FInd Your Inspiration

Shirt - Steinmart; Pants - Macy's (free); Shoes - Payless; Belt - TJ Maxx

I saw a dress from Kate Spade this summer in navy and lime and white, which I loved, and I've been dying to try the combo myself.  What better way than with Sophie's favorite print??  You can't really see in this photo, but the pants are polka dotted, too.  I'm so glad this turned out the way it did!  If I could do it again, I would not do the belt, though.  It gave me a weird shape, especially from the side.  Next time :-)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Summer Brights

Skirt - Spiegel; Boots - Macy's; Shirt - Steinmart; Sweater Vest - August Silk (Macy's); Cardi - Loft (thrifted)

Although I felt way too bright for my engineering office, I'm pretty happy with how this uber bright outfit turned out.

Dress - Chaps (from sister); Shoes - Unlisted (from co-worker); Cardi - TJ Maxx

This dress was so basic, it was almost boring. Almost because the red was so vibrant, the basicness actually did it justice. I think this dress will be fun to play around with in the winter with sweaters and tights and boots... Thanks to my little sister who lost a ton of weight (jealous) and my co-worker who refuses to wear skirts after her third child (and gave me all of her sandals), my outfit was almost entirely free. Love that!!

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.

School's Out for Summer

Skirt - Ralph Lauren (Macy's FREE); Cardi - Gap; Shirt - Style & Co (Macys FREE); Belt and Ring - NY & Co; Shoes - Jessica Simpson (TJ Maxx); Earrings - Premiere; Necklace- Thrifted.
I took my last two exams for the spring this week. I aced them both. Now, maybe I can take a moment or two to blog occasionally. I'm really behind.

Tealy, Tealy Good

Skirt - thrifted; Shirt - INC (Macy's FREE); Shoes - Stuart Weitzman (thrifted); Ring - Steinmart; Bracelet - Premiere; Necklace - Me

I felt much better of about the brightness of this outfit, probably because I was toning the skirt down with a solid navy shirt, but mostly because I was able to wear my $4 Stuart Weitzman Goodwill shoes (which are incidentally incredibly comfy). I love them and any day that I can wear them is a happy day for me. I actually altered the outfit a bit right before I ran out the door. It was cold so I added a navy cardi, which gave the outfit a bit of 50's flair. I decided to go with it and tucked the shirt into the high waisted skirt and belted it with a navy wide belt. Even happier with it that way.

Rating - Two Thumbs Up

Holy Brightness, Batman!

Cardi - Old Navy; Tank - Steinmart; Pants - Style & Co (Macy's - FREE); Shoes - Vera Wang (Kohls); Belt - Thrifted; Necklace - Steinmart

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When I had to retire my emerald green cardigan because of wear and fading, I searched high and low for a replacement. This old navy cardi was the closest that I could come up with, but when I got it home and started pairing it with things, it's really more limey than emerald. With the weather just starting to warm up, but our city ensconced in rain, I tried to bring some sunshine into my life with this lime/teal combo. My coworkers had to wear sunglasses to be around me.

These Vera Wang pumps are part of a new trend in my life. They are an item that I had in a bag to give to Goodwill cause I hadn't worn them in years. I pulled them out of that Goodwill bag so many times to wear them, that I've decided to keep them. A similar thing happened to the yellow floral cardigan that I wore yesterday for Easter at the In-laws. I packed it in the Goodwill bag because I had only worn it once and just couldn't figure out how to style it. But thanks to my favorite bloggers and their color inspirations, when I was going through the bag to itemize them for the tax man, I rescued it with a 'What was I thinking?'. I guess one woman's garbage can be her own treasure after all :-)

Rating - Two Thumbs Up (if you aren't blinded)

It's Easy Being Green

Sweater - Gap; Skirt - Macy's (FREE); Sandals and Belt - Thrifted; Bracelet - Old Navy; Ring - Steinmart

I woke up this morning lackadaisical about everything. I didn't want to put any effort into getting ready, so I gave myself a baby-wipe shower in lieu of a real one. I didn't feel like getting dressed so I grabbed the first thing that caught my eye in the closet - green skirt - and picked the easiest color to style with it - black. The belt was a last minute addition, cause I felt like the sweater was a bit too shapeless and this yellow belt hasn't gotten much play in the last year. I am pleasantly surprised with how it turned out.

Rating - Two Thumbs Up

Bumble Bee Tuna

Shirt - Steinmart (FREE); Skirt - JC Penny; Cardi - Steinmart; Shoes - Payless; Tights - Old Navy;

Ring and Short Necklace- Premiere; Earring and Long Necklace - Me

I love this shirt and the uneven seams and 'shredded' appearance. It is so different. I had to do a little convincing of my sister to try in on in the first place. She bought it, but didn't ever wear it before she lost the weight. This is the inaugaral weariing of this shirt, which is quite a nice addition to my spring wardrobe. If only Spring will decide to get here!!!

Ahhh the shoes. Being a Shoeie (like a foodie), I'd have a hard time choosing my favorite pair. These, however would be on my sort list. They are super cute, the ruffles are adorable, they are comfy, and my nostalgia for the style of yesteryear keeps a warm place for any T-strap shoes.

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Rating - Two Thumbs Up

All that Glitters is not Gold

Sweater - NY & Co; Shirt - Steinmart (FREE); Belt - Trhifted;

Skirt - NY & Co; Tights - Motherhood Maternity; Shoes -Payless

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My little sister turned 25 and developed the family figure. No, she didn't get prego. It's just that our mother is an apple, and all 4 of us girls started out skinny minnie's, but when we reached maturity (and developed thyroid disease), our bodies evolved into the apple shape. Lil' Sis was lucky enough to have it happen to her before she had children, and was able to adopt an aggressive workhout schedule in a bootcamp and get back nearly to her fighting weight. I'm so proud of her, but jealous at the same time because I do not have the hours to devote to working out that she does. My journey is much longer than hers. The good thing for me, though, is that she gave me all of her fat clothes. You'll see quite a few items indicated as FREE from Steinmart in the next couple of months that came from her.

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This particular day I was returning to work after a week off with a stomach bug and bronchitis, so I wanted to look sparkly, even if I didn't quite feel it. I never thought to put these colors together in this way before, but I'm glad I did. Compliments abounded this day and I ended up feeling almost back to normal by the end of the day. I think the skirt definitely helped.

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My hair was also kind of feathered when I woke up, so I went with it and did my impression of Kardashian hair. I'll be leaving this hairstyle to the professionals from now on.

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Rating - Two Thumbs Up

Primary Resolution

Shirt and Tank - Old Navy; Skirt - Macy's (FREE); Tights - We Love Colors and Old Navy;

Shoes - Liz Claiborne (Steinmart); Belt - Thrifted; Ring - Steinmart

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Ignore everything from the shoulders up. I had a client workshop this day, followed by a class and Husby wasn't up when I left for work in the morning, so this picture was taken after 14 hours of being worn, as was my makeup and hair. I felt like I might have been a bit over the top when I left the house this morning, but the slew of compliments, coming from total strangers, ensured me that I was right on the mark. I loved how colorful this all was and look forward to wearing this fabulous yellow, red, green and blue floral buttondown in other primarily wonderful ways. Plus, this outfit was really comfy, so the 14 hours were pretty bearable (for my body at least...my mind was a different story.)

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I'm going shopping this afternoon with my best friend and her mother for her birthday. She's the type of girl who, although absolutely gorgeous with a fabulous figure, is so critical of herself, she never buys clothes because she never feels anything looks good on her. I am going to do my best to help her see in the mirror what I see every day. But I have to be strong and not shop for me.

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The prayer of the shopaholic - 'Lord, grant me the restraint to enter one of my favorite stores and refrain from buying things that I really want but do not need, and the wisdom to tell the difference. Amen'

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Rating - Two Thumbs Up

Crazy Spoutings of a Shoe Addict

Cardi - Macy's (FREE); Skirt and Belt - JC Penny; Shirt - NY & Co (thrifted);

Tights - We Love Colors; Shoes - FREE (from my boss)

Close up of the cutie-pa-tootie shoes. My boss decided after getting pregnant with her third child that heels were no longer in the cards for her. Lucky for me, she has big honkin' feet like I do. She gives me first dibs before sending them to Goodwill. Even more lucky for me, cause I'd probably end up paying for them at Goodwill cause she had good shoe taste. However, when it comes to shoes I have a weird kind of mantra. While on one hand I feel that you can never have too many shoes, on the other hand, I feel that shoes have souls (haha I'm so clever) and must fulfill their shoe destiny. Therefore, I won't adopt or purchase a pair of shoes that are too similar to shoes that I have in my closet, so that all get worn. When I took these, I had no brown pumps. These shoes have been worn plenty and have smiling, happy, bright orange auras to match their cute little bows. It's all about Karma. Happy shoes won't break a heel or allow you to twist your ankle or give you blisters.

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Don't get me wrong. I couldn't have 50+ pairs of shoes and bee too narrow in my shoe sorting. Example: I have pewter flats and pumps;Red flats, pumps and Mary Janes; and black pointed toe mid heel, rounded toe low heel, rounded toe T-straps with ruffles and a high heel, flat boots with scrunchy calves, etc, etc....etc. Do you have good shoe Karma?? Am I just a Crazy shoe lady??

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And here is the Fugly sweater's second wearing. I'm not nearly as happy with this look as I was the last, but I've got at least 6 shirts of varying colors or styles to pair with this cardi before I make a definitive decision. C'mon people....free makes it even better!!

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Rating - Two Thumbs Up

Valentine's Day Blues

Shirt - Jones New York (Macy's); Vest - Tommy Hilfiger (Macy's FREE);

Skirt - Old Navy; Tights - We Love Colors; Boots and Bangles - Macy's;

Scarf - Steinmart; Belt - Baby Phat (thrifted)

Wow, the way I'm standing in the first pic makes me look really wide! Note to self...never stand that way again!

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Happy Valentine's Day, my lovelies! I'm about a week behind in my posting, but thought I'd skip ahead to show what I actually wore on Valentine's Day. I centered the outfit around the vest I got for FREE with Macy's rewards dollars this weekend, which just happened to have red in it, so fortunately for me I did dress for the occasion. I've generally shied away from Tommy stuff because it's just so darn expensive - too expensive to be worth it. I also shy away from red-white-blue clothing cause it's a little too 4th of July-y for me, but I was drawn to this vest because it was a cardigan vest (something totally new to my closet) and I liked how the gray was worked in. I had no trouble building the outfit.

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I'm also excited to showcase my new hair. I have really limp flat hair on the left side of my head and thick bouncy hair on the right. Why shouldn't my hair be as lopsided as my boobs? I finally went to a real hairdresser to get it trimmed up. It was my friend Jenna's sister Lizzie, and it was the first time in my life that I told a hair dresser my struggles and they gave me exaclty what I needed to fix them! I am so happy with this cut. It's technically kind of an emo cut -lots of short layers on top- but it gives me the lift and body and dimension that I need all around. SO HAPPY!! Now, if only my bangs would grow a little faster!

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Rating - Two V-Day 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

Too Short for Comfort

Sweater - Macy's (FREE); Shirt and Earrings - Steinmart; Skirt - Liz Claiborne (thrifted); Teal tights - Old Navy; Black Chevron Tights - Pea in the Pod (maternity); Belt - thrifted; Shoes - Vera Wang

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The OHW here is the sweater. I've had difficulty styling this sweater because of the waistline. It's one of those really blousy with elastic at the bottom type sweaters that I used to gravitate to because I thought they hid a lot, but they really just made me look like I had no shape. I LOVE this sweater's colors and neck and the gathers at the top of the shoulders. But that darn waist....I felt like I had luck with tucking it in, and I think it looks good in these pictures, but all the extra material kept clumping inside the skirt. It was really awkward. And it didn't help that the skirt was obscenely short. Not when standing, but whenever I sat you could see the line on my tights where the chevron's stopped and the control top began.

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Am I willing to give up on the sweater or the skirt?? Not yet. I think I'll be much more comfortable with the skirt if I can add a trim to it..I was thinking some fun Navy lace. And the sweater...well, I'll just have to try it with some other skirts and bottoms and find a way that it works. It's just too pretty to pass on just yet.

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And I just determined that the best tights ever are maternity tights. The legs are about the same as any other, and the material is the same, but the best part is that the waist line went all the way up to my boobs. No annoying tight roll working its way down my belly. I'm in love.

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Rating - Two Thumbs Up (before I left the house... my thumb was halfmast by lunch)

Can You Tell Me How to Get?

Sweater Dress - From Mom; Vest - Steinmart; Tights - We Love Colors;

Boots, Scarf and Hat - Thrifted; Earrings - Premeire

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The hat was not a part of the outfit, but I wore it out in the snow and it did a number on my hair, so it became part of it for the rest of the evening. The scarf, vest and boots are all OHWs today. I was told by a co-worker that I was wearing too many colors, and that I looked like I belonged on Sesame Street. I laughed it off, but the truth was that it bothered me a bit. In fact, the conservative engineers that I work with often make comments about my attire, and they are not very often positive. If I didn't have such good self esteem, I'd start dressing as boring as they do. But I like my wardrobe, and I like my choices and outfits, even the ones that don't work. Most of the time I laugh when they joke and jibe, but every once in a while, the insecure little kid that was made fun of for wearing her big sisters' hand-me downs feels the poke a bit too sharply. I was self conscious all day. One day I will truly be able to not let it bother me, but today I am human.

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On another note, this was my first time wearing this sweater dress my mom gave me, and sadly it's not going to remain in my closet. It's a bit too thick and bulky up top and the neck kinda made me feel like I was being choked all day. This dress is being retired not because of lack of imagination, but because of the discomfort I suffered all day wearing it.

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Rating - Two Thumbs Down

Sunshine Yellow

Shirt - Inc (Macy's FREE); Pants - Style & Co (Macy's FREE); Scarf as belt - Jones NY (TJ Maxx);

Ballet Flats - Jessica Simpson (thrifted); Bracelet - Premeire; Necklace - Street Vendor

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The necklace is the OHW here. Normally I wouldn't let myself get off so easily on a challenge, if it weren't for the fact that I've had this necklace for years and have been actively trying to find ways to wear it. So far, it's only been worn with my emerald green maxi dress in the summer. I'm pretty proud of myself for finally figuring out that this scarf has the yellow in it. Duh!! The necklace and scarf gave me the added bit of color I needed to brighten up this navy and gray ensemble. Plus, the whole thing was pretty comfy and casual, which is sometimes nice when you have a 10 hour work day followed by a 3 hour class.

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Rating - Two Thumbs Up