January 21, 2015 by gn0mel0ver

Lady In Red… Embroidery

I have mentioned before that maroon is not my favorite color. Well, I am not a huge fan of red either. I don’t not like it. I just don’t like it very well either. I think it is a very hard color to wear. I have a pair of red boots and it absolutely terrifies me to wear them. Red is very attention grabbing.

I don’t really like attention.

“I know.

The irony.

Or idiocy does not escape me,” says the public blogger.

When someone is paying attention to me, it makes it very difficult to eavesdrop on them.

It also makes it difficult to finish the interesting conversation one was having with oneself. Just when you are about to learn where the bodies are buried, the stranger’s eyes will meet your own and you will have to stop the secret whispering.

Please tell me I’m ~~not~~ alone.

I had forgotten all about this dress until I was lamenting to my husband as I was getting ready for our date, “I have nothing to wear.”

I was only half joking.

Everything I pulled out of the closet just seemed wrong.

I find it harder to dress for a date with my husband than anything else.

He is not fond of my loose-fitting frocks. Or my hippie skirts. I wanted him to think I looked pretty while still staying true to myself.

I found this dress (old and sold out, similar dress here) tucked in the back of the closet wedged somewhere between my Kantha dresses, gnome costumes and my dignity. I had wondered where that went. I hastily threw it on with my fringe booties and big rose earrings.

When I came out of the closet, my husband commented, “I like that dress.” And both me and myself were pleased.

We ended up going to a restaurant that we always do. It was lovely, although not as lovely as usual. The food was not on par with our past experiences. It is an outdoor restaurant.

It was cold. I ended up keeping My Vegan Leather Jacket on all night (previously worn here and here).

I wore the dress to the post office later in the week and I had two people stop me to tell me that they just loved the red embroidery.

Now I will never know where those bodies are buried.

Don’t look too closely at those mounds behind me.

Do you have a fear of wearing red? Do you talk to yourself in public? Do you always go to the same place on a date? If the meal was not up to par would you say something? I will admit that I said nothing. It would have made my face red even thinking of doing so. And one spot of red was enough for one night.

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

January 6, 2015 by gn0mel0ver

Sunny Skirt

When I first saw this skirt at Anthropologie, I fell in love with the Otomi-like pattern (now sold out but my llama skirt is slightly similar).

The price was much too much for me, but it eventually went to more than 75% off and I was able to bring it home. The reviews had stated that it was very small in the waist. But I have big hips and a small waist so it sounded like it would work for me.

And it did!

And I was happy.

Because I could still breathe.

The waistband pattern is the best part of the whole skirt. It has small little colorful animals running around. How could anyone be sad with animals tickling their waist?

I have spoken here before of my husband’s love of pencil skirts. I like that this skirt has the shape he loves and the pattern I adore.

Let’s talk about these fringed booties. I adore these booties. They were inexpensive and I love the way the fringe moves when I walk. They, like the skirt, make me happy. I will be wearing them a lot this season.

When I wear this skirt the song, “Happy,” plays in a loop in my head.

The necklace was a sweet gift from Simply Livly on Etsy. I love the colorful fabric wrapped beads.

Do you have theme songs for your clothes? Do have a piece that makes you “Happy”? What kind of animal would you say is on my skirt? I am trying to figure it out.

*this post contains affiliate links. Clicking on or purchasing from certain links will provide a small income for ~~“Happy” thoughts~~ this blog.

This post was edited using the app VSCOcam’s C1 Filter at level 3.

November 15, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

Tinamou Stitched Tunic

I had tried The Tinamou Stitched Tunic (now sold out, but the same designers made this gorgeous top more appropriate for winter) on over the summer. I fell in love with it, but because it was sleeveless, I put it in my wishlist and made myself forget about it.

By the way, did you know “Tinamou” is a type of bird? Each time I look up an unknown Anthroplogie word, it usually means “bird.” I think I have cracked ~~my head~~ the code.

Then one day, many months later, it popped back into stock after being sold out. I scored it for $20. The Mothers Jeans were a different popback at $8. Retail price for those was over $200. I knew I wanted to layer the fun tunic for the fall, so I paired it with a simple long sleeve tee from H&M.

The fun details on this top are so intricate and bright. There are black pompoms on the bottom. It is hard to tell because of my black pants.

I also wore my fringed booties. We took these pictures in a nearby park, because my husband had to get to work. But I wanted a picture of this outfit.

Winning.

These over the top neon hoop earrings are recently from Forever 21. They were less than $5 and they stole my heart. The neon bracelets garnered their own post a few months ago.

I wore this outfit to my son’s junior high school, because it was parents eat lunch with their kids day. I thought he would not want me to go.

I was right.

His exact words were, “Mom, I’m not embarrassed by you. Well, only a little embarrassed. But they play music at lunch. I don’t think you can control yourself.”

He knows me too well.

But I promised I would behave. And by behave, I meant not dance on the lunch table. It was a promise I have avoided making for years. Thankfully my husband did not hear me say it and therefore still does not know that I am capable of such actions.

To the vast relief of my son, we could not hear any music from our lunch table.

Phew.

It was a close one.

Have you scored any deals lately? If you have children, do you embarrass your kids? Do you dance to music in public? Do you keep unknowingly buying clothes named after birds?

October 14, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

Don’t Be Afraid

We are going to talk about boutiques.

I used to be terrified of boutique stores. I thought they would be too pricey for me to shop at. I was worried the owners would be snooty. I was scared to go in. But all of that changed a couple of years ago. I finally went into a few boutiques in my town and I was surprised to find their prices very reasonable. Especially their sale pieces.

I purchased this skirt from a local boutique (very similar skirt here) for a great price.

I recently bought my black fringe booties from the same store. They run a little big. I am usually a size 8 in boots and a size 7.5 in sandals. I took a 7.5 in these. I have found a better deal for them on Amazon than the price that I paid. I should have priced them out before purchasing. Ah, well. You can’t win them all.

And I love these booties.

Plus, I supported a local small business. The owner makes the best videos trying on clothes. Many a nights she has entertained me while I drink wine in bed. Wait! That sounds bad! I mean I watch the clothing videos whilst drinking wine in bed. Alone. Forget the title of the post. Maybe you should be afraid.

A good rule to live by is not to spend a lot of money on basic pieces. I buy all of my long sleeve tops, like this one, from Target or H & M. They are usually less than $10 on sale.

All of my local boutique’s earrings are $10. I loved the brown ones I wore with this outfit. The bangle was a local consignment shop find for $1.

I need to remind myself to step outside of my comfort zone more. Now and again, I like to explore the world around me. If you are drawn to something then try it out. You might be surprised. And you will be supporting a local small business, as well.

Do you shop your local boutiques? I think the thing that prevents me from doing so more often is time. It takes time to really go through the items and not have a clear idea what you are looking for.

But I think it is worth it. You might find a new brand you like. A new cut for your body type. Or simply a new friend in the store.

It is nice to not be afraid anymore…of boutiques.

Zombies, on the other hand, are still terrifying.

*I shared this on The Pleated Poppy.

*this post contains affiliate links. Clicking on or purchasing from certain links will provide a small income for ~~zombie repellant~~ this blog.

This post was edited using the app Afterlife’s Meadow Filter at 50%.

Gnome Lover

Stumbling through life while still having fun

fringed

Lady In Red… Embroidery

Sunny Skirt

Tinamou Stitched Tunic

Don’t Be Afraid