30 for 30: Final Days and Friday Night Date Night

The day has finally come!  I can put away my 30 for 30 clothes for a while because I get the rest of my closet back.   Here are the final three outfits of the challenge:

Day 28

When I shared the details of our Spanish date night, I was wearing this outfit:

Black and white print skirt, thrifted

White tank top, Sedeca

Pink cardigan, New York and Company

Black nylons, JCPenney's

Black Mary Janes, Payless Shoes
Tiered black necklace, Forever 21
Fossil watch, Macy's

Day 29

While swamped and overwhelmed with work, I was able to carve out a little time to update some of my 130 Before I'm Thirty goals.  Here's what I was wearing:

Black trousers, NY&C

White tank top, Old Navy

Red cardigan, NY&C

Red ballet flats, Payless Shoes
Ashes on my forehead, courtesy of Ash Wednesday Mass

Day 30

Yesterday when I shared this yummy recipe, I wore this as my final outfit:

Skinny jeans, American Eagle

Navy three quarter length shirt, Forever 21

Navy striped cardigan, NY&C

Brown Emu boots, Macy's

What I've learned:

• Accessories are your friend.  They are often much cheaper than buying new clothes and can elevate a ho-hum outfit into something great!
• I need a new purse.  I have been using the same purse off and on for over a year now (and the rest of my purses in my rotation are over two years old) and I'm ready for something new--preferably one I can tie some of my vintage scarfs onto for an added pop of color!
• I really didn't need that many skirts and pants.  There was even one black skirt that never even made it out of my closet.  If and when I do this challenge again, I will include way more tops and cardigans than skirts!
• Don't do this challenge in February and March in St. Louis.  The weather is just too unpredictable.  For example, the night of our Oscar Watch party it was 60 degrees and we were under a tornado watch.  A few days later, the temperature was back down to the 30s.  When your wardrobe is limited, sudden fluctuations in temperature are not appreciated!
• I have way more clothes than I thought I did before the challenge!  This really opened my eyes to how many different combinations of clothes you can create with just a few items, let alone a whole closet!
• I don't need to buy new clothes, just new accessories.  I thought with the shopping ban, I would want to buy lots and lots of new clothes once it was over.  I do want to buy some things, but they mostly consist of accessories and a new purse!
• Doing this with friends helps a lot!  We could commiserate together when we were feeling uninspired and it was a great motivator knowing other people were counting on you.
• Now that this challenge is over, it means Ashlee is moving. Today.  I am happy for her and Justin and know they will have a gorgeous new apartment but I will miss them terribly!
• I need a new camera. Period.

Now, just because I have my wardrobe back doesn't mean I'm not playing along with {av} and her Friday's Fancies.  I have really come to look forward to some guilt free shopping each week where my only limitation for coming up with an outfit is my imagination!

 Here's what I would wear tonight for a much needed date night with J at one of our favorite sushi restaurants:

Date night by ktrefinishingschool featuring kate spade handbags

Cap sleeve top, 65 GBP
Leather jacket, $855
Victoria beckham jeans, $329
Shoes, 140 GBP
Kate spade handbag, $125
Wet Seal earring, $8

A gray and yellow cap sleeve top for a little Eastern flair
A pair of charcoal skinny jeans, cuffed at the bottom for some contrast
A pair of yellow high heels for a little color (and height since I'm 5'2")
A black and white newspaper clutch for holding the important things, like my phone, sunglasses and lip gloss
An edgy white jacket, since the weather here is still unpredictable (high of 38 yesterday)
A pair of gray feather-y earrings for some glamour and sophistication

What are your weekend plans, friends?