Dirt Chic

Getting Dressed: 90's Upholstery

This is one of those thrifted buys that I wasn't too sure about but something about it made me pick it up.  And then it sat in my closet and I almost just tossed it in the give-away pile, because it seemed a little too country-crafts-ish.  Or like a couch in someone's house from 1993.  I like 1993.  I don't want to look like a couch, though.

And then I put it on today.  There was a buttoned-in panel or dickie or whatever they're called in the front, and I finally just took it off.

I like this buy.  I mean jacket blazer thingie.

$3.  Pink shirt: $12.  Jewels: prizes.

Grandma's House

Extra-grateful today to have things to miss, that still exist.

Getting Dressed: A Real Outtake

Here's an outtake for you:

'Cuz I know the last ones weren't really all that bad. ;)  And it's not even an outtake.  I don't have OUTTAKES in my regular life.  How nice would that be - I could re-do the parts where I suck, like when I put my foot in my mouth and say something offensive.  

Okay, okay, here - this exists.  I did not delete it:

Perhaps you might think this isn't so bad.  Are you so sure?

ARE YOU?

:)

Oh well. :)  I will remain perpetually young in spirit, and you just wait - when I am 80, I will still be wearing my feather jacket et al.

Moving on.  It's Sunday.  It's Spring.  It's beautiful.  I will find worshipful ways to enjoy it.

Getting Dressed: Grapetastic

I love owning things for years and years and still enjoying them.  Today's outfit, for the most part, is going on 8 years old. 

The striped tank is from J.Crew, and dates back from when I actually worked there.  I know.  It's weird to me, too.  This means I a) got it at a discount and that b) it was still too expensive.  Probably something like $25-30.  Who knows.  (Not to say I don't love J.Crew, even now.  It is wonderful.  But, expensive!!!)  The shirt is vintage matte rayon with faceted plastic buttons.  I love it.  I loved fitted, comfortable garments.  I don't remember where I got it, or how much I paid for it.  Which is odd.  But it's one my "oldest" vintage finds.  (The dark recesses of the back of my mind tell me perhaps that I got it at an antique store.)  Pants - from my chubby days.  But they still fit.  Nice, wide-legged trousers.  Have a kind of... nautical feel to them.  Goes well with stripes. :)  (They look kind of dumpy in the picture, but not in real life.)

And - my lip gloss.  A L'Oreal Color Juice that I almost never use, because in the tube, ir resenbles the darker purple stripe on my shirt.  Dauntingly dark.  But on, it is just a nice stain of purple-fuschia....

Getting Dressed: Outtakes

I delete the really, really bad ones.  Because.  Want to keep POSITIVE things in the world. ;)  But here you can see why, perhaps, I sometimes end up in a BAD MOOD after taking photos and looking at them... (and some that make me feel better, honestly).

But lest you think I don't enjoy it all, even when I am not photogenic - I DO.  I do I do I do.  I love Getting Dressed. :)

Spring Walk

I got up today, threw on a favorite Gap striped shirt, Gap black pants, my black boots, and headed out the door.  To meet with students that never showed up.  S'ok.  Had plenty of grading and such to do.

Then, on a break, I took a much-much-much-needed walk.  To chew on things.  I chewed for a long time.

I also enjoyed spring. :)

I especially enjoyed this squirrel, who I thought at first was perhaps a little... demented.  The way he was just sitting there a little lopsided with the nut in his mouth.  But he finally moved in a more characteristically squirrel-like manner.

Since I didn't "get dressed" today, I'll post some outtakes.  To remind myself not to be so serious sometimes. :)

Getting Dressed: Ruffles and Gold and Very Bright Pink

I have isolated a source of morning crabbiness and unfortunately, it is because of my beloved Dirt Chic: if I take a picture of my outfit and I look bad, I get crabby.  I have mass crabbiness-inducing outtakes.  An outfit can seem fine, but a bad picture can put my mood in a tailspin.

Conversely, a good outfit and a decent run of pictures can take a pre-existing bad mood and make it much, much better.

Today is not quite what I want it to be, so far - have to leave early, so I didn't get to exercise.  And, honestly, I'm a smidge dirty, by some standards.  (Not really, though.)  I thought this would mean a) no makeup b) boots c) black pants d) general casual air.  Then I tried on one crazy dress (didn't fit, will get it shortened and report back), and found this dress, which is on my "formal" rack but really doesn't quite fit the bill (yet seems too frilly to stick in my other dress closet):

LOVE THIS DRESS.  $3.  Gold sandals: $1.  Belt: $2.  Revlon Moon Drops lipstick in Lilac Champagne (!!! gotta love that name.  GOTTA): $7.  It doesn't show super-well, but it's SUPER-PINK.  And tastes like what my great-aunt Lucille's bathroom cabinet smelled like: Coty airspun powder, 30-year-old soap, and glamourous old lady.  Bless her.  

Getting Dressed: Bright Striped Sherbet

I woke up feeling like crap, and the only reason I could think of for this was/is SEASONAL ALLERGIES.  Good times.  I felt like a truck had hit me.  So, I medicated myself with coffee and Allure.  (As opposed to my regular morning routine of coffee and Madeleine L'Engle.)

It was highly restorative.

I am feeling springy, still.  However - did not feel like pastels today, as I wanted to use two new makeup pencils I bought at a Mary Kay party (gasp - I love Mary Kay.  Surprised? ;) (Don't anyone try to make me a rep, though.)  Orange and blue were the rules....

?  This is what I ended up in.  Black pants that I have recently have had hatred for (but not today): $Momgift from Old Navy.  Striped vintage tank: $Noidea, it's one of my longest-owned vintage items.  I think it was originally Mary's.  Sheer 80's off-shoulder top: $12.  Blue canvas-y shoes: $3.

I have yet to wear these shoes before today.  They are destined to be worn with a strange orange-brown formal I have.  And they are extra-vintage, maybe from the 50's (note higher front), and have less give, and are a little less comfortable than, say, my 80's Connie commuter pumps.  But.  They are still pretty comfy, as heels go.

And my striped shirt.  Oh how I love it.  It actually has significant holes near the hem, and little ones elsewhere.  But it reminds me of a Highlights story I was extra-fond of as a child, about a cow who went to get ice cream, and picked the swirled kind - exactly the same colors of this shirt.  (I don't know how I feel about a cow eating ice cream.  But I guess it's okay.  The cow also talked.  And walked upright.  So whatever.)

Makeup turned out fun.  Just a minor variation on the regular theme.  Pencils are sheer and highly enjoyable - more like gloss sticks.  Am noting, thanks to Allure, etc., that chunky makeup pencils are kind of the thing right now.  But I can't keep, um, imbibing in (on?) the intoxication that is new makeup - this will have to last me for awhile.  Gotta write about makeup, not buy it. ;)

Getting Dressed: Thrift Gift Eggcellence

There are certain colors (ahem, pastels) that just SMACK of Easter.  Easter EGGS.  And good gosh I love egg puns.

My dear younger sister Abi (Mary, older, is equally dear :) gave me this shirt as a birthday prize:

I LOVE THRIFT GIFTS!!!

As it is a bit chilly, still, I am wearing the Banana Republic jacket that my dear friend Wendy gave mas a Christmas prize many years ago.  This jacket is the best.  It gets a lot of wear.

Also wearing a good ol' standby Old Navy skirt (bought so long ago I don't remember how much it cost) and some older and repaired Nine West sandals.  AND some majestic big white 80's earrings: $3.

I might just have to wear pastels all week. ;)  (Within reason.)

Getting Dressed: Spring.

Me amongst the undies.

I was tired and feeling a bit crabby about GUESS WHAT.  (Hint: they start with a T and rhyme with "hi's".)

I like this dress, though.  A lot.  I wear it to spring-y functions and when I want to rock my style but be ever-so-slightly more accessible.  Dress: $15.  Necklace: $10.  Shoes: $13.