Thursday, May 31, 2012

Glencoe Hole

My favorite place to take pictures might be the Glencoe Hole, an abandoned housing project. (I have an abiding love of abandoned places.) It isn’t the safest location, so it takes some convincing to get Beefy to photograph me there. Yesterday, he surprised me by suggesting the Glencoe Hole to me. I readily agreed!


Shirt, Liz Sport (thrifted). Dress, Richard Chai for Target. Shoes, Two Lips. Necklace, Zad. Bracelets, vintage, swap, and Claire’s. Earrings, Pangaea. Sunglasses, Xhilaration. Bag, Caprice (thrifted and vintage).

I’m standing in front of the Glencoe Hotel, today.




A few other pictures from The Hole:



If you like this location, leave a comment! Beefy likes nothing better than to please my blog readers, so you’ll help me convince him to return to The Hole again, soon.

Photos by Beefy Muchacho with the Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35 mm 1:1.8G lens

May Purchases

There was some celebratory and vacation spending in May. Still, I’m only $63 over my budget for the first five months of the year.

Girlprops
I have light-sensitive eyes, so my sunglasses get a lot of use. Somehow, that justifies purchasing half a dozen pair each year.

1. Large Modified Cat Eye Sunglasses, black with neon lining, $9.99
2. Round Transparent Lens Frame Sunglasses with Curlycue Arms in blue, $14.99
3. Extreme Cat Eye Sunglasses in tortoise with gold finish, $15.99


These sunglasses are all currently listed at $4.99!

Tala’s Distant Treasures
Shopping at the Newport on the Levee is pretty pathetic, but I do look for accessories at Deb, Claire’s, and Tala’s. Most of the jewelry at Tala’s was listed as buy one get two free, so I added to my bangle collection.

4. Coral bead/metal bracelet, $14.99
5. Black bangle with silver-tone starbursts and studs, free


6. Coral painted wooden bangle, free


Auctions by Maggie
I took the day after the marathon as vacation. I was anticipating extreme pain and an inability to walk. Surprisingly, all I had was a little soreness in my quads. So, Beefy and I went to the weekly Auctions by Maggie event.

7. Tooled leather purse, $10
8. Silver perfume bottle brooch, $4
9. Green and gold-tone bracelet, $4
10. Turquoise pinky ring, $2


South Coast Hospice Thrift Store
I was determined to do some thrifting on our Oregon coast vacation. The first two places were duds (Lincoln City Goodwill and the Yachats Lions Club Thrift Store). The South Coast Hospice Thrift Store, in North Bend, was advertised as “Voted #1 Thrift Store on the South Coast 4 years in a row!” I had high hopes and was not disappointed. The store smelled good. (Not just neutral, but good!) It was well lit. There were two, very private changing rooms. Jewelry was displayed at a proper jewelry counter (with attentive service). The clothing racks were well-organized and well-spaced. I was drooling over the shoe selection when a live pianist started playing. I tipped him extravagantly.


11. Silver bracelet with Native American charms, $45. (Yeah, that’s a lot for a thrift store purchase, but bracelets like this retail at $100 - $400. Oh, and I LOVE it! The charms make the best jangling sound.)


12. Focus 2000 silk pants, $8.00
13. J Crew orange shorts, $2.75
14. Seychelles sandals, $4.00
15. Rapallo sandals (not pictured), $3.00




I’m a big fan of the South Coast Hospice Thrift Store

Hope Dolls Thrift Store
Beefy and I ducked into Hope Dolls (in Portland, OR) to avoid the rain (while we waited for our lunch restaurant to open). A little accidental thrifting ensued.

16. Carole Little floral skirt, $8.50
17. Orange patterned scarf, $1.00 (not pictured)


May total: $148.21

I plan to spend very little in June, July, and August. I’m saving for a second pair of cowboy boots when I visit Denver.

Total spending for the year: $562.87

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The LBD Saves the Day

I had to dress conservatively for work today. The Little Black Dress is always a safe choice! Especially when paired with a lady-like jacket.


Dress, London Times. Jacket, Heart, Moon, Stars. Bag, Caprice (vintage and thrifted). Shoes, thrifted. Sunglasses, Betsey Johnson. Bracelets, gift and swap. Watch, Raymond Weil. Ring, Jan Michaels San Francisco.



I’ll be pulling out another LBD on Friday for The Little Black Dress Event at Coney Island’s Moonlight Gardens on Friday. I’ll be wearing an LBD you’ve seen before (but I’ll show you how I transition it from office to evening). My date this year is my fabulous friend Colette. I can’t wait to show you her dress! (See us both in person at the event. RSVP at www.2012lbd.eventbrite.com)


Photos by Beefy Muchacho with the Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35 mm 1:1.8G lens

Monday, May 28, 2012

Backyard

Memorial Day was pretty hot and muggy. I compensated for a polyester skirt with a mesh top and tried to stick to air conditioned spaces.


Shirt, Express (thrifted). Skirt, vintage, thrifted, shortened, and embellished. Sandals, Seychelles (thrifted). Bag, Charming Charlie. Necklace, gift. Bracelet, thrifted. Rings, vintage, gift, and Puzzrollrings. Sunglasses, Girlprops.



Photos by Beefy Muchacho with the Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35 mm 1:1.8G lens

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Sporty Sunday: Walk-Run Playlist

Hi Kasmira!
I am planning to go from walking to jogging very soon and do you have any sage advise or tips to improve my odds for success for this transition/ My knees and ankles are a bit weak. Surface tips or shoe tips?
thanks!
Reva


I’ve stopped running for weeks or months at a time due to weather or life changes. When I decide to start running, again, it’s always a struggle! My favorite technique for transitioning from walking to running is an interval playlist.

Before making a change to your exercise routine, I recommend seeing your doctor, particularly if you have any pre-existing condition, such as joint trouble.
I also recommend visiting a reputable fitness shoe store, such as The Running Spot, to be properly fitted for shoes.

Interval training has long been recognized as an extremely effective way of building endurance and capacity. By gradually incorporating more and longer run intervals into your walking routine, you can safely and effectively transition from a walker to a runner. The intervals can be constructed by various lengths of time (e.g. alternating 1 minute walking and 30 seconds running), but I prefer to use songs. The following is a progression of playlist patterns:

1. Starting Out: Create a 30-minute playlist with a pattern of 2 slow songs, 1 fast song
2. Increase the length of the running interval: Add 1 fast song to your playlist for a pattern of 2 slow songs, 2 fast songs
3. Decrease the number of walking intervals: Remove 1 slow song from your playlist for a pattern of 1 slow song, 2 fast songs

Try running three times a week, for two weeks, before making a change to your playlist pattern. The patterns can be altered to meet your progressing fitness level. The goal is to, eventually, transition to an all-running playlist of up-tempo music.

To get you going, here is a sample, 34-minute playlist for those just starting to transition from walking to running:

Playlist
You’ve Got a Friend, James Taylor
Mellow Yellow, Donovan
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Cyndi Lauper
Don’t Know Why, Norah Jones
Ice Cream, Sarah McLachlan
Objection (Tango), Shakira
Let it Be, Carol Woods & Timothy T. Mitchum (from the Across The Universe soundtrack)
The Lucky One, Au Revoir Sione
Hide Behind My Glasses, Fishbone
Obviously, I stopped paying attention to popular/new music years ago.

(This list ends with a run…be sure to cool down with a walk before ending your workout.)

While I seem to have plenty of slower selections in my music library, I struggle to find new, fast songs for running. What up-tempo songs get you motivated?

Sporty Sunday is a recurring feature in which I share my fitness routine and offer and solicit advice. While this content might seem a little out of place in an outfit diary, a healthy, strong body is the foundation of my wardrobe. I hope to inspire my readers to be fit as well as stylish!

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Evening, Bud

It’s Saturday night and I’m enjoying both a Bud Lite and the evening light.


Shirt, Old Navy. Dress, Frederick’s of Hollywood. Sandals, Lela Rose for Payless. Bag, Nine West. Earrings,vintage. Rings, vintage, gift, and Puzzrollrings. Bracelets, Tala’s Distant Treasures, Target, and Claire’s.





Photos by Beefy Muchacho with the Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35 mm 1:1.8G lens