Cleaning out the closet

Today I received my latest order from Martin & Osa. As I was hanging up my new treasures, I realized that my closet will not hold any more clothes. One more clothes hanger will literally not fit on the closet's hanging bar. "Oh well," I though to myself, "I'll just use my second closet." I went to that closet, opened the door and had a pile of little-used clothing fall on me. This closet was also full. "This is bad," I thought, "very bad."

Faced with the choice of giving up shopping or cleaning out my closet, I went with the big clean. Here are the results:
I am the type of person who does not like to throw out clothes. I think it stems back to my childhood where I didn't have a lot of new-to-me clothing. Most of my outfits were hand-me-downs or from second hand stores. I rarely had anything "brand name" as my mom called it. For me growing up, Gap was a fancy brand name. Now that I'm all grown up and have the means to buy "brand name" clothes, I never want to get rid of them once I get them. Even if they are 4 sizes too large.

Last year I went on a hard core pre-wedding diet. It all started when I ordered my dream wedding dress off of Ebay for a fraction of its retail price. I ordered it in a size 12, my normal size. Little did I know that wedding dress sizes run drastically different than normal sizes. My dream dress was actually a size 6. I was determined to wear this dress and had always regretted the extra pounds I had put on since university. I had the perfect motivation to lose weight and I did it. I followed Tosca Reno's eat clean diet to a tee and lost 25 pounds in 6 months. The dress fit!

The point of that long rambling story is that I could not bear to throw out my old clothes even when I lost all that weight. I told myself that they might be good when I get "knocked up" as I affectionaly call it. Tonight as I dug through my second closet and stumbled upon a pile of "fat" clothes, I decided I was never going to wear them again. When babymaking time comes, knowing my love of shopping, I know I will want some cute maternity clothing. All the big clothes are in the bag and hitting the Salvation Army tomorrow.

Now I have room in my closet for more clothing. That was a close call; I thought I might have to actually have to give up shopping for awhile. On a related note, Martin & Osa is having an extra 30% off sale. This dress is calling my name. Now I have a place to put it.

Bubble time with F21

My order from Forever 21 arrived today (I love overnight shipping). Since I downed 4 vodka and cranberry drinks when I came home, I convinced DH to drive across town to pick them up from Purolator. Looking at my items, I notice that I am obviously in love with the whole bubble necklace trend. Here is what i got:

After seeing Gigi's posts on this necklace, I had to have it. I'm glad I ordered it when I did because it is no longer available on F21's site. I absolutely love it and it was such a steal at $7.80.
I love this blue necklace. It is nice and full with lots of beads. The best part; it doesn't look like I spent only $12.80 on it. It also unexpectantly matches my Desiree Bead Bracelet in this order. I didn't get a picture of that yet. DH took a picture of the bracelet, but it shows off my hairy man arms, so I'm not going to post it.

Pearl Cluster Necklace in light pink and black. I bought two of these necklaces. At $6.80, why not. I like them, I just wish there were more beads on the necklace.
This picture really shows off my yucky tan lines (reminders of Mexico).

I was also smart to dump this little number in my cart. At $1.50, this Grosgrain Bow Headband is super cute and surprisingly comfortable. I wish I had ordered it in more colors.
My order also included a sleeveless Zebra tank ($12.80), gray maxi dress ($13.80), and a little black skirt ($7.80). I didn't get any pictures and they are no longer on F21's site. The tank is sheer, but cute. The maxi is super comfortable but I'm a tad nipply in it. The skirt is pretty skanky. DH liked it but I don't think I could wear it outside the house. It is TIGHT!

Wearing today

It's a beautiful, freakishly warm day here in Atlantic Canada. My car's thermometer read at 30 C when I came out of school at 4. I wish it would stay like this. I took advantage of the warm weather and did the bare-legged thing today.

I wore:
Martin & Osa silk skirt
Martin & Osa ruffle tank in navy
J Crew Merino Lea Cardigan in snow white (I had to keep this on while teaching even though I was sweat girl. I felt too exposed without it. I teach 14 year boys; sometimes the hormones are raging)
Naturalizer burgundy ballet flaps
Navy bangle that I bought at Lawtons Drug store

Untitled by KDot featuring J Crew tank tops

I'm not sure what is up with the images on polyvore. It seems that any set I make looks messed up like this one. Any solutions? I'm off to have some drinks outside. Cranberry juice, soda water, and vodka = yumminess!

Weekend recap - Banana Republic

I had a great weekend . My brother and I went home for a couple of days to celebrate our father's birthday. My brother lives down the street from me but our parents live 160 km away. On Saturday my father was working, so Mom, my brother and I hit the malls. Here is what I got!

My first stop was Banana Republic. I was excited because it was the first time I had ever been in a real BA. We always go to the outlet in Maine. I was armed with my extra 30% off coupon and prepared to spend some of my husband's money (teehee, he is so going to regret giving me his credit card). Even with the 30% off, a non-outlet BA is a little too rich for my blood. I headed straight to the sale section and loaded my arms up. Perhaps because I went straight to the sales, I was virtually ignored by the salespeople. And there were lots of them and it wasn't busy. Grrrrr! To top it off, the cashier gave me the third degree about how I got the extra 30% off coupon. I did manage to get a few lovely things.

I wore this blouse today and absolutely love it. I like how the sleeves are like little tulips, very pretty. Here it is with the Forever 21 Pearl Cluster nacklace. I felt ladylike today.

I also found a long, cozy cardigan that reminded me of J Crew's Library Shawl Cardigan. I purchased it in a soft gray color. I found a sweater of the same color for my DH. .

I tried on about 10 pairs of pants, but as usual, I could not find one pair that looked right. I have chunky thighs and a little waist. It's a hard combination to fit. I did find this little bracelet. I seem to be on a bracelet kick lately. I love that it looks like a bangle, but is actually a hinged bracelet. I sometimes get panicky while sliding on a bangle and think, "what if this doesn't come off!"
I'll have more on my adventures in the other stores later. I found some great things at Sears, of all places.

Weekend Wear

Because I'm an organization freak, I'm already planning out my weekend's outfits.

I'm heading to my parent's home. It's suppose to be a beautiful, warm weekend. I can't wait to sit in my parents' peaceful backyard and relax.

Here is what I'm packing.

Weekend wear by KDot featuring Hollister Co. jeans

My new jean capris from Costco and my new Old Navy graphic tee. I was inspired by so many bloggers' posts about ON's tees that I had to go get a few.

I plan on giving my red wedges another try. I wore them out last weekend to do a few errands. No one looked at me in shock and horror, so I think I will try them again.

Burberry and red shoes by KDot featuring J Crew t-shirts

I also need to start using my Burberry more often. I think DH is getting insulted that I don't use it enough. I can't take it to work for many reasons. I teach in an inner city school that has a lot of poverty and theft. I would feel guilty about parading an expensive purse in there when there are so many students whose families struggle with obtaining small neccessities. Even though I put my belongings in a locker, I still worry that it would get stolen. So I must use my Burberry this weekend. I need to show it off to my mother too!

Going sockless rocks

I rocked the sandals for the second day in a row. Woot, woot, I love going sockless.

Today I wore:
Martin & Osa pants (these get wrinkled very easily)
Silk blouse from Revolve (I cut the tag off of it and actually wear it backwards)
Karen Scott black patent sandals
Joe Fresh red patent belt
Joe fresh gold link bracelet
My wedding diamond necklace
Joe Fresh fireball inspired earrings.

I'm loving the Joe Fresh accessories.

I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday; it has been a long week. I'm heading off tomorrow to visit my parents for the weekend. My mother and I are planning to do lots of shopping on Saturday. I will be sure to post all my treasures on Sunday. I can't wait to hit Banana Republic (yay, 30% off sale).

Waiting for the weekend

I had a tiring day so my work clothes didn't last until my DH came home. As soon as I got home, I was in my Juicy pants and in bed. So there is no in real life picture today.

Here is a close replica of what I wore today:

Untitled by KDot featuring Forever21 necklaces

Reitman's Pinstrip pants
J Crew Merino Lea Cardigan in Melon
Unlisted brown tank
Nude wedge sandals
Beaded necklace I found in Montreal a few years ago
Matching bracelet I found in Mexico last year

I tried sandals today for the first time. I think it is finally warm enough to ditch the socks. I'm not convinced about the bare legs yet; I think I'll give it a few more weeks.

When will it be time to pack away the tights and bring out the sandals?

Today I wore:
Martin and Osa dress
J Crew Merino Lea cardigan
Chaps wedges
Diamond pendant necklace (wedding gift from DH)
Not pictured is the thick nude colored pantyhose I wear with most of my skirts. Those get stripped off as I soon as I get home.

I love this dress because it has pockets. Dresses and skirts with pockets are the best!

I can't wait until the weather is warmer so I can wear this dress without the extra layer. It is really cute on its own. I am anxiously waiting for sandal and bare leg weather to begin. I might test a bare leg outfit this week. On the weather network, tomorrow is predicted to be 16 C (60 F). Saturday's forecast lists a balmy 21 C (70 F) as its high.

When do you think it is time to throw away the tights and bring out the sandals? Am I jumping the gun?

It's a good thing my husband doesn't read my blog

Today's outfit was a simple one but it made me elegant and skinny! I was wearing:

Cassis pencil skirt
A black sweater that I got at Costco several years ago when I was MUCH larger. I shrunk it and haven't been able to wear it in a long time. I'm glad I kept it around.
Pearls from The Bay
Jessica shoes

DH took this picture of me when he got home. He said, as he checked me out, "I like your pearls."

My response: "Thanks, you bought them for me."

My silly husband made the mistake of getting me a secondary credit card under his account. Now whenever I am feeling a little irritated or mad at him, I buy myself a treat and bill it to him. He never complains.

Friday night we went over to a friend's house and DH had one bottle of wine too many. He was sick all day Saturday. When will the man learn. Seriously, he is almost 30, he should know how much alcohol his body can handle. I know when it is time to stop. I usually find the perfect balance between feeling good and puking every time we have some drinks. I never have a hangover. Every time he has some adult beverages, he is stuck with his head in the toilet the next day. I felt like my Saturday, one of the few days we can spend together, was being wasted. So I took his credit card and hit the mall. Thanks for the pearl necklace dear.

After I got over my little tiff and he stopped throwing up, it was a good weekend. I didn't do any school work and tried very hard not to even think of school. It was a relaxing weekend. It's going to be a busy work week. It's the first time in awhile that I have a full 5 day work week. But I am comforted by the fact that there are only SEVEN more teaching weeks left. Woot, woot!

I was happy when I got home tonight. My long awaited J Crew Victoria Ruffle Cami had arrived.
It took almost 3 weeks to get here. And I got caught with the duty this time. Boo, Canada Post. I love this cami and can't wait to wear it. I got it in cerise not the melon pictured here.

I tried the cami on for DH and he gave me the, "I don't really like it but I'm going to say it's ok because I don't want you to get mad" look. Poor fella; he never wins.

Polyvore to Real Life

Untitled by KDot featuring J Crew cardigans

Today I wore:
Reitman's brown plaid dress
J Crew Ruffle-neck cardigan in cornsilk
Expressions gold and pearl Necklace
Joe Fresh patent ballet flats
I have a hard time matching the cornsilk cardigan but I like this combination. I do need to expand my shoe wardrobe though. I'm not digging the flats with this. And I just realized how white my legs are. I need some self-tanner, stat!

Do I look like a nun or a box?

This morning my outfit was not very inspired. It was 7:50 am and I still wasn't dressed. My classroom doors have to be open at 8:10. Eeek! So I pulled out this Ricki's brown skirt from last year, polka dot blouse from Winners, Jessica shoes, Suzy Shier necklace and my Joe Fresh Fireball earrings.

I've decided to try as much as possible to take pictures of my outfits. It will hopefully spice up my blog a bit and give me a good visual reminder of what looks good or not so good. The trick is getting DH home to snap a photo of me. I'm working on getting a tripod.

Today my order from Martin and Osa arrived. First off is the Square-Neck Tank in optic white (size 6). I find it hard to find a dressier white tank that is not sheer. Unfortunately, this will not work. DH said it reminded him of something a nun would wear. Yuck!
Next up is the Pleated Silk Tee in Boat Red (size small). This fit like a box on me. No likey.
Then I tried the Ruffle-Placket Tank (size small) in Twilight Navy. I love it. For $10, I think I will order the other colors as well. I like how it doesn't show my bra and bra straps. So many tanks are see-through with spaghetti straps. I need more coverage.
The Pleated Skirt in Deckhand White (size 6) also came in this package. The skirt is ok but last week as I was digging on my closet, I found two similar white skirts I had forgotten about. I really don't need three pleated white skirts.

All in all, not a very successful order.

I won, I won!

Shasta over at Bergdorf Blondes held a giveaway and I won a runner-up prize! Woot, woot! I never win ANYTHING! I'm so excited to see what my prize will be. Thank you Shasta.

What I'm Wearing Today

Excuse the wrinkles; this was at the end of a long day.

Martin & Osa pants
J Crew Pleated Tank
Dalia Cardigan from Costco
Chaps wedges
Joe Fresh gold link bracelet

Is it June yet?

I was back at school today. I'm getting to the point in the year where I am TIRED and need more than a 4 day weekend to recuperate. I need summer vacation. I normally have a lot of patience but teaching grade 9 students drains me. I need some time to re-charge. Report card marks are due tomorrow so hopefully when they are done, I will get a new burst of energy to get me through the next two months.

I started the week off ok, fashion wise, I think. One of my teacher friends told me I was looking good this afternnon. Here is what I wore.

Untitled by KDot featuring J Crew heels & wedges

Cassis black pencil skirt
J Crew Merino Lea Cardigan in bright fuschia
J Crew Quinn Cami in buttercup
Le Chateau bright blue bangle (not quite as shown)
Joe Fresh Fireball earrings
Jessica black pumps

Yesterday, during a break from my piles of marking, I hit Costco. Sometimes I can find some good deals on clothing. Yesterday, I found a Jones & Co dark jean capri. They are cuffed which is pretty trendy for me. I also got a green Dalia cardigan. The cardigan has an attached belt but I will cut it off. I can never pull off sweater belts. I feel like they just make my tummy stick out and make me look preggers. DH took a picture of me modeling my new duds last night.

I haven't cut off the belt yet, so it's tucked behind me. I wasn't sure at first if I would keep the cardi because the sleeves are a bit wide. But I think it will be a keeper because it's comfortable, it's in a color I don't have a lot of clothing in, and it was cheap ($18.99). I tried it on with my $3 Joe Fresh flats. I love a good deal.

I should go to the mall more often

Last night, DH suggested a trip to the mall to cheer me up. I've been feeling kind of down in the dumps lately. I've been really missing my cat Jasper at home and feeling overwhelmed with work at school. DH knows that shopping always makes me feel better so off we went. I really need to start going to the mall more often because I scored some great deals! I usually avoid the mall because I always run into students. But last night I didn't see one familiar face. Wednesday nights are the nights to shop.

At one of my favorites, Cassis, I picked up two skirts. I was looking for a navy pencil skirt but instead I found a dark olive skirt for $7.50 and a black skirt for $15. The black skirt was originally $130. What a score!

I then popped into Suzy Shier. I haven't shopped at this store in awhile but after seeing some of Crew Girl in Canada's posts of the great things she finds there, I thought I should check it out. Suzy Shier is the place to go for trendy accessories. They are cheap! I found these little pearl, and bow earring for $4 and a gold and pearl necklace for $4 as well. Good deals make me feel good!


I'm feeling much better today. It's a sunny day and the work week is done. Today at school, I had a relaxing afternoon. We had a school assembly and instead of all the teachers sitting in the auditorium twiddling their thumbs and watching the kids, half of us were able to leave and do work. I pulled a few of my students out who had overdue assignments and we worked together. It was very quiet and peaceful. They even commented that it was a good afternoon. It's not too often that a grade 9 student will say that doing their work is good!

I have a busy weekend planned; out tonight with friends, in-laws are in town tomorrow, and lots of marking (next week is report card week).

I hope everyone has a happy long weekend!

My fear of bright shoes

I have a fear of wearing bright shoes.

I love brightly colored shoes and buy them. But when it comes to wearing them, I just can't do it.

Take these red patent wedges from Old Navy for instance.

I bought them two years ago and absolutely love them. They are super comfy and wide enough for my square-shaped feet. But every time I go to put them on, I can't keep them on. Something always looks funny when I'm about to step out the door.

Help me wear these beauties. Does anyone have any recommendations as to what I should wear with these red shoes? Any tips for getting over my bright shoe phobia?

Wearing today

Untitled by KDot featuring J Crew earrings

Today's outfit consisted of:

Mexx red short sleeved shirt
George Pinstrip Pencil Skirt. I bought this 5 years ago from Walmart during the great $1 sale of 2004. I went into Walmart one day to find all summer clothing all sale for a dollar! Unfortunately, I was in the midst of a massive weight gain and didn't realize I could no longer fit into the sizes I bought until I brought them home. Most of the $1 finds went to other homes as they did not fit but this skirt has stayed buried in the closet for 5 years. Until this morning when I finally snipped the $1 tag off.
Jessica black pumps
Joe Fresh fireball inspired earrings
Finally, my precious Burberry. The only piece that was exactly as pictured.

My closet is going to explode!

My latest order from Martin & Osa arrived today. DH caught a glimpse of the box and moaned, "more clothes." He doesn't think my closet can take anymore. But some of this order is going back. The sizes were wonky for me again.

First off is the Pleated Skirt in Cricket Navy. I ordered a size 8 because, from past orders, that seems to be the best size for me. This skirt is a little on the loose size, but it is doable. I tried it on with some yellow tops and it looks cute as a button. It's a keeper.
Then we have the Rainstorm-Print Pleated Silk Tee in Ebony Black. I ordered in a medium and again it is too large. I could re-order in a smaller size but I don't think I will. This blouse is like a lot of other blouses in my closet and it's a little boring.
The Abstract Plaid Pleated Tee in May Red has a print that I love. Unfortunately, it has an elastic around the waist which causes the fabric to puff out, creating the illusion of a baby bump. The baby bump look is not what I'm striving for so it's going back.
The Ruffle Placket Tank in black was again too big. I ordered a medium and the arm holes are huge. I think I will re-order this one but I think I will get it in navy. I already have loads of black tanks. I don't know if this tank can be really called ruffled. It just has a bit more stitching at the top. No obvious ruffles like many J Crew's pieces.

I also got the Osa Essential Tank in white. At $12 plus 30% off, it's a good buy for a wardrobe basic. It's a bit sheer but will be worn under other clothing. There are loads of other colors so I may pick up a few more.

I got this offer in my email today from M & O.


I'm planning on getting the Pleated Skirt in White. I'm sizing down to a 6 for this one.
I'm also going to try out the Square Neck Tank in White. I like that it is lined. I find it hard to find a white tank that is not see-through. The square neck looks cool too.
Then it will be the Pleated Silk Tee in Boat Red. Again, I'm sizing down to a small. Then that's it. I need to lay off the shopping for a while. Even a whole week will help.

Yellow and green; yes/no?

I've been trying to find something to layer with my Merino Lea in citron yellow. This cardi has green undertones which is making hard for me to find a match. Tonight I was playing "dress up" for DH and this was the best option I came up with.


Untitled by KDot featuring J Crew sweaters

J Crew Merino Lea Cardigan in Citron Yellow
J Crew Perfect Flower Tank in golden avocado
Martin and Osa Sophia Refined Trouser in black

DH was home so I had him snap a photo of my matching. I was just playing around at home so I don't have shoes or accessories.

What do you think? As Gigi says, likey or no likey?

If it is a likey, any suggestions for accessories?