Old Navy? Wow!

I went to Old Navy yesterday to find a pair of corduroy pants. I did find them, and they are the most comfortable pants I've purchased in a long, long time. Here they are if you want to take a look. Of course, in my tunnel-vision shopping mode, I completely missed tons of other cute stuff that I think I want.

I knew that Old Navy had cute, inexpensive, trendy clothes. But I truly think they've outdone themselves with their Holiday Collection this season. So many things here that I want!

New Favorite Nail Polish

Admittedly, I was initially drawn to the Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Color because of the sparkly rhinestone on the bottle. What can I say? My eyes are drawn to things that sparkle. :) But then I saw the new fall/winter colors and got hooked. I puchased the color "chocolate kiss" (sorry, I don't have a picture of it), which is actually more red than chocolate, but a lovely, rich, deep brownish red that is way too flattering for words. I put it on my toenails almost two weeks ago and it is still perfect. Good stuff!

I love this stuff!!!

From softening my lips, to smoothing my cuticles, this stuff is incredible. There are some who say that this product is a trifle overrated, but I'm definitely not one of them. I keep it by my desk at work, in my purse, and by my bed. And for around $6, really, can you ask for more? It keeps my hands smooth in a non-greasy way and is even working miracles on my husband's dry, cracked skin. It definitely works hard for a small pricetag.

Boots and Capri Pants

shudder!

You know, I could almost get into the whole gaucho pants with tall boots movement. I mean there are certain types of women who can really carry that look well. Sadly, I am not one of those women. At least, I don't think I am one, therefore, I am not, because really, fashion and all that is about feeling good about what you are wearing and how you look in it. If I'm not happy about what I'm wearing (like today, for example), then I'm pretty much uncomfortable until I am able to change clothes.

So, like I said, SOME people can get away with gaucho pants and tall boots. The deal with making it work, in my not-at-all humble opinion, is that the pants MUST cover part of the boots. Knees should not be visible, people!

What I could not wrap my head around today was the sight of some girl wearing a short pair of capri pants that were, sadly, at least one size too small, and a pair of boots that hit below the knee. Knees and lower-knee area were clearly visible and not at all covered.

Do people like this really think they look good when they leave their houses in the morning?

Now, I have constantly bemoaned the fact that I often feel hopelessly out of date and that my clothes aren't "hip" enough. But does that mean that I should buy an outfit that doesn't fit my personality? Just because I see an outfit in a magazine does not mean that I should go all The Look For Less on the world and try to recreate it via my local discount store. Sometimes it DOES. NOT. WORK. This was one of those cases.

New Book

So, okay. I know I said that my next book was the Anna Quindlen book, but I got sidetracked and busy, and ended up reading other things (comments and reviews later, I promise!). I've read one other book by Gregory McGuire:
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. I absolutely loved that one. I will definitely read his other tales because I thoroughly enjoy his take on the classic fairy tales of my youth.

Today's little bit of fabulous...

When I saw these hot pink and chocolate brown leather mules with a 4" heel last year at Nordstrom's, I knew that they would be mine. I ended up having to order them because they didn't have my size, so I did not get my instant gratification that day. {sigh!} I did receive these lovely Paolo shoes (size 9 1/2) in the mail that week, however. And the icing on the cake? They were ON. SALE.

Trying something new..

My name is Ellen and I'm obsessed with shoes. There. I've said it. Nothing gives me the warm fuzzies quite as much as finding and purchasing that perfect pair of shoes. You know the ones I'm talking about. These are the shoes that you see someone else wearing and know you MUST own them. Or something with the same amount of fabulousness. The shoes that you see in the stall next to yours and you immediately as, "Where did you get your shoes?" much to the discomfort of the poor soul who just wanted to pee.

Every now and then, I have myself discovered the perfect accessory. And on a down day, nothing really makes me feel better than knowing that even at my worst, at least some part of my outfit is fabulous. So from time to time, I'm going to post what makes me feel fabulous.

And, uh, yeah, this is slightly narcissistic. But really, aren't most blogs?

Is it wrong to want...

THESE FABULOUS SHOES?!?!

I didn't think so.

It's coming together

I got my brown cowl-neck long sweater (sleeveless), long-sleeved white t-shirt, and grey flat-front pants the other day. I did pretty good on the spending, too, having a gift card to Ann Taylor and taking advantage of a sale at Express. :-)

The unfortunate thing, though, is that I've added lots more stuff to my list. Oh well. I'm a shopaholic, I guess. Or perhaps I'm just a "want"aholic. I want everything. I did find the leopard shoes that I plan to get. They're so cute! Peep-toe 4.5" platforms from bebe. I found them online, though, so I need to try them on this weekend.

I see a trip to Last Call and that mall down south with the Nordstrom's in my not so distant future...

I've decided that I need limitless funds and a personal shopper to keep me content with my wardrobe. That and a professional organizer and custom closet. Sadly, those things are slightly out of reach at the moment. Ah, well... A girl can dream.

And on a side note, our Sak's is finally stepping up to the plate in the shoe department. Manolo and Jimmy are in abundance!

Hair Color

Y'all, I've been unnaturally blonde for the past, oh, 17 years or so. I know that there is a huge market out there for over-the-counter/do-it-yourself hair color and honestly, I just don't get it!

Maybe it's the blondes that I have trouble with, I don't know. I'm just going by experience and I don't really know about the darker hair colors. But what I do know is that having your hair professionally colored by someone isn't just about the color.

I see my colorist on average about once every five to six weeks. My hairstylist and I have been together for over 10 years now, and I can't imagine not going to him. For almost three hours, I get therapy, a healthy dose of "you're fabulous!" and my roots get touched up! It's a win-win!

It doesn't come cheap, but neither does therapy. ;-) And when you look at it that way, you are actually saving money!

But that's just me. I think my husband might disagree, BUT, he loves the color!