Continued

Skirt: H&M...Tank: Banana Republic Outlet...Cardigan: Target...Belt: Target...Scarf: Gap men's...Shoes: Naturalizer...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange...Bracelet: thrifted

I love wearing stuff like this. A silly, totally girly polka dot pencil skirt, a simple, borderline-boring oatmeal cardigan, a $2.50 clearance bin men's scarf from Gap, a mish-mash of black and tan neutrals... it's all a little bit innocuous, a tiny bit refined, a lot bit confused. I think lady-like silhouettes save me in this case.

Thanks for all of your sweet words yesterday! It was a kind of nerve wracking decision process... Remember that incredibly overwhelming weekend and week when the dog barfed his guts up and got crazy dehydrated and my guy was in up to his eyeballs with the comprehensive exams? Yeah, there was more. I got to interview for the grants and special projects job that I've started with a local non-profit on a Thursday, got an offer a week later. It was, however, a real struggle to coordinate a start date/ shared time between the new opportunity and Boss Lady. The enormous Gala happens November 3 and I'm trying to be fair to Boss Lady because I know how poorly the planning has been going, but I can't ask my new opportunity to wait a month for me. Aaaand, the Thursday before my Guy's comps, he had a Skype interview for a Fall '13 teaching job. Which looks like it may progress to the next level. Oh. My. Gosh. I'll know more in December. Lots of stuff that's big and exciting and keeping me on my toes!

But, I'm also so excited about my new position. I'll be learning even MORE about non-profits and, hopefully, will successfully add my own thumbprint on their donor relations. Learning about grants is going to be daunting, but the skill set I will learn is going to be invaluable to my career. And it's growth opportunity I wouldn't be able to gain in my position now. So, here's to my next step.

Excuse me while I go nervous barf again.

Great News!

Pants: Gap Really Skinny....Sweater: Banana Republic Outlet...Blazer: Gap...Scarf: Target...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange...Shoes: Naturalizer...Earrings: Banana Republic

Big, big day. New meetings, new people, transitions... I've been a holding out on you guys with a little bit of information.

I started, very very part-time, a new job. I'll go full time after the Gala (that Boss Lady helps run) on November 5. Grants management, special projects, in-a-little-over-my-head... But I'm so excited and am really thrilled for the new opportunity!

So, with that, two videos in celebration. Try not to giggle. I dare you.

Linking up, of course! Pleated Poppy's What I Wore Wednesday.

Film Buff

Skirt: Banana Republic, thrifted...Blouse: Target...Blazer: thrifted...Shoes: Naturalizer...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange...Shades: via TJ Maxx...Earrings: Banana Republic...Necklace: Target

Mmmm, neutrals. I like 'em.

I'm just going to say this, risking shame and disgrace: I watched the Royal Tenenbaums last night. For the first time. And it really is as wonderfully stylized and strangely interesting as it's always been talked up to be. And, really, shame on me for only watching 20 minutes over and over and just now getting around to paying attention to the whole thing.

My Guy and I are biiig movie collectors- In college, we didn't have tv for a couple of years and have only had it during promotion periods since then. So, we started collecting movies and a select few favorite shows on DVD. It's a funny mix, but it got me to thinking- what are my top 10 watchable forever and ever movies?

In no particular order:
Toy Story 3
Fried GreenTomatoes
Back to the Future
That Thing You Do
Moulin Rouge
Toy Story
Princess Bride
Pete's Dragon
Up
Tommy Boy
...and honorable mention for Clue, High Fidelity, and Son In Law... Please tell me your taste in movies is just as abysmal! Strange, strange line up.

Dressed Up Casual

Jeans: Gap Perfect Boot...Tee: H&M...Cardigan: thrifted...Shoes: Target...Necklace: Target...Bracelet: thrifted...Bag: D&B via  Buffalo Exchange...Shades: via TJ Maxx

Just a little something for the style side of the blog... I wore this for Saturday morning, changed back into PJ's and then put it on again for the evening. Classy.

The weekend was a funny juxtaposition between napping and doing something during which we needed to be "on." Saturday morning, early, we accompanied a guest composer to the music school to breakfast and took him and his wife to a Houston institution- The Breakfast Klub. They're known for chicken and waffles and phenomenal people watching... and it sure didn't disappoint. We had a lovely morning with them and enjoyed soaking the the experience. We napped our way through the afternoon because my Guy is home and unoccupied, so why not? We also watched our way through the latest season of How I Met Your Mother. Saturday night, we were able to attend a get-together hosted by one of my Guy's professors. Chatting with some of the newer doctoral candidates and getting to know them better was a blast, plus I got to eat food deliciously prepared by my Guy's Bromance... Geez Louise, he's an awesome chef.

Sunday was a nice lazy morning (we decided to bring our neighbor's doggies over for a sleep over their last night before our neighbor came home. There's something wonderful about seeing Miles snuggle in next to his new friends for a Sunday morning nap. We also had our first photoshoot with our super talented neighbor- I am so excited to see how they all turned out. She treated it as a simple "couple photoshoot" rather than an engagement shoot and rather than anything witha theme. We did some lounging on our sofa, played cards, listened to music together, got crawled on my animals... I hope we have a few good ones- we never did engagement photos or real wedding pictures, so I'm beyond thrilled to have some killer photos of the two of us!

How was your weekend? Were you up to anything legen-waitforit-dary My naps were pretty epic, just sayin'.

Saturday Confession: Body Type

A little admission to you all: I'm still figuring out how to dress my body type. It's been way over a year since I started this blog and, while it's been so good for me to 1. Shove myself out of my comfort zone 2. Go wild with colors, patterns, etc. 3. Realize that I really am a neutrals girl 4. Bond with pencil skirts in a big way... I am still struggling with how to properly address my body type. And that's because I'm not actually built the way I thought I was.

I've lived my young adult life confused. Petite sizing may fit better around my torso, but sleeves and inseams show off my wildly long limbs. I thought that perhaps I was a slim, 12-year-old-boyish, no-curves, malnourished J Crew model-esque body type (I am not malnourised). You know the one:

But my perception of myself is weirdly skewed from my actual body type. I came to realize that I have hips. Big ones for how little I am. And, while I'm well aware I don't have much goin' on up top, I'm  happy with my "girls". My ribcage and shoulders are seriously narrow, though. My knees are knobby but my legs are long. My thighs aren't particularly muscular. My natural waist is exceedingly small and much higher than I realized.

I am a narrow PEAR. Weird, huh?

This moment of realization last month led to my exorbitant wearing of pencil skirts. And a decrease in pants. Because, let's face it, how many times do you see wardrobe advice articles recommend that a pear shape should wear trousers that hit at the hip? Nada. But, nip in at the waist? Let's review my affinity for cinching on a skinny belt. Simple bottoms? Plain jersey pencil skirt. Details on the top half to balance? Scarf-a-palooza. And, yeah, I know I'm not a pear-pear, and I know I'm darn lucky to be both thin and have a natural love of veggies. But, it's nice to be able to pinpoint why I wrinkle my nose at most outfits with trousers or a fitted top and more voluminous bottoms.

It seems silly that it took so long and a conversation with my husband about whether or not I would be able to give birth naturally to a tiny person to figure out my body type. (BTW, it went like this- Me: I will not need a C-section whenever we have kids. My Guy: Dude, you're tiny and I was a 10 pounder. Me: Yeah, but I have my mom and grandma's birthing hips. *...Whooooah, I do have birthing hips...*) But it did take a silly conversation like that to let me see the reality of my build, and when it did indeed click, I feel like I've finally started better realizing both my own personal style and how to truly look my best.

What kind of "Oh, duh, of course," stuff have you missed for months on end? I sure do hope I'm not the only one with a massive information gap.

Almost Busted. Again.

Pants: Theory via Buffalo Exchange...Blouse: thrifted...Cardigan: Target...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange...Shoes: Target...

Guess who was nearly caught taking photos (by, count 'em, FOUR neighbors)? I would have taken pictures last night before the sun went down, but I had to sit in the carport, in the shadows, for over 20 minutes before my path to the back yard was clear. Because I'm a wimp. Golden hour came and went and I took pictures with a way-too-high-for-comfort ISO and edited the crap out of them. They look poopy, I'm aware, and I apologize. Buuuut, I am so proud of how this blouse turned out and wanted to show off a little. I found it for way cheap and way oversized and took my first crack at altering a sheer, silky fabric. I took in about 1 1/2" on either side and sleeves, revised the side seams of the high-low hem to make a nice, easy angle. It took a little "doing" but I did it. Huzzah.

We have another night of doggy playdates lined up today- our morning walking shifts for our neighbor's dogs ended and were taken over by different neighbor, but we were on the schedule to do Wednesday and Friday evening... Which means the lady dogs are hanging out in our apartment for the evening! I'm telling ya, I need a menagerie. Dogs, guinea pigs, fish, kids, cats, geckos... (I might be best served by following my mom's pet-aqcuisition advice to keep down the numbers: "Only take pets home that match." She brought home a guinea pig once during my childhood simply because it was the same solid golden color as our golden retriever.) My guy wisely says "no" to extra critters.

Happiest Friday, you all! Have a great weekend.

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?

Repairs

Dress: ASOS...Sweater: Target...Belt: Target...Shoes: Nine West via Buffalo Exchange...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange

Thank goodness it's Wednesday- my Guy is completing the 2-hour oral exam part of his comprehensives (they made him wait two weeks between the 3 days of written exams and the orals... which means he had to maintain all of that extensive musical knowledge for an extra long period of time because once he walks into that room tomorrow they could conceivably ask him anything.) Once he's done with this hurdle, he's down to writing his dissertation piece (for symphony and with a springtime target date), passing a language translation written exam, orally defending the dissertation upon completion and that's about it. After 23 straight years of school, he's nearly to the end of the line. Thank. Goodness. I'm so sick of being a sugar momma.

In totally unrelated news, I get to pick up a few pairs of shoes that I took in for stretching and repair at the end of the day today. Including my amazing thrifted boots that I was only able to wear once last year and then the dry, old, cruddy leather soles crapped out. Seriously, they were so brittle, they shattered. Pricy fix? A little. Worth it? I am going to go with a big, fat "yes." There's nothing better than finding a pair of boots with character, a proper calf circumference and at a thrift store price. I have yet to purchase a pair of boots from a "real" store... they are never a sold fit. And the options with a nice, narrow, structured shaft are north of the $500 price range. Um, no.

What fall favorites have you found on the cheap? What thrifted item have you paid big bucks to make perfect?

Linking up... because it's Wednesday! Pleated Poppy's What I Wore Wednesday and Rolled Up Pretty's Whatever Wherever Wednesday.

A Jeep-Shaped Catapult

Pants: Zara...Blouse: H&M, thrifted...Cardigan: Target...Shoes: Nine West Outlet...Scarf: Target...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange...Bracelet: Target...Earrings: Banana Republic

Whoops. I guess I wasn't done with the whole animal print thing.

I had a crazy/ scary drive yesterday. I went north of town by about 50 minutes to pick up a chair we had repaired. My Guy took our Honda Fit for the day so he could pick up his bike from a tune-up. So, the Wrangler and I had a play day. Until I got on the freeway, hit 54 mph, and the car started to shimmy like mad. As in shake the steering column so hard, my arms feel weirdly toned from trying to maintain a death grip. As in crazy, uncontrollable bouncing that felt like I was going to get launched off the roadway by an enormous spring at ant moment. Usually we get up to about 57 and the shimmy quits. Nooooot this time. By the time I reached 3 people honking/ flipping me the bird for hovering around 49 mph, I gave up on the 50 minute drive. And took surface streets. Absurd.

Once my Guy is done with his last round of exams on Wednesday, we'll take the poor Jeep into the tire shop... and keep our fingers crossed that we only have to replace two to correct whatever balance this was. Two tires = $ Well, dang. Four tires = $ Ouchie. But, as always, there's a silver lining. In this case, it's that I didn't launch off the roadway. And got to use the incident as an excuse to check in, chat with my dad and get advice about the car. Perks, all around!

Aaaalmost a Pajama Dress

Skirt: Target...Sweater: Sparkle & Fade via Buffalo Exchange...Belt: Frankenstein'd from an H&M skirt...Shoes: Nine West via Buffalo Exchange...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange...Earrings: Old Navy...Shades: Gap

Happy Monday, folks! I really hope your weekend was as awesome as ours- got lots of errands run, spent time with our neighbor's doggies (they got to come hang out for dog parties while we're taking care of them), I altered and took in sleeves and armpits on a looot of blouses that were waiting for a little TLC, we ate burgers, tons of celery and peanut butter, went to a friend night/ pool party and ate our body weight in guacamole, we finally went to the theaters to see "Dark Knight Rises," it was cool and rainy outside with absolutely amazing scattered stormy skies. It was a very rejuvinating couple of days off, which we all know both my Guy and I could use after the stress of our beagle's self-inflicted stomach upset and his maaajor comprehensive exams (he officially passed the massive three-day written exams and only has the 2-hour oral exam left on Wednesday!). I also read this amazing post by Audrey late last night- Shopping Mistakes... who doesn't need a little help diagnosing what they suck at figuring out in their wardrobe?

I thought for a nice Monday morning, something simple and stretchy would be nice to wear... with a minty belt and kicky floral shoes to ramp it up a notch. Easy, sophisticated, neutral and, the best part- totally stretchy and weirdly pajama-like with all the cozy fabrics. I'm telling you, these pencil skirts have been big winners. Target. Try one on.

Aaaand for a little adorable overload- Miles, our beagle boy with our dog-sitting charges. They were such lovely houseguests for the weekend.