The Balance

I took these photos right before sunset last night (so about 3:30) since I had some time to actually plan what I was going to wear today.  Fridays are work days for me and since I have been on Chictopia and Weardrobe I have been challenging myself to wear something new each day.  The problem is, I used to pretty much wear the SAME exact thing every day because where I work it just doesn't matter what I wear.  I happen to LOVE clothes though and continue to collect beautiful things that sat unworn in my closet out of sheer lack of time and planning.  It may sound a little shallow to make clothes and outfit planning a priority, but shallow as it seems, it does amazing things for my mood knowing that I am utilizing an item that my instinct loved at the time of purchase, and then actually finding that I was right to be so in love with such a beautiful item.  Self Validation all the way around.  TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS.  Now that I have been doing it each day, its becoming a habit.  The new Item today is a pair of wide legged. . . shorts, culottes. . . I guess.  I had no idea what I would do with them when I got them at the Salvation Army for $4 but I think paired with a dark gray tank, black tights, heeled boots and my vintage Members Only jacket worked out all right.

So my "Job" that doesn't have a dress code and allows time for a vintage store, blogging and exciting "Side Jobs" is finally, I am pretty sure, My Dharma (my purpose for being here).  I work at a residential home for individuals with eating and anxiety disorders teaching Yoga and leading Art Therapy workshops. I work there 3 to 4 days a week while my son is in preschool, and fit everything else in around my son (and it helps to have a very helpful and supportive husband!).   I have had a few pretty sweet jobs but never have I felt so enthusiastic, helpful, life changing, fulfilled, an uncompromised as I do now.  Its taken me a lot of years to find the gentle balance I am finally experiencing.

Thrifty Thrift Thrift

Right now as a side job, I am in the middle of a collaboration with an advanced screen printing class at the local High School where I am basically facilitating field trips to thrift stores and guiding them through the somewhat daunting task of finding good source materials for alternative print media.  In other words,  I am helping them to see that second hand clothing is unique, often times one of a kind, full of character and ready to be printed on.  They seem to be really in to it.  Its actually really exciting to see them get excited over discarded patterned shirts in the .25c bin or a gigantic mens button down that can be converted into a shirt dress with a belt and some choice cuts and tailoring.   On our expedition, I picked up this subtle animal print skirt that is long enough to be a dress.  Wore it today feeling inspired and thrifty.

Hurried Hair Day

I was in a hurry this morning (I work MWF) and not feeling very inventive, hurried though my hair routine (hats are very magical on days like this) and pretty much built my outfit around the hat.  I have had these patterned tights for a long time.  OBVIOUSLY the first time I wore them, but they have this really amazing peacock feather print on them before they are all stretched out on the leg.  I actually thought they looked pretty weird on, sorta splotchy, but had no time to really play around.  I wore the same skirt as yesterday (SO EASY) and a vintage dolman sleeve sweater I have never worn.  The grey boots (also a first) just seemed to make the most sense rather than my staple brown, And I felt the black scarf anchored the whole look.  I was actually pretty happy with my outfit once I left the house and thought that maybe throwing things on hurried and without judgment might be the way to go.  It got me to wear THREE things I have never worn before.

I have also started taking my photos on my front porch and I have really been loving the light out there!  The yellow-greenish background photos from earlier posts were taken in a room that used to be my son's nursery.  Now that he has moved to his BIG BOY room I have taken that room over and made it the photo studio/ etsy shop storage room.  Sometimes the light can be a little. . . greenish in there though.  I like the brick background a little better.

Purple Haze

There was a picture in Lucky Magazine, maybe a couple years ago, of a brunette woman wearing purple tights, brown boots, a dark gray pencil skirt and maybe a black jacket.  It was a little blurb about street style and how they think colored tights are the next big thing or some such.  Anyway, ever since that photograph I have had this fantasy about the most perfect reddish purple tights.  When I found these, I KNEW that they were the ONES.  I know I am being MATCHY again with the woven purple shirt and rusty brown circle scarf but I just cant help myself.

Again with the tights I KNOW but its like hearing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by The Beatles for the very first time (last May) and realizing that its been around for decades AND HOW DID YOU EVER LIVE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT HEARING IT!! So now you listen to it over and over and can't get enough and only want everyone else in the whole world to hear it too because of its sheer genius and wonder!  And if you lived this long with out hearing something this amazing there must be more really amazing things that are out there that you still don't know about!!! Thats what wearing colored tights is like for me.

Lighter Shade of Pale

Ever since I was very young I have been VERY matchy matchy.  Like, if my Strawberry Shortcake shirt had Pink and green and white in it, I would insist on stacking pink and green and white socks with white and pink LA Gears (Obviously, I am a child of the 80s).  I had this black and white patterned suspender romper that I wore with an off the shoulder cropped black shirt (you know the kind with the elasticized neckline and puffed sleeves) that had lace on the bottom like bloomers, that I paired with white lacy socks and shiny black patent leather lace-up shoes with sheer ribbon laces.  Anyway you get the point.

As an adult, I realize that there are whole families of colors that when worn together, are considered monochromatic - not necessarily matchy matchy.  When you take these color families and break them up among one outfit into contrasting textures, this combination is even more interesting and less matchy.  As I integrate colored leggings into my wardrobe, I have the strongest inclination to make them match completely with the rest of the outfit.  I TRY to let them be a contrasting / coordinating element, but these Gray ones BEGGED to be paired with pale neutrals.  DID I GET IT WRONG? Sort of new at this tight thing so constructive criticism is welcome!!

Inspired By Sally Jane

I was so inspired by Sally Jane Vintage's post about adapting a 60's suit to the items existing in your wardrobe that I did a little remix for this pleated wool skirt (not part of a suit but still the same feel).  She of course wears her signature beret with her rendition of this outfit, but my beret is blueberry and just didn't look right.  My Cloche is way more my style anyway.  Thanks So MUCH Sally Jane!

Doing it

Ok, So last year I bought a whole bunch of different tights, colored, matte opaque black, textured, crocheted, you name it, and I did not wear ANY of them. . . I know.  So this year I bought a WHOLE bunch more including these mustardy chartreuse ones that I am totally in love with but feared would sit idle in my unused tights drawer like all the lovelies that came before them. UNTIL today.  I finally gathered the courage after pouring over photos upon photos of colored tights wearing GORGEOUS bloggers on Weardrobe and Chictopia and took the plunge.  I broke the seal!  I went to really normal places like the post office and the gas station and felt just fine too.  phew.  Thank you all of you colored tight wearing beauties!  You just made my winter a little brighter!

I am sure he doesn't mind. . .

I don't know what it is but as soon as I pull out my winter hats and caps I feel magically able to endure any cold weather that can be forced upon me.  There are no bad hair days with hats, and they seem to make even the most normal, plain outfit a little bit special.  EVEN JEANS.  I am so happy I remembered this gray felt cap from Banana Republic.  Its actually a men's hat and technically belonged to my husband first. . . you know how that goes.  

Fancy Dress

I am not a very fancy dresser.  My idea of a fancy night out usually involves a jersey knit dress or a vintage day dress.  The top dress was this dowdy awful thing with a hem below the knee and a button closure at the ruffled neckline.  I cropped the length and let it hang open for a deep v neck.  My impulse right now is to wear my heeled brown boots with everything, but I am trying to incorporate some of my less loved boots into the equation.  These raspberry suede booties are sweet as hell, but I just don't know.    I might sell them.  The other two dresses are just jersey cotton from American Apparel.  I recently spent a small fortune there, but I am pretty satisfied with what I got.

Just Playing

I have been feeling a bit under the weather the past couple of days.  Great for blog reading.  Bad for keeping up with chores.  A sign that I am feeling better:  I did muster some energy to actually take a shower and play in my closet a little (PRIORITIES).  Felt so inspired by all the stylish people on weardrobe, I did a little winterizing in my wardrobe.  Added leggings, a scarf, hats, boots,  jackets- all really fun things anyway. I have to admit that I hate wearing pants actually.  I am really a summer girl.