Weekend Purse

Do you switch to a different purse on the weekends?  Until recently, I did not.  Once and a while, if going to a party, I will grab a clutch.  But truth be told, my clubbing days are well behind me.  My weekends now consist of chores, errands, kid activities, a work out and a nap if I'm lucky. A fun Saturday night is relaxing in bed with my fashion magazines with my dog by my side.

I noticed I was grabbing a few items out of my purse to take with me to the soccer game, or the scout activity, or the pool, or the playground, or the grocery.  I'm a person who historically does not lose things. However, lately my estrogen decrease  has made me absent minded.  That, plus losing my wallet for the first time ever, makes me paranoid about just grabbing my phone or wallet.  

I have several smaller cross body bags, including a Fossil, a Kate Spade and several vintage Coaches. I am reluctant to use these bags for activities that could be messy.  I needed an alternative.

I have been eyeing a nylon cross body bag to satisfy that need.  I've considered Baggallini and Lily Bloom. I  have a Le Sportsac weekender that I love; the fabric, zipper and overall quality is great.  My practical side gravitated to a solid color.  I have looked at the smaller Le Sportsacs several times but passed on them as too young and whimsical.

I was recently in Marshalls when I spotted this guy:

As you can guess, he came home with me.  The colors go with my wardrobe and the size is right.  The pattern is not what I would normally choose.  It is indeed young and whimsical and not really my style.  Too kooky.  Too Boden.  I broke it out this weekend and I LOVE it.  It has three deep pockets that can hold a surprising amount of stuff in an organized way.  Rainy weather? No problem.  I didn't have to worry about misplacing my stuff, I didn't have to worry about the bag getting dirty and my hands were free.  This bag will be so handy for the upcoming soccer season.  The only problem is now I want more!

What is your weekend bag? Do you have one that diverges from your weekday style?

Gap's fall line

I tried on a bunch of items at Gap the other day.  The lighting was terrible and my fitting room photos did not come out, so I hope you won't mind stock photos.  I didn't bring anything home, nor was there anything I wanted to use the 40% coupon on so I didn't ever bother getting one.

On to the reviews!

Striped Embellished T, $29.50.
I tried this on based on Ema's recommendation.  It is a nice quality fabric.  The cut is not as lean as J Crew's current striped shirt.  It was a nice fit on me even though the cotton/modal blend was a touch clingy on my stomach.  I was close to getting it and then I looked at those horizontal stripes on the DDs and realized that it would have to be a layering top only.  And my days of layering something long sleeved under something else long sleeved are pretty much behind me.  I about had a hot flash just thinking about it!  But even though it was a no go for me I recommend it.

Tweed Vest, $59.50
This is 52% Wool, 48% Rayon.  The fabric felt nice and not itchy. I liked the color of the tweed and I think it would go with a lot. I have been looking for a menswear vest for three or four years now.  As you can imagine, finding one that fits in the bust and does not gap under the arms has been the challenge.  This was close but no cigar.  I probably should be looking for a petite (I know, sounds weird to think of a big bust in a petite but I often fit better into petite tailored items).  This of course doesn't come in a petite.

Shrunken Pin Striped Vest, $59.50
See above.  This one fit worse.  If I  had known the word "shrunken" was in the title, I probably wouldn't have bothered.

Band Blazer, $98.00
I liked this blazer.  My tiny Gap had it in navy and black.  The material was a substantial cotton knit, and it was much more flattering than the brown tweed.  It is fitted, and it hit me in the waist pretty well, considering I'm high waisted.  However, I don't need navy or black blazers.  The brown tweed didn't fit as well.  The tweed was better quality than last year's horrible scratchy tweed, but I was still afraid it would itch around the neck. And I don't need brown.  I need gray.  And my Gap didn't have any jackets in gray.

Corduroy Trimmed Utility Jacket, $89.50
This jacket has a nice, substantial cotton shell.  It is lined and a good weight for fall. It might be a tad warm to wear inside.  The color, called "split pea," was more vivid than it shows online.  I was immediately attracted to the belted style.  You know, hourglass, accentuate the waist, et cetera.  I didn't love the corduroy collar.  I think it would be hard to keep popped and I could see it wearing before the other fabric.  This almost fit, but the waist hit me a bit below my natural waist (which is how the majority of misses belted things hit me).  No petite in this one.  It also comes in a nut/oak brown called "worker brown," which is gorgeous if you can wear it.  I prefer the Old Navy and J Crew incarnations of the field jacket to this one.

Well, I hope these reviews gave you some insight into a few of Gap's fall items.  I hope to try on more when I get to the city in a few weeks.

Do you like the Gap? Do you feel they have been a bit "off" in the past few years?

Outfits of the Day

Hi everyone, just a few quick outfit posts this morning.  I'll be back later with some reviews of Gap's new fall line.

On Friday, I was at a loss for what to wear.  When in doubt, pull out a dress.  This is an old one and a favorite for traveling.

Merona dress.  And yes, I usually wear a slip underneath.

Yesterday it cooled down a bit so I tried to do a jacket.  I was going for the military with girlie look.  This jacket is from 2007.  I guess I don't need a new one this fall, do I?

Gap Outlet jacket, Ann Taylor skirt, J Crew slub shirred ruffle shirt (outlet version), Mia Hayat sandals.  Sorry for the blurry pic.

Bonus: How do you like my latest mani?

This is Sinful Colors Mint Apple. Best $1.99 I ever spent, thanks to Nouveau Cheap! If you haven't checked out this wonderful blog, save yourself some time and money with her great recommendations.

I lift heavy and I always think it's a hoot when I'm there in the weight room with a crazy mani among the guys.

Have a great day!

What To Do With Those Darned Button Packets?

If you're like me, you always save those little button packets that are attached to some clothes. But why is it then whenever I DO lose a button, I can never find the replacement?

After losing my first round of weight, I had a big ziplock full of buttons to clothes I no longer owned. I think the buttons may have gone back to the 80s. I recognize their craft value, but they don't need to be taking up valuable real estate in my cramped bedroom.

So #1, get rid of buttons to clothes you no longer own.

As for the the clothes you currently own, keeping the buttons in one place, like in a ziplock or drawer, is a no brainer. But I have taken it a step further, thanks to my friend Mr. Sharpie:

Problem solved.

How do you keep track of buttons?

Outfit of the day

It was close to 100 degrees today; with the humidity the heat index was way up there.

This is a Merona dress. It is the style with the "knot" in the middle, right under the bust. I find this style to be very flattering to the bust while hiding the pooch.

The sweater is from Talbots. Doesn't it look like a J Crew Jackie? Jackies don't fit me right at the bust due to the way the sleeve is set in. The Talbots version is a tiny bit boxy in back when unbuttoned but it is made of soft pima cotton and a bargain from the recent sale.

The Merona wedges are from last year.

Vintage Native American turquoise and sterling ring, purchased in Colorado in the 70s by my mom.

White Merona watch. Boy, that's a lot of Merona.

My Favorite Summer Purchase

My most favorite purchase of the summer has to be my oversized white watch.

I coveted this one:

The beautiful but expensive Michael Kors, currently $312 on Amazon (but a version was included in the Nordstrom Anniversary sale).

I almost asked for this one for Mother's Day:

Fossil, $85 at Macy's.

But I knew there would be an inexpensive knock off somewhere. I was reluctant to spend very much on what might be a short lived trend. So I settled on this:

Target Merona, $14.99. I actually had a 20% off coupon, so it set me back around $12.00

I have worn the watch almost every day. It fits like a bracelet with a few extra links making it dangle. I find I don't need to wear any other bracelets or much other jewelry with the watch. The links are plastic but they do dent, and the paint scrapes off the trim of the watch fairly easily. I found this out when I dropped the watch putting it on one morning. But overall it has been a great purchase and I totally recommend it. The watch is no longer on Target's website but some remain in store.

I hope they will do a version of the black on black oversized watch for winter!

Who Am I? Why Am I Here?

Admiral James Stockdale uttered these words in his vice presidential debate as Ross Perot's running mate in 1992. If you are old enough to remember it, you're in the right place! (No offense to my younger readers though).

I knew I wanted to start a blog, but I'm not sure exactly what I wanted it to be about: fashion, parenting, over 40, parenting a younger child over 40, working mom, sandwich generation, spiritual matters, beauty - I just couldn't narrow it down to one topic. I have thought about it for several months now, and I am zeroing in on a direction. I want to create the blog I have been looking for. The blog that tells me which clothes are stylish, reasonably priced, decent quality and readily available at mainstream stores. The blog that compares different products and tells me which is the best one. The blog that goes through the catalogues and recommends items that might look good on my figure, which I think is similar in size and shape to many other people. The blog that helps me decide what to wear to work, or to the gym, or to the playground with my son. The blog that shares those epiphany moments as a mom, a daughter, a professional, a shopper, a grown up and as a person trying to do it all. Can this blog be all of those things? It's worth a try.

I do know what this blog will not be. It's not a shopping blog. While I do love to shop, my focus is on making strategic additions to my wardrobe while mixing and matching what is already there. It won't be dedicated to one store. It won't be a constant "my child is amazing" rah rah session (even though he IS amazing!) It won't be a middle aged whine fest, nor will it assume that you can afford expensive stuff because you're older. It won't be preachy, but I will share insights that I think may help others. It won't necessarily be an outfit of the day blog, but I do expect to post some outfits.

So we'll see how it goes.