On the Mend

Thank God all the storms are over, the temperatures are rising, lives are returning to normal, and I am on the mend.  In addition to getting sick, I also broke my toe last week, so with all that and the snow days, I spent the better part of the week laying on the couch or in bed. I came home from work a week ago Friday evening feeling ill.  I knew it.  I knew I was sick.  I've been working extra hours for a month and have had a few stressful encounters and it all finally took its toll.  While I was getting ready for bed, I pulled my shoe off and saw a swollen purple toe that I couldn't bend without screaming.  I'd ignored the pain for days--easy to do when you're constantly covered in layers to keep out the arctic cold--but now I couldn't overlook it anymore.

I had obligations and deadlines, and I am absolutely loathe to break my word, but I knew I wouldn't be able to do my best if I could do anything at all, so I immediately sent out emails Friday night letting everyone know I would be taking some sick time.  After a rough week, my head cold is subsiding and my foot doesn't keep me awake all night with the pain.  I hate resting, but my body just needed it and lots of it.  And a little chicken soup never hurt anybody either.

I did not enjoy having this much rest.  I like a good balance to my days, some work, some rest, some play, in order to feel productive.  But, I also understand that when your body needs to heal, you can't rush it.  Invest in some quality time to rejuvenate or you'll likely end up worse off and taking even longer to get over what ails you.  It's the same with emotional wellbeing.  You can go along, ignoring the hurts, but eventually you will collapse and have to stop and deal with damage.  Our bodies and minds can only take so much.  Rather than running and ignoring them, it's better to deal with things as soon as they come up.

Much like my broken toe, we try to cover emotional pain with layer upon layer, thinking out of sight, out of mind, until the day we're forced to peel back those layers and deal it.  Expose the hurts, properly bandage them, and then rest and give yourself time to heal.  It's scary to look at something we've turned away from, we're afraid of what we'll see, but ignoring things, running away from them, doesn't aid healing it prolongs suffering.  And a few tears and a few hugs from a trusted friend or counselor never hurt anybody either.

To that end, I'll be out of commission for the rest of the weekend, just to be sure I'm back to 100% by Monday.  And, I want to encourage you, if there's anything that's been ailing you in body, mind, or emotions don't ignore it anymore.  Take the time to rest and heal.  You won't regret taking care of yourself so you can be your very best you.

Shopping Info:  Leggy Layers Tights from ModCloth, Dress from Poshmark, Mak Cardigan from Thred Up, Flats from Shoe Carnival

Bigger Better Beehive

The beehive is back and bigger than ever!  I had an hour or two to kill today before an appointment, so I decided to play around with my hair.  I've been wanting to attempt a full beehive but all my prior attempts  have literally fallen flat.

 

SOooooo, today I watched a few videos, tried a few things, then ended up going rogue, borrowing an idea here and there and trying it my own way.  I really loved the results and it's closer to a beehive than I've yet been able to achieve. 

The reason none of the videos really worked for me was that they all involved teasing (back-combing) your hair.  I'm 80% against that in the normal run of things and as I mentioned yesterday I'm working really hard to give my hair a little TLC right now so I'm 100% against teasing.

For my method, I put my hair in a ponytail, then bobby pinned a large bun donut to the area of hair in front of the ponytail.  I topped the bun donut with a foam bump to give it height and shape.  Then I wrapped the ponytail forward, twisted the front and bobby pinned it in place.

I tucked the end of the ponytail under the side, followed all that with more bobby pins and sprayed.  I intend to keep working on this hairstyle (put it on the list with half a dozen others), but for now anything that does no harm to my hair and even looks great on that last day before I shampoo is exactly what I'm looking for.

While we're on the subject of exactly what I'm looking for, I've had this Forever 21 dress for several years and it never fails to amaze me how many different outfits I can make from it.  I just wore it to work last week, washed it, and had it hanging up to be closeted when I thought of wearing it with these warm red tights.  Love!  This may be my favorite outfit with this dress so far.

And with this short length, tights make all the difference, plus I think a shorter hem is the perfect match to a vintage style.  The bright colors, the geometric patterns, the crop cardi, I love it all.  This is how clothes and hair should make us feel everyday.

Shopping Info: XXI dress and MAK Cardi from ThredUp, Tights From ModCloth

Time to Breathe

I'm not going to pretend that I like all this quarantine business.  I don't want people ill and I don't want economic down-turn, or petty functionaries using this as an excuse to bully and abuse their small amount of power.  It's all so ugly in so many ways.  But, here we are.

 

So, while keeping in mind that I am in no way pro-Covid, I do think there are some positive things to come from all this time spent at home, namely time to step away from the world and the chaos, and  think about what matters most.

So, here we are, in the quiet.  What strikes you as the things that matter most?  Have you been neglecting your friends and family for your work?  Have you been neglecting work because you've lost the joy in it?  Have you been neglecting your own health and well being?  

Now is the time to work on all that, to focus on the what truly matters most before this life gets away from you.  Instead of returning to the chaos, when it's time to get back to the world, keep the peace.

Shopping Info:  Similar GINGHAM DELIGHT BUTTON THROUGH CAMI DRESS from ChicWish, Charter School Cotton Cardigan in S - Waist Scholastic by ModCloth

Make Casual Chic

Everywhere I look around here it's Casual-town, it's all jeans and tees all the time.  At restaurants, workplaces, anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, weddings, the works.  Everyone is dressed to relax.  There's nothing wrong with jeans and tees, but there is a time to dress it up a little and that time is  when you're at...well, basically all the places I mentioned a second ago.  

Yeah, I said it, sometimes you need to dress up a little but that doesn't mean you need to ditch your tees and jeans.  So, here are my tips for dressing up your casual look.

1.  Fitted Tees.  If it's baggy, faded, or has had any part of it cut off, then it's a firm NO for a dressed up look.  Select a fitted tee with a great print and all of its original parts intact.   

2.  Dark wash jeans are the way to go.  They look more sophisticated and polished than a lighter wash.  Again, no rips, fading and nothing cut off.  You can go for the safe option which is a mid-rise waist and a straight leg or go bold with something high waist and a little flare.

3.  Shoes matter.  In fact I would almost say that shoes make the outfit, like the cherry on the sundae.  Opt for heels or leather boots instead of sneakers.  If you must wear sneakers try leather sneakers or something in a bright color.

4.  Trail Blazer.  Just a tee with jeans can be comfortable but can also still look too casual.  A nice blazer or cardigan is a great way to make a statement that says "professional" in the workplace and "dressed up" at an event.  Don't leave home without one. 

Shopping Info:  Similar Collectif T-Shirt, Similar Jeans from FemmeLuxe, Charter School Cotton Cardigan in S - Waist Scholastic, Heels from Charlotte Russe 

4 Tips for Fashion Blogging

Occasionally I get asked for tips on blogging.  I find it really flattering when people ask me, because it means that they think I actually know what I'm doing.  Yay!  I don't, just so you know.  So, while I can't exactly give you tips like a pro, but I can give you a few tips for what I do with my blog. 

Today's post is one last sunflower post, the last one from last year's photo shoot in the sunflower fields.   I've been rationing them so they would last all through the winter until the flowers start blooming again, and here we are, summer already.  And that brings us to........(fanfare plays!)

Tip 1.  Choose a location.  This typically works well when you've lived in a place for a couple of years.  You can see how certain locations look at different times of year and plan accordingly.  I chose this location because I knew that this field is open to the public and generally looks quite nice each year around this time.

Tip 2.  Timing.  I take photos at dawn, sunset--known to photographers as the golden hours because they create the best lighting for photos--, or on cloudy days.  The simple fact is that I have one of those faces which is cute in the right light and pretty awful in the wrong light.  It happens, I accept that.  

But, the thing is, most of us have this issue, so unless you're prepared to take along professional lighting equipment or you're just a genius at Photoshop, it's best to work with the lighting that will work best with you.  If you can't make it out during those hours and the clouds are no where in site, choose a spot in the shade instead.  Direct sun is so harsh, it doesn't make for great photos.

Tip 3.  Have options.  I like to take a minimum of three outfits with me to any given location.  The most I've taken was probably eight.  The reason is that you never know if you'll have great lighting, how crowded a location may be, or how the background will work with the colors in your outfits, so take some different styles and colors.  If things are going well you'll have tons of great shots.  If they're not, you'll still probably walk away with at least one nice set of photos.

Tip 4.  Do you need help?  The answer is no, you don't, but it's nice.  You can take your own photos with just a tripod, a remote control timer, and a quiet location with a little privacy.  The good thing about taking your own photos is that you might feel more relaxed in front of the camera--I know I do.  The downside is that it can be really tricky to set up your shots and get everything just right when you're not behind the camera.  On the other hand, having a friend or family member help out can be really fun and you'll be able to get more creative shots in less time.  And that's it.  You now know as much about fashion blogging as I do.  So what are you waiting for?!

Shopping Info:  Charter School Cardigan from ModCloth, Love Journey Dress from AmorDress, Flats from Charlotte Russe