Chicago Polar Vortex Survivor

So retailers and other Fortune 500 companies were closed for today as Chicago experienced what is known as a "polar vortex." If we're throwing around vocab such as that...you'd think my place of business would think, "hey maybe our employees would like to stay home as well since they could suffer severe frostbite for standing outside for more than five minutes?" NOPE. I had to put my big girl panties on (layers of them) and make that hour-long commute to work. The forecast was showing temps of -30 degrees with the wind chill and I just about cried. In case you are wondering what one wears during a polar vortex, I found that the following apparel will help prevent hypothermia, frostbite, your internal organs from freezing over etc...

1. My work trousers and underneath...yes, my Under Armour cold gear running tights that are also featured in this photo below. Nothing gets through these bad boys...and as a runner, I kind of need to keep my legs.

 

2. My new Lululemon Scuba Stretch Hoodie. I'm kind of obsessing over it. It blocks those wicked polar vortex winds and was worth every penny. (Although I scored mine on sale! Zing!)

 

3.  Next is my Calvin Klein Wool Asymmetrical-Zip Trench that I was ever-so-lucky to be spoiled with for Christmas thanks to my lovely 'rents.  I wore this as my final layer over my sweater and Scuba Hoodie. This coat is the best since it's fine to wear just by itself during the normal winter days without it being an ugly, bulky coat. Sorry, those puffer jackets do nothing for me. I don't want to look and/or feel like a giant puff cloud. I'd opt to look like I walked off the set of the Matrix, obviously.

 

4. Burberry Rain Boots. While they aren't the warmest of boots, (opted to wear slipper socks to make sure my toes made it through the day) these are my favorite boots EVER EVER.  They also have monster tread on them to make sure my clumsy blondieness doesn't faceplant in a foot of snow/ice. Winter win once again.

 

5. North Face Etip gloves and my knitted glittens (homemade) were worn together to make sure that my fingers didn't break off. Etips are a huge necessity these days (especially for me) since my phone always seems to ring at the most inconvenient times...and hell if I'm going to take off my gloves during a polar vortex! PFFF.

Luckily my car started (I was doubtful since she's parked outside) and it warmed up nicely so I could actually enjoy bopping my head to Beyonce as best as I could in my many layers. Many of my coworkers weren't so lucky. Cars ended up in ditches, didn't start at all and even had difficulties braking! Eek! It's crazy to think that anything slightly above freezing now would be a heatwave in Chicago right about now.

Overall, I'm pretty proud to say that I survived this polar vortex weather, however my bones just weren't cut out for these fricken arctic temps...soooo summer please? K, thanks. In the meantime, be jealous of this angry, penguin sweater that just about sums up my attitude right now.

Shopping Therapy

Alright so I'm on week two of my training schedule for this fricken half marathon. Yesterday morning I threw my plan of getting up really early to run out the window and slept in a couple of extra hours...yeah that was a horrible mistake. Little did I know that doing so would have me running four miles in blistering hot and humid weather. My legs felt like lead and I thought I was going to collapse on the pavement iPod and all. My time was awful but I did it...so yes...lesson learned. If I don't want to run in the fiery pits of hell, I need to drag my ass out of bed bright and early whether I like it or not. I also bought some new running shoes since my other ones were pretty awful for running longer distances. I got Brooks Glycerin shoes and my feet cannot be thanking me more for making this purchase. They were not cheap by any means but if you run long distances on a regular basis, I personally recommend these shoes.

This past week was definitely a frustrating one too with the possibility of not being able to have an engagement party. A while back my parents said they'd help out with some of the cost but not that might not happen since my sister needs some financial help from them. Am I bitter? Yes....not going to lie. So instead of sitting at home and stewing about it I decided to do some shopping therapy. Nothing turns a frown upside down than some new outfits...or at least distract me temporarily. Some may say that's running away from your problem, I just find it easier face them looking fabulous.

I was beyond ecstatic when I FINALLY scored this teal maxi dress. I absolutely fell in love with this color for the summer and it's now hanging in my closet and ready to be worn to my cousin's bridal shower next weekend. It came with a black belt but I'm planning on pairing it with a white or brown belt.

 

After I scored the cute dress for the bridal shower, I bought some cute tops to celebrate the remainder of the summer. The first was a striped, over-sized yellow top that I coupled with a white tank underneath. Normally, a top like this usually makes me look sickly and pale...but I'm currently rocking an awesome tan so I felt like I could ignore my "no yellow" rule. 

Next, I got this really cute silky white and navy blue top that had little tie details on the straps. I always try to aim for versatility when shopping so I figured this top would work for both a nice summer night out or at work with a blazer.

I snagged this midnight blue bow tie blouse that I thought was fabulous for work or for some other event that requires something other than a T-shirt and shorts.

Last weekend I also spotted this whole display of area rugs on the side of the road that I had to check out. I've watched too much HGTV in my day so for me to pass by a great opportunity to spice up a room...yeah not happening. I stopped to see the prices and the initial asking price was right around $200 for an 8X5 that I had my eye on. The second he told me the initial price though he nudged me and said, "for you though...$170"....it was then when I knew that I could get this awesome rug for a steal. He was not very subtle that he was attracted to blondes...even asked my age and commented that my pedicure was "sexy"...thank goodness I was sporting some sunglasses because there was some serious eye rolling involved. I talked my way into getting the rug for half the price he initially offered. I remember seeing a rug identical to this one for over $300 in a gallery too so I left feeling quite victorious...and made sure to pay in cash. The last thing I need is to leave any kind of paper trail leading to me. Total creeper to the max. But hey, thanks dude for the awesome rug!

Lace Up!

Alright so I am currently obsessed with lace apparel. I recently went ahead and purchased a lace top from Urban Outfitters that I thought would be an epic fail or look totally amazing. I went ahead and took the risk by buying it online since they didn't carry it at my nearest UO location. However, shopper tip...if you live in a place that rapes you with sales taxes...you can order from a store from out-of-state and will only be charged at that location's sales tax AND avoid shipping costs (at least that happened for me). I was beyond excited since Chicago has a wonderful 10 percent sales tax on apparel. I ended up ordering the top from the Urban Outfitters in Madison, Wisconsin and only paid around 2 percent sales tax AND got it sooner than if I were to order it off the website.

I personally ended up LOVING this top and paired it with a matching, ivory tank top underneath. The sleeves go out into a bell flare as well.

The back of the top is also detailed with a criss-cross. With my wedding planning underway, this top will definitely look awesome for future events i.e. wedding shower and/or bridal shows. I'm also looking into bridal gowns that are detailed with lace so it'll be like a sneak preview. ; ) This top also doesn't itch like some lace does. It's surprisingly comfy!

I'm definitely loving the different ways to incorporate lace into an outfit, although it's understood that not everyone is a fan. I just so happen to be. I love the idea of black lace under jeans.

 Pairing some neon colors with black lace are two trends that are definitely cute and are making my way into my wardrobe. 

 I've also been playing around with my curler more and got the hang of making some cute waves with my hair. I fell in love with the Hollywood Styler that has various heat settings to give your hair different curling styles such as beach waves, more tight curls or curls with more volume.  I used Herbal Essences "set me up" products to keep the curls in throughout the WHOLE day. These products are definitely a must for me since my hair tends to fall flat by the afternoon and doesn't like to behave....

Alright so my current status is weight loss at 25lbs since around December, a semi-new wardrobe to fit my bod AND some new hairstyles to rock. Nothing like achieving goals and kicking ass. Now if my bank account can just inflate a little bit to adjust to my spending habits...