Wednesday, August 24, 2011

A Little Bohemian

The day was slightly busy today.  I worked on actual work as well as grew my office art gallery (since I am out of office supplies, I have moved onto origami).  My boss' reaction?  "That's a little scary."  My response, "Scary good, or scary bad?"  He didn't elaborate since we were in the middle of a meeting.  Being that he is a bit of a smart ass, I'm sure this is not the last commentary I will get from him regarding my masterpieces. 

So it turns out that mother nature is going to strike North Carolina this weekend in the form of hurricane Irene.  Yay! I can't wait.  I am already preparing for the travel hell that will surely be a part of my experience this weekend.  It's a shame, I was really looking forward to this weekend.

Well, I'm trying not to dwell on the impending weekend of natural disaster as it is bumming me out.  So on to today's outfit.  I was feeling a little bohemian today.  Bohemian is probably what matches my personality best.  Being an eccentric, hermit fits into the bohemian free and mixed style.  I love this style because it has few rules, requires fun and exotic patterns, and most importantly, is fully of color.  The outfit today is how I interpret the bohemian style.  I am probably totally off, but who cares, right?  As long as one feels terrific in what they wear, that is all that really matters.  I decided awhile ago that life is too short to worry about other people's perceptions of one's appearance.  Perhaps this wasn't the most work appropriate outfit, but sometimes you have to show your real self, even if it is just for a moment.


Monday, August 22, 2011

Office Art

It's been a bit slow in the office the last few days.  Which essentially means I have had absolutely nothing to do.  Thankfully, that will end tomorrow.  To preoccupy my time, I have been decorating my cubicle with office supplies.  It is amazing what one can come up with, when one is bored.  My medium has been paper clips, t pins, thumtacks, and the boxes the paper clips came in.  Thus far I have made several sculptures and a vase.  As I was exercising the right side of my brain the last few days, it occurred to me that this may not be the best way to demonstrate creativity at work.  Oh, well, too late for that now.  Below are pics of my masterpieces.





I actually have a couple of more things in addition to the items in the photograph above.  At the rate I'm going, I might have found a new calling.  Anyway, I can't wait to see the expression on my boss' face tomorrow.  It should be mildly entertaining.  My trip to San Francisco got pushed back to the beginning of next week, so I will update you all on the boss' fear of flying.  I still find that hilarious. I am also visiting my brother and mother in North Carolina this weekend.  We may be taking a trip to the smoky mountains.  If that pans out, there will be pictures galore.  I hope everyone had a productive day in the office (or at home).  If not, I encourage you to exercise you brain and create your own office art :). 

Friday, August 12, 2011

Stop and Smell the Roses

Today was another perfect summer day.  The nights are getting cooler, indicating that fall is right around the corner.  While my commute is slightly shorter now, it is still about 45 minutes.  This time, both in the morning and evening, allows me to contemplate, daydream, and experience occasional bursts of road rage.  Fortunately, today was not a road rage day.  The drive to work now is not quite as scenic, but even cities, with their grunge and dirt have their own charm.  For instance, last week I saw a random rooster walking around, looking perfectly content.  There are also interesting people who walk alot, since cities, unlike suburbs, are equipped with sidewalks.  I drive through part of north Philadelphia on my route, so it is interesting to see all the row homes, small businesses, and interesting people going about their day.

My office has a pond, park bench, and roses next to it.  Sometimes, during lunch, I eat outside, both to enjoy the weather and de-thaw my frozen fingers and toes from the air conditioning inside.  Having green space near the office is so incredibly important.  We spend most of our time at work, often in dark, small cubicles without windows.  Having a place, to just smell the roses once in awhile is a nice way to decompress from the daily stresses that come in a work day.  I realized today, as I sat gazing over the artificial pond with the breeze flowing through my hair, eating my lunch, that I am fortunate.  Fortunate to have a job, a roof over my head, and personal transport.  Fortunate to be able to eat what I want and not worry about the cost.  Fortunate to have a furry friend to greet me when I get home.  And fortunate that I work in a place that has roses available to stop and smell once in awhile.  So today, unlike the other days I have eaten outside, I did indeed stop to smell the roses and they were sweet.  It is something I will try to remember to do more often.  Life, afterall, is short.

The pond outside my office

Roses galore!



Thursday, August 11, 2011

Burgundy...

Today was a perfect summer day: hot during the day, cool at night, sunny and clear skies. I need to remember this when winter arrives with it's short, cold, gray, gloomy days. Work is going well. I will most likely be traveling to the west coast for business next week, so that should be interesting. My boss revealed today that he is not a "fan" of flying, as in he needs a couple of drinks to ease the anxiety before take off. I of course find the irony in that statement to be hilarious. Just for a mental picture, this gentleman is over 6 ft tall, moderately well built, football lover, and very stereotypical in the masculine department (as in has night in shining armor syndrome). It always seems to be the toughest guys who are the biggest babies when it comes to flying. That has never failed to amaze me. I had another colleague, several years ago, big, burly, and manly, who refused to fly anywhere. (For the same anxiety provoking reason.) Go figure. Your night in shining armor is ok coming by horse (or sports car/SUV), but ask him to come via jet plan, well that's just plain crazy talk. I mean there are limits.

Needless to say this little work related adventure should be interesting. There is nothing more entertaining than an inebriated boss. In anticipation of your next question, yes I totally want to see the man in all his anxiety laden, slightly drunk form. That will just make for an even better blog post when I write about it :). So, while I miss my work dad, it appears I'm replacing him with...Well, I haven't yet come up with an appropriate name for him yet. Nothing witty is coming to mind at the moment. Anyway, I wore this burgundy number to work today. I got it from Ross and I think it was only like $3. I bought the shoes after the Mr. insisted it was worth the money at DSW. They are Audrey Brooke. I love how my legs look in this dress. At my short stature, anything that makes my legs look long and sexy is a must have in the wardrobe. The shoes probably help. Granted, this dress might have been a touch inappropriate for the office, but I don't care. Once in awhile, one should dress as hot as the feel. Since that's rare for me, I take advantage of the opportunity when it arises.


Dress: Ross, Shoes: Audrey Brooke, Jewelry: Gift


Monday, August 8, 2011

Mixing Prints

For EBEW, the challenge this month was to mix prints.  This is way outside my comfort zone, but since change seems to be the theme in my life at the moment, I decided to give it a try.  The Mr. bought the shirt at Kohl's for me and the skirt is Willi Smith.  I thought they went together, only to discover the dark parts in the shirt were actually navy, not black. That's what I get for picking my clothes in low light.  I'm not sure if this works or not, but I am open to mixing prints in the future.

Week 2 is going well.  I am already on a project, so this should be exciting.  I am looking forward to the challenge of learning something new.  My brain should be happy this month with all the new stimulation.  Tomorrow I think I'm going thrifted, short, and sleeveless.  The heat has made a return and we are back to scorching temperatures.  This weekend we went canoeing at the Delaware River Canal in New Jersey (near Princeton).  It was gorgeous and relaxing.  Unfortunately the camera died, so no pics.  Technology is great, until it stops working.

Shirt: Kohls, Belt: Kohls, Skirt: Willi Smith, Shoes: Moda



Pattern Mixing | Everybody, Everywear

Friday, August 5, 2011

First Week on the Job

My first official week at the new job is over and I'm still feeling good about it.  I have gotten to know my boss and his sarcastic demeanor seems like it will be a good fit.  In addition to his sarcasm, he also used to work for my old employer and knew my work father.  Which only confirms that one should never burn their bridges at their former place of employment.  I am already working on a project doing some writing, a great thing, since it is one of the reasons I joined this shop.  I am looking forward to the next few months as I get more involved with things.  The work seems interesting and challenging, both great things to keep the mind stimulated.

There are also other stylish women in the office who share a fondness for shoes, another sign from the God's this is totally where I needed to be :).  Today I wore one of my favorite dresses.  This green and black Nine West number fits like a glove and the pattern is just fantastic.  I paired it with some Jessica Simpson heels, chosen by the fashionista in this household: the Mr.


Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Red Shoes

Red is such a fantastic color. Whether worn as a primary color in an outfit or as an accent. Red looks good on just about anybody and anything. I have been on the hunt for a pair of great red shoes. Believe it or not, the are somewhat hard to find. So imagine my delight when I found this vintage number at a thrift store. They are leather, pointy, and timeless (well I like to think they are).

I had another great day. It was training mostly, which is always a good thing, since that way one has some clue as to what they are doing. I got new glasses recently (I only wear them to drive and watch TV). I love this design because they give a nod to the cats eye style of yesteryear, while still being hip. The hubs says I look like an old woman to which I quipped back "That's right, because they have style."  He says the same thing about my vintage purses. (This coming from a man who loves polo shirts.)  Well enough of my rambling, below is what I wore today.  Tomorrow, I'm thinking of wearing a floral white number I recently scored for $1.

Top: Carole Little; Skirt: The Limited (thrifted); Shoes: Mina (thrifted); Jewelry: self-made

Thrifters Anonymous



Meet Virginia Design

Monday, August 1, 2011

New Month, New Job

First days can be both nerve racking and scintillating.  Fortunately, mine was only scintillating.  I had a charming first day, everyone was warm, welcoming, and my boss and I seem to be a good fit (this is critical to success on the job).  It is always nice when at the end of the first day, especially at a new job, one feels that they made the right choice.  I definitely feel like I did.  While I don't have a big picture window (you can't have it all), the office spaces are well designed and let in a lot of light.  My colleagues from my former job are also present to help make this transition a seamless one.

Every job one has is a growth opportunity.  It is a chance to learn something new, as well as grow professionally.  A new job makes for a clean slate and thus the potential for better career possibility.  While I am not an optimistic person by nature, my last two jobs have provided me with great experience to evolve on a professional level, and as a result ensure I won't make the same mistakes in this career chapter.  Looking back I realize that my most valuable experiences have been mistakes.  Mistakes offer the opportunity to learn something new as well as a chance at self-improvement, a two-for-one deal.  It may sound counter intuitive,  but the errors in your life are the most valuable for the next time around.  This is especially true on the job front.

This is the week to savor all the goodwill and possibility that goes with the early weeks of a new job.  I will need to remember this moment when times get tough, because they always do.  Until the rough patch, it's time to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Dress: Conway; Shoes: Moda: Jewelry: Venice, Italy