Changes

Hi all! I've moved into a new apartment in a new town, and started my new job. I feel kinda like this:

I've also been having the requisite internet issues, but I think I may have those resolved, so get ready for a glut of photos to come in soon.

How are you all? I feel like I've been gone forever!

Beat the Beat

I got this little boys' size 6 blazer at Goodwill last week and I have been wearing it approximately 50% of the time since. I've missed posting, or even taking pictures, of most of those outfits, but here's one I did get.

This is the blazer I have been dreaming of. I have owned more than one black blazer, but since I have VERY slim shoulders, I end up settling for one that kinda fits, but is sort of big, and the arms are too wide, or whatever. A multitude of problems. But this one, since it is cut for a child, actually (wonder of wonders) fits in the shoulders, and the sleeves look intentionally three-quarter length. I can't close it comfortably, but I wouldn't want to anyway.

Look forward to this jacket being a fall staple. I love it here with my dress (also from Goodwill), and I can't wait to do skinny jeans, a t-shirt, and boots, as well as many other variations that will be awesome. 

My New Apartmentssss, preciousssssss...

Well, I've officially signed the lease for this lovely studio apartment. I will be living in a new town for the first time since I was two years old. In the above shot you can see most of my new abode. I'm super excited (or, as young Joe would have said, I'm so cited!) to be living alone again, though I've had a lot of great times with my various roommates over the past couple of years. And I am just a few blocks away from Joe, I get to see him every day again! Well, not yet. As soon as I get moved in, which will likely be Saturday. I still have to pack, and work my last day at the library, and train at my new job. And have a moving out party Friday. AND one of my oldest friends will likely be giving birth this week, probably also on Friday. So, you know, life is pretty chill.

Careful observers will note this bathroom is handicapped-accessible. Because it was the only unit they had left.

Now let's talk about what's really important--my outfit. I have had this sweater for months and I've only worn it once before, because it looks weird with pretty much everything. The only time it seems to work is if my dress or skirt is shorter than the sweater itself, leaving me few options when trying to style it. On this day I threw on the shirtdress first, and while trying to figure out what to wear over it, the planets aligned and I grabbed the cardigan and my new tights and ended up loving the result.

Why does this dress always look so much wrinklier in pictures than in real life? 

Smashing Pumpkins Concert, Friday September 10

An overview of my experience Friday when Joe and I went with our friend Robert to the Smashing Pumpkins concert.

1. This pigeon was fat and devious. He stared at us, wouldn't move, and we were sure he was going to poop on us at some point.

2. Me looking kinda dorky in my concert-going attire.

3. We were four or five feet from the stage. As a result, I have looked Billy Corgan in the eye, and will never be the same.

Yes, it's cashmere

Today was pretty nuts. I woke up at 6:30 a.m. for my first day at my new job. I am fearful about how this will work out in the long run, since I am not (I repeat, NOT) a morning person, and haven't had to get up this early consistently since sophomore year of high school. So, while it went well this morning, I know it will be an adjustment.

On a recent trip to Goodwill, I tried these two pieces (sweater and skirt) on together, and I knew immediately it was perfect for my first day of work. 

(Don't mind my silly posing today, I was to lazy to go anywhere outside of my bedroom.) 

I've been wanting a black skirt of this length, though it's a heavier cotton than I had in mind. I love the button closure, there's something so eighties about it. When you see it in person, it's pretty intricate. 

I added tights in case it was too cold in the office to go bare-legged, plus it's a bit more professional looking.

Though I'm not sure how fussy I have to be about looking professional, since the girl I am replacing was dressed almost exactly in this outfit I wore last week:

Seriously, she was in a man's button-up shirt, belted, with leggings and flats. I would never have considered this a work-appropriate outfit, and I still don't think I would try wearing it to work. But it's nice to know I could.

It all worked out

I wore this outfit for a day out shopping with my sidekick, Paige. Her birthday was on Sunday so I took her for some Labor Day shopping and her very first trip to Buffalo Exchange. All was successful, as we procured for her an amazing black lace and tulle dress. I also was tempted by a few items, but managed to restrain myself since I will need all the money I can get this month. Since I was just approved for a NEW APARTMENT! Yes, a place to myself, just me. Good thing I'm working full time now, cause my rent's about to double.

May I draw your attention to my light switch? It is fantastically weird. I will kind of miss it, but not my tiny tiny bedroom.

When composing this outfit, I was going to wear ballet flats, but as it was pouring down rain all day, I went with my old man shoes. My feet stayed dry and happy!

I Love Your Elbows

Today was a bit thrown together, I didn't really know what I wanted to wear. I was drawn to my cuffed denim shorts because I know that my impending full-time job and the onset of cooler weather means I won't have many more chances to wear them. 

The shirt is from the children's section at Target. It's nice and bright, and maybe the only instance of either purple or orange in my wardrobe, but the fit is a little off so it's hard to make it work in an outfit. So what else could I do but throw on my black Value Village cardigan, which I have worn to death since I bought it in the spring?

Pictures were difficult today. After rather a lot of unsuccessful attempts to get proper lighting on my porch, I switched to this little spot on the east side of my house. I'm trying to get pictures in various places around the abode, since I will be (I hope) moving within weeks, and to an apartment, so stepping into my yard to get photos will no longer be an option.

Today I went to look at an apartment, and I am IN LOVE with it. It's the last unit left in a building near a university campus, and it must have been last because it's handicapped accessible. The toilet is very high and throne-like, and there are convenient handrails installed all through the bathroom. When Joe and I were  in the hall trying to get the door to open (it was sticky and stubborn-we almost couldn't get in!) we heard the theme song from The Big Bang Theory coming from the apartment across the hall, so that was a great sign. Though I only really enjoyed the first couple seasons, and Jim Parsons as Sheldon is the main reason Joe and I ever liked it, we still have a certain nostalgic affection for the show. We were kind of tempted to knock on the door and tell whoever was inside that they were cool.

In other news, I went to Goodwill on the way home, and MAJOR HAUL ALERT! I got two dresses, a sweater, a blazer, and a t-shirt for 26 bucks. It would have been closer to twenty, but one of the dresses was eight dollars and threw off my whole groove. I mean, really, that's a bit pricey for Goodwill. It's super cute, though, and I couldn't bear to part from it. Speaking of expensive, there was a really nice coffee table in the furniture section for seventy dollars! Excuse me, Goodwill but I can go to IKEA or Target and get a brand new one for about that price. The nerve!