100th Post Giveaway!

Oh yes, you read that right!  It is indeed my 100th post and I'm giving crap away!  I've been "publishing" stuff online for almost exactly 9 years, but previous to this it has always been more of a way to keep up with friends and family.  This was the first time I put myself out there for strangers.  I didn't even tell my friends & family about this blog for the longest time because I wasn't sure if I would stick with it.  It took me a little while to find my groove, but a little more than a year (and 100 posts)! later, I think I'm doing pretty well!

And I have to say, I've been pretty pleased with the response I've gotten from strangers!  I'm not going to lie and say I don't care about comments, because I do.  I love getting comments!  I love knowing that I'm putting this out there and people are reading it.  That said, I'm lucky that I haven't received any negative comments yet.  And as a thank you to all of you who read this, I wanted to have a giveaway!

First though, I have an outfit for you.

Gray v-neck tshirt - NextLevel via Amazon.com; Black vest - Mossimo, thrifted; Black pants - Gap; Black heels - Ettienne Aigner via Macy's; Scarf - vintage

A funny thing about this vest.  I used to have the EXACT same vest in a size large.  During the Great Purge of 2011, I got rid of it because it was too big.  A few weeks ago at a thrift store, I found this vest, in a size small.  I've always been a vesty sort of lady, so I was super excited to pick it up.  And, you know, the fact that I've gone from a large to a small is nothing to scoff at!


Okay, so!  Here's what I'm giving away!

Patina is a local store full of all kinds of fun stuff.  They have a little bit of everything: jewelry, fancy soaps, candles, kitchen things, stationary, home decor.  Like I said, a little bit of everything.  I picked up a set of notecards and a pair of earrings to give away!  

I'm not even lying when I say I wish I could win my own giveaway.  I'm a big fan of notecards.  I use them a lot at work, to let people know that I enjoyed working with them or just to say hi to someone I haven't seen in a while.  And the earrings are adorable!  I should have picked up a pair for myself when I was there last week, but maybe I'll do that next week.  I think they're simple, but fun.  You could wear them with anything!

Want to win?  Leave me a comment!  Tell me what you like about the blog or what you'd like to see more of.  Tell me a funny story.  Write me a haiku.  If you can be polite about, tell me what you don't like.  Anything!  I'll leave the giveaway open for a week and next Wednesday (12/7), I'll choose a winner at random!

As a sidenote, Patina isn't sponsoring this giveaway.  I paid for these items out of my own pocket because, hey, it's the season of giving and I'm thankful for everyone who reads this!

Black Friday

So.  Black Friday.  Did any of you get up super early (or just not go to bed)?  I've never really gotten into the whole Black Friday melee.  Mostly I think that's because I don't remember it being quite such a to-do before I became a flight attendant.  And since I've become a flight attendant, I'm usually working Thanksgiving weekend, so I miss out.  Last year I flew to Salt Lake City and went to the mall for lack of anything better to do and stumbled upon The Body Shop's 3 for $30 deal, which was awesome.  I was pleased to see they offered it again this year (by the way, did you know that The Body Shop lets you stack coupons online?  I got 10% off AND free shipping!), but I ordered online.

This year, I was on call but didn't get called out to go anywhere.  I did, however, get up at 6am to walk up to Barnes & Noble when they opened at 7am.  My mom has been wanting an e-reader for AGES and she recently decided she had her little heart set on a Nook.  Well, B&N had them on sale In Store Only.  So, I called her up on Thanksgiving and asked if that was what she wanted for Christmas.  I texted my sister to see if she wanted to halfsies and she did, so yes, I was up before the sun. And really for no reason.  There was hardly anyone out at that time of the morning.  I was a little early, so I went to Starbucks for some coffee and meandered back.  I walked into B&N at about 7:05 and I'd say I was out the door by 7:15, Nook in hand.  And I was the only customer in the store.  I walked through Macy's and saw maybe 2 dozen people?  I stopped at Target and there were maybe 50 people milling about the store.

I went back downtown later in the afternoon to see about picking something up for my giveaway (this is post #99, y'all!) and business had definitely picked up, but I don't think it was nearly as crazy as it might have been in some of the suburbs.

And even though I was up disgustingly early (I rarely wake up before 8am unless I need to be on a plane), I still got dressed.  Because it took me just as long to put on what I wore as it would have to pull on stretch pants and a sweatshirt.  I even took the extra 5 minutes to put my face on because I just feel more put together when I wear make-up.  I didn't bother with my hair because I let it air-dry yesterday.   I have no outfit from Thanksgiving because I spent the entire day in the aforementioned stretch pants & sweatshirt.  What?  I had no one to impress.

I did have my long gray cardigan on over the sleeveless blouse, but when I went to edit my photos, I noticed that I had one sleeve pushed up to my elbow and one sleeve down.  And it just looked wonky.  Also, note my apron dragging on the floor.  Stella has discovered that she can tug the magnet down.  She may be adorable, but I tell you what, some days she can be a real pain the tuckus.

Tie-front bow blouse - Old Navy; Joes Jeans - Nordstrom Rack; Black pointy-toed flats - Nine West

Happy Thanksgiving

Welcome to my obligatory Thanksgiving post!  I could go through and list all the things I'm thankful for this year, but I'm sure my list is a lot like your list.  I have great friends, a fantastic family and a kooky cat who makes me laugh.  I have a job I enjoy and an apartment I love.  A year ago, I started dating an incredible man who has been out in the ocean, serving our country for the last six months.  He comes home in just a few weeks and I am so, so grateful for that.

And I have this blog!  I've been working on this blog in earnest since last February and like I mentioned earlier, I'm nearing my 100th post!  I'm really proud of myself for sticking with this, even though sometimes I'm a little light on posting.  I'm still going to do a giveaway for my 100th post, but I haven't figured out what I'm going to give away yet.

I wore this a few days ago and almost wasn't going to post it because I'm wearing the same jacket I wore in the last post.  But you know what?  I like this jacket.  So there.

Pink scarf - San Lorenzo market in Florence; Purple tweedy jacket & black legging jeans - Gap; YES concert tee - eBay; Gray boots - Madden Girl

Notice anything different in these photos?  I finally got around to ordering a new pair of glasses!  There was a coupon code in the back of this month's Lucky for a site called SpexClub which has since changed their name to Lookmatic.  It was for 35% off a pair of glasses!  Which is a pretty great deal, especially if you are blind as a bat, like me, and you have to get special thin lenses!  I'm a fan of big nerdy frames and I'm pretty stoked on these.  It's nice to have a pair of glasses in the right prescription for the first time in about five years.

I'm also working with new photo editing software.  Up to now, I've been using Picasa, which is nice, but a little basic.  I downloaded GIMP, which is a free program, but it's been a while since I've messed around with it, so excuse me if the photos look a bit wonky for a while.  I'll get the hang of it!

 I mentioned my kooky cat in the first paragraph.  Stella is probably one of the best cats I've ever had.  She's not purposely destructive (she has, however, messed up my blue chair from chasing her tail on it), she's friendly to strangers, and she loves to cuddle.  She's also become rather mouthy in her old age, and isn't afraid to tell me when she's unhappy about something.  While I was taking my outfit photos the other day, I started dancing by the locker where she was perched.  And apparently, she didn't approve of my dancing.  And because I have no shame, I'm sharing a video of it with you.  If you're friends with me on Facebook, you've already seen it.  But it makes me laugh.  And you can feel free to laugh at my dancing!

What I Wore and What I Didn't

Generally speaking, I don't put a whole lot of effort into getting dressed.  By that, I mean that I spend some time thinking about my outfits before I put them on and then I put them on.  I'm not one of those people who puts on 5 different tops with the same bottom to find just the right one, only the change the bottom at the last minute and go with the first top.  I think that stems from the fact that I have a limited number of tops & bottoms that go together, but maybe it's just that I'm impatient.

Most of the time, the outfits I put together in my head turn out pretty well in real life.  I stole (borrowed) this skirt from my cousin Evelyn a little over a year ago.  It's real leather and I thought it would be fun to play around with.  Unfortunately, it is just a wee bit too big and the leather is a wee bit stiff.  I put this outfit together in my head while I was brushing my teeth yesterday and in my mind, it looked fantastic.

And, in reality, it's okay.  I like the way it looks from the side, but from the front I think it looks a bit wonky with the skirt being a bit high-waisted & a stiff a-line and the jacket being a bit too long & boxy.  And the white tshirt was a miss too.  

I putzed around my apartment in it for a while before I decided that it just wasn't going to be a go.  I'm still not sure what to do with this skirt, so I thought I'd post my first attempt to style it and get some feedback.  So, what do you think?

Purple tweedy jacket - Gap; White v-neck tee - NextLevel via Amazon.com; Black leather skirt - Wilson Leather via my cousin; Maroon-y tights - HUE via Nordstrom Rack; Black leather pumps - Etienne Aigner via Macy's (they're actually my work shoes!)

And what did I actually wear yesterday?  How nice of you to ask!  While I was visiting V last weekend, we got to talking about her closet.  Because girlfriend has a lot of clothes.  She has a great eye and a fantastic sense of style (and I'm not just saying that b/c she's reading this!).  But she's mentioned in the past that she feels like she has a lot of clothes that just aren't "her" anymore.  I'm a pest and a bit of a nag, so I started bugging her about her closet project and she proudly showed me the discard pile.  And under the discard pile were her colder weather clothes.  And sitting on top of that pile, with the tags still on, was a pair of tan corduroys.  She mentioned that she bought them on mega sale, but just never found a reason to wear that particular color.  She suggested if they were my size, I could have them.  Long story short (short story long?), they were!

They are super comfy & super soft.  I wonder though, if they aren't a wee bit short?  I have this problem of not being super tall, but not being "average" height either.  I fall right into the sweet spot where "long" pants are ridiculously long and "regular" pants are just too short.  I think?  What do you think?  So many questions in today's post!

Tan corduroys - Anthropologie via V; Black flats - Nine West

Aaaaand speaking of questions.  So.  I am nearing my 100th post!  And I thought it might be fun to do a little giveaway in celebration.  Also, after nearly 100 posts, I've been thinking about things I might want to do with this blog.  I LOVE doing my outfit posts, but then I feel like on days when I'm flying or on days when I'm just bumming around in the same thing you've seen a million times, I have no content.  So start thinking about things you'd like to see on the blog because I'm going to ask for your suggestions in my 100th Post Giveaway Post!

T-T-T-Tulsa

And once again, it's been a week since I updated.  Let's just call November a slow month and move on, shall we?  To make up for my lack of posting, I've got a whole slew of photos.  This weekend I went to visit one of my best friends, V, in Tulsa.  I forgot to ask her to take a photo of my traveling outfit, which is a shame because I think it looked really cute.  Another time, I suppose.

I flew into Tulsa on Friday and V & I went to dinner and then hit up a bar she frequents.  While we were there, she realized she had completely forgotten about a friend's housewarming party.  She asked if I wanted to go and I figured, Hey, why not?  So off we went!  There were quite a few people there and I tried some kind of whiskey that tasted like cake.  I didn't think to pay much attention to the bottle, but it was delicious.  The crowd was quite lovely and friendly and I met & talked to a LOT of people.

On Saturday, we decided to hit up all the photo ops in town.  the first stop was a statue of Abraham Lincoln that someone carved out of a dead tree.  Then we stopped into the store where V works.  For some reason, they have a horse statue in the fitting room area, so of course we posed awkwardly with the horse.  I wish the lighting had been better for photos, but I can see how it would be flattering for trying on clothes!

One of the things I love about V is that she is a super PRO at accessorizing.  Watching her put together an outfit is always really fun because she'll pull out things that maybe don't look like they go together and by the time she's done, she has this cohesive look going on.  She mentioned wanting to start her own style blog and I'll let y'all know if she does, because she would definitely be a good read!  That belt she's wearing in that photo was so great.  I think I need her to tutor me in the art of accessorizing.










There was also a gorgeous green leather couch in the fitting room area and I was in love with it.  The shape was super classic, but the color gave it a sort of modern twist.  So, of course, we made one of V's employees take our photo on it.

On Saturday night, V & a girlfriend took me to a country dancing bar!  I've been to a country dance place once before and going again only reiterated that I am incapable of two-stepping.  It's just not in my personal skill set!  I wore my pleather leggings, my embellished chiffon-y tank & the leopard cardigan along with my black flats.  I thought I'd stick out a bit more, but there as so much glitz & glimmer going on, I fit right in!  We mostly stood around & watched all the awesome dancers until one dude came along and danced with all three of us. I was hesitant, because, like I said, I can't two-step.  But he convinced me to go out on the floor and he spun me around like a top!  And then, oh man, he flipped me.  Like, ass-over-elbows flipped me.  It was so crazy!  And I was not expecting it, so I sort of got stuck mid-way and also, one of my shoes went flying!  It was so embarrassing, but pretty fun.  I can't say I'd ever been flipped on a dance floor before!

Sunday was very low-key.  We slept in, made pancakes and then went for a drive to see the Center of the Universe.  I did indeed hear a weird echo when I talked while standing in the circle.  And I didn't hear any weird echoes of the people who were checking it out before me & V got a turn.  Very odd, and very worth a stop!

 

For dinner, I taught V how to make gnocchi (using this recipe) and she taught me how to make pizza dough (using this recipe).  Both cooking experiments turned out great and we sort of ate two dinners.  First the gnocchi, then the pizza!  We made enough gnocchi that V could freeze several meals' worth for when she's short on time or inspiration for dinner!




The rest of Sunday was spent with V doing reading for class and me practicing embroidery stitches.  While in Tulsa, I decided I needed a new hobby.  I mentioned to V that I was thinking of taking up embroidery and she drove me to Joann Fabrics to pick up some supplies.  So far, I think it was a good choice of hobby!  I used to do counted cross-stitch when I was little, but I think I like the freedom that embroidery gives me.  I can use an iron-on pattern as a guide, but the colors and the stitches are pretty much all up to me!  How fun!  This picture shows that practice makes perfect.  The rose on the right was my first practice rose.  The one of the left was after I figured out how to better use the pattern.  Let's call the one on the right a Study in Abstract Florals, yeah?  Yeah.  I can't wait to embroider EVERYTHING!

V is a fantastic hostess and I can't wait to have her up to Minneapolis again sometime soon!

Pajama Mama (Now With More Stella!)

Yet more new things!  When I went shopping, my original idea had been to fill in the gaps in my existing wardrobe.  And I think I did a pretty good job of that, but I still don't want to wear any of my old things yet.

Both the top & the skirt were super bargains at Old Navy.  The denim mini was only $2!  Denim mini skirts used to be the staples of my wardrobe.  I haven't had one that fit in over a year, and now I'm not sure if they still have a place.  But for $2, I think it's worth giving it a go around.

This blouse filled the void of button down, tuck-in-able tops.  It's a very silky polyester material, which I'm not going to lie, I love.  But I wasn't 100% sold on this top because I felt like the big floral made it look a little too much like pajamas.  Go figure that when I opened this month's issue of Lucky there was a whole feature of how silk pajamas had been big on the runway and how we should all wear our pj-inspired pieces to work.

My mom had to laugh at my indecision over this top.  It was only a few short years ago that I used to wear slips as dresses.  Like, real, actual slips, not slip dresses.  I would buy them for $2 at the thrift store and put them over shirts, over pants, on their own over tights.  I'd like to think my personal style has evolved, for the better, over the years.

Floral blouse & denim mini - Old Navy; Burgandy tights - HUE via Nordstrom Rack; Gray OTK socks - Target; Brown boots - MIA via 6pm.com

Remember how when you were in grade school?  And you would go Back To School Shopping and you didn't want to wear ANY of your old clothes anymore?  Because you had all these great NEW clothes?  That's pretty much how I feel right now thanks to Birthday Money Shopping.  I have so many new things that I'm loving.  Today's outfit is comprised of all new things, minus the boots.

Leopard cardigan - Old Navy; Embellished chiffon-y tank & Black legging jeans - Gap; Brown boots - MIA via 6pm.com

That photo is entitled "In Which I Do Weird Things With My Hands."  And here's a thing:  The boots cost more than the rest of that outfit put together.  When my mom & sister were up, I dragged them into Gap.  My sister claimed she never shops there because she can't afford anything.  I told her, Clearly you don't troll the sale section.  Lo and behold, all sale items were an additional 40% off and she found a bunch of great sweaters for really cheap.  Y'all, those leggings were $7.99!  That top was $6!  What a deal!

I like that the top has these little amber rhinestones studdng the collar.  I think it gives it a kind of tougher, more rock & roll type vibe.  I'm not 100% a fan of the fact that you can see how high I've hitched up those leggings through the top, but hey, it's all good.  At least I ironed the top before I wore it.  It used to have a big old crease right across the middle.

And this last shot is really just because it's been a while since Stella has made an appearance on the blog.  The top of that locker is her new favorite perch when I'm in the kitchen.  She likes being able to see everything that's going on.  She also likes to be taller than me to assert her dominance.  This whole post also serves as a reminder that I need to pencil in my brows before doing outfit photos.  I swear, my eyebrows DO extend past the middle of my eye.

Hooray for Pockets

More new things!  I worked pretty hard to get the most bang out of my birthday bucks.  We got lucky and hit the mall on a day when everyone was having sales on top of sales.  The jeans are new, as is the cuddly sweater.

Floral scarf - H&M; Slouchy sweater - Gap; NextLevel white v-neck tee - Amazon.com; Rock & Republic skinny jeans - Nordstrom Rack; Black pointy-toed flats - Nine West

In addition to resting my knee after the race, I was also nursing a cold that started the day I got back from Japan.  Thanks to a magical cocktail of Advil + Sudafed, I felt pretty okay.  But bumming around the house means wearing cozy things and I was very grateful for this sweater.  It's like a nicer version of the Mister's Navy hoodie, and I actually wear it out of the house!

Plus, it has pockets for my tissues!  It's a little on the large side because it was the last one they had in the store that didn't have holes in it.  But I feel like with something that is supposed to be slouchy & comfy, the larger size doesn't look oversized.

I'm feeling MUCH better today and I'd say my knee is at 90%, so not quite all the way healed.  Most of the time I forget about it, but then sometimes I move my knee in an odd way and it reminds me, "Oh hey, yeah, that hurts."  But I've been stretching it and bending it as instructed, so I'm confident I'll have a full recovery.  I'm not planning to run on it any time soon though.

So, these jeans are by Rock & Republic.  And I am in LOVE with how they fit me!  They hit me at a place on my hips that doesn't cause muffin top, they don't slide down too much and they are a good length.  I'm not outrageously tall, but I've still got long legs which can make pants-buying complicated.  The only thing I'm not 100% in love with about these jeans is the embroidery on the butt pockets.  By R&R standards, this is tame.  I tried on another pair that had red & turquoise stitching along with some rhinestones for good measure.  But I think the blue-on-blue is pretty subtle.  And seriously.  These jeans are super comfy AND super flattering.  Plus, they were on sale!  I'll put up with butt pocket foolery for that.

Old & New

So, apparently there were other outfit photos from before the Long Pause hiding on my memory card.

Gray Halogen blazer - Nordstrom Rack; Feather blouse - H&M; Pink lace skirt - Target; Purple tights - HUE via Nordstrom Rack; Black Etienne Aigner boots - Marshalls

As far as outfits go, maybe not the most adventurous.  I was also low on clean clothes and dug the feather blouse out of the Discard Pile because I had nothing else to wear.  After I washed it, it went right back into the pile.  It's just too big and unflattering.

The boots are new!  They are technically for work, but I like them so much I couldn't resist taking them on a trip to Target.  I found them on a layover in DC a few weeks ago and I've worn them to work twice (including the 6-day trip!) and found them to be quite comfortable, considering I only wear them during boarding & deplaning and whilst walking through the airport.  I slip into flats for the service.

And there are more new things!

Purple tweedy blazer & faux-leather leggings - Gap; Tshirt- Jimi Hendrix Experiences; Black pointy-toed flats - Nine West

Oh yes.  I'm wearing faux-leather leggings.  I tried them on as a lark when I was shopping with my mom & sister.  And then I left them behind.  And totally regretted it.  After they left, my sister texted me and told me to go back and get them.  I had to return something for my mom anyway and the cash back from that was pretty much equal to the cost of the leggings ($17! On Sale!) so I took the plunge.  And I am SO pleased with this purchase.  

They do nothing for my hiney, but I think we've established that there is really no help to be had for that.  The blazer is also new, and was also $17!  I do love a good sale.  It fulfills my want of tweed and it is a different cut than my other two blazers.  Plus, I've decided that purple is a neutral.  Think about it.  You can wear purple with black, brown, blue, red, pink, ALL the colors!  And in my book, that makes it a neutral.

This last photo is just to brag about being spoiled.  The Boyfriend had that gorgeous bouquet sent on Saturday to congratulate me on my race and to wish me a happy early birthday.  Every day is bringing the end of this deployment closer and I couldn't be happier about that.  I'm ready to have my mister back!