Two of One Hundred: Make Jewelry

I haven't had much time to be creative over the past few years, and that has always been a big part of my identity. Making jewelry is another task on my list.Tonight I played with some resistor parts and jewelry pliers and made two pairs of earrings.

One of One Hundred: 52 Cakes

It has been a while... Over 3 years, in fact, since I posted here. A lot has happened in that time including new cities, new houses, new jobs, and, most recently, a new degree. I've spent the past 2 1/2 years working on a masters degree in my off hours, and today I turned in my final paper. I've been fantasizing about was to spend the hundreds of extra hours per month during which I won't be doing school work, so I made a list. Tonight I start my 100 things to do after I finish my degree with "bake 52 cakes."

Cake #1 is a ginger zucchini cake from the New York Times. I recommend using melted butter instead of oil and adding finely chopped crystalized ginger. Won't you join me for the next adventure?

The Long & Short of It

For a period of years in middle school, I cried every time I made a significant (to me at the time) change to my hair.  It was always really embarrassing.  I'd want to change my look, and then I'd end up hating it.  That kind of put me off of major haircut changes, even though it has been years and years since I last cried after a haircut.  The last few times I've had my hair cut I've been drawn to this... but I kept chickening out.

 

It was a dumb anxiety.  It's just hair.  I don't do much with my hair, so what's the big deal.

 

And my feeling is... neutral.  It's hair.  I like that it's versatile and takes less time to style.  There have been a few moments when I've felt insecure, but I think that has more to do with my perceptions of societal ideas femininity or attractiveness than with what I really think.  I think I look fierce.

 

I went with a Dorothy-inspired outfit and took my new hair to see Todrick Hall's Straight Outta Oz in Atlanta.  It was phenomenal.  You should buy his album.  Watch his YouTube videos.  He's amazing.

 

Dress, Modcloth; shirt, Rafaella, thrifted; shoes, American Eagle, Payless; necklace and earrings, handmade by me.

Pants and the Blues

You can't tell from these photos, but these pants are blue velour.  They are a fun alternative to blue jeans, and I think they read as a little dressier than jeans.  I've been wearing more pants, but now that the weather is getting nicer I'll likely transition back to more dresses and skirts.

Sweater, Faded Glory, Walmart; tank, A.K.C., thrifted; velour pants, Buffalo, Costco; shoes, Younkers, earrings, thrifted; necklace, made by me!

These glasses are one of "the best" things that I've been "saving."  I'm afraid if I wear them, I'll break or scratch them, but if I don't wear them, my prescription will change or I lose them or I'll die and I'll never get to enjoy them.  Don't save the best for last, enjoy the best now!

A Shirt Dress and Styling I Really Like

It took me a long time to find shirt dresses I really like, but Walmart and Beyonce's mom delivered with this one and its rust-colored mate. I'd rather have a litle nicer fabric, but they are the best shirt dresses I've found yet.  I particularly like it with leggings because the result is comfortable and reasonably chic.

Dress, Miss Tina, Walmart; leggings, Faded Glory, Walmart; belt, thrifted; shoes, Christmas Tree Shops; earrings handmade by me.

I'm still trying to figure out how to style this hair.  So far I've figured out that slightly dirty hair styles better than freshly washed.  I am terrible at styling hair.

I'm wearing leopard shoes, leggings, and belt.  The cashier at Costco said I must really like leopard, and she was right!

Pot O' Gold

Something you likely already know: I often post outfits a few at a time, which means that the outfit I post about isn't always the outfit I'm actually wearing that day.  Some days, though, it is important to post on the actual day.  Here is today's outfit, a pot of gold with flecks of green.

Jacket, Loft, thrifted; dress, Xhiliration, Target; jacket, Loft, thrifted; leggings, Faded Glory, Walmart;  belt, thrifted; shoes, Aerosoles, Amazon; earrings, Claire's; necklace, ebay.

I felt perfectly seasonal for Saint Patrick's Day without being too on-the-nose.

Also notable today, I'm trying contouring.  My cheekbones could cut a bitch.

Unflappable

I took my outfit photos at the end of the day, for once, and it was a long day of normal desk work and tromping through a construction site to be.  All in all, I think the outfit held up.  The long pearls and bow blouse have kind of a flapper vibe, but with the day I had, I'd call this ensemble unflappable.

Dress, Merona, Target; blouse, Loft, gifted (thanks, Kristin), shoes, Born, Goody Two Shoes; earrings, ebay; necklace, craft fair.  (Honorable mention to my favorite glasses from Firmoo.com)

Bright Idea

I thrifted this bright, multi-colored scarf over the weekend, and I immediately wanted to pair it with complementary colors from my wardrobe.  It turned out... bright.  Coworkers were telling me I looked bright all day.   I flipped my hair out today, but I think the shape makes my face look even rounder than it is.  It's not terrible, it's just not my favorite.

Jacket, Glen Aire, thrifted; dress, Studio I, thrifted; scarf, thrifted; shoes, Merona, Target.

I almost added neon yellow flats, but I'm glad I didn't pull in any more colors.  Sometimes even bright ideas can go wrong.

Perspective

When I looked in the mirror at this outfit it felt like a 1970s costume.  Looking at photos, I think it looks pretty cool.  I curled my hair with a flat iron, and the front turned out ok.  Luckily I only take photos of the front!

Dress, Miss Tina, Walmart; leggings, Faded Glory, Walmart; vest, vintage without tags, swapped; shoes, Sofft, ???; necklace, thrifted; earrings, Augusta Market.

This fun vest is a vintage piece from my friend Chenille's aunt.  Chenille brought it along with some other vintage pieces to a swap, and I snatched them right up.  The necklace came from the same estate sale as my brooch from Here for the Weird.  It's another big, weird, funky piece.

You couldn't see my earrings in any of the photos, but they were lovely carved wood.  I ditched the vest for most of the day at work, and just worked the shirt dress and leggings look.

Chopped

If you follow me on Instagram you may have noticed this photo.  I somehow managed to chop my hair the one day it was looking pretty good.  I was well past due for a big haircut, and I'm dreading looking forward to figuring out how to style it.  

Stripes & Spikes

Three sets of stripes make for good pattern mixing.  Add colored pants and a spikey necklace, and it's a recipe for polished casual.

Jacket, Mossimo, Target; shirt, Gap, gifted (thanks, Kristin!); pants, Buffalo, Costco; shoes, Dr. Scholl's, Amazon; necklace, gifted (thanks, Beth!); earrings, Claire's.

I added two(!) pairs of pants to my wardrobe last weekend.  They were a splurge (for me) at $15 each, but they are worth it.

Shoes and Widget

Switched and Spotted

This outfit got away from me.  It started out with a faux leather moto jacket, but it didn't quite feel right.  I switched it to this suit jacket, and suddenly I was all dressed up.

Jacket, Apt. 9, thrifted; dress, London Times, swapped; leggings, Faded Glory, Walmart; shoes, Relativity, Younkers; earrings, handmade and gifted; necklace, thrifted!

This dress is from my last clothing swap.  I love it with leggings.

Also, there's a reason people wear lipstick.