A Holiday Break!

Just wanted to say hello and tell you I am taking a blog break during the holidays!

Happy Holidays to you all!

Kel

One more thing to do before bed...

*Yawn*

Ben and I decided to go out to dinner after work. You can see Palomino off in the distance. It was a much needed date, and we had a wonderful meal. Flatbread pizza with chicken and a salad to share. Delicious!

I then had to write the NutriMirror column. The whole thing. Normally I get it written a couple of nights before and then do some editing the night before. YIKES!

I just posted that. Now I need to post today's picture and say goodnight!

Here it is! Vote below! And - wow- mixed reviews on the red/black/white dress. Interesting, very interesting!

Thanks for checking in!

xo

Kel

On The Couch Early Tonight!

8:25 pm here. This is the earliest I have sat down all week!

Okay, the week so far :)

Monday: I couldn't wait to wear my new shoes! For as high a heel as they are, they were extremely comfortable. Remember, platforms are actually quite easy to walk in because the "lift" in the front actually reduces the heel height. If the platform is an inch, it reduces the heel height by an inch. That makes these about 4 inches!

I chose a dress that I had gotten last year at J.Crew. When I tell you the dress is cheap, I mean really cheap. I think it was around $20. I am quite fond of the little rosettes on the front. It would be great for an evening out as well.

But, it was work, therefore a cardigan. You all liked it; thanks!

Tuesday: Seems the black and white worked for you!

I got this skirt a year ago at Banana Republic. I love a high waisted skirt. I do not love, however, how this makes me appear "poochy." I am told by someone close to me here, ahem, that I am too hard on myself. Who isn't?

I am not sure I love the skirt. As positive as the votes were, does anyone want a high waisted black and white plaid skirt in size 6?

Now, take note of the hair color yesterday, and the hair color today. Nothing new, but I was finally able to get to my salon for a trim and a color! My goodness you should have seen the grey in my hair!! Seriously, I had about an inch of roots. Scary!

Today: ah, caught up!

This dress was purchased 3 years ago in La Jolla, California at Francesca's. If you recall, I thought they were some trendy downtown boutique. Little did I know it was a chain!

I love the combination of red/black/white so I was immediately drawn to the pattern. It is a shirt dress. The very first time I wore it, I decided it had to be worn with tights or leggings. When I sit down in it, you realize that perhaps too much thigh is exposed to be decent. I did have button issues twice today: thank goodness the only person I flashed was my friend Tricia!

Did I tell you that the Francesca's chain decided to torture me by opening a store at the mall a mere 15 minutes from me? At least before I had to travel 30 minutes either west or east to get to one. Now, they are way too close. They taunt me!

My friend Victoria (Hi Victoria!) was kind enough to refer me to a website she had heard about. Please, go there for me. Buy something amazing! At the very least check out Simply Soles.

Look at these shoes. Pretty enough to make a grown woman cry!

Speaking of pretty shoes, look at these babies. My friend Tricia sent this link to Ben!

Okay, time for me to stop looking at shoes!

If you are a "healthy eater" and are looking for breakfast options, check out this blog won't you?

Corrine understands eating "real food" and talks about it at Keep Your Diet Real.

That's it for tonight folks! I really do appreciate you checking in. If you are interested in that skirt...kelbeaudoin@gmail.com!

xo

Kel

Not Enough Hours in the Day!

I am going to owe you guys so many stories!

Really, I have a ton of good excuses. Last night I was chatting via gmail with my son. Tonight I was getting my hair cut and colored, and after getting home needed to wrap my sister's Christmas gifts so I can ship them tomorrow.

Those are valid, right?

I am glad you liked yesterday's ensemble...time to vote for today's!

I can't wait for things to slow down just a little!!

Thanks for checking in!

xo

Kel

p.s. How do you food bloggers write about your food every day??

Time for bed!

Details tomorrow!

Please vote!

Thanks for checking in!

xo

Kel

Ode to Joy!

Last August after I saw "Julie and Julia" I decided that I wanted a blog, too.

I thought about putting a blog together of my weekly baking. I love to bake, as you all know. I love to feed even more than I love to bake. Ask my unsuspecting co-workers.

I thought about Kel the Baker. I am so glad I did not do that.

Why?

Because there is already Joy the Baker. To even attempt to mimic the magic she creates on her blog would be, well, insulting. Frustrating. Unfulfilling. Kind of like a collapsed souffle.

Thank you Susan for recommending Joy to me!

How appropriate that her name is Joy. Reading her blog makes me joyful. Her baking and cooking makes me joyful. The treats I bring to work are like sharing joy with my co-workers.

Check her out today. Please. I am confident enough to tell you I have a crush on Joy.

Today's baking was her Lemon Poppyseed Muffins. I also made my Chewy Ginger cookies, and was so excited to see that Joy uses the same recipe as I. Yet she found a way to make them better. She rolls them in raw sugar. Pure genius.

Last weekend I made Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich cookies. And the tomato soup...

The week before that it was her apple pie and her sweet potato pie with a no roll crust.

Check them out. Check her out. And you will understand my crush.

So, how do you get the attention of someone like Joy? You make a cupcake just for her.

So, here it is:

The Ode to Joy Cupcake

1/4 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

1 cup flour

1/2 tea baking soda

1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk

1/2 tea vanilla extract

1/2 tea almond extract

1 tbl Grand Marnier

1 tbl orange zest

1/4 mini chocolate chips

3 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine the softened butter and the sugar. Mix the heck out of it. About 3 minutes in the kitchenaid mixer. Add egg yolks, one at a time.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour and the baking soda.

Add the flour in three portions, and the buttermilk in two portions, alternating. End with the flour. I don't know why. I have just seen it in a lot of recipes.

Add the almond extract, the vanilla extract, the Grand Marnier, the orange zest. Taste the batter and have an epiphany. Add mini chocolate chips. Except when you have your epiphany, toss the chips in with a little flour. This will keep the chips from settling to the bottom of the cupcake.

Next, if you are like me and only have one bowl for your kitchenaid, curse. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Wash your mixer bowl, dry it and get ready to beat the egg whites.

Beat egg whites on high speed of mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter.

Put your batter into your cupcake pan, which you have already lined with baking cups. I love using an ice cream scoop to do this.

Bake at 350 degrees for 23 minutes. Or so. You know your oven better than I do.

Take them out and leave in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting.

I used:

1 tablespoon butter, unsalted, not softened.

1 8 oz package cream cheese, not softened.

1 pound of confectionary sugar.

1 tea vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Feel free to decorate your Christmas tree while it gets fluffy.

Turn your mixer down to low and gradually add the sugar. Unless, of course, you want to flock your Christmas tree with sugar.

Add the vanilla. Once the sugar is incorporated you can mix the heck out of it.

Once your cupcakes are cooled, frost. Eat. Toast the Joy in your life.

Thanks for checking in!

xo

Kel

A Date Night!

Something a little different today!

Check out what Ben put together for all of us!

And check out what he bought for me!

Click HERE to watch!

Enjoy!!

The Spirit of Christmas Past

I have always loved Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carole."

My favorite is the musical starring Albert Finney. I remember being a young girl, I would say around 9 or 10, and stumbling across it on TV. We did not have cable. We did not have a remote. Channel surfing was standing at the TV turning the dial.

No one had better ask what it was like to use a dial on the TV.

Anyways, it is the standard story about the spirits of Christmas' past, present and future visiting ol' Ebenezer Scrooge. I look forward to "finding" it every Christmas season. It is a musical, and the music is magical to me in this film. I cannot even describe the feeling I get watching it. There is one scene where Scrooge is watching his "happy self" with his girlfriend from years past. He sings a song that breaks my heart, but is so beautiful. His words are filled with regret and pain of someone who let the really important things get away from him.

Those of you that are going to read my TGIF on Nutrimirror tomorrow - you will hear more of this as I just decided to edit the entire column with the above memories. Yikes!

Anyways - the Spirit of Christmas past is in today's jacket. This was a gift from my friends Erika and Gretchen 2 years ago. Erika and I would frequent Banana Republic on shopping trips. I tried this jacket on every time we went. She surprised me by going back and buying it for me! It works great with jeans, and I decided to pair it with these pants today from J.Crew.

You have seen the same pair in black on me before. They got mixed reviews. Check them out here. I am sure you all will let me know what you think again! I had purchased the black ones in the store, and later got this pair on-line, at a lower sale price. To me they were worth it.

I wore a plain cami under the jacket. The jacket is quite warm!

Simple pumps and a delicate garnet necklace. The jacket says enough I think.

I like these pictures today! I love my art director!

Off to rewrite my column! Argh!!

Thanks for checking in!

xo

Kel

An Outfit for a Snow Day!

My Dad taught me that in the event of a snow storm:

1. Have enough gas in the car. Check!

2. Have an extra coat in the car. If you get stranded, you may need to keep warm. Check!

3. Wear something that if you have to for any reason leave your car, you have a better chance of "survival". Check? Do khakis give me a better chance of survival?

Well, khaki pants would be better than a skirt, for example.

Yes, it snowed last night. More snow than we got back in October. Enough snow to cause everyone that got on the roads today to panic.

I got up early; you never know how bad the roads are really going to be. To save time, I skipped shaving the legs. You know it is getting back when they are no longer prickly! Note to self - shave legs tomorrow no matter what you are wearing!

I thought about going really easy with red and khaki. But I was not in the mood for red. I wanted pink!

Today's ensemble is all about J.Crew!

I got the khakis 2 years ago online. When you work for Target you can never have too many pairs of khakis! I like that these are not like Dockers. I hate Dockers. They are so, how do I say it, masculine? I also do not like pleated, tapered ankle khakis. They are everywhere! These are a nice straight long leg. I actually ordered these in tall. They must be worn with a heel!

(And, just for the record, I wore my sketchers in, so in the event that I was forced to abandon the car...)

The sweater was purchased last Christmas; 30% off final sale. Love those!

The blouse underneath is a nice 3/4 sleeve button down oxford. I didn't need the sweater to cover the oxford because of gaping buttons. It fits perfectly. J.Crew actually recognizes that women have breasts and that they may actually need the buttons to not gape.

So there you have it. J.Crew on a winter day!

I just had a realization. When I think about my dad's lesson about always being prepared...I know where I get "it" from. What is "it?"

"It" is the ability to think that life is ruled by Murphy's law. Here is how this works.

Ben: Maybe we can go running outside.

Me: If we run outside I may fall and break my leg. If I break my leg that is at least 6 weeks of no exercise. Why chance it just for one run? We can go to the gym?

No, not just an excuse to not run. Really, I was willing to go to the gym.

That above example was only a two step leap. I have a talent of painting a very vivid scenario. My kids are far too familiar with it. It is along the lines of "it is all fun and games until someone loses an eye." I can paint a scenario about how acting wildly playing a video game, for example, could lead to the video console getting knocked over, which will then hit the table, which will cause the magazine to knock over the glass. When you bend over to pick up the fallen glass, you accidentally hit yourself in the eye with the video remote.

It is not a gift, but at least now I know where I got it from!

Haircut rescheduled for next week; counting down!

Thanks for checking in!

xo

Kel

Life is Good

I had every intention of Ben taking my picture today. Really. We knew we could not meet for lunch, but would fit it in at another time. Or so we thought.

I had every intention of getting my hair cut and colored today. Really. However, Mother Nature had her own plan. Snow. Neither Ben nor I have an issue with driving in the snow; we do have an issue when the other cars decide to be out on the road. Traffic. Lots of it. I knew we would never make it to my appointment on time. My sweet Sheli called me to reschedule for next week.

I had every intention of making a quick healthy dinner. Really. We ended up waiting out some of the traffic by having sushi.

Life is good.

Now we are home, I am enjoying amazing sipping chocolate from Trader Joes. If you don't have a Trader Joes, petition for one. It would be worth a neighborhod campaign for a Trader Joes just for the sipping chocolate. Don't get me started on their other items. 3 words. Fab.U.Lous.!

I am in my favorite spot on the couch, computer in my lap, cup o' chocolate by my side, a man I love by my feet. (He is sitting on the couch, not on the floor by my feet!)

Yes, indeed, Life is good.

The rest of the night will be reading a cooking magazine, checking out my favorite blogs, cruising and torturing myself on Etsy, and looking for new recipes in Foodbuzz.com.

Bailey will get to play in the snow later; it is one of her favorite activities. She is currently enjoying a carrot.

Life is good all the way around.

My outfit was cute today. A red plaid short jacket, a black pencil skirt, black tights and pumps. A reindeer pin. I won't wear it again, I promise.

Enjoy your evening. I promise to enjoy mine.

Thanks for checking in.

xo

Kel

Getting Back into the Groove

How quickly you can change your routine!

Taking care of the dog last week, camera issues, and stress took over; I did not have the desire to sit in the corner of my couch as I am doing right now and look at my computer screen.

I did try, but the words would not come. I guess, in reality, the entertaining words would not come. I find my blog to be something I like to do when I am in a good mood. Talking about my clothes does fascinate me; I also know how shallow that makes me sound!

I hope what many of you have come to know that it is not the clothing itself that I like talking about, but the feelings I recall when I think back to the purchase. What was going on in my life at the time, and perhaps in my own mind; I am realizing how different I am inside than I was during the time the purchase was made.

While I may disappear at times, know that I am just working through emotions and keeping you guys out of it. To a certain extent, writing about what I am feeling would probably help. If you can put up with it, I might just have an emotional rant or two :). I promise - I will never talk about finances (hell, you already know I can't buy new clothes), religion or politics. I don't do that with the people sitting next to me, why would I do that to you!

Thanks for your patience!

Today's ensemble is highlighted by a couple of new items!

The beautiful pashmina was brought back from India by my friend Taruna. I needed a little bright in my day today, and this fit the bill! I am not sure if you can see that there is a pattern on it, and the slightest variation in shading throughout.

I kept it wrapped today with a pin that I got as a Christmas gift years ago. Can you see the shiny little Christmas tree on my shoulder?

The pants are part of a suit I got at Ann Taylor 4 years ago. This was one of my "go to" suits in my traveling days. It works with a lower heel, as I wore on my days that I had to scamper through the airport, and it also works with a higher heel. I used to leave home on a Tuesday and get home Friday evening. I would wear a suit and pack a suit; I had 3 changes of shirts, maybe one change of shoes, all my toiletries and accessories in a carry on. If you ever need someone to pack for you, call me! I became an expert!

Speaking of shoes! One of the benefits of having a BFF that has the same shoe size as you? When she buys a pair, and they end up hurting her feet, guess who gets to be the recipient! Yee ha! Thanks Miss E!! A lovely little kitten heeled black faux lizard pump. They were very comfy! I do find, however, that I walk funny when wearing flats or kitten heels. What is up with that? Of course, maybe I walk funny all the time!

So, that is it for today's outfit.

I did my usually cooking and baking yesterday. I made an amazing cookie from Joy the Baker. Check out her blog - they are the chocolate mint "oreos. If you love tomato soup, you need to check out the one for creamy tomato soup on her site too. It was work, not a lot of work mind you, but well worth it! I also made a spicy peanut butter cookie that simply rocked and had no flour in it! You can find that recipe here.

Thanks again for your patince, and as always, thanks for checking in! Voting is below! Btw - I like the pieces, and but not the ensemble, so I am changing up the vote a little!

xo

Kel

Bad Blogger!

This has been a crazy week as most of you know.

Besides the dog, work has been insane. Ben and I have not been able to meet for lunch as a result, so he has not gotten the midday photos. After work? I do not feel like smiling!

I just wanted to let you know I am doing okay, even though I have not been writing.

I will be back this weekend!

Love to you all!

A Quick Post

I can't write about my clothes tonight.

My dog is sick. I took her to the vet because the symptoms were scary. They are far too graphic to share.

The Vet confirmed that she has internal bleeding. It could be a clotting disorder, which could be caused by a tumor. Poor thing still acts like a puppy. She does not act sick. But I am afraid I will have to make a decision as soon as tomorrow.

Please keep her in your thoughts, okay?

It's Beginning to Look at Lot Like...

Okay, I won't spend the next 26 days using Christmas Carols as blog titles! I promise!

I have worn this skirt before. Standing in my closet this morning, I thought "I can't wear that again." Who says? This is not the same ensemble!! Go look, I will wait.

Different tights, a sweater set and different accessories. Ta da!

You can go back to read the skirt story.

The sweater set is 2 years old. It is from Target, and the Isaac Mizrahi for Target line. I miss Isaac, even if I am not buying clothes. I have this same sweater set in black. It is cashmere, and cost a fraction of what it would have cost at a major department store or one of my trendier retailers. Sorry for the Target ad here, but seriously! I love Cashmere, but I do not love the price. I hate when someone advertises cashmere at a great price, and then it is a lightweight piece of nothingness. I love cashmere from JCrew; I have only been able to fondle it in the store. This has weight to it. Thus my love for it! My point? Wait, do I have one? Yes I do. You do not always have to shop at Banana Republic, JCrew, etc. You CAN find high quality elsewhere.

My tights are from Heartbreakers. I liked the funky pattern on them. I hesitated to wear them today because the last time I wore them they hurt. Yes, tights that hurt. It was the shoes I wore them with. I have no issues with the boots. Okay, not true. I did have an issue at one point today when apparently after a trip to the ladies room I did not pull them up correctly. They pinched me!

As you can see, the Christmas decorations are not up yet completely at work. These are in the City Center lobby. I just liked the dark green color as a background to my ensemble.

A pie update from yesterday? Delicious! Bake it, you will not be disappointed.

I am giving the people the power to vote again!

Thanks for checking in!

xo

Kel

Out with the Old; In with the New!

Out with the old Asics Running Shoes; In with the new Asics Running Shoes!

It is with a sense of sadness that I bid a fond farewell to my old running shoes. We have been through a lot together!

They got me through a lot of training.

They carried me across the finish line after my first 5k back in May.

They were with me when I walked 60 miles in the Breast Cancer 3Day.

They were with me every step of the Milk Run 5k.

They were there for the scantily clad James Page Blubber Run.

They even patiently obeyed when I took them out for a cold, rainy 10k in October.

In total, there were 4 5ks and 1 10k, plus the 60 miles...and all of that training!

The average shoe last approx. 500 miles. Between exercise, training, biking, mine last about 6 months or so. I may have underestimated; I may need another pair before August, since I will be training for 10 miles this year. We will see! My right hip and lower back are usually the best indicators for me when it is time to get a new pair. I was feeling the need about a month ago, but wanted to stretch it out until I had completed the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. Race done, Women's Foot Locker coupon in the mail - it was time!

Not being one that likes to break in new shoes, I was more than happy to get the same model I had last time, just in pink instead of blue! The salesperson was trying to tell me that they are now better than my last pair because blah blah blah. They lost me when I saw the color!

Sorry these pictures are not better of the shoes. I took them with the iPhone as the Art Director was not home at the time!

You can see I did some Christmas damage as well today. Except for a few minor items, I am happy to say I got my shopping done this weekend! Between Friday's shopping online (Oh, Etsy how I love thee) and a trip to the almost EMPTY mall today, I can almost say "Done and Dusted!"

Despite the joy from today's running shoe purchase, I did have a very sad moment. I went into J.Crew to hit the sale racks for a gift or two. After I had gathered what I went in for, I let myself dream. There were some amazing things! I can see that they are very similar to items I have purchased in the past. I love the Jackie Cardigans at JCrew and they have newer colors this year. I love the Pencil Skirts at JCrew. I love their Embellished T-shirts. Sigh. I went online to try and find the amazing pink cardigan with black polka dots that almost brought me to tears. I can't even find it on-line. That I will take as a good sign!

I finished my shopping and got the heck out of there! I did not even cave for a fancy coffee drink at Caribou!

Instead, I came home and had my lunch. A turkey wrap with cheddar cheese and spinach; and I had my dessert that was going to be for dinner! Sweet potato pie!

Speaking of pie, check out this baby!

It is a recipe from Joy the Baker. I had every intention of baking this and taking it to Gretchen's house for her daughter Kaylee. It took longer to make than expected; note to self to calculate such things ahead of time! Besides the time, there is also the issue of not looking perfect. I am afraid of pie dough! I have made apple pie before. Correction. I have made the fillings for apple pie before, but I have never made a homemade pie crust before. Me and the Pillsbury dough boy were tight, so to speak.

This is the result. I will make Kaylee a different one, next weekend perhaps?

I hope your weekend was a long relaxing one. I am not ready for Monday, but when am I ever?

Thanks for checking in!

xo

Kel

A Restful Saturday

Hello All!

I woke up this morning with not a plan for the day. It was fabulous! A very lazy morning today; reading some blogs, doing some recipe searching and then deciding to go to the grocery store. I made my list.

I did not shower yesterday; I know, ewww! I took a nice hot shower and then had to decide what to wear on this day. I wanted to be really casual. I put on my bra and panties. A cute matching set! No pictures of course!

I then put on the shirt that I wanted to wear, and grabbed a pair of comfy khakis.

Uh Oh. VPL. You know, visible panty lines! Time for a change of pants! Back into the closet, I grabbed a pair of corduroys. That resulted in a whole different problem, the newly coined VMT. Visible Muffin Top! Chaos ensued. A change of pants to these jeans, that you all told me I had to get hemmed. Oh, well, they will forgive me I thought. A black tank top, a cardigan- yuck. Then I saw the purple peeking out. Ah, perfect. Comfort, casual, and yes darn it I will have to wear a boot with a heel to get away with the pants. Oh well.

The top buried beneath my green pea coat is a purple sweatshirt that I got from JCrew in the fall of 2008. It has long sleeves, and a nice soft cotton sweatshirt material. I have another one just like it in grey.

As I said, you have seen the jeans before; they are a pair of Joe Jeans that has a higher waist band. I guess I was feeling too muffin toppy today!

The boots, the coat. Done and ready for the store.

I am one of those insane people that LOVES putzing at the grocery store. I get a coffee and take my time, walking the perimeter, and then heading into the aisles for only what is on my list. Ben and I grabbed one of those smaller carts as this was to be a relatively light week. By the time I was done, Ben looked like the Grinch trying to balance all of the stolen gifts on his sleigh! You know the scene...

It was the good deal on paper towels, I swear! Okay, a few too many bags of chocolate chips, but you never know when you are going to need some!

On the way home, I reminded the art director that we needed pictures for today. He pulled the car over and selected this spot. These were fun pics for me!

After we got home, we grabbed lunch and headed out for a 16 mile bike ride. Oh, if we only had a picture of that outfit! Bike shorts, long pants over the bike shorts, a long underwear shirt, a long sleeved tshirt over that, and then a hooded sweatshirt on that. I had a knit cap that covers my neck and ears - kind of like the kind a masked bank robber wears, without the ring around the eyes. It was 44 degrees, but sunny, so we had to take advantage of it!

As soon as we got home, I started cooking!

Here is what I made today. I am very proud of myself! I made homemade gnocchi!

It was delicious! For the recipe, click here. Easy, a little labor intensive, but so worth it!

I dressed them with a sauce I made from butter, spinach and sausage. With a little bit of the pasta water and some heavy cream. Good comfort food! I am so glad I burned off 600 calories on the ride!

I also made my very first sweet potato pie. Please. Click here. It is a recipe from Joy the Baker. I am not ashamed to admit I have a girl crush on Joy. I love her site! Make the pie. You will love it! I made the crust too. So delicious! Ben and I shared a piece, after being so full from dinner! There is plenty left, if you want to come over for some!

I also made up a batch of my favorite chocolate chip cookies. See, I needed the chips! I took a tip from Joy. After making the cookie dough, scoop out the cookies just like you would if you were to bake them, but line them up on the cookie sheet and freeze them. Once frozen, you can bag them and have ready to pop in the oven cookie dough! Brilliant! I, of course, had to bake some too!

So, that was my restful Saturday. I hope your day was great!

Thanks for checking in!

xo

Kel

Santa's Helper Has Been Busy!

This is actually a continuation of my Thanksgiving Day!

I used the Santa's Helper reference because of my ensemble yesterday; I certainly have been busy today helping Santa, however!

Yesterday the confidence was apparently through the roof!

I started with a long turtleneck from Michael Stars. I have had this for 3 years or so. Like the sweater on Monday, it is one of those tops that I need to pair with something tight on the bottom; it results in a rather exposed silhouette!

I wore it atop a pair of leggings I got at Ann Taylor. When did leggings start to make an appearance again? 3 years ago as well? When I first started to see them in the stores, I did not buy any. I used my friend Sherri's line:"I took full advantage of them in the 80's and I do not need to wear them again." I promptly went out and saw this pair! They are a very heavy weight. They are not like a heavy pair of tights. They do not get sheer as they stretch. These are good for sucking in what needs to be sucked in! I decided what better way to stay on my eating plan for the day than to wear something tight!

I accessorized with my favorite black belt and boots, and simple cz studs.

Ben and I went over Gretchen's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Here I am with Gretchen (on the left) and Erika. Dinner was fantastic! There was turkey that was really good! Moist and very flavorful. There were more side dishes than you could possibly eat in two meals, let alone one! Sweet potato casserole, 2 kinds of stuffing, tomato pie (it was heavenly!), spinach salad with craisins, apples and walnuts with a white balsamic vinaigrette (I brought that), pumpkin biscuits with orange butter (mine too), green bean casserole, corn souffle and mashed potatoes. It was quite the feast! We finished it all of with an amazing pumpkin pie (it had a gingersnap crust) and chocolate mousse cake (me), as well as espresso or tea.

I can't believe I even needed breakfast this morning!

I am not a Black Friday shopper. For those few items I do need at the store, I will find an evening when others are eating dinner. Hopefully I can run in and get out as quickly as possible.

Remember one of the items I was going to let myself buy when I first started this? Check out the rules on the first blog. It was a pair of running shoes. It is time! I got my current ones last March. Running shoes generally have a 500 mile limit. I can tell I have reached that limit by how my right hip feels. I received a coupon from Lady Foot Locker, and it expires Sunday. It is a really good deal; $15 off of a $75 purchase or $25 off a $100 purchase. I may have to fight the darned crowds on Sunday. I don't mind the parking. I just park as far away as possible and enjoy the walk. Fortunately, Lady Footlocker is right next to the entrance. I can be in and out in no time!

While I am not a Black Friday shopper, I am an online shopper. I was busy today taking care bizzness! I can't say what I purchased, but I got a lot of my shopping DONE! Yay! I stayed in my bath robe until 2:30! Because it was a sunny day, we headed out for a 5.4 mile walk. We even did a little running, but that was just because it was chilly and we needed to warm up!

I came home and promptly got back on the computer. I guess it was no shower no make up Friday!

I hope your day was great, I hope you had the day off, and that you got lots crossed off of your list too!

Thanks for checking in!

xo

Kel

p.s. I am being bad, but no vote today either!

A Wednesday picture posted on Thursday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sorry I did not post last night! Ben and I decided at the last minute that we were not in the mood to make dinner, so it was an impromptu date for sushi. I love love love sushi!

Once we got home, I had lots of baking to do, plus I wanted to get to bed at a decent hour because we were running a 5k this morning.

So, before I get to today's festivities...

Yesterday's ensemble!

I love this jacket! I got this jacket last winter from J.Crew. It was probably the brightest color they offered. I did not hesitate when I saw this hanging in the store. It is a velvet and fun!

In the picture it looks a lot more orange than it is in reality. It is more of a deep melon shade; not pumpkin orange. It has a little pink to it even.

I paired it with my Hudson boot cut jeans and a gray tank top. The tank has a subtle shimmer to it. It is from my friends at J.Crew as well!

The shoes are Naughty Monkeys. You last saw them here. My Art director was good enough to get a close up shot of them for you!

On my shoulder is a pin I had to have! I got it last year when I was holiday shopping. You know, the shopping trip you make and end up finding more things you would like for yourself instead of the people you were supposed to be shopping for? I love all of the different colors in it. Whether they are in fashion or not, I do love a bit of bling on the shoulder of a jacket!

This morning was an early start for Ben and I. We ran in the Turkey Trot in Downtown Minneapolis. It was a cold way to start the day! I was so happy we did it though. There were over 15000 participants! Seems a lot of people wanted to "Earn the Bird" today. That's the saying on the back of our tshirts. Ben finished in 24:20 and I finished in 28:14. That was 5 seconds behind my personal best. I was pleased with the results; I am never there to race anyone other than myself! I did 4 5ks this year, and that was my second best.

I do have pictures of today's ensemble, but at the moment they are sitting in Ben's camera, and he is napping. Shhhhh - I don't want to wake him!

I will continue the Thanksgiving story later, okay?

Thanks for checking in!

xo

Kel

BTW - sorry, I love this stuff too much to let you vote!

I really could get into this!

Every time we have a casual week, I think this would be great everyday! But if we were able to dress casually every day, someone is inevitably going to ruin it. I look at the ensembles at work, holding my breath. Who will be the first to cross over the line? Who will be the first person to dress too casually and make the "powers-that-be" say No More Casual Week! I hope that doesn't happen any time soon! I certainly hope that I am not the person causing such a reaction.

As someone I would call one of the more mature (age-wise) I hope I have the sensibility to know the line and to not cross it.

That is a long way of saying - I wore a tank top under this shirt today today to keep the girls covered!

Such freedom! Such a relief to not pull, tug, shift and fidget all day!

I have had this shirt for 3 years, and have worn it once; the one wearing resulted in my own personal struggles. No one sent me home. So, what did I do as a result of that one outing? I did not wear it.

I used to have a rule; if it has not been worn for 6 months, it goes. I used to have to do that because my "purging" rate was far slower than the new clothes rate. Sadly, I had quite a few items that left the closet because of this rule. I have thought back with regret to a few of those items.

This past weekend I was doing laundry, and went into the guest room closet. Yes, Kel's closet is actually a few closets. The one in the master bedroom, the guest room closet, and the shoes are in the coat closet downstairs. I was hanging a dress in the closet when it fell to the floor. I bent down to pick it up, and in my little eye I spied a garbage bag. I dragged the bag out, knowing full well that this was a Goodwill bag that never made it to goodwill. What treasures might lie within?

I took out this top, along with several others. I washed them, I refolded them, and I added them back into the rotation. Kel needs to make it until August without a repeat for goodness sake!

Honestly, most of what came out of this bag was perfect for weekend wear; long sleeves tshirts that I got from Target. But there were a few items that can go to work again. I hope you agree!

As for the top, it is a deep V, 3/4 sleeve mock wrap top. I know with the white on white it is hard to see the details. Plus we had to take pictures at home after work. No good props here!

The jeans are my favorite pair of Joe Jeans. I wish I knew why they were my favorite. What is it about them that I love so much? They make me walk a little sassier and taller.

Well, the taller could also be because of the Naughty Monkeys. Click the name to see the story. C'mon - you know you want to!

The earrings are from my friend Sue's handywork. You can see more at enchanteddesignsbySue.com.

Thanks for checking in. I am off to go read my new favorite food blog:

Joy the Baker

Amazing baking, amazing story telling, and I am accumulating a list of "must makes"!

Please vote below!

xo

Kel

It is Casual Week!

You read that right!

Casual Week!

In honor of the holiday, my company announced it was casual day every day this week, as well as Dec. 20-31 (or something like that!).

The fear in reading a memo like that is - did I misread it? Did it really say casual like Fridays? What will happen if I go to work and I am the only person in jeans? I can't buy a new outfit!

Always have a back up plan!

Make sure your friend Erika is also wearing jeans. Take someone else down with you!

The cute signage in the picture today is courtesy of Starbucks. It says "I wish Grown Ups could remember being Kids." I think that is a great motto to take us through the rest of the week!

Todays long sweater is a 3 year old purchase from Anthropologie. It is soft and fuzzy, and this has only been it's third or fourth outing. It is one of those sweaters that really can't be worn that often. It is just way to recognizable. Plus, I have to be rather confident when I wear it. it does not leave a lot to the imagination! It has to be worn with skinny jeans and a girl is not ready to wear skinny jeans and a sweater like this all the time. Well, not this girl!

The jeans- you have seen them...Hudson skinny jeans

Yes, these black pumps again! As I was examining my shoes today I think my first purchase will be new black pumps. These have seen better days!

Now, for the important stuff. Yesterday's food!

The creme de la creme for the day was the Neiman Marcus cookies. If you love cookies, make them.

The Little Debbie Creme pies...I thought I may have had a disaster on my hands. The cookie part spreads really thin. I used too large a cookie scoop, and could have made them half the size that I made them. They are huge, and they will be taken to work tomorrow. My hands were full! I did share one yesterday and they are an exceptional choice for discretionary calories!

We had the Lentil Stew for lunch today and it was good. By the time you are done with the recipe, a serving is LOADED with sodium. It comes from the vegetable stock, the Worcestershire Sauce, the tomato paste and the dijon mustard. I am exactly at 100% for my sodium intake today from this lunch of 61% sodium. If you think I am foreign and do not understand that I track my food intake, check out Nutrimirror!

The chili is tomorrow's lunch. I am hoping it gets tastier from sitting in the fridge for a few days. The taste I had yesterday was meh.

The Sausage, Spinach and Provolone Pizza was fantastic. Somehow, I managed to only eat one piece. Seeing the 288 calories a piece was okay, but seeing all of the calories, sodium and saturated fat in 2 pieces made me think twice! We will have leftovers for dinner tomorrow night, and I will have a salad on the side.

Thanks for putting up with all of my food talk!

Vote on the outfit below.

Thanks for checking in!

xo

Kel

I love Sundays

I feel like I have neglected to mention in the past just how much I love Sundays. I think I love Sundays because I turn from Fashion Blogger to Food Blogger. I often have no shower no make up Sundays; today I will have to shower because I had no shower no make up Saturday!

I can't really call myself a true food blogger. I don't have amazing pictures of every meal I ate today. There are some terrific blogs out there. Some of my favorites?

Click on the names to go to them...

My Daily Nosh

Carrots'N'Cake

Kath Eats Real Food

and, last but not least...

The Country Tart

I also love love love

Foodbuzz

Foodbuzz is really a collection of all things food! Once you learn how to navigate their site, you can get a ton of amazing recipes! I am not saying all of the recipes are balanced, but when worked into a balanced life you CAN have your cake and eat it too!

At the moment I am making this chili that I got on Foodbuzz. I am substituting ground turkey for the beef and veggie stock for the beef stock. Why? Um, just because? Also, I actually cooked my own kidney beans instead of using canned. That was to control the sodium. I am using less ground turkey, increasing the kidney beans and cutting out the salt altogether. That can be added later if needed. If this is any good, I can say it is my recipe because of the alterations. :) After I brown the turkey, the whole thing is going in the crock pot. This is not for tonight's dinner. Some will get eaten during the week for a lunch and a dinner, and some will get frozen.

Thick and Hearty Chili

After the chili is assembled, I will head out for a walk. Not too cold, and no rain? Take advantage of it while I still can!

The cooking will continue this afternoon with this Lentil Soup Recipe.

As with the chili, we will have some during the week and freeze some for later.

Tonight's dinner will be this pizza. I have been dying to make this!

Sausage, Spinach and Provolone Pizza

And the day is not truly complete if I do not make some sweet treats for my unsuspecting coworkers!

The Neiman Marcus Cookie

AND

Oatmeal Creme Pies

Those sound so wrong - I HAVE to make them!

Chili is in the crock pot! I am out for a walk! Catch ya later, and I will give you a review of the foods soon!

xo

Kel

Happy Saturday!

I am refreshed and rejuvinated after a good night's sleep! What a week I had!

Besides Len Druskin trying to kill me, work was on HIGH and kept me staring at a computer screen for too many hours!

So, let me talk about yesterday's outfit before I get completely distracted.

It was Casual Friday and I got the take out another pair of jeans you have not seen. This may have been the last pair! I will have to go through the blog and see!

I got these at the Gap 3 years ago. I remember going mall walking on a Saturday morning. It was a snowy day here in MN, probably in June.

Just checking to see if you are awake yet! No, not June, probably more like January. I am thinking January because these jeans were an after holiday sale purchase.

Anyways, I had gotten to the mall later than I would have liked for mall walking. I liked to get there before the shoppers actually arrived. It is nice to be in there and be able to walk quickly and not maneuver around people who could care less about burning calories. They are there to shop and don't care if you are there to walk. They should not care!

After walking, I decided to hit some sales. Any of you that have shopped at the Gap know that they have had a rough few years. They are trying to make a resurgence back into the fashion world. I think these jeans were purchased at their lowest point, and I had made the purchase ot of pity! I say that now because in looking at them in this picture? I don't think I like them!

They are a skinny jean, and there is no give in these suckers. I don't think there is any spandex at all. I could not wear them once last year with 15 more pounds on me than I have now. The muffin was over the top a year ago! It was not the greatest yesterday either...thus the top I ended up selecting.

Originally, I had more of a straight tunic on. I kept turning around to see the rear view, and all I could see was the muffin. I changed into this more "billowy" top to attempt to hide it. I am not sure if I hid it or simply ended up looking w-i-d-e-r.

This top is from Michael Stars Shine collection. The material has the slightest shimmer to it. I love the neckline; I think a deep V really is my favorite. Must be because I love my collar bones. I purchased this top, and a purple one just like it, at an Anthropologie clearance sale 2 years ago. The purple one has since been discarded due to a hole appearing somehow right in the front. It got stabbed by something somewhere along the way and was not repairable. I love the color of this one.

I picked a bigger bolder earring than I have been wearing of late. I guess I was feeling a little feisty yesterday!

I rocked the Naught Monkeys again. Lots of compliments from strangers on these shoes yesterday. I love complimenting strangers on their clothes; I think I get more joy in complimenting them than when they compliment me! Compliments are interesting. I have learned the difference when complimenting someone in saying "What a pretty blouse" vs "That blouse looks great on you." The first compliment may get you the age of the garment, the purchase location, etc. The second compliment tends to make the person pause, and say "Thank You."

So, on that note, I think it is time to get this day officially started! Not sure what we will be doing today, but I know I need to get ready for a run!

Thanks for checking in. Please vote below!

xo

Kel

I am doing a reverse of last Friday :)

Here is the picture! I will talk about it tomorrow.

I am beat!!

Have a great night!

xo

Kel

Len Druskin is Trying to Kill Me!

A new store.

Within a 2 minute walk from my current work location.

For weeks I have been walking past the windows, covered with paper. The store name was revealed about 2 weeks ago. Len Druskin. NO!

Len Druskin is a clothing store that started in MN. They have some regular high end stores. The one that just opened is one I would call "an outlet". Click on Ken Druskin to see the stores and their typical clothing lines. They are far "too Kel"! I had 3 people email me today to stay away from the store!

Too late. I did not make any purchases, but I had already walked by. The store was opening at 11 a.m. today. Around 12:30 they were packed! Ben and I sashayed over there after lunch. On the way passed the front new, the new clothes smell came wafting out at us. Oh, how I wish this blog was scratch and sniff. Sad pouty face here. Seriously.

On to my same sad OLD clothes!

Well, not too old :).

The blouse today was purchased a year ago or so from J.Crew. It is a light dove grey. I had every intention of wearing a different blouse, and a different skirt for that matter. It was a typical put on skirt, put on blouse, don't like blouse, then realize it is really the skirt that is the problem, seek out new skirt, put on the new skirt, realize it is just a tad too big and that you should give it to your friend Tricia because it would be adorable on her, put on this skirt and say OK!

This has been only the second outing for this blouse; Ben does not ever recall seeing it before. He said I looked sweet today.

The skirt is at least 2 years old and is from Ann Taylor Loft. I remember seeing it in the window one morning as I "mall walked". I kept seeing it lap after lap. After my walk I went home took a shower and headed back to the mall to get it!

So, I don't think Len Druskin is really trying to kill me. A little torture perhaps!

Thanks for checking in!

xo

Kel

A Promise Fulfilled!

See - I wouldn't let you guys down!

Work has been crazy! Left to decide on writing last night or getting a foot rub, well , you know that foot rub had to win!

Above is yesterday's outfit!

Yes, pants, and yes Joe, that means I did not shave my legs! I work with Joe (HI JOE!) and asked if he now looks at me on a day when I am wearing pants or tights and if he wonders if I shaved my legs that day. He wasn't wondering, but I am sure he will from now on!

The morning yesterday was far too much like Monday morning. The alarm went off - several times apparently! I was so tired that I guess I kept hitting the snooze while sleeping. I woke up and it was 6:20. No good! I jumped in the shower immediately. My typical morning routine is get up at 5:55, go downstairs, turn on the coffee maker (which I fill the night before), add soy milk and water to the pats (which I fill the pot the night before) and get my snacks and lunch in the bag to take to work. I then sit with my oats and cruise on over to Nutrimirror to log my food and see who has checked in. All of that putzing takes me about 35 minutes. I was already down 20 minutes in my morning putzing, so off to the shower I went!

I was happy to be ready with enough time to make some toast with almond butter and banana and a drizzle of honey. Tasty!

Wait - this is not a food blog? Oh, the clothes!

For your approval above, a pair of pants that I purchased from Banana Republic this summer. They were on sale - yeah! They just came home from the dry cleaners. It is always good to have those clothes ready to go on a hit and run morning!

The top had to be easy; remember, I was short on time. I chose a cami and a cardigan. You habe seen them both before. Don't make me go look!

As I was getting ready, I decided the outfit needed a little spicing up. Grey and black - SO boring sometimes! I added this brooch that was given to me 15 years ago (I think) by my friend Kim for being in her wedding. Sorry there is not a closer shot of it. It is sparkly, primarily in light blue stones with an aurora borealis (sp?) hue to them. I have not worn it for ages!

Black pumps. Does not get easier!

Ben took me out for dinner and drinks last night after work, as we did not get to have lunch together due to my schedule. The pictures were taken in the parking garage. I thought this sign would make a great addition to the picture. That "snow drop area" is about 6 stories high! Yes, we get snow IN the parking garage!

Here is today's ensemble!

Hey Joe - I am wearing tights. Yup, you guessed it!

The skirt is a corduroy skirt that I got about 3 years ago from Ann Taylor. Sale racks. A beautiful thing!

The sweater is from J.Crew - I know, you are shocked, aren't you? It was an online purchase last year. It is a combination of cashmere and wool. It is quite soft! I like the mustardy shade - it went quite well with the coloring in Starbucks today! I did put a tank underneath, to keep myself, and the deep V from getting overexposed!

For the life of me I cannot remember where I got these earrings! I hate that!

I had every intention of wearing boots today. When I came downstairs, Ben suggested these shoes. They are from the line "Not Rated". This brand is the "daughter" company of Naughty Monkeys. I ordered them from Endless. If you have a shoe issue, don't click and go! Don't say I did not warn you! I love(d) Endless; they have free overnight shipping on most styles!

What attracted me most to this shoe was the name of the style; it is called "Miss Daisy". You have heard me refer to Ben and I driving to work together as "Driving Miss Daisy". When I discovered these shoes, it just seemed like a sign that I had to get them!

They have a much rounder toe than I normally wear. I think they worked today. I hope you think so too!

To make this fair, today's vote is on today's outfit only. I can tell you, I do not have many pants so it would kill me if you voted yesterday's off, and a cami and cardigan are just too much of a basic to let them go!

Thanks for checking in!

xo

Kel

p.s. I am curious for your thoughts on how I have been styling my hair!

Choices and Decisions

Write in the blog or get undivided attention from Ben?

Good night folks!

See ya tomorrow!

xo

Kel

(I promise - 2 pictures tomorrow, k?)

Blah Blah Monday Monday!

Sing along with me people "Blah Blah Monday Monday..." to the tune of the Mamas and the Papas of course!

I don 't think I got to enjoy enough baking yesterday. I did not get enough feet up on the couch have Ben rub them time yesterday. It was a "the alarm can't be going off already" Monday morning!

4 snoozes, or 36 minutes later, I finally dragged my butt-ocks out of bed. I only plan for 3 snoozes. Damn, already 9 minutes behind! Fortunately I did not take too long to figure out what to wear.

I love getting clothes back from the Dry cleaners. Skirts that have been cast aside in a basket for far too long, and then left unattended at the dry cleaners for too long as well, arrive home giving additional options once again.

I love this skirt. I am not, however, loving the fact that the shirt I chose is bunched up under said skirt! Grumble grumble...

I got this skirt at Anthropologie in the winter of 2004. Yes, it is almost 5 years old. I love the color, I love the ruffles, and I love how it is long enough to cover the tops of my boots, swinging to and fro' as I walk. I remember finding this skirt. I was shopping with my friend Sherri (Hi Sherri!!) and I held it up and thought "Oooh this is beautiful!" My size was not on the rack so I took what was there and held my breath. This was the ultimate in "vanity size gotta have this because you won't believe what size I got" purchases. I paid far too much money, but it was the first time I fit into the big "0". I know it was vanity sizing, because there are many women much smaller than me...the women that they had to add 00 to the sizing for. People - how can someone be sized less than nothing? Can we not go back to normal sizing where people do not have to buy clothes that have two zeroes? Regardless, it got me to purchase this skirt!

I always pair it with black, simply because that is the easiest way to go. I was a little at a loss this morning, as I could not find the black top I wanted. I grabbed this one and made due. It is incredibly soft, but I am sad to say that is about the only nice thing I can say about it at this point! I will keep it, if only to wear around the house. Everytime I walked into the ladies room today I just said "ugh".

The belt and the boots are repeats!

Ben got a nice shot of my "goth" fingernails. I not only got a pedicure on Saturday but I decided to get a manicure too. I love a good manicure; I do not love chipping said manicure within 1 day of getting it done. Anyone have any secrets to maintaining a good manicure? The only one I can think of is to stay off the computer and no typing! Hah! That is like asking me to not talk!

Pictures today were taken in Butler Square. I met Ben closer to his office today for lunch. We shared a bowl of posole. Posole is basically a pork/hominy soup with spices of black pepper, garlic, cayenne (lots) and a little clove in a beef broth. I ended up using a different recipe than the one I shared Saturday after Ben said "that recipe is not posole". As always, lunch was good but the company was better!

This office building is very nice. The inside is open all the way up. I am not sure how many floors it has, but the walls of the offices surrounding the inside are all glass. For those working in them, I imagine it can be like working in a fish bowl. From the outside, however, it is pretty cool!

I am going to work on being in a better mood for you all tomorrow :)

Have a great night and thanks for checking in, and checking out the ensemble! Remember to vote below!

xo

Kel

Ha Karyn! This was not a Repeat!

So, here is the picture I promised...this is what I wore on Friday!

I first must bitch, er vent, about the poofiness of my hair.

"Does it really look like that, or is is the camera angle?" I asked Ben.

"Yes" he said.

"Yes, to which one?"

"Um...". He was pleading the 5th I think!

Ugh. I need to try and style it so that it does not look like this!

Friday we had another winter coat to share. I finally picked up my dry cleaning on Thursday and was excited to get this green pea coat back. I purchased this 4 years ago at the Banana Republic outlet in Gurnee, Illinois. I lived way to close to the outlets in Gurnee! I love this coat, and it has more than paid for itself.

The pants are a black corduroy that I bought in Jacksonville, Florida at a boutique. I visited it whilst on a business trip. It was within walking distance of my hotel in a cute little area. They are the brand "AG". I have to be very careful when I wear these pants. They are quite low-rise, and things tend to bubble over, or muffin over, I should say. I had a different top on with these until the last minute when I changed.

The blouse is from J.Crew. I purchased it last year. I like the pink and the pattern, and the fact that it does not gape at the boobs! Well, it did accidentally come unbuttoned at lunch, and I am fairly certain that the patrons at Baja got a free show! Nothing Janet Jackson-ish, but enough to make me say "oops!"

I hope your weekend is going well so far. I got my grocery shopping done yesterday, and made some wheat germ corn muffins to go with dinner last night, as well as a batch of magic bars. I added an ingredient to the magic bars, attempting to make a salty/sweet combination...the layers were: graham crackers, condensed milk, crushed pretzel sticks (my addition), coconut, semisweet chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and pecans. Ben said they are tasty, but did not say the pretzels made a noticeable difference. I will let you know after I try one!

Today I AM going to make the posole! Damn it!

I am making chicken broth at the moment, as I also want to make a chicken pot pie today.

A cookie may be on the agenda for today as well!

Thanks for checking in! Please vote below!

xo

Kel

Currently experiencing technical difficulties!

Sorry I do not have Friday pics posted. Ben sent them to me, but on my work email, and I can't download attachments from my work email at home, blah blah blah!

Today is quite a dreary day in Minnesota. To perk me up a bit, I am going to go get a pedicure. A pedicure can solve a lot of problems, don't ya think? Actually, I am needing a pedicure. It is not even a question of pretty toes for open toed shoes anymore. Running can be hard on the toe nails, and I like to keep them short. And yes, the foot rub and scrub that come with it are nice too. Okay fine, I am too lazy to do it myself!

I am going to head to the grocery store after that. My plan today is to make posole. Ben is from New Mexico, and has talked a lot about this traditional holiday fare. I am going to give it a try today using this recipe.

I am sure some baking will get done this weekend as well. I have two pie pumpkins I bought last weekend that need to get cooked. Now that I have made my own pumpkin puree, I feel so Martha Stewart. Truth be known, I want the seeds, and it really does taste better than the canned stuff!

Any ideas on what I should bake?

I will get the Friday pics up this weekend! I promise!

Hope you all have some planned relaxation in your day today! See ya!

xo

Kel

Doing Much Better, Thanks for Asking!

I took control over the situation that caused me such grief yesterday. Thanks for your kind words!

On to today!

A repeat item! Not just one, but two!

You have seen this blouse before on a Casual Friday. For the story, click here.

The shoes are a repeat as well! Here is when you saw them last!

Now, remember my rules: I cannot repeat an ensemble. Individual pieces can certainly make a reappearance.

These pants are from J.Crew last winter. They are a wool pant, but fully lined so nothing itchy is going on! I have the same pair in beige; I had purchased the black ones in the store. Later, when the beige went on sale online, I scooped them up! They could probably be taken in a couple of inches; they are supposed to sit a little higher on the waist, which would make them just a little shorter. I have to be careful what shoes I wear with these pants. If I rock one of my platform shoes I look too much like Herman Munster. Not a good look!

The earrings are from...nope, can't remember. I loved the antique romantic look to them. They were purchased ...nope, can't remember that either :). I can tell you, however, when they were worn the first time - today! Yes, I guess I just never had the right outfit to pair them with. Today they just felt right.

Did you all notice I snuck a haircut in on you? I got it trimmed Tuesday evening. I announced it to my hairdresser - we are officially growing it out! Can't be sure where it will end, but not too long. I usually get it to shoulder length, and then decide to chop it all off!

Thanks for checking in! Please vote below.

Thanks again for helping me get my juju back!

xo

Kel

The Phoenix Rises From the Ashes

Friends - I am dealing with some significant personal issues today. Not my health, not my sweet Ben, not any drama in NM land. I cannot go into details, as, well, this is the internet.

Suffice it to say: when these pictures were taken today, I loved the symbolism of the Phoenix flying over my shoulder. The legend of this mythical creature said that only one Phoenix lived at a time; at the end of it's lifetime, the Phoenix would build it's nest, and then set it on fire. After 3 days a birth, or rather rebirth, of the Phoenix occurs, as it rises from the ashes.

I have often felt like a Phoenix rising from the ashes. I was given a second chance and rose out of the flames. I am dealing with issues today because someone is grabbing on to the wing of this Phoenix and pulling me back into the flames.

Perhaps too mysterious a post, but it is all I can do to stay together at this moment. I did not want to miss a post, and I greatly appreciate you stopping by today, even if I am not able to share a witty story about where my clothes came from.

Thanks friends.

xo

Kel

Ever have one of those days?

I get to vote this one out of the closet!

It is cute, huh? I got it at Banana Republic a year ago. A year. I have had many items I have shared with your far older than a year...so, what is the problem? As I was sitting down after a trip to the rest room, I was flattening the bottom under my butt...you know, the move you make so that your dress is not all bunched up as you sit down? I felt it. A hole. Not a rip on a seam, not the hem coming down...nope, a hole. About the size of a dime. Now, without too much detail as to my undergarments today, let me say I hope my ass was not exposed to all of Minneapolis today! Erika and Ben, both forced to look at my ass as I walked 6 feet in front of them, assured me you could not see it.

This all had to happen on top of the fact that this was the second dress I put on this morning. The first one? As I was washing my hands to get some makeup off of them, the soap dispenser must have been clogged; it sprayed all over my dress. Seriously? This led to the quick change.

I put the dress on and grabbed the green belt out of my drawer. I have had the belt for several years. I like it because it is fuzzy. You can't see that detail in the picture, but it is!

In the year of tights, I am still going without some days. Hey, a good leg shaving cannot be wasted on tights!

Black pumps, earrings Karyn loves, outfit done and dusted.

I do love a black dress! Just not one with a hole in the ass!

Thanks for checking in!

xo

Kel