what i wore: because my aunt wants to see it even though i look homeless

i had actually kind of planned on doing an outfit post today because i'm just so enamored with my $5 dress, but once i got home and looked in the mirror at my hair, i really didn't want to as the sight of me may scare small children. but, since my aunt kimberly wanted to see what i was wearing, and mainly how i wore my fancy new sparkly toms, i figured i couldn't let her down. just try to remember that i don't look quite so much like a disheveled, crazy homeless lady all the time.

$5 clearance dress: target (it has great waitress blouse style sleeves, so i can't wait to wear it in the spring), cardigan: i don't remember, leopard shoes: target, sparkly shoes: toms, bullet necklace: dinosaur toes, key necklace: bueno bueno. note about necklaces, i felt a little like mr. t when i put on two necklaces this morning, but since the outfit was plain and those are my two favorite necklaces, i figured it would be okay. i love it when a plan comes together (okay, so not mr. t, but it's still the a-team).

in my defense, my hair looked MUCH better this morning. since it's so long, it's kind of difficult to do much with it, but my one go to style is a low bun to the side which looks pretty good. but of course i had to show the side without the bun. smart move. also, i did not wear two different shoes today. i may be a little crazy, but not that crazy! i wore the leopard print flats to work, but then went to get the toms this afternoon. chris actually bought me the gold herringbone toms i so desperately wanted for christmas, but it turns out i got the dud pair. the right shoe fit perfectly, but the left shoe was bigger in width and length to the point it was actually too big for my foot. so i went today to do a shoe switcheroo, but they didn't have another pair of size 5 gold herringbone toms. i actually wasn't upset though because it meant i got to exchange the dud pair for a glitter pair! so i'd say the mishap ended up working in my favor! tonight chris and i are going out to dinner with pop and my stepmom, so i'm sure you can guess which shoes i'm going to wear!

the hair accessory is of course flojo. she has separation anxiety, so once i got home from work i had to let her come be in the pictures with me, otherwise she'd end up screaming herself hoarse thinking that we wouldn't be together.

so all in all, i'd say it was a pretty schizophrenic day. crazy hair, a parrot on my head and a picture with me wearing two different shoes. i bet people that don't read blog posts and only look at the pictures will think i need help.

how was your thursday?

it's not goodbye, just see you later

today my girl fiancee leaves for texas. i'm so happy for her husband and his new job, as well as their new journey together, but i'm so sad that she and i won't be able to meet for lunch, go thrifting, see fashion shows, stock up at j. crew sales, or anything else. i know she has to come back and visit, i mean, we're engaged after all, but she'll be over a day away from me rather than the old 30 minutes and that's just no good. so micaela, know that you'll always be my best thrifting buddy, and estate specialists will be awfully lonely without you. i love you, girl fiancee, and i can't wait to see you again!

what i've been working on

i've been working so much lately i have dreams about packaging orders, and if i haven't told you already, i hate packaging orders! i mean, i know it goes with running an online business, but it doesn't mean i have to like it. having said that, i must tell you that i am extremely grateful to everyone who decided to do their christmas shopping in my store. so THANK YOU! here's a virtual bear hug for you. i've been cranking out bullet necklaces right and left, but i still need to get some pictures. in the meantime, here are a few things i've been working on...

one giant bit of news: i am going to list fewer items and less often in my etsy shop as their fees are killing me. but, i will still keep new items coming on my WEBSITE, so ch-ch-check it out.

speaking of my website, i changed the picture on the homepage this morning to what's below, and i'm thinking i seriously dislike it. it's just too boring in my opinion, but i'm not sure yet what i want to do with it. what do you think? looks okay, or worst thing you've ever seen? *update: i seriously couldn't stand that picture, so it only lasted about 15 minutes. oh, and saying, "update" makes me feel like i'm on unsolved mysteries.

a holiday right hook

i had every intention of sharing this on christmas day, but i just ran out of time. usually our christmas eve is busy and our christmas day is lazy, but this year both days were busy. i promise i'll share more later, but right now chris and i have to go out to get some food or face one of two things: starvation, or obesity by way of subsisting on danish butter cookies, pumpkin bread and candy. i hope you all had a wonderful christmas!

i wanted to get a christmas picture for you, but i had certain criteria: 1. show christmas tree 2. don't be boring. i'm glad i have a husband who will go along with any shenanigan i come up with, even if it makes us look foolish! i'm thinking this might be next year's christmas card! also of note - the dress i'm wearing is a handmade 1950's dress i got a few years ago for three whole dollars. the details are beautiful and i'm thinking i need to dedicate a post to the dress!

thrift score

i know i said i'd show you yesterday what i got when carla and i went thrifting, but i'm running behind. yesterday, my grandma rode down to chris's grandma's house (which is right up the road from me) and auntie amy came down to perm grandma's hair. so, instead of blogging, i inhaled perm fumes and listened to old lady stuff. my girl fiancee was kind enough to call me today and demand i show my finds or risk bodily harm, and obviously i value my safety.

i really love this cardigan. the fabric is so incredibly soft and i like the simple detail of the scalloping around the collar. i also have to admit that i'm a mexican shirt hoarder. even if they're too big, i can't pass them up. luckily this one fits perfectly, and it even has a bird on it!

the blouse below is one of those things that i wasn't sure about, but carla approved, and i figured she was probably right. it's really lightweight and soft, and my favorite part is the feather-like design.

now for the price, because everyone is interested in thrifting deals, right? the cardigan and pink blouse came to five dollars and some change after tax. verdict: score! the mexican blouse was $2.99. verdict: affordable hoarding score.

random piece of information: while carla and i were thrifting we did some talking about serial killers. i don't know what it is about serial killers, or violent criminals in general, but i've always found them to be strangely fascinating, and i'm glad to know she does, too.

so there you have it, my thrifting finds. micaela, i'll have you know that i came straight home to get pictures just for you while the sun was still up rather than stopping to have my prescription filled. so if my kidneys stop working, i'm coming back to haunt you, woman!

carla time!

i don't even know where to start. i was SO excited to see carla and i had SO many things i wanted to talk to her about! i don't think we stopped talking the entire time, and i still feel like i have so much more to talk to her about. so, first off, carla is one hot mama. and she has amazing style. you want her to dress you. you want her to do your makeup. second, she is so inspiring. i loved talking to her about business, ideas, processes, metals, and although i didn't want to leave, i looked forward to getting back to my supplies so i could create, create, create. she really gave me the jump start and motivation i needed. third, she's just rad. i mean, everything about her is so real. she's a true artist and i love her take on life, love, and existence.

as you can see, i am now the proud owner of one of carla's thorn rings! i love the detailed simplicity (and i realize i just created an oxymoron there, but you know what i mean) of it. it's a perfect fit, and i plan to get a lot of wear out of this baby! if you haven't seen her website yet, you should definitely take a peek. imagine deep space photography on your body.

okay, so here is the only thing i'm kind of ticked about: i didn't even take any pictures! i mean, what the hell?!? i didn't really think about it until after she dropped me off at my aunt's house, but i guess we were just so busy talking that i completely forgot to pull my camera out. so, the only way around it is for us to see each other again. there, it's settled.

and, to wrap up the evening, we talked about injuries and things that freak us out (nose straws, infection puss, flesh flaps, etc.). so, fittingly, i lost a chunk from my "drill bit" finger on the front door when i was leaving my aunt's house to come back home. then this morning, i was being too rough as usual with some wire and my pliers, and they slipped, stabbing me in the thumb and giving me this blood blister. it throbs and the whole end of my thumb is swollen. kind of funny considering our last topic of conversation was injuries, but kind of sore as well.

i've got more to tell you about, and i've got my thrifting finds to show you, but i'll wait until tomorrow! how was your weekend?

my one dollar sweater.

because of the "blizzard" (the news people make it a huge deal and cause utter chaos at the grocery store) i didn't have to go into the office yesterday, meaning i only had to go in once this week! when i talked to my boss this morning, she said today would be a jeans day; color me happy, i love my jeans. i knew i would wear my boots with all the snow and ice on the ground, and i also figured i'd wear a sweater since it's so cold. enter my new one dollar sweater. when micaela and i went on our thrifting date saturday, we got lucky and discovered they were having a tag sale complete with racks of vintage clothes. as soon as i saw this sweater, i knew i would make it mine, and i wore it for the first time today. it's a new favorite!

coat: forever 21, sweater: vintage, jeans: tj maxx, boots: mossimo/target, necklace: bueno bueno

i know i've said this before, but i feel so weird taking pictures of myself. i always get this weird look and my eyebrow goes up and i don't even realize i'm doing it. but the point is, you're supposed to be looking at my outfit, not my weird faces!

do you watch dexter? chris and i watch it online and tonight we're getting caught up on the newest season. it's so addictive. and i'm always behind in celebrity love news, but micaela told me saturday that the woman who plays deb is married to michael c. hall (which i didn't know), then on tuesday, i saw on tv that they were splitting up! how did i not know all this time that they were together?!?

what have you been wearing lately?

i'm so excited, and i just can't hide it.

i think i've been really lucky this year to be able to meet some of my favorite bloggers and become even better friends, but i won't lie, i still don't feel like it's enough! i have several more blogger friends that i want to meet in the flesh so badly i can barely stand it! one fellow blogger i've connected with and hoped to meet is...

the beautiful, funny, and super talented carla! and guess what? I GET TO MEET HER THIS WEEKEND!!!!! i've been so excited that i feel like i mention the upcoming meeting to chris at least once a day. and anyone else i've talked to has heard about it, too. i seriously can't wait.

also, i didn't tell you last week, but brittan and i had a webcam date, which will have to do until we can meet in person. she was so sweet (as i knew she would be), but she didn't have the boston accent i was expecting. isn't it funny how our minds can create voices and personalities for people we kind of know but haven't met in the flesh? i got to meet her pretty parrot posey for just a minute, and flojo joined in took over the conversation more than a few times!

brittan is also incredibly talented and has an etsy shop you should check out. i have one of her little felted owls, and trust me, it's even cuter in real life than it was in the pictures!

have you met any blog friends in real life? do you have plans to meet blog friends in real life?

my girl fiancée is better than yours.

doesn't that make me sound so rude? well, it's true, my girl fiancée really IS the best! in case you're wondering why i, a married woman, talk about my girl fiancée, it's because i asked her to marry me with a quartz ring. luckily she said yes. anyway, we met up on saturday for lunch and thrifting at our favorite spot downtown. we were excited to find a tag sale in full swing after lunch and we dug through treasures until we couldn't feel our fingers, but it was so worth it because everything was $1! and i should have gotten more! anyway, here is just a little peek at what my sweet micaela gave me for christmas...

she also gave me a pretty caged bird ornament and sweet framed embroidery with a bird, made just for a friend, and the best part is the sweet not she wrote on the back. are the bags great? i do love a good granny bag! i thought she was getting those for herself, but i had NO idea she'd give them to me! i can't WAIT to use them! and the hat, so funny. she and chris planned that one, and she also got one for her husband. it's the year of trappers. i know this is so sappy, but micaela is such a sweet, sweet person and i couldn't imagine not having her as a friend and thrifting buddy (world's best). her friendship is definitely one of the best things to come from blogging!

okay, now here are a few of the things i thrifted:

the lampshade was one of those things i couldn't decide on, but micaela said yes. so i got it. once i got home and put it on an antique glass lamp (from the same store, just a few years earlier), i decided that i loved it and it was $1 very well spent. i also got some large and small antique glass christmas balls for only $2.50 (only half of them are in the picture) that i plan to add to my christmas tree today. the last and best thing is the chair. i have one of those great enamel top antique tables in the breakfast nook area of my kitchen, but i've always thought it looked kind of plain. i found two old chairs (of course, from the same store) a year or so ago that were painted white and chipping for $15 each, but i didn't get them. i've sort of regretted that decision, but now i'm happy i didn't buy them because i love this chair so much! my kitchen is all white and green, so i love that the black kind of breaks that up a little, and i also love that i can see three layers of paint in the chipped areas. maybe the best $5 i've ever spent. in addition to those things, i got a few old frames (just ask micaela, i'm obsessed with frames) and used two of them to rearrange the art wall in my bedroom this morning.

all in all, it was a really fun saturday, but i didn't expect anything less from a thrifting date! oh, and i almost forgot... i woke up to an inch of snow this morning! chris usually leaves about 20 minutes before i get up, so when he was sitting on the sofa in his undies (i'm sure he'll love that) when i got out of bed, i didn't know why...until he told me to look outside. i'm so excited! snow is almost (i said almost) better than new shoes!

on my quest to dress more like a woman...

...and less like a tomboy or teenage slacker, i've had to make myself, i'm talking seriously FORCE myself, to break away from jeans, t-shirts and cardigans every weekend. i'm also trying to work in a few fun accessories. one thing i wasn't sure about but made myself wear yesterday was a short high-waisted skirt. first, i made myself wear it by waiting until just a minute before i had to leave to get dressed, that way i wouldn't have time to change clothes. second, i don't really go for shorter length high-waisted skirts because i generally think they look best on women with long, skinny legs and flat butts, neither of which i possess. but, i see other people with big round badunkadunks like me wearing them, so i figured i'd try, too.

cardigan: forever 21, faux fur collar: vintage/ebay, tank top: target, skirt: rugged wearhouse (i got that baby on clearance for $1), sweater tights: target, shoes: these.

still not sure if i like the outfit 100%, but the point is, i broke out of my typical "uniform" comfort zone. i wore this yesterday when i had a fun lunch and thrifting date with my girl fiancee/mistress downtown. i got a vintage sweater and two vintage blouses for $1 each, and as soon as i got back home, i was literally having to stop myself from kicking my butt for not getting another sweater, blouse and dress that i really liked. i mean, $1, what in the hell was i thinking?!?!? anyway, i came home with some treasures, and i'll show those tomorrow once the sun shows itself again so i can get pictures. oh, and speaking of pictures, remember how i told you recently that my camera would just act like a turd some days? well, it did that yesterday, that's why my outfit pictures look grainy.

what did you do this weekend?

meet our sponsor: of roses and hello

meet morgan, from of roses & hello, a self-proclaimed lover of animals and old things. that alone makes her sound amazing, right? well guess what...she is! it's sort of funny how we met. during a roadtrip north, she stopped in a south carolina store and bought a dinosaur toes bullet necklace, then further into her journey, she even visited lynchburg, va, my home! i've been loving her blog and store ever since, and i think you will, too! here's a little more about morgan...

where are you from and where do you currently live? i'm from columbia, sc and i live in columbia, sc at the moment. i do a lot of moving around and this is where i come when i'm out of ideas.

what are some of your hobbies? my greatest passion is riding horses. unfortunately. sometimes i would give anything to feel that same away about something less expensive and easier to accommodate. also, i love playing piano, reading books, watching movies, traveling, and procrastinating, of course.

if you had to suddenly leave your life as you know it and only take 5 things, what or who would they be? my horse, cadillac jack. my german shepherd, sabrina. my two cats, kit kat and heathcliff. and brian. i guess that doesn't leave room for anything else.

what is your favorite food? ice cream.

what bands are you listening to these days? iron & wine, death cab for cutie, regina spektor, bloc party, the temper trap. but the always&forevers are chopin (my all time favorite composer), mozart, then the rat pack, duke ellington, ella fitzgerald, nina simone, billy holiday, and so on.

i thought this video from her blog was beautiful!

5 random things about yourself:
i eat ice cream for breakfast
i sleep in a bed full of animals.
i never answer my phone.
i could sleep through both a hurricane and an earthquake at the same time.
i would love to live in africa. hypothetically. but i think that's mainly based on how much i love the movie out of africa.

so go get to know morgan, i promise you'll love her! and if you like vintage, stop by her shop and see all of the pretty treasures she's found!

what i wear when it's 13 degrees outside.

okay, so in all fairness, 13 degrees wasn't the high, nor was it 13 degrees when i left the house this morning, but 13 degrees is still cold, and that was the temperature when i got up this morning. it was in the mid 20's when i left, and the high today is somewhere in the 30's, so the point is: i had to dress warm! remember the last wishlist wednesday post i did with the vintage fur collars? well, guess what friends, i got one! it smells like an old lady (from an old lady), and febreeze (from me), but i still love it. yep, $2.99 on ebay for a vintage faux fur collar. i'd say it's a deal. so of course you can guess what i wore today...

faux fur collar: ebay, coat: forever 21, dress: old navy, leggings: forever 21, shoes: some off brand.

oh, and that last picture is what happens to my hair when i wear it in a bun. i think it's too long and too heavy to just use one extra big hair pin, but i really don't feel like taking the time to pin a dozen of those things in, because it means i have to take that much time pulling them out. yes, i am lazy when it comes to hair (don't hate me, brandi).

i got that coat last november in san francisco. it was really nice, even kind of hot, during the day, but once the sun started to go down, my sweater just wasn't enough, so i stopped in forever 21 to get that real quick before we got on the cable car. i'd say it was my favorite purchase, because it's the only coat i've worn since then! the shoes i love. love love. you know how there are things that you can't decide whether they're ugly or cute? such is the case with these shoes. i've pulled them out of my closet for some wear time, and the more i look at them, the more i'm thinking that i love how they're a combination of oxford and bootie. they're some off brand that i got a while back for $5 or $6, so if i don't wear them too often, at least i don't have to feel guilty for spending much money on them!

what are you wearing now that the weather has gotten cooler?

gift guide: for your man.

the hardest people to buy for, at least in my opinion, are men. dads, husbands, brothers, whatever. why can't they enjoy getting new shoes and lip gloss like us women do? it would make things a lot easier! here are some ideas for the man in your life: a free pass on farting, a sex slave, and beer. i kid. well, no, i really don't, but they wouldn't be as fun for a woman to buy or give, so in the spirit of joyful gift-giving, here are a few ideas for your beau...

what: shaving set, debonair tie, record letterpress coaster set, handcrafted guitar pick, moustache briefs, leather woodgrain wallet.

i was also going to include some dirty love coupons, but i have family that reads this blog, okay? i can't have them looking at me differently when i walk in on christmas eve. you can find them though, and i'm sure they'll make you giggle.

gift guide: for the metal lover

i've been doing a lot of searching on the interwebs lately and looking at other gift guides for some sort of inspiration for the hard to buy for people. sad news: i still haven't found anything that works (the gift guides are great, the people are just too damn picky). good news: it's made me want to create my own gift guides! maybe it'll help you shop for someone, or maybe it'll just be nice to look at, but either way, it gives me a reason to window shop! so, first in the series is one that i kind of did based on my own preferences. for the metal lover...

1. bueno bueno key necklace (i got mine today!) $33, 2. vertical leaf pendant light $144, 3. vintage 1960's space age holiday clutch $28, 4. gunmetal orchid earrings $23, 5. vintage glass lamp with metal shade $50, 6. vintage eagle hook $9.

what is on your christmas list this year? or better yet, what do you hope to get with the christmas money or gift cards you'll get? do you have hard to buy for people on your list, and what do you end up getting them (and don't say gift cards!!!)?

a happy mailbox.

i had hoped to share with you yesterday why my mailbox and i have been so happy, but i spent most of the day watching the snow fall (yes we got snow! only an inch, and unfortunately it was gone by this afternoon, but it was beautiful while it lasted!) and cooking for our friends that came over last night. we had such a fun evening, and chris' has a new best friend - a 4-year-old girl named rielly-anne. i'm not sure if they had more fun sliding in socks or making snow angels on the floor. anyway, what i didn't get a chance to show then, i'm showing now, because i'm too excited to keep it to myself!

okay kids, if you haven't checked out sarah's shop, SADIE DESIGNS, you absolutely must! i love her style, her bright photographs, and mainly her sweet, friendly personality. i knew i had a little something on the way, but i had no idea that my surprise would be this necklace i've been lusting after and added to a wish list a while back! she also has a blog that i love. go say hi! her packaging was so pretty, and i knew that i wanted to take a picture, but i was so excited to see what was inside that i had to open it and then rewrap it for the pictures. i'm sure i didn't get it quite right, but it's still so cute, don't you think?

the next reason my mailbox was so happy: field guided! anabela and i started doing business together years ago, and i've been a fan of her beautiful work and style ever since. her photography, blog, and shop are so inspiring, i can't tell you how many times she's made me want redecorate my house and wardrobe. so, i ordered the beautiful dreamcats calendar from her, designed by her beau, geoff piersol, but i also had a huge crush on her toronto print. imagine my surprise when i opened my package to find not one, but two beautiful prints along with a sweet note! awesome, right? and if you're interested, she has one of the cutest kitty companions i've ever laid eyes on, pony.

have you had any treats making your mailbox happy lately? do share! and how was your weekend?