magic 101: illusion of an hourglass on a box

I can breathe again!! Oh, how glorious are sinus-clearing meds and the resultant cleared sinuses. But mostly the meds.

 shoes: unionbay. pants: gap. shirt: ana. headband: borrowed from a belted shirt from downeast basics. watch: target.

I kinda feel like a pirate today (can you guess in which pic I'm audibly saying, "arrrrgh, matey"? It's super subtle, so take your time...). And also? I have a super square torso and no hips to speak of (a.k.a., I'm a human refrigerator box), but I like the illusion of feminine form that the pleating on this shirt creates. So I'm a feminine pirate, all right? Sue me. It's not like it's totally unheard of. (Pirates of Penzance, anyone?) 

Today I'm packing for our family trip to (shhhhh) Disneyland, a 12-hour drive in ideal conditions (i.e., no traffic or potty stops), meaning it will take us at least 20 hours. The kids still don't know the purpose; they just know that we're going to California. We're not exactly what you'd call world travelers, as evidenced by the questions I've fielded this weekend. Questions like:

"Do they speak the same language as us in California?"

"Can we watch one movie on our long drive? Will we be able to finish it before we get there?"

"What kind of food do they eat in California? Can we take some fruit snacks in case we don't like it?"

"Can we visit the Atlantic Ocean on our way home from California?"

"I don't want to go on a long car drive. I'll just ride my bike and meet you there."

I.Can't.Wait. to introduce our kids to the magical place that is D-land. I'm prob more excited than they would be, if they knew.

Never fear, though, friends. I have some magnificent guest posters lined up for your reading enjoyment while I'm gone. And I'll be back next week...unless I decide my life would be more fulfilling as a guide on Pirates of the Caribbean. After all, I'd fit right in, as you've seen...

Happy Monday.

Ahoy thar! Want this look? Check out the stuff below... (no, seriously, do it. there's a funny surprise...at least, I think it's funny.)

More Zigi...

white legs, white legs, what do you see?...

shoes: don't recall. white legs: wyntair au natural. skirt: thrifted. slip: a slip shop. shirt & jacket: kohl's. bracelet: forever21. earrings: hawaii.

Confession: up until about 4 months ago, my legs have been the bane of my existence. Well, nearly. I've spent my whole life being embarrassed of them, because to me they were simply massive hunks o' whale blub. Or something equally as unflattering. Even as a long-distance runner, I couldn't do anything to slim them down. Which was frustrating and embarrassing and annoying.

Enter: this blog beginning in December, which involved taking daily photos of me, which (naturally) involved my legs...or some super awkward poses. Oh. Wait...

Maybe I've become numb to them (the sight of my legs) after sorting through hundreds of self-pics over the past few months. Maybe my acceptance of and appreciation for different body types has changed as I've viewed and enjoyed countless other style blogs. Maybe...I dunno. Can't think of any other scenarios. But for whatever glorious reason, I'm not ashamed of my legs anymore. Sure, they're white. Sure, my calves are larger than the average bear's. Sure I'll never be able to pull off some styles because of them.

But it's okay, because they're functional. They're very forgiving of the pounding I put them through by running. They go wherever I want them to, whenever I want them to. And they keep my feet attached to the rest of my body...which is good because I happen to like shoes. 

Anyway. This post is dedicated to you, legs o' mine. In all your winter-whitened glory. *clink & drink*

Happy Monday!

p.s. Has anyone else experienced a lifetime outlook change as a result of style/fashion blogging? Or reading blogs? Seriously, I'd love to hear.
p.p.s. If you're a modest style blogger, don't forget to click on "Modest Style Blogs" in my top navigation bar and follow the instructions...
p.p.p.s. Could this post's "goodbye" be any more drawn-out and awkward? Nope.

Want this look? Sweet. Simply stay indoors for 6 months, then shop the following: 

More Anthropologie...

a gifted slip. a dance of joy.

It's not a huge secret that I've been eying the slips at A Slip Shop for awhile. Which is a totally true statement if you just replace the words "eying" and "awhile" with "ogling & drooling over" and "forever." Seriously, have you checked them out? You'll die. They are So. Awesome.

That being said, you can imagine my sheer and utter delight when my friend Kaity contacted me about doing a product review of a slip. I thought one of two things was happening: (a) I had died and gone to a heaven where everyone wore adorable slips and ate chocolate chip pumpkin bread (that last part has nothing to do with the slips...it's just an integral part of my version of heaven...), OR (b) she had ESP (in which case I have a list of a few minds I'd like her to read...). Either scenario was fine with me, as long as I got to try out one of her slips!

Kaity was awesome to work with. You wouldn't believe the customized options available for these puppies. Seriously. I gave her the measurements she needed, asked her opinion on a few things (sooo hard to choose, but she had great advice), talked about style/color/length/fulness options (I went with the black pleated organza in a slight a-line), and viola. Got the package in the mail yesterday. Lightning fast. And lightning awesome.

shoes: head over heels. slip: a slip shop. skirt: thrifted. v-neck tee: gap. cardigan: j.crew. belt: kohl's (came with other skirt). necklace: don't recall. hairthing: f21.

[Editor's note: As for the rest of today's somewhat funky ensemble, feel free to take it or leave it. Me? I think it's great. I woke up feeling extremely lighthearted, so these clothes just kind of flung themselves onto my body in a free-spirited frenzy of...ah...free spirits. But the slip, my friends, don't mess with the slip. That is perfection.]

Not to beat a dead horse, but I can't even tell you how much I love this slip. And I'm not saying that because Kaity's my friend and I know she'll be reading this. (Hi Kaity!) It. Is. Fabulous! Such a feminine detail, it adds so much to a skirt-look. Annnnd I have some skirts that are borderline too shorty-short, so a chic skirt-lengthener is perfect. I have a zillion other ensemble ideas that I can't wait to bust out with this little number.

One thing I'd recommend for anyone who orders one is to go longer than you might think. On mine, Kaity recommended I go an inch longer than I thought I'd need, thank goodness, because if it were any shorter than what it is, my legs would hit the organza (as opposed to the slippery slip part) while walking, and the slip would probably ride up. 

So, in summary: I adore this slip. I can't wait to buy some of the other ones Kaity & I talked about, too. Wearing it makes me want to do the charleston as a dance of joy. 'Cept I don't really know how to do the charleston. But even that fairly significant detail didn't stop me from attempting it anyway and posting pics for your viewing entertainment. I am just that joyful.

Go check out A Slip Shop, you guys. I'm not kidding. You'll want everything. PLUS, if you got one, it would make my dance moves make sense. So.

Happy Wednesday.

Want this look? slip   pencil skirt   cardigan   black patterned tights

More J.Crew...

camoflaugishness

My discussion will be limited today. And by limited I mean virtually nonexistent.

 shoes: candies brand. pants: gap. v-neck: banana republic. cardigan: gifted. bracelet: don't recall. belt & headband: f21. necklace: gifted/don't recall.

I'm not feeling this outfit. Like, at all. Okay. Hang on. *breathing through my nose and finding the positive vibes within* One thing I DO like about it is the skinny-striped cardigan paired with the wide belt. There. It's not a total bust.

But these pants are on my closet purge hit-list. I love them so, but they just don't fit my body. And I think I'm mildly depressed about that. And when I realize I'm losing an old favorite pair o' pants, I can't be funny, or even chatty or small-talky, like, not even the lamest "how's the weather?" kind of small-talkish.

I can only drown my sorrows in a steaming cup of spiced cider and curl up with my CB2 catalogue that just came in the mail and be inspired by awesome color combos. [Editor's note: That actually sounds heavenly. Maybe I'll get pants-induced depression more often...] 

Speaking of being inspired, you know what else is inspiring? The total kid-joy that my 6-year-old son had yesterday when he lost a tooth at school. He was #1 School Dude for awhile there. And THEN we found a tooth our puppy lost last night, so it was like the best day on the planet for him that BOTH "boys" lost their teeth on the SAME day. Like twins. 'Cept even better than twins, because one of them I can lock in a crate if he's being too crazy. And the other's just a puppy, so...

(I'm KIDding. It's practically always our puppy who gets crated.)

Happy Wednesday.

p.s. Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Want this look? (Really? You do? Huh. That's odd awesome.)     striped cardigan    leopard print flats    wide leg pants

womens striped cardigan banana republic

get out your tiny violins...

 shoes & jeans: american eagle outfitters. long-sleeved tee & hoodie: old navy. scarf: smith's marketplace. watch: citizen brand. belt: thrifted. hairthings: don't recall.  

Ever wondered what a girl with strep throat looks like? Wonder no more. [Editor's note: Not to pat myself on the back too hard, here, but...did I call it? Strep, I mean? Yesterday? Yes, my friends. I called it. Anyone out there need a medical diagnosis? Because I *think* I might be your woman...]

Yesterday was baaaad. Like, deathbed bad. Today is bad but slightly better, thanks to the inventor-o'-penicillin. And my dr who prescribed it for me. I needed another scarf today (I even slept with my O scarf on last night because it felt so good on my neck. I know. Weird.), so I guess you could say this houndstooth number was my jumping-off point. And, if you'll recall, it's "softer than cashmere?" Haha. Yep. Still funny.

There's something refreshing and earthy about green-and-b&w as a color combo. So I chose my top(s), paired them with some aging almost-holes-in-the-knees jeans (which are super old but a fresh light blue...I'll be sad to bid them adieu when they die), and slipped on my go-to metallic flats.

Know how belts are often a style statement? This one is an exception. I'm wearing it simply to hold up my pants. It's even brown. Paired with b&w. I know. Rebel. But I kind of like how it "grounds" the look overall.

Um, my brain is actually starting to get a little fuzzy. Better sign out before I start rambling like an old man.

Happy Saturday.

Want this look? jeans   scarf   flats   zip-cardigan

womens green zip cardigan

taming the wild beast within. or at least embracing him... her... whatever.

 shoes: converse brand. jeans, long-sleeve tee, & vest: gap (what the trifecta? that. is. embarrassing.). belt: pocket's. watch: citizen brand. hairthing: gifted.

I don't know about you, but I think puffy vests are awesome. And warm. Which is a huge win-win when you check the outside thermometer every hour *fingers crossed* that you get to the 15-degrees mark that day, and heaven forbid mother nature sends you into the blazing-hot 20s because you'd probably have to break out the shorts and have a luau in such balmy temps.

I'm not bitter. I'm just sayin. It ain't hot.

(ahem) So. Puffy vest. Love mine. Throw it on over a long-sleeved tee, and we're in business. After donning some dark wash jeans, of course, because otherwise (a) chilly! and (b) gross. I was warm at this point, but felt rather, well, puffy. I happened to glance at my belt hanger...a crazy idea forming in my hot little head...

...with an internal monologue that went a little something like this: A belt? Over a PUFFY vest? Dare I? No way. I'll look like the Michelin man! Wait, is it MISHuhlin or muSHELLin? Hmmm...note to self: pay attention next tire commercial. But hopefully it won't be that one where the old lady chucks a tire in the store window...seen THAT about a bajillion times. Oh. Belts. Let's go brown.

I belted it up, donned the thickest most comfiest warmest socks I could find (Pocket's, natch), threw on my fave red converse shoes [Editor's note: They're actually my only red converse shoes, in case you're wondering. Which makes them my favorite and, technically, also my least favorite. I think I just blew someone's mind.], and braided my hair into two messy free-spirited braids. And added one loosey-goosey braid for my front bangs and pinned it back with a flower. Which I think is Unexpected and Maybe Awesome. Goes with the whole outdoorsy-backwoods(wo)man-devil-may-care vibe of today.

Happy Thursday.

Want this look? converse vest jeans long-sleeved tee
  

womens down vest

...but what if the shoe DOESN'T fit?

 boots: target. socks: smith's marketplace. skirt: gap. shirt: pocket's. belt & hairthing: f21.

This outfit isn't much to speak of. Not lots going on, other than the fact that I busted out wearing one of Pocket's workshirts. The good news is, I'm about 99.9% sure that the engineers down at his work aren't following this blog, so they'll never know. And if they ARE reading this, the fact that I'm wearing my husband's shirt becomes one of the least of our worries, now, doesn't it.

Today's jumping-off point: this grey wool skirt. It's well over 10 years old. And it's supposed to be a pencil-skirt-that-wraps number, but I can only wear it at my hips, making my bottom half look larger than I actually am. In keeping with the bigger-is-apparently-better theme of today, I thought I'd throw on one of Pocket's shirts and waddle myself around the house. Which, for the record, is kinda fun to do on occasion. Waddle, that is. 'Cept instead of bread crumbs, I'm throwing myself fruity tootsie rolls and catching them quite adeptly, if I do say so myself. Quack.

To balance out the masculine, I overcompensated with some bling-shine-boom: a sequinilicious (yep) skinny belt, an enormous jewel-encrusted-jeweled hairthing, and diamond stud earrings. Which are real. A surprise gift from xoPocketxo himself. And I l.o.v.e. them--perfect size, shape, and stone. Thankyouverymuch.

I considered adding tights today but didn't. Maybe I subconsciously wanted to show off my neon-translucent legs? Yeah, probably that. I just felt like socks today...but only socks that yelled "supersize me!" at the manufacturing plant. Which these obviously did. And I admire them for that.

Then I got cold and added a cardigan and took three more pics. The end.

Happy Wednesday!

[Addendum: If you'd like to check it out, I'm featured today on Jill's fabulous blog, Spoils of Wear. Thanks, Jill!]

Want this look? skirt boyfriend button-upcardiganboots

womens boyfriend button-up

To market to market...

Raise your hand if you have a bajillion things to do today. Or touch your nose if you're too lazy to raise your hand but still have lots to do. Or, fine, will you at least mentally acknowledge that today's to-do list is long but you're drawn to your laptop (and, consequently, this post) like a moth to the bug-zapper light? [Editor's note: No, but seriously, have you ever watched a bug-zapper in action? It's, like, 15% disturbing, 60% awesome, and whatever-percentage-is-left mesmerizing. You should try it sometime.]

ANYway. Now that we've established that we're all busy people today (or, for those of you who've fallen asleep during this exercise, established that we have other more important things to do today than read this), let's get to it.

Today's jumping-off point is a little surprising. Because nothing in this outfit looks like it goes together. Which is why I think the whole thing is Unexpected & Maybe Awesome. But I started with this striped sweater. I don't wear it too much because it's long and horizontally striped and, therefore, makes my naturally square torso look suspiciously like a refrigerator box.

But the colors are warm, casual, comfortable, and quite inducive to doing a lot of errandy-type things. Which, as we've established, today's schedule is chock-full of. Plus, I was feeling a little rebellious today. Maybe it's the fact that this is the last day I'll ever live as a 30-year-old. Or the fact that Santa has obviously assembled his nice/naughty lists already, so what the heck, let's break some rules. But either way, I wanted to mix some patterns and colors.

[Editor's note: That's not the extent of my rebelliousness, you die-hards. Stop rolling your eyes at me. I may or MAY NOT have rinsed off my crusty breakfast dishes before putting them in the dishwasher this morning, either. And the day is still young, too, sooooo... don't judge too hastily. This girl can get cuh-raaazyeeee...]

So. Patterns: stripes, plaid, flowery/butterfly-y. There really is no reason or method for putting them together. But I think they're tied together nicely with some purple tights, brown leather belt, and some brown boots. I actually like the end result. I feel like, "hey, kids, go ahead and wipe your pnut-butter-encrusted-fingers on me today...it'll form a pattern on my clothes and fit right in." And, frankly, I like that kind of carefree.

Now, you'll have to excuse me. I'm off to do more rebellious things. Like, maybe NOT dusting a bookshelf that desperately needs it. Mwhwhahahahahaaaa...

Happy Thursday.