Tailor or exchange (for size only) my Giftmas prezzie?

I just love this sweater, but when I tried it on at the family get-together, it seemed to fit just fine. But I was wearing a sweater.... Now, I'm thinking it may be a bit big? You tell me:



I like it so much though. My thoughtful sis Freeda knew I was looking for something I could wear over my cute summer tops and still show more of the top than most jackets or sweaters:



She's really great at picking out gifts for people. Whenever I'm stumped (all too often), I go to her for ideas!

I've been dying to wear this shell to work for ages, so thought I would give it a try. Obviously, it's also a try at black and brown together. How can I get it to hang straighter over the boobular area? Or should I just let it go around like it does now?

The original way it closes:



After some safety-pinning:



I don't like the way the button hangs down... a bit of a design defect, IMO. I can change that easily, though. Even if this sweater is a little big, I'm going to find a way for it to work. It's just TOO GORGEOUS! My outfit pics don't show the detail very well, so here's the front:



And the back- these are three independent panels:



Maybe too independent- I'm thinking of stitching them together a little. Just to lie smoother:



The photos I tried with my work pants just didn't show much. So you get a peek at my PJs, tee-hee.

Oh yeah! My hard-to-match earrings look great with this top:



So the question is: wash it to shrink it up, then take it to the tailor... or get the paperwork from Freeda to exchange for a size smaller?

Top: Freeda's castoff Soma
Sweater: Iman gift from Freeda
Pants: Lane Bryant
Earrings: made by Snookums

A red streak!

Day 3 in red, with no idea why:



That's my newly naked Christmas tree... guess I felt the need to continue the holiday red. Or I'm lazy and this outfit was clean and didn't need ironing. The truth comes out!

But the textures are wintery and cosy:



The pendulum swings... yesterday, I over-accessorized. Today, more typical for me, I didn't pile on enough. I did grab earrings, at least:



I should have worn the matching necklace. It would be right near the crew neckline of this sweater, but not quite so plain, anyway.

No court, so no jacket.

Sweater: VanHusen outlet
Pants: Lane Bryant
Earrings: made by Baby Sis

Lady in Red, or Scarlet Woman?

I had a fantastic evening having cocktails and wings yesterday with a few "ladies" I know through work... they are all an absolute riot! I just have to describe this grouping before I get to the outfit post, so you can form the mental picture:

S is a sweetheart burned-out lawyer in her forties, who is moving away with her fiancee who just got a job transfer and their cute little son, and she hopes to never practice law again.

B is a fifty-something half-Guinea (her words, not mine) half-Mohawk from South Philly with an attitude and a voice like she's gargled with pebbles. She describes her job with a local brilliant-but-eccentric attorney as his "monkey"... legal secretary, bill collector, general enforcer and dogsbody. When I met them, I thought they were married- they good-naturedly bicker like an old married couple.

K is a pushing-sixty former Bostonian local attorney with a fantasticly wry and dry sense of humor and a wife who makes the most incredible pistachio cakes. If I wasn't supposed to be on a damned diet, I would so hit her up for cake. She has two stepkids she refers to as "the boy" and "the girl", and refers to her own non-reproduction as "I haven't done THAT".

T is an amazing secretary who knows everything and everyone, is pushing fifty but doesn't look or act it, with one of the foulest, funniest mouths I've ever witnessed on a woman. She's a single mother by choice because she was running out of time. She used to follow the Dead.

They all have warm hearts, blazing intellects, and attitude to spare. Love it!

OK, I know it's a fashion blog, but I try to post the occasional mental snapshot of my life. Back to the real subject, today's outfit:



Yes, I featured red twice in a row. Freeda will think I've reverted to my "newspaper adolescence". Of course, I ran into an issue:



See it yet? The sleeves on my new sweater shrunk up:



Um... that's not where it's supposed to end up. Sounds familiar... I'm not where I planned to be, but, as evidenced above, I'm finding a place here. And my simple fix for the sleeve issue:



Ta-da! Instant 3/4 sleeves! I'll actually sew them that way when I'm really bored and recuperating from my upcoming surgery.

I rarely wear bracelets- they drive me nuts. But I love this one my friend Lovely made for me for Christmas a few years ago. With Swarovski crystals!



I really DO get the best presents!

Somewhere along the way, I read a fashion tip: "before you leave the house in the morning, take off one thing". I should have done that today. The necklace was too much.

I guess I thought the bracelet wouldn't show under the jacket, and I *might* appear under-accessorized. Hmmm... maybe a trip to the bead shop is in order to make complimentary earrings instead. Would be more fun than the plain silver hoops I wore today.

Sweater: VanHusen outlet
Jacket: VanHusen outlet
Pants: Lane Bryant
Shoes: Ariat
Necklace: JC Penney
Earrings: Gold Mine in Bath, NY
Bracelet: Swarovski gift made by Lovely

Giftmas bouquet

What is it, you ask? Maybe this will clarify:



NOTE: I am always buying "tall" pants from now on. These pants are too short for my Ariat shoes, but my feet are killing me, and they are my most comfortable shoes. So sue me.

It's a scarf my mom made for one of my Christmas prezzies! I absolutely LOVE it. It's smallish, and rectangular- I pinned the ends together to get this "cowl" effect. It makes me feel like my head is popping out of a big soft and floofy red rose bouquet... LOVE!



I'm wearing a v-neck top, so the scarf is soft and lovely against my skin. I wasn't sure if adding the sparkly earrings to the outfit was a bit much, but the colors on the scarf aren't too loud, so here goes:



Top: via Pip's in Corning, NY
Jacket: VanHusen outlet
Pants: Lane Bryant
Shoes: Ariat
Earrings: Premier Designs gift from Hubby
Scarf: made by Mom

December "Do-overs" and time to get wise

So the theme for this New Year's batch of resolutions really seems to be about correcting mistakes...

Health-wise, it's about further rehabbing my injuries, shedding this excess weight I've gained over the last couple years or so, and likely having surgery on my feet to "correct" the heel spurs that are the current bane of my existence.

Personal-wise, I need to stay in better contact with my friends in my hometown. I've always been a cruddy correspondent, and Facebook is probably what's holding some of my relationships together. I really need to pick up the phone more! I also need to make more effort to hang out with people here regularly.

Fashion-wise, I will start by redoing some of the blog outfits that were't quite right, and continue on my quest to look like one of those sharp women I admire.

I'm seeing a theme here... guess I'd better get "wise"!

Obviously, I'm going to try to redo styling the weird red blouse. I'm really questioning whether I will be able to do any better next time. But at least I have lots of great suggestions to play with. I'm girding myself for the challenge!



This should be pretty easy- I'll just switch out my cream sweater for the tight top.



The big issue with the outfit I wore to the office Christmas party is that the top is a smidge short. I'm not yet sure what I'm going to try to deal with that... so if you see it again I'll be just as surprised as you! I love the color combination, so I will either make it work or get something similar.



Sexay! *shudder*

I'm trying to figure out if there's any way to look good in this sweater. I'll try something with a straight hem underneath, and see if that helps.



I have to remember to STOP tying scarves like chokers on my throat- it's not as pretty in real life as it is in my head!

Back to work...

And back to dieting and getting organized. I'm pretty ambitious, not so much for the "New Year", but in general. I'm probably having foot surgery within the next month or so, so I really want to get the apartment squared away before I'm out of commission for a few weeks.



Once again, I left the house with a wet head. Oh well, I'd say I look pretty OK for someone who spent all day yesterday in a car! I had to drive back from the family Giftmas visit... only 9 hours! That's actually really good time....



I'm even pretty proud of my accessorizing on the fly this morning! I can't wait to show off my Christmas pretties over the next little bit, though... I'm just wearing what I already had today.



Sweater: a Liz Claiborne brand via consignment shop
Jacket: VanHuesen outlet
Belt: Nine West
Pants: Lane Bryant
Earrings: Gold Mine in Bath, NY
Scarf: random stand in Paris, France

Happy New Year! See the craziest Christmas present ever!

Out with Hubby and some friends in my old hometown hangout for New Year's Eve:



Sweater: Macy's Style and Co.
Collar and earrings: Premier Designs
Pendant: artist at the Kalamazoo Art Hop
Tiara and deelyboppers: supplied by Lovely

Had a lovely weekend with the family, with lots of hugging and kissing toddlers! A few of my prezzies will show up in future posts, I'm sure... I'm really looking forward to wearing this sweater Freeda got for me!

Belated post from Wednesday... I went to spend Xmas part 2 (aka Giftmas) with the family, so I'm only just getting back to blogging!



Prezzie from one of the secretaries... what is it, you ask? Allow us to demonstrate:



Apparently, Hubby and I have been spotted holding hands while going to lunch, so this mitten is to ensure we still can, even while it's snowing and blowing outside!

Another useful little item that appeared on my desk Wednesday morning:



I love that my office actually gets the updates... although I got a peek at the invoice and almost had a heart attack!

Wednesday was another post-holiday non-court day, so I actually got to wear this sweater to work- it's too thick to fit under any of my jackets:



Sweater: Freeda's castoff Dress Barn
Pants: Lane Bryant