A Pencil Skirt Life

I've hardly had time to snap any outfit photos over the past few weeks, and what I have photographed has been pretty poor-quality as I've been in a rush.  I'm kind of going through a phase where style is not as interesting to me, though I've got good outfits to fall back on. I think that's partly because I've been focusing my energies so heavily on (unfruitful) job searching right now, so what I'm wearing is taking a backseat except for during job interviews.
(As for job searching - it's the same story.  Resume is doing its job as I am getting invitations to many phone interviews and in person interviews; I interview well; but my actual experience is not deep enough to shine, and I cannot get the needed experience unless I leave my current company.)

#1: Black tights and pumps, green and black marbled Michael Kors dress, black and green cardigan
#2: Dark JAG bootcut jeans, burgundy patent pumps, burgundy, black, and citron patterned shell, gray jacket from suit
#3: Dark JAG bootcut jeans, black and white peplum top, cameo brooch, leopard print pumps

However, I also have some cute photos of my sweet Boo and Blinkin to share.
The girls are VERY active, but it is so tricky to get quality photos of them when they are awake - instead, I try to keep my camera handy for when they doze off.  They are so funny and have grown to be very comfortable with us.
Just so I don't over-spam the forum, if you are interested to see my ratties in action, I have a bunch of videos up on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/177639/videos

This past week, Seattlites were treated to some truly beautiful weather without rain, which is such a treat at this time of year.  (The gray and the rain are soon to return, but I'm grateful for the welcome break.)  Having cloudless, sunny afternoons really put me in the mood to rock some coral this week:

1. Coral bird-printed tee with ruched sleeves, cobalt knit pencil skirt, orange pumps, coral beaded necklace with turquoise and gold bumbleebee brooch.

2-3: Coral patterned wrap dress (another Tahari dress in the same cut as this favorite item); white demi-camisole; faux-coral pendant on a silver chain; orange pumps; faded denim button-down jacket.

For those of you who are interested in a follow-up to some of my other recent posts, I'll add a brief update in the comments section.

As some of you may have seen from my earlier thread, last week I stumbled across a fantastic suit at Nordstrom, photographed in #1-2 below.  It's a gray and black very small microchecked suit; the two-button jacket hits at mid-hip and has a slight peplum in the back that's really well shaped to my waist, and the material is silky and light, and doesn't wrinkle very easily.  I haven't had occasion to wear the full suit at work yet, but wore the outfit pictured sans blazer (a breezy cobalt blue pussycat bow longsleeved blouse, nude micro-fishnet hose, and burgundy patent pumps) to work and got a TON of compliments the following day about the skirt.

#3 is an outfit featuring a white zip-up blouse, burgundy skirt, burgundy net hose, and the aforementioned pumps.  I also added a golden monarch butterfly brooch that quite literally was a toy that I used to play with as a kid.

#4 is a weekend outfit - dark blue and white floral print knit pencil skirt, cobalt blue V-neck shell, houndstooth owl pendant on a chain, and nude wedge sandals.  It was near 70 degrees this past Sunday, which is EXTREMELY rare at this time of year in Seattle!

Finally, just because I'm a proud rattie mom (or crazy rat lady - I'll answer to either) I've added a bunch of pictures of my sweet Boo and Blinkin.

I've been enjoying a low-key morning, sipping tea and giggling at my girls, who are currently squirming all over my shoulders!

Yesterday B. and I joined our friends for some St. Patrick's Day festivities at Kells, which is an Irish pub by Pike Place Market in Seattle.  (Today is of course the ACTUAL holiday, but we typically prefer to do our celebratin' on a Saturday so that those who imbibe heavily can have a day to recuperate.  For the record, I'm not one of them!)

Last year we went to Kells for their day-of St. Patrick's Day shindig, so we got these souvenir tee shirts.  I chose to wear mine with my Jag pull-on bootcuts, pewter loafers, and cobalt blue knit blazer, and threw on a faux-celtic knot necklace for fun.  

I can't remember the last time I wore an actual standard tee shirt for anything except exercise or bed!  Being busty and heavy, I know it's not my best look, but it was fun to branch out and be a bit of a rule-breaker for the day.  At least the flattering cut of the jeans and blazer made me feel polished.

My hair is still a bit damp in these photos.  The stylist that I've been seeing for the past year and a half (at the same salon that Angie visits, but a different lady) did such an incredible job with my beloved choppy layers the last time that I went in for a cut that I've been letting my hair drip-dry with some finger-srunching and Redken Guts sprayed into the roots.   I love having such an easy wash-and-wear style!  When I feel like spending more time, I can of course play up the choppiness with some product, but that's easiest on blow-dried hair.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, all!  

I swear that I'm not constantly going to spam the forum with pet pictures, but they are so sweet while sleeping that I couldn't resist just this once.

Boo and Blinkin like to sleep curled up on top of one another, and even a few days into pet ownership, Blinkin eventually relaxes enough that I can get her to fall asleep in our arms-sometimes on her back with feet in the air as pictured here. She twitches when I tickle her tummy, but usually doesn't wake up. Boo usually stays awake but snuggles up with her sister. When both are awake, Boo's favorite perch is on our shoulders so she can stay still and look out at the world.

They are so sweet, and I hope they stay cuddly as they grow up.

Thanks for indulging me!

I mentioned in my most recent on-topic thread that B. and I had decided to add a pair of rats to our household, and we did! We have two girls named Blinkin and Boo. They are babies and at this point everything is new and scary (they have been in our home less than 2 days) but even in a matter of hours they have proved to be really fast learners and very sweet little ladies.

Anyway, that's the news!

(Edited to add: since there was a question about it, the reason I was wearing my robe was actually to wear it over my clothes! I wanted to wear an item that smells a lot like me so that they would get used to my scent. Also, it protects my clothes from any happy little accidents or presents that the rats choose to leave behind. They are babies, after all.)

Hi, folks! I did not mean to take a temporary hiatus from YLF, but life intervened and it just kind of happened. What's new?

I wish I could say that my absence was due to something wonderful and exciting, but that wasn't the case - and it wasn't due to anything particularly awful, although work has become really sad and stressful once again in the past few weeks. My direct team is reducing staff and one of my favorite coworkers is leaving the company. But I have a job, at least for now, and I've started searching in earnest.

B recently celebrated a birthday, and we went out with some friends to local pubs and eateries. I wore my JAG pull-on bootcut jeans, a cobalt blue pussycat bow blouse, turquoise pumps, hammered metal earrings from B, and bronze beads. I'm loving cobalt blue these days. It wasn't raining so I just used my cognac leather jacket for warmth when dashing from the car to the bar. Had a great time, though since I wake up at about 5 or 5:30 AM, staying out until 2 AM is haaaard.

B. and I are also thinking of making an addition to our household. In the long term we definitely want a dog, but right now the time isn't quite right with my long commute across the lake. In the short term, we're seriously thinking about getting two rats.

I've noticed that rats can be sort of polarizing pets - people either know how wonderful they are and love them, or they are just grossed out by the idea. For those of you who are unfamiliar with them (I had rats as pets when I was a kid), they are more or less the "dogs" of the small animal world. They are intelligent and affectionate. YouTube is full of videos from owners showing how they have trained their rats to respond to verbal commands - coming when they are called, playing fetch, doing tricks. I never trained my childhood pets to do anything so elaborate, but I could trust them not to run off when I put them on the floor - I'd click my tongue and they would come running, and they loved to snuggle in the hood or pocket of my sweatshirt.

We would definitely get a pair, because rats are very social animals and tend to get lonely or stressed when they are solo pets. I'm thinking that Blinkin and Dill would make cute rat names (one from B's and my jointly favorite movie, and one from my favorite book. Bonus points if you can name both!)

So, that's the idea for the short term.

How's everybody doing lately? I have so much catching up to do!

I FINALLY found a pair of jeans that I like this year (so far, just one solitary pair.) They are the JAG jeans that are pull-on style - I tried some this summer that were not the right cut to slide on over my hips, but this particular cut seems to love my body.

So I decided to revisit my favorite 70's style combination with some tried and true items (brown braided belt and silver pendant necklace) and some newer pieces (these jeans, knit cobalt blue blazer, and pewter loafers.

Truth be told, wearing a dress or a skirt *is* much more comfortable on my frame, but so far these jeans are a huge improvement over the type with a zipper. No extra bulk at the midsection! A high waist that I can cover up with a wide belt (as long as I'm wearing a blazer over it!) And due to the high waist... the jeans STAY PUT WHEN I SIT DOWN AND STAND UP. It's amazing. I haven't had to play tug-of-war once trying to keep these jeans from slithering down my hips. Color me impressed!

A few days ago Astrid started this post on the forum about home decor and her move toward minimalism, which got me thinking about how my own style journey has developed hand in hand with my interior-design-in-an-apartment-on-a-budget style. Here is the original thread:

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....minimalism

My response was long enough that I decided I wanted to preserve it in my blog for posterity:

"My personal style and my home decor preferences developed hand in hand, I think. And part of that reason is that around the time I was reading YLF, I had recently graduated from college. However, I lived at home with my parents for several years, so while I was starting to explore and then hone my wardrobe, ideas about how I wanted my own physical space to look were marinating in my mind for years before I finally moved out on my own. By that time I knew just how I wanted my tiny apartment to be decorated, and I loved it.

"My home style and my wardrobe style are similar, but there are differences. For example, I have a lot of chocolate brown wood and suede furniture in my home - not a color that I wear very often. Some of the bright colors in my home - spiced orange, apple green, pale turquoise - are lighter and less saturated or rich than the colors I typically wear.

"But I still would bet that you could step into my home and see how my preferences for decor translate into what I wear. I try to bring light in where I can - small mirrors on the walls, flameless candles that I can turn on with the click of a button, fabric-covered lamps that give out a soft and warm light. You'll see my love for patterns (though they tend to be more organic than geometric) and there is definitely a large dollop of whimsy in what I accessorize with. The colors are bright and cheerful. I like to display knicknacks that I find beautiful or that are sentimental, but I've learned to be more sparse and choosy in what I display. I want my belongings to look like they harmonize and belong together, but I don't want them to look stiff or merely display-like. I actually use those teacups, the Gurgle Pot, the high-heel-shaped tape dispenser, and those Vera Bradley pencils over my desk. I reference those cookbooks that flank the picture frames in my dining room. I try to build in little alcoves for some of my prettier hardcover books - on my desk, under the TV, on a small shelf behind the couch with the curly bamboo plants on the top shelf. I want my space to look approachable and lived-in, but cultured and not messy or stuffed to the brim. It's kind of a careful, organized clutter, if that makes sense!"

I've included a couple detail shots of my favorite alcoves at home that I think illustrates my point. Based on my clothing style, I think you'll see me in the details here.

#1: My desk, with colorful glass items up on top, and a carefully arranged miscellaneous collection of teacups, candles, frames, boxes, patterned pencils, a tape dispenser shaped like a bright red high heeled Mary Jane, and other doodads that I decided I'd most enjoy looking at while typing. My Griffin and Sabine books are on the bottom shelf to the right of my monitor. Just out of the right hand frame of my photo on the floor by my desk is a tall glass vase filled with pebbles and tall twisted wicker branches. When I look to the right of my desk I see our large floor length windows overlooking the courtyard and this small mirror with a tea candle sconce.

#2: My reading nook behind the couch (the short bookcase houses some of my collection) with my sister's and grandmother's artwork on the wall. Out in the hallway across from our bedroom we have two tall bookshelves housing most of my collection, flanked by picture frames or little objects. My favorite: a framed, letter pressed "birthday card" from my sister (I blurred my last name on purpose) and in front, dueling action figures. We have my Jane Austen, quill in hand, fending off B's Penny Arcade action figure that I will call the "FF2K: Pulp" figure (he has another official, ruder name that a bit of Googling easily reveals.) I also tucked away some colorful boxes and a bowl with nice hardcover books under our TV in the entertainment unit.

You can see a larger view of some of the rooms in our home here, shortly after we had just unpacked. It still looks pretty similar today, with the addition of some new furniture (including a better, bigger couch that is still chocolate brown suede.)

http://pencilskirtlife.lookfab.....-new-space

I finally packed up the last of the Christmas decorations today (sad face.) Since my living room is now devoid of sparkle I thought I'd add a bit in my outfit instead.

Emerald pleated ponte knit skirt
Teal scoop neck sweater
Teal sparkly beaded/braided necklace (Christmas gift from B's parents)
Gold and turquoise bumblebee pendant (it has emerald eyes too)
Pewter snakeskin pumps

I'm on my way to visit with my friend and her daughter and catch up on Season 3 of Downton Abbey. Well, catch up is a misnomer - we're one episode behind, so no spoilers!