the Medusa Look

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Do you remember Medusa, the snake-haired creature of Greek mythology,
who could turn men to stone with a single look?
Look closely. Does she look familiar?

This is me. 

This is my hair. 

This is my hair on a bad hair day. 

This is today. 

A bad hair day.

shirt -- Liz Claiborne Lizwear Jeans

skirt -- don't know (thrifted)

tights -- xHilaration (Target)

shoes -- Blowfish (DSW)

The Medusa Look is what I call a bad hair day -- when you feel like your hair is out of control, and you can't do anything with it -- as if it has snakes, all of which have a mind of their own. When I have a frizzy halo, and there is no rhyme or reason to the flips and curls, and there is nothing that I can do to make my hair lie flat or do what I want it to do. 

I usually get the Medusa Look after taking a shower -- no matter what the weather is. So even though it rained cats and dogs today, I can't blame the Medusa Look on the weather. No, I'm one of the lucky ones -- I get the Medusa Look on any day of the year, and pretty much every day.

Seriously, the similarity is striking, wouldn't you agree?

Growing up, I always hated my hair. Now that I have matured , I have progressed to having a love-hate relationship with my hair. 

I love the color of my hair (strawberry blonde). I hate the color that my hair is turning (white). 

I love my curly hair. I hate that my hair isn't straight. 

I love having short hair. I hate that long hair is a PITA. 

I love that I have thick hair. I hate that I have so much hair. 

My list goes on (and on), but I think you get the picture --

the Medusa Look -- we all have days like this.

The necklace was a loan from my daughter -- she won it from a blog giveaway.

My pin is another thrifted goodie. 

I thought that my necklace and pin matched the print in my skirt really well. 

And last, but not least, my shoes

from Dots to Stripes

Wednesday, March 9, 2010

Why is it that on some nights, every picture you take ends up being a keeper and then on other nights, you can take picture after picture after picture and still not end up with one that you are all that happy with?  

Tonight was a good night -- we only took five pictures, and I liked each one. Last night was the dud night -- we must have taken over 30 pictures, and I didn't get one that made me go, "I like that!" and then do the high five and the happy dance at the end. 

The weird thing is that I thought I nailed my outfit yesterday -- I was so excited for my pictures because I really liked the way I looked. (Wow! Did I just give myself a compliment?) I put a lot of time and effort in picking it out and planning accessories and making sure that everything looked just so. I thought that time paid off in the way I looked. 

Today, I had errands to run before work, I was tired, and I basically just threw on a pair of pants and grabbed a shirt that I've been wanting to wear. It was straightforward -- there wasn't a whole lot of thought involved, and there really wasn't anything special about what I wore. 

Even the colors that I was wearing reflected the opposite of what I see in the pictures: Yesterday's colors were bright and cheerful and springy; whereas, today's colors were dark and wintry. 

And it wasn't just me who thought I was off yesterday, my daughter noticed it in my pictures -- she thought I looked tired, and my smile looks strained. But I was probably more tired tonight, so what gives?

Here's a close-up of my bracelet -- it's made out of safety pins.
How cool is that?! This was another piece of hand-made jewelry that I found while thrifting. 

shirt -- Jones New York (thrifted)

pants -- London Jean (Victoria's Secret)

shoes -- Dansko (outlet)

belt -- Nautica (thrifted)

Polka Power!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011 

I'm in luck -- "Polka Power" had not yet been taken by one of the many women who had submitted a picture of themselves wearing polka dots to Everybody, Everywear. At least it hadn't been taken as of the time I started writing this post but by the time I had finished posting, it had. Oh well, great minds think alike.

Now that I've jumped on the fashion blog train, I've been wanting to feel like I was a part of the blogging community. Everybody, Everywhere gives me that sense of belonging to the fashion blog-o-sphere. I had a blast wearing my polka dots, knowing that I was a part of something bigger, and I couldn't wait to see who had submitted their pictures to the Web site and to see how women everywhere were wearing their dots.

I have always belonged to many different groups and been involved in many different activities, whether it was at school, work, or play. But being a part of a group does not always translate into feeling like you belonged. And I often felt as though I was on the outside looking in or as if I didn't quite belong.

I'm not sure why that is exactly. Maybe it's because I'm not a born and bred American. Although my mom is American and even though I have lived in the USA since I was 4, my home life when I was a kid was very different from my friend's lives. None of my friends, for example, had to register at the post office every January* because they were aliens -- boy, talk about feeling different! And then I had this g*d awful name that nobody could pronounce and this g*d awful curly red hair that made me stick out like a sore thumb when all I wanted to do was look and be like everybody else. 

*Does anybody remember the TV commercials that reminded aliens that they needed to register?

Now that I'm older (and, in this case, wiser), I love my name -- I love that it is so different from everybody else's. It says a little something about who I am and where I came from. And now that my red hair is turning white -- I am going through a HUGE identity crisis. Who would have thunk it? 

camisole -- 21 (Forever 21)

sweater -- delia*s

skirt -- Express World Brand (thrifted)

tights -- xHilaration (Target)

shoes -- Dansko (outlet)

I was never really that much into polka dots, so I didn't have many things, if any, with dots. I kept my eyes open when I was thrifting though, and boy did I ever luck out with this skirt! I was a little paranoid about it being too short (AKA too young) for me, so I pulled it way down so it was resting on my hips instead of my waist.

My shoes may not look as if they went with this outfit, but since they had polka dots on them, how could I not wear them?

I also thought that my necklaces (I'm actually wearing two different ones) looked a bit like polka dots. The beads of the one necklace, found while thrifting, is made from rolled paper! I still can't get over how people can purge some of these things that they have so painstakingly made?! 

The beads on the other are actually red and black seeds called chocos cariados (yinyan). This necklace was a gift from a Colombian friend. 

My pin is a vintage piece of pewter jewelry that was given away as a promotional item in the 1970s with the purchase of Charles on the Ritz products (I found it when thrifting). It has a black enamel abstract of a woman's face, so I thought it was perfect to wear in honor of International Women's Day, which is also today. 

Can you tell that I had fun with this challenge? 

I have to thank Liz of 26 and Counting and Linda of The Auspicious Life, the curators of Everybody, Everywear, for providing this platform for women in the blog-o-sphere to share their own unique style and get to know each other.

Motorcycle Mama

Monday, March 7, 2011

 

  

Ha ha. Do I look like a motorcycle mama? Like I'm riding that Harley down the road? No? Well, close your eyes and imagine it because that's what I see. I feel the wind in my hair, and I hear the roar of the engine. But most of all, I have this big enormous grin on my face because I'm just having a blast and laughing out loud! You know, the kind of grin you have when you're riding a roller coaster or doing something so crazy and daring that you just have to laugh!

Seriously, I have a love affair with motorcycles. I don't know why that is, since I have only ridden on one maybe half a dozen times? Probably less times than that even. Maybe it's because I associate motorcycles with risk takers and being so envious of people who could throw a little caution to the wind and take risks. 

Growing up, I always did what was expected of me: I was the proverbial "good girl." I wonder sometimes how my life would have been different had I taken a few more risks when I was younger, and done what I wanted to do as opposed to what I thought I "should" do. 

shirt -- Red Tab by Levi's

sweater -- hand made (thrifted)

jeggings -- 17/21 Exclusive Denim (Marshalls)

boots -- Trumpet by Wanted (DSW)

My mom made the fused glass pendant. I love how this was such a perfect match to my sweater!

And you can see that I am continuing my shoe obsession with my boots.

February in Review

It's kind of neat to look back and see the outfits that I was able to put together and wear during the month of February.

I learned a lot over the month. Of the 18 outfits I was able to get pictures of, I wore pants nine times, dresses four times, and skirts five times. I consider outfits 2, 5, 7, 8, 11, and 16 to be fails, with probably 5 being the worst of them all -- the pants were ill fitting and the jacket had no shape.

Outfits 3 (shirt), 6 (shirt), 7 (dress), 10 (sweater), 12 (sweater), 15 (dress), and 16 (camisole) used pieces from my closet that I have had for a long time, but never worn -- with the beaded camisole in 16 taking the record. I think I've had that for maybe 10 years, and I had never even taken off the tag! Outfit 14, on the other hand, was all new pieces -- from head to toe. I was really happy with outfit 18 -- I used very old pieces, but styled in a completely new way. 

I also tried a lot of new things this month. In outfits 12 and 16, I wore a sweater over a summer dress, and I loved how both of these looked. I tried colored tights -- outfits 7, 8, 11, and 12. I'm not sure that I can work this look, unless I wear the darker shades. I also tried using a scarf to add more color to my outfits in 7, 9, and 10, with the scarf doubling as a belt in both 7 and 9. And lastly, I  tried wearing a belt on the outside of my shirt in outfits 2 and 8.

All in all, I think I had a pretty good month!

Fantastic Finds

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Found this week was this very cool purse -- an Alaluna handbag from Spain. It is "football" shaped with a flat bottom. It is 11 inches long, 6 inches tall, and 6 inches wide. The bag is a burgundy-red color with grayish blue and cream accents. The bottom is flat and textured. It also comes with a cream coin purse that snaps onto the inside. The interior is cream leather, with no pockets. The straps are 11 inches -- they are long enough to sling over your shoulder. Apparently they were made in the Camper factory.

How much did I pay? $4! in like-new condition. Does anybody have any additional information about this particular style? When it was made? and so on?

Price Point

Friday, March 4, 2011

How much are you willing to pay for a pair of jeans? 

 
This past week, I received a newsletter that listed six pairs of jeans that were the author's favorites. The newsletter, I might add, is aimed at every woman -- from college students to new moms -- and is supposed to have smart, simple tips for feeling good from the inside out. 

So, anyway, the author's jeans were $11.97, $79.90, $158, $158, $167, and $220. I was gobsmacked at those prices! In her defense, the author did say that some of the ones she had listed were expensive, but she also said that she had a couple of steals. But still, there was only one pair of jeans that was under $50! Seriously, does she consider $80 for a pair of jeans a steal? Is this the status quo? Am I the one who is way off base?

I know that I don't spend a whole lot of money on clothes. I tend to buy something when it's on sale, and I try, whenever I can, to get the best deal that I can. I don't shop in high-end boutiques, and I'll buy clothes at thrift stores, and so on. But I also tend to have expensive taste. 

Sometimes, and unfortunately for my pocket book, I even have very expensive taste. 

So even though I may buy my clothes cheaply, my clothes aren't cheap. I'm not saying that I have all designer brands, because a lot of my clothes are from discount stores. But discount clothes can be made well.* Just because something is cheap, doesn't mean that it is necessarily of an inferior quality. I'm also not about to sacrifice fit or comfort in my clothes for the sake of saving a couple of dollars. And whereas you can sometimes save money by buying cheaper quality clothes, that's not true for jeans. I simply wear them too often to not have comfortable, nice-looking jeans that are not going to hold up. 

That being said, I don't think that I've ever paid paid more than $30 for a pair of jeans. And I don't think that I could ever -- no matter how well they fit -- pay more than $50. There are just too many alternatives that fit me well and are not expensive, and they are jeans, for crying out loud!  

You be the judge. Are my jeans fabulous? or are they frumpy and ill-fitting? I think these were $39.50 (plus it was a buy one, get one at half off).


*I sewed a lot of my own clothes when I was growing up, so I can tell if a dress or a shirt is made well. And sometimes you don't need something that is going to last forever, sometimes you just need an item that will serve your purpose.

shirt -- Cherokee (thrifted)

jeans -- Morgan (Delia*s)

shoes -- Dansko (outlet)

belt -- handmade in Guatemala (thrifted)

Some more goofy pictures -- just having fun. 

What Fun

Thursday, March 3, 2011

I can't get over how much fun it is to have my picture taken. And I can't believe that I am saying that! I was somebody who avoided and shunned the camera -- I was terrified of it. I never knew how to stand to bring out my good side -- if I even had a good side. I never liked my pictures after they were taken, and even when I thought a picture came out halfway decent, I would analyze it to death and figure out something that I could criticize and not like about the picture.

One result of that fear and hatred of the camera is that I have very few pictures of myself over the years. I can live with not having a photo journey of me getting older. But what I do regret is that there are very few pictures of me with my kids as they were growing up. How I wish there were some of those poignant mother-child shots of my kids and me over the years. I have one that I positively treasure, and it was snapped by a stranger in an airport. 

Eliminating this fear of the camera was one of the reasons why I started this whole adventure. I wanted to be comfortable in my own skin, and I thought that by taking pictures day after day, I would have a better idea of what works on me, what I like, and what I don't like. And you know? It's working. I am liking the camera more and more. It's so much fun! 

I wonder if the kids growing up today, with all the multimedia that they are exposed to in the course of their lifetime, will have that fear of the camera that I had, and I wonder how it will affect their self-esteem.

sweater -- Charter Club (thrifted)

pants -- London Jean (Victoria's Secret)

shoes -- Thom McAn (Kmart)

We also had time today to restage the pictures with the colored tights using some of the suggestions I received. I think the boots were much better, but I think that I am still liking the belt, which almost everybody said I should ditch. I even experimented with another color -- a darker shade. I think that I like the darker color better, but honestly? I'm still sitting on that fence.

And here are some more of those fun pictures!

And Today a Zebra

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Yesterday I looked like an Easter egg, so today I thought I would tone it down a bit, and dress a little more conservatively in black and white. I'm not sure that I succeeded in toning "it" down all that well though -- I think the zebra stripes on my skirt jazzed up what would have been a conservative look had the dress been a plain black. Oh, but did I ever feel good in this outfit.

sweater -- Gap

camisole -- Vassarette (Kmart)

skirt -- Express (thrifted)

tights -- Leggs / shoes -- Steve Madden (DSW)

Here's a close-up of my shoes. I think they're very pretty, and they definitely don't look like witch shoes.

I don't know what's gotten into me lately when it comes to shoes. All of a sudden, I can't get enough shoes. I love shoes -- I adore shoes. I can't go into a shoe store or, for that matter, into any store that sells shoes because I can't resist buying a pair. And not just one pair -- I end up buying multiple pairs! And these impulses are not relegated to shoes only -- I've also been buying boots. Luckily, there's been some amazing sales! Do you think that I can get away with blaming this new footwear obsession on menopause? 

What surprises me though is that the guys -- I work with almost all guys -- seem to notice my shoes much more than my clothes (and I've been wearing what is considered to be kind of crazy, attention-getting outfits for my office). I even jokingly said that it was no surprise that I wasn't married, I had been concentrating on the wrong thing all these years. I always thought that the way to a guy's heart was through his stomach. Nobody told me that it was my shoes that would get a guy! I probably should have known though -- after all, that's how Prince Charming found Cinderella.

At Me or With Me?

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Did you ever wonder if somebody was laughing at you or with you? Today was one of those days. Walking around the building at work, I kept getting little smiles when people saw me, and I'm sure it was because of the way I was dressed. Honestly? I did look a bit like an Easter egg. 

I wasn't sure if I was making people smile in a nice way (you know, the way you smile when you see something you like or just kind of brightens your day) or if they were kind of snickering to themselves (in that mean way that people have when they think they are better than you). There was a time when I would have never dressed like I am now because I was too worried about drawing attention to myself  and way too worried about what people would think of me. Those fears have dictated a lot of my behavior for too much of my life. But, you know what? I must be growing a little immune to having those nasty little smiles and snide comments affect me in a negative way. Today, I felt like I was the one with the inside joke. 

I'm still trying to figure out the colored tights thing. Today, I thought that I had the look right -- until I saw the pictures. And now I'm bummed because I still don't think that I hit it right -- hit it right for me, that is. And I'm still not sure what it is that I don't like. 

Is my skirt too short? Am I wearing the wrong shoes? Does the color make my legs look fat? Was my skirt the wrong color? Maybe there was just too much purple? Maybe the colors were just too matchy match? My worst* fear, though, is that this look may just not be for me? AGGGH!

*I say worst of all -- because I like this look, and I want to be able to wear it! And rock it, not just look like a dressed-up Easter egg!

 

tank -- Old Navy / shirt -- Izod 

skirt -- Catalina

belt -- Levis (thrifted)

tights -- xhilaration (Target) / shoes --Thom McAn

Regardless, I'm still pretty proud of myself for wearing this today. I haven't seen one other woman in my building (six floors) wear colored or even patterned tights. And even though I still don't think that I've nailed this look, it was still a happy look, and I don't regret having tried it.

And there were elements that I really liked about this outfit, so it wasn't a complete fail. I loved my pink-and-white rhinestone-studded flower pin, which I got in a bag of thrifted jewelry. 

Once again, I was inspired by Iman at Mishaps and Miracles for showing me how these pins could be fun to wear. 

I also liked the tacky (by some standards) iridescent fuchsia bracelet that I wore (there is a matching green and blue one as well). I found them when I was going through all the boxes of play jewelry that my daughters had to play dress up in. Since I found those bracelets, I find that I pull them out to wear over and over again -- they have become a warm fuzzy. 

The best thing about my outfit though? -- was probably how I styled my shirt -- wearing it unbuttoned with a belt. That was different, and how I saw somebody else wear it (Note to self: find that picture). I wore the same shirt another way -- untucked and underneath a sweater. 
 

 

Here is another way that I wore the tights.