Jeans Week - Wednesday

Is it just me, or is this week going slower than usual? You'd think with Halloween, it would go faster.

Anyway, after my very casual outfit yesterday, I wanted to step it up a little today. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of these jeans at all. I've come to the realization that these are the least flattering jeans I own, and I'm definitely donating them after this wear. Along with a huge pair from Target that I forgot I had.

Jeans and Top: Old Navy; Blazer: Gap; Scarf: World Market; Shoes: C-Label via Piperlime

I've also identified a hole in my wardrobe from wearing denim every day - I could use a pair of well-fitting plain blue skinny jeans. The pair I have is OK, but I find myself often looking for skinny jeans when my one pair is in the dirty clothes hamper. Maybe eventually I should get a pair of nice bootcuts to replace these monstrosities, too.

My new shoes are cute, though! (If you ignore the blisters, which I will)

Jeans Week - Tuesday

This is part of the costume I wore to work today. Up until 2:00 when the festivities were over, I wore the full costume; and for the rest of the afternoon, I wore this. I'll have a full Halloween post tomorrow or Thursday. Normally, I wouldn't dress this casually with the vest and pigtails, but it worked for Halloween purposes.

Long-Sleeved Tee: Cynthia Rowley; Shirt: J.Crew Factory; Vest: Old Navy; Jeans: NY&Co;
Shoes: Crocs; Bracelet: Mexicali Blues

Jeans Week - Monday

Since we're allowed to wear jeans this week at work, I figured I'd do a series on the blog to go with it. While many people in the company are on the more formal side of business casual or may even need to wear suits for their job, my team is definitely on the more casual side. We're not customer-facing, so we don't need to be super dressed up, but we still need to adhere to the dress code and look presentable. Items that are against this dress code include sweatpants, sweatshirts, leggings (although I have worn leggings under dresses and boots as tights before), T-shirts, shorts, tennis shoes, ripped clothing, and flip flops. Pretty standard.

Mondays are typically a slow day for me, morning-wise. I take forever to get up and get going, and I usually end up leaving the house late. Because my brain is still in weekend mode, I wanted to start the week off easy and comfortable with just a sweater with my jeans. I added the necklace for some visual interest and called it a day.

Jeans and Tank Top: Old Navy; Sweater: Kohl's; Necklace: World Market

Look at me, so profesh with the tripod shadow showing. Lame. Eventually, I did figure out to move the thing.

Warmest Sweater Ever

Inspiration Monday picture:

My interpretation:

Sweater: Rami Kashou; Sequin Tee: Express; Jeans: Old Navy; Shoes: Kohl's; Bracelet: Pandora

When I wore this on Friday, I told someone that this is the warmest sweater ever in life. I think I was only slightly exaggerating; this thing is warm. I've only worn it one other time since I bought it off of Ebay because Rami (himself! via Twitter) recommended I dry clean it. I'm terrible at getting to the dry cleaner. Neither of the times I wore it were very cold days either. Maybe I can get this cleaned again before January and really test its warmth limits.

Also, this is the sequin tee that never seems to photograph as such. I've worn it a handful of other times on the blog. Oh well.

Leila's Back!!

I slacked on the ANTM recap last week, and I'm not sure if I'll do any the rest of the season, but I had to celebrate the fact that Leila came back!! At the end of the last episode, Tyra left us in suspense by telling us that one of the eliminated was going to come back, but we didn't find out until yesterday who it was.

I actually didn't watch the episode until this morning since I had plans last night, but my friend texted me and told me Leila was in. Woohoo!!! Now Kristen needs to go. Laura and Leila for the final two, I say!

Harry Potter Link-Up

This was so exciting to find. Thanks to Kim for introducing me to it and to Ashley for hosting it! I ended up doing the same thing Kim did and went back and answered the questions I missed, too. It's a Harry Potter Link-Up!

Week 1

1. Which is your favorite of the 7 books? Although Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix are my favorite movies, I'm going to go with Deathly Hallows for my favorite book. My only reason for saying that really is it's the only book of the series that I've read twice. Maybe if I read them again, I'd have a different opinion.

2. Which is your favorite of the 8 films? Oops, I answered that already. Either Prisoner of Azkaban or Order of the Phoenix. Or actually all the odd-numbered ones are great.

One of the only good parts of my least favorite film, Half Blood Prince.
(source)

3. Which, if any, of the films made you angry for not staying true to the books? The last one probably because that's the book I remembered best when I actually saw the movie. I thought it was a crock that Neville didn't get the attention he deserved for killing the snake in the end. Oh, and the fact that they sent all the Slytherin students to the dungeon? CHEESY.

4. Who is your least favorite female character and why? I guess I have to say Dolores Umbridge. She's just all evil and has no redeeming qualities.

5. Who is your favorite male character and why? Malfoy. Obviously. I'm a Snape fan as well. It's not that I like "evil" people, but I like Tom Felton and Alan Rickman, and I think their characters are more misunderstood than anything else. Well, Snape is misunderstood; Malfoy is really just a wimp most of the time.

6. What house would you like to be in? Now be realistic...where would the Sorting Hat put you? Touchy subject. The sorting hat in Pottermore put me in Hufflepuff, which I get, but I would've preferred Slytherin or Ravenclaw. Even Gryffindor would've been OK. Sorry Cedric, I <3 you, but yeah. That's part of the reason I haven't logged back in Pottermore since then. I haven't come to terms with my placement, haha.

7. Which subject would be your favorite at Hogwarts? Hmmm, tough one. I know I wouldn't be good at Herbology or History of Magic. Let's go with the Care of Magical Creatures. That would be a fun class. Charms could be cool, too, and Flitwick seems like a nice teacher.

Week 2

1. Who is your favorite female character and why? Luna! I adore her. Why? She's just so good and positive even when people make fun of her. She's great.

2. Who is your least favorite male character and why? I'll keep Kim's answer of Peter Pettigrew because like Umbridge, he has absolutely no redeeming qualities.

3. Pick one: Horcruxes or Hallows? Hallows.

4. Which character do you relate to most? Moaning Myrtle? Haha, just kidding. I don't know. It's a cop-out answer, but that's what I'm going with.

5. Your favorite pairing of characters? The Weasley twins maybe? They're funny guys. If you mean romantically, Luna and Neville (I think they were a thing in the movies but not the books, right?), Hagrid and the lady from the French school (too lazy to look it up), and Fleur and Bill Weasley. I don't know why.

(source)

6. Your favorite professor? Lupin seemed like he would've been a cool professor for the short time he was. Overall, McGonagall of course.

 7. Bring one character back to life. Who and why? I kind of want to steal Kim's answers again. Fred and Hedwig. And Dobby! Oh my gosh, so sad every time. And I know Sirius dying was a big thing, but I do wish he and Harry could just be a happy family, too. I forgot about Cedric! I guess I didn't want anyone to die.

Week 3

1. Do you prefer the books or the films? Both, but I've watched the films WAAAAYYYY more than I have read the books, so ultimately, I'm going to go with the movies.

 2. If you could meet one member of the cast who would it be and why? I've already met the cast member I wanted to meet. Tom Felton!!! That was such a fun experience. If I had to pick another one, probably Alan Rickman. Or Rupert Grint...or Emma Watson. I guess Daniel Radcliffe would be cool of course, too.

My face looks giddier every time I see this picture.

3. If you could punish one of the characters and not get in trouble, who would it be and why? Ya know what, I'm not too happy with James, Remus, and Sirius for being mean to Snape as a kid. Although all that bullying had to happen for the rest of the stories to happen, I would just give them all one swift kick in the junk, and then they could carry on.

 4. What parts of the films and books made you cry if any? All the sad or touching parts from the movies. I cry at just about anything.

 5. Scene from a book you wished was in the movie? This is an excellent question, but I really can't remember. I guess I'll go with my answer from Week One of Neville killing the snake in public.

6. Were you satisfied with the epilogue? In the movie? I don't remember the book one. Was it the same? Anyway, sure, but I was not satisfied with Hermione's makeup job. All of them looked like they were 40 (OK, Ginny could've passed for 50), but Hermione still looked 17.

7. If you could do ONE spell, without a wand..what would it be? The one where you can teleport. Oh it's the same one Kim put - apparition.

Week 4

1. If you could ask Harry one question, what would it be? Why was he so dang moody all the time, and why couldn't he just accept help from his friends?

2. Who is your favorite marauder? : Lupin or Sirius. I'm not a James fan.

3. Least favorite house? Hufflepuff. Again, sorry Cedric!

4. Do you think it was important for Dobby to die? What about his funeral in the film? Did you love it or hate it? It was probably important for Dobby to die, but I didn't want it to happen. I noticed that the funeral was different at the time, but now I don't know exactly how.

5. Would you have chosen a rat, a cat, or an owl as your companion? A cat.

6. If you could have one of the Hallows, what would you choose? The invisibility cloak for sure. The resurrection stone is no good as the people don't really resurrect. And the elder wand is probably only useful in the right hands. The invisibility cloak is foolproof.

7. Time turner or pensieve? Why? I gotta say Time Turner. It seems like it takes a lot of planning, but it would be tempting to be able to redo things.

This Skirt Goes with Almost Everything

I'm so glad I bought this skirt during the Jason Wu for Target hubbub of February. I keep finding different tops that I already own that go with it.

Top: Luci Boutique I think; Skirt and Scarf: Jason Wu for Target;
Necklace: Charlotte Russe; Shoes and Bag: MICHAEL Michael Kors

The pooch kept photobombing.

From business casual for work to casual for having dinner at a friend's house:

Jeans: Old Navy; Scarf: World Market

That skirt previously: 1, 2, 3, 4

White Picket Fence

Sweatshirt: Hanes, lace part DIY; T-shirt: American Apparel; Scarf: World Market; Jeans: NY&Co;
Shoes: Kohl's; Sunglasses: Express

My neighbor's fence makes a pretty sweet backdrop, eh? How suburban of me. Or of them, I guess, since it's their fence.

I still haven't figured out the sweatshirt trend. I sewed the lace onto this sweatshirt last year, which is an idea I got from Pair and a Spare, but I haven't gotten much wear out of it. Maybe this is too casual; next time I'll try dressing it up a little more.

Up All Night

Inspiration Monday picture:

My interpretation:

Blazer: Sag Harbor via swap; Tank Top: Kohl's; Cords: Gap; Shoes: Target 

In recognition of Zac Hanson's 27th birthday (I had to google how old he is - bad fan), I'm using a Hanson song for a post title today and listening to said song at the same time.

Although I wasn't really up all night, it sure felt like it when I woke up. Long story short, Bridget woke up at 3ish; I tried to let her sleep in bed with us but she wouldn't sleep; so when I put her back in her bed, she cried until my husband went in and checked on her. An hour and a half later, we were all asleep again. If I look a little sleepy in the pictures today, that would be why.

I also have to say, I'm still in disbelief about the horrible events of the Azana Salon & Spa shooting that took place in Brookfield yesterday. For those of you not in southeastern Wisconsin who may not have heard about it, you can read the news story here. It's so scary to think that these things can happen while you're feeling safe at work, or even possibly getting a pedicure in this case. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, those injured, and everyone else involved.

Another Baby!

This is going to be completely unrelated to the pictures, but I don't have anything interesting to say about the outfit. There's another new baby in my group of friends! Lindsey had her second son on Friday, and I got to meet the little guy today. He was so cute and had a full head of dark hair, which was adorable. Yay babies! I'm sure she will post about him on her blog, so check that out if you'd like.

Now I'm starting to want a baby again, which had been the plan to get pregnant around this time, BUT I still haven't lost any weight since I last updated the blog about it. So yeah, at least 15 pounds to go. Fifteen pounds that I will never lose. At this point, Bridget won't be a big sister until she's 12. I tried to convince my husband to let me change my goal to my pre-pregnancy weight, which is only 5ish pounds away. No dice. In his defense, though, I was overweight at the time. Fifteen pounds down would put me at a healthy weight, so there's that. Guess I have to start working out again and stop eating everything in sight! Willpower - I have none. The good news is, I most likely won't be pregnant for my 30th birthday in February. Parrrrtyyyyy.

But enough about my laziness and gluttony. Heh. Now onto the Style Imitating Art interpretation!

Top: Old Navy; Skirt: MICHAEL Michael Kors; Scarf: Overstock; Boots: Target; Bracelet: Kate Spade

Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection Wish List

It's almost time! Less than two months from now, Target and Neiman Marcus will be releasing their holiday designer capsule collection to the market! You can see the whole collection on Good Morning America's site, who were the first ones to get an exclusive look. Here's what I would put on my wish list if money were no object:

Tracy Reese $79.99 - I don't know where I'd wear this, but I'd find a place.

Jason Wu $59.99 - How cute would this be for Bridget??

Robert Rodriguez $99.99 - I could wear this to a winter wedding perhaps?

Oscar de la Renta $29.99 - Why not? Dela could be a fancy pooch.

Proenza Schouler $29.99 - Sweatshirts are in, and it's reasonably priced.

Brian Atwood $49.99 - Tempting, but I'm bad at keeping track of my gloves.

I must say, it's breaking my heart that the Marchesa stuff is only in girls sizes. Looks like I'll have to buy something for Bridget and wait a couple years until she can actually wear it. For those petite ladies that can fit into large girls sizes, I highly recommend you buy one of these dresses and make me green with envy.

Marchesa $79.99

Marchesa $99.99

This Lela Rose top is probably my favorite thing from the collection. GORGEOUS! This is the one thing I will for sure hunt for come December 1.

Lela Rose $69.99

Target also has bios and photos of each of the designers on their site, which I thought was super interesting to page through.

Baby Shower and an Embarrassing Moment

Being a style blogger is embarrassing sometimes. After nearly being approached today by someone from whatever business's parking lot I was in, I've decided that I'm definitely taking outfit pictures inside for awhile. It was awkward. And it must've looked even more awkward from inside their building. Heh...I'm going to try to forget that ever happened...and hide inside.

Anyway, this past weekend Bridget and I drove up to Minnesota (about a half an hour from the twin cities) to hang out with my good friend from college and host her baby shower, which also turned into a surprise gender reveal. They had told their family and friends that they would not be finding out the gender of the baby, but they reconsidered at their 3D/4D ultrasound, and then I (along with their cute little doggy) got to help reveal the big news at the beginning of the baby shower. Here's the big moment:

The blonde lady sitting on the couch is the proud grandma-to-be. She was really happy and tearing up. You also get a quick glimpse of Bridget at the beginning, and I'm the one at the very beginning saying, "So Indy, come on out!" Funnily enough, my friend and I sound exactly the same on this video, and I don't think we do in real life except for our loud laughs. So that was fun. It turned out to be a nice little shower with yummy food and really delicious punch. Plus, I successfully frosted cupcakes using a pastry bag. That was a little victory in itself.

Here's what I wore on the drive home from Minnesota and for one of my two looks for Inspiration Monday:

Dress: Wet Seal; Jacket: Walgreens; Striped Top: Old Navy; Boots: Target; Watch: La Mer

I'm holding a bloody mary...the drive home was a little rough. Bridget was perfectly well behaved, but it was raining most of the way, and I hit traffic and ended up taking back roads home. Little did I know, my husband forgot to put vodka in my drink.

Inspiration picture:

Since I had two ideas for this week's Pippa Middleton look, I wanted to include both of them. Here's what I wore today:

Dress and Blazer: Target; Jacket: Walgreens; Booties: ModCloth

InStyle Inspiration

I'll tell you about my Minnesota weekend in my next post, but this picture from the October issue of InStyle was the inspiration for today's outfit. I should've scanned this, but I didn't think of it before I threw out the magazine, so instead you get a phone shot.

Top: Jason Wu for Target; Vest: NY&Co; Blazer: Chaps via swap; Pants: Gap; Shoes: Kohl's

I also tried this outfit with boots, but it was a little too equestrian. I liked the girly-ness of these floral shoes better.