Thursday, December 15th (Day 60)

Today Mz. Helen pulls a classic 'white and black.' Strategically standing next to the deco white-and-black wallhanging in Associate Dean's Andrea's office, and contrasted nicely by the blue of the exam books, here we see Helen in true-blue NYC style in a 3-quarter sleeve white cardigan, short black ruffled skirt, black tights, and black super-efficient pumps. The business (of grading) is serious, and is underscored by the sheer pile of exambooks, the white question sheet, the pencil, and the glassess on the -- also black -- table. Helen's bright smile (sans doggie stress, phew!!), however, and the sheer chic of this outfit will make grading a lighter chore for anyone concerned, one hopes!

P.S. - and may I just take a moment to feel rather pleased that this blog was my idea? Ellen will testify.

Wednesday, December 14th (Day 59)

The red shoes are back! Glad to see that Helen is still trying to get her money's worth out of the red patent leather Cole Hahn flats she first sported on Day 52. Today the ruby slippers are a perfect compliment to Helen's black, gray and red argyle sweater. Black shoes just wouldn't have been festive enough during the holiday season!

Is it me or does Helen look a little stressed petting our co-worker's dog Brandi? I wasn't there when the pooch stopped by and I'm not sure if Helen is a dog lover, but if this photo is any indication, my guess is that there aren't any doggie treats under Helen's tree.

We are in the home stretch of the semester, just days from Christmas break, and some of our more loyal followers want Helen to continue on her fashion mission until she shows up in sweats and a t-shirt. If you have an opinion, let us know!

December 13 -- Day 58

Though bulletin board may be a little outdated, our heroine is fashionably au courant. Here Helen, who is always on her toes, sports a silk-rayon blend ballerina dress with great lines and even better flow. Black tights and black patent ballet flats complete the seemingly effortless no-wrinkle look that’s suited for an afternoon of end-of-semester nuttiness followed by an evening of fast-paced Christmas shopping.

Winding down - Monday (Day 57)

This is our last week of work before the holiday break, which I'd call the home stretch, but as an extended metaphor I don't think that works well for our hero.

Today I'm going right for the accessory: Helen, as you may have noticed, Dear Reader, is a fan of the scarf, and this is a great one. Offsetting a long-sleeved fuchsia top over black pants and shoes, the scarf starts our week in grand style.

Stay tuned for a festive five days!

Friday!

Another week successfully completed!

Helen surely has some Friday-night Fun planned with the grin she's wearing in today's photo. Here she's placing the lovely poinsettia the office received from our facilities department. And the red of the flowers nicely set off her black and gray ensemble, I think. There's definitely a bit of a chill now, so Helen's got black tights under the cute gray tulip skirt (ten-years old and still looking great!). Black boots are a little unusual for our hero, but work well with the sassy look she's got going as the weekend rolls in.

A reminder to please let us know how hard we should push Helen to continue the project. Our original target date has been reached, but the rest of us are still willing to watch her make it work.

Thursday, December 8th (Day 55)

Helen mixed it up on Thursday with a festive black and gray patterned dress, black chunky Silpada necklace, black stockings and black suede Stuart Weitzman pumps. (Stuart Weitzman is her favorite brand for shoes and Helen patiently waits and watches until they go on sale). She's also sporting a new gel manicure. Opi malaga wine is the color of choice (30 minutes to dry and lasts 2-3 weeks!).

Helen is a tad more dressy than usual, as the annual Holiday Party was on the agenda for later in the day. Stay tuned for a photo from the festivities. Apparently Helen's not the only one who loves Silpada jewelry and Opi malaga wine nails!

Alright, already! Take the darn picture! (Day 54)

Unfortunately Helen's getting a little miffed at her slacker co-workers whose picture taking and blogging has been less then timely as of late. As a result, her husband Neal had to step up to the plate and take this photo while Helen was in the kitchen whipping up a penne vodka with sausage dinner for her man. Thank you Neal!

On this rainy and dreary day, Helen went with earth tones. Light brown patterned slacks, a brown cardigan with an off white camisole sweater, and classic pearls.

Helen - if we promise to stay on top of the blog, will you promise to extend the challenge into next semester?? Readers, what do you think? Let us know!

Tuesday, December 6th

Where is Tuesday the 6th, you ask?

Stay tuned....we are experiencing technical difficulties with the photo as our VP of Media and Witticisms was unavailable and left the underlings to hold down the fort. The problem should be solved shortly.

There's no place like home! (Monday, Dec 5th)

"Oh yes we need a little Christmas, right this very minute!" Helen has finally worn red! Yes, our heroine is not fond of red, but apparently this red sweater has a hint of blue in it, so she made an exception. (I'm still looking for the blue). The black turtle neck and black velvet slacks work as a very nice backdrop to this bold three button cardigan. But the coup de grace of this outfit are the red patent leather Cole Haan flats.

Now I'm sure you're asking yourself, if Helen doesn't like red, why does she own red shoes? How often could she possibly wear them? In response to my inquiry she said "I just had to buy them. I fell in love with them!". Well, I guess since we're in the midst of the red and green holiday season, we'll be seeing them again before the semester is out.

And in the words of Dorothy of Oz, owner of another famous pair of red shoes, click your heels three times and say "there's no place like home"!

I Love Rock & Roll!

Something you may not know of me is I love music especially rock and roll! So my bloggers have asked me to post this great shot taken Saturday night with one of my favorite lead guitarist-Ricky Byrd. I was at BB Kings in New York City to see Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes and Ricky came on stage at the show's end to play with the band. As an original member of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (a nominee for this year's Hall of Fame), I have been following Ricky for over 30 years. I was thrilled he would be so kind to take this picture with me.

Onto the clothes--- black jeans, black top, black leather boots and black leather jacket- -what else would one wear to a concert (with the exception of the multi-black shaded scarf)... also a hearing aid due to the many concerts and shows I have seen over the years. No one told me to use ear plugs when I was young, if so they would have been black.

I know it's only rock and roll but I like it.....

Friday, December 2

O Cashmere!

And if it’s not, well, it sure looks like it. Here, Helen has paired a soft medium-hued grey cashmere cardigan (note the pushed up sleeves) with fine gabardine slacks. Though difficult to spot in the photo, the subtle sheen of the slacks mirrors the shine of her two-toned, multi-strand pearl necklace, adding the vertical balance we’ve come to expect of Helen’s ensembles. Patent leather ballet flats ground the overall outfit, while the detail of the necklace, coupled with the soft floral neckline of the cashmere cardigan, pulls attention upward to where we’re greeted by a beaming smile.

Good job, Helen. Those black and grey outfits may look simple, but they never are.

Nifty 50!!! (Thursday, December 1st)

Forget the old "Fifty Nifty U-nited States" song from grammar school.....our girl Helen has worn FIFTY nifty outfits so far this semester! Unbelievable!

OK readers, be honest....other than the Housewives of New Jersey, can you think of anyone you know who could stretch their work wardrobe this far?! Today's blog is a tribute to Helen's sense of timeless style and legendary fashion acumen. She's wearing a celery colored sweater and coordinating scarf, paired with velvet slacks - simple, comfortable - perfect for the office - classic Helen!

Ho, Ho, Ho. It's December!

A new month, and Christmas is coming, and in honor of the lighting of the big tree in Rockefeller Center, we have a photo of Helen with her own tree at home on Wednesday.

The weather is still cooperating and Helen has a short black skirt with a long-sleeve white top, black sheer stockings, and a short heel. Vivacious!

How are your holiday decorations coming?

Ruffles have Ridges!

Nearing the end of November and our warm weather (we think!...and, yes, I'm feeling alliterative, so sue me).

Helen's complaints on Monday aside, she continues to ride out the unseasonal temperatures with aplomb. Today's outfit: a V-neck, pale blue, long-sleeved top with front ruffles over a black camisole with black pants. She was quick to point out her own matching wavy locks, a rare site in the office (hit the blog archive for a count!).

The weatherman is promising a temperature drop to some serious sweater and tweed weather, so get ready for a sartorial second wind!