Week 19, Days 3 & 4: Yoga Junkie

Week 19, Day 3 Outfit: White Ann Taylor Loft Cardigan, Yellow Gap Cami, JCrew White Pencil Skirt with Green Polka-Dots, Unisa beige slides

Week 19, Day 4 Outfit: New York and Company pink hoodies, Urban outfitters graphic tee, Old Navy Yoga pants

My day yesterday began with a 6A cycle class, then a drive up to Detroit for a day in the office and lunch with a co-worker, then a drive back down to Toledo (with about an extra 30 minutes of road-construction related traffic), then a nap, and then 1.5 hours of hot yoga rounding out the day. Boy was I pooped! And then still managed to wake up at 5:30A this morning to catch another yoga class...didn't plan that one very well did I?

On my way up to work, I spilled my chai tea on my sweater and white skirt, but luckily, it was diluted enough by soy milk to not be all that noticeable. Why is it that when you wear white, you will inevitably spill something on yourself? This never seems to happen when I wear black! I should conduct an experiment - wearing white for half a week while driving and drinking tea, and then black for half a week doing the same activity - to see whether there is a higher incidence of me spilling when wearing white than me wearing black. Okay, not the most perfect science experiment, I admit, but might be worth a go.

The rest of this week I'll be working from home, but should have an activity or two to encourage churning through another outfit or two. In fact, I'll post my yoga gear from today as today's outfit.

Week 19, Day 2: Impromptu Outting

Week 19, Day 2 Outfit: Ann Taylor Loft Off-white cap-sleeved tee, Unknown brand denim skirt (a favorite of mine for years that I purchased at Marshall's about 5 years ago), Brass Plum (Nordstrom) pink bowed strappy kitten heels (also a favorite for years)

So, today was supposed to be a freebie day since I was working from home, but as I walked in the door from my spinning class this evening, Mike informed me of a last minute invite to meet up with Maggie and her visiting parents at our favorite local wine bar (Vino100). So, we began the night there with plans to do a little bar-hopping after, but only made one more stop at Bar Louie for dinner before calling it an earlier night...which I was thankful for given that I'm still somewhat recovering from my weekend bug and also signed up for a 6A spinning class. Since I've had a good share of "freebie" days, I decided to count tonight's outfit toward my "wear as many clothes without repeating" mission - though I will admit that this skirt will not be put in the "file away" bin as it is 1) denim and therefore counts as jeans, and 2) has been a summer staple for years.

Tomorrow is an office day, so I'll once again be wearing regular business clothes - a breath of fresh air from the very challenging manufacturing floor required garb of last week. I love heels! I never did get around to ironing my clothes however, due to falling prey to that stupid stomach thing, so I will spend the rest of the evening laying out my outfit for tomorrow and making sure it is nicely steamed! Stay tuned for an unwrinkled ensemble tomorrow!

Week 18, Day 7: Celebrating Diversity Fundraiser

Week 18, Day 7 Outfit: Print dress from an Ann Arbor boutique (unsure of the brand, but made by a local designer, this was the last item I had purchased before beginning this challenge!), my favorite Ann Taylor strappy kitten heels

Week 19, Day 1 Outfit: Jammies

Week 19, Day 2 Outfit: Jammies

Saturday evening, Mike and I (along with Scott and Maggie) went to my advisor's house for a fundraiser to raise money for a movement to overturn an oppressive law that went into effect in Bowling Green a few years ago. The law basically violates the rights of same-sex couples and gives the city cause for discrimating against these individuals. It's amazing to me that even 10 years into this millinium that this is still even an issue. One might say, well, we're in the midwest, and people are little more closed-minded here...but even that argument doesn't work as I think about California's Prop 8. Sheesh!

Toward the beginning of Saturday, I was suffering from what I hope was a 48 hour stomach bug. Needless to say, I spent all of Sunday bedridden and sleeping. It's amazing how much you take feeling healthy for granted - and you only realize this when you are completely debilitated and unable to do anything. My darling husband was at my beck and call, providing me with toast, sprite, and whatever else I could possibly stomach. I'm happy to report however, that my system seems to be restored...and, better yet, I have my un-bloated body back! Though miserable and never a way I would choose to lose weight, I did manage to drop 3 lbs. through my weekend digestive turmoil. Perhaps all the bloating was a precursor to my stomach woes. Regardless, I'm hoping I can return to my normal life of eating & exercising so as to once again be able to wear the remnants of clothes in my closet waiting to be donned.

Today is a work from home day, so I'll be lounging about in PJ's :)

Week 18, Day 6: Back at Home & Friday Sushi

Week 18, Day 6 Outfit: J Crew Navy Blue Silk top, J Crew White skinny denim capris, Ann Taylor loft wedge flip flops

Yesterday was a great day to recup from the travel and to catch up on the work that piled up over the week while I was traveling. I also decided to take summer hours for the afternoon to catch up on sleep and just relax. I got to finish a movie I had downloaded from iTunes (Leap Day, don't recommend it) that I had started on the short plane ride from Indy to Detroit. iTunes has figured out a way to make a movie self-destruct in 24 hours (woah...so Mission Impossible-esque!) so I needed to finish that before 7pm yesterday. What I really wanted to do was watch the season finale of Glee on my DVR, but decided to save that up for today.

Yesterday afternoon, I received an email from someone who stumbled across my blog and has asked me to join a Fashion Forum. Hmmm...worth looking into to up the readership of this blog - not that I'm doing this to create any kind of followership or publicity...but would be nice to hear others' reactions to my daily (or shall I say every few days or so) posts.

Last night, Mike and I headed up to Detroit to hang out with Linnelle and Dennis. It was a great low-key night marked by a trip to a hole in the wall sushi place and then a bonfire in their backyard. For once, I was not the person who was the prime target of blood thirsty mosquitoes as they were all mosquito-lining for Linnelle. I think I have found the most effective bug repellant - just sit next to Linnelle!

I have somehow managed to contract some kind of stomach bug, which I'm hoping once done with my body will remove all the water and weight accumulation that I have been obsessing about over the past couple of weeks. Tonight, Mike and I will be going to an open house fundraiser at my doctoral advisor's place - the ever perfect home of the Hakels. Not sure what I'll wear there...but probably something that is loose-fitting and comfortable given my digestive issues...probably TMI for all you readers!

Week 18, Days 2 - 5: Whirlwind Travel

Week 18, Day 2 Outfit: BR Dark Trouser Jeans (my fat pants, that are now snug!), Lucky Brand black t-shirt, unknown brand black flats (to be used for all my plant visits!)

Week 18, Day 3 Outfit: Anthropologie black cropped trousers, White polka-dotted Ann Taylor short sleeve button down, black flats
Week 18, Day 4 Outfit: Pink Ann Taylor Loft short-sleeved cardigan, Liz Claiborne black cami, Urban Outfitters elastic band khakis with buttons down the sides, black flats

Week 18, Day 5 Outfit (not pictured): White Express capris, Black Target short-sleeved v-neck tee, black flats

I am sitting in the waiting area of the Indy airport ready to board the direct flight back home after a whirlwind trip to various manufacturing plants. As mentioned in previous blogs, plant site visits confine me from a fashion perspective to flat shoes, pants (not jeans), and short-sleeved tops (due to the heat in the locations)...so, donning a cute skirt or heels is completely out of the question! My week started with a trip to Chicago, then to Indianapolis to then drive 1.5 hours to another plant site, then back to Indianapolis for another plant visit in Indy. It's been a fascinating yet exhausting week...and it's only Thursday! I have been touring food processing manufacturers and have seen cereal, granola bars, Rice-a-roni, and Gatorade being made. It's so amazing how they can design these machines to produce these good so quickly. Each plant pumps out about up to a half million goods a day, plus or minus another half million depending on the product - amazing!

Throughout the week, my bloatedness has continued to get worse. I am beginning to wonder if this is European pay-back or symptoms of some kind of change in physical state. I have tried being relatively conscious of my eating (still having that 1 glass of wine with a dinner salad), worked out every morning except today, and am still discouraged by the fact that my pants are so uncomfortably tight, that I keep having to re-adjust in order to sit comfortably. I even packed my "fat clothes" and am still feeling this way. I'm most bothered by this because it means that my clothing options are now limited as half the clothes still waiting to be worn will not button! What gives?

On the clothing front, I have churned through another 4 outfits, and am making a commitment to re-organizing my closet and hanging up my summer clothes so I once again have more readily visible options to consider as I think of what I'll be wearing each morning. If this bloatedness keeps up, however, I may need to start re-using all of my workout pants in order to accommodate my relentlessly increasing waistline. How depressing!

Week 18, Day 1 - Aftermath of the Tornado!

Week 18, Day 1 Outfit: "Help One Another" logo tee purchased from a local clothing boutique, White Forever 21 linen shorts with a very comfortable waistband made of cotton (kind of like maternity pants) - good for me as I am still in a "bloated" (i.e., weight gain state)

Last night's outing with the Essence girls was a great time. We began with sushi, a cosmo, and then wine. Because took our time to eat, we ended up going to a later showing of Sex and the City 2, which I highly recommend, as long as viewers of SATC1 are not expecting the sequel to be better than the first (Shrek was the only movie that was able to accomplish this with Shrek 2). Our movie ended around 10:45 and we approached the theater doors only to discover that it was raining cats and dogs outside. This is funny because we all made the conscious decision to walk to the theater from the restaurant (about a 1/4 mile walk), knowing that we were tempting fate...but at least thought to each bring an umbrella. So, our 1/4 mile walk in the torrential downour did put a DAMPer (ha ha, pun totally intended) on our night, but also made for an interesting story.

So, the downpour apparently turned into a tornado warning around 11pm last night - a warning that both Mike and I managed to completely sleep through. This morning, I then heard stories of cars being overturned, a high school being completely demolished, and meanwhile, Mike and I probably had the deepest night's sleep since returning from Europe. Our neighbor told us that next time she'd knock on our window - wow, she must REALLY love us!

Today has been the most "back to normal" day that I've had in the past 2 months. I actually got to pay bills, sort through mail, do laundry, get a massage (Adam had a family emergency, so I had someone else - frown), and just have nothing scheduled or planned for the entire day (except the massage). It's been nice just chilling and getting stuff done around the house - hence the super casual attire today.

Tomorrow night, I head out for another week of traveling. Chicago, then Indianapolis for a couple of days. I'll be visiting food manufacturing plants to observe maintenance workers in action, so I'll be restricted to pants, flat, sensible shoes, yet business casual. How in the world am I going to pull that one off? We shall see! I'm procrastinating on the packing (as usual) and will figure things out tomorrow!

Week 17, Days 5 - 7: It Catches Up

Week 17, Day 5 Outfit (Night out with Maggie & Jen): Susanna Monoco Sun Dress - super comfy!; Ann Taylor Loft Black Wedge Flip Flops

Week 17, Day 6 Outfit (Daytime Summer Hours - heading to the pool): Forever 21 blue sundress, Old Navy white crocheted bikini (you don't think I'd be stupid enough to post a picture of me in my bikini do you?)

Week 17, Day 6 Outfit (Evening attire): White House Black Market sleeveless tee with curtain-like opening in front to reveal another layer underneath (best way I can describe it), Express Beige capris, my favorite Ann Taylor kitten heels (gosh, you realize how much you like certain items when you repeatedly post that you're wearing them!)

Week 17, Day 7 Outfit (night out with Essence Girls - watching Sex and the City 2): Gap magenta tiered cotton top, Gap Long & Lean Jeans (though nothing about me today feels either long nor lean!)

So...I was so ecstatic when I got back from Europe, and after a day or 2 of being 1.5 lbs heavier, got back to my normal weight. So, naturally, I went through a weekend's worth of social activities and since Monday, have seen the scale creep up about a pound each day - making me 4 lbs. heavier than I was when I got back from my trip. I start thinking, okay, maybe it's because I'm working out regularly again and gaining muscle mass...a nice, comforting thought until I try to put on a pair of jeans from Europe and can barely button them. So, I believe what I am experiencing here is payback from my debauchery - both during the European trip and all the activities following. It's a terrible feeling...emotionally and physically!

To recap the activities of this past week, as if all the social activities last weekend weren't enough, Thursday I met up with Maggie and Jen for our monthly girl's outing, had sushi, and then a couple of Belgian beers to bring Maggie and I back to the blissful week that seems so far away now (I'm sure you're thinking, Lilly, this is why your jeans are tight). Yesterday, I vowed to myself I would be good and go light on the drinking and eating...failed miserably. Mike and I got together with some wine-friends of his that he met back when a small grocery store in Bowling Green was holding weekly wine tastings. At least one representative from the 4 couples present at yesterday's get together was a BGSU faculty member (one was even a Provost!). We started at one of the couples' homes for some appetizers and samplings of some really great wines, then headed off to dinner at the best Indian restaurant in the area that allows you to bring your own wine and does not charge a corking fee! We arrived at the restaurant around 9pm and didn't actually eat our meal until 10:30pm...thus bringing Mike and I home around 12:45! We had planned on running a 5k this morning - NOPE! I did get in a spinning and yoga class that made me feel a little better...until I stepped on the scale.

Tonight I'm watching Sex and the City 2 with some fellow spinners/yogites...we're grabbing sushi beforehand and a couple of cosmos. I have been good all day, which hopefully will account for the caloric intake I'll be having this evening...the good thing about tight fitting clothes is that they sway you toward healthier eating options...I hope!