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.

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!

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.  

Curls and Swirls

My hair is naturally straight- really straight.  It won't hold a curl from a curling iron for love nor money, but it will work a little texture if I let it dry in a doughnut bun.  Finally, curls!

 

Dress, Target; shrug, Walmart; shoes, Target; earrings, Arts in the Heart.

 

Once I discovered that my hair would curl somewhat if I let it dry in a bun, I actually used hair product to freeze the curls in place.  Lately I don't do anything to my hair, so product is a bit foreign.

 

The fierce and fabulous heels from Target required shoes of shame just in case.  As predicted, I wasn't woman enough to wear 4+ inch heels all day.

 

Dark Hued Mood

I was feeling a bit of a dark mood this morning, so I chose a dark-hued outfit.  Sometimes that's how it works.  My newly darkened hair got a bit lost with the dark scarf and dress.

 

Dress, TJ Maxx; tights, Walmart; boots, Younkers; scarf, Target; earrings, Claire's.

 

I took today's photos using my neighbors' fancy camera.  Not too many turned out because I'm not very familiar with how it works.  Luckily they are nice neighbors who will let me borrow it for a few days.  Try, try again!

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

The other day I asked Stephen whether he prefers my hair long or short.  He said he doesn't notice my hair that much.  I didn't believe him.  I was wrong.

Me: Guess what else I did today.
Stephen: (long pause) You're mean.
Me: Guess.
Stephen: (looks me up and down) You're mean.  (another long pause)  You got bangs?

The next day I saw my mom and the first thing she said was "I thought you were going to get a hair cut."

 

Yes, like Zoey Deschanel and Michelle Obama, I now have bangs.  Mine, however, seem to be invisible bangs.  Can you see them?  I've been thinking about adding some fringe for a while, mostly hoping it would help with how my hair looks when it is pulled back.

 

Dress, Target; belt, Ross Dress for Less; boots, Rack Room Shoes; earrings and bracelet, ebay.

 

*Have you seen the movie Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang?  It is a fun and underrated movie starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Val Kilmer.  It has nothing to do with this post.  I highly recommend it.

Half a Herd of Elephants

This top came with a coordinating skirt, but the herd of elephants when the two pieces are combined can be a little overwhelming.  I like the tiered look of the top when paired with a long dress.

 

Elephant shirt, thrifted; dress, thrifted; shoes, Payless Shoes; earrings, etsy; bracelet, purchased in India; middle-finger ring, handmade by me; ring-finger ring, gifted (Thanks Mom!).

 

Since the top was made in India (though purchased at Goodwill) I added a bracelet from my trip to Pune.

 

I interpreted it as a sign that this semi-permanent hair color was on clearance for $3.  I think the darker hair makes the blue of my eyes stand out.  Red shoes provide a splash of color to an otherwise fairly staid color palette.

Purple Haze

Usually I take my outfit photos in the morning, but this time I took them in poor lighting at the end of a long day.  Looking at these photo, I feel like I coordinated my shirt to match the lines under my eyes.



Sweater, gifted (thanks Mary Ann!); dress, Walmart; shirt, Younkers; tights, Walmart; shoes (not pictured, but they are the same as yesterday), Payless Shoes; earrings, purchased in Las Vegas; necklace, gifted (thanks Jason!).

Don't worry.  I could still manage a few maniacal smiles.

This wrap dress is one of the first dresses I bought when I first started to experiment with my clothes.  It is hard to believe that a few years ago I was too self conscious to wear dresses.  I can still be self conscious, but now I live in dresses.  Wrap dresses were one of the first styles I tried because they create a nice silhouette and they are as easy to wear as a bath robe.

 

I purchased this Conair Bun Maker Set because I like putting my hair in a bun and I thought this would make it easier.  The first try wasn't particularly easy, but I'll try again.

Clear Skin, Clear Hair

I am cursed with dry, acne-prone skin.  What a combination!  Most acne products dry my skin into a scaly, itchy mess.  Dry-skin products make me break out.  I am eternally grateful to my friend Chastity for introducing me to the solution to my skin woes: black soap.  

Image Credit: Target.com

The black soap I've been using is Shea Moisture Organic African Black Soap.  According to the product information, black soap has been used in Africa for centuries to treat eczema, acne, oily skin, psoriasis, and other skin ailments. Combined with the healing and hydrating properties of shea butter, this healing soap should be used daily to balance and resolve problem skin.

After a couple months of using this soap, I completely believe the hype.  It has made my skin feel so much better.  My acne is much improved, and it's getting better and better as the weeks go by.  I don't have any scaly or itchy side-effects like many acne products.  

To make it even better, you can get a $5 gift card when you buy two bars of this soap at Target this week.  The soap is $6.99 per bar at my local Target, and my bar has lasted since September.  Unfortunately, Target doesn't have the soap online.  You can buy it on Amazon, but it is more expensive.

Shiny, bouncy hair.

While you're at Target, you can also pick up Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner and get another $5 gift card.  My  hair stayed shiny and bouncy all day long without using any styling products.  

I'm going to use my two $5 gift cards towards one of the lace-overlay skirts I was eyeing last month.  They are on clearance now at my Target.

* This post contains an affiliate link.

Oatmeal

Mmmmm.  Oatmeal.  It is so warm, comforting, delicious, good for you, and boring.  Kind of like today's outfit.

Sweater, thrifted; jeans, TJ Maxx; boots, Rack Room Shoes; socks, Target; earrings, purchased in the Dominican Republic; pendant, purchased in Cozumel; cuff, Claire's.

 

 

Luckily I have a couple little additions that spice up my oatmeal.

Leopard cuff.

Neon pink tiger socks.

 This fancy-looking bun was very easy to create.  I used this tutorial from YouTube.

You can anticipate I'll try other styles from this video too.  They all look fairly straightforward.