Day 116: Camping in Old City

Okay, I admit it. I need some variety in my sweater collection. I have this brown one, the black one I already wore, a white one I haven't worn yet, and I think Betsy has the pink one right now. They're not all exactly the same, but you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the styles. Do you think I could add some elbow patches on this one to add a bit of excitement?

These photos were taken in front of the window display of the store called Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.

To work through my wardrobe, I was wearing this outfit with a light-weight (summery) zip-up melon-colored hoodie overtop. It wasn't a great look, which means I think it's time to get rid of that top.  One time in college a girl was wearing that hoodie and I didn't realize until later that I had the same one.

Hat: Gift from Mom, From Etsy

Sweater: Gap

Jeans: Old Navy

Boots: Gift from Mom, Marshalls

Day 115: Bride (of Frankenstein)

As I was brainstorming for my Halloween costume, there was one thing I knew: I had to wear my wedding dress.  This is the dress I wore for my wedding reception, but since my mom has my ceremony dress at her house, it doesn't count for my project. My mom wore that dress for her wedding, so it's already been worn twice--actually, three times, because she also made me wear it for the reception my parents' church hosted for me--which is more use than most wedding dresses have gotten.  I'm struggling to have opportunities to wear several of the more formal dresses I own, but I knew this one would prove most difficult. So here we have: Bride of Frankenstein! I really lucked out because Steph's mom was Bride of Frankenstein in the past, so she let me borrow the wig! I have no idea what I would have done without the signature hairstyle, since it would have been so difficult to attempt without the wig. So thank you, Mrs. Consoli!

You can't tell from these photos, but Gill and Joe (flowerpot and Rocky Balboa) hosted a fun party on Saturday night! I did not make myself proud while playing pong, but at least everyone knows how good I am at flipcup. That's right--I played beer pong in my wedding dress! Don't tell Gill how easy this costume was for me to put together, or she might rescind the "Most Effort" award we received!

I don't know whether to be proud or ashamed, but this dress is from the David's Bridal prom line.

Day 114: Warmth

I'm really working through my sweater collection already. I don't necessarily wear one at a time, and I like to wear big ones, like this yellow one, around the house and to sleep in at night. I almost always wake up uncomfortable from the warmth of a sweater like this, but it's worth it for the pre-bedtime hours. I have two yellow Ralph Lauren sweaters: one was my mom's sister's, and the other was my dad's dad's, so they are a special sentimental component of my wardrobe.  On Friday, I wore the yellow sweater (with the scarf pictured below) while tidying the house and to the Italian Market, and then changed into the blue cardigan for dinner at Amis to celebrate October birthdays.  I still couldn't take off that scarf though: I see what Dave loves about it!

Yellow sweater: Was Aunt Kim's, Ralph Lauren

Blue Sweater: TJ Maxx

Jeans: Tommy Hilfiger via TJ Maxx

Socks and boots: Gift from Mom, Boots from Marshalls

Scarf: Dave's, from Ireland

Day 113: A favorite sweater

If you had to choose one kind of sweater to wear for the rest of your life, would it be bulky or slim? I know people love the cozy, bundly look and feel of a thick cableknit or a sweater that looks like a blanket, and I especially saw lots of oversized tops in LA. But for me, the winner is the always versatile sweater like I'm wearing today. It's not as lightweight and breezy as many similar styles, but that means I don't have to worry about layering or dry cleaning. I'll take a dozen more tops like this one, please!

Sweater: Old Navy

Skirt: J. Crew

Boots: Gift from Alicia

Raincoat: Thrifted, Gap

Necklace: Made by Mom's friend Suzanne

Earrings: J. Karma

Day 112: Red. Just Red.

I know that photo quality is one of the most important aspects of a blog, and I'm trying to get better. These pictures really wouldn't be so bad, though, if my sweater actually did have a big yellow splotch down my left side. But it doesn't; the sun was just shining on me on Wednesday morning.  This sweater never gets enough use, because I was under the impression that it's itchy. Apparently I was wrong! This outfit was super comfortable through work and babysitting, and I was even able to convince a two-year old that the binoculars necklace actually helps you see things that are far away.

Sweater: Gift from Margaret, Anne Klein

Pants: Sears

Heels: Nine West via Macy's

Necklace: Gift from Dave, Kate Spade

Earrings: Gift from Denise

Day 111: Santa Monica to LAX to PHL

Is it really time for my final LA outfit post? It's hard to believe that this trip was really so short, since we packed so much in! For the final night in Southern California, I wanted to stay somewhere outside of downtown, and I wanted it to be special. I did a tiny bit of research on places worth staying that weren't far from the airport, and I couldn't stop thinking about the Oceana Santa Monica, which I found out about from Cup of Jo. We got in late and went for drinks at Bar Chloe with Chris and Rosalie, and met up with Dave's (and my) friend Matt and our new friends Baily and Mesch. We spent a few hours enjoying the hotel room in our sleep, then enjoyed a fresh buffet and a big walk around Santa Monica before heading to the airport. Do you like the binoculars necklace Dave gave me for my birthday? I do! How about my running shoes? I know it's not stylish to wear sneakers around, but these aren't as bad as they could have been, and I needed a break from the heels I was wearing all weekend!

Cardigan: Betsy's, Target

Tank and Jeans: TJ Maxx

Running Shoes: Brooks, City Sports

Purse: Coach

Sunglasses: Gap

Necklace: Kate Spade

Day 110: From work to play and back again

Monday started with a nice, long meeting for work, and ended with a casual work dinner. I wore this shirt with a black pencil skirt and the blazer from the day before, but changed into something a little more comfortable after the meeting.  This outfit to me to Phillipe's and around Chinatown and then the Grove, before I had to get back downtown for dinner. I am so jealous of all of the shopping opportunities in the Los Angeles area. Anywhere you look, there are stores worth stopping into, and though I resisted the temptation since there was so much to do, it didn't stop me from wanting to bring the shopping districts home with me. Philadelphia is absolutely lacking in this regard. By the way, I realized why I didn't have flats before I just bought this pair: they all hurt my feet! Why am I more comfortable in heels than flats? Does anyone else have this problem?

Top: Gap

Jeans, Bag, and Flats: Old Navy

Earrings: From Mom

Necklace: Gift from Lauren

Day 109: Birthday Sparkles

Sunday was my birthday, and I celebrated by starting my day with a work meeting in LA.  I took off the blazer and changed into slightly more comfortable shoes for a little walk to some vintage stores, and though I wasn't planning on wearing this all day, I never made it back to the hotel. I definitely wasn't prepared for the chillier temperatures of Venice, CA.  Even if my outfit choices weren't the right ones to get me through the day, I had a great time.  We went to Koreatown for lunch, and then to Denise and Dan's adorable abode, where they surprised me with cupcakes! Then we headed to Venice and wandered among the canals, which were cute and allowed us glimpses into the privileged life. We swapped out Denise and Dan for Chris and Rosalie when the Andersons had to leave, so then we walked up and down the Venice Beach Boardwalk with Chris and Rosalie.  There were no musclemen out on Muscle Beach that day, unfortunately, unless you count Dave and Chris, of course. We finished our day with dinner in Little Tokyo and thought about how much ground we covered in two short days!

Amazing macarons at Bottega Louie! These are pumpkin and earl grey.

Touching the Pacific for the first time, but trying to keep Denise's sneakers dry!

Blazer: Marshall's

Shirt: Gift from Dave's Mom, Coldwater Creek

Pants: Gap

Shoes: This day, I wore Nine West stilettos, Old Navy boots, and Denise's sneakers

Necklace: Gift from Lauren

Day 108: California Cool

We packed so much into our first day in Southern California. After waking up at Chris and Rosalie's apartment in Hollywood, we met up with Denise and Dan and we explored everywhere! We first went up to Chris's rooftop and admired his pool and the Hollywood sign, and then we jumped in the car for our full day of adventures. We went to the Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Graman's Chinese Theater. The next leg of our trip was all sight-seeing by car: Mulholland Drive, Beverly Hills, and I felt like the Fresh Prince, coming from Philadelphia to Bel Air.  Saturday was my first time ever eating at an In 'N Out Burger, and I thoroughly enjoyed my burger and shake. The majority of the evening was spent at the Getty, which is one of the best art museums I've ever been to. Not only that, but it was even more than just an art museum. They have a great outdoor space, and the whole place is so big that I wanted to spend days there! We came back downtown toward the hotel for dinner at a noodle shop, and reflected on the full and exciting first day in Los Angeles.

Top and boots: Old Navy

Tank top: Kohl's

Jeans: Tommy Hilfiger via TJ Maxx

Sunglasses: Gap

Necklace: Gift from Lauren

Day 107: Happy Birthday, Dave!

Let's all wish a happy birthday to my bright, beer-loving husband and photographer, Dave! We're celebrating his 27th by working almost all day, and then flying across the country tonight. The best part is that Dave gets three extra hours because of the time difference, so it will still be October 21st when we land! As part of Dave's present, I ordered a bunch of pictures we've taken over the past year and a half since we've been married.  It's incredible how many places we've traveled together since last April. In addition to various places in Maryland (including Baltimore), New Jersey (including Stone Harbor), and the Philadelphia area (including King of Prussia), we have spent quality time in these great places:

• Providence
• Nantucket
• Boston
• Atlanta
• Charleston
• Savannah
• San Francisco
• New Orleans
• Costa Rica
• Pittsburgh
• Jamaica

All of these trips were so special and memorable, and I look forward to many, many more explorations with Dave.  My recent experience in travel means that I know just how to be comfortable on long plane ride from one climate to another. A light sweater with a substantial tank top underneath, with my comfiest jeans. I'll also change into sneakers or sandals so I can curl up in my seat, and I'm packing a trench coat.

 

 Sweater: Macy's in Minneapolis

White tank: ??

Jeans: Old Navy

Boots: Kenneth Cole via Marshall's

Bag: Target

Day 106: Fully clothed lady

I'm definitely a bargain hunter and never buy anything full price. But if I saw this top on sale at Anthropologie, I would consider buying it if it were about $40 or less. I really do love this shirt. Instead, it was at Target, and on sale for $18. Even though it sounds crazy, that seemed like so much for a sale price of a shirt at Target, so I almost considered putting it back. I'm glad I didn't! The jacket is my original Anthropologie piece. Margaret gave it to me for Christmas about 8 years ago, and it has come a long way since then. This is what I was wearing when I met the Barenaked Ladies in 2003.  That story used to be my favorite thing to talk about, but you guys might not even know that I interviewed them for the newspaper when I was in high school. Then I got free tickets to see them perform with Gavin DeGraw and I met them backstage! Fun times.

Top: Target

Jacket: Gift from Margaret, Anthropologie

Skirt: J. Crew

Boots: Gift from Mom, Kenneth Cole via Marshalls

Day 105: Lipstick stains on my scarf

This is where the project gets challenging: I started with a shirt that is a few sizes too big and built my outfit around it. The cardigan did a pretty good job of keeping the shirt in place, even if nothing did a good job of keeping my scarf in place. We just had 2 beautiful days in Philadelphia, which obviously calls for another day like today, blustery and rainy. What's the weather like where you live?

Button-up: Was Aunt Kim's, Tommy Hilfiger

Cardigan: Goodwill, Old Navy

Pants: From Jan, Target

Shoes: Payless

Scarf: Family heirloom

Sunglasses: Gap

Day 64: A look back at a dress

I owe you sweet, patient readers a few extra pictures of outfits that didn't get captured on camera the first time around. I brought a few pieces that I've already worn to my parents' house for a little photo shoot to catch up a little bit over the weekend. I wore this dress on my sick day that entailed half a day at work and another half a day asleep. This might just be the easiest, comfiest dress I own.

I also updated Day 88 and added some new pictures of my Theta baseball tee and Phillies hoodie here.

Dress: Old Navy/Necklace: Gift, Banana Republic

Day 104: Black and blush

My trusty photographer husband had a dentist appointment before work this morning, which means picture time had to be moved up and I was not quite ready for these photos. I think I spend a pretty decent amount of my life with my hair wet, so you are really getting to know the real me.  The real me has traditionally not owned boots that are not to protect from rain or snow, so this is an exciting development. Have you checked out the 75% off sale at Old Navy going on right now? It's pretty incredible. I paired two new Old Navy pieces with an ancient shirt, so I'm still digging deep into my closet. I've worn just about all of my bottoms and shoes anyway.

Shirt: Kohl's

Skirt and boots: Old Navy

Necklace: Gift from Alicia (high school graduation, I think)

Linking to The Pleated Poppy

Day 103: Another Monday, here too soon

If you attempted to wear all of your clothes, how long do you think it would take? Do you have any clothes that you would be embarrassed to wear? Do you hang onto clothes that no longer fit, or maybe never fit? Or maybe you're more like me and you love cleaning out your closets.  I just dropped another batch off at Goodwill yesterday.

Cardigan and pants: Banana Republic

Tank: Old Navy

Shoes: Chinese Laundry via Macy's

Bag: Target

Heart opal necklace: ??

Day 102: Birthday blouse

I spent Saturday night and all day Sunday at my parents' house, and only packed all of the clothes I needed to wash because I still need quarters at my apartment. So I reworked the same jeans and boots from the day before, and paired them with a new birthday present shirt from my parents. In these pictures, it's nice and wrinkly from a long day of baby wrangling.  I also spent a good amount of time buying a few new things from Old Navy today, but I'm going to wait a little while to wear all of it so that I can make a dent on the pieces that are still sticking around from the beginning of the project. My birthday is Sunday, October 23, and Christmas is also coming up probably before my project is over, which means that it might never end!

Shirt: Gift from Mom, Old Navy

Jeans: Tommy Hilfiger via TJ Maxx

Boots: Gift from Mom, Kenneth Cole

Necklace: Gift from Margaret, Banana Republic

Day 101: Symphony in Sweater

Saturday marked the 4th consecutive day of babysitting, and after I wrapped up around 2:30, Dave and I went for a run down into South Philly and back, about 5 miles.  It was a beautiful day even though it was super windy, and after dropping by a high-quality flea market in the Shambles, we headed home to clean up for dinner. At the last minute, we decided to take my sister, Betsy, since she was already in the city, so we went to Pumpkin for some seasonal fare. I didn't love the restaurant as much as I love the name. After dinner we went to a wonderful Symphony in C concert on the other side of the river. We stayed for the reception after the concert for chatting and dessert, and it is always fun to meet up with all of the major symphony people as they sing Dave's praises. Dave freelances for the Courier-Post and provides the most thoughful and complete coverage (their words, not mine) of the symphony, and so they're so kind and appreciative and fun to be around. Let's take a look at the strange ways I crossed my legs while waiting for the concert to begin:

Sweater: Banana Republic

Camisole: J. Crew

Jeans: Tommy Hilfiger via TJ Maxx

Boots: Gift from Mom, Kenneth Cole

Necklace: Gift from Margaret, Banana Republic

Day 100: Hooray!

It's time to celebrate! I'm 100 days into this project, and it's going really well! I started to wear all of my clothes 100 days ago in order to take an inventory of what I have. Each day, I have worn at least one piece that I haven't worn since the project started, and I'm well over halfway through.  Right now, I have a bunch of casual, plain short-sleeve shirts left, as well as a whole bunch of sweaters. I also have a handful of formal dresses, as well as my wedding dress.  I feel pretty confident that I'll be able to wear everything I have, even if it means that I will dress up too much for Thanksgiving or I have a party with a theme of "Wear your bridesmaid or prom dress".  Dressing up for Halloween is essential this year, too.

Cleaning out my closet has always been one of my favorite hobbies, and The Everything Project was a result of the biggest purge, after losing some weight and a few sizes.  I restocked on the essentials and some fun new pieces, and I am lucky to share clothing with some friends and sisters.  Today, I realized that I only have about 3 pairs of jeans, and they're all nice and new.  It's important to have jeans like these, but I am itching to go to the thrift store at lunch today to find a perfectly worn-in pair of light-colored jeans with a boyfriend fit. All I have wanted to do is dress comfortably and casually lately.  Last night I was tempted to babysit in my pajamas!

Pink & gray striped shirt: Betsy's, from American Eagle

Sweater: Old Navy

Jeans: From Laura, from Gap

Shoes: Chuck Taylors via TJ Maxx

Bag: Banana Republic

Earrings: ??

Candle Necklace: Gift from Anthropologie at my birthday last year.

Did any of you get the same one?

Day 99: Fancy Sleeves

Gay men love this jacket. Particularly one man at the old Borders who told me that about four separate times in one visit. Apparently he has a matching "men's" version. I've contemplated clearing this one out of my wardrobe several times over the years, but how can I resist a sweatshirt that I can wear to work? Is there anything else that can be so comfortable and so professional at the same time?

Short sleeve button up: Bitten by SJP at Steve & Barry's (RIP)

Sweatshirt Blazer: Joyce Leslie

Pants: The Limited via TJ Maxx

Heels: Old Navy

Bag: Betsy's

Earrings: Gift from Dave's Mom

Necklace: Gift from Dave