I’m not a fan of plain old paper clips, preferring to use a staple or a binder clip. However, these animal paper clips I found at Vat19 are adorable. The figures on each clip remind me of old school diaper pins that had animals on them. (That may make me sound like I actually recall using those diaper pins, but I was only a wearer of said diapers.)

The only problem with using these clips is that your coworkers won’t want to give them back!

:::squeal:::

My husband not only got me several shirts from The Limited and Express for Christmas, but he also got me a pair of Editor pants in black. They’re everything a pair of black work pants should be - comfortable, form fitting in all of the right places (but not too tight!) and above all, professional looking without being dowdy or matronly.

When I return to work after vacation, I’m going to be on well dressed woman!

I’m not that tall (5 foot 8 inches) but I do have long legs, and that makes it hard to find pants. Manufacturers and designers tend to think that only people over a size 6 can be tall, and it’s very difficult to find pants in a size 1 or 2 that have a long enough leg for me. I’ve been able to find pants in my size, in a longer length, at Old Navy and Gap, but they usually need to be special ordered. They don’t tend to stay on the racks long.

That’s why I was pleasantly surprised when I tried on a pair of pants at Express, from the Editor line, and they FIT! Not only did they fit perfectly in the waist, hips, and butt without being too loose or too tight, but they were plenty long enough. The regular size 2 has a nice long leg, which is great, since they don’t offer a long length option. I snagged a pair off the clearance rack for $40, which is a steal considering the regular price is closer to $80. Trust me though, these pants are worth it! I get irritated when I try pants on and they fit well in the butt, but leave a big back above my butt…I could fit another person in there! Not so with the Editor pants from Express, and I’m hoping Santa brings me another pair. They’re a classic tailored look with a not too wild flare leg that’s perfect for work.

Thank you Express, for realizing that skinny girls can be long legged!

I took my oldest shopping last week, and we went to Beall’s, which is a chain of department stores in Florida. I was able to find 3 pairs of new jeans that fit in both the waist and leg (score!) and then I got a little frustrated. I normally shop in the juniors section…not because I am trying to hold onto my youth, but because clothes from the women’s section don’t fit me. The pants are too big, the shirts fall off of me. The petites section doesn’t have arms / legs long enough for my limbs. I also think clothing from the womens section tends to look…matronly. However, from time to time I venture into the womens section hoping I can find something professional for work, because finding that type of outfit in the juniors section…well, it doesn’t happen.

I came across a shirt on the clearance rack by Nine and Company, which I later discovered is a division of Nine West Shoes. I found a darling brown dressy shirt, complete with polka dots (I do love polka dots!) on clearance for only $22. And then when I got to the register, I was given an extra discount since it was a red line item, so I got the shirt for only $13.20. Since it has short sleeves, the arm length wasn’t an issue, and the small was a perfect fit. The shirt isn’t on the Nine and Company website, but while I was looking for it, I discovered quite a few items not in the department store. I think I’m about to become a repeat customer of Nine and Company.

Are cufflinks a thing of the past?

I hope not. I think they’re a classic mens accessory that never fail to add a subtle punch to a men’s suit. My husband, like most men, has a pair or two. I think he received one pair from his employer, and possibly the other pair was handed down from a family member. I think that’s probably the case for most men…somewhere, in a man’s bureau, he’s got a tie tack and cuff links that are probably a bit out dated and out of style. The next time you need a fun gift for your husband, your dad, or another man in your life, why not consider designer cufflinks? Reward the new college graduate with a cool, fun accessory he can wear to job interviews. The selection at GreenShag is interesting - from cufflinks with flag representations on them, to the “phallic collection” (offering Big Ben, the CN Tower, and the Eiffel Tower) or images of money. It’s definitely the kind of thing that will give a sharp dressed man a little extra “oomph”!

My last entry mentioned how casual my work clothing is. That might come back to bite me on the ass. I’m flying to Boston in a month for a few days of meetings and such with my department, so I need to evaluate the wardrobe again and make sure I’ve got suitable business attire. The outfit I wore for our event in Pittsburgh last month won’t work, because everyone who didn’t know me will recognize me when I show up in the same red sweater!

I’m thinking another trip to Ann Taylor is what I need. I really liked their casual clothes! Business casual just means so many different things depending on your workplace and the type of event you’re going to. What I wear wouldn’t work for someone who has to meet clients in the office, or go to other offices for business meetings.

What does business casual mean to you?

…and not a thing to wear!

I’m going out of town tomorrow for a short business trip that involves attending a casual event with about 50 of my co-workers, most of whom I’ve only met on the phone or via email. I’ve mentally planned outfits and mentally discarded each, and I’m getting entirely too worked up about it. This morning I found a pair of paints in my closet that I had forgotten about, and decided that I’d wear them to work and if they stayed comfy all day, I’d pack them for my business event on Thursday. Well, they’re comfy, but I just noticed a stain on the left leg. It’s faint, but not so faint that some eagle eye wouldn’t notice it. Back to the drawing board, I suppose.

I originally planned to wear a paid of dark brown dressy capri pants, a favorite shirt, and then a lightweight denim blazer / jacket in case it’s cool in the city. I nixed that after I tried on the pants and discovered I can’t get them zipped or buttoned. I haven’t gained a pound - the pants shrunk!

I think this is going to require a special trip out to the stores tonight for a new pair of paints. I’m going to attempt to find a pair in my size in the long length at the new Old Navy by my house, but should that fail, I’ll go with a new pair of capris.

I’ve noticed a few women in my office, and around the building, wearing those dressy shorts. They look like dress pants cut off above the knee - you know what I mean, right?

I don’t think I like them. There’s just something weird looking about a woman in heels, dressy shorts, and a blouse. (Do people even say the word “blouse” anymore? Am I dating myself?) Maybe for an outside even in the summer you needed to dress for, but it just looks weird in the office.

For the record, I’m not down with the gaucho pants either. That’s another trend I wish would go away for good.

We’ve been to the dentist a few times in the past few months for the kids checkups and cleanings, and every time I go into the office, all of the dental assistants are all wearing brown scrub tops, and black bottoms, with black crocs. That was cute the first time, but now…it’s boring. Should I recommend they all check out UniformCountry.com for a huge selection of medical scrubs? Doesn’t the dentist know that brown and black don’t go together? Why so drab? Why so plain? You deal with kids - why not cartoon characters? You can go online and buy the scrubs (super cute styles and colors by the way!) and have them delivered in a few days. Just in time for my next appointment!

Sometimes, you need a gift that sparks excitement - a gift that makes people talk. A gift that goes against the norm. For times like that, this site’s selection of corporate gifts is just the ticket. Give your CEO fancy poker chips, or give your administrative assistant a hot stone massage and facial. (I’m not sure who you could give the gift of pole dancing lessons to in the workplace…you’d probably get slapped with a sexual harassment lawsuit!)

It’s great to see a site offering corporate gifts that don’t fall into the wine / cheese / chocolate / gift basket theme. I’d love to get something like this from some of the businesses we deal with at work!

In my position at work, I sometimes assist with training. Mostly, it’s via email and over the phone, working on manuals and courses for the LMS, but sometimes, we get users who come to the office and we need to deal with them in person. When that happens, we need to take all of our docs in Word and print them out and put them into a folder - we have comanies that we call on for presentation folder printing - it’s almost ALWAYS a last minute, rush job!

If you’re a nurse, doctor, or medical tech, you’ll probably required by the hospital you work at to purchase your own supplies. This can be a good thing - not only do you avoid a stranger’s easr wax on your stethoscope, but you can buy something that you prefer, instead of something cheap that the hospital got a deal on. And if you want the BEST stethoscopes you can find them online from a variety of manufacturers, like Littman or Welch Allyn. As a med student, you probably won’t need a top of the line model that a cardiologist might use, but no matter what you need, you’ll find it online! You can probably write off such a purchase on your taxes as well, provided you aren’t reimbursed for it by your employer.

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