Closet Torture: Joining the 30 for 30 Challenge of Kendi Everyday

This is a last minute decision on my part, but I am so inspired by everyone else joining I have to do it too. It looks like fun!
 Wow! I had no idea when I got home today I would work harder on choosing 30 items for the next 30 days than I did ALL DAY at my real job! I had to make choices > 

What I wore today > see the Hurricane sign? Warning of what my bedroom would become!!

Blogger Community: Supporting One Another @TheCoveted

This is not the post I had planned for the day. In fact, I didn't plan to say anything about this on my blog at all. I first read about THIS issue a couple days ago on Signature9 and it has stuck with me and festered in my brain. Then today I was multi-tasking at work and saw MORE about it by the VICTIM of the theft. Even then I did not know that the Fashion Muse would be directing me to blog about it. (Photo Essay ahead - sorta)

Fashionable Shopping: Fashion Sisters Take Carytown

Yesterday I posted about the great stuff we found while out shopping. Today you get the post about what we wore to take the town by storm.


In between all the shopping we paused in front of the historic Byrd Theater to take our outfit photos. While this was happening, a stylish young man walked up and lingered. I instructed Tiff to snap his photo since she had the camera. 
Check him out:

I really liked his hat and shoes, paired with his cockiness. He really was intrigued with our outfits. 

Sunday Shopping For Weekday Fashion

My fashion sister Tiffany and I decided that Sunday afternoon was a good day to visit the thrift, vintage, and consignment shops in Carytown - despite the cold temperatures. 

Located near the Fan, the district is known for having a Bohemian flair. The area has thrived as a center for high-end, independent retail shops and boutiques, and is also home to one of the city's most beloved institutions, the Byrd Theater, a restored movie palace that has operated continuously since 1928 and shows second-run films for a famous $2 ticket price. The district includes over 300 shops, restaurants, and offices. > photo and information from http://www.onesouthcommercial.com/carytown.cfm

Fashion Decisions: The Difference a Jacket Makes

Friday in my office is Casual Day. We wear jeans, tshirts, trainers - it is very relaxed. I wear jeans but not trainers. Personal choice - I just can't do it. So this morning, happy it is Friday, I pulled on my jeans and one of my favorite long sleeve t-shirts. I put my socks on over my jeans and my Mix No6 boots and looked in the mirror. 

My reflection looked back at me as if to say, "You run a fashion blog? Really?" 

Constructing an Outfit: An Uninspired Day

When I awoke and looked in my closet this morning I was completely uninspired. The Fashion Muse was still abed and refused to speak to me. I was left to my own devices to put together an outfit. 

All Aboard: Steampunk Style

Chris volunteered to be my photographer over the weekend while we ran errands. My outfit inspired his choice of location for the photos. He said, "Your outfit just says "steampunk" to me and you need an industrial, ironworks or steel type of location." So he chose historic Main Street Station in downtown Richmond, VA. 

Photo courtesy US Library of Congress > 1910

Fair warning: Photo heavy post, may load slowly

Fashion Prey: The Woodsman Shoots

Previously on Vogue Inspired Fashion for the Real World, I featured the Woodsman. Once he wrangled the camera away from me, he shot me! Here are the results of his "hunting" expedition:

Pattern Mixer: The Woodsman

Today my sweet husband agreed to do a photoshoot with me instead of watching Sunday football. He is so good that way - I am a lucky woman. I liked the way he mixed his patterns so much, the photographer became the subject!

On The Ball: An Old "New" Skirt

Right after my trip to Potomac Mills I performed a major closet clean out and re-organize. Many items were removed and set aside to go to our local thrift store. Some items I passed to my daughter and some were simply sent to the archives. The archives is a place where I keep items that will "come back around" because of rotating trends. The store I donate items to is called "Thrift for Life," a non-profit whose proceeds go to the Massey Cancer Center at the Medical College of Virginia. This is also where I purchase most of my "finds" - guilt-free shopping. Just before Christmas, Darling Husband took all my donations to them for me. One less thing for me to do during the busy holiday season - points to him. 
Earlier this week I was shopping there to see what I might find, and I did a double-take. There on one of the displays hung My skirt. 
My skirt, that I had never worn. My skirt, that I was certain I had offered to my daughter and then put in the archives. My skirt, that I had never removed the original store tag. What in the world??? The only discrepancy was the size written on the store's sale tag. I bought that skirt about 6 years ago so my memory of the size could be wrong. As I looked at it, I had a flash of inspiration from the Fashion Muse as to how I could style that skirt, which I had come to think was too short once I bought it. Now I had to get home and find my skirt or accept the fact that it had been accidentally given away. 
First stop - daughter's room = no skirt. Second stop - my closet = no skirt. Third stop - occasional closet = no skirt. Last possible place - attic archive = SCORE! Phew - what a relief! 
Now, patient readers, here are the photos of what I did with my Old new skirt.

I bought this skirt at Express and bought the cute little jacket that matched. The jacket I have worn many times. The skirt - I never even removed the tags.

Having a teenage son is very beneficial. He took the photos for me and I borrowed his wool coat that I bought for him this season from the men's side of XXI Forever.  

For this outfit I cuffed the raspberry boots to go with the raspberry turtleneck. The knit newsboy is from Macy's circa 2006. 

I finally made it on the ball!! 

So blustery cold during this photoshoot - it blew the color out!!

Have you ever bought anything that sat in your closet forever before you figured out how to wear it? 

Tell me a story...

White Out: It's All About The Boots!

Yesterday I finally received the boots I ordered from Urban Originals. I say finally  because once I have paid for something I WANT IT!! On Tuesday, Mr. UPSman was my friend and lovingly placed the package of my longing on the front steps. Truth be told, once I got the box out of the UPS envelope its condition was questionable and I was quite afraid. It appeared as though all of Santa's reindeer and his entire troop of elves had mercilessly trampled it!! 


Never fear > no boots were harmed in the delivery. 

Do you want to see? 

Kristy Elena: really?! me?! YAY!!

really?! me?! YAY!!

KristyElena WON and she is Officially Full-Time Fabulous!!

Congratulations to Kristy - she deserved this all the way. I am so excited and happy for her!!

Tweet this post to show Kristy some love, support and CONGRATS for winning!!

Back in Black: On the Wild Side

The last couple posts have been about averting black and other staple colors. Boy, am I glad that is over! It was a relief to get back in black (AC/DC ref) to go out shopping to the mall with my daughter. We brought one little dog with us. She loves the camera!

Kristy: this shot is for you

Styling Outside My Closet Box: Dancing with Myself

Wednesday I met the challenge of going "blackless" and while doing so, was challenged further to get outside my usual color scheme. I accepted that challenge and challenged myself further to perform my first ever self-photo shoot. Here are the results:

"Blackless" Dress: The Challenge

Tuesday I was reading my favorite blogs and when I came to StyleUnderdog, I was inspired - nay, challenged. Her post (accessible HERE) mentioned her goal for the day to not wear black. Black invades my outfit everyday so I decided to challenge myself to not wear black on Wednesday. So I went with this outfit:

Disclaimer: Handbags don't count

Sweaterdress Questions

Today the question was posed to me by a friend:
"How does one wear a sweaterdress  without the lumps and bumps of tights around the waist showing? Are skinny girls the only ones who can wear them?"

Here are my tips and tricks for maintaining relatively smooth lines while wearing a sweaterdress. 

Winter Short: Take a Chance

All over blogs and other fashion sites this Fall and Winter I have seen women wearing shorts in the winter. I have seen this in colder climes as well as the warmer areas. My first reaction was that it seemed somewhat silly to wear shorts in the wintertime. So I eschewed this particular trend initially. Since then it has grown on me. 

2011: A Leopard Can't Change Its Spots?

So the New Year is here. Resolutions are not my usual practice. That "spot" I will not even begin to try to change. 

The journey into 2011 begins: