Same Old, Same Old

Day 8 of the 21-Day Challenge was to mix fancy and casual. I almost skipped this challenge because I couldn't figure out what to do, and then I realized that I was doing the same old, same old.

shirt — French Dressing (Cost Co)

skirt — I.Q. & Co. (thrifted)
belt  — (thrifted)

sandals — Arizona Birkenstock

You finally get to see a picture of me in my muscle shirt, which is not to be confused with seeing pictures of my muscles. (What do you call these type of tanks? Everything I want to call them seems to be derogatory, and I'm uncomfortable using them.) And I can't believe that it has taken so long to get a picture of me in my Birks! I used to live in these all summer long! I guess used to is the operative word here.

I love my belt, in all its sequined glory. It was a spur of the moment purchase, and then I regretted it because I didn't have a clue as to what to pair it with!

But I think pairing the belt with casual items worked, and I'll probably do it like this again in the future. And honestly? I would have worn this outfit to work (I'm pretty much housebound these days, so my gauge is not whether I actually wore an outfit to work, but whether I would if given the opportunity.) It's a good mix of dressy with casual. I mean what is more casual than Birks and a tank? And what is more dressy than a sequined belt and a nice skirt? It's different and fun but not so far out there that I would feel silly.

What was my same old, same old? (If you think that I was talking about what to wear, you're wrong.) No, for me the same old, same old is my perfection streak that can get in the way of making a decision. I want something to be so perfect that I think too much, and I worry too much, and I make something way more complicated than it is. It really is my Achilles' heel. And most of the time, I agonize over these silly and inconsequential matters.

So c'mon, Kari — you're a grown a** woman, as I had a friend who was prone to telling me, just do it (and there's that Nike phrase again. For somebody who once said she hated that expression, I use it an awful lot.)! Whatever you do, it's not going to be the end of the world.

Do you have trouble making decisions?  

I'm also linking my belt up to Meagan's Thursdays Are for Thrifters at Spunky Chateau.

Fights with Myself

One reason my few days off stretched to over a month was because I didn't know how to pick it up again. Do I start where I left off? Do I start where I am now? And the longer it took to answer this question, the harder it got to make a decision.

First things first -- an outfit post. I wore this way way back on Wednesday, June 1, 2011.

 shirt -- (thrifted)
pants -- London Jean (Victoria's Secret)
belt -- Nine West (thrifted)
necklaces -- (one gifted, one thrifted)
shoes -- Dansko Professional (outlet)

This is pretty much a standard go-to outfit for me. A pair of comfy pants, a short-sleeved shirt, and my Danskos -- what's not to like? I may not be the most fashionable person around, but hey -- I'm dressed appropriately and, most importantly, comfortably for work, and no time was spent on contemplation of said outfit. 

 "artsy-fartsy" picture fun

I was pretty good about taking pictures while I was on sabbatical, which brings me to my first dilemma and the first hurdle to get over (see above). What do I do with all the pictures I took?! I've been having this argument with myself -- one side of my head says to post them all. Who cares when they were taken?

The other side of my head thinks it's not that easy. Some of the outfits reflected my mood; some I wore to a specific event (graduation); and some reflected the weather. If I try to post now on old pictures, I won't sound natural -- it won't sound like me.

And then what about the outfits I'm wearing now? I don't want to post them a month or two from now. And I'm just going to get further and further behind if I keep posting old stuff -- I'll be spending all my time trying to catch up. But yet, I really like some of my older pics; I also really hated some; and some I just need advice on what in heaven's name went wrong?

Really, now -- what were you thinking?

Did you even stop to look in the mirror before 

you walked out the door?

In case you think these musings are all fashion centric, they're not. These are the types of things that I agonize over and over about, ad infinitum, on a daily basis. Only the topic changes. I can think of a thousand reasons to do something a hundred different ways. And while I'm having these arguments with myself -- nothing gets accomplished. I don't move forward -- I just get farther and farther behind, and I get more and more discouraged, and I end up feeling like a failure.

And in the end, what does it really matter? I mean, one of the reasons I'm blogging is to get myself back in the habit of writing, and to reflect on what is happening in my life. And as much as I hated that Nike slogan in years gone by, I think that I need to take a page from their book and JUST DO IT for crying out loud!

By the way, I really like the belt that I wore in these pictures.

The belt was way too big for me (and why exactly do I feel the need to say that?! It's not like you can tell from the pictures. I guess I felt a little uncomfortable wearing it though, because it did seem noticeably big.). Anyway, I wasn't sure if the colors matched, but I think they did. It was an easy way to bring something interesting to my outfit.

When you fall off the horse, 

do you redo what you missed?
Or do you just say forget about it, 

and say, "What's done is done," 

and then continue on your merry way?