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

Groceries

Today I went out to get groceries. In heels. I couldn’t remember the last time I wore heels. And I like to wear heels. So I wore them!



This cardi used to be grey. I wanted it to be black, so I dyed it, which is a very labor intensive process. And now it’s sort of off black. Darker than it was, but not quite what I would call black.



I just discovered the snood. Which is great for those of us who tend to be too lazy to wash our hair. It makes me feel so fancy!



The heels, with mud caked tips...


And of course, some Love Erin Designs jewelry. Did you notice the widget over there on the sidebar? I just discovered that I could do that today!




I’m getting better at taking photos of the jewelry. I redid some of the listings from last week and I added some new ones. I found a better light to shoot them in so that the colors are far more true to life. Stop by and have a look, let me know what you think.

Thanks so much for all the continued encouragement. I have not had as much time as I’d like to spend reading all my girls blogs and commenting. Know that I am checking them though, and in case I forgot to mention it before, You look beautiful.


Snood, Target
Hoops and necklace, Love Erin Designs (see sidebar)
Tank, Target
Cardigan, Alternative Apparel
Jeans, Dear at Steve and Barry's
Bag, Vintage Gucci
Shoes, Payless
weird bubble in sleeve, a bangle I had on under there ;)

Busy Days

Getting all dressed up to run errands is still a bit weird, but if I don’t, I’ll never get dressed up, and I love dressing up. To be honest, I basically get all dressed up, go out and run my errands, and then come home and get right back into my PJs. I have a dog, and he sheds. I am much to fond of my clothes to have him shed all over them, and much too fond of him to not cuddle.



Pink tights. So fun!~


I love these flats, I bought them this summer and wore them once. They are the kind of shoe that will give you blisters in a serious way without tights, so now that it’s cooled off, I hope to be wearing them much more.



Goldstone hoops from my Etsy store. Nathan really digs these. I do too, obviously, I designed them. I never make anything I wouldn’t wear.


Dress, vintage
Flats, Target
Tights, Target
Bag, GAP
Goldstone hoops, http://www.loveerindesigns.etsy.com/

The store is keeping me MUCH busier than I thought it would. Making, photographing, uploading, packaging, shipping…it’s very time consuming. Which is good. I’m working on getting some more pieces made and up in the store today and tomorrow AM.

I’m still trying to decide what it is I want to do for a J.O.B. I’d love to find something like a part time admin. Here’s hoping. Tomorrow afternoon, I upload my resume and get to searching.

Lunch Date

I had lunch with my friend Danael today. I love hanging out with Danael, he’s so easy to get along with, and so FUNNY.

I took the opportunity to get dressed up, because why not?





Fancy Jasper earrings, from Love Erin Designs:


I’ve gotten three orders from the Etsy shop already, so THANK YOU to each of you that have ordered. We are going to the Fun, Fun, Fun festival in Austin this weekend, but on Monday I’ll ship those orders out and get started on replacing the ones I still have materials for. If you’d like to order something that has already sold, feel free to drop me a line and let me know.

eta!~
Dress, "Loves Me Not" at Etsy.
Leather obi belt, Fosuism Boutique at Etsy
Leggings, Target
Boots, Steve Madden
Bag, Vintage Dooney & Bourke
Jasper and Gold Hoops "Love Erin Designs "at Etsy
Necklace, Haute Hardware

Love Erin Designs

First of all, thank you so much to each and every one of you that has stopped by and left an encouraging word. It has meant more to me than you can know.

Second, I’ve been hard at work, and I’ve got the beginnings of a shop going on over at Etsy.

The Shop is called LoveErinDesigns, and it’s located here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6184806

A big shout of to my girl Kelly
for the banner design, she styled it to look like my paintings, which was way super cool of her.



See? There's one behind me in this old shot


PLEASE stop in and have a look, and tell your friends!~



(I’m in this picture, I promise. Look to the right…)

wearing some hoops I made a copy of for the shop...

Terrible Tuesday

I got laid off yesterday. I signed something that said I wouldn’t talk about it. So I won’t. This marks the third time I’ve been laid off in November, right before the holidays.

I’m not sure where to go from here. To be honest, I had come to the realization just last week in a particularly productive therapy session that I did not want to do what I was doing anymore, at least not full time. I wanted to look into working on my jewelry (and maybe painting, and maybe selling vintage clothing) at least 2 days a week. So I can start that NOW rather than later. The etsy shop will be up by the end of next week. Stay tuned. Also, I vow not to spend more than a week in pajamas. I reserve the right to a week. But no more. So I'll get dressed soon, and I'll tell you all about it. This blog has been a real source of joy and pride for me, I am not going to walk away. And who knows, maybe I’ll find that I have more to talk about than just what I am wearing.

I made a couple pairs of earrings this morning. I’m going to be fine. I’m a little lost right now, but I will figure out where I am going. I always do.

Pants-tastic

I don’t know why I buttoned this jacket for the first set of photos, other than maybe to prove I can? I’m not wearing it like this.


I’m wearing it like this!~



Open. And with pants. What is this, the 3rd time I’ve worn pants? I just was NOT feeling it this AM. I’m tired from my fabulous weekend. I went to two Halloween parties and watched Nathan’s mock Goth band, Nosferatutu play a couple shows…

Nathan looking awesome:


I went to Six Flags and had big happy fun times…

Nathan, Bill and I having fun:


Messed about editing photos on Flickr:



And made some jewelry. I made this Saturday AM and have worn it every day since, including today:



I plan on making a few more for the upcoming Esty shop.

Jacket, Go International House Collection at Target
Tee, American Apparel
Tank, Target
Pants, Wal-Mart
Booties, Payless
Necklace, Self Made

Witchy Woman

I trust everyone had a happy and safe Halloween!~
I'm off to Six Flags!



Top dress, Ross, years ago.
Under dress, Forever XXI, last Feb.
Tights (both fishnets and stripes) Target
Boots, Arturo Chang
Broom, Wal-Mart maybe? From a couple Halloweens ago
Hat, Halloween Spirit, $4.00 USD and the ONLY thing I had to buy for this outfit!