Band Jacket

I might have bought this jean jacket last summer just because it looks like a band jacket. By which, I mean I totally did, because it was awesome and funny to a former band geek. And I have tiny short arms, so I have to roll up the sleeves. I put on the black pants and white shirt and decided that I really needed something to make it all interesting, so I started with the necklace, then the shoes, then the jacket (since my office is freezing). And super-yay! I'm going to see my girls tomorrow! These are my best friends from high school (and just in general, really), that I've now known for over half my life. They've been together for a few years now, and are the sweetest couple ever.

Jacket - The Gap, Shirt and Pants - Faded Glory, Shoes - Target, Necklace - Homemade.

The white is my skin

 While taking my picture today, my daddy told me that this would be a great outfit for the 4th of July. I thought for a second, because it just has blue and red but no white, and then I realized that the white is my skin. I just wanted the red to pop against the blue for a nice bright accessory. In a sad turn of events, my beautiful red Dexter deck shoes (seen here) are finally falling apart inside. All it took was a year and (at least) 2 months of wearing them at least once a week for the inside to start falling apart. The outside is still fine, and so is the sole, but this was the excuse I needed to buy some Toms.

Alas, poor Dexters, I knew you.

 Dress - ANA, Leggings - Walmart, Shoes - Dexter, Scarf - eBay, Necklace and bracelet - handmade.

Do Not Operate Heavy Machinery

It might have been windy this morning.

So what did you do this holiday weekend? I had a severe allergy grossness that morphed into a cold, and I discovered another normal medicine I can't take! Woo-hoo! My eyes were constantly watering, so I took a generic OTC allergy pill of my sister's; one that she gives my niece when Ellie has an allergic reaction to anything. And...it was like I was stoned. Or drunk. It hit me hard, I stumbled around the house to my bed and slept for six hours. Because I'm awesome, and I'm unable to take normal medicine anymore thanks to my large collection of anti-seizure medications. All I can take is a decongestant (not useful, considering that I never have any congestion and sneeze frequently).

I also started using my own home-made shampoo! It's super-easy to make, but I need to make a conditioner now. I don't sneeze as much in the shower (when I am not suffering from a cold) and it works great.

Top and Pants - Avenue, Shoes - Dexter, Necklace - repurposed earring.

I'm supposed to be awake?

I'm not working tomorrow, because it's my nephew's birthday (and because I wanted a 4 day weekend), so today is my Friday. Yay! Of course, this does mean I'll have to go to Chuck E Cheese tomorrow with the crowd. The things I do for love...still, a kid only turns 8 once. By the way, that should be impossible. I was there in the hospital room when he was born, and I was an actual adult (work-wise) at that time. I refuse to believe that was 8 years ago. That would be easier to refuse if he didn't come up to my throat, though. My sister decided to have a giant for a son, evidently, all arms and legs. With all of these outside pictures lately, you can see the beautiful silver streaks in my hair. I'm like Rogue, but my superpower is grumpiness and complete knowledge of random book plots.

 

Top (and under tank) - Avenue, Pants - Denim 24/7, Shoes - Dexter, Necklace - Self-made.

Holographic pants and pattern mixing

My pants are not freaky, like they appear here. Or many other places (theoretically) in my blog that I was way too lazy to go and find. They're just a plain black and white pinstripe that choose to photograph as completely whackadoodle. This is also a bold move at pattern mixing for me: black and white knit cardi + flowery shirt + pinstriped pants = good (hopefully). Seeing as how I don't do pattern mixing, this is like the average fashionable person wearing saran wrap and ham as clothes. (I...don't know. I tried to think of something random, and it got really weird. Sorry.)

Incidentally, you want to see your face turn into the face of a freaky evil person? Take a photo of yourself and flip it in Photoshop or Microsoft Picture Manager (if you're cheapo like me). It is horrible and haunting. And for the rest of the day, I will be vaguely convinced that I look demonic. So I suggest doing it at the end of the day, so you can be horrified at home.

This picture flipped = evil face.

Top and cardigan - Avenue, Pants - Denim 24/7, Shoes - Crocs, Socks - Sock Dreams.

NOT flashing

Sometimes you end up with a long tunic. I put on this dress, bent over to pick something up, and realized my butt was NOT covered by the "dress". Darn jersey fabric shrunk up a bit in the wash. So it gets to be a long tunic, and I get to not flash everyone I work with. Yay for both! Also, bows on my toes, so I get properly admired.

My sister got her chickens in yesterday. That sounds like some sort of code, but really, we live on a large piece of land that actually has an old chicken coop on it. She (and the munchkins) fixed it up, ordered a batch of little baby chicks, and they're going to raise them for eggs over the next several years.

My little Nana had another stroke yesterday. This was a small one, but I think she's just going for the all time record, having them every 2 weeks now. All this is causing the crazy face seen below.

Top - Mei, Jeans - Simply Be, Shoes - Dexter, Jewelry - present.

Allergies make me forgetful

So, apparently the pollen count has been around 4 quadrillion (or however you count pollen). I have allergies, and they make me sneeze ALL DAY LONG. I haven't been taking allergy pills, because the last freaking thing I need is another pill, but even without them, I appear to have become more addled and forgetful. Short way around, I loaded Friday's photo, but forgot to put it up.

Yay, I'm Friday!

As you might notice, if you have good eyes, I'm wearing the same shoes and necklace. The shoes are really comfy (Dexflex flats from Dexter) and the necklace is one I made that actually hits right below my clavicles, so it will show even if I wear a higher cut shirt, without being so high that it's a choker. (That was a ridiculously long sentence to point out that the necklace fits well.)

I've also been doing so poorly at Story a Day; I've only done 13 of the last 20 days, or 65%. I know that doesn't sound horrible, but I wrote a story every day the first seven days of May, then four in the next seven days, and only one in the previous seven days (15th-today). Bleah. I need to write today.

And sleepy. They also make me sleepy.

Pretend Tall

But do you have a flag?

In real life, I am a munchkin. Five foot four, to be precise. Okay, I just looked on Wikipedia, and apparently, this is the average height for a US woman. One inch shorter than the average white woman, though, and a half inch shorter than the average black woman. (Did you know Mexican American women are super short? 5"2' average.) So really, it appears that I am NOT a munchkin. Possibly, most of those shorter than "average" are old ladies who have shrunk. Other theory, everyone feels this like they're teeny.

Anyway, in this picture, I feel like I look tall. Slim lines, neutral colors (the shoes were for comfort, people, don't be haters), and the fact that I'm standing up really straight all combine to make me look like I have glorious long proportions like Gracey. Also, I felt a little like the figurehead at the prow of a ship. Both equally cool.

Not as hard as I thought

I must admit, I too was a victim of the liquid eyeliner fallacy - OH NOES IT WILL BE HARD! It's totally easy. Much easier that normal eyeliner, much smoother. It's not like it made me magically able to perfectly draw a straight line, but normal eyeliner doesn't let me do that either. I got a sample in my Birchbox (because I never would have bought any). This is Stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Rock Candy. It was like using a fresh, high quality marker! Seriously, completely easy. If I can do it, anyone can.

I have work conferences (at my office building) for the next three days. So I need to be comfy, layered, and look vaguely businessy. Plus, it's going to rain on and off for the next few days. We've had the first set of these sessions already, and I'm prepared for uncomfy seats and long meetings. But I have a note-taking app on my Kindle, so I'm going to try that to bring some life to it.

Top and Cardigan - Avenue, Pants - Denim 24/7, Shoes - Crocs, Socks - Sock Dreams, Necklace - JewelMint.

Rain leads to new age music.

The sun...it burns...

Actually, it's rained all day. But I'm goth pale in reality, unless I'm flushed. You know, people bitch about Crocs, but the little ones like these (without any holes) are really the only thing to wear when it rains. Particularly if you're too lazy to do the whole finding rain boots that fit your calves, then wearing them/changing shoes at the office thing. Like me!

Sweater and Jeans - Simply Be, Crocs, Handmade necklace.

Old young pictures

Nice.

Top - JMS, Pants - Denim 24/7, Necklace - upcycled by me, Shoes - Dexter.

Chelsea is wearing a sweater dress that is practically a twin for this top. Except, you know, dress length since she's not a ho. A big thing on Pinterest boards (or at least ones I follow) are pictures of celebs/famous people (writers, geniuses, singers, etc) when they were much younger. And some of them are a little ultra awesome. And it's probably not my Anglophilia cropping up that has led to most of them being British. That's just what happens when you're British and awesome.

Young Tim Curry

Ian McKellen

David Bowie

Helen Mirren

Judi Dench

Vivien Leigh (age 9)

Snarky

Top (and unseen tank) - Avenue, Pants and Cardigan - Simply Be, Jewelry- Self-made

Often, when I have pictures taken of myself, and I'm not focusing particularly on looking "good" (aka dignified, ethereal, sexy, edgy, whatever mood I'm striving for that day), I'll look snarky. Apparently to some people, the word snarky brings up memories of Dane Cook, but to me it means Buffy and TWOP. Snarky is like...British verbal side eye. Glad we cleared that up.

This cardigan is so beautiful, I don't care that it makes me look vaguely pregnant.

The weather is being a monster crack addict at the moment. Half the week will be bright, sunny, and warm. The next half will be rainy, coldish, and dreary. And this half of the week is sunny and frigid. (Like crack addicts can do fractions.) So I saw Avengers the other night. It was good...but not as good as I had hoped. Not a true Joss level good. Cabin in the Woods is awesome-sauce, and if you're snarking at your computer right now about how wrong I am about the Avengers, just go see Cabin, and let your mind be blown by Joss Whedon's amazingness. And you'll also become convinced that Fran Kranz needs to be in 20 more movies, stat.

Attempted etherealness,

 Cardigan - Simply Be, Top - Avenue, Pants - White Stag, Boots - Simply Be, Necklace - self-made.

Don't make me thump you

Contrary to this picture, I don't actually have a lazy eye.

Yes, I have epaulettes on my shoulders. They designate my rank of Awesomeness. My necklace is for smacking the snot out of people who annoy me. The last few days it's been a large list. It's just been one of those weeks when everyone seems to be particularly annoying (especially everyone I talk to in the real world). Honestly, it's like people don't understand that introverts aren't always introverts just because they're shy. Sometimes we're shy AND we think that most other people are horrible and wrong. 

I'm laughing at you.

I'm actually going to see the Avengers tonight! It's been moved around and put off, but finally it's time for another Joss movie. All hail Joss Whedon! As a side note, I've been listening to The Polyphonic Spree on Spotify, and it is really strange to hear anyone but Kurt Cobain sing Lithium. It's even odder to watch the video. It's like....really happy crazed cult members who can sing fantastically. I sort of like the band more now. Hmm.

I'm just action and at other times reaction

Friday

I fiddled around with the contrast and color of this photo a bit and I really like the crisp starkness of it now. I completely forgot about this undone post until I went to finish today's post and found this one as well. I have a special place in my heart for studded shirts. And the color blue.

This is a close-up of the shirt and pants I wore today. Both are from Simply Be, and I thought the colors were just so lovely together. I'm a bit fuzzier today, but just pretend you got drunk in between pictures. I saw my neurologist today for a checkup. (I had a seizure 2 weeks ago, and my medication should have been controlling my epilepsy.) I learned a few things: Did you know that having your joints ache most of the time is NOT actually a side effect of epilepsy? (I was thinking the seizures were just wrecking my joints.) So after my new increase in medication kicks in I get to go get checked for arthritis (every kind imaginable runs in the family), anemia, and have my thyroid checked, as well as have all my regular medication levels checked. I'm such a happy camper. I feel achier already. I'll probably just go on and die of consumption once I can find the laudanum.

I

give me your hand and I'll hold it

Finally outside pictures again! The colors are always so much better. And I always look happier outside - which is strange since I'm very much an inside sort of person. That's been one problem with OkCupid. All these guys want someone to go hiking or biking or camping with. I want a man who wants to watch Doctor Who and Sherlock and Fringe with me. Ooh, and Justified, because this season has had tons of awesome bad guys. I like watching TV with people, and eating dinner together, and just being together. I would love to just read with a guy on a couch, because I'm apparently a middle-aged lady. WHY MUST PEOPLE IMPOSE SPORTS ON ME? It's gotten to the point where I don't try to contact guys who are super-outdoorsy. It keeps both of us from being disappointed. EHHH. I'm so glad it's the latter half of the week. I'm definitely ready for some free time. Also, new Joss Whedon movie out! (But really, I just want to see Cabin in the Woods again, because it was awesome.)

Jacket - Avenue, Tank - thrifted, Pants - Denim 24/7, Shoes - Target, Necklace - self-made.

Pink obsession

This cardigan is fantastical AND still available. You can get it in gray or this pink, sizes 10-28 (size normally, maybe a size down if you're not terribly busty) for $45 with free shipping. So often, the pretty things I wear from Simply Be are last seasons, but this is new, and so deliciously comfy that I thought I would plug it for you. Their cardigans are always nice, but this one has snaps that hold it closed right there under the bust. My office is always frigid, to the point that several of the girls I work with keep little blankets in their cubicles (and I do, too, along with warm little socks). It's the perfect wrap to snuggle around me, plus it gives me a bit of color.

Cardigan - Simply Be, Shirt - Avenue, Pants - Lands End, Shoes - Dexter, Necklace - thrifted.

Brightness. It's what's for dinner.

Don't you wish you could be this happy?

 This shirt is not quite as bright pink as it appears in the picture. It's maybe a smidge less eye-poppingly bright. But I do enjoy a nice super-bright pink now and then, now that I've grown up a bit, and I'm less worried that shades of pink will compromise my edge. (Brief pause for hilarious laughter, because while I like to pretend I have an edge to compromise, I'm about as edgy as a circle.) My hair is long again, and I keep switching shampoos, because I'm lame and strong scents make me sneeze in the shower. Does anyone have a good suggestion for fairly cheap shampoos/conditioners that work well on thick, coarse, dry hair and don't have much scent and might be organic? (See why I keep switching around?)

Top - Avenue, Pants - Simply Be, Shoes - Crocs, Necklace - Self-made.