Two Weeks without Laundry: Day 9

Guys, I'm barely making it today. I have gotten about a total (not even all at once) of five hours of sleep, two of which were taken up by a nightmare about having to fight Japanese demonic waves (yeah). In my high school, sleep deprivation was fairly normal among some of my fellow students. There was even a Facebook group called "Sleep Deprived and Still Alive." I'm alive all right, but barely. Seriously, though, caffeine has stopped working, so I probably need legit sleep at this point. People who think sleep is for the weak are part robot.

Anyway... I put this outfit together a while ago, and good thing too. I can barely function, let alone put an outfit together.I tried to take the pic while lying on my bed, since I wanted to sleep, but all I could get was the shoes. The eggplant nerd shoes return ! Bwahahahahaha!

Okay, time for some zzzzz.

Where it Came from
Brown Linen Skirt: Banana Republic, thrifted
Teal and Gold Belt: 60's Vintage, Mooney's, Lower Marsh, London
Eggplant Nerd Shoes: Clark's
Brown Under-Shirt: Gap, thrifted
Multi-Colored Printed V-Neck: Pac Sun
Aquamarine Necklace: Forever 21
Aqua Saint Bracelet: Vendor at Abbey Youth Fest

Snazzy Sunday 26 June 2011/ Two Weeks without Laundry Day 8

Hi!

I must begin this post with an apology. I didn't get around to taking pictures of my outfit yesterday, so I'll have to wait to post it later when I do laundry (which will be soon, since I'm running out of basic stuff) , but I promise I will.

I decided after the first outfit post in my blog that it's trashy to say how much stuff costs, but I have to brag on the dress. I scored it for two dollars (!). The tag said "4" so I worried it wouldn't fit, but I tried it and it fit really well. It's from the '80s, but this sort of thing is coming in style again, like many things from the '80s. As long as massive shoulder pads and mom jeans don't come back, I'm cool with that, but judging from the online browsing I do, I am not optimistic. I love this dress, though.

I was nervous to wear this outfit to church today, because it's pretty dressed up, even for church in the South. When I was a kid, I had all these gowns from thrift shops (and I still do) and I wore them everywhere--church, the grocery store, you name it. I used to enjoy putting on cool stuff for church; pubescent self consciousness and a desire for conformity had not yet hit. Needless to say, dress-up was my favorite game as a child. I still play dress-up but it's in a more grown-up way (I hope). But back to the point. I don't think I attracted any undue attention, so that was a relief. I hate it when I put together a cute outfit and wear it out to the library and class and people ask why I am dressed up. Though I'm not a Nike shorts and t-shirt kind of girl, I don't consider myself excessively dressed up most of the time. I consider school a job and when I'm dressed well, it helps me focus.

A few months back, my grandmother gave me a bunch of her jewelry. I used to play with it when I was little, and this pin/necklace was my favorite piece back then and it still is. I have been looking for an outfit with which to wear this pin and today, I finally found it. :)

Below is a detail of the top of my outfit. Yes, I wore the shrug a few days back, but I don't have enough cover-ups to wear a different one every time I need one. Donations accepted.
I love these shoes because I think they are girly and nerdy. Plus, I can wear them pretty much all year, as long as I combine them with the right clothes. These were also a steal. I can't wait to wear them with wool tights and a long, thick skirt. I generally prefer fall/winter fashions to spring/summer fashions, though both have their merits. I will probably write a post on the differences I see, and how they reflect the seasons in ways other than temperature, but that will be when I'm done with school for a few weeks.

Where it Came from
Royal Blue Dress: A.J. Bari, via consignment
Purple, Indigo and Gold Flower Necklace and Pin: Gift from Grandmother
Cream Bolero Jacket: Doll House, via TJMaxx
Gold Multi-Colored Scarf: Mix Nouveau, gift
Eggplant Nerd Flats: Clark's

Two Weeks without Laundry: Day 6

Happy Friday, everyone!

I would like to say, that this will be a weekend full of parties and social activities, but alas, I will probably be trying to pull together some kind of research proposal on John Milton, since my topic is due Monday. I also want to get some of my work that is due after fourth of July weekend due before then, since I want to have some fun on a long weekend. My room is also unsanitary right now (Mom, don't worry) so I'll try to take care of that too. Fortunately, I have a supply of Italian espresso that I opened earlier this week. I opened it and it smelled so earthy and sweet, and it tasted just as good. I like caffeine. There is this saying, "Behind every successful woman, there is a substantial amount of coffee." If I didn't know so many Mormons, I would agree wholeheartedly. Let's just say, that for this woman, coffee is a food group.



I feel like a Middle Eastern art student in this outfit, but in reality, I am an undergrad pushing through John Milton, in Dog Patch, USA. Oh well. My prof today said that the Vatican library does not have enough people to catalog all the awesome stuff they have. Maybe I will offer myself as an intern. Here will be my cover letter:

Dear Vatican,

I am Catholic.
I like books.
I believe in the Ten Commandments, so I won't steal your books.
I live in the middle of nowhere, where the nearest Catholic church with a regular Mass is twenty minutes away and the nearest library is about the same, if not farther (Help!).
I can read.
You do not have enough people to process your amazing collection.
Please hire me, so the Vatican Library can process its collections faster, and we can show that the Church is not an intellectual vacuum.

Sincerely,

I honestly doubt that is convincing, but whatever. It's like a dream internship. That, or the Costume Institute at the Met. The right clothing can make a mundane life seem much more fabulous.

Where it Came from:
Skirt: No idea
Black Cap Sleeve Top: I <3 Ronson, via trash/donation pile during move-out
Pearl/Metal Necklace: Claire's
Pin: Grandmother
Shoes (not pictured): Betula by Birkenstock

Two Weeks without Laundry: Day 5

I really don't have a lot to say today. It has been a catch-up-on-life day, in which I have been a tad lazy. I discovered Alexander McQueen archives online, and if I'm not careful, I will be even less productive. I didn't like his 2002 line, but a his (design house; he is dead ) new stuff is gorgeous. Kate Middleton wears a lot of his stuff. I love the Asian touches that he does and how sculptured everything is. The clothes border on being ugly, but the fact that they approach the line between beautiful and ugly, but don't cross into ugly only makes them more beautiful, if that makes any sense. There is beauty in risk. At some point, I will try to imitate Alexander McQueen's designs with my own wardrobe.

Where it Came from
Skirt: Check Me First, via consignment
Halter Top: Banana Republic, thrifted (duh)
Bolero Jacket: Doll House, via TJMaxx
Cupid Cameo: gift from Grandmother
Pearls: Consignment Shop

Two Weeks Without Laundry: Day 4--Experiment!

Today was an experiment in ironic juxtaposition (to borrow from my day job). I tried mixing earthy, grunge stuff, like my sandals and denim oxford, with girly stuff like the black skirt and the fascinator. Honestly, I think the look needs some work, but here you go!

I promised you would see the black maxi-skirt a lot. I'm already thinking of cool winter things to do with it, though it' s not even going to begin to be cold here for another four months and it's probably another six months until boot weather.

Here's a close-up of the scarf I wore. I love this scarf because for some reason, I think it exudes a sophisticated, timelessly stylish European woman vibe. It looks good as a headscarf, worn with an LBD.


You may have guessed that I have a thing for comfortable shoes. If you walked several miles a day, you would too. These are pretty cute, though, I think. I got caught in the rain in them once and they slipped off my feet, which was pretty lame, but I like them.

Where it Came from:
Maxi Skirt: Rue 21
Denim Oxford: Merona, via Dirt Cheap
Flower Scarf: Mom
Feather Fascinator: gift
Sandals: Betula by Birkenstock
Beaded Belt: Lakeshore Drive, via TJMaxx

Two Weeks without Laundry: Day 3-- Black and White

This week has been insane, so I haven't had time to post every day, but now it's catch-up time! Yay! On Tuesday, my college had freshman orientation, so I represented my church's student organization. There seemed to be some really cool people, though I sometimes don't feel like I fit in there. Honestly, I hoped someone "normal" (does anyone normal bring up the defenestration of Prague in everyday conversation?)would show up to help, but it was just the campus minister and me. It went well, though. School is really starting to pick up and it's going to be a rough five weeks until my Milton paper is in my prof's hands. So bear with me.

I have been really sleep deprived lately. Either I can't fall asleep or I don't have time to sleep. :( So my energy has been nill. I'll stop making excuses now and post my outfit.

I really like the bow top, even though it's a pain in the you-know-what to iron. The heels are also good, since they basically don't feel like heels. I have about the flattest feet ever, so I can't wear just anything unless I'm looking for an ankle injury, so heels are generally a no-no, but I found a brand that is comfortable and attractive.


I bought the top and the headband at H&M in London, near Oxford Circus. You have no idea how much I miss London. I think when I graduate college, I'm going to go back to Europe and I'm either going to do London and Paris or London and Rome. My friend has been putting pictures of Italy on Facebook and I really want to go.

Here's the whole outfit!

Where it Came from
Skirt: White Stag (yes, Wal-Mart but it's sooo comfortable and versatile), via consignment
Shirt with Bow: H&M, London
Bow Headband: ditto
Patent Leather Heels: Clark's
Belt: Dirt Cheap, have no idea of brand

As you can probably tell, I do a lot of sale and consignment shopping. It's a lot of fun to find cool stuff and be able to afford it. If you've ever been to college, you'll understand.

Two Weeks Without Laundry: Day Two

I took my pics in the library today because my camera died this morning before I could finish taking all the pictures. To be honest, I felt like an idiot walking around the library with a camera and worried that I would run into a professor, even though any person with a life is out living it at 9:30 on a Monday night (just a pinch of sarcasm there) , not running around the library taking blog pictures. Do any of you have lives? What is it like to have a life?

Someday, when I have a life, I would love to be a prof at some hip school, like The New School or NYU, with a hip apartment, amazing clothes, lots of books, two cats with cool names, and a commercial-grade espresso machine. I would invite my students over and we can drink lattes, listen to bands no one has ever heard of, and have hipster conversations, though I doubt Milton was a hipster. I don't even think I'm a hipster. "What is a hipster?" is probably the greatest philosophical and sociological question of all time, but I won't try to answer it here(I'm saving it for my dissertation for when I get a Ph.D. in philosophy, jk, jk). I will stick with what I'm reasonably good at, and that is clothes.

As I mentioned yesterday, I went vintage shopping and scored some cool stuff. The fuschia belt (top right) is one of those things. I also got an orange charmeuse, which I wore with the belt. Normally, I don't do colors like that. I tend to really like black and I periodically have to stop myself from buying any more black clothing. The shoes (bottom right) are cute, but are tools of the devil if worn for any length of time. I traipse around my college campus all day, and now I have a small almost-blister on the bottom of my foot to prove it. That should be interesting in heels tomorrow. I got the scarf (middle right) from my mom, as well as the scarab bracelet (bottom left). My mom must have been a hip teenager.

Though I didn't really need it, I decided to carry the bag (top left) today anyway. I got it in London at the Camden markets. It's my fairy bag, since it reminds me of a withered fairy wing, though that would be gross. It's cool that Camden and Knightsbridge are on the same Tube line, though I could never afford anything at Harrod's and most of the stores on the same street are also out of my budget. I miss London. Their major shopping sales will start soon and there were good deals last year.

Here is a picture of the entire outfit. :)

Where it Came from
Shoes: Steve Madden via Hudson's
Charmeuse: Vio, vintage, unsure of time period
Belt: Vintage, ditto
Fairy Bag: Camden Market
Scarf and Scarab Bracelet: Mom
Skirt: East 5th, via consignment

Snazzy Sunday 19 June 2011/ Two Weeks Without Laundry Day 1

It's Snazzy Sunday, y'all.

I went vintage shopping yesterday and got some awesome duds, which you will see at some point. One of my finds was this adorably girly A-line dress. Seriously, when I put it on, I feel like I should put on Mary Janes and knee high socks, put my hair in pigtails and go swing on the swings. This feeling is probably a result of the buttons (right). It's apparently from the eighties, but since it doesn't have shoulder pads, I'll let that go. I can't wait to wear it in the winter with a heavy black cardigan and knee-high boots (read: Southerner is tired of the heat already and it's only June).

I got the shoes in England and they were a steal. Same goes for the bag, minus the England part.

Where it Came from:

Green Dress: 80's vintage, no label

Red Hipster Peasant Shoes: Aldo
Bag: Dooney & Bourke, via consignment
White Flower Necklace: Forever 21

It Begins... Tomorrow

Tomorrow begins an arduous undertaking, a challenge of epic proportions...

Starting tomorrow, I will go two weeks without wearing any of the same clothing. I henceforth (love that word) dub it "Two Weeks without Laundry."

Of course, there will be pictures.

If you would like to participate, just comment on the blog and I will link to you.

I plan on doing a "Two Weeks without Laundry" event in the winter as well.

Above: My closet

Back, with a New Outfit

No, John Milton did not eat my blog.
1. He is dead.
2. He was uber into being temperate, and this blog is not nutritious enough.

But I must say, my professor pointed out in class that John Milton talks a lot about clothing in his poetry. It's like symbolic and stuff (note: the preceding valley girl literary analysis was only in jest). He wrote two partner poems, L'Allegro and Il Penseroso that debate two lifestyles: mirth or melancholy. I plan to do posts with an L'Allegro outfit and an Il Penseroso outfit, along with textual support. :D

Anyway, onto the outfit! I'll be honest, when I woke up this morning, I thought, "I have a lot of work to do. I need something I don't need to iron, " and I chose accordingly. Still, I think it came out well.

You will probably see this black maxi skirt here a lot. It also doubles as a dress. As for the headband, my mother gave me a basket of royal wedding favors which included a collection of fascinator-like hats, so there you go. The shoes have the benefit of being cute without also acting as an instrument of torture. The top is also a wardrobe staple for me, and can be worn on its own or as a jacket.

Where it Came from:
Black Maxi Skirt: Rue 21
Top: Pretty Good, via consignment
Shoes: Bandalino, via TJMaxx
Necklace: Claire's
Headband: Gift

I also have this idea of wearing a different outfit every day for two weeks, shrugs, camisoles, accessories and shoes excepted, only because these are basic and I don't have enough of them to last for two weeks. What do you think?