Raspberry Beret

Shirt - NY & Co (thrifted); Sweater - Express (thrifted); Skirt - JC Penny;

Pumps - Nine West (thrifted); Jewelry - Me

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this sweater. I found it in a thrift shop and normally run away from pink (something about growing up in a pepto bismol room), but I couldn't resist the rich raspberry color. I felt so feminine and gorgeous all day.

And these shoes....these $8 metallic thrifted shoes have gotten more wear in the 6 months that I've owned them than most of the shoes in my closet have their entire shoe-lives. What can I wear them with? What CAN"T I wear them with :-)

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Rating - Two Thumbs Up

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I hadn't shopped at NY & Co since it changed name from Lerner NY (mostly because that's around the time I became plus sized and didn't think they could fit me), but I've noticed that I have many thrifted items from there, so I recently took a look. I am in LOVE!! The colors, their belt collection.....I could have done some serious damage. Good thing I had Sophie with me to keep me honest-ish :-) Yes I bought a cardi and a few clearance belts.

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So with the new year comes a new resolution. Since I started blogging in July, this will be my first year blogging from the beginning of the year. My goal is to not duplicate any outfits for 365 days, without doing any shopping. I know, I've said I would stop shopping before, but I found that it was something I couldn't do completely cold turkey. I weaned myself down immensely this past year, but I'm heading into 2011 a bit more determined and with a little more insight into myself.

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I shop to get away from my life, to spend some time not being mommy, student or wife. I knew that. But shopping doesn't have to involve buying. I buy for another reason. I buy because with each new purchase it's another opportunity to bring something into my wardrobe which will make me feel better about myself. This shirt, that belt, that pair of shoes...yes, they make me feel great when I put them on the first time, but it fades and I'm still left with me. I need to like me more - mostly on the outside. But my dislike on the outside is internalizing and it's not healthy. Instead of making good choices and actively trying to make myself look/feel better, I just buy more clothes to cover up my body. And I need to stop.

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So, I thank all of my readers, who give me feedback positive or negative, cause I'm learning how to feel good in what I already have.

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And I thank my Husby for dealing with my crazy on a daily basis, for being my most honest critic, and being my most staunch supporter in making me feel beautiful every day.

Lauren Conrad

Tank - Lauren Conrad (thrifted); Cardi - Old Navy; Pants - TJ Maxx;

Shoes - Payless; Jewelry - Premiere

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I've never seen an episode of The Hills. I hate Heidi and Spencer, though, from other things I've seen them on and read. So I'll admit, they sucked any curiosity I had about The Hills which might lead me to check out an episode or two right out of my system. I know that Lauren Conrad was on this show, and that she's done some commercials (and is a HORRIBLE actress), but had no clue she had a clothing line. When I found this adorable tank (and another one that I'm sure will be making an appearance soon) I had to buy it. The color matches my eyes, and I love the pale purple/pink flowers throughtout which happen to match the cardi which I already owned. It's very feminine and delicate and ruffley and I love it. And it helped that they were on clearance at Plato's closet and I got both for less than $5. I'm doing my good deal dance over here.

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Rating - Two Thumbs Up

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And I won't be around much this next week. I'm on vacation and that involves tons of time with my littles and very little time on my computer. No offense. They are cuter.

Maternity Revisited

Purple shirt - Motherhood Maternity; Black Shirt - TJ Maxx; Pants,

Cuff and Loafers - Steinmart; Earrings and Necklace - Macy's; Belt - JC Penny

So I was a total dork today and wore these loafers with black socks, but it had just snowed and I wasn't about to break out the heels and wanted warm socks. You can't see the socks anyway.

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And no, I am not pregnant. The purple frilly blouse is one of those too pretty to retire materntiy blouses. It has an empire waist which makes me look prego and short sleeves, so I was looking to cover it up. My long sleeved faux wrap shirt fit the bill. This is the second outfit of late involving pants which I didn't hate. YAY.

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Rating - Two Thumbs Up

Photo Inspiration

Cardi - Old Navy; Pants - Steinmart; Shirt - Kohls;

Necklaces, Earrings and Bracelets- Premiere; Shoes - Payless

This outfit was inspired by J Crew. I was surfing their site, checking out their new looks and there were peach gloves and a teal scarf together and I loved it. This was the closest I could come to the colors - different saturations, but the idea is the same. I felt simultaneously springy and weather appropriate. I wouldn't say that this is even in my top 10 outfits, but I was proud of myself for attempting this color combo after seeing it online.

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Rating - Two Thumbs Up

Ugly Pretty

Cardi - Macy's; Pants - Target; Shirt, Tank and Loafers- Steinmart;

Necklace and Earrings - Premiere; Belt - NY & Co (thrifted)

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One of my favorite movies, Kissing Jessica Stein, has a scene where they discuss sexy ugly. You know, guys like Nicholas Cage and James Woods who are not empirically attractive, but something about them makes them sexy. This sweater is the apparel version of sexy ugly. The sweater is so ugly that it's actually really pretty. When I first saw it, I thought it looked like vomit. Teal, orange, purple, mustard, olive in a floral pattern....but I was so drawn to it. And I love how it pairs with this orange shirt. The teal belt was just icing on the cardi cake. So many options.....

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What I love most, though, is that I found a way to style pants that I thought was flattering on me. See, I'm a pencil skirt kinda gal. My body type and curves leave me feeling frumpy in most full-length slacks. Not today, my friends. YAY!!

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Rating - Two Thumbs Up

Redemption

Cardi, Skirt and Tights - Old Navy; Tank - Macy's;

Shoes - Coach (TJ Maxx); Earrings and Necklaces - Premiere;

Ring - Macys; Pin - Craft Show

Redemption comes in shades of purple. I love how this outfit turned out and especially love that I could work in both tights and my favorite pair of frivolous shoes. I didn't need purple suede wedge loafers. Who does? But a pair of $300 shoes that I found on a clearance rack for under $30 was too good to pass up. I figured that I'd find a way to work them in. And I have, repeatedly. Rating - Two Thumbs Up.
Goosie's got her groove back.

Another One Bites the Dust

Dress and Scarf- TJ Maxx; Tights and Bracelet- Old Navy;

Boots - Payless; Vest - Steinmart; Belt - Thrifted

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Two outfit failures in a row. While I was happy with this outfit when I left the house, despite Husby's discouragement, I became successively less happy throughout the day. Firstly, the dress was really thick and all the layers and scarf around my neck made me really hot. Yes, it's cold outside. No, I don't work outside. By the end of the day most of my layers were gone. Also, each time I walked past a window or went to the bathroom I checked out the reflection, hoping I'd like it as much as I did at home. Never happened. Don't know exaclty, but it just didn't work. Just goes to show that just because you like individual items, they don't always make a good (or flattering) outfit.

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Oh well. I'll try again tomorrow.

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Rating - Two Thumbs Down

Mixing Plaids

Cardi and Tank - Steinmart; Belt and Skirt - JC Penny;

Shoes - thrifted; Ring - Steinmart

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This red snakeskin-patterned cardigan with satin trim looked like a fab buy, but it's one of my closet regrets. The sleeves are a bit too short and it gets easily misshapen during wear. However, I can't part with it until I get a red cardi replacement, and since I'm trying not to shop, I'm trying to make this work. I was relatively pleased with how this outfit turned out, despite my dislike for the sweater. I guess my love for the plaid shoes outweighed. Not sure how I feel about them with the plaid skirt...might not be pairing those two again.
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Rating - Two thumbs sideways (husby wasn't thrilled either)

Silver and Shiny

Cardi and Shirt - Style & Co. (Macy's); Skirt - JC Penny; Shoes - Thrifted;
Necklace - Express; Ring - Premiere

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Although ensconced in varying shades of gray, black and white, I felt awesome and spunky in this ensemble. I love the cardigan with the ruffles and the shiny silver stripes through the cardigan made me feel equally shiny. The 14 hour workday that followed this picture was easy when I looked and felt this good.
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Rating - Two Thumbs Up

Vacation Binge

Sweater - Kohls; Skirt - Macy's; Boots - Marshalls;

Necklace & Cuff - Premiere; Pin - Amazon

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This skirt is the purple twin of the green one seen last week. Yeah, I got it in two of the three colors available. How can you pass up colorful, cute, well fitting skirts?? Plus it was also a free skirt. The boots are burgundy. Yes, I bought boots, but I was on vacation and in Memphis so I thought I could do a little Christmas shopping for me. You know, when on vacation you often break your food diet rules....how about shopping diet rules? I didn't go crazy or anything. They were $20.

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And since Stinky got some face time yesterday, I thought I'd pick up my other stretch mark creator. Here is Smeliot.

Yep, I'm in love.

Color My World

Dress - Style & Co (Macy's); Shoes - thrifted; Cardi - Old Navy;

Pin - Steinmart; Cuff - Premiere; Belt - came with the dress

While Husby wasn't fond of this outfit (mostly for my hair), I loved this outfit. The material of the dress was very comfy and stretchy while still being very professional and modest. I liked the colors most of all. I wouldn't have thought to put purple and blue together like this, but was glad to go with it.

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Rating - One Thumb Up, One Thumb Sideways

Add a third thumb, in the up direction if you count the vote of my mini fashionista, Stinkerbell (shown in her Christmas best). She said I looked 'Bootiful'....I'll credit that to the speech challenges of a 2 1/2 year old and not my booty.

Ruffles have Ridges

Shirt - Steinmart; Skirt and Belt - JC Penny;

Shoes - Madden (thrifed); Pin - Amazon

Oh, how I love my ruffly sweaters. This is one of those items that I forgot I owned. It was like Christmas when I opened my winter storage tote and found this baby. The pin was an antique 20's style piece that I added to a christmas present for Husby to get the free super saver shipping at Amazon. For a dollar less, I got a pin and a movie than the cost of the movie and its shipping. I love these hidden deals!