Lazy Day Off

thrifted Ann Taylor blouse, Gap skirt, Nine West tights from Marshalls,
earrings and boots from Forever 21, vintage coat from Cream Vintage

It's my first day off after working ten days in a row and I've been deliciously lazy. In fact, I'm still in my pajamas and wearing my glasses. I made myself a great breakfast and enjoyed my coffee in an actual mug instead of a travel coffee cup. I plan to have a stress-free day and avoid all the things I don't want to do, i.e. clean the apartment and figure out my loan consolidation stuff. Instead, I'll paint my nails and plant the seeds I bought a few weeks ago. For now, I'm off to lunch with Matt for a pre-date to our fancy dinner date tonight.

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!

Catching Up

Gap shirt, Halston Heritage skirt from Julian Gold,
Banana Republic flats, vintage coat, Forever 21 necklace

I feel like I haven't blogged in forever, but really it's only been a few days. I've been working 9-5 the last couple of days and have been way too tired to even think about blogging when I'm finally home. Luckily, I'm not working until later this afternoon, so I have some time to catch y'all up on what's new in my life.

First things first, I got a new iPhone! It's not the newest one, just a white iPhone 4. I really didn't want a new one, but my old iPhone 3G finally died after two and a half years. I'm surprised it made it that long, especially after dropping it in a cup of tea last summer and reviving it in a bag of rice. I really like my new phone because apps don't randomly crash, it doesn't take me five minutes to send a Tweet, and and the camera is awesome. Yay for technology!

Other than the new phone, everything else is the same. Matt found his old food dehydrator, so he's been making a lot of dried fruit and meat. He's working on perfecting his beef jerky recipe and I have to say that he's definitely improved with each batch. There is some meat marinating in the fridge right now that will be dried overnight and I can't wait to try it when it's done tomorrow. I love me some beef jerky.

OK, enough about me. I have something else to share with you! If you're in the Austin area, I'd love if you came out to Gap at Central Park tonight. We're having a fun fashion event showcasing the new spring line along with complimentary cocktails and finger foods. There will be exclusive discounts on the new merchandise for those of you who come out tonight. The more the merrier, so bring your friends!

If you can't come by tonight, check out some of my favorite items online. I want everything!

Colored Skinny Ankle Jeans

Red Cropped Pants

Printed Sheath Dress

Polka Dot Tank

Ruffled Cami

Professional Ensemble

Forever 21 dress and necklace, Urban Outfitter tights, Banana Republic flats

This is the kind of outfit I wear to work at Alfred Angelo Bridal. I try to appear professional without looking like I'm trying too hard. It's difficult to find outfits like this among the colorful maxi skirts, thrifted blouses, and vintage dresses in my closet. One of the reasons I've been trying to clean out my closet is to really figure out my style. I have so many clothes stuffed in my closet and enough is enough. How can I know what I really like when I have so many options?

For example, I have so many skirts (short, midi, maxi, you name it) that I'm having to hang two on one hanger. That's not OK, especially because I really do have a lot of hangers. If I can't find more than two ways to wear a skirt with a top in my closet, it doesn't make the cut. Sayonara, skirt! It's harsh, but totally worth it.

How do you go about cleaning your closet?

Unexpected Combination

dress from Langford Market, sweater from New York & Company,
Forever 21 earrings and boots, tights from ???

I surprise myself sometimes. I used to think I didn't like brown and pink together, but somehow I ended up wearing this yesterday. I've been getting in the habit of setting aside clothes I haven't worn in awhile as a reminder to wear them. It helps me decide what I should actually keep in my closet. If I can't find a way to wear it in a week, there's no reason to keep it. I hadn't worn this sweater or dress in months, so I hung them on my closet door with the intention to wear them this week. I added brown tights and boots, and voila, I had an outfit. I got quite a few compliments on this ensemble, which did good things for my ego. I have a few other things hanging on my closet door, so hopefully you'll be seeing them this week. If not, out they go!

Long Weekend

Tucker for Target dress, necklace from Target, belt from Wish (closed),
Forever 21 boots, brown tights from ???

What a weekend! I worked 22 hours over the last three days. It might not sound like much, but it sure feels like it because I worked all last week and I'll also be working today and tomorrow. Thankfully, I have a day off on Wednesday! Of course, I'm not complaining because I definitely need the money, but lately I've realized how hard it is to keep up with blogging. Working retail, especially on the weekends, means I'm usually not home before the sun goes down. So, I'm going to start making an effort to take pictures before I go to work. It's hard to wake up earlier than I need to, but I'm willing to do it for my blog. I've been wearing cute outfits all weekend, but I didn't get a chance to take any pictures. Such a shame!

Happy Two Hundred!

vintage coat from an estate sale, vintage dress and hair scarf from Cream Vintage,
tights from Ross, DV Dolce Vita booties from Nordstrom, Forever 21 purse

This is officially my 200th post. Wooooooohoooooo!! I've been blogging about "what I wear" for almost a whole year and I'm still going strong. I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't think anyone was actually reading it, but thankfully I know you are. I've learned so many things about myself through this blog. My style has evolved tremendously (anyone remember how I dressed in high school???) and my eyes have been opened to the endless possibilities offered by thrift stores. Thank you, readers of The Closet de Natalie, for helping me realize that I don't need to spend a lot of money on my clothes to feel good about myself.

The new year is almost here and I couldn't be more ready for it. I can do anything I want right now seeing as I'm unemployed without any pressing opportunities. The world is my oyster (what a strange expression) and I hope I don't screw it up. Wish me luck because I'll definitely be needing it.

Confessions of a Compliment Seeker

vintage dress from Cream Vintage, tights from Marshalls,
boots found on Ebay by my sister, Gap jean jacket

I was shopping at HEB wearing this outfit when a lady stopped me to ask me where I got my dress. It probably shouldn't have made me as happy as it did, but I couldn't help it. I'm not sure why, but there is something so pleasing about getting a compliment about my clothing from a stranger. Maybe I like being acknowledged for my sense of style or maybe I just have some self-esteem issues I was unaware of. I liked my outfit all day before this nice lady had ever seen it, but then I loved it after she told me how much she liked it. Instead of trying to figure out why that is, I'm going to use that logic and give myself a compliment everyday. Take that, self-esteem!