taking it back a bit

I mentioned earlier this month that i was hoping my cousin would share the photos she took of her visit. Excitement!!!!! She finally did! So, if you allow me, I am going to rewind to the beginning of December. My cousin Steph and her husband Jason came to visit me and I took them wine tasting. Six vineyards and way too much wine made for a ridiculously fun day.

It makes not sense but as the weather got colder this winter my dresses got more summery. This dress being an example. you can't tell but it is backless with a giant heart cut out. I didn't want dark tights to take away from the summery aesthetic but wanted something on my legs. I am super sad that I ripped these nude fishnet hose this very evening. I think next time I would chose a different belt.

Dress: Delicia resale and altered
Cardigan, belt: Target clearance
fishnets: Kohl's
Boots: Seychelle's

All Photos taken by Jason (my cousin's husband)

fuzzy collar and sleek hair

Christmas shopping the final frontier happened today. I am thrilled to say that I am done, done, done!

I was torn between feeling fabulous and feeling ridiculous today in this fur collar. I've admired it on other people and having been wanting to try it myself. I like it. This dress is an old target that I've worn quite a bit over the past few years. I've been over it lately until I saw a woman wearing it yesterday and decided to pull it out again. It's a pretty dress but can easily go wrong. The color can look drab and the cut borders on juvenille. I brightened it up with this marigold cardigan. I am not happy with the tights but didn't have any other clean options. I ended up turning down the cuff on the boots after I left the house.

Also, new haircut. I am still not liking it. I was quite happy with my shaggy, fuzzy, over grown haircut I had. I liked that it didn't look fussy and I liked my too long, fall in my eyes bangs. But it has been 9 months since my last haircut and I figured a trin was in order. i should have been more specific about what i wanted. i feel like I have a whole new hairstyle :( Granted I have gotten a ton of compliments on it over the past two days. I'm just not a fan. I do have a tendancy to hide behind frumpiness. Sometimes frumpy clothing, sometimes my glasses, sometimes scraggly hair. And now my hairdresser has dragged me kicking and screaming into this polished stylish (supposedly) haircut. I'll probably thank him one day. But as of now I am still lamenting the loss of my messy mop of hair.

Dress, boots: Target
Tights: somewhere in NZ ???
Cardigan: GAP
Necklace: Sway
"fur" collar: H&M

still finding my groove

My little blog is still pretty new and I am still trying to find my rhythm. Taking pictures and posting daily is my goal. I just haven't gotten there yet. Even when I do take pictures I don't always get them up.
So here I am, yet again, playing catch up. Loser.
me, not you :)

Saturday was a farmers market, shopping with the roommate day. I intended to buy Christmas gifts but instead went ape shit crazy at the mall. All those sales on clothes and it's so much easier to buy for myself. I know exactly what I want! Boo me! In my defense, I had immediate buyers remorse and returned most of it the next day. Having come to my senses, I then bought Christmas gifts as I originally planned. it was just a temporary leave of my senses. This tends to happen in close proximity to clothing.

That being said, I am officially on a shopping freeze...for myself and clothes. I have enough...for now.

Saturday: Farmer's Market and devil-mall

Cardigan, necklace: Target
top: GAP
cords: Jcrew resale
boots: Seychelle's
ring: Rings Eclectic by melanie lynn

Saturday night: Holiday party at Cupcake Dangerous' casa

Dress, belt: H&M clearance
Cardigan: target
fishnets: Kohl's
Platforms: Jeffery Campbell

Monday: Buyers remorse redemption

red cardigan: American Apparel resale
grey sweater: Old Navy clearance
T-shirt: gift
skirt, shoes: target clearance
fishnets, knee-highs: Kohl's

Inspired by: Lulu Letty

As you may have noticed, some of the outfits in these inspiration posts look like an outfit the mentioned blogger wore. Other times, it may be just a feel that their style has that inspires me. This week I was scrolling back through Maria of Lulu Letty's outfits and was struck by one thing... the almost prim and proper look some of her outfits have. All of the buttons done up, the tailoring of her clothes. She looks like such a lady :) She always looks so put together.

With that in mind I put together a little outfit all my own. This ridiculously ruffled skirt, an ancient yellow pearl snap button up (I buttoned up one more button than I normally would...tip of the cap to Maria), a proper little cardigan, and then I went and got all sassy with these Jeffery Campbell platforms that I got and have been dying to wear. I wasn't sure they were appropriate for school so today was a test drive.

Now this is not really prim or proper but I felt like a little lady clomping around the halls today.

surprisingly comfortable after 9 hours on my feet


Skirt: Anthropologie clearance $40
Shirt: from PacSun I think
Cardigan, belt: Target $15, $8
Tights: Kohl's $6
Jeffery Campbell platforms: Nordstrom Rack $35

double trouble

Oh how life gets busy. I am still having trouble with getting outfit photos in while it is light out. Also, I have been trying to take better care of myself. Leaving work at a decent hour, getting to the gym, sleeping for 8 hours. My sweet little blog got kind of shuffled aside. Shame on me!
I'm going to post both Saturday and today's outfits.

On Saturday I went to the city to visit my friend Jessica of Cupcake Dangerous. We have known each other for 20 years! How crazy is that?? She is doing a 30 cupcakes in 30 days challenge and I have been desperately wanting to get in on the cupcake tasting at her place. So I crossed the bay bridge and "helped" her with her baking. And by helped I mean ate cupcakes and talked. Jess is my San Francisco tour guide and has been since I moved here 2 years ago. So true to form she took me to two places I've yet to try. Sushi Zone and Zeitgeist. Cupcake tasting seemed like as good a reason as any to get dressed up. I attempted to dress this dress down. Not sure if I succeeded.

Dress: Kohl's sale $35
Cardigan: Target $18
Tights: GAP $10
Boots: Steve Madden clearance $50

And on to today. As I said I have not been posting and I kick myself daily for it. I was happy with how today turned out. It was a morning where I woke up with no outfit in mind. I pretty much just added layers until i ended up with this. These wine tights make everything fabulous.

Cardigan: American Eagle (circa 2003)
Dress (worn a a top): H&M $25
Skirt: Banana Republic resale $20
tights, belt: Kohl's $6, $10
Heels: Target $20

Inspired by: keiko lynn

I'll admit that this is a whole heaping lot of a hodgepodge. Honestly, I have not idea where this outfit came from. I dove into my closet and came out with this. I feel like it's kinda weird but that's why I like it. I've been reading keiko lynn's blog for a while now and it is one of my favorites. The blog itself is heavily outfit driven, which I love. And her style is impeccable. So sweet and girly but not overly so. Ruffles, bows, sky high heels, knee highs and tights galore. She layers so well. What's not to love I ask you?

So I love her style and was planning to use her as my Thursday inspiration. Last night I was scrolling through her page waiting for my "aha!" moment and nothing was taking hold. So I got up and started rammaging through the closet. Really, it was her whole look that inspired me, in all it's ruffly, jacketed, belted, heeled glory. I layered this sheer cobalt dress over a tiered ruffle skirt. I added the red bow belt and heeled mary janes. Then topped it off with a long gray cardigan, hoping to tone down the explosion of red, white and blue. I seriously looked at this and was like "hell no," took the whole thing off and started form scratch because I was like, "I just freaking wore these colors today!" But my mind kept coming back to this outfit. Sometimes I put something on, know that it is kind of out there and that just makes me want to wear it more. This inclination has definitely left me walking around looking ridiculous more than once.

Dress: Sway clearance
skirt: Anthropologie
Sweater, Button up: Target
MaryJanes: Target (cicra 2003!)
Bow belt: H&M

Where's Waldo?

I was told today that this outfit reminded them of Where's Waldo. Ummm, pretty sure that was not a compliment. haha! You can't please everyone. I felt like wearing some bright colors today. Actually, I really just wanted to wear this blue cardigan. It has an odd shape but, you know, you throw a belt around anything, add some tights and viola! That's been my formula for the past few months.

I obviously did not look outside this morning when getting dressed. I opened the door to leave and immediately regretted my choice of wedge sandals with tights. Not smart! However, I rarely factor in the weather when getting dressed. I usually wear what I feel like wearing, appropriate or not. I somehow managed to make it to school and home without drenching my feet! Take that rainy Wednesday!

Cardigan, skirt: GAP clearance
Shoes, shirt, necklace: Target
Tights: Kohl's

bringing the butt-bow back

Not really but there is a tie in, I promise.

Once again, I am forced to take indoor pictures. How depressing that I am working during all hours that the sun is out :( My red eyes were out of control. I'm sure there must be something I can do about that, I just don't know what it is.

I love love love love adore want to marry this dress. It is another purchase from New Bohemia in Austin. That place rules. When I bought this it was sporting a giant butt-bow. There are a lot of things coming back from the 80s but I pray that the butt-bow will not make it's way back into our world. Otherwise I'll really be kicking myself for cutting the massive bow off the back of this dress. ;)

Dress: New Bohemia
Cardigan: Express
belt, necklace: Target
Boots: Seychelle's

pants spree

This is like a personal record for pants-wearing. Again, I woke up wanting to wear pants. I got this vest on clearance at Nordstrom Rack and it another one of those things that I don't wear often. I like it with these pants though.

I rushed out the door this morning so these pictures are taken at night, inside. Most I'm looking away because I had red-eyes in all the others. I did the red-eye remover but then I just looked like a demon or vampire or something.

Button Up: GAP
Vest: Nordstrom Rack
Cords: Old Navy sale
Boots: Steve Madden clearance
Pin: gift

lame-oh!

How lame is it to post this 4 days later?? Um, super lame! I had a busy, busy weekend and didn't post this outfit from Friday, nor did I take any pictures Saturday of an outfit I really loved. I am hoping my cousin will come through with some decent photos she took during the day.

So Friday I was not feeling the idea of a dress or a skirt. It's not like I was wanting comfy because pants are not comfortable to me at all. But I went casual. Pictures didn't come out well. It was rainy and overcast even at 7am. So here I am on my porch. :)

Jacket: Old Navy
Shirt: H&M
Jeans: GAP
Shoes, Mittens: Target

Inspired by: Kendi Everyday

This week's inspiration was kind of last minute...okay I forgot about it until I was laying in bed, dead tired, around 1am. I was think about what to wear when I remembered it would be Thursday. I was so exhausted and my apartment is freezing so there was no way I was going out to my computer to get some inspiration. So I grabbed my lovely itouch and pulled up Kendi Everyday. I have really been liking her many 30 for 30 remix combinations. I knew I would find something. Sure enough I immediately zoned in on this polka dot blouse (remembering that I have a polka dot blouse myself). I liked the whole blouse, full skirt, tights, ankle boots combo. I scrolled further and saw how she layered it under this sweater. At this point I straight up passed out thinking, "I'll figure something out"

I never wear this blouse and was so excited to have some inspiration on how to wear it (thank you to the lovely Kendi). Actually, I love but never wear this skirt also. It's too big and I have to safety pin it but I love the material and the color.

That's all for now. Looking forward to next Thursday.

Blouse, Cardigan, Belt, Tights, Shoes: Target
Skirt: Resale shop in Atlanta
Necklace: gift

bringing "old lady" back

My best friend makes fun of this vest, she says it's an old lady vest. Well, if old lady vests are wrong, then I don't want to be right. I love this vest. I bought it dirt cheap at Plato's Closet in Dallas. It is one of my favorite things yet had been sitting in my closet, unworn and unloved for over a year. I am officially bring it back. Hell, I'm bringing old lady vests back. Get ready.

Today in a coffee shop two women came up to me in line to ask me to take off my purse so they could get a better look at my vest. They asked if I made it myself. I wish I was so crafty! I would make one in every color!

Vest: from Plato's Closet
ButtonUp: GAP
Belt, Shoes, Earrings: Target
Skirt: Banana Republic (resale)
Tights: Kohl's