Choices

This morning I realized I had two choices.  I have a cold.  I could either take a sick day, or I could take a long shower, do my hair and make-up, put on a pretty outfit, and go to work with a smile.  I chose the second option.  Even the cashier at the cafeteria at work told me I looked pretty today, so it worked.  I still feel sick, but at least it didn't show.

Sweater: Target

Skirt: Heart Moon Star

Belt: Old Navy

Shoes: Naturalizer

Tights, necklace & ring: Forever 21

Yes, I wear fake Ugg boots.

It was cold (for Los Angeles) this morning, so I put on a very comfortable and warm outfit.  Unfortunately the soles fell off of the heels of my tan boots, so I didn't have many matching shoe choices.  I had to pull out the tan fake Ugg boots from Wal-mart.  I've worn the black pair on the blog before, but I don't think they look so bad.  These are really showing their age and poor quality, however, they are still warm and comfortable.  I realize that the sweater and scarf combo makes me look like a chubby snowman, but it was warm and that was my goal.  (And yes, I see that my sweater is missing a button.)

 

Sweater: Victoria's Secret

Scarf: old

Tank: Forever 21

Top & leggings: Target

Boots: Wal-mart

Cruise vacation and holiday decoration pictures are coming soon too!

Vacation!

I'll be away from my blog for about a week.  I'll be taking this...

From here...

To here...

And here...

With my parents for my dad's birthday.

(Carnival Imagination from Miami to Key West and Cozumel)

Rainy Saturday

Ever had one of those days where all you want to wear is an oversized soft t-shirt?  Today was one of those days for me.  It was a chilly rainy Saturday morning, so I didn't want to put on real clothes to run errands.  Also, this is what we call winter in Los Angeles.  If I told you the actual temperature, I may get hate messages from anyone in a real winter climate.  Let's just say that for LA, this is winter, so I take the opportunity to actually wear my wool coat.

 

Dress: Lucky Brand

Tights: American Eagle

Boots: Target

Coat: Wilson's Outlet

Belt: ribbon

Lucky Girl

I am a lucky girl!  Literally!  Now, I subscribe to the magazine Lucky, and I have since high school.  In the back of the issues, there is always a section called Lucky Breaks.  I enter the contests pretty religiously.  This time however...I actually won!  I won a sweater from Left on Houston.  I'll admit, I wasn't too excited about this one when I entered.  It didn't look like me.  However, I was super excited none-the-less because it was a free high end sweater.  Today I got the box in the mail.  Even my building manager was excited for me when I told her what that UPS box held.  Now onto the actual sweater.  It's a very long open cardigan, knee length actually.  It feels like wearing a blanket.  A stylish blanket that makes a statement.  I'm currently wearing it but already in pj's, but I promise I will post a picture eventually of this sweater.  I will definitely be wearing it on my flights next week at least.  If you were on the fence about whether or not to purchase one of these sweaters, I highly recommend you go for it!

Image from Left on Houston's website

Orlando - Day Seven

Wow, I can't believe I spent a whole week in Orlando!  On the final day of the conference, I volunteered to moderate a table at the collegiate luncheon, went to sessions, and attended Celebrate SWE.  I honestly don't even remember what I wore during the day, but the Celebrate SWE event was fairly formal.  On day 8, I finally flew home.  I wore my blue cotton dress and mushroom colored cardigan from Anthropologie with grey tights and black boots (both from Target) on the plane.

Dress: Banana Republic

Cardigan: Division

Shoes: Naturalizer

Tights: Target

Headband: Forever 21

Orlando - Day Six

On Friday, Rachel and I woke up very early and drove out to Cape Canaveral for the shuttle launch, despite being up very late the night before.  Unfortunately, only a few miles outside of the Cape, we found out the launch had been scrubbed again.  We didn't want to turn back, so we continued on, got breakfast at Dunkin Donuts, and met up with Kim from my company, who had organized the bus.  She gave us passes to the KSC visitor center, so we went there for the morning.  I had been already earlier in the week, but we saw different parts this time.  We were in such a rush and running on so little sleep I didn't get to take any outfit pictures.

After returning to Orlando in the afternoon, I quickly changed into another recruiting outfit and worked the career fair a bit.  This day I had to wear a black mock turtleneck with my pencil skirt.  I kept it unzipped at the neck, and the collar folded down.  I wore the shirt untucked because it was a thicker athletic type material, but I tied a pink ribbon at my waist.  Again, no outfit picture because I was in such a rush.  After all of the recruiting was done, I finally had time to get an outfit photo!  I changed into a third outfit, this time to go out to dinner with friends.  Rachel took my photo while we waited on the elevator in the hotel.

Dress: American Eagle

Cardigan: Division

Boots & belt: Target

Orlando - Day Five

Thursday was the first full day of the SWE annual conference, WE10.  I went to sessions and a company meeting in the morning and early afternoon, then changed into recruiting gear for the evening's career fair and hospitality suites.  It was a very long and tiring day.  For sessions, I wore a comfortable dress and warm cardigan with the most comfortable heels ever.  As for the recruiting outfit...it's dorky, I know, but the polo is required.  The company said we had to wear black pants or skirt with it, so I made the best of the situation with a high waisted pencil skirt jazzed up with a ribbon bow.

 

Dress & cardigan: Anthropologie

Shoes: Naturalizer

Belt: Target

Headband: Cost Plus World Market

Earrings: artist in SF

Polo: from my company (my hair is covering the company logo)

Skirt: Forever 21

Belt: ribbon

Shoes: Clarks

Gilt Sale Find

Last night I went to the Gilt Warehouse sale in Hollywood and a friend's birthday and housewarming party.  I wanted to be warm in case the party was outside, so I wore tights.  Luckily the party was inside his apartment this year.  My friend's new place is on the 26th floor of a building in the heart of downtown, so I ended up outside on the balcony a lot anyways!

Dress & tights: Forever 21

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Boots: Target

Today I wore my purchase from the Gilt Warehouse sale last night...with a super comfy outfit.  I purchased a Rosena Sammi bracelet for $25 and the original price was marked as $150!  I just love the peridot stones and intricate details.

Tunic: American Eagle

Leggings: Target

Shoes: Clarks

I let my hair stylist pick my hair color...

And I love my new hair color!  I am so glad I trust Jana's instincts.  She picked out a darker, fiery red mixed with brown.  It shines red in the sun.  Unfortunately I didn't have any sun on my balcony today.  I initially wanted straight bangs, but she suggested that I try out the side bangs for a few days first.  I can come back in to get them cut short later if I still want them.  Let me know if you like them long and to the side or if you think I should go for straight bangs instead.

Tunic: Urban Outfitters

Leggings & belt: Forever 21

Shoes: Cynthia Vincent for Target

Orlando - Day Four

On Wednesday I worked, switched hotels, checked into the conference, went out to dinner with SWE-LA, and went to IceBar for drinks and dancing.  It was a great day!  I took this outfit picture right before bed.

Dress: American Eagle

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Boots: Target

Earrings: Savannah Art Market

This guy tried to say hello outside the convention center after I picked up my registration for the conference.

My second hotel room had a great view! ...of the other convention center building.

And proof that IceBar is really made of ice.  That chair was really cold by the way.

Orlando - Day Three

On day three I worked from my hotel room during the day, but Rachel and I went to Epcot in the evening. It was the 15th annual Epcot Food & Wine Festival.  For $25 each, we ate our way around the countries sampling different appetizers, drinks, and desserts.  The highlights of the night were beef & corn pie, cherry colada, Irish cheese plate, and Bailey's chocolate lava cake.  We really only had two bad dishes - a seafood stew in which the shrimp had been so overcooked they had turned to grainy paste-y awfulness and a frozen strawberry balsamic vodka drink.  Thankfully we had so many other great dishes that it didn't matter that we had 2 bad things.  It rained almost the whole time we were at Epcot, so I was thankful I had thought to bring some leggings and an umbrella.  No pictures of the food because it was raining and we were too excited to eat it.

Tank & belt: Target

Leggings: Forever 21

Cardigan: Division

Shoes: Cynthia Vincent for Target

Orlando - Day Two

On my first full day in Florida, I drove out to Cocoa Beach to meet up with my company for a VIP tour of Kennedy Space Center.  I wanted to look professional despite the warm temperatures and casual dress code.

 

Top: Target

Jeans: Lucky

Blazer: H&M

Shoes: Clarks

And some proof that I actually got to see some awesome parts of Kennedy Space Center.  First up, a model of the ISS.

Second, check out how close we got to the launch pad!  The shuttle was enclosed, but you can see the tank and solids.  The squinty-eyed photo is totally worth it to be that close to the space shuttle.

And of course, I had to zoom in!

After the all day tour of KSC, I met up with some friends and co-workers to go out to dinner and drinks at Downtown Disney.

Tank, skirt & belt: Target

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Shoes: Cynthia Vincent for Target

Earrings: a farmers' market

Orlando - Day One

Last week I went to Orlando for a week for the STS-133 space shuttle launch and WE10, the Society of Women Engineers annual conference.  It was a very busy week, but I did manage to get a few outfit pictures.  I also picked up a nasty cold or flu bug while traveling, so I haven't felt up to editing all my photos yet.  All I've managed are just the outfits.  Here's what I wore on the first day of travel, which was actually Halloween.  I wore layers for the cold plane but just wore the dress to dinner in Florida.  I also wore black cat earrings as a nod to the holiday.

 

Dress: American Eagle

Cardigan: Anthropologie

Tights, socks, & boots: Target

Sandals: Cynthia Vincent for Target