Shut it down.

Tonight instead of Joe having to take the bus to school, he convinced me to come with him and hang out on my laptop since his class is only a couple of hours. Since my plans for going out for another woodsy photoshoot today got foiled by all-day pouring rain, I thought I could easily find a quiet little spot out of the way to get a few pictures, and then do a post while I was waiting. Turns out, the campus is pretty busy, even in the evening. I had more trouble than I thought finding a secluded, decently lit spot. Then I had to wait for Joe’s break so he could give me his password, so I entertained myself the only way I could think of for about ten minutes—playing around with editing my pictures. That’s why they’re a little fancier than normal today, though I used Windows Photo Gallery, so my selection of effects was pretty sparse.

This dress is actually for sale in my etsy store, and I've been wanting to style it and take some photos to add to the current boring shots of it hanging from a fence. And what better way to celebrate the adorable polka-dot print than with MOAR POLKA-DOTS! Serioulsy, did I even have the option to wear any shoes other than my matching blue polka-dot pumps? Throw in a dotted tank-top for good measure, and a vintage necklace to bring the nineties silhouette a little fifties flair, and now I'm considering taking out of my store and not letting any of you out there have it. 

Listing is here.

American Rag clearance cardigan, delia*s tank top, vintage dress, old tights, Kensie girl clearance shoes, vintage necklace

I know that I'm a mess that he don't wanna clean up

Sometimes I start to feel a bit strange about the topics of my blog posts. It's all, this is where I took my pictures today, blah blah blah, here's some stuff about my outfit, yada yada yada. It starts to feel a bit narcissistic after awhile. But when I read other blogs, I am usually pretty interested in that stuff, so maybe I'm being overly self-conscious. At any rate, I'm going to split the content of today's post between myself and an unrelated topic that interests me. First thing first, bored with the normal locations and in possession of a rare profusion of daylight, I stopped off for an outdoor photo session. The dress is actually much longer, I folded down the top part and hiked the skirt up, turning it into a neckline. I've done this a couple of other times, here and here.

In other news, have you heard that Starbucks is releasing a new size called the "Trenta"? A lot of people are calling it overkill, since it holds 916 ml, and the average stomach is only 900 ml. But to give a little perspective, it's about 31 oz, which is smaller than the large size at most fast food restaurants. I personally think all drink sizes are out of control, and Joe and I frequently chuckle when we order a "small" beverage and are handed a cup so big I could probably stick my whole foot into it. Of course, it's my theory that Starbucks and all other coffee shops in the US are pulling one over on us with the iced drinks. I'm pretty sure that each cup contains the exact same amount of liquid, and they just proportionally increase the amount of ice to fill in the extra space. 

There is one personal perk I'm looking forward to with the nationwide release of trenta-sized cups in May. Since the tap water where I live is pretty gross, Joe and I often order a venti water whenever we stop at Starbucks and sip it for the rest of the day. Now that I'll be able to get a trenta water, the free delicious water will last me 400 ml longer.

Blazer from Goodwill (boy's size 6), Ross dress, Betsey Johnson tights from Ross, Target boots, mom's old belt, Guess purse (Christmas gift)

It's the nuts of the tiger, the ennui of the fight...

For those of you who read my 5 random facts post, you know I am in the midst of a no-shampoo experiment. My hair is reaching maximum grossness after about a week and a half without shampoo or conditioner, and though I vow to push through in hopes the promised future improvement/magical non-greasiness, for now I am forced to use braids and updos to disguise the increasing unpleasantness which is my current hair. I plan to implement another baking soda application this weekend, since it helped a lot last time. 

Meanwhile, today's post is brought to you by an evening spent in Joe's apartment. Consider this a tour, since this the entirety of the space he alone has access to. His building is dorm-style, and he shares a bathroom with one other person and and kitchen with three. Note the plethora of highbrow poster art and the cool retro sleeper couch from Urban Outfitters. And my can of Mucho Mango, which despite being labelled quite clearly as 99 cents actually cost 67 cents. WhhaaaaT? Yep, I totally scored. I even treated myself to an additional can of lemon iced tea.

Here I am drumming. I'm totally good and stuff. 

Nope. Not. I suck actually.

Target cardigan, New York and Company top, Celebrity Pink jeans from Buffalo Exchange, vintage boots from Labels (consignment)

Double Decade Dressing

Well, everyone, it seems that retro flared jeans are making a major comeback. Last week especially it seemed like they were everywhere I looked. So today when I was in the mood for an outfit that was stylish in appearance but pajama-esque in comfort, I hopped on the bandwagon.

I've had these jeans for awhile, but they don't get a lot of wear because they're ever so slightly baggier than I normally like. They were a pretty major score--$30 at my favorite secondhand store. What, that doesn't sound like a very good deal to you? Well, what if I told you that they're 7 for All Mankind? New, these would be two hundred dollars minimum. And while I used to scoff at those who would spend so much on simple denim, I have been somewhat converted. These are by far the softest, comfiest jeans I have ever worn.

The other day my good blogfriend Laurel at Trophy Boutique tagged me in a 5 random facts post. So here's five random facts about me:

1. I love french fries and almost any potato-related food. I can discuss at length the merits of the french fries served at just about any fast food chain. As a baby, my first words were mama, dada, baba (bottle), and fri-fries.

2. I am turning into a music snob, but my love for Ashlee Simpson is unabashed. I own all three of her albums. The first one is the best, for sure, but Bittersweet World is more eclectic.

3. I went on a trip to Western Europe for three weeks with a student ambassador program in high school. We were supposed to only eat local cuisine to immerse ourselves in the experience, but whenever we had free time away from our chaperons we would make a beeline for American fast food. Pizza Hut and McDonalds have never tasted so good to me in my life. (Though to be fair, the best thing I ate on the trip was an authentic Belgian waffle with chocolate syrup and powdered sugar.)

4. I have a sort of fear of public bathrooms. Not multi-stall ones, but the kind that are one room that you have to lock yourself into. Every time I lock one of those doors I have a moment of panic that I won't be able to unlock it and get back out again.

5. For a little over a week, I have been experimenting with a no-soap, no-shampoo lifestyle. After reading two very honest and fascinating articles about it, and also hundreds of reader comments, I decided I would give it a try. It takes at least two weeks for your body to adjust, and so I can't give any kind of definitive assessment of its merits, but I have to admit I feel a lot cleaner than I thought I would. I still shower daily and have used baking soda on my hair once, since it's very greasy, as well as washing my face with warm water at night.

I hope you've enjoyed these strange and truly random insights into my life. I'll refrain from tagging anyone else, but feel free to participate if you feel like sharing!

Hollister sweater and 7 for all Mankind jeans from Labels consignment, Kensie girl pumps from Macy's

What's New in Pop Culture: Stuff I Watched on Hulu Today Edition

Let's discuss Michel Gondry's career trajectory for a moment. He directed a bunch of stuff I know nothing about along with some cool music videos. Decent start. Then a little movie called Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind happened. Awesome. Some other stuff, including Be Kind Rewind (sweet movie) and an episode of Flight of the Conchords (seriously? I was unaware. I'll have to rewatch that episode. Sweet show). Then he chooses to direct the new Green Hornet movie with Seth Rogan. I will never understand why. Which takes us up to Thursday night, when he directed an episode of Jimmy Kimmel that was kind of great (except the heinous band). You should watch it.



Also, the IFC will be airing this:

A six-part comedy series with Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney and Fred Armisen of always being awesome. Except that Obama impression. Please stop that. Anyway, Portlandia is also available on Hulu.



I was particularly fond of the hide-and-seek sketch. In case you didn't catch it by the title, the series fondly mocks Portland culture. I may not live there, but I'm within half a day's drive away, and the town where I live seems to share a lot of similarities with the affectionately artsy, unambitious city they inhabit.

The *dark* days are...really not even close to being over, actually

Bathroom photos today! Please, don't get too excited. It's a rare treat, I know.

I was wearing the tights Joe got me for Christmas today because many of my other pairs are in the laundry hamper. I kind of liked them with the heart-printed skirt, though I had not previously considered the combination. As I was hanging out in Barnes and Noble, waiting for Joe to have his lunch break, a vibrant older lady spied me and started gushing over the my tights. I thanked her, and then went about my business. Later, I was sitting in a chair reading and she happened to sit next to me. Once she recognized me again, she engaged me in a long and interesting conversation about all kinds of topics. Turns out she has a granddaughter who used to work for Kate Spade, and is now at Betsey Johnson, so she was rather up on fashion. It was fun talking to her, and I don't think I'll ever forget that random encounter. To anyone out there who says fashion and style are pointless, this is a little bit of proof for me that such a statement isn't true. A crazy or amazing garment/accessory can often be a perfect icebreaker. Style can bring people together, make us feel at ease with each other. Passion is passion, and we shouldn't devalue our interests because some people might see it as shallow. 

On an unrelated note, some of you may remember me talking about all my cheap and/or secondhand furniture. In a couple of these shots you can see the Banana Republic cabinet I mentioned, which used to be a glasses display case at an opthalmologist's office. (The glass part on top the frames were displayed in has been removed.) And as a bonus, here's a gargoyle I bought in Paris near the Notre Dam and an issue of Poetry magazine that's supposed to make people think I'm cool and intellectual. They are sitting on my toilet tank.

Goodwill blazer from the boys department, Aeropostale t-shirt discarded by a friend, Sugar Lips skirt from Macy's, delia*s tights, vintage boots from Lables consignment, Goodwill necklace

*girl in a cardigan* Update

New items in the etsy store! I'm starting to list some of my collages that have been sitting around forever, and I'm also working on a BRAND NEW piece that I can probably finish, today, actually.

5x7 "Always Be Prepared"

8x10 "Deadlines" (UPDATE: Sold!)

4x5 "Wildflowers"

All are listed at introductory prices, between eight and fifteen dollars. Go to the store HERE.