dress: Spotted Moth (gift) ~ shoes: Marc Fischer via Macy's ($36) ~ necklace and bracelet: both gifts

Date: February 28, 2011
Ensemble message: Today was birthday celebration #3 with my co-workers!  (#1 and #2 happened over the weekend.)  For people's birthdays, we always bring in snack food, which is nice because the entire team can enjoy it throughout the week.  I'm the "health nut" of the group, so the treats included fresh blueberries and grapes, trail mix, clementines, whole wheat pretzels, whole grain tortilla chips, and cake.  Because birthdays, no matter how healthy you are, are not complete without cake :)  Do you celebrate birthdays and other special events in the office??
On a different note... in the past couple months I've either been gifted or bought 4 clothing items that are orange or rust orange in color.  This includes today's dress, which my lovely little sis bought me from Spotted Moth for my birthday.  I can't tell yet if this is a weird coincidence or new obsession!

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dress: F21 ($20) ~ cardigan: Babette Ballinger via Filene's Basement ($24) ~ shoes: Steve Madden via Famous Footwear ($14) ~ necklaces: gifts

top/dress: Delightfully Tacky ($20) ~ shirt: Old Navy ($8ish) ~ skirt: H&M (ancient, so not sure) ~ booties: Sam Edelman via Nordstrom Rack ($100) ~ earrings: Express (gift)

Date: February 23, 2011
Ensemble message: I led a meeting today, attended several others meetings, plus had lunch plans, so I wanted to look nice.  This "top" is actually a dress I bought from Delightfully Tacky when she was raising money for her cross country trip.  I love extending my wardrobe by make a dress look like a top or skirt!  Sorry, not much else to say... it's been a busy and sort of overwhelming week... but if you have tips on how to extend your wardrobe, please let me know! :)

sweater: Banana Republic ($13) ~ leggings: Target ($20... but thick, really worth the money!) ~ scarf: H&M (old... $8ish?) ~ boots: Bandolino via Macy's ($85) ~ bracelet: gift

turtleneck: Gap (gift) ~ skirt: Banana Republic (old - $35?) ~ belt: UO ($14) ~ shoes: Marc Fischer via Macy's ($36) ~ necklace: Macy's ($11) ~ earrings: Jess LC ($15 on sale)

Date: February 15, 2011
Ensemble message: I was just going for something simple on Tuesday... I was still not quite with it yet after a week off, but I think for a last minute outfit, it works!  Those tights are sage green by the way... but they look grey in the photos.  Sort of a mod look, no?  Maybe it's just the black turtleneck :)
I'm also seriously obsessing with keeping my skirts high on my hips.  One of the Lucky Magazine editors said in the March 2011 edition (sorry, I can't remember and don't have the mag in front of me!) though it might be counterintuitive, wearing higher waist lines can create the illusion of a longer torso.  I still stand behind this belief despite a couple readers' opinions from this post.  Maybe the skirt was too full or too long?  Or did it actually look fab?  What's your opinion of high waisted skirts?

cardigan: The Hubby's ~ shirt: Anthropologie (gift) ~ skirt: Gap Outlet ($19) ~ shoes: Steve Madden via Famous Footwear ($14) ~ watch: Fossil (gift) ~ bangle: NY&Co ($10ish)

Date: February 16th, 2011
Ensemble message: Today's outfit was designed around stealing The Husband's grey & white striped cardigan.  Plain and simple :)  He has so many grandpa cardigans and looks adorable in them... and I'm envious that I don't have some of my own.  But why buy more when I can shop for free on the other side of the closet, right?!  (Love you ;)

Oh, and this adorable grey ruffly top was an early birthday gift from my sweet sister in law and her fiance!  Even though I hope to see them the weekend of my birthday, it's not so bad stretching out the celebration ;)

Source

t-shirt: souvenir ($20) ~ sweater: Babette Ballinger via Filene's Basement ($24) ~ skirt: Old Navy ($15) ~ tights: c/o We Love Colors ~ shoes: Pink via Daffy's ($26)

Date: February 14, 2011
Ensemble message: This morning, getting dressed was tricky... it's Monday, my first day back from vacation, and Valentine's Day.  Nothing about this sounds like the start to a great day.  Don't get me wrong, I don't really have anything against this holiday, it's just that I'm not really for it either.  I think it's a mix of the popularity aspect (from back in school) and grand expectations that usually fall short.  The Husband and I will probably have a typical night in... maybe with a glass of wine.  Anything more than that will be a pleasant surprise, haha!
So then why am I wear a shirt with hearts???  Because it's actually a souvenir t-shirt from my vacation and says "Powder Mountain" somewhere beneath my sweater ;)

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot ~ While Our Blood's Still Young ~ Buttoned Down & Untucked ~ Graphic T-Shirt & Layers

This sheer button-down was bought as part of my quest to add more classic work pieces to my wardrobe.  And it's been really fun to style up!  The long length has allowed me to keep it untucked and the thin material is perfect for layering.  I think I am particular to the last outfit, but which was your favorite?

Have you ever seen photo diaries that have one or two pictures per hour of that person's day?  Photo Job Shadow is just like that, except that in this new series, you will be able to see what other people actually do at their job!  Some may choose to share their full day so you can get an idea of work-life balance as well.  I will feature a couple different jobs a month, and I truly hope you enjoy having some first-hand insight into the various careers and industries highlighted in this series.  To kick things off, here is my day as a....

Human Resources Specialist

6am ~ Time to get up and get ready!


7am ~ Quickly take indoor outfit pics since it's cold and dismal outside.  Then venture into said dismal weather, clean off car, get to the office.


8am ~ I always start my day off with breakfast (egg wrap & green tea that day) and check my e-mails.


9am ~ Working in our HR system to correct any bonus or merit increase errors and meet our budget for final submission to leadership for their review (super confidential stuff - can't show you the specifics here ;)


10am ~ Schedule a meeting with one of the teams I support. We will discuss team members who are ready for their next job and then who should backfill them (yay career progression!)  Then a conference call to prep a training instructor so she understands the learning needs specific to that group of employees.




11am ~ Quick pick-me-up snack (dang those were salty!)  Then I attempt to create a document for the meeting I previously scheduled.  However, my phone starts ringing off the hook and IM's begin popping up with employee questions/issues/concerns/etc.


12pm ~ A small but filling lunch!  And a mental break with some blog reading :)


1pm ~ More work in our system and more phone calls.  I can tell by now that my to do list won't be as complete as I would have liked today!


2pm ~ I feel a little overwhelmed so I reassess items on my to do list.  Figure out what I need to prioritize and what can wait a day or two.  Then finally complete that document that I had started at 11am.  This breaks down a ton of info by employee: time in role, performance ratings, career desires, etc.




3pm ~ Resolve some more issues via instant messenger (a lot of people I support don't sit in my office, so we communicate in all different ways!)


4pm ~ Finally eating my apple from lunch, and added some peanut butter (yum!!)  Also got to those last e-mails that needed to be answered today.


5pm ~ Chip away at my frozen car (actually good stress relief :) and run a couple errands.


6pm ~ Gym time!  I love using medicine balls!!


7pm ~ Work on a blog post in front of the tv.  Then dinner cooked by The Husband.  Because I'm a stinky cook :)


8pm ~ The Husband is also a fine barkeep.


9pm ~ Cuddling with the pup (how happy/lazy does she look?!)


10pm ~ Herbal tea (because I'm a granny like that), book, then bed.


So there you have it!  Working in Human Resources is a fine balance of keeping those details organized and interacting with a variety of people.  Passion for working with people is a must!  The best way I can describe what I do on a whole is that I work for the company while also keeping in mind what's best for the employees.  Again, another fine balance at times.  Also, as you can see, you never know what a day has in store for you - so I'm rarely bored but need to be flexible and just roll with things.  If you have any questions or want to learn more, please feel free to contact me!

Did you like Photo Job Shadow?  Want more??  Please let me know if you would like to participate by e-mailing me at employed.panache@gmail.com.