Look who I met!

Via Instagram

On Gina: Tee (option) | Skort 

So, not only did I get to meet my nephew for the first time this week, but I also got to meet this pretty lady! We have never met before ever, and although she has seen me in my blog videos, I didn't even know what she sounded like! The drive to see her was like mentally preparing for a blind date!

I've mentioned a few times having family in SoCal. I'm awful with geography though and never realized until I was in SoCal for my sister's shower in July that Gina was less than 2 hours from my dad's house. SAY WHAT?! So, we made a point to plan a meet up the next time I was in town, which was this week. Of course the plans were already mapped out in the stars for us - lunch and shopping, and most definitely including a trip to Express!

We didn't just run to Express though, we saved that for last. We were planning on getting sushi, but the restaurant ended up being closed until 4:30 despite the hours of operation listed on their doors. We opted for the Nordstrom bistro and chatted it up - which is way easier to do in person than text or email, FO SHO. After lunch, we made a quick stop down in accessories to see if they had any Kate Spade cases for the iPhone 6 yet (they didn't) and then we headed for Zara, which is a place we don't have at home - the closest one is 4 hours away! Yay - excited!

Unfortunately, we both left Zara empty handed. Everything was a bit wintery, which was hard to get in the mood for when it was pretty heated that day. Popped into Kate Spade also, but again left empty handed. Ok then, Express it is!

Floral skirt

I will say that it's hard to shop in person in Express when you frequent the website so often. I was specifically on a mission to find the navy stripe portofino (seen here and here) and this floral skirt (seen here and here.) Unfortunately, the navy stripe wasn't there, only the black and white stripe that I already own. BOOO. I did end up ordering that when I got home  when I saw it was not only marked down to $30, but an additional 10% off. Done and done. I was able to finally try on the floral skirt though.

I shall spare you the horror that is me trying it on. I figured it wouldn't work on me because I am already naturally high waisted and carry my weight in my midsection, so I always have to size up in high waisted fitting bottoms, and the result is just not flattering. I had already went up two sizes in this skirt because that's all they had, and it was still all the way up to my boobs! I would have had to go up a third size for it to fit comfy, but it would have been huge in the hips, and guys, sometimes it's ok to just say no. So, this was a fail for me, and I shall admire it from afar on the other fabulous bloggers.

Top | Skort

Ah. This outfit was more up my alley. I hadn't actually noticed this top on line, and you can never have too much red in your life, in my opinion. I love wearing red, but I have so very little of it in my wardrobe. This felt true to size - I liked that it was fitted but not tight.

The skort. The infamous skort. Whenever I see this, I think of the Zara version that was all the rage a few seasons ago. Express seems to be good at remaking successful pieces from other brands. I've always liked this but have never been able to take the plunge. I decided to try it on for grins. Nothing to lose, right? This black one is actually minus-the-leather, and while I love faux leather, I like that you can't really tell by looking at it that it's faux leather. I did size up in this knowing that faux leather doesn't have as much give as some other fabrics. 

Top (in moss green) | Skort

When I saw Gina grab the wine colored one for herself, I decided to try it, too. I did not size up in this one though - it's satin and a little more forgiving. I liked it a lot, too, but didn't think I could justify having TWO skorts in my collection, so I opted to just get the black pair - I want to wear it with black tights and black booties!

I was on the fence about the moss green top. You're probably thinking - um, isn't it just another portofino? Yes and no. The difference is that it doesn't have a collar, and it has a bit of a ruched detail at the shoulder seams. I wasn't sure if the no-collar look would be as versatile as the traditional portofino (it could look awkward layered under blazers and other jackets), but Gina pointed out that my hair covers the collar anyway. True that. Plus, I'm a sucker for all things olive right now - I have my utility vest, anorak jacket, and olive skinnies on constant repeat - so I figured this top will definitely get a lot of mileage.

Sadly/ironically, that's all I bought! But even though it wasn't a super productive shopping trip, the fact that I could share it with Gina *finally* in real life instead of texting was just perfection. When we were driving back to my dad's house after dropping her off, the husband said, "I wish you had girlfriends like that at home." ME TOO!!!

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Linking up for: Thrift Sisters with Ayana and Keren, What I Wore Wednesday, Random Wednesday, I Feel Pretty, Whatcha Wearin Wednesday