Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Dye job

I experimented with Rit Liquid Dye today.  I used the washer method (and the liquid dye) because I am lazy, and didn't want to sit around stirring the clothes for 30 minutes.  Also, I didn't have anything large enough to use as a vessel BUT the washer.  On to pictures!  Everything I did was originally white, except the Venezia Jeans dress from the other day.  I used purple because I love it and don't wear enough of it.  The color on these items is a little bit MORE purple than the pictures, because my camera kept adding a flash.

Original color of dress:
Sort of a sandy white beige.
And now:
The picture doesn't quite do it justice.  I think it came out the best, really.  Such a gorgeous purple.
Next up, we have a racer-back Mossimo tank.  I haven't ever worn this on the blog.  My mom brought it home, and I like it, but...I don't have a racer-back bra and it's fairly thin.  And thin + white = obvious bra.  Purple + thin is no big deal though...
I had bought a three-pack of men's Fruit of the Loom ribbed tank tops.  (Wife-beaters, y'all.)  I had been using them as under layers, and they work really well for that.  But since I had all these other things to dye...I did only dye two, so I would have a white one left. 

One has been chopped off a bit to work better with jeans, while the other stayed long to layer under deep v-neck wrap dresses.
And last of all, speaking of men's undershirts, I have one that I stole from my dad.  It's nice and big, it works great for exercising or wearing over pajama pants.  Frankly, I love it.  But my mom was NOT HAPPY that I was running around wearing a men's undershirt as a real shirt.  So, I dyed it purple.  And now it looks just like any other shirt!
[My dying method is exactly the one on the bottle.  Enough HOT water in the machine to cover the clothes, a cup of salt, and the dye.  Once the water is done running, add the clothes (already wet and unfolded or scrunched up) to the washer.  I let it agitate for 30 minutes, then rinse and spin.  Then I ran the clothes again (on warm) with detergent.  Then the clothes went into the dryer, and the washer got another run with loads of bleach and some more detergent.  Ta-da!]

Hey baby...

Yeah, you.  You know what I mean...*wink wink*
Ahem.  So.  A tunic shirt and my Torrid jeans worked fairly well.  This shirt is fairly open around the neckline, which prompts often readjustment, and may also mean I inadvertedly flashed a few college kids yesterday.  But hey!  I was wearing a perfectly decent bra that covered everything!  I have the same problem with the other shirt from Fashion Bug.  I'm plus size, so I should have more...shoulder?  But it has flutter sleeves, which have become my FAVORITE TYPE OF SLEEVE IN EXISTENCE.  They're so cute!  And fluttery!  And non-binding (tight sleeves make my arms look chunky). 
No smile for you.

Tunic - Fashion Bug
Jeans - Source of Wisdom

Check out my tumblr, and the new jewelry posted on my etsy store!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Pins

Yesterday I went for comfort again, but with a little bit more style.  My own weird style, that is.  This apron like dress is one that I bought one year on vacation.  Add a very form-fitted tee, and some leggings that seem to be maybe...for biking?  And a headscarf. 

I made these decorative large safety pins for the Etsy store, but I decided to keep them.  I have more pins, so I'll just make others for the store.
Shirt - FANG
Dress - Venezia Jeans
Leggings - Champion

Friday, August 27, 2010

Comfy, like pajamas

This week has been loooooong.  And next week is going to be just as long.  So today was definitely a day for comfortable clothes.  No belts, no tight pants or leggings, just soft jersey and cotton.
Shirt - Faded Glory
Tank - A Tag Above
Pants - White Stag
Crocs. Yeah.
SMILE!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Twinkle Toes


Black sequins!  On my feet!  Like a freaky sort of black version of Dorothy's ruby slippers!  "There's no place like Goth!"

I love sequined shoes.  And these are flats, so I can prance around in them with no fear of tumbling off a heel.  It's maybe not anywhere near cool enough outside for this light sweater, but the air conditioning inside makes it work.  *Fun Fact - this is actually a dress!  Apparently either for midgets or whores, because it hits me about 2 inches under the butt.*
Special on ghost pale girls! Ask now!
Dress - JMSJeans - Source of Wisdom
Shoes - Mossimo (same style as my purple flats and my watercolor flats!)
My feet and Jen's feet.

Guess what? I have a tumblr now!  It's linked up in the right-hand corner, so come visit me at http://libgirl9.tumblr.com/

Is that a belt I see before me?

Behold!  A lovely corset-like stretch faux leather belt!  There are three straps to buckle it, and it's fairly comfy.  AND IT CAME FROM TARGET!  So it was only $17, instead of the gorgeous $50 + shipping belts I've been lusting after on Etsy.  Total win for me.
Superheroine Pose!
As for my total outfit; nice enough, but made infinitely cooler by the belt.  (Why can I spell infinitely with no problem, but I have a complete spelling meltdown whenever I try to spell definitely?)
Yeah, yeah.  I like neutrals.  Give me a break, at least I didn't wear all black!
Top - Old Navy
Skirt - Peruvian Connection
Belt - Target
Leggings - Torrid
Shoes - Montego Bay


Monday, August 23, 2010

Where did they all come from?

School started today.  Now, I don't go to school anymore, because I'm old.  But I work at a college library.  And the kids were out in force today!  The first few days of class are always super busy as the little confused kids wander in, asking us where their books are, if we have books, where their classes are, etc.  It's sort of fun, but also a little stressful, since it's about 80% more business than we usually have.

My vest/cardigan thing is from the Torrid purchase (there's another, slightly different, that I'll probably wear this week) and the best feature is that it has POCKETS!  Everything else about it is great, too, but those are super-handy.  My head-scarf kept my hair out of my face as I rushed around and gave me a pop of color.  And here are my other pair of Source of Wisdom jeans.  These are boot-cut instead of skinny, like the first pair. 

Vest - Torrid
Shirt -
Jeans - Source of Wisdom

Sunday, August 22, 2010

I can't be called, begged or bought, if you want to be my Johnny on the spot...

I got these lacy leggings from Torrid in my big package and they're just a little too big.  So I need to wash them and dry them in the dryer to shrink them up those few inches.  I'm afraid if I went down a size they would be TOO small and not look this cute.
I needed simple jewelry to go with this dress and the leggings, so I rocked a dark gun-metal chain necklace and bracelet I made, along with some cute earrings.

Dress - JMS
Leggings - Torrid
Shoes - Montego Bay

But if you want to see real cuteness, here's my niece (along with my sister):
She didn't want to pose for me, which was a shame in her little cute outfit (that she picked out herself!), but she did give Auntie a smile.
The face of cuteness.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

I have jeans!

"Grrr" shirt makes me go "grrr"
 I had ordered a ton of stuff from Torrid last week, and it came in yesterday.  And it all fit!  Even (especially) the jeans!  I have now learned the key to buying jeans: buy by inseam length!  And guess what, my stubby little legs classify as "extra-short" (28").  These jeans don't drag the ground, and the crotch isn't 3 inches too low.  Plus, I bought everything on sale, so on 7 things I saved $95 off regular price!  The jeans that I had been wearing are going in the bottom of the drawer.  This pair and the boot-cut pair from the same brand are now my go-to jeans.
Shesh, photobombed by a dog!


Shirt - Torrid
Jeans - Source of Wisdom Navy Stitch Pull-On Skinny Jean
Shoes - no boundaries

Friday, August 20, 2010

Black on black (with purple)


I went for all black today.  Almost.  I wanted to belt this little tunic/dress (hence the leggings), and I dug around in my belts and out popped this preppy little number.  (All pastel plaids = preppy to me.)  How cute would this little pop of purple be?!

But I had one problem: no belt loops to secure the belt end.  And then I remembered the big decorative safety pins I've been making for our etsy shop!

Adorably functional!  I also made some new earrings last night.  I've just gotten on an earring kick lately, making myself at least one new pair a week.  Of course, I only have the one piercing now.  I used to have a total of 9 holes in my ears, so maybe I'm just easily bored.


Arm-warmers - Leg Avenue socks
Dress -Faded Glory
Leggings - Faded Glory
Shoes - Aftersoles

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Photo Negative

Some days, you just have to go black and white.  Particularly with socks this awesome!  All day, they made me feel like I should be in a Tim Burton movie.
These little shoes are my "run-around-all-day-at-work" faux ballet slippers that I bought from Torrid and with a little insole in them, they work great!  I'm still on a mad belting frenzy, so I found a long black velvet ribbon and used it as a belt today.

Socks - Sock Dreams
Shoes - Aftersoles
Top - Old Navy
Skirt - White Stag

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Pretty in Pink


First off, honestly, how hideous was Molly Ringwald's dress at the end of "Pretty in Pink"?  HIDEOUS!  Anyway, I wore lots of pink today, hence the title.  The students are starting to trickle back to the university.  It's so much calmer in the summer when only a teensie amount of them are on campus.  I have a new (old) camera from my sister, who got a new (NEW!) camera after the munchkins dropped it again.  It still works, but she loves taking pictures; it's one of her hobbies. 
But of course, I left it at work, so these pictures were taken with my cell phone.  Because the batteries and photo card that I was using with my old camera are in my new one at work!  So, excuse the poor quality.  The skirt is Kariza, the tank is Tag Above, and the black overshirt is Nikki Valenti.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

This versus That

  

                      VERSUS





I picked up these two books at a Big Lot's this past week.  They were each $3, so I thought "Hey!  Why not?  I could learn something!" On the left, we have Sam Saboura's Real Style: Style Secrets for Real Women with Real Bodies and on the right, we have What You Wear Can Change Your Life.  

We'll start with Sam.  Apparently, this guy hosted "Extreme Makeover".  This means nothing to me, as I don't watch reality TV.  The book was written in 2005 and is 191 pages.  First issue:  It's all drawings (very nice ones, mind), no photographs.  I like to see people's style ideas on real bodies, not drawn ones.  Particularly a guy making such a point of it.  Still, maybe they didn't give him the budget for it. The book is VERY big on dressing well for your shape.  There's a whole chapter on body types, and every style in the book is related back to which shapes it will and won't work for.  This book has a lot of good tips and .... JESUS, THE BOOK IS JUST BORING TO READ STRAIGHT THROUGH, OKAY?  HE JUST DRONES ON AND ON AND ON AND ON...
Conclusion: This book would be better (in tiny doses) as one you dip into briefly.  Or one you don't get at all.

Now on to Trinny and Susannah's What You Wear Can Change Your Life.  These two Brits host "What Not to Wear".  The book was written in 2004 and is 264 pages.  Let me say first off, that I don't always agree with them on style issues, but they are DAMN funny.  And courageous!  The book is filled with photographs, all of the two of them, right down to good and bad underwear!  There's the obligatory shape chapter, and what I found to be a truly useless color chapter.  The very last chapter was one on dressing during your pregnancy, which I thought was great!  (Not that I want any kids.)  There's a traveling chapter that includes packing and how to pose for the best photos according to your body type!  And finally, you just have to love women who write sentences like this: "Got up this morning feeling like shit?  Don't reach for the vodka bottle, the cure lies in your wardrobe."
Conclusion: Funny out the arse, and fairly informative.  Get it just for the sheer entertainment.  It's only $3!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Friday the 13th

Today I'll be re-organizing a store-room at work, so I'm in jeans and a tee.


So you get Helpful Links:
  • Jezebel has an article this week on "Where are Fashion's Gender Neutral Clothes?"  There's a pretty lively debate in the comments.  Personally, as soon as I read the post title, I thought of Star Trek uniforms!  You just can't take the sci-fi out of the girl.  I do like the idea, though.  As a teen, I frequently thrifted men's clothes because I wasn't into frilly, girly clothes.  You might have noticed the predominace of BLACK in my wardrobe still!
  • Sal from Already Pretty has the best list of tutorials, videos, and "body image musings" on this page.  You can learn how to overdye clothes, how to wear belts, how to choose your pants length, and how to flatter your figure.
  • Audi from Fashion for Nerds has a fantastic list of tutorials, too.  Just go down the page and the list is in the right hand column.  She'll help you break out of a fashion rut, find a hat, build a belt collection, and even layer skirts and dresses.
  • Lady Smaggle is an Australian blogger who'll help you DIY, posts outfits, AND will inject fun into your life with her "Why don't you..." posts.
  • And finally, a few of my favorite baking/cooking blogs: the American Not So Humble Pie and the British-born (but living in Cardiff, Wales) Mr. P of Delicious Delicious Delicious.  You can weep with food lust at their beautiful creations and start searching your pantry.  And for sheer foodie lust, spend some time looking at Tastespotting, which has beautiful pictures/links to every kind of food you would ever want to make (and quite a few you wouldn't).
  •  

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Little Red Riding Belt

I might be a full-on belt convert.  Bless me, Father, for I had lustful thoughts about that sash!  I've worn this dress a ton on the blog, usually with a t-shirt over it and leggings.  I kept the leggings, but picked up a cute little cardigan off the to-be-folded pile.  And then I thought...hmm.  What about a belt?  I picked through my belt drawer and got this out.  I think it used to be the sash of a dressing gown, but the color was so pretty that I kept it.
Looking at the picture, I admit the grey leggings look a little strange, but at the beginning of the outfit, the leggings were going to match the t-shirt.  I just never changed to black leggings or hose.  And today, my hair is behaving perfectly!  My fascinator is helping to hold it back the slightest bit, so it doesn't get overly busy during work.
My fascinator from the top
Dress - Chico's
Cardigan - Cherokee
Leggings - Faded Glory
Shoes - Xhilaration

The bloggers told me to!

 So, yesterday I tried 2 new (for me) things that I had seen recommended by fashion bloggers.  Between my dress and leggings, I wore a slip, in the hopes that it would keep the dress from clinging to the leggings.  I also wore a belt.  I've had this belt for ages.  I would occasionally look at it, think "What a neat belt!  But it's much too big to fit through the belt loops on my jeans."  Then I would toss it back in the closet.  Because I honestly had no real idea how else to wear a belt.  But, when I started my blog (and started reading lots of other blogs) I got a clue.  The slip idea comes from Sal and the belting ideas come from tons of people, but mostly Sal and Audi.

The slip idea...didn't work so very well.  Even though I've very happy to have a slip that fits.  The belt makes me super happy!  I got several compliments and I felt like it showcased my (relative to my bust/hips) small waist.  The dress is new, another Faded Glory item, and I got it in brown and black.
Of course, after saying in my last post that my new haircut didn't get poofy, what did it do yesterday?  IT GOT HIDEOUSLY POOFY!  I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I was moving a ton of cassettes and therefore flipping my head (hair) up and down.  Luckily I had a head scarf with me, since I was out until 9:30 last night before going home.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Cupcakes and silver hair

I'm such a dork.
So I got my hair cut yesterday.  At a salon!  That's the first time in 11 years I've trusted anyone but immediate family to cut my hair.  Long ago (senior year of high school, when you want your hair to look it's best) I had a horrible haircut before school started.  Suffice it to say, it looked very...masculine.  I have a pretty girly face, I think, but this haircut I had accentuated every last masculine bit of my features AND emphasized how big my head is (it's HUGE).  BUT.  Even though I hated the way the hairstylist's hair looked, even though the place was called the "Hair Barn" (does that inspire ANY confidence?); this is where my sister get's her super cute hair cut.  So, the woman cut tons of layers into my super-thick hair and hopefully now it won't get so poofy!  It looked cute yesterday, and the temperature hit 98 and the humidity seemed to be 400000%.
You want this cupcake.  You know you do.
You can see (better in person) my lovely silver hairs gleaming even better with this haircut too!  I know I sound sarcastic, but I seriously love them.  If they were gray, I'd probably dye my hair again, but these hairs are a gorgeous old lady silver white.  I went to Chuck E Cheese with Jen and her kids, so we definitely deserved these fancy cupcakes afterwards.
Look at me trying to not take a bite!
I made myself a new necklace yesterday.  (It's behind the cupcake.)  A little silver oval that says: "Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.  -Franz Kafka".  That's a pretty good motto, don't you think?
Dorky, but beautiful.
Tanks - Fruit of the Loom and umm, another
Jeans - Old Navy
Shoes - Crocs (try going to Chuck E Cheese in heels!)