just another heart in need of rescue

Ok...so I heard Whitesnake on the way home from work. Hence the lame-ass title of this entry.

Sunglasses: F21, Top: Izod-thrifted, Belt: Abercrombie from waaaay back, Skirt: Cable&Guage; Sandals: Born via eBay, Bracelets: gifts, Necklace: All that Jazz, Ruston, LA

I was pretty happy with this outfit. Nice and comfy for work. That skirt RULES, by the way, because it has a 3-inch elastic waistband that sucks my tummy in nice and tight.

Anyone know why I have so many bruises on my legs? Seriously, I think I might be running into all my furniture while sleepwalking or something.

On another note. Hair. Mine is a'failin' me over and over. In a moment of frustration on Sunday morning, I took the scissors to my bangs and am beginning to regret it. I don't really love the style I have going on right now. Rather, the LACK of style. When I wear my hair down, I feel like some conservative bobbed secretary from the '80s. I don't want to go way short because a)I tend to feel really unfeminine with short hair. Probably stems from my short-haired high school days when I got hit on by lesbians all the time. Which wouldn't have bothered me if an equal number of dudes where hitting on me as well. But they were most certainly not. And b) I like to be able to put my hair up/back. What's a girl to doooooo?

Stay tuned for the results of my scissor mania on Sunday morn. Photos to come!

Shoe challenge

As many know, I love a good fashion challenge. It gives me a valid excuse to peruse the Internet for hours, looking for the perfect whatever. This challenge happens to be ... shoes! My favorite!

This one has been especially difficult. Here is the low-down:

For my brother's rehearsal dinner in July, I plan to wear a bridesmaid dress from two summers ago. It's a gorgeous dress that fits me wonderfully.

The challenge is to punch this dress up with some color. Shoes and accessories are the key! I am searching for shoes first because I feel the kind of shoes I find will dictate what kind of accessories I need.

I would like to do a little something different, so I am thinking: pink. Not fuchsia and not ballet pink. More of a mauve or a coral. A few options I have found so far:

Nice and bright. Would be great for summer. Accent with a chunky gold necklace and bracelet. Or coral jewelry?

Too bland? It's hard to know until you see the pink in real life.

Too casual? Could definitely wear them again. Also, from eBay, so no returns.

I'd much rather have an open toe for summer. And this pink almost looks too bubblegum pink.

These could be perfect ... but again, they are an eBay find. What's that pin REALLY like? Hmm...

Or I could go in another direction entirely:

Decisions, decisions. What do you all think? Any good shoe resources that I need to know about? I need a funky, fun yet wedding-appropriate shoe that goes with that style of dress. And a reasonable price (like less than $70) since I am most likely wearing these one time only!

Lookie what I found!

So I was uploading some more eBay pics onto the computer today and stumbled across these long lost outfit pics. Not so long really, but lost. I think I took them about 3 weesks ago.
One I like. One I do not. Can you guess which one is which?

Dress: Target
Plaid Shirt: Swap
Tights: TJ Maxx
Booties: eBay
Necklace: Estate Sale

Jacket: Goodwill
Tunic: Banana Republic via eBay
Leggings: Wet Seal
Scarf: gift
Shoes: Aldo
Necklace, earrings: Forever 21

So which one is the bad one?
If you said photo number one, you ARE CORRECT! DING DING DING! Really, it's just my purple cankles that I don't like. I took a risk and wore my "pants booties" with a dress. Live and learn! Those booties are called "pants booties" for a reason!!!

Workin' and wearin'

My second job is as a hostess three nights a week. Dressing for this can sometimes be tough, as I want to look nice because it's a kind of nicer casual restaurant. But also, I am on my feet constantly for over 2 hours, and I often get nasty dishwater and leftover food all over myself when busing tables. So that means comfy shoes and a hearty top.




This is pretty much my standard second job work uniform for cooler weather. Plaid shirt, tank top, jeans...
I'm pretty happy with it though, especially because I own a small arson of vintage plaid shirts.


What do you guys think of this knotted up shirt business? I've done it once before here, and I kinda dig it as a change of pace!

Plaid top: Goodwill
Tank top: American apparel
Jeans: Banana Republic
Shoes: Tsubo via eBay
Razor blade necklace: CBTs closet on etsy

PS- I kind of hate these sneakers and this photo is probably the last time I will wear them, as I think they are going back on eBay! I can't really explain it ... I just don't like 'em. Plus I have plenty of other sneakers I like way better. Like these.

Super amped on inspiration!

Finally, at long last, I have ventured into the world of Wardrobe Remix.

Holy shitballs it's so overwhelming. Yet fun and SO inspirational at the same time.

I like to browse for women who seem to be about the same body type as myself to see how various things look on them. And I am so impressed!

It made me decide that I will try to tuck in a shirt. Into a high waisted skirt.

I'm a bit anxious, because I am a gal with not only a thick waist*, but a high waist. But I'm going to give it a go and see what I think.

What do YOU think?

(Don't you love the term "thick waist"? That is how my mom always described me...ever since I was little, "thick waisted." It might seem a bit harsh but it's so accurate! Hey, anything sounds nicer than "spare tire," or "beer gut" or something!)

My vainest post of 2010 ... so far.

I just downloaded my New Year's Eve outfit shots. I like my outfit.

But hate my head/face/hair. Per usual, I have beady eyes and 35 chins. Lord, I'm vain.

Hahaha. Just blurry enough.

Purple sparkly dress: Target

Boots: Vintage from etsy

Cardigan: Belk

Belt: TJ Maxx

Earrings: Burlington Coat Factory

Bracelet: Gift

Tights: TJ Maxx (same day I bought that belt, I believe)

Necklace: etsy

Woohoo ... happy freakin' New Years!

I LOVE those boots. What do you think? Too red hat lady, with the purple and the red?

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.

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.

"That just happened. In Kroger"

Those were the words that came out of Brittany's mouth when we left. Kroger.
And she was wearing this:





(Don't you think this pose is PERFECT? Hair all to one side!)

I bought this beautiful romper at an estate sale for a mere $2 a few weeks ago. I knew it wouldn't fit me, but someone HAD to have it.


This, however, poses the question: Rompers? WTF?


Just google "romper" and the first image is not a baby ... oh no friends, it's a lady. In a romper.


Ok, ok, they're kinda cute. Kinda nostalgic, even quaint. But don't get the runs while wearing one of these beauties. They are not known for their ease of removal.







This is the other estate sale purchase.
Pastel florals? check
Built in bra? check
Smocked back for comfort? check







I call this baby the "Friends Season 2 Special." Savers, $6.
And yep, it's a romper. Surpise!

The warm boots saga continues...

Apparently Liz was having trouble leaving a comment about my snow boot/Ugg boot dilemma. So she wrote me an e-mail instead:

Oh Erin, I'm confused. I thought that if you skipped the UGGs you'd be doing it in favor of a stylish alternative. I have to say, those Columbia boots are just as clunky and unattractive as UGGs. Plus, they're no fun for hanging around the house in. What is your end goal? UGGs obviously aren't great for tromping through the snow, but that applies to maybe one day a year of your lift -- so what's with the ugly snow boots?

I admit, I can see where she is coming from.

These:

Or these:

I really won't have to face this decision anytime soon, however. I have
no money to spend on boots right now. And it won't get cold enough to wear them until late November, probably.

Stay tuned for a lovely daily outfit post, as soon as I snap some glamour shots, ya'll!

Ugg alternatives

I discovered this great post about Ugg alternatives on DaddyLikey.

Now I am thinking about some sweet snow boots instead of Uggs.

Like these maybe?

(Yeah yeah, it snows maybe once a year in Arkansas. But c'mon, my feet get REALLY COLD, I swear!)

What I wore with strangely feathered hair in the office:

Shirt: TJ Maxx (double X)

Jeans: Banana Republic outlet

Shoes: Syechelles via Goodwill

Necklace: estate sale

Earrings: The icing

Bracelets: gifts

Sometimes I am in a hurry and don't put much thought into what I wear. Today was one of those days. I had to take my mom to a doctor's appointment and was in a hurry to get to work. I'm loving these black jeans though! They are a product of my outlet mall adventure with my dear sweet brother in Destin. Unlike my other black jeans, I am handling these with extreme care to prevent fading: infrequet washings, cold water only, hang to dry! That's how much I love 'em!

(If you look really hard you can see that I am posing right next to a trash can. Classy.)

To Ugg or not to Ugg

It's like this:

My feet get REAL cold. Even in not-so-cold weather, my feet are cold. And in cold weather (which in AR is like 40 degrees) they are SO VERY COLD ALL THE LIVELONG DAY! I have tried countless kinds of socks and shoes. But until January I was convinced that nothing at all could keep my icy toes even a teensy bit warm. Then I went to Colorado to visit my bff Liz (oh and her hubby Chad was there too) and she sang the praises of Uggs. She, too, was reluctant to take the plunge, but did so after facing her first Denver winter. So I decided to give the Uggs a try, and wore them out one day. ALL day. OUTSIDE in the SNOW, shopping of course. I tell you, my feet have never been so warm in all their 27 years of existence.

Now, I don't LOVE the look of Uggs (but I don't hate it either.) I don't LOVE everything that is associated with them (teen celebrities, push up bras, Victoria's Secret PINK sweatpants, bleach blond, tanorexic, wannabe 16-year olds ... you get my drift) But I just can't deny the Ugg practicality. WARMTH.

So ef it! I might just do this, own this. I've got some stuff for sale on eBay (yes, the Zimbabwe Challenge rules still apply) so if I make enough dough, I just might buy some Uggs.

Here's what I'm thinkin': Gray.

When ironic fashion goes too far

In general, I am ok with ironic fashion. Nerdy old tees from the '80s? Cool. Terrible hair metal tees? Nice. Skinny jeans? Colored jeans? Bomber jackets? Acid wash? Slender canvas Keds? All fine by me.




But American Apparel has finally taken it too far.

Is it just me, or does this girl like Jennifer Garner's sister with a cold sore?

What I bought at the outlet mall

When I start writing a post like this, I feel a bit silly. Because, hey, who cares what I bought at the outlet mall? But then I think of all the other blogs I follow, and I like to get ideas and inspiration from them. So maybe I will inspire someone here? Hm...

I have not been too impressed with Jcrew lately. But the outlet had a nice selection, and best of all it was all 40% off!

I have been wanting these scarlet bootcut cords forever. I have a navy pair from about 3 years ago and wear the crap out of them all winter. And at $40 I couldn't pass them up!

Cardigans are so versatile. That is why I love and cherish them. Here is my new Jcrew cardi in my faaaaaavorite color. It kept me warm on the plane ride home.

Here is the hastily Photoshopped rendition of the Sam Edelman flats that I bought (almost stole, they were $25!) from Off 5th. Again, my favorite color!


In unrelated news, I found this photo of Victoria Beckham and died a little inside. She just looks so oddly disproportionate. Like maybe she'll just fall over one day.


Also, I am unsure of her place in British culture. Do they love her? Do they love to hate her? What is her American equivalent?

Conflicted

I feel like these booties are a one-way ticket to Rockstarville. Just put 'em on with some leggings and a sweet tunic and bam. Insta-rock star. Especially the styles with all kinds of studs all over 'em.

But here's my question:
How do these boots work in the winter? The open toe design throws me way off. Do I let my already chilly toes suffer in the name of fashion all throughout the cold months? Surely it's unacceptable to wear these peep-toe booties with tights. But surely they can't be limited to onlywarmer months of the year.

HELP ME!


Oh and just a side note: were I to purchase these shoes, mine would not have such a high heel. I can do 3 inches MAX. But anything more is just deadly.

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?)

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!

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.