Friday, December 21, 2012

Five Quick Takes Friday

I'm back after not posting this series last Friday!

1. I didn't get the job I really wanted. Sigh. But, the Director of Talent Management and the Vice President of Talent Operations have me in mind for a different position. I'll be meeting with them in the new year to discuss. Also, their titles make me feel like it's a talent show. I think I'll tap dance. :)

2. My sister and Stacy get here tonight! I'm so excited. I have lots of fun things planned for them. Kristen says Stacy wants to rest and not be busy, but that is so not going to happen.

3. I think I'm all done Christmas shopping. I need one more thing to be delivered and then I should be good. This is what my presents look like this year.



4. We're going to make Sparkling Holiday Mimosas on Christmas Eve. Looks yummy!


5. This video is one of the cutest things I've seen. It will make you smile. :)


Wednesday, December 19, 2012

What I Wore Wednesday



Here's volume 4 of What I Wore Wednesday!

Outfit #1

Wore this to work and to the retirement party for one of my reps at the Design Center. Nothing too special but a typical outfit for me. The sweater is super soft and a kind-of slubby knit. I like a short sleeved sweater when it's not too cold out.

Top - Kohl's / Jeans - J. Jill / Necklace - Target / Shoes - Charles David


These are seriously some of my favorite shoes. Leopard printed calf hair with a patent leather kitten heel. I've had them for years. Love!


Outfit #2

I wore this out to dinner and to the Big Head Todd & the Monsters concert with Michelle. Originally I was wearing my Levi's and heeled boots and then decided that I didn't want to be in heels all night while standing at the concert, so I changed into ankle length skinny jeans and flats. This top is fun - it's got a little peplum, which you can't see very well in this picture. I think it doesn't look all that flattering in this picture; I felt cuter in person. :) I'm sure I could have made it more interesting with a fun colored necklace, but most of the time I'm pretty boring with my jewelry.

Cardigan - Target / Top - Elle via Kohl's / Jeans - J. Jill / Shoes - Steve Madden


The coat I wore over this is pretty cute, so I took another picture with it on. It's a wool, kelly green, short pea coat. It livened up a pretty tame outfit.

Coat - Target


Outfit #3

I've had this dress forever - like probably 7 or 8 years. Before I recently moved, I cleaned out my closet and found it - I'd completely forgotten that I had it! I hadn't worn it in quite a while because it didn't look on me, but since I've lost a little weight, it's fabulous once more! And I got so many compliments when I wore it again, so it's back in rotation. It's not obvious in this photo but it's a wrap dress. And it's a great weight, much heavier fabric than you'd find at Target today. The length is great on me, too, falling below my knees. I love it!

Dress - Target / Shoes - Nine West


I'd been on the look-out for good navy pumps for years and finally found these this fall. I love them! The color is a really good navy - not too light, not too dark, an obvious blue - never to be mistaken for black, the heel is a great height, and the silver bridle detail on the toes is really fun.


Outfit #4

I wore this to finish up my Christmas shopping. Though it's a bit cold out, I knew I'd get hot in the mall so I kept my layers light.

Jean Jacket - Gap / Dress - Target / Belt - Target (I think) / Boots - Duo Boots


I ended up adding a scarf for little warmth in the car (I ended up having to take it off halfway through shopping because I was dying of heat). I found this really cute way to loop a long scarf on Pinterest - you double up the length, pull one end through the loop, then twist the loop below that and pull the other end through the new loop. It looks better than just pulling both ends through the one loop. Hope that made sense!

Scarf - vendor at Junior League's Holiday Mart


Hope you enjoyed these outfits! Next week's post will have some more dressy outfits because it's birthday and holiday season!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Boy Bits - Part 4

It took me a while to want to date again after the big break-up with Zach. But eventually, I had to get back out there. The next boy from my past to talk about is Wolf, and along with him there are a couple other guys to mention as well.

After graduation and starting my first real job, buying my first car, I moved into an awesome apartment with two of my sorority sisters. Let the fun begin! One night a bunch of us went up to Little Bear in Evergreen to party and we ended up meeting a big group of guys who we spent the evening getting to know. The best thing about this group of guys is that two of them had also just moved into the same apartment complex we had moved into! Small world - we meet a group of guys in a different city who live literally across the parking lot from us! I actually thought they were pulling something over on us, but they weren't.

A couple of the girls paired off for some fun and dancing and I did the same. The boy I liked for the night was Kyle. We had a lot of fun together and he ended up being the guy who had me jump back into the dating pool.

Kyle and I ended up spending the weekend together and we had a lot of fun. But he wasn't one of the guys who lived here; he was just visiting from Salt Lake City. The whole group of guys was from a Air National Guard unit from SLC, and some of them were temporarily stationed out here. There was no way the thing with Kyle would ever be more than just that weekend and that was just fine with me. I didn't need nor want something serious after Zach. Though Kyle went back home, my group of girlfriends still hung out with the other guys pretty frequently. In fact, I ended up being really good friends with two guys - Wolf and Chris, and would go out with them a lot. (Wolf is his last name, and I don't usually call people by their last names, but he never went by his first name, so Wolf it was.)

One evening Chris, Wolf, and I were going to meet a bunch of people at a bar in Wash Park and Wolf asked what was happening with me and Kyle. This was a couple weeks after Kyle had left and we had never talked about him before, so I was kind of surprised. I told him that nothing was going on with him. Why would there be? He lived in Salt Lake and I was here... Wolf seemed totally shocked. He said something to the effect of - if certain people had known that, things might be different. I didn't totally get what he meant right then, but later that night Wolf let it be known that he liked me. It was a good thing because I actually liked him, too, but had never made a move because I thought it might be weird after the weekend I spent with Kyle. Guess we were in the same boat.

Me & Wolf - not a great pic, but one of the few I have of us

After that night, Wolf and I started dating. There were some really great aspects to dating him. He was another one of those genuinely nice guys. He got along with everybody and had a ton of friends who all loved him and respected him. He was not shy about his feelings for me and would demonstrate his affections without reluctance. One of my favorite memories of that was from a night we were out at a bar near our apartment complex. Wolf was sitting down and I was standing next to him while we talked to one of my friends. I put my arm around his shoulder and instead of putting his arm around my waist, he wrapped his arm around one of my legs, between my thighs - a totally intimate way of touching. No one would ever mistake that we were just friends with such a touch.

Wolf and his roommate lived across the parking lot, so that was incredibly convenient - we didn't have to go far at all to be with each other. He liked to go out as much as I did, and there were numerous parties at his apartment or mine. He was attentive to me when we were with his friends or out in a group, always checking on me, making sure I had a drink, giving me a kiss, etc.

It was at one of those parties at his apartment when I had another of those totally memorable kisses. (You first have to understand that though Wolf was not a passive person by any means, I was the one who made most of the first moves in our relationship.) I was just coming back from the bathroom and Wolf met me in the hallway. He put his arm out across the hall, stopping me from passing. I just leaned up against the wall and looked at him. He put his other arm on the other side of me, caging me in. He pressed the length of his body against mine without moving his hands, and gave me a seriously passionate kiss. The kind that takes away your breath and makes your heart pound and your knees weak. Then he stepped back and went back to the party without saying anything. It was incredibly hot. It took me a minute to compose myself enough to return. :)

But there was a not so great aspect to dating him, too. He was only here temporarily - his real home was Salt Lake City. He went back there often. Sometimes that meant he missed important events here. He wasn't here for Christmas or New Years Eve. In fact, I ended up taking Chris to a friend's Christmas party since Wolf wasn't here. And because he was gone so much, I was left feeling unsure about exactly where our relationship stood some of the time. When he was here, we were obviously together. All of my and his friends knew it - we were a part of each other's lives. But when he was in SLC, I didn't know what he was doing. I didn't know if he was seeing someone else there. But I didn't ever ask him to clarify. Therefore, I didn't know if I should see other people. And I wasn't exactly trusting after Zach. I always wanted more from Wolf, but was too gun-shy to ask for it. I just went along with what we did have.

As the ANG contract here wrapped up, Wolf started spending less and less time in Denver and more in Salt Lake. He moved out of his apartment and into an extended stay hotel. I didn't see him as often, which was hard for me. But I still hung out with Chris quite a bit because he had become a good friend over the months, and he didn't go back to Salt Lake anywhere as often as Wolf did. Eventually, Chris and Wolf's job in Denver ended completely and they both moved back to Salt Lake. I kept in touch with Chris - it was easy because we were just good friends. I tried to keep in touch with Wolf, but it was just too difficult when I wanted more from him.

I let him go.

I truly believe this was a huge mistake. I wish I would have tried harder with him.

That summer, a couple months after they moved away, Chris came back to Denver to visit. We ended up meeting up for drinks, hanging out in his hotel catching up, and one thing led to another... I honestly don't know why we did what we did, but... we did. Neither of us had ever expressed any attraction to each other, we were just good friends. But it's not like either of us was cheating on somebody, either. After all, Wolf and I hadn't been together for a couple months by this time. I'm not trying to make excuses, but I think we were both just lonely and we were comfortable with each other. Sometimes a good friend can fill a void. But I still felt guilty.

Me & Chris - again, not a great pic...
I guess Chris felt guilty, too. Because he ended up telling Wolf what happened between us. Wolf called me up ranting and raving. He was pissed! Which didn't make a ton of sense to me, since he hadn't made a huge effort with me since he moved away. Why should he care who I got together with? But he did care and now he said he was done with me. Meanwhile, I had already thought we were done.

I think that if Wolf and I had tried harder, and I hadn't fooled around with Chris, we might have been able to create something together, even living in different states. But he said some really ugly things to me and I hurt his pride. We couldn't get past that and we went our separate ways. Chris and I agreed that his friendship and working relationship with Wolf was more important so we said goodbye to each other, too.

I never heard from either of them again.

Damn. The end of this is totally depressing. I honestly look back on my time with Wolf and Chris mostly with affection. It's not all sadness. Really.


Wednesday, December 12, 2012

What I Wore Wednesday

So a lot of the bloggers who participate in The Pleated Poppy's link-up seem to post more than just their Wednesday outfits. I like that. Most of the time my other outfits are better than what I actually wore on Wednesday, so I started taking pics on other days, too. Without further delay, here's what I wore:

Outfit #1

I'm not afraid of white jeans in winter! Wore this to work and shopping. I had been looking for a chambray shirt forever - I'm incredibly picky about the color and the quality of the fabric and finally found one that met all my requirements.

Shirt - Land's End - $45
Jeans - J. Jill - Old
Belt - Land's End - $20 online sale

slightly closer photo of my cutie birds necklace
Necklace - H&M - Old
Cami - CAbi - Old

I love the trend of stacking bracelets!
Bracelets:
Chunky one nearest my hand - vendor at Junior League's Holiday Mart - $18
Bangle with flowers nearest my cuffs - Stella & Dot - old
All the others - Claire's - old




Boots - duoboots.com - $300
I love these boots with a passion. This company customizes calf sizes, so if you need wide calf boots (like me) or even narrow calf boots, they can do it. They have great styles, lots of options, and are really great quality. The total customization is a nice change from other "wide calf" options. Well worth the price to me.

Outfit #2

Another work outfit. Told you I didn't usually dress up. But I just love this sweater. :)

Sweater - Rewind via Kohl's (juniors section) - $22 (sale, orig. $44)
Jeans - J. Jill - old
Boots - duoboots.com - $300

Seriously. How cute is this hootie?!?

Outfit #3
Finally figured out how to take a better picture of myself!
I wore this to two different holiday parties in the last couple weeks. I originally bought a different skirt for the parties, but couldn't get it to style as I had imagined it. I found this dress on sale and it turned out to be exactly the right thing! I love the color, the pattern of the weave, the slight shine of the fabric, the style... I could go on and on about it.

Dress - Kirna Zabete for Target - $20 (sale from $45 - I think)
Tights - Assets via Target - old
Shoes - Nine West - old
Purse - Kate Spade via Nordstrom Rack - $120


Closer picture of the necklace that I got about a billion compliments on. It's so sparkly that it doesn't photograph well. Also, I'm in love with this lipstick. I'm really picky about lipstick and don't usually wear it because I can't handle either the stickiness or the scent or the flavor. Sometimes all three, but this one is great in all respects.

Necklace - Target (!) - $30
Lipstick - Plum Wine Sonia Kashuk via Target - $15 

Outfit #4

Wore this to work, hopeful that I would get a call about a job offer. Sadly, I did not. (Yet.) But it's still a great skirt that I got for a steal.

Top - Inc via Macy's - old
Skirt - Nordstrom Collection - $50 (sale from $168!)
Tights - Assets via Target - old
Shoes - Coach - old
Necklace - Stella & Dot - old


Here's a better pic of the fabric of the skirt. It's a fabulous tweed with lots of colors in it - navy, black, brown, tan. The waist is banded in leather and it has an exposed zipper on the back. It's fully lined so it's not clingy at all. I usually stay away from straight skirts as they never fit me correctly, but this one is really good. And with all those colors in it, quite versatile, too. And I seriously can't pass up that kind of deal! :)


I hope you liked seeing more than one outfit. It takes a lot of work, but I think it's fun!

Friday, December 7, 2012

Seven Quick Takes Friday

1. I have finally jumped on the bandwagon that is Gone Girl. Though I've had the book in my Kindle forever, I'm just now getting around to reading it. I'm only about a third of the way in and I have no idea how this is going to end. Usually by this point in a book, I have a good indication of how it's all going to play out, or at least some pretty strong suspicions, and I have my favorite characters. But this book... I'm at a loss. One chapter I think, "Damn, you're a harpy wife." The next chapter I think, "Fucking bastard husband!" Then, "You are seriously crazy pants!" Some of the reviews I've read have said they were disappointed in the ending, but I'm trying to keep an open mind. I'll let you know what I think when I'm done with it.



2. I have been buying most of my baked goods at the Entemanns factory store. Nothing has anything wrong with it - it's not about to expire or beat to shit. It's not weird flavors or something. It's just cheaper. And it's stuff I'd buy in the store. My super crisp english muffins are literally half the price they would be in Safeway.

3. I'm addicted to books. And buying them from Amazon, delivered immediately to my Kindle, with a card that is saved online so I don't have to enter any information makes is SUPER easy to buy, buy, buy. I guess there are worse things to be addicted to. Right?

4. I've come to that time in my life where I buy more Christmas presents for children than anybody else. It's a little weird. And speaking of, I really need to get on that Christmas buying. Before yesterday I had only bought two gifts, and usually by this time I'm practically done with my shopping!

5. This is a serious confession - I like Yanni. I really do. I like listening to his music when I need to relax. It's quite soothing.

6. And speaking of music, the other day I was listening to a radio show that was doing a retro lunch hour. One of the songs they played was a Depeche Mode song that was popular when I was in high school (maybe as old as 8th grade). Am I really that old now that music from my relative youth is considered retro?

7. I'm going to change this post to be Five Quick Takes Friday. I like the alliteration of the title better. :)

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

What I Wore Wednesday


I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy again for What I Wore Wednesday. The link to her blog can be found to the right - check out all the other blogger's Wednesday outfits! Though I'm not too special today, here it is...



Tee - Rebecca Beeson
Scarf - H&M
Jeans - Levi's
Shoes - Anne Klein via DSW

Here's a better photo of the colors

These jeans are seriously some of my favorites, but they're getting to be too big. Even after putting them in the dryer for the first time in their life and trying (and failing!) to shrink them a bit. I'll try to find a similar pair in a smaller size, but I have a feeling I'll have to compromise.

The shoes are super comfortable and are versatile enough to be dressed up or down. I love the fringe and bows at the stubby pointy toe, they have a little kitten heel, and are a wonderful taupe suede. I haven't water-proofed them yet, so they're still fair-weather shoes.

Honestly, I think the scarf is a little springy, but I don't have many options at John's and it's been warm enough here to not seem like winter yet. So, spring scarf in December it is!

I got the top at either Nordstrom Rack or Costco. I know - such completely different stores, but I've had it forever and I cannot remember where I bought it. It's quite thin, so I'm wearing a tank beneath it. I love the neckline - a deep scoop that's a little gathered.

Stay tuned for next week's outfit!