MVP Round II

Works Cited
dress: loft
tank: old navy
belt: mommed
cardigan: nordstrom circa 2000
sandals: old navy

Now that there are no more little boys to chase, I'm back in my favorite dress, which is always what I reach for when I'm feeling indecisive (maybe that's why I wear it so much?). I've been feeling a little stumped in front of my closet the past few days, so I have to ask: what's been inspiring you lately?



P.S. Want to win a gorgeous printed tote? Look no further.

Short Story

Works Cited
shorts: DIY
belt: mommed
blouse: forever21
sandals: birkenstocks
bracelet: forever21
bag: uo

I don't wear shorts too often, but shorts were pretty much mandatory for a weekend of chasing Christopher's ridiculously cute nephews around my backyard. We played wiffeball, devoured ice cream cones, and competed in multiple rounds of hide-and-go-seek. I had so much fun--I'll miss those little monkeys!

Giveaway: Printed Tote from Mengseldesigns! (CLOSED)

A few weeks ago, I ordered this amazing print from menseldesigns, and then I shamelessly begged her to sponsor a giveaway here because her designs are out of this world cool. Her etsy shop is filled with quirky prints, cheeky pillowcases, and the cutest tea towels you've ever seen.

She's offering one lucky reader this ridiculously cute retro roosters bag--it's the same design of the print I bought and love--and it would look great toting your books and a baguette to a picnic in the park.

To enter:
Follow this blog and leave a comment (with an email address if I can't find you easily).

For an extra entry:
Tell me what other awesome item you'd want to vivify your home from mengseldesigns.

I'll pick a winner randomly on Sunday, July 3. Good luck!

UPDATE: The winner is Carolyn! Thanks for playing.

The Japanese Hairstyle Fashion 2010

The Japanese Hairstyle Fashion 2010

With the modern technology of this new century, people are also becoming more and more sophisticated and fashion conscious, while at the same time more global than ever. Nowadays you see many American girls with Japanese hairstyles and vice-versa. Asian hair styles are in fashion all over the world this year.

There are plenty of hair-styles that you can safely choose and you will look at your best with, without going overboard with costs. If you decide to go for a Japanese hairstyle, you are in luck, as this is truly one style that fits many women. This is one style that tends to bring out the good looks and elegance of any face. Some girls shy away from trying out this new haircut, thinking that it is only for Asian women. However this is far away from the truth. With this type of hair you will look good regardless of your body shape, size and age. If you are a younger girl, you can safely go with a shorter haircut, and if you like the romantic look, you can easily go with a medium short or longer style.

Regardless of the hair-style you are going for, you will need some good hair blow dryers to take care of your locks. The T3 Tourmaline 83808 is one that will leave your hair beautiful and fresh without frizz and split ends.

July Sponsorships Available

Yesterday's News

Works Cited
skirt: i made it
belt: uo
tee: american apparel
locket: lost and found at camp
bag: uo
flip flops (shameful): reef

To continue my week of shoes-that-aren't-fashionable-but-keep-a-broken-toe-comfortable, I am wearing my reefs from college. Happily, my toe is feeling much better and I think I'll be able to put it into more regular shoes next week--yay!



This outfit is nothing special, but it was perfect to bike around town and grab a few beers. Ordinarily, I probably wouldn't post something like this but as S. argued a few weeks ago, sometimes style blogging is about the everyday outfits regular people put together. You could call it repetitive, but part of defining one's distinctive style is repeating certain looks or color palettes. So instead of calling this boring, I'm going to call it developing my signature style.
And yes, S. does seem to be my oracle these days. Hope you have a great weekend!

Deep Thoughts on Birkenstocks

Works Cited
skirt: i made it (find the pattern here)
tank: old navy
belt: thrifted
sandals: birkenstock

I don't wax poetic about much on this blog, mostly because other people do it a lot better than I, but S. from Academichic posted a great comment on Monday which got me thinking about dressing for the blog. She pointed out that though she loves her Birkenstocks, she hasn't worn them much on her blog because they might be considered a faux pas. This rung very true for me because I love Birkenstocks, through and through. I wore Birkenstock clogs pretty much every day in college, and when I broke my (same) toe last summer, I wore these Birkenstock sandals every day for 8 weeks. Happily. These shoes are ridiculously comfortable, have great arch support, prevent and help protect myriad foot injuries and, if you ask me, also have a great hippie charm (I'm from Berkeley, love of hippies is in my blood). And yet, I've also been hesitant to wear them here.



I know some people may be thinking snarky things about Birkenstocks--yes, they are kind of dorky and yes, they are recommended by orthopedists and maybe yes, they are considered a fashion faux pas--but to be perfectly honest, I'd rather wear a dorky shoe than an uncomfortable one, any day. Birkies will probably never be "on trend" or show up in the pages of Vogue, but I will still love them, unapologetically. I'm willing to risk losing some street cred for the sake of honesty here--yes, I am nerdy and I love my Birks.

But I can't say I didn't warn you. This blog isn't called What a Super-Cool-Style-Icon Would Wear for a reason...

Good as New

Works Cited
dress: banana republic
belt: mommed
sandals: birkenstock
earrings: f21

This morning I felt a little crafty and dug this dress out of my closet. My mom bought it for me in 2003 for my high school graduation and despite wearing it many times since, I've let it languish in my closet for the last three years. I love the way it fits and I love white in the summer, but the length was a little dowdy (especially because I can't wear heels right now).



But an hour, a pair of scissors, and a little white thread later (oh yeah, and a pair of shoes and a comb), and I think this dress is coming out of retirement. I'm always amazed by what a little hemming can do--I can't believe how much new life it breathed into this old dress. I would even wear this to teach with a cardigan and a pair of flats.

The Good, the Bad, and the Broken

Works Cited
dress: secondhand
belt: mommed
birkenstocks: sent from above
hat: target

In a comedy of errors on Friday, I tripped over Christopher's cat and knocked into his bicycle, breaking my left pinkie toe for the second time in a year. Luckily, I am really good at being self-pitying, so I rested most of the weekend with my foot up while I watched Arrested Development, read Iris Murdoch and yelled at the World Cup.



As much as I'd like to spent the next two weeks lying around, the show must go on, and so here I am in my birkenstocks, the only comfortable shoe for a broken toe. That's the funny thing about style blogs--they are a reflection of real life, which sometimes steps in and smashes your toe bones and says "Ha! Good luck looking cute while you limp around and wear the same shoes for the next two weeks."



So if you were wondering what looks good with birkenstock sandals, you will find out in the next few weeks! Wish me luck for speedy healing!

Ceci n'est pas une bicyclette

Works Cited
tee: urban outfitters
skirt: i made it
wedges: clarks

This skirt has seen a lot of off-blog weekend wear, but hasn't yet shown up here. I've done a lot of solid tee with high-waisted skirt, and I liked how a graphic tee sort of switched things up (hey, baby steps for my vanilla closet!). I love the pattern on this cloth so much I'm thinking of swooping some more up to make as presents for friends with June birthdays.



Today is going so much better than yesterday--and it made me feel a lot better to read all your comments about those bad mornings, so thank you :) Hope you have a great weekend!

P.S. There's still time to enter the giveaway to win a watch.
P.P.S. I have a formspring now and I'll answer questions there, if you have them.

Indecision

Works Cited
skirt: gap
belt: thrifted
tee: j crew
wedges: clarks (with gift certificate)

This morning I was plagued by wardrobe indecision, which left me feeling unsatisfied with everything I put on and left my room covered in clothes. I hate when that happens! Nevertheless, I kind of like the way this turned out--I feel like it's something Elaine would wear (and that is a sign of success, of course). Now that I've lost an hour of work, I'm off to read.



Hope your morning is going more efficiently than mine!

Giveaway: One Sweet Automatic Watch (CLOSED)

Want to win a gorgeous and expensive watch from Orient USA? Yes, I thought so.

Check out the CFD0E001B watch and the CFT00004B watch and leave a comment below. If you want an extra chance to win, leave a separate comment letting me know which watch you'd like (I personally like this one).

I'll pick a winner randomly on Friday, June 25. Good luck!

Update: the lucky winner is #52: Elizabeth Lessing.

F.A.Q.'s

As part of the new layout, I'm working on putting together an About Me/FAQs. I get lots of questions in my comments and in my email that I don't always get the chance to answer and I'm stupendously late to the boat of blogger-about-me-posts. So if you have a burning question about things in my closet or life, you can ask here or on my brand-spanking-new formspring! xoxo.

Style Chain

Works Cited
red-orange skirt: american apparel
striped tee: target
belt: j crew
flats: uo

I like the term "style chain" because it sounds so much nicer than "copying" which always got you in trouble in third grade. I've seen a few people wearing this simple but completely alluring combination of striped top + orange skirt that Kendi ingeniously put together a few weeks ago. After I saw Erin's version and Jinah's, I was dying to copy, I mean style chain, the look myself.



Also, the extremely talented Mary Plautz just redesigned things around here and she did an amazing job (if you're like me and read everything on a reader, come on over today to check it out)! She was exceptionally patient with a million of my bullet-pointed emails and she designed a layout that was more me than I thought possible. And she did it for a ridiculously low price, so if you're looking to redesign your page, find her here.

P.S. I hear some people are having problems with readers/Bloglovin'. Would you send me an email if you are having difficulty viewing posts this morning for whatever reason? Then I can get it all sorted.

The Lobster Dress is Here!

Works Cited
amazing lobster dress: anthro
wedges: clarks

Guys, remember that lobster dress I was dying over a few weeks ago? IT'S MINE NOW. Here is the whole miraculous story for your Monday morning.



Over a month ago when I first noticed the best-dress-ever-sewn, I put it in my shopping cart at Anthro online and waited with bated breath to see if it would go on sale. Finally, it did! 50% off! But because I am slow about big purchases (which this was, even at 50% off), I waited a day and when I came back to buy it, it was sold out in my size! A darker tragedy had never loomed over me. Still, I left the out of stock dress in my online shopping cart, just in case.



For a few days, I mourned the loss of the lobster dress which would never be mine. When I logged into Anthro a few days later, the lobster dress was all gone in every size. I saw my dreams of owning a lobster dress vanish in front of my eyes. But then, all of a sudden it reappeared in my shopping cart IN STOCK. I wasn't sure if this was some kind of trick of the universe--where did this magic dress in my size come from? Had someone returned it to the store (why you would return a lobster print dress is beyond me)? But I didn't ask too many questions; I swooped it up instead. And here it is--the magic lobster dress. And it is marvelous.

P.S. You might be asking yourself "What occasion would call for a lobster dress?" to which I might respond "What occasion doesn't call for it?"

Closet MVP

Works Cited
dress: loft
tank: j crew outlet (ancient)
belt: mommed
flats: old navy
necklace: lost and found at camp

This dress has to be the piece I've worn most often since the inception of the blog. I bought it on sale in October for $9, and since then, I've found endless ways to layer it; mix it with different colors, shapes, and patterns; and now, pare it down for summer. Today, I wanted to mix it with contrasting colors--I love the way the gray-blue looks against coral. This dress is the MVP of my closet and I've worn it at least a dozen times off the blog, too.



Just a clarification from Wednesday: I had no scruples about taking this necklace from the lost and found because I did so at the end of a long summer at camp, when all the kids were gone and most of the counselors packed up. I definitely didn't steal it mid-summer when its owner might have been looking for it! And it has no value: it's spray-painted gold and worth about $2 on a shiny day.



I'm so looking forward to weekend: watching the world cup, reading more Elizabeth Bowen, and lounging in the sun like a lizard. Hope you have a good one, too!

A Little Leftover

Works Cited
dress: secondhand (w/ credit)
tee: american apparel
bag: thrifted dooney and burke
sneakers: courtesy of keds

This dress is a recent acquisition--I brought some things that didn't fit to Plato's closet and traded it for a few things that did. It felt great to get rid of some dead weight in my closet and get to pick up a few dresses in exchange.



I thrifted this bag at the Chicken Barn thrift store in northern Maine--by far, the coolest antique store I've ever been to.



This is actually a leftover outfit shot from a few weeks ago that didn't make the cut, but this morning is busy for me, so I'm pulling it out of the recent archives. I love this dress is person, but it doesn't photograph quite so well--this seems to be a problem I often have with empire waist dresses.

Beyoncé Knowles curly fashion hairstyles

Back in my Brogues

Works Cited
tank dress: american apparel (via amazon)
yellow sweater: target
belt: thrifted
brogues: steve madden
ring: gift
locket: from summer camp lost and found
bag: wnyc (i love npr!)

My brogues got a lot of love this past fall and winter, but I haven't worn them much this summer. I actually think they're a super-versatile shoe--I like them as an alternative to flats with skirts and dresses as much as I liked them with tights in the winter. I got mine on sale from Zappos, but you can find inexpensive brogues pretty much anywhere.

P.S. This bag is from NPR, to which my entire family is addicted. My show of choice is WNYC's Radiolab--I think I've listened to every episode!

P.P.S. The winner of the Shabby Apple giveaway is #30, Elizabeth--I'll be in touch with you soon! For the rest of us, I have another great giveaway coming up soon, so stay tuned....

Japanese fashion short hairstyle

Japanese girl's hair always the fashion zones, hairdressing shop in Tokyo's hair fall and winter and those hot trend? Sweet and lovely Kawa Yi OL, fresh intellectual charm OL, gentle maturity of Things Past OL -style hair style is very rich in details of rapid change, where everyone was broadcast, another Japanese-style hair as soon as possible, enjoy the ultra-high Office of the popular, the most sparkling Show you.

Japanese fashion short hairstyle

If at first you don't succeed...

So this morning I came out of my bedroom and heard those words that every girlfriend longs to hear: "Oh, Tania, you're not really going to wear that, are you?" Well, actually, I was. After seeing these two items hanging closely in my closet, I thought this little pattern mixing would look great. I also liked the slightly different silhouette than my usual tee and high-waisted skirt. So I was defiant of Christopher's verdict, until I saw the photos:



They sent me running back to my closet and left Christopher feeling very smug this morning.
Although I luuurrrved the combination in theory, I think the skirt's pattern is just a little too bold to be mixed with this particular shirt. Maybe a patterned shirt in a darker color (like navy) wouldn't have been so Magic Eye-inducing. Anyway, this is what I ended up in, feeling much more like myself:

Works Cited
skirt: i made it (how to make your own)
belt: j crew (gift from sister)
button-up: courtesy of little ocean annie
teal tee: forever 21
shoes: thrifted

Though I don't often post about the outfits that get left on the cutting room floor, I know this is the kind of thing that happens to a lot of people after the get in front of a friend, a mirror, or a camera. But I guess this is how we end up spending 3276 hours of our lives getting ready for the day, huh?

P.S. Last day to enter to win a Shabby Apple dress...

Make It New

Works Cited
yellow tee: old navy
skirt: j crew (recently altered)
wedges: fitzwell (via 6pm)

Although I am not one of the six people on earth who looks good in yellow, I'm willing to look a little jaundiced today for the sake of this skirt, which just may be the coolest thing I own. Sadly, it's been languishing in my closet because it hasn't fit quite right since I graduated from college and laid off the Keystone.



So following Pound's dictum to "make it new," I got the skirt taken in an inch or three. And thank goodness--it's good to have you back in rotation, old friend. The only issue is that I'm stupendously uncreative about my pairings--I've almost always worn it with yellow, navy, or gray. I love the yellow and blue polka dots but they squeeze the sartorial inventiveness right out of me. What else do you think it would go with? Help, please!

P.S. Sorry this is so late in the day--blogger was having a conniption this morning and wouldn't let me post a thing. Is there anything crueler on a Monday morning? Methinks not.

Get Out of Jail Free

Works Cited
striped tee: target
pants: next
flats: steve madden

I still love these pants. And I love stripes. So even though this combination makes me look a little bit like a clown, I still liked the outfit.

Happy weekend! P.S. Win a Shabby Apple dress! (or try, at least!)