Tag Archives: what to wear

Spring, sprang, sprung

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Now that’s officially spring, this week’s “Friday’s Fancies” theme celebrates the season. So I put together a Polyvore inspiration board incorporating a new royal blue dress and striped cardigan that I gift-carded last week at Old Navy.

And last spring, I also sprung for stripes! ♥

Spring Brights + Stripes
Spring Brights + Stripes – click image for individual item details & sources

Link ups:  Friday’s Fancies  /  Fashion Friday

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Casual conference wear

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The end of last week, I attended a regional library conference — a conference that took place in a lovely retreat and conference center in the Oregon woods. Conferences can be tricky to dress for, because you want to look professional yet still be comfortable for long hours of sitting/standing/networking/presenting, etc. But when the conference info recommends packing flashlights and rain gear (!), it’s a pretty good bet that “casual” is on the menu. Hooray!

No pics of what I actually wore during the conference — sorry, I was busy conferencing — but here’s a Polyvore board that gives you a pretty good idea. I chose dark jeans and short boots as my foundation, then layered on the rest.

Casual Conference Wear

Have I mentioned lately how much I love Oregon and the Pacific Northwest? ♥

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What to wear: Date night

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Today I’m participating again in The Tiny Heart’s “What to Wear?” link up, and this month’s event/occasion challenge is date night.

First up is my Polyvore inspiration board:

What to Wear: Date Night
What to Wear: Date Night by jjwsb – click board for item details and links

To me, a kimono top is just the right amount of sexy without looking like you’re trying too hard (especially when the top slips down the shoulder a bit). And the dark jeans and silvery shoes and accessories make for a nice contrast of casual and dressy.

And now for a version from my own closet:

When?  September 5, 2012

What for?  Dinner and drinks last night with my husband at The Secret Society Lounge. I forgot my prescription shades at our apartment (how?!) — it doesn’t get dark until late up here in the summer — so Sam let me borrow his superswank sunglasses. That’s, right, superswank. I’ll say it again:  superswank. Ahhh, now I feel better. ;)

Details?

  • Boot-cut jeans:  Gap (a few years ago)
  • Kimono top:  Xanaka, mall in Abu Dhabi (2009?)
  • Silver sandals:  Mall in Abu Dhabi (2010?)
  • Dangly earrings:  Library conference exhibits in Washington DC (2010)
  • Clutch:  Ummm…. had too long to remember. JCPenney?
  • Sunglasses:  Target, borrowed from my hubby
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Packing and previews

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I’m a librarian who doesn’t like to pack. Unpacking? Yes, love it! Packing? Blegh. But maybe it will be more fun this time as I’ll be documenting it for the blog. ;) Also, I took a cue from Erin @ Loop Looks for tips on organizing this packing post, so here goes:

The heat goes on…

… and will continue in Texas, where we’ll be visiting family. Extreme heat, but also extreme air conditioning. I’m focusing on cotton, comfy sandals, and layers. We are also only traveling with carry-on suitcases, so I’m packing light. Yay! Less packing. This is a good plan already.

On the go

For my traveling attire, I chose skinny jeans because they’re so comfortable, plus I can roll them up or down depending on the temperature on the plane or airport. Sam had the idea of taking my new Old Navy cargo vest (the very last one in the store, which I got for free due to a gift card!) because of the pockets — and I realized how versatile this piece could be for layering and a/c. It also set the tone for my traveling color palette:  olive and shades of blue. :)

Dresses

Dresses in summer are so easy. Slip one on, and you’re done! Also, I can use the fabric belt that comes with the olive green H&M dress with the other pieces — or as a headband. Also, it’s easy to dress these up (tee hee, see what I did there?!) in case we go anywhere a bit fancier.

Bottoms and tops

A pair of long shorts in light brown, a couple of tank tops, and a chambray shirt in a very thin cotton weave.

My vacation wardrobe, then, consists mainly of twos:  two tank tops, two shirts, two bottoms, and two dresses. And a partridge and a pear tree? No, wait… ;)

Accessories

One pair of sandals. Shocker, right, for a shoe lover like me? But when I travel, I don’t like to have to think too much about my wardrobe. Also, it’s such a pain to pack shoes, as they can feel so heavy in your suitcase. These sandals are really comfortable and go with everything. Plus, my bronze nail polish looks nice against the gold bar. ;)  The bag I’m taking with the crossover strap is actually a camera bag that I picked up ages ago for an overseas trip. It’s durable and surprisingly neutral. And of course, one swimsuit, and I can use either dress as a cover-up.

And everything rolls up all nice and neat in my carry-on suitcase. With room to spare! I have to admit, packing this time was more fun! :)

Preview, preview

Now for a look at what’s coming your way while I’m gone:

  • Starting Monday the 20th, I’ve got guest bloggers scheduled for every other day, 7 in total. Thank you to all the wonderful guest bloggers!
  • Also, on Wednesday the 22nd, I’ll be featured on another style blog. Woo-hoo!
  • I’ll be back after Labor Day for a vacation wrap-up. Happy Labor Day in advance! :)
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What to wear: Summer concert style

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Today I’m participating in The Tiny Heart’s “What to Wear?” link up, and this month’s event/occasion challenge was to put together an outfit for a summer concert. And last night, I went to hear a couple of musical friends play at a show — not a concert setting, but I was still inspired to wear a version of my summer concert outfit.

First up is my Polyvore inspiration board:

What to Wear: Summer Concert

The idea was putting together an outfit for a summer concert up here in the Pacific Northwest, like the public concerts at the Zoo, Rose Garden, or various public parks around the city. It tends to get chilly at night, which explains the light jacket, and the cropped jeans are also practical for lounging on the ground. I added extra pattern (stripes and geometric shapes) and color (primarily yellow) with accessories. And how cute and practical are those sandals?! Too bad it’s nearing the end of summer…

And now for what I actually wore:

When? August 8, 2012

What for? A show featuring a couple of musician friends. I wanted casual, comfy, and not too dressed up for a (cooler summer) night out in Portland. Mission accomplished. :)

I went more monochromatic in real life, but the jacket is actually more green in real life, providing more visual contrast. The setting sun in these pics bleached a lot of the color out — sorry about that! chalk it up to live-and-learn — but for a more true-to-life color of this versatile jacket, click here. But I did add extra pattern (stripes and polka dots) and color (a corally red) with accessories.

What have you worn to a summer concert? Are the dog days of summer getting to you? Please leave a comment and let me know.

Details?

  • Skinnies:  Target (this past winter, cost-per-wear must be in the pennies by now)
  • Striped tank:  Old Navy (new)
  • Wedge sandals:  Target (this past spring, again lots of wear on these babies already)
  • Jacket:  Mexx, UAE (2008, one of my first purchases when moving to the UAE)
  • Scarf:  Kohls (shopping trip details here)
  • Coral stripey earrings:  Made by my paternal grandma
  • Coral necklace (worn as bracelet):  Made by my paternal grandma
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