Accidental Twins

When I got to work in the morning, the first thing I noticed was that the woman I sit next to was dressed very similarly to me. We both had on red shirts under camel colored sweaters, with skinny jeans tucked into brown boots. She was  a sport and let me take a pic of her while we were grabbing lunch.

Rand's Daily Outfit Assessment: "I like her outfit better. I like the button at the top of her sweater."

What I Wore That Was Really Similar to My Coworker:

• red blouse (LYS via Kmart)
• camel cardigan (c/o Simply Be)
• jeggings (c/o Simply Be)
• brown boots (Avenue)
• purse (Old Navy)
• earrings (Lane Bryant)
• necklace (via Goodwill)

Copycat: Zooey Deschanel

I don't subscribe to any magazines, but I read a bunch of them while I am sitting in the doctor's waiting room. And I'm in that waiting room a lot. So, I'm generally up-to-date on celeb gossip, diet fads, etc. Last week I picked up a copy of People and accidentally came home with it. My accidental thievery ended up being a good thing, because when I finished reading the magazine at home, I noticed this picture of Zooey Deschanel in their StyleWatch section. It's hard to see from the scanned image, but her skirt has little specs of aqua and purple in it, just like my skirt. So I knew I had to do a copycat. After I had already finished my hair, I realized I totally should have done some faux bangs since she is known for her bangs.

Rand's Daily Outfit Assessment: "I don't know what to say about that."

What I Wore While Copycatting Zooey Deschanel:

• spotted skirt (via Goodwill)
• black tights (Avenue)
• black tank (NY&Co.)
• aqua cardigan (Lane Bryant via Goodwill)
• black flats (Target)
• purple necklace (c/o Torrid)
• black watch (c/o Charming Charlie)

Copycat: Gender Bender

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! 

I have so many things in my life to be thankful for: my health, my family, my friends, how lucky my life has been, but today I really want to focus on one thing that I am especially thankful for. That is my husband, Rand. I mean, how could I not be thankful to have someone in my life that willingly does things like this:



A little backstory...

I wore this outfit on Monday. Then on Tuesday Rand took off his coffee-stained work shirt and threw on this black shirt so we could run off to grab a quick bite of dinner. I was driving, which means my purse either gets dumped into the backseat or into the passenger seat. Rand was in the passenger seat, so he had my purse on his lap for the short ride. I looked over at him and realized that he looked just like I had the day before. When we got to the restaurant, he posed for a copycat photo - complete with my purse. Bwhahahaha.

So I am thankful that this man has chosen to share his life, and his silliness, with me.

What are you thankful for this year?

Copycat: Style Edition

I came across this photo on Pinterest from a post on Chictopia by Style Edition. I tried to take some cute windblown pics imitating her pose but all I managed to do was get my hair stuck in my lipgloss and highlight my fat chin. So instead you get the one shot I took of me before I remembered to put on my bracelets that completed the look.

What I Wore While Copying Style Edition:

• white dress, worn as a skirt (c/o Savannah Red)
• blue oxford (via Goodwill)
• stretch belt (Dots)
• spectator pumps (via Goodwill)
• bracelets, not shown (Lane Bryant)
• earrings (cia Goodwill)
• sunglasses (Lane Bryant)

Thanks, Style Edition, for the inspiration!

Copycat: Pink Pencil Skirt

When I saw this pink and camel look with orange accents on Pinterest, I knew I had the things in my closet to recreate it. The original look is from Dsquared via Style.com. I debated wearing my bright orange heels instead of these more muted spectator pumps but then I couldn't find them (hello, hiding in my car) so the decision was made for me. I even tried to do a work appropriate version of her hair and make-up, but you can't really tell in the photo that I am wearing a lot more makeup than normal. So, time well spent in front of the mirror. LOL

What I Wore While Copying Dsquared:

• white tank (Sonoma)
• pink sateen skirt* (Lane Bryant)
• camel cardigan (Kathie Lee via thrift)
• orange belt (Target (new) via Goodwill)
• spectator pumps (? via Goodwill)
• starfish necklace (via Goodwill)
• white watch (Tikkr)

* I loved this skirt for the first 10 minutes I had it on. After that it got super baggy and wrinkled. It's in my pile of things to return.

Copycat: Black and White and Lace

Inspiration can strike anywhere and I read a ton of style blogs looking for inspiration, and Kasmira of What I Wore 2day was one of the first bloggers that I started following. She inspires me all the time. But let's call a spade a spade here. This is not inspiration; this is pure and unadulterated copying. My version is ever so slightly more conventional since I skipped the floral shoes and bright red earrings. I didn't think they would go over very well in my office. But I really enjoyed topping my always-handy, conservative dress with this black lace vest. Fun yet appropriate.

What I Wore While Copying Kasmira:

• black and white dress (Lane Bryant)
• black lace vest (LucieLu)
• black patent heels (Payless)
• teal purse (?)
• bracelets (via Ross, Goodwill, and a jewelry party)
• earrings (?)
• belt (via Target)

Thanks, Kasmira, for being your fabulous self 

and for letting me steal your style!

Copycat: Yellow Skirt & Denim Shirt

While looking through all fashion pins on Pinterest, I came across this great street style photo. It was taken by Wayne Tippets in Paris and posted on Street Style Aesthetic. I am so glad I found it b/c as much as I love my fabulous yellow skirt, I haven't been quite sure how to wear it. So, thanks for the inspiration to Pinterest, to Mr. Tippets, and to the beautiful Shala Monroque.

What I Wore While Copying Shala Monroque:

• chambray shirt (Merona via Goodwill)
• yellow skirt (c/o eShakti)  use code TMINUSTPLUS0811 to get $20 off any eShakti purchases!
• necklace (via Goodwill)
• blue patent heels (via Rainbow)
• watch (Orient Watches)

CopyCat: Kate Spade Collection

I'm stealing ideas from other people again. This time I'm copying a famous designer. Ever since I saw the below photo from Kate Spade's NY Fashion Week, I knew I had to copy the look. Luckily Kimberly had just sent me a dress that was perfect and I already had the cardigan in my closet. It was meant to be!

What I Wore While Copying Kate Spade:

• dress (Liz Lange, gift)
• tank (Ann Taylor)
• cardigan (NY&Co.)
• orange heels (Jones New York)
• pearl necklace (Etsy, gift)
• earrings (hand-me-down)
• bracelets, 1st 2 (c/o Lane Bryant)
• skinny braclets (via Goodwill)
• large cuff bracelet (vintage, hand-me-down)

The Comparison:

What do you think of my version?

Copycat: Kimberly's Spots

As soon as I saw photos from Kimberly's trip to the Just My Size conference, I knew I was going to copy her look - even though I did not yet have a leopard top in my wardrobe. But I really liked her look so I tucked it away in my brain for later. And then thrifting magic happened one day, and this leopard shirt was mine.


What I Wore While Copying Kimberly:

• leopard spot long-sleeve shirt (via Goodwill)
• red dress (Lane Bryant via Goodwill)
• brown tights (Catherine's)
• army green wedges (BCBGirl via Macy's)
• gold necklace (H&M)
• brooch (via Goodwill)
• brown earrings (street vendor in Austin)

Kimberly's spots were black based and so were her accessories, but my shirt was brown and camel, so I mixed it with earth tones. I think we both look lovely. And I felt beautiful and comfortable all day long. Such a perfect combination.


Thanks for the insirpation, Kimberly!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a change to win an Orient Watch

Copy Cat - The Bomb!

Sorry I've been MIA! It's been pretty crazy here for the last 7 days. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say that getting online wasn't a top priority. But I am back! And I decided to get back into the groove by copy-catting Sara of Bombshell Beauty. She wore this outfit last week.

Rand's Daily Outfit Assessment: "That's a really odd outfit. Maybe you want to change before you are seen in public with me?" Needless to say, I did not change. At first I thought he was objecting to the "dress" since it's really PJs, but he's the one who told me I should wear it as a dress sometime. Nope. I think he just didn't like the color combo and the shiny with the plain cotton. hmmm. Whatever.

What I Wore While Rand Disapproved:

• green dress (acutally PJs, compliments of Lane Bryant)
• shiny safari shirt (Lane Bryant)
• gladiator sandals (Target)
• earrings (via JC Penney)

What I Did When I Finally Made Up My Mind:

Copycattin' Myself

Can I copycat myself? Is that even possible? I've been envisioning this skirt mixed with a blue/white striped top for awhile. I gave it a whirl here, and while it got a lot of positive feedback, it really wasn't quite what I wanted. When I got this new striped top, I knew I wanted to try it again, but I was waiting a little while so I wouldn't have such similar outfits so close together. But when I saw how well Kimberly's necklace matched this skirt, I knew I couldn't wait any longer. And you know what? THIS is what I was envisioning in my head. Success! What do you think? Which do you like better.

What I Wore That Was Inspired By ME:

• pattern skirt (via Walmart)
• striped top (via Kmart)
• sandals (compliments of Lane Bryant)
• ring (borrowed from friend)
• necklace (borrowed from Kimberly)
• green bangle (Lane Bryant)
• brass bangles (via Goodwill)
• clutch (via Target)

What I Ate While Playing Dominoes:

• breakfast: Alternative bagel, cheesy egg, grapefruit
• lunch: leftover cabbage salad, leftover veggie pizza, blackberries
• snack: banana, cheese stick
• dinner: cheese plate, cider (Libertine)

I'm having a lot of fun on Facebook, and I would love to meet each and every one of you! So stop by and be my friend.

CopyCat: Kimberly

I decided that since Kimberly was so awesome and generous to lend me one of her favorite necklaces, that I needed to do a little homage to both her and the necklace. So I decided to copycat her look from the last time she wore the necklace. Check out her original look (aren't her shoes to die for?? This girl has serious style.) I am so glad that I copied this look. I felt so polished and professional all day long. Thanks, Kimberly!

Today's Random Photo Location: carwash parking lot

I tried out some mad modeling skills with some great leaning against the wall in various positions (since the Lane Bryant photographer kept telling me how it can make a great relaxed photo) but all those pics looked idiotic. I am def not a model. So you get my basic pose. At least you can see all the clothing!

What I Wore At the Car Wash, Yeah:

• black slacks (Lane Bryant)
• white T (Target)
• grey jacket (Lane Bryant via Goodwill)
• sandals (compliments of Lane Bryant)
• gold necklace, worn as bracelet (via Macys)
• gold earrings (via Macys)
• purse (inherited from my grandmother)
• necklace (borrowed from Kimberly)

What I Ate That Wasn't As Good As I Remember It Being:

• breakfast: 1/2 c. nonfat greek yogurt (local dairy), 1/2 c Fiber One, 3 oz blackberries
• lunch: 2 Hebrew National 97% fat free franks, 2 Whitewheat hotdog buns, Progresso Lite Zesty Vegetable soup, kale chips, yellow squash
• snack: SoyJoy, orange, string cheese
• dinner: Hoisin Glazed Chicken with Cabbage Slaw, garlic toast (forgot to make the rice, so we had this instead), 1 glass white wine
• dessert: mini mincrowave cake * with blueberries, 10 almonds

* I don't use soda when I make this. I find that it makes the cake too gummy. I use unsweetened almond milk for a great cake that tastes like a normal cake, but is still super low in calories.

Total for the Day: 30 points, no exercise

Possums & Pearls

I felt so very french riding my bike to work while wearing this shirt-dress; all I needed was a loaf of crusty bread in a basket on the front of my bike. My french daydreams came crashing back to American reality when I stopped to take my photos in a neighbor's side yard (check out this huge flower bush). As I was standing there posing, this fat opossum comes lumbering down the road. You never see them during the day since they are nocturnal, but this was just happy as can be, trucking along in the street and then on the sidewalk. In my head he was singing "der der der de der. walkin' down the street. der de der de der." ha! Half of my photos are me staring and laughing at him.

And then on my way home, I spotted a mulberry tree in an abandoned lot. I love mulberries. We used to eat from the backyard when I would spend summers in Iowa. Yum. So when I got home, I grabbed a tub and Rand and we walked back to the tree to do some urban foraging. So you know I suffer from free-food-itis, but free, FOUND food is even better. Whoo hoo! I'll be eating those tomorrow.

What I Wore While Laughing at a Day Possum:

• brown crochet tank (Old Navy)
• black shirt-dress (via Goodwill)
• brown tweed mules (really old, I don't remember)
• brooch (via Goodwill)
• bracelet (Ross?)
• faux pearl earrings (new via Goodwill)
• faux pearl necklaces (via local charity shop)

Today's jewelry was totally inspired by Kendi Everyday. I already had the black dress and brown accessories set out to wear, but when I saw her post wearing the same thing, I knew I had to snag her idea to wear it with champagne colored pearls. Thanks for the inspiration, Kendi!

Lucky Style Attempt #1

BBM challenged her readers to join her as she follows Lucky's Month of Outfits. Usually I would have to go out and buy a bunch of new items if I wanted to participate, but when I looked at their April outfits, it looked like I had quite of a few things already in my closet that I could use. So I decided to try out a few of them here and there. I am not doing them on the days on the calendar, though. Mainly b/c I already missed a few that I want to try.

What I Wore That Lucky Says I Should Have Worn on April 1:

CopyCat on MLK Day

So this is the inspiration for my outfit. Although, can you really call it inspiration if you are actually just copying the look with items from your own wardrobe as opposed to coming up with something new based on the vibe of it? I think not, so I correct myself.

This is the outfit I am copying. I don't know where it is from, which is too bad b/c I can't give photo credit. I'm pretty sure it's from a cataloge, and I think I stole the pic from someone else's blog a few months ago. I do that sometimes - just snag a photo and stick it in my "you should try this look" folder. But generally, I like to give credit where credit is due, so if you recognize this, please let me know.

EDITED TO ADD: Kimberly let me know that it's from Ruche's Winter Lookbook. Click the photo to link to their site.

BTW, this is the same black dress from my Black Dress Challenge. And this outfit was insanely comfortable. Plus Rand really liked it, which always makes me feel even prettier.

Anyway, we had MLK day off, so Rand and I went to visit his fam and to take his mom out for a birthday lunch. It's always nice to see them. But I did get my butt kicked at Scrabble. Oh well. I wouldn't have minded, but Rand won. And he loves to win, which just makes it all the more annoying. haha

What I Wore While Getting Stuck With the Q:

• black T-shirt dress (Old Navy)
• camel cardi (Lane Bryant via Goodwill)
• black pashmina (via Ross)
• argyle socks (Target)
• brown suede boots (via swap)

What I Ate In a Small-Town Diner:

• breakfast: alternative bagel sandwich, navel orange
• lunch: french dip sandwich, chips, sugar-free cherry pie
• dinner: chicken and snowpeas chinese delivery

Why Would You Do That?!?!

Oh how I love this man. Lately he's been downloading my blog pics off my camera and emailing them to me in a zip file. Today this pic ---> was mixed in with them. I'm a dino freak and he knows just how to make me smile.

Rand's Daily Outfit Assessment: "Why would you do that? It's like wearing plaid and stripes. Why would you do that?!?!?! But I like that your belt buckle is a mobius strip." Yep, that's my nerdy fiance.

What I Wore That Freaked Rand Out:

• blue/cream dress (Target)
• purple/purple cardi (Target)
• blue/cream patent pumps ($9.99 Shoe Store)
• goldtone brooch, worn as a belt buckle (borrowed from Maria)
• gold earrings (hand-me-down from Mom)
• cloisonette key necklace (thrifted, Goodwill)

Edited to Add - Kasmira just left a comment and pointed out that she did almost the exact same thing in April. If it's good enough for Kasmira then we know it's certainly good enough for me. In fact, my guess is that her outfit has been tucked away in the back of my brain for months and what I thought was an original outfit that I came up with, was really just a copycat of Kasmira. Thanks for the inspiration, Kasmira! You rock!

What I Ate That Made My Mouth Burn:

• breakfast: cheesy egg, bagel, blueberries
• lunch: smoked salmon sandwich, carrot, red and green bell peppers, apple
• snack: cheese stick, Cliff Z bar, banana
• dinner: 4 buffalo chicken fingers, ranch dipping sauce, waffle fries, beer (Pluckers)
• dessert: several handfuls of chocolate chips

Exercise:

2 worktime walks for 1 mile.

Total for the Day: 8 glasses of water, 63.5 points, 1 mile of walking

CopyCat - Andrea

Just yesterday Andrea of A Cat of an Impossible Color posted an outfit that I threatened to copy and here it is already. It was just too wonderful to delay.

Rand's Daily Outfit Assessment: "I like the suspenders. I just want to grab them!" Then he made to grab them. I couldn't decide if it was because he thought they were sexy or if he wanted to snap them like a 13 year old boy snaps a 13 year old girl's bra. I didn't stick around to find out.

For dinner we had our first spinach harvest. This ------> isn't really spinach; it's a vine, but they call it spinach b/c it tastes like it. We stuck some in our salad. It was a little bitter, but delish.

What I Wore While Copying Andrea:

• blue wide-leg slacks (Gap)
• red plaid blouse (Rainbow)
• teal T (Old Navy)
• red suspenders (thrifted Goodwill)
• red suede wedges (Old Navy)
• teal earrings (??)
• scrabble tile necklace (Etsy, unknown vendor)

What I Ate From My First Harvest:

• breakfast: cheesy egg, bagel, apple
• lunch:smoked salmon sandwich, carrot, red and green bell peppers, banana
• snack: Cliff Z, Greek Gods nonfat yogurt, blueberries
• dinner: rosemary chicken, corn, side salad WITH SPINACH FROM GARDEN
• dessert: mini microwave cake with blueberries

Exercise:

3 worktime walks - 1.5 miles

Total for the Day: 27.5 points, 4 glasses water, 1.5 miles walking

Copycat - Hillary

I have a new internet love. I'm sure most of you already follow byHillary, but I just discovered her this week. And let me tell you, she so inspired me that I sat down and read her entire archives. And I have already bookmarked 4 of her outfits to try my take on. In fact, here is my first. Hillary wore jeans and some killer red shoes, but I was going to work so slacks were in order. Also, I've noticed that Hillary has a nice soft touch with kitsch, so I added my King of Dominoes necklace in her honor. I hope she approves.

What I Wore While Copying Hillary:

• pink gingham blouse (Gap)
• black slacks (Lane Bryant)
• grey vest (Lane Bryant)
• polka dot wedges (Target)
• pink stretch bracelets (? Target)
• domino necklace (Etsy, I'll look up the seller and post later)

At work we were told to go home for the rest of the week before we start a new case on Monday, so Rand and I are off to a B&B in a small historic town. So posts might be delayed a few days.

Copycat - bella

Rand's Daily Outfit Assessment: "I hate that skirt. I'm never going to like any outfit you wear if it has that skirt in it. But I'm glad that you don't really care when I tell you that. I'm glad you don't freak out and change."

What I Wore While Copying bella:

• green wrap sweater (Target)
• white tank (Sonoma)
• pink skirt (thrifted Goodwill)
• brown floral belt (Dots)
• brown boots (Cloudwalkers via Avenue)
• brown plastic bead necklace (via Ross)
• brown wooden earrings (Payless)
• brown bangle (Lane Bryant)

This outfit is inspired, no copied, from bella. I've been planning on copying this look from the moment I first saw it. She's got great style. I'm thinking that perhaps I should have worn some more summery shoes with it, and saved the boots for a fall revamp of the outfit. Oh well.

• breakfast: 1 c. Fiber One, 2 oz blueberries, 1 c. unsweetened vanilla Amond Breeze, tiny banana
• lunch: leftover quesadilla, 1 c. mexican squash, Blade energy drink
• snack: medium gala apple, Soy Joy
• dinner: 2 slices turkey bacon, 4 cresent rolls, 1/4 c mexican cheese, Nutty bar, strawberry shortcake roll, 3 frozen cookie blobs

Oh the horror!

Menswear & Pinups

I was inspired by something I remembered seeing on both Kimberly and Academichic's blogs. After I tracked down their posts, I see that I didn't really do exactly the same look, but I think the general vibe is the same. The best part - it gave me a reason to steal my favorite shirt of Rand's.

What I Wore From Rand's Side of the Closet:

• blue check men's shirt (Tommy Hilfiger)
• oatmeal A-line skirt (Target)
• silver/gold/cream woven belt (thrifted new, Goodwill)
• tan rafia mules (Bandolino)
• silvertone neecklace (via Macy's)
• silver/brass bracelet (vintage store in Austin)

In the past there was some discussion about what we all wear when we get home from work. Some people change into PJs or something else comfortable, and I used to be one of them. But Rand commented that he never got to see me in anything other than my comfy pants, so I started trying to look at little nicer at home without just staying in my work clothes. Several people asked what I've been wearing, so I've been trying to show pictures of those outfits too, when it's been something other than just throwing jeans on with a T-shirt.

Today I left Rand's shirt on and tied it at the waist. Then I added some black cargo capris (Lane Bryant) and some cute sandals.

I went over to Maria's for a bit and she told me I looked like a 50s pin up model. Now that's a compliment I will take!




What I Ate While Talking About Babies, Tweens, and Careers:

I met some friends for lunch today at Monica's for $5 lunch entrees. Yummy! I am proud to say that I ignored the chips and queso that was on the table, and opted for a vegetarian burrito for my meal. I skipped the rice.

For dinner, we ran to Subway since we still don't have a stove. I got the veggie delight sandwich and saved my chips for tomorrow.

Total for the Day: 1746 calories, 3 glasses of water (uhoh), no exercise