Easter EGGStravaganza...

 

So it's Easter, and I decided to make an extra long Easter EGGStravaganza post. I didn't know what to wear for Easter at my Granny's, so I tried on a couple of outfits! Above was outfit choice #1. Btw, everything in this post was thrifted (except for the boots) and most items come from my most recent Goodwill run. The top is Banana Republic, and the skirt is Forever 21.

 

I'm not sure why, but I have been on a skirt-buying binge as of late. I usually don't wear skirts, but it is springtime now and I guess I am just pumped to show off my super-white legs!

 

 

Here is outfit choice #2! This skirt is also Forever 21, and the top is Ann Taylor. This skirt is totally adorable, maybe a bit too young for me but I look like I'm still sixteen. If I have to get carded, I might as well look the part. My mom says the skirt matches my shower curtain in my new apartment. It does! Haha.

Finally, outfit choice #3. Jokes on you because I knew I was going to end up wearing this choice from the beginning, I just wanted to do a House Hunters-type post. This babydoll dress is soooo cute! It is originally from Urban Outfitters and the brand is Kimchi Blue (one of my favorite brands!).

 



Here we have some other finds. Above on the right is the piece de resistance, the find of all finds, the most elusive brand of all. A wild Missoni for Target appears!! When it was in stores, it sold out within a matter of hours, they were impossible to get your hands on. Well, the Scott, LA Goodwill had one and I got it for $2.00. Boo-ya.

 

On the left is just a shirt I liked, I knew it would go well with blue jeans, and anything else really. White is all right.

 



 

Here are some work shirts, Mossimo on the left, New York & Co. on the right. You can never have too many work shirts!



Proof that I'm not just playing with you. This is actually a Missoni shirt. The sad thing is that the head of Missoni is missoning (missing). Bummer!

 

Finally, here are some thrifted shoes! I know what you are thinking, ew. Well, ew all you want, but the black patent ones are from Payless (Dexter), but the blue pointy heels and the brown round toe heels are from Ann Taylor and Nine West, respectively.

 

Happy Easter you guys! I hope yours was as full of love and laughter as mine!

 

trusty boots...

 

Outfits of the weekend post! I still have an Easter outfit to plan so I might also make a post concerning that outfit once I wear it, but let's not jump the gun here.

 

Ok, I cheated. Above was not an outfit I wore this weekend, I actually wore it a couple of weekends ago, but I wanted to share it. This is my Beatles shirt that I would wear if I ever went to a Beatles convention, but since that won't be happening I wear it on normal days. I got it from Goodwill a couple of months ago. Not sure if you can see it here but it is actually a greenish-gray color. I wore it with skinny blue jeans and my trusty boots!

 

Here we have one of my favorite T-shirts. I got it from some store in New Orleans, not sure which (sorry, store). I paired it with a thrifted blazer and red skinny jeans from Urban Outfitters (Ok, you guys know I enjoy thrifting, but if there is a store I like more than thrift stores it's Urban. Yes, Urban and I are on a first-name basis. I would buy everything in that store if I had an endless supply of $60.00. Seriously, everything in that store is at least $60.00). These red skinny jeans are exactly the same brand as the mint skinny jeans from my St. Patrick's Day post, only red!

 

Lo and behold, here are my trusty boots again! I'm sensing a trend (both in the statistical sense and the fashion sense).

 

This outfit would have looked much better if my hair had been dry when I took the picture. This is another one of my favorite T-shirts, I wear it as much as I can. I'm not sure the look quite works here. This was mostly a chill-out outfit, so I didn't take it too seriously. I wanted to wear my new gold skirt (from a previous post), and this shirt was the best option to go with it. I really just worked on my tan with this one :) .

 

No boots in this picture. Trend over.

 

 

Finally, we have one of my favorite dresses (Forever 21), which I really feel that I can wear in any situation. I can dress it up, as I show here, with tights and boots and go to dinner, or I can just wear it with sandals and attend an outdoor concert.

 

One time I wore it with a leather jacket and I felt like I looked especially great. Leather jackets are awesome. It's really too bad my kitty cat clawed mine. I'm still going to wear it though becase I'm tough like that. 

 

Boots once more! Trend returns.

golfer chic...

 

This outfit is what I like to call Payne Stewart chic (if you don't know who he was, Google is your friend). This is the same argyle sweater from the Goodwill post, and I paired it with some thrifted dark brown pants (not sure where they were from originally, I left them in BR and I am in Laf at the moment).

 

I LOVE this sweater, mostly because it fits perfectly, and a good fit is hard to find. I was so excited to find an good piece of argyle clothing, because usually with argyle I always feel like I skirt the line between cute and matronly.

 

The pants I am definitely iffy about. I wear them a lot because they match with lots of different clothes and as I have mentioned before finding good work pants is no easy feat. However, they are a tad highwatery. Today I fixed this problem by adding some height with brown mary-jane heels (Seychelles, store-bought, AWESOME brand, cute and super comfortable). Most of the time though I look like Charlie Chaplin when I wear these pants (except for today. Today was Payne). What I do like about them is that they are highwaisted and rather retro, and in my book retro is never a bad thing.

 

I added a brown headband because there was no brown in the sweater and I wanted to tie the brown pants into the outfit somehow. I am always looking for ways to use color to make a look come together. Not only is Google your friend, but color is too! And yes, you can mix argyle with houndstooth. Mixing prints is in, my friends.

 

hairy potter...

 

Short post today, I didn't prepare a Wednesday/Baton Rouge topic so I guess you guys will have to do without! Above is a completely thrifted outfit. Some of the items you may remember from my previous post, so I won't bore you with my 'getting nice clothes for cheap' enthusiasm.

 

I wasn't too sure about this outfit; I am not certain the skirt fits me like I want it to (and I always hesitate to wear red tights to work, but they are just so darn cute I couldn't resist). Usually I change once or twice in the morning because I just don't know if an outfit looks right, but lately I have been trying to go with my instincts, and that is what I did here. I think the end result turned out ok, and the colors look really nice together. The shirt I love, it has a scoop neck and I know it will go with lots of different clothes. The boots are hand-me-downs from Mom :) . Not sure where I got the scarf, either Mom or Forever 21. Pretty soon I will be calling it Forever 31 because I am getting OLD.

 

Although I didn't prepare a BR post, above are some kids playing Quidditch on the Parade Grounds (so I sort of did). Yes, those poles are supposed to be brooms. Ha! They could have used actual brooms. At work I am responsible for preparing surveys for publications (such as the Princeton Review and its ilk) and just today I had to revise a list of registered student organizations here at LSU. To my surprise the LSU Quidditch Club exists! Then, after work, I go outside and the same Quidditch Club appears before my eyes. Magic. I bet if I ever try to look for proof that this club exists again, I won't find it, because Magic. Good thing I included a picture here.

 

I must let you know that I am not a big Harry Potter fan in the least, but this is cute. I should start a Secret Garden club. There wouldn't be any members but me because it's a 'secret' garden club (and no one is as obsessed with that book as I was). Except I just told all of you. Whoops.

kashmir...

Super long post today, mostly because I skipped blogging this weekend and I went on a Goodwill run! Later in the post I'll show you all the goodies I found there.

 

Above, we have my outfit of the day for today. The top is a Mossimo cashmere sweater (yes, cashmere) that I got from Target YEARS ago (seriously, having a job makes you look at clothes you have had forever in different ways. I almost gave this sweater away SEVERAL times. So glad I didn't). I actually had this sweater in three colors at one point: gray, green, and purple. The purple one got a hole in it (bummer, it was a pretty spring-timey color) so I got rid of it. I still wear both the gray and the green on a regular basis. Cardigan-type sweaters are a MUST for the workplace, they are easy to wear and look professional at the same time. I need more of them, actually.

 

The skirt is a find from my recent Goodwill trip, originally from the Limited. The tags were still on it. I repeat, the tags were still on it. Would you like to know how much it was originally? Well, I will tell you anyway: $70.00. I paid $5.00 for a skirt that was originally $70.00 that still had tags on it which means it wasn't even worn. THRIFTING RULES.

 

That leads me to another topic: it took me a couple of times of shopping at Goodwill to get over the fact that someone else had worn the clothes. The more I shopped there, though, the more I saw that it didn't really matter, just get it cleaned and go on with your day :) .

 

Here are my mom's friend Debbie, my mom Patti, and I at the LeTriomphe golf tournament in Lafayette. I know, I know, Lafayette is not Baton Rouge. I am in Lafayette all the time, though, so, deal with it haha.

 

The sweater here is J.Crew (!) and I love it! I can't wait to wear this sweater with shorts, because i like how baggy sweaters look with shorts. Alas, the golf course was just too cold to wear shorts. The hat is my Kevin Federline hat. Don't you want your own K. Fed hat? It's ok to be jealous.

 

Below are all the great pieces I found at Goodwill on my recent excursion. Their original brands are in the captions.



Argyle sweater: New York and Company

Plaid shirt: American Eagle Outfitters

White striped shirt: Gap

Pink striped sweater: J. Crew

 



Black skirt: No idea. They tore out the tag. Jerks

White dot skirt: The Limited

Pink skirt: Forever 21

Gold skirt: Old Navy

Once again, thanks for reading! 

beanie babies...

What do you guys think of shirts with ties? I am OBSESSED. I have three, and I hope to attain more. I am sure you will see the others in future posts. I like them because they look really professional and you don't have to try too hard to achieve that when you wear them.

 

This shirt was pretty much made for me. It fits well, the color goes super well with my hair (most royal colors/jewel tones do) and yes, it was thrifted. I guess it wasn't really made for me as someone else used to own it, but I digress. The shirt was originally from Banana Republic, and the pants are gray plaid, also thrifted and originally from Express. The belt is a hand-me-down from my Mom! She gives me all of her good stuff!

 

I am sure I sound like a broken record with how many times I repeat the word "thrifted," but I cannot sing thrifting's praises enough. I plan on going tomorrow and getting some more good finds. Below, I added the same black shrug from a previous post, and, you guessed it, thrifted black kitten heels! These are Gianni Bini, just like my tan boots from that bonus outfit a few posts ago. The boots were not thrifted. You can't win 'em all :) .

 

Below are my beanie babies!! I mean, seriously, beans grow soooo fast! If I had known they grow so fast, I would have been planting them all along and enjoying delicious beans I grew myself! Now, the actual bean part hasn't grown yet, but at this rate we should be seeing some major beanage soon. I will keep you updated on their progress. I also planted squash, which are also growing fast, and carrots, which aren't growing all that much. I am now able to tell which plant is which. I am getting the hang of this farmer stuff.

 

"Why are you wearing a tux?" -Liz Lemon

 

"It's after 6, what am I, a farmer?" -Jack Donaghy

 

beaches...

 

Above is my outfit of the day! I am super glad I wore one of my nicer shirts (thrifted-originally from the Limited) with a blazer because today I got to attend a meeting to hear the new LSU President-elect speak. He is currently the president of Cal U - Long Beach. SIGN ME UP! I want to live in Long Beach not fair :( . Someday, I will live on a beach. Why you would leave Long Beach for Louisiana is beyond me but me saying that goes against the central theme of my blog (and the answer is $).

 

Speaking of beaches, what is the deal with (airline food) the weather?? I can't get well because the weather keeps changing. Plus, now that it is officially springtime, I want to go by the pool and be able to stay there without freezing to death and maybe wear a bikini. Is that too much to ask?

 

I know this post is a little ridiculous, but I am in a ridiculous mood. Anyway, I love the sweet color of this shirt, and it just screams spring to me (SPRING TO ME). Which is appropriate, considering the season we are in.

Chelsea's/Chimes...

 

For today's Baton Rouge spotlight post, I thought I would discuss my favorite BR restaurants. I ate at Chelsea's about a week ago with my coworkers. I love Chelsea's for the atmosphere, but let's be real, the food is great too.

 

I ordered a shrimp poboy with gumbo, as you can see below. Soup with a sandwich is my favorite food combination, and for some reason these Baton Rouge restaurants feel like gumbo is the same as soup, and I am not going to be the one to tell them that I'm ripping them off (is gumbo a soup, but soup not a gumbo? Like rectangles and squares? Idk).

 



 

Below is what I ordered at the Chimes! I ate there for lunch today with my Momsy, who was in town for the day. One hour was not enough Mom time! I ordered a catfish poboy. Yes, I am all about the poboys. My mom ordered red beans and rice, her favorite. I also ordered shrimp and corn soup, which was absolutely delicious! I have yet to order something at either of these restaraunts that isn't incredibly satisfying, and that is why I keep returning.

 



I am not sure why Blogger won't let me make all my pictures the same size! I might have to learn HTML one of these days. Yeah, that won't be happening.

 

nun chic...

Above we have head to toe Ann Taylor! Haha. The top was a thrift store find, MY VERY FIRST THRIFT STORE FIND, yes, you heard right, this is the shirt that started it all. Once I realized how much I loved this top and how much it complemented my personality (in a way no TJ Maxx shirt ever could) I was hooked. I once heard someone say that the great thing about thrifting is that you can really concentrate on clothing that brings out your own special style, and shopping at department stores prevents that from happening because they sell things that are on trend only. I wish I could remember who said it, but I totally agree. I wear this shirt all the time, get used to it.

 

You can't see it well because my phone is in the way, but I buttoned the buttons all the way to the top. I really like the way it looks when I do this, chic, preppy, neat, professional, all because of one simple act. On the other hand, unbuttoning the top button is also good, but in a different way: lazy, cool, free, zero responsibility. Buttoning all the way has its disadvantages also, in that I look like a nun. Nunchic.

 



Here I added a shrug. You can't go wrong with a shrug, especially in the workplace, but my nun-alert is on overdrive! The skirt was a hand-me-down from a friend (I think!) and also Ann Taylor. A solid black skirt is a MUST for a working girl. They go with EVERYTHING and you automatically have tons of more outfit combinations as a result.



 

 

Finally...here are some plant buds! I feel like I just planted them, and here we are already. I am so excited to watch them grow! I think they are carrots (although if they are carrots I can't really watch them grow all that much). Not sure on what seeds I planted where. I guess we will just have to wait and see!

florals...

 

Short post today! On the left we have a floral shirt from Urban Outfitters and thrifted pants, originally from Worthington. This was the only pair of pants I was able to get the last time I went to Goodwill, and I tried on a lot. The one thing I don't like about thrifting is that I wear a size 2 or less, and I always end up trying on tons of pants and only get like one or two that work. It's almost a waste of time. Almost.

 

On the right, I added a shrug I got from Delia's to jazz up the outfit. I really like the way the white of the shrug brings out the spots of white in the floral shirt. I got this shrug YEARS ago for Christmas, and I never actually wore it in public until today! I knew that it was waiting for the perfect outfit. This blog is forcing me out of my fashion comfort zone, and I'm glad. I have lots of pieces that have been hanging in my closet forever,  just waiting for me to get a job. The time is now! 

 

You can also spot my kitty cat if you look closely. One of these days I will dedicate a post to Dmitri. He is the sweetest. Also, when watering my plants today I noticed some little babies growing! So cute. I will be sure to update about that too.

chambray, chante...

 

Above I have two different outfits brought to you by my chambray shirt! My mom and I actually have the same exact shirt, and we get a lot of wear out of them. Believe it or not, it was purchased at Walmart, and is part of the Miley Cyrus collection. I kid you not! I never thought I would own something Miley planned out.

 

On the left is an outfit for a lazy Sunday at the LSU Parade Grounds/grocery shopping. There is a Whole Foods right by my apartment, which could be a bad thing (everything there is so expensive!) but I love it. I shop there once a week but I limit the amount of items I get, so I think I can get away with paying a little extra for healthier food. At LSU, my sweet brother hung out with me while we lounged in the sunshine. Awesome day.

 

On the right is my St. Patrick's Day outfit! I could not let the day pass me by without wearing my mint green skinny jeans (Urban Outfitters) and my chambray shirt. It got pretty warm out, so underneath I wore a sleeveless shirt, and I was sure to slather on plenty of sunscreen! March is one of my favorite times of year, mostly for the weather, and for all of the fun, outdoor things to do!



 

I ate a lot at the Baton Rouge St. Patrick's Day Parade, and here are some of the things I ate. Green doughnuts (of course) and delicious tacos from a food truck called Taco de Paco. The tacos were super spicy, a little too spicy, but still so good. I didn't take a picture, but I also had a crawfish taco from the same truck. I didn't know such a thing existed!

 

The parade itself was awesome, with lots of drinks, beads, floats, and friends. Good times. 

#ootd...

 

Above is my Friday work outfit! I also wore a blazer and a scarf over this little number, I just didn't take a picture of that version. 

 

The shirt is from TJ Maxx. It has a funny story. I was helping one of my friends clean out her house, and I was appointed bathroom duty (I really like cleaning other people's bathrooms, but not my own. Ha! I don't get it either. I think I just really appreciate getting to the core of what makes old bathrooms special, and if your tile is dirty, you can't do that). I had bought this shirt the exact same day, and I wanted to wear it because I liked it so much. Unfortunately, I got some sort of cleaner on one of the sleeves and it left a bleach stain! I was super bummed. Then, duh, I just rolled up the sleeves. I have been wearing it with rolled-up sleeves ever since, and it is one of my favorite pieces. Just because you think you have ruined a piece of clothing, think again. There is probably something you can do to wear it in a new way.

 



 

Here is a detail of the skirt, thrifted and originally from New York and Company (!). I love this skirt, it has so many different colors, which means it can be matched with a variety of tops. It has a very polished, professional look about it, which I need as a polished, professional lady.

 

Tomorrow I am attending Baton Rouge's St. Patrick's Day parade! I am excited, but not quite sure what to wear (green, I know, but which green??). I'll be sure to blog about what I choose...

you see your gypsy...

Above is a detail from the sweater I am wearing in the outfit of the day below! The majority of my outfit is from Goodwill, yet again. The top was originally from Mossimo (a brand from Target, for you patricians, and also Aunt Becky's husband in real life. I won't tell you who Aunt Becky is, if you don't know, I can't help you :P). This dark green color really went well with my hair, and the little buttons added some much needed flair. The cap sleeves are cute too.

 





The skirt is originally Ann Taylor. It's hard to believe a cute skirt like that for $5 was from so nice a place! This is why I love thrifting. You really never know what you will find. The scarf is once again from my mom. The little booties look somewhat like witches' shoes (which comes in handy around Halloween) but I LOVE them and wear them to work often. It's ok to look like Stevie Nicks, as long as you don't go overboard.

Bonus outfit! I wore this today. Shirt and slacks from Goodwill. Same scarf as above (I am a BIG proponent of scarves). Boots are Gianni Bini. I have had these boots FOREVER, and only now that I have a full-time job do I think they are appropriate to wear. I love the color, they are almost like a skin-tone, and they look Italian. What I love about Italian fashion is that Italians don't shop that often, but they spend a lot of money on a few choice pieces. That is why they always look so put together. What you don't realize is that they wear the same things but mix and match the nice clothes they do have. Genius.

 

Thanks for tuning in! I am really enjoying blogging and I feel like I have a knack for it. Although, all of a sudden Blogger won't let me make my pictures bigger. Hmmm...

This is a test post so I can join Bloglovin!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4948753/?claim=4pen8y4xmv5">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

just dance...

 

Because I would like to explore more of the city myself (and because it's in the title of my blog) I decided Wednesdays will be devoted to profiling different locations around Baton Rouge. I'll start off with my dance studio for my beginner jazz class, Cangelosi Dance Project.

 

The studio itself is adorable; the mauve on the walls is complemented by several pictures, one of which is of Carrie Bradshaw's Russian lover, Mikhail Barysnikov (I'm Team Big, btw).

 



 

 

Above I have posted a video of my dancing. I asked the other people in the class if they wanted to be in the video too, but they politely declined. I understood, but it would have been nice to show you guys the full effect of the dance class. Instead, you just get me, dancing to "Beat It." I'm a bit rusty, but I feel like I get better every week. I signed up for the intermediate class which begins tomorrow.

 

 

Jazz dancing is my favorite out of the big three types (the others begin tap and ballet). Ballet is too strict, and tap is too boring, at least for me personally. I have experience in all three, though.


Be sure to join Google Friend Connect on the upper right corner of my blog! My goal is to get lots of followers. All you need is an email account to join. 

ootd...

 

I decided that Tuesdays will be my 'Outfit of the Day' days. I also came up with what to post every other day of the week, but you will have to tune in to see what those will be!

Today, I chose a plaid shirt from American Eagle (not thrifted, yes, I buy clothes other places too), black slacks, and red Madden Girl shoes that I have had forever, and don't seem to wear that often. They are super cute, but I will let you in on a little secret: my feet are different sizes, so one of the shoes doesn't stay on well! Do you have this problem? I always end up buying a pair of shoes in which one shoe fits perfectly and one doesn't. I tripped a few times today, but, as of Montreal says, you must suffer for fashion.

 

The outfit was cute on its own, but something was missing. Enter...the sweater vest.

 

 

 

This was my first foray into the sweater vest phenomenon, and I picked this one up from Goodwill this past weekend. It is originally from the Gap. I have heard bad things about sweater vests, mostly that they are reserved for nerds and golfers. Well, I am at least one of those things, so I figured I could get away with it, and I did.



 

I felt like I finally looked put-together enough for a work day outfit. I really liked how the soft blue of the vest matched with just enough of the colors in the shirt to look good but not be matchy-matchy. The shoes worked the same way.

 

I promise to set up a photography station in my apartment in order to take pictures from head to toe in the future. For now though, this will have to do.

burning rain of death...

Daylight savings time went into effect yesterday and I must say, this is such a great idea. As a result, my winter doldrums have pretty much gone out the window (I enjoy using cliches in writing, get used to it). I decided to celebrate my good mood by planting some seeds on my patio. The patio itself desperately needed some TLC, so I was happy to comply. I got some seeds at a local dollar store. You can see my choices here:

I am aware that if they grow enough, my little pots will not be large enough to handle carrots and squash, but let's just see how big the plants get before we get ahead of ourselves. 



 

The plant on the left was a gift from my parents. They got it at some sort of duck show, and there was even a little toy duck on a stick in the original plant pot. I have no idea where that duck is, and I also have no clue how to get this plant back in fighting shape. I think watering it might be a good place to start.

 

More pots. I also went through a phase where I was pinning a lot of mason jar crafts on Pinterest, so I saved a few of my own to plant seeds in. The little plant in the yellow pot was from last year. It is still holding on like a champ.

 



Finally, a view from my little backyard. My patio is just enough for me. At my old house I had a big yard and it was quite overwhelming. I just want to be whelmed.

 

I plan on writing about all the different parts of my home, probably once a week. Reminding myself of how lucky I am to have a home I enjoy is always a good thing.

thrill of the thrift...

Hello out there. This is my first post, the first of many I hope! Join me as I navigate my new home, Baton Rouge, LA.

A little background about this picture, my cat Dmitri punctured my bottom lip while I was hopping into bed in the dark! He managed to bruise me because he's so hard like that. My dark chambray shirt is a thrift store find (originally from the gap) and the scarf was a gift from my mother, I think. I love the checkerboard print on the scarf, it is one of my favorite pieces.

This evening I organized my closet (as well as I could :P). I also made a Goodwill trip earlier this afternoon. Most of my clothes come from Goodwill, and lately not a day goes by that I don't look down at myself and see something I got from there! The best part about Goodwill shopping is that you can get well-made clothing for relatively cheap. While shopping at TJ Maxx and its ilk is fun, I had started noticing that the clothing I bought there did not last long. Goodwill both takes care of that problem and includes the thrill of the thrift. I am a just a little obsessed.