Saturday Switcheroo

I love that you guys are not total enablers. When you don't like something, you say so, and without sugar-coating it. I appreciate that! I confess, I did stop over at Nordstrom to check the fur coats in person anyway, and they were, as my sister noted, fugly. The obsession is over, alas. (Mostly. I am still going to see if I can work some fur some way into my winter coat.)

But I did find some great purchases this weekend:

These Clark Artisan Vermont Vistas, in a fabulous olive suede. I've liked the look of the Clarks Indigo Water Row bootie for the last couple of seasons, but the arch was too high, and the look just a little too desert-boot. This one works much better for me. Hubby is waterproofing them as we speak! Eeee!

I also got this Coach purse (without Shopping Friend's recommendation or discount, yikes!). I'm on the fence about it; I really want a structured medium-sized bag, and I am in love with the color. The shoulder strap does fit really well under my arm, even with my trench coat on, and I think it will look amazing with suits and dressier outfits. My only worry: is it too boring?

What's your verdict, internet?

I ended up not getting that Cole Haan blue bag, for two reasons.
1. When I cleaned out my bags last month, I discovered that every bag I had bought for a "pop of color" was blue. I had turquoise, sky blue, and cobalt...and the cobalt was the only one that got any use at all, and only in the summer. The rest of my bags are black, brown and grey, which makes sense for me; I use a lot of color in my outfits, so the bag actually tones it down in many cases.
2. I then looked through my fall/winter coat closet, and realized that the most-used "pop of color" there is red or purple.
Given what I already had, the blue bag made no sense at all, and the lovely grey one above makes more sense.


The last purchase can't be found online so you'll have to wait a bit. Ooooh, suspense!

+++++

After a week of no photos, I did make myself take one on Friday.





I liked all the pieces of this, but I'm not sure it gelled together as a cohesive outfit.





The shirt is a yellow gingham Old Navy one; I bought it three colors on impulse (and on mega-sale) but I rarely wear any of them. I had the grey gingham on first, and that might have worked better in the end. The jacket is a Loft gunmetal gray, the pants are black NYDJ ponte skinnies, and the shoes are my BOC suede clogs from last year. Maybe the problem was going with brown, black, and grey. Hmm.


Saturday was more inspired. This particular inspiration that I saw in Lucky Magazine on Friday.

Source: luckymag.com via LowFatDressing on Pinterest

I was completely enamored.

First I started with a base: dark jeans and a white button down shirt. This is a tuxedo-front one from Old Navy that still has some life to it.




Boring, but it's a good base. Then I added the killer elements.







I loved it. I will definitely be wearing variations on it again. It served me well most of the day, but after my haircut the weather started to warm up, and it was just too heavy. I came home and changed into my new jacket, so Hubby could take me and my new sleek haircut out to dinner. (I love when my stylist flat-irons it the first day.)




LOVE this new jacket. This was the mysterious third purchase of the day, on the sale rack at Nordstrom. It's a Tahari Woman, with a great ruffled neck, with a fitted ruching at the waist. It's animal print, but not gaudily so. Close up, it looks even better.






I paired it with an Old Navy layering tee, and the same dark wash Old Navy jeans and brown patent croc print Me Too flats. I will be bereft when these shoes bite the dust!




Sunday has been a lazy day. Forgot to take a photo, but I did some food prep for the week. Made a great smoky black bean soup recipe (an old one from Weight Watchers), roasted butternut squash, and a fabulous (nonhealthy) item called, as my friend J calls it, "Tater Tot and Blue Cheese Hot Dish". Holy smokes, was it good!

And that's what I have been up to. How was your weekend?