Office Uniform and Level 2 Beginner Achieved!

There is a classic office uniform when you work in business casual or semi-formal business environments. It has a few variations, but when I'm feeling stumped for an outfit (or lazy, which is more likely, haha), it's an easy "go-to" outfit:
Dress pants, blouse, shoes, a couple of accessories. Easy-peasy! Both the pants and the blouse are new-to-me, picked up this past weekend on a tour of my usual consignment store haunts. The blouse was around $16 and the pants were $29 (they're Calvin Klein - not bad, eh?). If I look a little odd, it's because I have no make-up on; I washed it all off before I went to aikido.

The stuff:

Of course, you can't do just any ol' shoe with the office uniform; it's got to be a wowser! I love these babies. Nice close-up of the stripe in the pant, too (it's black with grey), and the groovy necklace.

So, tonight I finished my Level 2 Beginner's in aikido. I am now free to practice with the "big kids" in my dojo, whenever I want. A big shout-out to Bob sensei, George sensei and Tony sensei, all wonderful teachers and very kind gentlemen. And of course, hola! to all the very nice folks that I've had the pleasure of practicing and sweating with.

I'm so proud that finished this.

Here I am in my new dogi or gi. Getting the gi, as I said earlier this week, made it seem real, that I'd made a committment to doing something I'm not good at. I have been frustrated, wanted to quit, wanted to go back to doing things that were easy for me, but part of doing a martial art is learning humility...and realizing that you don't have to be perfect the first time - or the 100th time. I don't know if I'll ever be good at aikido, but I'm going to keep on trying.

Look out, world!

Blouse (RW & Co., consignment), camisole (RW & Co.), pants (Calvin Klein, consignment), shoes (Poetic Licence, gift from L), necklace (Melanie Lynne), silver hoop earrings.