I Knew I Had Good Taste

Do you guys read this website? I love it. Imagine my surprise when I found a link illustrating six different ways to wear this dress -that I'd worn just this week!

I wore this dress to a fashion show at the Liv nightclub in the Fountainbleau hotel. This is the hotel that hosted the Victoria's Secret fashion show last year. And it is way too posh for me. I had no idea that it was so fancy. I felt like a square peg. Like I could start singing that Sesame Street song, "One of these thing just doesn't belong here. One of these things just isn't the same."

My sister's boyfriend's sister is working as an intern for Miami magazine, and she got us on the guest list. Anyhoodle, I was excited about going. Because trust me, it's one of those clubs that I would have never been able to get into on my own. My cousin K said she and a couple of girlfriends came to club one night, "dressed to the t" and that they wouldn't let them in unless they each paid $100 cover charge.

I had no idea it was going to be held in a club. I thought the fashion show was going to be outside by the pool, so I did wish I'd just worn black and dressed a little fancier. Like pretty much everyone else. This dress is a little casual, and I hate being under dressed.

But, even though I got a lot of compliments on my dress (from my cousins), I felt that it made me look VERY THICK in the thigh and butt area. I'm thinking before I wear it again, I should take in the seams on the sides so that it's not so flowy and more straight line-y.

What do you think?

P.S. I finally got a chance to wear my new shoes.

Pink is My Signature Color

It's not really my signature color. I mean, I like pink, but I don't look that great in it. My colors are blues, greens, and yellows, especially if I'm all tan and glowy (which I know is bad but I really love).

Lately I've been gravitating toward coral, but with my coloring it's not as flattering as the other colors. Last summer I bought a coral dress at Forever 21. It came in green as well, but J like the coral color better.

But there's a huge difference between liking a color and looking good in a color. So even though I still like that dress, I'm hyper aware that the green would've been a better choice.

Anyhoodle, what's your signature color?

What's Your Crack?

I went to the mall today to return some gifts, and as I was shopping, I started to wonder about people and their shopping habits. Their "crack", so to speak. Some people are all about black pants, and every time they go out, they come home with a new pair. For some it's white shirts. Open their closet and you'll see oodles of white shirts -short sleeve, long sleeve, button down, blah, blah, blah. Or jeans. Or makeup.

My sister, for example, is all about watches and handbags. They don't have to be expensive, necessarily, but she has a vast array of each, and she enjoys wearing different watches and switching her handbags to match her oufits. I, on the other hand, have a gold watch (thank you Mamacita) and a silver watch (which I keep meaning to have fixed), and I'm lucky if I remember to wear either one. And as for purses? I've got a bunch. Most are inexpensive, Forever 21 finds, and some, like my COACH logo or vintage GUCCI, cost a pretty penny. But I hate switching out my bags and rarely do so if I can help it.

Me? I love shoes. When my weight fluctuates, the only part of me that doesn't get fat is my feet. I have a rainbow of flats. I have a beautiful collection of brightly hued, bejeweled, and deliciously impractical shoes, some of which, I'm ashamed to admit, have never had the joy of being paraded around the neighborhood.

I will spend more on shoes than I will on any article of clothing or accessory. Now, that's not saying too much since we don't make enough money for me to be ridiculously extravagant, or honestly, practically extravagant. But I know people that think $30 smackaroonies is to much to spend on a pair of shoes -the horror! But even though my budget doesn't allow me the luxury of owning premium shoes like PRADA, I hope that one day these lovelies will magically find their way into my closet.

How sexy and practical are these PRADA pumps? They're on sale for $239. That's not too bad, right? They're PRADA for goodness sake! Too bad they don't have my size or it would be, "Happy Birthday to Me!"

These are all from JCREW. They're not SUPER expensive, they're all on sale from $100 - $150, but because they are so outrageously unique, and therefore, a little difficult to integrate into daily wear -even though I am seriously loving the irridescent heels, they're not purchases that I could justify with a cost/wear analysis.

So, what's your crack?

Oh, um, I also have a thing for really feminine, flirty dresses. Forever 21 and Victoria's Secret online are my favorite for these. K, I'm done now.

I HEART Tim Gunn!

This morning, I was watching Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, which, to be honest, I only watch because he's so darn charming and endearing, and because it's Columbus Day and I got a day off from work.

Because Tim is great, and I even like that new lady Gretta, so much BETTER than Veronica Webb, but the show is definitely not as good as What Not to Wear on TLC. I mean, I have rearranged my Friday night plans to watch new episodes of What Not to Wear. And, I've stalked, I mean seen Clinton twice at Macy's events, one of which was an event for plus size women, and let me tell you, even though I've moaned and groaned about gaining weight, I am no where near the double digits. To further add to the insanity, a girlfriend and I are planning on driving to Naples to see Clinton again. Crazy, much? Don't even bother answering.

Anyway, this is not about my unfailing love for all things Clinton. This is about T to the G. I love his ginormous vocabulary and how he always looks utterly flummoxed (it's an SAT word, dictionary.com it) when he looks in the participants' closets. The look of abject horror is priceless, if not a bit worrisome, for folks on a budget like myself.

Now granted, he never mentions labels, only fit, silhouette, proportion, and style, but he also never mentions The Gap, Old Navy, Forever 21, or Macy's, which is where the bulk of the clothes and shoes in my closet come from. I think I've got a pretty good sense of style, minus everything I wore in the nineties, of course, but there's no way I could afford to shop at Bloomingdale's.

In fact, last week a friend told me he splurged on a pair of Gucci boots for fall, at Barneys, nonetheless, and I was SO JEALOUS! First of all, he's a boy, and a straight one at that! And second of all -GUCCI! Would I love to be able to splurge or invest, as all the major fashion magazines are trying to convince me would be a more appropriate word, in high quality items? Well, duh. It doesn't take Scooby-Doo to figure out this mystery, but Mr. & Mrs. Smart Cookie have to pay the mortgage, my friend, so it's not going to happen.

Back on track, it got me to thinking. What would the Gunn think about my wardrobe? Hmmm. I'm not really sure. I like the way I dress, but is it, Tim Gunn's Guide to Style? Not always. So I will have to live with the knowledge that should Tim Gunn ever visit me and my budget babe's closet, he will be nonplussed, to say the least. But then, I'll just have to fill him in on Smart Cookie's Guide to Style.

Holla at your girl!

Topless in the City

Dear Marshalls,

Thank you for providing name brand apparel, shoes, accessories, and home goods at heavily discounted prices. Because of your store, I am able to stretch my dollar, a valuable thing during these uncertain times. Granted, I understand that by purchasing items from your store, I am buying items that are irregular, but I consider that a small price to pay for the savings.

However, I do not appreciate the fact that you are currently selling bikini bottoms without the coordinating bikini tops! You have taunted me at three different Marshalls stores with the most precious bikini bottoms from American Eagle -white with teal hearts, and have failed to provide a suitable coordinating top. What is the point? Do you have customers who buy the bottoms without the tops? I mean, I've gone topless when I was younger, but I've still purchased the top to the set! And, even though perhaps you may have had, and sold out of the tops, why the inordinate amount of bottoms? Is going bottomless a new trend sweeping the nation? And if so, let me tell you, as a second grade teacher, there's no way that I would ever be able to participate in that trend!

So, the next time you are ordering your batch of irregular swimsuits, please remember, a bikini is not a bikini if it missing the top.

Sincerely,
Smart Cookie