mrs. simpson if you're nasty

EVERYTHING i wore on sunday was from target. excepting shoes, including belt and earrings. should i be proud or ashamed? i know, proud. who doesn't love target and who doesn't love saving money on trendy items with a short shelf life? but, i don't want to be only wearing short term items, so i am banning myself from target clothing for myself until january 2011. boom. i'm trying to replace "holla" ever since gretchen on project runway said it. and no, i haven't watched the finale yet so no comments about mondo taking home the crown(that's my wish). so "boom" it is for the time being.

i was pretty excited about wearing all this together, except i felt like a pre-k teacher because i was wearing flats to church. and that is just an unnatural feeling for me. like toothpaste and orange juice. and raisins in cookies. or nuts in fudge.


an outtake closey of the stripes. i think the stripes are what make it happen. they just don't show up very well.

i don't do sultry faces very well. they look more like stinky diaper faces. plus, i was in a questionable mood. and i'm no adriana lima.

but i wouldn't be surprised if she was thinking about something smelly with some of her intense looks.

don't sweat the technique

i injured my heel last week. i had a rock embedded in my heel and then i ran 11 miles on it. not the best idea i have ever had. i couldn't wear any shoes but sneaks for a few days. quelle horreur! but, i remember a while back when elaine from clothed much wore sweatpants in public and looked so chic!

so i tried i out for myself and i must admit that it didn't look half bad.

scarf- tj maxx
white t- hanes
long boyfriend cardigan- kohls
cropped sweatpants- target
sparkle converse- target

but i can't do sneaks everyday, so i experimented with flat boots and thick socks: long sleeve t shirt- gap
print pleated skirt- target
knee high socks- somewhere not important enough to remember
flat boots- candies at kohl's

and once it got a little better, tights and ballet flats were in order:

purple tunic- lauren conrad for kohl's
print skirt- jcrew
black flats- giani bini at tj maxx

and reviewing my last few posts, it's a more than a little obvious that i have a target, kohl's and tj maxx within 1 mile of my house. so, i need to ban myself from going into those places indefinitely. the end.

music for me and you and your kids

awhile back i asked for suggestions on some good running music to help me through my current training regimen. and now i have a song for you. i love anthemic songs to get me motivated or pull me out of a rut on a long run. hopefully this song will motivate you too. i am pretty much in love with 30 seconds to mars now. and who doesn't love jordan catalano? i hope that confession doesn't age me too much. i happened upon this tunage on mindi's blog. and i haven't looked back.

and, if you haven't noticed, most halloween music is pretty tired. musty, kind of like how all those haunted houses and hay rides smell. but here is something new and fresh and interesting that doesn't sound a thing like "monster mash" that you and your kids will enjoy:

because who doesn't like a little person dancing around in a track suit to halloween music?

the full song can be found here.

and since i hate cancer just as much(probably more) than the next guy, here is something good going on in the world: count crow and the children's hospital foundation. so if you purchase count crow's album on amazon or itunes in the month of october, 10% of the proceeds go to help children. so, go ahead and buy two.

sounds like a herd of buffaloes

i didn't feel like sneaking up on anybody this week so i wore corduroy pants as much as possible. corduroy pants are great because even if you eat really healthy and exercise a ton, you still feel like a herd of water buffaloes because you are so loud when you walk. and because i love to hear my husband call me huck finn, all week i cuffed my hem.

also, monday i also ran out of all my make-up and hair products. all of them. at the same time. so excuse my face. i don't mean to offend.
white t- target
gray vest- miley cyrus max azria for wal*mart
woven belt- fossil
goldenrod corduroy pants- gap
stacked heel gladiator sandals- kristin davis via tj maxx


i had to lighten this picture significantly. my run that morning was all in the sun and my skin got dark real quick. indian summer tan.

striped cardigan- express
t shirt- gap
belt- gap
corduroy pants- american eagle
woven flats- taken from my mother's closet and never returned
faux gucci purse- on the street in nyc(when i thought i could bargain)

gray shrug- kohl's
embroidered blouse- calvin klein a la dillards
black corduroy pants- american eagle
stacked heel gladiator sandals- kristin davis via tj maxx

and i had to buy this ring this week. had to because i was shopping with scarlett and she saw this hoot owl ring and she wanted me to try it on. and it got stuck. for quite a while. it required lotion to remove. needless to say, i had to purchase the ring. good thing scarlett has a thing for hoot owls.


and today:
my lesson i taught at church today was on optimism. and i was in a foul mood. funny how that always works out.

blue gingham button up- banana republic outlet

deep V sweater- gap

pencil skirt- jcrew

same old shoes as always- kristin davis via tj maxx

an early christmas campaign

i stumbled across these boots on urban outfitters. and they are PERFECT! it's as if i were melted and remade into a booty. (because i don't have a booty and that's what makes it so funny.) and they are a mere $78. so, really this post is for my husband(who doesn't even read this blog). he always says i am impossible to shop for. well, watch your feet because the hint just dropped.

click here for perfection: perfect

the heidi show

my kids crack me up. this is how our backyard has looked for pretty much the whole weekend. the soccer goal didn't even see that jeep coming for it.

white tie neck blouse- express
tortoise shell belt- new york and company
skirt-jcrew
enzo angiolini wedge heels- dillards

i spoke in church on sunday and i also taught the lesson in young women's. it was pretty much the heidi show. you know i sort of loved that. my lesson for the laurels was on self-mastery. so, in the spirit of living what i preach, i am giving up facebook for a week(possibly forever) and replacing that habit with crunches every time i feel the urge to sign on. facebook is pretty much the biggest drain ever and my abs could use the extra help, so i feel like this is a good trade off. i challenged my girls to do the same.
because it was the heidi show, i was having a "lucy! where's my white collarless shirt from fred segal? it's my most responsible looking outfit" kind of moment on sunday morning. (everything i learned about 90's fashion i learned from clueless.) thanks to this outfit and plenty of preparation, the heidi show went off without a hitch.

solidarity sisters!

"halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it." cady-mean girls

the month of october and halloween are pretty much my favorite time of year. i like spooky. i like purple and black. i really like dressing up in a costume. and it's extra special when there is an event/holiday associated with costume wearing. but what bugs me to no end are those people that choose to desecrate such a "spiritual" holiday with what i like to call sluttony. sluttony is when women choose to be dressed down, as in underdressed, on a holiday dedicated to dressing up and being overdressed.

if you google "halloween costumes female", the first 3(appropriate for this blog) pictures that pop up are as follows,

kim kardashian as wonder woman:

a pirate costume, not a wench costume:

a "wizard":

all three pictures are clearly showing a love for costumes and imagination and have nothing to do with flaunting body parts(insert heavy sarcasm here). i think that if hermione granger had worn that third costume as her school uniform at hogwarts, there certainly would have been a different theme to the entire harry potter series. it would be more like harry potter and the chamber of dirty secrets.

so i say, solidarity sisters! we need to quash this uninspired and degrading trend! halloween is about creativity and gluttony. be beautiful, be ridiculous, be daring, but leave the unnecessary cleavage at home. make halloween family friendly again.

who's the boss?

when i wear this jacket i feel like samantha micelli.

the resemblance is uncanny:

jacket-mossimo for target

t shirt- target

silk scarf- my grandmother picked it up in japan in the 1970s

jeans- forever skinny from gap

red flats- byu bookstore

"eh oh, oh eh"

and to continue the 80's theme of the outfit, i just recently bought these forever skinny jeans from the gap. and i am pretty much thrilled with them. sometimes gap jeans are avoided because of their tendency to stretch out at least a full size. i haven't had that experience with these jeans and i have worn them almost constantly since purchase without washing. i bought my regular size. they are snug enough to keep their shape, but loose enough that i don't feel like my thighs are encased in sausage skins. actually, the only area of the jeans that really feels supremely snug is my calves. and i have huge, muscular calves so it wasn't too suprising. i think the BEST part of these jeans are the midrise waist. (marilee, this is for you!) everything is covered, there is no gapping for me and the pockets are still perfectly placed on my backyard so that i don't look like someone's grandma from behind. and they tuck perfectly into boots. i may need to go back and get the dark rinse. two thumbs way up gap!

funny shot of the day:

we are all skinny jeans fans here.

the weather is so delightful

i like modesty. i like what it represents; a person who is comfortable with themselves that they don't have to show everything. it's the way i choose to dress because of my religious beliefs. growing up and even now, it hasn't always my favorite thing because it is a more difficult way of dressing and trying to be fashionable. and being modest means that during the summertime, i am hot because i am more covered. but the benefits far outweigh the difficulties of modesty. knowing i am doing the best thing for me is the most rewarding part. trying to find shirts, skirts and shorts that are long enough, or shirts and blouses with sleeves and aren't too low cut has become my personal goal in life. i refuse to dress like a pioneer. modesty doesn't mean frumpy. modesty is anything you want it to be. embracing modesty means you can be fashionable, accessible and youthful.


due to alabama's crushingly delightful win over florida, i had to show my loyalty today while i was watching general conference.

blue collared shirt- jc penney?
NATIONAL CHAMPION long sleeve burn out t shirt- sports store in tuscaloosa, alabama!
animal print skirt- target
crimson tide heels that i just can't get enough of- tj maxx


*note to self- air dried hair is not as fun and carefree as i thought. more like gross and fuzzy. and this is the most awkward picture on earth.
animal print cardigan- old navy
pleated ruffle neck blouse- tj maxx
black skinny pants- tj maxx
red flats- byu bookstore


and i was totally jumping the gun on the boots and sweatshirt. but until about 1pm on monday i was nice and toasty. and after 1 pm i was overdressed and sweaty.

plaid woven button-up shirt- tj maxx
hooded kangroo pocket sweatshirt-target
black skinny pants- tj maxx
steve madden black leather equestrian boots- ebay

but i guess my most important reason for recording my modest outfits and trying to promote modesty in any way that i can is because i've got a little girl mimicking me all day long. and i want her to mimic me for good. and i love her to bits and i want to be a better woman because of her. and if i ever see an exposed thong on her, i will slap her silly and lock her in her room until age 40.