Cookies and cream

Last time I wore this shirt, I paired it with a vintage navy pleated skirt and I loved the excessively pleated blouse with the pleated skirt. So I did it again, but with this cream pleated skirt. This is one of those outfits I consider "boring" because it's only a blouse and skirt and sandals, but I realize it's a very dramatic shirt, so I still probably look very put-together to the rest of the world. One of the perils of style-blogging...

Blouse - Romeo & Juliet Couture
Skirt - thrifted Liz Claiborne
Sandals - Charles David

The deets:

Minneapolis weather finally decided to stop raining all day, every day so I've been biking to work again this week. I realized I've shown you my adorable, taking a cruise around the lakes bike, but I've never shown you my commuter/tooling around town bike. It's a 1981 (just like me!) Peugeot UO10. I call him Pepe Le Peug:

I love this bike. It's super fast and light, gets me mad respect from dudes at bike shops and bike snobs (like the boy), and I think it's funny to rock a stripped-down men's bike with one brake when I am "dressed like a cupcake all the time." (Quote from a summer school teacher who was very taken with my bike and outfit combo.) The boy also rocks a vintage Peugeot, but his is a white frame with white tape and a white seat, which I find hilarious when we are riding together.

Every outfit I've worn this week is totally bike-able, except I tend to wear a pair of ballet flats on the 5 mile ride to work. I know I could wear my heels but why put my shoes and myself through that? I'd rather just whip them in my messenger bag and ride in flats. I rode my bike to work every day (except one!) this summer, and now that it's staying darker in the mornings, I fear I may only have a few weeks of bike time left! Yes, I do also have a third bike (I know, I know)... a full-suspension Trek mountain bike with extra gnarly tires for muddy and gravely trail rides, but I don't mountain bike much any more... it sits with the spiderwebs in my garage and is jealous of the other two bikes ( in my mind, anyway.) Toodles!

Follow the breadcrumbs

I feel like I fell out of a production of Hansel and Gretel today... this dress made me feel the same way! I also feel like I should be eating pumpkin pie and drinking an Octoberfest beer in this... so maybe that will be my plan for the evening!

T-shirt - Target
Dress - thrifted
Socks - Target
Shoes - Miss Me via Modcloth

Shoes:

I got these shoes with a gift certificate I won to Modcloth two years ago from Daddy Likey's Halloween Costume Chronicles, and thinking about it makes me stressed about what I'm going to be for Halloween this year. Halloween was an institution growing up and my family started turning our 1800s barn into a haunted house every year starting in August. We weren't allowed to buy costumes, my mom always made them (next time I am home, I will dig a few up, there are some pretty amazing ones like my Rainbow Bright outfit she made from scratch!) I've always done pretty elaborate costumes, I'm torn on what to do this year... both of them will be fun, it's just that one will be a TON of work and the other one will be a reasonable amount of work... but of course the elaborate one will be waaaaay more awesome and warm but also unwieldy (I hate big costumes)... I'll let you know when I decide! Do you know what you're going to be for Halloween yet? (please don't tell me you don't dress up!)

Plastic fantastic

It is picture day at my school today, which means there are a million little girls primping in my office bathroom and asking me for lipstick (the answer is no). All the staff has their picture taken too, and we get a free batch of photos. What am I supposed to do with a bunch of wallet sized photos of myself? Or that big 8x10? One time I wrote notes all over the backs of them and hid them all over for the boy... Oh? You wanted a granola bar from that box? Well it comes with a picture of me taped to it, and a note on the back telling you how awesome I am and that you should buy me more expensive gifts (I prefer rubies to diamonds and keep in mind I'm allergic to gold). Wearing that wool coat for the first time this season? The pocket contains a photo of me and a note (Remember - mushroom, tomato, and spinach omelets are my favorite, in case you want to bring me breakfast in bed). Perhaps I'll do it again this year...

Blazer - thrifted little boys rental tux
Blouse - Cynthia Rowley
Bangles - thrifted
Pants - Target
Shoes - Madeline

Bangles and shoes (with all the plastic bangles, I wanted plastic shoes, but my Melissa ones are so dark purple they looked funny with the black pants... these ones have big plastic buckles, so close enough?)

Khaki wishes and cookie dreams

I myself have never been discriminated against or judged unfairly on the basis of my appearance or lifestyle. However, this weekend, I went to a birthday party for a girl named Katie, along with about 20 of her friends. Katie, and the majority of the other people who were at her party are lesbians. Sitting in the restaurant, it was so weird to be on that side of things. The stares. The whispers. The disapproving looks. It was my first taste of blind judgement and leering curiosity... and something I am so thankful I don't have to deal with every day. It makes me so proud of all my gay friends, and their constant bravery and inner strength to have to live like that all the time. Sorry, this is something that doesn't have to do with anything style related, but just something that really bothered me and I want to remember.

Glasses - Prada

Cardigan - thrifted vintage
T-shirt - Target
Skirt - thrifted Banana Republic
Socks - Target
Shoes - Bakers

Yes, I am dressed like a hot dog, again.

Hell no, we won't go

I was hitting up some thrift stores yesterday, since it is getting close to Halloween. This is my FAVORITE time of year for thrifting. Oh, what's that thrift stores? You're just gonna stock-pile all your vintage, uniforms, and weird stuff all summer then PUT IT OUT ALL AT ONCE?!? I'm there! I bought so much awesome stuff (plus, I had coupons!) One of my favorite things I found is this...

Yes, and I know olive military stuff is the haps right now, and this one is very thin and soft and worn in (new army-issued shirts are incredibly thick and stiff)... and there is a cute eagle patch over the left pocket and an awesome dragon patch on the right arm... BUT THEN... I TURN AROUND and WHAMMO!

Most amazing shirt ever. Period. I can just imagine some drafted army guy having his special lady sew this up (it's all done by hand!) to go to Vietnam war protests and then I want to start weeping from the inside out. Which happens 10 times a day anyway, everything is just so beautiful and awful, I'm constantly in a state of awe. Good lord, I swear I'm not this guy...

Anyway, the pants are from Target and the shoes are Frye. Go have yourself a weepingly wonderful weekend (God, I love/hate alliteration).

Electric eclectic

Yesterday, I was making waffles for dinner (duh) and reached around the spice rack to grab the cinnamon and a paper wasp came flying out! Gaa! I totally smashed it with a spatula and was so proud. This has nothing to do with anything other than the fact that I wanted to brag about how I am a natural born killer and a force to be reckoned with. Tell your friends, Polistes dominula.

 Necklace - some beads from Jo-Ann fabrics
Turtleneck - thrifted Target Sample
Belt - thrifted
Bangles - thrifted
Skirt - thrifted Ann Taylor Loft
Sandals - thrifted Candies

Necklace, bangles, skirt detail:

Nothing much to say today, I'm going to go read "Super Sad True Love Story" by Gary Shteyngart because it is our book club pick this month. I just started it but like it so far because it takes place in the future, like all awesome things do (like Back to the Future II)... speaking of which, last year on November 12 (the day of the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance) I made the boy watch all three Back to the Future movies in a row and I'm going to do it again this year. Put it on your calendar. It is fun!

Chuck it

After posting that picture of Aunt Lily from Pushing Daisies yesterday, I decided to do a bit of a "lonely tourist Charlotte Charles", "Dead Girl", "Chuck" inspired outfit...

Since she usually wears only one or two colors at a time... I went for red. Because it is fall and I never wear red.

Headband - ? Target?
Shirt - vintage via eBay
Skirt - thrifted Ann Taylor Loft
Shoes - Tracy Reese

Neckline detail, skirt detail, and shoe shot:

While digging around for a red top to wear with this red skirt, I got annoyed with the state of my sweaters and cardigans and very dramatically yanked them all down. Four hours later, my room was spectacularly organized (well, the big long closet is) and now I have this to come home to:

The other side has all the blacks, whites, greys, and browns, but those pictures wouldn't be as fun! I'm a realist. I know I will slowly destroy it's glory and it will return to it's natural state of chaos and anarchy soon... but for now, it makes me excited to dress in layers and even a little okay with the next 7 months of darkness and snow. Guh, this headband is killing me. It's squeezing all the juice out of my brain meat.

Springing fall

Sorry for the absence yesterday, I accidentally fell asleep in my contacts for about two hours ELEVEN days ago. They have been red, sensitive to light, and burning ever since. I refused to go the dr. for said eyes even though the thought of going blind terrifies me more than anything on earth. Although, the thought of a single eyepatch is intriguing...

So I finally went to the doctor and got some drops and will avoid going blind/wearing an eye patch for the time being. Seriously considering Lasik after this debacle though... 

Anyway, today...

 Cardigan - Target
Striped shirt - TJ Maxx??
Belt - thrifted
Skirt - Rodarte for Target (clearance)
Socks - Target
Shoes - MIA

Also a big hello to my lovely reader who recognized me at the Junk Bonanza on Saturday. Sorry I was anything but eloquent. You totally caught me off guard! I've only been "recognized" once, and on that day I had been drinking whiskey for 9 hours in a horse-riding helmet, so I was all "Ooooooooh! Hiiiiiiii! Blah, blah, blag, blog, blah!" Regardless, it was nice to meet such a sweet and cute reader and hopefully I will learn to function as a normal human adult in social situations sometime soon... but don't hold your breath.

Your gypsy housekeeper

This outfit makes me feel like I should be:

a.) Doing a big autumn cleaning job.

b.) Reading your palm against your will. 

Unfortunately I hate cleaning and don't know anything about fortunetelling. This outfit did cause no one to sit by me on the bus today for the first time ever, so maybe this outfit is scary and intimidating! I hope so!

 Hair scarf - thrifted
Glasses - Prada
Cardigan - thrifted Izod Lacoste
T-shirt - Target
Jeans - Paul & Joe for Target
Shoes - thrifted Bass

The lil' alligator and the butt owl:

While we're on the subject, I am AMAZED at how many psychics and palm readers and tarot card readers have little shops around Minneapolis. How do they stay in business? Who is going there? Is it just a front for selling drugs? I don't really buy into the whole psychic thing... I went to a tarot card reader on accident once in Winnipeg. I was there with my friend Megan and we were cold so we popped into a coffee shop to warm up and have a drink. When we got inside, we saw that it was also a psychic place, so we sat at a table, ordered some coffee and then this kid came and sat down and offered to do our cards for $5. We wanted to waste some time before venturing back out in the cold so we said ok. Megan's reading was pretty accurate, he told her how she was overly ambitious and had a troubled childhood which are two major things about Megan's life that are totally true for her, but not me. Then he did mine and said that I was going to die, young and tragically and that was all he wanted to say. Hmm, 19-year-old goth Canadian boy, I think you were wrong. Although, I am constantly convinced there are murderers hanging out in my bushes when I'm home alone, so maybe he just recognized my overly developed imagination and was just fucking with my paranoia.

P.S. Tomorrow I am going to the "Junk Bonanza" at the horse racing track with my friends Amber and Julie. I'm pretty amped. Plus, I get to annoy them by constantly referring to it as the "Trash Rodeo."

The wimpiest cadet

Hmm, life has been pretty boring around here lately... kinda on purpose. After my summer of too-much-fun, I'm back to eating sensibly, exercising, and going to bed early. Sewing, cleaning, crocheting. I'm 29 going on 50 and I'm okay with that. I wish it would stop raining all day, every day so I can bike to work a few more times before it is totally dark in the morning. Although, I don't mind taking the bus... there is great people-watching on the bus.

Hair scarf - scrap of leftover fabric from a costume
Dress - thrifted
Ribbon tie - eBay
Belt - thrifted
Watch - Michael Kors
Socks - ? Target?
Shoes - MIA

Belt detail... I found three of these at one thrift store, the other two are red and have different shaped buckles! $1 each!

Just me, Beavis, and Butthead

I have had this sweatshirt since 8th grade (as in, I was 13 years old. I am 29 now. I am not sure if this makes me proud or sick. I keeeeeeep things.)

Sweatshirt - ?? It's from 8th grade, so some store in a mall, probably.
Dress - Erin Fetherston for Target

Tights - TJ Maxx
Shoes - Sam & Libby (inherited from sister)

Some girls were in my office this morning, per usual, playing beauty shop in my bathroom and whatnot. They asked why I was wearing this sweatshirt with this dress. And I replied something about an Alexander Wang inspired cropped-sweats, athletic-girlie mix, which caused the two boys in the room to totally lose it because I said "Wang." At which point I realized for the 6890th time this year why I love my job. Wang. Hilarious. Always. 

Actually, I put on the sweatshirt because I've had this dress forever and never worn it. I found it on clearance for $6 a few years ago and it fit okay, it just kinda smashes my boobs... but I couldn't pass up so much cuteness for so little cheddar! I may try and let it out a bit, but for now, old sweatshirt to the rescue!

My uniform and mossy waters

Oops, I realized I skipped Friday's outfit on here so here you go... nothing groundbreaking, but I tend to wear a version of this outfit (hair scarf, oxford, cropped pants) almost every weekend... it's my putzing around and running errands outfit.

Hair scarf - thrifted
Shirt -thrifted little boys
Bike pin - flea market
Watch - Michael Kors
Pants - Old Navy
Shoes - thrifted Minnetonka Moccasin

Today (IDK what's up with my hem, I assure you this dress is not asymmetrical)

Cardigan - thrifted Target sample
White tank - little boys Fruit of the Loom
Dress - ??? the dawn of time itself
Watch - Michael Kors
Belt - thrifted
Shoes - somewhere in London when I was 16, the brand wore off long ago

I've been doing quite a bit of sewing lately = frustration station. Which makes me nervous, because I have a rather ambitious Halloween costume in my brain and I need to start working on it!

The world's best wrapper

I had an awesome weekend! The weather was so beautiful, cool but sunny! I went on long bike rides around a few lakes on Saturday and Sunday, listening to old doo-wop and Motown love songs. It was fucking precious.

Today:

Necklaces - made by me
Dress - Converse for Target sample
Watch - Micheal Kors
Shoes - Chinese Laundry

Necklaces:

Thinking of putting a few up for sale on my etsy...

Dramarama

Hmm, I am supposed to be wearing purple because it is the Vikings first game today, but I really dislike purple and don't own very much purple clothing... eh, oh well. You can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be watching the game tonight with my boys, screaming at the TV like I'm in a beer commercial. And perhaps wearing the vikings horns from my Maude Lebowski costume...

Vest - thrifted

Oxford - thrifted J.Crew

Necklace - self made

Skirt - thrifted Banana Republic

Socks - Target

Shoes - Bakers

I made this necklace out of some chain, safety pins, and some circular stones that were once part of the neckline of two dresses I ripped apart and remade into a tear-away ball gown for a middle school production of "Once on this Island."

Edward Applebee

Whenever I wear this crested blazer, I feel like I'm in a Wes Anderson movie. Yay, no rain in the forecast so I biked to work today (not in these shoes, obviously)!

Blazer - thrifted

Silk shirt - thrifted

Shorts - thrifted

Shoes - Tracy Reese

Also, my friend Megan (who I went to visit in Seoul) is back in the states and in Minneapolis for a few days before she moves back to Denver! So we're going out for happy hour today and I'm sooooooo excited to see her!!

This is the end. My only friend, the end.

Oh my, the Freedom Summer is over! I've gone to waaaay too many picnics, BBQs, camping trips, baseball games, sailing trips, bike rides, and pool parties and now it's time to get back to the regular routine! For Labor Day weekend, I headed off on one last adventure. My friends JJ and Steve are getting married in October, so they had a joint bachelor/bachelorette weekend at a rented cabin on a lake up north.

There were 19 of us in one HUGE cabin on Bear Lake! It was a blast! We had huge bonfires every night, the world's largest croquet game, our friend who is an astrophysicist showed us tons of stars and we even saw a few moons of Jupiter in a telescope, fishing, canoeing and sailing, charades and TONS to eat and drink! It was a blast and I'm so excited for their wedding!

Finding some constellations and a view of the lake (from the morning when I inexplicably woke up at 6am and couldn't fall back asleep so I sat in a boat and read while watching the sun come up.)

Throwing ridiculously large logs on the fire and the boys taking the sailboat out on a day when there were 70mph wind gusts... and they obviously tipped it over (the water is that color because the lake is full of iron!)

Claire caught a tiny fish and waiting around for your turn in a 13 person croquet game...

Charades and shotgunning beers around the bonfire on the last night...

Today was the first day of school... tried to dress pretty conservatively since I knew I'd be meeting a lot of new parents bringing in last minute medications and health forms.

Cardigan - thrifted vintage

Dress - thrifted, shortened by me

Neclace - thrifted vintage

Bracelet - World Market

Shoes - London Underground

I had the funnest summer ever, but I'm ready to get back to working 8 hour days and catching up on everyone's blogs!