Dilemma

What I Wore

To Dinner With a New Girlfriend

Top - Target/White Jeans - J Crew/Shoes - Target

Earrings - Local Boutique/Bracelet - Rue 21

Once in awhile deciding what to wear is a challenge.  This outfit was the result of trying on multiple options before walking out of my bedroom.  I found out about 4:30 in the afternoon (while at work and dressed for work) that I was got to meet someone new when I got home around 7:00.  My first reaction was excitement of course, followed by the inevitable - "What am I going to wear?"  Since I was already in work clothes, I had no control over a "first" impression based on what I was wearing - and unfortunately, that is not stylish or fashionable since I more or less wear a uniform.  But, I wanted to make up for that by wearing an "okay for meeting the new girlfriend outfit".  Do you think I did okay?  (By the way she was very stylish in red skinny jeans and an ivory peplum lace top.)

Can't Buy Me Love

What I Wore

College Supply Shopping

Shirt - J Crew/Tank - J Crew/Jeans - Gap

Belt - J Crew/Watch - MK/Flip Flops  - Rue 21

 Yes, it's July and yes I am wearing jeans and long sleeves.  But, see those flip flops?  It was cool but definitely not closed toe shoes weather.  I love when temperatures are so perfect that I can wear flip flops and jeans.  I was not uncomfortable or too hot (or too cold) even though we were in and out of stores shopping for college supplies all afternoon and into the evening.  Bed, Bath and Beyond...check.  Target....check.  Best Buy....check.  Dick's Sporting Goods...check.  Best Buy...double-check.  Old Navy...check.  Oh, and that was just part of the "getting ready for college shopping" we did this weekend!  We even joked about the fact that we were really trying to buy our son's love because of the amount of shopping we were getting done before sending him off to college in a few short weeks.  Do you like wearing flip flops when you are running errands, or are do prefer more support in your shoes when you are on the go?

Cuts Like a Knife

What I Wore

Dinner Out With My Boys

Top - (Thrifted) /Leggings - Target/Shoes - Impo (Thrifted)

Earrings - Papparazzi/Watch - MK/Bracelet - Michael's

I spent several hours in an ER yesterday and ended up getting 8 stitches in my forehead.  The laceration behind this unfortunate incident starts right below my hairline and stops right above my eyebrow.  If you look at the close-up photo you can see some of the results of my Harry Potteresque forehead through my bangs.  I have never been so happy to have my hair styled this way, as I am right now!  So, now I not only have to hope that bangs never go out of style, I also need to do my best to keep from getting a horrible scar.  Do you have any words of wisdom on the best way to avoid scarring...or a great cover-up for a scar?

The Nashville Scene

What I Wore

For a Night Out

Dress -  Kohl's /Sandals - Target/Bracelets - Sears

I wore this dress on our recent visit to Nashville.  I absolutely love the dress and don't even care that it was sold in the Junior section and I am far from being a Junior.  When I walked in the store, I saw it hanging near the door, and even though I looked in the "grown up" section, this is the dress I had to come back to.  I liked the Ikat pattern, the high-low style and the mix of colors.  Since I didn't have any yellow sandals (and because everyone knows a new dress calls for a new pair of shoes) I decided that I had to find yellow sandals to wear with my new dress.  I found these at Target (can't find them online for some reason) and Oh My Goodness!  They are soooooo comfortable!  I wore them walking all over downtown Nashville. We walked in and out of crowded "honky tonk" after crowded "honky tonk", and I never once thought about my feet.  I like them so much I am planning to go buy them in every color I can find at the store.  The best part is that I already had picked up the bracelets earlier this summer, when I had spotted them in Sears- only $5 for all 5.  Am I ever glad I got them - I felt they were just right for this dress.  Don't you love when you buy something that you think is a great find not quite knowing what you will wear it with, and then later it becomes the perfect piece to go with something you picked out?

Fake It

I have mentioned that I don't do any kind of editing to my blog photos.  When a friend from college sent me a photo shopped version of a picture that I had used on Facebook, I was shocked at what can be done with a little editing.  My friend admitted that she did actually photo shop the pictures she had put on Facebook! Seeing myself with blonder hair, thinner, younger...well, what's not to like?  Admittedly, when I am choosing a photo to use, I try to pick one that I think is more flattering than another.  But, when I looked at the photos side by side, I decided that I like the real me better than the photo shopped me.  If I post a photo on Facebook or on a blog post, it is not an edited version of me, it is the real me.  So, if you happen to see me in person, you will recognize me and not be shocked at how old I am and how much I weigh!  

Sundown in Nashville

 What I Wore

Watching a Baseball Game

Top - Gap/Camisole - Target/Shorts (Thrifted)/Sandals - Target

Bracelets - Sears/Watch - MK/Hat - Five Below

I am getting ready for a visit to Nashville, Tennessee, and will be there as the title suggests - by sundown.  This isn't the first trip I'll be making to the home of country music, but this will be the longest stay and my best opportunity to see the city so far.  Whenever I get to visit a "new" place, I like to try to see it as if a resident of the city was taking me to some of their favorite spots.  I know that every major city has "tourist" spots, and those are fun to see (like who wouldn't want to see Niagara Falls if you are in the Buffalo, New York area?!).  But, I do like to try to fit in an out of the way diner or a great boutique, that I wouldn't have heard about if I hadn't heard about it from someone who is in the know!   If I'm staying in a hotel (like I will be doing), the staff can give their opinions, but I wonder where you like to find recommendations when you visit a new place?  (Oh, and if you have any great suggestions for shopping, restaurants or fun things to see or do in Nashville be sure to share!!)

Hold On To Your Hat

What I Wore

To a Hair Appointment

Top - Target/Jeans - Gap/Shoes - Sears

Necklace - Rue 21/Watch - MK/Bracelet - Michaels/Hat - Dollar Tree

 

I like how hats look....on other people.  I have several hats and have even asked for some as Christmas gifts.  However, while I have always thought that other people looked great in hats, it is hard to know if I look okay in a hat or if I look just a little silly. So, I don't wear hats a lot.  In fact, this is my first post wearing a hat.  Oh, and did you notice where I got this particular hat?  Yes, at Dollar Tree!  Who would've thought?  Do you wear hats often?  Is so, do you like the way you look in a hat?

Around the World

 

What I Wore

To Apply For My Passport

Top - Target/Shorts - Tommy Hilfiger/Sandals - Old Navy

Watch - MK/Earrings - Old/Bracelets - Michaels and Forever 21

I wore this outfit when I went to apply for my passport.  My first passport.  Yes, you read that right.  I am just now (at my advanced age) getting around to applying for my very first passport. I don't have definite plans to go anywhere outside of the country right now, but, by golly if the opportunity arises, I want to be ready!  Now I can even seriously put in an application for The Amazing Race!  If I got picked to go on The Amazing Race, which means I would get to go around the world, maybe that could make up for all those years I haven't gone anywhere!  What about you, are you well-traveled, passport full kind of person, or are you like me, someone who has stayed close to home most of their life?

Yankee Doodle Dandy

What I Wore

To  Another Baseball Game

Top - Target/Shorts - Old Navy/Sandals - (Thrifted)

Earrings - Forever 21/Bracelet - Michaels

It's summer, so I am wearing shorts.  However, I am not really a fan of the way I look in shorts.  I even really struggle with finding a pair of shorts that I feel comfortable wearing out in public.  But, one thing about sitting at baseball games in the hot summer is that you want to stay as cool as you can, so wearing shorts almost becomes a necessity.   Since I am not a short shorts kinda girl, I get crazy tan lines!  My knees get so much exposure to the sun while I sit for 2 + hours that I then have really dark knees, but *very* white thighs  As for my lower legs, half are white-white and the other half looks just plain old dirty white (because my knees are mostly bent while I sit, the backs get no sun while the front gets very little).  I have tried contortionist style moves to avoid these crazy lines (ankle crossed over one knee to cover it and expose the calf, then switching to the other ankle crossed over the other knee, or folding both legs into the chair so the sides get some sun - and then flipping around and switching to the other side).  But, when all is said and done, I am watching a game and not fully concentrating on how tan my legs are.  Oh, and don't even get me started on how I have to think about my arms - farmer's tan anyone?!  I sometimes wish I had Nicole Kidman skin and didn't have to worry all summer about various shades of tan because I was so perfectly pale!  What about you, do you tan easily, with a lot of effort or are you more of a Nicole?

Takin' Care of Business

What I Wore

To a Baseball Game

Top - (Thrifted) Grane brand /Shorts - Ann Taylor Loft/Sandals - WalMart

Necklace - Paparazzi/Earrings - Paparazzi/Watch - MK/Bracelet - Michaels

I didn't know when I started this blog that I would hear from such awesome people as you.  I read every single comment and each one is really a bright moment in my day.  I am more than thrilled that others enjoy reading my posts and seeing what outfit I put together.  I honestly had no idea that such amazing people would not only comment, but that I would hear from people representing businesses.  One person I heard from is a Piper, an independent consultant for Paparazzi.  I wasn't familiar with Paparazzi, but I was excited to learn that all the accessories that they carry are only $5!  Necklaces like I'm wearing with this outfit - yes, it is only $5!  The earrings - $5! Bracelets, headbands, hairclips and rings are all just $5!  Now, I love accessories, but I also love dressing inexpensively (as you know if you have seen many of my outfits) and $5 for a great necklace is just crazy good!  So, if you have like accessories but you don't like to spend a lot on them, visit Piper and her daughter Kaitlyn's website, and then pop over to Facebook and like their page.  Have you heard about any "new to you" companies recently?

Anchors Aweigh

What I Wore

To A Baseball Game

T-shirt - Target/Jeans - American Rag Co (Thrifted)

Watch - MK/Bracelet - Michael's/Earrings - Forever 21

Just because I live in a state in the middle of the country and the only real water close by is one of the Great Lakes (which is about 4 hours away) doesn't mean I don't love to wear a nautical piece every once in a while.  I  saw this T-shirt on the clearance rack at Target and grabbed it before someone else could.  We used to have a boat, but would only get to use it three times a year - Memorial Day weekend, 4th of July and Labor Day weekend.  When our youngest son began playing in baseball tournaments on two of those holidays, we decided it was time to get rid of the boat.  These days it seems that getting time to spend anywhere near water is very difficult since I work and have a busy schedule.  What about you?  Do you get much time in the water - and is it an ocean, a lake, or a pool?

Freeze Frame

What I Wore

For a visit to Eli's BBQ and Movie Matinee Date With My Son

Tshirt - Walmart/Shorts - Liz Claiborne (Thrifted)/Shoes - Sears

Necklace - Forever 21/Watch - MK/Bracelets - Michaels and Five Below

When I visit a new place, I like to take photos to document my experiences.  Yes, I'm even one of those people who take photos of my food when I'm eating at a restaurant I haven't been to before (and no, I didn't even come close to eating all of that food in the above photo - but it was delicious).  I love that my phone has a camera, so I can take photos without a lot of trouble. Since I rarely go anywhere without my phone, there is no excuse not to get a few snapshots.  What about you, are you someone who uses your phone to take photos too?  (Oh, I am on Instagram if you want to follow the link is on the side. I'd also love to follow you if you leave a link.)

You Wear It Well

What I Wore

To my son's high school graduation

Dress - R&M Richards (bought at Elder-Beerman but cannot find it on their website!)

Shoes - Nine West/Wristlet - Nine West/Bracelet - (Thrifted)

As you may know, I don't wear dresses a lot (I haven't even followed through on my "I'll wear a dress at least one time every month." resolution).  However, I had a reason to wear one recently - my son's high school graduation!  So, of course, I needed to find the perfect dress for this exciting occasion.  I spent one lunch hour at the mall, walking in and out of every store that had dresses (except the larger department stores that I knew I'd need more time in).  I took phone camera photos of anything that struck me and moved on to the next store.  Still not convinced that I had found "the" dress, I went back to the mall the next day heading to the first of the stores I hadn't visited the day before.  Well, that ended up being the last store I went into.  I saw this dress and felt it was possible that my search was over.  Have you ever gone into a dressing room, put on an item, stood there looking at yourself in the mirror and wanting to give someone a high five?  That happened when I looked at myself in the mirror with this dress on.  I just felt like the dress had been made for me to find.  Oh, and those shoes and that wristlet?  I knew that I wanted hot pink accessories, and when I walked into Nine West, there they were - just waiting for me!  What was the last thing that you just knew was waiting at the store for you to find?