Dawley Style

IT FITS!

2011-02-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines day everyone!

I am definitely one of those bitter singles that hates this day. Not necessarily because I don't have a significant other to share this day with, but because when you're single, all those non singles can make this day unbearable. I don't want you to ask me if I have a hot date tonight. I don't want you to assume I'm going out to find a man for the night. I don't want you to assume I'm the bitter single girl. I'm only bitter because you take this opportunity to try to make me feel like less of a person for being single. Well hear me now: I am single by choice. I choose to be alone because the options I've been given are not ones I deem acceptable. Until I find someone that I want to be with, I'll be single. Don't feel sorry for me. Be proud of me for not settling for anything less than what I want and what I know I deserve. Don't roll your eyes and tell me how brave I am for pretending to be ok as a single. I really am. Of course there are moments that I wish I had someone to hold me or help me when things don't go right, but knowing I can take care of myself and knowing I can do what I want and knowing that I get to have the final say in who I spend my life with is more than enough to keep me happy until that guy comes along.

Enough of that. On with the clothes!

I know there should be more pictures since this is a big moment for me and all, but that's the way it goes sometimes. This is the dress that I bought, even though it was too small, and have worn as a skirt a few times (here, and here). Well....It finally fits as a dress. I can zip it all the way up with zero issue. It's not even skin tight or uncomfortable. It really, truly, actually fits!

Obviously, I'm wearing Kel's wedges again. I really can't keep them off my feet. I reach for other shoes but I know that these wont' be mine forever so I'm wearing them as much as I can until I have to say goodbye. Of course, this is a summer dress and it's winter right now, but it will really come in handy to have a light dress like this when I go to....FLORIDA!!

That's right folks. I am heading to Florida in just a couple of short weeks and I can not freakin wait! I'm ready for some sunshine, warmth, and most of all to see my bestie that I'm going there to visit. She's been down there for almost a year and that is just way too long to be away from my best friend! I'll be there for just over a week and will have a bit of free time so if you're a Florida blogger and want to try to meet up for some local shopping, e-mail me!

Don't forget, if you or someone you know wears a size 10 shoe, check out the post below this.

Do you wear size 10?

2011-02-11T18:43:00.000-08:00

Fair warning: Kind of a long post. Definitely worth reading if you wear size 10 shoe though...

I read a post earlier this week on Between Laundry Days, and she talked about how she always had clothes she reached for to wear to work, and different clothes she would reach for on weekends. I can totally relate because I used to have one wardrobe that I would wear to work and a totally different set of clothes to wear after work and on weekends. However, I'm finding recently, that I'm dressing up more in general and there is no longer a division in my closet. I stopped caring about if things were truly work appropriate because we don't have a dress code at work. At all. That is so nice on days that I don't feel like doing anything and I know I can go to work in jeans and sneakers and it will be completely fine. I also stopped caring if I was "over dressed" for the weekends. I'll play more adventurously with my clothes and accessories on the weekends, but really that's only because I have more time to get ready on the weekends. That also give me more time to play with my make up in new ways, which is always fun for me.

I've been thinking about wearing this white skirt again for a while now but for some reason I couldn't get myself to try it for work. Maybe because I thought it was going to be harder for me to build an outfit around it. Wrong. I saw this tank when I was pulling the skirt down from the top rung, and laid them out together. I Liked how it looked on its own and tried it on. To cover my arms I added this black cardi with gold threads. Black tights of course, because even though there are no blizzards around here, it's still to cold to go bare legged.
Jump through to see more and find out more about us size 10ers...

I got these shoes a few years ago, on one of my post break up shopping binges at the Nordstrom Rack. I love these shoes so much and I don't wear them enough. The good news is, I am starting to wear them all more and am planning on weeding out the pairs that don't fit.
Which brings me to a point I've been meaning to make for a while. Since losing weight, my shoe size has gone down half a size. I have amassed a large quantity of shoes in the last few years and it saddens me to say...They don't all fit any more. So, if you are a size 10, and have a blog, I have a deal for you. I will send you a pair of shoes that I can't wear any more for you to keep, but you have to post pictures of them because I want to be able to see them from time to time. I know if they go to a fellow blogger, they will get the love they deserve. If you're interested, (or know of someone that might be) shoot me an e-mail and we'll work something out.

Moving on!

I just love this outfit. My friends mom told her I looked hot after seeing me. Gotta love that!

I was hoping I could get a better picture of my makeup for the day, but I am camera illiterate and don't have the patience to try and figure it out. So you get this. I tried purple eyeliner and what I like to call "sunset" shadows on my eyes. It also shows the ruffle detail on the shirt better. I love fabric around the neck, which is also along the arms. The mix of colors in this tank is really going to be fun to play with. This is another shirt that was once far too small to wear in public but now seems to fit quite nicely.

The earrings were a gift from my friend a couple of years ago. My jewelry is another thing that doesn't get enough wearings. This ring was a gift from my mom. She gave it to me when I had thought I had lost the other ring she given me. She is so good to me. And clearly has great style. Thankfully, I found the other ring. So now, I have 2 awesome rings from my mom. Thanks mom!

I weighed in Tuesday and lost another pound! I was initially a little upset about it because I feel like I've worked so much harder than just one pound, but I know my body is changing and I have an awesome support network of friends that continue to encourage me. I love them so much. Plus, I checked the scale a couple days later and definitely lost another pound! So, my total is now 11 pounds! That is awesome! And in only one month.Not too shabby.

Happy Friday everyone! I hope this weekend is full of fun shenanigans and adventures for all of you!

Monday brain

2011-02-07T18:31:00.000-08:00

I have zero idea what to write. Like, none. At all. My Monday brain is in full effect and it's showing.
On the bright side, I have outfit pics to share, and I've been feeling great style wise lately. I officially dropped a pant size and am excited to drop a couple more.

I wore this on Friday to work. This dress was the only thing speaking to me from the closet so I knew I had to wear it. From there I knew I needed long sleeves and with the weird color bleeding stains on the top portion of this dress, I had to add the vest again. I threw some knee highs on over my tights and wore my go to boots. A fun ring and a pair of dangly earring later and I'm ready to go.

I have one red eye in this picture and I'm going to post it anyway. I have hated these tights for a while, but they are my last pair of black opaque tights. Well, the were my last pair. They died. A run from nowhere emerged and they had to be buried (in my garbage). Some how, all 418 pairs of black tights I had last winter are all gone. I'm going to try and hold out a little longer before buying more, but I know I'll need to.

I actually have no idea where I got this ring. I'm thinking Forever21, but I really don't have a clue. I love it though. And now I love it even more. I've had this ring for quite a while now, but the last time I wore it, we got in a fight. The ring got caught on something as I was getting either in or out of my car, and the next thing I knew there was blood everywhere. It has since been washed but left unworn and unloved. There were some pokey wires that dig into your finger when wearing this ring so I never reached for it knowing it would just be a pain. This day though, I stuck it on without thinking and once I got to work I realized I had the toold to fix the problem. And thus, there is no longer an issue.

For not having much to say, there sure are a lot of words in this post. I hope all of you are getting along well with Monday. Only 4 more days until the weekend!

Happy Friday!

2011-02-04T18:33:00.000-08:00

It's finally Friday! I am so excited for the weekend. This week has been an interesting one and I'm ready for some me time.

I've determined that this is my pose. This is the one I do most often. I need to change it up!

About the outfit: Skirt and shirt both thrifted. Tights found at a random grocery store. Shoes from ShoeDazzle. Necklace is a mish mash of a few different things from different places. The chain came with a Premier necklace I bought a while ago. I found the owl on a different chain at Goodwill and the key came from a charity sale at a local place. It says "Equanimity" on one side. I love it.

My every day rings are on as usual. Though, as I type this I am actually wearing a different ring for a change. Way to go me!

I love these tights because unlike all my other tights, they are actually not super tight around my waist and that is definitely a nice change of pace. They are so comfy and warm. They're actually footless, but I pulled them down over my feet to wear these shoes. I think it worked out just fine. I didn't have to constantly adjust.

I also noticed how loose this shirt is on me. At first, I didn't notice anything, but then I thought about when I bought this shirt and remembered that the buttons used to gap because of how tight the shirt was (why would I buy something that tight?). Of course, since then, over the last 2 years, I've lost about 40 pounds all together. So that would make things fit differently, wouldn't it.

40 pounds?! Yes. It's true. I lost the most recent 10 pounds in the last month and before that I had been hovering around my 30 pound weight loss for almost a year. I'm so glad I finally kicked it into gear again!

In other news: Jazz hands!

Have a fun filled, laughter inducing, footballtastic (if you're into that kinda thing) weekend!

Pardon the Chaos

2011-02-04T12:48:00.000-08:00

I'm making some changes to the blog. Right now I'm just playing around with things and seeing what I like. I'm trying to make it a little more streamlined and fun. If you have any suggestions let me know!

monopink

2011-02-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

I'm still having issues getting dressed in the morning. It's definitely time to make another appointment with myself to clean out my closet. Too many options, and too many options that I don't ever want to wear. I mean, the losing weight thing is definitely part of it. Things don't fit the way they used to and they look less flattering, so I don't want to wear them. I stand in front of my closet, fretting over what I should wear. What? I never used to do that. I don't want to live like that. Time for change.

With all the trouble I'm having in the mornings, I still totally love the way this one turned out.

I started with my one and only maxi dress. This time I tucked the top part in instead of layering over it. I almost went for the same shirt in black, but decided to play with the monochromatic scheme that this tee offered instead. I almost went for my thick brown belt but when I saw this butterfly laying out from the last time I grabbed it because it made me smile. And when I'm having issues getting dressed, I need something that will make me smile.

The only thing I didn't like about this outfit: when I walked, my suede boots rubbed on the skirt causing a crazy amount of static. Like, crazy. When I walked I could hear it snapping and crackling. I was basically a walking bowl of rice crispy treats.

I sit all day anyway. Who cares about a little static? Next time: Different boots. I wanted a necklace too but I was rushing out the door so I kept it simple with just my hidden love bracelet.

Have you guys tried the maxi in winter thing? I highly recommend!

Happy Thursday!

Nothing new

2011-02-02T18:23:00.000-08:00

I mean it. I have nothing new to post. I wore clothes yesterday, but I didn't take pictures. It's alright because it was an off day for me anyway.

I won this $50 gift certificate for Shoebuy and I've been shopping around wondering what I should get (feel free to take a look and let me know what you think is fabulous!) and of course there are plenty of things I want. But I'm thinking I might just save it a little while longer and splurge on something extravagant when I reach my fitness goal. The thing doesn't expire until may of next year, so I have plenty of time.

I've been lusting for these for quite some time now. After seeing them on blog after blog, they've become a familiar sight and I don't know if I'll ever get tired of looking at them.

Buy these here

I know they're ridiculously high and all...but I love them. I love the giant platform. I love the t-strap. I love the small portion of covered platform. And I love, love, LOVE seeing them remixed a thousand different ways in so many of my favorite blogs.

Another shoe I loved in the Jessica Simpson selection was the Kally

The color, the sensible heel, closed toe, and ruching?! Ugh. Amazing. (check them out here) There were a lot more shoes in the JS selections that I loved, but I'm going to move on.

Irregular Choice always has shoes that my my heart flutter.

This is Sweety Bird. How fabulous would she look with some skinnies, a plain tee and a sparkly necklace? Or maybe with a great shift dress. Check them out here.

Basically, I have no idea what to get. I'm just shopping around online and sharing with you guys. I have not been asked to post about this website or the gift card I won. I like shopping for shoes and making others indulge too.

Happy hump day!

Running out of steam

2011-02-01T18:41:00.000-08:00

I am running out of steam. I weighed in today for the 3rd week. It wasn't good. I've been doing good, but I gained 2 pounds. I know it's only temporary, and quite normal really. It doesn't make it hurt any less. So, I'm taking a breather. Just trying to calm myself, and stay on track.
With that, here is the outfit I wore yesterday.

Lately, I've been having trouble getting dressed. I just stand in front of my closet and wait for some inspiration. I just cleaned out all the junk...maybe I need to reevaluate again. Get rid of more. Too many options can make me crazy. Still, I think I did ok with this one. I love this dress, but it's always too open around the girls. Sure, I can put a regular old tank on, but this tank, the nice slouchy neck detail can shine through. I added this cardi because the color mix makes me think of peacocks. Purple sweater tights, ninja boots and a skinny belt finish it off. Fun note: I may have gained 2 pounds, but this belt was snug when I got it and now it falls down. Yay!

I don't like the way my hair has been behaving lately, but I'll live.

Actually, this cardi used to be really snug too. Gaping between the buttons, all stretched out. Now, it fits perfectly. Ok, I gained...but I'm looking good!

I wanted to get a better detail shot of the neck. This is what I got. I was tired. At least I'm smiling!

Today, I've taken a lazy day. I'm wearing jeans and layers. Tomorrow, I will wear something fun!

Brown and blue all over

2011-01-28T18:18:00.000-08:00

I honestly don't know what made me put this together. I love trying my hand at pattern mixing, and one of the easiest ones to mix is stripes. So when I pulled this skirt out of my closet, I thought stripes would go great with it, but did I have any striped shirts that would work with this skirt? Apparently, I do.

Blue and brown always looks great together in my mind, so I grabbed my brown belt and brown tights and the shoes were a no brainer. I just got these from ShoeDazzle...more on these later though.

This is me when I have too much free time at home. Everything but the shoes and tights was thrifted.

I adore these shoes. I love wedges. I love the color blue. Clearly... And they're not an open toed shoe, which I honestly need more of. Do I really need more shoes? No. Fine.

Aren't they pretty? The blue is a suede ish kind of material and the brown wedge is um...plastic? I'm not sure. It's hard. (that's what she said!)

Confession: I wore flats to the office. They were blue.

Happy freakin Friday guys! I am so excited that the weekend is finally really here. I have a date tonight, shopping and ladies night on Saturday and family time on Sunday. Do you guys have any fun plans?

Cleaning outfit

2011-01-27T18:52:00.000-08:00

I don't have much to say about this outfit. I loved wearing it. I'm pretty happy with the way it looks in the pictures. I was comfortable all day and I felt cute. What's not to like?

I've got on the dress that's too small so I wear it as a skirt. I love this bad boy. And with all the weight I'm losing, I'll actually be able to wear this as a dress by the time spring and summer hit. Kick ass. Brown Merona top that I got at Goodwill. It's got a small hole near the chest that I noticed for the first time while wearing this yesterday. Sad, because I love this shirt a lot. Brown tights and my ninja boots with my fun butterfly belt for some extra fun and to keep me warm, my new circle scarf. So warm and cozy.

I love me a skirt with pockets. Yes I do!

This little guy hangs out next to me while I take my outfit photos. Some people have cats or dogs. I'm 5 at heart, so I have toys.

Happy Thursday! Are you excited tomorrow is Friday? I sure am!

Lazy day

2011-01-26T19:04:00.000-08:00

On my lazy days, I instantly gravitate towards dresses. They're easy and look great while feeling like pajamas. Exactly how I want to feel at work on a day that's having trouble getting in gear.

Oooh! Bigger picture! I found this dress at Goodwill (of course. Do I even shop anywhere else? Answer: Yes! I can't limit my options ya know) and thought it would be a perfect thing to add to my closet. It's a color I don't really have a lot of already with a funky pattern that I love. I love the mesh of colors and it makes it easy to play with. I've pulled out the pink before by wearing it with a pink cardi and played with the black with accessories and a jacket. My brown wedges look killer with this dress too. Basically, it makes me happy. Added a great corduroy jacket, long sleeve brown tee and belt, all from Goodwill and some gray tights from who knows where and my other favorite boots, folded pirate style this time since the dress length is a little longer than my norm. I got these boots at a thrift store that has some weird policies (like not having a fitting room, only accepting cash, and having zero mirrors in the whole place)...but I couldn't leave without them.

I sure would like to do something with this hair. I love my bangs and I love the length but there is nothing going on there. I suppose I'll just let it go until I've got my plate a little more clear. It's not like I look gross or anything.

Check out what I'm staking next to:

I keep this stuffed Sully from Monsters Inc, that my brother got me, on top of my hat box. One day I was playing with my floppy black hat and I never got around to putting it back in the box. I think Sully looks pretty good in it though, so it's going to stay for a bit.

Land of Make Believe

2011-01-25T18:49:00.000-08:00

I put this outfit a together solely to showcase my new necklace. I wanted to keep it simple, and initially thought I was going to go with an all white and black theme, but then my pink skirt called out to me...and an outfit was born.

Pink skirt - Banana Republic, thrifted. Boots - Sketchers via Famous Footwear. Tee, blazer and necklace all thrifted.

I noticed while uploading the pictures that my skirt is on crooked...That's what you get when I take my pictures after lounging around the house watching trash television.

Oh look! Crooked necklace too. I love crookedness apparently. Basically I'm in love with my eyebrow. Have I mention I recently started getting them threaded? Best decision ever. My girl is amazing, and I fall in love with my face a little more every time I see her (3 more weeks!). Getting tired of my bookcase yet?

This is it...this is my necklace. Ahh it's so beautiful. Ive always had a thing for unicorns but it seems to be growing....when I found this necklace while shopping with Kel a few weeks back I knew I had to have it. Unicorn necklace? Why don't I have one already?! The $4 price tag made it even easier to walk out of the store with it.

By the way, today was weigh in day (week 2) for my company's Biggest Loser competition. I lost 4 more pounds! That brings me to a total of 9 pounds lost! Basically, I'm kicking ass.

Swap remix

2011-01-24T18:28:00.000-08:00

Here is my last, and favorite, remix of Kel's green dress. (See the first one here, and the second here).
I was inspired by Jessica of What I Wore for this. I saw her wear some colors in a fun way and I thought that look would work perfect for this dress. Thanks for the inspiration!

I feel like I've been trying to find a way to wear this longer cardi forever. I hardly wear it and when I do it's just with a tee and jeans. Of course I wore my workhorse necklace and it was rainy here in Portland last week so I threw on my rain boots for work. I love layering knee highs over tights and definitely needed the extra warmth for these boots. However, the socks wouldn't stay up (and it's fun to watch them fall down through these pics).

I was warm and comfy all day long and I felt great in this combo. Something I'll have to try when I get my pink version of this dress back.

I've been keeping it pretty simple with jewelry lately. On this day, I even wore my hair up which is rare for me because I feel like I have a tiny head when there is no hair around my face to balance me out. I know I'm being ridiculous, but it's the way I am.
I also had a really fun time taking the pics of this outfit and I have no idea why. But I'm happy with them and excited to have this much fun taking photos from now on.

This picture is my fave of the bunch. I think it's because I laugh every time I see it. I mean, what is that face I'm making? And look, my knee highs have turned into ankle highs. How nice of them to know my ankles are cold now that they've got 5 pounds less to keep them warm.

I hope you all had an awesometastic weekend. I'm working through some stuff with people in my life and things are starting to feel a little crazy, but I know that things are going in the right direction and this time next week I'll be in a state of bliss I've never been able to visit before. Can't wait!

Swap remix

2011-01-21T18:42:00.000-08:00

Remember the dress that Kel and I swapped? (Hers is green and mine pink). Well I finally got around to remixing it again! I kept it simple the first time with just a belt and boots. This time, I wanted to play with wearing it as a skirt so I threw on my lumberjack shirt and tied it around my waist, added a little jacket and my favorite necklace and called it good.

I wore my purple sweater tights to stay warm...and since these tights are footless there are funky frog socks on my footsies. Ninja boots from Payless, sweater tights from Grocery Outlet (Yes, really.), Jacket was thrifted forever ago and my fave necklace from Goodwill. Dress is Kels, but I have the same one in bright pink. They're originally from Target but we both scored them at Goodwill.

I'm trying out using bigger pictures. I didn't realize how small they were to look at. What do you think? Oh and hey, look at that. You can see my vase of glow sticks. What can I say? I'm always prepared.

You'd think this is the only necklace I own. I've worn it for the past 2 days in a row and when I first wore this dress. But how can I resist? Look at it! It's so prefect. I love it. When I say this is one of my favorite pieces, I totally mean it.

Do any of you have pieces that you can't stop wearing?

Add a little comic(s) to your day

2011-01-20T17:56:00.000-08:00

I was super excited when I found this shirt. I've never had a million tee's in my wardrobe but I've been adding more. I want them to be fun though, and mean something to me. So, when I was browsing through a Goodwill with a friend and I came across this I knew I had to have it. Not only is the base color pink, but it's plastered with comic scenes and that's something I am totally in to.

The comic screen print is intentionally light and slightly blurry. I put my fave (of course) blazer over it, with my super flare leg pants and my hidden love bracelet, all thrifted finds.

I love these pants so much...But, they have a problem with staying up around my diminishing waist line (did I tell you guys I lost 5 pounds the first week of my diet?!) so I gifted them to Kel. They fit her perfect, so I know they'll get the love they deserve.

Isn't it glorious? Ok, so maybe that's not the word. I do think it's pretty awesome though.

Just a quick one

2011-01-19T18:26:00.000-08:00

I'm going though some not so fun stuff in my personal life...and it's dragging my mood down. So, I don't really feel like typing much so this is just going to be a super quick outfit post...because I am determined to keep up with this blog.

I don't really know why my pinky is sticking out...So, jacket was found at Goodwill. Same with the shirt and skirk. The skirt is actually a dress that my boobs don't fit in, but I can tuck the top in and suddenly I have this awesome skirt. I got the belt at Plato's Closet and the shoes and necklace are from Target.

Pockets!!! It has pockets! I love skirts with pockets. And sleeves with some poof. And shiny belts. I basically loved this outfit and was happy all day while I wore it.

The end.

Comfy and Cozy

2011-01-13T18:06:00.000-08:00

I have a friend that assumes I'm uncomfortable all of the time because to look good much be the opposite of comfort right? Silly girl...

I love this faux wrap dress because not only is is super comfy and swishy, but it's thicker than a regular jersey dress so it feels nicer in the winter. I just grabbed this circle scarf while out shopping with a friend and it's the bees knees. It's so soft! Same boots and earrings as the last post. I put on some purple sweater tights with black knee highs over them for added warmth.

I was running late for work yesterday so I rushed out of the house without doing anything with my hair. Which is actually pretty normal, but I'm trying to expand my hairs horizons. Or something like that. So I thought a nice loose side braid would be fun. Of course I couldn't find a hair tie in my purse, so I just used a plan old rubber band. All class all the time guys!

Doesn't that scarf look so soft? Dontcha wanna snuggle it? Yea you do. Ooo cozy!

Tomorrow is Friday and you know what that means right?

That means tomorrow is Friday!

:)

Me? On time?! Say whaaaaat?

2011-01-12T18:44:00.000-08:00

This is the post...the post where I finally get caught up with my posts. I am so excited about this. Getting caught up with something, completing a goal, finishing anything always feels good to me. It seems like everything is working out and going great. I started a diet yesterday (read more about it here) and even though I am definitely feeling some hunger, I feel really good about it. I know I have good, healthy foods to eat and they taste awesome.
Of my 5 goals for the month I've completed one and am almost done with the second *crossing my fingers I can finish tonight!* I always feel in control of what's going on at work. Even after taking 8 work days off I never felt stressed or worried. And now my blogging...not only am I actually taking pictures but I'm really posting them!
Last year, there were a few times (ok...more than just a few) where I would get pictures of what I was wearing but I never got around to posting them and when I tried to catch up, I felt overwhelmed.
Then my camera was stolen. Just like that I had a clean slate. I hadn't uploaded any pictures in months. I hate that I lost all of them...but now I feel lighter. Things are easier.
On to the outfit, eh?

The pictures I got really don't do it justice. Like I've said before, I'm still trying to figure out this new camera. I found out I can take amazing detail shots, but I'm still fumbling with getting decent outfit pics.
This dress is actually a 2 layer skirt that I've featured on the blog before...in what I call the dark days (days in which I feel my style was less...well, just less really) so you get no link. These skirts are fantastic and there are so many ways to wear them. For only $20 a pop, I snagged a couple. This one is my favorite color combination of the 2. I tied it as a strapless dress over a tee shirt and put a belt on for some definition. My favorite blazer (there's that favorite word again) and these boots that are quickly becoming my first choice on rainy days this winter. I picked up this belt when shopping with Kel (I found so much great stuff...I couldn't resist getting a few things for myself!) and I loveitloveitloveit!

This is me doing something new. Check out my sweet ironing board. Oh yea, be jealous. No, don't be. It sucks.

I try not to include a ton of pictures with every post but I had to share this one. There is hidden love sewn into my dress! Hidden clothing love is something I adore.

Great shot right? Look how crisp that detail is. Oh yea...so nice! Now...if I can just figure out how to take awesome shots like this of my outfits...Damn digital camera with thousands of settings...

Let's talk about these awesome earrings for a second. I won them from a giveaway hosted by Taylor over at Sterling Style at the end of summer. I love winning free stuff! They are from Gaby Burger Designs, who has so many great pieces that it took me a little while to make a final decision. And I know I'll be going back for more because these earrings are truly (yes, again) one of my favorite things to wear. They go with way more than I expected they would. I just realized I'm wearing them today, 2 days after these pics were taken. I can't keep them out of my ears. They're light and unlike many of my hook type earrings, they don't fall out of my ears all on their own (am I the only one that has that problem? It's super annoying).
You should definitely check out her store. I personally love all of the Nina pieces, but really I would love to add any piece she has to my collection.
Thank you Taylor, for the giveaway and to Gaby for the fabulous earrings!*

*I won these earrings and posted this because I wanted to. Not because I'm getting anything out of it.

Swaptastic

2011-01-12T18:01:00.000-08:00

I don't know why Kel thought her wardrobe was so lacking. There are quite a few pieces I wouldn't mind borrowing. Since she feels the same about my closet, we decided that we would swap one item at a time every couple of weeks.
To start off easy we traded a dress that we both own but in different colors. I loved her army green version when she got it, but when I saw the same dress in hot pink I knew it had to be mine. In the back of mind though, every time I wore that pink dress I would long for Kels army green one. Especially once fall and winter hit.
For the first wearing I went super basic. Just added a couple of my favorite accessories and called it good.

I picked up this awesome velvet belt at a thrift store that was going out of business. Best deals of my life! They let you fill up a paper bag for only $5! I got a couple of belts that I wear regularly, one of my favorite vintage clutches and a cute little kimono style cover up that I wear around the house.

Top it all off with one of my all time favorite jackets. It's from White House Black Market but I picked it up at a boutique for...hmm I think it was 7 bucks (50% off sale suckas!). It's warm, soft and seems to go perfect with everything.
I'm starting to notice a trend in my posts....I'm always wearing something I call a favorite. I couldn't be happier now that my closet is full of things I am totally in love with. No longer, will I hold on to something just in case I might be able to possibly make it work, someday. Now, I just have a bunch of things that work all the time and that make me feel happy.

If you want to feel the same, I recommend checking out Kendi's blog, if you haven't already. She's doing a great series on cleaning out your closet, and always looks great. She is one of my daily must reads and is a constant source of inspiration. Not to mention she is super funny.

Are you guys sick of seeing my bookcase yet? Too bad! It's what I got.

Check back later in the week to see another remix of this dress. (Thanks Kel!)

Addiction to the Maxi

2011-01-11T18:35:00.000-08:00

After seeing Kyla play with maxi skirts so much last week I just had to pull out my only maxi dress and see what all the fuss was about. I've only worn this twice and neither of those times did I love it as much as I loved it this time.

This outfit is almost entirely thrifted, except for the dress. I got the dress at Target last summer. My favorite boots (it's becoming a problem really...), a black v-neck found at Goodwill, my workhorse khaki jacket, also a Goodwill find. And the fur....Oh this fur!
I wore this outfit to take Kel shopping (we hit the mega jackpot!!) last weekend. I was so warm and comfy. Wearing this dress is like walking around wrapped in a warm cotton blankie all day. With knee high socks and boots underneath, even the biggest gust of wind wasn't going to give me goosebumps. I put my hair in a braid, popped in some simple dangle earrings and called it good. Then, while we were at Goodwill I found this amazing faux fur scarf. OK, it might not be the most amazing this ever but as soon as I threw it over my neck I knew it would forever be mine. It is so unbelievably soft and definitely adds warmth. I already had my jacket belted so I just tucked the scarf in and off I went.

Kel played photographer for me. I meant to have her snap some shots outside since there would be actual sunlight and all but we got so wrapped up in shopping (did I mention how hard core we scored??) and then going to lunch and then shopping again...I couldn't think of anything else.
Not only did we spend the day shopping for awesomeness to add to her closet, but that night we had a girls night at Kel's place. The girls let me play with their make up and some even played dress up. It was basically an awesome night.

Of course, not everyone was a fan of my new fur but the great thing about fashion is it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of what I'm wearing. I wear what makes me happy and what makes me feel good about me. I don't put things on for other people. Style is a way of expressing yourself. I like this soft warm fuzzy scarf. If A thinks it looks like I'm wearing a bunch of tiny hamsters, that's fine because I like fuzzy cuddly things anyway.

And just for fun....

Yea, I have mega double chin action in this picture, but it still makes me smile when I look at it. Kel started to really get in to the whole picture taking thing. She had direction for me. She made me move around and she just kept taking pictures so that I had plenty to choose from. I love my friend!

So, now I am totally addicted to the maxi thing. Kel had a couple of long skirts, that I totally forgot about, that she had borrowed to take with her to Hawaii. Can you guess what I've been wearing this week? And possibly even right now? While writing about my addiction I like to indulge in it.

Favorite color combination

2011-01-11T17:58:00.000-08:00

Somehow, one of my favorite colors has become pink. It used to be blue. No question. Blue was the best. But then I kind of started liking green a bit more...and now all of a sudden it's pink. Do you know why? Because it looks great with everything! Pink and brown? Awesome. Pink and cream? Ohhh yea! Pink and gray? Yes please!

I had just ironed this dress (clearly that doesn't last long) so I wanted to wear it. I needed it to be warm though so on with the layers. A striped gray tee and thick tights under the dress and a blazer on top. My hidden love bracelet and some kick ass earrings my mom bought me.
That bag? From ShoeDazzle. I love it so much. I keep telling myself it's time to give this guy a break and use a different purse...but it's so perfect! The pockets keep me organized. The color goes with everything. Plus it has a long strap so I can wear it cross body style. Which by the way totally comes in handy when on a serious shopping trip.

These boots....oh....how I love these boots! They are definitely in dire need of some TLC, but I can't stop myself from pulling them on morning after morning. They are comfy, warm, and oh so cute. They are just so amazing.

Actually, this blazer is one of my favorite items too. This outfit seems to be all things I love. I picked up this blazer years ago at a little thrift store in town for under 10 bucks. It's H&M but when I bought it, there weren't even plans to have one of their stores here. The lining is pink with little black dots. It has a lot of small details I like, but of course didn't take any pictures of. Next time!

I don't know how long I had been looking for the perfect feather earrings, but I know it was a while. One day my mom surprised me with this pair. I love the long feathers attached to the long chains because long earrings are....you guessed it! My fave! These also have some small green beads that hang with the feathers. They're friends. So they hang.

I definitely liked this outfit. I thinkt he next time I pull this dress out I'm going to try it with a belt.

What's your favorite color combination? What about your favorite pieces in your closet?

2011-01-10T17:47:00.000-08:00

This will be a short and sweet post. Probably followed by another of the same variety. I'm just trying to catch up on some old outfits here. I've been so good about taking pictures (almost) every day and I've been having a lot more fun with this lately.

I wore this when I went to Kel's to play in her closet. It was comfy and I felt super cute all day. I got this skirt after seeing it on so many of my favorite style blogs and now I'm pissed at myself for not grabbing every single one they had in my size. I wear this thing all the time and really have to talk myself out of it a lot. Same goes for these boots. They're just so amazing. And a match made in heaven, no?

We played around with some jumping shots because I am boring and can't think of new ideas on my own.

I am so glad I have this long chain. The chain came with a Premier Designs necklace. I swapped the charms it came with for this owl and key I picked up around town.

And I couldn't resist trying to get a good detail shot with my new (to me) camera. I'm still learning how to play around with it, but I think I'm getting the hang of things.

I want to apologize for the craziness of these pictures. The only place Kel had with enough light for pictures in her place was the bathroom. I also am working on getting things switched over to an online photo hosting site, so now I have no idea how to make the pictures smaller. Blogger made that part easy, but it kept rotating pictures no matter what they looked like on my computer. So, if you have any tips for this newbie, let me know!

You're wearing pants?!

2011-01-07T17:21:00.000-08:00

I went to a friends house after work and her boyfriend was shocked to see me in pants. Of course, I was in jeans and not the pants I'm wearing in these pictures...but it happened to be the same day. I guess it was a pants kind of a day. And I guess I don't wear pants very often.

White faux wrap shirt via Ross, stain courtesy of alfredo sauce, blue cami from who knows where, teal cardi scored at Goodwill and this awesome pair of Gap pants that I also scored at Goodwill.

This is what happens when I think the tripod is going to fall over in the middle of a picture.

These are the kick ass shoes I got for FREE thanks to being a creative craigslister. I found a girl selling the same size shoes on there that I was trying to sell so I offered a trade. At first she wanted nothing to do with it...but a shoe lover is a shoe lover and she came around. The only bad thing is these are just a smidge too big. Add a thick, cozy pair of knee highs and tighten that strap as tight as it will let you and bam, they fit like a glove. Plus the socks add a nice layer of warmth in this cold winter weather.

Levitating K!

My pictures don't do these pants justice...but these pants definitely do great things for me! I have no rhyme or reason to how this outfit came about but I can tell you that since I cleaned out my closet and got rid of all the crap I was holding on to because it was just ok, or might work in some kind of situation....getting dressed has been so much easier! I know I still have a lot of cleaning out to do, but even just the first round of clearing has helped me clear my mind and every piece I get rid of makes me feel lighter and more free.
I've done a lot of thinking lately and I realized I definitely over think a lot of things. Taking a step back when I get stressed out about anything has helped me tremendously.
I can't count the number of mornings that I would either freak out because I thought I had nothing to wear or I got upset with myself for leaving the house looking slobby, or in an outfit I didn't really like but I never gave myself a chance. I stayed in bed until the last possible minute in the mornings. I didn't have time for a freak out or to try on more than one thing. I had to put clothes on my body and leave the house or else I was going to be late to work, and that's just something I hate so I won't allow if I can avoid it. I had way too much going on in my closet and there were just too many options so my mind would go blank. I couldn't make an outfit that made me smile to save my life.
Don't get me wrong. I looked ok. But I wanted to look better! I wanted more! I wanted to smile every single time I looked at myself in the mirror.
I started giving myself a little extra time in the mornings so that I had time to try on 40 things before finally finding something I liked. I also realized that I kind of like the mornings. I hate waking up and getting out of bed, but holy crap you can get a lot done before the sun even wakes up. In the winter at least.
Then I took some time to clean out my closet and holy effing crap you guys... What a difference! Not only do my things have space now, so they're not all crammed against each other, causing a wrinkled mass of cloth, but without so many options I can easily grab a couple of things and know they'll work and be totally happy with how it comes out.
Let's face it, I'm not going to look like a runway model any time soon, but if I can look in the mirror and completely love what I see...that's all I really need.

click through the jump to see a jump outtake...

I actually totally love this picture.

Wardrobe Renovations

2011-01-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

I love my job. I love the company I work for. I love the people I work with. I love the person I have become thanks to having this job, at this company, with these people. My boss continually pushes us to better ourselves, and to be happy in our lives. She encourages us to live the lives we want to live, to follow our dreams, and to not be afraid of being who we are. (Have I mentioned how awesome she is?) This month, at our company meeting, we talked about goals, and being happy and how to achieve the things we want.
I've been thinking about this for a while now. What do I want to do? How do I want to spend my life? Helping people sounds like the perfect answer. But how? What do I do in my life that I love? I'm not a photography nut (obviously), I don't have some talent no one knows about like an amazing singing voice or the ability to play an instrument beyond the average ability, and I love to read but that doesn't really translate to a career. I know I don't want to go back to school and get some degree. I don't care about school. There is no motivation there. That doesn't make sense for me.
You know what I do love though? Clothes. I love putting together outfits, reading fashion blogs, dressing my friends, helping friends shop, forcing people to try new things and look at fashion with a different eye. Most of all, I love making someone feel good about themselves.
In the past, friends have asked me to go shopping with them to help them figure out what looks good on them and what they like. I always have a lot of fun with that.
I decided a little while back that being a stylist would be the way to go for me. Go into someones closet with them, help them figure out what works and what doesn't. Help them figure out how to breath new life into things they already have but are bored with, or stumped about how to wear. Take them shopping and teach them how to love shopping, and not dread it. Teach them how to organize their closet to work to their best advantage. Teach them that it's OK to take time to pamper and and enjoy doing it. Not to mention that it really doesn't take that much work, but it can feel like it if you're not sure how to go about it.
My long time friend Kel has always been there to play along with my stylist fantasy and has let me play with her make up, hair and now...her entire closet.
Kel invited me over to help her figure out some new outfits because she was in a clothing rut. I've been there! Our first step was to go through her closet, assess what she has, what she needs and what she wants. Then we wanted to plan some outfits for her and then, this coming weekend we are going to go shopping to fill the holes.
Being the friends that we are though...things were a bit all over the place. I've never gone through a closet like this before so I didn't really have a system. It was an awesome chance to learn. And you better believe we came up with some great stuff! Yes, I did take pictures. You're welcome!
Hop through the jump to see how things went!

At first, she got out a pile of things she wants to wear more but doesn't know how. That pile is where I got both the shirt and skirt for this pairing.

P.s. Sorry about the picture quality. I just got this new camera (my old one got stolen) and I still don't know how to work the damn thing. Also, we didn't have the best lighting so all the pictures are in the bathroom. My bad! Next time (you better believe there will be a next time!) I'll get more creative. Promise!
We started with the shirt, added a black skirt her boyfriend got for her that has a great gather detail hidden just under the flower. She had this skinny belt hiding in the back of her closet and the flower pin is something I got her (and she asked specifically for) for Christmas.
While I was looking for a necklace to add to this look she showed me a box she got from a yard sale a while ago that was stuffed with costume jewelry. She had never looked at it because she bought the bunch for the box they were in, not for what they were. We struck GOLD!

This is only a small glimpse at all the goodies in the box. They all seem to be really great quality, heavy duty, not broken, not tarnished, and so totally perfect for everything ever! OK, so maybe not everything ever, but I was so excited to find this stuff. She didn't even know what she had!

She liked what we had going on with that outfit, so we moved on to another. Basically, I dressed her the way I would dress myself. Try something and switch out the pieces once by one to get to a new look. So, we kept the skirt, and put on another shirt from the "I want to wear more" pile. She wanted to wear her pink tights with sweater tights over them and boots which tied in the pink beads from the necklace she had on (sorry...no detail shot. you can see the purple/pink necklace in the shot above). We doubled it and used a cute silver flower clip on earring to hold it together in the back. Kept the belt and flower.

Next we decided to play a game. She picked something she would normally wear:

She wants to get more use out of this shirt because she loves it but doesn't know how to wear it without belting it this way. In her words, she found something that worked and stuck with it.
(She is wearing 2 different shoes because she would wear this outfit with either pair)
My take, with the same shirt:

First of all...the fact that this pic is sideways is really pissing me off. I tried everything I could think of to get this thing right and it just hates me so...you get a sideways picture.
Now, this is the same shirt, with a skirt she likes to wear in the summer and her favorite boots (mine too. When we lived together I stole them often) with some knee highs to keep her warm. We found a nice blue bangle hidden in the depths of her jewelry cubbord and then made a bracelet from her found jewelry.
My favorite part about this picture is that I finally got her to take her hair down! This girl has some seriously gorgeous hair and she is always wearing it up. Which is why she didn't want to show her face in the earlier pictures. She wasn't "camera ready". Doesn't she look great guys?

Light green necklace wrapped around as a bracelet and held together with a silver hair flower clip she got for Christmas. I suppose I could have...I don't know, actually TIED the freakin ribbons on the skirt. Sue me. I wasn't thinking ok?

I had to share her beautiful earrings too. She got these when she was in Hawaii. They are real flower petals!

So pretty! I love the silver detail at the top. It's all about the small details!

She picked out one more shirt that she wanted to get more wear out of.

Ta da! Tucked the shirt into a nice pencil skirt, added 2 (2?!) belts, and a flower clip for some extra girly fun. She insisted on wearing her new favorite pair of tights and her great little black pump.
She put on the glasses as an accessory and exclaimed "I'm really supposed to wear these anyway so this is probably a good thing!"

Her fabulous tights and shoes.

After this outfit, it was time to call it quits for the night. We got some outfits together and she learned a few tricks to help her make the most of her clothes. This Saturday we'll be doing some organizing and shopping for some things on her "to buy" list. We both had a lot of fun with this and are excited to keep going. If you want to read more about what went on behind the scenes, check it out here.

I'm Baaaaaaaack!

2011-01-05T17:45:00.000-08:00

And it feels so good!
I have neglected this blog for far too long and I apologize to you for that but I'm back and so ready to get back into the swing of things. I already have a few outfits to post as well as a fun new project to share! Let's start with a quick outfit post to kick things off.
For the last couple of days of 2010 I tried desperately to get my hair to curl. My hair is the most stubborn straight hair I've ever met. After almost an hour spent curling with a curling iron each day, the curl was almost completely gone before I could even leave my house. Yes, I used hair spray. Yep, tried styling gel too. So on the first day of 2011, I was determined to make it happen. Thankfully I had to the time to ensure it really would this time. I used foam rollers and would need a good 3 to 4 hours for them to sit.
Needless to say...the result was FANTASTIC! I can't wait to try this again. I love the way it changed my entire look over all. I loved looking into the mirror and seeing someone familiar but not. What do you think?

The curls loosened throughout the day and had definitely changed by the end of the day, but there was still more curl than I've ever achieved with a curling iron. My next adventure in hair: Hot rollers! I'm stoked.
On to the outfit eh?
The first thing that caught my eye in my closet this morning was my cupcake dress. Who doesn't like cupcakes? Why does this dress remind me of a cupcake? I have no idea. But I love it.

I scored this dress for only a few dollars at Goodwill. It was in brand new condition, tags still on and everything. I threw it into the wash, delicate cycle of course, and when I went to put it in the dryer...I saw that the beautiful teal color had leaked all over the gray top half of the dress. Terrified, I looked through the rest of the load of laundry searching every piece of clothing for teal shmears, marks, and spots. Thank you fashion gods, because I didn't find anything. This dress only ruined itself. And thanks to this cute little vest my friend L talked me into buying (another Goodwill score. $6!), I can cover up the damaged part easily.

Popped a tee under there for some warmth along with some tights and my fave boots (which are in awful shape but I refuse to get rid of them until either they are no longer wearable or I find a replacement pair.

I found this awesome bangle at....you guessed it! Goodwill! I was actually supposed to be shopping for other people, but I couldn't leave without this bracelet. I call it my hidden love bracelet because it has 2 (2!!!) little hearts carved on the inside. Not to mention the great shade of pink and the marbleization of it...and gold. I don't have enough gold. I love everything about this bracelet. I literally have to talk myself out of wearing it every day. I don't always succeed....
The earrings I got in a bundle with a bunch of Christmas gifts I bought for other people. The prices was too good to pass up. My current roomie has this same pair. Two other friends have this pair in 2 different shades of beads.
Also, since I know you other blogger gals will appreciate this, I wore lipstick for the FIRST TIME EVER on New Years Eve! I took this pic with my phone, so I'm sorry about the quality but I just had to share.

I didn't go crazy and try a super red lip for my first time out, but when I saw this lipstick that I got as a free gift from my Mary Kay friend, I thought I might as well give it a shot. The thing hasn't left my purse since! I thought I was going to hate it, because I always have before. How could I possibly hate anything that looks that good on me? Ugh. Lipstick, where have you been all my life? (and helllooooooo shiny hair! I started using that Mane and Tail stuff. Fan. Tastic!)
Ahhhh, that really did feel good. Why did I leave you blog? I love you so much! I'll never do that to you again. Pinky promise.

Don't forget to check back later for another update! (and by later I might mean tomorrow but I hope I mean tonight)

2010-09-24T19:32:00.001-07:00

some room organization...sorry its sideways

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Where have I been?

2010-08-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

I'm just not sure I'm up to fashion blogging. I always feel like I'm wearing something blogworthy, yet I never take pictures. I love to read fashion blogs and get ideas and implement them. I love to see what other people are wearing and how they get creative when times are tough or weather is weird. I just never seem to blog about it any more.

Incidentally, I do still blog. About my life and the things I do. If you want to follow my life I'm over at http://strongmuscleslife.blogspot.com. Come check it out. It's definitely not a photo blog though. It's something you have to read and there is generally a lot to read, but it's fun and it's what I've been up to.

I will still keep this blog and I hope I can get myself into it again. I seem to go through phases. I will certainly keep reading, and posting (and even winning giveaways!) all of your blogs. Sorry I've been silent so long.

What I didn't wear this hump day

2010-07-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

I'm still not blogging as often as I'd like and I'm definitely not taking blog pictures as often as I should...but hey, at least I'm almost posting once a week now! I'm trying to get myself into the swing of things in this life. Trying to figure out what exactly it is I want and what I want to spend my time doing. I know the things I want to do...I just don't have enough time. That of course, is something I need to work on. Something I need to figure out on my own.

Things I've accomplished for myself while sailing through the rough seas of life:

I've started giving myself weekly mani/pedis. Oh man! Why didn't I start doing this sooner?!? It is such a great way to relax and pamper myself. One of my friends just started up with Mary Kay (of course I love their stuff...have you tried their make up remover? AMAZING!) and I happened to find a pedicure set for a mere $20. It came with foot soak, foot balm and a lil foot scrubber/file thinger, all in a cute lil summery bag. I've had my eyes open for a good foot soaking bin for a while now but once I got this pedi set I stopped looking. I dumped all of my belts out of their storage and began self pampering. It takes me about an hour to do my fingers and toes and have noticed that every week it gets easier (i.e. looks less like a 5 year old did my nails and more like someone with some hand eye coordination did them). With all the fun summer colors out there I never get tired of painting my nails. It's the perfect time to pop in a good movie, grab a good magazine or book and just enjoy being a girl. This week I plan on watching Breakfast at Tiffany's and trying out my new colors (lilac and a fun summer teal!).

I also bought myself an iron and ironing board. Yes, all this time I've lived on my own and have yet to get these 2 simple things. Silly girl. Now I feel much better about that pink dress I bought a couple weeks ago. Though I must admit....some things look a little better with a bunch of wrinkles.

On with the show!

You promised you wouldn't laugh at my stain! Damn that delicious burger...
Shirt from Ross. Skirt, Gap thrifted. Shoes, Dollhouse via Ross. Necklace, ShoeDazzle. Lucite bangle, my new favorite local thrift store.

I don't know what I was illustrating with this picture...but here it is.

I love this necklace! Not that long ago I had an amazing vintage-y multi-chain necklace and it has been missing for a few months now. I really miss that thing. I wore it with everything. ShoeDazzle put this in my show room and without hesitation I snagged it. It came with fun matching earrings too.

I can't get enough of this bracelet! It was in the display case by the register when I got my perfect silk dress. I saw it and knew if it fit I was getting it. I wear the hell outta this thing. I love love LOVE it. I hope I can find a couple more in different sizes...

Ta-da! Shoes! You know I'm going to spend a lil time talking about these babies right? Sad news for me is....They're a tad bit big so they flop off my heel all the time. I think I may have to get rid of them. Good lord that makes me sad. Aren't they pretty? Detail shots!

They are so great for summer. Canvas, sparkle, bright color, fun floral pattern! Ugh! The thought of not having these makes me sad. Good thing I have so many friends with the same size feet! I know they'll end up in a good home and I will get to at least see them once in a while.

Well that's it. Long post officially over! Except before I go....I hope you're having an awesome day! You should really consider giving yourself a lil pamper time. Does wonders for the soul :)

filler post

2010-07-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

More of me with no outfits to post. I feel so cute today and of course since I haven't taken pictures yet, I spilled big ol' dollop of burger goop on my skirt. Now there is a nice big spot. Oy vey! Ill try to take pics when I get home and strategically place my thigh so you can't see said spot. Should work right? Well if it doesn't then you can just pretend not to notice it. K? k. Good. Thanks.

So, instead of an outfit post I'll share with you another product that I'm in love with.

Presenting....

Soap & Glory's Righteous Butter!!

First of all let me say I love this brand. Everything I've tried of theirs, I've loved. They are funny (you HAVE to read the descriptions on every product) and from my facebook following/stalking, I've learned they're super nice and fun too. Sad news, they're from across the pond (over the pond? pond skip and a boat ride away? whatever) so not all of their products are available here. They are sold in Target stores but sadly I've found, it's best to order online through Target. Why? Because I adore this lotion and when I can find it in the store some mean person has already stuck their fingers in my precious lotion and I just will not buy something that is not only minus some but minus some from someone I don't know. So annoying.

Anyway...this body butter is divine. Fair warning: some people may not like it because it does have a tendency to leave grease like marks on you (my) desk. But I love it in spite of that. It really makes my skin feel buttery smooth. I can't stop petting myself. mmmm soft.

You ever get those lil bumps on the back of your arms? I do. Or...did until I started using this body butter. The bumps are totally gone now. My elbows are no longer reminiscent of an elephants not so supple skin. They're now soft and smooth. and the smell....oh my word, the smell! It's amazing. Fantastic. Delicious! (if you really want to smell something amazing try their Sugar Crush body scrub. You'll seriously want to eat it!) I don't put perfume on at all any more because I just put this lotion on my arms and legs (and feet and where ever else I want) and I smell great. I get compliments on my smell all the time since I started using this and once I was even told I smell.....sexy! nice!!

In conclusion I love this lotion and plan on using it for the rest of my life. And seriously, try the sugar scrub! it's amazingtastic people!

2010-07-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

Boy I sure do suck at this regular posting thing. I have been super busy lately that I barley have time to sleep. But here's an outfit I wore out last weekend to karaoke watch. No, I dont sing. And not because I think I sound terrible or anything. Simply because I choose not to. So there.

I dont know what my face is doing here so just ignore it. This outfit seriously took me forever to get to. I started off with a bright pink skirt and ended up in this. I went through about a thousand different incarnations before landing on this and I am so glad I made it to this point because I really loved this outfit.

Sorry I didn't get any detail shots. My new favorite wedges and salmon tank, Target. Levis, Ross. Jacket, thrifted Goodwill. Necklace, Forever 21.

Of course I love this outfit because now it is WAY too hot to wear it. I've been in nothing but dresses since this picture was taken. I dont like the heat. Anyway, I was super comfy all night and a boy at the bar might have even told me I looked good *blushing* :)

I hope you're all enjoying the heat! I hope even more that you had an awesome 4th of July!

fancy groceries

2010-06-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

I found this awesome white pencil skirt at Goodwill a little while back. I love it. Adore it. It has pockets! I love it. mmmm white skirt...looooove.

Wow. Apparently I'm in a weird mood hahaha!

Can't see much huh? Too bad.

New lover skirt, my favoritest pair of wedges (for now at least), striped tee and some random jewelry. good times.

The stripes look really wacky in these pics. They're very much different in real life and of course I didn't take a close up. It's a striped shirt. I'm sure you all know what they look like :)

these are pics from my back yard by the way. I have a humongous back yard. I'm contemplating buying some cows and sheep and llamas in addition to the pool and trampoline I plan on putting back there. There's plenty of room for all of it. Funnily enough I'm not allowed to have pets even though I have this giant back yard. I'm also apparently not allowed to keep things in the back yard for storage even though the house is only about 5 square feet big (big enough for my stand up bed. I sleep standing like the cone heads because the house is so small). Anyway...The reason for the title of this post is that I got all dressed up lookin cute expecting someone to ask me to do something at some point that night. I went to the grocery store and bought the necessities (you know, milk, chocolate, and salsa) and then went home and put pj's on. So I got all fancied up for some groceries. I thought that was funny. hahahahahaha like that. funny :)

So there you go. outfit. White skirt, Goodwill. Shirt, free from a friend. Necklace and bracelet from Goodwill.

I hope you are all enjoying your summer! I'm going to the river again tonight...and I'll be armed with glowsticks! Yesssssssssssss

ahhhhh

2010-06-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

I did it! I did it! I remembered my camera! yessssss

I wore this out last weekend. I'm loving the warmer weather we're getting and I sure hope it stays for a while. Either way my friends and I are headed to the beach tonight!

I wear this jacket ALL the time (in fact I'm wearing it with my one and only maxi dress today). I should have gotten a better pic of the belt though. I just got it from Goodwill (of course) for a steal. I'm pretty sure it was $1.50 with new tags still on. It has bronze studs on most of it, just not the front portion shown here.

Studs! This dress is definitely too short for a day at the office but I really love it for going out. Goodwill, of course. It's so comfy.

A couple of weeks ago I finally bit the bullet and went through all of my shoes and labeled all the boxes since I'm fairly certain there is no shelf that will satisfy my shoe storage wants and needs. Now that I know where all of my shoes are I've been wearing a lot more of them a lot more often. This is a long forgotten pair of wedges I got from Ross ages ago. I love the pattern and they are seriously comfortable. I could wear them all day long.

I hope you all have an awesome weekend and get some quality sun time in.

Don't forget to send me your e-mail address if you want 20% off your first order with ShoeDazzle!

obviously...

2010-06-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

Warning! Long post ahead! (skip to the end to see how to get 20% off what this long post talks about)

I am terrible at this whole blogging thing. I have pictures. Outfit pictures! The problem is....I don't have the camera that has those pictures with me. So today I decided instead of not blogging because I don't have pics to post I'll blog about something else. A novel idea...

Im not sure what I want to start with. I should probably break this up in to 2 posts because I'm going to ramble and that could end badly... Today I'll share with you....my love of ShoeDazzle!

I've talked about them here before and I definitely have my fair share of shoes from them. I love almost every pair I've gotten. Yes almost...There have been a few times when I let my impulses get the better of me and I've ordered shoes that I ended up not loving and I never sent them back as I should have.

Let me back up...Do you know ShoeDazzle? Lucky for you if you don't not only will I tell you a little about them here but you can click the link to find out more. The site was started by Kim Kardashian and is an awesome place to get in style shoes without having to hunt for them. Now we all know I love shoes...and shoe shopping is a ton of fun for me. So why do I go to a website that does the shopping for me? Because it is so hassle free. Every month you are sent a selection of shoes based on the personality/fashion quiz you take when you first sign up. The shoes are selected by actual stylists to go with your personal style.

What if you don't like what selections they send you? Easy! Ask for new shoes! Tell them what you're looking for and they'll send you new choices. What if you get the shoes and you end up hating them or they don't fit? Simple! Use the prepaid return shipping label and send them back! You can return for a different size or a totally different shoe or just get a credit to use for the future. All that shipping doesn't cost anything extra. You just pay $39.95 a month (if you decide to get a pair of shoes). If you want more than one pair just e-mail or call them and you can buy them in addition to your monthly selection. They even come out with special shoes. They had special pairs for each Sex and the City girl, they had a gorgeous bright pink pair for breast cancer awareness (some of the proceeds went to research), one for MS, and this month....special red white and blue awesomeness for upcoming 4th of July.

Here's the reason I wanted to boast about them now, after months of using the site and loving the site...They added....PURSES! AND JEWELRY! I don't know what to do with myself... Check out what's in my show room this month

Such prettiness...

The blue ones are the 4th of July special shoe...I'm torn between the 2 wedges....

mmmm delicious bags... The white one is the 4th of July bag. I love the ruffles and the hardware...but look at that brown bag! so big...and beautiful. All those pockets. I love the shape. And it was out of stock but is suddenly back in stock...decisions decisions!

These are the 2 necklaces I'm loving from my show room. I chose to show the model pic on both because they show how big they really are. I love how long the drop necklace on the right is...but I love the chunkiness of the one on the left.

Necklace, bag or shoe? And then...which one? Do you see why I love this site yet?

Now I know that this has been a long post but here's where the fun begins. Do you want to join ShoeDazzle? Well hang on! If you join through me you'll get 20% off your first order! Here's what you need to do to get the 20% off: Send me your e-mail address. That's it. Then I'll send you a ShoeDazzle invite through my own account and then you'll get 20% off by signing up with the link they send you and as a sweet bonus for me for every 3 people that buy something I get a credit to spend in my own show room. So we all win! You can leave you e-mail address in a comment or if you want you can just e-mail it to me at kaylyndawley@gmail.com and let me know that you want the 20% off your first order at ShoeDazzle and I'll get the link to you asap. Yes, I just said asap even though I hate that word. Yes it's a word. I don't say A S A P...I say ehhhsap. asap. Now I'm rambling... I'll stop.

I hope you all have sunshine like we finally have here in Portland and I really hope you're all enjoying it! Later I'll rave about my favorite body lotion...

I miss you!

2010-06-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

I miss blogging. I miss it all the time. Every day, when I go through my list of awesome, fun, inspiring blogs that I read regularly, I miss blogging. I miss showing off my outfits. I miss getting ideas and suggestions from these other fabulously fashionable people that read my blog. I have been mia for waaaaaay too long. I want to get back into the blogging world, but of course I have no pictures to share. At least not yet. Im in the process of transferring all of my pictures to my new (to me) computer from my old laptop that actually belongs to my ex. I've been in this process forever. I just have a life so full of fun and friends and plans that I don't give myself the time to do things I deem slightly less important then fun (like setting up the new computer and doing the dishes....ooooh I should probably pay that gas bill cuz I like hot showers in the morning).

My point is, Im coming back. Hopefully tonight. I have had the most amazing luck at Goodwill lately and I really can't wait to show you my new perfect for summer jersey dress and my white pencil skirt. And wait until you see all my kick ass new jewelry! I can't keep myself out of the blogging world any longer. I haven't stopped reading any blogs. In fact I've added some to my daily reads...I hope to continue to add to that list (hint! do you have a blog you think I'd like to read? send me a link!).

I think I need this blog to keep my creativity flowing and to help me put myself out there more. Im ready to spend the rest of my life doing what I love and I need to get to it!

Anyway, I just wanted to post real quick to let you know I'll be coming back very shortly. I hope you're as excited as I am! :)

Wanting some Talbots

2010-04-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

OMG I'm alive! where the heck have I been? around... Livin life and lovin it. Sorry I havn't posted in 4.5 years but I promise I've been reading your blogs and buying awesome things and getting great deals at Goodwills all over my area.

The real reason for my return is this:

This is a look from Talbots I found at Red Chair Confessions - The Talbots Blog. I don't usually do black and white looks. I always feel the need for a pop of color...but I do love this look. We all know I'm a sucker for a pencil skirt and I just love the way this whole look feels. Though I must admit I would probably wear a pair or hot red shoes I got from Shoedazzle a while back.

Puttin' on the G.R.I.T.S. opened my eyes to the beauty of Talbots new fall line. I must admit...there are quite a few things I wouldn't mind adding to my wardrobe. They have some awesome skirts and coats in all colors, which I love.

I have no outfit pics to share (there are many pics I have to share) but all the pics I have are on my camera and not on my computer. Procrastination is the devil.

I hope you're all having fantastically fun lives and enjoying the little things every day!

Busy, busy, busy and happy!

2010-02-25T21:32:00.000-08:00

I've been keeping busy. Walking to and from work, going swimming at the gym before work most days. Took a trip to Seattle with the wife to visit my bestie. We had such a fun time! Invested in some Nerf guns (best idea ever!) and a smile on a stick (you'll learn more about him at a future date). I'm loving life but missing blogging!!

Black jacket, white tee( Merona), and pink skirt (Banana Republic) all thrifted from Goodwill. Tights, no clue. Boots, stolen from wife. Necklace, thrift store with mom.

I really love tights. I'm so excited that spring is coming fast and summer is just around the corner...But I know I'll miss tights. The good news is I can come back to that love all over again....every year!!

Like my focus face?

These are my roomies AMAZING boots. I am so so so in love with them. Surprisingly enough they're Fergalicious brand. They have the awesome pirate look but the cuff can also be folded up and suddenly they become gorgeous over-the-knee boots...and we all love those...right? Well I do anyway.

All in all, cute outfit. Still love my bangs. and LOVE the brightness of my skirt.

Amazing necklace. So, so amazing. I'm wearing the crap out of it. Money well spent for sure.

I don't have a reason for not blogging other than just not taking the time to do it. I try to be good about it but it's my blog, and I can do it as often as I want so I do haha

I've been growing, as a person, a lot in the last few months. Im realizing things and learning about myself and taking the time to focus on me and enjoy my time on this earth and I have to admit, it feels awesome. I know good things are coming my way (and already have) and will continue to. Blah blah blah! Look at my pink skirt!! :-D

RIP Alexander McQueen

2010-02-11T10:33:00.000-08:00

I was devastated to hear the news about Alexander McQueen this morning. Such a loss...

Lovin the past I never had

2010-02-04T18:54:00.000-08:00

I've always loved the look of the 70's so when I found these amazing bell bottom jeans at Goodwill I knew they would be coming home with me.

They fit like a glove! Ok, so the rise is a little lower than I would like and sitting on a bar stool is all bad but I still love them and I know they're going to get a lot of wear.

Striped tee, Old Navy via Goodwill. Vest, Lane Bryant on super sale. Earrings, Preimier Designs (sorry, no close up). Boots, Sketchers.

Now lets talk about these boots.... I LOVE THEM!

I've already worn them a few times and I got just after Christmas. They are comfy, sturdy and fabulous. I couldnt stop taking pictures of them...Hope you all don't mind a little shoe love break!

Aren't they pretty? mmm hmmmm!

I hope you're all having an awesome week!!

Goodwill loves me

2010-02-03T18:21:00.000-08:00

And I love Goodwill.

Check out my new high waisted skirt thanks to the Goodwill angels that surround me. I scored big time last week with my mom. From what I can tell this skirt is hand made (very well). It has that amazing waist line, and ties in a giant denim bow in the back....that I sadly couldn't capture on my camera since my photography skills are...somewhat lacking. Trust me....it's fabulous. Pink tee, Merona via Goodwill. Tights, who knows. Boots, Payless. My go-to necklaces.

I was so excited when I found this skirt. It's exactly the kind of thing I've been looking for. I'm planning on getting it shortened, but I couldn't wait to wear it. Oh, and it has pockets!!! Who doesn't love a skirt with pockets?

I have to thank you guys for all the positive feedback about my new hair! I knew I loved it but I really didn't expect so many other people to love it so thank you for making me feel good and giving me a confidence boost! You guys are the best!!

Tuesday at the best company on earth

2010-02-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday all! We had out monthly company meeting today at work and I just have to say how so truly grateful I am to work where I work. We are a small company but we do big things and we all really care about one another. Today we focused on recognition and being thankful for those around us and it was so nice to hear everyone say thank you to the people they work with for various things (yes, I was thanked...more than a couple times) and to really feel the gratitude we all feel. A few of us even cried. Happy tears of course. I wonder how many people have the pleasure of working in such a wonderful environment. I wish that everyone could feel the way I feel about my job. I may not always like the tasks I need to perform but I am ALWAYS extremely thankful to work where I work. I know my life is a million times better than it ever could have been if I had never came across this opportunity.
In other news, I wore clothes!

My trusty black dress, some mall store forever and a half ago. Westernish shirt, thrifted. Tights, who knows. My trusty Payless boots. Necklace, awesome thrift store in town. Boy, I sure am glad I know where most of my clothes come from :) And no, I didn't wear this today. These pics are from a couple weeks ago. I'm behind...but that just means you guys get lots of pics!

This is me playing on my high heel chair.

My mom thought my dress was a jumper at first. This dress has a giant key hole type opening that ties closed in the front. for this outfit I just untied it and tied it around the back of the dress under the arms and I got this sweet little jumper affect. I love the way some clothes can become completely new pieces with just a simple tweek.

I found this really awesome multi strand necklace at a thrift store while shopping with my mom (she sure does come up a lot in this blog doesn't she?). The thrift store is one exclusively for women sizes 14 and up. I can sometimes have a hard time finding clothes there because most things are a bit too big for me (not that I'm complaining of course!) but jewelry like this great piece, always fits. It came with matching earrings and the cashier was so nice (and my mom sweetened her up with some chocolate), she gave me a deal on the set! I love them because they have a mix of all metalics so it makes it easier for me to incorporate some gold into my accessories while still being able to stick with my beloved silver. Plus, it's just awesome!

I am feeling much better today and am hoping to be able to walk to work tomorrow. I may just play with my pre-planned outfits a bit more... Have a great night everyone!!

p.s. I LOVE MY BANGS!

Monday sickness

2010-02-01T18:13:00.000-08:00

I know, Im a spuratic blogger lately. Don't hate me! I've been sick since last week, and I just got my home computer back so I can finally blog again. Are you guys ready to see my amazing awesometastic so perfect new hair?

BANGS!!!! I love them. everyone I've seen since I got it done loves them. they've grown a wee bit since this pic but they're still just as amazing.

I can't stop playing with them...as shown in this picture haha Pink Cardi, Old Navy via Goodwill (btw, I've had some really amazing Goodwill luck lately). White tee, Merona via Goodwill (see?). Shinetastic skirt, Merona via...can you guess? Goodwill!! Gray tights, Old Navy (after christmas sale...$3!!) and my trusty Payless boots. They're starting to show the wear and tear...I will probably wear them until they literally fall apart.

The most gorgeous ring I own curtosy of my mom (love you!!). She got it from e-bay and it was too big for her skinty fingers so I got it for Christmas! I practically wear it every day. I am really in love with it. Thank you mom!!!

I had a period of not so good emotional times and I was pretty down about life for a minute but I think I finally got through it and I feel great about life again. I think I'm finally ok with being single and Im just trying to do things I want to do. Sadly, this sickness has prevented me from walking to work since last Wednesday but I know that I'll get back into it as soon as I can because I really do love it. It makes me feel great about myself and productive and all sorts of good things.

However, while spending my weekend cooped up feeling like I'm in a sick ward, I took the opportunity to organize my closet...by color! I love it. Then I planned an entire week of work outfits in advance which is something I have never done but always wanted to get into and I have to say it really feels good in the morning to know I don't have to think about anything. Plus, I have time Sunday nights to really play with my clothes so the outfits I come up with are (I feel) super cute. I know when I don't at least think about my outfit the day before or have time to really play around then I don't feel as cute and I end up returning to the same few pieces over and over again.

I hope everyone had an awesome weekend and no one was sick like me :)

I am alive!

2010-01-25T10:52:00.000-08:00

I know, I've been gone for a long time and I have no reason for it. Work life has been crazy (crazy good) and I've been trying to keep busy in my non work life too. Our office moved to a new location and it's now close enough to my house that I can walk to work. It's a hefty walk (just under 4 miles one way) but I really love it. I've only been walking for a week but it makes me feel so good about myself and where I'm headed in life that it's totally worth the leg pain and extra time it takes. I got a hair cut (of course I'll post a pic!) and surprisingly my hairstyle lasts through my long treck to the office. I am so excited to see the changes that shape in the coming months. I don't plan on driving to work unless I absolutely need to and I know that walking to work and still looking great is a complete possibility thanks to the lovely Sheila.

On with the blog!

No new hair pics yet (their on my camera....just not on the computer yet). Hat, 21Love ($6 with a matching scarf!!). Blazer, H&M via thrift store. Tee, Goodwill. Skirt, Nine West via Buffalo Exchange. Tights, who knows. Boots, Payless. Various rings from various places. No close up shots of them but rest assured, they are awesome and amazing. I don't remember when I wore this or what I did while wearing it and I think my nose looks rather large in this pic, but there it is.

You can see a little bit of the pattern of my tights here. I did my hair in low pig tails with this hat.

My fave giant scarf. I wore this thing every day for at least 3 weeks. I must get that back into rotation! (haha)

See how many different colors and patterns this scarf has?! I am so head over heels with it. Not to mention it's soft plushy goodness!

My tights. I have no idea where I found these...but they are nice and thick so they keep me super warm. Why do people doubt the warming power of tights? Side note: I wish my carpet was really the color it looks in this pic. It's actually a dark dirty brown color.

I hope you all had an amzing new year and are enjoying your January!

Another Friday!

2009-12-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday my lovely amazing awesome readers! Today is my favorite Friday because after today I don't have to come back to the office for a whole week. Throw the weekends into the mix and that means I have 9 whole days to sleep in!!! NINE DAYS PEOPLE!!! 9 days of sleeping until I wake up naturally. 9 days of not having to rush myself through my morning routine. 9 beautiful blissful days of complete freedom. (can you tell I'm excited?) This is one of the many things I'm thankful for today. I'm also thankful for toast, best friends that clean your house while you're at work (yes, really!), the best job ever that gives me vacation without me even asking, my gorgeous hair, warm water (I'm always thankful for that), and friends trusting me to help them dress or come up with new ideas for the clothes they already have.

White cardi, too old to know. It actually may have some holes in hidden spots...Shh! Don't tell! Yummy purple shirt, Goodwill. My trusty Levi's and ninja boots from Payless. Black tee, Old Navy. Scarf, craigslist (thanks mom!!). Hat, hat store in Seaside (thanks mom!!).

Pretty colors and a cute hat....how could you go wrong? You can't. I love my hat! And my super soft scarf...adn my new shirt! I love everything! (there's that positive attitude kicking in!)

I think something fell over and I was investigating what it was. There have been a lot of strange goings on in my house....It's possible Im haunted.

I know, I know. It's practically the same pic as above...but I love my hat and you can't fault me for that!

Not only does my shirt have a fantabulous color, but it also has this fun neck detail. The shirt is actually tissue thin and really sheer, but layering it on top of a short sleeved black shirt was the perfect solution to take this great summer top right into the heart of winter.

So tell me, what are you all thankful for today? Are you staying positive? Just remember folks, you really can do and be anything you want and have all of your hearts desires! And yes, you DO deserve to be happy!

The good ole days

2009-12-15T12:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I just broke a nail, my computer wont play the cd's I just bought because for some reason it doesn't recognize that there is even a cd in the thing and my positivity reign is not wanting to stick around. I am doing everything I can to stay positive about life so here are the things I'm thankful for today: My working car, one of the office dogs, my job, the internet, and my ability to regrow nails (and hair!) at lightning speeds.

Button up, Old Navy (found at Goodwill). Dress, Ross. Tights, who knows. Boots, Payless.

Say hello to my necklaces!! (one thrifted and one so old I have no recollection of where it came from)

My fave new multi strand from a vintage store my mom dragged me to (thanks mom!!!) and the one whos origins I don't remember. This necklace actually makes me think of my mom whenever I look at it because it has the hand charm on it and for some reason hands remind me of her.

I wore this to work and then to a volunteer event with co-workers and the wife. This combo works great for me because the button up is too short to wear unless it's like this or tucked into a high waisted skirt and I've tried pairing this dress with some other shirts in the past but always ended up feeling too school girlish.

Hope your week is off to a good start!

Fritag, Fritag, Fritag is der beste tag!

2009-12-11T11:36:00.000-08:00

Yes I speak german. No, not much. Definitely not enough to hold a conversation. I took it for 3 years in high school and loved it. I want to get back into it and will eventually take a trip to Germany. For now, I will just sing the ridiculous Friday song my teacher taught us because it makes me smile every time.

Today I am thankful for hot water whenever I want it, dogs in the office, cheap gloves, the discovery of a new store that sells awesome accessories for amazingly low prices (giant multi pattern scarf for under $10?? Yes please!), reconnecting with old friends, the new Buddha that mysteriously appeared at the office yesterday, the scarf keeping my neck warm, my mom teaching me how to cook glue (way harder with spaghetti noodles btw), and for my free will.

Here I am feeling very smug in my new awesometastic linen pants that I thrifted with mom from Goodwill (Thanks mom!!). I love them. They are super comfy. Fit like a glove. Added bonus: No buttons! They zip up on the side. Boots, Payless (someone is going to have to tear these off my cold dead feet before they come off). Ring, Torrid. Purple tee, thrifted. Coral tank, Winco. White cardi, worn to death, thrifted.

I wore this to work and then to a Premier Jewelry party at a friends house and then out for fun with some friends. I added the belt when I was taking my pics. I like the look but can't seem to think of simple things like this in the morning.

I love my new pants... And no, I really am not going to take down pin the tail on the donkey. I like him, so he stays!

This pic does ABSOLUTELY NO justice to my ring. It has every color on it somewhere and when you hit the light just right, it's a beautiful rainbow on your finger.

There you have it. Another outfit I feel good enough about to share with whoever cares to see it. There is apparently a winter wtorm warning in effect for my area through tomorrow, so I may just stay in and play with outfits and my new scarves that I bought when I should have been getting presents for other people (don't worry! I actually did buy presents for almost everyone on my list).

I hope you all have a fanfreakintastic weekend! Tell me....what are you thankful for?

EDIT: I just realized...This is my 100th post! Woohoo!!

Thursday blahs

2009-12-10T10:34:00.000-08:00

Hello out there! Positive thinking is still going well. I'm trying to start every morning thinking about all the things I feel grateful for and really feeling thankful for them, not just running through a list of things I'm thankful for. Today I'm thankful for my legs that I can walk with, my arms that can swing around and be useful for things like hugging and dancing, my eyes to allow me to see the beauty in the world, my feet that fit perfectly in all my beautiful shoes, my fingers that allow me to type daily, for my computer, my phone, my camera, my fantastic friends, my awesome family, for the internet, for living in this day and age and not another, for all the life experiences I have had and all the ones I will have, for living in a "free" country, and for being all around an awesome person.

Pink tee, Target via Goodwill. Jeans, Levi's via Ross. Boots, Payless. Necklace, Goodwill.

I love the vibrancy of this shirt. I know this outfit is super casual but we all like to see some casual wear once in a while right?

Yes, my arms are indeed cut off but I dont care. Fun is fun.

On that same note, bloggers will be bloggers ;)

Even though the outfit is super simple, I still love it and I felt good all day. This tee is super comfy and I'm thinking I may need to stoke up on some good colored tees from Target soon...Plus academichic has an amazing embellished tee diy I really want to try... And what a great holiday gift idea! Something super cute and made by me? That's it...I'm going to the store NOW!

You've seen it before but I love to show it off....Isn't it a great find?? I was so excited when I found this baby.

Have a great day everyone!

It's all in the details!

2009-12-08T14:44:00.000-08:00

Now if I could just remember to take pictures of the details to share...

Tee, Old Navy. Skirt....good question. Tights....also a good question. Boots, Payless. Jacket, Thrifted (50% off too!) Necklaces, one thrifted and one from Buffalo Exchange.

Of course I forgot to take pics of this jackets amazingness. It is corduroy but it has this really nice big floral pattern on it. You can't see it unless you're close to it. It's such a great detail. How could I not take pics of it? Ah well...some other time.

This is the problem with taking pics and not posting them for a couple days. I really can't remember what skirt this is...

I should have taken a pic of the back of the jacket too. It has a great peplum back. The pockets are a little ruffled too. This jacket was such a great find and its so comfortable. It only cost like $7 or something close to that. I am really wearing these boots to death. I love them so much! They're soft, light, comfy and they look great with practically anything! I am so glad I got these.

My goal for my house this week is to clear away some of the clutter I dont need. I will keep thinking positive thoughts and manifesting the things I want into reality. I finished the book The Secret last night, and today a co-worker brought the movie in for me to borrow. Such perfect timing! The next book I want to read is Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting by Lynn Grabhorn. This whole process is really making me so much more aware of the thoughts I have all day and I can see how they really affect me. It's craziness I tell ya!

Have an awesome day all!

Hey ya'll!!!

2009-12-07T13:09:00.000-08:00

Yes, I've been absent for a bit. No reason. I have outfit pics to share and positive energy too! At work we are spending the whole month of December using positive thinking and manifestation to make more money. A few weeks before the meeting where we started our new movement, I brought home the book The Secret. After the meeting I started reading it. My life has completely changed. Well, maybe not my life but my outlook on life and the way I feel on a daily basis has changed. Not only am I now attracting more money to myself but this positive thinking has me being more productive at home (start a load of laundry when I get home at 2 am from the bar with friends? Hell yes!), loving my life more (have you thought of all the things you're grateful for lately?) and loving myself more (because I am awesome!). I know that there are more books that go with this book and more things to learn and think about but I know that my life is amazing and I am lucky and blessed. I am waking up on time or early every day (even the weekends!) and I have more than enough time to do everything I need to do. Even when I'm slacking off I feel like I'm being more productive than ever before because now when I'm slacking off I'm looking at how Feng Shui works and how I can incorporate it into my own home instead of chatting in a chat room for no reason other than wasting time. I know that nothing but good is going to come my way. I know that I am perfect and life is great and I am so excited to keep living it!

Ok, enough of that for right now. I am not caught up on all your blogs, but I'll get there soon. How about an outfit?

I have no idea when I wore this, but I wore it. Shirt, thrifted from Goodwill, originally from Target. Jeans, DKNY via Ross. Boots, Payless. Vest, random store in the mall. Ring, Torrid. Necklaces, 1 from Premier Desings, the others thrifted. I'm wearing new make up too!

I call this "Kaylyn being a mega dork" and yes, I love it. I just wanted to show off my ring.

I am politely refusing all requests to take down home made pin the tail on the donkey. So, no need to ask. I like my donkey, and he shall stay.

This vest only has one little hook and then the cut of the vest pulls away from the body. I kept it unbuttoned all day but thought I could at least show what it looks like buttoned up.

Just playing with my hair because it's there and I love it and it's so soft.

mmm necklaces.

Is this ring not awesome?! I have 2 other rings from Torrid to share too...so stay tuned for more gigantic amazingness.

Funny story about this outfit. I actually picked it out for C who was in town for a bit. I was getting ready to leave one day and she asked for some help picking what to wear for herself. I made a couple outfits and she ended up going with something else so I wore this the next day because I liked it.

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving!

Fridayfridayfriday!!!

2009-11-20T14:32:00.000-08:00

I love Fridays! I set my alarm this morning for 7 so I would have time to get ready for work and everything. Problem is...I wasn't paying close enough attention to my alarm and I set it for 7...pm. Crap. I only woke up on time because K was getting up at 7:30 and I woke up to that (thank god!). So I have to shower when I get home even though I don't have time because I'm supposed to go to a party tonight but luckily me and K stayed up last night to plan our outfits for tonight so the stress of that is gone...but I might rethink my outfit. I'm not sure how I feel about it now. That's exactly why I don't plan ahead because it my mood changes easily. Oh well. Also, I wanted to look amazing for the party tonight but today everyone I invited cancelled except one person so now I think I might just go for comfort. Bastards....

Anyway! Here's what I wore yesterday.

Confession: I wore jeans to work with the shirt untucked. But I have to casual down my wardrobe for work so I ususally kick it up a notch when doing something after work. I think next time I might do a more form fitting skirt with this... Live and learn! Shirt, thrifted. Skirt, no clue. Boots, Payless. Tights, who knows. Pearl drop necklace, Premier. Multi chain necklace, thrifted.

Also, after work I ended up teasing the hell out of my ponytail and I loved it. I really like how big it got and I just felt better about wearing a ponytail since it had some umph. I may just do this more often...

I'm wearing these boots again today. I can't help it! They're so comfy and amazing and wonderful and warm! I think there was only 1 day this week that I didn't wear these boots ha ha.

I definitely want to try this again with a tighter skirt. Maybe some heels too....

My amazingtastic necklaces. The pearly necklace ended up perfectly matching the buttons on my shirt. How lovely.

I picked up this leather bracelet at Goodwill for only 2 bucks a while ago. It's a fun little piece to add some funk to an outfit.

Any suggestions on what I should wear tonight? I want to look good! Help me out my stylin friends!

I hope you all have an amazing weekend and a great Friday afternoon.

More weekend fun

2009-11-17T10:41:00.000-08:00

I rarely dress up during the week anymore. I'm getting better at being at the very least, presentable. But, I haven't been taking pics. I just don't seem to have the energy to get up in the mornings. My alarm goes off at 7:40. That gives me plenty of time to get up, shower, do my make up and pick an outfit...but recently I let the alarm go off until 8 or after and then I'm rushing out the door, late again.

So, here's an outfit I wore over the weekend!

Jacket, thrifted. Scarf, pashmina via mom's craigslisting awesomeness. Polka dot skirt, Ross. Tights...?? Boots, Payless. Shirt, Goodwill.

I had a lot of random crazy fun with these pics for no reason. Hope you have a laugh looking at them.

I've been wearing the hell outta these boots. I wore them yesterday...and today...and in this post and the one before. They're so comfy. How could I not wear them all the time? And yes, I know I cut off my arms and part of my skull but I don't care. I still like this pic. Red eye and all.

A lil twirly action because that's what this skirt was really made for. I went to a Mary Kay make up thinga majigger in this. Felt cute and comfy so it was perfect.

So today is Tuesday...I'll try to get some pics of what I wear during the week. But don't expect clean hair! :)

Weekend fun

2009-11-16T16:08:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a great weekend! I had fun hanging out with some old friends and making new friends with my old friends haha

I wore this Friday to work and to donate blood. Jacket, thrifted. Jeans, my trusty Levi's. Pink button up, Ross. Boots, Payless. Scarf, yummy pashmina from someone off of craigslist that my mom bought for me (Thanks mom!!)

Without the jacket. I kept my scarf on all day, but had to take the jacket off to donate my blood. See the purple wrapped around my arm? That's where they poked me. I'm still bruised! I've never really bruised when donating, and it's certainly never lasted this long. Oh well.

Sometimes I like to get a lil silly :)

Not the best shot of my freakin awesome boots but I still liked it so it's here.

The detail on my jacket.

My amazingly perfect scarf. I love it. Adore it.... NEED IT! whoops...uh went a lil nuts there but come on! Look at this beautiful thing! It's warm and soft and just perfect. I love that it has so many colors in it. It feels just right for fall.

Have a good night all!

Friday the 13th = blood day!

2009-11-13T12:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday the 13th! I'm not a very superstitious person, but today after work I am donating blood. Somehow, it feels unsafe to donate blood on a Friday the 13th. Not to mention the first time I gave blood is also the first and only time I have ever passed out. I remember sitting at a table eating a cookie and texting after donating and the next thing I know I'm looking at the celing and being wheeled away on the stretcher I was now on. So, if I don't come back...you all know why! On the bright side when I woke up the nurses all told me they loved my teal heels (which I have since lost!!!) and I felt much better.

What I wore yesterday. Sorry the pic is blurry. I had about 4 seconds to take pics but I wanted to because I just did. Quit asking me so many questions already!! :) Tee, LOL via Ross. Levis via ross. Vest...uh....hmmm...some store in some mall somewhere. I really love this vest. It has one little eye hook right under the bust and is cut so it goes out from the hook. It looks tiny...but I still love it! Shoes, stripey flats from Ross. Necklaces, vintage (from the vintage cafe with mom).

Not blurry, but my eyes are closed. I forgot I was taking a picture and was talking to the wife about how I hate my greasy hair because I have to put it in a ponytail if I go a day without a shower (which is often because I wake up late....daily) and FLASH! pic taken. Sweet.

Here's a pic with no feet but the vest open. By the way, have a mentioned the sweet pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey hanging behind me in my pics? Hand drawn by yours truly and no I'm not ashamed of the pointy donkey feet! We decided we needed to play pin the tail on the donkey at our pumpkin carving party last month, and I can't bring myself to take it down. What if we want to play again??

I know you cant tell, but there are 2 necklaces here. One is a 3 (maybe 4) strand chain necklace. They're all the same length (it's the bottom layer) and the other has a bazillion strands and has a cool clasp that I should have taken a pic of but like I said, I have 4 seconds and not much thinking time. So, this is what you get.

I love my new necklaces. I've been wanting some cool multi chain necklaces and I scored big at that store. The one with shorter layers was only $4.50!! The other was $8 (thanks again mom!). Not bad for a neck full of awesome.

Have a fanfreakingtastic weekend everyone! See you later (if my blood donating goes well that is).

Gray day, green dress

2009-11-12T11:37:00.000-08:00

I had the day off yesterday for Veterans day (Thanks vets!!) so I took the opportunity to actually get a little dressed up and mom and I went to lunch at a cafe/vintage store. I was very weary of the combo at first, but once I let my guard down mom and I ended up finding a couple of awesome necklaces and she got a shelf that she needed. The food wasn't the best food I've had in my life. In fact, my burger was a little rubbery. Oh well, I got 2 new awesome necklaces (Thanks mom!).

Green dress thrifted from Goodwill, originally Target. Vest on sale from Layne Bryant. Necklace from Buffalo Exchange. Boots, Steve Madden via Burlington Coat factory. Unknown black tights that you can't see anyway. Gotta love a jersey dress! This is so comfy. I wrapped the tie around myself and brought it around front. I didn't intend on it peeking out like that but I liked it, so it stayed.

On a side note, during an amazing fort building party (yes, the kind with chairs and pillows and sheets strewn about the house 4 year old style) with some friends last week, my full length mirror broke from improper building support so I have been using the camera to find out what I look like before leaving for my day. Thankfully, I already had this outfit formulating in my brain so it worked out this day.

I added a khaki jacket for a little extra warmth. The lining on this thing is falling apart. But its so perfectly simple...I need it! I will not part with it! It's fine on the outside...

I also should have worn a cami under this but since I didn't really care I just tossed a scarf over my scantily clad breasticle area and called it good. Also, the necklace lays differently depending on whats under it...Evidence below!

Admittedly not a good shot of the boots, and I will make a mental note to take a better pic, but trust me, they're cute! They have these little bows around the ankles...mmm little details, how I love you!

Here's the necklace...it's amazing. I'm in love with it. I'm in love with everything I own. Well...almost. But really, isn't this an amazing piece?!?

On another note, the beautiful Christen is having a great Stella & Dots giveaway. Go check it out and if you haven't checked out her blog, take this chance to do so because she is awesome! Thanks Christen!

Have a good day everyone!!

Nothin special

2009-11-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

I thought I was out of my funk. I was wrong. Boy, was I wrong. Oh well. Part of life and such. On the bright side here is a boring outfit to share!

Pic is blurry and doesn't show much detail but there it is. A nice boring outfit. I adore this shirt, but sadly, there was a laundry incident and almost all of my whites now have some amount of black ink on them. There's a spot on the arm of this shirt, but other than that, this shirt came out pretty ok, compared to the rest of the load(s) (this is the exact reason I don't let people do my laundry). I really just wanted to wear my new Premier necklace.

Is it not amazing? I wish it was bigger! I love it. It makes this really awesome noise when I walk too. Not obnoxious, just fun.

This ring is also from Premier. They go well together don't they? I love this ring all day long, every day.

So there ya go. A boring outfit for another boring day from a girl stuck in a funk. Hope you're all doing great!

Back to funk

2009-11-05T15:07:00.000-08:00

Sadly, I am rushing back into my funk. I got a flat tire while at work today. My amazing boss let me use her AAA to get air in the tire so I could drive a mile down the road to Les Schwab and apparently the hole was a tear on the sidewall that was unrepairable. No used tires that fit my car were available so I had to buy a new one. $66 later and my funk is back, and stronger than ever.

Crap.

Outfit post later hopefully. Didn't have time to take pics this morning before work.

I'm baaaaaack!

2009-11-04T10:33:00.000-08:00

I'm still in a funk but I'm coming out of it a little. You know what actually helped me? Reading your blogs. I haven't been reading my fave blogs in the last couple weeks because I just haven't felt up to it but yesterday I finally decided to at least check out one of the blogs on my blogroll and all of a sudden I was glued to the computer. Until 10 last night. I feel better. It was so fun to look at what you all do with your clothes, the fun way to remix things, giving me ideas for new ways to remix my own wardrobe. I need some fashion in my life. I may not be the most fashionable person in the world, and I may not be the most fit person, but fashion makes me feel good. Looking at the beautiful shoes, the clothes, the colors and textures. I love it. It really does make me happy. So, thank you guys for helping me crawl my way out of my hole and back into the light. And just in time to really enjoy fall and all of its beautiful colors.

I came up with this outfit while pursuing the blogs last night. Londyn inspired me with one of her most recent looks.

I've had both of these shirts for so long but I never wear either of them. The brown one was thrifted from Goodwill, originally from Target. When I washed it the length shrunk a lot so I don't feel comfortable wearing it and of course, since I got it from Goodwill I washed it before ever wearing it so it's just been hanging all lonely in my closet since I bought it. I don't remember when I got the pink shirt but I know it was more than a year ago and I don't remember wearing it at all but I know I have at least once. Now that fall is officially here and the cold is setting in I have reason to wear long sleeves, especially to my freezing office. When I saw Londyn pair her tie neck shirt with a long sleeve sweater I knew I had to at least give it a shot. I'm really loving the way it's turned out. For once, this is the outfit I'm really wearing today! Usually I post the outfit I wore the day before. Nice change of pace I think. (Jeans are Levi's via Ross, ring is thrifted from Goodwill, leopard shoes from Wal-mart. I hate writing that on here because I hate Wal-mart with a burning fiery passion)

I love shirts with the ties so I was really sad when this one shrunk but now I feel like it has new life. I'm one of those kind of long torsoed people. It seems like all shirts are too short for me. Come to think of it... so are my pants. Hmmmm....

Close up of the tie. The pattern is nice and subtle but still totally noticeable. And who doesn't love brown and pink together?! I know I do!

See my awesome ring? This is probably one of the most expensive things I've ever gotten from Goodwill but I just couldn't resist. It was $15 but it's sterling silver and did I mention how amazing it is? It does have a tiny flaw in it (see the tiny line?) but I still love it and flaws are what makes things beautiful.

See all my pattern mixing? I'm so proud of myself. All the patterns are similar and have the same colors so it feels really safe to me but at the same time it feels bold. I'll be honest with you guys. Real talk here. I haven't been dressing well over the past couple weeks. Its been jeans and sweaters with my silver flats. I wasn't even showering regularly. Sad, I know but that's what happens when you're in a funk I suppose. It feels good to be back in cute clothes feeling good about myself while being outside of my house.

Bonus!!! Here's my Halloween costume:

I went economy style and repeated my costume from 2 years ago. Thank god I saved it. Good ole skanky Minnie. This pic was taken at the end of the night (or the middle of the morning??) so thats why my eyes are about to close. I was so tired! I was told I was the hottest Minnie anyone had ever seen so yay me!

I hope you all had an awesome Halloween and aren't stuck in a rut.

Alive

2009-10-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

I know some of you have been wondering where I've gone. I'm still here, but this funk I've been in just seems to be getting bigger. I haven't been blogging (obviously), reading my favortie blogs or even taking pics of what I've been wearing. I know I'll come out of it...I just hope it's soon. For now though, I'm in funk town (not nearly as much fun as funky town). I'll let you know when I come back :)

Friday!!!

2009-10-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

I love me some Fridays! I don't have anything really exciting planned for this weekend but on Sunday I'll be doing the local AIDS walk and Monday is Columbus day so I get a 3 day weekend! Woohoo!!

I saw this sweater hanging in my closet all unloved and unworn (by me) and decided I needed to wear it. Paired with a simple white tank and a brown belt (all from Goodwill), my Levis from Ross and my leopard flats from the evil Wal-Mart years ago.

This sweater is super comfy. Soft and warm.

These jeans claim to have a "butt lifting" panel. I think it's doin alright.

I love all the little designs on this sweater. For some reason it makes me feel like biker chic or something.

I'm so in love with this belt. I'm actually wearing it again right now haha I just think is so unique. It's originally J. Jill so I know there are more out there but they're not around me. This still has all the price tags on it too! Originally $42, marked down to $24.99 and then to Goodwill where I got it for a mere $2.99. I love a good deal!

Did anyone watch The Office last night?! I cried like a freakin baby! But it was all happy tears. I just love that show. Even though the awkward moments can be a bit much at times. I also watched Grey's Anatomy last night which I think would have made me more emotional if I hadn't just cried 2 tons for The Office. I am a sucker for...well most things really. I cry at movies all the time, tv shows and while reading a good book. It's just who I am so deal with it! :)

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Quickie

2009-10-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

I don't feel like saying much. I'm in a funk today (although a nice tall cup of chocolate truffle espresso helped perk me up) and I just don't feel like doing anything.

I wore this...uhh.....hmmm....some time ago...recently but I don't know what day. My fave pink trench from Old Navy. Navy slacks from Ross. Fun mummy wrap print tee L.O.L. via Goodwill. My faithful silver flats from Ross. Awesome bangle saved from Goodwill. Sweet ass hat from a hat store at Seaside. Really, THE hat store haha. They have so many hats there it just blows my mind. They have funky hats, practical hats, snow hats, fedoras, and plenty of cute girly hats.

I love my trench coat. I folded the sleeves up a bit and tied the belt in the back using Jessica as my inspiration.

I love the print on this tee. It's a simple cotton tee so it's super comfy and I've always had a think for mummys (thanks mom) but the cute little bow tied at the top is just so cute. I adore this shirt. I'm not gonna deny the fact that it may be a wee bit small for me but I just don't care.

Arent the details always the best part?? I love the little gems on the side of this hat and the velvet feel is just so nice. Not my best outfit but good for running around in and not looking like a bum.

Must keep this dress!

2009-10-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

Blogger has a new format and I'm still trying to figure everything out so I may ramble and/or leave things out.

Alright let's see here....I found this dress in the back of my closet and it's old. I bought it years ago and the last time I wore it I was too big for it but didn't care. Now I care but I thought of new ways to style it so that I can keep wearing it because it is a fun flowy dress, and we all love those. (Forgive the wet hair in these pics...I had just showered before taking these.)

Here I have on a plain white tee from Old Navy, my black patent oxfords with gold piping and a belt I salvaged from Goodwill with the dress. I've tucked the part of the dress that is supposed to go over the breasticle area under the belt and I think it's concealed nicely.

Ok, I think I like this format. Here I've pulled up the top part of this strapless dress but by keeping the white tee on it makes it feel much more covered and not so skanky hood rat. I've got on my new ShoeDazzle shoes called Kiss. Super tall and surprisingly easy to walk in.

Why is it not centered?! I said center damn you! Me and technology never get along. Argh. Moving on...Here I pulled down the top part of the dress and used it as a sort of giant waist band. Paired with my new ShoeDazzle cage booties because really, I just wanted to wear them and I knew you would all appreiciate them.

I really like this dress so I'm glad I found a way to keep working it even though I may have grown out of it a bit. I bet some tights would add some fun flare too.

Sorry I've been MIA with my posting lately. I'm still in a bit of a rut and trying to get out is proving more difficult than I hoped. I'm still reading and commenting when I can though. Work has been crazy, and so has life. Now...where is that damn spell check button.....

Giving in to fall....finally

2009-10-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

I took a while to come around to fall. Even though I love tights and sweaters and the colors the leaves turn and thanksgiving time with friends and family...I didn't want my summer to end! I had such a great summer and spent some serious quality time with my friends and did so many fun things. I hope you all had a good summer too. A good fall is coming our way!

I wore this last week to watch the premier of Grey's Anatomy with a couple friends. The boots kept my legs perfectly warm to wear my fave denim pencil skirt and my new swingy sweater kept me warm up top. Pink tee, Old Navy. Sweater, Target via Goodwill. Skirt, Nine West thrifted. Boots, Payless (Kyla as the same pair in red!)

I love these kinds of sweaters but I NEED more ideas on how to wear it. Help me out? :)

It's the perfect thickness to keep me warm without being too much.

I am so in love with these boots. I call them my ninja boots because they are so light on my feet. Sometimes when I put them on I will prance around the house pretending to be a ninja. K thinks I'm completely bonkers.

Have a good weekend everyone! I'm looking forward to relaxing, getting some laundry done, and trying to get along with fall.

Hump day

2009-09-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

They call Wednesday Hump day because it's half way through the work week and so you're like over the hump or something. I don't know. Seems dumb to me, especially since everyone seems to take it in more of a perverted way then that. Either way, the fact is we've made it to the half way point of the week once again. Bonus for me....I'm going to see Colbie Caillat in concert tonight after work!!! My new friend A will be coming with me and we are both so excited. She hardly gets a chance to dress up so I told to do it up! I'm just going to wear a black dress and my purple booties with my all time fave necklace. I'll try to take some good pics of both of us and post them as soon as I can but as we all know I've been MIA for a bit. I think I may be over my funk and back in the game! Woohoo!

I refuse to let go of spring so here are some shots of an outfit I wore last week when it was still warm.

Brown tee, actually a company shirt. We have the awesome ability to pick out whatever style of shirt or sweater we want and just add our logo to it. We get to choose the colors of the shirt AND the logo. I'm hiding the logo with my hair in these pics because I'm shy like that and don't want to give you guys the ability to stalk me too easily haha. This is only the second time I've worn this shirt but I think the next time we don't something as a company this may be how I dress. of course, now that spring has left us and the fall rain has come full force I'll need tights. Short sleeve sweater, Old Navy via Goodwill. Skirt and shoes, Ross. Belt, vintage store.
I love the way this turned out but I don't know how I feel about this skirt any more. I used to love it, and actually have a brown and black one in the same style. I just don't know how I feel about the pleats...and their immense need for ironing.

I wish I had prettier carpet...

I'm in love with this belt. It was only $3 (maybe $5) at a thrift store I went to with my mom. The store was HUGE and there was just too much for me to look at. It was a hot day and I wasn't in the mood for sifting so K and I just walked around but somehow this lil guy called my name out from his home on a wall and the rest is history.

Thank you to Bianca over at Deals for the Short and Curvy for giving me this blog award! (Seriously, go check out her blog. Shes got super cute clothes and some seriously awesome accessories!)
I'm supposed to list 7 things about myself that most people don't know about me and pass it on to 7 other bloggers. I'm not going to nominate any other bloggers specifically but if you would like to participate, please do!

So, on to the 7 things about me that you probably didn't know.

1. I only have one functioning kidney. This meant no contact sports for me growing up and the scars I have I really resent because I think they give me and funny shape and make it hard to get clothes that fit right because of the dents in my sides. I can't resent the scars too much though because I'm alive and loving life and if it weren't for the scars, I wouldn't be.

2. I have a small obsession with frogs. Ok, it's not that small of an obsession. I LOVE frogs. I plan on getting a tattoo of a frog on a flower on my foot. I just have to get up the nerve...and the money.

3. I don't like children. I never plan on having any. I really dislike them. A lot. I love my godson. I love my little sister. I love all the nieces and nephews I have (extended family included of course) and I will love all of my friends children when they have them, but I will not babysit. Maybe it's because I'm a child at heart and don't want to have to be responsible for someone else. All I know is you won't find me at Chuck E. Cheese anytime soon.

4. I am one of the only girls I know that doesn't have a deep love of all things Disney. I didn't really watch Disney movies as a kid because my mom dislikes Disney so you won't find any secret stash of Disney movies at my house (Monsters Inc is however one of my all time favorite movies, but it's newer and also Pixar so I don't count it in this statement).

5. If I could marry a cartoon character it would be Bugs Bunny. I've been in love with him for a very, VERY long time.

6. I do not drink alcohol. I've never had a sip of it in my life. Never tried it and I don't plan on it. No, there is no reason. I was too much of a wuss to drink in high school for fear of being caught or getting hurt or death. After a while I figured I didn't need to. I'd gotten so far without ever having it and people still liked me and I still had fun so why did I need to. The more I learned about it and the more friends I watched get sick, the more convinced I was that I didn't need it in my life. I don't care if other people drink. It is after all legal (though I have qualms about that) and socially acceptable. I know it can make people feel more at ease and it sure can make things more fun, but I don't think I will ever drink. Besides, I only have the one kidney. Can't be overwhelming the lil fella with too many toxins.

7. I have one tattoo (for now). It's a high heel. No, you can't see it.

So that's it. If you decide you want to participate, let me know so I can learn more about you too. Thanks again Bianca for the award!

Dress for night

2009-09-25T12:41:00.001-07:00

I didn't do much to change this look for a night out. I put on some heels (that I LOVE), took off my bangle and added a bow and instead of my pink trench I put on my blue jacket. I love that hell out of this jacket.

Shoes from Nordstrom Rack. Bracelet, sash from a different black dress.

My blue jacket with gold buttons. I got this at Layne Bryant. Ok, my mom bought it for me there, but that's where it came from. Thanks mom!

I don't know what made me think to do this but I loved it. If I ever have a cast on my wrist this is how I will hide it.

These booties are so awesome. I know a lot of the people I know don't see in them what I do but I don't care because I think they are fabulous.

Sorry the pic is blurry. I was having so many issues with my camera. Aren't they beautiful? *swoon*

Happy Friday! I'm excited to get my weekend started. What do you all have planned? Anything fun?

LBD

2009-09-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

I originally bought this dress to go to the Justin Timberlake concert with KB a couple years ago. Apparently it's been in my trunk ever since. While cleaning my car for a camping trip I found this dress, a tank top and a couple of tee shirts. I thought for sure there was no way this dress would fit me after all this time. Turns out...it looks awesome! The fabric is perfect because it doesn't cling to my body and just hangs away. I'm so in love with this dress and so thankful that my less fashionable self bought this back then!

No idea where the dress came from. One of those teen stores that opens and closes over night. The keyhole part comes completely untied and you can play with it a little bit to fit different bust sizes or just make the dress look new. Bracelet and ring (detail shots below) from Goodwill. Shoes from Ross.

The ties are absurdly long but fun to play with.
Nice and blurry...

Kisses to my readers! I'm still in a funk so I haven't been keeping up with or commenting on my fave blogs and I'm sorry about that guys. I'll be back to my normal chipper self in no time.

My awesome pink trench from Old Navy. On sale!

My mom told me I would regret it if I didn't buy it...but I'll never know that feeling because I obviously bought it! I love it. I ended up rolling up the sleeves and tying the belt in back and it was perfect for the street fair with mom where we scored big time at a thrift store that was closing its doors.

I love this giant bracelet I found at Goodwill. Only $2!

These flats are perfect for running around town in and they have so many colors that they go with practically everything while adding
I have a thing for frogs. I LOVE them. This ring was dirt cheap and it's adjustable so it will always fit! Sweet score for me! Check back to see how I changed it up for a night out.

I hope no one else is living in a funk right now, and if you are....get out of it! Help me out while you're at it :)

Quick post

2009-09-22T15:53:00.000-07:00

I have time to do a better post but I'm just not feelin it right now. I'm not even going to post my outfit in chronological order! Oh no!!! I'm not really catching up on all your blogs either, and I'm sorry about that. I'm just kind of out of it this week. Gimmie another day or two and I'll be right as rain :)

Purple shirt, thrifted from Goodwill. Skirt, Ross. Shoes, Ross. Ring, Premier. Necklace, Goodwill....detail pics in a previous post.

I love how swingy and fun this skirt is.

Don't mind the serious twirl face I've got going on here.

That's it. That's all I feel like doing for now. Hope you are all more alert then I am and having a good day!

Someones got a case of the Mondays!

2009-09-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

Here we are back at Monday, yet again. I never feel like my weekend is long enough. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I always have something planned and rarely actually have a full day off from everything. This week in fact, I have something every single day after work. Someday, I need to just stay in bed all day long and watch movies and read. That sounds so amazing...

On with the outfit post!
Blue jacket, Target via Goodwill. Pink tank, Daisey Fuentes, can't remember where I got it. Navy skirt, Old Navy via Goodwill. Leopard flats, Wal-Mart before I boycotted. Sure, I should trow these out if I'm boycotting...but they're too cute! And so comfy for running around town in.

I tried to do the top knot that Christen posted a handy how-to about, but I was short on time and it didn't work out as planned. It was re-done a few times through the day but I still loved it. Sorry they're aren't more pictures. I took more but I didn't like the way any of them turned out.

This white tie is from another jacket but I loved the contrast against the colors of my shirt and jacket.

My awesome handmade ring. I got this from a vendor at the St. Johns street fair a few months ago. I love this ring to death. It's a smidge too small for my lil pinkie finger but I don't care because it's so cool. It makes me think of old school video games.

My cousin J got me these as a gift. I didn't wear them for the longest time but now I always want to wear them. They're so fun and swingy. It was tough getting a decent pic of them. I suppose I could have set them down on something...but too late now!

My weekend was filled with fake wrestling, quality time with my mom, an awesome score at a thrift store that was trying to get rid of everything because I think they were going out of business and of course not enough sleep. It was a good weekend :)

I hope you all had a super duper weekend!

Happy Friday!

2009-09-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

I am so glad it's Friday! I have been so worn out all week long and even though I know I won't be resting tonight or tomorrow at least I won't be forced to get up early for work and I can rest on Sunday. For a fun bonus K and A decided it would be fun to do a girly photo shoot just because tonight so that means I get to dress up and play with heels. Yes!!

This is a boring outfit I wore the other day when I again woke up late and didn't have time for a shower. It happens a lot. I can't lie to you guys.

White tee, Old Navy. Jeans, DKNY thrifted from Goodwill. Leopard flats, Wal-Mart from before I boycotted them a few years ago. Skull necklace, Goodwill. Flower headband (detail shot below), Ross for $3.

Look! I'm missing my leg!

This flower headband is so fun. I get compliments every time I wear it. It doesn't have to stay flat like this. You can fluff up the petals of the flower for a totally different look. I love having a cute headband just for days like this when I feel like my hair is disgusting and I want to hide it.

I think this skull necklace is so cool. At first it's like "Bah I'm a skull and I'm bad ass and you better watch out" but then you look a little closer and it's like "I have pearl eyes and there's flowers and hearts all over my face so I'm not really that scary." Yep. That's how my thoughts work.

Happy weekend everyone!

Vestastic

2009-09-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

This day was one of my I-don't-feel-like-getting-up-early-so-I'll-just-sleep-longer-and-skip-my-morning-shower days. So I came up with something new to do with my hair on complete accident while I was brushing my teeth and trying to get my hair out of my face. From there getting dressed seemed simple. The night before I decided I wanted to wear my vest since I haven't in a while, and now I had a hairdo so I was off like a rocket!

I pulled out this awesome teal tank I got at Goodwill about 4 million years ago but never wear because it is too billowy and makes me look pregnant. I refuse to get rid of it because I love the color and details so much and now I'm glad I did because trapping all the billowy material under this vest definitely took away any pregnant look. Vest, Lane Bryant on clearance. Skirt, Nine West via Buffalo Exchange. Shoes, Chinese Laundry via Ross. Necklace, Goodwill.

I will confess that I wore my silver flats to the office with this but I put the heels on to go see Whiteout with friends.

The back of this skirt has some great seams that make it hug my body perfectly.

Being a ham.

I love this pic. I took it because I was feeling sick and decided to not have popcorn at the theater to not upset my stomach any more. So here I am, sadly looking into an empty popcorn container. I love theater popcorn more than any other kind of popcorn so staying away is hard. I didn't make it. I ordered the smallest one though! Still turned out to be a bad idea.

Close up of the tank top detail and the vest. The tank has pleats on the bust and the little football shaped detailing all over it. I love it. I need to figure out a way to make this tank more wearable for me.

My super cool owl necklace that I got at Goodwill on the same day as the necklace from the last post (and 2 other really cool necklaces!). It came on a slightly longer chain but I swapped it out for this shorter chain so it wouldn't get lost in my cleavage.

I'm trying to show the hair swoop I have going on here.

Still not a great shot but you can see a little more of whats going on. K said it looked almost 50's. I felt great about it all day which is a foreign feeling for me because if I don't shower I feel like my hair looks totally disgusting.

My shoes, posing on my shoe chair. Love.

Close up. I used to wear these shoes almost daily. They are comfy, the heel height is totally manageable and they're black BUT they have the snake skin detail so they're not totally plain.

Alright, well this post turned out a lot longer than I had originally anticipated. oh well! Hope your week is going good.

Purple lovin

2009-09-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

To start off today I want to thank all of my readers. You are all so nice and it's so fun to ready your thoughts and check out all of your awesome blogs. (feel free to skip the giant story below and go straight to the outfit...but if you read it you'll get a laugh and learn a lil more about me)

I'm feeling pretty craptastic today, I'm not gonna lie to you. My head hurts, my stomach hurts, I have cramps (tmi...But my blog so ha!), I'm so tired. But I push on. I've never been the type to call in sick. Even in high school I would complain about not wanting to go, about feeling crappy, about wanting sleep. My mom would tell me to just stay home and she would write my a note so it would be considered an excused absence. I would never go for it though. I would just complain and as soon as she said that I would roll out of bed and into some clothes (sometimes. Other times I would just go in my pj's. I was one of those girls) and head to school. I complain but I won't call in sick unless I really can't get up. So even though I feel crappy I still went to work. Where I had the most terrifying spider experience.

See, I am terribly arachnophobic. I actually try not to share this fact a lot because I find that some people are very rude and think it's funny to mess with people that have a fear of spiders. For me it's not just a silly fear though. It's a debilitating fear. I can't function. I lose my breath. I run and scream. I am so terrified of them.

What happened at work today resulted in a pretty harsh meltdown. I had to go get an old file from the basement. I already hate the basement, because like all basements, it's full of spiders and their webs. On top of that, last week when I went down there I was confronted on the way out by a seriously HUGE spider guarding the door. He has got to be 2 inches big. He's above the door to the side a little...right above where the light switch is. Where I put my hand. In my mind, when I put my hand on that light switch, it will sense me, drop from its web and attack me. In reality, he's just hanging there in his web. He's huge and I don't want to be close to him but if I go fast through the door and hit the light switch as I run, I make it through ok.

So, I'm moving boxes to get to the box that has the file I need and as I pull out one box and put my hand on the back to move it I see a black spider racing towards my innocent little hand. Naturally I screamed and heaved the box away from me. My heart started racing. I instantly started breathing hard and started crying. I still had to get to the box behind the spider box and all I could see was web. After a good amount of time freaking out and telling myself I have to do this, I got the file I needed and headed for the door (without picking up the thrown box) and now had to make my way past the door spider. Although I had gotten the file I was still freaked out. I was still breathing hard and babbling and just seeing that giant spider above the door was making me squirm. So I made my dash to the door wanting to just get it over with. The doorknob was stuck. It wouldn't turn and I was stuck directly next to the door spider! I actually screamed and yelled and finally got the doorknob to turn and collapsed onto the stairs on the other side.

To others, this seems ridiculous. Why the freak out? Why not just kill the spider on the box and move on? The door spider is in his web minding his own business, so there is no need to freak out, right? Nope. For me, it feels like I am going to die. I really can't function. Just seeing a spider usually stops me in my tracks. This is a pretty regular occurrence in my life. I have no shortage of spider stories because yea, they're everywhere and I have to deal with that. I hate that it happens at work and there's nothing I can do about it. I just have to keep going. I really hate that some people think it's funny to mess with me. Ok, so I can handle the "omg whats that behind you HAHA just kidding!" thing. No real point to my story. Just sharing a part of my life with you and maybe sending out a small PSA not to mess with peoples fears. It's not cool.

On to the good stuff! I wore this to dinner with R the other day and felt great.

White tee, black skirt and necklace all thrifted from Goodwill. Shoes, Nordstrom Rack.

I'm so in love with these shoes. They were even comfortable all night!

Check out this awesome necklace! $5 at Goodwill! It's got so many different kinds of charms but it's not noisy or heavy at all.

Check out these sweet shoes. They're suede and delicious.

The cute little bows! The satin ribbon! The color! I am so in love with these shoes. Mmmm.

Til next time...Have a great day everyone!

Need more quality skirt time

2009-09-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

I don't know why but when I put on sunglasses I feel better about the way I look in my pictures....hmmmm.....
Just a simple outfit from last week. Nothing fancy but I felt pretty good all day.

White button up, thrifted from Goodwill. Skirt, thrifted at Goodwill, originally from Old Navy. Belt, Goodwill. Shoes, Ross. Earrings, gift (Thanks J!!) Bracelet, actually a necklace, thrifted from Goodwill.

You can't see the colors very well in this pic, but the beads actually have blue running through them.

I wear these all the time. Such a good gift.

Detail on the shirt

Belt and a shot of the pattern. I love the random yellow in the pattern of this skirt. I changed the outfit up after work with a plain white tee and my owl necklace but of course, didn't take pictures. Sorry!

Well that's it for now. Had a good weekend. Things didn't go exactly as planned and I feel like I missed a day of my life but at least I got some sleep. Although I don't feel like it was enough. It never is. Hope you all had a funtastic weekend!

Oh, and I got notice that my shoes should be here by the end of the week - WOOHOO!!!

Blues Outfit

2009-09-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday all! I hope you all have fun plans for this weekend. It's supposed to be really nice all weekend long and I plan on soaking it all up. Tonight, some friends and I are planning on baking some cakes and maybe going out dancing. Tomorrow I get to go to a housewarming party and then Sunday I'm hitting the Wine & Land event here in town. Even though I don't drink I know it will be fun. Plus, it's an excellent excuse to get dressed up! Can't wait!

After hurriedly showering the other day I needed a cute outfit to wear for the night. Who cares that I wasn't actually going to go anywhere or do anything but friends were coming over so I at least wanted to look good. I wanted to wear a skirt and saw this one in my closet that I haven't worn in a long time and pulled it down. Saw this shirt and thought ooh good match. I hadn't originally intended for my skirt to be up so high but I was having trouble with the zipper and had pulled the skirt up so I could see what was going on. When I finally got the zipper to do what I was telling it to I looked up and saw my reflection and was more then pleasantly surprised with what I saw. All I needed was a belt and I was good to go.

I freakin love this outfit! I can't wait to wear it again. Tee, Levi's viz Ross. Skirt, don't know the brand but I got it at Ross. Belt, thrifted from Goodwill for a mere $3. Ring from my mom (detail shot below) and no shoes because like I said...I wasn't going anywhere.

My mom wanted more chair pics...so these are for her. You're welcome.

You can see the pattern on the skirt, the shirt and the nice reflection in the belt haha. I don't even care that the buckle is so scratched. That means it's been well loved, and I plan on loving it more for a long time to come.

My mom got this ring for herself but it doesn't fit her. Lucky me! I was stoked when she gave it to me. In fact I wore it that whole day.

So there ya go. An outfit post. I've been kinda on my game lately. I hope I can keep this up!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

2009-09-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

I ordered my shoes for the month from ShoeDazzle last night. I had a really hard time choosing a pair this month. They sent me my selections for the month on the 1st as they always do because they're amazing. There was one pair in my choices that I liked more than the others but not enough to make me say wow. So I requested new choices. I asked them for statement shoes. Something that says wow. Boy, did they deliver!! My second set of choices came just 2 days ago and I have been trying to decide since. Last night I had K take a look to see if she could help narrow down the choices. She came up with the same answer I had. It's too hard to make a choice! Here are the choices I had(the second time around):

While they are bad ass (which is also something I requested) but I don't like when the toes of shoes come up like this and they are far too open toed for my liking. I'm not big on showing my feet (odd right?) so I like close toes or peep toe. This shows too much toe and I know I wouldn't wear it as often as I should. So I took these off the list of possibles. 1 down.

Ok, I have been drooling over many a cage heel for the last few months. This one is almost exactly what I want. Super high sexy heel, cage booty with a zipper back and a peep toe. Love.

At first, I didn't look twice at these. But the more I look at them the more I fall in love with them. They're fabric...almost felt looking. The super high heel with the super high platform. It's actually a pretty basic shoe but the straps and bright pink inside paired with the super height... I am really drawn to these.

Booty. Thick heel. Funky fun straps. According to the description those awesome straps are adjustable! It's different but not so wacky that I can't wear them to some places or events. I really love these too! Damn it.

LOVE the color. Love the strapyness. Not my favorite type or heel and no platform. Plus those strappy areas by the toes look a little iffy to me. Like they would cut into the top of my foot uncomfortably. Even though they are different and cute and interesting...I think I'll pass. Ok, another one off the list. So that's...2 down. Shoot. 3 pairs that I'm in love with?? What is a girl to do?

Any thoughts?

Introducing my new favorite shoe...

2009-09-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

Did I mention the awesome Chair my mom bought me? It's going to start making regular appearances in my outfit pics. You'll love it. But first....some outdoor shots because why not?

I love the colors that leaves turn this time of year. Even though it means summer is coming to an end, the colors are so beautiful and are a great place to find color combination for my outfits. Which is obviously not what I did here. I woke up late yesterday and had to get ready fast. No shower means yucky hair for me but thanks to my mom (wow she really contributes to my every day fashion more than I thought) I have awesome new hats I can wear to cover up my I-woke-up-late-and-didn't-shower hair! Hat, awesome hat store in Seaside. Shirt, Ross. Jeans, thrifted DKNY from Goodwill for $8! Shoes, Ross. Earrings, Torrid. I think...

Feeling a little more adventures with my pics as you can tell. This is in my back yard, along with the pretty tree. I like the little hearts cut into the gate. Of course, as I walked to my camera to check out how this pic turned out I caught my neighbor in his back yard staring at me as I was traipsing around taking pictures of myself in my back yard. So, I went inside because I don't like my neighbors :) (some pics removed because of issues)

Ta-da!!! Isn't my new shoe chair amazing?! Thank you so much mom! Everyone loves it. $20 off of craigslist. All we had to do was go pick it up. I am so in love with this chair. not only is it a heel, it's freakin leopard print! Super bonus, it's actually extremely comfortable. The arch of the shoe is perfect for leaning back. Man, I love this chair.

Another fun random pose with my favorite new accessory. I have got to figure out more ways to utilize this chair.

I felt great all day in my new hat. It made me feel good even though I knew that the hair under it was unsightly, no one else could tell! Worn with my fave jeans and a faux wrap black cotton tee, I was as comfy as can be. I probably would have done more accessories but I was super short on time that morning. So thats it. No detail shots because I had to take a shower and get ready for friends to come over because even though I felt cute all day...I didn't want my nasty hair while hanging out with people.

Madsen Cycles

2009-09-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

Madsen is giving away a bike every week. EVERY. WEEK! I'm so hoping I win one because this chick right here totally needs a bike. Check it out. I would say to enter yourself but I want a better shot at winning so.... :)

New shoes

2009-08-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

A while ago I told you about a weekend of oxford shoe bliss. Well I have finally took pictures of my amazing $10 find (from Buffalo Exchange) and I can't wait to share them. These shoes retailed for $140, were on sale for $40 but were marked down 75% (OMG!!!) and I took them home with me. They are so lovely....

Aren't they so pretty? The shape is so classic. I love the shiny patent leather...

A true wooden heel (and sole!) that shows the most beautiful natural colors

The Michael Kors "stamp" on the heel

Close up. No the best quality but I still like the pic.

I love these shoes so much. I can't wait to wear them out. So far I have only pranced around my house in them (as I do with most of my shoes...). I have big dreams for these puppies...

While taking these pictures I decided that I might take fun pictures like this of all my favorite pairs of shoes and have them framed (and by that, of course, I mean frame them myself) and then hang them in my boutique. Which will be the most amazing closet ever. Can't wait!

Thank you for your suggestions on my last post! I really appreciate it! You are all so kind.

Weekend Style

2009-08-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

I dress up more often on the weekends then I do on weekdays. I kind of go through phases of dressing up at work and dressing way down at work. What happens is I wear something fun and cute to the office, and then the dogs slime it with slobber and get it furry and when they jump sometimes they snag whatever I may be wearing. So rather then wear something nice that I like I just wear a plain tee and jeans. Good times.

For the weekend though I wear whatever I please! Like this awesome BCBG dress I got at Buffalo Exchange a few weeks ago (along with the skirt from my last post and couple of other awesome things). This dress is so comfy and the way it hangs is just perfect. It doesn't cling to the curves I don't like but shows off the ones I do like. Plus, you gotta love the big sleeves!

I played with a little color and put on this coral tank (Found at Winco. The local discount food store...not even kidding!) under the dress and the same shoes I wore in the last post since they are so comfortable.

Here I am thinking what fun poses I can do and what do I spy? My shoes!

Displaying my obsession. I really need to think of other things to do with my hair... I've been thinking about big bangs. Opinions?

The detail on the dress.

I found these awesome earrings at the last street fair I went to with my mom. The set of earrings plus a matching necklace for only $10. I also snagged a set that is gold with blue leaves for only $5. I've got to wear those soon...

Any ideas on how I can feel cute at the office while still wearing dog friendly clothing?

By the way, I wore this to go shopping with my mom. She bought me the best chair ever in the history of all that is amazing (pics soon!) and I scored at Goodwill too. Must wear new things....

New Skirt

2009-08-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

I found this great new skirt at Buffalo exchange a few weeks ago. I've already worn this exact outfit a couple times since I got the skirt. It's originally from Ann Taylor and still had its new tags on it! Score! I got a few more awesome things in the same trip, but you'll just have to wait to see them :)
I wore this Saturday after sleeping in. It's super comfy and the skirt is fun to wear. It makes me feel like dancing all day long.

I told you I was getting goofy with my pictures. Finally having fun with this whole blogging thing.

I got the top a long time ago from Target. It's definitely been worn ha ha.

You can really see the layers on the skirt here. I love it!

Close up of the pattern.

My friend KB gave me these shoes (for free!!!) a couple of years ago. She bought them from Nordstrom Rack and wore them once before deciding she couldn't walk in them. Being the awesome friend she is, she knew that the shoe obsessed friend with the same size feet would love to own them. I wore them for the first time this weekend. (yes the first time after a couple of years owning them.) I wasn't sure how I would like them because the color is so neutral but I'm in love with them! They are comfortable and easy to walk in. Because the platform is so high the rise is minimal and thus makes pain much less likely :)

Bracelets. No idea where I got the wooden ones (it's a set of 3). I got the red one at Goodwill a while back. I needed to spend one more dollar to get 15% off with my Goodwill card (yes, I shop there so much I have a card. They say they are discontinuing them though. Sad!) so I grabbed this bracelet willy-nilly from the jewelry display at the cash register. I got a bigger discount, and an awesome bracelet.

Crochet detail of the tank. The straps are adjustable which is awesome. I wore this top to the fair one year...out in the sun....for hours. Lets just say the tan lines from this top made for fun conversations! Hahaha!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. He we are back at Monday, waiting for the next weekend to come.

Shoe intervention time

2009-08-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

I have a couple of outfits to post but I just don't feel like uploading new pictures right now so instead I will show you a few of the more recent purchases from the last couple of months.

I love the zipper detail on these shoes from Charlotte Russe. 5 inches for only $20.

This is a close up that does absolutely no justice of the shoes I wore in this post.

These are also from Charlotte Russe but at a different time than the first pair. These were the last size of this pair. On the clearance rack. Yea baby! $10!

These are from Nordstrom Rack. A bit of a splurge but after the break up I didn't care so I bought them. The are so lovely. Nice to walk in, pretty on the inside, and I need to take a picture of the bottoms. There is a pretty little picture on the bottom of the sole!

There are of course more new shoes (and old ones) that you haven't seen, but you will. In time :)

Stay tuned for a new dress and a weekend outfit. I'm finally loosening up and taking some fun pictures. I like feeling good about the pics I plan on putting up here.

Hope you all have a fun filled weekend. Soak up the sun! We're complaining now but we'll want it back soon.

My own shoe heaven

2009-08-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

I had some free time last week so K and I decided we needed to take all my shoes out and line them up, just to see what I really have going on. I think I have a problem people. I'm not ready to change!

I know the picture is a little blurry but it shows most of the shoes. Yes, only most. There are a few pairs to the bottom right you can't see in this pic, but don't worry...I took more pictures! I can't even tell you how much fun it was going through all my shoes and just drooling over them for a little bit.

Here is the corner you can't see in the first picture.

The far corner. Such pretties...

The middle section. There are a few pairs that aren't pictured at all. 2 pairs were in the mail on the way from ShoeDazzle (yes, I got 2 pairs this month) and there are 2 pairs that I got from a very nice woman on craigslist that I totally forgot about that never made it out of their boxes and into the lineup.

All in all, we counted 100 pairs. There are a few of K's shoes in the line up too so they're not entirely mine but lucky for both of us, we wear the same size and share. Often. You may also notice the lack of sneakers... I didn't put my gym shoes out, or my hiking shoes or any casual sneakers. It's only a couple pairs all together but still, it's more shoes.

So, welcome to my shoe heaven. I have a couple pairs that I may part with but really they will just go to K which means I will still have access to them should I feel the urge. Think I need rehab? :)

Sneak Preview

2009-08-15T16:50:00.001-07:00

Incredible? Amazing? This is only the beginning. More pictures coming soon!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

2009-08-11T10:53:00.001-07:00

I had no idea I hadn't posted in so long! Sorry I've neglected my blogging. I've been very busy and haven't had time to think about anything.

Last Thursday after work K and I headed out for a slightly random adventure. Remember the Mt. St. Helen's hike I was semi-training for that I posted about so long ago? I was originally going to go with my boyfriend but after the break up I enlisted K. So Thursday night we headed to the camp site at the base of the mountain and set up camp with one of my co-workers, his wife and a couple of their friends. We slept in the tiniest tent I've ever seen, donated to me by my mom. We went to bed around 10 and got up at 2:30 am to start hiking. 2:30 am?! Yes.

We were poofy eyed and completely out of it but we were ready to get started. After trying to brew coffee for a while R finally gave up and we headed out. At first, it was all gummy drops and candy canes. Then my legs started to burn. That's fine, it's a hike after all I told myself. 45 minutes in and who knows how far up we had gone, I needed a break. I was panting, sweating, cursing, and dieing. R convinced me to try to just make it out of the forest (half the hike is forest and half is straight up the mountain). I agreed much to K's dismay. 20 minutes later we rounded a bend and in front of me stood a huge mountain or midget sized boulders that I was supposed to climb. Nope. No way. I sat down for a break and K sat with me cursing under her breath.

After my breathing returned to normal and K, R and I had talked for a bit we decided it was best for K and I to turn back. I wanted to badly to be able to say I made it to the top of the mountain but I was in pain and I know better than to push myself too far. I am planning on trying again in the future but I will train properly for it next time.

We packed up as soon as we got back and headed home just as it was starting to get light out. It was completely overcast and slightly misty so we wouldn't have been able to see the sunrise at the top of the mountain anyway (later confirmed by R) and we had a long drive ahead of us. We went to my house to catch up on sleep before making the 4 hour drive to K's aunts house in southern Oregon. ( we went lawn mower racing while we were there. Talk about fun!)

All in all, it was an awesome weekend even though I didn't make it to the top of the mountain.

I'll try to get some pics of my new shoes up soon. For now I'll just let you know that I got 2 pairs of shoes from ShoeDazzle this month and I can't wait for them to get here!

OMG Shoes!

2009-07-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a lil sneak peek at some of my new pairs of shoes.

Purple velvet peep toe oxford with satin bow. What's not to love?! They're amazing and they fit like a glove. They are so comfy.

Another pair of oxfords. I love these. They remind me of dress shoes that come with the nice uniforms in the military but these are better...because they have heels! (Sheesh...I need a tan!)

These are a t-strap wedge. So nice and comfy and I love the way my freshly pedicured feet look in them. For some reason when I look at my feet in these they make me think of a biker chick. Don't you love the pink nail polish with the yellow flower?! Thank you K for telling me to ask for a flower on my toes!

I'll take more detailed shots soon and some pics of another pair of shoes I bought over the last weekend. $140 shoes one super clearance for $10!!! Amazing.

I'm alive

2009-07-29T15:39:00.000-07:00

Just barely... We are having record breaking heat here (107 today!!) and it's just too hot to focus on anything but no dieing. I've somehow managed to keep dressing well but by the time I get home it's too hot for my brain to remember to take a picture of anything I'm wearing. And the house is too hot to be posing for pictures. I prefer to just sit in front of the fan and spritz myself with cold water. I had to take a cold shower in the middle of the night a couple of nights ago in order to actually cool off enough to sleep. I'll be back with pictures...and new amazing shoes (I hit the oxford jackpot last weekend!) to share as soon as my brain solidifies.

I hope everyone is staying cool!

Shoetastrophy

2009-07-24T14:36:00.000-07:00

No outfit post today...even though I look super cute in a green thrifted dress and fun silver thrifted tassel necklace. Maybe I'll take a picture later...after my pedicure! Getting a pedi is a big deal to me because a)I have super ticklish feet that I hate to let people touch and b) I hate my feet. I hate the way they look and I hate the thought of anyone looking at them. Which makes my shoe obsession so much more confusing. Although if you even looked at all of my shoes together you will notice none of them are very open in the toe area. They are either close toed or peep toe. I'm still trying to get over this weird hatred over my own feet but for now, I'm ok with it because there are so many cute shoes that it doesn't matter if I cut myself off from all open toed shoes, I still get to have amazing shoes!

Last weekend my friend C came into town from Washington so her, K, L and I all played with my shoes and my quiet little shoe corner quickly became the epicenter of a shoetastrophy! Take a look...

You can't even tell how many shoes are really there because the middle area has most of the unboxed shoes. I have boxes for less than half the amount of shoes I actually have. In the future I plan on placing all of my shoes on small shelves on the wall of a spare bedroom. When we were going through my shoes I actually found pairs I totally forgot even existed. I need to get them out where I can see them all! And I need to wear them all more often.

I hope everyone gets to enjoy at least a little sunshine this weekend. I've got another street fair with my mom and K this weekend, so I should have more fun pics and another long rambling post soon :)

Going out

2009-07-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

Just a quick outfit post. I tried this once and my computer froze. For the millionth time today.
So, I wore this out to dinner with some friends a couple of weeks ago. I felt great all night long.

I got the shirt at Ross (I stained it that night...I'm hoping it can still be salvaged. Hot wings were such a bad idea!) The skirt is from Torrid. The necklace is one I found at Goodwill. I swapped the weird purple rope it came on for this thinner black cord. I need a detail shot of this...It is so awesome. It has a giant gold fish on it. The shoes are new (note to self: need detail shots!) from Famous Footwear. They're Steve Madden. 6 1/4 inches! I love them.

Funny story. After dinner K and I decided to go buy a kiddie pool for the back yard because we've been having a killer heat wave here and we needed to cool off without spending a trillion bucks on a good air conditioner. The floors at the store must have been freshly waxed because this chick took a tumble in her new shoes. I need those grippy things for the bottom of my shoes apparently. Luckily I didn't hurt myself, or the shoes. I laughed a lot too. K caught me on my way down so I didn't fall flat on my face. Close call.

Sleepless at the beach

2009-07-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

WARNING: This is long post and slightly picture heavy

This is just a random post about my weekend which was totally awesome. I honestly don't remember Friday night or what I did but Saturday... What a day! My best friend stayed the night Friday night so we woke up and got ready for the long day together. It's nice to wake up not alone. We had fun (as we always do) choosing what to wear and what accessories to add. We headed to my moms to pick her up to go to a local street fair. I did not expect the fair to be as big as it was. There were a ton of people there and so many cool vendors to look at.

We saw a lot of crazy outfits and fun jewelry and then we came across the skirts that changed my life. Well ok, maybe they didn't change my life exactly, but I love them so much!! My mom was looking through the rack of clothes and I was practically fondling the mannequin in front of the booth wearing the cutest blue dress. My mom was pulling out a pretty skirt and the lady in charge of that booth came out to show us how to turn the skirt my mom was holding into the dress I was drooling over. It was AMAZING. I bought three of them. These skirts are so beautiful, soft, colorful...everything I want. I have been looking for some good summer dresses because I don't have many summer clothes and these came at the perfect time. I am however going to get some fashion tape to feel a little more secure wearing these out because there is a chance of a majorly embarrassing wardrobe malfunction and I don't feel like risking it. My mom bought on as well as a pair of pants. I only took pictures because you needed to see them so ignore the terrible hair and lack of shoes :)
They can be flipped too so the colors are reversed and because they are just wrap around skirts they will continue to fit me as I lose weight. I am so excited!

After the fair with mom we went to get some food in a place with air conditioning. I love the sun but being in it for too long just makes me irritable. We just went to a place close to my moms house. We go there so often the waitress knows what we drink and what we are most likely going to eat. Since we had some food at the fair I only got a basket of fries, and I couldn't even finish those. From there we decided (Ok, I decided and since I'm the driver we go where I want!) to hit up the Goodwill on that side of town. Good call me because I found so much good stuff! I found a great grey dress, a black and white dress, a necklace, a fun belt that can fit me as I lose weight, 2 great skirts for me, a great skirt for my bestie as well as an amazing pair of shoes for her. She is about half a size smaller than I am in shoes so she lucked out haha. We were walking down the shoe isle and I saw the shoes sitting there. They're suede and smell like real leather. Sounds disgusting, but I didn't smell them. The smell is just strong enough that I can smell it while just handling the shoes. The soles look untouched. I'm pretty sure they're never been worn. They're Vince V Camuto which from what I've found online is a good brand and although I can't find the same shoe we found, similar styles of the same brand are selling for about $120 new. What a score! We got them for $7!! They fit her perfectly. You're welcome buddy!

We went home and played with the skirt dresses for a bit before I had to change to see a movie with a friend in town from Tennessee. I wore the new grey dress and belt I got just a couple hours prior with a pair of heels I hadn't had a chance to wear yet and felt so good about myself. We saw My Sisters Keeper. I'm a wuss with normal non emotional movies so this was so hard for me to get through without weeping. My eyes were teary through the whole thing. It's a great movie. It was so good to see my friends but I didn't have a ton of time to catch up with them because me and the bestie had to meet up to change yet again to head to the BEACH!

We left around 1 in the morning (yes, we are crazy). I drove the 3 hour drive in record time thanks to there being no traffic in the middle of the night but we hit a crazy thunderstorm about half way there. Lightning struck but I didn't hear anything and there was no rain so all I saw was the whole sky light up like daylight. The first strike I though I was going insane from lack of sleep. The second strike I thought I was in the middle of a nuclear war zone. Thankfully shortly after that strike it started raining and the next bolt I could actually see so I finally knew what was going on and felt less crazy. We got the coast around 4 and picked up my younger cousin to hang out. We strolled along the water in the dark (which I have done a few times now and recommend to all) and as the sun started to rise we searched for shells and things. Strangely there didn't seem to be any. We did find a purple crab and some sea en enemies though. We left the first beach and drove to The Devil's punchbowl. It was there that my brain stopped working from not sleeping and I locked my keys in my car. At the beach. At 6 in the morning. I have a spare that I keep in my purse because this does unfortunately happen often enough for me to need that...but because we were at the beach we put our purses in the trunk so as not to get sand in them or lose them or get them wet or have to lug them around. I had my phone (because I almost never put it down) and called for help. Verizon roadside assistance took about 40 minutes to locate a locksmith/tow company in the area that was actually open that early on a Sunday. Thank God they finally found someone. I kept hoping the tow guy would at least be eye candy so it wouldn't be a total loss but the universe was against me on that point. Not only was he old and non-eye candy for my 23 year old eyes but he did not know what he was doing. He did finally get my car unlocked and the three of us sighed one big sigh of relief. We decided the whole thing was too much and headed to breakfast. We found a Pig 'n Pancake to stuff our faces in and get a little caffeine and headed out again. We tried to go to the outlet stores in town but it was too early so we decided to hit up the local Goodwill since I had such good luck the day before. Turns out it was too early for that too. Instead of trying to think of something else to do we sat in the car and waited the hour for the store to open. I think I got about 30 minutes of sleep in the Goodwill parking lot. When I finally opened my eyes the store was open. No luck this day. We didn't find anything. 3 of us and no one found anything. We went to the outlet mall after that and although I didn't buy anything...I found a lot of great stuff. I had the best time in Gap. Everything I tried on fit perfectly, looked great and felt great but after a day of amazing Goodwill finds I couldn't justify spending $50 per item. I have however been regretting not buying any of them since I left. The pants, the dresses and the cute belt. Damn my responsible spending habits! That's it, I'm packing up and going back to get those things now!

Just kidding. I wish. After a day of not buying anything I took my cousin home and we started back home. After the half way point we hit random traffic and the 3 hour drive, turned into a 6 hour drive! We left at noon and got back into town around 6. I was so frustrated. I hate traffic. I dropped the bestie at home and did some family stuff. Keep in mind, I haven't gone to sleep yet. I've been up for about 36 hours by the time I finally get home. Instead of crawling into bed for hibernation, I do laundry, I organized my jewelry station which I love. I stare at it sometimes before I fall asleep to sooth me. It would be more soothing if it were shoes....but I don't have space for that in my room. By the time I finally made it to sleep I had been awake for 42 hours with only a small 30 minute nap. I have never slept so well!

So that was my weekend. It was fun and eventful and I can't wait to do it over and over in many variations for the rest of my life! I just thought you would all like a glimpse into my life. I hope you all had a good weekend!

ShoeDazzle for July

2009-07-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

This month took a little work to get what I wanted from ShoeDazzle, but it has made me love them even more. They sent me my selections on the first and they were ok but nothing really screamed for me to own them. So I used the "Send me more options" button! If you don't like the choices they send you, you get to select this option, take a quick survey to let the stylists know what type of shoe you're looking for and within 5 (or less) business days you get new choices. All of this for no extra cost. The only downside is waiting for the new choices. The wait proved to be very worth the while. I received my new choices a few days ago and had so much trouble choosing because I loved almost every choice.

This is the pair I ended up choosing:

Kandace by Michael Antonio. They are the same brand I got last month, so I know that they will fit and likely be comfortable. I have been on the hunt for a pair of blue pumps for a long time now so these were exactly the right choice for me. I love the mini double platform and the little cut outs on the sides of the shoe (much like the last pair I received...) and of course the bright blue color. I can't wait to get them and prance around in my living room with them on.

I have a ton of new shoes I need to show off here. I just haven't had the time to properly document my new lovelies with my camera. They are all gorgeous. If I could just start wearing my heels...At least then I would feel good about spending so much money on them!

In other news, things with the Man are still so wonky. He still lives in the house even though we're not together. He rarely stays at the house with me. He tries to be there when I'm not so that I don't have to see him. The few times I do get to see him just kill me. I have no understanding of why a man would throw away the woman he says is perfect for him when he has her right in front of him. I was doing really well with the whole break up for a while and I think part of it may have had to do with the fact that my friend K was going through a terrible break up/not break up at the same time as me and I felt the need to be strong for her, to show her that we were going to be alright. Now she is feeling better (sometimes) and I guess the last month and a half of non-grieving have caught up with me. I have had more down moments in the last week then I even care to think about. I know that things will be alright, and I'm keeping my positive outlook on life. I know that I have to live in the moment and be happy with the things I have right now and not pine for things I have no control over or regret the things that have happened in the past. Learning from the past, and proactively working towards a better future is the way to go but I have to make sure not to lose myself and make sure that I have fun while I'm here, because life is much too short to not have fun while we are here on this earth.

Anyway, I will try to get pics of my new amazing awesome new shoes up as soon as I can and maybe even start posting on a regular basis again :)

I hope that everyone out there is having a good life, and continues to have lots of good and love in their lives. Everyone deserves happiness.

Summer in Portland means rain

2009-06-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

Another outfit. I don't remember what I did in this...Shopping for groceries I think.

Jeans: Levi's from Ross. Shoes: my brown Tommy wedges. Grey tank: Don't remember. Green patterned tank: Goodwill. White jacket: Ross. Necklace: Premier Designs.

Ring from Premier. I love this ring. Love it.

In other news, I've lost about 13 pounds in the last month(ish) and I just started a fruit detox diet. All fruit and 100% fruit juice all day, every day for 5 days, then I can add a chicken salad for dinner on the 6th day. I'm on day 1 (I started yesterday but failed by dinner time because my friend and I drove out to Multnomah falls and needed food on the way back. I could have stopped myself, but chose not to haha) and I already can't wait for that chicken. As we speak (or as I type actually) I am eating an apple. It's only 5 days...I'll make it!

I still need to post pictures of the new shoes I have. I bought a few new pairs and they're so amazing. I can not wait to share!

Last week

2009-06-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

I don't even remember what day I wore this. Life has been crazy busy, but I finally have a couple outfit posts. Woohoo!

Black pencil skirt from....I'm pretty sure it was Ross. I didn't think to take a picture of the detail on the waistband, but since it wasn't showing when I wore it, I think I'm safe. White tee from Old Navy. Black cami under the tee from Old Navy too. Shoes from ShoeDazzle!! They were super comfy all day long and I am so in love with them. I can't wait to pick another pair next month!

An assortment of necklaces. One from Premier, one from Torrid, and one from Goodwill.

My awesome giant ring. I've been wearing the hell out of this thing. I got it from Torrid. For those of you that don't know, Torrid is a great plus size store. They're clothes can be a little more gothic feeling than I generally go for but they have a lot of cute things, and everything either fits or is too big. The bangles actually fit my wrists and the rings fit my fingers...and not just my pinkie! Thanks to this awesome store, I now have a bunch of big statement rings to wear and some fun bracelets too.

So there, finally another outfit. I'll have another one for tomorrow. I also have a ton of new shoes to share (I've been going a lil crazy buying new shoes. It's a bad habit I have when going through a break up) and they are amazing!