Competent Communicator

On Wednesday night, I delivered my 10th Toastmasters speech, qualifying me for my Competent Communicator designation! I didn’t expect to complete the first manual in eight months, but made it happen by taking every opportunity to speak, whether scheduled or filling in for someone else. I’m looking forward to starting the Storytelling manual, next.


Shirt, Old Navy. Dress, Gap. Shoes, Isaac Mizrahi. Sunglasses, Target. Earrings, California State Fair. Belt, Hyde Collection.


I’d say I knocked my “participate in Toastmasters” 40 B4 40 adventure out of the park. And, today, I also took a sewing class:

Last Dance

I lost another wardrobe staple today. This chambray dress received a fatal rip when I sat too close to Jasper playing with a toy.


Dress, No Boundaries. Boots, Madden Girl. Sunglasses, Meow Meow. Belt, thrifted. Bag and earrings, vintage.



This dress lasted a surprisingly long time for a Walmart purchase:


I’ve had the dress since spring, 2010, and I’ve worn it more often than it’s been photographed. It was an easy, preppy-western choice for the weekends. I’ll miss it. I’m glad I got to have one more weekend with the dress. It was a nice option for attending an agility competition today:


Beefy and I got a real kick out of watching the tiny dogs complete the course!

Utes

The dogs broke my full length mirror before I put this outfit on. I didn’t realize how much I disliked it until I took photos at the end of the day.


Shirt, Old Navy. Pants, Da Nang (consignment). Shoes, J Crew. Sunglasses, Meow Meow. Necklace, thrifted. Earrings, Francesca’s Collections. Bag, Clark’s.


I wore a very similar outfit in August and found that it photographed much better:


Ah, well. You win some, you lose some. Here’s a bridge:

Urban Hike

Jasper was neutered on Wednesday, so we had to forgo our usual ten mile alpine hike. Instead, we (including Beefy) did an urban hike along the waterfront and Sacramento’s Old Town.

It wasn’t nearly as strenuous as our normal Sunday exercise, but he enjoyed smelling the bum urine. (He = Jasper, not Beefy.)
Shirt, Old Navy. Skirt, Max Studio. Sneakers, New Balance. Hat, Charlotte Russe. Brooch, thrifted. Earrings, California State Fair. Bag, Target.




Photos by Beefy Muchacho

The Polyester Window

This skirt is criminally cute, but the real crime is that it’s made from an unbreathable polyester. I can only, comfortably, wear it in spring and fall. I’ll wear it until the humidity kicks in and then move on to my cotton skirts for the summer.


Skirt, thrifted, shortened, and embellished. Shirt, Old Navy. Hat, Betmar. Shoes, Lela Rose for Payless. Earrings, No Boundaries. Pendants, Phai’s House of Jade. Bag, Modani.



Thankfully, the weather window for this hat isn’t so brief. I want to wear it on every sunny, warm day.