Quick Post

Hey everyone -

I've been taking pictures everyday this week, since I bought a ton of new clothes with my mom for my birthday last weekend. I'm not quite ready to post them yet, but I wanted to do a real quick update.

Why you ask? Well, truth be told, I'm a bit frustrated. But it's not your fault. Its years and years of pent up frustration. So let me preface the next few paragraphs by saying that I'm not mad at all of you, nor am I not INCREDIBLY appreciative of all your help. I just want to get across what I want to get across, and maybe then you'll be able to help me more, and I won't feel so stuck.
Sound good?
Okay.

So, lots of you have commented on my hair and make up. There are several things that I'd like to say in that regard
1) please keep in mind that most of these pictures are taken somewhere around 8pm, because I have to wait until my husband gets home to take the pictures. So while I try to smooth my hair and such, it's still after an entire day, with no make up touch ups. Since this blog isn't ABOUT hair and make up specifically (not that I mind the comments, they just aren't the focus of the pics), I don't really feel a strong desire to reapply my make up for the pics.

2) IDK why, but for some reason the make up I do wear doesn't seem to show up. In the picture from the admitted students reception, I'm wearing the same black eyeliner in the same way as I was in my wedding pictures, but you can't see it in the pics here. I have no idea why. I don't know what to tell you, because we have a pretty expensive camera. Maybe it's the lighting, which I've already said there's very little I can do to fix? I have no idea.

3) Someone mentioned my eyebrows. I haven't found a place in my area that will do threading, and I'm allergic to eyebrow wax. I had to go in about 2 weeks before my wedding so that the little itchy bumps would have time to go away. I assure you that I'm aware of the problem. I know they look like crap, I'm just not willing to sit and tweeze them, nor am I anywhere close to confident that I'll be able to do a decent job if it isn't just a clean up.

4) As for my hair - listen, I'm just as frustrated with my hair as you people. It's hit or miss, especially now that my perm has grown out a bit. But here's the thing. NO ONE WILL HELP ME. This is partially my own fault, because I can't do much to my hair. I get dizzy if my arms are up for more than a few minutes, and I'm pretty much incompetent with my hair even besides that. Seriously, I can barely put my hair in a damn ponytail. So anything that requires much daily maintenance is just out. I just can't do it, guys. So what exactly am I supposed to do to fix my hair?!? Every time I've gone into a salon and told them "Just do something", they cut it this same way. So believe me, I'll be happy to take any suggestions.

Hopefully that didn't make me sound like too much of a bitch, as that wasn't the point!!! I don't want you to think I don't appreciate it, or I'm mad at you for the comments! I'm just frustrated, that's all.

Anyway, lots of awesome new clothes over the weekend or early next week.

Too Colorful?

I mean, it was St. Patrick's Day...


And this is what I wore at the Admitted Students Reception, which, btw, was pretty useless. Go figure!

Interesting thing about the skirt - it's a petite. Perhaps trying that in pants will end saggy crotch syndrome?

Another thing that I'm trying is getting pants custom made to my measurements. I put up a request on Etsy.com
If you aren't familiar with Etsy yet, you should be. It's a community of people who sell handmade and vintage items and it's incredible. There are so many truly unique and beautiful things for sale, so check it out!

A Quick Update

...because I don't feel like working very hard, and I have to be here for another 2 hours. Just a few short comments:

1) I'm returning the khaki pants. On closer inspection, they do cause saggy crotch problems. Fortunately, this doesn't effect my Real Woman Dollars, so I still have $100 off a $200 purchase starting 3/24, and I'm definitely taking recommendations! It sounds like I should focus on skirts, day dresses, and possibly bermudas, and another pair of the Right Fit jeans.

2) I wanted to thank you all for pushing me in a Lane Bryant-wardly direction. It was actually a pretty good experience. It was really nice to be in a store where I don't wear the biggest size there. I also think I had some incorrect or maybe just outdated assumptions about the store. It always seemed old woman-y to me, and it definitely doesn't feel that way now.

3) I'm totally returning the green shirt too. Believe it or not, that is a HUGE improvement over what she got me last year. Last year she got all smalls and mediums (she has a daughter! there's no excuse for not knowing sizes!), and this horrible, awful red old woman shirt. The other thing she got me this year was a nice, soft, dark coral tee shirt. Thank goodness for small favors!


***EDIT*** The jeans are going back too. I tried them on today, and they are saggy-crotch also. I am going to try the other Right Fit pants, but otherwise I'll just look for skirts and shirts to exchange them for.

Pants are the bane of my existence.

Adventures at Lane Bryant

This is what I wore today to class. I know, the jeans aren't great. I am in love with the earrings and shoes though!

I also went to Lane Bryant today, and I think I did pretty good. Best of all, I spent $139, so if the week after my birthday I go in and spend $200, I get $100 off! So feel free to dig around the site and give me some recs!

So what are the reviews?

I also bought in the past week or so:


One more pic -
This was a present from my mother in law. I'm pretty sure it needs to be returned. I'm right, yes? I really want something that is like emerald green for St. Patty's Day, so hopefully I'll have time to run to Kohls and return this.

A couple notes from the comments and comments on the Nest:

I am just not going to wear shapers every day. I don't know if anyone was necessarily suggesting that, but I decided I'd better clarify that anyway. I don't mind wearing them every once in a while, particularly under work clothes, but they just aren't an everyday thing for me. I need most things to look good with out them.

Also, someone suggested that knits like the shirts in the last post are only good under structured jackets. I envisioned those shirts mostly for wearing to class, not work. Do they really need a jacket over them every time? I wish there was a code for the way I'd like to dress for class. I don't want to be dressed up, but I want to move beyond jeans or even sweatpants and t shirts (as in t shirt t shirts, not fitted nice tees) for myself. I feel more confident this way. But a jacket just seems to be a little much.

Okay, okay, I will do the professional bra fitting. It's causing me some embarrassment, which is silly, but I can't help it. I will be visiting my mom next weekend and I'm going to see if she'll go with me. I'll just feel better.

This is almost more of a question than a note, so I'll end with it: Do you ladies REALLY wear skirts and dresses that often?? I'm getting a LOT of recs for a-line skirts and dresses and the like (WeezerMonkey in particular is an avid supporter of them!), which is great, because that way I can find a couple skirts for work, but as for casual wear in the spring and summer, it just feels odd to me. I think it would feel dressed up. But, I'll probably be living in the city by summer, and as we've established, my understanding of dress codes is a bit small town. Do you wear dresses and skirts as an everyday, non-work outfit?

Some more new things....

Okay, those last two didn't photograph well. I can't find a picture, but they both are shirts with a really low wrap with a tank top built in. The brown one is probably the best example of it. They're very casual. I look a bit lumpy in the picture in the black shirt, but I think it's just how the shirt is laying. It's not like tight in the middle or anything like that.

2 notes: I tried buying a couple new bras, but they are going to be returned. Getting a bigger band size (which, unfortunately, means that I will probably have to special order bras forever) is AWESOME, but they are completely unlined, which I don't care for. Plus, the reason you can see it in the last picture is because it's a bit frumpy. Just wanted you to know I'm trying! I think I'm going to order the same size in a different style.

Secondly: This may be a matter of finding the RIGHT pencil skirt, but after tonight, I really don't have a very high opinion of them, though several of you have recommended. I tried one on. I think perhaps you guys aren't seeing that I have a BIG butt. A big, prominent, bubble butt! The skirt made my butt look enormous. Should I keep trying? Or are a-lines going to be the way to go?

A couple purchases

I tried to take a better picture, but I don't know how well it worked. The skirt (which I am definitely expecting mixed/bad reviews on, but... I like it!) is from Target, and the shirt was on clearance at New York and Co. It's a bit hard to tell from this pic, but it's a silky blouse with a faux wrap front.

I bought a couple other shirts on clearance at Charlotte Russe, but I'll save pictures from them for later. I took the picture above on the stairs outside my apartment (with my husband at the top of the stairs and me at the bottom), and it's supposed to snow 3-5 inches tonight. Brrr!

Okay, okay...

So maybe I was overthinking the whole thing. Crap, that means I'm nervous and not admitting it. Never a good sign!! I'll be taking your advice and looking for a button down shirt or nice sweater. And, by the way, I would NEVER, EVER mention my scholarship to classmates or professors. I'm an anti-brown noser by nature, and I'm rarely competitive. I think I was just seeking a justification for my nerves. Damn unnecessary nervousness!

In my defense though, I think my hometown has a bizarre set of dress codes. Or maybe I'm just interpreting them oddly. I don't know. But I don't really know anyone who would wear anything but jeans in a casual setting - which is why I've always bought jeans that were $15-20. That's what you have to do when you need several pairs!! So, in my mind, khakis bump it up a notch to make it work appropriate - business casual. And then nicer slacks or a nice skirt makes it business wear, and suits and things of that nature are formal business wear. But I'm thinking perhaps it doesn't work in the real world the way it does in my head. I think I'm probably so confused because I spend 2 days a week at school, where anything goes, and then 3 days a week at the office, where, well, kind of anything goes! People wear the full range from khakis to suits, depending on the day and their age.

It's going to be very hard for me to adjust to not working, and just going to school next year. I haven't done that in a LONG time! It also means that I'll need to adjust my shopping strategy. While I need to wear nice clothes to work, I'll only be working until we move, which could be any time between May and August, and then I won't need a lot of work clothes. So I think I should focus on redefining casual. Shirts like the one Anonymous posted at 4AM (4AM?? Get some sleep already! :-P) with jeans or other casual pants are what I'm thinking.

A question - what was so bad about the printed jacket? Or was it just bad for the occasion? I kinda liked it, and I thought it would break up some solid black.

These are the new flats that I bought:
They hurt like hell!! I bought them about a 1/2 size too small, because they were seriously $3 at Kohl's. I think once they are broken in they'll be just fine, but tonight I'm nursing blisters! The good thing is though that they didn't hurt my arches. I'll have to see if I can find a reason why these didn't hurt when so many flats do.

This is the purse I bought:
It's a slightly brighter blue than the picture shows. I really like it! I think I'd like another spring purse that's a little toned down, but for $10 I think this one is great. Plus, getting me to use color is always a victory. What do you think?