Holy crap an outfit post!

sweater: Forever 21
skinnies, boots: Target
necklace: giveaway win
watch: Coach (secondhand)
Rest assured that, despite my lack of posting outfit photos, I have in fact been wearing clothes these last several weeks. Some of the outfits are even originals/non-repeats! Shocking, I know. I wore this just last week, but I jumped it to the front of my queue of "outfits to post" because I have an important question related to it...

Just when exactly does boot season end?!

I know this might be a no-brainer in some parts of the country or world, but here in good old Ohio, it can be 75 degrees one day and 42 the next. I am not kidding. So while we're looking at a high in the low 70s today, this sweater-and-boot combo was totally weather-appropriate when I wore it on Friday. Not very springlike, but hey, I was comfortable (if not seasonally accurate).

In other news, I completely failed to acknowledge my four-year bloggiversary! It was on April 8. BUTTTTTT my first outfit post was on April 14, so I guess this counts as a recognition?

It's hard to believe it's been four years since I started balancing my eight-megapixel point-and-shoot on a table or balcony and setting a self-timer. So much has changed since then! To name just a few: I grew my hair out and cut it all off. I upgraded from boyfriend to fiance (ha, here's hoping he doesn't find that offensive). I got a better point-and-shoot, then received a DSLR camera and fell absolutely in love with photography. I clawed my way out of debt and changed jobs. I discovered a love for dance and ran my first 5k and developed my rock-climbing skills. And of course I've met some fantastic fellow bloggers.

I don't know how much longer I'll keep blogging — I'm waiting until things settle down after the wedding to make the call officially — but I do know it's been an awesome ride so far. Thanks to everyone who's still reading. You guys keep me at it :)

Anniversaries

I'm weird about taking sick days. Usually I feel like I'm dying in the morning (no joke, I was actually in tears as I tried to get ready this morning), but by the afternoon I'm usually feeling human again. Today is no exception. I still feel crappy, but at least I'm no longer curled up in a fetal position, whimpering softly while my cat gives me the most concerned look a cat can muster. (Yes, that happened today.)

Anyway, I've just been sitting here in bed with my laptop, and I realized something. I forgot my own blog-iversary. Now here it is, two days past my two-year mark, and I don't even have an outfit post in reserve to celebrate. How sad is that? Well, in the grand scheme of things, I guess it's really not sad at all. But in bloggerworld, where #bloggerproblems rule, it's pretty pathetic.

Fun fact: April is officially my month of anniversaries. My two-year blogiversary was on Monday, and my one-year work anniversary is at the end of this month. Also at the end of this month is Matt's and my five-year anniversary of dating. Wow.

And me being me, anniversaries tend to make me go all retrospective and nostalgic. So in lieu of an outfit post, you guys get a whole lot of words. Woohoo?

Two years ago, I was still a semi-new college graduate. I had finally landed a job I enjoyed, and was comfortable enough in it that I was ready for a new hobby (which is how this blog came about). I knew I would never be able to limit my blog to just one topic, so I embraced my tendency to get easily distracted and started chronicling my adventures in the worlds of personal style, food, home décor, DIY, and (eventually) personal finance. One of my first posts proposed a toast: To success, be it self-discovery or Internet semi-fame. I'm no blogger sensation, but I think I've definitely achieved the self-discovery succes in pretty much every area.

Style. When I started this blog, I had no real sense of style; I just wore slacks and whatever shirt my fingers touched first when I was getting dressed. Some days I mixed it up with a black skirt. My wardrobe was boring and I was bored with it. Now, there are still days that I just throw on whatever's easiest, but there are more days when I try to create something. My shopping habits have gotten a lot better, too. I used to buy whatever caught my eye, or items that I thought I was "supposed" to have in a professional wardrobe. (Seriously, who needs eight bajillion button-down Oxfords?) Now, I consider potential purchases, weighing them against what I already own, thinking about remix possibilities and longevity.

Food. Oh man. I've tried a lot of new recipes over the past two years, though at the moment I'm working with a six-week rotating menu of Matt's and my faves. I don't know if I'd say I've really "grown" in this area, though I certainly do eat a lot more veggies than I did a few years ago. So, improvement?

Home décor. This was a hard one, mostly because decorating a home, even if it's a tiny apartment, takes money. Which as you all know, I don't have a whole lot of. But my landlord recently complimented my decorating skills (in the most misogynistic way possible, but I'll overlook that), and I've definitely noticed a maturation in the way I approach our living space. Our first apartment featured white walls and posters hung up with sticky-tack. This one has a few painted rooms, framed art and a general color palate. When we move again in August, I'm hoping to convey a more cohesive palate and a real sense of who Matt and I are through decorating. So consider this a disclaimer: There will be a LOT more décor-related posts in the second half of this year :)

DIY. I've completed a few projects, and some of them actually turned out pretty well. (Framed Ikea-inspired art, homemade curtains.) Others turned out horribly, but they were great learning experiences. With the recent opening of a sewing co-op near our house (where you can rent sewing machines by the hour), not to mention a new, larger apartment to decorate, I expect to be able to accomplish many more DIY projects in the coming months/years.

Money/personal finance. Surprisingly, this is the area I feel where I've grown the most. I say "surprisingly" for two reasons: First, it wasn't an initial angle I intended to pursue here, and second, I've had a major spending problem for pretty much my entire life. In just two years, I've evolved from someone who spends money the second she gets it and then keeps spending to create outrageous amounts of debt, to someone who budgets a year in advance, plans all major purchases and hesitates to plunk down more than $50 on anything, ever. I stopped impulse-buying by forcing myself to sit on any non-budgeted purchase for at least 48 hours. I have a savings account! With money in it! Not enough to cover me for three to six months of living expenses, but enough for at least one month, or one major car repair. I went from being thousands of dollars in debt to being just six months away from having no debt at all. (Fair warning: When I do send in that last payment in October, expect a long, celebratory, rambling post about how excited I am. Whether you actually read it or not is up to you.)

Speaking of rambling, I'm kind of going off here still. I guess I'll stop giving you all eye strain, if you've even read this far. And if you have, thanks! You're a real trooper. Here's a gold star.

One year ago

A year ago today, I took the leap with my first blog post on Verbal Mélange. But really, the blog started long before April 2011. I spent months stalking studying others' blogs. Figuring out what I liked. Trying to gain a focus. Designing a logo, which I promptly scrapped for the current design. And ever since, I've been continually evolving this project. So yes, I'm celebrating my one-year bloggiversary today. But VM is far from becoming a static project, with a single set anniversary. Here's to the next year to come :)




cardi: The Limited
shirt: really, really old...from Alloy maybe?
slacks: thrifted
belt, flats: Target
necklace: Figleaf
EIGHT THINGS I’VE LEARNED THROUGH BLOGGING

1. I can actually dress myself. That is, I’m completely capable of coming up with unique outfits most days (hey, we all do repeats…don’t pretend you’re not guilty). That was honestly one of my biggest worries about starting this blog; that I would run out of inspiration or steam after a few months.

2. How to thrift. A year ago, I would have never, EVER, gone into a thrift store with $7 and been able to leave with the makings of a few different outfits. Now? I think at least a third of my closet is thrifted. Helloooooo, money saved!

3. How to step out of my fashion comfort zone. Before I started blogging, I think I laughed at the colored pants trend. *blush* And honestly, I’m kind of ashamed to admit that. BECAUSE I LOVE MY COLORED PANTS. But really, it all goes back to the “don’t knock it until you try it” idea. And for the most part, I have fully adopted that as a mantra.

4. How to do the above, but still stay true to my personal style. (Because, as eclectic as it is, I do consider myself to have a “personal” sort of style.) There are some trends I simply won’t try. Not because I think they’re stupid (tons of people can pull off color blocking or peplum skirts with absolute grace and flare), but because they’re just not me. There’s a difference between trying new things and pretending to be someone else.

5. How to better manage my finances. I guess you could say blogging about my Financial Diet gave me a certain amount of accountability, even if I didn’t stay entirely true to the cause 100% of the time. Just knowing that other people were aware of what I was trying to do (and in some cases, doing it with me) helped me gain the financial structure that I was never able to obtain before.

6. Photography. I’m by no means an expert, and I still use a point-and-shoot, but look at those first indoor photos from April/May 2011, then look at the ones from this February/March. Dear God, those photos were so awful.

7. Sometimes, the best style bloggers aren’t the “famous” ones. When I started, I only knew the “popular” bloggers like Kendi, Jill, Sydney, Jessica, etc. etc. And while they are all lovely women, I’m sure, and I still read (most of) those blogs every day, I’ve discovered that in some cases, I like the lesser-known bloggers even more than the big-name ones. Which leads me to…

8. The blogging community is so incredible. For real. You guys bring a smile to my face on pretty much a daily basis. And the friendships I’ve established with a few of you is so incredible, and so real, it’s almost unbelievable. And even when I'm just sitting here talking about myself, like I have been with these lists this week, I've been learning about you guys through responses in the comments.

And you know something? I think that's my favorite thing.

P.S. Happy Easter, to those who celebrate it! I'm spending the day with my family, gorging myself silly on my younger siblings' Easter candy. Hey, those kids can't eat it all. I'm helping them...umm...prevent cavities. Yeah ;)

Food Friday and more bloggiversary celebration

It's been AGES since I've done a Food Fridays post. This one is actually pretty basic, but grilling season is upon us so I figured I'd post it. But first, a quick 10 things for the bloggiversary week.

TEN ITEMS FROM MY BUCKET LIST

1. Get married (also: have a family)
2. Buy a house
3. Write a book
4. Own a motorcycle
5. Visit a different country (that’s not Mexico or Canada)
6. See the Northern Lights (also: Grand Canyon, a redwood tree, the Pacific Ocean, Mount Rushmore, various touristy sites in Europe)
7. Be in a friend’s or sibling’s wedding
8. Run a marathon (or at least a half)
9. Fly first class
10. Meet someone famous

And now, the delicious meaty goodness that is one of my favorite meals of all time: Steak and potatoes.


Of course, we paired it with asparagus because that's one of the few vegetables that I really love. This isn't really so much of a recipe post as a "how we threw this together" post, but those are my favorite kinds of meals anyway. When we grill, Matt always handles the meat and I take care of the sides. Cooking with him is fun :)

We started by cutting the potatoes into bite-size pieces and boiling them in water for about five or ten minutes to partially cook them. Then we drained them, patted them dry, and laid them out on a baking sheet. I drizzled them with olive oil, sprinkled with garlic powder, rosemary and thyme, and tossed to cover. Then I threw them in the oven at 350 degrees.

Next, I made the compound butter. It's a really easy and delicious way to dress up a steak a little. I popped the butter in the microwave in five second increments until it was just softened, then mixed in some A1 sauce with a fork. I really wanted to add chives, but alas, we had none. Anyway, then I laid the butter out on some waxed paper and kind of rolled it into a tube shape. I failed to take a photo of this, but I'll probably do a separate post on compound butters someday anyway, so it's okay :) Then I just popped the tube into the freezer.

Next was the asparagus. I always make this the same way: Just trim off the bottom inch or so of the stalks, wash well, dry, and spread out on a baking sheet. I drizzle them with this really fabulous Arbequina olive oil I got at the Giant Eagle Market District, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. As I popped them into the oven, Matt threw the steaks on the grill and worked his manly grilling magic.

After about 15 minutes, everything was ready! And man oh man, it was so, so delicious.

Bloggiversary week continues!

I was driving home from a friend's house last night and I got to thinking about just how dang cheery I was feeling. And how completely miserable I felt last week. And I realized that I never properly thanked everyone who commented on my gloomy posts with words of encouragement. So I would like to officially and heartfelt-ly say thank you. It's kind of silly how kind words from near-strangers (or in some cases, folks who I've never actually met but still consider friends) can mean so much...but I want you all to know that they really do.

Okay, serious moment over. I took these photos last month, when we were in the midst of a record-breaking heat wave. Now we're back to normal early-spring temperatures, and I'm shivering while taking outfit photos in the morning. But for these photos? It was gorgeous.






shirt, skirt, belt: thrifted
collared undershirt, necklace: New York & Company
shoes: Target
I really need to properly iron this skirt before I wear it again. Anyway. The bloggiversary week continues with more fun facts!

EIGHT CONFESSIONS

1. I am addicted to Mountain Dew. No lie, my Dew habits are borderline disgusting. I drink it every day. (Sometimes twice a day. Wow, that was kind of hard to admit.)

2. I’m a really picky eater. I like to tell people that I am a “super-taster” (yes, they do exist) and that’s why I can’t handle spicy foods. Like, not even a little spicy. Pepperoni sometimes makes my mouth burn. I also can’t stand most vegetables, which is why the side dishes for all of my food posts consist of potatoes, asparagus, corn or a simple salad (and usually, I don’t even enjoy most salads unless they’re drenched in dressing).

3. I still have a bit of a spending problem. I never really wanted to own up to it here, but it’s a rare week that I make it all the way through without going overbudget on my Financial Diet. Some weeks I do stay within my allotted amount, but others I go a teensy bit over. Every once in a great while, I go quite a bit over. I am WAY better than I used to be, yes, but it does still happen. I can’t help it, because…

4. I’m insanely impulsive. And yes, it’s gotten me into trouble on many occasions. The older I get, the easier it is to keep myself in check, but sometimes I just say “screw the consequences” and do whatever-it-is anyway.

5. I curse like a sailor. So really, I don’t say “screw the consequences” as mentioned above, I say…well, you get the picture. Again, I keep it in check on the blog for the sake of professionalism (this thing is on the internet for everyone, including future potential employers, to see), but if you ever meet me in person, prepare your ears for a slew of very un-ladylike language. Unless of course you are my employer or something like that. I know when to keep my tongue in check.

6. I sometimes let depression/anxiety get the best of me. Though this isn’t really so much of a confession, because I wrote about it last week. Oh well. I almost wrote “I’m secretly lazy,” except I’m absolutely not and I hate to be idle. But I’ve suffered from depression/anxiety for nearly 10 years now, and even though I’m no longer on meds (yay!), I still sometimes succumb to it because it’s just plain easier to give in than to make the effort to fight.

7. I daydream constantly. Sometimes it’s goofy things, sometimes it’s sad things, sometimes it’s completely mundane. I play out random little scenarios in my head all the time. I’ve been known to talk to myself on occasion. Sometimes I answer myself.

8. I never thought this blog would make it to the one-year mark. Monotony has never suited me, and I initially assumed that after 12 months, I’d find blogging my daily outfits monotonous. Not so. In fact, it’s become quite the opposite; I fear I’m actually addicted to blogging. I can just see it now, I’ll be doing it as an old lady, when no one is interested in reading my ramblings anymore, just for the sake of getting my thoughts “out there.” I’m guessing I won’t be the only one, at least.

Guess what's coming up!

A while back, I had this great idea that I'd post a week-long series of "things you didn't know about me"-type lists during the week before my one-year bloggiversary. Well, guess what Sunday is (besides Easter). Yup. It's the one-year anniversary of my first blog post. So much for a week of posts. But I can at least do a few days' worth before, and maybe a day or two after :) And don't worry, I'll still do outfit posts all week as well! So without further ado...






shirt: New York & Company
wrap thingy: Marshall's
skirt, heels: thrifted
necklace: Forever 21
SEVEN RANDOM FACTS
(These were partially taken from a blogger Q&A that was floating around the internet for a bit...then I added some questions of my own.)

1. Paperback or e-book reader?
Six months ago, I would have said paperback all the way. Since I got a Kindle for Christmas, I’ve been doing a lot more e-reading. What I’ve come to find is that e-books are fine for short novels, memoirs, trashy romances, etc. But when it comes to my favorites—from literary greats like East of Eden to pop culture phenomena like the Harry Potter series—I’ll never give up my ability to dogear, doodle in the margins and just plain hold the dang book.

2. Summer or winter?
Summer, dear God, summer. Winter is pretty much the bane of my existence.

3. What is your comfort food?
Ha, I have so many. Anything with a lot of butter or cheese. I love me some fatty diary products.

4. Which fashion trend would you never wear?
Probably Peter Pan collars, peplum skirts or intense color blocking (bright blue with bright green, hot pink with orange, etc).

5. Which is the next place you would like to travel to?
Again, so many! Matt and I have this dream of backpacking through Europe for two or three weeks in lieu of a traditional beachy honeymoon. Of course, I wouldn’t say no to a trip to the Bahamas, either ;)

6. What are your wardrobe staples?
My leopard print flats, for sure. I wear those shoes more days a week than all my other ones combined! Also my Guess jeans, they’re the only ones that fit perfectly. If we’re talking generics, then I’d say striped shirts, skinny jeans, blazers and statement necklaces.

7. Who is your most favorite person in the whole world?
This isn’t even a fair question, because I’m surrounded by so many amazing people. I guess, if I had to choose just ONE, I’d probably say my mom. That woman is my hero. Of course, my dad, siblings and Matt all tie for a VERY close second place!