I'm Back! At least for the moment

So I haven't had a whole lot of new stuff to post lately. When you combine that with going out constantly and sleeping until midday and bronchitis you get a severe lack of posts and I'm sorry! Here's a whole slew of photos from the last few weeks. I'll try to remember to take more on the weekends since those are the fun outfits anyway...

Rocking my glasses, an Old Navy dress, leggings and my beloved grey, zippered boots

Front view of my date outfit - Oregano's and a movie. Too bad the guy was a dud

That's right b!tches - I'm freaking skinny now!

Ann Taylor Loft top, Old Navy shorts and Candie's nude stilettos. I'm convinced these shoes go with everything and everyone needs a pair

My new obsession - curly/wavy hair. Now that it's short, it starts to do this on it's own. Add in some product, a diffuser and a curling iron and this is the result. If only it stayed like this for more than an hour :-(

In other news, I have two people who now want me to dress them (YAY!) and a likely trip to Vegas which means nothing I own is now good enough :) New clothes/adventures on the way - hopefully!!!

I sound like the Crypt-Keeper

So the illness I've been fighting for the last week and a half turns out to be bronchitis. I'm now heavily medicated on antibiotics and cough syrup with codiene. But I promised Caton I would post soon so before I pass out, here are some pictures from the last few weekends out. I'm proud today that neither hangovers, nor bronchitis has kept me from my goal of enjoying every last second of my twenties:

The first two are the only ones from the night of the Lemon Drops - mostly because it only took about 45 minutes to get so drunk I had to be taken home :(

This is for Molly - skinny jeans rock!!!

Me and Frankie - the big brother I never had :)

Oh yes! There was a stripper at Kelly's birthday party! I <3 strippers and wish we could get one every week

Ashley-pants joined us and I was soooo happy even though she left early

Me and my BFF Megan. Best drinking buddy a girl could ask for



Frank's friend Mike

 

One of the bartender's at Fat Willy's - Kriste. She's a badass and I have a girl crush on her :)


For those who weren't there to witness it, I partied like a rock star last weekend. There was a ridiculous amount of dancing including but not limited to the Cupid shuffle, dropping it like it was hot and the now infamous "Pour Some Sugar on Me" on the bar. I also sang kareoke for the first time: "Empire State of Mind" and "Sweet Escape". There are no pictures of the full outfit but it was a long black sweater with a cowl neck that I paired with black leggings and the grey boots from the first picture. I also added a low-slung black belt and some silver bangle bracelets - I looked banging! If I can find a picture from someone else I will steal and post it :)

Now, I'm going to have a severe coughing fit, take a shower and go to bed!

Oscars Part One

So the Oscars were on Sunday... I unfortunately was on my death bed with a combination of alcohol posioning and the flu (if anyone ever suggests Lemon Drop shots as a cure to stave off a panic attack about your job - do not, I repeat NOT, follow through. It is an awful idea). So since I didn't watch the Oscars or the Red Carpet shows, I spent much of Monday (still sick) and Tuesday night (couldn't sleep again) looking at photos online. So you all know - I've been putting off watching my beloved Fashion Police so I can give an unbiased opinion. It's been painful not to see Kelly O and Joan Rivers yet...

Let's start with the worst first so I can forget about them immediately. There were so many to choose from that I automatically excludes wives/girlfriends who were only there as dates and Helena Bonham Carter (she will never be on a best dressed list, so why bother?)

This dress is boring, her hair looks matronly. Overall, it's got the appeal of Cruella DeVille.
Sharon, we know you can do better

This dress looks as stiff and uncomfortable as her Botoxed forhead. The beading on the bodice points towards her hips and the awful draping at the hips reinforces it. Not a good look for her.

I actually love this gown - the sequins, the color, all of it. My issue is with her stylist. First, the jade necklace/bracelet don't go with the navy blue gown. Second, you DON'T wear a necklace with this neckline. Third, you're hair should have been styled up with long earrings.

This is just hideous. The sleeves (?) or maybe cutouts look awkward. Not as awkward as the cameo-style/shape thingy going on in the bodice. Givenchy missed their mark BIG time on this one. Surprisingly, the color isn't bad. Normally pale blonds shouldn't wear pastel/baby pinks because it washes them out.

So many things wrong with this dress: You don't have the bust to warrant straps - wear strapless. The satin and cut of the dress make her look pregnant (not a good thing if your, ya know, not pregnant). The assymetrical tulle hem is outdated like a prom dress. Lastly, this is the Oscars and you wear basic black? Step up your game!

Now that I've gotten the cranky out of my system, on to the Best Dressed:

Natalie Portman and her stylist can do no wrong in my eyes. I love everything about this, from the big earrings (and no necklace) to the clutch and the shoes.

I'm not crazy about the weird hem/train on the gown but it works on her. Lots of sparkle for Oscar night and I think she looks gorgeous

Holy smokes Jennifer Hudson! Her body is amazing and this dress emphasizes how hard she's worked. Tiny, tiny waist accentuated with the ruching and the plunged neckline/halter top show of great boobs and shoulders. Too bad it photographs orange - it was a really great shade of red which looked great against her skin.

I've heard many people hated this dress but I loved it. Not the best picture of it but it was custom-made - white lace on a gold underlay. I think the collar could've been taken down a bit and the shoulders tailored a little more and it would've been my favorite.

Dame Helen Mirren is a goddess! I hope I look half as good as she does when I'm her age.



I'm trying to put together another post of the after-party gowns/outfits but it's much harder to find photos of those. And the ones I have found are all on the worst dressed side of it.

In other news, I am seriously considering starting my own business as a personal stylist/shopper. Part time until I can get a big enough clientele to quit my regular job. They say to do what you love, right? Well insurance makes me miserable so... What do you guys think? What would be reasonable to charge - per outing, per hour, per event?

Missed you guys!

Working on a couple big Oscar posts and I've been deathly ill since Saturday night so bear with me! Goodies to come starting tomorrow :)

Versatile Blogging Notice



 Thank to Caton (who added me in after the fact) and my sister Molly for including me :)

1. Why did you create your blog?

Because Molly and Caton told me to...and being as narcissitic as my sister, to share my general wonderfulness

2. What kind of blogs do you follow?

Mostly lifestyle blogs - people with much more interesting lives than myself



3. Favorite brand of make-up?

It's a tie between Two Faced and Makeup Forever (both can be found at Sephora and Ulta, I think)

4. Favorite brand of clothing?

I'm in love with Ann Taylor Loft, White House/Black Market and Banana Republic

5. Indespensible make-up product?

Concealor - if nothing else makes it onto my face, there is that under my eyes!

6. Favorite color?

In general pink, for home decor beiges/brown, clothing to go with my coloring teal

7. Favorite perfume?

Aquolina Pink Sugar and yes, it smells like sugar

8. Favorite movies?

All time favorite is Clueless - I will watch it if its on no matter what else may be happening at the moment

9. What country would you like to visit and why?

I will go to France someday. I have a mild obsession with Parisian culture and Marie Antoinette

10. Would you rather to forget to put mascara on one eye or blush on one cheek?

Since I use only enough blush to look flushed and 2-3 coats of mascara, I'll take my cheek.

Here are the rules:

1. Thank and link to the person who gave you the award

2. Answer 10 questions

3. Pass it along to blogs you've recently discovered and enjoyed

4. Leave the recipients a note, telling them about the award

(Since I'd really only tag Molly and Caton - I'm exempt from 3 and 4. Yay me!)

Fruits of my Shopping Labors

So two of the tops and both pair of shows bought last weekend were used at work this week. Come to think of it, all these people are doing "30 for 30" and I think I'm doing the opposite - but I'm okay with that :)

Here's the coral top, with brown wide-leg trousers, the nude platform heels (I also added my Gap grandpa sweater because I wasn't feeling good yesterday:

And here's the grey silk blouse with my dark grey wool pants and the new boots. I have a feeling this will look even better with skinny jeans:

So ready for the weekend, there's hockey on Friday AND Saturday and another trip to Fat Willy's for karaoke - I might actually sing this time just to blow Megan's mind :)



Birthday Goodies

Hit up San Tan mall today since the sun was shining and I had a purse full of gift cards. Made out like a bandit with the President's Day sales:

Coral t-shirt with rosette neckline from Loft

Bronze and black ribbon tank from Loft

Grey silk bouse from Banana Republic

Grey leather boots from Torrid


And I still have my parents' gift card to go. I hit White House Black Market but didn't see anything I liked so I'm going to the "outlet" version in Dana Park to see if they have anything good. If not, I'll save it and shop again in a few weeks :)

OMG - It's getting worse...

So I am hideously hungover today. The morning started out ok but I am rapidly declining as the day has worn on. Going to do a quick post highlighting last night shenanigans then hit the hay.

After getting soaking wet going to 2 different Kohl's I was able to find my birthday outfit. I went with the pink sequined mini dress and turned it into a tunic. Added that gray, cropped cardigan I wear to work a lot and wore it with dark skinny jeans. Topped it off with these beauties. The result was pretty awesome if I say so myself. There's a whole birthday album on Facebook so check out the final result there as I'm too lazy to post it again here :)

Lastly, I just wanted to say thank to everyone who's made this a great birthday so far. I have felt truly anxious about turning 29 yet because I've been having too much fun to think about it. Also, a shout out goes to Mike, my favorite bartender, for making me some delicious items (a "rugburn" and a "blowjob") but also having the forsight to make me start drinking water while he closed up the bar and we went home.

Still two days before it actually happens - tomorrow will be sleeping in, laundry and maybe some shopping before the hockey game tomorrow night. The big day will be lunch with my favorite girls and then making steaks for dinner and watching Glee. If the shopping trip happens, I'll be sure to post the goodies but if not, regular blogging will resume on Thursday (Wednesday is date night with Ashley!)

Hiatus Over

Been busy this week - hockey game on Monday night (all the pics are on Facebook) and Tuesday night dinner/Glee with my mom. Here are some outfits from the last week or so....

And now, Ladies, I need your input. I'm shopping for a "party dress" to wear Saturday night to celebrate my birthday. Do you have a favorite from the following? Do you hate them all? Do you know the perfect thing for me to wear and it's not shown? Please share - I need your help!

Another awards show - more bad decisions!

So the Grammy's were tonight and outside of Lady Gaga's performance of Born This Way (which sounds like Madonna's Express Yourself), I have not watched a single minute yet. I'll catch the performances I actually want to see (hello Eminem-sobriety does a body good!) on the internets later.

We'll do worst dressed first, and oh Lord, there were too many to chose from. Here are my top 5 worst dressed tonight:

You are pushing your mid-40's and have had twins. No one wants to see your episiotomy scar - cover up your coochie

WTF?? This looks like those cheap, plastic leis you get at the party store. More than 2 thumbs down if it was physically possible.

A: You are not a Victoria's Secret model, no matter how big your boobs are.
B. Bras are not meant to be bedazzled
C. This is an awards show - not Halloween, nor a toga party

Have you been digging in a 3 year old's jazz costume trunk? And what's with your bangs?

I have no words...none

And now, the best dressed!!!

If you're going to wear shoulder ruffles, put your hair up otherwise it's too heavy. Overall, nice job!

You're on the simply because your the most improved

Absolutely stunning! And exactly what a girlfriend of the Biebs should look like. I approve

Kelly Osbourne is my idol. I want to mug her for this dress.

The rocker-chic hair and makeup actually amend for the ho-hum dress. She looks very well put together.

 

New Feature

I'm tired of just posting pictures of my work outfits so a few times I week I think I do a post featuring:
1. A celebrity that looks phenomenal
2. Some tidbit about fashion I've found - and what I think about it
3. Something horrible in fashion - the kind of thing Joan Rivers lives for

Suggestions on what I should call this post???

Let's work up to the good stuff... Here is the ugliest, tackiest, most disgusting shoe I've ever seen:



To be honest, I don't know where to begin. It's offensive and ghetto and the least classy thing I've even seen. What in the world would possess someone to wear this shoe to begin with? I've checked out the designer's other shoes and they're all just as ugly. It makes me sad that these exist and that people will buy them.

Interesting news: Urban Outfitters will launch a wedding line on Monday. They will offer wedding gowns and accessories. Haven't found the actual website yet, but here's an article with photos. Not my style in the least but I'm sure some people will like them. All the gowns scream Helena Bonham Carter to me anyway.

Lastly, my favorite celeb outfit (today) goes to Nicole Richie Madden. She looked so good at Bergdorf Goodman's Fashion Week party:

If I didn't have a corporate job (and a bigger bank account), my entire closet would be chock full of Winter Kate clothing. Actually, if I had that much money, I'd have a mansion with multiple closets and each would house a different designer - ah, daydreams :)

Wish I still celebrated Tuesday-Boozeday

Here's today outfit: silver "silk" tuxedo tank from Target, black cropped cardigan, black trousers and greay Madden Girl heels (TJ Maxx):

And now onto something that amazed me today... Covering and/or disguising your "flaws" isn't that hard. With the right tricks you can look like a completely different person. Take exhibit A, a very pregnant Natalie Portman out on a walk:

Holy momma - she looks (to me) like she's due a LOT sooner than this summer. But, take a look at her this week at an Oscar's luncheon:

Looking at this photo alone I would never know she was pregnant at all! I am no stylist (but I wish I was) but I think the draping of the dress combined with the empire sash-style belt do wonders to hide the bump. The empire waistline and v-neck draws attention to her chest in a natural way (as opposed to a "Hey, look at my big pregnant boobies" way). Adding the rich, ruby-red accessories also draw the eye away from the mid-section. Heck, I'm not pregnant and I want to rock this outfit. It gets my stamp of approval for sure and given the chance I will put together something similar in the future, perhaps for my birthday?

My calves feel like they're being given a hug...

I have never, repeat never, liked skinny jeans. They looked weird and felt even weirder. I now feel like a sell-out because I bought a pair this weekend - and what's worse is that I am in love with them. I wish I could wear them every day! Now you're probably asking what possessed me to buy skinny jeans? To impress a guy, of course...

Friday night I went out to a bar called Bricks in Mesa. It was a really good time - made better by the fact that one of the co-owners (an ex-NFL player) was flirting with me all night. He really liked that I knew both football and hockey and was even more excited to learn we are both originally from DC. Cut to us leaving the bar and he's making us promise to come back for the game on Sunday. I, in my shopaholic wisdom, couldn't think of anything I already own to wear so I went shopping on Saturday.

When I tried the jeans on (by mistake - didn't know they were skinny jeans when I picked them up), I saw at least 3 outfits in my head (all of which needed boots which I never found, another story/rant for another time). So I bought them. Then Sunday, since I couldn't decide which I wanted to wear and don't trust mirrors, made my Dad photograph all 3:

 

I went with option 3: Torrid cardigan, Ann Taylor Loft silk blouse, Target skinny jeans and tan suede TJ Maxx boots. What do you guys think? Was it the right choice?

Anywho - the guy turns out to be married with 2/3 kids! It remains to be seen if he's separated or not but I really don't care - not the guy for me so I will not waste anymore time/money on cute outfits for him to stare at :) Forgot to take a picture this morning, but trust me when I say it was nothing special.