and then you can't think of wearing it anywhere else?  Well this is my Reese Witherspoon of dresses - it's best worn at a wedding (which is what I bought it for) - the same way Reese is best used for for romantic comedies.  And with the cap sleeves and neckline detail this dress is hard to wear to the office - not to mention I'd be freezing.  But with the right shirt underneath - this dress was able to break free from it's wedding typecast and play the role it's always wanted to - marketing gal and puppy mom by day who secretly dreams of ruling the world ;)