I am at the point where I can’t help but exclaim how quickly the semester is going by. Did you guys know that on Monday (MONDAY!) it will be October? OCTOBER! I know. It’s crazy how the months just keep coming, one after another. You will be shocked to learn that here in Alabama, however, the high temperatures are still in the upper 80s and, despite the return of college football, it still doesn’t really feel like fall yet. Nonetheless, I have declared myself officially DONE with summer and I will have no more of it. Summer? You and me, we’re finished.

Long pants, long sleeves, boots, cardigans, scarves, jackets. It’s all happening here. I can’t exactly wear tights yet, or keep my jacket on all day, but in the frigid cold of my air-conditioned office and classrooms, I can almost pretend.

So in terms of this work-clothing project, I think I am happy so far with how it’s helping me. I’ve been able to avoid getting in some weird pattern where I always wear the same outfit on Tuesdays, for example (this has happened to me before). More importantly, I’ve identified that I do have plenty of clothes for work and no excuse to go on some crazy shopping spree. That said, I’ve also identified the few things I did/do need to add to my wardrobe: black wedges to replace a falling-apart pair, a few basic tees and cardigans (also replacements of old favorites) and a crisp, white blouse of some kind. All except the blouse have been successfully found and procured at very affordable prices (see last week’s post). Once I find the blouse I want, I’m done shopping for the next few months. I’m happy with that!

OK, here’s what I wore:

Monday Lecture: I LOVE this blazer, but sadly it turned out to be still a bit too warm to wear. It spent the day hanging on the back of my desk chair and I lectured in the white tee and scarf. Good enough, I guess. I hate my hair in this pic, though. I don’t know what I did or didn’t do, but ugh. Blazer: Target. Trousers that desperately need hemming when even 3″ heels don’t fix the problem: Gap. Tee: Target. Scarf: I forget…maybe World Market? Shoes: Target.

Tuesday Honors: Wore a dress because I was being observed by my chair that day and this dress always makes me feel good. Wound up wanting the cardigan layer because the back of the dress is low enough to make my upper-back tattoo (ca 1996, just imagine) visible. Dress: Anthropologie. Cardigan: Target. Shoes: Rampage. I like to imagine that “Rampage” is pronounced “RAMP-idge.”

Wednesday Lecture: The weird boot-socks day. I was in a rush on this day because I knew my PT guy was going to try to squeeze me in for an appointment some time before 9:00, but I wasn’t sure when or if I’d have a lot of time to change and get ready in between seeing him and getting to school. I wound up not shampooing, hence the pinned-back bangs and huge visible five-head. I liked the outfit, though! Dress: Simply Vera. Belt: Target. Boots: Frye. Socks: Target (GREAT selection of fun and funky knee socks there; I have tons.)

Thursday Honors. I’m realizing that this type of outfit is a sort of fall-back uniform for me. To make, combine: one of my several pairs of Gap Perfect Trousers (love them), some kind of embellished or interesting tank top, some sort of cardigan (or, in cooler weather, blazer). It’s easy, it looks fine, and I feel comfortable in it. Trousers: Gap. Tank: Old Navy. Cardigan: LOFT. Shoes: Target.

Friday Grading. I’m sitting in my office grading papers all day (just taking a little blogging break with my lunch right now!), so I figure it’s a good time to test-drive the crazy yellow skinny jeans. I think I like them. If you like them, by the way, they’re on sale now for $19. I was wishing for colors like dark teal or pumpkin orange when I went looking for these, but I’m happy with the mustard. Jeans: Old Navy. Tee: Old Navy. Cardigan: Target. Necklace: Target. Shoes: Toms.

Oh, interestingly, these are the same style jeans as the black ones from a couple of Fridays ago — the ones I asked you guys about, and was wearing the wrong shoes with. I also have a regular dark blue denim pair (last Thursday). So, all three pairs are different sizes. The denim pair is my normal size; the black pair is one size bigger, and the yellow pair is two sizes bigger. WTF, Old Navy?! I guess such is the mystery of their pants sizing, but I do not appreciate it!