Smart casual for a casual shower

What do you wear to a casual wedding shower at an Irish pub on a Sunday afternoon? Let me tell you, it was a dilemma!



The gold firefly top started as a Gwynnie Bee rental, and I loved it. I saw it on Eloquii as a final sale for $14, and I had to scoop it up. Pink and gold, pretty and fun.

I added this gold necklace to give it a bit of an edgier look.



Then of course I had to finish it off with a classic black jacket. This is why we own them!



I went with a semi-tuck look, which actually cut down on the muffin-top. No picture, but I got a cute black faux-alligator Kenneth Cole Reaction clutch as a freebie casino giveaway, and it went perfectly with it. (I will get a picture next time; I am surprised how much I love that clutch!)

After that, the shower itself was a breeze! Next weekend: the wedding. Hurray!

Color Project: Red

The Color Project: Red has officially begun!

I started two weeks ago with this Lane Bryant top under a Gwynnie Bee sweater. The red top is tons of fun, and an easy staple in the closet. No question it is staying.



Last week I wore a number of tops from the project.

First was a purple Old Navy collarless blouse. I've struggled to find outfits for this before; it's one that I have to work into the rotation consciously, not one I grab because I want to wear it, like the red LB above. Not sure this one is going to last the month.
(Worn with a B&W striped cotton cardigan from Lane Bryant, faded Old Navy Dreamers, pewter Privos, white camisole, and my Brighton silver pendant. Variations of this are definitely my weekend wear.)





This mauve LOFT tee is the twin of the white one I dithered over during the White Project. Funny how a different color makes all the difference; I love the softness and tone of this one. It will be staying in the closet, for sure.
(Worn with a black Target cocoon cardigan, same faded Dreamers, and multi-stone long necklace from LOFT Outlet. Barefoot because it was my work from home day. :))







I forgot to add this purple-and-grey abstract banded top from Old Navy to the original Red pile, but it is mostly purple so I am adding it in. Trying with a tone-on-tone look with a purple Babeau draped cardigan from Norstrom from a few seasons ago, black NYDJ stretch straight legs, and Clarks Artisan fauz-moto booties.





Close-up of the Brighton silver pendant, a Christmas gift from my mom. It's supposed to be a badge holder but it's much too pretty for that.



This last outfit was my favorite of the week. I got this red polka-dot drape neck blouse from Nordstrom this fall, and I've struggled with the right outfit for it. I think my search is over.





What makes it work is that both pieces have a black heathered quality to them, so there is an underlying commonality to the patterns that makes them work together. It made me happy to wear all day long.



5 down, 5 to go. I might get through this chapter of the project faster than the White round.

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. :)

Windy Weekend

It was a windy, rainy, cool weekend. I'm not gonna lie, I loved it. Bad weather keeps people indoors, so I was able to zip through my errands and weekly shopping with few hassles. Even the post office was a breeze!

It also gave us the excuse to be lazy, to stay in and watch "Up" for the first time (God bless AppleTV and their many closed-captioned options, way more than Netflix). I did stock up on squash at the last farmer's market of the season, but the laziness extended itself into skipping weekly cooking too. It's squash, it will keep! (More to come on that later this week. Gotta save my blog topics up now that I am trying to do them daily again. Heh.)



With the closet re-organization, I am making a concerted effort to wear items that used to be buried in drawers or in the back of the closet. This knit bubble-hem top, with a purple and grey speckled pattern, is an Old Navy impulse purchase that has only gotten a couple of wears and lived underneath my other long-sleeved layering tops in a drawer. Since it is really a centerpiece top and not a layering one (meaning it works as the main part of an outfit, not just underneath a sweater to fill out the arms or neck) I hung it up in the New Closet where it catches my eye as an outfit option. I really liked pairing it with a grey super-soft Target cardigan of the same light hue; it muted the pattern and colors so they looked more sweet instead of zany.

The shoes are a new purchase from Clarks; I have needed a new pair of casual walking shoes for a while, and I really just love the look of those elastic-lace ones from Privo. They're still *sneakers* but they're nicer and more stylish than white running shoes, that's for sure. (Assuming you find ones that aren't frumpy or impractical, which isn't as easy as it should be!) I have a pair in purple from several years ago, but they are kind of wide and often look like duck boots under jeans. These were much better!

Privo "Pursuit Happiness" style. They felt like mine the second I put them on. I didn't take them off all weekend!

Sunday was super-casual; I solved the wind problem by pulling my hair back. And I wasn't kidding about wearing the Privos all weekend!



I wore a color-blocked short-sleeved sweatshirt I picked up at Old Navy and have been enjoying this summer, but with the cool weather I added a cobalt blue long-sleeved layering top under it. Messy and casual, which is what I was going for. :) They're not all fashionista outfits!

See what I meant about the wind?




What did you guys do this weekend?

Dress me, internet!

I swear, I get all my outfit ideas from the internet lately.

Last week, Angie over at YouLookFab posted about how to wear the Sassy Sweatshirt. Obviously, wearing one at work is a no-no for me at the Nun Factory, but it did spawn an idea for Saturday casual.



I picked up the sweatshirt at Old Navy this spring, but have mostly been wearing it as loungewear. We've finally reached a cool point in the summer, though, so I suspect this will be getting a workout, especially on vacation next week. I am ready!



Next it was Ally at Wardrobe Oxygen who provided the inspiration. She wore a fantastic striped blazer from Karen Kane with a hot pink cami, and I was head over heels. Look at how amazing she looks!

I will definitely be duplicating it during the week too, with my own striped blazer, but I also did a version over the weekend with my trusty White House Black Market striped cardigan.



This was the first rendition, when I took Hubby out to breakfast for his birthday on Sunday. But it was a little too warm for long pants and a long sweater, so I went back to my boyfriend jeans. Loved them with the chunky wedge sandals.






Thanks, ladies, for the continued inspiration!

Internet Magpie: LowFatDressing edition

Things around the web that made me want to link and babble on.

1. Jif Natural peanut butter in to-go packets. Peanut butter is a food I will eat the entire contents of, no matter the size of the container. If it's a big jar, I will eat a big jar; if it's a small jar, I will eat that. (My husband has the same thing with chips.) It killed me to pay more for the packaging for these, but it works. I eat an entire to-go cup, and then stop.

It's not a stingy "100-calorie" cup, either; it's a good amount that leaves me satisfied, so I'm not digging through the cabinet to have a second one, (and a third and a fourth...). Just one is enough to make two PB&Js!

2. The Hairpin posted an amazing entry: Be Less Crazy About Weight. Some excerpts:

Our entire culture is freaking right the fuck out, in fact. An epidemic of stories about the obesity epidemic! Cookie Monster rapping about vegetables! Fat cats and skinny dogs, lying down together! The message is Way Too Many People Weigh Way Too Much And That’s A Problem. But I’m not sure that’s accurate. I think it’s more a symptom of what happens when a couple of powerful forces come together.

First, the world is currently overflowing with more mind-bendingly salty sweet awesome disgusting food than has ever been witnessed before in human history. This food we have is positively diabolical in its deliciousness! Engineered to be extra irresistible! Of course it is hard to resist! We are not used to it!

Second, the way we live leaves us feeling thin and stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread. In between work and laundry and trying to have some fun, we barely have time to sleep, let alone confront the Balrog. Unconsciously, we’re led into a life of further unconsciousness, distracted and hurried and often on auto-pilot. It takes a strong will to snap out of it.

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In addition to paying attention, you also need to see yourself as someone who’s worth paying attention to. As you are right now. You are going to be putting a lot of effort into this project, and you won't be able to sustain it if you feel like some kind of jerk. No, if you want to succeed, you have to get 100% on your own side from the get-go, and the best way I know to do that is this: construct a story about your life that positions you as an imperfect but lovable adventurer — someone you want to root for! — who’s boldly going someplace she hasn’t been before.

Because that is exactly what you are! A beloved heroine in the midst of a rollicking good tale full of scrapes and jokes and lessons learned! So make your story thrilling — make it one you can’t put down, one you can’t help being excited about, one that fills your heart so full you want to throw your head back and ROAR.

I know it seems goofy, but this story you tell yourself is serious business. And it’s precious, because it sets up how you experience everything else in your life.

Like, if you say stuff like “There is something inherently wrong with me and that’s why I can’t have what I want” or “I am but a pawn in the cold dance of chemicals we call life,” well, that shuts things down pretty thoroughly, right? It may be accurate to acknowledge that you have certain disadvantages, or that certain cultural systems are working against you, but you can’t stop there. That place is like a windowless room at the top of a lonely tower. It leaves you absolutely nowhere to go.

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This experimental, experiential attitude is a crucial ingredient in the formula, because you are going to come across a lot of mysteries on your trek, and you’ll need to have a curious mindset to suss them out.  We are talking about weight, after all, and that makes the whole thing extra fraught — in about 30 seconds you can whip yourself into a self-destructive tizzy that can take weeks to recover from. So try your best not to do that. Step lightly. When things don’t work out the way you want them to, be interested in what is actually happening rather than upset about what isn’t. This will help you not fall apart as you discover what combination of stuff works for your particular body.

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You sound like a smart and self-aware person, and you have TONS of tools at your disposal — mind, muscles, emotions, objectivity, intuition, imagination, community. Use them all. Analyze and strategize and optimize to find out what makes your body hum and purr. Get excited to see how the story unfolds. Pay attention. Don’t go to sleep.

Most important, remember to root for your own sweet self as heartily as you ever did for anyone in any book you ever loved. It’s up to you to construct the narrative that explains what the moments of your life add up to … might as well make it the best damn story about a lady realizing her own worth and power that was ever told.

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Brilliant.



3. On the flip side to that rah-rah speech, Jack Sh*t, Gettin' Fit reminds us: Somedays it is Mundane Day. And those are just as important to slog through as Action Day.

4. Great Logos with Secret Meanings has nothing to do with anything, I just thought it was cool. How did I never see the 31 in the Baskin Robbins logo?

5. Love, love, love, LOVE Ally from Wardrobe Oxygen in this stunning purple dress with the big red necklace. She is the first blogger I have seen do the high-low dress where I see the point of it.

6. Has anyone ever had melon soup? It sounds so weird, but I am in the mood to try something new. But that chunky chicken slaw sounds good too. I like Weight Watcher recipes because they always have such interesting combos; I usually goose up the seasonings because they're too bland, but the basic ideas are often theirs!

7. Speaking of recipes I like, I use my Food Ideas Pinterest board to collect interesting recipes that I want to try. You might recognize a few from Sunday Cooking posts...

8. Ally again, rocking the cutoff shorts. I have a pair of jeans that are too short that I could rip up, hmmm...

9.  Where Did All the Watermelon Seeds Go? A question I have been pondering to myself for a while.

10. My pal Kate from CakeGirl on the Run had a gorgeous cake selected to be in Cake Central Magazine! Go, Kate! I had the privilege of photographing the cake for her entry; she purchased a light box which was my first time using, but I got the hang of it, and it turned out to be a fun shoot.

Go see the rest here!

11. On the Proper Fitting of Jeans. I never understood the purpose of pockets before. And flare!

12. Bare Necessities sells DD+ bras in their own section, and they are having a great sale. I am stocking up NOW. 

 Got any good links you want to share with the class?

Outfit secrets, and blogger inspiration

Notice anything about this outfit?

How about this one?



Did you notice I am wearing trouser jeans? This pair from Gap, to be precise.

I haven't had a pair of trouser jeans since Forth & Towne, and those were more of a wide-leg. I am crazy about the look of these straight legs!

My husband wears jeans regularly to his business casual environment, even though they aren't allowed. His secret is that he wears a jacket and tie, or a very nice shirt and gorgeous tie, so everyone's attention is focused on the upper half of his body, and no one even notices that he is in jeans. It's worked perfectly for eleven years; hasn't been busted yet!

So that's what I did with the two outfits above, and no one noticed. I was only working in the office those days, no travel, so if I did get caught it would only be by the people in my department. Hee!

The second outfit, with the silver-grey tee under the striped blazer, was purely inspired by this fabulous look from Small Fabric of My Life. I wish my top had the same drapiness of hers, but overall it did work; I just have to be careful when I am posing that the stupid little zipper pull isn't sticking out through the top. UGH.



You can't see the poking zipper when the jacket is buttoned, but it was much too hot for that nonsense. :)

These dresses continue to get a workout this summer. They're so easy when it's too hot to wear clothes, but you know, you still have to wear clothes. :)



And now it's time to get ready for work again. Is it vacation soon?

Sunday Cooking: In which I make chicken stock

It turns out I had a LOT of food in my tiny little freezer! There is still plenty of food left so it was another easy week of Sunday cooking. I ended up making building blocks instead of meals, but that's okay: I am getting a little restless to cook so being able to put something together each night has more appeal than usual.

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My husband cooked dinner for us on Saturday, and it was so good I have to share. We usually have one night on the weekend (sometimes two) where the meals are a little richer than usual; this was one of those. But it was so good! (I should know, I bought all the ingredients. LOL.)



He started with some Italian chicken sausage with mozzarella inside, slicing and frying it up in a non-stick pan until it was really crispy. He also added some Penzey's Italian seasoning to deepen the flavors.



I had found this gorgonzola ravioli at my favorite grocery store, and had to give it a try. Hubby asked me to pick up some pesto to go with it, since there isn't any decent fresh basil around right now. This was his presentation when he was done. I had to get the camera!



Oh boy, it was rich, and GOOD. I haven't had pesto in years, but it was perfect for the pasta.  

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This week's building blocks include chicken, spaghetti and butternut squash. All I did to prepare the squash was heat the oven to 350 degrees, carefully cut them in half and place them in roasting pans with bit of water on the bottom. Very fancy.




The spaghetti squash will be a couple of meals with defrosted tomato sauce and some remaining Italian seasoned chicken sausage. My favorite comfort diet meal!

I also made boiled chicken. This was a multi-purpose cooking method; I wanted shredded chicken *and* chicken stock. I cribbed off the chicken noodle soup recipe from a couple of weeks ago, and a standard chicken stock recipe, and added a few seasoning touches.

Here's how I made it:

1. Heated a little olive oil in the bottom of a stockpot.
2. Seasoned the bone-in skinless split chicken breasts with kosher salt, Worchestershire and Penzey's Northwoods seasoning. (Note: this all gave the chicken stock a darker color and a spicier flavor than usual. Since the stock is going in soup anyway,  I didn't care.) See my messy cooking space!



3. Browned the breasts in the stockpot, just enough to sear some of the flavor in.



4. Removed the breasts onto a plate.



5. Added some pieces of carrot, celery and a quartered onion into the pot to let them soak up some of the chicken seasoning flavors on the bottom of the pot. Tossed in some whole peppercorns, a bay leaf, and kosher salt for more seasoning.





6. Added 10-12 cups of water and brought it to a boil. Added the chicken back in and let it simmer for an hour.

7. Removed the chicken from the stock and shredded it up.



8. I wanted to throw the bones back into the pot and let them continue to cook on low for another couple of hours, but they were were all tiny bones and cartilage and it made me nervous. Instead I pulled out a chicken carcass I had been storing in the freezer (for stock! not because I like to store chicken carcasses in my house!) and used that instead.

9. After another hour (I got bored), I strained the stock into a fine mesh strainer. Had to do it couple of times, first to get rid of the larger pieces, then to get rid of the bits of seasoning, etc.

10. Let it cool, then skimmed most of the fat off the top (from the olive oil early on, and a bit of skin leftover on the carcass, I think.) Poured it into a couple of containers. I'll skim the rest of the fat after it's been in the fridge for a day. Whatever doesn't get used this week will go in the freezer for my next soup!



Stock and butternut squash will make a great soup by about Tuesday.

There was another recipe/experiment I tried from Pinterest, just to see: glitter grapes. I didn't read the reviewer's comment about using similar colors of grapes and gelatin in time, so mine didn't look all that great. I used green grapes and sugar-free raspberry. But it tasted great; the bowl of them is already gone. :) I might try green with key lime jello next time. The sweet-tart addition and crunchy coat was  just a different way to eat some standard fruit. Not something I will do regularly, though. I like plain grapes just fine!



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For dinner tonight, I made chicken salad sandwiches.  I am so glad I came up with a chicken salad recipe I like as much as I like this one. It's so easy. Shredded chicken, light mayo, celery, and chopped cranberries. Plus a good amount of Penzey's Wall of Flavor. Yum-O.



Chicken salad should only ever be eaten on toast; it gives you bread that is firm enough against the heavy salad, and the crunch goes well with the celery and eliminates the texture need for chips.

As a final shot, here is what I wore during my cooking spree.




Ha, I did not even know that George had snuck in there until I downloaded these to my camera. He's such a ham.

 How was your weekend?