Layer love

Layer love, originally uploaded by Cohabitating_Closet.

Happy Wednesday. I am running 10 minutes late (which isn't a huge deal) but I must run to catch the express train anon. I wore this dress to the first day of class, and I'm happy to layer it with a button down. The only drawback is when I tailored this $2 thrifted number, the arm pits turned out kinda funny. I'll just be careful when I gesticulate in class (or throw on the office blazer).
The big news for today is that I've decided to splurge on a shiatsu massage tonight after class. This is a rare, once a year/once a semester at most occurrence for me (it will be $90 after a tip, although that's very good for NYC), but I am feeling really stuck, physically and emotionally. I am hoping that having a petite woman walk on my back and sit in a sauna after teaching tonight will do the trick. I've been doing yoga pretty regularly, but I hold a lot of tension in my back, and that all just needs to go away, by a professional.
What about you, StyleNation? Anything you like to do as a way to mentally recharge/start again?
The sun is shining after 3 days of grey and I have a feeling this will be a pretty good day.

(Special message to A-Dubs: I've had these Ecco flats since late 2008, a major shoe splurge post-moving to NYC. They are not comfortable but they work for a brisk walk to work!)

Dress: thrifted and tailored by me
Shirt: JCrew, swapped
Tights: Uniqlo
Shoes: Ecco

New Beginnings

This is my Monday outfit.  It was my second day participating in Blogging for Breast Cancer aWEARness, although the only piece of pink in this outfit is the pink brooch.  One nice thing about this outfit is that it's mostly remixed, which I do a lot, but it never seems to happens on days that I'm actually blogging.

Edited to add:

I haven't mentioned this before, but things at my job have been kind of strange as of late.  In July, we were told that our company was bought.  The sale was finalized at the close of business on Friday, so as of yesterday, I was working for a whole new company.  I'm very thankful to still have a job (but to be fair, they haven't had to "reduce redunancies" yet, or whatever the corporate term for that is), and it's likely that I'll survive any lay-offs since only 5 people in my company do my job, and the new company doesn't do our work at all.  I guess there's something to be said for being highly specialized.  But it's pretty weird to think that the company that hired me when I was new to Chicago and had my shiny new Bachelor's degree and no experience, the only company that gave me a chance, doesn't exist anymore.  But, such is business in this economy.

I won't be posting an outfit again until Friday.  I'm working from home today and Thursday, and tomorrow I'm volunteering with Habitat for Humanity through work, and there's nothing stylish about that :)

Have a nice week, Stylenation!

Sweater: Loft (remixed)

Pants: New York & Company (remixed)

Scarf: Embellish Chicago

Brooch: Etsy (remixed)

Shoes: Loft (remixed)

Sweaterday

First, I just realized that Anne's Friday post was our 200th post! Thanks to everyone who stops by our humble home on the StyleNation blogosphere. We really appreciate the community that has developed over your blogs and our blog. Yeay!

Yesterday, inspired by Style Underdog, I packed away my summer stuff and took out my winter stuff. I have a lot of clothes. I was supposed to pick out stuff to donate, but instead, I stuffed it back into our little closet. I can figure that out later, right? Also, I decided that this clothing chore made yesterday a very productive day, even if my writing goals may not have been met. A girl has got to dress, right?
I maybe jumped the gun on wearing the fuzzy cold weather gear. I was a bit warm on the crowded subway today in my "light" wool. But as I round out month number 3 (?) of GAAD (I started the 3 week of July), I am happy to have "new" clothes to play with.
Hmm... upon photographic inspection, I do believe this would have benefited from a belt. Mental note for next time. Also, my experiment of showering in the evening to save me 20 minutes (I get cold in the fall, preheat, and have to shiver in my robe for 10 minutes) in the morning seems to have had undesired effects of creating a more "windblown" look than usual. Perhaps I should consider some sort of hair product.

Cynthia once asked about my huge suitcases full of seasonal clothes. Here they are. In my defense, I also have special occasion clothes in here that don't deserve to take up closet space (my shalwar kameez, or my cat halloween outfit, for example).

And here's my hurricane of seasonal clothes changing. (I may have held onto a few of these items that I can wear with layers for the next month or so.)
Hope you had a productive and fun weekend. Happy Monday, StyleNation!

Sweater: Uniqlo
Jersey Dress: H&M
Shoes: Ecco
Necklace: gift

October Already?

Can you believe it's October already? Egads, Stylenation, where did September go?  Apologies for the terrible photo today.  I had just enough time to take 3 pictures this morning before scampering off to catch my 7:45 train.  It was still a little dark out (how is it already that time of year??) and, as I've mentioned before, the lighting in our apartment is pretty awful.  I'm going headless today because, frankly, my 7am look isn't too hot.  And, as A-Dubs pointed out to me, headless photos are so much easier!  They really are.  So that, and  my cup of coffee, make this an A-Dubs tribute photo (it's a little too early for wine, even by my standards).

You'll note this outfit is almost totally lacking in accessories.  There's enough sparkle between the sweater and the tank that I thought adding anything else would just be overload.  Even my coffee cup is plain and boring so as not to detract from the rest of the ensemble.  And what can you pair with sequins anyway?

This month, I'm participating in Blogging for Breast Cancer aWEARness over at A Working Mom's Closet.  We all, no doubt, know someone who has been affected by breast cancer.  My grandma and my assistant-turned-friend at work have both fought and beat breast cancer within the past few years, so I always keep them in mind come October.  This challenge is to wear something pink every day (or in my case, every day that I blog).  At first I thought this might be difficult for me, because if you asked me, my favorite colors are blue and green, far cries from pink.  But when I noticed that today's outfit is just the inverse of Tuesday's outfit, and that I wore some variation of pink and grey yesterday (and burgundy and black on Wednesday), well, it seems I like pink more than I thought.  Which I say while listening to my hot pink iPod with black and pink headphones, and sipping out of my pink water bottle.  Who knew?

Anyway, have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend!

Cardigan & tank: Loft

Jeans: Gap

Boots: Kohl's (which I actually changed to my Privo flats since it's supposed to be 75 today and thus, not quite boot weather)

Watch: Anne Klein, gifted

Coffee: Stewart's, made in Chicago :)

Waiting and Wednesday

This is what I wore to work yesterday.  I snapped a couple quick pictures when I got home from work last night (this is the first one I took, and I'm amazed that it actually turned out).  I mentioned a few weeks back that my fella and I bought new furniture for our living room and dining room.  It's being delivered today, and we just found out last night that the delivery crew does not take away old furniture, as we had previously been told.  So last night we spent the entire evening clearing out our old furniture and cleaning the apartment in preparation for the new stuff.  Needless to say, I'm pretty sore today.  We have to wait about a week for a charitable resale shop to come and pick up the old furniture, so it's currently stuffed into our second bedroom, which often serves as Rad's room when she visits.

I started writing this while I was waiting for the delivery guys, and the apartment looked like this:

They have since come and gone, and I've arranged everything, and now it looks like this...

...and this

Style Underdog posted somewhat recently about dressing to match your home's decor.  So I guess I should be investing in more brown.

But enough gushing over furniture, I'll get back to the outfit - the coolest part of it is by far the tights.  I thought it was finally good weather for tights here, but of course it ended up being close to 80 yesterday.  But they're so cute, I don't really care.

Sweater: The Limited

Tank: H&M

Skirt: Target

Tights: Target

Shoes: Kohl's

Earrings & Necklace: New York & Company

Faux summer days

Greetings from TCC Northeast (yes, we are riffing off our buddies at IPF, who have so many regions covered). While it's been cool enough to wear tweed pants in the Great Lakes area, today, the subway is air conditioned to a frigid temp. And there are shorts, sandals, and lots of mild summer in the city type outfits on the streets. It took me way too long to get dressed this morning, as I could not find the pants I had in mind (hence I am taking the office outfit shot. The lack of any natural light and the greenish glow of the overhead lights are part of the charm of working in a converted midtown shoe factory space). Since I commuted with this bright magenta folder out of the bag, and I've been drowning in my usual neutrals, I'm using my prop as a pop of color. (Taking prop cues from Style Underdog and A-Dubs). All the pieces of this outfit are from my 6xAugust challenge. I guess when I was pressed for time, old standards work in a pinch.
I am giving myself until the end of next week to really learn my students' names (I have about 90 so that's no small feat). Blokey has about 65, and he knows them already. How? He takes his time when he calls roll (we are legally supposed to take attendance). I tend to rush through, but he makes mental notes about students names during that time. Why is he so smart?

Also, for your viewing pleasure, what Buster likes to do on my lap in the mornings (when Blokey isn't there because he's teaching):


Shirt: Rodarte for Target
Cardigan: Jcrew (thrifted)
Skirt: Muji
Shoes: Aerosoles (thrifted)
Bag: Brooklyn Industries
Folder: Office Max
(posters from Northern Sun)

Playing Tourist

I had a nice day not working and hanging out downtown with my brother yesterday.  I don't usually post my non-work outfits, but I am this time because it includes my super versatile cardigan.  I've actually worn it a few times since my original post, so it is proving to be just as versatile as I thought.  I said I could make at least 12 outfits with the sweater, so here is outfit #2.  

Cardigan: Target

Tee: Loft

Jeans: Gap

Shoes: Privo

Scarf: New York & Company

Watch: Kohl's (c. 2004)

Since it's a pretty simple outfit, I don't have a lot to say about it.  Instead, enjoy this shot of downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan, as seen from the Shedd Aquarium.

Have a nice day, everyone!