Repurposed or Reclalimed

Yesterday, I told you that I had to rethink some of my summer clothes so that I could repurpose them for colder weather. In fact, I dubbed today's Trendy Tuesday "Repurposed or Reclaimed" in honor of my decision to go all MacGyver on my wardrobe. This dress is one of my repurposed summer items. The other day, I felt angry about stores selling so many sleeveless dresses in the winter. I can feel less angry now that I know how to circumvent this frustration. Look at me being all resourceful.

Does anyone else have an exorbitant amount of "thin" sweaters that really function very little in the winter? Essentially, they are long-sleeved tees made of sweater material. I decided to force function out of this sweater by layering it under this dress. Since the dress is too short for work, I paired it with leggings, which turned it into a tunic. Now THAT is how you wear leggings. As long as your bum is covered, you can wear leggings in public. You may not, however, enter society wearing sweatpants tucked into Uggs. In no way can you remedy that situation. It's like the ugly, unfortunate, dyspeptic sister of MC Hammer's parachute pants.

Anyway, now that I am done insulting sweatpants tucked into Uggs, allow me to show you yesterday's outfit today (spoiler: I showed you today's outfit yesterday...oops?), which you can see so clearly in these photos of the most beautiful quality.

The Look:

Dress: via thredUP // similar from F21

Sweater: Mossimo via Target // F21 options

Scarf: Francesca's 

Leggings (which are very dark jean material): New York & Co.

Booties: Crown Vintage via DSW // exact

Earrings: Target

I wore the dress this way in the summer:

The same dress this way:

The same scarf and sweater (of a different color) this way:

The sweater (and similar booties) this way:

The same sweater and booties this way:

I guess I really do love this sweater? I feel a bit terrible about calling it a tee made of sweater material. 

It's Story Time: Country Girl in the Big City

When the school system in which I teach was hiring me for their county, a most interesting thing happened. You see, it all started with the crazy messages that Dad creates for the answering machine. When the new answering machine arrived and I was in elementary school, I still remember Mom, right before she left for a PTA meeting or the market, telling Dad, "Now, don't you dare go right upstairs and make a stupid message for our machine. I mean it, Danny." Like a small child you put the red button in front of and tell not to touch, Dad scurried (as much as a man who's 6'6" can "scurry") upstairs the moment she closed the front door behind her because he had the perfect message in mind.

For years, the message ran, in his most impressive "redneck" voice, something like this: "Howdy, this yars the ________. We can't come to the phone right now. We're outside sloppin' the hogs and feedin' the chickens. Sure would like to know why y'all called, so leave a message after this thing makes that little ol' beepin' sound." When the school system called my parents' house where I lived at the time, we still had this answering machine message, the same one that people would actually call back our house again just to hear it another time. As a result, the manager in charge of hiring me wrote a special note in my file: "may encounter adversity." Why? He thought I was some country girl from the back 40 who was coming to the big cities of Howard County, Maryland (which is a joke in itself, I might add).

When I called him one day to say that Mom was coming with me to sign paperwork, he thought my shitkicker and overall-wearing (not cool at the time like it is again now) hillbilly of a mother was coming to check out the town and make sure it was safe for her baby girl. All of this truth came out, and I explained that Dad is an extremely eccentric man; I am from a county affectionately nicknamed "Cow County," but I'm not a farm girl despite how many times I watched Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies (SO.MUCH.NICK.AT.NITE.)

Several years later, when Jeff and I were adopting our sweet puppies, Roxy and Squirt, the adoption lady called my parents' house for a reference. Once again, someone heard this message on the machine. She hung up and did not leave a message; in fact, she called me, asking whether or not I gave her the wrong number. And, once again, I had to explain my Dad's eccentricities to a stranger. Four of us lived in that house for a long time, but I am the only one who not once but TWICE had an interesting experience as a result of Dad's voicemail creativity. And people wonder why it's impossible to embarrass me.

Anyway, Mom accompanied me to Baltimore City yesterday because I needed to visit one of the professional buildings. If you don't know Baltimore, though it has its allure and charms (I met my now husband in a dance club there almost 10 years ago), then you should know that Baltimore makes a name for itself with its impressive number of murders per capita. Like everywhere, however, it has its redeeming qualities and not-so-bad parts of town. On the ride home, GPS took us the shorter route, which did not translate to the safer route. In fact, many of the houses were boarded up and the loveliest of individuals frequented the streets. As Mom stared at a boarded up house, commenting on its "shaggy curtains" and "light coming through one of the boarded up windows," I scolded her severely. "DO NOT ENGAGE. STOP LOOKING. LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD. IF YOU MUST, LOOK WITH YOUR EYEBALLS BEHIND SUNGLASSES, NOT WITH YOUR HEAD TURNED." She asked why and I responded, "you're looking into a boarded up window. You don't know what's looking back at you." She kept her head straight the rest of the time. I guess that's what the "country" taught me.

I now understand why my high school Chem teacher told us that if we were somewhere we shouldn't be at a time we really shouldn't be there, we need to pull our hoods over our heads, rock back and forth, and chatter incoherently at a trashcan. No one messes with a crazy person.

Now that I shared story time with you, I will share with you an outfit I wore while signing the offer we put in on a house last week (an offer the seller accepted, I guess I should add?).

 

The Look:

Dress: Some designer for Target via thredUP  (similar options: $, $$, $$$--$20-70)

Cardigan: Target, Mossimo brand (I finally got another one to replace the original I killed from wearing too much.)

Shoes: via DSW 

Necklace: H&M via Poshmark shop

Purse: via Marshall's

Sunglasses: gift from Momma (LOFT)

Little Red Dress

This weekend, we visited our friends in New York for their housewarming party. The more we visit them, the more I love that state. Of course, my love for the state is probably directly related to how much I like the people who live in it (the people we visit, not the random New Yorkers who look oddly at my husband and me, the crazy Marylanders, who stop to coo at their dogs). However, I do not enjoy the four (and then some?) hour drive from Maryland to New York, but some people are worth white knuckling the arm rest and console while my husband plays almost bumper cars with everyone who's driving "too slowly" in the "fast" lane. I have this deal with him. I either pass out or throw up while he drives--he's a maniac, if you ask me--and everyone prefers a car that does not smell of vomit, which means I sleep.

What you're seeing today is how I looked before the car ride. I'd like to think I still looked presentable when I exited the vehicle, but I know my face and head looked a little worse for wear. I wish car hair, which is worse than hat hair, looked better after four hours, but even strapped in by a seat belt, I cage fight in my sleep. Or run a marathon. Or swim under imaginary water. Who can be sure? Then, I wake up, and my husband likes to roll down the windows, which turns the car into a wind tunnel. My hair never stands a chance.

If you are new to this neck of Bloglandia, welcome. Obviously, I find my outfits worthy enough to share, but I hope you find my words so entertaining that they bring you back.  Surely, my pasty legs won't magnetize you to this blog. Or maybe they will. If you're into that sort of thing.

The Look:

Dress: Isaac Mizrahi for Target (via thredUP)

Jean Jacket: Old Navy

Purse: TJ Maxx

Necklaces: Target

Shoes: Aldo (I have worn them only twice, but I'm thinking about selling them because I found another pair I reeeeeeeally love even more. These are size 8.5 and retail for $70, but I was thinking about selling for $40; buyer pays shipping. Let me know if you're interested!)

Wedding Guest Attire

Beware: this post is a little picture heavy. 

This weekend, we attended our friends' wedding in New York. Last year in the Bahamas, we met this fun, sweet couple. Who woulda thunk it, right? And really, who woulda thunk that we'd be attending their wedding this summer!? Not us. 

Their wedding definitely impressed us. Everyone was so welcoming, introducing themselves and exclaiming, "Ohhhh, you're the Marylanders! We've heard about you." So, we walked away with a few more friends by the end of the night. The food? Oh, the food. I ate a lot because I could eat a lot. One of the few times I left a wedding feeling satisfyingly full.

And, those New Yorkers? They know how to party. Dancing, food, after partying. Wow, New York.

On the way, we heard this song, and it seemed appropriate.

I wore this:

For this wedding, I decided to go for a bold lip and dark accessories. It seemed a bit more formal.

Instead of straight hair, I opted for some curls. (My hairdresser showed me how to curl my hair without it turning into one big clump of curl.)

He wore this:

I decided to match only his tie to my dress. A red shirt + red dress screamed "try hard!" 

And Santa.

 Oh, hey, sky porn.

The Look:

Dress: Calvin Klein via Marshall's (nearly two years ago)

Shoes: DSW (nearly two years ago)

Belt: Came with another dress

Clutch: Express (years ago)

Necklace & Earrings: my wedding jewelry :)

The Details:

Occasion: Wedding guest

When: night wedding in early August 

Where: ceremony was outdoors and reception was indoors

Comfort Rating: 9 (the shoes mildly hurt, but I danced ALL night in them. Honestly, my feet hurt at the very end of the night and only for about five minutes.)  

Restyling Options: I actually wore this dress first to a rehearsal dinner for a wedding in which I was a bridesmaid. For the rehearsal, I styled the dress a bit more low key with nude and gold accessories, straight hair for a little less formality (for me, at least), and understated earrings. (If the wedding fell during a colder month, I would pair the dress with a cropped black blazer. Shawls don't do crap if it's cold!)