Looking Lucky in Pastels

I love this skirt so much more than I should for a skirt that cost so little (less than $20 coming from somewhere far beyond the big pond) and was "one size fits all." It appears my parents' puppy, Rudy, loves this skirt as much as I do. As soon as I walked outside wearing it, he skittered around my legs and just sat. Ready for his close up. If I could just buy a home with lots of land and manage a dog kennel, I think life would be complete. If I didn't work with teenagers, I'd work with pups. Sometimes, they're pretty much the same thing. (Or smell the same.)

So, I fly out to Dallas on Monday morning. I cannot settle on what to wear. So far, I know we're going to dinner at a really nice restaurant, I have to be on a plane, and I don't know what else. What is Dallas like this time of year? Someone pack my bags for me. I'm at a loss.

Oh, and today is my last day participating in the April Challenge. I wanted to have another look featuring pastels so that I didn't shirk my "give each theme a new post" responsibilities. Plus, I presented myself another opportunity to wear this skirt, and that's always a good thing. I just realized that this look includes so many accidental trends: floral, brights, midi skirt, and pastels. Aren't those just spring things? I think so. Can pasty legs be a new trend? That'd be great.

The Look:

Shirt: Old Navy (exact)

Cardigan: Banana Republic via thredUP -- similar from Target with scalloped edges!

Skirt: some obscure company on Amazon (find a shorter version on Top Shop for $30)

Heels: Naturalizer (SO comfortable!) -- similar by Madden Girl

Belt: New York & Co. (I love their belts.) 

Mom and Dad gave Rudy and his brother, Sammy, hair cuts. As a result, you can see Rudy's eyes much better, and he's a billion times cuter, which I didn't even know was possible. Seriously though, look at those eyeballs. Adorable doesn't even begin to cover it. 

This picture kills me. He tried crawling up my legs at one point. This point, in fact.

Almost every picture is of me laughing like this.

This pup is Sammy, and I love those ears. He wasn't infatuated with my outfit, but he loves sitting on laps. 

Linking up with

* Trend Spin Link Up (http://www.walkinginmemphisinhighheels.com) 

* Style Sessions (http://stylelixir.com)

Let me show you my hot pants since I'm not too hot.

So, this past Thursday, I had sinus surgery. The doctor had to fix my deviated septum, bone spur, and clean out my completely clogged sinus cavity. After the surgery, he told Jeff what was happening inside my face. Apparently, my septum was so severely deviated that it totally blocked my left sinus cavity, making it impossible for anything to drain. Essentially, I was on antibiotics for seven weeks for no reason because the infection couldn't clear if it had nowhere to go. He tried to aerate the passages next to my tear ducts, but there was too much inflammation. He found a lot of "diseased" tissue, among other disgusting things, in my sinus cavity.

Today, the doctor unpacked my nose. OH MY GOSH. I do not want to gross you out, so I will not give you the details. All I can tell you is that I cannot believe what came out of my nose this morning.  It was like something from a science fiction movie except this was real. I am almost certain he poked me in the brain at one point. Luckily, Jeff was there to calm me down. The pain was so severe (even with one Percocet and one Tylenol in my system) that I started shaking. Jeff sat in front of me and rubbed my legs and held my hand the whole time. 

Seriously, this weekend was miserable, but Jeff makes the best nurse. He even washed my hair for me. He stayed up for 33 hours straight after my surgery because he insisted on watching me while I slept. He wrote up a schedule for taking pills and fixed me something to eat every time I had to take more medicine. I think I fell in love with him all over again. I avoid being overly sentimental, but I just cannot help it. He went above and beyond the call of duty for me. One of the best parts of this weekend was spending so much time with Jeff. He slept on the floor beside me. We watched a LOT of TV together. And not once did I worry about grading papers or doing work. 

Oh, and it feels pretty glorious to breathe again. 

Currently, I am sitting here in yoga pants and one of Jeff's shirts (mine hit my nose and cause quite the discomfort when I try to put them over my head. I'm special.). I don't think anyone needs pictures of that mess, so I am showing you another outfit I'm thinking about packing for Dallas. Thoughts?

I was inspired by both the Pantone Challenge (radiant orchid is today's color) and April Challenge ("fringe" is today's challenge). 

The Look:

Shirt: The Limited

Blazer: Express

Pants: The Limited

Necklace: Francesca's (I thought this necklace qualified as "fringe")

Shoes: via Kohl's

Belt: The Limited 

I also wore the pants this way...

(I guess I stuck with the same color scheme?)

I stuck to a more neutral palette with this look.

I also wore the blazer this way...

And this way...

(Yes, I have had hair colors other than blonde.)

Today, I'm also linking up with 

* Molly (http://www.themollybuckley.com) 

* The Style Record (http://www.thestylerecord.com) 

* Mix it Mondays (http://www.fizzandfrosting.com/) 

Seersucker and Fuchsia

Is "fuschia" not really a color? Because Safari's automatic spell checker is kirking out over here. Safari MUST be a dude.

EDIT: Apparently, half the world and I have been misspelling fuchsia as fuschia. Most annoying part? Autocorrect just NOW corrected it, but not the first time I fought with the spelling. English teacher fail.ure.

Wife: "Honey, is this more of a white or an ivory?"
Husband: "What's the difference?"

Crikey, I can't even get my husband to tell the difference between "husband, these already look awful, so they can be worn to change oil, catch a fish, or roll around in the grass" shorts and "husband, these are nice, unstained, and worth a pretty penny, so if you wear these, I will spritz lemon juice in your eyeballs" shorts. As if I could get him to tell the difference between colors. Unless it's the paint color for a Corvette. Or any vehicle.

I digress.

P.S. It's our two year wedding anniversary tomorrow. However, we've been together for a total of nine whopping years. Hot diggity dog.

I wore this outfit the other week to run errands, one of which involved a trip into Kohl's. Obviously.

Typically, I avoid shorts because they give me unnecessary wedgies. Not like any wedgie is actually necessary. Unless you ask my brother who hanged me by my pants on a doorknob...for two and a half hours. He felt that wedgie was necessary.

Whew, what a manhating post.

Look! A cute puppy!

As for the outfit, here 'tis.

The Look:

Seersucker Shorts: The Limited

Top: The Limited

Flats: Target

Belt: Target

The Details:

Occasion: Errand running (read: shopping)

When: Day time (so, casual it is)

Where: About town

Comfort Rating: Any outfit involving shorts automatically earns an 8 or less. These shorts are just the right length, so an 8 they earn. However, I should give the outfit a 7 only because trying to untuck a shirt and undo a belt in a dressing room is annoying because retucking and belting is sucky. Not an easy access outfit for the purpose of trying on other clothes. 

Note: Originally, I put on a white shirt with these shorts, a brown belt, and brown shoes. (I like the brown, white, and blue combo.) Buuuut, I decided to switch up the color combination a bit and choose fuschia instead. Is that okay? It's okay if you say no. I'll still like it. And you. 

Oh, and hoo-ray for the first day back for teachers.