Repeater! Repeater!

There was once a time before I knew of the world of daily fashion blogs and wardrobe_remix when I would take photos of outfits that I really liked so that I would remember them and (gasp) wear them again! Especially if the first time was on a weekend, then I'd wear it again to work, since there isn't much crossover, haha.

But since I started posting daily outfit photos, it suddenly felt wrong to wear the same outfit twice - now everyone would know.

This morning I stared blankly at my closet having had nothing planed; I didn't even spend the ten minutes between hitting the snooze button and actually having to get out of bed considering what I might wear.

So I went for my striped skirt and pondered what top I could pair with it, and couldn't think of anything. Which lead me to the turquoise sweater, an all too familiar pairing:

Today

January 28th

January 7th

This makes the third time I have worn this outfit. Sure, I changed up the shoes and the necklace, but you can not deny it - I am a repeater.

So I ask, first of all, Do you repeat outfits?
Second, If you did, would you still post the photo, or would you try and hide your indiscretion?
And third, next time I decide to wear the striped skirt, what the hell should I wear on top?

Striped skirt - Gap

Turquoise sweater - Gap

(1) 

Necklace - avon

Grey Booties - madden girl

Belt - gift from long ago

Grey tights - Simply Vera

(2) 

Necklace - kohls

Earrings - taken for granite

Bow belt - gap

Eggplant tights - gap

Brown booties - impo

(3) 

Necklace - aldo

Grey tights - Simply Vera

Black cutout pumps - Kenneth cole reaction

Spring forgot to come out today

I was really excited to wear my new dot tights, so I actually planned my outfit around them. And then I went outside and was shocked to find icy air in my lungs -- it was below freezing today! Here I was thinking I could just wear my blazer - with the sleeves cuffed no less - and be fine! But no, it had to be cold, and I had to decide that I was not going to change or put on boots or do something sensible like that. So I went about my day and by the time I got home I was fairly certain that I would never again feel my toes.

While waiting to thaw out, I finished my One Pearl Button sew-along project, the Marie pleated skirt. I don't know how everyone else fared, but I had to shorten this skirt so much!!!
I also took a very different route than suggested with fabric choice. Heavy weight fabrics were recommended, but I went with a relatively thin stretchy knit. From past experience, I know that bottoms are 100x more comfortable when they have some stretch to them. I made a pair of pants once, (really pretty milk chocolate brown with gold pinstripes) that I never, ever wear because they are not terribly comfortable to sit in, but they fit so perfectly when I was standing.

When I finished, I attempted a Cookie Splash photo. There are some rather impressive cookie splash photos out there, and mine is kind of blah in comparison. I guess I have a new mission.

After I finished throwing oreos into my coffee, I drank what was left in the cup, and Chloe took care of the floor for me!

Style Challenge Update

I've been taking a rather leisurely pace with La Fille D'or's style challenge, but realized that I am now half way through - having worn each of my four pieces twice! So, here are the looks, in case you missed them.

Sequined Tank - I love Wild Bird Vintage commented that this was "Striped, sequined, and yet somehow still a neutral piece". I couldn't agree more, and the more I wear it, the more I like this top.

Velvet Blazer - Once I realized how easily I could fold up the sleeves, this blazer was transformed. At the normal length, the blazer looks like it swallows me up, but at half length, it looks perfect!

High waisted pencil skirt - I adore this skirt, but it can be tricky. My first attempt didn't work too well, I feel like I lost my waist entirely and looked a bit disproportional, even with my super high heels. I believe the addition of the bolder, thicker belt, as well as the elimination of color blocking helped with my second attempt.

Brushstroke Top - This has not been an easy piece for me to layer! Maybe the temperature will go back up to 65 for my last two looks so I wont have to... I also think I should experiment with bringing in another color - I certainly played it safe with black and grey in these two outfits.

Two more looks each - I'm definitely open to suggestions!!

I'd also like to mention this photographer, Alex Prager, who's work I just saw for the first time this evening. I really love it.

Alex Prager - The Big Valley - Sarah

Alex Prager - Week-end - Maggie

Alex Prager - Week-end - Rita

And there are so many other amazing photographs, these will surely be influencing both my fashion, and my photography. Find more about Alex Prager here.

Searching the world for what's right here

Today was a happy day.
This morning I found my lost flower ring, in the pocket of the cardigan I had on last time I wore the ring. I love that I crawled around the floor with a flashlight and a yard stick without ever once thinking to check there.
Then I saw that la fille d'or gave me an award.
Then I came home and saw that my pre-shopping ban F21 package had arrived.
Then I got free ice cream at Ben and Jerry's, since it was free cone day. Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz is awesome.
Even though it was nonstop rain all day and I had to take photos inside, tomorrow promises sun again!

For my Forever 21 purchases, I thought I could show you model vs reality.

Pocket Front Knit Skirt, $9.80 - Lucky Mag made me suddenly feel the need to get a bright pink skirt. And Now that I look at Forever 21's web site, I think this skirt was from the kids section (since when do they even have a kids section??). Either way, this skirt is quite short!

Cropped Knit Cardigan, $14.90 - This was the most expensive item I got, and I don't know that it's really worth it. "Great for layering" actually means tissue thin!

 Eternity Knot Belt, $8.80 - I've been wanting one of these ever since I used one in an Outfit Under $100 post. 

Jewel Anchor Necklace, $5.80 - If you didn't notice this before, you will now: When I find an accessory I like, I tend to keep buying different versions of it, which is why I have three layered chain necklaces, three bird necklaces, and three pairs of fireball earrings. So now I have two anchor necklaces.

I also got a pair of sheer black dot tights, since I feel like everyone else has them and I was getting jealous!

So, for the Sugar Doll Award, I have to share ten things about myself. Well...
(1)My job occasionally requires me to be a hand model. Mostly for instruction manuals, but I'm in the catalog too.
(2)In high school I found out about Final Fantasy and soon became an addict. (3)Eight is my all time favorite, because I am a huge romantic, but Ten has the best costumes.
(4)Of course when I found out that there were such things as anime conventions where people dressed up as Final Fantasy characters (among others) I started making costumes. (5)I have 20, and have won three awards.
(6)I have never moved.
(7)I love the ocean, but don't really like the beach.
(8)In movies, I cry more if a dog dies than a person.
(9)I believe there is more good in the world than bad, and that most people really do want to be kind and considerate and helpful, even to a complete stranger. (10)I really love photography, and want so badly to become very good at it.

Now on to the next recipients:
the robins
The Small Fabric Of My Life

closet365 

missvinylahoy 

 

What's in my bag

Thanks to a tag from Jessica at Style Obsession, the contents of my purse have been spilled!

If you click through to the flickr page, I labeled everything with notes

My list of essentials tends to be a bit lengthy, but there are just some things I hate to be without!
1. Green wallet by Fossil, found at TJMaxx for $6.
2. iPhone with my new Liberty of London for Target wallpaper.
3. Canon Elf, since the DSLR isn't going to fit in there.
4. Chocolate covered Altoids. I hate to leave the house without chocolate.
5. Tissues (these are really important to have).
6. Key ring with more 'stuff' than keys; including pig flash light, nail clipper, nail file, library card, and starbucks card.
7. Mini sewing kit
8. Mini tupperware with safety pins, also perfect for storing any accessory that happens to break on you.
9. Measuring tape
10. Blotting papers, for that 3 pm shine.
11. Lip gloss, eyeliner and perfume on my little 'hook-ups', all from Avon.
12. SD Card reader
13. Two pairs of ear buds and a splitter in a pouch.
14. Hair elastics
15. Coupons (I usually have way more, but I went and threw away all the expired ones.

And of course my bag, also from Avon -- it's a new one, but it isn't on their website yet.

Yeah... I keep a ton of stuff in my bag. I also keep a hair pin in my wallet. Having grown up watching MacGuyver I have a secret fantasy that I will one day find myself in a life and death situation that can only be resolved with a hair pin - so I'll be ready.

Anyone else up for sharing the intimate details of their bags?

ps. If you do post your bag you should hop over to Preppy with a Twist and enter to win a new bag!!

And the giveaway winner is...

My first giveaway has ended, and the winner was chosen via slips of paper mixed around in a shoe box. I know a lot of people use the random number generator, but that just doesn't feel authentic to me - so I wrote everyone's entries out.

Without further ado, the name I drew was Miss Vinyl Ahoy! Congratulations, you have won the She's So Nautical Giveaway!

To everyone else, thanks so much for participating and for reading my little blog, you all mean so much to me!
I'll definitely do another giveaway soon -- perhaps one for summer, or if I get to 100 followers, or my two year blogoversary...

The wearing of shorts

Years ago, I vowed to stop wearing shorts. I decided they were unflattering; the super short versions cheap looking, the longer seemed too 'retirement community', and so I was done with them. My love of breezy skirts and sun dresses kept me cute and comfortable through the summers and I never missed wearing shorts.

However, due to my daily exposure to fashion blogs and wardrobe_remix, I've been seeing lots of people wearing shorts and looking adorable. Slowly my resolve began to erode, and when I saw some cute wool shorts in the Gap, they stuck in my mind. It wasn't until about two weeks ago that I finally decided I wanted them, and of course by then only the size 16 were available, so I headed to ebay. I scored them in the brown tweed for $16 shipped.

They arrived the other day and I tried them on with socks and pumps.

Today I wore them, and I think I like them. It was such a beautiful day; I took a bunch of photos and breaking from my usual form, I've decided to bombard you with images.

I really like the idea of a blazer with shorts, so the velvet blazer was an obvious choice for today. I really like it with the sleeves folded up. Partly because they are too long for me and I don't want to hem them because I will have to move all the buttons and I'm a little lazy. Folding them is much simpler, and they stay put. For the style challenge, only two more looks with the blazer to go! Look One here.

These needed to be belted - dispite being the same size as every pair of pants I have from the Gap, these are oddly about an inch too big.

I wanted to tie in the green tights, so I chose this necklace that I made some time ago. I made it to be worn long, but I decided to double it so I didn't interfere with the ruffles.

I decided to wear flats again, but I think heels would look much better with the shorts.

This is my first time using this brown bag I got a couple weeks ago from Avon. I like the size and the color. It isn't leather, so it was cheap, and I love it's bright yellow lining.

 Today marked the first day of the year where it was warm enough to order an iced beverage from Starbucks. I tried their new drink, the black cherry mocha. It was tasty, but I think I will stick with my usual (grande iced coffee with a pump of vanilla).

Today I wanted to wear my little multi-colored flower ring that I got for Christmas, but I couldn't find it! According to my outfit photos, I last wore it January 16th, and I spent the better part of the morning searching every place I could think of, including every purse I've used in the last two months. No ring. I did find a pair of earrings I didn't even yet realize I'd misplaced. I'm sure it's in the house somewhere, so I guess I just need to stop looking and wait for it to turn up.

The rundown

Brown shorts Gap via ebay - Grey ruffle top Gap via my sister - Black velvet blazer Urban Outfitters - Green tights Gap - Black and brown flats Tahari - Brown bag Avon - Green necklace Made by Me - Flower cameo Gift from Mom - Black belt Thrifted

Still one more day to enter the giveaway!

When comfort wins

Today's outfit was a direct result of yesterdays outfit, in that the nude pumps from the thrift store (which i have discovered are actually from payless) were not as comfortable as I was hoping they might be. So this morning my feet demanded flat shoes and cozy socks, and I had to oblige with my converse sneakers. I was going to wear the velvet blazer, but then I ended up not liking how it looked and just grabbed my grey wrap before heading out the door.

I used to hold shoe comfort standards quite high. No one wanted to go shoe shopping with me, as I would scrutinize the shoes - walking around the store, keeping them on for at least 10 minutes before deciding that this one was just a tad to narrow or pinched one toe. Because of this I had very few shoes, and even fewer cute shoes.

Then I found these multi-fabric Steve Madden Vyceroy pumps. They weren't that comfortable. But I loved them. They weren't even that cheap -- $70!! Love can make you do crazy things.

This purchase caused me to have a shoe revelation: I decided I would be willing to suffer, just a bit, to wear the shoes I wanted.

So my closet soon began to fill with cute shoes (presently exceeding 50 pairs), and the number of shoes that were actually super comfortable began to plummet.

These are my top five most comfortable, cute shoes:

1. Flat Slouchy Suede Boots Mine were from Kohl's, but these look very similar. They are soft, they are flat; add a terry cloth insole or some cozy socks and I can go for miles.  These Zulu boots are $13 at Amazon (only tiny sizes though).
2. Naturalizer - Jangle Sandal Even though they aren't leather, they are quite comfortable. The foot bed is nice and padded and the straps don't dig in, $25 at Amazon.
3. MIA - Eclipse Flat As flats go, these are my favorite. The leather is soft and they have a decent amount of rubber on the sole, $17 - $43 at Amazon.
4. Converse Sneakers One of the few sneakers to ever grace the pages of Vogue, Converse sneakers are oddly fashionable. I love the array of colors and designs they come in, especially the design your own option! I really want to do that sometime. Typically they are $40, but I got both of my pairs at TJMaxx for $20. (The blue I've pictured are ones I designed, I actually own green and black.)
5. Onex - Puffy Sandal All of the sandals by Onex are amazingly comfortable. The price at Amazon is $74, but I have three pairs of Onex sandals and I got them all at an end of summer buy-one get-one sale. For the use I've gotten out of my gold ones, should I ever need to replace them, I would pay the $74.

I wanted to include a pump on this list, but the only pumps I can happily walk a mile in are my Kenneth Cole Reaction U Cube Pumps and they aren't in stock in black.

ps. Still three days to enter my giveaway!

Challenges, self restraint and awards

Last night my Sister accused me of having an entire secret stash of clothing. While I never considered it to be secret, it is a huge shopping bag at the foot of my bed where the new stuff I've been buying has been collecting, waiting for some hangers to free up in the closet.

It is less than a month before my birthday, and fewer days until I am going on a trip to Italy; so I am instituting a shopping ban for the next 24 days. I have a few rather guilty reasons for doing this:

1. My recent thrifing windfall - did I also mention I went back a few days ago and found this awesome white coat for $10?
2. A free shipping coupon at Forever 21 which lead to tons of unnecessary purchases - which I will be sharing when they arrive.
3. A few impulse purchases, some shorts (yes, shorts!) from ebay, and a pair of EchoTouch iPhone gloves, now that it's March and I wont actually need them until next winter.
4. I should be saving some money spend in Italy, because everything there will be twice as much as it is here, but I know I'm going to want to buy things anyway!
5. You shouldn't buy yourself stuff before your birthday!

Not buying new things means making good use of what I already have. La fille d'or is currently doing a style challenge where she has chosen three items and is wearing each of them four different ways over the next 12 days. I really like this idea, though I think I'm going to change it a bit and use four items and space it out over my 24 days.

My items:
Remember how desperately I needed this black velvet blazer in November? Do you know how many times I've worn it since I got it? Once. Sad, right?

This brushstroke top was a Christmas gift that I hadn't worn because I was having layering issues - generally I stay away from high-necked items, but I really loved the colors and patterns of this top. And check out the back! I love it!

An impulse purchase from last summer, I've never worn this sequined top (until last Friday)!

This skirt was one of those wonderful TJMaxx clearance finds, it was $30 with an MSRP of $220 and I had to have it. I really love it, and subsequently have worn it once.

Now for the Award!

I've received the I ♥ Your Blog award from The Robins; Thanks so much!

The rules...
1. post the logo on my blog.
2. pass it on to 15 other blogs.

Fifteen seems like a lot, so I'm passing it along to these nine:
Carrie Bradshaw Made Me Do It
The Drawing Mannequin
la fille d'or
Adelaide Stayed
wild bird vintage
style obsession
White Rabbit 
A Wonderfelle World
Slaw and Order: SVU

p.s. Don't forget to enter my giveaway if you haven't yet!