One Month Later, Still Here Part 1

Hi there, it's been a month since I've written a post. I'm having conflicting feelings about blogging at the moment but I have a month's worth of outfit pics ready to go. Here are outfits from the end of February and the beginning of March.

February 21

Sweater: Banana Republic - Hand me down from T (Seen here)  Pants: Ann Taylor - Last seen here (2nd outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace and Bracelet: Rosetta  Bangle: Mom Earrings: Penny

February 22
             

Sweater: Talbots - Last seen here (1st pic)  Jeans: Levis - Last seen here (9th outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Susie  Bangles and Earrings: Mom

February 28

Sweater: Banana Republic - Last seen here (11th outfit)  Jeans: DKNY Jeans - Last seen here (3rd outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Gift  Earrings: Penny  Bracelet: Mom

March 1

Sweater: Banana Republic - Last seen here (13th outfit)  Pants: Banana Republic - Last seen here (9th outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Gift from the GH  Earrings: Mom Bracelet: Chicos

March 3

Top: Banana Republic - Last seen here (16th outfit)  Cardigan: J Crew - Hand me down from T (seen here)  Skirt: Foxxy - Last seen here (4th outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Etsy  Earrings: Gift

March 6
     

Top: Banana Republic - Last seen here (7th outfit)  Pants: The Limited - Last seen here (1st outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Gift  Earrings and Bracelet: Chicos

March 7 - Faces
       

Cardigan: Express - Thrifted 201?  Top: Banana Republic - Last seen here (4th outfit)  Skirt: Casual Corner - Last seen here (1st outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Online  Earrings: Mom  Bracelet: Chicos

March 8

 
Sweater: Ann Taylor Loft - Bought in NOLA (here)  Pants: Gloria Vanderbildt - Last seen here (2nd outfit)

The Stuff

Necklace: Gift  Earrings and Bracelet: Mom

March 9 - Full outfit repeat, even jewelry!
       

Sweater: Eight Eight Eight - Last seen here (1st outfit)  Pants: BCBG Max Azria - Last seen here (1st outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Mom  Bangles: Chicos

March 10

Top: American Rag - Last seen here (2nd outfit)  Jeans: Chicos - Last seen here (5th outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Jennifer  Necklace: Etsy  Bracelet: Mom

March 11 - At a birthday party, look at that view!

Sweater: Chicos - Last seen here (9th outfit) Jeans: Levis - Last seen above

The Stuff

Earrings: Etsy

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!

Frugal February Has Begun

Hi there. Sorry for the delayed blog post but I was sick for a few days the week before last and also stressed out about my oldest dog, Fiona.  On the bright side of things both Fiona and I feel much better.  Fiona is also a good couple of pounds lighter after having a needle aspiration in her abdomen. For the past few months, due to her less than perfectly working heart, her stomach had been inflating like a balloon. We tried treating it with medication but that stopped working.  As a last ditch effort my wonderful veterinarian suggested draining the fluid that had accumulated and hoping that the diuretics would prevent her from filling back up too quickly. Half a liter of fluid lighter and a week later and Fiona is perkier, hungrier and happier than she has been in months.

        
Here is a close up and a top view of the newly skinny diva princess.

I am now 7 days in to my self declared Frugal February and, as with life, it has not been entirely smooth sailing.  There are a couple of events that I really want to attend this month that are not free.  In order to do so, and still feel fairly frugal, I decided that I would withdraw $40 per paycheck to use as spending money. So far this has worked out well (yeah I know it's only been a week).  On the non-frugal side of things I stress shopped while Fiona was at the vet last Monday and bought new shoes. This was technically January 30th and not February but I should know better than to go to nonessential stores when I'm worried. That particular emotion can impair my judgement. Oh well, done is done and my old sneakers were close to ten years old (!).

                                                               Here are the new shoes

And now for the stated purpose of this blog. Onto the clothes!

January 26

I was still under the weather and have no idea what the look on the right is about.
     
Sweater: Lands End - Thrift 2015  Pants: Alfani - Thrifted here in January

The Stuff

Earrings, Necklace and Bracelet: Chicos

January 27

Feeling better but a little sleepy maybe?              

 
Top: Ann Taylor - Thrifted here in January  Skirt: Merona - Last seen here (3rd outfit) Cardigan: Banana Republic - Last seen here (5th outfit)

This is what I look like mid-laugh

The Stuff

Necklace and Earrings: Gift

January 28

Sweater: INC - Maybe retail 200?  Jeans: Chicos - Last seen here (4th outfit)  Scarf: No label - Thrifted 2015

The Stuff

Earrings: Chicos  Bracelet: Thrifted

January 31

Sweater: INC - Thrifted here last May  Skirt: Club Z Collection - Thrifted here in 2016

The Stuff

Earrings: Chicos  Bracelet: From J   Necklace: Graduation gift from Grandma

February 1

Not sure what the look on my face is.

Top: Banana Republic - Hand me down from T  Jeans: Chicos last seen above.

Here's a smile.

The Stuff

Earrings: Gift from J  Necklace: Online  Bracelet: Mom

February 2

Again with the faces, I just can't help myself.
  
Sweater: Eight Eight Eight - Thrifted here in June 2016  Pants: BCBG Max Azria - Hand me down from T

The Stuff

Earrings: Gift from the GH  Bracelet: Rosetta

February 3

I got nothin here. I failed to get pictures of my outfit on this day and I have no idea why.  It was bound to happen eventually.

February 4

I have no idea what BB said to me to make me pout like this.
   
Top: APT 9 - Thrifted 201?   Jeans: Levis - Last seen here (1st outfit) Scarf: Christmas Gift from my MIL The pattern is titles of banned books!!

The Stuff

Earrings: Christmas gift   Necklace: Etsy  Bracelet: Cost Plus

As always a huge thank you to blog photographers BB, Mr DC and the GH!

See you soon.