Under Construction!

What I Bought, Part 4--Day 93

2011-08-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

So, what does this need for control mean? Why keep accumulating clothes?

I'm going to go ahead and state that by no means do I think shopping is evil, buying things is bad, nor do I intend to ever give it up or attempt to persuade you to do so. This is really just me processing a lot of stuff. And yes, being somewhat intense about it.

I think it's an inherently human quality to want to accumulate "stuff". And maybe even more likely if you're an American. I heard it said recently that the ultimate American Dream is "to have enough money to do what I want, when I want, how I want to do it".

And I think I mostly agree with that, although I'd add the caveat of "as long as it doesn't hurt someone else." But I think that's the message we're getting from...somewhere. Maybe the media. Maybe society. Maybe, we're all just pre-wired to be self-serving jerks. And then we like to whine about other people who are bigger jerks.

But here's the thing: The American Dream goes against everything I personally believe in. I want to be an open, loving person who isn't just seeking to further myself or my agenda.

So how do my shopping habits connect with that?

If, for me, shopping is fulfilling a need for control that's not being fulfilled elsewhere, and if, for me, I think it's that I'm doing this shopping

It's been a long time coming...

2010-11-08T11:47:00.002-06:00

...but I've got good news.

I finally started a new blog, Darling Lola, which you can find here.

After spending a LOT of time thinking about it, I just felt like "90 Days..." had run it's course, so I''m shutting it down, probably within the next month or so.

Please make sure to follow me at Darling Lola, so you can see my new outfits and updates!

Squee!!!

2010-09-17T16:22:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone!

I know I've been taking a somewhat *ahem* extended hiatus, but good things are underway for 90 Days Without Shopping! There's lots of surprises to unveil soon!

Meanwhile, I got this lovely little item in my inbox today:

I MAY BE A BIT EXCITED.

Reader Request #2--Day 97

2010-08-12T09:02:00.004-05:00

So today, I'm continuing my weekly challenge of "Reader Requests", in which blog readers, via comments, tell me how to wear my new clothes.
Next up is a good friend, Kara. I'm lucky to know her in real life, as she's one of those friends who has learned how to tell the truth, but with kindness and support. She's pretty amazing!
Kara has a great website, karalambert.com, where she posts photos from her portrait sessions. She did a session for me and we had so much fun! I'd recommend her even if she wasn't a friend!
Here's Kara's outfit suggestion:

KaraM said...

Cotton Puffed Sleave with skinny jeans and heels!

In her honor, I took photos at one of her (and my) favorite places. Can you guess where?

card catalog:

sunglasses--Target

top--Diane von Furstenburg (via Plato's)

belt--Miley Cyrus for Wal-Mart

jeans--Gap

mary janes--Gianni Bini

Reader Request #1--Day 95

2010-08-09T12:43:00.003-05:00

So today is the first of "Reader Requests", in which a reader gets to play stylist with my new clothes.

First up is Melissa of "A Working Mom's Closet", who you should check out! She's great at taking affordable pieces and making stylish looks for work by blending color, pattern and texture. Pop over and check her out!

Here was her outfit suggestion:

Melissa said...

Okay, I'm gonna suggest taking the cotton Topshop floral blouse (I'm seriously into florals right now) with the JCrew green cardi layered over top and belted (I have a thing for belting, I just love it) with a black/yellow/pink/white (any solid) skirt. Throw in some yellow shoes and YAY! That would make me happy.

Now I need to find a floral top like that along with a green cardigan.

Melissa, I've gotta admit, I wasn't sure how this would translate. But I should have trusted that eye for color! I originally was going to pair the cardi/top combo with a solid J. Crew skirt, until I remembered it was at the dry cleaners! I hoped this skirt still conveyed the look, even though it's technically a pattern.

While I'm not a stickler for matching, I really do shy away from "clashing" tones of the same hue in an outfit. And this one has THREE different shades of green! The shirt has more of a mint, the cardi is kelly green and the belt is certainly olive. I was a bit apprehensive about pairing the olive with the kelly, but after trying several different belts, I kept reaching back for this one. I quite like the clash.

The other thing I love about this outfit is the shape. I felt very feminine with the poofy skirt and belted cardi. I think it showed my shape well and I could even see wearing this outfit in the Fall with tights and boots.

So, thanks Melissa! Thanks to you, I have a new year-round outfit to add to my repertoire. You did so great I think you get extra credit!

card catalog:

cardigan--J. Crew, via Plato's

tee--Topshop, via Plato's

belt--J. Crew

skirt--Forever 21

heels--Old Navy

What I Bought, Part 4--Day 93

2010-08-07T12:56:00.003-05:00

So, after the Gap broke my will, I figured, might as well be REAL BAD.

Except remember, I'm a firstborn. My idea of a crazy night is running a stop sign in a neighborhood and maybe drinking out of a Coke in Wal-Mart before I PAID FOR IT.

I'd been keeping an eye on the jean leggings--jeggings, if you must--and saw some on Forever 21's site that were a good price to try a trend. To the mall I went. And The Boyfriend was with me. So that made it ok. He's pretty (AHEM, VERY) good at asking me if I need something when I'm buying it and also, he's pretty amazing at telling me the riskier things look darn good. So he's good for my wallet and ego, both qualities any man should aspire to have.

Here's what I got:

card catalog:

hat, leggings

During this challenge, I faced moving all of my things into storage, and will be moving in about 20 days out-of-state, so I took the opportunity to purge, purge, purge. I ended up taking 2 laundry baskets to Plato's Closet and EIGHT garbage bags of clothes to Goodwill. I would feel better about that if it hadn't just been sitting for so long and if there wasn't still a lot hanging in my closet.

Plato's, to my surprise, had the nice girl working that day. The one who didn't act as if my clothes all smelled and might have lice. She bought almost everything. On top of that, I had a 20% card, so between store credit and the discount, I got the following for $12.

card catalog:

silk top--Petticoat (random brand?)

cotton puffed sleeve--DVF

card catalog:

cotton top--Odille

cotton tank--H&M

cotton floral--Topshop

card catalog:

faux fur down vest--Gap

corduroy blazer--H&M

card catalog:

swiss dot blouse--Fossil

tunic--H&M

silk/cotton cardi--J. Crew

silk/cotton buttondown--J. Crew

green striped buttondown--Ralph Lauren

And here it all is.

So, faithful readers, you have an assignment. In order to get back onto blogging, I'm going to take requests.

Take one item pictured from my new haul--anything from the last few posts--and tell me in the comments how I should wear it. I'll pick my favorite 5 (if there are that many!) and wear them all next week. You don't have to use only items from this challenge but play nice! (No fair picking the down vest. It's 111 degrees here!)

I'll post each day, linking to the Top 5's respective blogs and giving them credit as the stylist. Don't you think that will be fun?

What I Bought, Part 3--Day 92

2010-08-06T13:00:00.039-05:00

So, after establishing that I was an emotional shopper, I started wondering why. Why do I shop at some times versus others? Why do I feel the need for shiny new things?

And I realized, that it's usually when I need to be in control. When something isn't going well, I can always count on shopping.

People aren't like that. People can be having a bad day, or not support you in a way you think they should, or say something offhand that hurts your feelings. Other people aren't controllable.

Life isn't like that either. Things change; people move, get married, have babies; sickness happens; death happens. Life isn't controllable.

I'm not like that. I could have forgotten to mail a bill on time and have to pay a penalty, have a work meeting that's less than stellar, disappoint someone I care about, or say something mean unintentionally. Sometimes, I'm not controllable.

But shopping IS like that. With the high volume of merchandise, I can always count on the Gap, Loft or Target to have something to buy that lets me feel better. With any amount of money, shopping is controllable.

Which is really just a way of saying: I like being in control more than I like feeling out of control.

I'm a control freak. And instead of dealing with that, I was buying stuff.

I'll put what I think about all that tomorrow...if you care to still be my internet therapists, dears.

After The Gap, I think my next favorite place is Target. Mostly because there's literally one right across the street from my neighborhood. Every time I go anywhere, there it is, drawing me in with its bullseye like a homing beacon.

So here's what I bought there:

card catalog:

Converse Long-Sleeve Paisley Top, Merona Printed Cardigan, Mossimo Elastic-Waist Skirt

Items #1 and #2 still have tags. Should I keep or return?

Outtakes--Day 92

2010-08-06T07:30:00.000-05:00

A while ago, when I was, you know, actually blogging, I bought my camera remote and took several pics with it. The only problem was that I had my camera on manual focus. Oops.

There was also some unfortunate shadowing.

So I never wound up posting these photos from the little photo shoot that day, but just to get back in gear on blogging, here they are. I read blogs often that seem to always have "perfect" pictures straight out of a photo shoot and it's very very easy to quickly get self-critical. It's much hard to remember that my blog has a voice and yes, it is worth something. Maybe not to thousands of readers, but even if just to me, that is something.

And that is enough.

card catalog:
   t-shirt--American Eagle
   skirt--Old Navy
   bracelet--Target
   shoes--Payless

(I look so unhappy...)

card catalog:

dress--J. Crew

hoodie--Splendid

belt--Target

shoes--Target

card catalog:

headband--Target

silk tank--Old Navy

shorts--H&M

sandals--Cynthia Vincent for Target

(This outfit felt very "E from Academichic" to me...probably because she also has this belt.)

card catalog:

t-shirt--Target

belt--Old Navy

skirt--Ann Taylor Loft (vintage via thrift)

shoes--Target

What I Bought, Part 2--Day 91

2010-08-05T13:00:00.000-05:00

This "not shopping" exercise was good in lots of ways. I learned a lot about my shopping habits by not having them and subsequently secretly re-instating them.

For one, I learned that I am completely an emotionally-based shopper. I work in a field that requires me to raise my own salary and have meetings with LOTS of people in order to do that. When one particularly tanked, that was when I felt the NEED NEED NEED to shop. Logically, this doesn't even make sense, to spend money because I'm worried about money, but there I was, doing just that.

For two, I learned that the Gap clearance rack is my gateway drug. Especially when they're having "Additional 40 Percent Off Sale Items" Sale! It's like they're paying you to shop, kind of.

So here's what started the binge. And I'm shaming myself a bit by listing the prices and links:

card catalog:

belted pleated skirt, bright capped-sleeve ruffle top, pocket t, striped tunic (can't find it online!)

Oh and yes, note that two of these items still have the tags. Which means I can return. And maybe I should?

More "What I Bought" coming tomorrow!

What I Bought, Part 1 of Eleventy Billion--Day 91

2010-08-05T08:46:00.001-05:00

By overwhelming reader demand, here's the first installment of "What I Bought". More posts will be following. Maybe (cough, cough) quite a few more.

I ordered two pairs of boots from Target, because I had two pair last winter and wore one of the two pairs every single day. After looking at stevemadden.com, I'm sure both are knock-offs of his boots. They haven't arrived yet, but I'm kind of excited.

Target "Kaden" boot

Target "Karassa" Boot

For reference, here's the links to the Madden boots here and here. Pretty close matches, even down to the red zipper down the back on the first one.

Day 90--Utter Failure

2010-08-04T10:01:00.000-05:00

So, this one time, I started a blog about not shopping for 90 days and promised to update it.

Then I totally didn't update it for several weeks.

So much so that The Department of Internet Services came and took it away for blog endangerment and severe neglect. I had to attend a "Successful Blog-Raising" class by court order at a Junior College and pass several inspections by a judically-appointed Blog Advocate. Meanwhile, my blog thrived under the care of a wonderful Foster family, and I'm only slightly hurt that it now calls Donna, "Mom".

Finally, though, we were reunited. But I do have to confess something:

I didn't post because I.........

SHOPPED.

And the subsequent guilt made me not want to post. I felt dishonest, like I was letting you guys down. When really, you all probably would have more readily forgiven me than my debit card is going to.

I think I was doing well until I started the "30 for 30 Challenge". And no, I'm NOT blaming the challenge (or Kendi). I think it was hard enough with the not shopping for such a long time to the added stringency of only 30 items.

So I...failed. And I'm a firstborn, so you know it just KILLS me to say that.

Officially, the challenge of 90 days is now almost over. But it's not a total loss.

I discovered a wonderful world of fashion bloggers and would like to continue, though I'm not exactly sure where to go from here. I think this blog title might have to be changed, so I might be relocating. (And I'll post my forwarding address once I figure out exactly what it is...send me suggestions, if you still read and don't hate me forever?)

Un-Spoke-n--Day 66

2010-07-16T11:43:00.000-05:00

I felt very "Roman Holiday" as I was taking these pictures. Then catastrophe struck.

Everyone, meet my new Hercules Tourist 3-speed. I love him, even though his green paint was probably done by a 10-year-old boy using a mop. I bought him knowing that he would be a project. His rough edges and bright kelly green have earned him the name "The Hulk".

Thirty seconds after I took this photo, I must have angered The Hulk, because he about took off my foot and I took out 3 of his front spokes. Replacing the spokes is now at the top of the list, because it's totally not ride-able now.

At least I got my picture in first.

card catalog:

silk tank--Gap

belt--Target

skirt--vintage

sandals--Madden

(24/90 to go!)

Twilight--Day 61

2010-07-11T10:41:00.002-05:00

After being rained out Friday, I was able to have my garage sale yesterday, waking up at 5 a.m. to move all the furniture outside and winding up at 3, exhausted but $357 richer!

Let me tell you, there are some CRAZIES that come to garage sales, like the women that made me write them a receipt on the back of an old Wal-Mart receipt for $27 worth of merchandise. There were also some great people that The Boyfriend and I got to talk to, including the couple that we're totally going to be in 20 years.

So it was fun, but thank God it's over.

We spent the afternoon sleeping while "watching" Footloose to recover, then ran errands. I remembered to catch the OOTD just as the sun was going down.

I have had some readers request my items for "30 for 30". Soon, I promise. This week was just too crazy.

(I need to work on making my face as cute as my poses...)

card catalogue:
   linen shirt--Gap
   belt--Target
   skirt--Charlotte Russe
   sandals--Madden

Follow my blog with bloglovin

(29/90 to go!)

The Bachelorette--Day 60

2010-07-10T00:10:00.002-05:00

Blogworld, meet Kara. Kara is a good friend of mine, who just happens to be getting married next Friday.

Tonight, we celebrated her marriage with a shower and her bachelorette party, and she informed me that I had gotten her hooked on fashion blogs.

And it's true. I kinda did. Just like my friend Liz got me hooked on them.

So then, after saying that, Kara asked if I thought she was cute enough to be in my photo today. And, because she's the bride, I said, "I do!"

(She's always super cute. And she's a great photographer!)

card catalog:

Kara: Laura:

tank--Loft top--Target

necklace--Lisa Leonard bracelet--Wal-Mart

skirt--Loft white jeans--Abercrombie

sandals--Old Navy pumps--Old Navy

(30/90 to go!)

Saved!--Day 59

2010-07-08T11:49:00.000-05:00

So here's some Thursday morning fashion math:

One-half of this outfit was rescued from my Goodwill pile. One-fourth belonged to my mother back in the '70s. One-fourth was $5.

And I think that makes this outfit one-whole awesome.

I was shopping in Gap months ago and saw this shirt:

And I thought, "Hmm...that looks familiar!" And then a week later I found myself at my parent's house, looking for old board games when I saw a chambray shirt sticking out of my brothers' and I's old dress-up clothes. I have fond memories of using it to be a policewoman.

It has a '70s collar with stays and is a Sears' store brand. My mom totally wore it back in college. Of course, I immediately stole it.

The skirt was sitting in the "donate" box for several months because the hem fell out. But as I was sorting things, I remembered that, hey, I can sew now. I'm not sure that I'm sold on it's current length, but it'll do.

The belt was facing a similar fate because it had always made me feel more like a weightlifter than I'd like. (Which would be, at all, I suppose.)

So I brought them back into my closet, and then to the "30 for 30" in order to fully integrate them. (P.S. Have you checked out the remixers for "30 for 30" yet? There's some great ladies joining in)

(31/90 to go!)

Studly--Day 58

2010-07-07T13:36:00.001-05:00

I did something different for these photos and took my photos in the front yard. Several neighbors drove by, slowed down and then sped off. It's probably safe to assume that they think I'm crazy now. Good thing I'm moving soon!

This outfit started with the shoes and took off. They drove it to a place I rarely go and I wasn't sure I was pulling off, and then a nice woman in Target complimented my outfit. And since she was also shopping at Target, I knew I could trust her judgment.

I started with the clogs, then added the ripped jeans, studded T & belt. Then I found myself stacking on jewelry. Three rings, earrings and a charm bracelet just to girl-ify the outfit back a little. I felt it balanced out the studs on the shoes, tee, belt and ring. I hardly ever wear this much jewelry.

Not gonna lie, though, I felt a little bit Rock 'n Roll.

These clogs are the best ever. They found me, I think. I had been salivating over the Hasbeens ones, but knew that, at $228, they would NEVER be in my price range. And then, one magical day at Plato's, I found these beauties for about $216 less. That, friends, is a bargain. (And here's the same style on ebay in brown, size 7.)

card catalog:

sunglasses--Target

t--Target

necklace--Vintage

rings--Fossil, Laundry, Vintage

belt--Miley Cyrus for Wal-Mart

jeans--Gap

clogs--Madden via Plato's

(32/90 to go!)

It's a Man's World--Day 57

2010-07-06T00:41:00.004-05:00

Sometimes, I look at other bloggers and wonder why it was they chose the outfit that they did that day. Today, mine was fairly simple, mostly because I'm in the midst of moving and organizing for a garage sale, so I needed something I could move in, and minus the heels, I could totally do that.

I also had a casual family birthday party, so after moving/organizing, I just added the hat and heels and felt ready to go. Poof! Cuter outfit! I was comfortable, but liked the menswear accessories with a vintage touch.

I know I've been saying this for a few days, but I finally did send my link to Kendi Everyday and throw in on the "30 for 30" challenge. I figured a) I'm already not shopping and b) it will be easier to pack if I only need to leave 30 items out! I'm a bit nervous, but after I planned out the outfits, realized that it's totally do-able.

My one "cheat" is that I'm in a wedding in a few weeks, so I'm not counting my bridesmaid's dress and shoes. So, really, it's 32 for 30. I think that means I'm an overachiever.

There's quite a few women participating, and so many have great "30's" picked out. It's going to be quite an inspiring 30 days for me, I think. This will be a first for me, in that I'm going to link to each re-mix throughout the challenge, as well.

card catalog:

fedora--Eugenia Kim for Target

earrings--Forever 21

t--American Apparel

charm bracelet--vintage

jeans--J. Crew

oxfords--BCBG

(33/90 to go!)

Tee-ing Off--Day 56

2010-07-05T00:45:00.004-05:00

This weekend, the boyfriend and I stayed with a college roommate and her husband. They, we decided, are the best hosts ever. They fed us, entertained us, and took us to a liquor store that actually sells 6-point beer.

We were in heaven.

This color combination isn't one that I typically would have put together. I actually saw a college student (a.k.a. much younger woman) at my work's annual conference wearing this dress with a similar color cardigan and thought "Genius!"

So, thank you, girl-who-I-don't-know-with-amazing-style. You're amazing. Also, you had cuter shoes than me.

Our friends conveniently live on a golf course. Which conveniently matched my outfit. It was nice of them to pick a home based on what worked best for me, no?

card catalog:

headband--Target

cardigan--Old Navy

jersey dress--Target

belt--Target

gladiators--Steve Madden

(34/90 to go!)

(Fifty-)Fourth--Day 55

2010-07-04T13:33:00.002-05:00

Confession: I am not someone given to wearing red, white and blue on the Fourth. This is as close as I get. Linen and khaki are somewhat ubiquitous with Americana, though, right?

And I feel somewhat as though these pictures look as though I'm on a safari or something. The light was beautiful.

I'm planning to do Kendi's "30 for 30", but since I'm out of town for the holiday, I can't post the 30 items just yet. I'm pretty excited to get to participate!

card catalog:

linen shirt--Gap

shorts--Gap

green sandals--Nine West

(35/90 to go!)

Focused--Day 54

2010-07-03T07:40:00.000-05:00

My photos are a point of frustration. I bought a camera remote a few weeks ago, but it's somehow not auto-focusing when I shoot. So the effect is a little blurry. Or maybe we could all just call it "artistic". Let's go with that.

This was a risky outfit for me, but I feel like somehow it all worked. The neutral shoe and top ground the skirt and belt, which are similar enough in color to "go". I wore this to get Chik-Fil-A with a friend. (Mmmm...nuggets and waffle fries...)

card catalog:

sunglasses--Target

striped shirt--Gap

belt--Old Navy

skirt--Target

shoes--Nine West

(36/90 to go!)

Evolution--Day 53

2010-07-02T10:30:00.000-05:00

It's HOT where I live. And it doesn't help that the humidity is about 137%, so I've been wearing lots of shorts and tanks, which, yes, those are my outfits, but hardly blog-worthy.

I thought I found a loophole, though. It had rained and was "cold" (78 degrees), so I thought I could get away with jeans and this lightweight shirt that had been sitting in my closet all alone. This outfit made me feel very "Gardening in the Hamptons," if of course, I had staff to do the actual gardening. And a garden. And a house in the Hamptons. Maybe Martha Stewart and I could do a home exchange.

card catalog:
   sunnies--Target
   buttondown--Gap
   white jeans--Abercrombie (old...)
   yellow wedges--Old Navy

And then the sun came out. It was hot again. So I changed.

card catalog:

   T-shirt--Thakoon for Target
   jeans--same
   shoes--same

I thought I would be okay, but then the temperature jumped up another 10 degrees and my poor A/C could barely keep up. Another change was in order:

(Oh, look! A blue skirt!)

card catalog:

T--Thakoon

skirt--Old Navy

sandals--Cynthia Vincent for Target

(37/90 to go!)

Even Better Than the Real Thing--Day 44

2010-06-23T03:47:00.001-05:00

You guys! I made this skirt in 26 minutes! (Using Disney's 20-minute skirt pattern, found here.)

I didn't realize until I was editing the photos that I look somewhat patriotic. Not intentional. The fabric of the skirt is a bit more purple-y, but for some reason it's reading blue.

card catalog:

sunnies--Target

tee--Gap

belt--Target

bracelets--Target

skirt--DIY

clutch--inherited from Grandma

shoes--Target

The Boyfriend told me that I should be ready for a date night, eating sushi at my favorite place, getting snow cones and a surprise!

I wanted to dress up in a skirt and had some time and this fabric, so I decided to see what I could do with it. I'm pretty happy with the results. And I'm glad I dressed up, because after dinner and snow cones, we went to a U2 concert!

Well, kind of.

I have a bad track record with U2. It's like Bono knows I don't recycle as much as I should and is avoiding me. But yeah, I'm 0 for 3 on seeing U2 live. TB knows this, and for my birthday this year, got me tickets to see them! Wooo!

And then Bono broke his back. Boo.

So, for the surprise "concert", TB got the 360 concert Blue-Ray and charmed his bosses at the church he works at to use the space for our date. We had U2 in 360 on 5 screens and fabulous sound quality. I even raised up my phone and waved it.

It was amazing.

Best seats, with the best date.

(46/90 to go!)

Ch-ch-ch-changes!--Day 39

2010-06-18T11:17:00.003-05:00

So, I'm testing out some new design here.

Hope you like it.

I've had some personal things come up this week and haven't been able to shoot photos, but I'm hoping for some this weekend.

See you soon.

Shortlisted--Day 37

2010-06-17T12:15:00.004-05:00

I went to grab some fro-yo with a girlfriend the other night and she was kind enough to snap these pics. (Thanks, Liz!)

There wasn't much inherently "girly" about this outfit. The shirt is from the Men's section, the shorts are plain khaki, my shoes are flats, but yet, I felt feminine but comfortable in the sweltering heat.The black T and the cream flower reminded me a bit of Chanel. (You know, on a beer budget.)

(I'm going to be completely honest here, and tell you that the ONLY reason I posted this photo is because I really like the way my legs look in it.

Vain, much?

GUILTY.)

card catalog:
   sunnies--Target
   tee--American Apparel
   flower pin--H&M
   shorts--Gap
   shoes--J. Crew

(53/90 to go!)

Tanks a Lot--Day 35

2010-06-15T07:45:00.014-05:00

I stole these shoes off of a friend's feet. Not really. But I did totally see them on her at a wedding, ask where she got them and then immediately went out and bought them.

On Academichic, E. has referred to a shoe like this as the "non-sequitur" shoe. I love it. I think I've always had a thing against being "matchy" since the 80s, which if you can remember them, were KIND OF a big era for that. So, it's pretty typical to take an outfit like this one, KNOW that a black shoe would match and then throw it off with something else in a similar color but not a neutral. It probably helps that this outfit is mostly neutral anyway. I briefly considered my orange or yellow shoes, and think those would have worked, too.

card catalog:
   tank--Old Navy
   necklace--Ann Taylor
   cuff--Miley Cyrus for Wal-Mart
   skirt--J. Crew
   purple peeptoes--Payless

(55/90 to go!)

Date Night--Day 34

2010-06-14T07:35:00.011-05:00

Saturday night, The Boyfriend got back into town from work, and I took a break from my very busy schedule of keeping up with The Kardashians.

Since his work weeks tend to be pretty long, I asked if I could plan our evening. We started out at our favorite park for a picnic, then went to the drive-in to see "The A-Team". Let me just save you $10: That movie is all about things exploding and the best supporting actor is Bradley Cooper's abs.

I love our date nights. We are totally that couple that thinks having one night a week just to reconnect is crucial and hope that we're setting a good pattern by starting them now. We also try to not just go to dinner and rent a movie, so it's fun to try to be creative on a budget. (If you want, leave a comment with your favorite summer activity for a date!)

This dress was maybe the best sale score of my life. I bought it during one of Gap's 40% off all merchandise sales three years ago. It was marked $9.99, but with the discount, it was only $5.99! After a few wears, slipping it over my head ripped the front about 3 inches, but I was able to repair it Friday on my sewing machine by disguising it as a pleat. I'm very glad to have it back in the rotation for the summer.

card catalog:
   hat--Eugenia Kim for Target
   dress--Gap (off the sale rack for $5.99!)
   necklace--Target
   shoes--Nine West

(56/90 to go!)

Military--Day 33

2010-06-13T08:03:00.006-05:00

I've been loving the trends this spring. Floral, romantic, girly on one end. Safari, military chic on the other. And all of it sticking mostly to neutral colors. Finding a place where the three meet suits me just fine!

These pants were almost given away, but as I was going through my "donate" pile, I pulled them back out to try on and realized 1) they were very "on" right now, even though I bought them several years ago and 2) they fit again. You gotta love the cyclical ways of fashion (and weight gain).

I had so much fun shooting with these flowers that I asked TB to take a Senior photo.

card catalog:

rosette cami--Charlotte Russe

tank--Old Navy

ring--Fossil

cargo pants--The Limited

flat sandals--Gap

(57/90 to go!)

Gray Gardens--Day 32

2010-06-12T08:00:00.006-05:00

I just love that it's summer. Winter is the worst. It's that roommate that always drinks that last of the milk and never replaces it, leaves drink rings on your new coffee table and always has iffy friends over who might be stealing your stuff.

But summer? Helllooooo, love.

I was ready for summer this year. I needed ice cream and BBQ's and staying outside to watch fireflies. And I did all of those in this outfit. It was amazing.

I'm so glad I have months of summer left to look forward to.

card catalog:

maxi dress--Old Navy

tank--Old Navy

sandals--Nine West

(58/90 to go!)

Liberated--Day 31

2010-06-11T08:00:00.008-05:00

I look like a giant in this picture, no?

This would be an example of an easy outfit--maybe not technically fashion--but something I would wear to run errands or throughout the day. I used to hate wearing skirts, and can't really remember why. I think it might be because I have a love/hate relationship with my legs/thighs. (Mostly hate.)

I'm not really a shorts person either. (They hit and highlight the widest part of the body.) So I would wear jeans every day, all summer long. And it gets up over 100 degrees here in the summer, so that's commitment.

I'm not really sure when it was that I turned the corner. Last summer, I spent two months in Pasadena in a tiny dorm room with no A/C. I only took 14 outfits, most of which were skirts. This Spring, I wore a skirt to work almost every day. And, most days, I liked the way I looked.

card catalog:

ruffled tee--Gap

scarf--Liberty of London for Target

denim skirt--Old Navy

sandals--Cynthia Vincent for Target

(59/90 to go!)

Bouquet Toss--Day 30

2010-06-10T08:00:00.008-05:00

I'm just going to out myself as a wedding grinch.

I really don't like bouquet tosses.

Maybe it's because I've never caught one before. Maybe it's because I think they're humiliating, in general. The garter toss, too. (And really, if you think about it, those guys are all clamoring to catch a piece of the bride's underwear...in front of her entire family.)

Usually, I avoid going out to try and catch the bouquet, but if I'm say, a bridesmaid, I feel obligated. So I stand in the back and nervously eye the other girls to see if they're going to go for it.

This time, though, it was announced and TB asked if I was going to go line up.

"Nope," I said.

"Just go," he said.

So, for some reason, I did. But I still really didn't want the thing.

All the other girls had their hands up, so I raised mine, too.

The bride turned, covered her eyes and threw the flowers DIRECTLY INTO MY LEFT HAND.

I'm not really sure what protocol is regarding these things, but I'm pretty sure catching it and immediately dropping would be bad form.

So I kept it. And....I kinda like that I caught it.

card catalog:

earrings--Target

dress--The Limited

sandals--Nine West

If you haven't gone over to Already Pretty and seen all the ladies who are participating, do it! Everyone looks great and like they're having so much fun!

Since not wearing black is fairly easy for me, I decided to go ahead and not have any black in accessories or clothing (even patterns). We'll see how it goes!

(60/90 to go!)

Purple Haze--Day 29

2010-06-09T10:13:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, The Boyfriend and I went to a wedding in Arkansas. We stayed at the camp he used to work at with some friends and their four kids, who woke TB up every morning by jumping onto the couch with him and playing. One morning, the couch became a lifeboat in hot lava carrying us to safety. And then they all pushed me overboard.

I'm very glad to be back safely.

This outfit is what I wore to the rehearsal and dinner.

card catalog:

linen dress--Gap

belt--Target

shoes--Target

I feel like this is kind of an easy challenge, since I already hardly wear black. But I'm going to try anyway. Sal at Already Pretty has posted the rules here.

(61/90 to go!)

Day 28--Twice as Nice

2010-06-07T17:11:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was bemoaning to The Boyfriend about how I can't shop, which is like, the worst thing ever, blah, blah, blah, and was browsing Anthropologie's website when I saw the Double Torsade necklace. It beckoned, me sparkling. It was beautiful. It was $28.

"Look!" I shouted to TB. "Isn't it wonderful?"

And then Glee came back from commercial and nothing more was said, until a few days later, when I confessed to TB that I had purchased the necklace. (Jewelry isn't included in the ban.)

His eyes expanded in that rapid way that lets me know something's up.

"You DID? I just ordered that today for you for our anniversary!"

Whoops.

I sent the one I ordered back.

So, basically, my boyfriend listens to hints. Which why I totally would like to state here, why, yes, I sure would like an iPhone 4. And perhaps a snow cone.

The other cool thing about this outfit is that I made the skirt! I found the tutorial online from Susan of Freshly Picked here. I invited a friend over for a little sewing party, and FOUR hours later, a skirt!

After looking at all the tutorials, I went ahead and added contrasting pockets.

Let's just all agree not to notice my cuticles, okay?

I love the versatility of this skirt. And how, when paired with the tube top, it totally looks like a high-end dress. I'm sure I'll be making more of these!

card catalog:

necklace--Anthropologie

tube top--Old Navy

skirt--DIY!

shoes--Forever 21

(62/90 to go!)

Day 25--Return of the Blog

2010-06-04T11:05:00.001-05:00

I could totally understand if you thought I fell off the blog wagon.

I didn't. I just had some issues with co-ordinating a photographer. It's hard when he's out of town every other week. But I think we (he) fixed the problem and will be sending me photos via a shared file online.

I have some plans as far as showcasing what we missed over the last 10 days. And don't worry, I didn't shop!

In other big news in my life, I had my last day at school yesterday. It was a sad, but fairly anticlimactic moment. I handed in my badge and walked out the door for the last time towards a new opportunity that I'm alternately excited and scared about, but because I think blogging and working should maintain a certain separation, I won't be blogging about it. Let's just say I absolutely believe in what I'm doing now and its purpose.

This white lacy shirt and I are meant to be together, I guess. I have tried to give this top away twice now, and it has come back both times.

I bought it at Gap about 3 years ago after lusting after it for months. It finally went on sale, but the only size left was a 6. Which is about 3 sizes bigger than I wear. I bought it anyway, hoping it would work. Because it's big in the shoulders, I've thought about taking it in, but it would ruin the beautiful eyelet detailing on the shoulders and neckline. So I just plan on hitching the sleeves back up and wearing a cami underneath.

Also, I am loving the denim "trend" right now. That's all over all the stores and magazines, how denim and chambray are a trend! And maybe that's just showing my lack of knowledge about fashion, because I'm all, excuse me, when has denim NOT been a trend, ever?

(Hi. I live in Oklahoma.)

The shorts were, until yesterday, a pair of Gap jeans that I had picked up at Plato's. The bottoms were frayed and they were just a tiny bit too short, so I decided to "DIY"* them into a boyfriend style. I found a pair of shorts I liked the length of, lined the seams up with the jeans and chopped, then folded the bottoms up so I could see the red selvage seams. (I have a thing for red seams on jeans...)

Aren't you impressed with my super crafting capabilites? I'm practically Martha, I know.

card catalogue:

earrings--Target

sunglasses--Ann Taylor Loft

top--Gap (summer '06!)

cami--Gap

bracelets--Target

shorts--Gap via Plato's/DIY*

shoes--Old Navy

(65/90 left to go!)

*I just think it's kinda silly to say "DIY" for using a pair of scissors to make ONE cut...much more impressive are the DIY ladies that repurpose a garment into something totally new by actually sewing. Chastize me thoroughly in the comments if you disagree.

Cheaters Never Win (But they look darn cute!)--Day 16

2010-05-26T12:18:00.002-05:00

So I know I've been kinda MIA on the posts. Mostly that's because by the time I get home, work has taken it's toil on my outfits. Today for example, my coffee spilled on my dress twice while I was driving. Which is totally work's fault, because, who can work uncaffeinated?

I have been working on some projects, though. I am still going strong on the not shopping, although I did plunk down $1.94 for elastic to finish a skirt. (I already had the fabric purchased and cut out prior to the challenge beginning.) I'll be debuting that some time this week.

I also had bought this scarf a while ago at Target. It's from the Liberty of London line. And it's ginormous. (And actually, I just realized Target/Liberty call it a pareo. Oh.)

Now, you may not know this from my pictures so far, but I love a good scarf. Or even a bad one. They're totally a staple. But when they're TOO big, they remind me more of a tablecloth. And I don't know what to do with that. Until now.

I saw this dress on Wardrobes and Whimsy and was totally inspired. This scarf is about to be amazingly transformed into a DRESS!

I'll keep you posted on the results...

(73/90 to go!)

Jeep Thrills--Day 12

2010-05-23T08:55:00.001-05:00

This weekend is totally kicking my butt. Not that I'm super busy, really, but there's just a lot of transitions on the horizon and it all became very real yesterday. I know it's just Sunday morning, but I already think a nap and some ice cream will be on the day's agenda!

As we play around with photos, The Boyfriend often does these angled shots. I'm not sure what I think of them yet. I'm trying to be arty, but my face totally reminds me of Joey on Friends doing his "soap opera acting". I am liking the idea of using more interesting backdrops, though.

I wore this outfit out to dinner Friday. And then The Boyfriend took his camera home, and we kept forgetting to upload them. So I'm behind and having a hard time writing anything about the outfit, other than, I really liked it.

Now to get that ice cream.

card catalogue:
   t-shirt--Gap
   necklace--American Eagle
   skirt--Forever 21
   shoes--Forever 21

(75/90 to go)

New Rule--Day 12

2010-05-21T09:34:00.001-05:00

I almost caved. ALMOST. I don't know how it happened, but last night I found myself *just checking* ebay for my favorite sellers. You know, to see what they were selling. Not to buy anything, I told myself.

And then I saw THE BOOTS.

Great goodness, buttery leather, there they were! J. Crew knee-high riding boots in my size. They were glorious. Perfect. Magnificent.

And the price was still under $10 with only 37 minutes left. I almost--ALMOST--caved. No one, aside from me, would know right? I could totally just mix them in and tell everyone that they had been hanging around my closet all winter, unworn. You would have totally bought that, right?

..Right?

I hovered over the mouse button, and hit click to bid. These are THE BOOTS. The ones I have been waiting for all season. I pictured myself wearing them with skinnies and my chambray shirt, a la Reese Witherspoon. Because, you know, I LOOK JUST LIKE HER.

And then I realized, no matter how great, they wouldn't be worth it.

I would know.

You would probably know.

I hit "cancel".

So, seeing as how it's only 12 days into my shopping challenge and I'm already finding it hard to not shop, I'm enacting a new rule for myself:

4. Any item purchased in violation of rules 1 & 2 must be worn DAILY until the end of the challenge.

I think that will fix me. I may have loved those riding boots and wanted to scandalously make out with them, but come July, I would have probably wanted my flat sandals back. And I can't picture ANY clothing item that I'd want to wear for the next 78 days.

I'll be posting a new outfit from today sometime tonight!

Birthday Party--Day 10

2010-05-19T06:54:00.000-05:00

There are two things I learned from this photo series. One: Check your hair before photos. Two: Check the shadow.

Yesterday was my not-so baby brother's 21st birthday. The Boyfriend and I took him out for dinner and his very first (legal) drink. And then the guy didn't even card him. Boo to that. But he did comp us two carafes of Sake and a shot for The Brother. So we'll still be friends with him.

This shirt is maybe the comfy-iest item of clothing I own. I had been looking for a chambray shirt all Spring and then this one went on sale at Gap a few weeks ago. (Pre-shopping ban!) I'm thinking it will see a lot of wear this summer with shorts and skirts.

card catalogue:

chambray shirt--Gap

belt--Target

skirt--Charlotte Russe

sandals--Cynthia Vincient for Target

(80/90 to go!)

Theater Date--Day 7

2010-05-16T10:30:00.001-05:00

You may have known this, but I just figured it out:

It's darn hard to take photos in a poorly lit parking garage. And embarrassing, if you are the kind of person who gets nervous when large groups of people walk by. I do.

I've never really been someone who is comfortable in front of the camera. Any time I have a picture taken, I look at photos after and very rarely like them. But this little blog's photos are helping me to look at pictures of myself without cringing.

In this shot, my hand is a bit blurry, but it was the best one. We're both still working on the angles and things. I'm hoping as he learns better shots, I learn better posing. (For example, if he angles the camera down at me AT ALL, I look a little stumpy. We learned that last night. That's why I'm waving at you here...HI!)

The Boyfriend and I, thanks to my lovely momma, went to the Theater last night and saw a Cirque show. I wore the outfit below, while The Boyfriend wore gray pants and a white shirt with his tie. So we basically matched. Which isn't my favorite. Although I read that that's actually a thing in Japan among dating couples. So I'm choosing to believe we were following a world trend instead of just being dorky.

card catalogue:

silk tunic--Gap

necklace--Forever 21

bracelet--Target

pencil skirt--The Limited

shoes--BCBGirls

(83/90 to go)

Something Blue--Day 6

2010-05-15T08:06:00.004-05:00

Last night, the Boyfriend and I went on a wedding date. Boyfriend and I actually met at the Bride's apartment, through another friend. Pretty sure the first time we talked it was about our iPhones and back-up batteries. Because we're both smooth like that.

I realized that all the outfits from this week feature bold colors. I like wearing them a lot, even though I feel like I can wear almost any color. But I keep reaching for those deeply saturated hues and love them all.

This dress is amazingly comfortable and the perfect length. The shoes, too, are wonderful. That raised platform and wedge makes it feel like I'm not wearing heels at all. Boyfriend and I love to Swing dance, so I did kick the shoes off for that, but that was the only time I didn't keep them on my feet all night.

card catalogue:

dress--target

necklace--forever 21

wrap--old navy

shoes--target

And here's the Boyfriend/photographer:

Good thing he didn't have any boogies. But isn't he cute?

(84/90 to go!)

Rainy Day Rules--Day 5

2010-05-13T13:30:00.009-05:00

This morning at 5 a.m., tornado sirens went off. Only they weren't for tornadoes, they were for wind gusts up to 100 mph. Several schools (as well as many local homes) in my district lost power and the school board cancelled all schools today. Luckily, we have power, so I get to catch up on my Tivo and run errands, feeling only slightly guilty. We don't even have to make the missed day up.

This outfit (and, I suppose, nature) lets me showcase my fun houndstooth rainboots. I see rainboots out and about often, even if it's not rainy, with shorts, and I get that and all, but I think it's fun to use them for their functional purpose.
I got the blazer (which is made of nylon) at H&M almost 7 years ago. It's my stand-in for a trench. I love this shade of green. The skinny jeans are J. Crew Matchstick, which I think are the only jeans I really ever wear (I have 3 pair in different colors.) The yellow umbrella was my gramma's, and turned inside out seconds before taking photos. It also has a huge inkstain on it. I still love it.

Card catalogue:

blazer--H&M

striped T--American Eagle

necklace--Ann Taylor

skinny jeans--J. Crew

rainboots--Target

umbrella--Gramma's Hall closet

Since we're 5 days into this whole thing, I thought I'd share the rules of "90 days" with both of my readers. (Hi, darlings!)

The Rules

1. No new clothes. This includes retail, thrifting, ebaying and garage sale-ing. Borrowing is okay, as is gifting.

My sweet boyfriend asked if he could still buy me clothing as a gift. Um...YES. Also, perfect example of why he’s a keeper. He absolutely knows I’ll be clawing the walls by Day 32 itching to go to Target and buy anything I can get my grubby, shopping-deprived hands on.

2. No new shoes. Retail, thrifting, garage saleing, ebay, etc. The exception is for a ONE pair that go with a bridesmaid’s dress for a wedding in July. You’d better believe I’m going to milk that shopping op.

Also, I realized that sometimes shopping is the point, not just buying something for me. So I toyed with allowing myself to buy clothing as gifts. And then I realized that while The Boyfriend would have a fashionable, trendy wardrobe by the end of 90 days, I would have saved no money and this whole project would have been a waste of Spring’s current clearance sales.

3. No purchasing clothing for others. Anywhere.

And I think that’s pretty much it. I tried to cover all my loopholes, but may have missed some, in which case, I’ll be posting the additional rules. Anyone have any thoughts on things I should add?

(85/90 to go)

"Favorites"--Day 1

2010-05-10T20:16:00.009-05:00

I shop too much.

There. I can admit it.

And I’m moving out of state in less than 3 months. Hard to believe it’s coming so soon.

I need to save money. I need to NOT accumulate more stuff before I have to downsize.

So, inspired by my girlcrush, Kendi and her “30 for 30”, I’m doing something hard (for me). I’m giving up clothes shopping for 90 days. I don’t think I’ve ever gone a week without shopping. The myriad of clothes decorating my floor will prove it.

Instead, I will re-mix and shop my own closet for 90 days. And then I'll post the outfits. It’s a challenge and I’m up for it. Stick with me and cheer me on. I’m going to need it!

(Also, please hold my hand. I’m a little scared.)

Outfit 1: This sweater is the perfect geranium color. That pinky reddish with cute beading around the neckline. And plaid top is a favorite, for sure. I’m a sucker for anthro. Those ripped up jeans that are so on trend right now? They’re 6 or so years old. Probably soon to be shorts. And the shoes you can't see? Well, they’re my favorites. Plan on seeing them often in the next 90 days.

(That's called anticipation, friends.)

See that dog, there? That's Topher. He's pretty proud of me.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

card catalogue:

cardigan---target

top---anthropologie (edme&esylite)

destroyed jeans---abercrombie

shoes---target

(89/90 to go!)