Moroccon Hair Oil - revisited

I have 4 days left of Cold Turkey.  I have spent the last 4 days in beautiful Monterey, CA on business.  Yesterday morning my most wonderful gal pal knocked on my hotel door and left me with a small bottle of Moroccan Hair Oil.
Oh, how I long to use this great stuff.  BUT, I will wait.  I am heading out tomorrow with my 3 bff's to spend the next 4 days in Palm Springs.  The Agenda:

• Head to Temecula to wine taste
• Ride the PSP Aerial Tramway
• Watch World Series Baseball
• Get some much needed RNR in the sun

I can wait for Moroccan Hair Oil.  But on Monday morning, before I leave PSP, I will utilize my slightly used bottle of Moroccan Hair Oil and move forward to hair bliss!

Love,
S

PS:  First stop after the airport, buying underwear!

12 days

I spent the weekend in San Francisco with my sis and my gf's.  We were there to run in a Half Marathon and do some shopping.  It was H's birthday so Saturday we spent the day at Nike Town, Macy's and etc., looking for the perfect birthday weekend wear.  H came away with some amazing pieces at Macy's, tops, pants, and too cute dresses. And I went ahead and tried on skinny jeans/jeggings for the first time. I have steadfastly avoided the style, I think I may have mentioned them in a post at some point. I am old enough to have worn them in the 70's when pegged jeans were the rage. I was MUCH younger then, could wear the style and STILL thought it made most girls (and guys) look like they had carrots for legs.  Unless you are ultra-thin, the style is not for you. 

However, I have now gone over to the skinny jeans/jeggings side.  After trying them on in a couple of stores, I actually like them. I was amazed at how my legs looked longer and leaner in them.  My gf T is not super tall and she wears them and they look great.  My mind has been changed, I think I like them.

More trying on and more investigating styles and fabrics with gf's that are honest is needed.  And I am not about to drop too much coin on something as trendy as skinny jeans, but they have been here for a couple years now and may stay another couple.  Maybe worth it to look updated and fabulous, don't you think?

Love,
S

18 Days and Counting

I was sitting in front of the computer thinking about all the work I have to do in the next 3 weeks and it dawned on me, I have less than 3 weeks before I can say I am done with Cold Turkey!  No longer will I need to explain to anyone, my hairdresser, the clerk at the shampoo counter, the salesperson at whatever store I happen to be wandering through.  No more will I be yearning to buy something and have to say, "No, not this day, week, month or year".   

But will I pull out the credit card immediately when tempted after all this time?  I don't think so.  I have listed things I've learned before this, but now I think I am even more likely to hold back.  It really does come down to whether it is a want or a need...a lust or a must!

1. Does (fill in the blank) go with what I have in my closet?
2. Does it fill a hole that I have been missing this past year?
3. Is it my style?  I have learned and blogged previously about trendy clothing.  Trends are usually not my style, unless the trend is for clean lines and little fuss.
4. I have blogged about color, will I really wear that magenta or carrot sweater/shirt or jacket that is so the color this fall? 

When I cleared my clutter this month, a lot of the hot colors were thinned.  I will have to really love 'it' before "it" comes home with me from now on.

I have come to realize that you really can have too many white and black T's.  There are just so many variations on the same shirt, and any more?  It's a waste, of money and space in the closet.

So my plan is to be meaner, cleaner and wiser in my choices.  I will at least strive to ask myself the above questions before I head to the cash register.

Love,
S

Day 23 - what do you think of these flats?

I found these on the Nordstrom website, but of course they don't have my size.  So after some searching, I found them on another site with free shipping both ways.  Let me know what you think.  I like different and unique shoes, which these are.  Plus I think the rounded toes would be very comfortable for my running feet.

This is a brand I haven't tried before, Mea Shadow.  I like the unusual lines and they have a zipper up the back.  Very cute in my mind.

Love,
S

23 Days to go

I am getting serious about finding black flats.  I have been scouring catalogs and websites. I haven't ventured into a single store...too afraid I might find the perfect pair with just over 3 weeks to go and cave. Zappo's opens on my browser now with just a letter Z.  Oh dear.

November 1st can't come quickly enough.

Love,
S

28 Days and Counting - First purchase on agenda

I have 3 girlfriends coming the end of October for a weekend in fabulous Palm Springs.  We have wine tasting in Temecula, a ride on the PSP Aerial Tramway and some pool time for sure for my Mid West and East Coast gal pals.  We will also spend some time having dinner and shopping in the beautiful and quaint downtown area of Palm Springs.  At least I will be tagging along ~ and I am always up for a good dinner with my friends.  Alas, their last day in town in is November 1st, the FIRST day I will be allowed to begin my new rehabilitated shopping life.  I will be dropping them at the airport in the morning and they won't be with me for my first venture into a store where my credit card can be actually used!

So, I have decided to make an appointment with Victoria, my wonderful bra sales person and that will be my first purchase.  I have to have new bra's and underwear!  I have begun getting a new catalog in the mail called BraSmyth.  I had not heard of this company before but it looks like all they sell are beautiful bra's and a few loungy night clothes.  But the selection is amazing!  I have never seen so many beautiful bra's and from companies I hadn't heard of in one place before.  The closest store is in New York, so I won't be shopping there soon.  But I need Victoria to help me find some things to tide me over, until my next shopping sojourn to the Big Apple. 

Check out http://www.brasmyth.com/. 

Love,
S

Friday, September 24 and 37 Days to Go!

I have been the ultimate in busy this week and haven't thought about shopping, well almost.  I did think a wee bit about those black pants I need.  I spent a day in a training this week.  The room was alternately hot and stuffy and then cold.  You know how that is when you are not in charge of the A/C or your personal comfort level?  I was in a room with 39 teachers, most of them women in their 40's or early 50's and they were either having hot flashes, or wrapped in sweaters!  It was truly amusing.

But I digress...the pants.  When I left the training, I felt very disheveled, wrinkled, and soggy.  Since 'The Mall' was on my way home, I thought, "why not?", and I swung into the Nordstrom parking lot to check out the black Halogen pants with the great fabric I wrote about a post or two ago.

I found them right away and tried on 3 styles.  They fit great, I like one style best (they didn't have my size in black in those) and now I am hoping they still have them in 37 days.  Folks, I am almost down to a month!  Aack!  

Love,
S

PS:  Let me know what you think about the pants.  Halogen Whitney Pants, $78.00

45 Days and Counting!!

Yesterday I finished cleaning out the closet.  Took a load to the Goodwill and dropped a large load at Working Wardrobes.  I highly recommend this organization for any good business attire you may need to move out of your closet.

The goal of Working Wardrobes is to clothe men and women that are or have been homeless, or are living in shelters, and are rejoing the workforce.  They work with adults to make sure when they go for their interviews they are dressed in appropriate work apparel, coach them in interviewing skills and work very hard to get people back into a productive lifestyle.  WW helps both men and women in more ways than just giving them clothing.  They are a support system for people trying to restart their lives. 

There are Working Wardrobe type organizations all over the country.  Check them out next time you are clearing your clutter.  They are a worthy organization!

Love,
S

PS:  I am getting giddy with anticipation for November 1st. I am EXTREMELY busy for the entire month of October and hope it will help me get through those last couple weeks without too much anxiety.  I can't believe this is almost over.

51 Days - The List has started

I have had so many people ask me what is the first thing I am going to buy once I am out of Cold Turkey.  It 's interesting to see how many people, now that I am nearing the end of the road, want to know what is missing most in my wardrobe.  There are a few MUST HAVE purchases.  I need them, so I will buy underwear and bra's.  But what I want and feel are must have's to complete my depleted wardrobe are the following:

1. Black flats: One's that can be worn with capri's, jeans, skirts and slacks.  I am sorely missing this very basic item in my shoe wardrobe. I almost think there will be TWO pairs of black flats coming home with me in early November.  I'm on shoe alert for the perfect pair now.

2. Black slacks that are not part of a suit.  I need a pair for work, that can be paired with tops and sweaters I currently own.  Nordstrom has a line of basic black pants that are wash and wear and come in several shapes and fits.  A trip to Nordstrom will be in order.

3.  A white shirt.  I have a great JCrew shirt that I love, but it is too big and doesn't really look sharp enough for work.  A long, tunic length would be great and then another in a shorter length might be in order. We shall see. (Do you think I should 86 the too big shirt?  I put it on and take it off every week, it seems.)

4.  A new bag.  Boy I'd love to have a good slouchy bag, and will begin the watch now.  I don't want to spend a small fortune on one so I may have to wait until they are on 'sale' at Half Yearly in December.

5. Moroccan Oil - Yes, I wrote about it last week and I still am jonesing for it.  Gotta have it!

Not too bad a list, if you ask me.  We'll see if the list gets longer the closer I get to November.

Love,
S

52 Days and I am OH SO Tired of this.

I am so close and it seems to be getting harder.  I have done a fairly good job of cleaning out the closet. I absolutely got rid of shoes, 12 pairs to go to Working Wardrobes, and several that are too casual and will end up in the Goodwill pile.
I have several beautiful suits in the spare room on hangers and I am still deciding about some tops - whether I should keep them just in case, or have them go to WW along with the suits. I cleared out my sweater bags, have cleaned house in that department and there are beautiful cashmere's along with a couple of gorgeous Eileen Fisher sweater type jackets.  I don't think I am going to miss them a bit.  I didn't even wear them last winter in WA State in the snow, what makes me think I will wear them in Southern CA in the heat?   A benefit to the whole project is I can actually move the clothes around now, I can see what I have and what holes I have in my wardrobe. I am not done.  Not by any stretch of the imagination.  I still have another whole row of tops to work through. 

I need to pull out my old resource manual:  Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, by Karen Kingston.  It is an amazing book about how to clean out the clutter and feel better overall. 

I definitely need some inspiration.  52 days, it seems like forever.

Love,
S