1 by 8: Modcloth's Craving Curry Skirt

The trough-loads of holiday treats I've been consuming have apparently negatively influenced my creativity. The more chocolate I eat, the more I start to communicate (and think) in hoots and grunts. I share this because, quite frankly, I could not for the life of me come up with an idea about what to post today. I was literally scratching my head... which, incidentally, didn't help. I then tried stroking my chin thoughtfully in the hopes that it would somehow get the creativity juices pumping. It didn't. I thought maybe doing both at the same time would help, so I tried scratching my head and stroking my chin at the same time. Still nothing. Mr. CP ultimately took pity on me, and said, "Why don't you use that Omnivore thingy to put together a bunch of outfits using one item." GENIUS!

I've always loved blog posts that make good use of Polyvore (I'm looking at you, Kassi). It's actually a fantastic tool for imagining new outfits into being. I usually try to stay away from Polyvore because, inevitably, I end up putting an outfit together that includes one or more pieces that I don't own, and then I end up fantasizing about said pieces to the point of madness. I'm neurotic like that. So, in this case it seemed like a good idea to put together outfits using only items that are identical or similar to things I already have in my closet. =D

Not-so-random, but still kind of random question: I recently picked up this beauty for New Year's Eve. I'm considering setting up a friendly competition in which all of you help me decide how to style it by creating your own Polyvores that feature this dress. Is that something you might be interested in?

Boo!

Not the most flattering picture in the world, but "BOO!!!!!!!"

Dress: Target

Cardigan: August Silk (Nordstrom Rack)

Tights: Hue (Macy's)

Boots: Fitzwell (6pm.com)

Head band: Free gift with purchase (Modcloth)

Earrings: Betsey Johnson

Sweater Clip: DIY

Because I didn't have a proper costume this Halloween, I took a page out of Bessie's book over at Bravoe Runway and decided to let Mr. CP style me today. It was my non-Halloweeny Halloween costume. It's a testament to how well he knows my style -- or how predictable I am, I haven't decided which -- that he chose an outfit that looks exactly like something I would have put together for myself. I hand't yet worn my Modcloth head band, a delightful extra that Modcloth included with the purchase of my By Night dress, so I was glad that he included it in the outfit.

I wanted to get this post up before we begin the final stage of our Halloween tradition. Every year we order (and eat) copious amounts of pizza, imbibe enough bottles of our favorite pumpkin ale to supply a small army, and gorge ourselves on delicious Halloween cupcakes from a local cupcake shop, all while watching movies that scare us (read: me) half to death. Tonight's line-up: Paranormal Activity 1 and 2, The Strangers, and (because I'm a wuss) Hocus Pocus.

I'm an adequate loser, so I guess I'm pleased to announce the winner of this year's (rigged) pumpkin carving contest: feel free to courteously applaud for Mr. CP. He emerged victorious with his artfully rendered carving of one of those dudes from that one video game (more specifically, a Big Daddy from Bioshock). I'm convinced he bribed or blackmailed one of the judges, probably himself, since I didn't receive any threatening letters or elaborate gifts. ::sigh:: Congratulations... I guess. Humph. Just kidding everyone, just kidding! Mr. CP's pumpkin turned out far better than mine, and it took him much longer to carve, as well. He deserved the victory. At some point we're going to need to assemble a creepy trophy to present to the winner every year. For now, he'll have to settle for a victory high five!

Happy Halloween, everyone! I hope you have a wonderful and spooky night!

Walk, Don't Waddle!

Top: Gap

Cardigan: August Silk (Nordstrom Rack)

Skirt: Thrifted

Tights: Gift from Mr. CP! (Modcloth)

Shoes: Old Navy

Sweater Clip: CatRabbit

Earrings: Marc Jacobs (Nordstrom Rack)

Head Band: H&M

I tend to fixate on things. It's just how I'm built. I get all worked up about something, and dwell on it. And dwell on it. And, for good measure, dwell on it some more. My current fixation centers on the relative lack of colorful and/or patterned tights available for plus sized women. At least three times a day in our house, I can be heard complaining at length about it. I usually conclude my daily rants with, "What the [insert expletive of your choice here]?!" (In my more PG moments -- which are admittedly few and far between -- I tend to favor, "What the crap?!") Poor Mr. CP is the one who has to listen to my rants. And let me tell you, it's the exact. same. rant. day in. and day out. Nothing really changes except the expletive I use. Poor, long-suffering Mr. CP. 

Because he's just that spectacularly sweet -- and also, I suspect, in an effort to get me to stop complaining -- Mr. CP put his mad Google Fu skills to good use and hunted me down two pairs of colorful, patterned tights! That's right, colorful and patterned. I got what I wanted -- two beautiful pairs of tights -- and Mr. CP got what he wanted -- silence. Okay, well, not complete silence, because I'm still me, but he no longer has to listen to my seemingly endless diatribes on tights. Hooray for Mr. CP!

I tend to be reeeeeally picky about tights. I want tights that are durable, that fit (dur!), and most importantly, that don't result in what I've dubbed Penguin Crotch. Penguin Crotch is best described as the result of a pair of ill-fitting and/or poorly made tights such that the crotch sits somewhere around the knees and causes the wearer to waddle in a rather unsightly way. I am pleased to announce that these Modcloth tights fulfill all three of the above requirements: they seem durable, they fit, and I do not waddle to-and-fro like a Pacific Northwestern penguin. Yippee!

p.s. I apologize for the wrinkly skirt. I had been sitting for a while. =)

Genius... Or Not

Dress: Modcloth

Tights: Hue (via Macy's)

Shoes: Maurice's (old, old, old)

Headband: Target

Earrings: Betsey Johnson (via Nordstrom Rack, but you can pick them up online here.)

I was so excited when this Modcloth dress arrived on Saturday morning. As soon as I heard the delivery man/woman drop it off on our front stoop, I scampered to the front door and grabbed it off the porch. Seeing it wrapped up all adorable-like in the box, I nearly swooned over the lovely, rich colors. Equally exciting was the exceptionally cute headband Modcloth included as an extra (which will no doubt feature in a future OOTD). As I pulled the dress out of the box, though, I was stumped: I ordered a 2X, and the dress before me most certainly did not look like a 2X. The dress didn't even look like it would fit over my head. I frantically checked the packaging to make sure that there hadn't been some sort of mix up. Nope, there hadn't been. The dress just looked very dainty. So, I wandered into the bedroom to try it on. Much to my dismay, it fit everywhere but the bust. It gave me the dreaded uni-boob. I could hear Mr. CP calling from the living room for me to come out and show him my new treasure... which I did, reluctantly. I must have looked like my puppy just died, because Mr. CP could immediately tell that I was upset. "What's wrong?" he asked. I gestured at the unfortunate gaping under the arms, and the tightness in the bust. Looking more closely at the dress, Mr. CP started chuckling. And then he started guffawing. You see, what I didn't realize is that I had put the dress on backwards. Now, one would think this would be impossible seeing as how this particular dress has a decorative tie around the neck at the back of the dress (you know, like the one I mentioned in this post that sent me into an existential panic). But I had untied said tie, you see, and... and... okay, I have no good excuse for this particular display of air-headed magnificence. In my excitement, attention to details like putting the dress on the right way apparently fell to the wayside. I ran back into the bedroom, spun the dress around and lo and behold, it fit perfectly. Combined with my recent display of genius at Nordstrom Rack, I can't help but wonder: how did I ever manage to dress myself before Mr. CP came along?

A brief note about the dress. For those who don't know, Modcloth does offer clothes in larger sizes. Though the selection is smaller than that available to straight-sized customers, the site has some truly adorable plus-size items. They go up to a 3X, and have a handy (and accurate, I think) size chart. I had the best luck finding plus size items by clicking on the "clothing" category on their main page, and then selecting my size in the left-hand bar.

I also have to say something about these adorable mouse earrings. I've been wearing them pretty much every day. One earring -- the one pictured above -- features a cute little mouse pointing downwards. The other earring -- which isn't pictured -- has a little mouse pointing upwards. I love the subtle asymmetry, and the added interest it lends an already adorable pair of earrings.

Delightful Dresses

I've been on the prowl for cute, patterned dresses lately and figured I'd share with all of you some of the beauties I've come across. Sorry about the small pictures; unfortunately I was unable to pull better photos of the dresses off the different websites. Just click on the links underneath each dress, though, and you can check them out in all their printed glory. Enjoy the eye candy!

New Look: Inspire Dandelion Printed Dress

 

Cutest dress ever. I love the dandelion print. The only thing that's prevented me from ordering it is the simple fact that I don't want to pay for international shipping. 

Torrid: Carousel Horse Print Dress

 So cute. You can't really tell from this teeny tiny picture, but this dress has little horses all over it. Regrettably, I'll probably never own this dress. Quite frankly, I just don't think it's worth the $70 price tag. That's pretty much in keeping with my general opinion of Torrid: some cute things, but rarely worth the price.

Modcloth: By Night Dress

I have a confession to make. Despite promising myself that I wouldn't order this dress, I caved. Um, Mr. CP made me do it?

 

Eshakti: Migratory Birds Dress

  

 Another confession: I actually own this dress. I ordered it a couple weeks ago, and it arrived on my doorstep yesterday morning. I haven't had a chance to wear it yet -- it's waiting to be washed -- but I love it so much that I just had to include it on this list. I'll definitely post an OOTD featuring this dress in the near future, though, so keep checking back!

Modcloth: Graceful Greenery Dress

When I first saw this dress, I promptly clipped it to Polyvore and started putting together imaginary outfits. I think I've made five sets that feature this dress. At $130 this beauty is well out of my price range, but a girl can dream. Maybe the Birthday Fairy will bring it to me in November!

Lust-worthy Lovelies

Modcloth, Thai Iced Tea Dress in Coconut, $47.99

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."
This dress is perfection. I covet it. I visit it every single day (online, that is). Unfortunately, they're sold out of my size, otherwise this sweetie pie would be winging her way to me right this moment. I've signed up to be alerted when they get my size back in stock, but I'm paranoid they may not. I'm contemplating ordering it in a size up and just having it tailored, but I don't know...

(Eliza Parker, Miami Dress in Plum, $169.99)

The hefty price tag means that this adorable little number is going on my long-term wish list. Next time I have a special occasion to attend, though, this will probably be what I order. Mr CP even thinks this dress is lovely. He typically feigns interest (or nods indifferently) when I squee over clothes, but this particular dress elicited a full and very genuine comment from him!

Eliza Parker, High Waisted A-Line Skirt, $98.00

You know, Eliza Parker just really hits it out of the park when it comes to flattering, feminine pieces. I saw this beautiful skirt on the adorable Lilli over at Frocks and Frou Frou (great blog, check it out!), and immediately decided it was destined to be mine. I'm just waiting for a suitable moment to order it.

Coldwater Creek, Crinkle Swirl Dress, $99.95-$109.95

I swooned over this dress the moment I saw it. Trust me when I say that Coldwater Creek's clothes actually fit curvy women very nicely. While quite pricey, I've found that CWC typically has amazing sales. I snapped up a white linen blazer, originally $150ish dollars, for just under $60. Join their mailing list, and you'll get some amazing coupons, too! I'm just waiting for this beauty to go on sale, or until I get a decent coupon in my inbox, and then she's all mine!

B Makowsky, Saxon Pump in Grey Suede, $52.00 (sale on Amazon)

When I first stumbled upon these shoes, I nearly swooned. I thought they were absolute perfection. To be honest, I'm not much for heels. I'm weak. My feet start to hurt, I whine, get angry and/or grumpy, and poor Mr. CP is stuck with an unpleasant CP. My girlfriends have told me time and again that I just need to push through the pain, but I haven't been able to bring myself to endure the suffering. That being said, I do have some amazingly comfortable pairs of heels, and I tend to just rely upon those. After all, few things give your hips the same sway and your legs the same length as a great pair of heels. I hesitate to order these shoes online because I can't try them on to see whether they're comfortable or unbearable, so odds are I probably won't order these sweeties. BUT I'm definitely going to try to find something similar in a store where I can actually try the shoes on.

No doubt I'll be posting more items that I find, so keep checking back!