fit•ness (fit-nis) | inspiration

What inspires you to push yourself harder, faster, longer and stronger?  I used to keep a picture of myself when I was 60 lbs heavier (see image below) in my wallet to really drive my motivation.  These days, it's a size 4 dress that I wear and display in my closet that remind me to keep up with my workout regime, but sometimes it's as simple as new workout gear to really get me inspired.

I've been in the market for some new kicks for a few months now and in all honesty I just haven't found the pair.  I'm just as selective in my workout gear, as I am with everyday wear to pick out something that's unique and shows a bit of personality.  For awhile, I was debating on creating a pair of custom NIKE ID shoes, but I didn't want to wait that long to get them...that was over 2 months ago.

If I had ordered them, I wouldn't be writing this post, but I'm so glad I didn't because NIKE is unveiling their limited edition Chicago LunarGlide+3 shoe designed by local artist Tara D.  To celebrate its launch, NIKE is inviting YOU to partake in all the festivities this Saturday in Chicago!  What better way re-boost your workout routine than to checkout NIKE's latest Fall running/marathon gear complete with a DJ, drinks, food and raffle to keep you motivated.  To join in the festivities check out the invite below.

Timing for this event couldn't be better.  In exchange for inviting you all to this awesome event, NIKE will send me a pair of these amazeball kicks - the inspiration I need to get my butt in gear for my Mexication Part Dos happening February 2012.   I've got 3 months and 20 pounds to lose before I head over to Cabo for my best friend's wedding and my birthday.  I can't think of a better way to be motivated than new kicks and the thought of a new figure to celebrate in 3 months.  If you're in Chicago, come check out NIKE + Akin's event this Saturday and snag a pair of Tara D's limited edition LunarGlide+3 - I guarantee with these bad boys someone will definitely have shoe envy.

|What inspires you to stick to a workout routine or start one?|

fash•ion (fash-uh n) | liz week at jcpenney

Right after college Matt worked at JCPenney as an undercover security guard while he was trying to find his career path (for guys it's a little more delayed than girls). While he was working there I had full access to his discount. Sadly, that was years ago (8 to be exact) and at the time they didn't have great partnerships with labels like Liz Clairborne, which exist today. 

A year ago, Liz Claiborne partnered with JCPenney and to celebrate the anniversary, JCPenney is declairing this week as "Liz Week".  As part of the festivities JCPenney asigned 7 bloggers, from cities across the U.S., a different day of the entire week to showcase outfits that can be put together with Liz Claiborne's Fall collection.

Since Fall is the perfect season to embrace layers, I was excited to build an outfit that gave me an opportunity to buy a few key pieces that can be worn individually or all together.  The key to any good Fall outfit is the ability to strip and add layers just in case temperatures vary throughout the day.  I can't think of anything worse than when I'm freezing outside in sub-zero temperatures, but when I go inside it's a sauna in my office. 

To address the un-predictable hot flashes and chills that I experience in the winter, I put together an outfit that could easily be adjusted using three key Liz Claiborne pieces - the Wide Collar Cardigan, Belted Shirt Dress and a sleeveless tie shirt (unavailable online).  I used the sleeveless shirt as the foundation of my outfit and layered the dress over it. Instead of using the belt that came with the dress, I used the tie that came with the shirt to make the pattern stand out more.  I topped my outfit off with the cardigan to keep me warm. With this outfit I can gallivant outside while it's cold and sit comfortably indoors without sweating up a storm.

outfit details | dress, shirt & sweater - c/o jcpenney | boots - nine west | necklace - vintage|

I'm so glad JCPenney asked me to be part of the "Liz Week" celebration and share with you some of the wonderful pieces from their Fall collection.  If you're interested in joining the festivities, JCPenney is hosting a contest, offering discounts and much more.  Click here to find out more about how you can participate in "Liz Week"!

Thank you to JCPenney for providing me with a gift card to explore the latest Liz Claiborne collection and for recruiting me to be a part of the celebration!

food (food) | pot roast soup

Last week Matt was sick and I decided to make him some soup.  I wanted something a little heartier than the typical chicken noodle you would normally serve to someone recovering from a cold, so I decided to McGyver up a pot roast soup from scratch.

What you'll need:

• 1 - 2 lbs of pre-cooked pot roast (I bought a pre-cooked one from Trader Joe's)
• 1 leek stalk sliced
• Mirepoix (chopped celery, onion and carrots - Trader Joe's sells this pre-made)
• 4 large carrots sliced thick
• 2 garlic cloves chopped
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 boxes of beef broth (approx. 8 cups)
• 1 cup of baby potatoes
• 1/2 cup of red wine
• 1 tablespoon of worchester sauce
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large pot heat olive oil (about 2 turns of the pot) on medium and add mirepoix, garlic and chopped carrots, then cook until vegetables look tender.
2. Add potatoes, leeks and thyme (off of the stems).  Mix well with other vegetables and season with salt/pepper.
3. Break or cube the pot roast into thicker pieces.  Add to pot with beef broth, wine and worchester sauce.
4. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Let soup simmer for 20 minutes and serve.

This recipe makes about 8 - 10 servings (approx. 1 cup per serving) and freezes great.  Pot roast soup is perfect for days when you're sick or days when you're just looking for a nice comforting meal. I'm so excited because this recipe will definitely be a winter staple!

fash•ion (fash-uh n) | bow-ties & red lipstick

Ever since I did this shoot with Rachel a few months ago, her Tokyo bow tie has been one of my favorite accessories.  I love its versatility from using it as a hair bow, headband, accent on my bag or in this case using it as any man would wear it.  Bow ties are a menswear must and to make it a little more lady like - there's nothing better to pair with it than a bright red lipstick.

outfit details | dress - c/o gap | blazer - h&m | bow tie - c/o style coooperative | shoes - missoni for target (kids) | purse - c/o brash for payless shoes | lipstick - nars lip crayon in dragon lady |

|What are your thoughts on bow ties? Is it on your list of must haves for this fall?|

beau•ty (byoo-ty) | lisa from archives vintage

This is my new post series called "Beauty". Every week, I'll introduce you to a blogger who has been kind enough to share their story about a feature they love now that once brought insecurities and how they learned to love it. Together, these women will help re-define beauty in their own words and will hopefully help others feel more comfortable in their own skin because each of you are beautiful - you should feel that way everyday!

Meet this week's beauty - Lisa from Archives Vintage.

1) What is your favorite feature that you didn't always love, but have learned to appreciate?

Well, I can’t say this is a “favorite” feature, but it’s one I’ve had a struggle to appreciate: mah boobs. Get ready for a little over-sharing....

I went through puberty fairly early (as in 10/11 years old!), and one of the first signs was my (quickly) growing chest. By the time I was 13, my bra size was the same as my mothers. I didn’t think much of it - not like I had much of a choice in the matter. Then, one day in 8th grade, the boy who sat in front of me in class turned around and accused me in front of the entire classroom, “Lisa, stop stuffing your bra! Don’t you think everyone notices they’re bigger everyday?!” As a shy kid, I was totally, utterly mortified.

As I got older, I realized not all boys thought my boobs were worth joking bout. In fact, some men like them so much, they feel it’s all they need to look at when trying to hold a conversation with me. One co-worker from an old job would without fail, always talk to my chest and not my face.

Wearing bathing suits, button-up shirts, anything form-fitting is difficult. I often have to buy larger sizes so a garment will fit my boobs, and then have it tailored down everywhere else. I spend a lot of time trying to conceal them!

2) What made you learn to love it?

Wearing the right bra!

Remember when I said I wore the same size bra as my mother at 13? Well, as my breasts grew..I never bought bigger bras (why?!). When I was in my early 20’s, I got measured at Victoria's Secret. They told me I was a D cup. For all of my adult life, I had been wearing a B! D cup bras provided some relief from falling straps, overflowing cups, etc. But something STILL wasn’t quite right. (note: Victoria’s Secret only sells up to a D cup). A few years later, I got measured at a different retail store which informed me I am actually (for real this time), an F CUP! Now that I am wearing the proper bra size, they are much better supported. I have less back pain, and my garments fit better.

Oh, and I’ve never had a boyfriend complain about them, so that’s a plus ;)

3) Any advice for other beautiful women out there who struggle with being comfortable in their own skin?

In regards to breasts, I would definitely recommend getting professionally fitted. It makes all the difference!

fash•ion (fash-uh n) | mid-week denim

Monday - Thursday I have a business casual dress code at work which basically restricts us from wearing jeans.  Friday is the casual dress day when everyone can wear jeans and because I struggle with finding the perfect pair that looks the way I want them to look, I rarely exercise that option. 

Just because I have an aversion to jeans on me, doesn't mean I don't love denim.  I love it.  Since I struggle finding the right pair of jeans that fit me right, I have to find other forms of denim to wear.

outfit details | dress & vest - thrifted | belt - michael kors | boots - dingo by steve madden | necklace - c/o diviene|

Insert this denim dress I scored at Goodwill for $5.  Yes, it does sort of resemble something Dolly Parton would have worn in the 80s (or present day), but it has become a great staple in my closet.  I would never dare wear the dress on its own because it is a little much, but throwing on a vest, sweater or doubling it up with another button down over it changes its dynamic.  However, I'll be honest, if I didn't find $5 in the dress pocket while I was trying it on, I may have not bought it.  A denim dress can be seen as a huge fashion no-no or in my case it could be an alternative option to celebrating the joy of denim since I can't with jeans.  However, the best part though about this dress, is that I can sort of bend the no jeans rule mid-week because technically this is a dress and not pants. :)

|What are your thoughts on denim beyond the traditional pair of pants? Yay or nay?|

mov•ie (moo-vee) | drive

I've slacked on sharing the great movies we've seen and over the last 4 weeks I've seen A LOT.  In fact there was one week where I was at the movie theaters 4 times in 5 days and 2 of those days I saw Roger Ebert...back to back.  I don't remember the last time I was that starstruck, and I've spotted some great celebs, but he is so legendary. 

This weekend I made sure that we saw Drive.  Aside from already declaring my obsession with Ryan Gosling in this post, we heard great reviews and couldn't end the weekend without seeing it.  

I don't even know where to begin with this movie because words can't even describe what I felt during and after seeing it. In all honesty, I have to say that for me it was like a more modern Scarface.  Not the premise of the movie per se, but more so the music, cinematography and gritty nature of the storyline - artistically the movie embraces a similar look to Scarface. 

There isn't much to the dialogue that would require you to pay close attention and even if no one spoke, each character had so much emotion that paired with the music, that alone could explain the movie perfectly.  In fact, Gosling plays a character that doesn't say much and I think that's what is so intriguing about him.  He has a welcoming smile which makes it so easy for Irene (played by Carey Mulligan) to be friends with him, but because he's not a man of many words - it's hard to see what he's hiding and the types of things he's capable of.

The cast was well rounded with Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks and Christina Hendricks support Gosling's un-describable performance.  And if you love Breaking Bad, you'll definitely appreciate Cranston's character in this movie.  In my opinion, this movie is so emotionally stimulating and you can't help but feel something - whether it's sadness, anger, empowerment - it'll definitely get you thinking.  Lastly, as if the movie itself wasn't already great, the soundtrack is pretty much the best thing I've downloaded in awhile.  It's a little dark and it's an acquired taste, so if that's how you roll I highly recommend downloading it.

|Did you see Drive this weekend?  What did you think?|

fash•ion (fash-uh n) | backwards

Rules are meant to be broken.  That saying applies to many things in life, but even more so, fashion and styling.  Just because we buy one item, and it's meant to be worn a certain way, doesn't mean that's the only way.  For example this Gap shirt.  I'm actually wearing it backwards. 

This isn't an homage to the once popular duo Kriss Kross who sang that one hit wonder, Jump, and wore their clothes backwards as a trend. However, I have to think that maybe they were on to something.  This shirt, although cute if worn the right way, just looked a lot cuter backwards and offered a totally different look which will be great for remixing.

outfit details | dress - target | shirt - c/o gap | boots - urban outfitters | necklace - gifted | earrings - vintage |

|Have you discovered different ways to wear an item beyond the way it's suppose to be worn?|

beau•ty (byoo-tee) | shannon from laughing is loving

This is my new post series called "Beauty". Every week, I'll introduce you to a blogger who has been kind enough to share their story about a feature they love now that once brought insecurities and how they learned to love it. Together, these women will help re-define beauty in their own words and will hopefully help others feel more comfortable in their own skin because each of you are beautiful - you should feel that way everyday!

Meet this week's beauty - Shannon from Laughing Is Loving.

Hi there readers of Defining Tabitha! I’m Shannon and I’m so glad, honored really, that Tabitha asked me to contribute to her blog. When Tabitha initially asked me to write about beauty and what feature I loved about myself, I was truly stumped as to what I would write about.

Being a human being, insecurity is part of the package; and I’m sure we can all relate. Having a great group of family and friends to surround me in love and support definitely helps me get through the tough days. But the biggest victories are the days where I can pull myself up by my bootstraps, take a look in the mirror, and smile in thankfulness for what I have.

After many years of mulling over what I didn’t have, I learned to be thankful and appreciative for what I did have – and it even applied when it came to my looks!

Personally, I have always struggled with my weight. It’s certainly a burden that many people, especially women, have carried for a long time. For me, it’s been something I’ve dealt with my whole life. I don’t think I’ve ever been small as long as I can remember – and being 5’5” by the time I was in 5^th grade certainly didn’t help.

In recent years, I had let my weight get out of control. I ballooned to 260 lbs and on my nearly 5’6” frame, that’s far too much weight to bear. Thanks to some dedication and sweat equity, I managed to drop some serious weight and move toward something that’s healthier for me.

So, now, my favorite feature is my body!

Sure, it’s still no size 6, but I have learned to love my curves and really learn how to appreciate them. What helped me learn to love my body was finally learning how to dress it, especially once I’d lost the weight. I had to learn to camouflage what I didn’t want to be seen (like my arms) and work with what assets I really liked (like my legs). That meant:

·         Heels or flats with a pointed toe to accentuate the leg line

·         Lots and LOTS of vertical stripes

·         Wearing cardigans

·         Belts, belts, belts! (Especially of the high-waisted variety)

Now that I’ve learned to love and appreciate my body, I do have some advice for the ladies out there who may be feeling the same insecurities that I once felt.

·         If you want to change your weight, take steps to do so! The way that I got started was by joining a gym with some friends from work and that accountability really pushed me to work harder on being healthy.

·         Don’t sweat the size. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I will never be a size 6 or weigh 110 lbs – it just doesn’t work for my body type. Don’t force yourself to be a certain size or weight – just aim to be a healthier you!

·         Make a list of what you (and your friends) love about you. This may sound really ridiculous, but writing out those affirmations really can turn your frown upside-down.

·         And most of all, always remember how lucky you are to be you and to look the way that you do. Despite the imperfections that you see, someone out there probably wishes they looked like you! Rejoice in the good things you have in your life and that positive vibe will soon spread.

Xoxo,

Shannon

fash•ion (fash-uh n) | clothing swap

Last weekend I started cleaning my closet and slowly rotating my items that were packed away for the Summer.  I do this every time the seasons change and as I was doing it I realized that a couple of other friends were doing the same thing.  Knowing that we were all getting rid of stuff, instead of taking everything straight to be donated, this Sunday we decided to get together for a clothing swap.  We had never done a swap before, but after doing a mini impromptu one I think we've found a new seasonal tradition.

outfit details | dress - h&m | scarf - c/o cusp | hat - c/o gap | shoes - old navy|

Once we had our favorite lattes in hand, we started sorting through all our stuff creating piles based on the types of clothing.  Between the 3 of us we had tons of tops, dresses, pants, skirts, jackets and sweaters. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was just organized enough for us to know what we were looking through.

Two hours later, we each cleaned up pretty well and still had 2 garbage bags worth of clothes to donate.  I love everything I nabbed, but the best of it all - a Tory Burch cream skirt that my friend Rachel threw in the pile.  Can't wait to pair it with a chambray shirt and some boots for the Fall.  We spent the rest of the morning noshing on some great eats my friend Kelli made and talking about life.  In the end I scored 2 tops, 2 skirts, 1 blazer, 2 lightweight jackets and 6 dresses.  Seems like a lot, but it's a lot less than what I came in with.

A clothing swap is fulfilling in so many ways.  Not only are you getting rid of items in your closet that you either don't need or wear, but you're getting something in return.  In addition, it's a such a fun way to spend QT time with your girlfriends - all without a huge cost attached to it.  Here are a few things that we learned cleaning out our closets and also swapping clothes:

• If you haven't worn something for a year - it's time to let it go.
• Swapping clothes with a friend is a great way to still have access to it if you want to ever wear the item again.
• Pick up something that you may never have bought for yourself, but that you're willing to take for free.

|Have you and your friends done a clothing swap before? What was the best thing you got out of it?|

food (food) | cauliflower pizza crust

When I first created my Pinterest account one of the first things I pinned was a cauliflower pizza crust recipe.  Since I try to eat gluten free (I'll be honest sometimes I give into real beer and pizza), I was dying to try this recipe.  I really don't mind gluten free crust, but I try to minimize the amount of complex carbs that I eat during the week.  I used to make paleo pizza crust, but since I've recently developed a reaction to nuts so that no longer is an option.

Once I had the crust made, I accessorized it with some of my favorite pizza toppings.  If you're looking for a lighter alternative to pizza crust, I definitely recommend trying this recipe.  Just don't expect it to taste like your favorite deep dish crust, cause it won't.  But what I can guarantee is that it's a great substitute and a lot tastier than some of the rice flower based gluten free pizzas I've had before.

life (lahyf) | windy city wine festival

My choice of adult beverages vary depending on what day of the week it is, what I'm eating and who I'm with, but one thing I can guarantee is that wine is usually in the top 3. In the last 4 years of living in Chicago, I've only been to one wine festival (one that shall remain nameless) and I will say that over years it's definitely gone downhill. So when I heard that the Windy City Wine Festival was happening, I was ecstatic to check it out. From what I had heard the price of entry was reasonable, the selection of wines were great, the pours were friendly and it was overall much better than the "other" wine fest.

Matt and I headed there late Saturday just in time to beat the crowd. The event started at 3pm on Saturday and by the time we got there (which was around 5), each tent had a decent line which was at least 30 people deep. With an entry fee of $27 in advance (or $35 at the door), each person received a souvenir tasting glass, 10 wine tasting tickets, 1 beer tasting ticket and access to free demonstrations, plus much more.

As much as we tried to have a game plan, that backfired.  We reverted to tents with the least amount of people in line. We went from one to another testing out French, Spanish and California reds. All were quite delicious, but my personal favorite was the Cass Siraz and Matt's was the Balbas Riberia del Duero.

We wandered around Buckingham Fountain checking out the rest of the festival that had great food from restaurants like Markethouse & Sullivan's Steakhouse, as well as other vendors like Jewelmint. All in all we had a great time and it was a nice change from all the other festivals where Miller Lite or Bud Light Lime are your only options.  It's such a cozy and intimate festival with a great crowd of people who truly appreciate their wines.  Will we be back next year?  Absolutely! 

outfit details (tabitha) | sweater - gifted | tank - the loft | shorts - ella moss c/o nordstrom rack | boots - nine west | purse - linea pelle | necklace - topshop|

outfit details (matt) | sweater - topshop | jeans - seven for all mankind | shoes - lacoste | watch - hublot|

We enjoyed the rest of or walk home strolling through Grant Park and really appreciating the rest of this great weather before Winter hits.  As we were walking it then occurred to me that we should pick up a bottle of wine (as if 10 tastings weren't enough).  Luckily, some of the wines we tried are available at Whole Foods, making our favorites from the festival accessible.

|Are you a wine enthusiast? Do you prefer red or white? More importantly any recommendations for wines I should try?|