A Little Perspective...

Sometimes you just need a little perspective on life. I've been feeling a little overwhelmed (and, to be frank, sorry for myself) lately. You know, woe is me...I have to buy more Christmas presents, I have no time, I got a ticket for expired tabs (let's not go there), I have to wrap presents, I still haven't done Christmas cards, Our TV crapped out, blah, blah, blah. So, there are often people with signs at the exit I take to get to my house. The one yesterday was a woman with a sign that said (something to the effect of) Mom of three - everything helps. Whenever we see someone in this situation, BooBoo says, "Oh, that poor man/woman - he/she's hungry. Mom, give him/her some food." Well, snacks are something I am rarely without - cash I am rarely with, but kid food is pretty much a constant. So, I pushed down my window and offered her two packages of cookies and some fruit snacks and said something like, "There, one for each child." Her reply was, "Oh, wonderful. Now I've got stocking stuffers." I could have cried. Here I was feeling sorry for myself because I had to go out and get just the right movies (at $20 a pop) for my girls' stockings and there's this woman standing out on the corner, relieved to get some treats for her kids' stockings. I think nothing of these treats - we've got them all over the house. I said a silent prayer of thanks and drove my sweet daughter home.

Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. God bless you and those you love. Pray that I remember to renew my tabs on time next year. Peace.

Back to my (important to me, but not important in the entire scheme of the universe - perspective, you know) wardrobe. Oh, first my Christmas presents part II: workout bag, towel, socks, shoelaces, water bottle, $100 gift certificate toward new athletic shoes, mixed nuts & wild rice (my employer); lime-y green super-soft bathrobe (J to the H); plaid pajama pants and coordinating slippers (J to the B). I am blessed with the best friends, family and co-workers.

Wednesday: white tee, pink fleece hoodie, medium rinse jeans (S & B), fUggs
Thursday: (work Holiday Party) black 3/4-sleeve scoopneck sweater, lavender pleated silk skirt, black pearl & diamond necklace, gold hoops, black tights, black patent peep-toe platforms, midnight blue Kate Spade handbag

PS - Shout out the The Schma - See, your babies will always need you. Hugs and Kisses.

Christmas Cheer

I got this from my friend Anna in Colorado and thought, What better way to share my vastly important and entertaining thoughts with the maximum number of people? So, here goes...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I spent one Holiday Season wrapping gifts at then Marshall Field's, now Macy's and forever Dayton's, so I use the occasional gift bag, but I prefer wrapping gifts and do so in a completely anal fashion.

2. Tree--Real or Artificial? Faux.

3. When do you put Christmas tree up? Usually Thanksgiving weekend or the first weekend in December.

4. When do you take the tree down? Some time after Epiphany (January 6th), but hopefully not too long (as I have done in the past).

5. Like egg nog? Not one little bit.

6. Do you have a nativity scene? No.

7. Favorite gift received as a child? My Barbie Town House.

9. Easiest person to buy for? The Cheap Chick.

10. Worst Christmas gift? I got a hideous sweater from my college boyfriend's mom - the year was 1993, the sweater was an off-white mockneck tunic length acrylic creation covered in 3-D shapes in neutral tones. The shapes included curlicues, swirls, grapes and other such lovely things.

11. Mail or email a Christmas card? Mail.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? The Grinch.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? December 26th, Baby!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I can remember.

15. Favorite food to eat on Christmas? Cream wafer cookies.

16. Clear or colored tree lights? Either way - just not all blue or purple.

17. Favorite Christmas Song? Highbrow: O Holy Night or the Alleluia Chorus from Handel's Messiah Lowbrow: Santa Claus Is Coming to Town as sung by Springsteen or Jingle Bell Rock

18. Travel during Christmas or Stay home? Stay close to home.

19. Can you name Santa's reindeers? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph.

20. Angel or Star on Tree top? Angel.

21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve with The Blonde One's extended family and Christmas morning with our immediate family and my extended family. Other opportunities as they occur.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People yammering on incessantly about how busy they are during the Holidays and how they can't do anything else this time of year.

So, I've gotten a few gifts already. A Starbuck's gift card (name draw), three angel pins (Aunt & Uncle), bookcase and baskets (Schma & Padre), small midnight blue satin Kate Spade handbag and handmade stained glass business card holder (Boss Lady), bottle of red (Boss Man) and large midnight blue velvet Nine West handbag and teal/chocolate/lime argyle socks (The Cheap Chick). Now I need some midnight blue shoes and a new dress (or two) to show off my fabulous handbags. My handbag from The Cheap Chick was actually on TV today, as The Cheap Chick was on KARE11 talking about her $20 spending experiment. My handbag is famous!

Tuesday's ensemble - white v-neck tee, olive corduroy belted blazer, dark rinse jeans (Mossimo), silver & brown earrings, brown high-heeled boots

Mama Needs a New Pair of Shoes

So, I ordered my Schma a pair of black mary jane kicks from Cutesy Shoes for Christmas. For those of you who don't know Cutesy Shoes, they're a fabulous website full of inexpensive shoes and they offer free shipping for orders over $50. Since the Schma's shoes only cost 28.00, I could either pay $10 for shipping or buy myself some shoes and get free shipping. Which do you think I chose? I ended up ordering three - count 'em three - pair of shoes for less than $52! I am so excited for my shoes to come - I got a pair of camel peep toe platform pumps and a pair of totally retro turquoise and yellow hidden platforms. I cannot wait to pull out these totally funky shoes. Merry Christmas to me!

Monday - eggplant long-sleeved tee, wrap-y, cape-y thing in shades of blue, green and purple (it's cute, trust me), knee-length jean skirt, turquoise jade drop earrings, black cableknit tights, purple and pewter suede wedges.

Sometimes You Just Have to Rack It!

So, the other day at work one of my quotes came back to me. Usually when that happens it's something inane that I said, like when I told The Blonde One very earnestly, "You get what you receive." Yes, yes you do. Sigh. Anyhoo, at work on Tuesday, my friend BOASt (that's Boobs On A Stick, but it's meant in the nicest way possible), complimented me on my ensemble. I made some mumbling comment about my cleavage and BOASt replied, "As my good friend (The Material Girl) once said, sometimes you just have to rack it!" I laughed out loud. It's true, though, sometimes you do. Keep in mind that I spent the first 28 years of my life without much rack to speak of (I was a modest 34B until becoming pregnant with LooLoo). I have spent the last 7 years (due to pregnancy, nursing and excess adipose tissue) as a 36C or D. I realize that a 36C is not exactly porn-star sized, but it's definitely cleavage-inducing, which is still a foreign concept to me. I've never been one to go without a bra, but now I can't. And, there is a definite difference depending on the bra I wear, as push-ups now actually have something to push-up and they do it with a vengence. It can actually get a little bit horrifying.

Continued from two weeks ago:
Tuesday - red v-neck ribbed sweater, black pants, black pointy-toed stilettos
Wednesday & Thursday - nothing worth writing home about - probably a long-sleeved tee, definitely jeans and fUggs

Last week:
Monday - light blue camisole and long-sleeved wrap shirt, khaki cords, silver hoops, silver and shades of blue necklace, brown high-heeled boots
Tuesday - nude camisole with gold flecks, red wrap shirt, oatmeal cardigan, black skinny jeans, black belt with gold buckle, shades of red bead necklace, garnet studs, black pointy-toed stilettos
Wednesday - teal old-lady tracksuit, as I was home sick
Thursday - some sort of long-sleeved shirt, dark-rinse jeans (Old Navy), brown belt, brown suede fUggs

The Essential LooLoo and BooBoo

This is one of my favorite pics of LooLoo and BooBoo. It's just so them. LooLoo is running gazelle-like, hair flying in the wind, and BooBoo is stopping to explore (and probably get into something messy).

The Best-Laid Plans of Mice and Moms

Unfortunately, I tend to be an all-or-nothing person. Therefore, when I am good (about blogging) I am very, very good and when I am bad (about blogging) I am horrid. I have the best intentions, but life just seems to happen around me sometimes.

Last week's wardrobe choices were tragic. I actually wore athletic-type shoes every day of the week. And I wore warm-up pants twice. (I have to admit that my new maroon warm-up pants are about the most comfortable pants I have ever worn and I want them in every color. Mossimo from Target for only $17.99, but I got mine on sale for $12.99. Fabulous!) We have training at work this week, so I decided to start off my Monday looking relatively decent. I gotta tell you, though, high heeled boots and large snowbanks are not a fun combination. I really need to wear practical shoes outside and change inside, but I never do.

Monday - pink v-neck tee and fleece hoodie, dark pink warm-up pants and pink mary jane sneaks.
Tuesday - beats the crap out of me, but it wasn't great.
Wednesday - black cashmere sweater, dark rinse jeans, black kicks.
Thursday - brown long-sleeved tee, oatmeal cardigan sweater, maroon fleecy warm-up pants, olive Skechers.

Today (Monday) - red cowel neck 3/4 sleeve sweater, black tulip hem corduroy skirt, black tights, tall black boots with silver buckles, silver hoops.

The Toothless Wonder

LooLoo has lost her very first tooth! The Tooth Fairy visited and utilized the cute Tooth Pillow the Schma (my Mom) created for her. (LooLoo is a notoriously light sleeper, so we needed something that could hang on her doorknob rather than something that would go under her pillow.) My potatoes are getting so grown up!

We had a heatless weekend (our furnace has issues annually), but the sad thing was that I didn't even realize it until late Sunday morning and the temperature in the house was down to 55 degrees. Yes, I noticed it seemed cooler than usual Friday night, but I keep the house pretty cold anyway, so there you have it. The wonderful furnace-fixer was at our house shortly after 8am Monday and the temperature was creeping up within no time. I do have to admit, though, that having been cold for the entire weekend significantly impacted my choice of clothing Monday.

Monday - big, heavy Irish wool sweater, brown long-sleeved t-shirt, mid-rinse denim jeans (Steve & Barry's), gold cuff earrings and olive Skechers
Tuesday - coral 3/4 sleeved tunic, light yellow ribbed tank, khaki bootcut cords, heathered oatmeal wrap, larger gold hoops and tortoise-shell patent peep toe flats with bow (brand new and super-cute - clearance at Target)

That Can't Be My Daughter!

This is a series of random thoughts, so read with caution. (Since this is my blog, it's all about me and I know you all care about my every synapse-firing, so I will subject you to my ramblings!)

I had BooBoo's first parent-teacher conference today. All is well at school, but (WARNING: this will come as a shock to anyone who knows BooBoo at all!) her teacher commented about how quiet BooBoo is three separate times on her evaluation. What?!? Trust me, "quiet" is not a word I would EVER use to describe BooBoo - I spend most of my day telling her to use her indoor voice and settle down. It's just so weird to see your child through someone else's eyes, especially in a non-familiar situation. Everything else her teacher said matched up with the BooBoo I know, but quiet just doesn't. Energizer Bunny? Yes. Flexible? Yes. Social? Yes. Quiet? No. Interesting, eh?

I have double ear infections and can't hear a thing except for the ringing in my ears and any other sounds in my head. I've hardly eaten for two days now because I can't stand the sound of my own chewing, not that it's impacted my waistline any. I kept having to have everyone repeat things at work tonight, so they finally started shouting out their yeses and nos at our meeting tonight. Sigh.

I have finished The Cheap Chick's Christmas presents. Yay me! I'm ready to start on my next project.

I wore my jeans tucked into my boots yesterday. I always feel a little costume-y when I do that, but I am trying to take more clothing risks and expand my horizons, so I did it anyway. I got lots of compliments, so I guess it worked, but it was challenging for me. Isn't it interesting how something so little can seem so big?

Sah-wa and I were talking about celebrity look-alikes at work tonight. I commented that as long as no one said my celeb-twin was Jabba the Hutt, I'd be fine. Sah-wa then asked who Jabba the Hutt was. Oh, these kids today...they think Jar-Jar Binks belongs in "Star Wars"! (Actually, Sah-wa has never seen any of the "Star Wars" movies at all, but that is neither here nor there. How can you not have seen "Star Wars" or "The Empire Strikes Back" or even "Return of the Jedi"?)

Random enough for you?

Wednesday - teal long-sleeved tee, oatmeal long cardigan, multi-colored floral embroidered brown leather belt over cardigan, mid-rinse straight-leg jeans, gold cuff earrings and tall brown flat boots with jeans tucked in
Thursday - lemon yellow ribbed tank, black v-neck empire 3/4 sleeve tunic, dark rinse straight-leg jeans, gold cuff earrings, green amethyst necklace, lime green and cold cashmere scarf and black kicks

Holy Crap!

I can't believe I forgot to post last night. Aargh.

Tuesday - dark bootcut jeans (Levi's), pink v-neck tee, brown, white & darker pink (NOT matching pink) plaid fitted shirt, gold cuff earrings, brown high-heeled boots and a very addled brain

It's a Matchy-Matchy World

I struggle with the matchy-matchy bug. It's all I can do not to obsessively match everything - it's a coup if I can avoid matching my lipstick and eye shadow to what I'm wearing. The Cheap Chick and I call it Lucky-fying our outfits when we throw something unexpected into the mix - after the infinite wisdom and mixing abilities of the staff at Lucky magazine (my fashion go-to of choice). There was a time when my bra and underwear were sure to match my outfit, but those days are long gone (especially since my bras are much less decorative than they once were). Here's to taking chances and trying the unexpected!

Monday - dark (Mossimo) jeans, Gap Inspi(red) v-neck tee, camel corduroy blazer, gold cuff earrings, shades of red beaded necklace, red peep-toe platform pumps

Is it Possible?

Here are some cold medicine-fueled ramblings from The Material Girl...
Is it possible to watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition without tearing up (or sobbing, depending on the show)? I've never managed it, but there may be someone out there who can.
Is it possible to have enough clothes? Hell no!
Is it possible to have too many pairs of shoes? See above.
Is it possible to go a day without LooLoo and BooBoo fighting? I don't think it's happened since they both started talking - probably not even before then since they could have territory battles without exchanging a word. One day they may stop hanging out together, in which case I will lament how they used to spend all their time together (and forget that much of it involved fighting over every little thing).
Is it possible for my house to be any messier than it is today? Probably, but I'd rather not go there.
Is it possible to care less about how messy my house is today? Probably not.
Is it possible for 90% of Hollywood starlets to weigh any less than they do? Not if they want to remain breathing. Seriously, eat a fricking sandwich or twelve!
Is it possible for me to want a Diet Coke any more than I do right now? Not unless I were totally hungover, which I am not.

Body Image Nightmares

Access Hollywood has made November its Body Image Month and I'm starting to panic. I have two daughters, both of whom are beautiful and perfect in every way. However, they are very different - LooLoo is extremely petite at only 33.5lbs, while BooBoo is small but a bit closer to average at 32.5lbs (keep in mind that they are two years apart). I know what body image does to girls and women - I've suffered and tortured myself along with most of my gender. I've hated my body, lamented my curves, despised my height - you know the drill. And you know what? I wasn't much happier with my body when I weighed fifty pounds less than I do now. Sure, I wish parts were tighter than they are now and I would like substantially less adipose tissue than I have currently, but I've also been too thin in the past and wouldn't care to go back there (I get way too chinny and my butt looks proportionately even larger, but, see, there I go again). I guess all we can do is to try to be realistic about ourselves and others and teach our children to honor their bodies as they are. It's going to be a long road ahead, isn't it?

Blast from the Past

I've known Courtney (who's posted on my blog a few times) since 6th grade (that would be 1983 for those of you who don't know how old The Material Girl is). So this is an ode to Middle School fashion (mine, that is).

Sixth grade was characterized by Lee Riders - you know, the pleated, tapered Lees. I had jeans and light gray cords. I also loved my gray and pink Nikes, polo shirts, sweaters and Ocean Pacific tops. My hair was feathered and my glasses were large.

Seventh grade saw me venturing more into dressy wear, with pleated, tapered dress pants, skirts (super-long or short, nothing in between) and loafers. I was still drawn to light gray, pinks, purples and the like. My hair was shorter, but still pretty feathered and my glasses were pure preppy. This was the year of Matthew Mallard and Boundary Waters (Dayton's specials).

Eighth grade had me branching out a little more. Colors became brighter, styles a little edgier (this was the Madonna era, you know), bracelets were chunky, earrings were large and necklaces were beaded. My hair was short with a capital S and I started experimenting with color and perms. Experimentation was the key to my style in eighth grade - footless tights, skimmer flats in every color, oversized shirts, shaker sweaters with button-down shirts and ties. My family didn't have the money for the trendy brands, so I put my stamp on the trends and avoided the trauma. But, this was the year I discovered The Gap, which was heaven for my preppy-self. This was the year I officially moved into juniors/misses and out of all girls' sizes. Courtney and I used to spend time at the Mall, searching for the next great thing at Foxmoor, Braun's, Dayton's and the like. She had more of the cool brands than I did, but we did have a lot of the same things.

Here's to the past staying in the past (and off of my ass)! I'll forever be thankful for straight leg or bootcut jeans with a little stretch. I'm also pleased that I have moved on from wearing only XL shirts and now embrace the fitted shirt (not tight, but fitted). Heels are a helluva lot higher and I no longer match my socks obsessively to my shirts.

Free at Last!

I'm free at last! I am back at work tonight - albeit not feeling well at all, but I'm out of the house in big girl clothes. The Blonde One took Friday off so that his miserable wife (that'd be me) can get some sleep and stop being so damned cranky. Isn't he a sweetie? LooLoo went back to school today, but BooBoo stayed home. Of course, the Energizer Bunny herself was bouncing off the walls by 10 am, but what're you gonna do?

I've got the winter clothes itch something awful. It's probably because I'm sick, but all I want to do is bundle up in warm sweaters and soft scarves - and gloves and hats and fuzzy slippers...I must contain myself. I'm hoping I can get my fix through knitting using some fuzzy yarns, otherwise I may just go crazy the next time I step in a store. I need to get my leather coat into the cleaners so I can wear it without being worried about funk. Ever since I realized I've had it for six years and never had it cleaned, I'm convinced it stinks and that I'm funkifying everything around me when I wear it. (I do realize I'm neurotic, it's okay). Anyhoo, it might help my winter clothes-mainia to actually wear my winter jacket...and scarf and gloves and hat. You know the drill.

Thursday - v-neck shell with teal & gray geometric print (yes, it is a print and it's cuter than it sounds), peacock blue blazer, charcoal pants, silver necklace & hoops and black stilettos

Ugh Parte Tres

I actually left the house today, but it wasn't a pretty sight. LooLoo didn't go to school again - she's going tomorrow, no question. BooBoo went to school, since she was her usual Energizer Bunny-like self. I am home from work for the third night in a row and I am really ready to put on Big Girl Clothes and get out of my Mommy garb (of course, it'd be nice to not feel like I'm swallowing razor blades in the process, but we can't have everything now, can we?).

This plague upon our house be damned!

Wednesday - The Blonde One's red warm-up pants, white t-shirt, black hoodie, red baseball cap, running shoes

Ugh Parte Dos

We are still sick at The Material House. LooLoo got a steroid shot yesterday, which improved her cough, but not her temperment. BooBoo just woke up coughing and crying and unceremoniously puked on me (she's kind of a puker - I think she just coughed the puke right out). I just changed myself out of yesterday's clothes - right into pajamas, mind you. Please, God, please, make the croup hell go away!

Ugh.

I am sick. LooLoo and BooBoo are sick. I even called in to work today. This is all you're getting out of me.

Monday - black t-shirt, red sweatshirt, black yoga pants, black kicks, no make-up and a pallid complexion

Messing with a Good Thing

I won tickets to the Twin Cities' Chocolate Extravaganza (shout out to the Kevyn Berger show on FM 107.1!) and took my mother-in-law (MIL from here on) today. We had a great time eating chocolate and other yummy treats, drinking wine and people watching. Everything was delicious until we got to the end. Unfortunately, the last thing we tried was a "healthy" chocolate bar. They made their chocolate with flaxseed oil. It was officially disgusting. I tried the dark chocolate truffle and my MIL had milk chocolate hazelnut. You could taste the flaxseed. it tasted like I image licking a cat's hind end fur would taste - acrid and completely wrong. Why would anyone do that to perfectly wonderful chocolate? Is it really such a crime to have food that just plain tastes good and has no redeeming nutritional value? It's kind of like the whole Diet Coke Plus concept (but at least that doesn't taste like cat butt) - Diet Coke isn't a health food. It's just not. Let's leave it at that and go on from there. Back to the nastiest chocolate on earth - what a terrible way to end a delicious afternoon. However, the chocolate coma I was already in probably tempered my taste buds enough (that must be why I didn't vomit). The moral of the story is: don't mess with a good thing. Chocolate is meant to be delicious, but not be a source of omega-three fatty acids. If you want omega-3s in your chocolate, add almonds.

Knitting up a Storm

I am not alone in my love of knitting. However, I am currently fighting off a knitting frenzy. As my good friend The Cheap Chick (cheapbutnoteasy.blogspot.com) pointed out the other day, Christmas (my holiday of choice) is coming up quickly. I have many projects that must be completed before Christmas, so I am gearing up to become a knitting machine. As with many knitters (or crafters or sewers or readers or whatever) I have an enormous stash of yarn. I have great ideas (The Blonde One contends that they are more along the lines of delusions, but Whatever) and I purchase the yarn for projects, but then don't actually get started on them. You all know what I'm talking about. I procure yarn, as well - my mother-in-law gives me her cast-off, I've gotten some from Ebay and garage sales, things like that - which leads me to my current situation where I have a huge Rubbermaid bin full of yarn and minimal time to knit.

Regardless of your holiday gift-giving plans it's time to start ramping up. Best of luck and I'll keep you posted on my knitting mania. I'd also like to send a shout-out to encourage you all to support local and independent businesses. Long live the spirit of American capitalism!

Playing Favorites

I have never been good at playing favorites - even as a child. I could never choose a favorite subject in school or a favorite color or even a favorite toy. In fact, I had an amazing amount of stuffed animals and rotated which ones I slept with so as to not make them feel bad (I also tend to anthropomorphize, but that's a whole other eggplant). It's not like I lack strong opinions, it's more than I don't tend to see things exclusively in black and white - there are just too many shades of gray. Everything just depends on the situation. I envy people who can unequivocally say, "This is my favorite pair of shoes." I have more than 50 pairs of shoes - how am I supposed to choose just one favorite pair? It's downright cruel, I tell you.

The one thing I tend to go back to consistently is my navy blue toenail polish. I have tons of nail polish, and I used to be great about always wearing polish (that was Before Children, anyway), but now it's just my toes and they're almost always navy blue. How did I end up with this particular quirk? A number of years ago I read a magazine article where Jamie Lee Curtis talked about wearing navy blue polish on her toenails and I thought I'd check it out. It's pretty much stuck. I did take some years off due to the fact that I sell cosmetics and my brand had nail polish, but no navy. Let's face it - it's pretty stupid to advertise someone else's product if you're trying to sell your own. My brand no longer has nail products, so I can once again justify wearing whatever I darn well please!

Some of my favorites:
Music - Springsteen, Del Amitri, Cake, Sarah MacLachlan (pre-Lilith Fair fare)
TV - House, Law & Order (SVU and CI), 80's TV (Magnum, Murder, She Wrote, Matlock, etc), Lois & Clark
Reading materials - Lucky magazine, murder mysteries, sarcastic chick lit
Foods - grilled cheese, french fries, chocolate cake, dark chocolate in just about any form, DIET COKE!
Movies - Casablanca, Love, Actually, A Room with a View, There's Something about Mary, Bond flicks
Stores - The Gap, DSW, Old Navy, Ikea, Target, Ann Taylor, Dayton's (but I'll survive with Macy's)

It's Been a While

All right, I know, I've been slacking. I'm tired - of course, I've been tired for the past six years (ever since LooLoo was born), but some days (weeks...months...) are worse than others. (Warning: The rambling nature of this post is evidence of my exhaustion.)

In honor of Halloween yesterday I wore my version of a costume - black long-sleeved t-shirt with a silver cat ($2.50 at Old Navy, baby! LooLoo and BooBoo have the same one - cute, huh?), black skinny jeans, black kicks, sliver hoops, loads of black eyeliner and mascara and red lipstick. Honestly, it really wasn't that much different than a normal outfit - just the cat on the shirt and extra eyeliner. However, I am just not a costume kind of girl. I end up feeling silly, no matter what I have on. One of my inner circle, The Cheap Chick (cheapbutnoteasy.blogspot.com) is a costume kind of girl, so I am a good sport when we make our annual trek to the Renaissance Festival in costume, but it's not so much my thing. You'd almost expect that I would be a costume-lover, since I am into clothes and am naturally rather enthusiastic, but I'm not. My children, though, love costumes. LooLoo was a Snow Princess in a beautiful costume from Target with a furry off-white dress complete with hoop in the skirt and cape with hood, all trimmed in silver. BooBoo was Ariel in a dress the Schma (my mom) made for her. She had a deep blush princess dress with mesh skirt overlay, then Schma appliqued Ariel's boob shells and mermaid tail onto the dress. Add the purple crown and BooBoo was in heaven! In fact, she slept in her costume last night and refused to change her clothes this morning. Less laundry for me!

I've been horrid about the black uniform lately - I wonder if trying to wear less black is actually making me wear more. However, I am not wearing any black today. I am dressed quite casually and have no intention of changing before work (even though I'm training tonight and like to step it up a notch or two when I have to train) because, as previously mentioned, I am tired. (I am also bloated and crampy and I just plain don't want to wear anything else.) Back to the Saga of Black...I had lunch with my sister, Ding, on Friday. As I previously mentioned, Ding is a lover of black. In fact, she is almost superstitious about it and has to wear at least one black item at all times. I am not so inclined. About the only thing I have to wear at all times are undergarments. Boobs that fed two babies need hoisting and my girly parts like to be covered appropriately. I will never understand the whole commando thing!

Back to the topic at hand. My quest for wardrobe variety.

Monday - long black dress with obi-style sash and deep v-neck (it's kind of Stevie Nicks-esque, but in a good way), silver hoops, silver necklace, black textured tights and purple suede wedges with silver trim
Tuesday - black silk shell, lime green 3/4 sleeved cardigan, black and white tweed pencil skirt, gold cuff earrings, gold and green amethyst necklace, a boatload of gold and green bangles, black tights and black pointy-toed stilettos
Wednesday - (In case you don't want to go back to the beginning) black long-sleeved t-shirt with a silver cat, black skinny jeans, silver hoops and black kicks
Thursday - white thermal long-sleeved shirt, pink v-neck t-shirt, burgundy and pink hoodie, dark (Mossimo) jeans and pink kicks

Oh, My Aching Feet

The leopard print platform pumps I wore yesterday are the single most uncomfortable shoes I own - and that's saying something considering I own 55 pairs of shoes. I have other pairs that are just as high, with the same platform and everything, but there's just something about them that kill my feet. I can't even get relief from sitting down - I suffer every second they're on my feet, whether I'm sitting or standing. They're just too cute to not wear, so I try to keep them to my four-hour work shifts and concentrate on how cute they are. And, for the record, today was damn sure a Skechers day!

What I want to know is this: how can one pair of shoes hurt so blinking much while another barely makes a dent? They are not too narrow or too small. It's like they make my foot more vertical than any other shoes I own. But, again, I have others that are just as high and have the same platform. It's clearly a design flaw and everyone else is just as idiotic as I am and wears them anyway. I feel the need to buy more shoes - comfort be damned!

Back in Black

I'm back in all-black today. It's just so safe. I couldn't go very long without wearing any black, much less head-to-toe. Now, it's not like I didn't have options. I could have worn charcoal pants or a red sweater or a turquoise button-down or a myriad of other options. But, no, I'm in black - a pretty awesome, but still all-black, outfit (if I do say so myself).

This has been going on for many years. In fact, I was wearing all black in my high school graduating class picture (the whole class, not just my senior picture), I was wearing all black (with a tiny floral print, but that hardly made a dent) when I graduated from college and I'm quite sure I did the same darn thing when I graduated from my Master's program. Am I really such a one-trick pony? It's really my sister that everyone associates with wearing black - she's a grown-up goth girl who hasn't lost her penchant for the macabre garb. So, maybe being back in black isn't such a bad thing - as long as I'm not known as "The Mom in Black" I'll be okay with it.

Thursday: black sweater with white collar and cuffs, burgundy skinny patent belt, black pants, silver & white pearl chainy necklace, silver hoops and leopard platform pumps

Nary a Pattern in Sight

I am terrible about wearing patterns - I have maybe 20 in my wardrobe. It's all solids. The Blonde One has a wealth of plaid and stripes of all kinds. I did too at one time. Why am I now so wary of patterns? It's not like they're hard to wear. It's not like there aren't tasteful or pretty or classy patterns out there. Solids are just so much easier, I guess - you just have to worry about the colors working together. I certainly never got the hang of mixing patterns - that's just too much going on for me. I've seen some that look great, but most of it just looks like someone's closet puked all over them. Ugh.

The moral of the story: a little pattern is a good thing, a little more is better, but too much can be hazardous to your health. I need more.

Wednesday: khaki cords, teal long-sleeved tee, chocolate brown henley, turquoise drop bead earrings and metallic ballet flats

The Horror!

It's not a pretty sight - you know, the Bare Midriff. Purposeful Bare Midriffs are bad enough (unless you are a young child or a Hollywood starlet, but even then they're certainly not classy), but those caused by creeping shirts over low-rise pants (and often accompanied by the dreaded Muffin Top) are especially horrifying. We've all had our peeking issues (my one tattoo likes to peek out when I bend over if I'm not careful), but I'm talking about pure negligence here, not the occasional accident. I have birthed two babies and now have a substantial marsupial pouch and I have less of a belly than many Bare Midriffs I see in the general public. Ladies, cover up your bellies! Regardless of their flatness, number of packs, stretch marks (or lack thereof) - just keep them under wraps! Walking around the Mall of America on a weekend is just about enough to make you want to gouge your eyes out rather than see yet another Bare Midriff. Yikes!

Tuesday: dark (Mossimo) jeans, heathered green tee, leopard print cardigan, gold cuff earrings & olive Skechers

Polish it Up!

So, I put on my tall brown boots (I almost called them my favorites, but then I realized that all of my shoes are my favorites, so that wasn't really accurate) today and realized that I need to polish the poor babies. BooBoo has been obsessed wtih tromping around the house wearing these brown beauties and seems to have scuffed them pretty good. Sigh. I remember the old days (before children) when I religiously polished, shined and protected every single pair of shoes and boots I own at least twice a year (every fall and spring - and, yes, I am totally anal. Get over it.). Now I'm lucky to use my little disposable furniture polishing rags or a butt wipe on the most pathetic of my footwear even once a year.

Time marches on...all over my booty and my boots.

Monday: khaki & pink argyle sweater, chocolate corduroy skirt, chocolate ribbed tights, dark brown tall boots, silver hoops and silver quartz necklace

How Much Is Too Much?

My six year-old, LooLoo, told me I wear too much black. I think when your six year-old gives you fashion advice, your situation is significant. Of course, today I am wearing all black; so I recognize that I may have a problem. However, many women run into this same rut. We justify well - Black is slimming! It goes with everything! It's easier to match your shoes! It doesn't show stains! (Your own rationalization goes here)! Let's get real - black is not slimming, it is the fit of your clothes that makes you look slim. Black goes with most things, but so do colors. I'm not even going to address the shoe thing. Stains can appear on black (especially bleach), so that point is useless as well. In short, there is no justification other than pure laziness. Black is the path of least resistance. It is my chosen path, I admit.

Let's make a pact - we love color! We will add color into our daily lives. (Except for yellow, since no one looks good in yellow - although you can get a pop of yellow from accessories without scaring the masses.) Say it with me, color is good.

Sunday: black tracksuit, black tank, black kicks (see above)

Mixing it Up

As many of us do, I tend to gravitate toward jeans more than anything else. My goal is to wear jeans to work only two days a week and mix it up the other two days. I also recognize that I will be taking more fashion risks than I normally do (I tend to be quite safe in my dressing), but that's part of the deal. For example, one day I wore a tank top, printed linen dress/tunic, black skinny jeans, heels and a black hoodie - it didn't work. I think the hoodie was just the wrong shape (not fitted enough) and I looked a little mack truck-like. I'm not at all a proponent of the whole dress-over-jeans-thing, but I gave it a shot. Frankly, I can't understand the appeal - opaque tights are so much better. Of course, when a "dress" doesn't cover one's booty, it becomes a shirt and the issue becomes moot.

I think my clothes may get lonely and shrink if I don't start wearing them more often (I'm not getting bigger, it's just that my clothes are mad at me and shrink out of spite). Actually, I am quite aware that, after two children and not taking care of myself very well for the past few years, I am larger than I prefer to be. However, I have lost three pounds already and am hoping this experiment will be a catalyst to continue in the scale downward position. Here's to tightening the belt!

Getting Started

I have a lot of clothes. I have a lot of shoes. I always end up wearing the same Mom uniform - jeans, long- or short-sleeved t-shirt and wedges or ballet flats, often with a layering piece since I'm usually cold. However, laziness comes into play most of the time and little thought or effort goes into my appearance. I occasionally mix it up with one of my two old lady track suits (as a friend so hilariously dubbed my velour hoodie/pants combos) or the odd skirt. I admit that I have gained some weight, so that is sometimes a mitigating factor in what I wear, but it's not like I don't have clothes that fit.

So, here's my proposal: I am going to see how long I can go without wearing the same outfit to work twice. There are, of course, rules: 1) the same top and bottom with a layering piece (like a cardigan, blazer or hoodie) and different accessories would qualify as a different outfit, but just wearing different shoes or changing jewelry wouldn't be sufficient 2) a dress would have to have a layering piece and different accessories to pass muster 3) I can't go out and buy something with the express purpose of making a new outfit, but I can purchase new clothes and shoes as I would normally. My intention is to dress more purposefully and, hopefully, wear more of the clothes in my wardrobe.

I work four evenings a week - at a very casual office where there is quite a bit of variety in what people wear. I tend to change right before work, as my girls regard me as the human napkin. I also tend to dress up a bit more when I have to train, so I do try to step it up a notch about 50% of the time I'm at work.

Here's the first week:
Monday: I can't remember - it was too long ago!
Tuesday: printed wrap dress, black tights, black boots, gold and coral lariat necklace, gold hoops
Wednesday: dark (Mossimo) jeans, white tank, navy & white striped hoodie, running shoes
Thursday: mid-rinse (Steve & Barry's) jeans, black tank, coral 3/4 sleeve tunic, silver hoops & bangles, mixed bead necklace, black with silver buckle d'Orsays