Athenista

spring's a'comin

2010-03-06T18:26:00.000-05:00

I'm wearing sandals and short sleeves today!!! Check it out at chailoveyou.blogspot.com.

Don't forget to switch your reader subscriptions and follow me over there, too!

Happy weekend!

faster than mcdonalds

2010-03-05T18:16:00.000-05:00

Well, I ripped off the bandaid and made the decision: I'm going to start posting solely over here. This should make things much more efficient and balanced so that my little blogging time doesn't go into a time suck between log-ins and separate email accounts. A better style blogger I will be, fingers crossed!

If you don't subscribe or follow already (most of you don't yet) would you mind clicking through so we can keep up? If you hate it or I don't follow through you can stone me with ampersands and asterisks.

Goodbye for now, Athenista. Chai love you.

decisions

2010-03-05T12:13:00.000-05:00

I've never been a quick and to-the-point decision maker. But with my blog dilemma (My husband would probably say I'm being dramatic by calling it a dilemma... I just like to think that I'm carefully weighing my options ;) it has been easy to figure out what I want to do with them... merge the two. But the how/why-at-this-point? has me all in a wad. SO... some thoughts/options/reasoning/inquiry... will you indulge me?
First, some reasoning:
1) I love this blog and it's been a fun, creative-ish outlet for me. Moreso than my old blog was as I had started it as a personal/family life blog which then morphed into an all-things-Amanda blog and has now been slightly on the backburner while I post more regularly here. (Which is why I keep thinking... why am I keeping them separate?)

2) The reason I started this blog and named it Athenista was to chronicle style (home, fashion or otherwise) and street style (more fashion) in Athens. I think Athens has a certain "feel" that is unique to the place and I wanted to document that. But... as I've said before, I just don't have the time right now for that kind of upkeep. That said... it is not what I originally sought it to be and as we might be moving sooner rather than later, I don't want to get too invested in the name. Silly but it would bother me to no end and I would change it anyway.

3) Many of the bloggers I follow and that I regularly "commune" with in the blogging world are people that I am interested in and that follow me personally as well so what a pain in the butt to have them trekking to two places? Why not just invite them all in one place? Is that annoying of me to keep up two and having my readers follow two separate blogs??

Now... some options:
1) Keep them separate and as is.
2) Merge them both to chailoveyou and import posts from Athenista. (Delete Athenista?)
3) Merge them and hold on to Athenista in the case of street style becoming an option for me over the summer...

Would it be too annoying to ask you all to link/follow/subscribe over there now that you're semi-invested over here? Am I just making this way more difficult than it should be and wasting my breath? Haa... input??

convertible

2010-03-04T18:48:00.001-05:00

This is one of those weeks (maybe months??) where comfort is king. Blogging does motivate me to be more creative with my wardrobe and appreciate what I have but lawdy if this weather isn't the pits. Totally makes me want to ignore my closet (and showering) altogther and curl up on the couch with a hot chai latte and a sweater blanket. Lucky for you guys (or maybe just my coworkers), I have been pulling clothes out of my closet to be, at the very least, publicly and socially acceptable. Never did plan my outfits this week like I said I would. But I do have a plan for tomorrow: jeans. It's Friday (haalllllllelujah!). Which means some version of school spirit and my renewed will to live for the weekend.

Annnnnyyywayyyy... enough about how much I am hating getting dressed in the morning and on to what I loved wearing today (yes, comfort is still tops):

One of my favorite tops (floral! ruffles! polka dots! Spring!) and my current favorite sweater.

The sweater is perfection because I don't even need a scarf because it has an extra large collar that becomes cowl/turtle neck when zipped to the very tippy top:

Srsly, Sam Edelman makes the bestbestBEST dressy and dressyish flats. Could wear them every day. In fact, I did wear these almost every single day through my last month of pregnancy if that tells you anything at all. The only other shoes I would willingly put on were my $5 moccasin-slipper things from Target.

My main accessory of the day... drumrollllll....

The "Shannon" ring from Daughters Vintage! More on that coming eventually... but isn't it lovely?!

Materials and Sources:

Floral blouse: Target
Sweater: Caslon via Nordstrom (Christmas gift)
Pants: Larry Levine
Shoes: Sam Edelman (2008 Christmas gift)
Earrings: Charlotte Russe
Vintage button ring: Daughters Vintage (Etsy boutique)

(Another new post below...)

longing... DEMANDING!

2010-03-04T18:26:00.001-05:00

I am past the point of longing for Spring, begging for it to grace me with its sunny skies and warm-but-not-sweaty temperatures... no, I am demanding that it come now. And because I demand with so much purpose and authority, weather.com tells me it will be in the 60's almost every day next week. Finally, Mother Nature is getting the hint from all of the bright, Spring colors and patterns in the blog world. Hellllooooooo, cobalt, I love you.

Until next week, though, I will still be sporting some scarves and sweaters to keep the chill away. Yesterday, I wore some of my favorite items of clothing... a lace blouse, a cobalt cardigan and a colorful winter scarf. I was planning on wearing my wool dress pants with this outfit buuuut... you can see that disaster here.

My students thought this outfit was a little too much color... apparently they did not see me on Monday then, right? Wtf, kids.

When you look at this next photo you maybe thinking, "Hmmm... that sure does look like someone's molar." And if that's what you are thinking, you are right. Someone's molar. IN OUR DRIVEWAY. Someone... anyone... please explain.

Other random things to chew on that you will no longer be able to focus on now that you've seen the molar lurking in my driveway-now-yard:

1. Thinking I might just go ahead and combine this with my personal blog. Not sure if this is a good idea. I kind of like them separate. But kind of not. Weigh in on this?

2. My 10K 'training' is coming along pretty well. Yesterday I logged 4 miles at inclines of 1-3%. Kept up a decent 10 minute mile but man I struggle so much on those inclines at 2+%, y'all! Heart a'poundin! Love those interval workouts Elena posted a week or two ago. Intervals are tough stuff but I LOVE THEM! My muscles start bulging and all the dudes look scurred. I'm a beast. Clearly.

3. The blog envy talk... where do you stand on it? Jenloveskev weighed in on it today if you're not sure what I'm talking about. Honestly, can't say that I've felt it. Maybe I just don't have the stats or the numbers that other bloggers do to spur the jealousy? I'm just in it for the fun right now. Kinda scares me to think, though, that if the stats rose the stress would rise with it... what do you think?

building blacks, part 4: shape and texture

2010-03-03T19:59:00.000-05:00

First things first: I made it to part four of this little blog series! Four! Have I really not run out of things to say about black clothes? Apparently not. Or maybe I'm just a broken record. You lovelies are too nice so I guess I'll never know!

I've made minimal progress in the black department for a few reasons: a) everything in stores right now is so bright! (not complaining... believe me, I am READY for some Spring in my life), b) I'm trying to be as cheap as possible (except for shoes... I'm willing to invest a little more than $8 in the foundation I'll be standing on all day) and c) I'm picky. Pickier than I realized before this little project. Have I told you that already? But because I'm picky, I window shop a lot for ideas. Which has led me to some new insights on the little black wardrobe I'm trying to build...
I already knew this but it has become even more apparent when I'm looking at black clothing... shape and texture. Those are the keys. The gateway, if you will, to a glorious and flattering black wardrobe. Same shape but different fabrics or overlays and you could have a totally different look. Same fabric, different cut/shape? Definitely a multitude of possibilities there.

Exhibit A... All black. All skirts. But they're all so different to my eye.:

building blacks: texture (skirts) by athenista featuring Anthropologie skirts

Exhibit B, pants... three different shapes and three totally different looks (I would only wear one of them but I'll let you guess... and I'll never tell):

building blacks - shape (it's hammer time) by athenista featuring Jean Paul Gaultier pants

And here, as we head on over to Exhibit C, we see the same silhouette on all three pieces... the only difference is in the material or texture. Jeans + leggings = jeggings.

building blacks - shape (skinny) by athenista featuring True Religion jeans

While accessories definitely ice the cake of an outfit, sometimes it's best to keep it simple and let the clothes do the work. And what about those rushed mornings that are bound to happen? I need a plan for that, too. How could I use shape or texture to make the outfit instead of relying so heavily on accessories? Well, here was my attempt:

building blacks - shape (outfit 1) by athenista featuring Old Navy jeans

I actually really, really love this outfit. I love a good slim pant/blousy top silhouette. Simple, definitely something I would wear and I am totally crushing on that top (but it's sold out. boo.). I'll be keeping my eye out for something similar.

Do you guys have any rules of thumb for shape/texture or do you just play with it day to day? How would you create an interesting all-black outfit using different cuts and fabrics?

shelled

2010-03-02T22:28:00.000-05:00

Excuse us, we're not quite right.

These shoes make me happy. Semi black/brown combo, snakeskin and they have a kitten heel that is still as comfortable (if not more) than a flat. Professional but still kinda sassy.

Ruffled shell: Ann Taylor LOFT (Christmas gift)
Pants: Larry Levine
Cardigan: frenchi via Nordstrom
Necklace: J.Crew
Shoes: Sam Edelman (gift from Mom)
Handbag (on doorknob): Cole Haan
Earrings (not shown but remixed before): Betsy Johnson

Overall, not a super flattering look for me. Cardigan doesn't work here (or maybe anywhere... the fit is just a little strange I'm realizing). Hate that these pants don't photograph well - they give me that large and in charge look that might be helpful if I were a booking officer in a jail somewhere on the west side of Atlanta. Separately, though, I love everything I'm wearing. I love this LOFT shell I got for Christmas but I got lots of double takes today. I think because of my paleness - I look naked if you don't look closely. Did you have to look twice?

I love these shoes. The piping reminds me of the surface of a coffee bean. In my opinion, shoes are almost always worth the pretty penny when it comes to quality and general wear and tear. I love shoes. (A lot.) But most of the shoes in my closet that have lasted me the longest in both durability and in style have been the most expensive. Granted, I'm not talkin' Choos or Blahniks but when I compare them with my cardboard-constructed Target flats there is just no comparison. I've learned this lesson the hard way. Also... hallelujah for sales and online coups.

Winter storm, please decide overnight what you're going to do so that I will know the status of school happening/not happening before I get ready. Love you (long time), see ya out there.

always rushing

2010-03-01T18:42:00.001-05:00

I am becoming an avoider when it comes to my job. Like if I somehow take longer to get ready or take a few extra minutes to dry my hair I can somehow excuse myself from the first ten minutes of work. Not gonna happen but I can dream, right? And because I can't actually ignore my work obligations, I just end up rushing instead. Go, go, go. I spent this weekend with my friend Katie in Charlotte so I did some laundry when I got home but didn't actually lay out an outfit. Really... I need to just get my life together and start doing this because at 5:30am in the dark I'm not at my best (or inclined to care) when it comes to choosing an outfit.

Anyway... today was another rushed day and even though this outfit really didn't photograph well at all, it was fun. Colorful and my coworkers were really heavy on the compliments. It's the color (hot pinkish if you can't tell. ha.)... Spring is going to come sooner or later. (Hopefully sooner.)

The only eyes-open picture Paul was able to get. What a day!

Scarf accent is actually red-orange but I desperately needed some Spring in my life, I ran with it. The purple/green/red-orange color palette is one of my favs.

Can this count as pattern mixing? I love the basket-weavey look of the dress fabric.

Belt detail. Love the tough leather.

Materials and Sources:

Tunic/dress: French Connection (via Marshalls)
Black pants: Target (Mossimo?)
Belt: Gap (yearrrsss ago)
Scarf: Echo (gift from Mom)
Shoes: Linea Paolo
Necklace: Francesca's Collection

I love this dress as... you know, a dress, but it's on the thin and short side for work so I belted it and wore it more like a tunic. It was one of those "nothing fits" mornings and if I wasn't going to be cheery in spirit, I could at least be cheerful in dress code. Got the shoes this weekend in Charlotte in continuation of building a black wardrobe - they're so comfy. Linea Paolo used to be my absolute fav brand for shoes and I still love them comfort-wise but it's been a while since they've had something I really loved.

New 'Building Blacks' post coming later on! For now... yoga!

"the september issue"

2010-02-28T20:31:00.001-05:00

First, let me get this out of the way... I do not, by any stretch of the imagination, consider myself to be super fashionable and in the know when it comes to anything related to "high fashion." I can't even pronounce the names of the five designers I do know of. Regardless... it's a pretty interesting industry when you get beneath the surface, I guess.

I spent the weekend in Charlotte with my b.f.f. Katie and when she was telling me about "The September Issue" I was pretty excited to see it. Didn't really know much about the movie or about Anna Wintour except that she never has a hair out of place. But I knew it'd be interesting, at least. So here's my quick, dirty and non-comprehensive review...

It was just okay. I would maybe give it one thumbs up but definitely not two. Hate to say it but it was a bit on the boring side and didn't really reveal much about Anna Wintour herself or her process... it felt more like a series of clips they put together after they followed her around for a few days. (Please don't stone me! I have a family!) Yes, it is a documentary but documentaries don't have to be boring, right? I guess I thought it would be more engaging and, in some way, surprising. (I also spent a major portion of the movie gagging at the sight of Grace Coddington's hair.)

Personally, I am a Lucky kind of girl but I bet this would be a great watch if you're Vogue gal.

Was anyone else a little disappointed? If you loved it, I'm interested... do you keep up with high fashion or were you just interested in a behind the scenes look at Anna Wintour?

smells like school spirit

2010-02-26T11:11:00.000-05:00

I know I've been a slow blogger lately. Though I don't feel so alone because lots of my favorite bloggers have been pretty busy, too. Just that time of year. Think we're all just sitting on our hands until Spring comes. Which just means that we could have some pretty numb hands a few weeks from now.

One reason I've been so slow is that I finally picked up a book. Haven't read a novel for fun in months. I'm about halfway through Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes and I'm already starting to feel a smidgen like myself again. (It is so easy to lose yourself, isn't it? Work has ruined me, Paul and I both agree on that.) It's a pretty intense story but so far, so good.

Fridays are spirit days at work which means we are supposed to wear a school spirit shirt. And wiggle our best spirit fingers during class changes and give all the cool kids swirlies on the way to lunch. Most Fridays, though, I stick with school colors (black and gold) because dang school shirts are expensive. I am at home today so here is last Friday's school spirit look:

I've worn the cardigan and headband together like this before, I just love them both a lot. And I will probably wear them again today when I get in the car to road trip it to Charlotte to see Katie! The shirt and scarf here are both sparkly. Silver shirt, gold scarf. I'm not one to mix the two tones but since the headband has both, I ran with it. Do you guys mix silver and gold?

Black cardigan: Willi Smith via TJ Maxx (worn here)
Shirt: LOFT
Jeans: Mossimo via Target
Shoes: Enzo Angiolini
Headband: LOFT (worn here)

Also, the shoes are on their last leg. They're a little tight but I've always dealt with them but now they are falling apart at the seams and wearing crazy thin on the soles. The second pair of flats to fall apart on me in the last few weeks. One of my favorite pairs by Seychelles met the dumpster last week after both were leaking water through the sole when it rained. So now I'm on the hunt for a new pair. Fell in love with the pewter "boyshort" flat by Seychelles but they are sold out. The plum and black are both fun so they're still in the running. I have a few more options laid out but I've been taking my time trying to make sure they're cute and fun but also comfortable enough to stand on all day. Any suggestions? What's your favorite brand for comfortable, last-forever flat?

unlikely combination

2010-02-23T21:34:00.001-05:00

Quickie. Today's outfit was inspired (almost copied!) by i'd wear it's OOTD yesterday. For some reason I just wouldn't have thought to pair my dark blue sweater with the brown pants I love (still ticked that they just don't photograph well... but I love them unconditionally. I just loved the whole color combination so I did my best to rip it off.

My mama took me shopping the other day and we picked this up at Ann Taylor LOFT. I love it especially because the length is easy to change... it can be short or long which rules because I hate when a necklace just doesn't hit right with the shirt/dress/cardigan you're wearing. (You can see the ends that you pull... I forgot that I'd pulled them to the front so Gray would stop trying to yank them from behind when he was playing with my hair. Whoops!) Plus, it gives the outfit a little bit of an Auburn vibe in the color scheme... War Eagle! Which makes me think... why did I find this to be such an unlikely combination? I spent my undergraduate career donning the orange and blue at least once a week with various combinations of brown, grey, blue, green... you name it.

Please excuse my hotmess-ness... there is just no hope after ridiculous, hellacious days at work. But nothing a good workout can't fix. Caffeinerd has been my saving grace for treadmill workouts. Last week, Elena posted some interval workouts that I've been trying. Kickin' my ass! Good thing I'm starting to train for the Peachtree now because I am slow, y'all. 10-11 minute miles is all I got by 7pm on a week night. But I'll give myself credit since they've been on at least a 3% incline.

Anyone else in the Atlanta area doing the Peachtree in July? How are you training?

building blacks, part 3: inspired

2010-02-21T08:15:00.002-05:00

Now that I am on the third post of this series (part 1 here, part 2 here explanation kind of all over the place... reasoning to come), I must say that building a black wardrobe (moreso, learning how to accessorize an all-black outfit) is easier than I originally thought. Easy like learning how to snowboard or how to land a perfect triple lutz.

Actually, once I found some good source of inspiration the outfits came pretty easily. The first set that I created using a direct source of inspiration - casual dinner, beachside in the Springtime (or indirect since I'm not actually there which is just plain unfortunate):

building blacks - sequin tank by athenista featuring Stella McCartney tops

I chose black skinnies for comfort (I'm assuming I'd spent a long, strenuous day under an umbrella by the pool... sipping daquiries and reading a trashy romance novel. Comfort necessary. Need some black skinnies first.), a light dolman-sleeve cardigan (have one), and a sequin tank to break up all the black (don't have one). From there, I went beachy with the accessories - light scarf with varying hues to mimic the tide, low light blue heels by Seychelles (LOVE their shoes - on the hunt for a new pair of flats a.s.a.p.) and then some metallic shell earrings to top it off. Originally, I wanted to go dark teal with the earrings to create a gradient all the way down to the shoes. But with so much space in between the scarf and the shoes... didn't make sense.

My second source of inspiration came from a scarf I found while browsing polyvore for... hmm, inspiration. Fell in love with the color palette and went from there... and that was it!

building blacks - scarf inspiration by athenista featuring Alexander McQueen bags

Can you tell I've got Spring on my mind?

Where do you find inspiration for your outfits?

sundry saturday

2010-02-20T14:21:00.001-05:00

Lots of odds and ends today...

1) Playing with the blog layout today. Went back to a 'stretch' option like chailoveyou but nothing too wild & crazy because I am anything but a master of HTML. That stuff is for the birds, y'all. Don't get it. I just know that because of it I now have a fun, pretty font in the date/post/sidebar titles. Went back and changed the header font to match... not sure I'm diggin' it yet. Looks like Athen'sista'... which... maybe I could be a 'sista' if only my students didn't remind me on a daily basis that I'm white enough to be Edward Cullen's sister. Only time will tell... I change the look of my blog like I change my underwear... once every few weeks. Did I get you there? Surely I jest. But I guess you'll jest never know.

2) Twitter... I like to tweet. Lots of you also like to tweet and I have probably started "following" you. And you let me... which is good because if you ran I would just chase you anyway. I tried to put my tweets in the sidebar. Only I forgot that I locked them up and threw away the key. (At least until the end of May when school is out... who knew my students would be into Twitter? Not that they probably care about my tweets buuuut... did I ever tell you about the time this kid totally convinced me he knows where I live? And that he'd read my "online diary" ... which he said was on Myspace... whiiiiich it totally isn't because I hate Myspace. Still. Messed with my mind. Freaky deaky.) So... if you're tweeting and you want to share a nest, you can follow me here.

3) Here are the rest of my fitting room confessions from Anthro last Sunday:

Can't remember the name of the dress... I just know I was crazy for the way they styled it here:

Unfortunately, I was not crazy about the dress itself. The neckline was too high for it to be flattering and even though I tried it on a size smaller than I thought I would need, it was still loose and bulky in the waist. So if you like this one, size down. Still love it styled Anthro's way and the fabric is pretty sturdy, not to mention gorgeous. Just not gorgeous enough to make up for the fit issues.

Next I the Fragmented Pipevine Dress. Not on sale but the fit was great - better than the photo shows. Only thing: it snaps all the way down so it's what some might call "easy access." Some people are into that. Not judging. Just sayin'.

Finally, I tried on this grey, floral button-up sweater cardigan... don't know the name (obviously by my eloquent description). Loved it on the hanger. Looked a little big-ish so I grabbed a small and even the small practically swallowed me whole! Never happens, folks. Definitely size down if you're looking at this one (I don't think it's on the site anymore). The armpits are saggy (I know they're meant to be) which could be cute but I felt like a bag lady - the look on my face says it all, I think. Also, I found the fabric to be a little on the scratchy and staticy side.

After I grabbed my sale rack pieces, I browsed the front tables (naturally... anyone who manages to escape Anthropologie without browsing all the pieces they can't afford is clearly not human. Beware of those 'people' and walk away.) and came across the Off-the-Tie-Rack blouse. Wasn't crazy about this one online but it was so much more stunning in person. I tried this one on first before I thought to document so no photo... but trust me that it's amazing. Fit is a little roomy up top and maybe a little short if you have a long torso but I thought it was okay for me. If I wanted to layer something under, I'd probably just use a yellow cami to play off the tie. Might have to keep this one on my wishlist... you know, once it's on its fifteenth markdown.

Has anyone tried on the Tassel Fronds Dress? WANT.

P.S.... so glad I used my Valentine's Day for the Starbound Dress because it's not on the site anymore. Whew... could've been ugly.

And here is what I wore for my day of shopping and lusting:

This outfit actually felt kinda dumpy once I was out of the house but I got a handful of compliments on it so I thought I'd share after all...

Sweater: Cillie's Clothing (in Athens)
Eyelet tank: F21
Skinnies: 'Sweetheart' skinny from Old Navy
Boots: Steve Madden

WOWZA, that's a long post! Happy Saturday, everyone!

down to a tee

2010-02-19T15:30:00.004-05:00

Between switching intervals last night on this workout that I found via caffeinerd, I got to thinking about gym style. Lots of people probably think about gym style. But if you're like me, you're probably just trying to find the couple of items you don't mind using for sweat mops. To that end, I think I have my gym style down to a tee. Literally. *Wink*

Yesterday's gym style:

Even if I'm not really cool, my fellow gym goers don't know that. Yet. I also wore this with black C9 pants that I love... think I could make this my new go-to professional look in my future black wardrobe? No?

(Edit: I should note here... this was my Brussels, Belgium souvenir from our family trip to Europe in 2006. Just so you know I'm not some Belgium fanatic... unless we're talking waffles. Now THAT I can be fanatic about.)

And now for Paul's first style feature on the blog... what a perfect workout tee. His motivation, maybe?

What do your tees say about you? (Or maybe what do they not say about you? Ha...)

i don't even like mustard

2010-02-18T22:26:00.001-05:00

Man, there sure is a lot of mustard going on in this blog. I don't even like mustard-the-condiment in real life. (That must be what my mad face is about. Actually, that is just me hating static electricity with the heat of a thousand suns.)

I might be head over heels in love with this belt I picked up at Anthropologie on Valentine's Day. Can't find it on the website but it is beautimous and a perfect cure for that frumpty dumpty feeling I had all day. Probably gonna be seeing this one a lot from now on... don't say I didn't warn ya. On a side note: I always try to mask my frumpy feeling with fuller dresses and skirts like this one but then I think I actually look more frumpy... what's your cure for the mornings when nothing feels right?

Materials and Sources:

Dress: Target
Cardigan: one A (gift from Mom)
Leggings: Target (I can't stop wearing them under dresses... I am decidedly hating the cold this year.), remix'd lots and lots
Boots: 'Intyce' by Steven by Steve Madden, remix'd lots
Necklace: Francesca's Collection
Belt: via Anthropologie

mustard stains

2010-02-17T18:47:00.000-05:00

Last night, Paul and I made a sacrifice of time and inches of our waistbands to eat at Abattoir for date night. It was tough but those inches needed someone to show them what it's like to be loved. Some fried chick peas, duck meatballs, pork shoulders and a few maple bacon beignets later... we melted into the hot tub (at my parents'... we were house sitting and it's 40 minutes closer to the big city, y'awwll). Successful date night to be sure.

You're going to have to excuse the grainy cell phone pics. Didn't want to fuss with a camera (the hot tub was calling). I love this dress but it needs to be worn without tights - the "catching" drove me crazy. Post dinner wrinkles and crazy hair... cozy is what I call it. ;)

Date night was great. Good food, good man... and some, err, "good" conversation at the table next to us. A pregnant lady (7 months... I know this because she said so. I may have an ankle biter of my own but I am certainly no winner of the game "how many weeks?") and her gal pal were catching up on life as it is, having some red wine (lots of red wine, actually... kinda freaked me out by the time we left) and talking about comfort shoes. Specifically, something like Uggs. And the prego kept talking about the boots and how she just had to have them but her husband won't let her wear them around the house and keeps telling her that, "Before you know it, you'll be wearing them in the grocery store with an Auburn sweatshirt with mustard stains on it." HA! I am an Auburn girl, if you don't know that, which puts it into perspective. Paul and I almost died. Because, you know, I am an Auburn girl and he is most definitely not an Auburn fan. Of course, this reminded me of one of my favorite book quotes of all time that I think of whenever I imagine someone else or myself (usually myself) "letting go" a little...

"Both the five-year-olds looked at me with bewilderment and a bit of fearful uncertainty. I had a sudden horrifying image of the woman I might become if I'm not careful: Crazy Aunt Liz. The divorcee in the muumuu with the dyed orange hair who doesn't eat dairy but smokes menthols, who's always just coming back from her astrology cruise or breaking up with her aroma-therapist boyfriend, who reads the Tarot cards of kindergarteners and says things like, "Bring Aunty Liz another wine cooler, baby, and I'll let you wear my mood ring..." - Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love

Bootleg cell phone pics are the gateway. Next thing you know, I'll be posting outfit pics of me in the brand new muumuu my cousin Alf snagged for me in Hong Kong.

Materials and Sources:

Dress: F21 (I think... probably.)
Brown cropped cardigan: Target
Tights: F21
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell (favvvvorites)

building blacks, part 2: it's all in the accessories

2010-02-16T17:41:00.000-05:00

Anticipatory Set: I know, I know... productivity is down this week. I am in a tough bout of stressing and hating my job pretty much all the time. At least today was my last reevaluation conference of the year so there is at least one dim, blinky Christmas light at the end of the tunnel. But!... Happy note!: I am about to get dressed for my belated Valentine's date with Paul tonight... really I guess it is just a regular date. Only extra fun because we're going out for a fancy shmancy dinner in Atlanta. So for now, I'll do a little part 2 action of my Building Blacks "series." Can I call it a series if I've only done one? Well, I am. (Along with [drumroll]... a part 1 update with my very first 'fitting room confessions' in the Final Notes!)

Objective(s) Addressed: Building an all black wardrobe; accessorizing aforementioned black wardrobe

Featured Sources... the polyvore skills of the lovely Liz of Lizzy Punch!

Input: If you were here for part 1, I jumped in to Building Blacks by accessorizing an all-black ensemble with whimsical, colorful belts that not only define the waist but add a little color and personality to an otherwise plain and simple outfit. Well, Liz at Lizzy Punch heard my online cry and came to the rescue with not one, not two... but four polyvore sets that use accessorizes to "punch" up an all black ensemble. What lovely blogging friends I have here! (I'm tellin' ya... this community is the bomb.com. You guys always come to the rescue with support and ideas for improvement or jazzing up a simple outfit. Love it, love it, love it.) Here are two of the four outfits she created that I thought would work best for the setting in which I'd be wearing them...

Obviously, she knows how much I love my black and brown together! And aren't those bangles such a fun, colorful touch? LOVE this for summertime. Perfect.

This one, I am just loving the red/coral color in the accessories. Just a little but enough to really jazz it up and make things fun. (How freakin' cute is that tote? Want it.) This would be a great one for the Spring and Fall crazy transition weather we get down here.

See all four on her blog or click through on Lizzy Punch to her Polyvore page. So cute. Thanks, Liz, these were just too fun not to post!
Final Notes: Last week, I featured three Anthro dresses that fit into my all black category and that could be functional in the setting I need them for and (hopefully) beyond. Since Paul spent most of Valentine's Day working and my parents had already claimed keepsies on him for the day, I ventured to a Lenox for a while and popped into Anthropologie to check those sale racks for my two favorite dresses I posted about last week and, of course, torture myself by petting and trying on lovely clothes I can't afford right now. So I bring you my first Fitting Room Confessions. I would've never tagged myself for the type to do this... not in a million years... but other peoples' fitting room reviews have helped me on a number of occasions so maybe this will do the same for someone else.

Found all three dresses on the sale rack on Sunday... the Hold-the-Lines Jumper was honestly not great at all in person. The fabric felt really cheapie and the fit was horrid on me. Kinda looked like a potato sack on me which was disappointing - I thought this one would at least be cute and most versatile. Live and learn, people. Would like great, though, on someone petite and slender.

Second, I found the Peseta dress but it didn't really do much for me on the rack so I didn't even try it on. The sequin-like "studs" were coming off at the seams and the fabric was too sheer for my taste. Since it's Springy/Summery, I don't want to be dealing with a lot of slips or underlayers to combat the see-through factor .

Finally, the Starbound dress by one.september which was my favorite one to stalk online and turned out to be my favorite in person as well. The fit was great on me, better than the picture shows, and I was surprised by the quality. It's a jersey fabric but it's swingy and heavier than most so you don't feel like you're wearing a thin secondhand t-shirt. The top is a little drapey so being small-chested brought the scoop a little lower but since it's jersey and silk it's easy to swing up and keep it there (Easily adjustable, in other words.). The beads were sewn on well and, of course, the beaded sash is gorgeous! (But also removable if you want to switch it out for another belt.) Couldn't pass this one up... if it weren't so freezing cold out, I would definitely debut it on our date tonight.

A few more confessions from Sunday coming soon but I'm outta internet breath from such a long post!

Have a fun all black outfit or polyvore set to share? Send it my way, I would love to post it! Don't forget to stop by and see Liz's other takes on the all black ensemble at Lizzy Punch. :)

wedding style

2010-02-11T21:59:00.001-05:00

Finally...

Little G. caught a stomach bug at the beginning of last weekend, which forced me to slow down and do very little aside from eat, sleep and cuddle. And I think it's been one of the most relaxing weekends I've had in a very long time. G.'s tearing up the house and climbing on boxes to look out windows so I think it's safe to say he's almost 100%.

Since Krista did a little recap featuroo on my wedding last week, I thought I'd take a post to elaborate on my wedding style. I know a lot of you are either married, engaged or soon to be engaged and who doesn't love talking weddings? Especially wedding gowns and shoes and flowers and... sigh, I actually wouldn't mind reliving the whole thing, is that crazy? Well, since I planned my wedding in 30 short days, probably not. Gotta be honest... I have no idea how you long engagement ladies do it. I wouldn't have any hair left. Or a husband to speak of. Just... no, thanks.

Before we started planning our wedding, I'd watched some tv shows ("Whose Wedding is it Anyway?," anyone?) and flipped through magazines on trips to the bookstore. Believe it or not, my dress wasn't the tough part... it was the bridesmaids and the flowers that tripped me up when it came to the style of my wedding.

Of course, a lot can be said about the style of a wedding by the dress a bride wears... but I really think it's the bridesmaid dresses (and the flowers, too) that seal the deal on the overall tone of a wedding's style. There are usually multiple bridesmaids, all up front with you, which means that whatever cut, color or theme you choose is not going solo... it's repetitive. So you better be prepared to either keep it simple or make sure the impact it will have is the one you're going for. Maybe it's just me, but I can't tell you how many times I've been to a wedding and noticed almost nothing about the bride because the bridesmaids stole the show (and not in a good way, if you know what I mean). All that to say... I probably stressed more over the bridesmaids and the flowers than any other element of style in my wedding.

With such limited time to shop (which meant ordering was out of the question), I took my 'maids with me for an entire day of searching the racks and trying on lots of dresses that just didn't work. The wedding would be in the evening which usually means formal but, wanting the overall feel to be more relaxed, I wanted the dresses to be short. I also wanted my ladies to be able to wear them again without actually looking like a bridesmaid again. We finally arrived at White House Black Market, of all places, and I asked the girls to try on a dress just on a whim and it ended up working. You all already know I am a fan of black and brown together (and I've sported it twice this week alone!) so you won't be surprised at the final choice...

In Krista's post, I noted that all of the girls were pretty different in shape so it needed to be universally flattering. Honestly, I didn't think that dress would be but it worked. I think, anyway. If we didn't find a dress that looked good I was just going to have them pick out a black dress of their choice in the same length but with the overall feel of the wedding being sort of formal, I'm glad we found something. :)

Like, I said... my choice was easy. Too easy. I knew I wanted strapless, lots of lace, not a lot of bulk. Fairytale look without a princess cut. First day, first boutique where I actually tried dresses on... kazaam!

I got it, right? Strapless, lots of lace, no big poofy skirt, sweet little train... really, really, really (!) loved my dress. Maybe I should wear it for our Valentine's Day date. No? Okay, if you're sure...

Everything else pretty much went to the flowers. Floating petals with tealights on the tables, hydrangeas and callas for the bridesmaids and then my bouquet... which, other than the dress, may have been my absolute favorite thing. And maybe my most stressed-over element if you can believe it. I think our florist was a little daunted by my request, ha! But boy did she deliver. It's still in my parents' freezer. Which is probably gross and definitely not the real way to preserve it but by the time we really thought about it it was too late. The bouquet kept my own ensemble from going too over the top formal and gave it a little whimsy and a garden feel which I loved. This photo doesn't do it the justice it deserves but I still love to gaze at it from time to time...

Probably my favorite style day ever... what's your wedding style like? Past, present, future... whatever!

building blacks, part 1: coloring with belts and dresses i lust after

2010-02-09T19:36:00.000-05:00

A few days ago I asked for your advice on how to accessorize an all-black wardrobe. I'm still not sure exactly where to go with that idea. Hence, a series: Building Blacks.

You know... like building blocks... only... blacks... okay, okay, I know you get it, I'm cheesy. I digress. ;) (I should really stop using emoticons in my everyday internet life but I just can't... I grew up in the era of AIM and MSN messenger. Emoticons are just staple territory.)

First, I will say... building a black wardrobe is more difficult than I imagined. I was totally unprepared for that. (I'm aware that I haven't yet disclosed my reasoning here and maybe it's irking you... it will come in time. I am obviously the queen of vague right now. Just nod and go with it. Indulge me. Pretty please?) Really, it doesn't matter anyway because I know you lovely readers are always up for a style challenge. Here's the vague, nutshell version... over the next few months, I'll be working on building a black wardrobe and I don't want to break the bank. So... I probably want to focus on some basic foundation pieces like skirts, dresses, cardigans, bermuda shorts, etc... that I can accessorize and play with to create lots of different looks. 'Cause lawd knows all black could get boring fast.

I love dresses for basics and belts for a bit of fun and kazaam!, those are the things I went with first. Since this is sort of a wishlist/brainstorming post, I went with some things that I'd like to have... not necessarily pieces that are in my current budget. I will get to that part eventually. A goal is just something good to have so I can browse with purpose. Yea! Purpose! Then, when I come across something similar that is budget friendly (or stalk the wishlist item like a vulture until it goes on big time sale)... I can scoop it up.

Without further adieu... my current wishlist dresses for the use in mind (all via Anthropologie):

1. Hold-the-Lines Jumper by Maeve (Probably the most versatile in terms of accessorizing with belts, shoes, scarves, under/over layers, etc...)

2. Starbound Dress by one.september (My favorite: love the beading and it's so versatile for different occasions and settings, I think. It's on sale! What do you think... V-Day wishlist item?)

3. Peseta Dress by Fei (Another favorite... doesn't need accessories. It pretty much stands alone. Also on sale but outta my price range.)

All of these would be good options for my purpose. They're black and can work with a variety of settings. Like I said... the jumper is probably the most versatile in terms of accessorizing. But I'd be a little worried about the length if I were belting... for being paler than Edward Cullen I sure do have some junk in the trunk. Things could go Daisy Duke real fast if I'm not careful. And let's not go into price. I love the style and versatility of the pieces Anthropologie carries but good lord... the prices! (Liefsdottir's prices... insane in the membrane!)

Anyway... on to accessories... let's pretend that I threw on some sort of dress/top-skirt combo and wanted to color it up with some accessories. The first thing I'm probably going to reach for if I want to "pull it together" is a belt or some kind of sash to cinch the waist and break up all that black. (Part of the reason I love the Starbound dress... the break is built in. Woop.) A few days ago, before I was going to go through wishlist dresses, I created a polyvore set with eighty billion different belts. Like so:

I know, the top-skirt combo is awful (going back to the whole harder-than-I-thought thing). But you can see the goal here. I pulled each one over as I was going and the look of the outfit changed a lot with each belt. How fun are the two in the upper left corner of the belt hodegepodge? Love the navy/teal/lime scheme. I have a steadily growing collection of belts so this round-up would be a really great option for me. Not to mention belts are cheap (most of the time) and solitary so you can wear them a thousand different ways. In other words... the belt wouldn't necessarily be committing to the all-black wardrobe. It could easily go from work to school to weekend to wedding to vacation to destination wedding... (I just found out today I will be a bridesmaid for a destination wedding/vacay at the end of May... excitement! emotion! VACATION!)

How would you use dresses and belts in an all-black wardrobe? Is there something major I'm missing on these two pieces? Are there other ways that you guys wear belts to jazz up an outfit? (Wearing them as bracelets and whatnot?) Any more ideas for building a sophisticated all-black wardrobe on the cheap?

black and grey and tired all over...

2010-02-08T22:21:00.000-05:00

Anticipatory Set: It's only Monday but I am totally pooped already. I didn't plan anything outfit-wise for this morning so I just kinda threw on some basic black and grey. I actually have very little in the way of a neutral black wardrobe. I'm trying to build one and I'll talk about that eventually but don't hold your breath... it could be a while. (Justification: I still haven't published the wedding style post. Oops.) I have lots and lots of brown and blue neutrals but not a lot of black. So, with some remaining gift cards to TJ Maxx and LOFT, I scooped up a couple of black pieces. The cardigan below was my TJMaxx purchase (I paid less than $1 after the gift card! Awww yea.) and the headband was one of the LOFT goodies (I also got an embellished black tee - I heart gift cards.).

Objective(s) Addressed: Work

Materials and Sources:

Grey short-sleeve sweater: F21 (few years ago)
Black drapey/ruffle/pleat cardigan: willi smith via TJMaxx
Tie-waist dress pants: Old Navy (years ago)
Headband: LOFT (50% off the sale price! with a gift card! joy!)
Earrings: Charlotte Russe
Shoes: Me Too

Input:
The pants aren't grey... they're a black and white herringbone (is that the right word for the pattern?) so they actually do "match" the grey sweater underneath, I promise. You can see a teeny bit in one of the detail shots... that's why I included two. Or maybe just because I love the cardigan so much - the material is thick but doesn't feel bulky and it's warm without overheating and the little detail on the open front is fun. Work and weekend appropriate and functional. Very much my kinda cardigan. :) Also, I swear I am not eating too many creampuffs... those are just some seriously intense wrinkles from sitting in the car. Gotta love a commute... bleh.

And how fun is the headband? It's almost a little much but I love it (I wore my hair down all day until I was in the car... ick factor by the time I get home.) Most of my headbands echo the same theme but I love them all. I am a hair accessory kinda gal when I want to feel a little more put together but especially right now with my hair in an awkward stage of growing out. (LOFT had a lot of great hair accessories if you're looking for one.)

Only went for one "pop" of color... the earrings. Sweet little coral color. Nothing loud. Just wasn't feeling the cheery colors in more than small doses today.

I felt pretty fantastic for most of the day. On top of crazy tiredness no less. Success!

DIY and building with black

2010-02-07T13:14:00.001-05:00

My wedding post is coming for those of you who are interested and love all things wedding style. G.'s had a nasty stomach virus and we've been spending the weekend doing lots of cuddling and relaxing... not too much else. In the meantime, though, I've Valentine-ized my header and I have a few questions for you creative and crafty gals...

1) How do you ladies make quick and easy DIY alterations to your dresses and skirts? I have a few dresses that are just a little dowdy in length but I don't want to take them to an alterations place and I don't want to completely botch them myself either. Is there an easy way to hack off some length without it looking like a butchered home job? (I have a basic sewing machine and some limited sewing skills.)

2) If you had to build an all-black wardrobe for school or work, but could add color and style using just jewelry and accessories, how would you style it? I'm going to polyvore some options soon, comment some ideas or email me your own polyvores to feature!

See you soon!

printed

2010-02-03T21:33:00.002-05:00

Anticipatory Set: Later this week, I'll do a recap of my wedding style but in the meantime, you can get a quick glimpse of our wedding over at Unveiled today. Krista featured our wedding for Wedding Wednesday! Take a look!

For now... yesterday's ensemble. This is going to be freakish, y'all. My entire outfit, save accessories, came from Target at some point in the past few years. Wowza.

Objective(s) Addressed: Work; Parent meetings; Personal meeting after work

accessories... gifted bracelet and cinch-y clasp belt

Love the extra hints pink and purple in the stripes at the bottom. It's in the details, folks.

Materials and Sources:

Printed elbow sleeve dress: Target (Mossimo)
Leggings (just warmer than tights, can't help it): Target, remix'd all the time, even in my sleep
Boots: Target, remix'd here and here
Black ruffle cardigan: Target (Merona)
Belt: Nordstrom (BP department)
Headband: F21
Scarf: gift from P.'s aunt (probably the warmest that I own... ohmygosh so soft)
Bracelet: gift from Mom

Input: This was intended to be a pretty multi-tasking outfit for me and I really felt great in it though the photos don't show it much. Ladies at work were all over the dress. I think it was all about the print - the pattern really is striking and fun in person. For the functional part of things, I needed something that was put together and professional for the two parent meetings I had yesterday morning but that wouldn't really wrinkle too much or leave me feeling icky since I had another 'first impression' kind of meeting after work. But with the cold/damp temps it needed to be warm which meant leggings, boots and a cardigan outdoors. I know I shouldn't wear leggings so much with dresses but they are just so darn warm. And I honestly can't tell the difference in opaqueness between the tights and leggings I own. (No matter what, though, I promise not to wear them as pants.)

The scarf was a Christmas gift from P.'s aunt and it is quite honestly the softest and warmest scarf that I own. It has a very subtle zebra print around the border which is fun without stretching my style. Might be workin' this one overtime. And the dress.

Final Notes:

P. was extra "snappy" yesterday. Snapsnapsnapsnap, done. Lots of these 'fixin' pics in the mix:

Also, for the awards I received from Fashion Therapist, Caffeinerd and Style Artisan... I would just be nominating my entire blogroll. So, in the meantime, I'm going to have to come up with an alternate nomination system or you all can pass it along - spread the love! Thanks for all of your lovely comments every day - I promise I am getting around to responding - you guys are so sunny and supportive, I love that!

shopping my closet: episode 1 update

2010-02-02T20:47:00.003-05:00

Anticipatory Set: Finally, I wore the drawstring bubble dress that was giving me trouble in my first "episode" of shopping my closet. The fit is great except for these picures I tightened up the drawstring which was a mistake because it shortened the length and changed the silhouette a little. Luckily, you all are smart chickens and will figure it out, I'm sure.

Objective(s) Addressed: Work; Dinner date; Shopping my closet; "How would you wear it?"

Materials and Sources:

Drawstring bubble dress: F21 (first discussed here)
Brown tights: F21
Boots: Steven by Steve Madden 'Intyce' boot, remix'd lots of times
Green slouchy sweater cardigan: Susina via Nordstrom (long time ago)
Rosette headband: Target, recently remix'd

Input: Since I'm a ditz, I forgot to cross and tie the sweater cardigan for any pics (how I wore it through the day). Also, because I'm a high maintenance bia, I made P. take a ghetto cell phone pic at dinner with my accessories back on for you guys to get the full bootleg effect. Dedicated, I am.

I also forgot to grab a pic of the full-on bum "chic" aesthetic that I managed to achieve once I put my long, cord coat on over all of this... haha. One of my students commented, "Mrs. Carebear (they call me that sometimes)... why are you wearing so many... layers?!" Because I'm freezing my bootay off, that's why. The Georgia Peach in me was just not made for these harsh winter temps.

Final Notes: Occasionally this blog comes up in conversation with some of my friends and I get the question, "Who takes/how do you take the pictures?" Well, friends... I am lucky enough that P. takes them (for now... because I might be scaring him off). I usually feel pretty cruddy and disheveled by the end of the work day (if you notice this trend, just keep being quiet about it and smile and nod) so if I had to take them myself I probably wouldn't take them at all a lot of days. Also, with someone else doing it it's really a super short two-minute process. Even still, P. gets impatient sometimes and just keeps taking pictures for about thirty seconds and then we go back inside. So every now and then I get some "behind the scenes" snaps (and sometimes I think they actually show the actual outfit better)... here was yesterday's pretty tame "behind the scenes."

Do you guys have any mishaps or behind the scenes shots that usually get left out on your posts?

(Tomorrow (or at least next time), I promise, I will catch up on awards. Delays, smelays.)

in transition - weekend style

2010-02-01T21:53:00.002-05:00

Anticipatory Set: Right now, it really seems like everything is in transition... the weather (though, I do think it will stick with being cold for a little while longer), work life, personal life... just lots of things sort-of changing but not really. Wanting to change but it just hasn't happened yet... yea... So I guess my weekend style is maybe reflecting some of that. Saturday, I slept in with G. and spent most of the day in a hoodie, without makeup, sipping coffee and wearing one of those hats that I'm pretty sure most people find annoying but that does a major job of hiding my crazy weekend bed head.

annoying? maybe. but comfy and functional? a definite yes.

I did eventually get dressed and go out to eat with my parents (and G., of course) while P. worked but that outfit is neither in memory nor documented to show you. Instead, I'll show you Sunday's really-mega-super quick because it's almost my bedtime and I am in desperate need my beauty sleep tonight. Paul didn't get home until later so it was difficult to get a good shot of the outfit. Super simple, really comfy... it probably doesn't match but I just really wanted to wear the vest. It was a shopping-my-closet piece for sure as I don't recall ever wearing it out of the house before. The top is a little thin and the vest added a good layer of warmth when I took my sweater off later... weird but it worked! And you can't see them well but I'm wearing my trusty 'Intyce' boots (They still look the same, don't worry...). I wore them today, too. Definitely my favorite footwear right now.

Some quick pics:

like the light here. my very favorite time of day. so peaceful.
and I actually wore the vest open pretty much all day and randomly only chose to button one button for the photo??... hmm, something is a'miss...

vest open:

Objective(s) Addressed: Errands; Lunch/coffee/shopping/book browsing date with my friend Summer

Materials and Sources:

Top: gift, (from Target, I think)
Vest: Old Navy (shopping my closet)
Boots: Steven by Steve Madden 'Intyce' boot, remix'd a lot a lot
Sweetheart Skinnies: Old Navy, remix'd a lot
Earrings (not shown): Betsey Johnson studs, remix'd a lot
Headband: Target, remix'd

Input: I could go on and on about how mind-blowingly awesome it was to have adult interaction that was hysterically fun. We laughed a lot. One of the many things we laughed at: Nightlight, a Twilight parody. If you love Twilight but are able maintain a sense of humor about it, you would really like to flip through this one. OMGhilarious.

Also, this may be random and silly but the top is a teeny bit sentimental to me as my mom actually bought it and gave it to me while we were in the hospital after G. was born. She wanted me to have something to wear that wasn't form-fitting (due to post-prego belly... yowza) but that would make me feel good. I remember thinking that was one of the most thoughtful things at that time when everything is all about baby and feeding and sweatpants.

I finally wore my troublesome drawstring cowlneck bubble dress today for work and a family dinner date - look for it tomorrow. It's a lot easier to dream up ways to remix things when you actually have them on your body, eh?

Hope you all are having a great start to the week!

alice on the brain

2010-01-31T09:48:00.002-05:00

It seems I'm not the only one with the new Alice in Wonderland on my mind...

not to be a SATC fiend but, ummmm... hello, lover.

if you're really into makeup palettes, this might be for you... it's by Urban Decay

I think this is from a magazine shoot, but I can't remember... anyone know?

This one is my favorite... available here on Etsy. The little swallow detail has me sold. If I didn't already have a handful of lockets, I would purchase. Someone buy it so I can live through you on the internet.

...

Speaking of Etsy... long ago I started an Etsy shop to have an outlet for my crafting. No real business in mind for it, I just really like to make jewelry but it turns out that between loving on my fam and my reading, crafting and blogging hobbies, I don't have much time to keep up an Etsy boutique. Which means I have a lot of earrings and such lying around. So be looking for an interactive giveaway in the coming week or so.

all about bribery

2010-01-29T18:22:00.002-05:00

Anticipatory Set: You can read all about the bribe here but to keep things concise on this end of the interwebs, the Toms I bought and received earlier this week were really all part of a big bribery scheme for my students. We have this wonky scheduling problem that is "fixed" with an advisement period right after lunch. It's not technically for a grade and while it should be a study hall or time to enrich mastered content... let's face it, if you had 25 minutes after lunch to "study" or "enhance" your knowledge, what would you spend it doing? Probably not studying. So, being the good teacher I am, I used the best tool in my belt... a good ole fashioned bribe. Or I suppose you could just call it a deal but we didn't technically shake on it so bribe it is.

Long story short, they totally followed through and I was left with no choice but to follow through on me end as well. So, I went to the Toms site during my lunch break and swiped my virtual card, feeling good about the extra pair for a child and the additional proceeds that would go to Haiti. Of course, I wanted them to see the fruits of their efforts as soon as possible (strike while the iron's hot, you know) but... we can also face the fact that while Toms are definitely a worthy cause and even a little trendy, they're not the most work appropriate shoes I've ever slipped my feet in. But it was magical and so worth it. They were pretty stoked about it. So, without further adieu... how I styled them...

(behind the scenes: taking off my outer layer - a kinda swingy snap-up cardigan - for the outfit snaps)

Objective(s) Addressed: Work; worthy cause; following through...

Materials and Sources:

Shoes: Toms 'Prima' shoe
Sweater: LOFT, remix'd
Bauble necklace: LOFT, remix'd
Cords: Gap, remix'd
Snap-up cardigan: Emmalee via Francesca's Collection

Input: As you can see, I didn't really "style" them at all. I just played off of the colors in the fabric to make them stand out a little - I wanted my students to notice without me saying anything. And they did! Energetically! Notice! I wore the same bauble necklace with this top that I did in this outfit because the colors worked and I just really love that necklace a lot. But other than that... a pair of navy (really, really dark navy) cords and fin!

I've gotten this question a few times since I followed through on my bribe, in the real world and the blogosphere: Are they comfortable? And the answer is definitely a big, fat, crazy YES! Wearing them is like you never had to step out of your slippers. So soft and comfy. And, actually, I think they're pretty dern cute.

Final Notes: Obviously, I can't bribe my students this way all the time but since they were excited about the cause and the fact that I would be spending money on their behalf, I couldn't resist. Thank you, Toms, for creating a cause that even my crisis-oblivious, self-absorbed 15 year old students would perform 20 straight order of operations equations for.

Do any of you own Toms? How would you mix them into your wardrobe?

HAPPY WEEKEND!

((Edit:: Also, I need to thank Fashion Therapist and caffeinerd
for a super special Best Blog award... you ladies inspire me and light up my days with your sincere and lovely comments! Post coming soon...))

how would you wear it?

2010-01-28T21:15:00.002-05:00

Anticipatory Set: Since one of the goals I set forth for this blog was to shop my closet more often, I plan on sharing some items that are more difficult to style. I already shared two of these here. (I've worn the plaid blouse but didn't take a full outfit photo... next time. The cowl dress is still waiting... probably gonna be a V-Day challenge... or a work wear challenge next week.) And I have a few that also have a rarely worn status so, if you don't mind, I'm going to ask for your suggestions again.

Today's challenge for you: a gray v-neck sweater "dress" with bell-ish sleeves by BCBG MaxAzria. I bought this "dress" (you will see that this term is used loosely) early in my pregnancy when the air started to chill and I was sort of in that ambiguous stage of "Is she or isn't she?" showing. In other words... I needed something to mask the fact that I'd put my six pack in the cooler for the next five months. This sweater was on big time sale and I loved that it was not maternity so I could wear it post-baby when it was still cold and it would hopefully continue to camoflauge the leftover kanga pouch. Well... now that I'm definitely not pregnant and haven't been pregnant for over a year, I need some help remixing this one... let's get a visual, shall we?

Cute, right? Well... it can be. It was cute when I was prego and I've seen other people wear similar things in very cute-ish ways. My instinct is to belt it but so far none of my belts have really looked great with it. I did recently acquire a super cheapie belt that might work but for the sake of a visual for you all, I just wore it with simple black pants and my 'Intyce' boots. If the pants weren't baggy (yay, lost inches!) and stretched out from the day, this look might work. I think it might just be a little sloppy since my pants are adding bulk to my legs. Slouchy, I like. Sloppy, not so much. I did at least put some embellishment in the neckline with one of my favorite camis from LOFT and a patterned bow headband for my floppy hair. Until this morning, I'd briefly forgotten about both of these things but they get some decent rotation in warmer months. I also let the sweater bunch a little when I wear it with pants and have yet to wear it as a dress but I guess it could be okay with leggings. Bare legs? Absolutely not. It comes much shorter on me than on the model in the picture.

(G. is very into the pointing these days.)

(He's also very into The Cute.)

Objective(s) Addressed: Work wear (no meetings)

Materials and Sources:

Sweater dress: BCBGMAXAZRIA
Black pants: Target (about to say goodbye to them, woop!)
Boots: 'Intyce' boot by Steven by Steve Madden
Cami: LOFT (on huge clearance over the summer... I wanna say like $5?)
Headband: F21

YOUR Input: How would you style this? Would you risk wearing it like a dress? What do you think about wearing it like a blouse with a more form fitting skirt (assuming it wouldn't show the sweater if it bunched a little underneath)?

Tomorrow, I'll show you how I styled my Toms.

beautiful bloggers make the world go 'round

2010-01-27T17:56:00.004-05:00

So... WOW! is all I can say to accept two blog awards I received this week. Remember when I told you guys that the blogging community, especially style blogging if you ask me, is a lot of fun? Well, it's also one of the most encouraging communities, me thinks. I've never seen so much constructive criticism or so many encouraging comments online before.

First, my super darling friend, Summer (who is in blogging the novel-writing process over HERE
- so awesome!), gifted me with the Over the Top award.

The award came with some guidelines... like you get to watch me answer questions with only one word. And then I get to pass it on to 5 other lovely bloggers of my choice! Stay tuned...

Your Cell Phone? forgotten

Your Hair? desperate
Your Mother? whimsical
Your Father? layered
Your Favorite Food? edamame
Your Dream Last Night? Africa
Your Favorite Drink? chai lattes
Your Dream/Goal? mastery

What Room Are You In? dining
Your Hobby? crafts

Your Fear? Speidi

Where Do You See Yourself In Six Years? fulfilling
Where Were You Last Night? home
Something That You Aren't? finished
Muffins? pumpkinnnnnn
Wish List Item? marc
Where Did You Grow Up? ville
Last Thing You Did? kiss
What Are You Wearing? later
Your TV? bleh
Your Pets? dog
Friends? livers
Your Life? full
Your Mood? peacful
Missing Someone? friends
Vehicle? fusion
Something You Aren't Wearing? socks

Your Favorite Store? anthropologie
Your Favorite Color? lavender
When Was The Last Time You Laughed? seconds
Last Time You Cried? weeks
Your Best Friend? lover
One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? kitchen
Facebook? daily
Favorite Place To Eat? cafe

Second, Lizzy Punch tagged me for the Beautiful Blogger award! I've seen this one floating around a little bit here and there on some of my favorite blogs so I'm definitely a little giddy to receive this one, too. Now YOU get to read seven random things about me that you may or may not already know. I will limit, if not eliminate, explanations:

1. I don't have a sense of smell.
2. I have not-so-secretly always wanted to be a hair stylist.
3. I am happiest in the Spring/Summertime when I'm spending a lazy day with my little family.
4. Chai lattes are my lifeblood.
5. I am a Georgia girl by upbringing and an Auburn girl at heart. War Eagle! (And married into a whole family of LSU tigers... hmmm, something is wrong about this picture.)
6. I am a Twi-fan. Please, forgive me.
7. Style-related... I am a shoe and handbag gal all the way. But my number one choice of "shoe" in high school was the mocha corduroy Birkenstock. Bringin' it back, ohhhhhhh snap.

And there ya go! NOW the fun part...

First, I will nominate some Beautiful Bloggers. Three of my in-real-life friends and lovely style bloggers that I want to recognize:

Viktoria @ Viktoria with a K. It's been a long, LONG time since we were united in real life but I love seeing her style posts because, even through a recent dark time, she is such a sunny online influence.
Shannon and Melanie @ Thrifty Threads. They are part of a collaborative style blog and post on all kinds of style topics, always with a "thrifty" twist. Shannon also does a little personal style blogging over at Today's Resolutions.
And Summer, who nominated me for the Over the Top award. Her blog fascinates me as I know slim to nothing about the process of writing a novel. Her patience AMAZES me! And she is one of my favorite people to hang out and be goofy with.

Second... back to the Over the Top award. I am supposed to nominate/tag five people for this award so here goes:

Krista @ Unveiled. One of my good in-real-life friends, Krista really does go Over the Top with her blog, Unveiled. I love reading her take on matrimonial (is that a word?) style on Wedding Wednesdays and many other lifestyle topics. Also, like me, she recently started a weekly style series - Fashion Fridays. Very often, I find myself at the end of her posts either laughing, thinking hard or just thinking, "Well said." She finds so many ways to say things that I've yet to put words to. She was recently married in July of '09 so to read some of her thoughtful and funny takes on getting married, go to her archive.
JoAnn @ Sidewalk Chalk. Another in-real-life blogger. Though we don't know each other well, we went to school together and share several mutual friends. JoAnn is another Over the Top blogger - she always throws a little something extra into her outfits and into the background she gives. I love that she infuses her outfits with pieces that are modern, traditional and sentimental at the same time.
What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear? I've mentioned this blog before on Athenista and I really am amazed at how Over the Top she and her readers go to have fun with Emma's looks from Glee and on the red carpet. Such a fun read with great tv/runway-to-realway translations. Love it!
Tieka @ Selective Potential. One of my favorite personal style blogs. Her posts are sometimes silly, sometimes insightful but never short of thoughtfulness. She really shares her life with her readers and makes style fun. I would take most of her outfits exactly as she styled them, her looks are so fun! Something I can definitely appreciate. Plus... you KNOW she is Over the Top when you see her in daily snaps outside... on an iced over bridge in the middle of Michigan's crazy cold winter! Or out it in the snow in just a cardigan... now, that is Over the Top!
What Would a Nerd Wear. Love her easy, approachable take on daily outfits. And she's another brave soul with her outdoor daily photos in the snow and ice.
Also, a sixth honorary award goes to caffeinerd. I am loving her posts and her approachable online personality. She is such a loyal commenter and encourager and I've noted before on her blog that I love that she still smiles at least a little for the camera in her snaps! A very positive read. Plus, she's got me sold on doing a blue-yellow color palette sometime soon.

There are so many more that I would nominate. Maybe I will just have to come up with my own little Athenista award to bestow upon my readers, bwaha. Thank you, lovely ladies who nominated me. It was fun but I think it was even more fun to nominate new people because I can't wait to see what they share and who they nominate in return!

hello, high heels, so nice to meet you

2010-01-26T18:13:00.003-05:00

Anticipatory Set: Bad nights of sleep rank right on down there with ingrown toenails and hand dryers in public restrooms. But today I remixed my beautimous Yumi Kim blouse and my first pair of high heels (or at least the first pair I remember) so life was good.

Objective(s) Addressed: Workin' hard for the pocket change

Materials and Sources:

Blouse: Yumi Kim, remix'd
Pants: Larry Levine (gift from Mom), remix'd
Shoes: VS (via Nordstrom way back in the day)
Headband: Target (!)
Cutest toddler ever: Hebert Collection, c. Spring 2008, remix'd

Input: Okay... these shoes were the first pair of "high heels" that I owned. Or they are at least the first pair of high heels that I remember owning. And I'm pretty convinced that they're the reason I even started getting into clothing and outfit choices in the first place. Not that they're all that but I do have a special place in my heart for them. Recently, I almost gave them away but kept them for their sentimental value. Today, I decided I might still need to give them away... they rubbed the balls of my feet in a blister-like fashion and I just can't have that. Sentimental value or not. Good thing my Toms arrived and I'll be (somehow) working them into an outfit tomorrow... more on that in the next couple of days.

My pants were a little saggy by the time I got home and popped G. on my hip so you don't get their full high-waistedness but I still love them even though I get the feeling they must be an older more ladylike brand. Anyone know? Sturdy fabric with just a wee bit of stretch. Still loving my new Yumi Kim blouse. I've been dying to wear it again since G.'s birthday party but I resisted until this morning. I wish the photos did it justice. And I am definitely loving the headband... I picked this up back in October at Target after I'd spent a weekend in Charlotte with my best friend lusting after lovely rosette headbands in Anthropologie. I settled on this for a fraction of the price and it might just be my most complimented headwear.

Final Notes: I was a happy clam in this outfit. And like I said above... my Toms finally arrived today... how would you work these into a work outfit? (It can be casualish and I promise there is a reason... bear with me.)

daytime wedding

2010-01-25T17:09:00.004-05:00

Anticipatory Set: This weekend was pretty fantastical. And by that I mean I slept no less than twelve hours on Friday annnnd Saturday night. After two weeks of less than ideal sleep that's a step up, I say! Paul started his new job as a paramedic last week and had his first actual work shift on Sunday so the only real plans we had were to go to my cousin's wedding on Saturday. The weather was a little chilly and I wanted to wear my black knit dress with half sleeves so I could just use a cardigan to layer (I hate bringing bulky layers in and out of the car if I don't have to). Since it was a daytime wedding I kept it casual with my Steven 'Intyce' boots, a scarf and a cardigan (not shown). I also knew I'd be chasing G. around with all of the other toddlers there so I needed to be comfortable. Pretty simple.

EDIT :: detail pictures ::

Objective(s) Addressed: Casual, daytime wedding; Time with family; Toddler-chasing

Materials and Sources:

Dress: Velvet Torch (via Nordstrom)
Tights: Target
Boots: Steven by Steve Madden 'Intyce' boot in cognac
Scarf: Target
Bag: Cole Haan (gift from Mom)
Gray ruffle cardigan (now shown)

Input: Usually, I dress up a bit more for weddings but I knew this was a little more casual so I just kept it comfortable and toddler-friendly. The gray ruffle cardigan pulled it together a little bit more for the ceremony but I took it off pretty quickly for the whole hugging-congratulations-"over-here-no-wait-please-don't-break-the-ceramics" thing. This scarf is one of my favorites - just a teeny bit of sparkle, it goes with lots and lots of my wardrobe and it's warm! AND I love black and brown together, especially a good cognac brown, so this was a feel-good look for me. :) How do you guys feel about black and brown?

carrera panamerika: alicia keys

2010-01-24T11:17:00.001-05:00

Anticipatory Set: When I changed the focus of this blog I did not anticipate the opportunities for sponsorships or campaigns. (In other words... receiving offers for compensation in exchange for review their brand or campaign.) Over the past week, I've received two of these... or at least two that are actually serious about wanting a review and not a straight-up plug. Reviews, I will do. Blind and shameless plugs simply for compensation, I will not. Sure, times are tough but not that tough in my opinion. And now that P. and I are both gainfully employed full-time I am definitely not in a position to bargain honesty for pocket change.

One campaign for Carrera Panamerika sunglasses actually did catch my eye and after a wee bit of research and thought, earned my trust as well. I'm sure this is at least due in part to the fact that it mentioned something about Alicia Keys and, seriously, how do you get her voice out of your head? ("I'm trying to work here, thanks!") I think her "I Ain't Got You" was the first R&B single that I really loved... and that's saying a lot because R&B just gets so darn repetitive for me so to actually love it is huge.

Objective(s) Addressed: Adapting an item I would normally never pick up into my Mom Uniform rotation (Skip below to see how I would wear it); Style inspiration

Materials and Sources:

Carrera Panamerika 1 sunglasses (shown in the Alicia Keys "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart video and in the new Britney Spears "3")
Polyvore

Input: Here's where this campaign got tricky (and fun) for me. I almost turned it down because, as you guys would probably be able to guess by now from the past week or two of outfit posts, I would normally never consider a pair of Carrera shades in my own personal wardrobe. But since I am a big Alicia Keys fan (which also doesn't quite go with my Twi-fan/toddler-chasing 'image'), and a child of the 80's, I couldn't turn it down. All of the Carrera sunglasses I've seen have a kind of 80's vibe to them that I actually like but that I know would never look good on me worn as Keys does and as they were worn two decades ago. Let me show you how she wears them in her video:

And with a little Polyvore magic, I came up with a way to incorporate them that works with MY style:

To counter the 80's vibe, I paired them with details that were either pretty feminine or slouchy with just a hint of tough. I played off of Alicia with the knit motorcycle jacket and the studs on the boots. But to keep it in my comfort zone I wanted a color combo that I love (dusty pink + gray) and ruffles to peek out of the jacket. The earrings were just for fun - I love me some Marc by Marc Jacobs and they're not a fussy accessory that would compete with everything else I threw in there. I was surprised by how much I really loved this combination - those BOOTS! And I actually really love the way the shades look on the model. Definitely up my alley now. And apparently Britney's alley, too - she wears a pair of Carreras in her new video for "3" (which I love... I know as a mom I should hate Britney's songs and videos but... I just can't help it. I'm still a sixth grade when it comes to my MTV preferences. It's a guilty pleasure that I just can't shake. Sue me.)

Final Notes: I don't even need to say that Alicia Keys has balls when it comes to her style. She wears things I would never, ever in a million years consider wearing on my own figure. And even when it might not be the best choice for her... she rocks it with confidence. I love that. That's the kind of attitude I want to have in my own style choices but that I often don't because I have weird body confidence issues (How old am I? Ugh.). So if I learned anything watching the Behind the Scenes video for this campaign... it's that style is all about your attitude. How many times do we hear this and never get it? Geeeeezz.

How do you lovely gals adapt a different style to your own wardrobe? How would you style these shades?

picking favorites

2010-01-21T21:08:00.000-05:00

Anybody wrapped up in Project Runway yet? I so badly want to stay up and watch tonight's episode but this short week of work has taken its toll on my sleep... might not make it tonight. But I do already have a favorite (strictly based on looking through profiles and videos/casting calls on the site): Anna Lynett. I am looooooving her stuff right now (or at least what we can see of it on her profile and in the videos). Very functional and uniform-inspired. Simple and I like that, too.

Do you guys already have a favorite?

roll it up

2010-01-20T21:41:00.000-05:00

Anticipatory Set: Welp. G. just left to to stay at Glamma's until tomorrow. P.'s asleep. My work for tomorrow is finished. I just finished watching American Idol. And my photos from the past couple of days are uploaded... I s'pose I'll do another quickie before I cash in myself. Yesterday and today I woke up late and, knowing that the weather would be a preview of Spring, threw on something light and easy (and very unplanned, as you will definitely see).

Objective(s) Addressed: Work; last-minute dressing/missed alarm clocks

Input: On Monday, I had a last minute girlie girl lunch/shopping date with my elementary school BFF. With an Ann Taylor merchandise credit I headed to LOFT and picked up a couple of fun things that I can wear now with some layering magic but that will be light enough for Spring and, eventually, Summer. (Speaking of Summer... I saw her! In the dressing room at LOFT! So fun. I miss her and our goofy talks at work in the ol' Borders cafe.) Yesterday and today's 'outfits' (I'm using the term loosely this week) incorporate two of the items I got with the credit.

Yesterday's mash of clothing included a tie tunic (what else do you call that?... can't find it online), navy pants and ruffled metallic flats. Fin. Simple. I had to use the tripod yesterday and the neighbors were out so I just did a quick snap and ducked back inside. Hence my headless, legless physique. When it comes to guts taking snaps, I am definitely no Orchid Grey. I love that this top is light on its own but the sleeves can roll down and the detail around the buttons is pretty fun.

tunic by LOFT

blouse detail

metallic ruffle flats by me too

Today, I at least had an idea in mind when I got dressed. A few weeks (months?) ago, I came across this photo:

on camp comfort and had to save it to my inspiration folder. Lately, I've had a thing for chambray button-ups. Which is weird because I've never really like chambray and I own maybe two other button-ups in my entire sardine-packed closet. But doesn't she just look fresh and effortless? And ever since I've been seeing chambray everywhere. I love it. So comfy and laid back. I also apparently love a good rolled sleeve since I wore the rolled sleeve tunic yesterday and these sleeves roll down to full-length and don't even feel thick when rolled all the way. Score.

I think I can style this up a little more professionally but also throw it in with my mom uniform rotation. I like the shoulder detail of the LOFT top a lot. And since I don't have a lengthy wood bead necklace, I went for a glass bead necklace I bought during my sophomore year at Auburn. This was also paired with (a different pair of) navy pants but with different flats (no pic, whoops).

Both of these LOFT tops should take me from now (when it gets colder, with layers) through the summer (stripped down with bermuda shorts? or a short cargo-esque skirt? daisy dukes? just checkin').

Final Notes: Here's to a good night of sleep and a (more) fun outfit in the morning!

quick & dirty

2010-01-19T22:06:00.000-05:00

It's a busy week at work for me. Today was pretty casual but I have IEP meetings (intense Special Ed parent conferences for those not in the SpEd lingo...) over the next two days. I have a topic in mind to talk about over here tomorrow... kinda heavy. But since this blog is for fun and pretty things let's just keep it light on this little corner, shall we? So I'll just do a quick & dirty outfit post from Sunday...

Meet my Mom Uniform! Weekends, especially days spent inside, call for the uniform. A no-brains-necessary combo for days spent lounging with the family or ~~casually browsing books~~ chasing a toddler. I don't feel quite right spending the whole day sans makeup and in sweatpants. That's why I stick to a uniform so I can always fall back on something if I'm rushed or just need a waistband that doesn't give. It's pretty simple as most of my outfits are but more predictable. Here are the essentials:

jeans + soft tee + scarf/fun accessory + flats

and if I need to add a layer...

Objective(s) Addressed: Comfort; Mom duty; generally maxin' and relaxin'

Input: The only thing specific to this version of my uniform that I don't love is the bulk the sleeves create under the cardigan. I love those puff sleeve tees because, even though they could be more flattering, they're comfy and the puff sleeves are just kinda presh. Other than the bulk, they are a serious workhorse for layering too. And you can definitely find ways to tuck them or layer them for work wear which is always a bonus. I think I have it in three colors... maybe the only thing I've done that with. No doubt because I got two of them for $5 total.

Do you ladies (mamas or not) have a uniform? What do you fall back on for the weekend to stay comfy or when you're rushing out the door?

firsts

2010-01-16T22:41:00.002-05:00

Anticipatory Set: Today was G.'s very first birthday party! What a fun time! We have some of the very best family and friends that support us and our little nugget. I'll blog about it over here by the end of the weekend once I pick my favorite pictures out of the 100+ I took of the cake 'experience.' Great times. In the meantime... what I wore. (Photo quality is not great... we took these after the loooong party and drive home and sans any form of natural light but you get the point.)

Objective(s) Addressed: G.'s birthday party! Mom duty. Celebrating 5 pound loss!

Materials and Sources:

Blouse: Yumi Kim (via Nordstrom... clearance! with gift cards!)
Sweetheart Skinny Jeans: Old Navy
Cami: Old Navy
Purple rosebud Flats: Ruby & Bloom (gift from Mom)
Sweater: Ann Taylor (gift from Mom)
Earrings: Betsey Johnson (from last post)
Bracelets: made by me

Input: Today was the first time I've chosen to wear skinny jeans without boots to tuck them into. Just plain ole skinnies with flats. (This is largely due to my 'weigh-in' this morning that marked my first five pound loss! Five pounds is not a lot in terms of how I look or how my clothes fit but the process of shedding those five pounds has been a big difference in how I feel - more energy! Plus, these first two weeks of changing the way I look at my health and food choices has been difficult but to actually lose weight on top of it was a huge bonus! Gives me the motivation I need to lose the next five and feel even better physically and mentally.) So I wore simple skinnies to celebrate. I need to get a good picture of the wash of these jeans -- I bought them way back in August or September and haven't been able to find a similar wash ever since.

Should've gotten a close-up shot of the blouse print. Next time. The print has bits of purple and a creamy/beigy/pinkish-yellow. I would love to say that I chose the flats based on how they accent the purple hue or how the rosebuds compliment the floral quality of the print buuuuuut... Nope. They are just comfortable. Really comfortable. Which is important when reporting for Mom Duty. I wish I'd buttoned the sweater and had natural sunlight for the picture with the sweater... I love this sweater but rarely wear it. Definitely one of my remix missions. The color is a dusty pastel pink and it's light without sacrificing warmth or style.

Final Notes: Overall, this was a great outfit for the occasion and the 'job description.' I was relaxed and comfy cozy without feeling frumpy or too slouchy. Since we were indoors with lots of people in the same couple of rooms I was a little worried about the silk of the blouse but I was comfortable the entire time. I think the silk actually worked for me rather than against me. I just let P. handle the post-smash-cake cleanup. ;) I see this blouse getting a lot of rotation in the remix pool - so many ways to style it up!

blase

2010-01-15T19:47:00.000-05:00

Anticipatory Set: Gonna be upfront with you about this outfit post... it's a little blase. I've been pretty nonchalant about my work wardrobe this week, opting for warmth and comfort over style and professionalism. I worked extra hard with my students and on caseload duties so that counts for something, right? (Please, just nod and say yes.) From going through posts in my Reader tonight, it seems a lot of people are going through the winter blues with work and assembling new outfits. But! It's a chronicle of my daily style and, like I've said before, sometimes "blah" just is the daily style. You just do the best you can some days. My main goal this week was to put in the effort to dry my hair and brush on mascara each morning so I would at least feel like a real person. If I have a bare necessity for my wardrobe it actually has nothing to do with my closet... if we're talking Look Good, Feel Good mantra I at least need a little makeup and a blow dryer. I could really even skip the blow dryer. But without mascara and a little something for my cheeks and lips, I feel naked. What's your bare necessity?
Monday I managed a skirt until I got home and then raced upstairs to throw on my comfy jeans and a super slouchy cardigan, so no dice on the photos. The rest of the week was basically just a different version of the same thing... pants, cardigan, etc. and then at least one accessory that I really love to keep it fun on my end.

Objective(s) Addressed: Bare necessities; Comfort; Working for the weekend

(totally awk. poses, sorry... not sure I'll ever master that)

Materials and Sources:

Outfit #1

White ruffle button-up: Old Navy
Cardigan: Gap
Navy corduroys: Gap
Ankle boots: Steve Madden
Necklace: Target
Earrings: World Market
Watch: PolarUSA

Brrrrrr!

Can't go wrong with a sweet little bow and a fun, sturdy bangle :)

Hidden details on the pants... I'd planned on styling them up with the super high waist... next time!

Outfit #2

Striped top: F21
Cardigan: frenchi (via Nordstrom)
Pants: (gift from my Mom... gotta check on the brand. Might be my fav, but you can't tell their awesome factor from these pictures. Whoops!)
Shoes: Michael by Michael Kors (another Mom gift)
Bangle: World Market
Wrap/scarf: World Market, I think... could be wrong, can't remember
Earrings: Betsey Johnson (via Nordstrom)
Watch: PolarUSA

Final Notes: Weather's getting warmer here, at least for a few days, and tomorrow is G.'s first birthday party so maybe I'll muster some inspiration for the weekend. The sale finds I picked up at Nordstrom with the three gift cards I've been hoarding should help, eh?

What do you guys do to cure the 'blahs?'

the hunt

2010-01-12T18:00:00.001-05:00

Anticipatory Set: I took the day off from Athenista yesterday as I was busy celebrating my little nugget's very FIRST birthday! I seriously cannot wrap my mind around that. WOW.

I've already told you that I have way too many clothes and that one of my goals for this blog is to remedy that by 'shopping' and exploring my closet. And while that's still true, it is also true that I have a few holes in my wardrobe. It's easy to go out and try to fill that gap with things that 'look professional' or that are especially thrifty in price but I never come out totally satisfied. (Maybe that's why I ended up with so many dang clothes.)

Objective(s) Addressed: Work wear/Professional wardrobe; Returns and exchanges

Materials and Sources:

Nordstrom
Ruche
Anthropologie

Input: My professional wear, especially when it comes to trouser-blouse combinations, is a little lacking. I have lots of great dresses and a few great skirts but they don't flow with my trousers and tops. Over the break I made a return at Nordstrom and picked up a top on big time sale (and left with more $ than I came with, can't beat that) that not only filled a gap in my professional wear but also satisfied a little bit of wardrobe lust.

Surely by now I've talked about my love for all things Anthropologie. Their pieces are everything I love and want in a wardrobe. If I could only buy clothing or accessories (or home goods, for that matter) in one place for the rest of my life (or most of it), it would have to be Anthropologie. You can go American classic, Euro chic, country casual, bohemian, artsy fartsy... I could go on... all in one place. I love it! And even though I'm sure everybody and their mama has the same thing, the clothes they carry just seem like they're one-of-a-kind. Kind of like how your barista lets you think you're the only person taking their latte with soy, no foam and just half a pack of raw sugar in the bottom.

Anyway... I just always find myself lusting after one thing or another on their site, in the catalog or wishing I could style up my wardrobe like their outfit pages online. When I see detailing on anything that is reminiscent of the things I love on their site, I have to do a double take. One of the shops (online, anyway) that reminds me a little of that style is Ruche. Great stuff over there! And even, from time to time, Nordstrom carries tops or dresses in the style that I love. So when I saw this blouse on super sale at Nordstrom (I actually got it for $15.90, not the $30 something on the site), I took it. I was worried about its maternity-esque potential but there was nothing to fret over, it's quite flattering. The palette of my few dress pants is mostly gray-ish or tweed, so I went with a basic black though they do carry it in grey and a brighter blue.

It looks a lot like this blouse from Ruche.

...which also has the same feel as one that I can't find now but lusted for at Anthropologie. Here is one with a similar shape and material.

Final Notes: Even though this isn't a deal I hunted for, it proves that even if you have your sights set high on a piece or a style that seems unattainable due to cost, availability or locale, if you are patient, 'the hunt' will serve you well.

a day behind

2010-01-10T17:00:00.000-05:00

Anticipatory Set: I'm already a day behind. And since I still have two days of posts from last weekend, I would just expect for me to pretty much always be at least a day behind on outfit posts from now on... ;) After bumming it all day Friday, I just had to get out of the house yesterday and since we have gift cards to get rid of I knew I'd be heading to Barnes & Noble, TJMaxx and Pier 1 to scope out how we want to use them. (Gift cards are hard for me to part with sometimes. Especially to places like Pier 1 and TJMaxx because I want my purchase to be fun and extraordinarily thrifty to maximize the credit.) My hair was all wonky (dang you, static!) so I wanted to at least pull it together with my clothes. As you're pretty well aware now I am trying to pull things from my closet that are either rarely worn or not worn at all and then either "make it work" or take it to sell/donate.

Objective(s) Addressed: Browsing books and shopping with gift cards; shopping my closet (safe to say this will be an objective for many days, weeks, months? to come)

Materials and Sources:

Dress (worn as blouse): Rosebud via Francesca's Collection
Waist tie: Belt from old Gap trousers (c. 2004)
Skinnies: Old Navy Sweetheart
Corduroy coat: Gap (c. 2004)
Boots: Steven by Steve Madden 'Intyce' boot in Cognac
Favorite handbag: Lulu Guinness
Bracelet: Banana Republic (c. 2005)
Earrings: American Eagle (I think?... several years ago)
Eyeglasses: Lulu Guinness

Input: The piece I was trying to work with here is the dress (worn as a blouse). It's one of those items in my closet that I always pull out and then, for whatever reason, move on to something else. I love it as a dress but since it is a knit material it needs some kind of slip underneath to keep it from sticking to undergarments, leggings, tights, etc. The neckline is my favorite. But as I discovered today it's not conducive to cold weather so I just used a simple gray layering tank underneath, nothin' fancy. Also, it ties in the back to give some shape to the ribcage but since I was tucking it I wanted an additional tie in the front to tame potential lumpage. So I used an old scarf-belt-thing from a pair of Gap trousers circa 2004.

The rest was obvious for me - I threw on my favorite bag, boots and coat to wrap it up. I love the coat because it's so perfect for Georgia's winters. It's light on days when it's not too cold but it's also perfect for cozying up with layers underneath. Also, the top buttons all the way to the neck so a scarf isn't necessary unless it's really cold. The handbag was a gift from P. my freshman year of college. I'd been eyeing it all summer before I left for school and he surprised me with it on his visit for my birthday. And, of course, the boots... so comfortable and I love the wedge. Just a teensy bit of height and the color is so great and warm.

Final Notes: After P. did his photographer duties I untucked the shirt a little more to lengthen it and make it a little more flattering. (I'm sure you can use your imagination.) The coat looks kinda bulky in the photo but I'm not sure what else I would change... I felt really comfortable, warm and pulled together for my little solo browsing rendezvous. The weekend was nice with the additional snow day but tomorrow it's back to the grind in full force. Wah. Everybody have a great start to the work week!

shopping my closet: episode 1

2010-01-09T21:19:00.000-05:00

Anticipatory Set: Remember, a few days ago I posted about how I want to shop my closet and also find new ways to wear pieces in my wardrobe that are either a) rarely worn or b) not worn at all. So last time I chose a dress and a shirt to style and asked you guys how you would style them up. I polyvored some of my own ideas for them and promised to post. My goal was to create one look for work and one for the weekend and casual time with family and friends. Here's the update...

Objective(s) Addressed: Shopping my closet; plan new ways to wear two rarely worn pieces in my closet

shopping my closet 1 by athenista featuring Forever21

Materials and Sources:

Drawstring Bubble Dress: Forever 21
Black and white plaid ruffle button-up: Old Navy
Polyvore (materials and their sources can be found on my published polyvore... just click through the pictures)
I should note: I do not own most of these pieces which you will know absolutely positively for sure when you see some of their price tags (HA!).

Input: First... the plaid shirt was pretty easy once I opened up a new set and started clicking around for things like what I already have. (It's amazing how easy, and surprisingly quick, it is to choose outfits when you have a blank canvas and items that you can just click and drag.) Clearly I am thinking in terms of Spring weather with the looks for the shirt. For a more work-appropriate look I kept the palette pretty neutral and chose a grey, high-waisted skirt (look, a bow!) with a black wrap cardigan and let the accessories speak for a color palette. I have a purple rosette headband that I left out that would complete a purple-red/orange-green triad (My favorite triad, by the way. I'll talk about that some other time but you can read all about triads and how to work them in your closet at academichic.).

Next, for a more weekend/family time look I click-and-dragged some dark wash skinnies, a short-sleeved open sweater cardigan (similar to the one I wore here), grey slouchy boots (like a Steve Madden pair that I own... sure to make an appearance sometime in the near future) and the top item on my current wardrobe lust-list - a Marc by Marc Jacobs bag. If the weather is warmer I could ditch the boots for the green sandals on the work look.

plaid shirt two ways by athenista featuring Elie Tahari

The drawstring bubble dress really didn't get styled for work or weekend wear. I was thinking strictly in terms of how I would wear it on a Valentine's Day date with my ~~dutiful photographer~~ lovely husband, P. I went pretty romantic with the details on this one. I own things similar to this except for the ruffly red cardigan from Anthropologie. (And with a price tag like Anthropologie's, I'm not likely to own it anytime soon.) I have a dusty pink sweater in a similar shape that might work in its place. Now I just have to convince P. to take me out on the town. In the meantime, I'll try to style it up in real life for workwear and show you all the results.

bubble dress - romance by athenista featuring Forever21

Final Notes: I love these options on 'paper' but we'll see how they turn out when I put them to the test! Or, who knows, maybe I'll come up with something completely different. Dreaming it all up has been fun!

Do you plan outfits around pieces you rarely wear or have a goal to shop more often in your own wardrobe this year? If you do link your posts in the comments, I would love to see!

Also... if you don't mind commenting or clicking "Follow" on the right, I would lovelovelove to know who you are! I see a lot of clicks coming from allll over the place but I'm not sure who you are. And if there is something you'd like to see here (teaching q&a, living in a college town, how being a young mom influences my wardrobe choices, etc.), let me know. Those are all things I want to cover but I'm not sure how little (or how much!) you know already.

snow day 2k10, uggh

2010-01-08T20:17:00.000-05:00

Anticipatory Set: For those of you who are not Georgia Peaches, we had a teeny bit of snow and sleet and got a snow day. Woop! I know the weather is funky pretty much everywhere and while, yea, this isn't typical Georgia weather... did we really need the day off? Okay, okay, it was pretty icy this morning. And I can't complain because I did nothing but act like a total waste of life until... well, actually I'm still acting like that... in between play and cuddle time with G., of course (P. is just now getting off of work so we've been solo and at my parents most of the day). Poor G. has a pretty runny/congested nose which was so pitiful last night but I was secretly loving it a little bit because he was the most cuddly he has been in months. He's so wild and independent most of the time now that cuddle time is rare. So in keeping with that theme, I kept my outfit pretty cuddly "cozy," too. Just call it bum chic, if you need to, and humor me. Essentially, this is the kind of outfit I should probably keep to myself but... it's a style diary and, uhh... sometimes this is just the style that works for me. Do you blame me? ;)

Objective(s) Addressed: Snow Day, cuddle time, generally taking up matter.

I started the day thinking I would go out into the world. You know... maybe grab a latte, browse some books. So I wanted to at least look like I had a will to live. Between my overnight bag and the boots in my car, this is what I had:

(I didn't have my trusty photographer to do the job so I did a quick polyvore of what I wore and then a quick mirror pic up top for the real deal.)

(The red sweater is the actual sweater just not the actual color... see next.)

actual color and scarf:

Materials and Sources:

Sweater w/ over-sized collar: Caslon via Nordstrom
Jeans: Old Navy Sweetheart
Black thermal: Old Navy, remix'd
Gray ruffle scarf: Charlotte Russe (again, I know)
Boots: Target, remix'd again (what can I say, they've been good for the cold and I left my Stevens again... whoops!)
Stud earrings: anniversary gift from P. (unpictured)

Input: This is where I tell you that I did not, in fact, go anywhere and opted for an Alternate Activity.

Alternate Activity: This is where I reveal to you that I am a closet Ugg lover. I got a pair during my last winter in Auburn (I had some kind of coupon for Dillard's). I don't wear them outside of the house or incorporate them into any of my daily outfits but boy, oh boy, nothing beats them inside the house during these frigid, tundra temperatures. If I could do it again, though, I would've gotten the cheapies from Target or Wally World. They got me just fine through high school uniforms so they would definitely be more than sufficient for recliner wear. Still, they are toasty. And I can even tuck my bootcut jeans into them to keep the draft out. Classy, I say.

Uggs + glasses + magazines and books + G. + recliner = Snow Day Heaven

Final Notes: Sometimes comfort is the ONLY way to style it up.

Did you have a Snow Day or a bum day inside? Did you make an effor to get dressed or did you keep it bum chic with me?

shopping my closet

2010-01-07T21:14:00.000-05:00

Recently, I left out one whopper of a factor for my big goal for Athenista in 2010 (more personal style/outfit posts). Basically... I have waywaywaywaywaaaa-a-ay-yy-y too many clothes for my needs, as I'm sure my husband will attest to. Yet... I can find at least five more reasons to buy just one. more. piece. They're pretty much always cheap one.more.pieces but the key is that I don't need them. (And really that makes it worse because usually I am of the camp that you should invest in good, key statement pieces rather than a bunch of get-me-through-the-season pieces. Whatever. Another day.) And with the holidays still fresh on our wallets and G.'s first birthday coming up (Monday! omghyperventilate), we really don't have the cash flow for them either.** Enter my style 'resolution' of sorts... shopping my closet.

If you're already reading other style blogs or fashion magazines, you've probably heard that phrase more times than you can stomach but you're about to hear it at least once more if you keep reading. I have a busting-at-the-seams closet, this motivating blog at my fingertips, and a whole community of other style bloggers to draw inspiration from... so I have a goal in mind for the next few months/year to literally shop my closet. Not a shopping ban or anything crazy. Just shoppin' the laundry pile.

In my grand that-would-take-forever-and-two-days scheme, I would take pictures and number everything in my closet by category (type, fabric, fit, occasion, etc.). And maybe if I was feeling real crazy, I would even photograph some potential combinations and post them all over the walls of my closet. Like a million Polyvore sets. But for my own closet. But it kinda makes my noggin hurt just thinking about how completely mammoth that task would be. So I'll just let Polyvore do it's thing until I find whoevenknowshowmany hours to get started on that.

Since I have no idea where else to start this little adventure, I'm going to show you a Polyvore of two pieces in my closet (Not because there aren't more. Don't worry, there are plenty where these came from. These were just the two I could most easily find on Polyvore and it's best to go in baby steps, right? Rest assured this could and probably will turn into a never-ending shop-and-style here on Athenista.). I love these but often have trouble styling them in a way that is fun and still appropriate for work but then comfortable enough for the weekend. Cue visual:

1. Drawstring Bubble Dress from F21. The top/cowl portion is a sweater material. Just a little holey but maybe enough that I might need a cami for coverage, especially at work. And it's a little muddier than the color conveys. Not quite brown but also not grey. Love that I can dress it up or keep it natural... it's just a matter of figuring out how.

2. Plaid Ruffled Flannel Button-Up from Old Navy. This isn't the type of shirt I normally buy or wear for the weekend or, really, for work. But I loved the print and the very subtle ruffled neckline. I also love that it doesn't button all the way to the neck - that makes me chlostrophobic. Can't handle. The cut is pretty flattering so the few times I've worn it I just go with a black cami underneath and either skinnies or boot cuts with flats. But I want to style it up a little. Make it more work appropriate and feminine. And then style it down but still keep it fun for the weekend.

How would you stylin' ladies wear these two pieces? What combinations would you try for work and for weekend? I'll post some of my polyvore'd picks tomorrow. (Or this weekend, depending on how wrapped up I get in this whole snow-in-Georgia-omg-Second-Coming thing.)

winter berry baubles

2010-01-06T15:00:00.000-05:00

Anticipatory Set: After two weeks of lazy days at home, the students had their first day back yesterday. Which means more parents are at the school than usual, there are still some first impressions to be made (transfers, repeaters, etc.) and I also had my first reevaluation (read: parent) conference of the 2010 school year. Yes, already! And it went really well. No doubt due in part to the fact that I put on one of my new favorite outfits.

Objective(s) Addressed: First impressions; Parent conference; General need for a little pep in my step.

(Bad hair day. No apologies here.)

Materials and Sources:

Sweater: LOFT
Skirt (with pockets!): LOFT on clearance
Leggings: probably Target
Boots: Target, remix'd
Bauble necklace: LOFT

Input: Looks like the LOFT got some business over the holiday break. All three of their pieces were chosen by moi and gifted by the 'rents. I'm going to post soon (next time, I think) about how I plan to tackle my overabundance of clothing. But even though my closet is packed to the max, there are a few things I am usually lacking: full-length sleeves for winter wear and good, solid dress pants and skirts. Hence the new ensemble. The boots are the same from Monday: the ever-popular Kady boot from Target. Best $30 that many people have ever spent. They're a sure hit. I'm not crazy about the finish of the "leather" but... $30! (!) And the wedge very closely mimics those of my Steven by Steve Madden Intyce boots that I adore so much. Flats are great and heels have their place but sometimes you just can't beat a good low wedge when you need something to lean a little more toward the functional. In fact, I love the Steven wedge so much that right now I have my BFF (who is a manager in shoes for Nordstrom) helping me on the lookout for a sale on these beauts (in black... maybe grey? purple?! can't decide).

Final Notes: This little ensemble might be my new go-to picker upper. First and foremost because the skirt has POCKETS! (!!!) Have you ever seen a skirt like that with pockets? I die. (Well, hello there, Mrs. Obvious.) With an extra thick layering tank, leggings and super thick wool socks, it definitely proved to also be warm in the way below freezing (for Georgia, anyhow) temperatures. But I think I can easily strip it down and rework it a little for wamer tempeartures a few months from now. Next time, I want to improve it a little with a skinny patent belt low on the waist. Overall, I felt light but still covered up and the berry bauble necklace kept me feeling cheery all day despite the bone-chilling temps and end-of-break blues. A winner, I think!

(*This is a scheduled post so if you're reading during the day, think of me and know that I am probably freezing my booty off in a classroom somewhere in Georgia. Way too cold for my Southern bones, y'all.)

hi ho, hi ho...

2010-01-05T19:00:00.000-05:00

... it's back to work I go. (I've had this stuck in my head all day looooong. Not funny.) But it's true. Yesterday was my first day back after the break without students. Students returned today. No, I don't want to talk about it. So to keep my spirits up? An outfit post!

Anticipatory Set: Another reason I want to start documenting some of my daily work style outfits is because I so wish I'd had a source to look to for teacher attire when I started last year. Or young teacher attire, I should say. (Because we all know how we remember our own teachers, right? Not a pretty picture. A lot of the time on days when it's all I can do to get myself in the car, I feel a thousand times better when I choose to get dressed in something other than black pants + cami + cardigan + flats + hot mess hair. (Not that I don't resort to that... I do. There's just that whole stress/no sleep/commuting/poor eating thing going on some days.) One style blogger in my reader, jenloveskev, shows some teacher "style files" that are great but still a little more laissez faire than what I need for my position at the school where I work. Maybe some poor future teacher will find some inspiration here and be a little more prepared for how to dress professionally, comfortably and (hopefully) stylishly in the classroom.

Also, to preface, I've been using polyvore a little more (now that I know how to use it... don't ask me why I was so polyvore-inept for a while) so after I acquired a new striped jersey dress from Old Navy I found it on the site and paired it with other items similar to things I already have in my closet.

Here is how I actually wore it for yesterday's workday... (sans G., unfortunately)

Objective(s) Addressed: Teacher workday; comfort! and warmth!

Materials:

Striped dress (layered under skirt): Old Navy
Black skirt: Gap ($9.99!)
Leggings: Target
Boots: Target
Tall wool socks: P.'s sock drawer
Layering tank (unseen): Target
Trench: Zara (from London, summer 2006)
Cinch belt: Nordstrom
Coach bag: my mom's from back in the day (1980's-ish)
Scarf and additional sweater unpictured

Input: Workdays without students are usually very casual but since there was no telling the state of air/heat in the building I wanted to layer up without jeans for some extra warmth but still be comfy since I wasn't sure how much I would be moving, sitting and/or standing. Made a bottom layer with a tank, leggings and wool socks. Pulled on striped dress, then skirt. Belted skirt for a little more height (not a lot) and structure and threw on boots for even more warmth and protection from the elements. (And I actually had another sweater underneath the trench that I peeled off by the time I got home and, of course, a scarf to keep the neck region nice and toasty.) When I Polyvore'd this little ensemble, I originally pictured my cognac boots from Steven by Steve Madden but quickly realized I'd left them at my parents' house a few days before. So I stuck with black and it was fine. I also didn't have a mustard-colored belt so I went with a gray, embellished one instead of brown (since the brown boots were AWOL).

Overall, I loved the way this outfit came together. I felt warm and comfortable all day without (hopefully) achieving a whole new level of bum chic in the workplace. Today was one of my favorite work outfits ever so stay tuned for that tomorrow night.

hang loose

2010-01-02T17:47:00.000-05:00

(Very Long) Preface: First real outfit post, hooray! (I say "real" because technically speaking, this is not my first outfit post but that was situation-specific.) Part of my 2010 goal for this blog is to incorporate some outfit posts (yes, I am a nerd and I love it, thankyouverymuch). I read approximately 2,387,001 style blogs ranging from food (yes, I think food is style, now leave me alone) to home decor to personal outfit diaries. But most of them are some combination of thoughts-on-style and personal-style-diaries with some omg-lust moments thrown in for good measure. A few things I've either noticed or that influenced my goal for 2010... (this could get lengthy, folks... scroll down for outfit photos)

1) The style blog community is tons o' fun! I love seeing how my favorites put outfits together and am constantly drawing inspiration for future outfits once I am back in the groove of actually getting dressed. (You know, once I am back in the workplace saddle. One positive thing about being a teacher is breaks... Christmas break, especially. I am taking serious advantage of some sleep-in-workout-don't-get-dressed-until-dinnertime opportunities.)

2) A lot of my favorite style bloggers started out without a really defined personal style and over time you can tell that they really got comfortable with their style choices and developed a "uniform" of sorts (more on that another day as if you don't know what I'm talking about) that really works for them. I love that and while I do know where my comfort zone is I'm not sure I have a really defined style that works for me post-baby and as a teacher.

3) Only two of those 2,387,001 style blogs that I read are mothers. And neither one of those is a mother and a high school teacher. Sadly, there is probably a reason for that which I'm sure I don't even need to state... just reminisce a little about your high school teachers, even the young ones. I can think of two with good style but neither of them were mothers at the time. Seriously, though, I see why. I wake up somewhere between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m. to leave the house by 6:00. That's basically to be on time. On days when I am early (most of the time unless I carpool) I leave by 5:45. No one else is even stirring at that hour so, except for my shower, I get ready in the dark and often do my make-up in the car at stoplights or in the parking lot before I go in. Do I even need to say how killer that is for motivating yourself to look put together? I suppose that I at least make an effort but I hate not feeling like I look my best in a professional setting. Now, there are days when I know I am conferencing with parents so I put in extra effort the night before and pick out clothes, make sure there aren't any spitballs in my hair or pen marks on my face, Expo on my hands... you know the deal. AN-Y-WAY... even though I am big-time inspired by the blogs I read, I constantly find myself wishing I had a favorite who was similar to me in age, occupation and lifestyle.

4) None of the style blogs I read are written by Southerners. Particularly Deep-South-Get-'Er-Done Southerners. Until college, I never knew that style was at all different between the South, North, Midwest, West Coast, etc. Kinda blew my mind. But I also was never really huge into fashion, beauty, or food (yes, I am still sticking to the food-is-style thing) until late in my college career. I was always a big-time shoe and handbag girl (I'll give you a shoe tour soon, promise) but simply stuck to the basics with my other wardrobe staples.

I guess this is where I mention how this blog came about and it's evolution to what I want it to be now? ... I'd been chatting with a few of my friends about street style blogs in big cities and how we wished there were street style blogs for college towns. Especially "Big South" college towns. But I didn't have time for the street style thing and wanted to get up and running before establishing any further contacts with local businesses. There is just something a little different about the way people dress in Southern college towns. There are the students, for one... and a million different groups of students at that. And then, in a town like Athens, there is the townie/hipster vibe among another group... and so on. Not that this is different from style on the whole - I get it, there are always different classes of style - but I think most would agree that a college town is different in many senses when it comes to style... the daily uniform, professional dress, party attire (especially since, for many, every day is a new party. ha!), weekend brunch, etc. And don't get me started on Game Day style. People I've met or talked to or read about (from one of those 2,387,001 style blogs, no doubt) do not understand the concept of dressing up for football. Yes, gals, it's true... we Southern folk like to put on all but our Sunday best for game days. Some even do dresses, heels, pearls... the whole bit. But I digress... that is another post for another day. My point is that the culture of style here is just different (shocker!).

SO. Whew. In summation, you could say my goals are something along the lines of creating a functional style diary for the Southern working (HS teacher), young lady, wife and mama while establishing some semblance of a personal style ALL while, of course, having a super fun bliggity, bloggity time.

You're still listening to me ramble? Well, alright then, on to the very first outfit post... ;)

Outfit Post, winter break style:

When I went out to the gym I was freezing so I knew I wanted to layer up with a thermal for the afternoon and evening. (I act like we live in a tundra. We most definitely do not. Georgia Peach, remember?) Since it's Saturday and my last weekend of break before I go back to the work grind, I just made it part of the outfit. Put it under a half-sleeve open cardigan sweater. To define my waist and reign in some of the looseness for a quick outing to B&N, I used a little belting action. Everybody loves a good belt. This is something I would typically wear on a weekend day when we're running errands or going to lunch because it's put together enough to go in public without embarrassing my family and comfy enough to keep on while I play with Gray.

Don't I look like I'm posing? It was just a gorgeous day outside and the sun was in my face. But I kind of like that I'm not looking at the camera. Second Skin recently had some thoughts on To Look or Not to Look at the camera... what do you think?

Detail shot:

But when I'm home I am a creature of comfort so I swapped the belt out for my very favorite accessory:

He could make the most ragged sweats look cute, eh?

Sources:
Black thermal: Old Navy?
Half-sleeve open sweater: Charlotte Russe (I know)

Jeans: Old Navy
Cinch belt: Nordstrom
Locket: boutique in downtown Auburn, AL

too faced

2010-01-02T10:58:00.000-05:00

From an Athenista perspective, if you've spent any amount of time in East or downtown Athens, chances are you've witnessed at least one cringe-inducing walk of shame.

Looks like the brand Too Faced is doing their part to save college towns everywhere, one walk of shame at a time.

(via Sephora's website)

Even though I've never been a Walk participant (and don't ever plan on it, quite frankly... thanks, Marriage!) I kinda want to buy this kit for all of its overnight goodies. How easy would it be to throw it in your overnight bag at the 'rents or for a sleepover with the girls?

we stayed in for twenty-ten

2010-01-01T12:50:00.000-05:00

After a few lover-less, childless days, my favorite boys are back in town. I knew I would miss them tons (I cried a little after they left at 4 a.m. on Monday morning) but I think my heart actually started to shrink without them by my side. No worries because now that they're back it is three sizes too big! No Grinch Syndrome here.

The hour before they got home, I fixed my hair, dusted on a little eyeshadow and put on some sparkles and chains with my jeans to go on a NYE dinner outing. Nothing fancy, just enough to feel festive ringing in the New Year. (Plus, I knew G. wouldn't be able to resist giving me a hug, even if it was only because my shoulders were catching the light... sneaky, I am.)

Top: F21 (from the Heritage 1981 line)

Necklace: Gap ($5.99, people!)

Until we realized G. was a liiittle too cranky for dinner out so we quickly changed our plans to tees and sweats, Chili's takeout and a Jersey Shore marathon before we watched the Peach and Ball drop on T.V.

Honestly, I didn't even think we were going to make it to midnight but we stuck it out, gave each other a midnight kiss and immediately tucked ourselves in for the night.

How did you ring in the New Year?

paperfashion

2009-12-30T15:40:00.000-05:00

Katie, an old high school classmate, writes a blog and crafts for her Etsy shop, Paperfashion, full of her lovely fashion prints. Seriously, y'all, this girl's got talent. I remember drooling over her pieces back in the day but her craft has only gotten better. They are really too good not to share...

And how can you resist these delicious little prints?

Don't you just want to buy the whole store?

Thanks, Katie, for letting me share!

over here: hair advice

2009-12-30T00:47:00.000-05:00

Asking for hair advice over here...

If you've ever grown out your hair before, what are your tips for keeping it fresh in through the Blah stage?

where have all the slips gone?!

2009-12-28T08:12:00.000-05:00

During the last week before school let out for break, I attempted to jazz things up a bit with my ensemble. And by "jazz up," I mean I actually went back to professional-wear after two weeks of "dress down" days in my blue jeans. (Every year a team of people at work sells two-week dress down passes to benefit students and families in need. Donation for two weeks of dressing down during my burn-out time in the semester? Pshhhhh yea, pass it down.)

Anyway... most mornings when I am getting ready for the day the house is dark, quiet... no one is even thinking about putting their feet on the floor for at least a few more hours. So I do my best to keep it dark and quiet. Which does not always go smoothly for me in the clothing department if I haven't planned ahead. (I don't plan ahead often which is sometimes unfortunate. After this story I promise that is an effort I am willing to put forth.) The day I am talking about is like the best Exhibit A for my faulty (un)planning. I grab one of my favorite dresses and pair it with tights and a cardigan to make it work and weather appropriate. Or... so I thought.

On the way to work I'm thinking that maybe the cut of the dress is a little shorter than I had counted on and kept trying to shake that feeling that "something is off." I get to work a few minutes early, I head to the bathroom and -- holy crapola, I forgot the slip -- you can see straight through the fabric. Luckily, I haven't been seen by many and I get to work early most days when I'm on my own anyway so I duck out (at record speed, obvi) to Target in search of a slip. Just a slip. You know, those things you put under dresses or skirts to keep people from seeing the space between your legs or whatever. They're pretty common, I hear, and I know I've seen them a hundred thousand times at the Target near my home.

I get there and I'm circling the racks where they should be... circling... circling... frantically circling. An employee approaches me, clearly a little concerned, and I ask her about the slips.

"Oh, we recently stopped carrying those."

"..." I stop and think for a second or two. "You mean, you don't carry them at all?

"Nope."

"Oh... kay. Thanks."

Since I'm tight on time, I don't even waste a second. I just run to the juniors section and look for those elastic-waisted mini skirts all the girls have been wearing to school. I know they are in there somewhere and I'm just hoping that one of them will double-duty as a slip for the day and then, who knows, maybe as a dishrag the next. Almost right away I see one with loads of creamy pink baby ruffles that could maybe work with the purple of my dress but it's a friggin XXL and, of course, it's the last one. I take it anyway, knowing that with the elastic band it's only a matter of rolling once, maybe twice, and securing with something I can no doubt find in my desk. Get back to the parking lot, pull it on under my dress with a little peeking out at the bottom, get back to work and, I kid you not, I haven't received more compliments on a dress I've worn all semester. What was originally a pre-work disaster in my mind turned out to be a small success for my wardrobe and I actually spent the rest of the day feeling great without worrying about the sheer fabric of my dress.

This was also an even better lesson in the "one piece, two+ ways" arena. (I am bad about wearing the same thing, the same way and with an overflow of clothes in my closet that is just unacceptable.) Here are two different ways I wore it...

Back in July, I wore the same dress for our wine & dine dinner at Chateau Elan for our wedding anniversary. I belted it with the sash it came with to hike it up just a little and paired it with a studded headband and pretty, but sturdy, open toe mary janes to dress it up without overdoing it.

Dress - Francesca's Collection

Shoes - Linea Paolo

And here I am at the end of that very long, wardrobe-malfunctioning day. This is how I actually wore it through the day...

Day-saving ruffle mini - Target

Black wrap-tie cardigan - Gap

Tights - F21

And here is one more way I could have worn it, though I don't know that I actually would and it's really just to show you the rolled/tucked/XXL ruffle mini in all its peep-show-saving glory...

On several occasions I've also thought about wearing it as a top with a study-fabric skirt. Think something like this but sans houndstooth and more understated:

(The actual color of the dress is closer to this picture. My malfunction pictures are all kinds of weird and messy, including colors.)

Have you ever had a wardrobe malfunction before work or when you had to be somewhere and look presentable? What did you do to fix it? Were you pleased with the result or did it simply serve to get you through the day?

And seriously... where did all of the slips go?!

now THIS is style

2009-12-21T14:30:00.001-05:00

if you like glee....

2009-12-14T18:57:00.000-05:00

... then you will LOVE this:

What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear?

There's just nothing else I can say about that.

curly girl design

2009-12-10T16:29:00.000-05:00

Several months ago now my mom (who is awesome and painfully thoughtful) gifted me with the cutest water canteen I ever did see:

And it just happens to be designed by the same small company that also makes some of the cutest prints that I ever did see: Curly Girl Design.

Lately, I see so many people in Athens leaping from the Nalgenes-of-old to stainless steel canteens as a big thumbs-up to the "eco-chic movement." At least it is a huge step up from ugly disaster-proof plastic (and maybe I'm silly) but I can't help but wish that they were all a little more stylish like the ones from CGD. :)

academichic

2009-12-03T20:20:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. Long time no post. I'm working on it, promise.

With all of the time I haven't been posting here, I've been working my brains out, loving on my sweet little family and soaking up the holiday season.

But to get my fashionista fix I've been stalking a few fun and (sometimes) frugal fashion blogs. One of my absolute favorites that I, of course, have to share: academichic. I found them through Flickr's wardrobe remix tag and have been addicted from the start. They have several posts and tutorials that take an academic approach to mixing your wardrobe. How fun is that? Definitely satisfies my inner school nerd, for sure. For the collegiate Athenista their site is a must-read!

card-again

2009-10-20T21:59:00.000-04:00

I am a big fan of cardigans. You will proably hear me say this again... and again. (I stand pretty firm in the thought that a cardigan can pull its weight in "dressing up" almost any casual afternoon ensemble. I'm also a teacher so what can I say, it goes with the territory.) I'm also a pretty big fan of Nordstrom -- while they lean toward the pricey and mainstream, I cannot put a count to the number of times I've been surprised by a thrifty and unexpected find in either clothing or shoes (and even baby!). (Also, the closest one to Athens is at the Mall of Georgia in Buford.)

So, it comes as no surprise to me that I am really loving Nordstrom's Point of View post on the "versatile" cardigan. They styled three different looks -- casual, work and "out" which, minus the "work ready" for most college students in this town, is pretty parallel with the work-to-home-to-evening transition that a lot of Athenians go through in a typical day.

Click here to view their stylings.

What's your take on the cardigan? As versatile for you as it is for me? Do you find it's an easy (and often fun) office-to-casual transition or do you like to leave it to one or the other? Or do you totally shun it on the whole?

street style, first edition

2009-10-19T20:36:00.000-04:00

Finally, the monsoon ceased and we can see some local Athens street style! First up: downtown. The sun warmed us all up a little by the afternoon and some Athenians let me snap a couple of photos.

The late afternoon was cool but sunny and not cold enough for a full-on sweater. So my first lovely Athenista (who was sweet as pie) belted a gray chunky knit vest -- perfect for the cool-but-not-cold afternoon downtown. I love those boots.

I must have passed this couple at least twice before I stopped them for a photo. Aside from their glowy happiness (seriously, these guys just radiated happy), it's hard to pin down exactly one thing that made me do a double-take... I love the combination of colors between the two of them and her clutch? That's love right there.

My last Athenista seemed hesitant but I'm so glad she indulged my whim. Everything about this is my taste. Perfect for an afternoon around town and how easy would it be to throw on a cardigan or a trench in the later hours?

Thanks, guys!

places i love: ike & jane

2009-10-06T20:16:00.000-04:00

Yes, yes, I KNOW, this has been a verrrryyyy slllooo....ooooo...wwwwwww start. I assure/promise/sign-my-soul/cross my heart and hope to die that things will really get rolling very soon. I know you are probably itching to get to the street style. (You can attribute most of the lack of street style posting to the Noah-amounts of rain we've been getting. I'm a paranoid party pooper and refuse to take my camera out in the rain. But I must say, you Athenistas got some serious rainy day style!)

-------------------------------------------------------------------

In the meantime... what better way to start than to touch on a few of my own (and many, many others') favorite local haunts? Let me introduce you to (hands . down) one of the very best, most delicious and certainly most stylish bakeries in town: Ike & Jane.

(all photos courtesy of ikeandjane.typepad.com)

See those cute window flowers? They're made of tissue paper. And they look awesome in the mid-morning light. And the logo (which features Ike & Jane's signature "cuffin")? So cool. Their place is full of so many neat little touches that are cost-efficient and also make the space so calm, unique and stylish.

Corie was a doll and let me bug her with a million and one questions (some serious, some probably silly) for you guys. She gave me so many fabulous answers it really deserves two posts! This place and these ladies and gents really know what they're doing: the atmosphere is super comfy, the coffee and the lattes are YUM and ohhhh, THE PASTRIES!

Why did you decide to open Ike & Jane? And why, specifically, did you choose Athens?
My partner offered me the opportunity to help him out with a new business idea he had. And by idea I mean cafe, and by cafe I mean DONUTS! hah. I spent most of my adult life in, around, and running cafes... so it was a good fit, I suppose. I also love love love people. Which is a lot of why this particular job appeals to me so much. Long story short, the space opened up, we jumped on it and ran with it. I've lived in Athens for several years (longer than I care to elaborate on!) and live around the corner from Ike & Jane with my husband. I love Athens. Which is why I was still here in the first place ;)

Tell us a little about what you do at Ike & Jane.
I guess what we do at Ike & Jane is provide a little bit of happiness to the people that come and go. A lot of what I feel a cafe should be is kind of like Cheers. Eventually you get to know more and more about your customers, your staff, and every day is a little different. You can chit chat with your customers, give them a smile and send them on their way with a warm drink in hand and a delicious treat on its way to their belly. So, in order to provide that we have breakfast sandwiches, donuts, lunches, soups, smiles, coffee, espresso drinks... you know, cuffins... so on and so forth.

Who dreams up all of the interesting (and delish) ideas for your unique selection of donuts and pastries? (Really, guys... these folks KNOW donuts!)
The donuts and other assorted goodies are a collective effort. All of the employees (and some bolder customers!) throw out ideas and we give them a shot. If it works, we keep it! if it doesn't, we modify or try something else. I think the most successful customer idea was fruity pebbles on a donut... I'm not sure we've hit on a donut idea that people didn't love quite yet. There's really nothing to hate about a donut! Which is why the GIANT donut is so amazing (employee idea!) The non-donut pastries are mostly the brainchildren of our baker, who spends 10 hours a day dreaming up desserts and bringing them to sugary life.

(Ike & Jane got festive for St. Patrick's Day)

What is your favorite time of day at the shop?
My favorite time of day at the shop is probably 8am. or right before. It's usually pretty busy, but manageable; the sun has the best angle into the cafe and the customers are all running a little behind to work. Getting them in and out and keeping them happy is one of my favorite things to do. I also enjoy the lunch rush around 12:30 because the customers are endlessly excited about their food. Always puts a smile on my face to see people excited about what we do.

What kind of style or atmosphere do you try to achieve and/or maintain? Is it intentional or mostly happenstance?
As far as our atmosphere goes, I wanted i&j to be as comfortable as possible. Selfishly, because I knew I'd be there everyday, and because if the employees are comfortable in a space, the customers invariably pick up on it. And what I'm most most most interested in is making sure that i&j is somewhere that locals (and their non-local counterparts) can go, and feel at home whether they've been there once or 400 times. So I chose colors, equipment, furniture, art, logo... etc that felt home-y and cheery to me. I like to think that the design was partially happenstance with a lot of intention. Ike & Jane is my life. Literally, my house looks almost exactly the same. Which is mostly unintentional. Once all the colors were on the walls I realized that 90% of what's in i&j is in my home and wardrobe and makes me feel comfortable... which I think makes other people feel comfortable.

What do you notice about the culture of style (fashion, home or otherwise) in Athens? (I loved her answer to this one. Right on.)
One of my favorite things about Athens is that it's a moderately sized city, with a very distinct lifestyle. Not too many people take themselves too seriously. It's relaxed, you can get to know your neighbors, your co workers, random people you see at the grocery store all the time, and it's nothing abnormal. There's a certain small-town quaintness to Athens, despite the fact that so many people live here. I'm glad Athens has managed to maintain a lot of it's home-grown appeal. And with that home-grown appeal comes a lot of homegrown style. The houses in my area are mostly older re-finished homes that have the marks of their owners in one way or another that lend themselves to relaxing, taking a step back, and enjoying your home life. That's what Athens is to me. Family & friends relaxing.

Do you find that the style of the friendly people behind the counter at Ike & Jane are kind of an outpouring of the heart of your business?

As far as the style of my crew goes... I'm not sure I'd say it's an outpouring of the cafe every day. Sometimes they're a hot mess! BUT!!...I think it's important for employees to wear what's most comfortable for them. The more comfortable they are, the happier they are and that's very important. They have to be kind and polite, of course, but I like for it to be genuine... People are way more comfortable in their own styles! Especially when you consider how many strangers they have small conversations with all day!

I'd say my personal style is an outpouring of what I want for the cafe. I'm into basics with a smile. Solid shirts, jeans, flats. I think your personality is more an expression of you than your clothes are on any given day. But maybe that's the school uniforms in me talking! Hah.

THANK YOU, Corie, for being so generous with your time, answers and, of course, the caffeinated and sweet deliciousness you provide us with! What a fantastic portrait of Athens style!

(I should also mention -- because you aspiring business owners might be interested -- these guys came a looooong way to get this place up and running. To view the evolution of Ike & Jane from drywall to cuffins, you can go to their blog (ikeandjane.typepad.com) and start from the beginning. Incredible!)

what i'm (not) looking for

2009-09-27T20:13:00.001-04:00

With the (very slow and "methodical") start of this blog, a lot of questions have come in about where we're headed... what exactly is Athenista looking for? Honestly? There a hundred ways to define what "we" (me and, assuming, my audience... I guess that's something to be decided, eh?) are looking for. So to keep it simple, and for humor's sake, let's look at some things we aren't looking for.

Over the weekend, I found an article poking fun at the very popular Sartorialist. Obviously, I love what the Sartorialist does for fashion. But, I must admit, I don't frequent the blog very often and there are probably a few not-so-solid reasons for that which I won't go in to. Suffice to say that you need not go through a mental flowchart of what to or what not to wear for "the Athenista" to catch you/photograph you/blog you in your natural habitat.

Like I said, I love what they do (high-fashion street style blogs are easily my guiltiest pleasure) but we're looking for something a little more... Athens, if you will.

If you're not familiar with Athens, let me just tell you that Athens is a college town. A big, Southern, student-saturated college town. And while the sorority-style stereotype is certainly pervasive in the local fashion scene (and you will encounter it in one way or another in future street style posts, rest assured), I can firmly guarantee the absence of any ensemble that contains most or all of the following: Uggs, Soffee shorts (with leggings! or, worst of all, pantyhose!) and a pastel North Face fleece. Nothin' wrong at all with these things in their own right but put-together... it's just not quite what we're looking for.

But, it also needs to be said that BECAUSE Athens is a college town, we have a lot of style variety here when it comes to fashion. And decor. And business. And how we live our lives. So, simply put: we're looking for everything in the middle. From just-shy-of-the-Sartorialist to Greek Row, we want to see it! All styles and trends -- layered, basic, cozy and sleek... we want to watch you all run the gamut.

Stay tuned this week as we grab a "cuffin" and visit with one of our favorite local cafe & bakeries, Ike & Jane, and post our first edition of Athenista street style!

Keep the questions and submissions coming to AthenistaStyle@gmail.com

yello

2009-09-23T20:40:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Athenista Style! Created to showcase the spectrum of style and happenings here in the Classic City -- Athens, GA. We focus on fashion and street style and would love to hear from you all you loverly and local Athens fashionistas -- Athenistas!

If you are interested in contributing photos, articles or random bits of Athens goodness, email AthenistaStyle@gmail.com for more information.