Comfy Cozy

Sweater - Gap
Scarf - Target
Pants - Gap
Black knee-high socks - Macy's
Brown Anlke Lace-up Booties- F21

For one of the coldest days of the season so far:

Comfy sweater.

Cozy scarf.

Cheap booties with warm, thick socks. ($6 summer deal from F21)

Bring on the "cold" weather, Houston...

...that is, until it changes back to summer-like temperatures.

(In actuality, I wore this on Thursday.  And sure enough, as of today, the temps have gone back up again.)

Have a great weekend!

Leaving a Little to the Imagination



Navy/Grey Cardigan - Gap

Grey/White Gingham Button-down - Target

Red Tank - Loft

Green Cargos - Gap

Shoes - DSW

M'kay.  I know the pic is a little "off-looking", but there was a lot of extra, er, stuff going on in the background that just wasn't necessary to include on a blog. 

I know, in the past, that I've shared things about my life on here, but I'm not into airing my dirty laundry.

Literally.

Good night!  =)

Boo!

Thought you saw a ghost?

Tunic - Banana Republic
Skirt - Loft
Tights - Target
Shoes - DSW

It's just me stopping in to say Happy Halloween!

And since I teach reading/language arts, my "costume" today was "Little Reading Riding Hood".

Hopefully, this won't be the last you'll see of me this week....  ;)

Back to Basics

Top - The Limited (old)
Jeans - Gap
Shoes - Michael Kors (old)
Scarf - Target


Today, as I was leaving school, I thought to myself, "I miss my blog."  My one-week absence sure has felt a lot longer!  And I can't promise how much it will get better.  With losing one whole planning period this year, it is essentially impossible to get work done...at work. (Go figure.)

So, I'm dropping in to say, "Hello" to all of you.

And Good Night!  Miss y'all!

(By the way, we have another Jeans Week at school, so I went basic with a white tee and jeans.  Oh, and then there's one of my favorite pair of shoes to top (or bottom?) it all off!)

Hakuna Matata About Grading Papers

Dress - Thrifted via Goodwill
(w/Target Xhilaration label)
Belt - Thrifted via Goodwill
Shoes - Jessica Simpson (via Dillards)
Necklace - another goody from
Tiffany's summer giveaway
(and what is now my favorite piece of jewelry)
Clutch - Chinese Laundry, Thrifted via Goodwill

Handbag - Aldo (several years old)

So, I lied.

I didn't spend today slaving over a stack of ungraded papers as I stated that I would in last night's post.  (The successfully graded ones are in the foreground in the first pic....just so you know that I'm not a complete fibber.)

Instead, I went out on a double date.

And by "double", I mean that I had two dates.

Speaking of two's, I posted these pics just to show the two different handbag options that I had with this outfit.  The second was the one that I actually carried.  The first was the one that I wanted to carry, but with one of my dates being a four-year old, it just wasn't practical.


And so back to my double-date: 
We went to go and see The Lion King in 3D.  I mean, I can't tell you how long it has been since I've seen that movie, but it didn't really matter.  I still, literally, got chills and goose bumps during the opening scene (when all of the animals of the Serengeti are preparing for the presentation of the future king)... I cried when Mufasa was murdered (by his evil, lower-than-dirt brother, Scar)...I was able to recite many of the characters' lines...and I sang along to most of the soundtrack. (Yes, out loud...but not too loudly.  And, hey, I wasn't the only adult either!)  Sigh.  Anyway. 

Spending a beautiful Saturday...

watching one of the best movies ever...

with two handsome guys on my arms...

Screw grading papers!

Billowy Blues

Blouse - Loft
Pants - Express
Shoes - Payless
Belt - Anne Klein

Since I have a couple of outfit pics that I took from the past week or so, but didn't get a chance to post, I'm pulling one of them out for this Friday post.

This top from Loft was an iffy choice for me.  I love the shade of blue, and I'm a sucker for a ruffle.  However, although I knew that the boxy (although "billowy") shape wasn't the most flattering for a broad-shouldered, short-waisted chick like myself, I obviously kept it.   I justified keeping it because I figured I could make it work somehow....under a cardigan...or a blazer...or a vest....or even tucked into a high-waist pencil skirt.  We'll see.  (I'm open to suggestions, please and thank you!)

Anyway, what are your plans for the weekend?

Wanna know mine?

I'll be having a fabulously fun and engaging time....grading papers!

So far: One class ....Four assignments graded.... Four hours later. 

Now, just two more classes to go!

Have a great weekend!

The Sweetest Thing

Cashmere Cardigan - Express (old)
Skirt - Talbots
Shoes - Nine West
Necklace - one of the many awesome items
 I won from Tiffany's giveaway!

Because I really can't think of anything else to write, I'll share with you a little story from about a week ago:

First, let me mention that one of the many selling features of our house, when we built it several years ago, was the fact that the master bath came with dual vanities.  I loved that I wouldn't have to share a sink (or counter space) with my husband.  Little did I know that four-plus years later, I would actually have to end up sharing my side of the vanity with another guy.....my four-year old child!

Every morning, P uses my sink to brush his teeth.  And on this particular morning last week, I was already "mid-brush" when he decided to butt in.  So, not only did he and his little 30-something pound body take up all the space on my side of the vanity, but he changed the temperature of the water from very warm (ok, nearly hot) to very cold (the nerve of him!). 

I hate cold water. 

He hates hot water.

He got the vanity space.

I was forced to walk around while brushing my teeth. 

No big deal, right?  A mom should make those little sacrifices for her kid(s), shouldn't she?

Well, I guess I'm a bad mommy because, quite frankly, I didn't want to!  Seriously, this kid takes For.Ever. to brush his teeth! 

This is his process:

Step 1: Play around on step stool and pretend to teeter and totter on it.

Step 2: Play with toothbrush.  

Step 3: Pretend to not be able to pump toothpaste out of tube. 

Step 4: Put toothpaste onto toothbrush...then accidentally-on-purpose let paste drop off of brush into the sink. Then play with that until it goes down the drain.

Step 5: Repeat Step 3 and first part of Step 4.

Step 6: Take several minutes to brush teeth.

Step 7: Splash water all over the counter his face.

So, while he was going through this whole process, I was standing around with a mouth full of toothpaste and stuff, which, to me, gets kind of gross after a while.

(Waiting....frustration....waiting...frustration....)

I was close to really getting upset when, after completing Step 7, P surprised me by adding a Step 8 for the first time:

After he completed his ritual, he did the most amazingly simple and chivalrous act that made me swallow all of the bad thoughts that I was having of shoving him off of his stepstool (I'm just kidding!), and almost made me literally swallow the toothpaste gunk in my mouth (seriously!).

Before stepping off of his stool, my four-year old male child reached over the sink... and changed the faucet tap from cold back to hot.   Just for me.

Was that not the sweetest thing in the world or what?



Long Time No See

Top - BCBG via TJ Maxx
Skirt - Gap
Shoes - Jessica Simpson via Dillards
Belt - Via Spiga via TJ Maxx (very old)

Well, Hey!

Hopefully, I haven't become a stranger to y'all yet! 

But you know how the saying goes:   _ _ _ _ happens.

Please feel free to insert any applicable four letter word into those spaces.  I'll start:

l-i-f-e happens...

k-i-d-s happen...

w-o-r-k happens...

Oh, yeah.  And s-i-c-k happens.

Yep, that's one of the highlights of being a teacher.  (Other than not being able to go to the restroom when you want to.)

And after I was sick, my son got sick.  And then my husband got sick.  And then I got sick again.  So, yeah.  We are a family that likes to recycle.

Anyway, it's good to be back (for now).

Just Short

Navy Blazer - Loft
Purple Striped Tee - Gap Outlet
Belt - Gap
Pants - Express (old)
Sandals - Steve Madden

Hey, y'all.
Long night, so short post with three points:

1.  I'm wearing pants that have a short hem and are hard to wear with just about any shoe.  (Flooding is not an intentional style option for me.)

2.  I look short, as my students like to point out.  Constantly.  (Never mind the fact that I am 5'3"...and many of them are taller than I am.)

3.  And I just spent a long time putting together an interesting, engaging, and active activity to help my kiddos write a short story.  Short attention spans they have, let me tell ya.

Anyway, that's the long and short of it all.

Have a great night!
I'll be catching up on my reading at the end of the week...can't wait!

Saturday Perfect

Fedora - Target
Racerback Tank - Target
Shorts - Loft
Shoes - Jessica Simpson, Dillards
Handbag - Thrifted from Goodwill

I found this bag yesterday during a brief stop at Goodwill.  I walked passed it and then immediately turned around to get a closer look.

I wasn't sure about it at first....kind of big for me, but could be great for a weekend....weird design that's seventies/carpet-bagger-ish, but I do love navy blue and the design was different.  So then I looked at the price tag.

Four bucks? 

OK. It's mine.

After purchasing it and investigating for the maker of the bag, I finally found a label on the inside reading "Estee Lauder"....so I figured that this probably wasn't a purse after all, but more so a gift-with-purchase bag from the makeup counter. 

But that's okay. 

Cuz today, it was the perfect accessory for a perfect Saturday hanging with my perfect men.

Jeans Week, Day 2

Top - Banana Republic
Silver Belt - TJ Maxx
Jeans - Old Navy (old)
Shoes - Bandolino, from DSW (old) 

 Bonjour, bloggers!

Today was day two

of jeans week at school,

and I went with basic ease

in a button-down (bib front) and flared jeans.

Cool with me.

Now, it's outside time with P!

Jeans Week, Day 1



Button- down - Gap
Tee - Gap
Jeans - Gap
Belt - Thrifted, from Goodwill
Shoes - BCBG, from DSW

Every so often, we get an opportunity to support a fundraiser at school by paying to wear jeans for a week.  I'm not all big on wearing jeans to work because sometimes it just seems harder for me to make jeans work for...work.

Like today.  I had something specific in mind, but it just did not come to fruition.  This isn't a totally horrible outfit, but it just wasn't what I had in mind. The shirt on top is loosey-goosey and drapey.  The button-down underneath is big and boxy (and required a couple of safety pins to minimize the bulk).  And as much as I love this belt, I could have used something else.  Aaaannnnd I originally wanted to wear a different pair of shoes.  So, I guess I should have just started over from scratch.

Oh, well.

You take the good with the bad, and you move on.

Sooo....moving on to tomorrow!

Good night!
(By the way, if you have suggestions on how to try this outfit again...but better... please let me know!)

Gas Gauge Malfunction

Cardigan - Loft
Dress - Alyn Page, Ross
Shoes - Steve Madden
Necklace - Talbots
Belt - Thrifted via Goodwill

All right all of you teachers, moms, or just all-around hard-workers out there!

During the day, while you're busy, do you ever get the feeling that you're being extremely productive and you have so much energy that you can just keep goinggoinggoing until bedtime?

But once you get home and stop moving for just a few minutes, all that energy is zapped?

Yeah?

Me, too!

I had that feeling about a half-hour ago while sitting in front of my laptop and loading my pic onto this post.

And then I fell asleep...

... on my laptop.

But I have to say that those twenty-two minutes did fill up my tank with about a half a gallon of gas(How much does that cost nowadays? Like two bucks!?)  That should be enough to get me to bedtime. 

I promise to catch up on my reading soon.

Nighty-night!



Wednesday Night Recipe

Blouse  - Old Navy (old)
Skirt - Talbot's
Belt - Thrifted from Goodwill
Shoes - Lauren Ralph Lauren via Ross

 Here's a great recipe to use after a long day at work (or a long three days that definitely feel longer than three days):

Ingredients:

1 bath of hot water.

2 soaked feet.

1 plate of spaghetti.

2 episodes of last night's What Not to Wear.

1 InStyle magazine.

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together.

Spread out on a soft bed.

Relax for several hours

and

Enjoy!

(I know I will....)

What to Title This Post?

Cardigan - Talbots
Tee - Gap
Trousers - Banana Republic
Belt - Ann Klein (old)
Necklace  (of flowers)- from my mom's vanity

It's Day 2 of the new school year and, unfortunately, I don't have any classroom tales to share yet.

Unless.

You consider:
 Me, in the middle of a tantalizing lesson, being startled by the sounds of a kid vomiting on the right side of his desk...then on the left side of his desk (as the girl next to him watched in sheer horror)...then on his notebook...then across my floor as he's walking to the trash can by the door... and then out of the door to the nurse's office...
...and then back again in my trash can before he could take five steps to the nurse's office.  It was a sight.  Kids were scrambling and gagging while I was on the phone trying to get a hold of the front office or a maintenance person, while making sure someone walked my sick kid all the way to the nurse's office, while getting the kids to settle down while trying not to focus too hard on or inhale too much of the vomit....

I'll just say that this was my first vomit episode, and it was an experience.

After the mayhem ceased, I was able to get the rest of the kids settled out in the hallway where we finished our lesson. 

No big deal.

Like I said, it's only Day 2.





 

First Day of School

I'm standing on my toes in this picture.

I used to pride myself on being able to make it through the day while teaching in heels.

And I also used to teach five out of seven periods a day.

Now I teach six periods a day.

And my feet.

Hurt.

And it's only the first day.

Just shoet me now.

Me, Myself, and Moms Have Style, Too!

I ranted today over at Erin's blog, Moms Have Style, Too!

She's one of my daily reads, and could quickly become yours too, if not already.

Check it out.  Please?  =)

Have You Ever Committed a Crime?

A couple of days ago, I did a bad thing.

I walked into a store, saw something that I liked...

and I walked right out with it.

Crazy??? I know, I know!  But I did it!

And without any hesitation... or guilt.

Well, that's not totally true.  I did feel a little weird about it.

In my defense though, it was my first time!

I'm sure you've heard people say that doing it gives them such an adrenaline rush. 

And I agree.

So much so that...

I did it again two days later!!!

Aaaarrggghh!!  What is wrong with me?

I mean, maybe I'm just trying to assuage some of my guilt here, but I'm hoping that a few of you can understand.  Maybe you've even done it once or twice (or more) before, too? 

And I want to be up front with you so that you know the type of person whose blog you're reading.

I just hope that you don't think less of me.

I'm mean, I'm admitting to my crime here on my blog!

I.

Am.

A.

Shopthrifter.

Gasp!


This is what I stole bought... for really cheap!

Skirt - Harold's (a Dallas-based clothing store that after 60+ years,
went out of business a few years ago) $6
Purse - Dooney & Burke East West Slouch mini in excellent condition $25
Both items from my local Goodwill.

My First Open House

(sigh) Don't ask me what that kid in the background was doing.
I can tell you what he was NOT doing, though:
 getting dressed for his first Open House!
Dress - Ross (old)
Belt - ?
Shoes - Target
Purse that I stalked for several months
until it was marked down from $400 to $100 - Gaetano Navarra, TJ Maxx

This year, as a teacher, I will be participating in my sixth Open House/Meet the Teacher event.

Yet, today, as a mother, I participated in my first Open House/Meet the Teacher event.

Luckily,

There was no crying.

No worries about not making friends or not liking the teacher.

No balling up in a corner in fear of the new surroundings.

Nope.  None of that.  Just a brave face and readiness for a new start.

Oh, and P did really well, too.  ;)

Miss Mix-a-Lot

Tank - Gap
Shorts - Loft
Belt - Gap

Remember Sir-Mix-a-Lot's song "Baby Got Back"?

Here's my version of the song's famous first lines:

I like mixed prints and I cannot lie...
You other bloggers can't deny...

Ok. That's all I have.
But you can find more mixed-printed bloggers here.

Endings and Beginnings

Dress - New York & Co via Ross
Tie - M's (little) side of the closet
Shoes - Target (very cheap at $5.00...but blister-inducing!)

Sooo....I've mentioned before that my summer was quickly coming to an end. 
Well, it's not officially over, but.....it's officially over.  Here's why:

Last week, I taught an AP Bridging class for 7th and 8th graders...it was only for four days, but I was worn out after day one.  Hence, this is why you only get a picture of day one's outfit....I just couldn't muster the energy to take pics after that.  Isn't that sad?

Today, I got the keys to my classroom and arranged my room and my desk. (That's my workout for the rest of the yea! Just kidding...kind of...)

Tomorrow, I'll be helping out with the sixth grade registration. (Should I take a Tylenol now or later?)

Wednesday, is my anniversary.  And an all-day workshop. (Great timing....)

Thursday is my son's pre-K Open House...and also my school's Open House for sixth graders.  (Can we say "great timing" again?)

And then Friday will be P's first day of school ever!  I'm so excited about it!  I'm glad that it's my last day of summer 'cuz I'll get to experience it with him.  It will be my first time taking him to school! 

Aaaaaand it will probably be my last time, too.  Boooo! His school and mine are on two different schedules which will make it difficult for me to drop him off every morning and impossible for me to pick him up in the afternoon.  I've always imagined that I would be sitting in the carpool lane waiting for him, but I guess that will have to be daddy-son time.
 
On another note, while P will be starting school for the first time this coming Friday, my husband finished his two-year program for respiratory therapy this past Friday!  Yea for M!

There was a little celebration in his honor on Saturday.  Some of his family from Louisiana traveled here to celebrate, which made him extra happy. It was really a fun time. 

And I did manage to get a pic of what I wore (by the way...that is NOT armpit hair that you see....promise!):

Dress - Target
Tank - Gap
Belt - Forever 21
Sandals - Ralph Lauren, Dillards 

I've worn this dress before here (I hate how some of the stripes never stay fully horizontal!),  and, interestingly enough, it was to celebrate M's birthday!  Anyway, this time, I was able to put into practice my cool knotting skills:  the belt-knot which I acquired from Designgirl (Thanks, dear!) and my maxi-knot (which kept un-knotting if that's a real action word).  And, I practiced some new eye-makeup tricks of layering two different eyeliner shades (navy on top of black)...which you can't really tell, but I did! 

So, as my lazy days of summer continue winding down, there is one good thing to look forward to:

Fall Fashions!

But then again,  I probably won't really begin wearing anyway until, like, November, when there is any semblance of less-than-hot weather here.....

Sigh....Oh, well.

A Soberly Striped Saturday of Skee-ball

Liked that l'il tongue twisty?

Tee - Gap
Dress - Target

 

Soo... I think I cleaned up pretty well today.

Considering that last night's game night at our friend's/neighbor's house turned into:

(1) a concoction of alcohols,

(2) prank calls to each other (see #1), and

(3) an early morning bedtime (a 3:48 early morning bedtime, to be exact).

And I had a 7 a.m. hair appointment today.

Fortunately, the "beverages" had worn off by the time we did get home, and two hours later, I was up and, at 6 a.m, out of the house.  I was very awake and alert, but my tummy didn't know what hit it (was it the Orange Petrone? Nouveau ((was that what it was called??)) or that third drink that I definitely can't remember the name of?)!!

Anyway, other than an unsettled tummy (I'm not much of a drinker...yet still downed three different drinks!  Makes sense, huh?), I made it to my appointment on time, stopped at my mom's for a visit, and made it home by noon.  After a two-and-a-half hour power nap, I cleaned myself up and wore this outfit to spend an afternoon with my little tootie.

With P and his mommy playing Skee-ball...it was Chuck E. Cheese's that didn't know what hit it!

(By the way, I was well aware of the peek-a-boo stripes that could be seen through the tee, but I was too lazy and it was too hot to consider adding another layer. So, peek-a-boo it was.)

Bon week-end!

I'm Having Breakfast With Tiffany Today

Hello!

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to do a guest post by my blogger buddy Tiffany from Breakfast With Tiffany.  After some excitement, nervousness, many ideas, and a several drafts, I did it! 

Okay, maybe I'm making too big of a deal about it, but please check it out anyway.  (By the way, I'm sure the link to her blog is not going to work once I post this, but you can find her on my reading list...sixth one down from the top.)  And, if you don't follow her already...you might just want to do that, too! ;)

Also, on Saturday I passed along the "Best Blogger Award" to many bloggers, but I forgot about a special one:

Melissa from A Working Mom's Closet  (third down on my reading list)

Her blog oozes positivity and she always has something nice to say (or says things in the nicest way possible)! 

Have a great day!

Awards Day

I was out and about today running a couple of errands and then picking P up from my sister's (he's been gone for one whole week!!!). I tried something new with the scarf tied around my head...it's different for me and I kind of liked it...but I'm not sure if I have the right "oomph" to pull it off the way I've seen others do it.

I actually didn't leave the house like this, though. I swapped this belt out for a skinny red one, tightened the cuff on the pants, added several bracelets and a watch.  And, of course, I changed into flat sandals.

Scarf - from a pair of pants from The Limited
Tee - Gap
Belt - Gap
Khakis - Gap
Shoes - Ross

So, earlier this week, the dynamic duo from H&K Style Journey and the wonder-mom from Breakfast With Tiffany both recognized me with a Best Blog Award.

                                                        

First, I'd like to say thank you to The Academy H&K and Tiffany for bestowing such a prestigious award upon me. Secondly, I'd like to pass it on to several other bloggers (refer to my blog list for the links to these blogs if they do not work below)***:

1. Right back at y'all H&K...for their mother and daughter cuteness

2. Right back at Tiffany...for her covet-worthy dresses and sandals

3. Erin from Moms Have Style, Too! ...for her sense of humor on motherhood and her ability to look good in it (motherhood, that is) every. damn. day.

4. Callandra from Petite Early Morning Style...for her insane ability to put together magazine-worthy looks

5. A dIvAmOms Journey...for her calming insight on life and her ability to pull off just about any outfit

6. Ambular Logic...also for her insight on motherhood (and her two cute little ones!)

7. Economy of Style...for her classic looks at great prices

8. Style & Poise...for her great use of colors and patterns

9. Two Stylish Kays...for their insane chic-ness

10. Jenn from The Suburb Experiment (and also from Secondhand Stylist)....for her "I want that!" vintage pieces and shoes

11. Style in General... for her classic looks and ability to tie a belt in the best. knot. ever.

12. Not Just a Pretty Face ...for sharing her journey with the insane Insanity workout videos...and her pretty face ;)

13. Hot Southern Mess...for making me laugh EVERY time I read her blog

14. Fashion for Giants...for her classic and colorful looks

15. Em's Fashion Finds...for her great shoes and the best necklaces

16. Style Chic 360...for her diva-factor every time

All righty. Next, I'm supposed to give seven random facts about myself. Here goes:

1. I absolutely cannot eat anything at anytime with my hands, unless my hands have been thoroughly washed with soap and hot water.

2. I hate to hear other women pee-ing in the restroom.

3. I'm not a huge Coke fan, but I love to get a large-sized order of it from McDonalds.

4. I despise washing dishes. My philosophy in my household is: If you dirty it, you clean it. (Unless you're P.)

5. I'm addicted to a game that I have on my phone called Ka-Glom. Really addicted. Unhealthily addicted.

6. Brown rice. Sliced turkey hot dogs. And ketchup. Those are the three ingredients for my own special recipe that I created about ten years ago called "Rice Dog Pie." Mm.Mm. (When M & I were dating way back then, I offered to "cook" for him one night after a work out at the gym. When I put his bowl of Rice Dog Pie in front of him, he looked at it and said, "What the he...!" You may be thinking the same thing as well...and that's okay.)

7. I was in a college pageant. And I actually won.

And here's a bonus:

8. My son has the largest boogers in the world. And I was put on this Earth to pull them out.  Aaaaaand, I'm secretly obsessed with examining them afterwards. Gross, but definitely random.

Lastly, I need to answer the following questions:

Favorite song: 
I don't have ONE.

Favorite dessert: 
Chocolate cake with some kind of raspberry or chocolate something drizzled on top of it

What is pissing you off right now: 
Not a thing.  At the moment.

When you are upset you:
Stop talking and/or shut down.

Favorite pet:
Awww....that's easy.  My Pomeranian named Monty.  He was my first child.  But I had to put him to sleep back in 2005.  I still miss him.

Black or White?
Black

Biggest Fear:
Death

Best Feature:
ay-yi-yi............umm......my eyes?

Everyday Attitude:
playful/serious/focused/unfocused

What is perfection?
Neatly and symmetrically threaded eyebrows.  Perfection.

Guilty pleasure?
Coconut Tart (Pie).  It's a Caribbean dessert chock-full of calories and fat, but soooooooooo sweet and good that I can eat an entire 8" pie. Aaaaaalllll. Byyyyyy. Myyyyyyyy.  Self.

That's it!  If you are one of the sixteen bloggers to whom I passed this award along, please do what I did:  link back, pass it along to (15) others, tell seven random things about yourself, and then answer the last set of questions.  Can't wait to read your responses!

Have a great weekend!

P.S.
(*** Can anyone help me with this problem that I'm having with the links?!? They show up on my draft, but once I do a preview or publish the post, the links disappear!)

Red, White, and Booooo!!!!

Dress - TJ Maxx
Cardigan - Loft
Shoes - Jessica Simpson, Dillards (recent purchase)

Booooo!!!  After my third meeting this week, and more to come in the next couple of weeks, my summer vacation is pretty much over. 

I wore this today to two meetings.  (I actually wore my staple summer shoewear of flat sandals.) Regardless, with the style of the dress and my hair in a french braid...I felt a little pin-up-y. 

So, maybe yea for that!

Meet My Alter Egos

Hat - old Old Navy
Dress - Gap
Belt - old Old Navy
Shoes - Michael Kors, Macy's
Flower Pin - Talbots

My husband went to lunch today with  a newspaper  boy wearing his hat, a prom teen and her corsage, and a bridesmaid still in her (short) dress and sash.
 
Random, huh?

Yep. 

Well, apparently, I have three alter egos.  And they all just randomly met each other today.

But I promise, I'm not as crazy as I look.  I promise, I'm not as crazy as I look.

Oh, and the blue handbag in the background?

Don't worry.  I did not throw that into the mix, too.

My alter egos and I didn't think it would match.

Black Friday Find: In The Name of Love

After yesterday's outfit rant, I decided to go very basic today.  A black tee and Gap skinny jeans.  I mean, that's like boiling water...can't muck that up, right?  {with the exception of the one special gal who told me that she can...you know who you are! ;) }

I haven't done a Black Friday Find post in a while...this one is special to me (and recent).

Yesterday, my sister mentioned that she had gone to the Talbot's Outlet store, which reminded me of a skirt that I had fallen in love with during my first visit to Talbots (not the outlet) a couple of months ago.  I was so enamored by the skirt (love at first sight does exist), that I took it straight to the fitting room and fell in love even more with the fit.  We were made for each other.

And then I looked at the price tag.

$129.

Really?

That wasn't going to happen, so with my heart strings still attached, I returned the skirt to the rack and heartbrokenly left the store.  I even went home and told my husband about "The One That I Had to Let Get Away".  (He's not so much the jealous type, so he was okay with that.)

Anyway, after not having followed up with the skirt since our first chance encounter, I called around to find it, but because the skirt had been out for a while and was so popular, every store in my vicinity was out.  I wasn't going to give up this time, so I decided to call every store in the state of Texas (and beyond, if need be) until I found it.  I did a store locator search on the Talbots website and began at the top of the list in Austin. 

Sadly, my heart couldn't keep taking the rejection after the fourth store in Austin said that they didn't have the skirt (a couple of people laughed out loud when I told them the name of the skirt, as if I was crazy to even believe that it would still be available...kind of like the nerd asking out the jock).  So, I decided to contact customer service...you know, kind of like a matchmaker.  And my matchmaker hooked me up with the numbers to three prospects, one in Arlington, TX...the second in Friendswood, TX...and the third in Santa Clara, CA. 

Friendswood came through for me.  With husband and son in tow, we took the hour drive to meet the new addition to our my family.  Even though M and I were having a great conversatioin along the way, I was mentally cheating on him.  My mind was totally consumed by the skirt.

There was a moment of fear/pissed-offness after we arrived at the Talbots in Friendswood.  The sales clerk had placed it on a hold rack, but it was no longer there.  I'm not the type of customer to ever be rude or get irate, but she was about to bring that out of me if she didn't find my skirt.  Luckily, after ten (very intense) minutes, my skirt was found and we were finally able to finalize our union with my purchase.

And so, I'd like to introduce you to the skirt that stole my heart:

The Daisy Lace Pencil Skirt

OH!  And the best part:

And the "bestest" best part were the words
that I love to hear:
Additional 40% off
Bringing the final price to
$38.39
sigh.

So, if you've recently had an encounter with an item that you were unable to take home with you, give it another try.  Love will always prevail.  (Lol!)



Yes, Your Madras-ty

Although it's officially Friday, this here is still going to be my Thursday post, 'k?

This must be my summer of shorts because I honestly think that I've worn shorts more times this summer than I have collectively over the past...ten years, maybe?  As a result, I feel a little insecure like a novice when it comes to putting together an outfit around a pair of shorts. 

This afternoon, I took P to our local mall to meet up with one of my sisters and her daughters (ages 17 and 19 and whom P adores).  I almost always make it a point to wear flats when I'm venturing out with P (high heels + active 30-plus pound child + nearly equally weighted purse = frustration/back pain), and I just wanted to be very casual.  Soooo...shorts, a shirt, and some shoes.  How hard could that be, right?

An hour-and-a-half-long-hard, I tell you.  An hour and a half.

That. is. ridiculous.

I mean, I could understand if I were getting ready to go somewhere important or special, but geez, I just wanted to take my kid to the mall and be comfortable, cool, and kinda cute.

I guess today was just an insecurity day.  I was whining complaining telling my husband earlier that if "it takes me this long" to put together a casually stylish outfit that just ends up looking like I spent a long time trying to put together a stylish outfit, then I must really not have any sense of style.  His response was actually a pretty good and uplifting one that should have completely obliterated my sour disposition, but too bad... I was not trying to hear it.  Misery was looking for company, and his invitation was quickly revoked

So, this outfit was the final result: 
Plaid madras Loft shorts (that I've already worn twice before, but obviously not well enough to post). 
An "unruly-necked" Gap tee (that kept shifting around...I think some poor soul at the mall was flashed). 
A flower pin from Talbots (that was awkardly placed and kept aiding the "unruly-necked tee" with the flashing).
And Old Navy flip flops (that I hardly ever wear).  

(Hmmm...and why was it again that was I skeptical/miserable/insecure to begin with???)

Seriously, I'm okay with the outfit, though. 

And I'm okay with myself, too.

Just so you know, I'm not going through some kind of crisis.

I'm just mad.

In plaid.

Go-To Sundress for Sunday

Today, it's just me and my little man.  We're gonna hit the neighborhood for a bike ride and then the playground...provided that the dark clouds battling with the sun don't open up and unleash a downpour.  But then again, we do need the rain.

This dress was purchased from Old Navy several years ago.  Last year, it was my summer go-to piece.  Go to the grocery store?  Wear this dress.  Go to the mall?  Wear this dress.  Go to the pool?  Wear this dress. 

You get the point.

So, when it's time to go, what summer piece do you go to?

Sans Maxi-Boobs

Today, I'm just hanging with my boys, so it's a relaxed look for me.

Don't be frightened by the hair...I'm trying low-maintenance hairstyles for the summer.  This was the result of sleeping with two french braids.  I haven't worn my hair like this in probably ten years...and back then it was longer with cool blonde streaks in the front.  Man.  I'm getting boring.

Anyway, because we were actually going out and about for a little bit, I decided to (again) combat the heat with an easy dress, while still trying to look mommy-cool and wifey-hot (but not easy). 

The result was this hot pink maxi. 

Now, this isn't the type of maxi that I would normally gravitate towards.  I really wasn't going to buy it (from Ross) at first because if you look at the front (from the above pic) and then the back (from the below pic), this dress (in my opinion) requires more than what I have.  This dress (again, in my opinion) requires
maximum-gravitational-defiance-via-artificial-saline-or-silicone-mammary-inserted-sacs
boobies.

SEE?!?!?

(even though it's blurry, you still get the picture!)

In other words,  I don't have "maxi-boobs"...my assets, in this dress, would be more like liabilities. 
 
Anyway, I couldn't pass this dress up because it was on clearance for $8, and lucky for me, I was able to find one of my strapless bras that was low enough to not be seen from the back and looks like a tank from the front! 

So now me and my girls can go out and enjoy the day with my boys! 


(By the way, if you don't have fake ones and can pull this dress off without a bra...please share your secret.)

Have a great weekend!

Stripes, Dots, and Plaid

This post is going to be short and sweet.  I haven't seen my little Tootie since Sunday, so I'm off to go and pick him up from my sister's. 

I did add a few extra photos, though, to kind of chronicle the, uh, patience that Coco, the "cat-dog" has while he's waiting for me to feed him the "good stuff":

He's waiting paitently.

Getting a little tired of waiting.



Now I think he's mocking me.



I think he may have called me
 a name as he walked out...

As far as the outfit goes, the tank and the skirt both are from Forever 21. The skirt is two sizes too big, so it's being held up by a sash that I took from a tunic.  It wasn't intentional, but I think this may be my first triple-pattern mix! 

Happy hump day!

The Fish, the Jaguar, and the Leopard

The Fish

  

To say that yesterday was simply "hot" would be an understatement.  I was lucky to get some pictures taken before I went out and melted, and in order to combat the heat, this was what I wore.  I found this "dress" at Ross on the clearance rack for $4.99.  On the hanger, it was so huge and shapeless that I wasn't sure what it was and passed it up.  But then it reminded me of this dress from I Take Photos in the Bathroom*, and although this Ross piece is not as lovely as Kate's Lilly Pulitzer dress, curiosity got the best of me and I brought it home.  I've had it for a couple of weeks and attempted to wear it a few times, but chickened out...I mean, I'm still not sure what it is...a beach cover-up?  a muu muu?  a really large, sized-small shirt?  But for five bucks, I'll just do what Tim Gunn always says on Project Runway:  "Make it work."  So, for the summer, I'll make it work as a little dress, and for the fall, maybe I'll wear it as a tunic over leggings.  And to add a bit more color interest to the blue, I finally decided to wear my yellow thong sandals from Gap...they're still being sold online, but I got them a couple of weeks ago for about $10.

Anyway, yesterday, I took P to visit his Grammy.  One of my brothers, one of my sisters, and each of their (older) sons stopped by to visit also.  My sister and my nephew brought their huge Retriever/Chow mix dog named Joey that is three times the size of P, but equally as playful.  We were all curious to see who would get tired first...P or the dog?
Poor Joey.

I actually wish we had a dog of our own.  But, as you can see from the first pic, we have a cat. Coco.  I really don't like cats, but Coco is special....he doesn't act like a normal cat.   He's actually kind of like a dog.  Truthfully, we call him our cat-dog.
Poor Coco.

The Jaguar
(sorry for the sucky picture)                 

Dress - Forever 21, Shoes - Ralph Lauren (TJ Maxx, '10)
Cuff Bracelet - my sister (but she got it from F21)
Bangle - The Limited
Jaguar Pendant - F21

After my battle with the excessive heat, I came home, showered, refreshed, and attempted to, ahem, transform  into a decent looking human being for a night out at the movies...Guess which movie we saw??

The Leopard

Tank - Forever 21, Jeans - Gap ('10)
Shoes - Steve Madden (TJ Maxx, '10)
Belt - Liz Claiborne (old)

Today, I went to my in-laws and filled up my belly with some great barbecue!
Although this really was the best picture out of the few that I took (trust me, I didn't choose it just so I could expose my freakish shoulder to you all...or my pink bra strap), it's kinda hard to see the little leopard print belt (with red buckle) that I threw in to add a little fun to my stripes and boyfriend blue jeans.


So, that's it!
3 (outfits) + 1 (post) = 4(th of July)

I hope everyone is having, or has had, a good one. 
Happy Independence Day!

*for some reason, the links that I embed aren't showing up on the published versions of my posts (is anyone else having this problem???), so for added reference, the link is http://itakephotosinthebathroom.blogspot.com/2011/06/love-letters.html