Lessons from the Real Housewives

Its no secret that one of my guilty pleasures is watching all of the "Real Housewives of ____" on Bravo. My favorite is OC, followed closely by the ladies of NJ. Right now, BH and ATL are running their seasons.

Bahahaha I just noticed my use of acronyms, can you tell I'm a military wife?

Okay back to the important stuff, Real Housewives and their so-called reality. We all know the show isn't totally real and these women are pretty damn dramatic but this all makes for good TV. I know most people connect to the characters on these shows by finding parallels between their lives and their own. Alot of people identify with Jacqueline from NJ because of her struggles with fertility. Or Brandi from BH because of her (now ex) spouse's, very public infidelity. Or the dynamic of the sisterly bond between Gina and Caroline on NJ. For myself, I just watch the shows to get my dose of drama. I don't like it so much in real life, but for an hour I will live vicariously through these women to get my fill.

Usually these women find themselves in situations that I will probably never ever get myself into. Like selling stories to the tabloids about my friends. Or getting sued for slander. Or being accused of making a copycat booty workout video. Maybe the closest I would get would be eating a piece of cake before it had been ceremoniously cut...haha! 

Well after watching an episode of RHOBV, I found myself thinking, "Hey I've been in that situation before and I am glad I did not handle it the way she did!". To sum up this catfight, these two women were friends (Brandi & Adrienne) and for some reason or another the friendship started going bad. Then because of her bitter feelings Brandi revealed some big secret about Adrienne, something so secret that lawyers are involved.

I think we have all been there, the ending of a friendship. It happens for many different reasons and sometimes they are are quite dramatic. I had what I thought to be a very close friendship end very suddenly. Both of our feelings were hurt. But instead of turning this into a reality TV situation, I kept my mouth shut despite what other parties involved were doing. Whatever secrets or confidences were told to me when we were friends, I kept it that way despite our friendship dissolving. I am adult and I am aware that whatever comes out of my mouth is a reflection of me. That is what you should have done Ms. Brandi from RHOBV. When Adrienne told you that secret, it was because you were close friends. Just because the friendship ends doesn't mean you can run around telling those secrets, even if you feel like Adrienne had wronged you or was running her mouth.

*NEWSFLASH* When you gossip about someone else, it only temporarily makes you feel better. In the long run though, it makes you look worse and you will feel that way too. 

When you open your mouth and air out someone else's dirty laundry, you are the one that looks like an a**. Why would anyone trust you after so publicly telling someone else's business? Instead of making her look like a fool and gaining sympathy points for yourself, it backfired and you are the one that looks likes an idiot. At least now I know what would have happened had I decided to run around town telling my ex-bestie's darkest secrets. I mean, I doubt she would have lawyered up but I get the gist of it.

So thank you Real Housewives for showing my how NOT to deal with situations. I love love love the drama on your shows but not-so-much in my real life. 
 

 

Ready for Sweater Weather!

I am officially ready for cooler weather! I was going through my closet and looking around online to determine my fall wardrobe. All the stores at the mall are starting to have huge sales, I scored some amazing pieces at Express to work into my fall looks! Of course I have my favorites from last season: 

Tall boots: They go perfect over straight or skinny leg jeans, with skirts & dresses!

 

A cardigan with a belt! 

 If you are having a fat day, wearing this combo won't make you feel like you are saying "Hey look at my tummy poking out" plus the skinny belt accentuates the smallest part of your midsection: your waist! You can dress this look up or down, wear with jeans or a skirt!

 

I love sweater dresses, I have like 3 of them! I can dress up or down in these, add cute patterned stockings & statement jewelry! You can pair this one with that skinny belt or even a wider belt. Or go for a dress with a different cut, like empire waist if you are self-conscious about your midsection.  

 

Lastly, a ladies inspired blazer! I love how it can be thrown over a white tee and jeans (like the pic). I like to dress it up by throwing it over a dress or wearing with a sparkly top underneath. I personally like the longer blazers that hit below the hips, I think it makes for an elongating and slimming effect. 

And of course a MUST have is a basic long sleeved tee. They go with anything, pair with skirts or any color jeans. Wear them under cardigans or any sort of jacket. Also great to wear as layering pieces. I like this tee especially because of the light cotton material, the extra long sleeves, and the detail around the neck so it isn't just a plain boring tee. I love tucking these into skirts like in the photo too!

 

What I like best about all these pieces: it doesn't matter what your size or shape is, you can make each one work! If you don't like skinny jeans, go for a straight leg cut! Just make sure they fit, baggy jeans don't flatter at all! If you are small chested like myself, you can wear a blazer with wider lapels or a sweater dress with ruffle detail along the neckline. If you were blessed with a larger bust and hips, the belted styles will definitely help accentuate your amazing curves! Don't let style intimidate you because you see it on stick thin models, you can make it work for you. 

 

I have a few pieces I am dying to try out too, the weather just needs to cooperate so I am not sweaty mess!

I found a pair of AMAZING high waist jeans! Yup, I want to rock the mom jeans. Pros: no worries about muffin top! I found this pair on clearance for $20 at The Limited. Those of you that know me, I have a minor addiction to that store but I never buy anything at full price! They have stellar sales and functional, quality clothing. Anyways, these jeans are a cotton stretch blend so they aren't undesirably clingy on my tummy. Plus they have the flare at the bottom that balances out the way these pants accentuate my hips. I plan on pairing these with this top I bought on super sale from Express:

 

 This is what I would consider to be a thin sweater tee, but it has these cute ruffle sleeves! It looks super cute tucked into the high waist jeans. And guess what? When it gets even cooler out, I can pair this outfit with a long open cardigan, score!

I have been searching for a while now to find the perfect loose style top that didn't make me look like I was 10 sizes bigger than I actually am. I figured it was a lost cause, I mean how can a baggy shirt make you look skinny? Well I think I finally found my answer with this dolman sleeved sweater from Express (on sale of course!). I like how it is fitted from the waist down to the hips, instead of just at the hips with other shirts like this I have seen. When it gets even cooler outside, I can even put a fitted long sleeved tee underneath. 

I may not be able to wear this skirt much, but I am the MOST excited about this piece. Its a bright coral color underneath the black flowery lace. I am planning on pairing it with a simple black tee (any sleeve length) tucked it, maybe with stockings (no crazy pattern though, it would make the outfit too busy perhaps solid lines?) and black boots or flats. I'll have to work with it, I love the skirt but I don't want to wear too much black if there is such a thing!

 

 

 

 Okay there is one thing I have been wanting to purchase since last season and I am officially on the lookout for a cute leather jacket at a good price:

I absolutely LOVE how they mix this leather jacket with feminine pieces. This outfit would even look great if you swapped out the skirt with jeans, dark wash or even a gray color! I would wear the leather jacket with feminine flowing tops, with lots of color or floral pattern, stripes would look great too. So many options...

 

 

What are you most excited about wearing this fall? 

 

 

 

 

"Real" Housewives?

Lately all I seem to be talking about is the deployment. Frankly, I am so over of it. There is more to me than this woman going through a deployment, I can be interested in other things too!

I have a few guilty pleasures, one of which being reality TV. I hate to admit but I keep up with "Teen Mom", "16 and Pregnant", and I especially love all the "Real Housewives" shows on Bravo. Some reality shows are more real than others. I think the "Teen Mom" and "16 and Pregnant" series are pretty realistic and show just how hard being a mom is period, especially when you are still in high school. How many of those girls end up staying with their baby's daddy? By the reunion show most of the guys are either no shows or have moved on to their next girlfriend. I think some young girls glorify pregnancy and see it as a chance at "Happily Ever After". They think if they have a baby it will fix all the problems their relationship has and magically everything will work out. I know there are nay sayers out there that say the shows in fact makes teen pregnancy seem more attractive because you have a chance at being a TV reality star. For me, if these shows had been around when I was growing up I definitely would have waited until after high school to loose my virginity. I was fortunate and didn't end up pregnant but even though your parents tell you about the consequences, hard headed teens just don't get it sometimes unless someone else tells them. I bet if you ask any Macy, Farrah, Leah, or any of the teen moms they would say the same thing.

Now for my favorite reality shows, "The Real Housewives"! Even though I don't believe for one second these shows are very realistic, I can't help but watch. I've viewed every season of every different city and I am the biggest fan of the New Jersey wives. If I ever got into a fight, I'd want Caroline backing me up! I started wondering today, why isn't my life so magnificent and dramatic, I'm a housewife?! Why don't I get to dress up and attend glitzy social events, does going to the command holiday party count? I wouldn't mind having someone to drive me around, clean my house, fix my food. Oh I would LOVE having someone styling my hair and doing my makeup every day, selecting my clothes for me too. Who wouldn't like that?

You know what they should do? A "Real Housewives" series based on military wives. At least there would be something admirable about a show centered around milispouses because our S.O.'s serve our country! Plus, there is plenty of drama to keep an audience hooked. I think a show like that would be more relate-able to the general public. We have to penny-pinch, sacrifice sleep & sanity, fix what is broken, run errands, and have our lives revolve around the military's schedule. I guess while it all may be inspiring to people, they may not want to see something so realistic and would rather watch the fantasy these other "housewives" have to offer. 

Have I mentioned my giveaway? Click here to enter!