Plaid, Check, Polka Dot, Stripe

Which is the pattern that you like?  This is a ditty played between cartoons on Disney mornings which my kids love, and my daughter utililzes whenever she helps me decide what to wear.  She helped with both of these outfits.  While polka dots usually win out with Stinkerbell, these two days, she picked plaid and stripes.  I had to agree with her :-)



Tunic - BDGB (thrifted);                Dress - Old Navy (thrifted);
Bangles (thrifted)                                  Cardi - Target;
Boots - Charlotte Russe - (thrifted)          Shoes - Madden (thrifted);
Necklace, Earrings and Ring - Steinmart    Necklaces - Express and Premiere
Belt - NY & Co                                                        



Girly Girl

Shirt - Ralph Lauren (Macy's - FREE); Tank - Macy's; Skirt - Macy's (FREE); Belt - NY & Co; Shoes - Clarks; Necklace - Premiere

Except for a short period in my life, where Curt Cobain was big and men's flannel shirts and Chuck's were my closet staples (who DIDN'T go through a phase in High School?), I've always been very feminine in the way that I dress. I've always been into makeup.  But I've never considered myself a 'girly girl'.  Feminine, sexy, but not girly.  I hate pastels, I hang mostly with guys, I'm an engineer for Goodness Sake!  However something about this pretty uber-girly floral that made me use my rewards dollars to make it my own.  And I couldn't help but pair it with the pink tank and green skirt.  Husby told me I looked like a flower.  And surprisingly, I was okay with that.

A Different Grape

 Sweater - NY & Co (thrifted); Skirt - Anne Klein (thifted); Shoes - gift; Necklace and Earrings - Macys; Ring and Bracelet - Premiere

I usually stay away from pinks in the makeup department because of my coloring, but I have a lipstick that I got in my 'free gift with purchase' at the Clinique counter called 'A Different Grape' which I just love.  It's a great mulberry/raspberry color, just like this cardi, and I wear the lipstick any time I wear this color.  See..it looks really good. 

Mixing this skirt with the green polka dot shirt made me think that other bright stand out colors would look great with this skirt, too.  Next maybe orange....or electric blue....or 'hot yellow'...the possibilities are endless.

Color of Summer

 Shirt - Lane Bryant (thrifted); Skirt - Spiegel; Shoes - thrifted; Belt - Dress Barn; Necklace and Bangle - Premiere

Sweater and Skirt - NY & Co (thrifted); Shoes - Payless; Necklace - Premiere

Yellow is the color of the summer.  Not any summer, but this summer.  And not because it is the color of the sun.  Because all my life I have been told that yellow is not a good color for me because I am so pale.  This summer, I threw caution to the wind and started wearing it anyway.  Screw my complexion - I rock out some yellow. 

Dirty Maritinis and Salads under the Christmas Tree

Shirt - TJ Maxx; Skirt - thrifted; Belt - Dots; Shoes - Moda (thrifted); Necklace - Premiere

I struggle with how to style red.  I'm so tired of red, white and blue, red and black, red and white, and red and emerald green is too christmassy for me.  I love tomato and olive, first obeserved on Kasmira.  But the stuffy engineers in my office, who tend to live in neutrals, spend the day telling me 'Merry Christmas' all day.  When I corrected them with the tomato and olive nuance of the color combo, I got referred to as a salad and a martini (pimento stuffed olive).  I felt like a million bucks and kept my tomato and olive head held hight.

Arbor Day

 Necklace - Premier; Earrings - ??; Ring - Steinmart; Bracelets - Macy's

 Skirt - Talbot's (thrifted); Shirt - TJ Maxx; Shoes - Steve Madden (thrifted)

I have had this green and brown patterned skirt for years, but have only worn it three times, because I struggle with how to pair it with anything other than green, brown, or white/cream.  And here I go again, being boring.  I will force myself to wear it again very soon and break out of comfortable.

Donna Reed

Shirt and Skirt - Thrifted; Ring - Steinmart; Shoes - TJ Maxx; Bracelet - Old Navy; Necklace and Earrings - Premiere

I felt so fashion forward when I got dressed this morning when I put this skirt and shirt together.  The pop of green with the black & white.  The tiny black embroidered flowers on the skirt with the polka dots on the shirt.  And I got so many compliments on it, I knew Kasmira would be proud of me, even if my pattern mixing choices were excpetionally 'safe'.  I'm growing :-) The silhouette made me feel very feminine and the look was classic Donna Reed  No, I did not scrub any toilets, or even don yellow rubber gloves the entire day.

Shirt - TJ Maxx; Skirt - Old Navy; Shoes - Thrifted; Belt - Calvin Klein

I was in love with this shirt from the moment I saw it.  And was so disappointed when it ripped down the seams of the back as I leaned forward at my desk to type.  Shredding of the sheer material is more like it.  I was so sad.  But I am determined to turn this into a positive.  The sheer tie front is still in tact and my closet is filled with vests of many variety.  Let's see what I can come up with....

Floral Affair

Dress - Dress Barn; Cardi - Old Navy; Necklace - Premiere; Shoes - Payless

Purple and green are two of my favorite colors....so whenever I find things that pair them together, I get really excited. I LOVE this little number from Dress Barn, and also love my cardi, but after seeing these pictures, the un-cinched cardi over the dress with same-material belt don't do my silhouette justice. This outfit may be making a repeat performance soon with a better execution.

Shirt and Shoes - thrifted; Skirt - Old Navy - Thrifted; Earrings and Necklace - Dress Barn; Bracelets - Macys and thrifted

It never occurred to me that olive and teal would look so good together until this shirt. And I LOVE IT!! Then, of cours a few days after wearing this outfit, Kasmira did a post on 'Tealive' posting her 5 outfits of recent history wearing the same combo. So maybe I didn't stumble across it, and was really subconciously inspired by Kasmira (as I cyber stalk her on her blog daily). Either way, it's great and I love it and I'm sure I will be pairing these together a bunch, especially in the fall. (Thanks Kasmira!)

Dye Job

Dress - Macy's; Shoes - TJ Maxx; Necklace and Earrings - Dress Barn; Owl Ring - Bakers

This post is a rarety. It's comprised of two outfite with NOTHING thrifted. This is so not me. I wore the red white and blue number for July 4th (yes, I'm a month behind in my blogging) and and the other was just a want-to-be-comfy day, so my fave flats and shirtdress. And holy wow...I knew my hair needed to be cut, but didn't realize how badly I needed a dye job!!
Dress - Target; Shoes - Old Navy; Bracelet - Premiere; Earrings - Steinmart

I like to call this outfit the Reverse Dorothy. I like it.

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.

Indecent Exposure

Dress - Target; Shoes and Bangles - Thrifted; Earrings - Steinmart; Necklace - Premiere; Ring - NY&CO

Figures, the day before I chop off my hair it looks great.

I normally try to shy away skirts/dresses that are above my knees, but the reality is above-the-knee is really in right now. As long as I don't go too far, and use Jergens Natural Glow lotion to add a little color to them, I've been getting more comfy with showing off my knees and their immediate neighbors to the north. The tiers, ruffles and gathers on this dress make it quite flattering and I just love the color. Lately I've been thinking how awesome this dress would look with my Gap demin jacket over it, my blue tights and my tan knee boots...maybe this dress won't get put away for the fall/winter :-)

Ladies Day Out

Shirt - Macy's (FREE); Skirt - Dots; Pumps - Thrifted; Bracelets - Macy's; Necklace and Earrings - Premiere; Glasses - Banana Republic via Giovanetti Eye Care

I saw this shirt online a while ago and thought little of it. I don't know if the model was too skinny or if it was the way she was standing, but it just looked bleh. When my mom convinced me to try it on during a recent ladies day out, I was floored at how adorable it looked. I love the lacey feminine details and the muted floral pallette. Thanks MOM! And Macy's rewards bucks making it free made it even cuter!

And the skirt....I've tried several times to look at Dots because of the inexpensive cost, but was not impressed. Fabrics seemed cheap; Clothes poorly slapped together. I gave them another try this spring when I was looking for shorts. I was struggling because every regular store, like Old Navy and Target, made shorts that were the equivalent of but-moo-moos when you passed size 12. They lacked shape and just hung like bags. So I tried Dots, remembering they had a plus sized section. What I found was surprisingly good quality, excellent fit and a good variety of stylish options for the plus sized. True, the plus sections was super small and much more expensive than the skinny side, but it was choc full of gems and reasonable priced. I found 3 pairs of shorts and a brown pencil skirt with adorable ruching down the sides.

Maybe I've figured out their plan. Skinny women can shop anywhere, so cut corners where you can and make em cheap.... But plus sized women want fit and fashion and will pay a bit more...within reason, that is.

B-52 Bomber

Shoes, Belt and Dress - Thrifted; Earrings - Premiere When I woke up this morning, my hair was kind of standing up all over. I kind of looked like a lion. But somehow that made me think of rolling my hair in the above pictured 'do. It turned out better than I had envisioned, and I felt like a 40's pinup girl. Like I should be painted on the front of a WWII bomber. Too bad the belt literally fell apart throughout the day - the faux leather began crumbling off of it. That's what you get with thrifting. Sometimes you find amazing gems that become wardrobe staples (like the shoes). Sometimes they fall apart after one wear. At least it was only a dollar.

Feedback Wanted!

Dress - TJ Maxx; Shoes - Payless; Bracelet - Premiere; Necklace and Earrings - Me

This dress is one of those items I just can't quite decide on. I remember it fondly, having worn it on my first anniversary, but at the same time, I was also asked if I was prego in it... The pattern is cool, but also kinda dirty looking (covered in vagaygays??)....And in order to wear it where it belongs, with the crossed lines under my post-babies larger boobies, my bra shows. I fought with this dress all day to keep it up...I think I'm talking myself out of it more and more as this post continues. Will it survive?? What do you think??

Hot Yellow

Shirt - Macy's (free); Pants - Macy's; Shoes - thrifted; Earrings and Bracelets - Premiere

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When I showed this shirt to Hubs, he had the same thought that I did...Our friend the hot artist Lynzie. I fell in love with the shirt, much like the girl, when I first met it. However, the shirt was super duper expensive...around $60 more than I would even consider spending on a shirt. So when it was clearanced and I had Macy's rewards dollars which made it free to me, it came home. Hubs has affectionately dubbed the color 'Hot Yellow' and said that Lynzie and I are the only two people he knows that can pull off the color. I'll take that as a compliment.

My Blue Heaven

Skirt, Shirt and Boots - Thrifted; Cardi and Earrings - Steinmart; Belt and Ring - NY & Co; Necklace - PremiereI've been in love with cobalt blue lately. Any way I can incorporate it into my outfit, I do. This outfit was my Blue Heaven.

Shirt and Belt - NY & Co; Pants - Thrifted; Shoes - Stuart Weitzman (thrifted); Ring - Macy's

Farewell Old Friends

Shirt - Gap; Skirt - Old Navy; Shoes - Payless; Belt and Ring - Steinmart; Necklace - Premiere; Earrings - Macy's
Shirt - Gap; Cardi - Kohls; Skirt - JC Penny; Belt - NY & Co; Shoes - Thrifted; Necklace - Me

I couldn't decide in or out today. While my silhouette looked better head on with the skirt inside the high waisted skirt, the pleats on the skirt cause it to pooch out a bit in the area where I actually do have a pooch. So, my profile looked better when the shirt was untucked. I never did manage to decide, switching between the two looks every time I went to the bathroom. Ah, indecision.

Skirt - NY & Co; Shirt - Gap (thrifted); Jacket - Steinmart; Shoes - Payless; Belt - Thrifted

I retired two of the shoes pictured in this post after this week. The snakeskin sandals, while super hot, were a bit too big and the constant rubbing and shifting of my feet inside them was so very painful. The teal lovelies, I actually shed a bit of a tear for. I have loved these shoes for so long and have put up with the excruciating pain that I felt at the base of my big toes because the peep toe scraped the nail beds at just the perfectly horrible spot. I had to finally give up the ghost. I promised Hubs no shoes that couldn't make it through a day at the office, so bye-bye small instruments of podiatral torture. You will be missed. By me, not my feet.

33

Shirt - Style & Co (Free); Skirt - Talbots (thrifted); Boots - Thrifted; Belt - JC Penny; Necklace and Earrings - Premiere
Dress - Gap (thrifted); Jacket - Gap (circa 1999); Shoes - Payless; Jewelry - Mostly Premiere, with a little thrifted

I got a little bit of money from mileage expense reports which was totally bonus, so I took $40 to my local payless for their BOGO sale to buy myself some birthday presents. Too bad the shoes above broke on the second wearing. I'll be trying to recoup the cost of those if I can ever get around to taking them back.

Skirt - Talbots (thrifted); Shirt - JC Penny; Cardi - Old Navy; Shoes - Payless; Jewelry - Premiere

This was my birthday outfit. And the shoes are my new faves, and the ones from Payless that didn't fall apart. Thanks to Kendi for showing them to me for the first time. Olive and tomato and the kids coming to have lunch with me at the office... 33 is starting off AOK.

Sexy, Sassy Secretary

Shirt - Thrifted; Skirt - JC Penny; Vest - Thrifted; Shoes - Madden (Thrifted); Earrings - Steinmart; Bracelets - Premiere

This is what happens when Husby trys to play Austin Powers with the camera. Loved this retro shirt - Found it at St. Vincent DePaul for I think $2.00. It really is from the 60's, Polyester and all. The sleeves would most likely fit Sophie, however, so I just pretended that they are 3/4 length cause I loved the rest of the shirt so much. And I can't believe I never paired this vest with this skirt before. I felt like perfect Mad Men secretary. Minus the voluptuous boobies.

Cloth Memory

Shirt - Style & Co (Macy's); Skirt - TJ Maxx; Shoes - Payless; Belt - JC Penney; Necklace - Premiere; Earrings and Ring - Steinmart.

Do you ever haer a song or smell a scent that instantly takes you somewhere or time? The smell of Drakar instantly takes me back to my first date with my Husband; the smell of coconut takes me to my sister's pool; and this outfit takes me to the day that I met with the dean of my college and he agreed to waive the equivalent of $10,000 and 1 year's worth of classes for me. I will graduate in the summer of 2013. YAY!!

Shirt - JC Penny; Skirt - thrifted; Earrings and Ring - Premiere; Shoes - Gift; Belt - Thrifted

This outfit, on the other hand, takes me back to one of the most embarrassing days of my adult life. I was walking through my office production room, and my heal caught the linoleum floor just the wrong way and I wiped out. With all of my bags and books on my shoulders, so I made an even bigger crash. In front of all my coworkers. I was mortified. And I don't embarrass easily. I didn't cry in front of them though. I waited until I was limped back to my desk and my incredibly, instantaneously swollen knees were propped and iced by my ever-so-sweet cubie neighbor to start crying. And I had the bruise for 3 WEEKS. A large horrible purple bruise, which meant I had to wear pants or longer skirts and was reminded daily of my shame. It's gone now, but I may just have to get rid of the shoes so I can forget about it a bit. On the other hand, this was another red-white-black attempt that I succeeded in doing my own way, so YAY to ME!