Dress Like A Wasp's Nest

I feel like a cocoon today.  Or a wasp's nest, what with all my gray, lumpy layers:

Which isn't to say I don't like this outfit.  I actually really do.  It's cozy as hell and it's as comfortable as pajamas. And it's successful deployment of a maxi dress in cooler weather, which is something I've struggled with in the past.

What it's not, is figure-flattering.  I know as a blogger I'm supposed to be demonstrating how to dress in the most flattering way (Right?  Isn't that what I'm supposed to be doing here?), but I just can't do it.  You want to wear something that swallows your shape?  Go for it.  Dress like a wasp's nest, if you want.  I totally support that.

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

80s + Plaid = Love

This sweater is one of those fabled plaid pieces I thrifted this summer in anticipation of cooler weather:

Sweater: vintage, similar   Scarf: DIY   Jeans: Banana Republic   Boots: Nine West "Darsy"

 Well, cooler weather has arrived, and I finally (finally!) got to wear my beloved plaid cardigan.  And it was a delight.

Except that the super-low-v neckline gave me a bit of trouble.  It's not as though the girls popped out and waved at folks, but I could feel them thinking about it.  I tried to mitigate their overwhelming friendliness with a scarf, and I think that worked, but I was awfully warm all day.

I tell you, Friends, it's a rough day when a gal has to choose between sweating and flashing people.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

DIY: Put a Tassel on It

I loved the �global chic� trend this summer and especially loved all the tasseled sandals on the market as the result of the trend.  I did not, however, want to buy a new pair of sandals that I knew I wouldn�t get much use out of.  As much as I love �global chic� it�s not exactly my daily aesthetic and I didn�t think the cost-per-wear would be low enough to justify new sandals.  Instead, I decided to put a tassel on some sandals I already own� leading to my very first DIY!

 

I�m going to show you how to turn these:

 

 

Into these:

First, you need some sandals.  I chose my Jeffery Campbell pair because they already have a sort of casual/boho feel to them.  And the t-strap is the perfect place to put some tassels:

 

For tassels, I purchased some faux-leather ones on Etsy at Bohemian Findings for less than $5.00.  I was able to message the vendor requesting two of each color and specifying the colors I wanted.  In addition to tassels, you will also need small (3/4� or 7/8�) gold-tone safety pins:

 

 You will need three tassels and four safety pins per shoe.
 

Step 1 � Put one safety pin on each tassel.

 

 

Step 2 � Attach the first tassel to the sandal.

Step 3 � Attach the rest of the tassels to the shoe.
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As you can see, instead of attaching my tassels to a buckle, I attached them to a cross-strap so they�d hang where I wanted them.  But, you can certainly attach them to a buckle or other hardware.

 

Step 4 � Repeat on the other shoe.

 

Step 5 (Optional) � Once all three tassels are on, attach the fourth pin crosswise, so they�re grouped together.

 

 

Step 6 � You�re done.  Wear your newly tasseled shoes as you see fit.

I wore mine with all-white for yesterday's Two Birds' Inspiration Monday.

 

Note: I chose to put my tassels on the front of my shoes, but they�d look equally cute hanging from the ankle.

 

And there you have it, my very first DIY.  As you can see, it�s both cheap and easy! 

 

Happy Tuesday, All!

 

Gracey

Limp and Wrinkled

I swear this outfit was cute until I rode to work in the rain:

By the time I got here, it was all limp and wrinkled:

Which makes me sad because I otherwise really liked this outfit.  I like the combination of the lace sweatshirt (Style & Co via Macys) with the red skirt (vintage via Goodwill).  And I like the addition of the Swiss dot tights (Hue via Macys), the riding boots (Born Crown �Sosie� via Nordstrom) and the plaid infinity scarf (DIY).  It�s just too bad that in addition to having buttons, my skirt also has wrinkles and in addition to being plaid, my scarf is also limp.

I will say, though, that the limp scarf and the wrinkled skirt are totally worth being able to ride my bike again.  I couldn�t ride for seven weeks and it was horrible, but as I said on Twitter yesterday, I�m now back to menacing school children and slow-moving squirrels.  And I couldn�t be happier, rain or no.

Oh, in case you�re curious, I followed this tutorial for making my scarf (it�s the same tutorial I used for this scarf). 

Also, if plaid is your thing, Adrienne and Jill have a plaid post up at Adrienne�s blog, The Rich Life (on a Budget).  My plaid skirt from last week is there along with several other lovely bloggers showing off their plaid, so go take a peek.

And have a happy Tuesday!

Gracey

Mocha, Charcoal and Plaid

One of the looks I knew for certain I�d try this fall and winter was black with brown.  And then, the other day, my charcoal sweater ended up next to my brown skirt and I realized that I also needed to try graywith brown.  So, I did:

Specifically what I did was to pair that charcoal sweater (Tulle) with a mocha-colored midi-skirt (vintage, thrifted).  I added gray and black herringbone tights (HUE), black shooties (BC Shoes) and my plaid infinity scarf (DIY�d).

And I�m glad I tried it, because I liked it.  I think the look would have worked just as well with a black sweater, but I think the charcoal with the mocha is a little bit more unexpected.  And I think the plaid scarf was a little unexpected as well.  Well, maybe not on me as I wear this thing constantly, but in general terms of clothing combinations, I�m totally cutting edge.

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Gracey

From Swans to Stripes

On Saturday night, I attended the Pacific Northwest Bloggers Holiday Party in Portland.  I was nervous and had no idea what to wear.  I ended up in this:

Franco Sarto "Leticia" - image via Nordstrom

Why?  Well, I figured nothing says �holiday� like swans (except, you know, maybe Santa, holly, elves or whatever) and nothing says �blogger� like a blazer with pushed up sleeves, so I wore a black blazer (Gap), with the sleeves pushed up, over my swan print dress (eShakti ).  I then remembered that bloggers also enjoy pattern mixing, so I added sheer polka dot tights (Spanx via Nordstrom) to the look and finished it up with Mary Jane pumps (Franco Sarto �Leticia� via Nordstrom).

And I think the look was well-received.  There were so many bloggers there that I didn�t actually even meet them all, but I believe my swans put those I did talk to at ease, because we chatted like old friends.  The lesson here?  Never under estimate the power of a swan dress, folks.

For today, I�ve gone from swans to stripes:

But, I kept the pattern mixing because I like to maintain my blogger street cred, even while at my day job.

Today�s mix comes from the striped �-sleeve tee (Target) and plaid scarf (DIY�d).  I also wore a red, button-front skirt (vintage, Goodwill) and gray, suede boots (Circa Joan & David via Piperlime).  I thought I�d give suede a shot as it wasn�t supposed to rain today; it started to rain as I took my pictures.  I love Oregon weather.

Happy Monday, Everyone!

Gracey

Floral and Tights

I�m aware that this isn�t the most spring-like outfit in the world:

But, I had to wear tights; it was very cold and very rainy on my ride in today which means that I had to wear something that kept me warm and dried quickly.  As I mentioned before, that�s usually tights.  Today the tights (Spanx) are layered under a sleeveless floral dress (thrifted and hemmed) and a cardigan (Old Navy).  I added a skinny belt (Steve Madden via Ross), booties (BC Footwear via Piperlime) and pink drop earrings (gifted; thanks, Nan!). 

And yes, I was mostly warm enough and I dried quickly.

Hopefully the weather will be better for Memorial Day Weekend, but if not, it�s still a four-day weekend for me and that�s fabulous news, rain or shine.

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

Gracey

Put a Stick Pin in It

This dress is too big.  It always has been but I usually belt it.  Today, though, I decided to put a stick pin in it:

Which was surprisingly really very easy.  I just gathered the excess fabric to the left and worked a stick pin through the folds.  I did have to try it a couple of times to get it where I wanted it, but I�m really pleased with how it turned out.  Here is a close up (please to ignore the lint):

I layered the dress over a striped tee (J. Crew), added cuffed boots (Gap), polka dot socks (Target), a tassel necklace (Old Navy), Nikki Jacoby earrings and a cuff (thrifted). 

Also, last time I wore these boots, a side-view was requested, so here that is:  

And I think that�s it for me.  I have a pretty busy weekend planned, including a Stone in Love concert.  Stone in Love is a very good local Journey cover band and they are so much fun to watch.  We are watching them at the Star Theater in Portland and here is a video from last year's show at the Aladdin:

Happy Friday, Everyone!  Have a wonderful weekend!!

Gracey

Kitschy Print #17

This dress is just further evidence that I love myself a kitschy print:

I feel justified with this one because I swear more than one fashion magazine said tropical prints were in.  So, I�m totally fashion-forward with this.  Not buying it?  Fine, I just like kitschy prints.  Today�s was thrifted and hemmed by yours truly.  Before I hemmed it, the dress was that awkward length between a midi and a maxi and it was a lot of kitsch, even for me.  Now, it�s just the perfect amount.

I paired the dress with a coral belt (Steven Madden via Ross) because I�ve decided to wear this belt with everything this summer.  And I added pewter sandals (Lovely People via Ideeli) instead of heels to keep the beach-y feel of the dress and because my tootsies still hurt from my night of wild 80s dancing on Friday.

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend and a happy Monday!

Gracey

Not Dressed For Spring

No, I am not dressed for spring. Because it doesn�t feel like spring.  It�s cold and rainy and feels more like autumn.  So I pretty much just dressed for autumn:

I paired an autumn-hued skirt (thrifted and crookedly hemmed by yours truly) with a black long-sleeve tee (Old Navy) layered under a lightweight black sweater (Target).  I added leggings (Old Navy) because I�m not kidding, it�s seriously cold and riding boots (Born Crown �Sosie�); ditto on the cold thing.  The scarf (v. old) was also added because it�s cold.

I do think it�s supposed to warm up this weekend and hopefully stay warm for a bit, but if I show up in 18 layers again on Monday we�ll know that didn�t happen.

Speaking of the weekend, mine is going to be super-busy.  Actually, May is going to be a super-busy month in general.  I have speed dating, brunch, concerts, dancing, more brunch and, of course, 80s prom (send me your pictures; you know you want to (yes, Lynne, you)).  This weekend is speed dating, dancing and/or drinking, a slumber party and brunch, all of which I am totally excited for.

How about you, Reader Friends?  Do you have any plans, exciting or otherwise, for the weekend?

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey