Out of Practice

Although I was only out of the office for two days, the change in my routine threw me for a loop. Getting dressed was such a chore this morning.  Especially when my wardrobe choices were influenced negatively by my decision to eat ALL of the Christmas cookies that have crossed my path in the last two weeks.  

Shirt: Sweat Pea
Cardigan: ? gift
Jeans: Old Navy
Boots: Eric  Michael 

Happy Holidays

I ran out of band-aids this morning and my vanity would not allow me to show you the bruised, scabby mess of flesh formerly known as my knees.  

In happier news, it is Christmas Eve and I am taking tomorrow and the following day off from work.  This is a big improvement over last year when I spent all of the holidays preparing for a trial.  

Top:  Sweet Pea
Cardigan: J. Crew
Skirt: Forever 21
Boots: Clarks

Not Bad for 6AM

I had two big cases in court today which necessitated me coming in a 6am this morning.  Getting dressed in the dark can often yield unpredictable results but I think I did okay today.  Or at least no one has had the courage to tell me otherwise.  Which is win enough for me.

Suit: United Colors of Benetton via Goodwill
Shirt: Ellen Tracy via TJ Maxx
Shoes: Tahari 

For the Birds

Don't tell the other dresses in my closet, but I think this one might be my favorite.  Comfortable, goes with everything, and it has pockets.  Plus, one time at band camp a training conference, someone said the dress looked nice on me.  

Dress: French Connection
Sweater and Boots: Gap
Tights: Hue

Questionable Taste

I suspect that if I was ever on Project Runway, Nina would question my penchant for prints that look like they could be slipcovers on a sofa in a Miami retirement home.  But I can't help it, I am drawn to prints like other people are drawn to simple black pants or pearls.   

Cardigan: Lord and Taylor
Dress: Mod Cloth
Shoes: Franco Sarto


P.S.  If you are wondering, that is a toy mouse by my foot. 

Lucky

Although my closet is stuffed with clothing - I could not find anything to wear this morning.   I ended up grabbing some things from the top of my dresser and got lucky that the result is sort of cute.  

Blazer: Marc by Marc Jacobs
Sweater: Max Mara Weekend
Jeans: Levis
Shoes: Marc Fisher

Necklace: Jamie Rodriguez via Haute Look

Consequences

Dear Boss:  If you are going to make me work 60 hours a week, you cannot expect me to be very sartorially creative by the end of the week.  Love, your very tired employee.

Top: H&M 
Sweater: Lord & Taylor
Pants and Shoes: Target

Watch Out You Might Get What You're After

I have been looking for a wool Fisherman's sweater for what seems like forever.  Every time I find one it is either too tight or scratchy or unflattering.  Finally I found this one on eBay for super cheap.  Although I initially wanted cream, the black is pretty versatile.  The downside if this purchase?  I want to wear this sweater every day.  

Sweater: Aran Crafts via eBay
Coat: ? (left over from my plus size days but the cut makes it seems intentionally oversized)
Jeans: Old Navy
Boots: Eric Michael (on super sale at 6pm.com)

Press One For Easy

Running late?  Toss on a wrap dress and tall boots (to hide unshaven legs) and a necklace to distract people from your dirty hair. 

Dress: Gap
Cardigan: J. Crew
Boots: Report
Necklace: ? still have no clue where it came from but I'm glad it appeared.

Spot the Differences

I really liked this outfit (age inappropriateness notwithstanding) the last time I wore it.  However, in the interests of variety I made a few subtle changes such as textured tights (see close up below) and a different belt.  

Dress: Thakoon for Target
Boots: Gap
Tights: Hue

The Lady Don't Mind

I needed to get into  work extra early this morning to write a motion so I grabbed the first clothing items I found and  did not take the time to steam my sweater.  Good thing no one uses the internet to see my folly :)

Sweater: Old Navy
Skirt: J. Crew Factory
Shoes: Max Studio

How Do You Identify Yourself

I am going to court to meet some new clients.  Because we have not met we all tried to give some description of ourselves. Attorney A described himself as having grey hair and glasses.  Attorney B described himself as having a shiny bald head.  

I didn't know what to say.  My first instinct was physical characteristics but as I am of average height and build, that seemed unhelpful and open to a lot of interpretation.  I considered hair color but I'm wasn't sure that these men would readily identify "messy dark hair, sprinkled with grey, in haphazard chignon".  I toyed some really obscure things such as - look for the woman with scars on her knees and marks on her calves from her running socks - or - imagine Celine Dion* if she gained 40 pounds and was half Indian.    In the end I resorted to clothing.  Although black suits are pretty much the uniform for many attorneys - I have a bright green coat that should make me stand out in a crowd.  

So how do you identify yourself to others?  

Dress and Blazer:  Banana Republic
Shoes: Jessica Simpson.  



* A long time ago a strange woman in accosted me in a bathroom and told me I looked exactly like Celine Dion.  When I told the story to my staff, expecting them to confirm that there was no resemblance, they all started to agree with the strange woman.  Needless to say, I did not give them bonuses that year.  

On the Go

I will be spending tomorrow and Friday in court, so I decided to make today casual day at work.    Plus after putting in 30 hours of work already this week - I think I deserve a treat.

Shirt: Old Navy
Sweater: Lord and Taylor Cashmere!
Jeans: Levis
Shoes: Target
Necklace: Flea Market in Georgetown circa 1990

Unexpected Fashion Guru

Every year we end up having at least four Christmases.  The first is celebrated at Thanksgiving with my in-laws (who we do not get to see in December).  This year, we implemented a secret santa gift exchange and my Father in Law got me this amazing sweater.   I have been obsessed with open, cozy, cardigans and this one fits the bill perfectly.  He also got me an amazing scarf that I'll show off at a later date.  I have known this man for 20 years and never knew he had such taste.  

Shirt: Gap
Sweater: Gift from FiL
Skirt: Talbots
Boots: Miz Mooz

I Miss My Sweatpants Already

Nothing like  few days off to make you forget how to get dressed properly.  I spent the weekend in my the only pants I can fit into right now sweatpants and it was lovely.  Finding something else to wear this morning was way harder than it should be.  Maybe I should start working from home.  Or petition the Courts to allow a more flexible dress code.  

Dress: Banana Republic
Blazer: H&M
Shoes: Rockport 

Happy Day Before Thanksgiving

My husband took this photo for me and I cannot figure out if the photo is crooked or if I am.  Perhaps both.  Also - how awesome is this jacket?  Its only flaw as far as I can tell, is the fact that the zippers are not functional (well they are but there is no pocket to use).  

Jacket: "Hannah" by Rhyme and Echo via Piperlime.
Dress: Target
Top: Gap
Boots: Palladium 

My Right Foot

I recently started to increase my running mileage and my right foot has paid the price.  I will not gross you out by explaining further but the upshot is that there are a limited number of shoes I can wear until the pain goes away.  Which is a long way of explaining why I'm always in these boots.  

Jacket and Dress: Forever 21
Boots: Miz Mooz

Wrinkled Jeans Friday

I have been battling insomnia all week and developed a routine whereby I wake up at 1am, watch Murder She Wrote, do some on-line holiday shopping, play on-line Scramble, and fall back asleep at 3 a.m. and then wake up at 5:30 am to go running.  The result is that I'm half way done with my holiday shopping and I've logged at lot of miles, but other domestic chores (such as ironing) have fallen by the wayside to my sleep deprived brain.  

Tank: Hanes
Shirt, Blazer, Boots: Target
Jeans: Old Navy
Necklace: Banana Republic

Splash of Color

Added a wee bit of color today (it is washed out in the photo but the the yellow on the skirt is BRIGHT in person).

Jacket: Old Navy
Sweater: Gap
Skirt: Bar III /Macys
Boots: Miz Mooz

Happy Birthday Mom

Today would have been my mom's 81st birthday.  Although she is not here to read this (does anyone know if there is internet access in heaven) I decided to write a post about what a cool lady she was.  My mom was a free spirit who was far ahead of her time.  She worked in advertising in NYC but here passion was travel.  She had adventures - she was evacuated from Cuba after Castro took power, honeymooned in Afghanistan, and met Elvis Presley in Hollywood.  In the early 1960s she quit her job and traveled around the world by herself.  While she was traveling in India she met my father and ended up moving to Pakistan where he was working.  They got married and eventually returned to the United States and had me!  Although her life was a little less adventurous after she had children - she never lost her passion for travel and adventure and always encouraged us to be unique.  

Happy Birthday Mom.  I miss you.

Photos:  Clockwise from top left:  Mom and a baby me (you may recognize her necklace as one of my good luck charms); Mom on a boat looking glamorous; Mom at work -goofing off with her boss; Mom in the hospital in Pakistan enjoying a martini; Mom in India.

Must Be the Season of the Witch

I did not intend to wear black yet again this week, but the colorful skirt I planned to wear was a bit too tight this morning.  So instead I grabbed this adorable skirt that I got for $19 at Forever 21 a few weeks ago.  I have no idea what is wrong with my posture/torso in this photo but I was too lazy to take another picture.


Sweater: J. Crew
Skirt: F21
Shoes: Rockport 

Eclectic

I tend to shy away from pattern mixing because it can quickly go from cute to silly.  So I played it safe by keeping a simple color palette (and having a black blazer at work just in case).   I like the effect although next time I will choose a more fitted sweater.

Sweater and Jacket: Old Navy
Dress: Target
Boots: Palladium
Bag: Hayden Harnett "Corcovado"

Dotty

I am so glad I kept this sweater, even though it is a little bit large.  It is the perfect solution for brightening up an otherwise simple outfit.

Dress: Boden
Sweater: Target
Boots: Miz Mooz 

3.73999999999944 Miles Away And Other Meaningless Information

Meaningless information to start your Friday:

• As of this morning I am 3.73999999999944 miles away from having run 1000 miles since January 1.  
• This will be my 565th blog post.
• I tried on three other pairs of pants before resorting to these (my "fat" jeans)
• A fully ripened cranberry can dribbled like a basketball
• During the pre-election stress I purchased four pairs of shoes all but one will be returned.

Top: H&M

Jeans: Old Navy

Boots: Ugg

Post Election Comfort

First, I am happy to report that I found the dress I had misplaced yesterday.  Second, if you spend your election night eating cupcakes and drinking wine - I highly recommend wearing an over-sized tunic and pants with an elastic waist the next day.  

Tunic: ? via TJ Maxx
Pants: JC Penny
Shoes: Franco Sarto 
Belly:  Crumbs Pumpkin and Red Velvet Cupcakes

Stubborn

I wanted to wear these boots today and planned to pair them with this dress.  I couldn't find that dress, however, but stubbornly refused to give up the plan to wear these boots.  After trying on everything in my closet I finally gave up on my intention to look coordinated - but not the boots.  

Blouse: Forever 21
Sweater: Target
Skirt: J. Crew
Boots: Gap 

P.S.  If you live in the US - don't forget to vote today!   I did it this morning although my polling place didn't give me a sticker to prove it :(  

Perspective

This post was going to be a complaint about how I cannot manage to style these boots without feeling too country girl.  Then I read some Facebook posts from my friends in Long Island and others affected by the recent storm and felt a rare bit of shame in my shallowness.  

So I am taking the day off from complaining. I am going to donate some more money to the Red Cross  and spend some time appreciating what I have.  Tomorrow we can talk about the boots :)

Blouse: Tucker
Sweater: J. Crew
Skirt: ? (found it under my bed)
Boots: Frye

Growing On Me

This outfit felt so random when I threw it together but it is starting to grow on me.  Although I will be spending my lunch hour looking for a better (more matte, more black) tights.  Recommendations are welcomed!

Dress: Zara
Sweater: ? via TJ Maxx
Boots: Urban Outfitters

Undancing the Blues

For almost 20 years I have thought that David Bowie was instructing me to put on my red shoes and undance the blues.  Last week it occurred to me that perhaps he was instructing me to dance the blues.  Which makes sense.  A lot more sense than this post.

Dress:  Poleci
Sweater: J. Crew
Boots: White Mountain 

Happy Halloween

Do you like my costume?  I call it - woman who owns too many black dresses and leopard print shoes.

Dress: Forever 21
Shoes: Target

Scenes from the Weekend

This weekend we went to mr. deathstar's cousin's wedding.  It was a sportsman's club and there were a lot of dead things on the walls.  Unfortunately, I hit the open bar before I thought to take photos so this is the best one I have of the cute dress that I found under my bed a few weeks ago.

Modern Matilda

Ever since I broke routine and went for a run on Monday, my whole sense of time has been thrown off.  I spent all of Wednesday convinced it was Friday and this morning I thought it was cute mod dress and boots day.  Oh wait it IS cute mod dress and boots day.    How is that for a plot twist.  

Dress: Old Navy
Cardigan: Lands End Canvas
Boots: White Mountain*


* I have always had an extreme prejudice against the White Mountain brand of shoes.    Although I had never owned a pair, I would randomly avoid even looking at them because I thought they were cheap and poorly designed.  However, when I saw these boots on sale I decided to overcome my prejudice and give them a shot.  I am SO GLAD that I did, the boots are comfortable and pretty decently constructed considering their low price point.  

Secrets the J. Crew Lady Didn't Share

When I purchased this dress the J. Crew Lady told me that the dress would look cute with a belt.  When I got home I patiently tried various belts and could not make it work - until today.  Turns out the secret is to grab the first belt you find, put it on and don't even look in the mirror.  Who knew? 

Dress: J. Crew

Boots: Dr. Martens

Belt: ? probably Old Navy

Boots and Stripes

Remember when Amazon made me buy this dress?  I didn't so it was a happy surprise when I found the dress in my closet this morning.    If you are wondering, today's Band-Aid is "Animal" from the Muppets.  

Dress: D.E.P.T. via Amazon

Blazer: J.C. Penny

Boots: Palladium

Not So Pretty In Pink

I have never liked the color pink.  The first time I got in trouble in school was in the third grade when John Allbright thought I took his rain coat.  At that time, there were only three rain coat colors - yellow, pink, and blue.  Trendsetter that I was - I was the only girl in the class with a blue raincoat.  Everyone just assumed I had taken John's raincoat until his was located in his cubby.  

It has been 30+ years since that fateful event and I still don't like pink.  But this skirt didn't come in blue so I took a chance on it.  I can't say I love it but I doubt John Allbright will accuse me of having taken it from him.

Sweater: J. Crew
Jacket: Gap
Skirt: Forever 21
Boots: Dr. Martens

Friday Masochism

Considering how much suffering I went through to put this outfit together, you'd think it would look better.  First there are the jeans, which are normally comfortable but which are pressing on my sore knees in the most painful manner.   Then there is this shirt which I have owned for years but never wear because every time I try, I look like a reject from a casting call to play Mary Ann Gilligan's Island.   I made myself wear it to justify keeping it (why?) since it was next up on the "not worn in a year and must be tossed" rack.  Last but not least is the necklace which you can't see but which has the most impossible clasp in the world.  There is no reason for me to keep it and struggle (I have literally dozens of other choices), but I do.  


Shirt and Jeans: Old Navy
Sweater: Forever 21
Boots: Timberland

Black and Cat

I really like this outfit although it seems to make me appear shorter than I am.  I suppose a higher heeled boot is order next time I wear this combination.  Or maybe I'll finally have that growth spurt I've been wanting since I was 12 years old.  

Sweater and Skirt: J. Crew
Scarf:  Came with This vintage dress
Boots: Palladium

Fashion forward? Old Fashioned?

I purchased this shirt at a discount designer store in my town.   A lot of what they sell seems geared towards older women (tweed suits for ladies who lunch) but they also occasionally bring in some fun trendy pieces.  And then there is this shirt.  Fashion forward?  Old Fashioned?  I am not sure but I like it anyway.  

Shirt: ? 
Skirt: Banana Republic
Shoes: Franco Sarto

Black and Jade

When I got into work this morning I had a bunch of emails from myself, sent around 1am.  I don't remember sending them but I'm glad I did as they reminded me of some deadlines I have to meet.  My conclusion - I do my best work when I am asleep.

Shirt: Old Navy
Skirt: J. Crew
Sweater: ? via Marshalls
Shoes: Payless

Monkey Monday

One surefire way to make a draggy Monday morning bearable - put on a monkey face Band-Aid.  Another way, coffee.  Lots and lots of coffee.  Possibly with a side of Halloween candy.  I also suggest an adjustable wrap dress to offset any coffee/candy related expansion.


Dress: DvF
Shoes: Urban Outfitters

Ahoy Friday

The great thing about these Band-Aids?  I didn't have to photoshop out my knee wrinkles.  Plus, you know, Pirates.  Happy Friday everyone.

Sweater: J. Crew
Skirt: St. John via Goodwill
Shoes:  Dr. Martens

Black and White and Batman All Over

If there has been any upside to skinning my knees, it might be the chance to wear all my fun Band-Aids.  Today I used the last two Batman Band-Aids to distract from the fact that this dress may not be as flattering as I first thought.  

Dress: J. Crew 
Shoes: Franco Sarto

Not Pictured: Ice Pack

If you want to know exactly what I am wearing - you need to imagine a bag of ice on my left shoulder (another casualty of yesterday's fall).

Dress:  Nine West
Boots: Palladium 

Skinned Knees? Must Be Tuesday.

I am not exactly sure what happened this morning but I was running, felt dizzy, and the next thing I knew I was lying on the ground in a pile of dirt and broken asphalt.  I'm fine but my career as a leg model is probably over.  

Dress: J. Crew
Belt: Banana Republic
Boots: Palladium 

It Happened to Me

Have you ever started getting dressed in an outfit that you are certain will look good, only to find that it doesn't?  Well friends, it happened to me*.  Today.  At least 5 times.  After that I gave up and came into work as my boss isn't really all that sympathetic when I am late due to wardrobe problems. 

Tank: ?
Sweater and Jeans: Old Navy
Boots: Rocket Dog

* Sassy  anyone?  

Cagney and Lacey

In honor of my lace jacket, and to distract from the fact that this outfit is a near replica of what I wore here, I was was going to make a bunch of random Cagney and Lacey references in this post.  But I ran short of time so you will just have to make them yourselves.  

Jacket: ? via Marshalls
Skirt: Banana Republic
Shoes: Tahari

50/50

A while back the Daily Show did an interview with a purported science teacher who posited that  the odds of the world ending due to some test that was being run were 50/50.  It will either happen or it won't. 50/50.  There is also a 50/50 chance that this outfit is super cute and stylistically brave and not an odd mishmash of whatever was handy this morning.  It is or it isn't.  50/50.  There is also a 50/50 chance that this is not a ridiculous pose.  Actually, I think the odds are 100 on that one.


Dress: Target
Blazer: Calvin Klein
Shoes: Missoni for Target

The Unintended Benefit of Hoarding

I used to have hard time giving away those impulse items that were purchased on sale and never worn.  I remember bringing this skirt home and trying it on dozens of time only to conclude that it was unflattering.  However, I was apparently unwilling to give up on my $7 clearance sale investment - so I kept it.   This weekend I was bombarded by sales and shopping temptations so I went looking for "new" items in my closet and found the skirt (which is either less unflattering or I am less critical).  So, my hording paid off by keeping me from buying more.   Maybe I shouldn't be so ruthless next time I clean my closet.


Sweater: J. Crew
Skirt: Gap
Boots: Miz Mooz