New stuff: rock and roll addition....sort of!

I've been really enjoying posting about new purchases because I've started imagining what I might wear with each piece, whether it's things I already own or not. Usually not. It's helping expand my comfort zone with clothing and helping me to experiment more instead of wearing a basic uniform of the same thing every day.

I'm having fun with more rock and roll looks which I feel really aren't me. I don't have a bold personality and I really like to avoid black--something I associate with rock and roll dress. But luckily I have some other looks too for when I feel to meek to be a rock star.


What it is: Black ankle-zip leggings.

What I wear it with: I never thought I'd buy leggings. I'm really not a fan of this trend. I initially bought these to wear under pant for an extra invisible layer of warmth. But then I started playing with the rock star aspect of these in real life. But my fantasy outfit would be to pair these with a emblem schoolboy blazer and black flats with the studs across the top.



What it is: a pink bow belt.

What I'd wear it with: Despite being pink and girly, I think this has great rock and roll potential. I'm always drawn to girly things so I'd like to tough this up a bit. That being said, I still prefer dresses. For this I'm thinking a silver diaphanous short sexy dress and studded black ankle booties. I think I'm ready to start my band ;)


What it is: a vintage white sweater with orange trim.

What I'd wear it with: This is fitted so it immediately calls Marilyn Monroe to my mind. I'd wear it in her casual style with denim capris. But with silk and lace lingerie underneath!



What it is: black and orange cross hatch dress.

What I'd wear it with: I know, I know. I can't stop buying these summer dress in winter. I'd like to get a white leather clutch and black suede ankle boots. This would be perfect for a picnic. I can't wait for the weather!

Of course I had to end with something lady like and not rock and roll in the slightest but I'm trying to toughen it up a bit. Maybe just for going out?

What have you bought lately? Any good post X-mas sales?

'09 Year in Review Part 2

In my last post, I listed my top ten favorite outfits from the last year (or rather, the part of the year I had a blog, I'm still new!) In order to be fair and nor portray myself at some kind of high fashion vintage princess (haha) I thought I'd post some of my gaffs as well. But I'm only picking the worst five because my blog is young so I don't have many photos and I really do like most of my outfits from summer.

1) Attempting to mix black and brown.


This is still not a color combination I'm comfortable with though I've seen others do it quite well. This failed because it's too much with the layering and the lace texture and the plaid pants. And I think I used too many shades of black, cream, tan, and brown. Must learn simplicity.

2) The bland corporate look I need for my day job.


In fact, I'm wearing the jacket right now. I could get away with jazzing it up a bit and I do at times but I think I'm mostly depressed about the whole situation. And I look miserable here. I think I might feel better if I started wearing more fun jewelry. I never wear jewelry in general, except the wedding band.

3) Attempting to wear warm weather clothing in cold weather


This failed because of the jacket I think. Still too summery. I don't think it was that cold yet but I think even a light weight scarf and a more serious jacket in a tweed or something would have made that top more appropriate.

4) Lady in White.



This just isn't me. I like bright colors and patterns and this just feels wrong. I think it's a cute eyelet dress and I like the tiny white dots on the navy shoes but this outfit really lacks something that couldn't be helped by the little pins on my right breast. Just blah.

5) Winter layering

I'm not sure why I didn't like this. I guess I think it looks thrown together because it very much was. My husband called on his way home and said I had ten minutes to get ready so we could get dinner/drinks. These things were just close by. He liked it though.


So what sartorial mistakes have you made this year? And what have you learned?

'09 Year in Review

I'm sure everybody is going to be doing some version of these so I'm making my quick and visual. That way you can just scroll down and then be on your way.

In no particular order, my top ten favorite outfits posted on this blog.


1) My orange floral dress.


2) My green dress with white polka dots.


3) My tan jumper dress.



4)My pink sundress with the large floral print.


5) My red white and blue plaid dress



6) My cobalt and orange outfit.


7) My brown and aqua mixed prints outfit.


8) My grungy sweater dress outfit.


9) My orange and blue outfit


10) My pop floral look.



Well, it seems I have a taste for bright colors and patterns. No surprises there.

Daily Wear: Aqua and brown

Aqua and brown is such a comforting Martha Stewart color combination. I think I used lots of this at my wedding for some reason. I think it started when I wanted blue pop flowers on the invitations. I posted about this skirt before when I showed it mixed with a polka dotted blouse. In that post I highlighted the brown aspects of the skirt but here I focus on the Aqua tones.

I wore this Christmas day, all dressed up even though I never left my house. I think my husband stayed in his p.j.s all day. I'm not sure how I feel about these aqua pantyhose, yes not tights. They are so sheer and I don't think it's a good look for the leg, kinda ashen and dead. You can see my bruises through them.


A fellow blogger, you might know her, is running a contest where you can win a really pretty bow headband that she made. Go here and be her friend and I hope you win!

I'm actually going to be doing a post where I take inspiration from a fellow blogger instead of a typical fashion icon. I can't say who because she reads this from time to time and I hope she'll be flattered and not annoyed or weirded out.


Outfit details: Aqua/brown floral skirt (thrifted); aqua blouse (H&M); aqua tights (hue); tall brown boots (oh, I forget, but I wore them on this thing before. too lazy to go look for them but they are one of the rare pairs not from payless!)

Daily Wear: Amish Hipster

Hope Everyone is having a Merry Christmas, or a nice day off for those who don't celebrate! I just didn't want to fall too far behind in my blogging so I thought I's post some outfit pics from last weekend.



This is what my husband calls my Amish Hipster look. I guess because of the floral print and the layering? I thought I looked more like Holly Hobby or a perhaps a Swede? Really I just bought the dress on clearance and didn't want to have to wait until to Spring to wear it.




So I treated it like a jumper and wore a navy ruffle blouse under it and my typical thick thigh highs over tights combo. I brought out my silver ruffle heels I haven't worn since summer.


Outfit details: burgundy/blue floral sundress (Kensie); Blue ruffle blouse (forever 21); cobalt tights (hue); thick grey thigh highs (forever 21); and silver ruffle heels (payless, of course)


So to what lengths have you gone to in order to wear out of season clothing? I think I may be a bit strange for layering on stockings so I can wear dresses in winter and then in the summer I bring out all my fall colors and thick plaid everythings!

What I'd wear but I probably wouldn't

What is it: A navy blue cap sleeve sweater dress with cute little pockets! (The second thing I managed to score off my winter wishlist. I hope I can get at least five of ten before it's time for the spring wishlist)

What I'd wear with it: a thin three quarter sleeve turtleneck in white and a pair of red stack heeled loafers for an all-American mod look.



What it is: a pale yellow (like the inside of a banana almost) cashmere v-neck sweater.

What I'd wear it with: Tan pants with a leather cording around the pockets and a brown leather messenger bag for a cute collegiate/ teaching assistant look.



What it is: a navy and burgundy floral print sundress with back bow detail (picture is a backview but the bow does not present itself well on film--blame the print)

What I'd wear it with: A Khaki trench coat and a pair of navy espadrilles for my version of Parisian casual.



What it is: a vintage spring/mint green shell top.

What I'd wear with it: a tweed pencil skirt and a slouchy oversize black cardigan for trips to the library.





What it is: a bright red party dress

What I'd wear with it: a short black peacoat and a black and white checked thin knit scarf for my version of Parisian dress-up.


I'd actually like to see other people's fantasies of French chic. Casual or dress-up. I'm homesick for my vacation.

Daily Wear: I Clean Up Nice

Last night I went to my friend's semi annual Hanukkah Party with a group of friends including my husband and my BFF. And I think, somehow the funnest part was getting there. There's something about a car full of people that makes me feel 16 again, all stuffed in like sardines trading one liners. We had to stop so my hubby could grab a six pack and we waited in a car goofily making fun of people on the street and got very animated and disgusted by the sight of a man peeing against the wall of a convenience store. This is my before, at home in my holiday pajamas.

I love how shapeless and comfortable people look in winter pajamas.

On the drive to our friends, which really wasn't far, we played another friends gift single CD on a loop. Actually two friends of ours wrote and recorded a two track single of holiday music. It was very retro indie pop. Pure sad blissness.


We had another mini adventure trying to find a place to park in a densely populated area with much nightlife and other searching party goers and I was struck with the paranoia that we might be showing up on the wrong day. Because I find something to be anxious about in anything. Like it even mattered. Like we wouldn't just go back to my house or stop at a bar to celebrate a holiday that wasn't even ours.



This is the front and back views of the dress I wore. I was completely overdressed by the way and the only one their dressed for cocktails with Andy Warhol. But as they say, everyday is Halloween.


Outfit details: Black lace shift dress(thrifted and a bit snug in the armpits, I need to get rid of this one); wine colored tights (Hue); black maryjanes with ivory piping (payless of course).

Do you tend to overdress for casual parties and other situations? If so, does it make you uncomfortable?

Daily Wear: Keeping up Appearances

So as I've mentioned before I don't really celebrate Christmas or really any other holiday and I don't need to keep mentioning or hinting at why. The thing is, I can't say outright that I don't celebrate at all, I can only say I don't "really" celebrate. Because when something is as big as Christmas and you have friends and family, even just a few, who do find it important to celebrate, you end up swept up into the festivities. Sort of.

In my last post I talked about my best friend coming over and how much fun it was, and that was our Christmas. Her husband came too but left a bit after dinner to visit some friends nearby and also because no one really likes to be around us when we are together. No one seems to get us.



So we drank crappy box wine and laughed hysterically at this 1947 book I have on how to be glamorous. It contains crazy outdated information on skincare (I have my doubts that wrinkles are caused by constipation),and some advice that hasn't changed at all and is still in beauty magazines (Wash your face! Wear makeup!). But I think our favorite part was how your personality affects your ability to be glamorous. There was a little info on posture but mainly it was a brief section on the importance of liking everybody, not crossing your legs, and "cultivating the reading habit" so you don't appear stupid. I highly recommend it.



Then the next day, I had to entertain my mother and that was out Christmas. Yeah I know, early. We have crazy work schedules and other obligations and so it was this or waiting til January. We went to brunch at our favorite place (OMG raspberry jam and marcepone stuffed french toast) and exchanged gifts and my husband and I spent the rest of the day lazing about the house.


Outfit details: Black corduroy skirt (H&M); blue leopard print cardigan (Grass); teal tights (hue); grey thigh high socks (forever 21).

Daily Wear: Grunge Revival

Well, I couldn't help but notice that Grunge is making it's little comeback in clothes. I think I saw a couple girls online and maybe one in real life that seemed to be reawakening this trend but it's hard to tell. Everybody I know makes fun of me when I try these looks, so I guess it hasn't caught on too well. Perfect!



This is my second and I think more successful attempt at recapturing that haphazard layering style. I found a super cute navy sweater dress (another one from my Winter wishlist!) but it has short cap sleeves so it needs a layer underneath it. I found a black and white striped top and my outfit just kinda came together naturally from there. I added yet another neutral in my grey thigh high socks. But you know how much I love color so I layered the socks over orange tights. I even dug out my OLD silver Dr. Martens to complete the look.

I wore this to our Handmade Arcade a flea- market style event with locally made art, soaps, jewelery and other goods. There were a few dozen tables set up and it was so crowded that even though I kept circling around I hardly got to see anything! I was really happy for the vendors and hope they were successful at getting exposure to their craft. I bought a couple of barrettes, and I'm wearing the yellow daisy one in my hair in these pictures.

That evening I had my best friend and her husband over and we ate a super yummy veg meal my friend made. And she gifted me some lovely pomegranates which are my favorite fruit/ anomaly. I played some records while I cleaned the house before their visit and couldn't resist getting a picture of me clutching my Ziggy Stardust record.

Ghost owl!

Grunge fashion/music is nostalgic for me but I realize for many in the blogging community who are too young to have "been" there may find it strange and blah. But just think, it was good enough for Kate Moss, right? Have you/would you wear this look? It's ok to say no.

Daily Wear: Black and Blue

I think I've heard that black and blue are two colors that you aren't supposed to mix but I really like that combination. I think a bright electric blue looks smashing with classic staid black, the way any bright color pops with a neutral. and it doesn't get more neutral than black. Except maybe white of course.



Speaking of white, I like it paired with a preppy kelly green. I like red with brown. So often paired with black, people forget that red is actually a warm color. Especially a juicy tomato red. Orange is a difficult color for me, not one I've had much experience with but I'm trying. I think I would try to tame it's ferocious intensity with a calm tan.



Another favorite is mixing sunny yellow with stormy grey, the opposites in my personality. Or how about serious navy with a gregarious purple? Or olive green with magenta?

Outfit details: Black dress with white cuffs and collar (thrifted), blue tights (DKNY); black maryjanes with ivory piping (payless).

I went to Lush earlier in the week and they had a goodie bag of lovely retro holiday products. Here's my haul, including the things I bought...

Veganese conditioner; Soap Wall set; Fair Trade Foot Lotion; Sugar Babe scrub; Vanilla Fluff powder; Merry X-Mas massage bar; eggsnog lip balm; marzibain bubble bar; Christmas Kisses bubble bar; and Snow Showers bath bomb.

Daily Wear: blurry is better, really

I've been blogging a lot lately despite not really having much to say. Seriously, it's like every day. Check the side bar, you may have missed one or ten of them! I guess it's a nice distraction from some of the things on my mind lately. Family stuff, seasonal depression stuff, work stuff, money stuff, friend stuff, etc and the list goes on. And of course none of it is anything I really want to get into on here. So instead I post my ugly face and blurry pictures of the same three things I wear over and over.



But I'm really starting to like my bad blurry photos and keep trying to find ways to make them more blurry. I just don't believe in photo shopping myself into some bizarre version of myself, I see no need to attempt perfection. So I say the blurrier the better! I don't mind so much being dark and mysterious.

I was really feeling very seventies, I guess, with my plaid pants flared out at the bottom. And my super warm cozy tunic cowl neck sweater.
Especially in the first pic. The blurry makes it look old. I could be my mom in that one. But by the time she was my age, she had me and I was old enough to be in school but not old enough to have my period. Haha, you do the math.


I'm sick of always taking pictures in my living room but it has the best light, I think because of the white walls. The dining room is very dark and not much else is finished. The bedroom, still very much in progress, is also very dark. I don't know why I picked so many dark colors. I guess because it was winter? I have dark teal, dark purple, dark grey.

Outfit details: brown/black plaid pants (H&M); black tunic cowl neck sweater (???had forever); brown tall boots (not really depicted ha!)

Punk X-Mas

I really like playing with makeup. Really, really. And because of this, I need to get experimental and surely not all of my experiments work out. I can only pair a smoky eye with a red lip, or copper eyes with peach gloss so many times. So out with the crazy color combinations. To be fair they make work on someone, just not necessarily me.

So in honor of Christmas, for those that celebrate, I came up with a red and green color palette for my face and did my best to make it work. I used a gold-green eyeshadow all over the lid and up to and extending the crease. Then I used a sparkly black shadow as a contour shade in the outer corners as well as a lower lash eyeliner and the upper inner corner. To tone it down a bit ya know. The shadow was black but I used sparingly to create more of a charcoal grey effect.



I used a red tinged stain and matching balm on the lips. Then I used a bronze/ highlighter on the cheeks to warm it up a bit and act as a neutral.

Makeup details:

Face: Mac Studio fix fluid spf 15 in NC 15; Mac mineralize skinfinish Natural in Light; Benefit Powderflage undereye concealer; Benefit 10 highlighter/bronzer

Eyes:Mac eyeshadow in Rated R; Mac Pigment in Dark Soul; Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black; Benefit Browzing eyebrow kit

Lips: Benefit Benetint lip/cheek stain and Benefit Benetint lip balm w/ spf

Since using pigments can be tricky (messy) and I'm using such a dark one, I recommend doing your eyemakeup before your foundation so clean-up is easier.

Mini Reviews:

Benefit's Benetint lip and cheek stain

This is Benefit's oldest product whose original incarnation in the seventies was as a nipple reddener for strippers. yeah. But despite its seedy origins it remains one of their top selling products. I know it can be scary to work with a stain if you haven't before but the payoff is worth it. When I use this on my cheeks I put a drop on my fingers and blend it in quickly. Time is off the essence here. But once it's on it's on and you don't have to worry about tough ups. Especially good on the lips. The color is buildable so even though I'm very fair, warmer and darker skin toned look even lovelier with this. But while it adds color, it doesn't add shine or moisture and so....

Benefit's Benetint Lip Balm spf 15

They've made multiple formulas with this, both with and without the spf. So if you've tried it before and didn't like it you may still like this. It has the same rose red hue of the stain but it's in balm form. It can be used alone or over the stain and it's very moisturizing. The only downside is that I hate having to stick my finger in the little pot to get it out. Dirty and messy.

Benefit's 10 Powder

This was my first and remains my favorite Benefit powder. It had two stripes in the box, one a bronzer, one a highlighter. You can apply it this way as a quick two-in-one but I like to swirl them together before brushing across my cheek. It's just a beautiful warm, neutral but better, with just a hint of shimmer, more like a glow actually. Plus it lasts forever because the box is nearly indestructible. I've dropped in a million times and it's still in one piece. The only downside is that is can appear kinda muddy on very fair, cool toned skin.




So what about you? Doing anything special with holiday makeup?