Friday, August 13, 2010

Nothin’ You Can Do, Cause I’m Stuck Like Glue To My Guy

My office has a Toastmasters Club, which I recently joined. For my first speech, I needed to look put together, and a little toned down.

August 12

I went with this purple blouse with pleating detail and some slim fit pants. I felt good. I wish you could see the shoes better, they are light gold high heels with a linen wrapped heel. I pulled some old photos just so you could see them, because I thought they looked really nice…

June 28June 28

August 12

And I kept the jewelry toned down with this beautiful pendant my Dad designed for my Grandmother and I inherited.

August 12

My mother and sister have copies as well, so I was glad to inherit this one, because I like the idea of us all having one to wear.

This bracelet was also my Grandmother’s, from her costume jewelry collection.

August 12

My speech went really well! I received very positive marks on my evaluation and I was so glad to have that first one behind me. Hopefully next time I won’t be as nervous, I was shaking like a leaf for the hour beforehand. And to make matters worse, my boss, who I joined to hang out with, had to go to a luncheon for executives off campus! But I am ready for that second speech now! The first one is always worst!

Blouse, Target
Trousers, Forever XXI
Sandals, Payless
Rings, Moon Raven Designs at Etsy
Necklace, inherited from my Grandmother, designed by my dad.
Bracelet, inherited from my Grandmothers costume jewelry collection

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

1: "My Guy" will be stuck in my head (like glue!) for the rest of the day. But it's a great song, so I'm not complaining...too much.

2: What was your speech about?!?

3: I promise, it'll get so much easier. I used to give presentations for a living, and it ends up being fun.

4: Holy Toledo that shade of purple is gorgeous on you! It's probably best you don't wear it all the time, you'll just make the rest of the world jealous with how glowy you look.

TJ Walker said...

Your appearance is fine. Just make sure that even more attention is given to making your ideas truly memorable for your audience.

Academic Writer (a.k.a. A-Dubs) said...

'Glad to know your first speech went well. That takes guts to do! Also, you look gorgeous, and your jewellery is lovely. Thanks for sharing.

brittneynikkole said...

This look is so pretty and sophisticated! It looks ladylike but not too fussy. Also I have to gush about those shoes, they are gorgeous! The perfect touch for this outfit.

Melissa said...

Good for you!!! I'm way too chicken for public speaking!

You look fantastic. That outfit is perfect for such a venue. Those shoes are beautiful and I love the heart pendant. So, so pretty.

jesse.anne.o said...

I have been wondering about Toastmasters! I speak publicly for work sometimes and I'm decent at it but I'm wondering if I'd be *better* at it if I went?

WendyB said...

I am petrified of public speaking and always think I should do Toastmasters to improve...but am too petrified to try!

Sarina said...

I love every piece of this outfit! The top and shoes are gorgeous and the trousers fit you perfectly!:)

tinyjunco said...

Good for you!! public speaking can be SO terrifying, but once you commit to getting the experience under your belt and learning how to improve your skills it can teach you so much. it's a really useful skill to have in so many situations, and you earn a lot of confidence. i've done a fair amount of public speaking, from 4-H to wildlife docent. if you can choose a topic that you just love and are really excited about, it helps with the nerves - you get 'lost' in the subject you love so much that you focus on that.

the TED talks are a lot of fun
www.ted.com
a wild range of topics and effective speakers with many different speaking styles.

here's an article on 'The Clothes That Say You're Serious'

http://tinyurl.com/24ycbaz

Diana Pemberton-Sikes has some good advice on business attire in her weekly newsletters. the archive is here:

http://tinyurl.com/2a46eca

her viewpoint is that first, you don't want your clothes working against you, and second clothes can work for you so why not use whatever resource is available to you?
i'm interested in hearing what your topic was as well! keep on speaking and have fun!! steph

Sheila said...

I did Toastmasters for 3 years and really liked it - I enjoyed composing my speeches and getting such positive feedback (TMers are so good at that). It really improved my confidence in public speaking, and my ability to remain composed under pressure - hugely valuable skills. Good for you! Ice Breaker over with!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on getting through the first one! I think everyone gets the jitters. Those that say they don't are either on some prescribed med to calm nerves, or they aren't very good. Your outfit looks great by the way.

Sally said...

I found a bracelet just like this but in silver, at a thrift store!

Sally
http://ursaminor-sally.blogspot.com/

gina said...

Congrats on your first speech going well! Cute top, lovely sandals.

gina said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Juanette said...

I love this outfit, that color looks great on you! I have been thinking about joining Toastmasters for a while now, keep us posted on your progress, I know I'll get an honest assessment from you.