Sudden Drop

After all the poncho talk on Tuesday (and looking at poncho pics on Pinterest), I couldn’t wait to try a double turtleneck look with my striped top and gray poncho today. (P.S. As of year 11, all of my outfits are on Pinterest, too!)

I’m thankful for a sudden drop in temperatures that has made outfits like this wearable in Sacramento. (Although I wasn’t too excited about the plunge at Thursday night swim practice.)


Poncho, thrifted. Turtleneck, Gap (swap). Jeans, Old Navy. Boots, Ariat. Sunglasses, Earthbound Trading Co. Earrings, Rose Bowl flea market. Bag, vintage.


P.P.S. I went thrifting today! I’ll tell you all about it, tomorrow. (The snapchat has already expired.)

Conference of the Fall

Beefy competed in two contests at this weekend’s District 39 Toastmasters conference. I’m very proud to say he placed third in the humorous speech competition with his speech, Sitcom Husband. (Beefy is a funny guy!) Competition is fierce at the district level as these speakers have already won club, area, and division contests.


Dress, Ella Moss. Dress worn as a slip, Parker (consignment). Boots, Lauren Ralph Lauren. Sunglasses, Earthbound Trading Co. Earrings, self-made. Bag, Aldo.

I’m wearing my leopard Parker dress as a slip underneath the sheer, floral Ella Moss dress. I thought it might look a little weird, but the colors and patterns played nicely together.



Beefy after his big win! (I changed into cocktail attire for the evening competition.)

Two Interviews

I had two very different interviews, today. One in the pet industry and the other in beauty. But I made one plaid chiffon blouse work for both!


Jacket, BCBG Max Azria (consignment). Blouse, Romeo + Juliet. Jeans, Old Navy. Boots, Steve Madden. Earrings, Rose Bowl Flea Market. Bag, Rebecca Minkoff.


Thankfully, this blouse does not retain pet hair. My pet interview was first and involved cuddling three tiny dogs.


Jacket, Diane von Furstenberg (consignment). Blouse, Romeo + Juliet. Skirt, Mossimo. Shoes, Nine West. Earrings, Rose Bowl Flea Market.


I wasn’t selected for either position, but Jackson comforted me:


I got some good, quality time with my dogs on Tuesday with a hike. We even saw some snow!

Once a Week

Should I be embarrassed to admit that I’ve joined the ranks of once-a-week hair washers? I rinse and condition almost every day, but shampoo as little as possible to preserve my color. On bad hair days, dry shampoo and a hat are my best friends!


Hat, Free Press. Jacket, Xhilaration (thrifted). Dress, Diane von Furstenberg (consignment). Boots, Vince Camuto (consignment). Sunglasses, Coco Sunglasses. Necklace, Taneesi. Bag, Nordstrom Rack.


Do you know what else I do once a week? Dog agility classes! Okay, it’s twice a week, but once a week per dog. Tuesdays are for Jasper.

Stars and Stripes Forever

In the USA, we have a few patriotic weekends approaching. I support showing country pride, but American flag bikinis are a bit too literal, and tacky, for my taste. I prefer a less obvious homage to the stars and stripes (oh, and a bit more coverage).


Jacket, Xhilaration (thrifted). Sweater, Full Tilt (thrifted). Tunic, Urban Behavior (swap). Leggings, Express. Boots, Steve Madden. Sunglasses, Coco Sunglasses. Earrings, flea market. Bag, Nordstrom Rack.


What’s your take on patriotic apparel?

Thistledown

On Sunday, my neighbor caught me with freshly washed, but product-free, hair.

“You’re hair’s so . . . fluffy,” she said.

I normally use products to lift, smooth, and separate. Without them, I have thistledown hair.


Shirt, Spense (consignment). Skirt, Body by Victoria. Shoes, J Crew. Sunglasses, Coco Sunglasses. Earrings, self-made. Bag, Aldo.


I will never, wittingly, share a picture of my fluffy hair, but you can imagine it looks something like this:

Institutional

There is something about the denim/chambray shirt dress that just looks institutional on me. I suppose the flat, laceless shoes and shaved head don’t help. Take my belt away and lock me up!


Dress, American Rag (consignment). Belt, thrifted. Shoes, Ferragamo (thrifted). Sunglasses, Coco Sunglasses. Earrings, flea market. Bag, Nordstrom Rack.


Jokes aside, I take my mental health very seriously. One of these days I’m going to finally become a regular meditator. In the meantime, time outdoors is my panacea. I run, walk, swim, hike, take photos or just water the plants in the backyard and hit the “reset” button on my troubled mind. I really enjoy watering in the morning, after our run. The dogs are calm. The air is cool. I can take a moment to wonder at the water droplets held in the curve of an elephant ear leaf.

Faker

I’ve been through enough life changes that I now consider myself a professional imposter. I’m so used to pretending to know what I’m doing that it’s sort of a shock when it becomes true. I’m a firm believer in fake it ‘til you make it. And once I’ve “made it,” I get bored and seek a new role in which to “fake it,” again.


Shirt, Ann Taylor (consignment). Skirt, Thailand. Shoes, Franco Sarto. Hat, Free Press. Sunglasses, Coco Sunglasses. Necklace, Taneesi. Bag, Nordstrom Rack.


Generally, faking it is harmless. Not so much with money, though.