Whirlwind Week

Pants: Zara...Blouse: thrifted...Cardigan: Target...Shoes: Naturalizer

It's been a wild week and getting more nuts! We sold our Honda Fit on Tuesday (I cried. It was such a good car), and went to see my friend's dress rehearsal of Chinglish, which was an excellent play. A friend from Arizona was in town visiting his parents, so we went to dinner last night and ate a disgusting amount of sushi. We've been packing and selling things like crazy after we posted a bunch of things in the university's online advertisement forum. Poor Rob has spent two days doing nothing but answer questions like "Yes, it's a pretty standard crock pot. No, that tall shelf can't be shortened. Sure, you can come look at it, but it has to be before Friday at 10."

And that's because Friday afternoon is his Doctoral Hooding Ceremony. And Saturday at the buttcrack of dawn is Graduation. Which, by the way, might get rained out, so each candidate only gets two tickets for the Field House, and our group includes a spouse and two parents. (Oh, yeah, and Rob's parents are arriving tonight!) Bromance's family is here too, and his cousin is joining the group, so if we can't weasel our way into any extra tickets, his mom and I are going to spend our morning watching the televised version and drinking mimosas together. I sure would love to see them graduate since I'm so sick of student-hood, but spending time that way isn't a terrible alternative.

So, I'll see you all next week! Maybe. There's been a lot of friend time each evening, lots of arrangements to make, but at least we're getting it all done earlier than later. Phew, I'm overwhelmed and exhausted already!

Extended Celebrations

Skirt: Target...Tank: thrifted...Cardigan: Target...Blazer: Gap...Belt: Target...Shoes: Steve Madden via Ross...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange...Earrings: Banana Republic...Necklace: Target

Oh, good gravy. These photos are a scaaaaary reminder to hit my gams with just a little self tanning foam. Days of bare legs and needing tights flip flop like crazy this time of year, perhaps I ought to remember that and prepare accordingly. Or not. And just skippidy-do out the door like my beached-whale skin-tone isn't even a little bit offensive. On a roll, Kate. On a roll.

We got to have a Mini Thanksgiving with friends last night... And boy-o-boy was it amazing! Regina The Talented prepared the whole meal, including mini birds... Quail! She even put adorably oversized paper covers over their little leggies, I nearly fell over laughing when she showed me the package over the weekend. I love when the Thanksgiving season lasts for just about as long as the Christmas season. It's my favorite!

Study Session

Dress: Target...Cardigan: Target...Belt: thrifted...Shoes: J Jill via Buffalo Exchange...Bracelet: Target...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange

Pajama Dress for a day full of running errands and hauling sodas over to the office for the first Board Meeting of the season. We're cookin' and moving into crazy planning mode!

I spent my evening last night and my shower time this morning quizzing my Guy on his music history. We only made it through the history of Opera (going back over Romantic Opera a second time), Motets and Madrigals. OVER FOUR HOURS. And, yes, I died of boredom just as quickly as you did. But, for the next week we're doing it every night because I'm a meanie, stickler quizzer and I know it will help him retain information. Wanna see how he's organized himself? A date, piece and composer timeline on enormous pieces of paper. A notebook scribbled long-winded synopsis of the subject, including composers, unique features of their writing style, their important pieces and what makes it noteworthy to the era. A condensed key word version of the information hand-written into a second notebook. So, while he needs to know EVERYTHING about each subject, the essay prompt for the exam may be as focused and simple as "Trace the development of only Mozart's operas." 40 prompt topics, 4 selected for the exam essays. Blugh.

Bear with me while I melt my brain for the week and from here on out, I'll spare you more music story-time. I just won't have much else to say!

Polka Dots and Crazed Colors

Skirt & Belt: H&M...Tee: J Crew Outlet...Cardigan: Target...Shoes: Nine West via Buffalo Exchange...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange...Shades: Coach via TJ Maxx...Pearls: Beijing vendor

Audrey, J's Fashion and Marion have, over the last month or so, each posted an outfit with a polka dot skirt that made me reeeeeally crave wearing my new acquisition (there is an H&M in Houston now, but the selection sucked, so I was able to find this goodie in Toledo when I went home at the end of July), but my timing was extremely poor. I bashed my knee up during my bike fall so soon after I got back, I've only just started wearing skirts again. Well, my appetite for this skirt has been whet and I'm preeeetty sure I'll have to slap my own hand away from it over the next week or so to avoid wearing it for days on end. I forgot it fit so well and is so comfortable. Best/worst discovery of the week.

I grabbed this citron yellow shirt as a first impulse and asked my Guy, "Is this too 'bumblebee'?" No response. Grabbed a fuchsia belt and asked, "Too much?" No response. Swapped fucsia for mint and added a cheerful periwinkle cardigan and asked, "Too crazy?" This finally got a reaction- "Dude, all your color combinations have been super crazy, I don't know. Just wear it. I gotta go." Well, alrighty-Rooney. My mostly neutral color preferences make way for way-weird color combinations, I guess. Overcompensation. I'm cool with that.

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

Jeans: Gap Always Skinny...Blouse: via Buffalo Exchange...Shoes: Nine West Outlet...Belt: Target...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange

I am absolutely not picking my nose in the detail shot.

My girlfriends are awesome. One darling friend joined me last night for pesto and pasta, caprese salad, avocado and cucumber salad, wine, chocolate covered strawberries (homemade by her!) and watching "Chicago." Tonight I have plans to accompany another friend to an art opening. Um, yes, yes, yes. I think the ladies will be banding together while our significant others are off studying like mad.

Happy Weekend, you all.

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?

Faux Animal Print

Dress: Target...Cardigan: Banana Republic, thrifted...Shoes: Target...Shades: via TJ Maxx

I don't often really "do" animal prints. My leopard shoes are a staple, there's several snakeskin pumps in my shoe collection, my amazing DVF zebra skirt keeps popping up every once in a while. But I never acquired a leopard blouse, dress, skirt, major clothing item. This dress with brushstroke style "animal spots" is the closest I'm likely to get. Which is totally fine by me because this taupe and black print is weirdly versatile and pattern mixing would be so much fun to coordinate with (with which to coordinate... anyone else type out grammar that's clearly incorrect but go with it anyway because they don't want to appear stuffy?) even though some of the fabulously interesting pattern mixing options were things I'd never actually wear out of the house.

Well, you all, I'm going to be sure to fully enjoy the weekend- we have a friend day lined up for tomorrow, BBQ, pool, sunshine, lemonade, picnic foods. It's going to be a nice welcome back from the devastation of family time being over, which is good.

Hope you're up to something wonderful, too!

A Weekend of Awesome

Skirt: F21 (old)...Blouse: thrifted...Cardigan: Target... Belt: thrifted...Shoes: J Jill via Buffalo Exchange...Earrings: Wish Boutique

Yeah, yeah, the skirt's too long.

Hey, you all! I'm not exactly thrilled to be back into the work week, but I sure can't complain about my weekend. Friday we made this asian style slaw salad to take to an evening of grilling and hanging out with neighbors. I got to spend the evening mostly with our glass artist upstairs neighbor- he and his wife are both so friendly but I never get to chat with him alone. I discovered he's wonderfully refreshing and cheerful with a few naughty stories tossed in even when he's not playing the role of respectable husband. I enjoyed it immensely. Saturday was lazy and hot until about 2:00 when we went to the Pride Houston's festival (booths, swag and awesome people watching). We met up with a crew later in the evening, drank weird Wild Blue beers to get them out of my friend's fridge and wandered up to the Pride Parade. I cheered and nearly lost my voice, high-fived more skinny men in only underpants than most people will high-five in their lifetime, was gifted a boa that fell off a float after I yelled "May I PLEEEEEEASE have that boa?" and someone picked it up for me, high-fived a few drag queens, a bunch of LGBT allies, more skinny boys in only underpants, several insanely tall latina lesbians... I was a high-fiving machine. But, only one mermaid for our parade. Yesterday was spent catching up with a friend from when we lived in Tucson (this friend grew up 45 minutes south of Houston, it's a treat to be able to see him pretty often when he comes home). We were invited to join his family for the day at their rental house on the beach in Surfside, which was filled with lots of chatting and laughing, chips and dip, splashing with our dog in the ocean and more Frescas than any one person should consume in a day. It was hot, what was I supposed to do to keep cool enough to stay out in the sun to burn myself crispy? Kidding, I used sunscreen. Anyway, it was a wonderfully relaxed day and I love love love that his family didn't treat us special at all, we just got to join the lump of people milling and snacking and lounging and helping ourselves. My favorite kind of family time, even if it wasn't my family.

So, what were you all up to this weekend? Anything awesome? What are you looking forward to this week?

From Pride... I adore these women!

Sister Swap

Dress: Target...Cardigan: Target...Shoes: J Jill via Buffalo Exchange...Neckace: Target...Bracelets: thrifted

This dress... I purchased this coral stripe the same day I purchased the navy version. I figured why wouldn't I want a cheerful summery colored dress? Several days later I saw a bolder mixed color striped version, but only after I snipped tags off of this goodie. So, here I am, wearing the coral version. And I like it, but I don't love it on my pasty-white complexion.

And then it dawned on me... I have a package full of swimsuits and flats that I'm preparing for my sister in Hong Kong. And she has a perfect warm skintone. So, I'll wash and include a little gifty. And keep the bolder stripes for myself. It's a win-win. I get to feel less guilty about over purchasing and she gets a lightweight dress that will allow air circulation in the Hong Kong humidity.

I love sisters who function as scapegoats. Especially if they promise to mail back a new iPhone case or two. I've worn mine ragged.

One last little bit of weekly fun: Pleated Poppy's What I Wore Wednesday and new to me Rolled Up Pretty's Whatever Whenever Wednesday!

Harumph

Pants: Zara...Blouse: via Buffalo Exchange...Shoes: J Jill via Buffalo Exchange...Bracelet: thrifted...Shades: Coach via TJ Maxx

Wow, I am in a foul mood today... Skip reading if you are in a good mood yourself and can't handle a Negative Nelly. I was told on Friday (unprompted!) by Boss Lady that I didn't need to come in Monday, that I should take the holiday day off. So, I took her at her word and had an extra glass on white wine on Sunday, ignored all of my chores and cleaning over the weekend, expecting to have Monday to play catch up. Fast Forward to Sunday at 7:50 pm- missed call from Boss Lady and a message saying she couldn't work her outdoor fans and she had people coming over on Monday, so it was a very big deal. Oh, you mean the fans that I explicitly told you on Friday afternoon how to work, you watched me set the remote down in the middle of a table and told you that you absolutely must click the button while standing underneath the center fan of three so all of them receive the radio signal so you don't booger them up? Yeah, those fans. So, upon receiving a panicked 9 am call (there went my relaxing morning...) I wound up popping by the house to fix the dang fans. And then pick up the ordered potato salad. Then pick up ketchup that was forgotten. And then move the furniture to directly under the fan. And then hold flowers while Boss Lady played florist. And then swapped out a 60" round table for the 72" because her cousin invited too many people. And then go out to pick up presecco because it was forgotten about. And then pick up the orchid arrangement because she thought their delivery service was cutting it too close. And by the time 3:00 rolled around, I was hungry, tired and crabby that I missed my day off with my husband. To make it a little worse, I just found out the other gals who work here served and cleaned until 9:30 pm. And so I'm mad I missed my day off and feel like a jerk because they had to work a 14 hour day and I'm the one complaining. I never get "party pay" though. So I left.

Gah, I need a new job. This is ridiculous.

I'll be back to a sunnier disposition tomorrow, but even today is a bust- I wore this crappy outfit because I know I'll be hauling junk and putting it away. I look stumpy and squat. No bueno.

Art Car Weekend

It's going to be an errand day- and I'm excited. Lots of packets and tickets to be delivered, long car rides around town, intermittent phone calls about a task or item forgotten. It's a strangely satisfying puzzle to get it all done efficiently and with the most pleasant route for a ride with the windows down.

And it's all happening because it's NEARLY ART CAR WEEKEND. This amazing Houston tradition is in it's 25th year and is so wonderfully nuts. The excitement and joy of the Art Car community and sense of fun and whimsy are not to be missed if you're ever in Houston during the second weekend in May. To read more about the history of the Parade or to see some of the cars, check out the website! Tonight, my guy and I are going to the Art Car Ball, which is the preview party in celebration of the artists and maaaany of them come in costume to match their cars, other guests just come in costume for fun. It's loud, wild, goofy and totally fun.

What kind of events go on in your town? Any awesome festivals? Strange parades?

Pants: Theory via Buffalo Exchange...Button-down: J Crew Outlet...Cardigan: Target...Shoes: Calvin Klein via Buffalo Exchange...Belt: Target

Week of Lip Gunk, Day One

Full disclosure, I edited the crap outta my undereye bags, I spent a very very tearful evening finishing season 3 of Lost last night (and if you've seen it, you know I wasn't overreacting). I'm not at all ashamed of being a cry-er in the worst way, heck- I'll cry in front of the entirety of Rice University's student population while standing on a podium with a spotlight shining on me, but I'm definitely embarrassed by how very puffy my eyeballs get for days afterward.

So, welcome to Day One of my Week of Lip Gunk. Today I chose Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in 025 Peach Parfait. Here's why I don't wear it: I like the pinkish peach tone, but the shimmer in the formula is super deceptive. I was expecting a little hint of light reflection and ended up with frosty gold and silver-based shimmer. I purchased a colored lip butter. I ended up with something a little too 90's for my taste. But, I'm stuck with it for the day, so I'll smile like I enjoy it.

There's another goodie going on here. Kayley from Sidewalk Ready posted this amazing hair tutorial a few days ago, so I had to give it a shot. I did it over last weekend for Jersey Girl's birthday (I was working with Day 2 and a 5 hour car ride hair...) and thought I should try it again during the week. If you have any hair at all to work with, I suggest you give it a shot. It feels instantly glamorous with preeeetty minimal effort. 

Pants: Zara...Blouse: Target...Cardigan: Target...Shoes: Naturalizer...Jewelry: Target and thrifted

Cool Florals

I'm seemingly in the mood for soft blues and abstracted florals this week. And I'm running these wedges ragged.

I had the horrible realization that I'm a lip product hoarder and use about 1/4 of it. All my other makeup I rotate and use regularly, but my lipstick/other gunk purchase-to-use ratio is pathetic. So... Self-imposed challenge: I will wear for-real lipcolor every day next week. Bam.

On another totally different topic, the wall of Star Jasmine down the block from us is IN BLOOM. It's my favorite thing of the year and it smells absolutely incredible. There's a local cafe with a wall of Jasmine and my weekend miiiiiight consist of visiting with our college friends over many many many cups of coffee while sitting outside right next to it. I can't wait!

Skirt: thrifted...Blouse: Target...Cardigan: Target...Belt: thrifted...Shoes: BCBGeneration via Ross...Earrings: Banana Republic

And because I feel like I actually wore something good and worthy of linkin': Pleated Poppy's What-I-Wore-Wednesday and A Little Bit of Lacquer's Work It Wednesday!

Oh. My. Gosh. Good Morning, I suppose.

Another week- Anyone else tired for no good reason? I just have a sneaking suspicion that this week is going to be funny. And not in the Ha Ha Ha way. Let's hope I'm wrong.

Case in point: I opened the garbage can shed at our apartment to deposit the dog's post-walk poop bag and sitting on the rim of the NEAREST can to the door was an opossum. Looking me right in the eye. Thank goodness he didn't hiss or squawk and Miles never noticed him, so I wasn't subjected to beagle baying, but I WAS SIMPLY NOT EXPECTING TO BE EYE LEVEL WITH AN OPOSSUM. Seeing something like that behind a closed door is emotionally draining. My stomach turned, my heart rate skyrocketed, I'm not even sure I closed the latch.

It can only go up from here, huh?

Skirt: thrifted...Tee: J Crew Outlet...Cardigan: Target...Shoes: Nine West Outlet...Belt: thrifted...Necklaces: thrifted

EB:EW Valentine's Edition

I'll be honest about this- My Guy and I don't do Valentine's Day. But that doesn't negate the fun of a holiday filled with hearts, chocolate, red and pink and (my personal favorite) Red Hot Hearts. Yum. So, even though there will be no special meal or lovey-dovey celebration in our household (I may not even see him tonight if he decides to stay at school and work on his music), I choose to wear festive attire. Ka-pow, cupid. And Everybody:Everywear link ups are aaaalways fun! Click the button below and check out the other submissions- I know there will be some girls knocking it out of the park.

Skirt: Thrifted...Button-down: gift from Thailand...Cardigan: Target...Shoes: BCBGeneration via Ross

A Midweek Chuckle

I rarely check my Blogger stats and I don't know what posessed me to do so last night, but I discovered some reeeeally funny search phrases that led people to my site. Favorites from the past month? Oh, sure:

• slut turtleneck
• DIY crossbow
• dusty blue crayon
• happy bday to my guy friend
• lamest posts

Winners all around. The Crossbow person was undoubtedly very disappointed by the abundance of fluff and lack of sharp pointy objects. And the person who was hoping to find a weird hybrid of boob display and neck coverage surely felt let down by their findings (since I tend to cover everything up  with my turtlenecks).


Anyway, the Winter Challenge is still going full force. I'm so happy about today's prompt to dress up a coat because I usually throw on a coat or jacket as a top layer only and don't really consider planning an outfit around it. So, I went with an ENORMOUS silk bow blouse peeking out to say hello rather than sticking something to the front lapel. And the timing for wearing a coat all day couldn't have been more perfect- most of my work day will be spent out and about in sprinkling rain running errands. I'll be at my desk and will remove my trench for about an hour total. Awesome!

Pants: Gap Really Skinny...Blouse: Banana Outlet...Sweater: Thrifted...Trench: H&M...Shoes: MaxStudio via DSW

Also, through the lovely Marion of Marionberry Style, I discovered What I Wore Wednesday hosted by Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy. Super cute ladies are linking up, check it out!