lady like posture

dress: vintage from New Bohemia

tights: Kohl's 

wedges: Dolce Vita for Target

The weather took a turn for the freezing cold today...not literally freezing but cold enough to make these short sleeves a poor choice. This dress is my latest score from my recent trip to Austin. My sister knows me so well now. She chose a happy hour spot just down the street from New Bohemia, the vintage spot I hit up every time I am in Austin. So while she and my mom had a drink, I walked up South Congress and did some shopping. I walked away with this royal purple number. It has a higher neckline that works well with a high ballerina bun. It is super body conscious though so I had watch my posture all day. That is my lady-like way of saying, I had to keep it sucked in all day. And there I when and ruined the illusion. You were all thinking it anyways. Right?

ps My picasa was refusing to upload there photos. This was last week, like Monday or some other day ridiculously long ago. Surprise life got busy again. Yall know my pattern by now huh?

at heart

skirt: vintage resale
blouse: GAP
wedges: Zara
belt: Target
necklace: Sway
hair: modified version of this tutorial by Sidewalk Ready

My internet has been down for a week and I have not been down to hoof it the one block to use free internet at my little corner cafe. Lazy! Honestly, I may not have gotten here had I not been walking past it on my way to the grocery store and seen the Happy Hour sign. $3 beer while I update the blog...um okay! I turned myself right around marched the one block back to my place, got my computer and now we are current.

You may notice the new surroundings. I am teaching summer enrichment for the month and have a new school to sneak around surreptitiously and snap outfit photos. Yup, I just said "surreptitiously" Okay, confession...I was that girl who would read on the bus in middle school and at sleepovers. I have 3 different library cards and have books checked out under all of them. Let me just proudly state that I will always be a nerdy little bookworm at heart :)

mistaken identity

My internet was down yesterday so this did not make it up.

dress: Vintage
belt, shoes: Target
necklace: thrift store in GA
pin: given to me by this darling

I have heard many times that I look very different without my glasses. Ususally the implication is that I am more attractive without. Sometimes, meaning to complement me, people are borderline rude. I feel like, "Alright alright I get it! I look frumpy and troll-like when I wear glasses!!" But I like my glasses (ie hiding behind them). Plus, contacts are so not comfortable and I need a break now and again.

The reactions I get from my students the first time they see me without glasses are pretty funny. Yesterday, however, was the first time I had a student straight up not recognize me! I usually wear glasses for the first few days. I guess they seem more teacher-like to me. So yesterday I wore contacts and had my hair down. My students were writing in their journals and one little girl (lets call her Sara) raised her hand. I went over and asked what she needed. "Umm, what's your name?" she asked. I thought she had forgotten my name so i told her. She got this surprised look of "ohhhhhhhhhhhh" on her face and said, "Oh, it's you! Where are your glasses? Why is your hair different?" She thought I was a different teacher!!! So cute! And of course the rest of the class heard this and all had to individually shout out the very same questions even though they just heard me tell her. sigh...

day of mourning

dress: vintage from New Bohemia in Austin
necklace: Crossroads
heels: Target
slip: vintage from New Bohemia

This week is only half over and already it has been an emotional rollercoaster. I have been up, down, high, low and just a hot mess of emotion. It was a spirit day at my school, Clone Day. So i told me class that I would be wearing all black if they wanted to be a clone with me. They are such adorable little darlings. Half the class greeted me with giant, proud smiles, wearing all black this morning.

The all black, mourning colors turned out to be prophetic. Yesterday I was told I would not be rehired at my school next year. That is the easy answer, the situation is a whole lot more complicated (as most things are). So the all black suited my bleak, dreary, depressed mood. Thank goodness for my amazing co-workers who built me up so much with their sympathy, kind words, and support. I was showered with it until I could help but feel a hundred times better.

too cool for school

dress: vintage from New Bohemia
belt: target
jacket: resale, $18 at Crossroads!!!
socks, heels; Simply Vera Wang at Kohl's (clearance)

This is going to be brief. It's late and my brain is zapped of everything save getting some shut-eye immediately.

This dress is my most recent vintage purchase from New Bohemia in Austin, acquired in February when visiting my little sis. That store never lets me down. The little socks are a trend I have hesitantly tried a few times are past few months. Verdict...I like it. Anything cute and girly is okay by me. It so reminds me of being 6 and begging my mom to let me wear socks with my jellies (remember jellies???) because I thought it was soooooooo cool. My begging did me no good and I never did get to rock socks and jellies. Ankle socks and heels...almost as cool. ;)


So I once again missed the boat on the EBEW challenge. I have been soooo wanting to participate so I submitted a maxi skirt outfit I wore a while back. I am a cheater-pants, I know :(

Inspired by: Clothed Much

I started the day in boots and tights but this crazy spring weather we are having allowed me to change into sandals. Yay warm weather!!! This week I was inspired by Elaine of I'm Clothed Much. She posted this outfit and commented on her husband not liking the mix of teal and blue. She liked it and so did I. I've had it in the back of my mind wanting to try mixing similair colors that are rarely worn together. I decided to pair my green skirt with this teal (turquoise? what color is that? teal i think) top. Then I went overboard with olive sandals and argyle socks. Sometimes you have to go all crazy like :) And I went for it. Yes I did

skirt: vintage
top: Old navy
socks, sandals, cardigan: Target

the thing about updos

Yesterday never made it up. I was having issues. Here's my superficial problem...I love fancy, quirky updos. Messy, sleek, complicated, simple, whatever. I love them. I love playing around with my hair, trying to master them. I consider this a result of being raised by my mom, who could give a crap about hairstyles and had me doing my own pigtails as soon as I could grip the brush.I'm pretty good with hair. The kicker is that updos look awful on me! I do not have the face shape or hairline or head size for updos. Boo life's cruel sense of humor! After almost 30 years I pretty much know what looks good on me and what doesn't (okay I am still learning) and hair up = look stupid. I know this, yet I never give up trying to find styles that look good on me. I came across this awesome twisted braid look on Sidewalk Ready and was obsessed! After numerous attempts I finally was able to coax my locks into a semblance of her awesomeness. However, while it looked amazing, it did not look amazing on me (sad face).

Anywho, I took photos and selected the one where the angle was more flattering. All of the ones where my head looks abnormally large for my body, were sent to the recycle bin, never to see the light of your computer screen. Your welcome.

dress: vintage from New Bohemia
cardigan/belt: Target
tights: Kohl's
boots: Seychelle's

periwinkle pleats gone wrong

I love it, I hate it. This dress is from my favorite shop in Austin, that I've mentioned before. I love the color of it and the pattern. It also has tulip sleeves, which I think are just adorable. How often do you come across a periwinkle dress? So pretty! But the neckline and the pleating in the front are just wrong. I am trying to figure out what can be done to it. In the meantime I wore it anyway. I went all matchy with my mustard cardigan with periwinkle lace. The brown boots and brown tights were kind of for lack of a better option. I think I was trying to frump it up and crossed the line. :) it happens.

dress: vintage
cardigan: Sway clearance
belt: H&M
tights: old navy gift
boots: steve madden clearance
earrings: Target

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

vintage wannabe

So I like vintage dresses but i just haven't found a bay area vintage, resale shop that I adore. Scratch that, I haven't even found one to frequent. So anything vintage I own I buy from my FAVORITE place in Austin. I make my sister take me there every time i make it to Austin for a visit. New Bohemia Retro Resale. It's wonderful. Anything I buy there I get complimented on EVERY time I wear it. This dress is no exception. When random people in Walgreen's refer to you as the "lady in the pretty pink dress", you can't help but smile.

I wanted to wear this dress today but it's been chilly so i was stuck on how to layer it up. Last night I was trying to decide: What color tights, what shoes, what sweater? I got my roommate in on it and she pointed out that it was going to be in the 70's. Problem solved for now. I was just reading a post by Ordinarily Urbane about transition pieces. That is so where I am at right now! I am not ready to pack away my summer clothes. For one, the weather is so schizophrenic that I can still wear my summer clothes. And I just love them so :) As long as the weather indulges me, I'll keep the summer dresses in my circulation.









Cardigan: Target $10, belt: Target $15, vintage dress: New Bohemia $15, Oxfords: Frye thrifted from Mirabel $60