Another week of What I Wore Wednesday!  I didn’t have time to get a post ready while we were travelling last Wednesday, so today is a double feature!

What I Wore Wednesday is my motivation for wearing the clothes I own, finding new ways to mix and match outfits, and not wearing the same three things all the time! I kept a fashion diary for the entire year of 2012, and now in 2013 I’m adding a bit about my days to go along with the outfit. So these weekly check-ins are a nice journal of my life too!

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navy blue/red striped t-shirt dress // Forever 21 via eBay
sailboat pendant // GroopDealz
grey Toms // Nordstrom’s

Easy dress for the Fillmore Street Jazz Festival.  All the packing for the beach meant the sea was on my mind – so I went with a bit of a nautical vibe with the stripes and pendant.  The street festival was a great excuse to get outside and soak up the sun, while listening to some great music.  I visited the Cajun vendor for shrimp and rice while we perused the tables.  We lost track of time and spent a couple more hours in the sun than we should have, and by the time we made it home I was ready for an early bedtime!

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brown top with butterfly sleeves and black scrollwork // Loft via eBay
black skinny pants // Loft
black flats // PayLess

Simple outfit for a Monday morning.  Work flew by and I skipped the gym so I could get home at an earlier hour.  I ran a couple errands and threw in the last load of laundry we didn’t get to on the weekend.  My To-Do list just got longer and longer before leaving for our trip!

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tan/navy striped dress // Loft
brass pendant // eBay
brown bolero // Belk
nude wedges // Naturalizer

This dress has been sitting in my closet for the past couple months because I couldn’t figure out what to pair with it.  Tan and navy seemed so neutral, but then nothing looked right with it – black didn’t match quite right, a beige cardigan was too blah, my red cardigan wasn’t the right fit.  So in the end, I dug out this dark brown bolero and went with my nude wedges, and I finally liked the combo.  I think a denim jacket would be cute for making it more casual, or a fitted navy blazer could work for the office… but since I have neither of those items, this will have to do!  I was starting to get frustrated with the gym, because the usual classes I take after work were filled and I couldn’t get a spot.  I hadn’t planned on taking a week off from the gym, but it was also nice to have some unexpected time at the end of the day to tie up some loose ends before dinner.

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teal lace top // Belk
seed pearl necklace // inherited
open front blazer // Loft
grey pants // old
nude heels // PayLess

his is definitely a throw on and go kind of outfit.  I am on the hunt to find another blazer in a different color, because this one has become such a staple for my wardrobe.  It’s hard to find a good fit and I want a quality piece, so I’m just causally searching wherever I go.  I finally got to go to the gym after work, which was intense after my week long break.

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black/white print dress // Loft
black cami underneath // Old Navy
monogram necklace // Etsy
black cardigan // Loft via eBay
black tights // Walgreens
ankle boots // eBay

Another easy black and white dress to throw on for work… my favorite kind of outfit!  I ran to a salon on my lunch hour to get my eyebrows waxed… it sure is convenient to work in a central location!  After work I went to the gym again.  But mostly I was just daydreaming of the beach!

Proof!  A little fashion diary doodling…

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striped/polka dot top // Loft
organice hoops necklace // eBay
skinny jeans // Old Navy via eBay
silver flats // PayLess

Casual Friday.  After work, I skipped the gym so I could get home earlier and finish packing.  I always get nervous about travelling, so I welcomed a glass of wine at one of our favorite restaurants to try to unwind.  It takes me a day or two to really feel like I’m on vacation!

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teal motion tee // Gap
jeans // Aeropostale via eBay
grey Toms // Nordstrom’s

Simple travel outfit.  You can see Cora peeking out – of course she was very interested in the suitcases.  Tali was just happy that we put two bowls of food out!  We took a shuttle to the airport, and our day of travel commenced… as flying goes, it wasn’t too bad.  There were slight delays all around but we made our connecting flight and landed by 6 PM.  Then our beach vacation could really begin!

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orange lace tank // Loft
initial leaf necklace // Etsy
khaki shorts // Loft
brown beaded flip flops // old

First day at the beach!  I decided to take a picture of our view from the condo every morning.  I made the mistake of keeping the curtains open, so I was up super early since the sun was so bright.  I haven’t worn shorts since we moved to SF – so my legs are just about the color of khaki!  We had a great beach day – we set up the chairs and tents, walked on the beach, read a bit, and relaxed with family.  We worked on a puzzle and finished it in a couple nights… then bought another!

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ikat print top // Loft
initial leaf necklace // Etsy
navy cropped pants // Loft
brown beaded flip flops // old

Another beautiful beach view with storm clouds on the horizon.  I got to read on the porch while the storm passed by, and by mid-morning it was sunny again.   We had another great day at the beach, and in the afternoon we got to eat our favorite fast food that isn’t available in CA – Chick-fil-A!

Bonus!  For the beach I wore a cover up I found on clearance a couple years ago… I love it!

Later I changed tops to go out for dinner… this filter conveniently masks my sunburn!

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black tank // Old Navy
khaki shorts // Loft
brown beaded flip flops // old

 Overcast day meant shopping at the outlets.  I had to buy a cardigan at the first store because I forgot how cold the air conditioning could be!  But since I wear cardigans to work almost every day, I figured it was a practical purchase.  We went for another walk on the beach before showering and heading out to eat again for our last night.   Sam and I took one last walk on the beach late at night before we turned in to pack again.  There were actually quite a few people out with flashlights, looking for sand crabs.  I was so sad to say goodbye to the beach!

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navy/green striped tee // Loft
initial leaf necklace // Etsy
jeans // Aeropostale via eBay
grey Toms // Nordstrom’s

Home again, home again, jiggity jog… We were up bright and early to shower and eat breakfast before heading to the airport.  I definitely had a bad case of homesickness on the flights back to San Fran.  I do love this city, but I don’t think it will ever feel like home if our family is across the country.  Of course, it was good to be back with our kitties again… but not so fun unpacking and gearing up for the last two days of the work week.

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geometric print top // Banana Republic outlet
coral necklace // GroopDealz
black cardigan // Loft via eBay
black pants // Banana Republic
heels // PayLess

I knew it would be hard to go back to work after vacation, so I set up rewards for myself.  I wore a new top from the outlets, and saved a letter from a friend to open at the end of the day.  My lingering sunburn wasn’t quite as “fun” at work as it was at the beach… but the work day passed swiftly.  After work I went to a happy hour fundraiser for a local charity, then headed home for the season premiere of Project Runway.  I definitely needed a pick-me-up… and being social plus my favorite TV show was just the ticket!

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floral top // Belk
initial leaf necklace // Etsy
open front cardigan // Ann Taylor outlet
jeans // Aeropostale via eBay
silver flats // PayLess

Another casual Friday at the office.  I finally went to the gym again after a week away, and afterwards all I wanted was a night on the couch catching up on the DVR!  So that’s exactly what I did, complete with Chinese takeout.

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grey studded tee // Forever 21
skinny jeans // Old Navy via eBay
snakeskin print flats // eBay

We had a mountain of laundry to tackle, so we were stuck at home most of Saturday.  Not a very exciting day, but much needed.  We went to the movies and saw Pacific Rim – definitely cheesy and over the top, but a fun sci-fi action movie.  And a few of my favorite actors were in it, too – Stringer Bell from The Wire and Charlie Day from Always Sunny in Philadelphia (I only know the character names ha!) – fun stuff!

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I’m linked up to The Pleated Poppy for WIWW!