Friday Bouquet

1. Wow, thanks to everyone who chimed in with some awesome righteous indignation on my behalf as well as some excellent ideas to get me to incorporate 30 minutes of daily exercise for the Bottom Line Challenge at work. Lots and lots of good ideas, and you all definitely nudged me out of my foul mood about it.

Especially my sister, who responded with a cheery, "Suck it up, buttercup!" 

Nice, right? ;-D



 2. Since it is going to have to be every day, I think using a flexible combination of exercise types will work best; I can adjust depending on my time and stress levels of the day. Some of the ones I will be doing are:

-Wii yoga in the morning, either 15 or 30 minute increments
-Wii dancing in the morning, either 15 or 30 minute increments
-walking with Hubby in the early evening
-walking on breaks with co-workers
-walking on my own, with my "cans" on and zoning out to my music
-possibly swimming on the weekend mornings. I have to check if the park district pool has morning lap time on the weekends, or I might look into joining another gym with more pools.
-10-minute increments with the weights and heehee the Shakeweight I bought and never used while watching TV
-make sure my membership at the Chicago Botanic Garden is renewed and do some weekend morning walks there. (Where all the photos in this post were taken over the years. You can thank my mom and dad for buying me a membership for Christmas for many years.)

I'll be starting this weekend.



3. Weirdly, the one suggestion that I won't be doing right away is buying new exercise clothes. I have drawers full of them already; buying cute workout clothes has been my usual default preparation step when I think I am going to start working out, and honestly, those drawers of barely-worn clothes have been just another reminder of my repeated failure to actually implement those plans. So I don't really need them, and I don't want them. I don't want to do this the same way I've done it before; clearly that hasn't worked. So I am just jumping in and wearing what I already have. Maybe later as a reward I'll buy something cute. :)



4. I am so, so glad you guys are enjoying the "They Walk Among Us" series. I am absolutely loving it; while everyone is so different, there are certain themes that echo among all of them, and have already taught me a lot about my own journey.

• Losing significant weight stretches out over a long period of time. Patience and persistence over the ups and downs is necessary; just don't give up.
• There isn't one particular diet that works for everyone, and many of them used a variety of them along the way. 
• Eating whole, healthy food is how you take it off and keep it off.
• Exercise in some form is required.

5. I do have several more interviews queued up, but if you are a maintainer and are willing to tell your story, I would love to have you join us! Email me at lowfatdressing1012@gmail.com and I will send you the questions. I hope to hear from you!!



6. This week has been so strange: my husband has been in London for work, I've had a training class onsite for most of the week so there have been new people roaming the office and I've been working late, and of course the weather has been so amazing the windows are wide open at home all day long.  The cats are completely befuddled; all of their routines are disturbed and there is a person missing in the house. They are not pleased.

Hubby comes home this afternoon, and next week will be our first week of having a full staff on my team. I am sure the first few weeks will be just as busy as the last ones, since the two new people need to get up to speed, but I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hurray!

Have a lovely weekend, everyone.



1. African Daisies, 2. Purple echinacea, 3. Field in wider perspective, 4. Orange and Purple coneflowers in a field, 5. Gargoyle Fountain, Spring, 6. Irises around the pond, 7. Faces to the sun, 8. A welcoming entrance, 9. Baby Blue Eyes, 10. Inverted Baby Blue Eyes, 11. Like, wow. Totally., 12. Lilies of the Valley, 13. Bleeding Heart, 14. Allium, 15. Colombine, 16. African Daisy

Don't Poke The Bear

I cannot believe it is only March 20. First, it feels like a hundred years have passed since my birthday...which was a week ago. Second, it is more gloriously warm and sunny than it is in June. I am in a horrible mood, but I can't deny how great it is outside.

I'm trying to wear more spring in my outfits without really buying anything new or trendy (you will never catch me in floral ankle pants, in case you were wondering). Since it is so legitimately nice out, all of my sandals from last year are already out and in rotation. So glad I got a good set of them that are still in excellent shape. The orange, the turquoise, the olive -- all are being happily worn. The olive peeptoe booties do a good job of lightening up an otherwise dark black-pants outfit. (The melon cardigan and gold jewelry helps too.)



Then on Friday I took the bears out of hibernation. Shaved 'em and everything!



Wearing nude microfishnet stockings, which are almost the same as wearing no hose at all. A cute dress and a long-lost purple cardigan, some embellished flats and I was good to go!

+++++++

In other news, my co-workers talked me into doing a team challenge to lose weight and exercise more. We weigh in and get measured tomorrow, then it starts for 8 weeks next Monday. The challenge is about scoring points, depending on how much exercise you do and how much weight and body fat you lose over the time period. I was all for it -- I could use a good structured kick in the pants -- but then today when we were going over the rules in detail, I got really panicked and now I am dreading it.

I didn't catch before today that you have to do a minimum of 1440 minutes of exercise -- which is 25 minutes a day, seven days a week (or 36 minutes, 5 days a week). Do you know how much I do right now? NONE.

I know, I know, deep in my gut I know that I need to move more, and I was looking forward to this challenge to get that going. But I was expecting to have to do a half-hour 3-4 days a week. I was thinking I could ease myself into it, and then maybe by the end of the challenge add more than that. I was NOT expecting to have to start right off the bat at a sprint. I can't even really miss a day, or I will fall behind, and skip more days, and fall more behind. And then let all my teammates down (there are some nice monetary prizes for competing and winning, and several of them really want to win.)

I am just so...pissed off about the whole thing. I feel like I am doomed to fail before I even start, and the pressure is pissing me off even more. Everyone else was talking about how they already work out 2 hours already a week, and so adding another hour wouldn't be so hard. I wanted to cry.

It feels impossible to me. I can't even get up the stairs without my knee giving out. Which I know should be even more incentive to exercise, but it's not. All I can think about is even if I just do 30 minutes of walking every day, how much every inch of my body is going to hurt, and how little rest I will have before having to do it again the next day, and how I am working 10-12 hours a day and am stressed beyond belief and am barely hanging onto eating right by my fingertips. When the hell am I supposed to even find the time for this? I was just thinking that I needed to start going into work earlier because so much is piling up. I never leave before 6pm, and I am in bed early too. But no, now I need to find a free hour somewhere every day. And my f***ing running shoes. Which probably don't fit. (Can you hear me cursing? I am cursing a blue streak!)

This doesn't feel like something that is motivating me to keep improving myself; it feels like just one more expectation that I can't meet that is crushing my lungs so I can't breathe.

I have 6 more days to get myself into the right headspace for it. Great. First I have to get over being so pissed. Why didn't I read it more closely before I agreed? Damn.

Sigh.

So that's what I'll be working on this week. My f***ing negative attitude.

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?

Stripes Wrap-up

I finished out last week in stripes. Just trying to fulfill the completist who lives deep in my heart!



Lots of black and grey in this, so it's hard to see. The sweater is new from the new LOFT Outlet up in the outlet mall; I use a random black ribbon to close it since underneath was a cheap Target graphic tee I picked up in desperation on the clearance rack one surprisingly hot Saturday last month. It's a cute top though -- and striped graphic tees always remind me of Sheila at Ephemera. :)



Whee, crooked tripods! :) I paired it with my dark grey Gap modern bootcuts, and black patent peeptoe heels. I go back and forth about whether it is warm enough for peeptoes, but a closed shoe is just too wintery-looking to my eye.

Friday was pretty chilly out, so I bundled up my black-and-white striped cascading cardigan from WHBM (a Christmas gift from my mom).



This time I pulled out a LOFT top I hadn't worn in a long while, a knit sleeveless top with a cotton hankie bow-like in front. It's an odd shirt, but I like it (sometimes. Sometimes it just irritates the heck out of me). My Gap black modern bootcuts and my brown-red-purple Nicole Blessed booties finished it off.

In unrelated news, Emily is finally getting bold enough to start finding places on the furniture where she will lay down (previously she stuck to the floor, or under the bed or in the basement when she was scared), and she's getting more willing to be near George without running away. It's so, so satisfying to watch her come out of her shell and blossom into a silly, sweet, cuddly cat who actually *demands* affection when she wants it. We've had her about 6 months now and I think she finally feels like this is her home. I love her for that.



(George is just pretending he doesn't know she is there. He knows. He likes her. I think.)

Next week: polka-dots and florals!

I am willing Spring to start

Still in Spring Transition, alas. We had 70+ temps on Sunday, and then right back to 40-50s for the work week. I swear, I am going to make spring begin just with my mind.

But I will not lie: I am having a ball mixing up all my new pieces and finding now combos to put together. There is nothing better than a closet re-organization (and new clothes, LOL). Keeps me invigorated!

Monday:


These pants should be so much better than they are! It occurred to me finally after seeing these pictures that they need to go to the tailor/dry cleaner; the pockets need to come out and be closed up, and the hem should come down so they can be worn with my higher platform heels. Both fixes should resolve the bagginess and stumpifying issues I have with these.

I paired them with my sand-colored Clarks Laguna Reef sandals from last year; we're at that phase in the weather where if I wear a long-sleeved sweater on top I get too hot if I also wear closed-toe shoes on the bottom. Crazy, but true! On top I went with my Gap ombre-dots blouse, my bright yellow Martin + Osa sweater, and my Banana Republic lariat long necklace.



I am often torn between belting an outfit like this (I belted the top last time) and going for the "volume" look as Angie at YLF encourages us to try. The problem for me is that because I am heavy these days I feel like going for volume makes me look like I am trying to hide under a tent or that I look even bigger than I am. But I like the volume look once in a while, so I try to make it work when I can. I think adding in a long necklace like this to help break it vertically instead of horizontally helps.



Tuesday:


I had a busy day at grown-up meetings, and the cleaning ladies always come early now so I needed something I could put on quick and was nicely professional. Kickass Kohls dress to the rescue!

This is an Apt. 9 number, in turquoise and black. I added the short Lauren Conrad bowtie cardigan, my Oroblu nude fishnets, and black patent peeptoe DSW shoes from last year. Seriously, these are perfect pumps, and so comfy.



I also got a lot of compliments and questions about the Oroblu Tricot fishnet hose. I stocked up on them at the Nordstrom Anniversary sale last July, and truthfully I only opened one package since then. I am still able to use my other pair from last year -- that's how long they last! So a $18 price tag for hose is a lot, but they last 10 times as long as any other pair I've ever owned. To me, that's worth the cost.

Hmmmm, I just looked back at the Kickass Kohls dress link above, and now I am inspired to wear an outfit I haven't worn in a while! I should be dressed quickly this morning... :)

Friend Friday

I don't participate in Friend Friday a lot, but this question is pretty relevant to what I have been talking about the last few weeks, so I thought I would give it a go:

What 5 Spring Trends will I be rocking this year?

1. Wedge sandals. Platforms, espadrilles, nudes, platforms -- all of them. I am in heaven! Funny, I've actually been wearing them for the last few summers; that style is always the one I gravitate to, to Shopping Friend's dismay (LOL, the look on her face when I bought a couple pairs of them at Clarks a few years back!) I prefer to think of myself as forward-looking, but I am sure it was more like dated and out-of-style. But now I am back in sync! ;-D

I already own these Clark Laguna Reefs from last year, and have been seeing them everywhere this year. So they will come in handy again!

(P.S. They are at 6pm right now for $39.41 in many colors and sizes. Unbelievably comfortable!)

2. Flared jeans. I love my Gap Long and Leans so much, I am even contemplating getting them in white! My God, I missed that silhouette during the skinny jean phase (which I also still like, but my eye will always prefer a bootcut.)

3. Florals, gingham and stripes. You know how I love my patterns!

(My Elle top is a knit in a slightly different shape, but you get the idea.)

4. Bright colored purse. The Lucky Hobo went back, but I am still on the hunt for a bright purse. Red is my preference, but then Ebates sent a 25% off coupon for Kate Spade bags, and now I am drooling over this ostrich one in blue or yellow.

5. Cute tops to go with all my pants. A couple of years ago, it was impossible to find any cute blouses and tops. Now they are everywhere you turn! I am scooping up all I can while the getting is good.



What about you? What are you wearing this spring? Have you added any new details, colors, can't-live-without items to your closet?

Old and New

Dresses! Hurray!

The new: Target Merona print knit dress, Kohls Lauren Conrad short cardigan with bow.

The old: Aquatalia Jacks nude suede spring boots, Oroblu nude fishnet stockings.

The comments I got on the boots ranged from teasing me about "working the corner" to unabashed gushing over their cuteness. I ignored the former, and appreciated the latter. I love these boots, but like the Ann Taylor tweed flats, they have a limited season span. I'll be workin' em while I can!



Wish I had gotten another shot of the outfit with the cardigan unbuttoned; the top of the dress is so flattering. And worked on why my face is so ruddy, LOL. Still working out the kinks in the new camera and the height of where I will place it, etc.

I've been on a sandal spree, and once my Target order arrives, will have to make some hard decisions about which to keep. But these are a definite keeper. My hunt for all-day walking Privos is over!



(Yes, those are Privos. I was thinking I would get a sneaker style. Now I don't have to!)

You're My Inspiration

You are my inspiration!

You are, Keri at Headlines & Hemlines. White T, bright cardigan, and scarf? On it!

And you are, Anne at The Cohabitating Closet. My polka-dot navy scarf twin!

And you are, Gap. I can't stop staring at the display at my local store of all the green/blue-toned pieces: teal, navy, olive, turquoise, baby blue all jumbled together in a lovely, unexpected way.

You all inspired this:





I wanted to go with just a white tee like Anne did, but it was much too cold. So I went with a medley of blues: teal LOFT open cardigan, navy ON polka-dot scarf (finally wore it!), and navy Gap modern bootcuts. Silver Anne Klein loafers and white tunic-top from Nordies and I was set!

(See how easy it sounds? The reality is I could not figure out to wear with the navy scarf AT ALL. I must have tried on a half-dozen combos before I remembered this cardigan from two years ago. Thank goodness it was the one!)

In other news, I got a new point-and-shoot! So easy to use; it has a custom timer so I can set up 5 shots in a row. So much easier than before. Now I just need to play with the white balance and colors a bit more. I didn't think my face was that ruddy or the sweater colors that washed out. But the timer lets me do more dorky shots like this. LOL!




Best of all, it's blue, my color obsession. Everything I have been looking at lately have been blues and reds/pinks. What is up with that? Where are my purples and mustards? Hrm.

++++++

Thanks for the resounding answer on the sandal dilemma. I just ordered a few from Zappos -- now it just needs to get warm enough to wear them! I figure when it gets warm enough to open my windows it will be warm enough to bare my toes. Hee!

Spring Transition Week: Friday Day and Friday Night

Spring Transition rules:
1. Lighten up. Select lighter fabrics, scarves, sweater knits.
2. Brighten up. Go for a bright color once in a while, and shake off the winter blacks.
3. Show a little skin. If you can, remove your tights, roll up your sleeves, or just wear flats and let the tops of your feet poke out.

Once you've got those nailed down, there are some other spring-y details you can add, like:
-a white collared shirt
-swap out a scarf for a necklace
-wear florals
-if all else fails, get a cute top

This last detail is pure LFD:

-Wear yellow. Just because.



I know many of you are afraid of yellow, but there are so many shades and tones, I'll bet there is one out there for you if you give it a try. Me, I like them all, and I especially like mixing them together. Here I combined the pale yellow of my gingham-checked ON top and the sunny yellow LOFT tee. What was interesting is that like what Angie recommended in her Gal Time post about wearing white, the "self-color" brighter yellow underneath gave more life to the paler gingham, and filled out the color nicely.



This was a super-casual business-casual look for a Friday in the office. To dress it up I should have tucked in the top or added a belt, but since I was at my desk all day I didn't bother. But it did get pretty wrinkly by the end of the day, though, so I changed before we went out for dinner with Shopping Friend and her boyfriend. Plus, the temp dropped as the day progressed; we had rain and then that wet cold that seeps into your bones. I bundled up.



A medley of greys and blacks: the striped WHBM cascading cardigan, a cement grey ON v-neck long-sleeved tee, Gap Long & Lean jeans, grey Franco Sarto Deer oxford heels, and a green-stone short pendant necklace.

Dinner was great, lots of laughs. And Shopping Friend assessed the Lucky red maple hobo that I had ordered and was feeling iffy on. She noticed the same detail that had bugged me (the cheap half-leather strap) and correctly pointed out the other flaw: the shortness of the strap did not leave enough room for me to access inside when it was on my shoulder. It's already on its way back to Zappos, and I have a couple of other bags under consideration.

I also got my second Gap order, and hated everything but a skinny belt. Back it goes too! Time to reassess what I have and see if I am set for spring. The temps are supposed to be on the rise this week, so it may be more Spring Transition, or straight into Spring itself!

Spring Transition Week: Wednesday and Thursday

Glad you guys liked so many of my new purchases! I plan on having a lot of fun with them; it's really nice to have so many cute options to choose from in the morning. Makes getting dressed a lot easier! I am going to be LOLing if suddenly those cutout flats at Target start selling out, but I won't be surprised. They are one of the most comfortable pair of flats I own, especially from Target. Size up if you can.

Now I just need to work on my camera work. I think it might be time to get a new point-and-shoot. I ruin more pictures on this one than I get. So frustrating!

Anyway, our Spring Transition rules are:
1. Lighten up. Select lighter fabrics, scarves, sweater knits.
2. Brighten up. Go for a bright color once in a while, and shake off the winter blacks.
3. Show a little skin. If you can, remove your tights, roll up your sleeves, or just wear flats and let the tops of your feet poke out.

Once you've got those nailed down, there are some other spring-y details you can add, like:
-a white collared shirt
-swap out a scarf for a necklace
-wear florals
-if all else fails, get a cute top

Wednesday's outfit has the florals, cute top, bright colors, a necklace instead of a scarf, and light fabrication of the sweater. It was again in the 30s; there was even frost on my windshield in the morning. Ugh.



As I mentioned, I already combined two of the new Kohls items: this Elle top and the Lauren Conrad black sweater. The pictures are terrible, but trust me, it worked. I added long grey modern bootcuts from Gap, grey patent Franco Sarto heeled oxfords (needed heels with the pants) a white cami from AT Factory, and a red stone necklace I picked up from Gap a few years ago. It's funny how different necklaces cycle back into rotation if I wait long enough.



I have a closeup shot, but my bodacious ta-ta's are kind of the focal point of the shot so you will just have to trust me that the neckline and print of the top is beyond cute.

For Thursday, I unveiled the new cute top from Gap. Also, there were plenty of bright colors, and flats with plenty of skin showing. Plus a floral pattern on my feet! Again with the 30-40 weather. We have been stuck in a weather rut all week.



Since I bought this top to replace the awesome LOFT polka-dot one, it seemed only fitting to debut it in a revised version of an outfit I wore with the polka-dot one last November:



The difference here is that the tying of the scarf and the addition of the belt give it a crisper, more pulled-together look. And the flats go a long way in lightening up from the heavier black booties.

Aren't they adorable? Vera Wang's from Kohls. Not for walking miles in the city, but they are great for an office day.



I was having a tough time deciding what to wear for my final outfit for Spring Transition Week, but then it occurred to me that I would still be wearing spring transition items next week too! It's supposed to be marginally warmer next week so it will be even lighter versions. Can't wait! Now I have to go pick my last one for this work week. Hmmm...

Spring Transition Week: Tuesday

As a reminder, there are 3 basic rules to Spring Transition outfits:
1. Lighten up. Select lighter fabrics, scarves, sweater knits.
2. Brighten up. Go for a bright color once in a while, and shake off the winter blacks.
3. Show a little skin. If you can, remove your tights, roll up your sleeves, or just wear flats and let the tops of your feet poke out.

Once you've got those nailed down, there are some other spring-y details you can add, like:
-a white collared shirt
-swap out a scarf for a necklace
-(more to come tomorrow)

Like so!


Tuesday's weather forecast: upper 30s to mid 40s, sunny but cold in the air.


I had my longer tuxedo-tunic button-down from ON on at first, but I wasn't feeling the way the tails stuck out at the bottom. It was too...heavy. Then I remembered this Martin + Osa pullover short-sleeve shirt, and wore it for the first time since last summer. Added my Gap teal sweater (thin fabrication) and AT Factory microcheck pants. The other Spring Transition details are the bead necklace in graduated teal hues, and my new red Target cut-out flats.

Guess who else really likes these shoes?



Hello, George! Still the ham.