This Life, Redefined...: Weekend Slip-up

Monday, November 14, 2011

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.

17 comments:

Love at First ShoeNovember 14, 2011 at 10:49 AM
Looking snazzy!!! I love yellow on you!
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Style JourneyNovember 14, 2011 at 11:22 AM
It's ok about the slip up. At least you got some Christmas shopping done. This yellow top looks great on you! You look very sharp in your suit outfit :)
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Beth (Coffee Until Cocktails)November 14, 2011 at 11:31 AM
Adorable! I'm in the middle of my own shopping detox and it is a challenge!!! Anyway, I love the yellow top on you, it's a great color!
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ShaylaNovember 14, 2011 at 11:54 AM
Very nice! I like it better without the scarf too. Such a pretty top, no sense hiding it!
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CristiNovember 14, 2011 at 11:58 AM
Great look. You and Kelly Ripa are almost like twins!
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AnjaliNovember 14, 2011 at 1:06 PM
Lovely yellow top, its a great color on you! I'm in the middle of a shopping ban right now and went to the mall this weekend too! It was tough!
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TiffanyNovember 14, 2011 at 2:09 PM
That yellow top is gorgeous!! And I don't consider Christmas shopping to be cheating. =)
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Mother in HeelsNovember 14, 2011 at 2:20 PM
Great job on the outfit, and I also like the look without the scarf. The necklace is just right.
Shopping detoxes stink, but keep up the good work. :-)
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AlanaNovember 14, 2011 at 2:24 PM
Looks great! I think it looks great without the scarf as the top stands on its own quite well!
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ViktoriaNovember 14, 2011 at 3:45 PM
It's hard to not shop when you're in a situation like that. You did great if you came out with Christmas presents and a dress for your sister's wedding. Love that bright yellow top!!!
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rlutzNovember 14, 2011 at 4:18 PM
Love the splash of color with that great yellow shirt!! Great interpretation of the look. I was good this weekend and did not shopping despite all the sales!!
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two birdsNovember 14, 2011 at 7:22 PM
i think buying christmas presents and a dress for your sister's wedding is totally fine! necessary, even! i love this look on you. yellow is a hard color to pull off, but it looks fab on you!
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ShellyNovember 14, 2011 at 7:37 PM
Love that top!! I look horrible in yellow, but I love it so...
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TaraMixandMatchNovember 14, 2011 at 7:49 PM
Great job with your inspiration picture! I don't think buying Christmas presents is breaking your ban...and you were going to need the dress eventually anyway, so it's all good!
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CNovember 14, 2011 at 10:50 PM
Way to go Tara! I don't know if I would've been able to resist buying anything other than the "necessities" ;)

Kelly Ripa pulls off casual chic like nobody's business. Great inspired look down to the exact shade of yellow!
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KezzieNovember 15, 2011 at 2:10 PM
Your look is a great take on Kelly Ripa's! Very close to the original!
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AnonymousNovember 18, 2011 at 11:57 PM
Very nice look! I also really liked this IM--very wearable. I agree the scarf was a little much with the ruffles. My yellow shirt also had some ruffles, but I just tried to cover them with the scarf.
$40 wasn't too bad...I think you were lucky to find a beach wedding dress this late in the fall, so I definitely think you did great to snap it up:-)
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2014 List

1) Send more mail...thank you notes, birthday cards, and 'just because' messages.

2) Be nicer, in general, to my husband and family. They deserve a much less crabby me than the one they were stuck with for most of 2013.

3) Make more of an effort to communicate with the long-distance people in my life. I got away from facetiming with my sister on a regular basis, and I miss it. Plus, now that she's making me an aunt, I think it's even more important that we get back into the habit of seeing each other every week. I do not need her new baby asking 'are you SURE you have more than one sister?', just because Aunt Mary lives in Indiana and Aunt Tara lives all of the way in Georgia.

4) Call or email or even text my friends from college more than I do now, which is hardly at all. Just because we can pick up after not talking to each other for months like no time has passed at all does not mean I should keep letting all of those months pass without the talking. I'm afraid the picking back up can't keep happening in a friendship like that.

5) Do one fitness/health related challenge each month. - You know all of those '0 to 1,000 sit-ups in just 30 days!!' kind of schedules that pop up on Pinterest all of the time? I'm going to start doing those. One each month. Fifteen minute plank? I'M COMING FOR YOU. I'm also throwing my meat-free/sugar-free/alcohol-free months in this category, as well.

6) Run another organized 5K. - It was so much more fun than I expected. Minus the running up a hill part, anyway.

7) Renew my vows with Steve, in Vegas, by Elvis, for our 10th anniversary in October.

8) Create an art wall somewhere in my house.

9) Organize a workspace for me

10) Attend The Blathering in Seattle. - Charleston was such a great time, I'd love to make it back for the Seattle trip.

11) Read at least two books a month.

12) Take Brigid camping.

13) Find a yoga studio and start taking classes regularly.

14) Write something, anything, not blog related.

15) No spending money on new clothes this year. Using gift cards and rewards points are fine, but I need to get out of the habit of spending money on new stuff, just to make myself feel better. I swear, shopping is my addiction, but the high I get from buying a new sweater probably isn't enough to justify the amount of money I spend on clothes I don't need.

16) No buying anything at all unless I absolutely need it. I have a bad habit of stocking up on things at sales (candles, lotions, make-up, beauty products), even if I have a cabinet full of the same stuff already at home. I will use the cabinet full of crap before I add more crap.

17) Be more consistent in updating my family blog, because my parents give me a hard time when I let it lag, and my personal blog, because I'm not as happy with myself when I let it lag.

18) Find a general practitioner and get a physical.

19) Post at least one picture a day on Instagram, to get myself into the habit of taking more pictures of my sweet girls, since I find entire events have passed where I've forgotten to photograph said events. Like Christmas. Sadly.

20) Get a haircut. - You can laugh at this one, if you must, but I did not get one single haircut in 2013. In fact, I haven't had a haircut since before Caitlin was born in November of 2012. I do not even know how this happens, but I know it must end. Soon. I think a Locks of Love kind of donation might be in order. My hair, it is long.

21) Make an effort to get to know the neighbors. - I tend to not get dressed/leave the house on the weekends, and this extends to not fraternizing with anyone who lives near me, because I'm afraid people will judge me for my make-up free, sweatpants clad weekend laze. I should probably get over that.

22) Write more thank you notes. - I am terrible at writing thank you notes. I should not be so terrible.

23) Buy new rugs for my new house. - The sunroom and foyer, in particular, need something fun.

24) Be more fearless in forming and maintaining relationships. - There are many times where I think of something I want to send to someone, whether it's an email, text, card, or what have you, and I don't, because I'm afraid I've maybe overestimated whether we have the type of friendship where I can do something like that. I don't want to worry about stuff like that anymore.

25) Put together an Advent/Christmas activity calendar for Brigid and Caitlin. - I did that for Brigid when I was home on maternity leave after Caitlin's birth, and it was so much fun. I didn't get the chance to do it this year, and I feel like I missed out on some part of the excitement of the season. I'm bringing it back.

26) Institute a once-a-month date night with Steve. Or date lunch, I guess, if necessary.

27) Institute a once-a-month girls' night, whether it be with my old college roommate, my SiLs, or the neighbors. I should get out of the house at least once a month with people who do not live in my house.