Psycho Dog Friday: Oops, He Blinked! and Video Fun

Psycho Dog often blinks when I'm taking his picture, and I think it's just so cute!

Here's a video below of some scenes from Purina's Incredible Dog Challenge, which is really fun to watch. The national competition was on ESPN last night, and some (okay, all) of these dogs are amazing to watch. Kuds to the dedicated handlers/owners/trainers who make this show so fun! My favorite event is probably the Jack Russell terrier hurdle race, which starts around the 1:05 mark. Keep an eye out though, it's very quick! The diving dogs event is also very cute. Enjoy! :)

Psycho Dog Friday: Flopping Puppy

Psycho Dog does this thing where he will just flop on the floor, do a little stretch/spasm, and then sprawl on the floor, sleeping by himself.  He used to do this all the time in our old apartment, where we had carpet, and it was always so cute.  For our current apartment, I picked him up this super soft blanket/pad, which he's now using as his flopping spot.  The little guy loves to flop in the afternoon sun (in between bouts of barking like a mad dog at everyone who walks by the backyard).

Liz Claiborne: Gingham-Print Dirndle Skirt Review

I have wanted Liz Claiborne's Gingham-Print Dirndle Skirt (style #LCMUA160) since pretty much the moment I saw it.  The skirt is numerically-sized, and is available in this one color, indigo multi.  Liz Claiborne describes the skirt as such:

The arrival of this fabulously feminine skirt has just made our day. A fusion of old-world style and new-age whimsy, it features a full and flirty shape, tulle trim and discreetly placed pockets. Its playful gingham print has an innocently sweet vibe that we're over the moon for.Cotton/silk. Fully lined, tulle trim. Side zip, hook & eye close. 2 onseam pockets, high-waisted. Machine wash.

When this skirt was finally available for purchase online, it sold out in many sizes pretty quickly, including mine.  When it finally went on sale, it was available in one size bigger than I needed, so I just grabbed it anyway.  This is a size 8.  I had bought another Liz Claiborne dirndl(e) skirt, and I had ordered a size 4, and it was way too small (granted, I didn't read the size measurements carefully enough - I should have ordered a 6).  I get that the skirt is supposed to be high-waised, but it was very high waisted.  I would have liked this gingham-print skirt in a 6, but I had to settle for an 8, and I'm very pleased with the way it fits.  I would recommend your regular size if you want the skirt to be very high waisted, and a size up if you want to be a little higher on the waist, and two sizes up if you want it lower on the waist.

Boyfriend really dislikes this skirt.  He said it looks like something from the 50s, but that's what I like it.  It's such a fun and sort of retro print!  The skirt has a lining, and the bottom hem of the lining is a stiffer strip of fabric, which helps give the bottom of the skirt some fullness and shape.  There is also a small strip of tulle underneath as well, which also adds some fullness.  The actual skirt is a very light, soft and silky fabric.  I was actually surprised how light it was.  It's very smooth and delicate feeling, and is definitely not as shiny as it photographs.

The skirt moves very well, and is definitely a fuller shape, so if you are worried about adding a lot of volume to your bottom half, you might want to stay away from this skirt.  On the flipside, if you want to hide anything on your bottom half, this skirt can definitely help you out with that, too.  The skirt comes just to my knees, so a nice length, and if I were to wear it higher on my waist, then it would be a bit shorter, but I'm happy with the length it is now.

As for the pattern, it's a very pretty cotton-candyish shade of pink, which I love, but I can see how some people might think it's too cutesy.  I do love the retro sort of vibe of this skirt, but again, I think that's a personal style choice, and can see how it is not for everyone.

I love this skirt, and am so glad I was able to get it, especially on sale!  I love the way they've paired it with floral print shoes on the model - I have a pair of very similar shoes from Payless, and I will be curious to see how it looks in real life.

What do you think?  Do you like this skirt?  Do you think it is too sweet looking?  What would you pair it with?

PS - I included Mr. PD in these pictures just because he does the same turns that I do - front, side, and back - when I am doing them, and that was too cute not to share.

Psycho Dog Friday: Sitting Pretty

Here's a picture of Mr. PD just hanging out on the couch.  When I work from home, PD spends most of his day snuggling as close to me as possible, buried under a layer of blankets, snoozing the day away.  Yesterday I was playing with the self timer feature on my camera, and he was my reluctant subject.  He is clearly so over this picture.

Psycho Dog Friday: Vintage Video

My dear little Psycho Dog is a miniature dachshund, and for those of you who don't know, dachshunds can be pretty vicious.  They were, after all, bred to hunt badgers.  (Warning: article may contain offensive language.)  Psycho Dog is a pretty high energy dog (thank God for daycare!), and last summer, we would take him to some nearby baseball fields, where a watery surprise was waiting to enrage him.

Psycho Dog Friday: Puppy in My Chair

Here is Psycho Dog, posing on my super comfortable chair from IKEA.  The back of our apartment is flooded with sun in the afternoon, and his one of his favorite activities is lounging in it.

OOTD: May 8, 2009 (Part II) and May 12, 2009

This is the second half of the OOTD from last Friday, May 8.  I changed when we went out to the movies.  I'm also wearing this outfit today (don't judge!).  Today I'm wearing:

• Jeans (Express)
• Scoopneck tee in bright pink and white stripes (Express)
• Twill blazer in black, with white piping and blue cuff accents (AE)

OOTD: May 10, 2009

I spent most of the morning in sweatpants and t-shirts, as I was finishing up my Mother's Day stuff.  I did, however, change for the actual dinner.  I normally wear a dress for family functions, if I can get away with it, but I was running late, so I didn't have time to pick out a cute dress.  Today I'm wearing:

• Jeans (Express)
• Jersey banded scoopneck collar top in dark pink (Express)
• Jersey open cardigan in black (Old Navy)
• Grosgrain belt in light pink, white, and yellow stripes (J.Crew)
• Brown buckle flats [half a size up] (Etienne Aigner, from TJMaxx)

The Boyfriend stuck with some basics.  Today he is wearing:

• Jeans (Express)
• Jersey polo in black (Express)
• Brown faux lether flip-flops (Skechers)

Pyscho Dog Friday: Sleeping Puppy

This is one of my favorite pictures of Psycho Dog.  We are bad dog owners, and let our dog sleep in bed with us, and one day I got up earlier than he did, and he actually stayed in bed, sprawled on the sheets, with the sun shining in his face.  Ahh, to be a dog!

OOTD: May 4, 2009

For today's outfit, I was only focused on one thing: no heels.  I work in an office where dress varies from suits and ties to ripped jeans and old polos (and even bare feet, gross), so I usually try to dress on the more professional side.  I really wanted to wear jeans-and-sneakers today, but I feel badly enough doing that on Fridays, so I opted for a skirt to avoid the dreaded heel (and give my legs some more recovery time).  Today I wore:

• Striped shirred skirt in grey [and petite!] (Gap)
• Modal/spandex square neck top in blue (Banana Republic Factory Outlet)
• Grey cardigan (Gap Outlet)
• Brown buckle flats [in half a size up] (Etienne Aigner, from TJMaxx)
• Long necklace in silver (New York & Company)

I ended up buttoning the cardigan up, so the picture above isn't exactly how I am wearing the outfit today.

And as an added bonus, now you can see The Boyfriend's OOTD!  He asked me to pick out his daily outfit a few times lately, so I told him he had to go on the blog if I were to continue.  So, here he is.  Today he is wearing:

• Jeans in a darker rinse (Express)
• Polo shirt with green and blue skinny stripes (Old Navy)
• Zip-up hoodie in navy (J.Crew)

PS - Notice which one of us Psycho Dog is posing with? ;)

Psycho Dog Fridays: Go, Dog, Go!

Here's today's picure if Psycho Dog.  Boy, can he run!  And he loves to run, too!

OOTD: April 25, 2009

Here is a picture of what I wore today - note that Psycho Dog wanted to get some face time, too.  Today was a nice, casual day for me, and the weather was super nice.  The Boyfriend took this picture right before we went out to get lunch and take Psycho Dog to the dog park.  Notice I'm holding a grey shirt - this is because I don't exactly live in Colts country, and I was changing before I went out.  Today I wore:

• Colts t-shirt (straight from Indy)
• Navy blue fleece/jersey pants (American Eagle)
• Turin sneakers (PUMA)