Rules are For Fools, And Fool's Paradise is Hard to Find

Shortly before the TxSCC, Jentine challenged herself to thrift me a sequined top. I hear she tiptoed dangerously close to the deadline, but she totally came through!



And I, of course wore it to work. With cutoffs. Because I'm classy. In fact I was working at the buy counter that day and I had a wonderful seller come in with some fun sequins and lace and even a Betsy Johnson dress (new! with tags!) and she talked about how she loved all her sequins and lace and fun things, but where could she wear them? And I just pointed at my top. "The grocery store" I said. And she laughed, but I think I may have planted a seed. Sure there are "appropriate" times and places to wear your fancy duds...but who wants to wait?



I can't wait to style it up different ways as well. Skinny jeans, a body con black skirt, who knows? Black sequins are my new neutral.



I also wore dark blue boots with it. Because they were new to me and I wanted to and rules are for fools. I have been trying on every single pair of these little fringe boots that have come in since I started working at Buffalo Exchange and these fit really well.



Nathan said he noticed them all over Austin and the thing was to wear them with cutoff shorts and super ripped up pattern tights. Have you seen this trend? Austin ladies? Was it a SXSW thing? I mean, I'll try anything once, but that sounds strange...

I wore my geode slice earrings...



And this beautiful new pyrite and sterling silver ring I got from My Own Little Universe.* I love Katie. She's so talented and she is also beautiful, and smart and really genuine. I love love love knowing a little bit about the artists I buy my jewelry from!



(I got al little carried away with the editing trying to obscure my dry winter hands! Sorry about that kids...)



I love pyrite. And I love the color contrast of the pyrite against the darkened silver. She has another similar ring in the shop right now, so if you love it, hop on over and grab one for yourself!

Blouse, gift from My Edit (blog)
Shorts, Wal-Mart
Tights, Target
Boots, Buffalo Exchange
Earrings, self made
Ring, My Own Little Universe
Watch, Swatch

* I purchased this ring on my own, it was not a gift, and I was not compensated to promote MOLU. I just like Katie's work.

Who Wants To Come In My Candy Shop?

My new camera arrived and we are slowly getting acquainted. I know most fashion bloggers upgrade from a point and shoot to a DLSR, but I like to do things a little different and downgrade from a DLSR to a point and shoot.



Yesterday I took the day off work to lounge, read and go to a book signing. One of my favorite authors, Richelle Mead was near town, up in Allen and I was super excited to get to see her in person.



I had to carry two bags as no bag could contain both all of the books I wanted signed as well as my everyday things.

Behold: the books I wanted signed:


That’s the first book from each of the series by her that I read as well as the hardback of the book the actual tour is for. She technically only signs three books person, but my girlfriend only wanted to have two books signed so she carried my fourth through the line for me.



I wore a tee shirt that my BFF Alannah sent me that I got Saturday and have already worn twice. You know how I do.



I also made a necklace for Ms. Mead based on a design that is important to the characters in the Vampire Academy series. Of course I made one for me as well. I really like that it’s subtle but also very specific to the books. I can be a fan-girl without wearing something silly like an “I love Dimitri” necklace, which might be great if I were 15, but is not so cool at 34.

(IDK what I'm doing here but I like my hair cape)


After seeing the pics, I wasn’t super excited by the way the leggings looked and changed into black and white patterned tights.

And to cap things off, a lovely picture of the super friendly and amazing Ms. Mead..



Is she not ADORABLE?

And a slightly horrid picture of me in which Ms Mead is signing my books.



I had a great time with my friends, sitting around talking waiting for the signing to start and Ms. Mead was so friendly and accommodating. She read from the new book, did a Q and A and signed up to three books for around 350 people and she did it all with a smile.

Sweater, Target
Tee, hand me down from Alannah
Shorts, Wal-Mart
Leggings, Target
Boots, Doc Martins
Black leather handbag, Steven
Book bag, gift
Necklace, self made due to extreme nerdiness

So Everybody Put Your Best Suit Or Dress On

Bloggers, do you blog an outfit the same day you wear it? I go through cycles. Times where I am all caught up and blogging same day and times where I have a couple outfits in reserve and I am posting a few days behind. I think I prefer being behind. It lets me wear the outfit for an entire day, thus letting me really experience it, and get to know all its perks and pitfalls. Plus, I feel like I have a more natural reaction to an outfit a few days out, when I am a little removed from the immediacy of how the outfit felt, and can assess the pictures from a step back.

That all seems a little deep and over the top for pictures of outfits, but that’s how I live my life, yo.

My reaction today to discovering this outfit was next in line to blog about? “Yay! I love that outfit!”



It was comfy, and just the right level of dressy-casual for a day at the office with no meetings. If I have a meeting with a higher up, I like to keep it a bit dressier, and would have chosen different shoes. But these were perfect for this day. I loved how the denim leggings scrunched into them.



I also loved this picture of my dog, being a creeper, photo-bombing me and PEEING IN MY PICTURE.



Jacket, Forever XXI
Blouse, Wal-Mart
Denim leggings, Target
Boots, Target

Eatin' Cheese On Toast

(Thank you so much for your many kind words in response to my last post.)

I was really pleased with this outfit, but it was the belt that really made it for me.



I’d been hunting for just this belt at thrift stores for a while, but of course once Nathan started looking it showed up. You know how strong the Thrift-Fu is with that one.



And I pretty much just wanted that belt to wear with this dress. I don’t know when or where the idea got stuck in my head, but it did. I remembered that they were popular in the nineties, and decided that it would be a good pattern mix for this dress.





I also love the combination of this bracelet with this watch.



The colors are perfect.

And that’s all. I’m a girl of few words today. I’m exhausted and I am behind on life, but caught up on laundry.

Dress, Wal-Mart
Belt, thrifted by Nate
Jacket, Target
Shoes, vintage
Bag, Lush
Watch, thrifted by Nate, vintage Swatch
Bracelet, self made

Collecting All The People You Love To Sing You A Song

I spent forever last night trying to put together an outfit. I think I am just having one of those uninspired streaks. I hate everything I try on, and I have trouble coming up with new combinations. It will pass! And I did finally come up with something I loved…



I forget I have this skirt. Why are some wardrobe elements prone to being forgotten? My theory is that it is a staple, and staples are boring.





My feet are not actually as small as all that, these shoes are just shaped in such a way they make me look like I have Barbie feet.



I am mostly posting this close up for Hillary and Alannah, who will both appreciate it!



That’s a limited edition Tokidoki for Lesportsac bear, a Tokidoki key chain and a kid robot munny on a clip together. I wanted it to be a wee bit over the top. Success.

So I’ve been wearing two different earrings (well technically two different earrings and one cuff). I seem to be the only one on board with this style choice. Nathan is not a fan, and co-workers are not big on the look. But I like it. I can’t even pinpoint why, other than it’s different, and not too outrageous and I love earrings. I only made one of each of these. The double ball earring I have worn every day with one hoop or another and I always wear the cuff (which I know is hardly visible, but there) on the same ear as the double earring. So basically only the left side changes. I don’t know. I like it.



Blouse, Wal-Mart
Skirt, Target
Bah, LUSH
Bag charm, various Kid Robot and Tokidoki charms
Shoes, vintage
Earrings, self made

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)

In A Fast German Car, I‘m Amazed That I Survived

I am not sure I could have gone any more expected or traditional with my accessories today, but when something works, it works!~



I got this tee at Target when we were in Austin, I got this one and the black and cream striped one I wore last week. I am normally a little scared of stripes. The stories they tell you in school are not lies, they tend to make me look and feel bigger. But something about the cut and the size of the stripes on these actually accentuates my curves in the most flattering way without making me looks big at all. And the fabric is ridiculously soft.



I can’t believe I’m tucking this in. I swear it had been years! And then last week I tucked the other one in and it just really worked. I tried this with the tee out and it looked totally fine, but in, it just looked so much better.



I have reached that point where I know it would be better for my hair if I got a trim, but I’m not ready. I have developed some really weird issues about my hair over the years. I used to have both a reoccurring dream and a very real fear that someone would chop it off from behind me in a nightclub. I have no idea where that came from, but to this day I have a tendency to sweep it to the side and over my shoulder so I can see it when I’m out. And I just can’t imagine ever wearing it short again. I cut it short for the last time when Nathan’s dad was in the hospital getting a heart transplant 13(?*) years ago or so. We went to visit him and in his deeply drugged up state he flat out told me he hated it. I never did it again. Clearly I care what my father-in-law thinks! Give me a month and I’ll get it trimmed.



I know I have too many pictures today, but sometimes you just get a good batch!~ I have not had a good batch in a while cause I keep having sleepy time face every morning. My Blackberry didn’t go off this morning though, and when I looked at it was frozen at the time the alarm should have gone off, and so I had to do a hard reset where you take the battery out, and then it told me it was 7 AM and I almost went back to bed, but instead I checked Nathan’s clock and it told me it was 8 AM. I was so mad. So that got me good and woke up.



I have been having a lot of trouble creating lately. I sit down with my kit and nothing comes. So I was really excited when I made this a couple weeks ago. I think it came out really pretty and simple and classic.

The following is a genuine reaction to the question “Why don’t you do some scissor kicks?”



I did not do any scissor kicks.

One last thing, Weardrobe users...I am on some sort of "0 likes" streak. I was getting 10 or so per look there for a while, and I give them freely whenever I like something. Any advice? Is it just a fluke or did I offend someone? Weardrobe continues to not make much sense to me, but I participate 4-5 days a week.

*I am so bad with remembering how long ago stuff was. We were in collage. We were engaged, but not married, I think. And it was the nineties. Ray, my father-in-law is fine now. His heart is younger than me.

Tee, Target (recent)
Pants, Wal-Mart
Belt, Target
Shoes, Target
Bag, Thrifted by husband
Necklace, self made
Bracelet, self made

I Spend My Time There By The Shore

That’s a really solid outfit. I feel good in it. And that’s about all I have to say about it. Do you ever run out of things to say about your clothes? I mean we, as a community, talk about our clothes every day. And normally I have plenty to say. But some days not so much.



But let’s talk about something else. Do you like Rock and Roll? If I could recommend just one Rock and Roll band to you, and the world, forever, it would be The Black Angels. They do Rock and Roll the way I imagined it when I was a kid. Gritty, angry and loud. They have an energy I have never felt from any other band, and I love seeing them live. I cannot stand still. I close my eyes and sway and am totally enveloped by the music. They used to play a lot more around here, but I get the impression they are doing pretty well, because they had a track featured on Vampire Diaries of all things a couple weeks ago. That was…strange, but I’m glad for the exposure.



Go listen to these tracks on the on-site player:
Better off Alone
The First Vietnamese War - my personal favorite.

The order a copy of "Passover".

You will not be disappointed. And if you have a few extra bucks and want to show me your gratitude for introducing you to the most awesome Rock and Roll Band ever, you can order me that Headdress Logo Tee, because I do not have that one and it is AWESOMESAUCE.

ETA: We are going to go see them THIS WEEKEND in Austin at Austin Psych Fest 3! They are playing TWICE.

Jacket, Alexander McQueen for Target
Blouse, Wal-Mart
Pants, Forever XXI
Heels, Target (recent)
Bag, Thrifted, Antonio Melani
Earrings, self made
Watch necklace, Fink Gifts at Etsy

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 Time To Step It Up A Notch

I have a lot to talk about today, so if you are just here for the pics…skip to the end.

I want to start by mentioning a great project by some of the ladies in our community.

Basse Mode is a project to create a magazine focusing on what the creators are calling “low fashion”. I’m very excited about the concept. I cannot tell you how many times I have asked Nathan why there are no magazines that focuses on shopping and fashion for the middle class. I can’t afford 99% of the things in fashion magazines. Lucky, when they started, used to be much better about incorporating some affordable fashion, but I actually opted not to renew my subscription this year as more and more it was only focusing on high end pieces. Look, high end pieces are great. And they have their place. I enjoy reading about them and I aspire to be able to own some one day. But that’s not the reality for me now. Nor is it the reality for most of you. Here is a snippet from Basse Mode’s site:

“Basse Mode is a magazine built for normal everyday women. We know that the feeling of flicking through a glossy magazine can’t be beaten. However, all the magazines feature the same thing – unwearable looks, unaffordable clothes, and an emphasis on being and looking the same as one another. We want to condense all the brilliance that the fashion blogging world has to offer into something that we can put on the coffee table. That we can show off on the coffee table. A beautiful documentation of what real women wear, what real people think, and things that actually affect our lives. Nothing like this has ever been done before, but we think it could be brilliant.”

Pop over and take a look. Seriously consider signing up to contribute. I already have. I’ve got a link over in the side bar below my followers, and you can get that badge over at Basse Mode. If you believe in the project, I encourage you to get involved, and post the badge on your site.

I also want to talk a little bit about “Stay Fabulous or Get Slapped Friday”. There are not a lot of rules, OK? But there are a couple.

1. No slapping someone who has made an effort. Not everyone can be as naturally stylish as you.

2. I’m going to go ahead and state that slapping people at work or school is probably a bad idea. If you get into trouble, do not blame me.

3. Remember that the whole thing is just for fun. No hurting people. Faces or feelings. (Unless they have those sweatpants on that have something written across the bum, and then look, I totally understand. You can’t be expected not to over react to something like that. Especially if they are also wearing Uggs *shudder*.)

Guess what? It’s only Thursday and I’m already fabulous.



This is a Wal-Mart $14 dolla dress, just like the Chambray dress that you all loved so much last week, but different. I am feelin' just a little bit of pressure today in fact, because you guys loved that look so much.



This time, I just embraced the inherent country look of the dress and ran with it. I added the moto jacket to keep it true to my own style. I honestly don’t think I have much I can’t add a moto jacket of some sort to.



Even without the jacket though, the style of the boots keeps it from being too costume-y. I just love the cut on these dresses and feel it’s so flattering. It also came in a red plaid, and maybe blue plaid, but I find I do best with solids and black and white. I love a black and white print or pattern.



The belt was actually Nathan’s tweak. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go with a vintage western belt of a plain brown belt. I had the dress laid out with a plain belt, and Nathan said “Why not wear a western belt?” and that clenched it for me. Then we had a look through his collection of buckles for the perfect one. I knew which one I wanted all along of course!~ Texas!



And to stay with the theme, a bat skull and a bullet on a chain.



I know I’ve preached this before, but if you don’t have a set of needle nose pliers, a bag of cheapie jump rings and some cheap chain…get some. It opens up a world of possibilities. On longer lengths of chain when I don’t even bother to add a clasp, since I know I’m only customizing the piece for one or two wears and then I will change it again.

Jacket, Alexander McQueen for Target
Dress, Wal-Mart (P.S. it's only $10 right now!)
Tights, Old Navy
Boots, Target
Belt, vintage
Buckle, vintage
Bag, Lucky “Stash” bag