Tag: ross

Lancient History, Style

Chairs, Children, and Feet

the outside lane

Lest you think I only buy clothes at Ross, here is a picture of our new chair. My in-laws graciously gifted me with a nice-sized Ross gift card for Christmas, and I used it toward the purchase of the chair and ottoman. After seeing so many people in my living room with no place to sit, I decided it was time. Ross had a chair that matched the color and texture, if not exact style of our loveseat, so I bought it. The ottoman has storage space, and I’ve put a couple of our lap throws in there. We are a family who loves blankets.

The throw on the chair was a wedding or Christmas gift–I don’t remember which. We have used that thing like crazy! If you’re reading this, and recognize it as a gift you gave, THANK YOU! BLESS YOU! Who knew how much you could love a throw?

You see a little red carpet on the floor. We don’t have a dining room table in our townhouse, so we use the coffee table for dinner. Thor has a wee, miniature leather dining room chair that sits on that carpet. That way, if he has a spill, we can just clean it up easily. That is his abandoned breakfast milk on the table. I love that kid.

So, I bought the new chair and ottoman, and I also bought a pair of boots.

When I was small, we lived in Virginia. Right there where the A is, though the treeline was much less robust 30 years ago. Geez! 30 years ago. Anyway.

You see the water line behind the treeline? We had a dock that slipped out into the water, and that water ran a ring around our entire neighborhood. It was lengthy. And, in the winter, it often froze over.

Once, when I was eight or nine (it was the 70s, there weren’t daycares or drop-in care gyms on every corner), Mom was forced to leave me at home during a stretch of snow days. She came home to check me on her lunch hour, and called frequently, and an elderly neighbor was keeping an eye out that I didn’t burn down the house, but otherwise, she had no choice but to trust me (now, a mother myself, my heart really goes out to her.) I was pretty fearless, and also pretty stupid. I thought it would be fun to play in the snow barefooted. I also thought it would be fun to go walking on the frozen water. After my naked toed explorations, and after having fallen through the ice twice, yes, twice, I ended up with some frostbite on my feet. Not bad, and nothing that required immediate attention, but I didn’t even tell Mom about it until years later, so she couldn’t have taken me to see a doctor anyway.

Thirty-some-odd years later, I am still suffering for those poor choices. Three toes on my right foot, and two on my left are always much colder than the others. Frequently, my feet are so cold it actually hurts. In the winter, my feet ache with the cold. You will not see me without socks or slippers when temperatures drop below 75, unless I’ve just gotten out of a foot defrosting, hot bath. I thank God for the person who created microwaveable slippers and socks!

In the winter, I really don’t care how ugly the footwear is. If it is warm, and if it will keep my toes from feeling like they are about to snap off, I will wear it. I have a hideous pair of knock-off Uggs, and responded to a Jezebel.com story about those with the comment, “I don’t care how ugly they are. You can pry them off my warm, toasty, dead feet.” I’ve almost worn those $12 beauties out though. So, last night, when I saw what looked like warm boots, I went to inspect.

I am now the happy owner of a pair of Skecher Shape Up Boots. I do not care if they shape or don’t. They have a thick sole that will keep my feet far from the cold ground, have a thick inner lining, and are also surprisingly comfortable. And warm. Oh, they are warm!

What they are not, is pretty.

That fur cuff rolls up, and that’s how I am wearing mine as I type.

Come March, I will find myself in a strange funk, and I will realize (as I have done for years) that it is because I have been wearing ugly shoes for too many months in a row. I will try (as I have done for years) to find shoes or boots that are as pretty as they are warm. Maybe one day… Until then, I will just walk around in boots or shoes that make my feet look like stuffed animal hooves. And I will be warm.

Style

Nyx Style

the outside lane

I’m not dressing very interestingly these last few days.  I haven’t done laundry, and need to mend some hems, so I’m down to the scraps I normally reserve for…well, days when I haven’t done laundry and need to mend hems.

Everything from the last two days has come from Target or Ross, and cost between $9–$29. 

Yesterday it was a tie front top in a muted coral, with a gray pencil skirt with a kick pleat in the back.  Kick pleats can make a boring skirt much more fun.  I prefer them to a regular slit.  (I have this paranoia about slits tearing open ever since I saw it happen to a friend of mine.)  Small gold earrings and pewter colored maryjanes finished the look.

Today is even more boring.  Basic black pencil skirt boring, topped off with a tiered shirt in black.  Same pewter maryjanes because I am on my feet frequently and these are low-heeled and well padded.  I’m pretending they are as cute as the facsimiles in the polyvore photos.  Amethyst drop earrings for some color. 

I’ll tell you this: I have a new eyeshadow obsession.  You’re going to need to run to Albertsons or some other place that sells Nyx cosmetics and grab up as many of the trios of Perpetual as you can find because the brown in that set is THE MOST PERFECT BROWN EYESHADOW EVER!

The trio is made up of a red, green, and plummy brown perfection.  Brown eyeshadows can easily look dirty or tired, but this is just the right mix of earth and berry, and would look good with almost any complexion.  I’m thinking of doing a makeup tutorial with this trio.  I’ve been wearing the brown non-stop since I bought it on clearance last week, and I purposefully went back to Albertsons last night to get another.

And with that, I am fresh out of style for the day.

Style

Stripped Down

the outside lane

Today’s polyvore.com offering comes in khaki.  Can you tell I’m tired?

If you follow that link, I posted the jacket and trousers, so prices are correct.  I did get the trousers for $25 during a promotion.  Hilariously, I got the sweater for over $100 less at Ross.  Mine cost a whopping $7.99.  Exact same sweater down to the pocket.  Not sure of the brand, as I can’t see the tag.  The shoes are similar to the Santana slingbacks I’m wearing, but mine cost in the 20s at Ross.

I like the juxtaposition of the wide horizontal stripes of the sweater with the skinny vertical seersucker.  As for the rest, well, it was clean!

Style

Skirttopping the Issue

the outside lane

Today’s look comes mainly from Target.

The purple skirt on the right is on sale now for $17.  Today, I am wearing that skirt as a top, with black satin tuxedo style trousers (can’t remember where these are from), and a black cropped shrug (from Target–about $12).  If I had plans for the evening, when 5 o’clock rolled around I could just whip off the shrug for a strapless look, or pull the skirt down into place and put on a cute top (like the sweater above, bought at Ross for $9.)  Voila!  Ready to roll.  (Always keep an extra top and pair of shoes in the car.  You never know when someone is going to invite you out for fun.)

I have accessorized with a purple pendant on a leather strap (Big Lots, with matching earrings, $5) and little sterling earrings shaped like roses (Avon, by way of Granny.  Priceless.)  The shoes are black patent ballet flats, so the shoes and pants have a similar sheen.  That’s my rule about patent leather–don’t wear patent leather unless your fabric has some sort of sheen.  It’s entirely made up on my part.

Uncategorized

Saturday Style

the outside lane

We’re considering an outdoorsy day tomorrow, so I am planning what to wear.  I have a complicated relationship with outside, preferring to look at it from inside, where there are controlled temperatures, toilets, and windows through which to smile upon nature from a safe distance.  No bees, no snakes, no mosquitoes.  Just me and my cup of coffee.  And my internet connection.

Last summer season, I was shopping at Target and bought a couple of adorable gauzey tops to wear over shorts and jeans.  It wasn’t until I got them home that I realized they weren’t tops at all, but were skirts.  The mother in me protested, “Those are not skirts!  Those wouldn’t cover the tops of a girls’ thighs!”

It was a sign of the times.  I was officially out of the ingenue stage and into soccer mom territory.  Although, I don’t know many soccer moms who pick up little skirts and think, “Oh!  Cute top!”

I wear my $15 skirttops, as I call them, with anything (pictured, the midriff is bare–I don’t wear mine that way.)  Other skirts, shorts, jeans, capris, yoga pants.  They are comfortable and cool in the hot, Texas summer.  In case I get cold in the car/restaurant/theater, I carry a cropped cardigan that matches whichever skirttop I choose.  That will keep me warm enough, and worn unbuttoned it doesn’t interfere with the drape of the skirttop.  It’s a great idea, really.  The look will work for women of varying cup size, too.  I’m a D.  I wear a thick bandeau style bra underneath and life is good.  If you need more support, wear the real thing and hide your bra straps with the sweater.  Do not wear exposed bra straps unless you’re planning on picking up a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon later on in the evening.

Pictured are a pair of JAG jeans cropped flares.  I just bought these recently from Nordstrom Rack for $29.  If you can find a pair of these, they are like butter!  So soft!  It’s a good weight of twill that is like velvet on your skin.  They also seem to be cut to fit a woman with a 10 or more inch difference between waist and hip, like mine.

I also bought a new pair of sandals recently, at Ross.  I love a good Roman sandal.  I paid $14 for mine, decorated with little gold and bronze discs.  I will accessorize the outfit with a shell necklace/earring combo I bought at the Dollar General for $2.  Dollar General, Family Dollar and Big Lots have some really cute costume jewelry in unusual colors.  Check them out.