December Purchases

1. Land's End Tartan Plaid Flower Pin - $8.99
2. ASOS Clutch - $22.5022.5
3. Old Navy Fair Isle Sweater - $18.00
4. Land's End Canvas Double Ring Belt - $11.99
5. Land's End Long Sleeve Flannel Ruffle Popover Shirt - $10.19
6. Land's End 3/4-sleeve 1x1 Rib Boatneck Top - $5.99
7. Land's End Canvas Double Buckle Belt - $13.19

Not shown because I can't get items from TheBay.com loaded on to Polyvore.

Topshop Jersey Pencil Skirt - $23.00
Topshop Milano Pencil Skirt - $28.00
Topshop Faux Leather Trim Pencil Skirt - $28.00

Grand Total: 169.85

Topshop was on sale last week at The Bay so I thought I'd try it out. The items haven't arrived yet so I'm not sure if everything will stay.

Land's End had a great sale so that why I have a few items from that site. I loved my my last LEC belt so I found two more (and love them too).

All in all, not a bad month to offset the spending extravaganza that was November. I focused most of my shopping on presents. I feel (hope) January will be another low clothing purchasing month. I'm itching to buy some house stuff. I'm tired of bare walls and need to hit Etsy to find some art.

Top Outfits of the Year

It's December 30, the time of year for reflection. I've decided to reflect in the most superficial way possible and look at the best outfits from the past year. I'll save the deep stuff for another post. :P

2011 marked RDog's involvement in photography which resulted in a vast improvement in photo quality. Thanks RDog for taking the time to snap my photos and then doing them again when the light in the first batch wasn't just right.

With so many great photos, it was hard to choose my favorites, but here are a few outfits I liked the best.

In Country Fairs and Covered Bridges, I went casual for a change. I like this one because it reminds me of a really fun day I spent with my husband.

KDot and RDog went to Prince Edward Island to celebrate our 11th anniversary of meeting each other. It was another great time with RDog.

No food babies are allowed in this outfit. Seriously, that skirt is tight!

No bears were harmed during the taking of this photo. Another fun time with RDog where we might have heard some bears rustling around in an abandoned air hanger. We haven't been back.

The night of my favorite teacher friend's bachelorette. I felt so fine but then I forgot to pick up the bride. D'oh! It all worked out in the end.

A crazy cat lady who can layer!

A warm spring day. This dress was seen a lot around my town in the spring. Every time I saw it, it was paired with black or navy blue. I'm a bit proud of the fact I made it work with other colors.

One self taken picture made this list. The peach, the ruffles and the flower; they all made me feel so girly.

I'm probably picking this one because of the pretty picture. My outfit matched the leaves!

2011 also marked the year when I became less shy about color. I love this outfit because of its brightness!

Blog plans for 2011 include more posts, more pictures and more photo locations. Hopefully RDog is up for the challenge!

Christmas Around Our House

So many bloggers have shown their beautiful homes gussied up for the holidays. It's Christmas morning and I'm waiting for the sleepyheads to get up, so I thought I'd share a little bit of KDot and RDog's Christmas decorations.

The front door has a wreath, some lanterns with battery candles inside (on a timer too), urns stuffed with branches and Christmas balls.

Inside the entry way I have a vanilla candle so the house smells like the baking I don't do.

The downstairs tree, the real one, where we open our gifts Christmas morning (if family ever wakes up :P).

I love white and sparkly ornaments.

Our upstairs hallway is really wide so we were able to fit my awesome white tree there.

In our attic office, RDog got his wish; the traditional tree with the train set around the bottom.

The table all set for Christmas Eve dinner.

Christmas Greetings

Sweater: Banana Republic
Pants: Caissis
Necklace: Gift from a student
Booties: Naturalizer

Today was finally my last day of school. It was a half day so many students saw it as an opportunity to stay home and sleep in. I had a great day with the students who did attend.

I was very surprised this year by the amount of students who gave me Christmas gifts. Teaching big kids, that doesn't happen very often. But this year, several of my students gave me really thoughtful gifts, including this beautiful necklace that a student made me. Other gifts included a bag full of homemade goodies (baking and crafts), a cat calendar because I love cats and a blue angel ornament for my new white, blue and purple tree. I have some really sweet students this year!

We also had our Christmas assembly where the whole school (at least those who showed up) gathered in the auditorium to sing carols. It was a great feeling to hear all those teenagers sing and see everyone's happy face.

Yesterday I had to call in sick at the very last minute, literally ten minutes before students were to be in my room. I pulled my back out while brushing my hair - yikes! My chiropractor thinks it was just my body telling me to go on vacation. It's been a really stressful semester! I'm glad I went into school today; it was nice to end the year on a high note at work instead of feeling cranky and irritated at the few disrespectful kids I teach (the way I was feeling for the past few weeks). So many of them are just really good people. It was nice to be reminded of that today.

In other news, it looks like it will be a white Christmas. RDog and I (mostly me) are busy preparing for our Christmas Eve dinner. Then we're looking forward to some family time and relaxation.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Take care,

KDot

Superman Never Made Any Money

Sweater: Land's End Canvas
Blouse: Old Navy
Necklace: J Crew
Skirt: Ricki's
Booties: Naturalizer

We Can't Stop Here - This is Bat Country

Sweater: J Crew
T-shirt: J Crew
Skirt: Ricki's
Booties: Naturalizer

Yup, I'm still wearing work clothes because I'm still working! Boo! School is in all week until the 23rd. This teacher is getting mighty cranky.

Paper Clip Blues

Sweater: J Crew
Tank: J Crew
Skirt: J Crew
Shoes: Naturalizer

I love this skirt.

The only problem is that it's fibers are very sticky. It catches on my school desk a lot.

Apparently, it also picks up objects because I was walking around for a bit with a paper clip stuck on my bum. And not just a little clip; one of those big monstrous clips used for 100 sheet piles of paper.

Lacey

Sweater: J Crew
T-shirt: Old Navy
Skirt: The Bay
Shoes: Naturalizer

C'est La Vie

Skirt: Ricki's
Tank: J Crew
Sweater: J Crew
Shoes: Naturalizer

Here's my secret trick of the day. My tank was too low cut so I hiked up the straps and attached them with safety pins. I've been doing this ever since I got the darned shirt two years ago. A five minute sewing job would fix the problem but that hasn't happened yet. C'est la vie.

All Aboard!

Sweater: Old Navy
Skirt: J Crew
Shoes: Naturalizer

There seems to have been an explosion of Fair Isle on the interwebs. It's a trend I thought I'd jump on; fair isle is just too cozy to pass up. After seeing my coolness today, now RDog wants in on the fun.

If only Old Navy made matching sweaters for women and men. Then we could do a sweater Christmas card, RDog! That would sure be swell.

Sigh, only Tuesday and my brain has gone to toast.

Pop of Pink

Shirt: Costco
Skirt: Joe Fesh
Booties: Naturalizer
Clutch: Asos - why am I just discovering this site now! It is awesome!

RDog's staff Christmas party gave me another excuse to break out my sequin skirt. This time I kept it all black with a bit of color. Pink worked so well last time I wore the skirt, I went with it again for my pop of color.

Daily Dose of Cuteness

Blouse: Brooks Brothers (thrifted)
Skirt: J Crew
Belt: J Crew
Shoes: Cole Haan

Here is your daily dose of cuteness.

Ruby perched on RDog's keyboard.

Yes, that is a bottle of wine behind her. One of our favorite activities is to play Battlefield and drink red wine.

We're a crazy bunch.

Tis The Season

Sweater: J Crew
Skirt: Cassis
Shirt: Forever 21
Shoes: Naturalizer

This shirt has been forgotten in my closet for a year. But tis the season for sequins so it's time to dig it out!

I Love My Booties

Sweater: Martin and Osa
Dress: J Crew Factory
Belt: Yard Sale
Booties: Naturalizer

I love my booties. I also like singing that phrase. Really loud. Try it; it's fun!

Abandoned Airstrip Willies

Sweater: Gap
Skirt: Old Navy
Boots: Naturalizer

A few months ago, RDog and I were checking out our house on Google Earth when we found what looked to be an airstrip nearby. We hit the back roads in his Jeep and explored until we found it. Sure, enough our country neighborhood boosts an abandoned airstrip and airplane hanger. I vowed we would go back to take blog pictures near the hanger.

Sunday we were driving home after satisfying my post-bachelorette party craving for a burger when we decided to give an airstrip picture a try. However, it didn't go as planned.

RDog wanted to get a shot of me against the juxtaposition of the beat up metal hanger. Notice the absence of any kind of building in the background.

When we pulled up to the hanger and got out of the car, we heard this REALLY loud banging. Too loud to be simply the wind banging the metal walls. It sounded like a freaked out person throwing themselves against the hanger walls or a bear.

Both prospects are not pleasant so we situated ourselves slightly away from the hanger for these pictures. I could still hear the banging though, hence the slightly panicked look on my face.

I could see the headlines: "Local Teacher Mauled by Bear While Taking Fashion Blog Pictures at an Abandoned Country Airstrip."

Not the way I want to go.

So we hustled back in the car and took off, vowing to return at a bear free time for more pictures.

It might be a while before that happens though. Abandoned airstrips now give me the willies.

Bring on the Sequins!

Jacket: Reitman's
Shirt Banana Republic
Skirt: Joe Fresh
Shoes: Naturalizer (These are my "Can only stand on them for 1/2 hour shoes". But they make me feel pretty.

Saturday night was a friend's bachelorette party. It was a traditional bachelorette party but instead a fancy dress up dinner. I thought it would be a great chance to break out my sparkly skirt.

A few years ago, I wanted something sequined for RDog's staff Christmas party but could find very little available. Now it seems that sequins are everywhere. I love it. Bring on the sequins!

Orange You Glad ?

Sweater: Land's End Canvas
Blouse: Ricki's
Skirt: Ricki's
Shoes: Cole Haan

Getting tired of my orange couch yet?

I regret that purchase.