Giving The Boots The Boot

I have a confession to make: I am feeling very uninspired lately…nothing is exciting me (with the exception of my new nude/tan sandals that I did find during Piperlime Friends and Family sale…but I don’t feel like posting them because I can’t wear them yet.) I did get inspired looking at another blogger’s site. Her outfit of the day helped me tackle a problem I have been having with shoe choices. It is a weird time of year when you really can’t go sockless in your shoes, but boots aren’t really appropriate either. So I came up with this to wear to soccer practice and later to wear to work during a store set.

Giving the Boots the Boot

The tank and sweater, both regular size small, are Gap from a season ago. The boyfriend shape of the sweater balances out the skinny jean from Ann Taylor, a regular size 4, from fall ’10. The shoes are the Target Converse, really good for wearing around the neighborhood, playground, etc. as they didn’t break twenty dollars and are a good alternative to boots for this time of year.
There…that made me feel better, so I want to show you my Miz Mooz nude sandals I found.

Miz Mooz Nude Sandals

How cute are they!!!!???? Perfect for the summer as the heel isn’t too high that I feel silly trotting around after my daughter while I wear them. I am really trying to make purchases that are more applicable to day-to-day living, not just my work wardrobe. I would like 70% of all my new purchases should be able to do double duty. Not so easy….but I have fun trying!!

Eternal Grace

Even if I don’t know what to wear in our weather, I can still look forward to warmer temperatures and with that, a change in the perfume I wear. I am kind of picky when it comes to fragrance, a lot of them give me instant headaches, but I do love to smell nice. (I really love it when the kids tell me I smell good…four year olds don’t lie!)
Anyhow, I have a few that I really love in the winter, (Coco parfum, YSL Nu, and Van Cleef and Arpels First) but those are kind of big and too heavy when the weather warms. I happened to stumble on Philosophy’s Eternal Grace while ordering some gifts; I got a very generous 3-in-1 shower sample. I love it!

Eternal Grace

It has a very light floral, fresh sent which will be nice when the weather warms up. I just ordered it today from the Philosophy web site (I got 20% off coupon…that got me to buy!!) I got the shower wash, the firming lotion, and the roll on perfumed oil. I am excited to start using it right away, because it really doesn’t matter what the weather is to enjoy a new fragrance. There is also a new Summer Grace which I need to sample before I commit…maybe they’ll send me another sample!!

Boots Be Gone

I really don’t know what to wear this time of year. The temperature in northern Ohio seriously ranges between 30 degrees in the night and can go up to the 60’s during the day. What in the world do I wear? I will tell you this for sure, no more boots!!! I can’t take it anymore! So I wore this to work the other day.

No More Boots!!!

Notice the lack of heavy footwear. Now, I will say this, it did get down into the mid-thirties when I walked out, but I don’t even care. Also notice the lighter weight top (Petite Small from Ann Taylor), the crop pants (Petite Size 6 Banana Republic), and the sling back patent pump from Tahari. I also paired it with a brushed gold long necklace from Ann Taylor. I think it went well with the outfit without overwhelming my frame.
 

Tahari Shoes and Ann Taylor Necklace

It felt good to have different clothes and shoes on after a horrendous winter. But what in the world do I wear tomorrow????

Mustard Is Cut!!

My tankini came today. It is great! Ok…it is not the sexiest thing in the whole wide world, BUT it is cute, it makes me feel cute (very important) and the fit is awesome. The length of the torso is perfect, it doesn’t overwhelm or hit too low on the hips. Here is a picture…

Lands End Petite Swim Suit

Not too bad huh? It is from Lands End. It has a underwire in the bust, comfortable straps, and is not too tight in the torso. I really like it! I did size up to a petite size eight (I usually do that for bathing suits). Bring on the warm weather!!

Spring Nudes

Right about now, as spring is approaching, we begin to start thinking about nude shoes. START SHOPPING NOW!! They go so fast, that if you drag your heels (heh) a lot of times the color you want will be sold out. I have my fill of nude pumps and peep toes, but I still am looking for my nude wedge. I like to just try out shoes from stores like Piperlime, Endless, or Zappos, as they offer free shipping to and from your house. (I really am lacking shoe stores around me, so that is my best plan of attack) or just get out there and start looking in the stores. If you are shopping online, kind of be aware of your skin color and try to match the color name to your skin tone. For example, I run about a NC30-40 in MAC foundations, so I try to look for colors that are named Natural, Tan, or even Caramel for the middle of summer nude shoe matches. Some ladies with a lighter skin tone might do better to try a pair they call Nude or Pumice, but a lot of times you just have to try them out. Good luck and have fun as the correct colored nude shoe can really make a difference in how much longer your legs look and a real wardrobe workhorse. Here are a few examples of the range of nude heels and peep toes I have.

This is my lightest pair of patent pumps for the early spring. These are actually an old pair from Kohl’s from two years ago…still pretty cute!

Early Spring Nude Shoes

I also wear these peep toes at the beginning of spring. They are Bonfire from Nine West.

Spring Nude Peep Toes

About late spring/ early Summer I switch to these from Banana Republic. I think these are from last spring season.
 

Banana Republic Nude Pump

Then late summer I will switch to these when my skin is pretty dark. These are from Corso Como, the Delicious, in the color caramel. They are extremely comfortable!

End of Summer Corso Como Caramel Pump

Yes, probably one pair would take care of all my nude shoe needs, but somehow I ended up with all of these options. I am still on a quest for a cute nude wedge; I just am not sold on the Seychelles that I recently ordered from Zappos. I better start looking now!!!

Cutting The Mustard (I Hope)

So I get an email this morning from Land’s End…30% off a full priced item plus free shipping. (I buy the kid’s stuff from there all the time). What the hell, let’s look for a bathing suit. Ta-da!! They offer a tankini in a petite length. Most of the time the length of the top is WAY too long on tankinis, so the proportions just look off. I really enjoy wearing tankinis when I am swimming with the kids. There still is a lot of bending and squatting with a 4 and 6 year old that is never good (unless you are 16) done in a bikini. This way I can be active, but still look somewhat cute…maybe.
Anyhow, this is what I found:

The Elusive Petite Tankini

I ordered this (it is black with white dots) top along with a new regular bikini bottom. I have always heard good things about Land’s End swimsuits, so now I thought I would try this one out. We’ll see how it looks when it gets here. It is such a fine line between MOM suits and something cute. This one might just cut the mustard.

Summertime Preview!

I had a bit of time this morning to try on some of my new items that came this week. I am trying to get my summer wardrobe ready without losing out on things. Last year I waited too long!
This skirt from Old Navy I had high hopes for, I ordered one in the red floral, a blue floral and white.
 

Old Navy Floral Skirt

I think it looks okay. It is a regular size small, not petite and that could be what is throwing off the fit. It is also a little full for my taste. I think I wanted it to be a bit more casual, I may or may not keep one. I know I will not keep all three that I ordered. The white tank is a Gap Body tank that I love…it is several seasons old and I really haven’t found one like it. The shoes are the Nine West Heartful that I ordered from Zappos. (Please forgive the lack of a pedicure…aggghhh…winter feet!!)

Nine West Heartful

These are cute, kind of just what I was looking for, a step above a flip flop. I am going to keep these. I Promise that they will look even cuter with color on my toes!!

Thinking About Keeping the Skirt

I also had time to try on the Old Navy gathered tank and ATL cropped white jeans.

White Cropped Jeans

The top is a petite small from Old Navy and the jeans are regular size 4 from Ann Taylor Loft. I went with the regular line because I hate it when crops come too high on my calf and make it look wider, so these are just ankle length, the way I like it. The top is a little sheer, so I put a tank on under it, but it is too cute. I actually went back to the ON website to see if they had more, but I wasn’t crazy about the patterns that were left.

Finally, I tossed on the Old Navy sundress and the new nude wedges from Seychelles.

Old Navy Sundress

I love the little sundress; it is from Old Navy and is the Petite Medium. It does fit a bit big, but I think I might be able to shrink it a bit and I didn’t want it to be too tight for when the weather is unbearable. The dress has cute eyelet detail; it is hard to believe I paid under $30 for it. I am thinking about picking up the black one too.
The Seychelles, I don’t know. The color is good, but I get darker in the summer, so it might look weird as my skin gets browner. Also, the bow on the left shoe isn’t sitting correctly so that you can see some white thread holding the bow and shoe together. The leather is really soft and the wedge heel is very comfortable, but how often will I wear them? I just have not made up my mind on these yet…If the bow wasn’t wonky, I probably would keep them…I just don’t know yet. Maybe I’ll reorder and see if the new pair has a better bow.

Dress and Shoe Detail

I also have been wearing my Anthro Clockbot necklace a lot lately. It is amazing how it can work into a lot of different outfits.

Clockbot Works for You and With You

So, some hits, some misses, some maybes. I guess I will figure it all out before the last of the snow flies.