ByKat Hours Updated
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Weekend Open Thread

Something on your mind? Chat about it here. I'm sure we've featured this dress before because it's been a best seller for a few years now at Nordstrom — and yet I keep coming back to what a perfect dress it is for that “low key sexy” occasion, whether it's a date or drinks with friends. It's under $60 even full price (and it's on sale right now!), comes in a zillion colors, and is available in regular and plus sizes for $27-$59. Yes, please! Happy weekend, everyone!  This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

Sales of note for 12.5

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84 Comments

  1. (Reposting from morning) Any suggestions for moderately priced love seats? I’m looking for something 70-75″ long roughly. My plan was to order something from west elm but reviews about how poorly they wear have me second guessing

    1. I thought love seats were more like 68 — are you looking for an apartment couch? I think that’s around 76. Joybird has some; years ago I got a great one from Ikea.

      3. Thank you! Apartment sofa was the word I needed! Off to visit joybird in Brooklyn this weekend

    2. Maybe not in your price range but we got one like this from Room and Board (STevens) and love it.

    4. World Market usually has a nice selection of small-space furniture. It’s nothing that’ll become an heirloom, but the pieces I have are holding up well, and they run lots of sales.

    5. The Futon Shop has some decent, affordable, and organic cotton options. We’ve been pleased with the futon we bought there (although the cover ripped during moving).

  2. Regular poster, anon for this.

    I bombed an interview this morning for a job I really want. There’s no way around it – they asked some very reasonable questions I was unprepared for and my answers were juvenile and borderline wrong. I’m mid-senior in my career and if I were interviewing me, that would have been the end of the road for the candidacy. I’m so upset with myself for not thinking about that aspect of the job.

    Words of commiseration are welcome. I’ve been job-hunting for the better part of a year, and this is only the second interview I’ve gotten. I have good experience but it’s pretty niche and jobs are rare so I was excited about this opportunity. I’m going to talk to some ice cream about it after work.

    2. I’m sorry, that just stinks. My story can at least let you know that you’re not alone… was interviewing for dream job with government agency and trying to escape a truly awful job situation. They asked what I thought agency’s greatest accomplishment was and absolutely blanked, and wound up talking about an initiative/legal situation that had a very laudable goal but was actually widely considered to have stalled out/failed. My understanding of it was just not accurate/thorough but I had worked with someone who’d worked on this initiative and I had a more positive impression of it. I did not get the job. That said, they had hundreds of applicants, so this may not have been the nail in my coffin. I still want to put a bag over my head and hide when I think about it.

    3. Aw, hugs! I gave a terrible terrible answer once to the “What are you favorite writers” question. It was for a journalism job, and the only thing I could think of was someone who writes fiction and CHILDREN’s fiction at that. I was dying inside as I was hearing myself talking. I still got the job! So you never know. But all you can do now is let yourself wallow a bit and then move on and be better prepared for these questions next time. Hope you pamper yourself a little this weekend.

    4. I’m sorry. I’ve also had that experience, and it just sucks. Especially when you know you’re capable of doing the job, but sometimes need time to let things marinate/can’t always come up with fantastic, mindblowing answers on the spot.

    5. Two bad interviews that come top of mind: I was getting past a cold and was trying so hard not to cough that my eyes started watering horribly. The interviewing got up to get me a glass of water. I poured cold water in what must have been a fresh-from-the-dishwasher glass and it shattered in my hand and completely soaked me and the table. I was so embarrassed feeling like a drowned rat that I couldn’t even think straight. Just started talking fast and at the earliest sign of conversation conclusion, I got up (too) quickly and raced out the door. The second was so stupid. I work in publishing management. Had a great interview and as we were getting off the phone I said something like “I’m so glad you didn’t ask me about my favorite authors.” And then, of course, they did. And I totally froze. Even though I constantly read and there’s not a trip in the car without Audible, I couldn’t get out a single name for the life of me. Oodles came tip of tongue and nothing came out. I just started stammering. I don’t know what was worse, the total memory lapse or the knowledge that I had 100 percent done that to myself. UGH….

    6. I could have written your post three months ago. I had really wanted to get into state government (law) and out of the blue got an interview I wasn’t expecting for weeks. Totally bombed that interview, since they asked weird (but reasonable for government) questions I had never ever encountered in the private sector. My mouth was speaking words but none of them matched at all with the agency’s goals and general work area. They basically told me good luck with my life as I sulked out.

      In hindsight, it was probably for the best because there was no rapport between me and the interviewers. For interviews that go well I sometimes do feel like I spout BS but then the still eat it up depending on how I spout it.

    7. I am sorry. I had a huge “open mouth, insert foot” experience when interviewing for a clerkship. It was competitive, so I don’t know if I would have otherwise been in the running after that interview, but there was no way after what I said. It stings. I hope your ice cream helps. And remember, no job is without its flaws — as great as this job may have seemed so far, I’m sure it had its drawbacks and another opportunity will come along.

    8. That stinks. The interview I bombed the worst meant I didn’t get an opportunity that I had wanted for quite awhile. It also meant that I was available to take an opportunity that turned out great that came up a few months later. To this day, I’m grateful that I bombed the interview (and that they didn’t like me all that much for some other reasons). At the time, it really was awful, though.

      1. I didn’t do great in an interview this fall. Turns out the woman who would have been my supervisor is a terrible, vindictive, micromanaging, racist person. So glad I didn’t get it.

    9. Don’t worry. Almost all of us has been in this situeation at one point or another in our life. You will make out fine. Just get back up figureatively back on the horse and you will succeed. Small disappointments get blown out of proportion when we think about them to much, but rest assured, you have all of us in the HIVE pulling for you, so you will prevail and survive well! YAY!!! Have a restful weekend and start over on Monday!

    10. Happened to me several times! Most of the times it was self-sabotaging either because of fear of failure, or fear of success.
      Do interview prep next time!

    11. On one of my first interviews, I was asked “What is your greatest weakness” and I literally just blanked. So (cringe!) I said “Uh, I can’t think of any”. Needless to say, I didn’t get the job, and the feedback was that I came across as arrogant. After that, I made a cheat sheet of all the potential questions and good answers, and then crammed before an interview. However, I also find that despite preparing for the interview, I tend to blank if put on the spot. My last interview, the head of the panel checked his watch every 3 minutes, which made me feel rushed and I babbled. When the hiring official called my current boss for a reference check, and said he was on the fence between 2 of us, she recommended he do a second, phone interview to “clarify” any lingering doubts. He didn’t but I did get the job.

      So all this to say, we all blow interviews. Some times we get the job, sometimes we don’t. But for me, it’s important that they see me — presenting my best self, of course, but still me. I do bring a lot to the table, and if it’s what they are looking for, we all win. If it’s not, then it would not have worked out, dream job or not.

      And there WILL be other opportunities.

    12. Oh my, I so needed to read this. I feel all of this so much and it is comforting to hear all the stories. I recently interviewed for the perfect job and I ticked every box. I studied up on answers to the hard questions but stammered and babbled on the “easy” ones. They were reasonable questions but I hadn’t prepared. I thought I was a shoo-in for this new position and now that it’s not happening, I am trying to get my head back in the current job. But it is hard.

  3. Kat, what a great dress, and at Nordstrom’s for as little as $27 is UNBELIEVEABLE! Thank’s for pointing it out. I hope they don’t stock out tomorrow when I am going up to White Plains to see Rosa and the kid’s! Tomorrow is June 1 so I can start buying again, and you can be sure this is at the TOP of my list! I think I look cute in any sheathe dress that Nordstrom sells, and this one comes very close in my book! YAY Kat!!!!!!!

  4. Any suggestions on a reasonably priced wedding in NYC? It’s a second wedding for both of us, so probably just going to the courthouse for the ceremony and having ~40 people for the reception. It seems like for most restaurants, we are looking at $10-15k for this, which is more than I’d like to spend.

    1. That’s excessive. Don’t tell them it’s a wedding – just tell them it’s a party.

        1. I wouldn’t lie. “A party” is one thing because it’s not an outright lie, you’re just witholding information.

    3. We got married in NYC for about 5k for 35 people. The key for us was to have an amazing brunch versus a mediocre dinner.

      1. I married in the Midwest, but our amazing wedding brunch cost about what half of a mediocre dinner would.

    4. That’s pretty normal price wise for NYC, I’d think. We threw a wedding party for 50 at a restaurant after we eloped, and it was around 12k. It’s just expensive. Didn’t matter what the reason was, they charge what they charge for food and drinks. The way to go cheaper is a cheaper restaurant not he kind of party you tell them.

      1. +1 parties at restaurants in New York are just expensive. Either you have to pick a cheaper restaurant or a cheaper time (like the brunch suggestion above).

  5. Hi, longtime lurker here but frequent reader. Does anyone here work as an appellate ADA? I have an interview next week (northeast state) and I am wondering about salary as well as the possibility of working from home at least a few days per week (commute would be 70 min each way). The position requires at least 10 years of experience (I have 13) and significant appellate experience, which I have. What I have seen online is all over the place. It can’t be the very low starting salaries, but I have no idea what the range could be. Obviously I have to get the job first, but I’m just curious. Thanks for any information.

    1. Many states require that public employee salaries be published. Do some google/linkedin stalking for people currently in the job and look up salaries. Not full proof but will give you a ballpark.

  6. Where do you think the line is between regular attention problems and ADD/ADHD? When do you seek diagnosis, therapy, or medication? Asking for myself as well as my third grade son. TIA!

    1. For your son, I would start with the pediatrician. They should be able to tell if his behavior is normal or requires some follow-up/consultation with a specialist.

    2. Talk to your pediatrician about your son. When my son was diagnosed (in 4th grade), they did so via screening questionnaires sent to both parents and all his teachers. It was such an aha! moment filling it out. I knew just filling it out that ADHD was the answer (my son has other things that complicated the diagnosis, including giftedness that masked some of the ADHD symptoms).

    3. When my son was in 1st grade, his teacher insisted he go on meds or she wanted him moved out of her class. She said she just couldn’t deal with 18 boys and 5 girls and she had to teach to the slowest student. In this case, the school counselor (father of 3 boys) recommended we have him tested, but also came up with methods to help both him and his teacher “get along”.

      The test showed he had a Mensa-level IQ and was bored. But also very immature. His later teachers all recognized that he needed some extra options and they ranged from a bungee cord strapped across the bottom of his desk (to pump his feet on) to extra worksheets to organizing the colored paper to turning his desk to the wall to letting him do some of the lesson plans in his favorite subjects. Middle and High school were an improvement since they change classes every 50 minutes or so.

      Testing is the first step. Meds are not always the answer. Each kid is different. But identifying early that he needed a little extra attention was the key for both him and his teachers. He graduates high school this week. Can tell you the capital of every country in the world, and the route blood takes as it pumps through your body, but still can’t pick up his socks or turn off the light when he leaves a room.

      1. I just have to say that your son sounds like a fascinating kid, and you’ve clearly done so much to help him thrive. Way to go!

      2. This sounds a lot like my son. In second grade right now and today helping me measure out baking ingredients, he was converting various things in his head (425F is a fifth the temperature of lava / 5 gms of spices times 22,000 would be my weight) but did not follow the simple instructions of “pour this out into the pan” until I had said it 5 times.
        What are some good links to resources please? He is playful and very social in school and I need to look into the bungee cords to keep him at his seat and focused.

        1. Hi there. I work within the diagnostic/testing arena for ADHD matters.

          There is a great magazine out there: ADDitude. It is available in both digital and print. 888.762.8475, ADDitudeMag.com

          If your son is also Gifted, then he qualifies for additional supports and accommodations as a “Twice Exceptional” (2e) student. A solid resource is 2enewsletter.com.

          Children with ADD/ADHD are typically eligible for supports in public schools under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Code. Instead of having an Individual Educational Plan (that special ed and kids with learning disorders receive), they can have a Section 504 plan. The best website for parents is run by an attorney and his wife who is a counselor. They can answer questions, have form letters you can use, etc. Wrightslaw.com (Pete and Pam Wright).

          The Psychologist who keeps up with the most current data/literature reviews and has his own newsletter and books for professionals and parents is Russell Barkley, Ph.D. Books are also availabe by Daniel Amen, Hallowell & Ratey, Nadeau, Quinn, L. Shapiro, M.C. Fowler, and others.

          Attention Deficit Disorders Association http://www.adda-sr.org

          It’s a process like any other. Find a good consultant or therapist. Skill building is a great idea for self-regulation and executive functions, no matter if medications are used or not.

          Wishing you and your boy great adventures!

          CHADD (Children and Adults with ADD) 800.233.4050, http://www.chadd.org

  7. For those who have been following my drama (short version: ex was diagnosed with boderline personality disorder last fall, said he couldn’t handle a family and at the same time was cheating on me with a 22 year old he met while inpatient, divorce was finalized earlier this month, marital home on the market and now under contract, buying new place for me and kids, all the while raising two kids solo – one with ASD – while kicking major b*tt at work): I just booked our move to our new home! I’m so excited to literally move to the next phase of our lives. We are moving to a house built in 2015 versus our current old farmhouse, into an adorable neighborhood where there are kids everywhere and a place where I get to decide all the things! It feels so good to have set a date for the move.

    2. You rock! You’re amazing and keep up the good work. Any time you feel down about anything just know that this Internet stranger commends you for being a survivor and doing what’s best for your kids. Stay strong – – we are rooting for you. Honestly, I have somewhat of a shared experience and know a little about what it takes to keep going when everything around you is falling apart.

    5. Hooray! Congratulations!!

      You are going to love Deciding All The Things!

    9. Congratulations and wishing you and your kids all be best memories in your new home.

  8. I had a baby 4 months ago, and have an interview next week. I’m still about 10 pounds away from my old suits fitting me right – any suggestions for a nice interview suit under $400? I plan on shopping this weekend. Thanks!

    1. Ann Taylor, Loft (won’t have a ton of full suit options, but one or two), or Banana. I prefer Banana’s skirts but Ann Taylor’s pants. I’m sure other’s have the opposite experience, though :).

      1. You could get a nice suit gentley worn for the time being and when you lose the 10 pounds you can reward yourself with an Ann Taylor suit, properly tailored. It must be nice to have a baby then return to work, which is what I plan to do after I get married. YAY for you!

    2. Does anyone know any place to send a bottle of Blanton’s to a friend in DC?

    3. Banana Republic will come out to about $330 full price, and definitely Ann Taylor. Just bought a BR one myself this past weekend for interviews and it fits well (classic blazer, logan pants). The logan IME is probably the curviest cut, while the Ryan is the straightest.

    4. Ann Taylor normally has more options available, and a lot of their suiting is on sale right now— I think you could spend under $200. I would also try the Anne Klein suits at Macy’s. I got one last minute before a trial for under $100, and I like it as much as my Ann Taylor suiting.

      1. This. If you live near a Dillards, they are often on sale. But I am curvy and Tahari ASL suites fit great

  9. I have several items of black clothing that are faded but otherwise in good condition. Going forward, I will use a detergent specially made for dark clothes (I already wash in cold and turn darks inside out). But for the already faded clothes, is there anything that will improve the color? I’ve come across good reviews for Perwoll and there’s a product called Dylon Brilliant Black that gets less positive reviews. I also remember a poster here saying she has successfully dyed faded clothes (but this is intimidating!).

    1. I have used Rit dye many times to dye faded black clothing – mostly jeans, cotton pants and cotton dresses or blouses. Dyeing won’t work on items that have moderate percentage of synthetic fibers so things like jeans work well to hold the dye.

      Wash the items or wet them beforehand. Get liquid black RIT at the drugstore – two bottles. Dissolve it in the washing machine on the hottest water possible, low water level. Don’t overload the machine. Add the items. Agitate the items for 30 minutes by resetting the machine to the start position manually before the rinse starts. Rinse well. For the next few washes, wash the items only with other black items.

      The whole dyeing process can be repeated as many times as you want.

      1. Ditto. I use black Rit to refresh my black clothes (and I wear a lot of black) all the time. I have some things that have probably been through a Rit redye 5 or more times. As Coach Laura said, if there’s a lot of synthetic content in a piece of clothing, it won’t get as dark, but what I’ve found is throwing the synthetic stuff in with the cotton stuff works fine to make the synthetic stuff a bit darker. The clothes just look a bit newer, if that makes sense. My process (with a top-loader washer) is:
        – Run the clothes to be dyed through a wash cycle. Don’t try to dye clothes that have stains on them; the stains get very noticeable and they never come out later.
        – Take the wet clothes out of the washer.
        – Start the washer on a “soak” cycle with hot water and let it get about 1/3 full. Set the washer from “hot” to “warm.”
        – Pour in the liquid dye and move the agitator around manually to “stir” it.
        – Put the clothes in and run warm water in the tub until it’s full.
        – Let the “soak” cycle progress. I will sometimes reset the “soak” part of the cycle so the clothes soak longer; sometimes they need 45 minutes or so to fully absorb the dye.
        – Let the cycle finish so the clothes spin and drain.
        – Run the washer through a full rinse cycle on “cold.”
        – I do a second rinse cycle on “cold” with about two cups of white vinegar in the rinse water – this tends to set the dye better and also takes away some of the “dye smell.”
        – Dry the clothes as you normally would.
        I am not sure if they sell the Rit powder dye any more – if you come across it, I think the liquid dye is far superior. FWIW I’ve been doing this since high school, 20+ years ago, when I used to buy used black clothes at thrift stores and dyed them to get them darker. My experience is that the dark denim blue dye works well for refreshing the color on dark blue jeans, also.

    2. This isn’t what you asked, but I had much more success preventing clothing fade with an in-line water filter than with special detergent. Hard water just attacks the fibers like crazy. Plus, installing the filter before your water heater will make that last longer as well.

  10. Any thoughts on lease vs finance a new car? I have great credit but not much for the down payment. Trying to keep the payments under $300.

    2. Depends on your average mileage. If you’re below 10K lease makes more sense. In the end of the lease you can always negotiate with bank and buy the car you leased for fairly low price.

    3. Personally, I lease because I like new toys and cannot be trusted to maintain a car. I know my limitations. It may not be the most fiscally sound approach but it’s what works for me.

    4. I lease, and I lease certified pre-owned cars. I have low mileage, and doing certified pre-owned makes a nice car more reasonable. I like having a fixed car cost, and virtually no maintenance to worry about. I also like having the flexibility to have a different kind of car every 3 years as I’ve found my lifestyle needs change over time. It’s more expensive on balance than buying a car and driving it into the ground, but I am comfortable paying for those convenience factors.

  11. I’m a VP of HR in kinda medium business (4000 people, 700+M in revenue). It’s been a year since I’m trying to move on and find a new gig. But I’m always blowing it.
    My problem is I got promoted from middle manager to exe pretty much inside this one company, so my interviewing skills are related more to interviewing for mid-level job. However, I can’t get a mid-level job in huge company cause they find me too strategic and overqualified. And for mid-size companies I do not interview like an executive. Also, when I dislike a CEO or a another person interviewing me I kinda bomb it subconsciously.
    Sorry if I’m not clear I had a bit of wine.

    My current employer values and cherish me, but if I want to be considered for C-suite I have to move to Europe. And I can’t cause it’d be damaging for my kid to change a school (he has autism and his current program is a result of a year of my hard work around school and doctors).

    So if I want a career (and I do) I have to find a new job. Also, I am paid a bit higher than the market, because I got EE ranking for 3 consecutive years, which resulted in substantial salary raises. So even when it’s a match potential employers always want me to consider lower package, which I just can’t. I’m a breadwinner in my family.

    And I really don’t know how what to do. I feel like I’m trapped.

    1. This might be a situation where a good career coach can help. If you post on Monday, folks may have a recommendation.

    3. You have a job with people who value you, you get paid more than standard, and your kid/family are happy. Instead of moving to a new job, why not figure out what feels lacking and see if you can meet those needs via volunteer work or something else? You can reevaluate over time. As for Europe, if the only concern is your child’s school, research the area where you’d be and what their schooling process is, it may be stable and good or it may mean you can’t move out of your community/school so you’ll need to plan to stay in this role for many years for child’s school needs. At least you’d know your options.

  12. If you were going to make a photobook, would you get 10 little ones (once a month ish) or a big one for the whole year? Now that we have small kids I like having physical presence of photos but it is just so time consuming to organise them etc. However the one large one I’ve had printed does look great and it’s lovely to see the whole year. Also thinking of future when we have 10 years’ worth, would lots of little books take up more room than 10 big ones?
    I realise this is such a non-problem.

    2. One per year definitely. 10 small books take up way more space than one large book. I’ve been doing an annual book for the past 7 years (since we had our first child) and already feel like we have so many books. I can’t imagine having 70!

    3. I aim for seasonally on our photos. They are my Mother’s Day and Christmas gifts to the grandmothers, so twice a year is my minimum. Each kid also has a baby photos book specifically for them.

      I also print snapshots and tuck those into photo albums. My kids LOVE flipping through the photo books and albums.

  13. I’m looking for an alternative to the Louis Vuitton Neverfull Tote. I really like that tote but everyone I work with seems to have one. Any other brands that have something similar in size and durability?

    3. Celine Cabas Phantom tote. I have it and it’s roomy, understated, and elegant. It’s also pretty light.

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