Seasonally Inappropriate

I have a pair of great new black skinnies (P.S.- why is shopping for jeans such a nightmare lately? Must everything be loose on my tush and sausage-casing tight on my calves?!) that have, admittedly, been on heavy rotation already. But, I just can't seem to let go of my white jeans yet. It's appropriate to wear them until the week of Thanksgiving, right? Can I then call them "winter whites" and carry on?

P.P.S. Teething is a big, nasty B-word. Slobber on everything and baby harumphs.

Baby Blue

My grand return to blogging what I've been wearing and this lame little number is what I open with?

Yes. Big, fat yes.

Because my version of "style blogging" is all about accountability for what I wear and, truthfully, it's a lot of dresses with no bra lately. Pardon me, maternity dresses with no bra. Which I purchased post-partum. So, here's to hoping the next pregnancy aligns seasonally with being able to wear a sleeveless dress with very forgiving belly ruching.

Wasted Brain Cells

Not much to say. I've been getting dressed and I don't do a good job of taking photos. Whoops.

We've been re-watching That 70's Show on DVD in the evenings. I really forgot how much we quote back and forth from this series. You, know- silly everyday expressions that you've plucked from a line in Pop Culture. Like, if I overzealously pour granola all over the counter, Rob will quote "Whoa, that really shot outta there," from the episode where Red accidentally eats special brownies and shoots off a fire extinguisher. Or, when offering one another something to eat, we quote, in our best Wisconsin accent, "Hey there Bob, you wanna piece of pie?"

All obscure references and quotables for which my darling husband has a mind like a steel trap. He's like a bad Pop Culture encyclopedia. Anyone else have a loved one with genius skill in something useless?

Free Fallin'

A few major steps to manage in our website redesign project, administrative stuff for a faculty meeting, and whatever other madness comes along this week, and I'm outta the office. Just in time for some sunshine coming up!

The bad news? It rained at the end of last week and I slipped on the metal steps of the stairwell of the faculty cafeteria on my way out and landed right on my tailbone. No butt meat or cushion, just tailbone. I don't think it's cracked, just a mean nasty bruise and a little back muscle tightening. And kiddo is completely fine; in fact, I didn't even feel any jostle in my belly when I landed, but daaaaang, it's hard to sit in an office chair all day now. The other bad news? I broke my own fall with my right forearm and sat directly on my right middle finger. The worse news? What should have become a really rocking forearm bruise to rival the mystery table run-in bruises my sister gets faded perfectly after I used coconut oil on it. I didn't even get a chance to long-distance show it off.

To all my pregnant blogging buddies- watch your ass. Literally. A banged up tailbone hurts like none other when you go down with extra little person weight. Oh, and coconut oil is filled with miracles and rainbows.

Like Sardines

Isn't it fun when life gets busy and fun and you get super blasé about documenting anything for your blog?

And when you return you have this junker outfit that you managed to capture? Nothing actually fashionable, or creative, or interesting.

Whatever.

We've been occupied, and I like it. Hop over here for a quick rundown of what we've been doing.

Jeans: Gap...Buttondown: Banana Outlet...Shoes: Sperry via DSW...Bag: Longchamp knockoff

And a quick story: it's National Holiday, which means almost everything of significance is closed. Like President's Day or something. Except it goes on for 7. whole. bleeping. days. Which should be awesome, except it means everyone either travels, clogging airlines and trains, or plays tourist in town. We thought we'd do the cool thing and do more exploring our new city and wound up in a sardine-like nightmare bus getting out to Tiger Hill. I don't know if you guys saw it on Instagram a while back (@katebmcclure and @robertwmcclure) that we started a hashtag #tallguyinchina. Rob is so out of place in so many situations, standing literally heads above the rest of the population, but a packed bus is a special form of torture. His rear end usually ends up right in line with someone's oversized backpack, or his head gets mangled in the plastic hold-loops in the standing room area. I love the idea of public transit, but, sometimes you just gotta buck up and pay way too much for the bodily comfort of a speedy, just-the-two-of-us cab ride back across town.

We will not be going anyplace interesting for the rest of the week. We'll try again during a normal weekend.

Hope you guys are well! Any absurd stories?

Beginning of the End

Skirt: Target...Button down: Banana Outlet...Shoes: Nine West via Buffalo Exchange...Belt: Target...Bag: Longchamp knockoff

Friends, it's starting. Our apartment looks like a bad horror movie set. Dust bunnies, derelict and strewn boxes, a tragic lack of furniture. I'm also rotating between about 7 total articles of clothing and wearing them like mad. So, I'm rationing photos from outfits past. For example, that skirt was last worn about three weeks ago and found a new home with my sister. And that gingham blouse got packed away in the "to be shipped box." Instead, I'm wearing all of the t-shirts that look like they won't last the summer anyway. If I look a liiiittle bit silly for my last three weeks of work, what are they going to do? Fire me?

The other little bit of weirdness is packing what needs to get shipped on the slow boat since that will need to get picked up within about a week or two to get to China in time for the start of the school year. And academic books for instruction are kiiiind of important for a new teacher and a new program.

Happiest Wednesday, dear ones!

Brights

Skirt, Cardigan, Belt, Scarf: Target...Shoes: Nine West via Buffalo Exchange...Bag: Longchamp knockoff

Ever have one of those looks where you think it's a cheerful flurry of color and then you realize it's really just a matter of wearing skittles? Or jelly beans. Yup, that happened. The candy-colored rainbow barfed all over me and I wore it to work. I suppose that's what I get when I have all my favorite neutrals packed away into a duffel bag and I'm left with the collection of "I don't reeeeally know if I want to keep it for the move" bits and pieces of bright.

I would apologize for going MIA so often, but I really haven't been feeling like blogging lately. Because it's too soon to really talk about our upcoming move to Suzhou, China (I could only tell you about adventures in banking and making arrangements for a Penske truck rental to get our crap back to Ohio. And I can't really talk about life because it's been a series of busy weeks and a funny cycle of doing the same things with the same friends overandoverandover because we want to pack in as much time with them as we can. And I can't really talk about work because... well, it's just work. I'm writing a lot of grant reports.

Okay, well, I guess you guys are all caught up! Thanks for stickin' around in this really weird phase of life.

Stolen from the Boys

Jeans: Gap Always Skinny...Button down: Target dude's...Trench: Target...Shoes: Steve Madden

I remember it distinctly... Christmas eve, my family did a cross-country and international webchat to exchange gifts and my darling sister had swiped the perfect buffalo plaid shirt from her boyfriend to wear as festive Hong Kong Christmas morning coffee attire. And, well, since I can't EVER steal anything from Rob (a 6'4" frame doesn't lend itself to shared wardrobe items with a 5'4" shrimp), I knew I was in for a hunt for a clearance dude flannel of my very own. I liked the small cobalt and black check, but ultimately decided it looked like a bruise. So, here we are, in a weekend errand outfit with perfectly oversized man-shirt in girly-colored plaid (no wonder so many made it to clearance) and nearing-death jeans. Total honesty? The trench and real shoes were only a fraction of the day... the majority was spent in Chacos and with one sleeve flapping and unfurled.

Layered, but not Bundled

Pants: Gap Really Skinny...Blouse: thrifted...Blazer: Express c. 2002...Shoes: Naturalizer...Necklace: Target...Bag: Longchamp knockoff

Oh, hello, roots.

Woo! Another Link Up- Third Thursday Threads (BLAZERS!) over at Work Clothes, I Suppose. Such a great blog, I hope you link up and read through the archives, Bri Marie is a really lovely person!

While the pattern of this blouse thing is completely unique and pretty awesome, its airiness lends itself way more to summer dressing than winter. My solution? Wear a deep scoop neck long sleeved layer under the blouse and tuck it into my trousers (this layer is true for about 90% of my winter dressing, with blouses, sweaters, button-downs. I get cold easily). You'd never know I was toasty warm with a long sleeved layer here or here, but the right inner layer makes all the difference!

So, really, this is just an ode to t-shirts and a nicey-nice way to pry info out of you ladies in the snow- How do you stay warm enough in winter? I'm lookin' for more ideas.

Weather and Problem Solving

Skirt: Target...Sweater: thrifted...Jacket: Armani Exchange via Buffalo Exchange...Belt: Target...Shoes: Naturalizer...Scarf: Target...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange

Another look that isn't quite a winner. I love this skirt for the comfort factor- soft, lined, long enough... but it sits just a little bit too low on my hips, which means things don't tuck in the way you think they ought to, belts don't hug your waist and stay in place if they have to sit on your hips, this sweater was just a little too loose at the elbows. Plus, the blue and black color thing make me think of a bruise. Whoops.

We have a cold front that rolled in. Finally. So, while my car rides just got way more pleasant with rolled down windows, I have to spend the next few days playing around with how on earth to dress for an office building. Will it still be air conditioned? Will they overcompensate for the nip in the morning air by pumping up the heat to 92? Will it remain right around 70 and I'll just be cold and crabby all the time? Air conditioned office buildings are really the worst. I know, First World Problems. I'll figure it out, though. Maybe the solution is to take a little blanket and leave it at my desk. Hmmmm...

Scattered

Skirt: Target...Tee: H&M...Belt: thrifted...Shoes: Steve Madden...Scarf: via TJ Maxx...Shades: Coach via TJ Maxx...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange...Bracelet: Target...Earrings: Banana Republic

Well, I'm "out there" to a bunch of longtime and current friends. After my birthday post, my husband linked it to facebook, and now I'm out there. Oh well.

My husband has actually been gone since Wednesday afternoon- one of his pieces was selected and played as a part of a pretty major New Music festival annually hosted by our undergrad university. His performance was yesterday (and it went reeeally well- the perfomers played it with a lot of energy, he said), He's helping to perform in a really large ensamble piece that will take place outside, there are more concerts scattered through the weekend. And he gets to pack in some significant family time, too! Not the least of which is doing breakfast with our godson and our dear friends tomorrow morning. Little (ha!) Quinn is ONE today! He missed being my Guys's birthday buddy by only 1 1/2 hours. I got to spend a bunch of time with our friends when I went home in July for my grandparents' birthday bash. He was huge then, I can only imagine how big and silly he is now! As a proud godmother, I have to say this kiddo is exceedingly cute.

I'm pretty scattered today, but the moral of the story is that my Guy had an awesome birthday- excellent performance of his piece, the Tiger trounced the Yankees, which sends them into the World Series, he gets to hang out with his best girlfriend from college tonight, gets a homemade breakfast with our friends Saturday, and gets a little taste of fall (it still isn't really here in Houston).

Happy Friday, you all!

Dressing for the Occasion

Pants: Zara...Blouse: Banana Outlet...Cardigan: Target...Belt: Target...Shoes: Cole Haan via  DSW...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange...Shades: via TJ Maxx

I've been thinking a lot about the word "appropriate." More specifically, about how very little I actively think about dressing appropriately for something but how nervous and anxious I subconsciously become about properly gauging an event.

When I talk about "appropriate" dressing, I'm talking about taking into consideration the event, the weather, casual or fancy? Need to impress anyone? Cheerful attire vs. understated, consider level of comfort and mobility, temperature, versatility. We all know I'm a grab and go kind of girl when it comes to dressing, so needing to be conscious of what I'm choosing to wear for an event quickly becomes a big darn deal. And I tend to yank out and hang back up several real duds before landing on something that I think is absolutely awesome. Fast forward about two hours into the wearing... and I'm either way overdressed, self-conscious of how trendy I look or too casual and weirdly okay about that.

But, each failure means I'm learning. Especially when I think "Neat, a concert to attend! I can wear something awesome and fashionable!" And then I realize (only upon arrival) that eeeeeveryone else attending the recital is a student... a sea of fitted tees and jeans. And me and my sky-high strappy sandals and awesomely large draped scarf are way out of place. What are your tips and tricks for dressing appropriately? What questions do you ask yourself to determine if you're on the right track for a specific event?

Different

Skirt: Target...Blouse: Banana Republic, thrifted...Cardigan: Target...Belt: Target...Shoes: J Jill via Buffalo Exchange...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange...Bracelet: Target...Earrings: Banana Republic

Snakey, lizardy print. Not whatcha usually think of for "animal print," but a fun derivation.

Last evening was so unbelievably full of catch-up chores. Laundry, dishes, tidying, errands. And an enormous burrito for dinner. But, it feels great to have some of it out of my hair, leaving tonight wiiiide open to take in another concert (Boogaloo's recital) and tomorrow and Saturday available for friend nights. We also get to dog-sit our neighbor's two enormous lab mixes for the next several mornings, a bunch of us neighbors are rotating walk and feeding times so they don't have to go to a kennel. I have always joked that I want my home to be like a menagerie- animals and kids everywhere. This will be our first taste of menagerie madness- taking care of 3 dogs and a cat. No fish or guinea pigs yet.

Speaking of critters, perhaps my Friday look can include dog hair in abundance as "animal print."

Have a great Thursday, you all!

Weekend, the Good and the Bad

Weekends have been weird. I know I've chattered about pretty much nothing but my Guy being at school forever and ever amen to study for his comprehensive exams, but it's been pretty all-consuming for our little family. I keep reminding him of how awesome I am, I don't get whiney or moan about his absence, I've given him a pretty free pass to avoid chores for a while.

So, the logical next step is go to gallery openings to support a friend and meet up with new-to-me blogger friends who are no longer blogging. Duh.

Katie and I each wiggled into a fun little something (my light graphic tee and skirt) and went down to the Lawndale Arts Center to soak up a little culture and do some people watching. We met up with another friend and her girlfriend (who works for Lawndale and gave us a few fun tidbits about the artists and the installations. Katie and I went out together to stuff ourselves with some tasty TexMex (poblano corn chowder is really dang tasty). Not a bad Friday, at all. Saturday, my Guy and I had a leisurely morning, and at noon, POOF, he was gone to study again (until 10:30, poor thing). I made a lunch date with Natalie, who is a recent Houston transplant. She's just as lovely in person as she comes across in her blog (on an indefinite hiatus, lots of life stuff going on!) and we had a really nice time telling stories back and forth, stuffing our faces, talking about food and restaurants. I look forward to spending more time getting to know her.

Sunday: tragedy strikes. I think Eddie is on a once-a-year medical-issue schedule. She started showing symptoms of a feline urinary tract infection part way through Saturday and we knew better than to wait until Monday, so we found a vet with Sunday hours and took her in. Poor kitty had to make a 45 minute drive and get stranded for the day (they loaded her up with liquids so they could use a needle to get a sample. My heart aches for her). She's on antibiotics and on the mend, but her bloodwork showed high sugar, meaning my poor cat is borderline diabetic. Low carb diet for now, lots of fresh water, and we'll get more details from our normal vet when she goes in for shots in September, I hope just swapping food will manage the symptoms. I forget that she's getting older- she's so darn tiny and has such a sweet, young face, she doesn't look at all like a 9-year-old cat. I've had her almost as long as my Guy and I have been together.

I also noticed that my heart aches a lot more for her when she has emergent medical stuff than it does for the dog (who is far more frequently and fervently a turd/jerk). Does that happen with kids?

Mid Week Ballgame

Jeans: Gap Always Skinny...Tank: thrifted...Cardigan: Target...Shoes: Sperry via DSW...Jewelry: thrifted and gifted 

We're going to a baseball game tonight! I love getting cheap, crappy seats to Astros games, riding the light rail up into downtown, having cheer/yelling matches with the overzealous 8 year olds whose dads don't really know what they're talking about regarding how baseball really works. I would love to love baseball beer, hot dogs, popcorn and malt cups, but it's too 'spensive. I love people watching for awkward stadium make-outs, 4 year olds dancing, drunk ladies dancing, bored girlfriends, bros, scorekeepers... Baseball is just a really fun, pleasant way to spend an evening.

What are you up to this Wednesday evening?

Minor Victory

Pants: Zara...Tee: UO...Cardigan: Gap...Belt: thrifted...Scarf: Target...Shoes: Nine West via Buffalo Exchange...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange

Not much to say about this look- it's casual, it's minty, it was way too hot to wear outside for long periods of time. Good thing Boss Lady's home office is heavily air conditioned. Or good thing I remembered a lightweight wool sweater because I knew the house is heavily air conditioned. Whatever.

You'll be happy to know that my time at the Gym went well. I only had one minor icky encounter with a pimply undergrad at the water fountain where his gross, sweaty shirt brushed my arm. The rest of the time I was there I had relatively no one around me and could be terrible at using workout equipment without judgey glares. I even managed to get the elliptical that has the gear/fan/motor thing at the back (the machines with the movement in the front make me feel like I'm going to buck off of them). Day 2 this week was a success.

We're so near the weekend! Hang tight, everybody!

Stars and Stripes

Skirt: Gap dress, refashioned...tank: GapBody...Cardigan: Gap...Shoes: J Jill via Buffalo Exchange...Polish: Essie Tart Deco

Well, I worked a long half day. On a holiday. I hate it.

I also haven't been feeling especially well. I also hate it.

But, later this afternoon I get to attend a BBQ with picnic style side dishes- my favorite by a long shot. There is really nothing better than a potluck. Except a potluck put together by the 65+ crowd. They really know how to throw a potluck with the best dishes.

Happiest 4th to you all. I hope your celebration will be filled with as much food, music, friends and fireworks as we have planned.

And a little something for the road:

Pride

Jeans: UO...Blouse: Target...Cardigan: Gap...Shoes: J Jill via Buffalo Exchange

Tomorrow is Houston's Pride Parade. I thought I'd get an early start and dress in a rainbow of colors.

I've kind of weighed whether or not to write about the Pride events... Many of the bloggers I've gotten to know and appreciate happen to be religious and are awesome people. I didn't want to rock the boat, push anyone away, whatever... Here's my story: I, very thankfully, grew up in a warm Christian household, my parents are inclusive and loving people. My church was an awesome community for me as a shy, introverted kid who liked to learn and analyze and assess new ideas. When my Guy and I got serious in high school and I found out his sister was gay, my whole view of religion kind of shifted. I noticed that people I had looked up to as a kid had mean-spirited condemning views of the gay community. Their religion was used as a bludgeon for denying rights to the LGBT community. And I was absolutely repulsed. When I left home for college, I didn't seek out a church to attend. I couldn't maintain a relationship with a broad organization that told me one of the most loving people in my life was "not okay." And I kind of adore that my loving, Christian, faithful homelife formed me into the accepting, inclusive person I'm proud I've become. But most of my experience with the rest of the religious community didn't have the same values as me... Anyway, I'm not a heathen, I'm not religious, I'm not irreverant, I'm just doing my best to be loving.

And I love me the gays. Many of my dearest friends in adulthood identify with the LGBT community in one way or another. And I'm not going to apologize for forming strong, supportive friendships with loving people and I'll happily state that someone's gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, skin color, hair color, or food allergies has nothing to do with how I choose the people important to me. As long as you're willing to show a little humility and humanity, we'll get along just fine!

Happy Pride!