Not gonna lie. This was definitely a challenging outfit probably because it was almost too basic - is that even possible? When I first put it on, I felt so masculine in it, like one of those guys that work at Best Buy or something. Not my favorite look.

Evolution of today's outfit:
1) I didn't have a statement necklace, so I first tried this with pearls, but it looked all kinds of wrong. 2) Then I tried to add some color with a pink tank and pink dangling earrings, but it looked too matchy-matchy as if I was trying too hard.
3) I kept the tank on for warmth, switched into my pearl studs, and decided to throw on this lightweight $5 floral infinity scarf from Charlotte Russe to both add color and femininity. From the fall challenge, I discovered Charlotte Russe has an awesome selection of lightweight scarves for only $5.  I hadn't shopped at Charlotte Russe since my college days!

I do love how much a look can be changed by adding accessories since you can get a bunch of them for the price of a shirt.

I only know one way to tie an infinity scarf and this is it. I think it makes the look a little top heavy though. I had to leave the house so ran out of time to try improving this.  Maybe some winter white pants and cognac riding boots next time?

Another blog that I recently started following, Pinterest Told Me To, just did a post yesterday about how scarves can elevate the style of an outfit.

It's raining today but I still managed to run quite a few errands.  Today's outfit called for a jewel-toned blouse with bootcut jeans, tassel necklace, and leopard flats.  I was so excited to wear the JCP shirts I recently bought.  Unfortunately, I had major gaping issues!  What!?!  They worked fine in the dressing room.  I must have just grabbed different shirts when I headed to the checkout line.  Needless to say, I ended up returning both of them and amazingly, left JCP with nothing but my receipts.  Instead, I shopped my closet.  This is what I wore:

I love this Banana Republic blouse and I don't wear it as often as I should.  The last time I wore this blouse was went we closed on our house two years ago!  It has a dainty white mini-polka dot print and a ruffle collar that goes down the front placket.  I never would have thought to pair this with jeans.  Since the neckline already forms a Y, I went with my new Stella & Dot necklace that arrived yesterday instead of the tassel necklace.  Like other ladies in the challenge, I spent half an hour tucking and untucking trying to decide which looked better.  I think tucking the blouse draws too much attention to fluffy abs, so I left it untucked.  One of these days, I will venture out with a tucked shirt, but not today.  This is the perfect date night outfit for my dinner date with my husband tonight.

Went by TJ Maxx looking for the "must-have" Bobeau asymmetrical wrap that I heard was on sale for $20.  They only had heather charcoal and black, both of which looked good.  However, this time I went with black.  These would make really nice gifts.

LOVED my outfit today!  Not only did I get this selfie right on my first try, but I got to put together two old pieces I had thought of donating, layered my necklaces for the first time, and overall felt really pretty.  I hardly wear these necklaces since I don't know what to wear them with, but as I was playing around in my closet this morning, I put them on and voila!  They just worked!

Just love how the lavender and gray played off of each other nicely too!  It was pure style magic.  I was searching for a neutral sweater and a plaid shirt and ended up shopping my closet for weather appropriate tops.  I pulled out my old Banana Republic plaid lavender shirt and my old H&M gray sweater that I've had forever since they were both lightweight.  They were perfect for the 70 degree weather we had today.

This is one of those outfits that I feel really captures "me" - fun, romantic, laid-back, and classic.  This is also the first time I ever wore this locket that I purchased off of Etsy for my wedding 2 and 1/2 years ago.  It contains a picture of my late father and I had wrapped it around my bouquet as I walked down the aisle with my brother.  There's a lot of sentiment behind this outfit which makes it extra-special.

Have a terrific Thursday!

I apologize for the lack of posts recently.  I had gotten sick along with my son from this cold front that made its way to Houston since my last post.  The temperatures are now climbing back up to the 60's and 70's.

Today I finally crossed off the last item on the Build Your Wardrobe Basics shopping list - the jewel-toned dressy blouse!  Hooray!!!  I found it, or should I say them, at JCP.  Have I mentioned that I never shopped at JCPenney before the fall challenge?  It's my favorite place to find shirts nowadays.  I actually couldn't decide between the regal teal and the intense plum, so I did what I normally do in these moments of indecision...I got them both!  The teal is such a beautiful deep blue turquoise-like color that was so flattering and difficult to find.  It reminds me of the ocean.  The plum was more of a berry-wine that looks so elegant.  I'm starting to gravitate to berry colors this season.  Since the shopping list mentioned that the blouse would be used to layer underneath the black sleeveless shift dress, I was imagining how these colors would look.  I think the blue would give off a nice pop of color and the plum would tone it down so other accessories could take the spotlight.  I would imagine the plum would pair very nicely with my brown tweed skirt for a quintessential fall look.

Lots to catch up on, plus pictures!

The outfits have been released for the past 3 days and they've been living up to the challenge's name so far (as in being very basic).  For Monday's outfit, I woke up feeling under the weather but got dressed up anyways because I was so excited for the challenge outfits to start.  This is what I wore:

The striped shirt I already had gotten for the fall challenge at Ann Taylor, same with the tassel necklace and oversized gold watch from Forever 21, the dark wash bootcut jeans are a Long & Lean pair I already had pre-challenge from 1969 GAP, and the Coach bag was one of the few items I purchased for this challenge.  I got it at the Coach outlet during my birthday weekend with my mom.  After getting dressed, something amazing happened!  I felt much better and even went out to run some errands as opposed to staying in bed.

I also realized how much footwear really completes an outfit! These were my DSW Lucky Brand flats that arrived yesterday and I was still wearing them around the house debating whether I should keep them since I sized up to 7.5 and they're a tad big, but I can't exchange them for a 7 since they are sold out. I love they way they look though!

On Tuesday, I got to wear another new purchase for this challenge: my Ann Taylor Factory leopard belt.  This was my first time belting an un-tucked buttoned-down shirt in my life!  I am amazed at how it creates a waist with a subtle peplum effect.  I have no idea why I never thought to try this earlier.  These are the moments I love about the style challenges: they really do encourage you to go beyond your comfort zone!

Also, I hadn't worn black dress pants for more than half a year and am amazed they still fit!  As you know from my previous post, I had been raving about this $10 JCP chambray shirt, when I came across the lighter Old Navy one for $20.  I think the darker one looks dressier and has a nice cuffed sleeve contrast, but I also really like the contrast in the buttons on the lighter one. I switched out of the dress pants for black straight leg corduroys for the first picture.  Which do you like better?

Dark	Light

I decided to keep them both since they will be useful in different situations.  The darker one would be more appropriate for work or meetings, and the lighter one is more casual.

For today's outfit, I thought, "This is the GAP uniform!" Well, except for the leopard flats.  Never tried putting a button-down shirt under this denim jacket until today, but I like it!  I'm doing all kinds of crazy things here in the basics challenge!  Not sure whether the lengths of the tops work, but when I tried tucking the shirt in, it just emphasized my long torso due to the low rise in my pants, so I left it untucked.  My old GAP jacket is much shorter than I remember, but I know the waist-length works perfectly for summer dresses. These Banana Republic weekend chinos are my khaki pants version - I love them since they have a nice relaxed fit with just a hint of stretch.

All clothing was shopped from my closet.  The white button-down shirt is The Limited Essential Shirt.  I love the shirt since it's made of thicker material than other see-through white shirts.  Plus, this outfit worked surprisingly well for the 60 degree weather we had today.

During my trip to JCP, I confirmed that I will be keeping my DSW Lucky Brand leopard flats despite them being a tad big.  I had been eyeing the a.n.a. pair of leopard Epic ballet flats since they remind me of the memory foam cushioned Lucky Brand Emmie Flats that felt incredible on my feet.  However, I felt like the suede leopard print was too faded so I returned them.  The JCP ones were cushioned, but I really prefer the grosgrain trim and suede upper of the sold out DSW Lucky Brand Letah Flats.


One of the side effects from doing these style challenges is that you purge your closet of clothes that do not work.  The ones that are too old, no longer fit, or you never wear since you have nothing to wear it with.  You're more willing to part with them in exchange for ones that do work and work well.

I had purchased Umbra's Little Black Dress at Marshall's yesterday for half the cost and absolutely love it!  It completely cleared out my cluttered jewelry drawer and it keeps all my long necklaces nice and untangled.  I had been thinking of the best ways to organize my jewelry and this is pure genius!  The solution to all your jewelry problems - it takes up very little space, lets you see your entire collection at a glance, keeps everything in its own space, is user-friendly, and is so well-organized that you can find whatever you need within a second.  No need for fancy jewelry boxes, this does it all!

Based on the success of the jewelry organizer, I got myself a scarf organizer from Marshall's today.  Actually, it's 3 18-hole each scarf organizers for $10.  I ended up using one of them for a belt organizer and cleared another drawer!

It's finally feeling like winter in Houston!  Our temperature dropped to the 30's and 40's.  The autumn and winters in Houston are my favorite seasons.  No crazy humidity, no mosquitoes, just good hair days, holidays, and sales galore!

I loved my outfit today.  I got to wear my new Zara black puffer vest, my new $7 striped shirt from Banana Republic factory, and my new Naturalizer riding boots.  I also pattern-mixed a leopard scarf with a striped tee for the first time in my life!  The pattern-mixing took some getting used to and was definitely not in my comfort zone, but it worked out beautifully.  After putting on the boots, I felt ready to conquer the world!  It never fails to amaze me how closely correlated looking good and feeling good are.  They say confidence is the best accessory...or is it a smile?  Either way, I had both.

Knowing that the cold front was coming today, I finished swapping out my spring/summer clothes with my fall/winter clothes yesterday evening.  I loved how my entire summer wardrobe can fit perfectly into the four storage boxes.  This is how I make sure I don't have more than I need.  I treat the storage boxes like luggage space.  If all the clothes for the season don't fit in the storage boxes, something has to go.

Allow me to regale you with tales of my shopping adventures:

Yesterday, I was so proud of myself for resisting yet another plaid shirt at Old Navy.  I went in to return a boyfriend cardigan, but then came out with a light chambray shirt and a wide brown belt.  Seems like I hardly ever make a true return without turning it into an exchange and then some!  I felt a bit guilty because I already bought my chambray shirt, although a darker shade earlier this week at JCPenney for about $10.  However, both items were on sale at Old Navy and I like the contrast of the white buttons against the lighter denim.  While at Old Navy, I saw a pair of the pyramid studs that looked exactly like my Fall Challenge Nordstrom ones at a quarter of the cost!  Who knew Old Navy sold jewelry?

Not satisfied with my black sheath dress that I have because it gathers to one side, I stopped by Nordstrom Rack because it was practically next door to Old Navy.  I fell in love with a Calvin Klein black sheath dress.  Who better to design a black sheath dress than Calvin Klein, right?  True to their minimalism design philosophy, the dress has these vertical insets that also function as hidden belt loops.  Ingenious!  This way, you can wear the dress with or without a belt.

I'm still in search of one last piece for the Basics Challenge: the jewel-toned blouse.  I saw an emerald green collarless blouse at Old Navy, but it failed my gaping bust test.  Basically, I just put my hands on my hips and throw my shoulders back.  It seems so hard to find a button-down shirt that will lay flat across the chest without pulling at the buttons and exposing your bra.  It's not like I have a huge chest or anything.  I had a whole set of H&M button-down work shirts that I used to wear in my 20's that are now notorious for gaping at the bust.  I noticed I started having this problem when I hit my mid-thirties and my fiance, now husband, kindly pointed out I was getting back fat.  I'd like to think the cuts are made to be slim-fitting for juniors.  I recently discovered the St. John's Bay brand from JCPenney of button-down shirts which successfully pass the test.  I was so happy to finally find shirts that didn't gape that I ended up buying three of them: 2 plaid and the darker chambray shirt mentioned earlier.

Anyways, Nordstrom Rack had these awesome berry-colored and teal button-down blouses which were extra long and could be worn as tunics.  Unfortunately, they also didn't pass the test.  I think I'll need to check out Nordstrom later on.

Today, I went to the GAP to exchange my sexy boyfriend jeans for a smaller size since they were almost falling off my hips.  While I was there, I saw a darker, distressed pair of sexy boyfriend jeans also on sale that fit much better and looked fantastic.  Totally worth the $6.60 difference in price!

Happy Veteran's Day!

Okay, so I think my closet is reaching its limit. My drawers are barely closing and I still have one last item to get for the Basics Challenge - the jewel toned blouse.  Yesterday, I went to Old Navy looking for a chambray button-down shirt and ended up with this light taupe brown boyfriend cardigan.  On the other hand, I managed to score this denim shirt at JCPenney for only $10!  I wasn't sure if the chambray shirt should be light or dark, but I think darker denim has always looked better on me.  I'm starting to really love this St. John's Bay brand that JCP carries - all of their button-down shirts fit perfectly on me without any gaping at the bust.  I already have two of their plaid shirts.

A couple of the challengers posted some really informative resources on the challenge Facebook group that I want to share with you:

Mary Munkelwitz posted a great link for determining which colors look best on you:
http://www.thechicfashionista.com/seasonal-color-analysis-2.html

Apparently, I'm a deep winter.  Yay for jewel tone colors!

Becky Ratliff Podhajsky posted this awesome link about one of my favorite stores of all time:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/laraparker/things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-target

I love the discount scheduling info!  Since today was Tuesday, I had to check out the Target clearance section and found a great sweatshirt for only $9!

I learn so much from these challenges - which is why you should sign up for the Build Your Basics Wardrobe Challenge if you haven't already!

An InLinkz Link-up