Spots and Stripes

Spots and stripes go together, whether it's these man-made versions or cheetah and zebra.  Of course cheetah and zebra go together... well, maybe not if you ask the zebra.  Note to self: wear cheetah and zebra together again soon.

 

Blouse, swapped; skirt, thrifted; belt, thrifted; shoes, Payless Shoes; bracelet, flea market; earrings, who knows.

 

I had planned to wear a multi-strand pearl and seed bead necklace today, but that didn't work out as envisioned.  The necklace broke just after I put it on, spilling beads all over.  Luckily I can re-string it better than it was when I bought it.  I just wish I didn't have to.

 

So Glad(iator)

I get to see my lovely sister tonight.  I'm so glad. I have amazing sandals.  I'm so glad(iator).  I bought these sandals last summer on a thrift shop expedition.  They still had all their original stickers and tags, so I don't think they had been worn.  Not everyone would want to wear the fabulousness that these sandals represent.  Lots of people wear gladiator sandals.  These almost come with their own sword and lion.

 

Shrug, Dillards; dress, Target; sandals, thrifted; amber and bee earrings and bracelet; handmade by me; cicada earrings, etsy; glass and enamel bracelets, thrifted.

 

I've started wearing two sets of dangly earrings at once.  I like the wind-chime-like music that plays when I move my head.  It's like having my own, personal jingling theme song.  The bracelets do much the same thing, but I tend to take them off when I'm going to be typing for an extended period.

 

Horsing Around

This lacy top is another freshly swapped piece.  I added it to the eShakti high stepping skirt with the thought that the sheerness of the top would balance its fullness, so I wouldn't completely lose my waist.  I think it was fairly successful.  The horse-print skirt really can't go wrong in my eyes.

 

Lace top, thrifted; skirt, eShakti.com; shoes, Payless Shoes; earrings, handmade by me; crocheted necklace, handmade by me; shield pin, gifted.

 

The pin (worn as pendant) is from my grandmother.  It is a shield shape with Jeanne D'Arc inscribed across the top.  

Vested Interest

Wow do I ever love puns.

 

I suppose that this garment I'm wearing is a vest.  It might be some sort of shell.  It came as part of a three-piece suit, but I picked just one piece for today.

 

Vest, thrifted; blouse, thrifted; pants, Younkers; shoes, Payless Shoes; earrings, The World's Window; necklace and wire bracelet, handmade by me; pearl bracelet, Younkers.

 

I felt very buttoned up in this outfit- probably because I was buttoned up the front of my blouse and then down the back of the vest.  I give myself special credit for being able to button these buttons myself this morning.  I almost dislocated my shoulders, but I did it!

 

Deceptively Tasteful

Thank you, Kristin for the today's post title.  This is a tasteful outfit, right?  I am fully covered in conservative colors and silhouettes.  I accessorized with more conservative colors including a necklace bearing an affirmation: "My goal is to always come from a place of love."  That's a good goal, right?  I took this quote from RuPaul, emblazoned it on a piece of shrink plastic, and shaped the necklace around it.  On the back side of the pendant is the rest of that quote.  That's why all that tastefulness is deceptive.

 

Shirt, swapped; skirt, swapped; belt, BELT; shoes, SHOES; earrings, EARRINGS; necklace, handmade by me.

 

If we've met or if you've read this blog before, you may know that I consider Ru a philosopher for our time. He's right- my goal is to come from a place of love... but sometimes it becomes necessary to break it down.

 

 

17x Better

What's 17 times better than a necklace with a leopard on it?  A necklace with 17 leopards on it, of course.

 

Shirt, swapped; skirt, Younkers; shoes, Younkers; necklace, ebay; earrings, Claire's.

 

I paired my neck leopards with skirt leopard.  If I knew where my leopard cuff bracelet was I would have worn that too.  The top is fresh from my recent swap.  I like the flowing shape and lovely jewel tone.

Some Days You're the Zoo Keeper

Some days you're the zoo keeper, with they keys to everything.  Some days you're the tiger, thinking about mauling everyone who looks your way.  Some days you're the monkey, and all you want to do is throw... well, you know what monkeys are reported to throw.

 

Dress, Marshalls; shirt, thrifted; shoes, Rack Room Shoes; earrings, Claire's; pendant, ebay.

 

This outfit looks like zoo keeper realness to me, hence the musings above.  I guess it's the olive combined with the "I can haz all the animalz" top.  This suit is another one of those items I purchased way too long ago and can only now wear.  I got it because it is Calvin Klein and it was on clearance and of course I fit into a size 10.  I did not fit into a 10.

 

Dressing

I get dressed every day, but not usually with balsamic vinaigrette.  Today was one the proverbial "one of those days."  I woke up at 3.  My foot hurt so I couldn't run.  I spilled dressing on my dress.  I was just too exhausted to deal with the day with my normal optimistic aplomb.  Oh well, I'll get dressed again tomorrow, hopefully not like a salad.

 

Shrug, Younkers; dress, eShakti.com; sandals, Nordstrom Rack; earrings, etsy; bracelets, gifted and Fire Mountain Gems; anklet,. purchased in Cozumel.

Dressing spot= sad face.

 


I always wonder if I look as run down as I feel on days like this.  It's impossible for me to be objective because I know how much I'm dragging.  Luckily I think I can usually feign enthusiasm for long enough to get me through.  Hopefully the dressing marks will come out, and the events of this day will be washed down the drain with the laundry water.

 

Cloning Dinosaurs

Wanna clone some dinosaurs?

Do you have an extra $195?  Cool!  Good for you!  Don't bother reading the rest of this post.  Instead, just click on the link below and buy this awesome Tyrannosaurus rex necklace by Tatty Devine.

I have loved this necklace for a couple years now, but it seems a bit silly to spend $200 on a dinosaur necklace.

I recently bought some Graphix Shrink Film (like generic Shrinky Dinks ), so the stage was set for DIY dinosaur eleganza.

Image Credit: Tatty Devine

I started by finding a image of a t-rex skeleton on the internet.  I used it for a rough idea of what to draw, but I made a much simpler line drawing than the reference image.  I took up the entire 8.5x11" sheet with my dinosaur drawing.

Since I still had space along the sides, I drew two more dino skulls for earrings.  I colored all the pieces with a black magic marker.  Tip: When drawing on shrink film you can erase mistakes with nail polish remover.

 

I cut the skeleton image into four pieces: head/neck/arms, ribs, legs, and tail.  I punched holes in each piece using a hole punch so I could connect the finished pieces using jump rings.

 

Here is what the skull earrings looked like before and after baking.  They are not identical because dinosaurs, like snowflakes, are each precious and unique.

 

Here is what the necklace pieces looked like before and after baking.  I was amazed by how much they shrank.  I connected the pieces with jump rings and added a chain.

 

I am so happy with this necklace.

Photo bomb.  I didn't notice him until
I started cropping photos.

 

I hosted a clothing swap Friday night, and these cute magenta moccasins found a home with me.  I'm sure I'll be sharing more swap finds in the coming days and weeks, but unfortunately I didn't think to take photos during the event.

 

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