Exponential Growth

Do you see that belly, right there? That is a 34 week pregnant belly in size, at only 30 weeks of pregnancy. I weigh less than I weighed with Brigid, and yet...34 week belly. This is impressive, no?

And did I mention the part where I am going to be a bridesmaid in the wedding of one of my lovely former roommates from college on November 3rd? I'm going to see her this weekend for her bridal shower, and I am FULLY expecting her to take one look at me and say, 'Nope. I take it back. You're out.' Not that she would, or anything, but...holy aesthetic destroyer, batman. I am going to request that I stand behind EVERYONE during that photo session...
 

T-Shirt: Target

Cardigan: Banana Republic (outlet)

Skirt: Motherhood Maternity

Belt: Land's End Canvas

Bracelet: the beach

Shoes: Nine West

So THIS is what February feels like...

It was cold this weekend. Colder than it has been since, I don't know, last winter or something. You know, when it was ACTUALLY WINTER, and not this bizarre will-it-won't-it winter tease we've had so far this year.

(Not that I'm complaining, or anything, because I like the warmer weather, but seriously...MAKE UP YOUR MIND, ALREADY, GEORGIA!!)

So, because it was cold, I figured it was as good a time as any to counteract the winter temperatures with spring colors. Flawed logic...it works for me, every time.

(Do you know what else works for me, every time? Totally copying my outfit from Kendi...)

 Tank Top: Old Navy

Cardigan: Gap (outlet)

Jeans: Levis (from TJ Maxx)

Shoes: Cole Haan

Scarf: Land's End Canvas

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)

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.

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.

Wishful Thinking

Oh, pants.

I just can't get them to look right on me, and yet, I keep trying. Jeans, I love. I don't have a problem finding jeans that I like. But dress pants?

Oh, they hate me.

One of these days, I will find the perfect pair of pants for work, and then I will buy 18 pairs of them just so I never have to shop for pants again.

It's always nice to have dreams, I guess.
 

Tank Top: Target

Sweater: Lands End Canvas

Pants: The Limited

Shoes: Nine West

(Full Disclosure: I have a cold. Steve had it last week, Brigid had it this past weekend, and now it has made it's way to me. So I'm a little hopped up on cold medicine today. And I am apparently fixated on pants, as a result. I'm sorry...)

Travel Day!

Greetings from Omaha, NE!

We flew out at the crack of dawn this morning,* and, since we weren't planning to check any bags (an my carry-on was already remarkably full), the big camera didn't get to make the trip with us. So...trusty iPhone pictures it is!

Also, I've spent my whole vacation day WORKING, so...haggard iPhone pictures it is!

Happy Friday :)

*Ok, not crack of dawn, exactly...but 8am is early enough for me.

T-shirt: Gap

Cardigan: Target

Jeans: Gap

Boots: DSW

Scarf: Land's End Canvas

Bracelets: Mango Tree

Confusion

Could someone please explain to me how I should dress to leave the house when it is 47 degrees in the morning, even though I know it is supposed to be almost 80 at some point during the day? Because I am failing miserably this week. And I'm usually so good with layers, too!

Apparently, the heat of the summer left me a little rusty in that area...

A couple of other points for the day:

-This outfit was from the weekend, before I realized that it was October, so...no pink. I tend to stockpile outfit pictures over the weekend because my schedule isn't so conducive to real time outfit posts.

Also, I am lazy. Remember?

-Although Brigid's birthday isn't until Saturday, I mentioned last week that we had her party this past weekend. I posted about it today at Style Lush, if you want to check it out.

-This weekend, I was comfortable in the morning, and ridiculously hot in the afternoon. This morning, I can't feel my legs. See? Rusty.

-Happy Tuesday!

Sweater: Land's End Canvas

Jeans: Gap

Boots: Bare Traps (DSW)

Vanity...

Do you like how my cats have all of a sudden taken on a starring role in my daily pictures? I just can't keep them out of the shot for some reason.

They're such camera hogs.

(Honestly, I'm really not sure how I've managed to keep my pictures as animal free as I have along the way. With two cats, two dogs, and a toddler running around, there is always something underfoot. And unfortunately, they're all cuter than I am. Especially the toddler.

Which is why they're not allowed to play along, obviously.

Center of attention...hey-oh!)

Cardigan: Land's End Canvas

Skirt: Kohl's

Shoes: Nine West

Same old, same old...

So, last week I was feeling like a Tiger of the Auburn University variety.

This week?

I'm a Bayou Bengal!

(Yeah, that would be the LSU Tigers, for those of you who aren't being deluged with daily SEC football updates and don't automatically associate each color combination with a southern university as a result. I promise, this will go away soon...)

(Also, if you're interested, I'm guest posting for Tiffany at Breakfast with Tiffany today and I'm being featured by Melissa at A Working Mom's Closet for her Proper Professional feature. I promise, there's no college football talk at either location!)

Cardigan: Land's End Canvas

Skirt: J Crew Outlet

Shoes: Kenneth Cole Outlet

My Happy Place

When I was a kid...

Wait, no. Scratch that.

Basically, up through my first few years of college, I was not a 'dress-up' kind of girl. I hated dresses. I hated skirts. I hated anything that wasn't a pair of jeans worn with tennis shoes.

Then, one of my college roommates introduced me to the concept of shopping for fun. And I took to that a little too well, as you can probably see from this here blog. And then I went to work for a bank after college, and the dress code required a suit.

Every. Single. Day.

And while that was a little boring for me and my budding shopping obsession, I realized that I actually did like the professional look. Skirts? Good. Heels? Good.

Maybe there was life outside of denim, after all?

And now my happy place is a pencil skirt and a cardigan.

Go figure.

Cardigan: Lands End Canvas

Skirt: Alfani

Shoes: Steve Madden

Bracelet: Banana Republic (outlet)

My Favorite Things

I didn't have a camera with me this weekend because we were traveling.

My outfits this week haven't really been photo worthy, because I was too tired to do much on Monday, and I had Brigid going to the office with me on Tuesday (and didn't put much thought into things beyond 'be able to chase down crazy toddler if necessary', which was a good mindset to have, because it turned out to be necessary...).

So, I have no outfit photos to share.

You know that that means? Another installment of Tara's favorite things!

This is the greatest travel bag, ever. Seriously. It's amazing. (I even wrote about it at Style Lush yesterday, that's how much I love it.)

I was tired on my lunch break on Monday, from being out of town all weekend, so I indulged in something even better than caffeine...online shopping. Have you been to gilt.com? Because it is amazing. Not that I needed a new watch, but whatever...it's so pretty!

We're redoing our backyard this summer, because our current backyard is a complete disaster. There are weeds, dangerous trees, and drainage issues galore, so it's actually long overdue. And do you know what a yard/porch redesign means? Well, it means more shopping, of course (I'd love to get all new furniture, but I think I'm going to have to settle with some accessories here and there, for the time being...).

Anything you've been loving lately?

{photo credits: me, gilt.com, hautelook.com)

Do you have that one great pair of shoes? That look great with multiple outfits? That are that perfect shade of nude that make you want to wear them all of the time? That actually look like they are made for those plastic molded Barbie feet? And make your feet cramp up over the course of the day?

No?

Yeah, me neither...

 

 Sweater: Lands End Canvas

Skirt: Gap

Shoes: Steve Madden

Currently Coveting...

I have done a really, really, really terrible job of taking outfit pictures recently. Part of it is because I haven't been sleeping as well as I should be, so the creativity needed to put a decent outfit together has been sorely lacking in my morning routine. The other part of it is because I haven't been sleeping as well as I should be, so I haven't been getting up as early as I need to, and there just isn't enough time in the morning for me to take pictures before I leave for work (and trust me, NOBODY wants to see me at the end of the day!).

But...um...at least I've pinpointed the cause of my problems?

Anyway, I did a little online shopping last night, while I was trying not to think about the BTI and tornado couplets and straightline winds that the weatherman was describing about an hour north of my house (I am not good in storms...it was either anxiety eating or anxiety shopping to get me through the evening, and anxiety shopping won out...), and after picking out a couple of new bathing suits from Land's End, I decided to update my wishlist.

Because window shopping is always a nice distraction!

From Banana Republic {photo credit: bananarepublic.com}: pretty jewelry and a versatile skirt!

From Ann Taylor Loft {photo credit: anntaylorloft.com}: gorgeous blouses!

From Gap {photo credit: gap.com}: the perfect casual jacket!

From Kate Spade {photo credit: katespade.com}: no explanation necessary.

Land's End Canvas {photo credit: landsendcanvas.com}: blouses and dresses and skirts, oh my!

What have you had your eye on lately?

I gave in...

Mother Nature finally beat me down, people.

I had a nice little springtime outfit picked out for yesterday...spring-y colors of green, a fluffy skirt, bare legs, the whole nine yards. I was ready to go!

And then I woke up to a 34 degree morning and a frost advisory.

I don't care how warm it gets later in the day, I don't do bare legs during a frost advisory.

So, if Ms. Nature wants to give me fall weather, I will give her a fall outfit, thank you very much.

 

Here's hoping for warmer weather tomorrow!

Blouse: Banana Republic Outlet

Sweater: Land's End Canvas

Pants: The Limited

April Showers...

...bring another copy-cat outfit posting!

Monday night, we had some pretty intense storms rolling through Georgia, so I didn’t get much sleep. And I wasn’t really the only one not sleeping in my house, since the crazy hail that hit our area around midnight woke up the dogs (seriously, the sound of thunder is nothing next to my dogs barking their fool heads off at the household intruder that is hail hitting the windows…), and then I may have made matters worse by waking my poor husband up when I turned on the tv in the bedroom to watch all of the storm tracker news. I think the only one who wasn’t affected by the storm was Brigid, and that’s because that kid sleeps like a rock. And doesn’t have a zoo’s worth of animals sleeping in her room…

Anyway, when I dragged my poor, exhausted self out of bed at 6am yesterday morning, I knew there was no way I was putting myself together in any sort of passable way on my own. And since my last catalog inspired outfit worked so well for me, I flipped through the pile of clippings that I’ve started accumulating recently, hoping something would jump out at me.

And it totally did…

I’m not going to lie, I am kind of enjoying this whole process of letting someone else do all of the hard work for me. So, who wants to move to Georgia and be my full-time stylist now?

Button-up: Land’s End Canvas

Sweater: Banana Republic

Skirt: Ann Taylor Loft

Boots: DSW

Change is in the air!

Tomorrow (well, it will be today when you read this, since I always write after the baby goes to bed and pre-schedule my posts to hit the next morning), I start my new job. I will be meeting my director at one of our company's satellite offices at 9am to be officially introduced to the team I will be managing. I am beyond excited for this new opportunity, but if I'm being completely honest (and it's my blog, so of course I'm being completely honest), I'm also a little nervous, because these are people that I've worked with as a peer for two years, and now they'll be reporting to me. And while I'd like to think they'll take it well, you just never can tell.

So, yeah...wish me luck!

Tank Top: Banana Republic

Cardigan: Lands End Canvas

Skirt: The Limited

Shoes: AK Anne Klein