Senior portraits

Remember doing Senior portraits? Remember how beautiful and glamorous you felt? No? You felt stupid and awkward and totally uncool, especially with your mom wandering in the background, mimicking your smile, telling your to put on more lipstick?

Yeah, me too.

Well here I am, 10 years after said portraits and I decided to give it another shot.

No, not really.

What actually happened was this:

I wanted Candy, my boss/photographer friend, to take some photos of my daily outfit. So we went outside the office and the hilarity ensued.

See for yourself:

Sweater: Ann Taylor Loft via eBay

Dress: Urban Oufitters ($4.99 on sale last week!!!)

Belt: Forever 21

Leggings: Target

Earrings: Burlington Coat Factory (more than great coats)

Shoes: Born via eBay

I felt this outfit was both stylish and comfy. But that dress makes my boobs look huge. Oh well. Better than my ass.

Follow me!

A few of you mentioned that the "follow" feature has not been working. I think it maybe have been resolved, however.

So give it another go, or a first time go, if that applies.

Thanks for helping boost my blogging ego!

Oh and if you have a blog and want me to link it, just leave a comment.

(I typed in "follow the leader" in Google image search, and this was the first applicable picture I got that was not a stencil of Hitler blowing his brains out.)

vocab lesson

Today I learned some new words. Jegging. Tregging.

Sounds like maybe a new kind of way to train for a marathon? Perhaps some sort of sailboat parts? Related to rope? Chain?



NO!


Jeggings and treggings are the uber-trendy jeans/leggings hybrid. I posted about them earlier here.

Treggins are the Brit version, the trouser/legging hybrid.


I have been doing a bit o' research, and seems like the perfect jeggings might be quile elusive.

Probably my fave pair, from good ole' Urban outfitters. They seem more jean, less legging. But I say no to tucking in the shirt. I don't ever tuck in shirts anyways because:

a) my waist starts about 2 inches below my boobs

b) tucking in shirts only emphasizes my spare tire aka donut aka Dunlap (as in my stomach dunlapped over my waistband.)

Anyone else know a good source for some jegs? (Not to be confused with jigs, or jugs, ok?)

Workin' on the weekend wear.

I usually put a decent amount of thought until what I wear when off work. And I put even MORE thought into it when I strike poses for a timed camera in front of my kitchen pantry. But after week one of blogging and snappin' glamour shots, I think I have already learned a thing or two!

LESSON ONE: This pant length is all wrong.



Cankles much?

Yeah, after seeing these shots, I promptly chopped those pant legs off to right below the knee. But I LOVE these shoes.


Shoes: Dillards

(Unflattering) gauchos: Cato
Tank: Target
Shirt: Ann Taylor Loft

Necklace: Estate sale











For my night job (restaurant hostess/runner/other duties as assigned) I am constatly on my feet and get pretty sweaty. So sometimes it's quite a challenge to not look like Miss Frmpenstein and still be able to perform "duties as assigned" in a friendly and efficient manner. Here we have a typical work ensemble.

Top: Me! (check out my etsy shop to purchase!)
Jeans: Gap
Flats: BC Shoes
Earrings: Forever 21

It's been getting up to almost 100 every day. So I have learned to try and make shorts cute. I think I did a pretty good job. You can't really tell but they have tiny white dots all over them. And almost all my t-shirts are cut up, because the regular necks look SO BAD on me! It's like I'm all chest, or boob or something. Anways, I almost always alter my t-shirts in some fashion.

Shirt: Supersuckers show back in '05.

Shorts: Ann Taylor Loft

Sandals: faux Birkenstocks via eBay

Necklace: Box Turtle (I've had it for a week and have worn it like 5 times. Ding ding, new staple!!!)

LESSON TWO: Those who do not gain weight all in their cheeks are quite lucky. Gotta think of a way to learn to hate tacos and beer.

Weekend

So this was the first weekend for Arkie Style. Of course, my camera battery died, so Rachel let me use hers. Hooray!

Here are some stylin' Arkies for ya!

Rachel strikes a pose in her new apartment.

Shoe detail!

(Rachel should be an inspiration for us all. She runs marathons and still manages to work some 4-inch heels most days.)

This what I call the "hair wad." It's what I do when it's late, hot and I have a sweaty head.

Liesbeth sports some badass earrings and a corkscrew necklace.

Geoffery sports a sweet psychedelic top.

He kinda reminds me of the dad on Family Ties, no?

And Vinnie explores new and interesting color combinations using his swim trunks.

I couldn't live without...

It's question time my dear readers. What is the most surprising staple of your wardrobe?

Mine is this yellow cardigan.

Ok not THIS yellow cardigan. But A yellow cardigan. From Urban Outfitters almost 3 years ago. Love it so very much. The 3/4 sleeves, the flattering and versatile color. I just seems to go with so very much. So. Very. Much.

Now I'm off to lunch aka an estate sale! Wish me luck!

Ghost cat and the sweet-ass dress

At long last, this dress is home. I bought it at an estate sale (for a mere $7) back in May. Took it to the cleaners, the cleaners went out of business before I could pick it up, finally after another month, said cleaners told it's former customers where to find out missing clothes.

So hooray, here is this super cute dress! Where the hell am I going to wear it? Perhaps to play croquet, or maybe a bit of tennis in 1922?

Alec is my ghost cat, he loves a'rubbin on some ankles. Especially if those ankles are encased in anything black.

Hatin' for a sec

Some trends I just don't like. It may be because they are ugly, or it may be because they don't look good on me.

For example:

Strapless dresses are simply a logistical nightmare for just about anyone who wears a C cup or larger. Combine that with back/underarm fat, and we just about need to hire an engineer to keep the girls in their place.

Harem pants may be comfy, they may be trendy. But all I can think of is SNL's "Oops I crapped my pants."

That is all.

Melissa is my new bff

I love a good challenge. And finding a decent selection of Melissa shoes online for a decent price is quite the challenge. Apparently Melissa shoes, from Brazil, are all the rage. They are made of recycled plastic, smell kinda like bubble gum (seriously) come in like 23 zillion styles and colors. But, because they are from Brazil, they ain't so easy for an Arkie like me to just purchase at my every whim. So over the course of the last year, I have found a few places to purchase these dreamy shoes. Ironically, back in May, I spotted them at Box Turtle, freaked out, and immediately bought a pair. Have yet to get a pair online, but I can feel myself closing in on my prey.

Now for eye candy. Seriously, these shoes look and smell like candy. In fact, I am wearing mine right now and, yep, they still smell good.

Photo number two is what I am considering ordering from Yoox.

But I also check eBay frequently, and have had some luck, though no follow-throughs.

Where else to buy some Melissas:

Luisa ViaRoma
LaRousse
Tobi

Melissa Australia (although I still can't figure out if they ship to the U.S. or not, but they have lots of cute styles that none of the other places have!)

And now for the gratuitous posing shots

Lots of fashion, style, street style, blogs have nothing more than outfit after outfit. I like that for others, I can get ideas that way. But for me, well I just feel so damn vain.

Nothing makes ones (or at least my) self esteem plummet faster than seeing unflattering shot after unflattering shot.

But I am hoping that maybe I will learn a thing or two about what looks good on me. Or at least how to pose for my very own timed, full-body shot.

So without further ado, here are my three "faves."

Top: Urban Outfitters

Skirt: Old Navy

Boots: Aldo

Necklace and earrings: Francesca's/Forever 21

Dress: Estate sale old lady skirt converted into a dress

Cardi: Target

Boots: Aldo

Necklace: Estate Sale

So maybe I'm changing my tune about the belt thing. See, already I am learning just from taking vanity shots!

Dress: Old Navy

Shirt: JC Penny

Belt: Forever 21

Sandals: Box Turtle/Melissa

Ok, now is the part when you start telling me what amazing style I have. HA!

Eco chic and the DIY skirt

Eco chic is extremely over-used these days. The term, not the actual style. Nonetheless, I used it. So there.

I bought this purse at Box Turtle this weekend. It's made from old tires. I figure there is no better purse to take to the bar. I can just hose the vomit off this beauty and away I go. Bad thing is it still smells like a tire.

Skirt:me!

Blouse: Target/Merona

Vest: JC Penny/I heart Ronson

Here is a terrible shot of me in the mirror at work. But I wanted to show off my skirt. I found the fabric at Savers a while back and made this skirt. Still love it, but, as you can see, it's really wrinkled by the end of the day.

And a closeup:

Come back tomorrow for my raving about Melissa shoes, my absolute fave in the eco chic genre!

What do you think: faux denim leggings

My first reaction was not only NO, but HELL NO. Faux denim leggings? Are you kidding? Not unless in New Jersey or at some sort of white trash party.

Then I got to thinking about it. My skinny jeans are not usually skinny enough to tuck into boots, at least not comfortably without tons of bunching and awkward pulling. And any top I might wear with skinny jeans is going to be long enough to cover up my butt. So maybe the faux denim idea isn't so bad after all?

I found these on e-bay. Where else? No surprise, they ship from Korea or China or something. They really don't differ much from regular leggings, except that they have the double top-stitching down the side just like real jeans. I think they might be an unexpected yet welcome addition to my fall wardrobe!

Personal style v. body type.

There are lots of clothes/accessories that I would like to wear if they only looked good on me.

Belts are a good example. Nothing classes up an outfit like a cute belted waist. But on my figure, anything encircling my less-than-small waist is a huge no-no. I have read conflicting reports in various women's mags that say a belt can actually accentuate a non-existent waist, however real-life experimentation has proven these theories quite wrong.

My personal style has been significantly shaped by my "thick waist" as my mother so lovingly referred to it all my life. So the current trends of empire waists, baby doll frocks and long flowing tunics is a Godsend. However, the encroaching promise of tucking shirts into high-waisted jeans, cropped tees and svelte-waisted dresses makes my lax abdominals cringe in fear.

My fridge on a midsummer's night last year. Perhaps a contributing factor?

What do you think: moccasins.

I have been contemplating getting a pair of moccasins for a while. Not sure what the appeal is. But they just seem comfortable. And maybe the "no laces" factor appeals to my lazy side. I feel like they would be pretty versatile too.

These babies are from JCrew via e-bay. I have a day or two to decide. Most likely I won't be bidding on them, mainly because I have no money right now. But I love this color. It's actually one of my favorite colors, seeing as my entire living room and part of my kitchen is painted in "teal tone" (Benjamin Moore.)

Here we have your more traditional moccasin. I dig the beading. And this is the pair I have actually been eyeing for a while. But part of me thinks they are too costumey. And what exactly would I wear them with? My fringed leather vest and deerskin dress?

They come in tan and brown too, but I kind of thought the black was the least costume-ish selection.

Not sure which pair I like better, really. There is something very cute about the beading. And, like, ethnic is so hawt right now.

And now for the "style" part

Nerdly pose with an oscillating fan. It's the new sideface pose.

Necklace: estate sale
Green cardi: Ann Taylor via e-bay
Gray dress: Buffalo exchange in Chicago
Shoes: French Sole New York (the most comfy and pricy flats I own!)

Anyone in LR knows that our store selection is limited. We are heathens that live without H&M, Urban Oufitters, Macy*s and even a decent second-hand place other than Savers and Goodwill.

I mean, people flipped out even when we got a Krispy Kreme.

I suppose that is why everytime I go on a trip out of town, all I want to do is shop. At least I don't want to go to Krispy Kreme anymore.

Damn my active conscience

Ok, I just posted my very first blog post, and already I'm realizing what terrible blogger I am.

And by terrible blogger I actually mean liar.

I don't even live in Little Rock, Arkansas. I live in NORTH Little Rock, Arkansas.
I rarely spend more than $20 on an article of clothing.
My BMI is in the "red zone." I workout maybe once a week, and it's only because I feel guilty that my dog hasn't gotten a workout.

But here are some things that ARE true. Really, I promise.

I do love clothes. Just ask ... anyone who knows me really. Even more than clothes I love shoes. And I think that is because when trying and purchasing new shoes, one does not have to confront one's body issues. "Fat feet" are quite a rarity, actually.

Most of my fashion inspiration comes from friends, people I see at the bar, and old photos of people from the 1960s and '70s. Sometimes it comes from photos of celebrities on people.com. Yes, I admit I have a weakness for smut mags.

I make my own t-shirts (buy one here!) and sew my own clothes. 75% of the time, my own creations end up in the "give away" box.

So in summation:
I like clothes
I don't like to pay a lot of money for them
I might just go ahead and embrace my own vanity and post photos exclusively of myself, striking distant glances in ironic-artsy settings.

This post is so stylish it requires no photos.

Style is so underrated here in Arkansas. I find that it's an art, how we look everyday. And personally, I think the only way to live is to constantly update my wardrobe with the "hottest" looks from the most exclusive boutiques in Little Rock. All my clothing is either new and custom tailored, or vintage couture. The only time you will catch me not in heels is when I'm working out (which I do at least 5 days a week. My BMI is phenomenal.)

I decided to start this blog to show the world that the fashionable ladies in Little Rock could compete with any trend-setting woman in any part of that world. That's right, fashion is nothing but a competition. Oh, and art, of course.