joe mama

angie daddy

wore this today. liked it. my hair bothered me though.

can't seem to stop posing with my hands on my hips.
wonder woman to the rescue!

and then this evening i conducted my young women in a choir at a fireside at the church. they were singing in spanish(yo tengo fe). i don't speaky ze spanish. i was pretty much just humming along. with my backside to the entire congregation. and then i got to thinking. what if something is on the back of my skirt? my cream skirt? and i'm just waving my arm around like a fool, shaking it for all the world to see. what if it is time for a visit from aunt flo? right at this very instant!

i need to learn to not psych myself out.

 tuxedo jacket- target

t shirt- jcrew

skirt- thrifted

shoes- steve madden via tjmaxx

shooting from the hip

today was a day of unintentional ridiculous faces. it's a gift. i know, very blessed am i.  

(the mary shaffer facebook picture. but a million times less endearing and a million times more skeezy.)

 

(the "i'm not signing up for america's next top model anytime soon" look)

 

(the "my hair is too durn heavy today" look)

cardigan- old navy

georgia bulldog t shirt- wal*mart

plaid button-up- jcpenney

wide leg pants- macys

flats- byu bookstore

and since i am keeping it real, i changed before we went bike riding at our chapel today. i just couldn't see myself chasing the kids and pretending to be zurg in that other outfit.

scarf- target

sweatshirt- hell threw it up(it's old and gross)

t shirt- target

jeans- gap forever skinny

floral flats- target

more keeping it real:

1. i don't like talking animals on commercials. i do enjoy talking inanimate object commercials. i especially like the swiffer-baby-come-back commercials.

2. why do they make measuring spoons that have the numbers printed on the plastic? that only lasts about 2 washing before every spoon reads gibberish. same with the cups.

3. i appreciate comments, but i don't like blog pimping comments. i got one on my family blog a few weeks ago that said, "come follow while i do a 30 for 30 outfit challenge." (it wasn't kendi, but a less creative copycat.) that was the whole comment. i think comments without anything constructive to say about your blog should be considered spam.  

4. my daughter snores like darth vader. with emphysema.

5. i really want the jessica simpson dany shoe in the cracked metallic. i can't think of anything more fantastical and less practical.

caped crusader

grandma style

i love my sweater cape. it's like wearing a blanket all day. in public. and it's socially acceptable.

it does make me feel a touch like granny clampett though. i haven't had any hankerings to stuff a kleenex up my sleeve for incidental use like my grandma bonnie does. gross and convenient. i did add a pearl necklace to continue with the geriatric theme.

that same gingham shirt i always wear- gap
sweater cape- express
cropped jeans- loft
flats- byu bookstore

who's up for a delicious glass of metamucil?

something witty

 simple. comfortable. i've actually worn this twice this past week. we all do it. plus, a blousy shirt allows me to unbutton after a meal and no one knows but me. and now all of you.

chambray button-up- thrifted

vest- wal*mart

belt- gap

jeans- gap forever skinny

boots- steve madden via ebay

another thing- i have the most sensitive skin/hair/feelings on earth. it probably doesn't help that i don't get my hair cut very often. at most, twice a year. i recently started using aveeno nourish and moisturize and i'm a believer! i even skipped washing my hair on sunday and it didn't completely gross me out. my hair was soft and i could curl it again without it being strawlike and lifeless. this was not a paid endorsement. but i wouldn't mind being a paid endorser.

and finally, this is a short list of blogs and articles that i have enjoyed of late:

all tumble down -great blog about modesty with a budgeted perspective. and the fact that she's gorgeous is a nice bonus.

off of broadway- pretty much everything she wears is thrifted. great photos with great vintage vibe.

style underdog- this is how my style is in my head. i just need to work on my translation. and i want to wear sunglasses in all my pictures. but i'm just not that cool.

sweetie - great vintage pieces and fresh styling. i want to sit at her lunch table.

lo & behold- and this is a great little post about following and blog identity. and i think she's a dead ringer for reese witherspoon. or is it just me?

trendy friendy

i'm participating in my first fashion blog event:

everybody who participates styles a similar fashion item. this time is breton stripes:

for some reason i felt the need to put all sorts of trends together at once. breton stripes, sequins, floral, pencils skirts. but today it works for me.

striped longsleeve t- old navy

sequin tank- wal*mart

skirt- jcrew

boots- steve madden via ebay

i sort of loathe the boots with this skirt. but i am trying to be practical and heels just wouldn't have flown with errands and mom stuff and blah blah blah. for the record i would have worn my silver jessica simpson heels i wore on sunday with this outfit. if i were lunching and had no responsibilities.

i like this shot because when i am leaning up against the dresser, it looks like a have a booty. because i don't. at all. thomas calls it williams wide bottom syndrome, after my extended family. i'm so in love with thomas when he tells me such romantic things.

reunited and it feels so good

1. taking pictures on the front porch:

2. scarlett tries to come out. i notice that her way too small pants are still at half-mast and there is a big hole, front and center.

3. happy accidents=happy sabbath

i found this skirt at goodwill and i jumped for joy! i owned this same skirt from the limited in pink whilst in college. it was during my nauseating all-pink-all-the-time phase. which is precisely why i rarely wear pink now. the skirt was also roommate favorite. when legally blonde came out, a bunch of my friends got together and dressed in head to toe pink to go see it. and then we ate at burger king. i'm not sure whose idea burger king was. seems a little anti-climactic. i finally got rid of the skirt a couple of years ago due to excessive wear. reunited at last! and it feels so good. i wore a pink brooch today in homage of the original pink skirt.

sweater- target

skirt- thrifted

shoes- jessica simpson

tightest gray tights ever- wal*mart

nice ascot

i think this may be my most favorite picture of all time. it reminds me of high school when my friends and i would make a big deal of "hanging out" in the hall. the idea was to lean against the lockers in the most obnoxious manner possible and take up as much passing space as possible. these were my forensics friends. not CSI:miami forensics, the forensics where you stand in a hall by yourself and talk in voices doing one person theatrical performances. you know, the really popular kids? i loved them. LOVED them.

sweater- gap

button-up- tj maxx

cords- gap straight leg

shoes- kristin davis via tjmaxx 

and for the mom reality record, i didn't wear these shoes to the park today. i wore boots. the heels came out for young women's at church. honesty is so freeing. i feel better now.

1 day, 2 looks, 3 bears, 4 score and 7 years ago

morning:

sweater coat- ann taylor loft

dress- target

belt- old as dirt

ballet flats- gianni bini via target



afternoon:

sweater- jcrew

*i love a good outfit of the day/parent reprimand from across the room shot

i had to do an outfit switch up midday because my sweater coat was sort of ridiculous as far as getting things done around the house, but it was perfect for running errands in the morning.

obviously my new camera cord came in the mail(delightfully speedy!) but i mentally checked out for the week because i didn't think i would be blogging for a while. so, i am having uncomfortable conversation silence with myself. like a first date with someone weird but she also happens to be you. i guess this is the part of the date when i bring up my star trek fan fiction script...

anywhooo, my favorite line from the office tonight:

"his name is andy, and he rollerskates like a greek god."

how 'bout you?

sinister moustache

i had a great outfit post planned for today but as i went download the pictures i noticed that everyone's favorite three year old had chewed up my download cord. for real. and now i have to ORDER a new cord! 

so, here is something extra fun instead. last weekend thomas and i watched smokey and the bandit. he repeated every line by heart and regaled me with stories from his youth watching this dynamic film. i slept through most of it and then i was riveted by the cool that is burt reynolds for the last 30 minutes. how great is a bushy moustache? imagine if you were married to a moustache wearer? you could make-out and floss at the same time! upon further ponderance, i decided that i couldn't decide who was more definitive of the moustache, tom selleck?

or burt reynolds?

so tell me dear reader, vote in this poll and tell me who tickles your fancy(and your upper lip)? tom or burt?

(it's not showing up on reader but i promise if you click on my page it will be there.) 

and a VERY VERY honorable mention for sam elliott. roadhouse simply wouldn't be the same without your words of wisdom!

bridesmaid's dress revisited.

(paula, that title is for you. since i know you are probably my only friend who has read brideshead revisited. and i'm pretty sure you dislike it. thoroughly.)

i'm introducing a new segment called uncomfortable words. my dear natalie sent me the dictionary of uncomfortable words and i can't help but share a few choice entries with you from time to time:

wang- noun: sounds unpleasant without its friend Chung.

today i wore the dress i wore for my sister's wedding. i love a long dress. it goes right along with my all black gothic tendencies. the dress definitely lends to a more formal feel so i tried give it a more casual, but still dressy enough for church kind of vibe.

dress- shabby apple cleopatra

sweater- my fave cardigan of all time amen, gift from my mom

belt- fossil

boots- gianni bini

and an artsy/action shot. i  call it "slipping in the snow trying to avoid dog poop":

and a bonus outfit, my saturday-mom-about-town uniform:

faux leather jacket: kohl's

chambray button-up: thrifted

skinny cargo pants- target

flats- maxxstudio via tj maxx

not my type

2 things:

1. i had a dream a couple of night ago that i haven't been able to get out of my head. i was dating bret michaels but it wasn't working out and i was trying to break it off. (in my opinion, bret is the best preserved 80s hair rocker. in my dream his hair was all real and not a wig attached to a bandana. have you seen any of his counterparts? vince neil? he needs to take a midol to take the edge off of all that bloating. and sebastian bach? darling, conditioner. they've had it for years! and i would say jon bon jovi, but he and billy ray cyrus have been fighting over that flat iron for so long that i can't even tell who is who anymore.) who would break up with bret michaels? who do i think i am?(not a stripper, that's for sure.) anywhooo, all i remember is giving him a little peck on the cheek and telling him that he just wasn't my type. and then looking around and trying to see what i was wearing. what does one wear when breaking up with a washed-up rock legend?
a cropped tuxedo jacket? boot cut jeans? high heels? and a cardigan to preserve some of your true nature?

tuxedo jacket- target

long t- lauren conrad for kohl's

cardigan- ann taylor loft

boot cut jeans- seven for kohl's

heels- jessica simpson

2. should i do more fake smiling in my photos? because i can't seem to shake this tired bedraggled face.

how i really feel at 9pm at night after a long day:

that 70s outfit

the 1970s is my fave fashion decade that i've never experienced. and that means that i am the oldest 30 year old you know. i have styx's greatest hits on my ipod. and supertramp, breakfast in america. plus, i just couldn't live without a good pair of platform wedges and starsky and hutch reruns. they both got me through the summer of 1997.

so, today i tried to be 2011 meets 1976. more style, less kitsch and synthetic fabrics. i like to save kitsch for summer.

button-up- JCP

tuxedo tank- tj maxx

belt- gap

wide leg jeans- target

boots- giani bini

*note to self- get more sleep, lose the tired face

 this room has been completely undecorated since we moved in in august, but always clean(a perk to no furniture). it felt so 1970s olan mills with the pictures randomly propped up. all i need is a wicker chair and a fist under my chin. boom!

dear winter, i own you

dear winter,

i was feeling pretty weak the past few days because a lovely snowstorm rocked my plans for the week. my plans that included leaving the house and doing things. i don't know many stay-at-home-moms that actually stay home. i enjoy my kids being home, it's the whole-never-being-able-to-leave-the-house-unless-we-want-imminent-and-icy-death part that i take issue with.

but not today. i shuffled off the sweatpants and 3 pairs of socks and i fought back. with a pair of tights, knee socks, and a sweater dress! it was grisly, but i won. for the love, i've experienced snow in june in wyoming, i suffered through 5 utah winters, i made an entire MAN out of snow! one little entire-eastern-seaboard-blizzard wasn't going to bring me down. so put that in your pipe and smoke it winter!

 i own you.

love, heidi

swing coat- apt. 9 at kohl's

sweater dress- ralph lauren

belt- target

scarf- express

tights- target

over the knee socks- target

boots- steve madden via ebay

ps- thomas just loves a red and black combo. dressing in this combo is my little shout out to him. go dawgs.

next step, world domination. bwahahahahaha.

spies like me

i haven't gotten dressed for 2 days because of the snowstorm that blanketed the southeast. perhaps you are experiencing it too?  but, on saturday i did run a half-marathon that was quite successful, in part to my new SPIbelt. after an incident last year where i was running and passed out on the side of the road, i never go anywhere without my phone. and running long distances with a phone in my hand is really annoying. so, i busted out the christmas cash and i bought a SPIbelt to facilitate my running experience. it was awesome, i completely forgot i was wearing it. i was concerned about it bouncing around, but it was perf. (i know i look utterly dorky wearing it so high on my waist, but that is where it was most comfortable on me.)

i also like to dress in all black when i have a big race, a little bit stealthy and a lot bit angelina jolie. (without the united nations family entourage. i'm still working on that.) i really like my running clothes and i think i have found the perfect cold weather combination for me.

running shirt- nike dri-fit

running tank- target

running skirt- target

running tights- reebok at dick's sporting goods

running socks- thorlo

sneaks- asics(christmas gift from my dear husband)

SPIbelt- dick's sporting goods

ps- a really great thifting tip: i like to wear my running tights when i go thrift store shopping. it makes it really easy to try on clothes in the middle of the aisle in case there isn't a dressing room. or if there IS a dressing room and you want to try on an especially stinky but incredibly fabulous thrift store item, you don't have to have that turnip casserole smelling item actually touching your skin.

road to nowhere

according to my photographer(husband/legal aid/tampon buyer when i am sick), it was the end of this road or a port-a-potty next to a pile of junk for photos today. beggars can't be choosers when we are on the way home from church and everyone was hungry and cranky.

dress- thrifted

cardigan- ann taylor loft

belt- dillards

shoes- jessica simpson

necklace- vera wang for kohl's

i thought this dress looked fun when i saw it at goodwill. my husband has asked me on a few occasions how an item of clothing can be "fun". my guess is that if you can dance in it and make cookies in it and not have to suck in after you eat the entire bowl of batter and then drop the dress on the floor and pick it up a few weeks later and not bat an eye and put it back on, then it's a fun dress.

i think my necklace looks like a fancy cat collar or something miss piggy would wear. i've always appreciated miss piggy's philosophy on life: "never eat more than you can lift." or better yet, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye."

heidiluxe fashion blog bill of rights

there are some really great parts of the fashion blogging community. and there are some really less than great parts. in order to help keep myself on the great side of blogging, i created a personal fashion blogging bill of rights. these are for me, but i am sharing them with you.

 

the heidiluxe fashion blog etiquette bill of rights

1. i will make a concerted effort to be myself. it should come easily, but when everything is put on the internet, things can unintentionally appear different than they actually are. i finally stopped posing in front of the messes in my house. they are still there, i just push them aside for the photos.
2. i will give credit where credit is due. all good ideas come from somewhere, whether it be from myself or from other sources.

3. i will not comment purely for blog solicitation. i will try to make insightful, and positive and constructive comments. i will not say rude things and then try and soften the blow with an emoticon. jokes should be obvious and not require :o{) or ;) or whatev. i'm done with hateful women. if i have offended you at any time, then i truly apologize.

4. i will keep my blog jealousy to a minimum and i will try to be happy for others. everyone has different strengths and bank accounts. the average American household with at least one credit card has nearly $10,700 in credit-card debt. i will be wise with what i have. i will not shop simply for blog fodder.

5. i will be mindful of my personal blogging purpose. i am a wife and a mother who desires to be fashionable, modest, creative and frugal.

6. blogging is not my entire life and i will not treat it as such.

7. if i express my opinion, please know that it is only that, my opinion. feel free to respectfully share yours.

8. conspicuous consumption is not creativity. shopping should be purposeful and relaxing. it is not a game to try and keep up, to show-off, to fill a psychological need, or to self-medicate. unless that need involves my period and shoes are the only thing that will make it better. and a big bag of chocolate chips. milk chocolate chips.

9. i will not buy ugly things just to be ironic. i will not buy things just because they are on sale. everything i buy, i need to love. even if it is ugly.

10. i will be gracious. no one has to read my blog(except my mom, and sister, and husband). i am grateful for all who do.

sweater- target

belt- gap

dress- thrifted

boots- steve madden via ebay

a little avant garde, if you will.

i heart

all my faves in one outfit:
i heart this shirt from gap. (along with every other blogger on earth.)
i heart this scarf from tj maxx. (2010 is the year i realized blue is a pretty good color.)

i heart this cardigan from my mom. (it's my no fail sweater.)
i heart these cords from american eagle. (but i need a few more weeks of 30 day shred. for my health, of course. not the muffin top that i got for christmas.)
i heart these steve madden boots that i bought on ebay. (steve madden was also the name of my OBGYN who delivered reagan. that's why i picked him.)
i heart this gigi hill bag. (be prepared to see it a LOT.)

i heart a popped collar. (but i don't like collard greens. yuck. or taking pictures at 9pm at night after a loooong day that included a long overdue fridge cleaning. hence the ridiculous tired face.)

i really really heart midol. (this post brought to you by midol. otherwise this would not be such a positive post.)