Ten Worst Fashion Trends of the Year

I realize msn.com and other sites are doing lists of best and worst trends, but frankly I think they got some of them wrong, and totally missed mentioning really awful stuff. So here are my top ten worst trends of the year:

10. Saggy, droopy, unfasten-able cardigans. The length makes people look shorter, it adds bulk, and plain and simple there's nothing chic about it.

9. Jeggings. Yikes. They make basically everyone on the planet other than Nicole Richie look bulgy and terrible, they make feet look huge, and they don't fool anyone into thinking they're really jeans. If you want something to tuck into your equestrian boots try real jeans in a slim, straight, or skinny fit.

8. Harem, parachute or pleated pants. Anyone should instinctively know that these are a bad idea. Harem pants make hips look wider, butts look saggier, and make women look shorter. I'd like to slap whomever brought this look back to life. It may have been Donna Karan.

7. Lindsay Lohan's legging collection. Seriously, these are stretchy pants. If they cost more than $15, you're doing something wrong. This goes for all "high-end" leggings.

6. The return of cargo pants. Want to know how to make your thighs appear larger? Here's your answer.

5. Slouch boots. Wide, sloppy boots as fashion? I say no. Unless you like the look of cankles with your distressed cargo pants, this one is worth avoiding.

4. Socks with pumps. Dear J.Crew, this look sucks. It's weird. It's silly. It's childish. And worst of all, it stretches out your shoes. Stop styling your models like this.

3. Over-the-knee boots. Guess what? You look like a hooker.

2. Studded everything. Not every item of clothing should be studded or bedazzled. I'm looking at you, Kardashian sisters. Studded sweaters and dresses just make the wearer look like she's trying too hard to look tough.

1. The jumpsuit. Occasionally it looks 1970s fabulous, but for the most part it just looks like a blob of ill-fitting slovenliness.

A Rant on Wood

I hate the color of the wood trim and cabinets in my house. HATE. That's a really strong word, but that's how I feel. The problem is that the house is only a few years old, and I feel guilty painting over or re-staining wood that is in perfectly good condition.

I still want to understand why the original owners of the house did this. Who says "Can we make this color a little more golden, you know, more 1990s...more Zack Morris's house"? Why couldn't they have gone with a traditional white? A deep cherry? A rich walnut? A modern dove gray? Anything but this color of honey oak that belongs in a kitchen with floral wallpaper borders.

I partially blame the builders for offering such a color. It's like department stores still selling ugly holiday sweaters - if they'd stop selling this shit, people would stop buying it. No one wants to see grandma in ANOTHER candy cane turtleneck, and no one needs a new house with dated woodwork.

Declutter Weekend

Here are some ideas if you're not planning on spending the whole weekend shopping:

1. Organize your bathroom cabinets. Throw away anything you haven't used in a year (moisturizer that you hate the smell of, hair products that don't work, etc). Put similar products in bins together, grouping hair, cleaning, and soap items together. Replace and toss disposable cosmetic tools, and give all your cosmetic brushes a good shampooing.

2. Empty your linen closet. Refold towels and sheets, removing ones that aren't in good shape for your rag pile. Throw bathroom and guest items into appropriate bins or baskets. Designate shelves for different uses. For instance, in my linen closet there is a shelf with extra pillows, a shelf for sheets, a shelf for towels, a shelf for table linens, and a shelf for pet items.

3. Clean out your "junk drawer". We all have one. Mine is filled with chip clips, paint chips, tools that belong in the garage, flavored tobacco, and all sorts of other things that need a temporary home five minutes before guests arrive. Put everything into its appropriate place.

Hopefully a little time cleaning will make you feel just a bit more relaxed as you enter a season of shopping, wrapping, writing, decorating, baking and cooking.

November Rain

It's been practically a month since my last blog post. Whoops. I guess I just have a lot going on right now.

I am dying to start decorating for the holidays. I'm planning and collecting and buying, and even doing some DIYing. Ooh, that rhymes. Last year my mantel was a terrible police lineup of one-size nutcrackers. It lacked dimension and height and creativity, and that over-the-top showiness that is easiest to get away with at Christmas. I'm trying to collect some great images of mantlescapes and tablescapes in whites, silvers, golds, and other not-so-red-and-green designs. So, just for you, some inspiration:

Don't step on my head

So that project I mentioned in my last blog post? It didn't happen. The stretcher bars that came in were too short, and were subsequently mailed back. Back to the drawing board.

Who are these people who love getting up early to work out? How do they do it? What drives them? How can I get a slice of it? I am not a morning person, so I just can't make myself get up earlier than absolutely necessary for the purpose of working out. But my evenings are filled with meetings, so if I want to get moving I may have to get on the morning workout bus. Anyone? How do I force myself to do this?

If you haven't seen the current sale on LOFT.com, head there now! Great deals. I may get myself into a bit of trouble today...

Project One

With my new goal to accomplish at least one thing off my list of started or planned projects per month, I'm tackling a canvas I purchased last year. I bought it from Pottery Barn after the holidays last year, hoping to use it as a year-round piece of art and not just seasonally (see picture, left). Peace isn't just for the holiday season, right? I feel like peace is for every day. Maybe that makes it a political statement. But my (newly painted!) kitchen and dining room are pale sage with dark red curtains and white and black accessories (see swatches, right). So I'm hoping it will fit in perfectly.

The only hitch is that the canvas, as shown, is meant to be tacked to the wall. What were you thinking, Pottery Barn? I'm not in college anymore, so I refuse to tack things to my wall. Which made this canvas a project. So it's been sitting in my closet for months. With my goal of moving my projects along, I borrowed a staple gun from my parents and ordered stretcher bars from Hobby Lobby (my local Hobby Lobby did not carry long enough stretcher bars). So hopefully, by the end of the week, it will be hanging on my dining room wall and no longer in a closet in my extra bedroom. And that sounds fantastic.

Sales, etc

Here are some great sales going on right now:

The Limited has added new items to their sale.

J.Crew is offering an additional 20% off of their sale items.

Ann Taylor loft has a huge sale section right now.

Project Homedesign

We're finally starting to get some projects done at home. I think I need to set a goal of one project per month, so I can finally check things off my list - like the hanging rod and shelf that needs to get put up in my laundry room.

Today a storm door is arriving for our front door. The builder for our neighborhood didn't put in storm doors on any houses - you had to do it yourself. So we'll finally be able to open the front door and get a nice breeze in. Plus there's a tax break for adding a storm door. SWEET.

Also getting accomplished is the painting that needs to be done. Someone is coming on Monday to estimate the cost of painting our first floor, ceilings included, so we can get it going. We've chosen colors - Behr's Biloxi for the living room, Mountain Haze for the kitchen, and Polar Drift for the bathroom.

I've ordered new bedding for our guest room. Our dog tore the ubiquitous Ikea duvet cover that was in our guest room, and it was an excuse to finally get more put-together bedding for that room. It should arrive tomorrow and I can't wait.

Once all these things are done, I can finally start hanging art work and doing the rest of the decorating that I've held off on. If, you know, I'm ever ambitious enough to start on it.

Some shopping candy for today: Kohl's has released its new line of Elle Decor accessories. Check it out here!

2010 Emmy Fashion Wrap!

Without further ado...

Worst Dressed:
3. Edie Falco - probably the least flattering black dress on the face of the earth.
2. Holly Burrell - yeah, Carmen Miranda called and she'd like her costume back.
1. Rita Wilson - no surprise here, and no explanation needed.

Best Dressed:
3. Angela Kinsey - a perfectly cut dress with just the right amount of detail and suited to her figure.
2. Sofia Vergara - the vertical line of sequins adds length to her frame.
1. Claire Danes - I realize she was on everyone's list, but for good reason! Perfect fit, perfect color, coordinating hair.

Worst Accessorizing: Anna Paquin - when your dress has that much glitz going on, you really shouldn't have any jewelry at all, and definitely not layers of bracelets.
Best Accessorizing: Keri Russell - I realize she made some worst dressed lists, but I think the accessorizing pulls together the Grecian-meets-beachy look of the whole ensemble.

Worst Use of Color: Naya Rivera - if you're going to do an '80s-style silhouette, don't do teal. Just don't.
Best Use of Color: Katrina Bowden - the wrong style dress could make this color seem garish, but in a floaty dress like this it feels perfect.

Worst Hair: Julie Bowen - I love her on Modern Family, but this looks like my hair after a night of drunken dancing with my friends.
Best Hair: Nina Dobrev - just the right amount of height, perfect with her dress and earrings.

There it is! My thoughts on this year's Emmy Awards red carpet.

Photo - moviestarstyle.com

Get your ax, the zombies are coming

Oops, I disappeared for a while.

Has anyone else been browsing the runway shows from New York Fashion Week? I love it, because with autumn around the corner (ugh) it's nice to see the bright, happy fashions for next spring. I'm loving Tory Burch's collection.

I've been terrible about reading lately. I got wrapped up in summer television - My Boys, Top Chef, etc - and haven't really finished any books. I've started a couple, but I've lost interest. With many of my favorite TV shows premiering in the next week or two, I'm afraid I'll be even more behind. I'm hoping two new books I received for my birthday from my brother will spark my interest in reading; the previously mentioned True Prep, and The Zombie Survival Guide - because my brother cares enough to educate me on zombie protection.

I promise an Emmy wrap up is coming. No, really.

Organic, people

Sometimes I have those moments where I forget why organic is the way to go; where I'm lured by cheap prices or uber-perfect fruit. If you need a couple reminders of why you really should be avoiding chemicals, here they are. The second article is particularly alarming to me, as my husband's two fragrances of choice are Acqua di Gio and Eternity. I want to shout out to Eco Salon, whose existence on my blogroll keeps eco-friendly lifestyle front and center in my mind.

http://www.ecosalon.com/women-pesticide-reform-california-central-valley/

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2010/2010-05-13-01.html

That's a Don't

If you're waiting for an Emmy wrap-up post, don't worry - it's coming!

There are a lot of weird trends in fashion right now, and some of them just simply aren't classy, polished, classic, chic or flattering in my opinion. Maybe it's the prep in me. I just think we can all do ourselves a fashion favor and go without them. So, without further ado, here's my list of fashion dos that I feel are don'ts.

Raw edges
Torn denim
Jodhpurs or any other fluffy-thighed pant
Over-sized grandpa sweaters
Cargo pants
Leather or patterned leggings
Buffalo plaid
Black skinny jeans
Uber-masculine military jackets
Mixed patterns
Open-toed boots or booties
Thigh-high hosiery
Socks with pumps
Neon colors
Cut off shorts
Zippered dresses (more often that not your zipper won't lie flat)
Whatever "Snooki" is wearing
18 different bracelets at once

Of course, my list isn't exhaustive, but it does include plenty of the current crap I'm seeing on the celeb crowd. Just say no to trashy, useless, and unflattering clothing.



Photo of Miley in a number fashion don'ts: people.com

Let's all complain about the heat until we start complaining about the cold.

My plan had been to go to a local flea market this past weekend, but in the end I just couldn't bring myself to go to a place that sells puppy mill dogs. I realize that it's not the fault of individuals selling other wares that dogs are sold there, but until the flea market bans the sell of all animals I just can't go.

Instead, I went to the outlet mall. I did quite a bit of kitchen goods shopping, and it felt good to replace some cookie sheets that were becoming unrecognizable.

Switching purses tends to be a pain, especially when I'm already late and running out the door. I've gotten into a purse rut - using the same purse everyday because it's easier than switching. I think the key to getting out of this rut might be getting one of those purse organizers or simply getting a smaller wallet, as my wallet is rather bulky and it causes me to take quite a bit of time to arrange my stuff into a small purse. I should do something soon as my purse is wearing out.

I had a fantasy football draft last night with one of my leagues. Is everyone on the face of the earth injured? Why is my whole team listed as probable? I guess I didn't do enough research this year, because I had no idea Eli Manning has stitches on his head - which might have been good to know before picking him up.

I've been planning on doing a little makeover in my laundry room. What I would like to do is put in a floating counter top on top of the washer and dryer, add a little curtain to hide the utility hookups, paint the walls, and install a bar and shelf for hanging clothes. But what I would like to do rarely happens. What I think I'm going to get around to doing is installing the bar and shelf. I have the brackets and the bar, a stud finder (best.product.name.ever), and a level, so there's nothing stopping me from doing this project. The bar will need to be cut down to size, and I will have to buy a shelf, but otherwise I can get this started at any time. I need to make this my goal for the week. I'll take some "before" pictures so that I can track my progress, and share once I finally get it done.

Tomatoes, Ahoy

This year was the first time I had a real garden of my own. At our last house we had established landscaping, so I kept my veggie growing to a few pots on the back deck. But this year, when we had our yard landscaped, we had an area put in for me to have a vegetable garden. It's been a learning experience.

I know that next year I'm not going to bother with green peppers. My plant hasn't yielded any full peppers yet, but does have three brewing. It just doesn't seem like enough payoff for purchasing, planting, watering, and waiting when I can get great peppers from my local farmer's stand at two for a buck. Our banana pepper plant, on the other hand, has yielded two peppers already with another ready to be picked and they really were very good banana peppers. This is coming from someone who doesn't really like peppers.

Our tomatoes, on the other hand, are another story. They went mad. I have two tomato plants, bushes really, and another cherry tomato plant. They've gotten so big they've collapsed, they're giving us tons of fruit, and they smell lovely. I know that I don't need three plants next year - maybe just two extremely well-staked plants. It makes me feel, I don't know, earthy, motherly, something...to have successfully grown my own fruit. As someone with a very black thumb, this is a big accomplishment for me.

I love you, but I love myself more.

So much to say, so little time....last night I had a meeting, tonight I have a dinner to attend, tomorrow night I have a margarita date with a couple of my favorite girls, and Saturday I have two gatherings in which to make an appearance. I feel like I have very little time left for myself every week!

Things not getting done right now due to my calendar: my toes need a new pedicure, I still haven't reorganized my closet, still haven't hung art on the walls, and I haven't done any other art or DIY projects I had planned, either.

Let's talk about gold. It seems to have come back into fashion in the past few years. Yellow gold jewelry is making a resurgence, which I trace to Sex and the City character Carrie Bradshaw's gold "Carrie" necklace. Maybe that wasn't the item that started it, but that was the first time I personally started seeing yellow gold come back into vogue. Now it's everywhere in fashion, from sparkly gold metallics to deep bronzes. It's huge in shoes - J.Crew and Blue Tux Shoes have been doing gold shoes for a few years now. I was surprised this past weekend, however, to hear some people talking about yellow gold in much the way we talked about it in the late '90s - as some sort of 1980s nightmare that our one uncool aunt is always wearing. Me, in my little bubble, was not aware that people still felt that gold was in the same league with Hammer pants. I thought it was hip and classic, as long as you don't do it in a Miami Vice sort of way. So how do you feel? Is yellow gold fabulous once more, or a dated color best left in the past?

Photo - sugarscape.com

Closets I Once Knew

So design TV shows, decor blogs, and ladies magazines are always suggesting that you organize your closet by color. I tried it. I've been doing it for two or three months now, and I'm pretty much insane. Worst.Idea.Ever. I have no idea how this system works for people. I'm the kind of person who picks out an item I want to wear in the morning - let's say it's a sweater. Well, I have to find a cami to go underneath, so instead of going to the cami part of my closet I now have to dig through each color to see what I have for camisoles. It has done nothing but frustrate me and eat away at my time. Next chance I get, I need to reorganize back to my original system - camisoles and tanks together, tees together, cardigans together, button-downs together, etc. I highly recommend this system.

I'm really hoping that long-sleeved dresses stay in vogue for this fall. I didn't get a chance to jump on this bandwagon last year, and I'm ready to hop on. I'm also hoping Oxford shoes are still on the radar. It appears that equestrian boots, scarves, and suede will still be hot for fall 2010, so I'm excited to see those sticking around.

Now I'd really like to go home and clean out my closet, reorganize, and make room for some new things. And, of course, Project Runway premieres tonight. Fabulous.



Photo - evadesigns.com

Almost Preppy

I finally finished the book I was reading yesterday. I guess blogging about my lack of reading time yesterday helped get me moving.

I almost pre-ordered True Prep: It's a Whole New World today. It's the sequel to The Official Preppy Handbook and is going to be released in early September. My only reason for not pre-ordering is that I don't want to pay shipping. Maybe I'll just camp outside of my local Barnes & Noble like a tweener waiting for a Harry Potter book. My guess is that sometime in the next month I'll just break down and order it.

Dressed in true preppy fashion today, I'm wearing a yellow polo dress (yay for Lands' End sales) with a brown narrow woven belt and a pair of brown slingbacks. It's fantastically me. I'm such a dork.

I'm thinking of getting a new set of Prismacolor art markers. I have a set of the cool grey from back in my graphic design school days, but none of the colors. I think I want a set. I think I want to start drawing again, and I want to use markers. Odd.

Major Bananas

Sales worth checking out online - J.Crew's final sale (extra 30% off), LOFT, and The Limited.

Do you think it's possible to turn the show Rachel Zoe Project into a drinking game? I believe it is. Just take a shot every time she says "bananas", "I die", or "major".

I think I may need to start scheduling in reading time. I never seem to get around to it; get up, walk the dog, get ready, commute, work, commute, cook, eat, walk the dog, watch Top Chef....where am I supposed to fit reading into this schedule? I think I need to start planning it into my day, especially since the book club I mentioned earlier has finally taken off!

I've totally lost any sense of concentration. I think I need a vacation. Who wants to go on a road trip?

Sale alerts

Dresses and skirts are 50% off at anntaylorloft.com.

The Limited is offering free shipping on its website today.

Lands' End Canvas is having a 50% summer merchandise sale online.

Happy shopping!

Your decor eye candy for the day

Thank you to reader ebreakdown who suggested home decor eye candy as my eye candy post theme. Hopefully my other friends are still reading. You're out there, right? I decided to go to my Google Reader and check out all the Apartment Therapy posts I've starred for later reference over the past year. They mostly fall into just a few categories, as you'll see. Enjoy some pretty pics!

Living room inspiration

Kitchen color inspiration pics (I'm thinking of painting it a shade of pale green)

Pictures in which I love the artwork shown

Ideas for the awkward, narrow area between my bathroom wall and the shower wall.

DIY Inspiration

Happy Wednesday

I took myself shopping yesterday. It was the end of the Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale, and the bras were all $15.99, so I had to check it out. I also found a couple cute necklaces at American Eagle of all places, and they could easily become staples in my daily work wear. I also visited Lands' End Canvas's web sale yesterday - that site could become dangerous to my wallet, with my love of basics.

I wrote into Apartment Therapy today. I'm looking for help on something decor-wise, and I'm hoping they're willing to post my question to their readers. The site is such eye-candy; I have it on my Google Reader and go through all the posts each day. I really love the questions and how helpful the readership is.

I haven't posted any eye-candy of my own here for a while. I'll do something about that. What would you like to see pretty pictures of?

I'm back!

Hello again.

I'm currently eating cherry cheese kringle and drinking my third cup of coffee. Life is good.

I have major shopping fever. I'm considering taking a day off of work so I can hit a local outlet mall alone for a full-blown buying day. I don't know where this came from, but I am having huge shopping cravings. On my list: sandals, day dresses, and necklaces.

I also have some clothing chores to do. I need to iron. Yesterday I popped a button off of my button-fly pale pink shorts, and I have a couple pairs of trousers in need of shortening. I also have a stack of hand-wash-only items that need hand washing, one of which has a mascara stain. Fun times.

I've given up on finishing the book I've been working on (avoiding) for the past few months. I'm starting Kathy Griffin's book. My guess is that this will be infinitely more entertaining.

Sunday on the couch

I promise that in two weeks, I'll be back to blogging with some normal frequency.

I mentioned earlier that I'm planning to run a 5k with a friend. Since I've been so busy, I haven't really had a chance to do much in the way of training or building up my non-existent stamina. Today I made it 2.5k, so I'm half way there - although I wasn't running the whole time.

I have a new channel on my Directv - The Cooking Channel. Oh, Nigella, how I love thee. I'm thoroughly entertained.

I miss my old roommate, bridesmaid, and friend "A". A lot. She's one of the few people I lived with that was relatively normal. I bet she and I would have a blast sitting on the couch today watching Nigella. But I was crappy at staying in touch, and now that I've moved I'm even more removed from our friendship. That sucks.

Can I say that I don't like the new chambray shirt trend? Dear 1991, please take back your chambray. Please.

Happiness is a new skirt

If I haven't told everyone about my love of shopstyle.com enough already, I'm going to reiterate it. I was shopping this weekend at Ann Taylor LOFT, and saw a skirt I had to have. I was in love. LOVE. Even my mom said, "that's so you!" Problem was the $80 price tag. $80 for a basic that will last forever is no problem - a little black v-neck dress, a grey wool cardigan, a pair of leather pumps. But I just couldn't pull the trigger on a shimmery gold animal-print pencil skirt.

That night, I went to shopstyle.com and located the skirt. I set a sale alert; you can have them notify you when the price drops on an item. Two days later - AMAZING. I get an email saying the price is now $25. This, THIS is why I love this website. $25 for a skirt is very palatable.

Being that I'm super busy and managed to not get my mother something for her birthday, I feel like the worst daughter ever. However, I just made a purchase online and I'm having it sent to her house which should improve my status: the adorable cupcake apron from Sex and the City 2. What woman wouldn't want this? I hope she loves it!

Lady Gaga - Amy Winehouse with 50% less coke?

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been MIA as of lately. Another thing you may not have noticed is that Martin+Osa’s website is now “All Sales Final”, which means the end is near. Get over and check it out before it’s gone – and with 50% off this week it’s a good time to stock up.

I saw Sex and the City 2 last night. Of course I went on opening night, why wouldn’t I? The critics had complained ahead of time that the movie lacked substance, so I went in with low expectations. But really, by the last couple seasons of the HBO series it had taken a turn from being Carrie-sex-column-based to more relationship-based. The upside was that the fashion and the big-city living glamour were still part of the background appeal, but not the story line. The first movie tried to tie up loose ends while moving fashion to the front. I didn’t mind the first movie. I wasn’t looking for something earth-shattering, I was looking to reconnect with the characters I enjoyed.

So, back to SATC2. I went in with low expectations. It really was not as bad as critics made it out to be. Yes, Samantha was terribly un-politically correct. And no, it wasn’t another Shawshank Redemption (but who expected it to be?). And I definitely could have used 25% more Mario Cantone. But otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Great cameos. I got home and into bed by 12:30, and what did I find on TV while flicking around trying to find something to lull me into sleep? Well, an episode of SATC of course. So I watched the episode where Carrie meets Berger and has her book release party, with Samantha’s terrible chemical peel. It was a nice end to a girly day.

Spring Clean

I'm compiling a list of things that often don't get done as often as they should for some final spring cleaning this weekend. Maybe my list will help someone else:

1. 1. The bed - it's probably time for you to wash your mattress pad on a hot-water sanitary setting (kill all the dust bunnies), and if you're taking that off you might as well rotate the mattress, and while you're at it you should probably vacuum under the bed. And wash those random socks that you'll most likely find under there.


2. If you have one of those one-piece shower/tub fiberglass surrounds, you should probably clean that ledge around the top.


3. Dust your lamp shades, and take a damp cloth to glass shades on your other lighting fixtures. They literally become hot messes.


4. Vacuum the lint from your dryer lint trap.

And here's a good tip - start from the top down. Clean light fixtures, wipe upper cabinets, clean counters, dust tables...and THEN vacuum/sweep/mop. There's no use doing the floors before anything else.

This weekend there are 30% off cardigans at The Limited, free shipping at Lands End Canvas (become a FB fan to get a code), and deals on fragrances at VS. I have a $15 Off Any Purchase coupon for The Limited which I plan on using for an Outback Red tank that I tried on last week.

Photo - thelimited.com

Run Run

So, I think I’m going to run a race with my friend. Or at least try. It’s a 5k. OMG.

See, I was a “runner” in high school. I use that term with quotation marks, because I don’t consider myself to be a runner. I was a sprinter. Here was the daily drill – two laps jogging around the track (a shortened track, as my HS’s track was a 5-laps-to-a-mile track versus a 4-laps-to-a-mile which is standard for most schools). I often showed up late for the jog so I could get away with just doing one lap. This was followed by stretching, calisthenics, and then either sprinting drills, running stairs, ladders, or some other sprinter-related workout.

I literally have NO endurance. I would occasionally get put into a 4 x 400 m relay, and I’d have to be put into the second runner spot, which was reserved for the worst runner. I was terrible. I wasn’t quite as bad at the 200 m. I was much better at the 100 m. I was GREAT at the 60 m, which is a shortened version of the 100 m reserved for indoor meets. I’m great out of the blocks. Good ol’ Moye starting blocks. And this was younger, fitter me more than 10 years ago, that had to stop running after a stress fracture my junior year. So, you can see where 5k is really intimidating with this kind of background.

My brother is much better than me at this sort of thing. He’s done a couple races. He’s built for distance. And his girlfriend….well, she just won an 8k with a record time recently, and she does triathlon training. So I’m also preparing myself to be embarrassed by my terrible race time. I guess I’ll just have to remind those two that I could TOTALLY beat them in a race across my back yard.

Self Promotion

I haven’t informed a lot of people about my blog; I didn’t post about it on Facebook or send out a mass email when I started it. I listed it as my website on Facebook, mentioned it to a few friends, and assumed that people would just find it organically. Well, I realized that many of my friends don't know about it, and that there aren’t a whole lot of readers. So today I plugged it on Facebook. We’ll see if my readership changes...

Dirt Sandwich

I stopped by Subway today for one of those free breakfast sandwiches on my way to work. The news is not good. I described the smell of my sandwich to a coworker as smelling like “my dog after a day at the dog park; he smells like aggression and dirt”. I’m not sure you want your breakfast to smell like aggression and dirt. It was super bland. Maybe I should have added banana peppers and chipotle mayo to my egg sandwich to spice it up a bit? Gross.

What sort of shoes do you wear with skinny or straight-legged jeans? My skinny/straight-leg pants are easy to figure out, as they’re all cropped. But I’m struggling with full-length, non-flared jeans. Sandals are always easy, but not always appropriate for Midwest weather or casual Friday at work. My go-tos have been a pair of bejeweled ballet flats and a pair of equestrian riding boots, but I’d like to have a few other options. I just feel like I have clown feet when I wear loafers or fashion athletic shoes with a jean that doesn’t flare on the bottom. I’ve done the rolled-leg jean look which seems easier to pair shoes with, but again I don’t feel like it’s appropriate for all situations.

Since I’ve started using Google Reader, I respond much less frequently to blogs. I read all of the blogs of my friends, design blogs, fashion blogs, etc, but I don’t comment because it requires me to click through from Reader to the actual blog. How lazy am I? But I know my friends must be doing it too, because people tell me they read it but I rarely get comments. Have sites like Reader reduced interactions on blogs? Do you avoid viewing commenter drama, or having to visit lots of individual sites, by using Google Reader or the like? Is this convenience one more way technology is allowing us to have less real interaction with one another?

Donuts

I’m craving donuts pretty bad today. Cream-filled long john, caramel-iced Persian, glazed cruller, jelly-filled round or just a box of Krispy Kremes…anything will do. Mmmmmmm.

We purchased patio furniture last week. We had a tough time making the decision whether to do a dining table and chairs or to do a seating group. We went the dining table route at our last house, but donated the furniture rather than having to move with it. The truth is, as much as we love the idea of dining outside, we primarily used the furniture for sitting around on a warm day with a magazine, or entertaining a neighbor with a beer, and we can do that more comfortably with a seating group. We ordered it and it arrived yesterday. We will be assembling it tonight and I’m VERY excited. Something about non-plastic patio furniture makes me feel grown up, and buying things that are going to last means that I’m being much more eco-friendly in the long run versus buying disposable plastic nonsense.

I played in a softball scrimmage last night. I’m not formally joining a team this year; nothing can ever replace my old team in my heart, and with late nights at work I can’t commit to making every game. I’m going to be on the call list as a substitute, and I love that idea. It felt good to do some fielding and shake off the cobwebs. That counts as exercise, right?

This & That, and your mom

I read a great article that Kohl's will be expanding its ELLE line to include ELLE Decor. Um, yay!

I recently wrote to the author of a J.Crew fan blog that I read, asking for help on fitting the tops. No help, though. I thought it would make an interesting post, asking which tops fit best on the bustier set. Since most J.Crew tops seem to be fitted for the I'm-built-like-an-adolescent-boy crowd, I was wondering if certain tops work better for the busty. I guess that didn't sound interesting enough to mention on her blog, so I'm mentioning it here! Anyone? I just don't live terribly close to a J.Crew (well, there's an outlet, but I'm talking first-run), and I HATE ordering items just to have to pay return shipping.

I love my new job. I've been busy, which is why I've been terrible at blogging regularly, but here I am! Running around, meeting people, being random and doing 18 things at once - this is totally my thing. So far. Just remember your comfy pumps on the days you need to run around. I am rocking some serious blisters today.


Photo - austin360.com

But I NEED it

As much as I love shopping, I realize that I don't need everything. I've been trying to remind myself that it's better to buy quality, beautiful things that speak to me than to have a disposable wardrobe of cheap things that will wear out and need constant replacement. So, with that in mind, here is a great post from Re-Nest about buying what you need: http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/how-to/how-to-buy-only-what-you-love-and-need-113956

Geese are the squirrels of the water

I blogged about switching from an antiperspirant to a deodorant back in January, and I am sorry to say I've switched back. At least for the warm-weather months, I need to have something pretty tough since my office is very warm.

I might describe my style as preppy meets 70s hippie-chic, and today I am definitely more hippie. Pink patterned tunic, white flared jeans and gladiator heals with a stacked wooden heel is rather hippie looking in my opinion. But I'm happy, and my looks says I'm happy, so it's all good. Look, Zen me.

Photo: thevintagesociety.com

Around the web

For those of you who are regular viewers of Launch My Line, the winning line went up on Ruelala.com yesterday. It was mostly sold out when I went on Ruelala to check it out about 30 minutes after it went up. That was fast. I was disappointed at how few items they had. For anyone needing a member sponsor to visit Ruelala.com, I'm happy to sponsor you. Just let me know.

For those who haven't seen it, MSN.com has created a new section under their "Lifestyle" heading called Glo. It seems to have some better, younger content. I guess it was created to work well on smart phones and iPads, of which I have neither, but I find it is just as much fun to poke around on my desktop computer.

Summer catalogs

A new Boden USA catalog came in the mail yesterday. Who else is loving the skirts? Although, really, they charge a lot for some pretty simple cotton clothing.

I used to have a pair of wing-tip lace-up loafers in this great chili brown. I looked like a nerdy prep in them, but I LOVED them. Now, ladies wing-tips and saddle shoes are back! I want a pair badly.

Shoe love

People who love their shoes will keep them in the original boxes, tagging the front of the box with a picture of the shoes the box contains. People who are obsessed with shoes don't need pictures. They know what shoes are in every box instinctively.

Today is a rainy day, and I can never get myself to put on a cute pair of shoes in the rain. I don't want to ruin fabrics, don't want to get my feet wet, and don't want to slip and fall. So today I'm wearing a nerdy pair of Sesto Meucci loafers. Hot.

I painted my nails a festive green for the Easter holiday. I thought the color was going to be mint, but it ended up being more of a lime. Like I said, FESTIVE. Yikes.


Photo - frenchtouchimage.com

If health care isn't a right, is dying?

A supervisor sent me an email asking me if it was going to just be me on my insurance policy, or if my husband will be on the policy as well. I let her know that he is already insured through his employer. I was going to make a joke about it just being me and the dog needing insurance, but then I remembered that our dog IS insured. I live in a home where the only uninsured
individual, including pets, is me.

So, how does that happen? When we moved and my husband switched jobs, his new plan was cost prohibitive for me to join. It would have cost me two unemployment checks just to be added to his policy. That is how someone becomes uninsured.

I feel like there's a myth in this country that the uninsured are crackheads, criminals, drug-dealers, lazy people, women with eight different kids by eight different baby daddies, or people who are just generally working the welfare system. I've heard a lot of rhetoric lately about the uninsured, and I find a lot of it offensive. In fact, the uninsured are people like me. I am one. You could meet me anywhere - neighborhood association meeting, dog park, the Gap, church...pretty much any normal place except on a corner making drug deals. I'm hard-working, educated, and don't want to be uninsured or underinsured.

So what would I like? Standards put in place for medical costs. Everyone has coverage. If there's a fear that universal, government-run heath care will create over-usage of the system, fine, keep co-pays in place. But I don't deserve to die, and another to live, simply because of the type of job I have or don't have. That's crazy. This is America, people.

KS Sale

Right now, Kate Spade is having a super sale - take an additional 25% off of current sale prices. Check it out.

Quarterly update

I've been missing for a couple days because...well...I've been working! It's wonderful. So I'm going to do an update of the goals I set for myself in the beginning of the year.

1. Find a job that I love.
   Status: so far, so good!
   
2. Get involved in the local arts community.
   Status: incomplete
   
3. Join a group.
   Status: incomplete. A friend had emailed me a while back about starting a book club, but I haven't heard back so my guess is that it's fallen through the cracks.
   
4. Exercise once a week.
   Status: If taking the dog on long walks counts, then yes. But I've been bad about getting on the treadmill or Wii Fit in the past few weeks.
   
5. Create a plan for decorating my house and execute it.
   Status: In progress. I've finally done a few things, but the plan is still in the beginning phases.
   
6. Clean up my social life.
   Status: In progress. I made a few Facebook friend deletions in the past week, but I haven't taken it all the way.
   
7. Foster the friends I have.
   Status: Looking good. I've been spending more time with some of the people who matter most.
   
8. Keep reading.
   Status: In progress. I got a couple books down, but then got stuck. I need to put my current book down and work on something new.
   
9. Stay positive.
   Status: In progress. I get pretty heated up when people make ignorant comments in regards to current affairs, and that has been happening a lot lately.
   
10. Blog regularly.
    Status: Looking good. I've been averaging over three posts a week.

Sweepstakes 411

Right now if you become a fan of Lands' End Canvas on Facebook, you can enter to win a $20,000 shopping spree. Run there and enter!

The Poll has ended

The poll on my blog regarding my favorite style influence has closed, and not one person guessed correctly! I'm a huge fan of Carrie Underwood. I've been following her since her In Style magazine shoot in 2008. She does preppy, she does sexy without being over the top, and she always looks put together. I love that her formal looks are always young and classic - never over the top or dowdy. She rocks neutrals and plenty of color. Carrie even looks great when she's running errands in jeans. I love it!


Photo - InStyle Magazine

They call it Snooki, and researchers are looking for a drug to prevent it

I don't watch Jersey Shore. I don't really enjoy watching douche-bags get drunk and act like idiots in real life, let alone on television. But the show did get me thinking - will there be a backlash due our perceptions of the cast members? Will girls stop getting dark fake tans in order to prevent being seen as an idiot? Will people in general stop dressing or looking like the Jersey Shore cast because they don't want to be seen as some sort of sperm-filled hot tub jockey?

I'm doing pretty good on avoiding sugar for Lent, but it's getting harder. I'm avoiding purchasing my Easter candy out of fear I might not have the will power to ignore it.

I did some shopping yesterday at a nearby outlet mall with a friend. The selection was terrible, although I did come home with a blazer from the White House Black Market outlet. Again, with the cropped cardigans people...I'm still struggling to find basics.

What does "hate to shop" mean?

You know you're a fashion addict if you wake up in the morning and realized you were dreaming of Phillip Lim handbags.

So....I took a job. I'll be going in one day this week and then for good starting next week. VERY EXCITING. And scary. I have a feeling there's a lot of work to be done.

With this news of the new job, I headed out to do some shopping yesterday. Bonton's Goodwill sale was a bust - I couldn't find any clothing there whatsoever that I liked. Everything was either super casual or super old lady. I tried on two armfuls of clothing at The Limited, but nothing fit properly. Not everyone looks good in a cropped cardigan. So why are all the cardigans cropped?!?! That was the number one thing on my list - replace cardigans - and I found nothing. I ended up with one sweater from the Gap and a boyfriend blazer from Kohl's. Not terribly successful.

A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook about her hatred of shopping. This is not something I understand. I understand it for some people. If you've recently gained weight or just had a baby and are uncomfortable dressing a different body, I get it. If you have literally no time in your life, I get it. If you've always been fashion awkward, I get it. But I don't understand the girl I know that owns more premium denim than anyone else, that is always "current" - and not just that-style-has-made-it-to-the-Midwest current but Vogue magazine current, who's never been over a size two, not wanting to shop. Nope. No understanding. How can you love fashion, be able to fit into fashion, and always wear current fashion, but hate to shop? **confused face**

Life is HARD...

I'm currently trying to make a couple job decisions, so I'm a bit wrapped up. Making decisions about your career is HARD.

I know once I make a decision I'll feel a lot of relief and excitement. And then I'll go shopping! I'm going to need some more career wear. My last job allowed me to be a bit more business casual, but I get the feeling I'm going to need to turn it up a bit, especially when I'm going out to businesses and meeting clients. Luckily, this weekend is Goodwill days at Bonton stores, which means coupons for every item you bring in to donate. And The Limited is having a 40% off sale on suiting pieces. I think a little retail therapy will help ease the stress of this past week.

Preppy clothing on the web, this and that

It appears that American Eagle will be dropping it's Martin + Osa stores in the near future. I'm very sad. Much like Conan, I feel like AE just didn't give the brand enough time to brew. My other criticisms are: the brand was often too basic, with not enough interesting pieces; the items were consistently $10-30 overpriced; the shoes and handbags were majorly overpriced for their demographic; and their website was always changing its format. The great things were the men's fleeces (nice looking, not Old Navy-looking) and the button up Oxford shirts for women which actually fit ladies with a full bust (aka me). Right now their website doesn't mention closing, so I'm guessing they're still a ways off. I hope that I can at least score some good deals before they disappear. Bummer.

If you're like me and enjoy all preppy, nautical, and navy fashions, I have a tip. If you are smaller in size, check out the children's uniform sections of sites like Gap.com. They offer larger sizes (for larger kids into teens) and often have great preppy basics like polos, khakis, and blazers. The best selection is usually in late summer when the school year shopping begins. Check it out.

Oscars Red Carpet Breakdown

It's Oscar time! So, without further ado, my opinions...

Worst Dressed

3. Meryl Streep in Chris March. It was dowdy, boring, and looked like something she dug out of Sharon Stone's closet in 1992.

2. Kate Winslet in YSL. I'm not sure Oscar fashion can get any more boring.

1. Charlize Theron in Dior. Hello, pink boobie whirls.


Best Dressed

3. Diane Kruger in Chanel. I realize this one isn't going to be universally loved, and is already hitting worst-dressed lists, but I love it. It's a risk, I epitomizes Chanel, and it's glamorous. What else would you want on the red carpet?

2. Maggie Gyllenhaal in Dries Van Noten. I love that she went with a pattern, and on a night when color was sorely needed she had a vibrant gown.

1. Zoe Saldana in Givenchy. It had beautiful color, it was age-appropriate, it was fashion-forward, and I loved it.


Other Awards

Worst accessorizing: Kristen Stewart's lack of accessories

Best accessorizing: Mariska Hargitay, for actually wearing a necklace. There was an extreme lack of jewelry at the Oscars.

Best use of nudes: Cameron Diaz

Worst use of nudes: Sandra Bullock in Marchesa. The bottom half looked like snagged lamé.

Most improved: Tina Fey

Best use of color: Vera Farmiga in Marchesa

They call it "gauze"

Tissue tees, sheer cardigans...can someone explain to me the new obsession with see-through, un-warm layering options? I'm from a part of the country that gets cold in the winter. For me, a cardigan is something I put on to keep warm. Why would I want it to be flimsy? I'm not saying I need arctic cable-knit wools, but I would like a densely woven sweater. Thanks.

If I do get one of these jobs I've been interviewing for, I'm going to need to get some new clothes. My closet is comprised mostly of basics and some of them are looking tough. My black cardi lost a button on New Years Eve that I've yet to sew back on. That's sort of the story with much of my work wardrobe - each piece has an issue or just looks worn. I might have to dig out Tim Gunn's list of ten items every woman should own.

I've used a couple different eco-friendly dish soaps, and so far the winner is Seventh Generation. We tried the Clorox Green Works dish soap, but all of our must-hand-wash cast-aluminum pans were coming back out of the sink with almost as much olive oil on them as they started with. After switching back to Seventh Generation, I'm happy again. A tip - sometimes you can find it on sale at Target, of all places.

The only green dishwasher detergent I've used so far is Palmolive Eco. A lot of online reviews say it leaves a white residue, but I've had no issue with it. I have a very new dishwasher, so maybe the type or age of the dishwasher plays a role. So far I'm using it because it's both eco-friendly and low cost. I welcome other recommendations!

"I gave up dreaming for a while"

I'm not much of an American Idol watcher, but this season I'm watching for one reason - Andrew Garcia. If you haven't seen him, search him on YouTube. His versions of Straight Up and Sugar We're Going Down are absolutely recordable, and I'm in love with the duets he does with his friend Cathy. I haven't really been into music lately. I haven't purchased an album in probably six years. However, between cheering for Andrew Garcia and my recent love of Belgian artist Milow, I'm finally getting back into music. Hmm.

I received an email from The Limited today letting me know about their suit sale. If you buy a jacket you'll get a skirt or pant for free. I think this must be a sign; I must be getting a job soon, right? I mean, I want a new job and have shopping fever, so this must mean that the two are coming together. My current interviews include a local community leader position and a position planning/running a major Midwest ethnic festival. Sounds awesome to me!

Blog addition

I've added a poll to the right column. Take it!

Current trends

I'm making my spring fashion predictions and opinions, breaking down the current fashion trends by how I feel about them - the ones I want to go out of fashion, the ones that I think we'll continue to see, and the ones I've broke down and purchased:

I hope it's over soon

Buffalo plaid

Cropped jackets and cardigans

Handbags the size of luggage

Choppy, side-swept bangs

Brightly-colored plastic sunglasses

High-waisted shorts

Batwing sweaters

Extra long v-neck boyfriend sweaters

Black denim

Peep-toe boots

I think it's sticking around

Leggings

Distressed jeans

Platform shoes

Bib necklaces

Maxi dresses

Mermaid-cut gowns

Military-style jackets

Boyfriend blazers

Paillette dresses

Aviator sunglasses

Premium denim

Billowy blouses

I'm embracing it

Heeled gladiators

Cloche hats

Ruffled tops

Booties

Rolled jeans

Scarves with everything

Tunics

Opaque tights

Leather driving mocs

Yellow gold jewelry

Equestrian boots

White denim

Faux fur vests



Photo - martinandosa.com

Twins

I have a confession. I cannot tell the difference between the Olson twins. I see them in the style and fashion sections of the websites I peruse from my phone - E!, People, US Weekly - yet I still can't tell them apart. People say "one is taller" or "one is blonder" but I just can't figure it out. I had this same problem as a teenager; I babysat for a pair of twins and could tell them apart. They would get upset about it. Oops.

I'm trying to find inspiration online for paint colors, but I've been finding that most interior room pictures feature white painted moldings in modern or vintage homes, or dark moldings in bungalow-style homes. I never find the strawberry blond honey oak moldings and doors that my house is full of. Although we looked at both new and old homes while searching for a residence, our need to move quickly prevented us from picking a real "fixer-upper", so we purchased a home built just two years ago. Since everything is new, it's hard to justify replacing or painting the current shiny-new wood moldings. So I'm on a hunt to find images of homes with 90s moldings.

Old. Navy?

Oops! I've been gone for a few days. I had an interview yesterday, so I'd been prepping for that pretty intensely.

I haven't worked out yet this week and my plans for today consist of a phone interview, afternoon errands, and then maybe a drink with friends. I'm not sure where my workout is going to fit in. Maybe walking my dog?

Is is just me, or has Old Navy's quality hit an all time low? I haven't been there for a couple months since the location closest to me closed, but it seems like they've really amped up the amount of thin, boxy and poorly made items in their stores. Don't get me wrong, I understand that they're Gap's low-end brand. But they seem to be falling into a new realm of crappiness. Ugh. It's like they're daring you to look cheap.

Photo - oldnavy.com

Canvas

I've just discovered Lands' End Canvas, Lands' End's attempt at updating itself, thanks to the folks over at J.Crew Aficionada. So far I'm a fan. Some of the stuff definitely reminds me of Martin+Osa (American Eagle's grown up line). A couple of the Canvas models I recognize as former Delia's models from my high school days. Yes, I actually recognize them. Odd.

I'm thinking about adding a blog roll to my Frenetic Studio; I figure if you see where I'm spending my time you might understand my ramblings. Although, I might seem less frenetic then...

I have a William-Sonoma gift card from Christmas that I've been itching to spend. However, I am super cheap and don't want to spend much over the $20 card balance. I've been hunting the sales at all the sites in which the gift card will work - WS Home, Pottery Barn, PB Teen, PB Kids, and West Elm - without finding any sale items I'm in love with. Well, scratch that. Sale items I'm in love with that aren't $699. Like I said, I'm cheap.

Lenten mumbling

So, I have decided that for Lent I will indeed give up simple carbohydrates. So far, so good. Day one.

Not much else new...walked through Target, TJ Maxx and Hobby Lobby today without finding much of what was on my list.

On the topic of directors being ejected from airplanes due to size, I will say that for those of us who have purchased a seat only to have a large person next to us smoosh their body under and over the armrest into the 17" we have paid for is terribly annoying. Whether it's a safety issue or an I-don't-want-the-person-next-to-me-to-invade-my-space issue, I'm sorry Mr. Smith but you'll need to buy yourself another ticket or a spacious first class seat. That may mean you'll have to plan ahead.

Another week

I've been watching Cougar Town since the beginning, mostly because it follows Modern Family and I never bothered to change the channel. But now I've become a fan, partly because it's nice to have a light-hearted comedy that doesn't take much thought and partly because I love the set design. In looking for a great picture of the set design to share with you, I stumbled across a blog in which the author feels the same way I do, and has featured all sort of pictures of the sets on Cougar Town. I like how they have used florals without being annoying, girly or elderly. I'm always telling my husband about how much I like the bar stools in Courtney Cox's character's kitchen. I particularly love the floral E A T letters in the kitchen, which it turns out are from Anthropologie. I may try to recreate this in my kitchen, only using fabrics that are more graphic and in keeping with my color scheme.

Photo - alltheshadesofgrey.net

Coffee update, et al

Following up on my coffee maker cleaning: I put a couple glugs (three or four tablespoons maybe) of vinegar in my coffee maker and filled it up with water. I ran it through with the vinegar, which seemed to move some mineral deposits through. I then ran it with just plain water, and it wasn't until my second water-only round that I realized my coffee maker has a Cleaning setting. ((hand on forehead)) So I turned it to Clean and ran the last round of water on that. Now it's sparkly clean. Yay!

Yesterday I ran through The Limited to check out the sale. I have a gift card that's been burning a hole in my pocket since my birthday, so I figured now's as good of a time as any to use it. The sale in the store was not as good as online however - very picked over. And the full priced items that I loved were a variety of tweed jackets that didn't make sense for me to be purchasing at over $100 each. Maybe once I can wear them to work it will seem less unreasonable.

I have yet to hear back on any of the jobs I've applied to recently, which is disappointing since some of them seem like perfect fits. I wonder what the other candidates look like. I'm guessing there are plenty of people out there with much more experience than me. Time to lower my standards?

Photo - thelimited.com

What day is it?

I haven't worked out yet this week, although I spend one and a half hours shoveling snow yesterday and that ought to count. I'm feeling a bit under the weather, so I'm guessing this won't be a power workout week anyway.

I realized this morning that my coffee maker is in desperate need of a very thorough cleaning. I've always refused to use those chemical coffee maker cleaners, since I'm always afraid of residual chemicals in my machine. I've never tried vinegar, and we seem to be out, so that has gone on my shopping list. I'll run it through with a vinegar and water mix and let you know how that goes.

My house seems to get messy really fast these days. You'd think with my being home, I'd be able to keep it super clean. But no, more time in the house seems to mean more time to create messes. I need to set aside a day to do a full-house deep clean. One of these days...


Photo - immaculate-collection.blogspot.com

Small steps

I would like to point out that I've added my first book to my list of books read for 2010. It's a jumping off point.

Lent

I'm trying to decide whether to go meat-free for Lent, or to go refined carb-free for Lent. Votes?

Missing the comforts of somewhere

I recently relocated, and am missing a lot of things about my old city. I'm going to put them out there, in hopes that I can just get over it already!

1. Easy access to natural, organic, and alternative foods
2. The arts scene
3. White girl dreads
4. Ann Taylor Loft, Banana Republic, White House Black Market, J.Crew, DSW, and other favorite stores that are now a much longer drive.
5. A few of my girlfriends
6. My Alma Mater
7. The political climate
8. The local television stations
9. My favorite Chinese restaurant
10. The good people-watching bar
11. My favorite fish fry
12. Trader Joe's
13. Downtown in the summertime
14. Knowing all the streets
15. My favorite coffee shops

Out and about

I was out running errands today - oil change, tax software, and heading back out on the hunt for home goods. Black and white bathroom accessories, green lamp bases, and a simple modern mirror; I have this idea in my mind of what I want in furnishings, but it just doesn't exist in the marketplace. Does this happen to you?


Photo - countryliving.com

Grammy wrap up

I'm not going to go into too much depth with my Grammy fashion post since I did not watch the awards show. I was distracted by the Pro Bowl. But here's my quick roundup:

Best dressed - Taylor Swift; perfectly cut dress, well chosen earrings
Worst dressed - Ciara; I have no idea what that is
Best hair - Keri Hilson; love the twist
Worst hair - Katy Perry; 1992 bangs are not cool
Best accessorizing - Miley Cyrus; rocker chic but not over the top
Worst accessorizing - Malin Akerman; those boots are terrible
Best use of color - Jennifer Nettles; the color-blocked red gives her an amazing figure
Best use of neutral - Carrie Underwood; lovely in white without looking bridal

You might be asking why I left perpetual freak show Lady Gaga out of the mix. Well, because her style isn't really worth discussing. She's no longer edgy for the sake of taking a fashion risk; she's just a train wreck for the sake of getting attention. I have no need to discuss her further.

Blue

I'm having a rather down day. I found out yesterday that I didn't get the job I interviewed for. That's depressing for a number of reasons: I was overqualified, I really need to get out of the house, and I'd like to be able to spend a little more freely.

On my list for today is vacuuming and cleaning up, which also doesn't exactly get me motivated or excited. I haven't brought myself to really get anything accomplished yet today.

Since I'm trying to stay positive, I will say that I'm glad our TV has finally arrived. We had an issue with our LCD and returned it, then didn't like the quality of the LG LCD we replaced it with (very odd since it looked great in the store) so that was returned, and recently decided to replace it with a plasma. It will be nice when it's set up.

Also, in order to be upbeat, I put on a super funny, glitzy tee that I received as a gift from an in-law who lives in a different country. It's from the brand Ampollina and is bright yellow with a number of large, glittery, pink and silver hearts on it, along with being bedazzled in rhinestones. Sadly I don't think it's helping. I may feel more depressed, just because of the sheer oddity of it.

Photo - radfordsechrist.blogspot.com

Reading, or not

One of my goals has been reading. I haven't started a new book since the beginning of the year because I am half way through a book that I set down and haven't picked back up. So today, I'm going to pick it back up. And if after a couple days I'm not making progress, I'm going to stop reading it and move on.

I received a stack of books for the holidays, and my aunt recently gave me a stack of books from her donate pile in her basement. With so many books around here that I want to read, there's no point in reading books I'm not interested in. So with that, I'm adding a list to the side of my blog to keep track of what I've read so far this year. Right now, that would be an empty list.

Keeping up

Here's my current update:

The once-per-week workout goal has been working. I think I worked out three times last week, so I'm staying on top of it. However, this feels like one of those weeks where you just never muster the will power to work out. Hopefully I get on it today.

Eating healthy is still a daily struggle. Last night my husband insisted that we add ground beef to the Indian food I had made. Does anyone else see the problem in adding beef to Indian food?

The job front is still stalled. I had an interview a couple weeks ago and was supposed to hear back last week either way, and heard nothing. Even an email yesterday asking for a status update on the job didn't produce a response. I also had a phone interview that didn't go well today, mostly because the interviewer had a very different idea of the type of job I'd be interested in.

I'm having trouble accessorizing and putting together our house. Part of the problem is that every room needs at least one thing that I don't already own, and I'm trying not to spend money that I don't have to spend, so I've given up on giving any of the rooms attention. My husband wants to know why there isn't anything on the walls.

I did organize our master closet yesterday. It feels so much better. It could still use some additional shelving and whatnot, but it feels great to have everything in its place.

Photo - psychologytoday.com

February Vogue

My mom always passes me her Vogue mags when she's done with them. She's not a huge fan, and frankly I'm not that big into it either. They seem to focus too much on personal interest stories of New York and international socialites, and that's just not my flavor. I read my fashion magazines for the fashion! I really miss having a subscription to InStyle.

However, a few things struck me in this month's issue, so I'm going to comment on them. First was the new Chanel ad. It's no secret that I love Chanel's jackets with a passion, but this season's jackets are very cool - rough edges, very large tweed weave, and lots of sparkle. I just need to win the lottery.

While I usually find the perfume samples in magazines annoying and awful, I love both of them in this issue. First was the new SJP fragrance, NYC, which is a fun smell and a delightful bottle. The second was my new favorite fragrance, which I discovered while in a Sephora in Palermo, called Parisienne by YSL. So kudos to Vogue for not smelling like an 80-something cougar this month.

Also, the issue was filled with terribly unflattering pictures of Jessica Biel. So if you find yourself to be one of those people who fantasize about Justin Timberlake leaving her for you, this issue will give you a glimmer of hope.

Tees

Has anyone else noticed that it's hard to find a good tee nowadays? I feel like no one is making a useful layering tee that isn't a weird texture (slub cotton) or not completely see-through. Sure, you can market it as a "tissue tee" all you want - I still don't want my tees to show my bra. I had one of the first ever Gap favorite tees in "stretch" and the quality was excellent, but by the next year (2003?) you could absolutely see a bra through any color stretch favorite tee but black. Has anyone located a solution to this issue?

Photo - jcrew.com