Monday, July 30, 2012

Liebster Award!

 





 Carrie was sweet enough to nominate me for this, so I will happily answer her questions. I'm a leetle too stressed to pass it on, but please feel free to answer the questions if you want!



1. If you could invite any 5 people (living or dead, real or fictional) to do something, who would it be? And what would you do?
 
Pastry party for Jane Eyre, Lindsay Buroker, Warren Ellis, Julian of Norwich, and my father's mother (who died when he was in college).

2. Coffee or tea? Or neither?
 
Hot chocolate. Coffee smells delicious, but sadly tastes like dirt. And tea? It tastes like what it is: brewed leaves.

3. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, it would be ...
 
Chocolate. With peanut butter.

4. A bad habit you have ...
 
Ignoring real people for books.

5. A good habit you have ...
Loving books.


6. You can't resist ...
 
Long naps, yummy food, and watching good tv/movies.

7. If you could go back in time and tell your younger self one thing, it would be ...
 
Seriously, high school kids are lame. You rock. Oh, and college boys are lame too.

8. Something that made you happy today was ...
 
Going out for a bento box!

9. One book you haven't read but have always wanted to is ...
 
Um, can I count books that are coming out? Cause once I find a book I want to read I go on and read it! Lindsay Buroker has a new one coming out soon though that I'm longing for.

10.You have $50 to spend on yourself. What would you do/buy? 
 BOOOOKS. And chocolate. Regular money goes to clothes, extra surprise money goes to books.

Major Anxiety

New hair fork!
I fly out to Minneapolis for ARPA tomorrow, and I'm just a BIT keyed up. Not only am I an introvert (people all over!) but I also have an anxiety disorder. So, I'm stressed about the flight out going wrong somehow. Not in a huge plane crash sort of way, more in a no-ticket-suddenly/massive-delay/suddenly-no-room-at-the-hotel-despite-confirmation-email sort of way. Basic things that are stressing me out in a massive way, plus the idea of thousands of PEOPLE there that I'll need to interact with and sessions I need to go to and learn stuff at, and just. AHH. I'm about half-packed, with a check-list waiting for the rest, but WHAT IF I GET THERE AND HAVE NO UNDERWEAR? This is a ridiculous worry, because I already packed it, but that is the sort of thing that is plaguing me at night.



Top - Igigi, Pants - Avenue, Shoes - TOMS, Necklace - self-made.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Geek and proud


Tank - Simply Be, Pants - Denim 24/7, Shoes - Dexter, Necklaces - self-made.
So lately, the issue of "fake geek girls" has been in the media. Forbes has had several articles about it, including this latest one. There are all the usual reasons to be ticked off about this misogynistic idea of women not being able to be called geeks unless they have an encyclopaedic knowledge of whatever is deemed "real geek knowledge", or just because they're too pretty to be "real geeks". But personally, it ticks me off for other reasons.

I like to consider myself a geek. But I don't know all the proper comic book superheros and whether they're Marvel or DC. I don't play video games. My definition of being a geek is best summed up by the awesome Simon Pegg (and no, I don't know everything about him). “Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It’s basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating.” How cool is that?! I have certain stuff I fangirl all over, like Sherlock and Doctor Who (from the 9th Doctor on), almost anything Joss Whedon, and a number of authors. I don't know the name of every episode or actor, but I know what I think is awesome. I can talk your ear off about indie writers. I love fanfiction, and yes, I have read mpreg fics.

And I reject the idea that just because I don't love the same things you do, that I'm not a geek, or that I can't geek out about something. Or that because I'm a woman and have breasts (come on, I'm turning 31 on Sunday, let's leave the term "girl" behind in the dust, particularly in the pejorative way it's being used) that I can't be a geek. I'm not a nerd, because I'm totally awesome. I'm a geek, and I'm proud. And I will totally think about slapping you in the face if you say I can't be a geek. And then I'll argue with you in a very angry, loud voice. And then I'll go hide after the argument, because I hate fighting even though other people are always wrong.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Lavender cozy

Yay for good hair days!

My mother hates this sweater. She thinks it's too big on me, which it  is. But, it's comfortably too big. I generally wear it with leggings, but today there are meetings going on that I could have been made to attend, so I wore real pants. It does look a little schlubby with them, but better oversized than too tight at work. Plus, the open-weave helped me layer. It's been very hot and humid outside, and freezing inside, so it's all about layers. (As well as the thick cardigan I keep at my desk along with a blanket. My office building has temperature issues.) I mostly just like the dusky lavender color of the sweater. That's why it gets all the justifications.

Sweater - Avenue, Pants - Denim 24/7, Shoes - TOMS, Necklace - self-made.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Black and Blue and White and Canadian

Black and white! My color scheme beckons you with it's bland fingers.

Mia guessed it! I will be going to the APRA conference (American Prospect Research Association) this coming week, with all the superb excitement that implies. (And I will meet up with her, and hopefully she will not think I'm lame.) But it is sort of exciting, because I've never been to Minneapolis before. Whole new state! I used to live in Kansas, and I haven't really been any higher up in the mid-US than that. I've been up to New York and accidentally to Canada*, but not the Upper Midwest.

http://www.simplybe.com/content/ebiz/simplybeusa/invt/ax169tc/ax169_blue_l.jpg
I am sad, though. I bought a pair of Simply Be pants in a beautiful TARDIS blue shade. I got them on sale ($33), and they came in, looking lovely, and fitting decent but a bit large. However, some of their personal brand items shrink up a bit in the wash. So, I washed the pants and .... they got larger! I would have worn them today, but I thought they might fall off me. They still fit well in the thighs and lengthwise, but now the waist is much too big. I'm going to see if they can be taken in at the waist, if not I might offer them up for sale.




*See, the sign up by Niagara Falls that leads to the Canadian side doesn't say "THIS IS THE CANADIAN BORDER, I HOPE YOU HAVE YOUR PASSPORT, DUMMIES." It just says Niagara Falls. So be careful up there, because Border Agents can be kind of snippy when you want to come in and out of Canada and you have 2 toddlers in the car, with 3 women who all look a little teary (since they didn't expect to suddenly be in Canada).

Top and Pants - Avenue, Shoes - Dexter, Necklace - self-made.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Whirlwind


Tunic - Mei, Jeans - Simply Be, Shoes - Dexter, Necklace - self-made.
This is a very busy week. I came in yesterday to a super busy day, I have meetings today, Wednesday, and Thursday, and then I have to wrap it all up on Friday, because next week I'm flying out to Minneapolis for a conference. So I might wind up wearing footie pajamas one day to work accidentally, is the crux of the matter. Monday was nice, especially since I love this tunic (as a dress it is too short to bend over in), but by today we're already looking a bit frazzled.

All my lipglosses at the moment, primarily Joeur.
I'm really getting into this whole "no makeup but lip stuff" habit I decided on. I'm also wearing lip gloss almost every day since my big packet of five Joeur colors came from Birchbox. I seriously recommend them to everyone, because they are dainty little miracles. You can put on more than one coat if you want lots of color, but a single coat will just make your lips look beautifully perfect. I can wear the orange gloss (Tender) and look fabulously normal!

Top - Simply Be, Pants - thrifted, Shoes - Dexter, necklace - self-made.
My hair got scraped back because I was not in the mood to either (a) have it in my face all day or (b) actually do anything with it.

Friday, July 20, 2012

B is for Blog


My dad takes almost all the photos for my blog. But he doesn't read it. He asked me this morning how to find it online. "What do I do? Do I go to B for blog, and then [last name]? How do I find it? Where are the blogs?" After I finished laughing like a lunatic, I explained that the internet is not, in fact, like a library's card catalog. And that I don't use my last name on my blog. So I brought it up on my parents' desktop, and labeled the bookmark "Erin's blog" so he can come see it whenever he wants. My father is...technologically unwilling. He uses a proprietary system on the computers in the courthouses where he works, and Google when he looks for stuff at home. But he has no real drive to be plugged in. He's very much a face-to-face social person. From my childhood on up till now, if he's home, we eat dinner together as a family, and we spend quite a bit of it talking. Consequently, our family is very close-knit, which is good since we're all living in the same house at the moment!


This isn't the most flattering angle of this outfit, but it is a definite Pass. The t-shirt is almost a burnout, without being sheer. It's just thin and soft, with all the lovely metal bits. It clings enough to reveal my curves, without being tight. And I'd like to know why all t-shirts can't be like that for plus-size women, instead of so many boxy thick shirts that make us look like blocks. Really, someone get a clue.

Top - Avenue, Pants - White Stag, Shoes - TOMS, Necklace - self-made.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Haughty Derison

Cardigan - Avenue, Camisole - thrifted, Pants - Denim 24/7, Shoes - Dexter.
I feel like I generally look doofy in person. Mostly quizzical, with a dash of tiredness and amusement. Some time, when I have the time (and a person to help), I'll make y'all a vlog so you can fully appreciate how excited I get over little things like peanut butter, and how much I talk with my hands. But even 554 posts (and 2 years) into blogging, I still feel awkward while being photographed. What do I with my hands? When I smile, do my cheeks get so round that you can't really see my eyes? Am I remembering to not throw my head back? Is there anything weird going on with my outfit? Is my bra showing? These are all important questions that take up a huge portion of my brain while the camera is going, so I usually just default to "blank face" or "almost happy face". The problem is that "blank face" can end up looking like "you are completely unworthy and I hate you" face. Sorry about that.

Necklace - thrifted vintage.
My cameo also has a case of haughty derision, but in her case, I think it's based on being awesomely carved out of fake hematite and having fancy hair.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Work pajamas

T-shirt - Avenue, Pants - White Stag, Shoes - TOMS, Necklace - Send the Trend.
Since, sadly, my workplace doesn't have a pajama day, I work around it. This outfit is as comfy as pajamas, and it's actually what I'm planning to wear on the flight to Minneapolis when I go for a conference next month. It also satisfies my Johnny Cash/Man in Black dress-up love, so it's a two-fer of an outfit. Also, my lariat necklace is as cute as can be, while also being classy-simple. This is a good outfit, like yesterday's. I might have to institute a ratings system, or at least a Pass/Fail, so that I can cull my wardrobe of clothing that technically fits, but doesn't actually flatter or make me happy.

I've also decided that all makeup sucks but lip stuff. (I reserve the right to change this decision at any time, of course.) I can look better in it, but it is such a hassle to put on and take off, and I've never been able to find a foundation/tinted moisturizer that actually matches my skin tone. Also, no matter what I use, between my eyebrows gets dry. So, I ordered a set of Joeur fancy-schmancy lip glosses from Birchbox, because I have a sample one that is fantastic and has lasted forever. It's a scary-bright pink, but goes on beautifully my-lip-color-but-better sheer without being horribly tacky. Lesson to take away from this: Joeur makes a good gloss.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Looking right and wrong for me

Tank - Simply Be, Leggings - Walmart, Shoes - Dexter, Necklace - present.
As we all know, depending on what you wear, you can look significantly heavier/thinner/taller/shorter. Wearing this light dress and leggings, as compared to yesterday's shirt and pants (an outfit that I bored myself into when I ran out of time), I look very different. Same basic pose; very different appearance. One outfit does everything right, the other does it wrong. The dress lengthens my torso, but the blue shirt chops me up at the middle, without showing off my dainty waist. The leggings show off my curvy legs and continuing the black from the dress lengthens them. Whereas in the perpetually wrinkled khaki pants, my legs look thicker and just as stumpy short as they really are. You see, in my head, I always look like the top picture. So I think I'm going to take a page from Gracey and the land of Nosh Opping, and get rid of yesterday's outfit. I didn't feel happy in it - I certainly don't look happy in it - and it doesn't flatter me at all. But maybe at Goodwill it can find someone that it does flatter.

Bleah.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Ain't There Anyone Here For Love?


Cardigan and Tank - Simply Be, Pants - Denim 24/7, Shoes - TOMS, Belt - Target, Necklace - Self-made.
I've been thinking that I don't really love my TOMS, but looking back at how much I wear them, that's obviously a fallacy. This will be the 11th post with them since I bought them a little more than a month ago. The only shoes I wear more than that are my little black Dexter flats. So maybe I should think about getting another pair, hmm? I need to start looking at the different styles/colors.


I watched Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with my parents last night. It's a fantastic musical that I've seen approximately 1 zillion times, partly because I find Marilyn Monroe hilarious, but mostly because I love Jane Russell. She has the best song in the movie, "Ain't There Anyone Here For Love", and to give you some context, those guys in the clip are supposed to be the US Olympic Team. I have no idea for how ridiculous their moves are and how amused they make me. Also, who decided those were good shorts for her 25 male back-up gymnasts?

Thursday, July 12, 2012

One Eyebrow

Top - Avenue, Pants - Simply Be, Shoes - Dexter, Necklace - JewelMint.
I have one Spock-like eyebrow. You can see how the eyebrow on (my) left has a very definite and pointy arch. I am much too lazy to properly pluck my eyebrows to match each other, and also if I'm concentrating on not making an expression, they are much closer in shape. But as soon as I raise that eyebrow (and no, I can't raise only my right eyebrow), it gets all pointy.

I am so ready for the weekend because it's my Daddy's birthday! He's 30 years and 15 days older than me, so July is our month. I just have to get through working Friday the 13th (oh noes!) and it'll be a fun Saturday, full of delicious food and spoiling my father.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Plainer and Plainer


Top - Avenue, Pants - Denim 24/7, Shoes - TOMS, Necklace - JewelMint.
When I get tired, my outfits get more and more neutral. By Friday I might just be wearing a black sheet. This is the most perfect t-shirt ever, so consequently it's not made anymore. I only bought one before it was discontinued, and if I could go back in time, I would buy 2 of every color. Even orange, so I could send one each to Gracey and Mia. It's the best feeling t-shirt I own, and the most flattering. And I have no idea why Avenue wouldn't make it forever. I check every few months to see if it's come back, but no dice so far. Really, life would be a lot simpler if we could TELL the companies what pieces of clothing are awesome and which are crappy. AKA, don't just keep making trendy stuff and stop making the good stuff.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Odd Blend

Ah, summer. The time of odd layering choices.

Shrug - Avenue, Tank - Simply Be, Pants - Denim 24/7, Shoes - Dexter
Summertime officewear requires an odd blend of keeping cool and looking somewhat professional. Some of you may be saying "Erin, just wear a skirt and a tee! You'll look cute and also worky!" But my legs get cold quicker than my top. Also, I have a large scar on my left leg from my 2006 car accident. And while I should be above it all and proudly embrace all parts of my body blah blah blah, it makes me feel awkward. Everyone tells me that it's not obvious now. But it's obvious to me, so screw you people, I'm wearing pants.


Shirt - Faded Glory, Cami - Avenue, Pants - White Stag, Shoes - TOMS, Necklace - Homemade.
Let's go a little old-school with our music today, though. This is from Nevermind in 1991, and is just such a fantastic video. Kurt's blank face when he sings in the suit, compared to singing in the dress is utter video perfection.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

So pretty it makes me sleepy

Shirt - I have no idea, Pants - Avenue, Shoes - Dexter.

There are times in my life that I don't feel sleepy. Like..um...vacations. Other than that, I'm pretty much sleepy. I take a lot of medication for my epilepsy, and a side effect for all of the varying pills is sleepiness/being tired/a general malaise. It doesn't help that I've always needed a lot of sleep. I was never one of those people who popped up after 6 hours all perky and refreshed. Without a good 8 hours, I'm pretty much useless. This also means that I tend to get cranky early at night. Early for a non-elderly grownup, that is. I hit 10pm, and I start thinking that everyone else is a bit of an asshole. So, I have very little time for a life. I work (and commute, biggest part) 11 hours of the day. I get home around 6 or 7pm. So I have 3 or 4 hours every night to do stuff. Consequently, I really treasure my weekends. If you get one of my weekends or nights, it means that I really think you're special. Also, writing all this out has made me realize once again that being a grownup and having a real job really sucks.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

work is for losers

Yesterday's outfit, quickly replaced with a moving outfit.
 I didn't have to work (in my office) yesterday, because the power was off. Instead, I spent the day helping to move our old refrigerator from our kitchen and replacing it with a newer one. Since the kitchen is on the second floor, this was a long and hard task. But I do love the new one. It's all clean and fresh inside! Also, we apparently are building the world's largest collection of random homemade jams. I believe I moved 4 quintillion jars from one fridge to the other. The problem is that I didn't bring any of these jars into the house and homemade jars don't come with expiration dates! This is a problem when they're all about 3/4 empty and potentially years old. Or possibly brand new.



But today, the power is back on here at work, and the air is actually keeping it cool. Does anyone have big plans for the Fourth? Personally, I don't. Just hanging out with family and going to the local high school for fireworks.

Tank - Simply Be, Pants - White Stag, Shoes - Dexter, Necklace - Self-made.