While I haven’t had much time to work on the writing part of this blog, I’ve kept collecting outfit pictures. The last month (or two I guess) have gone by in a flash. Most of it was a big blur of working and being tired. I don’t think I realized how exhausting it is to balance two different work schedules, and I am in such awe of those who can, or have to, do this regularly. I’m finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and am hoping to move full time at my office job in the next few months.

These photos are from a couple months ago when Boise was just starting to get cold. My fingers just froze while I was out shooting these. I rarely spend time downtown but it was neat to  head to the top of a parking garage and just check out all the new things popping up in my city. If you’re a Boisean, the most notable is the transformation of “The Hole” into what i’m calling “The Tower.” After 25 years it’s pretty great to see a shiny new building all ready to start welcoming customers. Maybe one day I’ll get to work in this tiny little center hub. And maybe by then it won’t be so tiny!

The challenge to dress up to an office standard has been one of the more fun aspects of these last few busy months. The biggest challenge I’ve run into is that I AM NOT a morning person. I tend to wake up barely 30 minutes before I need to be in the car and on my way and it just feels like high school all over again. Back then I had perfected the 10 minute wake and run out the door routine. Nowadays I’m at about 10 – 15 minutes to get dressed and my hair/make-up done. While I do wish I was better about waking up and actually had some real time to get ready I have discovered a few tricks to speed up my morning.

Create a Mix-N-Match Wardrobe

Since I’m just beginning to build my work wardrobe I’ve been keeping it simple. Most of my clothes are black, blue, or pink so that I can easily mix and match all of my work pieces together.

Don’t Look In The Mirror

This may just be me, but I tend to over analyze myself if I spend too much time in front of the mirror. I know my closet pretty well and have learned to just trust my sense of style. If I think that a pair of pants and top would go well together, then I just trust that they will and I wear them. That extra minute or two spent microscoping over every detail of your outfit can be just enough to make you late in the morning, so why deal with it. (Now, this doesn’t apply to getting my hair and make-up done. Mirrors are pretty necessary for that 🙂 )

Keep It Simple

This is one of those tips that is so easy to say, yet hard to actually practice. The way I go about it is to just think about only doing one thing. For my hair, I just turn on my straightener, because that one device can curl or straighten any annoying kinks I may have. Since it’s also the only thing I use on my rushed mornings, I also know how long it takes to heat up, and to touch up my hair. With  my make-up I decide on just one feature to play up. If my skins being annoying I’ll focus on getting a good foundation on, or if I’m feeling fun I’ll spend time doing my eye make-up. For the rest, I just grab the quickest, simplest thing to complete my look – a brush of tinted chapstick or a quick layer of mocha eyeshadow.

Outfit Details: [Blazer: Thrifted] [Top: Old] [Skirt: JCP] [Necklace: Claires] [Shoes: DSW] 

Are you a morning person? What are your tricks to getting ready quickly?

xx Amy