THE SWEET LIFE

Friday is my day "off," but I use the term loosely, because it really means that it is my day to fully devote to my own endeavors, and so I end up pretty busy anyway. Though I went to bed really, really late last night and I'm kind of sleepy and slow instead.

I realize this is a lot of photos, but aren't they cool? It rained almost all day, but as soon as it cleared up, I took advantage of the crisp and glossy woods the rain left behind.
Though now, I feel like I have bugs crawling on me. Ick.



Just look at the colors!

I realize I'm totally digging the cropped tops this weekend. Maybe I'm rebelling since I've been working in an office for so long. Since I didn't have to conduct any serious business today, I could be fun and airy, while keeping a little edge.

These are the same pants from Monday - the $7 TJ Maxx "ugly" pants that I converted into quasi-harems. They're so lounge-y and dreamy.

Today, I just topped them with a cut-off little boys tee from the craft store ($3), a super-wrapped belt (Gap Outlet, $5) and a stack of plastic bangles (grays, Claire's 3/$5 - white, vintage from my Marnie). And while a pair of crazy-killer platforms would look amazing with this, a.) I do not own any, b.) I can not afford any, and c.) it's just not realistic for my lifestyle. So, the next best thing is a pair of studded snake skin sandals (Ross, $9). These may be my favorite purchase of the summer.

Since quitting my job, I have also quit shopping. Like, completely. Cold. Turkey. But today I caved a little and went to Goodwill. Friday is 50% off day. Do you know what 50% off Goodwill clearance is? Fourteen and a half cents. But they round up. I got 2 belts and a Limited shirt for $2.24. I feel better now.

While there, I witnessed the most ridiculous Goodwill debacle. The women in front of me wanted to return a blender, but when she got to the register, the clerk informed her that she was no longer allowed to return any items to Goodwill, because apparently, she returned a bicycle that she did not buy there. What is wrong with people? It takes all kinds I guess...

Have a great weekend all!

LOOK WHO DID HER HAIR TODAY

It's been a while, but I finally gave the pony tail a break and did my hair today. I so prefer it this way. Anywho...

I managed to get in a full day of work today. And I will actually get paid for all of it!

I'm totally smitten with myself today. I think I look darn cute!

And bringin' back the leopard and zebra mix from the beginning of the week. The circle of life if you will. And you will...

Black shift dress, Sears $9 - Leopard Scarf, Mom's - Gold Cuff, Target - Wood Cuff, Claire's - Sandals, Target $15 ish - Lookin' this good, Priceless.
hehehehe

IT'S ICY IN THE AC

Unlike yesterday, today was all about being with people. I was feeling really casual this morning, but still wanted something crisp. Gray and white is my favorite combo for hitting that note.



The white linen pants, which I actually ironed, are from JCP last year ($18). Wide-leg white linen pants are a summer staple for me. I had a pair years ago that I wore so much, I literally blew out the inner legs. Oopsie! Kept it clean with an AA tee ($22) and modern with my studded snake skin sandals (Ross, $9).

Then, I punched it up a bit with my favorite turquoise pendant and matching ring. They were both hand-made gifts from my mom. We picked up the stones in New Mexico while driving cross country when I was in college. They will be forever pieces, as well as my calla lily bracelet from my husband for our 5th.

The outfit began with just the tee, but I grabbed a sweater on my way out the door, since I knew I was going to be in AC all day (air-conditioning, not Atlantic City - boo). But once I threw it on, I kind of liked it.

Another work day tomorrow, then home on Friday. So far, so good.

NO DOUBT

I just now thought of who I'm subconsciously channeling today --- Gwen Stefani! Weird.



I went much more laid back and funky today since I didn't really have to be presentable to anyone besides my dog. I just ran some errands, went to the farmers market and worked from home. When I needed a little more coverage, I just threw my vintage jean jacket over it.

I have had these pants for a few years now and have always desperately loved them. You can get the full story on them (and they're ridiculous bagginess) here.

Continuing the new obsession of free time for DIY, I took the scissors to an old pappy shirt that was used as a painting shirt. It had every single color from our house splattered on the bottom. So, I hacked 'em all off! The earrings and cuff (Claire's, $.50 and $5) added just enough funk to keep it from feeling too sloppy and everything is (literally) held together with a metallic print skinny belt from Charlotte Russe ($8). Next time, maybe I can pair them with my fuzzy blue bikini top...

RE-INVENTING THE WHEEL

Who would have thought that having no money to shop could be so fun? Now that I'm not working a million hours a week at numerous jobs, I have the time to attend to my "to alter" pile. Sewing is something that I love to do and have not had sufficient time to enjoy it over the last couple of years. But I'm back in the game!



I bought these pants at TJ Maxx MONTHS ago for $7. They are high-waisted and pleated and had giant, long, long, long legs on them. I always had the intention of transforming that into a harem-esque pant and have finally gotten around to it. All I did was chop off the bottom 10" or so of pant leg and added some wide elastic to the bottoms. I love the result and was shocked that even my husband was digging them. It's one of those styles I think men can be very skeptical of. My pictures weren't very good yesterday (I had all sorts of stress written across my face - no worries, though), so I had to find the best combination of face a clothes that's not exactly perfection. The right pant leg isn't sitting where it should, which is up a little higher on the calf to match the left one. It's a little reminiscent of the sweat pant trend in the late 80's, early 90's. All it needs is a pair of LA Gears. In real life, though, it all worked out fine.

I wanted to keep the look pretty simple and slouchy, so I added a draped Target tee ($12), a leopard belt (H&M, $12) and zebra-print sandals (Target, $15ish). I only wish that (once again) I had taken more time to do my hair. Anyway, I can't wait to remix my new creation in all sorts of fun concoctions!

THE DAY I GOT FREE RAY-BANS

Don't you LOVE getting unexpected gifts in the mail? Imagine my delight to find a pair of Ray-Ban New Wayfarers waiting in my mailbox Friday afternoon. They were a very lovely suprise thank-you gift from the awesome Lucky Style Spotter. Woot! Woot!

In the spirit of what my one friend has coined "Kyla Freedom Week," I cut another inch or so off of my cut-offs. I'm still not completely in love with my gams, but they're the only ones I'm getting, so I'll flaunt 'em ... around the house, anyway. I also figure that if they were any smaller, then my waist wouldn't look as little in comparison. Seriously, I can rationalize anything.
I didn't really go anywhere, but still felt pretty retro and cute in my rockin' ACDC baseball tee (TJ Maxx, $10) and freshly shorn (almost) daisy dukes. And of course, the new shades...

NINE HOUR HOLIDAY

We had the pleasure of going to my cousin's wedding last night at a horse farm about 2.5 hours away. Unfortunately, we had to come all the way home last night, too, since I work at 7am on Saturdays (followed promptly by nap time). So, it ended up being a jam-packed, totally exhausting 9 hours. But also a gorgeous wedding with a very, very happy bride and groom.

Isn't the view AMAZING?! The ceremony was originally supposed to be outside, but the weather forced it inside. Luckily, it cleared up and they were able to get some great pictures outdoors. The ceremony and reception were in a round building with a vaulted ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows lining the perimeter. It was really beautiful.

This skirt was a strapless dress with a very poorly constructed bodice that I picked up for $11 a couple weeks ago at Charlotte Russe. I hated that bodice, but fell in love with the print on the fabric, so I brought it home and started cutting. The result is a this high-waisted, floor-grazing skirt that I simply paired with a $3 tank from Target, a pair of black wedges and a little dangly eye candy for the lobes. I have had these earrings for years and still LOVE them.
I totally bailed on doing my hair, though. With the heat and the humidity, I just didn't have it in me, so I threw it back in a sloppy bun.

Lovely pic of the husband and I above, but the bottom picture takes the cake...

John's most perfect action shot. This "frozen running man" may just be the closest this guy will ever get to actual running :)

HOLY RAIN, BATMAN!

We've had some crazy downpours and thunderstorms all afternoon today. And of course, five minutes after I took these pictures, the sun came out.



This racer back maxi dress (Ross, $10) has become my substitute for sweats these days.

I had a super productive day today, but it didn't involve a shower until about 3 o'clock. I had to go to a WW meeting, so I needed to look pulled together, but with the ridiculous rain, I also needed to be low maintenance.

So, I pulled out the dress and then just starting pulling random things out of my closet to put over it. A pink pin-striped menswear inspired shirt (Gap, $11) and a webbed corset belt (Target, $5) gave me a little coverage and shape. And mark your calendars! I'm wearing flip-flops (Old Navy, $5)! I'm a fully recovered flip-flop addict and can honestly say that these are my ONLY pair.

As you can probably figure by my lack of an early morning shower and my previous posts, my daily life has undergone some serious restructuring. I have, in fact, quit my job in order to pursue the things that fill me up inside. It sounds like a crazy thing to do in the middle of a recession, but it had to be done. Boundless happiness is just around the corner :)

I promise a full disclosure in the near future - for now, I'm still processing it all!

Stay tuned for some formal(ish) wear tomorrow!

P.S. One of things I'm pursuing is building my invitation/graphic design business. Some of you asked about it the other day. You can check out my new website here. It still needs a little work, but it's getting there!

NEUTRAL CITY

Love this color palette. Don't get me wrong - I'm a big fan of all sorts of fun and crazy colors, but there's something about neutrals that just speak to me.
Today's look was all about those neutrals.

Mother nature is horribly confused these days and seems to think that it is still June. Or May. Either way, it sure doesn't feel like July. I want some of that sticky hot, hot, hotness!

In the meantime, I guess I'll have to settle for the sweat-free quasi-summer we've been given instead. On that note, a light weight sweater was a good idea. I paired it with my rust shorts (The Limited via TJMaxx, $13) and snake skin flats (Madden Girl, $23). And I pulled out one of my favorite hand bags to complete the look (Simply Vera, $29). As you can probably tell, an iron has been nowhere near this outfit. Now that I look at the pictures, I will be much more vigilant of this in the future.

I also opted to go for a run this morning instead of doing my hair (and ironing, apparently). Given the choice again ... I'd do the same. It's worth the wrinkles and top knot.

What would you do?

NEW WINNER!

Sooooo, I never heard from my previous winner for that FABULOUS Tolani scarf, so I went and chose a new one. And the (new) winner is....

#5 - JillieBeanie!

Random numbers generated Jul 21 2009 at 20:37:13 by www.psychicscience.org.
Free educational resources for parapsychology, psychical research & mind magic.

Yay! I'm thrilled to give this to one of my faithful followers! Drop me an email with your mailing address, JillieBeanie! And be sure to send me a pic of you and your posh new accessory!

QUICK TURNAROUND

I must admit - I've spent most of the last 4 days in yoga pants and t-shirts. It's been a rough ride. Without getting into too much detail just yet, I have taken a complete leap of faith and made a life-changing decision. Ideally, it will lead to much happiness and personal success. There's just a few bumps to endure 'til then. I'll fill you in more later.

But first...the clothes. I know I just wore this skirt last week, but it's a great feel good piece and I was excited to remix it. (BTW, this life-changing decision means that you will see my current wardrobe mixed and re-mixed and matched and mixed all over the place, because there won't be much of anything to add for a while.)

Anyway, back to the skirt... This time, I paired my self-made coral print skirt with a plain blue oxford (SJP $10) and black patent accessories (belt, Ross $7.50 and shoes, JCP $8). I quite like the outcome - classic, yet sassy. That's me!

Hope you're having a great week!

LOVIN' IT

I've been thrown into a bit of a tailspin this week, so posts have been a little scattered. But I'm back and better than ever!



This was actually Thursday's outfit (it just took me like 5 minutes to remember which day it was).

I love this bottom picture! (Does that make me conceited?)

I dressed up my H&M romper ($30) with my seersucker jacket (Target, $20). I love how a fitted jacket can make even a romper look grown-up and pulled together. I kept the accessories pretty light and used the gold turtle belt (ebay, $12ish) and gold-chain-and-zebra-print sandals (Target, $13ish) do all the talking. Think it works?

WHERE'S MY WINNER?

I haven't heard from Catherine yet! She's the winner of the Tolani scarf giveaway, so Catherine, if you're out there, please drop me an email by Tuesday. Otherwise, I will have to draw another winner. Thanks!

I FINALLY FINISHED SOMETHING

I started this skirt waaaaaaay back in the beginning of the year when I had every intention of wearing it over tights. Um, yeah - I just finished it last weekend. And there's a ton more unfinished projects where that came from!

Look at Iggy Pop being all bad - nosing around in a neighbors garden while I'm taking pictures.

Obviously, I made the skirt (complete with pockets, of course!), then paired it with a Target tee ($8) and a studded skinny belt (Express, $10). Finished the look with patent sandals (Target, $17) and my vintage Wrangler for the FREEZING supermarket.

Enjoy your Friday, all! I know I will :)

MAKING IT MY OWN WAY

So, I've worn this tunic a couple of times before (here and here), but I've always had a bone to pick with it. The combination of the poofy, elasticized sleeves and my intimidating shoulders and lethal guns (hehehehehehe) was resulting in all sorts of obnoxious sleeve creeping and bunching that drove me crazy. So, if you can't beat 'em, cut 'em. That's what I always say.

Now that I've removed the elastic and hemmed them into a lovely set of flutter sleeves, I am soooooo much more comfortable wearing it. I know a lot of people who can't imagine altering a piece of new clothing. If it doesn't work for you, it's not worth it. It totally pays to know your way around a sewing machine, a pair of scissors and a straight stitch. You'll get so much more personality and style out of your wardrobe.

OMG, I ALMOST FORGOT!

So, I was laying in bed reflecting on the whirlwind of a day I had and realized that I needed to draw a winner for the Tolani scarf giveaway from chickdowntown.com! So, out of bed I got and without further ado, the winner is number......

22

Random numbers generated Jul 14 2009 at 23:21:30 by www.psychicscience.org.
Free educational resources for parapsychology, psychical research & mind magic.

Catherine!

Congratulations, Catherine! Please email me ASAP with your full name and mailing address, so we can get this sweet scarf to you. Enjoy!

THE EDGE OF INFINITY

A violet by a mossy stone
Half hidden from the eye.
Fair as a star,
When only one is shining in the sky.
~Wm. Wordsworth

No, I'm not on drugs and yes, I'm wearing leggings :)

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

Check out the beautiful BB Dakota dress that
Danielle at Fell4Fashion and chickdowntown.com
are giving to one lucky reader!
Friday's the deadline, so get over there now!

MAKING A STATEMENT

I picked up this AMAZING statement necklace last week at Charlotte Russe for only $8!
And it's doing EXACTLY what I wanted - taking a simple outfit up about 3 notches. Lovin' it!



I met a new neighbor while taking these pictures and was faced with the "oh...you're taking pictures of yourself" awkwardness. I find that saying "it's a project I'm working on" sounds much less nerdy and narcissistic than "I post daily pictures of myself on the interwebs." Hmmm... awkward, nonetheless.

But then, he offered for me to take food from his multiple little gardens whenever I'd like. (We live in a row of townhouses, so we're all pretty close together - sometimes too close.) Anyway, I got some super yummy garden lettuce out of the whole thing, so the awkwardness was totally worth it!

I LOVE this skirt and have owned it twice in 2 different sizes. I was so happy that it was still available the second time around! I got it at JCP for somewhere in the neighborhood of $20. It only gets to come out on non-bloated, super-confident days since it is so body-conscious to say the least, ESPECIALLY when worn with flats. It looks killer with heels, too, but my back is saying no, no, no to those these days.

Since I'm much more street style than office appropriate, I edged it up a little with a cut off boys t-shirt from Michael's ($2.50) and my strappy studded snakeskin sandals from Ross for $9 (which I'm having a love affair with in case you haven't noticed). And of course, the statement necklace. Besides the fact that I couldn't move my legs from the knees up (minor details), I'm in love with this look.

LAST CHANCES!

Don't forget to enter the chickdowntown.com giveaway for that BEAUTIFUL Tolani scarf!
I'm already starting to envy whoever wins it. I want one for myself!

You can still enter the contest until Monday night - enter here.

I'LL TAKE ANOTHER

I felt awesome in today's outfit.
Just remixing more of the same, making it anything but...

Loving the sexiness of a racer back. Just the other day, I was lamenting that I need a new racer back bra, but instead I bought one of those bra converter clips. It's. Awesome. It worked for the bra and the cami. Totally worth the $10 and waaaay cheaper than a new bra.

White cami, Target $6 - Navy Blue Racer Back Maxi, Ross $9 - Pinstripe Vest, Target $20ish? - Sandal, Ross $9

DREAMSICLE

I got a pretty new dress!

Once again, a Sears purchase. I always feel so Brady Bunch getting by Sunday best at Sears, but what can I say? I'm not picky, I couldn't give two hoots about labels and quite frankly, it's what's convenient and affordable.

Anyway, I spotted this dress way back in April and really, really loved it. It was regularly $50, but most of the time, it was on sale for $30. Since one can never accept a first offer, I took my chances and waited ... and waited ... and waited ... until ...

This past weekend, I was raiding the clearance rack at the good ole' Roebuck and Co. and there it was in all it's sherbet-hued, ruffly glory ... for $15. Score!

It just may be...

*ahem*

Do NOT try to steal my spotlight!

... sorry about that ...

It just may be the PERFECT summer dress!

The only downfall with all the neck-rufflage, which I discovered on my 2.5 miles walk along a busy road from job #1 to job #2, is that one stiff gust of wind from behind, and I look like this ...

Click for source.