30 for 30: Twelfth of Never Edition

So, I've been kind of off and on with the 30 for 30 Challenge. Hot and cold. Hit and miss. Today I think I'm wearing all 30 for 30 pieces.

This is a vintage beaded necklace with a bit of my pink office Christmas tree peeking out from the bottom of the frame.

My problem lately is that I have a lot of ideas for posts, and I start drafting them, then never come back. Oh what my blog could be! But I'll get to them. Soon.

Tune in tomorrow for the start of my Favorite Christmas Songs Countdown!

Lady of Leisure

My mom gets a lot of catalogs in the mail. One that I looked at while I was visiting for Thanksgiving was "Barbie Collector," which has all kinds of limited edition Barbies and Barbie gear. Most of it's pretty tacky but this picture stopped me mid-flip:

If this outfit was real, I would wear it. Every. Single. Day.

Thanksgiving in the Slower Lower

My first homemade rolls turned out great, my muffins were delish, my gravy was savory and my vegan Celebration Roast was yumsville. All in all, a great Thanksgiving! I have much to share, but I'll start with a few shots from a trip to Grandma's Attic, Laurel, Delaware's finest antique mall.

Little china girl.

I seriously considered buying this pink tin stove and making it a jewelry box or something.

Sweep your way out of servitude, little girls!

Wall of kitchen wonders.

Dream pink phone. Want this for my office.

Hello, handsome.

Swankiest razor I've ever seen.

A deal. 

Today's Necessary Purchase

Those boots! Kate, you little minx. 1978 must have been quite a year for you.

Magical

First day of a paid week off. Today I ran errands and picked up some things I need for my trip to see my folks for Thanksgiving. Tomorrow I have an eye appointment, then hope to spend most of the day cleaning and organizing my house. Wednesday I'll be making rolls, muffins, savory mushroom gravy and some other treats, and cooking my Celebration Roast. Soo...it'll be nothing but jeans and blah for the next few days. But I'll try to post some pictures just for fun. Plus hopefully a mani shot if I have time--even though my auntie and I are getting mani/pedis on Friday!

For now, I'd like to share what, right now, is extremely close to my dream outfit:

This is a shot of Rachel Roy in the December 2010 issue of Lucky. She's wearing everything I'm obsessed with right now: big chunky sweater, print dress, boots, big glasses. In my case, I'd probably go longer on the dress and slightly shorter on the sweater, as I am not as statuesque as Ms. Roy. But it's really close to perfect. Brava!

30 for 30 Day 12: Go USA!

I got these (footless) tights on clearance at Target. I thought the thready-things were all different colors, but when I put them on I realized they are actually just red, white and blue.

But I like them! Along with the tights, it's black dress, long gray cardi (I love this thing), boots and another one of my favorite pendants:

One guy's climbing on to the truck; one guy just fell off. What? Yeah, I don't know either.

This weekend and next week I have BIG PLANS to cook, bake, clean and reorganize. And nap. What are your plans?

This Taupe is Dope

Got my nails did last night.

This pic makes it look darker than it actually is; it's more of a mushroom. Milani Teddy Bare. I did an "accent nail" with a layer of China Glaze Nova. Eh. I think it might have looked better with Nubar 2010.

30 for 30 Day 12 post on the way...

30 for 30 Day 11: Spec-tacular

I wore my glasses today.

I don't love them, but I wanted to give my eyes a break from contacts. I'm thinking about getting a new pair.

Purple sparkle pants! And white turtleneck sweater.

Want to wear something flowy and comfy tomorrow, but have no idea what. Will definitely be changing my polish tonight.

I think one of my problems with the 30 for 30 project is that I didn't include enough separates. For instance, I only have one skirt and maybe three tops total? So the rest is mainly dresses. This is limiting my mix and match options. But I will carry on! Mostly!

30 for 30 Day 10: Old Faithful

This dress is such a friend.

It's a great background for accessories. It's comfortable and fits well. And I'm pretty sure I got it on clearance at Ross. Win, win, win win win. Long gray cardi, blue/gray tights, black peeptoes. Turquoise necklace, citrine ring.

Really need to do some laundry tonight if I want to stay on the 30 for 30 straight and narrow.

Excitement: New Google Fashion Site

I don't have time to play with it right now, but this looks like a lot of fun. It's got ALGORITHMS! And pretty pictures! I hope they eventually get some not-over-the-top-expensive stuff.

Good Hair Day (or Moment)

It happens so rarely, I had to share.

Total crazy eyes.

When the Rain Washes You Clean, You'll Know

It's a dreary, rainy day, a perfect setting for the earthy, witchy woman vibes I've been trying to capture in outfits lately.

The pendant is made up of pewter rose claws holding a glass marble orb with a little prism thing inside of it. A gift from my best friend ages ago. The ring is vintage; a fake amber oval surrounded by prismatic rhinestones. Nails: Sally Hansen Tracy Reese Fall 2010 Problem Child. Deep purple with shimmer and glass flecks.

Another 30 for 30 cheat day. I missed this dress.

Oh but this, this is incredible. I need some platform boots now. Stevie, I still want to be you when I grow up.

Today's soundtrack: Stevie, Heart, Florence and the Machine.

Cheat Cheat Never Beat

I managed to stick with 30 for 30 over the weekend (no pics, it was boring mommy weekend wear--jeans, sweaters etc.), but was ready to bust out of the list today. I have this dress that I want to love...I keep trying to make it work, accessorize it into stylishness, but I don't know if it's ever going to get there:

It's jade green with a white grid pattern. I think I got it on super clearance from Shade. It requires a belt or else it looks like a 1960's insane asylum uniform. Add some paper slippers and you're there. I used a pale blue/yellow/peachy-pink patterned vintage scarf for a belt, threw on my fave ginormous cap sleeve cardigan and a glitter butterfly necklace. But. I thought it might be too crazy for work. So I changed the dress to this:

And I regret it. This is an olive green cotton dress, also from Shade, and I don't like the length. It goes down past my knees. And I had to push the sleeves up to fit inside the cardigan. It's okay, but the first choice was so much more fun, and even if I felt a little crazy in it, it would have been worth it to try it out. Maybe later on. Remember people: first thought, best thought!

Sorry for the fuzzy iPhone shots. Yes, this is one of those blogs with crummy pictures. Deal with it. 



In other cheating news, I went back on my promise to not make any unnecessary purchases through the end of the year and bought a $10 contents-unseen packaged grab bag of Sally Hansen polishes and nail tools from Rite-Aid. I saw one on eBay that had TWO discontinued, limited-edition shades from the Tracy Reese Spring 2009 collection (Night Hydrangea and Azalea), and instead of buying that for $24.99 I thought I'd take a chance and buy one at Rite Aid to see if it it MIRACULOUSLY had the same or similar shades in it. It didn't, of course, but I think there are 3 (out of 5) wearable colors in it, plus a top coat, a cuticle pen and some other good tools in it. So, after that I really shouldn't get the one on eBay, right? No, of course not. That would be ridiculous? Right? Right. Totally not going to do it. But I might go look at the listing again...

Things I Accomplished Last Week

1. One full week of the 30 for 30 Challenge. I might have an off day tomorrow. Except I can't find the belt I need for the outfit I have in mind. Sigh.
2. Made another batch of zucchini muffins! 
3. Supervised while my husband and our nephews and niece raked the front and back yards.
4. Tried out my first RBL haul polish: Teal. It was gorgeous, applied like a dream, and I wish I could show you a picture but all the shots I took were terrible. I need a new camera. And also, photography skills.
5. Bought my Celebration Roast for Thanksgiving! Which involved driving to a tiny little place in a warehouse strip mall in Rockville and waiting while an adorable girl with "VEGAN" tatooed across her chest went in back to retrieve it from the freezer for me. Way to keep the faith, honey.

Random shots from 11/8 to 11/14:

Lesson learned: hippy gals like myself should not be photographed from below. Moving on...

Black sweater, brown tweedy skirt, tan skinny belt, black tights, super cute deep red patent t-strap shoes (not on my list, totally cheatsville), a gorgeous necklace that was a gift from my in-laws and kinda big hair that I kinda love. And a toddler in the background. ("Mama, feet cold? Slippers, Mama. Mama?")

First work week of 30 for 30 over. On to the weekend. I may cheat. I may not. I may wear pajamas all weekend.

Comfort Zone

30 for 30 Day 4: First of all, I really need to work on my poses.

I really was not trying to showcase the girls. I like the way this dress looks against a solid background, so I was trying to make that more apparent. Anyhoo...

Another day, another dress with another long cardigan and another pendant on a long chain. I know the point of the 30 for 30 exercise is to try out new combos and put things together that you normally wouldn't have thought of, and I know I'll do more of that. But I am actually really happy that I've found a "look" that I like and that I think flatters me. I'm 37 and I've spent too many years hating what's in my closet and how I look. It took me a long time--too long--to get into this comfort zone and I'm happy to be here.

No, that's not someone I know in the pendant. I got it at a jewelry show (The Gem Show, to my Tucson peeps) years ago. The ring is amber. And you can't tell, but on my nails is Rescue Beauty Lounge Teal.

Oh, and the tights are purple!

Substitute Art Teacher

30 for 30 rolls on: Day 3!

This is actually an outfit I wear all the time. Black cotton dress (with pockets!) and long colorblock cardigan, both from Shade, the now-defunct "modest" clothing purveyor. Black tights, black pumps. Gray pearl earrings, picture pendant. I go back to this outfit often because I love it.

30 for 30 Day 2

I'm still not sure about this one.

I love this cardigan but I think it looks better with dresses. I can't tell if I like it over long sleeves or not. The little brooch I got at a church sale last weekend; the black bangle was a gift from my best friend's mom, the shoes I LOVE are by Sofft via 6pm.com, which, if you didn't know already, is the Zappos clearance site. 

This is definitely a combo I never would have put together if I wasn't doing this project. I was ready to cheat this morning--I was running late and getting frustrated--but I'm glad I stuck with it!

A Necessary Purchase

Now that the chill in the air's getting chillier, and shaving one's legs is optional, I need tights and socks on a daily basis. I discovered this week that my stash of black tights has whittled itself down to a minimum with one slightly small, slightly runny pair, one intact but old and tired-looking pair and two textured pairs with holes that mostly don't show but sometimes do. So I convinced a friend to join me on a lunch-hour jaunt to Filene's Basement today where I snagged (ha!) these:

A two-pack of plain black tights, a two-pack of knee socks (one purple cable, one with purple/grey dotted hearts) and a super cute pair of Betsey Johnson over-the-knee socks that I fell in love with even though they were $9.99 for only one pair. But look! Big pink roses! Here's to warm legs and tootsies 'til spring.

30 for 30 Day One: In a Room With Some Lace and Paper Flowers

Sometimes I like to play a game called "What Would Stevie Nicks Wear to the Office?" It's fun! I think she might wear this, but with a fringey shawl and some platform boots:

My first 30 for 30 remix: Carnival dress (DownEast Basics), long gray cardi (Target clearance), black tights, black pumps (not pictured because I did not give my husband appropriate photo instructions). Big brown plastic bangle (also not pictured, same reason), and this necklace, which was my grandmother's:

NOTD: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Mystic Lilac

These photos absolutely do not do it justice, but this is one of the new fall colors from Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear line. I found it at Rite Aid; none of the CVS stores near me seem to get the new SH colors.

It's much more vibrant in person, and I love the green shimmer, but I'm not madly in love with it. I didn't even fix the smudge I got on my right index finger. This is just holding me over until my RBL order arrives.

I was worried that it was completely not work-appropriate, but it just looks lilac from far away.

30 for 30 - Yes!

So, I decided at the last minute to go for it. I went through my closet Friday night and counted out 30 items. Of course, today when I was getting some laundry together I found a few things that I would have LOVED to wear sometime in the next 30 days, but oh well! Here's my list; I'm not posting pics because no one's reading this anyway. :)

For the next 30 days, I will only wear these 30 items (and various accessories):

1. Long gray cardi (Target clearance)
2. Long black cardi (Target clearance)
3. Short sleeve pale gray long cardi (Filene's Basement clearance)
4. Long color block cardi (Shade, RIP!)
5. White turtleneck (Target)
6. Gray boatneck sweater (Old Navy)
7. Pink boatneck sweater (Old Navy)
8. Gap jeans
9. Old Navy jeans
10. Maroon turtleneck dress (Shade)
11. Black long sleeve dress (Shade)
12. Black and white patterned dress (Ross)
13. Purple sparkle pants (JCP)
14. Gray pants (Ann Taylor LOFT)
15. Black pants (JCP)
16. Carnival pattern dress (Downeast Outfitters)
17. Clogs (Clarks)
18. Brown boots (Target)
19. Fake Birks (Payless)
20. Gorgeous wine and red mary janes (Sofft)
21. Black pumps (Sofft)
22. Brown tweedy skirt (Gap via Buffalo Exchange)
23. Black cotton stretch scoopneck (Shade)
24. Navy boatneck top (Shade)
25. Gray wrap sweater (Target)
26. Green and white striped scoopneck (Shade)
27. Purple henley (Old Navy)
28. Gray patterned waffle henley (Shade)
29. Black sweater (Target)
30. Mystery item I have yet to pick...

Church Fair Score!

My church held its annual Fall Fair yesterday and we picked up a few choice items.

Tiny plastic mod chairs, just right for Playmobil people. Ten cents each!

Purple plastic canvas key ring and a sweet pearly brooch. I'm a little nostalgic about plastic canvas; my stepdad's grandmother sent me some things (coasters and something else I can't remember) when I was little so I get the warm fuzzies when I see it out in the world. And this key ring is pretty tame compared to some other items of the same ilk I've seen.

We also picked up a stuffed alligator that the little one attached herself to. Total spend: $2.95! Bless you, Fall Fair!

Some Things I Accomplished This Week

1. Exhibited great restraint at the Rescue Beauty Lounge 50% off sale. I have been dying to try RBL polishes and after some hemming and hawing I dived into the 5-hour sale right when it started. I got Teal, Plie and Dead Calm. They should arrive this week, and from what I hear, they apply like butter! Can't wait to try them out. 
2. Made zucchini muffins! Delish and they don't taste like zucchini. But you know it's there...AND I used agave nectar instead of sugar for the first time. I think I can taste the difference but it's a good difference. 
3. Sent off a dear friend and co-worker with a batch of cupcakes and a teary goodbye. 
4. Started a blog!

30 for 30?

Kendi Everyday's 30 for 30 Challenge sounds like a lot of fun and the idea is totally up my alley because I too was intrigued by the Six Items or Less idea but didn't feel like I could really do it. But am I crazy to think that 30 sounds like a lot? I don't know that I even wear 30 separate items in a month, but I could be wildly underestimating. Especially in fall/winter when I'm rotating seven-plus cardigans. Hmmm...I'm still thinking about it. I need to go to my closet and count!

Not Buying It

Last night I made a vow to my husband, myself and...the world, I guess...that I will not make any unnecessary purchases for the rest of the year. I've been on a spendy bender for the last few months. My nail polish collection has probably tripled, possibly quadrupled, and I also felt the need to buy a lot of dresses, a lot of sweaters and a lot of lipgloss. Not to mention purses on eBay. I don't need this stuff (although man, it sure feels like I do!) I know what I'm doing. I'm filling a hole that can't be filled. Trying to sparkle up the emptiness. But that hole's never going to fill up. Not this way. So I'm trying. We'll see how it goes.