My wardrobe staples

So like I mentioned in my last post, I've been thinking a lot lately about the items I have in my wardrobe that are absolute wear-all-the-time-could-not-live-without things for me.  I buy some things at a high frequency, like bargain shoes and cute cheap dresses, but other things in my wardrobe are things I've had for years and still wear all. the. time. Here's the run-down of my fashion staples that have lasted through the years:

Clothing:

• Levi's dark skinnies - mine are on the point of extinction from being worn so much but I just can't find any that are anywhere near close enough to be considered a replacement. I wear mine dressy with pumps, turned up with TOMS or sandals for a more casual look, and even at work occasionally.
• The LBD - duh - I think we all know this is a staple, but I do it a little differently in that I have about 10 of these, one for every possible occasion and season. It's really about time that I got rid of a few, but I just always think of where I might need to wear them!
• Pencil skirts - these are my go-to look for work when I am dressing in business attire.  At my current job I don't have to look as dressy all the time, but I still insist on keeping at least one brown and one blackish one because I know they work with all the flowy tops and even more tailored t-shirts that I absolutely buy the heck out of.
• Black blazer - I personally got mine for free from my mom's 80's relics that she stored in my closet back home, and since it has shiny lapels and shoulder pads, it instantly dresses up dark jeans and a t-shirt or tank top.
• WHITE SHIRTS - I can't even begin to tell you how many I have and in how many different shades and styles - v-neck t's, plain t's, long-sleeve, frilly, tuxedo, etc...basically I can't get enough.  They work with anything and I wear them until they could only go in the trash.
• Light sweaters from JCrew and Gap - these are the absolute best layering sweaters out there - great for plane rides or over a more dressy top at work.  I also have a variety of styles and colors here - mostly neutral shades but some v-neck, some boat-neck, some cardigan...you see where I'm going here.

Accessories:

• Boots! - Living in Missouri again after so many years in Miami I am so happy to have boots return as a part of my wardrobe.  I'm a believer that you need to have at least 2 pairs of comfortable-enough-to-wear-all-the-time boots, preferably one brown(ish) pair and one black(ish) pair so you always have boots for any outfit.  Of course I also buy pairs that are more trendy or less practical from time to time but I find that riding/wedge boots are the best for versatility.
• Versatile black flats - while the exact pair has changed over the years, I have worn through pair after pair because they are perfect for work, with tights, etc.
• A wide brown belt - mine is from Urban and I honestly wear it all the time.  Any dress that comes with a belt attached I automatically replace with mine, and I think it gives it a refreshed style.  I know it's not a fashion idea I came up with, but it still makes me feel just a little bit more unique.
• Classic chuck taylor's - I started wearing mine when I was in Australia studying abroad and still love them for those casual jeans and t-shirt days, and they are great for when you'll be on your feet for awhile too because they provide a decent amount of cushion.
• A motorcycle jacket - mine is a dark charcoal denim one that I got a few years back from Forever 21 (of all places) and has miraculously held up to being worn over and over.  Any time I need to add a little funk to an outfit, be it over a dress, with jeans and a t-shirt, whatever, this is my go-to jacket.
• Brown/black combo sandals - I have ruined many a pair of sandals that are brown on bottom with black straps, because they go with EVERYTHING in the summer so obv I wear them all the time.
• Colored pea coat - in the winter time you really need to bring a little color with you wherever you go, and what better way to do so than with a bright coat? Mine is an oldie from Gap and no matter how many seasons I wear it I still get compliments!
• Diamond stud earrings (and other simple jewelry) - I'm a true believer in staying classic with jewelry from day-to-day but using it to add some extra punch every once in awhile.  I wear the same pair of diamond studs every single day because they are small enough to not be considered "blingy" but pretty enough that they make me feel classically girly. And since they are a hand-me-down from my mom that she had re-set in silver for me when I was like 13 they have sentimental value too!

So that's my Essentials list.  I honestly can't do without any of these items but of course I also beef up my wardrobe with colorful tops, dresses, crazy necklaces, etc.  I think it's time for a wardrobe clear-out so I can get rid of all those things I don't wear and make room for more items that will last with me through the years!  Is anyone else in a Spring Cleaning mode?

The dream shopping list

I've been thinking about this post for awhile, because lately there seem to be quite a few items that I'm dreaming of one day being able to actually purchase.  So in the meantime, I thought I'd make a list here of those fashion accessory staples that I would own if I could...

First up is the over-the-shoulder Chanel quilted purse.  Seriously a must-have but they go for around a grand so I suppose I'll have to wait.

Next item on my list is Hunter Wellies.  Not exactly something that I can't afford right now but for some reason I've never made the purchase.  I just love how classic they look AND they come in sooooo many colors! I don't even know how I would chose!

Next would have to be the ultimate sunglasses - Ray-Ban Wayfarers.  This is another one that I could probably actually afford now that I have a real job, but I just can't make myself pay over $100 for sunglasses - I just know I would lose or break them, even though I generally have an excellent track record with sunglasses. So classic.

                                                  

Another must-have-but totally-not-ready-to-splurge-on item for me is a gold menswear-inspired Kenneth Cole watch.  I couldn't find a picture of the exact one that I like, but it's been out for a couple years now and I just still love it and want it every time I see it in department stores.  However, according to my mom gold doesn't look good on me, so maybe I'll never make the splurge.

One that I will probably NEVER purchase because it's just so much money for a SCARF is a classic Burberry checked scarf.  So timeless and so pretty - dang it's really sounding like I need a sugar daddy to do some shopping for me!

Something that will come as no surprise to any woman that I yearn for is a pair of Christian Louboutin pumps.  In black and nude, please and thank you.  Another one that I'm almost guarunteed never to own because of the outrageous price tag, but a girl can dream, right?  One time I accidentally went into their boutique in Miami, thinking it was a museum or something, and it was.  A museum for shoes. Gahh it was like heaven.

I've also been thinking about those - absolutely can't live without them in my wardrobe - clothing pieces that I love. Stay tuned!



Office wall art

My office was extremely cell-like when I first moved in and I've slowly been making some changes to help me not feel so terrible about spending hours upon hours there every day. The first big improvement was a new paint color, and recently I made a funky mismatched frame wall to spice things up!

I started by arranging the frames on my floor into a grouping I liked.

Then I took the paper I'd made marks on and taped it up to the wall and put nails in all the right places.

Once the paper came down the frames (and a big W for Wolpers-that's my building) went up!  You can't really see the wall color in these shots, but it's a very nice blue-ish gray that is a vast improvement from the manilla color they used to be.

I love it! From left to right, you see:

• A vintage clock that my Mom had in her first apartment ever
• A mini-frame from Hobby Lobby (50% off of course) with a picture of me and some of my staff members
• A mod-podged frame I did in college with a picture of me and Danny
• A clearance frame from Macy's featuring a shot of me and friends in Miami
• A tiny frame with a very old college pic,
• A glorious gold frame from a thrift store in jeff city featuring one of my favorite pics of me and my cousins
• 2 cheap wal-mart frames in the taupe and silver variety and that's me and Danny then me and my grad school friends in each of them
• An awesome crochet tiger also thrifted locally
• And a recylced wooden frame I scored on sale from Macy's with a picture of the whole fam!
• The lamp and the big W are from Hobby Lobby too...always a favorite for the 50% off sale!

I also found some really pretty fabric at the Hobby Lobby and covered a bulletin board that hangs on the other wall.

Overall I think it's a major improvement! I love having pics of friends and family to look at thought the day instead of just a blank wall.

Quick and cheap bed re-style

Lately I've been so over my messy bed area. Thanks to my mom and a really great deal at target my bedroom recently took a turn for the sleek.

Before...the quilt is one my grandma made me which I love but I really wanted to use my old down comforter instead for a little extra warmth in the winter months.

And after...my mom scored the duvet cover and sham set on clearance and then a couple weeks later I got these awesome modern lamps for $8 each!

I admit it's looking a little sparse and hotel-like right now but all it needs is a cool cover for the headboard and a throw pillow or 2. I'm also working on something to hang on the wall above the bed. Not done yet but definitely coming along!

2012: Dreams come true.

So every year I like to come up with a slogan for the year...sometimes they are silly, but at the same time it helps me keep myself going in a certain direction throughout the year.  And the last 2 years have been shockingly accurate -

2010 was "Get your shit together!" which I came up with alongside a few of the Miami girlfriends who also needed to get their shit together.  And, well, I definitely did.  I even ended the year by finishing my master's degree.  3 out of the 4 of us did in fact!

2011 was "Go big or go home" which I guess half-way came true.  I did spend slightly more than half the year at home with the 'rents, but eventually did go big with the whole big-girl job thing.  And I guess the new b/f adds into that "big"ness. 

And this year my inspiration came from a new friend who had a very silly dream that came true the next day, so I thought it'd be slightly silly but still nice for this year's slogan. (it's the title of this post if you didn't already figure that out.)  Plus as an added benefit it's already kind of happened! I've got the dream job and the dream man, so it shouldn't be too difficult to make the rest of my dreams come true. 

I also like to set some goals for each year, although this year there are quite a few carry-overs from the last because in the midst of finding and then learning how to do the new job I got a bit lazy on other things.  So here we go:

1. Travel somewhere just for fun and just for myself (probably stateside because I don't have too many vacation days) on the cheap.

2. Make or buy then hang art and decor up in my apartment.

3. Finish all the half-read books on my shelf (including the impossible Don Quixote and depressing Cold Mountain).

4. Select and train a new set of student staff members that will kick some Wolpers ass.

5. Add 5 new dishes to my I-can-make-this-without-the-recipe-in-front-of-me repertoire.

6. Be the best sister (and sister-in-law) I can be throughout Daniel & Lindsey's wedding planning process!

7. Use the exercise tools that Danny spent so much thought and money investing in for me.

8. Be on top of my conduct file paperwork by the end of each week.  (I know this sounds lame but it is seriously the 1 part of my job I kind of SUCK at so I really need to get my butt in gear.)

9. Find a church family in Columbia.  Not just a church to go to every once in awhile, a real church home.

10. Sustain the relationships with my far-away friends by talking/skyping on a regular basis.

11. Post to the blog more regularly!


It seems pretty daunting when I look at them all together like that, but I think it's doable.  Especially if I have a dream about it...because...you know...dreams come true!

What are your dreams/goals for 2012? I think it's going to be a fabulous year.

Treasure hunting and finding

Looooooook at all my shiny treasures! I can't believe I scored all this for about $40!! The most expensive thing was $12.50 but they gave us a discount for paying in cash. Gotta love the bf for shelling it all out for me so I could take these lovelies home!

This great silver bag was only 9 bucks and has an awesome art-deco vibe going on.  Not sure at all what time period it comes from, but my googling tells me that it's probably a 60's knock-off of the art-deco style.  I don't care though...

...I mean...look at how precious the inside is!

And this silver belt is also fantastic but has absolutely no labels or markings of any kind but I found a bunch of the same belt on Etsy and they all say it's from the 70s.  I have so many dresses and skirts to wear this with it's stupid.

This purse has to be my favorite of all the treasures - it has a label inside that says "Made in Belgium" and from my internet searching I was able to learn that in the 20's France and Belgium were the top-end producers of these types of beaded bags.  This one has a strap on the back for a belt, and I just think it's precious.  Similar ones people were selling online cost upwards of $70 so for just 10 bucks I'd say I definitely scored here.  Thanks again Danny-face.

And this is the same hat that made an appearance earlier that I snagged for my cousin, Molly, and I have high hopes it'll get used in a vintage wedding inspiration shoot one day! It is in such great condition and I can't wait to see what she does with it!

And here is a shot of all the treasures...guess I was really feeling the cream and silver.  It's such a great color palette. 

I can't wait to do another trip but I must hold off until after Christmas when I have spaces that need decorating and outfits that need accessorizing. Then I'll have an actual excuse to shop for myself again instead of shopping for Xmas presents.  Has anyone else ever gotten this lucky at one of those giant never-ending antique malls? There are so many along I-70 and I always feel overwhelmed and like I could spend hours there.

My little brother is engaged!

The word little should really be in quotes because he outgrew me sometime in high school but he'll always be "little" to me.  But anyway...Daniel made the plunge this weekend and asked his lovely girlfriend, Lindsey, to marry him.  Since she lives in Texas and not nearly all of our very large and all Missouri-located family had met her yet, I decided to take my old party planning skills out of my back pocket and put them to good use for a little engagement soiree.  I stole some things from her Pinterest account for inspiration and then also used the fact that they've taken about a million pics together to make some cute little banners.  I snapped a couple pics before everyone got there so here you go - it's nothing super fancy but I think it turned out pretty sweet - just like the two of them!

It was just champagne and deserts, so this table was the centerpiece of everything.

I also made a little station where people could write them a note for their wedding day. 

Another shot of the table/banner - thanks to the bf for helping me with those banners! I don't have a wider shot of the room because it's still kind of under construction (an addition to my parents' house) but there were two more banners with just pics on the two walls adjoining this one and they took kind of forever to make!

A close-up of the cupcakes (ordered from Hy-vee and delicious!) and a quote stolen from Winnie The Pooh via her Pinterest account.

And here's the happy couple - cue the collective "awwww."

And a little table just for them...that they never once sat down at but at least it looked cute.

And the bf and I attempting to take a pic together (4th or 5th try was a charm) so I could show my matching outfit, but the pic is so dark you can't tell that my dress is purple and my tights are grey too.

I had such a great time planning this for them and I am so overjoyed to be gaining a sister in Lindsey - good job little bro, good job.