larger than life

 shoes: converse brand. leggings: old navy. skirt: thrifted & modified. shirt: gap. watch: target. bracelets: forever21.

So our across-the-street neighbors had a yard sale on Saturday because they're moving. I got a set of jumper cables for $2, which I'm appreciative of, but beyond that I'm pretty mad at them.* 

[*Neighbs, if you're reading this, know I'm not really mad at you. Just, y'know, at the situation.]

My kids really really wanted to go to their yard sale after my jumper cable purchase, so they all got themselves dressed and their chores done (a prerequisite for such an excursion), and my daughter found her wallet in which all three kids' collective earnings were stored. I stayed in the kitchen doing the dishes, leaving the front door open and my ears hearing this:

[nothing for a while, then my son's adorable voice explaining] "Yeah, but we only have a five-dollar and two one-dollars, so I guess we can't buy it."

[muffled voices heard over my sigh of relief that more stuff was not going to be accumulated as a result of this venture]
[relative silence for about 3 minutes]

[kids enter the house; girls are squealing, son is grunting as he plops THIS in the entryway]:

I'm less than thrilled about it. The thing's enormous. The kids couldn't be more proud of themselves. (Their grampa's proud of their "wheelin-and-dealin," but their grampa doesn't have a life-size stuffed animal in his house, either. So.)

If you need me, I'll be smashing down walls for an extension to fit the new guy. Or dropping one of the kiddos off in a basket on the neighbor's porch. One of the two; I haven't decided.

Happy Monday.

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More Forever 21...

2 wrongs don't make a right...but how about 14 wrongs? what then?

 shoes: steve madden. tights: forever21. skirt & shirt: gap. cardigan: j.crew. belt: thrifted (american eagle). scarf: gift (old navy).

 There's absolutely no method to this madness...and I'm afraid it shows. Yet, surprisingly enough, I couldn't feel more comfortable or presentable.

Which is a good thing, because I spent more than an hour at the school district office this morning for kindergarten registration...along with millions, nay - BILLIONS, of other people. I had no idea the entire state's population is swarming to my area and will be entering my child's kindergarten class, but I suppose it's true. I saw the number of people myself. And my eyes don't lie.

(Except when they read the caloric content on some delicious foods that I happen to want seconds of. Then they tend to omit a few numbers from lame categories like "calories" and "fat." Which is actually way more astute than I would expect ocular orbits to be. I should eat more carrots to reward them for their loyalty. Should.)

So. My daughter didn't get registered today, her very kindergarten (and, skipping a few minor developmental years, collegiate) existence is at risk of falling through the cracks. But don't you fret, because today's a lucky day for you all: Outtakes. Extra-awesome ones. Any by "awesome" I of course mean "please, readers, come back tomorrow...please...readers?...reader?...mom?..."

Happy Tuesday.

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More Gap...

i don't think they're calling me mellow yellow (that's right)...

 shoes: steve madden. socks: smiths marketplace. skirt & cardigan: j.crew. shirt: gap. scarf: forever21. flower hairclip: downeast outfitters.

I dunno, guys. I was totally uninspired today by my 30x30 items this morning, lounging lazily in my closet and doing their best to ignore me. I feel like I've made all the obvious matches, you know? So bear with me over the next two weeks, as the UNobvious becomes the everyday. But the good news (for all of us) is that, as day 15, the glass is half done.

So. Non-inspiration typically equates to either totally mundane or...how do I put it...totally odd. Heh. Guess what I went for today. I'm commiting all sorts of fashion faux paus here--t-shirt with pencil skirt, socks with sandals, two bright & bold patterns competing with each other, not to mention the socially-unacceptable exposure of pasty-white knees. Meh. I'm not even fazed, though. That's what happens when I eat too much sugar the day before. I turn into a rebel without a clue.

Speaking of Tom Petty lyrics...does anyone else just LOVE the song "free falling"? A timeless classic, if you ask me. (Which you didn't, but I'm the one typing here, so I can pretend anything I want.) When I'm jogging and Free Falling comes around on my playlist, I get a huge (probably psycho) smile on my face, bee-bop of my head, and rhythm to my stride. Basically, for about 3 minutes, I become an oblivious one-woman circus bopping along the side of the road. But a themed Free Fallin' circus. Which HAS to be better than any Barnum & Bailey number. 'Cept the elephants. That's a definite feather in their cap.

[Editor's note: I almost made a joke that compared my thighs to an elephant's. But, although potentially mildly humorous, it's rude, even (especially?) coming from oneself. So I didn't. I'm just learning to fly, guys.] [Assistant Editor's note: If you're unfamiliar with Tom Petty, you should probably just ignore this entire post. We apologize for the decade-specific references. It's the last dance with Mary Jane, I promise.]

Breaking rules or no, I feel a bit Unexpected and Maybe Awesome today. Hope you do, too.
Happy Tuesday!

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More Topshop...

a joyful heart. a candy-filled mouth.

(This number match would've been PERFECT if I only had a hairier back. And jaggedy shins...)

shoes: steve madden. leggings: don't recall. skirt & striped shirt: gap. floral shirt: f21. bracelet: downeast outfitters. earrings: hawaii.

 Sorry about allllllll the photos today...I was editing and chatting at the same time and didn't realize how many photos I'd done. Thus...one bazillion pics of yours truly. Best day of your life, I know. You're welcome.

So, there's snow outside. Just a wee bit, though, on a few sidewalks. [Editor's note: Can I use words like "wee" even if I'm not Irish? or Scottish? Discuss, but only in brogue accents.] And, although this footwear would indeed fall under the "sandal" category, I think the designers secretly had snow in mind. See the platform? Yep. Like snowshoes to keep my toes out of the snow. Brilliant.

This outfit is kinda everywhere at once. Floral & stripes, button-up and henley tee, pencil skirt and chunky bracelet, crazy patterned leggings and gladiator wedges...really, today there's no method to my madness. But I think it's Unexpected and Maybe Awesome.

And actually, if you were to peek into my soul today, you'd find an equally...um...varied array of emotion. I'm content, somber, wild, flighty, giddy, focused, and, above all, joyful. Despite the fact that my puppy broke my favorite watch yesterday. And the fact that my darling 4-year-old has missplaced (no doubt forever) one of her new ballet slippers. And the fact that my heart and thoughts rarely stray from Pocket's grampa, fighting for his life, and gramma, watching her beloved fight for his life.

There is sadness and fear and awfulness in my world at times. But the fact remains that last night my little family laughed until we cried. And all three kidlets now love Charlie the puppy. (Our 4-year-old has been struggling since we got Charlie last October. And when I say "struggling," what I really mean is "petrified" and "expressed in 180-decibel paranoid screams if the dog so much as glanced her way.") And we played and hung out and created a golden glow of warmth and home even in a fluorescent-bulbed basement (not exactly the coziest of lighting devices; I think we'll be switching back. Don't tell the Green Police on me. At least not til after taxes...).

Anyways. Despite its ups and downs and in-between plateaus, life is delicious and lovely. And I wanted today's ensemble to reflect that. Now if only the buttons were edible hunks o' chocolate...

Happy Wednesday.

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More Gipsy...

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