My Style: February 2025

Whew, February flew past in a haze of cold and snow and ice. When it comes to style, I had mostly casual outfits again this month where my main goal was to keep warm. However, with daylight’s savings time right around the corner and potentially warmer weather on the horizon, I’m feeling hope that I’ll find my spark again soon.

Office outfits:

You guys, I LOVE my new job. And one of the most wonderful perks is that they are enthusiastic about remote work, so I really only have to go into the office if I have a REASON to go into the office. The first outfit (on the right) was warm and comfortable for a lunch meeting with my boss. The second outfit (on the left) was winter fabulous for a morning meeting, followed by an office visit. I typically don’t wear blazers (unless I’m interviewing), but I loved the black fitted blazer paired with the tulle skirt so much!

And here are a bunch of my more casual looks from the month:

Apparently I was loving my berry colored v-neck this month… or it was on top of the drawer, so I kept reaching for it!

I actually have three NEW items this month that I bought at actual stores and not secondhand. I shared the black wide-leg jeans in the top middle photo here and I wore them a couple times this month. I also bought the cropped plaid shacket (bottom middle photo) and the red sneakers (bottom right photo) on a TJ Maxx trip. The shacket was only $6 and that outfit is totally a 2025 version of 1995 Joules. As for the red sneakers, in addition to being super cute, they are surprisingly comfortable! They will get plenty of wear between my casual outfits and our neighborhood walks.

New vs Secondhand Tally

It’s another upset this month with more retail items than thrifted. I count 11 items that I purchased retail and 10 items I purchased secondhand.

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February Thrift Haul

Yay, it’s thrift haul time again and this time I’m asking for your help! But before we get to that, let’s start with the haul. This month, I had two opportunities to go thrifting – the first time I found one sweater, and the second haul was a little more exciting. Let’s check them out.

Land’s End Drifter cardigan, $5.99

Here’s the first sweater I thrifted. It’s a Land’s End Drifter sweater, which my research led me to believe that “Drifter” is their brand that is specifically 100% cotton sweaters. Which is exactly why I picked this up! I’ve been trying to add more natural fiber sweaters to my closet and this 100% cotton version is the perfect amount of chunky, but not super oversized. I’ve already worn this a few times and I LOVE it!

Smokey Bear Bandana, $1

This vintage bandana was too adorable to pass by. Based on internet research and hand-feel, it appears to be cotton/linen and could have been printed anywhere from the 1960’s – 1990’s. I just think it’s awfully cute, so I had to have it. I’m not sure if I’m going to wear it in my hair/around my neck, tie it on the handle of a purse, or just put it somewhere and admire it. But it’s much more than $1 of happiness, so I’m calling it a win.

MCM California Pottery 2-tier tray, $4.49

You guys, I am OBSESSED with this yellow swirly tray. It has the makers mark “MH 73 USA” on the bottom and rather than meaning 1973, it appears that this is a California Pottery MCM tray from the 1950’s or 1960’s. Which is no surprise, because I LOVE MCM pottery and décor. My initial thought was that this will end up in my office, because it looks so cute with my wallpaper, but it may move around the house a bit before it finds it’s home.

Okay, now the fun part – I picked up both of these dresses over the weekend, which means I have 7 days to decide if I’m keeping them or if they will be returned. I did a little styling video here that you can check out if you’d like to help me decide:

Nordstrom Rack linen dress, $14.99

The first is this linen dress with a drawstring waist from Nordstrom Rack. It still has the Nordstrom Rack tags attached (with the price ripped off), so it’s brand new. I found it on their website and it looks like it was sold the summer of 2022. Anyways, It’s super soft linen and I really like the drawstring waist. I’m thinking this can be a good addition to my closet for summer weekend wear and for work with a cardigan. So, leaning towards keeper for this one.

Soft Surroundings wrap dress, $19.99

This one I need your help with! It’s a wrap dress from Soft Surroundings and it is nice and swishy with pockets. I don’t love the beading on the neckline, but I’m thinking if I keep the dress I may just remove it. I also styled this one in the video. Let me know if you think I should keep it or return it for someone else to enjoy!

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The Unexpected Joy of Reading Onyx Storm While It’s Trending

I’ve always been a voracious reader, averaging over 100 books a year. Reading has been my escape, my adventure, my way to experience different perspectives and worlds. However, for me it’s typically a solitary experience. I’d finish a book, do a little mini review for my yearly book list, and then move onto the next one.

This changed when I got into The Empyrean series. While I read Forth Wing and Iron Flame after they had been out for a while, I eagerly anticipated the release of Onyx Storm with everyone else. This time, I got to experience the hype firsthand and I realized how FUN it was to read a book along a massive, engaged audience.

With Onyx Storm, my reading experience extended beyond just myself and my Kindle. My social media timeline was filled with fan theories, debates and hilarious memes. Instead of immediately moving on to the next book in my TBR pile, I sat with it for a while and eagerly scrolled through online discussions and predictions for the next book.

It added a whole new layer to my reading enjoyment – the closest to compare it to is when the Harry Potter series came out but even then, social media was not where it is now. Actually, now that I think about it, it’s similar to the feeling of Marvel releasing their next movie or television series and all the fun Easter Eggs hidden for fans to search out.

It’s like the world’s largest book club. But a book club that meets at a time that’s actually convenient to you and in your home. And less socializing or worrying that other people might not like you.

While I’ll always love discovering hidden gems and following my own random reading path, this latest release of Onyx Storm has helped me see the value in occasionally picking up a book that’s dominating conversations. It’s a way to feel connected to a larger community of readers, to experience books in a way that’s both personal and shared. Because sometimes the magic of a book isn’t just in its pages – it’s in the collective excitement, the shared speculation, and the feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself.

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