December Purchases


My goal for the new year is to only buy one new thing a month, if at all. I really have an amazing closet built up, and I need to utilize it more. The only things I've been buying this month are basics I can really use (the white shirt, the sneakers I can wear to school and use my inserts with, the burgundy cords) or things I got for basically free (the $50 scarf where I bought one, got one free and sent it to my mom for her birthday, the Talbots set, the J. Crew Factory items).

Monday, December 30, 2013

I've had this basketweave sweater for quite a while, but it doesn't get much love, mainly to its being a pull magnet. I'm also a little perturbed that it doesn't have longer sleeves (although I'd probably just snag them more often). I do love this scarf and probably need to find something else to wear it with.
You'll notice that I've been wearing these stretch jeans to death over the holidays. That's because they look like jeans but feel like sweatpants -- and they're great for hiding any food belly that I might have on occasion. I've also gone heavy on the scarves -- both for fashion and for warmth.
Denim Stretch Jeans, Coldwater Creek; Basketweave Sweater in Khaki, Talbots; Stripe Scarf, Talbots; Jewelry, USF.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

This is what I wore to visit my little brother and his family. What I really need to have worn was thicker socks -- they have tile floors, and man, those are cold.
Note to self: Don't wear Harry Mason earrings with a scarf; that little spiral part catches and will drive you crazy!!!!
Boyfriend Cords in Dark Berry, Eddie Bauer; Polka Dot Sweater, Talbots; Scarf, Talbots; Jewelry, Harry Mason - Gift from the BHW.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Yes, I was weak and picked up the Geometric Floral Necklace as a Christmas present to myself. I saw a cute outfit idea on pinterest, so I am trying to match it here with the stripes and blue jacket. This is what I wore to get a massage, so I kept it very simple so I wouldn't have too much of a hassle changing. One thing I did notice about the necklace is that it bothers me a little when I wear it. It's like something is rubbing on my neck. I'll give it one more try, and if it's still bothering me, back it will go.
Denim Stretch Jeans, Coldwater Creek; St. James Galathee Three-Quarter Sleeve Tee in Navy/Persimmon, J. Crew; Ponte Jacket in Navy, Talbots; Jewelry, J. Crew.

Update: I tried wearing this necklace again, and it may very well be the most uncomfortable necklace I've ever tried. So -- back it goes!!

Thursday, December 26, 2013

It's been quite a while since I wore this sweater. I'm not sure why, as it's very pretty on. I went very simple with jewelry, just wearing these new Harry Mason earrings the BHW gifted me for Christmas.
Woven Flower Cardigan in Cassis, Talbots; Stretch Denim Jeans, Coldwater Creek, Travelers Tank in Burgundy, Coldwater Creek; Jewelry, Harry Mason, Gift from the BHW.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013


Christmas Pajamas
Here at our house, we have a tradition of wearing new Christmas pajamas all Christmas Eve night and all day the next day -- except for me and the BHW. We generally don't get new pajamas every year. So, although all the kiddos and kiddos-in-law are sporting new pjs from Eddie Bauer (flannel, and so nice and warm, I noticed), I ended up wearing the Talbots pjs I got from last year.
Just imagine me in these pajamas to the left. 
Why don't the BHW and I get new pajamas? Well, we don't use ours as often as everyone else, and frankly, I have other things I'd rather spend my money on these days (like tuition, etc.). I think my kiddos look pretty good in theirs even thought I didn't actually buy pajama tops to go with the bottoms. I just purchased regular shirts so they can wear them at other times if they want to. Like most younguns, they tend to wear the pants way more than the tops anyway.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

We had a very casual Christmas Eve. You can see how casual it was, because I'm wearing socks and no shoes.
First we opened the present from my mom and dad, which was a beautiful Christmas story and a family calendar, which was a lot of fun. Then we read our notes to each other and finally it was time to open the traditional Christmas Eve package, which is always pajamas. After that we watch our traditional Christmas movie, It's a Wonderful Life. I had recently read a blog that had to do with the movie, so I shared that. It was a very nice evening.
Anyway, I wanted to wear something red, so I went with this rather ancient sweater over the Indian Red Paisley Liberty Print shirt from J. Crew. I added some bling just for fun. I've had the beads for a long time, but I just got the necklace and earrings shipped today from Chicos. Yes, I am shopping at the dreaded evil store again, but . . . they gave me two $25 dollar gift certificates, so I had to use them, right? I've been looking for a nice red necklace, so I figured for 3 dollars for the earrings (2 pair!) and 5 dollars for the necklace total, it would be a nice addition to the bling collection.

Merry Christmas to all. May the love and peace of our Savior Jesus Christ be in all your hearts during the season and throughout the year!!!

Monday, December 23, 2013

Still on vacation here, so mainly dressing for warmth. This merino sweater with a light tank underneath fit the bill nicely and gave me a chance to bling a bit.
Stretch Denim Jeans, Coldwater Creek; Travelers Tank in Crosshatch Gray, Coldwater Creek; Diamante Sleeve Merino Sweater, Talbots; Jewelry, eBay and Macy's.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

This is the same thing I wore last Christmas to church, but . . . it's just so Christmas-y with the brocade and all. I added one of my favorite blingy necklaces and went with neutral tights.
Red Brocade Swing Jacket and Pencil Skirt; Talbots via eBay; Silk Peasant Top in Red, Talbots; Hue Tights in Natural, Macy's; Jewelry, Chicos.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Today was a continuation of the ugly Christmas sweater theme. I didn't do much besides clean the church, attend choir practice, and clean up a bit at the house.
Christmas Fleece Top, Macy's; Denim Stretch Jeans, Coldwater Creek.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Hey, it's ugly Christmas sweatshirt day. Today was my last day teaching, so I went ultra causal with this sweatshirt. The plaid scarf was a fun accent. Yippee, I have 16 days off!!!
Plaid Reversible Scarf, Eddie Bauer; Snowman Sweatshirt, Target; Denim Stretch Jeans; Coldwater Creek, Jewelry, eBay.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

There are a few reasons that I just cut the tags of this button-up shirt today, even though I bought it last year. The first one is that I have too many clothes (but I'm working on that). The second is that I made the mistake last year of buying a few shirts in petite. Petite fits me fine in the arms, but I don't have a petite torso. These shirts just feel SHORT on me. The last one was that even though I loved the color, I couldn't think of what to wear with it. I realized last night as I was playing in my closet that it would work well with this wool cardigan. So, here I am wearing it for the first time.
Another happy note here is that the little flower necklace here had tarnished terribly, especially on the chain above the flowers. I was about to give it to DI when I realized that I had some extra chain laying around in my jewelry making kit. So...I switched out the tarnished chain (it was pretty bad -- it had turned so orang-y it was unwearable), and tada! good as new. Well, almost. There is still a little tarnish on the back of some of the flowers, but it's not noticeable from the front.
Button-up in Teal, Talbots; Merino Wool Floral Cardigan, Talbots; Platinum Denim Jeans in Cocoa Brown (the color that looks black on the sweater in the colors is brown); Jewelry, Talbots.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

I took this photo in my closet at about five in the morning, so it's not the best photo. I'm wearing an old favorite combination of black and red. This embellished jacket used to be a real favorite, but now it's a little big on me. Still, it got me through the day.
Platinum Denim Jeans in Black, Chicos; Ruffled Layer Tee in Red, Talbots; Brocade Jacket, Chicos; Jewelry, Gift from the BHW.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

I only have three days left before Christmas break, and I feel it. I am a little run down. I didn't spend much time or thought on this outfit today. I'm just going with some neutral jeans and a cashmere cardigan for comfort sake. The tee under the sweater didn't photograph very well--it's actually a lovely teal color very similar to the leaves on the sweater. If I wear this combination again, I'll wear a necklace with green stones to really bring out the green.
Platinum Denim Jeans in Tan, Chicos; Ruffle Tee in Raven, Talbots; Cashmere Floral Cardigan, Talbots; Jewelry, Coldwater Creek and Banana Republic.

Monday, December 16, 2013

I laid this outfit out the night before I wore it, and I must admit that I didn't end up wearing the jewelry I am wearing here, even though I think it would have looked cute. I remembered that I had another pink/orange set from Macy's and wore that instead.
Pastiche Floral Pencil Skirt, J. Crew; Ruffled Cardigan in Pumpkin, Talbots; Microfiber Tank in Pink, Chicos; Hue Tights in Pumpkin, Macy's; Jewelry, Macy's.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

I picked this skirt up for next to nothing on eBay a while back, and today was the first time I tried it out. What can I say? It was a real winner. You can't tell, but my tights had a similar plaid, so I was basically rocking this outfit. Of course, since it was Sunday, I added a black wool jacket and scarf to this ensemble to fight the chill at the church.
Window Pane Plaid Skirt in Ivory and Black, Talbots via eBay; Plaid Tights in Black, Talbots; Diamante Sleeve Merino Sweater, Talbots; Jewelry, Talbots.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

This is what I wore to our ward adult party in the evening. It looks very dressy but feels very comfy. I love this bling necklace I got sort of originally from Chicos. I say sort of because the bigger one is actually a bracelet that I restrung into a necklace. I added a closeup shot of the bottom on the skirt to show you how cute and lacy it is.
**I like this skirt so much I also wore it last Thursday night to Mark's work party, too.
Diamante Sleeve Merino Sweater in Red, Talbots; Crochet Midi-Skirt in Black, Chicos. Jewelry, Chicos and Designed by Denee.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Here is my Friday the 13th experience. I open up Facebook after work and the first thing I see is a post from my cousin. Oh, and my father's name is David, by the way:
As you may guess, I did a major freak out and immediately started calling all of my siblings and parents, none of whom answered the phone. It turns out that this was NOT my dad, but I think I lost about a year off my life with stress and anxiety.
Anyway...
This is what I was wearing this morning while I was still calm.
Platinum Denim Jeans in Cocoa Brown, Chicos; Travelers Tank in Cocoa; Chicos; Jewelry, Chicos; Animal Cardigan, Talbots.

***BTW, I don't think he meant to say "great expletive." The dangers of typing on an iPhone...

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Sometimes I just feel the need to light the world on fire and brighten up during the winter. This was my answer--the blue makes it more of a fire and ice combo.
Merona Skirt in Flame; Target; Merona Tights in Flame; Target; Tie Die Cardigan; Chicos; Travelers Tank, Chicos; Jewelry, Chicos.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Today I wore these comfortable boyfriend cords I got at Eddie Bauer for just $17. The color is called driftwood, and it's one of those
interesting colors that kind of "drifts" between brown and gray -- kind of a taupe, really. Anyway, I thought it would play well with purple, so I wore it with a liberty shirt in Wiltshire Purple and an eggplant cashmere sweater -- I've really been wearing my cashmere lately because of the cold weather. A little bling, and I was good to go.
Boyfriend Cords in Driftwood, Eddie Bauer; Liberty Perfect Shirt in Wiltshire Purple, J. Crew; Audrey Cashmere Sweater in Eggplant; Talbots; Jewelry, J. Crew Factory, Kohls, and Macy's.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

This is what I wore today, although when all was said and done, I went with another necklace that was a little more jewel toned.
Toothpicks in Golden Sunflower; J. Crew; Purple Sweater Shell, Chicos; Patterned Cardigan, Talbots; Jewelry, Chicos.

Monday, December 9, 2013

This is the exact twin of the plaid skirt I wore yesterday, except it is a red, beige and gray plaid. For some reason, I felt I needed to get both of these skirts. I matched the beige in the plaid with the heather doe cashmere sweater and added a monochromatic scarf. In retrospection, It may have been better to go with the red scarf pictured here. I did add the red jacket, because doe and my skin tone don't exactly hit it off.
Plaid Wrap Skirt in Red, Eddie Bauer; Audrey Cashmere Sweater in Doe Heather, Talbots; Lacy Scarf, Chicos; Red Ruffle Scarf, Coldwater Creek; Jewelry, Designed by Denee and Shopko; Liz Claiborne Blazer in Red, Macy's.



Sunday, December 8, 2013

 Our chapel is none too warm, so Sunday always feels like a day to get cozy. I really don't have a cozier skirt than this wool wrap skirt from Eddie Bauer. It's basically like wearing a blanket. I went with a cashmere sweater on top, and I topped the cashmere sweater with a merino wool ruffled cardigan (not shown). Toasty.
Plaid Wrap Skirt in Heather Gray, Eddie Bauer; Audrey Cashmere Sweater in Black, Talbots; Jewelry, Talbots via eBay; Hue Tights in Black, Macy's.