losing it

First, I take a job that requires the same uniform each and every day.

Second, I take a second job that also requires a uniform, therefore taking away any time for me to dress according to my tastes.

Third, getting ready for school this fall takes an insane amount of time to get loans, housing, plans, etc, leaving me no time/reason to ever leave the house when I'm not working.

And fourth, my favorite store, Savers, shut down. I went to visit on this past $0.99 Monday, and was greeted with this sign on the door:
"Savers is closed and will NOT re-open." What a horrible shock. I had no warning, and it was the only viable secondhand store in the Orlando metro.

All these reasons have led to a total fashion drought in my life. When you don't get to choose your clothes daily, it's really hard to care about what you wear. I have still been browsing Wardrobe Remix daily, but that's just to keep the glimmer of fashion love alive. I know it will be back soon; I am moving to a brand new city in 2 months, and I will be solely attending classes so it will provide for many fashionable opportunities and experimentation.
I'm moving from warm, sunny Florida to the mountain west...anyone know of some good deals on off-season boots and coats?? I am not ready at all to make such a drastic climate change...I own like 4 sweaters! Any excuse to shop right?? Life is changing fast, and although this blog might start covering more of my personal life, I refuse to give up on it...It will be great yet!

it happens every time.

After a long, unseasonably cold day that took Florida by surprise, I returned home to take a steamy shower and settle in with a Lean Cuisine spinach-and-mushroom pizza to check my emails.
Law school, Law School, WaMu, Law School, Sephora, Shopbop...
And there it was.
This happens every time.
Every single time I make a long-debated, serious clothing/accessory purchase, the item goes on sale or clearance not long after I have already parted ways with the cash. This time, my ill timed purchase consisted of some beautiful hidden-platform subtly-pointed pumps to coordinate with my new for-law-school pencil skirt/peplum jacket suit.
Not twenty-four hours after their arrival, Shopbop sent the email announcing their Tax Breaks sale. If you want the same pumps, you can get them for only $140, saving you the exact amount it costs to get another one of my wishlist items, the L L.A.M.B. fragrance roll-on perfume. It is also a good time to justify that pricey springtime blouse or handbag.

It goes in reverse too- if I wait out an item until it goes on sale, it will inevitably go out of stock. I can't win!

a few more swimming don'ts

Along with looking like a bikini-clone, there are a few other styles you'd be wise to avoid when hitting the beach/pool/hot tub/lake this year.

Is there any explanation needed? No? Well please, someone make the droves of proud "G.R.I.T.S." t-shirt wearin' girls who wear this bikini as a symbol of pride understand that it just makes them look ignorant. You can be proud of your heritage, of course. Just do it in a classy way that doesn't have such negative connotations. Also in this category? Camo.

Ahh, the apron tankini. I didn't even know the correct term for this item until I was searching for pictures today. This is possibly the worst attempt at flattering modesty I've ever seen. It doesn't look good on children, it doesn't look good on ladies, hell, it doesn't even look good on Gisele. The top is sloppy, adds to a lumpy look rather than sleek lines, and when wet, hangs forward and exposes that which the wearer was trying to conceal in the first place. Sorry, there just isn't an equivalent to the sloppy maternity babydoll shirt that girls like to wear when bloated- every swimsuit shows all. Also in this category? The monokini (shudder). It is a picture frame for your love handles- enough said.

Finally, do not fall into the trap of "oh, a bikini bottom is just a tiny bit of fabric, the degree of tininess doesn't matter, it's all the same." No, string bikinis do not look good on everyone. Actually, they look good on precious few women; namely, anyone who has thighs. Please don't think that less fabric = more sexy. Please find rump/leg coverage that's best for your body. Low-slung, boyshort, and thick-banded suits work best for athletic thighs like mine and flatter anyone with curves. Some styles, along with strings, that don't work on our womanly curves: overt ruffles, a swim skirt, and the Brazilian. These additions make you look like you're trying to dainty-fy your strong legs. It doesn't work, it just looks out-of-proportion.
Ok, now the fun stuff. To get a truly unique, flattering swimsuit, it doesn't take a huge bank account but it might take some looking. Look at off-the-beaten-path stores, look for details like (subtle) ruffling, buttons, ruching, hardware, and bright colors. Swimwear is one part of your wardrobe in which you don't have to inhibit yourself at all. You can go classy or bright; demure or bombshell. Here are some of my favorites.
Insight Enigma bikini, $74, at Revolve Clothing.

Luna polka-dot suit by Maya, $165, at Couture Candy.

Tuxedo bikini, $39, Victoria's Secret.

Cindy Bandeau by Brette Sandler, $154, at Shopbop.

Plaid ruffle bandeau by Billabong, $84, at Urban Outfitters.

La Malmaison Bikini by Tyler Rose, $162, at Shopbop.

Brazil Halter by Lisa Curran, $155, at Shopbop.

Banana-print, $39, Victoria's Secret.

if you don't want to look like everyone else this summer...

...don't wear these swimsuits.

Day in and day out, I see thousands of tourists/spring breakers wearing carefully-chosen swimsuits. Some are flattering, some are not, and some people should really look in a mirror before they leave the house...but that is for another time.

These are the swimsuits that EVERYONE wears, the swimsuits that I see multiple times a day. You should avoid them in hopes of standing out and looking cute and unique.

Sorry girls, but pretty much every suit from Target has already been scooped up by someone else. I know they are cheap and cute, but so many other girls will have them that you may not be the only girl at the beach party rocking the pink plaid halter.

I guarantee you will see these suits out & about as well.



I know that nautical stripes are in style this summer, but thick, horizontal stripes are everywhere. Especially when one of the colors is white. Same goes for polka dots of any size and color.

Besides Target, mail-order favorite Victoria's Secret has a huge part of the market cornered.
I have seen this pattern in all possible colors and options: bandeau, triangle, spaghetti strap, and halter.no matter how mesmerizing Marisa looks in this style, try to resist!!

Yes, Gisele makes this suit look adorable. But surprise, ladies! The top is see-through. We're talking full nipple disclosure.maybe that's why she is giving us the booty shot

When this Roxy suit first appeared a few years ago, the wannabe surfer girl in me thought it was fun and playful (what?! I have totally surfed, um 3 times. Look for me on Blue Crush II). Now, this suit has permeated the suburbs and chunky tween girls who couldn't tell a longboard from a shortboard are bouncing down waterslides in this bikini:


And finally, the swimsuit that I have seen BY FAR more than any other swimsuit. At least 15 times a day, a girl swims past me wearing this, courtesy again of #1 swimwear stop Target:


To stand out for the crowd, my advice is to stay away from these repeat offenders. If you can't stand to shop anywhere but Target/Victoria's Secret/Pacific Sunwear, know that everyone else is going there too. Look for suits that are a plain solid, or mix up non-matching tops & bottoms. As always, fit is the most important issue and will allow your beautiful beach body to shine on its own.

I will bring you a cute range of swim choices tomorrow, if you can stand to shop outside the mass retailers! But now, I have an ignored dog, some Stella, and some dry skin that need my attention/consumption/moisturizer.

my new year

I didn't realize it has been 2 weeks since I posted, shame on me. I have been busy with work, celebrating my birthday and other various lame things. Probably the most exciting happening? My first etsy purchase. I have been obsessed with the website for months and have an extensive list of favorites, but I finally had enough $ saved up to make the plunge. Pretty Little World Vintage had a buy-2-get-1-free sale that I just couldn't resist, especially since our thrift shops in this area never have a good dress selection. They arrived this past week and I debuted my first one today, at church.

these are purple tights & my report booties, sorry for the blurriness, my real camera died

I got some strange looks from people, probably because of the large shoulder pads and the bum-ruffle. My mom said "where did you get that? it looks like a dress I would have worn...25 years ago" I go to a very conservative church (with my parents), where most of the women dress like this:

...but even more boring.

I'll show you the rest of my pretty new dresses later :) I have to confess though, that now I have already made another etsy purchase and am about to make yet another...it's sooo addictive. Well, I also have the worst addictive personality ever, so it could be partially that, too.
I also made out pretty good for my birthday, new perfume (Versace Bright Crystal, which I had never heard of but it suits me quite well) a suit for school next year and some business-y clothes, and a bunch of F21 goodies. More importantly, I got a night out to cut loose with my guy and some friends which hasn't happened foreverrrr! This should be a great year for me, I was born in the year of the rat and it's finally back, and a lot of changes are happening that are making me quite happy.
Here's to my happy new year!

glad to be a florida girl

So, there are a lot of things I don't like about our current living situation, but on days like today, there's nowhere I'd rather be. The air is just heavy with the smell of orange blossoms, and I can walk my dog at night wearing just a t-shirt. I really appreciate this since last year at this time, it took a parka, 2 pairs of pants, gloves, scarf and hat just to take Lola on her last walk of the night.
Also, it is warm enough right now to wear the Jovovich-Hawk for Target dress that I broke down & bought.

It is the dress that's had my eye since preview pictures came out, but I kinda avoided checking out the collection when it first arrived--low funds still plague my bank account! I had to go to Target today and decided to swing by the clothing section. It was very well picked over- everything left was a size 13. But, stuck in a corner of Mossimo shirts was this arrow-print dress in size 5. What luck! I had to have it. It's a little big, but it looks good loose, the colors are adorable and I love the ruffles on the bottom.
Also at Target? Every pair of tights on clearance. Um, double score?!!! It was hard to stop myself from getting more than the 4 pairs I brought home.
I'm sorry to all who are still stuck in the snow & ice, but you can come visit whenever you want.

update: Oh man, I totally forgot about this! I had to return the dress, boo! Even with its supposed-to-be-loose look, it was just far too baggy up top. My little A's just weren't gonna cut it. I haven't found a suitable replacement at all.

and it continues...

Oh boy. The ennui continues. I had forgotten how much of your life is taken up by full-time lifeguarding. Yes, that sounds pathetic and believe me, it sure is. This is a job that practically anyone could do, and it's not very rewarding. But yet it kind of consumes your whole life. Working outdoors on your feet makes you very un-stylish, among other things. On a hot sunny day, you only dream about a cold shower and a nap in the dark with the fan on high. On cold, wet miserable days (like today, omg it was horrible) you dream about a hot shower and a nap wrapped in all your fleece blankets. If tomorrow is your day off, it no longer means "yeah! let's go out tonight!" but "yeah! I don't have to shave my legs tonight!" The days are 10 or more hours long, and by the time I get home and wash the chlorine and sunscreen off of me, it is past 8:00 and it doesn't leave much time to look cute (or have a life).

hmmmm....what shall I wear today...decisions, decisions...

Of course, there are some perks. Lots of overtime pay, it really is an easy job, and no matter how much SPF 30 I put on, all those hours make for a deep, natural tan (just ignore the gosh-awful tan lines that make low-cut shirts impossible)! But luckiest of all, this job is very definitely very temporary...I am officially going to law school this fall. I am accepted, just haven't decided where I'm going yet. It means, among other huge life changes, many fashion adventures in my future.
I am trying hard to not become a sun-baked zombie and trying to get re-inspired. There is a massive amount of cute shoes out this season. I can't remember when so many unique, fashion forward, detailed shoes were available at all price points...it's almost overwhelming!

these mirror one of my favorite silhouettes of the season. great detailing, too.


These shoes from Antrho
are almost too sweet... but not quite enough to deter me from coveting them anyway. yes, those are shimmery pink resin candies on the toes.


Granny-ish, cute, multi-seasonal, and only $38? yes, please.


Ok, so these aren't even close to affordable, but I love them.


Michael Kors has similar wedges for over $100, but I'll take these, from Target, for only $19.99


I can picture these with just about any outfit, ever.


These are the last pricey pair, I promise!


Do you like these? well, you should...because I just bought them yesterday and they are more of a cream color in person, so I plan to wear them daily.