Pleasant Valley Sunday

Have you ever heard the song by The Monkees, Pleasant Valley Sunday?

Well, it's the tune that plays in my head nearly every time I turn into our new neighborhood. I know that the song is stating everything that's wrong with suburbia, but my thoughts are not all negative.

I realize that it's been more than a year since my last post, but things got pretty busy. My boyfriend and I moved in together, then we got engaged, then we sold my townhouse, bought a new home, and got married. Now that things are settled down a bit, I'm hoping that I can carve out some time to blog on a more regular basis.

Why start blogging again? Good question. I guess it goes back to the title of this blog in that it's a Good Sounding, Bad Idea. It sounds good but it could end up being a disaster. I guess we'll just have to see.

Now back to suburbia. For the last seven years I lived in my townhouse that was located off a rather busy street near major roads. It was loud, busy and at times stressful. It wasn't until I moved to the middle of nowhere that I realized just how loud, busy, and stressful it was. It had become my norm. But now, when I'm in our backyard at night and you can literally hear a pin drop, I have time to hear and appreciate silence. My husband keeps telling me, "just wait and see how much gets built out here." So, I'm waiting. It's actually pretty funny that he tells me this because he's more of a city-boy than I'm a city-girl. I like the convenience of being close to things, just not necessarily being close to people. I hope that we get some little shops near our home, nothing major and God help us if it's a Wal-Mart. So, even though I hear The Monkees, I'm getting used to our new home and find things to love about it and our new area of town every day.

And We're Under 10

Today marks nine days left of this challenge and I will admit that I'm ready for it to end. It's been fun wearing different stuff but it's also been difficult. I'm hoping though to carry this mindset through the summer so I can continue to evolve my personal style.

Yep, I've worn this flannel top before. BUT, I haven't worn it in this way. Last time, I wore it with a skirt. This is very different because I'm also wearing my Marty McFly vest. I also don't know how long I can wear flannel. The weather is starting to really warm up, 60's are forecast for the next week or so, and I wanted to get one last flannel wear in this season.

Field Trip Day & Back to the Grind

I really do love my job. I'm challenged every day and  I get to do really cool stuff. Yesterday I was able to go to a job site and see how one of our virtual construction applications works, in the field. It was really neat and helpful to see things firsthand since most of my days are spent writing about construction.

Being on a job site, I don't want to wear my typical business casual stuff and I have to wear steel-toe boots per regulations so I opted for a casual day yesterday.

It was a nice change, wearing super casual stuff to work however my everyday shoes must be light as feathers because after a full day in work boots, my ankles were so sore. I'm not used to wearing high-tops and maybe that was cause for some of my discomfort, but the Wolverine work boots are SO heavy. I felt like I was clomping around all day in them.

And today, back to the grind. Maybe I should live in Jersey because I love my animal print. My top is from Forever 21 from about six years ago, my pants are from Kohl's and my sweater is just a plain black cardigan.

Billy Goat Gruff

Well, the Year of the Goat has really hit me with its horns. It seems as though when one thing gets fixed, another breaks. But, such is life I guess and things could be worse than a broken garage door spring. However, all of these little bumps have disrupted my daily routines. I never thought that I was so much a creature of habit that a few things could alter and make my days seem so askew but I guess I am.

Last week I wore a couple of really cute outfits but was running around like a chicken with my head cut off so I forgot to take pics. No, really. Super cute outfits. Oh well. 

Here's some of the things I've worn over the last few days. 

Maybe my boyfriend's style is rubbing off on me (he wears a collared shirt/sweater combo most winter days) but I'm loving the layered look lately. It's easy and professional. My pants are from NY & CO, the sweater was my Mom's and the necklace is from Kohl's.

I love this sweater. I actually wore it on my first day at my new job. My sister has one like it, from H&M, and once I saw how cute it was on her I wanted one of my own.

Today Presley has a check-up at the vet so I needed to wear something that wouldn't attract a ton of her hair. It's also supposed to be a really nice today so I needed to wear something that would make me too hot when I'm out running around. The pants are from NY & CO, the sweater and top are from Target as are my faux snake skin flats.

A Week in a Day

Even though I didn't post, I didn't stop the challenge (when I went to work or in public) and I didn't stop taking pics of my outfits so this post will cover an entire week in just one day. What fun! 

This is the outfit I wore when I went to Pueblo for the day for my Dad's birthday. I love it because it's so casual and comfy but still looks put together. I also think that sans shoes, this entire outfit is from Old Navy. 

This out fit I wore for casual Friday at work. Don't be deceived, these pants are BRIGHT! But I was feeling bold and I love pink so they're a fun addition to my wardrobe!

This was a nice Monday outfit. I got this sweater for Christmas from my Dad, it's from Old Navy and I love it! It's heavy without being weighty and it looks really expensive. The pants I've had for about seven years and same as the shoes. What can I say, I hate throwing things out!

This is one of my absolute favorite sweaters! It's a deep purple color and it's gorgeous on. The pants are from Banana Republic and the necklace is from Kohls, I talk about it here.

This is one of my go-to winter outfits. I like how it's easy but looks put together. The boots are a new addition to my wardrobe, a birthday gift from my boyfriend. I noticed when I was brushing my teeth this morning that my sweater was a little wrinkly. I tried to use Downy Wrinkle Release on it but I'm not sure it worked. Oops.

Diagnosis Found

There's a legit reason why I've been MIA from posting to this blog. 1) My dog, Presley has been incredibly ill. I thought I was going to lose her and it devastated me for the better part of two weeks. 2) I forgot how difficult it is to maintain a blog while you have things going on in  your life.

Honestly, I'm not sure anyone reads this, I mainly do it for myself anyway but when I was unable to post I did miss it.

Presley, pictured above, started feeling crummy around the 9th of February. I kept a close eye on her and consulted with the vet who told me to give her some antacid and try to get her to eat. She would get better for a day or two then get to feel crummy again. I took her to the vet on the 12th of February to make sure she was ok. They did an ultrasound and ran some blood work, all came back good. They thought she just had a little bug or something, gave me some meds for her and sent us home. The evening of the 16th of February she started acting really odd breathing heavy and shaking. I thought her organs were shutting down and I rushed her to the vet. She stayed overnight at the emergency puppy hospital. The next day they ran a barrage of tests, all coming back with nothing conclusive. I took her home and hoped for the best.

She celebrated her 8th birthday on Saturday, February 21 and I thought we were in the clear. I was so wrong. Monday, February 23 was the sickest I've ever seen my baby. She couldn't stop vomiting, she was pooping blood and I was praying I wouldn't lose her. We slept together on the floor next to the dog door and I tried to comfort her the best I knew how. The next morning I took her back to the vet and they said she was in need of an endoscope to determine the cause of her pain and discomfort. She spent the night, again, at the puppy hospital and the next day, Wednesday, February 25 she underwent a scope of her stomach and intestines.

When the vet called me to let me know she was out of surgery, he said she hadn't done well under anesthesia and they had to cut the scope a little short. He was hopeful they got enough samples to be tested so it could be determined what was going on with my little baby.

On the afternoon of Friday, February 27 I got the call that Presley had Inflammatory Bowel Disease. And, it is the most severe case my vet has ever seen!

I was able to finally get her medicine and get her symptoms under control. It's been a trying month and quite frankly I'm glad that February is over and done with. I hope that March holds better things for my Presley and that she is finally on the road to recovery.

Lucky Number 13

Today marks the 13th day of no repeats in clothing for me. It's been a fun process and has me putting a lot more effort into what I wear daily, which was the original purpose. I've also been wearing items that have been sitting in my closet for months, untouched which is nice because it's like going shopping without spending a dime.

Today's outfit is composed of things that have been in my closet for at least two years. The top I got at Forever 21, the skirt is from JC Penney and the lace cardigan is from Target and is similar to this one from Mod Cloth.

Tuesday is the New Monday

I was lucky enough to have yesterday off, first time in 3+ years (I seriously love my new job), and I wasn't going to waste a good outfit lounging around my house. Also, my soon-to-be, eight year-old puppy had to go to the dog hospital Sunday night and I was in no mood to worry about what I was wearing. Actually, Presley's poor condition/health scare made it difficult for me to care about anything at all, all weekend long. I was so sick over her not feeling well Saturday that I asked my boyfriend to cancel our dinner reservations. Worrying about her and not sleeping had finally caught up to me and I had a migraine of epic proportions. Needless to say, my first Valentine's Day with my love was not what either of us anticipated but he was a trooper and came over to take care of his two best girls.

It snowed Sunday night and while there's still a little bit hanging around, it's mostly slush and that's what prompted my outfit choice today.

I needed to wear something that I could fit my snow boots under and I also just got this cute chunky scarf and I've been waiting to wear it. I would probably wear my chambray shirt every week if I didn't practice full restraint. It's so comfy and goes with just about everything, I LOVE it.

The weather the rests of the week is supposed to be fairly nice so I'll have to see what's on deck in my closet.

Casual Friday

The last time I had President's Day off was when I was working for the American Cancer Society, more than 4 years ago. The fact that we get a Monday off and it's forecast to snow has me jumping for joy so I decided to class up my casual Friday a little bit with a blazer.

This is a very easy, comfortable outfit and the best part of it is that I've gotten several compliments today on what a cute blazer it is. And, it really is. It looks more high end than it is. It's from Forever 21 and about three-years-old but I do take care of my stuff so I don't think anyone would know it's that ancient. 

While I'm not necessarily looking forward to snow, I am looking forward to wearing my winter clothes. I've missed wearing sweaters and scarves and boots. I'm also looking forward to covering up a bit while I continue on my winter weight loss. Christmas cookies are still clinging on for dear life to my butt and thigh area. It's time to kiss them good-bye! 

A Little Pop of Color

Today could have been boring or today could have been fun. I chose to make it fun by adding a pop of color to my outfit via my tights. Bold, vibrant tights are one of my favorite fashion trends and I'll be sad when their moment is over but for now, I'm enjoying it, very much!

I've been looking at a lot of other blogs lately and one thin I'v noticed about my own is, what a poor picture quality I have. I thought my iPhone took decent pics but maybe just in well lit places. I take these pics before I leave for work, right as the sun is coming up so that may be whey they're a little grainy. 

My button down top is from several years ago when there were Steve and Barry's stores open. My skirt is from JCPenney circa 2004 when my parents took me career clothes shopping. It is part of a suit and that little outfit has done me well in the last decade. The tights are from Target as are the shoes. 

After writing out for the last couple of days where my clothes come from, I realized two things: 1) I keep clothes a lot longer than most people and 2) I am quite the bargain shopper. 

A Good Day for Flannel

Today turned into a beautiful day but started out snowy, foggy and cold. It's still a little bit chilly out so I'm glad I decided to wear my comfy flannel shirt. Another reason for this choice of outfit is my beloved Presley is ill. She's been feeling off for the last couple of days woke up at 2 this morning not feeling so hot. I tried to comfort her until the vet opened but I'm not sure how successful I was and I'm exhausted. She's currently at the vet and they're trying to figure out what's wrong with her. Prayers for Presley please!

In the meantime, I'm trying to concentrate at work. It's pretty hard so I decided to take a mental break and publish today's outfit.

The first photo is how I would have worn this outfit if I was still at my old job. It's the more comfortable approach but can look a little slobby. I like playing with colors, fabrics and while I am working in the corporate world, I'm not going to lose my style. Also, I don't have any major meetings today so I felt this was a safe choice for a semi-snowy morning.

The grey t-shirt and flannel button-up are from Target as are the tights (see a trend here?), the skirt is from NY & CO, the belt is from another outfit and the shoes are Mia wedges.

Day Eight is not so Great

Today is one of those days. You have a closet full of clothes but you want to wear NOTHING! I rarely feel this way, but when it happens it's a mess. I feel off all day long. It's as if I need some sort of reset button. It may have something to do with a certain soon-to-be eight year old carkie named Presley who was up at 4 a.m. dry heaving in my living room. Poor thing - I feel terrible for her. She's been sick for a few days now and when she's not happy, I'm not happy. Her vet told me to give her Pepcid AC for a few days to see if that helps. I really hope it does!

But, I am at work, not at home in my pj's so hooray for me. Luckily, caffeine is readily available at my office and it's even the good stuff (keurig cups).

I am getting my taxes done today and I felt some sort of responsibility to dress the part.

It's a little bit more of a boring outfit than what I would have preferred to wear today but it'll do. I do like it a little bit because it's pink and this is Valentine's Day week after all.

While I'm not sure if anyone cares where my clothes come from or not, I guess I'll start sharing that detail each day. My top is from NY & CO as are my pants but they're a hand-me-down from my sister. My shoes little cap toe flats from Target but look like a lot like the Gormax flats.

Days 5, 6 & 7

This "winter" weather happening for the moment in Colorado is very odd. We've hit record highs the last three days and today feels like Spring.

Over the weekend I had my birthday celebration dinner and nephew babysitting duty. Neither day did I wear anything fancy but rather items I would typically wear in April.

Saturday's outfit

 I got this sweater for Christmas from my Dad and I love it! It's light, bright and really comfy!

Sunday's outfit

Monday's outfit

I'm sort of obsessed right now with my long peal necklace. I got a $5 reward from Kohl's and one day on my lunch hour I went over just to have a look and found this necklace on clearance for less than $5! I really love a good deal. The shirt I'm wearing today was also a good deal - I got it over the weekend at Old Navy for $10 during their one-day sale. I love a good sale and when basics are more than half off - I go nuts!

Go Red For Women

Today's outfit choice was sort of a no-brainer, it was going to be something red because today is Go Red For Women Day and the American Heart Association asks that people wear something red today to help bring awareness about heart disease to the forefront.

However, with the unseasonably warm weather what red item of clothing I was going to wear was of another question. It's an unheard of 66 degrees in Denver today. WHAT?! It's normally about 40 degrees this time of year so sweaters are an appropriate clothing choice and most of my red apparel items are sweaters. While I'm not complaining about warmer weather, I am complaining about its timing. 1) I've still got my winter weight on and 2) I've still got my winter weight on. I'm not in the best shape to be running around in my Springtime outfits.

Oh well - what the hell, huh? I ended up changing my pants right before walking out the door today and now that I look back, I'm not entirely sure why. Both pant choices are blue but one's a jean and the other is a khaki. I think they sort of look the same. What do you think?

Jeans

Khakis

Pretty similar, right?! Sometimes I just get weird ideas stuck in my head. Also, I noticed that my pictures are a little crazy looking. I either appear to be a hoarder or the headless horseman. The clothes in the photo at my home are waiting to go to the dry cleaner so no need to call adult protective services, I'm not a hoarder. And the headless shots, I was really just trying to avoid showing my terrible haircut. I'll work on my photos in the next couple of shots. Fingers crossed for improvement!

Birthday Suit

I'm not doing anything especially special for my birthday today, my real celebration will be this weekend, but deciding what I wanted to wear for my big day was a little daunting. I feel like people pay more attention to you on your birthday sending notes, stopping by my office, etc. so I did want to look cute and not my age. Ha!

I decided on this sweater dress. It's actually a hand-me-down from my sister but it's really comfy and doesn't require a lot of effort. I've also been told that deeper jewel tones compliment my skin tone so this was a no-brainer really.

Look What the Wind Blew In

I realized last night that I didn't do a very good job in my previous blog of explaining why I decided to do 33 days of something so I'll take a minute to do so now. Tomorrow I will be 33-years-old. YIKES. It feels as old to type as it does to say and I definitely don't feel like I'm about to be 33. But alas, you can't stop the hands of time. While my style has evolved in the last decade from hoodies, hats, jeans and tennis shoes to stylish sweaters, business wear, skinny jeans and boots, most days I would prefer to be in a hoodie. However, I have taken my career to the next level and it's high time I start dressing like it. I'm looking forward to the challenge of the next 31 days. Thanks for coming along with me.

I woke up this morning to blowing snow and with that came icy roads for my morning commute. I know, I live in Colorado - wah wah. But the weather has been really, REALLY nice here lately. Temps have been way above normal. It's actually pretty unbelievable. I can't remember a birthday that it wasn't completely freezing. While snow and cold are my least favorite four letter words, we do need some snow so I'm going to suck it up for the greater good and try to cute up my winter wear.

Today I'm wearing skinny black pants from Kohl's. I definitely wouldn't call them jeans but according to JLo that's what they are. My grey long sleeve t-shirt is from Target and the sweater was my Mom's. I'm glad that I kept some of her clothes because I like wearing them and when I put her sweaters on it's like her hugs are wrapping around me.

A Year and Some Change

Wow! I can't believe it's been more than a year since I posted a blog. A lot has changed in my life, I'm in a better, more creative space and I feel like this is something I want to do again. Last year was a year of transition for me both professionally and personally. I was working a job that I felt was slowly eating away my soul and at the same time I met a wonderful man and fell head over heals in love. 2014 was my yin and yang year.

For the last two and a half months I've been plugging away in corporate America and couldn't be happier! This job is everything I've wanted; people who like to work but who also realize that there's a life outside of work. Good things do come to those who wait! Another change for me has been my attire. I've noticed that people in the corporate world dress a whole, heck of a lot better than those who work in non-profit. I've been trying to step up my game but it can be difficult and I've found that I'm in some what of a rut.

I've been thinking for a while that I wanted to get back to blogging but wasn't sure what I wanted to write about then, like a lightening bolt it hit me. I'll write about what I wear. It will be a nice way to ease back into blogging while holding me accountable to be more fashionable.

This will count as outfit 1, day 1 (mainly because I was sick yesterday and my pj's don't count). I got the black pants at a Banana Republic outlet last month and believe it or not, the button down shirt is from JCPenney circa 2004. My parent's bought it for me when they took me career-clothes shopping (A little different than school clothes shopping but not really) and I still rock it more than a decade later. What can I say, I'm a hoarder.

Tonight's bedtime routine is bound to be much more interesting for Presley as she'll have a front row seat to my What Will I Wear Tomorrow fashion show.

The Opportunity of a New Year

My love for The Avett Brothers is no secret and my obsession with their latest album grows each day. I currently listen to it on repeat while I do things around the house; cook, clean, organize, it pretty much goes with every activity and any mood.

 One of the lines that hits me every time I hear it is I'm rested and I'm ready to begin, from the song



February Seven. I think it pretty much sums up 2013 for me. I'm ready to take on whatever this year throws my way. I also love these other lines in the song:
I went on the search for something real
I traded what I know for how I feel
And this is how I'm choosing the view the New Year.

I'm excited to open my eyes, heart and mind up to new experiences and revel in the chaos. I'm going to clean the clutter (emotional and literal) and live my life in a way that makes me happy as I do not exist to impress anyone but myself.

Happy New Year!

Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People

I love watching Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People. I don't always agree with her, but this year I think she was pretty right on, even with her inclusion of Honey Boo Boo. That little redneck girl is pretty entertaining and I'll admit it, she cracks me up.

One of my favorite moments from last night was Barbara's interview with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. I am intrigued with this man and in a world where everyone seems to be so concerned with being politically correct it's refreshing to see a politician tell it like he sees it. I especially like what he had to say about his mother and it made me think of my own. Click on the link below to watch his full interview:

Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People: Chris Christie | Video - ABC News

Charity Gift Exchange

I love this time of year. People seem to be in better moods, there are lights strung up and even though I complain like it's my second job...I do like to bundle/cuddle up when it gets chilly. I also LOVE to decorate for Christmas. I have a lot of decorations that my Mom used to put up and pulling them out of storage each year is so fun because of the special memories that come with them. 

I've been wanting to host a holiday get together for a while now, but I just didn't know what kind. This year I did a little online research and found something called a Charity Gift Exchange. Here's the explanation:

CHARITY

Another way to contribute to charities could be that each person writes down his/her favorite charity. The slips are exchanged and each person is asked to give a donation to that charity.

This is exactly the way I worked it and some really great charities were put into the bowl. I drew the Denver Rescue Mission but some that others included are; Colorado Beagle Rescue, Heifer International, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Blue Star Connection. For me, giving back to my community is really important and I'm lucky enough to have some really fabulous friends who feel the same way! 

Thanks for coming ladies...I had a blast and hope to make this an annual event. Disclaimer - photos are few and far between because while I have many talents, photography or more importantly remembering to take photos is not one of them.

I do really wish that I had taken photos because I was pretty impressed with my spread! Alas, I brought my camera out after things were dug into and/or gone. Oh well, but I will say that everyone on Pinterest would be proud!