Farewell Summer

I notice You in children’s games, in those who watch them from the shade. Every drop of sun is full of fun and wonder. You are summer.

Casual Friday: College Colors

Happy Friday, y'all! College football kicked off last night and that means one thing...fall is imminent! Today is national College Colors Day, so I hope you're sporting your team's hues. I found out about College Colors Day yesterday on Facebook, after which I emailed our staff to participate.

College Colors Day began in 2005 as a way to promote school spirit and spread the message of the need for higher education.

Since we're in a college town, quite a few of us are FSU fans, but we've got many schools represented in our office. Jerry is a big Auburn fan!

Today is a Casual Friday outfit, but it's a great example of how to show school spirit in the office. Jerseys and t-shirts aren't office appropriate, but that doesn't mean you can't show support for your team. 

I wore a black and tan striped maxi skirt with a black camisole. The tan served as the "gold" in my outfit. I topped it off with a garnet cardigan and wore my gold glitter Jacks. A great way to show off your college colors in the office is by wearing jewelry. In my ears I sported a pair of Fan Flirties. These earrings are a must for gameday. 

Welcome back, college football. Go 'Noles! Scalp 'em!

Maxi Skirt: Calvin Klein
Camisole: Target
Cardigan: Target
Earrings: Fan Flirties
Sandals: Jack Rogers

Review: Apple Store

Call me a laggard. I've only been a smartphone user since May 2011. It was then that I purchased a Droid. I loved having a smartphone, and during the fall of that year I was basically without a laptop, so my HTC Incredible 2 was my lifeblood.

Fast forward to nine months later. I shattered my screen and had sweat in the phone (running without an armband), so I needed a new phone. The Droid still works, but it just didn't look nice. I went to Verizon and joined the Apple cultists with an iPhone 4 in February 2012. 

The iPhone 4 stood up to hell and high water, literally. In August of 2012 it took a bath, but ended up working just fine after an extended stay in a bag of rice. In January of 2013 it took a dip again. This time, it didn't bounce back the same. It was functioning but fickle for about a week. It died on a Friday two weeks after the incident, and I purchased an iPhone 5 just before the one year anniversary of the 4. 

The iPhone 5 was great until the top lock button stopped functioning about three months after getting the phone. I had been meaning to take it to the Apple Store, but there isn't one in Tallahassee and I never had a convenient time to visit an out of town store. 

During my conference in Clearwater, I found some time to visit the Apple Store in Tampa. I had never been to an Apple Store so I wasn't sure what to expect. There were so many blue-shirted team members that were incredibly personable. 

I arrived about 10 minutes before my Genius Bar appointment and was seen immediately. It took a bit of time to actually get helped at the bar, but the service was exceptional. The customer service agent who helped me set me up with a new iPhone 5 (for free!) and even answered ancillary questions about sharing contacts between phones, using the Find My iPhone feature and how to add multiple email accounts to Apple devices. 

Overall, the Apple Store experience was great! I was so impressed with the customer service, how quickly I was seen, and that there was no paperwork involved to get a replacement phone under warranty! Apple really knows how to take care of its customers. Kudos to you, Apple! I'll be back!

OOTD: Coral and Navy

Day three of my conference: full on color.

***

This J.Crew dress is experiencing some heavy rotation in my closet. I'm wearing this piece all the time! The cut is perfect and I love the high neckline. If it came with a full skirt, I don't think I'd ever take it off. 

I topped the dress with my navy Talbots jacket that didn't make it into yesterday's post. (When packing for travel, make sure your outfits can mix and match so you can cut down on space.) 

I am in love with these shoes! I saw these Calvin Klein wedges at Marshalls in Tallahassee in early spring. I liked them, but wasn't ready to bite the bullet. Later in the summer I was visiting the beach house (there's a fab Marshalls there) and saw them on sale. 

When I purchase shoes, I try to envision the different outfits I can wear them with. I couldn't identify many options for these but I bought them anyway. I'm so glad I did! 

I've discovered coral works well into my wardrobe and that I love the bright shoe to coordinate, or to contrast. The patent is great, and I love that the stacked wedge is not too high (I'd put these at an inch and three-quarters). 

I added more splashes of color with a periwinkle patent belt and a green three-strand statement necklace. 

Dress: J.Crew

Jacket: Talbots

Shoes: Calvin Klein

Necklace: Banana Republic

Belt: Target

OOTD: Conferencing in Clearwater

Today's OOTD is a testament to color working in a professional wardrobe. This look also embraces trends, but still looks traditional. 

(More shameless mirror selfies...in my hotel room!) 

I wore a navy peplum suit dress from Calvin Klein and belted it with a sunny yellow patent belt. To keep the look summery, I wore natural pumps with a white cap toe. To pull on the white, I wore a necklace from Ann Taylor that's been featured on the blog before. (I hadn't put it on yet in the photo!) Over the dress I wore a textured navy Talbots jacket. 

Dress: Calvin Klein

Pumps: Nine West

Belt: J.Crew

Jacket: Talbots

Necklace: Ann Taylor

OOTD: Standing in the Neon

Today's OOTD is all about neon. I felt very bright and this outfit kept me going all day. This photo was taken in my office. Aren't the stained glass windows divine? 

The palm print on the blouse matches the shade and print of the scarf, and the pencil skirt matches the red in the scarf too! 

After work, Kaleigh, Caroline and I went to the Access Tallahassee event at a new restaurant/bar in town, Madison Social. We had a great view of the stadium as the sun set and we got some great pictures. It was so much fun to network with other yopros in Tallahassee and experience a new venue. 

Blouse: Ann Taylor

Skirt: J.Crew Factory

Scarf: LOFT

Bracelet: Ann Taylor

Pumps: Nine West

Casual Friday: Polka Dots and Chambray

You may have noticed a Casual Friday pattern: I like fun pants on Fridays. Maybe I should start calling them "Fun Pants Friday."

I love these pants! Here's a closeup of the detail. 

Polka dots are so fun and the square detail is unexpected. These fit like a dream and really stay comfy all day. 

 Chambray entered a few seasons ago as a really popular neutral alternative. As denim, it really can go with anything, but it makes this outfit more interesting that a basic white blouse. 

I added the J. Crew necklace with pink and blue tones to play up the pink polka dots, and bring in the blue from the shirt. This necklace is quickly becoming one of my favorites!

The untucked chambray button-down made the look more relaxed (it's summer!) but tucking it in and adding a patent pink belt would make this a more office appropriate Casual Friday ensemble.

Top: GAP

Pants: GAP (on sale $25.99)

Necklace: J.Crew Outlet

Pumps: Nine West