a colorful black & white

boots: kohl's. dress: vintage. sweater & grey beaded necklace: don't recall. belt: f21. flower headband: gifted homemade.

Here's the great thing about a dress: it's one stinking piece, and you're done. Period. The end. Finis. I simply added a cardigan overtop this ultra-print dress because I didn't want people staring at me and crossing their eyes trying to decipher the hidden 3D picture. Don't get me wrong; those posters are cool and all. But I'm not a poster. I know that for a fact because when I turn sideways I don't disappear.

I usually add pops o' color in colorless outfits like this. But, what with the uber-print going on, I thought it might be best to just go mono (or would it be di-?) chromatic. Anyways. In the words of Michael Jackson's movie, this is it. Oooh, and "no matter if you're black or white." What a crazy-talented and crazy-crazy individual the King of Pop was.

This post is short. Or wordiness-challenged. Because it's Sunday and family time.

Tomorrow I'll post my 30 for 30. Try to get some sleep between now and then. I know how hard that will be. But try.

Happy Sunday.

More Forever 21...

1-1-11: the tag-along little bro of 11-11-11...

 Shoes: Union Bay. Jeans & henley tee: gap. Cardigan: Don't recall. Scarf & belt: F21.

I don't make a ton of new years resolutions. Never have, probably never will. (But good for you if you do! I'm just sayin'...for me...I don't...hoo boy. Keep digging yourself a hole, Brittney...) What I mean is, I'm a pretty determined soul by nature, so if I really want to do something, I'll do it. Even if it's on, say, August 28th. Or May 12th. Or any of the other 363 days of the year (or 364 on leap year. Naturally.).

In the past month of starting/doing this blog, one of the things I've learned from wearing what I own is: quality is waaaaaay better than quantity. Actually, I haven't really learned it. I've lived the opposite of it. I have a million clothes--there's still about 1/3 of my closet untouched, even after a month of wearing something different every day (except for some jeans repeats). That's bordering on ridiculous. But many of them neither fit nor are really my style.  

[Editor's note: Enter today's outfit, of one of my favorite shirts (a striped henley tee), my absolute favorite zigzag scarf, some messy accent braids in my hair. Comfy, casual, and cuter in my head than on the bod, but whatchagonnado...]

So, I'm eating my words about resolutions. [Editor's note: They go nicely with this chewy caramel corn at my side...] My fashion resolution for 2011: as I consider, accept, or buy clothes, it's Quality over Quantity.

Happy Saturday.

womens knit pattern scarf

Sometimes, you've gotta just smile at yourself in the mirror and move on...

Today's jumping-off point was a cotton floral button-up shirt and a different floral patterned pencil skirt. Then I decided I didn't like the shirt with the skirt, so I changed shirts. Twice. Then I decided that maybe the offending party was the skirt, so out it went.

Ever had one of those days? Yeah. Me too. Like, today.

For some odd reason, I really really wanted to wear a floral today. And, if I'm honest with you (always), I wanted to pair it with a little Christmas sparkle. After all, my daughters were dressed in their velvety-satin holiday finery, and I wanted to join the fun. I finally settled on this shirt, which, I think, is a lovely shimmery number without being in-your-face.

[Editor's note: NOT that in-your-faceness is always bad. Like one time a kid was being a super big bully to my small toddler (I mean, come ON) at the park, and after a couple failed attempts at my rationally trying to stop said bullying acts, I reverted to a kid-appropriate version of in-your-face. Crisis averted.]

Where was I? Oh yes, the shirt. I also like the collar, how it's kind of wide but also feminine. And the diamond (or crystal...or zircon...but probably, let's be real honest here folks, plastic) buttons. I tried to go with simple elegance by pairing it with a black pencil skirt (with ivory embroidered flowers, because, as I mentioned before, I was feeling all floralish today). Add a soft black cardigan, a braided belt that matched the sheen of the shirt, and a simple silver necklace. Oh, and my very super favorite flower accessory in my hair. (Also worn here and here. Heh.)

Then I quickly undid every hint of sophistication by busting out a girl's white bead bracelet and plum tights. But it was a balance risk I was willing to take. Black leather boots [Editor's note: Have I told you about my calf complex yet? No? Okay, well, another time. I'm sure it'll surface in due course. But, a complex I most certainly have.], annnnnd...time to go.

I wasn't terribly happy with the end result. Maybe because I'm going through a feeling-frumpy phase [Editor's note: Which SURELY can't be a result of my consuming 100s of pounds of Christmas goodies over the past week...]. But after a few minutes of considering and reconsidering what I'm wearing, I reach a point where I need to move on and do the stuff of life. Like eating breakfast, tying shoes, and kissing owies.

Sooo...what you see is what everyone at church got. And the Christmas music was so splendid today that, really, who even cares.

Happy Sunday.