Thursday, March 9, 2017

Utility Blouses

An Unexpected Color Combination--Monday, 3/6/17

Well, the weather didn't warm all the way up to 62 F as they said it would--it only reached 52 F--but it was still a warm day on which I didn't feel like wearing tights.  So I took advantage of the opportunity to pair my new floral/bird print blouse with ankle pants and ballet flats to work.  Of course I enjoyed the subtle pattern mixing with my leopard shoes.


*Burgundy/mint birds blouse (Loft), $25.00/wear
Maroon pants (thrifted, Lands End), $0.75/wear
Leopard flats (Nordstrom), $2.08/wear
Coral swag necklace (Kohls), $1.13/wear

Outfit total: $28.96/wear

I liked the mauve-burgundy color of the blouse with the maroon pants.  The blouse has a lot of different shades of red, including this one, and I decided to go bold for its initial outing. 
 

Also I just basically love these pants so almost any excuse to wear them is a good one.  Because they're thrifted, it's hard to know whether any of the current set of ponte knit pants at Lands End are the same type.

This is the second of these Loft "utility" blouses I've purchased this season.  Because I like the ones I have so much, it is tempting to BUY ALL OF THEM.  But you know, maybe I should just wear the ones I already own?

Speaking of Which...--Tuesday, 3/7/17

I used this light grey +dark grey + color outfit concept as the basis for wearing...

From bureauofchic.com

...light grey + dark grey + bunnies!  (And yet more grey because we are nowhere near bare-leg season.)


Cream/dark green rabbit blouse (Loft), $4.25/wear
Dark grey skirt (Walmart), $1.33/wear
Grey open cardigan (thrifted, JCP), $0.50/wear
Grey tights + grey ankle boots by Seychelles, $5.19/wear
Braided pearl necklace (Loft), $8.61/wear

Outfit total: $19.88/wear

But let's get real.  Who wore light and dark grey better?  Me or this American chinchilla rabbit and her two babies?  No, we don't even have to ask.  I have all the heart eyes for these buns.


In other news...Let's keep this cute animal theme going.  Check out these funny cat Snapchats submitted to EQ by Robert.  Do you have a favorite?

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Pokemon Birds Flocking

This was a really crazy Pokemon Go filled weekend, so I'm only now getting around to blogging.  I think Robert and I have fallen into a Pokemon Go obsession the way that we fell into a birding obsession 15 years ago when we were living in Austin and building up our bird list.

I was thinking recently that it's too bad that we've never really gotten into a birding rhythm up here.  Partly it was that my PhD program basically destroyed my life for a while, making me lose the hobbies that I had been able to sustain while working 50+ hours per week in my masters program.  I've also not really adapted to the effects of the different climate/seasons/weather cycles/daylight cycles.  For example, at first, we would go out early in the morning like we did down south, but it was like the birds weren't awake yet.  It's also hard to adjust to how birds are here in different seasons from what we're used to--like, what, there aren't ducks in the winter?  Yeah, I guess not.  And migration happens, but it's not obvious.  However, I really do believe that the birding just flat isn't as good up here as it was in Texas and North Carolina.  Lower density of birds, lower diversity of birds.  I swear we can go out and our sum total of birds is like chickadee, song sparrow, and crow.  I don't know.

Pokemon Go hits a lot of the same buttons, and as long as it's keeping my Fitbit numbers up, it's all good.

It's funny how being out in a place where a bunch of people are playing Pokemon Go is like birding in a place where a bunch of people are birding.  I swear you could substitute bird names for Pokemon names and the conversations would sound the same.  "Did you get the XXX?"  "Whoa, that's a really good XXX."  "A XXX?!?!  Where???"  "There's an XXX down by the... here, let me show you."  It's like, Pokemon Go players are kind of like birders if birding were a normal activity--not requiring the development of specialized knowledge and skill over long periods of time, not requiring a lot of patience and planning, not requiring uncommon equipment, not requiring travel to wilderness-type locations in the early hours--that normal non-nerdy people did.

On this note, on to the outfits, with some of my recent purchases.

My New Favorite Jacket--Saturday, 3/4/17

Yep, the white moto jacket was a winner.  It's such a show stealer that I kind of forget that this striped top is new also.  The top is long-sleeved (bracelet sleeved, actually) but very, very lightweight so it will work well into the Spring/Summer season.


*Cream-white moto jacket (Loft), $35.00/wear
*Navy and white striped swing top (Loft), $17.49/wear
Skinny jeans (JCP), $0.42/wear
Blue pointy-toed flats (Nordstrom), $2.00/wear
Silver/teal peacock pendant (Target), $2.38/wear

Outfit total: $57.29/wear

Why Don't I Always Wear These Colors?--Sunday, 3/5/17

Today's Reverse Inspiration is the middle outfit in this triptych from the travel and capsule wardrobe specialist at the Vivienne Files. 


From theviviennefiles.com

All these teal and aqua shades are crazy flattering for a pale, blonde, blue-green eyed person to wear.  If I wanted to create a capsule wardrobe in "my colors," this would be a good place to start. 


*Navy/teal floral top (thrifted, Kohls), $6.74/wear
Skinny jeans (JCP), $0.41/wear
Dark teal drapey cardigan (Coldwater Creek), $2.14/wear
Bright teal flats (Payless), $0.76/wear

Outfit total: $10.05/wear

Today's bonus photo:  Here's what happens when you wear a pair of fleece leggings to bed (because you were tired and lazy and didn't want to change into pajamas) and twist and turn on white flannel sheets for hours.  Yep, as you abrade the leggings during the night, little pieces of flannel stick to the leggings and do not want to ever let go, resulting in flocked leggings that will ever only be worn to bed in the future.  Flocking, it's not just for birds and artificial Christmas trees anymore!


This photo Robert took reminds me of the persuasion mini game in Oblivion.  Basically, you walk up to an NPC and try out the four speech options (joke, admire, boast, coerce) as a wheel spins to indicate in a very confusing way how the NPC will react (love, like, dislike, hate) and to what degree (size of a pie piece).  This rabbit's expression is what happens when you select a speech option aligned with the biggest pie piece and the hate reaction.  Bottom line: Robert played the persuasion game with this bunny and lost, big-time.


In other news...I need to go get changed so we can exercise and watch Game of Thrones.  No Pokemon Go tonight as the wind is absolutely fierce (and the wind advisory is in effect until midnight).  Walking across the parking lot after work, I was hit so hard by the wind at one point that I actually thought I might fall over, and I'm not exactly so fine as a bee's wing that a breath of wind might blow me away under anything like normal circumstances.

Friday, March 3, 2017

You Can't Argue with Science

"Meteorological Spring Florals"--Friday, 3/3/17

My outfit was inspired by the grey jacket + orange scarf combination at the bottom right of this outfit array I saw on Pinterest.

From Pinterest

One of the bloggers I read is an atmospheric sciences grad student who mentioned on March 1 that it was the start of meteorological spring. Are you familiar with this concept? I wasn't, but here is a basic explanation.

Anyway, it's fitting that for my sartorial Winter/Spring season that I'm sporting (haha) a wool hunting jacket...


Grey herringbone hunting jacket (thrifted, Relativity), $1.69/wear
Denim trousers (thrifted, Boden), $1.05/wear
Dark grey long-sleeved top (Kohls), $1.50/wear
Coral/beige/blue floral scarf (thrifted), $3.00/wear
Grey socks + grey leopard wedges by Cole Haan, $6.60/wear

Outfit total: $13.84/wear

...and a saturated pastel (my favorite kind) floral scarf. 


And to take us into the weekend, some back-to-back Japanese action...or inaction, as the case may be.


In other news...Lately my typical daily outfit cost-per-wear has been so reasonable--under $15 for the last two weeks, for example.  Well, with my recent Loft order having arrived and a few days of warmer temperatures coming up, you can kiss the $15 cost per wear good-bye for a bit as I bring out some fun new things.

To get yourself in the spirit of dressing for warmer weather, please enjoy this smattering of snarky micro-fiction inspired by the Spring 2017 Madewell lookbook, and take a moment to be thankful you aren't any of these women (and you aren't wearing any of their outfits).

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Birds Blues 'n' Buns

"Puffin Along"--Wednesday, 3/1/17

The orange bill and feet of the puffin made me reach for teal green, the complementary color, supplemented with black and a bit of grey. 


Light grey puffin pullover sweater (Loft), $4.96/wear
Black tuxedo jacket (thrifted, Chico's), $0.64/wear
Bright teal skirt (JCP), $1.56/wear
Grey leggings
Tall black boots by Fitzwell, $2.06/wear
Teal-green scarf (Target), $1.00/wear

Outfit total: $10.22/wear

When I wear a jacket with this sweater, you only see the solo puffin, but behind the scenes, he's still kissing another puffin.


"Winter Blues...or, Well, Blue"--Thursday, 3/2/17

This teacher is looking pretty sharp in her blue + cognac ensemble.

From myhereandnowlife.com

My outfit has more of a soft and cozy feel, which seems nice for a day with a high of 33 F (unseasonably warm, yes, but come on, it's still on the cool side, right?).  Comfort was the order of the day as I woke up with a migraine that stayed with me on and off all day.  It was only after spending about 20 minutes outside at about 9 p.m. in the low 20s temperatures without a hat that I felt like my headache had significantly receded.  I could have stayed in pajamas or yoga pants all day, but really, it was easier and just as comfortable to wear my pre-planned outfit of knit dress, leggings, and soft cardigan.


Light blue dress (Kohls), $5.00/wear
Beige dress length cardigan (thrifted, Kohls), $1.05/wear
Brown leopard scarf (Kohls), $1.53/wear
Brown leggings
Tall cognac boots by Sam Edelman, $7.03/wear

Outfit total: $14.61/wear

Although I'm only rocking one shade of blue, I enjoyed the combination of brown shades and mix of textures in this outfit, which I think brings a bit of depth to an otherwise very simple formula.  But I continue to love the dress + long cardigan + long scarf + leggings + tall boots thing, so this isn't the last time I'll be wearing the formula this month.


An even better use of brown shades and various textures, this gorgeous Flemish giant.


I have to agree with this sentiment.



In other news...My car is back!  They tested their oil sensor fix the last two days and it seems to be working fine.  Here's hoping my driving is uneventful for the next good while.

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Yet More Animal-y Outfits

"Fishy Monday (Brought to You by Lands End)"--Monday, 2/27/17

In searching out a Reverse Inspiration for this outfit, I discovered that there is a website devoted to helping shoppers locate the garments (or similar ones) that actors wear on television.  Like this one worn by a character (Haley) on a show I've kind of heard of (Modern Family). 

From wornontv.com

Meanwhile at chez Sally, I went with the easy mixing of two Lands End garments, tied together (hahaha) by a Target scarf.


Drapey cobalt cardigan (Lands End), $3.75/wear
Coral red dress (Lands End), $6.75/wear
Red/white/blue fish scarf (Target), $1.33/wear
Black leggings
Tall black boots by Fitzwell, $2.10/wear

Outfit total: $13.93/wear

I think the fish were disappointed to discover that the "coral" in this outfit was only the particular shade of red.


"Velvet Leopard"--Tuesday, 2/28/17

In this outfit from last April, grey animal print + pink are a nice spring combination, lightening up the black trousers.

From savvy-southern.blogspot.com

Although I couldn't make pink shoes work even with the higher-than-typical temperatures in Coldville this week, I think the velvet blazer makes quite a statement.  And while the dark grey reflects today's gloomy overcast skies, the bright pink represents...well, I would like to say "my cheerful mood" but don't let's be silly.


Grey leopard top (JNY), $4.08/wear
Bright pink velvet blazer (thrifted, Old Navy), $2.33/wear
Dark grey skirt (Walmart), $1.50/wear
Grey polka dot tights
Tall grey boots by LifeStride, $5.88/wear
Grey/black/red birds scarf (gift)

Outfit total: $13.79/wear

And of course I ended up almost completely obscuring my shirt with this cute printed scarf.  The pink-red color of the birds is interesting--depending on what color it's next to, it can take on many different shades...which turns out to be a quite useful quality.


And so ends the official "Winter" season in my sartorial calendar.  Starting tomorrow, "Winter/Spring."  It's exciting, y'all.

This assiduously self-cleaning rabbit demonstrates the pleasing quality of grey with a pop of pink...and the importance of good grooming habits.
 

In other news...They fixed an oil something-or-other sensor on my car today but are keeping it until Thursday so they can drive it and make sure everything is operating normally.  So that's good.  Another good thing--my health insurance came through in completely covering the cost of the gum biopsy from the "weirdly growing gum" incident a few months ago.

And for an extra bonus good news feel good, check out this roundup of wholesome things that happened on Twitter.

Monday, February 27, 2017

Uber-Asshats

"Skyrim Bunnies"--Saturday, 2/25/17

It's always nice to see someone else in a giant cream-colored cardigan.

From sarahsreallife.com

In my case, this was with a rabbit blouse and (sadly not pictured) fuzzy boots.  Just the outfit for sitting around your apartment waiting for the towing company to take your car back to the shop to fix the problem they supposedly fixed with $3,000 worth of repairs 2 weeks ago, right?  I did go out to play Pokemon Go all afternoon, so it wasn't a total loss.


Cream/dark green rabbit blouse (Loft), $4.96/wear
Cream Skyrim cardigan (thrifted), $1.25/wear
Black peplum hem hiking skirt Black knit hiking skirt (Patagonia/REI), $2.14/wear
Black tights
Black fuzzy boots (Walmart), $1.82/wear
Black booth/claw necklace (Outfit Additions), $0.90/wear

Outfit total: $11.07/wear

"Puffy Leopard Redux"--Sunday, 2/26/17

Let's keep this inspiration party going, shall we? 

From anneinresidence.com

I somehow do not own a white puffy vest, but leopard print is a neutral, right?


Red cashmere pullover sweater (Macy's), $4.00/wear
Leopard puffy vest (Macy's), $2.44/wear
Black scarf (Target), $0.80/wear
Black bootcut jeans (thrifted, NYDJ), $0.88/wear
Black ankle boots by Sam Edelman, $1.94/wear

Outfit total: $10.06/wear

I'm probably slow to this news, but I was both astonished and unsurprised to read about this woman's experience as an engineer at Uber.  Here's an article discussing the issue.  So, in case you didn't already have a reason to delete the Uber app from your phone, here you go.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Butterflies and First Lady Fashion

"Fake News!  I Mean, Fake Animal Print"--Thursday, 2/23/17

A blue patterned dress and plain blazer get a punch from brown leather accessories in this ensemble.

From whatlizzyloves.com

I chose to jazz mine up a little differently, with a bit of faux animal print (pseudo-zebra) + real animal print (butterflies) pattern mixing.  I also like the bit of bling that the gold buckles on my flats brought to the outfit.


Black/blue faux animal print dress (JNY), $4.74/wear
Black velvet blazer (thrifted, Talbots), $0.50/wear
Black tights + black buckle flats by Me Too, $2.43/wear
Black/red/blue butterfly scarf (Kohls), $2.00/wear

Outfit total: $9.67/wear

Gotta take this opportunity to post another butterfly photo from the state fair--this time, a very thirsty butterfly.




In other news...Feeling nostalgic about the Obama administration?  This is an interesting article looking at the significance of Michelle Obama's fashion choices as First Lady.  "You can get some good stuff online!"  Very, very true.

Also, enjoy this brief run down of the pros and cons of America's two party system.