{Almost daily outfit of the day} Pose 1.25.12

Hunt. Gather. Style vintage Jordache blazer; thrifted J Crew blouse; thrifted J Brand jeans; Old Navy belt; Dolce Vita wedges; vintage thrifted Coach satchel (win its twin in  my giveaway!)

I can't recall the names of the first personal style blogs I ever read. I don't remember the first posts I skimmed, or what the outfits contained within them looked like (though I am almost certain they involved Jeffrey Campbell shoes.) But I very vividly remember the bewilderment I felt. Who were these women with their penchant for posing in public? What made them drag their cameras and tripods or boyfriends or best friends out into the woods or parking lots or alleyways or abandoned warehouses to take pictures of themselves? What motivated them to do so? Was this vapid narcissism run amok or a new, revolutionary art form? What the heck was going on, anyway???

Yesterday I became one of those women. For the first time in the history of my blog, I left the safely guarded confines of my backyard for an alley with an even more interesting brick wall than I usually pose in front of. I ignored the curious looks of passerby. I gathered my strength, smiled widely, posed, and got the hell out of there. It felt curiously great.

{Almost daily outfit of the day} Ode to a vintage sequin jacket 1.16.12

Buffalo Exchange vintage sequin jacket: thrifted J Brand jeans; thrifted Gap long-sleeved tee; Dolce Vita ankle boots; Bloom clutch

Dear vintage sequin jacket,

We met innocently enough. It was an unusually warm January day, leading a girl to dream of picnics and leisurely strolls through the park. I was wandering through Buffalo Exchange, browsing through racks of mini dresses, sheer metallic blouses, silk tunics, plush vintage furs and crushed velvet overalls when my hand brushed against your embellished sleeve. You winked at me knowingly, sequins reflecting the bright overhead light.You knew I would have a difficult time resisting you. I examined your rows of white bugle beads and tiny embroidered sequin flowers. I was entranced by your delicate lavender and pale green beading against white silk. We considered each other. I asked myself if I really needed another vintage sequin jacket. Were you worth $16? Did I even have room for you in my nearly overflowing closet? And what in the world was I going to wear you with?

So here we are together, vintage sequin jacket. I'm pleased with how you elevate an ordinary Gap long sleeved tee to something special. I'm glad you are in my life. I can't quit you, vintage sequin jacket. We were meant to be.

{Almost daily outfit of the day} English heart 1.9.12

Vintage thrifted blazer; thrifted cashmere sweater; thrifted J Brand jeans; vintage mink stole; Dolce Vita wedges; Rebecca Minkoff crossbody bag

I've never been to London. I've never explored an English castle or climbed into a crumbling 16th century turret. I've never ridden through the countryside on horseback, wind whipping my hair. I haven't taken afternoon tea in  Kensington's Milestone Hotel. I've never sat in a dark pub drinking Guinness (or whatever the English like to drink) while watching a rousing football match on the telly. I've yet to slink through London's snug streets at night, feet striding on weathered cobblestone. I've never caught a bus in Trafalger Square.  And I've never, ever eaten fish and chips wrapped in newspaper and doused in vinegar - the proper English way. Not even once. 

But I did borrow a bit of dress from the English today with my tweed blazer and elbow patches. My outfit might be accessorized by a New York accent, but my inner Londoner is quite happy, mates.

Almost daily outfit of the day: Holiday hysteria 12.21.11

Lucky Brand jacket; thrifted Target blouse; thrifted J Brand jeans; Dolce Vita ankle boots

The week before Christmas marks the official start of winter break for my kids. This means that they're home from school for two weeks, and I am subjected to conversations such as the following:

Jake: MOM! DID YOU SEE THAT COMMERCIAL FOR THE SKYLANDERS WII GAME ON TV???!!! OH MY GOD MOM I WANT THAT FOR CHRISTMAS SO BAD!

Josh: I WANT THAT TOO! Mom, we've been so good this year, we only got in trouble that one time we spilled water all over your laptop and it got broken.

Jake: But then you got a new laptop so it was totally okay.

Josh: And MOM! MOM! MOM! Mom, are you listening? Mom, don't forget I REALLY REALLY REALLY want that Bakugan set, you know the one Mom, it was SO COOL!

Me: (Reaching for the Advil.) Boys, Santa will be here in just four days. Christmas is going to be great. Let's talk about something else for a change, okay?

 *Extended silence.*

Jake: How many minutes to Christmas Mom? Like exactly how many? Because I HAVE TO KNOW.

You can understand my need for both a steady amount of patience and an arsenal of simple outfits this week. These thrifted J Brand jeans might be the best score I've made all year, convincing me that Santa works in mysterious ways.

In case you missed it:

• Don't forget to enter my blog anniversary giveaway featuring Urban Decay cosmetics and a TJ Maxx/Marshalls gift card!

A Saturday spent with Dallas fashion bloggers? Yes please!

There are lots of adjectives I could use to describe myself: Eclectic. Introspective. Sarcastic. Scrappy. However, I do not consider myself a joiner. In high school I spent much of my time hiding in music practice rooms working on flute concertos, and exploring Manhattan with only my worn leather backpack and cup of coffee as accompaniment. While I cherish my time spent with friends, I'm not one of those women who needs to be with people all the time. I'm perfectly content shopping alone, or making a solo trip to a bar for a shot of whiskey (I must be the only person who nurses a drink while reading chick lit on their Kindle.) In addition, large group gatherings intimidate the crap out of me. Despite my tattoos, and bright red hair, I'm not as outgoing as you might think. I get crazy anxious before parties and events. I worry that I'm going to spill something in myself, be under-dressed, be over-dressed, talk too much, talk too little, or otherwise embarrass myself.

However, I squealed with delight when Kileen invited me to the DFW Blogger Meetup on Saturday. Despite my apparent social anxiety disorder, there was no way I was going to pass up the chance to socialize with other fashion and personal style bloggers in the Dallas area. I wasn't sure how many people were going to be there, but fifteen bloggers turned up! Thank God I changed 1423 times or I would indeed been painfully under-dressed.

Good lord is my hair red. I stuck out like a traffic light among all those gorgeous brunettes.

We began with brunch at Ristoranti Cibus in Northpark Center. Northpark is a fantastic place to spend a day, and even more so with fashion bloggers. Over brunch we introduced ourselves and described our bogs, exchanged business cards, discussed blogging techniques, and got to know one another over bottomless mimosas and bellinis. Brunch was absolutely delicious too - I dug into a plate of brioche with gravlox, capers and cream cheese. Yummo. As a relatively new blogger, it was really fun to be included in a group of such stylish, intelligent women. I learned so much and hopefully made friends I will keep in touch with for a long time.

I was too busy schmoozing to take many pictures, but here's a few from the day:

The epically stylish Angga of Reservade Fashion, wearing  a Forever 21 bag and spring's hottest color: coral! She drove all the way from Kansas to attend the meetup, and I was so excited to meet her.

Posting with Tina of T Minus T Plus, who gave me so many useful tips for promoting and tracking my blog. I really hope to stay in touch with her - she was so much fun to meet!

Posing In Northpark's courtyard in a thrifted J Crew blazer, Forever 21 top, thrifted J Brand jeans; Stuart Weitzman wedges, Forever black pyramid bracelet, and thrifted vintage bag

After brunch we attended a cosmetics consultation courtesy of Dior and Allure magazine. I was drooling over the color-rich, luxurious makeup available for us to try. We broke up into two groups and received lessons regarding moisturizers, primers and foundation, followed by instruction on eyeshadow blending and liner application. I'm a total make-up junkie - though most of my cosmetics come from Target (Loreal shadows are the bomb) - so this was a pretty amazing experience. It was like Christmas morning, my birthday, and a sorority road trip all mashed into one. But with better clothes.

Irene of Pink Hearted Princess served as the perfect model, though she was perfectly gorgeous before getting made up!

I had an absolutely fantastic time, and I'm really hopeful the other bloggers and I can organize regular monthly gatherings. It was a blast.

Would you ever attend a blogger meetup? Have you made any personal connections with other bloggers outside the internet?