Saturday night shout-out and story

Hubby is going out with a friend...



...while I stay home with Stinky. After we pigged out on sweeties, and as I was looking through the channel guide, Stinky says "you passed 'How Do I Look'!". He actually likes to watch it with me... he is certainly going to grow up to be a well-rounded man with great taste!

Just like his Daddy! Of course, I'm always present when Hubby shops for clothes....

Shirt: Van Husen outlet
Jeans: Levis

Guess I should fold up that clean laundry on the floor....

I have to say, Stinky has been very helpful while I've been laid up... such a great kid. Being a stepmom was definitely not part of "the Plan", but I got a pretty great kid as a "bonus" to my darling Hubby.

Postscript:

When Hubby got home, he had a bit of an odd story. His buddy was outside smoking, then when Hubby went out to join him, there was some buzzing and giggling by a few women nearby. Apparently some squealing was involved- they had been talking about how hot MY Hubby is in front of his buddy.

Hubby gave his friend a hug (yeah... he's that guy) and went back inside. His buddy told him later that the girls apologized to him for ogling Hubby-- they hadn't realized they were 'together"!

Which makes me wonder... when Hubby and I got together, his wardrobe was deplorable and his haircut wasn't the most flattering. I *thought* his ex wasn't looking after him properly by letting him wear ill-fitting clothing in unflattering cuts and colors.

Now I'm wondering if she was, in fact, smarter than me....

The soul of the DJ

Reading this page is like someone opened a window into my heart...

Pose for me, baby!

A bit of drama for today... only the pose, not life-drama....

Shirt: VanHusen outlet
Jacket: Jos. A. Bank
Belt: Bass outlet
Pants: Ralph Lauren

I really like his belt, we picked it out because it's super-adjustible for weight loss. Hubby is a pretty avid weightlifter. He's going a little nuts not being allowed to lift or go to kenpo class... but his neck has to heal up a bit more before he can get back to his normal activities.

As for me... I'm shooting to have my second foot done well in advance of kayak season, so I can get out on the lake! Oooh! And I've heard there is a disc golf course nearby! I can take my nice new Trek comfort bike to get there! I'm going to have such a weird tan... I can hardly wait to blog it!

I'm seriously considering cutting our cable package back this summer. Guess it will depend on who is convalescing from what. My foot is already feeling a lot better, so I'm really encouraged. But we still have to get Hubby in a better state.

Big Daddy reminded me today that lying on a couch watching TV recovering from something was how I spent a good chunk of college... too bad I can't get away with the jump boots anymore!

Isn't he cute?

Please ignore the curtain-substitute behind the man... it's strictly a temporary measure against subzero temps. There's an unused door behind it. I know it's tacky.... *sigh* There's no place like Wal-Mart... *click*... OW!!! Guess clicking my heels together knocks against my stitches....

This lilac/lavender(?) shirt is probably our favorite in Hubby's collection. Love the weave:



The photo is no good for the color, though. And Hubby says he didn't wear his tie for most of the day, so he's not putting it back on. He doesn't quite realize he's depriving his growing fan club.

Shirt: VanHusen outlet
Jacket: Jos. A. Bank
Pants: Ralph Lauren

He came home to me in older Lane Bryant jammies:



When I asked Stinky to fetch them yesterday, he asked "the one with the pretty flowers?" That's my boy!

Let's see... today was the last day of Squeaky's Bar exam, so wish her luck!

Read this...

No, really... just read this!.

I'd love to get a discussion started in the comments!

Oh, my pajamas:

Victory!

Hubby had a Friday trial that bled over into Saturday. Because western NY is weird, they actually hold some courts in the evening, and will do trials on Saturday. I've had one too- I HATE Saturday trials!

But at least Hubby's client was deservedly acquitted on all counts!



A relieved Hubby in his awesome windowpane jacket (my fave!):



Jacket: Jos. A. Bank
Watch: Seiko solar-powered watch gift from his dad
Shirt: VanHusen outlet
Tie: VanHusen outlet
Pants: Ralph Lauren

He was greeted by me and the kitties:



Fashion Bug pajama kitties are the only kitties in this household! I'm allergic, and Hubby is traumatized from his first marriage to a crazy cat lady.

My days are still pretty dull, but at least it's frustrating! I just remind myself this will only last a few months *crossing fingers, knocking on wood, casting spells... whatever it takes*, then I get my feet back. I've already decided to buy a really good pair of hiking shoes. Really good. Likely stupid-expensive.

I've moved on to reading "The White Queen", also by Philippa Gregory. A fictionalized account of Elizabeth Woodville... the pre-Tudor Queen of England, and maternal grandmother of Henry VIII. She was apparently widely believed to be a witch.

"Clean House" keeps showing the same episodes, so I'm not getting my voyeuristic fun in. "Hoarders" isn't fun, just tragic.

Hubby's look of the day

I remember folding down his collar over a tie this morning... but Hubby swears he took it off shortly thereafter, so it doesn't count.

Shirt: VanHusen outlet
Jacket: Jos. A. Bank
Pants: Ralph Lauren
Belt: Bass outlet

Quiet day for me... just napping, munching, reading, and watching the Style Network.

Post-surgical fashion

A lovely boot provided my my podiatrist, with my own folded-over athletic sock:



I actually flipped the pillow over so you would see the pretty satin, but I'm really resting on the cotton side so the velcro doesn't wreak havoc.

Squeaky has been staying with me during the day, while Hubby is working. Which is hugely helpful! She's studying for the Bar, which is next week. Oh, the misery! So I'm timing her and here to explain something when she gets stuck. Win-win!

So on her breaks, we've been watching "Clean House", and while she studies I've started reading "The Red Queen" by Philippa Gregory. It's a fictionalized account of the life of Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry Tudor.

After Hubby got home for work, I insisted he step in for "outfit of the day" duty:



I love the plaid on this tie, but it's seen better days:



Hubby is kind of hard on things....

Jacket: Jos. A. Bank
Shirt: VanHusen outlet
Tie: VanHusen outlet
Belt: Bass
Pants: Ralph Lauren

Then I got Hubby to help me with a shower... and change into fresh new jammies (don't want to draft Squeaky unless there is no choice... that's a bit much to ask):

Last day of work (temporarily)

Yeah... didn't get nearly as much wrapped up as I hoped for, despite the weeks of effort. *sigh*

Everybody and their sister wore red today... so I went with pink and blue. I'm such a rebel that way!



I'm not sure how to wear this thick silk scarf for "indoor" use- any ideas?

I figured pulling my hair back into this pretty clip would keep me from completely tearing it out by the roots:



After work, with a few of my follicles still intact, time for a major destress manicure followed by a massage. I decided to go with something I can't get away with at work:



It's an OPI set that Serena Williams endorses. Do I look as good as Serena now? OK... at least my nails look cool....

Top: Tribal via Pip's in Corning, NY
Jacket: VanHusen outlet
Pants: Lane Bryant
Earrings: Lia Sophia
Scarf: random store in Toronto, Canada
Hair clip: I'll bet it's a gift from Mom... memory hazy....

Preparations for surgery

To clear any confusion (Terri!), I have had elective foot surgery scheduled for over a month. Then we had the scare with Hubby. But since he doesn't need immediate surgery... we decided it was best for me to go ahead with mine as scheduled.

To that end, I've been doing a lot of preparations this weekend. To start, pajama-shopping:



I checked out some library books:



Then a lovely pedi:



Tackling a ginormous pile of laundry:



And lots of other cleaning... including dusting and completely reorganizing my living room shelves:





I still have a lot of work to go... Tuesday is the day!

Friend Friday procrastinator

I was just starting to post last night, but Hubby wanted a cuddle... and I dropped right off to (apparently badly-needed) sleep early.



I was exhausted Thursday also, so Friday morning, after abusing the snooze button again, I flew around for a quickie shower and makeup, grabbed pants I already wore this week and a sweater so I could skip ironing... the earrings I fell asleep in, so no problem there! No court= no jacket needed. So I just grabbed for that one thing to make the outfit "blog-worthy":



No time to mess with my hair, so I just pulled it back and sprayed that sucka down:



And out the door! Only a little late.... the photos are from the end of the day, so my hair is coming apart a little. Oh well....

Sweater: VanHusen outlet
Pants: Lane Bryant
Earrings: gift from a friend
Scarf: I've had it about a hundred years, and it's origins have been clouded by time.

Friend Friday- all about color

1. What color dominates your closet?

For decades, it was black... but now, oddly enough, it seems to be brown. I also adore red, and always have a good supply on hand... it makes me feel better.

2. If money weren’t an issue how would you change the color emphasis in your closet?

For me, it's not so much the money issue, as it is the fit issue. I now have a lot of brown in my wardrobe because the only pants I found for awhile that fit my bodacious curves happened to be brown. So I bought more brown stuff to go with them.

I would definitely go with more greys and navys in pants/suits. If only I could find suits that fit, and that I'm not allergic to. I have a better chance of seeing a unicorn!

My "upper-body" wardrobe already has a wide variety of color. My coloring tends to look best in rather "odd" colors, so I just grab whatever fits and complements my skintone. Then figure out how to work it into the rotation.

3. What is your mantra about mixing colors?

I'm not fearless, but reading all these fashion blogs is helping me get braver. So as long as I think colors make sense together, and don't look to "chopped-up"... I'm going for it!

4. For you, how do you incorporate color into your outfits?

Needing to wear jackets near-daily really forces me to incorporate more color. Because I'm so tough to fit, if a jacket can be made to fit by careful tailoring (nothing EVER fit off-the-rack) I buy it. And make it work, because I bought it, so I'm wearing it- dangit!

5. Which blogger(s) do you think do a good job of incorporating color into their wardrobe?

All hail Queen Sheila! She is probably my biggest inspiration, and I'm getting bolder thanks to her influence. Of course, I'm still in the "making comical mistakes" phase... but I'll cope.

And Iman- who I've already decided to do a feature on, look for it later this month!

Windup to medical leave

Whew! Super-busy week pulling everything together at work and at home, so the world won't come to a screeching halt while I'm spending my paid "vacation" on the couch on drugs watching the Travel Channel.



Maybe my TV will take me to Bali....

In the meantime... court, paperwork, lunch with a girlfriend bemoaning a breakup (hers- not mine!), and pajama-shopping for my upcoming convalesence. Most of today was spent huddled up against the decidedly non-tropical, un-fun arctic chill in my scarf-as-shawl:



Have I mentioned how much I love this scarf? I know I've blogged this outfit before... but its hard to mess with perfection!



And these earrings have been making frequent appearances lately, probably because the slightly dulled colors and hammered-out texture make them so versatile:



Top: Freeda's castoff AB Studio
Jacket: VanHusen outlet
Pants: Lane Bryant
Earrings: gift from a friend
Scarf: purchased at a random stand in Paris, France

Pretty printcess

I love, love, love this sweater- but I don't feel comfortable wearing it to work without something under it:



And I adore the print in this blouse:



So much love today....

It's actually too short, and the sleeves are too short, as well. But I adore the print. I got it for $2... so it's well worth having the sleeves altered. Now I just need to remember to do it- I've just been rolling them up. But under my sparkly sweater... it's magic.

Of course, a jacket:



I really wanted my navy one, but it doesn't match my pants. That would bug the snot out of me all day, so beige it is!

Plain gold hoops to go with the necklace, and I'm off to work and a Junior League meeting.

Too bad these photos don't look so great... am I going to have to watch more "America's Next Top Model" to learn to pose? Project for my medical leave, perhaps?

Shirt: Liz Claiborne via consignment shop
Sweater: INC from Macy's
Pants: Lane Bryant
Jacket: Talbot's petite
Necklace: purchased wholesale from a friend
Earrings: Lia Sophia

Yesterday's experiment, today

I had a very late night, so I didn't get to post before my collapse from the sheer exhaustion of trying to carry off this look all day:



This is one of my favorite summer tops, and it has been hanging in my closet... taunting me! I saw it hanging next to the long-sleeved tee. And the gerbils in my head where my brain should be started spinning their wheels.

Why not try it? It was just an "office-day" anyway.

Whoops! I had to go the night court after all. So I tossed on a jacket:



This looked much better in my head....

Tank: Lane Bryant
Shirt: VanHusen outlet
Jacket: Talbot's petite
Pants: Lane Bryant
Jewelry: gift from a friend

Big scares, big news... and a guest blog of sorts

Who CARES about my clothes this last week? Not me!

I wore a repeat today: "Chocolate Cherry". Wednesday, I wore a blog-worthy outfit, and wanted to show a "fix". I didn't have a chance to blog it before the fit hit the shan.

I've been offline because we had a horrid scare. Hubby had been having a lot of neck pain, and Dr. T sent him for an MRI Tues. Wed morning, she called him, FROM HER HOME, telling him that if he makes the wrong move he could be paralyzed! He actually called in to work earlier, because his neck bothered him.

He called me, and I left my office in near-hysterics. I had to drive him to a real city over two hours away to get him to a neurologist. The head of neurology at a respected hospital, actually.... Cliff Notes version: MRI wasn't detailed enough, and made it look even scarier than it is.

But Dr. T made the right call, and we are truly grateful.

But I've never been so terrified in my life!

I changed from my work clothes to a sweater and jeans while we were waiting for a call from Dr. T, and I remember when changing into PJs that night that my sweater smelled like "Fear". Certainly didn't want photos of my puffy-eyes, tear-stained, abject-terrorized self.

We didn't learn for certain that immediate surgery wasn't necessary Friday afternoon. We spent the weekend recovering from the strain.

Then today... got a text from Baby Sis: "read (my niece's) T-shirt, then call me":



Figure out the big news yet?

Resolution recap

I was going to re-do five less-than-stellar outfits from my December recap, but didn't get a round tuit until toward the month. So much for dealing with my chronic procrastination! And resisting the occasional impulse to channel my dad's bad puns.

... and I only tried two "do-overs", succeeding at only one:



Which got some lovely compliments... The other was another attempt at wearing this odd sweater:



Have I mentioned that I'm a lifelong underachiever? According to scores of K-12 teachers, anyway. Considering that my slack-azz self holds three law licenses... I wonder sometimes what I *could* have done. Like learn to shop cohesively? ;/

So I need to redo the redo with the weird sweater. Freeda thinks I should give up on it, but I'm not quite ready to throw in the sweater. Ugh- bad pun... FAIL!

Not only to I have previous wardrobe failures to correct, I added new ones in January. Two of them involved my too-big Iman sweater, which should be corrected in due course. The other likely redo:



The only thing I didn't like was that the sweater and scarf don't quite tonally match. And turtleneck sweater + thick scarf = Hulk neck. While Hubby is a big fan of The Hulk, I don't think he wants to be married to "Hulk-neck".

But I like the scarf with the jacket. I like the sweater with the jacket. A puzzlement.... (Now I'm channelling Yul Brynner? The King of Siam was almost as constant a presence in my household as my dad, I suppose).

And the award for most coma-inducing abuse of the color red goes to:



zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......

Was I even trying that day, or was I semi-consious? Most mornings, as an unfortunate side effect of insomnia, the latter is highly likely!

My truly bad idea in January will fit into another post at another time. I have a month of jammie-time (aka FMLA leave) coming up, so I need to save some stuff to post... or you will be looking at a test pattern. I will try to achieve more between drug-induced naps.

Lately, I have been noticing I'm now carrying some extra luggage under my eyes. Daily photos are bringing that to my attention. *sigh* Am I doing to have to start Preparation H-ing them in the mornings? That will be another two minutes' sleep lost.

Maybe I will look at that last photo. That should put me right out!