My Type Hibernate In Bedrooms Above

Well hello there casual! I’ve missed you.



The tassel necklace is one of the things Mikal brought over, and if she had said “you can have one thing”, this is the one thing I would have taken.


(I know that is an awkward, scroll-y crop, but the smaller picture just didn’t show the details)

What’s really funny it that it seems SO versatile and yet I had a super hard time coming up with an outfit I could make work with it. I could have worn it with the black and white dress on Monday if I had had super glue on hand (I had to go get some this week to fix this necklace) but I didn’t, so I wore the bunny pendant and gold beads. I had a couple of dresses it will look great with when it is warmer, but as for the weather right now…I don’t seem to have much*. Granted a grey v-neck and jeans is the ideal way to show off just about any accessory anyway, if you ask me, but I can’t wait for it to get warmer so I can dress it up a bit!



That crotch length necklace looks good for photos, but I ended up having my office mate wrap it around my wrist really tight as a bracelet before too late in the day, it was fine standing up, but really awkward sitting down!

*I noted some time ago I need more “plain” items. Solid color dresses in black and grey and tees to properly showcase my vast collection of accessories, I just have not had the money to do anything about it, you know how that goes!

Jacket, Forever XXI
Tee, Alternative
Jean Leggings, ANA at JCPenny
Boots, Target
Tassel necklace, vintage, gift from Mikal
Long beaded necklace, self made
Bag, Nordstrom Rack

So Sing, While You Have Time

I’m not super impressed with this outfit. If it weren’t for the pin, I think I might hate it, which is strange, because I love the cardigan, blouse and skirt together in Spring and Summer, I just wear different shoes. Snakeskin pumps. And I think they really add some pizazz to an otherwise quiet look. These boots do not. I really wanted to wear the pin though, and I struggled to come up with one more conservative look to get to me casual Friday.*



I just love that pin. I went back and forth over this one and a cream colored one just like it. There was also a spiral shell on a stick pin that would have looked really great with this, but you know how it is…I wanted to be gracious and not take EVERYTHING that I thought was cool. So I choose this one. It’s so pretty!



The fabric of the cardigan is very, very thin, and in order for a pin to sit right on it and for me to feel it was secure enough not to damage the fabric, I cut a small piece of fabric (I used denim since it is quite sturdy) into an oval and used it as a backing on the inside of the cardigan. It worked really well. The pin is sitting nicely instead of drooping and it is not pulling the fabric the way it did when I tried just putting it on the cardigan.



I have big plans to wear my favorite piece of the bunch tomorrow. It needed some super glue but it's all better now.

I have to tell you, I have not seen a single one of these mythological creatures known as “VPs”. My office mate says she saw a couple yesterday, but I must have missed it.

*I’m having a “fat week”. It’s bad. It’s biological and not my fault, but my self esteem is really struggling with it. It makes getting dressed a little less fun.

Cardigan, Alternative
Blouse and Skirt, Target
Boots, Arturo Chiang
Bag, Nordstrom Rack
Pin, vintage, gift from Mikal

It's A Fact That Everybody Wanna Be Loved

OH. MY. GOODNESS.

The sun came out today. In full force. And early. It made taking pictures a bit difficult, but I did get a couple. I had to! I wanted you to see me looking all office-y and demure, plus I’m wearing another of the awesome pieces Mikal gave me.



I’m not going to lie! I feel kind of like this week is an unofficial challenge. I am trying to dress conservative for the visiting executives, trying to stay myself, and trying to wear all my fun new jewelry. It’s taking a lot more effort than my normal style.



Lol. I was hoping for at least one picture with my eyes open and my face not too terrible screwed up in the sun. I managed 1 and a half, so I did better than I hoped!



This pin had three key charms on it. I left one, replaced two and added a couple extra charms. The angel and the angel sitting in the heart are from earrings my mom used to wear back when angels were all the rage in jewelry. Do you remember that? It’s more wings now, but when I was in high school and university, angels were the thing. I wore them on jewelry, clothes and I decorated my room with them. I’ve changed. But I still liked these charms, and I like to recycle things instead of tossing them out. Once I added those I decided it had a bit of a theme going and added the wing and medallion. I’m pretty pleased with how it came out. I may punk it up later though, with skulls and bullets, because well, you know me.



Jacket, H&M
Blouse, Target
Pants, Wal-Mart
Booties, Payless
Bag, Nordstrom Rack
Pin, Vintage, gift from Mikal
Watch, Fossil
Bracelet, Gift from Lara

The Chase Is All You Know, And She Stopped Running Months Ago

We have executives in the office this week, which means I’m trying to dress more…office-y. I used to dress that way all the time, so I know it’s possible, but I also used to be 35-40 pounds heavier and have an entirely different wardrobe! I just don’t have a lot of slacks to choose from. In fact I have these and the black pair you’ve seen me wear before. And I don’t love the way these fit. I got these right after I lost all the weight and I was a good 10 pounds lighter (I got good and skinny there for a couple months, but it didn’t stick. I like cake.)



But over all I think it works. I didn’t really see any snow, I counted 3 flakes. But it is really cold for Dallas, 30 something. And I am still refusing to wear a coat. I mean, I leave the house, take a few pictures, get into a car with heated sets, go into a heated office and then get back into the car with heated seats. It’s not like I’m exposed to the elements all that much…and I didn’t have a coat that matched.



I had all these exciting PLANS last week, and this week I’ve got nothing. And I am super over the Olympics. I could not be more bored. I thought I was going to enjoy ice dancing but it was worse than ski jumping, or bobsled or whatever sport it was we watched where they threw themselves down a very slick runway. I am just not a sports girl. I am enjoying the time to read my “Spike” comic omnibus though, so at least there is that!



This outfit was also built around a piece of the jewelry Mikal brought over.



I have big plans to wear that with a grey v-neck tee and jeans, but I couldn’t wait, so I spent quite a bit of time trying to put together something that it would look good with that would also be appropriate for this week at work.

Jacket, Forever XXI
Blouse and pants, Target
Boots, Payless
Necklace, Vintage, gift from Mikal
Bag, Reby C at Etsy

Senator, Let's Be Sincere, As Much As You Can

I planned this entire outfit around new jewelry I wanted to wear.



For my birthday, Lara made me this bracelet, and I have not taken it off since. I love the combination of gold and silver tone and I love the way the wing weighs down the second chain so they fall at different lengths. I also love the way it goes with my collectible Buffy watch.



And then Sunday my friend Mikal brought over a chest full of old costume jewelry that had belonged to various members of her family. Some was hers, some her mothers, some her grandmothers, even her daughters. I combed through it (SO FUN) and she let me take pieces I liked! I got some really over the top stuff I cannot wait to wear, but I wanted to wear this beaded necklace and bunny pendant NOW.



The pendant I just dropped on a chain, but the beaded necklace was a part of a longer and much more over the top piece. I separated it down the middle and Mikal and I split it. She rocked her half as choker, which looked great, but I always feel like chokers are, well, choking me! So I added in some extra chain and split up the beads for an asymmetrical look. I also pulled that cuff from the box, but I guess I didn’t get a good picture of that. Another time, I swear.



The weather over the weekend was so warm I didn’t even need a jacket at times, but this week we are back to the cold. I am pretending it’s not happening and wearing this lightweight jacket, but it’s supposed to snow again. Not as much as last time, but it will be cold.



And you can see the length on that strap on my new bag in these pics. *Sigh*. That bag is so freaking perfect. I LOVE it.

Dress, Thakoon for Target
Jacket, Forever XXI
Tights, Target
Boots, Steve Madden
Bag, Nordstrom Rack
Watch, Fossil
Wing and chain bracelet, Gift from Lara
Cuff Bracelet, vintage, gift from Mikal
Beaded necklace, re-worked vintage, gift from Mikal
Bunny pendant, vintage, Gift from Mikal

There's So Few Things Between The Rent and Me

I had a GREAT birthday. I slept in, and then Nathan got me a McDonald’s breakfast of hotcakes and hash browns. Yum. I laid in bed until mid-morning and watched Buffy DVDs*. I didn’t even bother to get dressed until 11:30 or so. Then I showered and got dressed and we went up to the mall to grab lunch. I had a ham and 3 cheese and tomato Panini. Yum, again. I wanted to wear something comfortable and easy to shop in**, so I went with this…



That’s my “birthday dress”. It’s actually 4 dresses, because it’s reversible, and it can be worn with or without a belt. Here is the other pattern…



Genius, right? It would be great for packing on vacation as it is not wrinkle prone and if you pack a belt and 2 pairs of shoes, you’ve got 4 looks!



I ended up with a couple tees from Forever XXI, a couple glosses from MAC and a bag and flats from Nordstrom Rack. I can’t even believe how perfect the bag is. I have been doing a lot of internet shopping for bags leading up to my birthday, trying to find the right bag at the right price. I wanted:

Black leather
Studding
Long strap
Bucket shape

I didn’t really find anything. I had given up and was just looking for black leather with an urban feel. But then we went to Nordstrom Rack. First of all, they had at least 10 bags that fit my bill. Black leather, large-ish, Urban. But then, THEN I found this:



I’ll get you a better peek at the strap later, but look at that. Black leather, bucket shape, studding (cones AND round!), and the strap is a long strap that can be worn cross body. AND it was the cheapest of the lot. $98 bucks. I had money left over for black leather flats! It was a birthday miracle.

After that we met friends for a casual come and go at the pub. Then Saturday night we got all dressed up and had dinner out at a fancy place*** and our friends picked up the tab. Another birthday miracle. Yesterday a girlfriend who couldn’t make it Friday (due to a slumber party full of eight year old boys at hers, bless) came over and we watched Cure DVDS and talked. It was a great weekend and a lovely birthday.

*The initial plan had been to get up and go see the first showing of “Valentine’s Day” but you know what? Entertainment Weekly gave it an “F”. An “F”! So I decided to lie in and watch Buffy instead, because Buffy always gets an “A”.

** yep, still on a ban, but birthday money given to you specifically for shopping gets spent on your birthday if that’s what you want to do!

*** Tillman’s Roadhouse. I had the salmon cooked in lavender and local honey with asparagus and mushroom rice. And goat cheese tater tots. Yes, tater tots. With goat cheese. They were crazy good. And fried bread and butter pickles and tableside homemade smores. And a ginger lemon drop martini. Or two.

Jacket, Bona Drag, customized by me
Dress, Target
Tights, Target
Boots, Steve Madden
Bag, Etsy
Isabella Wolf Fang Necklace, Wendy Brandes

Before I Fall in Love, I'm Preparing to Leave Her

I watched the BRIT awards last night. Highlights for me were all of the Geri Halliwell (look, she is self centered and obnoxious but I love her anyway), Lady Gaga, the Lily Allen opening number, Cheryl Cole looking fantastic and that amazing Robbie Williams Medley. I didn’t love Mel B’s hair. Girl, you are too old for that.

I love getting ahead and having 2 or 3 days worth of back-up pictures, because then, on days like today, when I am running SUPER late, it’s cool. No worries. I still have something to blog about. But then it feels really weird to be blogging about something I wore 3 days ago. This is what I wore on Monday…



I love that dress. It is cut to fit my body almost exactly. And it’s the perfect length for me. It’s just a Target dress, but it fits me like a much more expensive dress.



I just love the look of a nice, feminine dress and a cozy sweater (or two!) and boots. It is the perfect winter wardrobe for me.



It’s my last day in the office for the week! We get to take our birthdays off as a “floating holiday”. Nathan is taking me to see “Valentine’s Day”, which I assume will be super cheesy in the best way. I’m going to sleep late and watch too much TV.

Sweater, Thrifted
Dress, Target
Tights,Target
Knee socks, Target
Boots, GAP Kids
Bag, Thrifted, Dooney and Burke
Isabella Wolf Fang Necklace, Wendy Brandes

Cause You Were Only Wanting to be Friends

Saturday we met Tina and Rand for brunch. Or breakfast, really. I don’t know. At what point does it become Brunch? We ate at like 10. And I had oatmeal. To me that’s breakfast, but it sounds more like an event if I call it Brunch.

So let’s just say we had Brunch.



I decided to put on pants since I’d been wearing those shorts for 2 days*. And by pants I means nicer leggings. Or jeggings. (I can’t decide if I like that word or not.) And that’s the other new tee from Urban Outfitters. It is SO SOFT. And I’m normally not a blue with blue jeans kind of girl, but these were different enough I felt good about the pairing.



We had a great time at Brunch. Tina and I had hung out but we had never really all huing out together, so there is always that small chance that not everyone will get along, but we did. I really hope we get together again soon!

After Bruch I asked Tina if she minded taking a few casual wear pictures with me and she agreed. The pictures that came out of that session are some of my favorite pictures of ever. They are adorable. Nathan said a couple of funny things** and started clicking, and the rest was history…












I just love those.

*Do you ever see the shorts/tights (or leggings) combo in real life? I hadn’t thought about it, but I can’t recall ever seeing anyone in Dallas who isn’t me doing that. Is it a fashion blog thing? I just thought it was a normal sort of tending thing that was happening, but then my views on what’s trendy are sharply skewed by all the personal fashion blogs I read…

** ETA So we were standing there, thinking about posing and I think we did a few shots, just straight forward, smiling, whatever, and then Nathan said "Don't you want to do your SASSY? Do your Sassy!" ("Sassy" is what Nathan calls the classic hand on hip pose.) I don't know why, but it KILLED me. And if I recall correctly, Tina is basically just amused at what a dork I am, because she is classy lady.

Sweater, Thrifted, vintage
Tee, Urban Outfitters
Jeggings, ANA at JCPenny
Boots, GAP kids
Gloves, Target
Bag, Dooney and Burke, Thrifted

I Am Human and I Need to be Loved, Just Like Everybody Else Does

(Look, I don't even CARE that that song is overplayed and over-covered. It is STILL one of my favorites. It's perfection from start to end.)

Friday AM I woke up and went to look out the window. This is what I saw...



Oh. My. Gracious.

I e-mailed a Blackberry picture to my boss to let her know that I was going to be a little late. Then I got dressed and went outside to get a closer look. It was honestly like nothing I have ever seen before. I know, I know, this is a November to March kind of thing for some of you, but to me it was so wondrous.



Our entire street looked like a foreign land. It was so bright. And quiet. Our trees looked like works of art.



Our house looked like a house from a movie.



It was amazing. A few minutes later my boss called to tell me that the office was closed. I was getting a snow day!~ The satellite was out, the internet was down, but we didn't care. We snuggled up on the couch and watched DVDs all day. By evening we were a little stir crazy though and we met some friends up the street for dinner.



I'm not going to lie. I basically wore those shorts all weekend. I mean, it was cold, and they were cozy with leggings and thigh high socks.



That's a new shirt!~



For the 5th day of Valentines I got two vneck tees from Urban Outfitters, this one and a blue one (which you will see very soon). Normally a new tee is not that exciting, I know, but in the middle of a shopping ban...it's gold!

We went up and had dinner and came right back home. It still wasn't super safe to be out and Nathan really wanted to see the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. I'm not so interested. He has been watching it non-stop. I've been watching movies on the laptop and reading comics. Nathan started to come down with a cold Saturday so we spent the majority of the weekend sitting in the living room. We did have brunch with Tina and Rand though, so stay tuned for that tomorrow. We took some of my favorite pictures of ever.

Hoodie, American Apparel
Tee, Urban Outfitters (you KNOW he got it on the sale table, cause that's how he rolls)
Shorts, Old Navy
Leggings, Target
Thigh High socks, Sock Dreams
Wellies, Target
Isabella Wolf Fang Necklace, Wendy B

When Did The World Stop Revolving Around Me?

Hey kids. It got crazy up in Dallas! Thursday we got to go home early due to impending doom. Or snow. Whatever. When I got home and changed we took a few pictures. The post today (and the post tomorrow and the next day probably) will be pretty picture heavy.



Isn’t that crazy? And beautiful? It snowed for about 24 hours. Now snow is not all that crazy. We do get it down here about once or twice a year. But not normally a measurable amount and it’s normally a “wintery mix” of rain, sleet and snow. This is just snow. It was so pretty I just sat on the couch with the blinds up and watched it for hours.



The dog hated it. HATED. He is cold natured and he hates to be wet. So the snow was not his thing. Plus it was almost as tall as he was.



He learned pretty quickly that if he ran really fast, he didn’t sink in as far.



I am a little bigger than him though, so I pretty much sank no matter what I did.





And I have a treat! A rare Nathan sighting!



Complete with fashion pose!



OhmygoshheissocuteIcoulddie.

Hoodie, Old Navy
Jacket, old
Shorts, Old Navy
Leggings, Target
Socks, Sock Dreams
Boots, GAP kids

Pause

All this snow is causing us to have internet connectivity problems. I'll be back Monday!

XOXO

He Made Me A Tape of Bootlegs and B-Sides

So it turns out there is a reason you guys don’t take pics in snow storms other than discomfort. I know, it seems so obvious now, the snow ruins the picture, but I swear I just didn’t think about it! I’m not going to bother with putting these on Weardrobe or Wardrobe Remix, but I feel like we are friends, and this blog is about more than showing off my outfits, so even though you can’t make out a lot of details, I’m going to post them anyway. If for no other reason than to keep up with my all black week and to say hi. Hi!



I’ve had a few questions about those socks. They do stay up all by themselves, I do not do a lot of adjusting during the day, but that may just be because I always wear them over leggings or tights and they have something to grip. As far as size, well, I don’t know any other way to let you know about the sizing than to just lay it all out there for you, so I will. My leg, right there where they are sitting, is 16 inches around and I feel like they have a good 2 or 3 inches of stretch left in them. They are tight enough to stay up, but not at all uncomfortable. And very warm.



It’s still coming down pretty hard. We are supposed to get about 4 inches or so over the course of the day. Which is nothing I know, but 4 inches more than normal. It’s really very pretty right now, and not all that bad on the roads*.

Stay safe and warm!

*OMG, you guys, people from Texas CANNOT drive in ice and snow. We don’t have the proper tires or skills. No one slows down and everyone is an idiot. Except all the people I know, and we are just better than everyone else is all.

Jacket, Bona Drag, customized by me
Dress, mark
Leggings, Target
Thigh High Socks, Sock Dreams
Boots, Steve Madden
Necklace, Self made
Bag, LUSH