Anyone home?

It's clearly been a year since I've updated CotC and almost three years since I posted with any regularity. I've been posting outfits on Instagram and got a couple "I miss your blog" comments. I miss it tremendously, but so much has changed in the past few years that it's been hard to keep up with it. I no longer work in a light-filled office, I don't live in a townhouse with a fantastic deck, and I now work from home so most days it's yoga pants and a Skynnard tshirt - super fashionable, right?!

But, I do leave the house a couple times a week, so that's better than nothing!

Dress: Target (from 2009 I think)
Cardigan: Forever 21
Belt: thrifted
Wedges: Nine West

This is what I wore to Weight Watchers. The navy/white dress is my "weigh in dress" so I try to jazz it up differently each week. I have a couple old ways I've worn it I'll post soon.

So what's new, y'all?! Babies? Husbands? Houses? New jobs? Puppies and kittens????

Tuesday - Dressing like a grown up

I felt super grown up in this outfit and really liked how it looked. I didn't like when then wind blew up my skirt, but I'm smart and wore giant undies AND petipants AND a slip. You can never be too careful, right?

Pink blouse: Tahari (via TJ Maxx)
Skirt: Jason Wu for Target ($8 on clearance in store)
Cardi: NY&Co
Belt: Target
Necklace: Sarah Balmer
Flats: Target (cheapies I'm wearing into the ground)

90% off? Yes, please!

Y'all know how I love a sale. I've been eye-balling this sweater at Kohl's since January and it FINALLY went on sale for 90% off. Paying 80% off was clearly just too much for me :)

Sweater: Dana Buchman @ Kohl's 

Jeans: Seven @ DressBarn

Unseen tank: Old Navy

Flats: Kate Spade

Bag: Michael Kors

Sunnies: Target

The light and exposure on this photo is a little off, but that's what I get for taking just one pic and hoping for the best. I really love this sweater and for $7.60, wish it came in every color of the rainbow. The keyhole at the top is crazy low if left unattended. I wore a solid black tank underneath just to err on the safe side. Don't want the boobies hanging out ALL the time, right?

TGIF. For real!

In my entire adult life, I've never had a job that didn't require me to work weekends...until now. I *finally* get all that TGIF stuff! It's so nice to KNOW I'll be off work on certain days. I do miss spending Mondays at home, though, and would probably still gladly work a Saturday on occasion. It's nice to have a "me day" where I can lounge on the couch and watch "Mad Men" all day. Don Draper and I enjoy spending time together. Duh.

Cardi: Target

Tank: Lands' End Canvas

Pants: Old Navy

Flats: Kenneth Cole Reaction

Necklace: gift
























Gosh! I really need a better photo spot. Unfortunately, this is the best one and even then, it's iffy.

How cute is this cardigan? I love the fun flowers and soft purple. I've noticed my wardrobe is all black, gray, and purple so get ready to see this color combo a LOT.

These babies are SO CUTE yet this is the first time I've worn them. As you may know, Zappos has a major distribution center in Kentucky. Fortunately for me, it's only about 20 minutes from my house! It's called the 6pm.com Outlet now, but we all still call it the Zappos Outlet :) Anyway, they had a massive Black Friday sale where everything in the store was 70% off the OUTLET PRICE. So those fancy Vera Wang heels that were already 50% off? Take 70% off that!

My buddy Leslie (different than our former favorite blog buddy Leslie) and I met up with Tracey and her cousin, Dawn at 9am when the doors opened. I've never ever gone or done Black Friday before b/c it's just not my bag. But 9am and cheap shoes? That I can handle. Most of the run on shoes seemed to be for mens and kids shoes. It wasn't nearly as crowded as one might expect so it was good. I picked up these for $4 (that's right, $4). They retailed for $42 and are actually kids shoes. They're a size 6 in girls which fits my 7/7.5 feet perfectly. I also snagged some Hunter wellies that I'll post soon!

So...since it's Friday, what are you planning for the weekend? We're going to work in the yard some more and celebrate my grandma's 87th birthday. We've been pruning trees and cleaning/raking our landscaping (or lack there of) in hopes of getting a jump on Spring. I'm hoping to actually have time to have more flowers and a bigger garden this year. Cross your fingers for us!

Weekend outfit

I've really fallen off the outfit wagon, haven't I? I've been so obsessed with getting our house done that I can't think of anything other than paint, flooring and an occasional end table.

I wore this to meet up with Tracey for drinks and she asked me if I had taken a picture b/c I looked cute. Of course, I hadn't so I took this when I got home. I clearly need to find a good spot in the house for pics!

Cardi: Target

Top: Old Navy

Jeans:Old Navy (I hate these jeans and they've since been replaced)

Scarf:giveaway from Athena

Flats: Unlisted via 6pm.com Outlet (formerly Zappos Outlet)

I've only worn this scarf once before, but it is one of my favorites.

My beloved Sam Edelman flats are officially dead. I've had them resoled once but they're too worn out for that to even fix them this time :(

I went to the 6pm.com Outlet a couple of weeks ago in search of new black flats as I've had ZERO luck in stores. I found these for $15 and they'll do for now. They're not leather, but they're so darn cute I couldn't resist.

Unfortunately they rub my heel a little, so it'll take some more breaking in to see if they'll be a suitable replacement.



CSN Stores has kindly asked me to do a review for them and is sending me a $75 gift card. I'm awfully pumped and can't wait to share what I find with you all!

Pants!

We are finally having some beautiful fall weather here in Kentucky!!

Cardi: Target
Tank: Banana Republic
Pants: Worthington ($17 @ JCP)
Heels: Cole Haan Fiona
Necklace: gift

It's October? Really??

This weekend it was 91 in Louisville. That's hardly October-like temperatures, y'all. To say I'm not thrilled would be an understatement. I LOVE cooler weather and I'm convinced we're going to go right into winter and skip fall all together. We skipped spring so why not skip fall while we're at it?



Dress and cardi: Target
Shoes: Michael Kors

Casual outfits

Did I mention I didn't wear pants for 5 months? You know how easy of a rut that is to slip into. The spring weather is so nice, dresses feel so springy/summery...then the next thing you know, the air has turned cool and not a single pair of your pants fit. If you don't weigh yourself regularly, you can always tell if you've put on 5 or so by how tight your clothes are. Struggle to button your pants one morning? That's your sign to eat better that week. But when you wear a dress all the time? Not so much. The dress won't hold you accountable for all that beer and those burgers.

The air had a nice nip to it last week and I wanted to wear jeans. The only problem was that NONE OF MY PANTS FIT. Like, not a single pair. I'd given away my "very fattest" jeans and even my "fat" jeans wouldn't fit. Damnit. So off to Old Navy we went. Al had a pair of flip flops to return so I planned to use the credit toward a pair of new jeans. I found a pair (a size bigger than before. Ugh) and ended up paying $5 for them. Sweet! So here they are. Don't get used to them b/c they're going to be falling off of me soon!



Cardi: Target
Tank: Banana Republic
Jeans: Old Navy
Flats: Sam Edelman



I'm not very daring with the pattern mixing, but I know Kimberly would be proud of this!

I snagged this cute plaid dress off the clearance rack at Target for $5-something. It's so comfortable!



Dress: Converse/Target
Cardi: J. Crew
Flats: Liz Claiborne



I love the ruffle on this cardi and how it goes w/the ruffles on the dress. Little details like this always make an outfit come together I think.

Target does it again

I found yet another adorable dress at Target for under $20.

Dress: Target

Cardi: Target

Shoes: Target

Looks like I'm a walking Target ad, huh? :-)

Quick but not dirty

I've had some work-related changes recently (as you can see by the different background) and I'm trying to make a new habit of daily outfit posts.

Cardi: Target
Dress: Cynthia Rowley
Flats: Stuart Weitzman

TGIF, kittens!

Is it sweltering where you live yet? It's supposed to be 93 here today and there's a good chance I may melt. I came prepared by wearing a loose cotton dress. I figure I can stand over a fan when no one's looking and cool off :)

 

Dress: Cynthia Rowley (via TJ Maxx)

Cardigan: Merona® Collection Women's Paige Cardigan Sweater

Michelle Obama pearls: Walmart

Shoes: Crocs Prima flats *sigh*

I picked up this cardigan at Target the other night for next to nothing - $5 out of pocket! I had a top I returned plus a 20% off Merona coupon so after all that, I was only out $5. Not bad!! I was stumped as to what to pair this with but after a few minutes of thinking about it I said, "Screw it" and threw it on w/a black dress.

This dress was a real steal also - $25 at TJ Maxx. It's hard to see in the pic but it has some adorable pleating on the front and back. I tried to snap a pic of it but it's kinda hard to see still:

Pretty cute, huh? I love that it's cotton and loose and perfect for hot and humid days.










These shoes are a total accident. If you recall a couple of years ago, I had the misfortune of leaving my beloved Prima flats in my car and they shrank like crazy. I tried to stretch 'em out but after my little science experiment, they shrank right back and became worthless to me. Well earlier today I was at Big Lots and what do I see for $10? More Primas. They didn't have black - just Easter Egg colors. I picked up the light green (celery) and passed on the purple and blue. I may go back and get another pair because these are so perfect for the yard and for stashing under my desk at work.

I didn't want a repeat of my previous experience w/these so I put them on and ran errands in them. Then I completely forgot I had them on when I took this pic - whoops! I swear I had cute black flats on earlier!!

Oh hey. Remember me?

I swear I didn't forget I had a blog, y'all. I'm sure I've mentioned it a time or two but I'm BUSY. This house remodeling is bananas and couple that with work and I'm one busy bee. I've also been wearing the same 10 things you've already seen - BORING. Anyhoo, Tracey and I had a Ladies Day yesterday and went shopping and to lunch and to the track. We had a great day and plan to do this on the regular. Now, for the reason you're here:

Dress: Target

Cardigan: Target

Wedges: Nine West

Sleepy, hungover face: $3 margaritas

I walked out and forgot jewelry this morning - whoops! You can see how lazy I am when I'm not blogging daily! :)

I'm having a really really hard time taking pics with my iPhone. I can't find a good spot at work to take them anymore b/c the phone won't prop itself up like my old phone would. Right now I'm rigging my business card holder on top of a paperweight and then I lean that all up against a picture frame. Kinda inconvenient.

However, I love my iPhone. I'd marry it if I could. I plan on sharing some of my favorite apps in a future post :)

So let's talk about this dress. You know how all the sections at Target run together and one second you're in regular sizes and the next you're in maternity? Okay. So I spied this a few racks over and snatched it up. Then I noticed the size was all weird. It was a 1. What the hell is a one? I read the tag and saw they considered a 1 a 14-16. Seeing as how I fluctuate between a 12 and 14 (more on the upper end these days) I thought I'd give it a whirl. It fits pretty well. I had to really cinch up the straps because the bust is pretty big on me but it's quite the relief not to have to squeeze my boobies into a dress made for a B-cup. The rest of the dress fits like a 12/14 just with more boobie room. Sweet! After looking at the Target.com site I can see this is their Juniors' Plus sizing - pretty perfect if you're on the upper end of regular women's sizing! My shopping selection at Target just grew tremendously!

What's your favorite new "find" while shopping? I'm totally stoked about this Juniors' Plus business - It's all a little on the short side, but since I'm also a little on the short side, it's all the right length!

One step up from wearing pajamas to work

That's how Tracey describes super cotton dresses like this and she's absolutely right! It's a great and comfortable way to look put together.

 purple dress: Saint Tropez West (from TJ Maxx $19)

Cardigan: Target

Necklace: Sarah Balmer

Flats: Sam Edelman

Bracelet: Coach

Watch: gift

I'm having a hard time getting a new photo spot at work now that I have an iPhone. There's not a good place to prop/lean it. Any tips?

Transitioning to Spring...finally!

I hope the weather is as Springy and beautiful where you are as it has been here in Kentucky. I've really missed sunshine and afternoon walks with my sweet doggie, Maddy!
Dress: JC Penney

Cardigan: Target


Flats: Sam Edelman

Michelle Obama pearls: Walmart

Bracelet: Coach

Watch: wedding gift from my sweet husband

This dress (with pockets!) is one of my favorite go-to items. It's pretty low-cut and boobilicious so I keep work-appropriate by adding a buttoned cardi. I really wish I could find more dresses with this cut as I feel it's flattering. It's not too flowy and no one (not even the bitchy lady at the dry cleaners) will ask me when I'm due!

J. Crew and pony hair

I know pony hair shoes freak some of you out, but OMG do I love them. I find myself petting my shoes all day. Weirdo...hahaha

Cardi: Target

Black dress: J. Crew outlet ($12 I think)

flats: Stuart Weitzman (via Zappos.com outlet)

necklace: Target

bracelet: Coach

watch: wedding gift from sweet husband


Today's the first day I've gone barelegged and boy did it feel weird this morning. They've not seen the light of day in MONTHS! hahaha

Liberty of London for Target Peacock top

I went to Target right after work Monday night in hopes of scoring some of the fabulous Liberty of London for Target designs - I lucked out! My store's Liberty of London selections had barely been touched. SCORE! The first thing my eye fell on was the peacock halter top. The other tops didn't really appeal to me as much, but I did buy another top. I've not tried it on yet so we'll see if I keep it or not.

Tracey and I are meant to be BFF b/c I just saw her post and she bought the same top too! She's into all things peacock so I knew she'd be all over the housewares too :)

Peacock halter top: Liberty of London for Target

Cardi: NY&Co

pants: Old Navy

Heels: Cole Haan

Bracelet: Coach





A lot of the reviews online about the Liberty of London stuff complained about the shirts being polyester. When you're buying a $20 shirt at Target what the heck do you expect? I know...natural fibers are awesome blah blah blah. This top would look terrible in cotton and would cost a fortune in silk. You either get a fabulous design, a natural fiber, or a cheap price. Pick two.

How cute is the ruffle at the neck? The back has a little button and a keyhole opening. I'm not gonna lie: I had to put the shirt on backwards, button it, then turn it around. I was all thumbs this morning.

I didn't try on any of the clothing so I don't know about the sizing but I did go up a size (this is the XL) because I was worried about how it'd fit in the hips. Good thing b/c it's snug at the bottom and a little loose up top. I'm not displeased w/it, but I did find myself making sure it was pulled down all day.

I really love all these fun prints and can't get enough of the great, bright designs. I picked up a bedding set (which I'm not 100% on, but didn't want to regret not getting it later), a picture frame, and want to go back for those darn prep bowls we're all crazy about. Did any of you check it out in the store? It's all online, but sold out for the most part.

Casual Saturday

The weather has taken a marked turn lately and it's VERY appreciated. No more single-digit nights and frosty mornings! I love spring time and am showing great restraint in not wearing every summer dress I own!

Cardigan: Target

Birdie tshirt: Old Navy

Jeans: Old Navy

Heels: Calvin Klein

Necklaces: vintage Me-Maw :D

Uniform Thursday AND a giveaway!!

It's the little things that make us happiest, ya know? One of my favorite things is to check the mailbox at the end of the day. When I was little I would watch out the window for the mail to come and run out to get it. Even now, Al will skip checking the mail because he knows it's my favorite thing to do.

Today's outfit is one of those little things too. The pretty sparkly buttons on this cardigan really make it for me. I love the pretty deep pink color, but the jewel-like buttons really dress it up. I wish I had picked up another color (maybe black?) when Old Navy had these on sale a few months back.

Cardi: Old Navy

Teal top: Target

Pants: JCP

Snow boots: Target

Necklace: gift

I had to jack up the colors a little as I'm still hobbling along using my cell phone camera. I have GOT to find my camera battery charger!!

 How cute is the decoration on this top? They feel like hard little buttons or something similar under the fabric. I snagged this for $6 on my last Target visit (when I got that cute black top for $3!).

I heard on the news 49 states have had snow this year and I think we all are ready for something bright and shiny to perk us up. How about free shoes?! CSN Stores contacted me and is offering up a great pair of shoes to one of our readers.

 

These great Naturalizer loafers are a bright red patent with silver hardware. They retail for $54 and they could be YOURS if you're the lucky winner. To enter the contest just leave a comment telling me what your favorite "little thing" is. You get one entry for your comment, one entry for Tweeting about the contest, one entry for blogging about it, and one for following us. Just leave a separate comment for each and a link if necessary.

This contest is only open to US readers (sorry international gals!) and closes on 2/24/2010 at 11pm EST.

Keeping it cheap and staying warm

I'm not going to even start complaining about all the snow we're getting, seeing as how the rest of the country seems to be getting WAY more than we are. However, HOLY CRAP. SNOW!!!!

Python print cardi: NY&Co.

Fancy black tshirt: Target

Denim pencil skirt: Lands End

Tights: George via Walmart

Flats: Sam Edelman

Necklace: Gift

Bracelet: Coach




I scored this super cute tshirt at Target for $3 a couple of weeks ago. I am a sucker for plain, classic pieces and this was a great deal for such a nice design.

How pretty is that ruffled flower? I'm going to keep an eye out for more "interesting" tshirts to wear under cardigans because I think this is MUCH dressier and special.

Any big weekend plans with your sweetie? Al's promised me he'd finish our countertops this weekend. That's all the present I could ask for. Having a sink IN THE KITCHEN (and not washing dishes in the bath tub) and being able to cook w/out balancing dishes on the top of a yet-to-be-hung cabinet or in the toaster oven will be a real treat.

Nothin' to see here, folks...

Oh MAN. It's been a month since I last posted and I can't even make excuses. Holidays, work, house, wedded bliss blah blah blah. I won't bore you, so on with the outfits!

Cardi: Target

Top: Target

Pants: Old Navy

Flats: Liz Claiborne

Necklace: gift

I bought this cardi and top at the same time (the day before our wedding) to wear together on our honeymoon. Wouldn't you know the weather didn't cooperate so the need never arose. Then I got all side-tracked with all the other stuff going on in my life (I'm a smidge overwhelmed, y'all) and completely forgot.

Last night, while organizing my "closet," I saw these two and remembered how I wanted to wear them and figured now was as good of a time as any. It's our 12th day in a row w/below freezing temps. To you gals up north, that's nothing, but for Kentucky? It's approaching a record and all the weather dudes are blabbing about it. SNORE.

I had the joy and privilege of working both the day before AND after Christmas this year so jeans to the office it was! I didn't take a pic the day before but trust me - it was way cuter than this!

Cardi: Old Navy

Black T: Old Navy

Jeans: Levi's via Santa Mama

Flats: Sam Edelman

This isn't very remarkable and you've probably seen it before, but I'm nothing but honest w/you gals. I don't create outfits days in advance or even the night before. I just grab and pull and figure it out in the morning while Sonicare-ing my teeth. Gives me two minutes of uninterrupted outfit-picking. I also have a formula and a uniform that works for me and know I can always go to it. If this were VH1 I'd be claiming to be "keeping it real." Just so you know :)

I made a big ole promise to talk about the wedding and my dress and the reception and that dress and MY SHOES but I'm experiencing technical difficulties. See, when we moved, we stored 90% of our stuff in a building on our property. That translates to "I don't know where that is, honey. Stop asking me." when it comes to everything. Bless Al's heart. He can't find a thing either. Anyway, my laptop is accounted for but you couldn't pay me to find the cord. No clue but I'm sure it'll turn up eventually. I don't have the time to put the pics up at work and that's really the only other option. Oh and we don't have internet at home. Have I mentioned we're sleeping in the room where our kitchen will be? And that my "closet" is our sunroom? Okay. Just wanted to make sure y'all knew what I was working with. :)