Ethereal Easter Dress

I always seem to be running behind my little self imposed blogging schedule so I always feel stressed and failure-ish. But work has been crazy (both of them) and in general, with some other life stuff, I'm exhausted and stressed pretty much all the time.

So this was my "Easter" dress. We don't celebrate. But usually we seem to go to this vegan place for brunch because before we were dating we went there for an easter brunch and it was the day we realized we both liked each other. We spent that whole day together and it is a very fond memory for us so went again. But they seat you with strangers if you have a small party and I'm really really not good at strangers. So I was mostly silent and irritated and probably came across as a total bitch. Eh.


This is the filmy sheer pink dress form my flapper photos last year. I forgot how low-cut it was! I was going for a kind of ethereal ghost girl vibe but i mostly failed. I think I simply has on too much pastel so I just looked like an Easter egg. I got the theme of sheerness with the dress and the fishnets but it just didn't come together right. I would love to see someone else's ghost girl photos! lol

Outfit details: pink ruffle dress (thrifted); purple fishnets (urban outfitters); cream maryjanes (target); cream headband (forever21); necklace (BarkerBell).

This is a blurry side of of my necklace. It's an old absinthe print.

Side two shows what appears to be devils and demons clutching at the bottle. I guess I know how my ghost girl died. I bought this necklace at The Little Flea, a local flea market that also showcases local artists. I forget the girl's name (i lost her business card!) but I found her etsy site and she makes a ton of jewelry from vintage and recycled parts using everything from old prints to watch parts and Barbie shoes! Please go check her out here.....BarkerBell

Inspiration: Eclectic Whimsy

I'd intended to do this post days ago but as you know life gets in the way. And in this case "life" is code for work. But there's no time like the present as they say.

And what I mean by "eclectic whimsy" is really my way of saying I dressed all kooky and took pictures of it. I wish I could blame it on Tim Burton's Alice in wonderland but I haven't even seen the film and I doubt he'd appreciate the comparison!

Scrawny awkward poses make me look kinda thin. It's the body equivalent of all those myspace photos you used to see. I've worn this dress before. It's black with white stars, this time paired with my white ruffle cardigan. Purple tights, bow headband, and spectator heels. Just a little bit of everything. Not sure if that's the eclectic or whimsical part.



If anything about this was homage to Wonderland it would be this pocket watch on a chain I bought in Paris last year. The only thing I was late for was getting to work.



More awkward posing. I swear I wasn't drunk, I just really look like I am. All I had was coffee, honest.

outfit details: star print dress (style and co); white ruffle cardigan (kensie); bright purple tights (hue); cream bow headband (forever21); pocket watch necklace (Paris street vendor); peep toe spectators (steve madden).

100th post? Woo Hoo!

I know some bloggers post every day (and those are some of my favorite blogs) but I never thought I'd make it to one hundred posts, even if it has taken me three seasons to do so. I'm starting to wonder why I stick with it on some days. I'm really not confident or vain; I don't like having my picture taken. I don't think I'll ever be famous with ten thousand views a day and invitations to exclusive events. Ultimately doing this has to be just for me, cause there's no guarantee of even continuing the 25 views a day I do get. I wonder what people would even like to see in this space, should they come to look? Perhaps I should seek out newer bloggers and befriend them a bit so they won't feel so overwhelmed. Do bloggers even feel overwhelmed? haha who knows. Here some typical pictures of me, in bright colors, being silly at home to tide you over while I think things over.

This is what happens to my hair if I do not brush it immediately after washing.

I think I have the oddest shaped face in history and not in a good way.

Not sexy, just silly.

Outfit details: seafoam dress (Kensie); tangerine cardigan (H&M); dove grey hights (Hue); taupe ankle boots (payless, of course).

Birthday party frock

My birthday was last weekend! I usually dread my birthday, holidays in general make me depressed but this year I managed to have some fun. My actual birthday was on Sunday but I did most of my celebrating on Saturday. My mom came to visit me and we went to Brunch and did some shopping and hung out a bit.



And then I went to an estate sale with my boss at the vintage store and bought some kitchen wares. They had a ton of vintage clothes but were not my size. It was still really fun to look though and there was a ton of vintage home wares and furniture and art of all varieties. The only downside was that I fell down the stairs. HARD. (I was hurting for days, badly. I still have a bruised bum but at least my left arm works again).



My super sweet husband took me to my most favorite fancy pants restaurant for course after course of sushi. Melt in your mouth delicious and world's better quality than I've ever gotten anywhere else. Afterward, we went to a bar near our house to meet up with friends for a dance party called Fight: soul vs funk vs mod rock vs disco vs power pop. I love dancing but couldn't do much because of my fall. It was still lots of fun. I didn't stay too late and so I got to avoid the disco. Not really my thing. But no matter what you can't say anything against soul music. Everyone seems to gravitate to it. It's fun!



On Sunday, birthday proper, I went to a brunch with friends and it was lovely yummy vegan food. And my dear husband bought me a tripod so I can stop precariously balancing my camera on shelf edges and boulders. I had mentioned wanting to learn to knit or crochet and so he took me to the store where I got a beginners crochet book and some hooks of various sizes and some yarn. I want to make myself a scarf but right now I'm having some difficulty getting started. I have a difficulty learning from reading manuals and looking at diagrams. I really wish I had someone who could sit down with me for half an hour and just show me how to do it. I'm trying not to get too discouraged.

Jumper Dress and Leggings--3 ways

When I thrifted a plain black little jumper dress a couple months back I had no idea how much use I would get out of it. At first I wore it proper slipping dainty little blouses underneath. But as it got colder, I craved thicker fabrics and had to start wearing my tops on the outside. Coupled with the leggings I bought, despite hating the trend (I guess I needed to try them to understand), I can keep wearing this poor dress all year long.

First I tried it in the grungy rock and roll way I've been reclaiming.

I have a snug black and blue check button up and my faithful houndstooth flats (also receiving much wear)

Then I tried to make it preppy.

I wore a black and white striped button up. I like how the cuffs upturn to reveal some pink and yellow stripes.

And then the third is my favorite. A cute and sassy look.

I love my new bubblegum pink sweater!

What do you think? Is there an article of clothing that you can't stop remixing?

Daily Wear: I wear this every time she comes over

Sometimes I feel like the world's oldest, well, I don't even want to call myself a style blogger, but you get the picture. If you're like me and you follow an ever expanding list of style/fashion/beauty/vintage blogs, then you will have noticed that most of these girls are so delicate and young and almost unnervingly lovely.

Self-esteem, meet floor.

And admittedly, I'm participating in what can be a rather shallow endeavor. I don't really think that clothes make the woman.

But I'm certainly not critiquing the lovely blogs I read or the many many wonderful ones I don't even know about yet. It's just sometimes I get embarassed that my hobby is actually posting pictures of myself online, that I awkwardly take myself. And they aren't even the sexy kind! haha

Well, if you haven't guessed it by now, my birthday is coming up and it's all too much with my seasonal blahs. I don't want to be older. And admitting that I care can also be received as shallowness.

And since I'm always so upfront about my insecurities and flaws and never photoshop a thing.....

I have lots of grey hairs. And looking at that picture, all I can think is that I wish I would have put on makeup before taking that picture.

Anyway, rant over. These are just a couple of pictures of my navy sweater dress again, that I posted about when I was being a grunge princess. I guess I'm having that phase. Again.


I wore a red button up with tiny white pinstripes, twisted up brown tights and my brown maryjanes. I guess this is my business casual grunge look.


My hair is usually as flat as a young girls chest. It's a bit bigger in these picks because I started using Lush's veganese conditioner. Now it has more body and it has more of it's own shine so I don't need a serum. Still grey though.

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!

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: 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.

DailyWear: Wear it again, Sam

I've been wearing a lot of the same pieces over and over again like my tan wool cardigan, my denim skirt, and the piece I'm wearing here again, my primary colored pop floral blouse. I shop a lot. A lot. But I do buy very cheaply (though it does add up I suppose) but time and time I go through phases where no matter what new lovelies I have all wrapped up in bags with tags dangling, I just want to wear versions of the same outfit or two over and over again.




Does this happen with you? Do you get into ruts or phases where you want to wear things over and over? I feel like everyone must at some point. Perhaps you get something new and you wear it til you're board with it. Or maybe you have something classic you turn to it times of doubt and passing trends. Sometimes you have a piece that's special because of the memories attached and you wear it so you can be in that place again.





Since clothing is undoubtedly a form of self-expression, isn't it impossible at times to throw something away even if it's not you anymore simply because it is part of who you have been?



Outfit details: primary floral blouse( forever 21); black pocketed jumper dress (thrifted); teal tights (Hue); red buckle flats (payless, of course)

Daily Wear: Dress Blues

What is your favorite color? How do you know? Is it because it's the color you reach for time and time again? The color you wear on your body, the color you paint and decorate your home, the color that makes you smile to see it?



If you asked me what my favorite color is, I'd probably say yellow. I find it cheerful and sunny and happy. It does make me smile. As a redhead, i think it's flattering to me. I have yellow painted trim in my bedroom, yellow stripes on my living room walls to match my yellow chairs.



But blue is like a dark horse closing in. I hardly seem to notice it's even there until I'm surrounded. without even realizing it, most of my wardrobe is blue. I painted my kitchen an aqua blue. I interpret the teal of the dining room as a shade of blue, not a shade of green. As I generate plans for the rest of the house, shades of blue keep coming to mind.



Even the favorite color I really tend to profess, grey, to me, is a shade of palest ashy blue.

Outfit details: blue/white checkered little boys shirt (thrifted); fake denim jumper dress (Macys); blue tights (DKNY); brown heeled maryjanes (???)

Tangerine and Cobalt

For some reason these two colors, particularly together, have really been appealing to me lately. I think it's because I'm attracted to bright colors and these are the delightfully bright versions of navy and orange that autumn brings about. In general, I've been experimenting with making my summer dresses and other warm weather clothes more appropriate for the descending chill in the air.


This is a very thin vintage dress, definitely made for summer but the color is just so amazing and perfect for right now. A better picture of the dress is here. I've been wearing this boots almost constantly lately. I keep meaning to buy some new ones because these are very old but I can never remember and honestly, I haven't see much that appeals to me this year.




here's a picture where I added my brown corduroy jacket but I think it ended up being too many layers. I like the vest though. It has orange and yellow flowers on it which helps to tame the brightness of the dress, really making it look like Fall. here's a closeup of the pattern....



The background is grey and the trim is brown. I accidentally bought it too big and had to pin it in the back.

I took these pictures at work, so that clutter you see is wonderful vintage clutter and not my dim dark clutter house.

What are your favorite colors to pair together?

Daily Wear: Deconstructed tuxedo

I use to be more daring when it came to skirt lengths. I always wore those school girl style skirts, usually plaid, in high school and beyond and it took me a long time to out grown that look. I have a hard time with skirts in general, having a larger than average (judging by clothing dimensions) measurement difference between my waist and my hips/thighs. Classic pearshape drama. If a skirt fits in the waist, it is way too tight to move the rest of the way down, assuming I can actually pull it up over my thighs. I often have to put on skirts over my head and try to shimmy them down over my chest. But if I get a skirt to fit me in the thighs/hips, I have a huge gap around my waist. so these little a-line skirts were the best solution. They seemed to be the best style to ear for my body and I got getaway with wearing them low on my hips.

But not only is that completely boring, having basically the same skirt for years and years but then a funny thing happened. i got older. and I know, I know. Age is just a number. But tell me you've never seen a woman look inappropriate dressed as a teenager well beyond her teenage years.



So My skirts have to get longer. and they have been. They graze my knee now, sometimes a bit above, sometimes a bit below. Assuming I can find a skirt that even half way fits.

But, I digress. This tunic is way too short to wear out in public as a dress. But I've done that before. And I've done it without tights. I really had no idea the fine line between a bold 60s length hem and tacky white trash.

So now I know. But I couldn't help but love this look anyway. Hence the sunglasses to protect my identity.


Basically the same pose twice I know, but the other ones I took were all wrong.

Outfit details: Ivory tunic (I wear this endlessly), black tuxedo jacket, black tights, black/white spectator peeptoes) Do you care about brands? Should I list that info?

Fall can be wonderful, you know

The temperatures are definitely dropping here in Pittsburgh. I'm really wimpy about cold weather, even though I grew up here. Every year I'm shocked and pained by how cold it gets. and when I here the weather man reporting that our temps are lower than average, i start to panic. I always feel like I can't stand it if it gets any colder and I fear this will be a particularly rough winter.






My little cream colored peacoat is cute but not very warm. My navy tights are also not as warm as i would want. It's ok for now but I fear that very soon I'll have to invest in one of those snuggies they advertise on tv.

So I'm trying to get excited and enjoy cooler weather activities. if I can trick myself into embracing a colder than average fall, maybe winter won't be so bad. I feel like people who celebrate holidays are lucky because it provides a distraction and the celebrations are to some extent weather related.


So i donned my thrifted sweater dress, which was warm as far as dresses go.....and pretty much stayed inside. I left to run some errands but mostly I spent the weekend working on my house and getting into Fall.

I'm not much of an activity person, so my fall fun (aside from going to a haunted house a couple of weeks ago) has been through food. My husband is a wonderful cook. He has been making amazing breakfasts. One day it was scrambled eggs and polenta with a side of those little multi colored tomatoes (I'm no gourmand. what are they called?) and the strangest yummiest weird consistency cheese stuff. I guess that doesn't sound too good. But trust me in was delicious. and then another day it was pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon apples on top and sprinkles of pomegranate seeds. This wonderful man HEATS my syrup for me.

We had a long talk about seasonal foods and vegetables and I look forward to eating upcoming meals. He can do almost anything with a butternut squash (last year it was cheesecake--hard to top!)


Oh, and here's a closeup of my collar. It sorta got lost under my hair in other pictures. I really like the colors of this dress. The fit could be better but that's what you get with thrifted clothes.

What do you love most about fall? For me it used to be the clothes but now it's definitely the food. What's the weather like where you live?

Daily Wear: Dressed for Fall

I'm still hanging onto to being able to wear dresses for as long as the weather holds. It seems to be getting colder and colder so expect to soon see months and months of me in the One Pair of Pants That Fit!

But until then I brought out a dress i usually wear in summer because it's so short and made it cooler weather appropriate. It's in fall colors and had kind of a 60s vibe so I paired it with mustard tights and tall brown boots.

I haven't worn this dress in over a year. I kept having to pull it down to preserve modesty. I guess I got, erm.....taller...since last year. This may have just graduated to shirt status.



A brown cord military jacket provided a little warmth and coverage. I wore this to a super creepy haunted house with my husband, best friend, and her husband. Everyone said a ghoul would put their hand up my dress but none did. I guess I'm getting old.

Daily Wear: Electric Leather

Inspired by a call on Weardrobe for a contest (best leather look; alas I did not win) I decided to break out my favorite electric blue leather jacket. I decided to use it to remix a summer dress of mine, to make it more fall appropriate.

So this is how I wore it in summer....

Oh yay, I'm reposting couch mess. oh well

And here is how I styled it for fall...

I replaced the hot pink tights with some subdued grey ones. Patent black kitten heels became my neutral booties. And of course the cropped denim jacket was replaced with my leather jacket. It's such a vibrant color that i went with very dark and plain neutrals to go with it. It's the star of the outfit!

I get a lot of comments whenever I wear this jacket. My friends often hassle me about it and have called me Michael Jackson derisively (before his untimely death, those jokes would be inappropriate now). But strangers go wild for it, love it, have asked to buy it off my back. So I think my friends are secretly just jealous. I don't care anyway. I look forward to wearing it every year when there is a chill in the air.

Oh, and before I forget, here's a close up of the dress. i don't think I've shown the stars well yet.

Thanks for reading! I have to hurry and check up on the blogs I read before dashing off to work...running out of time....