Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Schizophrenic Style: With Love in Her Eyes and Flowers in Her Hair

   I have never been one to wear flowers in my hair, or any other quintessentially girly adornments... even so there is something that rings so true to me about songs written over the ages by men professing their love for the "girl with flowers in her hair". Something inside me feels deeply acknowledged whenever such words come flowing through my car speakers. I am that girl and I am known. Not by the singer, or the songwritter and not even by those who may happen to be listening alongside of me... I am known by someone above all of that, and not only am I wholly and completely known by Him but I am loved. My audience, the one that really matters, the one that sees it all... every quirk and every fault... is utterly and completely captivated with me. In me He is delighted, and nothing reminds me of that quite like the voice of Robert Plant or Marcus Muford singing about flowers in hair.

   The time I spent working with Image101 this past weekend was restorative in more ways than I could have anticipated. One of the most significant gifts I received over the weekend was a feeling. It wasn't something we discussed or intentionally exercised but came naturally as a result of our focus on self discovery... the ability to genuinely accept a compliment, without guilt or shame or that ever so annoying impulse to counteract it with a barrage of self deprecating one liners disguised as humility. A weight was lifted... one I hadn't realized was there in the first place.

   I may not wear flowers in my hair but my spirit dances in fields of wildflowers like the one printed on my skirt and the yellow sun shines brighter than the buttons on my new favorite blouse hugging every inch of me with it's warmth.






 

Eyeshadow
Flamepoint, Buttercupcake and Love+ from the Burning Heart pallet by Sugarpill
Tank Top - Target
Perfect Conduct Dress - Modcloth
Skirt - T.J.Maxx
Tights - don't remember
Shoes - Kohls (my go to boots)







Friday, March 25, 2011

Back and Better than Ever...

Today marks my jump back into a world I've been away from for quite some time, a world I loved but that got muddled and clouded over due to business partnerships turned sour. We had a really good thing going but it was too entangled in unrelated messes, and when those other 'unrelated messes' came crumbling down around us so did our operation. Or at least our collective will to move forward amidst complete uncertainty and confusion.

I was the youngest of the group, a girl who had linked arms with women in an effort to help other girls and women reach inside themselves and find the courage to let themselves shine. I grieved for the loss of this incredible community and am currently indescribably nervous, excited, and all around emotional about it's resurgence.

Did I mention I'm nervous???

Just a few short hours from now I will be packing up myself and the boy and taking him on over to Grandma's house where he will help her greet Auntie Lindsay upon her arrival home for spring break... I will miss out on being part of the welcome home commitee, already on my way up to our neighbor state to the North. The drive is always an invigorating one. Come 7:30 we will be officially back up and running, our community, our shared endeavor.

Image c/o twotoneatl
I won't be making any formal presentations this time around, thank God... I'm so out of practice and unprepared. Not that I ever felt like a seasoned expert to begin with. There is something so intimidating about being vulnerable in front of a group of other women, especially when those women tend to be older than you for the most part and you are offered up as someone to listen to. Someone who will supposedly be able to help them with body issues and self image struggles they may have had longer than I have been alive. Sincerity and authenticity is often the only thing I feel I have going for me in winning over the trust of women whom I've never met but of whom I am asking a great deal of intimate sharing of themselves... their stories as women.

Again... nervous.

I teamed up with the women of Image101 the year after I graduated from High School and spent quite a good deal of time simply observing and participating in events as a guest, there for the same reason a all of the other attendees. To learn about myself and how my image affected me inside and out, how to work through these issues I had from coming of age in these media-drenched times where girls are bombarded left and right with conflicting messages about every aspect of their being.... specifically their bodies and personal style.

Eventually I began my apprenticeship journey, helping presenters with their materials, serving as a live example at times during the educational seminar portions of the events, and eventually my test came... I had to use my newly learned skills and work as a personal shopper for several women then the very next day run a fashion show all on my own. It was utterly terrifying. It was also a defining moment... one of the moments of my life I can look back on and pinpoint exactly what a freeing experience it is to step out of your comfort zone and surprise yourself.

Image c/o John McNab
The potential for another chance to surprise myself is probably what I'm most excited about. That and our message of course, the possibility of making an impact. I'm excited to see how we will move forward together as a team, without ties to a particular product or service other than improved lives...

Nervousness... in the best possible way, that really excited, edge of your seat kind of way...

Here I go... wish me luck!






Thursday, March 24, 2011

Musical Musings

   A deep love of music is not an uncommon self-professed characteristic... it can be found in the "about me" sections of many a social networking profile. It's no surprise either seeing as music is a universal language in many senses, due to it's ability to convey a feeling instead of simply a message. The transfer of emotion from the artist to the listener is nothing short of profound. As human beings it only makes sense that upon hearing something so expressive we go about personalizing what we've experienced, turning the mere act of hearing an intentionally crafted series of sounds into an intensely intimate encounter.

   I don't claim to have any more musical prowess than anyone else out there, and in fact the wide majority of what I listen to would likely be deemed "too mainstream" by most aficionados... but what I do know is that while many of my peers were catching up on the latest and greatest shows on TV I spent hours upon hours of my high school years laying on my bedroom floor, motionless, taking in every nuance that I could discern from the music pumping at top volume from my boombox speakers. Unfortunately since those days I haven't had much time to delve further into this aspect of my creative self, but from time to time I luck into a rather amazing musical discovery or two.

   I can't take much credit for this particular discovery as it had absolutely nothing to do with my ability to seek out and find phenoms among the masses. Actually it just so happened that in the continual growth of my extended family I wound up being somehow connected, however distantly, to this amazing couple with more musical proficiency and creative potency between them than most music festivals boast in an entire weekends worth of featured artists! Today I share with you a masterpiece by The Felix Culpa but I also highly recommend checking out Venna, which is the couple's shared endeavor and is equally as impressive in an entirely different way.


If you are as in awe of this as I am do not hesitate to head on over to AltPress and let them know what you think of this amazingness!


More musical musings to come... in the mean time I would love to hear what's playing from your speakers these days that keeps you coming back for more. 






Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Schizophrenic Style: Dancing on the Moon

    Recently I've been making some pretty big changes to my wardrobe, especially in terms of my dresses and other more formal attire. I've spent a considerable amount of time sorting through my clothes and tossing out (or donating in most cases) things that I acquired for one reason or another (whether that be out of convenience, cost-concerns or a desire to fit within a certain ideal of professionalism) that did not line up with the way I visualize myself in terms of style. I've always professed that you can be professional/appropriate and still be yourself, but haven't been following my own advice these past few years.


   I've made a commitment to buying only things that which I really love... and not just things I admire, but things that I can feel like myself in. There are many aesthetic qualities I truly love that  I would never feel comfortable wearing myself... they may be beautiful but in them I feel like I'm wearing a costume. A mask made of clothing and accessories.

   One of my newer pieces is this Meteor Sighting Dress from ModCloth. I had been eying it for months and was hemming and hawing over it as there were others that were cheaper and more "business professional" looking available... yet I kept coming back to it. When it got drastically marked down during their recent sale I couldn't pass up the opportunity and I am beyond glad that I grabbed one before they sold out!

  
   So here you have it... my version of business wear! Also... if you hadn't seen it yet elsewhere this is my hair after finishing the dye job. Still a work in progress as I learn to hone my DIY hairdying skills. My hope is to perfect getting an even allover tone and possibly find a new product that while help me actually achieve the color I was looking for instead of this blue/gray/purple variant. Any advice from those who've gotten good results is welcome and highly appreciated!


P.S. expect better picture quality in the future... my phone was all I had at my disposal at the time these were taken!






Monday, March 21, 2011

As My Mother Loved Me...

   The more I come into my own, the more I realize that I am not in fact unique. I am so much like my mother that it sometimes takes me by surprise... in a good way. That way which makes me remember all the wonderful things about my childhood that made it something worthy of nostalgia.


   My sister and I never lacked for time to learn to entertain ourselves, and the idea that we should go running to our mom over every scrape or cut was never present in our minds, but there was never any doubt that she loved us. Wholly and completely loved us. Her every thought and action did not need to revolve around us, she had her own interests, her own tasks to complete that had nothing to do with us, and yet there was never a question.


   I want to be that kind of mom. I feel like I am slowly learning how to be that kind of mom... as the days pass and the boy and I alternate hours of laughing and playing together with hours of him entertaining himself as I go about living my life in his presence, showing him that I am a whole person and not just his mother... I am beginning to see that spark of recognition in his eyes that reassures me. The smile he gives me when our gazes cross during our time doing separate things; it tells me that he knows. He knows just how completely he is loved.

Always and forever my sweets...






Thursday, March 17, 2011

Begining Babyfood... A New Stage

    I'm not sure why feeding my baby solid food feels like such a monumental step to me when so many firsts that people mark on their calendars slipped by me with little more than a fond notion of "hey that's new". I didn't feel weird about transitioning him from our bed to the crib, sizing up in clothes/seating/complexity of toys, or giving up the swaddle, I didn't even get teary eyed over his first smile (although to my credit I couldn't help but beam right back at him). But this to me seems so huge! The food thing in general has been the biggest, most all-consuming aspect of parenthood for me to date, and honestly it was the last thing I expected to be so wrapped up in. Maybe it's just that I'm in the health and wellness industry and have become increasingly aware of the dangers in our food, or that I'm scared of passing my terrible eating habits on to my son, but this has been my biggest struggle with the whole motherhood game.

    Originally I wasn't planning on blogging about this subject, it was too personal, possibly too much information, and definitely a controversial issue in the parenting climate out there today. Nobody had a vote in the matter but my husband, myself and my son, so why put our situation on public display and chance receiving loads of unsolicited advice? Now that some time has passed, however, and there is no going back (what's done is done) I'm beginning to feel the need to share my story...

  When I was pregnant with Bastian and people would ask me "Are you going to breastfeed?" I always answered "yes, baring any unforeseen problems". What I didn't realize at the time was that I actually meant "unless I turn out to be one of those rare unfortunate mothers who don't produce a single drop of milk I will find any way possible". When the time came my own dedication to the mission bordered on scary. Within the first 24 hours after giving birth we saw 3 different lactation consultants... this may have seemed like a huge deal at the time but I was soon going to be known by first name... by voice even, by every lactation consultant at that hospital (and they were all exceedingly nice and helpful). Even that was not the scary part... the scary part was the extreme pressure I put on myself to perform despite the odds staking up against us more each day.

Image c/o anderdo
The following is an abridged recollection of my first four months as a mother:

"bleeding is normal"

"bleeding is not normal"

"That's just due to an improper latch"

"Pain is normal in the beginning until you both get the hang of it"

"Well, actually, pain is not normal, it must be an improper latch."

"It sounds like you may have oversupply issues"

"Everything will work itself out once we get the latch right... to heal yourself in the mean time here are shields,  gel pads and a topical cream."

"Try this hold  it'll help correct the latch"

"He nurses for 90 minutes straight?"

"Turns out he's tongue bunching you'll need to do tongue training exercises with him"

"Here's a supplemental feeding system you can use to train him how to suck while giving yourself a break so those grand canyon sized cracks can heal but you'll have to pump before, during, after feedings..."

"He really needs to learn to latch, have you tried..."

"Really, the pain is that bad? I didn't realize you were fighting off sobs with every feeding... do you have any of these other symptoms?... sounds to me like you have thrush."

"If you have thrush he has it too, so he'll need treatment."

"Your son is losing weight"

"Don't worry, this method of bottle feeding is proven to reinforce breastfeeding and should correct the tongue bunching"

"You have to supplement with formula to get his weight back up, since your supply has dwindled to almost nothing!"

"You need to see three different specialists to be approved for meds to clear up your infection"

"He won't nurse anymore? that's weird"

"I'm out of methods to suggest to get him nursing again I recommend taking him to a speech therapist"

"The meds aren't working? Are you scrubbing, use the creams, anti-fungals, eating 8 cups of yogurt a day and drinking 12 cups of tea??? How about boiling everything you and the baby come into contact with? Have you stopped consuming sugar altogether? Well the only other option at this point is Gentian Violet... nevermind that there's a correlation between it's use and an increased risk of mouth cancer in babies..."

"Lets try an aggressive regimen of probiotics and prebiotics before resorting to Gentian Violet... you'll have to keep doing all of the other treatments as well... and here are some supply increasing supplements"

"Since he won't nurse and you're hellbent on keeping him on breastmilk you'll have to pump every 2 to 4 hours around the clock to get, then keep your supply up"

"The pain is just as bad now with the pump as it was with nursing? Your getting new blisters and the old cracks still aren't healed? You need to rent a hospital grade pump"

"I'm sorry to tell you this but if the treatments haven't worked after all this time then your only other option is Gentian Violet."

"Really? Your supply all but disappeared again? But you got it back up and steady for such a good amount of time?"



   Please understand that I don't share this to gain pity or even sympathy... I share this on behalf of all the mothers out there who have had to make tough decisions they didn't want to make based on factors they never anticipated. I truly believe that my dedication to providing breastmilk to my child became more about proving a point than about what was in the best interest of my baby. I also feel that there was a bit of postpartum depression playing into my overwhelming obsession with this one particular aspect of mothering... I allowed my self-esteem as a parent to rest solely on my performance in this one piece of the whole picture and there came a time when I realized I was infringing on my own ability to care for my son in any other way than physical nourishment.

   It is also important to note that while the above quotes were written with a healthy dose of sarcasm, I am truly grateful to all the wonderful people we encountered on this journey that did nothing but care. That being said, the amount of conflicting information out there on this topic is beyond frustrating and it gnaws at a mothers feeling of competency more and more the deeper she delves into it. The value of a mother's instincts cannot be overemphasized... in this information age world it's all too easy to undermine our own decision-making abilities by giving too much weight to the enormous flood of opinions, expert and otherwise, constantly coming at us from every direction.


   Finally on the other side of this struggle I can say that the knowledge, and more importantly the confidence, I gained through the experience was well worth it. It has instilled in me an abundance of compassion for other mothers on every side of the equation, every shade of the spectrum. Above all, what really resonates deep within my heart and makes tears of joy well up in my eyes is seeing my son thriving, growing, eating, completely free from myself. In the end it was never about me, it was always about him. Seeing him happily gulp down a spoonful of "real" food... food that is completely separate from the formula vs. breastmilk debate, free from my ability to take claim of creation and control, it makes me realize just how quickly these days go by and how truly important it is to focus on what really matters. What matters to me is raising this baby boy into a good man, and I will continue to do the little things in my power that contribute to that end result, but the steps of a staircase are inconsequential if the staircase leads to a cliff. Where is your staircase leading?






Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Crafting Conundrum

   It seems that I am in the midst of a creative block, at least in terms of physically creating things. I'm also feeling a slight wane in my motivation to write... I have plenty of topics I'm inspired by, but they all feel so monumental at the moment, and frankly the Benadryl I just took to clear up my sinuses has me feeling all sorts of weird right now. So, since I still have the urge to seek out inspiration and ideas here are a few things I've come across that are pushing me to jump back on the proverbial saddle, in hopes that sharing them will inevitably lead to me actually doing something creative:

1) This really amazing sewing box from Etsy. If I had an extra $25 laying around I would snap this up in a heartbeat!




2) A cake so cute you almost don't want to eat it...almost. I found it featured over at Twig & Thistle:




3) The diorama-esqe suitcases Astrid created at the end of White Oleander:

4) Vintage camera stamps that are shaped like cameras!!




5) Using (free) wine crates as shelves... I've been wanting to employ this trick for a while now:




What creative projects are you currently working on? What do you do when you lack the motivation to create to help yourself jump back in the driver's seat?

I've spent so much time cleaning and babyproofing that I feel like instead of adding beauty and creativity to our home, I am actually removing it... even though in it's place there is now simple, clutter free, cleanliness, something even I can't complain about! In the back of my mind I think that this purge of "stuff" I've been indulging in is in some ways a build up to a major creative explosion of sorts. Only time will tell.






Sunday, March 13, 2011

Schizophrenic Style: Major Change

   Several posts back I eluded to a major change to come in the near future, and the time has finally come to share my transformation... even though it's still somewhat of a work in progress. I've known I wanted to make some massive changes to my hair for quite a while now but building up the courage to attempt this change via the DIY route took some time, I have died my hair dark colors for years... but bleach? Now that is intimidating!!

   I'm not convinced I love the result, I like it yes, but it was kind of haphazard and I ran out of dye towards the end due to lack of planing/experience on my part leaving the top most portion of my head blond, which I kind of like but it's not what I was going for so I'm still feeling the itch to "finish the job".


Please excuse the Myspace styled photos, my tripod was in the bedroom where the baby had just finally fallen asleep and my wonderful husband is out of town... this was the best effort I could muster at 11:30pm last night. 


   Though my husband likes to joke that I was modeling my hair off of Major Kusanagi (from Ghost in the Shell) I was really going for something more like the examples below for my color; not that Major doesn't have awe inspiring hair, because she does... but that's beside the point.


   I will keep working on it until I am happy with it, but am taking a rest so as not to make my hair fall out in the process... and because I'm lazy and haven't picked up more dye yet. Crazy colored hair has kind of been a dream I've had since high school and I've played around with peek-a-boo panels in varying shades and slightly more dramatic than natural overall colors in darker hues, but I've decided that if I'm ever going to take the leap into the deep end now is the time! I've got to admit it's pretty exciting!

 P.S. This dress... I bought for a third off it's original price c/o Modcloth's Cabin Fever Sale... way more amazing than I even expected! (Tights were a gift and shoes are Iron Fist)

If you could have your hair any color without any consequences (from maintenance to evil stares and everything in between) what would it be?





Friday, March 11, 2011

Be Careful, It's [Their] Heart...

   I have a confession to make... my internet problems mentioned in my last post aren't the reason I've been non-existent these past few days. It was the issue the day of my post, but the connectivity/speed problems resolved themselves withing 24 hours. I stayed gone because this has been a very strange and
uncomfortable week in our household. There has only been one thing in my mind begging to be written about and everything else seems trivial in it's shadow... the problem is that it is not my story to tell.

   With the internet and social networking having become such pervasive forces in our day to day lives we often don't notice new pitfalls in interpersonal relations rearing their ugly heads until the damage has been done. We're so used to sharing what's going on in our lives on the web (to varying degrees based on our personal comfort levels) that we often don't even think about whether a given piece of information is truly ours to share. How do we balance our need to reach out and share our experiences with others, to connect in times of joy or suffering, with our responsibility to protect the privacy of the people who are more directly impacted by the events or circumstances to which we so feel the need to respond? We have been introduced to a whole new platform of social interaction as a society pretty much all at once. There was no learning etiquette by example from someone who had been there and done that, the way a child learns social conventions from their parents. We all jumped in together with only common sense as our guide (and you know what they say about common sense not being very common).

   Things were difficult enough before we all had our own online presences, but now well-meaning people can do more harm then good at break-neck speeds. Not until you find out that you're pregnant do you think about the fact that you not only have to figure out in what order you will spread the news, but you will have to preface every conversation with "don't put this on Facebook until I give you the go-ahead, but..." and make sure that anybody they tells knows... because a congratulations on your wall before you got a chance to tell your boss on Monday morning could make for a rather awkward start to your work-week. Not to mention that you'll just have to resign yourself to the fact that everyone you know will have posted pictures of your newborn before you got a chance to see them yourself, or heaven forbid make your own birth announcement (I was lucky in this department, but know others that weren't). But, when this tangled mess of online communication suddenly requires people to become their own pr departments in the wake of personal tragedies we need to tread very carefully. The last thing someone should have to think about after losing a loved one is playing policeman online to make sure that no well-meaning condolences wind up appearing in the news feed of family members before they get the chance to tell them the news directly.

   It's not just the speed of information anymore that overwhelms us like a drink from a firehose, it's the speed of our relationships. Our best efforts to connect with and support each other are often times undermined by the methods we choose to conduct our interactions through. I am guilty of it I am sure. But if this week has reminded me of anything it's the importance of communication. Real one on one, person to person communication.






Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Please Excuse the Interruption... This is Only a Test.

   Unfortunately our internet provider seems to have up and reinterpreted their definition of "high-speed internet" to mean glacial connection speeds. This new development is not proving to be extremely conducive to posting new content over here at Taxidermy Worms. I will continue to write through this roadblock, however posting may be more intermittent than is normal until a) Clear gets their act together or b) I suddenly develop inhuman patience for 30 minute load times and endless time outs.... whichever happens first.


On a semi-side note... how in the world did we ever get by in the days of dial-up and land lines {insert sarcasm here}






Sunday, March 6, 2011

Schizophrenic Style: The New Kid in Town

   Turns out Bastian got more than just his mom's nose, he also seems to be showing early signs of an affinity towards the rock n' roll aesthetic... or at the very least he looks pretty darn cute in black, white and red plaid and skull adorned hats! Who knows what he'll choose for himself when he takes over his own wardrobe selections. For now I'm enjoying his pliability.






   He spent most of his day yesterday, and much of this morning honing his crawling skills. He's gotten scooting around on our (fake) wood flooring down to a science but Grandma and Grandpa's carpet proved a bit more difficult. I have a feeling the scooting phase is almost over since he has now mastered getting up on hands and knees and can move decently well from there, all he has left to do is crack the right hand / left leg (and then switching to the opposite combo) pattern and he'll be off like a rocket!!


Hat: Urban Baby Runway
Button-up Shirt: Thrifted ($1.21)
Jeans: Hand-me-down
Socks: Circo brand by Target (the only kind I can get to stay on his feet)

How much do you infuse your own style into your kid's apparel?






Friday, March 4, 2011

Watching The Puddles Gather Rain

   "No Rain" by Blind Melon has long been my happy song... the one that makes my heart smile no matter what mood I'm in. I suspect it's because to me the song feels like my childhood. It is the very essence of those hours spent on our porch swing watching the lightening and listening to the sounds of thunder and rain water gushing down the street into the gutter on our corner in the middle of summer... all of that wrapped up into a melody, the music conveying more then just a story. It describes the indescribable, a feeling, a state of being. At least for me it does.

Image c/o patterned

   I've been thinking a lot lately about what I want for Bastian in terms of childhood memories, and for our future children. I remember reading for hours, and sometimes longing for rainy days so that I had all the more reason to stay in my bed 24/7 with my books. I also remember riding bikes, playing catch, scraping my knees in my frantic attempts at hiding under bushes and climbing up trees while my sister counted to 10 or 15 or whatever number she felt was high enough to begin her search at. I remember being outside. Even when it rained. Mud made the outdoors all the more fun to explore. I have many scars to prove it.

Image c/o SashaW

   Bastian has not been able to spend any time outside since he was born and this fact saddens me. I realize he is only 6 months old, but still I long for warmth and more so, an outside territory to explore with him that isn't covered in asphalt and cement. Someday soon little man, when spring settles in to stay, we will go adventuring... I promise.


"All I can say is that my life is pretty plain, I like watching the puddles gather rain"
- Blind Melon 






Thursday, March 3, 2011

Schizophrenic Style: Thrifting Triumph!

   While I love buying a new, never worn before garment just as much as the next lady there is nothing quite like the thrill of thrifting a new (to me) item that obviously has amazing potential, but has been simply waiting around in hiding for the right person to come along and discover it... love it... take it home. Not to mention I'm on a budget, and even if I wasn't, that coy "Oh this? I got it for $10 at my local thrift store" feeling never quite wears off every time I leave my house in one of those gems. The hunt is half the fun!

   My mom and I made a trip over to a shop just down the street from me that I've neglected to visit in the 5 years I've lived here... and I'm pretty sure that, based on the number of times I said "why have I not been shopping here all along" that I will be back again countless times in the near future. Here's what I scored for myself... I will post some of the baby clothes I got (for, no joke, 88 cents a piece) shortly:

Guess Bomber Jacket $27.76
I fumbled over this jacket but ultimately decided to go ahead and buy it because I couldn't get it out of my head the whole time we were shopping... the thing is it's real fur, and I never got around to deciding whether I'm ok with that or not... what I decided? well in this case at least I'm fine with it because A) I eat meat B) I wear leather and most of all C) I wouldn't be adding any additional demand to the fur market, the damage was already done by the original purchaser, and it would either sit there forever, wind up in my closet or in someone else's... I understand these reasons may not cut it for others, but in my mind if I didn't buy the coat on principle I would also need to stop buying leather... and I'm not prepared to do that. Sorry.


Suede "Almost Famous" Coat $12.21
I had a coat like this in high school but longer and without the awesome detailing and I miss it dearly... it went missing after I accidentally forgot to grab it one afternoon in my mad dash to catch the bus, I realized it quickly enough and headed back to get it; alas it was already gone.  It's brown and I don't wear brown very much... but I just flat out don't care... it's that awesome!


Calvin Klien Sweater Dress $9.91
My wonderful mother treated me to this amazing little number. I may be too obsessed with the black and gray combo in my wardrobe, but it's so versatile and I generally prefer bold colors in my accessories versus my basic pieces anyways... so this dress is perfect for me!


Black Crush-Velvet Dress... $1.81
Seriously?!?!?!!! This magnificence, under $2?? It may be very well the best deal I've ever gotten!!! It may be slightly quirky / kitschy but that just adds to it's charm! 


Gray Pinstripe Jumper Dress $3.63
Also a gift from the world's best mother! She's pretty much the coolest mom ever!

  

And finally...Yes... I really did buy...
Batman fabric and rainbow suspenders!!!!! 
How could I not?
I plan to make pajamas out of the fabric... for myself of course, not for my husband or son... they are Superman fans much to my dismay. The suspenders will be an amazing addition to my wardrobe... I can't wait to break out my high-waisted wide leg trouser jeans and wear them with these bad boys! Oh and my red shorts! ...this is most definitely one of my biggest high school fashion dreams come true!


 And here is a sneak peak at how I styled the Calvin Klien dress and Guess jacket... for a business meeting this past Tuesday evening... yes, this is how I dress for business.


What are the best thrifting deals you've ever scored?
You're favorite second-hand piece?

Note: I apologize here and now for my
over-use of ellipses. Can't help it. My literary vice.





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