Outfits of the Week // Oct 9-15

So last week I talked about this sweater. I included this sweater in my capsule because, well, I love the way it looks. The deep Fall colors. The classic open cardi fit. The print is a pop of interest in a predominantly solid capsule.

This sweater screams, “It’s Fall and it’s time to put pumpkin creamer in my coffee!”

Yet, no matter how much it “feels like me” and no matter how much I’ve always loved it, for some reason I hardly wear it.

Like only TWICE in the past year. And even with that stat in mind, I’ve seen it in the closet every day these past few weeks and I always pass it by.

Maybe I’m saving it for some sort of special occasion or feeling- perhaps a day I’m feeling like the most Fall version of me.

With that theory in mind, I thought about the rest of my capsule. I came up with a few pieces that I keep passing by. I made it a point to wear those pieces this week.

Challenge accepted!

Actually it wasn’t really a challenge at all. It was a super easy way to experiment with what I already have and remix my capsule in ways I hadn’t really tried before. And it was kinda fun.

 

<< Outfits of the Week >>

Stylebook

 

October 9 >> Uniform-only day >> Sat on stand-by at airport; no trip

October 10 >> Uniform-only day >> Aruba turn

October 11 >> Grocery shopping & Chipotle date

There’s that sweater. Fall af.

October 12 >> Running errands & Chipotle (again!)

My denim vest’s maiden voyage- I honestly wish I bought a denim jacket instead. I feel like such a hipster in this vest, but maybe in a good way?

October 13 >> Clean the house and decorate for Halloween

This white shirt makes me feel like a girl that kind of has her shit together. But it’s made of a soft knit fabric, so I have my shit together in a comfy way, you know?

 

October 14 >> Drive friends to the airport & buy MORE Halloween decorations

After a week of feeling like different versions of myself, it felt good to come back to my favorite comfy sweater & striped tee. It’s familiar, it’s layered, it’s cozy… This is how I “feel like me” most of the time.

October 15 >> Uniform-only day >> San Juan turn

I’m not completely against keeping a piece around until you have that special feeling that makes you feel like a fresh, different version of you. Sometimes we all need to hit refresh. The problem is I’m still trying to figure out how to give myself options without hoarding so many pieces of clothing.

Do you have a piece that makes you feel like a different version of you?

Outfits of the Week // Oct 2-8

I sort of rediscovered this printed scarf last week. It’s pretty much the same colors and print as a cardigan I was on the fence about keeping in my capsule. In the end I kept it in because I love it, but maybe all I needed was this scarf to give me the same satisfaction. My wardrobe tends to be very, very neutral and solid, so this fun print makes me feel like it’s a special occasion.

<< Outfits of the Week >>

Stylebook

October 2 >> Literally I wore a tank and yoga pants at home all day so this doesn’t count. The comfy clothes I wear at home are called my “woobs”. I think I got that from a Kevin Smith podcast years ago.

October 3 >> Running errands

October 4 >> Uniform only day

October 5 >> Biking around Amsterdam (I wish I had packed a heavy jacket, too!)

October 6 >> Uniform only day

October 7 >> Drinks with friends

October 8 >> Drive-in movies date on a cozy, rainy evening*

 

 

*Note: (Miss Peregrine’s Home went completely off the rails and barely resembled the book. The Magnificent Seven was a western flick that I probably wouldn’t watch twice, but still enjoyed very much.)

I’m going to give my printed cardigan one last chance to wow me this week. If I’m still not completely in love, I’m saying goodbye.

Do you believe in the phrase, “If you love something, let it go”? Do you hold onto anything that you could easily substitute with something else you already have?

– kellie

Amsterdam

This was a BIG WEEK for me, you guys.

I FINALLY GOT AN INTERNATIONAL TRIP!!

Cue the tears. No really. I happy-cried a lot.

I will always remember sitting by a little pond outside my hotel in Amsterdam that night and feeling my heart swell with gratitude. I’m glad it was dark because I was silently ugly-crying with a big smile on my face for like 10 minutes. I had a **moment**.

This is a terrible picture of that lovely, little pond.

For five months I’ve watched my classmates go all over the world. They’ve posted photos and videos on various social media from practically everywhere: London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Munich, Hamburg, Geneva, Barcelona, Rome, Milan, Athens, Tokyo… If it’s a major city they were probably there.

Meanwhile, I went to Las Vegas five times this summer. FIVE. You can only consider it fun enough to put up with the heat maybe once or twice. After that, I stayed in the hotel and bathed in a big ol’ tub of woe-is-me.

I started calling myself a “Domestic Diva” as a coping mechanism to try and laugh about how crappy and left out I felt. I started a gratitude journal that included entries like: “The staff at the Panera Bread in Kansas City were pretty nice.” I would avoid Instagram and Facebook for days.

I know, I know. It’s such a first world problem.

I sound like an ungrateful brat.

But, honestly, I just wanted one international trip. Just ONE. I wanted to feel like part of the club. I guess I’m still trying to convince myself I’m actually a part of this cool girl, world traveler, flight attendant life. I still need to convince myself that I deserve to be here.

I wish I could say I had an epiphany and realized I didn’t need a special trip to make me part of the club. That I was always part of the club.

But, guys, I DID get a special trip and now I feel so much better.

Amsterdam was good to me. I rented a bike and slightly crashed into both a parked car and a bush (on separate occasions). I went to a market near the hotel and enjoyed a fresh Stroopwafel, which I have now crossed off my bucket list. I went on a canal cruise at sunset. I enjoyed a beer at a bar and then another when the bartender gave me one on the house. I got a friendly warning from AT&T that I was at an obscene amount of international data roaming charges (oops). I had an amazing time by myself, due to the fact that I overslept my nap and missed meeting up with my crew. And my butt is starting to feel a lot better after the soreness leftover from all that bike riding.

For once the view from my hotel room wasn’t a parking lot!

Check out the moves on these Dancing Houses.

This trip left me more exhausted than any other before, so I need to do some catching up on my weekly posts. I’ll be posting my Outfits of the Week for last week tomorrow!

– kellie

Outfits of the Week // Sept 25-Oct 1

You can plan your capsule as much as you want, but when you finally find the piece you’ve been lusting over, after months of searching, with free shipping… you just buy it, damnit, and don’t think twice.

My goal for Autumn was to buy not a single item of clothing until I have to start preparing for my Winter capsule in November. As someone who used to work in a clothing store with a hefty employee discount, this is a big deal. I would come home with new items at least once a week. I wanted to challenge myself to make sure I could feel fulfilled, grateful, and satisfied by what I already own.

I had bought a handful of things for my Autumn capsule, but I just couldn’t find a pair of maroon/burgundy New Balance sneakers ANYWHERE on the internet. I couldn’t find them in time before my Fall capsule began. I figured I would do some more searching over the Winter and maybe purchase them for Spring.

“This is 2016!” I thought, “The internet has failed me, but I will prevail!”

I continued my quest.

Well I’m pretty sure they only sell that color in Europe because last week I bought them on eBay and had them shipped from the UK. Free international shipping is not something I can just ignore, despite being knee-deep in Autumn and decidedly outside of my shopping timeframe.

But just look at how happy I was when they finally arrived! I couldn’t even be bothered to make the bed for this picture!

<< Outfits of the Week >>

Stylebook

September 25 >> Cleaning up the apartment & reading on the porch

September 26 >> Blog post writing and Target run

September 27 >> Uniform-only day

 

September 28 >> Layover in Durham, NC >> Dinner with the crew at Hooters (wings & beer!)

 

September 29 >> Layover in San Diego >> Dinner with the crew in the Gaslamp district & walking along the Marina

 

September 30 >> Uniform-only day

 

October 1 >> Casual hang-out with friends

I may have failed at my goal of no purchases for the Fall, but I wore those sneakers three times this week so clearly I’m getting my money’s worth.

How often do you purchase clothing?  Do you think my new sneakers make my capsule wardrobe complete?

– kellie

Suitcase of the Week

When I was considering becoming a flight attendant I was so interested in knowing what the hell to pack for this crazy life. I have no control over where I’m going and almost never have time to plan for activities while I’m away. I’m about 5 months in to this career and I’m still figuring it out, but I think I’m making some progress.

I’ve done a hell of a lot of pinning on Pinterest. I read lots of capsule and packing blogs. I’ve learned from experience. My suitcase has been either too heavy and overpacked, or too light and unprepared. Sometimes there’s an unexpected turn of events on a trip. I’ve messed up a few times. I’ve forgotten things. I’m trying to be minimal while giving myself loads of options. It takes a lot of thought!

It’s like buying the ingredients before knowing what the recipe is.

Let’s look closer at a particular example… When you picture going out in Vegas, do you see yourself in a sparkly number with sky-high heels and red lips? Something GLAM? That’s totally not my style, but I absolutely pictured myself sparkling on the Strip. I went to Vegas FIVE times this summer and every single time I was sparkle-less. They always seem to give me that trip when I least expect it.

So what did I do when the crew wanted to go out and have some drinks and feel spontaneous and fun and exhausted, but ultimately pretty excited that this is our life? I threw together an outfit from what I had. I tried to feel as glam as possible, while also realizing that my style is anything but glam. How can I put together a “going out” look while still feeling like myself?

All the baggy clothes! Is hobo glam a thing?

I threw together a thin t-shirt (the strap detail gives it a little oomph), a pair of jogger pants (which made me feel trendy), and my uniform heels (they made this whole thing feel at least a little dressy). My makeup from work that day was pumped up with some darker shadow and a sheer lip color. From full uniform to this selfie- I was ready in like 15 minutes flat.

Was it a perfect outfit? No. Would I have preferred the adorable, strappy heels I have at home? Yes. It wasn’t a sparkly dress, but damnit I felt cute. I felt like me. That night, I learned something about packing.

So basically that’s the feeling I’m hoping to get from my Suitcase of the Week. How I feel in my clothes while I’m away from home is something I can control. In a life on reserve, there is so little I have control over. It’s a pleasure and a relief to have this for myself.

With all that said, it’s a shame my first SotW is a bit blah…

September Week 3

 

The Trip: I was put on this trip the night before and I packed for a 3-day. I planned for layovers in Baltimore and Dallas. Comfy, casual, nothing dressy, probably never going to leave the hotels.

On the first day of the trip, we flew to Chicago. Chicago was a madhouse of delays and cancellations. Our next flight to Baltimore was one of them, so we ended up laying over in Chicago. We got drinks at the hotel bar and went to bed.

The next day, we flew to Houston and then Dallas, where we had another layover with just enough time to eat and sleep. The next day we got up VERY early and flew back to Houston, then home.

From this suitcase I wore two outfits, as you can see in my Outfits of the Week post:

 

From these 8 items, I had 4 more outfit options:

 

I like this way of documenting my trips. In the future I may combine this with a sort of trip diary and include photos from my activities while I was away.

Do you put this much thought into what you pack? Am I an actual crazy person? Can you see any more combos from the 8 pieces I packed? Let me know in the comments!

– kellie

Outfits of the Week // Sept 18-24

Check out the Capsule page to see my entire wardrobe for the next few months!

In an attempt to plan out what I want to post about on this little blog of mine, I repeatedly came back to the thought of clothes and how I put them both on my body and into my suitcase. So here is the first of what I hope will be a weekly installment: Outfits of the Week!

Literally the only selfie I took this whole week, if you don’t count the ugly face I made for Snapchat this morning.

(The other weekly post I hope to put together is a Suitcase of the Week- what I packed for my trip(s) for those seven days and a little insight into why I packed those particular items. You can read more about that on Monday!)

<< Outfits of the Week >>

Stylebook

September 18 >> Running errands and lunch date

September 19 >> Grocery shopping

September 20 >> Trying to feel cute doing nothing alone at home

September 21 >> Layover in Chicago > Drinks with the crew at the hotel bar

September 22 >> Layover in Dallas > Got takeout from the hotel restaurant (yes, the same shirt from the day before, but I literally wore it for like 30 minutes, so bite me)

September 23 >> No picture > Only wore my uniform all day

September 24 >> Running errands and working on this blog post

Kind of a boring week outfit-wise. BUT I’ve only just started figuring out how to make my capsule work for this warmer weather before REAL Fall sets in and how to make it work while I’m away from home.

What do you think? Do you have a capsule wardrobe? Are you interested in future Outfit [and/or Suitcase] of the Week posts? Let me know in the comments!

– kellie

Hello.

Working in retail sucked.

I worked for various retailers (and one Irish pub) from the age of 15 until halfway through my 27th year on Earth. I worked my way up the ladder a couple times. I thought, “Once I get this promotion it’ll be better.”

I was depressed. I hated my routine and I never felt a zest for life (unless I was in the middle of the woods or something #hikeNJ).

My boyfriend told me to do something about it. I was constantly filled with a deep sadness, thinking I’d dug myself a retail hole that I could no longer climb out of. I thought I was stuck. Again, he told me to DO SOMETHING about it.

Then I applied for an airline. I took a leap off that cliff and I learned I could FLY.

In March 2016, I quit the #retaillife and went away for six weeks to train for my new #flightattendantlife. Six weeks away from home was rough and at such a transitional time in my life, it felt necessary. I was ALL IN.

Well, kind of. It was possible I might be based in Newark (in my home state, New Jersey), Houston, or San Francisco. If I wasn’t placed in EWR I would have to “commute” home on my days off to maintain my life and relationships. That sounded awful and exhausting.

They put my name on the list for EWR! I’m one of the lucky ones. Now I’m home with my three cats (priority number 1), my boyfriend and friends (they’re okay, I guess), my beloved couch (I should work out more), and all of the other benefits of home (family, local beer, all four seasons, etc).

It’s a best of both worlds situation. I get to stay at home AND travel the world (as long as the Scheduling Gods send me on the cool trips).

(Note: So far the Scheduling Gods never send me on the cool trips.)

I’m just trying to figure out how to adult and adjust to my new lifestyle at the same time.

– kellie