Last Dance with That Particular Mary Jane.

I'm quite fond of announcing that I will be taking NO PART in a given trend.  Skinny jeans, rompers, giant sunglasses, leggings, jeggings, booties.  Of course all of these announcements have something in common, save for jeggings because I WILL ALWAYS JUST SAY NO TO THEM....

They ultimately turn out to be lies.

Last year, I "bought" a pair of booties from Rue La La with credits from fabulous reader referrals.  I thought I'd test the bootie water by grabbing a free pair, but ultimately, I never wore them due to insecurity about the age appropriateness of booties, and insecurity about whether or not they gave me cankles.  I rediscovered those booties in my closet a few days ago, I plan on merrily rocking them with my abundant sweater dress collection this fall.  However, I have no plans on sinking any actual money into any other pairs of booties this fall because really, one pair is enough and honestly, based on last year's usage of them, who knows how often I will get the guts to put them on.

Luckily, however, I found a solution to my Booties:  Will I or Won't I quandry on Piperlime last week.  Enter The Verbenia by Nine West:

The perfect marriage of pump and bootie, they provide all the benefits of the bootie without the cankle-causing cut off point right at the base of the ankle.  They are the PERFECT thing to wear with tights, and unlike the bootie, I think they will also look great with pants.  This will be my one fall trendy shoe purchase and I could not be more pleased.  I also scored them at 30% off thanks to a wonderful Twitter friend. 

My one other fall shoe purchase will be a pair of Mary Jane pumps.  I bought a pair of Enzo Angiolini Mary Jane pumps three years ago during the Nordstrom anniversary sale.  I have always liked them, but last year upon having a job that required me to wear hosiery at all times, I really began to appreciate the beauty of a pump with a strap.  My shoes tend to slip off my feet if I'm wearing hose or tights and regular pumps.  And so during the winter, I basically wore these Mary Janes EVERY SINGLE DAY.  And they now show it, which is a huge shame because they are the Perfect Shoe.  Perfect heel height, round toe, patent leather toe., conservative enough for work.  The Perfect Shoe.  But sadly, they are going to have to be replaced.  I've been searching for contenders for a while now, and today I spotted the front runner at Dillard's:

Antonio Melani Lara, $89.99

Other contenders:

Jimmy Choo Leila, $525.00

Amafi Rosalia, $113.00

Jones New York Senni, $59.95

Merona Marylynn, $29.99

Jones New York Thataway, $69.95

J. Crew Jayne, $228.00

And the Dream Mary Jane (because the Urban Shoe Myth Manolo Blahnik version is too pointy), Christian Louboutin Corto, $695.00

Bad Inventions with Mr. A: Part A Million.

Scene:  Friday night, dinner at Truluck's, sitting at the bar waiting for our table.

Mr. A, recently in possession of a new Blackberry (which SENDS and RECEIVES emails, not unlike Blackberries past) has developed quite the Random Object Picture Taking habit, enamored of his new flash camera.  As we sat at the bar, he took a photo of his Maker's and Coke.

Mr. A:  This picture is awesome.

Me:  Uh, yes.

Mr. A:  I SHALL SET THIS AS MY BACKDROP PHOTO!

Me:  Que Professional!

Mr. A:  You know what would be a great invention?  A FLASK PHONE!

Me:  Oh, yes.

Mr. A:  This Blackberry is the perfect size.  You could carry a good 4-6 ounces of alcohol.

Mr. A:  It would be perfect for stressful work situations!  Got a terrible family event coming up?  Have to spend time with your inlaws?  Take your flask phone!

What's that mother-in-law?  Oh, I'm sorry.  I have to take care of some work related stuff over here.  I've got an email.

(pauses for effect) (mimics drinking from his Blackberry)

IT'S FROM JACK DANIELS!

Mr. A:  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  Ha.

And One Last Chance!

for a $100 gift card from Crystal Light!

New Giveaway!

Head on over to the review blog for a chance to win one of two gift bags from Eucerin!

Without Sugar, I am Even Less Sweet Than Normal, Which Is A Problem.

So, last week I announced my grand intentions to give up sugar, and at the suggestion of some fine commenters I decided I would attempt to do something similar to the South Beach Diet. 

And how is it going?  Well.  Hmmmm.  Let's just start out with this.  I, Slynnro, aged 30 have never been on a diet.  Now, I'm a woman and all, and a woman who attended private college and was in a sorority and used to be a cheerleader and likes to go to the beach, so I'm no stranger to the "Oh shit, I gotta cut back for the next two weeks!" concept.  I've done that, oh a FRILLION TIMES.  But I've never been on a diet per se.  I'm fortunate that I developed pretty decent eating and exercise habits at a youngish age, so I've so far avoided feeling like I needed to lose a lot of weight at any given time (my feelings about my ass aside).  So I knew deciding to adhere to anything called a diet would be a complete and total recipe for failure (not to mention that it would likely royally piss off Ole Waxy, who is a wonderful man and never can understand why I would ever want to lose any weight).  

But that doesn't change the fact that I'm a) addicted to sugar b) had been real effing lazy about going to the gym c) want to look good in a bikini.  So South Beach-ish it has to be.  Going in to this week, I knew the situation would be tenuous at best because on Saturday I had plans involving alcohol (a South Beach NO NO) and this week is restaurant week in Dallas and I have three reservations.  My plan was to stick to the plan for every meal, except for those and then start in hard core next week. 

I won't say this week has been a total failure- at the "alcohol event" I had a grand total of one and half drinks, and other than dessert, my restaurant week choices thus far have been pretty south beach friendly (grilled fish, scallops etc).  However, that witching hour between 5 pm and dinner time, and the hour or so after lunch have KILLED ME.  Resisiting the urge to buy some Skittles has not been easy, and today for example, I bought a pack of Starburst after lunch (of which I only ate 2, I swear!).  My dinners at home have been grilled turkey burgers (no bun) with grilled veggies and carrots and humus.  Tonight I made a grilled chicken breast topped with avocado.  Lunch has also been difficult, as I simply did not plan well when grocery shopping and had inadequate supplies to create a satsfying low carb lunch.  I have, however, done very well at the gym, going every day for at least an hour with the exception of Tuesday, which was a restaurant week dinner night.

So this weekend, I'm going to the grocery store armed with a damned list (something I never do).  What are some good lunch suggestions or recipes I can bring along with me?  I know salads would be best, but I think salads I make are GROSS (this is all mental). 

The other issue is SUGAR, DELICIOUS SUGAR!  I love sugar SO VERY MUCH.  I've stocked up on sugar free pudding and fudgesicles.  Is this cheating?  Do I care?  How do I curb the sugar cravings?  This particular issue is about way more than bikini wearing and is about preventing type II Diabetes, which my Little Debbie snack lovin' granny developed in adulthood.  I do NOT want that in my future!

And Again!

More chances to win over at the Review Blog!  $100 gift card is up for grabs again!

Fall, Which Starts in Ya Know, NOVEMBER.

Seeing my car read 116 degrees today (immediately after lugging an 8x10 rug through the Ikea parking lot ALONE- I may not cook and clean around here, but I get shit done) has made it official-  I AM READY FOR FALL.  Tights!  Leggings!  Turtlenecks!  SWEATER DRESSES!  BRING IT ON.

Gap Leather Utility Jacket

Gap Embellished Cardigan

J. Crew Rimini Cardigan

J. Crew Jayne Mary Jane

Marc by Marc Jacobs Cardigan- otherwise known as my Thanksgiving Sweater

Marc by Marc Jacobs Dress (OBSESSED)

Anthropologie Cardigan

Forever 21 Sweater

BB Dakota Sweater Jacket

Ann Taylor Wrap Dress

Loft Suede Boot

Nordstrom Fleece Jacket

Kate Spade Clutch

Marc Jacobs Bag

$100 Gift Card. I'm Doing It Again!

Head on over the review blog, for ANOTHER chance at $100 from Crystal Light. This time we're talking about water drinking style!

A Fresh Vegetable Would Do Me Good.

So its not exactly the fly by the seat of my pants adventure I was talking about when I wrote my last post, but uh last night I did do something exciting.  About 15 minutes after I hit publish, I....

booked a vacation to Grand Cayman.  Hey, its something!  We leave towards the end of September.  We've decided to do this in lieu of Christmas and Anniversary gifts.  I could use a life experience way more than another dress from Anthro.

Two things:

1)  Any recommendations?  We are staying at the Ritz.  Anyone stayed there with words of wisdom?  Activities?  We'll definitely do Stingray City.  Restaurant recs? DO TELL.

2)  I want to look GOOD.  So starting Saturday, I'm living clean.  I'm cutting back on sugar.  I'm cutting out the fried.  I want veggies and fresh things.  And of course, the occasional turkey sandwich.  I'm still posting on my posterous, so follow along there.  But I also want to be in good shape.  I'm feeling like a bit of a mushball lately, so in the next few days I plan on coming up with a Look Hot in Cayman routine, which I'll be posting here.

Here's to a low carb adventure!

A Change Could Do Me Good?

This weekend, while I was in New York City, I had an opportunity to meet up with a friend from high school who is now living there.  Aside from a random spotting in a movie theater in probably 2001, and a few random emails, I had basically had no contact with this person since I graduated in 1998.  So obviously, there was a lot of catching up to do.  As I was telling this friend (his name is Sam) about my life and what I have made of it in these intervening 12 years since we last knew each other, I realized that well, things are pretty good.  In a way that you can only realize when you are putting it all out there at once.  I have a nice life, with good friends, a good job that allows me the free time I need to see those friends, a husband that cares about me very much (even if I don't get to see him much during the week).  I get to go on nice vacations, I largely get to avoid the things in life that don't make me happy.  I don't worry about money.  My life is very, very comfortable and I am well.

But just as I am apt to do when I travel, I left my weekend away from home wanting to do something more.  Something different.  

An adventure.  

My life is many things, but it is hardly lived "on the edge" in any manner.  I go to the same relatively stable job every day.  My weekends are spent doing many of the same things, in a city where I know many people and live in a way of life I have become very accustomed to.  

I want to do something different.  I want something to happen.  Or, as it was said in this post, I want something unlikely to happen.  I find myself wishing something that I had no control over would happen.

I'm a creature of habit.  Maybe I don't want to be anymore.  I don't know what it is, and I don't know where I want whatever it is to take me, but I want it to take me somewhere different.  

But how do you do this?  How do you "plan" for the unlikely to happen?  How do you decide just how unlikely you want to become?  I'm hardly an adventurous person, and I'm married to someone far more cautious than I.  Someone who isn't exactly the kind of guy who is going to decide to, for example, move to Manhattan on a whim.  Which isn't to say my husband, who makes my good life possible, is in any way holding me back.  It's just that when you are no longer just one person, doing something new is a lot more complicated.  And I don't want what I want to not be what he wants too.

As I've written about before, a couple we know quit their jobs to travel around the world for a year.  I'm pretty sure I'll never be that person.  But I want to do something bigger than ya know, highlight my hair.  There's a middle ground in there somewhere.  I just want to find it.

In Defense of Ole Waxy.

This weekend, I went to a barbecue at a friend's house and at said party, I regaled everyone with the tale of the Douche Mobile (which, btw, still says Douche on the back).  Ole Waxy was not pleased.  Especially during the part where I told people that Ole Waxy does have a tendency to park, well, not like a douche, but like someone who is perhaps less mindful of proper parking techniques.

Okay, that's a lie.  I told people he does park like a douche.  This may be a bit of an exaggeration, as I think douche parking does have an element of mens rea, and I think Waxy is just lazy more than anything.  Regardless, the tale was told.  Laughs were had.  Faces were made (by Mr. A of course).  

But the truth is, none of the lapses in parking judgment I have ever observed by Mr. A have anything on the typical parking that is going on in our new garage.  There are an abundance of parking spaces, which appears to have given people a carte blanche to parking like a TOTAL FUCKING ASSHOLE.  Today, in defense of my errant parking husband I bring you a photo montage of the cars I saw parked like this in the 45 second walk to my car this evening.  I did not seek these cars out.  I just happened to pass them when going to Walgreen's tonight.

Point being- LEAVE WAXY ALONE.

Now, on to more points of contention.  Mr. A and I got into a debate today about the gender of the note writer.  Without telling you which side I am on, I will just say this I AM ON THE SIDE THAT ALL LOGIC  AND COMMON SENSE SUPPORTS.  So, girl or boy?

$100 Gift Card. Go. Now.

One of the most commonly asked questions I receive via email is how I am able to get motivated to exercise and eat right, even on vacation.  Head over to the review blog to find out my tips on keeping things healthy on vacation, and for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card from Crystal Light!