Monday, July 19, 2010

Polka dots and purple flowers...

Warning: Long, rather scatterbrained post below.  Readers are advised to read at their own discretion.  :)

Hello everyone!  How was everyone's weekend?  According to my dashboard activity of blogs this past Saturday and Sunday, it seems like everyone had a busy couple of days.  Not a lot of blogging activity...which I think is a great thing!  It means people are hanging out with friends and family...like I was.  My parents were over again this past weekend working on our deck.  One of the reasons why it's taking so long is because my dad wanted to avoid using the nail gun as much as possible.  Nail guns are great.  They're fast and you can literally lay down all the boards in a day for this sized deck.  But the gun is so strong that sometimes it splits the wood pieces.  To avoid this, him and Chris used hand drills and drilled in every screw by hand.  I'm not even sure how many that was in total...probably thousands!  But the finished product is stronger, looks better, and will last for ages to come.  Here's how it looks so far:

So, onto the subject of fashion.  Who did some damage at the Nordies sale this weekend?  I went there straight after work on Friday night and was told that the dressing room wait was an hour long.  AN HOUR!  I have never been to a Nordies sale on the first day, so I've never seen mayhem like this.  It was incredible to be around that though, I enjoyed the experience.  I ended up making a couple of shoe purchases. 

I've never owned a pair of Sofft shoes before but have always loved that they're so comfortable.  When I saw the purple suede version of this on sale, I knew I had to snatch it up.  What a great way to welcome fall in some nice purple suedes!  The sales person said there were only 6 of these in the purple left at that store.  I knew it was going fast so I snatched it up.


Many of you who's been following me since the beginning know of my wedding shoe woes.  First I got a pair of Stuart Weitzman's, then I returned them because they were not practical enough.  So I got a pair of Via Spiga's.  But the Via Spigas, although I loved them, ran a little big for me.  I was iffy about them but decided to keep them until I saw this pair!  It was on sale so I asked the salesperson if I could try it on.  And OMG, they were SOOO comfortable AND they're Stuart Weitzman as well.  So ladies, my final decision, these will be my wedding shoes.  It's also suede and I'll be able to wear them for work and going out.  It's totally versatile...definitely a great buy I thought.

OK...now I need some styling advice.  Leather and faux leather jackets are totally in this season, but I'm having a hard time deciding if it's truly me and how I would style it.  After trying on several, I liked this Guess one the best...but girls...how would you wear this?  With skinnies and boots?  Flats?  As outerwear?  I need help!


Lastly, my OOTD.  I was inspired by Cat here as one of her awesome work outfits on her 3rd day at her new job.  I thought she looked so sheek...and wanted to recreate it.  Thank you, Cat for the inspiration!


Top - Express (old...2005??)
Skirt - J. Crew polka dot silk pencil skirt
Shoes - Sofft pumps (Nordstroms)
On a related note, how do you girls battle the back zippered skirt in the bathroom?  I've never mastered it without first turning the skirt halfway around, hook it, zip it then turning it back.  This messes the shirt that's tucked in, which I will need to retuck.  AND...not to mention sometimes the undies get a little twisted as well.  Hehe...TMI?  :) 

Oh and please please please don't forget about Roxy's wonderful giveaway at Effortless Anthropologie here!  She's giving away a $250 gift card from Anthro...I mean come on!  WOW!

20 comments:

  1. Oooh, love those Sofft Shoes! Cute cute cute! I personally like leather jackets with super girly elements, just because I'm not a tough leather jacket type of girl - like, a leather jacket over a ruffle top and a flowy skirt would be cute...or a pencil skirt...or a dress! But jeans and boots are a classic look, too!

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  2. yeah sofft pumps are ultra comfy! I love those pumps in the purple! I got 2 pairs of the calvin klein "scarlet" pumps, and they are SO comfy and cuuute too.

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  3. The red shoes are beautiful and lovely for a wedding :). If you're concern about blisters, I suggest you get a foot care stick from Walgreen. It comes in a blue plastic packaging in their foot care section. I just glided the stick all over my feet on the day of my wedding, and my feet stayed happy all day long.

    I would definitely pair a leather jacket with skinnies and boots. How about a floral dress and boots? :)

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  4. Ashley - That's a great idea...something hard like a leather jacket, mixed in with something feminine. I guess that means the Guess one won't work because it's got a lot of pockets and other stuff going on. There was a Carlson one I saw which might work with the outfits you're describing. I'll need to seriously think about it now. :) Thank you!

    Sammie - Oh yes! I saw those pumps too and wanted to try those on..but I just couldn't spend any more. I was out on the hunt for some brown boots but to no avail. They just don't fit me over my thunder calves. Sigh.

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  5. PetiteGorgeous - That's a great tip! I think I've seen those around and will be getting one of those. Oooh floral dress with boots would be great. Problem is, I don't have a floral dress! Haha. But I can totally see that being so cute.

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  6. Really cute shoes!! I've been wanting to get some Sofft shoes too because they seem so comfortable. Can you let us know how they feel after wearing them all day?

    As for the leather jacket, I like the idea of wearing them with skinnies and boots. It would be fun to see how it looks with some different skirts too.

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  7. I can't help you with the leather jacket issue - I feel the same way: too cute but is it really me? I was eyeing the Caslon faux leather jacket at the Nordstrom sale and then I chickened out.

    And love your shoe purchases (one slightly more than the other for reasons which will become clear tomorrow morning!) :)

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  8. Debbie - Will definitely let you know. It'd midday now and so far so good! I love that it's cushy and that the heel is a little thicker for more stability.

    Katheleen - WOO! I can't wait to see what you bought. I have an idea so lets see if I'm right! :)

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  9. love love love the leather jacket :)

    AND your blog.

    mp
    http://www.thepinkandblueblog.com/

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  10. Sofft is awesome - once you go Sofft, you'll never go back!

    I like the leather jacket on you too! I've always wanted one but I don't think I'm cool enough to pull off the look. I think it would look great paired with a fluffy skirt or dress, to "feminize" the tough leather a bit.

    I went crazy already this weekend and bought three pairs of shoes(two winter boots!) and then some super-sale stuff from LE Canvas, so I am self-banning myself from the Nordie sale.

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  11. you mean you pull your skirt down??? hmm interesting concept... I just pull everything up, that way my shirt stays tucked in very tidy-like.
    I'm drooling over your deck.. I'm so jealous it's not even normal. I would trade every pair of shoes in my closet to drink coffee on that deck every morning!

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  12. What a great score on the shoes! I'd love to find a pair of Sofft shoes on sale. Yay for you!

    Your polka dot skirt is fabulous also, very chic and professional and it fits you really well.

    As for the leather jacket - I'd wear it with everything! Everything you used as examples plus everything you didn't! I really think it's something that's very versatile.

    And lastly...skirts in the restroom...okay yeah, so I just pull everything up when I wear a skirt.

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  13. Ms. Pink - Thanks and welcome!

    Lisa - That's what I'm afraid of, that I won't be cool enough to pull off the leather jacket. I'll have to think about it more and try more things on with it. It's hard for me to imagine what I'd wear with anything. I always have to try things on.

    Spiffy and Melissa - HAHA...I do hike up my looser skirts but with pencil skirts, since they hug the hips, pulling them down means I'll pull my undies right back down! :) So it's an endless mess in that little stall.

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  14. Cute outfit, Cindi! I actually wore polka dots to work today, too. Great minds think alike, I guess!

    Hm...the leather jacket question is a good one. I have a little biker jacket that I like to wear with jeans and flats. It's also pretty cute with knee-length pants (your work shorts, perhaps!) and heels : )

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  15. I have a pair of sofft shoes and they are total comfort. I'm impressed with how these comfort shoe makers are starting to step it up with stylish looks.

    want to know what i do with those skirt, pull it up. Not with linen, but with cotton type skirts. tmi?!

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  16. Jamie - I hope you post your pictures of what you wore today so I can see how cute you look!

    Pamela - HAHA so funny. I do usually pull up...there are some that's hard to pull like the acting out skirt. It's so fitted around the thighs that it takes forever to pull down. :)

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  17. Hi Cindi! Thanks for your sweet comment! Wow! What a great deck that is turning out to be. Neither my dad nor my hubby are handy like that. They'd both just "hire someone". Love the leather jacket - I like them with skinnies and flat tall boots. But guh - summer feels like it JUST started so I haven't been tempted at Nordies at all.

    xx Vivian @ http://diamondsandtulle.blogspot.com

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  18. oh how i would love those shoes!

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  19. Great find with those shoes Cindi, they look so beautiful and perfect for your special day!! I love the OOTD, especially the skirt! It's such a cute and fun print. If I ever find it in my size, it will be mine!
    As for the leather jacket- it can go with so much! Over a flowy dress, short, with little booties for the fall. Or with skinnies and a long, flowy tunic, or long tee, with flats, or with boots for the late fall/winter.

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  20. Oooh, I was totally eyeing those Sofft shoes at Nordstroms last weekend! I have one pair of Sofft shoes and they are sooo comfy and pretty :) And I think you totally picked the best wedding shoes!

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