Another Week

Last week was a week, and I didn't get around to posting anything at all because I was too busy dealing with doctors and croup and 'roid rage in a two-year old, but I'm determined to make up for it this week.

THIS WILL BE A GOOD WEEK!!!!

And just to start things off right today, I went into Hobby Lobby with a list of two things that I needed, and left $70 lighter. Today? I'm counting that as a win.

Happy Monday!

Dress: Motherhood Maternity

Cardigan: Banana Republic (outlet)

Boots: DSW

Say What?

I was back in Indiana this weekend, for my baby sister's high school graduation, and while it's always fun to spend time with my immediate family, my extended family can be exhausting at times. Especially when there is no beer or wine involved to help my patience.

Case in point: My grandmother looked at me at one point and said, 'You look like you're a little bigger this time around, huh?', to which my aunt added, 'Well, that's to be expected. Your stomach muscles never really recovered from the first time around, did they?'.

Family...you have to love them, right?

 

Dress: Motherhood Maternity

Cardigan: Gap (outlet)

Belt: Target

Shoes: Jessica Simpson (from DSW)

The boots are back...

Winter was abnormally warm. We hit 80 degrees in February/March, and it was lovely. And I happily packed my boots away for the spring/summer, because it was just way too warm to wear them.

And then April hit.

And it has been cold, cold, cold. It's either 70 and rainy, with that damp chill that I so hate, or it's 60 degrees, and we have a wind advisory. It's nothing compared to those poor people getting hit with mountains and mountains of snow today, of course, but it doesn't make it any less necessary to pull the boots back out of their boxes.

One of these days...

Dress: BCBG Maz Azria (from Dillards)

Sweater: J Crew (outlet)

Boots: DSW

Scenes From a Bathroom

Hey! Look!

I STILL WEAR CLOTHES FROM TIME TO TIME!!!

Ok, you caught me: I still wear clothes all of the time. I'm just not nearly as creative with them as I used to be. No shopping and no daily outfit post will do that to you, I guess.

But, you know...I'm adding it to my list*. So I HAVE to be creative now.

Well, after today, anyway...

Sweater: Loft

Skirt: J Crew (outlet)

Boots: DSW

Bracelets: Mango Tree

Earrings: Kenneth Cole (Easter gift)

*(And by adding it to my list, I mean, I'm going to force myself think along the lines of Jess's own Project Wearyoshit, and rely less on pencil skirts in the black and gray varieties to get me through the day...)

(Wear. Yo. Shit. Get it? Ha! I am amused by the simplest things, I swear.)

Luck of the Irish

I am half Italian, without a single drop of Irish blood in my body, but I also went to Notre Dame, which means that St. Patrick's Day is something like a religious holiday to me, purely by association. And as such, I wore green every day last week.
It's just something I do, I guess...

(Also, I think I'm more likely to actually post outfit shots if I take them with my phone, because I'm probably going to remember that I want to take pictures when my phone is all I have, but I'm still trying to figure out the quality aspect of things. I'll get there. Maybe...)

Dress: I don't remember, but I know it's from Dillards

Sweater: J Crew (outlet)

Boots: Another brand I don't remember, but these are from DSW

Not so flattering...

While I absolutely adore the pattern on this blouse, something about it just doesn't seem to look right on me, for some reason. I think the style of the shirt maybe makes me look a little more...let's call it well-endowed...than I actually am, and if I'm being honest here (and also, really obvious, because it's not like I can hide it), I really don't need the help in that area.

And I don't think leaving it untucked with work, either, because without the waist definition, things just get worse.

I'm not ready to give up on the shirt entirely, since I've worn it all of one time, but it's going to take some thought to figure out how to get it to work on me...

Good thing I'm always up for a challenge.

Shirt: Lucky Brand (outlet)

Skirt: Calvin Klein (Macys)

Boots: DSW

Bracelets: Mango Tree

EBEW: Black and White!

Well, if this month's EBEW challenge wasn't right up my style alley, I don't know what is. When I looked in my closet to plan today's outfit, I counted no less than EIGHT!!! black and white dresses staring back at me.

That is a lot of black and white, friends, and when you consider the fact that this doesn't even come close to taking into account the various blouses, sweaters, and skirts I own that also belong in the black and white family...

...well, let's just say that this is why I can't be trusted to shop these days.

Guess it's a good thing I'm taking the year off, then, huh?

 Dress: White House Black Market

Boots: DSW

Bracelets: Mango Tree/Lands End Canvas

Necklace: Banana Republic (outlet)

A few to clean up...

I have some old outfit draft posts lying around that I might as well put to good use while I hash out any changes that I might be making this year, right? I'll ease into the 'new me', maybe...

My house is a mess. An absolute 'I wasn't home for over a week, and then I took down Christmas decorations instead of unpacking and sorting through mail and dusting and vaccuming' mess. Originally, my big plans for this evening involved cleaning this mess that hasn't been touched since I got home, but I have last night's episode of The Bachelor on my DVR, just begging me to be lazy for one more night, so I can watch the trainwreck that is this show's version of love.

Decisions, decisions...

Dress: Loft (outlet)

Boots: DSW

Tights: Loft (outlet)

Bracelet: Charming Charlie 

Crunch Time

You guys! Christmas is, like, a week away! Seriously!

How did this happen?!?!

Any chance we can all get together and agree to push it back for a couple of weeks? I know that would really help me out, right about now...

Thanks.

PS: Can't you feel the tension in these pictures? Rudy Cat (as Brigid calls him, anyway...he used to be plain old Rudy, but he's been renamed by the two-year old...and it's kind of ridiculously adorable) really, really, REALLY wanted to get his hands (paws) on that darn necklace I was wearing. I'm lucky there are no holes in my sweater after this attempt.

Sweater: Loft (outlet)

Skirt: Loft (outlet)

Shoes: Nine West

Tights: Hue (from DSW)

Bracelet: Kohls

Necklace: Old Navy 

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.

Plaid

I don't know why plaid is making such a comeback right now, but I kind of think I like it. I gave my husband a hard time when he started loading up on plaid shirts once fall hit (in fact, I think my exact words were 'when did it become 1996 again?'), but then I fell in love with this little skirt at the thrift store, and I decided maybe Steve was on the right track.

AND THEN! And then, when I was doing my post-Thanksgiving, pre-detox spending spree at the outlet mall, I came across this skirt at the Loft outlet, and...well...gray and purple plaid?

There was just no saying no to this one.

(And that's why I put myself on the shopping ban...

The clothes were winning, my friends. The clothes were winning.)

 Cardigan: Gap (outlet)

Skirt:Loft (outlet)

Shoes: Nine West (outlet)

Tights: Hue (from DSW)

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.

Old Navy

Hey, look...today's neutral is navy! This might just be my favorite look of the week. I LOVE this dress! For other navy ideas, you can always visit Megan Mae Daily or Keely to see the other participants!

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I am so happy that this week is finally over. Except for the fact that I have a crazy deadline on Monday, which is supposed to be my day off, but I can't really expect my team to have everything into me a day early, since we're already operating on a shorter calendar than we need, so I will be trying to juggle work and Brigid on Monday.

So...that's something to look forward to, I guess.

Next week. If I can just get through next week, we'll have hit most of our year-end deadlines, and things can start slowing down a bit. 

And then I can concentrate on packing lots and lots of layers for Christmas in Indiana...

Dress: Banana Republic (outlet)

Cardigan: Macy's (from somewhere in the Juniors section)

Tights: Loft (outlet)

Boots: 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.

A little cognac for a rainy day...

For other neutral ideas, you can always visit Megan Mae Daily to see other participants!

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So, last night, I found out that my hair lady (stylist? hair cutter? woman responsible for reintroducing me to bangs, but also keeping me from doing anything too drastic when I was pregnant and couldn't find any hairstyle that looked good on me?) is moving to Minnesota. She and I had moved to Atlanta around the same time, and I was matched up with her blindly while booking an appointment at a salon down the street from the house Steve and I were renting at the time.

Five years later, and she's the only person who has touched my hair in the state of Georgia. I realize this is a complete non-problem in the grand scheme of things, but still...

I'm going to miss her.

And I don't know if I have it in me to break in a new hair lady after all of this time.

PS: Sorry for the terrible, terrible post titles this week. I promise, I'll try harder in the future.

Dress (as top): Calvin Klein

Skirt: H&M

Tights: Hue (from DSW)

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.

Lowdown Brown

For other neutral ideas, you can always visit Megan Mae Daily to see other participants!

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So, obviously, this isn't really a typical workday outfit for me...but that's because I wore this to work/shopping with my sister-in-law last weekend.

See how I tricked you there? Ha!

Happy Wednesday!

Top: The Limited

Sweater: Gap

Jeans: Gap

Boots: DSW

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.

Gray Day

For other neutral ideas, you can always visit Megan Mae Daily to see other participants!

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Tuesday's Neutral Week challenge prompt is gray. Should be easy, right? I have a TON of gray clothing in my closet!

And yet, I absolutely missed the boat on this one, because throwing a gray sweater on does not a gray based neutral outfit make. But I'm going with it, anyway. I couldn't really find any gray bottoms that looked ok with the sweater, and I really wanted to wear the sweater. So, there you have it. My dressing logic...

Kind of frightening, getting a glimpse inside my head, huh?

 

Button-up: Land's End Canvas

Sweater: Gap

Skirt: Calvin Klein (from Macy's)

Shoes: Nine West

Tights: Hue (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.

Neutrals Week!

Since I'm all involved in this self-imposed shopping ban in December, I'm looking for ways to inspire myself to wear what I already have in different ways, instead of looking for that inspiration in new clothes.

(And honestly, if you saw my closet, you'd wonder why I'd have such a hard time being inspired by what I own. Because, let's face it, I own much more than I really need to own...)

(Hence, the shopping ban, I guess...)

So I decided to participate in the Neutrals Week challenge, which you can read all about over at Megan Mae Daily, if you're interested... 

 

The neutral for Monday is black, which makes up most of my closet, anyway, so it wasn't really a bad place to start for the week. Hope your week is off to a lovely start, as well!

Dress: Ella Moss

Sweater: Gap

Boots: DSW

Tights: Hue (from 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.

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.