My Walden Pond Is A Swamp In A Construction Zone

While taking a sunset stroll, I stumbled across this swamp area that is being cleared. With all the construction going on in this town, there is no telling if it will be a new strip mall or a doctor's office or part of the golf course within a few months. There was something so stark and ugly about all the razed trees and the swamp yet somehow the setting sun's light made it look so serene. Almost like it was supposed to be this way.

And thus ends my philosophical musings about nature. Eat your heart out, Henry David Thoreau.

Sweater: American Eagle
Jeans: American Eagle
Boots: Old Navy
Scarf: Target

Descent In To Plaid-ness

I continue to go plaid!

Today was the eve of Christmas Eve and 85% of it was me sitting in traffic and standing in line while I got the last of the grocery shopping done. It was painful. I decided to reward myself at dinner by cracking open a bottle of Blue Christmas Pinot Noir I found at World Market. Anything Elvis is legit in my book and this wine's cork made my day!

Plaid shirt: Modcloth
Tank: Old Navy
Pants: New York & Company
Boots: Lane Bryant
Necklace: Etsy shop I Adorn U
Bracelets: Claire's Boutique
Sunglasses: Old Navy
Beanie: Target

 

Incognito PJs

Every once in awhile you find that outfit that is so comfy, you feel as if you are wearing pajamas. But it is your little secret because you look relatively pulled together. This is that outfit for me. The centerpiece is this cardigan/vest thing-a-ma-jig I bought at Humanité during our girls' weekend in Bryson City. I am not sure how to describe it but I love it. I have layered it over dresses and belted it over jeans but my favorite easy combo is worn over a long sleeved shirt with leggings.

Cardigan/vest thingie: Humanité but I found the green version here on Modcloth
Long sleeved shirt: Kirna Zabete for Target on mad clearance
Leggings: American Eagle
Socks: Target
Boots: American Eagle

Are You Wearing Road Kill?

The title of this post is inspired by the question posed to me upon our arrival at a bonfire party last night. I said yes and that my husband had been working hard for months trying to gather enough road kill pelts to make this vest for me. (It is actually from Forever 21). Knowing my husband, they probably believed it.

Sometimes I wonder if I may just be a little too avant garde for this small Eastern NC town where standing around bonfires and getting drunk is a typical Saturday night. #SmallTownProblems

Vest: Forever 21
Turtleneck: Old Navy
Jeans: New York & Company
Boots: Lane Bryant
Hat: Forever 21
Necklace: Rugged Wearhouse

My Fashion Manifesto

 


A few months ago, I vowed to quit buying fashion magazines. I really hate them. I have enough people in my life telling me what to do (Hi mom! And don't get me started on my mother-in law...) I would buy a fashion magazine in the hopes of keeping up with the latest trends but you could find me an hour later, curled up in the fetal position, lamenting on why I never whipped up a feast for twelve of my friends in less than thirty minutes or why I was wasting away my fertility or why I couldn't have eyelashes like Kim Kardashian. Fashion magazines aren't about fashion; they are huge guilt trips for women. With the rise of Pinterest and fashion blogs, I figured I could get my cues from there instead. So I quit buying Cosmo and Glamour and Marie Claire and In Style. And I don't miss any of them.

At first, fashion blogs freaked me out too. I am a suburban soccer stepmom who drives a SUV and lives in a town that finally got a Kohl's last month. I doubt I will ever find myself at New York City Fashion Week. The closest I come to designer clothing is when Target rolls out a collaboration. I am not a size zero or twenty two years old or even a real blonde. Some fashion bloggers made me feel almost as guilty as magazines had.

But I started to dig deeper in to the fashion blog-o-sphere. And I started to find people who had quirky and chic styles that began to inspire me. But I never found someone like me (well... except my blogmate but I have a theory that Leather Peacock and I were separated at birth).

So here I am: a thirty four year old size 12 who shops at Marshall's and blogs with her like-minded best friend. I am true to myself, I have found new inspiration and I no longer feel guilty.

Sweater dress: Mossimo at Target
Necklace: Humanité
Tights: Target
Boots: Lane Bryant

Rain Check

Even though it was grey and rainy, today was awesome! My husband and I didn't have to go to work because of the four day Veterans Day holiday but the kid still had school. We decided to do a day date: lunch at our favorite sushi place, followed by a movie (I finally got to see Argo and I highly recommend it!) and then some shopping for the final pieces to our Tacky Christmas Sweater photo shoot. More to follow on that... but, trust me... it will be EPIC!!!!

Cardigan and jeans: New York & Company
Tribal print shirt: Forever 21 (I thought it looked Fair Isle but the website lists it as Southwest print)
Boots: Modcloth
Earrings: Modcloth

A Tale of Two Boots

I have a fall/winter uniform when it comes to running errands on Saturday mornings: boots, skinny jeans or leggings and tank top underneath a button down, cardigan or sweater. These easy combinations are comfortable and require little thought but somehow (maybe it is the boots) make me feel a little more polished than I would just throwing on sweatpants.

Blouse: Kohl's
Tank: Old Navy
Jeans: New York & Company
Boots: Old Navy

Which brings me to the story about these boots. I have a hard time finding boots that fit my ginormous calves. On a quest to find a dark brown pair of equestrian style boots, I stumbled across these at Old Navy. I own another pair of Old Navy boots and find that their wide calf boots are always roomy and pretty affordable. I picked mine up for about $36 during a sale. This was my inaugural wearing. Later that day, I spilled nail polish remover all over the floor and splattered some on the boots that I had carelessly thrown to the side. Now the boots look tie-dyed. I am pretty bummed, especially since my own klutziness is to blame. Not sure how I will fix them (tips??? suggestions??? All would be appreciated) or if I will have to break down and buy another pair. They are worth it though.




My hair normally does not look this good. One of my Saturday errands was a hair appointment for the Marine Corps Birthday Ball later that night.

The Only Thing Thin About Me Is My Blood

I woke up and it was below freezing. I had to scrape frost off my windshield. In light of everyone in the Northeast being pounded by a blizzard, I shouldn't whine but I am a less-than-hearty North Carolinian who hates anything other than beach weather. Funny thing about North Carolinians: you will often find people down here bundled up with a beanie and a sweatshirt and long johns and gloves when temperatures dip... but they will still be wearing flip-flops. I am guilty of this. Today's outfit involved a sweater dress, a parka, boots... and bare legs.

Sweater dress: Mossimo at Target
Parka: New York & Company
Boots: Modcloth
Purse: Target
Necklace: World Market
Sunglasses: Mudd at Kohl's

Trying to get brave enough to remove the parka

Terrified of the cold

In other news: who knew that World Market had such cool (and affordable!) jewelry? Yet another reason to go there, besides to replenish my wine supply.

Taking A Hike

Why are hiking boots so ugly? I knew we would go hiking while on our girls' weekend at Bryson City so I searched high and low for a mildly attractive pair of hiking boots. These are the best that I found:

Gross but comfy

Sweater: Old Navy
Tank and Yoga Pants: Target
Puffer Vest: Eddie Bauer Outlet
Boots: So ugly I shouldn't even give them props but I picked them up at Shoe Carnival

Doing my Captain Morgan pose on some slippery rocks

Postcard views from The Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Fall splendor

Date Night Flowers

Deer hunting season kicked off here in North Carolina this weekend. A few years ago, I would have been oblivious to this fact. But my gun-toting, Bambi-killer husband has this event marked on the calendar much like a teenager marks Homecoming. For him, file it under EPIC!

Since he drags himself out to the woods as early as 4 am and sits in a stand until sunset (no talking, no texting, no smoking... zzzzzzzzzz!), my weekend social life with him usually comes to a stand still for a few months. Much to my surprise, he was game for dinner at the Moroccan restaurant followed up by a jaunt to the karaoke bar.

In other news: I am a redhead now! Finally got tired of staring at 2 inch long roots and dyed it. I have been a redhead many times before but usually tire of the upkeep. For now though, I am loving it.

Blouse: Forever 21
T-shirt: Old Navy
Jeans: Forever 21
Boots: Guess at DSW
Earring: New York & Company



Isn't there a rule somewhere that redheads can't wear pink? Breakin' the law, breakin' the law!



"One of these days these boots are gonna..."