Catch Up, Part 1: I Survived Las Vegas

Hi there. It's been a while. I'm going to do a couple of catch up posts rather than try to fit a months worth of stuff into just one.

First up the outfits I wore in the second half of January.

January 17
  

Cardigan: August Silk - Last seen here (4th outfit) Jeans: Levis - Last seen here (1st outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Gift Earrings: Gift  Bracelet: Chicos

January 18

Sweater: Banana Republic - Last seen here (7th outfit) Jeans: Levis - Last seen here (3rd outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Online  Earrings: Mom  Bracelet: Chicos

January 19 - Full outfit repeat

Top: Elle - Last seen here (1st outfit)  Skirt: No Label - Last seen here (1st outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Unicef  Bracelet: Mom

January 23
  

Sweater: Planet Gold - Last seen here (12th outfit)  Jeans: Levis - Last seen above

The Stuff

Earrings: Gift from T  Bracelet: Grandma T

January 24

Cardigan: Old Navy - Last seen here (10th outfit)  Jeans: Levis - Last seen here (7th outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Etsy  Earrings: GH  Bracelet: Mom

January 25

Top: Ann Taylor - Last seen here (6th outfit)  Skirt: Ann Taylor - Bought here in NOLA

The Stuff

Earrings: Mom  Bracelet: Chicos

January 26

Sweater: Charter Club - Last seen here (1st outfit)  Jeans: Chicos - Last seen here (2nd outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Mom Pendant:Gift  Earrings: Chicos  Bracelet: Gift

January 27

Top: Banana Republic - Thrifted here last June  Jeans: Levis - Last seen above

The Stuff

Necklace: Susie  Earrings and Bracelets: Mom

And Now about Las Vegas. I drove to Phoenix with Mom the night we said goodbye to Fiona. Wednesday we drove to Vegas, checked into the Monte Carlo and proceeded to get ready to see Cher.

The extra bright lights on the sides of the mirror were a bit much.  The silver shoes I'm wearing here are now in my donation pile. While three inch heels can rarely, if ever, be described as comfortable these flat out hurt. The dress is by BCBG Girls and I've owned it for probably close to ten years.

The show was great!  At 71 years old Cher is still an amazing performer. She danced, sang live, and changed costumes at least a dozen times. After the show Mom and I went over to the Planet Hollywood to check into our room there and had a late dinner of appetizers at the bar in PF Chang's.

On Thursday ate a late lunch at Primrose in the Monte Carlo before heading to the Jo Malone counter at Nordstrom. Mom managed to snag us both a bagful of samples while she ordered a new scent. By that time the rest of the Birthday crew were in town.  Mom dropped me at the Bellagio to get ready for dinner with the Birthday Girl and company.

 

                                                      Tamara, Julia, Tricia and me

We went to Rao's at Ceasers for dinner and it was wonderful. After antipasti, meatballs, birthday cake and an amazing cocktail it was time to think about where to go for the Birthday Girl's first night out as a 21 year old. We ended up going to Tao at the Venetian.

I'm wearing a 2 piece dress by BCBG Max Azria that Tamara let me borrow. The skirt on Julia was handmade by her exceedingly talented Uncle Justun.

I hadn't been out to a club in Vegas in a few years and I think it's safe to say that not much has changed. The music is loud, the drinks are overpriced and the dance floor is too small.

                                                                 Late night club selfie.

The next afternoon we met for Tea at the Mandarin Oriental.

                                                                Scones and sandwiches

                                                                         Desserts

It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

On Friday evening we saw Zumanity at New York New York. I was lucky enough to be given an extra ticket by Justun.  It was a phenomenal show.

                                  Tamara's dress was also made by Justun. Isn't it beautiful.

                                                                 Selfie in the theater.

After the show a couple of us ate at Greenberg's Deli at  New York New York. They make a great brisket sandwich. After depositing leftover food, Julia and Tricia in their hotel room Fil and I went to find Tamara and Justun. By this point my feet were pretty much done with Las Vegas.  Wearing heels for three nights in a row had caught up to me and the balls of my feet were starting to blister. I borrowed a pair of Tamara's flats before tracking her down. We had a drink somewhere in the Bellagio and then we went to Hyde.

     
The bar did not have the best lighting.

After Hyde, I went back to Tamara's room to get my leftover food and my heels and I headed across the street to Planet Hollywood. Once I got there I made a rookie Vegas mistake and put the bag with all my stuff in it under the machine I sat at and promptly forgot about it.  I was in the hotel room washing my face when I remembered and of course by the time I went to look for it it was gone.  I lost the tea leftovers, the brisket, a pair of burgundy velvet heels and one of my favorite scarves. Oh well, you win some and you lose some. All in all it was a great trip.

I'll be back with outfits and bits of randomness from the first couple of weeks in February.

See you soon.

As always thank you blog photographer BB. A few of the Vegas pictures I used came from other people's Facebook posts so I'm not sure who actually took those pictures. Whoever it was, thanks!

It's Time

Hi there. I took Fiona in for her draining this morning knowing that it was probably the last time. I didn't know that I would end up making an appointment for the next day to have her put down.  It's time. She is slow, super skinny and just not enjoying life anymore. This is the absolute worst thing about owning pets, they don't live long enough.

Fiona the week we got her - April 2005

I remember so vividly how I met Fiona.  My boss at the time, Caren, had just had a litter of puppies and brought two of them in to work so that our tailor, who had recently lost her dog, could have one. The second puppy was just to keep the first one company.  This second puppy, who was briefly named Freddy, was put in my hands and she immediately wrapped her little paws around my fingers and didn't let go.  After carrying her around for a while the tailor took a good look at Freddy and discovered that he was really a she. I continued to carry her around work and a customer asked what her name was. I replied that it had been Freddy until we discovered that he was in fact a she. The customer replied that she had always loved the name Fiona.  Towards the end of the work day Caren asked if I was going to take Fiona home with me or not.  I had promised the GH that I would never come home with a pet without talking to him first so I hemmed and hawed a bit until Caren said that I could take her home or she would sell her to a woman who expressed interest in her. So I took her home with me. The GH came home to me sitting on the couch with a tiny ball of fluff in my hands asking if we could keep her. Of course he said yes.

Fiona - May 2005

And here we are almost 13 years later and it is time to say goodbye. The GH is going to bring home Eegees for dinner tonight so that Fiona can have her favorite french fries. Tomorrow afternoon we will go to the vets office and come home without her. For such a small dog the hole in my heart is going to be enormous. I'm writing this post in advance because I know I won't be able to get through it tomorrow and then I leave for a Las Vegas birthday celebration.

The soon to be 21 year old Birthday Girl and Fiona - June 2005

Extra Fluffy Fiona - August 2007

She was not amused by the Santa Hat - Christmas 2010 

Buddy and Fiona - 2011

Leo and Fiona - 2014

Me and my baby girl - November 2017

I will do an outfit post catch up when I get back from Vegas. Meanwhile give your pets some extra love today.

See you soon.

Hanging In There

Hi there. So Fiona decided that it is not time for her to go yet. Her demeanor and behavior vastly improved after her last draining. We are still taking it day by day and her paws are joining her tail in becoming hairless but she's excited to see people again. The GH had a medical procedure last Friday so it was a pretty chill and uneventful weekend around here. I have been focusing on the never ending tasks of cleaning and decluttering. It never ceases to amaze me how much dust can accumulate in such a short period of time. Ah, the joys of living in the desert. Speaking of which it is actually supposed to get cold this weekend!  Highs in the 50s, woohoo!  Maybe I will get a chance to wear all of my extra warm sweaters at least once this season.

In two and a half weeks I will be back in Las Vegas celebrating the 21st birthday of the first child in my group of high school friends. How have 21 years gone by so quickly? My Mom managed to snag the two of us tickets to see Cher on the 31st and we will all be doing high tea at the Mandarin Oriental on the 2nd.  I haven't been out to a club in Vegas for a few years so that part should be interesting. I will also be missing Jennifer a lot, since she should have been there too. The older I get the more it seems that with celebration comes sadness. Loss seems to be felt more keenly during times of joy. And now I will stop being philosophical and get on to last weeks outfits.

January 9 - Dresses with pockets are the best!
         

Dress: Chadwicks - Last seen here in November of 2016 (2nd outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace and Earrings: Mom  Bracelets: Morocco

January 10

Sweater: American Rag - Retail, 201? (Yet another item that hasn't appeared on the blog yet)  Jeans: Chicos - Last seen here (3rd outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Gift  Earrings: Rosetta  Bracelet: Mom

January 11

Sweater: Croft and Barrow - Last seen here in December of 2016 (3rd outfit)  Jeans: DKNY Jeans - Last seen here (4th outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Etsy  Bracelet: Grandma T  Earrings: Gift from the GH

January 13 - Different lighting, different colors. The sweater is brown.
         

Sweater: Banana Republic - Hand me down from T  Jeans: Chicos - Last seen above

The Stuff

Necklaces: Unicef  Bracelets: Morocco  Earrings: Mom

As always thank you to blog photographers BB, Mr DC and the GH.

See you soon!

Where is the Sweater Weather?

Hi there. The weather has been abnormally warm around here, especially considering that frozen iguanas have been falling out of trees in Florida. It is supposed to be 78 degrees today, but the Weather channel tells me it will be cold on Wednesday, only 59 as a high. But that seems to be an aberration because highs will be back in the 70s by the end of the week. It sounds ridiculous to complain about gorgeous weather when most of the rest of the country is freezing, but at the rate we're going I won't wear even half of my sweaters before packing them away again for the hot season. Oh well, this is why we desert dwellers endure 100+ degree summers.

We are one week into the new year and I have had varied success so far with listening. I have been working on paying more attention, and putting down the phone, when having conversations with the GH. In fact we have even eaten together at the dining room table more than once so far this year. I hope to make this a more regular practice, especially now that Christmas has been put away and the table is back to its normal location. As part of that effort I have a secondary goal of keeping that table free of clutter. We shall see how that goes.

I have also been paying close attention to Fiona the last few days and I think we are nearing the end. She went in this morning to have her abdomen drained and unless there is a remarkable turnaround in her behavior it is probably time to say goodbye. She has been listless and slow and seems to have lost her enjoyment of most things. I don't want to keep her alive just to be miserable. This is the absolute worst thing about owning pets. I feel like I'm getting ahead of myself, but I also don't want to delude myself about what is happening.

And now onto less depressing things, the clothes. I only worked for three and a half days last week so only four outfits to share.

January 3

Sweater: Mossimo - Thrift 201? (Another item I can't believe hasn't been on the blog before)  Jeans: Levis - last seen here (5th outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Retail NOLA  Earrings: Chicos  Bracelet: Mom

January 4

Sweater: Carolyn Taylor - Retail 201? (And another one I can't find on the the blog previously) Skirt: Ann Taylor - Bought here in NOLA

The Stuff

Necklace and Earrings: Gift from Ben  Bracelet: Retail - Cost Plus

January 5

Sweater: Ann Taylor - Bought here in NOLA  Jeans: Chicos - Last seen here (2nd outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Etsy  Earrings and Bracelet: Chicos

January 6 - With special guest Leo
         

Cardigan: Merona - Last seen here (4th outfit)  Jeans: DKNY Jeans - Last seen here (3rd outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Rosetta  Earrings: Online  Bracelets: Retail old, 1990s

As always thank you to blog photographers BB, Mr DC and the GH.

See you soon!

Happy 2018!

Hi there and a Happy New Year to you. I hope you had a lovely holiday season filled with food, friends and family. I surprised myself by going out on New Years Eve for the second year in a row. It was a small gathering hosted by a very dear friend and I am so glad I went. Thanks Tamara!

                                                                   New Years Eve

 I just read back over my first post from 2017 and I think that my goal for the year was a bit of a draw.  I wanted to pay down debt in 2017 which I did in some areas but not others.  I did continue to pay down one of two credit cards and a separate loan. I also put through the paperwork regarding my expected student loan forgiveness under the public service forgiveness program. It is due to this program that I do not pay more than the minimum amount due, which is not very small, on my student loans. In six more years I should qualify for loan forgiveness. Where I was not successful in paying down debt was with my second credit card. In fact the balance on this card went up in 2017. There are a variety of reasons why and the most unavoidable one, pet health care, I do not begrudge. I will continue to work on paying down my debt this year, but debt will not be my focus.

Instead I am borrowing an idea I have seen in blogland and choosing a word for the year. My word for 2018 is Listen. I would like to listen more attentively to my body, my friends and family, the people I interact with daily and really just the world in general. I know that one of the things that prevents me from listening as attentively as I should, especially to the GH, is my phone. So hopefully I can learn to put aside the digital devices for part of every day and truly listen.

And now, since this blog is primarily about clothes, here are the rest of December's outfits.

December 12

Sweater: Eight Eight Eight - Last seen here (6th outfit)  Pants: BCBG Max Azria - Last seen here (13th outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Mom  Bracelets: Chicos

December 13

Cardigan: Talbots - Last seen here (1st outfit)  Jeans: Chicos - Last seen here (7th outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace, earrings, bracelet, and ring: Rosetta

December 16

Sweater: Old Navy - Thrifted here in June  Jeans: DKNY Jeans - Last seen here (7th outfit) Scarf: Sacred Threads - Retail 201?

The Stuff

Earrings: Gift from the GH  Necklace: Etsy

December 19

Sweater: Moda International - Last seen here (1st outfit)  Pants: Gloria Vanderbilt - Last seen here (12th outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: GH  Bracelet: Chicos Earrings: Mom

December 20

Sweater: Ann Taylor Loft - Last seen here (2nd outfit)  Jeans: Levis - Last seen here (5th outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Gift  Earrings: Gift Bracelet: Mom

December 22

Sweater: Lands End - Last seen here (4th outfit)  Jeans: DKNY Jeans - Last seen above

The Stuff

Necklace: Susie hand me down  Earrings: Mom

December 23

Sweater: Coldwater Creek - Thrifted 201? (can't believe I haven't worn this on the blog but I can't find it)  Jeans: Levis - Last seen here (13th outfit)

The Stuff

Pin: Mom  Earrings: Mom via Tubac

December 27

Sweater: Calvin Klein Jeans- Thrifted 201? (Also can't believe I haven't worn this on the blog earlier but, again, I can't find it)  Jeans: Chicos - Last seen above

The Stuff

Necklace: Gift  Earrings: Mom Bracelet: Gift

December 28

Sweater: Chicos - Last seen here (6th outfit) Jeans: DNKY Jeans - Last seen above

The Stuff

Necklace: Etsy  Bracelet and Earrings: Christmas gifts from the GH

December 29

Sweater: Banana Republic - Hand me down from T  Jeans: Levis - Last seen above

The Stuff

Necklace: Chicos  Earrings: Mom  Cuff: Christmas gift from Mom

A lovely coffee made on New Years Eve that I forgot about until I looked at my pictures. Thanks again Tamara!!

As always thank you to blog photographers BB, Mr DC and the GH.

See you soon!