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Coffee Talk

Good morning! I know, it’s late for me to be writing this post today. In fact, I was going to skip it until I realized I’ll be home all morning. (I’ve got a kid who’s feeling under the weather so we kept her home from church.)

Since I’m here, I thought we could chat.

coffee-talk

I’m on my 3rd cup of coffee, how about you??? It’s a cold, blustery day, and I’m tempted to refill my coffee cup every time I drain it. I’ll be climbing the walls by noon if I don’t slow down.

We didn’t get any snow last night, but I know some of you did. Yikes!! I am so not ready for that, but I have to admit, today’s cold weather is definitely making it feel more like Thanksgiving. It’s hard to believe that yesterday was 70 degrees and sunny.

It’s been a busy few days. I’ve hardly been home, so I haven’t been able to respond as quickly to comments and emails. I have a lot of loose ends to tie up, but I also hate to do work on Sundays. Not that responding to emails and comments feels like work, but it’s easy to get caught up in that and not be “all here” for my family.

Yesterday my husband and I made spontaneous trip to the mall. He had a couple of things to get altered, and I had alterations to pick up. We ended up meandering a bit and doing some early Christmas shopping. It’s early for us, anyway! When do you start your Christmas shopping?

Anyway, it was fun to get out by ourselves for a bit. (My youngest was away at a retreat, and the two older kids decided to stay home.) It’s nice when your kids become old enough to leave alone for a few hours.

In addition to the trip to the mall, we were able to get 3 outfits photographed yesterday. I was trying to take advantage of the mild weather, and it feels good to be ahead. (For now, at least!)

Because early morning light is the best, I neglected my run and went out this morning instead. It was bitterly cold at first, but I ended up shedding my coat after the first mile, and I made record time. I always run faster when it’s cold. I’m still debating the Turkey Trot on Thursday and trying to rope a few friends into meeting me there.

The comments on yesterday’s post were great! There were so many that I can’t reply to each and every one, and a lot of what I have to say would be redundant, but I really appreciate your feedback. I’m so glad I went upstairs and took that picture of the reindeer sweater with jeans to show you how cute it can be. The only reason I didn’t photograph it with jeans to begin with is because I’ve shown so many jeans outfits lately and I was trying to bring some variety to 25 Days of Winter Fashion.

I do like that jean skirt with the tights and riding boots, but it definitely needs a different top, and maybe that whole look is just too dated. I think I like it because the proportions work well for me, although it didn’t help that the jean skirt is a little too big, making it hang longer than it should. Oh, well… live and learn!

In my attempts to have more variety to feature, I ordered a couple of dresses from LOFT that came yesterday, but I don’t like them so they’re going back. I took a mirror selfie of one to show you why I don’t wear trapeze dresses. I feel like it adds 10 pounds!

LOFT Cowl Neck Dress, Size Small

And that’s a small. I also ordered the medium, so you can imagine how I was swimming in that! I think this style dress is more flattering on women with more of a pear shape? Correct me if I’m wrong. I can barely dress my own body type, let alone the others, but I’m trying to learn about others so I can be a better resource.

If you’re interested, it is the LOFT Cowl Neck Dress in Deep Space Blue, and all dresses at LOFT are $25 off today.

I didn’t photograph the other one, but it was this Striped Lace Dress. It’s more of a shift style than a sheath, and it didn’t have enough shape through the waist so it made me look boxy. I like the blue lace over the black slip, though. It’s probably really cute on someone, and it makes a great holiday party dress.

I did get one dress that I do like, and we photographed it yesterday so it will be coming to the blog sometime in the next week or two. Otherwise, I think my winter fashion is going to be a lot of jeans and pants. Truthfully, that is what I wear most of the time. It’s just too cold here for skirts and dresses, and I hate tights, but I’m going to try to do some bootleg jeans and dress pants so my looks aren’t all skinny jeans.

So today is the day! If I can twist my husband’s arm, we’ll get the artificial tree down from the attic and decorate it. He thinks we should wait till we get our area carpet, but I don’t want to wait. I think we can work around it.

My son is adamant that we do not put any Christmas decorations up until after Thanksgiving, so we definitely have some dissension in the ranks. The girls are on my side, so we’ll have to wait and see who wins… stay tuned!

UPDATE: I forgot that I promised to share pix of my wood floors. This is pretty lame, but it’s all I have because we are in the throws of tree decorating right now (yes! I won! did you doubt!?! haha!) and the living/dining room is a bit of a mess at the moment. I am only sitting here because Paul just ran out for more lights, bless his heart.

I took this picture the day the floors were installed to send to my mom, but you can’t really see the dining room. You get the idea, though. I’m planning to get area carpets, but right now, this is how it looks. I really love it and almost hate to cover it with a rug, but it already has a few scratches, so we do need to protect it.

wood-floors

This is a “before” picture from a few years ago, for comparison’s sake. This is before we got our new couch, so we had a cover on the old one. The portraits of the kids were each taken when they were 5 years old. If our house is ever on fire, I will take those pictures and run. Ha!

living room after6

We plan to replace the checked chair (it’s falling apart) and the little table (we need something larger with some storage.)

So that’s the latest! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Join The Conversation

34 Responses

  1. I think you look fantastic in the cowl neck dress. I don’t think it adds weight on you at all!

    I start my Christmas lists in the summer and start shopping towards the end of September. All I have left now are stocking stuffers and gifts for the foster child that I mentor.

  2. Also, that dress looks very different on you than it does on the website. On the website it looks like a heathered purple and on you it looks like a solid steel grey color

  3. I agree with Karen, you look adorable in the dress! I do have a pear shape and I definitely think those dresses are extremely flattering for my shape as well.

    We get a live tree so we won’t decorate until after Thanksgiving. Our Christmas shopping is about half done. I try to do it early so I can enjoy the season but last minute tasks get in there every year.

    Hope your daughter starts feeling better!

    1. Thank you! I think a day at home is all Becca needs. She was at an overnight retreat this weekend and it wore her out. 🙂

      We always get a live one too, and we do wait later for that one. 🙂 I love having two – the live tree is the kids’ tree with all of their childhood ornaments and family ornaments, and then I get all fancy with the artificial one in the living room.

  4. Christmas shopping done here at The Green Family. I do need to wrap before grandchildren come for this Thanksgiving vacation.
    Love your dress and it looks great on you.
    Hope your little one feels better soon.
    Happy Thanksgiving to All and God Bless

  5. OMG you look fab in that — it is a swingy dress and it is obvious you are a slim gal there is nothing about it that adds any weight ???? It is very hip and you wear it well.

  6. Going to the mall for alterations strikes me as odd. I’m guessing Nordstrom? It’s probably just that none of the stores in the mall I grew up near did them so I don’t think of it.

    I don’t think the dress looks bad, but I agree it makes you look heavier than you are. Depending on my weight I go between being an hourglass or a pair and I don’t like them on me either.

    1. Yes, Nordstrom. 🙂 When you buy clothing there, the alterations are free with a Nordstrom card, so I get all mine done there if I can. Paul had jeans he needed shortened, and I got a few cami/blouses worked on from this summer – they shortened the straps so they fit better.

  7. I’m not sure what it is about the dress, maybe the color? It doesn’t look terrible, maybe it’s cut & color together? Because—you look great in anything you wear! I have to side with your son!! I really like to give Thanksgiving its due. Christmas decor is out so early and lasts for months. Thanksgiving almost seems to be overlooked. And to me, it’s such an important time of reflection for all our blessings. This morning at our church, anyone, if they felt inclined, could share something they are thankful for. I am so thankful for the freedoms we have here. Last year at this time, our son-in-law, was finishing up a 6 month tour in Afghanitan, arriving home the day before Thanksgiving. He is an Army civilian, that was supporting our soldiers in the city of Kabul. He came home a changed young man, and more thankful than ever for what we have here in the US!

    1. I grew up hearing my mother say many of the things you wrote about Thanksgiving, Gina, and it made such an impression on me that I can’t bring myself to do any Christmas decorating until it is past. I also decorate my first-grade classroom for Thanksgiving and talk to them about its importance. As a society, we really do accumulate a lot of “things”, and I feel gratitude and thinking of others needs to be taught.

      Happy Thanksgiving to all!

  8. I really like this dress on you. It’s a different style, but in my opinion, it is very flattering on you.
    On the subject of Christmas decorating, my daughter has been playing Christmas music since Halloween, so there was no holding back on the decorating. We are going with duel themes (Thanksgiving and Christmas) until this Friday.

  9. Kind of off subject, but I thought I read this week that we were going to see pictures of your new wood floors in the coffee talk! I was all excited to see them today! 🙁 Maybe I missed a post, sorry if I did!
    And I like the Loft dress on you!

      1. Love!!!!the floors! Now I really want to rip out our carpet!! Well my next home improvement is going to be floors or bathroom update! Ugh–decisions!

  10. I agree with the majority – that dress is very flattering on you! I think it makes you look slender, which you are, but it definitely doesn’t add any weight. That’s my two cents!

  11. I think the dress is cute but find a fitted dress more suited to your curves. It would suit a pear shape perfectly though.
    Like you, I live in jeans – straight leg, skinny or baby boot cut. Bring ’em on!

  12. I LOVE the color of the floors! I see a lot of the real dark floors on some of the HGTV shows, I would be afraid they would show everything. But this is a perfect color.

    1. Yes, I really like the darker wood, but this is what our home had in the foyer when we moved in, and we just keep matching it. 🙂 It’s pretty, just not very modern looking, but I guess it’s classic and will never be too terribly outdated, which is a plus.

  13. Hello…you mentioned taking a picture of the reindeer sweater and jeans; did you post it somewhere? Just curious…Your tree and floors are beautiful…we did hardwood last year and I know what you mean about scratching…area rug is a must!

      1. I checked that link earlier and didn’t see any pictures…must have been my computer hiccup! Thanks, I see it now and I think it is so stylish…amazing how styled several ways came make such a difference!

  14. Love the wood floors. I am ready to have wood floors in my living room too. I hate carpet. Were your floors prefinished or did they have to be sanded and stained?
    I understand what you mean about the dress adding weight, I have the same problem where the “girls” push the dress out several extra inches and you can’t see your waist.

    1. Yes, you nailed it on the “girls” – that’s exactly it, and why this style dress works better for a pear shape. I can get away with it, but it’s not as flattering as a sheath.

      My floors are the pre-finished Bruce wood floors in Gunstock – https://thd.co/2gBkuAC – and they go in so fast. One man can do a small/medium sized room in a day.

  15. I agree with all the other comments about the dress – I really think it looks great!! Perhaps just a different silhouette to get used to? I remember feeling the same way about skinny jeans….

    1. It is definitely a different silhouette than I typically go for, but I like it on other people. I’ve learned over the years that there are more flattering styles, so I usually avoid this one. But I am going to style it and photograph it now that so many people seem to like it, and I’ll be curious to get feedback. I think this is sort of like the oversized top trend that is so the rage right now – I can get away with it, but there are more flattering styles. Still, b/c it is hard to find tops that are more fitted, I end up wearing the relaxed styles anyway. And I could probably wear the dress, but since more fitted styles are easy to find, I usually opt for those instead.

      I had a sleeveless dress in the summer that was a similar style, and comments were mixed as far as if it was flattering or not. I felt cute in it and it was okay, but I ended up giving it away because I know I have others that look better. The feedback in this post is definitely interesting! 🙂

  16. The floors are lovely, but so are you in the trapeze dress. Seriously, it must be a body issue thing, because you look amazing in that dress. You have great legs, and the ensemble showcases they perfectly. Don’t be so hard on yourself:)

    1. It’s a boob thing, not a body issue thing (lol.) Daniela nailed it – dresses like this don’t really do much for us busty gals because as she said, “the “girls” push the dress out several extra inches and you can’t see your waist.” That’s why a structured sheath works better, because it defines the waist. I do see what you mean about my legs, though, and I like how the cowl neck drapes – I think that’s flattering. Interesting discussion. I think I’ll photograph it and get more angles and see what everyone says. 🙂 At least it will give me another non-jeans outfit to post! 🙂

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