OOTW: Christmas Week

I’ve been having such a fun time this first week of Winter Break, and I thought I’d share a couple of the outfits I’ve been wearing out and about.

Monday I didn’t snap any photos because I stayed close to home doing errands, walking the dog, and going to the gym. Nothing noteworthy, in terms of fashion.

Tuesday, December 20th – Season of Hope Concert at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph. One of my students was performing at a free concert in the downtown area and I invited a few of my friends to come along. We grabbed a drink at The Fairmont Hotel before, and then enjoyed some beautifully moving music. Seriously, I got teary-eyed as I listened, especially when I realized that these were high school kids performing – they sounded amazing, and you would’ve sworn they were professional adults. The nicest part was the huge smile on the face of my student when she realized I was there to support her. I took several photos with my friends, but none of those showed my outfit well. The one that did was taken with my student, so I cropped her out of the photo, hence the “random hand” on my shoulder. My hair was a bit flat on top, so I thought a beret fit perfectly with the outfit. The sparkly purple cardigan is courtesy of Scale Warfare (thanks for helping me out once again, SW!!).

Beret: Target; cami: LB; Cardi: Kohl

I know this picture has nothing to do with fashion, but I snapped it quickly outside of the Basilica, and I think it

Wednesday, December 21st – Lunch and shopping in Union Square, San Francisco. I was meeting a friend of mine for lunch, and this wasn’t just any old lunch, he and I had worked together years ago, and then lost touch, and reconnected on FB a few months ago. This was the first time I had seen him in over 6 years, and since he’s a buyer at a major SF-based clothing company, I knew I had to bring my A-game, fashion-wise. You guys have seen me in this outfit in a past OOTW, but I “juzzed it up” with that cool, red crochet flower. Oh, and a different beret made an appearance again today because the hair is still a bit flat on top. (I’m happy to report that he liked my dress and complimented me on it).

Beret: Macy

Thursday, December 22nd: Midday movie (Sherlock Holmes) with my dad. My dad and I have a tradition of going to the movies together whenever we have a break or vacation. Usually we see some sort of action, adventure, or thriller. I loved the first Sherlock Holmes, and this one might have been even better. The plotline is so convoluted that you really can’t figure it out, but it is fun just trying to keep up. Plus, I love the set designs and costumes. And Robert Downey Jr. has been a favorite of mine forever, and it’s so nice to see him doing so well. After the movie, we grabbed Subway, and then took the dogs on a long walk. I had a great time spending the afternoon with my dad. This outfit was already featured in a past OOTW, but since I had such a fun day, I figured I’d show the outfit.

Sweater: Woman Within; tank: LB; Jeans: Style & Co (Macy

This week has been really fun because I spent almost every day getting out and being social. It reminds me that I need to do this a bit more often even when I don’t have two weeks off. Of course, it’s so much easier to make plans when I don’t have a million other things on my mind, but I do need to make socializing more of a priority in 2012.

Friday was another stay at home in lounge clothes kind of day – no photos.

Saturday, December 24th – Christmas Eve.  I wanted to look nice for Christmas Eve, and I think the details can make all the difference, so I tried to put some thought into the accessories for my outfit. The buttons on the cardigan I was going to wear were really pretty – they reminded me of a brooch you might find on an outfit in the 20s.  Sort of deco.  This photo is a bit unclear, but I think you get the idea:

The buttons were pretty - clusters of red, clear, and bright pink stones.

I borrowed my sister's diamond cluster earrings, to echo the buttons of the cardigan

The ruby and diamond ring my grandmother bequeathed to me fit in perfectly.

Cardi: Avenue; Tank: LB; Black jeans: Style & Co (Macy's); Shoes: Clark's

 

December 25th: Christmas Day.  I was headed to my parents’ house again tonight, and I was looking forward to a quiet dinner with “the original four” – my dad, my mom, my sister, and me.  It was a nice evening sharing stories, opening presents,  and enjoying ravioli.  The atmosphere was casual, but I wanted to make she that I was decked out for the holidays.

I found these stocking socks in the $1 bins at Target. Love.

 

Sure, I can say that I was just in the Christmas spirit with this hat, but the truth is, my hair was a bit messy on top.

Hat: Walgreens (years ago); Sweater: Catherine's; tshirt: Woman Within; Dark Rinse jeans: Style & Co (Macy's); Shoes: Clark's

Which outfit was your favorite?

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OOTW: Short Week

This was a really short week for me. 3 1/2 days. I only have two outfits to show, because I wore class sweatshirts the other days, and those are hardly fashionable.

Monday, November 7th: I had this outfit planned out a week in advance, and I loved the way that it looked and felt.  Really comfortable, but really nice, too.

Sweater: Apt. 9 from Kohl's (from ScaleWarfare); Cami: LB; Jeans: Style & Co from Macy's; Shoes: Clarks

Sideview.

Wednesday, November 9th: When I first saw this dress as I pulled it out of the box that Scale Warfare sent it in and I tried it on, I knew exactly how I wanted to style it.  I wanted to make it a funky look, and I think I achieved it.

First, the dress with just the leggings and cami, no sweater.

This picture doesn't show it as well, but I felt very slim from the sideview in this dress.

I absolutely love the way this outfit looks in the photo below.  I think it makes me look slim, hip, and very cool.  It was the way that I envisioned the outfit, and I can’t believe it looked so good.  (Not trying to sound conceited, it’s just that outfits rarely look as good as I hope they might).  I should also mention that this dress was in a size 20, which is much smaller than what I’ve been wearing (22/24).  Now, the cut may have been big, or maybe, just maybe, I’m actually getting a bit smaller.  Or maybe a combo of both.  😉

Sweater: Macy's; Dress: KSL by Karin Stevens (from SW); Leggings: Danskin; Cami: Champion Sports Bra (Target); Shoes: Clarks

This photo is really blurry, but it gives you a bit of a sideview.

One thing that’s been great about doing these OOTD posts is that I can see a true style emerging.  Not every outfit I wear fits into my favorite style, but a few of them do, and I know that I’ll continue that “look” when I’m at my goal weight.  I’ll do a future post (sometime in December) showcasing the outfits that really show my true style.

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OOTW: The Heat is Back

Remember the title of last week’s OOTW post: A Chill in the Air? Ya, well, this week it was all about the heat. And not our normal summer heat, but a weird, humid heat that is usually (thankfully) reserved for the east coast. Luckily, I haven’t put away any of my summer clothes yet, so I was able to make it work all week.  Since we’re in Indian Summer mode (cool mornings, hot days, cool nights), it was all about the layering.

Monday: I was amazed at how well these colors went together, considering each thing was purchased separately and without a thought about the other items.  Pulling things together from the closet is always really fun.  I like the cardigan I wore on Monday because it’s roomy, but looking at the photos I can see that it’s not the most flattering.

Closeup view: necklace from Silpada

Cardigan: LB; Top: Macy's; Skirt: Susan Graver (QVC); Shoes: Clarks

Quick, blurry side view.

Tuesday: I got a ton of compliments on this top on Tuesday!  Students, my nieces, and even my dad all had really nice things to say.  Red is one of “my” colors, and this one has a fun swirly pattern on it.

Closeup - The lighting in the bathroom makes the top look much brighter than it really is.

Cardigan: Avenue; Top: LB (years old); Cami: LB; Cropped pants: Avenue; Necklace: Tiffany

Because the top is more form fitting, it helps to show off my curves more than Monday's outfit.

Wednesday: This is the first day since schools started that I repeated an outfit.  Which means than in 35 days (8 weeks, M-F, no weekends or holidays), I have worn 34 different outfits.  Which means I have A LOT of clothes for work!  I know it’s sort of silly and no one cares about whether I’ve repeated outfits but me, but I do take pride in how many different looks I’ve been able to string together.  I hate wearing the same thing all the time, and I proved to myself that I don’t have to.  I still have a couple of dresses that I haven’t worn yet, so technically, I can probably go 36 or 37 days, but at this point, it doesn’t matter.

Closeup to show the true colors of the outfit, necklace, makeup.

I was actually hoping the photo above would show my makeup better.  For years, I’ve done my eyes the same way – liquid liner, with a strong cat’s eye.  It really has become my signature look because it helps accentuate my almond-shaped eyes, and it helps me avoid eyeshadow, which I’m terrible at applying.  I recently purchased the new Bare Escentuals Ready eyeshadows and was pretty impressed, both with the formula and the ease with which I could apply it.  I chose The Enlightenment duo, Guru & Namaste (silk stone and sandy brown) which I thought would be fairly neutral with my skin tone.  I was really proud of myself, and I liked the look it gave.  Next time I try it, I’ll take a better photo.

Shurg: Avenue; Top: LB; Cropped pants: Avenue; Shoes: Hush Puppies

(Yes, that’s Sofi making a cameo on these photos).

Which outfit was your favorite?

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