Well, I can certainly say that I have learned to look at the contents of my closet a little differently. There have been days when, given the full range of clothes in my closet, I've stood in front of it and moaned that I have nothing to wear. This feeling of defeat approached me only a few times during the challenge, and yet I always managed to pull something together.
As I said before, I now feel like I have tripled my wardrobe, without actually buying anything. I'm currently wearing clothes and shoes that I haven't touched in more than a month, and I love it. (Particularly my shoes. I missed my Franco Sartos.) And I definitely appreciate that I don't have to take photos, edit them and post them all before I leave for work. Thinking of taking my tripod and camera out to the Park of Roses again after work. Hello, change of scenery!
But what have I really learned from this challenge? It's difficult to say. I realized that I already remix much of what I wear, because I rarely am able to buy a lot of new clothes. And I realized that in reality, I've been dabbling in the remix deal for quite some time. Granted, in high school it was less remixing and more wearing the same outfits over and over, but in college I started trying to be a bit more creative. And I bought new clothes even LESS frequently then. I probably went a full six months at one point or another without buying any new threads. Good thing I wasn't a style blogger then, I suppose.
So, here I am. About to jump into the financial diet, if I can ever get a game plan of some sort together. And that means I'll be buying fewer clothes then, too. So I suppose in a way, the remixing doesn't end here for me. Maybe it never will. And you know, that's just fine with me.
I did come pretty close to repeating...outfits 5 and 26 are pretty close. I was kind of ready for something like that to happen, but I guess I could have fixed it a little by wearing different shoes one of those days. After all, there's only so much you can do with a safari-style dress like this. (In retrospect, I kind of wanted to wear the white sleeveless button-down as a vest over the dress, but I forgot about it. Oh well...guess that's an outfit for another day!
What about you? Any reflections/revelations on your 30x30 challenge?
A mashup of style, food and anything else that interests me right now.
Showing posts with label 30x30. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 30x30. Show all posts
Monday, July 18, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Made it!
That's right folks, I am officially through my very first 30x30 challenge! I may have cheated a few times (bought a necklace, wore non-30 outfits in the evenings that I wore items from the 30 during the day, skipped days, added/subtracted items...haha) but overall, I'm quite proud of the accomplishment. And now, my closet seems 10 times bigger than what it did before the challenge, without even buying new clothes! That's fun.
I was originally going to wear jeans with this outfit to a cookout that our friend was having yesterday. But after snapping just a few outdoor photos in those long pants, I was sweltering, so I switched it up for shorts. Good call, if you ask me.
Oh, and this bag? I won it in a giveaway from Nick of Predictably Irrational. It's a Banksy print tote, and I absolutely love it! Very nice quality, very sturdy. I can tell I'll be using this bag quite a lot this summer! Nick is really creative with DIY-ing andmakeover-ing making over items like Tshirts, too. (One of her more recent posts is a gorgeous Tshirt redo that is simply to die for!)
I know it's customary to do a 30x30 lookback at the end of the challenge. Well, I'm a somewhat traditional gal in many respects, so I'm busy compiling all my photos and thinking about what kind of reflections I want to...um...reflect upon. Stay tuned!
I was originally going to wear jeans with this outfit to a cookout that our friend was having yesterday. But after snapping just a few outdoor photos in those long pants, I was sweltering, so I switched it up for shorts. Good call, if you ask me.
Oh, and this bag? I won it in a giveaway from Nick of Predictably Irrational. It's a Banksy print tote, and I absolutely love it! Very nice quality, very sturdy. I can tell I'll be using this bag quite a lot this summer! Nick is really creative with DIY-ing and
I know it's customary to do a 30x30 lookback at the end of the challenge. Well, I'm a somewhat traditional gal in many respects, so I'm busy compiling all my photos and thinking about what kind of reflections I want to...um...reflect upon. Stay tuned!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Almost there!
That's right folks, this is my second-to-last outfit in my very first 30x30 challenge. It's definitely made me think about my closet differently, but I'll save the musings for the recap this weekend.
Speaking of weekends, today is my Friday! I actually used some of my PTO hours to take tomorrow off, since I'm staying up until 2 or 4 tonight to watch a double feature of both parts of the seventh Harry Potter film. That's right. I'm sitting down to 7 or more solid hours of HP tonight, starting at 9 pm. Am I crazy? Perhaps. Crazy in love with a certain series. I'll admit, I never liked the movies as well as I did the books (I have yet to see the sixth film, heard it wasn't true to the book at all), but this is the end of an era. I feel compelled to join in the frenzy.
Don't know if I'll wear real clothes tomorrow...I'm helping my friend paint her new apartment (after I wake up wayyyy late, haha) and then I'm catching up on a bunch of work for my freelance job. But before the weekend is over, I'll have posted my final 30x30 outfit!
For some reason, only the photos of me looking away from the camera turned out alright today. Weird.
No long-windedness today, folks. I have to swing by Kroger to pick up something dessert-y for our company picnic today (I tried to make cookies the other day and failed miserably--I am not a baker) and then I have an early meeting that will probably eat up most of my day. I'd be annoyed, but it's to select photos for the next issue of the bridal magazine that we put out twice a year. I think that's my favorite part of working on that particular publication :)
(P.S. Make sure you enter my giveaway...it ends tomorrow!)
Speaking of weekends, today is my Friday! I actually used some of my PTO hours to take tomorrow off, since I'm staying up until 2 or 4 tonight to watch a double feature of both parts of the seventh Harry Potter film. That's right. I'm sitting down to 7 or more solid hours of HP tonight, starting at 9 pm. Am I crazy? Perhaps. Crazy in love with a certain series. I'll admit, I never liked the movies as well as I did the books (I have yet to see the sixth film, heard it wasn't true to the book at all), but this is the end of an era. I feel compelled to join in the frenzy.
Don't know if I'll wear real clothes tomorrow...I'm helping my friend paint her new apartment (after I wake up wayyyy late, haha) and then I'm catching up on a bunch of work for my freelance job. But before the weekend is over, I'll have posted my final 30x30 outfit!
For some reason, only the photos of me looking away from the camera turned out alright today. Weird.
No long-windedness today, folks. I have to swing by Kroger to pick up something dessert-y for our company picnic today (I tried to make cookies the other day and failed miserably--I am not a baker) and then I have an early meeting that will probably eat up most of my day. I'd be annoyed, but it's to select photos for the next issue of the bridal magazine that we put out twice a year. I think that's my favorite part of working on that particular publication :)
(P.S. Make sure you enter my giveaway...it ends tomorrow!)
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Work work work work work
Can you guess what's on my mind lately? Yep. Work. And money. And how there never seems to be enough of it in my bank account. So, I've decided that once this 30x30 challenge is over (today is day 28!), I'm imposing a new challenge upon myself. It's a financial diet, if you will. I can't reasonably cut out all spending, and to be honest, I wouldn't want to. I take the term "retail therapy" very seriously. It's sad, but shopping genuinely makes me feel better when I'm in a bad mood. Which, given my history through high school and college, explains why I'm so broke now.
But I'm trying to remedy that, particularly because next tax season is probably going to kill me. Or come close. It's my first year filing taxes as a non-student, and I'm earning some decent money freelancing on the side, which I don't get taxes taken out of them. So I'm going to owe good ol' Uncle Sam a pretty penny come April. So I'm trying to plan ahead! Yay, me!
So what does that mean? It means I'm looking for a part-time job (which will bump my employment up to 1 full time job, 1 freelance job, 1 part time job and 1 blog that's kind of like a job, only I don't get paid--yikes). Free time? Who needs it? Well, I do, but if I have less of it, maybe I'll shop less.
And when I do shop, it will be exclusively at thrift stores. If I want to splurge, I may buy something handmade on Etsy. But no full-price anything. Until...well, until I can't do it anymore. I'm aiming for a minimum of one month, but if this goes well, I'm going to try to stretch it out for the rest of the year. *gulp*
Okay, enough whining about money woes. Here are some fun photos! (Wow. That even rhymes. Ew.)
items: 4, 5, 9, 27
bracelet: street vendor @ Short North Gallery Hop
necklace: Claire's, about 5 or 6 years ago
Is this a pretty close copy of this outfit? Maybe. But it's the end of the challenge and to be honest, I'm running out of ideas. I can't wait to get my whole closet back! It will feel like I just went on the biggest shopping spree ever!
There I go again, talking about shopping. Ugh.
So, today's post has some homework. And you thought you were off the hook, with it being summer. Well, the school of VM never takes breaks! Muah ha ha ha!
Seriously, it's fun stuff.
- Enter my giveaway, if you haven't already. Ends Friday!
- If you have an account on 20 Something Bloggers (20SB), you should vote for me for the August featured blogger here. First person to vote for me gets a vote FROM me for their blog in return ;)
- If you have tips for saving money or whatnot, share! I need all the help I can get, haha.
Also...I don't say this enough, but I love you all. Really. Each and every one of you who reads this: you are awesome. And thank you. *muah*
But I'm trying to remedy that, particularly because next tax season is probably going to kill me. Or come close. It's my first year filing taxes as a non-student, and I'm earning some decent money freelancing on the side, which I don't get taxes taken out of them. So I'm going to owe good ol' Uncle Sam a pretty penny come April. So I'm trying to plan ahead! Yay, me!
So what does that mean? It means I'm looking for a part-time job (which will bump my employment up to 1 full time job, 1 freelance job, 1 part time job and 1 blog that's kind of like a job, only I don't get paid--yikes). Free time? Who needs it? Well, I do, but if I have less of it, maybe I'll shop less.
And when I do shop, it will be exclusively at thrift stores. If I want to splurge, I may buy something handmade on Etsy. But no full-price anything. Until...well, until I can't do it anymore. I'm aiming for a minimum of one month, but if this goes well, I'm going to try to stretch it out for the rest of the year. *gulp*
Okay, enough whining about money woes. Here are some fun photos! (Wow. That even rhymes. Ew.)
items: 4, 5, 9, 27
bracelet: street vendor @ Short North Gallery Hop
necklace: Claire's, about 5 or 6 years ago
Is this a pretty close copy of this outfit? Maybe. But it's the end of the challenge and to be honest, I'm running out of ideas. I can't wait to get my whole closet back! It will feel like I just went on the biggest shopping spree ever!
There I go again, talking about shopping. Ugh.
So, today's post has some homework. And you thought you were off the hook, with it being summer. Well, the school of VM never takes breaks! Muah ha ha ha!
Seriously, it's fun stuff.
- Enter my giveaway, if you haven't already. Ends Friday!
- If you have an account on 20 Something Bloggers (20SB), you should vote for me for the August featured blogger here. First person to vote for me gets a vote FROM me for their blog in return ;)
- If you have tips for saving money or whatnot, share! I need all the help I can get, haha.
Also...I don't say this enough, but I love you all. Really. Each and every one of you who reads this: you are awesome. And thank you. *muah*
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
I don't like spiders
They scare the living bejezus out of me. Doesn't matter how small they are, the second I see one, I start to panic. (This extends to most insects and centipede-like creatures. Ew.) So when I saw a spider floating gently down in front of me on its little web of fear in the middle of my photo shoot this morning, I got a little uncomfortable. Fortunately, he was small enough for me to take care of the situation...but unfortunately, he was big enough to interrupt my photos. Hence the strained looks and the peering at the ground, haha.
Ok, so I cheated just a tiny bit on my 30 items here. But it's for a good reason...Everybody Everywear! This month it's yellow. I don't own much yellow at all...I think it makes my skin look funny sometimes. But I have a few shirts, so here's my yellow for the month :)
In other news...still looking for 2-3 guest bloggers for early August, when Matt and I go to NYC. Email me at verbal{dot}melange{at}gmail{dot}com if you're interested!
Update: I have all my spots filled for vacation time. Thanks, guys, for the responses! If you want to guest post for me at some random time, you can still shoot me an email. I love connecting with other bloggers!
In other other news...have you entered my givewaway yet? Time's running out! (Ends Friday evening.)
Ok, so I cheated just a tiny bit on my 30 items here. But it's for a good reason...Everybody Everywear! This month it's yellow. I don't own much yellow at all...I think it makes my skin look funny sometimes. But I have a few shirts, so here's my yellow for the month :)
In other news...still looking for 2-3 guest bloggers for early August, when Matt and I go to NYC. Email me at verbal{dot}melange{at}gmail{dot}com if you're interested!
Update: I have all my spots filled for vacation time. Thanks, guys, for the responses! If you want to guest post for me at some random time, you can still shoot me an email. I love connecting with other bloggers!
In other other news...have you entered my givewaway yet? Time's running out! (Ends Friday evening.)
Monday, July 11, 2011
Are we there yet?
"There" referring to the end of the 30x30 challenge, that is. I've gotta be honest, I'm running out of steam a bit. If you couldn't tell, from the steady downward progression in creativity of my outfits. Oh well, this one is number 26, so I'm nearly there. I might have to take off a day for Thursday's Bloggers Do It Better challenge, since I don't have any maxi skirts in my 30 items. Or in my closet at all, for that matter. To the thrift store!
I got this necklace at the North Market Food & Ohio Wine Festival this weekend. For you non-Columbusites, the North Market is this great little collection of shops that sell awesome food and other things. There's prepared food stands serving Vietnamese, pizza, deli sandwiches, Polish food, gourmet ice cream and even Belgian waffles. Other stands sell high-quality meats, cheeses, seafood...there's even a shop that sells just about any spice you can think of! Needless to say, the foodie in my loves the North Market. At the fest on Sunday, there was an artisan market as well. Tons of jewelrymakers and other crafters were selling their wares.
I fell in love with the jewelry at Sweet Stella Designs' booth. Go on and check out her site; she has AWESOME jewelry. With any luck, you'll be seeing more of this designer on my site. Haha, this could be bad for my wallet ;)
I got this necklace at the North Market Food & Ohio Wine Festival this weekend. For you non-Columbusites, the North Market is this great little collection of shops that sell awesome food and other things. There's prepared food stands serving Vietnamese, pizza, deli sandwiches, Polish food, gourmet ice cream and even Belgian waffles. Other stands sell high-quality meats, cheeses, seafood...there's even a shop that sells just about any spice you can think of! Needless to say, the foodie in my loves the North Market. At the fest on Sunday, there was an artisan market as well. Tons of jewelrymakers and other crafters were selling their wares.
I fell in love with the jewelry at Sweet Stella Designs' booth. Go on and check out her site; she has AWESOME jewelry. With any luck, you'll be seeing more of this designer on my site. Haha, this could be bad for my wallet ;)
Forgetful me
Silly me forgot to put up these photos from Saturday. The plan was to post these yesterday, but I was completely overwhelmed and overexcited by the fact that our New York City vacation is officially back on! I absolutely love the city, and Matt's never been, so we're both super excited that the trip isn't cancelled after all. My aunt and uncle live in New Jersey, about an hour outside the city, and we'll be staying with them. It's going to be lovely :)
(On a related note...would anyone like to guest-post for me while I'm gone? Email me: verbal{dot}melange{at}gmail{dot}com.
And now, here's what I wore on Saturday:
First, I just want to say again how much I looooove these shoes. Every time I put them on, I smile because I remember they're Banana Republic and they only cost me $15. Thanks, Rag-o-rama :)
Anyway, Saturday I went to my friend's going away party. He got a job out in Santa Fe, working for a weekly newspaper. Super jealous, and super, super sad to see him go. This guy hired me for my first real-world job...*sniff* But the part was a lot of fun, and I know he'll do really well out in the southwest. Best of luck to you, Reyan!
(On a related note...would anyone like to guest-post for me while I'm gone? Email me: verbal{dot}melange{at}gmail{dot}com.
And now, here's what I wore on Saturday:
First, I just want to say again how much I looooove these shoes. Every time I put them on, I smile because I remember they're Banana Republic and they only cost me $15. Thanks, Rag-o-rama :)
Anyway, Saturday I went to my friend's going away party. He got a job out in Santa Fe, working for a weekly newspaper. Super jealous, and super, super sad to see him go. This guy hired me for my first real-world job...*sniff* But the part was a lot of fun, and I know he'll do really well out in the southwest. Best of luck to you, Reyan!
Friday, July 8, 2011
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.
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?
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.
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?
Thursday, July 7, 2011
It's only Thursday?
Does anyone else feel like this week is just dragging along? And if so, do you also find it ironic that it's really been a short week, since most people had Monday off? Yeah, I thought so.
I think that for the next 30x30 challenge, I won't post outfits the day I wear them. It's too stressful trying to get up early enough to shoot photos, edit them, upload them, write about them and post them. Homegirl likes her sleep. Which is why today, this post is being written during my lunch break, instead of before I leave for work.
items: 8, 17, 26
cami: Marshall's
necklace: The Limited
bracelet: NYC Canal Street shop
rings: American Eagle and gift from my mom
I think I'm officially hooked on the trend of painting one nail differently. If you couldn't tell. I did a little mani-pedi last night while Matt was at the climbing wall with one of our friends from OU. I would have gone, but my head was still hurting a bit and I figured, let the guys have their guy time. Aren't I a good girlfriend? Haha
Also, I think I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I like these shoes. I've never worn them with shorts before, because they're so heavy. What do you think?
Also also, go enter my giveaway if you haven't yet :)
I think that for the next 30x30 challenge, I won't post outfits the day I wear them. It's too stressful trying to get up early enough to shoot photos, edit them, upload them, write about them and post them. Homegirl likes her sleep. Which is why today, this post is being written during my lunch break, instead of before I leave for work.
items: 8, 17, 26
cami: Marshall's
necklace: The Limited
bracelet: NYC Canal Street shop
rings: American Eagle and gift from my mom
I think I'm officially hooked on the trend of painting one nail differently. If you couldn't tell. I did a little mani-pedi last night while Matt was at the climbing wall with one of our friends from OU. I would have gone, but my head was still hurting a bit and I figured, let the guys have their guy time. Aren't I a good girlfriend? Haha
Also, I think I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I like these shoes. I've never worn them with shorts before, because they're so heavy. What do you think?
Also also, go enter my giveaway if you haven't yet :)
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Womp Womp
Seems to be my refrain for the past few days. Last night, Matt and I had to cancel our much-anticipated trip to New York City in August. I've seriously been looking forward to this for months, but when both your cars start having issues (and, in Matt's case, "issues" means "overheating in under three minutes of driving") and you have to put down a $700+ deposit on a house lease, dropping several hundred dollars on a trip to the Big Apple just isn't feasible. Womp #1.
Then, to add injury to insult, I got the holy mother of migraines last night. Seriously, it woke me up several times throughout the night. I barely slept at all. Thank god I had a single pill left on my prescription, or I wouldn't have made it in to work this morning. Womp #2.
Being exhausted, I put virtually no effort into this outfit. There. I admit it. If I weren't doing the 30x30 challenge, I wouldn't have blogged an outfit today at all. But, I think I salvaged it a little with the cute satin bow at the hip. No idea where this belt came from. None. Thanks, mystery belt, for saving this otherwise un-blog-worthy outfit. Womp #3.
That, my friends, is the face of exhaustion.
But, I have a non-womp tibit to share: My first giveaway! Call it the anti-womp. Have you entered yet?
Then, to add injury to insult, I got the holy mother of migraines last night. Seriously, it woke me up several times throughout the night. I barely slept at all. Thank god I had a single pill left on my prescription, or I wouldn't have made it in to work this morning. Womp #2.
Being exhausted, I put virtually no effort into this outfit. There. I admit it. If I weren't doing the 30x30 challenge, I wouldn't have blogged an outfit today at all. But, I think I salvaged it a little with the cute satin bow at the hip. No idea where this belt came from. None. Thanks, mystery belt, for saving this otherwise un-blog-worthy outfit. Womp #3.
That, my friends, is the face of exhaustion.
But, I have a non-womp tibit to share: My first giveaway! Call it the anti-womp. Have you entered yet?
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Oh, well.
That's what I said yesterday when I decided not to wear any of my 30 items to the Fourth of July party Matt and I went to. I mean, there was a food cart, and a bounce house, and a slip and slide...none of that really matches up with any of the 30 items I picked out, haha. So, it's a holiday. I took a little break.
But now I'm behind about two outfits in the challenge. Maybe I'll catch up...or maybe I'll just end it a few days late ;)
Please ignore that silly face in the last photo. That's my "I'm trying to smile but secretly I'm terrified I'm going to fall" face. Oh, the things we do for blogging.
I really love wearing this shirt tied around my midsection. I've done it a few times in the challenge so far, but I think I should probably try to mix it up a little if I wear it again before the challenge is over. Or not. Hey, it's my challenge :)
But now I'm behind about two outfits in the challenge. Maybe I'll catch up...or maybe I'll just end it a few days late ;)
Please ignore that silly face in the last photo. That's my "I'm trying to smile but secretly I'm terrified I'm going to fall" face. Oh, the things we do for blogging.
I really love wearing this shirt tied around my midsection. I've done it a few times in the challenge so far, but I think I should probably try to mix it up a little if I wear it again before the challenge is over. Or not. Hey, it's my challenge :)
Monday, July 4, 2011
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 ;)
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... :)
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 ;)
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... :)
Friday, July 1, 2011
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.
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 :)
Thursday, June 30, 2011
A perfect storm
Today seems to be one of those days where everything aligns perfectly...in all the worst ways. This outfit is what happens when:
- You wake up with a migraine. You take your prescription, but it knocks you out so hard that you oversleep and are pressed for time. Your head doesn't hurt, but you feel like you haven't slept in days.
- You're doing a 30 for 30 challenge and you have been too busy/lazy/forgetful to do laundry all week. So instead of 30 items to choose from, you have about five.
- You are me.
I'm not entirely disappointed in this outfit, but I definitely could have done better. Ah, well. There's always tomorrow, no?
And of course, there's the long weekend to look forward to. If you ask me, one of the best perks of working in an office is that they pay you to not work on days like the Fourth of July. Awesome.
Finally, two questions: Anyone else experiencing issues with Blogger in Draft and Google Chrome? They do not like each other. Which is sad, because I like them both on their own. Oh, Blogger, don't make me choose! And the second question: If you haven't given me feedback on a possible name change, could you take two seconds and let me know what you think by clicking here? I'll give you a hug :)
- You wake up with a migraine. You take your prescription, but it knocks you out so hard that you oversleep and are pressed for time. Your head doesn't hurt, but you feel like you haven't slept in days.
- You're doing a 30 for 30 challenge and you have been too busy/lazy/forgetful to do laundry all week. So instead of 30 items to choose from, you have about five.
- You are me.
I'm not entirely disappointed in this outfit, but I definitely could have done better. Ah, well. There's always tomorrow, no?
And of course, there's the long weekend to look forward to. If you ask me, one of the best perks of working in an office is that they pay you to not work on days like the Fourth of July. Awesome.
Finally, two questions: Anyone else experiencing issues with Blogger in Draft and Google Chrome? They do not like each other. Which is sad, because I like them both on their own. Oh, Blogger, don't make me choose! And the second question: If you haven't given me feedback on a possible name change, could you take two seconds and let me know what you think by clicking here? I'll give you a hug :)
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
A giant thank you!
I realized that I've never really said this before, so I'm saying it now. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who reads/subscribes to/follows this blog. To the nearly 45 of you that follow me via RSS feeds, Google Friend Connect and Bloglovin', THANK YOU! To those who follow me on Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook, THANK YOU! And to those who just pop in from time to time, another big THANK YOU!
And, just so you all know, you can follow me through any of the aforementioned platforms via the buttons on the right ;) Okay, okay. I'm done with that. On to the clothes!
This is actually the very first time I've ever worn a dress as a skirt. (It's this dress, if you were wondering.) And since this shirt is so see-through, I actually had to tuck the top part of the dress down into the skirt itself. So it's a little poofy, but I think the belt helps keep it in check. Personally, I love this style...it's like I just gained another eight or so skirts, without spending a cent! That's always a bonus, amiright?
Also, is Blogger being weird for anyone else lately? Deleting codes that are supposed to be in every post, not letting you center photos in WYSIWYG mode, etc?
And, just so you all know, you can follow me through any of the aforementioned platforms via the buttons on the right ;) Okay, okay. I'm done with that. On to the clothes!
This is actually the very first time I've ever worn a dress as a skirt. (It's this dress, if you were wondering.) And since this shirt is so see-through, I actually had to tuck the top part of the dress down into the skirt itself. So it's a little poofy, but I think the belt helps keep it in check. Personally, I love this style...it's like I just gained another eight or so skirts, without spending a cent! That's always a bonus, amiright?
Also, is Blogger being weird for anyone else lately? Deleting codes that are supposed to be in every post, not letting you center photos in WYSIWYG mode, etc?
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Rough start to the morning
You know how some mornings, you spend so long on your hair that you barely have time for anything else? Yeah, this was one of those mornings. And the most annoying part is that I didn't even get my hair to cooperate with me. Fortunately, I had an idea of what I was going to wear, and I can do my makeup in about 5 minutes if I need to, so I'm not running too far behind this morning. Still. Annoying.
I guess I need to buy more jewelry when this challenge is over. It seems like nearly every piece I own is labeled as "don't remember." Or worse, I bought it at Claire's years and years ago and I'm just too embarrassed to admit it. I need grown up jewelry.
I guess I need to buy more jewelry when this challenge is over. It seems like nearly every piece I own is labeled as "don't remember." Or worse, I bought it at Claire's years and years ago and I'm just too embarrassed to admit it. I need grown up jewelry.
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