Since I've Been Gone...

Wow, I'm out of the swing of things!  I figured I would give you a little recap of what I've been up to since the last post.

I was the winner of the "Wear No Black" challenge hosted by Urban Darling.  I got my Jill Milan clutch and it is beautiful!  Thank you so much Urban Darling.  Not only did I learn that I can do without black for extended amounts of time, but I got a fabulous clutch out of the learning experience.

Tank Top/The Loft, Skirt/White House Black Market via Chic Boutique, Black Sandals/Bass Outlet, Belt/Target, Necklace/Cookie Lee

I got dressed a few times.  Truth be told, I've had clothes on everyday... they just haven't all been this exciting.  I liked the animal-print feeling of the skirt paired with the safari looking belt.  If I'm ever on safari, remind me to grab this outfit!

Boyfriend and I went to Las Vegas for his brother's wedding.  It was a great weekend spent with family and everything that Vegas has to offer.  On our way home we came up the back side of the Sierra Nevada's and then dropped down in to Yosemite.  If you've never had a chance to get there, make plans to visit.  No matter how many times I've been, I can never get over the magnitude of everything in the park.  It was really just a very short drive down the mountain, into the valley and back out again but it was well worth it!

Lace Top/Target, Black Crops/The Loft, Floral Heals/Madden Girl, Jewelry/Cookie Lee

I've really been focusing a lot of time on my Cookie Lee business. In case you've haven't noticed, the majority of the jewelry I wear is by Cookie Lee.  I've been a consultant for three years now.  The first year I started my business took off like wild fire!  Since moving to the foothills, I just haven't put much effort in.  Now, I'm back on it!  You can check out the jewerly at http://www.cookielee.biz/esuite/home/tiffanymorris.  If you would like to place an order, you can email me at blingandsparkle(at)gmail(dot)com or you can do so on the website.  If place the order by emailing me, mention The Clothed Commuter and you can take advantage of Buy one, get one 1/2 off if you order before September 30.

Conni, one of the hostesses of the evening - Some of the fantastic CAbi clothing - One of the guests and myself modeling

My friend Erin and her mother Conni hosted a CAbi party earlier in the week.  Although I look at the site regularly, I'd never been to a home show.  It was great to see the pieces in person.  My pictures don't do the colors justice and the fabrics felt wonderful.  If you'd like to check out the collection... the pieces are really timeless and well made. If you are in the Nevada or Placer County area, contact Melissa Parrett.  She was great about answering questions and suggesting styles.
 
And that, my friends, is just a small recap of what I've been up to over the last month!

I'm Fallin' For You!

I decided to go super casual for my visit with my sister and niece today so I went with these super stretchy cropped jeans and white tank.  The whole thing felt so plain-jane so I grabbed this t-shirt scarf I made a few months back. 

While going up the walkway to the front door I tripped and biffed it big time.  Clumsy isn't a word I would use to describe myself, but I felt like such a klutz as I was falling toward the cement.  My sister lives on a pretty busy street and while I was laying on the ground (thankfully behind a hedge) I kept thinking "Maybe I should just stay here for a minute so that anyone that might have seen me fall will be way down the street by the time I get up." 

The teal and white striped shirt I used to make this scarf had become a little warn looking over time.  I liked the colors but couldn't see myself wearing this shirt any longer in its current state.  I made the scarf in early March and in late March, Indiana at Adored Austin posted this tutorial.   Coinsindence or another case of great minds thinking alike?

Thankfully, I was mostly unscathed by the fall.  I scratched up my knee a bit and chipped a nail (really frustrating).  My sister had a beautiful shiny teal nail polish and a sharpie handy so guess who has a new leopard print manicure?  I dabbed a bit of the teal polish right over the chip and no one is the wiser - except for those of you that are reading this of course!

Outfit Details
White Tank: Gap Outlet
Jean Cropped Pants: Gap
Shiny Sparkly Sandals: Bass Outlet
Scarf: I Made It! (out of an Old Navy t-shirt)
Bronze Bracelet: Cookie Lee
Turquoise Earrings: Cookie Lee

Wear No Black Week: Day 5 - Fit to be Tied

Day five of the Wear No Black Week challenge hosted by Urban Darling.

 

I started the day in denim and this brown ruffle detailed top.  I spilled something on the front of the shirt causing a grease stain.  I went in to the kitchen at work and attempted to get the stain out by putting a little water and soap on the spot.  Within a few moments there was a wet spot (basically, the size of the lower half of the shirt).  Thankfully the black hole known as my trunk had a spare shirt, a tie-dyed shirt, so I decided to go a little more casual than normal rather than wearing a soaking wet shirt.

Last summer a load of white clothes was infiltrated by a black sock and the load was washed on hot.  I won't name any names or point any fingers but most of the load was this terrible color, dingy, grey color and a few of the items had big splotches of grey. This top was one of the victims.  My sister had plans to tie-dye a few things so I brought along this shirt.  I was really pleased when we untied the shirt and looked at the pattern and the vibrancy of the colors.   

Have you done any refashions on items that were damaged in a wash-load gone wrong?

Outfit Details

Brown Ruffle Front Shirt: Down East Basics

Tie-Dyed Tank: Old Navy -- dyed by me!

Denim Crops: Gap

Brown Wedge Sandals: Bass Outlet

Abalone Shell Necklace: Cookie Lee

Wear No Black Week: Day 2 - Peaches and Denim

Day two of the Wear No Black Week challenge hosted by Urban Darling's Facebook page.

My first instinct was to pair my peach blouse with my brown skirt this morning.  Once I put it on, I realized it was just a boring substitution for black and I was hoping for something a little more lively than that.  The peach colored top with the blue in the denim did feel a little more interesting although not very creative.   

I went to my local Goodwill at lunch and found three awesome skirts.  I've decided I'm just not a huge fan of pants anymore.  They have their place and I'm not ready to toss them out but I just feel better when I wear a skirt.  Prettier, more feminine, put together, maybe even sassy. Back to the story... I went in to just look around and wound up with a black and white paisley (Jones New York) skirt that I intend to shorten by about 24 inches, a peach colored a-line skirt (can't remember), and a fantastic pink and green striped  number (DKNY).  For less than $15 I ended up with 3 skirts that are very different from any that I have in my closet.  I'll post pictures tomorrow because I'm just too tired to hang them up and take photos tonight!

Outfit Details
Peach Cowl Neck Top: Ross
Denim Skirt: Merona via Target
Sequined Sandals: Bass Outlet
White Woven Belt: NY & Co
Silver Necklace: Cookie Lee

Another Black and White Number

It's not too late to enter the Bed Head Foxy Curls giveaway.

You have until Saturday, July 30 at 11:59 PM.  Good Luck!

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 Hi, I'm Tiffany, and I love black and white... *Hi Tiffany* 

Oh, but wait... I put on red too.  Really stepping outside of the box on that choice!  This picture was taken on my first day back to work after returning from Cabo.  Half of my clothes were in the hamper and I needed something comfortable and simple. Check and Check.

Boyfriend and I picked up the bracelet in Cabo from a beach vendor.  If you've never been to Cabo, here is how the exchange goes...

I walk over to a vendor with a jewelry case and peruse for something I like.  I knew I wanted a piece of hammered silver so I just needed something to catch my eye.  Once I find the piece I like, I do a little bargaining myself to see how much the vendor will budge.  I NEVER carry the money with me while looking.  Then I call the boyfriend over and let the vendor know that HE (now pointing to boyfriend) is the one calling the jewelry purchasing shots.  Boyfriend barters with the jewelry vendor until we reach a prediscussed price OR we walk away... there will always be another vendor to come along.  On this particular day we scored the cuff for $20 and I was happy with the price we reached.

Boyfriend is the ultimate bargainer.  I'm pretty sure the vendors tell tales of the loud Italian that walks the beaches of Cabo nearly stealing the items by driving such a hard bargain.  I think I actually heard a mariachi band sing a song about the Italian Bargainer of Cabo... then again the song was in Spanish and I don't always understand all of the lyrics.

Outfit Details
White Sweater Top: Old Navy
Red Ribbed Tank: Merona via Target
Black Cropped Pants: The Loft
Black Sandals: Bass Outlet
Mixed Metals Necklace: Cookie Lee
Silver Cuff Bracelet: Beach Vendor in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Super Casual

Let's hear it for a super casual Friday look!

I seldom dress this casual for work but there were a number of reasons I felt comfortable enough to wear this to work last Friday.  Every two years the company I work for has to go through a certification process and the time leading up to it can be a little stressful. We have a general idea of when they will show up, as in a one month window. On the day of the visit we get (at most) two hours notice before the representative shows up.  We had our review on the Thursday prior and passed with flying colors... 100% baby!  Our files were not only in order, we were told they were a fantastic example of how a file should look.  We exceeded many of the commission's standards and felt a great sense or relief (maybe a little pride) after hearing her thoughts on how we are handling things in the office.

Knowing that we'd passed our certification (and kicked ass on it) I thought I could get away with the ripped jeans.  There are certain people that feel that overalls or sparkly graphic t-shirts are appropriate for the office but I tend to disagree.  Realistically, the office is pretty casual but I just don't feel profesh enough wearing something like this daily.  But Friday felt a little like a holiday so I went with it! 

I was very pleased with how the look came together.  It's aways fun to pair a masculine piece (the ripped jeans) with a feminine piece (the white top).  I'm a huge fan of white tops and I'm guilty of buying way to many of them.  But, this one isn't your average white shirt!  When I found this top, what caught my eye was the beautiful detailing on the front and the sheer quality to the rest of it.  I played with the contrast of the picture below so you could really see the detail.  It looks a bit like an antique doily and gives the top a beautiful feminine touch.



I will definitely be on the look-out for more tops by this designer - Daniel Rainn.  When I did a google search I saw that most of the tops have a similar feeling with the light weight, flowing material and lace details. Love!

Outfit Details

White Doily Top: Daniel Rainn via TJ Maxx

Jeans: Express

Shoes: Bass

Shell Necklace: Cookie Lee

Turquoise/Gold Earrings: Cookie Lee

Denim Talks

Every gal knows that the pair of jeans you choose for the day sends a message loud and clear.  I've heard that the average woman owns eight pairs of jeans... So essentially that is eight different messages a gal can convey with her denim.  We all have our going-out jeans, the yard-work jeans, work-appropriate jeans, and the list could go on and on. 


The pair I wore to work this morning were a pair of cropped denim that I've wore here.  By the time I got home they were stretched out to point that I just didn't want to take a picture of them (my small weight-loss caused these pants to be way too baggy - not complaining).  I had a very small window of time between getting home from work and hurrying off to my Friday evening activities and I knew I wanted to change my jeans before rushing out the door. 

On the left side we have a pair of ripped boyfriend jeans from Express.  I love these jeans so much that I bought two pair... that's right, TWO pair of the exact same jeans!  When I bought these I was down 20+lbs and I loved the fit.  They were a weekend staple for most of last year.  I saw a picture of myself in these jeans around Christmas (after the 20lbs found me again) and I was super unimpressed about the way they looked.  They are still a little too tight to comfortably wear out but I thought I would post pictures showing the contrast between the look of one pair of jeans versus another.

Now I'll tell you a little about where I was going.  I was headed up to my high school alma mater to assist with judging cheerleading try-outs. Whenever anyone asks me to help with try-outs, clinics or anything related to cheer, I always jump at the opportunity.  For me, cheerleading helped to bring me out of my shell, it gave me confidence to stand in front of others, and I have life-long friends from the experience.  I know how much of a positive impact it had on my life so I look forward to being a part of that positive impact on other young women's lives!

The community where I grew up is mountain-casual (as in if you wear khakis, your family asks you where you're going all dressed up). Jeans were a no-brainer for judging try-outs but like I needed to decide what message I wanted to send with my jeans.  I went for the ripped jeans first to try and make the outfit a little more casual and youthful.  I didn't want to wear anything too stuffy but I also didn't want to look like an unrelatable thirty-something.  In the end I decided the ripped jeans were just too tight and I wouldn't be comfortable sitting there for well over three hours.  I went with the DKNY jeans from my Macy's shopping spree.  They are still super comfortable and felt like a better option for the long night.

While sitting there watching all of these young ladies, the importance of first impressions kept coming to mind.  There were some very talented ladies but the amount of effort (or lack there of) put into their looks was often distracting.  I had a few arguments in my own head over whether their appearance or their talent should have more impact.  In the end I think talent should be the strongest of the two, however showing up with a disheveled appearance (messy ponytail, wearing a thin ribbed tank top with bright pink bra straps showing, or wearing a pair of dirty white shoes) makes me wonder if you can clean up for events, games and competitions.  As a representative for the school, I do think that there should be a certain amount of effort put forth and pride shown in appearance.  I don't intend to come off as shallow by sharing this opinion and I really hope it isn't taken that way.  There were a few ladies that were very beautiful but looked as if they had just rolled out of bed - boo.  On the other hand, there were a few ladies that may not have worn any make-up, but they took the time to put on a clean, unwrinkled shirt and pull their hair back in a clean manner- yay!

I guess I just want to relay the message that when you are trying to win someone over (try-outs, interview, etc) it is important to put a little bit of time and effort in to your appearance.  If you aren't going to step it up when you are trying to persuade someone to chose you for the team (or job), when will you?



Outfit Details
Black Cable Knit Cardigan - Gap
Striped Tshirt - H&M
Ripped Jeans - Express
Jeans - DKNY via Macy's
Black Tall Boots - Bass

Bumblebee

Buzzzzzz!

The New Do

Here you go... the haircut.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

This is by far, one of the most comfortable outfits I own. And it has pockets.  And it has so many wonderful colors! 

Bust A Move

What is the first thing you reach for when there are limitless options in front of you?  What do you yearn for after only have access to 30 items for a while?  Apparently the answer is jeans and a white t shirt and the most comfy sweater you own.  I know, not the most original.  And what do you do after you put on that outfit, you work on your stellar dance moves!

#27 & 28 - Oh, The Pain!

 

#27 - Items 5, 15, 22, 28 --- #28 - Items 2, 15, 22, 29



#23 - Step in Time

Items 8, 9, 29

#20 - Rushing, Chewing, Snoring and Snagging

Items 1, 18, 29

#19 - Sweater Swan Song

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Items 8, 13, 15, 29

#16 - Bright Colors on a Dreary Day

Items 5, 16, 29

#7 is Heaven and Everybody, Everywear - Blazer Edition

Howdy folks!  Here we have not only outfit #7 but another addition of Everybody, Everwear featuring the blazer.


Items 8, 20, 23, 29



#1 Was Not Fun!

It started off with me staring at the 30 items, blinking, and then staring some more.  The first day should be the easiest right?  Not so.  I’m trying to consider what I have going the rest of the week so I don’t choose something today that I really wanted to wear tomorrow.  These aren’t good decisions to be making at 6:00 am.  I should have thought this through last night.



Items 1, 18, 19, 29



Flamenco in Plaid

This skirt always makes me want to do a little dance.  When it moves it is just plain fun! 

Do flamenco dancers ever wear plaid skirts?

And... Action!

There is a monthly video newsletter that goes out to all of the employees in our department and this month’s installment featured our department’s mascot.  I often help out with the mascot by either being the character actor inside of the costume or by assisting the person in the costume.  This is a large costume weighing in at about 35lbs and visibility is low for the person inside.  Most of the today was spent helping my coworker in and out of the costume (Yay, no costume hair for me).  I was aware I would be helping with the mascot today but I didn’t take into account how much work goes in to these five minute video newsletters… about four hours just on the part of the actors, that’s how much!