Daily MelWear: Day to Night Momma

The last time I wore this dress, there were a few issues. Today I've decided to try keeping the blazer on all day and hope for the best.

Our office AC isn't strong enough for our little "house" and it gets up to 80+ degrees here in the afternoon, so I may end up removing the blazer...but we don't have any meetings so hopefully it'll be okay.

As Pam mentioned in the comments of the post debuting this dress, it really is perfect for a day to evening outfit. However, my only plans for tonight are to go home and spend time with my daughter! Those are exciting plans to me! :)

Hope you all have an exciting (in a good way) Wednesday!

Today's outfit:

Dress: Ross
Blazer: Burlington
Belt: Charlotte Russe (I think...)
Heels: From my mom

Daily MelWear: Board Meeting Momma

I always get thrown off a little when we have an extra week in between board meetings. I expect them to be every other Tuesday but they're actually the 2nd and 4th, so when there's a 5th Tuesday in a month, I just get all confused.

At any rate, today IS a board meeting day! Which to me means a skirt suit or at the very least, a blazer.

I have to be honest: as much as I love the silhouette and aesthetic of a pencil skirt (especially for business), I find A-line skirts to be much more comfortable. I think I need to start looking for more of those.

And now let me pat myself on the back a little bit. Back in April, I wrote a post about my story, my struggle with weight and how I got it off. I do feel like I've lost my grip on my eating habits since hitting my goal weight (although I'm pretty good about sticking to my workout routine). While I don't weigh myself anymore because I don't care how much I weigh (I'd rather gain weight in muscle than lose weight and lack definition), I do care about what I'm fueling my body with and how my clothes fit. Lately they're a bit snug.

Yesterday is the first day in a long time that I stuck to my menu and drank my water and didn't feel guilty about anything I ate. Yay! Go me! I know it's important to allow yourself treats and splurges, but I don't think that should be allowed every single day, which is what I've been doing lately.

It's difficult as a vegetarian, who doesn't eat eggs or fish, and also doesn't like tofu or tempeh, to eat well and not overload on carbs. I'm doing my best though, and I'm proud of myself for yesterday! Hopefully I can keep it up!

Do any of you struggle with eating well, avoiding sweets and coming up with yummy and healthy menus? What tips and tricks do you use?

Today's outfit:

Gray Skirt Suit: Ross

Pink Shirt: Dots

Yellow Belt: Target

Heels: DSW

Proper Professional: Hope and the Dress Code

The Proper Professional feature was birthed out of my desire to spread the blogging love while also gaining some insight into professional and business attire in various situations. My goal is to feature bloggers from all different professions, whether stay-at-home moms, mega-corporation executive assistants, work-from-home employees, small office staff, business owners or more, to view different perspectives and opinions on what is appropriate, acceptable, and professional. Hopefully you'll be inspired and introduced to some great new blogs, too! To catch up on previous interviews, click here. 

Today we're talking with Hope of Hope and the Dress Code!

Tell us a little about yourself and your blog.

I'm a happily married late 20-something with two cat-babies (annoying, right?). {Editor's note: Totally not annoying. I love cats!}  I love to read like it's my job and take mediocre photographs. My husband and I are moving into our first single family home in July so home improvement will soon be a hobby of mine. My blog basically documents what I wear (mostly to work) with an ongoing dialogue about my everyday life.

How did you come up with your blog name?

My major challenge in past years has been dressing within my school's dress code without becoming boring or wearing the same thing everyday. I knew that's what I wanted a focus of my blog to be. The name just sort of stuck in my head, though I think it came subconsciously from the movie "Lars and the Real Girl" (never saw it, not even sure what it's about. It's just a catchy title).

Do you work from home or outside the home, and what do you do?

I work in a public high school as a school counselor (PC way to say "guidance counselor").

Do you have a dress code by which you need to abide (either corporate or self-imposed)? If so, what is it and how do your co-workers (if applicable) approach the dress code?

Yes I most definitely do. It’s more than business casual but less than business formal. The counselors at my school are typically more dressed up than the majority of the teachers because we’re located near the administrators and also attend many, many meetings. I think some of us try to make it fun though. “Dress code” does not mean lack of color, accessories, or pretty shoes! {Editor's note: In my case, "Dress code" does mean lack of accessories! But I make up for it in color and pretty shoes. :)}

Do you choose your outfits in advance or in the morning, and how long does it take you to get ready in the mornings?

I used to pick out outfits in the evening, but as time went on I just started putting together outfits in the morning. I get ready very slowly: I eat a leisurely breakfast, watch some TV, take pictures, etc. I give myself about an hour and a half before I have to leave in the morning.

If you were commissioned to rewrite the dress code, what would you change (if anything)?

I would really like to wear “formal” denim items, like a dark denim pencil skirt. Other than that, I’m pretty content within the dress code. I think it demonstrates professionalism to the students and the community.

Do you think companies should take into account the potential cost for certain dress codes to be achieved and if so, should they be concerned about the cost being equal for both men and women?

Yes to an extent. For example, our administrators (men and women) wear suits everyday but they do not REQUIRE this for all staff. I think this is mainly because of the feasibility; we need mobility in the classroom and need to watch cost. We make half to one sixth what they make!     

What is your definition of professional attire and would this vary if the business is a small business compared to a larger corporation?

When I think of professional attire, I think of classic, well-tailored pieces. I think of pieces that command a sense of respect. What’s important to me is incorporating a sense of fun and personality. I think this can be relative to the formality of the job though. For example, I can wear some pretty fun pieces if I tone them down with a pencil skirt, but a lawyer might have to keep the “fun” part small and understated. I guess the same could be said for small vs. large companies, but it’s easier for me to conceptualize with different professions.

 

What are some pieces that every woman should have available in their professional arsenal?

Pencil skirts, a pair of well-tailored dress pants, some killer heels (I recommend black patent), a dress you can wear a couple of ways, cardigans, and a go-to outfit that boosts your confidence!

What pieces are never professionally appropriate regardless of the situation?

Things that are “provocative” really negatively stand out too me: way too short, too tight, too low cut. Hmmm, what else? Sneakers and flip flops. Leggings and sweatpants. Anything torn.

Describe an outfit you'd wear in each of the following settings: 

1. A typical day at work.

My typical day at work can vary greatly, but usually I wear a skirt and cardigan combo.

2. A formal business meeting. 

In theory, I thought would wear some sort of suit or at least a suit jacket at a formal business meeting, even at my school district. But as I was looking through my pictures from the last year, I realized I never wore a suit or a jacket. So I think the closest thing I'd wear would be this collared wrap top and brocade pencil skirt.

3. An informal meeting with co-workers.

I attend informal meetings with coworkers almost everyday. If I know I'm meeting with superiors, I usually try to pick something a little more conservative. If it's with coworkers, I just watch my hemlines and fit.

4. A business dinner with co-workers and superiors. 

I would wear a dress, maybe black if that kind of formality is necessary but I wouldn't mind throwing on a colorful dress either!
 

Thanks Hope for taking the time to give us your thoughts and your photos! Can't wait to host Fabulous In February with you again next year. :)  

If you haven't visited Hope's blog yet, you really should. She is a WEALTH of inspiration and all out gorgeousness!

If you'd like to be featured (or want to recommend someone else), please contact me at aworkingmomscloset at gmail.com! Or just send me an email to say hi. That makes me happy too. :)

SheCon Lovely: Lela Davidson

After attending my first conference, SheCon in Miami, I decided that I wanted to give you, my readers, as much information as possible, to share with you all of the fun and educational experiences I had. 

I realized I couldn't do that alone. I don't want to only give you my perspective. What better way to share the experience of the conference as well as introduce you to all of my new friends than by interviewing each of them! 

This new SheCon Lovely feature will run long enough to introduce you to as many of my SheCon Lovelies as possible. They are ALL fantastic and I can't wait for you to get to know them and to learn from their conference experiences as well! To read the previous SheCon Lovelies posts, click here.

Last week we met Rachel. Today please meet the fabulous Lela Davidson!

*Tell us a little about yourself and your blog.

My name is Lela Davidson and I write (among many other things!) a blog called After the Bubbly. My blog is about life after the thrill of weddings and baby showers are distant memories. It celebrates the humor in the mundane moments of family life. I also contribute to dozens of magazines in the United States and Canada, and my first book, Blacklisted from the PTA (Jupiter Press, imprint of Wyatt-MacKenzie) launches this summer. The title came from a particularly popular blog post!

*Have you been to any other blogging or social media conferences before? If so, which ones?

SheCon was my very first blogging or social media conference. I usually go to writer’s conferences, so this was quite a bit different. However, some things remain the same – I still meet Trekkies at every one of these things. 

*What were some of your reasons for attending SheCon?

I really wanted to connect with bloggers who write for the same audience of Blacklisted from the PTA. As Managing Editor of ParentingSquad.com, I was also there to promote our Top Parenting Blogs list, which was developed to help bloggers track their stats, as well as for vendors to find great bloggers.

Lela with Ted Rubin

*Who were your favorite speakers and why?

I enjoyed Lee and Paul Reyes-Fournier from CoupleDumb for their energy and honesty. I learned cool techie stuff from by Aliza Sherman and Adam Edwards. But by far, I learned the most just observing Ted Rubin work the room, and his phone and iPad! 

Lela with Adam Edwards

*What do you think is the most important thing you learned from the SheCon presentations?

For me it was more about the informal networking—with bloggers, vendors, and PR firms. Probably because I’m not a traditional blogger (is there such a thing?), meaning, I’m not necessarily looking to directly monetize my blog. I use the blog as part of my overall writing platform.

*What do you think is the most important thing you learned from the conference as a whole?

That my Texas hair does not work in Miami.

*What were your favorite events/activities?

Just hanging out after hours is always my favorite event ;) 

*What advice would you give to someone who has never attended a conference and is considering one in the future?

Go with an open mind, a lot of energy, and several packets of Alka Seltzer.

Karaoke (singing Love Shack!) with Aimee (The Coupon Diva), me (always the short chick) , Rachel (Life After Daycare), Sara (The Football Wife) and Lela.

Big thanks to Lela for taking the time to share her experience with me to share with all of you, my friends! I hope you enjoyed hearing from her and that you'll enjoy her blog and her BOOK as well! I received a blogger's preview copy and although I haven't had a moment to read all of it, I had some time to read a few chapters and it is HYSTERICAL!!! Even if you're not a parent, this will make you laugh.

I hope you all have a FABULOUS Friday and an even better weekend!!!

Daily MelWear: Watermelon!

Hey, look what I can do! I added pages to the top of my blog! It's the little things, people. I'm easily amused.

So I missed Megan and Kiki's Fruits Week last week, but decided I really liked the idea of watermelon so much that I would wear it today! I'm not entirely sure this counts for watermelon, but I'm saying it does and this is my blog, so I guess that's okay. Right?


Moving on...


Have you ever walked into a spiderweb? I'm pretty positive everyone has at some point. I can't claim to know, but I would assume that it's similar to what it would feel like to be sneezed on by a spider.


GROSS.


Pardon me while I go peel the ick off of my shirt now...

Today's outfit:

Skirt: Salvation Army

Shirt: Charlotte Russe

Belt: Salvation Army

Sandals: Payless