Sick Day

I slept ten hours last night. TEN HOURS! Who does that these days?

And even though I slept a good four hours longer than I normally do, I still woke up this morning, completely exhausted. And then, it just got worse as the day went on. I think I've officially fallen victim to the toddler germs...and I'm now working from home, in sweats and the most comfortable sweater ever. That I stole from my husband. After accidentally shrinking it in the dryer.

Anywhoo...

Look! Old outfits that I never got around to posting when I actually wore them!

This was my attempt to win over the moms' group in my neighborhood with clean, shiny hair, as opposed to the unwashed mess I introduced them to the first time we met. I think it went well, considering I scored an invite to the December dinner, too. Apparently, wine is more important than clean hair in this circle. Which is why they are my kind of ladies...

(Side Note: I'd worn the dress as a top, as seen in the bottom picture, to work that day, before losing the skirt and adding boots for dinner that night...it's getting all kinds of creative up in here!)

 

Dress: F21

Cardigan: Target

Skirt: H&M

Belt: J Crew

Boots: Bare Trap (DSW)

Tights: We Love Colors

Don't forget, eShakti is offering $20 off of any order through the end of the year, when you use the promotional code NOTAHOBBY0811.

The discount code is not case sensitive. Only one gift certificate can be used per order. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. This cannot be combined with any other offer / discount that may be active during this period.

Also, you can find my post about the skirt the company sent me to review here.

Back to Work

I left work at 2:30pm last Wednesday, and I haven't been back. Until this morning. Woo!

Where are my lottery winnings hiding, so I can do this whole vacation thing on a permanent basis?

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With November rolling to a close, now seems like a good time to update you on the self-imposed shopping ban I'm under right now. It's...well, it's kind of going.

I spent some money last weekend at the outlet mall, because I'd already told myself that I could, but even that didn't have the thrill for me that it normally does. Sure, I found some things that I wanted (I always find things that I want), and I picked those things up. But towards the end of my trip, I was tired of shopping.

WHO AM I, AND WHAT HAVE I DONE WITH MYSELF?!?!

Generally, I do not get tired of shopping. But all I could think, as I wandered the mall, was 'do I really need another sweater? another skirt? don't I already have EVERYTHING that this place is selling?'. And do you know what?

I kind of do.

So, December is almost upon us. And it's time for me to buckle down, and save some money. No shopping. No spending. No nothing.

Let's do this.

Worn to work last week (before the temperatures dropped again...)
Dress: Gap (outlet)

Belt: Target

Boots: DSW

Bracelets: Mango Tree

Don't forget, eShakti is offering $20 off of any order through the end of the year, when you use the promotional code NOTAHOBBY0811.

The discount code is not case sensitive. Only one gift certificate can be used per order. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. This cannot be combined with any other offer / discount that may be active during this period.

Also, you can find my post about the skirt the company sent me to review here.

Even I have my limits...

Well, I didn't really intend to take an internet break over the holidays like that, but sometimes it's just needed, I guess. After an abundance of family time, a trip out at midnight for Black Friday (to people watch, mostly, not to shop...I don't do well shopping in crowds*), a drive through some Christmas lights, and a sick baby to wrap up the weekend, getting back into our routine this week might not be such a bad thing.

I hope you all had a lovely long weekend!

*Our Black Friday outing included a trip to Wal-Mart, mostly to get cheeseburgers at McDonald's, and then a walk through the outlet mall, where there were ridiculously long lines outside of several stores that had already opened, but were already full. The only one I even CONSIDERED waiting in was for Kate Spade, because 50% off was waiting inside. But then my sense took over, and I moved on. We did get a $100+ serving set from Pottery Barn for $20, but that was the extent of my Black Friday deal hunting. The longest line was outside of the Ralph Lauren outlet, and it stretched around the front of the building. Unless Ralph himself was inside handing out free jeans, I have NO IDEA what kind of deal could have enticed me to stand in a line like that...

Sweater: Land's End Canvas

Skirt: Old Navy

Boots: White Mountain (from DSW)


Don't forget, eShakti is offering $20 off of any order through the end of the year, when you use the promotional code NOTAHOBBY0811.

The discount code is not case sensitive. Only one gift certificate can be used per order. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. This cannot be combined with any other offer / discount that may be active during this period.


Also, you can find my post about the skirt the company sent me to review here.

Where does the time go?

Can y'all believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving? ALREADY?!?!

I swear, it seems like just yesterday I was celebrating New Year's Eve. Time really does fly when you're having fun, I guess...

Here's to a fantastic holiday weekend for everyone, filled with family, food, fun, and maybe a great shopping deal or two :)

T-Shirt: J Crew

Sweater: Macy's

Jeans: Gap

Boots: Bear Trap (from DSW)

Scarf: Land's End


Don't forget, eShakti is offering $20 off of any order through the end of the year, when you use the promotional code NOTAHOBBY0811.

The discount code is not case sensitive. Only one gift certificate can be used per order. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. This cannot be combined with any other offer / discount that may be active during this period.


Also, you can find my post about the skirt the company sent me to review here.

Evening Out

My sister-in-law called me on Saturday to see if I wanted to go to a bar that night to get dinner and drinks like a 'grown-up', instead of sitting around my house drinking wine, which is what we had done the night before.

And since heading out on such a grown-up outing would obviously call for me to wear the giant flower ring that I've had for months but seldom bring out of the jewelry box, I was all for it.

And if you try to tell me there's more to being an adult than pretty jewelry, I will stick my fingers in my ear and hum to myself until you go away. Unless that something more involves the ability to eat chocolate for breakfast...

Then we can still be friends.

T-shirt: F21

Cords: Gap

Boots: Me Too (DSW)

Bracelet: Kohls

Ring: Kate Spade

Don't forget, eShakti is offering $20 off of any order through the end of the year, when you use the promotional code NOTAHOBBY0811.

The discount code is not case sensitive. Only one gift certificate can be used per order. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. This cannot be combined with any other offer / discount that may be active during this period.

Also, you can find my post about the skirt the company sent me to review here.

Workin' it...

Ordinarily, Mondays are my days at home, when I spend my time hanging out with Brigid, finishing up the laundry from the weekend, and just generally recovering from the previous two days of 'relaxation' that are Saturday and Sunday. But this week, since I already have a shortened schedule, and Steve is working from home due to some office relocations that are going on in our building, I am braving the big bad world of Monday, and heading into the office for the day.

I don't know how you guys manage to do this every week!

(Also, knock on every piece of wood within a 5 mile radius that they don't take my flex schedule away from me anytime soon. I don't know what I'd do without it...)

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But, before I go...it's Inspiration Monday at Two Birds!

The inspiration:

And the look (please note it is too darn cold around here for me to be wearing short sleeves...and I am referring to my 50-ish degree office, and not the 70-ish degree weather outside. oh Georgia, I love you and your 70-degree November...):

(Please excuse my attempt to show that the stripes on my sweater were, in fact, navy blue, and not black, like my camera is trying to show...)

Sweater: Gap

Pants: The Limited

Shoes: Nine West

Necklace: Calvin Klein (outlet) 

Don't forget, eShakti is offering $20 off of any order through the end of the year, when you use the promotional code NOTAHOBBY0811.

The discount code is not case sensitive. Only one gift certificate can be used per order. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. This cannot be combined with any other offer / discount that may be active during this period.

Also, you can find my post about the skirt the company sent me to review here.

It's kind of a big deal...

Ok, it's actually not a big deal at all to anyone but me, but I was excited about it, so it totally counts.

Anyway, I've never really been a thrift store kind of gal because I just don't have the patience for it. I have a hard time combing through racks and racks of clothes, looking for the next great deal, with no other plan of action. The same feelings apply to really big sales, TJ Maxx, and anywhere else where I have to dig to buy.

(Not that this has ever stopped me from shopping really big sales or TJ Maxx, but that doesn't mean I was enjoying myself!)

(Ok, I actually mostly love it. Moving on...)

But I also know thrift stores can be a goldmine of clothing opportunities, at really great prices, and I'm always so jealous when I see other people's finds, so I figured I was just going to have to suck it up and try again.

And a couple of weeks ago, I finally found success,with this skirt, among other items. And then I stopped shopping, for my own good.

But once I lift my self-imposed ban? I am definitely going back...

Sweater: Gap

Cardigan: Express

Skirt: Talbot's (thrifted)

Shoes: Nine West

Necklace: Charming Charlie


Don't forget, eShakti is offering $20 off of any order through the end of the year, when you use the promotional code NOTAHOBBY0811.

The discount code is not case sensitive. Only one gift certificate can be used per order. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. This cannot be combined with any other offer / discount that may be active during this period.


Also, you can find my post about the skirt the company sent me to review here.

Coffee Break

When I started my shopping detox, I searched the house for gift cards that I could stash away for days when nothing but spending money would make me feel better. That little search turned up several $5 Starbucks gift cards that my husband, who doesn't even drink coffee, had hidden away for no reason other than, I assume, to make me crazy.

Thank goodness he did, because I just may need to pull on of those bad boys out, today. It's just going to be one of those days, I think...

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Entirely unrelated, it seems that my general state of unwash from a couple of weeks ago did not, in fact, scare off the mom's group in my neighborhood, as I scored an invite to this month's dinner tomorrow night. Imagine how much more they're going to like me with clean hair?

Can't wait.

Blouse: Old Navy

Skirt: J Crew (outlet)

Shoes: Nine West


Don't forget, eShakti is offering $20 off of any order through the end of the year, when you use the promotional code NOTAHOBBY0811.

The discount code is not case sensitive. Only one gift certificate can be used per order. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. This cannot be combined with any other offer / discount that may be active during this period.


Also, you can find my post about the skirt the company sent me to review here.

Never happy?

Last week, we had a nice little overnight freeze that killed off the one plant I have on my back porch that I've managed to keep alive for longer than a month because I wasn't expecting the freeze, so I didn't get the poor guy in before it happened. It was so cold, the temperature inside our house had dropped to 61 in certain rooms, because we had the thermostat set on 63.

Cold. Yuck.

But yesterday? It was 71 outside. And our house was 76 degrees as a result. The only way to cool it down at all would have been to turn on the AC. In November. Which is definitely not happening.

So, if you need me, I'll be over here, wilting away in the heat, like the delicate little flower that I am. And if you want to come back next week, I'll be sure to complain about the icebox I'm living in when the temperatures return to normal levels.

I'm sure you can't wait...

T-shirt: J Crew

Sweater: BCBG

Cord Leggings: Gap

Shoes: Cole Haan

Bracelets: Mango Tree


Don't forget, eShakti is offering $20 off of any order through the end of the year, when you use the promotional code NOTAHOBBY0811.

The discount code is not case sensitive. Only one gift certificate can be used per order. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. This cannot be combined with any other offer / discount that may be active during this period.


Also, you can find my post about the skirt the company sent me to review here.

Weekend Slip-up

So, this weekend was my first real weekend since I started my shopping detox, and while it wasn't a complete success, it was better than it could have been.

See, it was sale weekend at the outlet mall. And my sister-in-law asked me if I'd be interested in going up with her. And my mother-in-law wanted to go, too. And my father-in-law wanted to hang out with Brigid at the outlet mall playground.

It was a family event all around!

I went. And I shopped. But after hitting a couple of stores, I realized that I just wasn't in a shopping kind of mood. In fact, I was actually disappointed in myself for giving in so easily. So, I ended up getting out of there for about $40, and that included a couple of Christmas presents and a dress for my sister's wedding in March (because the wedding is on a beach, and I have a feeling that beach wedding dresses are going to be in short supply come March...).

I guess you could say I'm a work in progress, anyway...

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It's Inspiration Monday over at Two Birds, and today's inspiration is Kelly Ripa:

For the second week in a row, I loved the inspiration outfit so much, I pretty much copied it piece for piece. Except for the scarf, that is. The scarf just felt like too much,with the ruffles on the shirt, so I scrapped it in favor of a simple necklace. 

Not a bad look for a Monday...

Tank Top: Gap (outlet)

Blazer: The Limited

Jeans: Gap

Shoes: Steve Madden (from Macy's)

Scarf: Land's End


Don't forget, eShakti is offering $20 off of any order through the end of the year, when you use the promotional code NOTAHOBBY0811.

The discount code is not case sensitive. Only one gift certificate can be used per order. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. This cannot be combined with any other offer / discount that may be active during this period.


Also, you can find my post about the skirt the company sent me to review here.

Let's see what I can do...

Last week, a friend mentioned that her spending was getting out of control. And she wasn't just talking about shopping for clothes and accessories, but also make-up and nail polish and Starbucks and household things that she just didn't need. And to 'reset' her habits, she had decided to begin a year-long no-spend adventure, starting November 1st.

And, well, I was impressed by this. Inspired, even.

You see, I have a job that I like well enough. And working in this job leaves me with some disposable income that I like to spend on useless stuff. But, despite mostly enjoying what I do, I still have it in my head that at some point in the next couple of years, I would like to be a stay-at-home-mom. And to do that, I need to make sure we can make ends meet as a one income household, which we should be able to do, if I can manage to cut out the previously mentioned useless stuff.

So, I'm doing just that.

I'm too scared to commit to the full year that Christina is taking, but I'm going to use these last two months of this year, when my shopping is usually at its worst (I am a 'one for you, one for me' kind of Christmas shopper, sadly...) to see what I'm made of.* I need to see if I can rediscover the line between what I actually need and what I just really, really want, because I know it's there, but I've lost track of it. And then, just maybe, I can officially declare 2012 the year of no-spending.

Wish me luck!

*Also, it should be noted, I'm already failing in my attempts, because I'm making a pre-established exception for Black Friday. We're talking a midnight trip to the outlet mall, and I just don't want to miss it. But other than that? NOTHING!

 Dress: Loft

Cardigan: Banana Republic (outlet)

Boots: DSW

Bracelets: Mango

Earrings: Banana Republic (outlet)

Tweed!

I am not a huge fan of winter. I don't like cold weather. I don't like gray skies. And I really, really don't like icy winds.

I like fall. I love November and December, because I'm a holiday nut. But once January hits? I'd like to skip forward to May, thank you very much.

But there are a few things about winter that make it a little more bearable in my mind, if you're going to insist that I be out and about in it...

Tights and boots are awesome, obviously, as are scarves and fun hats. A pretty winter coat? Yes, please. Starbucks in cold weather is kind of perfect, too. And then there's tweed.

I love a pretty tweed.

Of course, even with this list, it's still only enough cheer to get me through to February, maybe the beginning of March, at the most. Then I'm just kind of over it all and want nothing more than to start planning a beach trip effectivie immediately.

But, I guess it's a start...

So, help me out...what are your secrets for surviving the dreary weather? And if your answer is 'I live in Florida or California, so it's no big thing...', then I might be moving in with you in a couple of months. I clean up after myself really well, I promise!

Dress: Tahari (from Dillards)

Cardigan: J Crew (outlet)

Belt: Target

Shoes: Nine West

Flattery

I wore this outfit to work last week, on the day that I happened to have a dentist appointment in the afternoon. In addition to telling me that I looked 24 (which, I don't) and that she could tell I flossed every day (which, again, I don't, unless she meant flossing every day in the week leading up to a dentist appointment, which I totally do...), the hygienist asked me if I worked in fashion. Because she'd never think of pairing polka dots with a red skirt, so she was really impressed that I had.

And all I could think, in addition to thinking this might be the nicest, most over-the-top-enthusiastic dental hygienist I'd ever encountered (which I think might be saying a lot, because I've met some really enthusiastic dental hygienists in my day...but this one gave me TWO tubes of travel toothpaste AND a small sample bottle of Lysterine, in addition to the typical toothbrush/floss combination, so she totally wins), was that I needed to introduce this poor woman to some fashion blogs. Because pairing red/black/white/one pattern is nothing compared to some of the amazingly awesome ensembles I've seen across the internet.

But hey, a compliment is a compliment, and I'll take it. I just need to make sure I'm on my game when I head back in six months...

I don't want to disappoint her, after all.

Blouse: H&M

Cardigan: Express

Skirt: Banana Republic (outlet)

Shoes: Nine West

Bracelet: Francesca's

Don't forget, eShakti is offering $20 off of any order through the end of the year, when you use the promotional code NOTAHOBBY0811.

The discount code is not case sensitive. Only one gift certificate can be used per order. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. This cannot be combined with any other offer / discount that may be active during this period.


Also, you can find my post about the skirt the company sent me to review here.

All Mondays need some inspiration...

I don't think Two Birds could have picked a better day to host their outfit inspiration link-up, because Mondays, in general, are no fun. So of course, a little dress-up plan helps things out immensely...

Today's inspiration is Pippa Middleton, and seriously, this girl is one stylish Brit. If I could find a way to become the third Middleton sister, just so I could raid the closets of the other two, I totally would.

Except that I am not a size negative-two, so most things probably wouldn't fit me, anyway. Oh well...

Happy Monday!

Dress: F21

Cardigan: Macys

Boots: Bare Traps (from DSW)

Friday!

This is another one of those skirts I've had forever, although it gets a little more use than the Kenneth Cole skirt I had on earlier in the week. But seeing as I've had it for at least five years, I'm starting to think that I might just be a hoarder of the clothing variety, because even though it seems like my biggest hobby is adding to my closet, I fail a little at cleaning out the old stuff to make room for the new. So if you don't hear from me for a couple of days, send help.

I might just be buried under a pile of skirts or something...

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In other news, eShakti is offering a fantastic deal to all of you lovely people, in the form of $20 off of any order through the end of the year, when you use the promotional code NOTAHOBBY0811. Looking for a new dress for the holidays? They have some gorgeous options, and all can be customized to your particular specifications. They also have a pretty great selection of skirts, scarves, tops, and other various accessories, so I'd recommend checking them out.

And for the fine print on the code: The discount code is not case sensitive. Only one gift certificate can be used per order. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. This cannot be combined with any other offer / discount that may be active during this period.

Also, you can find my post about the skirt the company sent me to review here.

Cardigan: J Crew

Skirt: Gap

Shoes:Nine West

Bracelet: Charming Charlie

Star of the Show

We are getting family pictures taken this weekend, and the only advice we received from our photographer on clothing choices was 'no white'. Which, while helpful in the slightest of ways, was not really helpful at all.

Obviously, I want us all to match. And even more obviously, I don't want us all to match too closely. And even though my husband got a new sweater for the occasion, I'd rather not shop for these pictures if I don't have to. We're shooting for a purple/black/gray color scheme, based around the most ridiculously adorable striped sweater dress that my daughter owns and a pair of gray motorcycle boots that my sister-in-law bought her for her birthday, and I have to scour my closet tonight for options of my own. Should be a good time. Or not.

Tomorrow's lunch break may end up being a frantic trip to the mall to find something that will work. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, I guess.

Although, really, what I end up wearing probably won't matter in the end. I'm just going to be upstaged by a two-year old, anyway...

T-shirt: Forever 21

Jeans: TJ Maxx

Shoes: Cole Haan

Bracelet: Kohls

Long-time listener, first-time caller

Do any of you ever listen to talk radio? I have Sirius satellite radio in my car, and I tend to listen to a lot of it when I'm driving, generally of the sports talk kind.

(Except for these next two months, of course. Because these next two months are Christmas music months!)

(No, I don't plan on talking about Christmas every day until it finally gets here...)

(Actually, yes. Yes, I do...sorry. I love the holiday season.)

And it never fails that, anytime you listen to the call-in portion of any talk radio show, you always, always, ALWAYS hear someone who calls in to tell the host that, although they've been listening to the program for years, it was the subject of discussion on that particular day that made them realize they just had call to share their opinion. And these callers are usually my favorite part of these shows, because it's always interesting to see just what that topic is that made them realize they didn't want to sit by and not share their thoughts. Sometimes it's surprising to see just what might get someone worked up.

Of course, this has nothing to do with anything today. But I've had this skirt forever (seriously....like, years, forever), and I've never worn it. Not once. But I've kept it around because it's too pretty to donate, and I knew I'd eventually work it into the rotation. And now seemed as good a time as any...

Long-time closet inhabitant, first-time outfit participant, I guess.

Sweater: Gap

Cardigan: NY & Company

Skirt: Kenneth Cole

Boots: White Mountain (from DSW)

Who is ready for Christmas?

I love Halloween. I swear, I do.

I love costumes and candy and I'm starting to recognize the fun in creepy decorations. I love It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and I love that Brigid is now old enough to curl up on the couch next to me so that we can watch it together. I love that we were able to take her trick-or-treating this year, and she was old enough to understand that chocolate is AWESOME!

And I definitely love that while she's old enough to appreciate the holiday, she is still young enough for me to eat all of that awesome chocolate she collected, all in the name of being a responsible parent.

Toddlers only need so much candy, after all. Helping her eat it is the least I can do, right?

But Christmas...well, it will always be number one in my heart. Christmas music starts November 1st, and runs through January 1st. Christmas decorations go up as soon as I can get the Halloween decorations down. And Christmast shopping is basically a year-round event in my life.

So, I get very, very excited when Style Lush posts the annual Holiday Gift Guide, because anything that offers a collection of amazing gifts at under $25 each is kind of perfect, in my book. If you're looking for gift ideas for anyone in your life, you can probably find something awesome on this list. Just at first glance, I see about 8 things, at least, that I want to send my husband the link for...

(And item #3 on the Style Lush list? The scarf? I can TOTALLY vouch for how amazing it is, as you can see below...

I absolutely plan to ask for it in green this year!)

T-shirt: Gap

Scarf: Land's End

Jeans: MICHAEL Michael Kors

Shoes: Cole Haan