something beautiful.

What I'm Up To Tuesday

2010-10-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

1. the weather's finally getting cooler! which means so is my wardrobe. ;)

2. Sabbathing in the beautiful covered bridge, with it's light-through-the-slats magic.

3. my nephew! such a cute little bugger, even if his favorite word is "nooo."

4. I grew up in a beautiful area. Nothing better than oak trees and cows and the smell of dirt and grass. :)

5. I can't wait for this concert! It'll be my first time in Santa Cruz and shoot, she's great.

6. Bikin' all over Chico. 'Natch.

7. I'm a little obsessed with this band at the moment, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. This is the female singer (Jade) singing "River of Love" aka "Fire Water." (I've seen it titled as both, I'm not sure which is official.)

it makes me wanna wag my tail.

2010-10-18T13:03:00.001-07:00

one of my favorite people in the world sent me a present... just try to tell me this isn't the cutest thing ever.

it went right up on the wall. love you, Jlove.

What I'm up to Tuesday

2010-09-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

here's a few things I'm up to this week! hope yours is going well. :)

1. I made this fire! Camping with IV last weekend was fantastic.

2. We made homemade mac & cheese. I love Anna, and I love cooking.
I'll tell you my dreams soon, I'm letting them percolate.

3. J Crew's September catalog. It didn't blow me away, but I still loved it.

4. Fantastic thrift store adventure!

5. Just like old times. :)

6. A few projects... I'll show them to you soon!

bye for now!

drive out with the sun in your eyes.

2010-09-17T16:34:00.000-07:00

I'm headed off for the weekend to work/camp with 50 crazy college students! Should be a blast, but I wanted to leave you with a few things:

This is my kitchen! There's not a whole lot of storage space, so my roommate and I got creative.

I'm obsessed with this song right now. It just makes me feel woolly and comforted.

Giveaway at Tatertots and Jello in partnership with the fantastic Dear Lillie. What a beautiful shop, I want it all, but I think especially this particular t-shirt (it's one of my favorite bits of poetry from Emily Dickinson).

Later!

Braided Yarn Headband! Via EvaForeva

2010-09-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

Quick craft for today! I stumbled upon this tutorial at EvaForeva and loved the idea! I have had this yarn in my craft drawer since freshman year of college (o hai, trip to the Dollar Store with my roommate). I loved the colors and couldn't resist, even though it's taken me 4 years to come up with something to use it for, wah wah. In the future, I think I'll try the craft again with a plainer yarn to let the braid speak for itself. Click on that link up there to see Eva's version, which I like better... even though I like mine too!

Crafting Soundtrack: Switchfoot's "Your Love Is A Song"

See, aren't these colors great? So fallish. (They're even better in person, muted and earthy.)

It kinda ended up being a colorful, fuzzy rope, but I still like it. It will be fun to wear come Autumn. :)

(I have a white hair, guys. Who's the culprit?? I think I know...)

What I've been doing...

2010-09-12T18:31:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd bring you a little visual representation of what I've been up to lately... enjoy. :)

. As much time with the niece and neph as possible. Loves of my life. ♥

. My internship with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship! What a fantastic job, what amazing coworkers, and what joy it brings me to use my time talking about my Creator!

. Dates with my roommate. :)

. Bible study!

. Coffee shop in a train? Yes, I'm there pretty much every day.

. My friends are so talented.

. Wrote and gave my first talk this week! Thanks to God and Chris Thrasher Wheatley, it went so well and I had a lot of fun doing it.

. I get dressed still... and I'm getting so excited for cooler weather.

. I've been very crafty lately! Check back soon to see some of what I've done (once I have a chance to photograph the projects, and maybe the steps for a couple of tutorials.)

(for a tutorial on this one, check out Made By Lex. I pretty much just did this and poked a bobby pin through to wear it in my hair!)

. ...aaaand this:

(I put this up on the lockers at work... hope it makes my coworkers day a little brighter, and yours too!)

hello there!

2010-08-06T15:58:00.001-07:00

I randomly looked through this blog the other night, and you know what? I missed doing this. So we'll see, but once again, I am back.

A few things:
-I'm still obsessed with owls. They are everywhere in my house.
-I've graduated from college! I now work with college students through InterVarsity.
-I also work at Old Navy, to pay the bills for now. So, I may seem a walking Gap advertisement, and that's thanks to the discount.
-I don't currently have a working camera besides my bulky, tempermental thing that I've had since I was 16, so we'll see how that goes.
-I would say that I am neither happy nor unhappy right now, but I'm searching for some middle ground. Either way, I am choosing to be content in Jesus' plan for me, whatever that looks like!

I'd love to steer away from "fashion/style" blogging and just blog about creative things in general. I see a lot of beauty around me and a lot of opportunity to beautify.

Along those lines, allow me to show you my house. Can we say "She loves her new place."? I do, I love it madly. Here is bedroom and backyard for now!

2009-09-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I went shopping for jeans. Frig-fraggin-*&^$@#*^, I hate shopping for jeans.

I'd put it off for a few weeks, actually. I had a friend who promised to go with me, then flaked for mostly understandable reasons. Then I got sick. Since I woke up sans fever yesterday and once again had only holey jeans that didn't fit, I decided to get it over with. I went alone, and I went with a heavy heart.

Now, I know there are all sorts of jeans/pants-buying dilemmas out there, and maybe mine seems silly: my legs are long and my hips are slim. Doesn't sound like a dilemma yet? Well, you try looking for jeans that fit those criteria and come out not hating your body.

As is always the case, I tried on endless pairs of jeans, in many sizes. If I tried them any tighter to fit my hips, my legs wouldn't go into the legs. If I found some that mad my legs look great, they gave me flat ass (and my little ass needs a little definition or it disappears). I always end up settling for a pair that will do and having to wear a belt, every friggin' day of my life.

Sometimes, what I wouldn't give to go beltless!

And maybe it still sounds like a stupid dilemma. Well, truth is that the girl you think has a fabulous rack gets annoyed when she wants to go running or wear a low cut shirt or even buy a dress that fits her waist as well as her chest. And the girl with the tiny hips wishes desperately that she was curvy.

Truth is, full confession, I don't like my body. I want to, and I know I need to, but it's hard to feel beautiful, to feel like a grown woman, to love my body. I wish I had those legs and that cup size and size 6 jeans. I think some women pull off the slim look, beautifully, perfectly, but my proportions are just odd enough that I don't.

Shopping yesterday had just that much more edge when you add in that I have inexplicably lost weight recently. (Well, constant stress and lack of sleep may have something to do with it.) The jeans that I owned didn't even fit anymore. I had to succeed in my shopping endeavor, an activity that always depresses me, and I was entering at a low point.

There is a happy ending, to this particular story. After buying a cheap pair of skinnies that would do to tide me over, I ran into some friends. One suggested Anchor Blue and lo and behold, the first pair I tried fit beautifully. Great wash, good fit through the legs and butt, exactly what I wanted. Crazy, brand new experience.

Still, I was left thinking about why it is that shopping is the one activity I can think of that has so much power to either make me hate my body or love it. Why have I afforded so much power to body image, to distract me from what I know is good about myself, or even from what I know I need to develop in myself. It's hard to look past the surfaces sometimes, especially when they scream unkind things at you. I'm not going to finish with some advice on how to combat these feelings, because I frankly don't have any. All I can say is, when you have to go jeans shopping, make sure you try on a few things that don't give you so much trouble. End the mall trip with a pretzel. I don't know. All I can do right now is acknowledge what I don't like and try to think about the other things. Being treated to pizza. Hanging out with my favorite woman. Buying a few tops to wear with those elusive but finally captured jeans.

2009-09-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

wow. hello. I'm sure that no one bothers to check this for updates anymore, and yet here I am.

it has been a long time and much has gone on. much of my summer and the few months prior has been devoted to helping a friend through depression. also going on: urban ministry, total job/pennilessness, my 21st birthday, moving THREE times, started leading a Bible study which is so amazing, started my LAST YEAR OF COLLEGE, reached some milestones, made some mistakes, crossed some lines, learned some things.

and, with all of this still going on and more continuing to pile onto my plate, I have returned to this blog. I am here because I realize that with everything that I do, I don't do anything for me. I have no fun personal mission, I have no motivation to try unique things with my clothes, which in turn effects my self-esteem. if I may bare my soul for a moment, something I've come to realize is that I don't do anything for me unless I force myself, and darlings, that's not good. because I haven't paid any attention to me in recent months, I've lost myself to some extent. when I am asked how I'm doing, I answer "fine" not because I don't want to share but because the true answer is "I don't know." this is no way to live, I assure you right now.

that's why I am back. that's why I spent this morning with my journal, my Bible, a cup of tea, and this blog. why I dressed with a purpose this morning. why Fiona Apple, Camera Obscura, and the Beatles are flowing out onto my balcony as I sit here.

it's nice to see you again.

things I'm looking forward to: finishing putting my room together. I have an awesome project to do... which means I'm off to thrift stores for some more materials this week. family bbq this week... feels like I haven't seen them for ages! lots and lots of neutrals, more about that later.

who's the fashionista now?

2009-02-17T19:32:00.000-08:00

(click through)

my blogging habits need some fiber*

2009-02-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

So much for regularity... although, if you think about it, I regularly do not post very regularly.

That said, I have a 3 hour period twice a week during which I will be online... yes, I mean during class. I'm hoping to use at least part of those to finally keep up.

School started last week... and an interesting week it was. I began teaching my very own class of freshies... they are delightfully SILENT. Oh, and by delightfully, I mean I want to pick one to throw my binder at to see if they'll even notice.

Teacher outfit:

*That's right... it's a poo joke. Nothing but the classiest for you.

First discovered by the Germans...

2009-01-10T11:25:00.000-08:00

Full disclosure: I'm one of those people who absolutely romanticizes traveling. Still a favorite fantasy of mine is globetrotting journalist, running through the airport in my worn leather jacket to make a connecting flight to some obscure location, with only a beat-up duffel bag, a laptop case, and my very nice camera...

This may explain today's travel attire:

I'm on my way to who can guess where from the title to visit my Jonnie! I haven't seen her since August so I am very, very excited.

Well, I think my plane is about to board, so peace to ya lovelies! Later days!

2009-01-07T23:51:00.000-08:00

I've bought purple tights. We see what happens with them.

Happy New Year! I hope it's swell for all of you. Mine will soon really begin, which I'm definitely looking forward to. Time at the folks' place always feels a bit like limbo. I feel like I'm just waiting to go back to life.

In the meantime, I'm spending plenty of quality time with that nephew of mine.

Also, new blog addiction: Daily Fashion Boost.

The upcoming semester looks to be a relatively easygoing one, so I'm hoping to finally come back to regular posting. This break has put me online quite a bit, which means I am once again bored with everything I've been wearing and I'm ready to start doing new things... just exactly what, we'll see. Something with purple tights, perhaps?

Oh yeah, I finally got my grades back: 3 As and 2 B+s. I'm pretty stoked about one of those B+s especially, considering I wrote half of the papers for that writing intensive class THE NIGHT before they were due. That was the finals week picture I posted... NO SLEEP that night (or the next, or the next), but I'm DONE with last semester and ready to move on...

I have a feeling that a lot of things are going to continue to shift drastically for me this semester. My perspective and therefore plans have changed concerning my entire future... I no longer want to be a professor, but I do want to teach still... perhaps in Africa? Vietnam? San Fransisco? I want to intern with Oxfam. I want to sing in a nightclub. I want to write books and poetry. I want to mend the Church, and people. I want to have children and help them with their homework.

...Perhaps I'll narrow that down soon?

...Perhaps not.

Finals week #1

2008-12-15T03:25:00.000-08:00

Monday, 3 AM:

And my study buddies:

Oh, Santaaaaaaaa....

2008-12-07T19:37:00.000-08:00

I'm a little obsessed with this dress right now:

Sally Jane Vintage

So.... Who's going to buy it for me?

have you voted yet?

2008-11-04T13:34:00.001-08:00

2008-10-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

Is it time for my monthly post again?

Sorry I'm so lame, peeps. I'm so unmotivated to do anything remotely related to school, which means I get behind, which means I feel guilty doing anything else, which means blah blah blah.

So I figure I should make this hiatus official. I know, I know, all the cool kids are doing it, I'm just following the trend. I guess I'm a lemming like that.

In the meantime, check out beauty tips from Audrey Hepburn.

See you around the interwebs at a later date!

And then you take that love you made and stick it into some, someone else's heart, pumping someone else's blood.

2008-10-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

When I said "Check back later," I swear I didn't mean TWO WEEKS later. But hey, I almost put salsa on my lasagna today. And look what I wore to class after sleeping through my alarm and missing my entire first class:

O HAI, black. Pants that were on my floor? A sweater that was already in my school bag? An outfit is born. Luckily, I love black and brown together, so I feel pretty good about what transpired this morning. But still.

To the task I left undone LAST MONTH, I received a blog award! From the sweetest, stylin'est lady in the Southern hemisphere, the lovely Andrea of acatofimpossiblecolour.

Now, I wish I could show you how excited I was when she told me that she'd given me this award... Oh wait, I took a picture. Tell your imagination to take five.

Seriously. No exaggeration. I NEVER exaggerate.

And now, it is my pleasure and privilage to share the love to seven other special bloggers. Huzzah!

Firstly, Erin, cat nanny, Bento maker, redhead, fabulous... I could go on describing her for days. She's hilarious, colorful (in more ways than one), and awfully sweet. She's my first stop when I read through my blog list.

Tavi of Style Rookie. She's HI-FREAKING-LARIOUS and I pretty much never don't laugh. She's also got a great sense of style, whether she's in seventh grade or her thirties. I wanna be her when I grow up. I dooooooo.

Rhiannon of liebmarlene vintage. Hers is one of the first blogs I started reading. She shares my love for the early days of Holloywood and I just sigh over her amazing vintage finds sometimes. I bought a pair of shoes on Tuesday because they were so something she would wear (never mind that the heel is higher than ANYTHING I've ever attempted... especially considering I bought my first pair of heels EVAR in February).

MY LOVELY JONNIEFACE has a few blogs... Four, to be exact. One for her artwork, one for her inspiration, one for her edible creations, and one for her writings... It's the last one that I want to highlight this particular time. I've featured some of her artwork on my blog before, because she's an amazing artist (and you know, I'd love some more of her work for my walls...). BUT, she's also a fabulous writer. "Headlights" is an amazing story.

Oh, Winona. Famous for Daddy Likey, her hilarious fashion blog. I'm COMPLETELY addicted, however, to her Tumblr, 24 Dinners. Anything and everything, political, humorous, amazing.

The Clothes Horse. Impossible not love her, really. Her thoughtful, beautiful posts about life, aesthetics, and finding her way through life at school in the States or abroad in Greece are like a cup of hot chocolate on a windy autumn day to me: restful, happy, and peaceful. (And I know I don't need to mention how she's beautiful and stylish. We know this.)

Sally Jane Vintage. Yet another one of those lovely bloggers whose wardrobes make me absolutely DROOL, besides the beautiful locations for all of her photos, I now truly love her since I found out that she is a fan of one of my absolute favorite bands of all time, People in Planes. Beautiful, stylish, fabulous taste in music. CHECK.

And that's all for now, folks. Love you all!

EMF: The Return... #3? 4? I'm losing track.

2008-09-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

I swear, I'm not a fading 80s popstar. I'm not planning comeback posts in order to generate some excitement. Trust me, I'm not that clever.

Oy, life once again has exploded for me, which means late nights devoted to either homework, homework, homework, or epic games of Pictionary and terrible kung fu movies. Therefore, I will once again, um, dump a load of pictures and forgo any details. (Details can be found at my flickr, click on the linky in the sidebar...)

Also, I know a lot of you know about this already, but a few of my outfit pictures have been published in a book about online fashion, along with a lot of other AMAZING remixers. The only complaint I have is that my page is directly across from Piksi... Who among us can compete with her? Anyway, if you're interested, the book is called What I Wore today: Fashion Remixed Online From Beijing to Berlin and it's been published by Graffito Books. You can preorder on Amazon if you want a copy. Check it out:

Aaaaaaaand, check back later for a special post about the blog award I recieved while I was off being a student! I can't wait to pass it on to some super ladies.

To do today:

2008-09-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

As of 3:25 pm:

So far, I've added more items than I've crossed off.

Real post later?

2008-09-18T19:02:00.000-07:00

I just got my first drive-by (literally) pick up. Hilarious. I was riding my bike home from a meeting when this guy leaned out of his car and said something along the lines of "Hey baby, how you doing?" I probably shouldn't encourage that, but I was so amused that I gave him my best gangsta nod and just laughed.

New boots! Piratey enough for ya, Jonnie? Hee hee. I love them, they're so comfy and soft. I felt like a modern gothic heroine today.

This is my "little black dress," by the way. I bought it back in February for a wedding. I loved it because it seemed like it would be so versatile and because, even though it initially looks like a simple black shirt dress, it has some really cool details, such as the ruffle front and an almost pinstripe effect. It seemed like something so dress up or downable. ...I still firmly believe that, but this is only the SECOND time I've ever worn it. And I wore it as a tunic. I am hereby resolved to make better use of this wonderful dress in the future.

Yesterday, I once again attempted the riding-my-bike-in-a-dress, since I felt I mastered the practice last week. I didn't account for the somewhat shorter length of this particular jumper, however... It turned out to be fine once I reconciled myself to showing off a LOT of leg whilst pedaling.

This is my "listening to music before class" smirk...

...And these are my legs.

Metro Station! Woo!

Call for artists?

2008-09-17T23:56:00.000-07:00

Someone should design me a tattoo for this:

“The bluebirds flutter in my chest,
Oh, they want to sing.
You’ll have to break me open to hear anything.”

Seriously.

You know when life suckerpunches you in the gut?

2008-09-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

Yeah. It's awesome. But don't worry, it was more of a shock thing than anything else, and in fact I'm very excited for the rest of my week, namely Friday when I'll be on my old campus. I'm looking forward to seeing some good friends (bragging to certain ones, of course), hanging out with my awesome cousin, seeing my brothers, all of that good stuff.

Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback about replying to comments! I'm always afraid that I might be rude or ignore someone that I really don't want to (ignore or be rude to... goodness, TERRIBLE sentence construction but I'm too lazy to change it), but I think The Clothes Horse has a good method when it comes to specific questions, which is to respond on the other person's blog if possible. Other than that, I'll probably continue to respond sporadically in the original thread (ha, of course I did, E!).

My computer's being wacky, so I'll catch up on outfit posts later. Hasta!

Question to all you bloggers out there:

2008-09-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

How do you reply to comments? Do you reply in the comments? On their blog (if they have one)? Half the fun of blogging is making friends with all the lovelies, but it's difficult to keep things up. I know I only remember to check back about half the time when I leave a comment. So I'm curious, am I the only one/lazy? What do you do?

EDIT: Along these lines, I have responded to recent comments within the original comments section. Just FYI. :)

In other news: The weather forecast predicts light showers for Friday! FINALLY! It's September, so let's be done with temperatures in the nineties please!

Sign the frickin' budget already, Arnie. PLEASE.

2008-09-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

Wow. I'm not sure I've wanted something so instantaneously in a while... But look!

Coasters @ 12fifteen

Aren't they preeeeeeeety?

Also, isn't this the coolest? I used to have my own homemade calling cards (complete with an arrogant personal slogan: "Making your world better since 1988."), but these are MATCHBOOK STYLE AND SO COOL. I wish I could justify shelling out the cash for something so unnecessary to survival...

In other news, I'm into toast right now. Toast with butter. Mmm.

I waste time like a pro, yo.

2008-09-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

I'm supposed to be writing about the pedagogy of basic writing based on my response to a (mind-numbing) article by Bartholomae and my observation notes. That's why I'm blogging, of course.

It's either this or Facebook, and I think my friends over there are suspicious of how often I'm online.

Check out my ugly-ass couch.

The return, sorta.

2008-09-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

I'm finally back! Hopefully, for real. Buuuuuut, because I'm so behind, this isn't so much a post as a photo-dump of the last three weeks.

What I've learned so far at Chico:

2008-09-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

Riding a bike in a dress in not as difficult as you might think...

...It's getting on and off said bicycle without showing off your bright blue undies that is complicated.

Gah, I miss you all! I'm still trying to find my groove. I plan on being around the internets tomorrow, catching up here and with you. I have no idea what's going on, it's crazy!

She lives! She blogs!

2008-09-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

Hey there, cats and kittens. I'm alive, I promise! School started a couple of weeks ago, which means that I'm reprioritizing my time. I'll be back soon, with all the pictures on my memory card.

CSU, Chico: the place that is stealing all of my time.

Look! Look how clean my room is!

2008-08-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

I've reached a point where I can't do anymore until my roommate arrives... Hopefully, she isn't put off by just how much of my stuff I'm hoping to use in the common rooms. She didn't have much out there, so I took a few liberties. Of course, I'll compromise if she's not down. It is rather asking a lot to keep nearly ALL of my books (boxes and boxes worth) in our living room.

Anyway, since I've finished with my bedroom, I thought I deserved a break. What do you think of it?

Oh yes. That's Kafka. I bought him and that post card (it says "CUT LOGGING") at a bookstore at Pike's Place.

The view from my doorway.

This desk belonged to my grandmother before she died.

And the dresser was my grandfather's.

Charles Demuth's From the Garden of My Chateau, Jonnie and me (equals amazing), and a few of my favorite little trinkets.

Pictures from my brother's wedding, a bookend I got at the beginning of the summer, and marr green glass.

Oh, that's right. It's a freaking Shakespeare display. Just wait until you see the OTHER display...

The desk, neater than it will ever look again. LtoR: The book I'm currently reading (Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott), my 80 gb Zune (his name is Fyodor and he's singing The Killers to me right now), my laptop (his name is Ernest), a George Herbert poem (Deniall, holy crap, beautiful), a railroad tie (SYMBOLISM), an egg containing thousands of thumbtacks, etc.

The wall above my desk. The "people and memories I love" wall. Pictures from my trip will go on the tissue paper when I have them. The painting is by Jonnie especially for me and the tree was made by my friend, Andrew, who I then stole it from.

His name is Henry. He's been with me since I was 5 years old. People keep telling me that he's a girl bunny, since he wears pink, but I've always just insisted that he's secure about his masculinity. After all, he does get to sleep with a woman every night.
My mother made me that pillow after I received the comment on an essay. I was so thrilled to find out that my favorite professor thought so well of me.

...The other display. Betcha didn't know I was this nerdy. I SO AM.
My friend, Sarah, gave me the big coloring book at the end of the last school year. She felt like it was my graduation too and wanted to give me something. SHE'S AMAZING.

Aaand, my wardrobe_remix photo, because otherwise you don't get to see my sweet Yellow Submarine calender. Mmhm.

Peace.

Check my temperature?

2008-08-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

I've definitely caught the food bug. I blame Jonnie and Erin entirely for this. Oh, and the deliciousness of food.

Lunch: Baby spinach leaves, Green bell pepper, Sunflower seeds, Dried cranberries, and Feta cheese.

Mmmmmm.

You might start seeing more food than clothes. MOAR UNPACKING.

The books, bottom to top: Dante's Divine Comedy, a book of Percy Bysshe Shelly's poetry, and Sir Philip Sidney's Defence of Poesy. Yes, I am a pretentious English major.

MOVING DAY.

2008-08-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

BLAR, IT IS EXCITING. But, also, I am exhausted.

Hence the grumpy face? Perhaps.

I am now sitting in my own living room, my very first living room, mine, mine. I did my own grocery shopping and cooked my own dinner (oh Erin, you would be proud of my dinner... by the way, I think you would like this blog). I won't show you my apartment yet, since it as yet contains piles of things that apparently belong to me. Good thing my new roommate won't be here until Saturday.

Spinach, bell peppers, and goat cheese with pesto. Jonnie (here, here, and here) and I cooked the same meal while camping and it was so good, I had to have it again.

BUT, pictures from my road trip, which was AMAZING. (I stole a few from Jonnie... hope that's ok.) Mouse over the picture for explanations/random things I had to say about the pictures.

I'm back

2008-08-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

What an amazing trip. Hard and beautiful and fun. I'll put pictures up later... Just fyi, I'm definitely moving to Portland.

Tomorrow, I officially move into my first ever apartment. EXCITEMENT.

This is what I did today:

Mm.

2008-08-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the disappearance. I'm on a road trip with this hotness:

Be back soon.

Girl Grush Friday #2

2008-08-08T22:39:00.000-07:00

I've been avidly pondering the idea of body image for weeks now. It came to the forefront of my mind when my late night channel-flipping brought me to a documentary on BBC America called "Super Skinny Me." Two "immersion journalists" agreed to participate in a study about drastic diets.

As one of them sank into the throes of despair and experimented with purging, I sat in my stuffed armchair, eating cookie dough, pitying women everywhere, and judging the society that demands perfection.

I also kept thinking: I know it took three weeks of crash dieting, which is wreaking havoc on her physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing, but I want her thighs.

Such a blatant realization of my own insecurities (because, don't forget about my utter lack of a waist, my chubby upper arms, and the nose my Italian father so graciously passed on to me), made me realize how I was looking at myself in the mirror (and, for some reason, I have hugeass mirrors on either side of my bedroom, so it's nearly impossible not to). When I undressed that night for bed, I made a conscious decision not to zero in on the flaws that often drive me nuts. Instead, I looked at my cheekbones and the hips that are starting to emerge (Yeah, at 20. FINALLY.), at my freckles and my eyes.

So my thighs are a little chubby. So I don't care.

All of this brings us to this week's Girl Crush:

Elizabeth Taylor. The epitome of Woman. This dark-haired beauty rocked her curves with style, class, and confidence.

Wow.

2008-08-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

Go read Sally's latest post about the ideals of beauty.

Could our desire to emulate the current body ideal be driven by competition with each other? It may be important to us to look and feel attractive enough to snag a mate, but is it actually MORE important to us to feel bodily superior to other women?
Forces besides heterosexual pairing are at play, subtly convincing us that size 8 is too big, b-cups are too small, and arm flab is Satan. And I dig that striving for fitness and beauty is not all about biology and procreation.
But if we're driving each other to anorexia out of senseless competition - and especially if we're doing it under the guise of wanting to be beautiful "for ourselves" - then things will get a lot worse before they get better. Because we girls don't give up easy, not when it comes to proving ourselves.

I can't give you anything better than that.

ETA: While you're there, you may as well read back as far as you like. She often touches on the subject of body image and the causes of our insecurities in a very personal and thoughtful way.

Nostalgia.

2008-08-07T14:28:00.000-07:00

Since I was a youngin, reading Sherlock Holmes and drinking chocolate milk (wait, was that yesterday?), I've been fascinated by the color of the cloistered daughter's dress, referred to as
electric blue in "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches."

Behold, the color of my imagination:

The Sartorialist

My name is Caitlin...

2008-08-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I'm definitely letting the owl-love get out of hand. But a friend of mine just showed me this:

HERE.

Two worlds colliding! Grammar! Owls!

Someone take my debit card, quick!

Projects!

2008-08-06T21:46:00.001-07:00

I don't like hot. Hot is bad. Cool is good.

Today was hot. Boo. I tried to do yardwork today, but it was too hot. I finally gave up and did a few sewing (seriously!) projects I've been putting off.

Before you get impressed, let me stress how simple it all was. Pretty much, I sewed buttons onto random items of clothing. But I'm proud of myself.

First, the wrap skirt. I got this skirt during spring break and really like it, especially the pockets. But it had this sash thing that just kept getting in the way.

I just chopped off the sash, added a couple hooks, and sewed on some buttons. Buttons with stars on them. It don't get cooler than that.

Everyone asks about my suspenders. Where I got them and whether I had to sew on my own buttons. Yes. It's easy enough; you just need 6 (matching, if you're ocd like me) buttons and 15 minutes or so. So, I finally added buttons to three more bottoms.

L to R: Black dress pants, black and white checked pencil skirt, plaid shorts.

I even busted out my end-of-the-semester glasses:

You're as cool as the other side of the pillow.

2008-08-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

The bike I wish I could take to school:

The bike I will take and, weather and personal discipline allowing, ride to class on a regular basis:

The preferred bike is a great 80s Varsity. It was my father's and I found it tucked behind our garden shed. It needs a lot of work before I can use it, however, and I simply don't have the time to replace, well, almost everything. Back behind the shed it goes to await next summer, I guess.

These shorts used to fit, I swear. Now, I can pull them right off without undoing them. Maybe my mother is right when she tells me I've lost too much weight. That's the Simpson Cafeteria Diet for you (see, the diet is you don't eat because you don't want to).

A few things.

2008-08-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

Recommendations for today:

1) Download and enjoy these songs which are a few of my current obsessions.
-Ben Folds (feat. Regina Spektor), "You Don't Know Me" (a leak from his new album, Way To Normal!)
-Coldplay, "Lost (acoustic)" (definitely my favorite track from the new album)
-Metro Station, "Tell Me What To Do" (dance party, anyone?)
-The Hush Sound, "Pretty Down to Your Bones" (bonus track from Goodbye Blues)
-Regina Spektor, "Field Below" (probably my favorite Regina song of all... which is saying a lot)
-People in Planes, "Vampire" (low quality rip, high quality song)
-Kate Nash, "Pumpkin Soup"

2) Go read Andrea's poem, "As A Consequence." Amazing. (After that, go ahead and scroll down so we can share in the jealousy of how hip/hot she always looks.)

3) Read this article and have a giggle at the expense of pandas everywhere.

4) Scroll down and check out my super cute nephew, Emmett!

My new love.

2008-08-04T22:59:00.000-07:00

Well, well, what a weekend! I spent most of it with Edward and Bella:

BUT, the most important and wonderful part of my weekend is named Emmett Beck. He's my nephew, he's perfect, and I miss him already.

In the waiting room with Emmett's future cousin.

Introducing:

2008-08-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

Girl Crush Friday!

After last week's fun, looking through pictures of Zooey Deschanel and picking a few of my favorites to post, I started to think of other style idols of mine. The list, as of yet, consists mainly of film stars and singers.

Going through my now massive folder of fabulous ladies, I've been trying to decide who to kick off with. I finally settled (as if!) on someone I've mentioned a few times: the beautiful, the impishly sexy, the wonderfully French Jean Seberg.

During my stint inhabitating my professor's house, I watched nearly every dvd he owns, including A Bout de Souffle (English title: Breathless). A New Wave staple of every film class, the movie was fascinating, and not just because of Mme. Seberg's impeccable style. I highly recommend the film to all who consider themselves connoisseurs of either post-modern filmmaking or vintage style.

Stripes again.

2008-08-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

I love this shirt. Whatev. But, paired with the suspenders, I do feel a bit mimey.

I'm in a box. Get it? Of course you do. You're too smart for me.

As of Monday, I've joined the hordes who are reading and obsessed with Twilight. It was the the first time in I can't even remember how long that I have stayed up all night reading, rather than simply reading to pass the time because I couldn't sleep. It's a much better feeling, and I thank you Stephanie Meyer.

I mention this because, for those of you who don't know, Breaking Dawn comes out tonight and I'm really stoked to go to the release party. I need my Bella and Edward fix, though, so I'm rereading Twilight until tonight.

The necklace I'm rather proud of, being one of the few creative ventures I have made of late. I've seen the cute bow necklaces that lots of remixers and bloggers are wearing and decided to put one together myself. I made the bows out of ribbon, which I attached using twisty ties. The pendent was given to me by my great-grandfather (Papa) years and years ago. I've had it around but never really used it. I rather like how the whole thing turned out.

Check back later for a special post!

I have weird theories about other dimensions.

2008-07-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

I'm on a black kick right now.

I love the fact that I'm wearing black and everyone told me how summery I look. Heh.

Also, it was definitely funny to me the response to my last post, which included several photos of Zooey Deschanel. Perhaps I should add some pictures of her to every post.

I'm packing my room and preparing to move into my apartment, which means that my room is a disaster area. I kid you not. I thought I was taking things out of my closet to pack, but what actually happened was that I created a tear in the time-space continuum, which in turn allowed another dimension to throw up on my floor.

This is only the beginning.

Mrah.

2008-07-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

I felt somewhere between Jean Seberg (I wish), Metro Station (it's the pants), and pirate today.

I'm going with pirate. Arrr.

Now. Erin mentioned her girl crush on Zooey Deschanel, which I definitely share. I know we're not alone. Who's not in love with Zooey?

Oh. My. Freaking.

2008-07-24T00:50:00.000-07:00

the rhodora:

I'm going to mug her and steal this dress. Not "I want to." I will.

La laaaaa.

2008-07-23T22:02:00.000-07:00

Last night, la la, my new owl bag came, la la! I don't know why I'm singing, except I like it so.

I love these pearls, even though I rarely wear them. I love them because of the way I got them. Years and years ago, I was in San Fran with my family. My father went out for a walk and came back, breathless, excited, and babbling. We briefly considered the possibility of a heart attack, especially considering his insistence that we get the car. Apparently, he had stumbled across an estate sale of sorts where the only price tag was $0. My parents brought back many things, including these pearls which my father gave to me.

Erin's daily cat photos always make me miss my own. You see, they still haven't forgiven us for allowing a traitor to move in (Benedict Sammy, the cocker spaniel) and therefore refuse to come in the house anymore. Knowing that they like to lounge on the front lawn (since Sammy can't go there), I decided to go there for my photos today and found Sophie ready and willing for a little love. Billy (full name: Billy The Girl) was hiding away from the sun somewhere.

Daaar!

2008-07-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

This isn't good for my shopping ban. And what about this? Or this? This? Boo.

Mraaaah.

2008-07-21T17:02:00.001-07:00

That's about as intelligent as I feel right now. It has been a crazy week. Apartment hunting nearly every day. I keep coming home with good intentions to return emails and comments, to catch up on my blog list and wardrobe remix, and to update this blog here. Instead, I've flopped down nearly every day onto the couch to watch a few hours of tv before collapsing into bed. I'm just tired. When I have felt like doing so, my internet has been mind numbingly slow. But enough of my excuses.

...Oh, and by the way Andrea, his name is Melvin. I name inanimate objects too!

I spent forever trying to come up with a satisfactory outfit yesterday. I went to a new church down in Chico, so I had to dress nicely, but 1) it was over a hundred degrees and 2) and I didn't want to bore myself to death. After church, I walked around the campus for a few minutes and took some pictures, which I'll post later when I've sorted them a bit.

Oh, also, I met with a girl about sharing an apartment. Yay, I have a place to live this year!

My mother and I went to Mamma Mia. I figured, ABBA music, Colin Firth, I'm in. Wow, super cheese. At least the music rocked.

Please enjoy this picture of my bosom.

2008-07-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

I bought this necklace, along with a couple other items (gifts, mostly), BEFORE I decided to stop spending money, but it just arrived today. You get a picture of it (and my bosom) but nothing else, because I'm too lazy and tired for anything else.

westergard11 @ etsy

ALSO, I don't know if you've ever been to your lovely places, but I submitted my photos of my prof's house and they went up a few days ago. Don't scroll down too quickly, though, because the entry above mine is my lovely friend Jonnie's favorite places.

Oh, I'm so artsy.

2008-07-14T18:43:00.000-07:00

Looking off into the horizon. Actually, my father came home right when I was taking the picture.

I'm so happy today. Good things are happening all over the place. I'm feeling much better, so I'm dressed and I even went outside. See the smiles?

Plus, I'm stoked for next month. First, my older brother and his wife are having a baby! My second nephew. I'm almost as excited to find out what his name will be. They picked a name FOREVER ago and seem to think it's fun to torture us by refusing to tell. Anyway, then, I'm going on a sweet road trip up through Oregon and Washington with my lovely roomie. Finally, I'll be moving to and starting classes at my new uni. August will be a good month.

I've been feeling the crunch on my wallet recently, so I've decided to go on a spending ban until my road trip. I hear the Portland thrift scene is exciting, so I think I'll wait until then. I think I can motivate myself like that. Well, let's hope.

How very Post-Modern of me.

2008-07-14T02:50:00.000-07:00

It is interesting, even intriguing, as I have spent so much time these last few months either in contemplation of myself and all that entails or in revisiting the books, music, movies, and so on that I have enjoyed throughout my life.

It is interesting because I realize how much of myself is a compilation of the things I have taken in. I notice phrases, gestures, a peculiar way of pronouncing a word. Things that I have accepted as mine but now realize were merely loved and adopted by me.

I have just been rereading The Corner Shop, a rather cheesy bit of fiction by Elizabeth Cadell, in an attempt to relax and fall asleep, when I noticed this at the beginning of chapter 3:

It was always best, Lucille thought, to begin as one meant to go on.

I have said this myself many times, in just that wording. It is always best to begin as you mean to go on. Now that I am reading it, I remember reading it the first time, being taken with the phrasing as well as the idea behind it.

This is only the most recent example. And don't even get me started on being around my parents so much. I realize that much of my aesthetics comes from my father, while my drive comes from my mother. My reaction to embarrassment is identical to my father's, but my response to annoyance looks and sounds eerily like my mother.

It truly is useless to argue that who a person is can be entirely independent of his or her environment. I know that I, for one, am a product of everything I have seen, heard, read, done, experienced, felt, or had any sort of contact with.

But I am not simply this amalgamation of many parts. I am also simply me.

Why?

2008-07-12T00:12:00.000-07:00

Why, oh why don't I have $450 to spend on a velvet waistcoat from Dolce and Gabbana?

Bluefly.

I suppose the more important question is why it would cost me $450.

A little obsession

2008-07-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

Since I've been sitting around on my arse all day, I ended up surfing etsy. My owl obsession is getting bad. I bought this owl field bag the other day and I REALLY want this owl watch necklace.

For today, however, I looked at housewares, in anticipation of moving into my own place. I'm dying to buy these cute owl accessories.

HERE.

HERE.

HERE.

HERE.

HERE.

HERE.

2008-07-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

Remember that road trip I'm supposed to be on? Well, yesterday I woke up with the flu. I couldn't even keep water down. And so, alas, I was left behind to lie abed all day. My friends have kept me updated and tell me that Claremont is wonderful. I'm glad to hear it, even though I don't get to see it, because the entire point of the trip was to check things out for my friend who will soon be living there. I'm so glad she likes it. I'll visit her sometime and see it for myself.

I'm feeling much better today, just tired and dehydrated. I've been diligently drinking lemonade, and I think I may even get dressed today.

And now, enjoy this picture of me demonstrating the dangers of over-accessorizing:

As long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive.

2008-07-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

So sorry for the absence this weekend. I received an... interesting personal revelation that threw me for a loop. However, I'm happy to say that after I had a chance to adjust, I'm feeling better than I have for months. I feel free to live. I've learned. My past is in the past.

Tomorrow, I'm going on a road trip! A close friend of mine is moving to Claremont to work on a Master's degree in Women's Studies in Religion this fall, so we're visiting the town and campus for a few days. I promise to take lots of pictures. I'm very excited. Apparently, the town motto is "Claremont: Home of trees and PhDs." How can that not rule?

This weekend, my friends and I held a Costume/Karaoke party. I went as a Red Panda to compliment my friend's Giant Panda costume. There was also a Pirate Mime, the man from Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven," a murdered lounge singer, and other great costumes.

MOAR JEALOUSY

2008-07-04T00:36:00.000-07:00

As I worked my way through my ridiculously long list of of fashion blogs that I read regularly (confession: daily during the summer... if I'm bored enough, I will occasionally check back later in the day on a few), I spotted this at Fashionist, my favorite San Francisco street style blog:

Don't you just hate her? And by hate, I mean love and want to be her? I do. If I could look as effortless as her every day, I would be amazingly content.

Now back to cleaning my room. Such a glamorous life I lead.

My shoes match the sky today.

2008-07-03T20:10:00.000-07:00

I love the way high-waisted pants look on some people. I'm not sure, however, I love the way they look on me. I have a short torso and not that much on top. I feel a little bottom heavy (ha, puns...) in these shorts. For some reason, though, I think I will ultimately put them into rotation. Just wearing them over the course of the day, they've grown on me.

I stumbled across this article this morning about a high school in New York that will be enforcing a mandatory lunch period due to many of its students skipping it in favor of work. I must admit, I empathize with the students, though I also agree with the idea behind the policy.

I cannot deny that I am a workaholic. I often sit in the cafeteria with a textbook, or three or four sources for my upcoming paper. Another common scenario involves grabbing a sandwich and a bottle of soda on the way to the computer lab.

People constantly tell me to "relax." But I am relaxed, I am alive, I am real when I am pushing and stretching and trying. When I have tenure at age 35, I'll relax.

Man pants.

2008-07-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

Usually, I go for a more fitted look all around. Obviously, that's the most flattering. But sometimes, I just want to pull out my man pants.

Today is the first time since I permed my hair (yes, I permed my hair...) a few weeks ago that my hair has been thoroughly combed. Disturbing? I know. It's so much easier sometimes, especially since I usually wear my hair up somehow.

(My puppy is cuter than your puppy.)

The English Major within escapes, once again.

2008-07-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

REND:

1.	to separate into parts with force or violence: "The storm rent the ship to pieces."

2.	to tear apart, split, or divide: "a racial problem that is rending the nation."

3.	to pull or tear violently (often fol. by away, off, up, etc.).

4.	to tear (one's garments or hair) in grief, rage, etc.

5.	to disturb (the air) sharply with loud noise.

6.	to harrow or distress (the heart) with painful feelings.

7.	to split or tear something.

8.	to become torn or split.

*****

I think that "rend" is a marvelous word, and its many facets simply prove once again the beautiful complexity of the English language. I love the many variations on a similar definition. It is a melancholy word, and since I am a melancholy person, I adore it.

*definitions from dictionary.com.

I have seen far too many sunrises in the past few months.

2008-07-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

My sleep schedule is ridiculously wack. Oh yes. I said "wack."*

Yes, it has been another sleepless night. I blame this one partially on copious amounts of Mountain Dew ingested, several zombie flicks watched, and various and sundry topics conversed with a dear friend until the wee hours of the morn.

I also blame it on the twenty hours of sleep I got on Monday night, which I blame, in turn, on the 3 hours received Sunday night, and so on...

In other news, I attended orientation at my new uni on Monday. I'm beginning to doubt my decision to transfer based solely on the amount of things there are to do between now and the end of August. For instance, I must find a place to live, a job in my new town, a class schedule that I can be happy with, a financial arrangement that will not cripple me, and so on. However, I am ultimately glad to be a Wildcat.

Now, I recommend you go read The Clothes Horse's latest post about "dressing her age." I, for one, have never felt the need or desire to act my age, but instead, have attempted, if anything, to dress for the next stage of my life. I am working towards the future, so why should I not prepare for it in every aspect of my life?

* I warned you before. I use slang but I really shouldn't.

This is heavy.

2008-06-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

Today, I stayed in bed until nearly 2. This was not the plan, but after lying awake until nearly 3, it happened.

After rousing myself, I read all about Erin's mysterious boon (I want this shirt too! I wish it would show up on my doorstep...). Inspired by her graphic tee Sundays, I decided to pull out one of my favorites as well.

In case it isn't obvious, I am a devoted Colbert Nationite. For the first year and 3 months of the show, I never missed an episode. It was only when I went to school and no longer had a television that I started missing them. Thank the Lord for full episodes on Comedy Central's website!

Moving on... Though the tasks are veritably surrounding me, I have chosen instead to spend this day watching all three Back to the Future movies. I honestly don't know why I need bother, however, since I can quote every single line.

My phone used to exclaim "1.21 jigawatts!" repeatedly whenever I had a voicemail. It was definitely cool.

It rubs the lotion on its skin.

2008-06-28T22:49:00.000-07:00

As previously mentioned, I'm not so much a fan of weddings:

Today, I attended the second of three weddings in the same month. Sheesh.

The groom was a Marine, and as such he wore a dress uniform, COMPLETE with a sword. His wife was very excited to use it to cut the cake. Unfortunately, due to the company I was surrounded by, I was unable to take advantage of the amazing imagery (of her licking frosting off of his sword...) to make a rather off-color joke... I don't think my parents and former youth pastor would have appreciated the reference.*

Now to explain the title... After a day of such romance, I needed to relax and watch something a little less scary... So, I'm watching The Silence of the Lambs.

It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.

*I realize that, perhaps, you don't appreciate the reference either. Sorry. It's just that, once you've legitimately used the phrase "sexual fluids" on a literature quiz (thank you, John Donne), you have very little shame.

I am home.

2008-06-27T00:20:00.000-07:00

I'm finally home from Hawaii. It certainly is a beautiful place but I am very glad to be home.

How are you?

Aloha, kids.

2008-06-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

I'm heading off to Hawaii with the family for a week. Whether or not I have access to the internet is uncertain, so just in case, I will will say hasta luego.

Also, I will leave you with some beauty, since truly, that's what this is all about: the pursuit of beauty. These are a few of my recent new favorite artists.

Charles Demuth:

From the Garden of My Chateau, 1921-1925

Incense of a New Church, 1921

My Egypt

Walt Kuhn:

Angna Enters

Plumes

(Sadly, I haven't been able to find my favorite of his works anywhere on the internets.)

Have a good week!

Pimping

2008-06-17T00:27:00.000-07:00

The lovely and hilarious Winona of Daddy Likey is holding a contest! Seventeen Syllables for Prada. Write a haiku about your favorite (or least favorite) fashion designer and you just might win a Prada wallet!

I love to butcher ancient Japanese art forms, I mean write haikus. Of course, now that I've said this, I have no inspiration. The last one I wrote was for a friend of mine when he graduated from our university. Much of this will make little sense to you, but I will share it.

English majors and
Educated citizens:
Power up, turbo.

(Now I feel as though I should explain. We were both English majors, we took a class together that was entitled "Math for the Educated Citizen, and he likes fast cars and motorcycles. Easy enough.)

Of course, my favorite haiku of all is from Threadless.com:

Haikus are easy
but sometimes they don't make sense
Refridgerator

I'll leave you with that.

Jesus, With a Tension Headache?

2008-06-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

So, I was chastised for referring to my new sweater as ugly. What? I also think it's beautiful. But thanks anyway, darling. ;)

Tonight is my last night of housesitting. My last night of secretly watching Sex and the City. My last night of peace and quiet. My last night in this adorable little house. My last night with Jesus With a Tension Headache:

To celebrate and say goodbye, my friends and I found hats belonging to my ridiculously fashionable professor.

I really want to steal that hat.

Bam!

2008-06-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok, I can't act like I'm a good cook. It's frozen pizza.

I've had this apron for as long as I can remember. I remember "helping" my mother cook. I'm sure, now, that I was more trouble than help. I remember when this apron covered more than the barest essentials.

Ok, here's another confession: I bought this sweater new today. My mother asked me to pick something up at Old Navy and I saw this on the clearance rack. It's was only $2.97 and I just couldn't resist its ugly beauty.

Furthermore, it's way too warm to be wearing a sweater, but I am inside, the air conditioner is set at 75, and I'm wearing shorts, so I don't care!

Recent thriftings.

2008-06-14T01:08:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to show these off for weeks, and the pictures just keep accumulating. So here they are, in one monster post. Ha ha!

I found this at my usual place. I'm not sure what I'll put in it, but for now, it's perfect for some of my sturdier jewelry.
$1.50

Scarves! I love scarves, as you may have noticed. Every time I go to the hospice, I beeline for the scarves. I always start there.
Approximately $0.50 each.

Ain't it cute?
$1.50

You can't see the shape of the skirt here, but it's a great little pencil skirt. I'm very excited to wear it with sweater vests come fall.
$2

An orange miniskirt. It felt very Juno-esque, and since I want to be Ellen Page, I snapped it up.
$2

More green glass. These little bowls seemed perfect for charms and rings, so I grabbed 'em.
$0.80 each
In the last picture, you can see my new Wayfarer-esque sunglasses. They weren't thrifted, but for $5 at Wal Mart, I'm excited about their thriftyness.

This is the most expensive purchase I've made yet at a thrift store, but I loved it so much that I had to get it.
$10

This little guy was my first owl. I think I will name him Sherman. He and Percy can be friends.
$2

Also not thrifted, but crafty. I picked up these pendents from Michael's. Cheap cheap and pretty dang cool, I thought.

fire engine red.

2008-06-12T23:55:00.000-07:00

There are fires all over the Northstate. Much of Paradise was evacuated today, which is about 45 min-1 hour south of my town. Ironically, I wore an outfit that made me feel almost firefighterish today.

I've always thought that I might like to be a firefighter. I enjoy good, hard, physical work and I don't tend to fear typical things. Somehow, I've chosen a career path that seems directly opposite. Huh.

Hopes and prayers to all the real firefighters who are out there doing their thing, as well as the people who have been evacuated from their homes.

His name is Percy.

2008-06-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

I'm not terribly crafty. I've tried, but I know that it's turns out rather generic, so I leave it up to the truly gifted people.

Such as my friend Katie. She makes and sells jewelry. Beautiful stuff, too. I'm trying to convince her to set up an online presence because trust me, you want some.

I finally got my first Katie original the other day. Look! Look! His name is Percy:

Isn't it beautiful? I love him. I'll keep you informed as to her online presence.

(More outfit details...)

I want to be this girl.

2008-06-09T16:29:00.000-07:00

Everything about her look and demeanor is perfect. She looks so peaceful, so comfortable, so perfect.

(From The Sartorialist.)

Housesitting again.

2008-06-09T14:29:00.001-07:00

Mm, breathe that in. Love that quiet. That's good stuff.

I had another sleepless night last night. It's becoming a weekly occurrence. Not good. Not good at all.

I was supposed to start summer classes today, but because I got suckered into going to Hawaii with my family, I ended up dropping the class. I guess I can live without a Mon-Thurs, four hour lecture+lab. I'll probably make it up during the winter session. Oh well, Christmas vacation makes me stir crazy anyway...

The crucifix is another piece I inherited from my grandmother when she passed away last year.

Wedding season...

2008-06-07T23:40:00.000-07:00

It's official. Wedding season has started. Tonight, my best friend from jr. high got married. He's 19. Oy.

Every wedding I go to convinces me more and more that I want a wedding like Meg March (from Little Women). I don't want a lot of fuss and fancy. I just want my family and a few people whom I really love. I don't want to be cloistered away until some big reveal. I don't want attendants. When Aunt March arrived, John was on a ladder, fixing a garland, and Meg was tying his cravat and rushing to greet her. That's what I want.

Well, I guess first I've got to find my Brooke, even though I'm definitely more of a Jo than a Meg. I'm impetuous and boyish and quick-tongued (when I should probably be quiet) and oblivious to the affections of others (so I often hurt their feelings without realizing).

Anyway, this is what I looked like at the wedding:

(Curly hairs!)

(Not a fan of this whole wedding business...)

I cut out after the toasts. I'd been there all day to help out and there was still quite a bit left to go. A couple friends, who each had their own weddings to attend today, came over to watch Atonement. Good movie. I'm not in love with James McAvoy the way the rest of the world seems to be, but I do think he's a very good actor. Great movie.

Lazy days.

2008-06-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

This is my life right now:
--Awake until the wee hours of the morning, watching late night television and reading old favorites, such as Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech, and Joy in the Morning, by Betty Smith
--Roll out of bed sometime between 11 am and 1 pm
--Check my email, wardrobe remix, MySpace, Facebook, LiveJournal, etc, as I avoid making contact with the real world
--Take pictures for WR and post them while watching What Not to Wear
--More of the same until the wee hours of the morning

As ideal as that may sound, I'm bored. I don't like summer. Never have. I miss school. And this summer is crazy, with all the traveling, apartment hunting, and whatnot, so it's not really feasible for me to get a job, even though I need it. I work sporadically for my father, who owns his own business, but mostly I just feel like I'm floating through these 3-4 months out of the year.

Vest details:

My shirt says "Shakespeare hates your emo poems." My profs love it.

Muuuuuusics.

2008-06-05T19:36:00.001-07:00

I did this music meme on another blog and the songs are so fabulous that I thought I would share with you. I hope you enjoy.

1. Reply to this post and I'll assign you a letter.
2. List (and upload, if you feel like it) 5 songs that start with that letter.
3. Post them to your journal with these instructions.

I was given the letter "M." Let the games begin.

Medicine Man, The Hush Sound:
Medicine man I lay my head in your hands
Medicine man you will clear my mind
Medicine man can you heal my body
Medicine man can you hear my cry

I don’t want to be
The one, the one, the one that you forget
I don’t, I don’t I don’t just want to be your regret
Oooh oooh oooh oooh

I don’t know where to begin
I don’t know how to break the bottle I’m living in
Do any thing to take away the memory of him
Can’t you see that I have no way out
Don’t leave me now

My Best Friend, Weezer:
I hope you believe me
Because I speak sincerely

My World, Avril Lavigne:
You know I always stay up without sleepin',
And think to myself,
Where do I belong forever,
In whose arms, the time and place?

Maybe Not, Cat Power
We all do what we can
So we can do just one more thing
We can all be free
Maybe not in words
Maybe not with a look
But with your mind

Miss Independent, Kelly Clarkson
Surprise, it's time, to feel what's real
What happened to miss independent's no longer need to be defensive?

God, I'm so freakin' emo.

2008-06-05T18:37:00.000-07:00

Virginia Woolf, Modern Fiction:

"It is the sense that there is no answer, that if honestly examined life presents question after question which must be left to sound on and on after the story is over in hopeless interrogation that fills us with a deep, and finally it may be with a resentful, despair."

It's thought-provoking and insightful, but all I can think of is COMMA COMMA COMMAAAAAAAAAS!!

Lazing on a ...Thursday afternoon.

2008-06-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

I swear, I've got a song lyric for everything. It's a gift. A gift that comes from a lot of procrastination and a lot of radio listenin'.

I've not been sleeping well for the past two or three months. Sometimes I fall asleep around 4 or 5 am. Sometimes I don't fall asleep at all. Ironically, I fell asleep at a somewhat decent hour last night (1 or 2 am), but I was awakened by an enigmatic text message at 5:42 am. DRAT.

I tried to stop and smell the ro... random flowers on my deck, but I forgot about my allergies. ATCHOO.

It is 11 am in Ireland...

2008-06-04T03:00:00.000-07:00

...And 3 am here in California. But, I am chatting with my former roommate who is working in Ireland this summer, so I thought I would also post today's (yesterday's) outfits.

As per my black theme, I wore black. Even the shorts have a lot of black in them, but they also have some red and gold running through them. You can just see my trusty, soon-to-be-completely-worn-out Converse All-Stars, purchased approximately seven years ago.

For my friend's thirtieth birthday, quite a few of us went to dinner. I was told to dress up, and this dress was specifically requested. As it fit with my commitment to black, I complied.

I picked this scarf up at the thrift store for fifty cents. I twisted the ends around each other until they began to twist around themselves into this rosette and tucked the ends in to secure it.

In keeping with the Irish theme that is also running through this post, I wore this necklace that was given to me by my grandmother, who picked it up on her last trip to Ireland. Beautiful, no?

I want to move to Ireland. She tells me they drink tea all the time and everything is old and beautiful. She gets to go visit a castle soon and see a Medieval illuminated text on Friday. JEALOUS.

I don't THINK I'm in mourning...

2008-06-02T22:27:00.000-07:00

I find myself more and more drawn to black recently.

I go through phases where I feel boring in black. I feel like I need to add to my outfit and I just end you looking ridiculous because I'm not satisfied with a simple and (hopefully) classy look.

On the other side of the spectrum, I go through phases where I wear nothing but black for weeks at a time because I love the simplicity.

I just got back from a visit to San Francisco. I went to a restaurant in the Mission district with my family who lives in SF and, when I looked around, I realized that everyone else in the restaurant was wearing black. I was on the tail-end of a "black is too dull" phase, but the crispness and pure style of most of the patrons pushed me back over the edge to black fandom.

My plan for the next few weeks is not to go over the top with the black but to accent it subtly with colorful accessories and layers. Here's hoping.

And also, here are some Wardrobe Remixers that I think have done a fabulous job with my goal.

Softspoken looks so chic with almost all black plus teal tights and scarf.

Another example of black with a few colored accessories. golightly_vintage adds brown boots and a dark but colorful scarf for a very understated look.

renr is super cute with her yellow shorts that just pop under the black top.

Fashion Puttana mixes black and navy, not to mention the patterned black tights. Perfect.

Many picturezzz...

2008-06-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy weekend. I'm feeling far too lazy to write anything worth reading right now. Later, I want to post some of my recent thriftings, but right now, please to be enjoying a few of my most recent outfits.

First of all, Friday: My little brother graduated from HIGH SCHOOL. I'm getting old. I'm halfway to forty now! I digress. This is what I wore to both the graduation and a bachelorette party directly afterward. The vest is my mother's from a long time ago. She won't wear it anymore because it's too 80s for her tastes, but I love it.

This morning, I got up and got dressed to go to church. Then I started talking to my cousins, who were in town for the graduation, and totally lost track of time. I got this skirt at the Ann Taylor outlet. Please don't judge.

Of course, I'm too much of a slob to wear a skirt all day, so I changed.

And now, back to Saving Silverman. I love this movie.

Oh the horror...

2008-05-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

I have finally realized that I must curb my spending. My income is low and currently not too steady. Besides, it's just getting ridiculous. I seem to come home most days with new (old) shoes, books, tops, whatever. I really don't need to spend so much money on clothes I already have so much and there are so many who don't. Furthermore, I'm about to incur more loans that will soon cripple me, I'll be paying rent on an apartment that I have to furnish, and I have to buy textbooks. I'm sure there's more.

So instead of cutting myself off completely, I thought it might be a good idea to list certain items that I really, really want and limit myself to looking for them. I know that I'll allow myself the occasional splurge, but if I make priorities, hopefully I'll cut down.

1. Vests. I bought a rather colorful vest recently, and as difficult as it might seem to match it with an outfit, I've worn it probably about twenty times since. I'd love to pick up some more neutral pieces because I love the shape a vest adds. Black, grey, brown, navy.

2. New skinny jeans. My old ones are far too big. It's difficult to find pants that are long enough with a waist that is small enough. I know, stupid problem to have, but it makes pants-shopping a pain in the ass, pun intended.

3. Plaid shirts. I love plaid. I barely have any, though, because my mother is not a fan. She always tried to stop me from getting it.

4. Cardigans. You can never have too many cardigans because you can wear them with anything. Well, you can, but I don't yet.

5. Scarves. I love scarves because they can add so much to an outfit and make it completely different.

As much as possible, I plan to stick to thrift stores. I've bought way too many new things recently: several dresses, tops, etc. But besides the fact that thrifting costs less, it takes more imagination, makes old things new, and often provides you with unique pieces that you would never see in a department store. I'm sure you know the virtues of thrifiting without me telling you, so I'm making this commitment now: unless the situation calls for it, I will not shop in a department store for the rest of the summer. All clothing and accessory purchases will take place in thrift stores.

Primary colors!

2008-05-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

I promise. My hair isn't as big as it looks. It's overcast, so I used the flash.

I keep forgetting that I'm poor.

2008-05-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

Seriously though. I have GOT to stop buying things. I just keep doing it... Kohls is having a big clearance sale, which I didn't know until I walked in looking for something, which I didn't find, but I still bought several tops. Oy.

On another note, I'm housesitting for my favorite professor. Don't you love this house? It's so little and cute and perfect, and he decorated it himself!

I love the bold, solid colors on the walls and minimal accessories. Realistically, the house is far too small to have too much on the walls, or else it would seem even tinier. But I think that it's just perfect.

May 15, 2008, 103 F

2008-05-15T23:46:00.000-07:00

Oh my freakin, it's buttcrack hot.

Today's outfit is really about the hair. I've been wanting to try some old fashioned 'dos for a while, and I found a tutorial on how to do an Edwardian twist. Love it.

From the front:

From the side:

From the back:

Which commandment is it? Do not covet....

2008-05-14T20:18:00.000-07:00

Sigh, the biggest problem with being a poor college student that is interested in fashion is that you can't buy what you want. Sigh. Luckily, there's a lot you can do with the proper combination of inexpensive items, vintage hand-me-downs, and there are great things to be found at thrift stores if you know how to look.

However, this post is dedicated to the things I can't afford but love to lust over.

Leather Field Sathel by Filson. The perfect professor bag. Onlyl $760 at davidmorgan.com.

Bruno Magli's Cedric flats. $108.97 at Piperlime.

Nicole Miller's antique white silk bead trim gown, $840 at Bluefly.

Vera Wang navy waffle organza ruffle dress, $299.99 at Bluefly.

Nanette Lepore brown button front 'Swing Dance' skirt, $132 at Bluefly.

Gucci brown silk-cashmere 'Chambon' scarf, $640 at Bluefly.

Sigh.

Inspiracion. That's Spanish for inspiration.

2008-05-10T20:58:00.000-07:00

I've become a faithful watcher of wardrobe remix after seeing Remix Stars of the Week for so long on Painfully Hip and wondering how so many stylish people could congregate in one place, even on the web, without causing a nuclear reaction of cool.

Here are two of my favorite contributers. I've favorited nearly every outfit of theirs, so I thought it fitting to give a few examples of why I like them so well.

Julie Mack has such a perfect, effortless look and the most amazing hair! If I could pull off a haircut like hers, I'd die happy.

it girl_rag doll just started her own blog. She's a fashion design student and I just love her vintagey style. She's beautiful.

I love cashiers that help you beat the system.

2008-05-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

JC Penney has a sale on summer dresses, so my mother and I went to check them out. Luckily, my mother still enjoys buying me clothes, since I resisted for so long, so I made out like a freaking bandit.

When we got to the register, the cashier sent me to the front of the store for their ad, which had coupons. She split up our purchases so she could use both and even fudged it when the second didn't quite reach the amount it needed to be for the coupon. I have a theory that cashiers who do this know they sold their soul to the retail devil and are rebelling in whatever ways they can to stick it to the man. That's what I would do if I worked retail.

Anyway, enjoy my dressing room/cell phone shots of all the dresses I tried on today. I got six out of seven. *winces* I won't be (actively) looking for any more for at least the summer.

I love kelly green, and I've been loving white more and more lately. I've always been a bit wary of wearing too much white, since I tend to be somewhat of a spiller. But I love it, so I'm going to try to be careful. The bust needs to be taken in just a skosh on this one... As a friend of mine once said, I'm not exactly Breasty McGee.

I love brown. This is just a great, cute little dress. I'm not sure yet how to dress it up, but I like the scalloped top.

Like I said, I love white. I've been on the lookout for the perfect little white dress, so I thought I'd try this one on. Of course, after lusting over this beautiful dress at liebmarlene's store, this one just fell short. Besides, I felt like a mermaid in it. This is the one I didn't get.

This isn't a very good picture of it, but this turned out to be my favorite of the dresses I tried on and bought. It has a cute little bubble hem that's not too dramatic and wonderful colors.

I love the shape of this one. It felt very 40s, with a full skirt and pockets!

I liked this one but I think it's too long for the shape, so I'm going to (have my mother) shorten the hem to a few inches above the knee.

I just love the colors. Blue and black. I'm going to move the bow around to the back.

Now, back to Kiss Me Kate. Gotta love The Taming of the Shrew as a musical. Ann Miller, Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, and Tommy Rall.

My Brain=Summer Mush

2008-05-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

I... don't feel particularly witty today. Instead, enjoy pictures of the finds I got today.

Blue leather, half inch heels, thrifted: $2.

Leather professorish loafers, thrifted: $2.

Large beaded bracelets and a necklace, Wal Mart clearance.

Travel bag that will make a perfect book bag once school starts up again. It says "Frontier Travel & Tours: Carson City, Nevada." Thrifted: $1.

Today's look, with the new heels and bag.

Annnnnnnd, the most important purchases of all, 8 vintagey-looking but not pre-used glasses (Wal Mart) and lace gloves (thrifted, $1). Why are these the most important purchases of the day? Because these are my first purchases for my very own apartment! Oh, I feel like a grownup now!

Oh, what a beautiful day...

2008-05-07T17:17:00.000-07:00

And I'm stuck inside because I decided to put off writing my term paper until a week and a half after the semester ended. I managed to escape long enough to take a picture and torture myself with sunny, 80 degree weather. Sigh.

No more teeny-boppin'

2008-05-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

Hello! It's my birthday and I am twenty years old. Woo! I still act like a 6 year old and look, apparently, like a 14 year old.

The best news of all is that I have a new computer, hurrah! This means I'm back. Double hurrah!
Today.

I pinned a locket to my vest which was a gift from my grandfather to my grandmother. It has the birthstone, emerald, that she and I share. I like the idea of wearing it since she died a year ago this month.

See ya later!

Finals week...

2008-04-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

Siiiiiigh... I'm halfway through my last finals week at Simpson, but not even close to halfway done with my work...

My computer is out of commission, which is a shame since I have many, many photos on my camera that are itching to be set free on the good old interwebs.

Please bear with me in this time of personal and technical upheaval... Send me some good thoughts so I don't punch my professors in their respective faces.

And now, please to be enjoying this passage from one of my favorite books of all time, Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn:

"I don't know," Miss Lizzie said. "Sometimes I think it's better to suffer bitter unhappiness and to fight and to scream out, and even to suffer that terrible pain, than just to be ... safe.' She waited until the next scream died away. 'At least she knows she's living."
Miss Maggie had no answer.

My friends are so retarded.

2008-04-06T15:12:00.000-07:00

But for some reason, I just keep watching it. Over and over and over...

Yesterday's and today's outfits.

2008-04-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was forced to attend a heinously dull bridal shower.

When I walked in, someone handed me a string with two rings on it. Later, they explained that we weren't allowed to use the bride and groom's names but could only refer to them as "bride" or "groom." Failure to comply would result in a loss of your rings. I stared for a moment, took off the string, and stated loudly and clearly for anyone who would listen: "Ashley and Garrett are individuals and are not defined by their roles in this upcoming event." I then handed the rings to the nearest person, who apparently didn't hear a word I said and gladly accepted them.

Anywho, this is what I wore. Sadly, when I left, it had turned cold, so I had to change into jeans as son as I got home.

Today, I thought I would go to church, hang out with a good friend, then come back and do some of my reading for the week, putting off the papers until tomorrow at least. Unfortunately, on the way home, I remembered a huge presentation for math (ugh...) which I and my group members haven't even started. I made a list of everything I have to do for these last three weeks of school and it is TERRIFYING. Therefore, I will probably not be posting too much in the coming weeks and I'll probably wear the same t-shirt and jeans every day as well.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to my bowl of tuna.

Ah, the glamorous life of a TA...

2008-04-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

So... many... exams... Must... finish... grading... Want... more... than... eight bucks an hour...

My friend, Hunter, walked up to me while I was grading away and told me that I looked like I could be anywhere from 18 to 30 years old... I suppose that's a nice change from the "What are you, 14?" that I usually get.

friður

2008-03-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

My (former) roommate and one of my very favorite people ever has just created her very own art blog. Check it out, because she is amazing. Here are a few of my favorites... Well, they're all my favorite, but here are just a few:

autum.

silent flim.

peace.

golden.

curriculum vitae. (This one is hanging on the wall above my bed... she painted it for me.)

playing my heart out.

Check out the rest of Jonnie's amazing art at her blog, friður, and be sure bookmark it for future amazement.

Two outfits, one day!

2008-03-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

I'm not particularly excited about this outfit. I love the skirt, which I just bought on sale at the Gap, but I was still on vacation... meaning I had very limited options for pieces to wear with it. What I don't like about this, and you may not be able to see it in the above picture, is that there's just too dang much going on in the center of my body, which completely overwhelms my rather small bust. I've never been particularly happy with the neckline of that shirt, either.

My absolute favorite detail of this outfit is invisible in the above picture. It's a wrap skirt, and there's a lovely bow on the left side:

Later that day, I messed around with the shirt and came up with a temporary but satisfying solution.

Before:

After:

Later, after moving back into my dorm room, I changed into pants, since I am a tomboy at heart:

Then, I put on the Spice Girls:

Oh, Ziggy.

2008-03-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

I'm home on spring break, which means most everything I own is locked away in my dorm at Simpson. Last night, as I was digging through the remnants of jewelery that I left behind this semester, looking for something to add to an outfit for later this week, I stumbled upon this amazing ring that my mother gave me years and years ago.

I abandoned it at the time because I was so small, so it's size was even more pronounced. But now that we've been reunited, I doubt I'll ever take it off again!

See, I do have little hands:

I couldn't resist a body shot to show off my fabulous David Bowie shirt. Also, note the stripy blue layer, peeking out from the bottom. That is the navy twin to my favorite red stripy shirt that I warned you about.

By the way, this is a pattern with me. I get something and love it, but then I decide that I don't love it or that it doesn't fit. So, away it goes, banished to a drawer, the hope chest, or the back of my closet. Months or even years later, I'll stumble across it and wonder what I could possibly have been thinking (or perhaps, drinking?). Wait and see if it doesn't happen again very soon.

But now, it's homework crunch time, since I haven't done any and I only have three more days of break. Papers to write, books to read, presentations create! Oh, the life of a college student...

Vintage purses... from my mother.

2008-03-26T13:35:00.000-07:00

Back in high school, it was always a competition:
"Great shirt! Where'd you get it?"
"Thrift store. Only cost me a dollar." *smug*

The less you paid for it, the more cool factor it had.

So by extension, these hand-me-down purses from my mother's high school days must be the absolute bomb diggity*, right?

This one has some character. A lot of the stitching has come out and the seam is split on the side. I intend to nurse it lovingly back to health once finals are over.

Detail shot, so you can see the colors:

The hole:

And she didn't like the purse I just bought because of the color. Oh, how we change as we get older.

*I'm an English major. This means I'm not good at slang, but for some reason, I always try.