Friday: Which would you wear?

We are having a summer picnic at the Nun Hospital today, and the dress code was announced as "casual". But then the disclaimer was added that jeans and sandals were not allowed. ?!?! That makes no sense. The theme of the summer picnic is the 1950s, but I'm not really a theme kind of person.

I came up with 3 outfits, and had the toughest time choosing, I actually took photos of all of them and asked YLF for some help! I'm already at work and have decided, but I'll throw the question out to you: which of these would YOU have worn? Or would you have gone in a different direction?

1. The full skirt of the sundress instantly gave it a vague 50s vibe, and adding the belt and sweater cemented that. The photo came out better than I thought it looked, but it was still in my polished style so I liked it. (I turned around an ATL crochet-neck tee underneath; the front is a straight-neck but the back has that pretty vee.)



2. A simple empire-waist knit dress in navy and light-blue. It looks dressy, but the cut is more casual than I would wear on a normal workday. I wear its purple twin a lot on my Saturday errands. I ignored the sandals edict, and added strappy wedge espadrilles. I actually do wear those at work in the summer; do they count as sandals? Debatable.



3. A dark denim skirt, a cotton baby-doll top, and the wedge espadrilles. This is the most "rebellious" because it violates both rules in spirit if not in letter. But it is the most picnic-y while still being work appropriate.



So what would have been your pick?

If you read YLF you know what I chose, but I will put the winner in the comments a bit later too.

Thursday: Remix Dress and Sweater for my first sack look

It was weird weather today; sort of cool, warmer later on, and now we just had a fast, furious rain followed by sunshine again. I was stuck in a basement training room again, and I knew I was going to have a frustrating meeting this afternoon, so I pampered myself with two of my favorite pieces: my favorite purple boyfriend cardigan, and the black shapeless knit dress from BR. I tried several belted looks, but suddenly all of Angie's enthusiasm for a "sack" look started to make sense, and I went beltless.

Would this qualify as a sack look, I wonder? It sure was comfy!



Dress: black knit, BR
Sweater: boyfriend cardigan, AT
Shoes: black Me Too platform heels, DSQ
Necklace: extra-long silver and pearls, ATF

Tomorrow is a summer picnic at work, where the dress code has been announced as "casual" and yet jeans and sandals are not allowed. What? What the heck is casual if it isn't jeans? I am flummoxed by what to wear.

Stuff I Want: colored shoes, jersey dresses, and Target tops

I'm trying to stick to my shopping ban (and certainly my last credit card bill has encouraged me to stay the course), but wow, there are some great pieces I would love to add to my wardrobe. They're not quite fall pieces yet, but just all-around wants.

Like some shoes. I've realized I have almost all black or neutral/nudes. I need some colors!

I torn between these two red heels: these Chinese Laundry pumps recommended by Kari...



...or these Franco Sarto's over on Piperlime.



+++++

I'm also considering a new pair of Converse: either red (hmm, is that a theme?), or these from my alma mater. Heheheheh, those just make me laugh!

+++++

This easy breezy summer look has me wishing I had a full skirt because I would love to try it. I did just buy a giraffe print full skirt for $5 from Cute on the Cheap (okay, maybe my shopping ban isn't ironclad), but it might end up being too big.



Maybe these eyelet skirts on sale at ON would be better. I love the tahiti blue one!



As long as I am confessing my purchases, I also bought this one from Cute on the Cheap for $10. If it fits, I can add a camisole and it'll be a great weekend dress. I think the color will be very flattering.



++++++

Back to shoe lust. These Frye boots are pretty great, right? Ridiculously out of my price range, of course.



These Seychelle ankle-strap flats are also too rich for my blood, but I just love the color and design!



Sadly, I do need a plain pair of black pumps too. These BR stacked heels are probably the ones I should order, especially since they are ridiculously marked down.



+++++

There are still a couple of summer/casual items I'm wanting. These ON dresses keep hanging out in my shopping basket.







(For Fall)


I love dresses like those because you can do so much with them. Add leggings, tights, sweaters, boots, sandals, scarves, etc. I have one in black like this -- where it takes on the personality of the accessories I wear with it -- and I would love to get some others in colors.

++++++

Lastly, there are a couple of tops I have my eye on, even though I really, REALLY do not need any new tops. I have plenty. I have plenty. Stop looking at them!

But this Gap one could be a great replacement for my other banded top, which is way way too big. Not sure about the beige base color, though...




I'd like to find a tie-neck vee blouse, and this Target one has a good price and a pretty color and pattern.



I find the pattern on this Target tank fascinating; it's small enough not to take over an outfit, but interesting enough that I keep coming back to it. Would be great as a layering piece, don't you think?



+++++

If I had to narrow it down, I really want:
-one of the red heels
-red Converse
-purple Seychelles
-the 2 Target tops
-all the ON and BR stuff

Actually, Gap/BR/ON is starting its Friends & Family 30% off sale tomorrow. I could get the skirt, dresses, and BR shoes...

...

Shopping bans suck. Just sayin'.

Wednesday: Where's the color?

I know, right? No color at ALL!

No remixed items either, but I just could not put off wearing my Michelle Obama dress any longer. I love it so much; the knit bottom is as soft as pajamas, and the top pattern is so striking on the silky fabric. I would have gone without a sweater, but I knew I was going to be in a cold training room all day and I needed something on my arms. Next time!

Dress: Ann Taylor, on mega sale ($160 down to $59)
Shoes: nude pumps, 3 years old
Sweater: black bolero, ATF

+++++

Ohhhhh, my shopping ban is killing me. There are so many items online that I want to get! I don't even dare go into a store; I would never make it. I think I'll do another post tonight of all the items tempting me...maybe it'll help.

Tuesday: Remix Tops and a NAS debut!

Woohoo, it was time to break out the NAS Trina Turk skirt! I suspect this will get a lot of wear as the seasons progress. It's so comfortable and versatile!

The sweater is one of the first mediums I bought at AT Factory; I love the color but it gets misshapen much too quickly, sometimes not even making it through the day. I have another one in white with the same issues. Good to keep in mind the next time I am buying cotton sweaters from ATF!

Tops: ruffled tank, Gap; teal cotton sweater, ATF
Belt: elastic/patent, AT
Skirt: grey paint-splatter Trina Turk pencil, Nordstrom
Shoes: black peeptoe wedges, ATL

Hee, I realized halfway through the day that I looked like a naughty secretary in those glasses.

Monday: LBD Remix

My very first LBD (skinny version). I love the structure and formality of the shape, which ironically is just a cotton dress that doesn't even need ironing after coming straight out of the washing machine. I don't wear it nearly often enough, I've decided. Next time I think I'll try it with a belt or an obi.

Dress: LBD, by Alfani from Macys
Camisole: teal Caslon from Nordstroms
Shoes: Me Too platform heels

+++++

The niece left today, and both Hubby and I are missing her. She's just a sweet, funny, chatty girl, and this was a blast for us. I can't wait to do this again with my nephews!

On the other hand, now I have no excuse for my horrible eating. Time to get it together, oh my yes. The scale is telling truths I don't want to hear, but it's time to listen to it.

Friday, Saturday: Casual athletic outfits

Even though we were out doing athletic, energetic things over the weekend, I didn't want to look like a bum. I purposely bought a lot of casual tops and bermuda shorts for days such as these, and I found some great, comfortable, all-day sandals for the same reason. At the amusement park, it was astonishing to see that people were either in cheap rubber flip-flops or tightly-tied white sneakers and socks. I just can't imagine that either was comfortable after a long hot day. But I sure was!

This is what I wore to the amusement park on Friday:



Top: Green patterned cotton volume top, Target (the volume was great for hiding all the ice cream I've been inhaling)
Bottom: black bermudas, ATF
Sandals: gold BOC gladiators, Famous Footwear
Purse: yellow crossbody, Tagnanello from DSW

This was for Saturday, when we rented Segways to explore downtown Chicago. The plan was to stay downtown all day, shop, eat, and attend fireworks that night. I had jeans and a hoodie in the car for the night picnic at the lake, but we ended up going home early. Without even shopping at the downtown Nordie's, boo!



Tops: dove grey tank, J Crew Outlet; red volume cotton tee, BR clearance
Bottom: khaki bermudas, ATL
Sandals: black beaded Clarks from two years ago

Here is Saturday in motion -- on the Segway, long before I fell. The volume top does not look quite so voluminous from the side, thank goodness.



Would these outfits be considered "gear"? I don't think so, but...hmm, what do you think?

If you are interested, lots of photos of my husband, niece and me on our Segway tour, with lots of shots of my pretty city included over on my Flick set.

Newsflash: I am 41, not 14

Here's a hard lesson I have learned this weekend: I am not a teenager. I may be in the best shape of my life, and am actually smaller than when I was a teenager, but I do not have the actual body or metabolism of one.

Here are the injuries that I have inflicted on myself while trying to keep up with my 14-year-old niece this weekend:

1. I burned my finger taking oatmeal out of the microwave (okay, this happened the morning before she arrived, but I still have a nasty blister on my middle finger.)
2. I blew out my vocal cords screaming on a roller coaster. I have had no voice for two days now, and so far, it's still not back. I sound like a squeaking frog, much to the amusement of my husband and niece.
3. I think I gave myself a concussion on another roller coaster, which bounced our heads side to side against a not-cushioned-enough padded harness. I have had a minor headache ever since.
4. I fell off a Segway on our awesome tour of downtown Chicago, scraping and bruising my palm, wrist, elbow and hip. Also humiliating myself. But the Segway was still AWESOME, and I will do it again next year when my nephew visits.
5. I gained 4.2 pounds. !!!!!!

She leaves on Monday morning, then I have a crazy busy week at work, then we leave on Saturday for a week-plus in the Tennessee woods with my sister and her family. Much hiking, running, swimming, and other activities will be going on then, and hopefully the eating will be reasonable. We are staying in a house with a full kitchen, and we have to bring all of our own food since there are few-to-no grocery stores nearby, so it should be okay.

Still. I have got to pull it together. The eating is out of control, and it's mostly been dessert/junk, like ice cream and gin-and-tonics and such. I fare better with actual meals, where I am easily able to put together a lot of veggies and lighter choices, but in between, it's been bar the door, Mary!

So the Diet Goals this week are:
1. No more ice cream. If I need an icy treat, it's back to the popsicles, which I love anyway. Or have a WW yogurt -- I am loving the lemons right now!
2. Stick with the 21 points a day.
3. Start to eat down all the fruits and veggies in the fridge before they go bad.

Exercise Goal: I got in 5 days of exercise this week, no problem! Mainly because we were so active and I tried several new things which I am now obsessed with. Today we are either going kayaking again or swimming, or maybe even both. Yay! Then I will get my runs in on M-W-F, and hopefully be able to swim on either Tue or Thur. (C'mon, weather! Work with me!)

Fashion Goal: get all my laundry done so I can pack for the trip. *g* I've got 4 days of meetings this week, so it will be a lot of dresses and skirts. I think I will break out a couple of my NAS purchases, if I can. Oooooh!

I've also got photos to post, but the niece is sleeping in the room with the computer that holds all of them. So maybe I can get to them later today. Otherwise it will wait until Monday!

Thursday: Remix Workout and the Style Challenge

On impulse yesterday, I decided to go kayaking in a nearby lake; I've rowed my whole life in various types of boats, but I've never kayaked.

I AM HOOKED. It was all the best parts of my other rowing experiences: the ability to go "on an adventure" and explore close-up the shoreline and water (like when I would take out the rowboat as a kid), a great upper-body workout and ability to glide swiftly across the lake (like when I was on crew in high school), and the ability to control it all myself, which I never had. I couldn't stop marveling at how much I had missed being so close to the water, and wondering why I hadn't looked into this sport before.

I will definitely be renting kayaks in the coming days and weeks, to check out the different styles and sizes, and then very likely buying one of my own. I've already checked and there's no rentals anywhere near Natchez Trace, and I won't have my own in the next two weeks, unfortunately. But I will figure something out!

Luckily, I had the perfect gear outfit for my spontaneous adventure; on Hubby's urging I had just picked up a pair of water-repellant long cargo shorts from REI, for going out on his boat in Tennessee. I paired it with his favorite message t-shirt, a Christmas gift he got from ThinkGeek for me last year (think like a computer geek and you will get the joke), and my awesome yellow Lands End aqua socks/waterproof Mary Janes. The colors are not my usual flattering ones, but it's actually better to wear bland neutrals on the water so you attract fewer bugs.



Heh.

Later that day, after I also squeezed in a C25K run (and um, some ice cream *g*), I finally had a chance to dress up for the Dress Your Style challenge I had issued over on YLF. This stemmed from a Name Your Style thread I started a couple of days ago, where I challenged everyone to use only 3 words to describe their current style and the style they would like to grow toward. My 3 words were:

My current style:
1. Polished
2. Cheery
3. Classic

My style goals:
1. Pretty
2. Clever
3. SophisticatedComplex, detailed, haven't quite defined it yet

Funny thing is, I tore my closet UP trying to put something together! I only have two pairs of jeans that fit right now, one in white and one in medium rinse (a hand-me-down pair from Target), and it's hard to do a polished look without dark-rinse jeans! I was completely panicking, certain that I would be the only one who couldn't actually fulfill the challenge that *I* issued, muttering "polished, cheery, classic" to myself as I tried on outfit after outfit. Shirt and after shirt were rejected, I grabbed vests and necklaces and scarves and different jeans and they were just ALL WRONG. We were heading out for dinner soon, and I was losing the race with the clock -- when all of a sudden, I spied the perfect top and realized I was making the whole thing much too hard. And I put on the outfit I should have been wearing all along.



The J Crew outlet denim skirt is polished, the BR Outlet yellow striped sweater top is pretty and cheerful with the classic sailor-stripe look, and the brown strap sandals have a nice wedge heel which gives me my signature height. The second I put it on, I felt like me, which is what the challenge was supposed to accomplish.

I wasn't really looking to create my future style, I only wanted to capture what I am now. I do feel like I cheated a bit by not wearing real jeans, and I may try later when my niece is gone to do it again with a t-shirt and jeans as the base, but...this is me to a tee! :)

Today we are off to Six Flags for a day of roller coasters. How the heck will I dress for that? Casual and nothing loose that could fly off when I am upside down, for sure! :)

Wednesday: Remix - my first size small

I bought this top full-price at Nordstroms back in April because a) it was red, and b) it was a size small. My first EVER. Who could resist?

And now...it's a little big, but that only makes me happier.

Top: Michael Kors gathered-neck knit top, Nordies
Belt: patent-and elastic wide belt, AT (purchased as part of a dress)
Bottom: cotton pencil skirt, ATL
Shoes: Me Too ballet flats (when the skirt is this short, flats are critical for work!), remixed
Necklace: gold locket, J Crew Outlet, remixed


In other news, I am a HUGE DORK.



You're gonna make it after all, Mary Tyler Moore. ;-D

+++++

My niece is visiting through Monday, so posting will be sporadic. But I will still be clicking away!

Tuesday: Remix dress

If I could draw big sparkly hearts around this dress, I would. I am completely in love with the colors -- the purples aren't coming out as much in this shot, but they go so perfectly with the teals and blues it makes me grin every time I look at it. It fits like a dream, it's pretty and professional and the knit drapes well and doesn't cling.

I've worn it more than any other piece of clothing I've bought since losing weight, and I am so delighted that it still fits. Today was the first time I've been able to wear it without a cardigan over it, and I discovered that the sleeves have adorable little gathers in the middle. I never knew that!

Dress: AB Studio, Kohls
Shoes: black peeptoe cloth wedges with ankle straps, ATL
Camisole: blue Caslon, Nordstroms

Also, why am I am on a shopping ban right now? Why, why, why? Waaaaaaant.

The Remix Challenge

Funny thing happened as I was picking out my outfit for dinner last night; as I went to grab that brown banded sweater, I thought, "Gosh, I bought this almost a month ago, I hope it still fits!"

Because that's what my closet has been like since January; things never lasted more than a month, sometimes even less, because I shrunk out of it. So to have stabilized is still something of a shock. I eye things I bought in May with suspicion; how could it possibly still look good?

In some cases, I am right; the fabulous black ruched dress is sagging on me everywhere. I can spin my hips around in it, and the dress stays put while I move. The pale green open cardigan from ATL has long been packed away. Yet a few items have stayed, either due to alterations (I took in the straps of the polka-dot dress) or by sheer dint of its flexibility (I think this black shapeless BR dress will survive a holocaust, at this rate).

But for the most part, when I grab a piece of clothing out of my closet, I am pretty much guaranteed that it will still fit. It's taking some getting used to, but I am enjoying the change. Now the fun lies in mixing up what I have, learning how to rotate pieces so they can be repeated without fanfare or guilt, putting together new combos of old favorites.

Wow, I get to HAVE "old favorites" again!

Hopefully, this enjoyment will slow down the buying spree I have been on; I'm at the point where I don't really need anything else, at least not until it gets much, much colder. So I can take this time while I am on a shopping ban (a real one now, LOL) and learn to appreciate what's already in my closet.

To that end, I'm issuing myself a challenge: this week's (and next, since I will be off work on Thursday and Friday) outfits will all include "remix" items. That will be the theme of the outfit, to incorporate an old favorite in a new way, or to make it the centerpiece of the outfit. I will even post a link to the original time I wore it, so I can see the difference.

Yeah, I like this idea. I know just the outfit I want to wear to kick it off!

Anyone want to join the challenge with me?

Monday: Work and Play

The work outfit. I guess I need to make sure I like the photo before I put away the camera; this one didn't display the swingy drape of the sweater at all. Bummer!



Top: Grey slate open cardigan, BR outlet. Ivory sweater, ATL.
Accessories: Red-ivory scarf and necklace, J Crew outlet.
Bottom: black pants, ATL.
Shoes: Lattice flats, Etienne Aigner.

DH took me out for dinner tonight. I had a martini with 3 blue-cheese olives, and got to show off my new summer clutch. I waited all season for it to go on sale at ATL, and scored it for $15. Love! And olives!



Top: brown banded sweater, BR
Skirt: dark denim, J Crew outlet
Shoes: strappy espadrilles, Clarks
Purse: wicker brown and white clutch, ATL

Seasonal Texture Preferences

I've noticed that my food preferences change with the season. Not just the types of food, but the texture. In the summer, I crave cold and creamy. Soft-serve ice cream, icy daiquiris, mmmm. Of course, those aren't the healthiest choices, so instead I have yogurt and berries for breakfast, and WW English Toffee bars for my evening dessert. Lowfat blue cheese crumbles in my salad, mmm.

Fall and winter are all about warm and soft: roasted veggies and chicken, thick pumpkin or squash soups, polenta, homemade warm applesauce.

Spring is crunchy: romaine salads, frozen popsicles, chips.

How about you? Have you noticed any changes to your food preferences as the weather changes?

Friday, Saturday: Weekend Round-up Outfits

Friday, day: As casual as I get on Fridays



Top: Green patterned jersey top, BR Outlet. Green pointelle sweater, ON. Purple camisole, Kohls.
Bottom: Dusty cocoa pants, AT.
Shoes: Lattice peeptoe flats, Etienne Ainger.

Friday night: Hitting NAS with Shopping Friend.



Top: Yellow ruffled sleeveless shirt, ATL. Purple cardigan, Target
Bottoms: White jeans, BR.
Shoes: Lattice peeptoe flats, Etienne Ainger.

Saturday: Leggings are the perfect weight pants for WW weigh-ins!



Jacket: Denim, ON.
Dress: Purple knit, Target.
Leggings: Vera Wang, Kohls.
Shoes: Me Too ballet flats, DSW.

It was freezing all day!

Sunday was spent hiking with friends, so it was all gear. Boring!

Weekly Goals: Diet, Exercise, and Fashion

Yesterday was a strange day, eating-wise. I started off just fine, grabbing a bar on my way to my WW meeting (down 3 pounds from the last weigh-in!), and then I was off to the farmer's market and grocery store where I stocked up on all kinds of good stuff for the week. I had a second bar on my travels, which kept me from buying any of the tempting baked goods at the farmer's market. I was being proactive!

Then I got home at lunchtime, and everything went downhill. I ate at Chipotle, drank beer all afternoon, ordered pizza for dinner, heck I even had ice cream before the day was through. Not one "real" piece of food crossed my lips all day. I'm not even sure why -- of course the alcohol turning off all my inhibitors and sense of responsibility was a huge factor -- but I don't know what prompted me to have the beer in the first place. Boredom maybe, or the freedom of having a day with no responsibilities, or...who knows? I don't particularly feel guilty about it; there was an impact on the scale of course, but nothing's permanent. I don't want to repeat it, though.

Anyway, it got me to look back at my Food Tracker (yay for journaling my food!), and I did notice that the days where I went more off the rails than others are usually the day that I start off with a MF bar instead of oatmeal or yogurt&berries. So this week's Diet Goal is to save the MF bars for mid-day meals, not as the first one of the morning.

I don't think the bar is to blame for my issues, but it's like I commented at my WW meeting yesterday: when I go on vacation, I make it a point to utilize the hotel gym or pool first thing in the morning. Even though I may have a walking-filled day ahead of me, getting in some serious exercise right at the start stimulates and motivates me to make better choices throughout the day. So if I start the day with a healthy, filling, WW-style breakfast, I will be more likely to think about the rest of my food through the day that way. Whereas eating a MF bar is just "2 points of fuel" for me, and the candy-like flavors tend to trigger junk food cravings in my lizard brain. They're great for a 3pm meal, but not in the morning, at least not for me right now. I've got to remember that.

My Exercise Goal is to again get in 5 days. I managed to up it by one more day this week, and I'm still frustrated by the cool weather keeping me from the pool, but I want to make this happen. I am loving running, and today I will be going on a long hike with friends. So that will be 4 days = 1 hiking, 3 of the Couch-to-5K program. What will be my 5th exercise? Hmmmm...ooooh, my niece is visiting this week, and I've been talking to Hubby about renting a kayak for myself while the two of them go fishing on his new boat. If we can't get to the pool, then kayaking it will be!

My Fashion Goal is three-fold:
1. I need to sort through my boxes of clothes in the basement, and rearrange them by size. I have a couple of friends who are looking for some particular sizes and I want to share what I have. Shopping Friend suggested a clothing swap with our friends; now I have to figure out who to invite!
2. Want to continue to rotate all the new summer pieces I've added lately, and continue to cull out anything that is just too big, or new and needs to be returned.
3. Now that I am out of the shoe department LOL, the shopping ban is back in place!

That's the plan for this week. I think I can stick to it.

Shoe Money To-night!

Reasons I Broke My Shopping Ban 24 Hours After I Created It:

1. I lost 3 pounds this week.
2. Shopping Friend enticed me, mainly by waving a pretty shoe in my face and then telling me it looked cute. She claims she was not encouraging me, but let's be real. :)
3. The salesman told me it was the last in my size (and it was at NAS, so I believed him).
4.
5.

Come ON. I am only so strong, people!!

+++++

But here's the question: do I keep them?

The bronze Michael Kors Websters are pretty much guaranteed a 'yes'. I've been really wanting a uber-trendy pair of shoes, and these totally fit the bill. They're metallic, open-faced, peeptoe, platforms, and I think with a great pair of tights they can continue to be worn through the fall and winter. They look killer without hose too.





The only hesitation will be the comfort. I've learned I can do a 4" heel, even all day, but it's got to be a particular kind of heel for it to work. I'll definitely wear these around the house before I make a final decision; they were fine in the store, but they were starting to tire me out just during the poses. Hrm.

++++

The other pair is a gorgeous Chinese Laundry neutral cage heel called Love Me. They weren't on sale but they were reasonably priced and just stunning. They also came in black, which we didn't try. But the thing is, I can't quite figure out where I would wear them, and I think I need to have a place to wear them to justify keeping them. We do have a wedding to attend in September, and I'd like to wear one of the two pretty new dressy dresses I've already bought.

The question is, do the nude cage heels work with either one, or should I stick with the black platform heels I already have? I need to keep both dress options open because who knows what the weather will be like by then. (Keep in mind, I will still have to buy a clutch, and possibly a wrap.)

Nude cage heels with black ATL dress:


Black platform heels with black ATL dress:


Nude cage heels with "Michelle Obama" AT sheath dress:


Black platform heels with "Michelle Obama" AT sheath dress:


What's the verdict? I'm genuinely undecided.



P.S. Bonus points to anyone who recognizes where the blog subject line came from!

Thursday: Orange you glad you didn't say banana?

Dress: BR faux wrap, in "sarong red" but it sure looks orange to me
Camisole: brown, ATF
Sweater: brown cardi, ATL
Shoes: Me Too saddle platform heels, DSW
Necklace: gold and yellow stones, J Crew Outlet

+++++

Doing a combo post today, about diet and yesterday's outfit.

My MF friend Amy made a timely announcement this morning that after weeks of struggling to stay on plan with MF, she was making the switch to WW to finish her loss and head into transition. I say 'timely' because that was exactly the topic I wanted to discuss in today's post; after a couple of weeks on it, I have concluded that the switch has definitely been the right move for me. I feel like I've settled down from that first spastic week and made the transition into really following the WW plan, and it's definitely paying off. I am moving down the scale nicely (losing the water weight I gained back after the switch), and I am just so darned happier, and relieved!

It's funny, it's only been less than two weeks, but my time on MF seems very far away right now. I can't believe sometimes I was able to eat such a small amount of food with such restrictive choices for over six months, and I didn't feel deprived or hungry at all. Because, truly, when I was in the full swing of the program, I wasn't hungry and I loved being on MF with full passion and commitment. I LOVE the changes it wrought in my body, and in my eating habits, and in me. It got me to finally start exercising (I always blew that off in previous WW attempts), it got me into the great habit of small meals through the day, and it got me to realize if I do have a big meal at one point of the day, I really can just have small bits for the rest of the day; I don't have to have a second meal just because it's that time of day. That's been a revelation.

That said, I can't envision going back. I canceled my VIP auto-order, and I'm seriously unsure about what to do with my last order of food. I do eat maybe a bar or two a day, but they're actually more like dessert/snack than a meal to me. Hubby says to keep it and we'll slowly get through the bars, which is probably what I will do. I won't have to buy a granola bar for a long, long time, LOL!

But otherwise, I'm done with Medifast, and it is full steam ahead with WW. I am loving eating all my summer fruit, and I'm really into figuring out my points every day, seeing how many fruits and veggies I can pack into my 21 points and still have room for an ice cream bar. :) I'm no longer overwhelmed by the choices; now I am excited by them, and I love figuring out how to work in foods that strike my fancy to eat. ("If I have the small sushi rolls, then I can have 3 instead of the one big fried one. Salad for dinner, and I can maybe even have a small soft-serve cone.")

It's just such of relief to be eating "solid food" again, I can't even tell you! Also, it keeps away the questions from well-meaning friends and colleagues about when I will be done with the diet. I am still dieting, but it doesn't look like it anymore; all it looks like is that I am eating healthy. Which I am.

In conclusion: I love food. I am thrilled to be eating it again. I am doubly thrilled to have a new body in which to digest said food, and for that I thank Medifast.

Now I need to go make myself some oatmeal, and do a little Wii workout. Gotta get my 5 days of exercise in, and this is the only free time I've got to get it in today!

My new fall clothes

I did some damage at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, and it hasn't even opened yet officially! I got seven new items, and I don't think I'll be returning any of them. I love them all so much! I'm trying to tell myself that they are all classic and/or statement pieces that I will build the rest of my new fall wardrobe around. What do you think?

1. Grey sheath dress, Classiques.


I am mad for the neckline, and the dress itself is so very 1960s Mad Men! The only thing that worries me is the lack of sleeves. What could I wear with this when it's cool out? Would a white button-down underneath work? I tried a couple of black jackets, and they were only meh. A cardigan might be the way to go...



2. Knit dress, Donna Morgan. The color doesn't show well here, but it is a rich maroon-brown. Luscious!



This one will be a workhorse dress, with boots/booties and tights in the winter, and heels and hose in the fall.



3. Turquoise corduroy blazer, Halogen. This is the only piece I am iffy on, but I think the bright color will keep me grabbing for it again and again, so I should keep it.



4. Mustard yoked sweater, Semantiks. Just a cardigan, I know, but I love mustard and the fabric is silky-warm. If I only get one cardigan the whole season, this is the one I would want it to be.

[ETA: Please ignore the heels. I was too lazy to find a different pair after I switched to the jeans. I know the jeans are too short for them, Angie and Kris! Heh.]



5. Mulberry wool swing coat, Guess. I walked downstairs to show Hubby this one, and his instant comment before I even got to the bottom of the stairs was, "Adorable." It really is!



Buttoned is just as cute, and the color is divine. I've got my winter coat! (The one I can wear when it's not puffer-time. *g*)



6. Kenneth Cole New York long leather trench, in "taupe". It's lamb, and it is like BUTTAH. The color is hard to describe, but it's definitely not taupe, nor is it chocolate. More of a dusky mocha, with a bit of a green undertone.





Look at the awesome buckles in the back!



I am posting so many pictures of it because I am not sure about the fit. It's a large, and it is a little roomy. The medium did fit, but there wasn't room for much else. I can fit a jacket under the large. See?



So should I stick with the large, or exchange for the medium?

7. Grey, black and white paint-splatter pencil skirt, Trina Turk. Words cannot express my love for this skirt. The fabric is perfection, heavy and it doesn't wrinkle and it drapes so, so well. The pattern is gorgeous but not obnoxious, and it fits like a dream. I don't need a million skirts, I just need this one.



Here it is with the turquoise jacket.



Do I have to wait until fall to wear it? Do I? Hunh? Do I?



So what's the verdict? Did I do okay?