Conversations with a Conservative

I'm not sure these will be inspiring to anyone, but I have some outfit pictures from the last few weeks on my phone so I decided to dump them here.  Aren't the phone photos in my work bathroom super inspiring?! Casual Friday a few weeks ago, breakdown: Striped Boy Tee, Lands' End Canvas, $2 Bootcut Jeans, Gap, $20 Leather Belt, American Eagle Outfitters, $10 (?) Leather & Canvas Heels, Lands' End Canvas, $30 Necklace, Target, $3 Outfit breakdown: Red/White Striped shirt, Lands' End Canvas, $12 Ponte Pants, Lands' End, $14 Leopard Calfhair flats, BP via ebay, $30 Faux gold chain necklace, JCPenney, $12 One of my favorite recent outfits, I had a downtown meeting so I wanted to get gussied for downtown Dallas Outfit breakdown: Cardigan, New York and Co, $18 Silk and lace tank, J. Crew via ebay, $13 Black crepe pants, Talbots, $30 Black leather booties, JCPenney, $24 Necklace, Coldwater Creek, $7 (?, can't remember for sure) Another Rangers work outfit ...

I read something a while back that sort of spurred me into thinking I needed to do this whole retail detox thing.  I'm just going to get it out there - it has been way hard for me and I'm super embarrassed and disappointed by that.  I did well for the first two weeks, and then I got into this buying and returning things habit because I felt bad after buying it.  I told myself that I could still buy things, but only with extra money I earned from ebay.  That worked for a while too, but then I caved to the Lands' End Canvas sale last weekend.  I bought three tees, a skirt, and a cardigan.  I think that all but maybe one tee will be going back and hopefully I can stop this extra shopping.  Okay, back to the "thing" I read... It was an article in Real Simple magazine targeted at helping you never buy the wrong thing again.  It has great tips in it, and the wardrobe checklist it includes really brought it all back home to me.  I started going ...

I'll be honest - I have been avoiding the blog.  I have a shopping problem, and I didn't want to share that I have fallen down a bit in this retail detox thing.  I'll save the real post for tomorrow, but this is the start of week 6 and it has been a little up and down for me.  I'm so proud of the other ladies that have held strong though!  I was doing well to at least only buy things on ebay that I had money for because I had sold things on ebay.  It was at least a step in the right direction for me because I apparently can't quit cold turkey.  However, yesterday night while watching the Rangers win (woohoo!) I caved to the Lands' End Canvas sale.  Maybe none of it will fit so it will be easy to return!  Then I really need to buckle down - I blame it on my husband.  He had a birthday yesterday and I shopped for him and got back into the online shopping world too soon! Anyway, I'll do my official update tomorrow, but I decided to start ...

So I took a little break this week from blogging much just because it has been CRAZY!  We actually went out of town last Thursday night and got back in late Monday night.  I have been playing catch up ever since, and so the blog is usually the first to go.  Anyway, we took a long weekend trip to Richmond and then up to D.C.  It was awesome (although chilly), and I will post pictures this weekend I hope. In the meantime, this is my update on the Detox challenge.  Last week (before Monday) was a pretty good week for me.  I actually returned something I bought with my "already used money" so I still have that on the table.  I also even returned the sweater dress I bought the week before.  I had pined over it for a while, but after trying it on, it wasn't love and wasn't worth the break in the Detox.  I'll already confess that I used my "already used before detox" money this week, but it was after Monday so I'll wait to update on that for next ...

Well, it is time for an update.  So far, I have done pretty well.  I will confess my purchases and then share my outfit for the day, but first a few of my random thoughts.  I know this is going to be hard for me, especially as Christmas sales start hitting my inbox, but I'm determined to have a healthy relationship with shopping once again, and this is my first baby step (not really the whole stretch, just starting it!) I like what Misty said on the weekly link-up post today (go here to read and see other "stretchers").   She talked about the freedom in not feeling like she needs to keep up with a trend or run out and try to find something she saw online - I wanted to yell, "Amen, sista!"  That has been the biggest thing I have noticed this last week for me.  I think my head was even trying to will myself to want things, but I just couldn't find that much that I wanted.  Mostly, I think I am over the current offerings in sto...

So you may remember that I started WeightWatchers a few months ago, and I have continued following my plan.  This summer has been a struggle for me, but I sit at 136 lbs right now.  My goal from the beginning was 132 so I’m going to see if I can get down to that now.  Even if I never do, I feel great and I’m enjoying seeing my body change and become more tone.  I have been working out almost every morning, and I plan to continue on that for the rest of my life if possible.  I feel like I’m finally making a lifestyle change. Well, my mom started WeightWatchers a bit after me, and than my oldest sister followed.  My other sis hasn’t actually officially signed up yet, but over Labor Day weekend we decided that we were doing this together.  They need motivators and I needed extra motivation so helping them helps me.  Since I have been doing it longest, I’m motivating my sisters to workout and eat better (and more just helping my mom be accountable a...

Photo from here . This may not be of interest to many of my readers, but I am just getting sort of frustrated and tired of all the conference changes.  I thought sports were supposed to be about fun and competition, and who doesn't love a good rivalry.  Instead, it has become about the money.  Isn't that what always happens? I'm also sad, because it seems that yet again, my lovely home state of Kansas is going to be kicked to the curb as always.  I know Kansas isn't as exciting as NYC, and no, we don't have any beaches, but I LOVE Kansas.  Unfortunately I don't get to live there anymore, but I will always be a Kansan, and I have tons of pride for my state.  It is full of hard working people, and maybe we just prefer a simpler, quieter pace of life.  I miss that living in a big city.  Plus, with the Internet and UPS, I have determined that I could shop anywhere, even in fashion lacking Kansas (we used to get stores later than other places). I ...