Magic Pants.

As evidenced here, here and here, I have a small ridiculous obsession with a certain pair of pants.  Ahem, a certain pair of MAGIC pants.  

Ever have that perfect article of clothing that somehow fits perfectly on your fattest of fat days and still manages to make you look sensational?  

I do.  Which is why they've been dubbed "magic pants".  

I got these for Christmas 2010 and have worn them so many times that if we did the Stacy London* price-per-wear thing, the designer would actually owe me money.

A sad thing happened though, around 12 weeks pregnant.  I could no longer button my beloved army-green skinny cargo pants.  

Enter the BellaBand.  This $16 apparatus has saved my life.  It may not be the most flattering but if it keeps me in my favorites a bit longer I'm a happy girl.

Taken at 14ish weeks.  Now everyone knows that not only are my pants unbuttoned, but also unzipped under the BellaBand.  Flattering, no?

Sadly, I'm sporting the magic pants again today, for what may be the last time for God knows how many months.  Even the BellaBand is having trouble holding them up today.  Sad, sad day.

But!

Luck was on my side and I managed to find my very own pair of maternity magic pants.

And honestly, they're so ridiculously comfortable that I'll probably be living in them for the next 6 months.  

We had a good run, original magic pants but it's time for a little break.  See you next year.

*Who I may or may not have a small girl-crush on.  I also want to be her when I grow up ;)

Rock the What?

To elaborate on the event I alluded to in this post...

Early in the year I was asked to be part of a local charity fashion show.  In fact, I believe the actual email I first received was titled "I WANT YOUR BODY!!!!!!" 

Needless to say, I was bit skeptical.

But seriously.  Who can resist being asked to be a "celebrity model" for a day?  Certainly not moi.  And c'mon, we all I know I have a little obsession with fashion.

Admittedly though, I was terrified.  I had no idea what I would be asked to wear, what the runway would be like, what they'd do to my hair and makeup, etc, etc, etc...

Thankfully it all worked out.  I was happy with my outfits (for the most part), saw that the runway wasn't all that intimidating and got my way with my hair and makeup.

Backstage, pre-show

Socializing with the husband during the cocktail hour before the show (in my own Arden B dress)

Here's where I got nervous.  As the cocktail hour approached it's end, the models were called back to the dressing area to get ready.  This was still 45 minutes before the show was to begin.  It was one of those "hurry up and wait" moments.  The 30 or so minutes I stood in line waiting to make my runway debut was more nerve-wracking than I ever imagined possible.  I was literally shaking.

dress by Nicole Miller

Once I made my way down the runway I was okay.  Although I didn't hear a damn thing.  Husband said that everyone was cheering and yelling my name but I honestly heard nothing.  The only thing I was focused on was not falling off the runway.  I think he was a little upset that I didn't hear him cheering me on.

I wasn't too thrilled with dress #1.  Totally not my style.  Way too matronly.  Ironically though, I got the most compliments on this outfit.  I liked the fascinator and shoes but the scarf and jewelry were awful.  

Dress #2 was better (totally can't recall the designer), but again it's nothing I would ever pick for myself.  The shoes, however.  Gorgeous.  Duh.  They're my Manolo Blahnik wedding shoes ;)  I thought the fascinator with this outfit was kinda cool though.  When else does one get to wear something like that without being invited to the royal wedding?

dress by Badgley Mischka

I loved dress #3 but it was the most terrifying to walk in.  It was LONG.  About 4" of the skirt puddled on the floor.  And I'm tall.  I had to hold it up as I walked which wasn't the most graceful.  It was pretty fab though.  Totally a show-stopper.

So I didn't trip or fall and the crowd didn't laugh.  That I know of.  I'd call that a success.  Whether or not I'll do it again is another story.

Many thanks to our friends Joe Carr of Joseph Carr Wine and Peter & Mary Burgess of The Revolution Spin Studio for sponsoring me in this fantastic event!

What I Wore... v2.0

I'm more than a little obsessed with fashion.  If I had endless amounts of money, I'd most likely spend most of my time shopping.

Too bad that's not an option.

For now I'll make due with numerous outfit repeats, as shown below.

First up, Wednesday and Saturday.

Outfit 1: 

tank, cardigan and pants:  Express

boots:  Macy's

necklace:  um??  This is what I get for taking such crappy pictures.  I can't see it well enough to tell which one it is, nor can I remember what I wore that day.  Sad.

Outfit 2:

tank:  Van Maur

(faux) leather jacket:  Marshall's

pants:  Express

boots:  Macy's

belt:  NY&Co.  (sidenote:  wearing a waist-cinching belt to the Mac & Cheese Bowl was a horrendously bad idea... it came off as soon as I got in the car)

Next up is Monday, Thursday and Monday.  Let's call this series "What Carolyn looks like hungover". 

'Cause that's exactly what it was.  Note the unwashed hair, ponytail and hat.  Sad that there were three days last week where I wasn't feeling up to par.  'Tis the story of my wine-loving life.

Outfit 1:

tank and cardigan:  Express (from like 3 years ago... eek)

jeans:  Mavi

boots:  Kenneth Cole

hat:  Nine West

necklace:  so old I have no idea where it came from

Outfit 2:

Sorriest excuse for a ponytail ever.

sweater:  Express

leggings:  Target

boots:  Kenneth Cole

Outfit 3:

Much better on the ponytail, Carolyn.

sweater:  NY&Co. from last year

jeans:  Mavi

boots:  Kenneth Cole (I shall now dub these my hangover boots, as the pattern is obvious)

Next group, well outfit, is Sunday.  We were headed out to dinner.  Husband requested a dress and heels.  It was like 10 degrees out.  I said "um, no.  Boots and pants."  Then I said, "you don't want me to be miserable because of my cold bare legs, right?"  And he said "I don't ever want you to ever be miserable."  Right answer, husband, right answer.

Outfit 1&2:  shown with and without jacket

sweater:  Target

skinny pants:  NY&Co.

boots:  Nine West

belt:  NY&Co.

adorably cute faux fur jacket:  Arden B.

hair:  curls!

Husband caught me taking the last picture and asked why the hell I was taking pictures of myself.  My (half-in-the-bag) answer:  "So I remember what I looked like skinny."  ha

Time to Get Creative. AKA What I Wore v1.0

Ooh!  A new feature! 

Well, technically the first and only feature on this blog.

Let's call it What I Wore.  Creative, no?

For the first edition of What I Wore, I put together a collection of my outfits over the past two weeks or so.  Not sure if this is how I'll continue to do it but it's kinda fun to see them all side by side. 

'Cause I have this problem.

Husband will concur.

I wear a variation of the same damn thing every single day.

This winter, that variation has included skinny jeans, skinny pants or leggings, a tank top, something to throw over said tank top and a pair of boots.  The other wardrobe of choice that you'll notice is my at-home attire... you know, fun pants and a hoodie.  Not sure why I felt the need to include these.  Maybe to see what my husband sees 90% of the time?*  Also of note is the world's cutest apron at the bottom center.  It's fun to look cute while cooking! 

What's even funnier than the matchy-matchiness of my day to day attire?  I just looked down and realized I'm wearing the. exact. same. thing. as picture #5.  I need more variation in my life. 

And also?  I swear I didn't pose for these.  Apparently I just REALLY like to stand with one knee bent and a hand on my hip.  And tilt my head.  Oy.

*Probably the reason I got a surprise package full of silky pretties from Victoria's Secret a few months ago. 

Holy Shellac, Batman!

For those of you scoffing at my $40 manicure, eat it.

This was taken at a full week in.  NO CHIPS, people!

Can I tell you how nice it was to be on vacation and not have to worry about my nails?!!  I suppose most people probably wouldn't, but we all know how I feel about my appearance, right?  Poor husband.  Er, lucky husband?

The manicure actually lasted a few days beyond this without chipping.  The first chip appeared around day 10 but wasn't that noticeable.  Day 13 came and went and I was shocked thinking I'd get a full two weeks (maybe longer!) out of it.  No dice.  Day 14 was like Armageddon for my nails.  Literally every nail began to crack and peel.  And because I'm impatient and didn't want to wait for a salon visit (or spend the money) for proper removal, I peeled the rest off myself.  

Good for my cuticles, no?

So.  Shellac?  Love.

 

Shellac me.

I know, I know.  Close up hand pictures are gross.  And seriously?  When did my middle finger's middle knuckle get so damn big?  And wow, my index finger is totally curved.  The cut on my pinky?  Spaghetti squash carving incident.

Moving on.

I got a manicure the other day.  This is not a routine thing for me.  My friends will tell you that there isn't much more that I hate in the world than wasting money on a manicure only to have it chip in mere days.

This one is different though.  ::crosses fingers and prays to the nail gods::

It's called a Shellac manicure.  Apparently it's like a gel polish.  Or something.  And you stick your hands in a UV light emitting thing in between coats.  Supposedly it lasts up to 2 weeks. 

Check back with me upon my return from Napa and we'll see what state my nails are in.  K?  Thx.

The love-affair may recommence.

That's probably not even a word.  Whatev. 

So this morning I got out of bed, peed and walked my naked-ass to the scale.  Yes, this is my morning ritual.  Don't judge.

And holy shit, the scale made my day!  131.2 people!  I've officially passed my original goal of 132 and am well on my way to getting under 130.  Too bad we'll be in Napa for the next 7 days gorging ourselves with wine, cheese and the like*. 

Anyway, after seeing that glorious number on the scale, I decided to try on a pair of jeans that I haven't worn in, oh, about 4 years.  All girls do that, right? 

Look at that beautiful "h" on the rear. 

I first heard about Citizens of Humanity jeans on Oprah (love her and seriously might cry when her show ends) during a show about denim makeovers.

On the show was a woman who had been searching for jeans for years.  She had flat-ass syndrome and ridiculously long legs and had never been able to find jeans to accomodate her, um, problem.  Sound familiar?  The next chance I got, I rushed to the store to try these puppies on.  It was love at first zip.  Thus began my love affair with COH jeans.  I own roughly a dozen pairs.  Overkill?  Probably.

When my waistline started expanding, however, I put them to rest.  Going up a size didn't do it for me... they just looked baggy.  Now that I am almost back to skinny-mini size, I'm bringing 'em back. 

This picture didn't come out as planned.  I was attemping to show just how nice my trusty COHs make my ass look.  But I cut off my legs.  Such is life. 

So.  Suffering from flat-ass syndrome?  Buy the Citizens.  Flat-ass be gone. 

True story.

 

*Have I mentioned how I excited I am to be back in a state that has a Jack in the Box??  There's a strong possibility that we'll be making a stop (or four) for some delicious deep-fried tacos.  And holy shit, our hotel has afternoon tea!  As in, fourth meal.  In the middle of the day!  See ya next week, diet. 

Charmer.

For my mom's 50th birthday (which was, like, yesterday... obv.), my brother, my dad and I chipped in and got her a beautiful charm bracelet with 4 or 5 charms to start it off. Over the years we've gotten her more charms to add. I love searching for the perfect charm and watching the bracelet grow.

My MIL has had a charm bracelet since she was a tiny, tiny baby. There is literally no room to add anymore charms. It's so neat to look at all the charms and hear the stories of where they came from... it tells her life story, in a way.

Even though I admire these bracelets on others, I never thought I'd be into them (although I did jump on the Italian charm bracelet craze of 2004 for a hot minute) until my boss got me a Pandora charm bracelet for my 30th birthday this summer.

She started me off with the rope bracelet and this adorable stiletto charm. Does she know me or does she know me?

This morning I walked into my office to find this sitting on my desk... a thank you from my boss for basically running the company while she's been out on maternity leave. Made my morning. I heart her.

I know the pictures suck (guess Pandora doesn't want people like me ripping images off of their site).

If you couldn't tell, it's a tiny little house! Love. Perfect for a real estate agent, no?


I'm now officially addicted to Pandora. I feel like the bracelets are a bit more trendy than traditional charm bracelets and we know I'm all about image and trends ;)

While scouring the Pandora site, I came across a few more charms that are pretty great. Note the lack of color. I'm all about simplicity with this bracelet... let's keep it all silver. I don't want a wrist full of hot pink, green or yellow. God forbid the colors compete with my everyday attire of, um, all black.


Anyway.




Daisy. 'Cause I love daisies. Especially the fall colored ones currently on my mantel.








The letter P. 'Cause, you know, my last names starts with one.











I think this is called the "Forget me Knot". Whatev. I just like it.

In an effort to collect a few more of these lovelies, I'm openly accepting Christmas gifts. Starting now. ha

I'm having a hair crisis.

My wonderfully-talented-amazing-no-one-else-is-allowed-to-touch-my-hair hairstylist is out of commission for a few weeks. And I need a haircut. Desperately.

I knew this was coming. She told me the last time I was in. In early December. I'm not one of those come-in-for-a-trim-every-6-weeks kinda girls. I'd rather wait until my hair is a disgusting, grown-out mess with absolutely no shape to make my appt.

So I called the salon for an appt this morning. For tonight. I like to plan things in advance. No such luck. And I'm busy each subsequent night this week. And then she's gone.

Seriously. I don't think I can wait. I'm gonna start to lose my "my haircut is better than yours so therefore I'm better than you" attitude* if this goes on much longer. But I can't let someone else cut it. It took me years to fall in love with a hairstylist. Going to somebody else would be like cheating. I guess I can sacrifice my vanity and endure a few more split ends for love.

*These are thoughts I normally (and probably should) keep to myself. But oversharing with the internet is completely acceptable.

Leggings.

This post is brought to you by the oompa-loompa in the office next to mine. Not her, per se, but her outfit.

Warning: This is a total rant. Feel free to take offense and yell at me through your comments. But since no one comments on my half-assed blog (sigh...) I'm not afraid.

Let's get to it.

I take issue with leggings. BFF will tell you that I constantly gave her shit (in a BFF sort of loving way, mind you) for wearing them for oh, about a year. I truly thought they should only be worn by the highschool crowd. I mean, it's practically turned into a teenager's uniform. Leggings and Uggs, leggings and Uggs, leggings and Uggs. Do they not have any creativity? When I was that age, I was doing my best to against the "norm" and opted for a grunge turn hippie wardrobe. (I was SO cool.) At least only like a quarter of my peers dressed like me. Seriously, go to a mall and count how many little lemmings you see walking around in leggings. It's scary.

Anyway, I finally broke down this past fall and bought a pair. Let's pause for a collective gasp...

And... even bigger gasp... I wish-I-could-wear-them-everyday-type-LOVE them. But in my defense, I'm not obese. Or even overweight, really. (Thank you stomach flu for eliminating my larger than life muffin top).

Exhibit A. Me. An appropriate use of leggings.

So. I like to think that when I wear them with boots or heels and a long, flowy top, I make them look good. (But let's get serious, I make everything look good. Or at least that's what The Husband tells me. Maybe I should get a second or third opinion...)

Now that I've decided that I don't have a problem wearing leggings, let's discuss my issue with others wearing them. Anorexic teenagers aside.

Back to the oompa-loompa (who is probably the nicest lady ever but desperately in need of a Stacy and Clinton wardrobe overhaul). I walked out of my office today to use the disgusting shared restroom only to find myself behind this poor woman. To her credit, she had shockingly thin legs. I could tell, because she was wearing, um, leggings. Duh. And Uggs. Ugh. That's another post/rant entirely.

Where the outfit failed miserably was the top. 1. Its was WAY too short. I could see waistband, people. 2. It was some sort of fuzzy sweater material in purple and white horizontal stripes. Eek.

Hence, the oompa-loompa effect.

Exhibit B: Not the lady from down the hall. But close. And not cute.

I'll stop bashing this poor, unsuspecting lady now. But it's not just her. I've seen it everywhere. And again, nothing against our larger-sized counterparts, I just really wish somebody would tell them that just because it's trendy doesn't mean they have to wear it! And no, I won't take that responsibility on. I'll bitch about anything in the privacy of my public-to-the-entire-world blog, but saying it to someone's face is a completely different story. I'd rather not get bitch-slapped. I like my face the way it is.

Now off to find a pair of jeggings.

New York's Newest Supermodel

I'm kidding, of course.

The model lifestyle and I just don't agree: I could never deal with all binge drinking (well, maybe that...), purging, cocaine and carrot sticks.

But check out the ad below:

Someone, i.e. my florist, Kris Ann Blanchette of Fleurtacious Designs, thought that my wedding pics (courtesy of the amazing Elarios of Joe Elario Photography) were ad-worthy for this month's edition of Capital Region Living. If you're lucky enough to get your hands on a copy (er, drive to the grocery store and pick one up for free), I can be found on page 25, in the 2010 Bridal Guide section.

And if you're really lucky, I may even autograph it for you ;)

Let's go shopping!

So. Since I recently whined (wined? haha) and moaned over how my excessive spending and love of nice things has affected our finances, I thought I'd at least show you some of my holiday treasures.

If I haven't told you yet, I have a serious obsession with shoes. (And it just dawned on me that I haven't shown you a picture of the WEDDING SHOES yet. They deserve all caps because they're just so fabulous. Future post...)


Anyway... I ordered these sexy little heels from my favorite online shoe store, endless.com. If you haven't visited, go now. Or wait 'til you're done reading. But don't forget. Thousands upon thousands of shoes and free overnight shipping!!

Back to the shoes...

I'll admit, they were a total impulse purchase. I love the style and have been looking for a pair like this, but didn't want to spend an arm and a leg. I came across these for something ridiculous like 30ish bucks and figured the color was perfect for spring/summer dresses.

Then they came in. They don't buckle. They... gasp... velcro. I don't know how I missed it in the picture. Think you'd notice if I hadn't told you? I took opinions from the female family members on Christmas day and they didn't think they were horrible. I still can't decide whether or not to return them.

Lest we forget, I'm all about image, people. C'mon! I don't know if I can be caught in public wearing velcro shoes. 'Cause I know I'd laugh at you if you were wearing them. Kidding. Maybe ;)

The real reason for the trip to endless.com was to find an inexpensive pair of over-the-knee boots. The way I see it, these puppies are all the rage right now but will be completely out of style next year. I'm not one to waste money on trends, so spending a mere $60 seemed okay in my book.

And they're gorgeous. Great with leggings. Perfect with skinny jeans. And hopefully even more perfect with:




My New Year's Eve dress! Well, what I hope to be my New Year's Eve dress. It's on it's way from bebe as we speak.

With my luck, it won't fit. I never said positivity was a strong point...












As you may recall, I am quickly growing addicted to big, fancy earrings. I ordered these from Arden B, my favorite store in the whole world. Except I ordered them in gold. Much prettier. And would've been perfect with my new dress. I went back online to find out that the gold were sold out, so I thought I'd give silver a try. They're too gorgeous to not at least take them for a test-run.

After wearing them for about an hour and a half, my decision was made.

They're going back.

These are seriously the heaviest things my ears have had the unfortunate experience of meeting. I honestly thought they were going to rip right through my holes. Thank me later for putting that image in your head.

Now I want to go shopping again. I can't win.

Did you forget me?

'Cause I didn't forget you. Well, maybe I did. But it was only temporary. I've been busy, people (er, my one faithful follower)!



Truthfully, the reason for my blogging-hiatus was wedding related... that can only account for about 2 of the 5 weeks I've missed though... the other 3 can be attributed to the daunting task of doing a ginormous wedding/honeymoon post. I started it last week and haven't touched it since. Maybe by our first anniversary I'll have it done.



Anyway, to prove to you that this is really me, here's a lovely picture of yours truly (in a gorgeous dress that the husband picked out all by himself!) enjoying one of the many holiday parties I've been to so far this year.

Adding to the honeymoon wardrobe

On average, I get about a dozen emails a day from my favorite stores, attempting to lure me to their websites with "Additional 50% off clearance!," "New fall collection!," "Free Shipping with $100 purchase!, " etc, etc, etc. I have no willpower against this. Absolutely none. I enjoy shopping far too much.


Today, though, in attempt to save a little money for our impending mortgage payment, I was contemplating deleting a very tempting Arden B email. (Since leaving St. Louis, I have serious Arden B withdrawals every time I enter the mall. I miss it dearly.) But as luck (or maybe my fairy God mother of fashion) would have it, the boy called at that exact moment.


me: "Arden B is having an awesome sale online today. But don't worry, I won't buy anything."
him: "Well, you're gonna need new clothes for the honeymoon, right?"
Click.


That's all the permission I needed. 20 minutes later, my shopping bag was loaded up with 11 glorious items. I did, however, come to my senses and whittle it down to 5. And I snatched it all up for a mere $87! (To be fair, I did use a $20 Arden B Rewards credit, but still...)


Aren't these all so lovely? Well, except for the fun-pants (my term of endearment for any type of lounge pant.)





I'm so excited to get them in and play dress-up!

This could get out of hand...

So I have way too much time on my hands lately. At the office, anyway. My wedding is looming (10 days and counting!) and I can't seem to/don't want to concentrate on anything other than wedding/honeymoon planning. Thank God my brokers don't see what I spend my time doing on my computer while I should be working.

What am I doing on my computer all day long? I thought you'd never ask.

Mainly I'm spending money that I shouldn't be... I just bought these lovely tan, leather, slouchy boots for the honeymoon. They're pretty fabulous. And c'mon, who doesn't need another pair of boots, right? I figure that they'll be perfect for traipsing around wine country on our honeymoon :)

I also am awaiting delivery of my zillionth pair of Citizens of Humanity jeans. I have an unhealthy obsession with designer denim. And Citizens are the PERFECT jeans for anyone with long legs who is lacking in the rear-end dept. I swear, I NEEDED these these jeans. I have bootcut in several shades, I have skinny, I have cropped. What I don't have is straight leg. And to me, that justified the purchase. Not to mention that I got a phenomenal deal on them at RuLaLa.com. Love that site.

I'm hoping to get home tonight to find my rehearsal dinner dress on my front porch. Although, I'm a little afraid that it won't fit. American Apparel is notorious for the "one size fits all" thing. I'm always a bit leary of that but this dress is PERFECT. Our rehearsal dinner has a theme. A Yankees theme, complete with proper attire, peanuts and crackerjack. Is that dorky? Anyway... the boy came up with it, as he is a HUGE Yanks fan. And I figure it will be more fun than the typical stuffy, boring dinner. Whatcha think? I plan to finish it off with a wide white belt and my new boots.

Totally un-fashion related, but I'm also in the process of ordering thank you cards for the wedding. I found a couple at Target for pretty cheap. Just can't decide which to go with...

I'm completely showing off the novice-blogger skills here... I'm baffled by the whole picture upload thing and can't get these to load larger. But you get the gist of it...

No more shopping for today... off to get our marriage license!