You Better Work- Week Two

I've become one of those people.

I didn't intend to conclude every work day by snapping selfies in my full-length mirror and posting them online. I did it the first few days into my new job because I knew that my friends and former coworkers were excited to see me living life outside of retail dress code standards. But a funny thing happened. Every time I posted a new picture, I got anywhere from 12-25 likes. Every day. I haven't felt so much Internet love since I got married. So I started to feel like I should keep doing it. When you know a whole bunch of people are going to see what you wore that day, you spend a little extra time putting together your outfit in the morning because you don't want to disappoint. One day I was so exhausted, I came home, changed into my after-work sweats (hey, my husband isn't here and I'm staying in a drafty old house- don't judge me), realized I forgot to take my daily photo, and then changed back into said outfit. This is serious stuff.

But I have to wonder- have I become the type of person that I've always made fun of? I mean, I get annoyed when I see people posting what they ate for lunch or the entire schedule of their day (and not a fun schedule, like a "I'm eating lunch then going to the bank then doing laundry and maybe taking a nap and then I dunno what's up text me if you feel like hanging out later" schedule), or worse, what form of bodily fluid came out of their child. But is what I'm doing with my outfits any different than people sharing a quote every five minutes from a right-wing conservative that is paranoid that their gun rights are going to be taken away?

Everyone has their own reasons for posting what they post on social media. I have always held myself to the standard that if it isn't something fun/funny/stylish then I don't do it. I don't advertise politics, change my profile picture to support a cause for a day, or share chain posts or whatever other annoying form of technological streaking is next. 

I've written previously how my Internet drug of choice is updating my Facebook status on award show nights. As far as I'm concerned, it's a hell of a lot more interesting and engaging than half the crap I see on there. However, I do understand that it's a free country and that everyone has the right to be as annoying or as boring as they want on social media. What you do with your page is your decision (which is different than your business, because once you put it out there, it's everyone's business). I know I've hidden a bunch of people's statuses and I'm sure they've done the same to me. Isn't that what America is all about? Cause apparently, Canada is not on board. 

It's with that train of thought I decided that if people liked seeing the photos, that I would keep posting them week two and hope it wasn't an overload. Part of me is considering making a Facebook page for my blog and posting all of my fashion/celebrity/photography content there instead, so people can see the same information if they want, but they're not bombarded just because they're friends with me. But another part of me feels that I shouldn't have to do that, because all of the things I post on my personal Facebook page truly are a representation of myself. Also, I feel like the Facebook world is so saturated with blog pages, and if I ended up only getting twenty five "Likes" or something, it would be kind of embarrassing. I'm still thinking about it, but for now, I think all my "friends" are just going to have to deal with my pictures the way they are now. And hopefully, at least a few of them enjoy it.

Whew, that was deep. Let's be real- you came here for fun. Week two outfit photos, yeah! (Wasn't it worth all serious bull just to get to this point?!)

Day One:

jacket, flats & cardi: old navy/blouse: f21/pants: br/earrings: in pink

This is a place of honesty, so I wanna be real with you- this is not one of my favorites. This is my "week one is over, the excitement level of getting to wear whatever I want has wained, and I didn't think about my outfit ahead of time and sort of threw this together" ensembles. First of all, khakis, by nature, are not particularly fashion forward. I mean, any retail associate that isn't required to wear black is rocking these. Look at Best Buy, Target, etc. I have always like this shirt and wanted a reason to wear it, and now I have one! It just wasn't until the end of the day when I was attempting to snap a quality pic that I realized that chinos are a little mom-ish and in no way can be captured stylishly. In my defense, they are from Banana Republic. 

Day Two: 

cardi: ann taylor/button down: express/pants: cr/bag: ny & co/pin: f21

Pants. I forgot I even owned pants that weren't black, and here I am, wearing them two days in a row. While I would be perfectly happy rocking the mantra of No Pants in Twenty Thirteen, some days you just have to give in. It's still winter and I walk to work. So sometimes pants are a necessity. A boring, un-fun necessity. I really have no business doing any shopping, but I would love to get a few more pairs of patterned pants like my polka dot ones. However, since any shopping I do from now on will be online and I don't trust pants that come from a computer, that will most likely not be happening anytime soon. Just to put things in perspective of how anti-pants shopping I am, this pair of gray trousers are from Charlotte Russe... when worked there... in 2003. I don't know if I'm proud of myself or horrified. 

Day Three:

jacket & headband: f21/top & flats: gap/skirt: br/bag: ny & co/necklace: cr

This is my French-inspired work look. While I've been experimenting with my outfits, my makeup routine has gone virtually unchanged. I have lots of fun lipstick colors, but wasn't sure how soon is too soon to work them into office attire. I took it easy with my red Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (I have like four of them, I'm obsessed) because you can kind of throw it on in the morning and it has pretty good staying power. I also wore one of my favorite Forever 21 finds- my pearl-edged jacket. I feel like you can work this into so many ensembles, and I have to stop myself from wearing it all the time. 

Day Four:

dress: j. crew/button down: br/wellies: ll bean/boots: payless/belt: ny & co/necklace: kate spade

I have so much nautical stuff that sometimes I have to look at previous pictures to make sure that I didn't wear the exact same color scheme the day before. This was my first nautical look that week so I went all out- with my favorite anchor dress and the appropriately named "Anchors Aweigh" necklace. It was crappy in the morning, so I wore my trusty wellies for the walk and changed into less outdoorsy footwear once I got in. If I was on Project Runway and the challenge was to design a look that represents myself, this is it, except I can't sew so no matter how cute my outfit, I would be immediately "auf wiedersehen'd" by Heidi. 

Day Five:

Oops.

So this was a day I totally forgot to take a picture. And it was weird, because I actually felt bad for neglecting to post that day. I don't know if that's loyalty or narcissism. If the suspense is killing you, I wore my Thanksgiving dress from two years ago (and if your clothes don't have a name or descriptive word that you refer to them as, well... then you probably have a life) with my Kate Spade purple pencil necklace. Friday was just a crazy day. I ended up staying at the office until almost 6:30, then raced back to the house to eat and catch the ferry back to the mainland for Easter weekend. I just totally spaced and it wasn't until I checked Instagram later that I even realized I forgot. 

I did however, post this picture:

The Compass Rose is a big symbol on the island, and while I was at work that day, Steve went out exploring and came back with this. It's technically a Christmas ornament, but he bought it for us because of what it said: 

"The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving... we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it... but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor." -Oliver Wendell Holmes

I don't know who Mr. Holmes is, but he seems to have written the perfect motto for our lives at the moment. 

Thanks for not being sick of me. Let's do this again next week, shall we?

~L

Once again, not being paid or showered with gifts for any of this. Any links or mentions I've provided are things I've chosen to share. There's hardly any links anyway, because all my fun clothes and accessories have been chilling in my closet for years.