i'm blue because i'm not at NYFW

I so wish I were cool enough to attend Fashion Week. I am far too intimidated by high fashion and would probably suffer a massive stress coronary (in a good way?) if I came too close for comfort to couture. However! I will be looking on, longingly, from afar :)

(tank top: marshall's; skirt: vintage; tights: Goodwill; socks: JCPenney; shoes: DSW; crystal beads: Grammy Flood; faux pearls: Claire's; metal trellis necklace: antique; scarf-as-belt: thrifted; fur hat: Mad Bomber)

This hat makes me feel like growling.

rawr

Happy Fat Tuesday, everyone! I totally forgot that today was Mardi Gras until I heard mention of ~beads from New Orleans~ in the air. Hmm, I might need to find a way to celebrate this day, despite my absolute bottom-of-the-barrel bank account.

This little dress was ankle-length when I snatched it up at Goodwill a couple of weeks ago, but I could see that it had potential (I love all of the big pockets). As per my usual alteration habits, I hemmed it up to here... I'm thinking I might also need to hem the sleeves a bit so they're more babydoll than baggygrandmother. As it is they're practically as long as the dress!

Unbelted, the dress looks a little bit grunge, and I think will probably look good paired with bare legs or sheer tights and taupe industrial lace-up booties (if I can find some within budget... a girl can dream!) for spring. It's funny, since I've been blog-stalking and paying more careful attention to trends as they come&go (instead of just buying things that I like when I happen to stumble upon them), I'm getting a real sense of just how fleeting fashions are. This fall, I was super-excited and satisfied with these ALDO boots, and now? I don't believe I can go another day without an industrial pair of lace-up buckle booties...

...and now I won't have to! While perusing the web for beauties like these (above), I was directed to GoJane.com (what a brilliant website!) and unearthed so much awesomeness, I went ahead and bought myself two pairs of the booties on the far right (above)! Yelp! They were sold out of the cognac (shown) in my size, which was rather disappointing... but these will do quite nicely :)

Wait, wait, I can justify it!

a) I've been dying for a pair of taupe shoes for so long, and the color is so versatile it will last long into the spring and summer (I've decided). I might even invest in some olive green&brown laces to swap out and mix it up a bit when I get tired of the taupe!

b) It's seriously pathetic that I don't own a pair of black shoes. And now I will!

c) They were only $25 each and because I bought two pairs I got free shipping. Come on, you know you're guilty of it!

Of course, I'm still not completely satisfied. I need a pair that cover my ankle... maybe in an olive green? I really love the Chloe bowling-style wedges (second from left), but I am not a wedge-wearer... and I certainly could never, under any circumstances, justify spending $700 on a pair of crazy-trendy shoes.


... or could I?

(dress: Goodwill; tights: HUE; scarf: vintage; bracelet: gift; boots: ALDO)

saints alive!

So. Did everybody watch the Superbowl last night?? It was actually a pretty exciting game, if you're into that kind of thing (which I occasionally am, even if I spent the second half chatting it up about weddings and makeup).

I was rooting for the Saints because a) they were the underdog and I always root for the little guy, b) they had better uniforms, c) apparently the Colts are to the Patriots what the Yankees are to the Red Sox, and my compatriots are big NE fans, so the choice was sort of made for me.

Anyway, it was nice to hang out and eat deliiiicious mushroom quesadillas and vegetarian chili while downing Corona Light and Margaritas... any excuse to overeat is a-okay with me! That said, I really need to get back to my regular (better) eating habits. I definitely fell off the wagon this holiday season, what with K off in Washington and me sitting at home with my parents while they plugged me with all kinds of confectionary delights (cookies and chocolate and eggnog, oh my!) and I would really like to shake the heaviness that I feel as a result of all of my edible indulgences.

Having said that, I often get rather hot-and-bothered about the cost of health in this country. Not only is general health care impossibly expensive for most people (I'm lucky enough to have a plan through work, but the deductible is pretty high), but even I, as someone with a definite interest in health and a reasonable income to support it, have a hard time justifying the expense of a gym membership. When I first started working where I am now, I received a $25/month fitness reimbursement, which cut the cost of a membership in half and (I thought) made it realistically affordable. Without that assistance (thanks to the tanking economy), I have a hard time spending $60 a month to go work out in the tiny, itty-bitty gym that is available to me here in Waterbury, which looks like a dungeon and smells like a locker room. I did attempt to go running before work during the summer, but I certainly cannot bring myself to go jogging in subzero temperatures for the six months of winter around here. Conundrum. Instead, I spend a little bit extra at the grocery store to make sure that I'm getting the most nutritious food possible for my buck--fruit, veggies, fiber-rich granola, yogurt--if I can't take advantage of the endorphin-high, I need to be putting some serious positive energy into my body to keep me afloat.

So many things about America just frustrate me, a lot of the time. I won't get too far into it because I could go on all day, but this is a really important issue and as one of the most developed countries in the world, we should recognize and embrace the value of healthy living. It is absurd to me that 1/3 of women (and 60 million people) in this country are considered obese. Not just overweight... obese. No wonder the health care system is so problematic! These people are developing all kinds of health problems, from diabetes to heart disease and back again! I think that the government should somehow encourage people to get up and go the the gym or get some sort of exercise, maybe by subsidizing gym memberships or providing assistance to fitness facilities so that they can lower their membership costs. Maybe there could be some sort of local incentive to shop at farmers' markets or to buy more vegetables at the grocery store. I don't know, I'm not a politico... it just seems like there have to be ways to help people who really do want to improve their natural quality of life but can't quite afford it--going to the gym does make you feel better, even if only for a little while. After working out, I always have more energy and feel accomplished and generally uplifted... I think people would just be happier if they were healthier, and that would solve a whole slew of other problems in our prozac-popping nation.

I think that Tieka's story is incredibly inspiring. She was always a beautiful girl (and certainly never obese), but after reading her blog I definitely got the sense that she found so much happiness and peace with herself after losing the weight that she did... and that is the important thing. In a 1998 interview for Rolling Stone, Fiona Apple said, "Of course I have an eating disorder. Every girl in fucking America has an eating disorder," and unfortunately, I believe that this is also true. I won't say every, but 99% of women in this country are negatively influenced in varying degrees by the skinnyskinny models in the magazines... it is undeniable. In my opinion, that is just as bad as obesity. Why can't we all just strive to be healthy? Basically, the point of that rant is that this month I am going to buckle down and shell out for the gym membership again, at least to get myself back on track. After that, we'll see what happens... maybe exploratory walks in the woods and long summer swims will have to suffice :)

(shirt: Marshall's; skirt: Goodwill, hemmed; tights: grey (Goodwill), white floral lace (TJMaxx); shoes: Madden Girl; crystal beads: Grammy Flood)

Annnd for the outfit: I love love love this white rosette shirt from Marshall's. I wish I could wear it every day. I got this skirt at Goodwill and purposefully hemmed it a little longer than usual, just in case I ever need to wear something appropriate. It's an okay length, but of course I wish I had made it a wee bit shorter. For some reason I'm really into grey lately...

friday in whoville

Hooray!! I thought this day would never come!

This weekend will be relaxing... K and I are heading over to Log Town Farm on Saturday to hang out with my smelly old dog while my parents are in Rhode Island, then coming back on Sunday to watch the Superbowl with some friends. We were planning to experience the sporting event at a local bar (and eat sweet potato fries!), but the new plan seems more social. Besides, the local bar/restaurant in question doesn't deserve us. Dear Reservoir: I may never forgive you for removing the best veggie burger ever from your menu, but my fury has subsided somewhat and I suppose I might be ready to give the new burger a chance... someday.

Speaking of (once) favorite local restaurants, there is a waitress at one oft-frequented eating establishment who always has her hair piled on top of her head in all kinds of curlicued crazy ways. Somewhere a comparison was drawn to the Whos down in Whoville and it stuck--we can't go to the restaurant anymore without chuckling about her Seuss-styled hair.

(This is the best hair-related photo I could find of Whos, but it's really more like Chanel Spring 2010, which I totally love but can't imagine thinking of as daily hair-wear.)

Annnnyway, the reason I even brought waitress-who-shall-remain-nameless into this in the first place is that today's outfit made me think of her Who-hair--it's so colorful and childlike, I feel like a Dr. Seuss character. But while we're on the subject, that reminds me! Whoville is awesome and I want to live there:

I finally got around to watching Horton Hears a Who last year (which according to Wikipedia is supposed to be an allegory for the American post-WWII occupation of Japan [if that's the case, never mind, I don't particularly want to live there]--who knew?!--I thought it was simply meant to be a lesson about the insignificance of humanity and/or an attempt to encourage respect and love for all living things [no matter how small], Lorax-style), which I had been avoiding because I was so unimpressed with Jim Carrey as the Grinch that I never even watched it. But Horton was so charming and lovely, I adored it! I'm going to pretend that fine film was my daily outfit inspiration for today, because that's so much cooler than calling it an accident.

(green tweed jumper: SnapVintage on etsy; tights: HUE; shoes: DSW; scarf: Anne Klein, thiscouldbeyou on etsy; shirt: TJMaxx)

DISCLAIMER: I do not have dandruff. The white flakes in the first photograph are a little thing called snow. Maybe you've heard of it?

This dress is a recent re-acquisition. I bought several years ago for $10 at the thrift store in Montpelier because it was so awesome, but then I never wore it because I thought it was "too big." Actually, I think perhaps it was just "too transparent" (before I owned a slip). Whatever the reason, I ended up giving it to my friend S before I abandoned her in Portland, Oregon. This is why I can never give any of my clothes away! Suddenly last week I thought about it and how lovely and cute it was, and I asked her if I could borrow it (luckily she's since followed my footsteps back to Vermont). She said she never wears it so I could just have it back--and voila! This pretty, delicate dress finally gets some time in the spotlight! I don't know what on Earth I was thinking... it fits perfectly!

(dress: thrifted; slipdress: UO; tights: TJMaxx; boots: ALDO)

So, you've probably noticed that I trimmed my bangs last night (after enjoying a delicious man-made meal of chili&cheese baked potatoes--mmyes--and the first disk of Big Love:S3 [finally out on Netflix!]). I think I was getting a little too cocky about my trimming skills... I went a little hog-wild with the scissors and the fringe is a bit shorter than I had envisioned. Also I accidentally trimmed my right eyebrow in the chopping frenzy, so thank god for the miracle of eyeliner pencil.

What will this evening bring? It's a mystery. Actually, it's not really much of a mystery... it will probably bring a whole lot of me&K doing a whole lot of nothing much. Probably a continuation of the apartment search--we're looking for a two-bedroom in Burlington because our lease is up April 1st! Yikes! I want: hardwood floors, fireplace, porch, bigbig windows and a bigbig kitchen... dogs allowed. But I suppose I could maaaaaybe settle for some combination of those things. Maybe.

Dior: Saved by the Butterflies

My disclaimer here is that I love a good period piece as much as anyone... sometimes for the costumes alone. And, you know, since vintage fashion from pretty much every era abounds and could easily inspire any designer, I understand this collection in theory. However, instead of sticking to a theme (which, in my opinion, is kind of what makes a collection more than just a bunch of pretty clothes thrown willy-nilly onto a runway), Mr. Galliano's models seem to have passed through a randomness generator/time machine on their way onto the catwalk. What's more, he doesn't (in my humble opinion) appear to be doing anything terribly original with these designs... it's as if he took clothes that would actually have been in style during various periods of American history and tweaked them just enough to give the impression of novelty while actually boring me to death. If this were the 10th Annual Costume Design Runway Show or something, I might applaud. But it's not. It's Paris Fashion Week.

Exhibit C: Christian Dior, spring/summer 2010:

HORSEPLAY: Of course the clothes are lovely. I actually like them a lot. I'm just not convinced that directly copying equestrienne style from the turn of the century can realllly classify as creative couture. As I have said before, I believe that fashion is an art form. Maybe my predilection for abstract and impress-/expressionist art (as opposed to equestrian portraiture--all of those oil paintings of nouveau- ou vieux-riche ladies sitting stiffly atop horses surrounded by bassett hounds don't exactly titillate me) is hindering my artistic appreciation of these garments (couture:costumery what expressionism:portraiture... or something... ), but there is something about them that is too... not exactly artless, but... I don't know, you know? So anyway, I call this whole group "horseplay" because the first half appears to include costumery for the England 1920s period film "The Hunting Party: Finding a Husband in the Forest" and the second half of short frilly dresses and extravagant hats looks vaguely "Renoir Goes to the Races" (or, "What Not to Wear when Moving Westward in a Covered Wagon").

HOUSEPLAY: Suddenly, we're in the fifties and sixties. These looks first made me think of Mad Men mania and the dynamic of the new career woman versus the housewife, Betty Freidan-style. But I don't really like them. While the first part of the collection was at least visually stimulating, these dresses are kind of a big yawn. I like the colorful over-the-elbow leather gloves the most of everything that I see here, but because they are merely stylistic accessories I disqualify them. Blah blah blah halter dresses, I don't even have anything to say about you.

GOWNPLAY: Um, what? I don't even remotely like these. 1) I see a rather lovely white gown, the shape a classic straight-shot to the floor. But what is that behind her? A large blue whale, cupping her decolletage with grabby-fins? 2) A gown that also acts as a shelf? The perfect dress/tray for the Hostess with the Most-Appetizers-to-Carry-Around? Perhaps an over-done diversion from the dreaded "baby-bump?" What woman wants to walk around in a fancy ball gown simulating a pelvic explosion? 3) ACE bandage, anyone?

And because I wondered if perhaps Dior has a reputation for being a bit "costume-y," I delved deeper and discovered the gem of a collection that was Spring 2009:

I can overlook (and maybe even appreciate) the weirdly circularly-structural bell skirts (I bet they look like flowers and/or honeycomb from below!). There is something about these dresses that I actually really like--the combination of color scheme, fabrics&textures and styling (that big frizzy hair!)--it just makes aesthetic sense and, as a result, pleases my eyes :)

Now THESE dresses, I love. There may be something a little bit Laura Ashley about them, but they immediately made me think of an antique field guide to butterflies. I'm still stuck on the constrast of a corset with a full skirt--it's suggestive of lingerie but still elegant and formal--and unlike the gathering of gown #2 from Spring 2010 (above), the gathering on these gowns is just gorgeous. Look at that ruffle--and underneath! What a treat! I love&want all of these pretties to hang on my wall.

DISCLAIMER #2: I actually did begin to craft this post back when PFW was still newsworthy, but life took hold of me...

Mornings in our household have been really difficult this week... I'm not sure why! A brief summary of morning events: 1) my alarm goes off, I hit snooze; 2) K's alarm goes off, he hits snooze; 3) my alarm goes off, I turn it off completely; 4) K's alarm goes off, he hits snooze; 5) I rely on K's alarm to interrupt my slumber at 5-minute intervals until the absolute last minute; 6) K keeps sleeping. I have such a hard time dragging my body out of bed and slapping clothes on it that I'm almost amazed I got dressed at all! It's strange though, I've gotten so into the habit of blogging that when I don't take outfit photos my whole day feels empty... so today I decided I had to make it happen, no matter what, and I got ready and took my photos in under half an hour, which is a major feat for me.

My tights, socks and scarf were all acquired at Goodwill this weekend for a grand total of $5. This fact makes it less annoying that a) the plaid "knee socks" that I delightedly grabbed are actually tourniquet-tight and can't do much but bunch around my ankles, which is kind of okay because I still like them but also confusing because aa) there was no indication that these were for skinny-children and bb) it's not like I have calves on steroids or anything, so I'm not sure who on God's Green Earth would be able to wiggle into these circulation-constricters and b) the tights are cheap-o quality and will probably only last a couple of wears because they are just dying to snag (in fact, there was a small snag in them at the time of purchase that I chose to overlook because I have been looking everywhere for a pair of burgundy/raspberry tights and here they were right before my eyes for $2 and I just couldn't say no) but they are also quite soft and comfortable and generally lovely and sometimes when you love something you have to overlook minor flaws like durability, no? I am considerably less annoyed by life when it doesn't cost me money :)

The color in these photos is actually rather deceptive... the tights are dark & rich, rather than bright & pink.

I think part of the reason that I'm so tired is that I've been staying up *relatively* late reading David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest (oh and watching The Bachelor--anyone else in love with that show?), which is a 1000-page brain bender and kind of exhausting to read unless I am able to focus 100% of my attention on it (which, let's face it, isn't easy when the apartment is itty-bitty and K keeps interrupting to ask me which rifle he should buy), but is actually really amusing and masterful and keeps my attention despite the fact that I have little-to-no interest in drug addiction or tennis (although I was in the tennis club in high school for exactly one year only because there was no tennis club until my friends and I mentioned we might like to learn how to play, and I do kind of enjoy the game itself). Anyway, it's taking forever... I only have approximately 500 pages to go!

(tunic: Marshall's?; skirt: stolen from mom, hemmed; shoes: Madden Girl; scarf/socks/tights: Goodwill)