The UnSophisticate

Oh, the sweet nothings my husbeast says to me....

2012-02-15T02:57:00.000-08:00

So, in my post about the love of my life, I forgot to mention the sweet greeting I got when I got home.

"Wow, you look tired. Is that vomit on your shirt?"

Looks down at spot on shirt. Yup, baby formula.

"Yes, yes it is."

"That's ok. I'll still have sex with you."

W. :/

For my Valentine Haters......

2012-02-14T20:02:00.000-08:00

W. :)

Day 14: Heart

2012-02-14T18:12:00.001-08:00

The Husbeast scored some hubby points this morning. He left me the cutest card on my pillow when I got home from work. Now, let me preface by saying I married possibly the least romantic person ever. And he will be the first to admit that.

I forgot to take a picture of the back cover. It had a picture of two rocks and said "Me forgot one... Nice Boulders." Those compliments in the card are the exact words he usually uses to compliment me.

I have received flowers from him probably 5 times in the 20 years we have been together. Never will there be any surprise candlelight dinners, or rose petal strewn sheets. His idea of foreplay runs along the lines of "Wanna do it?" And our engagement story is one that probably shouldn't be mentioned in public.

However, he is a good husband. He is loyal, loving, helpful (in his own way) and generous. He keeps me laughing every day of my life, and while I want to kill him sometimes, I can't imagine life without him.

Us Circa 1992

Photo challenge updates

2012-02-13T20:09:00.003-08:00

Day 8: The Sun

Day 9: Front Door

Day 11: Happy

My family. Boy Child, Husbeast, Kitty and Pretty, and Bear with her head in her crotch. Ugh. Pardon my mess. This was during the weekend of sloth.

Day 12: Inside of my closet

Ok, so there is this light blue shirt with a patch on the sleeve....way over there in the back...everything behind that is my husbands and the stuff on the shelf immediately above . Everything else is mine. Not included: the 30 pairs of shoes that you can't see on the left side of the closet. I am shamed.

Day 13: Blue

W. :)

After a weekend of sloth.....

2012-02-13T19:32:00.000-08:00

I return to reality.

I spent nearly my whole weekend on my sofa. I slept on it when I got home from work. And then the rest of the weekend was like this:

1:30 pm Woke up and took care of blog posting and groceries. :(
5:00 pm Bought pizza, and returned home.
6:00-11:00 Read magazines (Marie Claire & People) and perused some books I checked out.
11:00 Watched news. (Boring and depressing.)
11:30 SNL with Zooey Deschanel hosting. LOVE!!! Especially the skit of "Being Quirky with Zooey Deschanel."

Bein' Quirky with Zooey Deschanel

1:30 Bed or should I say sofa, as I fell asleep there.

Sunday:
8:00 AM Woke up, watched GMA weekend (Boring and depressing. Sorry, I do not feel sorry for people who have every advantage afforded to them, and then still choose to throw their lives in the trash.)
9:00 AM CBS Sunday Morning.
10:30-1:00 Napped. (It takes me a while to get my sleeping in order after working.)
1:00-6:00 PM Watched movies from Red Box. This weekend's selections were:

Both were very good. May have to purchase "Beginners" for my movie collection.

7:00 PM "60 Minutes" to watch Adele interview with Anderson Cooper.
8:00-11:30 PM The Grammys. (Huzzah, Adele!!)

It was AWESOME!!!

W. :)

It's time for Sing-Along-Saturday!!

2012-02-11T12:45:00.000-08:00

Let's take it back....way back. To a more innocent time in music.

And in case you are unsure when whipping it would be the appropriate action to take, I submit this:

And along the lines of "Whip It," I provide the trailer for one of my favorite movies (because I am still suffering from teenage angst, apparently.).

Oh, and I LOVE ROLLER DERBY!!!

W. :)

Fill in the blank Friday!

2012-02-11T01:10:00.000-08:00

From:

1. I started my blog because I like to hear myself talk, apparently. Since I am still trying to find my blog-voice, it is a blog in transition. A place to express myself, but at the same time, I am unsure what I want this to be.

2. One thing I love seeing on other blogs people who are totally not afraid to be themselves. To be able to just put it all out there, and screw what anyone else may think....I want to be able to do that.

3. Something I love about blogging it gives me a voice. So often I am the quiet one. It wasn't always this way. I used to be much more gregarious. However, since finishing nursing school, moving away from my familiar work groups, and moving into a predominantly female workforce, I have become much more introverted. I have found that since I have started blogging again, I have slowly been coming out of my shell.

4. A favorite blog post of mine is probably not yet written. I have several in my old blog.

5. Something my friends in real life know about me that I've never before mentioned on my blog is my mother is a cat lady. Like, one day I fear she will be on tv.

6. My new favorite blogs to read are Scathingly Brilliant, Open Your Mind Before You Open Your Mouth, Busty Zombie Hookers From Space and It Oozes With a Smile. If I am really pressed for time, those are the four I am sure to check out. However, my blog reading varies from fashion, DIY, working on the internal stuff, kind of all over the place, really.

7. Some things I tend to avoid doing on my blog are criticizing others. However, I can tend to be very critical of myself. And that sucks.

Day 10

2012-02-10T23:12:00.001-08:00

Well, looks like I know owe 2 days of photo's. No sun, no front door.

Here is the self-portrait. In Miami. Taken while on vacation.

So, I have obviously been off the grid for a minute. Got two extra days off from work, and I decided to go off-line for those days.

Tuesday, I went to see "Breaking Dawn PartI" at the dollar theater, and it was worth every penny. I would not have spent more than a dollar to see that. I spent a good portion of the movie muttering snide comments about it under my breath.

Like when she drank the blood for the first time and she goes, "That tastes..... (pause for dramatic effect)

my interjection: "Like a rusty nail."

"good."

Or when Edward is trying to save her life, I am telling him "No wonder she is dying, your CPR sucks!!"

Or when they deliver this 5 month old baby covered in strawberry preserves except for the obvious raccoon mask of cleanliness.

But, then, I am not allowed to watch medical dramas at home, either.

W. :)

Day 7: Button

2012-02-08T16:29:00.000-08:00

This is a button that I bought for my son. He is 15, so, you know, he is getting to 'that age.' We have been having versions of 'the talk' since he was about 7 or 8. And this is one of my strongest messages to him. It goes something like, "While you should wait until you are mature enough to handle the responsibility of sex, and the consequences that may come from it, above all else, if you decide to do it, be sure to use protection."

When we woke up this morning, there was no sun. So, I will be delayed on prompt # 8. Instead we had this.:

A wee bit of snow. It is nice that we finally got a decent snow fall, however, by noon it was all gone.

The husbeast and I decided to go on a morning hike at our favorite nature preserve, Raven Run.

In the spring, this will be a water fall.

It was a nice day out just the two of us. I fell on the trail, and if it weren't for a tree stump, I would have tumbles down the side of the hill we were on. Instead, I just got muddy knees, and a lot of laughter.

We went and had Mexican food for lunch, and then had a nice nap in the afternoon. All in all, a pretty perfect day.

W. :)

How to creep a girl out....

2012-02-06T17:21:00.001-08:00

Courtesy of my husbeast.

This past weekend we went to the Walgreens near our apartment to get some things. The cashier was very friendly, smiling, very nice.

My husband says this:

"You've worked here a long time haven't you?"

Her: "Yes, since 2007."

Him: "Yeah, I remember you from 2008." (Her smile begins to fade a little.) "You worked right over there (referring to the cosmetic department)."

Her: (smile completely gone, faint look of terror starting to form) "Yes....I still usually work over there. I am just filling in."

Him: "Yeah, I remember you."

Her: (now looking alarmed) "Gee, I don't remember you."

I pulled Willie out of the store, and told him, "Wow. You really just creeped her out. Did you see how her face changed? She is probably asking for a transfer request as we speak."

Then it dawned on him!!! "Oh, I must have sounded like a stalker!!"

"Yeah, like 'I used to watch you through through the merchandise'"

Whoopsie!!

W. :)

Day 6: Dinner

2012-02-06T16:23:00.000-08:00

This was dinner this evening. Farfalle and meatballs, with homemade garlic toast. Yum!!

I am sure my neighbors must have been wondering why I am setting up a picnic blanket on the ground and taking photos of my food. Whatever...

I am off for three nights in a row!! Yippee!! Good timing too...

This was last night's moon. Tonight it is full. Which means lots of babies to be born. Funny... It would seem like an old wives' tale that the moon phase can cause labor, but having worked in maternity for 3 years, I can attest it is true.

Every full moon, and every low pressure system, means an increase in deliveries.

I left the house early last night to try and catch the sunset. Because of a cloud line, I missed the actual sun, but did get some nice colors in the sky.

After work, this morning I did take back the bag and scarf to Target. Then, looking for trouble... I headed over to Old Navy, and got two cute tops and a cardigan sweater.

Source: oldnavy.gap.com via Wendy on Pinterest

The red one is a doggy print, and the navy is a kitty print. Love! :)

I am looking forward to movie day tomorrow, and doing something outside since it will be our last warmish day for a while. Guess winter is going to make an appearance after all.

W. :)

Day 5: 10 am on Sunday morning

2012-02-05T17:37:00.000-08:00

This is me at 10 AM this morning. Asleep. Worked all night, fought the crowds at Target, and got home at 0900. Husbeast took the picture.

Speaking of the Target...... Let's just say the only time I have seen this kind of reaction to a sale/promotion it is usually the day after Thanksgiving. I went straight to Target after work this morning, which means I arrived there at about 7:45 am. There were already a bunch of cars in the lot. Which is surprising on a Sunday morning.

All of a sudden, as everyone stood together close, all suspiciously eyeing one another, I said, "Oh my, are we all here for the same thing?!?" Then a bunch of people started laughing. Knowing myself, and what I am capable of wearing from Target (not much), I knew my Jason Wu would be limited to the accessories. (Good for me. Them Southern girls can get mean, in the nicest way possible.)

The poor man finally came to open the door, and jumped out of the way as fast as he could. The crowd pressed in, and while everyone else veered left after the clothes, I headed straight for my scarves and bag.

I got all three scarves in the collection:

And this bag:

Source: target.com via Wendy on Pinterest

I am not completely sure I am going to keep the bag or the scarf that matches it, but if you had seen how quickly they disappeared, you'd understand buy now, return later, after I have made up my mind.

Of course everyone went after this dress:

Source: target.com via Wendy on Pinterest

And let me tell you some women almost came to fisticuffs over it. The other hot seller was this one:

Source: target.com via Wendy on Pinterest

There were two really cute trench coats, a couple of tshirts with pussy-bows, a couple of variations of this shirt:

Source: target.com via Wendy on Pinterest

The black pleated skirt sold very well, but not the blue printed. The t-shirts did not sell, nor did most of the straw bags.

Here is most of the collection:

Talking with some of the women in the store, apparently, this collection caused another Missoni-type site crash.

The quality of the items seems adequate for the price point. I was disappointed to see that the straw satchels were coming apart at the edges. The t-shirts were pretty flimsy. But the dresses and skirts seemed nicely made.

The scarves are generously sized at 42" square. The totes were cute, but, I feel overpriced for a simple canvas bag. ($39.99)

Overall, the collection is cute, ladylike and affordable. If my butt was about 4 sizes smaller, I would have been all over the dresses and skirts, too.

W. :)

Day 4: A Stranger

2012-02-04T21:30:00.001-08:00

This is one of two stray cats that live in my apartment complex. Sometimes, he will follow me around on laundry day. He is totally sweet.

These are my cats:

This is Kitty Kitty. He is my boy, that I bottle fed until he was weaned. He is almost 4 years old.

And this is Pretty Pretty. (I know, terribly original names for my cats.) She is almost three. We found her teeny tiny self hiding under our garbage can. She is the sweetest cat ever!

Their names started out much worse. Kitty Kitty used to be called Upside Down Eyes, because when his eyes were first opening, they looked downward slanted. And Pretty Pretty was called Oreo for obvious reasons. But, I called her Pretty so much, that, eventually, it just became her name.

W. :)

I spent my afternoon in Paris....

2012-02-04T20:10:00.000-08:00

I slept in til 11:30 this morning. How wonderful!! Especially, since I spent most of the night tossing and turning. (I have a hard time sleeping in bed with another person, thanks to my daytime sleeping due to working night shifts.)

When I awoke, it was a dark and rainy afternoon, which meant there was only one thing to do...

Watch classic musicals of course!!!

I started with "Funny Face" starring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire. So good. Edith Head was the most amazing costumer.

Source: google.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Then, I followed with "An American In Paris" starring Gene Kelly. Oooohh, I would totally have crawled up on him if I was around back then.

Source: google.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Besides Paris, these two movies share a couple of other similarities. They both feature the song "'SWonderful" by the Gershwins, and in both films the male lead is significantly older then the female lead. In "Funny Face" Astaire was 30 years older, and in "An American in Paris" Kelly was 20 years older than Leslie Caron. (Although, at 19, I would have been all into him, too.)

Along with the movies, I worked on refashioning a wool skirt. I need to take 5 inches off the length!! My ideal skirt length is 27 inches. I have thrifted a whole slew of skirts, and most of them are perfect except for the length. I am going to be a professional hemmer by summer.

Other than that, I am at work all this weekend. Will be missing Super Bowl. I did not get to go to the movies on Friday. Instead, I got to do the taxes. State and Federal. And if I ever meet the bozo the created the KY state tax form in a dark alley.... he is gonna get it! Also, went with my kiddo to Half Price Books, where I bought the above mentioned movies.

So, Tuesday will be movie at the theater day. Yay!

W. :)

PS here is a little dance number to make you smile.

Fill in the blank Friday

2012-02-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

courtesy of

via http://thelittlethingswedo.blogspot.com/ (sorry, I suck at linking. I did try.)

1. If money wasn't an issue, the first thing I'd cross of my life list is taking a full year off to travel. And I would take my son out of public school and home school him while we traveled. I believe a kid would have so much more to learn from the world than they would ever get in school.

2. Roller Derby is something I like that other people think is weird.

3. If my life were a movie right now, the title would be "Lost in Translation" because I feel so darned misunderstood.

4. Three things I am looking forward to this month are going to a Celtic festival with family, Valentine's day, and having a whole bunch of weekends off!!

5. My favorite song to sing in the shower is I don't usually sing in the shower. Now, my car on the other hand..... that's a whole different story.

6. If I found out that the production of Chuck Taylor Converse Sneakers was ending this month, I'd go out and buy as much as I could tomorrow.

7. One thing I'll never grow tired of is laughing! I love to laugh. Like really fun side splitting laughter. It just makes me feel so good, and alive.

W. :)

TGIF!!!!! And the progression of baby swings.......

2012-02-03T07:44:00.000-08:00

Yay for Fridays off of work!!! Husbeast is at work. Child is at school. It is a gorgeous day, and I am free!!

Taking myself to see "Breaking Dawn: PartI" which has finally made it to the $1.50 theater. Gotta try to get a good sunset picture this evening. Take some pictures of the area.

It has been so warm here, the trees are getting confused.

The trees are already starting to get leaf buds.

And some of the spring flowers are beginning to push their way through the ground.

Too soon!!!!

So, on Wednesday night, I worked in the NICU with the withdrawing drug babies. Which I love to do. I prefer the NICU, and hope to move back over there some day. But I digress...

One of the tools that we use to help soothe the babies are swings. As I look at the swings that we have to use the variety is amazing. First, I think back to the swings that were around when I was a baby:

Something like this. With a crank on the top. Not much padding. No toys, straps or anything to make it particularly stimulating to the infant.

This particular design was pretty much the standard for many years.

We still have something like that today:

Very basic, but now plugs in. Has variable speeds, and lots of cushioning and safety straps.

This one also converts to a rocker for later use.

But let's talk technology! Baby swings have come a long way!

This one is AWESOME!!! It has a vibrating seat, six speed settings, an MP3 hookup, plus preprogrammed sounds like rainforest, heart beat, ocean waves and lullabyes. It has this side swing arm motion, as opposed to a traditional swing.

All it needs is a fan and a drink holder, and I would want one for myself!!

And here is the latest and greatest!!

The 4moms Mamaroo. It has a hammock like pod that cradles the babies like they are being held.

It has a car ride setting, which if you have ever been around a cranky, colicky baby, you know....

This little tyke was having a really bad night, as he is starting to withdraw. I put him in this thing, and he was instantly asleep.

You have to love a product that works like that!

Some parents may poo-poo the swing, but as a parent myself, and as a nurse for babies, I believe they have true value. These swings get a real workout with the withdrawing babies, when that is the only place they feel comfortable and can get rest. Sometimes they are running 24 hours a day.

Well, enough computer time. Time to go carpe diem!

Photo-A-Day Challenge!!

2012-02-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

I have decided to do this photo-a-a day challenge. One of my goals for 2012 was to improve my photography skills. Using these prompts will force me to look outside of the box (so to speak).

So here are days 1, 2 & 3 for your consideration.

Day 1: Your View

This is a photo mosaic of the actual view from my front patio.

Not much to look at, eh? So, I prefer this view:

The blue, blue Kentucky sky through the bare branches of a winter maple tree.

Day 2: (words)

I love bumper stickers!!! However, the only one I have on my car is a "Clash" bumper sticker that has been there since Joe Strummer died. (2002,RIP) Also, I am one of those geeks that clips inspirational things from magazines and put them on a bulletin board. The little white page is a poem my son wrote in 2nd grade. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

It says:
Goast, oh goast (ghost) we need to tell you something.
I'm thinking of something that don't have wings.
It's something scarey that always goes boo.
It has no legs so it can't tie its shoe.

Day3: Hands

This morning's sunrise with my son's hands. This was our sky while waiting for his school bus. It was a beautiful, clear, frosty morning.

My son has enormous hands. He has an artist's hands.

I can see that I will have trouble limiting myself to one photo per prompt. Oh well, more pictures to look at.

W. :)

Groundhog Day!!

2012-02-01T22:48:00.001-08:00

Source: google.com via Wendy on Pinterest

So, we get 6 more weeks of non-winter?

I really am not complaining at all about the lack of frozen precipitation. I am not wishing I could wear a few more layers of clothing. I am not wishing it would stay gray and frosty for another 2 months.

I am feeling very blessed that this winter has been so mild. One of my biggest concerns about moving to KY was the winter. My lovely co-workers did not help, regaling me with tales of 19 inch snows and ice storms!

I have been prepared for the worst! But, while I was kidding when I said I was bringing warmer weather with me from Miami, who knew it would be true?

So, Phil. Bring it on. I am ready for you.

W. :)

Ok....other vacay pics, mostly not about clothes....

2012-01-28T01:01:00.001-08:00

I have an unwilling victim here!!!

This is my Aunt Glo! She is like my second mother. We are very alike, personality-wise. She is a 2 year survivor of breast cancer. I love her to death.

This is my cousin, Joseph! We are 8.5 years apart in age. We are more like brother/sister than cousins. He and my son are really alike.

This is my grandmother. This is how you will find her every single night. She literally reads a book a day. As you can see, she is just finishing this on up!

Thursday was her 82nd birthday! We took her out to Red Lobster (her favorite).

Here are a couple of findings at the mall that were funny/interesting to me:

The purse on the right could be yours for the low, low price of only $1,350.00. The purse on the left, was from fall of last year. Still cute, and way out of my price range.

If you are not a purse person (which I am not), how does this tickle your fancy?

An 18kt gold "personal massager." For over $2k. For that price, it had better never break down, and should also be able to do the dishes.

This is the reason why people retire to Florida.

This is the way the local morning news anchors dress. Granted, this is Telemundo. Still the local non-Spanish new people do not dress that much differently.

The airport is so close to the ocean, you can actually see cruise ships from the aiport!

For reals!!

And look! Samuel L Jackson was totally sleeping in the airport!!! :D

W. :)

What I Wore on Vacation!!!!

2012-01-28T00:34:00.000-08:00

Leaving on a jet plane.

Ok. Not my plane, and I flew at night. But you get the idea.

Day 1 after arrival:

Shirt and Shorts: Tommy Hilfiger
Sandals: Yellowbox

Yippee!! Flipflops in January!

Day 2

This is what I wore to go unexpectedly tomato picking out in a field. Oh, and to visit my mother.

Shirt: LL Bean
Skirt: Ruby Red
Shoes: American Eagle (payless)

Not good picking shoes.

Day 3:

I don't even remember what I did this day. It was Sunday. Oh yeah. Groceries.

Shirt: Jones New York
Pants: TJ Maxx
Shoes: Airwalk

No picture for Monday. I forgot. I went with the ladies to the doctor, and to Target. The excitement is killing you, no?

Day 5:

Look we have actual activity. This is what I wore to go to the Mall with my aunt. And then later that evening, I went to dinner at my sister-in-law's.

Sweater: August Silk
Top: Lane Bryant
Jeans: Avenue
I am wearing my flip flops in this picture, but I actually wore white Converse sneakers out.

Day 6:

Repeat of Day 1.

However, I did go to lunch with a friend, and we got pedicures!

Toes: OPI Big Apple Red
Shoes: Yellowbox

Day 7:

Going home. Looking forward to seeing my kid and husbeast.

Jacket: Old Navy
Scarf: Ross
Shirt: Tommy Hilfiger
Jeans: Talbots

My white jeans got me disapproving looks on the plane. Can you believe that people still frown upon white after Labor Day? That is so antiquated. Whatever... I am going to do what I want.

I am so happy to be home....

2012-01-27T07:22:00.000-08:00

Arrived back to Kentucky last night, and I could not be happier to be back in my own little environment. Gave my kid a ton of kisses. Squeezed my cats. Loved my husbeast. Thanked God for cool rainy weather. I am truly at home.

When we first moved here, I was not sure that I could ever feel that any place other than Miami could be home for me. I mean, I lived there most of my life. I knew it inside and out. It was pretty much all I knew.

However, I realize now that wherever my little family is, that is my home. That is where I belong.

W. :)

Fill in the Blank Friday

2012-01-27T07:06:00.000-08:00

1. My favorite place I've ever traveled to is New York City. I love everything about it: museums, history, shopping, all those things that are uniquely New York.

2. Ireland and Scotland is somewhere I'd love to go someday.

3. I pass the time on a plane (or bus, or car ride or train) by looking out of the window, sometimes taking pictures.

4. My three must-haves when I travel are money, something to drink, and my camera.

5. My favorite travel companion is myself. I really like traveling solo. But my second favorite would be my kid.

6. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling is , being unused to having to travel with headlights in Sweden, I left the lights on in the car, and totally drained the battery. Fortunately, a nice man was kind enough to jump the battery so we could get home.

7. The most exotic food I've ever tried while traveling is prawns and eggs on pizza. Ick!

8. If I could live anywhere else, I'd live in somewhere in the French countryside.

9. I have been to 12 states in the U.S.

Friendship weirdness.....

2012-01-24T14:32:00.000-08:00

So, friendship is weird. I have never had normal friendships. My friendships have always had this caretaking aspect to them. Like, I take care of, baby, coddle, make myself over-available to my friends. That is a leftover from a very crazy co-dependent childhood to an alcoholic mother.

Well, I guess eventually my friends no longer "need" me, and the friends wander away. I am left feeling abandoned, and confused. But, with age and wisdom, I am learning what the problem is. (see: me)

I have one friend, where there is a particular weirdness to it. Six years ago we were inseparable. Like, to the point that someone accused us of having a non-sexual affair. (Not completely untrue, I suppose.) About a year or so ago, we kind of drifted apart (probably due to the fact that my husband and child were going to be a permanent fixture in my life, and the separation was necessary), and we did not communicate for 16 months. Then, we resumed our friendship, but from a distance.

But the weird thing is whenever we get together, we have a lot of fun. The talking never ends, we laugh like crazy, and it's awesome. Then when we end our time together, and it's like....nothing. No contact except liking things on each others' Facebook pages. Weird.

I guess all I can do is just appreciate this friendship for what it is. Weirdness, and all.

W. :)

Why I am glad that I don't live in Miami.....

2012-01-24T13:44:00.001-08:00

As I have mentioned in the past, I relocated from Miami, Florida to Lexington, Kentucky.

I like it, but I wouldn't say I love it. However, I do love it compared to Miami.

What I don't like about Miami:

The TRAFFIC!!!! It is horrendous all the time. Highway, street, day and night. Crazy, rude drivers. "Why yes I want to make a right hand turn from the far left lane." (Mind you, there are 5 lanes of traffic they are crossing.)

It's hot! It is January, and it is 85 degrees! I was so looking forward to warmth, until I started sweating on Saturday. Yeah, not for me. Now I am looking forward to putting my hoody back on.

The people tend to be so rude. Cutting you off on the road (see driving), cutting in lines, never ever hanging up their dang phones, never a please or thank you, or God forbid, an excuse me.

Poor customer service. If you go to a store you are either treated like a criminal or ignored. In the local stores, there are actually prompts that appear on the register screens "Greet the customer. Thank them and welcome them back." The employees won't say a word to you. Not even the amount you owe them.

All in all, I am very glad that we moved away. And I look forward to returning to KY. Even if I am cold.

W. :)

I changed my name....

2012-01-24T13:37:00.000-08:00

I am not sophisticated, or chic, or elegant. None of those adjectives will ever be used to describe me.

I don't drink wine.
I don't dig opera.
I think expensive cars are overrated, clothes with labels all over them are pretentious and I like a fair amount of cheez and kitsch in my life.

I don't dress my age, and probably never will.

So.... this is me. Unsophisticated, and proud.

W. :)

Doing what the old folks do...

2012-01-22T11:42:00.000-08:00

So I have spent my vacation doing what my grandmother (82) and aunt (65) do on a daily basis.

Let's see...

I have visited the doctors with them.
I have observed nap-time daily from 3-5 pm.
I have been to many, many Goodwills (and finally found a good one!!)
I have taken part in Senior Citizen Tuesday discounts.
And all meals must be prepared and consumed before 5:30 pm.

I am beginning to feel old, myself.

W. :)

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy.....

2012-01-20T13:37:00.001-08:00

I made it to Miami last night. An incredibly smooth flight, with crystal clear skies. So clear, in fact, that I could see other aircraft flying what seemed incredibly close to our plane. Started feeling my panic rising, so I forced myself to fall asleep. :)

It is so nice to be able to wear flip-flops and shorts, again.

W. :)

Deciding how much to share.....

2012-01-17T21:48:00.000-08:00

This started as a 'style blog.' Or a searching for a style blog, as the case may be. But, just writing about clothing all the time seems so superficial to me. There is so much more to life than just clothes.

Often times, I find myself wanting to write things unrelated to style/fashion, etc. Then I edit myself, because what exactly do I want this blog to be? How much of myself am I willing to share with an unknown public? Do I create another page just for those thoughts? But to have multiple pages seems a bit redundant to me.

So, what do I do?

W. :)

The saga of the green jeans.......

2012-01-17T00:46:00.000-08:00

So, I have been jonesing for some green jeans. Or some green chinos. I am in love with this look.

Source: shop.nordstrom.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Well, I find that Dots is having the colored jeans in not only the kelly green, but also orange (Tangerine Tango...color of the year), purple, bright blue, etc. So, I am checking the store nearly daily to see if the green jeans are in yet. No luck, but the blue comes in. And they are skinny cut. Like ridiculously skinny cut!

I decide to take the blue to try them on, and lo, my feet will not even make it to the end of the pant leg. The calves of the pants only have a 9 inch opening?!?!?!? Sadness. Those kelly greens are not to be.

W. :)

Where I work....

2012-01-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

I work in a Newborn Nursery at the major hospital in my area. I love working with babies. In my nursery, I get any babies that may be having issues, either due to their mother's health, or just having difficulty transitioning to life outside the womb.

Usually, our babies have very little serious problems. That's what the NICU is for. These particular babies had newborn jaundice, which is common. Lights for a day or two, no big deal. However, every once in a while the situation can get serious.

There is nothing scarier than when a baby goes bad on you. When a baby may seem perfectly healthy and then decide it doesn't want to breathe anymore. It is time like those when you are so grateful for your training. When your natural instinct to panic, panic, panic is overridden by the training, and you do what needs to be done to save that life.

As a nurse, you rely so much on your gut feelings. You know that something is wrong, and you have to be the advocate for your patient to make sure they are getting the care they need. Working in university setting with inexperienced physicians on duty, you have to advocate even harder, because those doctors are learning from you. As an experienced nurse, you have witnessed and experienced so much more than an intern or resident has. You are their leaders. While you can't tell them what to do, you can definitely suggest things that will guide them in the right direction of treatment.

This weekend was eventful, to say the least. But I am grateful that I was there to care for that patient, save them, and make sure they got the care that they needed.

W. :)

And another thing.....

2012-01-14T03:50:00.000-08:00

I am thoroughly convinced my camera must have a "fat" setting or something.

I was just scrolling through the last two posts, and I know that we are not that wide. Time for a new camera. :P

I really want a Coolpix. I have a crummy Kodak camera that takes not only fat pictures, but also tons of blurry pictures. So, I get a wonderful 50/50 mix of fat, blurry, or a combo of the two. :/

Grrr.

W. :)

Randomness....

2012-01-14T00:39:00.001-08:00

Well, it finally really snowed. I had to drive home on the bad roads, and felt my car basically slide from the parking lot entrance to the front of my apartment. Weeeee!!

This is a diner in a tiny town near here. I love the name and the hours of operation. This particular evening, they were open for dinner.

This is me and my husbeast. See how nice he was for the picture. :P That's because I am his second wife in status. This is his first wife:

This is us 1992. Before we were married. Actually, he proposed the day after this photo was taken.

W. :)

Variations on a theme.....

2012-01-14T00:14:00.002-08:00

Yeah.... she is totally not a supermodel.
I was goofing off for my husbeast. Trying to come up with something other than 3/4 profile with hand on hip. Didn't work. :P

Yeah, that's more like it. Stick with what works.
Old Navy had an awesome sale this past week. This sailor sweater was among my purchases. I love me some Breton stripes.

Sweater: Old Navy Men's
Jeans: Tommy Hilfiger (Macy's)
Scarf: Coldwater Creek (Clothes Mentor)
Shoes: Airwalk

I love that scarf. It is stripes on one side and dots on the other. After the picture was taken I ran in and got my peacoat, because it was COLD!!

Oh, look. More red! More Stripes! More Tommy Hilfiger jeans! Oh, and look, a dog! The camera was on auto timer, and the dog still won't look at it. Ugh!

Shirt: Converse One-Star (Target)
Stripe shirt: Denim and Co (Clothes Mentor)
Jeans: (You know who. The company was nice enough to write me and tell me they have just totally discontinued the plus-size line. {sux})
Shoes: Airwalk

I was feeling very Red & Blue this week. Can you tell?

Sweater: Tommy Hilfiger
Blue Shirt: Walmart
Jeans: (sob, sob, sob....)
Shoes: Superman Chucks

Trying to explain to my family (Ok really only my husbeast) why I am doing this is nearly impossible. They just don't get it. But, at least my son looks forward to being my photog. :)

W. :)

A look into the past.....

2012-01-09T03:28:00.001-08:00

Yeah, that's me. Circa 1990 with my cousin. He was dressed up as Dick Tracy for a school costume thing.

I can totally dig the whole androgyny thing. Especially at this time in my life, I was pretty much wearing men's clothing more than women's. As a matter of fact, in this photo there are two outfits that belong to me. Everything my cousin is wearing aside from the hat, socks and underpants is mine.

I liked having my hair short like that, too. Only problem it was a b!tch to keep up. Needed constant trims.

Look at that skin. Why the heck didn't I moisturize and sunscreen the heck out of it? Hindsight, hindsight, hindsight!

W. :)

When outfits go wrong....

2012-01-08T20:48:00.000-08:00

So this was my inspiration for the Sunday outfit from last week:

Source: gray-skies.blogspot.com via Wendy on Pinterest

See, the proportions of my outfit were all wrong. The skirt was too long, and the cardigan was an unecesary added layer.

Gotta keep trying to get this right. Currently, I am planning out my wardrobe for the Miami trip. Watching the weather, and hoping it stays nice and warm. I may even get a little sun. :)

W. :)

Lesson learned....

2012-01-04T13:25:00.000-08:00

So, I got called off yesterday. YAY!!!! That means I get a whole week off!! Woot woot!

However, here is the bad part. The boy-child wanted to do a mall crawl yesterday evening. I agreed, and went out in what I had been wearing pretty much all day. Sweats, oversize LS tee, hoodie. I really didn't feel like getting all dressed for a 1 hour visit to the mall. Of course, it would be the one time I actually run into someone from work out in public. Awesome. :(

Sucks.

I am so looking forward to sunshine and warmth. Only two more weeks, and I am on my way to Miami for a week to visit my grandmother for her birthday. Also on the itinerary: visit mother, visit in-laws, visit best friend, go shopping at my favorite mall and visit all my favorite stores (anthro, filene's, dsw, bloomies, macy's). Yay!!!

Then, when I get back I have to start the process to return to school. I am, and am not, looking forward to going back to school. I am because I want to further my education, add to my knowledge base and become a better nurse. I am not because I know that none of my other responsibilities are going to decrease in the slightest. I know, boo hoo, people do it all the time. However, during nursing school, I became so stressed I developed an irregular heartbeat, and ended up in the ED. Plus, the stress almost killed my marriage. So, here's hoping that now, 5 years later with a 15 year old child, and both the husbeast and I working 3 days per week, the stress will be nominal compared to getting the RN. I mean, even if I can't complete the BSN, I am still a nurse.

I recently borrowed this book from one of my favorite style bloggers:

It is a quick and awesome read. It was nice to find a style book that didn't just say, "You must have a trench coat, black pants, white shirt, etc." While those classic pieces are there, there are other "add-on" ideas that expand that core wardrobe into so much more. I enjoyed it very much.

My 30 for 30 is pretty much caput, as I honestly don't go out every single day. I work in a uniform, which means at least three nights a week, I am wearing scrubs. Yawn. The first day after working, all I want to do is stay home and catch up on rest. So, that leaves me with 3 days of actual time off where I might go do something. Or, I might not. I am getting bored with my current clothes, and I want to mix it up. I don't want to have a month of photos that show me 12 days of uniforms, at least 4 days of me in my jammies, and then 14 days of jeans and some variation of sweaters with long sleeve t-shirts. Snoozeville.

I may try this experiment again in the spring or summer. And I will continue to post outfits if I feel they are worthy, good or bad, of posting. I have seen how this blog had helped me see how others see me, and I have made changes (last night not included). I just need to work on this whole winter thing.

2 weeks till warmth!!!!!
W. :)

Happy New Year!!!!

2012-01-03T11:41:00.000-08:00

We did not do anything special for New Year's Eve. Just watched the ball drop and ponder Lady Gaga's outfit.

On New Year's Day I went to church, and this is what I wore:

Overall, I think perhaps the outfit was better in my mind than in real life. The skirt with the boots and cardi make me look stumpy, in my opinion. I either needed to nix the cardi or close it. The length of the skirt needs a heel or something slimmer under it.

Anyway here are the deets:
Cardi: Merona for Target
T-neck: INC for Macy's
Skirt: Jones New York from Marshalls
Boots & Tights: Lane Bryant

On Monday I went to lunch with the husbeast. Before we left it started snowing.

My dog refuses to look at anyone pointing anything at her. She's weird like that. And, I forgot my glasses, so forgive my eye luggage. I was up until 4:00 am.

Outfit:
T-neck: INC for Macy's
Jacket: Lane Bryant
Brown Cords: Talbots
Shoes: Bjorndal
Hat: Handmade by me :)

It was so windy and cold, immediately after this picture was taken I ran inside to put on my down coat.

Today is sweats again, because I went to the gym. It is 20-something degrees out, and I am planning on just hiding until it is warm, or I have to go to work tonight, whichever comes first.

W:)

Goodbye 2011! Hello, 2012!

2011-12-31T01:52:00.000-08:00

Looking back, this has been quite a year. Much change has happened in my life, and if it has been good, remains to be seen.

In 2011:

We moved from Miami, Florida to Lexington, Kentucky. To say that this has been a bit of a culture shock would be an understatement. I am learning what whitebread is all about.

I changed jobs, moving from a small hospital in Miami to the biggest hospital in Lexington. I miss the small hospital atmosphere, but this position will afford me more opportunity in the long run.

We lost our house to foreclosure, and became apartment dwellers. With this, we had to give up two of our beloved kitties. This whole scenario has been heartbreaking. We had our house for 14 years, and due to the poor economy and my husbands job troubles, we finally had to surrender, and let it go. I feel worse about my cats than the house.

My family has had to learn to survive on its own. We are truly an island out here. All we have is each other, and I realize that it is not enough. We need friends.

Along with my own personal issues, there have been family-wide health issues, job problems, school issues and such. I am gladly saying, "Goodbye 2011."

For 2012, I was originally going to do one of those # of things for the # of years, but when you get to be my age, that's an awful lot to do, so I decided to do 12 for 12 instead.

So, in 2012 I will:

Pay down debt. It is my hope to be out of credit card debt in 4 years. We actually had to use the cards to survive for a while. It sucks.

Go back to school to work towards my BSN (bachelor of nursing). In today's job market, that extra degree has become a necessity. I am a mid-life career changer, and I went the route that would get me working in my field of choice the quickest. I got my ADN, but now I want that bachelors.

Find a church. I need to get back in touch with my spiritual side. As a child, I loved going to church. I lost my way somewhere in my teens. I think, now, the problem was the church, not God. So, I am church shopping. We'll see how it goes.

Lay off the sodas! I drink way too much diet soda, especially on the nights I work. I want to decrease this, and increase the amount of water I drink.

Go on a real vacation. Preferably, this time, with my family. The last few vacations I have taken, I have been alone. I went to NYC alone. I went to Canada alone to visit a friend. I went to Vegas with a friend, but without my family. And, while I love to travel alone, I would like to take a real family vacation with my boys. It has been years since we have had one.

Learn to speak up for myself. I tend to clam up when I feel affronted. I need to speak up and speak out. To not be afraid to let my feelings be known, even at the risk that someone else may not like or agree with those feelings.

Reduce/eliminate meat from my diet. Starting with red meat, and eventually all meat.

Get a creative outlet. Find my passion, and express it. I would like to start sewing, again. I have been knitting, but I want the joy of spending hours in the fabric store picking out patterns, and fabric, and all the notions that go along with creating a garment.

Learn a language. Preferably Spanish. I lived my whole life in Miami, and have spent the past 20 years with a Puerto Rican husband. I have no excuse for not being bilingual at this point.

Get fit. Not necessarily thin, but definitely healthy. I have repeatedly gone about getting fit with the goal of being skinny. In all these years, I have never managed to get down smaller than a size 18. Perhaps it is my lot in life to be the size my body wants me to be. And fighting my body has gotten me nowhere. However, I want to feel better, stronger, more energetic. That I can accomplish. I just need to get to the gym or outside on a regular basis.

Work on my photography skills. I want to be able to translate the beauty I see in real life to film/digital images.

Celebrate 20th anniversary with husband in a big way. We had always wanted to take a big trip for this anniversary. Don't know if that will be possible, but I want to do something really memorable.

W. :)

It started with UGH! and then got better....

2011-12-30T20:38:00.000-08:00

So after my very long Christmas weekend at work, all I wanted to to do was sleep and hide in my house for a day or two. However, my son was to have none of that. He had gift cards to spend, which meant I got a four hour nap, and then had to make myself presentable to the public. Or, so I thought.

Yeah, I know. No amount of fixing was going to improve this situation. But, I do hope I get credit for not going out in the sweatpants and crocs that I wanted to stay snuggled up in.

Grape-Ape ensemble by:

Scarf: F21
Sweater and LS tee: Target
Cords: Talbots (Think they will be retiring)
Hiking Boots: Brahma

Wednesday, I did spend the day in sweats, as all I did was go to the gym and do laundry. Therefore, no pics.

Thursday was an improvement.

Sweater: Tommy Hilfiger
Zebra shirt: Lane Bryant
Jeans: Tommy Hilfiger

Today I went with my son to Waveland Historic Site. It is an old estate with a beautiful main house, an old log cabin, a slave quarters, and an ice house. Our favorite is the miniature log cabin that was built as a play house for the children of the time. Here is my son with the cabin:

The first is to show scale. My son is about 6'2". The last picture is him standing up inside the cabin. He said he felt like Gandalf in the Hobbit's house in the Shire.

We can't wait to go back in the spring, when the flower and herb garden will be in bloom. We also went thrifting, and I got the cutest Chuck Taylor's with a Superman design. Even my son, who hates it when I buy anything, said I had to get them.

And finally, today:

Black Sweater: Le Target
Red Tee: JC Penney
Jeans: Tommy Hilfiger (I swear I wish had bought all of these jeans. I am wearing my two pair to death!)
Shoes: Superman Chuck Taylor's!! :)

Groceries & errands. Now I am in my Galaxy Blue as always.

Doing these outfit posts I find the following:

1) Having my son take my picture, I smile more.
2) I really have no concept of how to dress in any fun way when all I want to do is stay warm.
3) Making the effort to put on something besides sweats to go run errands makes me feel better.

Happy New Year! Peace.

Pondering....

2011-12-27T01:32:00.000-08:00

As,I peruse the blogosphere, I find myself reading four basic categories of blogs.

1) Positive self-image blogs

Because, I really want to like me as I am. I am not perfect, but I have been made to feel not-good-enough my whole life. Not pretty enough, not smart enough, not talented enough, etc. Oh, yes, let's not forget not skinny enough. Mostly by my own mother, who has fought her own weight and body image demons her whole life, and then passed them on to me.

I know I'll never be skinny. I may never even be a non-plus size person, again. And, I am not throwing in the towel, and saying, "F*ck it! I'm just gonna eat Ben & Jerry's on my sofa for the rest of my life." I just want to be happy in my own skin. I want to feel good, and energetic, and fit. And that requires eating the right food, and moving my butt off the sofa and out into the world.

If I do all that, and I am still a size 20, then that is the size I am meant to be. And, if that makes others uncomfortable, that is their problem.

2) Young, quirky and talented people who dress exactly how they wish!!!

Oh, I wish I had their gumption when I was their ages. I was such a lover of vintage fashion and self made clothes. But, I was unfortunate enough to go to a high school just like the one in "Pretty In Pink." Let me tell you nothing will beat you down like the scathing comments of one's peers. The need to conform, to belong, to fit in, can outweigh the need to express oneself creatively.

Now, I want to find that person inside myself, again.

My son is a very creative and talented person. And I try to always encourage him to be himself. (Even if I wish he would dress like Jake Ryan instead of Scott Pilgrim.)

How can one reach the age of 42, and still not be who they feel they are?

W. :)

Christmas Hilights

2011-12-25T23:15:00.000-08:00

After a long night spent under the radiant warmers in the Nursery welcoming the first babies of Christmas, I got to go home and briefly celebrate Christmas with my family.

My son got his much anticipated Nintendo 3DS. Needless to say, this was how he looked for the rest of the day.

Here is my hubbiness in his Christmas regalia, getting ready to make us all breakfast. And he made dinner, too. He is the awesome-est!

Here is my Christmas booty this year:

Movies!!

Harry Potter 7.1 and Crazy Stupid Love. I am a big fan of Steve Carell, and this movie was just too cute. This will definitely go into my late night insomnia movie collection.

Music!!!

Both She & Him albums and the incomparable Adele!! When I grow up, I want to be Adele.

A Side Sleeper pillow, because I get headaches from improper neck alignment in my sleep. It even has a little pocket for your ear to rest into.

Seriously, how complicated can sleeping be, that it needs an instruction card? Apparently, enough that my pillow almost killed me the first time I used it!

My head somehow managed to slide down into the U shape of the pillow and totally blocked off my ability to breathe!!!! Scared the heck out of me, but I'm a survivor, yo!

Friday

2011-12-23T13:22:00.003-08:00

One more outfit post before the weekend. It is cold, grey and rainy here. So that calls for color!

Sweater: Jones New York via Clothes Mentor
Navy LS tee : Target
White Cami: Avenue
Jeans: Tommy Hilfiger
Shoes: Sport ducks from TJ Maxx

I needed a raincoat, and there was no hair straightening. When it is really wet, I can't even bother to fight the curls.

Merry Christmas!!!!

W. :)

Woohoo we have pictures!

2011-12-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

This is what I wore for my birthday when we attempted to go to the movies:
Sweater: Tommy Hilfiger via Burlington
Scarf: Street fair in NYC
Jeans: Tommy Hilfiger (Oh those beloved jeans. When Macy's decided to discontinue the line, I got this pair for a whole $8.99!!! Love!)
Shoes: Airwalks from Payless

When I say attempted to go to the movies....My birthday was unfortunate enough to fall on Super Saturday this year. Which meant we got a lovely tour of the mall parking lot, and that's about it. Hence, renting movies at home and spending remainder of weekend in sweats.

This is what I wore to the bookstore yesterday:

Sweater: August Silk via Filene's Basement
T Shirt: gift from Mom from Threadless.com
Red: Cami: Lane Bryant
Jeans: Lane Bryant
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars
Bracelet: Leather braided cuff from Wal-mart

Here is a close up of my Chuck's. There are Peace Signs all over them. They were a gift from my husbeast a long time ago. I love them, but rarely wear them, because I would hate to get them messed up.

This is me today:

Buffalo Plaid Shirt: JC Penney men's shirt
Black Thermal tee: Outdoor World (Natural Reflections)
Belt: Don't remember
Jeggings: Avenue
Boots: Payless

Today I went to lunch at Five Guys with my favorite guy, my son. Today will also consist of getting my TB test read at the hospital for my annual check-up, delivering presents to co-workers, movies to see "Puss N Boots," and touring Christmas lights in the neighborhood.

Tomorrow we are going to a showing of "a Very Harold and Kumar Christmas." Then it will be work for the entire weekend plus Monday. So, probably no outfits until Tuesday. Just know it will be me and Galaxy Blue for those three days.

So, what I have discovered so far on this journey is 1) a little mascara and lipstick do a lot to help a tired face, 2) I really need to be more adventurous with accessories, and 3) I need to get some activities going so I can wear something a bit more dressed up.

Merry Christmas, to everyone!

W. :)

Christmas Meme

2011-12-20T22:40:00.000-08:00

A little Christmas Meme, I lovingly borrowed from Genny's Journal and mashed it up with one from Matters of Merry Making.

1. What's your favorite Christmas cartoon?

Charlie Brown Christmas!! Love it! Know it by heart, and cannot ever get through Linus' speech about the true meaning of Christmas without breaking down into tears.

2. What's your favorite Christmas movie?

Love Actually, Serendipity, About a Boy, and White Christmas

3. What's your favorite Christmas song?

"Gabrielle's Message" by Sting on the Very Special Christmas album, the entire "Charlie Brown Christmas" album and I am really loving "A Very She and Him Christmas."

4. Where do you spend Christmas?

Well, until this year, we had always spent La Noche Buena with my Puerto Rican in-laws, and Christmas Day with my family at my Grandmother's house. However, having relocated to Kentucky this year, I plan to go to Christmas Eve services at a local church, and then to work from there. I will be working the entire holiday weekend, plus Monday this year. However, next year I will be off, so we will see what happens then. I would like to volunteer at the Salvation Army or something of the like. My son will be 16 years old, and we all need to remember to be grateful for all the blessings we have, and to bless others with our service.

5. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

Typically, my husband & I exchange our gifts to each other after our son has gone to bed on Christmas Eve. We like to watch David open his gifts in the morning.

6. Do you have stockings?

Used to. Not anymore.

7. How are you at wrapping presents?

Love to wrap presents. When I was a kid, my mother would box up all my gifts, and I would wrap all of the presents for the whole family.

8. Do you go out shopping the day after Christmas?

No. I dislike crowds and pushy people.

9. Do you buy a Christmas dress/outfit every year?

No.

10. Hot Chocolate, Apple Cider, or Egg Nog?

Hot chocolate if I am cold. Egg nog, but only in very limited quantities.

11. Gingerbread man or frosted sugar cookie?

Frosted sugar cookies.

12. Real tree or fake tree?

I love the smell of a real tree, but the convenience and cost effectiveness of a faux. I have found very nice smelling tree scented candles at Bath & Body, so I light those and stick with the 6 foot green toilet brush. :)

13. Put up your own lights or drive around and look at other people's lights?

I put up a few lights, as I live in an apartment. Love to go look at other's lights. Get cocoa from Starbucks, crank up the holiday tunes on the car radio, and drive around oohing and aahing.

14. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?

Santa does not wrap, however, he does do the assembly of particularly complicated Matchbox and train setups.

15. Colored lights on tree/house or white?

I like white or blue lights, how they give off a frosty glow.

16. Do you hang mistletoe?

No, I don't need a plant to tell me to kiss my loved ones.

17. When do you put your decorations up?

We usually put them up on my son's birthday weekend. Around Dec 11th. It all comes down on Jan. 1st to start the year off fresh.

18. What is your favorite holiday dish?

Well, we usually have Italian for Christmas. (What says holiday more than red tomatoes and fresh basil? Yum!)

19. Favorite holiday memory as a child?

Actually, it would have been the year I got my big, old, honkin' stereo system when I was 16.

20. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

When I was 8, I accidentally found all the presents in the closet.

21.How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

Lights, sparkly decorations, star.

22.Snow! Love it or dread it?

This year....dread it. Because, this Miami-native will have to drive to work in it.

24.Can you ice skate?

I can stay upright, and move forward. Stopping usually consists of running into the side walls.

25. Do you remember your favorite gift?

The aforementioned stereo, and my first sewing machine.

26. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?

Family

27. What is your favorite holiday dessert?

Egg nog ice cream!

28. What tops your tree? Star from Pottery Barn/silver wire with glitter

29. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving?

I love to give gifts. I like finding the perfect gift for the recipient. As for myself, I would rather get a gift card, and let me pick out what I want when I come across it.

30. Candy canes: yuck or yum? Definitely, YUM!

31. Saddest Christmas song?

"Blue Christmas" as sung in "The Year Without a Santa Claus." WaaaaahhhH!!!!

Working, working, working.....

2011-12-20T20:38:00.001-08:00

Hospital work tends to make for very boring outfits. At my hospital, we are allowed only to wear Galaxy Blue, White, or combo's thereof. I am averse to white scrubs. Working with bodily fluids, and the unpredictability of babies to express those fluids upon you without warning, well, let's just say that Galaxy Blue is a better camouflage. The outfits of the last two days have been repeats of the uniform outfits of last week. Le YAWN!

Tomorrow, I have the day off. So, I will be sure to post an outfit, to make this blog worthwhile. Pinky swear.

W. :)

Ohhh....

2011-12-19T18:04:00.000-08:00

How does one spend three days in the house, in sweats, and live with themselves? But that is exactly what I did for my birthday weekend. I rented a bunch of movies, and sat my butt right on the sofa and knit and watched and relaxed!!! It was awesome.

W. :)

Here we go......

2011-12-16T11:04:00.000-08:00

I am so out of the blogging loop. I blogged a lot all during nursing school, but since I became a nurse....well, let's just say I am not very good at it anymore. I am a horrible journaler (made up word), anyway. I have all sorts of pretty books that I buy in the hopes of inspiring me to record my thoughts, life, etc. Most of them have about 5 completed pages (ending somewhere around mid-January of whatever year), and that's it.

I really don't enjoy talking about myself. Why, I don't know. Fear of judgement? Even to the point of judging myself?

So here (still minus first outfit, so lets exclude it for now) is the first week.

Monday:
Eggplant Sweater from Target
Plaid shirt from Target
Skirt from Levi's
Tights - LB
Shoes - Clarks

Tuesday

Work day:
Pants and top from Cherokee Workwear
Shoes - Nike

Wednesday

Workday
Top and Pants from Cherokee Workwear
Shoes - Nike

Funny story: I prefer drawstring scrubs, because most of the elastic waist ones don't have the convenient side pockets and are usually some sort of tapered or bootcut leg. Well, on Thursday morning, after giving my report to the next shift, I stood up to get ready to leave, and felt a cool breeze across my thighs. My string had come undone, and my pants were on their way down!!!! Oopsy!

There is no Thursday, because I got called off from work, and spent the day in my jammies. :)

Friday

Striped sailor shirt - Thrifted, but brand new with tags from Denim & Co
Rain Jacket - Target
Jeans - Tommy Hilfiger (Macy's discontinued carrying the plus-size TH line. Sadness!! If I had known I would have bought every pair of these jeans, as they are my absolute favorites)
Shoes - Airwalks
Scarf - Old Navy

This is my first year having to deal with a real winter. I just moved to Kentucky from Miami, Florida. I am unsure how to use all my cute skirts, since they are so light weight, for the most part. So, this 30 days will be centering around jeans, sweaters, and just trying to keep warm. The really challenge will be to utilize what I currently have, and keep purchases to a minimum.

Sunday is my birthday. #42! A new year of possibilities awaits. And, maybe I will finally get the hang of this blogging thing, again.

PS: I need to come up with a different pose, no?

W :)

30 for 30 has begun, but....

2011-12-12T07:03:00.000-08:00

I forgot to take a picture. :(

First outfit was:

Black Skinny Jeans (LB)
Black Turtle neck (INC)
Black boots (Payless)
Grey Hooded DKNY jeans sweater (LB)
Black/Grey/Red Scarf (NYC street vendor)

Will reassemble and photograph at another date. After careful consideration, I have decided my overall color-scheme will be a black, red, white and gray. Goes well for winter, and I have tons of clothes in those colors already. I have a couple of other items for a switch up not in those colors.

Photo to follow. :)

Day 1 post 1

2011-12-09T21:43:00.000-08:00

This is the blog of an almost 42 year old nurse, mom and wife, on a style voyage into self-discovery. Wearing scrubs for work, and sweats or gym clothes most of the other time, I am seeking to establish a personal style that speaks to my personality and interests. I recently relocated to Lexington, KY, and discovered Talbots. Hence the name of my blog. I will try not to become a Talbot Robot, but use the pieces to create my own look.

I love the styles of the mid-century (40's, 50's, and 60's), and hope to bring some of that style into my style.

There will be pictures, and such. Along with this, as a challenge I am going to try out a 30 in 30 challenge, and chose 30 items from my wardrobe and make a month's worth of outfits. So stay tuned.

In the meantime here is a pic of my husband and I:

Outfit details: Jacket-Lane Bryant, LS tee-Target, Skirt-Levi's, Tights-Target

W. :)