{Daily outfit} Woah, we're halfway there. 6.26.12

 Cardigan? Gap Outlet. Gap tee shirt? Thrifted. J Crew skirt? Thrifted. Wedges? Miz Mooz. Gold bracelet? Forever 21. Handmade clutch? Giveaway coming soon!

Like all summers prior to this, the days are flying by. The heat is oppressive, energy levels sluggish, and outdoor activities limited to swimming, frantically darting in and out of air-conditioned business, and evenings spent drinking ice cold beers on restaurant patios. It doesn't seem like autumn, with its blissfully crisp mornings, splendor of changing leaves, and pumpkin everything will ever arrive.

But arrive it will. School supplies are beginning to fill store aisles. Catalogs heralding next season's must have sweaters and boots are filling my mailbox. And in a few short weeks my children will be trotting off to school. Summer's long days are halfway gone. And I, for one, couldn't be happier - mostly because I'm frustrated trying to dress for the 100+ degree temperatures outside, and arctic air conditioning inside. Hence this outfit. Fall layers up on top, summer bare legs down below.

Are you holding your breath for autumn too? Or do you relish summer?

{Daily Outfit} Polka dot crop. 7.24.12

 Vintage cropped denim vest? Thrifted. Tee shirt? Gap Outlet. Liz Claiborne polka dot skirt? Thrifted. White sandals? DSW. Bracelets? Forever 21.

Some of you have mentioned how happy I've looked in these recent outfit pics. I can blame this on one thing: for the first time in my life, I have a job that I really, truly love. Whether it was fate, friendship, or plain dumb luck, I've ended up working in Vintage Martini, Dallas' best vintage store. When accepting consignments, I get to meet some of the most interesting people and learn just what brought each piece into their life, whether it's a 50's evening gown handed down from their mother or a Gucci bag obtained during a trip to Florence. I get to spend my day in a place that houses delicate Edwardian dresses, crocodile handbags, and spindly Prada heels. I get to learn all the intricacies behind running a small business.

But the best part? I get to wear as much vintage as I want. Like this fun 80's polka dot skirt and cropped denim vest. And that alone is enough to put a smile on my face.

{Thrifting 101} I thrifted: Linen and gold 6.14.12

Vintage linen vest? Thrifted, $3.99. American Eagle striped shirt? Thrifted, $2.99. Shorts? Thrifted, $2.99. Vintage Coach satchel? Thrifted, $10.00. Bracelets? Forever 21, $8.00.

 Michael Kors rose gold watch? Thrifted, $40.00.

There's something about wearing an entirely thrifted outfit that makes me feel good, much in the same way eating chocolate chip cookies does (because they're essentially a hug for your mouth.) A thrifted outfit admits to the world both that I'm both an unbridled cheapskate and stubborn shopper, the kind that spends hours digging through racks while tolerating grimy hands and allergic reactions to dust all for the sweet satisfaction of an outfit that cost less than a tank of gas.

I spied this vest during a brief thrifting excursion last week. I was in a hurry, and I didn't buy it. But it haunted me so persistently that I returned to the store the very next day in search of it.

What would you wear with this linen vest? Give me some of your outfit ideas!

{Almost daily outfit of the day} Fly like an eagle. 6.11.12

Vintage Wrangler shirt; Forever 21 tee; vintage thrifted shorts; Target sneakers; vintage turquoise and coral earrings

Once upon a time, this vintage Wrangler denim shirt had patches of soaring eagles on it. You can still see their shadow, wings spread just above the snap front pockets. I like to imagine the gentleman who took the time to iron these patches on. I am certain he rode a Harley with an exhaust system so loud it set off car alarms; smoked unfiltered Marlboro's; dated a woman named Darlene; had a long, stringy mullet; and drank Bud Light with a whiskey chaser at a bar with a name like Buckwild's or Hawg Hallow.

I'd like to have met this man, and perhaps bought him a drink. Anyone who takes the time and care to alter an article of clothing in order to celebrate a bird is a friend of mine.

{Almost daily outfit of the day} Stripes and sparkle 5.31.12

J Crew striped top; thrifted Bitten jeans; Nine West pumps; Forever 21 rhinestone collar necklace; thrifted vintage rhinestone necklaces; thrifted Michael Kors rose gold watch

Today marked the occasion of my oldest child graduating from elementary school. There was a fair amount of pomp and circumstance, along with a really sappy movie made by PTA moms depicting moments from the past year that I am sure was designed to elicit tears from parents. While most moms in the audience were wearing Nike Tempo shorts and sweats and tee shirts, I decided to throw on a pile of rhinestones necklaces and heels for the event. Because sometimes the simplest excuse to get creative with my outfits is the best.

{Almost daily outfit of the day} Sailor stripes 5.7.12

Forever 21 tee; thrifted Anthropologie skirt; thrifted Ferragamo wedge espadrilles;  vintage estate sale clutch

Today I am wearing a skirt with a boat on it. My encounters with boats, and with boating in general, have been limited. In college I had a brief yet illustrious career as a member of a co-ed crew team. Now, lest you think I sat amongst a group of buff athletes, rowing strenuously alongside them in synchronization, I must confess that I was the coxswain and never even picked up an oar, much less rowed a stroke. In case you're unfamiliar with the sport of crew, the job of the coxswain is to sit at the stern of the boat, yell at the rowers to stay in rhythm, and steer the boat. The cox doesn't work out with the team. She doesn't help clean off the boat after practice. She perches at the front and enjoys a perfectly lovely morning of gliding along the water while her teammates huff and puff and send her dirty looks for yelling at them.

Truthfully, I was a terrible coxswain. I had an unfortunate habit of steering the boat into the marsh that lined the river we practiced on. And most of the team hated me for yelling at them while they rowed. I might have been a little too enthusiastic about that part of the job. But you know what? I loved being on the water, even though our call time for practice was 4:30 am. I loved being part of a team, even though I wasn't exactly athletic. It was grand. And I loved wearing my little crew jacket with my name embroidered in curling script. That was the best part of all.

{Almost daily outfit of the day} Vintage skirts and compressed internal organ syndrome: an overview 5.2.12

Gap Outlet tee; vintage thrifted skirt; thrifted Banana Republic flats; vintage estate sale clutch; Forever 21 and eBay bracelets

Friends, today I would like to introduce you to a terrifying-sounding yet mostly innocuous medical condition called Vintage Skirt-Induced Compressed Internal Organ Syndrome, also known as VSI-CIOS. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, nausea, the inability to tuck in shirts, and confusion regarding whether the waist size of women in the 60's and 70's was as tiny as clothes of that time suggest.

VSI-CIOS is often a mix of two diseases:

• Chronic Obstructive Denial: In CID, the patient insists on wearing vintage skirts with waist sizes that do not correlate with their actual waist measurement.
• Compulsive Thrifting Disorder: Victims of CTD spend an excessive amount of time in thrift stores, despite intervention by friends and family to reduce this time-sucking behavior.

So far, researchers have identified victims of VSI-CIOS as female vintage enthusiasts with the confounding ability to sacrifice physical discomfort for personal style. You might get VSI-CIOS if you have a tendency to to spend an excessive amount of time in thrift stores, find yourself compulsively buying vintage skirts with waists that squeeze and pinch, and irrationally justify their purchase through statements such as "This skirt is Satan's handiwork, but I'm wearing it" and "OH MY GOD I CAN'T BREATHE...but I sure look cute."

There is no known cure for VSI-CIOS, largely because the sweet siren call of a great vintage skirt is hard, if not impossible, to resist. Attempts to come between a vintage enthusiast and her apparel should be regarded as potentially life-threatening and extremely dangerous. 

I confess that today I am a victim of Vintage Skirt-Induced Compressed Internal Organ Syndrome. But when the skirt is this great, I could care less.

{Almost daily outfit of the day} My colors are blush and bashful. 4.27.12

Thrifted James Perse top; thrifted H&M shirt; Miz Mooz wedges; thrifted vintage clutch; Forever 21 bracelets; thrifted rose gold Michael Kors watch

I know, I know. This is a lot of pink. If this outfit were a scene from a movie, it would be the wedding scene in Steel Magnolias. Don't pretend you haven't seen it. In it, Shelby (played by Julia Roberts, who wears so much make-up she looks embalmed) walks down the aisle towards Dylan McDermott (as a preppy Southern good ole' boy named Jackson) in a church that looks like it was hosed down with Pepto Bismol. Pink, we learn, is Shelby's signature color. Pink is also my signature color, though I wouldn't go so far as to drown a church in it.

Despite the trials and tribulations I'm going through, pink makes me feel happy and hopeful. Unfortunately, Shelby meets a sad fate, falling into a diabetic coma while her poor sweet little innocent towheaded toddler son wails helplessly in the background and a bubbling pot of spaghetti sauce overflows on the stove and then, AND THEN, Jackson finds her crumpled on the porch clutching the phone which we KNOW she was using to try and call him for help but it was TOO LATE and she dies and there are pink flowers at her funeral and OH MY GOD IT IS THE SADDEST SCENE IN A MOVIE EVER.

Anyway.

The lesson learned from all this? Pink makes for both an excellent signature color and effective plot device in a sappy movie. And it makes you feel pretty. Shelby would agree.

{Almost daily outfit of the day} A hair don't 4.23.12

Thrifted Zara blouse; Gap trousers; Old Navy belt; Steve Madden pumps; thrifted vintage Coach bag; Forever 21 bracelets

I am at that uncomfortable almost-need-a-haircut phase that happens approximately four weeks after getting a haircut. This never fails to coincide with an perplexing increase in compliments regarding my hair, leading to put off the haircut much longer than I should. I spend an embarrassing amount of time debating whether I really do need a haircut, or whether I can stand feeling like a hippie for a bit longer. I suspect all us short hair girls go through this. Do we chop it off, or grow it out? Do we experiment with headbands and fanciful hair clips or go in for regular trims? WHAT IN GOD'S GREAT NAME DOES OUR HAIR WANT FROM US ANYWAY AAAAARRGGGGHHHHH???

I have an appointment for a trim on Friday. Which I will probably regret. But it's better than feeling like a hippie.

How often do you go between haircuts?

{Almost daily outfit of the day} On obsession. 4.20.12

Vintage thrifted silk blouse; thrifted OP ankle jeans; thrifted Banana Republic flats; thrifted vintage belt; thrifted vintage clutch; Forever 21 bracelets

Okay, guys. I realize I have an unhealthy obsession with this blouse. I might have worn it three days in a row, and 3928761 times since I thrifted it a few months ago. This is not my first brush with obsessive behavior. In the past 30 years, I have been obsessed with the following:

• Sex and the City
• Diet Coke
• J Crew ballet flats
• J Crew in general.
• Tori Amos (hey, it was the nineties.)
• The Dylan McKay/Brenda Walsh/Kelly Taylor love triangle on Beverly Hills 90210.
• Peanut Butter M&M's
• Vintage Levi's
• Nars Orgasm blush
• Trying to determine why the Kardashians are so popular. Seriously. This is eating me alive.

So you can see why my behavior with my pink silk blouse is not entirely uncharacteristic. While I recovered from my fierce Diet Coke addiction, my passionate love for this blouse is here to stay. I might need a support group.

{Almost daily outfit of the day} What goes around comes around 4.18.12

 

Thrifted tee shirt; Urban Outfitters polka dot jeans; thrifted Banana Republic flats; Forever 21 belt; Forever 21 and vintage bracelets; thrifted Michael Kors rose gold watch

The last time I wore something so adamantly neon I was in the seventh grade, had a perm, and spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to decide whether Whitney Houston, Debbie Gibson, or Madonna was the better singer. Madonna wore a lot of neon. I too wore a lot of neon, though I preferred to limit myself to socks and belts and tee shirts, avoiding the day-glo underwear Madonna flaunted.

Truthfully, I never thought I'd see neon clothes trending again, but then again I couldn't conceive that Madonna would someday be a mom and take on an affected English accent and drop her lingerie-as-outwear uniform. That was just too weird.

{Almost daily outfit of the day} Catechism 4.16.12

Forever 21 denim jacket; Vintage thrifted Neiman Marcus silk blouse; vintage thrifted skirt; vintage thrifted python clutch; Jessica Simpson kitten heels; Forever 21 bracelets

This is my I Don't Know What To Wear To Church So I Wore Black outfit. Dressing for church is complicated. Not as complicated as trying to understand Middle Eastern politics or why ABC canceled My So-Called Life after one season but complicated nonetheless. When Sunday comes, I struggle between making appropriate, if somewhat bland, sartorial choices, or sticking to my more fashionable, often tattoo-revealing uniform. It's not easy.

I felt like this outfit was a decent compromise. I was covered up and respectful, but still felt like me.

Do you struggle between dressing "appropriately," and dressing like yourself?

{Almost daily outfit of the day} Stress relief 4.11.12

Thrifted Splendid tee; Gap Outlet skirt; thrifted Fossil belt; Steve Madden pumps; thrifted  Michael Kors rose gold watch; Forever 21 bracelets

I'm going through a pretty stressful time at home. People react to stress in a variety of different ways. Some turn to healthy, mindful activities, like yoga or running or swimming. Others channel their energy into things like knitting and journaling. A few find their way to therapy and psychotropic medication. Then there are the not-so-healthy coping mechanisms - drinking, and smoking, and maybe even drugs.

My coping mechanism? Thrifting. When I'm sad and anxious and depressed and overwhelmed, I thrift. But then again, come to think of it...when I'm happy, I thrift. When I'm bored, I thrift. When I'm joyful or serene or inspired or broke (always broke), I thrift. I suppose I'm lucky to have stumbled on such a therapeutic hobby. Especially when it gifts me with things like new-with-tags Fossil belts for $2.

{Almost daily outfit of the day} A short story 4.4.12

Fossil jacket; Gap plaid shirt; Gap Outlet cutoffs;  Miz Mooz wedges; Old Navy belt; thrifted Gucci tote ($17 from the Salvation Army); Forever 21 and Neiman Marcus bracelets; thrifted Michael Kors watch

You might have heard about the tornadoes that tore through south and west Dallas yesterday. I was at home, hot gluing gold braiding on a thrifted navy suit for a Robert E Lee costume for one of my twins. Then I saw this pic come across my twitter feed:

There are two things that happen when you learn about tornadoes located a short distance from your house. First, you FREAK THE HELL OUT. Then you hyperventilate, hysterically text your husband (who isn't helping by being out of town. Thanks a lot, husband), obsessively watch the news, and madly clean out your coat closet which will serve as a makeshift tornado shelter and is crammed full of random things like baseball bats and tennis balls and wool coats and hangers and scarves and OH MY GOD WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE SAVE YOURSELF AAAARRRRRGGHHHHH.

Today, having faced my imminent death and survived to tell about it, I wore shorts. I hate wearing shorts. But when you've sailed through a terrifying crisis like a tornado outbreak, shorts don't seem that bad.

{Almost daily outfit of the day} Belted. 4.2.12

Thrifted Anthropologie tunic; Gap legging jeans; Gap belt; Zara sandals; thrifted vintage Coach bag; Forever 21 bracelets; thrifted Michael Kors rose gold watch

I was laid out with a pretty terrific allergic attack this weekend. I use the word "terrific" ironically because there was nothing terrific about it. I didn't want to get off the couch. I didn't want to get dressed. I didn't want to do anything except whine and grouch and watch Midnight In Paris over and over again while lamenting the insulting way Rachel McAdams' character behaves towards Owen Wilson's. When it finally became time for me to get out of my sweats, I found myself leaning towards a belted tunic. McAdams wears a lot of belted tunics and dresses in the movie, perhaps as a juxtaposition against the loose chemises of Owen Wilson's 1920's love interest and a nod towards her uptight personality.

Whatever the reason, I'd have to say this outfit is one of my favorites. Runny nose notwithstanding.

{Almost daily outfit of the day} Cornflower 3.30.12

1950's shirt dress from Archive Vintage; thrifted Bruno Magli heels; thrifted python bag; thrifted rose gold Michael Kors watch; Forever 21 & Neiman Marcus bracelets

The main story on the news these days is the half a billion dollar lottery drawing scheduled to take place tonight. Sometimes, when I'm having trouble falling asleep, I fantasize about what I would do if I won. I'd likely behave exactly as most would if they suddenly came into money -- I'd travel, and pay off debt, and probably purchase a larger house. I'd treat my friends to a lavish vacation and help out family, and donate to various charities. I'd open a vintage shop and host dinner parties, and hire a housekeeper to do my laundry.

It's nice to sit and fantasize about the what-ifs and could-be's of lottery drawings. But truth be told, if I really was to win the lottery, my first priority would be to hire a tailor to create 100 copies of this dress in different fabrics, colors and sleeve lengths. It's that perfect.

{Almost daily outfit of the day} Triumph of the dowdy 3.28.12

Thrifted silk blouse; thrifted chiffon skirt; Steve Madden pumps; thrifted vintage python clutch; Forever 21 & Neiman Marcus bracelets

Friends, there is a fine line between looking modest and mature, and appearing dowdy. When I first put this ensemble together I was thinking more "Enchanting, Whimsically Youthful Fashion Blogger in A Polka Dot Skirt" than "Matronly Retired Accountant Who Eats Lean Cuisines In Her Basement Apartment While Listening To NPR And Lamenting Her Youth." I think my sensible pumps pushed me towards the latter. Before you know it I'll be watching old episodes of Matlock while stirring Metamucil into my instant coffee and yelling at neighborhood kids to get off my lawn.

Snarking aside, I have to admit I felt pretty in this silk blouse and drawstring skirt, and received a few compliments from random strangers. So you win, dowdy outfit. You win.