New Tory splurge

So, I'm thinking of splurging on a new bag or pair of shoes from Tory since I've got a gift card. But I'm torn on what to get. 

My last couple of purchases from my favorite designer have been jewelry -- a beautiful cutout serif-T gold ring (sadly no longer available, but similar to this chunky beauty) and a pair of lovely hoop earrings in rose gold.

Right now I'm torn between the Brody small satchel in porcini and the Raleigh snake print wedges. On the one hand, the porcini handbag is a small yet functional size in a perfect fall hue. On the other hand, I've got a weakness for animal prints, and a pair of Tory heels are always perfect for work and play.

I less than three* the NFL

So, for a really long time, I wasn't into football at.all. It wasn't that I proactively disliked anything about it. I just didn't understand it. You see, even though I grew up in the deep South, a.k.a. the Land of Die-hard College Football Fanaticism, my parents weren't into football, nor did either of them attend colleges that even had football programs.

So, I grew up not understanding a gosh darn thing about these Spandex-clad, butt-slapping, war face painting flying pigskin matches. Nevertheless, over the years Dear Boyfriend has graciously taught me the rules of the gridiron a time or two... or ten, since it has seemed to take me many lessons to actually remember the rules.

But, I am delighted to report, I now (mostly) understand this fascinating game of sportball, and I definitely enjoy partaking in the viewing of it!! (That was meant to sound super nerdy, btw.)

Except the schools where I got my bachelors and masters degrees were hoity toity preppy nerdy places where you were considered good at sports if you could actually catch a ball without damaging your pocket protector. So, I'm now really into NFL football, since I don't really have a dog in the NCAA football fight. 

My two NFL teams are the Panthers (keep pounding!!) and the Titans (whatever-their-phrase-is-dang-it-I-should-know-it!!). Which means I am realllllly excited to see them do battle in Nashvegas tomorrow!!! Sadly, I can't make it to the game like I had hoped, since that would involve flying back out after just flying back home from a business trip late last night. 

But I shall watch from the comfort of my couch, huzzah! And I shall be proud of myself for finally, finally, understanding this game and actually really starting to love it. 

*about the title: Blogger apparently doesn't like you to put <3 in your title, because it thinks it's broken HTML code. Silly Blogger.

Fall fashion finds

Today I hit up the premium outlet malls here to get a head start on Christmas shopping, and I scored a few awesome fall pieces for myself as well!

Plaid popover, mini skirt, sparkly hair ties, and sparkly necklace

Plaid popover flannel: J. Crew Factory, $41.50, size XS in poppy grove. I normally wear either an XS or XXS at J. Crew, but this flannel top is nicely fitted, so an XS fit well.

Pleated mini skirt: J. Crew Factory, $44.50, size 4 in heather acorn. Again, normally I wear either a 2 or 4 in J. Crew bottoms, but I'm tall (5'9" barefoot), so with a skirt this short, I went with a 4 to keep the length in check, especially since the elastic waist will keep it from slipping.

Hair tie set: Loft Outlet, $12.50, one size. Similar color pack here.

Necklace: Loft Outlet, $34.50, one size. Similar necklace here.