Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Season's Greetings

...Where That Season is the Summer-Autumn Overlap--Wednesday, 9/30/15

I enjoy looking at the work style outfits on Polyvore.  Like the one below, they are usually much dressier than I would wear to my job (and I rarely have the pieces that they feature), but they provide good inspiration.  I typically mimic colors/patterns/textures more than I do the shape of the pieces because my wardrobe is a mishmash of old and new (and hence I often don't have items of the right, modern shape) and colors translate better onto different bodies than shapes do.  (Not that there are any bodies in the collages, of course, and some of the collages are specifically designed around clothing that is available in larger sizes.)

From polyvore.com

When I put these items together several weeks ago, I was afraid it would be too warm/wintery for summer, and I think I was right.  But I liked the look of it so well that I was like, what the hell, and I put it aside for when the temps cooled down (which they now definitely have).  Who cares if this feels closer to a festive Christmas outfit than something for soon after the autumn equinox? 


Grey leopard 3/4 length sleeve T (JNY), $6.80/wear+
Red cardigan (JNY), $6.50/wear
Dark microcheck skirt (thrifted, Banana Republic), $2.50/wear+
Red buckle flats by Me Too, $3.35/wear
*Red/gold necklace (Macy's), $8.49/wear+

Outfit total: $27.64/wear

I didn't want to wait for it to be very much cooler because I didn't want to have to figure out what tights would work to bridge the gap between the black/grey skirt and bright red shoes.


Speaking of Christmas, we have a closet in the long hallway of the apartment that we're using for storage of my tree and big bins of ornaments, other random stuff, and the art boxes that Robert, my parents, and I have built over the last two moves.  Those art boxes were too much a pain in the ass to construct--we don't want to have to make new ones the next time we move.  I mean, we're already going to have to build new ones for the additional wall art I bought for our new apartment and that's quite enough of a job.


In other news...Tam sent this article from The Atlantic, reporting on a study showing that when controlling for the calories people report eating and the exercise that people report doing, people are still fatter by about 10% than they were in the 1980s.  Tam points out that while intriguing, the study appears to rely on self-report of food intake and exercise, and that there might be a greater bias toward under-reporting of food intake now than in the 1980s--for example, we might now have a more generous idea of what a "serving" of ice cream looks like, and that might even happen if people were asked to report intake in cups, etc.  I think that a systematic bias in reporting is a serious possibility and a limitation of the study.

The authors list three possible reasons people might be fatter now than they used to be on the same diet and exercise plan--chemical exposure, medications, and a change in gut bacteria.  As a person who's ridden the medication-induced weight-gain train (note: not a fun ride), I find it plausible that this is a contributing factor.

I don't know if I've ever said this here, but my experience of medication-induced weight gain is NOT primarily that medication "slows my metabolism" (i.e., I am fatter on fewer calories than I used to be).  It's more like, medication makes me insanely hungry and I have to eat more calories than I used to (whether I'm exercising regularly or not).  Sure, I also started noticing an uptick in my weight even while I was maintaining the same exercise and eating plan (measuring and recording everything, not guessing), which I attribute to that whole "yep, you lost weight by dieting but couldn't keep it off even when you maintained the same regimen as before" problem that the self-satisfied pro-dieting camp doesn't believe in even though a gazillion people have lived it.  (I managed to lose weight and keep it off for the more than 3 years required by that registry of successful dieters, but I did not manage it for 5 years despite maintaining my lifestyle, so, fuck that.)  But the big change happened when I changed my medication and I simply could not possibly manage on that calorie level.  These days, I think that I am somewhat fatter than my food intake/exercise would suggest (my guess is due to the combination of being older and having the post-diet weight rebound), but that the extra food intake due to greater appetite is the bigger contributor.

The kind of ass-hat who posts comments on these articles like "Calories in, calories out, thermodynamics, fat losers!1!1!!!!" will say, "Aha!  See!  It's because people eat too many calories!  If you just had willpower, you'd be fine!"  But it's a lot more complex than that (as is, you know, the biochemistry of appetite, fat storage, calorie partitioning, etc.).  I feel like it's pretty shitty to get on people's cases about being overweight regardless of the cause.  But it feels shitty and immensely stupid and almost completely lacking in empathy when the response is that fat people don't deserve to eat when they are hungry.  "Live off your fat, fatties!"  I don't know, it seems to me that for a bunch of confusing, unclear reasons, my body does not want to do that AT ALL, now more than ever.

I don't know why it's so hard for some people to believe that some overweight people eat more than they "should" because they are hungrier than their skinnier counterparts.

On a side note, when I hear these "3500 calories, do the math!" arguments around weight gain/loss, I am often reminded of the bean counter (accountant, I think) from the state who told a room of parks staff (many of whom were biology/ecology majors in college and at least one PhD biologist) that if we told them how many acres each park was, they would tell us how many lawnmowers we needed at each one.  On the drive back to our offices, our chief of staff--who was not a biologist by training; I think he was a bean counter type too but was also a terrifyingly smart guy--and I got into a discussion about that (boneheaded) idea.  I was like, "How could they possibly think that could work?  Even if every park had the exact same ratio of grassy areas to be mowed to total acreage, the vastly different rainfall we get across the state alone would completely undermine that."  And he said that he had encountered over and over again people who are good with numbers but have no understanding of biology or even an understanding of its relevance.

I think these discussion threads around calories have a similar problem.  People who can do the basic math think that's all that matters.  I think it's further bolstered by a lot of motivated reasoning, of course--it's a lot easier to feel morally superior when you think being fat is something that can be easily avoided and thus, that it's ultimately a choice that people make (see: anti-gay bigotry during the "it's a lifestyle choice" era).  And I suspect there's also a sort of scientific Great Chain of Being problem--because math and physics are higher/more important/more "rigorous"/etc. than biology, arguments based in math ("calories in, calories out!" and physics ("thermodynamics!" are given greater weight (so to speak).  Hell, that's an understatement, really.  It's more like, those are the only arguments that matter.  They don't want to hear about your leptin and your neuropeptide Y and your ghrelin and all that fuzzy "soft science" shit.  And don't even say a word about any psychological aspects of this thing.  It's about math and physics and good character (which is how they seem to view "willpower") and that's it.

And of course some people are just fucking assholes, straight up.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

It's a Wrap

Black But Not Grim--Tuesday, 9/29/15

The emanations of my outfit caught a particularly cute, quirky quality as they entered Whitney's head.  That scarf is so fun--it's like cartoon panes of different cities of the world.

My outfit was a little less fun, but I was glad to find that a cropped jacket works well with this dress--it has has straps that you tie in the back, defining the waist, and a full skirt (and pockets, for even more volume), so a longer cardigan or blazer looks really weird.  I can't even think about the bow tied at the back of the dress without thinking of Alice's pinafore, so I have to admit that this dress is a bit iffy for wearing to work.  I'm not sure whether adding a structured jacket "professionalized" it enough or just made the outfit sort of contradictory.  Serendipitously (or is it?), I wore this dress with shoes in "Alice's dress" blue.

As you can see from the mirror selfie, this is an outfit I put together a while back but was waiting for the temperatures to cool down a bit before wearing.  The rest of the week, we are expecting highs in the low to mid 60s, which makes bare legs a bit of a dicey proposition.  But I'm pushing through!  I refuse to accept that it is Fall (i.e., tights-wearing season).  Today, I felt I had dressed just right (and even had the fan on in my office on a low setting).


*Black faux wrap dress with full skirt (thrifted, Walmart), $5.00/wear+
Short black jacket (JNY), $14.70/wear+
*Black/blue/orange infinity scarf (Kohls), $11.17/wear+
Medium blue flats by Sofft, $6.35/wear

Outfit total: $37.22/wear

My scarf looks pretty professional...if the profession in question is "artist."  I don't know why I end up with these prints that look like the rag a painter has wiped his brushes on.  


But the craziness of this scarf is nothing compared to the zaniness of the Marx Brothers Shrine Part 2 in my living room.  (I have already shown you Part 1--the left side--of this shrine, featuring Groucho.)  I like how the cardboard Harpo and Chico are checking out the Marx Brothers print by Al Hirschfeld hanging next to them.  As for the Kandinsky print, it just seemed to work with manic energy of that corner of the room.
 

And by total accident, I also dressed to fit this month's Style Imitating Art challenge.  Here is the inspiration piece, a poster created for the WPA Illinois Art Project (1936-1940).  Black with orange, white, and blue?  Done and done.
 

In other news...Today I busted my last ghosts of the year.  Now on to less haunted projects!

Monday, September 28, 2015

Another Pink Leopard

Double Pop--Monday, 9/28/15

Focal item: Green silk short-sleeved shell

Yet more leopard with bright pink--this time with green as well.

From tresfly.blogspot.com

Because this is a relatively high-waisted skirt, my somewhat short green silk shell worked in this outfit (as it did not when I tried to wear it with low-rise pants).  To acknowledge the cooler weather, I wore this strangely thick yet short-sleeved cardigan, and I replaced the bright pink bag with a bright pink scarf.


Green short-sleeved silk shell (JNY), $7.50/wear+
Brown leopard skirt (Kohls), $1.92/wear
Black short-sleeved cardigan (thrifted, The Limited), $1.00/wear+
Bright pink scarf (Target), $3.00/wear
Bright pink flats (Payless), $1.30/wear

Outfit total: $14.72/wear

I don't think I would ever have put green and bright pink together with leopard on my own initiative, but I was pleased with the effect.  For my taste, adding the black cardigan to mute the effect of the bright green helped a lot--the outfit felt more like leopard and black with pops of bright pink and green.


This (female? immature?) house sparrow is a classic "little brown job" (like my skirt) but I do not think it would benefit from wearing bright colors.  Indeed, it appears to be indignant at the very idea.


In other news...I really expected today to be horrible because due to ear/head and stomach pain last night, I didn't sleep very well, and on two different occasions, we were woken up by nearby car alarms.  The first one was a bit scary because when Robert looked out the window, he said, I think someone is trying to break into my car!  Luckily, when he got downstairs to check it out, he discovered that even though it was the same make/model as his car and was parked in his usual after-work parking spot, it wasn't his car.  We both had forgotten that he had parked somewhere else after our Friday evening Target trip.  Turns out that someone has lost the keys to his car and decided to break into it to find out whether he had lost them in the car.  So it was totally fine, but it took us a while to calm down and fall asleep again after that adrenaline rush.

But despite the short, interrupted sleep, and my waking up with a headache, I actually started feeling a lot better by mid-morning.  The caffeinated iced tea (i.e., Magickal Elixir) helped with the headache, I think, and maybe I'm finally starting to get over this sinus infection or whatever the hell it is.  Yesterday I felt so bad that I didn't even play Fallout 3, so you know it was dire!

Tomorrow is our last ghost-busting day.  I'm going to miss it a little (though I won't admit that at work). 

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Parrot Pairings and Post-Apocalyptic Libraries

Carrot Parrot--Saturday, 9/26/15

Focal item: Beige parrot graphic T

There are a LOT of cute outfits with graphic Ts.  I liked the styling with a solid skirt and a short-sleeved cardigan for a summer outfit.  (Yeah, I'm still working through my summer outfit stash even though it's fall.  Deal with it.  And it's currently 76 F in my apartment, so that's summer enough for me.)

From sarahsreallife.com

I thought I'd pair my parrot T with either my bright pink pencil skirt or my aqua pencil skirt.  But before I could decide on that, I was looking through my closet at my stash of lightweight cotton summer skirts in various patterns for another purpose, when I came across this one.  Beige with coral, bright pink, aqua/light blue, and yellow/orange flowers?  That's perfect!


Beige parrot graphic T (Kohls), $2.24/wear+
Beige/pink/blue floral skirt (thrifted, Kohls), $1.00/wear (yay)
Aqua short-sleeved cardigan (thrifted, Loft), $1.67/wear
Aqua double-strand necklace (Kohls), $3.00/wear
Gold captoe flats by Anne Klein, $1.00/wear (yay x2)

Outfit total: $8.91

When I came into the kitchen wearing this outfit, I announced it to Robert as "Parrot" (pronounced "PAY-rot" in the style that I have long ago decided is how rabbits pronounce words of this spelling in their heads).  Quite naturally, Robert thought I was saying "Carrot" ("KAY-rot").  When he realized his error, he said that from a distance, the long orange colored parrot kind of looks like a carrot.  Hence, this is now the Carrot Parrot T...with something for both bird lovers and bunnies to enjoy.  (Hey imaginary rabbits, no chewing!)


Because of the avian flu, the only birds we saw at the fair were these guys.  But hey, I guess you're not doing the state fair right if you're not stuffed by the end!



In other news...Last night in Fallout 3, I thoroughly cleaned out the Arlington (VA) Public Library.  And by cleaned out, I mean, all crannies explored, all enemies killed, all loot taken.  I even harvested the meat from the radroaches I snuck up on and smashed with one blow from my sledgehammer.  I also accessed their computer systems to download information for a woman writing a book about surviving in these post-apocalyptic times. 

I tried checking in an undamaged book that I found (I collected several hundred destroyed books with small but non-zero resale value), but the computer told me, "Warning. 201 years overdue."  Ain't nobody wants to pay those kinds of fines! 

I also discovered that in the year before the nuclear war, the Arlington library had received a large donation from a dental association that led the librarians to change the Arlington READS: Reading Education and Development System program to Arlington READS: Reading Education and Dental Supplies.  Though I recognize the importance of good dental hygiene, this does seem like a questionable program for a library.  Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that even in a retro-futuristic computer game, public libraries are underfunded and have to make do with the donations they get, like it or not.

Mom, at least your library isn't overrun by giant roaches and (human) raiders who try to kill you on sight!  There were a few guards from an organization whose purpose is to preserve books and book-knowledge from the past, but they were not a match for the raiders.  This organization had also installed a series of gun turrets that start shooting when they sense someone has entered their zone, but they seemed to do more damage to the guards and to me than the raiders.  So, based on this experience, I would recommend against your library choosing to protect its books with automated ballistic defense systems, even though the name "Mark" turret might be appealing to your branch manager.  Friends don't let friends shoot library workers and patrons!

Friday, September 25, 2015

Making Do

Purple Flowers and Spectacular Animals--Friday, 9/25/15

Focal item: Lavender/purple floral knit top

Today you'll see how two fabulous inspiration outfits come together into one perfectly OK casual Friday outfit.  Allow me to explicate this mysterious process.  First, the inspirations.

Striped seersucker blazer, bright pastel floral top, jeans.

From museisaverb.com

Striped top, purple floral coat, denim skirt.

From sarahsreallife.com
From your own closet, extract a sort of lumpy grey striped blazer from Goodwill, an oddly textured lavender and purple floral top from Goodwill, and a pair of boring jeans (that at least fit you pretty well).  Be a little sad that you don't have a magnificent dark floral coat or a bright pastel floral top, then put on a pair of cute leopard flats to get over this lack. 


Lavender/purple floral knit top (thrifted, Kohls), $2.00/wear+
Grey striped blazer (thrifted, Target), $1.67/wear
Straight leg jeans (Kohls), $1.40/wear
Grey leopard flats by Fergilicious, $1.17/wear
White swag necklace (Kohls), $4.82/wear

Outfit total: $11.06/wear  (3 outfits under $12 per wear brought my 5 day workweek average down to $22.10 per wear, even with Thursday's high price tag.  So I guess that works out.)

Add a big white necklace in the hopes that it'll make the kind of odd shirt/jacket pairing look a bit more intentional and less like you got dressed in the dark/on a dare/in a colorblind state.


When in doubt, be glad it's Friday.

And be reminded that white/grey/black is a very lovely color combination by checking out how this harlequin magpie wears it.


In other news...Since I spent the day finding "ghosts," it is only appropriate to share a story about a ghost bird.  Scientists have finally seen the male mustached kingfisher, and he is gorgeous!  I was touched by this comment toward the end of the post:

"For countless generations, the people of Guadalcanal have lived with and known these remarkable and elusive birds. Uluna-Sutahuri people call the bird Mbarikuku, and the older Uluna members of our team all had stories of encounters with it from their youth."

A wonderful reminder that rare animals rarely seen and poorly understood by scientists may yet be a vital and beloved part of local communities.

I am very excited to see photos of this spectacular bird, and I am overwhelmed with empathetic joy that this scientist finally found (and mist-netted and held) this bird he's been seeking for 20 years!

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Pricey

Over $50--Thursday, 9/24/15

Focal item: Navy/bright pink diamond shell

Today's ensemble is a Franken-outfit inspired by 3 different but compatible looks.

#1:  A burgundy skirt, navy patterned top, and nude shoes.

From respecttheshoes.blogspot.com

#2:  A pink skirt (love the pleats), a navy patterned top (love the elephants), and nude shoes.

From respecttheshoes.blogspot.com

#3:  A pink pencil skirt, pink patterned top, and black blazer.

From happinessatmidlife.com

So I present a bright pink pencil skirt, navy and pink patterned top, and navy blazer with nude shoes.


Navy/bright pink diamond shell (Nordstrom), $19.50/wear+ [yikes, only worn twice!]
Bright pink pencil skirt (JCP), $2.58/wear
*Navy tipped blazer (thrifted, Nordstrom), $11.99/wear+
Nude wedges by Cole Haan, $17.13/wear
Pink drop necklace (Outfit Additions), $2.60/wear

Outfit total: $53.80/wear

Oh boy.  That's a hefty price tag, considering that only one item was new and it was thrifted (though at a higher-than-Goodwill price, but still).

Maybe someday I will wear this top in an outfit that isn't all navy and bright pink, but I think I still have a couple variations on the theme before I absolutely need to branch out.


I can't decide if it was the price tag on this outfit or its pinkness and chic styling that knocked out this Florida white bunny, but....awwwww, she's so cute.



In other news...Last night I started getting sick and I've spent all day vacillating between "hey I think I'm doing better" and "waaaaaaah!"  So glad tomorrow is Friday.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Wednesday Throwback?

Welcoming Autumn 1974--Wednesday, 9/23/15

Focal item: Cobalt blue bow neck button up shirt

I pinned this photo because I have a cobalt blue button up shirt, a bright teal pencil skirt, and a pair of gold flats to substitute for the gold belt.  I knew I wouldn't be wearing them quite this way due to my no-tuck preferences, but I figured I could do something pretty similar.

From kslookbook.com

But before I had a chance to create my own version of this, I purchased a navy paisley pencil skirt at the thrift store, so I decided to substitute that for the teal skirt.  So far, so good.  But when I put on the shirt and skirt, it felt very under-done.

With the bow tie neckline, I didn't think adding a scarf was the way to go.  With the sorta puffy 3/4 length sleeves, putting on a blazer or cardigan would be almost impossible to do without uncomfortable bunching in the sleeves.  I considered my options for a moment, then remembered the navy open weave sleeveless cardigan I bought this summer.  And voila!  Problem solved. 


Cobalt blue bow neck button up shirt (Lands End), $2.50/wear+
*Navy paisley pencil skirt (thrifted, Target), $3.00/wear+
Navy open weave sleeveless cardigan (thrifted, Tommy Hilfiger), $0.94/wear [woo!]
Gold flats (Nordstrom), $3.33/wear

Outfit total: $9.77/wear

I really liked the way that the cardigan (vest) matched the navy background of the skirt fabric, too.  Instead of colorblocking, like in the inspiration photo, this went a very different direction, but I pretty much loved it.


Is it just me, or is does this outfit have a "juxtaposition of 70s styles" vibe about it?  (Unfair, just using the word "vibe" makes everything seem more 70s.)  Hear me out.

70s Influence #1--Work Style:  9 to 5 pussy bow blouses worn with skirts (and the blouse is cobalt blue)


70s Influence #2--Casual Style:  Crochet vests...


...and paisley prints


So there you have it.  Thoroughly modern colorblocked office attire evolves into a schizo 70s outfit.

And I couldn't be happier.

Well, unless I had this bunny to snuggle!  Talk about your timeless, sophisticated style.  What a gorgeous rabbit.
 

In other news...Today was a busy, headachy, stomach-achy kind of day at work, but still pretty good.  I blame the rain for my headache but I feel like we needed some rain so the weather gods are forgiven.

I haven't yet decided whether I am going to continue my day of ghost-busting with an evening of super-mutant-bashing in Fallout 3.  I had been thinking that I would watch the movie A Birder's Guide to Everything  this evening but I've been put off by the fact that the DVD doesn't have subtitles (is that even legal???) and our DVD player plays videos at a volume so faint that even after turning off all noise-makers in that part of the house (fans, air filters, breathing), you can't really quite hear it.  Hmmm.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Dress and Scarf

Because I am Not a Jane Austen Character--Tuesday, 9/22/15

Focal item: Maroon cardigan with 3/4 length sleeves

Our Reverse Inspiration players today have captured the black-and-white with red/maroon aspect of my outfit very well.  In fact, they were more clearly influenced by my original conception of my outfit than the clothes I ended up wearing.

#1:  A dress with maroon blazer and ankle boots.

From apocketfulofpolkadots.com

#2:  Pants and red blazer.

From kslookbook.com

As often happens, I got an idea for an outfit that was based on some Platonic ideal clothing items rather than the actual specific garments that I own.  I know that I have a black and white polka dot dress, and that dress feels like it should work in so many situations because a subtle black and white pattern can go with almost anything.  But I forget that my polka dot dress is an empire waist dress with a somewhat low, square neckline that likes to shift just enough to show my bra strap and/or more of my chest than I feel comfortable baring at work.  Scarf to the rescue, again!


Black and white polka dot dress (thrifted, Target), $2.50/wear+
*3/4 sleeve maroon cardigan (thrifted, AB Studio/Kohls), $5.00/wear+
Red/black flats by Ivanka Trump, $2.33/wear
Purple/red/yellow semi-floral scarf (Target), $1.50/wear

Outfit total: $11.33 (behold the power of thrifting)

I had not envisioned my outfit this way, but I liked how it turned out.  It's hard for me to get too upset about adding some more pattern mixing into my look, especially when I'm starting with something as sedate as polka dot dress and solid cardigan (and very subtly paisley patterned flats).  I also feel that the colors have that "fall transition" feel that people like to talk about as if it's a thing.


The floaty, feminine style of this dress is a bit outside my norm, but I do like how it feels.  I just wish it were a little less suitable for a Jane Austen cosplay and more compatible with wearing to work sans scarf.  Oh well.  At least it doesn't have a silk bow sticking out right underneath my chest.  Could be worse.

From lanalulucreations.blogspot.com

My brain is mush this afternoon.  Not only did I forget to set the timer when I put my fish in the oven, when I later remembered it, I set the timer but did not press start.  ARGH!

Monday, September 21, 2015

White After Labor Day and Folding Clothes

Another Top Bites the Dust--Monday, 9/21/15

Today's outfit is inspired by two takes on aqua + red + white.

First, red pants, an aqua sweater, and a white top underneath.

From apocketfulofpolkadots.com

Second, a red top and an aqua/white patterned skirt.

From dresscorilynn.com

My mix of red/aqua/white had a punch of leopard, of course.


Aqua pencil skirt (JCP), $5.00/wear
Red mixed-media short-sleeved blouse (Nordstrom), $6.43/wear
White knit blazer (Nordstrom), $7.08/wear
Red and aqua statement necklace (Target), $1.85/wear
Leopard flats (Nordstrom), $4.16/wear

Outfit total: $24.52 (not too bad for an outfit of all bought-new items, 3 from Nordstrom)

I initially put this outfit together with a plain red t-shirt, but I thought that it was too short (and at the same time, too wide around the hips, which is something virtually outside my experience--my guess is that it had gotten stretched wide and short in the wash).  Then I realized that if it's too short to wear with a skirt, it's too short to wear at all.  But I wasn't sure whether I had another short-sleeved red top, until I looked at my handy Excel file and was reminded of this blouse--superior in every way.  (It's woven blouse fabric on the front, a soft knit on the back.)  So this blouse went into the outfit and the weirdly shaped t-shirt went into the Goodwill pile.


It's only a couple days until the onset of autumn.  Does this make my white knit blazer a sartorial question mark?  This formidable lady rabbit says, Pshaw, white is lovely for year-round wear.  (I'm not going to argue with that!)


In other news...In this post, a woman re-folds everything in her dresser to make it easier to see/locate things (and finds $100--why doesn't think happen to me? Oh, I don't lose my money? OK).  How do you fold things in your drawers?  I do most things the typical "flat stacks so you only see what's on top" but the biggest category of things in my drawers are exercise clothes, PJs, hiking stuff, winter undergarments--the sort of things where I'm not feeling all that particular about finding a single special item.  But for the other category, cardigans, I fold them in half and then roll them up (like I do when I'm packing things into a suitcase) so I can see everything I have, and it makes a huge difference.  If I put other normal clothes (e.g., t-shirts) in my dresser, I would seriously consider an alternative folding method for them, too, but I do much, much better when things are NOT in the dresser to begin with (and I am lucky to have the large closet and the Great Shelf o' Sweaters that let me get away with that).

Do you have any special way that you fold your clothes or otherwise organize them?

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Still Summer Sunday

Eking It Out--Sunday, 9/20/15

Focal item: Aqua/black chevron knit top

A search for aqua and black outfit inspiration turned up this simple casual colorblocked look.

From foxysdomesticside.blogspot.com

I pretty much recreated it, using the pieces that I have, and adding a splash of pattern mixing because that's how I roll.


Aqua/black chevron knit top (Target), $4.00/wear+
Black peplum hiking skirt (Patagonia/REI), $5.00/wear
White short-sleeved cardigan (Nordstrom), $2.21/wear
White swag necklace (Kohls), $7.23/wear
Brushstroke flats (Payless), $3.33/wear

Outfit total: $21.77/wear (not bad, but I can see how an outfit comprised of all bought-new items compares to my thrifted finds)

Today's photo is just an image of the strength Bobblehead from Fallout 3 because Fallout 3 has taken over my mind this weekend!  (This remains the only Bobblehead I have collected so far.)


The weekend goes pretty fast when you spend it this way.

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Weekend Stripes and An Ass Kicking

In the Pink--Saturday, 9/19/15

Focal item: White/pink striped drapeneck T

I was inspired by these two bloggers to try my pink striped top with a pink patterned scarf.

Here is a dress version.

From alovelylittlewardrobe.com

Here is a knit top and skirt version.

From modern1modesty.blogspot.com

My take on this combination involves stretchy ankle pants and my trusty travel cardigan, with bright pink ballet flats, of course.


White/pink drapeneck T (Lands End), $4.00/wear+
Black ankle pants (thrifted, Eileen Fisher), $1.50/wear+
Black travel cardigan (thrifted, Chico's), $0.39/wear
"Moroccan" infinity scarf (Charming Charlie), $4.67/wear
Bright pink flats (Payless), $1.44/wear

Outfit total: $12.00/wear

Another winning combination of white and pink.



In other news...So after getting about 10 hours of sleep, my headache was better (not 100% gone) this morning, so I've spent a lot of the day playing Fallout 3.  And somewhere in the last hour or so the game has gotten really hard!  Suddenly everything is kicking my ass.  I hate it when your character goes up a level and then all the enemies are much tougher than before.  I'm also having serious resource problems, as befits a post-apocalyptic game.  Fighting with swords, arrows, and magic is a lot easier from a resource perspective than fighting with guns.  I'm running seriously low on ammo.  I am also starting to miss the restoration magic of the Elder Scrolls games.  Medicine is good but expensive and sort of rare.  I was able to purchase a house right away but it feels like I'll never have enough money to buy an infirmary for it--I think I ended the day with less money than I started with.  I got stuck in this horrible maze of a fire-ant infested underground subway station, and these fire-ants were genetically mutated such that they breathed fire--not fair!  I didn't even get to the main part of that quest--I had to turn around and I was lucky to escape with my life.  That was an expensive retreat because I went through almost all my ammo and medicine.  Oh well, such are the trials and tribulations of the post-apocalyptic adventurer.