Conversations with a Conservative

Today's fashion challenge is bright colors.  I LOVE bright colors, especially in winter.  My husband says my coworkers (most over the age of 50 and male) probably think I'm crazy by what I wear, but I have to be honest, I really don't care what they think :)  I don't generally get fashion cues from 50 year old males! I actually have a treat for you today, a casual outfit!  It worked out that I sort of thought ahead this weekend and decided to don a new orange buffalo plaid type shirt.  I actually loved this simple outfit and the bright color. Outfit breakdown: Top, Lands End Canvas, $15 Jeans, Lands End Canvas, $11 Leather Purse, The Sak, $60 Leather Boots, Sonoma, gift (at least 6 years ago) Watch, Michele, gift Necklace, Coldwater Creek, seen before Checkout other bright gals here at Kayla's blog!

So I my weekend ended up being awesome solely because my parents came to visit for my birthday.  I love my parents and always look forward to their visits.  I am always sad when they leave, but it is worth it to have them around for a couple of days.  My mom took me shopping for my birthday (definitely still on a budget, where do you think I get it from?), but I got some fun things for spring and summer that will eventually be shown on here. Anyway, I kind of forgot to think much about an outfit for the challenge today: decade or region.  I was going to do 1950s and wear a full skirt with a cute cardi, but then I realized I am having a hard time finding a cardi/top to go with said skirt.  I may have to enlist all of your help for ideas.  Anyhow, I spied this top in my closet and I always think it looks Victorian and romantic so then I decided to throw on my heeled oxfords because they remind me a little of the boots they wore back then.  I also thoug...

I felt so tired and gross on Friday that I didn't even have the energy to post my challenge outfit.  I went to work and all, but my brainpower was spent trying to breathe and make it through the day.  I am feeling better today, but I thought my face my explode last week.  Anyhow, I tried to combine my "inspired" and "pattern mixing" outfits together.  My inspiration was classic Audrey.  I was planning to channel Lucille Ball because I love her and had an outfit all picked out, but I just couldn't bring my sick, tired self to go through the effort of putting on tights.  I really had no energy.  Also, my print mixing is pretty tame because I have realized a couple of things:  not only am I not great at it, most of my prints are summer appropriate clothing or just non-existent.  Perhaps if I add anything to my wardrobe over the next few months, it should be prints.  In case you missed the "pattern mixing," my shoes are leopard and the shirt...

Yep, today is the day.  I turned 27 at 6:15 this morning (at least I think that was what time I was born). I realized this morning when I woke up on the couch because yes, I have a cold AGAIN, that this is the second birthday in a row I am sick.  Last year it was a migraine, and that was the start of my migraine treatment.  The good news: I only get migraines one week a month now versus everyday.  Want to guess what time of the month it is?  Yep, during Aunt Flo's visit, and I get to enjoy that right now as well!  I'm such a lucky girl. Actually, I am.  I have a husband who loves me (although he could be a little more sympathetic to sickness, he just thinks everyone should suck it up and deal with it).  I love my family so much (all of them, I am blessed with awesome in-laws too).  I have a great job, and I'm making more and more friendships as the days go by.  I guess this pesky cold is just the least of my problems, but I still ...

Do y'all remember that song?  If I was really cool I would import the music video for you, but alas, I am too lazy today.  I keep getting better and then trying to get sick again.  I think all of this crazy weather down south has been playing with my health. Anyway, I digress. The whole two simultaneous fashion challenges lasted 1 day, haha!   Oh well.   I opted to just go with the 10 day challenge over at Kayla’s blog today.   This challenge was monochromatic.   I have no idea why, but I really wanted to wear my navy ankle pants and navy ballet flats (since the weather was still somewhat mild today) so that pretty much set up blue as my color scheme.   As I was walking out the door I really wanted to add a blue sweater over top, but I was too lazy to go back and add one.   No biggie – I still like this outfit. Outfit breakdown: Checked top, Gap, $4 Long sleeve navy tee, Lands' End, $3 (I needed this to keep warm) Navy pants, Gap, $12 Navy...

What is better than one fashion challenge? Why that answer is two! Yep, I am going to attempt to participate in two blog fashion challenges simultaneously as the prompts allow. On the days they don’t coincide…well we’ll just cross that bridge when we get there. So I think all of us bloggers out there who have an interest in fashion (I’m no “fashion blogger” but it is just what entertains me these days) can probably all agree that some days the outfits are just duds. That happened to me today. I even thought this outfit out, but I don’t love it. However, I didn’t have time to think anymore and work for a local government so I knew no one would care what I looked like. Honestly, I sort of want to wear a prom dress one day just to see if anyone says anything. Ok, they might notice that. I used to save my “good” outfits for the weekend and pretty much just put on a pair of dress pants and a passable shirt to go to work each day because I knew no one would appreciate my effort of assemb...

Today I tried to come up with a fairly thrifty outfit - it isn't super exciting, but I still think it looks cute and it got me back into tucking in my shirt and sporting a belt so that is fun I guess.  How much did you spend on your outfit today? (Sorry for the slightly blurry picture) Outfit breakdown: Top, Lands' End Canvas: $6 Skirt, The Limited, Thrifted: $4 Boots, Sonoma, Kohls: Gift Belt, Coldwater Creek: $10 Don't forget to link up if you joined in the challenge, and check out all of the other trendy budget friendly duds by clicking the button below! "

I love fashion challenges.  It helps me get outside my clothing comfort zone, forces me to pair things up in a new way, and in a weird way takes the thinking out of what I'm going to wear.  Granted, I have to think about the challenge, but I do much better with a task when I enter my closet versus just pick out something great on my own (I'm not sure that happens often) .  Anyway, I just heard about this challenge yesterday from the lovely Misty - I love her blog ! (check it out)  As soon as I clicked over to Kayla's blog  (a new favorite blog now), I knew I had to jump into this challenge.  She is taking us through the ABC's of fashion, and today is the letter "C" - celebrity inspired.  I started to panic because I read this late at night and didn't have a stash of "celebrity" inspiration, just random web pics for inspiration, but then I thought of my girl Reese.  I love Reese's style (don't you love how we are on a first name basis?), ...

When you have three different boxes of Kleenex on your desk. One is "anti-viral," one is with lotion, and one is "cool-touch" that is supposed to make your nose feel better. I'm trying to decide which makes my extremely red and sore nose hurt the least at this point. I'll let you know what I decide! Hope everyone has a healthy weekend :

Wow - I can't believe it is already January 12!  I apologize for being MIA since the first of the year.  Basically, I have been away from home the last three weekends and various days in between, and I thought it would be fun to get sick last Tuesday and stay sick until who knows when!!!  Can you tell I'm over being sick?  Hopefully I'm on the downward slope of this thing. So the list: I went to the doc when I got sick (I never go) and now I remember why.  My regular doc was busy and I wanted to get in ASAP to make sure I didn't have strep throat before going out of town.  Well, I went in for a strep test and left having that done, plus an EKG and a blood test for mono and a few other things.  All came back normal or negative (for strep and mono).  Other than the strep test, I could have told you that. Hope that bill isn't too high or I will be kind of mad I haven't had a desire to shop much lately, which is great because I need nothing. ...