Surprises

I'm a big fan of surprises. At least, I am when they're good surprises. Being attacked by an angry swarm of bees as I walked to the bus stop after work yesterday? Not a good surprise. (Okay, to be fair, I wasn't really attacked. And they didn't seem too angry. But there was a swarm of bees in the intersection yesterday, and it was pretty strange. And scary. Pretty sure that many beestings would kill anyone. Anyway. Where was I? Oh yeah. Surprises.) Finding a package on my doorstep from a certain amazing blog-friend-turned-actual-friend was quite the pleasant surprise, on the other hand.






Yup, my gal Sydney sent me a lovely package with three skirts, two tanks (one of which I'm wearing right now) and three blouse-y type shirts. And THEY ALL FIT. Even the button down shirt, which is crazy cause those things almost never fit me right. You guys, I think I found my clothes soul mate.






Syd always sends the cutest cards in her packages, too. Seriously girl, where do you get those? Adorbs.

Anyway, pics of my coffee table wearing clothes is no fun. So here are some of me wearing clothes.









shirt: secondhand
tank: Target
jeans: Silver via Macy's
flats: Payless
necklace: gifted

I also recently got an ENORMOUS pile of clothes from my friend Allory, who cleaned out her closet and generously let me haul away the discards. The stuff that I didn't want (because it didn't fit, was out of style, was just workout clothes, or whatever) I crammed into three (three!!) garbage bags for Goodwill. There were, however, several SWEET pairs of shoes and booties that I loved, but can't wear because they're sizes 6 or 7 and I wear like a 9. Okay, a 10. So anyone out there with tiny feet want some cute booties, flats or calf-height boots?

Anyway, I kept about a dozen shirts from Allory, plus some shorts/dresses/skirts. So now that there is a TON of pre-loved clothing in my closet that wasn't technically thrifted, I'm going to start crediting them as "secondhand" in outfit posts. Schweet.

Firsts and lasts

So Sunday night, I go to write and schedule a post to go up this morning. Because I'm starting my new job today (eep!) and don't want to risk missing my bus because I'm busy blogging. Which is totally something I would do. Anyway, I was completely startled to see Blogger's new format. It's very...interesting. Other Blogger users out there, what do you think?




shirt: Old Navy
vest, necklace: thrifted
jeans: Guess via Macy's
flats: Target
bracelets: gifted and don't remember
So this is my last long-hair photo. It's also the outfit I wore to my last day of work at the magazine. Not gonna lie, smiling for these photos was pretty rough...I only had these two out of about a dozen that turned out decent. It was a really great job, and I'm going to miss it and my coworkers (especially them) very much. But at the same time, I'm so excited for my first day at the new job, too! It's going to be great :)

In other news, I just started reading The Bloggess' book, Let's Pretend This Never Happened. It is so. Freaking. Hysterical. Thank you, Jenny Lawson, for existing. You are a true entertainer.

A self pep talk

Not much to say today, folks. I'm feeling kinda blah/anxious this week (thanks, hormones) and am having a hard time keeping positive. Still, I'm getting by all right, by reminding myself that freaking out when there's nothing I can do about a situation doesn't help anything and that my current low self-esteem is pretty much unfounded. I've gotten quite good at talking myself out of these funks. You know what helps? Looking at bright, cheery photos from last week when I was in a super good mood.




shirt: thrifted
cami: Marshall's
jeans: Guess via Macy's
flats: Target
necklace, brown bracelet: don't remember
beaded bracelet: gifted from my mom
You know what else will probably help my funk? Watching New Girl with the girls upstairs and a glass (or two) of wine tonight. It's all about appreciating the little things and making sure that the big things don't overwhelm you.

Hope I didn't bum anyone out with this post today. With any luck, we'll be back to our regular randomness and goofiness soon.

Oh, and one more thing before I forget. Thanks to those who linked up to Bloggers Take the Town yesterday! If you missed it, don't fret. We'll be back again on Monday, April 30. Mark your calendars!

Favorite things: Fall/winter edition

When I first started the ol' blog, I did a "favorite things" post that featured an outfit with all of my current faves. It was very springy, and I definitely still count all those items among my favorites. (So much so that I often rewear that exact outfit over...and over...good thing I don't make a point to post every single day, haha!)

I thought it'd be kind of fun to do another one, this time featuring items I've been wearing all fall and winter. Well, mostly winter, since these boots and the shirt are still relatively new. But still.






shirt: H&M
jeans: Guess via Macy's
boots: Target
necklace: Figleaf in Athens
bracelet: gifted from my momma
lipstick: Cover Girl in Rich
Yup, safe to say I love every piece of this outfit, on its own and as a whole. I've practically lived in this striped shirt since I got it at H&M with a gift card that Matt's sister gave me for Christmas. And these cognac boots are something I had been lusting after for months, if not a full year, before I bought them. Yes, this outfit might look better with skinny jeans, but honestly, the Guess ones are so comfortable, I can't not wear them sometimes. And they're long enough! And they don't sag on my butt! For the record, that absolutely never, ever happens.

Oh, and about the lipstick? It's this line that Cover Girl has that doesn't make your lips dry out the way other lipsticks tend to do. I'm in love. I have three or four shades already, and I'm itching for more. I wear this Rich color the most though; it's the perfect shade of everyday red. Not to vampy, but just bold enough to be noticed.

(P.S. Don't forget to enter my vintage T giveaway! Ends today at 5 pm!)

Leap Day!

If you subscribe to the 30 Rock notion of Leap Day, it's the one day every four years that you do something you wouldn't normally do. Also, nothing that happens on Leap Day actually "counts." I don't know about the second thought, but I kind of like the first. So I'm commemorating that in both the outfit I'm wearing today (hint: it's 50s-inspired, and I rarely try to pull off a vintage look), and in the outfit I'm posting on the blog.

Excuse the sunglasses, it was the end of the day and my makeup looked scary-bad. So I decided to cover it up instead of, you know, redoing it just so I could laze around my house all evening.






poncho: thrifted
long-sleeve T: Old Navy
jeans: Guess via Macy's
shoes: Payless
sunnies: Target
It's a poncho! They're one of those style things that I was super-hesitant to try, and now I really can't figure out why it made me so nervous. I picked up this baby at Goodwill for a couple bucks, and it was a great purchase. It's so soft! The only real downside is that I have no choice but to layer it with a tee or cami every time. Cause I don't need the world seeing my sideboob/navel, thanks.

Also, a few quick housekeeping things. I realized I've never posted about the whole Google Friend Connect thing. Specifically, how it is disappearing for some people tomorrow. Since my blog is hosted on Blogger, I'm pretty sure this won't affect anyone who follows Verbal Mélange via GFC. But just in case, you can also follow me via Bloglovin, Facebook, or you can use the RSS subscribe button in the right-hand sidebar (just above the Labels links) to follow via Google Reader, Netvibes, Newsgator or Yahoo!.

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway for the chance to win a chunky, asymmetrical necklace that's just to die for. Fewer than 20 entries so far, so your chances are pretty good! And may the odds be ever in your favor! (Aahhh! Couldn't help it. So dang excited for that movie!)

The re-wear police

If there were such a thing as the re-wear police, I'd have been arrested dozens of times. I have a bad habit of finding an outfit I really love and wearing it over...and over...and over...

Of course, I only blog it once, because no one would want to read a style blog that has the same outfits shown again and again. And to be fair, I've gotten a lot better about rewearing outfits. This time last year, I had the same eight or so combinations that I wore to work every. Single. Day. Now, I only repeat outfits when I'm running late, or like this week when I wasn't feeling well. (By the way, feeling much better today. Thanks for the kind words, you guys!)

Anyway. Where was I? Oh yeah, rewearing clothes. I've worn this outfit below at least half a dozen times in the last few weeks. But it's always around different groups of people, so it doesn't really count, right? Right.






jacket/blazer thing: thrifted
shirt: H&M
jeans: Guess via Macy's
shoes: Target
necklaces/earrings: gifts
lipstick: Cover Girl in Rich
At one point, I swapped the leopard flats for heels to go out to the bars in Athens with my sister and some old college friends. Why I chose to do that, I will never know. For those of you unfamiliar with the geography of Ohio University, it is extremely hilly. And the roads? All brick. So yeah, heels were kind of the worst choice, especially for someone like me who only started wearing heels in the last couple of years. And definitely never in Athens, on the brick. Oh, well. I made it through the evening without wiping out, so I call that a success.

This outfit is basically just a compilation of my favorite things, which is probably why I've been wearing it so much. I've been looking for a perfect striped shirt like this one for ages. I bought it with a gift card Matt's sister gave me for Christmas (thanks, Beth!) and I am absolutely in love with it! The jacket thing is another one of my surprising thrift finds. It was more luck than an actual thrifting success story, but who's keeping score? Not me.

And these shoes from Target? Pretty much the best $6 I've ever spent. I seriously wear these puppies four days out of seven. Even in the winter. Because they are just that awesome.

Appreciating the little things

Last week seemed to drag on forever, between the million different things that were (are) stressing me out. But Friday night, when Matt came home from work, we went out for dinner. And as we were driving, I happened to see into someone's front window, a blanket fort. So of course I started going on and on about how much fun they were when I was a kid, and wouldn't it be fun to build a fort that night? And Matt said, why not? So we did. We built a dang fort out of couch cushions and pillows and blankets and watched movies in it all Friday night. And for one evening, I forgot about everything that was bothering me. I couldn't stop smiling. Best boyfriend ever? I think so.






polo: Target
sweater: Aeropostale, years ago
jeans: Guess via Macy's
shoes: Buckle
Apparently, this is what my face looks like at the end of the work day, when all the makeup's rubbed off. Note to self: touch up makeup before any other evening photo shoots.

Anyway, the rest of the weekend was a bit crazy, I think. Saturday we cleaned all morning, then I hosted a Pampered Chef party with my cousin. (Thanks everyone who came! It was so fun!) And Saturday night, I had my first-ever victory at Trivial Pursuit, haha. Want an instant ego boost to your brain? Win Trivial Pursuit. Sunday night I met my mom halfway between Columbus and my family's town, to get a space heater they weren't using anymore. Because this house is freezing cold, but Matt is mysteriously unaffected. Hello, lower gas bill!

What did you do all weekend?

Back to it

The worst part about my weekend? The fact that it ended, haha. It was such a chill, laid-back, do-nothing kind of weekend, and it was perfect. Matt and I watched a few movies, laid around on the couch, got brunch on Sunday and had an awesome pot roast dinner Sunday night with our upstairs neighbors. I totally forgot to take pictures of the food though, which is a shame cause it's a great blog recipe. Looks like I'll just have to make it again ;)

I did manage to get some work done, and we did get groceries, but altogether it was an entirely relaxed weekend. And I really, really needed that!








shirt, blazer: thrifted
jeans: Guess via Macy's
shoes: Target
necklaces: The Limited
As I was taking these photos after work, I realized I should have worn a necklace with this outfit. I think I like the one on the right better...but they do both look nice. Oh, well. Not like it makes much difference now, right?

I'd also like to apologize for my cat's hiney in that first picture. Now that it's cold (and I'm a total wimp), I'm doing most of my outfit shots inside. And Spazzy is a lot like a dog, especially in the fact that she doesn't like to be by herself and will follow you from room to room. Expect to see a lot more of her until the weather warms up!

Feeling good

Man oh man, this week is shaping up to be pretty good. I don't know if you guys could tell, but last week was really rough for no apparent reason (if you follow me on Twitter you'll probably have a better idea). I don't know what my problem was, but I was grumpy, mopey and just generally sad.

But not this week! This week I feel downright phenomenal, starting from the moment I woke up yesterday. And after work, I went to my new gym for the first time. And you know something? I love it. Great facilities, friendly people, and even on their busiest night I didn't have to wait more than a few minutes for a machine. Best part? They have a basket of Tootsie Rolls by the door so you can reward yourself on the way out. I love a good reward :)

I was going to post Christmas decoration photos today, but I didn't have time to photograph them last night. We didn't eat dinner till 8, and then I had some freelance work to do. Oh well. Perhaps tomorrow. Until then, here's an outfit:






shirt: really, really old...no idea where it's from
cami: Old Navy
blazer and heels: thrifted
jeans: Guess via Macy's
ring: Modcloth (giveaway win)
Yeah, I wear tops that are three or four years old. The way I see it, if I can still think of new ways to style them, and they're not damaged or terribly trendy/outdated, why get rid of them? That's why a good chunk of my closet consists of older pieces. And I'm okay with it.

This outfit is actually a classic example of how blogging has changed my personal style...for the better. A year ago, I would never have even purchased a green blazer, let alone pair it with a purple shirt. The audacity! And statement rings...forget it. But now, I actively push myself out of my comfort zone when it comes to fashion, and it's usually for the better. Hooray, blogging!

Adjustments

I'm running a little behind this morning as I try to adjust to my new, living-with-purpose routine. It involved waking up half an hour earlier (okay, so I only made it 15 minutes today) so I can do some work on the blog or my freelance stuff (this morning it was freelance) and eat breakfast. I haven't eaten breakfast consistently since I was in high school. Early high school. So anyway, that means just one photo today. Which works out, because this was the only good photo of this particular outfit.

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sweater: New York & Company
polo, flats: Target
jeans: Guess via Macy's
necklace: The Limited
watch: Walmart
bracelet: Forever 21
This is actually the outfit I wore for Thanksgiving. It's a pretty casual event with my family and Matt's, so jeans and nice tops are usually good bets. This is also what happens when I don't take the time to straighten my hair properly after I wash it. I have that awful not-quite-curly-but-definitely-not-straight hair. I keep thinking that if I grow it out, it will get heavier and therefore lie flatter. Hasn't been the case so far. I'll probably get frustrated and get it all chopped off to a pixie cut someday, which will be simultaneously horrifying and amazing, I'm sure.

Thanks a lot, alarm clock.

So I woke up this morning after a rather tossing-and-turning kind of night to Spazcat chewing on my big toe. Not really a pleasant sensation, but (sadly) I'm used to it, so I just moved my foot away and rolled over to go back to sleep. For some reason, I checked the time. It was half an hour after I was supposed to get up.

Thank god for dry shampoo, amiright? Cuts my shower time down by several minutes, and saves me about 20-30 minutes of drying and styling my hair. Just spray, brush, ponytail and go! I was also fortunate enough to have an outfit in mind for today...unlike yesterday, when I spent 20 minutes trying on various items of clothing in what may have been the most time-consuming remix ever. (Hence my lack of a post yesterday. I was running way late.)






cardi: The Limited
t-shirt: Old Navy
belt, necklace: thrifted
jeans: Guess via Macy's
shoes: Target
I absolutely love this sweater. I bought it from The Limited with my $50 gift card, and it. Is. Awesome. First, I've been wanting a mustard sweater ever since last fall, but have never found one in my size/that I like/in my price range. Also, this sweater is so freaking soft. It's not cashmere or anything—just an acrylic/wool blend—but it feels amazing.

I also finally got my pictures in front of this dang fence, the one on the south side of my yard that consequently has all the sun behind it all the time. And now, I can't really figure out why I wanted to shoot here so badly. The fence isn't all that great. The plants and weeds are downright terrible. Oh, well. Live and learn, I suppose.

The blahs

I wore this to work last Friday, or maybe it was the Friday before. Either way, I was feeling much better when I took these photos than I am today. I just want to change into some comfy sweats and go back to bed for a few hours. I don't know if it's seasonal allergies or a regular cold, but I feel awful!

But enough pity partying for me. I have my awesome leopard print flats and a nice, yellow, cheery shirt to counteract the bad vibes I imagine I'm giving off. Fake it till you make it!








shirt and vest: thrifted
jeans: Silver via Macy's
shoes: Payless
necklace: The Limited
lipstick: Red by Mary Kay
I don't know what's up with my hand in that last photo, but I can at least explain the face. It's supposed to be a kissy face. Which I'm apparently bad at. But I love my red lipstick so much, I just can't help but make horrible kissy faces every time I wear it. Oops.

What's that? You love that necklace from The Limited? Why thank you. You could get your very own (or anything else from the store, for that matter) if you enter and win my giveaway for a $50 gift card to the store! Original post here.

Rain, rain, go away...(have I used that post title yet?)

Ugh, is it me, or is Mother Nature just against us 9-5-ers? I feel like it rained all of last week, was nice over the weekend, and returned to a forecast of rain all this week. Oh, well. At least the weekend was nice, right?

I wore this two Fridays ago, but I wish I were wearing it today. Something about wearing jeans to work just makes my day so much more pleasant! But, I suppose my outfit for today—a midi skirt and flats—is a bit more appropriate for rain. No soggy hems here!







polo: Target
white long sleeve, belt and necklace: don't remember
jeans: Silver via Macy's
shoes: Target or Payless
Sorry for not knowing where half this outfit came from. My wardrobe needs some serious updating. The Financial Diet has been kind of restrictive in that department ($20 a week doesn't allow for much clothes shopping). Fortunately, I've recently bumped myself up to $30 a week. That helps a lot. As does the discovery of Volunteers of America, which I mentioned in this post. Their huge, store-wide half-off sale is tomorrow! I plan to take $10 or $15 and walk out with at least 10 new, awesome items.

Speaking of the FD, I am officially halfway to my goal of saving up $1,000! Tips haven't been quite what I was told to expect at the waitressing job. (They said people tend to make $200 on a game day. I usually just barely clear $100...and non-game shifts average around $30-$50. Ick.) But I just sold some stuff on Craigslist and made a cool $300 from that. I'm saving half of that, used a bit of it to fund a belated housewarming party slash birthday party for Matt and I and our friend who lives upstairs, and am using the rest to work on some home décor projects on my list. So there will be some fun posts on that coming up as well :)

By the way. Don't forget to email your budgeting questions, comments or whatever to verbal.melange{at}gmail{dot}com for this week's Fiscal Fridays post!

Monday Blahs

We all know it: Mondays are just plain disappointing. After a weekend of being alternatively productive and lazy (Saturday I got tons of stuff done; Sunday I did nothing but watch TV and make a grocery list), I feel like Monday is just intruding on my not-quite-over-yet weekend. I'm officially campaigning for a four-day work week. Who's with me?!

Meh. I'm just grumpy because over the weekend I developed a cold. Who gets a cold in August? Seriously?

shirt: thrifted
jeans: Silver via Macy's
shoes: Target
bracelet/necklace: don't remember
earrings: Claire's?

These photos are from a few weeks ago that I just found floating in my "unposted outfits" folder. I have a confession: I love nautical influences. I think it's because the whole nautical thing is so heavy on horizontal stripes, and about half of my closet is horizontal stripes. Well, not really, but they do make up a disproportionate amount. They're just so classic, and so easy to remix. What's not to love?

Also, don't worry...I'm not going bald. My hair just likes to pretend I have bald spots sometimes. Hey, we all have our little hair quirks. It's not like I'm the only one, right? Right??

The little things

Sorry for the poor photo quality today guys...it's raining/thunderstorming outside, and it's supposed to carry on all day, so no dice on outdoor photos. Oh, well. This outfit isn't anything spectacular, anyway ;)

On the bright side, I got to lie in bed and listen to thunderstorms all morning. I really do love that. It's the little things.

items: 6, 15, 28
necklace: Banana Republic...I think the latter
bangles: H&M

Man, I need to make a trip to F21 and H&M as soon as this challenge is over. And the thrift store. The thing is, my 30 items are about 1/3 of my closet, and they're some of the items I wear most often anyway. So I definitely feel like I need a little wardrobe refresh. Just a few things here and there.

Speaking of "the little things" (well, I was earlier anyway), I had a great one yesterday too. See, most of this week has been one disappointment or annoyance after another, and I've been really, really stressed out. So after work yesterday, Matt and I met up with a friend from OU (the same one from "guy time" yesterday, haha) and we went down to the climbing wall at the Scioto Audubon park. I love that park more than any other place in the city, I think. So I got a good route in, then I decided to be really gutsy and try lead climbing for the first time ever.

For those who are rusty on your climbing terminology, lead climbing is far more difficult from top-rope climbing. In top-rope, your rope is looped through an anchor at the top of the route, so it goes from your harness, up to the anchor, then down to the person who is belaying you. (The belayer is the one who keeps the rope taut so if you fall, you don't fall far.) In lead climbing, there is no top anchor. Instead, the rope goes from your harness straight to the belayer. You climb up the wall and hook into several bolts that are placed on the face of the wall itself as you go. This means, if you fall, you will probably fall much farther, and harder. Lead climbing forces you to rely on your skill alone, instead of relying on the rope to hold you up.

It's terrifying.

But it's also incredibly rewarding. There were several points where I honestly didn't think I'd make it to the top. And I even took a fall (albeit a small one--just a few feet). But somehow, I made it. Every muscle in my arms and my legs was kind of twitching by the time I got lowered to the ground, haha. But it was an amazing feeling to know that even if I think I can't do something, I can somehow find the strength to push on. And that doesn't have to be physical; it can be a mental strength as well.

Sorry for the rant. I am just super excited about my climb. And about the boost it gave me :) Do you have anything that gets you pumped up like that?

Happy Fourth of July!

I knew, going into this 30x30 challenge, that weekends would be difficult for me. I’m the kind of person who likes to laze around on the weekends. Saturday, I didn’t get dressed until 9 pm. That’s right, I wore my PJs for the vast majority of the day. Am I embarrassed of that fact? Not in the slightest.

Since Matt and I decided to meet a few friends at the bar Saturday evening, I changed out of my PJs and into this simple little number. I love the tank top-jeans-heels combo...it feels very America’s Next Top Model. (You know how, during the judgement phase, Tyra seems to prefer the models to wear simple outfits like this? You mean you don't all watch ANTM marathons on weekends? Really?) Doesn’t hurt that these heels make me an even 6 feet tall ;)

items: 14, 15, 30
necklace: The Limited
clutch: Laura Arens

I also decided to combine corniness, trendiness and patriotism in my manicure. (The trendy is the one nail painted different…I really like it!) Painting my nails for the holidays always makes me feel a little corny/silly, but I figure, that’s half the fun, right?

Yesterday, we’re going with some friends to the lake. One of them has a little Airstream camper...you know, those silver bubble-looking things. Technically, it’s his parents, but they let us all crash there on the weekends. They have a platoon boat too, so we basically just grab some beers (wine in my case, I’m classy like that) and float around on the water all day.

Matt and I usually sleep in our tent, since the camper is pretty tiny. But since we’re car camping, we bring tons of extra blankets and whatnot to sleep on, so it’s actually pretty comfy.

But this trip meant I didn't wear any of my 30 items yesterday. They’re just not lake-and-sleeping-in-a-tent-quality. But I’ll probably double up with two outfits in one day again, or I’ll just stretch the challenge and end it a day or two later than everyone else. I’m loving the flexibility of it!

Tonight we're going to a Fourth party, so I'll have another outfit to post in the morning. Maybe tonight, if I'm not completely exhausted. Until then... :)

Everything's coming up roses

Ah, long weekends. They are pretty bomb, if you ask me. My boss let us leave work a little early today, so I popped over to the Park of Roses to give my new tripod I whirl. It worked really well! I felt kind of silly, sneaking furtively around the park to find locales where people wouldn't see me. First photo shoot in public, you know.

items: 8, 15, 28
cami: Target?
necklace: gift from my grandma

I also took a few nice photos of the roses themselves. I love that my camera has a macro setting for closeups like these. It's the next best thing to having a big-girl camera, if you ask me.

Well, I'm off to finish laundry/eat dinner/head out for some Fourth of July weekend festivities. Monday's going to be the real party, though. Matt's boss has a house with a perfect view of the Clintonville fireworks, so we're going over there for drinks, dinner and slip'n'slide. Yup. We're doing slip'n'slides :)