These (Faux) Boots Were Made for Walkin'

I realized pretty quickly into fall that my cowboy boots (long a favorite staple of my cold weather wardrobe) weren't going to be appropriate for work. Why?

Because my students literally make fun of me all day. (There may have even been poems written about how I'm a cowgirl. Rude.)

Luckily for me, one of my many AMAZING activities in Charlotte this past three day weekend was a trip to Forever 21, where I found these great, non-leather, Steve Madden knockoffs buried beneath piles and piles of stiletto heels.

Buckled Leatherette Boots $34.80

I wore them today with one of my favorite Marshall's finds. I knew I looked nice when my most, uh, rambunctious student walked in an immediately asked "Ms. G, who you trying to impress with those fancy new boots and that makeup on yo face?"


I took it as a middle-school version of a compliment. $34.80 well spent.

Faux for Fall

Thanks to my hectic first year teaching schedule, I haven't been cooking my lately. (More like eating pita and hummus straight out of the container. But that's another story.)

What I have been doing? A lot of online shopping. (Some call it wasting time. Some call it having my priorities straight. Either way, I'm determined to have a cute wardrobe even while living in the boonies.)

I visited my old stomping grounds of Charlotte this past weekend, where I was able to once again peruse my old roomie's closet for clothes to hit the town in. My pick? A gorgeous faux fur vest she got from H & M a few years ago.

If loving this vest is wrong, I don't want to be right

Alas, I tried to sneak it into my suitcase before I left, but she caught me. (Crap.) Since H&M no longer has it, I've been spending the hours I should be planning  searching for other options. (By "other options" I mean "exact replicas".)

Luckily, Forever 21 has a vegan friendly campaign going on:

Hellooooooooo happiness. The only problem? I'm really attached to roomie's vest. It's length, shape, and color are just right without crossing into Rachel Zoe territory. The only comparable one I could find is this:

Cheetah Lined Vest $30.24

What do you think? Is the orange/rust color too much or a good punch of color for fall and winter?

Express also had this version:

But at $98, I'm not sure I love it.

BB Dakota has a similar one for a little less money:

What's your vote?

Tracy Anderson Method

I posted yesterday about my gym vs. home workout debate. I'm pretty convinced that working out at home would be the better option, but some structure would do my body good.

I'm interested in buying a set of workout DVDs, like Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis. Has anyone tried these? What did you think?

My roommate and I attempted p90x last year and lasted all of ....4 days. I'm much more motivated to do tough workouts when others are watching, but Tracy's workout seems like a better fit for me. (Mostly because Gwyneth Paltrow is in the informercials. I'm a sucker for celebrity endorsements.)

Any other at-home workouts that you'd recommend?