kellvis

More changes for the New Year- Healthy Diet edition

2011-01-03T16:12:00.000-05:00

Even though my husband says I'm "bordering on being obsessive about looking things up on the Internet," a severe case of a messed-up stomach (and some less-than-flattering photos from NYE) have helped me commit to start doing these things:

1. Eat vegetarian (and no fish/seafood this time) for at least three months.
I've eaten vegetarian for a few years in the past but I've always allowed fish and seafood. But since my upset-stomach was triggered by raw tuna, I'm going to give abstaining from seafood a whirl. I also learned a valuable life lesson: Never eat tuna raw from an establishment that does not have chopsticks (at least not in Richmond.) I love sushi and have a hard time passing up seared rare tuna on a menu, but I think with my latest experience I'll be okay without sushi for a while. (But I will desperately miss the grilled shrimp paste with sugarcane from Mekong and Da Lat, but Vietnamese restaurants always have plenty of delicious vegetarian options, like Spicy Tofu with Lemongrass and Tofu with Eggplant.) I'm also looking forward to exploring the menus at two of Richmond's newest modern Indian restaurants, Anokha and Lehja (Warning: there's music on both of their webpages.)

2. Buy and eat organic foods whenever possible- (locally grown is a bonus.)
It seems insane that you have to go out of your way to find fruits and vegetables that have not been sprayed with poisonous chemicals throughout the growth, harvest and shipping process or have not been genetically mutated. I realize this means I may not have fresh strawberries or tomatoes in February since they don't grow in Virginia's climate then, but I remember what strawberries tasted like when I was a kid and it's nothing like they do now. Sure, they might be bigger now, but they have no flavor (and studies have shown are also less nutritious.) So I really can't wait for the farmer's markets to open next spring and am going to start planning our own small garden. I might even bite off starting from seed this year (and would welcome any tips to avoid first-timer mistakes.)

3. Avoid the seven foods Prevention magazine says should never cross your lips (and also encourage my husband and family to do the same. I don't want to get preachy with other's food choices, but sometimes I can be a tiny bit overzealous with people I care about a lot.)

Here's the list, but I recommend reading the reasons to avoid them in the article linked above.

Canned Tomatoes
Corn-Fed Beef
Microwave Popcorn
Non-organic Potatoes
Farmed Salmon
Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones
Conventional Apples

4. No drinking for the month of January.
While I'm stepping up my health-consciousness, I might as well do a total detox even though it means abandoning my newly-discovered favorites, which are worth sharing. Just because I'm abstaining doesn't mean you should.

Whipped Vodka.- A bartender at Quaker Steak & Lube introduced me to this treasure. (Side note about Quaker Steak & Lube, if you like wings or have a husband who likes wings and you find yourself having to like wings, there's are delicious!!) But back to the vodka: It's dangerously good by itself or in anything that would taste good with whipped cream. And there are lots of things that go reeeeallllly well with whipped cream. When I asked the bartender what kind of flavored vodkas they carry, his answer of "everything you've ever heard of plus some that you probably don't even know about" intrigued me to ask about the ones I didn't even know about. And the next thing you know my husband and I are sipping a chilled sample of Pinnacle Whipped Vodka and we're sold! (and I was reminded of the scene from Old School where Frank is opening up in the therapist's office about his fears of getting married because there might be something new and cool going on with underwear that he doesn't even know about.)

Farewell, Pinnacle Whipped Vodka and San Pellegrino Aranciata. You'll soon be as dusty as my Elvis wine bottles.

San Pellegrino Aranciata with Vodka- I learned about this yummy combination at Edo's Squid. It even goes well with whipped vodka, especially if you like creamsicles.
Espresso martinis at Can Can Brasserie- This is the most tragic since I just learned of this one on New Year's Eve. What makes there's especially delicious is the lack of any cream or cream based liquors. It just has a really nice espresso flavor without the extra sweetener of creams. I recommend trying them with one of their almond, butter or sugar croissants. I'm sure they'd go well with their chocolate croissants too, but we were too late and the early bird gets the worm with Can Can's chocolate croissant.

I'm really excited about the changes in my diet and look forward to learning more about nutrition in the new year. I know it will be tough making these adjustments but after all, you really are what you eat. And I resolve to eat more awarely. (Apparently "awarely" isn't a word. Seems like an oversight to me.)

Modern Kitchen Renovation- from ugly 70's duckling to sleek modern swan

2010-12-17T00:07:00.003-05:00

Since progress has come to a screeching halt on the yard renovations due to the weather, I thought I'd share the befores and afters of the kitchen. As I've mentioned, I love modern design and fell in love with the layout and bones of my current house- not so much the finishes and decor. I only took three before photos of the entire house, which I'm kicking myself over because the changes have been dramatic to say the very least.

I'm really happy with how my semi-DIY kitchen renovation turned out. Kitchen renovations can get pricey. So I could neither justify nor afford spending money on a designer to help with the kitchen renovation. It especially didn't make sense since I already had a pretty clear vision of how I wanted to transform the space. Don't misinterpret- I think designers are extremely valuable and am currently investing in the services of one for our yard renovation, but since I already had a plan for the kitchen, I just went with my "vision."

Below is what the kitchen looked like when I took ownership. (Much to the dismay of my mom who begged me not to buy my house because of the work it would require to bring it up to this century. But I knew after scouring real estate postings daily and looking at what seemed like hundreds of Cape Cods*- apparently the only type of house available in my budget at the time- that this was my next house.) The kitchen was not the selling point, though.

The before:

And the after:

Removing the old cabinets that hung from the ceiling and knocking out the counter-level divider under the counter them made the biggest impact on the space. It opened up the room and got rid of the closed-in feeling that plagued it. The new flooring, appliances, cabinets and counter tops also make a big difference but none so much as the removal of the cabinets. It also drove me crazy that the dishwasher and oven were right next to each other with no cabinet separating them. While adding a cabinet there moved everything 12" further into the dining area and shrunk that space a bit, it was worth it to get some separation between the appliances.

I selected the cabinets using IKEA's downloadable kitchen design program and tried to DIY as much of the renovation as possible with the help of my handy dad and brother who almost shit themselves when they saw the number of boxes that IKEA uses to ship their cabinets. Since I left the major appliances and sink in their original locations, I saved on plumbing expenses. (which I promptly splurged on appliances. I never thought I'd drop a grand on a dishwasher but the salesman sold me when I asked how loud it was when running and he informed me it was running at the time and even though I was standing five inches from it I couldn't even hear it.) The range hood and bar stools are from overstock.com (but now only available in red.) Luckily my dad has a metal fabricating business where my brother also works and they hooked me up with the cool stainless steel support under the granite counter on the right in the photo. Curtains also from IKEA and the tile for the back-splash is a honed black marble from The Tile Shop but it looks like they no longer carry it. (But I found it online at Fastfloors in case you were curious.)

While it's too late to do anything about it now, if I had to do it over again I might reconsider my choice in counter top. I went with Gold & Silver granite. Don't get me wrong- I think natural granite is gorgeous, but it just makes for a "whole lotta look" to quote Tim Gunn. The busy pattern is great for camouflaging, but it can be a little disturbing to discover how dirty it is sometimes. Every home improvement project is a learning experience, so I've made a big mental note for the next time. In hindsight I might have given more consideration to poured concrete counter tops to help achieve a clean modern feel to the room. See what I mean (below.) Live and learn.

Concrete counter top image via grassrootsmodern

And the other side of the room before:

God bless whoever convinced a generation that avocado green and harvest gold were good long-term investments. Who are we to talk though. Remember acid-wash jeans and spiral perms?

And the after:

Lessons learned on this renovation:

I've already admitted to this one: the countertops. Too visually overpowering & busy? The jury is still out.
Kitchens need more than three drawers.
Appliances need a buffer from each other. It's just weird to see them next to each other like that.
Be sure to center the sink under the window. Just saying.
What might seem like small changes, like removing the trim from around the window and tiling on the actual window sill, can have a dramatic effect on modernizing the room.
The flush-mounted sink is a win. I'd use that again in our ever-present theoretical "next house." (I had the counter top fabricators route a groove around the perimeter of the sink cut-out and installed an under-mount sink so that it sit flush-mounted to the surface of the counter. That's probably an overly particular detail that not very many people would give a second thought about, but I would be really pissed if the sink were not mounted to my liking. This installation technique might be intimidating to some guys, but it's really not that difficult and makes for a very polished and modern effect.)
Last one: the 4"granite backsplash. That was more of a default decision than a deliberate one, which I wish I'd given more thought.

But as I said- live and learn!

I'm just thankful that my renovation turned out as well as it did for a girl who isn't allowed to use power tools.

*I have nothing against Cape Cods but after selling my pre-1900 Victorian row house in Church Hill, I had my heart set on a more modern abode that would showcase my modern and mid-century modern furnishings better.

New Years Goals- this time, I mean it.

2010-12-14T20:46:00.005-05:00

I'm one of those people who can't help but think that New Years is a little magical. It's one of the few holidays that got better with age. At the risk of sounding like a big cheeseball, there's something about ringing in a new year that reminds me that anything is possible, and all I need to do is figure out how to make it happen. The night sparkles to me, and now I'll always have a reason to celebrate since Chris and I were married last New Year's Eve in Richmond. My initial plans were a lot more exotic- La Concha Resort in

Puerto Rico. It's gorgeously mid-century modern. But that was a tough sell to semi-traditional parents who had waited a long time to see their baby girl walk down the aisle, and didn't envision palm trees in the photos when I finally did. And let's all be honest here, I would not have been a very happy beach bride. Do you know how hard it is to walk in heels in the sand? I do.

But back to the topic of New Year's goals- since I work in sales, I've been very familiar with goals-setting for the past ten years. And I decided to apply two important principles that I apply in my professional goals to my personal ones: they are going to be more attainable, and I will have a system where I'll be reminded monthly, if not weekly, of them until they are accomplished.

So, here they are so far (at least the ones I'm willing to profess publicly) in no particular order.....

• Use my french rolling pin we received from our registry. I'm not a baker. In fact I attempted cookies last Sunday, and they tasted like refrigerator because of how old our butter was. But I love my french rolling pin, and really want to put it to good use. (Let me know if you have any rolling-pin-required recipes that you don't mind sharing. Internet recipes are fine, but I prefer ones that are tried-and-true.)

Reverse pattern and sew my bell-sleeved, key-hole dress (as seen at my company Holiday Party 2010). This dress was $6 from an antique mall in southwestern Virginia, and it is very flattering so I'd like to be able to duplicate it. As a female, one must know which styles work best on one's figure. Since I don't mind showing a little leg and am slightly "top-heavy," my go-to styles are minis with v-necks or keyholes, that have an empire waist or tuck in at the waist. If there's no waist-definition, I tend to look like I'm wearing a sack and trying to hide something a-la-Mariah Carey-when-she-thought-she-was-hiding-her-pregnancy.

Yes, that is a shake weight and a "porn for women" calendar featuring a topless man vacuuming.
Apparently somebody thought women don't like regular porn enough to make a calendar about it

And if any men actually made it this far- do yourselves a favor and purchase one suit that fits you well. It doesn't need to be custom, but it should be flat-fronted (that means no pleats in the pants) and should not make you look like Borat:

photo via http://www.allmoviephoto.com/

Clean and organize the sewing room so I can achieve the goal above. I've lived in this house for three and half years and can't remember what it was like to be able to walk easily around that room. (I'm too embarrassed to show the actual photo of the "sewing" room until the "after" is available since it was too difficult to even see the sewing machine. But when I searched for example photos to use, this caption appeared: "I’m a hoarder… don’t tell my home insurance company!" along with this photo:

It's actually not too far off, not counting the apparent fascination with tigers and bears.

Blog consistently- at least once per week. It makes me happy, scratches my creativity itch, and most importantly, doesn't damage my liver.
Find an exercise that doesn't feel like exercise. My husband changed jobs recently and now plays basketball daily on his lunch break, and has lost over ten pounds without even trying. He loves to play, and it burns a ton of calories. But it doesn't even feel like exercise to him. I've been an exerciser most of my post-adolescent life. I've done the SEAL Team thing, yoga, Bikram Yoga, olympic-style lifting, step classes, Pilates, cardio machines for what seemed like an eternity, Tae-Bo, etc. And as much as I'd convinced myself that I "enjoyed" doing many of these things, I was just lying to myself. If I could still have the benefits of any of those workouts but skipped doing them, I would have skipped doing them.

That's all I've got for now. I'll keep adding to the list as I think of more.

Does anybody else have a room that you're embarrassed about? Have a project that you've been "meaning to get to"? Been a little too slack on getting your heart rate up on a consistent basis?

The big yard redo! [before and day one photos]

2010-11-30T19:34:00.002-05:00

When I bought this house I realized and accepted that fact that everything about it would need to be renovated: kitchen, bathrooms, floors- pretty much every surface in the entire house. What I failed to realize though, was that I wouldn't be completely happy here until I also tackled the outdoor spaces as well. Maybe that's a girl thing? I didn't care that the front yard was a terrible combination of gravel and thirty years of mulch accumulation and that the sidewalk was terribly uneven. I considered the front yard a positive since it's about as low-maintenace as you can get, and as a single gal yard work wasn't high on my list of priorities. I also didn't know that the pool was on its last leg and would only serve me for a measely one-and-a-half swimming seasons. That has been a huge source of frustration for the past two and a half years and depending on what week you asked me, I was either going to fill it in, turn it into a koi pond, or convert it to a salt-water and concrete pool instead of a chlorine, lined and broken one. And while it's definitely bittersweet to fill it in, I'm so glad we've finally decided to address it. It was not an easy decision to make, but trying to repair and upgrade it would have been like trying to spit-shine and paint a turd. (or more like platinum-dip and cryogenically freeze a turd based on some of the quotes we got.)

We decided to renovate the front yard while we're at it. It has its own special brand of turd-like qualities.

Let's take a look at the before photos:

This is after repaving the driveway and having over 20 trees removed.

I'm especially proud of the impromptu stepping-stone path I made one day.

And the backyard's before photos:

It's really hard to say what I'll miss most- the rusted metal shed or the broken pool.

What's that happening to the right of the doghouse? Let's go in for a closer look:

Why, it's a naturally-occuring reflecting pool! If only the actual pool held water so nicely.

On to the demolition!!

Day one photos:

Ripping out the sidewalk and very neglected plants.

I can finally see the bottom of our money pit.

And the shed has never looked better!

A shoe-buying bender

2010-11-23T22:20:00.001-05:00

My name is Kellie, and I've purchased all of these babies since the last post:

There are eleven pairs in case you are curious. As I gathered the group together for the photo, I realized two things: 1) women have probably been divorced for lesser offenses and 2) I should probably be embarrassed to admit to this shoe-buying binge. But before you pass judgement, I have legitimate reasons for every purchase. There's even a sensible pair or two in there, believe it or not.

If I've learned nothing during my years as a devoted shopping enthusiast, I've learned this: buy something if you really love it when you see it- even if you don't know when you'll wear it. You will never regret owning something that looks and makes you feel fabulous. (unless you can't pay the light bill, but I've even been known to live off of canned green beans if it meant I could afford something that made me swoon.)

Have we not all been there?- It's the night before (or sometimes even the day of) an event, and you really want to look great, but you hate every single thing in your closet. I've even had nights where I've hated everything in all three of my closets.

closet I

closet II

closet II.5 (since I share it with Chris)

If you've ever experienced this frustration you get extra points if you've:
a) threatened to NOT EVEN GO! (and additional credit if tears were involved during the proclamation.)
b) arrived embarrasingly late to said event.
c) actually made good on your threat to not go and later had to lie about why you didn't attend.
d) all of the above (I can't even begin to imagine anyone like that.)

I can't be the only one who's gone back to a store to buy something only to curse myself to find it's not there anymore and realize I should have just bought it when I had the chance!?! (especially if you frequent vintage boutiques or the TJ Marshalls' of the world.) Sure, you run the risk of buying eleven pairs of shoes in one season (which really only averages to about one pair a week which actually doesn't sound that bad to me.) And let's not forget that you've always got the option to return anything that loses its glow after you get it home, as long as you don't wear it and keep your receipt.

The moral of my post is this: last-minute/pressured shopping is no fun. And who wants to live in a world where shopping isn't fun? Not me. So if you see something that you know you'll wish you owned (and can afford to) buy it! You'll find occasions to wear something you really love.

(Also, having to put this guy down recently might have contributed to the recent beefing up of the footwear arsenal. Maybe I coped subconsciously with losing him by distracting myself with shoe shopping. If you knew him well, you'd know why.)

Smokey also had a great fashion sense.
Notice how he's wearing the top hat instead of the top hat wearing him.

While I realize I can't replace my love for Smokey with my love for my new shoes, it certainly won't hurt if I'm wearing great shoes while I miss him.

Formal introductions to each of the new members of the collection to follow. . . in the meantime, I'll leave you with the coolest modern but also romantic (which is typically a hard combo to find with trying to pair modern's minimalism with romantic's typical ornate detail) cocktail table that I've ever had the pleasure of encountering:

Pretty sweet, huh?

Retro playsuits: perks and wedgies

2010-08-20T09:46:00.000-04:00

I've been known to pass off a skirted 60's swimsuit as a "dress." See Exhibit A.

Exhibit A.

(But do cut me a little slack since it WAS Halloween 2005 and this was my weak attempt at Barbarella.

Confession: mostly I was just looking for an excuse to wear my thigh-high gold glitter platform boots

that were burning a hole in my closet .)

While my love of vintage swimsuits hasn't waned, my ability to pull them off as street clothes has. Enter playsuits (I refuse to call them rompers.) I found an adorable playsuit at Urban Outfitters similar to this number:

and while I haven't quite found the right occasion to wear it yet, it certainly looks adorable hanging in my closet! Benefits of wearing playsuits include the convenience of one piece dressing without the fear of a gust of wind making you pull a Britney.

The biggest drawback on playsuits though is having to strip naked just to use the bathroom. And let's also not forget the perma-wedgie you get if the rise is too short. And don't even think about bending over in a playsuit- also instant wedgie.

So it seems we've discovered the reasons I've yet to take my new playsuit out to play. Cute to look at but not-so-fun to actually wear. In case you like wedgies, Modcloth.com has a few cute retro playsuits:

Flowers Sailor

Adventures at DSW: Flattering Platform Heels vs. Cankle Sandals

2010-07-01T10:43:00.002-04:00

Yesterday on lunch break my DSW $10 reward was burning a huge hole in my wallet so I had to get rid of it IMMEDIATELY!! DSW is hit or miss for me but yesterday was nothing short of a gold mine! I only left with two pairs of shoes but it's only because I showed an enormous and almost super-human amount of restraint. (But I am going to keep my eye on a pair of black platform boots as fall, and hopefully DSW coupons, approach.) So let's get to the goods:

These nude Steve Madden pumps are perfection! Nude shoes are always hard to find in a pretty silhouette and these are so classic and flattering that I'll probably wish I bought two pairs. What color shoes do you wear with red, navy, orange, white, blue, purple, yellow (get the idea?) dresses? Nude will go with all of them! I even love a nude shoe with a black dress sometimes to avoid the predictable black dress/black shoe syndrome. If you're in the market, visit them at the DSW website. I found them to fit true-to-size and they are a lot more comfortable (and affordable at 59.95) than you might think.

While I can justify the previous shoes as practical, my next pair, not so much.

But what they lack in practicality they make up for in ADORABILITY!! (Much to my delight, that's actually a word.) And they are on sale--- $39.94. The cone heel is gorgeous and extremely flattering. They also come in turquoise and fuchsia (but not on sale.) With a 5" the heel and only 1/2" platform (I typically prefer a better platform to heel ratio) these aren't the most comfortable to walk in, but what shoe-loving-girl worth her salt doesn't suffer for her heels every now and then? And since I'm lazy, I also love that they have a velcro ankle closure. Who has time for buckles these days? My only word of caution for black (or any color besides nude) T-strap heels is that your calf needs to be fairly slender to pull these off since the horizontal line (strap) at the ankle will visually break up the length of the leg. (That's also the reason I can't get behind the trend of ankle booties with dresses or skirts. Who wants to make their legs look stumpy?)

Another trend I REALLY can't get behind are boot/sandals that come with a heaping helping of cankle. The ankle is the slimmest part of any woman's leg, so why just cover the ankle and leave the rest of the foot and leg exposed???

Even more perplexing? The cankle flip-flop:

Who could wear this?? I mean, anyone could wear them, but who would actually LOOK GOOD in them? Not only are you mayor of Cankleville in these shoes, you don't even have the saving grace of a heel to benefit the rest of your legs and rear end.

Allow Leighton Meester to demonstrate the pitfalls of cankle shoes even with the benefit of heels:

(photo from www.gofugyourself.com)

See what I mean?

A word on platform heels (and their nemesis- platform flip flops)

2010-06-25T11:57:00.005-04:00

Let's go ahead and get this over with. Ladies- I don't care if they are giving them away, DON'T DO IT!

It's not a good look on ANYONE (unless your idea of a good look is stumpy legs.) The litmus test I use is to imagine Cindy Crawford wearing something and if she can't pull it off, I don't even attempt it! They stumpify even the most shapely legs and just look ridiculous. And hopefully I'm not letting the cat out of the bag here, but looking taller isn't the point of wearing heels or platforms. It's all about the angle that the (correct) shoe creates for the foot which elongates the leg and sets off a whole set of awesome chain reactions making the calf, thigh and ass all look better instantly! Unfortunately wearing platform flip flops just puts you at risk for turning your ankle while looking like you borrowed shoes from Britney Spears (post-meltdown).

Don't believe me? Allow Rita to demonstrate:

Standing on one's "tippy toes" when a pair of heels isn't available will do the same thing. While I don't recommend walking around on your tippy toes on a normal basis (unless you are a call girl and your John is paying for such behavior) a quick demonstration in a full-length mirror of standing flat-footed then rising to your tippy toes should convince any doubters. (And while you're at it suck in your tummy and use good posture to hold up your chest. You may think the difference is only slight, but it's huge.)

If you have a hard time walking in heels, I recommend getting ones with a sturdy platform to offset the heel height and create a nice solid base for the ball of the foot. Even though platform heels are super trendy right now, it's a timeless look that ladies have been wearing since the 40's.

These shoes by Steve Madden embody the classic platform pump silhouette and are available in four colors at endless.com for $99.95 (http://tinyurl.com/2archlj)

I also found a helpful video on how to walk in heels. The key is to make sure your heel touches the ground before the ball of your foot. If you clomp down your whole foot at the same time, I hate to tell you but you lose all of the sexy benefits of heels by not being able to walk properly in them. http://www.howcast.com/videos/34023-How-To-Walk-in-High-Heels

My love of shoe shopping reached a pinnacle while shopping for our New Year's Eve wedding! I eventually decided on these from Report Signature.

I've LOVED finding occasions to wear them again- most notably in Vegas with my Kellvis jumpsuit. (don't judge.) I've even been known to vacuum wearing them just so they don't feel neglected. Now that's love!

Big floppy summer hats

2010-06-24T12:12:00.003-04:00

Every gal needs at least one (if not more) big floppy hat for summer! Especially when it's ridiculous, record-breaking-heatwave-hot! If you buy the right one(s) they are timeless and you'll get lots of seasons of summertime mobile shade. I will admit, there are hat people and non-hat people. My mom complains that they make her too hot and she usually opts for a visor to shade her face while letting the top of her head breathe, but I'm not ready to try that one. So if you are a hat person (and you won't know until you try!) you already know that big floppy hats also offer the benefit of keeping colored hair from fading in the sun. (When I'm going to be in the sun for long periods of time I either bust out the floppy hat, spray my hair with (hair) sunscreen or tie on a vintage scarf.)

Since I'm always on the lookout for cute hats, I was SUPER excited when I picked up this lovely number for $7.99(!!!) at Burlington not-just-Coat Factory (don't judge):

And if you think it looks cute just sitting on my desk, wait until you see it on:

RIGHT?!?

And who says you can't dress like you're going somewhere really fun even if you're just going to the office?

(ok- so I need to clean my desk next time.)

I also highly recommend this guy from Target- http://tinyurl.com/26qg4jb

The best part is, it's totally crushable and packable so mine has seen it's fair share of beaches.

(It's sold out online but available at most local Richmond Targets.)

If you've never purchased or tried to wear a big floppy hat- give it a whirl! You can't help but feel a tinier bit more sophisticated and pulled together when you plop one on your head and if they're good enough for Rita Hayworth, they're good enough for me!

Terrible photo, ADORABLE dress

2010-06-22T14:52:00.002-04:00

I've been searching for at least two months for a dress that I designed in my head but could never find in stores or online..... until now!! It was a 60's inspired white mini in cotton lace with long sleeves for summer. (I know long sleeves aren't traditionally summery but for nights when there's a chill but you still want to go out looking summery- it's perfect.)

tah-dah!

(I apologize for the terrible picture quality. Will try to remedy that for future posts.)

I'm a firm believer that it's typically not good form to show off "the girls" and the gams at the same time, and since I was fortunate enough to inherit fairly slim legs (even when I'm carrying a few extra "happy" pounds) I usually opt for minis rather than low cut styles. (I'm also a firm believer that rules were meant to be broken in some cases, so cut me some slack if you catch me out in a low-cut mini-dress!)

I found my new little white number in Eurotrash (http://shopeurotrash.com/home/) in Carytown for $78.50- more than I'd typically pay for a non-occasion dress, but I extended my budget since I'd been looking for what seemed like forever (two months is an eternity when you're an instant-gratification kind of girl, like myself.) An all white dress is also the perfect canvas for showing off bright, fun summer shoes, bags and jewelry. So if you can't tell I'm super excited about my new dress and can't wait for the heatwave to chill out so I can take it out and show it a good time!

Let me know if you have any items you've conjured up in your brain but aren't sure if they actually exist. (Besides a strapless bra that really supports, because girlfriends, that's a figment of all of our imaginations!)

Someone should have told her if you feel your bra resting on your waist, it's probably not doing it's job.......

(photo courtesy of one of my FAVORITE blogs: www.gofugyourself.com)

That is true. Women do like to shop a lot.

2010-06-15T13:08:00.001-04:00

When I graduated from William and Mary with a BBS in Marketing I had no idea what I would do with it. So when my friend's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend (and I'm not even joking or exaggerating) found out I was interested in fashion and suggested coming up to NYC for the summer for an internship with Giorgio Armani, I JUMPED at the chance! The internship turned into a full time position and I stayed in NYC for about two years. I tried to continue my "fashion career" with a position in Richmond with www.TomJames.com as a custom clothier. That also lasted about two years. So for the past six and half years I've worked in engineering recruiting, and while it can be financially rewarding, it is by no stretch my calling- and a girl needs to answer her calling. I've been racking my brain and making lists of ideas for potential businesses but nothing seems viable enough to take the plunge yet. I keep coming back to the idea of a stylist/personal shopping service, so while I spend some time soul-searching for my calling, I'll be posting all of my clothing/accessory/decor purchases in a weak attempt to scratch the itch of being a stylist/personal shopper (and I'm sure I'll include rants about my latest obsessions and thoughts on style.)

I owe my friend Eileen a big thanks for telling me she checks my inactive blog daily for giving me the kick in the a$$ I obviously needed- and also Sarah Austin for telling me I needed to start a fashion-based blog. Here it is, ladies!