Fluevog Visit with Friends

I went on a Fluevog run over the weekend with two of my favorite women on the planet. MP and E joined me on my visit to the L.A. store, where we hung out with amazing Fluevog "dealers" Kate and Anthony for a couple of shoegasmic hours. This was big for the three of us, because it was the first time we'd been able to go out together sans kids in a very long time. Even dealing with L.A. traffic and parking couldn't undermine our excitement. You don't know how much it takes to schedule an outing like this! Finding reliable and inexpensive (i.e., free family!) care for our kids is a big headache. But it happened and it was SO WORTH IT. We had a blast. After Fluevogs, we went down the street on Melrose to a delicious Asian fusion restaurant called Pingtung, then we hit Koreatown for some seriously-good boba tea before going home. Aside from the driving and parking, it was heavenly -- but luck was on our side even for the parking! Such a fun afternoon/night.

On me (right): Top: Ellison Ellison Ellison via ModCloth | Jumper: Ezra via ModCloth | Tights: Worthington | Shoes: Fluevog Guide (exact)

So what's funny about our outfits is that the other ladies are wearing my clothes -- or, rather, their clothes now. I was incredibly happy to be able to find new loving homes for many of my garments. For a long time, I'd been meaning to go through the jungle of my closet and ruthlessly thin out my collection. It was shameful to me how many clothes I'd hoarded. Clothes that simply don't look good on my body shape. Clothes that don't fit well and never will. Clothes that do fit but will rarely if ever see the light of day again because they're not really my style (anymore). Our outing gave me the impetus to finally go through my closet. We found an afternoon when we could all hang out together (with kids, of course) so the two ladies could try on the clothes and see which ones they'd want to keep.

MP is wearing a dress that you may remember from almost two years ago, and it looks so much better on her!! And E is wearing a top that I fell in love with -- it's delicate and lovely and feels wonderful on your skin -- but that I've NEVER worn. It was on my "What to Wear this Summer" list and I tried, I really did, but it just didn't work. Given the shape of my shoulders and upper arms, the top made me look like a balloon, especially since it's shapeless at the waist. On her, though? Wow. And with that gorgeous princess hair, so many guys kept eyeing her as we drove and walked in L.A.! It made me and MP giggle because it was so awesome. It's like, when a dear friend you love finally feels as beautiful as she really is, it is a wonder to witness it.

Slightly different poses

A fun candid

I couldn't figure out which shoes to wear with the outfit. Below were the two finalists. What do you think? Did I choose the right one?

With the Fluevog Giulias (exact)

With the Fluevog Guides

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Our Time at the Melrose Store

This was the first time E had visited Fluevog or tried on their shoes. She'd seen my collection over the years, of course, and loved the shoes, but she wasn't ready to try them on until this fall. Until she was happy with the results of her healthier eating and regular workouts, she didn't want to buy any new clothes or shoes. The plan was to lose all the excess weight she'd gained from having three kids, and woohoo she did it! She looks amazing. MP and I demanded that she leave her beautiful long hair down for this excursion, and you can see why. :-)

PSA: Fluevog Sale on Amazon! [ENDED]

I JUST found out about this sale on Fluevogs and lots of other brands (and handbags) at Amazon, and I had to share immediately because I don't know how long the sale will last. It's a whopping 30% off the newest Fall styles of Fluevogs, some of which probably won't go on sale during the January winter sale. If you're worried about your size running out (like I am, since they don't make many in the smallest and the largest sizes), this might be a good time to invest. I have a feeling I will, but I'm going to sleep on it ... hopefully the sale won't be over tomorrow!

You'll need to enter the promo code 30OFF100 during checkout.

The list of 32 women's Fluevog styles on sale is here (or click on the photo).

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The 10 men's Fluevog styles are here (or click on the photo).

xo, Gladys

Misty Purple and Jewel Toned Stripes

Dress: Ladakh via ModCloth | Shoes: Fluevog Angela (7th Heaven family)

The requisite hands-in-pocket photo, just to show you the dress has pockets :-)

There are more photos in this post than strictly necessary, but as I've noted before, I tend to post more photos when I especially like the outfit, simple as it is. I like both the dress and shoes very much. I blogged about the dress earlier this year in the spring, but the current photos are more true to life in terms of the colors. Last spring, we took the photos in harsh sunlight; this time around, the midday light was milder and thus better for photographing. (Also, I don't have my hands in my pockets in all of these photos like I did in the spring pix!)

I paired the dress with my new-ish Fluevogs, the Angela maryjanes (which I've also blogged about previously). I love how well they match, the purples, grays, and blacks. The purple and gray stripes on the dress aren't solid, but more like heather lavender and heather gray, which echo the swirly purple-and-gray of the shoes. It's a sufficiently-different look than when I wore the dress with my burgundy Fluevog Mini heels, and indeed wearing flats toned down the dressiness, which is exactly what I wanted.

I wore the outfit to my twin nephews' first birthday party last weekend. Aren't they delicious?? The theme of the party was Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which is sooooo perfect because my nephews are big eaters! And my sister-in-law hand-sewed those adorable personalized t-shirts. So cool!

It was a lot of fun, and OMG there was so much food. I definitely overdosed on carbs and sugar, which I'm still paying for this week. Yikes. (If anyone ever tells you that sugar and carbs aren't addictive substances, either they haven't really thought that carefully about it or they're lying! Or maybe they're one of the few lucky people on the planet who really don't like sweet things. lol)

And here's a last photo of the painted frog on my forearm. There was a face-painter at the party who looked a little bored, so I went over to get painted. But since I didn't want the paint on my face, my arm was a good substitute. I almost got a panda, but I thought this froggy was fun, even though from far away it looked like an old tattoo. The littles thought it was cool, though. :-)

xo, Gladys

Multicolor Chevron

Top: Newbury Kustom via ModCloth | Jeans: GAP outlet | Shoes: Fluevog Amie via Amazon

I really dig this top. It's another item I got during ModCloth's last 70% off sale! It was fun to wear when I volunteered at my son's kindergarten class for a few hours. It wasn't too dressy, and I appreciated the way it didn't cling to my curves but still looked slim. I noticed that the kids' eyes were really drawn to the print, too. I can't blame them. :-) I only wish I'd worn a less-baggy pair of jeans or pants. But still, it was a solid outfit that definitely fit the purpose.

xo, Gladys

Floral Circle Skirt

I have been wearing nice(-ish) outfits lately! Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to post them here until now. Settling into my son's school schedule + nonstop reading + weekly workout regimen have taken up lots of energy. It's easier for me to just veg out with a book at night than to process photos and upload them. BUT I'll try to put up more outfit posts before the weather gets really cold and it looks weird that I'm posting about wearing summer dresses in the middle of October.

Speaking of which, it's October tomorrow! It's almost Halloween and I have no clue what to do for my costume. Very different situation than last year. Is it finally time to get back into sewing?

Dress: Ginger Lamb via ModCloth | Cardi: GAP | Shoes: Fluevog Amie via Amazon

Anyway, I really, really like this dress. It's all cotton and quite comfortable. (I just need to iron the bodice fold.) The twirly circle skirt is also lined, which is why it looks so full. What luxury! I'm loving it with the cardigan. I wore this outfit to have a sushi dinner -- hence the indoor nighttime photos, sorry -- with one of my favorite people, MP, who recently got a new job. (Woohoo! It's only part-time, but this is BIG; she's been looking for a long time and finally has a foot in the door to her chosen career. I'm so excited for her!)

Here's what the dress looks like without the cardi. Check out the pockets and shirred back. :-) As you can see, it's actually a summer dress, but the muted reds and blues are perfect for the fall. Add a warm pair of navy tights with the cardigan and it'll even work for the wintertime here in Southern California. Purchased at ModCloth during their 70% off summer sale a month or so ago. Win!

xo, Gladys