I finally organized my closets

I'm home sick today, so I decided to post photos of the closets I organized a few weeks ago.

Closets... as in two. For me. Yep!

My jacket/scarf/shoes/necklace closet first:



This closet is so cool- it's the staircase to the upper floor of this house, which is now sealed off because there is now a separate apartment upstairs. Not separate enough though... we could tell when she got a boyfriend before we saw the guy.

Behind the jackets:



Now for the big time: my bedroom closet:



I think it was once a china closet and I'm betting my bedroom was the dining room. There's a door to the kitchen, with glass french doors into the entry room. The closet is a walk-in, but only a couple steps.

So for a better look... the left:



The upper shelf filled with cute purses I don't carry much anymore, due to lifestyle changes:



I'm using this bar to rotate my tops, so I don't wear the same few every week. I read that tip online somewhere, and I've been employing it for several weeks with some success. I just put the clean stuff from the laundry on the "already worn" bar. It's nearly bare now because I'm restarting the cycle:



Yes, that is a window!

I can actually see the floor now! Yay me!

Gumby and your 7th Grade English teacher had a baby

And here she is:



While these pants are the most flattering I own... they make my tiny feet disappear!

I broke one of my usual fashion rules, which is "no necklaces over turtlenecks". The last time I did it, it got pretty good reviews. But this time, I feel like it's ageing me. Your thoughts?



A quick closeup of the necklace to refresh your memory (or to show the newbies!):



I finally remembered what the stones are: fossilized coral.

And the coordinating earrings (the set was made by me at the local bead shop one day when I got bored):



The fuzzy jacket paired with a sweater is, at the least, pleasantly warm.



Sweater: VanHusen outlet
Jacket: VanHusen outlet
Pants: Lane Bryant
Shoes: Bass outlet
Jewelry: made by me with a pendant gift from Mom

VOTE: Should I return this sweater?

I liked it, but Hubby thinks the buttons only at the top make it seem like it doesn't fit at the botton, rather than as a design element.



My thought was to use it as a jacket-substitute, with longer sleeves and a collar on a shirt underneath.



So I need your opinions... don't be shy or too "nice". This is $65 in controversy, so if I'm keeping it, it better be worth it!



And yes, I am wearing makeup but otherwise sloppy "house clothes". We were going out, but decided Stinky is too sick.

Outdoor Holiday Festival

Hubby, Stinky, and I met with a couple people from the Meetup.com group to go to an outdoor holiday festival. The sensible ones stayed home. Brrrr!

I layered up a bit, but it should have been more... what I really looked like for most of the evvvvennnninng brrrr:



The indoor look underneath the fabulous fake-fur coat, for the shopping stops that resulted in two sweaters and an umbrella after Hubby, Stinky, and one of the girls from meetup couldn't take it any more:



Sorry about the rotten photo quality, but Hubby was just headed back out the door to meet up with his buddies. And yes, I wore the purse under the coat!

I accessorized, but I don't believe anyone could see it under the sleeves.



Stinky actually helped me with the bracelet clasp today- sometimes it's handy having him around!

Or the hair:



Even though I wore my comfy Ariats, my feet are killing me. Owwww!

Top: butchered VanHusen outlet
Sweater: VanHusen outlet
Jeans: Lane Bryant
Shoes: Ariat
Earrings: JC Penney
Bracelet: I think I found it somewhere... a bar, maybe?
Purse: random store in Paris, France
Coat: Jones New York via Macy's
Gloves: Merona from Target
Hat: made by Mom

Friend Friday with a scarf

I'm trying to break out at least one scarf per week, but Hubby says he hasn't seen one in a while. This one is really a blank from a scarf-painting kit I never got around to trying out:



Yup, terrible lighting again! We were really slammed all day with stuff that all had to be done TODAY, and I snagged one of the secretaries on her way out the door. Is it a full moon? That's generally when the crazies come out. Anyway... here is a zoom-out, just for a better view of the top:



Edited to add: If I seem a bit scattered today, I was! Busy day at work, and a housefull of sick males at home. Calgon, take me away! Just kidding...

Top: Alfani via Macy's
Pants: Lane Bryant
Scarf: from a kit
Earrings: Art show in Kalamazoo, MI

Now for Friend Friday:

Check out ModlyChic for other participants' answers!

1. How many hours a week do you spend blogging? Has that number changed since you started blogging?

Usually less than 1 hr per day. I commandeer coworkers or Hubby for quickie photos, and crop, border, and upload them from my phone. Some days I spend a little more time crafting my words, many days I just toss up the photos with stream-of-consciousness text while waiting for my cases to be called in court.

2. There is always more you can do, write, read, comment on... how do you limit your time spent on these tasks?

It has nothing to do with me limiting my time, my life limits my time....

3. Have you experienced Blogger burnout yet? How have you dealt with that?

Not yet, but I'm still pretty new, and taking a lot of lessons from my blogging.

4. This time of the year is always a lot busier than any other time. Will your blogging change as a result?

Beats me- guess we shall see....

5. Could you forsee a moment in which you are not blogging anymore? How would you you identify that it's time to walk away?

Sure-- when I get bored, find myself posting too many repeats, or just get too busy to continue.

Raiding my Space Bags

I finally got this jacket back from the cleaners, after raiding the Space Bags for clothing I've shrunken back into:



I had court and office work all day, then a bar association party in the evening, so I decided black would transition well.

It was part of a suit, but the skirt never fit me. I decided to follow my inspiration from other blogs, and actually wear the matching belt in a way not intended by the designer. The jacket is still too small to button up, and I removed the string beltloops ages ago.



Hubby thought I should show a side view... not really sure why, but OK:



The jacket, obviously, is crucial to the outfit... I just love the texture of the jacket fabric:



I love the contrast of the ruffles with the jacket tweedy fabric... but I'm glad they are black. White or purple would be "too cute" IMO.



And I broke out the big shiny earrings I'm still trying to get used to.

Jacket and belt: Gianni Petite via consignment shop
Pants: Lane Bryant
Earrings: Lia Sophia

November Recap

While reviewing my photos trying to choose my "outstanding" outfits for the month, my mind went in a different direction. "What have I learned this month?" Hmmm...

My face is lopsided. Much more so than I thought. Not much I can do about that, though. So concentrating on what I can fix:

I'm not liking some of my formerly favorite clothes as much as I thought I did. My "trusty Lane Bryant Houston" pants come in too much at the knee to be flattering after all:



*sigh* So right now, the only flattering(ish) pants I have are my brown "nubby" pants. Which Baby Sis says make my feet disappear.



And I'm between sizes right now, with my old pants too tight still, and the ones I'm wearing hanging off me. Grreeeat....

I liked the VanHusen outlet solid button-downs, especially the 3/4 sleeves with french cuffs. But I now don't like how the fabric rumples during the day, especially at the button placket. The color fades quickly, too... especially around the edges-- and I'm not about to dry-clean my cotton shirts!



I'm also thinking I really prefer a v-neck to a regular button-down shirt. I don't like the way the fabric flops around, hiding my pretty necklaces and rumpling under my lapels. See how much better this collar looks under the jacket:



Not nearly so messy-looking! I tried the "collar over the lapel" look pre-blog, but decided it made my neck look too short.

What else have I been noticing? I'm still a "snooze abuser", leading to many bad-hair days.

On the upside, I have put a lot more thought into accessorizing since my last recap, and really have been trying to use what I already had- but haven't been wearing. I've also just started getting a little experimental... within the limits of my profession, of course.

I consider this outfit my triumph:



And curling my lashes really helps keep my mascara from smudging on the outer corner of my eye. Am I going to be one of those ladies that needs an eye lift to see properly because my eyes get so hooded? At least insurance might pay for it then....

Most of my (very little) shopping has been for filling in gaps. I have worn every recent purchase. And I'm rotating clothes in my closet now, to make sure I wear more of what I own.

No outfit post today- I wore a repeat seen HERE and HERE.

So bad days aside, I think I'm coming along.