snakeskin may be a neutral, but my loathing of snakes isn't

I'm not a short person. I'm 5'8". That's pretty average, right? Maybe on the taller side of average?

 

 

I didn't realize how short I could appear, though, until I sat down to post these pics. Holy shortlegs, Batman.

 

houndstooth shoes: Kohl's (I think)

jeans: Big Star

snakeskin belt: J. Crew

paisley-ish shirt: don't remember

olive green jacket: Kohl's

 

I've had this jacket for a while now. I love its color and cropped length and the front pleating details. I don't love the short short sleeves (especially on my loooong monkey arms) and how it's not quite a military jacket but not quite a school-boy (-girl?) (-lady? yes, that must be right. school-lady. yep.) blazer, either.

 

 

All that aside, let's hear it for a (faux, of course) skinny snakeskin belt and some leather-and-houndstooth loafers.

 

 

The perfect accessories for any stumpy-legged non-military school-lady.

 

Happy Wednesday.

 

 

Shop similar items below:

Prana Casual Jackets · J Brand Flare Denim · Skechers Shoes & Boots

{shared: Everyday Fashion & Finance, Get Your Pretty On, Her & Nicole, Kiwi Women's Style, My Fashion Forward Blog, Style Elixir, The Life of the Party Blog, The Mrs and the Momma, The Pleated Poppy, }

midi-length denim skirt...non-frump-style...I hope...

 shoes: steve madden. skirt: old navy (i think?). belt: thrifted (american eagle). top: gift. jacket: kohl's. necklace: forever21. bracelet: downeast basics.

This week I'm grateful for:

- Buy an entree get one free for date night. Score!

- Double date night with some fabulous friends.

- Beautiful weather.

- Kids in swimsuits. All day. Almost every day.

- Soft tissues (kleenex-style).

- Public libraries. Specifically, mine.

- Almost the end of school...and our upcoming family vacation to Ca-lee-for-ni-ay. And a surprise for the kiddos that (they won't know about this until the day of) I'm not going to tell you guys but I'll give you a hint: rhymes with Schmisneyschmand.

- Catching my husband giving our daughter a pretend "makeover" (an empty blush brush) because she begged him and because he's the world's #1 Dad.

- Fresh fruit and veggies.

- Not flossing. I can't help it. I'm so grateful for not flossing.

Happy Sunday!

p.s. Don't forget to enter this week's GIVEAWAY!

keep a pastel skirt from floating away...

 shoes: ebay (cato brand). skirt: american eagle. jacket: kohl's. watch: target. bracelet: burntsiena designs. belt & necklace: forever21. undershirt & flower pin: downeast basics.

Happy Mothers Day! For today's photo shoot, and as part of her celebratory contribution, my 5-year-old wanted to decide on the poses and have me copy them for each shot. She tried to trick me and would switch it up at the last second. A delightful and entertaining time, even if the photos themselves didn't turn out the best (it's super dark and grey outside, so the lighting is...how shall I say...crappy in my house).

This week I'm grateful for:

- lindor chocolate truffles.

- and, on a related note, Mothers Day. Specifically for the kidlets that make the celebration personal for me. And for my own mama.

- rocking chairs.

- weeks when kids aren't sick.

- the magic of a pinata and the joy in the eyes of every kid reaping its pummel-induced bounty.

- the public library.

- my husband. He is a fabulous component of humankind.

- wearing a tank top on my jog!!! (translation: it was warm enough this week. finally!)

- references to King of Queens. That show = hilar.

- talking girl-talk over delicious cake with 2 of my closest girlfriends for "20 minutes." An hour (and a half?) later...

- non-nasty toothpaste.

- books. A glorious stack of endless books that bespeaks giddiness when I get a chance to read them.

Happy Sunday!

snain, snain, go a-snay...

 shoes: converse brand. jeans & jacket: kohl's. shirt: gap. belt: don't recall. bracelet: forever21. flower hair clips: gift. earrings: hawaii.

Hey guys. It's Friend Friday, topic:

What are the top 5 Spring trends that you are looking forward to seeing/sporting this season?

1. Salmon/coral colored anything.

2. Maxi dresses.

3. Strappy metallic sandals.

4. Floralicious...ness.

5. Skirts skirts skirts. And more skirts.

Welp. There you have it. Quite possibly the shortest post you'll ever read on this blog. Enjoy it while it lasts...

...because it's not lasting long. Remember how, just yesterday, it was totally springy and warm and sunny outside in my world? Guess who now has substantial evidence to prove, beyond reasonable doubt, Mother Nature's bipolarity? Yeah, ME. Because today is snaining (my pet name for nasty snow-rain), dark and gloomy, cold. Boo.

When I was younger, I always wanted to live somewhere it rained a lot. Like Seattle or Portland. I found the gloom of a rainy day somewhat cozy and heartwarming. I also liked a boy with a mullet in 5th grade. So. Nothing against Seattle or Portland. It's just that my pre-teen preferences were questionable and shouldn't be used against me now.

But there's a silver lining to the snain. It's spelled "s-i-l-v-e-r l-i-n-i-n-g" but is pronounced "mint chocolate chip ice cream with homemade hot fudge sauce." Mmmm...

Happy Friday.

p.s. Check out my guest post for No Guilt Fashion's Mom Week!

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

More Charles Tyrwhitt...

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...

vest it up, buttercup.

 shoes: steve madden. jeans & jacket: kohl's. shirt: a.n.a. brand. vest: thrifted (homemade). watch: target. necklace: don't recall. belt & headband: forever21.

Notice how I'm hardly smiling in any of these? I actually am smiling...inside. I've been blowing my nose so much these past two days that my nose & upper lip are raw and it hurts to smile. Upper lip? you're asking. That's so gross. What's she doing, smearing stuff around like a 2-year-old? A fair assumption, I suppose, since I was 2 years old once. But, no. I actually have an efficient noseblow. It's just thorough. And, these days, excessive.

And if THAT wasn't what you wanted to read about this morning, well, I just don't quite know what to say. 'Cept don't take great pains to eavesdrop on dinnertime conversations around here, because I've got three kiddos and maybe a husband (but I won't say for sure...but yes) who think everything to do with every type of bodily function and noise is hilariousness and repeatable joke-telling fodder.

All this insight makes you want to be my friend, doesn't it. And run, not walk, to your friendly neighborhood Wall Street guy to take out stock in kleenex company. Either way, I think your future's looking bright. As bright as my nose. And that's something.

p.s. I can't remember if it's cheating to wear a vest with the 30x30 items, but I'm going to say no because it's like an accessory. Right? (*wink wink*) Right. Glad we agree.

Happy Wednesday.

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

More Asos...

dark brown with black: too close for comfort?

 So I'm getting lazy in my old age. Meh.

 booties: steve madden. socks: don't recall. skirt & jacket: kohl's. belt: f21. watch: target.

A few things I'd love to bring up here, and I'd love your feedback if you have a thought or opinion. Which is code for: This is a test, kids. Get out your #2 pencils. (ahem) 

(1) Socks with this skirt. The skirt is verrry business-esque (try saying that 10 times fast. not a chance), and I wanted to make it more casual and fun. AKA, the knee-high socks bandit rides again. Mistake or Awesome?

(2) Brown socks and black skirt. Here's the thing: I didn't want all black-blackness in the ensemble. Sometimes I think that's a little harsh. But these (the socks and skirt) are close enough in color, kind of, that it almost looks like I made a mistake and unintentionally grabbed brown socks thinking "no one'll notice..." Which, yes, it might be a mistake (that's what I'm trying to determine with you all), but it wasn't unintentional. So. Socks/skirt coloration conundrum: Mistake or Awesome? Or somewhere in-between?

(3) Pencil skirt as a stay-at-home mom. I think I made a mistake in selecting my 30x30 items, because 3 of the 7 bottoms are pencil skirts. I adore them. But they're just not that practical to wear so often when I crawl around the house playing "here kitties" with my 2-year-old, or when I have to do laundry and am having to lean waaaay over to scoop out that stubborn sock in the back of the dryer, or other odds and ends of activities that fill my life. What do you guys say: pencil skirt as regular at-home attire: Mistake or Awesome? Or just plain stupid?

(4) Lack of necklace. I had one on originally and then took it off because I love this belt buckle so much, and I felt like the two were competing. But I do feel a little bare/plain. So. Mistake or Awesome?

Anything else that catches your eye that you either like about this ensemble, or that you think would've made it better? Seriously. This one needs help.

Happy Tuesday!

Want this look? You don't have to answer that...just click below...

More Fossil...

Saturday brevity

shoes: union bay brand. jeans: american eagle outfitters. shirt & belt: forever21. jacket: kohl's. necklace & flower clip: gifted. bracelet: don't recall. earrings: hawaii.

I love it when Pocket goes shopping. He gets stuff like oranges and pnut m&ms and a kinect for the xbox 360. Which is why today's post is so short. I'm off to make my body into the controller and exhibit the reflexes of a cat. A nearly-dead bedraggled on-its-8th-life alleycat feline. But a cat nonetheless.

Happy Saturday!

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

More Jessica Simpson...

curly with a chance of afro...

Amazing how easy the number "1" is to act out. Also amazing how, despite it's straightforwardness, I still look nothing like the digit... 

 boots & watch: target. jeans & jacket: kohl's. shirt & belt: vintage.

Hey friends, sorry for the drama of me over the past day or two. I kinda freaked out. But, after a good couple solid hours of HGTV last night (Pocket's out of town this week, and I tend to snuggle up to the warm glow of the television when he's gone) and even some sleep, I promise: no more freakout weirdness from me! (Relatively speaking about the weirdness, of course.)

This is seriously going to be fun. [Editor's note: Nevermind the fact that I also think working sudoku puzzles, doing mental math while jogging, and mowing the lawn are all FUN!... doesn't everybody?]

I was thinking, though, that this challenge might actually turn out to be a little too easy. Maybe an awesome twist would be to have everyone bring their 30 items to an island, and we hang out there. With lots of cameras around. We'd eat rice and live off the land. Some of us will be periodically abrasive and rude ("you totally copied my ensemble from yesterday! you WENCH!" *commence cat-fight*) to boost ratings. Then we get voted off the island. Winner gets 1 million accessories. We could call it Survivor. Seriously. I think a show like that might last 5 or 13 or 86 seasons. Who's in?

Today's jumping-off point was this red polka dot shirt. Which, there's something about polka dots that makes me want to wear my hair curly. Just like there's something about pnut m&ms that makes me want to live in a world where their consumption (in huge quantities) is encouraged and, ultimately, vital for survival. Like a super-delicious version of carbon.

Add my favorite dark skinnies, which I didn't wear all last week, because I knew they'd prob be the MVP for this coming month. I originally had a cardigan with this, but everything felt too drapey-drapey. So. Structured jacket to the rescue, big fatty random blue belt (Unexpected and Maybe Awesome for me here), and boots that originally weren't going to come out and play today but it's just too stinking cold to wear anything else.

Anyway, this ensemble is perfect for my imminent tasks for today: (1) Fold and put away laundry. (2) Help my 4-year-old find her zhu zhu pet. And if you think neither of those sounds all that important, well, think again. Actually, I just thought again, and...maybe you're right. Tomorrow, then. Maybe I'll go call Mark Burnett about my show idea instead...

Happy Monday!

Check out how I wore this stuff last: jacket, polka dot top, dark skinnies, & boots.

Want this look? Click on the stuff below...

More Scrapbook...

i think i can...i think i can...i think i can...

shoes & shirt: american eagle outfitters. pants: gap. jacket: kohl's. bracelet: downeast outfitters. earrings: hawaii. belt: forever21.

One time I was in a class, and the instructor came in late, threw her bag down on the front table, and started yelling at us about what a crappy mood she was in. About 20 seconds later, she stopped, gathered her things, went out the door, and then came back in, smiling at everyone and telling us all how happy she was to be there. It was confusing at first, but later on we figured out that she was simply showing us what a huge difference an intro/first impression makes.

I say that as a preface to what I'm about to present to you: Firstly, that I'm totally happy today. I slept well last night, my kids are happy and being super cute, the sun is out, my quads are less sore than yesterday, and I've sneaked a few (handfuls of) pnut butter m&ms from my 2-year-old's "potty treats" stash. Like, seriously, it's an all-around good day.

I'll now disclose the second introductory truth: the fact that I am liking absolutely nothing about today's ensemble. 'Cept my hair, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't count as part of the "outfit." Overall, this outfit doesn't fit my mood, doesn't work in and of itself, and doesn't flatter. And I just discovered my pants are dirty. Sighhhh... 

No, I can't rock every daily outfit. But I think that's okay, because that makes the good ensembles that much better. Right, friends?...friends?...mom?... 

Anyways. Jumping-off point today was the grey shirt that you really can't see. It's got an embroidered neckline that I really like but that is proving difficult to dress. And I wore skinnies all last week so I thought I'd give them a break (translation: wash them) and go with some wide-leg trousers. [Editor's note: Apparently I prefer dirty ones, because, y'know, that's just classy.] I've also worn cardigans for many days in a row, and I plan on continuing to do so during much of the 30x30 challenge. Hence the jacket choice for today.

Braided belt, metallic flats, and a chunky bracelet that has nothing to do with the rest of the color scheme but that I thought I could maybe pull off anyway. And there you have it, kids: what not to wear, Britt-style. You're very welcome.

Happy Monday.

Want (to avoid) this look? wide leg pants olive jacket embroidered tunic metallic flats

More Gap...

On flipped up collars and sweet rolls

What say ye about an outfit's jumping-off point being a lovely coral necklace? Because that was mine. Given to me yesterday by my fabulous friend Brooke with delicious taste. I couldn't wait to wear it in an ensemble that would make it the star.

It's a perfect salmony-corally-pink, the one and only pop o' color in this outfit (minus the sash belt, which I'll explain in a minute). Mostly, I didn't want to deck myself all out in different shades of pink to go with the necklace today because (a) too matchy-matchy, and, more importantly, (b) that would turn me into a walking piece of valentine's day vomit. And I try to avoid that look whenever possible.

So I donned my faded black skinnies and a fully buttoned-up pinstripe lavendar number. I buttoned the top button so as to cover my neck and, hopefully, draw all attention to that great crochet detail on the top necklace bit. I figure there's a 50/50 chance of that happening. The other 50% probably goes a little something like "psst-check-out-that-girl-over-there-with-the-top-button-done-what-a-nerd-alert." I'll take my chances.

Unexpected & Maybe Awesome: The mix of tough (olive jacket) & feminine (heels) in this outfit. I added the jacket to neutralize, slash, downplay the lavendar. And, just because I was feeling sassy, I flipped up the collar. Add a pair of taupe mary jane heels (read about my mary jane obsession here), black pearl oyster shell earrings from Hawaii, and an attempt at a top-knot bun. [Editor's note: No, nothing died up there, people. That IS my hair, sadly enough.]

Ohp! Almost forgot. As you can see, I started out with a sash for a belt today. I don't know exactly why. But after a couple of pics, I realized I really didn't like it, so I swapped it out for a real belt. A shiny little skinny number, which I'm wearing now. Much better.

"That's all well and good, but what about the sweet rolls you mentioned in the title?" you ask. Nuts. I kind of wish you'd forgotten about that... Just like how I wish that I'd forgotten about them mid-photos this morning. But you didn't and I didn't. [Editor's note: Enter an instrumental take on "This Little Piggy"...]

Happy Tuesday.