Things I have done in the past 72 hours…

I work in public education, so I still get a summer break. Lucky me! We’ve been pretty busy visiting family and friends, but for the past few days, we’ve stayed home, and I’ve kept pretty busy. No, not with housework. Don’t be silly. (Well, maybe just a little housework.) Mostly, though, I’ve done things that are way more fun:

• I sewed a new dress and finished some other sewing UFOs.
• I colored my hair. Don’t worry, I’m not going back on what I said about my hair a few posts ago. I’m still trying to embrace my natural color, and I needed to just slightly darken and even out my color.
• I CUT MY OWN HAIR. Oh yes I did. Not just my bangs, either. I was in desperate need of a trim, and after watching a few YouTube tutorials, I decided I was ready. I really just shaped up the cut I have. I think I did a fine job. It feels about a million times better than it did.
• I gave myself a pinup girl makeover while trying out this hair tutorial which I first saw here. I think it looks pretty cute while you’re waiting for your curls to set! Here’s a look at how it turned out this morning, when I took it down:Pretty!
• I applied mehndi. I’ve had this kit for almost a year, waiting for a good time to try it. Once I started, I kind of got carried away and just kept doodling on my arm. I really love how it turned out, actually!
• I worked out pretty hard yesterday. My arms and legs are sore and noodly today.  Woo!

It’s been an experimental few days. I’m blessed to have the time to goof around like this. It’s time to get serious now, though. I’m off to do laundry and pack for our anniversary weekend trip to Cleveland!

God has blessed me with time to relax.

#21

This outfit never actually happened.  Well, it did, but it didn’t see the world beyond my backyard.

We’re planning on staying in this evening, but I wanted to put together an outfit nonetheless.  This one’s a bit experimental.  I tried to do something cool by cuffing my jeans a bit, but I’m not sure I love the results.

I do love all of the fun details of this outfit, though.

 

Bonus shot of me looking mischievous, mainly because I want to show off my new lipstick!  I purchased it in Flame.  Fun for spring!

• Top, Kohl’s
• Cardigan, New York & Company via Gabriel Brothers
• Jeans, Old Navy (overdyed by me)
• Tights, New York & Company
• Shoes, Alfani
• Initial necklace, Macy’s
• Beaded necklace, Forever XXI
• Belt, American Eagle

Just peachy

There’s an antique store right across the street from my house, and my plans for the day included going there to possibly score some vintage fabric.  Since my plans also included an outfit post, I actually took the time to get ready instead of running over in a pair of shorts and a tank.  As I walked across the street at approximately 1:45, I saw that the sign read “Open 10-5 weekdays, Wednesdays 10-1.”  Well, fudge.  Maybe tomorrow.

This dress is from eBay, circa 2006, and today is the first time I’ve worn it outside the house (but sadly, only for a few moments).  When I first discovered eBay, I got a little addicted, and this is one item from a rash of purchases that winter.  It’s vintage, from sometime in the 80’s, but the tag only tells me care instructions and the size, and I have no idea about the brand.  When it arrived, I was a bit disappointed by the sleeves, and I had plans to alter it, but I just never did.  This morning, it called to me, and when I put my big ol’ belt on with it, I thought it looked perfect.

I kept my makeup and hair extremely simple today.  It’s just too hot to bother with tons of products, and I like to keep it low-key in the summer (well, most of the time).  I combed my hair and let it air-dry, then clipped my back my bangs.  I dusted on some bronzer and blush, defined my brows and lashes, slicked on some gloss, and that was it.  I love the peachy glow I ended up with.

Also, let me introduce you to my new loves:

I got these Colin Stuart shoes on clearance for $7.00!  I’ve been looking for shoes like these for months now, and the other day, when I wasn’t on the hunt for them, these jumped out at me.  They’re so perfect.  I’ve been wearing them to add some edge to my feminine dresses.

I ordered this love knot ring from Premier Designs at a jewelry party, and I love it.  The necklace came from Macy’s, and was marked down from $100 to $9.99.  I’m a sucker for anything monogrammed or personalized.  I’ve been wearing these two pieces nearly constantly.  They’re just so simple and pretty.

(A side note –  you might notice that you never see me wear an engagement ring.  The truth is that I have one, and it’s quite beautiful, but a prong came loose and it’s needing to be repaired.  I definitely don’t want to wear it and risk losing the stone!  I just haven’t made it to the jeweler yet, and so I’ve been pairing other rings, most usually a pearl one that Daniel gave me, with my wedding band.)

A Waist is a Terrible Thing to Waste

So this is my second post for Dress Your Best Week, and I’m pretty excited.  I feel like I did a good job of accentuating my body-part-of-the-day, my waist!  This is a sequel to yesterday’s post, because my waist and hips are kind of like a team.  They help one another be the best they can be.  I love my hips partly because they contrast so nicely with my waist, and vice versa. I feel like when one looks good, the other automatically looks good.

If you’ve read very much of this blog, you’ll know that I’m working on losing weight.  I’ve lost over 30 pounds in the last several months, and I still have a good bit to go.  However, I’m finally feeling comfortable in my own skin again, and I’m feeling pretty confident overall.  I did wear this jacket most of the day, however, because I thought this outfit might be just a little too accentuating for work.  Here it is without the jacket:

I’m finally wearing the Breton top I bought on Tuesday!  I love it so much and can already tell it’ll see a lot of use.  I also just went for it with the red lipstick today, and I really like how it looks!

Anyway, back to my waist.  As I’ve been working on getting fit, I’ve been taking my measurements every whipstitch.  I was extremely disappointed in the last waist measurement I took, because it hadn’t changed from before.  I’ve been discouraged about the fact that I haven’t lost inches very quickly.  So it was really good for me today to just decide that I was going to feel good about my waist, pick out an outfit that makes it look its best, and head out the door with a smile on my face.  And now that I see my pictures, I’m very pleased with the way the look came together, and with the definition of my waist.

Stay tuned!  I’ll be finding another body part to love for tomorrow.

Making a list, checking it twice…

I had the day off yesterday, and my lovely little sister asked me to go shopping with her.  We had a fabulous time, and I found some good deals on pieces I’d been wanting.  Since I’ve started reading fashion blogs, I’ve found that I don’t just go shopping aimlessly anymore; I normally have very specific things I’m looking for.  Yesterday morning I made a list of the things I wanted to come home with.  Sure I still pick up random things, especially if I find a good sale, but I’m beginning to think of my wardrobe less as a collection of specific outfits, and more as a collection of pieces that are versatile and endlessly combinable.  If you’re curious, here’s my list from yesterday:

• Breton top (found and purchased!)
• Anchor accessories (found, but not purchased)
• Galoshes (found, but not purchased…decided I didn’t really want to pay $25-$30 for them)
• Metallic strappy wedges (not found)
• Slightly oversized blazer (not found)
• Basic white button-down (not found)
• Skinny black pants (sort-of found and purchased; I got a pair of capris, but I’m still on the lookout for longer ones)
• Scarves (found lots, but not what I wanted)
• Plain tanks (found lots, purchased one)

I also ended up buying some dresses, because I am a sucker for cute, feminine, cheap dresses.  I can’t help it.  Even though I bought a lot of stuff that was not on the list, and passed by a lot of the stuff that was, I think having some goals really helped me.  One of the things I bought yesterday that wasn’t on the list is the dress I wore today.

I found it at Target on clearance.  I love wrap dresses, and I’d been wanting one for a long time, so even though it wasn’t on my list, I felt justified buying it because I think I can wear it so many different ways.  Today I kept it really simple, because I was in a hurry to get out the door this morning: just a black sweater and black sandals, and jewelry that matched the dress, instead of popping against it.

I regret to inform you that I didn’t wear this fun red lip with the dress all day.  It only happened when I got home, wanted to take pictures, and realized that I looked washed out and tired.  It’s too bad, because I like the red with the color of the dress.  I need to do bold lips more often.

So do you shop from a list, or do you buy whatever strikes your fancy in the store?

Fashion Crime

I know that horizontal stripes are a no-no.  We’ve all heard that, right?  For all of our lives?  Well, I’m committing a fashion crime today.  I’m wearing horizontal stripes, and I’m not even breaking them up with vertical lines.

(It’s warm enough for outside pictures – yay!  But this is blurry for some reason – boo.)  I could have added another layer to this to offset the stripes a bit, but I like the sleeves on this little cardigan, and I just wanted to wear it by itself.  I love layers, but today was so sunny and pretty, and I wanted to dress more for spring than for winter.  The cardigan has a bit of a nautical feel, so I paired it with navy trousers, and I belted it to add visual interest.  I’m excited to try different ways of styling this piece.  I think it has lots of potential!

I’m trying to wear bright lipcolor more often, andI always love the look of pale eyeshadow, winged eyeliner, and bold lips.  It feels so pinup to me.  (Daniel is only cropped out of this picture because we took it of ourselves (obviously) and only got part of his face, anyway.)

Happy happy Friday!

Spicy Brown Mustard

These tights are so odd, but I love them, and I feel strangely confident in them.

Here’s yet another skirt that I think might be better a bit shorter.  I don’t want to look like a tart, I just want to make sure my legs look nice!  I also think this blazer might be on its way out.  It doesn’t have as much structure as it once did.  I’d like to refashion it somehow, but I’m not sure yet what I’ll do. 

Daniel snapped this while I was adjusting the scarf, and I kind of like it!  Oh, and that’s the Eiffel Tower around my neck.  The scarf has all these Parisian landmarks on it – it’s quirky and colorful and I love it.

My hair is growing on me.  My curls and waves are more defined with this cut.  I’m loving this lipstick, as well – nice, springy pink!

All Gussied Up with No Place to Go…

Hello!  Is it snowing where you are?  We’ve been getting tons of it since late last week.  In fact, Daniel and I were getting ready to go see a friend on Friday when we looked outside and thought better of it.  I’d already done my makeup, and because I liked it, and because no one but Daniel and the kitties got to see it, here it is:

Wet hair!

Dry hair.

No outfit, though.  We decided to stay in before I got dressed.  In fact, my outfits during these snowed-in days have consisted mainly of long underwear, sweats, and warm socks.  Fabulous!

Happy New Year!

Well, it has been a little while.  With the hustle and bustle of Christmas, the blog got lost in the shuffle.  But I’m here!  And I’m all about updating.

I went to New York on December 12th, and it was AMAZING. I’m in love.  I actually didn’t want to blog about it immediately because I didn’t want the magic to wear off.  New York City is incredible, and I want to go back very soon. 🙂  I didn’t get great pictures, but here’s a fun one of me and my sister in Times Square at the end of the day:

Times Square!

Christmas was also wonderful.  I got to spend it with my lovely family, and I finally got a new camera.  I’m so excited!  I hope to post more and better pictures here. Here’s one of the first pictures I took with my camera on Christmas morning:

Merry Christmas!

My weight-loss has halted, and in fact, some gain has happened.  But!  I am moving on.  The holidays are over, so no more excuses, and I can pick up where I left off.  No big deal, and no sense beating myself up over it.

In other news, I’ve found some beauty inspiration in the form of Rachel McAdams in Sherlock Holmes.  Rachel is always an inspiration to me, and I loved her makeup in this movie (though my cousin said he thought she looked deathly pale). Observe:

Lovely!

In some scenes, her makeup is more dramatic, which I also loved.  (Go see this movie, if you haven’t!  It’s awesome!)

Lately, my own makeup has been pretty heavy on the eyeshadow, and I’ve been creating smoky eyes with a variety of colors (mostly brown).  My method has been to pile on the eyeshadow until it looks like too much, and then, pile on some more.  I find that I normally stop myself short of doing anything that really stands out with my eyes unless I consciously put more on than I normally would. Here’s a shot of me on New Year’s Eve wearing lots of makeup, bling, and bright colors.  I didn’t go anywhere other than my parents’ house, but I just felt like getting all sparkled up:

When else can you wear glitter mascara, crazy feather earrings, and tons of sequins? That's possibly the best part of New Year's Eve.

So anyway, that’s about all I have for you tonight.  I have been crafting again, so I’ll have to share some new creations with you soon.