A Raisin in the...Unseasonably Cool Weather?

Job Update:  The day came and went and I did not hear anything at all about my job so if the newspaper can be trusted (iffy), perhaps I am not being laid off after all.  I did have opportunities to get laid off today.  I had a meeting with an HR person this morning (about data that she is putting together for me) and I sat in on my department head and my supervisor presenting some results (from an analysis I had conducted) to our executive management team, including the head of HR, the CEO, and the CEO's boss.  So I wasn't hiding in the bathroom from my boss and the HR department.  Anyway, it would be so great if I manage to keep my job because I basically love it.

88 Cent Floral Top and Pencil Skirt Revisited--Monday, 5/18/15

Today's outfit (thankfully not the last one at my job) has two inspirations.

(1)  When I wore this outfit in February, my mom commented that I should try it again.  I wanted to pair the top with a pencil skirt again, but try something slightly different.

Worn 2/17/15

(2) I liked the spring-y pink/burgundy/floral combination combination in this outfit.

From savvy-southern.blogspot.com

I flipped the burgundy and bright pink around so that I could wear my new JNY tipped blazer in a color that they call "raisin."  I added tights and ankle boots because we are expecting a high of 44 F, which is well below the average high of 71 F for the date, and I don't do bare legs below about 65-70 F.

*Burgundy tipped blazer (JNY), $27.25/wear +
Purple/pink floral top with ribbon neckline (thrifted, JCP, 88 cents), $0.44/wear +
Bright pink pencil skirt (JCP), $4.51/wear +
Pink drop necklace (Outfit Additions), $3.71/wear +
Grey sweater tights (Target), $2.00/wear +
Grey ankle boots by Seychelles, $12.73/wear +

I was happy of the opportunity to get another wear of my cool suede ankle boots in before the weather is just too warm for them.  At $12.73 per wear, they seem shockingly expensive, but when you buy a pair of really nice boots (for $140), it takes a while to get the cost per wear down.  But I foresee these boots lasting a long time (in part because I wear my rain boots to work and carry in my other shoes when there's a chance of rain).  Look at that faux snakeskin texture on the suede--are they awesome or what?

I've had this flower print since I was in high school and I continue to enjoy it.  This is the other side of the long-ish hallway, opposite the Wall o' Matisse.

In other news....Based on what Debbie said on my Life Style post about using bathroom breaks as exercise breaks, I started using the bathroom on the first floor today (my office is on the third floor), taking the stairs up and down.  I was a bit embarrassed to realize that walking up two flights of stairs at a decent clip elevated my heart rate and that I was feeling a little out of breath at the top.  Whoa.  But as Tam and I discussed recently, one of the awesome things about exercise is that doing more of it makes you want to do more of it, and doing more of it makes doing it easier.  (Which is like the opposite of dieting/weight loss.)  I'm looking forward at some future point to running up two flights of stairs at work without being winded. 

Bird Feeder Update:  This weekend, Robert and I saw a male house finch flirting (as Robert called it) with a female house finch on our balcony rail--the two birds were next to each other and the male started dancing at her, flapping his wings and bouncing his butt around.  I had never noticed before that male house finches have a red patch on the ass--it's usually covered or mostly covered by their wing feathers when they are at rest but his dance popped that red patch out there.  I couldn't tell whether the female bird was impressed, but I was.  That dude's got moves like Jagger.  And we all know how well that worked out for Jagger in exactly the arena of life that our bird friend is concerned about right now.