Day 3: White Heat

So, here�s the deal.  Last week Oregon�s weather was sort of crummy.  I complained and now it�s mid-90s.  I�m not saying that Mother Nature�s trying to punish me, but 95 in September feels a little vindictive.  Anywho, it�s hot.  Stupid hot.  Too hot for clothes, but public nudity is frowned upon (What�s that?  It�s illegal?  Good to know.), so I wore this:

I just couldn�t possibly manage anything more than a simple white dress (Bar III via Macys) and sandals (Enzo Angolini, similar) in this heat.  Heck, I couldn�t even manage a necklace!  But, that doesn�t mean I didn�t accessorize.  No, I used some brooches (similar fruit, similar blue, exact bee) in a cluster at my waist and some studs on my wrist (Nordstrom) to add some interest and a little color.

Hopefully it will cool off some tomorrow because I only have one simple white dress in my Perfect 10 and public nudity will most likely still be illegal.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

When Squirrels Attack: Part Deux

For some reason, squirrels hate me.  I don't know if they think I'm a tree and are trying to nest in my admittedly nest-able hair, or what.  But, today, this happened:

What caused such look of terror on my normally smiling face?

Well, I'll tell you.  What happened was I got attacked by this little, blood-thirsty killer:

Notice the straightened tail for maximum aerodynamic attack speed.

First he rushed me from the right, then tried to sneak back up on me from the left.  You can see in this next picture he tries to pretend he's minding his own business, but he is totally eye-ballin' me:

Sneaky little bastard.

But, enough about the killer squirrel.  Let's talk about the clothes.  This is what I wore:

 

Isn't that blouse fun?!!  I love it.  It's bright and colorful and I think the large-scale print is pretty cool.  To balance the delightful brightness of the blouse (thrifted) I decided to wear dark bottoms.  And to balance the wide-leg of the pants (Banana Republic) I decided to wear platform sandals (Franco Sarto via Nordstrom Rack).  I finished the look with black accessories.

Happy Thursday, Everyone!  Watch out for killer squirrels!

Gracey

June Wears Leopard

I feel a bit like June Cleaver in this dress.  Of course, in my version, June wears leopard:

But, just a touch; like a leopard belt.  Just enough to prove she�s edgy and can do more than make meatloaf.

Of course, I don�t make meatloaf, or anything really, and I didn�t add the belt for edginess.  I added it because I�ve decided that pairing leopard with polka dots is my thing.  Well, one of my things.  Other things that are my thing include pairing leopard with green, owning too many coats and gesturing a LOT when I talk.  

Here�s an example of that last thing:

I think I was demonstrating that my hair was slightly better now.  Maybe.

This is actually what the majority of my photos look like on any given day.  I�m always flailing about with my hands or using them to demonstrate just how small something is.

But, I digress.  So, yes, today I did my thing and wore my polka dot dress (Coldwater Creek, thrifted) and I did pair it with a leopard belt (thrifted?).  I also added yellow platforms (Franco Sarto �Fylan� via Nordstrom Rack) and some bangles:

Is it the most fashion-forward outfit ever?  No.  But, it makes me feel as though I could slap an apron on and make something if need be.  Therefore, it gets full points for inducing delusions of domestic grandeur.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Speaking of Black and Brown

As many of you pointed out in the comments yesterday, one of the easiest ways to wear black and brown together is to wear leopard print.  I�m a huge fan of leopard print, believing it to be a neutral that pairs well with a variety of other neutrals as well as with color.  Like blue:

I have to admit, I am super-excited about this skirt.  I�ve been looking to thrift a leopard print skirt for ages, but they�re usually mini-skirts or pencil skirts and I needed something knee-length and full.  And then, about a month ago, I found this skirt and it�s perfect.

It has a high-waist, which I love, and, of course, the full skirt that I need to ride my bike.  It�s also a nice, lightweight cotton so I can wear it all year long.  Today I paired the skirt (Jones New York, thrifted) with a blue blouse (Old Navy (also, yes, I have this blouse in three different colors)), a studded, corset belt (v. old, JC Penney) and black, platform sandals (BP Shoes via Nordstrom Rack).   But, I can�t wait to start pairing it with tights and sweaters like my girl Ana did with her leopard print skirt yesterday.  I plan on pairing it with more black, charcoal gray and maybe some burgundy (or oxblood, if you must).  

Do you wear leopard?  If so, what is your favorite pairing?

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

Gracey

The Replacement Shoes

This was not a good summer for my shoes.  My blue suede platforms broke, my leopard peep toes are years old and starting to fray, I ruined the soles on my ankle boots falling down some concrete stairs and the linen straps on my espadrilles gave up the ghost:

The thing is; I�m hard on my shoes.  I use my heels to put my kickstand up, I ride my bike in the rain so my shoes can get pretty wet, and, let�s be honest, I�m not the most delicate flower in the blogosphere, so my shoes have to contend with a not small amount of weight.  I do what I can to protect my shoes against wear and tear, but they do eventually wear out.  Which means Mama needs a new pair of shoes.  Or four.

Luckily for me, I�ve added all of these to my shopping list.  Because, after my admittedly brief, but still grueling, shopping ban and closet purge this summer, I am actually doing better about sticking to my list.  And, because I am getting rid of the shoes I�ve replaced, I�m also following the (admittedly half-assed) one-in-one-out policy I�ve implemented.  Yay, me!  

Even more luckily for me, Nordstrom Rack had a clearance sale over Labor Day weekend and I was able to score two pairs of replacement shoes for under $50.00.  I bought the yellow pair I�ve been wearing the past couple days to replace my blue pair, and I bought this pair to replace my espadrilles:

I paired my new sandals (BP. Shoes) with a new-to-me thrifted dress and added a thin belt (Steve Madden via Ross) and a vintage bangle.  I know these shoes don�t resemble the pair they replaced that much, but they had everything I was looking for: they�re two-tone (black and natural), they�re strappy (T instead of ankle) and they�re comfortable.

Enough about the shoes though, let�s talk about the dress for a bit.  I love this thing:

Not the print so much � I have no idea what it is.  But, I love the cut and the fit.  And what I really love are the possibilities of this dress.  Because it buttons from hem to neck, I think it will be extremely versatile.  I can�t wait to layer it over, under and next to things all year round.

Happy Friday, Everyone!  Have a great weekend!

Gracey

Stripes and Mia-Approved Pockets

My dress today has stripes and what I believe would be Mia-approved pockets:

This pose is soooo smarmy; it makes me laugh.

Blogger friend Mia wrote that she used to use pocket size as criteria for buying clothes.  If the pockets were big enough to hold a book, it was meant to be hers.  I�m pretty sure my pockets today are big enough to hold a book.  Maybe not a trade paperback, but a couple of Harlequin Romances for sure.

Not that I�d ever put books in these pockets.  When I my hips found out I was even just writing about it, they started preparing Molotov cocktails.  They like to make it very, very clear that they won�t accept any added bulk in their region; they�d secede before they let that happen.  And, of course, my thighs are always up for a revolution so they lent my hips some matches.

Even if I don�t use the pockets for books, I still think this is a pretty great dress.  It�s been on the blog a couple of times before, but not at all this summer.  So, I figured I�d get in a post while it was still summer.  The dress is vintage Raoul (thrifted) and I paired it with an embroidered belt (Target) and platform sandals (Franco Sarto via Nordstrom Rack).  If yesterday�s outfit was a bit 80s, today�s feels a bit 70s to me; like I�m applying for the position of art teacher at that aggressively feminist all-girls summer camp I �worked� at earlier this summer.  I love that imaginary camp.  

And I love this dress.

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

Gracey