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!

Blazer Craze-r

You guys, I am obsessed with blazers right now.

Maybe it was the rousing success of my striped blazer this summer, or that I need to wear more suit-like outfits at meetings at work, but all I am buying these days are blazers. This fuschia one is on its way to my house now, courtesy of Gap, a 30% off sale, and a fistful of $10 reward certificates I had collected. 

This royal blue one is traveling with it. Hope they both work out! I love a good punch of color.

I was so crazy about Ally's striped jacket with the shirred sleeves I went tip-toe-ing through the Karen Kane site and spotted this lovely clay one. A rich brown hue gets me everytime. I am resisting buying it, for now.

This one I picked up during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for half the price. Love the leather trim and the moto styling. I also got a purple pencil skirt that I am going to ROCK with it.

I'm heading out for a well-earned beach vacation starting tomorrow, but once it's fall I think I know what I'll be wearing. Even better, these will work well through the winter too.

What's catching your eye (and wallet) for the fall?

Spring Shopping

You guys, spring fever has hit my closet and wallet. After a quiet couple of months, I am in a shopping MOOD! Maybe it's all the bright colors grabbing my attention like shiny paper to a distracted puppy, but everything just looks so good right now. It's probably a good thing I can't shop in all the regular stores; I would not be able to show any restraint.

Here are a couple of new things I am hoping to be wearing this season:

Vince Camuto color blocked dress, Nordstrom
This one is on order. I am praying it looks good; I spotted it a few weeks ago in regular sizes, and was instantly in love. It's rare that they make a popular item in plus sizes too, so when I saw they did for this one, I snapped it up.

KORS Michael Kors Ghita nude pump, Nordstrom
I have been looking for the perfect nude pump for over a year, but none of them have worked. Wrong nude, uncomfortable, heel too high, looked too cheap, too platform-y and trendy, yadda yadda yadda. I tried these on at Nordstroms on Sunday, and declared the search over. The vamp is perfect for my arch, the color, heel and style are timeless, and most of all they are going to be perfect for all my dresses. This is the first time I've ever bought a Salon shoe from Nordstrom. I hope it is going to be money well spent.

True straight pants in mochaccino, Gap
These I am still a little on the fence on; I need lighter-colored pants for spring and summer, but these might be a little too khaki-ish. I love that straight-leg style though...I will try them with a few outfits in my mirror first, then take them to be hemmed and hope for the best. They will look great with the shoes below!

Franco Sarto Year Wedge in red patent, Nordstrom
Oh, Franco. I love you.
I haven't loved his styles in the last year but this one was lovely and springy. I've been looking for a pair of red patent shoes for a while to no avail, but like the Michael Kors as soon as I put these on I knew I had found my shoes. So unbelievably comfortable; it felt like I had owned them for years.

I have a couple of other items on my Wish List too:

Sam Edelman Beatrix flat, Nordstrom
I need to replace my embellished cheetah print SE flats this spring, and I love the chunky embellished look of these. But they're really pricey, especially for flats. If I find a better substitute I will get those instead.

Kenneth Cole New York mixed snakeprint skirt, Nordstrom
The mixed prints of this are TO DIE FOR. I need this for spring so bad. Nordstrom doesn't actually have the best collection of Encore skirts, so whenever they do have an interesting one, I always check it out. My only concern is that it isn't long enough, but I won't know until I try it!

Those are the base pieces. My red trench will come in handy as it's very on-trend this colorful spring! I'll be looking for tops and blouses at other stores; Nordstrom Encore just doesn't have the greatest selection for those. Everything is too shapeless for my preferences.

But Target has some cute ones!

Merona Woman Sleeveless Fashion Knit Top, Target
Love the orange and cream, and that asymmetrical neckline and side bow is just different enough without being overkill.

Merona Woman Easy Care Easy Wear Cowl Neck Tank, Target
You know I love a good teal! This will be great with the Gap tan pants and new red shoes, yes?

Merona Woman Cowl Neck Top, Target
These appear to only be in stores. I love that the neckline is high; perfect for work!


What do you have your eye on this spring?

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...

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!

Where did this week go?

Is it just me, or somewhere around late Wednesday, Thursday do we enter some kind of sci-fi time tunnel and pop out on Saturday morning, rubbing our eyes and all confused about how we got here?

Ok, just me.

I always have such good intentions about the end of the week, where I think I am going to catch up on appointments I need to make, comment on all the blogs I have saved in my Firefox tabs throughout the week, maybe even make one last recipe on my list (since we're usually tired of my Sunday foods by then). But then chaos hits, usually at work, and on Friday morning I am reading Helen's and Shelley's regular Friday posts and wondering why my plans have been laid waste and I am disheveled and disorganized.

The good news is, at least I looked good on those days!



I ran out of ideas for the clothes from my sister, but I decided it was high time to pull out some winter favorites and enjoy them. I'm not going to a lot of meeting these days, so it's hard for me to be inspired enough to go for the dressier side of business casual when I am at my desk all day. So my pretty dresses and skirts are getting forgotten. Until Thursday, when I wore this.

The dress is my lovely ponte knit from Nordstrom with the lace pattern. It's fitting a little looser these days, HURRAY. I returned to my old foolproof formula for dressing and added a long cardigan; it's not quite a boyfriend style but it covers my dupa nicely. Black Target tights and my mushroom platform stretch boots from Franco Sarto finished the outfit.

It made me happy.

Also making me happy is my new office; I have added lamps all over it instead of using the fluorescent overheads, and while it still needs one more light so it doesn't feel too dark, it's so soothing and quiet it makes the stress flying out of my inbox in my computer more manageable. I am  waiting for the maintenance person to come hang all my boards and art and then I will take photos for everyone.

What made you happy this week?

In the Zone

I took this dress to Nordstrom to be altered after my last wearing. It's a fabulous dress, but it was a little too loose around the waist and chest. The tailor kept pulling it in, and I kept telling her I wanted to be able to fit a blouse under it. In the end, she won; when I picked it up a couple of weeks ago, it felt a little too tight, and zipping up under my arm when I was in a blouse was a struggle. I was disappointed, but I didn't want to take it back and have her fix it. I was embarrassed to admit I was too fat for how much she had taken it in.

So it hung in my closet for a bit while I stewed. I finally gave up on the idea of a button-down blouse under it. and wore it again with a layering tee instead. For NOW -- we shall see what the Foodstyle brings in the coming weeks; I may get a button-down under there yet!



I really do love the dress. Next time perhaps I will be brave enough to style it with some color; both times so far have been black-and-white variations. Not that there is anything wrong with that!



The bigger news is, as I have mentioned, the Foodstyle. I am In the Zone, in that moment when dieting/eating right is effortless, your motivation is high, and you're not frantically missing all the "good food" (i.e. junk food) you could be eating. It took me a long while to get here, so I am doing my best to keep myself here. I am eating very well, I'm tracking my foods nightly, I'm getting tons and tons of water in naturally -- my body is craving water so I'm refilling my water bottle at work all day long.

People, I am voluntarily and willingly taking my daily multivitamin. Alert the media!

I'm also not depriving myself; if I want a chocolate covered pretzel, I have one. But I only have one, and I don't let it derail the rest of my day. This change in attitude is the one that most represents being in the zone; when I'm not, that chocolate-covered pretzel is my gateway drug to a whole day of candy-snacking and usually culminates in Taco Bell for dinner. When I am in the zone, the pretzel is a savory treat that I enjoy to its fullest, and then I move on. Yesterday for example, our boss bought us pizza for lunch after our annual gift-wrapping party; I ate two squares of cheese pizza instead of the lunch I had brought, but my afternoon snack of two clementines came from my lunch box, and then I polished off the rest of the lunch (squash soup and a turkey sandwich) when I got home for dinner. It's amazing to realize that; to see in vivid clarity how much power my attitude has over what I eat and therefore what I weigh.

My goal during this month is to keep it going during the holidays, to not use the excuse of traveling or stress or parties to change my attitude. There are plenty of ways to still enjoy myself and yet get 5 fruits and veggies in every day.

Speaking of which:
1. I spotted this recipe for mixing grains with pomegranate seeds over on This Mama Cooks. Doesn't it look and sound amazing? I think I need to make that for next week, right alongside the holiday blossom cookies I will be making for the family Christmas party. Gotta keep that balance going!

2. Is it just me, or are clementines especially tasty right now? I prefer big, thick navel oranges, but they're too tough this early in the season. The clementines are right at their peak -- their more delicate skin tears away easily, and they're so flavorful and soft. Winter citrus is just one of my most favorite things to eat in the world; I still resent the winter I was on Medifast and couldn't have any oranges. Oranges never hurt anyone!

What's your favorite fruit to eat right now?

My Deep Thoughts on Boots

A lively discussion occurred over on the YouLookFab forums last week, about the uniformity right now of a certain look: skinny pants/jeans tucked into tall boots with a long tunic on top. I see that look at the mall and everywhere too -- although not at work, of course. There was a lot of back-and-forth about embracing the look, and how people make it individual for them, and some excellent points were made all around. In the end, the forum members took it on as a challenge, self-deprecatingly calling themselves "lemmings" and finding new ways to wear the look without looking like part of a herd.

I steered clear of it, for the simple reason that I really, really do not like that silhouette.

I've tried; it's been a staple for smart casual looks for a couple of years. But it never, ever looked right on me, and I just felt foolish in it. Plus, I can't wrap my brain around the concept of tall boots over jeans unless you are actually ON the polo team, or if you are Rachel Zoe swanning around stores in Beverly Hills. Since I am neither of those things, I felt like a fake every time I tried it in my mirror at home.

That said, I do have a lemming look of my own that I love in fall and winter: boots with dresses.



To me, this is the whole reason for owning tall boots. On a practical level, tall boots make wearing dresses in winter possible because your legs stay warm. On a stylish level, look at how good they look! ;-D

You will notice I am in colored tights, too. This can be a tricky style for women of a certain age like myself, but I think this particular outfit worked for three reasons:
1. The maroon color matches perfectly with the colors of the dress, so it helps the eye flow down gracefully
2. Most of the tight is covered up by the boot
3. It's a dark color, not a bright. I love bright, but as tights? That's for the more youthful crowd, alas!




To make this boots-and-dresses look to work in a professional setting, you need a fitted boot instead of the more fun and casual over-the-knee or scrunched boot. As my fellow wide-calf friends know, finding the right fitted boot is a nightmare. Especially since the 'lemming' uniform these days is the skinny jeans tucked into boots, most boots available in the stores are usually the same width all the way down so your pants fit it into them. Finding a boot that gets slim and fitted at the ankle is so tough. Last year, I didn't even bother buying new boots; I had two from the year before, including the Vince Camuto brogan/cowboy boots above, that I continued to wear. Because I have put on weight since I bought these, they are more fitted now than they were, so they can be pressed into service with dresses.

My boots from two (three?) years ago, however, were a couple of spectacular stretch-leather boots from Franco Sarto. They were perfection; the stretch meant they fit great all the time and were super easy to put on, and they were dressy-looking with two-inch thin heels so with dresses they were knockouts. Unfortunately, they had a distinctive squared-off pointy toe and look very dated now.

So imagine my elation when Angie posted about my buddy Laura's recommendation of the new Franco Sarto Yonkers stretch boot! It's funny, until I saw Angie's post, I wasn't able to put my finger on why the skinny pants-and-boots look doesn't work for me, and why I loved my older FS boots so much: it's the stretch. As as I've said before, my legs are my best asset, and whenever I cover them up either with a wide-leg pant or chunky boot, suddenly everything about me looks ten times bigger. Stretch boots add no girth to my legs, and in fact highlight them nicely.

They are on sale to $99 at Nordstrom. I ordered them in the mushroom; I should be able to wear that with the widest range of colors: colored outfits, blacks or browns, and probably some greys. Can't wait to try them on!

What style of boots is most flattering on you? Have you thought about why some work and some don't?

I leave you with a outtake. Action shot! Emily doesn't even care.

Ginger Rogers

One of my favorite quotes of all time is, "Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did except backwards, and in high heels." For me, it's not even about men getting the acclaim when often our job is even harder (although I have had that situation with male co-workers in the past), it's about remembering that often the work we do is even more complicated because of where we are standing in the dance, and how we are required to present ourselves. So when we succeed at work despite being hobbled by those restrictions, I think we deserve extra praise.

For example, a waitress required to wear heels ends up often working physically harder than one who is allowed to wear practical shoes, or a female middle manager who does not have staff to help with a project but produces the same results as someone leading a team. I have extra empathy for women in those situations, and I confess I cheer them on harder when they kick ass.

Anyway, this week I have felt like Ginger Rogers; it's been the first week of a new company-wide software, and I have been fighting an uphill battle to get my issues resolved in a sea of issues, and worse, getting people to pay attention when I have found serious issues in the new system. Because I work on a smaller software, my position in the dance is definitely "backwards". But I cajole, and I make jokes and get people to relax, and I have been onsite all week as a presence, going to the Command Center personally to follow up on open problems and talking to people face-to-face. The first couple of days I even brought home-baked cookies. Slowly but surely, I have been succeeding at getting my voice heard and the problems noticed and fixed. Slowly.

I realized last night that I have done all this in high heels.

In fact, by mid-week my high heels became the tool in which I got people to pay attention to my issues and work with me on problems; they helped me in the dance. I would go upstairs and the first thing the other women in the room would do was smile and check out which ones I had on, then with the ice broken and having given them a minute to not think about the frazzled, overwhelming number of things they were dealing with, they could concentrate on the issue we were working on together, and they helped me get my thing fixed. Then we would smile at each other, and they would dive back into the chaos. (Truly, I do not envy them; as hard as I was working, they had it much worse.)

My outfits themselves have been remixes of ones you have already seen or I discussed:

Source: polyvore.com via LowFatDressing on Pinterest

I do have pictures of all the shoes!

Sunday, the olive suede Clark Vermont Vistas (available online still):



Monday, the burgundy Franco Sarto Deers:



Tuesday, the Payless leopard wedges with red bows:



Wednesday, the Nicole Blessed heels with red, purple and brown colorblocking:



I got these last year from a tip from Barking Dog Shoes. Super comfy and strikingly different.



Thursday, the Franco Sarto Deers in grey:



Oh, Thursday's outfit was worth taking the time for photos. It's a new dress I got at the Half-Yearly Sale at Nordstrom. I love it beyond reason.



Get used to seeing it a lot -- it's a fabulous heavy knit material and will layer so well with everything. This time I did my old trick of a long-sleeved layering top underneath and a short-sleeved cardigan on top.

Best of all -- it's not actually lace. It's a lace print on the knit. Flipping gorgeous.



Did I mention it was also on sale??



It's a faux-wrap, but it is actually a teensy bit too big right at the wrap part. I am going to take it into Nordstrom and have them take it in; they did a great job with my other dress, so I trust them with the trickier tailoring. My dry cleaners can do my hems, but this I want to go to someone I trust. Plus, I bought it from them so if they ruin it, hopefully they would replace it. They are Nordstrom, after all!

Today I finally get to work back in my own office, mopping up various problems and catching up with my boss and co-workers on other ongoing projects. To complete the Ginger Rogers metaphor, I get to dance facing forward, in flats, today. I earned it! ;-D