Is that a smile?!

Sweater - Simply Be, Pants - Denim 24/7, Shoes - Target.

IT is a smile! This next picture has a full on grin! Holy crap, I must have been randomly pleased this morning while taking my picture.

So now to move to something completely different. Do you ever have bizarre reactions to songs? Of course you do. One of my favorite songs is "Another New World", both sung by the original artist, Josh Ritter, and also by the Punch Brothers. I love this song. Love it. But listening to it affects me in a weird way, almost like when I have a panic attack. My chest feels tight and I feel oddly anxious during it, even while I'm singing along to it and thinking how gorgeous it is. What songs hit you in odd ways?

Dream Capsule Wardrobe

So I joked about making Gwynnie Bee into your capsule wardrobe. Then I was looking through, adding stuff to my online "closet" and I started to ponder the ultimate capsule wardrobe made up of stuff you could get from them. Their top tier is 10 items at a time. They don't offer pants, so I'll spot myself a pair of black pants, bringing it up to 11 total garments.

Simply Be slim leg jeans in black

So the challenge to myself was could I create a good, workable capsule? And the answer was of course!

I settled on 2 skirts, 5 tops, 2 dresses, and 1 jacket. One of the best things about Gwynnie Bee that I haven't mentioned is that you can get items that have sold out. Like the yellow star tunic from Simply Be brand Angel Ribbons - this sold out in my size before it got to a price that I was willing to pay. Throw some scarves, necklaces and camisoles into this mix and you've got a wardrobe you could really do something great with. Plus a few really bright shoes and purses. :)

Skirts:

Inc seamed knit pencil skirt

Kiyonna "Riley" ruched skirt (this is a gray, not black)

Tops:

ASOS Curve Wrap Top in Galaxy Print

Simply Be Ombre Floral Print Tunic

Angel Ribbons Star Tunic

Kiyonna "Sandy" Striped Top, Purple

Kiyonna "Lily" top, purple

Dresses:

Eloquii Tie Waist Batwing Dress

Inc Exotic Print Dress

 Jacket:

Mynt 1792 "Morris Moto Jacket"

Yesterday and Today (aka, I was lazy)

Top - Simply Be, pants - Denim 24/7, shoes - Crocs.

This tunic is called the Volcanic Print Tunic, and Gracey, I KNOW you totally love it. Warning for anyone who buys it; it's narrow through the hips and doesn't have a defined waist. I belted it here and bloused it out, since I wasn't wearing it over leggings. Since my sister has gotten her sewing machine set up, I might get her to shorten mine a few inches, since my hips are wider than my chest.

Cardi and boots - Simply Be,  pants - Denim 24/7, shirt - Avenue.

This is my waterfall cardigan, just worn unbuttoned for once. This week it's cold again (Boo for crazy bipolar weather), so layering is definitely in order. I was looking at my cardigans with my new BOLD color craving and they're all fairly neutral. The closest I get to non-neutral is a pale pink and a faded army green. This might need to be fixed...

Paisley and little buns

Deep attempt to look serious. Top - Simply Be here, Pants - Denim 24/7, Shoes - Payless.

I got this shirt in the mail yesterday and immediately decided to wear it today. Obviously, wild paisley prints just can't wait. They also required an equally ridiculous hairstyle, so I did two little buns, each secured by an itsy bitsy hair fork. I might be a little more adept on one side than the other...

Adorable hair provided by my inner 5 year old.

So I'm becoming more and more musically in love with Josh Ritter. He's like Bob Dylan and Gillian Welch had a musical baby! (Obviously much more verbally coherent than Dylan and his songs are generally more uptempo than Gillian's, but you know what I mean.) His music is quirky and funny, but not biting or cruel. This is a surprising happy post-apocalyptic song.

Taxi-cab purses and Punch Brothers

I couldn't help it. I had to buy it in yellow, too.

My purse addiction shows no signs of stopping. I really like this Top Notch purse, which is my Barbie pink purse. It's a great style, so when I saw the bright yellow (in person, a taxi-cab yellow), I really wanted it. BOOM. It somehow made it's way to my house. Look how cheerful it is! How can I be depressed on a grey day when I can look at this brightness and cuteness? And the Barbie purse is wearing great (as in, not wearing at all), so this is definitely worth the $40. (Pro Tip: the Boston Common's handle is flaking, so I'll have to do something about that one in a while.)

Tonight, I'm going to a Punch Brothers concert with my dad. We both really enjoy Americana/progressive bluegrass type music. I'm not a enormous fan of the band, like I am of Gillian Welch, but they're playing at the college I work at, so the tickets are cheap. I loved Chris Thile in Nickel Creek (why did you have to split up into solo careers??), so I figure I should give Punch Brothers a decent try.

Top, Shoes, and Cords - Simply Be, Tank - Hanes,  Necklace - Forever 21

This is a gorgeous shirt with a problematic neckline. HOW MUCH SPACE am I supposed to have between my shoulders and my actual boobs? Because it's not this much. I'm petite, but I have an average to long torso, and this is ridiculous. Honestly, manufacturers. I love cleavage, but not in all my shirts and bras. And as I just realized, I want to keep my cleavage to v-neck shirts, not bizarrely low scoopnecks. I do love the color of this shirt and it's deliberately rumpled pockets, though. 

Red continues to be the word

You guys know how much I love Simply Be (I wear something from them every day, practically!).  My old college roomie, Jessie, does too and she scored a $50 giveaway! Just go to her blog and enter! And then go on and read her blog, especially if you're a mom. She has two kids and a third on the way. Simply Be does maternity clothes, too.

Top - Faded Glory, Cords - Simply Be, Socks - Sock Dreams, Necklace - self-made.

I actually had a guy contact me on OKC who wanted to talk about books. Oh the excitement for my little shriveled former English major heart! So much better than the guys who just write "Nice boobs". I'm joking, I've only had one guy write that overtly. Usually, they just hide behind "nice curves", which okay, my curves are awesome, but I would like to make some kind of connection with a guy that can type a full sentence about something other than my body. It's like the online version of being whistled at. :(

Thick.

Pants - Simply Be (here), Cardi - Simply Be (here)

My hair seems to be getting bigger and BIGGER.  Thick hair is not always everything it's made out to be in the commercials, you know. Of course, if I took more than 5 minutes to style my hair, it might be a different matter. But I'm lazy and not really possessed of any hair styling skills. Which is why I like it better long, so I can just twist it up out of the way when it reaches ultimate poofiness during the day. 

Shirt - Avenue, Shoes - Simply Be, Necklace - me.

I'm really happy with these new pants (Moleskin Cargo pants from Simply Be). They look like black dress pants, but fit like non-denim jeans. For some reason that I can't really articulate, I hate the way conventional dress pants fit. I find them supremely uncomfy, but these pants/faux jeans are nice. A little long on me, but I just need to get them slightly hemmed. The Death Cold is still hanging on, but I'm trying to power through it with the help of lots of sleep.

EBEW Boootssss

Skirt, Cords, and Boots - Simply Be.

It's EBEW Boots! I've missed the last 7 billion Everybody, Everywear Challenges by dint of my horrible memory, and if today hadn't been boots, I would have missed this one too. But it's been cold and gross, so I've worn boots the last two days! The same pair, actually, a pair of black faux suede Viva La Diva boots from Simply Be. I've had them for 2 years, in black and brown, and they're fabulous. They're no longer in stock, but this pair (very low stock/sizes) is pretty much the same minus the fuzzy top lining and non-sueded. Yes, that is totally a word. The word on footwear from Simply Be is that boots are great, but the regular shoe sizes are cracktastic. As in, I should wear a size and a half smaller in their shoes than their boots. But they don't SELL half sizes. They do sell standard width, E and EEE, though, which is a blessing for my wide feet.

And now enjoy a poorly angled picture of me looking cranky and vaguely pregnant/potbellied today.

Sweater - Avenue, Skirt and Boots - Simply Be, Leggings - Walmart.

Simply Be Addict

Cardi and Top - Simply Be, Pants - Denim 24/7, Shoes - TOMS.

*Note: I am not shilling for Simply Be and being paid. I just think that they make better quality clothes than most companies, and have some really interesting things.

Assuming that you read my blog instead of just looking at the pictures, you know that I'm a complete Simply Be addict. It's BRITISH PLUS SIZE FASHION. How could I not love it?! But I realized that I've been neglecting to fully tell everyone about the size ranges. See, my sister is small - as in she wears a size small. So she never gets anything from Simply Be, it's my company. My sister just thrifts her little heart out, because she can always find stuff. But Simply Be actually has a huge size range. They say on their front page that they carry size 10-28. And that's true. But they have a limited selection of their clothes, also, that go from sizes 8-30. So the majority of you could probably enjoy some of the same stuff that I do! And the rest of you could enjoy the shoes, bags, and jewelry that they carry. Also, I do believe in supporting a company that shows all of their clothes on plus-size models. 

Slouch Jersey Top in Damson

This top is so lovely and silky; a really great little tee. The damson is only still available in size 20, but the black and the white are available in a number of sizes. The top has a wide scoop neck, but it actually manages to NOT show my bra straps! I haven't washed it yet, so I have no report back on that front yet. If they had it in more actual colors, I would snap it up in a heartbeat. And yes, those pants are fairly hideous.

Cold Rain

Cardigan - Simply Be, Shirt - Old Navy, Pants - Denim 24/7,  Shoes - Crocs.

 I've been neglecting the pink version of this cardigan for the grey one (for no reason), but it's a nasty day today, so out it comes! Also, you get inside pictures since I don't want to drown. Seriously, it's raining hard every half hour, and windy and drizzling the rest of the time. Definitely weather worthy of a fantastic cardigan. If I had boots that weren't suede or faux suede, I'd be in them, too. Sadly, I'm lacking boots at the moment, so I had to pop on some Crocs. Rubber shoes are the best in rainy weather, even if that sounds gross and horrible.

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

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.

3 apples high and poorly conformed

Look! Non-shiny today!

I am such a munchkin!  Much like Tia, I am only 3 apples high. Unlike Tia, who appears to have nice normal length legs and arms, I am...oddly conformed. After my dad called me a dwarf one too many times, I seriously tried to explain to him that I wasn't a dwarf, I just had short legs and short arms (and a large head, which is totally his fault), but my torso was totally a normal length. My dad looked at me and said "Darling, that IS a dwarf!" (Technically Achondroplasia dwarfism) And he was totally right. I'm a 5 foot 4 inch dwarf. Sort of. In a non-offensive way.

Simply Be has their Spring/Summer line up online, and I'm full of fierce clothing desire. It's all marked up, so really I should be hitting the sale area for winter bargains. But, you know, spring in England isn't really that warm, so there are plenty of cardigans and such in the line! Too tempting!

Cardigan - Simply Be (sold out), Shirt - Avenue (sold out), Cords - Simply Be, Shoes - Simply Be, Jewelry - present.