At the Library

 The eclipse is today and people are losing their freaking minds about it.  Everyone seems to have just heard about it five minutes ago and is scrambling like mad to get some glasses for viewing the sun without burning holes in their eyes.  It's madness!  We've known about this eclipse for the better part of a year!  But, I guess there's no time like the last minute.  Anyway, I'll be watching the sky with some welding goggles and my favorite family, but I'm spending my morning at the library until it's time for the big event to begin.  I don't do many posts with jeans...I intend to remedy that because I actually do wear some pretty cute outfits with jeans at least once or twice a week.

Gingham on the Go

Just a quick post featuring my favorite and only little gingham dress.  It's perfect for a sleepy Sunday or any day really because even though it's black and white it goes with every color or is a perfect standout piece all by itself.

Shop Similar Looks: 
Collectif Hey Girl! Halter Midi Dress & Flutter Sleeve Cotton A-Line Dress with Pockets in Gingham from: ModCloth

Gingham Frill Trim Blouse & Drop Waist Gingham Skirt from: SheIn

A Birthday to Remember

    If you've read my blog over the last couple of years, you've probably heard me complain about my birthdays, so get ready for a doozy.  It's been a very busy week and to be honest, I haven't handled it well...at all.  My homeschoolers started public school for the first time ever, the movers came with boxes full things and there were some painful memories stirred up, and just as the movers arrived, my youngest made a tearful call and I spent 30 minutes trying to calm her.  I tried all the wonderful adive about how everyone is scared on the first day of school and how this will make her a better person, because she'll be able to help the new kids next year since she knows how hard it is to be the new kid, but in the end I resorted to bribery (cupcake dolls are back and I'll have one waiting for you in the car if you can just buck up and make it through the day) and it worked in two minutes better than all the previous 28 minutes of love, encouragement, and good advice I threw at her.
  
    And then there was my birthday, I'm 36 now.  It coincided with my yearly Dr. visit, at which I had hoped I would hear that I'm in perfect health, but instead was told that I need another test and probably to enlist the help of a naturopath for some holistic solutions to some minor problems.  My spouse also received a report that some aches and pains he's been dealing with need further scanning and scrutinizing.  All of this happened in the same week and most of it happened on the same day.  

    While I tried to take my own medical news in stride, getting his news crumpled me to a sobbing heap on the floor.  What a week indeed.  Fashion hasn't even been on my radar.  I'm hopeful that some good news is on the way from all these Dr visits, and that we'll soon get everything unpacked and settle ourselves into a routine.  Tonight I'm on my way to my support group meeting.  I haven't been in about a month, which may have contributed to the way I handled this week.  

    Every year for my birthday I do something I've always wanted to do.  This year for my birthday, in light of all these changes and stuff making me worry, I've decided fight for my life.  I was always fighting for the best possible life I could have, trying to be my best and do my best.  And when life knocked me out, I stayed down...for a while.    This year, on my birthday I've made up my mind that I can't go back to the way things were and I can't predict how things will go, but I love my family and my friends.  I decided this year, that it's time to get back up again and keep fighting.  It's time to stop looking back and to finally let go.  There's still happiness out there, good moments to share and good memories to make, and instead of cake, I think I'll have a slice of that instead.

Kokeshi Kawaii

Going totally without a pattern this time and it actually went pretty well and pretty quickly.  I tried to use all the things I've learned from my past mistakes and managed to complete this skirt in only a few days.  The fabric is an adorable kokeshi print that I picked up while shopping in the fabric district of Tokyo.  I even had enough left over to make a simple elastic skirt for my girls to share.  They were big collectors of kokeshi dolls while we were overseas, and I rather liked them myself, so this is a bit of a souvenir for all of us.

Keep Your Shape with a Loose Top

I'm venturing out of my comfort zone again and trying to find the best way to style a baggy sweatshirt top.  For the challenge, I chose this loose rose printed crew neck with three quarter sleeves.  I loved the bright pink and the nice print on the front, but very, very loose.  In order to keep some shape and not be swallowed up by the top, I went with some form fitting high waist shorts by Forever 21.  

Shop the look: 
Irisie Women Loose Rose Printed Crewneck Three Quarter Sleeve T Shirt
Forever 21 Shorts from ThredUp.  Use my link to sign up and get $10 off your first order.
Bell Flats by Report

Olive's Dress

A quick post featuring the dress I chose as Olive's Dress in our Miss Peregrine ensemble.  I'm still working on getting pics of us all in costume, but this dress worked fabulously well.  even if you're not planning on using it for cosplay, it's still an adorable dress.  I'm wearing a size small and it's a great fit, so I'd recommend sizing up one from your normal size when ordering.  This dress is very lightweight and lovely, though the fabric is a bit fragile, so be careful of snags.

Shop the Look:
Tassel Tie Neck Pink Floral Dress- $44.99 from: The-Other-Sparrows.com
Fox Crossbody bag- $9.24 from: RoseGal
The Zest is History Heel in Burgundy- $44.99 from: ModCloth

One Last Blondie Style

On one of my mornings as a blonde, I snapped a few pics on my way out to work.  I forgot to post pics, but I really, really liked this outfit.  This was a wear-to-work outfit for a casual Friday.  It is head to toe thrift shopped and probably cost me a total of $25.  So, the good news is that I saved a ton of money.  The less than good news is that I don't have tons of shopping info.  I've done my best to find look-alikes though.  I love mustard yellow and my favorite thing to wear this color with is black and ivory stripes. Tip of the day*  I always wear a long flowing tunic or draped cardi with my skinny jeans to create a smoother line.

How to Wear Camo

    Before this week I owned exactly zero camouflage prints.  Zero.  About eight years ago I got a pair of camo pants from my local thrift store for free.  They were going to throw them away because they had no button, so I offered to take off their hands rather than see them end up in the dumpster.  They were in great shape except for the button, so I sewed on a replacement and proceeded to wear them until they fell apart.  And that was it until I saw a friend and fellow blogger a couple of months rocking a vintage camo jacket and making it look ever so chic and feminine.  You can read her post and view her pics here.  I loved the look so much, it got me thinking about adding a little camo to my wardrobe again and I thought this cute little Irisie tee for $10.99 was a great and inexpensive way to start.

    I know the typical thing to do when wearing camo is to pair it with neutral shades--either white, black, or blue jeans.  That's what I did with my camo pants, may they rest in peace.  Now?  I prefer to rock the color palette a little harder.  Rather than keeping my main pieces neutral and simply adding a colorful or printed accent piece like a purse or shoes, I decided to go with this burnt orange corduroy skirt.  I love all those outfits that I posted up top, they're pretty brilliant examples of camo done well, especially with all that print mixing---it's fabulous!  And I'll definitely be trying a few more outfit styles with this top, but for now I'm leaving the neutral zone behind :D

Shop the Look:

Irisie Women Camouflage Print Summer V Neck Short Sleeve T Shirt $10.99

Dotted On The Scene Tights

My skirt is old.  Similar Skirts are, Top:  Flirt Alert Faux Suede Mini Skirt & Bottom: Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Midi Skirt in Orange from: ModCloth  Use my link and get a sign on bonus from ModCloth.  

With a Yellow Bow on Top

It's finally here!  The Cactus Dress I've been drooling over for at least 18 months, maybe more, has arrived and fits like a dream; I love it!    It is such a darling dress.  The skirt and top are lined, but it's still a bit sheer, so flesh toned undies are a must :D  I chose a size small and it fits very well, maybe a little bit of wiggle room, so be sure to read the size info on the website before buying.  It buttons down the front and of course the bow unties.  There is also a zipper at the side.  It's short and lightweight enough for summer, but so easy to layer up for cooler months.  This is going to be my go to work dress this fall with teal tights and a cardi.

Shop the Look:

Self Tie Cactus Print Buttoned Dress- $25.80 from: RoseGal.com