A New Twist on Hair

Today was one of those typical autumn days that started out cold but got downright warm by lunchtime. Before I knew it I was desperate to get my hair off my neck. I reached for my purse but I was missing my emergency hair tie. What's a girl to do? Leave her hair down and move on? Nope. I grabbed a pen and did a super fast hair twist.

ta-da!

Then I did what any adult woman would do and took a quick picture of it with my webcam.* 

Normally, successfully completing a hair twist is not an occasion to document. Normally, you are not me. My hair is super fine, meaning it finds it way out of up-dos, clips, barrettes and even the most heavily-sprayed curls. The fact that my hair has stayed like this for more than 10 minutes is a minor miracle. As sophisticated as the red ballpoint is, I am now tempted to get a pretty hair stick. Do I dare?

*You know you're getting old when this is the only webcam picture you've ever captured. I never did get the appeal of that.

Neutrals, Feminine Details, and a Pop of Color

I'm no fashion blogger but every now and then I wear something cute enough to share.

The outfit started with the taupe bib necklace and I paired it with a lightweight white sweater to let the necklace be the star. I liked the look of layered neutrals so I added the gold bow flats (my wedding shoes!) then put on my green ring to keep it from being too bland.

Sources: Necklace: LOFT | Shoes: J Crew | Ring: Lia Sophia | Sweater: GAP

Rockin' the Gibson

Sorry, music fans, this past has nothing to do with guitars and everything to do with hair. This morning I tried the gibson tuck and I am in sweet, follicular love!

photo by Sara Lynn Paige, from her blog

Inspired by a tutorial on Pinterest (where else?) I tried it today and I have since decided this is the updo for me. It's quick and easy without defaulting to the old standards. Ballerina buns aren't for me because my hair is too fine so the bun is too small and tends to slowly slide off my head as the day progresses. The sloppy "un-bun" as I call it certainly is fast and easy, but it's not exactly sophisticated enough for the office. Plus it's erratic nature bothers me - sometimes it looks quirky but cute, other times it looks like a varmint has made a nest on my head.

I won't walk you through the tutorial, I will leave that to Sara. But I will tell you this worked even for my super-fine hair and has stayed all day, with only a minor re-pinning after lunch. This is for sure in my hair rotation from now on!

Seriously, My Job is Amazing

You're probably tired of hearing about my job but until it stops being amazing I'm going to keep being in awe of my amazing fortune.

Last week we had a company-wide quarterly meeting/party where all the employees gather to watch "The Show" an internal video series that highlights the goings on in the company. It's a bit of a party because snacks and drinks are provided. This Show we had ice cream and a keg, so I was pretty ecstatic.

After The Show was over I got my first bit of company swag. Now I'm bonafide.

I May Have A SLIGHT Shoe Problem

And by slight I mean crippling. I constantly feel the need for new shoes to satisfy some requirement that has cropped up, whether it's shoes for running, shoes for work or shoes for being sexy yet also in pain.

Most recently I decided I needed new shoes for my new on-my-feet-all-day retail life. I survived my first 3 months wearing only my Asics running shoes. They were (and still are) supremely comfortable, but I was getting a little tired of wearing the same pair of shoes every day. That's just not appropriate behavior for a shoe hoarder like myself. I had also been thinking that I wanted to get some tennis shoe sandal things* that still provided foot support and were close-toed for work, but that also allowed me to go sockless. Seriously, I HATE wearing socks when it's hot out. I've been planning on buying some work shoes for a while and it's a small miracle I held out this long.
*official industry term

Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to my newest acquisitions, which were all purchased at DSW:

J-41 Tahoe - $60

J-41 Dash - $60

Naturalizer Yarkona - $42 (on clearance, down from $75!)

Puma Imani Shimmer - $38 (on clearance, down from $70!) -- the link goes to the silver color, but I got the purple as pictured

 

When I buy shoes, I BUY SHOES. I mentioned I have a problem.

Now before you judge me for buying old lady, orthopedic shoes, I'm already judging myself a little bit. But, DUDE, they are so comfortable. When you're on your feet all day, comfort is key, so you make a few concessions on aesthetics. And I must say, for comfortable shoes they're fairly cute.

As usual, I am not of the magnitude to have sponsored posts. These are just shoes I own and adore.

Skinny Jeans On The Cheap

One of the perks of working in a hardware store is getting to wear jeans and comfortable shoes everyday. Don't get me wrong, I love getting dressed up in pencil skirts and heels, but my feet and back are loving their current gig.

The one downside to wearing jeans everyday is that I needed more pairs of jeans to fill out my rotation. When I started at Lowe's I had only 2 pairs of skinny jeans and 4 pairs of flared or bootcut jeans. Being the slave to fashion that I am (har har), I only wore the skinny jeans while the others sat in the drawer, untouched. I tried to wear them, but I've found that once I get used to seeing myself in a certain cut of jeans (skinny, in this case) it is very hard to "approve" other silhouettes on myself.

As much as I would have loved to just drop some cash on new jeans I knew that wasn't in the cards. But I did have some perfectly wearable jeans and a trusty tailor at my disposal. So after a little pinning and a lot of sewing I had converted my old jeans into skinny jeans. TA DA! Obviously if you have some sewing skills and a machine that can handle denim, you can skip the tailor and save even more money. This solution works in several situations:

- take dated jeans and turn them skinny, like I did
- if you've lost some weight take the opportunity to slim the legs AND take in the waist, for a double dose of skinny
- if you're just jonesing for some new skinnies, grab a pair of jeans from a thrift store and have them skinnied, for less than the cost of a new pair - as long as the waist size and rinse/color make you happy you're good to go

If you try to do this allow me to make a suggestion. Bring a pair of skinny jeans you already own to show the tailor. It is very hard to pin the pants tight enough during your fitting and you may have to return them to be taken in again. This happened to me and thankfully the tailor corrected the mistake at no extra charge. But if I had taken a pair of pants they could use as a guide this would have saved me - and the tailor - an extra step.

Come on now, get to skinnying!

Wherein I Am Compared To Starchy Vegetables

Saturday, as a belated birthday present, my mom treated me to an afternoon of shopping. I returned the favor by springing for $7 worth of frozen yogurt. That's fair from where I'm sitting.

On said shopping excursion I tried on a sweater dress. Those of you who are pear-shaped (like me) probably already recoiled in horror at the phrase "sweater dress" but I am apparently an idiot because I put the demon dress on my body anyway.

Not the exact dress, but similar. I promise it would be equally unflattering on me.

While staring at myself in the mirror, I said "Ugh. Could I look more like a sack of potatoes?"

Without missing a beat, Mom shot back "Yeah, that dress could be brown."

We fell into a fit of giggles - saying that I probably smell like Thanksgiving - and it made me want a daughter someday. Don't get me wrong, I adore my son, but I will never get to call him fat in a dressing room and call it bonding.

Love ya Mom.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yesterday I turned 27 years old and the Universe banded together to make sure I had a fantastic day.

- I gave myself a shot of birthday confidence by donning my red skinny jeans (a birthday gift from the hubby)...

...and my most bad-ass high heels.

clearly, my shoes are very mysterious.

- The hubby took me to lunch for some yummy pizza.

- When I got back to work there was a big brownie parfait in the kitchen that just happened to have one serving left. I took that as a sign and devoured it. NOM.

- Around 3:00 some flowers were delivered and they were *gasp* for me! I've never had flowers delivered to me, so that was a very, very nice treat from Luke and the hubby.

not pictured: how jealous you are

- I answered my office phone and it was Alvin and the Chipmunks singing "Happy Birthday" to me. It turned out to be a birthday wish/prank from one of my co-workers. How funny!

- My Mother-in-Law gave me a gift certificate for a massage. I've only had one massage before, but it was when I was pregnant and could be considered painful but productive. I'm very much looking forward to a massage of the soothing Swedish variety.

- I enjoyed dinner at one of my favorite Italian restaurants with the hubby, Luke, my mom and my step-dad. On the menu: Roasted Tomato Soup, Butternut Squash Ravioli, Creme Brulee. NOMx2

- I got a bazillion birthday wishes on Facebook. Nothing make you feel like you have loads of friends like the Internet.

Festive

Like a lot of gals, I like having a little polish on my fingernails. But I hate how most manicures chip within 5 minutes of leaving the salon. It's like just the thought of me reaching my hand into my purse makes the polish flee with terror.

For I while I was getting gel manicures - which are super durable - but then I read that the UV gel-setting lights can cause wrinkles and HAND CANCER. OK, not hand cancer. Skin cancer on your hand. Still... no, thank you. Fortunately I came up with a cheaper, and less cancer-y, solution.

I now swear by Sally Hansen Hard as Nails. It does pretty good on its own, but if I get it applied at the nail salon with their super-strong top coat it will last me 2 weeks. Yes, I may have to do a few touch-ups at home but since the polish belongs to me, that's no problem. I still like my fast-drying options for a last minute manicure, but they're not built to last.

UGH. Why do hands look so scaly and old in close-ups?

For fall / Wolfpack season I picked this sparkly deep red that may or may not make another appearance at Christmas. Festive, no?

Project Closet

I am embarking on an adventure to wear everything in my closet. I have lots of clothes that I like, some I even love, but I am very bad about gravitating to a few favorites and leaving the rest hanging unworn. Well, no more! I plan to break free of my old standards and learn to see my clothes in a new light.

To help me keep track of what's been worn I whipped up some closet dividers (one for tops, one for dresses) out of cardboard from - you guessed it - the recycling bin. The process was so simple I didn't bother to photograph it. Instead I made you this handy illustration:

They look exactly like that. Except imagine them colored with sharpies and shoddily cut with scissors.

There are lots of ways to keep up with which clothes have been worn or not - rotating the item on the hanger, a hidden safety pin, etc - but I wanted the easiest possible system. I hung the divider at the back of my closet. After I wear an item I move it behind the divider. Easy peasy. As I mentioned before I am keeping track of tops and dresses, but not bottoms since I rarely build an outfit around skirts and pants.

I decided to make it easier on myself and only keep up with the clothes I wear during the work week. Which means I am still free to adhere to my weekend uniform of skinny jeans, ribbed tank and cardigan. That's not changing anytime soon.

If I were a super-fantastic blogger (HINT: I'm not) this project would include outfit posts, accessory close-ups and such. Sadly my new work schedule - four 9-hour days and a 4-hour Friday - means there is no daylight before I leave and when I get home I want to play with my son before he goes to bed. Sorry, Internet. You're playing second fiddle to an adorable, giggling toddler. I might pop-in if I come up with something particularly inspired, but this is not some sort of 30-for-30 type deal so don't expect daily documentation.

That being said, I'm looking forward to dusting off some beloved but neglected things from my wardrobe. Care to join me in the challenge? All you need is a closet, some cardboard and mediocre scissor skills.

Bring It On, Fall

Fall is upon us and I am pumped! I can appreciate the seasons and the changes they bring - except for winter; winter can suck it - but my favorite season will always be fall. I'm a sucker for apple cider, tights with boots, football, hot soup and scarves. Oh, how I love scarves. This year I am welcoming my beloved fall with the perfect autumnal color, rich smoky purple. I picked a dark grayish purple for my manicure on Saturday and bought a blouse on Sunday that coordinates perfectly. I don't know what I like better, the perfect pleats or the unexpected color!


What's your go-to color this fall?

Is it so wrong to take color inspiration from a bruise?

Because I totally did.

belt from J Crew / dress from Old Navy / bruise from a life of spastic tripping

Quick and Easy Necklace Fix

My mom was getting rid of some of her things and she gave me this necklace. I don't remember if it belonged to my grandmother or my great-grandmother, I just know it's a little on the vintage side. I think it's cute - maybe similar to something from Anthropologie or J Crew? - but something wasn't quite right. That pearl was killing it for me.

So, what's a girl to do?


I grabbed my box of jewelry stuff and worked my magic with some new beads and headpins.


Much better, right?

The Day We Celebrate the Land of the Free (Stuff) and the Home of the Brave

Happy Fourth of July my fellow Americans! To you international readers,* um, happy Monday?
*Do I have international readers? I don't know, but I'm going to assume I'm cool enough to have at least a few.

In honor of the fact that my best friend was in town for the holiday I decided to host a clothing swap. For those of you too lazy to click the link, a clothing swap is a type of swapmeet wherein participants exchange their valued but no longer used clothing for clothing they will use. Clothing swaps are considered not only a good way to declutter and refill one's wardrobe, but also are considered an act of environmentalism. Thanks, wiki!

Just a little something I designed for the invitation. Cute, no?

In retrospect it was probably dumb to plan a social gathering for a holiday weekend, but in my defense I think of July 4th as a stay-home-and-eat-burgers holiday not a traveling holiday so I assumed people would be around and bored the day before. I was wrong. I was hoping for 15-20 people but only ended up with 5 swappers. And, sadly, that 5 included me and my mother who only agreed to come out of pity. Or was it that I only invited her when I didn't think I'd have enough real guests? Either way, one of us (probably me) was being a prick.

In the end I think 5 was a good number, mainly because it required WAY less organization and rule enforcement on my part. I had all these schemes in my head for how to keep the swap moving swiftly and fair for all the swappers, but luckily I didn't need them. Even better, the actual clothes sharing was more successful than I had thought, considering the 5 swappers had very different body types and size ranges.

The most fun was when more than one swapper wanted an item and we would have a "model off," which is basically exactly what it sounds like: whoever is competing for the item tries it on, everyone else judges and then whoever looks the best in the item wins it. I would now like to point out that my mom - who is taller than me, has bigger boobs and smaller hips than me, AND just lost a ton of weight - battled me for a dress and I won. HA! Take that, Mom! But also, congrats on the weight loss. You look kind of terrific.

But enough business chatter, let's talk about my free stuff! I walked away to my closet with 7 tops, 2 pairs of shorts, 4 pairs of pants, 3 dresses, 4 sweaters, 1 leather jacket, 2 kick-ass skirts and a pair of sandals. And, of course, I got rid of some items that I just didn't wear much so now i have room for the new stuff. I won't show you everything I got, but I will hit the high notes.

DRESSES
LOFT, Kohl's, Target

SKIRTSTarget, Vera Wang for Kohl's

Just look at these gorgeous patterns. I could eat them with a spoon.skirt, skirt, dress
which is like duck, duck, goose only way more fun

PANTS
H&M, Kohl's
Admittedly the brown pair look a little sad on the hanger but they are quite flattering on, AND they're super comfortable.

TOPSTarget, LOFT, Old Navy

I intentionally set up the red, white and blue for all the patriots out there. Except for these Patriots. Coaches who cheat at football wear hideous sweatshirts get no love from me.

Speaking of red, white and blue today's 4th of July outfit (except for the shoes) was entirely from my swap loot. I normally don't do "theme" outfits, but this patriotically plaid tank was just begging to be worn today.


Oh, I almost forgot the best part - the shoes! I have been looking, and looking for a pair of gray or silver sandals but coming up with nothing. I have 4 or 5 pairs of gold/bronze summer shoes - seriously - but no gray shoes, so that situation clearly needed to be remedied. But as I said I have been looking with no luck. Imagine my delight when my mom pulled this pair out of her bag:


I may or may not have shrieked "MINE!" and hid them in my room before anyone else saw them. Whatever. I'm the hostess, I'm allowed to cheat.

So that's the tale of my surprisingly successful clothing swap. It was loads of fun so I am already thinking about hosting another one in the future. To keep with my (poorly thought out) tradition I'll stick with holiday weekends, so mark your calenders for Thanksgiving and Easter. Heh.

Have you guys ever hosted or attended a clothing swap? How many people participated? What made the swap really successful? Go ahead, spill those beans.

Good-Bye Straps, Hello Savings

The other day I just happened to be in Old Navy. What? I can't resist their clearance section. My favorite part is the damaged section. Sometimes an item is stained, ripped or otherwise ruined. Other times the so-called "damage" is a broken strap or a small shirt tagged as a medium. I can live with "damage" like that!

My most recent find was a sundress with a broken strap that had been condemned as damaged. So sad, right?


You won't find it so sad when you see this:


It's non-damaged sisters had just arrived on the sales floor and were priced at $40. It's not an unreasonable price, but it's a bit much for little old jobless me. The $20 version was much more my speed. I could have easily reattached the broken strap - they were only tacked on - but I decided to remove both straps since that seemed faster and easier.


After just a few minutes with my seam ripper, I had myself a half-price strapless sundress. This probably won't surprise anyone, but I am LOVING the gray and wine floral-but-not-too-feminine print.


Do you guys love to shop in the reject section? I can't be the only one.

Fedora

This hat is my best friend this summer. It keeps the sun off my face and hides my hair when the humidity takes over.

That is all.

Self Depricating Humor Is Where It's At

I like to consider myself an organized person. If you've been reading this blog for more than ten minutes you already know that.

When Rachel asked me to be her Matron of Honor, I jumped at the chance. It is the MOH's job to do whatever the bride needs, even if that means being a bitch to get it done. That's definitely in my wheelhouse (or occupies my entire wheelhouse) so I knew, as a MOH, I would be ON. TOP. OF. THINGS.

And I was, for the most part. I designed her invitations and programs. I made some last minute change of address cards for her new home. I wrote one hell of a toast. I packed a tote bag with any and every craft tool I though we would need for wedding prep; how many people do you know that pack a metal ruler and x-acto knife "just in case?" I even brought 4 different options for her something borrowed.

But what didn't I bring? My MOH dress and the dress I had planned to wear to the rehearsal dinner. FACEPALM. The MOH dress wasn't a problem because the Hubby could just bring it when he came for the wedding, but since he wasn't coming until Saturday he couldn't bring me anything to wear the day before. Rachel offered to let me borrow a dress but she, uh, has bigger tracts of land than I do so that wasn't really an option.

So what's a MOH to do? Go to Wal-Mart at 11:00 on a Thursday night, that's what. (Open 24-7 y'all!) I snagged a sundress for $12, and for the price it's not half-bad. Let's judge it, shall we?



Man, that is one flattering picture. It doesn't get any better than bathroom lighting. I almost cropped my head off, since I didn't think you were prepared for that much beauty, but it looked even wierder that way so the head stayed. I love, love, love the abstract pattern. I'm not a huge fan of ruffles, but this one I can live with. Here's a close-up of the print, to give you a better idea of the colors:



P.S. I also bought some hot pink lipstick - I blame Katy Perry's influence - and I'm pretty much obsessed with it. It's perfect for summer and quite a departure from my usual clear chapstick.

Pardon the smirk. That was the only decent facial expression I could muster.

The color is 'spellbound' by Cover Girl. Aren't I just too clever, displaying my lipstick in the q-tips like that? Doesn't it make up for the fact that I left my dresses at home? No? Oh, my bad.

My Other Cute New Swimsuit

Remember the other swimsuit I blogged about?

this one

I didn't mention this at the time, but the reason I went for a one-piece is because I was self-conscious about my post-baby body. I've lost all the baby weight, and then some, but I was still nervous about exposing my stretch marks and loose skin. The hubby convinced me that I had worked too hard to get my body back and that I should flaunt it. Isn't he sweet? I struck a bargain, and told him I would agree to buy a bikini if he would come with me to shop for one. Shockingly, he said yes.



So I bought this bikini, again from Old Navy, and I love it. I don't normally go for girly florals, but I thought this print was fun.



I tried some other swimsuits at other, more teen-oriented, stores and they just didn't cut it. You wouldn't think a slightly lower rise on a bikini bottom would make much difference, but it does. Also I learned very quickly that the girls don't look their best in bandeau, boob-smashing tops. Triangle tops, on the other hand, are great at faking a little bit of (much-needed) perkiness. Yay!

Thrifty Finds In Unexpected Places

Hey guys! Did you miss me? I know my last post mentioned how much free time I have, but this past week or two I have been busy, busy, busy getting Carolina Pear's spring collection ready. I can't divulge the goods yet, but here's what my desk lap looked like this afternoon as I was in full-on packaging mode.

Even though I've been working my fingers to the bone (folder)* I'm never too busy to snag a good deal when I see one.

*See what I did there? I'm so clever.

Case in point: I was at my local bulk sales warehouse, buying tubs of baby formula when I saw the perfect coat: a knee-length, lightweight Kenneth Cole trench coat for $20. I know, right? The coat came in a variety of colors, but I picked red because it would be good for Wolfpack tailgates. Plus, wouldn't it be fun to be the girl in the red rain coat on a dreary day? I thought so.

Next, I have to show you my new sunglasses. I was out picking up supplies for Carolina Pear when I spotted these at Office Depot. Yes, Office Depot. I saw them on my way out the door and I actually stopped in my tracks, yanked them off the display and got back in line to pay for them. Total impulse purchase, but I love them so.

They're just what I needed. I love vintage looking glasses as much as the next hipster wanna-be girl, but unfortunately most retro styles are too big for my tiny little head. I've actually been lucky enough to find small-ish aviators not once, but twice. Sadly the first pair broke and the second pair ended up lost in a creek during a camping trip. *sob* So, knowing my track record I'm going to be extra careful with these. I rather like how they look on me.

Pardon my hair, and my language, but it is humid as shit here. There's no point in trying to make it look decent. Tragically, in the South, humid as shit is a regularly occurring meteorological condition and there's nothing I can do about it. Well I could move, but until they build a Bojangle's in the desert, I'm staying put. Mama likes her biscuits.

This little green jacket is my latest find. I was scouring thrift stores for plates/bowls/cake stands to use as display pieces for an upcoming bridal show when I happened to see the jacket. I wasn't even looking at clothes, but someone had just happened to hang it on the end of a rack and the bright green called to me.

Now, I know finding a jacket at a clothing thrift store isn't unexpected but for $4.50 it's still a heck of a bargain. I just love the fabric-covered toggle buttons. Although if the humidity keeps up - and it will - I won't get to wear it for a while.

Have you found any steals lately?

Little Black (MOH) Dress

You guys remember Rachel? Not only am I in charge of designing her invitations, I have the pleasure of being her Matron of Honor.* Instead of picking out boring old bridesmaids dresses each bridesmaid gets to pick out a black, knee-length dress. Yes. Any dress I want as long as it's black, knee-length and not strapless. OK when I write it that way, it sounds a bit picky but it really was awesome.

I know every bride tells you "you can totally where this again!" but I really will wear this again.


It's an adorable little dress from Old Navy, with an adorable little $35 price tag. Can't beat a $35 bridesmaid dress, right? Between the ruffles, deep v-neck and eyelet fabric I can see myself wearing this to brunch, parties or even work - if I ever get another job.

Do you want to see the best part?

That's right ladies, I can fit into a medium! Granted, it's Old Navy so their sizes are all over the place, BUT it's a medium and I don't care.

To tie all the dresses together, all the bridesmaids are going to wear the same shoes - yellow patent pumps.

These I will absolutely wear again. I love me a pair of slutty shoes.

*Can I just say how much I hate the term "Matron of Honor?" I know it's because I'm a married lady, but matron just sounds SO EFFING OLD.