Fashionable 40

Never worn sexy leopard mules with two inch heels for sale

2012-03-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Internet, I hate my shoe size. It's just so difficult finding cute shoes that fit.

I'm a 10-1/2 Wide but usually 11's work so much better.

When I laid my eyes on these J. Renee leopard mules with a two inch heel, I was instantly in love. The bow, the animal pattern, the sexy pointed toe, the everything!

Oh, they are so beautiful!

Maybe you didn't get a good look:

See? Aren't they just divine? Oh, how I love them.

But they do not fit me. I have tried, and for me, they are no more than
five minute shoes. Meaning I can't wear them for more than five minutes without
wanting to cry.

So out they must go. If you're interested in buying these beautiful, never worn shoes, please email me.

$20.00

J. Renee Glinda
Size 10.5 W
Leopard Mule

Purchased at Nordstrom Rack.

Hot pink polka dots

2012-02-29T18:36:00.001-05:00

Hot pink cardigan with polka dotted dress.

As everybody else is doing, I've been obsessed with Pinterest. I get into such a hair
rut but luckily I can search around and pin some new styles. One new style I tried today was the sock bun. I couldn't get a good picture but here's one from several days ago. It's so easy to do, I just love how messy and loose it looks.

Here's the original tutorial.

Pink cardigan - Thrifted
Polka dot dress - Yard sale
Jewelry - Lia Sophia

Casual Monday

2012-02-27T20:10:00.000-05:00

This is a typical "uniform" for me in the winter. A good fitting pair of jeans, a comfy cardigan and a t-shirt on underneath.

Today, I rounded out the uniform with silver glittery ballet flats,
a blingy cocktail ring and a boho necklace. I think I looked
better in person than in these photos.

Please excuse the "smoothing" effects of these photos. I'm playing around
with different photo editors since Picnik will be going bye bye soon. Sniff sniff.
Today I decided to play around with Be Funky. What program do you all use?

Trench Coat in February

2012-02-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

As I said below, we here in SE Michigan are experiencing warmer
temps than usual for this time of year. I'm not complaining.
All I needed today was a light trench coat.

Casual Corduroy

2012-02-08T22:42:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you just don't get a really good photo op during the workday, ya know?

Corduroy Jacket - Kohl's
Maxi Dress - Avenue.com
Bling - Lia Sophia

Inspiration

2012-02-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm privileged to be included in February's Outfit Inspiration Calendar on Fab Finds Under $50. I'm Miss February 23rd! I loved this polka dot dress so much. You can see it on the banner up above, in the center. It's a keeper!

Sweater Weather

2012-02-06T17:55:00.000-05:00

Normally this time of year southeastern Michigan would be experiencing below freezing temps and snow. Lots of snow. But this global warming thing is really working to our advantage this year. A light jacket is all I've been wearing, perhaps gloves in the chilly early morning. However, by the afternoon, it's been in the high 40's and 50's so sometimes I've been skipping the jacket altogether. Today, I got by with a light, bright cardigan and my fluffy leopard scarf.

Cardigan - Thrifted
Skinny Jeans - Torrid
Scarf - Lane Bryant (several years old)
Ring - Premiere Designs (home party)

Cargo Combat

2012-01-27T17:01:00.000-05:00

Not much to say about this outfit other than I'm in love with it.
Yes, I know I need to incorporate more color into my wardrobe
but something about this drab collection hooked me. I'm in
love with my new boots. Look at the zipper in back, love the red.
And I like the idea of mixing this military inspired ensemble
with kickin' wine colored fingernails.

Cargo skirt / Roaman's
Boots / Madden Girl via DSW
Brown - Black reversible tights / Spanx
Long sweater / Kohl's

Your mama wears combat boots

2012-01-27T05:31:00.000-05:00

Full outfit photo to follow, but I just had to share my boots today. Aren't they beautiful? Aged brown leather, steel toe (I think?) Love them!

Gelish Manicure still going strong

2012-01-26T17:30:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago I had my first Gelish manicure (see previous post)
It is still beautiful! The polish is still shiny and there are
NO CHIPS! The color from the edge of my right thumb is fading
a little bit but for a manicure, I am VERY impressed.

Gelish Nail Polish

2012-01-17T19:24:00.000-05:00

I never get manicures at the salon. And I can't remember the last time
I sat down and did my nails myself. I just
get sick of them chipping after one day and looking gross.
It's just not worth it to me. Before I became
a mom, I used to get acrylic tips on my natural nails, which
were prone to peeling and breaking. I loved the
acrylic tips, but did not like having to go back once every two
weeks for fills. So, for the past several years, I've just
had bare fingernails.

Until.

You guys, I just discovered Gelish nail polish. A friend had
a "shellac" polish and claimed she had no chips in over a week.
Over A WEEK! I didn't believe her.

So I researched a little, did some asking around. Was it true?
Could there be a polish out there that would last with no fading
or chiping for more than a few days? I went to my local salon
and she offered to paint my nails with the Gelish polish.
Evidently, Shellac and Gelish are basically
the same. Same process, just different brands. The process involves
three coats: a base coat applied to the bare nail, then "cured" under
a UV light for two minutes, then the special Gelish color, cured for
two more minutes, then finally the special top coat is put on, then
cured for two minutes. I chose a dark wine color for my pasty
white skin. The contrast looks great!

I got the polish/manicure on Friday Jan 13. Today is Tues January 17
and so far, not a chip!

Yowza!

The Gelish color costs more but for someone like me, it is totally worth it.

Anyone gotten a Gelish polish lately? Shellac?

Hot Pink Frida

2012-01-17T16:30:00.000-05:00

I was a little inspired by Alison Gary of Wardrobe Oxygen's weekend casual post of a graphic tee with a scarf and military style jacket.

Here's Alison working it :

Isn't she the cutest thing ever? The tee! The bright scarf! The boots! Love it all! Great job Alison!

So I put on my hot pink Frida Kahlo tee (from Etsy), a bold black and white polka dotted scarf and military jacket. Voila...inspiration in the flesh!

Every Body, Every Wear for January

2012-01-16T16:30:00.000-05:00

Having only recently discovered the blog Every Body, Every Wear, I'm a little sad I haven't linked up with them for prior style challenges. January's is Black and White.

Cleaning out the closet

2012-01-15T10:12:00.000-05:00

The coat closet that is. I love the changing seasons here in Michigan for so many reasons, not
least of which is going through my winter things from last season. I rediscovered this animal print scarf that I've had for probably three years or more. Must wear more often.

One Outfit Two Ways

2012-01-09T18:14:00.001-05:00

Ok. A slight conundrum. There was a decision to make this morning. I knew
I'd be wearing my base outfit of a thrifted brown skirt and short sleeved
leopard shirt. On its own, it was too dressy for my uber-casual work environment.
So I decided to dress it down with my green utility jacket. Then I thought
it looked too casual, almost messy. So I slipped into a long black sweater
and created the illusion of a waist with my wide belt. Loved the look but
ultimately went with the utility jacket. Will definitely wear the long sweater/belt
combo another day.

Polka Dot Fab

2011-12-21T21:46:00.000-05:00

As a fat chick, I usually shy away from belts.

Then I found out that you can buy plus sized belts! That stretch! And look cute!

Maxi dress - Thrifted
Military jacket - Roaman's
Tights - JMS
Boots - Roaman's

The Dreaded Mom Jeans

2011-12-09T18:31:00.000-05:00

Oh dear reader, how I long to look as polished and put together as the women I see on other fatshion blogs. I have a vision in my mind of how I think I will look. I plan the outfit for the day. I carefully coordinate my accessories, my shoes. I apply my makeup, style my hair. The vision in my mind of how I look is assured, business casual and styled, with a slight hipster edge. That's my vision anyway. The reality is always, always different. When I put on today's outfit, I felt great, but after viewing the photos: UGH. Ill fitting jeans ruined my whole outfit. From the waist up, I think I look nice, love the necklace especially. But the jeans. Oh, the ugly mom jeans. I did not realize how baggy they look. Atrocious. Never again. Blech.

This is a lesson to myself that fit is everything.

Jeans / WalMart
Top Wrap and Camisole / SWAK Designs
Necklace / Gifted

The Spirit of Frida

2011-12-07T19:12:00.001-05:00

So it's getting colder and colder and that means my office gets chilly as well. I was in the mood for a maxi dress but knew my outfit would need layering, so I chose the corduroy jacket and threw on the pink scarf for color and warmth.

Even though I've increased my shoe collection a thousandfold (or so it seems) over the past few months, the elusive comfortable yet dressy black shoe eludes me. I settled for these black leather mules.

And the spirit of Ms. Frida gave me strength throughout the day.

You're familiar with Frida Kahlo, aren't you?

Photobombing Photo Session

2011-12-05T12:01:00.000-05:00

Ah, just a typical photo session. Pressed for time, not looking as polished as I would prefer, kid wanting in on the action. Such is life.

Blazer - JCPenney
Cami - Old Navy
Jeans - WalMart
Jewelry - Lia Sophia
Shoes - DSW

Thriftiness

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm new to the world of Thrifting. I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by thrift stores in the metro Detroit area: Salvation Army, Goodwill, lots of independent resellers. But my favorite is HIPS, plus size resale boutique in Clawson. Bazinga! I discovered this store in the summer of 2011, they had just opened a few months prior. And, yes---plus size gently used clothing reasonably priced. I was in love. I'm still in love. Not a week goes by that I don't stop in and buy at least one thing.

Today, my top half is stuff thrifted at HIPS. I seem to have the best luck with tops, jackets and shoes. Yes, I've bought used shoes. Gently used. I've tripled my shoe inventory in a matter of weeks and done so very, very cheaply. Thank you HIPS!

Lane Bryant Jacket / Thrifted
Top / Thrifted
Jeans / Torrid
Flats / Ulla Popken
Necklace / Lia Sophia

Glittery flats and curvy skinny jeans

2011-11-27T11:57:00.001-05:00

WOW

I just cannot sing the praises of my Curvy Skinny Jeans from Torrid enough. They fit perfectly. Skinny legs, without being too tight or restrictive. Roomy in tummy and butt area. Lovely dark denim. Swoon....

Curvy Skinny Jeans / Torrid
Glittery Flats / Torrid
Jacket / OLD
Top / Thrifted
Necklace / Lia Sophia

Products I love

2011-11-23T13:39:00.001-05:00

Products I love:

Trader Joe's A Midsummer's Night Cream Moisturizing Cream

Fragrance Free, creamy, not greasy at all. Soaks right in. Perfect for icky winter skin and the oft dreaded scaly hands. A girl's best friend in winter.

Casual Autumn

2011-11-23T11:57:00.000-05:00

The leaves have fallen, the temperature is decreasing. I want to snuggle all day long. Must be fall in Michigan.

Graphic tee - Kohls
Utility jacket - Macys
Curvy Skinny Jeans - Torrid (love, love, love)
Glitter zebra print flats - Torrid

A new face

2011-11-23T10:38:00.001-05:00

Is there anything better than a makeover? Thanks to Andrea, makeup artiste extraordinaire at my local MAC store, I entered with a blank, undone face and left looking incredible! Thank you Andrea for trying new colors on me. What a difference blending and a risk on colors makes.

Me before (mascara only):

Me during:

Look into my eyes. Oh wait, they're closed:

The finished face:

The Military Jacket

2011-11-16T20:47:00.001-05:00

Utility and military style jackets are trending right now. I'm afraid of
wearing out my green utility jacket's welcome, so, since I love the military style, I bought
this jacket from Roaman's. My experience with Roaman's is that their stuff is cheap junk and I try
to only buy staples from them, like tee shirts and basic leggings, but this jacket was
calling out my name and the price was right.

Partnered with a pair of glittery flats, all was right with my world.

Jacket - Roaman's
Jeans - WalMart
Flats - Torrid.com

More Red Dress Fever

2011-11-16T20:41:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I am a little in love with my red dress look. The leopard belt (scarf), the boots, the corduroy jacket, the dress itself. It just looks so...you know, stylish.

Here are some closer looks.

Dress - SWAK Designs
Belt (Scarf) - Etsy
Jacket - Kohl's
Boots - Roaman's
Earrings - Local craft market

Red Dress Tuesday

2011-11-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

Ah, can anything lift your spirits as much as a red dress? I used my favorite scarf, the fun and versatile leopard one, as a belt. My workplace is
very casual, so I kept this outfit relaxed with a corduroy jacket and black boots. Pictures are super dark, my apologies.

Eloquii?

2011-11-01T11:10:00.001-04:00

Oh Eloquii. I wanted to like you so very much. Maybe I'm in a grumpy mood this morning but when I woke up to the "sneak preview" email you sent out, I was sorely disappointed. Lots of tailored office clothes, which is a nice idea. But from the cursory examination I gave the sizes you offer...shame on you. Only up to a 24? And are ANY of your models over a size 10?

Disappointed!

The Rules

2011-10-29T09:51:00.000-04:00

I'm two weeks away from turning 40. Are there any "rules" I should know about in terms of clothing? You know, such as no short skirts, you're over 40 so make sure you stay away from this, make sure you wear that. Any rules? I wonder if animal print applies. I'm just loving all the leopard I see lately.

Today, I'm sporting leopard earrings and a leopard scarf.

Found the earrings at a local artist's market here in the Detroit area, Rust Belt Market in Ferndale. For $5! The scarf is from Etsy. It's so light and versatile. Love!

Outfit Yay! Face Nay!

2011-10-29T09:28:00.000-04:00

Loved my outfit today. Dressy, blouse-y top, my faithful companion, the utility jacket and dressy pants. And while I'm writing about pants, what is your word of choice? "Pants" seems so old to me. "Slacks" is even older, no one says that anymore. I love the term "trousers" but have been told that is ancient. I don't care. I love it anyway!

Do you use Picnik? I love their seasonal photo editing tools. Was NOT digging my face in this pic.

Utility jacket / Macy's / $40
Blouse / Thrift / $12
Trousers / Chadwicks / $20

SCORE!

2011-10-22T11:00:00.000-04:00

Don't you just love a good sale? Check out the price on the orange tag. $30! I bought a Liz Claiborne jacket from my favorite resale store. It was originally $155, then marked down to $89.99, I scored it for $30. Tags still on, never worn. If I could figure out how, I'd tell you how much percentage off that is, but I can't because, you know, math. Apologies to all the people out there that were offended by that comment, but I"m a word person, not a numbers person.

What's your best score from a resale/thrift store?

Close up of chunky bracelet...

2011-10-21T19:32:00.000-04:00

...because I *KNEW* you were dying to see it.

Accessorizing

2011-10-21T19:30:00.000-04:00

Well, hello new Blogger format. I think I like you a little bit better than your predecessor. OK, on to the blogging. Fit, style, fashion...what does it all mean? I think at least for me, it means you have to follow your gut instinct. Be true to yourself, your own likes/dislikes etc and the rest will follow. I'm not an overly girly girl so frou-frouing it up doesn't work for me. However, I do like the occasional accessory. I've noticed how pulled together I look when I accessorize with things like necklaces, rings, scarves. But on this day, I’m focused on my bracelet.

I love the chunky bracelet I'm wearing here. It's a conversation piece. It's big, clunky and blingy. The old me, say two months ago, wouldn't have given this bracelet another glance. The new me? She saw that it was on clearance for $6 and she bought it instantly.

What about you? Is there something that you wear now that you might not have looked at twice a short while ago?

Cardigan / Target(?) / $15
Dress / Yard Sale / $10
Chunky Bracelet / Craft Store / $6
Pandora Bracelet / Various /

Shoe overload

2011-09-28T18:43:00.000-04:00

Earlier in my blog posts, I confessed to owning...well...not a lot of pairs of shoes. I have a wide foot and tend to get overwhelmed when shoe shopping in a regular store. Something in my brain can't process all the boxes, sizes, stacks and smells and I just get overwhelmed and leave before even trying anything on. Alas, my lack of footwear won out over my brain and I had to make a trip to DSW. Usually Zappos.com comes to my rescue, everything all nice and orderly and filterable, but that day I needed a pair of shoes RIGHT THEN, so DSW it was. I'm so glad I went!

I found these babies:

See those? Those are lovely, beautiful jewels! On my toes!

Trends

2011-09-28T18:34:00.002-04:00

I've never been one to follow trends. Never had the patience, the know how, the desire to follow everyone else, nor did I have the money. However, now that I'm more in tune with myself and how I want to present myself to the world in general, I've taken notice of style trends. One trend I particularly like is utility jackets:

Particularly in a military style. I've been stalking my fellow fashion bloggers and one recurring trends is the military green utility jacket. I happened to be shopping for makeup at Macy's and saw they had the Style & Co. brand military jacket on sale. Score!

Maxi Dress / Avenue.com / $10
Utility jacket / Macy's / $40
Heels / Who knows /

Another favorite is from JCPenney:

This beige utility jacket is very versatile. It's more on the casual side and I wore it with dark jeans here, but can be dressed up a bit. I also bought the navy one.

My first pair of Uggs

2011-09-07T10:13:00.000-04:00

So, I have a confession. For a long time now, I have only had about five pairs of shoes. I know, you're thinking: The Hell? But I was in a rut for so long. Thankfully I'm out of that rut now. I realized that shoes make the outfit. Why spend a lot of time choosing items for an outfit only to wear the same pair of dingey ankle boots or crappy flats?

Enter the Ugg clog. Now, a brand like Ugg is not usually a brand I would gravitate toward. They're expensive as hell but the reviews on zappos.com where overwhelmingly positive so I had to give them a try. And I'm in love. Ugg love. They have fur on the inside and are so comfortable to wear. <3

Eyebrows

2011-08-16T09:46:00.000-04:00

I inherited my dad's bushy, unruly eyebrows. Until high school, they really weren't a big deal for me, but in my senior year, they got so bad that I knew it was time to tame them. I was introduced to waxing and WOW what a difference a good waxed eyebrow arch made! It opened my face up, cleared up my features and just looked plain good. That was in 1989, 22 years ago. I'm still getting them waxed.

I particularly love how my brows look this week.

Well hello....

2011-08-16T09:42:00.000-04:00

For now, this blog will be kept private, just for me. I may change that in the future. I may not. This blog will be my documentation of my outward evolution. For the majority of my life, I have been blah. Clothes were blah, hair was blah, face: blah, etc. Not anymore. I'm growing. Changing. Getting older. I can't just skate by anymore and I don't want to.

Let's begin.

**Update October 23...I've decided to make this blog public. I'm learning so much every day about personal style, what looks good on me and want to share it with everyone...I've gained so much knowledge from reading other blogs. Maybe someone can learn something from me.