All things EARTH...

[MJC]

Laurie, I've been hoping you didn't think we were ganging up on you about those dresses. The fact is, you get to see them IRL and we don't. I speak for myself when I say that you have some lovely dresses that fit you perfectly and really suit you, so I have those in my head when we see something new.

 

Cholla -- good luck with the test! I went from a 40 minute commute to a 15 minute one, and it is divine.

 

As for my shoes, they are really not as tall as they look because they have a wrapped platform in the front that takes off at least 1/2 inch. They will go perfectly with my too-small dress (which says size 12 but clearly is not) so now I have two reasons to work on my diet. Actually three, since a good friend just got engaged so we will have a wedding in the next year.

 

I am a bit concerned that those tshirts will be tight, but I do like them shaped or I look like a box. So, we will see what we see. Scoop necks are my favorite, so if they work I will be very happy.

 

Here is a photo of what I call my desperation dress. It doesn't look like much on the hanger but I won't take a picture of myself with PMS belly. Maybe next weekend. :) It's fitted almost like a mermaid dress, but looser at the knee, and has a funny little train on the back that's kind of pointy. I think it's a kind of synthetic taffeta, a bit stretchy but not tight and kind of iridescent. I like the wide neck:

 

[laurspag]

The best of friends can be honest with you, but do so in a manner that helps you. That is exactly what I get here on the forum. I will also say that if I thought I might keep them, I probably wouldn't have posted a picture because in my heart, o knew they weren't right.

 

Here is the funny thing. Since they are going back o decided to order a few other things I've been watching. I think one is your new dress!!!

 

 

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[MJC]

Is it this one? Mine is by Alex Evenings. The color is darker IRL than it looks here:

 

http://www.lordandtaylor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/lord-and-taylor/brands/wa-dresses/ruched-off-the-shoulder-gown

[Sailor_Sally]

Mj Love the dress & the shoes

Cholla

Good Luck with getting a new job . Long commutes are so stressful !

 

I sell dresses on ebay so I get to see a lot of dresses one I saw recently is The White House Black Market genius convertible dress . The straps convert from a sleeveless dress to a halter and then to a one side dress . The dress has a full skirt . It comes in red , black & burgundy . It is a great dress for amply endowed women because of the stretchy fabric . Right now White House Black Market has it on clearance for $29.99 . The only thing I did not like about it is the fabric is not hemmed .

[ChollaChick]

The testing went well. I will find out on Wednesday if I moved on to the next phase of the process. Applying for police department jobs is a long, rather tedious process so it will be awhile if I keep making it through the various phases. There are multiple tests, panel interviews, an extensive background investigation, psychological evaluation, and a polygraph. But having a commute that takes less than the time it takes for a song to complete on the radio would be awesome. I don't mind driving but after working anywhere between 10 and 15 hours I just don't feel like driving for another hour to get home. So I am really hoping I get this but it's a really competitive process. So fingers will be crossed for awhile.

 

The White House Black Market dress is very pretty. I've never tried on any clothes there before so I'm not sure how their sizes run. But for $29.99 it might be worth trying it out. I only saw the red and black (and possibly a cream color for $39.99). Wish I could find the burgundy, that would be almost a must have for me. I love burgundy. And red. And, sadly, black.

 

Tuesday is my birthday and I was planning to do something fun today to celebrate with DH, but he's feeling sick so I guess it's just me. So maybe I'll go shopping. Not that I should but hey... I'm getting older... I deserve something pretty. LOL. Clothes or makeup... hmmm... or a new purse... hmmm... decisions decisions.

 

Margaret -- how's your husband's job situation going? I've been thinking of you guys and hoping things are looking up.

[cruzisme]

Wishing you lots of luck as you go through the testing!

[MJC]

 

Tuesday is my birthday and I was planning to do something fun today to celebrate with DH, but he's feeling sick so I guess it's just me. So maybe I'll go shopping. Not that I should but hey... I'm getting older... I deserve something pretty. LOL. Clothes or makeup... hmmm... or a new purse... hmmm... decisions decisions.

 

Margaret -- how's your husband's job situation going? I've been thinking of you guys and hoping things are looking up.

 

 

Thank you for asking. On New Year's Eve, everyone was laid off but five people, and DH was one of the five they kept because he's in the middle of a Hail Mary project to keep the company going (the five includes the CEO and CFO, so that shows you how desperate they are). It's good news and bad news because he took a huge pay cut, but at least he has an office and a job to work from as he's looking. It's a bit like those horror movies where the bad guy seems to keep being killed but then comes back to life over and over. Obviously I hope it works out but it's exhausting to have this uncertainty drag on and on.

 

Happy early Birthday! I hope you find something fun for yourself and that DH feels better soon. Shopping is hard right now because we're in that in-between time with winter stuff being very picked over (as Laurie said) and full summer lines not out yet. I did notice some fun colors for us in the resort collections, particularly lots of coral and some champagne. I think the champagnes will be tricky because some are distinctly pinkish.

[Anita Latte]

Barbara...DH had a 60 mile commute one way for over 2 years. We finally were able to move closer to his work (all within the Houston metro) and we cut that commute to under 3 miles. OMG. It's life changing. After moving, he came home and I looked at him and he looked at me...and there were HOURS left in our evening...we were like...what do we do? The sudden increase in your time blows your mind really.

 

I hope you can get that closer job.

 

Happy early birthday too!

 

Margaret...what a beautiful dress! I but it looks fabulous on you...it looks like you to me.

 

Best wishes for your health and fitness goals. I'm on that bandwagon as well. You know that I've been teaching Zumba at Curves for over a year. I'm on staff there now...and I'm using the circuit. It's amazing. I love it. I don't know if you have a Curves anywhere near you...I can't help but recommend it.

[awhfy]

Cholla, happy early bday. Mine is Thursday. I was 6 years with Boston PD (72-78) & one of very few women. I'm really pulling for you, a short commute gives you an entirely new outlook on everything! Melody

 

 

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[ChollaChick]

Yeah, a short commute would be amazing. I would gain back about 8 hours a week which is worth more than I can even say. Happy early birthday, Melody!!! Were you an officer with Boston PD?

 

Margaret - I'm glad that you have a little bit of a reprieve with the job situation. This gives him a bit more time, at least, to find something. I've been through layoffs - both for myself and for DH - and they are incredibly stressful even when you know they are coming. Maybe even more so then because you have all the stress leading up to the actual event... I hope he finds something soon. Is he in a field where jobs are plentiful? My DH was a computer programmer and was laid off during the last major economic crash (2008). He still hasn't found another IT job. He's working but at about half of what he used to make and in a field that isn't his passion (heck it's not even CLOSE to his passion). It's not fun. My fingers (and toes) are crossed for you and your DH that this resolves itself quickly and in a good way.

 

Anita - I think all the Curves out this way have pretty much gone belly up. We used to have one that was close by but I never checked it out. It's been gone for a couple of years now. I am going to buy a new swimsuit so that I can start using a pool as soon as it warms up a little. My current swimsuit was cheap and ill fitting when I bought it and time has not been kind to it. I'm actually rather embarrassed to even put it on in private, let alone in a pool where other people go. So, a nice well fitting swimsuit is on the agenda for me. Having something that both fits and looks decent will make it easier for me to go to the gym and swim. And that should (hopefully) help me lose some weight. One can always hope.

[laurspag]

Margaret, that is the dress I ordered. I also ordered the red that doesn't have the detail in the front. I contemplated a very similar purple dress by the same designer in a ver similar style. It had spaghetti straps and a bolero jacket. Normally I do no like those jackets but this one was nice as it creates more of an illusion of a sleeve and doesn't add fabric to the chest area, which I don't need.

 

I am hoping that it is a nice look despite not having a V neck. I need some openness but not the strapless look so we will see! How funny it is that we like the same dress.

 

melody, I noticed that Lord and Taylor had a lot of the foley pants online. Have you checked them yet?

 

 

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[MJC]

Laurie, isn't that funny? I bought mine in the store so I didn't see the red, I like that too.

 

 

Look how pretty this is:

 

http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374306418059&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524446719978&R=883879759091&P_name=Tadashi+Shoji&N=4294912051+306418059&bmUID=kI4nzGN

 

Love this too:

 

http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374306422140&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524446675147&R=631333806320&P_name=Teri+Jon&N=306422140+4294929615+4294929614+4294929604+4294929612+4294929608+4294929606+4294929602+4294929609+4294929603&bmUID=kI4o1Nj

 

 

Cholla, I'm a bit surprised that there isn't more work in IT where you are. That field seems to be doing well here, but it is definitely a young person's market. There is a lot of age discrimination in NY, sadly.

 

The last time DH was looking for work it took about a year and a half. But, he had a fairly successful consulting business going during that time, so we were ok. He is in a very esoteric part of finance where there are limited opportunities, especially post-2008. There are maybe six or eight cities in the world where he could find work with an employer, and maybe D.C. if he wanted to work for the government (not likely). But, I think if he becomes "available" he could easily pick up his consulting work again. He's just temperamentally unsuited to being self-employed and experiences a lot of stress about it.

[laurspag]

Margaret, both of those are pretty but I really love the second one. That is such a beautiful soft golden color. I forget all the time about this, but we have a Saks outlet at the mall. I should check it out!!

 

I will have to find the link to the purple dress by Alex Evenings but I think it's cool. I still can't believe I didn't at least try on the Ralph Lauren dress that was priced so well. I'm tempted to go back and see if they have it and try it on. I can check out the Saks outlet while we are there as well.

 

 

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[laurspag]

https://m.lordandtaylor.com/lnt/html/%23!lang/en/productdetails/3589156/?site_refer=CSE_GGLPRADS001_LT&CAWELAID=120178030000310717&CAGPSPN=pla&catargetid=120178030000751809&cadevice=m&gclid=CPK86d2-ocMCFWVp7AodZyIAAA

 

What do you think?

 

 

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[ChollaChick]

Those dresses are both really pretty. I love the back on the green one. And the gold color is really beautiful. Neither are within my price point, but still gorgeous dresses.

 

Tomorrow is my day for going shopping. I thought about doing it today but decided I would "play" tomorrow on my birthday. Fortunately I have it off this year so I am going to go to the mall and maybe get my makeup done. I need to buy some foundation and I really need help from Sephora to find the right one. Then... shopping and DH said he'd take me to dinner. So a nice day/evening before my crazy week at work. We are gearing up for the Super Bowl here and it's unbelievably busy. I am working so much overtime I'm just trying to relax and rest over my weekend so that I can be ready for the craziness.

 

The tech market pretty much died in Arizona with the last recession. Basically everything that DH did has gone to other countries. He finished his masters a couple of years ago but that hasn't gone much of anywhere. If anyone knows of companies in the Phoenix metro area hiring for someone with an MBA in Management and 20+ years of IT let me know. :)

[ChollaChick]

Hmm... Laurie I can't get the link to work... what's the name of the dress? I will try to search for it.

[Sailor_Sally]

Cholla , Tuesday is also my birthday but I am spending it at the dentist so the celebration will have to wait until Wednesday . Have a happy Birthday & Have fun shopping !

[laurspag]

It is so hard these days, isn't it?

 

IT is interesting...I am in banking, and we found it impossible to find anyone with experience in both IT and banking.

 

 

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[laurspag]

That's odd...let me try again.

 

https://m.lordandtaylor.com/lnt/html/%23!lang/en/productdetails/3589156/?site_refer=CSE_GGLPRADS001_LT&CAWELAID=120178030000310717&CAGPSPN=pla&catargetid=120178030000751809&cadevice=m&gclid=CPK86d2-ocMCFWVp7AodZyIAAA

 

 

 

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[laurspag]

Blech. It's Lord and Taylor. It is made by Alex Evenings, and I think if you add grape and bolero to the search it should come up. I'm doing a copy and paste on my phone and something must be missing.

 

 

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[ChollaChick]

Now I love this one (sadly it's black): http://www.lordandtaylor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/lord-and-taylor/brands/wa-gowns-evening/sequined-illusion-mermaid-hem-gown

 

Oooh... now I'm going to fall into the "looking at formal dress pictures" rabbit hole... let's see what I find...

[ChollaChick]

Happy birthday Sally!!! We share a birthday together. :) That's awesome. I'll celebrate for you on Tuesday and you can celebrate for me Wednesday.

[ChollaChick]

Is this it, Laurie?

 

http://www.lordandtaylor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/lord-and-taylor/brands/wa-dresses/two-piece-bolero-jacket-and-gown-set-0181-166479--1

 

If so, it's very cute. I like it a lot.

[laurspag]

Yes, that's it! It looks like a warm purple to me in the picture.

 

 

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[ChollaChick]

We don't have a Lord and Taylor out here, so I started browsing dresses at Macys (which we do have) and if I was going to buy a formal dress now, I would seriously look at these dresses:

 

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/r-m-richards-sleeveless-beaded-evening-gown?ID=885089&CategoryID=5449&LinkType=#fn=SPECIAL_OCCASIONS%3DFormal;;Party/Cocktail%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D847%26ruleId%3D%26slotId%3D7

 

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/js-collections-contrast-lace-panel-pleat-gown?ID=935469&CategoryID=5449&LinkType=#fn=SPECIAL_OCCASIONS%3DFormal%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D253%26ruleId%3D%26slotId%3D14

 

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/patra-bead-trim-chiffon-empire-waist-gown?ID=1749048&CategoryID=5449&LinkType=#fn=SPECIAL_OCCASIONS%3DFormal%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D253%26ruleId%3D%26slotId%3D29

 

And oh... if I had the body I would definitely want to try this one: http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/js-collections-sleeveless-v-neck-satin-illusion-gown?ID=1481931&CategoryID=5449&LinkType=#fn=SPECIAL_OCCASIONS%3DFormal%26PAGEINDEX%3D2%26sp%3D2%26spc%3D253%26ruleId%3D%26slotId%3D47