Fashion Challenge: Grey Day

For today's Fashion Challenge was to wear grey.  This is one of my all time favorite dresses.  Its super comfy jersey material, has pockets and came with a belt (which I can't find at the moment).

Dress:Ross-Heather Grey Jersey Dress-$14
Jacket-New York & Co-Grey Wool Jacket-$35
Jeggings-Target-$22
Boots: Ross-Aerosoles Black Boots-$20

And the reason this post is so short on words and has taken me all evening, my new puppy Frankie!  He's an early Christmas gift from my husband. He's half dachshund half english bulldog and absolutely adorable.

Tribal & Mustard

December already...I feel like November flew by so quickly.  The past few weeks I've been unable to keep up with blogging.  I blame it on the shorter days, gloomier weather and a busier schedule.  But yesterday the sun was shinning brightly while I was getting ready for work so I decided to add a little bright happy color to my outfit by wearing my tribal print dress.  I played up the yellow splashes of color on the dress by pairing it with my yellow cardigan and sneakers.  Seems I inadvertently matched the leaves on the trees too!  Fall came a little late here in California!

Dress: Target-Tribal Print Dress-$10
Cardigan: Macy's-Charter Club Mustard yellow cardigan-Gift from Mom-FREE!
Jeggings: Target-Dark Blue Jeggings-$22
Shoes: Macys-Naturalizer yellow sneakers with bow-$15
Approximate Total Cost-$47

Pastels

I had a friend in college who wore pastel pink a great deal and I really didn't like the color on her.  It didn't go well with her skin tone and somehow this turned me off from pastel colors in general.  ( Let's just say I'm not her biggest fan anymore).  So that is probably one reason I've had this sweater in my closest for years and never worn it.  I even remember the day I bought it.  It was an after Christmas sale at JCPenny and the store was crazy madness.  I grabbed this sweater and a red wool coat and headed straight to the checkout line.  Sadly, I don't get to wear the wool coat much.  It really doesn't get cold enough here and its more formal than I normally dress.

Sweater: JCPenny-Lavender chunky knit cowl neck sweater-too old to remember
Belt: Ross: Came with a shirt-$10
Jeans: Nordstrom Rack-Joes Jeans-S$70
Socks: Target-Pink with yellow dots-$1
Shoes: Payless-Pastel Teal sneakers-$8

The other reason I've never worn this sweater is that it is a size medium and I used to be extra small.  I seem to mention my former size often so I figured (hah. pun not intended) I'd show you a few pre-marriage photos. The photo on the left is from my bridal shower and the one on the right in from my bachelorette party. As you can see I've filled out a little :P.  The funny thing is at the time I was so happy I had gained a couple pounds in time for the wedding!  I'm actually really happy with my weight right now.  As long as I stay in the healthy weight range for my height I'm not planning on losing weight any time soon.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program, more pastels! This next outfit I'm wearing today and although its very comfy and cozy I don't think the style is my own.  What would you pair a baby blue maxi dress with? I feel like I should be going to a 70's prom in this.

Dress: Macy's, gift from Mom-Baby Blue maxi dress-FREE!
Blazer: White Elephant Sale Oakland CA-Blue Tablots Blazer-$6
Top: Old Navy-White lace tank top-$4
Shoes: Naturalizer yellow sneakers with bow-$15
Approximate Total Cost-S20

These two outfits are shopping ban outfits #11 and 12! I have 13 more pieces to go so I'm pretty much at the half way point (a few of my outfits featured multiple shopping ban items).  Technically I'm wearing another new item today, a pair of Spanx.  Yes, I was a Spanx virgin before today.  Anyone else have an issue with the elastic band on the waist not staying put? Other than that, I quite like them.

Everybody Everywear: Freeze your butts and wear tights

I'm cold. I know I have no right to complain about the cold because living in the bay area we enjoy pretty mild weather. However,  this makes even the slightest dip in temperature feel cold.  If I freely chose my outfit today I'd be in jeans right now. I'm just saying.  Anyway, you should check out other (non-whiny) bloggers doing today's Everybody Everywear: Colored Tights edition.

Despite having a pretty colorful wardrobe, I don't own many colored tights. Don't worry, its on my list of things to purchase post-shopping ban.  Today I'm wearing a kinda grayish green pair of tights with a greenish gray dress.  Yes, the placement of the -ish makes a distinction between the similar colors.  The dress doesn't cover the girls modestly so I tried out an idea I saw over at True Fashion Confession.  She has nearly the same shirt and wore it over a dress and tied the bottom. And in case your curious I would say the top is blueish gray.

Top: Marshalls-Gray button up ruffle shirt-$8
Dress worn as skirt: Ross-Gray floral print dress-S15
Tights: Target-Grayish green tights-S4
Shoes: Meryvan's-Black wedge heels-Too old to remember

Random: Do these count as wood platforms? If so my score is 9/10 on this article about must have shoes my friend posted on facebook.  I very clearly don't own suede booties, but after seeing many blog posts with booties recently I'm considering finding a pair.

See! My grayish green tights.

Breakfast Only on Weekends

In my house breakfast is only made on weekends.  We have a house guest this weekend so I've been cooking up a storm.  Thursday dinner was Hawaiian style short ribs, veggie stir fry and rice.  Yesterday lunch we had chicken fried rice made with the leftover rice from dinner.  Dinner last night was meatballs and spaghetti.  And for breakfast I made omelets and bacon.  I should probably start thinking about what's for dinner....but oh well, I blog instead!  

The omelets were Mohlajee style.  What's a Mohlajee omlet you ask...well, its one made with Mohlajee masala! (Also known as Garam Masala)  For party favors at our wedding, my husband I decided to do spice jars filled with seasonings since we both love to cook.  Mine was called Mohlajee Masala and contained a homemade blend of garam masala while my husbands was called Lowry Seasoning ( you know like the brand Lawry's) and contained a spice rub for ribs he likes to use.  We got the spice jars at Cost Plus and tied a recipe to each one using ribbon.  The labels were designed by my nephew and printed at home.  I was cheap and frugal for my wedding even.

So to make a Mohlajee Omelet you'll need eggs, garam masala, onions, jalepeno, bell pepper, and whatever other veggies you'd like to add.  Mushrooms, tomatoes, italian squash are all great options.

Finely dice the veggies, you can decide how much you want to add.  Fry the onions in butter or olive oil if your health conscious like most of my family.  Add in the rest of the veggies and saute for a little bit (maybe a minute on medium).  Beat egg(s) in small bowl add salt and pepper to your liking and pour into frying pan with the veggies.  Let it cook for a bit then sprinkle with garam masala.  If your fancy like me do the tri-fold when almost cooked through and then flip or if you prefer just flip over and cook the other side.  

If you are wondering where you can find garam masala I would try your local grocery store if you live in an area with lots of Indian folks as it probably has an Indian foods section.  If not, then you may have to google where your local Indian store is or buy it online.  Its a very versatile spice mixture commonly used in North Indian cuisine.  

Dress: Nordstrom Rack~ Purple sweater dress with flower things- $20
Tank Top: Gap~Neon green tank top-$7
Jeggings: Target-$22
Boots: Ross-Aerosoles Knee high black boots-$20
Coat: Thrift Town: Bebe Fushia Trench Coat-$20
Approximate Total Cost-$89

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!  I know I am! My blog reached crossed 3,000 hits today! Woohoo!  Yes, I'm a little obsessive about checking the stats, but I really do find statistics interesting.

Shopping Ban Outfit #10

 Love this skirt, shopping ban item #20, but I'm still trying to figure out what the name means.  Its called Lido Light Skirt and the Anthropologie description says something about it reminding them of a Mediterranean beach shade...i guess i kinda see it.

Skirt: Anthropologie-Lido Light Skirt-$24
Top: Old Navy-White tank top with lace-$3
Cardigan: Macy's-Gift from Mom-FREE!
Belt:Target-Teal snake print belt-$3
Tights: Marshalls-HUE Brown diamond shape-$4
Shoes: Ross-Black flats with flower-$15
Approximate Total Cost~$49

 I think the stripes and shades of blue are adorable.  I've searched online for how other people styled this skirt and its seems to be pretty unanimous either pair it with yellow for contrast or go monochromatic. This skirt was also worn by Zooey Deschanel in a photo for the her show, The New Girl. I went for contrast and she (or the person in charge of wardrobe) went with monochromatic.  Anyone have any styling suggestions?

Edit: I'm linking this post up to 260 Days, No Repeats "I've got this week" where she is featuring trends with items she already owns...considering I'm on a shopping ban this is right up my alley!

Stripes

Today's fashion challenge is to wear stripes or polka dots.  I went with stripes even though I love polka dots.  This is supposed to be a challenge so I may as well challenge myself and not take the easy way out.  My blog friend Ki at Dressing up for life decided to go for polka dots today, and I can't wait to see what the other challenge takers will be wearing.  Still not to late to join the challenge, tomorrow is "Fall Brights"!  I think this will be my favorite, I just love bright colors.  Can't you tell?

This is also Shopping Ban outfit #8.  The yellow blazer is new...I think it arrived in the mail after I took photos of my shopping ban items. So, this brings the total to 27 items and I've got 17 items to go!

Top: Target:Xhilaration Striped Tee with poofy sleeves-$10
Blazer-Stilletos &Diaper Bag Blog Sale-Yellow short sleeve blazer- $10 (including shipping)
Pants: Nordstrom Rack: Black Cropped Dress pants-20
Belt: From some other shirt or dress....not sure
Shoes:Ross-Black Flats with flower-$14
Approximate Total Cost ~$54

And I spotted these Halloween questions over at You, Me & Anthropologie and thought i'd be fun to answer them.  

1) What is your favorite Halloween candy?

Those red cinnamon fireball things.  And chocolate.  But chocolates my favorite year round.  My favorite as a kid was definitely milkway...i think they taste the best in mini or fun size. The ratio of carmel to chocolate is wrong in the full sized candy bar.

2) What's your favorite Halloween movie?

Don't  have one.

3) At what age did you stop trick-or-treating?

High School I think.

4) What is your favorite Halloween costume that you've worn?

Fairy princess when I was five.  My mom made the costume.  I remember her sewing it and me bugging her all worried it wouldn't be done for the Halloween party at school.   I later used that costume in a school play were I played the fairy in The Velveteen Rabbit.

5) What is your least favorite costume that you've worn?

For a party while in high school I went as a housewife. I wore my fuzzy slippers, a ripped over-sized shirt and my sisters ratty bathrobe.

6) Have you ever repeated a costume? If so, what was it?

I've repeated lots of costumes.  Recently I was Mrs. Incredible for Bay to Breakers last year, halloween last year and a halloween party last week.

7) What are you going to be for Halloween this year?

A lobster.  I found the cutest lobster hat at a thrift store for 69 cents! Its probably meant for a toddler or small child since I found it in a bin of kids costumes but luckily I have a small head so it fits!  

8) Do you like going to haunted attractions?

No.  I'm afraid of the dark.  I will turn on every light between me and where i'm walking to in the house at night. 

9) Vampires or werewolves?

Werewolves.  I love Alcide.  

10) Do you decorate your house for Halloween?

Yes.  Not very well as you can see, but I tried!

Question thingy started over at TheGridMonster and JoeyGraceffa.

What to wear for "Menswear"

I think today's Fashion Challenge of wearing menswear or over-sized pants was the hardest for me to figure out.  My style and wardrobe is pretty girl and feminine so I had to explore the depths of my closet and dresser for colors and items that could be menswear.  I'm really happy with the look I came up with. I love the combination of olive green and charcoal grey.  I added some tarnished metal bangles I got as a gift and have never worn before.

Top & Belt: Ross-Olive green button up with braided brown belt-$10
Underlayer: Forever 21-Charcoal Grey fitted T-shirt-$4
Jeans: Macy's-Levis Curve ID Bold Curve-$58
Shoes: Target: Converse One Star sneakers-$20
Bangles: Gift from relative in India

I'm definitely going to check out the other menswear inspired fashion from this challenge.  So far I love Keely's plaid vest and mustard yellow combination over at Casual Chic Kiki!  Its also not too late to join the challenge either! Tomorrows is Maxi or Midi!

The last time I wore this shirt my therapist said it really brought out the green shades in my eyes and I agree.  And, I just really liked the light in the photo on the right.

Argyle Socks! From Target.  Went a little knee high sock crazy when I bought knee high boots.  The converse sneakers I bought for Halloween two years ago.  I went as Lucy from the peanuts and couldn't find saddle shoes anywhere! This was the closest I could find in a reasonable price.

Tahoe Blue, Shopping Ban Outfit: #3

This weekend my husband and I went to  Lake Tahoe for the GSKA Martial Arts Championship Tournament.  My husband is a martial artist and volunteers year round for the GSKA.  I like to say I married into the GSKA family.  I'm not a martial artist, but I do volunteer at any tournament I can make it to.  And, a yearly weekend trip to Tahoe in October is nothing to complain about.

The weather Friday was picture perfect.  While my husband helped set up for the tournament, me and my friend ran off to beach at Zephyr Cove and enjoyed the warm sunshine, blue skies and spectacular views.

One thing I love about Tahoe is that you can see a juxtaposition of things usually not related.  Such as pine cones on the beach or ducks in the snow.  (The only snow on this trip was on the distant peaks)

I wore my third shopping ban outfit on Friday consisting of a lovely colorful tunic, a pair of jeggings, gold wedges, danging earrings and one of my favorite purses.   I don't really like wearing jeggings or skinny jeans. They aren't very flattering on my short legs.  These bunch at the bottom and I don't wear them often enough to bother hemming them.  And, apparently my hair was super poofy and voluminous...and excuse the wrinkly top, my husband likes me to do the long distance driving.

Top:H&M-Floral print tunic top-$10
Jeggings:Target-$22
Shoes:Nordstrom Rack-Gold Wedge Heels-$25
Purse: Kohl's-Mustard bag-Gift from my aunt-FREE!
Earrings: Gift from my cousin-FREE!
Approximate Total Cost-$57

Inspiration Monday....on Wednesday

I keep finding new and cool fashion blog challenges, such as Inspiration Monday or Fashion Challenge!  So Monday's inspiration photo is of Elizabeth Olsen wearing a floral print pencil skirt, black top, owl necklace ( i think) and some black pumps.

And here's my interpretation...

Top:Target-Black V-neck tank-$5 (similar here)
Skirt:H&M-Floral Print(reviewed)-$20 (similar here)
Flower: San Jose Flea Market-$1
Shoes:Payless Shoe Source-Cream and Brown Peep Toe-Too old to remember...I think I got them in college (similar here)
Bracelet and Earrings: Gifts from someone and my husband respectively-FREE
Total Approximate Cost-$26

 I added the flower because it was just too much black for me. I needed a little pop of color.  I'm trying to wear more neutrals, especially black.  Bought this top just for that purpose. I loved it in purple but grabbed the black at the last minute.  Its really hard to wear a color more if you don't own it (also why I bought the skirt here) :P.  And speaking of shopping, I have decided to ban myself from buying new things until I wear everything in my closet that is new and never worn before.  It started with today's outfit both the top and skirt are new and previously unworn.  I've had the top since the end of August...shows you how much i like black.

Again, my failed attempts at twirling.  Three takes and I don't really like any of them...but they make for pretty good blooper shots :P.  The one on the right I was literally spinning around, got dizzy, stopped and  saw the crazy red blinking light and shutter go off. And that facial expression is totally channeling my dad.

Any tips on how to twirl better? Or capture a picture of said twirling?

Also Linked to Color Brigade