babydoll

Minnesota's spring weather is one of the biggest bothers in the world. Some days it will be 52°F and absolutely lovely. The next day it will be below freezing and 6 inches of snow! I think Minnesota needs to see a therapist, to be honest. Today, though, it's been pretty nice (that is to say, we're supposed to get rain and snow tonight) so I went outside to take some photos. It's my day off from school and work, so I didn't wear pants as usual.

I don't even know what this outfit can be categorized as. "Quirky" I guess? It's just a total hodgepodge of different things and makes no sense and probably shouldn't be worn out in public.

Unfortunately however, my naughty puppy was crawling around out in the garden. He got tied up and started crying his darling little eyes out, so I went to let him off his leash and bring him inside to wash off his muddy paws. Instead, he made a run for it and I ended up chasing him around the yard and several grown men looking at the house for sale next door cast me disapproving looks. Ho-hum, to be a teenage girl!

You can't tell very well, but the shirt I'm wearing is a peach coloured silk shirt with a bunch of little villages and men in top hats and beautifully dressed women printed on it. I found it a few weeks ago at St. Paul Vintage Mall for $6. I paired it with a skirt I sewed last year, a black slip from H&M, a gold belt from my great aunt, really old stay ups that should be in the garbage instead of on my legs, socks from Target, and a pair of heels I found at my local second hand store.

I always buy into trends really late in the game. Here's my version of socks with heels! I've always really liked this look. I've noticed that the always lovely Emily Browning wears this a lot. I suppose you could say that she was my inspiration for this. But really, I'll just take any excuse to show off my socks.

I've been working like crazy lately (40 hours a week, plus school) and only managed to get this day off by pleading with my supervisor. I have a school orientation tonight, so I suppose it isn't entirely a day of leisure! Thursdays are supposed to be my day away from campus, but I'm going there tonight anyways, grumble grumble. It will be differrent though, as I asked my pops to go to the orientation with me. I've never been to college with a parent before, of course!

Closet Rehab

Last Sunday on my day off, my closet underwent a much-needed rehab session. I have 2 closets - one with only jackets & cardigans, the other with my pants and tops. I also have two dressers - one with tops, shorts & underwear, the other with belts & legwear. I thought I'd take a photographic account of cleaning out my bigger closet. I got rid of a lot, which feels great, and made room for some new spring pieces, as well!

BEFORE:

The first thing I did was take absolutely everything out of my closet. It was scattered all over my tiny room and an awful mess. I then vaccuumed out my closet and began. I was separating my clothes into 4 piles, initially, and then condensing them into 3, like so:

The "Give Away" pile was to be sold or donated. The "Keep" pile is, obviously, what I still hung on to. The "DIY/Alter" pile was for clothes which needed to be hemmed, patched, dyed, re-fitted, etc. I also made a "Maybe" pile for things I was uncertain about. To decide upon which piles each belonged in, I tried on every single thing. If I hadn't worn anything in the past 6 or so months (weather permitting), it went in the "Give Away" or "Maybe" pile. If I forgot I had it, but still liked it, then I put it in the "Keep" pile. It's easy to forgat about clothes when your closet is such a mess!
Here're my tallies for jeans: Keep: 13 Give Away: 9 Alter/DIY: 6
Blouses/Shirts/Sweaters Keep: 24 Give Away: 11 Alter/DIY: 2

Dresses Keep: 10 Give Away: 2 Alter/DIY: 4

Shoes (in my room alone) Keep: 6 Give Away: 6 Alter/DIY: 0
Skirts Keep: 10 Give Away: 2 Alter/DIY: 1
Vests/Cardigans Keep: 5 Give Away: 3 Alter/DIY: 0
Scarves & Ties Keep: 8 Give Away: 1 Alter/DIY: 3
I also had a lot of baby dolls and stuffed animals in boxes on the top shelf of my closet. And some calendars going as far back as 1995...! I went through that stuff as well. Some of the toys I didn't even remember ever having, so I packed those up to be donated. I ended up only keeping a box's worth.
I put the clothes to be altered or DIY-ed in my sewing room. Some need to be hemmed, some dyed, some cut into shorts, some used as scrap fabric. The clothes which I'm getting rid of, I ironed and seperated into what will be donated, what will be brought to second hand, and what I will be trying to sell on eBay. As for the clothes I'm keeping, I ironed and put back in my closet, choosing hangers that all matched eachother. I organized them much better and hopefully, with the smaller volume of clothing, will be able to keep them this way.
AFTER:

TOP SHELF:
BOTTOM SHELF:
This was most certainly a very productive task! It's so much easier to grab things from my closet, and I look forward to doing my other closet and both my dressers...soon!

pray for japan. and libya.

Although I mentioned it only recently, it's extremely important to continue to pray and hope for the people of Japan. Everyday more people turn up dead, higher levels of radiation are found in the land, and people continue to struggle with the sudden change that this disaster has brought them.
At the same time, earlier today French military jets began patrolling the air over Libya, even bombing several tanks. As the US & Britain move troops into the country as well, it's extremely important to pray for a peaceful outcome. It's so heartbreaking to see the world torn in so many directions - by war and natural disaster, by hate and inequality. I'm praying for peace in all these regions, for less bloodshed, for comfort and love during these horrible times, and I hope you'll lend support in praying for the best, as well.

FAQ: Hair, Makeup, Style, & Me

I get so many questions about my hair & makeup, so I decided to do a video about it, showing which products I use, etc. But mostly I just felt like talking (as I could've written everything).

And because I like to talk, and I talk a lot, I did the questions about style and about me on a seperate video...



In my second video I jabbered on for a while about this magazine article I was featured in. To read it for yourself, head on over to Vita.mn. If you'd rather, you can just check out the blogs featured. The Minneapolis Affair is the MN street style blog, who also shot the photos for the article. Dirty Hair Halo is ran by a super stylish Minneapolis girl. The personal style blog Kitty Cotten is written by a girl of the same name. And last but not least, Fashionasty is written by a boy who was actually a production assistant on the show Ugly Betty! It's such an honour to be featured next to these amazing, stylish people. All the same, I'm happy for the next issue to come out, so my co-workers can quit giving me crap. My supervisor called me up to his office & full out mocked me, doing some poses and pretending to be a model. My most frequently asked questions were "how did they find you?" or "what was it for?" Just goes to show how much people actually read.

pray for japan. / FAQ

I've been paying close attention to the disaster overseas in Japan, breathing in every bit of heartbreak, loss, destruction, fear, and desperation. As someone who believes in the power of prayer, I ask for everyone to pray to their Gods, spirits or creators to send strength, protection, and comfort to all displaced by this horrible disaster.

On an unrelated note, I get a lot of questions about my hair, makeup (of which I'm wearing none at the moment), and other things. On Wednesday I'll answer them all in a video, so I figured I'd give you guys the opportunity to ask anything else. I'm happy to answer almost whatever you guys throw at me!

she's all by herself but she's never alone

Happy almost spring everyone! Minnesotan weather is so bipolar, today was above freezing and the 7 foot snowbanks in the alley were melting away. Tomorrow? We're supposed to get snow! I didn't realise how warm (35°F!) it is was out today, so I went outside expecting the worst and dressed like this...

Nice and warm for a mild winter day - but spring! No way! So I stripped off this deliciously oversized jacket, down to my jean jacket.
I was definitely going for a '90s look today. For those who like math, here is an equation for you (and even if you do not like math, such as me, you might find this problem to be pretty elementary): floral + fishnets + cheetah print + chunky platforms + pastels + jean jacket = 1990s


I was your token '90s child. I wore leggings and velvet turtle necks everyday. I cried the day that my 101 Dalmatians sweatshirt got acrylic paint on it in first grade. I still have my sunflower print dress and my button down with pastel sunglasses printed on it. I know my shit.

I just got these shorts last week. I'm not a huge fan of floral in dresses and blouses - it's just too flouncy and girly for me! But these shorts have edge and are a great statement piece. They underplay the other statement pieces in this look (diamond fishnets, blue wedges, cheetah print beret).



I've always been too shy to wear these tights alone. I find that fishnets are difficult pull off without looking trashy (which, Hell, I am, but I don't like to go around promoting it). However, I was feeling bold today and figured that a) I needed some black, and b) what's one more pattern thrown into the mix?




I've decided that I'm going to start running. That is my springtime resolution (yes, apparently I make seasonal resolutions now!). I will start by going to Target and buying myself some workout clothes with my next paycheck - this is the most exciting prospect of my entire resolution. Since I'm not one for physical activity, I will run a little bit at a time and hopefully gain some endurance and boost my energy and appetite. I look forward to getting all dressed up in my gear and looking like I actually know what I'm doing. If anyone runs, please give me tips! I don't want to look like the sort of amateur person who goes running just for the cute gear. Even if I am.






This photo shows my tough-girl-interior. I think it says, "I will kick yo ass, punk!" Well, that or something like, "Look ma! I can stand on one foot in 5 inch wedges!"
wedges - Madden Girl; thigh highs - American Apparel; tights - Modcloth; shorts - Mink Pink via Modcloth; belt - from my great aunt; jean jacket - Guess; oversized jacket - thrifted; button down - Macy's something; drawstring bag - Modcloth; beret - H&M

yeah yeah yeah!

I'm in high spirits and eating again! Hardly eating anything for 3 days has definitely taken it's toll on my body, but not my attitude and I even made it out in the warm weather (read: 25°F) today for some photos. Unfortunately my beautiful Pentax had run out of batteries and it'd completely slipped my mind to buy new ones, so I had to pull out my baby point & shoot Canon. I think he did alright.
I feel like I haven't dressed like this for a while. I certainly haven't worn Docs for a long time and even the proportions and legwear seem oh so last year. Maybe it's all in my head. A lot of stuff goes on up there and most of it is crazy nonsense.
This outfit definitely brought out the kid in me. I spent the day baking cookies & a flourless chocolate cake while watching Skins with my friend Adam. I've just got a bit of French Literature homework to get done, and then I'm going to watch 101 Dalmatians, which I got in the mail from Netflix today!
You probably cannot tell just how much weight I lost this week, but my waist is a couple inches smaller and I lost a bit in my legs and hips. I'm extremely small already and cannot afford to lose anymore. Hopefully that cake will put it back in me!


Apologies for the major case of bedhead. I never realise just how bad it is until I see the photos I take. My curls are so unpredictable!
I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. Hopefully spring is right around the corner, but until then, keep warm! shorts - H&M; sweater - H&M; tights - Hue; stay ups - unknown; boots - Doc Martens

wine for the woman who made the rain come

1. Unknown / 2. Unknown / 3. Ruth St Denis / 4. Alexa Chung / 5. Unknown / 6. Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman / 7. Liz Hamm (via Gala Darling) / 8. Charlie Chaplin & friends / 9. Beautiful room / 10. Clara Bow
I'm recovering from a bad bout of food poisoning & eagerly awaiting an end to old man winter's reign over Minnesota.