Wild, Wild Horses, Couldn't Drag Me Away

I found this shirt on the sale rack at work. The sale price was around 4 bucks. And I felt sorry for it. I had an emotional connection with it. I knew it wasn't really my style, but something about it made me want to take it home and give it a chance. So I did.



It's vintage and the cotton is so soft. It's from an actual Western Wear company which surprised me. I expected it to be from JCPenny or maybe Montgomery Ward...



The print is amazing...





Are you ever attracted to things that seem way off base for your normal style? Do you try and style around them or change your style to suit them?



Shirt and bag, Buffalo Exchange
Jeans, ANA at JCPenny
Shoes, Kork Ease
Jacket, Target

We Can Do Whatever We Want To

There is not a pattern to be found in this outfit*. Which is unlike me, I know. But sometimes basic is good.



This tee is from a men's multi-pack of Hanes tees, and it is ridiculously comfortable. And crazy cheap.



I love that the basic look of the plain white tee and jeans let's the bag shine. I love this bag. My manager wanted it as well, but I had it on my hold and I'm cold-hearted enough I bought it. But come on...wouldn't you have?



The fringe pieces are not sewn to the bag, there are hundreds of tiny holes on the outer leather layer of the bag, and the fringe is just threaded through them. On the one hand it's unnerving, and I worry I'll lose pieces. On the other hand it's really kind of soothing to sit and pull them though to make sure they are secure. Like a worry stone in purse format.



*if you look closely there is, in the form of a leopard print bra.

Tee, Hanes
Jeans, ANA at JC Penny
Shoes, Worishofer
Bag, Buffalo Exchange
Necklace, Yard Sale

Not The Last Time

I know this will come as a sort of "duh" revelation to those of you who have been living the dream for a while, but having a job I enjoy has had some unexpected health benefits. Overall, my body is less stressed. It's visible in my face and how I hold my body. Nathan has noticed. I sleep better, and spend less time worrying. And, it turns out, I've lost weight. Not a lot, but some, and because of my steady wardrobe of comfy dresses and generously fitted shorts, I didn't notice until I wanted to wear jeans. I woke up one day last week and it was finally warm enough to wear the butterfly shaped top I picked up when I went shopping with Elissa in February. I was so excited at the idea of wearing it I decided to just suck it up and pull on my ANA denim, even though I knew they was far too small now. And you know what? THEY FIT. In fact, I even have a little breathing room in them.



Now I'm not actually too fussed about the weight, but I am excited that my jeans fit!



In fact I wore them for the next 3 days solid. I had been without a good fitting pair of jeans for so long, I had forgotten how good they can feel and how great they can look.



And I just love this top. It's so flattering (and a size smaller than I normally take at Forever XXI, because that was all they had, so I'm glad it works!) and fun. And the colors are really nice on my pale skin. I'm so into any and everything lace right now, I can't get enough!



Of course this week it got chilly again and I'm back to warmer clothes, so I'm glad I got wearing of my top in last week!

Top, Forever XXI
Jeans, ANA at JCPenny
Bag, Vintage Coach via Buffalo Exchange
Shoes, Worishofer (now available at Urban Outfitters online)

Some Girls Mothers Are Bigger Than Other Girls Mothers

This outfit is Not Good. Not good at all. The blouse does not fit. It rides up over my bust and looks ridiculous and after today I am adding it to the “out” pile. I love it so much it’s hard to give it up, but it is not doing me any favors. Plus the proportions on the jeans and cardigan are not flattering at all. So I’m not loving it. I am however stuck in it for the rest of the day.



I’ll tell you this though; it’s just a bad outfit. It’s not who I am or what I am. Me personally? I’m still pretty awesome.



Cardigan, Target
Blouse, Target
Jeans, JCPenny
Shoes, Nordstrom Rack

Don’t You Hear The Laughter On The Way Down?

I am not 100% sure how I feel about what I am wearing today. Part of that is due to lack of planning. How often do you plan your outfits? Do you try them on or just lay them out? I do both, but I prefer when I have time to try them on. Because sometimes it doesn’t look right when you get it all together. Like today, I planned an outfit last night and did not try it on. When I got it all on today it was TOO MUCH. And I had about 5 minutes to change, resulting in an outfit I don’t love just yet. I might when I see the pictures, you know how it is.

I go through phases, sometimes I don’t plan at all for months, but for a while now, I have been planning 2-3 outfits ahead of time for a 5 day period. That seems to be working most of the time. I like to have a couple days open, because some of my best outfits come together when I am low on time, like this…



I put this together in about five minutes and I loved it. The proportions on it are great.



I have trouble styling that nylon jacket, but I’ve managed a couple of pretty good parings lately. I got it when it was the “Deal of the Day” on Target.com, and I think I paid all of $15 for it, shipped. Nice, huh? But hard to style. I am up for the challenge though!



Jacket, Target.com
Blouse, Liberty of London for Target
Denin Leggings, ANA at JCPenny
Boots, Matisse via Zappos

Call Me What You Will, But Call Me Again

On this day I was running late, feeling rushed and frumpy and scatterbrained. I could not get it together. And then Nathan asked me to wear this blazer, which belongs to him. So I quickly changed tees to go with it, and had to go with the outfit because at that point I was late late late. And I didn’t feel good. In fact I didn’t love this look all day. But seeing it in pictures changed my mind.



Nathan was 100% right. That blazer looks great. I stand corrected.
And those are jeans I am not really comfortable in right now, but even they look pretty good.



Maybe it was just my mood. Or maybe I lacked perspective, but it’s finding out stuff like this that makes photographing daily outfits worth it. That plus you have all these pictures to access when you lack inspiration and you can look back and see “Oh yeah! That outfit! That was smashing” and re-wear it.



I sure hope he lets me borrow that blazer again! The arms were a bit tight at the top, because it’s a little boys blazer, but the discomfort was minimal compared with the look. And now that I know it looks so nice, I will be able to ignore the minor inconvenience caused by the sleeves, because it will be overshadowed by the convenience of feeling Fabulous.



Boys blazer, borrowed from Nathan
Tee, Black Angels show
Denim Leggings, ANA at JCPenny
Boots, Blowfish via Zappos
Bag, thrifted by Nathan
Earrings, self made

Baby I'm Howlin' For You

So just a casual weekend look for you today.

I had on a jacket.


But I took it off.




And added a dog. Who was giving the camera some serious side eye.



So I tried to give him some love, but he only managed to look even more pathetic.


So I tried ignoring him.


But it didn’t last long. Who can ignore a QT like that? Not me. That’s who.

Jacket, Alexander McQueen for Target
Tee, Smoke and Feathers
Jeans, ANA at JCPenny
Shoes, Aldo
Dog, P. Bitty Johnson

She Took The Midnight Train Goin’ Anywhere

People at work thought this was a Def Leppard tee. It’s not. That would also be cool, and I would totally wear that, so if you have one and you need to find a home for it, I’m here for you.



I can see how you might be confused. That is not a super clear picture and I mean, a hair band is a hair band is a hair band without a logo, right?



And the back is not a lot more helpful. I had to point to just where the band name is before anyone could really tell who it was.



I felt like an extra from “Dazed and Confused”. Those earrings are pretty great too, they are basically tiny wind chimes that tinkle every time I move my head. Very occasionally it is problem, and I miss something someone said because I moved my head while they were talking, but mostly it is just a really pleasant thing to listen to all day.

Can we talk about those shoes please? They are really pretty. And they go with almost everything. But they hurt. Right at the very front of the shoes they rub my toes along the edge. I think I am going to try putting some moleskin along the edge unless you all have a better suggestion. The shoes are suede but the lining where they touch my feet is, unfortunately, man made.

Journey Tee, Vintage and thrifted by Nate
Jeans (denim leggings), ANA at JCPenny
Shoes, Target
Bag, LUSH, secondhand
Bag charm, Tokidoki, gift from Alannah
Earrings, gift from Alannah
Swatch, vintage and thrifted by Nate

The Dreams That You Dare To Dream Really Do Come True

(Thank you so, so much for all of your support. You really backed me up and it made me that much more confident in my choice to slow it down just a bit knowing you'll all still be here. Thank you, thank you, thank you.)


So, Nathan and I live in a Duplex with another guy. We all get along. We have two separate apartments, but only one address, one mailbox. No “A” or “1/2” separates our address from his. As a result, anytime something gets delivered to “resident” there is an unspoken challenge to see which one of us can be the laziest about getting rid of it. The logic being that if my NAME isn't on it, it's not really my responsibility. Phone books are an especially challenging item to ignore as they are so big and bulky, but as evidenced by the fact that when we took our photos today, we totally missed THIS:



Big orange plastic bag full of phone book, Nathan and I ate dedicated to making a good run of ignoring this one. I'll let you know how it turns out, I suspect I'll crack first.



I really liked a couple of things about my look this day. One was my hairstyle. It looked so fancy and amazing. It's the same side braid I always do, sans bump, and rolled into a bun.



I was really pleased with how it came out, but I did have a couple problems with it. The first being the way it highlighted my gray. Now I've been at peace with my gray hair for a few months now. Nathan mentioned at some point he kind of liked it. But this picture made me feel like maybe it's a bit out of hand. I don't tend to look as old as I am. I like that. This makes me look older. I colored it this weekend, or Nathan colored it for me anyway. Not that there is anything wrong with gray hair, it just didn't feel right for me anymore. The other problem was that it hurt. I had a pin in there wrong, and it pulled so much I eventually had to take it down and just wear it in a braid. I'm pretty sure I found a solution though,. We stopped at CVS on the way home, and they had one of the elusive Goody Spin Pins in stock.



Oh. My. Goodness. These are amazing. No pulling, and for serious realsies, the two spin pins hold my hair as well as 20 bobby pins. It's amazing. I am super impressed. I looked for them online at first and honestly, most places are either selling them in a bundle with other products, or charging so much for shipping it costs more than the pins, which I got for under $4.00 at CVS. I can't recommended them enough. Amazing little things.



The other thing I was wanting to talk to you about was my necklace.



It was made by fellow blogger Katie, over at in my own little universe, and I bought it in her etsy store of the same name. Katie has been invited to come to the MTV Movie Awards Gift Lounge, which will giver her an opportunity of a lifetime, to get her pieces in the hands ,and on the bodies of, celebrities at the event. The only glitch is that she needs to not only come up with 100 pieces to give away, she also has to come up with an event fee of $5000 and pay for travel expenses. I believe in supporting not just our fellow bloggers, but artists in general. If you feel like you can help, Katie is taking contributions on her blog. I am not in a place to be able to give myself, so I wanted to offer her my support by sharing her story and asking you guys to help if you can. Any little bit. I think she only needs a little bit more help, and she has been working SUPER hard. You could literally be making someones dreams come true.


Tee, Target, customized by me
Denim leggings, ANA at JC Penny
Leather bow flats, Target
Bag, Nordstrom Rack
Necklace, My Own Little Universe at Etsy

An Eclair! Eat It!

Remember yesterday when I said Nathan was going to look for a denim jacket for me to make into a vest? Not only did he find one that was the perfect fit, the perfect wash and in great condition, he cut off the sleeves and washed and dried it so that it was ready for me to style when I got home.



Perfection, no? I guess I am officially riding the double denim train now. Where did I see this look? I know I saw it somewhere and immediately clocked it as something I wanted to do and something super thriftable, but I can’t remember if it was in a blog, a magazine, online elsewhere or in real life. If it was you, shout it out.



My main plan for this baby is to wear it with my floral dresses, ones I wear in the winter with my leather jacket. Don’t be surprised if I get bored halfway through the summer and trick it out with studs and chains.



I also plan to walk around acting like a Street Tuff. Popped collar and all. I will so kick over your trash can, Grandma. (But then I will totally pick it up, and put all the trash back in it, I am so sorry ma’am, I do not know what came over me.)

Why did no one tell me the answer to “OMG, what do I wear under this tunic?” Was “a sports bra”? It seems so obvious now, but I have to be honest and tell you…this is the first one I have ever bought, because I got tired of you k now, being all over the place when doing Pilates.



I am so looking forward to tonight. It’s my boy Shannon’s birthday and I get out of work at 6 and have to be up at his (30 minutes away or so) at 7:30, so it will be a mad dash to switch to flats*, eat, try and love on my dog and get going, but it looks like a good time. And I love me some Shannon. He’s a cool guy.

*I planned to wear my flat snakeskin sandals to work today but Nathan expressed and opinion that this outfit really called for heels, and I do like a man with an opinion on ladies fashion, so I wore the heels.

Vest, altered denim jacket, Thrifted by Nathan
Tunic, Urban Outfitters
Sports bra, Target
Denim Leggings, ANA at JCP Penny
Heels, Isaac Mizrahi for Target

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

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