Favorite Books of 2015

Well, happy last day of 2015.  I didn't meet my reading goal for the year, but that was somewhat expected.  Babies really change your priorities when it comes to free time.  Like, should I read a few chapters before I go to sleep?  No.  Kid could wake up at any moment!  Sleep while you can!

I did manage to read 40 books this year.  And let's be honest, if I wanted to cheat, I would just add all the kid books I read and I would get like 100+.  If we count re-reads, probably thousands!  And I think we can all agree about the literary value of Dr. Seuss.  I might have to write a separate post about favorite kid books!

Anyway, what are we even talking about?  Right, my favorite books of the year!  Out of 40, I rated 10 of them as 5 stars.  That's pretty good, or I'm not a very discriminating critic.  Either way, I'm happy with it.  I'm narrowing it down to my top 5, just because I do what I want.

In no particular order:

• We Were Liars - an unreliable narrator keeps you guessing as this mystery unfolds.  It was definitely a book I couldn't put down.  (my review here)
• The Girl on the Train - this was another one I couldn't put down. I just had to know what was going to happen!   (my review here)
• Modern Romance  - very interesting and funny.  Mostly made me really happy I got married before dating got so complicated. (my review here)
• The Martian - cool concept, well-written.  Sciency without being off-putting.  I still need to see the movie (my review here)
• Why Not Me?  - I kind of want to be best friends with Mindy Kaling.  This book was just as funny as her previous one.  I am a little mad at her TV show though, because some of the new episodes make me cry. (my review here)

Did you read anything good in 2015?  Let me know and I will add it to my to-read list, which is completely out of control.  At this rate, it would take me 6 years to get through it, and that's if I stop adding things!

Happy New Year's Eve!  Stay safe tonight and have fun!

December Shopping

Another month of minimal shopping. But I will still link up with Franish! 

JCF Cardigan: $17 (originally $55)

So basically, I didn't spend anywhere near my budget for the year.  I have over $700 leftover, which is crazy.  I guess having a baby saves money in certain areas of the budget.  I'm not even going to try rolling that over into the new year.  I'll just start fresh in January.  I do really need a new pair of tennis shoes, which I have been saying for over a year.  I just don't know what to get.  

I did get a couple clothing items for Christmas, too.  But I couldn't find them online, so no pictures.  I got some new pajamas, a red sweater, and a purple sweater.  I think the sweaters will be nice additions to my wardrobe.

Leggings

When it comes to leggings, I'm firmly in the "leggings are not pants" camp.  This flowchart always makes me laugh.  I'm tempted to keep a few copies with me and give them to unsuspecting strangers who are not wearing pants.  I mean, seriously, if I can see the stripes on your underwear, this is a problem.  I'm talking to you, ladies at the mall!

That said, I am a big fan of leggings as tights.  Some days are just too cold for skirts, and even tights won't suffice.  Boom.  Leggings!

Cardigan: Gap
Top and Skirt: Gap Factory
Leggings: Old Navy
Boots: Madden

Off to See the Wizard

Last week, I went to see the Wizard of Oz musical.  It was so much fun.  The crazy thing was people kept saying "oh, I didn't know Wicked was in town!" and I had to explain, "No, just the regular old fashioned version where good is good and bad is bad!"  

Fun fact: even though I am from Kansas and generally love musicals, I have only watched the Wizard of Oz movie in it's entirety one time.  I had never seen it until I was in high school and had my wisdom teeth out.  I got to rent movies to watch all day and I grabbed it from the grocery store video rental place.  Remember when that was a thing?  So that's the only time I have seen it.  There was an occasion in college where some friends tried watching it with Dark Side of the Moon synced up, but we stopped after about 15 minutes.  It was just weird.  Although, the munchkins dancing to Money was pretty cool.

Another fun fact: people think it's funny to call you Dorothy and say "we're not in Kansas anymore" when they meet you and find out you are from Kansas.  If you meet someone from Kansas and want to make this joke, just be warned.  They have heard it a million times and probably don't think it is funny.

Anyway, the show was great, and I was happy for another excuse to dress up a little bit.

Cardigan: JCF (exact in various colors)
Necklace: F21 (similar)
Dress: Loft (exact - on sale and extra 40% off!)
Belt: Madden (exact)
Boots: Madden (exact)

November Minsgame - Finale

So I'm not entirely sure how it is December 15th already!  But time is going faster and faster.  Despite my blogging failure, I did continue the November Minsgame.  This is my final collage, but I've been continuing to go through stuff and get rid of things (or at least I have big boxes in the basement that need to be taken to Goodwill and consignment, etc).  It's progress! Here's my last few days:

22: Socks - okay, I don't wear socks that often.  Unless I'm wearing boots or tennis shoes, I'm probably sockless.  So why do I have a large drawer full of socks?  No one knows.  I still have way more than I should, but I got rid of about half.
23: More closet cleanout.  I have a big bag for ThredUp and another set I am taking to consignment, hopefully today.
24/25: CDs.  I had sold a bunch of CDs a couple months ago, and these were the stragglers that CD Tradepost didn't want.  I sent them in to DeCluttr, and am making about $12.
26: Baby stuff that we didn't end up using.  Not pictured because it is in a bag in the baby's room and he is napping.  I'm hoping to take this to consignment today, too.
27: More random stuff to Goodwill.  Since I started this, I'll just see things in my house that I have no idea why we have kept.  Also, John cleaned out his closet.
28/29: So many books!  We rarely re-read books, so why do we have bookshelves full of them?  Again, no one knows.  I took these (and some DVDs) to sell and made $30!
30: DVDs. I took these to CD Tradepost and made $20.

Honestly, I'm embarrassed at how easy it was to do this project in November.  I don't miss anything that we got rid of, and our home is still quite full.  I'm hoping to keep this up by tackling different areas of the house, pulling everything out, and getting downsized/organized.  I'll never be a real minimalist, but I want to at least keep an eye on things so the "stuff" doesn't take over.

Book Review - After You

After You is the sequel to Me Before You.  I remember loving MBY, but looking at Goodreads, I only rated it 3 stars.  Probably because I hated the ending.  Anyway, After You picks up about 2 years later with Louisa.  She's still a mess, and things get messier and messier.

Here's the deal:  Jojo Moyes is an excellent writer, so this book was enjoyable to read.  I found myself really caring about the characters, and needing to know what happened to them.  But the plot is so ridiculous.  It just became too much to believe.  And the ending seemed very predictable to me. But I guess I shouldn't complain, since this ending was much happier than the first book.

Speaking of Me Before You, I didn't know there was a movie!  It's coming out in the spring.  I will have to get over the fact that it stars Khaleesi, Finnick Odair, Clara Oswald, Tywin Lannister, and Neville Longbottom.

Book Review - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

This book has been on my to-read list for almost 5 years!  I finally got around to it, because of the Winter Book Challenge.  One category was a book with a person's first and last name in the title.

This book was fascinating and heartbreaking.  It is part biography of Henrietta Lacks, and part scientific history of her cells and how they have been used.  It is pretty science-heavy at times, but not anything too complicated (and I mean, the only science class I took in college was astronomy).  It's just crazy how much medical research and patient consent has changed in the last 60 years, and even crazier how much it hasn't.

As we enter the last month of the year, it's clear I won't be hitting my goal of reading 50 books.  Unless I include all the books I read to Mr. Baby.  Then I'd be well over 100.

Dirty Dancing

One of my excuses to get dressed up these days is the Broadway Across America shows.  I know I say this every year, but if you are into musicals at all, you should really check out the season ticket options in your city.  Around here, the cost per show is pretty reasonable, and it's such a fun thing to do.  This is what I wore to see Dirty Dancing.  It was pretty much exactly like the movie, which I have only seen once, approximately 15 years ago.  So, okay, I probably don't remember the movie all that well.

Anyway, I was excited to wear this dress again.  It's kind of shapeless, but I'm cool with that at this point in my life!  I posted the awkward sideways picture to show that the back of the dress is the same print but smaller than the front.  I think that is kind of fun.  And hey, a night out without Mr. Baby meant I could wear a necklace (which he promptly grabbed when I was getting ready to leave).
The next show is The Wizard of Oz, and I'm really tempted to find a gingham dress and red shoes.  Too much?

Dress: Limited (similar in black)
Cardigan: Gap (similar)
Necklace: F21 (similar)
Boots: Madden (exact)

Currently December

First Wednesday of the month means it is time to do the Currently linkup.  Go check out In Residence and Gold and Bloom.

wishing - that it wasn't quite so cold outside.  I am not a winter person, and with a baby, it's even worse!  I'm worried we will be staying home a lot during these cold months.  
remembering - last year around this time we were just starting to plan the nursery and figuring out what to register for.  And I hadn't told the blog that I was pregnant yet!  It's crazy how quickly time has gone!
wrapping - nothing yet!  I just started my Christmas shopping yesterday.  I honestly don't even think I have any wrapping paper.  Better buy some.  
baking - this again?  I don't really bake much, okay!  Or maybe I should edit my first category to "wishing I was baking chocolate chip cookies"
decorating - again, oops!  Nothing so far.  We need to get the Christmas box out of the storage closet and make our house somewhat festive!  

So I looked up my Currently post from last December.  Not much has changed!  I hadn't wrapped anything yet then either!  

And since I've been the worst at outfit pictures (or really outfits) recently.  Here are a few family photos from Thanksgiving.

*Mr. Baby is a bit of a drooler these days, but he's still pretty cute.  

Winter book challenge update - November

One month into the challenge, here's what I have read.  I actually read 4 of these in the first 2 weeks, and then kind of fizzled.  My library hold list gave me 5 books at once and I wasn't sure which one to read first, so I kind of panicked and didn't read anything for almost 2 weeks!  Then I panicked again and quickly read After You, before I had to return it.  

• 10 points: Read a book that does not take place in your current country of residence. The Martian (369 pages, 5 stars) - my review
• 20 points: Read a food-themed book. Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan (340 pages, 5 stars) - my review
• 20 points: Read a book with a person's first and last name in the title  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (370 pages, 4 stars)
• 15 points: Read a book with a one-word title.Wonder (320 pages, 5 stars) - I might move this to another category, just depending on what else I manage to read.  - my review

• 15 points: Read a book published under a pseudonym  - After You (Jojo Moyes real name is Pauline Sara Jo Moyes) (352 pages, stars)

So that leaves me with 80 points this month.  Not too bad!  And yeah, almost none of these were on my preliminary list.  I'm crazy like that.  

Budget Rewind - November 2013

It's crazy to look back at how much I bought each month.  Here's November 2013.  The outlet mall opened up, which made J.Crew Factory more accessible to me.  And of course, I had to hit up some black Friday sales.  For the most part, these were good decisions, at least.  Here's the ratings:

Good
F21 Gold chain necklace (similar) : $11 - blogged 23 times, worn many other times, and still like it.  
Gap factory midrise Skinny Jeans: $30 - these were great jeans.  They don't fit right anymore, so I'm getting rid of them, since I have a few pairs of newer jeans that I like.  
J.Crew Factory Camel Cardigan (similar, similar): $24 - blogged 26 times, and worn much more!  I love it when a more expensive item ends up being well under the $1 cost per wear.  
J.Crew Factory Polka dot popover (similar): $31 - blogged 11 times, worn a handful of other times. I probably spent a little more than I should have, but I suspect it will continue to be a favorite shirt in the coming year.  
J.Crew Factory printed button-up shirt (similar): $16 - only blogged 8 times, but I'm sure I've worn it a lot more than that.  I really love this shirt.  
Old Navy red cardigan (exact):  $10 - blogged 11 times.  Just a good basic piece in a perfect red color.  
Old Navy cobalt skirt (similar):  $10 - blogged 13 times.  This skirt was neglected for a few months after I bought it, but then I've worn it a lot.  I just love a knit pencil skirt.  It is starting to look a little rough.  I might keep my eye out for a replacement. 
Old Navy gray/silver flats:  $12 - blogged 33 times.  I bet I've worn these 100+ times.  They are falling apart.  I wore them about a week ago and noticed the back seam is coming apart.  Sad day.  I'll definitely need a replacement for these.  
Old Navy tights (3 pair - brown, gray, tan) (exact): $4 each - I really like Old Navy tights.  They are long enough (yay) and tend to hold up pretty well.  
Steve Madden Kambyy Boots (exact): $95 - blogged 45 times, but again, I bet I've worn them over 100 times.  I remember feeling bad when I bought these, because I hate to spend so much on an item, but it's a way better $100 spent than 5 things that cost $20 and I never wear.  I need to remember this!   

Medium
J.Crew Factory Sylvia wedges black (exact): $59 - blogged 16 times?  I'm actually surprised by that.  I like these a lot, but they are a little bit too big, and I rarely wear heels.  I do think they are a pretty classic shoe, so hopefully they can be my standby basic black pumps for years to come.  
Old Navy cobalt pumps (similar):  $12 - blogged 5 times.  Again, I love these, but they aren't comfortable at all, and I don't wear heels very often.  I'd much rather have some cute cobalt flats.  I think these are going in the sell pile.  

Ugly
F21 Love bracelet (similar): $2 - for how cheap this was, I guess it isn't so terrible, but still.  I could have bought half a frappuccino with that money!  I did probably wear it twice.  

Honorable mention
Kate Spade bow earrings: $14 -I ended up returning these, because I so rarely wear earrings.  This was a good decision!

Budget Rewind - November 2014

I hardly bought anything in November 2014.  Both of these items are solidly in the medium category.  
H&M striped sweater: $10 - I probably haven't worn this 10 times yet, but it has been an easy sweater to throw on.  I suspect I will wear it even more this winter
Gap knit skirt: $10 - I wore this a lot over the summer.  It was a perfect comfortable option post partum.  

So pretty decent last year!  Now in November 2013, I bought a bunch of stuff!  But more about that tomorrow.

November Shopping and LeTote Update

November was another month of minimal shopping!  Just the one dress at Loft, and I used my birthday gift card, so zero budget dollars were spent.   But I will still link up with Franish!  

Dress: Loft (exact - on sale and extra 40% off!)

If you are wondering why the Letote subscription cost isn't there, it's because I went on hold for a month.  I've received 2 more totes since my review of the first month.  So it seemed like a good time for another assessment of things.  Here's what I received in my  4th and 5th totes:

Tote #4 had 7 items in it instead of 5.  I'm not entirely sure why, except that they were doing it to make up for the couple of issues I had with Tote #3.  I pretty much liked everything in this tote.

The green lace tee was so cute that I wore it twice!  The dress had weird sleeves, but nothing a jacket couldn't help.  I really liked the green skirt.  The top was way too tight, so I didn't wear it.  The jewelry was pretty, but I really have no use for jewelry at this point.  I confessed in this post that I put the necklace and bracelet on just for pictures.  I didn't end up wearing the turquoise necklace at all.

Tote #5 also had an extra item.  Again, I have no idea why, but I'm not complaining!  

The dress was really cute and actually fit properly (decent length, not too tight or low cut), but I didn't have any events to wear it for, and I didn't want to wait.  The dog sweater was fun to wear once.  The striped skirt was super long, so I hiked it up a bit, but otherwise really liked it.    And you may recognize that shirt from tote #4.  I liked the style, so requested the next size up.  It was still a little tight in the chest.  I guess it's just not designed for my body type.  I picked out really small jewelry thinking I might make these necklaces work, but still didn't wear them.  But I really like both of them, so might request again.  

So where does that leave me?  I will have probably 1 more tote left in my month when I got off hold.  I think I would really love Letote if I was still working, but as I've said before, I just don't have a reason to get dressed up very often, and I have enough clothes in my closet for those days.  I really think I should cancel, but something is giving me pause.  I guess it's just fun and convenient to get a box of clothes every so often!  But even so, I think it's kind of ridiculous for me at this point in my life.  I would totally recommend it to anyone who isn't a stay-at-home mom.  And they even have maternity now, which I would have really loved a year ago!  

If you are interested in trying it, you can get $25 off your first month with this code.   And you can even give it as a gift, if you have someone you think might like it.  I'll refrain from making an "out of the box" gift idea comment.  Oh wait, I just did.  

Thanksgiving Eve

Here's this fall floral dress again.  I would wear it every day if I had a reason to.  I actually wore this outfit a couple weeks ago for a Veteran's Day celebration at my MIL's elementary school.  I was overdressed, as usual.  

Anyway, happy Thanksgiving eve!  We are staying in town this year and celebrating with the Smith side.  It should be a pretty nice day hanging out with the family.  

I hope everyone has a lovely day celebrating with family and friends and not getting too caught up in Black Friday sales.  Every year, I say I won't go out, and I usually end up going somewhere.  I think Mr. Baby will be a good influence on me staying away from the stores!  

Dress: Loft (exact - on sale and extra 40% off!)

Cardigan: Gap factory (similar)

Belt: Gap (similar)

Boots: Madden (exact)

November Minsgame - week 3

Another week of getting rid of stuff and I'm embarrassed at how easy this is.  Here's the rundown for the week: 

15: started cleaning out my closet.  I'm sending more than 15 items to ThredUp

16: nail polish. I rarely paint my nails and when I do, it's red or pink.  I don't need a drawer full of options.

17: expired spices. Sad.

18: magnets that I've had for so long. Most of these were in my high school locker and then in my office at work. They don't belong in my house anywhere. I have plenty of magnets that I actually like on my fridge.

19-20: I'm counting 2 days for this because it is a carload of random stuff to Goodwill.  I took this picture and then we added about 4 more boxes.  We are cleaning out the storage closet and finding a lot of thingswe really don't need!

21: more than 21 buttons. I've been saving extra buttons forever and I don't remember the last time I needed one to sew back on anything.

It feels good to get rid of all this stuff.  And as we were cleaning out the closet, we had some fun.  John was like "I think we should take a break." And I said "yeah, I'm getting hungry for lunch." But he was like "no, i found this old PlayStation game, we need to play it." So we did.  Cleaning is fun!

Playing in the Leaves

This is what I wore to church last Sunday.  The skirt is from LeTote, and of course, I liked it because it's a knit pencil skirt and it is striped.  Two of my favorite clothing categories.  I'm sad to be wearing tights already, but it's getting cold around here.  

While taking pictures, John decided to throw leaves at me, because fall.  This is the only picture where I don't look terrified.  

Mr. Baby was significantly more excited about the leaves.  We built up a pile for him and let him play the other day.  It was basically the greatest moment of his life.  He loved it. 

Jacket: Target (similar)

Shirt: JCF (similar)

Skirt:  LeTote (use my code to get half off your first month) (similar)

Boots: Madden (exact)

Book Review - Wonder

Wonder is a kid's book, which is why I hadn't read it yet, even though I've seen it all over the place.  I finally picked it up and am so glad I did.  It was a really sweet story.  August is a 5th grader who has pretty severe facial deformity.  Finally healthy enough to attend school after years of being home-schooled, this book follows him through 5th grade.  Chapters are mostly from his perspective, but also his sister and some of his classmates.  Palacio manages to tell a very heartwarming story without getting cheesy.  I may have even teared up in a few places.  I've always been a softy, but being a mom has made me even more sensitive when it comes to kids!      

Book Review - Food

Food is a very funny book.  I've been vaguely aware of Jim Gaffigan for quite awhile, but never watched any of his stand-up, so this was all pretty much new material for me.  I did watch a few YouTube videos and some of it is apparently verbatim from his stand up acts, so if you've been a big fan, some of this book will likely be repetitive.

He just talks about food, specifically in America, and says funny things.  The 2 main sections are about the geographic food identities in the US, and then the rundown of all the fast food options.  I laughed out loud multiple times and read the funniest sections out loud to John.  As someone who thinks most seafood is fairly disgusting, I really appreciated his take on shellfish.  They are giant sea bugs.  His whole spiel about McDonald's was spot on, as well.  Everyone acts like they are too good to eat at McDonald's, but they are serving billions somehow.

Anyway, I thought it was a pretty fun book.  And pretty clean.  Sometimes comedians rely so much on being vulgar, but Gaffigan seems to stay PG while also being hilarious.  It probably helps that he has 5 kids.  Now I want to read his other book.  That might be a good audiobook for our long car ride over the holidays.      

Long Week

This week seemed like a month, and I don't really know why.  Probably because Mr. Baby has his first real cold and has been miserable the past couple of days.  He generally sleeps pretty well, but the last 2 nights have been rough.

In other baby-related news, did I mention Mr. Baby has started eating food?  It's ridiculous and messy and lots of fun.  The other day, he had pears and carrots (parrots) for lunch, and then squash and carrots for dinner (squarrots).  I'm having way too much fun inventing words.  Today, he ate prunes, which look alarmingly like barbecue sauce.  When we finished, he sort of looked like he just ate some ribs.  Which would probably taste much better.  Anyway, I'm going to feed him sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving, because it seems like the festive thing to do.

The outfit is from October.  I liked this top enough to wear it twice before sending it back to LeTote.  Remember you can get $25 off your first month if you sign up using my code.  And I really want you to, so I can get $15 off my next month!

Cardigan: Gap factory (similar)
Top: LeTote (similar)
Jeans: Loft (exact)
Shoes:Old Navy (similar)

Blogiversary Quatro

Has it been 4 years already?  I don't know whether to be proud or ashamed that I've kept this up so long.  Anyway, I figured it would be a good time to share my new favorite dress. I picked this up at Loft last week to replace the birthday sweater that didn't fit right.  You know, not that I needed a new dress, but isn't it pretty??  And I've already worn it twice!

Dress: Loft (exact - on sale and extra 40% off!)
Jacket: JCF (similar)
Shoes: Old Navy (similar)

Box Clothes

Sometimes, I'm like "hmm, what should I wear to such and such event?" and lately my husband is like "just wear some of your box clothes!" I guess he's catching on to the idea of LeTote.

I actually got this top in a recent tote, but it was too tight across my chest, so I didn't end up wearing it.  Then I requested it in the next size up in my next tote, because I thought it was pretty cute and wanted a chance to wear it.  It was still a smidge tighter than I would have liked (seriously, they expect you to be very flat!), but I wore it anyway.  Spellcheck is mad about smidge.  Is that not a word now?  Am I just making things up?

Cardigan: Gap factory (similar)
Top: LeTote
Jeans: Gap (exact)
Shoes: Target (similar)

Dog Sweater

A few years ago, there was a similar dog sweater at Old Navy that I almost bought.  I think every blogger had it. But it didn't seem like the type of thing I would wear often enough to justify buying.   So I was kind of excited when LeTote sent me this one, but kind of disappointed because I really want the giraffe sweater instead.  Oh well, maybe next tote.  

I wore this for a recent Friday night dinner with my 2 favorite guys.  It was a big moment for Mr. Baby.  First time sitting in a restaurant high chair.  He's growing up too fast!  

Sweater:  LeTote (similar)

Jeans: Old Navy (similar, similar)

Shoes: Old Navy (similar)

November Minsgame - Week #2

Another week into November, means getting rid of even more stuff!  Here's the details for this week:

• 9 - cleaned out the kitchen sink cabinet - mostly found old cleaning supplies to trash
• 10 - two of my favorite restaurants give you 32oz plastic to-go cups.  I like them, but have more than I need.  These are going to Goodwill
• 11 - cleaned out the cabinet in our hall bathroom
• 12 - cleaned out my makeup drawer.  I should probably toss more than this, but it's a start. 
• 13 & 14 - for someone who rarely wears jewelry (even more so since Mr. Baby was born), I sure have a lot.  I found 27 jewelry items to get rid of.  So this fits for 2 days!  I'm going to try selling most of this, as it's in pretty good condition. I hope the consignment shop will take it!  

This is starting to get more difficult as the numbers get bigger.  I have to actually think about things instead of grabbing a handful of items.  But still, there's plenty of things in my house to get rid of, I just need to think of them!  

Book Review - The Martian

So after many months of being on the wait list, I finally got a copy of the ebook for The Martian.  You've probably heard of it, or at least the movie.  Well, I'd say it was worth the hype.  I really enjoyed it.

It follows an astronaut who gets stuck on Mars, and the story is mostly told through his daily entries in the log.  Obviously, he has some big struggles staying alive on a planet that humans can't live on.  I was a little worried I would get bored of the scientific explanations of what he was doing and why, but those parts seemed helpful to the context of the story.

Now I just need to find a time to see the movie and compare!

Flare and Hair

These are my new jeans, and I'm kind of loving them.  Except that I'm sure the hems are going to be shredded soon because they drag on the ground when I wear flats, which is almost always.

I've also figured out that I feel fat in pictures when my hair isn't down.  I'm sure it's something about proportions. When my hair is down, it's big, so the rest of me looks smaller, maybe?  But if I'm doing anything with Mr. Baby, I can't really have my hair down, because he thinks it's a toy to pull on and try to eat.  So I guess I better get used to my hair being up!

Sweater: H&M (similar)
Jeans: Loft (exact)
Shoes: Old Navy (similar)

Birthday Lunch Dress

Only about 3 weeks late, here's what I wore for my birthday lunch.  This is one of the dresses I bought at The Limited before our October wedding, but didn't end up wearing it.  But I liked it enough to keep it.  I figure it can be dressed up or down, and should work in all seasons of the year.  The blue belt came with it, but I'll probably switch it out for a black one so I can go crazy with all my different colored cardigans.  

Dress (and belt): Limited (similar)
Jacket: JCF (similar)
Shoes: Target (exact without captoe)