Shroom

Cardigan, The Limited. Cowl neck shell, Worthington. Strapless dress, Newport News. Tooled leather belt, thrifted. Pumps, X Appeal. Bag, Franco Sarto. Earrings, World Market.

I went through a mushroom phase in the late nineties. Not the psychedelic kind. I’d go mushroom hunting with a field guide and entertain myself by identifying various fungi. I was only brave enough to eat my spoils once. While I was working on a trail crew, my teammate found a big, fat, juicy mushroom and we identified it as edible. We sautéed it in butter and downed it with dinner. I spent the night in anticipation of agony but it passed uneventfully. Still, the terror alone was enough to return me to a strictly academic identification of wild fungi.

Like Pajamas

Cardigan, Express. Dress, Moth. Peeptoe flats, NY & Co. Charm necklace, thrifted.


I knew today would be a l-o-n-g day, so I dressed for comfort. Flat shoes, soft fabrics, and a loose fit kept me somewhat sane while I ran about like a headless chicken. Thankfully, the day ended earlier than expected, at 8 p.m. If only I could have had a nap in my jammie-like clothes.

15 Dollar Tunic

Pocketed tunic, Trinity (via 15 Dollar Store). Leotard, vintage. Capri tights. Ballet slippers, Bloch.

I’ve recently discovered the 15 Dollar Store for clothing. Guess how much each item costs? I received my first order in the mail today. Because the sizing is juniors, and there are no returns or exchanges, I went a size up on everything. I recommend doing the same if you aren’t “junior.”

I’ll review each item as I wear it. This tunic is probably worth about $15, or less, so it wasn’t a steal, but I love the color, trim, and pockets. I wore it as a cover up for ballet, but ended up leaving it on for the entire class because I forgot my dance skirt.

A little more on my ballet togs…when I first started ballet, in college, I couldn’t afford new dancewear, so I got a couple of leotards from the thrift store. Fourteen years later, I’m still wearing them. I love the retro styling and shiny fabric. They no longer have much “hold,” so I wear a mesh leotard beneath. The colors are still bright and the fabric smooth, though. They made some good leotards back in the 80’s.

Summer Scarf

Dress, The Limited. Vest, Old Navy. Scarf, Xhilaration. Peeptoe pumps, Wild Diva. Faux turquoise necklace, Sonoma (via swap). Multicolored beaded necklace, Urban Nomad. Golden paillette necklace, Body Central.



What do you think of the summer scarf trend? I love scarves any time of year, but summer is usually too hot and humid. This thin, gauzy scarf tested the limits of my comfort. Thankfully, the day was breezy and I spent most of it indoors, with air conditioning.

Argyle Again

Cardigan, Moda International. Argyle cami, J G Hook (via swap). Skirt, Talbots (thrifted). Maryjanes, Xhilaration. Watch pendant, Moda International.

I wore the other half of this argyle sweater set in May with this same skirt (but green accents instead of black). I don’t know if I could wear the argyle cami and cardigan together. That would be too predictable of a choice.

Blue Shoes

Sheer ruffled blouse and faux pearl cuff, Forever 21. Nude cami, Charlotte Russe. Skirt, Moda International. Peeptoes, Charles David. Headband, NY & Co.

Keeping this blog has had its perks. One of those is the occasional offer of free stuff. I’ve turned a few down (didn’t mesh with my style), but how could I resist free shoes from Solestruck.com? I chose this pair after looking at nearly every heeled shoe on the site. I felt the pull to get something practical (like new black pumps) or something on my wishlist (black, stiletto-heeled, pointy-toed boots), but threw caution to the wind when I fell in lust with this pair. If it’s free, why not be frivolous? (In fact, this pair was the runner up. Hmmm…black or yellow?) Besides, the site has some great deals on both black pumps and my wishlist boots. I can just go back and purchase those for myself.

Just for fun, here’s a picture of me in my last pair of blue shoes! My how I’ve changed.

Can't Let Go

Dress, London Times. Vest, Charlotte Russe. Brooch, swap. Pumps, Victoria Spencer. Sunnies, Big Lots (I love these - can you tell?)

I just can’t let these shoes go! I pulled them out again because I thought the yellow was the perfect counterpoint to gray and black. Don’t judge me by my broken-down shoes.

This is a very bad picture of one of my latest swap receipts: a silver-toned bow brooch. I love it! I’m trying to swap away larger items (like a sweater) for smaller items (like a ring). I’m generally successful.

My forehead looks freaking humongous. I’m wearing my 40’s hair in anticipation of tonight’s dress rehearsal. I followed Casey’s tutorial, but I think I kind of look like the evil fairy in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent.

I’ll keep working on it. Reviewing the tutorial again, I see that Casey's rolls are much closer to the part than mine are. Maybe I can eliminate the "horned" look by moving the roll placement upward.

P.S. Come see my show, Noir Suspicions. We open on Sat.

I Bee Pale

Tartan dress, Frederick’s of Hollywood. Belt, Luxury Divas (via Amazon). Sandals, Etienne Aigner. Bee pendant, Bath and Body Works. Sunnies, Big Lots.

This bee-shaped pendant was attached to a Bath and Body Works gift bag I won at a holiday party in January. Actually, I won a molded monstrosity in the form of a moose holding a hunting rifle, designed to hold toilet paper. Thankfully, someone pitied me enough to trade. I’ve had the gift bag in my “regift” pile since then, but removed the charm today to wear as jewelry. I think I’ll keep it.

Sometimes I wonder if I am just too damn white to expose this much skin. Greens and blues, in particularly, emphasize how pale I am. I suppose glow-in-the dark skin just makes the whole redhead façade more convincing.

Classico

Striped shirt, Steve & Barry’s. Cardigan, Moda International. Skirt, Eddie Bauer. Belt, Luxury Divas (via Amazon). Pumps, X Appeal. Sunnies, Big Lots.


I went to Steve & Barry’s last week looking for the tartan SJP dress I saw in People Style Watch and 40’s style shoes for my show. The dress wasn’t in stores yet, but I did find the shoes (black peeptoe platforms with an ankle strap), white capris, and this striped shirt with lovely ruffle details. I’ll have to scan a photo of the dress. It is cute enough to drive me back to the store to look for it again.


My “willi” hands and “dog poo on my shoe” pose.

Those Capris Again

Asian-inspired satin dress, Forever 21 (via swap). Capris, Steve & Barry’s. Slingbacks, Delicious. Beaded necklace, Xhilaration.

Stand by to see me pair these capris with every short dress in my closet before the summer ends. I freaking LOVE them.


Speaking of short dresses, I’ve found this frock a little challenging for work wear because of the short hemline. I’ve felt most comfortable wearing it over pants or leggings. Tights still left me feeling a little exposed. Actually, the girl who swapped it to me referred to the garment as a shirt! She must be much taller than I.

Too Much

Jersey shirt with collar and cuffs, Forever 21. Waistcoat, H&M. Floral skirt, Talbot’s. Belt, Xhilaration. Zebra pumps, Delicious. Bag, Vieta.



This outfit started out a little tamer (without the bag), but I couldn’t resist throwing a third, black and white pattern into the mix! For those of you who find the look overwhelming, you may be comforted to know that I broke a heel on the way in the building and am now sporting blue-green, satin ballet flats. A smart, stiletto-wearing girl always keeps backup shoes at the office.

C'est Vrai

Blouse, Charlotte Russe. Strapless dress, Mossimo (via swap). Sandals, Etienne Aigner. Earrings, World Market. Sunglasses, Big Lots.

I used to find it amusing to see the astonishment on people’s faces when they learned I was a Marine. Perhaps I’m just getting old and cranky, but when the revelation was greeted by my castmate’s laughter today, I was seriously annoyed. Maybe his levity was sparked by the juxtaposition of the news and my camo dress?

Mike will tell you that I wear this dress way too much. It's incredibly comfortable. It isn’t unheard of for me to put the dress on Saturday, sleep in it, and continue to wear it on Sunday. That’s the kind of weekend I leave undocumented. See the dress without the blouse last April.

With Navy

Jacket and shoes, Forever 21. Missoni-esque dress, Lipstick. Bag, Franco Sarto. Charm necklace, thrifted.



Unfortunately, my camera battery ran down before I got any good or particularly flattering pictures!

White Capris

Dress, Forever 21 (thrifted and overdyed). Capris, Steve & Barry’s. Earrings, Urban Nomad. Bangles, swap. Sandals, Franco Sarto.

I have a small obsession with slim white capris under dresses. I don’t know where I ever got the idea, but I love the way it looks. Last year’s capris shrank so badly in the wash that I’ll never be able to wear them again. It took me until recently to accept that fact (I assumed I was just to fat for them and they were SO darn cute) and to start looking for a new pair. I found these at Steve and Barry’s for the infamous $8.98 price.

I’m well aware that they do not meet Angie’s flattering length guidelines for cropped pants. However, I think this below the calf length works when layered under a short dress. And I would never wear the pants without a top that reaches to mid-thigh. They are for layering only, like leggings.