WTWTW

What. To. Wear. To. Work.

I used to work in a construction office where I usually wore trousers while the rest of the crew wore jeans or coveralls. I was told I could "dress it down" more if I wanted to. I didn't want to.

Then I worked in a corporate office where my cute gladiator sandals were poo-poo'd on (I was young, so I didn't understand the 40+ common law "thou shalt not show all toes at once").

Now I work in a place where I think my outfitting fits just fine, but where some others (*cough cough* accounting!) could use some reminders.

What you can/should wear in my the office:
Jeans on Fridays
Jerseys if there is an event specifying so
Suits if you choose
Closed toed shoes
Skirts just above the knee or longer
A blazer with clients

What you CAN'T wear in my office (explicit or understood):
Leggings - at all! No matter how long your shirt is/how tall your boots are... even worse in some cases.
Flip-flops
Jeans on any other day than Friday
Jeans when you have a meeting with a client (even if that meeting is on a Friday)
Sandals
Sweatshirts

Is this strict? What are your workplace's policies? Do you wish they were more buttoned-up or laid back?

Let the Personal Integration Begin!

Dear Diary,

If I am going to integrate my blogs and only have one of them on which to dump my brain, you'll have to be prepared for posts like this - 

1) Coffee on the porch this past weekend at 7 AM, before the day got really hot. I'm reading my kindle touch. It was a birthday present. And the coffee is decaf french press. Decaf because that's what I have and honestly I don't drink as much caffeine as I used to. It's nice to know I am not dependent on it.
(Advice: Break habits or addictions when you can. Prove to yourself you are flexible.)
Beverage Pairing: Coffee, decaf.

2) Pasta salad (made by me) on a bed of organic spinach (grown by the neighbors - thanks Bob and Josie!). Their little daughter brought it up to me to share. I asked her if she like spinach and she said no. I assumed I'm getting her 2nd choice, but I'm not mad.
(Advice: Eat your greens. Or eat someone else's greens.)
Bev Pair: Green juice, like Naked's Green Machine.

3) I wore a fishtail braid yesterday. This is my first time wearing one and doing it myself!
(Advice: Get out of your hair rut by trying a new style before you cut it all off.)
Bev Pair: Water. Hydrate and your hair and skin will thank you.

4) I went to Home Depot yesterday to get some plant supplies. I love their garden section. It feels like a cheap thrill to walk around in the pallets of pansies. I texted a bit with my brother who is a landscape expert to get some free advice :) I bought:
- spikes and twine to hold up my tomato plants
- pots to re-pot a hosta
- marigolds to ward off bugs from my other plants (the poor massacred lettuce!)
- a succulent for my desk at work
(Advice: Take time to stop and smell the roses. Even if they are Home Depot roses.)
Bev Pair: Lemonade. I saw a lemon tree at the Home Deep and wanted to buy it badly. 

5) I wore a suit today (am still wearing it) because it was our company's annual meeting. Yes, the suit is cream. I feel like I'm in a 70's movie or I'm Chloe Sevigny.
(Advice: Always dress over the occasion slightly if you are are unaware of the protocol.)
Bev Pair: White wine. Don't you dare spill on that lovely white suit!

all pics are mine except this one.

Get ready for more integration, Diary.

Ten Tips Tuesday: Eat, Drink and Mind Your Manners

If you get the chance to be lucky and unlucky at the same time, you'll get to attend a business lunch or dinner. Sometimes laced with an awards ceremony, the business lunch/dinner awkwardly requires you to multitask the formal with the necessary - like when the dentist asks you how your summer's going while he's choking you from the inside out.

It is important to maintain an inconspicuous level of manners while eating and drinking with your CEO. Let's run through a few pointers:

1. I said "inconspicuous" level of manners because, sadly, not all execs have a basic knowledge of etiquette. You'd be better off not looking holier-than-thou by requesting a proper salad fork. If your superiors are using their hands to push around their first course, you can probably eat with whatever fork you find convenient. Usually starting from the outside and working in is a safe bet.

2. Eat at the pace of everyone else. If the hungry bunch scarfs faster than you, eat at a reasonable place, but let your plate be cleared when the rest are. Let's be honest, if you were really hungry, you'd eat as fast as they did. Likewise, if they are taking their time, take yours.

3. In the case of my first point, even if they are pushing food around with their hands, don't do it yourself. You can appear not to be pompous while still appearing human. Fries = use hands. Salad = use fork.

4. Wait until everyone has their food before you start eating. If you are eating in a large group, wait until everyone at your table has been served.

5. Napkin in your lap, please.

6. Be wary of your table makes when leaning in to hear a speaker or passing the bread. Try to keep out of the majority of your table's line of vision.

7. Which brings me to the bread. Never spread the butter on your bread with the butter knife. Use the butter knife that has been given to the whole table to put an amount of butter on your bread plate. Then use your own knife to put the butter on the bread. Err'body shares that butter knife, people! Let's handle it as little as possible.

8. Try to deal with the food you are given. If you are a picky eater, maybe eat a little before hand or carve out time for a real lunch afterwards. Try to not be the one to send back the cod because it was "too fishy".

9. Chew. With. Your. Mouth. Closed. If you cannot, then you need to take smaller bites. If you claim you cannot breathe, you need to have an operation to clear your nasal passageway. We're all eating the same chicken piccata here, no need to show off.

10. If you are NOT all eating the same thing (or eating from the same pre-approved list) you might be eating off of the restaurant's regular menu. Try not to be the bozo who orders the steak when everyone else is having the chicken. We are living in lean times and your company might appreciate you trimming the fat from your selection rather than having to trim the fat in payroll.