Chrismukkah

Last weekend we went to a Chrismukkah concert. Several bands played but my personal favorites were:

Florene (Whom I have seen several times and always really enjoy)
www.myspace.com/florenemusic

and

Top Secret Robot Alliance (PLEASE watch the “Tiger Dance” video. Seriously)
http://www.myspace.com/tsramusic

It was one of those freak warm days we have been having (like today!) and I was able to go with bare legs.



Yes, that’s another 90’s dress. What can I say? I like them.



I felt like taking pictures of this outfit, but I didn’t feel like putting down the iPod. I was listening to a pop mix I have on there…Annie, Girls Aloud, Kylie and Britney Spears. High tone, I know.




Cardigan, Alternative Apparel
Dress and bag, vintage from Loves Me Not at Etsy.com
Socks, Target
Boots, Vintage
Necklaces, Self made
Earrings, Target

All Cats Are Grey (mini challenge)

So lately I really need a reason to get dressed. And as a result, I sort of hopped on a challenge last minute. (I’m sure no one will care, I’ve never seen a more supportive group of ladies.)

Work That Wardrobe posted a mini challenge to wear an outfit inspired by a song.

I choose All Cats Are Grey by The Cure.

I know it seems too easy, but I have never done a challenge before so I thought I’d start easy. I choose the Cure because, let’s face it, I was either going to choose The Cure or The Spice Girls and I just wasn't sure I wanted to do Pepsi colors for "Generation Next" (two points if you even remember that track).

I also waited until late at night to take pictures, and as a result, I didn’t get the best pictures. But hey!~ I did it!~




Dogs can wear grey too!~ (It was so cold out, he was not pleased)


Scarf, Jacket, Dress, Tights all from Target
Shoes from Payless
Bag from Loves Me Not at Etsy.com

Dinner with Friends

I felt like this outfit struck just the right balance of dressy and casual for dinner at the pub. The blouse, boots and bag kept it dressy, while the jeans and cotton cardigan toned it down and kept it casual. I was comfortable and I felt really pretty.



And the blouse left room for a Cream Cheese Tart w/ fresh berries,
candied walnuts & caramel for dessert. SO GOOD.

Fabulous vintage suede boots from a local thrift store…



A great little “going out” bag by Arm Candy at Etsy…


And the original Love Erin Designs earrings



Blouse, Target
Cardigan, Alternative Apparel
Jeans, Dear at Steve and Barry’s
Boots, Vintage and thrifted
Bag, www.armcandy.etsy.com
Earrings, www.LoveErinDesigns.etsy.com

Flashback

So the outfits for the “Decades” dress up party came out great. The closest to an outfit shot of Nathan I got was this:



But he looked great. UGLY sweater, old school Docs, Morrissey tee, scruffy beard and all.

Here is my outfit in all it’s glory though:


That jacket is a jacket I bought when I was 16, with a paycheck from the GAP. I was so excited when I got it, I wore it right away. In August. In Texas.

For me, the thing that really made the costume though was the thermal underwear shirt:


Everything but the earrings (Love Erin Designs), boots (Steve Madden) I dont have my Docs anymore) and the thermal (Wal-mart) is vintage. The jacket is 16 years old. 16!~

Tapas

I have a killer cold so I’m not going out much lately, but Friday I did go out for tapas. And they were really good. Bacon wrapped dates, mushroom croquettes, chunky fried potatoes…mmmm. I eat a LOT when I have a cold, because when I’m eating, I feel better.



I know I’m pushing it with the tunic leggings combo. I don’t care. I doubled up the leggings and called them pants. I know. It’s wrong. Whatever. My legs went on for miles and even though I was sick as a dog I felt amazing.



I forgot to get a close up of those bangles, but they are the ones Sal featured a while back. I love them. And they were really affordable. You can always click through to see the picture larger on my Flickr page.

This bag was the last Nice Thing I bought myself before I realized I had a problem and started therapy, and THINKING about what I bought and when and why.



It’s a great bag. Really nice leather And that little strap thing is so comfortable. The bag just sits there in my hand. And it’s BIG for a clutch, which means I can take my actual make-up bag instead of just gloss, and my actual wallet instead of just a CC and my ID.



Jacket, Bona Drag
Tunic, Forever XXI
Leggings, Target
Boots, Arturo Chiang
leather and silver bangles, kiskastyle at etsy
Bag, GAP

Alternative Apparel

I’m featured on the Alternative Apparel company blog!
They noticed how much I love my Stevie wraps.
I’m so honored.



Please go check it out!
4ftp.typepad.com/4ftp/

Gift Bag

I wasn’t going to do an outfit post this day. I was wearing jeans and a tee.
Not very interesting. But then Nathan came home. And he wanted to go get dinner, AND, he had brought me a gift. He had thrifted this gorgeous suede and leather vintage bag for me. It’s by Naturalizer and it looks like it was never even carried.

I. Love. It.





A close up of the tee for interested parties…


I’m not much for going out in jeans and a tee, but I didn’t really want to change, so I threw on a sweater and a scarf.


And some earrings


And called it an outfit.

Tee, Tokidoki
Vintage bag, Naturalizer
Scarf, Target
Sweater, Victoria's Secret
Jeans, Dear at Steve and Barry's
Boots, GAP kids
earrings, LoveErinDesigns.etsy.com

Twilight

Danael and I went to lunch and to see Twilight. I asked him to take a few outfit pics for me. He took one, and it was good, so we quit!~



I really loved this outfit. It was so simple and classic. And the shoes stayed comfortable for a surprisingly long time. If I didn’t have such a horrible bunion, I think I could wear them all day, even on days when I’m on my feet a lot.

I made myself this necklace. I love love love it. It is NOT available in the shop. It was just too much trouble and too many beads to be able to do it for you at an affordable price. If you want to pay $100 for it, let me know.



I just love all the colors.

I wore it with these simple turquoise hoops



I loved Twilight by the way. I thought it was really true to the book and I had so much fun watching it. I’ve seen it twice. I’ll probably see it at least one more time. And of course I want the DVD.

Sweater, Bona Drag
Tee, American Apparel
Jeans, Dear at Steve and Barry’s
Belt, GAP
Booties, Payless
Earrings and necklace, Love Erin Designs
Bag, vintage, thrifted

90s dress

So I’m not sure anyone but me is really up for this style coming back. But I love it. I found it at a thrift store for a couple bucks. I didn’t really have the curves for this style when I was younger, so I was excited that it looked so good on me. And our weather has been crazy cold one day and warn and sunny the next for a while now, which is why I was able to wear it with no sweater.



I know it would look better with my brown boots with heels, and I intend to wear the heels Friday to Nathan’s office party. We are supposed to come dressed as a decade and we choose the nineties. Nathan has this HORRIBLE Kurt Cobain sweater:


(I stole this photo from Lara)

I am so not a fan of that sweater. But the guitar ups the hot factor.

Anyway. This day I wore it with flat boots, because we were running errands all day



And of course, knee highs.

This bag is another Goodwill find. Fossil, leather and so soft. And a great smaller size for those days I don’t need to have a book and an iPod and blah blah blah. AND I also got it in sage green!



I did try a sweater on before I knew how warm it was, but it was a great big MISS in my opinion and I traded it for an Alternative Apparel wrap after I saw this pic and before we left the house. I hated the silhouette on this.



But I still love these earrings!~


And I thought they looked great with this dress.

Shrug, Express, thrifted
Dress, vintage, thrifted
Boots, vintage
Bag, Fossil, thrifted
earrings, Love Erin Designs

Artsy Fartsy

I loved this outfit. We went to an art showing, in a warehouse space, open aired, and it was like 40 degrees outside. So I needed an outfit that was cute, but warm. And this was a winner. I wished I had worn an extra pair of socks, because my feet were ice blocks by the end of the night, but overall, I did well.

Plus, I felt fabulous in this. Slim, and tall and chic.



I carried my Goodwill bag again, and wore my feather earrings.





How awesome is this installation by House of Dang?


Jacket, Bona Drag
Turtleneck, Dear at Steve and Barry’s
Dress, Rogan for Target
Leggings, Target
Obi Belt, Fosuism Boutique at Etsy
Boots, Arturo Chang
Earrings, Love Erin Designs
Bag, Vintage, Thrifted

ETA, my husband wins Best Comment Ever-"Yep. You looked pretty good that night. For people that don't go to art shows that double as rock shows in warehouses in mildly sketchy areas of Dallas, it's probably difficult to grasp how hard it is to dress for these things, but you managed to make it look easy the entire three and a half hours you were there (even though you'd been led to believe by some nefarious person that you'd only be there for about an hour)."

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears

So on Friday it was REALLY cold. For Dallas anyway. We went to see Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears play. They were awesome, as per usual.



I love scarves, and scarf weather, but I hate the fact that you have to give up necklaces to wear them. Maybe that’s just me, but every time I try and wear a necklace and a scarf at the same time, the necklace gets caught on the scarf and tries it’s best to destroy the scarf. I have TONS of these longs, pretty scarves from Target, but I think most of them are in storage, so for now I just have this one and the mark scarf.



These gloves are GREAT because I remembered to buy before it got cold. Normally I forget about gloves until it’s already super cold and by the time I think of it, they are all sold out of smalls at Target. And I have tiny hands. And you know I am too lazy and cheap to look anywhere else. So I’ve been making due with a dark brown pair for years. And I hate dark brown gloves with a black jacket, so most of the time I just went without. But I got these back in September or so, when they very first put out cold weather stuff.



LOVE this bag. Got it at Goodwill for a DOLLAR. It’s vintage leather, from the first time studs were in style. It’s the perfect size for a “going out” bag too. I can get the blackberry, camera, gloss and keys in there and still have room to store the gloves.



I love these earrings. I’ve worn them 3 out of the past 5 days I think. I have a silver version available in the etsy store, but mine are gold.



Overall I was really pleased with this outfit. All the layers kept me warm in the car and outside as well as the club, but when it got crowded, I was able to take of the gloves, jacket, and cardigan and I still felt comfortable but cute.

Jacket, Bona Drag
Tee, American Apparel
Cardigan, Alternative Apparel
Scarf, Target
Jeans, Dear at Steve and Barry's
Boots, Vintage
Bag, vintage, thrifted
Gloves, Target
earrings, Love Erin Designs at etsy

Hello!~

I am working on a few updates. Sorry I've been M.I.A.

The Plum Tights

When I posted the last line of yesterday’s entry “What do you think?” I was really mostly thinking “Is that pencil skirt as unflattering as I think?” I was not even thinking about the tights. The tights ended up being a pretty hot button issue.

The tights are actually a very well-thought out, important part of the outfit. I hear what you guys are saying. I do. I think I just failed to communicate my intent.

“I just don't think you should knock job opportunities just because of the dress code” –
I’m sorry, I disagree. I have to be at a job 10-11 hours a day. I spend more time at work than I do at home. More time with co-workers than with friends and family. And more time in work clothes than anything else. And clothes are very important to me. Maybe more important than they are to most people. They impact my confidence and my mood. I absolutely think I should consider the dress code when looking at a company. Dress code is often an indicator of the over-all office environment as well. And I want to work somewhere where I can be me. Not just dress the way I like, but actually BE ME. Make jokes, have ideas, and be appreciated for not just the fact that I can do the job well, but for the WAY I do it.


“I think what you need to do is find a balance between the two extremes, AT LEAST FOR THE INTERVIEW!” –
I feel like I did. The charcoal dress has a great cut and fit, and is very classic looking, but not something I would normally wear. The compromise is the tights, which I would wear. Together they take a piece from both worlds, conservative and creative, and blend them together for a great look.

“I'd give points to someone with the confidence to make a classy bold wardrobe choice over a bland one.” –
I could not agree more.

“I think your interviewing outfit totally depends on the industry you work in and the type of company the potential job is with.” –
BINGO. I totally agree. If I were looking for a job in finance, law or insurance, I would wear a suit. The point is that I don’t WANT a job in those kinds of places. Not even a little bit. I’ve worked in those types of environments before and I am very unhappy there. It’s not worth it.

“I expected my candidates to at least have on a blazer.” –
And I am sure you had great reasons for expecting that. But the fact that you did says to me I might not have been a good fit. And I don’t believe for a minute that you would have let my lack of a blazer keep you from hiring me if I WERE the right girl for the job.

“They aren't hiring you for your…personality” –
You know I love you girl, but I totally disagree. I want a job where my personality matters, and is not just accepted, but a key factor.

“I just do not feel the second option on you at all.” –
Yeah. Me either. I think I might like it better with the black 15 dollar pants from Wal-mart though. I think it’s just THAT skirt I hate. I hated it last time I wore it too. It might just be time to retire it.

Again, I totally understand what you guys are saying. And I would agree if I were looking for a job in a more corporate environment. But I’m not. Been there, done that, never again. I’m 32, and I’ve had several jobs. So I do have experience. Heck, in high school I got first place in the academic decathlon interview portion. So I’m OK at this. But THIS time, I’m going to be me. And if that’s not good enough, then it’s not the right job for me, period.

An interview works both ways. I’m interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing me. It’s kind of like dating. And eventually I will find the right place. I did it with my last job, and I will again.

If I’m still jobless in 6 months, I’ll try black tights. ;)

Interview Choices

So I am going to go ahead and try and go back to work full time. SOMEDAY maybe I will be able to go part-time, just not now.

So I’m starting to interview. I want to approach this process as honestly as possible. I do not want to take a job where I feel I would have to change who I am. I am a very skilled, intelligent woman, and I deserved to be hired and appreciated for who I am.

And I am not a person who wears suits. So I am not going to buy one. I considered it, and I always have before. But I don’t like them, they are expensive and I don’t want one. And I don’t really want to work in an office where I’d need a suit to get hired, it just wouldn’t be a good fit. I enjoy my clothes too much.

So I want to wear something conservative, and professional, but with personality.

Option A. A grey shift dress from Target. At first, I was going to wear it with black tights. But Nathan suggested plum. I think they are the perfect balance between professional and fashionable.



I’m glad I took this picture, because now I know not to ever cross my legs in this dress in an interview




I’ll pair this with my beetle necklace and turquoise hoops from the Love Erin Designs shop.





Option B is a floral print blouse, a pencil skirt and a polka dot blazer with the same tights.






With my Jasper hoops from Love Erin Designs…




I have a pretty strong preference for option A. But I know I’ll eventually have a second interview somewhere and I’ll have to pull out the second one. What do you think?

Red Lipstick

Tomorrow I plan on doing an entry with a couple of options I have for interview outfits. I’d like to show you my options as well as hear your thoughts on my plans.

For now I give you this. My Sephora Mistletoe Makeover. I don’t know how I feel about that red.



OK. That’s not true. I do know. I hate it.

Lunch with Lara

Lara came over for lunch today. I made Ramen Pancakes for us.

I am still wearing heels. It’s actually kind of nice. They don’t hurt as early in the day as they did when I wore them to the office, because I am doing a lot less walking. I had one of those office jobs with a lot of walking papers to and fro and up and down a few flights of stairs. I was more active then than I am now, which you rarely here about office jobs. But I was on my feet a lot.

Lara brought over a couple things to give me. A skirt, this dress:


Because she didn’t think she would wear it again, and I gotta tell you, I will wear it OUT, but it borders on scandalously short on me, so I doubt I’d wear it in a professional position at all.

And this hoodie:


The pictures don’t do it justice at ALL. It’s super flattering and SO comfy. I love it. I’m glad she never wore it. Ha!



I’m also wearing these earrings which are hidden in my hair in the pictures:



They have a nice weight to them. I can FEEL them but they aren’t TOO heavy, like some earrings can be. I like earrings that weigh JUST enough that I can feel them swing when I turn my head. The feel of swinging earrings is one of life’s greatest small joys for me.

I’ve ordered silver hoops and supplies for the store, so lots of things will be available in silver soon as well as gold. AND I am going to add an option to add an inch at a time to the chain of necklaces soon. I just have to figure out the pricing on that…

Fleece hoodie, gift from Lara (Old Navy)
Grey short sleeve sweater, Target
Jeans, Dear @ Steve and Barry’s
Shoes, Payless
Earrings, www.LoveErinDesigns.Etsy.com
Bangle, just peeking out there, Urban Outfitters