Random December outfits

A few random outfits I have been wearing lately:



Grey on grey on grey on black. I am crazy about all the draped necklines around these days; this one is a heathered grey sleeveless one from Target that has worked well under many of my blazers. The drape at the waist is a problem, though. I put this grey mix together because I wanted to wear my grey pinstriped pants but there is something about the hue that makes it hard to fit with my more brightly-colored tops. So I went with neutrals instead. The jacket is a knit Alice + Olivia that I got during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale; for a while there I had my doubts it would get much wear but I've been putting an effort into finding the right use for it, and it's worked well. 



More neutrals of the navy and brown school.  The grandpa cardigan is a little too grandpa-y here, but I decided to give it some structure by tucking in my Gap navy-and-brown striped top and adding a brown belt. Now that I look at it, a stronger gold necklace would have worked better instead the delicate long one I wore.



Casual Friday with a mustard v-neck shirt from Nordstrom, my beloved striped Lands End blazer, the Gap trouser jeans, and rose gold Tahari flats from DSW.

We went to Detroit this weekend (photos coming tomorrow!) and I somehow only managed to get one outfit photo. Which is a bummer, because I did finally break down and bought some new clothes from Lane Bryant, all of which I wore -- and that went together perfectly -- all weekend. I was so excited about my weekend packing, and I have no visual evidence to show it off. Doh!



This was Friday night; we stayed at the MGM Grand casino, so we spent the night "in" and downstairs gambling and hanging out. The long cardigan and black top are new from Lane Bryant, the jeans are those Jag jeans that I am still on the fence about (they did not fare well by the end of the weekend, waaaaaay too stretched out) and my sparkly Vince Camute suede flats. I am in love with the weight, fabric and stripe size on that cardigan; it is going into heavy rotation this winter, I can tell you now. Probably going to wear it today!



The purse is from a consignment store from a couple of years ago; it's a faux Chanel that I paid about $15 for. I love the idea of it, but I have only used 2-3 times. This is the last one; the "leather" in the strap is completely shredding and left little red pieces everywhere. It's in the bag for donation now!



This is yesterday's back-to-work outfit: the top is from Gwynnie Bee, and I knew as soon as I saw it on their website I had to wear it with my cobalt blue blazer. On its own, I didn't really love the top; the knit was too static-y and too short for my preferences, but under the jacket? Perfect.



I am so enjoying my Gwynnie Bee experience, I am considering upping my subscription to 3-pieces out a a time. Hmm, maybe for the new year when the shopping itch starts up anew. Right now I think I am doing okay finding things to wear. :)

Goldilocks

You guys, I am absolutely LOVING my wardrobe these days. I had no idea that getting rid of the clutter, allowing myself to routinely weed out items that aren't working, and cutting back on the shopping would be so darned freeing. Instead of constantly trying to outdo myself in terms of being fashion-foward, I am finding it is more satisfying to find ways to wear what I already have.

Of course, they don't all work -- at least not when I look at the photos sometimes -- but that too helps further hone my closet.



I liked the idea of this -- two versions of grey with a cobalt blue tee and a scarf for visual interest -- and for the most part it worked. But it's one that when I look at the photo, I realized it didn't. I think it's finally time to concede defeat on these dark grey Gap straight legs; there is just something about the fabric or the color that makes it look frumpy and dated, like they were black and now have faded to this grey. It drives me nuts!



This I liked a little better, even though it is just a whole lot of black. I have two of these "blogger" necklaces, but this cobalt blue one gets almost no wear. (Maybe I should have gotten it in red instead.) I don't have a lot of good contrasting colors for it, so it really only work against black or white. I thought it worked pretty well here, playing on that idea with a patterned B&W tank from Target, black cascading cardigan, and my trusty black Gap modern bootcuts.

This one, from yesterday, was Goldilocks approved, as it was just right.



Also lots of black but it doesn't feel that way. The purple skirt and knit jacket are two purchases from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale that I have been waiting to wear (patiently, for months!!) and it is finally cold enough to do so. See how the turquoise bloger necklace works just so much better than the cobalt one does? I think it might be just a more flattering color for me.

The top is from Gwynnie Bee, and it might just be the best one I have gotten from them yet. It's a simple INC black knit long sleeve top, but it fits and drapes PERFECTLY. It is the Holy Grail of black tops. I am taking it to Macys tomorrow to see if they still have any in stock; I need to own this to complete so many other looks. Assets tights and my Franco Sarto Deer shooties finish the look.



I had my doubts about that skirt, but now that it is cold enough to wear, I expect it is going to get lots of mileage. It's the first skirt or dress that I have had in a long while that looks good on my dupa.

Coincidentally, I got a couple of questions about that leather-trimmed tweed jacket from my last post; it was also from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (and is out of stock now, sorry). It in fact inspired the color combo of this outfit. I may try the skirt and necklace again with the jacket next time!

If you are interested in Gwynnie Bee, anytime during the month of November,  you can sign up for a free 30-day trial. Leave me your email (or email it to me) and I will send you an invite. I really cannot speak more highly of this service. It's rejuvenating my closet!

My hair is bouncin' and behavin'

I dub Day/Night 1 of the Night-Shower Experiment a success.



All I had to do was brush it in the morning. !! Apparently bed head is a good look for me. I did make one mistake in letting it air dry the first night; it was a little flat on the top of my head, which a good volumizer and a quick blow would have fixed. I will work on that.

I also liked the outfit; the pants are a grey pinstripe, so it's not as all-black as the photo would indicate. You guys know me, I'm not a all-black person so it feels like when I do wear it, it packs a punch. The turquoise Blogger Necklace helps soften it up around my face, too, which I need.

The shoes are Circa Joan & David kitten heels from several years back. Shopping Friend will remember them; they're the first "heels" she convinced me to buy! When the pointy-toe look faded the last few years, I tucked them into the back of my closet, but now that it is making a comeback -- and frankly I needed the kitten heel height for the pants, and these were all I had -- I pulled them back out. They've held up well; guess spending a few extra dollars on quality shoes instead of Target/Payless cheapies pays off.

Speaking of spending, this is now following me around the internet.



The two-tone brown booties are the ones I was talking about the other day, and the wedge casual booties on the left are a fabulous find from Angie at YLF. Now that I can wear jeans a few other days besides the weekend, and I do have a good number of said jeans with long hems for heels, I think I can justify a fun bootie like that.

I may scrap the fall/winter purse idea for another year -- since none are jumping out at me as The One -- and go for some solid bootie additions instead.  And maybe a smart daytime clutch -- it's very on-trend, and the only clutches I have are summer woven ones.

Dammit, the ads win again.

More Purse Options

First, can we talk about how creepy/tempting/jarring it is to see your most-recently-viewed items from Zappos and Nordstrom appearing in ads on other sites? My usual MO for my daily internet walkaround is that I skim through my Google Reader, catching up on my fashion, news and friends' blogs and websites, opening up links in new tabs as I see something that catches my eye or that I want to comment on. Then I go through the new tabs more closely, checking out deeper links to recommended shoes/purses/whatever. If an item really interests me, I might save it to my shopping bag or wish list. Then I close up the tabs and go to my personal daily sites: Facebook, Twitter, new sites, etc.

Later that day or the next day, all of a sudden there are the shoes I had randomly linked to showing up under my Lexulous and Slingo games on FB, or on the side frame on YLF, or really, anywhere on any news sites. This last week, it has begun to feel like that Rebecca Minkoff bag is stalking me!

Now, I know it is all done with browser cookies, and the sites that have these ads need to make money to survive, but sometimes it feels very Big Brother-y. As well as extremely tempting (as all well-done ads should be); even though I decided not to go with the oxblood bag when I saw it in real life, the continued appearance of it everywhere I go on the internet has created several moments of doubt.

Dammit, the ads are working.

So I won't be surprised when the following bags appear in the corners of my non-fashion sites this next week. I am considering one of these for my new fall purse. What do you guys think?

Fossil Maddox satchel, in chestnut. I like the shape, and I can easily untie that twee-looking key from the strap. The color seems a bit off; I was hoping for something more brown and fewer yellow undertones. But the Espresso is too dark.

Fossil Maddox Bucket, in cordovan. LOVE the color, and I adore the bucket shape; I would have snapped up a Coach Legacy one if the leather had been better. I just wonder if the strap is too short and how it would look on the shoulder.

Michael Kors Uptown Astor Medium Crossbody Satchel, in Bordeaux. LOVE the way it looks as a crossbody, and as a satchel in the hand; the versatility would be ideal for work.

I need to touch this one before deciding; the feel of the leather and the width of the bag could knock it out of the running.

The Rebecca Minkoff Mac Daddy. The lure of the internet ads keeps hope alive!

Cole Haan Crosby - Woodbury bucket bag. Everything about this bag is perfection...except the color. Neither the Tango Red or the Woodbury brown are appealing to me. But I will keep my eye out in case Cole Haan does this in other colors.

Seeing them all like this, it's the Michael Kors that is highest on my preference list. I will try to track it down at the store to see it in person.

Any others I should consider?


P.S. You know I love a good bootie/shootie but I am very picky about adding new ones to my collection. My Franco Sarto Deers are still going strong in their 4th winter season, and my black Naturalizer cuffed booties are celebrating their 3rd birthday this winter. I didn't find a good new brown one to add last year, but I think I have now.

LOVE the reasonable heel, the simple cuffed style, and most of all the smooth two-tone brown leather. Amazing. I can't believe it is a Munro; that brand always looks so stodgy and orthopedic when I see their displays at Nordstrom. This is not stodgy at all, but classic and minimalist. The reviews are all very positive. Hmmmm, it's expensive but it might be worth it. Heck, maybe I should give up the bag search altogether and just get the booties!

Stuff I Wore

So the whole Dress Like a Normal Person challenge has fallen apart; I stopped taking outfit photos and tracking them on my spreadsheet since I got back from Florida. Ooops.

That said, I still have been dressing like a normal person, and I have a small backlog of photos to prove it.

First there are some last shots of Florida. Got a goofy one with my parents the morning I flew back to Chicago.



Doesn't my mom look great? She's been doing WW online, and it's paying off. Go, Mom!!



One of me, with a Florida-appropriate top and Chicago-appropriate shoes. And a butt-ugly fish.



Then we got silly and I bundled up full-on in my Chicago gear. I was sweating by the time they finished taking the pictures! :)



I made Hubby snap this one after work one day so I could show off yet another wearing of this awesome Nordstrom dress. I haven't lost a significant amount of weight yet but I am losing a little bit, and it already shows in this dress. It fits much better now than it did in December. You will just have to trust me since the blurriness doesn't help prove my case. :)




A lazy Saturday. I felt like I was channeling Sheila with her striped graphic top over a long sleeved tee! :) Next time I will wear my short-sleeved black cardigan over this; without some solid blocking the sides, I really look much too wide in this. Oh well, lesson learned!



And this was yesterday. This is a new skirt I got on sale from Nordstrom a few weeks ago in its inaugural wearing. It's a midi-length which is all the rage on YLF. I loved the pattern on the knit, and the fit is just amazing. I actually TUCKED IN my top with it, something I haven't done with any outfit in quite some time.



I liked the addition of the thin patent belt too; it made the outfit under the sweater almost look like a dress instead of a LOFT tee and skirt. I could have gone with a dressier jacket or even a more structured sweater, but I was at my desk all day and I don't like to overdress when I am not going to meetings. It makes people in my office nervous, like I have a secret interview. With all the turnover and change in the team these days, I don't want to do that to people. We're already stressed out enough.

And that's a quick peek at some of the outfits I have been wearing lately! Now I am off to figure out what to wear since we did not do laundry last weekend and I have completely run out of pants and skirts to wear. Uh oh...

In lieu of Sunday Cooking

I am not home this weekend so no Sunday Cooking post. Instead here is a catchup on my outfits of last week. The last two days of the workweek started to see some favorite cardigans making a reappearance.



I bought the animal-stripe sleeveless top at Macys last spring while we were downtown for the weekend, and I have not worn it since. I have no idea why; it's very cute. On Wednesday, I dug it out of the bottom of my shirt drawer and paired it with the pewter BR lariat necklace and Bobeau teal drape sweater.



The outfit finished off with some Gap Real Skinnies and my Vince Camuto brogue cowboy boots. The skinnies are really too short for anything but being tucked into boots, alas.



Thursday was a return of the new Sejour drawstring purple sweater from Nordstrom. It is so perfect for this mild winter, and I just like it against white. I paired it with my navy pinstripe bootcut pants; my brown BOC clogs weren't my first choice of shoes, but the pants are too long for anything but a 4-inch heel and those were all I had. Gotta get those pants to the tailor!




Friday was all about bundling up; we had flurries all day. Luckily it only ended up being less than an inch of snow on the ground, but it was COLD.



This is an old H&M long grey sweater, so cozy on the coldest days. I paired it with a dark green LOFT layering top, black Gap bootcut pants, black Naturalizer booties, and an Old Navy necklace made of green/teal ombre beads. This one is the definition of "Dress Like a Normal Person"; I've owned most of this for two years, minimum, and have worn them all countless times.

Lastly, I also often "eat like a normal person". Here is how I packed my lunch on Friday.



See? It isn't always cute lunch boxes and Bentos. But it's still pretty much the same foods.



Squash soup (in the blue container), the last of the quiche, navel orange, crackers and cheese wedge. It was tasty!

Tuesdays by the Numbers

1. This was lunch on Monday. Not for nothing, but the quiche is so good. Why did I avoid kale all this time? It's so hearty!



Quiche, leftover salad with honey mustard dressing, blackberry yogurt with blackberries, clementine and more blackberries. I also had granola but I forgot to eat it.

2. This was my outfit on Monday.



I don't know why I keep trying with this cream Gap long cardigan, but I am not giving up! I love it on the hanger but it doesn't love me back the same way. This time I paired it with a purple and dove grey knit top from Loft, my black skinnies, and my beloved cuffed booties (2 wears so far, the only repeats of the week).

3. This was my outfit on Tuesday. It was still so dark out at almost 8am, my flash went off!



I love this lilac cardigan, but it's a little short and doesn't work well with my weight right now. I worked it out by adding a longer tee. The scarf and the necklace also balance it out.

4. Kelly asked about my new purple cardigan. It's from Nordstrom, and it's still on sale!

5. Is anybody else watching The Voice? Boy, that Blake Shelton is a tall cool drink of water. Yee-haw.

6. In four days, I will be in Florida, reading my Kindle by the pool. I rarely go to warm places during the winter (I like winter!) but I'm looking forward to the trip. Maybe I will even have some guest stars on the blog again! :)

7. SuperTracker update: I ended up bailing on the SuperTracker site. Like with WW, it's just too much work having to look up all the different foods I eat (even using the Favorites option). I would rather just write it down and track it on my own. So I am back to my trusty Excel spreadsheet, the one right next to my clothing one!

8. I need to find a filling snack. I get plenty of veggies and fruit in, but I think I am low on complex carbs and protein. Nuts are okay, but you only get a small amount in a portion. I guess popcorn? Maybe some bread/crackers and Laughing Cow cheese? Anyone else have any suggestions?

That's all I got for Tuesday!

A new fashion challenge (in search of a catchy name)

I got an anonymous comment the other day, lamenting the fact that I post more about food than fashion these days. Yes, eating and cooking is where my interest lies lately, and I have to confess, I am hanging onto blogging altogether by my fingertips; I am extremely stressed about work and all the changes going on there, and it's about all I can do to get through the day and collapse into a mindless heap watching TV and playing online games on Facebook. Setting up photos, writing blog posts, it often just feels like a lot of work.

Add to that I am not at a weight I feel comfortable in, my hair is a disaster, and I am watching all the current trends with a horrified eye (is the fur vest thing over yet? god, emerald green, really? why are all the Nordstrom blouses for plus sizes shaped like muumuu's? when is the uniform of skinny pants/short sparkly tops/megahigh platform heels going to go away, so we can stop looking like hookers?), and I lost my favorite indoor corner for outfit shots (Hubby hung a shoe container on the back of the office door), and I've got myself a soupcon of self-pitying disinterest in fashion. I've mentioned before, I really am just repeating the same boring outfits over and over. It occurred to me the other day that my shopping has decreased significantly. I used to go pretty much every weekend, returning things I bought online through the week, making the rounds of my favorite stores, etc. Now if I go once a month it's a big deal. I never thought my passion for fashion would change THAT much!

My buddy Sheila at Ephemera just kicked off this year-long challenge, where each month she chooses 30 pieces that she will wear for the whole month. Sheila is an extremely creative woman who loves variety and has an amazing closet and lifestyle to go with all of her outfits, so I'm looking forward to seeing how her creativity comes to life when she limits her options. Her decision also got me thinking about my current outfit rotation; when I first read it I thought, well I kind of am already doing that. I used to think when I started blogging that I would hate that; I tried a couple of remix challenges where I wore 10 pieces for a week, or 30 pieces for a month, and it did not work for me. I loved having a big closet with tons of options, I loved wearing all my sweet dresses, and ultimately I chafed under the restrictions, and was pretty resentful of the whole project by the time I finished.

But it struck me that maybe bloggers do have the better attitude about it than I do; instead of calling it "wear the same boring clothes over and over" they call it "remixing". Or they set up challenges for themselves to see how many or few items they can remix over a period of time. Or other bloggers pride themselves on creating a "small closet" with pieces they can easily mix and match together.

So I'm creating a challenge for myself. My intention is not to voluntarily limit anything I wear; I know myself well enough to know that as soon as I say, "I can't wear that", I will desperately want to wear it. What I want to do is track and document how many times I really do wear all of my clothes. It's a challenge to myself to pay attention to what I am wearing again, to keep track on a spreadsheet of repeated items, to take a picture every day again.

I'm not going to be embarrassed that I'm repeating the same items, I'm just gonna wear my clothes like a normal person. I've had this blog for almost three years now, and I think I've gotten caught up in the fashion-blogosphere idea that unless I am constantly reinventing my style or wearing clothes in a creative, fresh way, it's not worth blogging about. That's stinkin' thinkin', as Stuart Smalley would say, and it's time to stop.

I've built my spreadsheet, and I took my first photo yesterday.



Bobeau teal cardigan, Gap polka-dot blouse, Gap Real Straight pants, Naturalizer cuffed booties, BR pewter lariat necklace. I anticipate all of these to have many little x's as the weeks progress.




I'm keeping track by item to see how many times I repeat. There are no rules about limiting new items, or the number of times I can wear anything, etc. I'm just getting dressed every morning in whatever fits/is clean/is appropriate for my day/I feel like wearing, and I will take a picture and track it on the spreadsheet. I can't guarantee I will post it every day, but I will post as often as I can.

All I need now is a catchy name for my challenge.

Dress Like A Normal Person challenge?
You're Wearing That Again? challenge?
Rethinking Remixing challenge?
Fashionstyle challenge?

Hmm. Any suggestions?


P.S. Thank you Anonymous, for getting me thinking about fashion again. But I should warn you, there will still be plenty of food and foodstyle posts. :)

Hump Day

Gosh, how did we get to Wednesday already? I'm so far behind in everything I need to do!!

Anyway, I promised I would wear something out of my sister's box of clothes every day this week, and I would photograph it. I am not sure I am going to make it to the end of the week; turns out none of the awesome skirts fit. The good news is they are all too big, but the bad news is that means I will never be able to wear them. They are so gorgeous, I'm pretty bummed about it. I might get one of them (a fabulous houndstooth) taken in, just to see it works.



This was Monday. One of two great Lane Bryant tunic sweaters; the other one was a strong green. I did wear it over the weekend, but unfortunately the color did not work on me as well as this peacock blue one did, so I passed it along to my friend Jessie. She looks AMAZING in green, so I know she will rock it.

I know a white top and black pants is a bit of a cop-out, but you know, when the sweater has enough character you don't need to overload with other stuff. I did wear my pretty gold circle necklace with it, to help emphasize the cowl neck.




Tuesday was a bit dressier than I have been lately, but it was all in service to the yellow Banana Republic sweater that made its way back to my closet in the box. It's a little snug right now, so I layered it under a Tria tweed jacket instead of over a button-down like I wanted to wear it. The sweater is short-sleeved and has cute ruching at the shoulders. Maybe you'll see it again later this winter or spring when it fits better.

The details of this aren't clear, but the pants are a navy pinstripe, and the jacket has great gold embellishment all along the hem. I added a couple of triple-strand gold necklaces to finish it off.





Today this will be the outfit, although I may mix it up with a different necklace or scarf. I cheated and wore it last Friday, but I like this sweater so much I am repeating it. This is a Forth & Towne oldie but goodie. Love the melon-y color, the faux-wrap look, and just the general weight and softness of the fabric. This is almost 5 years old, and it's still one of my favorites.

Sometimes I don't mind having gained the weight back because it lets me re-discover beloved pieces again. And believe me, I have plenty more in smaller sizes in the basement! :)

Lastly, I am enjoying all the food I made this weekend. I've had leftover soup a couple of days, and yesterday I brought in this:



There are cauliflower pizza crust/pancakes under the pulled pork, which worked out very well. They gave the pork a nice base but wasn't as carb-heavy as just bread. I added some of the roasted veggies with it. Yogurt, a mix of clementines and blackberries, some store-bought granola (Shelley, I had to concede defeat on making my own for now), some Special K crackers (which are so good!), and a couple of extra clementines filled me up for the day.

Aaaaaand now I am late for my day. Have a good one, all!

The Glamorous Life

Yeah, that's my electric meter in the shot. I have now revealed the secret I've been cropping out for months: the space where I take my photos is right between my patio door, the meter reader, and our grill.

Don't let anyone ever fool you into believing fashion bloggers all lead glamorous lives. ;-D

Just getting a "good enough" photo can be troublesome some days. I have a custom timer set on my camera, so I shoot 4 pictures with 2-seconds between each shot, and I have 10 seconds from when I hit the button to get into position before it starts.

So if I take two sets in a couple of minutes, this is what I get.



From there I pick the best one or two; selection is swift and brutal. Look fat, bad pose, look fat, dorky smile, lead arms, blurry, bad hair, look fat, oooh I can work with that and that. I then crop and enhance in iPhoto. If it needs anything more than that, I don't bother.

Cropping helps a lot, most importantly by bringing me and my outfit front and center into the shot. After all, that's why you're here, isn't it?



Day 2 of chunky knits and unexpected neutral combinations. I've learned the hard way that chunky knits really only work on me when they are short-sleeved; anything else and I start to resemble a hibernating bear. :) The pants are a new pair of Gap straight legs -- I loved them so much in black I got them in graphite grey too. The knit is also new from Old Navy; the pumpkin spice color isn't for everyone, but for me it was irresistible! I liked the two together, so the rest of the outfit was just to serve that combination: dusty brown ON layering top, my trusty brown suede BOC heeled clogs, brown studded belt from Walmart (I know!). The necklace is one I bought from my sister from Lia Sophia last year, but I hadn't been able to find the right outfit for it until now. Phew!

You may have noticed I have a lot of new stuff from Gap and Old Navy; I did well during their Black Friday sale. Even better, it was all online; no lines, no fuss, no early-morning insanity. Best kind of Black Friday there is!

Okay, all caught up from last week. It took a bit to get back into the swing of daily photos, but I think I am back!

Emily missed you guys too. She was contemplating making a break for it...if only her head was smaller. :)