Summer Uniform

It's officially Fall!  Yea yea yea!  It's my favorite season of the year!  I mean, of course Summer is great with it's lack of work, pool time, and fresh produce.  But come on, Fall has pumpkins and football and perfect running weather!  It's hard to beat.

This post started out trying to be selfies of the first 10 days of school, but I kept forgetting to take selfies.  P.S. Selfies are super hard to take.  I gotta give some credit to those middle schoolers.  They've got skills!

So... we're going to call this 10 Summer School Things to Wear.  We could also call it 10 Awkward Selfies by a Dumb Girl Too Old To Take Selfies.




1. School Spirit Day.  Go CST Wildcats!



2.  Bright Colors.



3.  Casual Friday.



4. Purple Skirt.



5.  Purple Shirt.



6.  Yellow Dress.



7. Grey Skirt, Ikat shirt.



8.  Awkward side pose and cheetah shoes.



9. Excited to experiment with statement necklace.



10.  Jean jacket and top knot.

Anyone know why all my pics are so blurry?  Eh... whatever.  I'll continue to hone my selfie-taking skills and share some Fall uniform pics later this season.  I'm sure you'll be seeing lots of leggings and scarves! 

Goodbye Summer!  Hello Fall!

Playing Footsie

Over Spring Break I did some major cleaning out of the closet.  This included donating lots of clothes and lots of shoes.  24 pairs to be exact.  That's a lot of shoes. 

 

DeAnna chastised me and argued that you should never ever get rid of shoes.  I countered that these were all shoes I never wear and don't really like.  Most of them were from my banking days.  And almost all of them were from Target. 

 

Why do I keep buying shoes from Target???*

 

I got to work quickly replacing those 24 pairs of shoes.  I told myself NO MORE SHOES FROM TARGET!!!  But you know, old habits die hard. 

 

I can't believe it, but it has been less than 6 months since the shoe banishment of 2013 and I have managed to rack up 10 new pairs of shoes already.  And yes, this is definitely one of those posts I hope Drew isn't reading. 

 

Here they are... not all are from Target, so I feel successful on that front.  But they weren't expensive either.  For Drew's sake and mine, I will not be listing prices or trying to calculate the total cost.  Keep your mouths shut!

 

Also, it is really hard to take pictures of your own feet.  I struggled with the best way to show off the shoes.  It didn't turn out well.  And no one was around to act as my assistant.  So, some shoes don't look as cute as they should.  I promise they are all fantastic and wonderful.

 

Again, here they are.

1.  Toms.  I never owned any before!  I bought these the day of the shoe-exile as a welcome to Spring kind of tribute.  And then Spring showed up 3 months later.

My first pair of Toms!

2.  Chucks.  Again, never owned a pair!  My friend Blair wore them to dinner once and I fell in love.  You will see a theme throughout this post; I buy what I see others wear.  I can't think for myself.

Tiffany Blue Chucks!

3.  Aerosols.  You heard that right.  I bought Aerosols.  I saw them at Off Broadway and thought they'd be comfy to teach in. 

Old Lady Shoes.

4.  Gap Sandals.  My bestie Sam came to visit me at school one day and showed up in the cutest black maxi and these Gap sandals.  I immediately copied her and have been wearing them non-stop ever since.  They are my summer sandals of 2013. 

These sandals do not leave my feet.

5.  Target Wedges.  Another copy-cat shoe.  Drew's cousin was wearing these at a funeral and I loved them so much I had to ask her where they were from.  Is it inappropriate to do that at a funeral?  Probably.  But I almost died when she said they were from Target and SO comfy.  See?  I can't escape Target shoes!

Damn you cute & comfy Target shoes!

6.  Sanuk Flips.  A fellow teacher friend told me about Sanuk shoes and I was like, yeah I need those.  The bottom is made of yoga mats!  Hello comfy!  And I mean, if you are wearing flips, they are supposed to be comfy, right?  I intended to take these to Europe to have something to change into after a long day of walking but only put them on once.  Now I just wear them around the house.

Yoga-licious.

7.  Sperry's.  Again, a popular shoe brand I never owned before.  I had no interest in Sperry's until I read J's Everyday Fashion Europe posts and she wore here boat shoes a lot.  I never considered wearing them with dresses and skirts but thought they were so cute!  I found these metallic guys on sale at Nordstrom and bought them for our trip.  I haven't worn them since, but I'm sure they will be in rotation again once school starts.

Pretty sure my middle-schoolers all own these.  I'm so lame.

8.  Target Nude Flats.  Jana got me hooked on Pinterest Told Me To and now I'm obsessed.  One of her must haves is a pair of Vince Camuto nude flats.  She's right, they go with everything.  But why would I spend $70 when I can just get a similar pair at Target???

Damn you Target!

Nudey Flats.

 

9.  Callisto Putty Wedges.  If you've ever even glanced at Pinterest Told Me To you've seen these wedges.  She speaks of nothing else except how freaking great they are.  So yeah, I caved and ordered them.  And they are amazing.  And short.  I ordered a size up (hard to do when you're a size 10) and will be returning these later this week. 

Most wonderful shoe in the world?

10.  Stupid Target Peep Toes.  I was NOT HAPPY to have to buy these shoes.  We went to a wedding only weeks after I had given away 3 similar pairs of Target Black Peep Toed Shoes thinking, "Why do I have all these???"  Well, because they match everything.  I could not find black heels that I loved before the wedding so I settled on these stupid shoes.  I don't like them.  Sam I am. 

Dumb dumb shoes.

See?  Not all bad.  There aren't all that many Target shoes in the bunch.  BUT, I haven't even touched on Fall shoes!  Boots!  Oxfords!  Booties!  Flats!  Wedges!

 

What shoes are on the top of your Fall Must Have list?

 

*Because they are so damn cute!

Do You Want To Destroy My Sweater?

I'm reading a book right now called, Happier At Home by Gretchen Rubin.  It's a story about how she commits a year to making herself and her family happier at home by focusing on one aspect of home each month.  I really like it.  I was inspired by Gretchen's first month's focus on possessions and how to gain control over them. 

Part of this project was cleaning out her closet.  She tried on every single thing in her closet and, with the help of her mother, ditched anything that wasn't useful or that she didn't love.  I decided to take a look at my closet. 

Horror.

Luckily, DeAnna and Jana were coming over for wine dinner and I knew I could rely on them to help me out with my closet clearing.  Rather than make them suffer through every item in my closet, I decided to focus on the 10 black cardigans consuming precious real estate space. 

That's right!  I own 10 black cardigans!  What?!? 

And worse than that, I don't love a single one.  There's actually only a couple that I really even like.  Why do I own 10 black cardigans that I don't even love???

Please take a moment and guess the year the oldest cardigan was purchased.  Do it.  Guess.

Without further ado, here are 10 black cardigans, the year & store they are from, and if they made the cut or are getting the boot.

Cardigan 1:

This cardigan is from Banana Republic circa 2011.  After closer inspection, this black cardigan was found to be navy blue.  What can I say?  I've never claimed to be observant.

Verdict: She's a keeper.

 Cardigan #2:

This "boyfriend" style cardigan is from Target from a couple of years back.  While I really like throwing it over a dress with leggings, it has a hole in it.  I know I should throw it out, but you can't really see the hole.  So, I'm looking for a replacement.

Verdict: Keep for now, but find a replacement.

Cardigan #3:

This black cardigan has a fun silvery ruffle down the front.  It's Old Navy from 2010.  I don't wear it very often, but I kinda like it.

Verdict:  We'll keep it for awhile.

Cardigan #4:

This one is weird.  It has a funny shape and ties in the front.  It's from Francesca's 2010-ish.  I may have worn it once.  Why do I still own this???

Verdict:  Throw it out!

Cardigan #5:

This is a hard one.  I bought this cardigan for my engagement pics from Anthropologie in 2007.  I haven't worn it since and have no plans to.  But it holds so much sentimental value!  I'm having a hard time parting with it.  By the way, I wore it with a black tank, buttoned up.  It looked way cuter than it does in this pic. 

Verdict:  Okay, okay!  It will go!

Cardigan #6:

This is an Old Navy special from who knows when.  I don't seem to remember a time when I didn't own this cardigan.  I must have purchased it in college.  It fits, is still in decent shape, but the buttons are weird.  They are black and square and I feel like it screams, "I'm from Old Navy 10 years ago!!!"

Verdict:  Keep, but find a suitable replacement.

Cardigan #7:

This embroidered number incited a debate over the validity of short cardigans.  Jana & I don't like them.  DeAnna does.  We decided it's because she's got the boobs to pull them off.  Short cardis just hang on me.  This one is from Anthropologie 2007, purchased at the same time as #5.  It was expensive*, which is probably why I haven't gotten rid of it despite never wearing it.

Verdict: Away she goes.

Cardigan #8:

Another Old Navy special.  This Cable Knit is from 2010-ish and is a little bit shabby.  But it's my go-to when I need to throw on a black cardi.

Verdict:  Keep.

Cardigan #9:

Oh dear.  Another Old Navy black cardigan.  This one doesn't button, is a weird length, AND has a hole.  I don't think we need to discuss any longer.  Oh, and it's maybe from 2008.

Verdict:  Should have been thrown out a LONG time ago!

Cardigan #10:

When counting cardigans, I got really excited that I could do a Top 10, but only found 9 in my closet.  I was totally bummed and even thought, "I'll go out and buy another black cardigan".  Then I was like, "You can't go buy another cardigan just to blog about it and then get rid of it!  The point is to only own things you love!"  I have problems.

Luckily I remembered that I DO OWN A TENTH CARDIGAN!!!  This my friends, is the first cardigan I ever owned.  I remember ordering it... from the Delia's catalog, before there was such a thing as online shopping.  Did you guess a year????

1997!  I bought this cardigan** my freshman year in high school!  I remember the dress, tights, and shoes that I ordered with it.  I bet that dress is still at my parents' house.  I used to really really love Delia's catalogs.  Oh, how the internet has changed things. 

As for the details, this cardigan is a cable knit, missing a button, and totally still fits***.

Verdict:  Please don't make me get rid of it!!!

After that, Jana hung up all of my sweaters.  And then it dawned on me that this is probably the reason her house is tidier than mine.  She hangs up sweaters.  I throw them around.

We totally need curtains.

After the cardigan hoopla was over, we proceeded on to more important topics... none of which I can remember.  The wine was flowing.

Serious and important things are happening here.

We drank so much that I don't even remember taking this next photo.  But I did, so we might as well show you.  Did you know Jana & I have matching tattoos???  That's another story for another time.

Teeny tiny crescent moons.

 

I will totally let you know how the rest of the closet-clearing goes.  And then we'll move on to the fun part:  Shopping!  I am determined to become a better shopper.  And to stop exclusively shopping at Old Navy.

 

What's your favorite place to buy cardigans?

 

 

*Well, more expensive than Old Navy.

**More like, my mom bought me this cardigan.

***ish.

Oscar Looks I Love

Oh how I love the Red Carpet!!!  And for me, no red carpet is better than the Oscar's Red Carpet!  I'm very much a traditionalist when it comes to the Oscars... or any red carpet really.  I believe there is a certain way a celebrity should dress for certain awards shows.  And if you are a big enough celebrity to be invited to these awards shows, you should make yourself aware of the expected dress.

For the Oscars, I'm looking for Old Hollywood Glam.  Formal dresses, structured hair, lots of bling. 

I almost made this post My Top Ten Oscar Disappointments.  But I'm trying to stay positive here.  So Jen, Reese, Anne, you're welcome.  And please, step it up a notch next year.  I'm watching to be impressed.  And your nipples and blown out hair are not going to impress me. 

Here's who did impress me.  In countdown order...

10.  Amy Adams.  Amy received some mixed press on this dress.  Yes, it's a lot of feathers.  Alot.  But girl rocked those feathers!  She looked awesome!  Just look at all those folks in the background thinking, "Damn.  That girl can rock a feather."



9.  Adele.  I've been uber-un-impressed with Miss Adele's red carpet looks this year.  This one is just lovely.  You go girl!  Classic, flattering, and sparkly.  Sparkles are always a positive.  Well, not always.



8   Jane Fonda.  Say what???  What is Jane Fonda doing at the Oscars?!?  She's rocking a yellow dress.  A perfectly fitted, age-appropriate, bad-ass yellow dress.  Other than that, I have no idea why she's there.



7.  Naomi Watts.  Okay, remember when I said I'm a fan of traditional attire at the Oscars???  Well, if you are going to push the envelope, then this is the way to do it.  The cut-out is totally on trend, but not so over-the-top that it trashes up this stunning look.  Girl looks good.  Oh, and the sparkles?  What did I say? 



6.  Sandra Bullock.  Hi, I'm Sandra Bullock.  And I'm f-ing gorgeous.



5  Alicia Vikander.  Who is this?  I don't know.  But I love this look.  The lace?  Beautiful.  The sleeves?  Classic.  The hair and makeup?  So simple and chic.  I love everything about this.



4  Quvenzhane Wallis.  Who is this child and where can I get one?!?  Did not see the movie.  But want to steal this child and put her in my pocket.  Or at least I would steal her puppy purse.  How do I not have a puppy purse?



3  Kerry Washington.  To be clear, if I were going to the Oscars, this is what I would wear.  Hot pink and sparkles?  You betcha.  Now if only I could rock her confidence.  She looks amazing!



2  Amanda Seyfried.  There's a 30% chance that Amanda is already the leading mean girl.  Did anyone see that coming?  But seriously, her hair is amazing.  Up, but not severe.  Her dress is neutral, but still interesting.  She's showing some skin, but it's done so tastefully.  She doesn't have to spell it out for everyone that she's got nipples under there {cough... Anne Hatheway... cough}.  She assumes we already know.



1.  Jennifer Lawrence.  Oh my.  I don't even know what to say here.  As if I didn't love Jennifer Lawrence enough already.  What is this?!?!  Amazing.

I watched all the pre-show crap and the Fashion Police actually predicted she'd wear this Dior dress.  And I thought, "Blech!"  "It looks so bridal!"  "Boring!!!!"

But when she walked onto the red carpet, I just lost it.  She looks so lovely.  So classy!

And then she opened her mouth (and made threats to Emma Stone) and reminded us what a kick-ass, silly, normal girl she is... I mean despite the fact that she makes millions of dollars, was just signed by Dior, and is now an Academy Award winner. 

I believe she's the perfect mix of Kristin Stewart's "Being famous is weird!" and Anne Hatheway's "I'm a leading lady and I take acting sooo seriously!"  She takes all the good things from those two and leaves out their weirdo hang-ups.  She's the ultimate humble leading lady.  Girl's got it going on.




Uhhhh... can you say girl crush???  I love you Katniss Jennifer!!!


And honorable mention goes to Daniel Radcliffe.  How cute is Harry Potter all grown up???

Top 10 Grammy Looks

Ummm... is it just me or was Grammy fashion this year like a total snooze-fest???  I always LOVE Grammy fashion, but I was so so disappointed this year.  Word is that CBS sent a letter to attendees outlining the appropriate dress code.  If their intention was to take the fun out of the red carpet, then I guess they succeeded.  I say, bring back the puffy skin and lower butt cleavage!!! 

Now, maybe some of the looks were really awesome and amazing... but I kept comparing everyone to what they'd worn in previous years.  And I just didn't feel like anyone really blew me away this year.  Despite that fact, here are my top 10 Grammy looks for 2013.

1. Taylor Swift.  I usually love Tay Tay's princessy looks.  But I also love the more mature look she went with this year.  I'm very happy with this look.  I was less happy with the shit show she opened up the Grammy's with.  Seriously Taylor.  Have you lost your mind?  Alice in Wonderland is not hot.




2. Rihanna.  I'm ignoring the fact that she was there with Chris Brown.  She looked hot. 



3. Katie Perry.  Katie always has a fun style.  I love love love this dress... except for the color.  I know mint is super trendy right now, but this is too much.  Any other color would have been better!  But the girls look great so who's really looking at the color?



4. Julianna Hough.  Kaley Cuoco   If you are going to go casual for the Grammy's, this is how to go.  Hot!

{Clearly I'm unqualified to write celebrity posts when I'm not even sure who the celebrities are. Thanks Abby for clearing that up!}



5. Justin Timberlake.  As my friend Nicky so eloquently put it on Facebook; "I heart Justin Timberlake so hard."  Dude looks good.  What else can we say???



His performance of Suit & Tie was the best part of the entire night for me.  Love.  Hard. 

6. Carrie Underwood.  Is there anyone prettier than Carrie Underwood?  I don't think so.  Her dress was a safe choice, but she still looked amazing.  That hair!



7. Kelly Rowland.  She totally got back at Beyonce (notice she didn't make the list with her super boring jumpsuit?) with this one.  Cut-outs are like way hot (so I've heard) and she takes them to a very extreme, but good place.  This is Grammy style! 



8. Jennifer Lopez.  Hmmm... no one else seems to like this look.  And yes I know she totes copied Angie's Oscar look from last year.  But I didn't think it worked on Angie.  I think J-Lo looks hot.  Her overly tight top-knot seems to have been a bad choice.  I think big hair would have made the whole outfit.  Why isn't Jennifer calling me for style advice?



9.Alicia Keyz.  Yes!  This is the sort of thing I want to see!  Leather!  Boobs!  Puffy skin!  Hot!  She looks amazing!



10. Kelly Osbourne.  If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would be singing praise to Kelly Osbourne's style, I would have thought you were nuts!  But I do!  I love her style!  She looks amazing!  Who else in the entire world could pull off purple hair???  I'll tell you who. 




AND, once again, bitch stole my look this year.  Last year it was Miley, this year it's Chrissy Teigen.  Will this style-stealing never end???

I did it first... Prom 2001.  Bitches.