Happy Friday everyone!  Without further ado, here is the Carissa Rose giveaway winner:

 

Congrats Kaitlyn!  I'll have Carissa Rose contact you directly :)

Oh and before I head off to my house closing, I had to share this new-to-me video with you... I discovered it on I Spy DIY, and it's awesome!  Now that the weather is getting cooler, check out 25 Ways to Wear a Scarf in 4.5 Minutes:


TGIF!

sweater: JCrew ($21) ~ tank: Target ($9) ~ pants: Anthropologie ($20) ~ shoes: Nine West (ancient) ~ necklace: Kiln Design Studio (another oldie - all I know is that it was discounted :) ~ cuff: gift ~ bracelet: thrifted ($8)

Date: October 14, 2011
Ensemble message: So while I was looking for end-of-summer clothing on sale, I stumbled upon this sweater in JCrew.  Ok, so it's not a left over from the summer... maybe early fall?  But it's $21 price tag had me sold!  And, I want to try to incorporate more green in my wardrobe... I feel like I don't have enough ;)
Oh, and if you've been keeping up with my random personal updates here, I'm ECSTATIC to announce that The Husband and I are finally closing on our house tomorrow and moving in on Saturday!!  I'm going to try to post as much as I can next week, but please understand that lack of internet may hold that up :)

And, last chance to enter the Carissa Rose giveaway!  I'll announce the winner tomorrow!!

shirt: MNG by Mango via JC Penny's ($35) ~ shorts: Anthropologie ($35) ~  shoes: Mia via DSW ($60) ~ necklace (hard to see - same as in this post): gift

Date: October 20, 2011
Ensemble message: Just a quick post... I know there are a lot of you out there that would not (or could not) wear shorts of any sort to the office, but I'm lucky that the Day Job is more relaxed on their dress code.  Of course, I wouldn't wear these shorts for anything but a day at my desk :)

dress: Francesca's Collections ($44) ~ blazer: Marshall's ($24) ~ boots: Chinese Laundry via Macy's ($65) ~ necklace: thrift store in Zurich ($19) ~ bracelet: NY&Co ($10ish)

Date: October 19, 2011
Ensemble message:  My other find from Francesca's Collections!  (I told you yesterday that I was tempted to buy the whole store... but these 2 pieces were it ;)  As soon as I saw this dress, I knew that I could wear it alone on the weekends in warm weather, or pair it with a blazer.  A plain, black blazer would make the print a bit more serious, but this striped jersey blazer is just so much fun!  The tough black boots with black over-the-knee socks also help bring the overall outfit down-to-earth.  A fun look for an otherwise boring day at the office :)

See lil Donna's paw?  She hurt it last week :(  But, she's better now!!

dress: Francesca's Collections ($25) ~ cami: Gap ($8) ~ cardigan: August Silk via Nordstrom Rack ($20) ~ boots: Steve Madden via DSW ($120) ~ belt & necklace: gift ~ scarf: F21 ($7ish?)

Date: October 18, 2011
Ensemble message: I went on a mini-shopping spree recently... something I typically wouldn't do since we're closing on the house this Friday!  But, I'm going away for a girls weekend soon and decided to look for some end-of-summer sales.  I've become more familiar with Francesca's Collections from the blogosphere, and let me tell you... having an actual Francesca's store close to me is going to be dangerous.  I wanted to buy the whole store!

Of course, I can't wait to wear anything new that I buy, so I layered this sundress to be more appropriate for fall.  This also made me feel better about the summery purchase - I know that I'll get use out of it year round.  Oh, and don't forget to enter the Carissa Rose giveaway :)

Date: October 7, 2011
Ensemble message: A casual Friday outfit from earlier this month... I received the Norah Tunic from Carissa Rose over the summer, but waited for the temperature to drop before wearing it.  As with other Carissa Rose designs that I've worn and reviewed, the fit is very flattering, especially for those of us with a few curves.  The belted waist hits at just the right point, and the zipper was a nice change from the typical buttons.

This is the third Carissa Rose product that I've reviewed, and I am very excited to be able to give away the Katerina Dress to one lucky reader!  This is a great shirt dress for work, or dress it up for a nice dinner out.  And with a retail value of $145, you won't want to miss this giveaway!

Photo via Carissa Rose

To enter this giveaway, just leave a comment below telling me how you would style this dress.  And, get extra entries for following Employed Panache via GFC or Bloglovin', Twitter, or Facebook - again, just leave a comment for each of these. This giveaway will be open until 11:59pm EST on Thursday October 27th. I'll pick a winner at random on Friday October 28th!

Good luck and TGIF :)

Original post here.

Quick post to announce the Jada's Jewels giveaway winner.  The next few weeks might have spottier posts... The Husband and I just found out that we're closing on our new house a week from tomorrow!!!!  My already busy life is now consumed by getting ready for the big move and, more importantly, decorating ideas (or more fun at least :)  Since I have some advanced notice, I am going to try to schedule as many posts as possible.

But on to the giveaway winner!  Chosen at random, the winner of this beautiful Jada's Jewels set is:



Congrats Cheryl!!!!!!!  I will send you an e-mail shortly :)

tank & skirt: Target ($8 & $23) ~ cardi: August Silk via Nordstrom Rack ($20) ~ vest: Old Navy ($14)  ~  boots: Steve Madden via DSW ($120) ~ necklace & earrings: gift

Date: October 12, 2011
Ensemble message: Last week I had ANOTHER team meeting where I wanted to balance a look that is casual yet buttoned up.  I like the juxtaposition of the pencil skirt and cardi with the vest and lace-up boots.  Nope, not sick of the olive green vest yet ;)

dress: Poof via Daffy's ($15) ~ belt: Target ($17) ~ jacket: Olive & Oak via Century 21 ($30) ~ shoes: Steve Madden via Famous Footwear ($14) ~ cuff: gift ~ bangles: wearyourmusic.org ($15 each)

Date: October 10, 2011
Ensemble message:  Just another typical day at the office, but this was one of those weird autumn days that wasn't really cold, but it wasn't really warm either.  I don't normally feature jackets on the blog since I don't wear them all day, but I had a feeling that this day would be different since it's usually on the cooler side in my office.



By the way, olive green is officially my new obsession... I have an olive vest, olive pants, and now an olive jacket.  I think it's the perfect muted color :)  Do you have any favorite colors?

Oh, and don't forget to enter the Jada's Jewels giveaway!  Just over a day left to enter!

t-shirt: Ann Taylor Loft (old - $25ish?) ~ cardigan: August Silk via Nordstrom Rack ($20) ~ jeans & scarf: Target ($14 & forget) ~ boots: Steve Madden via DSW ($120)

Date: October 6, 2011
Ensemble message: This is an outfit from one of my many team meetings in the past several weeks.  These meetings are generally casual, but I will wear a skirt or dressier slacks if I'm presenting.  Clearly I wasn't presenting this day, so I opted for jeans for comfort and layers for warmth (aren't hotel conference rooms always so cold?!)  Between the boots and scarf, I felt very equestrian!
TGIF!!!  Any good plans for the weekend?

blazer: Zara (old - $40ish?) ~ cami: Gap ($8) ~ skirt: thrifted via Goodwill ($6) ~ shoes: Steve Madden via Famous Footwear ($14) ~ necklace & earrings: c/o Jada's Jewels

Date: October 11, 2011
Ensemble message: Hello everyone!  I have yet another giveaway for you this week, yay!!   Jada's Jewels contacted me for a product review, and seriously, this site has gorgeous jewelry at totally reasonable prices.  And, this site is also great for those who love variety because every day, a new piece of jewelry is for sale.  But, each of the pieces are only available for several days, so you need to make a decision before time is up!  I've been monitoring the site for a couple weeks now, and I've seen all different styles of jewelry: classic pearls, bold metal pieces, boho necklaces, statement necklaces, and more!  Also, the pieces have been priced anywhere from $9 to $30 (which is on the higher end).  I chose to review the the stone necklace & earring set in malachite, and the quality fantastic for the price.  I love that the set looks like it cost more than the actual listing price.  And, it adds such a nice burst of color!


This gorgeous set isn't available anymore, but one lucky reader will win it for themselves!  All you have to do is register for Jada's Jewels and leave a comment telling me that you've done so.  As usual, easy rules :)  Oh, and you can get extra entries for following Employed Panache via GFC or Bloglovin', Twitter, or Facebook - again, just leave a comment for each of these.  This giveaway will be open until 11:59pm EST on Wednesday October 19th.  I'll pick a winner at random on Thursday October 20th!
What are you waiting for?  Register and then comment to enter the giveaway now!

dress & shirt: Target ($28 & $14) ~ scarf: Gap Outlet ($?? I forget, sorry!) ~ boots: Steve Madden via DSW ($120) ~ bangle: NY&Co ($10ish) ~ cuff: gift

Date: October 5, 2011
Ensemble message: So yeah, absolutely no regrets buying this dress.  I. LOVE. IT.  I wear it to work (and it's hard to not wear it every week) and I wear it on the weekend.  It's awesome alone with a few accessories, or layered with undershirts, overshirts, scarves, etc.  I really have no other words to describe my love :)