You’re My Brightness And I’m Your Electricity

Sunday night my gorgeous friend Marjorie was spinning at the Inwood Bar again so we went out to catch her set. She was, of course, brilliant. And I looked rather smashing. My pictures for the night came out super blurry, but I am posting them anyway, because I think you get the gist of what I’m saying with these…



Eh? Looking pretty good right? Even blurry.



I love these leggings and am always excited about any opportunity I get to work them. I’m just bad about posting pictures of them because I happen to be very lazy about taking pictures of my weekend and/or late night gear.



Monday morning I was lazy, and swapped the sequined leggings for denim leggings, but kept the tank.



I also swapped the jet beads for my Moon Raven Designs pendant.



Annnnnnnnnnd added a cardigan for the office chill factor.



I must say, I am looking forward to Fall, when I can add my cropped biker jacket to the sequined leggings look! Rar!~

Tank, Target
Sequined leggings, gift from Leina
Shoes, Aldo
Beads, Grandmama Bea
Bag, thrifted by Nathan
Cardigan and denim leggings, all Target
Necklace, Moon Raven Designs at Etsy

Well, If You Want To Know Me, I’m A War

I never mean to be gone so long! Some weeks, life just gets in the way of blogging.



I normally style this blouse with more of a sort of nature loving hippie bent. More browns and denim. But I wanted to see how it would react to being dressed up city style, with black. I think it turned out really nice and I’m not sure why I was so blind to the possibility before.



I am happy to see that Target’s Mossimo line has come out with these leggings. I know Target has been carrying denim leggings for a while now, but as far as I could tell, they were all “super low rise” or “Lowest rise”. Well I like my pants to sit above both my plumber’s crack and my bikini line. Call me old fashioned, but I don’t like to let it all hang out.



I realized a couple days ago that I was back up to alarmingly bad, pre kidney stone drinking habits. Diet Red Bull followed by Coffee, followed by Diet Soda. So today I am following y Diet Red Bull with black tea. And then water. We’ll see how that goes. Not 3 months ago I was ace at drinking water all day, so I know I can do it, but I also know tapering my caffeine back down = no fun. Any other caffeine fans out there? What’s your limit? Please tell me someone misbehaves as much or even more than I do.

Blouse, H&M
Jacket, Forever XXI
Denim Leggings, Target
Bag, Steven by Steve Madden
Shoes, Aldo
Necklace, Moon Raven Designs at Etsy
www.workwithwhatyouvegot.blogspot.com

My Mama Told Me, You’d Better Shop Around

I took Friday off and we finally had some time to do a little thrifting. We had a credit for Buffalo Exchange* as well, so we hit that first. I did not find what I was looking for, but I did find some things I didn’t know I needed until I saw them…you know what I mean!



It was hot. So hot I wore shorts. And that’s hot, because I am not actually a huge fan of shorts. I mean, shorts by themselves. I love them layered with tights, or leggings. But just me, shorts and my bare legs? Not a fan.



(Look. I’m so tiny.) We also hit a few thrift stores, and again, I did not really find what I needed, but I got a couple things anyway. I ended up with baby pink and black Ralph Lauren oxfords and a sequined skirt from Buffalo Exchange, and a dress to match the oxfords and a pair of red cowboy boots from thrifting. Total spent less than 7 bucks. Because we had a credit at Buffalo Exchange, remember? So it totally doesn’t count as money spent. It counts as a trade. I mean, they got a better deal in the trade, but they always do.



It was fun even though I didn’t find any dress pants, or harem pants or cute floral dresses. But it always make me so tired. Is anyone else like that? I don’t know what it is, but thrift shopping is so draining. I come home and just crash.



*Ok, can I just take this opportunity to be an old lady and tell you a pet peeve of mine? I see people refer to stuff they got at Buffalo Exchange as “thrifted”. And you are totally free to do so as I have not yet been appointed the Official Word Police, and also, I make up my own words and break all kinds of word laws all the time anyway, BUT, stuff purchased from Buffalo Exchange is second hand, not thrifted. Because Buffalo Exchange is a second hand store, not a thrift store. I have no idea why I need to differentiate the two, but I do.

Tee, thrifted
Belt, Thrifted
Buckle, Vintage
Shorts, Wal-Mart
Boots, Target
Bag, thrifted, vintage
Earrings, gift from Alannah (but they are from H&M)

I'm Tired of The Cold Creepin', but I'm Not Tired of You

Happy Earth Day! My top is made from recycled materials. How weird is that? It’s from the H&M Garden collection which I know is old news to a lot of you, but we don’t have an H&M down here in Dallas and I was really excited about this top.



Kelly went on vacation and brought it back for me. She said she selected this particular top for me because “I know how much you like lizard like details on your clothing". That cracked me up. And also, it’s true.



I was reading Bazaar last night and right there in the “Out” column they listed babydoll tops like this one. OH WELL. That column always seems very random to me, and I don’t think I’ve ever given it a second thought other than to say out loud to the column that I will be ignoring it. Because this top is awesome.





So hey! If you are in Dallas tonight, and you want to do something cool, my husband’s band h…n is playing a show. Come down and check it out. It's free. I hear it will be cool. I know the poster, designed by Justin Childress is…



That is hands down the best poster for any show Nathan has ever played in. Amazingcakes.

Top, H&M via Kelly
Denim Leggings, ANA at JC Penny
Sandal, BC via Shoes.com
Bag, Target
Earrings, Haute Hardware at Etsy

Slam It To The Left If You're Having a Good Time

(A quick outfit post now and then I’ll get my Struggle to Fit Into Your Skinny Pants Challenge update up!~)



I love this tee shirt and wish I had a closet full of tee shirts that fit like this one does. It’s boxy but not too boxy, it’s made out of a thick enough material I don’t worry about my lumps and bumps showing, and It’s just the right length.





It’s half past Mel B.

I got this watch back when, you know, you could buy things like an official Spice Girls watch. I never bought a knock off Spice Girls product, even though they were plentiful. I will never know why they choose this shot, but all of the shots from this shoot are terrible and they made all kinds of things from it. (My mouse pad, which is on its last legs, sadly, is from this shoot.) I used to have a couple more Spice watches, but one was digital and died early, and the other died and needed expensive and extensive repair and…well…I love them, but not that much. So now I just have this one. I hope it lasts forever.



Jacket, H&M (secondhand)
Tee, Urban Outfitters
Denim Leggings, ANA at JC Penny
Sandals, Report via Zappos
Bag, Nordstrom Rack
Orb necklace, Tower of London Gift shop
Isabella Wolf Fang Necklace, Wendy B
Earrings, Mexico, gift
Watch, ebay

I Get All The News I Need From The Weather Report

But you know, only when I watch it. I used to just put my outfits together in the morning, but lately I’ve been putting them together at night as a sort of fun, relaxing downtime sort of thing to do before bed. Plus it lets me sleep an extra 10 to 20 minutes! Last night I ended up with a super cute combo with a sleeveless blouse, a black skirt and sandals.

It was 40 some odd degrees (F) when I woke up today. I should have checked the weather. I had to scramble for a back up.



Hey, you might notice I’m barefoot. Today is One Day Without Shoes. Please take a moment to check out the site and think for a moment about what a life without shoes might look like. Then, if you can, maybe hop on over to Tom’s and buy some shoes so someone else can have a pair too. Look, I admit, I’m not a huge fan of the original Tom’s shoes. But I LOVE the wrap boots, and plan to buy a pair someday, and they are coming out with a wedge this summer that looks to be pretty darn cute!

I’m down with the thought behind the movement, but I have a corporate job, so I am in fact, wearing shoes today.



Cute ones too. Not so much comfortable ones though!



I often wish I had bought a couple more pairs of these Wal-Mart pants when I had the chance. They are, and I know it sounds crazy, but they are the nicest made pants I have ever owned. They are well cut, well sewn and comfortable.



Oh Hi buddy!~ I love you too!



Jacket, H&M (second hand)
Blouse, Target
Pants, Wal-Mart
Shoes, rsvp via Zappos
Bag, Thrifted
Earrings, gift from Pilar
Amethyst necklace, self made

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

Back in Black (and White)

And so it begins. I have had super short weeks at work the past couple of weeks and it all ends here! Back to 5 days in a row, all week, every week. It’s OK though. I feel rested, I saw my best friend and my house is clean. I ended the weekend yesterday by having Bill come over and watch my most alarming anime (Please Twins!) with me.



This dress is another mark item. I tend to give mark things mixed reviews, but I guess I have better luck with them than a lot of people. They tend to be a good fit on me. And I love black and white. I am a huge fan of that tie dyed scarf as well, and look forward to pairing it with many more things over the Fall and Winter.



My hair. It’s getting pretty long, I know. I think I probably need to go in and have the ends trimmed, but I have to admit, I love when it gets this long. So far this seems to be as long as I can manage to get it without breakage. Any tips to get it longer? Am I crazy for wanting it longer? I wash twice a week, use sulfate free shampoo, condition and rinse with cool water. I use a cream for protection from heat styling, and since I only wash twice a week, I only blow dry and straighten that often. I dye it maybe once every 4 months, to cover the tons of grey.





I love these earrings! Alannah got them in Chicago at H&M and they are so long they go past my shoulders. I love the way they get tossed along with my hair when I flip it back. They are a bit overpowering though, and they have to be worn alone, without necklaces. Even the tiny diamond choker I have looked silly with them! They mean business.

Jacket, Bona Drag
Cardigan, Target
Dress, mark
Leggings, Target
Boots, Vintage
Scarf, ½ American Apparel Circle Scarf
Earrings, H&M (gift)

Bunny Love

I still love this dress.



It’s just really flattering, the bunny print is fun, and it’s appropriate for work OR play.


*I am wearing The Plum Tights of Controversy*

I normally wear it with a blazer from the same collection, or my baby biker jacket. And what’s funny is that I was trying to branch out so as to not bore you AND practice mixing and matching, and yet it seems I’ve never worn the blazer + bunny dress combo on the blog!~
But this is the blazer:


(I think I must have worn that blazer a lot right before I started the blog. I think of it as an overused piece, but have featured it all of one time.)

and my biker jacket…


But since I’m trying to spin things, I wore it with the little black and white dotted H&M jacket.



Jacket, H&M, secondhand
Dress, Erin Fetherston for Target
Obi Belt, Fosuism Boutique at Etsy
Tights, Target
Tee, Walmart
Boots, Arturo Chang
Bag, Steven by Steve Madden

ETA Bunny Print for Sal:

Captain Tight Pants*

I would just like to say…if I had been wearing this out fit OUT I would have worn the harness with it. But as it is, the pants are a little over the top tight, and I didn’t feel like I could really get away with too tight pants, AND a sexy harness type thing at the office.

I toned the whole thing down with a blazer as well. I know the pics are a bit fuzzy, but I promise. The pants are tight.



Honestly, they are really more of a denim legging.



They have an elastic waistband. When I first got them, this was a great source of amusement to me. As in my mind, only old ladies wear denim leggings with elastic waistbands.

They are so comfortable though. And I feel good in them. And you can’t see the waistband.





You can kind of see my take on Kasmira’s messy bun here. I haven’t mastered the art of getting it on the SIDE yet, and that’s my favorite part. But I’ve gotten a lot better at the teasing.




Blouse detail:


Blazer detail:


That blazer is one of my favorite second hand buys. I love that the subtle pattern keeps it from being plain black, but it’s also subtle enough to work with almost anything.

I wore this last Friday, and I am actually wearing the same thing today, but with my Matisse brown boots and my Bona Drag sweater. I’m flying home today for the birth of Baby Quinn ( http://introducingquinn.com/Blog/Blog.html ) and to help my sister. And MAYBE to go on a field trip to the zoo with my nephews kindergarten class. I hope.

*I hope some of you get this reference

Blazer H&M, thrifted
Blouse, Target
Denim leggings, Target
Boots, vintage
Bag, Steven by Steve Madden
Earrings, chainchainchained at etsy

H&M Blazer

I have a lot of dresses, that when I put them on, I think, “This dress was so much longer when I bought it.”

I know that can’t be true, since I know I didn’t wash it in hot water, and I didn’t dry it. (I wash my dresses on delicate and hang them to dry. ALL of them. I never dry clean, I never dry). So I must have some sort of short circuit that makes dresses seem longer in the store. Because it seems at home, they are all sort of walking a very fine line!

Bernadette took my pictures today, and oh my goodness did my boots get dirty!~



I like the shape this outfit give me a LOT.

I’m not big on this full on smile, but I must admit, I do look happy. And skinny. I love you H&M blazer.



And just in case you think that’s a plain ol boring black blazer, it’s not.
It’s dotty!~



Jacket, H&M (second hand, because we don’t HAVE an H&M. So wrong)
Dress, Alice Temperly for Target
Tights, Target
Boots, Arturo Chang
Bag, Gucci (gift)
Hoops, Wal-Mart
Necklace, Haute Hardware