a barbie by any other name (not even 2nd cousin "barb") wouldn't smell as sweet.

Contrary to popular belief, the number two isn't as easy to replicate as it might seem. Don't tell me you haven't discussed this with at least three of your closest friends, either.

shoes: steve madden. jeans & striped sweater: american eagle outfitters. shirt: j.crew. watch: target. earrings: hawaii. flower barrette: forever 21.

A few days ago I was playing barbies with my 4-year-old, and the pillow was Mermaid Rock, and the barbies were going to have a party there. My barbie tried to get the party started by getting her groove on (she has some sweet dance moves. like me. I could rock a dance floor. and have. and will again.) [Editor's note: Which would all be absolutely true if I wasn't lying...]

Anyway. Layla's barbie politely informed mine that, "Sorry, we don't dance at this party."
Mine: "Oh. Okay." [Long, awkward barbie pause.] "Soooo...what do we do?"
Layla: "Um, I dunno. Talk about gowns?"

So that's exactly how our barbies partied. In fake high-pitched southern drawls that, coincidentally, my daughter and I both naturally use for barbie's default voice-over.

Fast-forward to my hot date with late-night TV last night (sure missing Pocket around here. Especially when I remembered, too late, that today's garbage day and I didn't take the trash out.) and an old episode of What Not To Wear, when someone quoted Coco Chanel as saying something to the effect of, "When you get dressed, put everything on, then take one thing off."

I have no idea if this is true or not. But I will say this: I almost busted out a necklace with today's ensemble, but then I didn't. I think Coco would be proud. In fact, her people totally called my people today to express just such a sentiment. FINE, they didn't. But they wanted to, I just know it. Regardless, you all can start calling me Brittbritt. In high-pitched accents. Obviously.

Happy Wednesday!

How I last wore these pieces: boyfriend jeans, striped sweater, mustard shirt.

Want this look? Check out the stuff below...

More LOFT...

on husbands and boyfriends (and stealing their clothes...)

 shoes: steve madden. jeans: american eagle outfitters. shirt: Pocket's. bracelets: f21, target, kohls. necklace: gifted.

Brittany asked me to participate in a style-a-basic-white-tee thing (which is absolutely the technical title of the event, if you're wondering), upcoming on her blog. (Ohp! Spoiler Alert. TOTally forgot to prep you all...sorry. But, really, now you know how I felt when my sister spilled the beans about what happened in the last Twilight book. Actually, that's not a good comparison at all, because I probably spent 14 hours of my life begging her TO spoil it because I was too lazy to read it. Not like she busted out-of-thin-air the inside info about the baby...I had to WORK for that, guys.)

ANYways. I'm always usually on-rare-occasions-and-involving-bribes up for a challenge, so I told her I'd be happy to do it. But my brain is too tired to come up with three separate outfit ideas starring a white tee AND another outfit for today. So, even though you all get a sneak peek at one of the white tee outfits (lucky dogs), there are still two more secret and awesome looks coming up on her blog next week. So. This totally isn't cheating. I'm pretty sure. Hopefully.

Also not cheating (right?) is the fact that I stole Pocket's basic white tee because I own none of my own. And, bonus!, his was fairly new and therefore didn't have the sweat stains that inevitably befall his t-shirts. [Editor's note: Not that my husband is sweaty or gross. He's absolutely not. He is athletic and active, though, so over the course of time and thousands of bball games, his tees tend to get...ummm...well-used.] 

So, since I was using his tee anyway, I thought I'd strike up a theme here and pair it with some boyfriendish jeans. Check-check on the masculine components. Now I just needed to girlify a bit. Knot the tee, cuff the sleeves, add some enormous bright chunky jewelry, and don the infamous heeled booties of which my entire shoe collection are currently jealous. At first I was going to just pull back my hair to pretend I'm athletic, too ("pretend" being the optimum word), but with the tee's crew neck, that wasn't going to work. Crew necklines aren't the most flattering on a girl with broad shoulders. And I'm just such a girl.

So, with the hair: curl it up buttercup. Done and done. I'm liking the balanced juxtaposition of this ensemble. Yin and yang. Salt and pepper. Knock-knock jokes and something actually funny. Mullets and all other hairstyles. You get the idea...

Happy Wednesday!

Want this look? boyfriend jeans  white tee  boyfriend watch  booties  crochet necklace

More Newport News...

these are a few of my favorite pants...

I hope your new years holiday has been splendid. Mine has. Got to sleep in until 10 this morning...when was the last time THAT happened? Probably in the 90s. Heh. I feel so cool saying stuff like that.

I wore pants about half the month last month. Here they are. I'd love to hear your feedback overall--if you want, leave a comment to vote for your favorite. Or, if none is your favorite, vote for the one you might consider wearing yourself. Or, if you'd wear none of these, leave a comment with your favorite knock-knock joke, just to pad my blogging stats. Geesh.

Also, check back on Tuesday for a new feature I'm implementing (alliteravely named "Tuesday Topics"...isn't that clever? No? Lame? Drat.) where I respond to a reader's question/comment with some solid research and photographic evidence. This week's topic is about belts and body types and the most flattering ways to wear them. You don't want to miss it. Or maybe you do... But try really hard not to. Because, really, what else is going on on the first Tuesday of a new year? Absolutely nothing. I'd maybe recommend taking the day off work, but that's a personal decision you'll have to make on your own.

More posts forthcoming between now and Tuesday, of course. Like what I've learned in the past month of doing this. What my style goals are for 2011. And how I'm going to not be so stinking wordy in these posts.

Annnnnnnnd...I'm out. Happy Saturday.

cellllll.uh.brate good times, COME ON! let's celebrate.

Warning: I'm in kind of a crazy-giddy-do-weird-stuff-and-laugh-really-hard-about-it-for-no-reason-much-to-the-annoyance-of, well, everyone-around-me mood.

I don't often get this way, actually. But when I do, it's serious. I lose all control. See those karate kicks? That's what I'm talking about. Random. And juvenile. And inappropriate. [Editor's note: But also...entertaining...] 

 Shoes: Mudd brand. Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters. Shirt: Gap. Belt: F21. Necklaces/bracelets: Who the heck knows. Flower: gifted.

  

Chances are, you're laughing so hard [Editor's note: She's flattering herself again; you and I both know that you're just rolling your eyes. And for good reason.] at today's pics that you (a) haven't even noticed what I'm wearing, (b) don't even care how it came together, and/or (c) forgot you left the iron on downstairs and need to go turn it off. Stat. Go ahead. I'll wait. 

So, for many of you, New Year's Eve parties involve lots of sequin and gold and fanciness. For me, it (ideally!) involves a small gathering of close friends and family. And lots of kids. And games and food and attempts to squelch the urge to turn the clocks ahead 3 hours to "ring in the new year" at 9 and get home and to bed by 10 because I'm a granny and can't seem to stay awake that long anymore and, really, what's the difference, the new year's here when we wake up tomorrow.

Geez. Those of you who are not yet 31 are reeeeeeally scared of the middle-ageness you're seeing evidenced here. Live it up now, you young fries. Live it up.

ANYwee. I'm wearing my favorite black button-up, some pegged jeans because they just seemed to match my crazy unexpected mood (and I think they're Maybe Awesome here), and some heels (mary janes! I love.). Not wanting attention drawn to my feet, I kept footwear neutral.

Sequined belt tied in a cuh-razy knot. Tons of random jewelry. And my favorite lucky flower headband (recognize it from here and here?). I'm loving how I feel a little glamorous but can still do whatever my mood desires. Bring it on, new year! I love ya already.

Happy 2010.

Unexpected

Totally sporting pegged jeans today. And a side ponytail. Kinda like my older sister...in 7th grade. Oooh, speaking of my older sister (who, by the way, rocks. She's run a billion marathons, is crazy-competent in every area of her life, has crinkly smiley eyes, and is a black friday master) and her fashion sense, I'm having a flashback of my super younger days when i wanted to BE her because she was uber cool because she had an enlarged tiger face printed on her bathing suit.

At the time, my "bathing suits" were homemade cottony jumper-things. Don't be jealous.

Unexpected & Maybe Awesome: Converse with a floral button-up.

Happy Thursday!