Final Outfit...

This is the final post I will do on items I bought at the Belk Charity Sale.  I apologize for not linking the items in yesterday's post...if you really want to know how/where to get anything from yesterday's post, please email me or message me and I will get that to you...

In the meantime, here is the final post on my purchases.  I have a wedding to go to in the middle of December and while I think that is a BEAUTIFUL time to get married, it's a 4:00 wedding and that's a hard time/season to dress for.  Know what I mean??  It is too late in the day for pants to be appropriate and too early for a winter cocktail dress.  But alas, a dress I found at the sale is PERFECT!  Here are the details:

Suzi Chin for Maggy London Leopard Jersey Knit Dress (can't find a link for this AN-NY-WHERE); Black Tights; Black Bandolino Deva Wedges (these are two seasons old so you probably can't find them except with an internet search...); Silpada Sterling Silver & Cubic Zirconia Necklace (item N2302); Silpada Mother of Pearl & Sterling Silver Earrings (item W2218).
The tie waist of this adorable, subtle leopard print dress really helps create the illusion of a smaller waist and the above-the-knee hemline keeps the eye going up.  LOVE IT!

On a side note, all of the Silpada jewelry I post can be purchased through my sister-in-law.  She is a Silpada rep and can do individual sales, even though Silpada is mainly an in-home party line.  Or, you can host a party with her (if you live in North Alabama) and earn free jewelry!  Contact me if you have interest in a direct purchase from her or an in-home party and I'll put you in touch!

Another Weekend Purchase & Feeling Beigey

I've still got a few weekend purchases to share with you!

 French Connection Gray Aztec Sweater Dress; Black leggings; Black Rampage Korrie Boots; Silver Chain Necklace (already had); Silpada Sterling Silver & Carved Resin Earrings (item W2217).
Again, accentuating the waist higher up where it is the smallest and then the flow of the fabric down helps mask any unpleasant lumps and bumps in the waist/hip/butt area.  Can you tell I'm all about dresses this season?  It's because they are the BEST at hiding any body imperfections you have and the right dress can flatter any body shape no matter weight gain/loss.
I am thinking about wearing this outfit for my Father-in-Law's 60th birthday party this weekend.  It should be mild enough to pull it off without a cardigan over it!


Here's an outfit I am actually wearing today and I am about to RAVE over a certain item in it following the photo...

Kim Rogers for Belk Tummy Control Pant; J.Crew Ruffled Tank (already had this); Ann Taylor Loft Jewel Pocket Cardigan (already had); Adrienne Vittadini Velma Flat; Silpada Mother of Pearl & Sterling Silver Earrings.
The item I love in this is the pants.  They have this amazing hidden elastic band on the inside (NOT old lady elastic waist pants) that keep you from having any type of bulge, muffin top or anything similar to that.  They are truly amazing pants and very flattering.  The downside is they are a tad on the short side and I will only be wearing them with flats.

Disclaimer:  So granted my posts are usually done the night before and set to post at a certain time the next day.  And if you're like me, your outfit choices could totally change based on the weather, mood, if I'm having a "fat" day, etc.  So this may or may not be what I'm actually wearing on Wednesday...but you get the drift for the future when I post outfits...

Disclaimer 2:  I promise this blog won't become completely about clothes.  I'll post my recipes I'm making, too!  And funny tidbits from our weekends!  And the adventures of Tank the dog!

Until next time...

82 Days...

82 Days...  What's the significance of that number you ask? 

Could it be the number of days I've been pregnant? 
Ha!  Fooled you on that one!  No bun in the oven yet...
(Side Note - It seems EVERYONE I know it pregnant)

Could it be the number of days until I hit the dreaded 29 (last year before 30)?
No...although oddly enough, it is 81 days until that day...

Give up?

It's been that many days since my last blog post.  And for all two of you that used to read it, I'm sorry!

Won't say I'll do better...

I just promise that when I do post, it will (hopefully) be worth it!

Like today...
I have recently (OK, not recently, more like over the past six months) gained back some of weight that I had worked so hard to lose.  Not all of it, but some of it.  Life happened, I got lazy about counting and measuring, and it came right back on.

So I'm trying to get back to loosing for good and in the meantime, the Belk Charity Day Sale happened.  So I got my self up at 5:00 AM to get to Belk at 6:00 AM.  And I really scored big time!  I was looking for items of clothing that I can transition well with weight loss.  Things that could hide the pudge for now, but still look great as I lose, too.  I really think the styles and cuts I chose are going to be flattering no matter how my body changes. 

I'm going to share with you some outfit ideas for the upcoming colder months (although here in Alabama, colder is a relative term...) all based on items I scored at the big sale mixed with things I already have.

Vintage America Jeans (already had), Black J.Crew Tee (already had), Kensie Shaggy Fur Vest in Dark Pewter, Silver Link Necklace (already had), Silpada Silver Crescent Earrings (item W1539 - already had), Black Boots (already had).
The vest creates a great place to hide a little stomach pooch and the black and dark denim are slimming.  Pairing it all with a bold pair of earrings draws the eyes up toward the face more.

Black Cotton Dress (already had), oneworld Lace Trim Cardigan in Gray, Rampage Korrie Boot in Gray, Ann Taylor Loft Beaded Necklace (already had), Silpada Mother of Pearl & Sterling Silver Earrings (item W2218 - already had).
The black dress gives a slimming illusion while the blousy cardigan also hides any lumps or bumps.  The gray pop of accessories brightens the look to keep it from being dull while also keeping the eye from focusing on any one part of the body (like on areas where you may be more insecure...my area is the hip/thigh region).

Brown Print Dress (this is new...but I can't find a link for it anywhere), Ann Taylor Denim Jacket (am embarrassed to admit I have had this since 2001...but when you find a GREAT denim jacket, there is no need for another one...ever...), Bare Traps Jezebel Riding Boot in Brown, Silpada Mother of Pearl & Sterling Silver Earring (item W1525 - already had).
The empire waist of this dress accentuates the smallest part of the body while allowing the fabric to flow loosely over the areas where you may have some extra weight.  The denim jacket also gives coverage over areas that may not be your best feature.

There you have it!  Three of my main "go to" outfits this Fall & Winter that will hopefully mask my "bulges" until they are gone for good!

Any good clothing items you have found that transition well for you no matter what weight you are?

Derby Pie...mmm...

I'm going to let you in on a super-secret family recipe called Derby Pie.  Considering the recipe has been in Southern Living a dozen times, I guess it isn't REALLY super-secret.  But it's amazing and anyone who has tried it will tell you...It's. That. Good.

Does it fit with healthy eating?  No.  But if you don't stop every once in a while and let yourself indulge in something, then one day you'll fly off the handle and consume and entire gallon of Mayfield Moose Tracks, a bag of White Cheddar Popcorn, an entire container of cheese dip and half a loaf of french bread dipped in pesto.  And all that is way worse than just having your pie and enjoying it.  (Don't you love how I can justify just about anything?)

In the words of Teresa Guidice, here are the ingredientses (there's not like, a million of them) (if you don't watch Real Housewives of New Jersey you don't get that):
1 stick of butter or margarine, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I actually do half semi-sweet, half milk chocolate)
2 Tbsp. of bourbon (Maker's Mark is best).
     If you're too freaked out by a teeny tiny amount of liquor in your pie, substitute 1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 deep-dish 9" pie crust (Pillsbury is the best)

Melt the butter in the microwave and let it cool for a minute or two (so it doesn't cook the egg)
Cream butter, eggs, sugar, and flour with a mixer
Add vanilla bourbon and mix
Fold in pecans and chocolate chips
Pour into pie crust
Bake at 325 for 45 minutes to an hour (or until pie is set in the middle)
Allow to cool for about 20 minutes before serving
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream
Serves: one eight

Here's a photo:

That's not my photo.  We can't keep it around long enough to get a picture of it when we make it.  So if you're reading this and this is your picture...sorry.

LIFE

"Life moves pretty fast.  If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." ~ Ferris Bueller

That's how I feel right now...life is moving at warp speed and I can't slow it down!  Don't get me wrong...I have always loved a fast-paced life.  I wouldn't know what to do if there wasn't always something going on.  But the month of July has been particularly crazy!

Writing this blog is my motivation to pick back up on my weight loss.  That and the fact that my mom has lost 20 pounds and looks AMAZING!!!  I had done such a fantastic job and I've put some weight back on with all our traveling and events going on.  No one to blame but myself here!  But I'm getting back on track this week...and the 2-week cravings have started already.  If I can get through the initial two weeks where cravings attack me, then I do GREAT going forward!  Wish me luck here, people!  Life is moving fast and I just hope my will-power can keep up!

I Could Get Used to This...

I could totally get used to a 4-day work week.  I still managed to get all my work done, so where's the harm?  Guess I would miss that extra day of pay, though...

It's already July 8?  What??  Where has my summer gone???  We've only played 30 or 40 games of corn hole in the driveway this year.  What's our deal?  Oh yeah...100+ degree days/evenings/nights.  Perhaps we'll get more use out of them in the Fall when the temps dip down into the 80's.

We have a lot going on in the Webb family this month...

This weekend we have a (rescheduled) Tool & Gadget shower for Mr. & Mrs. Bennett.  Rescheduled because it was supposed to be April 30, but you know, when the whole top third of the state doesn't have power, you can't really have a wedding shower.  And since they got married June 18, they've had something to look forward to after the wedding high!!!  Can't wait to shower them with love and gifts!  And eat some yummy shrimp & grits, too!

The following weekend my mom, two aunts and myself are hosting a Bridesmaid Luncheon at my house for a dear family friend's daughter.  Get ready to drool over the menu...  homemade chicken & pecan salad with grapes, homemade pea salad, homemade pretzel salad, sweet potato biscuits (not homemade by us, but by a lady in Ft. Payne), and perhaps a grits bar...I'm trying to talk my mom into this one...and petit fours from Peggy Ann bakery - the big ones, of course!

The weekend after that is the aforementioned bride's wedding!  And I get to be in charge of setting up and decorating the entire bar area!  FUN!!!  And force Jay to awkwardly dance with me so mom can get an even more awkward photo of it.  I'll be sure to post that. 

The weekend after that we are hosting our Supper Club at our house.  Get ready to REALLY drool over this menu...Pineapple Swiss Cheeseburgers, Rosemary Roasted New Potatoes, Strawberry Spinach Salad, and Kentucky Derby Pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert.  And some homemade sangria!  YUM!

I'm planning on being better about taking photos so stay tuned!

My New Obsession...

I totally don't need to spend my money on this, but I can't help it!  I have a new obsession...the gel manicure!  What??  You haven't tried it???  Book an appointment at your nearest salon STAT! 

What it is:
A gel product that is applied to your bare nails as 1) a base coat, 2) two coats of color, 3) a super shiny top coat.  All the steps are cured under a UV light in between coats so it dries instantly.  You read that right...instantly!  So when you're digging in your purse to get your credit card to pay you get no smudges, no chips, nothing!  It really is amazing. 

The best part (at least for me and my super-thin flimsy nails) is it lasts up to 2 weeks.  Mine actually went 15 days before I had it re-done Friday.  We had a beach trip in there and we cleaned out the garage.  I got one tiny little chip from cleaning the garage, but honestly, at that point we were on day 14 and I knew they were getting fixed the next day.

The salon I went to had the brand Gelish (we had to match the OPI Cajun Shrimp on my toes as best as possible and honestly, you can't tell the difference...they are that close in color!).  But I have heard amazing things about OPI Axxium, which is also a gel product.  There is also Shellac, but from calling a few places, it is definitely the most expensive (about $35-$40).  Mine was only $27!

Not only does it stay on and stay hard as a rock and super shiny for 2 weeks, but it only took them about 30 minutes to do the whole thing (including a hand/arm massage!).  This is all because it cures instantly under the UV lights.

All-in-all, it's made this working girl very very happy!  And I will likely continue to have them done whenever we have things coming up...vacation, parties, holidays, anniversaries, baptisms, a Wednesday...you get the drift!

Here's a photo of mine on Day 15 (the day I got them done)!  Other than new nail growth, I can't complain!