What I Wore Thrifting

Just a quick post today to show you what I wore thrifting.

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And what I got thrifting...That's my "I feel so glamorous" in my new leather gloves pose :)  I think they will look fab with my 3/4 sleeve magenta coat.

It's a beautiful Satuday, so go out and enjoy it!!! 

Geometric Top, Black Friday special 2008 $3

Skinny Jeans, JCPenney 2007 $30

Black Vest, Ann Taylor Loft 2009 $11

Silver ball necklace, F21 2009 $7

Wedge shoes, Payless 2009 $7

Gloves, thrifted today for $8

Stella & Dot Jewelry

If you haven't heard of Stella & Dot and LOVE jewelry like I do, I will warn you that scrolling down to look at the pictures below may result in a serious addiction to sparkles.  They contain gorgeous statement pieces that are nothing short of STUNNING.  If you can't control yourself, I will not be held accountable.  But if you dare, you can see some of the most glamorous pieces from their unbelievable collection.

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By the way, Stella & Dot may sponser a giveaway in the near future, so keep checking in my dearest readers...

Beautiful weather makes tough Fridays...

Does anyone else feel that great weather can be both a blessing and a curse?  On the one hand, it's GORGEOUS and it makes the 4 block walk to work much more enjoyable.  But I swear it makes the day go by soooooo slowly when you know you're missing out on something!  I sure hope you can enjoy the weather this weekend.
Black shirtdress, Target 2009 $25
Belt, Target 2009 $4
Boots, gifted from Grandma 2006??

I worked a 12 hour day today (which is why the hair/makeup look so bad), but it was a great one anyways.  And tomorrow it's Friday, folks!!!  What's everyone doing this weekend?

Black pencil skirt, JCPenney 2008 $10

Tights, Walmart 2009 $1

Belt, NyandCo 2008 $10

Green corduroy jacket, Kohls 2008 $15

Cream ruffled shirt*, Chadwicks 2008 $15

*The husband calls this the "pirate" or "puffy" shirt.

Wednesday

Happy Birthday to the Hubby!  We went out to dinner to celebrate, and I wore this little number.

Black dress, Isaac Mizrahi 2008 via ebay $10

Leggings, JCPenney 2009 $9.99 purchased with gift card

Belt, NYandCo 2008 $10

Boots, Calvin Klein thrifted (brand new) 2009 $25

Fun pictures, courtesy of hubby:

Working from home...

I have meetings today in the town I live in, so my boss gave me permission to just work at home after the meetings instead of driving the 45 minute commute for just a few hours of work.  My first meeting didn't go so well, in my opinion, so I came home and downed a slice of cheesecake my parents sent home with me the other day.  Now I feel fat and bloated and YUCKY.  These past weeks I have been a terrible eater, and I've gained 2 lbs as a result.  It's time to crack down in the food and exercise department for me!

Jcrew cami, ebay 2009 $49.99

Jeans, JCPenney 2009 $30

Cardigan, JCPenney 2009 $25

Shoes, CS for Payless 2009 $30

Belt, 2009 $3

Wow, expensive outfit day!!  Eeek, I'm realizing how much I have already spent on clothes in 2009!

Inspirational outfit of the week

I am LOVING the graphic tee layered over a patterned button down shirt look! A+ to jcrew designers on this one! The structure from the button down allows the graphic tee to look good on someone with a lower tummy pooch (like myself).  The best part about this look?  It will be so easy to recreate at lower price points.
EDIT:  If you like this look, check it out on Becky at Gilding the Frilly!

Tuesday

Gray Cardigan, JCPenney 2009 $25
Purple paisley tie neck top, Macys 2008 $15
Pants, JCPenney 2008 $10
Ruffle gladiator sandals, Target 2009 $30
Headband ??

A big thanks to Kelly for all her guest posts.  I hope you all enjoyed them!

Monday

Wow, I can't believe it is already Monday!  That's craziness.  Anyways, I looked to Kimberly's inspiration calander today for my outfit since yesterday I refused to realize the weekend was coming to an end.  I had a great day at work, though, and felt great in my blue dress.  It's pry the most expensive dress I own besides my wedding dress.  I bought it for my law school graduation, because I fell in love with it and wanted to treat myself after finals.  I also included a closeup of my face, since I really loved my makeup today.

Blue dress, Maggy London via Macys 2009 $70

Black cardigan, NYandCo 2008 $15

Black herringbone pantyhose, Walmart 2009 $1

Necklace, thrifted 2009 $10

Lace shoes, Richard Tyler via Smartbargains.com 2007 $50

Disappearing Act

No, I am not a magician, nor am I dressed like one, with the exception of a lot of black. "Disappearing Act" refers to the fact that I'll be disappearing from this blog for a while. I love doing guest posts, but keeping up the pace of a regular blogger while Fashion Addict was gone--even though it was only a few days--was a lot. Those of you who post daily or almost-daily outfits have my admiration. I know I could never keep up with doing a blog like this of my own! So I'll be back down the road with other guest posts, or if FA needs to leave again and needs a substitute, but I'm not going to be a regular contributor (and hadn't ever really intended to be, anyway). I'll probably see you around in the comments here and elsewhere, but that's it for now.

Details for this outfit:
Black cardi, thrifted. B/W floral dress, ?, clearance for about $5. Orange scarf as belt, ?, I've had it for years. Orange necklace, ?. Black cropped pants, Ann Taylor Loft, $30. Black boots, DSW.

I'm doing some things in this outfit I've never tried before: a scarf as a belt and a dress over pants. Since I take awkward pictures (how those of you who look like models in your pictures do it, I have no idea!) it doesn't look as great in the photo as it did in person. I was pretty impressed with the outfit and got a few compliments the night I wore it. I never thought I'd do the dress-over-pants thing, but to my surprise, it worked. The scarf as belt was necessary to me to add some more color other than the necklace; I felt there was just SO much black that it needed something more. I'd done the cropped pants with boots on some other rainy days this fall and liked how it turned out. It wasn't immediately obvious because the color is the same so there wasn't a huge danger of cutting my leg line (I think). Plus, with the dress belted high, I think my legs get that added length.

Are any of these new things something that you have tried or want to try? Does it work or not work for you? Why or why not?

Happy Halloween!

Hope your Halloween was as fun as mine.  Originally, we were going to go to my coworker's party, but something came up and we ended up going to a different city and therefore a different party.  I wore my homemade "Betty Draper" costume, but only a few people "got" it.  The girls usually knew, but the guys at the party kept asking if I was a librarian :)  I felt pretty (despite my hair not turning out exactly how I wanted)  but also very overdressed when we went out to the bars, since the most popular costume this year seemed to be fishnets, underwear/bra, and a cowboy hat.  Not sure exactly what they were supposed to be, but a group of us decided it was "cowboy hooker," LOL. 

Navy shirtdress, Target 2008 $40
White belt, JCPenney 2008 $3
Turqouise cardigan JCPenney 2006 $15
Pearls, homemade by me
Silver shoes, purchased 2007 for wedding shoes :)

The only thing I bought new for this costume was red lipstick/lip liner, so the total was about $12.  I actually really loved this outfit, so I might wear it to work some time!

From day to night

I don't actually ever have any reason to go from a typical work day to evening out, so, yes, the title is a little misleading.

Previously, I'd written about how the long gray socks I'd bought worked better as a comfy addition to my stay-in-the house leggings outfit. Well, later that night, I did have to go out and it was cold and I didn't want to get changed. So I found a black dress in my closet and threw it on over my leggings and socks, put on my black boots, a gray jacket, my scarf, and was ready to go. It was my first wearing leggings out of the house experience since middle school. I still don't think I could wear them as pants (um, well, except last night for Halloween. I was a cat.) but with a dress or tunic, they work great.

Jacket, Old Navy, 2006
Scarf, Target
Dress, hand-me-down
Leggings, ???--I've had them a while
Socks, Target
Boots, DSW

Slipping and Sliding

I really like patterned tights. I first bought some a few years ago and they held up pretty well over the years, but unfortunately, I was down to one pair, in brown. I wanted to get a pair in black and gray and so when I had my recent Target shopping spree (it's amazing how much I was able to get with a cranky two-year old with me) that was on my list. I found a pair of black ones (you've seen them in previous pictures) but the only gray tights I found were opaque. Then I came across an aisle of all kinds of very long socks. "Hmmm, I thought. I've worn thigh-high pantyhose/stockings before; this should be just like it." Uh huh. Right. I loved the thickness and pattern, but when I decided to wear them on Sunday, they started slipping down almost immediately. Luckily, my skirt was long enough to cover them and I was going to be sitting in church most of the time and could take them off as soon as I got back home. I later paired them with some black leggings and felt warm and cozy all day. I now know that is how they'll work for me this winter.

Other outfit details: black cardi, thrifted. Black & turquoise belt, gift. Button down shirt and skirt, Target 2007 (sized up and actually bought during separate shopping trips but they go together. I've never actually worn them together as I don't like how they look, but with the cardi, it worked a lot better). Gray tights, Target. Black boots, DSW. Burgundy clutch/wallet, Target.

Out of the office...

FYI, I will be out of the office for the next few days for a work thing.  I'm going with two awesome people from my office, so it should be a good time, but we are sharing a hotel room so pry no blogging.  I haven't yet told my coworkers about this little project so the picture taking may seem a little weird, LOL.  I'm not sure why, but I think it is because I want to keep it my own.  Plus, I don't want anyone at work to take me less seriously as a professional woman because I like fashion and write about it in my spare time.  I think you all understand what I mean. 
Anyways, my outfits will not be captured for the rest of this week, but I will make it up for you with my Halloween custume this weekend!  I will be wearing this later today for our 5 hour drive, except I will be wearing flats since my feet hurt today, and this casual outfit for Friday.
Tomorrow I will wear this dress with tights and black mid heel peep toe shoes

Printed dress, JCPenney 2007 for ??, purchased for wedding rehearsal dinner
Black belt, NYandCo 2008 $10
Magenta cardigan, Walmart 2007 $5
Necklace, F21 2009 $10

Tuesday

I am really upset today.  As I have said earlier, I am an attorney for a Human Rights office.  Today we had an event where we promote equality and diversity in the community by having a diversity workshop for high school students.  The goal is to teach kids how to talk about discrimination, identify what the problems are in the local community, and help facilitate a discussion about what we can do to celebrate our differences rather than engaging in discriminatory practices.  While my small group of about 20 kids was great, and I felt we made progress on a variety of issues, there is still so much work to be done.  For people who think that discrimination has magically faded away in the next generation, I'm sorry to report that it just hasn't happened.  On some levels, I felt like we made great progress.  But on others, I wonder if society has taken steps backwards by making kids so afraid to offend anyone that they cease to have a dialog about these important issues.  For example, it almost the whole day to get some young Hispanic men to speak up about how racist jokes or nicknames have hurt them because they didn't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable, and although some young women shook their heads about experiencing gender roles in their homes, no one would step up and talk about it.  This frustrated me a bit, because I deal with discrimination cases daily and know that it obviously exists in this community, probably more than others due to a high immigrant population.  If kids are unwilling to talk about discrimination in the community, who will?  I was crushed at the end of the day when a young man said that what he took away from the whole event was to (paraphrasing) encourage his homophobic friend to speak up and "get the laws changed" so that gay people couldn't get married in our state anymore.  Um, yeah, that's not exactly what we were going for today, kids.  The fact is that our state Constitution says that gay people are protected from discrimination in the same way that women are protected.  The point of this workshop that we worked so hard to put together was to promote awareness and acceptance of diversity, not to encourage people to pass laws that have been deemed unconstitutional by our state Supreme Court.  So that really upset me.  We obviously didn't do a good enough job and need to focus on prejudices against the gay and lesbian community next year.  I understand it's controversial to some people in the community, but so was the end of racial segregation at one point in time.  It's the law now, and our office needs to do a better job explaining this to people.  I don't mean to be a downer, and the day was really quite successful on other levels, but this last part just sticks in my mind and really left a sore spot in my heart.  Anyways, I wore this today because I needed to have something comfortable on for setting up the event, teaching all day, and then cleaning up.  Please excuse the bad picture...it was 6:00 AM and I was in a hurry:

Purple ruffle top, Ann Taylor Loft 2009 $11
Jeans, Macys 2007 $30
Vest, Gordmans 2008 $12
Pearl necklace, thrifted 2009 $10
Wedges, Payless 2009 $7
Thanks for letting me vent, lovely readers, and I hope you have a fantastic evening!

Boots Make Me Happy

Before we begin: thanks to FashionAddict for adding me as an author to the blog; it'll make guest-posting much easier!

I’ve been starting to feel a little depressed about my changing body/weight gain. And yes, I know I’m “pregnant, not fat” but for someone who has always been small, it is hard for me. It’s also difficult because I was really enjoying my wardrobe and had some pieces in mind that I wanted to get for the fall, and now there is no point. So I needed a little pick-me-up and went shopping at Target the other day. One purchase was necessary: some boots without heels. My balance is starting to get off, and being imbalanced + having a toddler + heels does not equal a good idea. My only current choices for flat shoes are my winter boots and some sneakers (both athletic-looking—that I rarely wear—and non-athletic-looking—that I wear often) but I don’t want to be that casual all the time! So a couple of weeks ago I found some boots online at Target that also were in stock in the store I go to. I’ve never had much luck with shoes at Target. Whenever I’ve tried them on, they don’t fit well, are uncomfortable, or when I see them in person I don’t like them as much as I did online. These boots had 4-star reviews, so I was hopeful. I saw them and loved them. I tried them on (a half size up, per much advice in the reviews) and while they felt a little loose, I knew they’d work with thicker socks (I didn’t bring any with me and didn’t want to open the ones I was getting). They didn’t seem to be that comfy at first but I bought them anyway, figuring I could return them if I had to. It’s one of my few purchases that I didn’t get on sale/clearance, so you know I was desperate! After wearing them for a few hours the next day, I knew I didn’t want to take them off, and started thinking of my outfits in terms of whether or not they could be worn with the boots. These are some of the recent outfits I came up with:

Shirt: Kohl's, 2007?

Necklaces: a variety of blue shades

Cream cami

Brown tweed skirt: part of a skirt/pants/jacket set I bought in 2005. I was so excited to buy this when I did. It was originally around $250 but I got it for $50. I couldn't believe that the department store (at some mall in Indianapolis) had a clearance item like this in my size and that needed no alterations.

Brown patterned tights

Brown boots, Target, 2009, $30

So maybe ruffles, which add volume, aren't exactly the best choice for a pregnant woman to wear, but hey, it's a color I love, it was on clearance, and when I put the whole thing together, I felt wonderfully happy in it. Gray jeans and brown boots are a combination I'd never have thought of if it weren't for E from Academichic. She sported the look on October 17th. and I found it to be something I'd like to try.

Jacket, Gap, garage sale, $3

Shirt, Target, 2009, $10

Scarf, Target, 2009, $7

Be Band, Target, 2009, $20ish?

Jeans, Old Navy Diva, 2009, $10

Boots, Target, 2009, $30

They just go with everything, don't they?

First Picture: Black cardi, thrifted, 2009, $3, Black cami, Blue shirt, Target or Kohl's, 2009, $10 or less. Here it looks more turquoise but in reality it's more of a royal blue., Scarf, Target, 2009, $7, Denim pencil skirt, Old Navy, 2008, $10, Black patterened sweater tights, Target, 2009, $7-$10?, Brown boots, Target, 2009, $30

Second Picture: White maternity shirt, hand-me-down from sister, 2007; Purple (what's a better descriptive color?) shirt (sized up) , Old Navy, consignment shop 2009, $5?; Black/turquoise belt, gift, 2006. Jeans, Old Navy Flirt, 2009, $? Brown boots, Target, 2009, $30.

Third Picture: White maternity shirt, hand-me-down from sister, 2007; Turquoise shrug, Target or Kohl's, 2009, $5? Orange scarf, not a clue, I've had it for years. Jeans, Old Navy Flirt, 2009, $?; Brown boots, Target, 2009, $30.

As you can see, I don't exactly have the best memory for where I bought things and how much they cost, even if it was a recent purchase. Yes, I could go check labels and/or find receipts to give better descriptions but 1) I'm pretty comfy sitting here in a chair in the living room and 2) Since most of the older stuff would not be available anymore, does it really even matter?

Since this post was all about my boots being a definite, without-a-doubt go-to item for me right now, what are your absolute go-to items this fall? What is it about the item that you love?

The mean reds...

Since the Husband and I are going as "Donald and Betty Draper" to a Halloween party, I bought some red lipstick.  I actually really like the look.  Do you think it is a shade I could wear as every day type makeup?   Hmmmmm......

Case of the Muuundays

Please don't mind the flat hair and faded makeup.  Today was super busy, and tomorrow will be more of the same.  We have a big diversity event, where we teach high school students how to communicate about discrimination in a respectful manner.  We'll have over 150 students, and about 25 will be in my group.  Needless to say, I will be bringing some Excedrin with, LOL. 

Blue dress, Target 2009 $25 (LOVE this dress!)

Magenta cardigan, Walmart 2007 $5

Gray tights, Walmart 2009 $1

White belt, JCPenney 2008 $3 (purchased with gift card)

Purple suede shoes, Payless 2008 $20

Photo is courtesy of the husband...he told me to strike a pose, so I did!  Turns out, I'm not a very good model, LOL.  Hope you all had a good Monday, dearest readers!  XOXO

Inspirational outfits of the week: Retro Fashion/Hair/Makeup

Is it really Friday?

This week has flown by, so much so that I forgot to even post yesterday.  I ended up wearing my red dress.  It worked great since I had to work about 13 hours.  (It was actually really fun, though, so I'm not complaining.)  Then I drove my 45 minute commute home and found a super sick husband waiting for me.  Poor thing!  I've been taking care of my mom all week since she had the flu, and now my poor hubby seems to be down and out.  If I don't catch this bug, I think I just might be superwoman!  Anyways, here was my casual Friday outfit:

Gray "bling" top, Marshalls 2009 $10

Black vestie thing, Ann Taylor 2009 $11.18

Skinny Jeans, 2007 $25

Purple Suede shoes, 2008 $20

Headband, gifted from Grandma

Yellow ring, from the AWESOME ShopKim!

Guest Blogger K: "Here Comes My Stomach"

Here is another post from our guest blogger "K."  A big thanks to "K" for taking the time to write about her experiences with maternity fashion.  I hope you enjoy this, as I think it is important to give fashion inspiration to readers of all shapes, sizes, and walks of life.

So here is K:

What a terrible guest poster I have been! I was so excited to write guest posts on maternity style and then I got overwhelmed with real life and dropped the ball. I barely even have time to read the blogs I like, much less do any writing. But I’ll try to make it up to everyone.

I’m now in my second trimester, although some of the pictures are also from my first trimester. It really is complicated to find clothes that fit ad look right on an ever-changing body. Things that fit one day don’t fit the next, and things that fit in the morning don’t always fit in the evening of the same day! I don’t have a lot of money to buy new things but the one non-sale/non-clearance/non-thrift store purchase I’ve made that has been a lifesaver is the “Be Band”, purchased at Target. It’s basically like a tube top and it worn around unbuttoned/unzipped non-maternity pants or skirts to get more wear out of them while pregnant. Without it, I’d really be in a bind, because maternity pants don’t quite fit me yet—they are still too big. They likely won’t fit me until sometime in my 3rd trimester, if I remember correctly from my last pregnancy. My other purchases have been shirts and cardigans, all at clearance prices or at a thrift store, and all under $15 each. Most were even under $10, and some even under $5. The shirts I’ve purchased are non-maternity shirts; they are just loose regular shirts, which will serve double duty for me, because then I can continue to wear them after the baby is born while I’m losing weight and even after the weight is gone. I’m so glad that there are so many of these types of shirts out there. I also purchased a “boyfriend cardigan” at a thrift store, or at least I assume that is what it is since it’s not a current one. But hey, who can really tell? The boyfriend cardigan is extremely popular right now, but I didn’t know if it was a trend whose bandwagon I’d jump on. I wasn’t sure I’d want that much material in a cardigan, and I have bad memories of those long sweaters from the late 90s/early 00s, but with my ever-expanding stomach and the ever-growing-colder weather, I didn’t hesitate to snap it up at a thrift store for $3. So with these pieces, I’ve been able to put together some decent outfits. Unfortunately, some of my favorite ones I didn’t get to snap pictures of, but maybe I’ll recreate them at another time. My next purchase will be a pair of boots without heels. My balance will be off soon, and tottering around on heels with a growing stomach and having to carry a growing toddler at times is really not a great idea!

So here are some photos of my recent outfits—enjoy!

Comfy Wednesday!

Pants two days in a row?  That's right.  Today was an ultra comfy day in my favorite loose fitting top, flowy black pants, and wedge heels.  I went with my galpal coworkers to Target today for our lunch hour and just walked around the whole time, so I was really glad I wore comfortable shoes.  Photo courtesy of my hubby.  Happy Wednesday, dolls!
Printed top, JCPenney 2008 $25
Pants, JCPenney 2008 $10
Tan wedge heels, Payless 2009 $7
Gold chain necklace, F21 2009 $7
P.S.  There is not a spot on my pants...it's the camera lens, LOL.

I went with a yellow/gray/purple color scheme today.  The morning started out hectic since I had a different pair of pants on but had to change due to some thigh growth, darnit anyways...but the work day went well, and my husband sent me flowers!  He has never sent me flowers at work before, so I was shocked.  It's a beautiful fall bouquet complete with sunflowers, mums, carnations, and other orange and red flowers.  I'm posting this late because I had a girls night with my best friend and had to run some errands afterwords. 
Yellow top, JCPenney 2009 $25 but purchased with gift card
Tweed pants, The Limitted 2008 $30
Purple suede shoes, Payless 2008 $20
Wooden bauble necklace, ebay 2008 $10

Monday

You know that outfit you feel so confident in you hope you run into an ex-boyfriend?

That was this outfit this morning.  I said "Bring it on world..."and she did.  It was not a good day at the office for me, and I could have cared less about my clothes by the end of it.  I had computer issues, boss issues, more computer issues, and had to work on a project through lunch until the very end of the day.  I still didn't get half the amount of things done that I wanted to, and my entire office was a whirlwind of negativity.  I also found out that I took the movie that I had returned last night to the wrong store and have to go get it tonight and take it to the proper movie store.  UGH!  But when I got home today I was greeted by my husband, who told  me to sit down and blog while he took care of supper and our dog.  I swear, more often than naught, this man is my knight-in-shining armor.  So at least we have a nice ending :)  Hope Monday went well for you, darlings!  I know mine has taken a turn for the better.

Black and white striped shirt, "The Limited" thrifted 2009 $10

Black pencil skirt, JCPenney 2008 $8

Black cardigan, NyandCo 2008 $10

Teal scarf, F21 2009 $5

Pattern tights, Walmart 2009 $1

Red Shoes, Carlos Santana via smartbargains.com 2007 $49.99
Black headband, Gifted from Grandma 2008.

Inspirational outfits of the week

Since most of my inspirational outfits have been more evening or work appropriate than weekend wear, I decided to do a "lounge chic" post.  These outfits show how leggings can replace your typical loungewear and give you a modern, edgy vibe.  Add a bomber jacket for an A+ comfy look.  For those of you who fear the "leggings as pants" look, try substituting a longer tunic top/minidress instead of the mid length tops worn in these pictures.  Kyla at Blue Collar Catwalk really has this look down.  Check out her fab leggings outfit here.

Sunday

I was feeling so colorful today, since the weather is beautiful outside, and decided to break out of my "black mode" that I have been into lately.  It's so nice out, I can even get away with no tights.  Per your suggestions, I wore the dress as a top under a floaty skirt.  I like the result!  You readers are so smart :)  Thanks for the inspiration!
Pink dress worn as top, Ann Taylor Loft 2009 $3
Skirt, JCPenney 2009 $25 (but purchased with gift card so really free)
Purple cardigan, Kohls 2009 for $10
White Belt, JCPenney 2009 $3 (also purchased with gift card)
Silver peep toes, my wedding shoes purchased in 2007 and still going strong

Saturday night

Hubby and I went out for a lil dinner date tonight.  We both tried something new and had a lot of fun...I think he missed me when I was out of town, LOL.  My puppy must have missed me, too, because he cuddled with me all last night and has kept me within his sight since I got home (which is why he is in the background).  Photo is courtesy of the husband.  As you can see, he always makes me smile :)
Blue dress, Target 2009 $25
Black sweater vestie, Ann Taylor Loft 2009 $11
Black studded belt, F21 2009 $7
Black leggings, JCPenney 9.99 (purchased with gift card, so free to me)
Silver earrings, gifted from mother-in-law
Black boots, NEW TO ME!  Got these at our local thrift store today for $25.  They are brand new Calvin Klein mid shaft boots.  I wanted a rounded toe platform boot so bad, and I like the mid shaft since it is a bit more trendy right now.  They are sooooo comfortable for the heel height.

Dress or top??

Before I left the hotel, I tried on my new dress from Ann Taylor loft.  I love the neckline!  And it was on sale for $3.  I am debating whether to keep it as a dress or shorten it to a top, which I would tuck into a pencil skirt.  What do you think?  Top or dress?

Thursday

I felt very flight attendant-ish today in this outfit, not that it's a bad thing.  I think it was the scarf.  Tonight was absolutely fabulous.  I hung out with my coworkers, who are becoming fast friends.  We ate at P.F. Changs and then walked around and shopped for a few hours...and really cleaned house at Ann Taylor Loft.  I got a cute dress, a cardigan, a long sweater vesty thing, and a ruffled tee, all for $35.  I'm so glad I didn't drink at all this weekend so I could spend my money on clothes, LOL.  Anyways, it was a great day and an even better night, even though I miss my husband and puppy like crazy.  Now I'm watching "Grease" in bed and catching up on my blog reading.

Black shirtdress, Target 2009 $25

Black belt, NYandCo $10

Black patterned tights, Walmart $1

Black quilted shoes, Target 2007 (purchased with gift card)

Scarf, Etsy 2008 $5

Butterscotch ring, The amazingly talented Shopkim on etsy 2009 $10

Thank you all for taking the time to read and/or comment on my blog!

P.S., speaking of Shopkim, she is having a giveaway of one of her fabulous rings on her blog.  Enter here!

On the road again...

Now I know what you are thinking, leggings should not be worn to work.  Normally, I agree, but my boss said "anything goes" for our 5 hour drive to the conference (and my boss/coworkers also dressed down in jeans or sweats), so I wore a sweater dress and these comfy leggings, my favorite flats, and threw my hair back in a pony tail.  I added a headband to make the pony tail look a little cuter. 
Black sweater dress, JCPenney 2008 $4 (purchased with a gift card, so really free)
Black leggings, JCPenney 2009 $9.99 (also purchased with a gift card, so really free)
Pewter jeweled flats, "Me Too" Nolano via amazon.com 2008 $30
Headband ??
I'm sooooo glad I brought my computer this time.  The hotel has free WYFI, so I'm set!  My coworkers wanted to go out for a cocktail or two, but I'm just too comfy in my room with my TV and internet.  I forsee a night of laying in bed, a good workout in the hotel's fitness center, and then more laying in bed.  NICE.

New TJMaxx giveaway winner

Because I had no response from the previously picked winner after an ample waiting period, I had to redraw for the $25 TJMaxx giveaway.  According to random.org, the new winner is Sarah from A Life More Exciting.  Sarah, please email me at fashion4economicallychallenged@yahoo.com by Monday, Oct. 19th.  Have a great day, lovelies!

Tuesday

I wore this to my swearing in ceremony, because when in doubt, throw on the LBD.  This is after about a four hour drive, so pardon the bad hair and lack of makeup.
Black tie neck dress, JCPenney 2008 $17.99
Black tights (they are really opaque, not sheer) 2007 Macys $10
Black cardigan, NYandCompany 2008 $15
Pink shoes, Paris Hilton "Vogue" 2008 for XX (I don't disclose the price of these shoes since my hubby reads this blog from time to time.)

Weekend recap

We had a lot of house guests this weekend, and although I wore two outfits that I really liked downtown to the bars, I forgot to take pictures.  Friday night, I wore the blue sweater dress in this post with the studded belt, black ankle leggings, a black boyfriend cardigan over the dress for warmth, and these wedges.  Saturday night I pretty much wore this outfit:

I hope everyone had as good of a weekend as I did!  This week is going to be an interesting one, since I leave tomorrow to go get "sworn in" for passing the bar.  I return Tuesday night and leave early Wednesday morning for some job training.  My whole office is going, so it should be pretty fun, but I will pretty much be gone again for a whole week, darnit.  At least I will have my computer this time.  Lots of traveling means easy, comfortable dresses, so expect a dress filled week.  Have a happy Sunday!

Friday

So here is the Ann Taylor tweed dress that I picked up at an upscale consignment shop yesterday.  After seeing the picture, I don't care for the ankle boots with it, and I may replace the skinny belt with a thicker one.  Overall, however, I really like this dress, and I think it will get a lot of wear.
Dress, Ann Taylor via consignment shop 2009 $14.99
Button down, JCPenney 2007 for ?? (can't remember, but it was really cheap)
Scarf, F21 2009 $7
Boots, gifted from the "Shoe Fairy" (my Grandma B!)

Thursday

I know I have a wierd look on my face, but I was in a huge hurry to take this as I went from work to home to a Katie Couric awards ceremony.  K-K-K-Katie far exceeded my expectations.  I actually wasn't that excited to go and only went b/c my hubby had gotten free tickets up front.  She was so smart, so articulate, so well informed about all the issues.  She was confident yet humble, serious yet bubble-y, and she gave a great speech.  Her story seemed to be one of perseverance.  She talked about how she worked so hard to get her first job as a coffee/ham sandwich getter at a news station.  She talked about her awful TV debuts and how her bosses had told her she wasn't cut out for the line of work she was pursuing.  I guess it's a good thing she didn't listen.  She also took questions from the audience at the end, and was very gracious and humble as she related her experiences.  I can't say that I was the biggest fan before I went to this ceremony, but I'm definately a fan now.  BTW, she is so much more gorgeous in person than you could ever tell from TV.  And she's just teeney tiny.  She looked very stylish in her red sheath and black jacket.  I couldn't see the shoes, darnit, but I'll bet they were very stylish as well.  Anyways, that's where I was tonight.  Stay tuned for a cute outfit tomorrow, since I went to an upscale consignment shop and bought an Ann Taylor tweed jumper dress.  I am forgoing casual Friday cuz I'm so excited!

Red dress, Maggy London via ebay 2009 $9.99
Zebra belt, Liz Claiborne via ebay 2008 $10
Patterned tights, Walmart 2009 $1
Quilted patent heels, Target 2007 (purchased with gift card)

Inspirational Outfit of the Week

Since everyone digs the "Madmen" style, you HAVE to check out Becky @ Gilding the Frilly in this post.  Very inspirational, no?!

Wednesday

I thought this outfit looked much better than it actually did...I should have taken the picture before work instead of after, LOL.  I think the problem was that this outfit lacked structure.  The pants, top, and cardigan are all flowy, and the result is not very flattering.  I think the top and cardigan would look much better with a pencil skirt.  I was super comfy today, though, so that's worth something.  I was super tired today and already wishing for the weekend, despite having a great day as far as my workload goes.  I plan on relaxing in my sweats for the rest of the night and catching up on your lovely blogs :)
Ruffle top, JCPenney 2009 $14.99
Gray cardigan, JCPenney 2009 $20
Pants, JCPenney 2009 $10
Pewter wedges, Target 2009 $30
Silver necklace, F21 2009 $7
Lavender faux pearl necklace, gifted from Grandma

Hmmmm....guess this outfit was pretty much brought to you by JCPenney, LOL.

Tuesday

I felt like today was incredibly productive.  I had some training, went to some meetings, interviewed a respondent, and wrote almost an entire report. I'm glad I wore a more professional work outfit today, since I met some VIP's.  I love these tweed pants (although they are darker IRL than they appear in this pic).  They are so comfortable and warm, which is important on cold, windy days like this!  The pearl necklace was a thrift store find from this past Saturday.  Isn't it lovely?!  Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog!  You readers have made this blog so much fun for me :)
Purple sweater, Ann Taylor Loft 2008, $15
Button down, JCPenney 2007 for ??
Necklace, local thrift store 2009 $10
Black shoes, CS for Payless $30

Monday

Black ruffle top, JCPenney 2008 for $6
Printed pencil skirt, Target 2009 $25
Black tights, Macys 2007 $10
Black t-strap shoes, JCPenney 2007 $8

Sunday dinner

Tonight I wore a loose top and comfy jeans to enjoy a family dinner.  I also threw on my leather jacket to keep warm.  I LOVE this jacket.  There's something about it that makes me feel so grown up and professional.  Good thing I felt confident, b/c when I stopped for groceries on the way home, I ran into someone who can really help me out with my current work project.  We had a great conversation and I'm feeling really good about what we can accomplish together. Sweeeeeeeet!

Red top, JCPenney 2008 $20

Pants, Macys 2007 $30

Shoes, Payless 2009 $7

Wooden Necklace, homemade by me!

Leather jacket, Xmas gift from my fantabulous parents

The power of a good hair cut...

That little red hot dress you have your eye on might make you feel good for one night out of an entire month, but great hair stays with you every hour of every day.  Instead of spending money on clothes this month, I would encourage readers (especially those of you who are like me and already have too many clothes) to shop your closet instead and use the money you have saved to get a good hair style.  There is nothing that makes me feel more put together, more sexy, and more stylish than a good hair cut.  Here are some of my tips on picking a hairstyle:

1) Take risks...that you can live with.  I chopped 13 inches off my hair after my wedding.  That was a drastic change, but one that I knew could live with.  Last Christmas, I decided to try a full bang again.  Also drastic, but something I knew I wanted to try.  Dying my hair dark, however, would not be something I can see myself liking, so I don't go there.

2) Pick haircuts that are good for your hair thickness, texture, color, etc.  You know that old saying "I'm a beautician not a magician"?  It's true.  I do not have thick, naturally curly hair, so picking a style that requires these attributes to look good will leave me dissapointed.  Working with your hair's best features will make it easier to do and will pry leave you feeling more satisfied.  If you are not sure if a style will work with your hair, ask your beautician.

3) Remember your face shape.  For me, getting full bangs last year was a cute change and one that I knew I could live with, but I also knew it would make my already full face look even rounder.  Side sweep bangs look best on me, so I'm sticking with that style for now.

4) Keep in mind your level of maintenance.  Some people can master high maintenance styles.  I can't.  I give myself about 10 minutes to do my hair on a good day.  Thus, I need a hairstyle that will appreciate the 5-10 minutes I can devote to it.

5) If you are on a budget, consider going to a local beauty school.  They have instructors that are there to save the day if something happens to go wrong.  A few months ago, I had my color done by a student, and she did a fabulous job for an even more fabulous price (about 1/2 the price than a regular salon charges).  I get my hair cut by a girl I trust, but color can be changed so easily, I don't mind taking a risk with a student.

So what are you waiting for?!  Take the plunge and make that appointment!

TJMaxx giveaway winner!!!

The winner of the TJMaxx $25 giveaway is "Andie" according to random.org.  Andie, please contact me October 9th at fashion4economicallychallenged@yahoo.com with your contact info.  If I am not contacted by that date, I will draw another winner.
I was so pleased with how many people participated in this, and how many of you blogged about it.  I really appreciate it.  There were over 90 entries in the end (since some people had extra entries for blogging about it).  Thanks so much, everyone, for participating!  And welcome to all new readers and followers :)

XOXO,
Me