Light

As summer draws near its steamy close, I continue to be grateful for light, breathable materials like cotton, linen, and straw.





Shirt, Christopher & Banks (thrifted). Skirt, Talbot’s. Shoes, Wild Diva. Bag, Vieta. Hat, Charlotte Russe. Owl brooch (on hat), thrifted. Bangles, Mix It, Target, and Claire’s.



The blue shoes are not light OR breathable. They’re made from horrid, sticky, stiff plastic. I nearly gave up on them the very first time I wore them, but persisted because I love the color. I’ve been on the lookout for a replacement pair for over four years.





I brought back-up slippers for walking to and from the bus and JUMPING!





Feeling light as a feather in my slippers





BCBGeneration ballet flats

Warning: Long Cat Story Ahead

I blame my cat for this mess of an outfit. It’s all Roy’s fault that I’m wearing navy, black, and brown together. He is responsible for this terrible mishmash of styles: cowgirl, mod, nautical, and rocker. He has so upset my state of mind that I chose this terribly clashing background. I think I’ll also blame him for my frizzy hair.


Jacket, Focus 2000 (thrifted). Dress, swapped and shortened. Boots, Dan Post. Watch Vivani (gift). Bag, Carlos Santana. Sunnies, Betsey Johnson.

Roy has separation anxiety. If I’m gone from home for more than 12 hours (and that happens fairly often), he’s likely to urinate on the bed when I return.* I’m aware of the problem, so I when I arrive home, I usually accompany him to the litter box, wait for him to pee, and reward him for going in the box.

Yesterday, I was gone all day, returning at around 10:30 at night. I could tell he was anxious, so I went to the box with him, but he did some other business and ran back upstairs. I thought I had dodged the bullet.

I was tired and stressed about a long day on Friday. I’m a planner, so I began assembling everything I’d need for work and the LBD event the next day. I tried on my dress (fresh from the cleaners) to make sure it still fit and was undamaged. I was pulling out my new shoes, to try with the dress, when I smelled cat pee. Roy was behind me, on the bed, letting loose. I wanted nothing more than to rewind time.

I cleaned up the mess and deodorized the mattress but the bed was unusable for the night. I slept on the couch (really a loveseat) and Beefy slept on the recliner. It was an uncomfortable night and we were all (me, Beefy, and 4 cats) upset by the change in routine. I awoke feeling unrested and hungover. (I only had a single drink last night, I promise.)

I didn’t manage my time well this morning. I hit snooze too many times. I spaced out in the shower. I spent way too long on my eyeliner. I kept misplacing things.

Usually, I choose my outfits for the week on the weekend prior, so that I don’t have to think in the morning. However, I couldn’t wear my pre-chosen outfit because the ladies at work decided, on Thursday, that Friday would be cowboy boot day. The boots would have looked pretty silly with the outfit I had initially planned. So, I threw this mess together while rushed, tired, and pissed-off (literally).


Photos by Beefy Muchacho

Have you ever heard the expression, “You don’t train a cat; the cat trains you?” Well, I got some extra reinforcement last night. Ugh.

*Beefy and I have different theories for this behavior. I think it has something to do with mommy-issues and the “relief” of having me home. Beefy says Roy pees on the bed because he’s mad about being abandoned all day.

@whatiwore2day

I think my smartphone is my favorite purchase ever. I have major withdrawals when I forget it for the day. (It spent Thursday in Beefy’s trunk and I was going bonkers by late afternoon.)


Hoodie, Old Navy (thrifted and I cut off the cuffs and rolled the sleeves). Tee, Forever 21. Checked tunic, Wet Seal. Peggings, Bongo. Boots, Dan Post. Bag, Mossimo. Earrings, Julie’s Inspiration.

Some of my favorite phone features are blogging related. I love the mobile version of Google Reader and being able to respond to your comments in a timely manner. Best of all, the fancy phone makes twittering fun! I feel so much more connected to the blogosphere.


Reunited with my phone-o and it feels so good!

The Set - Sunroom

The sunroom wasn’t always a great place to take pictures. Once upon a time, it had pale peach walls and rotting gray carpet over crumbling red and green linoleum tile. I threw the carpet in the trash and did my best to make the space “work” for the first few years in the house.


The front of the room is all windows and a door. The other three sides share walls with the garage, kitchen, and living room. There is an exterior door (to the driveway) and a door into the living room, but, unfortunately, no door to the garage, so the space gets little (human) traffic. A pet door allows the cats access to and from the house and it is constantly a-swinging!


Over time, the space has evolved. I finally found the time to paint the walls white and the cash to replace the flooring. I originally envisioned the room as a miniature conservatory, but it gets too cold in the winter to support hothouse plants. The greenery is gone and I’ve chosen to adorn the room with frost-proof bird cages and mirrors instead.



I use only natural light when I photograph in this room. It gets direct sunlight in the morning, so it’s best to save outfit photos until afternoon or evening when the light is even and diffuse. The white walls, floor, and ceiling reflect light beautifully. Before I discovered the exposure compensation button, all that white was a challenge; my subject came out too dark. Now, I set the exposure compensation at +.3 to +.7 and get lovely results. I use an ISO of 400. The camera’s auto white balance usually gets colors right.

The Sunroom, through the blog years:


(The last photo shows the sunroom from the outside.)

This space belongs more to the cats than me. I removed everything but the pillows from any horizontal surface because rambunctious kittens sent my tchotchke tumbling. I even had to ditch the fake greenery (the fern visible in some photos) because they gnawed on it. I’m just grateful they let me take the occasional photo in here.

In May, I'll profile one of my often used outdoor locations. Any requests?

Takeoutfit

Every time I wear this cardigan, I style it very similarly. I usually pair it with a neutral bottom and a top that echoes a color in the yarn.


Sweater, Takeout. Tee, Forever 21. Skirt, No Boundaries (thrifted). Boots, Matisse. Earrings, Monica D. Bag and leggings, Mossimo.



Out of all these permutations, which outfit do you like best?

My favorite styling of this sweater is...
	Takeoutfit
	Think Spring
	Pastelli
	Paparazzi
	PUYV: Stone and Gray "All Out"
	In Search of Blue Booties
	Dollhouse Denim
	Flying to WA
pollcode.com free polls

My Purrfect Valentines

And the outfits...

Capsule items:
1. Dress, Studio I
2. Red cardigan, Moda International
3. Gray cardigan, Wet Seal
4. Blouse, Charlotte Russe
5. Striped top, swap
6. Pearl-collar sweater, vintage
7. Skirt, Mossimo
8. Leopard peep-toes, Steven by Steve Madden
9. Boots, Matisse.
10. Oxfords, Isaac Mizrahi for Target

Accessories:
1. Heart pendant, Victoria’s Secret
2. Bag, Apt 9
3. Scarf, swap
4. Black belt, came with the dress.
5. Leopard obi, Sugadaminka

"Free" items:
Solid black tights, We Love Colors
Black chevron tights, Target
Leopard leggings, Xhilaration
Lace tights, Apostrophe
Cream striped tights, Urban Outfitters
New haircut