Sometimes, I sit down to write a blog post and feel like I have literally nothing to say. Maybe it seems like this happens frequently, because I often blather on about nothing in particular around these parts, but most of the time my blathering is semi-planned or constructed. Days like today, though, the blinking cursor just kind of mocks me.
It's times like this that I wonder whether Verbal Mélange has a shelf life, an expiration date. My three-year bloggiversary came and went with little fanfare, and while on one hand it seems like an accomplishment (three years of committing to a thing!), it also kind of seems like a pretty weird thing to celebrate (three years of talking about and posting pictures of myself!). The reason behind the lack of fanfare--because if there's anything I love, it's making a big deal out of things--is that April is triple anniversary month for me, and two of the three (my start date with my current job and more importantly, Matt's and my dating-anniversary) land at the end of the month. So I tend to mentally lump the blog anniversary at the end too, even though it's really in the beginning.
Anyway, where I was going before that tangent about anniversaries: I've been doing a lot of thinking about VM and what it is now vs. what I originally envisioned it to be vs. what it's evolving into. But that's a post for another day, I think.
So much for said "writer's block," I suppose. Funny how that works.
And just to give your eyeballs a little visual stimulation, here's a fairly nondescript representation of what I've been wearing a lot lately: plain tee, cardi, slacks, flats. Warm weather, where art thou?
t-shirt: Old Navy
cardi, flats: Target
slacks: thrifted
necklace: Jane.com
Man, girls have it so easy for business casual wear, it isn't even funny. "Business casual" for dudes means ties and Oxfords, but I can wear a t-shirt as long as I dress it up with layers and a statement necklace. I kind of love it. (And to guys who may be tempted to complain about the unfairness of this double standard, I have two phrases for you: "gender pay gap" and "glass ceiling.")
blouse: really old, don't remember
cardi: Express via Discount Fashion Warehouse
skinnies: Forever 21
boots: Target
necklace: gifted
I read this Tumblr thing recently that claimed that when corals get stressed, they die. I can't attest to the veracity of that claim, but I can say that I relate a little. Only instead of dying, I just kind of shut down a bit. Like yesterday, when I was trying to catch up on some freelance work and I kept stressing out about what I was/wasn't getting done. So I just stopped. And watched Girls for approximately three hours. And then in Girls, Hannah was stressed about a deadline and she just stopped working on it too, so that kind of validated my decision. Only difference is she had a bit of a nervous breakdown whereas I am just getting really grumpy and annoyed and...well, stressed.
That's, like, a normal thing. Right?
In other news, I'm really digging this outfit. This cardi in general is pretty awesome, but I surprised myself a bit when I paired it with these boots. It looked so much better than I expected it to! The sad news, though, is that I have to retire these boots. They're cheap-o Target deals, and while they lasted me two years, they're about to kick it. (Heh.) But really. The faux-leather stuff is peeling off the front and the toes. Bout time to hit up the end-of-season clearance racks for some new cognac boots! I think I'll go non-slouchy this time.
blouse: The Limited via Discount Fashion Warehouse
cardigan: Express via DFWh
slacks: thrifted
flats: secondhand
necklace: The Limited
For me, most really bad colds usually have a turning point, or a hump. After days and days of feeling crappier and crappier, suddenly there's a day where you don't feel quite as bad as the day before. And then another. And that's when I realize, I'm getting over the hump. I think that's where I am now; I hope it is, because I don't know how much more of this going-to-bed-at-nine-every-night-and-still-waking-up-exhausted stuff I can take.
Of course, this week, "the hump" also means the same hump as everyone else's: Wednesday. Due to holidays, vacation days and sick time, this is the first full week I've worked since before Christmas. I'm not complaining, but man, that extra day seems like five this week :)
Today's outfit is another month-old gem from my stockpile of photos. It's crazy how much my hair has grown in that time! Well, I guess any amount of growth is significant when you have a pixie. Also, you can see my work badge in that first pic. Forgot to take it off at first! If you look reeeeeeally close, you might get a glimpse of my shoulder-length hair from almost two years ago. Hard to believe it's been that long!
blouse: secondhand
slacks: thrifted
cardi, flats: Target
necklace: Etsy
Hooray, you might be thinking, she finally put up another outfit post! (Who cares if it's a month old, right?) Or perhaps you're mentally rolling your eyes at the mention of being sick yet again. Well, I agree with you in either case. I know I complain a lot about colds and whatnot around here, but that's only because I have a terrible, crap immune system that doesn't seem to understand what it's supposed to do. Seriously, I've had this cough for like a week and it's showing no sign of letting up.
I had a hugely busy weekend planned for yesterday/Sunday, full of venue tours and DMV visits and dance rehearsals and various other things. The mere thought of it on Friday was exhausting. But fortunately for me/my immune system, literally every task/event I had planned was cancelled due to a sizeable snowstorm. Except our friends' engagement party. Happily, that continued regardless.
So instead of running around like a chicken with my head cut off, I was able to stay home almost all weekend and relax. I got some writing done, I napped, I read, I napped some more, I watched a few movies, I went to bed early every night...it was just what the doctor ordered.
How was your weekend, all? Busy like mine was supposed to be, or relaxing like it actually was?
sweater, flats: Target
slacks, blouse: thrifted
necklace: gifted
Oy,vey. Matt and I haven't even been engaged a week and I'm already trying to figure out centerpieces. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's meticulous planning. If there's one thing I'm bad at, however, it's prioritizing effectively. I'm sitting here, trying to figure out how many adorably mismatched vases I'll need to procure, and I don't even know how many tables we'll need because we don't even have a solid guest list or even a budget planned yet! Objectively, I know those big details have to come together before I can start thinking up the little ones. But the big details are scary and expensive, and the little ones are so light and fun!
Okay, enough about that. I promised I would try to keep wedding stuff in check here on the blog :) Sooo let's talk about dressing for work in the winter. It kind of sucks. I find myself gravitating to one of two extremes:
1. Proper business casual that keeps me warm but is boring as hell. See above. The cardigan/blouse/slacks combo is kind of my go-to on those dreary mornings when the sun doesn't rise until after I leave the house and I just don't feel like trying.
2. Pushing the "casual" aspect of B.C. a little too far, like yesterday's outfit. I wore this shirt, these khaki skinnies and these boots. Definitely not a professional look, but it kept my feet dry in the snow and it was comfy under all my bundled layers. Fortunately, it's the week before Christmas and most of the folks who would care are already on vacation. Yay, loopholes!
So here's my question to you: How do you stay comfortable and stylish when there's four (or six, or ten) inches of snow on the ground? Do you wear skirts and tights and just suck it up, even when the wind chill puts the temps in the single digits? Or do you go for comfort/function like me and just look less comfortable in the dark, cold months of winter?
shirt, tights: H&M
cardigan, flats, belt: Target
skirt: New York & Company
necklace: VeryJane
Last week I talked about my evolving sense of personal style, and how I find myself wearing things that I normally never would wear. Like purple skirts and lots of tights in various colors (not to mention colored pants), trendy colors like mint, and of course, different animal prints. Now, it's kind of funny to think that I once shied away from all those things. Especially animal print, which is one of my new favorite ways to accessorize.
So that ramble-tastic paragraph is really just my awkward introduction to my new leopard print shoes! I mentioned that my old flats died a noble death as a result of too much love, and I bought these at Target to replace them. Two years ago--hell, one year ago--I would have immediately dismissed these shoes because of the studs. Now? I think the studs are my favorite part about these guys. Prepare to see more studded items around here, as I find them.
So here's the link to the shoe on Target. You can't buy it online right now, but you might still be able to find it in stores. While I really love these guys (yes, apparently my flats are male), I do have a warning: The back of the heel is a bit high, so they take a while to break in. I had to wear bandaids on my heels for a few days, but it's totally worth it.
blouse: thrifted
skirt, tights, heels: Target
necklace: VeryJane
I know I say this every time a three-day weekend rolls around, but America really needs to align itself to a four-day workweek. (Not really, I know how disastrous that would be for business/government, but let me dream.) I had Presidents' Day off yesterday, which was pretty rad for my weekend in general.
Saturday was spent doing some cleaning and whatnot, then that evening Matt and I celebrated Valentine's with a delicious homemade dinner and a movie. If you follow me on Instagram (@elfrankart) you might have noticed pics of the dinner...surf & turf with filets, crab legs, balsamic brown butter asparagus, a delicious salad that our friend makes all the time, and a great bottle of wine. Plus, chocolate coffee meringues for dessert. (I'll post the recipe for the meringues after I perfect it...I kinda made them too big, so they were a little underdone in the middle.) We saw Warm Bodies, which was a pretty good movie, and then met up with Matt's sister and her husband and friends, who were all in town to see a local band play at this great little bar by our house.
Sunday, I did absolutely nothing except watch several hours of Cougar Town. I randomly decided to start watching the show, so natch I had to watch all the old episodes to catch up. That shiz is hilarious.
To make up for such a lazy Sunday, I went to the gym and ran a bunch of errands on Monday. And I finally got a rug to cover the splintery hardwood in our bedroom. My feet are thanking me already.
So, conclusion. Three-day weekends are the absolute best because I can be productive, then super lazy, then productive again. Win, win, win.
Yes, this post title is a reference to this video, which is so old in terms of Internet memes that it's practically ancient. But I don't care. Every time I shop for shoes, that is what I think of. Because that's normal, right?
blouse: old, don't remember
blazer, slacks: thrifted
heels: Target
earrings: H&M
necklace: Etsy
This outfit has so much going on, I almost can't even handle it. Ruffles. Mismatched blazer/slacks combo. Pretty little earrings. A necklace I've been obsessed with lately. Snake print. (I just typed "snape print" by mistake. Now THAT would be something.)
These shoes have been on my "to-buy" list for literally months. They finally went on clearance to just $15, and I couldn't pass them up. Best part? I have the exact same shoes in black already, so I already knew my size and didn't have to visit a million targets to find a pair that fits. I just ordered them, used my Target card to get free shipping, and BAM! They were at my door before I knew it. (I paid off the card as soon as the charge posted. Because I'm responsible with my credit now.)
All around? I call this outfit a definite winner. Boo-yah achieved.
shirt: don't remember
skirt/belt: set from JCPenney
shoes: Target
necklace: The Limited
For some reason, I've always devoured a good book. And I mean that in as literal of a sense as I can. I don't just read books; I consume them. Even as a kid, I could get lost in a book for hours at a time. I always maxed out the library summer reading program prizes. I was a voracious reader, until I hit high school and college and forgot what it was like to have more than an hour — or less — of "down time" in any given day.
Now, I'm working one job, not two or three. I don't have homework, or rehearsals, or meetings. And I've been devouring book after book since I got a Kindle for Christmas. I just finished Game of Thrones (I know, a little late to that bandwagon) and as I read the final words, I sat back with a satisfied sigh and just kind of...digested it. And it struck me as a little funny that I reacted the same way to ending a good book as I usually do to finishing a delicious meal.
Any other bookworms out there? I can't be the only one who gets so invested, right?
I'm still having the hardest time getting adjusted to a set routine or schedule with the new job. See, I'm a girl of planning, of scheduling, of consistency. Sure, I like a bit of spontaneity now and then (who doesn't?) but for the most part, I like to plan. And after three and a half weeks, I still haven't quite gotten into a swing when it comes to daily tasks like working out, blogging, showering, etc.
So my life still feels a bit hectic. I haven't gone to the gym in more than a month (sadface). For a while I was blogging at night, but I really prefer the whimsicality that my morning posts have. At night, my brain is on overdrive and I think too much about what to say. So now I'm trying to get up earlier, which is hard because I am the most un-morning person ever. This morning, I stood in front of my closet for ages because I just couldn't make my brain work hard enough to pick out an outfit. What I finally decided on—a pinstriped pink Oxford with my gray pencil skirt and black heels—still feels a bit off to me, but I'm so tired I frankly don't care. That's why I have a backlog of outfit photos, right?
blouse, skirt: thrifted
heels: Franco Sarto via Marshall's
necklace, earrings: InPink
bracelet: H&M
hair flower: Target
I don't know what I'm doing in that last photo. I guess trying to show off both my nail color and jewelry?
I have a very real love/hate relationship with this skirt. On one hand, it's cute and pink plaid and has a great shape. On the other hand, it's an extra small and squeezing my butt/thighs into it is usually a battle. I tried to have my grandma sew in a zipper to make the getting-on process easier (cause once it's on, it feels fine), but she couldn't. Alas. At least this shirt is a bit easier to deal with. And just as cute.
Also, don't forget that my giveaway ends tomorrow! Enter now while there's still time.
