Party like it's 1994

Yesterday's oddly '90s outfit... something about the "Arctic blast" we got yesterday made me want to wear a big, soft men's cardigan and wool knee socks... and a googly eyed cat pin.

Pin - thrifted vintage

Cardigan - thrifted Winona Knits

Dress - thrifted Petite Sophisticate

Socks - ? very old

Shoes - Plenty by Tracy Reese

It was 8 degrees yesterday morning, which calls for the big guns coats and hats. I instantly regretted forgetting a scarf. It takes a while for me to get into full-on winter mode where I actually remember my hat and gloves and scarf every day.

Hat - thrifted
Coat - thrifted vintage Pavilion Petite

Googly cat whose body looks like a jelly bean:

P.S. Yes, I did fulfill my annual tradition of watching Back to the Future on November 12. We only watched the first one though as Nate has had to work late a lot, but I'm hoping to watch the other two some time this week! Great Scott!

Axl N' Slash

I'll do two regular outfit posts tomorrow so I don't get behind because TODAY IS HALLOWEEN! My favorite! I'm not sure if Nate and I will dress up again tonight (cause we're old and both have to work tomorrow) but we did last weekend. On Friday our friends Mel and Jake were having a costume party. On Saturday we went to our favorite dive bar with a few friends. So here we go!

I've never done a couple's costume before but I figured that since we're newlyweds we should have a costume that allowed us to make-out all over town. And who doesn't want to see Axl Rose and Slash kissing?!?! When we were at the CC Club (dive bar) on Saturday, people even clinked their glasses a few times so we would kiss - it was pretty funny! 

These were the easiest costumes ever too! Nate had to buy the wig and hat and we put on a few extra fake tattoos but everything else was just stuff we already owned! 

P.S. You can see a retrospective of my elaborate past costumes here.

Safety orange

Right before Thanksgiving, Nate and I randomly woke up super early on a Saturday. I needed to buy a turkey so it could defrost by Thursday so we ran to the grocery store at like 6:30am. I bought a turkey and this hat, which was $2. Is this a MN thing? You can buy a safety orange (also called blaze orange, hunter orange, vivid orange or Omaha orange) hat everywhere, even the grocery store. For your last minute hunting needs.

Hat - from a grocery store
Jean jacket - thrifted Wax Jeans
Dress - Lauren Conrad
Watch - Billabong
Sandals - Nine West Vintage America Collection

Whenever I wear knit hats, I feel very 1990s. I tried to mix it up though, and wear a fancier dress and wedges instead of a babydoll dress and combat boots, but still keeping a bit of a '90s grunge vibe. What can I say? As someone who graduated high school in 1999, the '90s were kinda my formative years/glory days, so I'll always appreciate the aesthetic.

It's "90s Day"

It's '90s Day for "Spirit Week" at the school where I work. Went for a bit of a Rayanne Graff vibe... just realized I forgot to tie my brown flannel around my waist before I took these photos, so just use your imagination! There are five tiny braids in my hair, secured in those little animal and flower Goodie barrettes.

Barrettes - Goodie (from high school)
Thermal shirt - Maurices (circa 1994)
Overalls - thrifted GAP (bought them for a 90s party a few years ago)
Tights - Target (they had a hole... so I added a few more)
Socks - Target
Boots - Dr. Marten's (I saved up my babysitting money in 8th grade for MONTHS to buy these)

I graduated high school in 1999 so the '90s were really my formative years. I carried a Kerokerokeroppi lunch box as a purse. I worked at a movie theater when I was 15 that reminds me very much of Empire Records (oh the drama! There were two gay guys from my school who worked there at a time when it was a HUGE deal that they were "out." Other workers, NOT me, did whippits on the roof during breaks. We used our keys to play all the arcade games for free when it was slow in-between movies. We also all sat in the huge ball-pit in the arcade after our shifts and talked forever. Titanic came out and sold out every show for like a month so it sucked trying to clean out the theater between showings. Our boss drank vodka out of a coffee tumbler and threatened to kill herself and all of us a few times. She scheduled employee-only midnight showings of Boogie Nights and Chasing Amy. After the place was robbed at knife-point, I stopped working there... but I still have like 50 more crazy stories about the place.) I went to Chuck E. Cheese for dinner before the Homecoming dance with a bunch a friends. I wore a slip as a dress to the "Snow Ball Winter Formal." There was a bomb threat the last day of my senior year and everyone was scared there would be a school shooting when we evacuated out onto the football field. Instead we spent the day signing yearbooks and our whole senior class got out of taking three finals. I pierced my belly-button. I dressed up as Ginger Spice (along with 4 other friends who dressed as the rest), drank a jug of juice mixed with tiny airplane bottles of booze stolen from my friend Amy's parents, and went to a Spice Girls concert tipsy. I learned to like black coffee in 8th grade because it seemed the cool thing to do at the time. My art teacher let us watch MTV in class and everyone cried when they announced Kurt Cobain was dead. I had my first kiss in 8th grade on the chairlift of the ski hill where I spent every evening, all winter long (he is now gay.) I covered the entire ceiling of my bedroom with stuff I cut out of magazines. It was the '90s. It was so-called awesome. I could go on and on...

I'm a witch. A cool witch.

Something about wearing a black floor-length accordion pleated skirt, always makes me feel like I belong in "The Craft." So don't mess with me, I will totally cast a 1990s teen witch spell on you. And not a cute "Sabrina" one either... no talking cats here... just evil teenage revenge.

Jean jacket - thrifted Gap kids, overbleached by me
T-shirt - beck.com
Skirt - thrifted Styleworks
Shoes - Bongo

My beloved Beck "Debra" shirt... and one of his finer songs, IMO.

Aaaaand in other t-shirt news, my pink plaid couch, which has always been difficult to decorate around, has been temporarily reupholstered...in drying men's t-shirts.

Hmm, I did always want to get rid of that pink plaid... one day I'll stop living like a 30 year old college student and buy actual furniture I like, and not just what I can inherit and/or thrift... my own version of the American dream...

P.S. I finally made a facebook page for FutureLint T-shirts... go "like" it... I swear I won't bombard your wall with updates...

8th grade all over again

I used to wear this sweater all the time in 8th grade.1995. I was a total Free People junkie. The arms were really annoying though. They were three layers thick, blue, and had multicolored letters on them that spelled out Free People. So I cut them off. Rebel, rebel. I also wore Dr. Marten's a lot in 8th grade (though not these ones, my feet were much smaller then). So anyway, today I am 29 going on 13.

 Vest - Free People (sweater from 8th grade, I cut the arms off years ago)
Black shirt - Target
Skirt - thrifted
Tights - TJ Maxx
Shoes - Dr. Marten's

I only took one photo to show the back of the vest and it turned out blurry - oops! You get the idea though, yes? 

To really get in 8th grade mode, now I just need to spend the whole day writing notes full of drawings to my friend Annie and then fold it up in a really elaborate manner.

Breaking the Law, Breaking the Law

Washing the Dog, Washing the Dog
Oh my, it is terrible that I will always have a soft spot for Beavis and Butt-head in my heart...

Anyway, I am "Breaking the Law" in non-Judas Priest approved fashion in several ways... white before Memorial Day, the stripes are vaguely inmate-ish, wearing brown with black, and there is some controversy at my school about shorts right now and I am wearing them today... accidentally on purpose.

Blazer - thrifted (used to be part of a little boys rental tux)

Shirt - thrifted

Belt - thrifted

Shorts - Old Navy

Shoes - thrifted vintage Candies

Have a fabu weekend, internetz. Assuming it doesn't rain all afternoon I will be going on the Tweed Ride tomorrow, and hopefully be able to bust out my 1940s velvet horse-riding helmet in an attempt to win "Most Fetching Lady". Sunday is GOGOL BORDELLO at First Ave, where hopefully I will not injure myself from excessive jumping and dancing... again.

still copying Kate Spade

I found this dress at a thrift store and it is so awesomely '90s but it also reminded me a bit of the big polka dots from Kate Spade, so I took it in that direction. 

 Cardigan - TJ Maxx?

T-shirt - Target

Dress - thrifted

Tights - Target

Shoes - Tracy Reese

With awesome thrifted coat:

Dear Tracy Reese, these shoes are crazy good (and not terribly uncomfortable for their height.) Keep up the good work.

This will probably be my last post for a few days... I will be updating the etsy tomorrow and running errands all day. I'm going back to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving for the first time in five years. I'm excited but also sad... my aunt/godmother has had cancer for about eight years and the chemo is no longer working, so she is stopping it and going on hospice. She is the most graceful and brave woman I know. Have a wonderful and thankful Thanksgiving everyone!

Kate

Was feeling a bit inspired by Kate Spade this morning... I thrifted this dress about two months ago and figured by the time it was full on fall weather I'd figure out how to wear it... I loved all the buttons and the plaid, it's just short sleeved, v-necked, and had HUGE shoulder pads (in short sleeves?!?! really?!?!) So I had to figure out a way to make it less "early '90s" and I think this finally worked! I stole the red tights and mustard color combo from Kate Spade and ran with it...

 Cardigan - from a friend's "to the Goodwill" pile years ago

Dress - thrifted

Tights - Target

Shoes - Michael Kors

Ahh, but Kate does it best...

skirts and dresses

I've been trying to remember to take outfit shots every day. You'd think I'd be used to doing it by now, but I just forget when I wear my summer work uniform so much! I really only wear the outfits for about 5 hours in the evenings!

Monday, I was feeling very '90s, very 90210:

Vest - thrifted

T-shirt - Target

Watch - Michael Kors

Skirt - thrifted GAP

Shoes - thrifted

Tuesday,I found two meticulously sewn handmade dresses at the thrift store. I feel bad that someone made them for a girl and she never wore them and gave them to Goodwill. On the upside, they both fit!

Dress - thrifted

Shoes - Madeline

Wednesday, I have a grandmother who I have always referred to as "purple grandma" because she seriously wears nothing but purple, teal, and gold. My entire life. I think that was why I was drawn to this dress, even though it's totally not my style.

Dress - JC Penny clearance $6
Shoes - Unlisted by Kenneth Cole
Glasses - Prada

Thursday, my boss told me as I was leaving today that I looked like "the cutest little clown." Hmm, I'll take it!

Tank - Target (bow added by me)

Bangles - slowly accumulated from thrift store... I think they are reproducing in my bracelet drawer

Watch - Michael Kors

Skirt - thrifted (hello ruffles and polka dots and pockets!!!)

Shoes - Report

Tomorrow will be waitressing then sailing! Saturday will be bartending then making myself some porch cocktails! Sunday = baseball, baseball, baseball, pizza. Whoooo!

Knocking on Heaven's Door

Ok, I'm a bit scatter-brained today, so I will divide it up so it makes sense...

#1 I got super duper sick over the weekend. On Saturday I had a weird rumbly stomach all day and went to waitress a wedding. Around 10pm I threw up five times and felt 100% better. My boss said I could stay or go, depending on what I wanted to do. I felt bad leaving so I stayed and worked about a half hour more... puked five more times. So I left and raced the pukey feeling home and luckily just made it inside and to the toilet before I puked five more times. Repeat until 4:30 am, with a fever and unable to keep any water let alone any ibuprofen down. Sunday was spent in bed, watching movies and baseball and in and out of consciousness. Sunday night I finally got up the nerve to eat some plain brown rice and it stayed down. I'm feeling fine today, but DANG, I haven't been that sick in like ten years. Also, during this time, I lost SEVEN POUNDS, which I'm sure I'll gain back once I am not so dehydrated and crappy.

#2 Luckily I had Sunday, Monday, and today off from the golf club. But I have to work the rest of the week so today is psycho-do-things day since my other days off were wasted in bed. So I must sew, update my etsy, buy nude bras for stupid white uniform shirt at the golf club, get my new watch re-sized and new batteries put in an old one, go drop off three pairs of shoes at the shoe repair shop, finish the other half of this custom order of onesies...

and I'm sure like 10 more things will come up. Also, I woke up to Lithium by Nirvana on the radio today, so I'm feeling like having a '90s day today. So while doing all these chores I'll be rocking out to the Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, No Doubt and Blind Melon, etc and while at home doing chores I'll be watching Reality Bites and Empire Records. Gosh I love the '90s...

#3 Today's outfit (hmm, maybe I should have tried to dress more 1990s)

Dress - Romeo and Juliet Couture (from crazy $2 outlet store)

Leggings - TJ Maxx

Shoes - Charles David

Hope your weekend was better than mine and I'll try to resume posting more regularly now that I work less hours!

polka dot dress

I found this kind of hideous dress at Goodwill when I was with Holly. Very conservative mid-west housewife in the '90s looking. It was floor length and too wide, but I liked the collar and the detailing on the top. A few snips, a blind hem and a few sizes were sucked out and ta-daaaaa... new dress.

Dress - thrifted and altered by me

Shoes - Chinese Laundry

I know, the face. I'm exhausted. By everything. And everyone. I'll perk up in a day or two I'm sure. In the meantime, I am happy this very moment because it is a slow day in my office, I'm reading a decent book at work, I have kiwis and carrots and a peanut butter sandwich to eat outdoors in a half hour, my office smells like insulin (which I love the smell of, I don't know why!), and the pool at my condo just got filled (even though it won't open until Memorial Day weekend). Ahhhh, the little things are gooood.

ice in the air

Yeah, it's raining ice and the boy has a printmaking class until 10pm. Thus, I am being a shut-in, eating french toast for dinner, knitting, sewing, drinking Cabernet and hanging out by the fireplace. So pretty much, the best most ice filled night ever. I swear I have something more exciting planned for that grey soon-to-be scarf. I just need to knit some more before it takes shape and gets good.

Also, I'm making this little flower-ish pin thing.. only thing is I don't know what to do with the other side??? Leave it? Put some of these beads on it? Which ones? I'm confused. I must just pick one and if I hate it, I can always rip it out. Actually, after looking at the pictures, I'm pretty sold on the pearls. Must go attach them!!

P.S. Here is the outfit for today, wherein I resurrect my old college habit of wearing a tube top around my waist, thus creating a two tone shirt! Gotta love fall and it's opportunities for odd layering. Boo to you state of Minnesota, I wanted the day off for Veteran's Day. I will forgive you if you give me at least one SNOW DAY!