Silver Bells...

Actually, silver necklaces. One of the advantages of seeing yourself from full length and further away in photos is seeing what your outfit needs. I love this all black outfit and own NUMEROUS all black outfits, but I definitely need a long, bold silver necklace. I tried one on at Lane Bryant while shopping, probably a year or so ago, and rejected it because I felt it made me look old: wrong decision, I wish I had that necklace now! Have looked in a couple of places but haven't found "the one" yet.

I kind of like this necklace, but I think it may be too young for me!



This picture doesn't do the piece justice, the chains are really long and come almost down to your waist. I love the drama, but just not sure if this would work for work.

Sheer Shearling Extravagance

Coat: lipstick red, shearling lined suede from the Victoria's Secret catalog closing in on ten years ago. Sweaterdress from Lane Bryant, gray velour leggings, also Victoria's Secret. Turquoise beaded earrings from my early AM Black Friday Target run (which was actually to buy an outdoor firepit for my honey...can't wait til he opens it on Christmas!)

could say much more but just found out I gotta run--back soon, pinky swearsies!!!

I resisted resisting temptation

Shoes are my weakness. Always have been, right? And with our financial situation right now, I should not be buying ANY shoes. In fact, I think I've only bought one pair since I moved to TN (can that be right????) (if so, yay me, and yet...so sad.)

I have followed Allie at http://www.wardrobeoxygen.com/ religiously for years as a shining example of how a real woman with a real budget and a real body can look good every day, and I love to look through her blogroll and check out other stylebloggers when I have the opportunity. I found Yvonne at Vogue Inspired Fashion For The Real World and wow, is she ever inspiring with her bustier in the boardroom and over the knee boot looks! Her pictures are amazing and I was particularly fascinated by the shoes in her post titled, Leggings: Argyle Sweater. She credited them as being from Aldo and POOF I was off to check out the Aldo site. The style is called Rhiane and it was on sale for TWENTY DOLLARS AND NINETY-NINE CENTS with free shipping & handling. Before checkout I used another great Allie tip and did a quick Google search for an Aldo coupon code that saved me 2.10, so these shoes from a nice store in the mall ended up costing me *LESS* than full price Payless shoes.

Don't you want to see them? You know you want to...hehehe...

Coping with Your FashionWEEsta

There are so many versions of the term "fashionista" now. Recessionista. Maxxinista. Et al.

I, myself, have a fashionWEEsta (or two)!

Note: my daughter is the one matching her hair accessories to her jeans. I don't know WHERE she gets that from...

Both pairs of five inch heels courtesy of My Closet~and the black boots my daughter is wearing? Yep, those Alice + Olivia Stompy Boots of Amazingness that I craved so long ago, courtesy of eBay!!! Life truly is grand. And full of wonderful footwear.

Yaay!! Christmas Has Come

Thanks to my darling, wonderful, incredible, fantastic, and all other sorts of good things mother, I am now the proud and happy possessor of many of the clothes that I craved in the past 2 posts. The blue jacket from Old Navy? Score! The backseamed black ponte dress with the skinny patent belt from Lane Bryant? Oh yes.

I'll confess that with the Christmas money coming in from family, I really did have visions of sugarplums dancing in my head. My mind spun with thoughts of facials, massages, being able to buy the Philosphy Vitamin C scrub that I love so much (and that costs 75.00...) Of course money only goes so far; when I saw my mom over Thanksgiving she was more than generous with her resources-took me to Old Navy and we bought stuff for the kids (and that blue coat for me!), Victoria's Secret for sprays and lotions (and I cannot even remember the last time I was able to go in VS or Bath & Body Works for some skin treats), and Lane Bryant for basically a whole new wardrobe in my now larger size-bras, jeans, dresses, black pants, sweaters, tunics, even a new purse. Lane Bryant was having a buy one, get one free on THE WHOLE STORE. Then at checkout Mom was offered 30% off her entire purchase if she applied for the LB card. So between the sale and the 30%, we made out like bandits!

This Is Why

my Xhusband used to call me, "Little Miss Want-Want."

Small Owen necklace by Gorjana at shopbop.com; draped ponte dress and asymmetric neckline dress, lanebryant.com.

I Want This! (and this. also, this...)

Old Navy Ruffle Collar Wool Blend jacket in Rosemary Blue. Merona Collection (Target) Women's 2Fer London Dress in Flamenco Red. Mossimo (Target) Women's Knotted Side Dress in green.

I wanted to spend my unemployment check this week on myself, some new clothes & a pedi for my homeless-looking feet. Instead I spent it on Guy's Christmas present and the deposit for Zac's trip to the Tremont Institute in the Smokies next March. And the last one I went to The Children's Place and bought Bookey's fall/winter clothes. Before that, I paid the cable bill.

The terrible keening cry of the mother: when is it going to be me?