Shades of Beige

I feel like I'm getting so much better at layering for the cold. A few years ago, I would never have dared to wear a skirt in 20-degree weather. Today, I started with black pantyhose, then put a thicker pair of black tights on top, then put an even thicker pair of black cable sweater tights on top of that. Then wool socks, leg warmers (which were covering my knees while outside, then folded down over my boots inside), and finally my skirt and leather boots. I was warm enough during my commute.

This outfit also utilizes many of my thrifted designer items: Trina Turk, Ralph Lauren and Marc Jacobs.

I watched (500) Days of Summer last night. As I have been hearing for months, it is a good movie and Zooey Deschanel's costuming rocks.

Tonight, I had two book clubs. First up was my first visit to a group of lawyers that meets downtown after work: the Law & Literature Committee. :-) The book was Christopher Buckley's Supreme Courtship. It was good. I realized after I read it that Buckley also wrote the novel on which the movie Thank You for Smoking was based. Great movie.

Second was an alumni book club that I've been part of for years, which meets a bit later in the evening in a bar in my neighborhood. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith was the book. Interesting concept, but just an okay read.

Where:
work, book clubs

What:
Sweater: H&M (new!)
Crewneck Top: Liz Claiborne
Skirt: Trina Turk (thrifted, $3)
Elbow-Patch Jacket: Lauren by Ralph Lauren (thrifted, $5)
Necklace: vintage from Granny S. (new to me!)
Bangle Bracelets: mix of vintage from my mom and gift from Sabrina
Earrings: mine from the 1990's
Flower Brooch: vintage from Granny S. (new to me!)
Black Sweater Tights: from Filene's Basement
Legwarmers: from a dance catalog
Boots: Nine West
Bag: Marc Jacobs (thrifted, $12)

More New Goodies

Lots more new stuff today. This sweater was part of my end-of-season sales purchases. The necklace was from Granny S.'s vintage jewelry collection; this one was handmade by my grandmother. The bangle bracelects were a gift from Sabrina of Defying My Closet at our pre-Christmas Chicago Bloggers Meetup.

Finally, after 20+ years, I'm learning how to use bobby pins. My hair is baby fine, and thus difficult to work with. After spending most of my teens and 20's in braids and ponytails, I've spent the last few years really learning how to master different tools and hairstyles. This is the first bun I've every worn that's secured entirely with bobby pins.

Where:
work, movies to see Broken Embraces, out for tacos

What:
Green Sweater: H&M (new!)
White Turtleneck: Rave, from years and years ago
Pants: Limited, also from years and years ago
Boots: Nine West
Necklace: vintage, handmade by Granny S. (new to me!)
Bangle Bracelets: gift from Sabrina (new!)
Drop Earrings: gift from my second cousins years and years ago
Music Note Earring: mine from years and years ago

Purple and Gray

Snow of the ground today! Very pretty and white outside my bedroom window. Slushy, dirty and icky on the streets downtown.

Where:
work, tapas

What:
Blazer: vintage
Cardigan Sweater: mine from forever ago
Blouse: Arizona Jean Company, also from forever ago
Black Ribbed Tank: Victoria's Secret (free!)
Beads: Anne Klein
Earrings: gift in the 1990's
Pants: Body by Victoria for Victoria's Secret
Boots: M.I.A.

Vintage Jewelry from Granny S.

While I was in Pennsylvania during the holidays, I went to my maternal grandmother's house (Granny S.) and she offered me bunches of her vintage jewelry that she no longer wears. I came home with dozens of necklaces, brooches and other items. Here are pictures of most of my new vintage jewelry from Granny S.

Shoes Clips!

The gold buckle ones are from my mother.

Some bead necklaces:

The pale pink beads on the right were my mother's. The white and gold beads next to them, and the white and green beads on the far left were handmade by my grandmother. The spikey blue and white and pick necklace was made by my grandmother's sister Pauline.

More beads. And a locket:


Some chokers and a bracelet:


Another bracelet:


Flower Brooches:


More Brooches!

The pearl and swirly brooch in the top left corner was worn by my mother to her cotillion.

And, a matching set of a brooch, pendant and earrings:

So far, I've worn the starfish brooch (not pictured here), the circle brooch and the pale pink beads.

Orange and Brown

Still cold, cold, cold in Chicago. I have many layers on besides those you can see.

Where:
work

What:
Jacket: Forever XXI
Orange Ribbed Turtleneck: Moda Int'l for Victoria's Secret
Orange T-shirt: Wet Seal
Pants: Express
Gold Hoop Earrings: gift from a long time ago
Necklace: 2009 Xmas gift from parents
Bracelet: from Granny R.'s 2009 Christmas grab bag
Boots: Franco Sarto (thrifted)

End-of-Season Sales Shopping

I usually go shopping in mid or late January to get new clothes on super low sales. I heard that this year, the stores had a much smaller amount of inventory left after the holidays, because they had placed smaller-than-usual orders for this holiday season, anticipating dismal sales. For a sales shopper like me, this meant that they simply wouldn't have enough merchandise to have sales through late January. If I waited until my usual end-of-season shopping time, I would have been disappointed to discover that there would be nothing left!

So, I went shopping this weekend. I purchased very few items compared to what I usually buy during my bi-annual sales shopping sprees in January and August. I only bought 3 new sweaters, a vest, and a belt, all from H&M and NY&Co. Today's yellow sweater is one of my new purchases.

I found this scarf at a thrift store for a quarter when I was visiting my family in Pennsylvania in July. It was the same store where I picked up a blouse for fifty cents.

Where:
work, shopping, sushi dinner

What:
Sweater: New York & Co., new!
Striped Blouse: Moda Int'l for Victoria's Secret
Scarf: thrifted
Brooch: vintage from Granny S.
Pants: Body by Victoria for Victoria's Secret
Purple Boots: Wet Seal
Earrings: ??
Cat Butt: Amaretto

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I spent New Year's Day hanging out at my boyfriend's house. He made pancakes and his niece joined us for breakfast. After his niece left to go to work, we had pork and sauerkraut and garlic mashed potatoes and chardonnay, and spent the day hanging out and reading and listening to music.

I watched the movie Twilight this evening. It was a disappointment after reading the books, but when is the movie ever as good as the book? Maybe The Godfather or The Princess Bride.

Where:
hanging out at my boyfriend's place

What:
Sweater: from Ragstock
T-shirt: from Filene's Basement
Jeans: Gap
Boots: Nine West
Peace Sign Earrings: World Market