sweater monday: skirt edition

Sweater Monday is back ... only this time, the sweater is my skirt!

(dress: h&m; skirt: goodwill; scarf/belt: bargain boutique; tights: hue; boots: aldo)

I got this sweaterskirt (and many other goodies) at Goodwill last Thursday. Before we went bowling, I convinced K to stop in and let me try on basically every skirt on the rack. It paid off! If you really take the time to look, thrifty treasures are always within reach :) The skirt is definitely longer than I usually like, but for some reason I think it really works with the knit. I didn't realize until I looked at these photos that the fabric is vacuumed between my legs, but I guess that's the price you pay for a perfect fit :)

I still don't feel fully ready to take on this week, but I'm going to try to force myself to go to the gym for a free trial this evening. You've got to start somewhere, right? (And now that I've told all of you, I feel like that's some sort of promise to the world and maybe I'll be more likely to follow through...)

vintage bowling shoes

(via kerrigilpin)

In honor of my newfound appreciation for the art of bowling (and the lame "modern" bowling shoes that they provide at the alley), I thought I would put together a little post to highlight the awesome vintage bowling-style shoes available on Etsy these days. Not only for bowling purposes--in fact, I'm sure no alley would let you bring your own shoes--these shoes are just awesome!

(via joyelizabethG)

(via scoutHOME)

(via trunkgoods)

(via MillsDesignCo)

(via ToatsMcgoats)

(via lateornever)

I purchased the last pair of wooly shoes and can't wait to wear them!! I think they look distinctly loafer-esque and I just can't say no to fur :)

birds flying high you know how i feel

I'm feeling good, you guys.

(dress: diy; slipdress: uo; cardigan: target; hat: h&m; belt: thrifted; tights: hue; boots: aldo)

Maybe it's the hat. Maybe it's the fact that I can proudly proclaim: I made this dress! Maybe it's the fact that the sun is shining and the weather is downright balmy compared to the Arctic chill we experienced earlier this week. Maybe it's the fact that K and I are going bowling again tonight (only 45% for the free pizza). Maybe it's the fact that I'm almost escaped my Ally McBeal-induced enslavement (I know, I do it to myself). Maybe it's because it's Pay Day. Maybe because it's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me. Whatever the reason, I'm feeling good. Have a happy Thursday!

i dream of A/W

I've been having very vivid, very long dreams lately. What does that mean? Last night I was some sort of camp counselor/teacher for the cast of Twilight, which is strange since I've never read/seen any of the saga. I find it interesting that I was in a mentor position--like maybe I feel like I need to knock some sense into today's youth? Then the dream switched and I was apparentely going to be starring in a production of Romeo and Juliet but I couldn't remember ever having been to rehearsals and I didn't know my lines so I just walked off the stage. Haven't had a dream like that since the Drama Club days. I've always been very interested in dream interpretation (and I apologize for sharing those dream tidbits with you, because everybody knows that sharing your dreams is a conversation killer), but I'm thinking of starting up a dream journal because clearly my psyche is in hyperdrive. It's been a while since I've had such vivid (yet remarkably unremarkable) dreams.

(granny dress/velvet skirt/belt: bargain boutique; tights/fur collar: h&m; boots: seychelles; necklace: diy)

I love love love this dress, and though I styled it for autumn (when it was, well, autumn), I knew it would transition perfectly into the winter months (something about the black background...). And what better to pair it with than this black velvet skirt from Bargain Boutique? I bought the skirt before Christmas and it sat in my closet for far too long before I finally got around to hemming it. No major alterations, but it was that awkward length that I refuse to allow on my body. I wanted to make sure to get a few good wears out of it before winter (and velvet) went by the wayside. In other news, I've been absolutely itching to get over to Goodwill and purchase some new skirts, so hopefully I can drag K along for some quality time between the racks before we launder all of the clothes we already have. Whatever it takes to get over the hump (day), right?

all in the family

I'm back in the game! This outfit was cobbled together with pieces from the women in my family. This plaid coat/blazer belonged to my grandmother (mom's mom), the skirt belonged to my mother, and these pretty clip-on earrings belonged to my paternal great-aunt. Plus this hat was a Christmas present from my parents, which ties everything together.

(blazer: grandmother's; skirt: mom's; earrings: great aunt's; hat: vintage; chambray shirt: walmart; shoes: seychelles; tights: goodwill)

I wish that I could wear these clip-ons for more than about fourteen minutes, but there is something in the metal that my poor earlobes just won't tolerate--I had to bring a change of earrings to work today. Still, I love them enough to sport for the occasional outing. Did people used to be this sensitive to metals, or have our ears evolved to need special treatment? I notice that all of the earrings at Claire's are now for "sensitive ears," so there must have been some sort of shift.

I spent last night eating leftover chili, drinking champagne, and watching Ally McBeal (I'm obsessed, although when they introduced an entirely new cast of characters for Season 5 I was extremely disappointed [it was bad enough that Robert Downey, Jr. had to leave because he was on drugs], and now I'm only powering through the final season with the hope that Ally will come to her senses and fall in love with John Cage).

That's what I get up to when K has an evening class. :) I kind of judged myself for being unproductive, but it was Monday, so I let it slide.

i'm on the hunt i'm after you: pleats

(Off of Broadway)

(Tick Tock Vintage)

(Keiko Lynn)

(Cupcakes and Cashmere)

So... phooey. I got all dressed up in my Monday Best and fully intended to take outfit photos this morning (despite -15 degree temperatures--I was shocked that my rattly old car started!), but then my camera battery died. It's probably for the best, because I very well might have frozen to death instead.

Anyway, I thought I would take this opportunity to share the fact that I am lusting over filmy accordian-pleat skirts lately. Love, love, love.