Win a Pair of Turquoise US Size 10 Love Label Oystercatcher Peep Toe Wedge Heels

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These shoes are super cute and seem to be super comfortable. I won them from a Very.com giveaway on Facebook, but once I received them, the 5 inch heels were way too high for my liking. They've never been worn other than my trying them on a couple times.

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Here's the description from the website (also check out the website for more product photos and reviews):

These statement Oystercatcher wedge heels by Love Label are a stunning finish to your summer look. These shoes have a luxurious feel that makes them a favourite for adding a splash of fun to your outfit.

With a knotted front and a peep toe design these wedge heels have a soft and feminine feel. The tall wedge is on trend with the season's love of statement height and the strappy detail gives them a playful finish. These wedge heels have a faux suede finish for an opulent look.

Pair these wedge heels with cut-off denim shorts and a printed shirt. Wear with a floral printed dress for a carefree summer style.

To enter, leave a comment on this post and be sure to include your email or a way for me to contact you. You have until 5:00 PM Central on Friday, May 4 to enter. I will select a winner using random.org and then announce the winner Friday night.

Good luck! I'm glad these will be going to someone who will enjoy them!

Terms and Conditions: Open to US and Canada residents only. One entry per person. The winner will be announced on the blog, emailed, and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. I am not affiliated with Very.com. I received the shoes for free via a Very.com giveaway on Facebook.

Outfit Planning

1. How do you go about picking your outfit for the day? Depends on the day. Sometimes I think about it the night before, and sometimes I wing it. I also keep a Google doc of outfit ideas using pieces I have if I find inspiration somewhere or something new and different comes to mind. There's not many useful ideas on there right now, though.

2. Do you try stuff on and then take pics to see how it looks, like Cher in Clueless? I don't take pictures unless I'm trying to get someone else's opinion, but once in awhile, I do try stuff on the night before to see how it looks.

3. And are you consistent in your planning or lack thereof, or is your planning limited to special events? I rarely plan weekend outfits ahead of time unless I have some sort of event that I want to plan ahead for.  If I have something  I want to wear (like new clothes), or if there's a blogger linkup I want to participate in, I'll plan ahead during the week. If I'm not feeling very inspired, I'll wing it or fall back on old standbys. Like if I don't plan a work outfit ahead of time, there's a very good chance I'll throw on my go-to business casual outfit of pants, cute top, and cardigan.

4. Do you have a way of keeping track of which outfits you wore when? Just the blog. I used to write down what I wore every day, but now if it's in the dirty clothes hamper, there's a good chance I didn't wear it within the last couple weeks.

5. How do you come up with new clothing combinations? Blogger challenges and getting ideas from other style bloggers helps.

To Belt or Not to Belt

Here I am, taking another stab at print mixing. I liked it when I left the house; but throughout the day, I always wonder if I got it right, or if I look crazy.

Skirt: Jason Wu for Target; T-shirt: J.Crew Factory; Blazer: NY&Co; Boots and Necklace: Kohl's

In the end, I decided not to belt. The belt made the outfit looked overstyled, I thought, and it didn't help that the red of the necklace didn't match (or even go with) the red of the belt. I liked the preppy-ish belt-less result. The office was relatively warm, so I spent most of the day without the blazer anyway.

The cat is always happier when the dog's outside.

You're welcome for the kitty butt.

My outfit also happened to coincide with the Inspiration Monday picture for 4/30. Here it is:

Inspiration Monday

Weekend Activities

Saturday, Bridget had her first day of swimming lessons. It took her about 20 minutes to warm up to the idea, and at first, she was the only one in class crying. By the last 10 minutes of the class, she seemed OK although she was still holding onto hubs like a little koala bear. When class was over, she was completely comfortable and started playing with a big ball. Next Saturday, we're going to bring her 15 minutes early, like the instructor suggested, and hope that she enjoys her time more.

Although it's creepy, I blurred out the other kids' faces because I'm sure their parents don't want them on my blog.

Collecting duckies, happy to be done with class.

Sunday, I did obscene amounts of laundry while switching off between watching Desperate Housewives (almost done with Season 1!) and Sesame Street. While Bridget napped, I also tried to do a french braid headband inspired by the Sara Rue picture (below) from Inspiration Monday on myself. It was a little messy, but decent enough that I left it in for work today, too. I didn't know what to do with all the excess hair in back, so I just made a bun.

I wore my new Crocs to run to Walgreens and found that they're a smidge too big, which led me to wonder...is vanity sizing in shoes a thing now? The last two pairs of shoes I bought have been too big, and I've been a size 10 or 11 if the shoe is narrow since the beginning of time practically. I did try on a size 10 pair of shoes at Target that were a little tight, which is normal for me. But the Payless sandals I got, I ended up returning, and these Crocs are loose, too. And don't get me started on TOMS ballet flats. Those are ginormous. I should've just believed the reviews and bought a half size smaller of the Crocs. I've already worn them, though. Oooohhhh welllll. They're not that bad.

And now it's Monday. And it definitely feels like one.

Inspiration picture:

Since it's still chilly here, I went for the sleeves and tights version of this outfit. My interpretation:

Dress: Boston Store; Tights: Target?; Belt: New York & Co; Booties: Mr. Shoe

Week Thirteen and Fourteen Weigh-in

Current Weight: 192.8 (up .4 lb last week, down 2 lb this week)

Proof that starving yourself works. Just kidding. I only did that on Saturday in a desperate attempt to stick to my points. By Sunday afternoon, I was completely out of points and bummed that it was almost time for work on Monday, so I went ahead and made brownies. Haha. Luckily, I was good the rest of the week, so it didn't do much damage. I celebrated the loss this morning with Starbucks coffee cake. This is how I get myself into these situations.

Last week, I didn't do a weigh-in post because I indulged a lot on our anniversary, and I wanted to redeem myself. It's becoming very apparent that I need to start working out on top of doing the portion control. While I'm fitting into smaller clothes, I am not toned in the least. Ugh. Maybe I'll have to start up Zumba again or find another fun way to get some exercise.

Goal/Incentive: Trying for Baby #2 when I hit 175.

Target Collaborates with The Webster

Oh good, another Target bandwagon for me to jump on. And jump, I will. This time, Target has teamed up with high-end Miami boutique, The Webster, to bring affordable vacation-worthy fashion to the masses. This partnership is part of a larger program called The Shops of Target.

Unlike the Jason Wu collection, where I basically wanted everything, there are only a few pieces that are making me want to rush to the store early on a Sunday morning (May 6 in this case). However, considering I have a Florida vacation coming up in a few months, I may be swayed to try out a few other items, too.

Here’s what I really want to look for:

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The white dress. What convenient timing. I was just thinking the other day that I would like a white sundress. I had one years ago, but it made me look pregnant (in the words of hubs/boyfriend at the time). I love the cutout back of this one.

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The cardigan for sure, and maybe the skirt, too. For some reason, I’m really feeling the New England prep vibe right now, and this cardigan is pretty consistent with that aesthetic.

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Yeah, I already have a floppy hat, but this one is cuter! Haha.

You can find the complete lookbook all over, but I liked this one at Styles of Tomorrow that lists everything from the women, men, and baby departments with prices. What do you think? Will this one get you up early on Sunday, May 6?

Two Striped Purple Looks

These are my two outfits for the What We Wore stripes challenge. The first one is from Friday, and the second one is from yesterday.

Striped Shirt: Old Navy; Sweater: Banana Republic (gift); Pants: NY&Co; Necklace: ?; Sunglasses: Express; Shoes: Poetic License via (shoo); Bag: Michael Kors

These pants are purple, but they never photograph that way. I guess that's a good thing that the color is so subtle.

Shirt and Watch: NY&Co; Skirt: self-made; Shoes: Kohl's; Belt: Luci Boutique; Bangles: Kate Spade

You may or may not remember, but this skirt used to be midi length. This circle skirt was the first one I made, and the length was just bugging me with this crazy fabric.

To fix the awkwardness that I saw, I chopped off 7.5 inches and re-hemmed. And now I think this is one of my favorite outfits. Not great for a windy day, though... I ended up wearing shorts underneath to combat against wardrobe malfunctions when my skirt spontaneously turned into a parachute.

Three-Year Anniversary

Happy Anniversary, Dear!

Here are some random shots from the day.

Look how happy this guy is!

I forgot this picture existed - I love how he's high-fiving his dad.

Our Rock Band alter egos.

Desperate Housewife

Inspiration Monday picture: 

My interpretation:

Top and Leggings: Target; Shoes: TOMS; Sunglasses: Express

A couple of my friends got me hooked on Desperate Housewives. Interesting timing considering their series finale recently aired, but all the episodes are available to watch on Netflix. I always like having a Netflix show on in the background when I'm folding and putting away laundry in our bedroom. Since the second season of Downton Abbey isn't available yet, I've watched a little of Mad Men, but I haven't really gotten into it yet. So I decided, why not check out Desperate Housewives.

Plus, my friends assigned characters to each one of us, and I was Gabby, Eva Longoria's character (because of the fashion thing, obviously not 'cause I'm a hot Latina), so I was interested to see what that was all about.

And now I'm hooked. There's a mystery aspect that I never really realized was there before I started watching, and I'm really curious to how it's all going to play out.  So now I watch multiple episodes before bed and stay up way later than I should.

Inspiration Monday

Two Dresses and Some Booty Tooching

Black Dress: NY&Co; Floral Dress and Belt: Tucker for Target; Boots: Target; Bracelets: Mexicali Blues

Since I like to give credit where credit is due, this look was inspired by Kayley at Sidewalk Ready.  I keep toying with the idea of getting rid of this Tucker for Target dress, but I love it under this dress. Guess that means I'll hang onto it a little bit longer!

I just watched the end of Top Model, and now this song is going to be in my head forever. UK for the win!

By the way, I was beyond shocked by the elimination this week. I thought she was going to be a finalist.

Post-Ban Shopping Haul

Um, whoops. Let's just say I took full advantage of my new-found spending freedom. It looks more shameful if I put the list first then the pictures, rather than interspersing them.

• Gap dress
• Payless shoes (Not shown. They're still en route to my local Payless store.)
• Express sunglasses
• Hue tights (two pairs for only $3!!)
• American Eagle top
• New York & Company
  • pants
  • white shirt
  • peplum top
  • pencil skirt
  • maxi high-low dress

Not for me:

• Gap jeans for hubs
• Old Navy swimsuit for Bridget
• Gap jelly sandals for Bridget
• Gap pants for Bridget

Hubs then reminded me that we need to buy new tires for my car and pay for the dental work I just had done. Well I didn't think of that. Shopping ban for May? That may be happening, we'll see.

First, we'll get the basics out of the way. I have work pants that fit again, woohoo! A white shirt was another thing I needed, so at least these two things are not impulse buys.

I've also been wanting another maxi dress, preferably in black — something basic and flattering. I wasn't expecting to like this high-low hem because I thought only people with nice legs should wear something like this. Turns out I love it and want to wear it every day of summer.

Another trendier piece I picked up was this peplum top, which I've seen around on different blogs. Since I now have the confidence to wear pencil skirts, I got one of those, too, on clearance.

Other pieces I bought from blogger influence were the corset top and sandals (not shown). Wow, I'm such a sucker. I guess I'm proof that advertising on blogs works.

This Gap dress was a complete impulse buy. No rationalizing this one other than I had a coupon. Unfortunately, it's an online-only item, and it's too big, so I'll be exchanging it. Or should I return it? I'm not sure how i feel about the tan/beige color on me. What do you think?

wear*it Wednesday: Printed Dress or Skirt

Here is Salazar from 14 Shades of Grey with a beautifully lit, professional looking photo and an adorable outfit. She says, "I finally got a Jason Wu for Target dress - for half off, which goes to show good things do come to those who wait :)" You can check out her full post for more details.

Then there's me. Folks, I learned a valuable lesson. Don't take photos in direct sunlight unless you want this to happen. I wanted to use a picture from Easter with a cardigan over my dress, but all my pictures looked blown out from all the sun. Not that I'm complaining. Live and learn.

Instead, I'm using my outfit from yesterday. I'm back to my old spending ways, so I'm going to do a shopping haul post later this week, but this skirt and these purple tights are two of my purchases.

Holy Crap They Fit

Jeans: 7 for All Mankind via E-Collectique; Brewers Shirt: Kohl's

That was exactly what I said when I put these jeans on Friday morning. I bought these 7 for All Mankind jeans last summer from E-Collectique Runway Boutique for the sole reason that they were designer jeans for $40 even though they were way too tight in the waist.

Jeans: Costco; Plaid Shirt: William Rast for Target; Lace Top: NY&Co; Shoes: Kohl's

Later that summer, I also bought these pink jeans from Costco without trying them on. Never a good idea. They buttoned, but they were also way too tight and not comfortable at all. Well this weekend, I wore BOTH jeans COMFORTABLY with no muffin top. It was exciting!!

I wasn't sure about this pairing of lace over plaid, but after receiving thumbs up via Twitter from Pamela and Joanne, two very stylish ladies, I went for it. I just pretended I was a more disheveled-looking Blair, the layering pro. Also, the hair inspiration came from Kimberly. Enough name drops in one paragraph for ya?

I wore this Saturday to go shopping with a couple friends before we saw Titanic. I ended up buying a pair of aviator sunglasses, jelly sandals for Bridget, and this top from American Eagle, which I don't see on the website anymore.

Source: ae.com via Rebekah on Pinterest

I saw Jen wearing it and also pinned this picture for styling inspiration:

Source: lillyunique.tumblr.com via Rebekah on Pinterest

I felt soooo uncomfortable walking into American Eagle, though. Pretty sure all the employees were wondering why a (nearly) 30-year-old lady was shopping there and buying a cropped corset top in an XL. At least, that's what the young cashier girl looked like she was thinking. Judgers. I was pretty psyched to find it on the sale rack for $15, though, so it was worth it in the end, I s'pose.

Shopping at Express once the girls got there was a lot better. I didn't find anything except the sunglasses, but I had fun weighing in on their choices. And check this out, while I was sitting in the fitting room, I spotted this fellow in the checkout line. Look at those shoes! Pretty intense.

Titanic was good, of course. I'm kind of a scrooge when it comes to 3D these days, but I did appreciate the effects during the scene after the boat went down. It really felt like you were in the water with the people at times. I had tears streaming down my face the whole time the boat was sinking, so much so that my neck was wet by the time it was all said and done.