when you're behind on laundry: an outfit post

bye bye until april, bare legs. this outfit sort of has me going in circles - one minute i think i like it, the next minute i'm telling myself i shouldn't wear it again. it always helps me make decisions (and i never like making decisions) when i can list out the pros and cons, so let's do that...

scarf: vintage/thrifted, corduroy blazer: vintage/thrifted, dress: target, boots: vintage/thrifted

PROS:
- this scarf is one of my favorites
-green is my favorite color, and i think the pale green color of the blazer is perfect
-it's comfortable
-i have pockets so i don't have to worry about what to do with my hands
-i like that there's some print mixing

CONS:
-because of the blazer's longer length i think it makes me look shorter, so maybe i shouldn't have worn flats.
-although it's not a loose-fitting outfit, i don't think it's necessarily figure-flattering
-i saw my stepmom's stepdad when i was wearing this outfit, and before any pleasantries were exchanged he said, "it looks like you've gained some weight." nice. i don't think i've gained weight, so i'm wondering if the outfit adds non-existent pounds.

what i would do different the next time i wear this outfit: trade the flat riding boots for a pair of black wedge ankle boots and add black tights. what do you think? yes or no?

my pop's arm & my opinions.

i'm a daddy's girl. my pop has always been a source of entertainment and humor, and i stand by the proclamation i made years and years ago (although, i guess now it's been decades) that my pop is the funniest person i know. he taught me that it is totally acceptable, no matter the occasion or crowd, to add, "my underwear are on fire" to any conversation; he taught me that it's okay to walk with a pretend and overly-exaggerated limp through a busy store if regular walking has become boring; and he taught me that people should always be greeted and bid farewell with a big, GENUINE hug (none of that half, loose, fake hug stuff). sounds like a pretty awesome guy, right?

my pop doesn't actually look like this now, although he still wears that suit to weddings. i kid. or do i? i just really like that picture (and the tux reminds me of the movie dumb & dumber). so, last week my pop got hurt. he was standing in my aunt's backyard - which, truth be told, is more like a cliff than a yard - and he said he started to feel his feet slip out from under him, so he grabbed the nearest thing to keep from falling hard, which was a low tree branch, and when he slipped and his body weight was being supported by his right arm, his bicep tore. he has an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon today to get a definitive answer on whether or not he needs surgery, and i won't lie, i've been so worried about him. you know how when you love someone so much you wish you could take their pain and make it yours just so they wouldn't have to feel it? that's how i've been feeling, because dammit, i don't want my pop to have any pain! i'm curious to find out what the doctor says, and i'm just hoping for a quick recovery.

now, my opinions. maybe i shouldn't even be sharing this, but i feel it needs to be addressed. i've been told several times by several people that i should contact some big name style bloggers about having them choose a piece of jewelry to incorporate into an outfit post on their blog. i know that plenty of people do this, i know it's a great way to gain more exposure, and i think it's a great idea in theory. in practice, however, i guess it's sort of a luck of the draw type deal. i talked with one of my good friends before who sent an expensive item from her line to one of these big bloggers, only to find that the blogger never wore it or even mentioned it. i thought that was a one in a million chance dealing with a disrespectful blogger and anyone else would surely appreciate and share an item they received for FREE, right? so i decided that since sales had dropped off on my website, and i needed to reach a new group of people, i'd contact two big bloggers whose style i really liked. i didn't expect them to wear the item they chose in the first post after they received their new jewelry, but i kind of thought i'd see it within a few weeks at least. now, coming up on two months later, after outfit posts on nearly a daily basis, i still haven't seen them in their dinosaur toes jewelry. i know that i can be a little impatient at times, but like i said, it's been almost two months, and i'm starting to feel like it's kind of shitty for anyone to take something for free, agreeing to incorporate it into a post, only to flake on their end of the deal. i mean, if it was forever 21 sending out free things, well, they make billions, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad, but whether it's my friend, myself, or any other small handmade business, it's kind of a big deal to send out freebies, so to feel like your gesture has gone unappreciated, well, it's like a smack in the face, or "i'm too cool for your stuff with my 4,000 followers."

hopefully i don't come off like too much of a jerk, but i just feel like it's a matter of having manners. or maybe i've just been in the south for too long and expect too much from people.

what i've been working on...

in addition to painting my fingernails, trying to convince chris that he'll like brussel sprouts, and working on my endurance (so i can kick at least a few butts in a spetember marathon - yes, i know that's a long ways away), i've been making a few pieces of jewelry. every year since i've been selling online has been slow from about a week before christmas until the middle of january, so i feel like now i can take a little break and work on jewelry when i want rather than round the clock. here are a few pieces of jewelry i've been working on for my shop...

i hope you had a fun new year's eve and started your new year off well! i started my new year off the way any significant occasion should be welcomed or celebrated - WITH FOOD! honestly, i think about it sometimes, and if i ate less (and i could certainly stand to do it) but kept running the same amount, i'd basically be invisible if i turned sideways. but i just can't give up my food. not gonna happen. i'm not sure how i went from talking about jewelry to talking about food, but before i start telling you about my love for orange cinnamon rolls and bacon, i will bid you adieu.

navy dress number two: an outfit post

the last time i wore this dress, carla and beca said they'd like to see it worn three ways, and when my friends want something, something they shall receive. i knew that today i wanted to wear shoes that were flat (thanks to a new pair of shoes that left a blister on one of my toes no smaller than the state of virginia) and my new tights. and then i figured, well, if i'm wearing comfy shoes, why not go ahead and show comfort who's boss by wearing clothes that are almost as good as pajamas? enter the navy dress worn the second way.

sweater: target (gift from chris), dress: lulu's (gift from myself), sweater tights: target (gift from chris, necklace: maurice's (gift from my sister), boots: vintage/thrifted, camera used: olympus (gift from beca) i pretty much wanted to just add gift to everything to let the givers know how much i appreciate it :)

as i was wearing this outfit, feeling like i could fall asleep, i decided two things: 1. it's good to wear when you're bloated and sucking in doesn't help, and 2. it's good to wear when you know you're going to eat too much and you can't suck in even if you want to. oh yeah, that's my kind of outfit - the kind that transitions from everyday to over-eaters anonymous seamlessly. i also painted my fangurnails last night because i'm really starting to like grey polish. also, today is the first time i've worn my hair down and straightened in about three weeks. yeah, now i remember why i don't straighten it more often...



and one last thing. i don't know if you read beca's blog (if you don't, you should), but i was so excited a month or so ago when she told me that she was getting a violin for christmas, and then yesterday she posted a video of herself playing! i played a violin for years and years, and still have one but don't play often thanks to the nerve damage that came from drilling a hole through my finger (it's pretty painful), so i couldn't wait to hear how she was coming along and what she'd learned, etc. then when i found out that she's moving to tennessee and playing a violin, my brain just automatically made my start thinking of beca when i listened to this song and vice versa. they're both awesome. wow, i talked a lot about beca, didn't i? i'm her stalker.

mustard, hearts, and (faux) fur: an outfit post

two things i love when it comes to clothing and accessories are the color mustard yellow, and faux fur (side note about fur: i would rather be hit by a train than ever buy real fur, and even when i've seen real vintage fur in a thrift store, i've still struggled with what i think about buying it because of my stance on buying fur). another thing i'm starting to love - maybe because i don't have a choice since it's too cold for bare legs - is fun or colorful tights.

faux fur collar: vintage (ebay), sweater: forever 21 about 9 years ago, jacket: proenza schouler for target, skirt: forever 21, tights: target (clearance for $1.58!!!!!), boots: vintage, my favorite brooch: gift

i went to target about a month or so ago wanting to find either olive green, teal, or mustard yellow tights. i found olive green and mustard yellow, and just as i was about to leave the hosiery section i saw these heart tights. at first i wasn't sure what to think (i mean, i'm almost 30, and do i really want to wear the same tights as an 8-year-old?), but the more i looked at them i started to think that i could tone the hearts down, and then when i saw the price that pretty much sealed the deal. do you get as excited about finding such as steal as i do?

i want to tell you about chrismas and the tacky sweater party, but since i still have to sort through all of that, i figured i'd go the easy route and pimp my clothes. i hope you had a wonderful holiday!