2nd class citizen

last night was date night. which led me to ponder, if you starred on a tv show but weren't allowed to date another main cast member, weren't you sort of a 2nd class citizen on the show? namely phoebe on friends. never allowed to date a co-star whle everyone else on the show had a chance to date someone else.

rachel-ross

rachel-joey

monica-chandler

phoebe-and several guest stars

or take screech on saved by the bell. even when lisa finally found him undisgusting, she still wouldn't date him.

 look at steve sanders on 90210. while the rest of the cast was busy swapping spit with each other, steve was stuck with a string of girls that weren't allowed to be on more than a few episodes.

finally, joey on full house. even danny fricking tanner had his girlfriend written into the cast. and poor joey was stuck with him lamesauce moose impressions to keep him company. it's primetime discrimination. and it's a delicious travesty.

blouse- target

skirt- jcrew

sandals- target

purse- target

i think by adding the black purse to the equation i was able to deftly pull off the black blouse tucked into a brown print based skirt combination. i love this skirt so much. it's my "jake ryan". i will always love it. i routinely peruse ebay for people selling any skirt like this from the 2010 summer collection in a different print. it's my fave of everything, quality, length, size, hip to waist ratio. fantastico.

in need of a good home: these pants

because let's be honest, i'm not going to be wearing full length pants past mid may, so i need to wear my white jeans now. societal white pant conventions be darned.

cardigan- target

sweater- banana republic

jeans- american eagle

shoes- target

but i think i need to do a closet purge. i just hate way too much of my stuff. it's holding me back. what's creative about wearing stuff you loathe? i should just repeat things i'm happy wearing. there are no points for putting together outfits and then hating 50% of the items you are wearing. and getting dressed is all about the points. i might as well stay in bed if i can't earn at least 5463 points on my sartorial choices from the judging fairies. it's torture.

like these pants. they've done nothing wrong but i pretty much despise them. for my tastes they are too low-waisted, the distressing translates as very young and skinny white denim is never a good idea on my lower half. i'm a snotty nose, ketchuppy fingers, sit in dirt/oil/poop/grass stain/old-chocolate-in-the-crevice-of-my-car-seat magnet. so, through no fault of their own, i'm going to have to find these pants new home. i know there is a loving home for them somewhere. someone who can provide the time and care and attention they need and deserve.  

ladylike

my 2nd most favorite thing that my grandma bonnie has ever said to me was the day she declared, "heidi, if you would just act like a lady you would almost be perfect." that was almost as good as the day she spied my bellybutton ring and said, "if my stomach was that flabby i wouldn't be showing it to anybody!" grandma bonnie is one of my heroes. no joke.

in honor of grandma bonnie and my dear, long-suffering mother, ladylike was my goal for today.

i'm too sexy for this face.

while i do like being ladylike i also look forward to the moment after you take off your dress and heels you can go back to being yourself who eats frosting straight out of the tub with a baby spoon in the glow of the refrigerator light.

dress- thrifted

belt- gap

sweater- gift

shoes- kristin davis via tjmaxx

bag- gigi hill

natural born thriller

i like to mix things that don't go together and call it bohemian. whether what i am wearing is consistent with the actual definition of boho chic doesn't really matter to me. i like things to be a little off and a little unexpected.

this was today's formula:

beaded earrings+

sweet farmgirl shirt+

old, scratched up belt+

suiting skirt+

gladiator sandals

my version of pulled-together, effortless dressing

this is also the extent of my athletic ability. distance running aside, this is it for me. natural born thriller.

shirt- dillards

skirt-?

belt- gap

shoes- bakers

here's something you don't know. i have two completely jacked up piercings in my left ear. they are both very low and very close together. ironically, one piercing is supposed to be the correction of the original messed up piercing. if i want to wear a heavier earring, i have to wear the earring in my 2nd hole. (i used to have 9 piercings. not my favorite thing that i did to myself.)

from the front you can't tell what hole my earring is in.

isn't that snowman lurking over my shoulder a little creepy? especially since it was 85 degrees already this week?

call me!

i was in wal*mart yesterday and a man asked me if i was in a relationship. i replied with, "yes, i'm married."(i was even wearing my wedding ring and i started flashing it around like i was trying to attract a magpie.)

then he asked if he could call me sometime. even after i said i was married. it was so weird. if i hadn't been taken aback by the utter weirdness and unabashed skeeziness of the line of questioning, i would have given him a piece of my mind. instead i stood there and blushed and wondered what kind of person does that? in the toy aisle at wal*mart. gross. what good is it to be a loudmouth, bossy know-it-all like myself if i stand there and say nothing when i finally get an opportunity to speak my mind!

and i wore this to church today. it just fell together. those are my favorite mornings to get dressed. when clothes want to be worn and just jump on my body without the help of singing mice or bluebirds.

 

dress- chadwicks

chambray button up- wal*mart

vest- wal*mart

belt- fossil

shoes- target

stay gold, ponyboy!

true confession: i don't like denim jackets. unless it's on ponyboy or any other outsider.

i've had this lovely since 2000 when i worked for the gap. i'm pretty positive i got this on their crazygood employee discount. my roomies and i wore it non-stop. this was also when polyester bootcut pants were all the rage! you can imagine the sartorial genius that transpired when everything was paired with black pants or a denim jacket. or (bonus)BOTH!

as a result, i've never been able to part with this jacket, but i just never wear it. it's like songs on the radio. overkill kills. sorry bruno mars. for this reason, you and i will never be friends. perhaps someday when i hear you on the lite station at the denist office i will think fondly of the year you reconfirmed what i already knew, that i am amazing just the way i are.

jacket- gap

t shirt- old navy

skirt- jcrew

shoes- kristin davis via target

***note to self- perhaps a gigantic white stripe across my widest point isn't the best idea.

this popped collar is for you c. thomas howell!

free as a bird

the past few days have been ridiculous as far as me being able to do things the way any regular adult would. yesterday at the gym i forgot to pack my hairbrush so i had to use a baby doll brush that i had in my purse. plus i forgot to pack my bra and i didn't have an extra baby doll bra in my purse. so i just had to go for it. free as a bird. i had stuff to do and i wasn't going to let that small detail hold me back. it was wednesday for crying in the night! that's my busiest day. next to monday, tuesday, thursday and friday. thankfully it wasn't very cold and i was wearing a blousy top so i was pretty safe.

and this is as far as i got today. i didn't want to jinx myself by putting together a complicated outfit. sorry to get your hopes up. (what? you don't pin your hopes and dreams on my outfits? for shame!)

t shirt- gap

jeans- gap super flare

shoes- invisible

ps- these are the most comfortable jeans i have worn in i don't know how long. i love bell bottoms. they are my favorite style of pant and i find the cut the most flattering on me. i need to hem them a smidge so that i stop tripping over myself, but other than that they are perfect. i feel so hippie and free and easy. especially since i am the anti-hippie. i'm a big capitalism, bathing, and leg-shaving fan.

and don't you think overexposed photos look way 70s?

peace out

be excellent to each other

i like:

big, gaudy jewelry

wedge sandals

big buns(and i cannot lie)

when i mix it with everything plain and simple that i own, i feel like i have a complete outfit.

i think that's my recipe for success.

short post justification/nerd alert

i've got to go watch "the civil war" with my husband. even though we already own it on dvd, we always drop what we are doing and watch it when it's broadcast on tv.

i have a crush on the voice on shelby foote. does any of this make any sense to you? don't be jealous of my nerd prowess.

this is me telling my husband what is wrong in the world. once you really get me going, i'm hard to stop.

sweater- gap

skinny cargo pants- target

wedges- target

ps- did you know there is going to be a bill and ted's 3? wyld stallyns rule! let's all dress up and see it together!

good news

  i watched the LDS conference this weekend. a few thoughts really resounded to me, so much that i even wrote them down.

1. darkest times precede tremendous growth

2. challenge prepares us for something vitally important

3. an athlete who resists rigorous training will never become a world-class athlete

so

and since i consider myself a semi-pro athlete, it's time to buckle down and face whatever comes my way, and not just face it but make the best of it. can i can an amen?

t shirt- gap

dress- target

sandals- amanda smith

bytheway, should we bring back the knotted t-shirt? along with the shredded sleeve, beaded-hem, airbrushed t shirt? i always wanted one of those in the 2nd grade.

and since being serious just about kills me, here are some LOVELY and CLASSY outtakes:

so weird and nasty: pit stains and everything. please excuse me, i'm a sweater.

bad smells good times?

2 pigs wrestling under a blanket

if i have learned anything whilst blogging about my personal style, it's that i can't stand wearing clothes that don't fit properly. i hate this striped long sleeve t-shirt and i loathe this fit of this a-line skirt. in theory, this outfit should be one of my favorites: black and white with a punch of color, a skirt, my turquoise necklace and my platform sandals. recipe for a winner. but because i felt like my shirt and skirt were ill-fitting and lumpy, all i could think was "2 pigs wrestling under a blanket."(name the movie for a 253 points!)

long sleeve shirt- old navy(whom i've already got issues with!)

sweater- gap

belt- gap

skirt- dillards

sandals- target

while i think the photos of the outfit turned out nice, my skin is just crawling with discomfort. i can't even muster a smile i am so annoyed with the fit of this outfit. i think it's time for a closet purge. as much as it pains me to say it.

and then i changed just a few things and i was fine. added a gray t-shirt and boyfriend khakis(not that i'm having a fat day or anything. but i am. so what.) and i completely changed my jewelry. it was like a bowl of ice cream for my soul.

t-shirt- gap

boyfriend khakis- gap

attitude- your mom

happy weekend!

i'm pretty lucky

at church i work with the laurels. they are the 16-18 year old young women. it's my "calling". i was asked to fill in this capacity for an indeterminate amount of time, or until i have offended everyone within earshot. i absolutely love it. i'm luckier than a barefoot britney spears at a gas station with unlimited day-old nachos. i get to work with great girls(last night we talked about individual worth and prom dresses), i get to teach each sunday to a rapt audience, and they truly inspire me. they are hard working, fun, smart and fashionable. the total package.

kaela was so cute i couldn't resist snagging her for an outfit picture. i love the little pop of color on her blouse, the boho scarf contrasting with the no-nonsense pencil skirt and the cut-out for toe cleavage on her mary janes. LOVE! oh to be 16 again! and with a clue!

cardigan- kohls

flannel shirt- thrifted

belt- gap

jeans- gap forever skinny

flats- target

we go together

if peg bundy and sandy from grease had a baby, this is what she would look like:

scarf- gift

button up- thrifted

pants- tjmaxx

shoes- target

but i've never been a big sandy fan(or peg bundy fan for that matter) because she totally gives up her identity for danny zuko at the end of the movie. love is a two-way street! turn up the tramp and snag the guy with low to zero job prospects? way to go sandy! a paragon of womanhood!

but the tunes are pretty catchy. and i would love to be a beauty school dropout. with pink hair. and a satin jacket. and it's almost comical to compare who had the smaller waist, jon travolta or olivia newton john?

i'm in love and i don't care who knows!!!

 with what you ask? a spoonful of nutella, a spoonful of creamy peanut butter and a slice of bread. i call it make-out in a tub. which actually sounds a lot dirtier than i intended. so, how about edible love?still weird?(i'm an emotional eater and thomas is out of town.)

and i'm in love with wrapping and pinning cardigans. i don't do it enough, but every time i do birds sing! garden gnomes dance! i win final jeopardy! and i eat another tub of nutella! i had banned myself from the crack that is nutella, because i had gotten tired of the sound of my jean's buttons unbuttoning themselves and groaning(everyone's a critic) but true love knows no bounds. 

cardigan- express

flower pin- bluefly

tunic- calvin klein

jeans- sevens via kohls

sandals- amanda smith

my tips for a successful wrap and pin:

1. wrap cardigan

2. pin exterior

3. gently pin interior(where blue star is). sometimes depending on cardigan weight and pin weight i'll pin to my shirt as well to anchor everything together. if a cardigan is especially fussy or delicate, i'll turn the whole thing inside out and then pin and put cardigan on right side out.

4. be happy

boom.

please place your carry ons in the overhead bins

today nothing looked right so i went to church in costume, dressed as a flight attendant with a REALLY tall bun. it was so tall that it frightened little children. one even whispered, "what do you think is on her head?" "will it eat me?" "is that what happens when your don't eat your vegetables?" i soothed their fears by pointing out the exits nearest to their seats and then offering them small packets of peanuts and stale cookies. my grandma maxine always had a huge black beehive that scared me a little too.

tie neck blouse- express

skirt- target

tights- target

shoes- madden girl via tjmaxx

happy sabbath!

right on my sisters

today the family and i took a trip to the temple. normally i wouldn't do a post about what i wear to the temple since style and fashion are the last thing i think about when attending the temple, but my temple attendance absolutely influences my everyday style. because i was married in the temple(almost 9 years ago!) i always wear skirts and shorts to my knees and i need my shirts to have at least a cap sleeve and i don't like anything to be too low cut. it can be more than a little difficult to find items of clothings to meet these clothing standards, but the benefits are worth the effort. i feel like there is always a part of me that is just for me and not for the rest of the world. plus, by dressing modestly, i look different from a lot of other people and for me looking different is a key component of my style. being style conscious means not being afraid to stand out.

shirt- thrifted

skirt- thrifted

shoes- kristin davis via tj maxx

i was full of weird faces and poses today. and wrinkles from the car ride and i needed to retuck my shirt. the end.

and on a completely unrelated note:

sunday night on lifetime, the show "coming home" is featuring a friend of my husband and i who died in combat in september. mark forrester was an ordinary person whose positive choices allowed him to live a remarkable life. you will need kleenex. i still need kleenex on a regular basis.

coming home on lifetime

eye spy

i was spying on some youths at the park yesterday. an ungangly and impossibly pale but undeniably edward cullen wannabe goth young man(young man term used loosely) was waiting for his obviously underage girlfriend to get off the school bus from the high school. (at least i hope it was the high school and not the middle school. perish the thought.) they proceeded to PDA in front of me till i thought i was going to need to tie my hair back to avoid the the splashing. i never thought the park would need a sneeze guard. thank goodness i'm up to date on my shots. some free shows aren't worth the cost. then i realized that i didn't have my sunglasses on(my normal spy tool) and that every disgusted face i was making was visible to the offending couple. and then i didn't care. they both needed baths, and not the kind cats give themselves. shameless kids these days! (where are my teeth? is it 4:00 yet? denny's is waiting for me.)

button up- jcrew

belt- gap

skirt- target

shoes- target

and the shots in front of the couch are in homage to brittney of a day in the life too.

final word- i just saw a commercial for fast and the furious 5! cinco! talk about beating a dead horse. i fantastically, over-the-top, poorly acted, can't-be-bothered-with-a-script-or-plot dead horse. i can't wait! who's with me!?