old lady in braids: to trust or not to trust? that is the question

I read somewhere once that women over 30 shouldn't wear braids unless they were stylishly loose and messy.

 

 shoes: Converse
jeans: Kohl's
cobalt v-neck tee: J. Crew
pastel striped cardigan: Gap
green skinny belt: J. Crew
 

Which is like a chicken-and-egg scenario, at least for me, because, hi. My hair is at the disposal of my 18-month-old all day, and believe me...

 

 

...she pulls my hair Loose often and with ease, and Messy is her middle name. Practically.

 

 

So the lesson I think we can all take away is: if you're older than 30, just hang out with an almost-toddler to keep yourself totally young and hip. Which is absolutely true if by "young and hip," you understand that I actually mean "slightly unkempt and exhausted."

 

 

But the tradeoff? Worth it. Absolutely.

 

Happy Thursday.

 

 

Shop similar stuff below:

ModCloth Plus Sweaters · Diesel Skinny Denim · Athleta Sport Tops

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the merits of hats and not doing one's hair.

 shoes: unionbay brand. jeans: kohl's. cardigan: vintage. shirt: don't recall. bracelets & necklaces: hodgepodge of places. hat: thrifted. belt: forever21.

I wasn't going to get dressed today. But then I did. In a pretty predictable ensemble, until I piled on the accessories. Over-the-top? You betcha. And, strangely, I'm okay with it. Sometimes that hides the mundane-ness. Like putting cinnamon and nutmeg on apple slices. Unexpected and maybe awesome.

So. There you have it. Broke all sorts of rules today, like wearing random flats, totally and unnecessarily over-accessorizing, adding a hat with no rhyme or reason, and getting dressed at, like, 3 p.m. But it's good to keep life spontaneous. "Will I eat 1 handful or 1 bag of pnut m&ms?" I never know. And it's terribly exciting to contemplate...

Happy Monday!

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More Eddie Bauer...

some things just shouldn't be blogged. this is one of them.

 boots: target. jeans: kohl's. shirt: gift. cardigan: loft. knee-high socks: smith's marketplace. belt: downeast basics (american eagle). earrings: hawaii. necklace: gift from sister.

Okay, not to alarm anyone, but let me just say this: I'm not feeling it today. This outfit is, pardon my French, crapola. And I knew it was such when I put it on. Why didn't I change, you ask me? (Why didn't she change? She looks terrible, you whisper to your neighbor.)

I don't know. I honestly just don't know. It's super rainy outside, so I wanted to cozy up today. Hence the cableknit sweater. Because, really, cozy + cableknit were twins separated at birth, I'm pretty sure. And I didn't want to tromp around in massive parking lot puddles in anything other than boots.

Annnnd, just to stick-it-to-the-man (poor guy; he didn't even do anything today), I put on this totally random nylon belt that has nothing to do with anything and would really rather be hanging in the closet with all its friends rather than be stuck with makeup-less ol' me all day.

I promise I'm not depressed, sick, tired, or mad. It's just one of those days where I look up at the universe, shrug my shoulders, and say, "You know what? I just don't care today." Everyone has a day like that now and again, don't they? Don't you? No? You make Cinderella look like a beastly non-morning person? Good for you and the mice you've adopted.

Happy Tuesday.

Want this look? Or this attitude? Shop below...

More Forever 21...

ode to the squeaky wheel's Discovery...

 shoes: mudd brand (i think). jeans: kohl's. shirt: old navy. cardigan: rue21. necklace: don't recall. flower clip: downeast basics. watch: target.

Remember how sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease? [Editor's note: But one must be careful in the manner and timing of said squeakiness, because SOMEtimes the squeaky wheel gets sent to Time Out until s/he is 18 and old enough to move out. So. Buyer beware.] 

Well, not to brag (but, actually, yes to totally brag), but I think all my squeakiness about the annoying winter weather around here has worn Mother Nature down. Marginally, at least. She's sent the sun, my house's roof is currently sans snow, the lawn is nearly green with just small patches of the white stuff (like where we built a snowman and a snow fridge last week...yes, a snow fridge. What, you don't build those? Odd.), and my house's heater is able to take its own type of spring break, at least during daytime.

Hoo to the ray!!! You're welcome, neighbors and local friends. I've got our backs...

But. Now that I've unleashed the Power of the Squeak, I think I'll strategize its direction. Which may or may not (but most assuredly does) involve squeakings about magically inheriting $millions$, putting in a backyard swimming pool, and having Mr. J. Crew himself hire me as a clothing tester. If you need me, I'll be over there in that corner, revving up my non-WD-40'd engines...

Happy Wednesday!

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More Sperry...

T minus 26 minutes

 shoes: converse brand. jeans: kohl's. shirt: gift/vintage. blazer: thrifted. watch: target. necklace: don't recall.

Guess who did NOT sleep well last night? (Please tell me you guessed I'm talking about myself, because if you didn't and you're now racking your brain as to who among your acquaintance didn't sleep well last night and how in the world would I know them well enough to blog about them, then we're going to have to start from the scratchiest of scratch, and I'm too tired to do that...because it's ME! I'M the one who didn't sleep well last night. Thankyouverymuch.)

I have no idea why, either, but the fact remains: I, who normally sleep so still it makes a sleeping log look like a Riverdancer, tossed and turned and turned and tossed all through the night. (There's a point to this sob story...I'll get there.)

[Editor's note: Note the above reference to Irish dancing? Since tomorrow St. Patty's? Heads up. Get yo' green on.] [Assistant Editor's note: Forgive Editor's lame use of "yo'." I tried to talk her out of it, but she just glared at me and muttered something that sounded like "fo' shizzle"...so I let it be.]

Ahem. So, long story short (hah!), I totally slept through my normal wakeup time this morning. I had exactly 26 minutes to get myself and the three kidlets up, dressed, breakfasted, and ready for school/the day. So I whirlwinded by my closet on my way to the girls' room, and this is what the centrifugal forces threw onto my body. I'm not naked, so it'll do.

But...isn't the embroidery on this shirt pretty? I like how it balances out the somewhat masculinity of the blazer. And how the Cons keep things lighthearted (a little Unexpected and Maybe Awesome here). Plus, they're easy to kick off when I take a mid-morning nap. Boom-shahka.

Happy Wednesday!

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More Asos...

welp, today's post proves it. i'm sophisticated and refined.

boots & watch: target. grey skinny jeans: kohls. shirt: modbe. cardigan: j.crew. scarf & headbands: forever 21. belt: Pocket's.

My kids love hearing stories about themselves when they were little. Or just about themselves in general. Because, let's face it, the world contained within these four walls actually does revolve around them. Mmmm...kind of. Anyway, my son particularly loves the story about the funny, slash, disgusting thing that happened when he was a brandnew baby and Pocket was changing his diaper. I'd detail it here, but some of you don't have children yet, and I don't want to dissuade you from the decision.

Don't you love it when someone does that? Like, dangles a tidbit of a story in front of you like a zhu-zhu pet in front of a puppy, then doesn't follow through with the juicy details? Well...I promise you, this isn't like that. The details of this story are indeed juicy. Quite literally. So. I'll just leave you with two words and let your imaginations run wild: "projectile" and "poo."

Annnd...enough about you. Let's talk about me. Jumping-off point today was comfort and flexibility, because I was watching my 2- and 0-year-old nephews this morning. So. I just sort of piled stuff on until I ran out of time while my kids ate breakfast. Oooh, that's a great idea for a game show, no? Contestants have a closetful of clothes and 30 seconds to throw on a decent outfit before, say, three children in the next room (ages 2, 4, and 6, hypothetically speaking of course) start fingerpainting the furniture with yogurt, guzzling syrup from the bottle, and creating eternity pools of their cups by pouring their own milk.
 
And if that totally made-up make-believe absolutely fictional scenario made your forehead break out in tiny beads of sweat, I don't know what to say. 'Cept this: Don't come live at my house for the next 10 years.
 
Anyway. This is what I wore today. And if you're going to tell me that I'm too old to wear double braids, I'm going to fake geriatric-induced hearing loss and wear them anyway. Yep. Fake. Because, haven't you heard? 31 is the new 17... or 11...okay, FINE, 3. 
 
Happy Thursday.
 

Want this look?  boots  grey jeans  cardigan  colorful scarf

More Merona...

mary had a sick little lamb...

I almost did this today. But then I didn't.

 But I'm going to be honest. My head looks a little naked without it. Am I right? 

 shoes: unionbay brand. jeans: so brand. white tee: gap. cardigan: kohl's. scarf: gifted (but...old navy). turtle shell bracelet: open market on kauai (hawaii). beaded bracelet: gifted.

Today's jumping-off point: this purple cardigan. I haven't worn it for a while (years?) for some reason. Maybe because I kind of feel like I look pregnant in it. [Editor's note: NOT that being pregnant is at all a bad thing, for heaven's sake. I just don't want to look it when I'm not. I don't think I'm too weird for feeling that way...]

I needed today's outfit to meet several criteria: (a) comfy. because my throat is on fire and swollen and feels like the start of strep, (b) still appropriate for public view because I have to take my van to a car place this afternoon, and (c) again, I say comfy. and warm. 

I love the sleeves on this sweater; they flare out at the ends, and it makes me feel like a medieval lady. Kind of. A white v-neck tee underneath, grey skinny jeans (to go with the cool color palette of today), and some blue flats that I can easily kick off and replace with my pink-and-white-cloud-puffy-slippers at home. (*gasp* Who adMITs that? Me, apparently.)

Due to aforementioned sore throat, I really really wanted something around my neck today. It's soothing. So I turned this scarf temporarily into an O scarf and hid the yellow with safety pins. Perfect. My hair's not much to speak of...but it's...it's...done...? [Editor's note: That's the best I could come up with? Ouch.]

And in an enthusiastic nod [Editor's note: It's actually more like a throbbing-headed-nod...but a nod nonetheless] to the 80s, I added a turquoise bracelet to combo up with the purple. Reminds me this girl named Kristin in elementary school who had a billion different colored canvas shoes and one time she wore two pairs of socks on each foot--teal on top, purple on the bottom on one foot, and the opposite order on the other foot. And, like the proverbial cherry-on-top (or salt-in-the-wound, as the case may be), she had teal-and-purple plaid canvas shoes. Oooh, she was the envy...

Happy Friday.

Want this look? scarfcardiganjeansbracelet

teal bracelet

just another manic monday

 boots: target. jeans: so brand. cami & cardi: vintage. tunic & bracelet: F21. belt: pocket's.

Bad news, guys. I'm kind of having a closet crisis. Like, I want all new stuff and am creating a mental shopping list of, conservatively speaking, about 5.3 million items. And they're calling my online username and credit card number. Must....fight....urge....

(ahem) But that's neither here nor there. [Editor's note: I'll tell you what IS here, though: freezing-cold-icy-subzero temps. Well, not actually subzero. That was an exaggeration. But it FEELS like 80 or 300 below. So. Just roll with it.] Today's jumping-off point: this striped tunic. Last time I wore it, I amped up the coloration with some blues and purple. But I think the iciness around me crept into my brain and froze part of it so I can only think in b&w. Which could be good OR bad (for example, Bad: those old tiny static tvs. And mimes. Good: It's a Wonderful Life. And black licorice with something white. Like my teeth. Eating it.).

But even though the starting piece was b&w, I actually wanted to go less stark-contrasty today. More along the lines of grayscale. Hence the grey skinnies and default ivory cardigan ("default" because the length seemed good paired with the tunic, and it was a solid non-color).

To warm up the wintery tones a bit, I added some neutral earthy brown via belt and boots. Oh, and cami. Even though it's frigid outside (and in the guest bedroom in my house) [Editor's note: But don't be alarmed; no guests around to notice. We already moved the last frozen bodies out...] [Assistant Editor: Come ON. Gross.], I didn't want a scarf today. Thought it would be a little too much with these stripes. I like how the brown cami doesn't speak much in terms of color but gives an interesting neckline to what would otherwise be a *cough* low one.

Um, what else? Kept my hair down purely for warmth. Is that too cavemannish to admit? If so...oops. (And pass the medium-rare steak, please.) Oh, and the bracelet. Last-minute decision to add a pop of color but not too much. And I love its oversizedness. A little bit Unexpected and Maybe Awesome. 

I feel good today. Comfy. And, really, I'll probably grow to love these icicles growing on my eyelashes, so...no big deal there either.

Happy Monday.

womens striped tunic

Happy Anniversary to Meeeeee! (I mean, uh, Uuuuuusss...)

It's Paul's & my 9th anniversary today. The very very happiest years of my life. He's the best. Evidence? He lets me call him "Pauly Pocket." And sometimes just "Pocket" for short.

And he's not letting me pluck our chicken dinner tonight. Sooo, yeah. Billions of gold stars and smooches for him.

And we've celebrated so far by cleaning the house, changing the oil on the truck, making a trip to the grocery store, exercising, playing with kids, and watching football on TV. We're about to take the kids sledding. Which is why I'm dressed like this. Nothing like an argyle turtleneck sweater to scream ski-lodginess. If only I had a cardigan with moose and brass buttons on it, I'd throw that on, too.

I won't be wearing this for our actual anniversary celebration, of course. Because what I wear tonight may or may not (with heavy emphasis on may not) be appropriate to post here.

Happy Saturday.

It's a colorful life...but today's outfit is grey.

This is an awkward thing, the first post of a shiny new blog. Post 1 is supposed to be witty, engaging, and awesome. Sadly, I'm having flashbacks of blind dates in college where, after the first 20 minutes of awkward chitchat, 94% of me wants to go back home and put on my sweats and watch Seinfeld re-runs. So, yeah. Emotional samesies.

Anywho, let's just cut to the chase, shall we? I'm not all that cool. I'm not anything close to a model. I'm not really fashion-forward. But I'm thoroughly enjoying the life that getting dressed thoughtfully has breathed into my life lately. And it's not stinky-morning-breath breathing, either. It's refreshingly minty.

And I wanted to share the fun of fashion with the WORLD!! Or, at the very least, my mom.

Let the awesomeness of fashion blogging begin.