Essentials Hot Pink Cardigan: Forever 21 (this color no longer available online, but available in a longline boyfriend style here or here, and in a more spendier cashmere option here)

Bamboo Coral Spiky Necklace: handmade by me/DIY

Deep Ridge Silver Cigarette Case: BeWild

Turquoise T-shirt: ? [thrifted] (similar here)

Colored Ankle-Zip Skinny Jeans: Divine Rights of Denim for Forever 21 (similar here)

Geena Wedge Leopard Platform Heels: Kelsi Dagger

With Lil Tot starting 1st grade two weeks ago and promptly bringing home a horrible, sneezy, runny-nosed cold that I caught and now can’t shake for over a week, I’ve been feeling pretty down and out lately.

So for work yesterday I decided to brighten my mood by throwing together the brightest things in my closet…all together.  As in AT ONCE, as in crazy color-blind lady-style.  I was actually pretty surprised at how the paprika jeans actually seemed to be okay paired with a turquoise tee; I never would have thought of this color combo normally.

Of course this outfit required me to bring out my DIY Faux Coral Bamboo spiky necklace that I made awhile back…all the beads are (or were) available at Michael’s and it merely required stringing together.  (It is made of Black Stick Bamboo Beads and Red Resin Faux Coral Beads)

I thought to add something printed an fun on my feet, so these Kelsi Dagger leopard wedge platforms did the trick.  They remind me a bit of nurse’s shoes (except patterned!), and run about a half size to a size small, with waaaaaay too low a counter at the heel to grip your feet as you walk.  I’m taking them to the shoe repair place to get a little matching ankle strap attached.  (I could DIY this, of course, but I really don’t have the time!:-(

I’ve had mini clutch-style cases on the brain lately, so for this outfit I chose a little cigarette case to travel with.  Now I don’t smoke; never have, never will…and I’d never advocate picking up the habit.  But…when you want to travel light, a metal cigarette case is the perfect size to hold your essentials: credit card, mini lipgloss, business card, perfume vial, $20 bill, a stick of gum, your keys.  BeWild.com has some cool options, as well as Kyle Designs, who refers to these cases as “Metal Wallets” for shoppers not wanting to associate these cases with the habit-forming death sticks.

I can’t fit my cell phone or car keys in here, but it houses pretty much everything else I need!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!  I’m in such a mental fog it seems that translated to my full-length outfit shots above…

I am going to lie down and see if I can’t shake these sniffles once and for all!;-)

xoxox

Carly