THE PISCES GIRL

This chilly weather has been making want to stay inside, so lately I’ve been in pretty much nothing but pjs and mismatched workout clothes… (nothing postworthy)

Here are some photos taken before a quick run to the grocery store. Hair and makeup I couldn’t bother with, but an all-black ensemble with pink loafers and sparkly studs was easy enough to manage.

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Also, I’m really loving my latest shellac mani–a beautiful shimmery brown called Sweet Chocolate by Gelish. I’m seriously hooked to shellac and can’t stop talking about with all my girlfriends. The colors available are beautiful, the manicure stays looking chip-free and pretty for weeks and best of all, it’s your real nail!

Schwabs and I went out for a double date and here’s my casually comfortable get-up for dinner and drinks (and unexpected sing-alongs with the the bar band.) The outing gave me an opportunity to show off some new additions to my closet: an artistic print tee, black booties and slouchy purse (a lovely Christmas gift from my parents.)

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the booties. I’ve been looking for black booties for a good long while now and I finally found the perfect pair.  With a vampy, ankle-baring low cut and reasonable heel that won’t kill my feet, these booties prove that shoes don’t HAVE to be sky-high to be sexy. It’s my 2012 style resolution-to find beautiful shoes minus the foot-torturing heel. While I love fashion, I refuse to be a prisoner to it. I think this pair starts me off on the right…foot!

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Ah, the infamous houndstooth…timeless and infinitely chic, but a pattern that can feel a bit stuffy if you don’t mix it up a every once in a while.  Instead of the typical black, white and red, I went another route: black, white and pink.

Here is a causal outfit I wore for one of Schwabs’ family reunions. We were literally off paved roads and in the boondocks-with horses, tractors, beautiful wrap-around porches and baptist sing-a-longs. I needed to wear something family AND boondock appropriate, hence the addition of converse instead of anything with a heel.

Closer to Dallas, the weather was much cooler than typical San Antonio fare, so I layered appropriately and I’m glad I did, because those  random gusts of wind made it pretty darn chilly!

When I sat down, a little sliver of my jungle-esq socks would sneak out and (though most times I’d just smile and observe) so did a little piece of my kooky nature without me having to say a thing.

One of Schwabs’ distant cousins, who had a full-on spiked hairdo and the coolest turquoise cowgirl boots I’ve ever seen, looked over and told me “awesome jacket!” Coming from someone with a unique style all her own, that was the best compliment I could have received that day. Just goes to show, even in the boondocks, it pays to have a little swagger.

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Since this is the last outfit post for the year, I’ll close out 2011 by encouraging all my internet friends to inject a little swagger in your style, no matter where your life takes you!

Standing in front of the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, this nod to country style seems befitting.

Schwabs, a bonafide Aggie and country boy at heart, loves, repeat, LOVES this plaid top. Whenever I’m standing in my closet screaming across the apartment, “I don’t know what to wear!!!” He always responds with an enthusiastic “wear the plaid top!”

I must admit, I like it too-for it’s comfort, versatility and easy throw-on-and-go factor. Other things I like: super fitted jeans half-hazardly tucked into rugged looking boots and faux-sherpa, which actually keeps me quite warm on cooler days (comparatively speaking, I AM from Texas afterall.)

Please pardon my squinty-face. It’s looks like I’m glaring, but the sun is in my face. I promise, I’m usually a happy girl…and in this outfit, even more so. Makes me want to jump on a horse and scream “yyyyyeeeee-haw!”

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Here is a little something I wore for a mini roadtrip to Waco, TX with Schwabs. While the city is no stranger to controversy (remember the Branch Davidians?) I don’t think anyone was expecting this little get-up to roll into town. Let’s just say, it certainly earned me many turned heads and strange looks.

I actually wanted to show off my new cognac colored ankle boots from Zigi Girl. I’ve had my eye on them for over year now and they finally went on a sale for a major price reduction on Endless.com. Soooooo worth the wait.

As always, the fun of fashion is in the details.

The cardigan, which Schwabs affectionately calls my hobo sweater, was a Goodwill find and practically brand new when I found it hiding in the racks.  The purse gets a lot of use on my travels and hopefully, you’ve seen before.  The socks are just one of many (many) funky pairs that I own. And all of the jewelry was either gifted or inherited, which means each piece is special.

The beautiful antique-style ring was Schwabs’ most recent gift to me. He actually slipped it into the pocket of my hobo sweater while I was looking over this bridge. I better keep my purses under tight surveillance from now on, I didn’t feel a thing!

Despite mixed reviews, I was very happy with this outfit. It was comfortable, it was quirky, it had lots of personality and it suited mine just fine. Hope it inspires you to take risks and wear what you want without fear of judgement.

WORK IT…and everyone else around you will have no choice but to take notice-good, bad or otherwise

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Yippppeeee!!!!!!! Chilly weather!

Perfect for a sparkly sweater and faux-leather jacket combo. A subtle shimmer keeps it feminine, the leather look toughens it up. Silver and black accessories elevate without competing. I’m ready for dinner with Schwabs and my folks.

I’m really loving the monochromatic colors and dark lipstick, it channels my version of biker chick chic.

The sweater is actually a generously sized XL I found in the misses area, don’t let being plus sized limit you to this place or that. Sometimes, things surprise you!

This jeans and a jacket combo can be worn with many different looks. In the springtime, I’ve worn with a white v-neck tee, long necklace and rolled sleeves. Just change out the top, shoes or accessories for lots of options.

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Here’s an outfit that shows I ACTUALLY wear heels! To be honest, I wear heels a lot during the work week, but by the time I get home, I’m usually too tired to ask Schwabs to snap a few photos…I’d rather change into something pink, oversized and mismatched.

Anyways, this what I wore for dinner celebrating a friend’s birthday. We had plans to go dancing afterwards, but sometimes, plans change. Oh well, at least I looked nice sipping red wine and scooping stuffed eggplant in my pie hole.

I’m so in love with this beautiful sheer floral top I found at TJ Maxx: Perfect color, perfect neckline, perfect flowy fit and perfect amount of sheer. Who says sheer can’t be appropriate (and sexy) for plus-size girls? All it takes is that one piece that makes you feel special. And the animal print? Well, I hope you all know how I feel about animal print…I can’t get enough.

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Here is what I wore on my way home from Colorado. Nothing special, but just an example of how easy it can be to mix and match basic solids. Boyfriend jeans, black v-neck tee and an army green cardigan…why not?

Good thing everything was slouchy and comfortable because with the amount of frantic power walking we did in Denver’s super-giant airport, I would have been doubly pissy wearing anything else.  

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When going simple, it’s still important to show a little personality. That’s cue for my lovely turquoise necklace (one of my favorite pieces and a gift from Schwabs) to do what it does best and steal the show. All other attire just becomes supporting cast. That’s cool by me, it still makes me feel like a production worth watching.