FIRST
And most importantly - there is now a "Personal Shopping" tab up in the menu bar.  Go click on it - it explains a bit about what services I provide and my likely fee schedule (at least at first.)  I'm reserving the right to change the fee schedule as I figure out what works best and what doesn't so much (don't worry, I won't change the fee schedule mid-job unless you ask me to.
SECOND
And slightly less important, TCFKAG Shops is now on Twitter.  I have no idea what to do with that thing - so if anyone wants to give me some suggestions or tips, feel free.  Also - just FYI - there is no "social networking icon" on here for Tumblr, but there WAS one for Yahoo! - so I used that to link to my Tumblr in the top header.  Because I thought it was funny and ironical.  Also I'm a dork.
THIRD
This is a fashion blog and I think I really owe you some fashion.  Like whoa - so I thought I'd show you some shoes that I've seen around the Internets that I just really like.  They don't relate much - this is just unmitigated shoe porn for no real reason (other than the obvious.)
Just Prance Heel in punch at Mod Cloth ($69.99 - some days I feel like MC here is just too costumey for their own good, but other days I just feel like they get me - these shoes are in that camp.  Luckily not available in my size or they might be winging their way towards me.)
Miz Mooz 'Wonder' Sandal at Nordstroms ($69.90 in the half-yearly sale) potentially a great sandal for summery events or anywhere really. This color is only in one size now, but the other colors are cute too and in more sizes.
Naturalizer Women's Jodell Oxford at Amazon (~$40.00 - so I'm not usually a huge oxford fan but these Naturalizer ones won me over by being a little longer and leaner than most of the chunky options without having the scary stilletos of the "sexy" options.  I like the mix.  Not many sizes left in this two tone, but I like it.)
Vintage Calfskin Riding Boot at Brooks Brothers ($238.80 - available in a surprising number of sizes. This is obviously completely out of season - and after the heat on the east coast this week, many of you might be quaking at the thought of wearing it. But its a good price for a VERY cool looking boot and might be worth a second look.)
White Sand Shores Sandal in orange from Mod Cloth ($29.99 - I LOVe the asymmetric cut of these sandals and that they don't have a between the toes issue.  And the orange is cute.  A real contender for a great summer sandal.  4 for you Mod Cloth, You go Mod Cloth.)
Dacey Metallic Leather Slingback Pumps in gold at Talbots ($148 - another potentially great for occasions shoe - though it comes in a nude as well for work. I'd wait to see if it goes on sale though, Talbots usually does.)
Sam Edelman Pump - Camdyn High Heel in peach at Bloomingdales ($100 - I think peach is one of those perfect colors for summer shoes that we forget about.  These pumps are 3.5 inches high, so verging on too high for many people, but beautiful.  Also comes in a light mint green.)
Sole Society Ella Ballet Flat ($49 - if I were getting married *now* - then I just found my wedding shoes. Also available in black and mint.)
 
So my video finally worked itself out and I can now announce the winners of the 2013 TCFKAG Shops Promotional Contest.  It may become annual - or I may have just stuck 2013 in there for factual clarity.  YOU NEVER KNOW.  But annnnyway, back to the point.  

Just to make sure you all knew everything was on the up and up, I filmed myself putting the names (well, usernames or nicknames) into a bowl and then Monotasker (my husband for those who don't follow my Tumblr) picked the names for us. So it was all very official.  Check out the video - it was my first attempt at iMovie editing, so don't make fun of me (or totally do - its fairly hilarious how difficult I found editing a simple video was.
Don't want to watch a three-minute long video you find out who won?  Well I understand that - so the winners are listed after the break!

 
Teal is one of those colors that is frequently on the "universally flattering" lists.  Well, I don't know about universally flattering, but I sure do know that I love it.  A couple months back I got this great bandage style body-con three-quarter sleeve cocktail dress (which I have never been able to find on-line for a picture, much to my chagrin) and I just love teal for a formal event.  Its not black, red, or navy - which are so common - but its still dark enough and neutral enough that it will work for almost any event in any season.  Why am I telling you all this, you ask?  Because I found the most perfect teal cocktail dress tonight and it inspired me to do an all teal cocktail dress post, jest because I can.
This is a Tadashi Shoji Lace & Tulle Sheath Dress from Nordstroms ($298 - the color is technically aqua blue but it looks pretty teal to me. The other colors are cantaloupe and Jute - which looks either off-white or pale pink or peach [a GREAT option for brides looking for a short dress for a casual or courthouse wedding.]  Anyway, I love the lace on this dress.  Frequently the lace on the lace dresses out there right now is either an afterthought or it looks like it came of my grandmother's dining room table, this lace has style, looks interesting and purposeful, and has a modern aesthetic I like. Overall, I gotta say, I sort of regret I already own a teal cocktail dress.)

But - since this dress is a bit on the rich for my blood side of the coin - I mean, maybe if I were shopping for my rehearsal dinner or if I had a very important networking cocktail party or my brother got married and I wasn't a brides maid...or something like that - but I just don't attend enough formal events to justify the expense.  Which stinks if you ask me, there should be more formal events in my life so I can justify buying more fancy cloths.  Moving on - here are some other teal cocktail dresses (and I'll probably throw in some work stuff, since those I'd be more willing to buy/even spend a bit more on since, you know, daily wear and all.)

Adrianna Papell V-Neck Shutter Pleat Sheath Dress at Nordstroms ($158 - this dress has been around for awhile now and has fantastic reviews. Would be a great "day to night" dress I think. Comes in a fantastic looking purple as well.)
Ali Ro Teal Printed Stretch Jersey Dress at Neiman Marcus Last Call ($115.50 most sizes still available.  A PRINT, love the teal mixed with aqua.  But the length is a concern - hopefully more reasonable on those of us of more average height?)
Maxi Dress in blue (teal) from Dorothy Perkins ($25 - most sizes available. Needs a belt and maybe nice gold or silver sandals a bangle or two and a blazer. Check the side slit before making decision.)
Suzi Chin for Maggy Boutique Cap Sleeve Boat Neck Lace Sheath Dress at 6PM ($81.99 - most sizes available and good price - I think the lace on this dress is still interesting and more modern than most and I love a good boatneck, but it does lack a certain something that the Tadashi has. But at $200 less, maybe the something isn't THAT important?)
Kay Unger Satin Slash-Neck Dress from Sakes ($186 - many sizes still available. So truth time - I personally don't like satin. There is a none satin version of this dress but it is aqua (and more expensive with fewer sizes available ) Both are honestly lovely with just enough interest to make them feel special.  Big fan.
So, this bottom row is going to be just a few dresses I found that are *similar* but not quite teal - they're certainly in the teal color family - but they just don't qualify.  But I've said it before and I'll say it again.  It's my blog and I'll do what I want.
French Connection Teal and Black Striped Jersey Knit Dress at Blue Fly ($69.30 - Rarely are FC dresses so long - and I like the gradation in color, which I usually don't. The price is low because only 6 and 8s are left.)
 Mixed-Eyelet Dress in Tranquil Teal from Old Navy ($25 - a great price for a dress that could be a weekend essential. Only available in one size on line, but I clicked on "find in store" and several stores near me had it, so worth a look see. 
Christin Michaels Kikie Dress in teal and black at 6PM ($34 - again, limited sizes only. I might love this dress. It is perfect for work, with a black blazer or cardi - or you could try aqua or purple or this is the perfect outfit to try mixing black and navy.)
Ivy & Blue for Maggy Boutique Lace Shift Dress at Nordstroms ($148 - this dress is really more green than teal, but still lovely and I again love the lace design on this one.  The shift dress would work well for long waisted or straighter figured women.  Does anyone know much about the Ivy & Blue line?  I've never heard of it before, which surprises me.)
Tadashi Shoji Sleeveless Mesh Striped Jersey Dress in "sky" at Nordstorms ($198 - all sizes available.  This is going here because its probably more aqua - also I think I've recommended it before in black and its the same designer as the inspiration dress, which is just cheating.)
Torrid Teal and Nude All-Over Lace Dress at Amazon ($68.50 - so the website calls this teal but it really looks aqua, hence its presence in this row. For a fun, summer dress for weddings, parties, dates or drinks with the girs, I love this dress.  Would look great on O-shaped women I think and the wide straps are nice.)

So - there you go - a bunch of teal (or near teal) dresses to maybe add to the color wheel that I'm sure you keep track of in your wallet. (Lol....I definitely don't do that.)  I quick note for my loyal readers...or the Corporetters who swing by occasionally, both the Suzi Chin for Maggy Boutique Pleated Jersey Dress and "the Dress", otherwise known as the Suzi Chin for Maggy Boutique Ruched Faux Wrap Dress come in teal. Something to think about if you were considering purchasing either of them and were on the fence.  They come in one of the three or four best colors in the whole world.

Editors note: You may notice I made another slight change to my layout again - a friend who reads the blog on her phone said she was having trouble differentiating between the text that associated with a picture and the text that wasn't - so I decided to make that text a different color.  I also threw in some dividers to try to make different sections of the blog a bit clearer.  Let me know what you think in the comments or send me a message through the contact form.  Do you read on the phone or on a computer?  Does this make it easier to read on either of those?  Has it started to look choppier?  Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.  THANKS.  

P.S. I just edited it because, for some reason, the original article did not include the link to the Tadashi Shoji dress of the inspiration!  Thanks for pointing that out reader Aif!  Enjoy your shopping.
 
For those of you wondering about the results of the Contest that ended last night at midnight, the winners HAVE BEEN CHOSEN.  But, of course, I decided to be a dumb-dumb and film myself drawing the winners and then edit the movie in iMovie and add in effects and...well...now its "finalizing the movie which is taking forever.  So...it will either be posted late tonight or tomorrow morning but I didn't want you all to think I forgot.  And to hold you over until then, here is something I found the other day that hasn't fit into any of my posts yet but that I'm pretty sure might be the most perfect summer sheath dress I've seen....maybe ever...but definitely this summer.
It is by Classiques Entier and it is their Italian Ponte Dress, at Nordstroms right now for $198.  I just think its lovely and the ruching coming up from the waist is the type of detailing I just love on work sheaths to just give them a little bit of interest without being too much.

ONE OTHER UPDATE
A user review if you will.  A while ago I posted this pleated dress from ASOS and decided to order it for myself (I ordered green though its also available in navy and orange.)  I'm so happy it arrived when it did because it is the perfect dress for wearing in hot as hell weather.  It is a very, very light cotton - like a super comfortable t-shirt.  I was worried about the midi length (I'm 5' 3" - I don't NEED to be made look stumpy) but its not TOO long on me and the loose flowy skirt prevents any real stumpification.  Plus you can spend your day sort of swishing your skirt around and just, you know, feeling swirly.  The color is great, the belt is much nicer than most "comes with the dress" belts, and I can't emphasize enough how comfy it is (some might say the fabric seems cheap - but this weekend with this heat, it was exactly what I needed.)  I'm amazed a cotton that light can hold a pleat, but it does, even after sitting down.  The big test will be washing though.

The one thing I will say about the ASOS dress is if you work in a formal or a more "businessy" business casual office, it might be too casual, jut because the fabric is SO light.  I am going to give it a try in my "mostly businessy business casual office where the younger women get away with things because the older male partners probably don't want to say anything and the older female partner doesn't give a shit" office.  I think with a blazer, nice gold jewelry (my orange bangle that is featured in the header looks great with it) and heels it might get dressed up enough to work.  Anyway - USER REVIEWS - look at me, like a real fashion blog or something.

SO! Upshot - keep an eye out for the winners announcement once I get my video ready.  Also - there might be an exciting announcement made about an expansion of scope for this here little blog of mine to go with the posting of that video - so watch for that as well.

(Okay - now maybe I should work on a real post since I spent my whole night trying to film a video of me pulling three names out of a bowl....)