Carrie Bradshaw Made Me Do It.

Blarg.

2011-04-13T09:27:00.000-05:00

My obsession with travel and vintage finally came to a head with this amazing collection at Steamline:

There are other styles and other colors, but I am completely smitten with the Aviator style in yellow. Imagine my joy at realizing they were 40% off! Imagine my horror at realizing all but the smallest cases were sold out!

Back to the drawing board...

Stacy London.

2011-03-25T18:34:00.001-05:00

The other day I was scouring Ebay, looking for some black high-heeled ankle booties. In my head was a snapshot of the ones Stacy London wears. You know- black pumps, cover her feet entirely about up to her ankle? She wears them all the time on the show, but I can't seem to find a single Google image of her in them.

Like this!

While I was searching, several pictures of her face/hair came up and I once again noticed her gray streak. I've always been fascinated with it. Did you know that the streak just turned gray when she was 11? She apparently had a clause in her Pantene contract saying that she could keep it.

I am addicted to What Not to Wear, and I adore Stacy and Clinton. Stacy especially finds a cool balance between being into girly-girl things and not being cloying.

Did you know she started out as a fashion assistant at Vogue? That she was the senior fashion editor at Mademoiselle? For me, she just appeared out of nowhere one day on What Not to Wear with that mangy first co-host, so this was all really interesting to me. She also styled several fashion shows, celebrities and fashion spreads. She pretty much kicks ass.

Another thing that surprised me to hear is that Stacy has long struggled with weight issues, and suffered from psoriasis. She claims her weight has been everything from a size 0 to a size 16. She always seems so confident and lovely that this is hard for me to imagine. She says, "It really took a great deal of work to recognize that at all those weights, no matter how I felt, I could still find a dress that made me feel sexy and powerful." Suddenly her deft understanding of women on the show who feel ugly because they are a larger size makes so much more sense. She can help them find a confidence she had to struggle for herself.

To say Stacy London is one of my favorites would be a gross understatement. I mean, shut the front door! How adorable is she?

Things I Am Currently Obsessed With:

2011-03-18T12:10:00.001-05:00

I am going through a 70's phase, hardcore.

(none of these images are mine)

Aviator Sunglasses

Leather Jackets (especially bombers)

(ha- I just realized I'm wearing this exact outfit right now with boots)

Vintage Ski Jackets

Minnetonka Mocassin Boots

Macadamia Nut Oil Hair Treatment

Long Blazers with Denim Shorts

Silver Jeans (most flattering jeans evar)

White Boyfriend Blazers

Retro Makeup- liquid eyeliner and Pale Pink Lips

Ombre Hair

Heavy Bangs

I Shouldn't, Right?

2011-03-01T20:22:00.001-06:00

OMGWANT.

What would you wear these with? Help me justify them, please!

America's Next Top Model Premiere

2011-02-23T19:40:00.001-06:00

Are you guys watching the newest episode? It's silly and juvenile and over the top (as usual), but oh my god, I am crazy in love with the guest model's outfit:

Ugh. Seriously. I die.

It's killing me right now that my OTK black leather boots blew out and are beyond repair. Sigh.

So Last Night, I Went to a Party!

2011-01-23T12:56:00.002-06:00

Party Arty in Kansas City, to be exact. The yearly benefit party for the Nelson-Atkins Museum.

2010-12-17T19:33:00.001-06:00

I know I've been really bad about outfit posts for a while! Work has been really stressful, and honestly, the last thing I want to do at the end of the day is create photographic evidence of my exhaustion.

So you will have to trust me when I say I am growing out my hair, and it is getting longer (oh so slowly).

I've had long hair a few times in my life, and my mother always told me that we just don't have the hair for it. In fact, both my parents have long encouraged my sister and I to keep our locks on the shorter side because it's just "more flattering" for us. I do have naturally thin hair (though it's thick in the sense that there are tons of these fine hairs). For the past few years, I've been a bit unsure of what to do with it style and care-wise when it's long, and I've enjoyed the liberating feeling I get from cutting it all off. So long hair for me? Not so much.

That being said, I decided a few months back to give long hair another try. And boy, is it tedious. I cut bangs into it to keep myself amused, and dyed it brown.

Actually, these changes might work to my advantage. The dark color makes my hair look a bit thicker and the bangs solve a problem I always struggled with in framing my face when I had stick straight, looong hair. I've also been doing research on how to make it look nicer (Herbal Essences and a blow dry just weren't cutting it alone).

Today I stumbled on the site Thread Sence,which has pretty sweet clothes at good prices. Even better for me was the hair inspiration! The model featured my basic hair goal, minus the color. I spent the better part of my time on the site daydreaming about the hair I will have if only I can wait...

Sigh.

A Cowboy Boot Guide

2010-12-15T18:58:00.000-06:00

You may remember that a little while back I copped to having a pretty fierce cowboy boot jones. It was a bit too eccentric a shoe style for me to splurge on, so I decided to go used (bonus: they would have the beat-up look I wanted).

I checked Etsy, but the ones I liked were all at least $50. A bit pricey. So, to Ebay!

Tony Lamas on Etsy for $80

My dad grew up on a farm in a time/place where cowboy boots were way cool. So he knew a thing or two about good leather, brands, what the boots were worth, etc.

A few things:

- Two brands he specifically recommended for quality were Justin and Tony Lama.

- All natural leather is important (obviously), and some pairs have nice leather soles too. Rubber soles will be cheaper and less slippery, though.

- A quality, new pair of cowboy boots can cost hundreds of dollars. So keep that in mind as you're junking for old ones ($50 actually isn't that bad, I'm just cheap).

- Women's shoe sizes are roughly 2 bigger than men's. I usually go for a women's size 10 boot (to leave room for thick socks) so I went looking for size 8 in men's boots and mine fit great.
- The more exotic leathers (lizard, for example) will wear down much more quickly.

I checked out Ebay with these points in mind. I wanted brown boots for sure, and I preferred men's boots because they looked more traditionally 'cowboy' than a lot of the faux-leather, high-heeled versions I saw for women.

I had to be a bit patient, a bit cutthroat (Ebay bitches!) and a smidge lucky, but I eventually found these Tony Lamas for $20- they're pretty much perfect.

Then I wore them. OUCH.

The ankle of the boot caved in on the side exactly where my ankle curved out. Within minutes of wearing them, I had sores rubbed into my ankles. Dad to the rescue again.

How to Break in Boots

#1. Soak them in hot water for about half an hour. Some dye will probably get in your bath, but don't worry about it.

#2. Wear those suckers wet. Walk around in them. Do not take them off until they are dry. This molds them to your feet. Personally, I got bored and took a nap in them (true story). I recommend thick socks.

#3. Saddle soap is your best friend. Once the boots dry, they will be very stiff (mine also seemed much lighter in color). I bought some Kiwi saddle soap at Walmart and lathered those puppies up. After that they were darker and softer.

#4. At this point, the boots will already be 85% more comfy. You'll be able to walk in them without pain. This is the stage I'm at, and I'm told to just keep wearing them and they'll break in the last bit themselves.

I LOVE my boots. I've gotten lots of compliments and they're surprisingly comfortable now that I put a bit of work into them. All told with shipping and soap, they cost me about $35.

A Little Game.

2010-12-13T19:17:00.000-06:00

We're going to play a little game called "Ebay Fail".

It all started when young Robin set out on an intrepid quest to find a dress for an upcoming party. She was soon diverted to a corner of Ebay where dresses were FOUR DOLLARS.

In a tizzy, Robin bought this dress for her party:

Beautiful, right? Kinda artsy, pretty color, nice and short. Looked MUCH nicer quality than $4 can normally get you! Yay Ebay!

Also got this dress just for fun:

Imagine the pure joy at their arrival today/yesterday.

Oh, observe.

Tent dress. It's a cheap, horribly static-y thing. Belt does help a bit.

But the other dress, the happy excited yay dress... it's pretty bad news.

Please keep in mind that I paid very close attention to their sizing guide, too. This is ridiculously over-sized. I wanted it to fit a bit more like this:

I mean, what?? The lace isn't even the same color. It looks Forever 21 sale rack. I guess I shouldn't complain- with shipping these were about $20 altogether.

Please.

Upside is, I still have plenty of time before the party to find a dress, and now I have these on their way...

!!!

I waited until I finally got a Christmas bonus-type-thing from work and the day I bought them they sold out of my size on Modcloth. Phew.

!!!!!

2010-12-04T23:22:00.002-06:00

!!!!!!

!!!!

The Black Leather Jacket.

2010-11-18T12:36:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I get an item of clothing in my head and cannot stop thinking about it. For example, a while back it was cowboy boots. I now have a great pair of Tony Lamas, but I'm having a bit of difficulty breaking them in.

Before the cowboy boots it was a good leather jacket. I've been struggling with finding just the right one. At first I was going for a brown bomber because I like the aviator vibe and brown leather is always my favorite. I was very strict that it had to be leather. But of course, this wasn't great for my wallet.

So I tried Etsy and Ebay. I did eventually find a leather jacket and buy it, but it was a really wrong shape for me. I sold it on Craiglist (and profited a little!).

I then decided that a more sleek silhouette is better for me. Also, I'm kind of smitten with the rolled sleeve look. I realized that I would need to allow for faux leather ($$), and switch to black because my purse and shoe collections lean very heavily toward brown leather land, and I was getting pretty matchy. Now I'm looking at one very similar to this:

For $50 on Overstock.com.

I already have daydreams of wearing it (and being able to justify buying it).

Ha-HA!

2010-11-12T16:23:00.000-06:00

I would just like to tell Nina Garcia and Michael Kors to suck it.

Project Runway.

2010-11-03T18:26:00.000-05:00

Spoiler-y!

I finally watched the Project Runway finale last night and am just as dismayed and bummed out as everyone else. I adored Mondo and have yet to see a single person say, "You know, Gretchen winning made total sense to me." I could go on and on about rewarding boring clothes that women aren't interested in and dismissing fun, lively, unique clothes that I would wear daily, but it's all kind of been said.

I. want. these. leggings. so. bad.

I didn't realize they were selling the designer collections immediately after the show, which is a huge bummer. But then again, I doubt I could have afforded these right now anyway. I mean, I know they'll make my large thighs look larger. I just kind of don't care.

Things I Am Currently Crushing On:

2010-11-02T18:50:00.000-05:00

1. Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra. Specifically, her makeup. The movie is a bit slow for me (and I'm barely into hour 2 of 4) but her makeup is totally worth it. Look at those eyebrows!

She also has a bunch of great dresses that are all slit down practically to her navel. I'm constantly on the lookout for dresses that are super low cut (I have a smaller chest, so it looks less risque on me) and I would love to have one of these!

2. This Fossil bag. I made the collossal mistake of going into the store yesterday and was totally mesmerized. Fossil bags are generally my aesthetic anyway (leather, lots of detail, kind of rugged, etc), and this new one is loooovely. I keep looking at my existing Fossil bag with some sadness. This one folds over!

Modern Cargo Convertible Tote

When I went in, the salesgirl told me they'd just set up for Christmas, and that I looked a lot like the models in the Christmas catalog. I was flattered (but baffled) until I realized a lot of them are pale with blunt brown bangs. Ah.

3. Nail buffers. Did you all know these existed? I feel totally out of the loop. This girl in the mall pulled me aside and buffed my nails- they looked like they had clear polish! I turned down their increasingly discounted offers, figuring I'd pick up a buffer at Walgreens. It was only $2, but the results are noticeably different. I'm trying to justify spending $35 for nails that always look shiny and polished...

4. Fable 3. 'Nuf said.

Lhuillier Bridal.

2010-10-27T18:14:00.000-05:00

I'm having a rough week. Just feeling hormonal and stressed. I could eat elf cookies, sleep on the couch and escape into movies, but I ~~have been doing that all week~~ have something more cheery in mind.

I need some Monique Lhuillier. Some Monique Bridal would be great.

I have a huge silly crush on this last one!

Hm. Still in a funk, but a bit better. Wedding dresses always help.

The Mysterious Modcloth Restock.

2010-10-18T15:25:00.000-05:00

Ah. As soon as I complained about the Biscotti Flat selling out at Modcloth and bought a different pair that I liked less, they restocked them!

Of course, my solution was to buy the Biscottis too. Can I afford it? Probably not. Will I have the willpower to send one pair back? We'll see!

The Gentlewoman Flat is adorable too. But I really wanted brown shoes! Hm.

Items I Would Like to Add to My Wardrobe:

2010-10-16T14:44:00.001-05:00

Beaten, vintage leather cowboy boots to wear with dresses or skinny jeans.

A corset top dress:

Cute brown oxford shoes. I've been stalking Modcloth, hoping they'd get something similar to these. I found a black and white pair and I'm trying those out:

I know what you're saying. "Robin! Corset top dresses and cowboy boots with dresses? It's October."

What can I say? I'm a rebel. A rebel with sweaters and tights.

McQueen.

2010-10-06T11:50:00.001-05:00

I've been interested in McQueen for a while, but it wasn't until I saw these two photos that I really got it.

Siiiiigh.

Photos from Jezebel review

The only thing my brain can formulate to say about these is the ever-eloquent, "These are stupid pretty."

Just a Hello!

2010-09-19T14:50:00.000-05:00

Hey kids!

Still haven't been as active here as I like! I've been reading my regular journals but haven't always had the chance to comment. Even my wardrobe choices have been a bit blah! I'm trying to save up some money and buying clothes (and blogs that remind me of buying clothes) have been a bit off limits.

This is the only effort I've made in a while worth blogging about (minus some going out outfits that I didn't bother to stop and photograph).

It's a remix of pieces I've worn before. But I got a lot of compliments! Also, pinky swear, my carpet isn't nearly as dirty-looking in real life.

Hm. I should smile more in these photos. Here's hoping I get some more time soon so I can get back to pouring over your blogs!

Monique Lhuillier Covered by Jezebel.

2010-09-14T18:32:00.001-05:00

I was just jamming through Jezebel.com and found their coverage of the new Monique Lhuillier line. It completely took my breath away.

I had an incredibly hard time picking a favorite!

I love the lace detail, the bright colors, the romantic and flowy shapes... sigh. So pretty.

My former tomboy self would cringe, but this tulle and sparkle number made me absolutely smitten. Dying to see a celebrity I love rock this one! I hate to sound one-note, but wouldn't Zooey Deschanel pull this one off nicely? She already wore my favorite designer dress ever, so it's not a stretch to imagine her in all the ones I like.

photo taken from here

I actually loved this dress before I loved Zooey- the defined waist, low low neckline, volume at the skirt, the color... pretty much my perfect dress.

Anyway, I would highly recommend you all go check out Jezebel's photos of the runway show- there really isn't a dress in the line that I dislike! Many stunning ones that I didn't feature.

Shoe Romance.

2010-09-10T19:40:00.000-05:00

I have been really swamped lately (read: a horrendous blogger). But I always have time for ohmygod shoes. Girl moment ahead.

More than just a shoe crush, this is full-on shoe romance. I want to take them out to dinner and serenade them.

I also want them to be slightly less than $137.99. Come on, Irregular Choice, what's a hundred dollars between friends? Word's can't express, indeed.

What to Wear to the Clinton Wedding.

2010-08-02T18:45:00.003-05:00

I was surfing around the other day and found this article where a woman fantasized about what she'd wear if she had been invited to Chelsea Clinton's wedding. I think the idea is cool. I don't care much for the Clintons, but I do love weddings to a sick degree. I won't even tell you have many episodes of Say Yes to the Dress lurk in my DVR lineup.

Obviously I cannot afford designer clothes, and obviously I don't know the nuances of proper attire at large state functions (you go simple and elegant, I'd assume?). I also imagine the fashion scene is relatively competitive, all the clothes being this season (or true vintage) designer. But this is a fantasy, right? Of course right.

I'd start with a great dress. And duh, it would have to be Zac Posen.

Option 1:

This would be great if the dress is truly blue in real life. The picture makes it seem somewhat white, which is of course a no-no for a wedding. I was recently at one where a guest wore a satin white dress. Disaster.

In both cases I used Zooey Deschanel as a hair model because she is perfect, and also because I am currently rocking the short/thin hair version of her look.

I realize the wedding is over (it wasn't when I started drafting this post last week, but I helped my sister move to college and got a wee bit distracted)... but what would you have worn?

Win/Lose/Draw

2010-07-23T18:04:00.001-05:00

A short rundown of the products/companies/pieces I love, the ones that I am not a fan of, and the ones that I’m still not quite sure about.

Win!

I am absolutely smitten with Klorane dry shampoo. I have naturally oily skin, and a little while back I got bangs. I did not anticipate the weird problem this would create. By about 5 every day, my bangs would become a visibly greasy mess. Nothing horrifying, but pretty unappealing. I resigned myself to the idea that I may have to take a shower each day after work in order to go out, but then I found Klorane.

Klorane dry shampoo absolutely delivers. I spray a bit into my hair, focusing especially on my bangs. I have dark hair, so it does leave a powdery white residue that I just comb out. I also noticed if I spray the bottom side of my hair, I can skip this step. This stuff wildly exceeded my expectations- my hair is fluffy, light and clean within minutes. I cannot say enough good things about this product. The only downside is that one can is $18 at my local Sephora, and I use this pretty much daily. I’m looking for a cheaper brand at the moment, hoping to find something affordable and comparable.

Win!

Threads 4 Thought organic cotton tees. These are made by an eco-conscious company making sustainable apparel. While this makes me high five myself (tricky), I would buy these tees at Walmart if that's where I had to go. I practically live in them. I actually discovered my first one in TJ Maxx- I bought it off the sale rack for $5 and wore it until it fell apart. I tracked the company down, knowing I'd need more immediately. They are thin, super soft, and ridiculously comfortable. The website claims that this is possibly the best fitting tee on the planet, and I absolutely agree. The best part? They're just $10 apiece. How can you beat that? I have them in 4 different colors, with every intent to buy more. The site has some other really pretty clothing, but I haven't branched out yet.

Lose.

These American Eagle flip flops. Normally, American Eagle has extremly comfortable leather sandals- I go there every year and get a pair that lasts until next year (after that they start to look pretty sad, but remain comfortable). These were a very rare miss. The straps have a peculair way of cutting into my toes- it's hard to wear them even to run to my mailbox. Ouch.

Draw?

I heard a lot of good things about Bare Escentuals face primer, so I gave it a shot and bought a bottle on Ebay for around $11. I thought I really got a steal, until the ridiculously tiny bottle arrived. I've had great experiences with the foundation and thought this would make a big difference, but I'm still kind of on the fence. I've been using it all week and can't tell a huge difference. My makeup does stay a bit longer, but is it really worth the price? Hm. (note: the bottle pictured is bigger than the one I bought, which I suspect is a sample.)

Ballerinas Dance, and Sometimes Fall.

2010-07-13T19:17:00.000-05:00

Old(ish) grey dress + pink tulle skirt underneath + pink snakeskin belt = childish, and a bit too matchy-matchy in the best way. I really love this.

Dress - F21 (bought last fall)

Pink tulle skirt - F21, $17.50

Shoes - Nine West ($5 on Ebay)

Belt - Savers, $3

What's that you ask? No, that's not dirt on my knees. This weekend I fell down a few steps at a local bar (yes, quite drunk) and skidded my knees. The worst casualty of all was my favorite pair of heels. I found these in TJ Maxx last year and have never been able to find them online, even second hand. They are my most comfortable pair of heels and I always get compliments on them. Pretty sad.

Just Some Eye Candy.

2010-07-10T00:34:00.000-05:00

I was just trolling around, obsessing about convertible dresses again when I saw this. My heart actually fluttered.

Lulu Dress, Butter by Nadia - $265

Best in black and white stripes, but look how cute when you wiggle the straps down!

I love that beautiful clothes actually give me the same lurch that I used to get when I saw a crush in the hall in high school.

Also, I saw a girl at work today with her nails painted robin's egg blue- rapidly becoming my favorite color. I keep daydreaming of short, elegantly shaped pale blue/green nails...

photo courtesy blogdorf goodman

Super Steals.

2010-07-07T22:39:00.005-05:00

I decided today to impose some spending limits on myself, as I've been shopping a ridiculous amount lately. But I do not feel guilty about my two most recent purchases- a little purple cocktail dress (with pockets!) from TJ Maxx and a pair of Nine West heels.

The dress was on clearance for $7- score! It has pockets and it's pretty adorable. I'm probably going to add little cap sleeves eventually, as strapless and I don't get along.

The shoes were $4.99 on Ebay. They are brand new, but one shoe was missing the laces! I just used some black ribbon I had around my apartment. Eventually I'll experiment with different widths and colors. I had some better pictures of the shoes, but my camera seems to have eaten them...

In one of the pictures I'm experimenting with a Coach scarf I had lying around, trying to do something with my hair. I'm trying to grow it long again and getting pretty impatient.

A big thanks to Lyddiegal from Chic on the Cheap for the award! You are easily one of my favorite bloggers and just too damn cute.

Because I Can Never Have Too Many of These Posts...

2010-07-07T18:05:00.000-05:00

I absolutely need my paycheck tomorrow, not next Thursday. The reason? Isn't it always Modcloth?

Thing I need: Perfect Work Shoes- $34.99
Thin justification: I've been looking for THE closed-toe black work pump for a while. This is vegan and I really prefer leather, but I figure for this cheap I could give it a try. I am smitten with that heel.

Thing I need: Daisy Earrings $11.99
Thin justification: I fell in love with an almost identical pair at a local store here, but didn't want to pay the $24 they wanted for them. Much better price!

Thing I need: Octopus necklace - $14.99
Thin justification: I love octopus jewelry!

Thing I need: Purple dress - $47.99
Thin justification: Okay, fessing up, I really don't need this at all. I just want it. I just bought a short purple dress yesterday!

Knight and Day.

2010-07-05T10:31:00.002-05:00

Since I heard about Knight and Day, I've been telling everyone who would listen (and a few people who tried not to) that it did not look promising to me. In fact, it sounded to me like it was made up for a tv show or movie character to star in (like when Joey was in Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E. on FRIENDS, or when Bella and co. went to watch Face Punch in that Twilight sequel). I'm not a big Tom Cruise fan, or Cameron Diaz fan... I don't know. I just lacked interest.

But go I did yesterday, when it turned out I had already seen all the movies I actually was interested in seeing. I still had that "wanna go see a movie" craving.

I have to say, it wasn't bad. Not much more than your standard spy flick, but definitely not awful. The most fun part was Cameron Diaz's wardrobe. For the most part, it wasn't that fancy or unique. But I distinctly remember at least three "Well, now I'll have to buy one of those" moments.

This was my favorite look, though it's atypical of the character (she was trying on a bridesmaid's dress and got a bit distracted...):

This has a lot of my favorite elements. It's colorful, it has a full, tulle-boosted skirt, and then she has this cross-body bag and motorcycle boots to give it a casual, fun vibe. It was supposed to be ridiculous, but I would wear this out!

For the most part, June (Diaz) wore fitted button-ups with a white tank underneath, skinny jeans, aviators, the crossbody bag above, and an array of awesome flat boots. It wasn't that any of this was particularly innovative, but it was casual and cool and flattering in the best way. It's hard to find a lot of photos, but to give some idea:

My favorite pieces were her big, chunky men's watch and her slouchy motorcycle boots (you can kind of see both in the yellow dress pictures I'm posting) and they were added to my running wish list. I loved her cross-body bag as well:

The thing I especially liked about the bag is that she wears the same one throughout the movie. Tons of women have one essential bag that they wear every single day (mine being my Fossil cross-body bag, as you see here) and I get bored of movies pretending otherwise. In a similar vein- try watching Leap Year. She wears a pair of Louboutins to walk for days across Ireland... dirt roads, sandy beaches, you name it. She treats this pair of 4 1/2 inch stilettos as though they're sneakers, then about halfway through complains that she can't climb a hill in them. I'm all for fantasy, but does that kind of thing drive you nuts in movies too? My feet hurt just watching it!

New Vintage Dress.

2010-06-30T16:31:00.000-05:00

Yummm, 70's polyester.

Also scored an awesome new evening bag. Two years ago I wouldn't have even considered a bag with a chain strap- too dated. But when I saw it I knew it was mine. Shows the influence that the blog world has had on me, I guess.

Both of these were scored at Vintage Vogue in Kansas City, which I was shown a few months ago by the lovely Jenna.

Reason #2,239 I Should Learn to Sew

2010-06-29T19:49:00.003-05:00

I have become obsessed with convertible dresses.

They're not a new idea, even to me. A few years ago I caught wind of an American Apparel convertible jersey dress and became a bit obsessed. A trip to the store a few blocks from me revealed, however, that the jersey was extremely thin and weird. I was truly bummed.

A few weeks ago I picked up a dress with a somewhat convertible top for a wedding, and while describing to my friend Jenna, she mentioned American Apparel to me again- this time with Le Sac dress. We both purchased one and played with them over the weekend.

Royal blue is my favorite color, but I went with the heathered blue because it felt a bit softer and more wrinkle-resistant. After playing with this a few days, my convertible obsession has been fueled again. How odd that Gilt should then start selling one?

I realize $99 is a steal for a $258 dress, but I just can't justify it right now. So I started puttering on the net. Apparently, it's not difficult to sew. There's even a pattern posted.

Though it seems a simple enough pattern, I also know my sewing skills leave something to be desired. So I will just have to see what I can get Jenna or my mother (both wizards with fabric) to take as a bribe.

I especially love the Butter by Nadia website, that has the cutest videos demonstrating how to wear these dresses. I personally like to click Song A.

P.S. If you live in the KC area and were interested in Emmy-Ray's jewelry, I hope you notice she wrote in the comments to let us know where she's selling:

"Hey ladies, I actually sell at bon bon atelier in Westport. Right now they have some fun items like some of my skulls, guns, and key necklaces. I'm doing a large shop update this week, and then I'll also be at the Ric Rac Roundup in Westport on July 24th with all kinds of goodies."

Emmy-Ray, Awesome Etsy-er.

2010-06-28T18:07:00.001-05:00

This weekend I went to a street sale that hosted a few booths for local tradespeople. There I found Emmy Ray, a Kansas City jewelry company that makes some of the cutest stuff I have ever seen.

I was actually a little surprised to see her Etsy store had so few things, and that they were less crazy and weird than the ones I was so excited about in her physical store. But then it occurred to me to check her "Sold Items" section. Ah, there we go. (all photos copyright Emmy-Ray)

Here is Emmy-Ray's blog! It's completely freakin adorable.

Experiments in the Rough City.

2010-06-12T18:31:00.003-05:00

Ever since I saw the new Alice and Wonderland, I've been borderline obsessed with girly things that I would have scoffed at before. I suddenly love tulle, big skirts, and flowery dresses. As a kid, I wanted desperately to be a boy and had nothing but disdain for girliness. I suppose this is my backlash.

I scored this F21 dress a while ago and have worn it here and there. I also have a tulle skirt I bought a few months ago for a party. I've been itching to sneak it into my regular wardrobe. I had a few hours free today before launching into my evening, so I decided to walk around the shopping area next to my apartment and try it out. To be fair, I knew going in that I live in one of the richest areas in the city, and that people around here are pretty conservative and laid back.

At first I wore it with the underskirt hidden underneath, creating a bit more fullness in the skirt. People stared at me the entire time I was out. Curious as to whether the stares were disapproval at how short the skirt was (a bit too), I tugged the tulle out a bit. I was really pleased with how flouncy everything got, and felt a lot more comfortable without worrying if my butt was showing.

People still stared.

You would have thought that I was wearing Saran Wrap and Crisco, the way people watched me. It's just a quirky dress, people. Anthropologie salespeople snuck weird looks, though Urban Outfitters staff were less phased.

I got serious validation, however, at Betsey Johnson. I kind of thought they'd like it, but was not expecting the "Oh my god, you're SO cute!!" squeal as I entered. Those salesgirls are very aloof and cold generally, so I felt like a mini rockstar, cracking their snobby facade.

The boots are Steve Madden, and I recently purchased them to replace the Target replicas I had. I wore the Target ones to death, and it was really starting to show. I was excited to get a better quality (not awesome, but still leather) pair, but these are actually less comfy. Rats.

Here's the dress without the underskirt (definitely less cool, in my opinion):

I realize this outfit is a bit out of the box, but I didn't expect the big reaction of Is She Nuts?? that I got. The only people to show me love were the Betsey Johnson girls and some Japanese students (thanks for the full turn-around as I passed, guys). One woman (who we will politely say looked very stereotypically Midwestern) whispered to a friend sarcastically, "That's hot," in her best Paris Hilton impression. Really, lady?

Shews.

2010-06-05T18:54:00.001-05:00

I've been going through some rough patches lately and I never wanted this blog to be a sad place, so I've been leaving it alone until I felt a bit happier.

Well, still a bit lost, but bit more like myself the last few days. I finally figured out how to do a nice wing with liquid eyeliner and I've been amusing myself by trying them at different levels of exaggeration at work and going out.

Lately I bought myself a countertop dishwasher and the thing is huge. I have no idea what I was thinking. If I can motivate myself and lug the thing to FedEx and return it, I may reward myself with these:

Wildcat Wedge

They're ridiculous and like nothing own, but I've loved them since first sight. They're too expensive, but hey, if I return the dishwasher that I bought with birthday money... Actually, no. They're out of my size. Drat. Back to the drawing board!

Recently I DID buy these, for about $30, and I've worn them almost every day. They're super comfortable.

I can dress them down or up, they are simple and sleek and my new best friends. I've been getting brown leather flip flops from AE for years, but these are much more stylish. And lucky you, if you're interested! They're on sale at the moment.

Birthday!

2010-05-12T23:36:00.001-05:00

Work is still foxhole-esque, but I had an amazing birthday! Photos complete with new hairstyle.

Phew!

2010-05-08T20:38:00.000-05:00

Work has gone stark raving mad and I can barely look at the internet once I arrive home to my safe, cute, messy apartment. I am alive and I still love you very much. I feel especially guilty about not commenting on the blogs of some of my favorite girls! I will try to push through this so I can be better.

Some outfits I snapped pictures of that I never posted... one is me going to a magazine launch party, and the other for a weekend with the family.

I have a new hairstyle now. Every time I go in to get my brown color touched up, and have my haircutter dude trim it up to be more clean-looking, I try to find something small to change. So my hair is now back to the dark I had it originally, and much more sleek and straight and sharp. Pictures as soon as I get motivation to leave my couch.

Prom!

2010-04-24T23:14:00.000-05:00

Prom is in the air, and I am wicked jealous. I had a very safe, timid sensibility when it came to my own proms. Now that I’m older and more confident, I’m dying for planned events with suits and fancy dresses, spiked punch and slow dances. I tried living vicariously through my little sister, but alas, she already has her senior prom dress (a very cool Etsy find made of men's ties and tulle). Still, it’s fun to imagine what I would wear if I got a second crack at it.

I’ll start by admitting that my current infatuation with tulle would come heavily into play. In fact, if I could just wear the Alice in Wonderland dress I gushed about a few weeks ago, I’d call it day. I finally found pictures of it. It still makes my heartbeat go all funny:

So, a fitted top and crazy tulle skirt it would probably have to be. I've become completely smitten with this dress, and only wish I had an event worth buying a fancy dress for:

Striped Tutu Party Dress No. 2

Of course, this is a tad wacky for prom. I'd be a bit more classic when it came to accessories:

Runner up dress:

Hallo DREAM Dress (actually sold since I favorited it long ago)

Anyone else feeling like the really good formal dress opportunities are wasted on those who are still finding their fashion sense, and are limited by parental budgets? We 'grownups' are totally missing out. What are you wearing to prom, even if it's the one in your imagination?

Recent Successes.

2010-04-21T18:37:00.000-05:00

Haven't had a lot to post about lately- a horrible lack of motivation for dressing and quarters for laundry have left me with some pretty basic wardrobe choices. But now that it's getting warm and fresh and spring again, I'm getting all kinds of motivation.

I've been trying to buy less things, and more carefully choose things of quality over things of impulse (which means now I'm buying quality thing impulsively). My two most recent purchases were this floral Jessica Simpson dress and this Fossil purse that I affectionately think of as The Dream Bag.

The Jessica Simpson dress is pretty much perfect. I saw advertised for a sale on Ideeli.com, but couldn't get to the actual site because of heavy traffic (never seen that happen before or since- go figure). By the time I did, this dress was sold out.

I eventually began scouring the net and found it two other places- one site for roughly twice the price that Ideeli had, and one for its full price. I decided to suck it up and pay double. Oops- that site ran out of my size before I could close the deal.

Proving how stupidly, feverishly in love with this dress I had become, I ended up paying full price for it. It is soft, sweet, and has pockets and tulle (!!!!!) to poof the skirt a bit. I intend to wear it to every wedding, graduation and baby shower I am invited to for the next 10 years or so. I dressed it down with boots and a cardigan today to wear it to work. Bigtime hit.

The bag is everything I love- slouchy, real leather, brown, and has convertible straps. It's pretty much THE every day bag I've wanted for as long as I can remember. When I stumbled on it on Ebay a few weeks ago, I knew I had found the one. I have found an excuse to wear it every day since.

That is how material goods have fueled my emotional gratification the last few days. Next up- the gladiator sandals I splurged on today...

Bare Escentuals (Minerals) Review - Worth the Money?

2010-04-06T12:24:00.007-05:00

am a very pale girl with sensitive skin. That skin had a long love affair with acne. This has put me on very friendly terms with foundation, even now that the bad acne part of my life appears to be fading. I was a liquid foundation girl for years (coverage coverage) until I was turned on to the Mary Kay powder foundation by my friend Jenna. Prior to Mary Kay, I’d flirted with a few mineral makeups with bad results. They were too dark, too cakey, didn’t cover well.

I love Mary Kay powder foundation because it’s light, it looks natural and if I use enough I can get good coverage from it. I go through it faster than most people because I have to use so much to cover blemishes, and because it's powder it tends to get on everything when I’m applying it. But I’ve been very much in love with it for about a year now.

I’ve been up at 3 a.m. and seen Bare Escentuals commercials, of course. I wondered if that foundation could possibly be as good as they say (better than mine??), but never wanted to fork out the money for it. (To clarify for those confused- it seems that Bare Escentuals is the company, Bare Minerals the product. Same thing though.)

Last week I was on Amazon, looking at buying a new pack of Mary Kay makeup on the cheap (I skip the saleswoman, go straight for those trying to unload- I’m bad) and realized the same system could be exploited for Bare Escentuals. Voila- I got a powder foundation and mineral veil for less than $20 including shipping. The prices seem to vary day by day- I got the foundation for $7.99 and the veil for $1.99.

Bare Escentuals Mineral Foundation (fair skin)

Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil

I tried Bare Escentuals today and in my wordly and studied opinion, it ROCKS. I couldn’t take pictures and show you the difference because my camera isn’t stellar, but my skin looks lovely. I have lingering red marks from past acne that you can still faintly see, so the coverage isn’t absolutely perfect, but my skin looks fantastic otherwise. Mary Kay is awesome enough that I’d still use it if it were significantly cheaper, but if I can continue to get Bare Escentuals for so cheap, I’ll be switching. I use significantly less Bare Escentuals than I did Mary Kay to get the same result, so hopefully the fact that the bottles are tiny won't be a huge issue.

Faux Issues.

2010-04-02T21:28:00.002-05:00

The hardest part of working a job that's entirely on the computer?

My "smoke breaks" can be used as shopping breaks. Which makes saving money nearly impossible. Even if I do survive the designer discount sites and their daily sales, eventually something pops into my head that I've been craving. A new brown leather purse. A basic, sexy pair of black heels. A new pair of dark skinny jeans. They're basics! I need them! Sigh.

Today I searched for leather bags all over the internet. After years of cheapy faux-bags, I've been craving more classic, structured, high quality bags and promised myself that my next would be leather leather leather. Investment piece. None of that faux stuff. Until I saw this "man made leather" bag in a Google search.

I have now almost convinced myself that fake leather would be fine so long as it looks real enough. Right?

Right?

Urban as They Come.

2010-04-01T12:06:00.005-05:00

Hello blog! I’ve neglected you horrendously.

I have about 47 things I want to post about once I get a second to snap photos and do research, but for now I wanted to pimp out this sweater.

You may remember a little while ago I was growing increasingly infatuated with a shredded, striped, school-girl-esque sweater on Modcloth? After it hit the sale bin it was around $40- not exactly a steal for something that looked like it may disintegrate in my washing machine (and by my washing machine, I mean one of the machines in my building’s basement, of course).

Today I was cruising the Urban Outfitters online sale rack, as I am short on money for the next few weeks but not short on the urge for new clothes.

Lo and behold, for a meager $19.99:

Now, I prefer the more sharp contrast between the white and black to this grey and black, but I also admit that this would be easier to wash (I have the worst luck with washing black and white items). It’s also obviously not tattered and a bit shorter. But I like the vibe of it. I’m hesitating to buy it, however, with the mental image of horizontal stripes over my wide hips. Hm.

Some other cool stuff I stumbled on (read: am considering buying):

Truly Madly Deeply Rosie Posie Scoop

$14.99

BDG Striped Pullover Sweater

$14.99

BDG Marled Boyfriend Cardigan

$14.99

Silence & Noise Cutout Satin Tunic

$29.99

Urban Renewal High-Waisted Blossom Skirt

$29.99

BDG Below The Knee Ponte Pencil Skirt

$29.99

Floral Printed Full Skirt

$39.99

I'm especially vibing on that black cutout dress, but I'm getting a little sick of the exposed zipper thing I once loved so much. Hmmm...

Gaultier for Target.

2010-03-09T18:50:00.000-06:00

So I may or may not have gotten caught up in the Gaultier for Target hype. What I really want is the Zac Posen collection, but until then I've been biding my time, salivating over Gaultier's yellow dress:

I didn't buy it online, but instead chose to trek out on Sunday to the ONLY Target in the state of Kansas that sold the collection.

I agree with the majority of the reviewers- big disappointment. This dress, as well as a few of the others, were made of some weird, plasticy, cheap fabric. It was really awful. It was also a dirty mustard color in real life. Ick. I did, however, try on its sister dress in the floral print. That was the dress that originally interested me in the collection. I realized I had my new phone's camera on me, so I snapped a few photos. I had more pictures of some cool pieces (the anchor top, and the really nice leather jacket) but they were accidentally deleted. I'd recommend checking those items out.

I love a lot of things about this dress. The top is very revealing and not for anyone with a semblance of girls. But I'm a fan of it. I also love what many hated- the netting under the skirt that made it so poofy. The pattern was a bit blah.

This is me poofing up the skirt to appear pregnant- something this dress kind of hinted at anyway. Awful lot of skin on top, am I right? (The appearance of my ribs here is extremely exaggerated. It even freaked me out a bit when I first saw it! Lighting trick.)

I also tried on this blue shirt, which made me feel like a Samantha from Sex and the City with a bit of a tummy. And an obviously lacy bra under thin fabric. Pass.

This is my awkward gold penis/drawstring.

I ended up buying the floral dress, as I was kind of torn about it and there was only one in my size- again, in the state of Kansas (thanks for ignoring the Midwest again, guys). I feel it’s too revealing for day wear, and too flowery and girly for going out to bars in. I’m going to play with layering it, but there’s a good chance this baby will have to be returned if I can’t work it into my wardrobe.

Overall, there were two or three nice pieces to this collection and the rest was pretty awful in execution. I’d highly recommend checking it out in person before buying anything (not like online is much of an option - it was released Sunday at midnight and by noon on Sunday was mostly sold out).

Alice in Wonderland.

2010-03-08T18:21:00.001-06:00

I don't care if you love, hate, or are truly terrified of Alice in Wonderland. You should go see it immediately. I loved the movie (was never a big fan of the story before), but what you really need to see are the costumes! I took poor Matt with me and I'm sure he left with bruises on his arm because I grabbed it so many times. "Look at that dress!" Alice's wardrobe absolutely geeked me out. I can't say enough how stunning I found the majority of her costumes. I tried in vain to scope out my favorites online, though I did find this one:

It's so much more stunning and complicated on the screen. I found these two photos as well:

... but they're kid stuff compared to what you'll find in the movie.

In the interest of not spoiling the movie, I won't even describe them ("When Alice is in *** ***** ***, she wears this dress covered in ****** because of the ***** **** theme."). But go see it! I haven't felt that giddy about clothing in a long time. The things I would do to own one of those dresses are truly deplorable. I could easily see any of her more elaborate costumes going down a runway and flying off racks. If I had the ocassion and means, you'd best believe I'd have my favorite one(s) recreated and hit the red carpet. No shame.

Purse Archaeology.

2010-03-04T22:15:00.010-06:00

A member of another website I frequent posted a picture of the contents of her purse, spilling out car keys, Playdoh and books about mermaids. I thought this was a really cool idea, as it showed a little snapshot of her daily life and the things that helped her get through it. I have a suspicion that this idea is not new, and internet scouring would reveal some truly cool purse contents. I thought the idea was so fun that I dumped out my new bag and took a quick snap of the contents with my phone.

The real life savers here are my handy mini-USB cable, Moleskine planner and my GPS. Skittles and newly printed Walmart photos of my family, of course. And birth control- why not? No shame in being careful ladies.

My Modcloth necklace arrived, and I have to say I'm not thrilled with it. It's likely going back. The leaves are pretty enough, but the necklace feels really cheap. I didn't expect solid gold for $19.99, but I did hope to get something a little more substantial and nice-looking. It's better than something you'd get out of a machine for a quarter, but not much.

Coming as a surprise to no one, I also caved last week and bought a pair of booties that I'd been eyeing at Modcloth and featured in my last post. I'm much happier with them. I've been playing around with them, trying to decide if I like them and will wear them enough to justify the $95. Any time I buy a new pair of shoes, especially ones that cost over $50, I spend a lot of time playing with them and evaluating before I wear them outside and scuff the sole. It's all part of my own special brand of crazy. I'll be sure to post pictures if they stick around.

ModCloth Dominates Me Again.

2010-02-24T10:23:00.000-06:00

I am so smitten with ModCloth that I should probably give in and write some kind of weekly post about the things I'm crushing on. I refrain from doing so, however, because I assume you're just as in love as I am and have seen it all already.

I've also been really, really good at not buying anything there for a long time. I drool daily, but I'm on a strict budget at the moment and I'm saving money. I'm a good girl I am!

And trust me, it hsan't been easy, especially in the last week or so.

I've definitely

been tempted

one, maybe two

times.

Even my super human willpower struggled a bit, however, with this lovely leaf necklace. Only $19.99, and I could wear it multiple ways!

I manged to hold off, figuring I'd get it later when I had a bit more money. That is, of course, until I flipped around the site today and saw that there was just. one. left.

Of course I bought it. How can anyone resist the ominous red 1 Left!

I ask you.

So, to my checking account- sorry. To my willpower, sorry. And to anyone else who wanted to snag one, sorry to you too. I'll be sure to post pictures when it shows up!

Coach Bag!

2010-02-17T18:42:00.006-06:00

So I ended up getting two surprises this weekend instead of one.

First and foremost, the Coach bag I mentioned last week. I spent a full day in my parents' house, walking around this big shopping bag emblazoned with Coach symbols, waiting for dinner to come so I could dig into it. My mother didn't even bother wrapping it- she knew I wouldn't notice.

I just tried to take pictures of it in the fading light of my apartment:

While my enthusiasm probably seems a bit silly to veterans of fashion, this is definitely a big step for me. While I have many fun, quirky, trendy purses, the most expensive purse I had ever owned before this was a canvas patterned thing from PacSun. In college. $40.

Think about that.

The inside lining has a really fun colorful stripe pattern, but my camera refused to take a nice photo.

Here's me running around with it on Valentine's Day. I didn't fully love this outfit, just threw it together. I'm also holding the fun scarf I got with the purse- usually it's tied around a strap.

My other big surprise was actually so fun it distracted me from my new purse for a bit. This weekend I wandered into a T-Mobile store to scope a new phone and phone plan. My AT&T contract is up at the end of the month, and while I've always been happy with them, T-Mobile was a cheaper option for me. Long story short, the salesmen were really, really good. I went in to collect information, and left with a 2 year contract and a new MyTouch phone.

My phone story is similar to my purse story- I've only ever had cheapie phones, or semi-cool but still budget friendly phones. This beast is the nicest thing T-Mobile sells, and I am obsessed with it. It is not uncommon to see me checking my websites on my phone while still sitting in front of a perfectly good computer. Never before have I had a phone that people actually admire.

I'm pretty geeked, and this is one of the few places I don't feel like I have to apologize for getting cool stuff. Thanks for being here to absorb some of my excitement!

Best Thursday Surprise Ever.

2010-02-12T22:25:00.001-06:00

I am not a rich girl. I am a 23 year-old editor, and I am paid as such. I don't get the majority of my clothing from second hand stores, sales, and Forever 21 because they are meccas of style, but rather because I'm trying to pay for my cute apartment and save a few dollars while still looking cute.

I was sitting at my cubicle yesterday, typing away at a project, when I saw I had missed a call from my mother. I flipped to her voice mail, figuring she was going to tell me something about my visit this weekend.

"I'm in a Coach outlet store, taking a break on my business trip. I know you're at work and probably won't answer- I just wanted to ask if you'd want a bag? As a Valentine's Day present?"

To stay I was a bit stunned would be an understatement. While my parents are definitely better off than a single 23 year-old editor financially, our cute Valentine's Day traditional gift is usually a movie, maybe a book or a video game.

I called her back immediately (duh), already pulling up the Coach website. Flustered by descriptions and losing much in communication both ways, I finally just told her that I'd want a medium sized, everyday bag in brown leather. I've never been a big fan of the canvas bags with the Coach design. I was so thrown that I called her back a minute later and blurted lamely, "Black leather would be cool too!"

She said she'd see what she could find. She also told me that I have to wait until our family dinner tomorrow for the gift exchange. I'm in the kind of torture only a budget-strapped fashion fan who has a mystery designer purse (her first!) coming to her can truly feel.

Now I'm just guessing guessing guessing. Some of the purses she described aren't on the site, so it's a total mystery. I'm relatively sure delaying in this way is some kind of violation of the Geneva Conventions.

Flirtation in Stripes.

2010-02-09T21:03:00.001-06:00

Oh shredded Modcloth sweater. Yes, I see you. I see your comfy, thick threads, your tattered holes and your not-so-subtle tugging at my weakness for the English boarding school vibe. You know it is all too easy to get me going with your white and black stripes and casually pushed up sleeves.

I can see you making those eyes at me, casually trotting out the fact that you're on sale now. Half off you say? Of course you are.

I have no idea where I could respectfully take you out. Do your holes look deliberate enough that I could class you up with a girly dress and playful belt and introduce you to my coworkers, or would you just appear frumpy and sloppy? I know my mother wouldn't approve of you. She always prefers when I bring home something more clean cut. If you managed to get dirty over time, and I hinted to you that it was time to clean up... I have a feeling you'd fall apart on me.

You know my wallet has nothing in it but moths and the lingering, accusatory smell of a long vacancy. You know you won't keep me warm on cold days, and I know you'll be all too happy to point out my prominent hips when we're in public.

Yet I can't help but glance over and check you out, biting my lip and imagining how wonderful we could be...

Shannyn Sossamon.

2010-02-03T11:52:00.001-06:00

Upon seeing my new haircut, a friend of mine said I reminded him of Shannyn Sossamon. Having no idea who that was, I Googled her (oh, that chick from a Knight's Tale, I liked her) and got a bit of a style crush, though I don't quite see the resemblance. These images are not mine, and I'd be happy to remove them if they're yours.

I love that she has a lovely, precise face, but also an edge to her. The Anglophile in me is also digging her England sweater:

I was particularly excited about this photo, as she's sporting my current dream hair:

One day, 15 or so pounds from now, I'd love to have that same careless, "Oh, is my navel hanging out?" edginess that she pulls off so cooly. Keira Knightley pulls off the same vibe really well when she's not scary thin, and I've always admired it.

Overtime.

2010-01-31T21:18:00.001-06:00

Sometimes you win, sometimes your team loses to their rivals, the #2 team in the nation, after playing neck-and-neck into overtime.

I changed my outfit a bit. I got a lot of compliments at the bars after the game- even from rivals. Further proof that good style solves everything.

Sunflower Showdown!

2010-01-30T12:24:00.002-06:00

Sunflower Showdown is tonight! My college team, the Kansas State Wildcats, will be playing our rivals, the Kansas University Jayhawks. I'm having a friend over to watch the game with me, and then probably going out for drinks. I'm excited!

I naturally have to rock a K-State jersey, but that doesn't mean I'm skipping the chance to look nice. I may even have a face sticker with the team logo left over from college. I'm pushing it with the Jayhawk-red shoes, and considering pushing it even farther by belting the jersey with red also. We'll see.

My Leatha.

2010-01-30T08:43:00.001-06:00

Just a few (very simple) outfits I've been wearing lately. I've been trying a lot of cute stuff, but failing utterly to snap pictures. Clearly, a tripod is in my future.

The second is obviously my new leather skirt. I got it at a local vintage store and I'm thrilled with it. Seems somehow appropriate that my first leather skirt should be bright orange. I ended up wearing it out in brown boots. I felt all night like I should have a handkerchief around my neck and start drag races with flag.

Also awesome about the tripod- I can stop taking photos of my face Myspace-style in a dirty mirror:

I feel like this picture should have a list of my favorite bands and a few quirky quotes about me under it. Ah well.

Awards: The Sequel.

2010-01-28T18:33:00.002-06:00

Wow, what a cool week! Fashion Therapist just gave me my second award! Her blog is so fun and unique, and she rocks a cast like nobody's business. I'm flattered to receive an award from a blogger I enjoy so much! Here is the Best Blog Award:

With this award comes some rules:

One. To accept the award, you must post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted you the award, and a link to their blog.

Two. Pass the award on to approximately 15 other blogs that you recently discovered, and think are great.

Three. Contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I feel like the best part of getting an award (okay, aside from the validation) is getting to pass it on to other people whose blogs you really admire! Earlier this week I got to give one to three of my favorite bloggers. I think 15 is a tad excessive, so I think I'm sticking with 3. It's a damn fine number. I'd love to pass this award on to

1. Bright Side Dweller;
2. I Know, Right?; and
3. Style Obsession.

One is totally adorable, one has fantastic work stories, and one always has classy, beautiful collections of items that make me feel like a lady. Keep it up!

As for my regular posts, I've been putting together a lot of cool things lately, but learning the hard way how tricky it is to photograph yourself well when you don't have a boy to hand the camera to. I will step up my game! I got a vintage bright orange leather skirt I'm aching to show you.

Attempting Relaxation.

2010-01-27T18:18:00.000-06:00

I spent the last four hours of my workday answering customer emails full of questions and concerns. While PMS-ing. On the way home, tired and grouchy and guilty because I was blowing off the gym, my car was almost hit by a giggling cheerleader (I saw both the giggling and the sticker on her car) not paying attention and experimenting with illegal lane changes.

To zen myself, I could clean my apartment. Instead, I intend to sit on my couch, watch tv, and plan what I'm packing for my upcoming trip to Boston. I bought a new leather duffel bag very much in the style of that messenger bag I'm still questing for. I'm so jazzed about it I keep trying to pack it now...

This is what my night looks like. Note the inclusion of my apartment (mmm, couch) and a bottle of my favorite wine.

The bag is a really pretty, rugged leather. It was originally almost $200, but it's on sale for just $60, with free shipping. I'm pretty excited about it!

Awards Time.

2010-01-25T19:41:00.004-06:00

I was just given the Over the Top award from Jennifer Fabulous. Thanks! It comes with a quiz, but how could I turn it down when attached to an award? Srsly.

The OTT award comes with the following survey. It must be filled
out using one word for each.

1. Where is your cell phone? desk

2. Your hair? short

3. Your mother? busy

4. Your father? busier

5. Your favorite food? cereal

6. Your dream last night? forgotten

7. Your favorite drink? milk

8. Your dream/goal? peace

9. What room are you in? office

10. Your hobby? antiquing

11. Your fear? spiders

12. What do you want to be in 6 years? happy

13. Where were you last night? couch

14. Something you aren't? tan

15. Muffins? blueberry

16. Wish list item? vacation

17. Where did you grow up? everywhere

18. Last thing you did? oatmeal

19. What are you wearing? jeans

20. Your TV? huge

21. Your pets? imaginary

22. Your friends? scattered

23. Your life? pleasant

24. Your mood? relaxed

25. Missing someone? ex

26. Vehicle? neon

27. Something you're not wearing? bracelets

28. Your favorite store? H&M

29. Your favorite color? blue

30. When was the last time you laughed? today

31. Last time you cried? yesterday

32. Your best friend? loving

33. One place where I go over and over again? bed

34. One person who emails me regularly? boss

35. Favorite place to eat? Panera

I know you’re supposed to pass this award along, but I’m not sure to how many. To make it a bit more special (and because quite a few girls I admire already have these), I’ll just choose three.

1. Dark Pony Designs

2. Chic on the Cheap

3. Living La Vida Rita

Party Arty, or Arty Party, or Whatever.

2010-01-24T14:42:00.001-06:00

Last night was the Party Arty party at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City. I only heard about the event about a week ago, and got tickets in a hurry. It's a yearly benefit thrown at the museum for young professionals. There was art on display, a fashion show, little photo booths, great food and free booze. I had a fantastic time. There's something very luxurious about discussing a Pollock painting while sipping wine.

In preparation for the event, I looked up photos and quizzed a co-worker that went last year to find out what to wear. I ended up feeling slightly underdressed, but not terribly. I took photos beforehand in case none were taken at the party:

I got a few shots of the fashion show- it was really dark and I had to hold my camera over my head to make up for my poor spot in the crowd:

We scoped the party for a while, partaking of our free drinks:

We even got the red carpet treatment.

All-in-all, it was a total blast, and one of the more swanky events I've gotten to attend. I can't wait to go next year- with a slightly more dramatic dress.

Also, did you notice the new haircut?

I just got the color touched up, made it symmetrical and cut wispy bangs out of my heavy, chunky one. It's pretty cute, and it will be much easier to look more professional and grow it out. New goals of mine.

Project Runway- No Spoilers.

2010-01-21T22:14:00.001-06:00

I won't chat about the details of the most recent episode, because I know not everyone's seen it. But I am LOVING this season. The designers are better, the judges are back- happiness.

Just one thing is bugging me- what happened to Nina?

The first episode I didn't notice anything, but this most recent one she looked... rested.

Does anyone else think Nina looks mysteriously 10 years younger? I can't figure out what's different. I mean, good for her- I'm just so curious!

Indiana Jonesing.

2010-01-16T13:49:00.001-06:00

Today's post is devoted to that for which I have searched about three years: the perfect brown leather messenger bag. Links in the comments under each picture.

Cute, but not quite the right shape.

It started in college with a desire for a cooler bookbag, and I thought it would end when I graduated. It didn't. The dream is to track down a messenger bag that looks as though Indiana Jones owns it. Darkish brown, real leather, not a briefcase, big enough for books, a bit worn.

Meh. I like the leather of it, but not really the shape or the height.

I've found a lot of things like it, even expanded my search to include purses that are similar. Not much luck so far.

I saw a bag similar to what I wanted at work the other day. A co-worker has a faux leather, slightly too-small black leather bag. When I mentioned to him, he shrugged and said he got it at F21. I told him about my quest, and he lit up. Apparently, he's on the same quest. Now I feel the double responsibility of helping him realize his Indiana Jones bag dream.

Looks very cool, but very new and stiff. I'd really like to start with something soft and slouchy.

So many are close. But I'm waiting for the one.

I found this on my hunt for photos today. It's the closest one I've found so far, and I'm a bit excited about it.

Winter, I Think We Need to Have a Talk.

2010-01-11T21:58:00.000-06:00

It finally stopped snowing, though I probably shouldn't celebrate just yet. As fun as taking a snow day off last week was (very, very fun), I will be ecstatic when this clears up. People who love snow clearly live in California, and have therefore forgotten what the stuff is like.

The view from my window.

All the snow has made clothing choices a bit tricky. I'm cold, and I can only really wear boots. I've tried a few other shoe options, but inevitably I end up ankle-deep in a snow drift cleaning off my car. I finally got all the salt and gunk off of my favorite OTKs, but I've been wearing bright red rainboots pretty much every day since. I did, however, end up wearing this to work on Friday:

I got an overall really positive response. I've decided to chalk this up as a success. Also further proof that they really don't care what I wear to work so long as I am a bit careful.

This weekend I had a lot of free time, so I tried playing with a few outfits. I have a really warm winter coat, so I generally have the luxury of wearing whatever I want and just throwing a coat over it. I gave this a shot:

Afterwards, I took one look at this photo and laughed at myself. Then I put that tiny, tiny skirt back, put some jeans on and went out for a while. While I have fun posting outfits that I like, it's fun to share my missteps too.

As evidenced by the above photo, I have very very short hair. It's grown out to the point of being in an awkward phase, and I'm anxious to let it get longer but shape it back up (and dye it back to brown, rather than the reddish color it's slowly lightened to).

I've never loved having long, long hair because it takes me at least a year to do it and is a massive pain. I am, however, the kind of person who is really drawn to the non-commitment of clip-in extensions. I got all kinds of fired up a few weeks back to try some, but a saleswoman talked me out of it. She laughed that my hair was way too short. I was disheartened and dropped the idea.

Oddly enough, it was Kate Gosselin's weird new hair that made me think to give it one more shot. I have a friend with clip-in extensions who has kindly offered to let me come over and try them. I'd obviously have to cut any set I purchased down a bit to blend a better with my hair. But I think it would be really fun to try! Anyone have any good, bad or ugly experiences with clip-ins?

F21, My Dear Watson.

2010-01-07T13:44:00.001-06:00

Phew. That was a break I needed. Things have been a bit hairy here in Robinland, and I needed a time out. I think I'm a bit more stable now and ready to return to discussing socks.

I've been so down lately that I hadn't been shopping at all. Once I started coming back to the land of the living, I realized I had a bit of money laying around. Of course, I tried buying some new skinny jeans (a sad story for a later time) and hit up Forever 21. It was there that I found some clothing mysteries. Luckily for me, Sherlock Holmes just came out and mysteries are very popular at the moment. Maybe you could help?

Mystery 1:

I definitely have a thing for gathered skirts. I saw one on a mannequin that was just like this:

Except it had a piece around the waist and suspenders, like this skirt:

I was instantly in love with it and, after hunting a bit myself, asked the pseudo-friendly sales staff to help me track it down. They reluctantly stopped their loud conversation about oral sex preferences to spend about five minutes walking around the store, and then disappeared back to their areas. I assumed that meant they couldn't find it.

I can't find it on the F21 website, which is a weird first. My question is, even if I track this puppy down, is there a way to wear this that wouldn't look totally ridiculous? I'm all for dressing outside the box, but I still live in Kansas/Missouri. I might have to play in Polyvore with that one.

Mystery 2:

Another item that I can't seem to locate on the F21 site. This is getting spooky. Also annoying, as I now have to charge my camera and show you what I mean:

I bought this dress. I was kind of hoping to wear it to work, as well as on weekends and for light parties. The first thing Matt (hereafter referred to as "my friend Matt") said was that it looks like a schoolgirl costume*. That presented a problem.

I have done the arm check- put mine down by my sides and pointed my hands- the skirt easily passes. It's long enough for work. But it gives the illusion that it's shorter than it is. Am I deluding myself in thinking that tights, leggings, boots, or all of the above can make this casual-work appropriate? Now that I'm looking at the photos, I'm thinking it just isn't going to happen.

*Matt and I did not break up because he called my new dress a schoolgirl costume. Though he did get a face.

I'm Still Alive!

2009-12-29T10:25:00.000-06:00

Still alive, still kicking. What started as a bit of a break for Christmas turned into a bit of a break for some messy personal stuff. I'm not doing so hot at the moment, which makes the fun of fashion blogging dim a bit. With any luck, I'll be excited and back soon. Hope your holidays were great, and that you're feeling and looking your best.

After Work Surprise and Family Visit.

2009-12-22T11:33:00.001-06:00

Is it wrong that I'm excited to be sick at home today because I might actually catch up on my blog reading? Sad.

Just have a few outfits to post. A week or so ago I had a really hard day at work, so Matt planned a surprise for when I got home. He didn't tell me how to dress, only that "kind of nice" was appropriate. I basically just changed my shoes when I got home from work:

These shoes always get compliments, but hurt within five minutes. They're Steve Madden's knockoff of the Sex and the City movie shoe. Oh, and for the curious- Matt ended up taking me to the Riff Trax Christmas special. Hilarious.

This last weekend, my family came to visit me. We went out to eat, then my mother, sister and I went to the Nutcracker. The brother and sister crashed at my place while the folks got a room at their favorite local hotel.

The next day, Jeff and Kelly and I went shopping. Kelly and I traded hats for the day, making me look something like Amelia Earhart and she like a lumberjack. Observe.

These photos demonstrate a few things:

1. My siblings are too impatient to stop and take non-blurry photos, even if you ask nicely.

2. My sister, though lovely in person, likes to make weird faces in pictures.

3. My brother dresses quite snazzily, but has no interest in holding still to take a photo. You must snap them while he's talking to you.

4. My siblings utterly destroy my apartment when they come to visit.

Adventures at the Museum.

2009-12-19T15:20:00.000-06:00

On Thursday, Matt and I went to the museum. It really helped cheer me up.

I've only been to the Nelson-Atkins once before, and I was so fascinated by the European Renaissance art that I spent my entire visit in about three rooms. I had seen a few things that really stuck with me, and was thrilled to learn this time that I was allowed to take photos so long as I didn't use flash.

I didn't bother trying to take many photos of the full pieces, as it doesn't make a very nice picture:

So instead, I took snippets. Huge post ahead.

Can you imagine these shoes as closed-toed, high heel, knee-high boots? I could wear them with my red vintage dress, like this:

Yes, I am finding fashion ideas in a religious moral painting. Bad?

I take less blurry photos than...

... Matt does.

She is supposed to be a modern-day Persephone...

... who has killer shoes.

Here is where I totally geeked out:

This was done by John Singer Sargent, who also painted the scandalous Madame X portrait. I've been reading a fantastic book about him and Madame X (Amelie Gatreau) and have gotten a bit obsessed with the subject. I went a bit nuts when I looked over at the plate and realized I was admiring his work. See, now I'm torn, because I want to push you to read the book but don't want to seem like I'm shoe-horning in an Amazon link. Ah well.

The book truly is fantastic. It talks about Sargent's path as an artist and Amelie's as a famous beauty, and the racy portrait he painted of her (with a dangling shoulder strap!!!!) that shocked Paris. It destroyed her reputation, and nearly ended his career.

A Gasp of Air.

2009-12-17T12:53:00.000-06:00

Work is kicking my ass this week. It's all I can do to keep up with my favorite blogs at the moment. I definitely have some photos to post and things to get excited about, whenever I do get some time.

Speaking of excited, how are we feeling about the new Amazon linking feature? I personally love the potential to make a little money on a blog without dousing it in ugly, largely unrelated ads. Plus, I'm always linking something or other on Amazon, and can see myself buying things I see on other people's blogs if they were to link. It's a pretty clever idea.

I've been wearing a lot of uninspired remixes- today I threw on a blazer because I wanted to look put together at work. I'm having my annual review with my old and new bosses at the end of the day. I'm nervous about it.

Not really like this at all- my office isn't pretty, and my bosses aren't evil.

As you may have gathered, I've been a bit stressed and down lately. Luckily, I'm never too busy at work to take a quick peek at ModCloth, and that always cheers me up. I asked for several ModCloth items for Christmas, which usually means I get a giftcard. Here's a few things that would make my list today, were my gift card from a very, very generous Santa:

Eighth Wonder of the World Booties

Memphis Belle Bomber

Sweet Pota-toe Heels

Classic Make and Model Bag

Jealous of Fame Stole

The stole reminds me of one more thing that I'm coveting at the moment- muffs (try Googling that, though- I dare you).

This one on Etsy has me all mushy inside. It's fake fur, and even has pockets inside! As soon as the Christmas money lockdown has subsided, this little guy is getting snapped up. Both this muff and a good pair of dark, skinny jeans are on my splurge list come January. The muff reminds me of the one I had for my American Girl Samantha doll growing up. I am beyond excited for it.

What do you think? It is too weird for you to consider using it every day?

The Shortlist.

2009-12-13T13:47:00.003-06:00

Today I was supposed to go to the Chief's football game with my rabid fan boyfriend. My week has been so hectic that I told him I needed a break- a day to lay around and relax. He was happy to go with a buddy, and I'm still happily in my pajamas, watching DVR'ed episodes of Launch My Line and catching up on Blogland.

I've had four or five things I've wanted to post about in the last week or so, but rather than dump them on you all at once, or space them out in any logical fashion, here's a bullet list.

1. I am getting unreasonably obsessed with that furry hat. You know, this one. I'm assuming by now everyone and their mother is getting sick of it, but I think it's completely weird and adorable, and I've wanted one for at least a year. I'm probably going on a hat hunt today once shower and pants time happens for me.

2. Launch My Line is kind of a weird show. I don't have much to add to Fashion Me Fabulous's reviews. I love to watch fashion shows, but it seems needlessly structured and too full of drama. Tons of arbitrary rules, tons of divas. Are you watching this with me?

3. A few days ago I bought my sister a Christmas present so cool, I broke my flimsy clothing shopping ban (see hat, above) that I got myself some too. Hers are black, mine are this cool heathered gray. I intend to experiment with them today.

Foot Traffic Super Long Cable Knit Leg Warmers - about $12

4. For all those readers constantly flooding my inbox with the question: What would you look like if you had a moustache? Well, you're in luck. Last week, I went to a moustache party. Dramatic pose:

CitiSoles.

2009-12-09T12:17:00.003-06:00

When I was in college, I was definitely a party girl. Not THAT girl, mind you, but I did feel remiss if I didn't go out drinking and dancing at least once a week. I'm not the type to pass up an opportunity to get dressed up and be around lots of people.

Of course, there were always obstacles. My best friend lived near the bar scene, but it was a bit of a walk. There were no coat rooms at our bars, so we would park a car near the bar area and use it as a place to store our coats (never, ever driving afterwards- just a using it as a closet we could walk back and forth to). Also, walking a few blocks to the bars, a night of dancing, a few blocks back to her apartment... heels were a bit killer.

Eventually, I developed a system. I would bring a big enough purse for my heels, and drop in a pair of flip flops in a plastic bag. At 1 in the morning, drunk, foot comfort trumps fashion. I would switch them out, putting the heels into the plastic bag to save my purse from inevitable bar funk.

I wish I had known about CitiSoles! I just read about them over at Cafe Fashionista about a month ago and bought them for the afore-mentioned best friend. They're ballet flats that come in a small carrying case. When you're aching, you just bust them out, slip them on, and their little case pulls out to become a tote bag for your heels. Genius.

After Christmas, when my bank account recovers, I'll have to buy a pair and tell you how it goes.

My Vintage Dresses.

2009-12-04T15:59:00.000-06:00

Watching other bloggers successfully shortening their vintage dresses into cute, quirky statement pieces has been making me itch to turn scissors on my own little collection. I have a local source where I routinely pick up cute little vintage dresses for around $8, but I struggle with how to minimize their dowdiness. I'm slapping my forehead that I never considered shortening them!

I'm currently debating whether to take them to a professional tailor or to make puppy eyes at my sewing-whiz mother, but first I wanted to ask for some advice- how high do I go? Also on the list- get a less blurry camera!

This one looks great with a belt.

This grey one probably won't get cut. It's too damn cute. The waist cinches in pretty tight, you just can't see it under the flap. Reminds me of dresses my mom's mom wears.

This one actually might get purged. It's one of my favorites, and it's been hanging as decoration in my apartment for months. I was really surprised when I tried it on for this photo and it nearly strangled me. It is tiny on top.

This last one I just bought today. I love it even at the length it's at. Seven dollars, can you imagine?

Any advice on where is best to shorten these? A few I might take just above the knee, and one or two I thought about making very short.

Getting Sucked In.

2009-12-02T22:48:00.001-06:00

So... I may or may not have been a bit weak-willed and caved in to ModCloth. Basically, two of the three things I was making eyes at a few weeks ago managed to make it into my shopping cart, and thus my hands/feet. Oops.

In my defense, the clutch will help satisfy my craving for the YSL mail clutch I wanted so desperately, for a fraction of the price. And the flats are really cute and comfortable. I wore them both out tonight to a one-man show and I kind of don't want to take the shoes off now that I'm home and it's pajama and movie time.

The blue button-up was actually arranged like a wrap dress and then belted within an inch of its life. When I came home and loosened the belt, it fell this way and I thought it was much nicer. As usual, this outfit would have benefited greatly from having 10-15 more minutes to plan it out. Instead, items were grabbed and told to love each other.

I realize that if I want to someday be an awesome blogger I'm going to have to start taking photos outside (not as pleasant when one has no backyard or other private area) and get a camera that doesn't blur if you breathe when taking photos. Or, you know, splurge the $20 and get a tripod. Some day, kids.

Post-Turkey.

2009-12-01T23:32:00.003-06:00

Like many of you, I took a break over the holidays, and like a few of you, it wasn't really planned. I had a vague idea to write something here and there, and blew it off. What can I say? I'm a rebel.

My outfits have been a bit uninspired lately. I feel like I'm just wearing the same five things I love over and over. Which clearly means I need to purge a lot of clothes and start shopping, right? In that spirit, a few things I'm considering purchasing at the moment:

This badass cable knit shrug would keep me a bit covered, a bit warm, and it ties up at the neck!

$24.80 at F21

I always said I'd never get a watch that wasn't digital, as I am totally stumped when it comes to reading an analog clock (my first grade teacher would be crushed). Of course, I said that before I realized how much more stylish analog watches are...

$24.99 at ModCloth

While I've been craving legwarmers for myself, this is actually on the Maybe Buying It list as a Christmas gift for my little sister. I'll throw in a little something else to make me feel better about how inexpensive this gift really is.

$5.99 on Amazon

I'm still also on the lookout for a good dark skinny jean, as well as belts belts belts and the perfect cloche hat. All of these, however, get to wait until after Christmas. I still have a lot of presents to get! How's your Christmas shopping doing?

What I Wore All Weekend.

2009-11-25T17:46:00.003-06:00

I walked away from the blogosphere for the weekend (deliberately Monday, unexpectedly Tuesday) and came back to mountains of updates. I've been adding a lot of badass bloggers to my follow list lately and still haven't had many posts to read every day. I guess everyone got motivated all at once, because it took me large chunks of my afternoon to catch back up.

This weekend was a blast. I spent almost every waking minute meeting Matt's family and old friends. This caused me to try and do a little bit of dressing up, with a lot of positive feedback. I ended up using a lot of the same pieces and mixing them up different ways. All of the photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Friday at work, feeling kind of lazy:

A borrowed, thrifted dress, my OTK boots and black tights. The belt is new from Target and I'm wearing it constantly.

Going out:

After work a good buddy, myself and the boyfriend went out. I wanted to wear something kind of sexy, but not my usual. I played around with this.

The wedding:

These photos are delightfully awkward because I made Matt step down the hall at the reception and take them. I love this outfit, but I think the skirt is awfully close in color to my skin.

Matt's Mom's place for an early Thanksgiving with his family:

I'm clearly adapting the same outfit from Friday night into Sunday daywear. I'm either lazy or a genius. Every time I wore this scarf I tried to do that elegant, casual thing where you drape it across the front and belt it. But this scarf is too long if you loop it once, too short if you loop it twice. I finally just gave up and threw it on.

Grabbing food on Monday, off work for the day:

I found out Monday that the hot water was shut off for a few hours due a mysterious disturbance in another apartment. Thus, I could not take a shower to step out to Panera and had to wear this hat. I never wear it normally because I feel like it makes me look like I want to be a painter or something. But it was kind of cute that day.

All-in-all, I think I've made some progress here. I feel like I'm not quite as clueless lately. My favorite outfit was the last one, of course, because it has so many of my favorite pieces going on. I'd be happy to share where I got any item that you're interested in.

Now, nap time- I just got off work and I'm beat. Hope you guys had a great weekend, and that this upcoming one is even better!

Why Clothes are Important.

2009-11-20T20:06:00.001-06:00

I feel like I've spent a lot of time this week defending fashion. I've had debates with all manner of humans about this topic in the last seven days or so, and I'm always on fashion's side. I should have just sent them all this:

Why Clothes Are Important:

This is a bear with no fur. A bear. Can you even tell? Gross.
I rest my case.

This weekend I have:

Girl night;
Wedding (not mine, ha);
The all-important K-State/Nebraska football game watching at my parent's house;
Lunch with my dad;
Matt's family's Thanksgiving; and
Matt's big joint birthday.

I intend to wear a lot of clothes. With any luck, I will show you the cute ones.

Have a great weekend!

Damn You, ModCloth.

2009-11-19T20:48:00.000-06:00

Where did people even shop before ModCloth? Did people shop? I imagine it was a far more gray, dreary world than our own.

Reasons I hate ModCloth today:

1. I just bought a dress yesterday, meaning I have to lay off buying anything for a bit. I'm trying to be good. But these little flats are perfect. They're sweet, neutral and simple. I don't own a single pair of ballet flats, because I rarely find a pair I really have to have. Also, the fact that ModCloth listed them a second time leads me to suspicions that they ran out of stock the first time around. Argh.

2. Does ModCloth read my blog or something? I was just making come-hither eyes at that YSL Y-mail clutch a few weeks ago. How do they know?? This bag is a cute little wannabe and it's kinda killing me.

3. I have also been making eyes at this Betsey Johnson sweater since I spotted it online a week ago. Dinosaurs, really? Is there anything cooler?

None of these are out of my normal, semi-reasonable price range (except that sweater- ha), but I'm trying hard to be good and save a little money this month. But, let's face it- you should probably expect a guilty post within the week. After that, ModCloth and I may need to take a break and reevaluate our relationship...

Date Night.

2009-11-18T21:10:00.005-06:00

So it's date night, and I ran home from work early to catch dinner and a movie with the boyfriend. Unfortunately, my blog perusing on my lunch break led me to this really quirky, fun American Apparel dress on Orchid Grey. I figured it would be perfect for date night, and of course, I had nothing to wear.

By the time I stopped off, bought it, got home and styled it, we were running late. Matt had generously offered to see Coco Before Chanel because he knew I was dying to, but we later decided to skip the movie and just take our time at the restaurant. We're going to the movie tomorrow- I can't wait. I loved the Chanel biopic that was on tv a few months ago.

This is the dress, hastily styled. I think the tights don't really work here, and I wanted more color altogether. I was already slowing us down, however, and tried to compromise by only trying the outfit three or four ways before settling on this. Hah. You can see my red rain boots in the picture... I've definitely grown to love them.

Ah well, lots of time to work on it. The dress itself is just a shirt-dress- the lace underneath is me layering that black F21 skirt I got a few weeks ago for modesty. Matt gets a patience medal for not having a brain aneurysm when I finally came home with the dress, put something together, headed for the door and said, "Wait- can you take some pictures? I always forget to take pictures for my blog."

Double points for not freaking out when I rejected 90% because they were too blurry. He patiently took more until I called 'good enough' and we went out.

The end.

Slush.

2009-11-17T20:09:00.000-06:00

So, I lucked out in that my area didn't get the 6-7 inches of snow hitting the good folks just a few hours down the road. We did, however, get a fluffy kind of rain that turned into slush on the street and a light dusting of snow on our cars.

Through some magical turn of events, I hit the window lever on my car at some point and opened my back window ever so slightly. I woke up this morning to find rain had gotten in my car. I have no earthly idea how it happened, but somehow 80% of the rain fell on one small spot- a spot the exact size and shape of my new Glamour magazine. Michelle Obama is still grinning up at me from the sad, soaked, rumpled cover.

I am so not a snow girl. Pictures of snow are charming. Snow in your socks, not so.

In honor of my fallen, half-read Glamour, I intend to think of nothing today except bright, flowery dresses.

Items in this set (clockwise from top left):

Modcloth dress,

Bubble Hem dress

Flower on Flower dress

Flower Bloom Hip Dress

Uttam White Flower Kimono dress

Brilliant Blossom Dress

Flower Print Stretch Satin dress

Tarina Tarantino necklace

China Cool.

2009-11-16T11:15:00.001-06:00

Ugh, lots of weirdness with my postings today. Not sure if the messiness showed up at all, but if so, it should be all good now. Moving on!

A few months ago, some friends threw a large, joint birthday party that was prom themed. It was just about the coolest birthday party of all time. Not having been to a formal in about four years, I was a little more excited than a fake, drunk prom in someone's huge basement truly merited. I started looking for my dress- which had to be sexy, colorful, short and unique- months in advance. It was a long, complicated, weird, Murphy's Law kind of adventure, but it did lead me to find China Cool.

I don't really get this website. It's oddly put together and seems slightly shady. But it has the most interesting, pretty little dresses ever. I drooled over a few of them before worries about quality (and shipping dates, as the event was coming up fast) eventually led me to skip the site altogether in favor of a safer choice. Whenever a cocktail dress event comes up now, though, I always seem to drift back over there. I think I may eventually bite the bullet and just give it a try. Until then, here are a few of my favorites.

They have a few gowns that are interesting too, but I remember them being more bold when I last looked at them. I guess they've gotten some more toned-down stock. I do like these:

Between the site's odd vibe and the relatively low prices, I'm still hesitant to buy a dress just yet. But I doubt it will be too long before I do just to find out.

Lapel Necklace.

2009-11-15T17:07:00.001-06:00

Two questions:

1. Do we like the idea of this as a necklace? I guess you'd wear it over a simple t-shirt or romantic, floaty dress?

2. If you were smitten, why would you pay $62.99 at Modcloth when you could very easily buy a blazer for under $15 at goodwill and just cut off the lapel? Would a small chain be that hard to find from some broken jewelry you have sitting around? Even a trip to a craft store or buying an old necklace or bracelet wouldn't get you anywhere near 60 bucks. It doesn't seem like it would be a tricky project.

A pretty cool idea, Modcloth, but I'm surprised even you tried to get away with a price like that.

DIY Silver Strappy Sandals

2009-11-14T12:12:00.010-06:00

A little while back an old friend of mine called to to ask if I would be a bridesmaid in her wedding. Of course I said yes. I was pretty excited, as I've never been one before.

Her wedding is coming up awfully fast, and details like her gown and the dresses of the bridesmaids are still being hammered out. I know that our dresses will be dark blue, and at this point I believe we're going to be able to pick our own shoes, as long as they are strappy and silver.

This presented a bit of a pickle for me, as I'm not much of a strappy silver sandal girl (say that 10 times fast), and as a result own not one pair. I spent some time searching online to get a feel for styles and prices, and it was there that I stumbled on this blog called Love Maegan. Maegan found herself crushing on some YSL cage heels and saved some serious bank by made a pair for herself. She posted the DIY here.

I actually like her interpretation better than the original. Maybe it's just because the heels of the YSL shoe look like chicken wire, and it makes me fear for my feet. Her version is just a basic silver heel with this cool grid piece attached to your ankle and the toe of the shoe with ribbon.

I bought a cheap old leather skirt yesterday and want to start playing with making the grid. I don't have the pair of silver shoes yet to attach this to, but I'd rather wait and see how this turns out. I'm pretty excited. I realize these veer away from the traditional strappy sandal a bit, but they're fun and I'll actually wear them again. I don't think this particular bride will care much- she's shown far more interest in bridesmaid happiness than in making stringent rules. I think she's about two questions away from just letting us all pick our own dresses.

If you like the idea of a DIY shoe, Jessica over at Style Obsession did a DIY of Louboutin petal heels that I thought was really clever. It's definitely on my list of things to try. Love Maegan also seems to have a ton more DIYs if you have some free time. I've seen a piece on fringe shoes and a decent facsimile of an over the knee boot.

Today I...

2009-11-12T21:58:00.026-06:00

... am wearing:

Apologies for the quality, the boyfriend is at work and taking photos with the 10-second timer was not working. Had to resort to Myspace tactics. This mirror was magically found in the giveaway area of my apartment building. It makes you look skinny, but no amount of wiping will remove that dusty look.

Here it is without the coat...

The dress is from Urban Outfitters and it is awesome (zipper! pockets!). I wore it almost every day when I visited Phoenix this summer. The scarf is GAP and the coat is the Miss Sixty one I blogged about many moons ago. Someday I will find somewhere cooler to shoot photos than my apartment, as my cute cute place always seems to come out sketchy in these photos.

... decided to keep my boots.

If they seem different than my ALDO Cassettys, it's because they are. I returned those because I just wasn't in love with them in person. I bought these as an alternative, and I adore them. Also, they fold down! So now when thigh highs become uncool (so 2009) I'll have a backup plan. It's extremely hard to photograph thigh high boots on yourself. Bear with me. These new boots are pretty damn comfy (still breaking them in) and were cheaper than the last pair. They're called the Harper boot, and they're made by Report. The main difference between these and the ones I returned is the toe. These are significantly more rounded, which removes that odd, flat Grinch look my feet had.

... realized I hate Anthropologie, just a little.

Only because I don't have $20 to spend on each of these ornaments. Visions of the world's cutest under the sea Christmas tree are making me sad faces. It's quirky and weird and ohmygod octopus. Expect an entire entry about octopus jewelry from me in the future.

I'm going out for drinks as soon as the boyfriend gets off work. He got fired and rehired this week, which was some epic drama, and a few Boulevard Wheats will be quite welcome. Until then, I'm going to go watch my recording of the most boring season of Project Runway ever. Any of you still hanging on to this show with me? I mourn the loss of Ra'mon daily.

Bewbs.

2009-11-11T19:47:00.005-06:00

I've heard a few bloggers mention that they have issues with backless dresses because of the bra situation. I feel ya. I actually found a solution that works really well for me, and I’m wondering if anyone else has tried it?

I found this stick-on bra at Walmart and it’s totally changed what I can and can’t wear. It wasn’t expensive (I think around $25?), it’s reusable, and it’s never once fallen off. Peeling it off can sometimes be slightly wince-worthy, but it's not bad. It doesn’t give me a ton of lift, but it helps shape the girls and hold them together to make a more pleasing look.

Now, I have pretty modestly-sized ladies. I just barely scrape a 36C, so this might not be an option for a woman more blessed than I. I’d be really interested to know if you’ve tried them, and what your experience was. Since I’ve had them, backless and weird straps are just non-issues for me. I don’t even worry about them when I make purchases. Quite freeing, actually.

The box looks something like the one pictured, but I think they've updated their look since then. I've never tried another adhesive bra, so I can only recommend that line-drawn chick with the Jessica Rabbit look pictured here. I think the brand is Lingerie Solutions? I've seen it in every Walmart I've been in for the last few years, so it shouldn't be hard to track down if you're interested.

Crushes.

2009-11-10T21:49:00.006-06:00

If these objects were boys, and I were in high school, I would be stuffing love notes in all their lockers. I would be baking them cupcakes and hanging around their homerooms. I would be writing offhand, totally casual comments on their Facebooks and penning their names over and over in Composition notebooks.

British Invasion Jacket - Modcloth

Marc Jacobs Blue 'Love Story' Clutch - Overstock

Miso 2 Tone Sequin Dress - Republic

Masquerade Ball Gown in Teal - DarkPonyDesigns on Etsy

Alexander McQeen Leather Ruched Shoe

Calypso Skirt- Modcloth

Can you guys think of any way to wear this last skirt so that it's not so costumey? Some way to fit it into a regular wardrobe? Yeah. Me neither. Sigh.

In other news, I discovered something awesome today. Remember that blue dress that was in the inspiration for my rabid sequin search? (How could you forget, right? I mention it every other post).

Well, guess what I accidentally stumbled on today, still in stock, half the price of this one, and missing the sleeves that I wasn't as sure about? The same website (Asos) has an almost identical dress for half the price, and no sleeves. I'm not great at the measurement game- wish me luck!

I promise, no more mention of my OTK boots or my sequin dress fixation from now on, until decisions are made. And then silence on the subject!

One other thing I'd like to ask- do you guys troll the net for discount codes the way I do? For years I've paid little to no attention to those little discount coupon boxes at the end of my online purchases, but got a tipoff recently. This week alone a simple Google search for discount codes has saved me $40. I feel like I've been missing out bigtime!

Occasions.

2009-11-09T18:59:00.003-06:00

I’m happiest when I have an event to plan an outfit for. It’s fun to experiment day-to-day, but there’s something very appealing about planning a look, especially for an occasion that requires something kind of special. I’ve obviously been thinking about New Years as a way to psych myself up about my boyfriend’s concert (blue sequins, I haven’t given up on you), but I have a few other things coming up a bit sooner. In making these sets, I tried to stick to items that I have, or things that look like pieces in my closet.

1. A wedding. Going as the Plus 1 of my boyfriend and meeting a ton of his childhood friends for the first time. I’m leaning on him to fill me in on the details so I can decide how formal this is. He mentioned that the simple day dress I wore to the last wedding we attended would be okay, but I’m not in a simple mood lately. Two ideas:

2. The Nutcracker. Every year my mother takes my sister and me to see the Nutcracker Ballet. The venue is gorgeous and grand. People arrive in everything from dresses and heels to jeans. My denim will not be attending.

Of this outfit I only own the dress (a knit splurge at Anthropologie- fits like a dream) and the boots. I suppose I have a similar white shirt and my hard-working brown faux leather belt, though. The white shirt would layer under, of course:

3. The boyfriend’s birthday party. A joint party with another friend. I’m not actually super sure what it will be like, only that it starts around 6pm at that friend’s house. Seems like a casual, daytime affair- but it could end up in going out. I’m going to split the formal/informal difference. Could always ditch the sweater if things get fancy. My own LBD is mega-cute, but I couldn't find a thing like it on the internet. Ah well.

Weekend Shopping.

2009-11-08T23:07:00.008-06:00

I ended up spending most of my Sunday lazing around with the boyfriend until he went to work. Then I picked up and headed off to the nicer mall in the area. I scoped some alternatives to my flat, over the knee boots because I'm still not in love with them, but didn't find much. Of course, I hit up Charlotte Russe (although I never seem to find much there I like that much) and the huge F21. They didn't have the booties I mentioned before, and after some advice confirming my belief that F21 shoes are the devil, I've sadly let that idea go for now.

I did score some cute new skirts. They're basic enough to use over and over, and were very cheap, so they fit my shopping rules for the moment. I was too lazy to redo hair and makeup, so here are some cropped photos...

This also features my new basic blazer (it looks slightly odd here, but it's pretty damn classy). I got it for half off at TJ Maxx. It also features that blue v-neck tee that I gushed about before. I wear the thing an obscene amount.

This is what the skirt looks like when not swallowed by blazer.

This one is very satin-y and from the F21 Twisted line that I scored the gray and black dress from. I'm going to try it with a striped button-up style shirt tomorrow. Rawk.

The one thing that really sucks about my beloved, cheap, guilty pleasure F21 is that in their tops and some dresses, I'm a medium, sometimes a large. But I'm lucky if I fit into their size large skirts. The skirts usually only work if I can hike them up a bit to my very narrow natural waistline (see above). I'd be more comfortable in their non-existent extra large size. I don't think of myself as huge... I'm not sure why their sizing is so small and ridiculous. Anyway, the point of this rant is that my birthing hips cheated me out of this skirt:

I snapped some shots of it, but they're really blurry. I couldn't zip it up, but if I held it together I could see how adorably it peeked out from the bottom of my clothes. Very flapper. I was smitten, but it was not to be.

My current goals are to scale back on shopping (I've been going a bit nuts lately), to focus on basics when I do shop, and to make a decision about my boots. I also want to start getting more creative with the clothes I do have, and to ditch the clothes I never wear- my closets are bursting.

Bad.

2009-11-07T20:09:00.000-06:00

Okay, I might need an intervention. I just found these shoes that are really cute, and really cheap, and that is bad. It's bad because they're from Forever 21, a place I swore I would never buy shoes. In fact, I never actually swore it, because I didn’t feel like one had to promise not to buy cheap, obviously painful shoes.

So why do I like these 4 inch sneaker heels? There is no way that for $22.80 these are anything but torture, right? Has anyone had a good, bad or indifferent experience with F21 shoes? I’ve tried on Charlotte Russe shoes that were foot hell at first, wobbly step, but I don’t know anyone who has purchased footwear from F21. I may need a good talking to. Sadly, I've already committed to the point of thinking that I might prefer them in brown. I love the velcro, the sneaker feel, the (fake) leather look and the name: The Touchdown Bootie. How cute is that? How awful is it that I'm thinking for that low price, I could get both colors?

The boyfriend is working all day tomorrow, leaving me with a free day. I'm planning on hitting up a local mall and checking these out in person. I'm a sucker for a brown leather sneaker. And heels? Ohmygawd.

Outfit Attempts.

2009-11-06T22:33:00.020-06:00

These are a few pictures from days this week when I felt I looked slightly more together than usual. Slightly. You'll have to click the photos for bigger images.

This is me feeling, and therefore looking, awkward for the camera. I used to do some modeling (serious). You can totally tell. It's all in the fake smile (sarcastic). Here I wasn't wearing anything special, kind of an everyday outfit for me. But I felt good that whole day, so I figured it was as good a time as any to take a photo.

The next night I felt like trying something weird. I just found the coolest faux reptile skin leggings at F21. They fit kind of oddly (super tight on top, kind of baggy on my skinny ankles) and I wasn't sure what to do with them. I feel like I kind of overdid it here, but for walking down the street for a few drinks at a bar it was perfect and weird. Kind of a throwaway night because we went out so late, and I felt like I could get away with anything. I think I took an orange clutch, too, actually. I'm such a cartoon.

This next one is from yesterday, when I took the day off. The t-shirt is my favorite- it's organic, from a company called Thread for Thought. I got it at TJ Maxx for around $5. The skirt is from F21, a recent purchase. It was on sale for $6. At the movies, a short little usher dude came out of the bathroom, stopped, and told me he loved my outfit and that I looked great. This is currently my favorite outfit, bigtime. My hair was being funny- it's not usually so... lopsided? Is that the word?

Finally, a picture of the boots. I'm still trying to decide on them. All the pictures from the week ended up slightly blurry, but the boots got the worst of it. This is the least blurry photo. I'm slightly concerned that my boots look like Grinch feet. The long, narrow, pointy toe throws me off. Tell me I'm nuts?

Also, today I managed to get two more basics checked off my list. I now have a pair of thick, black sweater-ish tights and a pretty sweet blazer. Go me!