Thursday, February 28, 2013

Jeans free day 2 - leggings and a dress
This dress really needs leggings to make it work.  When I first brought it home from abroad, it was during the dog days of Summer and I was wearing it on it's own.  As you can see in this old post, it is clearly the wrong way to go with this dress.  These black leggings are quite an improvement don't you agree?
This is me lazing around the house before work.  I later added a yellow sweater and some ankle boots to take this outfit into public.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Day 1 of the my jeans-free experiment and I've chosen to go with some old army cargo-ish pants that I found at the Salvation Army back in high school.  These things are huge on me for, I think, two reasons: a) I probably weighed a bit more in high school and b) at that point in time the concept of how clothing was supposed to fit was lost on me.  Anyway, the baggy, menswear look has been on my mind of late, so I'm just going to embrace it.  I've added to bow-tie belt to girly it up a bit.
I'm one of those people who is constantly making notes on small scraps of paper.  I have tons of them floating around my house, my purse, my car, etc.  There are grocery lists, thesis ideas, books I want to read, quotes, all sorts of random things.  Anyway, I've been trying to rein in these little beasts and whilst organizing this week, I came across this:

["I dare you to go a week w/o jeans" in case you can't read my chicken scratch]

"Okay" I thought "You're on!" and so we begin a jeans free week today.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

So today was one of those mornings where my alarm didn't go off and I barely made it to work on time (actually I didn't make it to work on time).  I grabbed the first things I could lay my hands on and this is what I ended up in.  Actually I don't think I've let myself down too much here.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

I wore this top earlier this year and had not much to say about it, so I guess this time I should make a bit more of an effort.  Okay, so this is a typical work look for me when I can't be bothered.  As I have said, I've amassed quite a few statement necklaces since starting my current job at a certain store.  The striped top is also from work.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

This look is a bit of an experiment.  Yesterday I was inventorying some of my wardrobe and came across these two tops - the maroon ballet top (a holdover from high school I believe), and the blue and black striped polo top.  I decided I would give them an opportunity to try and work together for the greater good.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Not much to say about this getup, although I am particularly liking the colour pallet.  

Friday, February 15, 2013

Hat, houndstooth coat and new shoes.  Just got them that afternoon and they were so comfortable that I decided to chance it and wear them to my closing shift.  Since I had two shifts today (the first one starting at 6am and the second one ending at 10:30pm), the hat was employed to cover the bags under my eyes.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Heavy duty crafting at work today, involving lots spray mount, paint etc.  These are my work duds - a cut up sweat shirt and stripy T.  The sweatshirt is something my old roommate L. left behind when she moved out and after wearing it for awhile in it's intended incarnation, I decided to cut the sleeves off.  This is probably the simplest clothing transformation I've ever done and yet for some reason people I meet think I'm some sort of fashion genius for this move.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

London school of sorcery top again and some VERY treacherous FP wedges.  Even standing still as I am here, you can see by my stance that these puppies are not comfortable.  Nevertheless, I managed to drive myself over to the Brand Americana and walk up and down two flights of stairs before calling it quits.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The decision to post this picture has given me some serious pause.  This is the best of a series of terrible pictures.  So why post at all?  It's my blog after all and I control the content, surely I am under no obligation to share anything I don't want to right?

Well . . . sort of . . .

Anyone who's seen my house knows I have a terrible time throwing things away (we're talking useful things here people, there is no rotting food or mummified cats lurking in my cupboards) and this extends to intangibles like ideas.  So the fact that I took this picture with the intent to post kept nagging me and holding up the posting of subsequent entries.  In the end I have decided to just publish and be damned.

So, shall we talk about the picture in question?  Several months ago I bought a series of treatments at a local spa.  Most of them have been of the sauna and massage variety, but today's bill of fare was an eyebrow sugaring and mineral makeup application.  I told the makeup artist to go wild and here are the results - what I refer to as "drag queen makeup".  Of course it is far from that, but as someone who never wears more than some lipstick and possibly a bit of eyeliner, having a full face of powder, blush and what have you is a bit much.  She also did a bit of a smoky eye thing on me, a trick I have never mastered and don't really think suites me all that well (I'm much more of a flicked liquid eyeliner sort of gal).  Anyway, here I am moments after undergoing the brush.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

I took this picture right after slinking into my parent's house well after my bedtime (not that my parents care about such things mind you - I am a grown woman after all, but I wasn't too keen on alerting their guard dachshund to my arrival and waking the household).  I must admit to indulging a bit with a few friends prior to the taking of this shot, and my head felt about as fuzzy as it looks here.  Nevertheless, I wanted to document my ensemble as I particularly like the yellow sweater with blue shirt combo (the Built by Wendy overcoat also works quite well here too wouldn't you say).

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Denim on denim

Ah, denim on denim.  Such a tricky thing to pull off.  I think the first time I saw it done really well was in Glasgow.  This woman was wearing skinny jeans and tight denim jacket both the colour of my top here, amazing heels and a fox around her neck, heads and all.  It looked amazing!  On the other end of the spectrum there is a couple that come into the record store every week who rock the denim on denim thing every time I see them (though I'm not sure "rock" is the appropriate word here).  Ill fitting pants and oversized jackets, they amaze me in a totally different way and I can't help wondering if they choose these outfits with care and wear them with pride or if they just can't be bothered.  Anyway, I'm hoping my look has a bit more in common with the former rather than the later.  I'm relatively new to this whole denim mixing thing, and I can't quite bring myself to go for a monochrome look just yet, but I supposed one must learn to crawl before one can run.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

All dressed up for the big event at work here.  I had planned a rather different outfit for the day - a long romper that resembles 30's beach pajamas, but as so often happens, I didn't bother to take my outfit for a test drive beforehand and thus didn't find out until half an hour before I was due to start my shift that (unless I wanted to walk around on tip toes all day) the damned thing needed to be hemmed a smidge.  Ah well, these things do happen and being both adaptable and the owner of a rather large wardrobe, I quickly threw together this ensemble.  I think the takeaway lesson for today is that one should spend more time dressing up and wearing all the fabulous things you save for special occasions, that way when the specials occasions do arise, you'll be prepared.  It remains to be seen whether I will take my own good advice.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

a garment thread photoshoot

 "Not bad, but a little bleached out - I can do better"

 "Much better, but I've cut off my fancy pink shoes.  Maybe a different angle"

 "Yikes!"

 "I'll just take a picture of the shoes in case I can't crack this thing"

 "Ugh, just as bad as the last one"

 "Better lighting, but rubbish composition.  Once more."

"F*** it! I give up!"

Saturday, February 2, 2013

My new Orphans Arms shirt.  I love this company and would happily accept any of their garments as gifts (hint hint).  True, their "Queen of London Whoredom" shirt might be a little difficult to wear in mixed company, but I'm sure I could think of something.
Obviously when one thinks of England and magic, one thinks of Harry Potter, so I amused myself today by telling people a fanciful backstory about the London School of Sorcery - sort of a vocational college for the working class wizard (in other words too cheap to go to Hogwarts).

Friday, February 1, 2013

Well, as always happens on a Friday night, I stayed at my parent's house in order to be closer to my record store job and as always happens, if I have 5 items to bring with me I can only ever seem to remember 4 of them.  Tonight unfortunately it was my camera that got left behind so I am making due with Photobooth.  I actually love Photobooth and would probably use it to take all my photos only it does make it a little harder to get the top to toe shots that are so important to the recording of one's outfit (I have enough trouble not cutting off my feet with a regular camera).
I call this my "hedgehog love" sweater.  I love hedgehogs, most people love this sweater (one coworker said "If I owned that sweater, I'd wear the s*** out of it") and these hedgehogs seem to be feeling the love as well.  Therefore a perfect top for the Valentine's season.