All Aboard!

Friday night, we got all dressed up for John's company's Christmas party.  It was downtown at the Durham Museum (old Union Station), so we took the opportunity to take a picture on the train.  I wish they had some landscape pictures outside the window, so it actually looked like I was going somewhere. 

I almost wore my new green glitter shoes, but I thought it was a bit much, and I was pretty sure they'd be ruined the second they got snowy.  I think I tried on 10 pairs of shoes before I settled on these.  It was the wrong decision for sure.  Next year, I need to remember that there is a LOT of standing around, so I need to wear more comfortable shoes.  By the end of the night, I almost couldn't walk, especially on the ice and snow!  As of Monday morning, my toes are still a little numb.  That can't be healthy. 

Anyway... this dress is from Ann Taylor, and it was originally $138.  The other day, I stumbled across a blogger who had bought it full price, and was explaining that sometimes it is worth it to splurge on such a great basic item.  It's on sale online now for $99.  I got it for 7.  That's right, SEVEN dollars.  That is 95% off the original price.  It makes me feel a little ridiculous that my belt cost twice as much as my dress, but I think I'll manage. 

Dress: Ann Taylor
Belt:  Francesca's
Shoes:  BCBGirl
Clutch:  Loft

Snow Boots, kind of

This is what I wore to work on Friday.  It was snowing again, and I felt like being as comfortable and cozy as possible. 

I bought these fleece inserts for my Wellies a few months ago, and this was their debut.  I thought they were genius when I first got them, but there were a few practical problems:

1. There was really no good way to get them all assembled.  I tried putting the insert into the boot, but then it got tangled up when I tried to put it on my foot.  I finally put it on like a sock, and then put the boot on.  But then my toes were kind of smashed.  I don't know.  Maybe it's just me.

2.  There was so much fleece crammed into the boot, that it was super tight around my arch, so I lost circulation in my toes.  At work, I just slipped my boots off, but this would have been a problem if I was out and about.  Again, maybe this isn't a problem for most people.  I suppose a flatter foot might work better.

Despite the problems, I really loved the way these looked, with the polka dots on both the boots and the cuffs.  

Shirt:  Gap
Sweater/Hoodie:  Gap
Coat:  DKNY
Hat: Gap
Jeans: Old Navy
Boots: Target
Boot Inserts: Betsey Johnson from Marshall's.

Throwback Thursday - Engage-iversary

Five years ago today, the love of my life asked me to marry him.  Of course, I said yes! 

We were supposed to go out to dinner on Dec 9th, but when John picked up my ring on the 8th, he didn't want to wait a day.  I had been hoping to buy a new dress on Saturday, but had to work with what I had in my closet.  

I bought this dress at Next at a 5am sale when I studied abroad at Oxford in 2005.  It was £7.49 (about $15).  Totally worth it.  I had just recently bought these Unlisted shoes for my friend's wedding in February 2007.  Being December in Nebraska, it was pretty much freezing outside, so I added tights, a cardigan, wool coat, scarf, hat, and gloves.  This picture was taken in the hallway of my apartment before John came to get me.  I have no idea why I look so nervous.  

We went out for dinner, and then were walking back to my dorm.  When he was about to propose, one of my friends jogged by and yelled "HI ANDI!" which kind of ruined the whole romantic moment.  After we were officially engaged, we went to a coffee shop nearby to warm up and call our parents to share the news. 

This is the face of a very happy girl:

And here's one of us together.  Happy Engage-iversary!!*

*No, Engage-iversary isn't really a word.  Yes, I make up words for events that I want to celebrate.  

Wedding Wednesday - 10 years ago

December 2001 - My brother got married!  I cannot believe he and his wife are about to celebrate 10 years.  This outfit was really thrown together at the last minute, because I had been looking for the perfect thing to wear, and never really found it.  This was also before I had a digital camera, so I took very few pictures, and in this one, I'm hugging my brother, but you get the basic idea of what I was wearing.

What you can't see in the picture is my sparkly hair.  I had a friend who volunteered to give me a cute updo, and she added quite a bit of glitter as her finishing touch.  Ok for prom, not really ok for your brother's wedding.

One other problem with this outfit:  During formal pictures, I was on the end, and the background was really dark, so it looks like my face is just floating out in the middle of space.  Didn't think that one through!

I don't remember what brand any of this was, but here's a rundown on what I was wearing

Black cashmere turtleneck: from Sam's Club
Skirt:  from Dillard's Junior's section (don't think I ever wore it again)
Boots:  from TJ Maxx.

Optometrist and Old Guy Approved

This afternoon, I went to the eye doctor.  I've been looking for a good eye doctor in town for a few years, and I think I finally found her!  She was wearing super cute metallic snakeskin flats, and she complimented my skirt and boots.  We then discussed the popularity of skinny jeans, and how it is sometimes hard to make the jump when you've always worn boot-cut.  What a great eye doctor!  Oh, she also did a good job at checking my eyes, and stuff.

After my eyes were dilated and I pretty much couldn't see anything up close, I picked out some new glasses, and then wore my very old glasses for the rest of the day (pictured above).  It was pretty tricky to make a choice, since I couldn't see unless I was about an inch away from the mirror.  I ended up with some blue Kate Spade frames, so hopefully they are cute.  Anyway, here's a true story from glasses shopping:

I'm picking out a few frames, and trying them on in the mirror, and I hear a wolf whistle behind me.  In situations like this, my first response is always to ignore it.  Maybe it will go away.  So, I try on the next pair, and hear a very old man's voice saying "Those look good!"  and I catch his reflection in the mirror.  He's really really old, so I figure I can be nice and say thanks.  Then he pulls out this gem of a line:

Hey, are you from Tennessee?  Because you're the only TEN I SEE!  

Get it??  80 year old men are so creative!  I immediately sent my husband a text letting him know what a catch I am!

Cardigan: Gap
T-shirt:  Loft
Skirt: Gap
Tights: Target
Boots:  Rampage
Glasses:  Donna Karen (probably from about 1998 or so).

DIY Glittery Shoes

I recently saw this post and immediately wanted to try it.  I didn't have any shoes that I was ready to glitterize, so I went searching at Goodwill and found these Franco Sartos for $3.99!

It was tough to decide what color of glitter to go with.  I thought black would be the most reasonable choice, but then I threw caution to the wind and went with green.  Here are my supplies:

I basically followed the instructions from the link above, but here they are: 

1. I used saran wrap and tape to wrap up the heel of the shoe.  I never mastered painting in the lines in elementary school.
2. Then, in a disposable bowl, I mixed up the glue and glitter.  
3. Paint the glitter glue mixture onto the shoes, sprinkling extra glitter where needed.
4. At this point, I let the glue dry, and then came back later and re-applied glue and glitter on the sparse areas.
5. After that is dry, I journeyed to the garage to spray the clear coat over the shoes.  Again, I stuffed the inside of the shoes with aluminum foil, and also wrapped the buckles to prevent the clear coat getting everywhere.  

Here's the finished product:  

I'm pretty pumped about my new shoes!  I just have to figure out an appropriate event and outfit for them.  Husband's work Christmas party?  Maybe.

I will say if you try this, I'd recommend shoes without a buckle.  I really love the look of the buckle, but I can already tell the glitter and clear coat is going to wear off around the buckle.

Winter Wonderland

We got our first real snow of the winter over the weekend!  It pretty much snowed all day on Saturday, so we thought it was the perfect night to try out our fireplace for the first time.  It was so cozy!!  The only problem is that we are out of Hot Chocolate mix!  I'll have to remedy that next time I'm at the store.   

Here's my outfit from Sunday.  It was pretty cold outside, so we took 2 pictures before running inside to warm up.  This is the picture where my eyes are open and my hands aren't flailing around. 

Black v-neck tee:  Gap

Cardigan:  Gap

Skirt: Autograph New York (from either Marshalls or TJ Maxx)

Tights:  no clue

Boots:  Bare Traps