little violet dress

TOMS Ballet Flats (woohoo!)

2012-01-22T20:07:00.001-05:00

so freaking excited!

twelve.

2012-01-01T09:11:00.002-05:00

it's january first, two-thousand and twelve. TWELVE. can you believe it? january first is a good time for being nostalgic and hopeful all at once. it's a good time to dream about how to make your life everything you want it to be and let everything you don't want dissolve away into last year (even if it was just two days ago, you can completely blow it off now by saying, "oh, that was last year, i've moved on.")

this morning i have been reading random entries from one of my favourite newly-found bloggers (who is not at all new to many people), kelle hampton. when i read about kelle and her girls and her life, i am struck by how full it all is. when you read about her adventures, large and small, exciting and mundane, it's hard not to see how her heart and soul explodes with a fullness of love and life.

that's how i want to live. that's how i try to live. and then i get caught up little things that pull me out of my fullness like a grouchy customer at work, a messy kitchen, a broken glass. not to be all pollyanna, but i have a really good life: a really cute apartment (even if small), an amazingly loving partner, the sweetest cat known to woman, an unbelievably supportive family, a job when many are jobless, two cars that work - i could go on. sure, our apartment is too small and impossible to get completely clean, our friend circle is small, our jobs don't really pay quite enough to be as comfortable as we would like, and i am really, really tired all the time. but my life is good, and it's the only one i have so i'd like to enjoy it.

i have some resolutions. they are about my work, and my food choices, and exercising and many of the typical resolution-y type things. but my bigger goal is to live my life fully. to hold my joys, my sorrows, my hopes, and my dreams in my heart and mind in ways that build me up and build up those around me. i want to bask in the goodness, learn from the sadness, and make my life what i want it to be.

a different kind of restarting

2011-06-29T23:10:00.011-04:00

i've been shamefully neglectful of this little blog lately. the reason is fairly simple: my life is nuts. we've moved twice in 3 months, my company is opening another brand in my mall, we had a big sale at work, etc. it's been v. crazy. this week has been particularly intense at work. sunday was inventory, monday was monday, tuesday was a floor set, today was my day "off," and tomorrow i interview 8 sales associates for the new store. then, of course, it's a holiday weekend. but enough about work.

every time i think about how i haven't written on here, i think about what i would write and realize that in the hustle and bustle of work and life, i've let the heart, fun, and life drain out of this blog a bit. every once in a while i'll slap a post up to fulfill my posting duty, but that's hardly why we do this, right? i was recently inspired by a new facebook friend who writes the most lovely blog posts and another friend who posts some refreshingly honest reflections on motherhood, and i have been encouraged to let this blog come back to life. this is different than my usual post that says, "i promise to post more. no really, for real this time!!" instead, what i mean is that i want to use this blog for its intended purpose: to share and spur creativity. to write about what's on my heart and mind, to ramble about arts and crafts, to be encouraged to stop business as usual and do something different.

so, first i'll do a little ditty about what's been on my mind lately. my hair. it's no big surprise. i have made about 18 posts about my hair in the couple of years i've been blogging, and anyone who knows me in person has been subjected to frequent interrogations: short or long!? light or dark!? i recently cut my hair really short, which i initially loved.

however, as haircuts do, it grew out. now i'm in this crazy mullet-y stage that i recently hacked at myself with blending shears (they should NOT sell these to normal people at sally's). the current plan (supported by basically everyone) is to grow it out. this is a bit distressing for two reasons. one, my critical feminist self wonders about the political and social implications and motivations of long hair. i have written quite a bit about hair. a sample:

The first time I really cut my hair I was in love with Nicole Richie. Though she had cleaned up her exterior thanks to an overhaul by a team of image renovators, her messy, sloppy, wild interior still sparkled in her eyes, and I loved every bit of it. I drove to the salon ready to reinvent myself with Nicole’s sassy bob and side swept bangs. I would shed my long, youthful tresses for a modern, grown up but still mischievous style. Little did I know that my haircut would only further catapult me on the journey I had already begun. For a while I was completely enamored with the cut, and it never fully did lose its shine; however, while I cut of nearly a foot of hair, its length only seemed grow inside of me and around me as it tightened its grasp, slowly, sweetly suffocating me each day.

After a series of failed attempts to make the hair more interesting, I finally got the courage to chop my now bleach-blonde hair into a short, cropped ‘do. With Selma Blair and her brief moment as a blonde as my inspiration, I went to the salon and had what I thought was the last of the feminine drag amputated from my head. I was free. The boa constrictor’s grasp loosened from around my waist, neck, released from my internal organs. I could breathe. For months I felt relief. However, in the back of my head I knew that I hadn’t gone all the way. I knew shaving my head was the extreme end of the trajectory I was on, and no matter how much I enjoyed the freedom of my new, shorter hair, I could still see that there was more.

In August of 2007 I was sitting at my desk preparing to teach later that morning, and I rose from my chair thinking to myself, “I’m going to shave my head now.” I thought it just as I might have said to myself, “I need to brush my teeth now.” I hadn’t been thinking explicitly of it earlier that day or even in the days preceding that moment. It hit me all at once with such decisiveness that I didn’t even need to consider the choice. My body decided it and my brain was simply alerting me of the fact. I didn’t shave my head just then—I had to go teach—but I couldn’t push is out of my thoughts. As I was walking home from class with a friend we passed a butch woman in jeans and a t-shirt with close-cropped hair. We nodded, giving her the super-lesbian high five.

“I love that,” S said. “Sometimes I just want to say, ‘fuck it,’ and just look real gay. You know, my cut off cargos, some old t-shirt, cut off all my hair.”

“I know!” I exclaimed and told her about my brush with shaving my head earlier that morning. “I’m just done with it.” She agreed, and we continued on our way home.

A few minutes later on the phone I told the woman I was dating about it and she replied simply, “Then do it. Shave your head.” That was all I needed to walk to my car, shaking a little, and drive to Sid’s. As I pulled in the parking lot, I remembered what I was doing and turned down my last chance to back out. “Oh my god, you’re shaving your head!” my girlfriend exclaimed when I told her I had arrived. I promised to call the second I was done, and rushed inside, certain my courage would fail me if I didn’t hurry up.

I only had to wait a few minutes for Merritt to sit me in the chair and turn on her clippers. She began running the cool blade against my scalp and fuzzy, bleached clumps of hair began falling to the ground. Within 3 minutes, my blonde styled head of hair became a dark, quarter-inch velvet blanket. For the first time, instead of hair, when I looked in the mirror I saw my face looking back at me.

Shaving my head was just as liberating as any evangelizing radical lesbian feminist could profess it to be. I felt free. I felt exposed and open, but powerful and in control at the same time. My students ranged from being amused to completely enamored with my shaved head. Old women and African Americans regularly stopped me to tell me how much they liked my hair style. One woman stopped me in the hallway at school and declared me an “honorary black woman.” For ten minutes she told me unsolicited stories about her hair, her sister’s hair, and hair in general. “It’s just perfect for you,” the 85-year-old Italian woman at Target told me. Most importantly, I felt unencumbered. I had nothing left to hide behind, and I was surprised to find that I didn’t die immediately without the protective covering.

It wasn’t all wonderful. People stared, whispered, and shot judgmental looks at me. Sometimes feeling open was too much. There were times when I just wanted to look regular so I could go to the grocery market without doing any emotion work. I kept my head shaved for about two months, and I miss it sometimes now as an inch and a half of hair covers my head again. I’m not sure what my hair is doing now, but I know that it feels different to me.

written november 2007

as i contemplate growing out my hair, the constraint of my once-long tresses and the liberation of shaving my head remains on my mind. i think about what it means to others and what it means to me to have long hair and to care what others think about how i look.

the second problem with growing out my hair is that it's a pain in the ass! it always goes through a very long phase of looking cuh-ray-zee until it gets to something decent, and last time i went through this process, the end result was just kind of meh.

so for now, i wait. i wait because i am not sure of the answer. i wait because i work all the time and have no time to get my hair cut. i wait because i am stubborn and will only let jen b cut my hair and she's in raleigh and hardly ever works. i wait because $50 is a lot of money. and i wait because i am just not sure.

and for the part deux of this post: the creative bent. i have spent far too long removed from my beloved craft box. years, YEARS ago i started making a black, white, and pink blanket. i have a pink and orange blanket that is pretty much the best blanket in life. i'm not trying to be conceited, but it's pretty awesome. i love it, e loves it, sunny (the cat) loves it. you get the idea. well, the black and pink one is meant to be the same, but it's just not done. i hereby solemnly swear on this blog, the little violet dress, on this 30th day of june in the year of our lord 2011 that i will finish that freaking blanket. i will put needle to fabric and sew the batting to the daggone thing! and then i will start a few other projects, beginning with this:

blazer!

2011-05-25T20:42:00.003-04:00

the other day (the day i actually wore this) we had a bunch of errands to do. i wanted to be casual yet pulled together so i wore my blazer! yay!

t-shirt: threads 4 thought
blazer: taikonhu (anthropologie)
jeans: j brand
shoes: TOMS

an easter sunday romper

2011-04-24T16:48:00.003-04:00

so it's easter sunday and i wanted to wear something festive. nothing says easter like a super-short romper, right? it was the most floral thing i own, so i went with it. we went to brunch this morning, walked around outside until it got too hot, and then went to ulta and the grocery market before heading home.

what i'm wearing:
romper: urban outfitters
shoes: TOMS
sweater: banana republic

the heat is on here in north carolina. it's 90 degrees today, y'all. i hope you're having a good weekend!

shopping bug

2011-04-21T19:06:00.004-04:00

yesterday i had the shopping bug and needed tops so i went into anthropologie to try on this top (which is out of stock online):

but i didn't end up liking it as much on me as i thought i would. it was a lot more casual on than i thought it would be and while it was really pretty it just didn't work.

as i was shopping i saw this one and tried it on too and i loved it. i'll post pictures of me wearing it soon.

it's a really pretty raspberry color that will work for spring and fall, which i adore. it's a nice flowy rayon that's really comfortable and lightweight.

oooh! also! i got my haircut!

this is the picture i took in:

and here's now it turned out. i really like it!

you look like april

2011-04-03T17:49:00.003-04:00

or a common whore. at least that's what the people i encountered today thought. today we went to brunch where the waitress told me, "you look like april!" she was very enthusiastic about it and it was very much a compliment, and i took it as such since that was the look i was going for. we then went to the outdoor shopping center we like to frequent on nice days, and the middle-aged ladies scorned me for my hem length. i wanted to tell them that staring at it wasn't going to make it any longer, but i didn't. i'm a nice girl, contrary to what they may think. here's the april/whorey outfit in question:

what i'm wearing:
t-shirt: threads for thought
cardigan: banana republic
skirt: american apparel
shoes: anthropologie

when people stare at me i think of these great things to say, but i never really say them because i'm very non-confrontational. i also remind myself that i sometimes look at people because i am interested and not because i'm judging, so others are likely doing the same. but still, it really bothers me when people stare. as much as i can tell, the staring falls into a few general categories:

i like her hair/outfit/look!
her hair/outfit/look is weird!
are they or aren't they a couple?
i want a piece of that!

occasionally, the staring is a combination of these. the first doesn't bother me, and when i'm clear it's that one, it actually flatters me. when it's the third, i understand because i do the same thing and it's pretty expected. also, i think queer viability matters, so while it can be really awkward (and upsetting when people are also judging), it's usually worth it to not live my life as a secret. the fourth is rarer and rarer these days, which is honestly okay with me because it makes me uncomfortable.

the second is the real wildcard here. somewhat like the third, when it's weird but only weird (not weird-bad), i don't really care. i think people could be more polite and keep their eyes on their own paper, but people look at things that get their attention, and i know i wear strange things sometimes, so c'este la vie. when the stares are clearly, "her look is weird and that bothers me," i just don't really understand and it hurts my feelings. i do live in a pretty conservative city, so get this a lot. show some leg, cleavage (even if you're a member of the IBTC), back, or wear something fitted or odd and you'll get a few of these. i really don't see how my outfit affects anyone else, but apparently they feel it does. after an hour or so today, i just wanted to go home and not be looked at anymore.

when it comes down to it, though, i don't make my outfit choices with these opinions in mind at all. i consider how i feel in the outfit and, if i'm going to work, if it meets our dress code and will be conducive for what i have planned for the day. that's it. yesterday i wore mustard-colored tights and plaid shoes to work. one little girl told me my shoes were pretty and another petted my tights, so my eccentric fashion (if you can even call it that; i honestly think i'm mostly boring) is working for someone. i hope you enjoy it too.

rachel bilson in c

2011-03-30T10:13:00.002-04:00

i love rachel bilson. i just think she's adorable and sweet but not at all boring to me. i had never heard of c magazine until i saw these photos, but i really like the editorial!

both hands in my pockets

2011-03-26T21:30:00.004-04:00

what i'm wearing:
tank: mossimo (target)
cardigan: LOFT
skirt: NEAL by neal sprung (urban outfitters)
tights: HUE (belk)
shoes: TOMS

i love pockets. i really think basically everything should have pockets. maybe it's because i'm kind of shy and i never know what i should do with my hands.

today was the weirdest day at work. it's not worth detailing the particulars of it, but suffice it to say it was strange. in positive news, my mom comes in town tomorrow. i am looking forward to this for two reasons. first, i am really lonely because my sweetie is out of town! i miss her so much and it's just not the same here. second, and not at all subordinate to the first, i'm excited to see my mom.

i hope you're enjoying a lovely weekend!

just another day at the office

2011-03-24T18:47:00.003-04:00

i wore my new shirt today because it's comfortable and i knew i had to put 16 (heavy-ish) boxes in my loft (up a 10 foot ladder).

what i'm wearing:
top: pilcro
jeans: joe's jeans
shoes: jessica simpson

today was relatively uneventful. oh, except that a lady threatened to call customer service on me. okay, so i work retail. we have pretty high service expectations and i go through the required/expected steps with my customers. i would say that i'm pretty reliable and consistent about it. the exception is if you verbally indicate you don't want my help (e.g. "I just want to look on my own, thank you.") or something you're doing makes it nearly impossible to help you (e.g. you're having an intense fight with the person you're shopping with, you're on the phone, your kid is throwing a massive fit). today a lady came in on the phone and generally avoided my assistant and me, not making eye contact. she (while still on the phone) asked my assistant for a size in something, my assistant responded, and we continued on our work. before the lady left she came up to me STILL ON THE PHONE and said:

her: i'm gonna need a card with your store number on it.
me: okay, do you want the phone number to the store or something else?
her: i want your corporate number.
me: our customer service number? (at this point i start writing it down) is there anything i can help you with?
her: no. i was in this store 10 minutes and no one talked to me or tried to help me.
me: i'm sorry ma'am. you were on your phone so we didn't want to be rude and interrupt.
her: THAT SHOULDN'T MATTER.
me: okay.

i mean, what else do you say? if i had tried to talk to her while she was on the phone she probably would have yelled at me for bothering her! i know when i'm in a store on my phone, i don't want to be talked to. that, combined with my experience with tons of customers on the phone, has led me to say hi, smile, and then generally leave people on the phone alone. apparently, she does not share this perspective. oh well, what can you do?

one of my regulars was in the store at the time and she was so mad! she said, "she was on her phone the whole time! you didn't do anything wrong and i can vouch for that!" it was sweet.

anyway, my sweetie is now out of town (sad face), so now i'm home alone. i need to do some work for the course i teach online and i need to clean the kitchen. but, alas, here i sit on the couch. i can get motivated in a few minutes, right?

stripes and swings

2011-03-23T19:16:00.004-04:00

today was my second day off in a row. two days off in a row are my best. i always need one to act like a baby and cry and sleep from all of the craziness of work and then another to really relax. my sweetie is going out of town for a few days, so we spent today doing things around the house and errands for her trip. it was 82 degrees in NC today, which was lovely! a cool front is blowing in (right in time for my mom's visit, i fear), so we enjoyed it while we could.

what i'm wearing:
tank: banana republic
cardigan: LOFT
pants: poleci (anthropologie)
shoes: TOMS

while we were out i got this top at anthropologie with my 15% off birthday coupon:

now i'm off to spend time with my dear one before she leaves!

the shop ruche garden

2011-03-22T20:13:00.003-04:00

have you seen shop ruche's new look book?

garden 3 | click here to shop it

garden 11 | click here to shop it

garden 13 | click here to shop it

as you know, i love shop ruche. i have two dresses from there, and i covet things all the time! their new styles make me want to slow down the rush to summer and really appreciate spring. the slightly deeper, yet not-at-all-wintery colours, the flowery shapes, and the lovely sets just scream spring!

this is what i want the most:

pick me up love mustard tank

custom TOMS!

2011-03-13T20:43:00.002-04:00

if you follow me, you know that i love my TOMS. first and foremost, i love fashion that gives to others. the TOMS motto is "one for one." for every pair you purchase, a pair will be donated to people (mostly children) who literally do not have shoes to wear. shoes are something most people take for granted, but there are many people who live without them. without shoes you are left vulnerable not just to cuts, scrapes, and dirt but also to bacteria, fungus, and parasites, all of which can compromise and even take a person's life. TOMS shoes can literally change a child's life. to read more about the TOMS movement, click here .

in addition to being amazingly charitable, TOMS are also cute and comfortable. they are some of the few shoes that can hold up to the concrete floor that i work on every day. i wear my TOMS at least twice a week.

i got an email a few days ago that a north carolina boutique, bevello, is have a TOMS-customizing event. local artists will custom paint a pair of TOMS with whatever design you choose! i looked at the pictures from the last even they had and the shoes turned out really cute! here are some of them:

i am so excited! i registered today so that they would definitely have my size in (i have tiny feet). i'm planning to get the cruelty free logo on the side or back (cruelty free is really important to me):

and i'm thinking about getting owls on the tops. i'm also considering doing something more botanical. i would LOVE to hear your suggestions, though!

what would you get on your custom TOMS?

skate away

2011-03-10T19:17:00.002-05:00

last night we set our new line at work. it was a beast! there were so many pieces and we were understaffed. everyone worked really hard and we got out at midnight (our scheduled time), but it was a brutal haul to 12:00. i'm proud of my team and how it went. i've also not been so tired in a long time. i got home to my upstairs neighbor blaring carrie underwood on his/her stereo. after banging on the door we got no response other than a cd change to phil collins (who in the hell blares phil collins at 1:30 in the morning on a wedneday?? who the in hell blares phil collins, full stop??) i eventually went to bed and got up four hours later to head back to work for another day of selling the baby clothes. i am happy to report that i am off tomorrow.

(you can see how exhausted i am!)

what i'm wearing:
shirt: j.crew
pants: elevenses (my favourite brand)
shoes: nine west

i decided to break out of my denim rut and wear these pants instead today. i was happy to find that they fit better than the last time i wore them. woohoo for muffin tops! haha! as much as i love jeans, it was nice to have some nicer pants on for a day.

also, i have this song stuck in my head:

It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on

But it don't snow here
It stays pretty green
I'm going to make a lot of money
Then I'm going to quit this crazy scene
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on

I wish I had a river so long

(Joni Mitchell, "River," Blue)

mucked up

2011-03-08T17:39:00.002-05:00

this week has been all mucked up. we were meant to go to ohio for my cousin's baby's first birthday, but a delay in the shipment of our new collection at work futzed that. we are now staying here so i can help set it tomorrow night. now, on friday we have to go to raleigh, and even though i live in charlotte (3 hours from raleigh), i still get my hair cut there. i've tried here, it doesn't work. don't try to convince me to try someone else or give it a chance. i am not flexible with this kind of thing and now drive 3 hours for a haircut. anyway, we have to go to raleigh for a meeting my sweetie has to attend and i have nothing i have to do that day, so i thought it would be perfect to get my hair cut that day, right? wrong. if you have my hair stylist, that is. she broke her foot. now, before you think i'm a total jerk for not feeling bad, please know that she cancels on us all the time and this is totally typical of her. i mean, yeah, i'm sorry her foot is broken, but i'm like, REALLY? REALLY??? i know i'm being a selfish baby. i really do. i just really want my haircut.

in the meantime i found another cute version of the haircut i think i want. behold, ginnifer goodwin:

ginnifer has a round face and mine is really long, so the ruby rose version i posted the other day is probably more like what it will look like on me, but i thought ginnifer's looked really rad too, so i decided to show you all.

also, i'm going to try to start doing something i really rarely do. it's wild. it's out of character. it's going to be very difficult, and it may take years to accomplish. i am going to save up for something. (you can gasp, if you want.) i really want a nice camera, and i have my heart set on the nikon D3100 (also seen here and here), which is not free, so i'm going to save my pennies and hopefully buy it one day. wish me luck!

super fancy wish list

2011-03-02T19:37:00.003-05:00

when the seasons change i find myself having a sharp increase in the number of things on my "ohmygoshihavetohavethat" list. below are just some of the things i want. nearly all of them are way more than i would spend on each item type, so i won't get most, if any, of them, but it's fun to look.

what do YOU want right now?

silky smooth

2011-03-02T16:43:00.003-05:00

what i'm wearing:
shirt: banana republic
jeans: joe's jeans
shoes: nine west

i got this shirt for $12 at banana republic a long time ago. it is 100% silk, and it had hanger residue on the collar, and i hadn't worn it yet because i thought i had to dry clean it. however, i finally looked at it the other day and realized i could handwash it! it came out and so i wore it the next day. the inside is even silkier than the outside, so it's so smoothy and nice to wear. of course, i got a pen mark on it when i wore it. typical. oh well, if nothing else i'll have a fancy-pants knock-around shirt to wear.

i'm still contemplating haircuts ...

ruby rose

2011-02-26T20:55:00.002-05:00

i think i found my next haircut! and my new celebrity girlfriend. behold, ruby rose:

any thoughts?

spectacles and lace

2011-02-24T19:13:00.002-05:00

i recently got new glasses. i wanted to get something really different from what i had before. i can still wear my old ones because my prescription isn't tremendously different, but i wanted something bolder that would be a sharper contrast with my face.

today i wore my new fossil dress. it's so comfortable because the underneath layer is really soft silky fabric and the lace is stretchy. when i first got it i had buyer's remorse because i already have a black lace dress (and a black lace skirt). how many black lace pieces does a children's retail store manager need? but after wearing it today i'm so happy i purchased it. it's comfortable and really different than anything i own, including the other two lace pieces.

what i'm wearing:
dress: fossil
belt: craft store
cardigan: banana republic
shoes: jessica simpson
coat: tulle

here is my political statement of the day. see the underneath layer of my dress? see how it's a champagne color? it really bothers me when people call that nude. it might be nude compared to some skintones. it's somewhat nude compared to mine. but it's not nude compared to many skintones. i notice this frequently in bras and underwear, and i think it's unnecessary. just call it tan, champagne, peach, beige, sand, etc. that's all.

and if you've been following the great closet collapse extravaganza, you'll be relieved to know that the railing has been put back up. a curious choice was made by the maintenance people to use the same bent pieces and space on the wall as before to reattach the railing, but who i am to judge, right? all i can say is that there will be a lot less stored on that shelf now!

as you can see, i did hang up our clothes again, so all is not right in the world. well, except libya. and afganistan. and wisconsin. and, well, you know what i mean.

my closet fell down

2011-02-23T01:24:00.004-05:00

my closet fell down. this is not a metaphor. it would be rather crafty if it were a metaphor (those of you who have been following me for a while or who know me know what i mean), but alas it is not. literally, MY FREAKING CLOSET FELL DOWN. my clothes are on the floor. i have a 10' x 8' closet and my clothes are on the floor!

okay, we have this HUGE closet. it's really kind of stupid how big it is. our closet is seriously the size of some people's bedrooms. i love it, even though that makes me extremely bougie. we have 2 medium-sized hang-bars/shelves, and we each use one of for tops. one small section is used mostly for the shelf portion because our shoes are under it. then there is the large section, the unit in question here. this section is probably about 7 feet long, and we hang (hung!) our pants, skirts, and dresses on it. on top we have (had!) some craft supplies, extra blankets, and pillows. yesterday i was digging in the craft box for fabric, and the entire thing came CRASHING DOWN on me! i was nearly buried alive! i could be stuck there still if it weren't for my valiant rescue!

okay, not really. it's not all that dramatic. i got out of the way and it scared me more than anything, but the next thing i knew i was holding the hangbar in my hands, and all of the clothes were on the floor. what once looked like this (only pretend it's higher and has pants and dresses on it!):

now looks like this:

thus resulting in our clothes looking like this:

i realize that this is not really a major world crisis. it didn't even require effort or money to fix (oh, the joys of living in an apartment!). however, it was scary and could have been deadly! well, okay, maybe deadly goes too far. but it was annoying!

it's fixed now. they apparently decided to put it back exactly where it was, no matter that it had fallen out before when screwed in in the exact same manner (again, in a less positive way, the joys of apartment living!).

one positive did come out of this shenanigan, though. as we placed all of the clothes into piles, i realized we had a scarf i had completely forgotten about!

i'm off work tomorrow (yay!), so i plan to put the clothes back on the rack, pull out anything that i don't wear, and organize the other items in the closet.

i guess the great closet hangbar collapse was not so terrible afterall.

birthday weekend fun

2011-02-20T16:06:00.003-05:00

yay! we had an amazing weekend here in charlotte! it was my sweetie's birthday weekend, and i was off work. it also happened to be unseasonably warm (60-75 degrees!). this weekend we actually did some new things in charlotte, which is really nearly a first for us. we've been so busy working and being tired (and being creatures of habit) that we haven't really ventured out. however, last week my friend p took me to a new restaurant and cafe, and it inspired me to do something new this weekend too.

on friday we had lunch and walked around an outdoor shopping center. we saw some sweet little kids play in the outdoor play area, got some yummy fudge, and enjoyed the sunshine. saturday we started out by going to an eclectic little cafe, amelie's french bakery. i got this cute little treat:

we then went to our favourite restaurant for brunch and stopped by the mall near our house so my sweetie could use her 15% off birthday coupon at anthropologie. of course i had to look around myself, but i really did need tops. now that i can wear jeans at work, i'm finding that i don't really have many nice tops. a somewhat-casual top looks nice with my dress trousers, but it looks a little junky with my jeans. i got this top and wore it this morning:

what i'm wearing:
top: Bordeaux
jeans: joe's jeans
shoes: jessica simpson
necklace: light years (local boutique)

when we got home, we realized that our day of gallivanting around charlotte was not quite through, and we decided to try to find a new place to eat. we found a local thai restaurant called thai orchid which turned out to be reasonably priced and very good. i wore a tunic i got super cheap at a local boutique at the outdoor shopping center we went to:

what i'm wearing:
top: mossimo (target)
tunic: glam
jeans: gap
shoes: jessica simpson

(the tunic has little bows printed on it! yay!)

of course, though, the weekend must now come to an end. we've had a lot of fun together--we really haven't had time together like this since we've moved here--and we're a little sad to go back to normal. it's been fun while it's lasted, though, and i think my sweetie had a really wonderful birthday weekend, which was the point of these last few days. i hope you all have enjoyed your weekends too!

light up my room

2011-02-18T19:39:00.003-05:00

today was my first day off in a while, and it was nothing short of amazing to sleep in and not have to be anywhere at a specific time. i really like my job, but i was on a bit of a work bender, and i needed a break. also, it was my sweetie's birthday!

it was 75 degrees in charlotte today (incredible!) so we went to lunch and then walked around at an outdoor shopping center. i picked up a tunic at a boutique, the dress below at fossil, and a little dress for a gift (left over from the children's holiday collection) at anthropologie.

i can't wait to style both pieces and show them to you all! i also can't wait to show you the little baby birthday gifts we've gotten for my cousin's baby. i'd post pictures here, but her mommy reads this from time to time, and i want there to be an element of surprise!

ruts, valentines, and dens

2011-02-16T22:59:00.002-05:00

now that we can wear jeans to work it's really easy to get into a rut of wearing jeans, a simple top, and a cardigan everyday. while i like that look, it does get a little boring, so i've been trying to make myself break out of my rut.

on valentine's day i wanted to wear something holiday-inspired, but i didn't want to go over-the-top with red and pink, so i started with my peach bubble skirt. it didn't end up turning out very valentinesy, but it was fun. i wore this to work and then out to dinner afterward.

what i'm wearing:
turtleneck: gap
tank: american eagle
skirt: j.crew
tights: hue?
shoes: TOMS

in that last picture you can see this kind of odd room in our apartment called a den. you can clearly see the width in the photo, and i'd say it's about 2 to 2.5 times as deep as it is wide. it's big enough for a queen sized mattress to fit in there with room on the sides (i know this from when my sister and her friend stayed because they stayed in there). we were storing some workout equipment in there. storing being the key word here, so we got rid of it and now we're trying to use it as a meditation, relaxation, etc. space. it's a cool space; the only drawback is that it has no windows and only three walls, so it's very dark and totally open to the foyer. however, it's still nice to have the extra square footage and it's my new favourite photo-taking spot.

the provocateur

2011-02-15T22:14:00.002-05:00

sigh. so do you all know i have EBV? i complain about it from time-to-time, so you probably do. haha. but if you don't, i'll tell you.

it's epstein barr virus, and it's basically the long-term version of mono. i had mono for a year in 2004 (i barely remember being 24!). when most people get mono, they develop antibodies and they never know they were exposed. those who are affected usually recover within a month and move on, never having complications. but a lucky few like me develop EBV. it's the virus that causes mono and it reactivates on a random-ish basis. people have really different symptoms. for me, i mostly just get really run down (like i'll sleep anywhere, even dirty places), and i'm more likely to have migraines. my lips also peel and hurt a lot. when it activates i (and others) call it a "flare up," which i am currently experiencing. in short, it sucks. but alas, let's not let that distract from fashion, right?

what i'm wearing:
shirt: mossimo (target)
cardi: banana republic
jeans: joe's jeans
shoes: jessica simpson

these joe's jeans are the provocateur, which is a petite fit, and i LOVE them. i got them on sale at anthro, but i'd honestly pay full price easily. they fit so well, they are very comfortable, and i love the wash. they also have enough stretch to fit right but not so much that i feel like i'm wearing leggings.

we recently had two awesome dress code changes at work: (1) jeans are allowed, (2) tattoos are allowed. the second i was kind of thinking might happen because my brand isn't all that fancy. however, i was really surprised at the second. it works for me, though, because both of my feet are tattooed and now i can wear my flats without wearing socks with them.

i hope you all are doing well and look forward to checking on you all soon!

i need you here with me, not way over in a bucket seat

2011-01-16T22:26:00.004-05:00

today we went and saw black swan. now, i do not really like to go to the movies because i get deeply invested in the characters and plot, resulting in my heart getting ripped out, devastating me for (sometimes) days. i realize this is a bit intense, but it's true. well, folks, no worries about that here! unlike the majority of the movie-going public, i was totally bored. i would go on, but i don't want to ruin it in case you want to see it or see/saw it and have a different perspective. however, i did find this review hilarious:

This one goes out to all you ladies. With your latent homosexual fantasies and your controlling mothers and your passionate devotion to art and your inability to resist stern Frenchmen and your Madonna/whore split and your Euro-inspired masturbation in front of your sleeping mothers and your teddy bears in your tiny pink undies.

you can read the rest of the review here, if you want.

mila kunis did a really good job in the film, which is why i have included pictures of her instead of natalie portman who i did not love. i really liked mila's covershot and interview in nylon.

so, i did not enjoy the movie, but i did enjoy my outfit, so let's see it! (even if these pictures turned out awful!)

what i'm wearing:
shirt: j.crew
sweater: LOFT
shorts: anthropologie
tights: hue for anthropologie
shoes: TOMS

after the movie we went to dinner and came home. i have been entertaining myself by downloading songs with the itunes gift card my sister got my for christmas. so far i have:

emiliana torrini's newest album, rarities
a few cake songs
blue and river by joni mitchell
undone (the sweater song) by weezer
never say never by romeo void.

i currently have $5.06 left. at this point, choosing becomes more difficult because i only have a few left! i know, my life is hard.

"vacation"

2011-01-11T11:34:00.005-05:00

i am on a vacation of sorts, which is to say that i am not at work, but not that i am necessarily relaxing. first i went to ohio to visit my family, which was lovely. the only negatives were that it always goes too fast, and my sweetie could not come because she has the flu. i did get to see some very sweet babies, though.

on saturday i came back to charlotte, and because we were supposed to get 4-6 inches of snow, we headed to chapel hill where my sweetie will be doing some work this term. it's her first week, so we're staying here for a few days so she doesn't have to commute right away. thank GOODNESS we came when we did because charlotte got blanketed in tons of snow and then ice. here in the triangle we got mostly ice, but it is a slippery mess. things were so bad that my store stayed closed monday and were only open a few hours tuesday.

a little snow doesn't have to get in the way of fashion if the mall isn't closed, though, right? here they just closed at 8pm last night (which, quite frankly, i think is a completely reasonable time to close a mall anyway). our hotel is near to a mall so we stopped in our old favourite anthropologie.

cultivated and free shorts from anthropologie

i had been coveting the shorts above during my regular stalking of anthro's online sale section, but i never saw them in my local store (even full price, i mean). my old anthro (this is really showing my problematic relationship with anthropologie, but we'll continue nonetheless) has an amazing sale room. well, they had one pair of these, and they were in my size! apparently, they were a return and the store never carried them. woohoo!

i also got a really pretty dress for $9.95!! it didn't have an original tag so i'm not sure how much i saved, but i know i got an amazing deal on a really pretty dress! i only have my webcam with me, so that's all you get until i style it and photograph it properly.

it's a little big (one or two sizes bigger than i usually buy), but it was so pretty and such a great deal that i couldn't pass it up.

my "vacation" has come to and end now, and i'm headed back to work. (in fact, as i finish the last bit of this post, i have just gotten home from going in tonight to deal with our new shipment that arrived late because of the snow.) i have to admit, i kind of feel like i need a vacation from my vacation, but at least i have a good job and great co-workers to go back to. and as much as i am sad to be home alone (my sweetie had to stay in chapel hill for another day), i am thrilled to be sitting beside my kitty. we love her so much, but she does not travel well, so she had to stay home.

now that i'm back to work i'm going to try really hard to be better at photographing my outfits. i miss the blogging world!

2010: a year in review

2010-12-31T19:27:00.003-05:00

i was waiting to make this post so that i could really write something thoughtful to go with it; however, as has been the case for most of the year, i've been sick and working and haven't had the time to do it. i suppose that's summary enough of 2010. thus, i leave you with 2010, a year in review:

bye bye 2010! hello 2011!

z is for zebra

2010-12-15T20:52:00.007-05:00

hi friends! i've been working a ton and i never seem to have time to take outfit pictures! even when i do, i often can't find the time to post them! here's a little mini update!

i got a new clothing item i adore: a kids' sweater. i generally stray away from buying children's clothing since i'm almost thirty, but i just couldn't resist this sweater! i got it when gap was having their give and get promo, so i got it super cheap.

sweater: gap kids
pants: gap
shoes: jessica simpson

i fiiiiinally got my hair cut. i needed it badly (see exhibit A above). i decided to see what this style looked like curled (can you believe i've had it for months and haven't done that?). i really liked it!

cowl-neck shirt: gap

my stockroom at my store at work is FREEZING, and once or twice a month i spend several hours back there processing our new line that comes in. the positive? going to work gives me lots of practice in the art of layering. at my old store, i would sweat wearing a turtleneck even if it was below zero outsite. here, it's a necessity to stay warm! here's a recent work outfit:

turtleneck: gap
tunic: forever-21
skirt: j.crew
tights: hue (at belk)
shoes: jessica simpson

i love TOMS!

2010-11-14T21:30:00.003-05:00

i am adoring the new TOMS lately! the following are on my wish list. i think the boots and the camo ones are my top two (with the camo being my number one), but i love all of the ones below.

love is the new black

black vegan women's wrap boots

gilded herringbone classics

silver morocco classics

camo classics (nordstrom exclusive)

laziness

2010-10-24T13:39:00.003-04:00

let me tell you two things about me. first, i hate styling my hair. HATE. i know that's a strong word, and i do realize i'm lucky to have a full head of hair, clean water, etc., but i still really don't like it. when i don't have to go to work, i put off taking a shower because i just don't want to dry my hair. then i feel gross and like my whole day hasn't started. i end up wearing it ways i don't prefer it (wavy all the time) because it takes less time, and then i'm just only semi-satisfied. am i alone in this?

source: popsugar

the second thing is that i have a hard time getting dressed on the weekends because i never want to "waste" my clothes when i'm not doing anything. this usually results in me wearing an american apparel tri-blend t-shirt and busted up jeans.

my jeans are not pre-distressed, but you get the picture: it's not glamorous. i want to look cute in my casual-wear, and i feel better when i have real clothes on, but i just feel like it's such a waste to wear my nicer clothes when i'm not going anywhere. sigh.

i do realize there are much bigger problems to have, but these are my fashion-related ones, and so i bring them to you as my sunday complaints. anyone relate?

genie in a bottle

2010-10-23T19:33:00.002-04:00

i wanted to make "i wanna rub you the right way" my blog title, but after i typed it i just thought it was a bit much for the title. perfectly acceptable for the first sentence and preview though! haha. my sales lead at work told me i look like a genie in these pants. i LOVE them. they are so super comfortable and i got them for $20 (marked down from $148!). i love their bright, loud print. i always need go-to basics, but i try not to get into the habit of only buying neutrals and core pieces. so, when i found these crazy pants for so cheap, i had to get them.

what i'm wearing
pants: coreylynncalter (anthro)
top: bordeaux (anthro)
tank: anthropologie
shoes: nine west (flats), mossimo (heels)

i'm showing them with two different pairs of shoes: flats and heels. i actually think i prefer the heels but i thought it would be fun to compare.

i also picked up another new item lately and i'll photograph it soon. here's the preview:

it's SO comfortable and looks really pretty layered over a long-sleeved top because some of the lace is sheer. even so, it's definitely a work-appropriate lace, which i love.

blog shop purchase!

2010-10-09T19:05:00.001-04:00

last week i bought a really pretty sweater from mel at idèe gèniale's online closet. it arrived very promptly and when i put it on it fit perfectly! i couldn't believe how well, in fact! i loved it and wore it the next day.

it's hard to tell in these photos, but the skirt is black lace and tulle and the sweater has little beads and pearls on it.

what i'm wearing:
sweater: see above
skirt: urban outfitters
shoes: a brand i can't remember from anthropologie

after work we went to target, so i put on my jeans but kept the sweater:

i couldn't be more pleased. i was surprised because i got several compliments at work on it, and my employees rarely mention what i'm wearing. it is very pretty and i am thrilled with my purchase. thanks, mel!

now, after a long day/week, i'm logging off for tonight.

xoxo!

fall waaaants!

2010-10-02T16:35:00.002-04:00

like many of you, i'm a bit nuts over fall fashion. it's so exciting to wear boots, scarves, and sweaters. i could fill pages and pages of my fall fashion desires, but i'll keep it to just one for now. i walked into anthropologie the other day and fell in love with this capelet.

i've never had a cape or capelet before, but i think this will certainly be my first. i really can't wait to get it!

what are you excited to get for fall?

home, sweet home!

2010-09-30T21:20:00.003-04:00

whew! we just got back from the coast which was nice but VERY rainy! there was a tropical storm that came through, dumping 21 inches of rain in two days, and it was still raining this afternoon. i'll be honest, this apartment still feels a bit foreign to us after living in our old, magical one for so long; however, i couldn't have been happier to be home. i had a great time, but i really do not enjoy car trips and was exhausted!

tonight i coloured my hair and let it air dry and was VERY happy with the results! here are some (low-quality) photobooth pics!

i usually use my 3-barrel waver to make my hair look like this and i was shocked to see it do that on its own! my sweetie says this is evidence that it's an excellent haircut, and i agree. this is my favourite hair-cut i've ever gotten. yay!

i also wanted to let you know that one of my favourite online stores, shop ruche has some awesome new arrivals.

i wanted to post my favourites but i cannot get photo links to work. let me just say that nearly everything is amazing and you should go order. i know i am!

an update on the hair!

2010-09-26T15:59:00.002-04:00

so i styled my hair myself today and it turned out well! i didn't flat iron it at all, so it's a little less sleek than when my stylist did it, but i didn't want to heat damage it for no reason (we're not doing anything today). the outfit, clearly, is not jazzy, but i did want to share updated hair pictures, this time taken with an actual camera. yay!

the first photo i left uncropped so you could get a sense of our new(ish) apartment. it has amazingly high ceilings and huge rooms. that's our walk-in closet to the left in the back. it's seriously large enough for a bed. it's nuts.

a sneak peak

2010-09-26T11:36:00.002-04:00

i have some amazing news! first, I FOUND MY CAMERA. well, technically, my sweetie found my camera. the other day we had to take our four-footed child (see exhibit A below) to the vet for her annual check-up (she's great, btw).

well, when we pulled down the cat carrier from the coat closet, there was a small plastic container behind it which was holding some miscellaneous items from the move. "hold on a minute!" says my sweetie, and opens it up to reveal my camera, our darling salt and pepper shakers (which we repurchased because we loved so much. this turned out to be okay because upon repurchasing we discovered we had originally bought salt and salt shakers, not salt and pepper shakers. haha.), and a few other missing items. so YAY! i have a camera again. of course, the battery was dead, so i haven't used it yet.

the second bit of good news is that i finally got my haircut. there have been charades galore around this haircut (overnight stays for what turned out to be canceled appointments, new stylists so rude i walked out, etc.). i was so happy to go back to my jenn b at my usual place and get my hair did! because the camera batter is charging, this is just a sneak peak (hence the title), but i wanted to share it with you all ASAP!

i haven't tried to style it much on my own (i didn't wash it second day and just used dry shampoo), so i'll let you know (with pics, of course) how today goes!

totally major

2010-09-25T19:38:00.002-04:00

i don't care what anyone thinks, i love rachel zoe and i adore brad. they're totally major.

good things (sales) come to those who wait

2010-09-20T15:33:00.003-04:00

let me tell you, i do not wear shorts very often. my short, pale legs are not necessarily my best feature, and i don't really like to put them out in the world without tights. however, a while back i fell absolutely in love with some silk, pleated, giraffe-print (which is to say there are giraffes on them, not giraffe-skin print) shorts at anthropologie. adore. they were $98 and i considered buying them but ultimately resisted. then, as expected, they were market down 40% to about $60. again, i tried and resisted because i just didn't know that i would wear them enough to justify the purchase. however, today i was perusing anthro's sale section for work tops and made a stop in the "bottoms" department, and much to my enjoyment, i saw they had been marked down to $19.95!! they were all out of my size online, so i called my local store, expecting not to find them since i hadn't seen them recently. i asked for my size, and as she was looking, i wished i had said i would try one size larger. i was pleased when she got back on the line and told me that they did not have my size but that she had pulled the larger one. i hustled over there, tried them on, and THEY FIT! woohoo! waiting absolutely paid off! here they are in their giraffey glory, pastey legs included:

what i'm wearing:
it's all from anthro and i can never remember the labels. :/

so, yay. i'm also nuts so i bought another one of shirt i have and love because it too had been super marked down and i can't bear the thought of putting it in the "only around the house" pile due to overwear. have you ever done that? maybe i'm the only crazy one who does that kind of thing, but when i love something, i just love it.

xoxo!

totally hip

2010-09-19T22:23:00.003-04:00

if you have an iPhone, it's very likely that you have the hipstamatic app that was a really popular "app of the week" a while back. i honestly rarely get apps--i have about six and they're all really practical such as unit conversion and a fancier weather app (well, except the zoo born of the day app, but whatevs)--but i saw the photos my friend took with hers and i had to have it. it lets you use different "lenses" and "flashes" and "film" so your photos look different and like they were taken with different cameras and accessories. i'm kind of obsessed with my hipstamatic and even bought extra "lenses" and stuff. this is what not having a real camera will do to you!

so the other day when i posted my leggings and blazer outfit i also took hipstamatic pictures for fun, and i thought i'd share those. i'm throwing in some bonus hipstamatic pictures of my cat because, hey, why not go full-on into crazy territory, right? i mean, who doesn't have over 200 pictures of their pet on the computer. totally normal. yeah.

and for fun:

haha!

in summary: if you have the iPhone and are easily amused, i say go for the hipstamatic. it's fun and makes you feel all artistic and stuff.

xoxo!

teenage hustling

2010-09-16T21:08:00.003-04:00

today i stayed late at work to work in my stockroom and i was wearing silk pants. i didn't want to climb a ladder and get dirty in silk pants so i walked down to aerie to buy some sweatpants to work in since i was going to stay in the back. i ended up getting these:

cropped sweatpants, $14.95
(they're listed for $19.95 online but i got them cheaper)

more importantly, aerie has a lot of cute loungewear! have you seen it? here are my pics:

aerie shaw sweater, $59.50
i REALLY want this sweater and am going to get it as soon as it's on sale

aerie boatneck sweater
love, love, LOVE. i'm really into short-sleeved chunky sweaters ever since i got one on super clearance last fall at a&f. i'm definitely getting this one.

aerie elephant boyfriend boxer
i just love elephants, so i have to include these.

i don't really shop aerie much because i'm kind of outside of their target market and i honestly feel kind of like a creep when i go in there, but i was glad i went in today, and i can't wait to get my sweaters!

style inspiration: kimmy k

2010-09-15T22:01:00.003-04:00

that's right. my style inspiration for today is kim kardashian. i know some people hate on kim kardashian and her sisters, but i actually like them. i like kim more after watching khloe and kourtney's show, and i actually really like kim's style. she tends to stick with simple lines and colour palettes for her casualwear, and while she might wear some risque evening wear that's not really part of my wardrobe, i tend to like her red-carpet wear nonetheless.

kim wears a lot of blazers, something i really adore too. when i last saw her she was on QVC looking totally adorable in some jeggings, a tank, and a blazer.

who inspired you this week?

a work in progress

2010-09-13T23:10:00.003-04:00

i have some beautiful asian-inspired silk(ish?) fabric that i cannot find a use for, so i decided to weave it through some metal chain to see how it would look. i'm still working on getting it just right but wanted to share it anyway.

i think i can tweak it a little and put it with the right outfit and it will work. i'll keep you updated!

sunday funday

2010-09-12T18:35:00.002-04:00

just a short outfit post from a lazy sunday. you can even see a bit of my building in the background.

what i'm wearing:
t-shirt: american apparel
blazer: anthropologie
leggings: target
shoes: anthropologie

today we went to lunch, the craft store, and hung around the house. we finished the afternoon by getting some frozen yogurt and are now about to swear off the computers for the evening and enjoy the rest of sunday.

xoxo!

i need a freaking haircut!

2010-09-10T17:28:00.004-04:00

ugh! i need a haircut so badly. i have worn my hair in a ponytail for about the last three months. it's hurting my head and my fashion sense. i'm pretty set on going shorter because long hair turns out to be some misplaced nostalgia and because ponytails hurt my head. also, i really like short haircuts. i'm pretty set on getting something between the victoria beckham below and something inspired by a blogger i follow, bleed for fashion:

(i hope you don't mind me linking with your photo! let me know if you do & i'll take it down)

you should absolutely go to her blog because (1) she's awesome and (2) you can see better pictures of her current amazing hair, her most recent previous style (above) and her previous amazing 'dos.

i'm determined to get a decent outfit picture with my iPhone or my photobooth camera so that i can make an outfit post soon. i'm in withdraw! hope you all are well!

xoxo!

ps: do you like the new layout?

weddings and haircuts

2010-08-22T13:04:00.003-04:00

since my camera isn't working i haven't had good quality photos to show you lately. however, i recently saw the pictures from my mom's wedding this summer, and thought they'd be fun to share (1) because i'm very happy for my mom (and it's almost her birthday) and (2) for fashion. yay.

photo: blair stinson

photo: blair stinson

(left to right: my sister kori, my mom amy, me, my sister marjorie)

i'm wearing:
shirt: american eagle
pants: united colors of benneton
shoes: nine west

my sisters are 25 (kori) and 18 (marjorie). kori is married and has a son who will start kindergarten this year. marjorie just recently visited us and will start college this year. the wedding was in ohio in my aunt kim and uncle bob's pretty back yard. it was a really nice casual wedding. we all look a bit weathered because it had just rained on us and was still windy during the photos, but they still turned out really nice because my mom had a great photographer and it was just such a happy day.

finally, i'm thinking of cutting my hair soon. here's a little preview of what i'm thinking:

shopping in the queen city

2010-08-19T01:46:00.003-04:00

ugh, i haven't posted in so long! i could apologize and promise to post more, but we know how that goes (see most of the recent posts). part of the problem is that i lost my camera in the move. we think we may have lost a box, which has never really happened to me before. i guess i should be thankful that we didn't lose something more valuable or less replaceable, but i'm still bummed. my mom got my my camera for christmas a year or two ago, and i use it all the time! i was just getting used to it. i've wanted to buy a digital SLR for a while; however, i'm not exactly rolling in cash, so until then, i have to wait. it seems silly to go on and spend $150-200 on a digital point-and-shoot, so i'm going to wait. i think i've decided on a nikon D-series, but i still welcome opinions. (e.g. do i need 10.2 megapixels? is 6.1 sufficint? idk.) i don't want to overspend, but i also want to think about how long i'll have this camera and not skimp now, only to find i want to buy a new one soon. le sigh.

so, i have three really cute new things i want to show you. unfortch, i only have a (terrible) picture of two of them.

first, i am in LOVE with this top. it's the keeping tabs tee from anthropologie. i adore it. it's interesting, comfortable, and goes with so much! it's only $39.95 right now, and i almost didn't get it because i tend not to buy tees there for more than $29.95; however, it really functions as a work blouse, and i just love the tiny typewriters. the modal in the cotton makes it flow nicely and makes it very comfortable. if you like it, scoop one up while they still have it online!

second, i discovered a really cool vintage store in charlotte, hong kong vintage. it's down the street from our favourite restaurant, and they also have an online ebay store. we went there a couple of weeks ago, but i didn't get anything. this time, however, i fell in love with a pair of white pants with a rainbow design on them. unfortunately, they were see-through, so i tried on a pair of rust/brown coolots (sp?). they were so wild and fit so well, i just had to get them. here they are:

as i mentioned, my pictures are TERRIBLE because i only have my webcam. my iPhone probably takes better pictures, but it doesn't have a self-timer, and i'm too self-conscious to ask my sweetie to take the pictures. so, you're stuck with this junk for now. sorry!!

i wore the top and coolots to work monday. tonight we put out our new line, which is a shipment of an entire new coordinating collection for each department in the children's clothing store i run. hence, my post at 2:08am. it's hard to wind down when you get off work at 12:30am and you're an old lady like me.

back to fashion ... i also want to show you a really amazing jumpsuit that i got for an amazing deal at a boutique around my apartment. it was priced at $395 originally, and i got it for SUCH a steal. fabulous deals aside, it's just an amazing piece and i can't wait to show it to you! it's in the laundry for now, though, so alas, you must wait.

for now, i'll leave you with my most recent purchase:

on sale, as usual, at anthro. i usually stay away from babydoll styles because they are generally not my taste, but this one caught my eye, and i'm really happy with it!

oh! and, i'm thinking of a pretty serious haircut. i've been growing it out for a while, and i'm bored. i'll keep you posted. literally.

hidden fossils

2010-07-30T18:47:00.003-04:00

as you may know, we recently moved to charlotte (north carolina). we're still settling in, but we're happy here! i like my new job a lot. i work a lot and am very busy, but i like what i do and have a great team. on one of my days off we ventured up to one of the malls in the area and discovered a fossil clothing store. i've only been in fossil watch stores--never a clothing one--and i didn't even know they existed! i knew they sold some graphic t-shirts, but i didn't know they had an entire line. lots of it is actually really cute! i picked up a few great things on the sale racks. i wore the sweater below today and the others i've worn this week and last:

what i'm wearing above:
shirt: banana republic
skirt: fossil

what i'm wearing above:
top: fossil

what i'm wearing above:
shirt: banana republic
sweater: fossil
jeans: sanctuary

these items have turned out to be really useful work-wear. i've worn each piece twice in the month since i've gotten them. there have definitely been some challenges adjusting to my new position (i was promoted within my company when i moved), but i'm also really enjoying it.

i can't wait to get a new camera to share better outfit pictures with you!

hello, friends

2010-07-28T00:52:00.003-04:00

it's been a long time! i moved to a new city about a month and a half ago, and i've been out of the blogging world. i've been so busy with my new job that any time i've had off i've spent with my sweetie, sleeping, or entertaining my sister and her friend who just visited for a week. i also lost my camera in the move, so i only have my webcam for now. i wanted to stop in and say hello, though, and tell you all that i miss you.

i did take some outfit pictures on my first few workdays, so i'll share those:

what i'm wearing:
shirt: gap
pants: united colors of benetton
shoes: nine west

what i'm wearing:
dress: franchesca's
tights: hue at anthropologie
shoes: nine west

sorry for the poor picture quality. once i get in the swing of things i'm planning on picking up a new camera. i was thinking of upgrading to a digital SLR anyway (i had a digital point-and-shoot), so i think i'll do that now. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

bird song

2010-06-03T20:52:00.002-04:00

in the last post i showed you all a picture of the dress i ordered for my sister's graduation. i got it and LOVE it. because most of my clothes are packed for the move, i ended up wearing it to work today! you'll see it again soon for this weekend's festivities, but here it is, styled for work:

what i'm wearing:
dress: shop ruche
tights: hue by anthropologie
shoes: jessica simpson

see you later, friends!

xoxo!
jane

new things

2010-05-29T20:48:00.002-04:00

i'm still here!! life has been a whirlwind lately, but i'm excited to say that i got a promotion! as some of you know, i work at a retail store (where i'm currently an assistant manager) and i just got a promotion to be a store manager! i'm going to have my own store! this means we're going to move to a new city (still in the state) that we really want to live in and i'll have new responsibilities and possibilities. i'm psyched!

it also means i need to step up the work wardrobe! my pants have been a bit ill-fitting lately, so yesterday i picked up a couple pair of great work pants. i now have this black pair, this blue pair, a brown pair, and two (different shades of) grey pair. i think that will suffice!

slender stripes wide leg trousers

countless steps wide leg trousers

i'll be showing these pants off as soon as i have them hemmed!

also, my amazing younger sister (well, one of them!) is graduating high school! she just finished her classes last week and next weekend is her graduation. i looked and looked for a cute spring/summer dress, and i couldn't find one in stores. i've been loving this birdie dress from shop ruche lately, and i thought it would be perfect for the occasion. i can't wait to get it!

hear my song bird dress

i'll definitely include pictures of me in the dress too.

love you all!

xoxo!

serger sewing maching recommendations?

2010-05-18T19:40:00.003-04:00

hi everyone! i know i've been gone a lot lately; i've just been very busy and not feeling my best, so i've been focusing on work and relaxing, which often means i switch into my pjs before remembering to photograph my outfit!

i need your advice! i'm hoping to buy a serger (overlock stitch) sewing machine soon, and two reasonably-priced ones caught my eye on joann fabric's website:

brother 1034D 3/4 thread serger
regularly $399, on sale for $229

singer finishing touch SH654 serger
regularly $269, on sale for $199

if have either one of these or have a recommendation in general, please let me know. i do not want to spend over $250, and i'm hoping to get a decent machine that will last me until i'm really able to make an investment in a fancier machine.

so, what do you think?

ah-choo

2010-05-09T17:52:00.002-04:00

i can't write much because i'm doped up on benadryl in a not-so-effective effort to make my horrid allergy attack subside. however, i wanted to share a couple weekend outfits with you all.

what i'm wearing:
shirt: urban outfitters
skirt: urban outfitters
sweater: LOFT
shoes: anthropologie

this skirt above has been a really awesome addition to my wardrobe. it's lace but has a mesh layer over it that keeps it from being too evening-only.

what i'm wearing:
top: anthropologie
pants: aeropostale
shoes: target

i was excited to pick up the green shirt a few days ago because i've been looking for short-sleeved tops that i can wear to work. this one was on sale at anthro, and i almost missed it as i tried to navigate around the swarm of college girls who had descended upon the sale room. thankfully, though, my sweetie spied it and i took it home. i rarely wear green--i just don't gravitate towards it--but i really like it!

i'm off to rest away the benadryl and, hopefully, the allergies.

weekend report

2010-05-02T22:27:00.003-04:00

my days are all out of whack because it's exam week at the school where i teach and my students had an exam on a SATURDAY! can you believe it? so with the day off in between and a saturday test, plus my sweetie's also-exam-affected schedule, it's been odd here.

on thursday and friday i did not work (which i was thankful for because i had a bad allergy attack on wednesday and needed those two days to recover!). on friday we just did some errands, and it was really hot here in the NC, so i wore a maxi dress from target. it's not glamorous, but it's comfortable.

what i wore:
dress: mossimo (target)
flip flops: rainbow

i know this outfit hardly belongs on a fashion blog, but i do like to post my daily looks when i can, and this was it, fashion-y or not.

yesterday, saturday, i gave my exam and then worked at the retail store in the evening. i decided to use my time in between to hem some pants i got recently instead of forking over cash to have the tailor do it. (aren't you proud, mom?) i've gone back and forth on these pants, but i've ultimately decided i like them. i wish i didn't have to wear work-friendly shoes with them, but such is life.

(there are 8 shiny buttons in the back, even though one is in a shadow)

what i wore:
top: LOFT
pants: elevenses (anthropologie)
shoes: dansko

speaking of comfort shoes: today we had to do some errands and we stopped in a comfort shoe store, and i actually saw a pair of cute comfort shoes!

they look a bit strange off the foot, but i swear they were really cute on. however, they were not $135 cute (especially since they didn't have my size, i wasn't really shoe-shopping, and they are primarily designed for walking rather than long periods of standing). oh well!

hope you all had a fab weekend!

crafting makes me happy

2010-04-29T22:11:00.002-04:00

i'm getting obsessed with (1) felt and (2) looking up crafting projects online. sometimes these combine. the other day i posed about the pillow i'm making:

(work-in-progress)

ruffled felt pillow

here are two others i'm adoring right now:

loopy felt flowers

tiny terrarium in a lightbulb

crafting makes me happy.

shop ruche!

2010-04-29T21:44:00.006-04:00

a couple of months ago a fashionable friend of mine introduced me to shop ruche, a really great online boutique. as you know if you read my blog, i really adore anthropologie and similar fashions, so shop ruche is right up my alley. even better? the prices are incredibly affordable.

below are my picks from what currently on the site:

city highlights top, $36.99

cream cascades ruffle top, $32.99

ascending pleats one shoulder dress in coral, $44.99

distressed striped long shorts, $29.99

don't forget to write necklace, $12.99

eternal sunshine handbag, $51.99

nicole open up heeled oxford in velvet brown, $74.99

it was so hard to choose what to show you all because i love so much of what's on the site. i haven't ordered anything yet (we're saving up for a pretty specific rainy day right now) but i just love virtual window shopping there.

oh! and speaking/writing of anthro-inspired digs, you MUST check out uber chic for cheap's recent post in which she recreated a really pretty anthro tank. check it out:

(madeline: let me know if it's not okay to post this pic and refer folks over; i just thought this was too good to miss!)

i've been sick the last two days, but i have been crafting! i am going to be posting pictures once i finish the projects! hope you all are well!

orange you obsessed too?

2010-04-26T01:09:00.005-04:00

photo credit: Etsy/Felt Furnishings

so i recently decided to expand my list of "blogs i follow" to include more DIY-focused blogs since i've had the crafting bug. a little story ... when i was little we did a lot of crafts in my home. my mom was really crafty, always painting, sewing, or otherwise making something. and in the days before a million tv channels (do i sound like i'm 100?), our days were generally filled with playing barbies, pretend, and doing crafts (plus a bit of tv, of course, i mean it wasn't the 20s or something). my mom would have us go out and pick up pretty leaves in the fall and we'd iron them with crayon shavings between pieces of wax paper, giving them a stained-glass(-ish) look. we did a lot of crafts but this one is particularly memorable. when i was three i was obsessed with colouring and my favourite colour was periwinkle. please, if you ever meet my grandmother, ask her about this because she will confirm it. when i was eight, i learned to sew for 4-H ( you can read about it here if you're not familiar). i also did some other crafts and cooking as projects. so, you can say that crafting is in my blood.

as i mentioned in my last post, i've been interested in how about orange's blog that i recently started following and from which i found a link to make tiny rosettes from felt (see my last post). since i cannot sleep tonight (i can already tell i'll pay for this later int he week/day, but i'll deal with it then), i perused the awesome site for more DIY projects and stumbled upon this amazing one: here's the original post on how about orange and this is the how-to on esty that HAO mentions. i've been looking for something JUST like this because i am dying to recreate a version of the anthropologie bench/pillow below:

photo credit: Julie Reed

it's not that i couldn't figure it out on my own, but i want to find a variety of techniques so i can really make it my own. pluuuus, we just got a new couch that's a beautiful chocolate brown, and we need throw pillows for it. i figure if you're going to have something that's primarily decorative it might as well be as beautiful as possible.

so i have started to make a pillow similar to the one pictured on the etsy tutorial. if you don't want to click, you can get a preview by looking at the picture that started this post. here are some in-progress pics (in grainy webcam quality):

(cutting circles)

(folding felt circles into petals)

(threading the needle)

(sewing the base)

(arranging the 11 petals i have made to ensure i'm not totally screwing it up)

so far so good. i haven't really sat down and made something involved in a while. perhaps my last major sewing project was a dress i made for the first date my sweetie and i went on. i've pulled out the machine some as you've seen on my blog, but nothing major. now that grad school is finished and the semester is coming to a close, i have this urgency to make something and to make something different than the things i've gotten credit for making in the last six years.

i know the pictures don't show much, but i thought it would be fun to let you in on my midnight crafting. i cannot wait to show you all how this turns out. and i should warn you all: i can feel a pretty intense felt obsession coming on.

i once thought felt was the evil step-child (which is a terrible phrase but bear with me) of crafts. it wasn't real fabric, it wasn't that cool foam stuff, and i never thought you could make much of it. i'm excited to be (re)discovering it and finding a love for it. i'm very tempted to order felt furnishings by anne kyyro quinn, the book from whence this project came to etsy. do you know it? or do you know of any cool felt projects? if so, leave a review/link!

i will leave you with the genius mix that my itunes helped me make, further convincing me that there is, in fact, a tiny genuis living in there. this was my midnight crafting playlist:

be mine, david gray
reason why, rachael yamagata
the world spins madly on, the weepies
paper bag, fiona apple
brian wilson, barenaked ladies
sail away, david gray
have a little faith in me, john hiatt
swallowed in the sea, coldplay
cornflake girl, tori amos
fall away, the fray
32 flavors, ani difranco
gotta have you, the weepies
madly, tristan prettyman
you picked me, a fine frenzy
ooh, child, beth orton
farewell, rosie thomas

DIY: rosette hairclips

2010-04-25T21:57:00.003-04:00

i'm still, unfortunately, having my migraine. i am happy to report that for about 24 hours, though, i didn't have it! yesterday evening it finally let up a bit and didn't return until after work today. when i started feeling better, i decided to embark on a craft project because i've been itching to do something! i was inspired when i saw how about orange's recent post about felt projects for the weekend. i loved these felt rosettes at Mrs. Priss and decided it would be my weekend fun.

the wonderful thing about felt is that it's so cheap! i spent $7 at michael's and got a ton of felt and 2 varieties of hair clips to which i can affix my creations.

i used felt, scissors, a rotary cutter and board (not necessary, but i'm the worst at straight lines), clips and hot glue:

for specific advise on how to make the rosettes, go check out mrs. priss' post (link above). here's how they look before being glued to the clips:

i made four total clips: two on the style above and two on haircombs. below are closeups are the two on the clippy ones and a picture of all four, including the haircombs.

this project was very easy, fun, and afordable! i even wore one of the clips today. yay! feel free to copy it!

discriminating choices

2010-04-19T19:42:00.003-04:00

i'm so fortunate to be sitting on my couch right now. i have a migraine (day 12 - woohoo!) and my boss and co-workers were willing to rearrange things so that i only worked a few hours today. i honestly didn't put a ton of effort into my outfit because i was in a lot of pain when i was getting ready. however, i was pretty happy with it for a low-key, marking-things-down kind of outfit.

(even though i look a bit crazy, i thought this angle showed how pretty NC was today with the pretty sky and foliage)

what i wore on mulberry street:
shirt: mossimo (target)
tunic vest: mossimo (target)
pants: aeropostale
belt: from an anthro dress
shoes: jessica simpson

this outfit included some very "juniors department" pieces (pants from aero! tops from target juniors! js shoes!) but i think it shows how if you are discriminating about your choices it doesn't have to look age-inappropriate (i hope!).

i'm off to finish grading and then totally crash. i could have gone to get a toridal/demoral shot today, but unfortunately i couldn't work it out schedule wise (i had to work, i needed a ride, i have to grade tonight, i need to teach in the morning), so i've treated the migraine with a lesser regimen and am going to tough it out! here's to feeling better soon!

style inspiration: ginnfer goodwin

2010-04-17T00:12:00.004-04:00

i haven't done a style inspiration post in a while, so i decided to bring back this feature. i used to really like doing it and just got away from it as i got busy. so, as i bring back this part of my blog, i present to you:

ginnifer goodwin

known for: law & order, mono lisa smile, walk the line, big love (among others)
what i like: her adorable hair, her cute round face, the interesting shapes she chooses, how she can look amazing in casual- and red-carpet-wear.

the program i used to use to make my style inspiration collages did not come free on this macbook and i am too cheap to pay for it tonight, so i apologize for the poor image layout. the photos are a bit small, but you can click them to enlarge. i'll work on it!

tulip with stems

2010-04-16T23:25:00.003-04:00

yesterday i decided to actually make an effort to put an outfit together for the class i teach. i usually go with a jeans or slacks, a simple top, and a cardigan. it's embarrassingly boring but often the most i can muster before 8am. however, thanks to my new every-other-day hair washing routine, i get to sleep in a bit later, and decided to use my extra energy for an outfit.

this skirt is literally named "tulip skirt" and i thought the green tights made me actually look like a tulip, stems and all.

what i wore on mulberry street:
tank: soma
cardigan: LOFT
skirt: american apparel
tights: xhilleration (target)
shoes: sam edelman (anthropologie)

my favourite part of the outfit by far was a new pair of shoes i got on super clearance recently. i ordered them from anthro and was thrilled to get them in the mail.

i think they're a fun twist on the oxford and want to wear them everyday! (i won't, but i will want to.)

after teaching i went to my other job and had a kind of busy/big day. it went really well, and i wore the top half of the above outfit with high-waisted trousers, which i failed to photograph.

today my sweetie won an award for her dissertation and we attended the awards ceremony. although i did not take any photos, i did put together a polyvore rendition of the outfit that's a reasonable facsimile of the actual look.

what i wore on mulberry street (actual brands; not polyvore items above):
tank: soma
lace top: peony (anthropologie)
skirt: white house black market
shoes: merona (target)

i was happy witht he outfit, and the ceremony was lovely.

and in case you're wondering, the verdict on prednizone for me in this case: yuck. it makes me restless, and i still have a migraine.

dirty secret

2010-04-14T23:23:00.003-04:00

i'd love to be sleeping right now, but i'm kind of restless so i thought i'd take this chance to blog since it makes me happy. i have had a migraine since last thursday, so my neurologist prescribed prednizone (a steroid) for three days. today is my first day, and i read that sleeplessness and generally feeling antsy are common side effects, especially early-on. i'm not sure if it's a self-fulfilling prophecy (i.e. i read that i might have trouble sleeping and then kept myself up) or if it's a legitimate side effect, but i'm up.

these pictures are actually from two days before the last post; however, i forgot i took them so i'm posting them now.

shirt: the limited
jeans: the gap
cardigan: francesca's
shoes: jessica simpson

we have an incentive at work right now that allows us to wear jeans when we meet our sales goals the previous day, so this was actually a work outfit even though it's a bit more casual than my usual work-wear.

i forgot to mention that i got a haircut the other day. i LOVE it. it's not all that different, but a lot of the bulk that was making it look kind of scraggily by the end of the day. i also got my bangs cut.

i am also transitioning to an every-other-day hair washing routine. i'll be honest: i hate it. it makes me feel like i'm not as put together as i want to be. however, i know it's bad for my hair to wash it everyday (and my hairstylist lectured me to this effect as well). i got tigi's rockaholic "dirty secret" dry shampoo. even though it's hard not to wash it everyday, the dry shampoo has helped. the picture above is second-day hair. i try to remember that i'm saving my hair, saving water, and that in the US we're so used to taking access to water and intense hygiene for granted.

spring nymph

2010-04-14T20:27:00.003-04:00

this is not at all the outfit i set out to put together, but as i put on each piece, grabbing the next one just made sense to me. i like how it turned out! i ended up wearing dark purple suede ballet flats with it, even though they are not pictured.

*sorry for the webcam quality! i didn't have time to get the tripod out.

t-shirt: the gap
sweater: anthropologie
skirt: j.crew
tights: anthropologie

a change of pace

2010-04-11T19:44:00.002-04:00

hello long-lost friends. well, i suppose i'm the long-lost one. you all have been here all along! i've had a hard time keeping up with my blog since i've been so sick lately. i had mono from march 2006-march 2007, and the EBV virus lives in your body forever once you have it. for normal people, this is not a problem. i'm one of the lucky few that not only experiences a resurgence of the virus into an active form but also re-experiences side effects (most reactivations are usually unnoticeable unless tested). nice, huh? on top of that, i have my chronic migraines and other headaches i've mentioned. the result is not fun.

i feel sad when i'm not keeping up in the blogging world. it's fun and creative for me not just when i post, read and comment, but also when i dress. when i am actively blogging, i'm more adventurous and thoughtful about my outfits. when i've slacked off on blogging, my fashion gets a bit more dull.

right now i'm in a self-imposed shopping restriction as i save my money for some future plans. i'm taking this as a chance to really get creative with the mass of clothing i already own. i've gotten a few new things lately you'll see appear, but in large part, i'll be recycling, recreating, restyling what i already own. with spring fully upon us here in north carolina, this seems a propos.

in order to make a bit of a compromise between my desire to blog and my limited time and energy, i'm going to have a bit of a scaled-down format, so don't be surprised if you sometimes just see an outfit with little-to-no narrative. when i can, i'll include more. and next month (less than that, really) when the semester has ended, i hope to be able to amp back up and really start posting more DIY stuff!

here's an outfit i wore the other day to work after finding some great sandals at target that cover my feet tattoos (a must for the dress code):

tank: target
skirt: white house black market
cardigan: LOFT
sandals: target

that's a wrap for today. i hope to see you more this week!

a little help [for] my friends (warning: about bras!)

2010-03-29T04:05:00.005-04:00

note: this post is about, um, support garments (aka bras), so there are some photos of models in bras (none of me!). the bras cover as much as most swimwear tops, but it maybe NSFW-ish or at least potentially a bit awkward if co-workers can look over your shoulder. just a warning.

i don't think i've mentioned this on my blog yet, but i've discovered in recent years that i have a metal allergy. i never had this allergy as a child or even in my early 20s. however, a couple of years ago i (basically suddenly) started being unable to tolerate earrings (i never experienced even the slightest irritation before), i got a nose piercing that never healed (and i of course removed because an infected nose piercing does not look pretty [or clean]), and, the worst, underwires in bras.

i refused to deal with the underwire problem for a while, but it became so painful that i finally had to admit it, and about a month or two ago i decided to really commit to avoiding metal in my bras. i'm sharing this in case any of you may be in a similar situation.

i tried many wireless bras, many like this one from gapbody:

i have that exact bra in yellow. although the sales associate assured me it would not fold over at the bottom of the cups (as many wireless bras had, in my experience), it eventually did. i've tried many sizes and brands like this one, but all of them do the same thing. this may be a bit personal, but i do not have a large bust (about a 34B) and use my bras primarily for increased coverage (not as much support) (i.e. there's not a lot of weight on the bra), but i continued to have this problem, so i began a search for a decent wireless bra.

because i have a small bust, a bralette was a reasonable option for me. i wanted one that didn't make me feel like i was wearing a training bra, so i tried the one below.

(from aerie [no longer available, i think])

i like that this bra is feminine, grown-up, and just a little bit sexy but also offers a decent amount of coverage. it's not at all sheer and the cotton is thick enough to keep me from feeling naked. if you're small busted, i definitely recommend it (or a similar one) from aerie. i don't think this would work for larger-busted gals or those who need more lifting because it's light-weight. (btw: i have 3 different styles of matching undies [tanga, thong, and boybrief] and really like all of them.)

i haven't bought many victoria's secret bras lately because i heard they were treated with formaldehyde to keep their shape. gross. however, i was a bit desperate and thought this might be less likely with a less structured bra, so i took a gander. my nearby stores were sold out in my size the bra below (from the sexy little things collection; link is under the pictures), so after trying on a size bigger, i decided to take a chance and order online.

(from victoria's secret)

i love it. because i was paying shipping, i got two (figuring i could return if i didn't like them). i really love them, though! the wide band under the triangle cups/top is the key to this bra. it offers more lift and support than the bra below. if you're bigger than a C, it probably wouldn't work, but ladies size C and smaller might really like this bra. although it's all lace, it's not at all itchy because it's a really soft lace. the lace doesn't create a problem, even with thinner tops. for reference, i'm about a 34B and i got a small. the bra definitely doesn't feel or look like a training bra (a key requirement) and makes me feel supported and covered (other key requirements). the bra is a little sheer (much more noticeable in the lighter colors) but it doesn't pose a problem once clothed. there are matching undies, but i didn't get them.

these are the only two styles i've tried so far (don't worry: i have more than one of each; i don't wear just two bras everyday!). if i discover others, i'll let you know. meanwhile, if you have any suggestions, feel free to leave descriptions or links!

in the center of the ring, just like a circus

2010-03-29T03:26:00.003-04:00

my outfit is a bit circus-themed today, or at least it felt that way. it went through a bit of an evolution and the outcome is much less circus-like than the original version, but i still thought it was present enough to mention it.

tank: mossimo (target)
cardigan: LOFT
pants: anthropologie
over-the-knee socks: anthropologie
shoes: nine west

the outfit evolution (if you are interested): the main circus-like aspect were the over-the knee socks that i kept as the outfit evolved. i orginally tried to wear the skirt seen in my (new) header (the peach j.crew bubble skirt with pockets). because i am short (5 foot), the over-the-knee socks are really thigh-highs on me. i wore a new garter belt i got from target to keep them up. the garter belt is a liberty of london design (a european department store that has done some really pretty floral-printed pieces from target) and really cute (not shown, obvs). however, because the skirt is on the shorter side (long enough for work but right on the verge of the dress code) i was worried that if the socks slid down at all or if i bent down in an un-lady-like fashion the garter clips might show, which seem terribly work inappropriate. here's a close-up of the socks:

(elephants!)

at the last minute i changed into these cropped pants from anthro. they have a pretty waist detail that you can see better in this post (click me!). it's covered in this outfit but a fun detail to play with styled otherwise. wearing the pants with the socks was inspired by a former student who used to wear cropped pants, socks/tights, and skimmers frequently and looked totally adorable and fun.

i then tried a variety of tops before deciding on a really basic tank from target and this easy go-to cardigan from ann taylor loft (which is now just called LOFT, i guess, so i'll start referring to it that way in the future). if you need any light-weight, affordable spring/summer sweaters, by the way, go to LOFT. they have great sweaters for $20 right now, and i am loving the one i got. i'm going to go back for more!

because i haven't been posting as much lately, i haven't really given an update on my headaches. because i mention them fairly often, i thought i'd let you all know how it's going. so here goes ...

i'm up right now because i have a terrible headache, and i'm waiting for the medicine to kick in enough to sleep. ugh. the positive news is that i've started taking a medication every night at bedtime that's actually helping. my worst headaches are much fewer and further between. i still have a mild-to-moderate headache several times a week, but at least i'm not having a migraine daily! i'm so very thankful for that. the problem is this: when i do have a bad headache/migraine, i'm running out of affordable options. when it's not too bad, i take advil migraine. my neurologist has given me several samples of prescription migraine medications, all of which have had kind of awful side effects but do help with pain. so far i've tried maxalt and axert (after not being able to tolerate imitrex's chest-tightening side-effects). the latest, zomig, is the least bad; however, all of these prescriptions (save imitrex which is the only one with a generic) are really expensive (i.e. hundreds of dollars). honestly, that's enough to give me a migraine.

anyway, i'm thankful to have access to healthcare and to have decent insurance. i'm glad to have the option to try these different medications and am fortunate that my health struggle is not life-threatening in any way. and in my specific case, i'm really thankful to have my daily preventative medicine that's working as i try to work out a reactive option.

naw tickle

2010-03-23T23:55:00.003-04:00

hi hi! today was a typical tuesday: teach in the morning, break, work in the evening. my boss is really rad and she lets me come in an hour later than i otherwise would since i teach in the morning. this means that i get to sleep, work, eat, or do whatever i want or need to do in between my jobs. i didn't put much into my look this morning. however, after napping for a while (and a dress code that won't let me wear jeans [which is probably for the best so i don't look a hot mess]), i had a bit more energy to put something together. i know i show these shorts on my blog a lot, but i promise that i don't wear them ALL the time. i'd say i wear them about every other week and i make it a goal to create a new look each time with them. here's what i wore today:

shirt: j.crew
shorts: anthropologie
tights: hue (from anthro)
cardigan: francesca's
shoes: nine west (they are orange even though they sometimes look red)
headband: anthropologie

as you may have noticed, i really like nautical themes. i try not to over-do it, so i try to mix in an orange instead of a red and use less obvious color schemes to balance the more traditionally nautical ones.

i got this t-shirt last weekend in charlotte. i needed some casual shirts, and they were on sale for 30% off, so it seemed great. i'm really happy with it because, even though i didn't plan to, i was able to wear it to work too. because you can't see the detail well, here's a closeup from j.crew's website:

i was pretty happy with how the outfit turned out, and as always, these shorts were really comfortable at work.

here's some good news: the end of the semester is only about a month away! i love teaching, but this time in the semester is when things get long and tiring. spring break is wonderful, but it's hard to come back and gear back up. i can't wait until summer when i only work one job and have time to sleep, craft, clean, and just live.

i hope you're all having a good week!

she bangs?

2010-03-21T16:06:00.003-04:00

okay, please indulge me in yet another hair post. see, as you know if you follow me at all, i am constantly obsessed with finding a hairdo i love. i have had styles i adored, but after a couple traumatic chops as a child, i'm always a bit anxious about haircuts. lately, i've been contemplating the idea of bangs. i have side-swept bangs that i really like, but i'm always interested in a change. here's what it looks like today:

it's a little limp today because i colored my roots and deep-conditioned it. it should be back to normal tomorrow. however, you can still see the shape and the bangs here.

i am thinking of growing it out a little bit, and i'm really liking these two (similar) looks:

(elisha's length with nicole's color and waves.) i could do the length with my current bangs, but my question is this: what do you think of an actual straight-across fringe on me? i'm thinking like this:

be honest! you won't hurt my feelings! i'd much rather hear, "eh, i don't think so," than walk around looking crazy.

leather and lace (minus the leather)

2010-03-20T20:19:00.002-04:00

i always say i'm going to post more and then i don't. every week i think things will settle down, but they stay busy. oh well! the other day i wore one of the things i got in charlotte: a lace dress for $20.

dress: urban outfitters
tights: target
shoes: jessica simpson
blazer: anthropologie

this pictures are post-work, so i'm looking a little worse for the wear. this lace is so super-soft and i love how it offers enough leg, shoulder, and chest coverage to make it work-okay even though it's lace. i always worry about that, so i checked in with my boss and she said it was totally fine.

note to my mom: this isn't the lace thing you bought me. :) (i'm telling my mom this because she knows she bought me something for my birthday (i.e. i bought it, called her and reported my obsession, asked if she wanted to give it to me for my birthday, and she sent me a check). isn't that awesome?

anyway, i picked this up on the awesome clearance racks at the charlotte urban outfitters. our urban outfitters' clearance is really big but also really ravaged by hip teens. in addition, if you go there anytime they aren't in school, it's a bit like lord of the flies trying to find something. they push, block sections with their purses or friends, loudly critique objects and anyone who would even consider buying them, and insist upon picking up every item a friend/acquaintance/enemy/frenemy of theirs owns and then pass judgment on that person. this, as you can imagine can make it hard to shop. however, since we were in charlotte (where the anthro sale room is so tiny because all those richy ladies can or will buy full price that it's barely worth one's time), we stopped in UO and were pleasantly surprised. obviously, i got that dress. my sweetie got a cute skirt for $10 or 20.

i have worn some of the other things i got in charlotte, but i have forgotten to take picures because i've been running late all week. thankfully, it's getting warm in north carolina, so i can go back to taking porch photos. also, with the time change, it's wonderfully light outside often when i get out of work, which is wonderful and helps me feel less exhausted. these are good things, i'd say.

hello, friends

2010-03-14T20:29:00.002-04:00

oh friends, how i've missed you.

first things first, i wanted to tell you all that about a week and a half ago we decided to wait on our wedding. before you get sad, don't worry, it's not sad at all. we are still very much together and focused on our future; however, a wedding without our family and friends that we had to rush right back to work from just didn't feel right once we really got close to it. the lovely thing about a small private thing (that your state doesn't recognize) is that you can wait, and it's no big deal. so the dress and shoes will wait, but the love is very much here. in fact, we took our time off anyway and went to charlotte, north carolina where we had a simply amazing time.

i've been away from my blog for a while because we were gone and before that i was terribly busy. however, i want to be back with a vengeance, and part of that is getting back to my crafting and DIY stuff that was meant to be a feature of this blog. i saw so many beautiful things in little stores in charlotte and i wish it could be my job to sit home and make all of them. instead, i must work (2 jobs), so my projects may take a while, but i'm determined. plus, in just about a month and a half the spring semester will conclude. although i've been enormously thankful for the generous opportunity to keep teaching even after graduation, i have to say that i'll be ready for my time at UNC to come to a close. i simply feel that i will be finished there. my heart just doesn't live there now, you know?

while i wasn't posting last week, i did photograph a pretty new sweater that i stalked at anthropologie until it went on sale:

sweater: field flower (anthropologie)
t-shirt: the gap
pants: aeropostale

this weekend i had an amazing time with my sweetie, and part of that was scoring some awesome bargains including:

a mustard-colored crinoline
elephant over-the-knee socks
a lace dress
two pretty t-shirts
a beaded headband that actually stays on my head

i was going to photograph each of these and post them here, but they're all tucked away and i plan to wear them this week, so i'd rather show them with their outfits. however, i did wear one t-shirt today, so i'll share that photo (even though you can see that i'm very much in vacay mode).

shirt: j.crew
jeans: 7 for all mankind
shoes: rainbow
sweater: sparrow (anthropologie)

i really needed some casual clothes, so that's why i picked up this t-shirt and another one from j.crew. i adore my american apparel t-shirts; however, sometimes i just want to look slightly more put together while being just as comfortable. i picked up this sweater for $19.99 at anthropologie last week. can you believe it?

also, i finally was able to get my hair in a low side ponytail and i don't think i've worn it differently since. i was getting really frustrated with my hair, but now i'm thrilled that i have an easy go-to style to get me through this growing out transition.

i could go on and on but i suppose i should save something for later, right? i've missed you all tremendously and i cannot wait to be back in your worlds.

xoxo!

spring break(broke)

2010-03-04T13:41:00.002-05:00

oh.my.GAWD. it's finally spring break. today was my last day of class, and i don't have to go to school at all next week. this break could not have come at a better time. i am beyond exhausted. in fact, i'd like to be sleeping right this second, but i have 20 papers to grade that are way too overdue. i am going to work for a few days (sunday-tuesday) but then it's off to charlotte for the wedding (and birthday) festivities!

two days ago i went to work and felt a little overexposed. i had a tanktop and a cardigan on, but i wanted more coverage, so i stopped into ann taylor loft (LOFT) (<--are we just calling it LOFT now? idk.). they had cute light-weight sweaters on sale for $20. since i'm a bit obsessed with peach lately, i got the one below.

sweater: LOFT
shorts: anthropologie
tights: target
shoes: nine west

i almost didn't take photos because i was tired after a long day of work and i got caught in the rain on the way home. however, i liked how the outfit turned out, so i did it anyway.

you may have noticed that i've selected a new photo spot lately. i just find it too cold to go out on the porch everyday, and some of the other backgrounds in my home are cluttered or boring. even though there's some junk on the built-in (diet coke, cat food), i still like the backdrop of the books, and the lighting here is decent. i don't really know much about photography, so i just have to do trial and error until i find what works. so i'm wondering:

what advice do you all have for outfit pics?
suggestions on locations, angles, poses, etc.?

a case of the mondays

2010-03-02T22:37:00.002-05:00

despite the title, i actually had a decent monday. i didn't (techincally) work until 1pm, so i stayed home and graded in the morning. then, i went to the retail job. i decided to wear a skirt i got this weekend at jcrew. i really love the color peach (which this is, even if it looks different on screen), but i shy away from it because i am so pale. however, this particular shade worked really well, and i LOVED it with the variegated tights. i think grey and peach look so pretty together.

to work i wore the shoes above, however, i really wanted to wear it with the boots below. i worried that they were too much for work, so i went with the flats.

tank: soma
blazer: anthropologie
skirt: j.crew
tights: hue (at belk)
ballet flats: jessica simpson
boots: nine west

really, it was an uneventful day. i am pleased to report, though, that we officially have a location for our ceremony and we met and really like our officiant. i cannot believe our wedding is less than 2 weeks away!

see/talk/write with you tomorrow!

xoxo!

the official (out of the house) debut of the extensions

2010-02-26T15:57:00.002-05:00

today i decided to try to wear my extensions out and about to see how they'd feel and hold up through the day. so far, they're doing pretty well; however, i will note that i am constantly aware of them and constantly worried that they're doing something weird.

tank: soma
shirt: american apparel
jeans: the gap
shoes: jessica simpson

i took idèe gèniale's advice and went for a side braid (ala alexander wang's models in 2009's fashion week shows) to camouflage how some of the layers really stand out. i'm pretty happy with how it turned out and have only had to pin up a few pieces during the day.

several of you have asked questions about the extensions, so i'll attempt to answer them:

QUESTION: are they clip-in or more permanent?
ANSWER: they're totally clip-in! i can take them out and put them in whenever i want.

QUESTION: what kind are they?
ANSWER: mine are a brand by remy: euronext. i got these (in blonde frost) from sally beauty supply. they were $75 (on sale) and i think it was worth it. the blonde frost color is great for lighter blondes because it has two shades, making it blend a lot better than a monochromatic kind.

QUESTION: how do you put them in?
ANSWER: in this post i briefly describe the steps i follow. however, i'm going to post a more detailed tutorial soon now that i'm getting a little more used to putting them in.

also, i picked my wedding dress up from the tailor today, and i'm really excited but also really nervous to try it on! i really hope it fits. you'd think i'd be rushing to try it on to be sure, but i'm scared! i'll let you know how it goes!

oh, the lengths i go to

2010-02-24T20:30:00.003-05:00

extremely crafty title, i know.

so, i tried the hair extensions again ( see the first try here). this time, i curled/crimped my hair with my three barrel waver. if i have not said it before, let me say for the record that i love the three barrel waver and am so glad i got it! i waved the extensions and then my natural hair.

i was a bit concerned about how it would blend because my natural hair waves really easily and i can tolerate really high heat on it. the extensions, on the other hand, are silkier, thicker, and do not wave as easily. plus, you are supposed to use a low heat so they don't get fried. thankfully, though, they waved okay (once i figured out how to hold them to do it) and i was really impressed with how they blended! from the front, it all looks fine. however, from the back, my top layer is still obviously shorter than the rest, so i kind of half to pull it half up, but i'll show you pictures before i pulled it up and after.

extensions in, all down (obviously):

see how it's kind of scraggily? i think this is also because, since the extensions are so much longer than my hair, it is so thin at the bottom and very thick at the top. the only remedy i could think of was to pull part of the hair back.

part up, part down:

(crazy face!)

i felt like i looked pretty young with the long hair, so i thought i'd at least make an attempt to see what it would look like with clothes on instead of sweats.

fine, fine, i'll get dressed:

this is the same outfit i wore earlier in the day, so here's a bit of a before and after set for you.

before and after:

i've decided i probably won't wear the extensions for my wedding. when i wear them, i feel most consciously aware of clips on my head (than other things), and that's certainly not where i want my focus that day. i also feel both not like myself and like a version of myself i used to know several years ago when i wear them, and i'm not sure i'm up for that on my wedding day. finally, my critical feminist standpoint makes it hard to make an argument for them (on that day) without making a much stronger argument against them. i'll probably bring them as an option, but i doubt i'll wear them.

however, i do like them for wearing other times. (i can elaborate on why it feels different for my wedding day if anyone wishes.) i'm a bit nervous to wear them to work, but i may. i also feel like, at least at this hair length and without another set, wearing them part up or all up/braided is probably my only decent-looking option. i am thrilled at how they turned out wavy, though, and i'm excited for their debut into the public sphere, whenever that may be.

but i'm wondering,

what do you think of the extensions on me?

and

what do you think i should do with my (natural) hair? i'm bored of it and would love feedback!

(and i figure i might as well go on and say i'm probably unlikely to dye it anything outside of the blonde family. i've tried before, and i never feel like myself (in a bad way) and i don't think it's flattering on me.)

my clothing bffs (at least for now!)

2010-02-22T11:52:00.005-05:00

do you ever get an article of clothing and want to wear it all the time? this happens to me almost every time i get something new (which i suppose is good because it means i actually love the things i get, but that's beside the point). well, the shorts i recently got are my lately obsession. i absolutely love wearing them, especially with the mustard tights. i tried to branch out and wear them with the purple tights, but then the top didn't end up going, so i had to change out of them once i chose a new top.

i wore this outfit saturday to work. i wanted to challenge myself not to wear the same old thing: dress pants, a tank, and a cardigan with simple ballet flats. so, i started with the shorts and built from there. here are a few more pictures that show the outfit a bit better.

top: urban outfitters
shorts & tights: anthropologie
cardigan: ann taylor loft (LOFT)
shoes: TOMS

i also recently got an amazing deal on a sweater (even better than normal) when anthro did markdowns last thursday. i've worn it twice since then, and i don't even feel embarrassed. haha. the nice thing about having 2 totally separate jobs is that you can wear things twice and no one ever knows. besides, today was my day off, so it didn't matter! i went to the massage therapist (it's medical massage, thus it HURTS so don't be toooo envious) and the tailor (yes, mom, i'm finally getting my wedding dress altered).

this sweater is just so comfortable while still being pretty, and it reminds me of what a "young" newly widowed retiree living in boca would wear. she'd probably be the scandal of the retirement community because she's only 63, you know, and they had to bend the rules to let her in. plus, delores in 368B said there's a new man at her door every night and phyllis said richard told her she was drinking a beer at the clubhouse last week. you'd better watch out because she'll steal your man before you have a chance to put on your reading glasses. it has a little less of this look in the photos, but trust me, if you doubt it for a second, she'll have your space in the shuffleboard tournament, and she'll probably do it wearing some of those daisy dukes that are at least an inch above the knee!

please tell me i'm not the only one who constructs this kind of backstory for my clothes. i do this a lot, and i may start sharing them more often unless you object. besides, aren't clothes really just costumes we wear daily? they are for me. i choose my outfits based on how i feel, how i want to feel, and who i want to seem to be, and my clothes facilitate that, even on the days i do not intend for them to do so.

ooh, and on a completely unrelated note: i got my eyebrows threaded today! i've been wanting to for a while. there's a kiosk in our mall that does them, and i have until now been adverse to having my eyebrow hairs ripped out by threads for all to see, but it's only $12 and i've heard amazing things about it. i'm happy to report that it went well. my eyebrows grow very uneven, so the lady sternly warned me, "no touch! you leave this one alone!" about my left brow and showed me how i could color it in with eyebrow powder (which i have actually been contemplating, even before this trip. she "encouraged" me by saying, "maybe next month, this one will be thick like the other." despite the running promo video's claim that it's a "relatively pleasant experience," it hurts like &^%$# (fill in the blank with your favourite expletive.)

i am fully enjoying my day off, and i'm going to hop off here to continue doing so!

xoxo!

jump in, the water's warm

2010-02-19T23:09:00.003-05:00

do you know i LOVE swimwear? i do. i have tried to cut back on my swimwear purchasing because it's not very necessary consider i get to the pool or beach only a few times a summer now. however, this year i think i'm going to have to get a new swimsuit. i'm probably going to get a high-waisted style (or at least a nice basic bottom to go with my swim tops collection). i've put together a photo list of some of the swimwear i'm loving right now.

el pointe bikini from anthropologie

silence & noise high-waisted boy short at urban outfitters

juicy couture beach ruffled halter swimdress at nordstrom

beach blanket bingo retro two piece in black at modcloth

heart-print bandeau top & low-rise bottom at victoria's secret

jersey lomellina wave ruffle bandeau top (& coordinating bottom)

what do you think?

a four-letter word of sorts

2010-02-18T14:29:00.003-05:00

what i am about to say is a bit blasphemous in the world of fashion, but i'm at a loss. i need, well, there's no other way to say it: a comfort shoe.

as you know, i work at a retail store and as a teacher. because of this, i'm on my feet for a minimum of 8 hours a day, often more. this generally results in my being in aching pain every single day. my shoes themselves are fine for non-work day-to-day activities; however, i really need a supportive shoe for work. i've added fancy insoles, switched shoes each day, avoided high heels, but i still hurt. i know some of you gals work on your feet too. how do you manage it? in general when i work, i wear these shoes the most:

(with insoles)

(with added arch support)

(danskos, which are meant to be supportive but kind of hurt!)

as you can see, my shoes are in terrible shape and i'm desperately in need of something that works.

i found excited because i found something somewhat reasonable; a decent blend between fashion and comfort:

unfortunately, i'm a size 5.5 at the most, and this brand only comes as small as a 6 (and runs large!). back to the drawing board.

i feel a bit horrified to admit that i almost bought these:

that's how desperate i am! (in my defense, this is generally standard wear for women on the campus where i work. before coming to north carolina, i only ever saw my grandpa wear these, which he did for their intended purpose--working on a boat). i did not end up getting them because i just wasn't ready to give up. i thought i'd turn first to you all.

does a comfortable yet fashionable shoe actually exist?

birthday love & a recap

2010-02-18T14:07:00.004-05:00

happy (almost) weekend! it feels like the weekend for me because i am finished teaching for the week and it's my day off. woohoo! it also happens to be a very important day today: my sweetie's birthday!

aren't those cupcakes adorable? they are made out of felted wool. check out more of this artist's work here. i am so very in love with my dear sweetie and i hope she has an amazing day (and year!). after she opens her presents, i'll show them to you!

i have a bit of a week rewind for you because i've been swamped so far! we started a big sale at work, i've had a lot of grading, and i've had a lot of migraines. however, since it is my day off, i have a bit of time.

on monday we set a new line at work, so i didn't have a very exciting outfit. i spent about 9 hours cutting open 36 boxes, sorting clothes, and hanging teeny tiny spring outfits. on tuesday, i wore a sweater i got at the charlotte anthropologie store during our valentine's day outing.

top: target
sweater: anthropologie
pants: ann taylor loft (LOFT)
shoes: danskos

i LOVE this sweater. the colors are some of my favourite, and i'm suddenly obsessed with short-sleeved sweaters. they're stylish and warm without being cumbersome.

yesterday was the first day of a big sale for us, so i opted for a dress for the occasion. i waited for this dress to go on sale, and i got it for 75% off. i had to wait to get it tailored (i would have hemmed it myself but i never get around to hemming and it had a lining i just didn't want to deal with). i'm happy to report that it's just right! my absolute favourite feature are the pockets. i love pockets on dresses. it makes me feel so comfortable and cozy.

(pockets!)

tank: soma
dress & belt: anthropologie
tights: xhileration (target; they're actually really awesome!)
shoes: jessica simpson

as you probably saw, i'm trying out a new form for listing the details of my outfit. i am hoping this is easier to read. speaking of changes, i'm contemplating a new layout and header. i have an idea in mind, i'm just not sure if i'm ready for the change! we'll see. i suppose i can always change back, right?

aaand, we're back

2010-02-16T01:00:00.003-05:00

it's been a few days since i've posted because (1) i've been massively busy, (2) my sweetie and i committed to devoting valentine's day totally to each other, and (3) see number 1. oh! and (4) we're planning our wedding. several of you have asked but i've never really answered in one focused place so here goes:

our wedding is march 13th!
(we're also having a reception in durham [where we live] and ohio [where i'm from] over the summer.)

exciting, huh!? we are so thrilled we can barely stand it.

so even though i've been a bit absent online, i have snapped outfit pics of 2 of the last 3 days. (well, of the last 4 if you count today which is technically yesterday because it's after midnight.)

last week i finally got a pair of nice shorts (you know, the dressy kind that take the place of a skirt). i have been wanting some for a while, but it didn't seem sensible to purchase them since (i thought) they were against the dress code. however, my boss totally gave me the green light, and i immediately bought this pair for $19.99 at anthropologie. i wore them friday.

tank, shorts, blazer, & tights: anthropologie
(wow, i'm a walking ad)

the shorts are a great military-type green wool that are the perfect neutral. even better? i LOVE how they feel. i feel like i have the freedom of a skirt and the privacy of pants. i also got the tights (only $7!) and i adore them so much i want to wear them daily (i don't).

i was tempted to wear my shorts and tights (washed, of course) again for valentine's day because i loved them so much. i asked my facebook friends if this ruined my fashion street cred and my friend l said it best:

Nag, it strengthens it. Or if it is a good outfit it doesn't matter. Worrying about wearing part twice is too practical and we know there is nothing practical about fashion.

she is the best. i am so freaking envious of her fashion sense. this week she taught/reminded me of something amazing: shoe clips.

once she showed me an image, i remembered having a pair of black "velvet" flats that had interchangeable clips when i was a kid. i particularly fancied these because they were "slip ons" (not mary janes) which indicated that one was no longer a baby an in fact a young woman, at least at the first presbyterian church in urbana, ohio. i can see this becoming a dangerous obsession, so i have only done enough searching to provide you with a few images.

saturday my outfit was blah. however, yesterday i got to wear something i don't wear often and something new (to me). i told you a few posts back that i bought a cream-colored coat from a blog friend. well, it arrived, complete with cute packaging, and i LOVE it. here it is!

i really love the coat, and it's perfect for me because i do not have a spring jacket, and this is the right weight. technically, it was far too cold out for this coat, but i wore it anyway.

for my outfit, i chose a dress that is too short for work but okay for valentine's day. we went to charlotte, north carolina to our favourite restaurant, lulu's. we then walked around at a fancy mall and picked up a few things (of course!) before heading home. it was simple but lovely and a wonderful way to celebrate a day for those in love and the anniversary of our engagement.

(yes, that's my dear valentine!)

on me:

dress: urban outfitters
tights & thigh-highs: target
boots: steve madden (nordstrom)

on her:
pants & layering top: the gap
sweater: anthropologie
shoes: some local store i can't remember (sorry!)

today was a new shipment day at work, so i spent most of my time sorting teeny-tiny clothes. however, i did begin the day by heading to the neurologist to finally figure out what's going on with my regular headaches and weekly migraines. i am pleased to report that she says it's nothing more than a migraine disorder, while not great, is nothing compared to what many folks there are dealing with and also very treatable. yay!

tomorrow is the standard tuesday: teach and then work at the retail job. i'm looking forward to either wearing my new sweater or new dress (it depends on my mood, but i'm leaning towards the former). you can look forward to it too, okay!?

xoxo!

channeling blanche devereaux

2010-02-10T20:00:00.002-05:00

whenever i wear this dress, i feel like i'm one of the golden girls. today, i felt a bit like i was channeling blanche devereaux. i googled golden girls this morning and found myself unexpectedly emotional as i read about the show. the golden girls was so groundbreaking--to show older women with real lives, goals, sexualities, and personalities--was not something that happened much prior to the golden girls. beyond that, the main actresses were such amazing actresses and people and the recent deaths of bea arthur and estelle getty highlighted the impact they had. in addition, my grandma looks a lot like betty white and when we were young my sister thought they were the same person. it felt good to embody one of these women a bit today.

i don't wear this dress often because i always think red is a bit harsh with my skintone. however, with my new rinse (appropriate since i felt a bit like an old lady) that has finally evened out into a normal cool-blonde rather than violet, it worked! i also was happier with how the dress looked with tights instead of bare legs.

today i worked at my retail job and stayed pretty busy. i was comfortable all day and was very happy with my outfit choice. i ended up wearing this shirt more as a tunic because it's a bit thin, and i was afraid my customers would be able to see it!

tomorrow is my day off from the retail job and i get to pick up the white trench i ordered! i do teach in the morning, but then i plan to take a nap and spend some time with my sweetie.

xoxo!

maybe katie

2010-02-08T17:54:00.003-05:00

well, my friends, i finally did it! i got hair extensions, and since today was my day off, i tried them. i have to say that while they are not perfect, i'm actually quite happy with them.

i bought the extensions at sally beauty supply. they were $79.99 and i have a sally's card, so i got them for &75.99. they are a remy product called euronext. i read a lot of reviews online before buying them because they are non-returnable. i ended up buying a color called "blonde frost," which really matches my hair well. it's two-toned, so it blends easily color-wise (even with my weird purple/grey hair i still have despite it not being visible in my photos). the box looks like this:

i'll show you the steps i went through and the final result. but first, i thought it might be fun to show you the playlist i listened to while styling. as you can see, i have a love for the barenaked ladies.

the old apartment - barenaked ladies
jacksonville skyline - whiskeytown
AM180 - grandaddy
take it from me - the weepies
two boats - mary lou lord
almost rosey - tori amos
a perfectly good heart - taylor swift
enid - barenaked ladies
on the bound - fiona apple
she's amazing - team dresch
studying stones - ani difranco
maybe katie - barenaked ladies

i was very proud of my iphone's shuffle feature today. it was a wonderful lyrical backdrop for my activity. and if you know me personally, you know that the last song is a propos for this situation.

ready? here goes:

first, i washed my hair with my moisturizing david babaii for wildaid shampoo so it would be as smooth and sleek as possible:

you're also seeing something you usually don't see here: me completely sans makeup. when i don't have to go anywhere, i try to let my skin breathe since i otherwise wear at least a primer and bare minerals foundation on my entire face.

after i washed it, i dried it. i just use a really basic hairdryer i got at target. i'd love to have a fancy one like my stylist uses, but i am absolutely confident i'd burn myself. i have a hard time with a dryer and brush combo, which i usually need.

(i look like my sister k here, which is strange because i don't usually think we look alike at all.)

i didn't use any hair products at all because i wanted to have a basic idea of how the extension would look and how it would blend without any products before experimentation.

step 3: after drying my hair, i straightened it. my extensions are straight, so i wanted to see how it look unstyled. we have a really great straightener by hot tools. i cannot take any of the credit for picking it out; my sweetie did all the research and selection.

finally, i applied the extensions. i followed some general guidelines i read online, including using the lovely idèe gèniale's awesome tutorial along with some trial-and-error.

here's how they turned out:

(this one is backwards; i took it in photobooth and forgot to flip it!)

(backwards, again)

as i said before, i really like them. for the first time, i think they turned out great. in order to make my hair blend better, i'll probably curl them a bit (i know you can see my underneath hair and a little of my front layers on my left a bit). as they are, i feel a bit like a barbie doll (and kind of smell like one; hair extensions smell strange).

i also feel like they make me look younger, at least here with no make-up on, but that's not the worst thing. i kind of thought i might feel really strange when i saw myself, but since i have had hair this long, it wasn't jarring.

it's fun to remember what long hair felt like. i forgot that you have to untuck it from your clothes when you get dressed!

so, while i don't know how often i'll wear these, i'm really glad i got them. they're a fun way to do something different, and i'm excited to see how i can style them. but i'm curious ...

what do you think?

be mine, be mine

2010-02-06T10:18:00.003-05:00

february is a month that most folks either dread or adore. i am the latter, so please indulge me in some valentines fantasies. no, not those kinds of fantasies!! what kind of blogger do you think i am!?

i'm talking about the materialistic kind! many of my favourite stores have valentine's specials and gifts. i've selected an item from several sites to showcase as my valentines picks.

viole lace mariana dress at fred flare

heart dainty ring (get it quick; all of the other styles have sold out!)

silk blend romper at forever 21

aerie floral ruffle tank (at aerie, of course)

flutter flower clutch from j.crew
you can also see this bag (and a funny story about it) on
the lovely chloe's the chloe conspiracy blog
(this is technically from the "spring" collection, but we'll bend the rules here)

pressed buds cardi from anthropologie (now on sale)
(way prettier in person too!)

ipod shuffle in pink (now only $59!)
you can even get it engraved for free!

clustered pearls bobble necklace from betsey johnson
(in my opinion, everything betsey johnson does is a valentines collection!)

i love valentine's day. i love love. i got engaged on valentine's day. and i'm just that cheesy.

so my dear readers, will you be mine?

xoxo!

prettiness

2010-02-06T10:04:00.002-05:00

i'm kind of inept at lingerie. the things i like either make me look like i'm five or just foolish. i ordered this bralette and tanga set from aerie. what do you think? pretty?

as i mentioned in my last post, i love lace these days, and i'm hoping these turn out to be as pretty in person as they look online. i'll let you know (but probably without an outfit post. that might be a bit too much).

xoxo!

common as the rain

2010-02-05T18:19:00.003-05:00

i've been a bit bored with my (lack of) style lately, so i attempted to make what would usually be a pretty boring outfit just a bit more interesting with some accessories. i'm really loving lace right now, and as i was getting ready, i remembered a remnant of lace i bought and never used. i had hopes this morning to make it into some kind of vest or overlay for my top, but that would have required more time than i had. so, i decided instead to turn it into a scarf. it looked a bit better this morning before a full day of work, but i was still pretty happy with how it turned out.

shirt: the gap, blazer: abercrombie and fitch (from my hs days!), pants: target, hairclip: anthropologie, shoes: jessica simpson, "scarf": jo ann's fabrics

i am a bit exhausted from a day of retail and a day of rain. i hope you all have a lovely weekend!

xoxo!

anthro and blogfriend deals

2010-02-04T19:13:00.003-05:00

i mentioned in my last post that i got some amazing deals lately, and here they are! first, the other night i couldn't sleep and i did what i often do when i'm up late: make impulsive internet purchases! this time i shopped the lovely elaine at clothed much's awesome online shop, SHOP clothed much. i hope she won't mind me borrowing her image (elaine: let me know and i'll take it down!) to show you the amazing cream trench i got.

the coat is beautiful in the photos, and elaine is close to my height and size, so i'm hoping it will fit me! if you don't follow her, you MUST. she has amazing style and a wonderful heart. i cannot WAIT to get it. i don't have any long coats anymore, and i love a cream coat.

yesterday after my tattoo (which means "refuge and strength," for those who asked!), we stopped by anthro (which you know is my absolute obsession) to take advantage of her 15% off birthday coupon. as you may know if you shop anthro, they don't do coupons often. this one was awesome because it was good on sale stuff too (and my wallet requires a sale room!), so we stopped by. i got some jeans, which i really needed. my favourite jeans are nearing their end. the denim has worn thin near a major seam, and i'm hoping the day they rip through happens at home and not out in public. everytime i wear them, i take my dignity into my own hands. anyway, there's no picture online and mine are already in the bag to go to the tailor (i am so short! i have to hem them 5 inches!). but, they're a really cute dark denim with a fun floral belt. they're comfortable enough for everyday wear and nice enough for denim days at work. they were an AMAZING deal and about 1/3 of what i thought i was going to have to pay for new jeans.

i also got a dress i've been coveting for a really long time. i'm glad i waited because it's now half the price it was during the beginning of the winter sale. i got it for 78% off the original price! see ladies (and gents, and everyone), you can find good deals at anthro!

the belt is detachable, which is great. it too is in the "to the tailor" bag because it was just below the knee and i know it will look better where it's supposed to hit, just above the knee. it's silk and has my most favourite accent: POCKETS! did i tell you my dear sweetie's wedding dress has pockets!? can you believe it!? POCKETS!! i'm so jealous. luckily i adore my own dress, even sans pockets.

finally, i got my sweetie an early birthday present, a beautiful green sweater that looks like it's straight out of alice in wonderland. i wish i had a picture, but it too went fast online when it got marked down. she looks fabulous in it, and i'll have to get a picture of it so you all can see it.

i apologize that the post is a little less picture-full than usual. i wanted to show you everything but these sale items are selling out so fast!

i have a migraine (again, i know!), so i'm logging off. love you all!

xoxo!

i did it!

2010-02-04T14:56:00.003-05:00

i did it! i got the tattoo that i mentioned about a month ago in this post. the pictures are tinted a bit strange because the lighting in the bathroom is odd (and i didn't realize it until i uploaded them). it's brand new (just a few hours old here) so it's still swollen and red, but you can get the idea!

by the way, the letters are right-side up when i look at them (and as they are in these pictures), in case you wondered!

on a completely unrelated note, i had a few shopping successes lately and i'll share them with you in the next post!

purple rain, of sorts

2010-02-02T23:45:00.003-05:00

no, this post doesn't have anything to do with prince (as the title might suggest), but his famous "purple rain," describes my day in two parts. first, i woke up grouchy. i attribute this primarily to the yucky freezing rain outside. it did wash away some of the snow, which was nice, but it made other parts an icy mess. i could never live in washington (state) or oregon because the rain depresses me. luckily, my mood improved as the day went on.

before i went to work, i went across the street to sally's beauty supply store to look at hair extensions (i think i know which ones i'm getting, and i even have a coupon to save $10!) and to get a toner to take some of the brassiness out of my hair. the didn't have the toner i have used before, so i made the not-so-great decision to listen to the sales associate who, by the way, had all of her hair tucked under a hat. well, years of coloring your hair at home is bound to produce a few mistakes, right? my hair turned out PURPLE! i thought the violet-based toner was supposed to be violet-BASED, not actually make my hair look like i was an 80 year old woman with a violet rinse! it's not tooooo bad, and you can't really tell in these pictures (other than it looks like a much cooler (as in not warmer, not as in hipper) shade. i like the cool-ness because it goes much better with my skin tone, but the purple has to go! so i ran to ulta to get a cool hue of the shade i used last time. luckily, my hair loves hair color, so i think i'll be okay.

eventually i got it together to go to work, and i wore a new sweater i got for $15 at abercrombie's winter sale. i haven't shopped there in a while (i can't take the noise and smell; i guess i'm turning into my mother), but working at the mall is a dangerous scene, and i eventually went in. i'm glad because, aside from the giant moose emblem (no offense to those who like a&f, i just don't love logos), i love the sweater. here it is!

shirt: target, sweater: a&f, pants: the gap, shoes: danskos

the rainy weather necessitated a pants and shoe choice that did not involve my hem nearing the ground. i HATE it when my pants get wet at the bottom. i'm cold all day and feel gross. luckily, my danskos facilitate the process of keeping my pants dry and also support my feet. they may not be beautiful, but at least they're patent leather, right?

i did the front/side braid to help conceal the violet ends. (the ends are the worst because they were pretty light to start with.) even though i often feel like this is a cop-out hair-do, i usually end up liking how it looks.

in other news: it's february! and as much as some folks hate it, i love it because it means it's VALENTINE'S DAY SOON! we got engaged on v-day last year, so it's very special to me, and even before that i had a fondness for it. today i wanted my sweetie to have a little pick-me-up, so i got her a papyrus card (they make amazingly unique cards!) and then the mini sample of the alice in wonderland nail polishes from ulta.

she LOVES nail polish and alice in wonderland, so it was perfect! i should have waited for the offical v-day, but i couldn't. she put on the blue ("absolutely alice") and it's a really amazing sparkly blue. when i saw it i thought, "wow, that's such an AIW blue," and then i remembered that it was (duh!) part of the AIW collection. she let me try to the black-multi glitter ("mad as a hatter") which is really pretty on its own and would also look awesome layered over another color. i don't paint my nails often, but i really like it.

even though it started gloomy, today turned out to be a pretty good day. i felt really productive at work because not only because i got a lot done but because i finished things that really felt like they make a difference in our day-to-day. i felt thrilled about my outfit all day, which also helped. do you ever have those items you wish you could wear constantly? that's how i feel about this sweater. it's already fuzzing a bit--the cost of an inexpensive sweater, i guess--but i love it. i thought about stopping back in for another for when this one eats it, but i realized that might be a bit extreme so i won't.

tomorrow i have an exciting thing planned. i don't want to say too much just in case it doesn't go as planned, but if it does, i'll share it with you tomorrow night (which is technically tonight) or thursday afternoon.

sunday obsessions

2010-01-31T17:06:00.003-05:00

yesterday being snowed in was fun. today being snowed in is torture. well, that might be a bit extreme, but the point is that i'm stir crazy. so you get to be part of my cabin fever as i post the things i'm obsessing about but cannot go see in the world.

first, i found this picture on someone's tumblr. i have no idea whose--i downloaded it and closed the window--so i cannot give any proper credit. but i'm still going to post it because it's pretty.

i love simple location photos like this. i would love to actually learn how to use a camera so that i can get an eye for actually shooting things like this. i also like how you can see the woman through the door and instead of seeming voyeuristic in a creepy way it seemed special and romantic, like she knew she could be seen and was sharing an exchange with someone specific.

in less artistic obsessions, i'm also obsessing over lace. i spent some time making a gawdy lace outfit on polyvore that's too horrid to post. i also found this 2009 3.1 phillip lim outfit that i loved:

i always feel a bit foolish when i wear lace, but i love it nonetheless.

speaking of clothes, i got my regular email from american eagle today (i swear, you order one pair of pants and they have your email address for life!), and there were some really cute jean shorts featured:

i'm not normally much of a shorts gal. i prefer skirts and dresses when it's really hot and pants most of the time. however, i really like the fit of these. i'm more muscular (i.e. not as thin) in the thigh area, so i don't know if they'd work for me, but i thought they were cute. next time i'm at the mall (probably tomorrow when i work) i think i'll try them on. honestly, i doubt they'll be a purchase for me, but i'm obsessed nonetheless.

finally, i imagine it will be no surprise to you all that i am obsessing over hair. what i wanted to do today was go over to sally's beauty supply and look at toner (i am feeling like my hair is too warm for my skin) and hair to make clip-in hair extensions. i could get there on foot (it's just across the street), but it's SO cold! here are some hair looks i'm loving:

there's more. (there always is!) but i'll stop for today. i hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

xoxo!

Q&A saturday

2010-01-30T18:39:00.002-05:00

earlier in the week i asked you all to ask me questions. many of my blog friends have been doing this, and it made me realize that i ramble on about the day-to-day of my life but also forget that there's a lot you all don't know about me. now i'm going to answer the ones i have so far! if you still want to ask me something, i'd LOVE to answer it. just leave me a comment in this post and i'll answer it!

where do you work?

i go back and forth about whether or not i should straight up say where i work. i mean, if you follow me closely enough, it's not impossible to tell, but i realize that most of you don't stalk me, so you probably don't know. the reason i am ambivalent about it is all the horror stories of people who get fired for blogging even seemingly-neutral information about work. i like my jobs and i know better than to grouse about them online even if i am frustrated, but i still worry. so let's cheat this way: i have three jobs:

i work for a large retail chain that sells children's clothing in the US and canada. i'm the full-time assistant manager there.
i also teach (online and in person) at a large university in the southeast.
finally, i work for an academic publisher whose name will be pretty unexciting unless you're also in publishing, so i'll leave it out.

so there you go! that's what i do each day.

what is your dream job?

i honestly am not 100% sure. i love teaching. i also love doing publishing, and i would love to work in fashion. however, in terms of a true dream job, i think it's probably to open a little boutique (whose name i have already picked out) and sell stuff i make. although i probably won't do that in a physical store, i do hope to open an etsy someday!

when did you realize you were attracted to girls/women?

this is kind of a strange question for me because i know some people who know me in person would be surprised to know that i've always kind of liked girls/women. however, being from a small town in the midwest, it's just not a thought you really know how to fully even have, let alone act upon, for many people. i had my first intense crush on a woman when i was about 14. i continued to have close intense friendships with women; however, i never really let myself fully process it until graduate school. sometimes i think we have to wait until our minds can understand what our hearts already know.

was it hard telling your family and friends [about being attracted to women]?

i feel so fortunate to be able to say, in general, no. of course i was nervous and it wasn't like i didn't fear some people's reactions, but in general, i have the most amazingly supportive family. my mom always said she would support us no matter what, and i never questioned that. i couldn't believe how much of a big deal it wasn't! they were surprised but they never skipped a beat. they love my sweetie and already see her as part of the family. even my grandmothers are totally on board with it.

it hasn't been perfect with everyone, and i have lost a few friends and grown apart with others, but i think i've generally gravitate towards really open and accepting people. as cliche as it may sound, coming out was a way for to me see who cared about me enough to accept something unexpected about me and to see who saw me for me and who needed me to be someone for them. rachael yamagata is one of my favourite singers, and she has a song that kind of captures how i feel about the folks with whom i'm no longer close:

it's not that i don't understand you
it's not that i don't wanna be with you,
but you only wanted me
the way that you wanted me
so, i will head out alone, hope for the best,
and we hang our heads down
as we skip the goodbyes
and you can tell the world what you want them to hear
i've got nothing left to lose, my dear,
so i'm up for the little white lies
but you and i know the reason why
i'm gone and you're still there
i'm gone and you're still there
i'm gone and you're still there.

all that said, i consider myself incredibly fortunate. so many queer people are put down, disowned, kicked out, and even physically abused for coming out. not only was my experience not like that but it was positive in many ways. the company for whom i work is also extremely accepting. they offer partner benefits and you don't even have to "prove" you're a "real" couple. plus my coworkers are really amazingly open too. i feel so thankful.

where/how did you and your fiance meet?

she and i met because we were both in the same graduate program. she was a year ahead of me. i really thought she was amazing, smart, and interesting. when we met, and we connected right away. we did not hang out a lot the first few years, but when we did, we'd have intense conversations in crowded rooms as if we were the only two there. after i got out of a long-term, long-distance relationship, we decided to go to our department's "comm prom" (communication, aka comm, is our department at school) together. we spent a lot of time together before and after the "prom," and we eventually got serious. we moved in together about 2 years ago and got engaged last year on valentine's day. aww!

who is your all-time favourite style icon?

how do i choose? i know i could probably choose a more iconic person or someone who demonstrated i have obscure knowledge of fashion, but instead i'll tell the truth: nicole richie. i LOVE nicole. i love her care-free, flowy style. i love that she takes risks. i love that she always looks at home in what she's wearing. her simple looks (e.g. white top and jean shorts) are my favourite. plus, while i like looking at super fashiony fashion ladies, when it comes down to it, i get most of my inspiration from people who wear things i could actually wear. so here's a sampling:

what made you get into fashion and then blog about it?

i have always been a bit particular about my clothes. i was agreeable, but i liked to choose my outfits. because i was abnormally small, what i could wear was restricted. i didn't have any jeans until i was about 7, and i wore children's sizes until i was in college. because of this, i really coveted looking put together and grown up. in addition, i was raised by a serious bargain shopper. i've always been focused on getting a great deal, and shopping has usually been fun (aside from not being able to find grown-up things that fit for a while).

i am interested in fashion because it's an expression of who i am. it's a creative pursuit, and i enjoy the art of putting unexpected things together. i'm not especially good at traditional creative things (e.g. acting, painting, singing), but with fashion, i can be creative and actually produce a good product, not just enjoy the practice. when i was 8, my mom created a 4-H troupe for my friends and me and taught me to sew. ever since then, i've enjoyed creating art through fabric.

i started blogging last summer after completing my PhD and being finished with school for the first time in 22 years. i had no idea what to do with myself and despite everyone's exclamations that i must be, "so excited," "so free," and "loving being finished," i was depressed and aimless. add that to a terrible job market that left me without a job in my field, and it wasn't pretty. i decided not to stay that way. i figured that i had free time on my hands so i might as well start doing more sewing. i had an old blogger account and thought if maybe i posted some of my pursuits i'd stay motivated to do it and have a fun archive of what i had done. i'll be honest, i had NO idea there was an entire world of fashion blogging when i started. i know that sounds silly, but i just hadn't encountered it.

although i became a little too obsessed with blogging for a bit and needed to learn how to balance my time, blogging has really been one of the best new practices i've ever done. primarily, i am so thankful for the friends i have made. in addition, blogging inspires me to be more creative with my outfits and educates me about the newest fun trends in the fashion world.

thank you all for your questions! i loved answering them. feel free to ask me more!

snowed in!

2010-01-30T08:51:00.003-05:00

hi everyone! first, thank you so much for all of the questions you've asked for my Q&A post! i'm going to post them this weekend. if you still want to ask me a question, just leave it in a comment on this post and i'll answer it!

second, guess what! it's snowing in north carolina. seriously snowing.

we don't get snow all that often, so it's pretty exciting. i was already scheduled to be off work, but the mall is actually closed today, so no one will be working.

i just typed that i couldn't make an outfit post because my camera was missing, and then i turned my head to the left and saw my tripod leaning against the bookcase, camera attached. god. i looked for that dumb thing for 20 minutes the other day. geez. anyway, at least i have pictures!

top: anthropologie, sweater: banana republic, pants: anthropologie, shoes: target

i got this shirt online at anthro the other day. i tried it on in the store, didn't get it, and then changed my mind. i also got that cute little purse i showed you and the blue stirrup tights from the last post. the stirrup tights, btw, are AWESOME. they're really thick and comfortable and let your toes be free! i wore a tank top under this top to work because my tattoo showed (and it's a little low-cut for work), but i really like how it shows my back tattoo. plus, i'm really trying not to buy a lot of black. we'll see.

i'm off to do some online teaching and enjoy my weekend off with my sweetie!

all in photos today

2010-01-28T21:58:00.001-05:00

sorry, friends. i'm exhausted, so that's all i have for today. it's not a bad exhausted, though, just an end-of-a-long-week exhausted. i hope you all are well, and don't forget to leave me a question in my questions post so i can answer it!

ask me no questions, i'll tell you no lies

2010-01-26T13:08:00.003-05:00

except DO ask me questions.

okay, first things first. when i was little we used to watch this movie called the electric grandmother. it's based on ray bradbury's short story, "i sing the body electric." it's about this family whose mother dies, and they get a robot grandmother who takes care of them as they cope with their mother's death. when they go to the factory to design the electric grandmother her voice says, "ask me no questions, i'll tell you no lies. one of these days, you'll get a surprise." then they go home and the robot grandma arrives in a sarcophagus-type thing from a helicopter and the story continues. anyway, i thought of that line as i got ready to make this post. so what's the point? read on!

i'm excited to have 50 followers now, and in celebration, i thought i'd do a Q&A post like some of my lovely blog friends have done lately. so it's pretty simple: ask me a question or two in this post, and i'll answer them all in a post this weekend. you have until friday to ask, so get questioning!