Three Ways to Wear Cool Tones Top & CRPS P.T. O.O.T.D.

Do you like all my acronyms? :) Here are a few ways I've worn out my Cool Tones Top from Anthropologie taken from my outfit archives. I think I really wore it more during the fall and winter last year than I did during the warmer months. I prefer it layered over a shirt -- surprise.

Here it is layered over my favorite layering top, the Pure and Good Slub Tee.  They are perfect for layering as they are thin, just low enough at the neck, and have interesting detail at the neck and cuff.

Then I threw on one of my favorite blazers, the Flipside Blazer. 

CRPS / RSD Update (Click here for more information about this condition.)
So far so good on the Lyrica. As I said before, it makes me extremely sleepy when I take it before bed, but it doesn't give me a lingering hung over feeling in the morning. I woke up with a horrendous headache yesterday that never really went away. I still had it when I went to bed, but no headache today. I'm not sure if this is even related to the Lyrica or Tramadol. So I hope this helps anyone else like me that was scared to take this drug.

In physical therapy today, we started with desentization exercises. She gently rubbed my foot all over for about 5 lovely, wonderful minutes and then she switched to rubbing it with a soft piece of material, then to a sheet, and then she rubbed it all over with a rough towel. Apparently, one of the nice symptoms of RSD, which I have yet to feel thank goodness, is extreme sensitivity to touch. So part of my treatment will be activities such as these to try to keep this from happening. We then moved on to the usual abc's, circles, and towel stretches, but she added heel raises, toe taps, and toe scrunches. I've been very impressed with both therapists I've seen. We laughed the whole time about one thing or another and especially when I would catch my other foot trying to go through the same motions as the bad foot. It was hilarious. I had to really concentrate to keep my good foot still. It's like the good foot was rooting on the bad foot, "Come on little buddy, you can do it! Like this -- see?" Yes, if you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a dork. ha, ha.

Here's my Physical Therapy OOTD. :)

My new and improved stabilizer boot. This one fits much better.

V.B.

Anthro Items for Review - Helpful for Popbacks?

More items that I scored during the sale at Anthropologie this December. 

I get better photo quality when I take the photos in the bathroom, but it is so much easier with my foot issues to just take them in my closet, so deal with the white specks. :D It's becoming my signature look after all.

Borderline Belt
In my humble opinion, this is the perfect belt to go with the Tweedy Leaves Dress. It has to be buckled on the 1st or 2nd buckle for the buckle to align perfectly, so you may want to size up. I tend to wear my belts higher so this works for me. When I tried to wear this with the Peppering Skirt, it sat lower and I had to buckle it on the 3rd buckle which made it off centered. It is actually a black belt with brown weaving, but still looks fine with this dress.

Tying it on with a dress to decide if the belt is a keeper.

Renewed Folds Pullover

I love this top. It has shoulder pads! I'm still debating on whether to take them out.

Avery Pullover

I got this for 50% off sale. Should I keep it or am I suffering once again from my well documented 7 Stages of Anthro Shopper Mind Control Disorder? Help! (You won't hurt my feelings.)

Essentially Yours Top

Almost paper thin but very soft. You have to wear a camisole under this and a neutral colored bra as well. I love the slight cowl neck. This will make a great layering shirt, and will give my poor Pure and Good Slub Tee a much needed break. :) I would love to score a popback in the red.

Essentially yours,

V.B.

Advantage In Skirt Outfits and Foot Update

Advantage Skirt with: Thick and Thin Henley Top, Coral Petal Top, Borrowed Blazer, Bisected Bow Jacket and Redux Jacket.

Some of you possibly, maybe purchased the Advantage In Skirt last year. It didn't get the greatest reviews, but I had really been wanting a gray denim skirt to wear with my black Hunter boots, so I took the plunge. I like it, but I don't love it. Since I got it on deep sale, I'm fine with this. I don't love it because it isn't lined and is therefore prone to static issues when wearing it with tights, which leads to the whole slip issue. Who wants to wear a slip with a casual denim skirt? Plus, it tends to poof a bit if the pleats aren't ironed and starched. I'm much pickier about issues like this now, and have to really love something if I'm going to deal with a slip or ironing. (I prefer to steam.)

Anyway, I'm dredging these photos from the archives as today was my first day of physical therapy, so my outfit was not photo worthy and I was too tired to finish trying on the last of my purchases and returns. I promise I'll get that done soon.

So on with the outfits . . .

These are photos of one of my infamous try-on sessions last year.

Coral Petals Top, Redux Jacket

Coral Petals Top under sweater

Bisected Bow Jacket

Thick and Thin Henley. I love this shirt. It goes with so many different types of outfits

Borrowed Blazer

I'm going to update my foot stuff at the bottom of outfit/review posts from now on, for those who are reading for updates with my tendon/RSD saga. In that way, my fashion friends can just skip over that stuff. It's easier just to plop it all here in this one blog. 

Quick Foot Update:

Day 1 of physical therapy. Physical therapist measured foot, measured range of motion, felt for pain areas. I did circles, alphabet movements with toes, and stretching to improve range of motion. My poor foot can hardly move and it went into spasms almost the whole time. He told me this is typical of RSD. Yay! I don't want to be classic, typical RSD. Boo. I'm so out of shape that even with Lyrica in my system and a whole pain pill, my leg ached a few hours later. I mean, ACHED from just doing little movements with my foot. That's pitiful. :)

Day 1 of Lyrica (and taking pain pills the way I'm supposed to.) 

The doctor told me Lyrica would help trick my nervous system into thinking nothing is wrong and would help me with the spasms, pins and needles, cold sensations and shooting pains. I didn't want to take it because the side effects are scary, but he told me that taking it, and managing my pain might just be all I need to beat this as we caught it early. 

I weighed this morning -- 108.8. We will see if I gain weight or bloat up as I was warned I might. I am going to allow for the P.F. Chang's spring rolls, crab wontons, and chicken low mein that I had for lunch and then dinner today. ha, ha. 

Day 1 Results?
It's amazing how much better it feels not to be in pain all the time. I guess I should have been taking my pain medicine regularly this whole time. duh :) The Lyrica did not make me feel dizzy or tipsy as some have said. I felt fine today. It did make me very sleepy. I took the first one last night along with my usual Tramadol, and it helped me have one of my best night's sleep in a long time. (My foot usually bothers me all night and keeps me up even with a whole pain pill.) When I woke up at 8:00, I was sleepy, but not an unmanageable sleepy. After a couple of cups of coffee, I was good to go. Even after taking a whole pain pill, which I'm not used to doing during the day, I still wasn't so sleepy that I couldn't concentrate or felt like nodding off. It was just a normal, tired feeling -- the kind we all deal with at work after not sleeping well. I have been fighting taking a nap all day, but never felt like I just had to go to sleep. So, that's good. That means so far, so good. I'll be able to take these pills when I go back to work next week. I have high hopes now for Lyrica helping me with my issues. Hooray!

The physical therapy is starting to sink in now. My foot is really talking to me, but that is to be expected. I go back to P.T. on Friday and we will do more. He wants to start slowly because of the RSD and also, he couldn't read my doctor's directions for P.T. so he didn't want to do anything else until he got someone to decipher it. How hilarious is that? :D

Till tomorrow,
V.B.

Made to Measure Tee Review & Week 11 Foot Update & Grainy Archive Outfit - Yay!

I've got basically nothing in the way of reviews or new outfit photos but I did get my sale and 25% off discount items today and I love them all, so reviews will be upcoming, but probably not until the weekend because I reinjured my stupid foot. Yes, I REINJURED my already injured foot! UGH! My goal was to rest up over winter break and hopefully move from the air boot to something less awkward. I hope this is still possible!

Made to Measure Tee

I do want to give a head's up quickie review of the Made to Measure Tee by Weston Wear. I tried it on today in my usual XS and it was WAAAAAY too tight in the stomach area. It fits well everywhere else, but the ruching in the stomach area is just too clingy and uncomfortable. I think I have only sized up to a small a total of two times in the 6 years I've shopped at Anthropologie, so I'd say this top runs small in the waistline. I'm going to exchange it for a small and hope for the best, because I really like the color, pattern and sleeves. I own a couple of Weston Wear dresses and they fit perfectly in XS, so I am surprised at the fit of this top. I'll post a photo of the small when I get it.

As for the foot, one of my students lunged into me without looking, stepped on my injured foot and caused me to slightly turn the foot as I struggled not to fall over. It is more swollen and painful than it was and is discolored again, so I'll need to rest up before doing another round of photos. 

It's a good thing I have all these great outfit photos saved up to share, now isn't it? Ha, ha. Here's a couple of ways I've worn this wool skirt my mother gave me.

Curtain Call Top & Rings and Things Necklace

This is a great top. It looks very professional tucked into a skirt, but also doubles as a lovely asymmetrical tunic for a "going out" look with skinny jeans and heels. I got the Rings and Things necklace on sale last year for $10 on a "Why not? It's only $10 whim" and ended up wearing it to death last year. I wore it so much, I'm actually tired of it now. :)

Anselle Necklace

I love this outfit as it has a nice vintage feel to it. I only wish the photos could do it justice. Well, that's all for now. Time to prop the old throbbing foot up. Until next time . . . whining over and out. :D

My First Attempt at Tying a Scarf: Iznik Scarf with the Monologue Top

Although, I'll admit to enjoying putting together outfits for work, I have no idea what I'm doing. 

I just buy what I like and hope for the best. Why so much Anthropologie? Well, for one, I like Anthropologie and no one I know really shops there, so my clothes are "different" and unique because of this.  I LOVE the sales and it is so easy to order from there as I know my size and how certain brands will fit. Secondly, I HATE shopping in malls and trying on clothes in stores. I would much rather order from the comfort of my own home, try on the clothes with my accessories and then send back what doesn't work -- also, I'm lucky in that I can ship back for free. 

Blah, blah, blah.  So, what was I writing about anyway? Oh yeah, the scarf. On to the scarf, already. Maybe I should retitle this post. Ha, ha.

Iznik Scarf and Monologue Top

How many of you can relate to the following? When I first bought and tried on the Iznik Scarf, my husband said it was stupid and it overwhelmed my little frame. Today when I emerged from my room ready for work, he went on and on about how much he liked the scarf. Of course, I'm sure he has no memory of his original negative comments. I've learned to not listen to him. :D

Lots of laughter,

V.B.