A Rose by Any Other Name

Shirt and Skirt - Macy's; Cardi & Shoes - Steinmart; Belt - Baby Phat (thrifted); Leather Cuff - Premiere
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Two Thumbs Up. WAY UP. I was so happy with how this outfit turned out. The skirt, complete with partially elasticized waistband was part of a suit in the old lady section at Macy's which I had to go through to get to the dressing room. I caught the color out of the corner of my eye and couldn't resist (it helped that it had been marked down to $6). I already had the rose striped shirt in my hand to try on and something told me that these would be great together. I was right.

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And before I'm chastized for shopping again, I had rewards bucks, so both items were free :-)

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Husby even told me he loved my outfit. He said I looked like a flower. YAY!

Can I Quote You on That?

Jacket - Old Navy (thrifted); Shirt - Steinmart; Skirt - JC Penny;

Shoes - Madden (thrifted); Bracelet and Necklace - Premiere;

Belt - Steinmart

Husby said that I looked like a reporter...so I gave him a reporter :-)

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Husby thought this outfit was okay. I thought it was faboo. I felt great in this outfit all day, and got quite a few compliments. The shoes, however, only made it to lunch, since the bathroom is on the other side of the building and they hurt.
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Rating - One thumb sideways, One thumb up

Frumpy Skirt

Shirt - Macy's; Skirt - Steinmart; Shoes - Payless;

Necklace and Bracelet - Premiere

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This skirt hasn't been worn in 3 years because a) I couldn't zip it up and b) I thought it was too frumpy. While it's still not my favorite skirt, I found that if I added a funky hip top and fun shoes and accessorized it right, the frump could be minimized. It is a bit long, which I think makes me look a bit old, but overall a nice, clean, conservative with a bit of sass work outfit.

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And I did do my happy dance a bit when I zipped it up :-)

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Husby instituted a new rating system this morning. When I expressed my frustrations with statements like 'You look very Teal today' or 'You look like a teacher', we agreed that a better system would be a Thumb Rating. Thumbs up for good, down for bad, and sideways for indifference.

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Rating - One Thumb Sideways

Black on Black

Shirt - Jones New York (Macy's); Vest and Tights - Steinmart; Skirt - Old Navy; Scarf - Thirfted; Earrings - Premiere; Bracelet - Sears

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So days after confessing my bad-day tell to Style Underdog, I had one of the worst nights of this year. An incredibly stressul day at work was followed by an extremely frustrating night at school which culminated in me crying myself home from school. I went to sleep feeling defeated - by my job, my school, myself.

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I woke up this morning down in the dumps and feeling kinda numb. You know the feeling when you've cried too much. So I resisted the urge to ensconce myself in black and blend into the woodwork today. I put together the most colorful combo of navy week. My clothes alone are making me feel quite a bit better. That and the thought of actually being able to go home tonight at dinner time to see my Husband and kids. Man, I miss you guys!

Ladies and Gentlemen....

Shirt - Alfani (Macy's); Skirt - JC Penny; Vest - Motherhood Maternity;

Shoes - Old Navy; Necklaces - Premiere and JC Penny;

Floral Pin and Earrings - Steinmart

It wasn't until I got this photo from Husby that I realized I looked like the Ringmaster of an Evil Circus with the vest/skirt/stripey shirt/flower combo I had going on. Quickly removed the vest and hid it in my laptop bag :-)

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While this isn't a very colorful navy outfit, the interesting details of the items and accessories lend to a desirable alternative to the uber conservative navy of Monday. These shoes, especially, with what my daughter thinks are blueberries on the tops. I felt very feminine and a little edgy with my plaid pencil skirt and stripey shirt. Look at me mixing patterns!

Crystal Blue Persuasion

Pants and Tank - Steinmart; Cardi - TJ maxx; Necklace - Macy's; Bracelets and Earrings - Premiere; Floral Magnetic Pin - Steinmart; Shoes - Moda (Thrifted)
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Using the pumps from yesterday and a navy cardigan, day two of the Navy challenge turned out even better than expected. Despite Husby saying he didn't like my outfit. I loved it. Every part of it. And was so sad when I had to leave work after only 6 hours to go to school, cause this was the kind of outfit which could keep me going all day. Thanks Jessica of SS for the yellow-blue idea.

Navy Blue Suede Shoes

Sweater - NY & Co (thrifted); Shirt - Style & Co (Macy's);

Skirt - Liz Claiborne (thrifted); Tights - We Love Colors;

Shoes - Moda; Necklaces - Steinmart, Macy's, Express;

Bangles and Earrings - Macy's

I need you, my followers, to vote in the Great Pose Debate. Husby likes Pose #1, I prefer #2. I think it highlights my gams. What do you think?

This outfit was inspired by Style Underdog. I had forgotten all about my own pair of blue suede shoes until I saw this post.

However, I do have to admit that I like hers better :-) I am a little annoyed with myself that when I wear Navy, I have a tendency to get all blued out. I need to break out and add some more colors to my Navy outfits. Remember this Gem from a few months back?
Boring. Blue, blue, blue, blue, blue. My challenge this week is to break out of my Navy Shell.

Plum Love

Cardi - Max Edition (Steinmart); Shirt - Steinmart; Skirt - JC Penny;

Belt - TJ Maxx; Shoes - Madden (TJ Maxx);

Necklace and Bangle - Premiere; Earrings - Chicos

Ah the shoes are once again the story. These are, by far, my prettiest shoes. I love the ruffle. I love the plummy color. And I kinda love the fact that they can't decide whether they are a pump or a bootie or a peep toe. They are all in one. And surprisingly comfy, to boot.
Now, the cardi. Every other time that I have worn this shirt, I have paired it with purples and plums, since that is what you see from afar. Today I decided to be a bit different and pull out the forest green that is hidden in the paisley print. You have to look pretty close, but it's there.

I'm pretty happy with how this outfit turned out. I was freezing, though, since I was a bit under the weather on the inside and the weather had taken a bitter twist on the outside. Lucky for me, the green tights I ordered from We Love Colors arrived at lunch, so I put them on. They tied things together even more. YAY!!

Asian Persuasian

Dress - Alfani (Macy's); Tights - Old Navy; Boots - Steinmart;

Earrings - Chicos; Necklace - Premiere; Bangle - Old Navy

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This is the first time wearing this dress and these tights. I bought them separately cause I loved their colors, but was too timid to wear the Asian inspired obi-wrap dress until now. I'm glad I overcame it. I love how the tights add a pop of color and funk. Now I need to figure out how to style this and add layers so that I can wear this dress again this season :-)

Agism Fashion

Dress - Christina V (Steinmart); Tights - JC Penny; Jacket - Gap;

Boots - Macy's; Necklace and Earrings - Premiere;

Leopard Print Bangles - Steinmart

I used to think that patterned sweater tights were only for little girls. I used to think that animal prints were reserved for Cougars. Sometimes I have to laugh at how small minded I used to be when it came to fashion.

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I absolutely LOVE this outfit and how it came together. Especially this dress, which I was a little concerned about because of it's dark and heavy patterns, but sheer bottom and short sleeved, open weave sweater top. Perfect for fall with tights and jacket added. I felt like a million bucks and can't wait to wear this dress again!

Yipes Stripes

Sweater - American Eagle (thrifted); Skirt - Old Navy;

Tee - Style & Co (Macy's); Tights - Old Navy; Boots - Macy's;

Belt - Dots; Necklace - JC Penny

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I am not an every day blogger. I usually only blog what I wear to work, and only then if my husband is awake and aware enough to take the pictures. You will nearly never see an outfit worn to school, since a Tee, a UC fleece jacket and jeans are not nearly exciting enough (and generally only vary in the color of Tee). Unless, I have to stop in to the office before heading to my all-day classes, like on this particular day. I needed something comfy and easy to move in, since I'd not only be performing a lab experiment in the afternoon, but I'd be heading to campus hours before the near lot opens up to non-pass holders, so I'd be walking about a 1/2 mile from where I park to my class once I got there. But it also had to be appropriate enough for my business casual work atmosphere. This is what I settled on. I really liked how it turned out and I was extremely comfy all day. Plus, I feel great any time I wear olive green since my eyes are olivey and it really makes them pop.

Good Girl Gone Bad

Jacket and Skirt - Steinmart; Shirt - TJ Maxx; Boots - Payless; Belt and Scarf - Thrifted; Earrings - Bakers
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This was another Jessica inspired outfit from Surely Sonsy. However, as with most imitations, mine didn't nearly measure up to hers. I really liked the leather jacket with the super feminine skirt, so I paired my black leather with my heather gray pleated beauty. But with all of my outfit being black and gray, I needed to add the champagne pink scarf to lighten things up. Outfit would have been better if: my jacket was cropped; or my skirt was more fitted. I felt a little overpowered and like I was hiding my body, which I don't like to really do anymore. That being said, overall I liked the outfit once I ditched the jacket and would definitely like to try this look again. I definitely have to give a shout out to Jessica again for giving me another way to style my many scarves. The double loop knotted in back will definitely appear again.

Oh, the Places You Will Go

Sweater - Chicos (thrifted); Pants and Tee - Steinmart; Shoes - Thrifted;

Ring and E - Premiere; Scarf - Nordstrom (thrifted)

This is a much more conservative look than I'm used to, and to be honest I felt a little 'old' this day. But the sweater was just too pretty to pass up. The color and texture was just fabulous. Maybe I just need to rework it with a skirt or some skinny jeans to modernize the style a bit.

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But the real story is the shoes. These shoes aren't the most comfortable in my closet, nor the prettiest, nor the best deal, but I think they are my favorites. They are dyeables and I like to imagine the life that they have led; the things that they have seen. Someone wore these shoes on their feet as they stood by friends saying their vows. Someone felt absolutely beautiful in these shoes as they danced the wedding party dance and got pictures taken under a gazeebo. Someone gave up these shoes because they didn't believe they had anything more to offer. I adopted these shoes and every time I put them on, I feel beautiful and I smile thinking of the life that these shoes have had.

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I know, I'm a dork :-)

My Boy is 1!!

So I can no longer use him as an excuse for my extra weight. I am overweight. I am technically obese. I am trying to be healthy. I am a size 14 top, 16 bottom who weighs 204 lbs and only walks an average of 3000 steps a day.

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But...I am beautiful, I am loving and loved and I have style. THAT is what is important. So, while I don't always like what I see in the mirror, I still love me. And I'm going to try to be a healthier me by Christmas.

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My Christmas goals are thus: Size 12 top, Size 12 bottom, 180 lbs, over 5000 steps daily. Still technically plus. Just a more manageable plus who can hopefully do stairs without feeling like she ran a marathon. Lets see how close I can get :-)