17 inch waist sunday bestest

i like to dress up for church. i know lots of people have more of a "come as you are" kind of attitude towards church dress, and more power to you. my attitude is more "come as i would like to be". i feel like if i am going to dress up, it may as well be for the most important event of the week. i figure it's the least i can do for the Savior of the world. not trying to be trite.

polka dots with polka dots. and white shoes after labor day. with a black cap toe. just to be safe. and i hemmed my skirt in about 5 minutes BEFORE we left for church. which means after i post this, i am grabbing my seam ripper and fixing it. and the waist was SUPER tight. like 17 inch scarlett o'hara waist tight. sometimes when i have to teach my lesson i get a little stressed and i have trouble deep breathing and this skirt sure didn't help that. BUT, my lesson to the laurels was on financial responsibility so i was pretty psyched that the majority of my outfit was thrifted.

shirt- thrifted!

skirt- thrifted!

shoes- charlotte russe($11)

i thought it would be cute to take some pictures on our field of leaves...

then thomas reminded me that meatball also likes this little patch of leaves and grass for another reason...gross.

boom!

mostly warm, with a slight breeze

unbelted?

or belted?

t-shirt- ann taylor loft

belt- gap

jeans- gap forever skinny

over-the-knee socks- target

boots- steve madden via ebay

which do you prefer? i like it better belted, but i actually heard my jeans whispering to themselves, "who does she think she is putting us on when she knows we couldn't be any tighter. and it's still pre-thanksgiving." and i knew i would just be hurting myself by wearing a belt. these jeans are a little sassy. when i am getting out of line, they like to pinch me. right in the gut. and then i remember my place.


some people can go days without washing their hair. i cannot. i sweat too much and it just grosses me out to no end. and when i don't have a chance to wash it, i do a high bun and a scarf so that my hair can't even touch me. i have a policy against things touching my face. i need a cone of shame to really make my point. i don't even lean on my hands when i watch tv unless i have a sweatshirt sleeve or a blanket handy. ask my husband about this policy. he loves it. probably his favorite thing about me.

 circle scarf- target

tunic- calvin klein

drapey cardi- JCPenney

jeans- gap forever skinny

purple flats- target

earrings- etsy, i wish i could remember the vendor. but they are my all-time faves.

the tackiest thing i love

a few weeks ago i was reading in the wall street journal an interview with some famous interior designer/hostess. i wish i could find the article because i would link it for your reading pleasure. the interviewer asked the designer the usual spate of decor and beautiful living questions, but one question stopped me in my tracks. "what is the tackiest thing you love?" i think that is the greatest interview question ever asked. are any of us too highbrow to not have something delightfully tacky that we love? the interviewee's answer was perfect. at her parties she likes to have an entire chafing dish dedicated to velveeta and Ro-tel dip. everyone loves it.

so i thought and i thought about what my favorite tacky thing would be. and i asked other people their opinions. i could start an entire new blog dedicated to my lifetime of favorite tacky things.

a short list
- in high school i thought it was so cute when girls would wear strappy tank tops and have multicolored visible bra straps. or for the truly daring(and exceptionally tacky) instead of a bra there would be visible bikini top strings. at school. in the midwest. so tacky.
- i had a short love affair with lee press on nails.
- tabloid magazines
- i just love listening to britney spears. it's no secret.
- i have had more than my fair share of perms.
- the magic bullet has been on my christmas wish list for years. even this year.
- and i would have to say my husband's favorite tacky thing is "married with children". he grew up watching it and occasionally he will grace us with a slew of bundy quotes.
- and my sister has a not-so-secret love of vending machine food.


but my most enduring favorite has always been big hair. unnaturally big, heaven-scraping, voluminous hair.

and the best product that i have found to achieve this tacky feat? suave hairspray. plus, if i have let my hair "rest" the day before, i don't even need mousse the next time i style.

my hair gets so full that i can't even tuck it behind my ears. it's cheap and probably not the best thing for my hair and sometimes it's a little crunchy after i immediately spray, but nothing to write to paul mitchell about. even after i brush out my hair in the afternoon, it retains the curl. all i need to do is fluff upside down and re-spray. my picture on the upper right hand corner of my blog is post-brushing and fluffing.

SO, what's the tackiest thing that you love?

i'm formal, but i'm here to party

last night thomas and i went to our stake conference adult session. it was like a college all over again. two dates in two nights. but really more like a movie i once watched where people in college went on lots of dates instead of being like me and just going to smith's each friday and saturday and buying tubs of ice cream. and then driving by my crush's house to see if he was home from his actual date. and honking.

while i was there i overheard a woman not so quietly say about my outfit, "that's an interesting combination." but not in a that-documentary-about-nigerian-fruit-flies-was-so-interesting kind of way, but more of a derisive, that-is-ugly-but-i'm-going-to-say-interesting-so-i-don't-sound-like-a-jerk kind of way. which begs the question, is it better to be nice or to be honest? or just quiet? what do you do?

anywhoo, i don't care two figs. i prefer to be any kind of interesting over safe any day.

and then after the conference, i had my first waffle cone at stone cold. i can't believe i waited 30 years to have one. it was dipped in chocolate and butterfinger crumbles. boom.

sweater- old navy

skirt- jcrew

boots- who knows, super old

and then today: in my husband's and ricky bobby's words, i'm formal, but i'm here to party. 

*this cool little stream is in my backyard! it's a herper's delight!

my button up is light blue stripes, but it didn't translate very well in pictures.

button up-JCP

sequin tank- miley cyrus and max azria for wal*mart(for $1)

skirt- i don't even know! it just appeared in my closet and i discovered it today! it must be left over from my working in an office days more than 5 years ago.

shoes- steve madden via tjmaxx

heidi potter and the hairy bathroom of dreadful muckery

chipotle+harry potter and the deathly hallows+thomas+jessica simpson heels=date night!
i haven't read a lick(not even a sniff) of any harry potter books, but i have seen each movie on opening night with thomas. i think last night i was the best companion i could be. i didn't ask any dumb questions about the difference between a goblin and a house elf(just amount of clothing if you ask me) or why doesn't voldemort fix his nose with his wand or why if they are muggles, why are you called a mudblood instead of mugblood? or a muddle for that matter! i just sat quietly and companionably and enjoyed myself. i DID question a few times why so many parents brought their YOUNG, like under 5 years old, children to a sort of scary movie. and it was after 8pm! i came to the movies to NOT be around whiny children. i felt like giving parenting lessons but there was no intermission.
anywhoo, i also cleaned a bathroom in this getup without getting any bleach cleaner on myself. which is a feat in itself. i was living on the edge.

cowl neck blouse- vera wang for kohl's

cardigan- from my mother

belt- dilliards

cords- gap straight leg

heels- jessica simpson

coat- apartment 9

purse- gryson for target

it speaks for itself

there's a new color out there. i don't know if you've heard. it's called...blue. really. it's pretty great. sure, you're probably saying, "no duh, heidi. blue has been around since at least the 80s." but do you know what i say to that? "really, there is still plenty of duh in the world."

i've always had an aversion to wearing blue, especially pairing blue with denim. it just couldn't be done. too much on top of too much. but, lately, the tide has been turning. and i think i actually like blue.
but this top in particular? ruffle collar, polka dots, blousy sleeves? yes, please. when trying to put something together with this shirt, i just couldn't. this shirt doesn't need an outfit. it speaks for itself.

i DID try and do my hair like the former owner of this shirt would have done in her heyday.

heidi meets veronica lake.

and everywhere i went to take pictures, the toys followed me. i think the only place sans toys right now is my bathroom. but not even my own shower. right now i have a soaking wet baby doll staring up at me from the shower floor.

shirt- goodwill

belt- gap

jeans- kohl's version of seven

boots- giani bini

i like big boots and i cannot lie

you other brothers can't deny

tuesday night was a relief society meeting and it was all about books. i even completed the book related craft(with much assistance and gnashing of teeth).i was asked to give a review of a book i liked. i bet you can't guess which one i chose. here's a hint: the heroine and i both have a 17 inch waist. hahahahaha.

i like big buns and i cannot lie. but, i think i am going to have to give up wearing high buns on my head for a while. though it has been my favorite hairstyle since about 1993, my hair is just too heavy and my hair and scalp ache after i let down my bun at the end of the day. this is my new attempt at a non-high-bun-hairstyle. i call it the half-princess-leia. there's only one cinnamon bun on the side of my head.

sweater- gap
t-shirt- jcrew
skirt- belk
boots- steve madden

three days of flats

i can't hide the fact that i have kids. there isn't a purse big enough to fit them in and there are too many tell tale signs(snot not belonging to me on my sleeve, the accordian stomach shelf, and that more than slightly maniacal look in my eye) to be able to deny it. and as much as i hate to admit it, i do dress to accomodate them and their activities. if i had a nanny or 3, i don't know if i would even own jeans. it would be all cocktail dresses all the time. i'm just a skirts and dresses kind of gal.
anywhoo, i've gotten into a pretty comfortable mom rut. (GASP!) i vow to change! later!
i took the kids to our church parking lot for bike riding and this is what i had to do for a photo since there wasn't a surface for my regular set-timer-and-run-routine.

button-up- JCP
cropped pants- ann taylor loft
sneaks-merrill(they are so comfortable i feel like i should be doing laps at the mall before the shops open.)

blouse- gap
scarf- target
cropped pants- ann taylor loft
flats- target
belt- gap

tunic- express(i actually wore this when i was pregnant with scarlett. i've been eating like a preggo all day as a result)
cardi- target
jeans- gap forever skinny
flats- byu bookstore


and i think i really want these shoes. so at least i am getting the height i crave and the safety of a wedge:

ps- i really do love my kids. just not their snotty noses.

church high

sunday is my fave day to get dressed. i can be unapologetically feminine. no one asks me why i am so dressed up(i get that a lot, do you?). i get a churchy kind high. plus, thomas can take my picture wherever i want, instead of me trying to find a level surface and then setting the timer and running and posing. very awkwardly, you've probably noticed.

these pictures were taken along my favorite running trail. perfect weather, perfect breakfast, perfect lunch. pancakes both times.

and, i rediscovered my love of thrifting. i used to be a goodwill master in high school, but my style changed in college and it was harder to find what i wanted at a thrift store. i tried again this week and i went a little crazy. i bought this dress for the fabric and then i tried it on at home and i knew that i was just perfect the way it is.

thomas did say that i reminded him of his mom in the 80s. i would say this dress is vintage, but that terminology has always bothered me. really, it's just old and used.

old and used dress- goodwill (for $6)

scarf belt- target

cardi- kohl's

heels- kristin davis via tj maxx

lesson learned

the last outfit from my blackout week and look what i learned, these proportions are awful:

i thought i was being all cute by rolling my skinnies with my boots, but i was dead wrong. since i am a pear shape all i did was draw attention to my large, yet muscular thighs, and shorten my already not very long legs. way to go, heidi.

solution? i need to wear a nice long boot cut or straight leg jean to balance this shirt that hits at the widest point of my hip. OR wear a shirt that tucks into my pants to give a longer leg illusion. consider yourself schooled.

sweater cape- express

ruffle front blouse- wal*mart

jeans- gap forever skinny

boots- giani bini

wednesday addams runs errands

since i was harsh about taylor swift's love of non-colors, my friend natalie challenged me to a week in my favorite non-color, black. and i gladly accepted. i secret dream of mine is to be a goth highschooler, complete with cape. i had a crush on the goblin king jareth in labyrinth, for quite a while. (put that magic jump on me, slap that baby and make him pee! genius.)


and of course, severus snape(colonel brandon for you jane austen fans!) sorry, harry pooter fans. i would love for the whole series to be about poor, brilliant, misunderstood snape.
what's not to love about two brits with bad teeth who wear capes? am i embarassing myself yet?
anywhooo,

MONDAY-
wearing all black felt like i was coming home for the first time in a long time. loved it! i even painted my fingernails black.

blouse- express
belt- gap
cords- american eagle
flats- max studio


TUESDAY- i had to run a bunch of errands and i got a LOT of looks for this outfit. wednesday addams runs errands. the guy at the oil change shop told me that i could definitely get my oil changed in my car, but that i "could stay and hang around with him for at least an hour and a half." gross. and his hair was slicked straight back. which is a surefire indicator of creeper. it doesn't have to be said that i high-tailed it and went somewhere else. perhaps he was an addams family fan?

white blouse- express
puffed sleeve sweater- gap
shorts- target
tights- target
flats- max studio

NO WEDNESDAY-because it was all black, but it wasn't cute and i was really busy and i had to wrap a scarf around my neck because my cleavage was out of control. and that's the first time in my whole life that i have ever said that. which is a reason why i should have taken a picture. and this is why i don't do those 30 for 30 challenges. i would have already lost.

THURSDAY- i started out with a black dress and boots. but it was sort of predictable and boring. so i changed it up. sweater- dillards
belt- fossil
dress- target
shoes- kristen davis via tj maxx
knee socks- target

the end.

momzilla the unapproved chaperone

busy. tired. mom stuff dominating my life. i am feeling like a old woman trying navigate a parking lot on her rascal whilst wearing a housecoat and curlers with a yappy dog in her basket.
speaking of, how old is too old of braided pig tails? 30?
houndstooth cap- some boutique somewhere
stripey shirt- old navy
checked button up- gap
black pants- tj maxx
knee boots- steve madden

i mean, willie nelson was sporting them WAAAAY past 12. and he's 77 now and i won't be telling him to change anytime soon. as long as he keeps singing "always on my mind" he can do no wrong in my eyes.


field trip #1: robin hood chic for a tour of the local publix. which is lame because we go to the grocery store all the time and it's not an event but the preschool decides to go and it's a big deal. *the kids insisted i pose with the halloween owl*
red blouse- miley cyrus for wal*mart
gray long sleeve t- gap
shrug sweater- JCP
skinny cargos- target
slouchy boots- steve madden, i think


and the next day was field trip #2 to the pumpkin patch, post-halloween. i showed up and i was informed i was not an "approved chaperone" and that i could not attend. so, yeah. i think unapproved chaperone sounds sort of risky-awesome. especially posing for pictures in my kitchen next to my husband's tower of tupperware for lunch. DON'T LET THIS WOMAN ON FIELD TRIPS! furry puffy vest- gap
boyfriend button-up-gap
fuzzy gray cardi- made by dinosaurs a million years ago
boyfriend jeans- jcrew
boots- steve madden

and i'm sure you all have this at your house:
this picture was on my mind when i went to sleep on saturday night and i woke up determined to somehow recreate this cozy look for sunday.

it felt a little weird wearing socks and sandals since that is my favorite thing to make fun of when i see others doing it. i guess you call this "branching out". i get a shaky feeling in my stomach just thinking about it.

sweater dress- macy's

belt-gap

ribbed tights- wal*mart

platform sandals- kristen davis via tj maxx

ps- my hair is so long these days. perhaps i'll start brushing it on a regular basis?

taylor swift, corpse bride

a little unsolicited advice for taylor swift:
if i had to guess, i would say that taylor swift's favorite color is blah. with a little variation with a whiter shade of pale. she's lovely girl with a talent for making music that country and pop stations LOVE to play to death. and sometimes you may even catch me singing along. mostly her song, fifteen. she just nails my teenage angst in that one. but poor taylor seems to have an aversion to 99% of the color wheel.
sometimes ms. swift looks just lovely. she is a sweet dream in this creamy, romantic ruby-lipped look: but then we see the same monochromatic skin-hair-dress look over,

and over,

and over,

and over,

again. yawn.

she is obviously determined to look like a corpe bride. the only thing that separates her is the red lips.

but check out how va va va VOOOM! ms. swift can look in a little blue. like a country heart-break singing mermaid. and if she wants to use that as her next song title, more power to her!

so, for the love of country music and sequined petticoats, let's branch out ms. swift. and i'll keep listening to fifteen, rehashing why i was a teenage outcast.