real clothes

maxi dress: Target

chambray button up: Old Navy

Sweater: Old Navy

boots: Simply Vera Wang at Kohl's

necklace: Premier Jewelry

Winter Break is here and I am so excited. Never mind that I have bronchitis. Never mind that I am taking a delightful trifecta of prescription steriods, antibiotics, and inhaler. Never mind that said medication does not make me feel so great. Nothing can bring me down! This outfit is very deceptive in that it makes you think that I have actually been getting out of the leggings and XL flannel shirt I have been wearing all weekend (I haven't). But a trip to grocery store clearly merits real clothes and a mini photoshoot. I get fancy for Whole Foods.

I'm calling it Selfish Saturday

dress (as a skirt): JC Penny

blouse: Kohl's clearance

jacket: Nordstrom Rack

doe necklace: [un]possible cuts 

tights: JCrew

boots: Target

lipstick: Maybelline "Shocking Coral", Revlon "Cherries in the Snow" at the corners

I can proudly say that I did not participate in a any Black Friday or Cyber Monday madness. I could not say the same for the Saturday in between. In my head, I was avoiding the craziness but benefiting from the sales. And benefit I did! Are there people who can actually shop on the weekend after Thanksgiving and only buy gifts, not shop for themselves? If so, who are you and will you please teach me your self restraint? I bought lots of gifts but I shopped for myself too. How could I resist the holiday products at Lush? How could I resist 40% off at Old Navy and GAP?  I couldn't. If you hit the stores last weekend and only bought for others, you are a far, far better person than I.

the boots are out

dress: Anthro clearance

sweater: Lauren Conrad clearance

boots: Simply Vera Wang clearance

 doe necklace: [un]possible cuts

I know that summer is coming to an end when I start gravitating towards boots again. These wedge boots are one of my all time favorite purchases. I waited patiently for them to go on sale after spying and coveting them on Sydney of The Daybook's blog. Like most things at Kohl's, if you just wait a couple weeks, they will go on sale and I swooped them up. I love the contrast of a sweet, feminine dress with tough boots. Fall is in the air, I can feel it coming. Boots today, so tights can't be far off.

lavender lately

 dress; Rory Becca for Forever 21

sweater: GAP clearance

boots: Simply Vera Wang from Kohl's

necklace: Unpossible Cuts

I have worn this dress, no joke, 4 times in the past week. I am obsessed. This is just one of the ways I've worn it and it is my favorite. The cropped sweater and wedge boots tone down how girly and fancy this dress is. I love the flow of the skirt, how it cascades behind me as I walk. sigh. So pretty. The fact that this cost me less than $30 makes it all the better.

I also wore this twice with a light, cotton cardigan in a matching shade of lavender. I belted it once and knotted it at my waist the other. Finally, I wore it with black tights and a long, black, belted sweater vest. So many possibilities.

I really need to snap pictures of my nails right after I paint them. Here they are all sorts of chipped and scraggly, but you get the idea.

Idea from here

mocked by Anthropologie, as per usual

 dress: H&M

sweater: Old Navy clearance

belt: Kohl's

tights: Target

botos: Simply Vera Wang from Kohl's

necklace: Unpossible Cuts

The new Anthropologie catalog is as beautiful and unattainable as ever. One thought kept running thru my mind as I leaf past gorgeously style photo after photo..."These bitches are crazy!" I sat shivering in my apartment gazing longingly and disapprovingly at bare legs and strapless dresses. It is winter Anthropologie. Please do not mock me and my double layered tights and bulky sweaters by parading ads of stylish women in summer gear across the pages of your catalog that lands on my doorstep in December. It's just mean. Mean and wrong.

That being said, this was my interpretation of one photo in the catalog. It was of a light polka dot dress with a chucky knit sweater, thick belt and sherpa ankle boots. Oh and of course bare legs (shaking my fist at you Anthro). I have two pairs of tights on and a tshirt under my dress. It's freakin cold here no matter what the dumb ANthropologie catalog tries to get me to believe.

White Out

I got caught up at school again...until way past dark and missed the sun to photograph this outfit in good light. So I got home around 10 and proceeded to take photos all over the house trying to find decent light. Today is my first time to participate in the Bloggers Do It Better challenge and the theme was "White Out" I chose to go with a medley of white, off white, and beige. I really like how adding some beige off-sets the white overload. I am tempted to have more white out days. A risky idea when you spend 7 hours a day in the company of 7 year olds. But I like to live on the edge... that's how I do it.

Where I ended up...old standby, the fireplace


hallway...meh


sitting close to a lamp


I think my idea was to try the orange as a backdrop...not my best idea


up close and personal in bad lighting


headless


almost got it


voila

skirt: Target
top: Anthro clearance
sweater: Banana resale
boots: Simply Vera Wang clearance
necklace: Sway

smug

jacket: resale from Crossroads
top: H&M
button up: Old Navy clearance
jeans: $20 at Target!!
boots: Simply Vera Wang from Kohl's clearance

Spring break is here and though the weather is grey and I feel super mellow, I am positively thrilled to have the whole week with no work! Since the weather here in Oakland is not cooperating I am taking off for sunnier warmer climates. Texas here I come! My lucky stars must have all aligned because my best friend is able to take a couple days off, have her mom watch my goddaughter, thereby allowing her to road trip to Austin with me. I can't imagine a more perfect way to spend this week off.

This blue grey outfit is a direct result of the blue mood pulling at me and the grey skies above. Blah! At least my $20 jeans are perfect. I just want to strut around all smirky because I didn't have to spend a bajillion dollars to find jeans that fit. But i won't cuz no one likes a smug smirker. Oh, please ignore the expression on my face in the second picture. It is definitely NOT a smirk.