May Purchases

May was really cold and rainy. Perhaps that’s why I spent more time than usual in traditional retail stores? (And overspent my budget.)

Target

1. Jovovich Hawk for Target dress, $19.98

I was a little iffy about this JH dress because of the short length and loose silhouette, but the clearance price sucked me in. So far, I’ve only worn it outside of the office, but I can’t wait to pair it with thick black tights for work, next fall

2. Dripping chain necklace, $15.99 (layered with a beaded necklace in the below picture)


3. Swimsuit, $19.98

I had planned on buying a new suit this month, after leaving my old one in a hotel room during the Great Piano Trip. I didn’t count on finding one I liked so easily and cheaply, though! I’ll be wearing it on its first outing in June, so I’ll ask Beefy to take some tasteful photos. (If you follow me on twitter, you saw a self-modeled, in-the-mirror shot there.)

Charming Charlie

4. Floral bag, $24.97

I’ve owned this less than a month and it is already my favorite bag. Well, second favorite. First place probably goes to the Mossimo bag I bought last month. But second place ain’t bad. Especially for a floral number that you might think wouldn’t go with anything (but actually goes with everything).

Payless

5. Fioni Lyric heels in tan, $26.99

I’m going to blame this purchase on the Blogger Bandwagon. I spied these beauties on a few pairs of bloggy feet (including Kendi Everyday, I think) and was prompted to check them out in person. Not only are they cute, they are truly comfortable!

Claire’s Boutique

Every time Beefy and I go to the Levee to see a movie, we argue about Deb. I always want to check it out, but the place gives Beefy hives. I admit that Deb is mostly gross and trashy, but I’ve found a few gems. On Memorial Day weekend, in honor of my service to my country, Beefy granted me 15 minutes in Deb while he visited the bookstore. I spent two minutes in Deb before leaving with a little vomit in my mouth. (Beefy was right, this time.)

With 13 minutes to kill, I went in Beefy’s second-least-favorite store, Claire’s Boutique. And found some really cute stuff with time, if not money, to spare.

6. Peacock print bracelet, $9.50
7. Pom-pom trim scarf, $16.00
8. Bracelet set, $14.50 (not pictured and not worn because I might return it)

May total: $147.91

Total spending for the year: $551.88

Frye boots fund: I give up.

LBD: Lillie Rubin Sequined 80s Dress

My seventh, and final, LBD is covered in sequins and I don’t have a great picture of it.

When I started my LBD roundup, I fully intended to wear this sequined number to the Little Black Dress Event. That’s why I’ve profiled it last and also why I didn’t bother to snap a better picture of it. (All the better for the “reveal!”)

After your reaction to the Banana Republic cocktail dress, though, I changed my mind. I’ll be delaying the next wearing of the sequin dress until later in the month and I’ll wear the BR dress to the LBD Event instead.

Never fear, I haven’t taken all of the surprise out of Friday’s post! The chosen dress will be treated to Beefy’s superb photography skills and paired with a new pair of shoes.

And that sequined dress? I’ll be wearing it two weeks later (and nabbing better pics while I'm at it).

Kickin' It

It’s here! Summer has officially started.* It’s smoking hot and brutally humid.


Hat, Betmar. Dress, Blue Heaven. Scarf and bangle, Claire’s. Bag, gift. Shoes, Aerosoles. Earrings, Julie’s Inspiration.

It wasn’t too warm for a lightweight scarf, though. Especially when balanced by the dress’ open back.




Photos by Beefy Muchacho

*What date do you consider the start of summer? Memorial Day or the summer solstice?

LBD: Blue Heaven Casual Dress

I recommend adding a casual LBD to your wardrobe, along with one for work and one for events. It can become a wardrobe workhorse! (And, if you buy a cotton version, you can easily redye it black once it starts to fade.) Like your more formal LBDs, look for special detailing to add interest, in the absence of color. My casual LBD is all about the back.



I won’t be silly and pretend that this dress is a possibility for the Little Black Dress Event, but it’s a great option for other local Cincinnati events, like bar crawls and food festivals! (Machine washable duds are best for possible spills!)

The Two T's

My two favorite places to shop are the thrift store and Target. Most of what I’m wearing today came from one of those two places.


Dress (worn as a top), Eddie Bauer (thrifted). Skirt, thrifted, shortened, and dyed. Bag and shoes, Mossimo (Target). Earrings, Target. Bracelets, Forever 21, vintage, and World Market.


Photos by Beefy Muchacho

Wahl Eversharp

When I wear this sterling, mechanical pencil, I like to imagine I’m Joan, from Mad Men. An outfit that emphasized my curves completes the costume.


Cardigan (pictured below), Moda International. Shirt, Sienna by Mushka Rose. Belt, Buckle. Skirt, Travis Ayers (thrifted). Shoes, Two Lips. Bag, Vieta. Chain and pencil pendant, vintage. Bracelets, Deb. Scarf, so old I don’t remember.


Photos by Beefy Muchacho

LBD: Sele Minidress

This LBD is too little. The style is appropriate for work, but the hemline is not. I gave up on trying to make the dress office-appropriate and donated it to last week’s Swap Hop. But I got a few fun looks out of it first.


Since the dress is now gone, I’m obviously not wearing it to the Little Black Dress Event. Did I make the right decision to swap it away?

Was I right to swap the Sele dress away?
	Yes
	No
	Maybe ... I'll explain in the comments
pollcode.com free polls

We're now one week out from the Little Black Dress Event. If you can't make it in person, send me a picture or link to a blog post of you wearing your little black dress and I’ll post an LBD round up on June 3.

Knockout

This evening, I realized that this skirt perfectly matches my Knockout roses. Someday, I’ll get my yard cleaned up and photographed. You’ll see that I like bright, clashing colors in my garden just like in my wardrobe.


Shirt, Moda International. Skirt, INC (thrifted). Shoes, Miss Me. Necklaces, World Market and Target. Brooch (worn on a necklace), Burlington Coat Factory. Bag, Vieta.



Photos by Beefy Muchacho

Checkered Dog

This dog portrait skirt is one of the few clothing items that the Muchacho can’t stand. I asked him if he’d like it better if it featured cats instead of dogs. “No.”


Skirt, Herman Geist (liberated and shortened). Tunic worn as a shirt, Wet Seal. Belt, Banana Republic. Shoes, Two Lips. Bag, Mossimo. Bracelets, Epcot Morocco and Charming Charlie (via swap). Earrings, gift. Hair stick, Ramayana.

Whenever Beefy tries to explain his distaste for the dog skirt, I become confused. So, I asked him to write it down.

Why [Beefy] Doesn't Like the Dog Skirt
You know those shirts people wear that give the illusion of your body being the statue “David”?


Or those Christmas sweaters that have three dimensional objects hanging off of them, or make noise or whatever?


That’s kind of how I view the dog skirt. I’m all for patterns and letting your freak flag fly (like with the Fugly dress, which I love), but I feel that the difference is how literal it is in execution… or too obvious. Give me an abstract pattern every day. It can be as loud and crazy as you want it to be…

Oh.. and wearing a skirt that forces me to stare to figure out what in the heck kind of dog is in that one picture on your left knee just makes me feel weird.

-Beefy

I get it now. Beefy doesn't like trompe l'oeil clothing or other eye foolery. I, on the other hand, love messing with perception.




Photos by Beefy Muchacho