Happy New Year!

There are a few things I really like about New Year's.  One thing is buying a new day planner, because I LOVE buying papergoods.  And with not being in school anymore, I don't have nearly the same opportunities.  So I get really excited about finding a new dayplanner.  I also like that it is the automatic Reset button on anything going on in your life.  If things aren't going the way you want them to, you get to say, "Hey, it's January 1st!  Time to try something new & different!"

Yesterday I talked about my 2011 resolutions, so now I want to talk a little about what I want for 2012!  The first resolution I came up with started out really vainly.  I am the WORST about getting regular haircuts.  I'm not even joking.  It's been almost a year since my last haircut (remember when I got the straight-across bangs?  Yeah.) and my hair is getting crazy long.  The first thing I want to do in January is get a haircut to take care of all my busted-up ends and to get an actual style going on.  And then I want to get regular trims.  I can afford the $15 every other month to go up to the Aveda Institute and have the students give me a scalp massage and a trim.  And because I felt bad about making such a vain resolution, here's the cool thing I'm doing.  For the next year, I'm going to let my hair grow as long as it will with regular trims and then next December, I will cut off one foot (at least) and donate it to Locks of Love!  I'm super excited about this!  A chance to do something good AND a reason to take better care of my hair!

Another resolution I am making is to better stay in touch with people.  In addition to being the WORST about haircuts, I am terrible at keeping up with people.  I rely on Facebook waaaay too much to know what is going on with my pals.  I haven't quite figured out the specifics of this resolution, but it is going to be something I work toward, culminating with actually sending holiday cards next December.

And finally, I'm going to keep track of every book I read.  Even the really trashy ones.  Because I'm a nerd and I'm curious how many books I read in an average year.

And onto my New Year's Eve outfit!  I have no plans!  This is sort of a lie.  I went to Barnes & Noble to read an hour's worth of "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?" by Mindy Kaling (which is fantastic by the way...read it!) and then I went to Target to get supplies to make this for dinner.  So after I upload this, I'm going to start on that and besides hanging out with my cat, that's the extent of my New Year's plans.  But that doesn't mean I can't look fabulous!

One of my best friends is from Brazil and it came up one year about how she thinks it is so weird how many people wear black on New Year's Eve in America because in Brazil, everyone wears white to bring good luck & peace in the new year.  And another friend and I sort of latched onto the idea of wearing a specific color to bring a specific thing into the new year.  I'm cheating this year by wearing ALL the colors because I'm hoping 2012 is going to be my best year yet.  I'm in love with a fantastic man, I'm finally making decent money at work, I have a great apartment, I have amazing friends and family.  There is no reason for 2012 NOT to be amazing!

Sparkle Boob Sweater - Kenar via Marshalls; Maroon tank top - Mossimo via Target; Blue legging jeans - Gap; Brown MIA boots - 6pm.com


All my accessories (except for the heart-shaped sunnies) were gifts from people I love!  My necklace was from the Mister, the earrings were from my Momma, one of my bracelets is from my bestie V and the charm bracelet is from my sister!  My headband is this crazy thing my mom gave me for Christmas this year.  It is essentially a crystal disco ball on an articulated chain thing that you can bend into any shape you want.  If I were actually going out tonight, I would SO figure out some way to get it to stay on my head and rock the hell out of it!  As it was, I took it off after the photos.  But it's still awesome.

Happy New Year, y'all!

Drinking Coffee in MY Room

I'm on call over New Year's Eve, but the way it's looking, I may not be flying.  If I end up at home, that'll be okay.  I rang in the new year last year at home.  Someday I will have really fun holidays again, but for now, I'll hang out with my baby cat.

I intend to ring in the New Year with a clean apartment, so I have no intention of getting dressed today.  I clean better in my PJs anyway.  I'm currently procrastinating on this cleaning, so I'm drinking coffee and snuggling with Stella.

During my morning Internetting, I stumbled up on the following link:  10 To-Do's Before Your Start That New Year's Resolution and I intend to knock a couple of those things off the list.

My basic resolution for 2011 was To Get My Shit Together.  That mostly referred to my finances because I am not always so good with money.  I'm still not so great with money, but I've made a lot of good strides this year.  I am down to 2 credit cards that I try very hard not to use (damn you Christmas!) and I have plans to pay off at least half of one of them in February.  February is my Rich Month because I do my taxes as soon as I get my W-2, so I usually get my tax return plus my holiday pay from work and this year I can look forward to a profit-sharing check from work as well.  So I hold off on any major purchase or financial plans until February, when I feel rich.  So yes.

In addition to getting my money right, I've been working on taking better care of myself.  I've maintained my weight and I've actually dipped lower than my original goal.  I wash my face every night and every morning.  I try to drink enough water.  I try to feed my body good things (I've not been doing so great on that one lately, hello Cinnamon Toast Waffles).

And lastly, I've been really good about keeping my apartment relatively tidy.  It's sort of a disaster right now, but I still clean the kitchen every night and sweep the rest of the place regularly.  Out of all my resolution-related accomplishments in 2011, I think Becoming A Clean Person has been the one I am most proud of because, let's face it, I'm lazy.  And Being A Clean Person is hard for us lazy folk.  But I'm overcoming my laziness!

Did any of you make resolutions this year?  How'd you do?  Do you have any resolutions for next year?  I'll be back tomorrow to talk about my 2012 Resolutions!

Owl Always Love Owls

Please excuse the horrible pun in the title, but it was only appropriate.  I know that owls are trendy.  They were trendy a few years ago, then they disappeared and were replaced by, like, deer or some other kind of forest animal.  And then they were back!  And they were everywhere!  Put a bird on it?  No way, man, put an OWL on it!  Friends and family have realized that I like owls and so I get a lot of really cool, unique owl-themed gifts.

Today, I took a walk to the post office to pick up a package that had had an adventure.  My mom accidentally put the wrong zip code and no one at the post office seemed to notice that, when they entered the zip code, the computer indicated the package was to go to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, but the address label clearly said Minneapolis, Minnesota.  So, my package took a bit of a detour, but eventually made it to it's destination, chock full o' holiday gifties!

And at the bottom of the box, my mom had added something she found of mine from childhood.  Neither of us can give it an exact date, but we are thinking it had to be 1st or 2nd grade because my 3rd grade teacher was kind of the worst.  And it just proves that I was into owls waaaay before every one else.  I was into owls before owls were cool, y'all.  And I'll probably still be into them when they are passe again.

Black sweater - Gap; Pink lace skirt - Target; Black fleece-lined tights - Marshalls; Gray boots - MaddenGirl; Pink scarf - San Lorenzo Market in Florence

After Christmas Sales!

So, I have a bad habit of buying a lot of stuff for myself around the holidays because there are such good deals everywhere I turn.  I definitely hit up sales for Christmas gifts too (woke up hella early to get my mom a Nook on Black Friday, for no good reason as it turns out), but I'm not gonna lie.  There is a lot of new stuff in my apartment that was not gifted.

Case in point, I was wandering the SkyWay downtown the day before yesterday after spending an hour reading Bossypants on my Nook (yes, I bought one for myself too) at B&N and I wandered into the Gap.  I'm kind of like a moth to a flame with the flame being a giant "50% off Sale Items" sign.  Sales at the Gap (sidenote: are they still "The" Gap?  Or just Gap now?  Anyone?) are my fave because they will eventually offer some extra percentage off things that are already on sale and then things are ridiculously inexpensive.  I took the opportunity to fill the "pullover sweater" hole in my closet and the "colorful pants" hole.  I was pretty pleased with my purchases.

Black Perry Ellis blazer - Thrifted; YES concert tee - eBay; Blue legging jeans - Gap; Black pointy-toed flats - Nine West


Y'all, those legging jean things are super comfy.  The material is thinner than denim and pretty stretchy and I may have put them on the day I bought them and then also wore them yesterday and then also wore them again today.  I'd also like the thank Gap for thinking I am still a ridiculously tiny size.  I've been super lazy between my injury, the colder weather, and not a lot of layovers, so it's nice to see I'm at least maintaining the status quo.  Especially considering I am currently indulging in some peanut butter M&Ms that were 30% off at Target.  Yay for post-Christmas sales!

Christmas Eve Eve

So, today I am wearing leggings, a hoodie & a pair of knock-off Uggs.  High fashion right here, y'all.  But it's also laundry day and I am out of shirts.  Tomorrow I have to work a Seattle turn, taking people where they need to be for Christmas.  Still not sure where in the world I'll be on Christmas, but it's looking more & more like I'll be in my apartment with my baby cat.  And that's okay.  Some day I'll have real holidays again, but until then, I'll enjoy helping others get to their holiday plans!

That's about as Christmas-y as I was planning to get for this post.  I actually came over here to put up a couple of songs that I'm really enjoying these days!  Without further ado:

Givers - Saw Your First

Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know

Both of those songs have been getting a lot of play on my favorite station, The Current and they both make me happy!

Heat Wave

So last year at the time, Minneapolis was still under a pretty heavy blanket of snow.  This year?  We've had a few dustings, but nothing major.  And this week the temperatures have been in the 30s.  Not that I'm complaining.  I am NOT a cold weather girl when it comes right down to it.  And it doesn't help that the radiators in my building work overtime so my apartment tends to be at least 80 degrees, if not warmer, so it doesn't give me much reason to leave.

But today I had a few errands to run, so I pulled on my fleece-lined tights & some boots and headed out!  It was a BIG change from my walk to Walgreens in Orlando yesterday morning, but I'll take it over the sub-zero temps that have marked previous Decembers in Minneapolis for me.

Purple tweedy jacket & patterned skirt - Gap; Black tank top - Old Navy; Fleece-lined tights - Eileen Fisher via Marshalls; Gray boots - Madden Girl

When I bought this jacket, I really didn't realize how much I would end up wearing it!  It has definitely been worth the $17 I paid for it.  We all know I love a blazer, but I think what I like best about this one is the color.  Black & charcoal are all well and good, but I like having an additional source of color in an outfit, especially when the combination of black tank top & black tights makes it look like I'm wearing some kind of body suit!

I celebrated Christmas a little early in Virginia so that I could exchange gifts with the Mister & his mom.  His mom & his sister got me the prettiest earrings from an artisan in Santa Fe, on their way to the Arizona Ironman competition (where his sister WON her age division!).  I love the colors in the earrings and the shape is really fun too!  I see myself getting a LOT of wear out of them.  

DCIHR Orlando Edition

The title stands for "Drinking Coffee In Hotel Rooms" which is something I said I was going to start doing on the regular.  Sometimes I bring cute thing to wear on layovers, but most of the time, I'm just trying to cram everything into my suitcase so I don't have to drag along my tote bag.  I'm sure you've seen flight attendants in the airport with a mountain of bags trailing behind them.  They've got their suitcases, their tote bags, their computer bags, their garment bags and their ginormous purses, all precariously stacked & balanced.  I'm not one of those flight attendants.  I try to get away with bringing just my suitcase & my purse.  But I still bring a ton of crap.

Anyway, that was a tangent.  Here is today's contribution to my ongoing series.  Last time I was all made up for work already.  This morning, it's all mussed up hair and no make-up.  Speaking of make-up, a few weeks (months?) ago, I bought a new bottle of foundation before my previous bottle was all used up (it was Free Gift time!). As such, I've been trying to use up the last of the old bottle, but I usually bring the new bottle with me on trips.  Well, I was finally getting down to the last drops in the old bottle and probably should have just thrown it out, but I didn't.  And then I didn't put the new bottle back in my make-up bag before this trip.  Are you seeing where I'm going with this?  I think I used up the last of the last of the old bottle yesterday and I still have one day of flying left to do.  This is slightly better than the time I just forgot to bring my whole make-up bag on a trip, but only slightly.

I've had a few people tell me I don't NEED to wear make-up and maybe they're right.  But I like the way I look when I wear make-up.  And I feel more polished & put together when I've got my face on.  On a day-to-day basis, I think I keep my look pretty simple and natural.  It takes about 7 or 8 minutes to apply foundation, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara & blush.  Sometimes I get a little more adventurous with my eye make-up and it takes a little longer, but I don't feel it is a waste of time.

Luckily for me, this hotel is in a pretty good location and there is apparently a Walgreens a mere .7 miles away.  I'm still working on my cup of coffee & then I want to hit up the fitness center to put a few miles on the old Dreadmill.  If I manage my time right (though lord knows I have zero time management skills, but that's another post for another day), I should have plenty of time to trot my bare face on up to Walgreens to pick up some foundation to tide me over til I get home.  And then that bottle will live forever in my suitcase as my Emergency Foundation along with all the other Emergency items, which, come to think of it, are probably why my damn suitcase is always so full...

Back By Popular Demand!

Not me, of course, but the Mister!  If any of you know me in real life, you know I get super cheesy when it comes to talking about the Mister, but I can't help it!  He's the sweetest, nicest, funniest, smartest, most handsome, sexiest man I know and I go all gooshy & goosebump-y when I think him.  It was a long 7 months of being apart, but the very second he was back in front of me and I was in his arms, it was like no time had passed at all.  Maybe now I can kind of understand all those people who kept telling me, "Oh, the time will just FLY by!"  While time was passing, it felt agonizingly slow, but now that it is over, it was just a blip in what I'm quite confident is going to be a long, long time together.

But you don't come here to read about me get mushy about my boyfriend.  You come here for style posts!  I forgot to take a photo of my Homecoming day outfit on the day because I was too excited, but lucky for you, I consulted with my girls about possible outfits beforehand, so I CAN show you what I looked like!

Even though I was going to be standing on a pier in December, I wanted to wear a skirt because the Mister likes me in skirts.  And this particular skirt has special sentimental value because it was the skirt I wore the first time I went to go visit the Mister after we met at a wedding.  The blouse & cardigan you've seen before and the turquoise tights are new.  Earlier outfit possibilities were a little more subdued, but then I decided, Hey, the Mister knows how I like to dress and he loves me the way I am, so I'm going to wear bold tights!  It was a good move, I think.  Please excuse the weird pose & the lack of make-up.  I took these pictures at 10:30 at night the day before I was set to head to Virginia.

Leopard cardigan & white tie-front blouse - Old Navy; Pink lace skirt & turquoise tights - Target; Brown knee-high boots - MIA via 6pm.com


Because I was going to be standing on the pier, I layered the tights over a pair of nylons I had in my suitcase, though in hindsight, it might have been a better idea to layer them over the fleece-lined tights I'd also brought as a possibility.  For most of the time I was standing on the pier, I was wearing my black wool coat & a bright pink scarf.  That pink scarf helped me really stand out in a sea of uniforms! The Mister's mom took some photos of me all bundled up and I'll share those when I get them.  I got up extra early to curl my hair because the Mister likes when my hair is down and if I'm going to wear it down, I prefer it to be curled.



They had a nice warm tent set up for the families to hang out in before the ship pulled up.  I made friends with a girl whose boyfriend was also on the ship and we commiserated over the deployment and made tentative plans to double date with our handsome officer boyfriends.  Finally, the ship came into view and we all bundled up and hurried out to catch our first glimpses of our sailors.  There were so many cute kids and so many people were all dressed up.  It was really exciting!

And even the ship got a little dressed up for the occasion!  When the tugs went out to bring the ship to the pier, they brought a huge lei that was draped over the front of the ship.  The tug also delivered bunches of roses & teddy bears for the sailors to give to their loved ones.  And of course the Mister gave me a bouquet of gorgeous red roses!  I should have brought them home to Minneapolis with me because they opened up so beautifully, but we got a late start the morning I had to leave, so they stayed in Virginia.



I have exactly two super-zoomed in and not-very-good photos of the Mister in his uniform because when he got close enough for me to take a better picture, I had completely forgotten about my camera. I had more important things to do.  Like smother him with kisses!  But man, he sure is dreamy in his uniform.  I don't have any other outfit photos from the rest of the weekend because we spent it moving the Mister into his new apartment and I wore the same jeans & Navy hoodie (with a clean tee underneath, I swear!) both days.  But he's all settled in and now I get to help him shop for a couch and decorate the place! We're not sure yet when I get to go back for my next visit, but I'm hoping it'll be early next month!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

So have you been waiting with bated breath, hoping that you're the winner of my awesome 100th Post Giveaway?!?  Not even going to lie, I have been SO excited to pick a winner!  I appreciate all the friends & strangers who are checking out this blog.  It warms my little flight attendant heart!  So, without further ado, I'm popping over to Random.org & picking a winner!!!!!!

(as a note, I'm assigning a number to each comment, with the first comment being #1 & the last comment being #18)

And the winner is Comment #12, the lovely VANESSA!!!

Vanessa, I've emailed you and I'll be getting that out in the mail in the next few days! You should get it just in time for the holidays!

Thank you again to all of you for reading & commenting!  I really liked doing the giveaway and I think I might do more of these in the future!  So keep an eye out!

And now I'm heading out of town to go smother my mister with about a million kisses!  I'll leave you with this beautiful song by The Zombies!  It makes my heart smile every time I hear it!

Sparkle Boobs

I just KNOW that title is probably going to attract the wrong crowd, but you know what?  Don't care.  I'm excited about my new Sparkle Boob Sweater.  It's like the exact combination of fun & festive & simple.  And it was on sale!  But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Yesterday, I had a TON of errands to run.  I'm going out of town tomorrow because the Mister is FINALLY coming home and I CANNOT WAIT to see his handsome face again.  Y'all, it has been seven (SEVEN!) long months that he has been gone and I am counting the hours.  But, again, getting off track (can you tell I'm distracted?).  When I was in Amsterdam, the weather was in the upper 40s, a little cloudy & drizzly, but decent. Yesterday in Minneapolis, it was 12 degrees.  That's really, really cold.  So, I wanted to be warm, but I wanted to be bright because sometimes I feel like I wear too much dark clothing in the colder months.

I am still in love with these cords and I'm super grateful to my girl V for giving them to me.  I like how tucking them into the boots gave them a sort of equestrian feel.  And they are so soft and so stretchy.

Floral blouse - Old Navy; Burgundy tank top - Target; Camel cords - Anthropologie via V; Brown MIA boots - 6pm.com

My list of errands involved getting an extra set of keys for my friend J to come watch Stella.  I am so thankful to her for offering to check in on the baby cat because I really hate leaving her alone for long periods of time.  But now J has a set of keys and she works & lives not too far from me, so she'll be able to stop in on the girl and give her some love & attention when I'm out of town.

So, I picked up the keys and delivered them to J at work and then I needed to go to Target to return some things and pick up some other things.  And I stopped in at Marshalls on the way there, because, well, that's what I do.  I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to wear to the pier when the Mister's ship comes in, and I was hoping to find a really awesome skirt or dress, but instead I chanced upon the Sparkle Boob Sweater.

I've made mention of my magpie tendencies SEVERAL times on this blog.  I just can't help it.  I am drawn to the shinies of the world.  And I saw this sweater, the only one of its kind, languishing on the clearance rack.  It was $20.  I honestly spent about ten minutes in this sweater, trying to convince myself that I didn't REALLY need a Sparkle Boob Sweater.  I only took it into the dressing room for fun, but the fact that it actually totally matched what I was already wearing made me start considering it seriously.

Aside from the sequins, it is very casual.  I feel like it is festive enough to wear to any holiday occasions I might attend, but it doesn't scream CHRISTMAS!!!  The light colors mean I can wear it all winter & still carry it through any chilly days in the spring too.  And I mean, come on.  Sparkle Boobs.  What's not to love?

And speaking of sparkles, today is the LAST day you can enter the GIVEAWAY!!!  So head on over there & leave a comment right quick!  I'm going to randomly pick a winner tonight and announce it in the morning, so go sign up!

Drinking Coffee in Hotel Rooms

Hello from Amsterdam!  I flew here yesterday & went out for Thai food with two other flight attendants, then we hit up the grocery store & souvenir shop for Christmas goodies!  It was a bit chilly & drizzly, but all the Christmas lights were up and it made the whole city seem so cheery!  Unfortunately, I got called out for the trip on kind of short notice and, wouldn't you know it, I left my camera at home!

Over on my Tumblr, I used to do this thing where I would take a webcam picture of myself drinking coffee in different hotel rooms.  When you travel as much as I do, it's the small things that matter, like making enough time to get in a workout AND to drink coffee while browsing the internet.  The pictures were kind of a silly thing, but I don't know, kind of fun also?  So I'm moving it over here!

There is a crew lounge here at the hotel in Amsterdam and inside that crew lounge is a fancy-pants automatic coffee maker.  You press a button and Whoosh! you have espresso, something called "whipped coffee" or regular coffee.  I am a fiend when it comes to caffeine, so my little cup hold two shots of espresso!  This is in addition to the espresso I had when I finished my workout this morning.  I accidentally woke up at 4:30 this morning and couldn't fall back asleep.  It's a long 9 hour flight home today, so I'm relying on all this yummy espresso to keep me smiling!  You know what they say:  A caffeinated flight attendant is a HAPPY flight attendant!  Or, you know, at least I say that.

Some pilots on the hotel shuttle last night told us that the employee Duty Free shop at the airport here in Amsterdam had some really great deals going on for the holidays.  I'm excited to check it out and see if I can knock a few more items off my Christmas list!

And don't forget!  You have two more days to sign up for the GIVEAWAY!!!, so hop on over to that post and leave me a comment!

Old Man Winter

Well, I've been trying to ignore it, but it would seem that Winter is finally here in Minneapolis.  We got a dusting of snow the other day and it has stuck around.  The temps are hovering just above freezing and it looks like it'll dip into the 20s next week.  I took a walk up to Marshall's & Target today to do some more Christmas shopping (it never ends!) and I found myself a pair of fleece-lined tights.  I am sooo excited about those!

In the meantime, I apparently got rid of ALL my tights in The Great Purge of 2011.  This burgundy pair is the only pair I have.  The fleece-lined tights are black, so those will come in handy, but I would love to get some more colors.

 And yes, I know.  I've worn this jacket in 3 of the last 4 outfits I've posted.  But I can't help it.  I like it that much.  This is also another one of those outfits where maybe purple, turquoise & burgundy don't REALLY go together, but they sort of look all right together, so I wear them together.

Also, I stole this skirt from my friend V.  It was in her discard pile and it is so quintessentially V that I had to rescue it, if only in case she ever wants it back.  I actually have photos of her in this skirt from college.

Purple tweedy jacket - Gap; Owl tee - Threadless.com; Black pleated skirt - stolen from V; Burgundy tights - HUE via Nordstrom Rack; Gray boots - Madden Girl


And finally.  I always seem to pose in EXACTLY the same way, every post.  This morning I was trying to make things more interesting, and this skirt is so great for twirling, so I started spinning around.  The only problem is that my kitchen is kind of narrow.  And there's not a lot of room for spinning.  Which led to the following:

Yep.  I have a lovely little bruise on my hip from ramming myself into the counter.  Please note that Stella looks only mildly concerned.  I'm grateful I didn't make a video of this because it involved some language I'd rather my mother not think about me using.  But the last time I twirled, I did get a pretty good shot.

And don't forget!  The giveaway is still going on!  You've got 4 more days to comment HERE to be entered to win some cute notecards and some pretty earrings!

100th Post Giveaway!

Oh yes, you read that right!  It is indeed my 100th post and I'm giving crap away!  I've been "publishing" stuff online for almost exactly 9 years, but previous to this it has always been more of a way to keep up with friends and family.  This was the first time I put myself out there for strangers.  I didn't even tell my friends & family about this blog for the longest time because I wasn't sure if I would stick with it.  It took me a little while to find my groove, but a little more than a year (and 100 posts)! later, I think I'm doing pretty well!

And I have to say, I've been pretty pleased with the response I've gotten from strangers!  I'm not going to lie and say I don't care about comments, because I do.  I love getting comments!  I love knowing that I'm putting this out there and people are reading it.  That said, I'm lucky that I haven't received any negative comments yet.  And as a thank you to all of you who read this, I wanted to have a giveaway!

First though, I have an outfit for you.

Gray v-neck tshirt - NextLevel via Amazon.com; Black vest - Mossimo, thrifted; Black pants - Gap; Black heels - Ettienne Aigner via Macy's; Scarf - vintage

A funny thing about this vest.  I used to have the EXACT same vest in a size large.  During the Great Purge of 2011, I got rid of it because it was too big.  A few weeks ago at a thrift store, I found this vest, in a size small.  I've always been a vesty sort of lady, so I was super excited to pick it up.  And, you know, the fact that I've gone from a large to a small is nothing to scoff at!


Okay, so!  Here's what I'm giving away!

Patina is a local store full of all kinds of fun stuff.  They have a little bit of everything: jewelry, fancy soaps, candles, kitchen things, stationary, home decor.  Like I said, a little bit of everything.  I picked up a set of notecards and a pair of earrings to give away!  

I'm not even lying when I say I wish I could win my own giveaway.  I'm a big fan of notecards.  I use them a lot at work, to let people know that I enjoyed working with them or just to say hi to someone I haven't seen in a while.  And the earrings are adorable!  I should have picked up a pair for myself when I was there last week, but maybe I'll do that next week.  I think they're simple, but fun.  You could wear them with anything!

Want to win?  Leave me a comment!  Tell me what you like about the blog or what you'd like to see more of.  Tell me a funny story.  Write me a haiku.  If you can be polite about, tell me what you don't like.  Anything!  I'll leave the giveaway open for a week and next Wednesday (12/7), I'll choose a winner at random!

As a sidenote, Patina isn't sponsoring this giveaway.  I paid for these items out of my own pocket because, hey, it's the season of giving and I'm thankful for everyone who reads this!

Black Friday

So.  Black Friday.  Did any of you get up super early (or just not go to bed)?  I've never really gotten into the whole Black Friday melee.  Mostly I think that's because I don't remember it being quite such a to-do before I became a flight attendant.  And since I've become a flight attendant, I'm usually working Thanksgiving weekend, so I miss out.  Last year I flew to Salt Lake City and went to the mall for lack of anything better to do and stumbled upon The Body Shop's 3 for $30 deal, which was awesome.  I was pleased to see they offered it again this year (by the way, did you know that The Body Shop lets you stack coupons online?  I got 10% off AND free shipping!), but I ordered online.

This year, I was on call but didn't get called out to go anywhere.  I did, however, get up at 6am to walk up to Barnes & Noble when they opened at 7am.  My mom has been wanting an e-reader for AGES and she recently decided she had her little heart set on a Nook.  Well, B&N had them on sale In Store Only.  So, I called her up on Thanksgiving and asked if that was what she wanted for Christmas.  I texted my sister to see if she wanted to halfsies and she did, so yes, I was up before the sun. And really for no reason.  There was hardly anyone out at that time of the morning.  I was a little early, so I went to Starbucks for some coffee and meandered back.  I walked into B&N at about 7:05 and I'd say I was out the door by 7:15, Nook in hand.  And I was the only customer in the store.  I walked through Macy's and saw maybe 2 dozen people?  I stopped at Target and there were maybe 50 people milling about the store.

I went back downtown later in the afternoon to see about picking something up for my giveaway (this is post #99, y'all!) and business had definitely picked up, but I don't think it was nearly as crazy as it might have been in some of the suburbs.

And even though I was up disgustingly early (I rarely wake up before 8am unless I need to be on a plane), I still got dressed.  Because it took me just as long to put on what I wore as it would have to pull on stretch pants and a sweatshirt.  I even took the extra 5 minutes to put my face on because I just feel more put together when I wear make-up.  I didn't bother with my hair because I let it air-dry yesterday.   I have no outfit from Thanksgiving because I spent the entire day in the aforementioned stretch pants & sweatshirt.  What?  I had no one to impress.

I did have my long gray cardigan on over the sleeveless blouse, but when I went to edit my photos, I noticed that I had one sleeve pushed up to my elbow and one sleeve down.  And it just looked wonky.  Also, note my apron dragging on the floor.  Stella has discovered that she can tug the magnet down.  She may be adorable, but I tell you what, some days she can be a real pain the tuckus.

Tie-front bow blouse - Old Navy; Joes Jeans - Nordstrom Rack; Black pointy-toed flats - Nine West

Happy Thanksgiving

Welcome to my obligatory Thanksgiving post!  I could go through and list all the things I'm thankful for this year, but I'm sure my list is a lot like your list.  I have great friends, a fantastic family and a kooky cat who makes me laugh.  I have a job I enjoy and an apartment I love.  A year ago, I started dating an incredible man who has been out in the ocean, serving our country for the last six months.  He comes home in just a few weeks and I am so, so grateful for that.

And I have this blog!  I've been working on this blog in earnest since last February and like I mentioned earlier, I'm nearing my 100th post!  I'm really proud of myself for sticking with this, even though sometimes I'm a little light on posting.  I'm still going to do a giveaway for my 100th post, but I haven't figured out what I'm going to give away yet.

I wore this a few days ago and almost wasn't going to post it because I'm wearing the same jacket I wore in the last post.  But you know what?  I like this jacket.  So there.

Pink scarf - San Lorenzo market in Florence; Purple tweedy jacket & black legging jeans - Gap; YES concert tee - eBay; Gray boots - Madden Girl

Notice anything different in these photos?  I finally got around to ordering a new pair of glasses!  There was a coupon code in the back of this month's Lucky for a site called SpexClub which has since changed their name to Lookmatic.  It was for 35% off a pair of glasses!  Which is a pretty great deal, especially if you are blind as a bat, like me, and you have to get special thin lenses!  I'm a fan of big nerdy frames and I'm pretty stoked on these.  It's nice to have a pair of glasses in the right prescription for the first time in about five years.

I'm also working with new photo editing software.  Up to now, I've been using Picasa, which is nice, but a little basic.  I downloaded GIMP, which is a free program, but it's been a while since I've messed around with it, so excuse me if the photos look a bit wonky for a while.  I'll get the hang of it!

 I mentioned my kooky cat in the first paragraph.  Stella is probably one of the best cats I've ever had.  She's not purposely destructive (she has, however, messed up my blue chair from chasing her tail on it), she's friendly to strangers, and she loves to cuddle.  She's also become rather mouthy in her old age, and isn't afraid to tell me when she's unhappy about something.  While I was taking my outfit photos the other day, I started dancing by the locker where she was perched.  And apparently, she didn't approve of my dancing.  And because I have no shame, I'm sharing a video of it with you.  If you're friends with me on Facebook, you've already seen it.  But it makes me laugh.  And you can feel free to laugh at my dancing!

What I Wore and What I Didn't

Generally speaking, I don't put a whole lot of effort into getting dressed.  By that, I mean that I spend some time thinking about my outfits before I put them on and then I put them on.  I'm not one of those people who puts on 5 different tops with the same bottom to find just the right one, only the change the bottom at the last minute and go with the first top.  I think that stems from the fact that I have a limited number of tops & bottoms that go together, but maybe it's just that I'm impatient.

Most of the time, the outfits I put together in my head turn out pretty well in real life.  I stole (borrowed) this skirt from my cousin Evelyn a little over a year ago.  It's real leather and I thought it would be fun to play around with.  Unfortunately, it is just a wee bit too big and the leather is a wee bit stiff.  I put this outfit together in my head while I was brushing my teeth yesterday and in my mind, it looked fantastic.

And, in reality, it's okay.  I like the way it looks from the side, but from the front I think it looks a bit wonky with the skirt being a bit high-waisted & a stiff a-line and the jacket being a bit too long & boxy.  And the white tshirt was a miss too.  

I putzed around my apartment in it for a while before I decided that it just wasn't going to be a go.  I'm still not sure what to do with this skirt, so I thought I'd post my first attempt to style it and get some feedback.  So, what do you think?

Purple tweedy jacket - Gap; White v-neck tee - NextLevel via Amazon.com; Black leather skirt - Wilson Leather via my cousin; Maroon-y tights - HUE via Nordstrom Rack; Black leather pumps - Etienne Aigner via Macy's (they're actually my work shoes!)

And what did I actually wear yesterday?  How nice of you to ask!  While I was visiting V last weekend, we got to talking about her closet.  Because girlfriend has a lot of clothes.  She has a great eye and a fantastic sense of style (and I'm not just saying that b/c she's reading this!).  But she's mentioned in the past that she feels like she has a lot of clothes that just aren't "her" anymore.  I'm a pest and a bit of a nag, so I started bugging her about her closet project and she proudly showed me the discard pile.  And under the discard pile were her colder weather clothes.  And sitting on top of that pile, with the tags still on, was a pair of tan corduroys.  She mentioned that she bought them on mega sale, but just never found a reason to wear that particular color.  She suggested if they were my size, I could have them.  Long story short (short story long?), they were!

They are super comfy & super soft.  I wonder though, if they aren't a wee bit short?  I have this problem of not being super tall, but not being "average" height either.  I fall right into the sweet spot where "long" pants are ridiculously long and "regular" pants are just too short.  I think?  What do you think?  So many questions in today's post!

Tan corduroys - Anthropologie via V; Black flats - Nine West

Aaaaand speaking of questions.  So.  I am nearing my 100th post!  And I thought it might be fun to do a little giveaway in celebration.  Also, after nearly 100 posts, I've been thinking about things I might want to do with this blog.  I LOVE doing my outfit posts, but then I feel like on days when I'm flying or on days when I'm just bumming around in the same thing you've seen a million times, I have no content.  So start thinking about things you'd like to see on the blog because I'm going to ask for your suggestions in my 100th Post Giveaway Post!

T-T-T-Tulsa

And once again, it's been a week since I updated.  Let's just call November a slow month and move on, shall we?  To make up for my lack of posting, I've got a whole slew of photos.  This weekend I went to visit one of my best friends, V, in Tulsa.  I forgot to ask her to take a photo of my traveling outfit, which is a shame because I think it looked really cute.  Another time, I suppose.

I flew into Tulsa on Friday and V & I went to dinner and then hit up a bar she frequents.  While we were there, she realized she had completely forgotten about a friend's housewarming party.  She asked if I wanted to go and I figured, Hey, why not?  So off we went!  There were quite a few people there and I tried some kind of whiskey that tasted like cake.  I didn't think to pay much attention to the bottle, but it was delicious.  The crowd was quite lovely and friendly and I met & talked to a LOT of people.

On Saturday, we decided to hit up all the photo ops in town.  the first stop was a statue of Abraham Lincoln that someone carved out of a dead tree.  Then we stopped into the store where V works.  For some reason, they have a horse statue in the fitting room area, so of course we posed awkwardly with the horse.  I wish the lighting had been better for photos, but I can see how it would be flattering for trying on clothes!

One of the things I love about V is that she is a super PRO at accessorizing.  Watching her put together an outfit is always really fun because she'll pull out things that maybe don't look like they go together and by the time she's done, she has this cohesive look going on.  She mentioned wanting to start her own style blog and I'll let y'all know if she does, because she would definitely be a good read!  That belt she's wearing in that photo was so great.  I think I need her to tutor me in the art of accessorizing.










There was also a gorgeous green leather couch in the fitting room area and I was in love with it.  The shape was super classic, but the color gave it a sort of modern twist.  So, of course, we made one of V's employees take our photo on it.

On Saturday night, V & a girlfriend took me to a country dancing bar!  I've been to a country dance place once before and going again only reiterated that I am incapable of two-stepping.  It's just not in my personal skill set!  I wore my pleather leggings, my embellished chiffon-y tank & the leopard cardigan along with my black flats.  I thought I'd stick out a bit more, but there as so much glitz & glimmer going on, I fit right in!  We mostly stood around & watched all the awesome dancers until one dude came along and danced with all three of us. I was hesitant, because, like I said, I can't two-step.  But he convinced me to go out on the floor and he spun me around like a top!  And then, oh man, he flipped me.  Like, ass-over-elbows flipped me.  It was so crazy!  And I was not expecting it, so I sort of got stuck mid-way and also, one of my shoes went flying!  It was so embarrassing, but pretty fun.  I can't say I'd ever been flipped on a dance floor before!

Sunday was very low-key.  We slept in, made pancakes and then went for a drive to see the Center of the Universe.  I did indeed hear a weird echo when I talked while standing in the circle.  And I didn't hear any weird echoes of the people who were checking it out before me & V got a turn.  Very odd, and very worth a stop!

 

For dinner, I taught V how to make gnocchi (using this recipe) and she taught me how to make pizza dough (using this recipe).  Both cooking experiments turned out great and we sort of ate two dinners.  First the gnocchi, then the pizza!  We made enough gnocchi that V could freeze several meals' worth for when she's short on time or inspiration for dinner!




The rest of Sunday was spent with V doing reading for class and me practicing embroidery stitches.  While in Tulsa, I decided I needed a new hobby.  I mentioned to V that I was thinking of taking up embroidery and she drove me to Joann Fabrics to pick up some supplies.  So far, I think it was a good choice of hobby!  I used to do counted cross-stitch when I was little, but I think I like the freedom that embroidery gives me.  I can use an iron-on pattern as a guide, but the colors and the stitches are pretty much all up to me!  How fun!  This picture shows that practice makes perfect.  The rose on the right was my first practice rose.  The one of the left was after I figured out how to better use the pattern.  Let's call the one on the right a Study in Abstract Florals, yeah?  Yeah.  I can't wait to embroider EVERYTHING!

V is a fantastic hostess and I can't wait to have her up to Minneapolis again sometime soon!

Pajama Mama (Now With More Stella!)

Yet more new things!  When I went shopping, my original idea had been to fill in the gaps in my existing wardrobe.  And I think I did a pretty good job of that, but I still don't want to wear any of my old things yet.

Both the top & the skirt were super bargains at Old Navy.  The denim mini was only $2!  Denim mini skirts used to be the staples of my wardrobe.  I haven't had one that fit in over a year, and now I'm not sure if they still have a place.  But for $2, I think it's worth giving it a go around.

This blouse filled the void of button down, tuck-in-able tops.  It's a very silky polyester material, which I'm not going to lie, I love.  But I wasn't 100% sold on this top because I felt like the big floral made it look a little too much like pajamas.  Go figure that when I opened this month's issue of Lucky there was a whole feature of how silk pajamas had been big on the runway and how we should all wear our pj-inspired pieces to work.

My mom had to laugh at my indecision over this top.  It was only a few short years ago that I used to wear slips as dresses.  Like, real, actual slips, not slip dresses.  I would buy them for $2 at the thrift store and put them over shirts, over pants, on their own over tights.  I'd like to think my personal style has evolved, for the better, over the years.

Floral blouse & denim mini - Old Navy; Burgandy tights - HUE via Nordstrom Rack; Gray OTK socks - Target; Brown boots - MIA via 6pm.com

Remember how when you were in grade school?  And you would go Back To School Shopping and you didn't want to wear ANY of your old clothes anymore?  Because you had all these great NEW clothes?  That's pretty much how I feel right now thanks to Birthday Money Shopping.  I have so many new things that I'm loving.  Today's outfit is comprised of all new things, minus the boots.

Leopard cardigan - Old Navy; Embellished chiffon-y tank & Black legging jeans - Gap; Brown boots - MIA via 6pm.com

That photo is entitled "In Which I Do Weird Things With My Hands."  And here's a thing:  The boots cost more than the rest of that outfit put together.  When my mom & sister were up, I dragged them into Gap.  My sister claimed she never shops there because she can't afford anything.  I told her, Clearly you don't troll the sale section.  Lo and behold, all sale items were an additional 40% off and she found a bunch of great sweaters for really cheap.  Y'all, those leggings were $7.99!  That top was $6!  What a deal!

I like that the top has these little amber rhinestones studdng the collar.  I think it gives it a kind of tougher, more rock & roll type vibe.  I'm not 100% a fan of the fact that you can see how high I've hitched up those leggings through the top, but hey, it's all good.  At least I ironed the top before I wore it.  It used to have a big old crease right across the middle.

And this last shot is really just because it's been a while since Stella has made an appearance on the blog.  The top of that locker is her new favorite perch when I'm in the kitchen.  She likes being able to see everything that's going on.  She also likes to be taller than me to assert her dominance.  This whole post also serves as a reminder that I need to pencil in my brows before doing outfit photos.  I swear, my eyebrows DO extend past the middle of my eye.