29

Since I never had a teenage goth phase, I've decided to channel it now. Wine colored lips? Check. Moody black dress? Check. Victorian laceup booties? You betcha.

* black H&M maxi dress * grey Lux sweater robe * laceup Jeffrey Campbell booties*

*grey wool beret--Anthropologie * black and white beaded necklace * DIY'd Roman glass necklace * beaded chain necklaces--H&M * green belt--H&M *

Hrm. I picked this dress to try and style it up a bit differently than what came naturally-- paired with a long cardigan, since it is a bit... revealing. Mind you, not unflattering, just a bit tighter than anything I typically wear. But it languished in my 30x30 pile until the 29th day, when I paired it with, what else, a long cardigan. Challenge tight black maxi dress is still on. Maybe when I finally finish this month-long saga I can try and remix it a few ways, my own little challenge.

28

This was actually one of my first outfits in the challenge, but I never had time to photograph it. So I just wore it again (cheating?) 

* blue jersey Target dress * purple ruffle Cynthia Rowley cardigan * black CG oxford flats *

* navy sweater tights--Hue * heart locket necklace--UO *

After I shrunk this sweater in the dryer, I cried a bit. Then I wet it and stretched it out, hoping it would be Nina-sized once more. While it is definitely still a bit snug, I was able to wear it out. I need to try this trick on the myriad items of clothing I have mistakenly stuck in the dryer over the past few months (not a small amount.)

And this is what happens when you are not ready for self-timer. Take this as a warning.

27

Can you taste it? That is right. Just 3 more outfits and I am finally done with the challenge. It tastes like freedom.

* nudey pink H&M tee * grey H&M grandpa cardigan * red Target pencil skirt * leopard Richard Taylor t-straps *

*creme knit tights--Anne Klein * pink flowered scarf--Target * creme knit beanie--H&M *

Before I started blogging, I thought winter was all about dark colors. I wore black, grey and brown, and used color if at all on top. Lately, however, I've been drawn to winter whites and brights. I love how a pair of thick knit tights in a light shade allows options beyond dark colors even while wearing a skirt in the winter.

Do you wear winter white? How do you make sure not to fall into a dark color rut during the cold seasons?

A Festivus for the Rest of Us

Though I pine for a Christmas tree, it just isn't in the cards for this Orthodox Jew.

But thanks to Seinfeld, I have a little something to celebrate today...

 

 Air your grievances below.

26

Wearing a vintage dress? To make it look less schoolmarm, a blazer will always be your friend. Though I did pair it with uber-nerdy shoes, so I'm back to square one.

* vintage Etsy'd dress* Theory blue/black blazer * black CG oxfords *

*black tights-- Calvin Klein * blue statement necklace-- Loehmann's * creme fuzzy flower hat--H&M *

Sadly, the statement necklace was a bit lost against the black background of the dress, but I still like this outfit. I love how a subtle pattern can break up a sea of black. Though I am a New Yorker through and through, I delight in knowing how infrequently black figures into my ensembles. 

How do you mix up your vintage pieces?

25 (and still alive)

Call off the manhunt, because I'm back! You'd think having photos lined up and ready would make posting easier, right? Thankfully, after a bit of a hectic week life has calmed down a bit. And I can finally (finally!) finish the neverending story, aka 30x30.

* camel August Silk cashmere pullover * red Target pencil skirt * brown Studio Polini boots *

*maroon (wish the color came out better!) sweater tights-- Hue * metallic braided belt--Gap * flowered mother-of-pearl earrings--H&M * camel beret-- Kangol, gifted by coworker *

I adore camel with brights. See? Something about pairing the most sophisticated neutral with screaming color just speaks to me. Though you can't see my lips all that well, I went with dark wine lips (Nars Velvet Matte lip pencil in Damned), and loved the contrast to the skirt. 

Twenty Four

I should start a series of seductive kitchen poses. This will be number one. I do get bored with my mannequin (as hubs calls them) poses, but though I watch ANTM dilligently, don't know if I will ever get over my awkwardness in front of the camera.

* white Ralph Lauren button down * grey H&M cardigan * brown Banana Republic skirt * brown Studio Polini boots *

*grey green fishnets--Givenchy * multi-strand beaded necklace--gift from friend * brown fuzzy flower hat-- H&M *

I think 30x30 made my usual "wear what I wore yesterday with a twist" even worse. Repeated here: the white button down, tights and boots from the day before. What I do love is how different these two outfits are-- this look is much more traditional work gear, though the giant flower at the side of my head does serve to break up the stale and bring in some whimsy. I hope.

Twenty Three

I'm off to a country weekend in the English countryside. Ah, but a girl can dream... vacation is something that doesn't exist for now, between hubs taking an extra rotation during his break and my many campus visits. Sad face. But at least I can dress the part.

* H&M flowered dress * Theory blue/black blazer * white Ralph Lauren button down * brown Studio Polini boots *

*grey green Givenchy fishnets * Gap metallic braided belt * white H&M knit hat * cameo necklace *

Just seven more to go. Or to post, more accurately. Apparently posting rather sporadically during the challenge makes it go on forever. Whoops.

Twenty Two

 

 I think it has come time to officially stop thinking of cutesy titles involving numbers. Because there is just nothing for 22. I did a pretty thorough Google search, so I am throwing in the towel. At least I put up a good fight.

* yellow polka dotted vintage shell * red Target pencil skirt * black AEve cashmere cardigan * metallic Jeffrey Campbell laceup booties*

*black Gap leggings * gold chandelier earrings, courtesy of my coworker Hanna * red paisley scarf

It has been quite a while since I've rocked the pirate. Not sure why-- I think I prefer hats for their blendability (you don't automatically assume headcovering when you see a knit beanie. Just hipster. But my hair is washed and I have no tattoos... hmmm), but I quite miss my collection of patterned/colored scarves and am glad I brought this one out to play. This outfit combines lots of styles-- the prim shell and cardigan, red hot skirt and scarf, rocker-ish boots and leggings, and fun and fancy earrings. An ecclectic mix of design vocabularies can  be overwhelming, but I think the red-black-yellow color scheme keeps it grounded.

Do you mix styles? What are your favorite ecclectic combos?

 

Twenty One Candles

Finally, the blazer that I so desperately wanted to swap in as soon as I posted my 30. I was itching to put it on my list, but apparently not so itching as to wear it any of the first 20 days.

* camel August Silk cashmere pullover * blue-black Theory blazer * brown Banana Republic pencil skirt * metallic leopard Richard Taylor flats *

*black Gap leggings * pink gold H&M skinny belt * patterned scarf from Israel *

A few years ago, I wouldn't have been caught dead in a brown and black ensemble, yet here I am wearing various shades of each (with the murky in between blue and black blazer thrown in for good measure.) Sometimes throwing the rules out the window is just necessary. I quite like the off-kilter business wear look of this outfit, especially with the neon pink lips to mix the look up even more. And of course, an animal print a day keeps the doctor away (my life's motto, as of this minute.)

Twenty Luftballoons

Because thankfully, this challenge will end way before 99. And I just love that song. In case you're wondering why this is outfit 20 and not 19, so am I. Where did my pictures for 19 go? A question for the ages.

* white Banana Republic tunic * grey H&M grandpa cardigan * brown Banana Republic pencil skirt * brown Studio Polini boots *

*brown sparkle tights--Cynthia Rowley * creme belt -- UO * leopard beret-- H&M *

This outfit is pretty much my take on office wear: white button down (this time, a tunic), cardigan, pencil skirt, fun touches like the wide patent belt and leopard chapeau. During my 30, I've come to realize how essential these brown boots are to my life. I wear them with black, navy, grey and all other colors, and they somehow blend in just perfectly. The rich chocolaty brown is sadly getting a little scuffed at the toes, but I still love them. (How much? I even polished them. A first for me, but I now have plans to polish all of hubs' shoes. Just as soon as I submit my grad school apps..)

On a different note entirely: I've really fallen hard for a feature in this month's Lucky entitled What Works at Work, and particularly for the "Risk Taker" outfit:

I am just loving the combination of saturated colors, and have been seeking out vibrantly colored pencil skirts for the past few days, dreaming of adding rich emerald green and sapphire blue to my new ruby red.

Any ideas on resources less spendy than J. Crew?

Got You for Eighteen Years

* white Banana Republic tunic * grey Lux sweater robe * Zara boyfriend jeans * black CG oxford flats *

* brown chain belt--H&M * multicolored striped scarf-- store in Israel * camel knit hat-- Anne Klein *

The combination of cozy in this outfit was just awesome. Loose jeans, yummy sweater and my favorite scarf, which I bought at the close of my year in Israel between high school and college. With the weather growing colder, I've started to kick my layering into high gear. Under the jeans, I layered silk thermals to keep things from getting too breezy during my commute.

Blog Shop Sale!

Since items have been sitting in the shop for a while, I lowered the prices on nearly everything to make room for a new batch. Looking for a Cynthia Steffe blouse or Calvin Klein skirt for cheap? Click above and happy shopping!

Seventeen Again

When I was in 11th grade, I took AP Chemistry and loved it so much that I wanted to major in chem in college. When I got there 2 years later, it took only one semester of g-chem to show me that I actually loved my high school teacher, not the subject. Too many numbers for my liking. But I did remember one important chemical rule, exhibited here: like attracts like. Which clearly translates to ruffles attract ruffles.

* blue Target sweaterdress * brown Studio Polini boots *

 * patterned watercolor tights--H&M * creme ruffle scarf--Filene's * vintage lace earrings--gift from hubs *

Pictured above is a very happy Nina, whose husband took her out for a late night sushi run after a particularly trying day at work. Swoon. I don't need diamonds or pearls-- just keep the raw fish in steady supply.

What do you do to decompress from work?

16 Candles

After 15 days of wearing the same items, I went dotty. Sorry- I just couldn't resist a joke about my double dots. You may be asking: Nina, since when is this black cardigan a part of your 30? The answer: since I accidentally threw my purple ruffle cardigan in the dryer. Wool+ heat = tiny felt cardigan. Sad face.

* yellow vintage dotted camisole * black cashmere A+Eve cardigan * creme dotted Zoe D. skirt * metallic Jeffrey Campbell booties *

* black tights * purple snakeskin belt--Calvin Klein * spectacles necklace--H&M * black fuzzy hat-- H&M*

I felt a little crazy Victorian grandma in this outfit, in a good way. As I've mentioned before, some of my favorite outfits evoke elements of costume or imaginary characters, and this was definitely a fun look to wear. Though I'm way behind on posting, I am in the home stretch of wearing my 30 outfits, and quite looking forward to a little bit of change (which as you know, will do you good.)

Friend Friday: Blogger Burnout

What is Friend Friday? Every week, Katy sends out a set of 5 questions to participating bloggers. Since we're all answering, it gives bloggers and readers alike a chance to get better acquainted. If you haven't checked out Katy's blog, Modly Chic, I definitely recommend a peek.

Today's topic is Blogger Burnout. Because sometimes I get so tired that I need to take a nap in the grass. Like this.

1. How many hours a week do you spend blogging? Has that number
changed since you started blogging? I spend about half an hour for each post, between taking photos, editing and uploading to flickr, and writing my actual content. Since I post about 5 times a week, that averages out to around 25 minutes a day. When I first started, I hadn't gotten my system down, so it took quite a bit longer.


2. There is always more you can do, write, read, comment on... how do
you limit your time spent on these tasks? Since my job involves lots of desk time, I am able to catch up on my Google reader during the day. Commenting is another beast entirely-- clicking over to the site, finding the comment form, typing the strange words Blogger chooses to make sure I am not a robot/alien, takes time. Sometimes I am a better commenter than others. I make sure to comment on my favorite blogs every so often, especially when I just love an outfit. With newer finds, I am a bit more proactive. I'd say on average I spend around an hour during the day reading, and no more than 15 minutes commenting.

3. Have you experienced Blogger burnout yet? How have you dealt with
that? I have experienced the burn a few times. I find that if I take a few days off when I'm on vacation, away for the weekend or any other reason, getting back into the habit of photographing my outfits and posting seems far more tedious. The more I post, the easier it is. The few times I've thought about quitting, I just wait a few days. I end up missing my readers and wearing something I just need to share, and I snap out of my funk.

4. This time of the year is always a lot busier than any other time.
Will your blogging change as a result? This season is busy for me, but not because of the holidays (for Orthodox Jews, busy season is mid-September-October, when we have nearly 2 whole weeks of holidays. And not the kind where we can snap photos and be antisocial for a few minutes and post, either. I'm talking full-on no electricity holidays.) I've been really busy lately with grad school applications, and I've been posting less frequently. Since I see this as a hobby, I don't stress if I can't get photos or post. Thankfully, my readers have stuck by even when I go a few days without providing new content.


5. Could you forsee a moment in which you are not blogging anymore?
How would you you identify that it's time to walk away? I will stop blogging when it is more of a burden than a joy. When will that be? Who knows? I can see myself getting overwhelmed with a reading list during grad school and taking a hiatus, or someday when we have kids deciding that this is no longer a priority. Again, I think seeing this as a hobby puts it into perspective: if playing tennis or knitting became stressful, I'd stop. Same with blogging.

Fifteen Chords

A Taylor Swift song? Sure, why not. This outfit, I hate to say, is a total fallback for me: collared shirt, sweater, belt, preppy meets bohemian. I'm finding the biggest challenge of this 30x30 is actually getting to the picture-taking each day-- I've definitely worn closer to 25 outfits with my 30, but haven't gotten around to photographing many of them. That darn job just gets in the way of my real calling: kitchen cabinet style blogger.

* white Ralph Lauren button down * camel cashmere August Silk pullover * grey velvet Elevenses skirt * Richard Taylor metallic leopard t-strap flats *

*grey chevron tights * pink gold belt--H&M * dangly gold earrings--gifted by coworker * grey fuzzy hat--H&M *

My love for mixing metals began with a similar outfit last winter. Thankfully my picture-taking skills have improved slightly since then (and wow, my hair is long!) It is funny if slightly odd to be able to pull up a visual of what I was wearing at this time last year.

To all my fellow MOT (members of the tribe), a very happy Chanukah. May your year be filled with light and various oily foodstuffs.