This was one of the weirdest weeks ever.  It seemed like it lasted for about 20 days, but I didn't really finish anything that I needed to get done.  It's a long weekend, but at least part of it will be spent with me catching up on work emails.  Part of my lack of time comes from me realizing about four weeks ago that I just can't keep denying the fact that I have to be doing some form of physical activity every day.  I bought a treadmill in March which I've been using three days a week, but I was finding it boring.  Everyone says that variety helps keep you going, so I had initially added Pilates.  This week I tried Barre classes for the first time.  The most intense workout of my life.  The good news, these pants which I lived in this summer, are now baggy.  What will be even better, not being sore anymore.

 I have to confession that I am a total creature of habit, and my routines are king.  My days are pretty tightly regimented and planned in advance, and they are jam packed.  School starts tomorrow, so the routine will be even more strict for the next ten months.  I know some bloggers prep for hours for their photos which is why they have great images.  Mine usually happen in what I wore that day about 11 hours after I put it on.  The reason for my great need to confess: wrinkles in linen pants.  I know that when I put these things on, they were crisp and freshly ironed.  Now I look like I slept in them.  I could sleep in them; this is a really comfortable outfit for work.  I know my husband hates this blouse and rolls his eyes every time I wear it, but the peachy color goes with so many different things, and it's been my go-to blouse in all of this humidity.  Did I mention that it's humid again?  No end in sight.  Marionberry Style's challenge this month was to bring on the statement necklaces.  I'm all about the statement necklace usually, but lately in the heat, having something extra around the neck has been hard, so the real challenge was just to put one on.  This one is very old from Forever 21, and in my closet cleaning, it's been on the debate list, so I followed my rule, wore it one more time, and tried to make a decision.  I think it has to go.  The flowers are just too much.  Also this week I'm linking to Monday Mingle on Momtrends.  Please follow the link to go visit too.

When we were growing up my sister and I looked nothing alike.  I can't tell you how many times after being told that we were sisters people just looked from one of us to the other trying to figure it out.  We have very different coloring, facial features and body types.  I tend to resemble my mother's family more, and she looks like my father's (I think).  But now there are days when I'm sitting at my computer and looking at pictures when all I can think is, "Wow, I look just like my sister in this picture."  It tends to be an expression or the way I'm holding my head, but it's there, and I like it.  I was hoping when I put on this sleeveless tee that I would suddenly have lean, defined arms.  I've been working out like a demon without seeing results yet.  I'll keep going, and I do have to lay off the frozen yogurt once and for all.  That would probably be half the battle.  Have a great week, and if you haven't already, pop over to see what's happening on Visible Monday.

There's been an awful lot of ice cream eating going on around here lately.  We've been using the heat as our excuse.  It doesn't help that Carmela is only a few blocks from our house.  We've even walked there as justification for our indulging.  A likes the tempura-battered green tea ice cream at Kabuki.  I personally think it tastes like fish since they fry it in the same oil that they use for the regular tempura.  Not a huge fan of fish flavored ice cream.  I recently insisted on a switch to frozen yogurt in an attempt to cut the calories.  The only problem is that we go to 21 Choices and order things like Caramel Churro, Animal Cracker and Oreo which all have sugar cookie dough mixed in.  Kind of defeats the lower cal purpose.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, but ever since I was sick, I'm really having a hard time getting back into my routine.  I'm sure it has something to do with the weather and with a lot of pressure and extra hours in the office.  It's supposed to start cooling off tomorrow, so maybe  I'll be back to the old routine soon.  I hope so because school starts next week, and I'll have to be more disciplined to get A to school and make sure homework gets done whether I like it or not.  

Linked to Monday Mingle

One of my most favorite things about being a Stitch Fix client is outfits like this one.  I would never buy myself this top which is meant to be a dress but is way too short for me to wear as one.  When it came in my Stitch Fix box, I thought I was going to send back my first item, but the hub said, "Remember, the reason you are doing this is to try things you wouldn't pick for yourself.  Just think about it for a while."  So, I did.  I knew I would have to wear it as a tunic.  I just can't bring myself to wear skirts this short anymore.  I looked at it, walked away from it, and looked at it again.  I shook my head and thought, there's just no way.  I put it on and took it off.  I looked closely at the colors and shook my head some more feeling like I had nothing to wear it with.  I took a shower and had myself convinced that it was going back.  Then I saw the yellow and realized that I had a new pair of Topshop jeans that were yellow.  What if?...  And I did it, and you know what, I really like it.  Now I'm so glad  I pushed myself.  I just got the notice that my new Stitch Fix box has shipped.  I can't wait to see what's in it this month.

Linked to Whatever Whenever Wednesday on Rolled Up Pretty

I struggled so much with the whole mixing prints thing that I decided to go about it a completely different way by starting small.  I picked a base of a printed skirt that only has two colors and added two other small pieces with contrasting prints.  The scarf is far enough away from the skirt I think, and the print on the old Liz Claiborne purse is so subtle, you don't even know it's there.  Did anyone else have one of these Liz Claiborne purses back in the day?  I had this one and a large black envelope bag which was my daily tote bag to work when I got my first office job in my late teens.  I loved that bag.

Linked to: Visible Monday on Not Dead Yet Style
                 Monday Mingle on BonBon Rose Girls

Well, almost anyway.  Hub and I had a lovely two days in Palm Springs.  When I woke up the morning of Day 3 which was fortunately the day we were going home anyway, I had a sore throat.  Hub was anxious to go to breakfast, but I had to admit that I wasn't hungry, and I didn't even feel like drinking coffee.  I think that was the moment he knew I really wasn't feeling well and asked if I just wanted to head for home.  So way before check-out we were on the road.  By the time we made it home, I had the chills and could hardly swallow.  I don't remember much of that day or the next, except that at one point, I remember lying there thinking about moving for 20 minutes wondering if it would be worth the effort.  When my fever still hadn't broken by Friday morning, hub dragged me to the doctor where the diagnosis of strep throat was confirmed.  Now on Day 3 of antibiotics, I actually am getting some energy back.  Which is good because I have to go to the office tomorrow.

On a completely different topic, I think these pictures are a realistic picture of how pale I truly am, so imagine the sun-blindness I caused in a swimsuit in Palm Springs (sitting in the shade).  One man actually walked up to me and said, "You are a really white person." Um, thanks?  Self-tanners have never worked on me.  I don't mean they turned me orange or something; they actually have never made me any different color.  I had heard several people say that Bare Escentuals Faux Tan Sunless Tanner is really good because it actually colors as it's going on.  I was curious, so I thought I'd give it a try.  Now, I haven't done this very often because it never worked right?  I started to apply it to my left shin.  After I made the first swipe, I thought to myself, "What if this is horrible?  I should have done it in a less obvious spot.  What am I going to do?  I need to stop.  I can't stop.  Half my shin is done. What if it works this time?  I can't walk around with a big brown stripe on my shin."  Part of my terror was because the product comes out of the bottle looking like chocolate sauce.  How ridiculous would it be for me to go from this before to the color of my shoes after?  I finished doing the lower half of my leg, quickly ran to get A and asked her what she thought.  "It's orange," she flatly declared.  "It is?  They said it wouldn't be."  I quickly ran to the hub to get his opinion.  He looked at me blankly afraid to commit.  Was this one of those crazy questions like, "Do I look fat in this," which, if answered incorrectly could alter the course of his life?  A and I quickly ran outside to look at it in direct sunlight.  "You have to get rid of it," she insisted.  But how?  What do I do?  Can I?  I quickly came to my senses.  There's a reason why you aren't supposed to get it wet for an hour after applying, duh.  I ran to the bathroom, and washed it all away.

Days later, I am wondering, what if that was only the application color which Bare Minerals states is there to help you apply the product evenly.  I've now read on-line reviews that recommend applying at night and showering in the morning which removes the cosmetic darkness leaving the actual color.  How super-duper can this stuff actually be?  I do have to say that it has none of the horrible self-tan smell that I remember. So my question to you is: Have you used it?  What did you think?  And did you turn burnt orange?  Thanks for playing. If enough people weigh in with a positive response or just want to mess with me, I may be willing to conduct another experiment.  All in the name of science of course. Or you can tell me to stay true to the pale.  Whichever, tell me what you think.