Friday, October 31, 2014

Breakfast Without the Twist

Everyone always asks what the big deal is with Brunch.  Why is brunch suddenly so much better than breakfast? I'll tell you: Alcohol.  I normally choose brunch over breakfast every single time because I'd rather drink mimosas and poinsettas instead of orange or cranberry juice and I have many friends who love a good bloody mary.  Breakfast is just a bonus. However, when Morgan invited me to breakfast on Tuesday to meet her adorable new baby, I couldn't resist! We went to Breadwinners, which is a favorite hang out and truth be told, I COULD have ordered a mimosa, but I thought that would be very unfair to Morgan who can't drink one with me, yet!
Sweater: JCrew Factory; Skirt: T by Alexander Wang; Earrings: Blue Nile 
Tortoise Bracelet: Lauren by Ralph Lauren (nearly identical by Land's End)
Tote: Calvin Klein (current); Boots: Frye Jane 14L Stitch
The Wright Ammendment was finally repealed in Dallas which means that long-haul flights directly from Love Field are now possible.  During the lead up to the repeal, there was a very welcomed fare-war between Southwest and Virgin America and Mr. Fantastic jumped all over it.  We got round-trip flights to LAX for $187! His brother and wife moved to California about 4 months ago and we have several friends as well as my husband's cousins in the area so we immediately started making plans to visit.  This is the first time in 7 years that we will not be celebrating Halloween as we are traveling to L.A. today and through the weekend.

Have a Happy & Safe Halloween, Everyone!
**This is a scheduled post. **

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

The Wallflower at the Happy Hour

The weekends we have alone, Mr. Fantastic and I try to cram as much as we possibly can.  It's hard to meet up with friends for Happy Hour, or do date nights, or spend any time relaxing.  Fortunately, this past weekend we were able to do all three at once when we went on a date to a happy hour with friends.  Anyone who knows me, knows I cannot pass up a maxi dress and this was no exception!
Dress: LOFT (short); Necklace: Swarovski; Earrings: Macy's
Bracelet: Fossil (old); Clutch: c/o BCBGMaxAzria (old) (current)
Shoes: BCBGMaxAzria (on sale!)
I LOVE this dress.  It was a last minute purchase last month when I picked up the Lou & Grey tights during the LOFT sale.  This dress was on sale for $69.99 and it was an additional 40% off, the short version of this dress is still on sale! I was worried about how it would fit because I usually have to size up if I want petite sizing, but the elastic waist ensured that the 12P dress was a nearly perfect fit. It gapes a bit in the back and I had to use a safety pin, but I have no problem dishing out $10 to get it tailored.  The print of the dress is called "Wallpaper" and it is so pretty.  I got so many compliments on this dress that I was anything but a wallflower at our local watering hole!  We are traveling to the West Coast to visit friends and family this weekend and this dress is already in my suitcase.

Happy Tuesday!

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Not Sheer Business

Last time I wore this top, I realized that my top was see-through.  It was embarrassing because I had already worn it twice besides the time I took photos for the blog and decided that I needed to find a camisole to wear underneath.  It wasn't entirely a success this time around either.  I don't know if this top just doesn't photograph well or if I really look this awful when I wear it, but it's awful because when I get dressed, I think "I look great!" and then the photographic evidence states the contrary.  Maybe I will try Spanx before I give up all together on this top that quickly became a favorite this month!
Top: BCBGMaxAzria (current); Camisole: 14th & Union; Denim: JBrand; Jewelry: All old
Purse: Rebecca Minkoff (old) (Current)
Flats: Giuseppe Zanotti (old) (Very similar by Michael Kors for under $50)
My husband worked from home yesterday and we went to lunch and to pick up some items for our charity's upcoming silent auction.  I hadn't realized that now that I've been out of work for nearly two full years, my collection of flats has grown tremendously.  My next outfit will feature high heels since I realized this while editing this post and then I got dressed for Happy Hour with Mr. Fantastic and friends.

Am I the only one who tracks wardrobe changes?

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Brunch Bunch

I wore this outfit last weekend during a busy Sunday.  I needed something I could wear to church, followed by brunch with one of my friends that I haven't seen in a long time, and then to run some errands around town.  Our brunch bunch is usually about 4 or 5 of us that get together once a month to dish about the latest over some good food and better drinks.
Sweater: Gap; Skirt: Trina Turk (old) (current); Earrings: Old Navy (old) 
Bracelet: Cruise Ship Purchase 10 Years Ago; Bag: Calvin Klein (old) (current)
Flats: Sam Edelman (old) (want these on sale!)
This sweater was originally one of Mr. Fantastic's favorites, but last year we were teaching our youngest to do laundry and we accidentally left him alone after telling him to move the clean clothes from the washer to the dryer.  I didn't realize he had dried his dad's sweater until we were trying to figure out what it was while folding everything.  It now fits my husband like a mid-riff shirt so I decided to keep it for myself.  The sleeves were still too long and because it's knitted, our tailor recommended a small length of elastic to pull it together without having to cut it.  It is now one of my favorite sweaters.

Happy Wednesday!

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Our Family Thing

The first time Mr. Fantastic and I ever took professional photos of us was when we got engaged.  At the time, we did one session that was just the two of us and one that included the kids.  We ended up using one of those family photos as our first ever family Christmas card later that year just a few months after our wedding.  The following year, we caught the boys planning their outfits for our family photos because, "It's close to Thanksgiving and we still haven't done them!" So we called our favorite photographer and quickly scheduled some. That is how our tradition of family photos every year was born.  We rotate who gets to pick the color between the boys and we pick the location with our photographer.  It is so much fun to get the pictures back because when we line them all up we can really see how much the kids grow every year.
Sweater: Gap (old); Necklace: c/o Jane Basch Jewelry; Earrings: Blue Nile
Jeans: Paige Premium Denim (mine are old; this is the current style); Shoes: Renvy
Mr. Fantastic wears - Sweater: J Crew; Jeans: Banana Republic; Shoes: Johnston & Murphy
This year the boys had picked a cranberry/berry color and we were all set to go before the storms blew in and we realized that a dress and short sleeves were really not going to cut it.  Because the boys were off for Columbus Day, we wanted to take them to the fair on Monday and decided to go with a casual theme for our family photos.  Jeans and sweaters for everyone.  My husband already had an olive sweater and I had olive jeans.  Everyone had blue jeans and our youngest already had his chambray shirt.  I dug through my sweater pile and picked this blue-gray sweater from the Gap and then I went and bought an olive sweater for the oldest and olive khakis for the youngest and we were set.  Afterwards, we pulled on our coats and headed out to the fair to eat a lot of junk food!
Trench Coat: Banana Republic; Purse: Sam Edelman (old)
All photos except the last one were taken by Lynn Michelle for Lynn Michelle Photography.  Call her, she shoots fabulous people.  I didn't post any of the kids because they're kids and while a photo or two might escape out into the wild, I like to think that I'm not plastering the internet with their photos. Mr. Fantastic doesn't mind if his photo is out there from time to time. ;)
Happy Sunday!

Thursday, October 16, 2014

The First Chill

This weekend we finally got some cold weather in, we even had some rainstorms that knocked some of our neighbors' fences around our alley.  Everyone in our house woke up early on Saturday for various reasons: my husband had an early morning flight, our oldest was taking his SAT's, the youngest one had a Boy Scouts project and I was the driver for the last two.  I knew I wouldn't really be seen in public since I could do all my drop offs and pick ups from the car, so I wore my faux-workout clothes. The one person that did see me was the barista at Starbucks.
Sweatshirt: Alternative Earth; Sunglasses: Cynthia Rowley; Earrings: Blue Nile; Necklace: BaubleBar
The sweatshirt is a relic from my days in Pilates (a year ago) when I won it in a random drawing.  I bet they are thrilled that I walk around with my big butt as an advertisement for their gym. The back (that I didn't photograph) even says: Body by Pilates, which I'm sure made them cringe even last year when I was in the best shape of my 30s!  Unfortunately, the 50% discount I was getting from taking some continuing education classes expired when my time as a student did and while we were swallowing the $150/month fees while we could, there was no way to justify $300/month for Pilates classes when my husband's gym fees are $18/month.  No more Pilates for me. :(
Essential Leggings: Lou & Grey for LOFT; Running Shoes (ha!): Asics
These are new leggings from Lou & Grey for Loft.  I bought them when they were on sale during the September sales in both the grey seen here and in black.  I wasn't sure what to expect since I normally don't buy leggings and the last time I had bought a pair was nearly two years ago when I bought the ones seen here.  However, these were on sale for $14 so I didn't pass up the opportunity to replace my old pair and get a different color.  These are really thick and stretchy, which I love because I still have nightmares about see-through leggings while working out.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Worlds Are Colliding

My husband is obsessed with Seinfeld.  Anytime we run across an episode on syndication, we have to watch it and he is always quoting the show.  One of his favorite lines is from George Constanza when his business and professional lives began to merge, "Worlds are colliding!"  That is how I felt when I wore this outfit late last week.  White jeans are my spring/winter staple, and the suede booties have been a favorite for a couple of winters now.  My worlds are colliding!
Tunic: Tory Burch (current and on sale); Denim: Joe's Jeans
Sunglasses: c/o Toms (similar); Earrings and Necklace: BaubleBar (both old)

Watch: c/o Caravelle New York; Purse: c/o Susu Handbags

Booties: Stuart Weitzman (current)
We had a significant cool down this weekend.  Yesterday, I wandered around in leggings and a sweater making alternate plans for our family photos.  Originally, I was going to wear a dress, but it is still predicted to be cold all day today and we want to go to the State Fair tonight, so we changed to jeans and sweaters.

Happy Columbus Day!!

Friday, October 10, 2014

Back to the Drawing Board

I mentioned earlier this month that I am on various committees for the kids' school activities and earlier this week we had a parent teacher conference at one school, then I stopped by the other school to drop off a check, and then I went back to the first school for a committee meeting followed by a board meeting.  I opted for flats again, and wore this awesome pair of Jill Sander grey slacks that I found at a consignment shop and immediately became my most favorite pants, as well as this oxford shirt that I ordered from Banana Republic last month during their 50% Sale. When I was looking up these pants it dawned on me that they are supposed to be cropped pants, but I am so short, they are just regular slacks for me.
Oxford: Banana Republic; Slacks: Jill Sander 
I would like to point out that the Banana Republic site showed this shirt rolled up with the blue cuff visible and it is simply not possible for the blue to be visible unless you do it on purpose because the inside of the sleeve is not blue.  In order for the blue to show the way I have it, you have to roll up the sleeves in a very deliberate way and there is nothing effortless or easy about it.  Also, while the regular size Large fits me loose in the torso, but the sleeves are extremely long, I didn't have the option of going up a size in the Petite fit to an XLP and ordered the Large Petite size.  As expected, the sleeves and shoulders now fit perfect, but it is much more fitted in the torso now and it pulls a little in the bust. I decided to keep it because I really love the fabric and the optimist in me is hoping that if I can drop those elusive 5 pounds, it will be my most perfect shirt yet.  My logic (or lack thereof?) gives my husband headaches.
Earrings: Blue Nile; Necklace: c/o Dogeared Jewelry 
Watch: c/o LaMer Collections; Bag: Chloe (very old, but I LOVE!)
Flats: Sam Edelman (old, but I want these next)
This is as professional as I can look these days, but I'm glad that I don't have a daily dress code.

Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Casual Denim and Lace

This fall has been very hectic as our oldest starts his SENIOR year of high school and our youngest ramps up his 8th grade year. I am on one of the band committees and let me tell you, it seems to be non-stop work! And it doesn't look like it will be slowing down anytime soon as homecoming is just around the corner.  I wore this to run errands and get permits around town a few days ago.  I needed to be comfortable and completely unencumbered.  I even stashed my ID and some cash in one of my pockets and my cell in another because I couldn't even carry my purse.
Top: Ann Taylor (current); Jeans: c/o Miss Me; Sunglasses: Lucky Brand; Earrings: Blue Nile 
Wrap Bracelets - Top: c/o Miss Me; Bottom: T+J Designs (love this current one)
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik (old) (Current Suede Option)
We took these pics after we were done with everything and not only was my make up gone, so was my desire to take any more photos this weekend. :/

Happy Tuesday!

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Shorts and Sweater Weather

While it is certainly cooling off by Texas standards, we really only have a chill in the early mornings. I was running errands yesterday and I wore this featherweight sweater with shorts and sandals. Sometimes, you have do dress just as crazy as the weather!
Sweater: Prabal Gurung for Target (American Apparel option); Shorts: Trina Turk for Banana Republic (current option)
Earrings: Blue Nile; Necklace: Nadri 
Cuff: So Good Jewelry (old); Purse: Vintage (very old)
Sandals: Jimmy Choo (old) (very similar from Club Monaco) ($6 option!)
How do you dress when it is hot AND cold?

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Danger in The Neutral Zone

I have an embarrassing confession to make.  I've worn this top out twice before I took outfit photos and I just thought it was one of the best, most comfortable, and luxe tops I've spent $35 on.  It wasn't until I was editing these photos for this post that I realized that it is nearly see-through! Now I have to make a note to myself to make sure I only wear it with a cami underneath.
Top: BCBGMaxAzria (current); Khakis: Banana Republic City Roll Up Chino
Sunglasses: Marc by Marc Jacobs; Earrings: Banana Republic (old); Necklace: c/o Kendra Scott (2012)
Cuff: Kendra Scott (old) (updated on sale); Purse: Rebecca Minkoff (old) (current)
Shoes: Diane von Furstenberg (current)
I ordered these khakis from Banana Republic during the September 50% sale and usually I go up a full size when I order petite clothes.  Normally, I wear a size 10 or 12 in their regular clothes, and then have to go to a tailor to get hems and sleeves taken up, or order a 12P if the fabric is ponte or 14P if it is cotton or other non-forgiving fabric like wool or silk.  I ordered the size 14P in these pants and while the fit is looser than I like, I think it will be an easy alteration for my tailor to slim the thighs and taper the legs a bit.  I just went ahead and ordered them in navy in a 12P and I hope their sizing is not inconsistent.  Even though they are petite, I am still pretty short at 5' and I have to roll these up more than the two suggested times to get the hem just beneath my calves.  The silver lining is that when unrolled, they fit me longer than ankle pants and that will be perfect for dressier occasions.