Happy Okay, Just Stand There Then Year!

If a Leap Year does not have February 29th in it, then what is a year that does?  I propose the new title above.  I am very hopeful that this will catch on and provide yet another holiday for greeting cards and jobs for greeting card writers everywhere such as Tom in (500) Days of Summer.  For at the end of the movie, we never really know if he hooks up with Autumn and does in fact fulfill his dream to become an architect.  In my little world I like to think that he does.


I have a second cousin, Ed, who lives in Pittsburgh and was born on a February 29th.  He was born in a much earlier year than me, but since he only has a birthday every four years, does that actually make him younger?  And what happened that first year when Ed as a little boy grasped the concept of what day his birthday was on and waited eagerly for February 29th to roll around to experience presents and parties?  He sure must have felt ripped off and jipped!  Hey, it's the 28th, my birthday is tomorrow.  Then he wakes up and his parents and teachers tell him it's March 1st.  Whoa!  What just happened there?  I've missed the day after my birthday, but that was so my own fault for celebrating too much. 


In these tough economic times (haven't we read/heard that sentence a little too much), I could see this as a way for cash strapped parents everywhere to save money by not buying presents for their kid's birthday.  Say the kid's birthday is June 30th.  Poor little Bobby wakes up and his parents tell him it's July 1st.  "Wait a minute!", Bobby cries.  "What the @&#*$! happened to June 30th?"  "Oh, you know.", his parents say evasively.  "It's that whole Leap Year kind of a thing.  Due to the summer equinox, the no daylight savings time change in Arizona, and the fact that Pluto is no longer a planet, we had to make up another day and June 30th was chosen.  Sorry buddy.  Maybe next year."  And my husband says I'm not thrift-minded.


But I ramble....


Dear, sweet, and oh so fashionable, Thrifted Shift, (check out her awesome blog at thriftedshift.blogspot.com) bestowed upon me a "One Lovely Blog Award" with the admonition that I pass it along to another noteworthy blogger that I enjoy. I have chosen (drum roll - boom, boom, boom):


Tall Kendall at tallkendall.blogspot.com


I enjoy perusing Kendall's blog because: 1) she is tall like me, 2) I like her style and the outfits she puts together, and 3) she has a good sense of humor and doesn't take herself too seriously

OoTD - 2/28 - Jailbird

 BLACK & WHITE SWEATER - Anne Klein - eBay: $15.36

BLACK CORDUROY PANTS - French Cuff - Ross

BLACK & GRAY BOOTS - Khombu - TJ Maxx in Cheyenne, WY: $50.00

We finally got some snow, so I dug out a pair of my winter boots for my outfit today.  I went to the Sheriff's Office in the basement of the Courthouse and worked for about an hour.  Court was in session up on the 3rd floor.  Then I had lunch with my husband at one of our three local eateries, the River Rock.  After that it was Pinochle for a couple of hours with the local seniors' group.  And now finally back home and the wind has settled down and it's stopped snowing.  The end to a darn good day.

This is the first time I've worn this sweater since I bought it quite a while ago.  I really like the blingy rhinestones on the front and the sleeves.

I'm Outta Here!

Actually I'm just going to a workshop down in Loveland.  See ya'll next week!

OoTD - 2/22 - Pregnant or Peplum?

No... I'm just into peplums right now although it's a hard to tell in this picture the cut of this jacket.  I really love blazers and have a bunch of close fitting ones with v-neck lapels.  This one, from DKNY in a purple berry plaid with a mandarin collar was a nice change for me.  

 JACKET - DKNY - eBay: $20.00

BOOTCUT JEANS - Victoria's Secret Hipster - eBay:  $25.45

TALL BROWN LEATHER MOTO BOOTS - Kenneth Cole - eBay : $39.09

 

 What was I thinking?  The other night I got out of the shower, looked in the mirror and thought, "You know, I really like the way my bangs are looking now, but they are getting a tad long."  So what do I do?  I get out my handy dandy thinning shears (I use them to trim my bangs so I don't get such a straight line whacked off look) and proceed to cut my bangs when they are wet.  Now I know that they're going to shrink back up when they're dry, and I thought I was taking this into consideration, but somehow (yet again) I ended up with too short and in addition for added viewing pleasure uneven on the one side bangs.  Cute huh?

OoTD - 2/21 - Can You Use That in a Sentence, Please?

 BLUE RUFFLED CARDIGAN - liz claiborne - eBay

TOP W/SPARKLE EMBELLISHMENT - Susan Lawrence - eBay: $9.19

BLACK JEANS - Lee (One True Fit) - Ross

MINK & BLACK BOOTIES - Aerosoles - their Website

I was asked to be a judge for the Spelling Bee at our local school. I wanted to wear something cheerful to encourage the kids and chose this bright blue sweater.  Most of the participants were so nervous but also very smart and they did a great job.    

 This is the horse shoe necklace that I got for $3.00 in my mini haul last week.  I wore it with a smaller horse shoe that my mom had given me a long time ago.  

 These booties remind me of something the British would have worn when they came over to squash us American rebels, just not with such a high heel.  The best thing about them is that they do come with modern zippers on the side and you don't have to unbutton each eyelet.  

This is our other dog, Bear.  He was a rescue dog from Wyoming and it boggles my mind that two previous owners gave him up.  He has the best character and is brave, loving, sweet, and kind.  Zoe and he play constantly.  She chews on his face, pulls his jowls out, and bites his paws, but he never gets upset.  

OoTD 2/20 - Happy Day, Mr. President!

  JACKET - Dolce Cabo - TJ Maxx in Westminster: $29.99

PINK STRIPED SCARF - Guess Outlet in Silverthorne

GRAY CORDUROY PANTS - Chadwicks website: around $42.00

BOOTIES - Target website

 This is only the 2nd time that I have worn this micro-suede Dolce Cabo jacket, but I've already had to sew both buttons back on.  Manufacturers, please, it is not enough to merely sew a button on, you also need to tie a knot in the thread to keep the button on.  

PINK OXFORD SHIRT - Old Navy outlet in Silverthorne

BELT - Guess from TJ Maxx in Westminster: $19.99

I went in to the Sheriff's Office where I work today, but only stayed about an hour to do some bookkeeping.  The rest of the courthouse was very quiet as it is a holiday.  The S.O. is like the famous Pinkerton Detective Agency:

Thrift Store Mini Shopping Haul - 2/16

     These stores were all in Ft. Collins. First, I tried to go to the Repeat Boutique that is in the strip mall behind the Red Lobster off of College Avenue.  It was over the lunch hour and because of Young's Cafe, which is a really good oriental restaurant, there were no parking spaces to be found.  I took a few spins around the lot and then gave up.  I'll have to try that store again during off hours, but I wondered how much business they lose due to the parking situation and if they even realize it?  There are other Repeat Boutiques in Ft. Collins, but I don't know if they are a small chain or if different thrift store owners just like the name.
     Then I went to Clothes Mentor.  I had been there one other time before.  They have pretty nice stuff that is geared to Women's sizes.  They don't accept everything for resale and their prices reflect this.  

      At Clothes Mentor, I bought this yellow Gap 1969 corduroy jacket for $20.00 (yes, my obsession with corduroy continues) and this DressBarn sleeveless pleated blouse in a pretty animal print for $11.00.  It looks like a skirt in the photo, but I assure you it does have arm holes.  

      After that, I went across College Avenue into the strip mall that has a TJ Maxx store and a Black Eyed Pea restaurant.  Here I found Plato's Closet which has a similar concept as Clothes Mentor but for Juniors.  The clothes are pretty young with lots of hoodies and Junior size jeans, so I mostly looked through the shoes (they have some Steve Madden) and the accessories.  For a whopping $3.00, I found this sparkly silver horse shoe necklace.  

     My last stop was at the new Goodwill Store back behind Petsmart.  Here I bought my bargain of the day, a faux leopard belt that was originally $2.99 but since it was a green tag (50% off) I paid all of $1.61 including tax.  Not a big shopping spree, but when I got home, I still liked everything I purchased and thought that an average of $8.90 per item was not bad.

OoTD - 2/16 - Trip to the Dentist

 I don't know why I'm smiling in the picture below for my trip to the dentist.  For me, this entailed a 2 1/2 hour drive to Ft. Collins to visit Dr. Mangle.  No, kidding, that is really his name. Fortunately, he is a very nice man and I only went for a cleaning and didn't get my mouth mangled too badly. 

So many of the fashion blogs that I follow have had outfits lately with tights and shorts.  I've been wanting to do this look for awhile and got these Michael Kors corduroy shorts on eBay.  I'm not sure if I like the length or not.  I have a brown pair of shorts from J Crew, that are about 6 inches shorter that I thought might be too short, so when I bought these I went with a longer pair.  I may end up having them hemmed some because they really shorten the length of my legs.  After I viewed these pictures on my camera, I removed the scrunched up leg warmers for a longer line.  

RED WRAP TOP - Victoria's Secret - eBay:  $9.88

BLACK CORDUROY SHORTS - Michael Kors - eBay: $18.94

BLACK TIGHTS - Hue - Ross

BLACK LEG WARMERS - Mopas - eBay: $4.99

BLACK SUEDE BOOTIES - Target - their website

 After my dentist appointment, I got a quick bite to eat at a Japanese fast food place (yum - rice & veggies) and then went shopping.  I decided to stick to thrift stores and not hit Ross and TJ Maxx for a change.  I went to Clothes Mentor, Plato's Closet, and a newer Goodwill Store.  I'll post some pictures tomorrow from my mini-haul.  

 I wore my red/black/white Bohemia coat (see OoTD - 1/21) with a red scarf, black RayBan sunglasses and took my Giant Red Purse.  It may have been too matchy/matchy, but I had fun wearing everything together.  But then it was so nice and warm in Ft. Collins that I actually ended up ditching the coat and scarf after my appointment.  So only the gals at the reception desk got to see the full impact and possibly roll their eyes at me.  

These black suede booties from Target are surprisingly well-made, sturdy, and comfortable.  I ordered them last year on-line at Target's web-site.  I like the extra detail of the zipper on the side. 

OoTD - 2/15 - Fur & Frills

 PEACH BLOUSE - Sunny Taylor - eBay: $11.49

FAUX FUR VEST - ???

STRAIGHT LEG JEANS - H&M: $31.96

LEOPARD BALLET FLATS - Target

 This vest is reversible with a smooth shiny dark brown on the other side.

OoTD - 2/14 - Happy Valentines's Day!

I hope that everyone had a Happy Valentine's Day and had the opportunity to let someone in their lives know how much they love them.

 ARGYLE SWEATER - G.H. Bass & Co. - Outlets in Silverthorne

RED TOP - G.H. Bass & Co. - Outlets in Silverthorne

BLACK WASH JEANS - Gap - Outlets in Silverthorne: $25.00

RED PATENT PEEP-TOE FLATS - Talbots - Garage Sale in Steamboat Springs: $2.50

 

OoTD - 2/13 - Boucle Jacket

BOUCLE JACKET - Newport News - eBay: $25.10

SCARF - ???

YELLOW TOP - Annie Sue

JEANS -  Victoria Secret Hipster - eBay: $25.45

BOOTS - Aerosoles from their Website

 I had been wanting a boucle jacket for a while.  A few years ago, I bought one on-line from Chadwicks.com, but when it arrived it felt very thin and flimsy so I sent it back.  This one from Newport News has a full lining and I like the bright tweed.

Twinkle-toes!

  

Product Review - Olay Facial Hair Removal Duo

One thing that you get to look forward to as you get older is unwanted facial hair.  In order to remedy this problem, I purchased Olay's Facial Hair Removal Duo from a Walmart in Laramie, WY.  It was a bit pricey at $22.00.  I had a coupon for $3.00 off, but when I gave it to the checker she told me it had expired the day before.  Rats!  


In the box, which is about the size of a hair coloring kit, is a lipstick like Skin Guarding Balm and a tube of Hair Removal Cream.  First, you put the balm on the areas of your face that need the hair removed.  For me, it was my mustache area and the lower parts of my checks along the jaw line.  Once the balm is on, you smooth it into your skin using circular motions with your fingertips.  Then you lightly apply the Hair Removal Cream.  I haven't check the ingredients, but it smells an awful lot like Nair.  It could be that this is just a toned down version of Nair for your face that costs 3x as much as a big bottle of Nair.  I left the cream on for 9 minutes and then washed it off. My face felt smooth and there was some tingling but not so uncomfortable that it bothered me.  When I was putting my makeup on in sunlight, I noticed that I still had some fine hairs on the right side of my mustache area, so I'll do that spot again tomorrow morning.  

One thing about this product is that unless I become The Bearded Lady and get asked to join a circus, the tubes of balm and cream should last the rest of my natural life.  I give this a