Church and craft fair

Yesterday I went to church, out to lunch with the fam, and then to a quilt show and arts and craft fair. There's so much gorgeous jewelry and hair accesories at the local craft fair that I always like to dress with those pieces in mind so I won't be tempted to buy too much more! This was the first time I'd worn this fascinator - I bought the supplies with this dress in mind! The dress is a twenty-one thrifted piece, and I really like it. I also love that in cold weather I have a reason to wear my nude fishnets more often - seriously, they are a million times more comfortable and stylish than pantyhose! The necklace is a tiger's eye strand doubled and twisted, and I added my faux suede purse and platforms to complete the outfit. (I will admit I took lower heels for walking through the fair.)

casual day

Usually when I go out I'm kind of dressy, either for work or for church... but yesterday my son was home from school sick and then I had to take my daughter to her violin lesson so I ended up out and about in jeans, a t-shirt, and my retro glasses - I got these frames from Zenni Optical and I love them - zoom in on the picture to see a closer view, I added the crystals myself. This retro-styled t-shirt was from a thrift store, and the jeans are the Faded Glory jeans I nearly overlooked in my snobbish search for jeans a couple weeks ago. Looking at this picture, I think I have an hourglass figure that won't stop! Seriously, jeans and a tee end up looking pretty va-va-voom on me when I'm curvier like I am now!

Fall transition

I got this dress this summer in NYC at a closeout store, the label says "Oleg Cassini Collection" but if that is true I would be shocked beyond belief! Anyway, I wore it a lot this summer and now that the weather is cooling off I figured out a way to take it into fall by adding a fitted long-sleeve top over it. As a bonus, it makes it work appropriate by covering all the cleavage this dress shows! I know its not the most flattering cut - the empire waist hits right at the widest point on my torso, but its really and truly as comfy as a nightgown while looking professional so I will continue to wear it occasionally. Probably pairing it with heels would slim out my silhouette but my feet were still sore from all the walking in 4-inch heels I did yesterday! I'm still obsessed with this flower fascinator from Target, I think I'll be wearing it a lot this fall!

:)

I got tons of compliments on this outfit all day - okay, okay, Melissa, you convinced me that a belt over a blouse is the way to dress up any outfit! I loved that this outfit was a nice bridge from summer to fall - yellow summer top, black accessories that moved it into fall. I even had someone post on my facebook page asking if it was me they'd seen in town looking so ladylike and retro! I really love my new fascinator - $10 at Target!

The necklace makes it!

I've had this top for awhile, but just haven't worn it much. However, I noticed that one of the necklaces I got at the famous Maurice's sale last week matched it perfectly! I think I'll be wearing it a lot more now! My husband and I went out for brunch and ran a couple errands the other day while the kids were in school and this was my date-day outfit. Love it! Straight cut dark wash jeans, high heels, cute purse cute top and matching necklace - what's not to like?

Church Outfit

Eh, this outfit was okay. Nothing particularly special. I was wearing a new fascinator that I made this week, but didn't get a good pic of it. Nothing too exciting going on with this ensemble!

Improved dress

I've had this Fashion Bug dress for a couple years, and it was always too long so I finally cut about 4 inches off. It was almost too much, but this is a much more flattering length for me. I have freakishly large calf muscles and so dresses that hit right at the widest part of my calves make my legs look super thick. (my calves are super-thick, but not the rest of my legs - they're just normal-thick! I often wear really high heels, partly to visually stretch out my calves) I really like this dress, I think its very flattering to my hourglass figure. I walked around all day feeling like Christina Hendricks! I wore a blue beaded necklace and simple threader earrings, it was extra fun picking out my jewelry today because I re-organized it last night - I now have a set of hooks on the wall above my jewelry box for long and bulky necklaces - I have them arranged by color and so its functional and quite pretty!

I got a haircut today, which I badly needed! I had been planning on letting my hair grow out into a shaggy, longer pixie cut - more Audrey Hepburn than Morena Baccarin. However, I have very thick coarse hair, and so it just takes too long to style at that length - its a lot of work to get it NOT to poof up during the day. So, the super-short works better for me. Ta-da!

LOVE this jacket

I got compliments on this outfit with and without the jacket. Without the jacket, I was told that I looked like I had just stepped out of Anthropologie - a store I looooove but can't afford (except for pieces from there I find at thrift stores). When I put the jacket on, people told me I looked hot! Funny, since it covered a lot more skin than without! I also had a fascinator in my hair, but had already taken it out when my husband took my picture. The skirt is from a little boutique on the Outer Banks that went out of business last year and I got the jacket at a wine festival where there was a leather shop set up.

UGH!

I wore this dress to work and when I looked at the pictures when I got home I was horrified. I definitely weigh too much to wear it right now. In fact, it looked so bad I cropped the picture so all you can really see is the top and my awesome necklace (one of the ones on sale for $1.99 at Maurices).

Easy day, easy outfit...

Why is it I feel the need to wear easy outfits days when I'm really busy (like yesterday) and days that are really easy (today)? Today I worked a half day, then came home and did our annual business taxes for the state we're incorporated in and the state we live in (six month extention, due tomorrow), then my husband and kids and I had a snacky-snack dinner and watched a movie. Other than having to do the taxes, it was a lovely day! Tomorrow I'll be back to rushing about as usual - Etsy shop, work, take my daughter to violin lesson, church activities. Whew!

So, this is a basic dress from Fashion Bug, my absolute favorite jacket, my faux suede studded purse and Seychelle heels again. I also wore my amber earings, one of my new bracelets that had some amber charms on it, and a fascinator. Every time I wear a fascinator, tons of people comment on it. I think they've come back into fashion, but it hasn't trickled down to my rural neighborhood yet so everyone is surprised by it.

busy day!

Today I had a dentist appt (UGH!), went shopping with my sister (YAY), then I needed to go to a PTA meeting for work. This little dress was perfect for all of them - everywhere I went people stopped me to tell me how cute it was. I got a fabulous new bracelet and a bunch of gorgeous necklaces at Maurices - they had an amazing sale where a ton of jewelry was marked down to $1.99 each - some of it was originally $20 or more! I also got some new sunglasses - aren't they faboo?!

Autumn Church Outfit

I got this sweater and this skirt earlier this week while thrifting, the skirt is just perfect autumn colors! I love how swingy it it, too. I liked the interesting neckline on the top, however its one of those sweaters that weirdly stretches throughout the day, so by mid-afternoon it looked awful and baggy. I don't know that I'll wear it again, but I think this skirt will go into regular rotation! I paired this outfit with a brown-and-cream fascinator and my amber earrings and I loved they way they looked with it! Also, my brown Seychelles heels and a faux suede studded purse.

Hmmmm....

I got several compliments on this outfit, but I'm not sure how much I liked it. The pink plus a cutesy sweater was almost too much, I think. My day turned out kind of craptastic, I went out to lunch with my mom and grandmother and my kids (which was lovely!) but when we came out of the restaurant it was pouring rain - which meant I didn't get to go to the outdoor quilt show I was excited about all week, and I didn't get to go for a bike ride, either. My mom and I went thrifting instead and I found NOTHING. What a bummer!

nowhere to go

Tonight I'm hosting a birthday dinner for my mom, so my family is coming to me. I don't think I'm going to leave the house at all today, so no cute outfit - I'm hanging out in a housedress. But, I will share with you a picture of a GORGEOUS vintage Lisner necklace I found at a fleamarket last week:
Google "vintage lisner necklace" and just look at a few of them! I love it - most are very sparkly and have leaf and/or flower motifs. Beautiful! I think I will definitely be looking for more Lisner pieces.

LOVE this dress

I absolutely totally adore this dress. I got it at a thrift store this week, I used to have a black/red/white Asian styled dress but it got so faded I had to get rid of it. Now I have another one, and I like it even better than the last! The brand is Beyerwear Too, which I have never heard of - but this dress is fabulous! I paired it with my black and white heels, a black camisole, and my black and red fascinator. Love it all!

I'm back!

So, I haven't posted in forever, and it can be boiled down to three reasons:
1- My husband was working out of state M-F every week from May-Aug. No one to take my picture each day!
2- Since my husband was gone, I've not had time to blog because I've been single-moming it.
3- I've felt really faaaa-aaaaaat lately and when I do get a picture taken, I totally cringe at it. It sucks. BUT, I'm going seriously hardcore on loosing weight now because we're having a photographer come do family portraits for us at our house in November and there is NO WAY I'm spending hundreds on pictures I can't stand to look at. So, I must get back to the weight I'm comfy at - which is sadly 25-30 lbs less than I weigh now. So, working out every day + super-light eating = cute Jen soon!


I liked this outfit, I felt like a bad-ass! And it is HARD to feel like a badass when you are a stay at home mama!! The top is thrifted and I can't remember the brand and its in the dirty clothes basket in the other room, where my husband is sleeping, so it'll just have to stay forgotten. The jeans were a lesson in why snobbery does not pay off. I needed a couple pairs of jeans to get me through till I can fit into all my faves again, and Monday (while the kids were in school) I decided to on an epic journey to find some. First, I hit the thrift store and tried on several "good" brands - Eddie Bauer, Banana Republic, Battery Park... and none of them fit right and/or felt good. Then I tried Target. I like their new style system - different cuts, different fits. However, even their "short" sizes were too long. I am NOT that short - I'm 5'4" - but even with heels I would have had to hem the pants. And what is the point of spending only $20 on jeans if you have to go home and spend time sewing them?! Finally, I tried on a couple pairs at Walmart and they were perfect! The faded glory $12 petite straight cut jeans were EXACTLY what I wanted. Go figure! I got one black pair and one dark blue pair. The boots are thrifted, too - I love a good 4 inch heel!

The picture totally washed out my face, which was a shame since I loved my makeup today! Do yourself a favor and go buy an eyebrow pencil NOW. They are amazing! I never used one because I have fairly heavy brows, but its so easy to get the perfect arched-look using the pencil! I love it!

Happy Anniversary

My husband and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary yesterday. It was actually earlier in the week, but he was traveling. My parents offered to watch the kids so we could go out to a movie and we jumped on the chance! I love this shirt, but seem to always have trouble pairing it - then I realized that the ribbons on it match this skirt perfectly, and these sandals also pick up the moss green in the skirt. I didn't wear the shrug the whole evening, but I think it did look nice. And, I wore a sparkly headband in my hair - I really love the way it looks!

Spring-y Church Outfit

This outfit just shouted springtime to me! I got lots of compliments on the skirt. Because of the ruffles on the front of the shirt I went simple with my accessories - threader earrings and a faux-pearl bracelet.

like it

I like this outfit, the top is a little revealing for daytime wear, but it was such a pretty summery day and I didn't have to go to work so I figured I could get away with it! I brought the shawl in case I got chilly or self-conscious, but I never actually wore it. I loooove these sunglasses, and this necklace that my sister made for me.

Happy Mother's Day to ME!

I got this dress at a thrift store for $4.00 - its an Ann Taylor Loft dress, my size, in perfect condition! I think it looks very Michelle Obama, don't you? It does make my tummy look kind of big, but I still love it! I especially love the shirring and little bow at the waist. I accessorized with dangly green stone earrings and a simple family pendant necklace.

dressed in 10 minutes!

Today I ended up getting dressed in 10 minutes, including makeup and hair. Obviously, my hair needs basically no attention now, which is a huge timesaver! I felt very chic, even though I'd been rushed. (I had to take my son to the doctor for a strep test and the opening they had available meant we had to leave within 10 minutes of me getting off the phone, and I was still in my nightgown!)










I love this skirt, even though its a juniors, so it doesn't nip in at the waist enough. As long as I don't tuck in my shirt you can't tell, though. These are also my hands-down favorite shoes so far this spring. I have just enough southern culture in me that I really struggle in the spring - I don't feel good about wearing light shoes before Memorial Day (silly, I know), and since these are black with white accents they go with most of my summer-y outfits, too.

sundress season

We're coming into sundress season! I love wearing sundresses, but I struggle with how to pep them up a bit. I think I did a good job of that today - I'm wearing a bracelet and two necklaces from Viva Beads that my aunt gave me for Christmas. The beads are pink, purple, and green so they matched this green dress.

Field Trip day

I went with my daughter's school on a field trip today to a local organic farm. We planted potatoes and had a picnic next to a lake - it was lovely! I didn't get to wear any of my awesome shoes, I figured the only appropriate footwear was either sneakers or mudboots. But, I wore this amazing shirt that my sister got me at a thrift store. I never would have thought I'd be in love with a camo-animal print-floral shirt, but I am!














My new haircut allows me to really show off long earrings, and I love these. A friend got them in Afghanistan for me, the only thing I don't like about them is that they are really, really heavy. I'm still loving my new haircut - I've gotten tons of compliments on it! The only negative comment I've gotten is from a man at church tonight - he said, "You know, Jennifer, now you have 'teacher hair.'" WHAT? An edgy pixie is what I'm going for! Everyone else has told me that the cut really showcases my eyes and face and that the cut really suits my personality. My daughter's teacher told me I looked fierce!

Ta-da!

I did it! I decided it was silly to wait to cut my hair till I reached some magical number on the scale, so on the spur of the moment, I went and got it cut today. I've had long hair, I've had short hair, but I've never had super-short hair like this! I love it!! A couple years ago when I cut my hair short, everyone said I looked "cute" and it really annoyed me. So far, I've gotten a ton of comments from friends that I look "hot" - much better! Several people have also said that this hairstyle matches my personality - and I take that as a definite compliment. For a long time I was defined by my long hair - by other people and myself. Now I get to re-invent and explore other facets of my personality! Oh, and my husband looooooooooves it. He can't stop kissing my neck!

Master Thrifter

I so rock - on Friday I had awesome luck at the thrift store! I found a gorgeous purse for Library Girl (my sister), I got an absolutely gorgeous Ann Taylor Loft Dress in perfect condition, and I got this rockin' purse that I love so much I had to switch all my stuff to it the moment I got out to the car!

The outfit is one I've worn before, and I love it. The headband got me several compliments from strangers throughout the day.























Oh, and a brief update on the Fit Into Your Skinny Shorts challenge - I didn't even weigh myself Friday morning... I was not on-plan this week and I know I didn't loose any weight. But, we've had a warm weekend and pulling more shorts out of my closet to try on was definitely the push I needed to get hard-core. We're going to the beach in five weeks. If I can loose about 15 lbs in that amount of time, I'm going to treat myself to a pixie cut right before we leave for the beach. I'm excited!

from okay to fab

So, this morning I put on my black jeans with applique, a striped mens's style shirt, a black camisole, and this fabulous wide black lacy belt. The outfit looked okay (yes, this is another pair of pants that will fit better after I finish the Skinny Shorts challenge!), but not great. I have to go into work tonight, so I switched the jeans out for a lacy black pencil skirt. What a difference! I love it now!