If the shoe fits

"I believe in my ability to create my own life."

Last Thursday I had an opportunity to visit Park & Oak restaurant in West Hartford with several other Connecticut bloggers, which was a lovely excursion for a weeknight, and the perfect opportunity to wear my latest closet additions, this one shoulder top and these fabulous gold earrings.

I've finally started wearing these black pumps I got sometime in May, they were the result of trying dozens of black pumps - dear Zappos, Amazon and my UPS guy, I'm sorry for all the returns - and coming to the realization that my shoe size isn't really an 8, but rather a 7 WW! It's not that I haven't been wearing pumps in a size 8 for all these years, just that they would always have a large gap in back and I made it my mission to find a pair of black pumps which fit without needing heel pads. So Naturalizer came to the rescue, and for a comfort brand, I think these pumps are a stylish step in the right direction. You can't really tell in these photos, but the inside of the heel itself is metallic, and that little detail really sold me on them. Plus they met my price cap $100... but of course I waited to take advantage of a 30% off sale and grabbed them in nude too.

        

The Rundown
Ruffled One Shoulder Top Banana Republic
Black Pants Gap similar
Black Pumps "Natalie" Naturalizer
Grayson Bar Bag Linea Pelle similar
Gold Bon Bon Earrings The Dressing Room Boutique
Gold Bracelets The Cavernous Jewelry Box
Starburst Ring TJMaxx similar
Nail Color "Twill Seeker" Essie

Linking up with Pink Sole's How I Spring

and

Oh To Be A Muse's Lookbook Linkup
and
By Lauren M's Mix it Monday

Velvet Bodysuit

All my thoughts for the coming new year are positive and inspiring.

A curve hugging head to toe silhouette is not one that I typically gravitate towards - the mantra of balancing something tight with something voluminous and the abundance of fit and flare dresses in my closet clearly speak to that. Yet something about this black velvet bodysuit gave me the confidence to ditch the wide leg pants I'd intended on pairing it with and don the skinny jeans.

And the tuck. How amazing is it to have a perfect tuck? And it won't come untucked! I don't know if everyone has these problems, but trying to get a shirt tucked and not look bulky or bunchy or blousey is pretty much impossible for me, and then when I do somehow manage it, the second I raise my arms for any reason, it's completely ruined.

This velvet bodysuit is going to be my new favorite piece for the winter.

       

The Rundown

Draped Velvet Bodysuit H&M similar
Yoga Jeans Second Denim via Coco & Vera's Giveaway
Studded Pumps c/o OASAP similar
Bag "Lewis Drive Michela" Kate Spade similar
Leather Pom Matine
Earrings Kohl's
Triangle Necklace Moon & Lola similar
Mini Punk Princess Bracelet CC Skye similar
Stacked Rings Gorjana via TJMaxx similar
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
Nail Color "Nothing Else Metals" Essie

Linking up with Mix and Match Fashion's What I Wore to Work

and

Elegance & Mommyhood's Thursday Moda

Grey denim

I like the way these jeans look on me. I feel like I don't often feel that way about skin tight, curve hugging pieces, but as I was looking at these photos the first thought which came to my mind was "Damn, I look good in these jeans."

Now, you will have to ignore the crazy things the wind was doing to my blouse - it's inevitable that I will wear a billowy silk blouse on a day when the wind is raging, only amplified by the fact that I have a penchant for wanting to take my photos by the water.

I feel like the wind worked for me, rather than against me in at least a couple of frames, which is the best you can hope for. As any blogger who's dealt with fighting the wind during outfit photos knows all to well.

The Rundown
Blush Silk Blouse Max Studio via TJMaxx similar
Grey Skinny Jeans Gap
Nude Peeptoe Pumps BCBGeneration via TJMaxx similar
Grayson Bar Bag Linea Pelle
Earrings Lauren Conrad for Kohl's similar
Pave Triangle Necklace Meredith Leigh via TJMaxx similar
Mini Punk Princess Bracelet CC Skye c/o S&G
Stacked Rings Gorjana via TJMaxx similar
Sunglasses Kenneth Cole Reaction via Marshalls

Linking up with I Do deClaire's Confident Twosday
and
Cute and Little's on Trend Tuesday

Don't mind the rain

Is it weird that I photoshopped the rain drops off my bag? It was a very anti-summer day the Saturday afternoon I wore this outfit on a lunch date in New Haven with Meg and Christine. Freezing cold* and rainy, I took my cardigan off for these photos alone, and then proceeded to start my lunch off with a hot bowl of soup.

While we could have asked for better weather, it was a long overdue lunch date and it was lovely to chat and catch up with some of my favorite bloggers after such a long time.

And I suppose that Meg and I are no strangers to faking it through an outfit shoot and pretending the inclement weather isn't bothering us in the least.

*Freezing cold is a relative term. In the winter it means 32° and below, in the summer it means 65° and below.

The Rundown

Black Tee Banana Republic thrifted similar

Shiny Striped Skirt J.Crew
Heels "Reverse" Charles by Charles David similar
Grayson Bar Bag Linea Pelle
Triangle Earrings Slate via Rocksbox (one month free with lydiaxoxo)
Ascension Necklace House of Harlow via Rocksbox (one month free with lydiaxoxo)
Cuff Bracelet Charlene K via Rocksbox (one month free with lydiaxoxo)
Fatima Bracelet c/o Gorjana similar
Gold Wrap Ring gift from Meg similar
Green Cabochon Ring Taken for Granite similar

Linking up with I Do deClaire's Confident Twosday
and
Cute and Little's on Trend Tuesday

Holiday Card Exchange

I love buying greeting cards. I like sending them and receiving them as well, but probably not as much as I enjoy shopping for them. Which is probably how I ended up ordering cards from both Minted and Paperless Post this year, on top of the two other boxes I scooped up during clearance sales at the end of last year.

Needless to say, I've got a lot of cards to mail out, but not very many people on my list, which is why I always invite you to join my holiday card exchange! Just drop me a quick email (chiclyddie@gmail.com) with your mailing address and I will reply with mine - that's it! I usually try to get my cards out by the second week of December, but I will keep sending throughout the month.

Have you entered the Mint Julep Boutique giveaway yet?

The Rundown

White Sweater Marshalls similar
Black Coated Jeans Joe's via TJMaxx similar $
Studded Booties Guess via TJMaxx similar
Navy Foldover Clutch Clare V.
Furry Cowl NY&Co. similar
Mini Punk Princess Bracelet CC Skye c/o Linger Rose
Gold Bracelet The Cavernous Jewelry Box
Pearl and Rhinestone Ring Forever 21
Filigree Midi Ring Forever 21 similar
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Sweet Olive Jewelry
Sunglasses "Eco" c/o Polette
Nail Color "Nirvana" Sinful Colors

Getting the look

How do you feel about knockoffs? Some are subtle while others more blatant, but they are undeniably everywhere. Some I've bought without even realizing it was, other times I've known exactly what I was doing. This is one of those times.

I first saw the Valentino Rock Stud pumps on Sam at Lucky Fabb two years ago, and since then have been wishing I could some how find a $1000 surplus in my budget to make them my own. To say that I've been tempted by these OASAP knockoffs for a while would be an understatement, and I finally caved.

On their maiden voyage I took them to New Haven for an afternoon with Sean. We strolled around Yale, then around J.Crew, took a coffee break, outfit photos, and two hours later the walk back to the car was so slow and painful that Sean instructed me to sit on a bench and wait for him to retrieve the car and my flats.

I'm no stranger to uncomfortable footwear, and I know enough to stand by my choices and refrain from complaint as much as possible, but I can't help but to wonder, are the $1000 Valentino pumps comfortable? Is that what warrants the price? Could I wear them all day and be in footwear bliss?*

I could also save $900, get a pair of Birkenstocks, make Sean the happiest man alive, and be in footwear bliss, but I'm still not sure how I feel about that trend. You can't just replace a studded heel with a flat sandal and get the same results, even if it is a metallic one.

*To be fair, I have $20 heels higher than these, that I can wear comfortably to a wedding, and have had flats that were so uncomfortable one day I got home and just threw them straight into the trash. It's not just how well the shoe is made, but how the shoe fits your own two, probably slightly different sized feet.

Have you entered to win $60 to spend at A Jewelry Crush yet?

The Rundown
Cobalt Dress Old Navy similar
Striped Blazer Loft similar
Studded Pumps c/o OASAP
Grayson Bar Bag Linea Pelle
Hexagon Earrings c/o Metrix Jewelry
Spike Bracelet "Baby B" c/o Marrin Costello
Naomi Druzy Ring c/o Kendra Scott
Chevron Ring Etsy via Silver Canyon Jewelry
Nail Color "Big Spender" Essie

Linking up with Pink Sole's How I Fall

and

Monday Mingle