stripes, flowers, and bear hair: an outfit post

when getting ready for work, two things happen: first i pull out a ton of clothes because it's fun to mix and match and try to wear things differently than last time. second: i look at what i put on and ask myself, "what sort of jokes will my clients make at my expense?" the answer to that question used to scare the hell out of me, which in turn put the same boring, predictable outfits on repeat week after week. now, if i think they'll tell me it looks like i'm wearing old curtains, i got dressed in the dark, or i look - as i was told when i wore this last friday - like a schizophrenic sailor, then i consider it a success!

wooden sunglasses: c/o tumbleweeds, silk sweater: halston (thrifted for $3!!!), floral blouse: target, cropped pants: old navy, wedges: target

i was so happy with this sweater when i founded i may have screamed. i couldn't wait to wear it, and since the weather has been exceptionally pleasant (meaning i don't have to wear a coat) i was happy to be able to wear it without it being covered up! now, back to jokes being made at my expense. my client made comments about my blouse, the tie on it, the length of my pants, the style and color of my shoes, and my pattern mixing. had i been the old danielle, i would have made up an excuse to rush out, then i would have cried as i drove away. the new and improved danielle listens (a little bit), but smiles and tells the person that life is too short not to have fun and be yourself. and i mean it. it gets people nowhere to laugh at or make fun of someone else, but it gets you everywhere when you have confidence and enjoy something as small as playing dress-up as an adult!

to elaborate a little further on having confidence, i still have a long way to go in other areas, but as far as clothes go, while i'm obviously not starting any new trends or doing anything groundbreaking, i've stepped out of my comfort zone of dressing to please others, and started doing what i like regardless of what my overly-opinionated male clients think. and you know where this sudden boost of confidence came from? blogging. getting positive feedback from so many amazing readers has helped more than you can imagine, and looking at other blogs with outfit and style posts has reminded me that clothes can be just another medium with which to create. it's reassuring seeing other bloggers in small towns (that are, like mine, filled with closed minds) making a statement, thinking outside of the box, and showing that it's okay to be yourself no matter who may stare. so for that, i thank you!

what's bear hair? kona, who is lovingly called bear hair thanks to the fact that labs blow their coats a couple times a year leaving me in black cloud of dog fur, is always nearby watching me take pictures, and since he doesn't make many appearances on my blog, i figured i'd give him a little extra attention include him so i can brag about how handsome he is!

and one last thing: toni of lost cabin vintage was kind of enough to include me in her meet the maker series here!