I'M MOVING!

Well friends, after 3 years, it's time for a change, and I'm so happy to say that I'm moving. 

This blog has been a great sounding board for me over the years, and it was a godsend to have while I was in grad school and trying to balance the stress of work, school, a new relationship and moving to Boston. 

But more than 3 years later, my focus has changed. My passions have changed, and so... this blog must change.

I'll still be Michele's Musings, but I needed a smarter blog address to help narrow my focus and build my following, so from now on you can find me here: MicheleMuses.blogspot.com. 

I really hope you'll come on over to the new blog. It's the same me with a new address. Don't worry, no housewarming gifts necessary, unless of course you're into that sort of thing. In which case, feel free to send me a gift. 

My First Attempt to Thrift Sell = FAIL

My weekend with one of my favorite gal pals fell through after her work event was canceled this week, so my plans changed significantly. After feeling awesome about my scores at Target, I decided to do some spring cleaning of the closet variety. 

I hand selected about a dozen items (about half with tags on them) to sell at Buffalo Exchange, a national thrift shop with a good conscience. When I arrived there was a line of folks looking to sell their wares, so I waited patiently. I chatted with the woman in front of me who had some ridiculously awesome wares from around the world (think red leather knee high boots from Ireland, a leather cream motorcycle jacket, and an ultra fab tweed coat) and each item the BE buyer pulled from the bag was better than the item before. When it was said and done, BE rejected almost half of the stuff (and seriously, I would have snatched everything up if the shoes had only fit.) Once I saw that, I knew my stuff didn't stand a chance. 

Included in my wares today were a pair of studded suede pumps that I wore once, plus cropped black silk pants, olive ankle pants and a white linen skirt, all from Ann Taylor Loft. After going through all my items, BE took ONE top - a cheapo top from New York & Company. When I asked why, the girl said that most of these items were too "worn" to be considered. HOW could clothes with tags on them be considered too "worn" to take? 

Since this is my first time to thrift sell, I'm curious if this is the norm, and if so, what should I consider when taking clothes to a consignment shop?

Have you Seen Target Lately?

Once a go-to staple for shopping, I admit that I've neglected Target for a while. Every once in a while I see something cute, but for the most part I haven't seen anything inspiring, even the recent re-releases of the Go Collection. I know, I know, that's almost blasphemous; please don't hate me or take away my fashion card for saying that. But everything changed this past weekend when I went to pick up some toiletries.

I spent at least half an hour in the dressing room trying on everything I could find, and eventually settled on these two items:

Buy here

This Merona striped tee is normally $20, but it was on sale for $17 - hello deal! This will be perfect for a casual Friday at the office with some sandals, or on weekends when I want something comfy and still a little dressy. I can picture a pair of Chuck Taylor's being the perfect shoe for walking around Boston and soaking up the sunshine.

Buy here

Also from Merona, this Phiona faux lace skirt is really cute and totally office appropriate. I picture pairing it with a melon or pink shirt and nude pumps for the office.

Despite only settling on these two items, I loved half a dozen others, so if you haven't checked out Target lately, I strongly suggest you get down there ASAP. I guarantee you'll find something you can't resist.

Happy Friday

Happy Friday lovelies! TGIF! I thought you'd enjoy one more picture from my Jamaica vacation. Each year I take a photo of my feet lounging at the beach, and these always end up being one of my favorite photos from the trip. 

I have to say that my first week back from vacation was really tough - ouch! - but luckily I have a friend visiting from Texas and the weather in Boston is supposed to be downright balmy, so it's going to be a doubly good weekend if I do say so myself!

What do you have on tap? Whatever it is, I hope you have sunny skies and warm weather so you can get out and enjoy the time.

Swimsuit Fashionista

I got the sweetest email from Pop.Bop.Shop commenting on my outfits during Jamaica, and she sweetly suggested I share those photos with you. Never one to turn down a request from a loyal reader, I present my Jamaica fashion for those .001% of you who are not my Facebook friends (but we can change that if you really want - just e-mail me.) 

With the fabulous twinlets, Jess and Jo. The necklace belonged to my grandma - it's one of my fave costume pieces. Dress, from Hemline boutique in Dallas, TX.

With the handsome hubs. Weird that I already call him the hubs and we're not engaged yet? Nah! Wearing a SeerSucker dress picked up from Francesca's Boutique in Cambridge, MA.

Roasting marshmallows at the beach. Wearing a top I got at a gently used boutique in Dallas (best $5 I ever spent) and white pants from Second Time Around (again, gently used.) 

Lounging on the beach in one of my fave Victoria's Secret bathing suits (and congratulating myself for working out so hard.) :)

In my new favorite Victoria's Secret bikini. At the private waterfalls in Ocho Rios. Can you believe how tall Stephen is (and how handsome)?

So there you have it - my Jamaican outfits (the ones that were good enough to show you.) I don't normally like showing off outfits (especially when there's not much to show) but this could be the start to doing more fashion outfit photos. Let me know if you'd be down for seeing more - I can't promise it will be often, but, like I did for P.B.S. in this post, I'm happy to oblige my readers.

Rested and Relaxed

I'm finally back from Jamaica; rested, relaxed and back in full force. I'll have photos from my trip up later, but Stephen and I had a wonderful trip. We spent the first half of the trip with my twinlet friends, where all we did was lay by the pool, reading and drinking fabulous drinks (you can read about it here and get a sneak peek at my very handsome beau.) After the twinlets left, we moved our selves down to the beach (to read and drink) but ended up getting way more active. We took out the Hobie cats and sailed on the ocean, played numerous games of beach volleyball, and went hiking up the famous Dunn's River Falls. 

The trip was exactly what I needed to recharge my batteries and continue strengthening my relationship with Stephen. It's amazing how much a week away from the routine can do you good.

I hope you all had a wonderful week while I was out, and I look forward to catching up on everyone's happenings as well. I'll be back to usual posting tomorrow. Yeah, mon!

The Gift of Being Valued

Today I learned that a former colleague from my Dallas agency  is finally moving on to the next step in her career. She described the feeling as bittersweet, and I know exactly what she means because I was there when I left the agency too. 

As I reflected on how awesome my old agency was (hey guys, miss you!), I can't help but think about how great my new agency is. It's challenging to be sure, but one of the things that makes it so right is that I feel like a valued team member. It's one thing to be treated like a cog in the wheel, and something totally different to know that you're valuable and valued by your employer. It makes all that hard work and time put into doing my job seem worth it.

So thank you company, for giving me a voice, for letting my voice be heard, for guiding me through a new and challenging position, and for trusting me and trusting in me. You guys rock!