Zig Zags and Plaid

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“I don’t really think that goes together,” my husband bravely said when I tried on my new popback score of The Draped Plaid Top (sold out but similar here and similar plus size here) with my zig zag skirt from 2013.

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I was slightly disturbed by this because I had purchased the shirt with the sole intention of it going with this Waverly A-line Skirt (sold out, similar here).

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“Well, I like it. A lot,” voiced my daughter from her spot on the couch.

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“Thank you!” I exclaimed. “I like it, too!”

She studied it some more, “In fact, I don’t think that top would look good with anything else.”

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I turned around and looked at it in the mirror.

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“I don’t know.” I pondered. “I bet it would look amazing with a brown floral skirt.”

“Oh yeah!” My daughter agreed. “But you don’t own a brown floral skirt. I was just thinking of things that you all ready have.”

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I almost completely agree with her. I could still wear this top with a black, denim or cream skirt but it would not have that “special” factor one looks for in an outfit.

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I love this shirt and skirt together so much. I lived in my pajamas while my kids were on winter break and it was so nice to be able to dress up again.

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Since I have been dieting since January 1st, I have to feel good during the day or I will fail. I will eat until I feel bad about myself. Then I will feel bad about myself and eat. It is an endless cycle. Putting on something that gives me more confidence is kind of like a food barrier.

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Speaking of food, I wore this outfit out to lunch with my husband and the waitress was so complimentary about it. She yelled out the door at me, “Keep rockin’ your style! I love it!” Which is the sweetest thing to say ever. I will admit it put a bounce to my step as I skipped back to the car.

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I am trying really hard to wear what I all ready own this year. I have so many outfit ideas swimming around in this head of mine that I cannot wait to try. I love this skirt. I have previously worn it here and here. I like that the plaid top breathes new life into it.

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And I have a crutch. These boots. They were $50 almost four years ago at the flea market. The best $50 I ever spent. But since they go with everything, I tend to be lazy and pair them with an outfit without any thought to the other boots in my closet. And I have lots of other boots that I do not utilize enough.

But these are my favorite.

Plus they’re always out in plain sight so I don’t have to tear apart my closet looking for them.

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Do you have an outfit crutch? Are you trying to break the habit or are you okay with it? I think I am a little of both.

P.S. I shared this on The Pleated Poppy and Reasons To Dress.

Building A Snowgnome

Oh the joy! In my secret heart of hearts was a dream that I did not think I could even dare to close my eyes to think of. It involved my children playing in the snow. In our yard. Building a snowman.

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It doesn’t seem like a big dream, but there it was in my heart of hearts.

So when my husband woke me up on New Year’s Eve excitedly exclaiming that it was snowing, I thought I was still dreaming. It was still dark outside, and it did not seem real.

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But it was. In Southern California, it snowed.

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We woke our kids up and told them to quickly get dressed in warm clothes and shoes. And we all traipsed outside to play in the snow in the dark. Our silhouettes were lit by the streetlamps and Christmas lights twinkling on the street. It felt surreal and I understood how Harry Potter must have felt when Hagrid greeted him in the lighthouse that very first night.

Anything seemed possible.

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My kids built a snowman with my husband that I turned into a snowgnome.

He was much happier that way.

As one always is in a red pointy hat.

Did you build a snowman or snowgnome this season? Please tell me I am not the only one with a gnome hat or two.

*Outfit details: My sweater is one that I purchased from the flea market last month. I talked about it more in this post. Anthropologie has a cool cardigan out right now that is also reminiscent of an afghan or blanket. I also found this one on Etsy. If you can crochet, there are many different crochet cardigan patterns available for purchase there for around $3 so you could make your own. I was very lucky and only paid $30 for my sweater. The sleeveless chambray dress was an Anthropologie popback last year from Cloth and Stone (now sold out, similar shaped dress here).

*I shared this on The Pleated Poppy.

Falling For Oldies

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I find it really hard sometimes to understand that I have enough clothes. For years I barely had any and it is hard to get my mind in a state of change. Especially when something I have been wanting goes on sale. I am learning to just let things go.

Quality over quantity.

And all of that.

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I shopped my closet and put together these two pieces from Anthropologie many years ago. The skirt is old. I only remember it was one of the first Anthropologie pieces I bought on sale. I rarely wear it. I have found it hard to style in the past.

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But then I paired it with this top that I often forget that I have, but when I remember, I get super happy. I love the red and white striped silhouette with the dramatic crochet sleeves.

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The earrings are old, too. They are ombre thread wrapped hoops. Although I forgot to request a closeup, I think you can kind of see them here, in a picture for an upcoming cookie post.

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Do you have any items in your closet that unexpectedly make a happy outfit marriage? I love when I can find new ways to wear a piece of clothing.

A Mythical Creature

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What would you do if you met a mythical creature in real life?

Would you run? Panic? Take pictures? Scream? Laugh? Cry?

Here is what you need to know about these pictures. Five minutes after they were taken, my husband and I went to our favorite Cuban restaurant to get a coffee.

I had chosen my dress that day because I wanted something fun and fantasy-like.

I chose the tights, because I could.

One day purple legs will be all the rage, you’ll see. Or is that just another fairy tale?

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At the restaurant, we saw a real-life mythical creature.

One that made me blush and then quickly leave. But for now, let’s look at pictures of Jenni without any coffee. She is a beast, all by herself.

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This dress is old. It was called The Myths and Legends Dress from Anthropologie. I love the creatures on the dress. I think they are plain ol’ animals but I like to squint at the pattern and pretend that the deer are unicorns. As one does. I found my dress on eBay a few years ago. I would link to a similar dress, but I do not think there is one out right now. If you are looking for whimsical clothing, I have this shirt in my wishlist in two different colors and I purchased this skirt last week (review coming on Monday).

The purple tights were $1 last year in Nordstrom Rack’s clearance bin (I cannot imagine why) and the boots can be found here.

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If you are into the fantasy genre, then you might understand that I did not buy the dress strictly for the fantasy creatures. I actually purchased it for the tower-like fortresses (um, the designer might call them something odd like…trees) in the middle of the forrest pattern.

They remind me of where druids dwell in the Shanara fantasy series by Terry Brooks.

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Wearing this dress always makes me feel a tad bit braver and a touch more childlike. The brave feeling turns out to be a farce, as we will see further down, but for now we can still believe.

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I wonder what is behind this door?

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Ancient druids practicing magic?

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In five minutes, Jenni is going to wish she could figure out how to melt into this wall.

But why?

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Because as I was sitting in the restaurant enjoying my hard won coffee, someone walked into the restaurant.

You know how they always say kids are amazed when they see their teachers outside of school? As if they were seeing a magical creature come to life?

Well, that is exactly how I felt when my gynecologist walked into the coffee shop as I was innocently drinking my coffee. My good looking gynecologist. With his family.

Here was my dilemma. I could go say, “hi,” but would he have recognized me? And then his four kids (in their teens and twenties) would have turned to look at me. And know. In that coffee shop. That their dad had seen all of me.

With my husband next to me.

Too many people had seen me naked in that coffee shop. There were only ten of us in there. I did not like the number equation.

So, I did what any person would do when confronted with a real life mythical creature.

I left as quickly as I could.

Went home and booked my overdue doctor’s appointment (because I believe in signs).

And am patiently waiting to see the fearsome creature in his natural environment.

Without coffee. Kids. And clothes.

Exactly the way I would greet a unicorn. Just so ya know.