What makes me happy

Red Dress: Ann Taylor LOFT.  Sparkle Shoes: Nine West.

 

   

This is another date night pic from our lovely stay-cation and the man actually allowed me to post a picture of him too!!  Isn’t he dashing?  (gush)  :)

This red dress was a labor of love.  I spied on it and tried it on 4 times before purchasing.  Initially it was about $170, then it was on sale for $90 range, then $50 when I actually purchased it (if I remember correctly it was only $50 b/c I got a coupon via advertising).  While I love holding out and getting items on sale, often that luck doesn’t happen. 

If you know you have to have something – then I say spend the $$ – but if you can afford to give or take, then hold out and you may find a fabulous deal!  Another tip to finding deals is to know the store.  Is it a store that often has sales or coupons?  Is it a store that only holds a few sizes of each item in stock and easily gets picked over?  etc… this will ensure you shop (and save!) wisely.

Nine West shoes found on discount @ TJ Maxx.

If you couldn’t tell, sales (& my man!) make me happy  :)

Over the knee boots

Boots: Roxana.  Jeans: Banana Republic.  Top: Forever XXI.  Jacket: Worthington.  Necklace: Ann Taylor LOFT.  Purse: Jessica Simpson.

 

I actually had a week off work last week, and while I spent a lot of time in my pajamas (we took a stay-cation), there were a few nights that were spent out on the town with my man.

I’ve been loving over the knee boots for quite some time, but hadn’t found any that fit my legs (seriously – do they think normal women have thighs the size of toothpicks?!?).  I found these boots and they were not only a perfect fit, but had the shape, style, and ruffle detailing that fit me to a tee!

 

Weekend Blues

Scarf: Gifted.  Blue pinstripe top: Express.  Vest: Thrifted.  Jeans: Gap.  Shoes: BCBG.  Bracelet: Forever XXI.

 

This weekend had a perfect crisp chill in the air.  A vest and scarf were enough to keep me warm! 

I often like to bring in color with shoes, but since I brought in some fun orange and yellow with my other accessories - I kept my shoes neutral (they still had a fun stripe though!).

 

Weekend Wear

Dress: Mystree.  Necklace: Macy’s.  Scarf: Gift.  Jacket: Mixit.  Boots: Giani Bini.  Leggings: Apt. 9.

My “bubblegum” necklace!

I adore this zipper dress from PB&J Boutique, but actually find it quite short for my 5’8” frame.  When standing, the length is okay, but if I have to sit, bend, or move whatsoever… it’s just not really appropriate.  My solution – leggings!  Yep, my weekends seem to filled with them of late and that’s perfectly fine by me.  I honestly feel like I’m in my pajamas when I wear them I’m so comfortable (and you know I love that!).

Another fabulous fall addition – a light jacket and a scarf.  This combo can be mixed and matched a million  ways and will always add interest and definition to an outfit (plus added warmth for these chilly Fall days).

Anniversary Day

It’s anniversary day!  Over the weekend, my boyfriend and I celebrated his grandparents’ 54th year wedding anniversary (how fabulous is that?!?), and this week is my boyfriend and my 5 year anniversary.  No it’s not a wedding anniversary…, but I think we’re doing pretty damn good – ring or no ring.  I’m a very lucky woman, and he is definitely a very lucky man  ;)

As for the clothes – I wanted to wear something that was special, but not too dressy or “notice me”.  I love this silk dress and it feels like a nightgown, so all I had to do was add a few accessories to finish the look and I was ready to go.

A little cowgirl

Dress: BCBG.  Plaid Top: Guess.  Necklace: ??.  Boots: Gianni Bini.

Weekend eating & shopping w/ a fabulous girlfriend.  What could be better?!?  I’ll always be dedicated to my heels, but I do love the trend of the riding boot because they are so wonderfully comfortable and cute! 

kimono inspired

Red silk tunic: Banana Republic.  Jeans: Anne Taylor LOFT.  

Inspiration: beautiful colors and fabrics…!

Okay, so my outfit is really a far cry from these authentic kimonos, but the red silk tunic did feel somehow reminiscent of them.  This tunic also had a lovely and intricate pattern / weave to the neckline which I fell in love with.  Classic, easy, bright.  Works for me!  Add dark wash jeans and I’m ready for weekend running or a casual Friday in the office.

Wardrobe Weekend

Dress: Susana Moraco.  Necklace: Ann Taylor Loft.  Shoes: BCBG. 

 

After much drama of shoe matching and dress fitting / not fitting (I had to lay off the pastries for a week!), I finally got to wear my weekend-wedding dress.  The wedding venue was lovely, the bride gorgeous, the company fabulous, and the man dashing.  What more could a girl ask for?

The rest of my weekend was spent shopping with my mom, organizing my closet (fall cleaning!), and cooking.  Seriously, I’ve often thought my calling is to be a personal shopper.  If my man turns into a sugar daddy some day and I no longer have to work – then I’ll definitely have to make it happen  :)  either that or I would just stay home, cook and eat all day long watching Frasier, Grey’s Anatomy, and FoodNetwork…

Anywhoo… my mom is a great candidate for trying out my personal shopping skills because I know what her style and lifestyle is, and she trusts me enough to try on everything I pick for her.  Overall – we made out like bandits!  Tons of great sales were going on and it was definitely wardrobe makeover time.

Although the majority of shopping was for my mom, I did find a few items myself including these fabulous Guess heels.  Aren’t they gorgeous?!  I’m in love.

The shopping time inspired me to do some fall cleaning of my closet, so I did my normal semi-annual clean out and ended up with several piles – one clothing pile to give to friends, one for goodwill, one for plato’s closet consignment, and one for alterations.  In addition, I labeled all my shoe boxes with shoe pics so it’s super easy to find what I’m looking for at any time.  How scary is it that I find this activity so much fun?!?

Charming

 Ruffle Top: Chadwicks.  Skirt: Love Couture.  Shoes: Gianni Bini.

No worries – this was definitely not a work ensemble!  I wore this outfit for afternoon weekend shopping with a friend.  We went to Charming CHARLIE and found tons of really cute affordable accessories.  I wouldn’t say this store is the place to go for long standing quality items, but it’s great for trendy items like belts, jewelry, etc… and even have fun clothing and shoes.

 

 

 

 

Summer Clearance

Tee: Limited.  Skirt: Ann Taylor Loft.  Shoes: DSW. 

Casual weekend look – I adore this bright little skirt and found it for a great deal due to summer clearance prices (under $25!).  August / September time frame is the perfect time to stock up on summer dresses, tank tops, shorts, skirts, and sandals -- so if you’re in need of any of these wardrobe items, go out and get them now!

In addition to the fun color, did I mention this skirt has pockets?!?  Love it.

 

While yellow isn’t a great color on me, I find it’s a wonderful accent color and I tend to purchase items such as purses, jewelry, and shoes with this color.  It’s good to remember that no color is unworkable!

Birthday Girl

It’s my birthday today.  I wish I could say that it has been a wonderful weekend, but unfortunately I can’t…  A huge “snafu” happened at work late on Friday and it was my fault and my responsibility.  Blame it on work-load overload, stress, attention to detail – whatever – it sucks and is very upsetting and frustrating.  Personally, I blame it on the birthday curse.  From a broken engagement, a dog dying, a boyfriend in a motorcycle accident, and my car broken into – my birthdays have not brought me much luck the last few years. 

That said, I’ve decided to release the birthday curse and manifest good things for my birthdays from here on out.

I’ll start the good vibes by remembering all the wonderful blessings I am so thankful for: supportive amazing friends, a crazy little family that loves me, a man that I can’t imagine my life without and who makes me laugh every single day, faith that holds me when my world seems to be crumbling, a hunger for food and a passion for life.  The list goes on.  Take that birthday curse!

I did try to enjoy my birthday on Saturday even though the work stress was still on my mind.  I visited with a fabulous friend of mine and did a bit of walking and shopping.  For our leisurely outing I wore a simple cotton dress from Forever XXI w/ a lovely white flower pin.  For dinner out with the man later that evening, I got dolled up in a flowy floral thrifted dress & my Stuart Weitzman heels (pic @ top).

In keeping with today’s flower theme…

My very non-foodie boyfriend actually made a "Top Tier" Devil's Food Cake with Sour Cream-Fudge Frosting for my birthday.  Oh my goodness – it was so amazing!  I was very impressed.

Weekend basics

DAY 1: Going on a weekend day trip to northern Ohio to visit some of my boyfriend’s family.  I knew I wanted to be comfortable for the car ride, so a basic cotton dress did the trick.  No stilettos or corset style belts today!  I played around with the accessories (feather earrings or Indian style necklace? / wedges or flats?), but essentially the look was the same.

DAY 2: My boyfriend and I are trying (key word) to golf.  We’re taking lessons next month, but in the meantime we did a little studying on it (thank you google!) and have been going to the driving range once a week.  Last week was our first week and it was HILARIOUS!  I was seriously on the ground laughing at one point.  This week we did much better and although we still had some crazy moments, we are slowly improving.

 

 

I totally felt like Sex & the City’s Charlotte with my pearl earrings, golf skirt and headband scarf!

 

 

 

 

Day and Evening

Dress: Forever XXI.  Beaded sandals: Steve Madden. 

Print Top: Michael Kors.  Jeans: NY & Co.  Navy criss-cross wedges: Nicole Miller.  Bracelet: Forever XXI.  Rose hairclip: ?

  

It was my boyfriend’s birthday last Friday and although we unfortunately had to drag our butts to work during the day, we had a lovely Friday evening out and spent the rest of the weekend relaxing, spending time outdoors, and visiting family.

Typically, when I go out in the evening - I reinvent what I wore during the day to make it evening appropriate.  This time however, I only kept my rose hairclip and changed up everything else!  I somewhat stayed with the same color palate if that counts for anything…

Cincinnati Swapping

 

Dress: XXI.  Necklace: Macy’s.  Shoes: Steve Madden.

After ages of letting my hair grow, I finally got it trimmed (and darkened).  Unfortunately, this coiffed picture did not last long… – within about 30 minutes I was a sweaty mess. Yuck. 

What did I do that was so strenuous? I went to a Cincinnati based clothing swap of course!  You may wonder what happened at a clothing swap that would cause this amount of “damage” … thankfully – it was only the heat.  Zero fights over ruffled clothing items materialized, but much perspiration and heat exhaustion transpired in the small unventilated unairconditioned room during a high humidity mid 90’s Cincinnati summer day.  God willing, I made it out alive.

 

 

 

All in all, it was a great event.  You were allowed to bring up to 10 items and you could leave with as many items as you brought.  All clothing items were displayed and swappers could grab at will.  Any items not swapped would be donated.

Pros: no time restrictions, no worrying if people will take your clothes or not, support of charity fundraising ($5 donation required), on the spot alterations (by The Brush Company), and a group a fabulous swappers.

Cons: heat, heat, heat…, limitation of items you can bring, with the open start time there was no way to see all clothing options unless you stayed the full 3 hours, and finally, as it was a “drop your stuff” kind of swap you could really lose your shirt (literally!) if you brought a lot of really nice quality clothing and others brought things you didn’t like.

I ended up with 3 of Kasmira’s items and she ended up with 1 of mine!  Next time we’ll have to just try a friend to friend swap (with air conditioning please).

Here are a few of the goodies I came home with: