New 'Do

Skirt - Macy's (FREE); Shirt - thrifted; Shoes - Jessica Simpson (thrifted); Belt - NY&Co; Cardi - NY&CO (thrifted); Ring - Steinmart; Earrings - Chicos; Necklace - Premiere

While my new cut felt drastic to me, it doesn't look that different in this photo. The major difference, aside from 4 inches in length, is the feel. No more fuzzy ends, more thickness...it just feels healthier. And, I was able to get my hair in a condition I was willing to go to work in without touching a heating tool or stylig product (other than my hair dryer). That is a big bonus and saved me about 15 minutes. For a non-morning person that is HUGE. However, a few weeks into this haircut, and I'm ready to go shorter.....

As for the clothes....this picture doesn't do this outfit justice. I fell in love with the thrifted $2.00 tank top because of its floral pattern in muted tones. And I loved the contrast of the black and white striped back (probably should have gotten a back shot). But lately my handsome little boy had a great desire to become a part of the picture process. Hubs and I sneak into the dining room while he's enthralled in Mickey Mouse Club House and try to quickly pose and snap before the boy rushes in and stands next to me with a smile and a head tilt and a hand on his hip. Its freakin' adorable, but makes for rushed blog shots. Hubs is Graphic Designer, but there's only so much photoshopping-of-boy-out-of-picture that he is willing to do for MY hobby.

Ode to a Grecian Urn

Dress and Boots - Thrifted; Sweater and Leggings - Steinmart; Belt - TJ Maxx; Necklace - ME; Ring - Steinmart; Cuff - Premiere

There are two color combinations that I try to stay away from; red, white and blue, and red, white and black. One evokes images of fireworks and the other newspapers. Regardless how trendy my red, white and blue attire, I still feel like the schoolteacher with american flag vest or redneck with flag bandana on. Red, white and black, however makes me feel EVERYONE else. It makes me feel like the old me. The me whose idea of being wacky was adding a bit of red to my black and white outfit. The me whose wardrobe consisted of 95% white and black. But I was losing track of what white and black was - Classic. I can wear the color combinations of the general public and still feel like me. I don't have to sacrifice my style. I loved this outfit and what it stood for. Plus, it was super comfy.

Shirt and Pants - Steinmart; Shoes - TJ Maxx; Belt - NY & Co; Ring - Steinmart; Belt - NY & Co; Earrings - Chico's; Necklace and Bracelet - Premiere

I have a serious problem. I went to a jewelry party last night and knew the name of nearly every item that the girls had on or the rep showed us. Without looking at the catalog. I apparently have an obsession with premiere jewelry. It was easy to restrain myself last night as I realized that everything I wanted, I already own.

I love this shirt for its conservative, yet sexy look. Everything of importance is covered, but the sheer sleeves and peek-a-boo shoulders are spicy. I love the flowy sleeves which give it a bit of a Grecian feel. Husby said that my outfit was plum-tastic.

Dirty Martini, Extra Olive

Cardi and Tank - Gap; Skirt - JC Penny; Shoes - Madden (thrifted); Belt - Thrifted; Bracelet - Steinmart; Earrings - Chico's; Necklace - Premiere

I found this tank and cardi on the clearance rack at the Gap when I took my bestie there for her birthday. I love the dark green background and the earth-toned floral print of the tank, and I've been wanting a sweater this color FOREVER, so it was like I struck gold.

The second gold was the olive green heels. I love all things olive, since my eyes are that color, but it's been surprisingly hard to find. Military green - Easy. Lime - all over the place. But a good olive has been elusive. These pumps were sitting, ever so elegantly, on a shelf in my fave thrift store for $10, almost like they were waiting for me. I won't say that they are super comfy, but they have made it through a few full days at the office without me resorting to my emergency flats, so they rate pretty high on the comfort scale.

This outfit was a winner all around. I felt feminine, fashionable, and in my autumn element.

Rating - Two Thumbs Up

Stylish Librarian

Shirt - Thrifted; Vest - August Silk (Macy's - FREE); Skirt - Chico's (FREE from MOM);

Shoes - Madden (Thrifted); Belt - NY & Co; Necklace - Target

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Husby wasn't fond of this outfit. He said, the skirt and vest matched, but the shirt just looked weird. The shirt was my favorite part. Husby and I don't always agree.

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The OHW in this outfit is the shirt. I got it quite a while ago, and wore it with a brown cardi, but wasn't really sure what else I could pair it with, since it's a bit snug around the belly. I'm really happy with how this turned out. And the sweater tank being worn as a vest has given me ideas of other things I can do with this one. This is the first time wearing the Chico's skirt. It's kind of an odd sweater material, but the color is a great oatmeal neutral. I'm going to try to wear this as much as I can before the weather gets so warm that it starts to bother my thighs.

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I've also been trying to experiment more with my hair. I started growing my hair out in the first place because I was tired of looking the same every day. But now that I have long hair, I fix it the same way nearly every day. A lady in the bathroom at work told me I looked like a stylish librarian. I can handle that.

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Rating - One Thumb Up, One Thumb Sideways

And the Hits Just Keep on Coming

Shirt - Old Navy (thrifted); Sweater - Gap (maternity); Pants - Target (circa 2001); Shoes - Steinmart; Bangle - Old Navy; Earrings - Chicos
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Boring. This outfit was super-de-duper boring. But so very comfortable. I could have put on some tights and heels and really spiffed up the deal, but I knew this was going to be a crazy work day for me and my knee was really hurting from wearing heels the day before (because I fell down the stairs with a huge basket of laundry and landed square on my left knee) and it was going to snow and I just wanted to be comfy. I was very happy, despite looking boring.
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The OHW (one hit wonder) in this outfit is the blouse. I have to be a little careful how I wear it because it is exceedingly short, even for a short-waisted leggy dame like myself. The first time was with a blazer and high waisted skirt.
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Rating - Two Thumbs Sideways

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!!

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 :-)

Sweater Weather

Dress - thrifted; Leggings - Steinmart; Pumps - Stuart Weitzman (thrifted); Necklace - Express; Belt - JC Penny; Bangle - Old Navy; Earrings - Chicos

In the dim lighting of the bedroom, I swear these pumps were more blue. They matched exactly. Then, when I got to work, they were teal, and the dress was blue. My embarrassment didn't last long, cause I was freezing cold and wore a bulky gray long sweater over it the whole day. REALLY liked how that turned out, but didn't get a picture of it. I felt cute and spunky and funky and fun all day with the splashes of color. Love this dress and can't wait to figure out other weather-appropriate ways to wear it.

Hot for Teacher

Cardi and Shirt - Steinmart; Skirt - JC Penny; Shoes - Vera Wang; Necklace and Bracelet - Me; Earrings - Chico's

These pumps....I tried to sell them to Plato's Closet cause I never wore them. They wouldn't buy them (don't know why). I've worn them about 10 times in the 4 months since them (more than I've worn them in the 3 years I've owned them. I'm so glad Plato's passed. What was I thinking??

I saw these rich green and gold imitation pearls when I was looking for craft beads at Michaels and had to buy them. I put them together into this necklace and earring combo, expecting to only be able to wear it with a white shirt, but loving it anyway. I'm glad I was wrong. As I've started cycling in some of my fall/winter clothes, I realize I have two of these Steinmart tanks...one in green, one in blue. Maybe I was subconsciously buying the beads to have jewelry for these shiny, busty tanks with the sheer bow on the left shoulder that I love so much. Hmm.....trust my instinct? Don't mind if I do....
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I felt like a sexy teacher today. Or a naughtly librarian. Or like I should break out into a samba in the middle of class. :-)

The Outfit That Broke the Rules

Shirt - Steinmart; Scarf - Nordstrom (thrifted); Pants - Target;

Belt - Thrifted; Shoes - Payless; Earrings - Chico's;

Bracelet (really a necklace) - ME; Ring - Premiere

I think this is my new favorite picture of myself. Have I mentioned recently that I love that fall is here because my colors are back? Well, I didn't care that it was 95 degrees the day that I wore this outfit. It was officially fall, damn it!

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This scarf was a super steal with the Nordstrom tag still on it. I paid $3. The shoes I've had from Payless for about 3 years, and they are one of my faves. I was wearing brown shoes when I saw these and had to add them to the outfit. I love how all of these colors work together and will be revisiting this combo again. And, as I was starting to get upset because I haven't lost any weight in 3 weeks (mostly because I haven't been trying too hard) I realized that the pants I was wearing have been in my closet for 8 years. And they still fit. In fact, they were loose by the end of the day (and driving me nuts cause they kept falling down). So, I won't be too hard on myself. I have it on Husby's admission that I look better now that I did when he met me. Maybe he was just saying that cause it's what I wanted to hear, but I feel prettier and more stylish now that I ever have before, so even if the change has only been internal with my level of confidence, I'll still take it. Love you Husby!

Eggplant Parmesan

Shirt - Cha Cha Venti (Steinmart); Pants - Style & Co (Macy's); Shoes - Madden Girl (thrifted);

Necklace - Premiere; Earrings - Chico's

I can't even begin to tell you how sexy, yet classy I felt today. It's amazing what the hint of one shoulder can do. I love this blouse becuase it's made of a light gauzy material with a huge cowl neck and under-tank which allow it to be worn three ways: traditional cowl hanging in the front, one shoulder sleek and sexy, and off of both shoulders. Since I was heading to work, I opted to bear the shoulder sans tatoo. Engineers, especially older ones, tend to scoff at body art. I loved the shirt so much that I bought it in eggplant and olive, so look for more neck possiblities in the future. Also, the skirt is kinda bloused here to hide the lines of the waistband of these pants, but could be left much longer with leggings and some knee high boots. Ooh, I'm getting excited! But that may have to wait a bit since the previously forecasted week of low 70's has been amended to a week of high 80's. Tank weather will be here a little longer.

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I putzed around more than usual between shower and dressing since my 10 month old woke up and I wanted to snuggle a bit. When I went in to brush my hair, I realized that my unbrushed coiff was mostly dry and wavy all over. I may have to do this non-brushing thing more often, cause it took two minutes to get ready and I got sooooo many compliments on my hair today.

It's Not Easy Being Green

Dress - Old Navy (thrifted); Jacket - Gap; Shoes - Charlotte Russe (thrifted);

Belt - TJ Maxx; Necklace - JC Penny; Earrings - Chico's

This outfit actually incorporates some of my favorite items, some of which don't get a lot of wear. First, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these shoes, but the green color is a bit hard for me to incorporate. While I'm much more adventurous than most of my friends (who only wear belts in looped pants and only own brown or black shoes) I'm still kind of conservative when it comes to bringing in color. I am getting better, though :-) The Gap denim jacket is one of those tried and true staples that will have to be pried from my cold dead hands before I part with it. I've had this jacket since the late 90's and wear it religiously in the spring and fall, and whenever else I can work it in. I love the dress for its color, and the earrings for their simplicity, and the dress for its color. And the black belt is worn about once a week anymore.

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On the GI front, I could have been much better this week. Work has been extremely stressful, and I'm at the end of the quarter, so final projects and exams are underway, and the stess has made me forgetful. I've been forgetting to pack lunches or snacks and have had to get lunch and/or dinner on the fly, which leaves me limited on healthy choices. The good news is that I still lost. 3 pounds this week, giving me a total of 10 so far. I just got back from the grocery store where I bought an ample supply of healthy mini meal options and snacks, so I'm fully armed for a successful week. Crossing my fingers....

Shades of Gray

Or is it Grey?? I can never remember.

Vest - Steinmart; Leggings - Gap; Embellished Tank - Steinmart;

Silver Flats - Bakers; Necklaces - Premiere, Ring - Macy's; Earrings - Chico's

I didn't realize how many vests I owned until I was getting ready this morning. Since I'm on a 4-10's schedule until I finish school, I definitely have enough to have a vest themed week. The only bad thing is that this is by far my most interesting vest. The others are all black, or dark brown and very conventional, so I'll have to get a little creative. But I think I'm up for the Challenge!!. Vest Week, Here we Go.

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And I'd like to take a moment to comment on my hair. I bought some of those foam rollers to try putting in my hair overnight on a lark, just to see what would happen, and I am super-de-duper thirilled. These babies are going to get utilized a bunch! And they made it way easier to get ready for work in the moring. YAY!!

Versatile

Dress - Macy's; Shoes - Simply Vera; Bracelet - Old Navy; Ring - Steinmart;

Necklace - Premiere (did you think I could get by without wearing any

Premiere for one day??); Earrings - Chico's

When I got pregnant with my second child, we knew that we were going to wait to have a third until after I finished school (I still have two half-time years to go). We also thought that waiting might make him our last child - the thyroid condition that I have often comes with infertility and early menopause. Both of our children are blessings, since we weren't sure we'd be able to have any at all, and any future children will be the same.

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But the point of all of this is that I was determined to not add anything to my wardrobe that I couldn't wear post pregnancy. On some items, I failed terribly because they just look too baggy and do nothing for my figure or are a little too generous in the direct tummy area and make me look pregant when I'm not. This dress, however, was a gem. I love this dress. I didn't need it when I bought it, but couldn't walk away from it becuase I was so taken by the unique gray-purple which is truly striking in person. Plus it's a nice comfy and flowy versey dress with POCKETS (I have a secret obsession with pockets) which will come in quite handy when I'm making the treck in our 90+ Cincinnati weather for my 1:00 class. It enhances my bust, and gathers in a decorative way instead of being poochy. This dress will stay in the closet for quite a while.

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And I've determined that this week will be dress week. I have way too many dresses that don't get a lot of wear because they hide in the back of my horribly small and constrictive closet (one day I WILL have a walk-in). Out of sight out of mind. Not this week :-)