babble

isn't part of having a blog indulging oneself in writing down thoughts that by the very nature of sharing via said blog it is inferred that you assume others are interested in reading about when more than likely no one really cares?! 

well, friends, indulge me!

• to chop or not to chop - that is the question. been thinking that i really just want to take the plunge and cut the rest of my hair off super short and pixie-like a' la jean seberg or mia farrow. i did have it that short before and i got so many compliments along the lines of "you have the face for short hair" ...wait, that is a compliment, right?! tried calling to make the appt. but my guy would have to work me in and on occasion that can prove more drama than it's really worth. i'll certainly go a little darker with it if i do as to keep from completely resembling a q-tip (all white, fuzzy top!).
• thrift regrets. i passed up two good items lately and now i'm having thrifter's remorse. one was a pair of lace up ankle booties which i thought would likely be too small for me and couldn't confirm because i was sockless and have a completely reasonable fear of putting thrift store shoes on bare feet.... and the other was a plaid dress that after looking at the runway looks for fall i have a much better idea of how to style and think it could be much cooler than it looked hanging all lonely on the rack. boo. maybe i'll find them again if i go back soon - problem is, i don't remember which store i saw either of them in. could be one of ten! 
• stinky dog. my dog hasn't been bathed in an embarrassingly long time. my hands smell after i pet her. gross.
• downsizing! i got word yesterday that the large one-bedroom apartment that we want is going to be available at the beginning of next month and i put in an application yesterday! hooray! i can't wait to downsize and get rid of stuff and reorganize! i envision my life all streamlined and efficient.... but still dutifully stylish and properly accessorized, of course! 

dear jcrew,

i love you. i love your fall line with all of my heart. i want you to come live with me and be my bestest friend ever. i would take you everywhere with me and show you off to everyone i know... and probably to some i don't. we would have the most lovely time ever and i promise i'd make you perfectly at home in my tiny closet. please say you'll love me too!

forever in awe of your gorgeousness,

the fashion maven

yep, i blame jcrew for my obsession with socks with heels... and thus the $54 excursion at sockdreams.com! the expense was well worth it though, if i do say so myself. here's what my hard earned money got me:





i've always loved that little girl look of ankle socks with dress shoes and last season i was too embarrassed to try it myself (except under pants)- but thanks to my new "f*ck 'em" pledge to only dress for my own enjoyment and not give a second thought to what others might say/think (it's about time seeing as how i'm officially "no longer in my 20's" don't cha think?!) i'm going to step out in style! 

which should i sport first?

probably the sheer Betsy Johnson ones with polka dots since it's so freakin' HOT! i'll save the thicker ones for the fall.... ummmm, fall.

you're so vain i bet you think this post is about you

today i decided to sport a rather subdued outfit in favor of showcasing my amazing vintage purse. they just don't make 'em like this anymore:

it's got a built in vanity mirror to check your lipstick in discreetly! (i'll even admit that i've used it at the dinner table more than once.) if you enlarge the last pic you can see how it hinges up and out of the middle of three compartments - cool! 

....oh, and i guess you can also see up my nose - uncool!

the only 2 problems (if you wanna call them that; i suppose "challenges" is a better term) are that i have grown quite accustomed to big olsen-sized bags and downsizing to this sweet little thing requires a real re-tooling of what one refers to as "necessities"... and one of the links on the chain has a prong that sticks out and pokes holes in the shoulder of my shirt - boo.

i don't mind the downsizing - it seems to be a theme with me lately though:

cutting of the hair, cleaning out closets, trying (desperately) to move into a smaller abode...

bigger may sometimes feel easier but i'm really beginning to think that it definitely isn't better.

on another note, i had a very nice weekend despite the suffocating heat. how was yours?

thanks to "lou" for taking the humid photo shoot - champagne sundays are the best and so are YOU!

it's gonna be a bright, bright sun-shiny day

well, it was earlier anyway... now the afternoon thunderstorms are rolling through (summer in the south) and it's that awesome post-rain air outside - and a little cooler than the previous heat index of 106 which is something at least. 

i really like rain. in fact, i said to my BFF (who's getting married in October) that if i were getting married I'd pray for rain. pouring, drenching, rain. she agreed to disagree. 

so, before the impending rainstorm the BF and i went to the park with our puppy and he took a few photos of the new red dress i mentioned earlier ($3 thrift) to show off. we'd hit the antique mall earlier in the day and i came really close to buying an awesome bow pin that was gold with little tiny seed pearls all over it but they wanted waaay to much for it (i'm spoiled from thrifing) and i remembered that i already have a bow pin (duh.) so i came home and doubled up on the bows - one pinned on and one on the headband (which practically blends into my freshly bleached hair)! i did however purchase the scarf tied to my bag for $1.50!

here we go again...

there's just so much i want to say! 

anyway, i wanna throw out the idea that i want a thrift store pen-pal. 

here's what i'm thinking:

i buy something cool at the thrift and send it to someone whose blog i admire whom i think would enjoy it and they send me something back - we can keep doing this forever.....

OR 

if enough folks get into it, we can make it a chain-letter type of thing and i send something to someone and then they send something to someone, and so on and so forth until the circle completes itself and i get something back from someone i may not even know of! 

brilliant! it combines the joy of getting mail with the joy of thrifting!

and if someone somewhere along the way drops the ball then you may be out like $5 at the most but you'll know you tried and that you probably made someone's day! 

WHO'S IN?!

où est la bibliothèque?

here's my first outfit post.

i was feeling a library vibe whilst taking the photos, thus the book as prop. the dress is vintage from the thrift as are the belt, purse and slip beneath (it's one of the new ones i got today - see earlier post). the shoes are BCBG and the headband is from F21. 

i'm still not really sure about this whole "look at me!" aspect of having a fashion/style blog and writing about yourself but i think that i feel like theclotheshorse does in her post about the narcissistic aspects of the blog being out-weighed by the general sense of community and connection one can gain from opening yourself up to others on the web who share the same interests and point of view as you do. i've got pretty thick (and very pale) skin so i think i can take it if someone doesn't like what i'm layin' down here. we shall see...

ps - if anyone has advice about making the above pics in-line with one another that'd be great. i think they are screwy cause i uploaded them at different times? hrumph.

one, two, three, four - tell me that you love me more.

one.

went thrifting and found two very delicate and in-tact (re: clean) christian dior full-length slips for THREE DOLLARS EACH. they will go nicely with my plan to join painfullyhip.com on her bright idea to adopt this dramatic look for fall.

two. 

also scored a cute red dress (post pic soon) to rev up my weekend (which currently has zero social events planned). 

three. 

caught an NPR interview with Paul Anka about his 2005 release "Rock Swings" on which he takes newer songs and swings them up old blue eyes style and immediately downloaded it... i *must* have a swingin' dinner party soon! how have i lived the past three years without knowing this existed? it's so me it's not just up my alley it is my alley. 

four.

did you forget?......IT'S FRIDAY!