The Obsession Continues...

So I went on a MAJOR shopping spree this weekend, and although most of my purchases were made at the three Gap, Inc. stores (Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic, ALL of which were featuring 40% off everything in their stores on Friday, even clearance! So you can see how I got myself into trouble there.), I did stop off at Macy's first, and what do you know? Found some more items by Bar III. So just to add to the photo collection...

Normally I steer clear of orange, and dip-dying is typically too close to tie-dying for my taste, and yet somehow, I wound up with this tank top. Maybe because it's covered in sequins. I am a sucker for sequins. Or maybe I've too hastily dismissed dip-dying.

No, that isn't your eyes playing tricks on you. I actually now own a romper! Shocking, I know. But I love the pattern on this one, and it surprisingly fit me, once I actually got it on. Girls like myself with big hips beware: there's unfortunately no going over your head with a romper, it has to go over your hips. But once I wiggled it on, the shorts part is loose enough that it wasn't an issue.

Just a close-up of the back of the romper.

And so the Bar III collection continues to grow...

An Ode to Bar III

I have a favorite brand of a lot of things. Guess shoes. Coca-Cola. Sally Hansen nail polish. Dove chocolate. Clothes don’t usually fall into that category, mostly because I have so many, and because I shop at so many different places, mostly department stores, which carry a lot of brands. So there’s a lot of variety in the brand of my clothing. (Although, admittedly, a large chunk of it is from Old Navy.)

But I went on a bit of a shopping spree last weekend, and as I was standing in the dressing room at Macy’s, I realized that while I may not have a favorite brand of clothing, I do certainly have a favorite of the moment. And at this moment, it’s Bar III.

Of all the many delightful things that filled my dressing room, several of them were by Bar III. And then I got to thinking about it. I’ve bought a lot of stuff by Bar III in recent months. It might have something to do with my trying to revamp my wardrobe out of the oodles of colorful tees (making up probably 90% of those Old Navy clothes) that I wore most every day during four and a half years of college. Your wardrobe should always be evolving, because you are always evolving. High school was a daily fashion show. College was a place where I was the only person not wearing t-shirts to class. But since most of my high school clothes have been weeded out over the years due to their material (92% polyester, 8% spandex…good times…) or the fact that I had to constantly pull them down to cover my stomach and stay in dress code (i.e., they fit like juniors clothes), and subsequently replaced by every color of tee that Old Navy ever manufactured, I don’t have a ton of clothes that really fit where I am in my life.

Enter Bar III. I don’t guess I even realized it was happening. I just walked into Macy’s one day and walked out with some of their stuff. And then some more on my next trip. A top here, a dress there…Until finally my dressing room revelation of last weekend, when I realized I just love Bar III clothing! It’s well-made, but affordable, and it’s all so fun, but not in an over-the-top way; in a way that makes it perfect for a 23-year-old college grad. So since I conveniently have pictures of all of my Bar III clothing, thanks to Christy and I posting everything we buy on Facebook now that we live far apart, let’s take a little trip into my closet and check out my ever-growing Bar III collection.

These are the two pieces I bought most recently, last weekend. I already wore the top on Monday, and I love it. Haven’t worn the dress yet, but I’d been looking for another simple day dress I could just throw on for work, and this one fits the bill perfectly.

I love the print on this dress, and especially the sheer top, which gives it a little extra detail. And because it’s cream instead of white, I don’t have to leave it behind in summer, I can pair it with tights and booties in the winter. Maybe with…

…this jacket! I’m really into fun shapes on jackets lately, so this one with the draped lapels in the front caught my eye.

Another fun jacket from Bar III, sort of a motorcycle feel, but very lightweight, perfect for cool summer nights. And it zips diagonally; how fun is that?

Last but certainly not least, this pink top, which I’ve already gotten some good wear out of. I love that it’s as comfy as a tank top, but the embellishment on top makes it night-appropriate without being too dressy, and it works for day too.

During the day in New Orleans…

And with the brown jacket at night after Katie’s wedding in Georgia…(There’s a picture of me without the jacket on in the wedding blog post. Same shirt.)

The only downside to Bar III: it’s only available in Macy’s. But fortunately, I have a very conveniently located Macy’s from which to get my fix. Find one near you; you won’t be disappointed.

Praise For The Poncho

This is one of the headlines that greeted me on Nordstrom’s website, right between “Shoe Clearance” and “Fall ’11: Designer Dresses” on the sidebar. (You didn’t think I was praising the poncho, did you?) “Praise For the Poncho: Cozy up in fall’s favorite sweater shape.” I don’t even know where to begin. Do I check to see if I have been transported into some alternate reality where ponchos are acceptable clothing? (How does one go about checking if you are in an alternate reality, anyway?) Check my passport to make sure I’m not in Mexico? I mean, ponchos?? Really? Why are they anyone’s favorite anything? And calling them a “shape”? Laughable.

I had to click the link. I had to. Like a train wreck you can’t not watch. What could possibly possess Nordstrom to be not only selling but promoting the resurgence of the poncho, which was last popular sometime around the time when I was in the first of my teen years (or, quite a while ago now)? Maybe they reworked the poncho. Maybe poncho is some cool slang for a brand new article of clothing that will be beloved by and flattering on all. (Wishful thinking, right?) I had to know.

Side note: I actually own a poncho, can you believe that? Hot pink, no less. Bedazzled all over the front. Fringed. And I got it when I was approaching the last of my teen years, my senior year of high school. I actually had some really good times in that poncho……Pysch! I do own said poncho, but it was part of a costume, for show choir. But I really had you going for a minute, didn’t I? :)

 Anyway, so there I am on this page where the sweaters category has been filtered to include only capes and ponchos. (Yeah, capes. I would just not even go there, except for Sarah Jessica Parker just had to show up on a red carpet looking fabulous as usual wearing one earlier this week. And really, none of these are capes anyway.) And it’s just as bad as I would have envisioned. I can say one good thing for it, is there aren’t many there, only a page worth. Go take a look. Just let it burn your retinas for a second. Here’s the link. I’ll wait.

Why? Why would you do that to yourself? Think about this for a second. Those girls are models. Or don’t think, but look: you can see how skinny their legs are sticking out beneath these voluminous creations. (Or maybe they only look so skinny because of the hugeness of the ponchos. Maybe the inventor of the poncho is a fashion genius!…..Yeah, I don’t think so either.) They’re tiny little people, and yet you would never know it because they’re wearing blankets with holes in them for their heads. And some of these things are pretty expensive. Why not just buy a Snuggie? It would be cheaper. (I think. What’s the going rate for Snuggies? In any case, I’m sure you get a second one free if you call in the next ten minutes, which is really quite a bargain.)

I keep thinking if I look hard enough, I’ll find one that’s not so bad. One where you can see a waistline, and not just in the spot where the fabric is pooling around the girl’s hand on her hip. But there isn’t one. They’re all just shapeless messes. And the thing about ponchos is they don’t so much have sleeves as armholes, making belting to create shape pretty much impossible. They’re universally unflattering. I just don’t know what more there is to say.

Except for one last thing: I can’t write a blog about ponchos without mentioning the infamous One Tree Hill poncho, that Haley wore on her first tutoring session with Nathan in season one, episode what, four maybe? And the poncho was then mocked periodically for the next eight seasons, which should tell you something about its fashionability. But then again, eight seasons later, Nathan and Haley may be the most lengthy healthy relationship on television, so maybe there’s something to this poncho thing after all…

 

Nah. ;)

Four Quarters of Fashion

Ladies, football season is almost upon us, and that means two important things: 1. boys in tight pants and 2. gameday fashion. I have seen Stacy and Clinton throw away many a sports jersey, and although I think those are acceptable for sporting events, as long as it fits you and doesn't look like you stole it from an offensive lineman, aren't there more flattering ways to show your team spirit? Answer: mais oui!

Start with your team colors. Though I have come around to the idea of dresses (casual not cocktail) at a football game--they can actually be quite breezy to beat the heat of a midday game...2:30 on CBS, anyone?--I cannot condone wearing a dress or anything else that isn't your team's colors, or worse, the other team's colors! I don't care if it's the cutest dress/top/whatever you own. Most sports teams have pretty basic colors, readily found in stores, and the ones that have very particular colors (i.e. Carolina blue) are so particular about the color being right that they're not hard to find either if you're local. And close is usually close enough. Am I always in crimson at Alabama games? Not always; red suffices as long as, again, it's not the other team's color. If we're playing a team with a similar color, I take much more care in matching my outfit to the crimson of our jerseys. I would wear a shirt like this with shorts, or jeans later in the season. Or if you'd rather have something that really says your team name louder than colors, go with options like these that are still cute, but licensed. In fact, I may buy these for myself...(And as you can see, the color thing isn't an exact science: even from the official Alabama shop, this tee is more red than crimson.)



Next step: accessorize. I almost have more Alabama earrings than I know what to do with; it's gotten to the point where I can wear a different pair every home game of the season without repeating any.

Not to mention my three Alabama-themed rings...

a script A pin, a houndstooth headband, two crimson belts...

and my beloved bejeweled elephant pendant, Manny (any Ice Age fans out there?).

Team jewelry is also a great way to solve the problem if, like me, your loyalties are a bit divided on fall Saturdays. I went to all of the Alabama games last year completely decked out for the Crimson Tide with one exception: a ring shaped like an alligator. (He didn't make an appearance at the Alabama-Florida game, but all the others.) A very small token of affection for my Gators without detracting from the rest of my Bama-themed outfit.

Plus, the normal rules of accessorizing (take one thing off before you go out) don't really apply here. If it's team-related, just pile it on.

And if you're feeling particularly adventurous, as apparently many Alabama girls are this season, use your fingernails as an accessory. Sally Hansen makes nail polish strips, in patterns. Houndstooth included. And every store in Birmingham that sells them is sold out. I finally ordered them online, and I can't wait to try them out. But even in my casual office, I don't know how well houndstooth nails would go down, so to tone it down, I'm just going to do one nail on each hand, and the rest crimson. If you aren't lucky enough to have the pattern to work with (though I think they came in tiger stripes, for the Auburn/LSU/Clemson/Missouri fans out there), there are other ways to improvise...

Yes, I pull for Oregon too. Yes, my loyalties are very divided. No, painting the words quack quack on my nails unfortunately did not help them win that game, but it was still pretty fun to do.

Before leaving your house, you need a purse, right? As much as I love my giant catch-all purses that I can throw my whole life into, keep in mind that most stadiums have size restrictions on purses for security reasons. Know what that limit is (at Bryant-Denny, it's nothing bigger than an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper, and they mean business about it), and stay within it. Once I took a purse I thought was within the size limits (it was a little more than 11 inches long, maybe 12 or 13, but nowhere near 8 1/2 inches wide, so I didn't see a problem), and although they let me in with it, it was with a stern look and a warning not to bring that purse again. (I mean, how would they remember, but still.) Once I saw a girl throw her purse away because it was too big and they wouldn't let her in with it. Got everything she needed out of it, and just tossed it. Don't let this happen to you. Take a tiny purse, or put the few things you need in your pockets.

And lastly before you walk out the door, my favorite part of an outfit: shoes. Football Saturdays tend to involve a lot of walking and standing, so make sure your shoes are comfortable. I can count on one hand the number of times I have worn heels to a football game, and I will never do it again, as much as my new houndstooth pumps might tempt me this season. Even comfortable heels (which I would say 95% of mine are, under normal circumstances) are a pain after hours on your feet, hiking across campus and up a hundred thousand steps to your seat. If you really want to wear heels, more power to you (when am I ever going to discourage heels?), but there are enough flat sandals in my life (some of them crimson, no less) that I don't see this as necessary. And if you plan to take your heels off at the end of the night, stash some flip-flops in your tiny purse; seeing girls walk around barefoot makes me cringe. Think of the dirt, the tiny pebbles, the possibility of broken glass after a long day of tailgating. It's just a bad idea.

The countdown is on, only 16 days left until college football season! RTR.

Maxi Dresses...For Real This Time

Updated! Cleaning out the photos on my phone and realized I still had the one of the green dress that started this whole thing. Enjoy! :)

The original blog post, as follows:

After much consideration, I have finally pinpointed what it is about maxi dresses that drives me crazy (Aside from the fact that most people just don't know how to wear them, or what proper fit looks like. But then, isn't that true of most items of clothing?):

I don’t GET it.

I have recently discovered the wonder that is Pandora Radio, and the ads that come up most frequently are for one of those designer discount websites, and lately, what they’ve been showing pictures of more than anything is maxi dresses. My little fashion prodigy (shoutout to livinbohochic.blogspot.com!) and I don’t disagree on much, but maxi dresses are one of the few things that goes on her side of the Venn diagram and not in the overlapping middle. She has two, that I know of, and when she bought the first one, I told her I didn’t hate it, and that “I don’t hate it” was the highest compliment I could give that particular item of clothing. She accepts this about me, and we sort of just agree to disagree about the maxi dress. She looks cute in it, don’t get me wrong. I’m just in general not a fan.

Anyway, so the other day, I’ve got Pandora on at work as usual, and one of those ads comes up on the side, with a maxi dress. An emerald green maxi dress, no less. Emerald green is my color clothing weakness, so if ever a maxi dress were going to win me over, it would have been this one. But I actually liked the dress. It was fitted enough so that it didn’t look like a big sheet, low-cut without being too scandalous, and just overall a fun dress. So naturally, I took a picture on my phone and texted it to Christy, and told her I had finally found a maxi dress I could in good conscience approve of. She loved it too, but sadly they were sold out of the green, and so she sent me a link to another dress she had found. Imagine my surprise when I liked that one too! It had a tie at the waist for shape definition, good color (orange, a fine color as long as it’s not a football Saturday…roll tide…), and just in general a nice looking dress. (Check it out here.)

Two maxi dresses in one day, what is the world coming to?!

That’s when I realized, it’s not (always) the dresses themselves that are the problem. As a matter of fact, that designer discount website has quite a few maxi dresses that I think are pretty cute. They fit well (aside from the obvious, that you can't see any leg under there), they come in fun colors and patterns, and interesting shapes (the green one is actually a convertible dress, so you can wear it 10ish different ways...)…so what’s the problem, you ask? I said it myself while I was texting Christy: I liked that green one because it looked like an evening gown. Which are, by definition, of a similar shape to maxi dresses, with hems down to the floor. Yet, I have no problem with those. I mean really, who doesn’t love a super-glam evening gown? Isn’t that why we all watch the Oscars? What’s the difference?

The difference is that maxi dresses have no practical place in my life. Granted, neither do evening gowns 99.99% of the time, but say I’m going to a black tie event…there. A place in my life. Maxi dresses are (supposedly) a casual item of clothing. So I’m supposed to wear it…running errands? Great, can’t wait to sweep the floor of Wal-Mart with the hem of my dress. At the beach? And cover up more of my skin that won’t get tan? No thank you. Hanging out with friends? I live in Alabama. In the summer, when maxi dresses make their inexplicable appearance, it’s a cool day if the temperature stays below 90. If I’m going to be spending any length of time outdoors, my goal is to wear as little clothing as possible without being arrested for public indecency. So why in the world would I put on a floor length skirt? Exactly, I wouldn’t. It just doesn’t make sense.

So there you have it. I don’t get it. That’s why I don’t like maxi dresses. It just does not compute in my head.

Christy dear, do I hear a rebuttal blog post coming on Livin’ Boho Chic?? ;)

Blog Challenge : Maxi Dresses

Yesterday, I wrote a blog about maxi dresses. And when I told Christy about it, including the suggestion that she write a post in comparison, she suggested this: The Blog Challenge. Maxi dresses are one of very few things that she and I disagree on fashion-wise (actually, nothing else even comes to mind at the moment), so she thought it would be fun if each of us wrote a blog from the other’s point of view on this controversial piece of clothing. I told her I wasn’t sure if I could, and after some hesitation, she said she wasn’t sure she could see my side either.

But we’re giving it a go anyway. So Christy, this one is for you and your maxi dresses!

Reasons maxi dresses are a great item of clothing:

1. They are boho.

I suppose the right maxi dress could go so far as to be boho chic. I’m not familiar with the particulars, although that is the name of Christy’s blog, so sure, we’ll call them boho chic. Nothing says boho like a nice long skirt. I don’t know why that is…but hey, why not?

2. They protect against sunburn.

No sunscreen? No problem! Just cover your legs with a nice long maxi dress and you’re good to go.

3. Speaking of covering your legs…

Forgot to shave but still want to wear a skirt? Solution: maxi dress.

4. They are trendy.

Not to say that you should wear a maxi dress (or any other item of clothing) just because it’s “trendy”, but incorporating trends into your wardrobe, in a way that works for you, keeps your look current.

Okay, I give. I can’t think of anything else. Christy shouldn’t have nearly this much trouble coming up with reasons maxi dresses are no good ;)

Dearly Beloved...

For all the sound bytes I put into these blogs about the two weddings over the last few months, you'd think I would have blogged about the actual events. But as you can imagine, two weddings in as many weeks takes up a considerable amount of time and energy, and two days after the second one, I unexpectedly started my first big girl job (a fashion topic for another time; on my third day at work, my boss told me I didn't have to "dress up so much"), which as it turns out takes up even more time and energy than being a full-time bridesmaid.

In any case, here are the fashion highlights from the two weekends I spent marrying off two of my best friends.

May 28: Katie & Chase

This wedding was my getaway weekend in Georgia, the traditional church wedding in rural Dallas that doubled as a high school reunion.

1. The Rehearsal Dinner. If you'll recall, this was the aforementioned casual dinner that I already had an outfit picked out for: a cotton dress and ridiculous heels, and that's exactly what I wore:

The other girls had on heels too at dinner (Kelli, on the far left, gets mad props for walking around in a half-broken heel without breaking an ankle or the shoe), but being me, I'm the only one who kept mine on. Surprise, surprise. :)

2. Before & After Rehearsal Dinner. I don't have any pictures of this, but for decorating the reception hall prior to dinner and bowling with the wedding party afterwards, I had on my aforementioned yellow 5in inseam Old Navy shorts, a summery white shirt, and flat gold sandals. Cute and casual, and great for the hot Southern summer weather.

3. Saturday Morning Nails & Hair. Despite the fact that we didn't actually go get our hair done, I opted for the traditional button down shirt (the same blue plaid one I wore on the plane to Colorado) and more colored shorts, green ones this time. I love the colored shorts for summer.

4. THE WEDDING. Of course, this was both the most important part of the weekend, and the only part I didn't have to obsess over picking out an outfit for. However, Katie let us pick out our own shoes (her only criteria was that they be brown) and that was (unsurprisingly) quite an ordeal. Also not surprising: I had the highest heels in the wedding party, and the only shoes covered in glitter. Did you know anyone made brown glitter shoes? Leave it to me to find a pair.

I loved these bridesmaids' dresses: (Honestly, in three go-rounds, I haven't had one yet that stood up to the ugly bridesmaid dress stereotype.) flattering on everyone, and the color made my tan stand out. And of course, a nice complement to the beautiful bride. :)

5. The Afterparty. No, I don't mean the reception; obviously, I still had on my bridesmaid's dress for that. But with so many old friends in town, and the fact that "in town" was not the same as any of the places we all currently live, we couldn't not go out after the reception. So I broke out another pair of the 5in shorts (grey this time) and out we went.

I got my much needed weekend off after this (which, in true McKelvy fashion, I spent in Tallahassee rocking a variety of crimson and white ensembles as we cheered on the Alabama baseball team at Regionals), and then wedding #2 rolled around.

June 11: Whitney & Bryan

The formal evening wedding at a mansion out in Chelsea.

1. The Rehearsal Dinner. This, if you'll recall, was the event where I was going to wear something over-the-top. Darling Christy and I finally, after much discussion, came to an agreement on what we were each going to wear, so that neither of us would be more over-dressed than the other. I had another pair of outrageous glitter shoes to wear (please don't tell me it surprises you that I own two pairs; in fact, I own three) and a pink and gold cocktail dress I haven't worn yet to go with them. And then it started raining. Well, even if the rain had quit by the time the rehearsal rolled around (which it did), it was an outdoor wedding; there was no way I was going to christen my gold glitter pumps on a muddy lawn. So I was forced to go with my backup dress and more weather proof footwear. I almost wore my rain boots, but since it had stopped raining, I went with heels. Lesson learned: have a backup outfit ready before it's time to get dressed for the rehearsal.

2. The Bachelorette Party. Once the rehearsal dinner was over, we girls glammed ourselves up with fake diamond rings, a boa for the bride, and glow in the dark straws for our drinks, and headed downtown. I could have dressed more appropriately (read: sluttier) than I did, but downtown Birmingham is something of a sketchy place, so I stuck with a fairly low-cut day dress, and the same heels I wore at the rehearsal. (Well, I thought I had a picture of all of us, but I can't find it. Maybe later.)

3. Saturday Morning Nails & Hair. Okay, so for this one we didn't actually get our nails done. We did, however, all go get our hair done, so the button-down shirt was crucial for this one. Don't have any pictures of me here either, but Christy is wearing my shirt. Close enough. :)

And just for fun, here's a picture of my hair once it was all done and pretty. And the pile of bobby pins that came out of it the next day. 30, by the way. Yes, I counted.

4. THE WEDDING. For this one, I didn't have to pick out my dress or my shoes, which, as you can imagine, saved me considerable headaches. These dresses were very grand, and very fitting for the formal ceremony.

Although, our goofy attitudes and the fun fedoras...not so formal. Always important to let out a little stress by being silly. :)

Happy wedding season, everyone!

Five Things...

Five Things I'm Totally Loving Right Now

1. Crossbody purses
I bought a red one back at Christmas, because it was on clearance and I knew some girls who had them, but I didn't think they really suited my style. But I could not have been more wrong. I take that red purse everywhere! Mostly to sporting events (roll tide, y'all), but also when I go out. Anywhere that I could take one of my huge Mary-Poppins-esque bags, but don't really need to. It's so convenient to just slip a few essentials (camera, phone, money, ID, chapstick, etc.) into it and throw it over my shoulder. And because the strap lays across my body, I don't have to constantly hike it back up onto my shoulder like I would with a regular purse. I actually use it so much that I just bought a second one in a neutral, this Nine West bag from DSW.

2. Old Navy's 5in inseam shorts
One word: amazing. They are the perfect length, not too short (Stacy & Clinton might disagree, but 90 degrees in the shade doesn't), but not long like bermuda shorts. And they come in so many colors! I'm officially obsessed. I now have the black pair, plus a yellow pair and a grey pair that aren't shown online. Check out all the colors here.

3. Country music
No, seriously. The world of country seems to be on a roll right now. While pop music is just getting tired (we'll discuss that in a bit), the country artists are rolling out plenty of great new stuff. Some favorites at the moment: Lady Antebellum's new one "Just a Kiss", Chris Young's "Tomorrow", and "Dirt Road Anthem" by Jason Aldean, which I'm already feeling may be my summer jam, something I'm still waiting for from the pop stations. You snooze, you lose...and get replaced by a country song.

4. Miranda Lambert's wedding bouquet
Speaking of country music...Miranda Lambert wed Blake Shelton a couple of weeks ago, and instead of carrying flowers down the aisle, the bride had a bouquet made out of costume jewelry and brooches given to her by friends and family at a bridal shower. I have absolutely no idea how you would go about making something like that. But it may be the neatest wedding idea I have ever seen, and as you can imagine, I have seen a lot. Sadly, there aren't any pictures of her actual bouquet online (though a picture of a similar bouquet can be found here), so you will have to settle for the pictures I snapped out of the Us Weekly article.

5. Coppertone sunscreen
This seems so silly, and I know I've mentioned to you before my general lack of sunscreen use. But today, for probably the first time ever, I desperately wanted to be protected from the sun. You know what 90 degree weather for three hours at a ballpark (I swear the sun reflects off the bleachers and makes it feel hotter) is three days before a wedding? A recipe for disaster. Just think of the tan lines in the pictures...quelle horreur! Fortunately, my dad is very pale skinned and burns easily, so he always has the hardcore stuff on hand. Coppertone makes an aerosol spray in SPF 30, so it took all of about thirty seconds for my brother to douse me head to toe in sun protection, and it was so light I barely felt it. But it worked. And you know who's not gonna have awkward tan lines for Saturday? This girl! (Plus, it is healthier; protecting against skin cancer and all.)

Five Things I'm Totally Over

1. The Snooki Poof
I'm not sure what even made me think of this, but I suddenly realized that it has been quite a while since I pinned my hair back in that tiny bump at the front of my head. It's so goofy when you think about it in the abstract...a little poof of hair? But I have very thin and flat hair, so the volume was appealing. And it was trendy, at the time, which is what prompted me to try it in the first place. But Jersey Shore has more than run its course (those poor Italians who are dealing with them now!), and so has the hairstyle that Snooki made famous.

2. Ke$ha
The very epitome of the played out pop music mentioned earlier. Ke$ha's songs are catchy, they really are. And for a while, I liked each new song she came out with better than I liked the last. But come out with enough of those, and they all start to sound alike, and then who even cares? I actually like Ke$ha; I saw an interview with her on TV and it was shocking how down-to-earth she seemed, considering the content of her lyrics. But she's got to get some new stuff if she wants to stick around.

3. Katy Perry & the song "Forget You"
I like Katy Perry's songs too...at least the first twenty or so times that I hear them. Which only takes about a day and a half. I don't know what it is with her songs, but every time she comes out with a new single, radio stations play it to death, and I'm sick of it and changing the station when it comes on within a week. Last summer, I declared "California Gurls" the most over played song since "Livin' La Vida Loca". I think now, though, I have to give the title to "Forget You". I can't hardly get in my car without hearing it, sometimes more than once. Even Glee did it! (Not to mention two Katy Perry numbers. Plus they used "California Gurls" as the music for a Cheerios routine.) I can't get away from it! And while I suppose it isn't Katy or Cee Lo's fault that their songs are being so outrageously overplayed, it took me almost a decade before I could enjoy "Livin' La Vida Loca" again, when I so loved it at first. So to "California Gurls" and "Forget You"...I guess I'll see you in 2021!

4. Those Listerine whitening strips
The verdict is in: they suck. For starters, I'm not entirely convinced they're making my teeth any whiter. But they are such a pain. Earlier, when I was trying to put a strip on my lower teeth, it got stuck to the inside of my lip as soon as it touched it, and I had to scrape it off. Not so pleasant. I tried again about half an hour later, and accidentally overlapped part of the strip onto my gum. And they said not to do that, but I had no idea it would burn if it happened! Ow. I'm seriously tempted to go to Ulta right now and buy the Crest stuff and just throw these out. I've still got a couple of good whitening days left before the wedding; I think it's time for Listerine and I to cut our losses.

5. Platform shoes
Platform shoes, like most things, have their place in a wardrobe. But is it just me, or does it seem like that's all there is lately? Sometimes I don't want a five-inch heel with a one-inch platform. Sometimes (actually, most of the time) a four-inch stiletto does just fine. And yet it seems that nothing is flat on the ball of your foot anymore. I would never discount the platform entirely, but a girl needs options. And as much as I love my 100th pair of shoes, the classic black pumps I finally decided I couldn't go wrong with, they are a platform, and I feel with a skirt they're just a little much for work. Which makes them not quite the perfect classic black pump. Just as long as the March issue of Glamour I was reading at the gym yesterday is wrong about "flatforms" being back (see #2 on this archives page), I can let the rest of it slide.

Product Testing: Listerine Whitening Strips

As you may or may not recall, I am a double bridesmaid this summer, starting in an alarmingly close ten days with wedding #1. Which led me to the decision that it was time to break out the Whitestrips again. Because wedding photos last forever.

I would say I'm fairly brand-loyal to Crest, but to be honest, I didn't even know anyone else made Whitestrips until my field trip to Ulta the other day after I used the last of my Crest strips. I was just figuring on a refill. But as it turns out, those Crest strips are more expensive than I remember. I think it may be because of their increased extra-strength formula. Which is inconveniently now all they offer. (Don't you hate when companies do that? They come out with some new advanced product but stop selling the cheaper version that worked just fine. Makeup companies do that a lot.) So I'm sitting there looking at a package of 20 strips that cost $30, and sitting next to it, a box of 56 strips that cost $20, by Listerine. I have tried Listerine whitening mouthwash, and in that arena I am brand-loyal to Crest (Theirs works way better.), so I was a little skeptical about the white strips. But being as broke as I am, I can't make an argument against the cost-effectiveness. Nearly three times as many strips for $10 less. So I'm trying them. Even if they only work one-third as well, I have three times as many. Totally logical, right?

The thing about the Listerine version is they dissolve on your teeth. Kind of weird. But still, I was willing to give them a shot. I have only been using them for two days, but I kind of already wish I had splurged for the Crest version. I mean, it's not enough time for my teeth to have been whitened, so I may take that back. Maybe these just take some getting used to. But they claim to dissolve in "5-10 minutes". It actually takes about 25 minutes, during which time you can't eat or drink anything. And unfortunately, they don't completely dissolve at all. The pieces that end up between your teeth, just from pressing them on, get kind of stuck there, and then you have to pull them out. (Or swallow them, which is safe, since you're swallowing all the dissolved bits anyway.)

It's not all bad, though. It is kind of nice to just sit there and let it happen, not be checking the clock to see how long they've been on, or have to get up and rinse your mouth out from the gel of the Crest Whitestrips. And they have a minty flavor. (It says it's supposed to freshen your breath, but it's more like they taste nice while they're on your teeth, but afterwards, there's no effect.)

Of course, all of this, good and bad, makes no real difference compared to how well it turns out they whiten my teeth. Which, of course, only time will tell. And by time, I mean only ten short days. Yikes! But Operation Try Listerine is underway, for better or worse. We'll see how it goes!

Double Trouble

A couple of weeks ago, I scolded Kourtney Kardashian and Ellen Pompeo for appearing in US Weekly's "Who Wore it Best?" section wearing the same awful denim jumpsuit. So imagine my surprise when earlier today, I clicked on Yahoo's What Were They Thinking?! set of pictures (always entertaining) and saw another denim-clad Kardashian: Khloe, wearing a shorts version of a very similar denim jumpsuit!

What is going on with this?! Ugh! These ensembles are not the slightest bit flattering. You would think that drawstring in the middle would at least give her some shape, but it really doesn't, and the drawstring just hangs there, droopy like the pockets, and, honestly, in kind of an awkward place. It's just a disservice to those shoes and that bag, and of course, the pretty girl wearing this horrible item of clothing. I don't even want to call it a trend, because that implies that it has some amount of staying power, at least for the forseeable future, and I have seen quite enough of these all-denim outfits. Denim has plenty of uses in the world of fashion, but jumpsuit simply isn't one of them.

Forecast: Stylish...Colorado Edition

A couple of weeks ago, I spent the better part of five days in Colorado, a brand new part of the country for me. My darling friend Christy (hi dear!) moved out there with her husband about six months ago, and for six months, I heard fantastical tales about the weather in Colorado, which made it sound more like another planet than another state. I live in Alabama; if we get more than an inch of snow all year, it's the coming of the second ice age. Then there's Colorado. A place where at the end of a week in which the temperatures were all in the low 60s, there was still enough snow on the ground to go skiing and snowboarding, because there was so much of it to begin with that it didn't all melt. Un-freaking-believable.

But naturally, this absurd weather gave me inspiration, and as soon as we started planning this trip, I had all sorts of fantastical ideas about the things I was going to wear. Things that would make me look exactly like a clueless Alabamian who doesn't know how to dress for extremely cold weather (which, admittedly, I am). I started promising Christy that I would be dressed so crazy that she would be embarassed to pick me up from the airport. I started texting her pictures like this suede and fur-trimmed purse. Totally looks like the kind of purse an eskimo would carry, right? I found all kind of fur-trimmed accessories--boots, vests, gloves...I can't lie, I wanted to look as ridiculous as possible, at least for my initial touchdown in the snowy state of Colorado. And if I'd actually had any spending money at the time, I might have actually made it to Colorado with some of the things I found, like these fabulous boots. (I might go back for those anyway!) For my full vision, check out these pictures from Chanel's winter show. The fur knee-high boots, the fur skirt, those Snow Queen coats, and possibly my personal favorite, the purses made to look like ice...So great. But somehow, I managed to make it to Colorado without any of these things. I may not have looked like a ridiculous Eskimo princess from Alabama, but the girls and I still had plenty of fun playing dress-up in Colorado.

Day One

One of the few days I wore only one outfit: my comfy plane outfit. Jeans, my suede boots, and light layers, as instructed by my lovely Colorado hostess.

Day Two

The day of the costume change. No one made it through the day in the same clothes, but of course I was the one pulling the most switcheroos, with a total of three outfits on the day. First up: theme outfit #1. I love dinosaurs. Apparently this fact was not as well-known as I thought it was until I all but begged Christy and Gayle to go to the Dinosaur Depot in a neighboring town. To which I, of course, wore my Gangsta-saurus tee. Don't get me wrong; I'm very rarely a fan of goofy graphic tees. But it says Gangsta-saurus. The little guy is wearing a doorag. It's precious. And I only wear it in goofy situations. Or where it's theme appropriate. But to keep the outfit thoroughly me, I wore it with a cardigan and bright yellow bejeweled flats. The only way to do the goofy tee.

Then we went to a winery. Dressed much more dignified-ly in skirts, and rocking the tights/leggings (in an appropriate way!). Dressed dignified, but of course, never acting it... Life is more fun that way. ;) Which brings us to our nighttime activities, and our respective second and third outfits of the day. First we went out to dinner, then spent some time at a piano/martini bar. It would have been Fabulously irresponsible of us not to dress to the nines...

Day Three
Behold my other theme outfit of the trip, the one that Christy and Gayle joined me in...

Now could we really have gone horseback riding without dressing like real ("real") cowgirls? The plaid shirts, the braided pigtails...classic. After our cowgirl adventure, we went shopping, which meant a combination of cute and comfort and, for the other girls, the purchase of some fabulous hats!

As for me, I bought my landmark 100th pair of shoes. (Not the 100th I've ever owned...there's no telling when that happened...but the 100th that I've owned at one time.) Also, pairs #101 and 102.

Yes, we are so dorky that we took an action shot of the 100th pair being purchased. Our cashier was such a good sport about it! I would say she probably gets that a lot...but she probably does not.

Day Four

A perfect example of how not to dress in Colorado. Lesson learned: don't go anywhere without a heavy coat. It can be 60 degrees in the morning, and an hour later, a sudden snowstorm will hit. No joke.

We were completely unprepared for the weather, but hey, it makes for good blogging! :) Later, of course, we were dressed more appropriately. And although I hate the snow and cold, it would admittedly have been a bit of a waste to go all the way to Colorado and not get to dress like a snow bunny.

Day five we were back in our comfy plane clothes, with the same snow-bunny top layer, so I will spare you from further goofy pictures. Packing was definitely a challenge, but Christy and JD will be in Colorado for three more years (ONLY three, do you hear me? :) ), so I will certainly know better for next time.

P.S. I love you Christy and Gayle!