Day 289. 76 days and $78 left to go.

I’m going with a little black and white, a little striping, and a little scattered polka dotting today!

Day 289 - Before

I adored the pleating on the skirt, especially how the stripes of solid black and polka-dotted fabric went along with the folds, but I wanted to give the top a little more shape, so I got to taking off the sleeves first.

Sleeves-be-gone!!

I took off the left arm and the right arm and was left with this.

Sleeveless!!

Woo hoo for sleeveless!!  The only other adjustment I needed to do was taking it in just a bit.  I took in about two inches on each side and it fit like a glove!

Day 289 - After

Paired with some Michael Kors wedges snagged on eBay last year, I had my ensemble for the day.  I loved the way it fit and that the skirt part of the dress hit me at my hips.

Slightly closer up..

After my day in my dress, I came home, threw on some pj’s and got to cooking.  And when I say cooking I mean this.

Literally the best thing ever!!

I’m a mac & cheese gal and I swear by these Trader Joe’s white cheddar shells! But, it didn’t end there…I was on a bacon kick still from yesterday (cue chocolate covered bacon), so I went to my pack of turkey bacon in the fridge, cooked up a few strips and threw them in along with some peas.

Guiltless Carbonara!

Insta-pasta!  It was not only quick but healthy-ish, and delish too!  Perfect way to ring in the week and the new season of Gossip Girl. Pasta is the guiltless pleasure.  GG is the guilty one.

Aaaahhh the wardrobe of S & B...

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Day 255. 110 days and $111 left to go.

So I guess I should have saved my United flight attendant dress from Day 250 to wear today, eh?  Note to self, make sure that the seat back is always in the full and upright position before landing and don’t dare to unbuckle the seat belt before we’re at the gates!

I got a little gussied up today with my dress of choice.  Gold, glam, gorge is where I’m headed!

Day 255 - Before

My favorite part of the dress was the gorgeous beaded and rhinestoned collar. I absolutely loved it.  The only ish was that it wasn’t sitting flat and was flappin’ all over the place.

It's literally doing the Charleston!

After my upside down test, I felt it would be a good idea to keep it close to my bod. (I didn’t want anything loose in the aisles!)

Hand stitching that collar down!

I grabbed a needle, got some white thread and began to stitch.

After my collar was done, the hiking up process came next!

Hello soon-to-be cocktail dress!

A little trim here, a little pinning there…

New hem here we come!

…and my dress was almost complete!  I sewed down my raw edges, took in the bust just a smidge…

New hem and tightened bust? Woo hoo!

…and then trimmed off a little piece to wrap around my waist.

Quick trim for a matching belt!

My gold brocade dress was ready for the public!

Day 255 - After

What I loved most was that my puppy was reminiscent of a certain Blair Waldorf ensemble featured in last season’s Gossip Girl premiere.

Blair!!

The only difference, well scratch that, there are two differences.  The first difference…I’m without a Chuck Bass on my arm.  The second difference…my dress is not Burberry and did not cost over $1500!!

Blair's Burberry Belted Brocade

I mean, I have to say that they’re both super chic, but now I have a little more room on my Amex for some Tuesday night cocktails.

Mmmmm...

Spotted, M going solo without S and B downtown drinking scotch under the dim lighting of the Varnish. “Prohibition never stood a chance against exhibition. It’s human nature to be free. And no matter how long you try to be good, you can’t keep a bad girl down.”

You know you love me. xoxo Gossip Girl

Day 61. 304 days and $300 left to go.

So, let’s be honest…jet lag pretty much affects me all the time whether or not a plane is actually involved.  This time it’s legit, though.  I’m completely winded from my little trip and needed something easy and quick for today.  That’s when I went to this puppy…

Day 61 - Before

A basic long-sleeved, collared, button down sweater is what I went with for today. Just by looking at it, it screamed Catholic school uniform and looks like the yin to the plaid wool skirt’s yang…if you will.  As much as it fit me well, it was a little too plain for my taste, and I wanted to zazz it up a little.

First I said, off with its’ sleeves!  Grabbed the Singer chompers and cut ’em off.

Off with their sleeves!!

Then I remembered that I had this awesome crest patch in my kit o’patches (yes, I have a kit that houses some patches…I even shock myself sometimes) that I got years and years ago downtown in the garment district.  I’m certain that it was found in a box of findings for spare change, as I always have fun trying to pick out rubies in a sea of rhinestones on the cheap. It was the perfect complement to keep it slightly schoolgirly so I took a safety pin and pinned onto the left breast area on the sweater.

Patch Adams!

Now it was hitting the 70s today…I know, ridiculous as I had spent the week in lovely cold temps with a scattered tornado watch here and there, but when in Rome, right? (*Little sidenote – no, that’s not a plug for that new Kristen Bell movie, even though I totally heart Gossip Girl and this sweater is kind of reminiscent of something Blair Waldorf would have worn at Constance.) I thought that I’d pair this sweater with one of my favorite blouses in the world, which was also a one dollar find a few years back, and go jacketless on this sunny, comfortable, tornado-less Los Angeles day.

Day 61 - After

Five minutes, a few snips and a safety pin totally gave me a fab Thursday ensemble.  I’d like to thank jet lag for giving me the extra push to really think quick and easy today.  If it weren’t for four-hour layovers in Atlanta, middle seats on the first leg of my flight, multiple coffees from Dunkin’ Donuts (I need to get my DD fill whenever I can as LA doesn’t have any – I know, blasphemous), a lovely little nap on the second leg of my trip rudely (and quickly) interrupted by the snack cart tackling my shin, then I may not have pulled through victoriously.  JL, you’re the wind beneath my Delta wings.