Ranting

Skirt: Banana Republic
Tank: Lacoste
Shoes: Merona found at Mardens in Maine for 3 bucks
Bracelet: Forever 21 necklace

Finally I'm feeling like putting some thought into my clothing choices of the day. This week has been stressful for me. The new cat is still trying to get used to her new home and family. Introductions between her and Kitty have been ok. There is a hiss and a paw raised once in awhile. She is slow to get used to us. I suppose it doesn't help that we have to shove pills down her throat twice a day. Her UTI is getting better so there are no more accidents for me to clean up. She cries a lot at night because she really wants to go outside. She tore a huge hole in one of our window screens in a fight to get out. Thankfully it was on the second floor and she had enough sense not to jump out. It was an old window too that is getting replaced this week.

I went for a looooong stretch of days with no sleep. I think it was a combination of worrying about the new cat and the heat. I don't do well in heat and it has been 30 + degrees everyday this week. YUCK! Add into that our house construction which means that the windows need to be closed to stop the cancer causing asbestos siding from floating in the house. This plus no air conditioning makes KDot a sweaty girl.

The construction, even though the bulk of it is outside, is very messy. Who knew that changing windows would cause massive amounts of dirt! This neat freak cannot handle it. The upstairs bathroom window was changed yesterday and I have cleaned the bathroom three times already. The dirt keeps on floating back. Outside my yard looks like a war recently took place. My flower beds are destroyed and there is crap littered throughout the lawn. I have to keep thinking about the finished product and how pretty it will look when it is done.

Ok, rant over.

Today is a relatively cooler day so I am not sweat girl. It is raining off and on which means little work is being done. It's good because I need a break. Im heading to the mall for a special $5 coffee (mmmm, skinny vanilla bean latte). I'm armed with my 30% Friends and Family coupon. Hopefully the cats don't destroy each other and the house while I'm gone.

Mad Men Yourself

The folks over at AMC have a new promotion for season three of Mad Men. You can Mad Men Yourself.

Here I am.

Season three starts August 16. RDog surprised me with the dvd of season 2 last week. I already had season 1 so we are watching both sets as ramp up to August 16. I love, love this show.

Too tired to think of a title

Tank: Banana Republic
Skirt: Reitman's. This is OLD. It stayed with me through a massive weight gain when I probably couldn't fit it around one thigh. I love it that much.
Shoes: Clark's
Belt: Forever 21
Bracelet: Suzy Shier

Weeeee

I have two things to be happy about this afternoon.

#1 Construction has started! Only a week and a half late, but it has started. (We're replacing our house's siding and windows)

#2 I have 50 followers! Thank you everyone for taking the time to read my blog. I hope you all are having a great day.

Introducing . . .

a new cat!

I haven't been blogging much during the last few days because I've been preoccupied with an addition to our family. A new cat!

Our cat Jasper passed away unexpectedly March. It was a very hard thing for me to deal with. In fact, I'm still dealing with his loss everyday. My best friend that was with me everyday was suddenly gone and I didn't know why. I didn't post much about it here because I didn't want to be a Debbie Downer. Three weeks after Jasper passed away, my childhood dog Rascal had to be put to sleep. A few weeks after that, we discovered a growth in Kitty's ear. And then a few weeks after that, RDog's childhood cat, Sneakers, passed away. It was a sad few months for these two pet lovers. At one point I vowed that there would be no more animals. I just fall in love with them and then they leave me. But my heart is getting used to the loss. I'm still sad everyday but I am getting used to the sadness. Kitty's growth appears to be benign as it has not increased since we first spotted it. Gradually, the desire to open our home and hearts to more animals has returned.

Last week, RDog suddenly turned to me and said, "If I saw a stray cat on the side of the road, would you be mad if I brought it home?" I said of course not. I have a big soft spot for cats in need. Little did I know that days later a cat in need would enter into our life.

Last Thursday, a teacher friend posted on her Facebook page about an abandoned cat crying in the rain on her doorstep. As she lives with a room mate, she was not able to take the cat in. Apparently, her neighbor had a new girlfriend who moved in with her three cats. She left last week but didn't take the cats with her. He was taking care of two indoor cats but the third was left outside to fend on its own. Even when the owner was there, she wasn't taking care of the outdoor cat.

I went over Friday morning to meet the cat. She is a beautiful, friendly thing. While there, the neighbor came over. The cat growled at him. Not a good sign. I told him that I was thinking about taking the cat as no one was taking care of her. He just shrugged and said, "I don't care, it's not my cat. I've got two more inside. Want them?" That sealed the deal. This cat was coming home with me.

It was a rough weekend. At times I wonder if I was crazy to be doing this. The new cat and Kitty had to be separated until a vet visit could be scheduled in case the new cat had something that Kitty could catch. I was mostly worried about feline leukemia. I called just about every vet in the city looking for an appointment, but they were all booked up, some for weeks! I was finally able to get her this morning in to see a vet. It was in the nick of time because I soon discovered that the new cat has what appears to be a urinary tract infection. She was using the litter box a lot but not much else was coming out. Then she started doing her business in weird places outside the box. Then I noticed that there was blood in her urine. Very scary stuff, especially as Jasper suffered from similar symptoms for months.

But there is good news. The new cat tested negative for feline leukemia. The vet also found a scar on her belly which means she was spayed. She is still at the vet so they can get a urine sample. But I am confident that we can deal with UTI after dealing with a much worse case in Jasper. Urinary problems are more severe in males. In fact with Jasper, as a last resort we had to have basically a sex change done to him.

Tonight, she and Kitty should be able to meet for the first time. They are itching to see each other after smelling and talking through the door for several days. Hopefully I can get some sleep tonight. I was so worried about her after finding blood in her urine late last night, that I was up all night checking on her. We did have a bonding session early this morning. I collapsed on the couch, feeling so tired and worn out from worry. She crawled on me and snuggled in. Our cats have never been snugglers so this was a treat. She got lots of chin scratches. In fact, when I would stop petting her she would gently place her paw on my face as to say, "please don't stop." She's an affectionate little thing.

Now that we are sure that she is staying, we have to decide on a name. In her former neglected life she was known as Pantera. She needs a girlier name. I am leaning towards Lucy. RDog likes Coco. It's not after Chanel, it's from Conan O'Brien. Does anyone have any girly name suggestions?

No puffiness!

Top: J Crew corsage tee
Skirt: J Crew nicky skirt
Shoes: Naturalizer
Bag: Burberry

Like many other bloggers, I've been doing the apply cider vinegar thing for a few weeks. I've haven't noticed any weight loss but I do feel like my stomach is flatter. Sometimes it feels like I'm pregnant, my stomach puffs out so much. No puffiness lately! Woot, woot

Silly Me

T-shirt: Mexx. I've had this for about a year and have only worn it once. It was one of those things that I thought was too pretty to wear. Silly me!
Skirt: J Crew. This Esplanade skirt arrived yesterday. I love that is light and breezy like last year's swing skirt but it is a shorter length.
Shoes: Rampage found at Mardens for 2 dollars!
Bracelet: Suzy Shier
Necklace: found in Montreal years ago

Summer Reading: Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

I spotted Twenties Girl at Costco yesterday and picked it up without even reading the plot description just because it was by Sophie Kinsella. When I got home, I investigated further and found out that this book involved a ghost. I thought it was going to be bad. I was pleasantly surprised.

Kinsella tried something different and I really liked it. Of course, the novel still has some of the characteristics of her Shopaholic series. Girl falls into bad luck at work, meets a boy, messes up relationship with boy, fixes work problem, becomes a hero and makes up with boy. Twenties Girl also has the added touch of a bit of mystery. It's a great chick lit summer read.

Waiting and building forts

Skirt: thrifted years ago. I love the pattern of the fabric.
Tank: Martin and Osa ruffle-plackett tank
Shoes: Naturalizer wedges
Bracelet: J Crew. this arrived this morning so I chucked it on. It's a bit chunkier than I expected.

My pictures have been a bit blurry lately. I really need to finish reading the instruction book for our Nikon D40.
Here's a closer, clearer view of the first picture I tried today. I forgot to unzoom (I think I'm making that word up) so my top half was cut off.

I haven't been posting a lot this week. It feels like all I have been doing is waiting. We are replacing our siding and windows. The materials are here, the contractors tools are here but there are no men working. I've been on edge waiting for them to arrive as I don't want to be away when they start. Our current siding is asbestos as our house is very old. I want to make sure that the house is sealed up and Kitty is wrapped up in some kind of plastic bubble before they start tearing the old siding off. I'm thinking about building Kitty a fort made of saran wrap. But given her habit of chewing on plastic, she'd probably eat it.

Newest want: scarf ring

I've been itching to try out scarfs in my fashion choices. I've been picking up scarves for the past few months, mostly at thrift stores, but I have no idea how to wear them. The one time I did try a scarf, I got teased for looking like a flight attendant. I know on The Purse Forum there are threads dedicated to tying scarfs, but my tying skills are sub-par. That's why I was excited when I found this blog which showcases MaiTai's scarf wear and scarf ring use. I had never heard of a scarf ring before but now I must have one. The scarf ring has convinced me that scarf use is within my reach. But where can I find one?

I hit EBay, my go-to place for looking odd things that I'd never find in local stores. My scarf ring must be gold and simple. No luck with EBay; most are silver, really fussy or really expensive. It was the same story on Etsy. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I can find a scarf ring?? Any other scarf lovers out there who have lots of scarves but don't know how to wear them?

Keeping it cool

Today's outfit was all about keeping it cool. Finally, some hot days.
Dress: Joe Fresh
Hat: Joe Fresh
Flippy floppies: J Crew
Shades: Aldo

What I Wore Yesterday

A boring outfit during the day.

Skirt: J Crew found on EBay
T-shirt: J Crew
Shoes: Clark's
Bracelet: The bay
Purse: Coach

Night-time drinks with friends.

Skirt: J Crew
Shirt: Walmart
Shoes: Clark's
Necklace: Forever 21

Pretty Shoes All in a Row

I made an oath to cut down on my online shopping but in-real-life shopping is still fair game. I find the real damage to my credit card comes from JCrew and Martin and Osa not from mall stores. So yesterday when my mom MSNed me to tell me that Sears had an extra 50% off their clearance prices, I was like, "score, I'm there."

The sale lasts until the end of today and my local Sears had LOADS of clearance. I think the whole shoe department was on clearance which is why I ended up coming home with three pairs of shoes.

They were all under $15. It would have been a crime for me to leave them behind! Every girl needs a pair of purple shoes.

OPI Love

I recently discovered OPI nail polish and am in love. It is hard to find around here and expensive when I find it so I've been ordering off EBay. I've had great luck with seller nailpolishsupplies. If you buy 4 poilishes, you get the 5th free. Here is my latest batch that arrived this week.

I'm currently wearing the middle shade, Dating a Royal, and love it.

Are there any other OPI fans out there? What's your favorite shade?

Martin & Osa Review

My latest Martin & Osa order arrived Thursday. M&O has free returns so I took a chance and ordered a pair of jeans onlinefor the first time. I carry all my extra weight in my thighs and butt so finding pants that fit is tricky. It's one of the reasons I wear a lot of skirts and dresses. I ordered The Osa Straight jean.
These babies are tight. My thighs were like sausages spilling out of its casing.
I'm definitely not a straight jean girl but there are lots with skinny legs that can wear this style. If it is your thing, these jeans are on sale for a great price; $29.95 plus an extra 30% off.

Next I ordered a cardigan that is no longer on the site but is close to the Long and Lean Tipped Cardigan Sweater and the Long and Lean Stripe Cardigan Sweater.

Mine came with a funny mark on the side. It looks like it was burnt with an iron. No good. If it didn't have the weird mark, it still would be no good because of the pockets. They are way too saggy and distracting.

Lastly, I tried the Perfect V-Neck Sweater.
Finally, something that I like. If I wasn't curbing my shopping habits, I would order this in many more colors. But I'm not. Here that RDog, I want to buy more BUT I'M NOT.

If I were to place an order, I would also get the Open Front Jacket, Woven Beach Tote, and Cashmere and Silk V-Neck Cardigan, which I already own in black and love. Martin and Osa has an additional %30 off until July 21. If you place an order, let me know how it goes. Maybe I can get my shopping thrill through the purchases of others.

Project Flip my Closet

A couple of months ago, I blogged here about flipping my closet. I flipped all my hangers backwards and changed them only after I had worn that article of clothing. I did this in an effort to wear more of my clothes. Every morning I try to pick an outfit from my backwards hangers. It is also a good visual of what I don't wear (and maybe need to gt rid of). Here are my results so far:

There are still lots of backwards hangers but I'm making progress. This experiment, along with posting a lot of my outfits, has really helped me try to find different combinations of clothing to wear. In the past, I have worn my favorite pieces again and again. There is definitely more variety in my clothing choices.

As far as using this method to clean out my closet, I haven't gone that far yet. I have a hard time letting go of clothing. A closet clean is on the way though. This closet, my second closet, the hooks on the back of our bedroom and guest room door are all over-flowing. It's time to make room!

Thrift Finds

Last week, I posted here about my realization that I had a vintage coat sitting in my parents' house just like one Betty Draper wore on Mad Men. I was just home for a visit and had the chance to dig the coat out of my old closet. My mother bought it for me at least ten years ago but I never wore it. Now I know why.
This thing is huge! I thought that was the end of it until I read on The Purse Forum about a coat that was altered from a size 12 to a size 0. Maybe this coat still has hope. I've added it to my alterations needed pile and will schedule a trip to the tailor soon.

While I was home, my mother and hit the thrift and antique stores. It's a favorite pass-time of ours. I have lots of thrifted clothing to post about but it is currently being washed. One of my favorite finds was discovered at a little antique store. It fits my latest Mad Men fashion yearning.
It's a sweater clip that I found for $5! I can't wait to wear this in the fall with one of my favorite J Crew sweaters.

More thirft finds to come in the next few days.

What I'm Wearing Today

Skirt: Joe Fresh from the Superstore
Shirt: Old Navy
Necklace: Suzy Shier
Shoes: Naturalizer

I had a hard time this morning picking a shirt to wear with this skirt. In the end, I just gave up and went with white. Any suggestions? I tried brown but it took away from the swingy summer feel I was looking for. Maybe yellow?

I should go away more often . . .

. . . because I get presents when I come home.

Cheerio

Today I'm wearing:

Golf shirt: J Crew
Capris: Gap. I found these last weekend during Gap's awesome extra 30% off sale. I love the buttons. They are worn metal and look vintage.
Shoes: my ole trusty Naturalizer wedges
Bracelet: from The Bay

I'm keeping it simple today. I'm heading home to Nova Scotia so I won't be blogging for a few days. My mother is on vacation so we are going to run the roads together. I'm stoked to spend some time with her. I'm also stoked because her birthday is next weekend and I have an awesome present for her. RDog built her a computer! I have the bestest husband and mother.

By the way, it makes me super happy to see new followers. Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog!

I heart Mad Men

Today, RDog emailed me this link of Mad Men fashions. I love me some Mad Men and I love the fashions the ladies wear.

The coat in this picture looked very familiar.

I have a very similar one sitting in my closet at my parents' house. My mother found a vintage, 100% cashmere coat at Frenchy's when I was a teenager. I loved it but never had the self confidence to wear it. It was just too different from what other kids were wearing. Now I could rock that baby. I hope, hope, hope it is still hanging in my closet back home.

I also love Betty's huge pearl earrings. I need to go on the hunt for those.

I have a problem

I was really good with not drinking the Crewlade for the last couple of months. This past week I have been a bad girl! I need to stop! Does anyone who has had a successful shopping ban have any tips?

In the meantime, I have a few J Crew treasures coming my way so I've made a few Polyvores.

Untitled by KDot featuring J Crew

My Georgia cardigan arrived yesterday and I love it! I also found another Victoria cami. The last one I ordered was a size 6 in cerise. Since regular sizes were sold out, I tried a 6P and it fits fine.

Untitled by KDot featuring J Crew

The Nicky skirt popped back and I snagged it.

Untitled by KDot featuring J Crew

I liked the Georgia cardigan so much that I ordered another in stone. Seriously, my closet shelf is going to break from the weight of all my J Crew cardigans.

Untitled by KDot featuring J Crew

The gladiola print cami popped back too so of course, me with no will power, had to order it.

Al my finds were great deals but when they are added together, plus the exchange rate and duty, it adds up to a big credit card bill. If I add up all that I've spent at J Crew and Martin and Osa (my other online weakness) in the past few months, I think it would scare me and anger my husband. This is money that can be better spent elsewhere. I know that but changing my ways is easier said than done. But from now on, I am going to try!

What I Wore Last Night

Last night, my in-laws took us out to dinner to celebrate our one year anniversary. We went to a steak house again. Yuck for me, yummy for RDog. I'm not a big fan of the red meat unless it is bacon.

Here is what I wore:

Linen dress: found at the Sears Clearance Centre for $15! It's Sears' old lady brand, Tradition, but I like it anyways.
Belt: Reitman's
Shoes: Clark's

As usual, I forgot about accessorizing. It needs some bangles or something.

Edited to add: I just noticed that I lost a follower today. Woe is me! It fills my heart with joy whenever my follower number increasing. I so sad today.

Birthday countdown: 42 days. Hubs, you better get shopping

Dear husband of mine,

At your request, here are a few more things to add to my birthday wishlist.

Coral Bubble Necklace

I know it would be foolish to get the J Crew version of this necklace so I 've found another alternative. I am saving you money!

Camera tripod
So I can take pictures of myself in places other than our computer room. You could also use it to take fancy pictures. It's really a gift for both of us.

I have included links for your convenience. Happy shopping.

XOXO,

KDot

Buyer's remorse

So many blogs lately have been reporting on their great finds from invite-only websites like Rue La La and Gilt. Of course, I wanted in on the action, but I wanted to make sure not to shell out for shipping and duties to the Great White North. My answer: Beyond the Rack. This site lists items in Canadian dollars and ships from Montreal so no duties! The shipping fees are also reasonable. I've been on Beyond the Rack's mailing list for a few weeks but last week their clearance sale was the first to entice me to buy. I was won over by the 90% off price tags and made some impulse purchases.

French Connection Ladies Faceted Crystal Watch

This watch retails for $195 but was on sale for $20. However, in person it was larger and more silver than I expected. I am mostly a gold girl. It is just not me.

FCUK Ladies Slim Gold Logo Watch
Without the big logo, this watch would be perfect for me. I don't think it would be appropriate for an English teacher to be walking around with a watch that almost has a swear word on it. It was regular $175 but on sale for $51.

Rampage Cream and Black Patten Flap Jenessa Purse
Finally, something that I like. This is super cute. Regular $125 but on sale for $38.

Rampage Mushroom Dylan Clutch
I think I bought this one only because it was so cheap; $7! When I took it out of the box, RDog went, "Ugh." It really doesn't match my style.

Rampage Porcelain Mini Satchel Jenny Purse

I thought this purse would be a great little clutch but it really is too "tough" looking for my usual dresses and pearls. Again, it was a great sale ($70 down to $19) but I will probably never use it.

Ugggh, what was I thinking. I got swept up in the sale. I would order for Beyond the Rack again but next time, I need to think before I enter my credit card number. Just because it is a good sale doesn't mean I need it or will use it!

The good thing about Beyond the Rack is that they do accept returns. They only give store credit but it is better than nothing. If anyone is interested in purchasing any of my items, let me know before I pack these babies back up. The only thing I am keeping is the black and white bag. I will charge you only what I paid plus shipping. All costs were in Canadian dollars so if you are in the U.S., it would mean the prices would be a little bit lower. As well, if you are interested in becoming a member of Beyond the Rack, let me know and I will send you an invite.

Feeling like Betty Draper, without the cheating husband

The day of our wedding anniversary, we took off on a mini getaway. I was in a Betty Draper dressing kind of mood.

Dress: Martin and Osa
Belt: Forever 21
Shoes: My Naturalizer wedges, that I may wear out by summer's end.

I'm a bit wrinkled because we spent a few hours in the car. We also did some shopping and RDog didn't complain once and he bought me stuff. KDot was a happy lady!

In the evening, we went to a steakhouse for dinner. That was my gift to RDog because I don't eat steak. There was only one dish on the menu that I could eat. He really enjoyed all the meat talk and chowing down on a red hunk of meat. Yuck! I was happy because the restaurant had divine creme brule and I was able to wear another dress.

Dress: H&M
Clutch: Nine West

I pulled out my Betty Draper red lip lipstick. It was cold and we were right on the water so I had to add a J Crew cardigan.

Then I had to do some twirls because I felt pretty.

Happy anniversary

Today is our one year anniversary. We made it! We're almost at the 9th year mark in our relationship's total.


My wedding dress was a Pronovias (London style). When I started dress shopping, I was not impressed with my local bridal salons. Every dress was a Maggie; strapless and satin. There is nothing wrong with dresses like that, but I wanted something different. Looking at pictures online, I decided I wanted a lace Pronovias dress but the closest place to order one was in Toronto, which is really not close. I hit EBay and found a seller that looked trustworthy and bought my dress. The problem happened with the sizing. The Maggies I tried on usually were a size 12 and they fit fine. Not looking at Pronovias dress measurements, I bought a size 12. In Pronovias-land, that really meant a size 6! Yikes! In the end, everything turned out ok. Having a beautiful, but small dress, hanging in my closet provided me with the best motivation to lose 25 pounds.

My shoes were Franco Sarto, my veil was a birdcage veil found on EBay and my jewelry was diamond earrings and a diamond necklace that was a wedding gift from my groom. And it was a great day! Today we're off on a little romantic getaway.

Gigantic eye roll

T shirt: J Crew
Skirt: Reitman's (I bought this when I worked at Reitman's in university, 7 years ago!)
Shoes: Clark's

I cropped out the gigantic eye roll that my husband caught with this picture. He was photographing while we were bickering. My slouch is caused by my "I can't believe you" expression. Don't worry, the squabble didn't last long.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Happy 4th of July to my American neighbors!

I'm a zebra, hear me roar

I've had this tank in my closet for awhile so I gave it a try today. It's bit of a different look for me; not my usual pearls and ruffles.

Tanks: Zebra tank from Forever 21 layered over a Martin and Osa tank
Skirt: I can't remember where this came from. I think it was Kohl's
Shoes: Clark's
Bracelet: Claire's necklace

Birthday Wish List - For my husband

Only one month until my birthday month, dear hubby of mine, so here is my birthday wish list. I posted it on my blog so links could be included for your shopping pleasure.

Fabric Steamer

I will even steam your shirts if I have this.

Clean Eating Magazine
So we both can eat healthy.

Clarisonic
To make me pretty.

And, as always, J Crew money is appreciated.

Mellow Yellow

Skirt: Banana Republic
Tanks: Testament Tank (bought during my great Revolve shopping spree of 2008 but not yet worn) layered over a Martin and Osa tank
Belt: H&M
Bangle: Le Chateau
Shoes: Naturalizer Wedges