Wanna see what Santa brought me?

And by Santa I mean my mom and my brother. They are such good gift givers!
You see, in our family, we are very specific about gift giving. We tell each other exactly what we want-size, color, etc. We are always allowed to return and exchange, no questions asked! Some might say it takes the thought out of gift giving. I disagree, because you still have to think about which specific thing you will purchase for each other. And everyone is happy in the end.
Anyways, I was leary of sending mom and Brian a bunch of etsy stuff that I wanted because sometimes that takes some effort. As in you have to sign up for an etsy account. And a paypal account.
But I applaud them both because check out what mom got me from etsy:

Brian also got me a sweet razorblade necklace and a lion ring.
And from my mother: (these things are not from etsy)

I LOVE French Sole New York shoes. Mom and I discovered them in the clearance room at Belk one day. She tried on a pair, they were a bit too big, so I tried them on. Perfection. And $35 in the Belk clearance room. New, however, they are a touch pricey, but look! I got this pair for Xmas. Yeah mom!

This is the super basic and practical Jackie Cardigan from JCrew. Yet a quite expensive (for me) basic cardigan at $65.00. So on the Chrismas list it went! And this color is so amazing. LOVE.

Of course I had to buy myself a Christmas present. To show myself how much I appreciate myself. Duh. Vintage from etsy!

So stay tuned for when some of things actually appear on/around my body in the coming weeks!

Oh I hope everyone had a satisfactory Yule and is looking forward to the new year!

Christmas Soul Jam

This is what I wore to the Christmas Soul Jam at Whitewater. When lots of dancing will be happening, one must dress in an ensemble that moves, yet not so much that one exposes ones lady or man parts to the rest of the dance floor. Shoes must be comfortable. I feel I am a bit more inspired to dance in some sort of heel, perhaps because heels encourage the foot to naturally assume a dance-like position. On your toes!

Dress: UO

Leggings: F21

Black button-up: Limited

Boots: Aldo

Razor blade Necklace: Xmas gift from my bro (cbtscloset at esty)

Circle Necklace: Roundabout at Etsy

Normally I would have never purchased that red dress. It laces up the back and has spaghetti straps...exposing my bra straps and backfat. NOT cool. But it was on mega clearance for $4.99, and I always wear something over it. So it sort of just functions as a skirt...which I think turned out pretty cute and FUN for dancin'.

Oh and HELLO...how awesome are those studded leggings? Holy God I love them so.

The double denim dilemma

For a long, long time now, perhaps since the mid-'90s, I have militantly fought off double denim.

For those who don't know what this is, I have enlisted Brett and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords* to illustrate the double denim theory:

Jeans. Denim jacket. Denim shirt (a la Jerry Seinfeld)

Folks, this is just my personal opinion, but Double Denim is simply a fashion travesty that should, at all costs, be avoided.

I admit. Five years ago we were all saying that about tapered jeans. HELLO! TAPERED JEANS EQUAL SKINNY JEANS! And now we all wear them. Myself included.

This is an image from StyleBakery. This is ugly for a number of reasons:

White and blue = boring. Throw some non-blue color in there!
There is denim on top and on bottom.
That woman has no head. (Ok, maybe that was taking it too far. Let me extend my sincerest apologies to the headless women, nay, people, of the world.)

This photo proves once again that just because it's on the proverbial runway, doesn't mean it should be on you.

Double Denim.Double Denim.Double Denim.

BORING.

Not to mention, wearing a jean jacket as a top is just uncomfortable.

And I just don't see myself falling for this trend, even if it's renamed something like "duplex denim" or "twinim." There's no foolin' me.

*Unfortunately, Brett and Jemaine did not pose for this photo just for me. I did a Google image search for "double denim" and this is what came up on the third or fourth page. It's a beaut, however, so I went with it.

Pattern combo-ing

"Oh lawd! It's cowld!"

Dress: ? from Half of Half

Blazer: Goodwill

Leopard scarf: eBay

Boots: Famous Footwear

Tights: TJ Maxx

So you can't see my jewelry...but I'm not wearing much. My jewelry is, in fact, so unexciting that I don't even remember what it was.

I love mixing these two patterns. Leopard and paisley-esque.

PS- See Winnie back there? Aw.

Fashion and cat pee

Ya'll, my cats are angry with me. I have a new roommate and a new dogmate, and I don't think my little furry darlings are too happy. Why, let's go ahead and meet my lovelies:

This is Alec. He is the submissive kitty. He gets along quite well with Winnie (my dog) and I think he will soon enough warm up to Samone (Brittany's dog.) He enjoys sleeping snuggled up on my hips and meowing until I watch him eat.

This is Emma. (Yes, blurry I know but it was the only one I had available at press time!) She is the boss. She rules my room, sleeps on my pillow, perches in the bathroom ,which she had deemed her very own lair of evil, where she makes her plans to take over the dogs. Anyways, she's pretty pissed about Samone and starts growling that guttural, low pitch growl every time Samone comes near. She tries to eat all the food she can in one sitting, then proceeds to leave a trail of vomit piles on the way back to her lair. It's a great joy to clean that up all the time.
One of these cats, and I honestly don't know which one, kind of went over the edge on Monday night.

One of them peed all over my brown leather boots.

Upon discovery of this, I immediately wiped the boots down, then doused them with baking soda. (Candy asked later "did it sizzle when it hit the cat piss? No.)
Ya'll, I think these boots are ruined. Lucky for me, I didn't pay much for them. I got them for about $9 at Savers. And while I definitely wear them a lot, they aren't my favorite.

What this all means is that I have to get a new pair of boots! Awww...so sad. (yippeee!)

I will concede, however, to my Zimbabwe challenge and get a used pair from eBay.

Here are the contenders:

So there you have it. Brown used boots from eBay in a size 9. Am I keeping you on the edge of your seat? "Ohmigawd which ones will she buy???"

Well stay tuned until after Christmas and when I have some extra moolah to find out...so probably all of these listings will be over by then...meaning that really, the posting of all those photos was pointless...super.


EDITOR'S NOTE:

I found a photo of said cat pee boots! Reow!

When laughter eludes...

This has been a favorite blog of mine for a while now.
It's been on hiatus for a while, but I have noticed a few new posts in the last 2 weeks.
Perhaps there will be more?

Lord, for laughter's sake, I hope so!

The beauty of the blog

I'm a Virgo. That means I'm practical, analytical and meticulous.

While my sweet mother would tend to disagree with me being meticulous, ("Erin, aren't you going to IRON that?!") I do tend to take lots of care in choosing my accessories and shoes. Perhaps that's why I have so many? I have to have the PERFECT pair of shoes/necklace to go with an outfit?

What I would like to discuss today, however, is not my attention to detail, but my practicality and why certain fashion blogs lend themselves so well to it.

While I can appreciate high fashion/magazine fashion/non practical fashion as beautiful art, I would much rather look at photos of clothing I can actually WEAR. Plus, I think so much of the fashion that Arkies are exposed to is from magazines ... with the exception of rarities like Little Rock Fashion Week, and magazine fashion relies to heavily on photography. So as much as fashion mags rely on clothes, it relies on super cool photography.

For instance:

I mean, this is a sweet photo. This woman with crazy silver pants, wacky shoes, sky high hair, talking on the phone on the Great Wall of China. As art, it's pretty awesome! Would I ever wear any of this? Nope. I would most certainly bust my face on the concrete in those heels, even WITHOUT the help of alcohol. I never allow my bare midriff to see the light of day. And I don't even have enough hair or hairspray to pull off that style. (OK, admission time, I DO have those pants, but in gold. And I bought them as an ironic style statement for when I went to Las Vegas.)

So my point is, I LOVE looking at blogs because it's one of the only readily available sources of inspiration for cube-dwelling, middle-class, mall-shopping, thrifting regulars like myself!

Kasmira is amazing at combining colors and patterns. I love her unexpected splashes of color.

Erin rocks at accessorizing. I wish I had her drive to switch purses with my outfits!

Kyla is so great with layering and combining textures.

I picked out these three ladies and their blogs mainly because they post so regularly, and I probably get the most inspiration from them!

So, in summation, I'd like to give a good old fashioned shout out to all the awesome people fashion blogging. Woot woot, shout out, etc. etc....

PS- I know there is Wardrobe Remix on Flickr... like billions upon billions of sweet pics and I fully intend to immerse myself starting 2010!

Naughtiness

Ya'll, I have a confession. I have been cheating on my Zimbabwe Challenge.
Up until the past week I have been doing really well. Only buying used stuff. Thrift stores and Estate Sales.

But about a month ago I started Weight Watchers after my doc told me to drop a few pounds. So far I have lost about 7 pounds. As little as that seems, my clothes are actually starting to droop, and as a result, I kinda feel like a frump now and then. Especially today. I have on these ill fitting dress pants from the Limited that I have already altered, but now I think they are beyond hope. This is a good thing. But also a bad thing. You know?


PLUS, it's starting to get really cold here, and waking up in a cold bedroom at 6 a.m. does NOT make me want to don a cute dress with tights. I want some warm-ass pants dammit!

So under the pressure of my own frumpiness (and chilliness) I went to Ann Taylor Loft today and bought a new pair of pants. They were on clearance for $19.99. Black denim trousers. There is no photo on the Loft's Web site, so you will just have to see them later!


Oh, and I bought two sweaters. Well one sweater really, because they are having a Buy One Get One Free sale right now.

So there you have it, my cheatin' heart.

Oh wait, there's more. I also bought the CUTEST new dress at TJ Maxx on Monday. It was $7.

Yes yes yes, I need photos of all these things and more! Who wants to read a photoless fashion blog? Not me!

Until then, however, I will leave you with these incredibly entertaining shots of Miss Brooke Hogan.

Really, why even bother with the pants?

And the even classier view from the back.

Notice the cargo pocket on her boob. For extra nipple storage?

All she needs is a rhinestone and feather headdress and looks like Cher has some stiff new competition!

Then again, she never really had much of chance.

ArkieStyle for the holidays!

Let me first apologize. This is not a post about fashion. It is a post about me. More specifically, my art, and where to find it!

I have been working hard on several new things: new tees, new prints and some hand made 2010 calendars!

What's that you say? Sounds like the perfect Festivus gift for your roommate? Epiphany present for your second cousin?

Get your hands on my work, and work from many other (equally if not more talented) artists this weekend at the Arkansas Community Arts Cooperative annual holiday art sale!

It opens Saturday, Dec. 5 from 6-10 p.m.

900. S. Rodney Parham in Little Rock

You shan't want to miss it!

Letter to Jcrew's ad people

Dear J Crew-

Let's get to the point. This photograph is one of the most awkward and poorly chosen that I have seen for quite some time. While your model has the spindly build and graceful face that is indicitive of your brand, she does this sweater no justice whatsoever. Or maybe the sweater does her no justice. Either way, I feel you could have chosen a much more appealing shot to convince me to buy your overpriced yet medium quality sweaters.

When I look at this woman, I wonder, "is her neck really that long? Does she hail from a region where neck rings are a cultural symbol of beauty? And if so, why did you cover up the explanation with two feet of cabled wool, masking it as a turtleneck sweater?"

Sure, I could do the usual rant about how this woman has less curves than a yardstick and a head larger than Victoria Beckham's. But I'll spare you. It's really the hodgepodge of mismatched accessories and use of holly (a mighty prickly plant, last time I checked) as a sort of corsage for the waist, that really baffles me. I mean, tan sweater, aqua belt, sage skirt, beige tights? Throw the red and forest green holly in there we have an absolute nightmare of discohesion.

Next time you send me an e-mail, (which will most likely be in about 7 hours, if not sooner,) please try a little harder. Oh, and for the record, your promises of FREE SHIPPING aren't fooling anyone anymore. We all read the fine print.

Thanks and regards,

Erin

Wearin' fake gold

DUDE! I saw Tigercity last night. And they ROCK. I got the new CD and the very first song is about wearing fake gold. Hells yeah, I totally rocked some fake gold at the show!





And here is the photo to prove it.

Entire outfit shot! Those are my skinny jeans but they aren't looking very skinny. I guess that's good?

Jeans: TJ Maxx
Shoes: Aldo
Purple cardigan thingie: Forever 21
Olive Tank: American Apparel
FAKE GOLD necklaces: Forever 21
Bracelet: Gift
Belt: TJ Maxx
Earrings: Walmarts'

Then today, for work, I wore this:

Blazer: Goodwill
Yellow Shirt: H&M
Black Jeans: Banana Republic
Boots: Aldo
Aqua Necklace: The Villa in Hot Springs
Earrings: Cheap Thrills in Fayetteville
Bracelets: Etsy, Grandma

I just love this blazer! I feel like I can throw it on with almost anything and look a bit classier. Maybe even sweatpants. OOH! Thanksgiving outfit idea!!!

Fluevog: Hit or miss

When some people go on vacation, they like to see the sights, or maybe friends or family. I like to shop. Nay, I LOVE to shop. Browsing through new and unusual stores in larger (and smaller)cities is such a treat for this Arkie, whose local shopping choices are limited to major chain retailers in the mall.

Last June I was in Chicago and was delighted to paruse the places up and down Milwaukee Ave. Among them was a John Fluevog store. I had been to one in NYC before and was blown away by the amazing shoes. If ever a shoe was a piece of art, it was at the Fluevog store.

Now, do I own a pair of Fluevogs? No, I am poor. But maybe, through the miracle of eBay, I could one day wear these colorful pieces of art on my very own feet.

Here are a few of the most recent styles which I feel are definitely worthy of embracing my feet:

I feel like the architectural details sometimes go to far with Fluevog. Take these for instance:
While I can appreciate the concept, the end result looks more like something from Tim Burton's costume closet. There are definitely people who could pull this off, but I feel my personal style is more streamlined than chunky. Or at least that's the goal.

Birth of the doo doo foot

When it rains it pours. So much stuff went down this weekend.

First, my good friend Lauren McEntire had a gallery opening at the Historic Arkansas Museum. She has a badass quilt that was once hanging in my kitchen (on loan) and now hangs in the HAM. She also has many many more badass pieces that you should go check out.

After that I ventured over to the Arkansas Queen where Stella Fancy and JBrasher rocked out to benefit my dear place of employment.

(The date in that live preserver isn't even correct.)

Then Saturday night was when we got dolled up for a gallery opening and a rock show.

Dress: Goodwill
Shoes: Cole Haan via eBay
Jacket: Gap like 10 years ago
Earrings: Claire's
Pins: various people and places
Necklace: Box Turtle
Belt: JC Penny

Right before we left the house, Brittany let the dogs outside and stepped in a mud hole, covering the side of her shoe and tights with mud. It was then we coined the term " doo doo foot."

I don't know, it was pretty effin funny at time.

Green on green action

Cardigan: Ann Taylor via eBay
Dress: Banana Republic via eBay
Leggings: Wet Seal
Shoes: Seychelles via Goodwill
Necklace: estate sale
Bracelets: gifts
Earrings: Icing

Nothing too excting today. I had a hard time picking out what to wear, but I'm happy with what I ended up sporting. I love tone on tone colors. Like this green on green. I might try to do this more...

Ugh and look at all those leaves! It's the dreaded raking season.

More Abba and finally...

A daily outfit post! After long last, I have finally taken a daily outfit photo.

But my head fell off since the last time I posted a daily. oops!

No really I just had like 3 chins and terrible squinty eyes. So my vanity got the better of me today and I just cropped my head right out. Ha!

Dress: Thirfted

Sweater: Belk

Belt: TJ Maxx

Boots: Connie via Famous Footwear

Bracelets: gifts!

I love this blue dress, especially this color blue. ELECTRIC! But it has these weird pockets in the front that poke out under the sweater. See? Pokey.

And here are some more Halloween shots!

Brittany is my new roomie! She went as the Wax Lips Bandit. And here is a good shot of my sweet Abba dress! Hand made and hand painted! Must say I am pretty darn proud of it.

Here is Vinnie as Hedwig! I did his makeup...not bad eh?

Top 5

So I was perusing eBay today...just looking for some groovy vintage ankle boots. Well, in my search, I kept stumbling across the craziest boots. I just had to share.


TOP 5 CRAZY-ASS ANKLE BOOTS FOUND ON EBAY


Somewhere, a pyromaniac stripper is rejoicing.

Camo tries so hard to be classy. I think these boots nail it.

These boots are kind of like the time I ripped a hole in my jeans and was wearing flowered panties underneath. Except not really.

If Kandinsky lived in NYC in the '80s and designed boots.

Right after Dolly Parton's mom finished her coat of many colors, she made these.