It's a sickness, really

I can't stop buying boots! Ok, I only bought one pair this week, and only like two pairs all summer but the thing is, I don't need any more boots. I own blacks, browns, camels, tans, a blue pair, a grey tweed pair, a rugged motorcycle pair, cowboy boots, granny boots, tall boots, ankle boots, ETC! But when I saw these little (or big) babies sitting all neglected on ebay (in my size!!) I HAD to get them. I mean, they have a freakin' deer head embroidered on them! How was I to resist??

OK, this was going to be the end of the post, but well, I figured if I'm gonna talk boots, I should show the boots. Here they are...

Taking too many pictures

Five days of outfits for you! I know I'm doing crappy on updating the blog lately. I just have been trying a few other things. In exciting news on the Etsy front, someone who works for Etsy ordered something from my shop. I shipped it off to Etsy today! Exciting.

Dress - Papillion (from www.kitty-pants.com )

Tank - Little boys Fruit of the Loom

Shoes - Dezario

Bow tie (worn on wrist) - going out of business tux shop, came with matching cumberbun

Yellow tank - Target

Plaid babydoll - Miss Chevous (it was on clearance at TJ Maxx)

Socks - thrifted (gross, I know)

Shoes - Thrifted Ann Taylor LOFT

White tank - Little boys Fruit of the Loom

Dress - thrifted Target (it is a sample dress, and said SAMPLE on the bottom in Sharpie, so I cut like 4 inches off it-- one of the perks of living in MN, the headquarters of Target, the thrift stores are FULL of samples)

Boots - vintage

Cardigan - Target

Tank - I sewed a vintage doily to a grey tank

Jeans - Old Navy clearance 

Grey t-shirt - Target

Mesh jersey - um, yeah... I found this in a dumpster outside a house that was having an estate sale... apparently they didn't think it would sell. I also got a cute '40s hat. Oh, the things I do for fashion.

Skirt- Goodwill Outlet

Shoes - Indeed

I'm planning to spend the next few hours putting up new vintage clothes in my shop. I got some rather awesome stuff including this sweet dress and jumpsuit...

 this sweater and cardigan...

This sweater vest that reminds me of Sesame Street and this red floral sweater vest...

Otherwise nothing too new here. Went to Nye's (voted the "Best Bar in America" by Esquire magazine) on Friday. Haven't been there in years, listened to Polka. Saturday I went for a long bike ride, waitressed and went to Mike's BBQ. Sunday I watched the Vikings/Twins and other football games. All around, a boring but relaxing weekend. Laters, off to measure and describe clothes for hours.

In a funky funk

I'm in a funk today... my world and the larger world are in a sad state of affairs. Well, not really my world. I know I have NOTHING to complain about at all, it's just one of those days, you know. Ah well, tomorrow shall be fab (if I go to bed now instead of watching reruns and playing internets.) I love the weather here! It's cold in the morning and at night (good sleeeeping weather) and warm (but not hot, like high 70s in the day). I love to sit outside and eat my lunch in the sun and watch all the people running around downtown (and up in the skyways). I had to cut it short today though when I started getting harassed by a clearly drunk homeless guy. Here is yesterday and today... I need to stop getting ahead of myself and dressing so fallish/layery... I need to take a few summer dresses out for one last tour of the city before they get retired for winter.

Vest - thrifted

Dress -  necessary objects

Cumberbun - going out of business tux rental shop

Sandals - MIA

Here's to tomorrow!

Hmm...

The music director at the last school I worked at called and left me a voice mail today. I sewed the costumes for their musical productions the last two years and when I stopped working there, I told him I could probably still do it this year. However, it has always been in early April, so I spend all of March sewing. This year they are doing it the second week in December (a musical version of A Christmas Carol called "Bah Humbug") I am torn. It is fun to sew and see all the kids get so excited about theater. However, who has all that time in November to sew all these old style costumes??!?!?! I get busy enough making t-shirt orders and trying to just function till after the new year... plus, I seriously wind up making like $2 an hour... the school doesn't have that much money and sewing is time consuming! We'll see... I have such a hard time saying no and part of me wants to do it, but MOST of me knows I'll regret it if I agree to do it.

Anyway, I hate to say it, but I am loving the fall weather (though today was like 80 and it was nice to sit in the sun and watch all the hustle and bustle of downtown during my lunch break.) I'm already getting excited to spend a whole day making soups to freeze and eat all winter. I love my fireplace and sitting by it drinking dry red wine. Summer was so fun, but I am so glad I live in a place that has real and distinct seasons. Why can't I stop buying motorcycle gear at thrift stores? I bought the boots, the jacket, the vest, and now this... THE ULTIMATE MOTORCYCLE VEST. Black. Leather. Fringed. Buckled. Vest. I feel like Stella. I love leatha. I was born rock-n-roll, I'll die rock and roll (not at all true for me.)

Thermal shirt - Target

Vest - thrifted

Skirt - Fake Target

Shoes - Unlisted by Kenneth Cole (inherited from sister)

Also, here is yesterday...

Scarf - thrifted GAP

White shirt - little boys Fruit of the Loom tank tops that come in packs and I wear them like every day

Yellow shirt - thrifted Target

Pants - thrifted

Shoes -  Dezario (whoo Nordstrom's Rack!)

and today for yous!

Sweater - thrifted Free People

Tank - little boys Fruit of the Loom undershirt

Skirt - thrifted

Shoes - Michael Kors (thank you DSW clearance! er, I take that back, my toes hurt)

Oh, and speaking of sewing... I really need to start thinking about halloween... I get a little nuts over it and I'm excited that it is on a Friday this year (I'm hoping this means lots of people dress up.) I grew up (ok, high school, whatever) going to Madison for halloween, and for those of you who know what that means, it spoiled me... EVERYONE dresses up. It is INSANE. Halloween BELONGS to Madison. I don't know what to be yet, it is always a challenge (don't want to look slutty or cliche, I don't like wearing lots of make-up cause it's itchy and I always wind up smudging it, needs to be worn sans coat if needed but also be able to survive in sweaty bars and parties, no HUGE costumes involving things like wings and whatnot). So... what shall I be? I don't know. Last year I was Little Orphan Annie (sorry, there are no photos of the night after the boy's computer was burgled... but you can picture it right? I sewed the red dress, rocked my natural fro with a shorter cut than in the lower photo (which was yesterday) 

and wore black patent leather tap shoes and ran around singing, encouraging people to be my Daddy Warbucks and buy me a drink and yelling "leaping lizards" all night). The year before I was a knocked up high school cheerleader (complete with boy's class ring on a chain - a lot of bars/people were concerned that I was really pregnant after assuring/showing them that I sculpted my belly out of foam, a LOT of people asked to punch me in the stomach... it was weird.) 

The year before I was the bumble bee girl from blind melon's No Rain video... need I say more.

What else have I been?? Oh, for the Polar bear plunge there was (yes, I jumped in a frozen lake, three years in a row - it was a fundraiser for the Special Olympics MN)... well the first year we didn't really dress up, since we didn't know we could/should.

The second year we were '80s aerobic instructors...

the third year we were characters from Clue (Miss Scarlet with the candlestick and Colonel Mustard with the rope).

And yes, John who did the plunge with me every year, does have albinism... he is awesome, I'm in his wedding next year, and he is the smartest person I know (yeah, he got a phat scholarship to HARVARD business school)

I'll let you know when I decide what to be... maybe I should be Edward Scissorhands and wear all leatha... do you think those scissors would be dangerous? how would I hold my beer? do I want to spray crap on my hair to make it black? will I be pale enough by then? P.S. Sorry that I am all over the place today!

busy, busy beezzz

It's been a bit of a crazy week, thus the lack of posting. I've been trying to stick to my exercise routine in the school year (I run 3-5 miles on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays). I abandon it in the summer since there are so many more entertaining things to do (like sail! and bbq! and drink beer! and play baseball! etc) So, that takes some time. I also waitressed Tuesday night since my boss was desperate for help and I LOVE her. Speaking of love, I still love my job! Being a school nurse rocks the house! I'm pretty good around puke and blood and etc, but one thing grosses me out... loose teeth. I've had FIVE kids in the last two days come in, wiggling their bloody teeth, which they then YANK OUT in my bathroom. Ickers! I think I was just really traumatized as a kid by losing my teeth. I just remember it hurting a lot. Oh, well, I can deal. Here are a few outfits for you!

T-shirt - um, wherever my mom bought me shirts in like, middle school??

Dress - crazy $2 outlet store annex

Belt - thrifted

Socks - thrifted (gross, i know)

Motorcycle boots - thrifted and killer

Shirt/dress/tunic thing - XXL tank top from Target

Pants - Earnest Sewn (seriously like $12 at TJ Maxx - YES!)

Ubiquitous gladiators - Steve by Steve Madden

Gold cuff and chain - some thrift shop some time ago

Coconut wood ring - gift from friend in Peace Corps - exotic!

Scarf - thrifted (it is seriously four feet  by four feet - huge!)

T-shirt - Target

Sweater - thrifted

Jeans - Old Navy clearance 4 years ago

Ubiquitous gladiators - Steve Madden

Scarf - thrifted

T-shirt - Target

Sweater - Free People

Shorts - Target

Sandals - Indeed

Ridiculous swan sweater - thrifted

Jean shorts - thrifted pants cut off

Shoes - Steven by Steve Madden

The swan sweater outfit is actually what I'm gonna wear tomorrow. I've got to waitress a wedding, so I usually pick out the Saturday outfit on Friday so I can change at work when I am done and just go meet my friends wherever they are. I might change the shoes though, I kinda feel like a trailer park hooker in this outfit with those shoes. Anyway, I'm off to go run, then shower, have dinner, and then to drink some of the free wine I got at work on Tuesday. Four free bottles and a hundred bucks! Totally worth picking up a five hour shift for that! Whoo!

Coats... to the MAX!

Here we go, round two of the coats (and this is most of them I swear). I have a few spring coats laying around that are just cotton and some are really more like blazers, etc. but this shall be the end of the coat showcases. Enjoy!

The yellow one I wear a lot, like several days a week, with various scarves. It's warm, it's yellow, and it's from TJ Maxx I think ($35?ish). The one on the right is not very warm but it's okay as long as it's not like 10 degrees out or below (aka December through February). I got it at the end of coat season for $7. Score!









I'm pretty sure that pink one is a little kids coat, but as long as I rock it like the sleeves are short intentionally, I don't think anyone's the wiser. Speaking of children, what am I doing in that plaid number? Hunting wabbits. I swear I chic up this coat with the right scarf, but these posts are about coats and didn't want to muddle the whole thing up with all my scarves (plus didn't want to put that much thought into it yet). But in winter, I never leave the house without one.



Do I sometimes prance about in a cape? Rarely. This orange plaid baby is my other go-to coat. I wear it several days a week and it is really warm as long as I am not wandering around in the wind for hours. My butt gets cold. ;)











Oh, what's that there on the left? Vintage. Belgian. Army. Jacket. 1954. $6. WHAAAT??? And on the right we have my other rock-it-on-the-regular coat. Yes, it is mink lined. Yes, I feel bad about it. However, in my defense may I say that my favorite aunt (who is dying of breast cancer) gave it to me and those minks died before I was born. It is so warm, it is so cute, and whenever anyone gives me a hard time about wearing real fur I just do my best Mr. Burns impression and say "It's made of 100% recycled animals Lisa." If that doesn't get them to shut up I bust out the dying aunt and the fact that these animals died in the late '70s. I still feel bad about it, but NOT wearing the coat would almost be worse, wouldn't it? Well, that's what I tell myself to be able to sleep at night. On that note, GOODNIGHT!

bright (not shiny)

Transitional weather dressing... so challenging yet SO FUN! It's in the '40s when I leave in the a.m. and in the '70s by the time I get home, so it's layers for me. I am also trying to wear some bright stuff before I feel the need to dress a little drab for fall and then get bored of that after like two days and break out the brights again! Laterz, must go running before I watch the Vikings destroy the Packers (who loves fashion and football? me, but not as much as I love baseball! Go Twins!)

Yesterday...

T-Shirt - Target

Vest - Thrifted (relativity)

Skirt - Thrifted GAP

Tights - Target

Granny boots - Thrifted Ann Taylor LOFT

Today...

T-Shirt - Target

Sweater - Thrifted Banana Republic

Skirt - Thrifted

Flips - $2 Old Navy cheapies (I know, I know, not very chic but I have to wear the flattest shoes possible, I don't like when the skirt is much off the ground)