Back From the Dead

Gap dress, Old Navy sleeveless trench vest, Target necklace, wedges from Walmart

I spent all of Wednesday and half of Thursday in my pajamas and glasses being completely useless. I surfed the internet, watched TV, and played with Angus and Charles. I didn't do anything productive, mentally or physically challenging.  I started to feel like a degenerate after about 36 hours, so I finally got dressed and decided to buy some groceries. I had eaten everything delicious in my fridge and had resorted to consuming mass quantities of liquor for my calorie intake.

Even though I was a total slob and would die if anyone ever saw me like that (even Matt), I wouldn't take it back. Sometimes, it's nice to take a step back from reality and spend some time completely alone. With that being said, I sure am glad Matt is coming home from his family vacation tonight.

Domestic Distractions

thrifted shirt, Gap skirt, Banana Republic wedges, vintage scarf

So far, I've kept up with my resolutions to start exercising and stop shopping. I know it's only been a week since I've started jogging, but it's already been about three weeks since I've bought an article of clothing. I'm not lying when I say that's an accomplishment for me. If you know me at all, you know that I'm a shopper at heart. I'm just trying to stay busy so that I don't even have time to think about shopping. It was easy this past weekend because we were out of town, but it's been harder to keep my mind off it since we got back.

All I can think about is the Goodwill Blue Hanger outlet and those huge bins filled to the brim with treasures for me to find. It's kind of a problem.

I kept myself occupied yesterday evening by convincing my boyfriend to help me finally put away our Christmas tree and clean out our extra closet. Then, I cooked dinner and folded the laundry. If domesticity is the only thing keeping me from shopping, I'm all for it.

Back to the Grind

thrifted top, skirt, and necklace, Gap denim jacket, Banana Republic wedges,

This post disappeared and deleted what I'd written. Here it is again!

Stripes & Florals

Gap tank top, thrifted skirt, Bakers sandals, Forever 21 necklace

This outfit is my second attempt at dressing in patterns rather than my usual solids. The tank top was one of my final purchases with my Gap discount and I can definitely see myself remixing it a lot this summer. It's a basic and neutral piece, but the stripes make it a little more interesting. This was the perfect, comfortable outfit for a day off before I started my new job.

My first day at Texas Monthly was awesome. It was pretty short, but I spent the few hours that I was there organizing and getting ready to actually start fact-checking today. I was so excited to find out that I have my own office with a desk, computer and phone. I'm super pumped to decorate! I'm taking a couple of things to spruce up my office and I'll be sure to post pictures soon. In the meantime, here's a quick peek at the project I'll be working on for the next two months.

 I'll be sure to post outfit photos from my first day of work tomorrow!

Bright & Shiny

thrifted skirt, Forever 21 top, Old Navy sleeveless trench coat,
belt from Wish (closed), earrings from Target, Banana Republic flats

This outfit was my latest attempt at being more creative with the clothes already in my closet. I don't think I've ever thought to wear this top and skirt together before, but it just made sense while I was getting ready for work at 7 a.m. yesterday morning. It was slightly chilly outside, so I threw on this sleeveless trench coat for an extra layer. Finally, I added sparkly earrings and shoes and voila, I have a bright, springtime outfit!

Wishful Thinking

Gap sweater and jeans, thrifted vintage blouse from Goodwill, Zara wedges

Let's pretend for a moment that I'm not a recent graduate, broke, and in debt because I want to talk about all the awesome shopping that's happening here in Austin this weekend. Two of my favorite shopping events are going on this Saturday and Sunday—Le Garage Sale and the City-Wide Garage Sale. It's too bad (but good for my wallet) that I'm working all weekend or else I'd be at both sales on both days. If you'll be in town and don't have any plans for the weekend, please go to these sales so I can live vicariously through you. Now, allow me to tell you a little bit about them.

If you're a fan of shopping at local, independent Austin businesses, Le Garage sale is for you. Tons of local boutiques and stores (including Dog and Pony, Kendra Scott, Langford Market, Goodie Two Shoes, Strut, and so many more) get together in the Austin Convention Center to sell their awesome items at lower-than-normal prices. It's a great way to be introduced to all the great local businesses Austin has in one single place.

If you're a fan of buying antiques, vintage clothing and accessories, and unique knickknacks, the City-Wide Garage Sale is for you. Local vendors set up booths in the Palmer Events Center to sell their vintage collectibles for much lower prices than what you'd pay in a brick and mortar vintage store. The last time I went, I got some amazing vintage jewelry for very cheap and my best friend, Jackie, bought two beautiful vintage dresses for $8. Tip: If you print out a copy of the Vintage Around Town Guide, you can get in for free!

Did I distract you long enough to make you forget I wore almost this exact same outfit not too long ago?

Personal Style

thrifted vintage skirt and Nine West wedges from the Goodwill Blue Hanger outlet,
Gap shirt, thrifted belt from Goodwill, Forever 21 necklace  

This outfit is the perfect representation of my style. It's feminine, yet casual and includes something from all the different places I like to shop. I often wear a combination of thrifted and/or vintage pieces and items from my retail guilty pleasures like Gap or Forever 21. I like when I wear outfits that perfectly represent me, especially when it's not planned. It's a really good way for me to understand and define my own style. Having a blog definitely helps, but it's always interesting to look back at the outfits I wore two month ago and already forgot about.

By the way, this will be the last post with me wearing my glasses. After a whole week, I'm finally able to wear my contacts again. I was getting tired of having to push my glasses up my nose whenever I bent down and not having any peripheral vision.

Now, on to the more exciting news...I was featured in The Daily Texan last week! I helped my good friend, Jessica, out with her article, Locals give winter wardrobe advice, by giving her my tips for dressing for the bipolar Texas winters. She also asked me to be the model for the article, to which I gladly obliged. The online article looks great, but the printed version was even better because they had a full-body shot of my outfit. I have 10 copies, so I'm tempted to cut myself out like a paper doll or make a bookmark for my boyfriend. Stay tuned for a DIY...

I have to thank Jessica again for such a fabulous article. She recently started her own blog, Sparkle & Stripes, and I highly suggest that you check it out. She's got a really great sense of style and the cutest eyeglasses ever.

I Have a Job!

Gap corduroy pants, Gap leather jacket from Buffalo Exchange, thrifted striped shirt,
thrifted Nine West wedges, estate sale necklace gifted by my step-mom 

I'm a working woman again! I got my old job at Gap back and although it's not what I thought I'd be doing after graduating college, at least I'm making money. This outfit was what I wore for my first day back on the sales floor. I wanted to wear something from Gap for good luck and these pants were perfect to pull on when I was called in with less than 30 minutes to get ready and be at the store. Even though it's been about a year and half since I'd worked there, it's all coming back pretty quickly. It's a fun job because (duh) I love Gap and the store is in a great location right next to Central Market. I forgot how much I loved walking around there during my breaks. Free samples of fancy cheese and crusty bread? Yes, please!

I'm only working at Gap part-time, so I'm still looking for something else to fill my time and make enough money to pay my half of the rent and bills. I have another interview tomorrow, so wish me luck!

Gone with the Wind

thrifted skirt from Goodwill Blue Hanger, blouse from Goodwill,
Montego Bay wedges from Payless

I used to be so sure that dresses were my absolute favorite thing to wear, but I've noticed that I've been buying and wearing more skirts lately. It's really easy to keep track of my favorite clothing items since I document my outfits about four times a week for this blog.

I especially like this skirt because a) it was .50 cents, b) it's such a pretty color, and c) it's light and flowy. The light and flowy part is usually a good thing, but not when there are 25 mph winds outside. Then, the skirt is just annoying! I had a heck of a time trying to keep it down. I did, however, make use of the wind for these pictures. It did cool things to my skirt. But seriously, I really need to start checking the weather before I leave in the morning. After months of wearing the least amount of layers possible, it's going to be hard to break the habit.

Pink Stripes

thrifted sleeveless top from Goodwill Blue Hanger, pants from Old Navy,
 Montego Bay wedges from Payless, Kenneth Cole watch

I thrifted some awesome stuff from the Goodwill Blue Hanger outlet last week. I only spent $12 for 8 pounds of clothing! AMAZING!!! Thrifting at the Goodwill outlet has become one of my latest obsessions. I get a thrill from finding a random awesome top like this one that only cost .50 cents among the piles of clothes. This isn't even the best thing I found that day. I also bought an amazing black blazer with rhinestones, five dresses (including a vintage 1950s floral halter dress and a Betsy Johnson skirt/top set!), a gold-threaded vintage skirt, and two t-shirts, including an awesome vintage Texas pride t-shirt. I can't wait to show you everything I bought! I have a feeling everything will be on the blog sometime this week.

This Skirt Makes Me Smile

I hope you're happy. I purposely chose an outfit that didn't revolve around The Vest. I even took pictures outside for you guys! The blank white wall in the bedroom has become a little monotonous, so I moved...to a wall outside. I know it get's boring seeing the same background, so I wanted to change it up even it if was just a little different. I have to be honest, I forgot how awkward it is to take pictures in the middle of an apartment complex all alone with the self-timer. I'll do it for y'all though. Just don't make me regret it!

thrifted skirt from Goodwill Blue Hanger, Gap shirt, Forever 21 belt, and Zara flats