Basic black

I wear a lot of black. This we all know. So when given a $20 gift card to Macy's from a coworker, what'd I do? I scoured the sale rack for a black dress. But I already have black dresses. So I had to find one that was special and I think I did :)

Dress: Nine West

Belt: came off another dress

Flats: Stuart Weitzman





























Cute, right? It was originally $118, marked down to $41, and after my gift card and an additional discount at the register, I walked away paying $15 for this dress. I also picked up a pair of dress slacks for $2.99. Can't beat that!!!! All together I saved 75% off retail.

How'd I get an additional discount at the register? I asked for one. Extra 15% for me! It never hurts to just ask the cashier if he or she has any coupons they could use for you. Being extra nice doesn't hurt, but you should be doing that anyway.

The dress is from the petites section and I rarely even darken the door of that section. I'm short, but I'm not petite. This dress has made me a believer and I'll definitely keep my eyes on that section more. The waist and bust are the right length for me and it doesn't bunch up in the back like most dresses do. It's a smidge shorter than I'm used to, but I think the proportions are right. I just think my knees could use some Photoshopping :D

Here's a close up of the adorable inverted pleats on the dress:

Have you scored any great deals lately?

I felt a little bit like Joan Holloway today.

I didn't look quite as smokin' hot, but I felt great in this dress.

Dress: borrowed from my aunt

Cardi: Kohl's

Belt: Walmart

Shoes: Stuart Weitzman

This is SO not something I'd typically wear to the office (though I totally have a Joanie job now!), but we had a "Go Red for Women" luncheon and were all encouraged to wear red. This is the first time (I think) I've ever work red on this blog as I don't even own anything red.

I didn't want to buy a new dress only to wear it once and didn't find squat at Goodwill. As luck would have it, my aunt walked in to Easter dinner with this on and I about yanked it off her - it was perfect. Fortunately we're the same size!

It has adorable cap sleeves but the weather has been ridiculous here, so I had to wear a sweater to keep from freezing.

Here's a close up of meeeeeeeee from earlier in the day:

I originally had on a necklace but decided to take it off as it was too fussy with the dress. The dress had a super cute ruffled neckline and I wanted it to be the main focus.

Can you believe I've not had a hair cut since I got married (Sept '09)? It's ridiculous. It's so dang long and drives me batshit crazy most days. HOWEVER, I don't want to wack it all off for nothing at this point. Locks of Love requires 10 inches and that's just a little too short for me right now. Guess I'll keep growing it and hope for the best!


Oh and I'd apologize about not ever posting, but that drives me nuts when other bloggers do it. Life's crazy, we're busy, blah blah blah.

Thoughts on fashion blogging...

There's been a lot of talk on the blogs lately about fashion blogging and how realistic some blogs are (or more specifically, aren't). One of the first fashion blogs I ever started reading was Allie over at My Wardrobe Today. What drew me to her was she was a real woman with a real body. She wore clothes I could afford or even had in my closet. She went to work every day. I could relate to her.

However, she recently posted about why she wasn't blogging much these days. Again, I can relate. I'm not rich and skinny. I don't buy designer clothing, wear vintage fur, or pose in fabulous locations. I'm frequently uninspired, I come in to work before everyone and snap my photo, I shop the sale racks, and I'm broke as hell right now. I'm not trying to break into the fashion industry or make a living off this. I just love the sense of community I've found with this and have made some awesome friends along the way.

Kimberly at Fab Finds Under $50 weighed in on this as well as Budget Chic. I hope you take the time to read their takes as I can't agree with them more.

Now, on with the show! :)

Cardi: NY&Co

Ruffle top: NY&Co

Pencil skirt: NY&Co

Tights: George via Walmart

Leopard flats: Stuart Weitzman (via Zappos outlet for $40-ish I think)

Necklace: Target (I can't find it online but it's one of the lines from the case and it's currently 75% off. Cream, champagne, and grey pearls on goldtone metal. Very cute.)




Both my tights and skirt are brown but the lighting in my office combined w/my crappy cell phone make for the bottom half being a big blur. My camera battery died (snapped too many pics of the house renovations!) and I can't find my charger. Story of my life, y'all.

Will they make it?

Khaki Pencil Skirt: J Crew

Leopard Print Peep Toe Pumps: Nine West via Marshalls

My leopard print pumps may be forced to make their way into mush and grime for a media story from flooding this afternoon. No other spare shoes on site to change into. Peep toe means grime not only ruins shoes but hits bare feet. This could be bad folks. Update coming on whether the leopard pumps survived in my next post. Cross your fingers for them--and my feet!

It may not be flashy...

Denim Jacket: Gap Outlet

Belt: The Limited

Dress: Can't tell you

Leopard Pumps: Nine West via Marshall's

Sometimes I try to put together these flashy outfits and while I think they can be cute, I don't know that they are always "me" and I think it shows. However, this outfit just feels quintessentially "Leslie." It may not be exciting-- but it's how I am the most comfortable! At the core, I'm still a classic dresser at heart.

Random note : this dress looks terrible belted with the jacket off on me. However, I've found that as long as I keep a jacket on, belts add a lot to the look of this dress and add color and dimension. So I'm going to stick with it!

Wardrobe replacement stress

I dont care that it's the heat of summer. My office is cold so I put on my favorite long sleeve wrap tee today and felt blissfully comfortable! While I have a short sleeve version in white and lime, they just arent the same as the long sleeve and how utterly comfy and warm I feel in them. I cant wait to grab the new dark fall colors this fall at my favorite home clothing party!

You know those items in your closet that you begin to stress out about them wearing out because you don't know how you'll survive without them? (Well, I do this but I stress out about a lot of "what if's" in life and my closet is no exception!) This tee is one of those as well as this J Crew khaki pencil skirt. I bought the skirt a few years ago when I needed a tan color skirt for an event (it was that or shorts and you all know how often you see me in shorts --other than cotton workout shorts, I own one pair -- and I just got those on vacation!) so I just grabbed the skirt for the event with no long-term plans. It quickly turned into a 3-season wardrobe staple. It fits great and goes with everything. When I dropped grease on it a couple months ago, I stood at the sink scrubbing for several minutes -- because there was no way I was going to lose this skirt! I think it has another year in it if I'm lucky -- It's starting to feel worn -- so Im on the lookout already for a replacement!

What item in your closet are you already worrying about having to try to replace one day?

May flowers? Yeah right

Jacket: CAbi (Spring 2008)

Cami: Old Navy

Pindot Pants: The Limited

Leopard Peep Toe Pumps: Nine West via Marshalls

I'm seriously so tired of rain. Had this cute outfit picked out to wear and wake up to thunderstorms. And I don't wear breezy skirts in the rain for obvious reasons so I just grabbed pants and a jacket to get through the day. The leopard pumps made my "boring" outfit feel less boring though.

Isn't the phrase "April showers bring May flowers?" Well, I don't see any flowers and I'm seriously tired of MAY SHOWERS!

A little Audrey

White Oxford: Banana Republic

Wool Camel Pants: Ann Taylor

Leopard Belt: Calvin Klein

Brown Patent Pumps: Chinese Laundry

Nude Fishnets (not seen): Marshall's brand

I felt a little boring getting dressed today--but the more I looked at the outfit, I decided it was very Audrey Hepburn. And that can't be all bad!

I decided to try out the "pigeon toe" photo stance. I recently read an article (it was either the new People Style Watch or Glamour--only 2 I've read recently) that showed images of the latest "pose" struck most often by celebrities--the pigeon toe stance with the knees and toes turned slightly inward.

The rationale is that it's lengthening and flattering, similar to crossing your legs one over the other. Except this doesn't look like you are trying to keep from making a bathroom run.

What do you think? Are you a fan of the pigeon toe stance?

What to do, what to do?

Pencil Skirt, Turtleneck Sweater and Rodeo Belt: CAbi

Leopard Print Pumps: Nine West

What do you wear when it's October and 85 degrees outside? I want to feel seasonably appropriate but it's sure hard when it's that warm. At least it wasn't humid. And a shortsleeve turtleneck sweater seemed perfect!

I have this exact skirt in black and white tweed too...and I've been debating whether I need to shorten it about an inch. It currently ends at the bottom of my kneecap. I wear the skirts frequently with tall boots in the winter and I read this weekend that when wearing tall boots with a pencil skirt, you should show a bit of a break between the skirt and boot for the maximum slimming effect. However, they also say the slimmest part of your leg is at the bottom of your kneecap so it's good to have skirts end there. So what are your thoughts??? (And no, buying new boots is not an option!) Hem or no hem?

A weekend of fun, friends and shoes

What a fabulous (long) weekend!! It was the perfect mix of relaxation and entertainment. Friday night I was lucky enough to have my dear friends Tiffany and Luke come down to meet for drinks, dinner and to crash at Casa de Leslie. Everyone was convening in the Louisville area for one of our friends surprise 30th birthday party at the Casino. I introduced Tiffy and Luke to one of my favorite places--Napa River Grill! We ate outside and while it was quite pleasant, it was warm enough that I lost the sweater quickly!


Black Sweater: The Limited

Fuschia Top: George for WalMart

Jeans: CAbi

Leopard Print Pumps: Nine West



We woke up the next morning and decided a trip to Zappos was in order before heading to the party later in the afternoon. Imagine mine and Tiffany's delight when we walked in, saw an amazing selection, and found out that all items were an additional 20-60% off plus 20% off your entire purchase!!! Woo hoo! Luke however, I don't believe was quite as delighted, although to his credit, he sat patiently on the sofa while Tiffy and I scoured the racks for close to an hour. He also critiqued our shoes as we modeled them up and down the aisles, deciding which to buy--in other words, a real trooper. I think he was having visions of taking over the television for football games the next 2 weeks in return.

Anyhow, Tiff and I got some great deals--the deals were in fact so good that I went back again Monday with my mom and sister and got another great pair! The pairs averaged approximately $30 a piece--with a retail average about 3 times that! What a deal!!

(Leslie's shoes in order below: Nine West; Chinese Laundry--they are a brown/bronze patent leather--; Type A)












Tiffany's Shoes below- I know the yellow ones were Nine West but I don't remember the boots--absolutely adorable and great deals!




Sunday was spent dripping in sweat at the UofL vs UK game....and dripping in sweat for 7 hours does not lead to great fashion so no pictures. Although the outcome was far from what I wanted (don't even get me started!) it was indeed a great time and I'm excited to see football season kickoff! I'll be sporting my team colors often and participating in the latest Blogger Challenge issued by Jamie and I hope you are too! If you don't have a favorite team, wear the colors of your hometown team! We'd love to have this opportunity to learn more about where our fellow readers and bloggers hail from!

Ode to my favorite store

Black Chunky Knit Cardigan: The Limited

Leopard Print Cami: The Limited

Brown Linen Pants: The Limited

Shoes: Steve Madden

After I got dressed today, I realized I was dressed in my favorite store from head to toe. I do that rarely...but you can probably tell that it's not hard for me to do! It's very easy for me to end up wearing an entire outfit from the Limited or CAbi from head to toe and not even realize it until I'm out the door. I think part of the reason for this is that both lines have trendy items with a classic twist--and very rarely ever go out of style (plus their sizing is consistent and I know 9 times out of 10 exactly what size will fit without trying them on which is big for me). Although I look for affordable clothing, I tend to "invest" more in classic items and then find my trendier items at a discount store or on sale. I'm the type that will spend $150 on a khaki trench because I know it'll never go out of style and will last for years--and the same day spend $15 on a crazy shirt or accessory.

Realize after the fact that this is the second time in three days I've been rocking the leopard print. I'm not sure what that says about my mood this week!

Monday --Leslie

Burgundy Pants: The Limited

White Sweater: Gap Outlet

Seersucker Jacket: Issac Mizrahi for Target

Leopard belt: Nine West

Leopard Neckerchief: Stolen from my grandmother

Brown pumps: Rampage

My sister gave me these pants because she said they fit me better than her. I'm quite glad because I love me some red pants!! Heaven knows I don't already have enough red in my wardrobe :-) I can't wait to wear them to a UofL football game this fall.

The shirt looks better untucked but unfortunately the pants were already a bit too long and were too large around the waist so I had to have a belt to hold them up. I need one of those flat, clear plastic belts you can buy so you can hold your pants up without a line or bulk. It's just that I rarely have the problem of pants being too big around the waist so I've never invested in one before now!

Weekend -- Ally

I worked both days this weekend so I had to wear something other than pants with an elastic waist. *sigh* ;) Fortunately, we're allowed to wear denim on weekends so long as it's cute and pulled-together. No rock tshirts, sweatshirts, tank tops, etc.

Since I worked these two days, I get Monday/Friday off. Friday was spent running around with Tracey and later meeting Al and friends. I'm posting Friday's outfit with Saturday/Sunday because it's weekend enough for me!

Friday: ON LOCATION!!! :)

Black "wrap" top: NYandCo. ($12)

Jeans: Gap curvy fit

Scarf: Banana Republic (gift)

Sunnies: Maxstudio

Pink leather bangle: JCP ($10 - from my haul earlier in the month)

Bag: Michael Kors

Shoes: Crocs Prima




Just the right outfit for an afternoon of beer, shopping, beer again, free concert, then um...beer. What?!? It was my day off! Tracey supervised my behavior so I can assure I was good! :)

Saturday:
Cardi: NYandCo. ($10 super clearance)

Tank: Mossimo

Jeans: Gap

Brown peep toe wedges: Nine West

Necklace: gift











I had a belt over the tank when I left the house but I was crazy busy at work and it just had to go. I think the outfit still looks cute without it. This is the same top/cardi I wore in this post - just swapped the pants and shoes!


My mama got this necklace for me. Not sure where it came from, but knowing her, it was a steal. I learned bargain shopping at a VERY early age from an excellent teacher! :)

You can see the satiny detail on the tank a little better too. The center "v" and edge are satin and the rest is a super soft, drapey cotton. Al took the pic and it turned into more of a boob shot than I asked for. Men!


Sunday:
Black blouse: Worthington (JCP) ($17? I forget. I have it in orange too)

Denim pencil skirt: Lands' End ($35)

Belt: JCP ($8)

Flats: Crocs Prima (gift)













So let's talk about these shoes. I loathe the Crocs clogs you see people tripping over and children wearing. HATE THEM. Ditto on flip flops. I think if you're being THAT casual, you should reevaluate if you ought to leave the house in the first place.

However, these aren't those big clunky Crocs and they're downright cute. They're ridiculously comfortable and that's necessary for me when I'm at work. I walk a lot (especially on weekends when I'm flying solo) and the stilettos get old and painful. I toss these in the car most days and I also have a pair in red. My only complaint is they eat my toenail polish. I'll take them off and an entire toe will be without polish - weird!!!

How cute is this belt?? It was one of my steals from the JCP haul a couple of weeks ago. I got it for $8. The leopard is fuzzy and the black is patent. LOVE IT. The buckle kinda reminds me of the Fendi buckles, just cheaper :)



Whew! That was quite the update! I'm off tomorrow (Monday) and I hope to finish up the closet (have I ever mentioned I'm all about being lazy and putting off stuff??). I'll post pics of that annnnnd I have a fun surprise post coming up too!

Friday-- Leslie

Top: Bitten by SJP

Black Skirt: The Limited

Brown Belt: The Limited

Leopard Print Pumps: Nine West

Leopard Print Scarf: Stolen from my grandmother

Decided to use my leopard print accessories today to ease into wearing black and brown together. I think the colors look so chic worn together but it's scary because people said it was such a faux pas for so many years.

I really love this skirt. You can't tell in the picture but it has buttons all down the side. I bought the same skirt in a colored tweed when they came out and the black one was only available one size larger so I went ahead and bought it even though I could grab wads of fabric at my hips. I can't believe I would ever be happy at being a size larger or anything but I am soooo glad this skirt still fits. It's truly one of my favorite items in my closet. You can probably tell I have a real affinity for the knee length pencil skirt. Since I am built so straight, I've found I can wear it without "bumps" at my hips as my mom so eloquently says and it actually adds some curves.

Received a ton of compliments on this outfit at work today. I think it was the classy- conservative at the top that worked it's way down to high leopard print peep toes that gave the extra spark that people seemed to comment on.

Funny comment from a co-worker today--she described someone as "the one who dresses like a nice church girl." I said in my best offended voice, "I'm a nice church girl!!!!" (and I am). The response, "Yes, but you're flashy." Not much to say in response there.

Friday- Leslie

Seersucker Pants: Issac Mizrahi at Target

Shirt: Banana Republic Factory Outlet

Belt: The Limited

Shoes: Nine West

Necklace: Stolen from my sister (she's going to notice after this is published anyhow, might as well just get it out there)



Is there anything that screams "summer in the south" more than seersucker? In honor of the mid-August heat wave that arrived 2 months early to Kentucky, I decided to wear the seersucker today.

The big brown belt is in honor of Big Brown as he attempts to become the first Triple Crown winner in my lifetime tomorrow (well, really it just goes with the outfit, but I really do hope Big Brown wins!)

Total side note, I feel like my hair looks quite dark in these photos. People who know me--is my hair really this dark?? Or is it the lighting???