One Item, 6 Outfits

For the last few months, I've been on a clothes kick. Not more clothes... less of them! I've been reading blogs like Putting Me Together and Greater than Rubies, and pinning 'capsule wardrobes' to my Pinterest boards like crazy. Ever since my closet clean-out and re-style with the lovely and talented Meredith Smyth of stylemuse last spring, I have been itching to create a classic wardrobe that is stylish, fresh and de-cluttered. When you get that feeling like your closet is jam-packed with stuff but you have nothing to wear... that's when it's time to purge. Then, remix, re-style and re-wear! Especially now that I'm solidly out of maternity clothes and developing my persona as a work-from-home mom, I want to have a style that is easy and fun, but also fashion-forward. No mom jeans for this gal!

One of the best ways to reduce closet clutter is selecting items that can be worn several different ways. I love finding a piece that I can envision in multiple outfits and, to me, that's a purchase well made! I picked up this skirt form the clearance rack at Dress Barn last spring, and I love the fun color palette and it works with several other pieces in my closet. Here's just a few ways I plan on wearing it:

For the record, I love shopping Dress Barn. Some consider it an "old lady store", but I always seem to find something that works for me! They've also been doing a nice job of re-working the brand lately and their style boards are definitely targeted to a younger clientele. Their shoes and jewelry are worth a look as well!

And I even have some more ideas for how to make this skirt work for the existing pieces in my closet! These outfits range the gamut of casual to semi-dressy (for church or a client meeting), they are all extremely comfortable and will last me through the next two seasons. I've also used 4 necklaces and 3 pairs of shoes to complete the looks. Accessories are truly the key to making an outfit look polished.

Building my perfect wardrobe is an ongoing process -- there's still a few items I could cut from my closet and several staple pieces that I want to add. But this floral skirt definitely won't be going away any time soon and it's one of my reference points for how I will shop smart going forward!

Real Housewife of... Indiana?

Well, my last post was... a long time ago. Months and months! And a lot has happened during that time. Wanna know what? Read on, dear reader.

I quit my job.
We got a puppy.
DH got a new job.
We packed up our apartment and moved to Indiana.
We bought a house.
I cut my hair!

Yep, that's a lot of big girl stuff. Plus, running my freelance graphic design business and taking care of little man, aka McBaby. We are currently living with the in-laws while we close on the house, which is officially next Friday (!). Our puppy is an American Pitbull Terrier and, before you freak out, she is the sweetest thing. Except for when she does her business on the carpet (still not house-trained), and then she is devilish and she knows it. Her name is Flynn. I'll try to post some photos soon.

The "quit my job" thing is a little misleading. I really knew throughout my pregnancy that I wasn't going back to my full-time office job but, for various HR reasons, decided to keep my mouth shut. After McBaby arrived and life settled into a more normal routine, the decision was made official. That was around the beginning of March. About two weeks later, DH decided to quit his job, too. Good idea, right? Two unemployed adults (well, technically I am employed... by myself) with a new baby. An adventure, I say!

And then he got a job! At a company we will affectionately term "Truck Dynasty", because it is owned by his father. Having worked for many years in various capacities at my father's medical practice, I happen to think family businesses are the best. You get to spend all day with the people you love most? Win, win! For the most part, anyway...

So, here we are in Indiana. I am working from home while taking care of McBaby and loving every minute. My freelance graphic design business is booming (and I'm always taking new clients!) and I love having the freedom to hang out with my son and tackle homemaking at the same time. I couldn't be happier. My cup runneth over. Life is great and God is good.

And that's the update for now. Just wanted to let y'all know I'm still here. And I may need to consider changing the name of my blog...

More to come!