I See In Different Lights

I got this romper at Buffalo the other day (via Trade, of course!) and since I was meeting the girls (Katie, Tina, Julie and Elissa)after work, I knew I had to bring it in and show it to Elissa. Because Elissa loves me, but she hates rompers, and I love to tease her about it. She thought it was super cute, when she thought it was a dress. When she discovered it was a romper she rolled her eyes at me and gave up on trying to talk sense into me. I'm not easy to talk sense into.



I wore it three days in a row. No lie. Friday, Saturday and then to work on Sunday. I suppose I'll have it dry cleaned now, but there's a dry cleaner next to work, so it's not even really a bother. And three days wallowing about in silk and nothing else is worth a little dry cleaning bill if you ask me.



Elissa, you can borrow it whenever you want. <3



Silk romper, Eliot via Buffalo Exchange
Cardigan, American Apparel
Shoes, Collin Stuart for Victoria's Secret
Leather bag, Thrifted by Nathan
Ring and cuff, Moon Raven Designs at Etsy.
Sunglasses Forever XXI about 3 years ago. Maybe 4...

It's Been A Long, Hot Summer And I'm Shaking Like A Cool Lemonade

(Beware! Pictures below may inspire bag envy!)

Last week we had a big week at the store. NARTS had a conference in town, and our store was one of their stops in Dallas. We had hundreds of resale, consignment and thrift store owners come and see us on Friday. In order to make sure we had coverage I picked up a shift on my day off. And I am so glad I did! It was SO MUCH FUN!



Our guests had lots of questions about how we do things at Buffalo Exchange and we were so happy to have the opportunity to show them around and answer questions. They were all inquisitive, and so kind and it was such an honor to get to host them at the store for a bit (by the busload!).



On Sunday, Kerstin Block stopped in to see us (she had come by Friday as well, but before my shift) and I got to meet her, which was really exciting. She was wonderful, and since I had a register shift I had the pleasure of ringing up her and her friends, who were all having such fun it was contagious.



It was a great couple of days and I am so glad that I was there to experience everything.



Romper, The Spice Rack
Sandals, Victoria's Secret
Belt, Target
Bag, Buffalo Exchange
Silver bangles, Buffalo Exchange
Claw Cuff, Moon Raven Designs

Oh, The Young And The Old They Get Everything

(So…OK. This dress is really short. Let’s just get that out of the way. I am not sure how I have managed to not notice that, but you know how I am. So. I will probably not wear it to WORK again.)



Look at all the pretty things Nathan thrifted! I know we have talked about it before, but my man has The Gift. I…not so much. Yesterday he had this amazing vintage Coach, a cream and brown vintage Dooney and Burke and this top for me. All in amazing shape and all right on trend. He’s on the lookout for a denim jacket for me now, so I can cut the sleeves off and make a vest, and I’ve no doubt he will find one. He found one for him and we made his vest last night and he looks SO FINE in it. I love it. I also think I overheard him tell the dog it made him look like a “street thug” and I agree, it does, in a good way.



So a couple weeks ago Hillary and Kasmira both posted pics of pettipants. I was like “what? How have I never heard of these before?” They are amazing and perfect.



I got a pair (in black) and I seriously cannot imagine how I ever lived without them. And the best part? They were all of 8 bucks. I got the 4 inch inseam. They are useful for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is transitioning shorter dresses from tights to summer weather. With these I still feel my modesty is being protected from, say, a big gust of wind, or a book on a high shelf. Anyway, I think you can see them peeking out of my too short dress in some of my pictures today. The Amazon seller I got mine from was also really prompt about shipping. I think I had them 3 days after ordering.



That shirt fits like a dream and I, being the Trendy McTrenderson that I am, am so pleased to have it and from a thrift store, no less. It was handmade, there are no tags and a few telling "flaws", but it's perfect. I washed it last night and hung it to dry so I could wear it today. Because I am that impatient.



*Swoon* Am I right? I used conditioning wipes on it last night and the leather is just in perfect condition now. And I love that the strap comes off so I can also use it as a clutch. I had to really work at getting it to work as a day bag. I had to leave a lot of stuff behind, but again..impatient. I like to use/wear new things NOW. Do you do that? How long do you wait to wear something new? (That nail polish is “My Network” by Milani and it has been holding up REALLY well. It's two coats, no base coat, no top coat. A nice 14K gold color. I packed and unpacked boxes yesterday at work and it stayed almost perfect. I’m really impressed.)



I rarely wear these earrings, but aren’t they fun? And I thought with such a simple outfit they were perfect…



They are not Twilight related. I’m just sayin’.

Shirt, Thrifted by Nathan
Dress, Victoria’s Secret
Boots, Target
Bag, Vintage Coach, Thrifted by Nathan
Earring, Ebay

Traveled Down The Road and Back Again

I just want to take a moment and say Thank You to everyone who is reading. Everyone blogs for different reasons. I’m not sure I can pinpoint the reason I do it, but I know a lot of it is you. Your words of encouragement that pour in throughout the day are sometimes the only thing that makes a bad day bearable. And even if you don’t comment, the fact that you stopped by and read, well, it’s nice. It’s really nice to be heard. So Thank You, so much.

At first glance this outfit looks pretty tame. Just a black dress, leggings and jacket.



The interesting details are in the leggings, which I had to get a better view of for you.



POW!~ The pattern is much more obvious in real life. They don’t blend at all. They have an unmistakable metallic sheen to them, and the “scales” are much more of a mocha/copper color than comes across in the photos. Kelly gave me these for Christmas and I’ve been kind of stressing about what to wear them with. I’m not sure why though. This morning it seemed so obvious I could wear them with just about anything solid black (although I have less of that than I should!).



I moved my Isabella to a different chain today because the length was better for this outfit. Your jewelry belongs to you. Feel free to change the little things or the big, to make it work for you. I have a habit of rearranging necklaces and bracelets after a few months use, and it’s like having something new. And after today, I can put her right back where I got her, on her lovely, super long chain.

I’m still oiling the Hayden-Harnett bag, but I gave up on carrying it daily. It’s just exhausting. All day long you have to be super conscious of the bag, keeping it out of harm’s way. Nathan and I went to Wendy’s for lunch yesterday and trying to find a place to set it down was almost impossible. And in the car yesterday, because of the dark wash jeans (and the fall foliage in the floorboard) it was just as tough. So I’m taking a break and carrying the Steven bag for now. It’s much more easygoing.

Jacket, Forever XXI
Dress, Victoria’s Secret
Leggings, Candies
Boots, Steve Madden
Bag, Steven By Steve Madden
Necklace, Wendy Brandes Jewelry
Earrings, Silver Jewelry Club

Gimme to the beat, all night dont roll

I had a traumatic Dr’s visit today. I’m not sick. But I had to do something I didn’t want to do. And I hate my insurance company.

Anyway, I wanted to look pretty, because looking pretty makes me feel better. So I went full-on girly.



I’m pretty stunning right? Loved this. As did my husband and co-workers.

As is typical, I was standing outside, taking pictures of myself minding my own business.



When Nathan walked out. I turned to him, mid-shot, as I almost always do.



“Come take a picture with me, baby”, I said. “No, I don’t look good”, he claimed. We went back a forth for a while, but he refused as he always does, and offered instead to operate the camera. By which he meant “take pictures of the faces you make between shots without telling you".



Thanks, babe. No, really. Thanks. Punk.





After my Dr’s visit I stopped and got some more DRY* soda.


It’s addictive. I got Lavender, Rhubarb and Lemongrass this time. If you can find it, you should try it. It’s not overly sweet and it's low in calories for a soda. I actually found a bottle of vodka in the freezer** and added a splash to the Rhubarb and it was perfection.

*Oh my gosh, last time I wrote about them they e-mailed me!~ Isn’t that awesome? So, if you are reading again, DRY PR department, Hello!~ And I love your soda!

**I had forgotten we had it, as we don’t normally keep liquor. Nathan picked it up once a few months ago for a party, as it is the polite thing to do to bring something to a party, but I was like “Dude, we are too poor to be giving people that bottle of vodka right now” and stuck it in the back of the freezer. I am not as good of a party guest when I am poor, I guess.

Dress, Old Navy
Sweater, Victoria’s Secret
Belt, Target
Tights, Target
Shoes, Payless
Necklace, Love Erin Designs

With you, only you, I know I can be myself

I know this is a bit casual for the office. I know that some offices would have sent me home. But it was my first day back after almost a week, and really, my first day getting dressed in something other than leggings in a tee in as long. So I went for comfort.



And I kind of love it. I’m big into the hoodie jacket combo right now, I just love the way a hoodie under a jacket looks. I’m also big on the hoodie with a dress look. I’ve seen it in a few magazines and while it never would have occurred to me on my own, I really dig the casual/dressy mix.



I was really comfy and I made a note to myself that this would be a GREAT vacation outfit for somewhere like NYC or San Francisco in the Spring or Fall. I wear a lot of layers when I travel because you experience so many different temps in one day when you are out from morning to late night, which is how we travel. Up at 9 AM, a museum or two, a garden or landmark somewhere, lunch, vintage shopping, record stores, dinner, a show or dancing and then drinks. We tend to hit life hard when we travel!



Dress, Victoria’s Secret
Jacket, Target
Hoodie, American Apparel
Tights, Target
Boots, Vintage, second hand
Bag, arebycdesign at Etsy

A Random Plum Sweater

I haven’t worn this dress since Easter. It’s been through a lot. I ripped it basically taking it off the first and only time I wore it. And then it sat in my car waiting to be taken to the tailor for repair. And then it got water on it at some point and it mildewed. And finally last week I had it repaired and cleaned an now it’s back in rotation.



I’m not super matchy-matchy. I mean, I can be. I do it sometimes. But it’s not a rule. I don’t need things to match. I sometimes don’t even need them to “go”. I just need them to feel good together.



I choose this plum sweater to wear with it because…why not? There is no purple, plum or lilac in the dress, but I thought it looked nice. And I love this sweater and I don’t wear it often enough.



I also wore leggings, because my office has been freezing, and it’s September now, so it’s totally acceptable behavior.





I wore my huge-pain-in-the-behind-to-make-and-therefore-never-to-be-duplicated-by-me multi chain hoops…



And this…


I had a hard time getting a good picture of it, but it’s amazing, and it came to me in a flash while watching Project Runway last Saturday on the DVR. I don’t even really remember why. Someone wearing a lariat necklace maybe? Who knows. All I know is that I have had these beads for YEARS and have never really known what to do with them. And when I made this I was so glad I had hung onto a couple of them.



Look at the carving. They are so cute.



And that’s that!~

Dress, Ruche
Sweater, Victoria’s Secret
Leggings, Target
Boots. Thrifted
Earrings and necklace, self made

These are my skinny jeans.

I bought them at my very thinnest. Some days, they won’t go over my thighs. Some days they do. I feel so thin and wonderful when they do. I used to feel REALLY bad about myself on days when they didn’t fit, in fact I avoided trying them on for a few months out of fear of a bad self-esteem day. But I’ve started to let it go. It’s just a pair of jeans. I still weight the same as I did before I tried them on.





But I am not going to lie. As much as I’ve decided not to feel bad when they DON’T fit…I still enjoy when they do.





I have a hard time getting shots of my various rings, but this one came out really well! I love the contrast of the classic almost vintage style of the sapphire ring next to the playfulness of the skull ring. The sapphire was a Valentine’s day gift from Nathan one year, and the skull was from my best girl Alannah.



Tee, American Apparel
Jeans, Dear at Steve and Barry’s
Sandals, Victoria’s Secret
Bag, GAP
Necklaces, Haute Hardware at Etsy
Sapphire and diamond ring, Target fine jewelry
Skull ring, Road Kill at Etsy

Pretty

I don’t know kids. I can’t come up with anything else for a title. I looked pretty. It’s just FACTS. I think so many of us have issues saying that, or even feeling it, and when I do, I’m just going to be honest about it. I looked really pretty.





I am wearing the heck out of this hand me down shrug. Yay for hand me downs!



But I still look pretty without it (not for the office, or should I say, not for MY office *wink wink*)



I went with flats this time because I am still loving the combination of a floral print and a snakeskin . I had to be super careful going up stairs not to step on my dress. There was less than an inch between the hem and the floor.



I also love a bug accessories with a floral print. Because bugs like flowers. And it’s the little things that amuse me.



Lara made this and gifted it to me after I swooned over the one she made for herself.



OK, she really needs to start selling. I just love her stuff and I get lots of compliments on it. And I love this piece because I love to mix my metals and it’s so simple, but so genius, to put silver beads on a gold chain. An instant classic.

Dress, Target
Shrug, hand me down from Lara
Sandals, Victoria’s Secret
Earrings, chainchainchained at Etsy
Bracelet, gift, handmade by Lara

Not Listening

At some point I wore this dress, maybe last winter? And I got more than one comment saying that it was unflattering on me. I didn’t listen.



I love the cut on this dress, the way it nips in at the waist, like a giant wide belt.



And I love pockets in a dress.







This bunny pendant was the very first thing that I bought from Haute Hardware. It was on a shorter chain, because that was really the style then. I moved it to a longer chain to make it more versatile because I just love it. I found that once it was longer and I could see it, I worry it all day. I love having something to worry.



SO cute!~ Tiny bunny!



Sandals of awesomeness…



Dress, Rogan for Target
Sandals, Victoria’s Secret
Cardi, Alternative
Bunny pendant, Haute Hardware Etsy
Bunny Bracelet, Love Erin Designs at Etsy
Bone necklace, Love Erin Designs Etsy