Twelve.

 Dress: Target Jacket: Levi's Sandals: Target Necklace: Forever 21

I'm pretty sure my camera is dying a slow, obnoxious death.  On the one hand, it's fine, because it's a crappy camera and I have had it for almost 6 years.  On the other hand, I'm bummed because...no camera?!  Oy.  Luckily, I found a self-timer app for my iPhone, and I wound up taking today's pictures on my phone!  Believe it or not, it's easier for me to take a details shot (like the one above) with my phone than with my camera!  I thought it was really slick to take photos today, so I'm going to try this out for a while.  I'll play with the settings a little bit and editing, etc., but so far, I am a fan.

Tonight, my parents and brother are driving down to our place for dinner and to see our university's production of Spamalot!  I'm so excited - I love musical theater, and Spamalot is so hilarious!  Kevin and my mom haven't seen it before, and I can't wait to get their read on the show.  Plus, our university's theater department is awesome.  They do more shows in a school year than any other school in the country!

I hope you all have a great weekend!  Who's doing something exciting?

Ten.

Shirt: Old Navy Skirt: Old Navy Sandals: Payless Necklace: Forever 21

Oof, sorry about the crappy iPhone photo and cheesy grin, you guys!  My regular camera was being super funky today and not letting me upload any photos, so you're stuck with the old iPhone...

I did not have to work or go to class this morning, so I was able to sleep in a little bit (8:00!  Woooo!) and work on some homework before hitting the gym.  Ten minutes into my workout, an episode of What Not to Wear came on...so instead of spending the 30 minutes I intended to on the treadmill, I stayed on for the whole episode...I burned 700 calories, though, so that was awesome!  I just love What Not to Wear, and I'm so sad it's going off the air!  I really hope that TLC keeps playing it in syndication, because it's so entertaining.  I've learned a lot about how to dress my body through the show as well, and how to become more confident in my skin.  Plus, it's shows like this (and trashy reality TV) that make my workouts go super fast!!  Please tell me I'm not the only one who watches trashy reality TV on the treadmill...

Two.

Tank: Old Navy Cardigan: TJ Maxx Jeans: Old Navy Flats: Payless Necklace: Forever 21

Today's outfit is perfect for finishing my final paper, relaxing with my dogs, and going to play trivia at a local restaurant tonight.  I am soaking in all of this free time!

So I've written about my body struggles before...and things really haven't gotten easier for me.  I still feel uncomfortable in my body and although I've been trying hard to lose (or at least maintain) weight, I have gained 7-8 lbs since January, putting me at my highest weight ever.  GROSS.  I went to the doctor yesterday for a check up, and finally have a reason for this!  I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism about 2.5 years ago, and after about a year of tweaking, I had found a dosage of medication that put my thyroid levels back within a normal range.  Yesterday, though, my doctor told me that my levels had shot through the roof, which explains why I've been gaining weight, feeling depressed, and been much more tired than usual.  I'm starting a higher dosage of my medication today and hoping that it will make losing weight easier for me, and make me feel better in general.  Keeping my fingers crossed that things turn around for me soon!!

Grandpa Sparkles

Dress: Old Navy Sandals: Target Necklace: F21

I was in my brother-in-law's wedding last summer, and all of the women needed to wear silver shoes.  Since I'm not a heels kind of lady, I decided to look for a pair of silver flat sandals with a little sparkle.  I searched high and low for the perfect pair, and wound up ordering this pair from Target online.  They were only about $20, which was ideal for my itty bitty budget, and they are SO comfortable.

I wore them once before the wedding, at my other brother-in-law's high school graduation open house, and Kevin's grandpa (who is usually super serious and stoic) really liked them.  I was sitting with Kevin in the yard, and Grandpa Mac came up to me and looked at my shoes...and we had the following conversation:

Mac: "So, you like sparkles?"

Me: "Yeah, I do!"

Mac: "Me too...how long do you think you've liked sparkles?  Since you were a little girl?  Maybe, like, two?"

Me: "Oh yes, I definitely liked sparkles when I was little!!"

Mac: [nods head...walks away...]

It was pretty funny, and to this day, we all call him Grandpa Sparkles when referring to him :)

I'm linking up with Heidi at Literate & Stylish for today's We Love Target challenge!

Day Eight: Advice.

Tee: Target Skirt: Target Shoes: Payless Necklace: From Mom

I absolutely love this outfit.  I wanted to wear a fuller skirt today, and this chambray skirt with pockets called to me from my closet this morning!  I also wanted to finally break out my new sandal wedges, so I thought I'd keep the other elements of my outfit focused on black.  I love how this turned out - I feel cute and put together and sassy.  I'm also having a fantastic hair day - I cut it over the weekend and it's quite a bit shorter than it was (particularly in the back, which you can't see here).  I love having a good hair day.

The prompt for today's Blog Every Day in May challenge is to give some advice.  Well, as an aspiring school counselor, we have been taught time and time again that we are not professional advice-givers.  After a year of graduate school, it feels weird to give advice.  But I'll pass on a nugget of wisdom that has been really helpful and motivating to me in my adulthood!

Find a cause that you are passionate about and do something about it.  In a world where there is so much injustice, inequality, and negativity, it feels amazing to make a difference.  Give your time by volunteering or give your money by making donations, or spread the word by advocating for others and educating people who may not know about the cause that you're interested in.  I know I talk about this all the time, but animal rescue is the thing I am most passionate about.  I have done plenty of research on animal rescue and talk to people about it all the time (for instance, I talk about the importance of spaying or neutering your pets).  I volunteer at the local animal shelter on adoption days and help place animals in their forever homes.  And this weekend, Kevin and I are getting our first foster puppy from a high-kill shelter in Kentucky.  We don't have many details yet, but we're excited to share with you when we do know more!  I have never been this excited or passionate about something in my life, and I cannot wait to start saving the lives of innocent dogs!

On Necklaces

Shirt: JCPenney Skirt: Goodwill Tights: Target Boots: Target Necklace: F21

• I used to wear the same necklace every day.  My grandma gave it to me for my confirmation when I was 15 years old, and I wore it every day until the chain broke about 2 years ago.  I still need to get a new chain so I can wear it again.
• I keep seeing the necklace I'm wearing today everywhere!  Someone was wearing it in class this weekend, and I have seen it on a few other bloggers.  It's great color, though, and I like that it's chunky without being heavy.  I also got several compliments on my necklace today, which was kind of nice.  This outfit is pretty plain, so the necklace really stands out.
• I tweeted this weekend that I saw the J.Crew bubble necklace in person for the first time this weekend!  I have only seen it on bloggers before, but never "in real life," and I (jokingly) have thought of it as a legendary item or something...like a unicorn...It does actually exist, though!  ;)
• As spring comes nearer (although not near enough, as we're expected to get something like 9 inches of snow today), I'm hoping to rely less on scarves to spice up my outfits and more on necklaces.  I have many necklaces, although I don't wear many of them.  With Kate's No Longer Neglected challenge going on in March, I'm hoping to wear more of my necklaces.  I'll donate or sell the ones I don't wear, and be on the lookout for new necklaces to add to my collection.  I'll also ask for feedback about how you all might style some of the necklaces that are more difficult for me!

I'm linking up with Kayla for My Style Monday!

Dark Dr. Seuss

Tee: Target Skirt: Target Cardigan: Target Tights: JCPenney Wedges: Skechers (sooo old) Necklace: F21

My striped tights totally remind me of Dr. Seuss.  They're a little quirky and different, but I love them.  They're actually sweater tights, so they're super cozy and warm.  I also love this skirt.  The front panel is a shiny/suede-like material that adds a little interest to the plain black pencil skirt.  Also, in the back of the skirt is a gold exposed zipper.  You couldn't see it today because of my cardigan, but I'm excited to wear this skirt in the spring/summer with a tee so you can see the fun zipper!

This weekend, Kevin and I did a whole lot of nothing, and it was perfect.  We spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings at the gym and spent our days working on homework. We did, as I posted on Saturday, finish watching Firefly.  I really loved the show, but I wish it hadn't gotten cancelled after the first season!  There are so many unanswered questions!  Do any of you have a favorite television short that was cancelled before its time?

Not Exposed!!

Dress: Old Navy Leggings: Target Boots: Guess Necklace: F21

I adore the color combination of navy and gray.  I got this dress on super clearance at Old Navy (hm...do you think I like clearance? And Old Navy?) and knew I wanted to pair it with my gray leggings and silver jewelry.  I'm always so nervous wearing a wrap dress because I'm afraid it's going to flop open and expose...everything.  Luckily, this one stayed closed nicely today.  I'm thanking my knee-length winter coat for that, because it was windy outside!

My outfits on the blog, so far, have been a little on the plain/safe side.  I either dress pretty simply, or a little bit more fun.  I'm looking forward to putting together some more of those fun outfits in the coming weeks.  I'm feeling a little stifled by the bitterly cold weather we've been having in Minnesota, so hopefully next week when it's supposed to warm up, I'll be able to wear some more varied outfits!

Linked up to Mix and Match Fashion's What I Wore to Work link party!

Statement Necklace

Turtleneck: Target Jeans: Old Navy Flats: JCPenney Necklace: F21

It is bitterly cold outside today in Minnesota...and tomorrow, it's only going to get worse!  I think our high is projected to be -2 degrees tomorrow.  Yuck.  It's the perfect day to do homework, though!  I was in class for 9 hours yesterday, and while it was a marathon of a day, I loved my class.  Today, it's all about hitting the books while snuggled up on the couch with some hot apple cider.

As for the outfit, I wanted to keep it fairly simple, as I'm not planning to leave the house today (too cold!).  I've had this black turtleneck for a while, but for whatever reason was afraid to wear it.  After putting it on, though, I do really love it.  Be prepared to see more of it - paired with skirts, under dresses, with scarves, etc.  I've usually been more subtle with my jewelry choices, but I really liked this green necklace.  I love that it is chunky and bold, but it still is really light on my neck.  I can hardly tell it's there!

PS. It is Pippin's birthday today!  She turns two years old today.  Happy birthday to my spunky pup.

Sleepy Stripes

Dress: Old Navy Leggings: Target Boots: Bare Traps from DSW Necklace: F21

I've worn a slight variation of this outfit several times, and I totally love it.  I got this dress at Old Navy for $7, and it is so perfect.  I love that it hugs my body but doesn't make me look lumpy and bumpy.

I'm so exhausted today.  Kevin is out of town, so Pippin slept with me last night.  However, she woke up about every hour to growl at sounds she heard outside.  It was quite the restless night!  Since I have class at 8:00 am tomorrow (for 9 hours!!), I am planning to go to bed early tonight...and Pippin will probably have to sleep in her kennel.