Worn over and over and over

Sweet Audrey of the deservedly popular Putting Me Together is hosting... One Piece Many Ways. And since I've been sweating my way through most of the crappy looks I've been wearing, taking a walk down memory lane seemed like fun.

So... what have I worn the crap out of?

  

  

  

This maroon skirt is so easy to grab and go when I'm feeling rushed, and it works with the majority of my tops. Does it create looks that are super diverse? Maybe not. But it's a great basic and easy to wear. Blacks work, tans work, greys work, leopard, turquoise, orange, crisp white, taupe, bright red. A nice, plum maroon skirt is one of the few bottoms other than jeans that made the cut when I purged and moved my little wardrobe. And I wore it through all four seasons. 

What are you wearing the daylights out of? Is it easy to remix or is it a statement piece that you feel great in? I want to know!

Plain Jane

Being on the far side of the Pacific has, style-wise, been a little funny for me. First, I chucked some of my long time favorite articles of clothing because I literally wore them until they shouldn't be worn any more. Loved them to pieces and put them into a garbage can in the days before we left Houston. So, I'm down about 30%. Second, I kept a lot of my simple, classic, wholesome American gal clothes. Simple skinny jeans, a few buttondowns, lightweight t-shirts. Things that aren't risky or fashion-forward, but are just solid workhorse items. A glorified capsule wardrobe, if you will.

And I didn't keep summer clothing, you guys. Bad choice.

It's a great mix of perfectly slouchy sweaters and layer-able stuff with slim-fit pants. So, come fall and winter, I'll be golden, but for now, I'm sweating my buns off and rotating between this skirt and shorts (which I hate on my skinny legs- ugh, chicken knees) and a few tanks and tees.

And this desperate deficit of options, lack of first-month-in-town positive bank balance, and having a simple wardrobe means I'm stickin' out like a sore thumb. China's a little funny with fashion. Sometimes ladies look so mis-match chic, young and fresh in their boutique fashion (there's literally thousands of small clothing stores along the coolest shopping avenues here), I look like a bowl of vanilla ice cream. But sometimes these adorable young women wear the dowdiest or hodgepodged or hello-kittied looks. Perhaps another day I'll take my camera out and about with me.

Skirt: H&M...Blouse: Target...Belt: Target...Shoes: Nine West...Bag: Longchamp knockoff

Solo

I'm alllll alone today! It's Rob's first day of the school year, and he's off to meet 'n greet the first ever new class of students.

On the docket? As many girly movies online as I can find. I'm 45 minutes into Little Women. Yes, yes, yes.

Skirt: H&M...Blouse: thrifted...Belt: Target...Shoes: Chacos...Bag: Longchamp knockoff

Wrapping Up

Skirt: Target...Tee: J Crew Factory...Scarf: TJ Maxx...Belt: Target...Shoes: Naturalizer...Bag: Longchamp knockoff

It's been so. darn. cold in our office the last month. AC is my nemesis. My fingers are literally freezing after having them exposed and elevated to work on the computer. Solution? Dress like it's early spring: lighter, happy colors, worn in pretty extreme layers (there's totally two long sleeved shirts going on up there), along with an oversized scarf. Oh, yeah, and then die of heat stroke once you step out into Houston's 96 F, 80% humidity afternoon weather.


Guys, it's my very last day at work today. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, and I'm definitely glad to be trotting off to China soon.

I won't say I'm not a little sad. This job has had its challenges- grants writing (but mostly grants reporting on Education and programs which I know nothing about) is hard. And diving into it with no prior experience and being given very little training made it tougher. But, I was surrounded by really good people, extraordinary work being accomplished, and, if nothing else, I was part of a shift in the the energy of the office after a few years of tricky office dynamics and leadership. If nothing else, I contributed to creating a cheerful and positive culture and working relationships. Was the position itself my best fit? Probably not. The Gala, streamlined branding and templates, and positive energy are things I'm proud to put my name on, though.

But, as of today at 5:00, I'm unemployed. Rather, I'm officially on vacation. Rob and I are going on a cruise to Belize, Isla Roatan, and Cozumel. And then we get one final week to soak up friend time and finish painting and cleaning this apartment that's been home for four years.

And then three weeks stuffed full of family time! I just saw my family during my brother's HS graduation a few short weeks ago, but I'm beyond excited for this.

And then we're getting onto a plane to move halfway across the world.

Move. Across the world.



Whoa.

Beginning of the End

Skirt: Target...Button down: Banana Outlet...Shoes: Nine West via Buffalo Exchange...Belt: Target...Bag: Longchamp knockoff

Friends, it's starting. Our apartment looks like a bad horror movie set. Dust bunnies, derelict and strewn boxes, a tragic lack of furniture. I'm also rotating between about 7 total articles of clothing and wearing them like mad. So, I'm rationing photos from outfits past. For example, that skirt was last worn about three weeks ago and found a new home with my sister. And that gingham blouse got packed away in the "to be shipped box." Instead, I'm wearing all of the t-shirts that look like they won't last the summer anyway. If I look a liiiittle bit silly for my last three weeks of work, what are they going to do? Fire me?

The other little bit of weirdness is packing what needs to get shipped on the slow boat since that will need to get picked up within about a week or two to get to China in time for the start of the school year. And academic books for instruction are kiiiind of important for a new teacher and a new program.

Happiest Wednesday, dear ones!

Adios to the Three Musketeers

Skirt, Cardigan, Belt, Necklace: Target...Shoes: Nine West via Buffalo Exchange

Well, it's happened. We had our first for-real adios. Our friend (Rob, his Bromance, and this buddy all three came into the doctoral program together) is getting ready to skip town for several summer festivals and conferences and he definitely won't be back before we leave. There have been a few friends that have left after the school year ended who we won't see again before we move, but this is the first major goodbye.

And I didn't cry. Don't know how I managed it, but I didn't cry. It may be because his wife is still in town and I know we'll spend time together, so it doesn't feel "real" yet.

Anyway, we did a BBQ, because there really isn't a better way to say farewell than with a potluck and burgers. We started a grease fire, let it burn off and roasted marshmallows a few hours later, sipped a hodgepodge of leftover beers from the graduation BBQ, nibbled on chips until the 90% humidity made them stale and disgusting, and did a lot of really good reminiscing.

Gosh, it's been a good four years here in Houston.

Brights

Skirt, Cardigan, Belt, Scarf: Target...Shoes: Nine West via Buffalo Exchange...Bag: Longchamp knockoff

Ever have one of those looks where you think it's a cheerful flurry of color and then you realize it's really just a matter of wearing skittles? Or jelly beans. Yup, that happened. The candy-colored rainbow barfed all over me and I wore it to work. I suppose that's what I get when I have all my favorite neutrals packed away into a duffel bag and I'm left with the collection of "I don't reeeeally know if I want to keep it for the move" bits and pieces of bright.

I would apologize for going MIA so often, but I really haven't been feeling like blogging lately. Because it's too soon to really talk about our upcoming move to Suzhou, China (I could only tell you about adventures in banking and making arrangements for a Penske truck rental to get our crap back to Ohio. And I can't really talk about life because it's been a series of busy weeks and a funny cycle of doing the same things with the same friends overandoverandover because we want to pack in as much time with them as we can. And I can't really talk about work because... well, it's just work. I'm writing a lot of grant reports.

Okay, well, I guess you guys are all caught up! Thanks for stickin' around in this really weird phase of life.

Adios, Chambray. I mean "Zaijian"

This isn't the most lovely photo, it's not even decent. But, it's kind of funny how accurate it is of life lately. The proof?
1. Dusty, disgusting mirror
2. Rumpled, filthy rug
3. Beagle furiously sniffing out all of the dead bugs unearthed in the moving around of things
4. Boxes, mostly still empty, absolutely everywhere
5. Stepstool, used daily to fish something out of a high stack
6. Empty furnishings, sad stacked dvd storage behind me, piles emptied from my junk drawer in the bedroom
7. We won't talk about the nightmare happening on top of my dresser just behind that door with the belt haphazardly looped over a knob
8. Wet hair, unbrushed, because I don't feel like it
9. Oh, yeah, and a last hurrah for some of my more attractive clothing, because I'm saving all my good stuff until after the move

Also not up for discussion? The multitude of floor-scattered sorting projects. The plethora of hangers now sadly hanging derelict in my closet since everything good from wintertime is in a duffel. Remnants of my grand plan to get gone a bunch of stuff in a garage sale. We're also without a sofa, kind of. Our houndstooth couch found a new home with our neighbors and, after June 1, the sofa we're temporarily housing for our friends, purchased from another neighbor, is going away and we'll be seat-less for a month. Lots of Hulu watching in bed and only passed hors d'ouvres parties. Mashed up with a box obstacle course in our living room.

Transition is funny. Packing our lives up into four large suitcases and carefully planned boxes of winter coats and books to be shipped in the fall is a tricky thing.

Black and White: a Formula

Skirt: Banana Republic...Sweater: F21...Belt: Gap...Shoes: thrifted...Earrings: J Crew outlet

This is from a looong time ago, as in my mid-March board meeting. Yikes, I'm behind. P.S.- this is such an easy winter-time formula. Variations of black and white, pattern-mixing graphic elements. Lazy? Perhaps, but it's so easy to look put together in a pinch. Like here, here, or here.

Rob and I did a bad thing. We started watching Lost again. I already know how it all goes down, but maaaan, I'm sucked in. Whoops.

All Over the Place

Skirt: DVF, thrifted...Cardigan: Target...Belt: Target...Scarf: thrifted...Shoes: Naturalizer...Earrings: Etsy

It's been a weird week already, our Executive Director has been out for two days with a plague of some sort, we have an LOI for a grant due next Monday, a major grant pushed back to EASTER (Sunday due date, what?!) another application due the 1st. And, just for funsies, we're gearing up to man a volunteer-run art activity table at the bi-annual art festival this weekend. Ain't nobody got time for that! And then, Rob leaves early Sunday morning to drive to Tucson for the week because the weekend of the 29th, his dance collaboration is being premiered. I'll fly out late Friday night and we get to drive back together on the 1st. I can't even tell you how badly I'm tempted to "take a wrong turn" on the way home and wind up in CO or UT, just to play around in national parks for a while. Gosh, my heart belongs to the Rockies.

Good morning, scattered mind.

I think I'm just surviving on lists. And I'll write 'em wherever I can just to try to cement it in my head. Whatever, it's aaaaall going to be worlds better after April 11. The darn Gala's just gotta get itself done and over with.

Come hang out over at the Pleated Poppy, Because Shanna Said So, and Style Elixir!

Ding!Ding!Ding! We Have a Winner!

Skirt: Target...Sweater: Gap...Scarf: gift from Rob's interview in Suzhou...Belt: swiped from a skirt...Shoes: Naturalizer...Bag: Longchamp knockoff

Rob and I frequently play a little game in the mornings. Neither of us are really shower singers, but there's a lot of music, tv shows, quotable movies, and made up tunes rattling around this household. So, morning is usually the post-sleep subconscious time for randomly recalling a little ditty and get it lodged in your head. 

"I'll give you a hundred dollars if you can guess what song I have stuck in my head right now"

We usually give a clue of real song vs. movie or tv tune, but that's it. No extra questions. Just three shots to pull from literally thousands of inside jokes. Sometimes it's Aerosmith, sometimes Phantom of the Opera, sometimes it's the Slap Bet song from How I Met Your Mother.

Rob ACTUALLY guessed that "Under the Sea" was in my head. It's been the first time either of us has accurately guessed the right answer. I actually owe him $25 dollars! I might pay out in nickels, just to spite him and his superior guessing skills.

Thank goodness I didn't bet a pony or McFlurries every day for a year.

My timer caught the moment I flung the door open to open-mouth, wide-eyed stare in wonder at his guessing prowess. I pretty sure I looked like this. 

Winding Down

Skirt: thrifted...Sweater: Target...Scarf: Target...Belt: Swiped from a skirt...Shoes: Naturalizer...Earrings: Etsy

It's been a long couple of days. Work has been (and will continue to be) totally nuts, Rob has been getting his dissertation entered into a digital musical score until past midnight most nights, Eddie has an itchy ear that I'm watching like a hawk, Miles is eating garbage and being a real butthole. We all need our schedule and routines back!

The bright spots coming up will more than make up for the madness- we get to sort of help puppy-sit for Homer, our bassett neighbor dog while his mommy is out of town and daddy has evening shifts scheduled (he and Miles had better doggy-playdate-exhaust themselves, they both NEED it!). Hopefully, we'll get a little time in with Matt and Natalie to catch up. Rob and his bromance are making plans to make the best out of a school-stuff-clogged St. Patrick's Day, so perhaps there's a little Beer Golfing to be done after they get finished with a special composition Master Class in the afternoon. We're kind of planning to sneak into Valhalla early to stake a claim at the bar and NEVER leave our seats. That's OUR bar, our SUNDAY TRADITION, dangit, and those MBA poser pub-dwellers better scoot themselves out of our spots. Go find a crappy Irish pub elsewhere and celebrate!

I actually don't have that strong of an opinion on the matter, but Rob's Bromance is a very big St. Patty's fan and I have to send as many good thoughts for a rockstar evening out into the universe for good measure.

Ah, Happy Friday, sweet friends!

Saved. For Now.

Skirt: Target...Blouse: Target...Belt: Target...Shoes: Steve Madden...Bag: Longchamp knockoff

We're gearing up for a big big big month. And I'm tired already!

One MAJOR grant due in two weeks, a LOI due the same day, another grant due in three weeks, arranging musician and performers for the gala, menus to replan, decor to check in on, auction items to confirm, speeches to write. At least the bulk of it will be done by April 11.

I'm trying to bring a few pieces of clothing back into rotation, give them a secondary test run. I'm going to get brutal with my wardrobe since we are taking minimal things overseas with us. This blouse is probably going to make the cut, mostly because it looks so good with light and white bottoms. And a long sleeved light-weight blouse is never a bad thing for travel. So, tan oxford shirt, congratulations,  you made it through another round of closet purges.

Whoa

Skirt: H&M...Tank: Target...Cardigan: Target...Belt: Target...Shoes: Naturalizer...Bag: Longchamp knockoff

It's been a wild week, thank goodness the first three have gone seemingly quickly. After my bummer of a complaint post earlier this week, I'm glad to say I've received a little better communication and a better vision of what I can do to be most helpful, which means my days are filled with catching up on effectively doing things rather than cycling through tasks that I only understand halfway. It goes faster when you're in the middle of a "good busy" streak.

Speaking of time going faster, there's only a month before the Gala. And only three weeks until we travel to Tucson for Rob's dance show premier (he wrote a major work that's being choreographed by Art.if.Act Dance Company, they're SO good.). Only three months until I'm done with work. Four short months until we're moving our things, what little we're keeping, back to Ohio. Down to about 18 weeks before we're outta here. Wild to think about!

Check back tomorrow for my fancy-pants look to go to the Ballet! The RITE OF SPRING!

Evenings Lately

Skirt: Target...Sweater: Banana Factory...Jacket: Armani Exchange via Buffalo Exchange...Shoes: Naturalizer...Scarf: Target...Belt: Gap...Bag: Longchamp knockoff

Well, Rob's first draft of his dissertation orchestra piece was due a few weeks ago... and he has a March 13 draft two deadline. And an April 3 dissertation defense. Eeeee! Things are moving right along 'round here. I don't see him much these days, since he's working late into the nights inputting notes into his computer software from his handwritten first draft. And that crap is TIME CONSUMING. I would feel bad for him, but I'm too busy working way too late myself and spending the rest of the evenings forgetting to eat, hanging out with the beagle and lap cat, and watching YouTube videos.

I'm also going to give downtown Houston and the Theater District another whirl tomorrow with Rob. As a 20th century music geek, percussionist, and dance accompanist, he's loved Stravinsky's Rite of Spring for a really long time. And Houston Ballet is staging it. Can you believe it?! This is absolutely a perk of living in this awesome city with a thriving arts community. I'm going to have to pick out a fancy outfit ahead of time, I just know I'll go brain dead the second I peek into my closet to get ready.

Check out some other lovely link ups over at Pleated Poppy!

Happiness is...

Skirt: Beijing tailor...Sweater: F21...Scarf: Target...Shoes: Naturalizer

Marionberry Style. Black and White: Trend of the Month. Heck yes. Also, Work Clothes, I Suppose Polka Dot link up (which happens tomorrow! You still have time!). Throw in a little Pleated Poppy and Watch Out for the Woestmans and we've got ourselves a party.

I'll probably pass along a few photos of the weekend in Memphis a little later in the week, but it got me thinking about stuff that makes me happy.
Family Time, especially if we all drive 11 hours for it
Car ride conversations
A cat curled into the tightest little ball on my lap
A cat dreaming and twitching in my lap
Birthday gift of Kindle pre-ordered book by Ron Rash
Azalea blooms in February. I love the South
Kahlua and skim milk
My super cool/terrifying gift from brother. A bad-ass knife. Because he wanted to pick out a suited-to-me version of something he's into
Expensive camping socks doubling as slippers
Neighbors who take care of my critter kids for the price of beer-gift
Neighbors who share their successes and worries and excitements with me, because we're friends
My brownware mug
Beagles who snore so loud they wake up
Making a date with my husband's bromance to see a musical
Perfectly red and pink sunsets

What's been making you grin? My workdays are dragging on a little too long, so send me your little bit of happy!