Casual Friday - View from My Desk - and a Couple of Questions

Oh, it's been a weekend full of football playoffs! I am shamefully behind in getting Friday's outfit up. Since Mom and I went shopping after work, I kept it simple, the main factor being that I had to wear shoes I could shop in for a while.I took this picture in the morning before catching the bus to work. New items: the camisole and the tights, which are a nice sweatery pattern. Gotta love thick tights.

I also wore the new scarf Mom gave me for Christmas:This picture was taken after I got home from 4 hours of shopping, then dinner out...about 14 hours after the first picture. If I look tired, it's because I am!

The stuff:I took my camera to work - this is the view from my desk:
That's an arm of the Pacific Ocean, off the harbour that my city is located on. I did dragon-boating last summer on this waterway, and you often see kayakers on it, as well as harbour seals and otters, barges and tugboats.

Here's my desk, in full chaotic array:

There were a couple of questions in Thursday's comments, so I'll answer them here. The first is from the lovely Rebecca, who asked, "Is a bustier something I can find in a real store? (Almost all of my shopping is in thrift stores.) Where would I look? Are they stretch and slip over head or zipped?"

I got this bustier in a consignment store (it was about $15), Rebecca, so you can probably find one in a thrift store. It was in the strappy top/camisole/underwear section. You can probably find something similar if you keep hunting.

This piece is from Le Chateau, which is a Canadian chain - they specialize in trendy knock-offs of runway looks. This particular one is zipped up the back, but the fabric (cotton with Lycra) is quite stretchy. Keep an eye out for strapless tops that don't have lingerie details (lace, ribbon, velvet, etc.) and look for stiff fabrics in a business-y pattern like a check or a tweed and good structural seaming/boning to keep this appropriate for a formal environment. I've seen a few around in different stores here. Good luck!

The second question comes from the mysterious fay_stephen of freezing and snowy London (I'm going to London in the spring!): "I am intrigued that you "pack" your work clothes the night before and just wondered why you don't get ready for work before you leave home in the morning?"

Thanks for your question, Fay! As I mentioned last year, I walk to and from work, Monday to Thursday. It's about 6 kilometers/4 miles each way, and takes me around 40 minutes. Because I go at a brisk pace (I'm usually running late in the morning and want to get home in the evening), I wear workout clothes (waterproof pants, thick jacket, toque or rain hat, scarf, gloves) while I'm walking. I pack my clothes, shoes and accessories for my work outfit into my backpack the night before, adding my lunch in the morning. My pack weighs around 20 lbs in the morning, and around 15 lbs on the way home (it's a big lunch, what can I say?).

I get changed at work in the morning, and change back into my workout clothes before I leave at night. Yes, I keep deodorant in my desk!

This is the bulk of my weekly cardio; I also do an 8K walk on Saturdays to my Weight Watchers meeting, and usually do an 8K walk on Sundays. On Fridays I take the bus - such luxury! - so I take my pictures in the morning. From Monday to Thursday, however, I don't have time in the morning to put my work clothes on, take a picture, and then change into my walking clothes. When I get home at night (around 5:45 pm), I unpack my work clothes, take the picture of "the stuff" then change back into my work outfit and take my pictures. It's a lot of clothes-changing, but I like to show L my outfits, and it doesn't take that long.

Anyway, that's why my Monday to Thursday pictures have rather rumpled hair and my make-up isn't as crisp.

Cardigan (Express, consignment), camisole (Smart Set), skirt (I.N.C., consignment), tights (Hue), shoes (Bewild, consignment), scarf (gift from Mom), necklace/earrings (Plum).