I've Been Workin' Workin' Day and Night

I loved this outfit beyond reason.



There is just something about florals and stripes that really speaks to me. It is my favorite pattern combination of all time. (OF ALL TIME!)



These pictures were also taken right about the time I started to adjust to and really love my bangs. I'm good with them now. I feel like they were a positive step, but it was touch and go there for a while in the beginning. I'm not good at learning how to style my hair in new ways and whenever I change it I have an adjustment period that includes thinking I have a made a huge mistake. When I cut it it's the styling that gets me, but the few times I've changed the color it's been eve worse. Suddenly none of my clothing or make-up looks right on me anymore and I panic. And that is why I just keep it it's natural color now. (Oh I dye it to cover the grey now and then, I just dye it the same shade it actually is.)



Today is my co-worker Alanna's last day at Buffalo Dallas. She is transferring to a store in California. I wish her all good things and happiness, but I will miss her terribly. We love you, Alanna!



Jacket, Forever XXI
Tank, Target
Jeans, Target
Clogs, Nordstrom Rack
Bangles and Bracelet, Buffalo Exchange
Necklace, Wendy Brandes

Boobs, Wendy

For Valentines Day, the Southern Fashion Bloggers were asked to write about Valentines themed accessories. Obviously I'm going to write about my newest Wendy Brandes piece, the Emoticon Heart Ring.



Wendy posted a Facebook only sneak peak and sale before she posted about the new ring on her site or made it available in her regular store. I was the very first to order one. I just couldn't resist it's charm.

I've been using the "less than 3"* combination to mean "Love" for years now. When I first started signing off on email that way, my sister asked "What is this? What are you saying? Is it boobs, Erin ?" and I got a real kick out of that. In fact, I often still read it as "boobs, Erin" in my head.



The ring is stunning in real life as well. It is adjustable, so you don't have to know what size to order, sterling silver, so no turning your finger green, and has a really nice weight to it. I love when I can FEEL a piece of jewelry like I can this one.



I'm not saying everyone should run out and buy one. I'm not saying that because there is nowhere to run. So I'm saying click right over and buy one. Do it. You know you want to. It's the Jewel of The Month for February, so now is the time!**

Be sure to stop by and see what all the other Southern Fashion Bloggers had to say!

Penny Loves Charlie
Prototype Mama
Trashy Diva
Southern Belles and Beignets
Miss Malaprop
No(LA) More Chains
Slow Southern Style
Odelma Vintage
Style Cakes

*Hey! guess what? When I try to type the actual emoticon, Blogger says "OMG, your HTML is broken!" and refuses to post.

**Guess what else?. I was not compensated in any way. I just really like this ring. And Wendy.

Strike A Pose, There's Nothing To It (For the Love of Wendy B)

Today is for doing your best Wendy B pose. Pop on over and take a look! (I think Jentine nailed it, personally!)




I went with the double hand on hips and added leopard print for a little edge. And to compensate for my complete lack of red lips or ability to do an open mouth smile unprompted. (You have to make me laugh, or it looks...unnatural...)

(I'm interested in feedback on how you would style this shoulder harness! Please let me know!)

Shoulder harness, snefter at Etsy
Tees, Target (men's)
Skirt, Forever XXI
Tights, We Love Colors
Boots, Doc Martens

Waiting For The Weekend, So I Can Move My Body

I found these pictures on the camera card when I grabbed the pics from this weekend for the blog. I can’t really remember why I didn’t post them, but I can tell you that right before my break I had gotten to where I hated pretty much every picture we took. I was just not in a good place. I was so stressed out about the potential job offer for Nathan and what that might mean for our lives (all good things but a lot of stressful things as well) that I was just downright unpleaseable*.



Looking back at them now I feel kind of sad that I was so unhappy with them that I didn’t even post them because they are not that bad. I look tired yes, and my smile is pretty low watt, but the outfit itself is really cute.



Just a little bit about what’s going on with the blog…I have ordered a new camera. One that has a self timer, but one of those FANCY self timers what you can set to take up to like, 30 pictures in one go.



That way I’ll be able to go back to shooting my own pictures when Nathan is not available (so, basically, most days). My point and shoot passed away sometime during Nathan’s unemployment and I’m a point and shoot girl. I just am. Once that arrives I plan to get back to posting 4-5 times a week again. And as an added bonus for me, I get to start fresh, with a few new clothes you’ve never seen and a fresh perspective. I’m excited about it!

*I get that it’s not a real word, Spell Check, I am using it anyway, mkay? Mkay.

Dress, sweater, tights and shoes, Target
Bag, Rachel Nasvik
Necklace, Wendy Brandes

Brand New Clothes And A Big Fat Place On Your Rock And Roll TV

I. Love. This. Outfit.



I know that the Some People are all worked up and upset over the return of 90s fashions, but not me. I’m totally down with floral, flannel and clogs. I wore this on a Saturday with knee high black socks and clogs, but for work I felt tights more appropriate.



I got this dress at a thrift store a while back and it was floor length. I was like “Look, Nathan, we can hem it.” He said “I don’t think that is going to be as easy as you think it is.” But you know I had to try. The thing is…I can’t sew.

I mean, at all. I no longer remember how many times I broke a machine in college. It was eventually suggested that maybe I costume shows using rented pieces, or thrifted. Maybe not so much with the sewing when I was costuming…



But still. I wasn’t GOING to sew, see I was going to use Stitch Witch. And I did. And well, I sort of miscalculated, and now it’s more of a long top, or a tunic than a dress, but I did do it. So not AS easy as I thought, true. But it is shorter, and the hem is straight, and it did hold. So there’s that. So I threw on a lace skirt, a little number I refer to as my “Kyla” skirt, and if you take a look at her blog I think you might be able to figure out why…



Overall I’m happy with the outcome. I prefer the additional layer of the lace aesthetically anyway. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Flannel, thrifted by Nathan
Dress, thrifted and shortened by me
Skirt, Target
Tights, Target
Clogs, White Mountain via Amazon.com
Bag, Nordstrom Rack
Necklace, Wendy Brandes Jewelry

A Million Ancient Bees Began To Sting Our Knees

I don’t know why I feel the need to mention it every time, but I do! This is my Blogs First Dress. I remember buying this at Urban Outfitters YEARS ago. It was on sale, it had originally been like 60 bucks, you know how they do over there, and it was reduced to like 30 bucks. That was still a lot for a dress, but I bought it. And I have never regretted it. At this point it is full of picks and runs, but the pattern of the fabric makes them pretty much unnoticeable. I can’t believe how well it is holding up to be honest!



Every time I wear it, I try on several different jackets and cardigans, and I almost always end up with this one. The floaty-ness of the cardigan and the floaty-ness of the dress just go really well together.



I am in love with those clogs. I admit, it is possible I have made a bit of a fashion misstep with them. Sometimes I look at them and think they are the height of style and so cute and sometimes I think they are just this side of the geriatric wing of the hospital. But the truth is, either way, I love them.



They are much more comfortable than I could have hoped for and if I could afford to I would turn around and order the tan color right now. I actually had a hard time deciding between the two in the beginning and went back and forth over which pair would go with more things, but in the end I felt it was six of one, half a dozen of another and ordered the black.



What do you think? Are you on board with the return of clogs? Are you only on board with some styles (like the gorgeous Jeffery Campbell Charli-C high heeled ones), or all of them? Did you wear them in the past? (When was the last time they were popular, the nineties?) I know I have had some before, and I know that a lot of people will say that if you wore it the first time around then you are too old for it the second time around and to those people I say “Please go see Ms Wendy B, so she can set you straight.”

Cardigan, Alternative
Dress, Urban Outfitters
Bag, LUSH
Watch Necklace, Fink Gifts art Etsy
Clogs, White Mountain via Amazon

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 Want Your Love, Love Love Love, I Want Your Love....huh!

Lady Gaga tickets for Dallas go on sale in 15 minutes. I’m super stressed. I wore my Gaga for luck…



We’ll see if it helps. I really want to go. I can’t actually afford a ticket, but the girlfriend I am going with has offered to buy the tickets and let me pay her back in installments. THAT is a good friend. I am in charge of the actual purchase though, hence the anxiety.



Do you get all worked up about concert tickets or is it just me? I don’t want to go see a show very often, but when I do, I REALLY want to go. I like the pop shows with lots of dancing and lights and visuals and costume changes. It’s more theatre than concert, and Gaga promises to be the most theatrical of all.



The best part about this tee is how far down the graphic is, leaving room for lots of jewelry. The worst part about this tee is how far down the graphic is, making it kind of awkward looking and resulting in it wrinkling funny when I sit down.



This is pretty much my plan for summer hair this year. Hair sticks.



It’s so long I can’t do much else really, and this is so simple and easy. Fellow Blogger Jen has an Etsy store with very nice affordable hair sticks made by her husband, and I am planning on getting at least one of those. You can see all my grey in this picture. I colored it for years and years, but at some point last year Nathan said "I kind of like the grey." and that was the end of that. My mom said my dad always preferred hers natural, too!

OK kids. It's time. Wish me luck!~

ETA: We got tickets! Yay!

Cardigan, Lauren Conrad for Kohl’s
Tee, Lady Gaga’s website
Denim Leggings, ANA at JC Penny
Sandals, Target
Skull necklace, self made
Dharma Wheel necklace, found
Orb necklace, Tower of London Gift Shop
Isabella Wolf Fang Necklace, Wendy Brandes Jewelry
Earrings, gift from Pilar
Bag, Reby C at Etsy

Look at Your Paycheck…Where’s it All Goin’? To Jerks Like Me, Who Spend it on Nothin’

Hey kids!~ How are you today? Fabulous, I hope!~

Today, for Stay Fabulous or Get Slapped Friday, I decided to be bold, to take a risk. Because taking a risk is Fabulous. I decided to dip my toe in uncharted waters, and wear double denim. Now here is the thing. ..I’ve been anti-double denim for as long as I can remember. No discussion, just “NO”. But I feel like it’s everywhere now!~ And when Wendy asked for photos of people wearing double denim for her blog I thought “Why not”.

So here I am.



NOT BAD, am I right? I feel a little odd about it, but overall, I think it’s good. I don’t think you look at it and think “Texas Tuxedo” but Ladies and Gentleman that is EXACTLY what it is.



I think maybe I should keep my mind open to the whole thing. Pairing this jacket with dark denim jeans not only works, but opens up a whole new section of my wardrobe to wear it with. It takes it from a work piece to a weekend piece and even an evening out piece.

I even carried a denim colored bag.



And because being Fabulous is not something that is limited to the ladies, a rare appearance of the man in my life…



This is a pretty classic Nathan look. A band or vintage tee, skinny jeans, and a jacket. The jacket was our friend Bill’s University Choir jacket, and came with a tux, but Nathan gets the most use out of the jacket.



Fierce.



We can’t remember where I got this tee, but we think I got it online. It was before they got back together for the tour last year (which, if you missed it, I am sorry, it was an experience of a lifetime). Nathan went to see them twice on that tour. He flew to NYC to see them play in, what 2008? And then they hit Dallas last year and we went together. I have to say I’m not a huge MBV fan as far as recordings go, but live, there is nothing, and I mean nothing, like the experience of seeing them play.



Those are my favorite man shoes of EVER. They are classy and rock and roll in equal measures. They are apparently not the most comfortable shoe ever, but why should we be the only ones to suffer for beauty, ladies?

Stay Fabulous this weekend, kids, and have a good one!~

On Her:
Jacket, Forever XXI
Blouse, hand me down from Berry, Target
Denim Leggings, ANA at JCPenny
Shoes, Old Navy
Bag, Dior
Necklace, Wendy Brandes Jewelry

On Him:
Tuxedo Jacket, Secondhand
My Bloody Valentine Shirt, Gift
Jeans, ODYN (procured at Buffalo Exchange)
Zippered Ankle Boots, Thrifted
Belt, Aeropostale
Swatch Watch, Gift

Well, It's Only a Mountain, It's Only A Mountain

Oh Hi!~ I’m still around. I decided to take a page out of Kasmira’s book and not tell you I would be gone for safety reasons. And as long as I’m being honest…my husband went out of town, not me. I still got dressed and went to work everyday. But I haven’t exactly learned to use the new camera yet. So I didn’t take pictures. Lesson learned, I need to learn to use the camera.

And staying honest…



Meh. I’m not super impressed with this. It was thrown together last minute. I literally slept in those leggings and then dressed around them. I had a really hard time waking up today, and I think it shows. I am also really having trouble dressing for the weather lately. My mind has moved on to Spring ensembles, but the weather has refused to cooperate. It snowed all day Saturday. And it was 37 degrees (F) when I woke up today.



It’s not terrible. It doesn’t make me feel fat, and that's a pretty big feat these days, to be honest. It’s comfortable, and it covers everything that needs covering. I just don’t love it.



I’ve been doing some deep thinking about the blog lately. (Don’t you just hate when that happens?) My blog is designed to feature low budget fashion. And it does. But I am at a point now where I don’t even have a low budget for fashion. I have no budget for fashion. I don’t mention it much on here, but my husband was laid off in December of 2008. He has had some freelance here and there, but he has not found steady work. We have done a really good job of staying afloat so far, but I have also had a really hard time facing up to reality. Nathan has been more than patient and more than understanding about it. We are at the place where money? It’s really tight. And for me, not buying clothes is a challenge no matter what, but I feel added pressure to buy new things to keep the blog fresh, to remain interesting. Not pressure for you, pressure from me. And I have to really face up to that right now and see if I can continue to present a relevant, interesting blog without purchasing new things. I know others before me have done just that, but I feel like I’m working from a much smaller wardrobe than those people. Maybe I’m not, but I feel like I am. So that’s where I am at. Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ll stick around.

Jacket, Bona Drag, customized by me
Cardigan, Target
Dress, American Apparel
Leggings, Target
Boots, Vintage
Isabella Wolf Fang Necklace, Wendy Brandes

It's Not Fair, You Say, I'm Square

I sincerely wish weekends were longer. It’s not that I mind working, it’s just that I really prefer doing whatever I want. Surely you understand?

I may have quit the Coupland book. I’m not sure. It was…OK. I wasn’t really excited by it at all, I didn’t look forward to stolen moments reading a few pages. It didn’t really draw me in. I didn’t mean to stop reading it, I just got distracted by something I found much more interesting …“Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate, #1)”. The Coupland Book is still sitting on my bedside table, I just haven’t read anything from it in a couple of days. Often this ends poorly for the book in question, and I eventually just admit I have abandoned it.



There seems to be something amiss with the autofocus on our camera. This cannot be good. My brother-in-law gave us this camera (Flickr tells me it is a Canon EOS Digital Rebel, and I have no reason not to believe Flickr). I’m not a big camera person, and I don’t really know anything about it other than it takes lovely pictures, but I know enough to know I can’t afford replace this camera with a camera of the same quality. I am assuming I can take it to a camera shop and have it looked at? It normally takes such wonderful pictures, I can’t imagine going back to the old point and shoot!



I'm not going to lie. This outfit is pretty boring. The Wendy Brandes piece saves it from being totally narcoleptic though, I love that about it. I can wear almost anything, and as soon as I add that necklace I feel so much more “me”. And I do love this button up. I’m not a button up kind of girl, but I really like the color, and I wanted a bit of plaid to get in on the trend. This one has snaps instead of buttons, a generous cut that doesn’t gape at the chest and little snap tabs so you can wear the sleeves up or down. The fabric is really thin and I am wearing a tank under it for the weather now, but in the summer it will feel like wearing nothing at all.

I don’t do reviews or anything like that much, but I do have to rave a moment about Maybelline’s new SHINE sensational gloss. I just love it. I have two different tubes (they cost all of 4-5 bucks a pop), Cocoa Fever (left) and Crazy for Caramel (right).



Both have a lovely sweet sent that matches their name. The Cocoa Fever is a nude shimmer with just enough color to make me look fresh. Not too much, not too little. The Crazy for Caramel is a sheer gloss with glitter and has no color to speak of outside of the glitter, but I love it on top of a MAC Lipglass to tone down that sticky, thick feeling. They also work really well over the Cover Girl Outlast Lipstains I've raved about before.


Button Up, Target (recent)
Denim Leggings, Target
Boots, vintage
Bag, Nordstrom Rack
Earrings, Target, refashioned by me
Isabella Wolf Fang Necklace, Wendy Brandes

You Will Believe in Love and All That Its Supposed to Be

No, it’s not really warm enough outside to be without a jacket, but I think it might be this afternoon AND it certainly is in my office.



No worries, I did have on a jacket…



So... speaking of books (by which I mean, speaking of a book, yesterday) , what do you like?

What are your favorite non-fiction and fiction books? Why?

My favorite all time non-fiction book is Geri Halliwell’s first autobiography (yes, she has two!) “If Only”.



I just really enjoyed the refreshing and honest tone, and I identified with her dreams. Plus I was and always will be a huge Spice Girl and then Geri fan*. I only know about and love Girls Aloud (who are my all time top pop group) because Geri was a judge on the talent show they won, and thus I bought their first single when it came out, because of the Geri connection. But honest, it’s a really good read if you’re into that sort of thing, and I am.

My favorite all time fiction is “The Time Traveler’s Wife” by Audrey Niffenegger.



It is an amazing blend of love story, thriller/suspense and sci fi. All the things I like in fiction, done all at once and done really, really well. I have lost count of how many times I have read it but I own a hard back version, a paperback version, the audio on tape and the audio on CD. The voice actors on the audio versions are ACE and I was really pleased. Henry is perfection.



Back view!~ (Sorry about the bra view, it happens!)

*I own all the Spice CDs and singles, I have a huge box in storage with Spice dolls, Spice bags, Spice buttons, a Spice DUVET COVER…I have every book they ever put out, and I also own all of Geri’s solo albums and singles as well as books by Geri, Mel B, two by Victoria and a box of magazines. It’s crazy.

Jacket, Forever XXI
Dress, Target (recent)
Tights, Old Navy
Socks, Sock Dreams
Boots, Vintage
Dharma Wheel, found
Isabella Wolf Fang Necklace, Wendy Brandes

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