Mes Lunettes Folles

I'm Back!

2012-01-26T21:18:00.002-05:00

sort of - follow my new venture over at http://allisaccoutrements.blogspot.com/

Also, if you are interested in my professional writing, head on over to http://www.xojane.com - it's the new site of Jane Pratt - founder of Sassy & Jane Magazines. You can see all of my writing by viewing my author profile: http://www.xojane.com/author/alli

The Last Post

2011-04-02T18:43:00.000-04:00

After an interesting and tumultous last few months I've made the difficult, but needed, decision, to close this blog. I won't be abandoning blogging entirely, but after certain recent events, I've really had to reevaluate my life, my priorities, and my own thinking. I've enjoyed this blog at times, but the truth is, I've started to feel like I'm losing my voice and my focus here. I'll be restarting eventually with a new blog. I'll still be discussing green fashion once in awhile, but I'd rather have a place where I can write more about what's relevant to my industry, my career, and my life's current priorities.

I really appreciate the amazing friendships and connections I've been able to make via this blog the last few years.

Please be sure to keep in touch - if you're on twitter you can find me easily @HMXThrasher.

All the best,

Alli

I'm Still Here (kind of)

2011-03-03T14:29:00.000-05:00

I haven't abandoned blogging .. though it may look that way. Just currently recovering - from a variety of circumstances and incidents.

In the meantime, here are a few things you should read and slash or check out.

First, I interviewed Kirby Bits, aka Courtney forever ago for Bold And Blogging. Shortly after we met, things blew up around Ms. Bits. I'll be transcribing our chat once I'm slightly more on my game/feet, but in the meantime, check out this great piece and interview with her in the Boston Phoenix, here.

I learned, via one of my favorite blogs, Beckerman Bite Plate, that DVF is re-launching some of her most inspired and iconic vintage patterns and dresses. You can browse the selections here.

PAX East is upon us. If you're inclined to go, I'm speaking on a shitload of panels. Find out where/when here:
http://www.paxsite.com/paxeast/index.php

Also, Rogue Burlesque's Lucky 13 Competition is next week! Bummed I can't compete (stupid injuries) but I know there's lots and lots of excellence on the table. You should go!

And finally, I've learned, very happily, in the last dozen days, that I have the most amazing support system built around me here in Boston. I knew my adopted city was the place I called "home" but I never really realized how thankful I am to be here until recently. Lots of amazing friends, loves, and acquaintances, have done a great deal to help me get through what was a bit of a tough break. Silver linings, huzzah!*

**the recent stress doesn't have anything to do w/employment for fellow gaming bloggy friends. I am safely employed (and w/a new job) - everything recent has been due to outside of work happenings.

Swappin' & Hoppin'

2011-02-04T18:49:00.000-05:00

Lord almighty I am behind on blog posts...For a variety of reasons I've been on an internet break lately. Most of them fabulously positive (new haircut, new job, new other things!), some not so much (to be covered later).

But I did have time to attend National Swap Day a few weeks back (full post coming soon - oh how belated) during which I was shocked to find this little short sleeved sweater dress left, so lonely, at the end of a table after the big rush of swappers came through. I thought it was adorable and was happy to give it a home. I've actually worn it twice now (hooray)!

Here's a quick photo set along with a terrible shot of my awesome new haircut (it's an asymetric bob w/a more badass version of the Chelsea) - I'm still figuring out how to style it.

Have a great weekend world!

In real life it does not look like I have thinning hair. It looks like I watched too much Tank Girl and got a haircut...which is sort of what happened ...

PS - in the world of local business love and fun happenings, be sure to check out Bitches of Destiny's Valentine's Show:

Reblogging: An Amazing Post From Jhameia.Tumblr.Com

2011-01-25T14:11:00.000-05:00

Coming into a feminist conversation with, “Have you considered that sometimes women acquire free drinks at bars?” is like walking into graduate school during Philosophy finals and saying, “Have you considered that the color blue that I see may not be the color blue that you see?”

Read the full post here.

Friend Friday: A Question of Authenticity....

2011-01-21T16:34:00.001-05:00

I was contemplating passing up this week's Friend Friday because I've been so sick all week but thought better about it after rallying to attend the Swap Day event last night.

This week's set of questions is a bit deeper than usual, inspired by an interview Katy of Modly Chic did with a local researcher. The same researcher interviewed me earlier in the project and we spent a massive amount of time discussing the topic of authenticity. I'll be the first to admit that part of my struggle with this very blog was feeling, for a very long time, that I was potentially being disingenuous with the way that I was posting. (I've covered some of this before). There are still parts of my identity/personality that are left off the blog, but I think I've been better, especially lately, about using a more authentic, open, proper, voice.

Here's a quick round up of this week's questions and my short, fever pitched, answers:

1. Most readers and fellow fashion bloggers value authenticity in the blogs they read. How would you describe blog/blogger authenticity?

Being able to tell that the blogger is writing in their own voice is huge for me. I think blogs that are sponsored are especially slippery slopes when it comes to authenticity because it's easy to fall into the trap of marketing-speech. The blogs that I enjoy the most are the ones where the blogger isn't afraid to write about having a bad day, or what's going on in their personal life (though that's not necessarily required), or just why it is that they love a particular article of clothing. Being able to tell that the blogger is a real person, and not just a personality, is key. Great examples that comes to mind are Julie from Orchid Grey, Elizabeth of Delightfully Tacky, and Kaelah from Little Chief Honeybee.

2. When it comes to your blog how do you infuse it with that true/authentic feeling?

I'm still trying, honestly. I think for me, the last few months, injecting some of the personal, talking about my relationships for example, or why it is that second-hand shopping and vegan clothing are important to me.

3. Have you stopped following a blog in the last three months? What made you lose interest?

Not in the last three months, but in the last year, yes. There were a few that I stopped following because they became so obsessed with c/of items and sponsorships that the blog I loved to follow started to read like a catalog for ModCloth. I'm all for supporting yourself with a blog, but when your own voice disappears, I'm out of there. (There are blogs w/sponsorships, for MC, or other larger companies, who do a great job of balancing their own voice with that of the sponsors - I think theGlamourai is a great example).

4. We can't communicate effectively on our blogs, something we don't live in real life... what are some ways you try to live an authentic life?

I generally have a policy in real life of being honest without being cruel. I also, never type out something online that I wouldn't feel comfortable, or ok, about saying directly to someone's face.

In other areas of my life I try to be authentic by being open and honest about who I am. In the past year, off of blogging time, this has involved being genuine with some of my friends about who/how I date (most people assumed I was a prototypical straight girl, I finally got comfortable with correcting people - but that's for another blog post).

5. Give a shout-out... Which bloggers do you think are truly genuine and why?

See above recommendations!

Also, anyone who has a spot in my blog roll or has been featured in a Bold & Blogging post.

And now, some music. This has been in my head all week...and it's helping somewhat with the winter sickness/fevers/doldrums...

As a reminder, here's the link to this week's questions, answers, and a round up of how to get involved. Check Modly Chic.

National Swap Day is Here!

2011-01-17T12:21:00.000-05:00

National Swap Day is on January 22nd!

If you're in the Boston area come join in the festivities at The Swapaholics' Exchange Your Ways event onArts at the Armory in Somerville, MA January 20 at

You can buy tickets here. I'll be "curating" the gaming section of the Swap. Please feel free to use my code, "HARMONIX" if you'd like a discount on your own ticket to the event.

Hope to see you there!

FBFF: What To Wear, What To Wear?

2011-01-14T10:27:00.000-05:00

Wow, I am really getting down to the wire with the FBFF posts in the New Year. As with last week I'm typing this out late late Friday morning before I start work. Luckily though there's not a lot of thought I need to put into this one because, strangely, I get asked these questions a lot!

So let's get to it then. As always, Katy's responses, and the links to all of the FBFF participant responses are over on Modly Chic.

1. How do you determine what you will wear that day?

Nine times out of ten I don't. Last week the person that I've been seeing was in my apartment and got to witness the frenetic process that is me getting dressed. They commented, "oh, that's how you do it," and elaborated that I "seem to just throw on bit by bit, piece by piece, until something sticks and works" (which I found flattering since that's how this particular person had described their artistic process). So go me.

I will say that when I moved to the new place I got a set of nice, slimline, hangers that can daisy chain against each other so I tend to hang like things up together which makes getting dressed easier.

Some days it totally works. See here. And somedays it doesn't so much...

See this example...(the keyboard player is me...eeesh).

2. Do you plan outfits out in advance for a whole week, month, weekend?

Not really. If I do plan, say for an event or party, I plan several variations so I can go with whatever suits my mood at the time, or the weather. I've even, on occasion, bought two different outfits to a single party to better match what the other guests may be sporting.

3. Do you have any specific way of tracking outfits and items already worn so you don't repeat?

The giant laundry basket that I hide in the corner of my bath/dressing room. Seriously.
Anything dirty gets tossed in (obviously) - anything that can get a second wear but needs an airing out is laid flat, hung, or folded, on a small ottoman next to the basket. About once a week I'll hang stuff to air out or move it to the back of the closet.

Stuff that I know I want to wear in the upcoming week gets laid out on a chair in my bedroom so that it's always eye-ready and set to be tossed on.

4. How do you discover new combinations of items in your closet? (Trial try-ons? Hanging items together?

This again goes to the whole "just start piling it on till it works/looks good." Lots of trial and error in a frantic, fast paced, 15 minute morning routine.

5. To streamline the process for 2011 what is one new thing you can do to cut down your dressing time?

I am cleaning out my wardrobe. There are just way way too many options. I'm planning on getting rid of most of what's in my storage bins, a lot of what's hanging, and anything not fully practical or worn and building back up from scratch...it's the year of the purge!

Ladies' Night (first outfit post of 2011)

2011-01-09T15:25:00.000-05:00

Astonishing isn't it, how fast a decade can pass between friends? I feel as if I stepped through the door of my college dorm room just yesterday. The memories from back then are clear as a bell - especially the ones I have of my friend Aimee, my neighbor freshman year, sneaking into my room, running around the hallway, or helping me try to sneak our guy friends into our ladies' only dorm.

Emerson wrote, "It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them," and I couldn't agree more, especially when it comes to the group of women I had so many adventures with during the formative years of my young adult hood.

Aimee & I "protecting" our identities

Though we all live very different lives now, and may go long stretches without seeing or speaking to each other, when we get together it's as if we'd been together only the day before. We have each others' backs too - when I went through my breakup over the summer I called Aimee and her husband Jeff (they met at our college orientation), in tears one night. Before I could even protest, or insist that I was "really fine," the two of them were in the car, traveling from the suburbs in the middle of the night, to "rescue me" and help get my mind off of things for the weekend. And that's how things have gone for the last 10 years.

Sipping our "signature" shot. It has an impolite name I can't type out here and an even less polite toast to accompany it.

While it gets trickier and trickier with families, jobs, and distance, we try to get most of our gaggle of lady friends together a few times a year for a night out. Yesterday, after tons and tons of planning, navigating, and a few hiccups, we finally got five of us together. The night took us on quite a few adventures - we sipped classy cocktails, hit a bro-dude pub for football and dinner, stormed a karaoke night (and schooled some youngsters on the canon of one Mr. Vanilla Ice), and scarfed down some hot dogs/veggie dogs at 1am...it's just like college, only now we have bank accounts, real jobs, and people waiting for us at home, hahaha.

I snapped a few photos to kick off some outfit posts for 2011 - they're shot with a phone, but worth capturing nonetheless.

Skirt: Express, second-hand from a Swapaholics event

Tee: Bayside band tee

Socks: Betsey Johnson retro face screened socks

Boots & scarf: UO

"What a wretched lot of old shrivelled creatures we shall be by-and-by. Never mind - the uglier we get in the eyes of others, the lovelier we shall be to each other; that has always been my firm faith about friendship."

~George Eliot

Friend Friday: The Return!

2011-01-07T12:09:00.000-05:00

Welcome to 2011! I'm back to blogging and got started with this week's Friend Friday queries. I wasn't going to post this week but the topic of blogger hype (and Katy's aim to break a record) drew me in...I had a few (slightly rushed) things to say.

Check out Modly Chic for Katy's commentary and the full link-up to participant responses too!

1. Have you ever looked at someone's blog and thought yours will never measure up?

Of course! But that hasn’t stopped me from continuing to blog, try to improve, and think of ways to innovate. I think we all experience this in whatever our creative endeavors or outlets might be. The important thing is not letting it get one down but instead taking it as an example of something to strive for.

2. Do you (did you) feel pressure to meet some kind of undefined standard for fashion bloggers?

Honestly I used to – but – as I started really blogging on a consistent basis I realized that in many ways my blog stood apart from typical OOTD or style blogs anyway. Hence I decided that I should really adhere to my own standards in terms of what I write and the topics I tackle. I do try to follow better standards for photo and video but understanding that those are my weaker points make me all the more motivated to ensure that the words I’m writing are deeper than just typical outfit recaps or collections commentary.

3. Many established fashion bloggers are also extraordinary DIYers, bakers, and crafty people. Do you think you need to combine all of these things to be successful at blogging?

I like that some of my favorite bloggers have more depth to them than just their style aesthetic. While it’s not a necessity to combine all of these (some of the most commercial blogs I’ve visited are literally nothing more than OOTD entries), I think it’s a natural coincidence that a lot of bloggers who are innovative and creative with their clothing and appearance would be so in other ways as well.

4. The most successful blogs are the ones that have their own personal voice - how are you developing your voice or how did you find yours?

Mine is constantly in development. Part of my motto for 2011 is to be more my authentic self – that means being a little more brash, ballsy, and less polite than I’ve been previously on the blog. I’m going to do my best not to shy away from topics that I’m passionate about but still be accessible enough that I don’t alienate any of the small handful of readers that I have.

5. Toot your own horn... what's one thing you do that is unique to you and your blog? What gives your blog an edge?

I think the fact that I’m a long time vegan and activist and that this ethos carries over to every facet of my life. I’ve found other “vegan” or “green” OOTD bloggers around the net but quite frankly most of them are just lip service. I find that some of their blogs just use these tags as ways to drive traffic to their site instead of really espousing what it means to use these elements as the basis for one’s daily wardrobe. (sorry if that came across judgy or egotistical – the trendiness of “green” just bugs me). My unique profession and immersion in geek culture also add a nice bit of quirk to the way I dress, write, and handle fashion and style – and I think this gives me a leg up in some ways. Finally – the fact that I make quite a number of fashion faux pas and never strive for perfection in my personal style (and still showcase it here) is part of what makes MesLunettesFolles my fabulously nerd-sexy space of the interweb.

no FBFF post is complete w/out one silly photo... credit to Becky Pineo of Improv Boston

Bold & Blogging (5): Amanda of The Upside of Wonder

2011-01-05T17:46:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first B&B piece of 2011! Amanda reached out to me after one of the first Bold & Blogging posts and introduced me to her glorious little space on the interwebz, The Upside of Wonder.

I took a peak and was hooked - I love Amanda's adorably humble tone, chic sensibilities, and that she also runs a pretty kick ass vintage store while keeping up with her blogging and other responsibilities. She was kind enough to catch up with me via email to talk about the genesis of her blog, our mutual affinity for crazy sweaters, vintage clothing, and what she's learned after her first year of serious blogging. Read on:

(All photos are c/o The Upside of Wonder)

How do you define boldness?

I define boldness as having the courage to dream. A lot of people think boldness means going after what you want, but I think it’s underestimated how much bravery is required to even believe you can do those things in the first place. How many of us are willing to open our hearts up and let our imagination run wild, even if for a moment? How many people are willing to get their hopes up? Sometimes we are all too ready to shut ourselves off to an idea if there is a chance of failure. It takes real boldness to let your heart and mind form a dream and run away with it.

Where does the title, "The Upside of Wonder" come from?

“The Upside of Wonder” is just one of those things that popped into my head a long time ago. As people get older, the wonder and curiosity that we have as children takes a back seat, if not disappears altogether, in the name of practicality. It’s always nice to remember, though, that there is an upside to keeping that wonder with us all through life.

You sell vintage and blog (and PS I love that we both have an affinity for crazy 70s sweaters) - how did you get started selling?

I would see some great vintage in thrift stores and end up buying it, even if it wasn’t my size or wasn’t really my style. I decided to put this problem to good use and open a shop! Plus, I like that everything about it stems from my head and my ideas. It’s very empowering.

Why vintage clothing over fast fashion?

I started getting really interested in sewing and fabric and garment construction at the end of last year. This interest in textiles sparked my interest in vintage. Vintage clothing is just so well made, especially when you compare it to today’s clothing! I could buy something from a store like Forever 21 that’ll fall apart as soon as I bring it home, but I could have a garment from the 60s that is still perfectly stitched, despite having been worn a hundred times! It’s just such a good investment, plus the styles keep coming back year after year!

You just hit your one year blog-iversary! What has been the biggest surprise of the last year? The biggest lesson? Biggest accomplishment? Challenge?

The biggest surprise is definitely that people actually read my blog! It’s surprising that I don’t come off as a complete weirdo to some people. The biggest lesson has definitely been in confidence. You would think that it would take the most confidence to post pictures of yourself, but really I’ve found it takes more confidence to write the things I feel in my heart. So that’s how I really try to push myself. I’m not a trendsetter, so I don’t try to be daring and wear something that’s not me. I try to do something that I’ve found takes ten times as much nerve: writing openly and honestly. The biggest accomplishment has been making it to one year! I’m terrible at sticking to things, so I feel like I achieved a lot by doing that haha. And from that I think stems the biggest challenge: sticking with it!

I love that you describe yourself as "awkward" in your blog bio - yet in your photos you look cute as a button and super confident! One of my favorite phrases to describe myself is "awkward a go-go" - how can being quirky or 'awkward' lend itself to being bold?

I can’t put the nail on the head onto how exactly I’m awkward, I just know I am. I tend to blurt out awkward truths (which is why it’s good to think before you speak!) or say things that make other people feel awkward. It all stems from a place of honesty though, and I guess it requires a certain amount of boldness to be able to go there.

Tell us about your studies - you've changed your major from history to biology which is a HUGE step! What lead to this decision and how does it affect, if at all, future plans for your blog? (As a note, I changed my major my senior year of college as well - but didn't take such a huge step).

It doesn’t affect my blog too much actually. I changed my major maybe a month before I started blogging, so I’m used to all of the craziness by now! Although, once I start my upper coursework, blogging may be cut down a lot. But then again, that’s still a year away, so we’ll see how it goes!

You've got one year of blogging under your belt and a host of other accomplishments too - where do you see your blog headed in the future? Do you see yourself still blogging in a year? 5 years? Ten years?

I hope my blog continues to grow in the future, as I continue to grow as a person. It’s a document of my life as well as being a style blog, so I hope I do a good job of recording all of the changes that happen. It’ll be cool to look back in a few years and think “Was I really like that?!” hehe! I really hope to still be blogging in a year, it helps keep a certain balance in my life. If I weren’t, my day-to-day would be consumed with science terminology and tons of school reading. As for five and ten years, I have no idea! As imaginative as I can be, I’ve never been much of a future planner. It would be cool to still blog for that long, but we’ll see what’s in store!

What's your favorite part about being a blogger?

I love all of the people I’ve met. I wish people in real life were as supportive and, for lack of a better term, “real”. It’s great having friends on all different parts of the country (and the world!) who share the same interests and thoughts as you! It’s weird to think I would never have known some of these people if it weren’t for blogging.

How do you balance running your shop, blogging, maintaining sponsorships, and your studies?

Um, very carefully. Actually, I have no idea how I balance it. Sometimes I’m not sure that I do. I have to make a schedule to stick to throughout the semester, or else I’ll be all over the place! It just takes a lot of focus (which I lack most of the time) and a lot of trial and error. Somehow I make it all work out in the end.

Finally, who are the boldest, baddest, raddest, and most excellent people you can think of?

Gavin, Michelle, Leigha, and Kayla are definitely all of those things and much, much more.

Want to learn more about Bold & Blogging? Check out Installment 1 here. Want to be profiled or know someone who is Bold & Blogging? Shoot me a note!

A Year in Review And Some Resolutions...

2011-01-01T13:54:00.000-05:00

I'm off my social media break and after lots of thought I've realized that keeping up with this blog is more important than I realized. I need to blog, in some capacity, and I think staying with the "fashion" community here in Boston goes a long way towards helping me write focused pieces on a regular basis.

That being said though, I've realized that my creative writing is incredibly stagnant because of my reticence to ever share my "art" with other people. So that will change. I'll be posting drafts of material here on the blog periodically during 2011. The goal is that even with first drafts that I'm not especially proud of, I'll get over my fear of putting work out into the world. I've got my fingers crossed that I'll get into a good routine of writing on Sundays and maybe even reworkshopping some old pieces. This way I'll have another bit of regular content on the blog though it will be slightly out of context. But that's alright - in the end this is a personal blog and though it's greater focus in the last year has been on the "style" side of things, I think it's safe to start putting more of my "authentic" self on the internet again.

So blogger resolutions for 2011, just to get it out of the way:

- more regular content
- bring back the "Listen Up" feature that I used to do back in 2008
- get some guts and post some photos
- greater guts to post writing and hold myself accountable to producing personal work during the year

And a few personal resolutions:

- stop drinking so much! When this blog started I was straight edge. Swing forward a few years and I was drinking almost daily and pouring bourbon in my coffee...oops. Not in a Hemingway or Joyce kind of way (hello grad school...). But all things in moderation - and alcohol needs some moderating.
- more writing
- more yoga
- less anxiety - here's to not letting my brain best me in 2011 - the aim of the year is to enjoy things, allow myself to experience my day to day life on an emotional level (I tend to be hyperlogical), and let go when things end and embrace them as they begin.

And now, a quick bit of commentary standing in place of a typical "year in review."

It's very bizarre from where I sit right now in my little apartment...one year ago I was waking up in an old life, feeling generally complacent and lulling myself into being contentedly settled. After what has been described as "a rather big shock" or "trauma" by some of my friends, I woke up to my current reality. Over the summer I let some of my personal life spill onto the blog but never revealed to what extent I'd been crafting that happily domestic persona that filled the bulk of my outfit of the day style posts during the first half of the year. The truth of the matter is, I'd been quite restless for some time. I'm thankful now for what occurred with my breakup. Though it was harsh at the time, and ultimately, as time revealed, a very unkind experience, I wouldn't opt to experience things any differently.

I'm glad that I was startled back into reclaiming myself, my independence, and, quite frankly, some of the more extraverted parts of my personality. Trite as it seems, I've really appreciated the line from Lady Gaga: "Can't sleep with the one who dims my shine." Thought I'll keep the dirty laundry of former parts of my life off of the blog, I can say that as I made my way into the fall I started to accept that in the end, kicking me out of his life was the biggest favor that Himself could have done for me. I don't want to give him any more time on the blog than he is due, but I discovered that I'd devoted more of my life than I should have to someone who I ultimately came to find was an incredibly cruel and dishonest person.

And so I came to the end of the year, and the end of the first year in a new decade, waking up, in a very different place from where I was a year ago. Happily, I know that as 2011 begins I've gotten a lot of my "shine" back. And not to wax too poetic about it, but I woke up this morning, looked around, and felt, confidently, that I was in a space of luster.

I'm starting this year out more firmly rooted in my own values and more satisfied with who I am as a person. I feel far more whole as I am now than I did one year ago when I was devoting large pieces of myself to the vacuum that occupied too much of my life. Over the latter part of 2010, I was able to invest more fully in friendships, new relationships, and in restoring the parts of my life that I'd let slip away. I smashed the rose colored glasses that obscured my vision as last year began. My eyes and heart are open to the experiences waiting for me - good, bad, ugly, amazing - as I go into my second year of this decade. For the first time in longer than I remember I face the coming year with a genuine sense of joy, opportunity, and optimism. My hope is that the sentiment is shared by any of the wonderful people I've come to know through this blog.

So Happy New Year to all of you! If you've posted resolutions or a Year in Review in any way I'd love for you to post a link in the comments. All the best to the amazing folks in blogger land as this year begins...

TIME OUT!

2010-12-21T00:01:00.000-05:00

I'm taking a little bit of a media-vacation from now until the New Year. I've realized that between Twitter, FB, work, and this blog I've been on a bit of a social media overload/binge. To avoid mega-blogger burnout, I'm taking a break from at least the blog and Twitter until 2011.

Back later!

Have a great holiday and a Happy New Year!

~Alli

Bold & Blogging (4): Katy of Modly Chic

2010-12-16T14:38:00.000-05:00

As I experience my own blogger burnout there's one intrepid force that keeps me writing and engaged with the blogging community at large - the Fashion Beauty Friend Friday group that Katy of Modly Chic started. As you may have noticed from my sporadic postings (I promise I'm getting better, for real), I love the #FBFF topics each week. For someone like me who gets a little lost in blogger land they're a great motivator and kick in the pants to get writing. Plus participation in the group reminds me of why it is that I got serious about blogging in the first place.

Although we haven't managed to cross paths in our fair city just yet, I'm happy to know that Katy is among the vibrant and eclectic fashion blogging community here in Boston. We caught up via email and she was kind enough to answer a few of my questions. Read on!

1. How do you define boldness? Do you consider yourself bold?

Boldness is standing out from the crowd and not worrying about what other people think of you. Am I bold? No, not really. Well, maybe in some things. I have gotten to the point where I don’t care too much about what people say about the decisions I make and the beliefs I hold. But I’m not bold enough to take my tripod out to the middle of the park and take pics of myself for my blog.

2.What was your intention when you first started Modly Chic? Is that mission or purpose still the same today?

The mission was to show young women that it was possible to care about how they look, to dress well and not to spend a ton of money doing it. So many friends were ready to give up on trying to stay current with style and were resorting to jeans and baggy t-shirts. It had to stop. They needed to feel confident in their skin and start caring for themselves better.

The mission is much the same now, although my way of going about it has been tweaked a lot in the last 12 months. I’m trying to think bigger.

3. I found your blog through a link to an awesome Fashion Beauty Friend Friday post and started contributing to FBFF myself. What inspired the creation of FBFF?

To be honest… I had been fashion blogging for a couple months and found myself hesitant to tell people I kept a daily fashion blog. The response of family and close friends was always the same – how narcissistic. But for me it wasn’t about taking photos to show how adorable I am. If I had a model to dress and photograph I’d probably prefer that. Then one day I hesitated to tell my dad about the blog and it was then that I realized something needed to change. The bloggers I was getting to know weren’t full of themselves. In fact, many of them were shy. They were professionals, hard working, courageous and entrepreneurial. They inspired me.

But how do you get that side of a person across through a fashion blog?

Eureka – Fashion/Beauty Friend Friday. We’d talk about serious (and occasionally a fluffy issue) and show that fashion and beauty bloggers are interested in more than just the clothing they have on and how cute they look in that day’s outfit picture.

4. To date, what has been your favorite FBFF topic?

So far my favorite has been the discussion about showering, frequent hair washes and if a blogger would ever do without the hair products they rely on now. All the bloggers got really down and dirty, some admitting they go days without washing their hair and they were proud to admit it.

5. Which has been the most controversial?

No post has been too crazy yet. The point is to have discussions not arguments. Although the one I was the most nervous about was the week we discussed highlighting the negative on our blogs. There are some group members who do take pictures of fashion victims and willingly post them on their blogs. I was worried people were going to be cruel or a big debate was going to break out. Nothing dramatic happened since those bloggers opted not to respond to those questions.

6. How has your move to Boston influenced your blogging?

I started the blog in St. Louis and couldn’t find a single other fashion blogger in the area. It was hard to be in a crowd of mommy bloggers. But here in Boston I’ve already met some great young fashion bloggers like myself.

And while I’m not sure the one thing has impacted the other, my reader numbers have been significantly growing since I moved out here.

7. What's the greatest thing about running Modly Chic?

Two things come to mind: the readers and writing. The readers who email me and leave comments are the best. I love each and every comment, and it is still as exciting as it has always been to see a new comment pop up in my inbox. And I love the fact that this blog gives me a chance to write a little each day. I was worried when taking the new job in Boston that my writing would suffer so the blog helps me keep up that skill.

8. In your "about me" section on Modly Chic you describe your work as a freelance writer and where the crossover into fashion takes place: "I now write for a variety of online publications and blogs offering fashion tips and practical advice for women of all ages" What are your top tips, tricks, and practical advice for women of all shapes, sizes, and ages?

In no particular order:

Know that not everything in style will look good on you and stay away from those trends.

Find the colors that flatter you the most and work with those.

A little black dress is the perfect ‘I don’t know what to wear’ item. You can never go wrong throwing yours on.

Know your body type, don’t be ashamed of it, just work to balance your silhouette.

Learn the art of accessorizing. A statement necklace or boldly wrapped scarf can take any outfit from basic to fantastic.

Don’t buy on a whim and stay away from things that are outside of your normal color pattern and fashion personality – those are always the things that get pushed to the back of your closet and never worn.

9. Do you see fashion and style as democratizing?

Yes and no. I still think that if you spend time looking at the top bloggers many of them dress the same and frequent the same shops. The switch is taking place from a retail buyer to ‘common folk’ in the blogging world, but I think it is still the top people who are making decisions about what the rest of us should wear.

At the same time, slowly some companies are beginning to diversify and add a client component. Take Jeff Silverman, which will let you design your own shoes, or ModCloth which occasionally gives readers the chance to pick what they will carry. Those are all steps toward democratizing fashion.

To be honest I’m not sure it is ever going to be an industry that is entirely in the hands of the people. We’re too focused on following others, copying trends, wanting to do what the cool people are doing – and to change that mindset a person needs a lot of inner searching and confidence, something that is often hard to come by especially early in life.

10. As fashion or style bloggers do we have a role in making the industry at large more open to all varieties of women?

Whether we have an official role or not we are doing it. Take a look at some of your favorite fashion bloggers… they come in all varieties. Some of them are drop-dead gorgeous, others can work wonders with makeup. But collectively they do not look like the models on the runways or the people in our fashion magazines. They look like the girl next door and your cashier at the grocery store and the student in the desk next to you. They look like that because they are just that. It’s so refreshing.

11. Finally, who are the boldest, baddest, raddest, and most excellent people you can think of?

In the blogging world:

Vahni from Grit and Glamour. She was one of the first real bloggers I reached out to about FBFF who actually took me seriously and agreed to participant – I am forever indebted to her.

Syd from the DayBook. She is gorgeous, has amazing fashion sense and has no qualms about telling people she is a modest fashion blogger and talking about her faith. In today’s world – that is bold.

Jennine from The Coveted. She’s a blogger extraordinaire and the founding force behind the amazingly helpful Independent Fashion Bloggers network. She gets the challenges of blogging and is helping others navigate through them.

All photos are c/o ModlyChic

Want to learn more about Bold & Blogging? Check out Installment 1 here. Want to be profiled or know someone who is Bold & Blogging? Shoot me a note!

Just curious ...

2010-12-08T19:28:00.000-05:00

If I offered up a few of my unique vintage dresses in a "Shop My Closet" style sale would people be interested in buying them? I'm thinking of a select few, very special, items that have all been cleaned, maintained, and stored carefully ... Likely priced around $20 a piece plus shipping...

Any interest? Or am I just an ego-maniac who thinks my clothes would be loved by other vintage collectors' too? ;)

Bold & Blogging (3): Amy aka Punky Style

2010-12-06T10:03:00.000-05:00

When I started this series I knew that I had to interview the inimitable Amy Chase, aka Punky Style. She's a blogger, entrepreneur, small business person, self-starter, spokesperson, event planner - the list goes on and on and on. Aside from her personal blog and her business, Amy also is part of the intrepid green duo, The Swapaholics. As The Swapaholics, she and her partner in crime, Melissa, also rep for Swap.com the leading online swap site. I was aware of Amy's blog long before we met and then ran into her in person at a SoWA a year or so ago. Our mutual friend, fellow fashionista and entrepreneur, Morgan First, introduced us and I've been sure to keep in touch ever since.*

Amy's energy is inspiring (I really should never complain about not having enough time on my hands again) and her devotion to spreading the mission of second-hand swapping and shopping is fabulously commendable. Amy was kind enough to take a few minutes to answer some questions for the series. All photos are c/o PunkyStyle.com.

*We also found a mutual connection in Melissa's husband, a former colleague of mine. Part of why I love living in Boston is that it really is a six degrees of kind of city.

1. How do you define boldness? Do you consider yourself bold?

To me Boldness is: Being comfortable with yourself and not judging others.

2. Tell us about the evolution of Punky Style? As I recall, you were one of the first "fashion bloggers" on the scene - your blog went from style diary to, now, a spring board for several successful ventures.

Aww, how cute are you? Yes, I've been blogging for a long time. There were years, that I was WAY more into it then I am now. But I do still love it. It's just hard to keep up with it now with a new position at Swap.com and Haberdash. Although getting dressed for work in the South End could be the revival of my style diary as soon as I can figure out my new camera.

3. Being an entrepreneur takes a certain amount of boldness - how did you take the plunge with your store, The Haberdash?

I'm very lucky to have a huge support system of friends and family that truly believe in me. So when I randomly mention wanting to selling old clothes out of old trailers they are all like "yeah do it! It will be awesome!" So I never really had time to think it was a bad idea.

4. What's the most important thing for any newbie blogger OR businesswoman to consider?

Blogging used to be such a personal thing. But I think most bloggers are looking to gain and grow exposure nowadays. There are thousands of style blogs out there right now that look and sound exactly the same. I think the only way to get ahead these days is to stay true to who you are. Be yourself and be distinct.

5. Tell us about your devotion to swapping and second-hand.

I was raised an only child (I'm not anymore as I have a buch of adorable half brothers and sisters), and for some reason there was strong need to stand out and be original. I can recall thirfting in high school just so no one at school would have the same outfit as me.

The Haberdash

6. How do you manage all the things on your plate - blogging, The Haberdash, The Swapaholics, a day job (before you moved to Swap full time), Penny & Emma, a house, etc.. etc.. - do you have a Punky clone who helps you run things?

I get bored easily so having a lot going on is good for me. But like I said earlier, I am fortunate enough to have a great support system of Punky elves that are VERY good to me.

On Amy's work from home days ... how amazingly glam is this photo?

7. Why did you start blogging? When did it move from a hobby to a a business?

I started blogging in 2005 with the hopes of connecting with others that share my love for vintage, shopping and fashion. I think soon after that I started selling my clothes off my flickr account then my Vintage Etsy Shop opened in 2006, which moved to a mobile shop in early 2009. The mobile shop was received very well and I guess thats when it took on a more business role.

8. Do you consider yourself a brand as well as a blogger?

I never thought so, until I started Haberdash. I poured my heart and soul into that shop. Having not gone to school for business or marketing, all I had to run that business was me (Punky) and my passion for vintage. There are hundreds of other Vintage shops in the area. I knew that I had to deliver a unique experience and differentiate myself. Lucky for me, that didn't take years of expensive schooling, it only took personality and compassion.

9. You've had a pretty huge year - over the course of all of this crazy awesomeness, what's been the most important lesson you've learned?

I've learned soooo much! Mostly about myself and what's important to me.

10. Finally, who are the boldest, baddest, raddest, and most excellent people you can think of?

I've made a ton of friends though blogging and not the cotton candy (no substance) kind, like real deal, bad ass friends. If you are looking for bloggers to interview I would suggest, Thais, Julie, Morgan, Jen, Liana and Alana.

Want to learn more about Bold & Blogging? Check out Installment 1 here. Want to be profiled or know someone who is Bold & Blogging? Shoot me a note!

The Swapaholics On Nightline!!

2010-12-03T11:53:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the lapse in posting this week. I've been involved in some pretty amazing extra curricular activities (hint, burlesque).

But I had to share this - the amazing, the fabulous, the effervescent Amy and Melissa from The Swapaholics on Nightline!

PS, yes, that is moi at the five minute mark on the runway. Score one for the ego.

Bold & Blogging (2): Delightfully Tacky!

2010-11-30T09:35:00.001-05:00

When I stumbled upon Elizabeth's blog this past summer and read up on her proposed round the country adventure in an old winnabego, I knew I had to try to have a bigger conversation with her. Delightfully Tacky has been a favorite read of mine the past few months - Elizabeth takes great photos, but also blogs, very frankly about life, love, past relationships, friendship, art, and her recent adventures traveling the country, solo, in her incredible Winne-y, The Brave.

She was kind enough to catch up with me from the road to answer a few questions for the Bold & Blogging Series.

Here's what she had to say:

How do you define boldness? Do you consider yourself bold?

I think boldness has a lot to do with chasing your dreams and not being afraid of failure. I mean, I'm afraid of failure, I suppose, but I'm trying not to let that fear keep me from doing what I really want to do in life. You can't be worried about what other people think of you, because it's YOUR life, not theirs. You are the only one living your life, so it makes no sense to worry about what other people think. You have to chase your dreams and leave them in the dust.

From the post: http://www.delightfully-tacky.com/2010/11/born-hundred-thousand-miles-ago.html

Tell us about the evolution of Delightfully Tacky - although many would classify it as a "fashion" or "style" blog - it's definitely (from a readers' perspective anyway), much more than that.

I don't call it a fashion blog. I mean, sometimes I kind of have to because I post outfits pretty much every day, but for me the blog is about so much more than what I'm wearing on a given day. It started out as being a place where I could explore my own style and interact with all these cool people online who had similar interests as I do, but it has definitely evolved to be more than that. I guess I have a hard time classifying what it is now. I think it's definitely moving towards being more of a lifestyle blog than strictly a fashion blog.

You're very open on DT, about your life, about love, about your family - why do you choose to share this with your readers? Were you always so open or were there times when you wanted to leave your personal life off of the blog?

I don't really think I share that much, but I do try to be honest with what's going on in my life. I don't want people to think that I'm this perfect person who never has problems, because that's not real life and that's not inspiring.

http://www.delightfully-tacky.com/2010/11/every-time-you-close-your-eyes.html

What's the biggest challenge you've encountered with blogging?

Probably having sponsors. I'm not a super business-minded person, so the logistics of it all is hard for me to keep on top of. I love being able to work with companies and shops that I love though, it's been challenging but definitely a positive experience!

How did you prepare for The Brave project? Did you preplan a route? What inspired you to take on this challenge?

I worked full time, lived at home with my parents, and saved up as much money as possible. I also scoured craigslist all the time to find the perfect Brave. I kind of knew where I wanted to go generally, but I didn't preplan a route or have an itinerary because I wanted the trip to be just me going wherever I wanted to go on any given day. When I wake up in the morning I don't really know where I'm going to end up sleeping that night. I mean I have a general idea because I can only drive so far in one day, but I like to leave it open so I can stop and do whatever I want.

From the post: http://www.delightfully-tacky.com/2010/11/transcontinental-drifting.html

How have your readers, family, and friends, responded to The Brave project?

Pretty much everyone says it's really inspiring. Everyone has been incredibly supportive, it's wonderful.

Aside from winnebagos, avocados, cute vintage, and printing, what are your passions?

Well... those are pretty big ones. I'm thinking of opening a coffee shop/venue where I can combine my passions for art, music and community. I'd love to have a space where people can come together and chill over a great cup of coffee, have local artists show their work and have local and out of town musicians play.

From the post: http://www.delightfully-tacky.com/2010/11/ive-sat-upon-setting-sun.html

After your epic journey in the Brave comes to an end, what's next for Delightfully Tacky?

Moving to Washington, making art, hanging out with friends... and who knows!

Finally, who are the boldest, baddest, raddest, and most excellent people you can think of?

My best friends Kristi, Dan and Katie. Also, my family.

Thanks so much Elizabeth! Safe travels!

Want to learn more about Bold & Blogging? Check out Installment 1 here. Want to be profiled or know someone who is Bold & Blogging? Shoot me a note!

**all photos are c/ Delightfully Tacky w/links back to their original postings. These are used with permission**

Tattoo Progress & Some Local Business Love

2010-11-23T16:08:00.000-05:00

A few folks have asked me about my tattoos. I've done bigger round ups before, but thought I'd give a little sneak peek at my currently in progress sleeve right now. The latest piece is this large, realistic, anatomically correct skull w/a rose and some pansies. People keep asking me what it means. I give a different answer each time. When your tattoos start to hit double digits, (or even when they're in single digits) there doesn't necessarily have to be a deep, in tuned meaning, behind them. They can easily just be beautiful art that your friends crafted for you to wear on your skin. That's not to say I don't have something about this tattoo that makes it especially meaningful to me - it's just not something I feel the need to elaborate upon to other people. Even though it's on my skin, it's private.

In case you're at all curious, this fairly large piece has now taken about 11 hours of my time. I have three more to go, after Thanksgiving, to finish it up.

On Sunday did all the grey scale and black shading on the entire tattoo.

Next, we started in on the greens in the vines, the leaves, and the petals. Dan, my artist, mixed custom greens for each different flower so that they'd be accurate to the colors represented in nature. As these heal the colors will be much brighter. These photos were taken directly after the sitting was finished.

Finally, to round out the day, we started on the pansies. Again, Dan used photo-references and mixed custom colors to achieve the look of blue to purple to indigo to yellow.

excuse the finger in front of the lense ...

If you're in Boston (or the surrounding areas), I can't recommend Regeneration Tattoos enough. The staff at this shop are amazing - and they are some of the most talented, friendly, and down to earth people you'll ever meet. Almost all of my tattoos (and all of the really good ones), have been done at Regen by either Dan or Edwin. Brian also tattooed my little brother when he snuck up to Boston to get his first piece. (Unbeknownst to me he traveled up for a tattoo - luckily Dan recognized him, tipped me off, helped him fine tune his design, and then referred him to Brian who has a really light hand so that the little brosef would have a good first experience). Plus - if you're vegan - so is Dan - and so are the inks that he uses to tattoo!

Regen is also really active in the local community which is truly important to me and they're often involved in charity events too. For the holiday season they're running a "Toys for Tats" drive. You can learn more by following them on Twitter (@RegenTattoos) or friending them on Facebook.

And just so we're clear - I don't receive any compensation or perks for posts like this. Yes, the staff at Regen are my friends, but they're also an amazingly talented group of people I respect immensely.

Fall Ghosts

2010-11-21T09:27:00.015-05:00

This elephant tunic appears so often on the blog. Strangely I hadn't worn it in months but pulled it out last weekend to run some errands and head to brunch with friends. I'd actually tucked it away at the bottom of a storage drawer and happened to grab it as I was running around getting ready.

I love fall. I've been thankful for the foliage and the brief interlude of actual fall temperatures last weekend.

Oh, my hair is also green now... this is my last photo of blondey blonde hair ... More on that later...

winter soon ....

Friend Friday: Blogger Copying

2010-11-19T08:02:00.041-05:00

Time for another Friend Friday! This week Katy solicited feedback via twitter and I was quick to chime in that yes, I wanted to sink my teeth into the issue of copying. In the world of academics copying i.e. plagiarism, is pretty cut and dry. In the vast wide world of blogs and the interwebs it's far less cut and dry. I take a lot of inspiration from other blogs and bloggers and I often worry about accidental copying or being viewed as a copy cat in any way (though luckily I think most of my content is original enough that it could not be construed that way). I've also, and I'll address this further in the actual questions, had an instance where one of my daily outfit posts was copied, point for point, and even line by line (and title), by a major blogger when I first got started. In instances like that, it's quite easy to feel entirely powerless - and it makes protecting your own blogging "assets" extremely tricky.

Here's what Katy had to say as an introduction to this week's questions:

"This past week I encountered the topic of blogger copying twice. The first time was as I scrolled through the numerous bloggers doing the 30 for 30 challenge. I realized that after one person poses with an umbrella dozens others will. Or as Kendi poses in a parking garage suddenly 20 other bloggers appear in a parking garage. And then I was talking with Kinsey about some of favorite blogs and she mentioned seeing a blogger post a DIY recipe and two weeks later another blogger posted a very similar DIY recipe complete with the same wrappings. That got me thinking... how much of blogging is coming up with your own content and how much is mirroring what we see others doing?"

Here are this week's questions:

1. What are the 'unwritten rules' about copying content that we bloggers should all abide by?
I think we should all abide by the same rules that would apply anywhere else - credit your source. If you're "inspired" by another blogger but aren't outright copying, say so. Link to her blog and to her post. If you like another blogger's poses or camera tricks, give credit where credit is due. If you learned a ton about posing from a great entry on another bloggers' site, link it. If you copied an outfit, point for point, then definitely offer credit where it's due.

2. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. But when is a post imitation and when is it copying?
Imitation occurs sometimes subconsciously. I know I often credit The Glamourai and Beckerman Bite Plate as two of my favorite blogs. Through both of these I've been inspired to experiment with wearing more jewelry, trying more dynamic poses, and with layering. Me wearing big rings and a pile of earrings with a dress is me being inspired by The Glamourai. Were I to strut out in a turban, Erin Featherston dress, and pile of custom jewels, I'd be outright copying.

I think it's better to use "inspiration" rather than imitation when it comes to blogging if we're discussing outfits. "Imitation" can definitely be applied to posing or photo shoot locations - I still think credit should be noted there, but I find "imitating" these aspects of another blogger's entries less damaging than wholesale "borrowing" h/ir content, outfits, tutorials, etc...

3. Taking another blogger's idea (perhaps for an outfit, or DIY tutorial) is pretty common in the blogging world. Do you think it is necessary to credit the original source?
Always. No exposition needed.

4. How have you improved your blog by comparing it to other blogs? Have you made changes due to something you have seen others doing?
I've most definitely learned posing and camera tricks from reading and interacting with other bloggers. I've also made minor layout edits based on what I've seen across the blogosphere. I also, after looking at some of my absolute favorite blogs (like Modly Chic, or Little Chief Honeybee) started utilizing the idea of regular content and scheduled postings to give the overall feel of my blog more structure. I have never, to my knowledge, outright copied another blogger w/out giving credit. (And if I learned I had, I'd be doing my penance for it).

5. Have you ever had one of your posts copied by another blogger or publication? How did you handle the situation?
I won't name the name because I don't want to drive more traffic to this persons' site, but when in the second or third month of me trying to record my daily outfits I had a very strange thing occur. I regularly commented on a very large, notable, fashion blog. The blogger on that site never commented back though she did email me once to answer a question. One day, as I was visiting her site, I came across an OOTD post that was point for point an exact copy of an outfit I'd posted on my own blog a few days before. Even the title of the post was exactly the same as mine - as was the description of why she'd put together the outfit the way she did.

At first I was flattered, then I thought, "what a strange coincidence?" But then, the more I looked at the post, the more I became unsettled. The outfit was literally my outfit - and not something that would have been typically worn by this blogger. (Hell, most things I wear wouldn't be typically worn by anybody). It was a little infuriating to read comment after comment praising her for her "innovation" and "creativity" when in all likelihood she had just ripped off me, a smaller blogger. I wondered how many other small time bloggers had experienced the same, maybe without even knowing it.

I kept reading the blog for awhile but the writer started to get a little bit big headed and entitled anyway so I eventually stopped. Other than pointing out the post to a few friends in person I never did anything about it. What would have been the point? I'm sure it would have only made me look petty - or worse - I would have been accused by the legions of devotees to this blogger of "copying" her and "editing" my post. It wasn't worth it. My blog can stand on its own merit - I don't need to drive traffic or extra attention to a person who I don't respect.

Thankfully, I haven't, to my knowledge, had a similar experience since. I should probably close with saying, so long as I'm credited, I have no problem with anyone using my content or one of my outfits as inspiration. I'd love to spread my quirky, animal printed, mess of a style, across the globe ;).

Want to get involved with Friend Friday? Visit ModlyChic to learn more.

Thankful For...Thursday: Twitterpated

2010-11-17T21:17:00.000-05:00

It's been quite some time since I've addressed relationships (or lack thereof) on the blog. I'd sworn to keep headier writing, or my intimate personal life, off of the blog following my break up this summer. That being said, I've recently started to take joy in my singledom. I'm not dating, yet, anyway, but I've been able to spend my time investing in old friendships that I'd perhaps let lapse and in new ones that I'm more than happy to cultivate.

Spending over two years of your life with someone who, ultimately, does not want to be with you and does not appreciate your values or the person you really are, is exhausting in retrospect. I've been feeling as if I'm making up for lost time these past few weeks. I've spent more time going out, occasionally had too much to drink, and took time for the things I wanted for myself. It's nice to be indulgent instead of using my energy on caring for someone else.

A lot of my new friendships involve people who have also found themselves in situations similar to mine over the course of the last year. I don't think any of us purposefully sought each other out - more that it's been a happy circumstance of the universe that we've been an informal support for each other as we all move on and attempt to reenter the dating pool. We don't sit around rehashing our old relationships, more we just have an unspoken understanding that we all understand why one of us might stress about asking someone out, or cancel a date last minute in favor of drinking cider and four loko with the rest of the group (or forgo such silliness to pursue a date).

Earlier today one of these fine folks and I were discussing that amazing feeling that accompanies a new relationship. The butterflies, the stress, the excitement, the near-obsession...it is exactly the "twitterpated" feeling from Bambi.

Mulling over the last few months it's become very apparent to me that I was still chasing this feeling with Himself, but I think I knew, deep down, that I wouldn't be getting it back. He wasn't interested in working towards that with me - and when I look at the successful relationships around me, though its not easy, those couples work on remembering that feeling together - and on recreating it on a regular basis.

I'm not dating anyone at the moment, but I'm happy for the recognition and self-awareness to know that I'm ready for the return of the twitterpated feeling - and to know that I'm in a place where I genuinely feel worthy of it, even if it's only temporary.

Local Business Love: Proxy Apparel

2010-11-15T08:28:00.000-05:00

This is an extremely long overdue post. Given that we're entering the most intense and consumption-based period of the year, I knew it was about time to start highlighting my favorite local, eco-conscious, empowering, and plain amazing, businesses. I know that not everyone subscribes to the buy-nothing ethos, but if you're a shopaholic, why not be one with a conscience right?

At September's Sip N Swap event with The Swapaholics, I had the great fortune of meeting Heatherjean, owner and co-founder of Proxy Apparel.

Proxy's mission is: "empowering and employing women in a sweatshop-free, sustainable world."

Could there be a local business more deserving of my undying love and affection? Seriously - the mission statement says it all.

Heatherjean was kind enough, at the Sip N Swap, to gift those of us walking the runway some of Proxy's incredible jewelry. I sported a pair of earrings made from recycled bar/purchase codes while other ladies on the runway donned belts made of soda can tabs, or handmade shawls. I was super stoked, a few weeks later, to learn that Stephanie, one of the rad folks from my favorite local coffeeshop, also works for Proxy as a photographer!

Proxy's website features three collections at the moment, The Retro Recycled Collection, the Fruition Accessory Collection, and the Vintage Picnic. Everything is of course fair trade, green, woman produced, ethical, and limited edition! Full collection descriptions are available here.

You can also find Proxy's blog with event listings, fashion tips, and sneak peeks at items and collections. Head over to Tumblr to check it out.

My favorite Proxy items for gifting this season (listed from their website) are the following:

all photos from ProxyApparel.com

Message in a Barcode Earrings (obviously ;))

I love how these earrings turn consumerism on its head. All of the proof of purchases, itemized tags, repurposed into a piece of wearable, green art.

Chic Military Chaleco

This is a perfect vest for fall layering. I love the high cut - and unlike most vests, that make my smaller chest seem even flatter, the cut and four buttons on this one are flattering for any figure. The vest is sewn by a cooperative in Guatemala

The Revolution Ring

It's no secret that big rings are my accessory of choice. How unfreaking believable is this one?

If you're interested in more Proxy Apparel news, you can also follow them on twitter @Proxy_Apparel

Local Events: DTX Swap w/The Swapaholics!

2010-11-13T16:02:00.000-05:00

Reposted from Punkystyle.com

Thursday, November 18th, 2010
24 Bromfield Street
Boston, MA 02108
Clothing drop-off: Noon-6:30 p.m.
Swap: 7 to 8 p.m.
After-party at Silvertone: 9 to 10:30 p.m.
Clean out your wardrobe in time for the holidays & join The Swapaholics,
Boston’s favorite swap hostesses, for another fun night of retail therapy and recycling
in Boston’s historic Downtown Crossing shopping district!
Bring a Bag, Get a Bag:
Bring a bag full of all those like-new and gently worn clothes, shoes, accessories, and jewelry just taking up space in your closet and trade them in for a new bag full of fashionable finds from your fellow stylish Bostonians — all for just the cost of admission!
Get a Head Start on Holiday Bargain Shopping:
Grab exclusive discounts from Downtown Crossing shops & restaurants a week before the holiday sale season!
Show Off Your Swap Style:
Take pictures with your friends and all your new favorite scores in our Swap.com Style Photo Booth. Post them to Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #DTXSwap to @Swap or @TheSwapaholics, or both!
Feel Good & Do Good:
$1 from every ticket goes to support Project Place, plus all the clothing left over at the end of the swap will be donated to Goodwill Boston!
Keep the Swap Party Going!
Join Swap.com, The Swapaholics & our friends at Second Glass at Silvertone across the street post-swap for sipping, noshing, and sharing swap stories!

Details and tickets here!

Friend Friday: Blogger Self-Promotion

2010-11-12T08:07:00.000-05:00

Very interested in this week's Friend Friday questions because, well, I'm terrible at Self-Promotion! So I'm really looking forward to everyone else's tips and answers. (Don't I say that every week though?).
I'll admit that beyond the blog factors have gotten in the way of my big plans for getting better about blogging, but intentions are there...what is that they say about intentions?

On to the questions - click the button at the end if you'd like to participate. I've also linked Katy's blog, Modly Chic, on the side so it's always accessible. She's involved in a fall 30x30 challenge and rocking some amazing looks lately!

1. How do you promote your blog?

Oh man, I really don't. I mean other than sharing it on my personal Facebook and joining IFB (and once in a blue moon postings on Weardrobe), I'm not really the best self-promoter. Even when I leave comments on other blogs it's with my name and not the blog name displayed. I love the idea of having more readers and a bigger community to engage in, but being pretty public with the work I do, I guess I'm more guarded about who sees the blog. I like keeping the audiences separated - which is why I know I'll eventually need the blog to have its own twitter account.

2. In your experience what has been the most effective form of self promotion?

For me personally it's just been engaging in the community and with other bloggers. That's the whole reason I blog - I love reading others blogs, leaving comments, emailing and participating in discussions. I don't leave comments insincerely - for me it's about participating in a dialogue, not just promoting myself. If I were to get more serious I'd print business cards, buy my URL, post more regularly on weardrobe, get a better camera, and get a facebook and twitter page for the blog itself.

3. Do you think there is a wrong way to promote yourself and your blog?

Being a spammer is never cool. Neither is being disingenuious, copying without credit, or airing your dirty laundry. That stuff doesn't belong in bloggy-land. I know it happens, but as I said, I like the idea of this being a community.

4. When it comes to others pushing their product what annoys you?

Marketing speak. Seriously. I had to stop reading a blog I used to really like because the blogger became so sponsored her posts started to read like a catalog. I swear it was all marketing copy dressed up like an outfit post. It bummed me out - I missed her voice and perspective.

5. In Dressful's post on this topic earlier in the week she said, "It's impossible to respect someone who wants all the attention, but adds nothing worthwhile to the conversation." Do you agree?

Amen. True for blogging as well as real life.

Thankful For...Thursday

2010-11-11T16:56:00.000-05:00

is short this week.

What am I majorly thankful for?!

MUSIC!

I bought tons of new stuff this week - favorite purchase thus far has been Chiodos' Illuminaudio. What's been on your playlist lately?

Bold & Blogging: Little Chief Honeybee

2010-11-09T13:16:00.028-05:00

As promised, installment 1 of Bold & Blogging!

And off we go with Kaelah's answers to the first series of questions in this series:*

1. How do you define boldness? Do you consider yourself bold?

I personally think being bold just means doing things the general public may find to be too risky or scary. Go after your dream job, getting a full sleeve tattoo, dying your hair a color far from natural, experimenting with styles of makeup and clothing... It could even be something as simple as mixing plaid with polkadots! Just doing something that takes confidence to pull of. I think that's key for being bold. And do I consider myself bold? I'd like to think so. I've chased my dreams to New York City, dyed my hair crazy bright red, wore clothes that many scoff at (as do I in hindsight), and I'm proud of who I am. It seems like just having self confidence is a bold thing to do now. Also, my life goal is to free dive with a Great White shark. (Some may call that bold...others just call that insane).

2. You've worked with Bust Magazine for a few years now, has that experience influenced the direction of your blog in any way?

It has definitely shaped a lot of my life in a way. I mean, I saw a goal, I went after it, and I lived it. It's made me feel more confident to live my life independently and to really just go after things. I think it's truly amazing what you can learn about yourself when you just put yourself out there. It's scary but it's often the most rewarding thing you can ever do.

3. Would you consider your blog feminist in any way?

To an extent maybe. There are so many different views on feminism and what makes a "good feminist". I wear makeup... some radical feminists may deem me unworthy of such a title because I'm giving into society's pressure to look a certain way when in reality I just like the way I feel when I put on a pretty blush or lip gloss. My blog's main purpose is to share my life in a way that may hopefully inspire other girls to be proud of who they are despite any shortcomings others may see, chase their dreams and to live an overall positive life. It's really nothing radical in that sense. :)

4. You're very open about your relationship with Mike on the blog. Was there ever a thought that you wouldn't include details about your private life on the blog?

Definitely. It's been a problem in the past with exboyfriends. I started to censor myself on my LiveJournal before making it Friends-Only... and when Mike and I first reconnected we were very quiet about us due to certain things going on in our lives at that time. While a lot of our relationship is out there, there's so so so very much that you never see. We keep a lot of things private for the safety of our relationship, sanity, and the privacy of others. I don't talk about other people a lot because I don't know if they want to be blogged about, ya know? It's one of those things where you have to draw the line somewhere. I like to be seen as a real person though. I want you to know that sometimes I get stressed out and cry. Sometimes I get angry and want to curse at someone. Sometimes I feel so excited that I want to share it with the world. But at the end of the day, I'm human just like you. We're one in the same. I'm happy because I've had the fortunate ability to go after my dreams and you can be, too. My relationship with Mike and sharing it online is something that we have both mutually agreed on what would and would not be shared. I want our children to be able to look back at this little blog and read the adventures we had and how much we loved each other. Like a digital diary of how he/she came to be (and that we made mistakes, too).

Kaelah and Her Beau: http://honeybeeinthecity.blogspot.com/2010/11/until-sky-falls.html

5. You're a pretty prolific poster! How do you manage blogging, school, work, your home life, and taking care of adorable puppies? (Not to mention getting tattooed. It's taking me forever to finish my sleeve because I never have time to be in a chair!).

I wish I had an answer for this. I was sitting here earlier and I asked myself the exact same question. "How am I going to do this? How have I done this so far?!" I'm lucky enough to only have to work 10 hours a week (every Friday and Saturday night) so while I don't have a chance to hang out with my friends on the weekend, I am able to help support our lifestyle. I can give up my weekends for that. With school, I'm a fast worker. Once I get the idea in my head, I can execute it pretty quickly... it's just the simple fact that I procrastinate a lot and have since made myself work well under pressure (not a good quality to admit, I know). As for blogging, that post queue realllllly helps! Sometimes I'll find myself with an extra hour or two so I'll write a few posts, schedule them and voila! I don't have to stress when that day comes! I can't wait to graduate in three weeks so I can really focus on what's important to me right now (and it definitely isn't homework!). I think I should read up on some time management books though... this is one area that I'm not good at at all.

6. I love that you're heavily tattooed. Does being tattooed influence your style at all? How do you think it shapes the way people perceive your personal style (if at all?).

Thanks! I can't imagine being any other way. It definitely plays into it, I think. I love being a walking contradiction of sorts. If you've never met me and you just see me with all of my tattoos, bright red hair, etc, you might be tempted to think I like heavy metal or punk... that I dress in dark colors always, etc but that couldn't be further from the truth. I only wear dresses (seriously. I never wear pants except when I bartend) and I like makeup, curly hair, lace and ruffles on my clothes, and I drive a tiny little convertible. Plus my music taste couldn't be farther from what you'd expect. Give me instrumental post rock (Caspian) or singer songwriter tunes anyday! It influences my style in the exact opposite way you might think it would. People are usually definitely pretty surprised when they get to know me (so I've been told). My tattoos definitely turn some people off and they won't give me the time of day, but that's fine because those are definitely the types of people I wouldn't want to waste my time getting to know anyhow!

7. One of the things I love about your blog is how you showcase independent artisans, crafters, and small businesses. Most of your sponsors are also small businesses. Do you think you'd ever accept a larger business sponsor? Why is promoting small businesses important to you?

I'm open to talking with anyone who thinks advertising on LCH would be beneficial for them. If it's a big time business, cool. As long as they fit into the general theme of things around the blog and they're pertinent to my readers, I'd love to have them. Basically all of my sponsors are small businesses because my rates are small business friendly. I hope just how effective advertising on blogs can be and if someone is chasing their dream of having their own business then I definitely want to help them out. There are so many talented people out there and all they need is a little bit of spotlight so they can get out there. It's important to me because I want to own my own shop soon, too. Full of independent artists and designers just like the ones that sponsor my blog I know that by cultivating relationships with bloggers and fellow artists, I'll be able to call up on some people when the time comes. (Maybe they'll want to be sold in my store!) Plus, advertising works both ways! Both parties end up benefiting from it and it's a great relationship to have.

8. To go along with the above, how do you promote yourself as a small business?

Networking is key! In any and every industry, it doesn't hurt to know people! As far as how to go about it -- build relationships with people. Comment on their blogs, send them some of your stuff to review or wear, host giveaways places, etc. It's truly amazing how many bloggers out there are open to helping cultivate the online visibility of small businesses.

http://honeybeeinthecity.blogspot.com/2010/11/fridays-recap-outfit.html

9. Aside from tattoos and vintage cameras, what else do you collect?

I have a huge owl collection which I am soon going to be parting with (except my salt and pepper shakers! Those are keepers!). But I also have a huge shark collection. Shark stuffed animals, picture frames (this is Mike and I's thing when we visit aquariums together), shark week dvds and books... you name it! If it's shark related, I want it! (Especially Great White Sharks!)

10. Finally, who are the boldest, baddest, raddest, and most excellent people you can think of?

This will probably sound a little contrived or silly, but I am a huge huge huge fan of Ellen Degeneres. I know she's a celebrity but I feel like she's the epitome of bold. But then again, any and everyone who has ever risked heartbreak, rejection or disappointment in order to chase after a dream is definitely bold, bad, rad and excellent in my eyes!

**Photos are c/o Little Chief Honeybee and are Kaelah's original work

Bold & Blogging!

2010-11-08T09:27:00.008-05:00

As you may (or may not) have noticed, I've been committed to getting some regular bits of content on the blog lately. While my camera misbehaves and I save money for a better piece of equipment, I don't want this little old blog to stand barren, hence my commitments to Friend Friday, Thankful For Thursday, local business spotlights, and now: Bold & Blogging!

I've reached out across the blogosphere to some of my favorite blogger ladies, across a variety of topics, to highlight my favorite reads and interweb colleagues. Why call it BOLD & BLOGGING? Well, because I like alliteration...but also because I like the notion of BOLDNESS. Miriam Webster offers up several definitions of the word, bold:

"not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring;" "necessitating courage and daring; challenging;" "beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action; imaginative;" "striking or conspicuous to the eye; flashy; showy;"

And then there's this fabulous quote by the inimitable Billie Jean King:

"Be bold. If you're going to make an error, make a doozey, and don't be afraid to hit the ball."

I love Billie Jean King's quote. I think it sums up my approach to style, and perhaps even life, in general. There are many things that strike me as "bold" when I visit other blogs - and not just personal aesthetics. I love blogs that are run by entrepreneurs, that feature small businesses, green businesses, that challenge notions of feminism, that go against the grain in general, or just feature fabulous content by gals living openly and freely.

I'm really thrilled to get the series started this week with my first interview, Ms. Kaelah Bee of Little Chief Honeybee!

I came across Kaelah's blog through a link on Delightfully Tacky a few weeks back and immediately fell in love with her collections of vintage cameras, her cute little bulldog, and the fact that she was a fierce tattooed lady with bright hair. In our interview Kaelah talks about her work at Bust Magazine, her work with small businesses, her relationship with boyfriend Mike, and the ins and outs of balancing blogging and life.

Check back tomorrow for the first piece of Bold & Blogging!

7For7: Taking it Outside

2010-11-07T17:14:00.000-05:00

35 photos, three possible keepers...can we call that progress?

One in the front entryway just to try it out

7 for 7 items: chambray shirt, AA skirt

Others: AA knit tights, UO pleather boots

Not pictured: Rugby fall sweatshirt jacket

Friend Friday: Au Naturel

2010-11-05T07:21:00.041-04:00

Loving this week's Friend Friday questions, but I say that every week don't I? Oh well, the questions are always fabulous - and even though I get a little hamstrung during the week about participating in the FF google group I love the interactions from the FF comments and cross posts.

This week Katy from Modly Chic has us all talking about the "natural" movement in Beauty Care. If you all want to know the truth, I've actually been part of this for a good chunk of time now and am stoked to have seen it making its way around the blogosphere.

If you find that you're adventurous enough to forgo shampooing or deodorant (I really only recommend the deodorant if you're on a mostly raw diet though), feel free to leave me a comment or shoot me a note.

Hippie dippie hearts and stars,
Alli

So here goes this week's questions:

1. The move to do away with soap, shampoo and deodorant has been growing in popularity in the last year. What are your thoughts on this trend? So here's the deal. I won't do away with soap - but I haven't, for years anyway, used the same soap that most people find in the grocery store. I stick exclusively with Dr. Bronner's hemp oil soaps and dilute them as needed. My two favorites are the baby mild and the peppermint. If you're in a pinch you can use them to wash your hair as well. The peppermint can even be used to brush your teeth.

I only recently started wearing deodorant again and that is only due to my hyperhydrosis (TMI alert). Here's the thing - you are what you eat. You know how you'll smell garlic on your skin (or whiskey during a really bad hangover) the day after you eat a bunch of it? Well everything you eat contributes to your "smell" and how it's able to project off your skin. If you're not eating meat or dairy then you won't project as much of the traditional BO smell as others. If you're on a raw diet you can get away with (if you wear clean clothes) not wearing deodorant at all which is pretty awesome. I'm a fan, if one must wear deodorant, of going for all natural tea tree oil blends that are free of aluminum.

I think the trend to move towards more natural, eco-friendly, methods of beauty and hygeine care is awesome - but it requires some education.

2. Be honest how often do you wash your own hair? Since my hair grew back after shaving it I found that I was washing it more than I was comfortable with. It took awhile to get my hair off of the shampoo everyday routine, especially when I started to color it again, but now I'm able to get away with washing it between 2 and 4 times a week.

3. Have you tried to go the more natural route by forgoing shampoo? What happened? Or would you be tempted to try it? With my long hair the first attempt at foregoing shampoo was pretty nasty/disastrous. I just didn't realize how much of an adjustment it is for your body to not compensate for what shampooing does to your scalp. Now I'm better in tune with it but it was definitely a struggle the first go round (I just felt kind of gross).

4. What products do you use and have you ever gone with more organic alternatives? Pretty much everything I use in my regular routine is totally vegan and largely natural. Like I said, I use Dr. Bronner's soaps for my everyday routine. I've switched recently to using more traditional deodorant because with hot yoga and my usually frantic life I need something just a bit more potent than the tea tree oil stuff (though I stay away from aluminum). For my hair I use Pureology brand shampoos and conditioners. They're very pricey but can be used sparingly. I used to use organic dry shampoo but now I just forgo any product in my hair between washes.

5. What about that daily shower? Would you forgo that opting to shower three times a week instead? I need a daily shower - it's just part of my routine. Happily, because I recognize that a daily shower is selfish, I've got it down so that I can be in and out and cleaned up in five minutes flat (if I'm not doing my hair or shaving). Back in my post college freegan days I'd sometimes shower only every other day opting for the old "bird bath" in between (read A Tree Grows In Brooklyn and you'll know what I'm talking about). Maybe I sound like a pretentious asshole, but with all the stuff that I do to "green" my life I figure a daily five minute shower can get a free pass.

Thankful For...Thursday

2010-11-04T15:03:00.000-04:00

Oh slacky, slacky blogger. I'm so sorry for the lack of updates recently. I'm working hard at getting a nice roster of some spiffy content ready for the blog. A new series (for real), more Thankful For...Thursdays and Friend Fridays and some upcoming profiles of very rad local businesses.

This week's Thankful For...definitely involves friends again. But I can actually say that I'll always be thankful for friends - especially new ones who turn out to be fabulous and enjoy getting into trouble as much as I do. Is that called enabling? Or maybe it's called living....

Since Halloween just passed (my favorite day all year!) let's go for a fall themed Thankful For ...

Here's the list, in no particular order, of things (Halloween related) I found myself thankful for last week...

Cosmetic Glitter
I got the idea to use cosmetic glitter from my burlesque class. My teacher dabbed it along her lipstick and it looked amazing. I purchased a small container of black glitter for $4, mixed it in with my black cream base, and then applied it on my eyes for my "Go Ask Alice Cooper" look. It was awesome-the makeup stayed without smudging and looked wicked in photographs.

Wigs
I love wigs. I think I've mentioned my wig collection maybe a dozen times on this here little blog. Wigs are fab for Halloween but even fabber for adventures with your silly friends (see below - we're both wearing items from my collection) or for dressing up when you've had a hair mishap. I buy almost all of my wigs from Venus Hair in Central Square, Cambridge.

Makeup Remover
After piling on layers and layers of makeup and glitter for Halloween I had to of course get it all taken off. My fake lashes popped right off luckily but my water-soluble makeup mixed with glitter became a demi-force to be reckoned with. Thank you Almay pads for stripping the grease off my face.

Alice Cooper Records!!

I'm a big Alice Cooper fan - was that obvious? I got in the mood for Halloween by listing to Classicks and Along Came a Spider non-stop.

Netflix Instant Streaming for awful cheesy Horror Movies
It's not Halloween without some awful horror movies. Here's something interesting - as a kid I was wildly petrified of scary movies. I had a super active imagination and usually found that even the suggestions in the previews for a movie like Poltergeist were enough to have me imagining things far worse than could ever appear in the movie. When I was in high school I finally bucked up enough to see my first two "horror" movies, Scream (which I found hilarious) and Interview With the Vampire (a favorite since). I couldn't believe that's what I'd been scared of all those years. As an adult I absolutely love horror - especially if zombies are involved. I even have a zombie beauty queen at the top of my sleeve. (Her banner says "Brains Over Beauty").
What are your favorite horror movies? Do you like old school? New school?

One of my guilty pleasure favorites is Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez's Grindhouse Double Feature

Costume Quest
Are you a mega nerd gamer like myself? Get this super cutesy little RPG from DoubleFine. It's so freaking adorable you'll puke marshmallows while exploding monsters into candy.
I was under the weather this week and spent way too much time bundled up and playing through this. Love it!

How was your Hallo-weekend? Do you have photos to share?

A few More 7 for 7 Snaps

2010-11-03T15:39:00.000-04:00

Oh what a totally frazzled start to a project. Gah! Truth be told, I don't even remember which days these outfits were from - and I am pretty sure I mislabeled the photos too. Ergh.

At least I have another challenge all ready and set to go. (One dress, ten ways over the course of November).

So hear we go, some more 7 for 7 photos:

love how the bows match the top-it makes this look like one entire piece

Outfit 1:

Vintage skirt

Gap tunic shirt

(both 7 for 7 pieces)

AA tights

Madden boots

Outfit 2:

Jeans & Sweater (second-hand)

Gap tunic shirt

(all 7 for 7 pieces)

Happy Hallo-Weekend!

2010-10-31T14:59:00.000-04:00

From "Go Ask Alice Cooper"

What were you this weekend?

Friend Friday: 10 Random Facts

2010-10-29T09:50:00.023-04:00

It's a fabulously fun Friend Friday this week! I couldn't pass up the chance to participate despite my crazy schedule. 10 Random Facts about me, 10 Fashion related facts, and then 10 "you'd never guess..."

So here we go, 10 Random Facts about me:

1. I was originally born in New York. Somehow my sister still has a bit of an accent while I have none. I actually consider myself a Bostonian (by luck and habit).

2. When I was 11 my parents moved us to a little town in CT. I learned that the book, The Stepford Wives, was based on our new "home." I promptly checked it out of the library. After reading The Stepford Wives I realized I'd need to leave home as an adult or risk being turned into a robot. (Sorry for any spoilers).

3. I'm the oldest of four children. I also have more first cousins than anyone else I know by virtue of a large Irish-Catholic and Polish upbringing.

4. I got over my fear of heights by rock climbing. After that I roofed a house overlooking a cliff during a college service trip.

5. I have an MA in Irish Studies.

6. I cannot sew. At all. A hot glue gun is my best friend.

7. My favorite comfort food after a long day is the spinach soup that a Tibetan restaurant by my office makes.

8. When I was 24 I suddenly became deathly allergic to peanuts. I carry an epipen now. PB&J used to be my favorite breakfast :(

9. I have a wig collection. And a collection of elephant statues from around the world. And a collection of pulp novels.

10. I love my family more than anything in the world. I still hold hands with my mom sometimes in crowded cities so she won't feel nervous.

Photos from a top secret project. More soon!

10 Fashion-Related Facts

1. I never really wore dresses or skirts during my adult life until I had to shave my head for a play. Now it's hard to get me into a pair of pants!

2. Hats are probably my favorite accessory. I'll splurge big time on hats.

3. At one point I owned 60 something pairs of sunglasses.

4. My go-to neutral is leopard print.

5. I despise the peep-toe and tights/socks look.

6. Despite the above, I wear a lot of don't myself.

7. When I was little I wanted to be a fashion designer. I'd spend hours upon hours sketching and doodling. Then I found out one has to sew to design. :(

8. I love 60s mod and 80s vintage styles.

9. When I was in college I wore heels all the time. Now I can't wear them for more than an hour or two at a time. Oh age.

10. Despite the above, I'll never be able to give away my ridiculously tall faux-leopard print stilettos.

10 Things You'd Never Guess:

1. I'm a big giant nerd at heart. Maybe it's obvious from the blog, or maybe it's not, but I am really really geeky.

2. I've only just really learned how to apply lipstick.

3. I'm shocked and surprised whenever someone tells me that I'm beautiful. I got made fun of a LOT as a kid and it took me leaving for college to finally become comfortable in my own skin.

4. I was the goalie on my high school field hockey team. I also played field hockey.

5. In college I played ultimate frisbee. AND I worked at a gym. (People are always surprised I ever played sports, haha).

6. I love old school country music. Yet, my all time guilty pleasure is Jeffree Star. I love his albums - don't know why but I do.

7. I have 13 tattoos! Is that bad luck?

8. The only "celebrity" I ever met that took my breath away was Theo Kogan from the Lunachicks/Theo and The Skyscrapers. I was totally tongue tied (and she was really nice).

9. My dream is to own my own bookstore or antiques store one day. I would also, very seriously, like to be a mortician. If I ever have to leave the games' industry I'm going straight to "funeral school."

10. I didn't know what Twitter was until I learned I should use it for work. Shhh, don't ever tell anyone that, haha. Now I'm like a tweet addict (@HMXThrasher).

Pardon the Interruption...

2010-10-24T22:15:00.001-04:00

(again)...

I unexpectedly had to be out of town for a bit. And now, we have a game launching! Life is getting in the way of blogging. Give me a week and we'll be back on schedule. In the meantime, here's an out of order 7 for 7 outfit:

7for7 picks: turtleneck, vintage skirt
AA tights, Madden boots
Red hairnet cap from boutique milliner in LA

If you went to the Top Shelf Flea please let me know how it was! I had to miss it :( but I did discover an off the beaten path antique store while on the road. And now I have another vintage elephant statue (from Thailand) in my apartment!

Hooray!

If you're into Boston events and want to support one of the raddest independent clothing boutiques in the area be sure to come to the benefit this Sunday (Halloween).

Check the flyer out below:

Horror Business is one of my favorite local clothing stores (that's where I got my beloved anatomical skeleton zip up I wear so often). Please come out, have fun, and help keep this place open!

Thankful For... Thursday (2)

2010-10-21T07:13:00.044-04:00

The past few weeks have been mildly overwhelming. It's weird. When I first posted about my breakup this past summer (and don't worry, this blog won't become a lonely hearts, whiner, blog), I felt pretty solid about it. I think I was in shock. And I was so slammed with work and just in overdrive trying to get myself in order between all of the summer travel that I don't think I dealt with it, really, at all. The past few weeks I'm just finally getting hit with the feelings of being bummed out about the whole thing. Not like whine and cry into cocktails stuff, but just bummed because it's finally hitting me that my life changed. I'm not looking back, but dealing with it properly to just move forward. There are a few things that have made my life absolutely fabulous during this whole time though. Mainly....

Girlfriends (and guyfriends)

My friends continually amaze me. Not just with their talent, wisdom, wit, charm, and good looks, but with the way they're all just so supportive. I've had people to lean on the past few weeks who genuinely surprised me with their kindness. So many little things can just turn a seemingly crappy day or mood around. The lovely part about being single has been renewing friendships, starting new ones, and exploring the potential in acquaintanceships that progress to friendships.

Lovely whiskeys

I don't like to be drunk on whiskey. I do love to sip a smooth, (pricey), and nice whiskey to relax. A whiskey straight, over ice, or with a ginger beer chaser, is just the perfect indulgence for me. I rediscovered a local pub that I used to love (and will continue to patronize), The Plough & Stars. They have the most amazing live music and fabulous whiskeys available (some of which cannot be found anywhere else in the US). I've become a fan of Kilbeggan whiskey.

via Whiskey Intelligence

Cozy sweaters

As the temperature drops I'm just dying to break out some of the hits from my collection of ugly sweaters. Dr. Cosby calling!

From NY Magazine

Comfy socks

TMI time. I have hyperhydrosis. It is horrible. And my spot? My feet. I go through a lot of socks to stay comfortable. I love comfortable, thin, sweat-wicking, athletic socks. They keep me sane.

sweatwicking socks from Nike

The Top Shelf Flea is Back!

2010-10-19T12:43:00.000-04:00

It's back! The Top Shelf Flea Market!

I had such an amazing time at the last one - so if you're in town this weekend be sure to head over. The vendors are a vintage lovers dream! Plus there are BOOKS! (and knickknacks and ephemera and lovely people all around).

Here are the details:

Many many thanks to the lovely proprietress of Carmen & Ginger for the head's up on this spectacular event!

It begins! (7for7)

2010-10-18T15:09:00.007-04:00

Well, I got started. Kind of lowkey for a (not) lazy Sunday.

Here you go!

The darn camera started to misbehave again so I didn't get many photos. but I did get a first look. Although it involves cowboy boots and denim on denim, I don't think it looked too literal or cowboy costumey.

Day one:

Chambray shirt

Second-hand jeans

(from the 7 set aside items)

Second-hand boots

Scarf from Kiwi

The 7 for 7 Project

2010-10-17T01:30:00.000-04:00

Inspired by projects like The Uniform Project, Kendi Everyday's 30 for 30, and The Great American Apparel diet, I've decided to start taking on similar conscientious consumerism and "wardrobe minimalism" projects. Ideally I'd get to a point where I could post about one each month. We'll see how it goes.

To start, I'm doing a 7 for 7 project. I pulled 7 items out of my closet and will be using those to make up my outfits for the next 7 days, Sunday to Sunday. I didn't include shoes, tights, or accessories, but for the first go round went with trying to build from a set of basics. I know I'm a shopaholic (well a thriftaholic/vintage addict), so I figured it was time to start thinking more critically about how and what I keep in my closet.

So here's the first project, 7 for 7's, picks:

I've got three bottoms, three tops, and one cardigan. Two of these pieces, the chambray and kensie piece, I've never worn. The jeans and vintage skirt have only been worn once or twice each which is why I've included them. I cleaned out my closet when I moved and for the BFW SipNSwap but realize I still have a lot that doesn't get utilized. So here's to looking for ways to reinvent and restyle a few neglected pieces during this next week.

Friend Friday (8): Then & Now

2010-10-15T12:14:00.001-04:00

No lengthy intro this week as I'm pretty time crunched. I think the title/answers say it all though. Enjoy!

1. How has your blog changed over the months/years you've been blogging?

It's changed a lot! Originally it started as this idea for a writing project. Then life intervened and that never came to fruition. So I tried to do some styl-y type blogging because that's what a friend of mine was doing...but I wasn't very disciplined. Then I sort of used it as a journal. Then I decided to start my one year, outfit a day, second-hand only blog. For the first few months I was super focused, posted 5 or more times a week, and really worked on the mission of the blog. Even when work started to get crazy with press and travel I kept up with things and started including more and more of my personal life. Just as I began including my partner, Himself, on the blog in His & Hers style shots, we broke up...

...

And that was really really rough. I had to take a step back and re-evaluate how I wanted to deal with this blog. Whether I wanted to deal with it at all actually. Thankfully I received an incredible amount of support in the form of comments and emails that made me realize that I didn't want to abandon this blog. While I haven't been keeping it as up to date as I was, I"m working on getting back into being disciplined about it. Ideally I'll eventually (after game launch season) get serious about it and work with a graphic designer. I also have tentative plans for an etsy shop (to offload some of my immense selection of vintage lunettes). So we'll see where things go. I'm very psyched about the future.

2. What was one thing you did wrong in the beginning and how have you changed that?

Not having a direction or focus. Also, in hindsight, I wish I hadn't included so much of my personal life with Himself on the blog. Not only does it reinforce some of the heteronormative tropes in fashion blogging that bug me, but it was more of myself than I should have been putting out into the wide open blogosphere. And it made the situation with our breakup even more awkward and difficult for me. In the future I'll be leaving my romantic life off of here and focusing on clothes.

3. When you visit a blog what's the greatest turn off? The thing that makes you close the tab?

Music that autoplays! Seriously. It's confusing, distracting, and, annoying. Plus it makes page load times a total boner. Other things that make me close a tab: racist images (cultural appropriation as trendiness - but I've covered that a bajillion times), overloads of lolspeak, or posts that are not edited. A type-o here or there is one thing but posts full of them? Eesh.

4. How did you find your voice?

I'm still finding it. Trying to add more depth and authenticity to the blog - strangely I think vLogs are helping with that. Balance - between what I'm willing to reveal about myself - and the persona I create as a blogger - that's what I'm striving for.

5. If you had three pieces of advice to give to a new blogger what would those be?

Give yourself a direction or mission. Even if you don't keep it or change along the way have a destination or end goal that you're working towards.

Don't make that end goal financial success. Sure, some bloggers make money doing it - but I don't think that's how any of them got into the game. If green is your end goal that will come through in your posting. Be authentic, be yourself, and don't chase after anyone's sloppy seconds. Make your own niche.

Find a balance. Blogging should be fun - not burdensome. Strike a balance between blogging and your personal life. For more on this, I strongly suggest reading Kristen's farewell post over at LeProust Vintage.

And now, some photos...

First, the only outfit I've worn this year comprised of all items purchased in 2010:


I've been living in this tunic tee

Details:

Gap tunic tee

Rugby by Ralph Lauren leggings

Beanie & boots from Urban

Scarf: from Kiwi (the only not new item)

And your dose of Friday cuteness, Emme-Jean Coca:

she really wanted to pose for the camera

Want to get involved with Friend Friday? Visit Modly Chic here.

Thankful For Thursdays (1)

2010-10-14T11:00:00.020-04:00

While I was visiting the family this past weekend I thought a lot about my life in recent months. I realized that I've been getting trapped in some of my own negativity and have been dwelling, far too often, in moments of self-pity. I'm trying, desperately, to refocus my energy, count my blessings, and move my life forward.

Cheesy as it may sound I think one of the ways that I can do that is by counting my blessings, however small or large. So I'm going to start posting "Thankful For..." posts on Thursdays. I'll be discussing the little things, the big things, the of the moment things...

This doesn't mean I"m going all soft, or abandoning my own snark. It's just a way to give myself another focused post on the blog (with Friend Fridays) and a way to focus my energy in a positive light. This is me grabbing my brown and black pleather bootstraps and pulling myself straight up.

So, to start Thankful For... Thursdays, here's what I'm thankful for at this moment:

Sisters

I love my sister. Even when she's busting my (metaphoric) balls for speaking my mind or making statements that are "way too harsh" about things, we're always having a good time. She's my biggest support in the entire world. This post on Beckerman Bite Plate last week had me so elated to be going home for a visit and quality sister time.

I also love being around my mom and her sisters. My aunts are amazing. They're gorgeous, glamorous, fun, full of life, and the total embodiment of family and love. They're always the life of the party - and when there's not a party they go ahead and make one. On my Mom's birthday they were all rocking and rolling so much I couldn't even get them to sit still to take photos.

Dancing

What's better than moving, grooving, and expressing yourself with your body?

Shake your bums now!

Episodes of She-Ra on Hulu

from he-man.org

See, told you some of this would be silly and some serious. I loved this show as a kid. I love the series as a grownup even more. The bright colors, the convoluted plot arcs, the nonsensical interdimensional travel. There's so much that just translates so well. Whenever I've got especially brutal insomnia or am just bummed out, this is what I put on to shut my brain off and recenter. Kowl was always my favorite. What about you?

You can watch the episodes here.

Transitioning

2010-10-12T00:11:00.000-04:00

Before I left for the weekend there was a lot to do. We're moving to a new office space (hooray) so had to pack up our desks, gear, and all of our chotchkes for the movers.

I got a couple of photos of me "helping" as our intern put the finishing tags on our cartons of gear.

While I was cleaning up my own stuff I found this:

How much does this sum up my life? Chanel bag filled with vintage books and a Slayer DVD. If I were to ever put up a personal ad, this would be all that went in the "about me" section.

PS - I love this outfit. It's the perfect fall outfit I think. The olive dress is an old staple as is the scarf. The brown and black leggings and boots are the icing on my fall transitions cake.

Details:

Dress: Old Navy (closet)

Leggings: New (yes, I broke down and bought "essentials" ... ok I splurged ... a few weekends ago. These are from the Rugby store. I know, off all places to break a second-hand only fast).

Scarf: no clue - have had it for years

Earrings: old set of H&M hoops

Bracelets: mix of vintage and costumey stuff from H&M

Photo Phails

2010-10-10T15:36:00.001-04:00

I'm headed home this weekend to visit with my family. My sister and baby brother (baby, ha - he's 20!) are incredibly talented artists and accomplished photographers. You can bet your bottoms that I'll be handing the camera over to them and soaking up every bit of loving advice and constructive criticism they'll have.

In the meantime, here are the horrendous photos I took while my camera was on the fritz two weeks back. I still can't believe I was able to pull these off of the camera but the clothes are pretty and that's what counts (maybe?).

And if you're wondering why I still haven't updated with new photos - well it's still being a fussy baby. Hopefully I'll be a good student this weekend and be back to wow you all.

Nightvision fail number 1.
Wearing an absolutely awful Mod Cloth dress that arrived mis-sized,
dirty, and smelly as hell. I wanted to send it back but went
on tour and missed the deadline. Barf!
Also, vintage Cache jacket from Oona's
Betsey Johnson socks
UO boots

Nightvision Fail 2
(Was trying to see if the camera would even turn on)
With thrifted top, black tshirt, AA leggings and skirt
Elephant necklace from sis
Mom's old boots

Trying to Channel Empire Records with the look and the pose
The camera took 7 snaps while I was trying to focus it
Then it turned itself off. Boohoo

Self modified vintage skirt
Old Navy tank
Modcloth Crop Top (another mess when it arrived.
Totally not as described - which is why I'm done with that site)
Knee socks (fan at PAX)
AA leggings

Well, I hope you got a chuckle out of the "photo phails." More quality soon. I promise!

Friend Friday (7): Comments & Criticisms

2010-10-07T23:30:00.001-04:00

I'm really jazzed about this week's Friend Friday questions. The topic covers comments and criticisms - those one might leave or receive. I've participated in a few threads on IFB on the topic and have recently been doing some web reviewing and updating. So comments have been on my brain. I'm ready to elaborate...

1. Do you allow comments on your blog? Why or why not?

Yes! Part of the joy of blogging, for me, is to meet and interact with other people. I also started seriously blogging as a way to expand my own style. I love getting comments and critiques from other bloggers. I know that my style isn't "traditional" and that I can even get stuck in wardrobe ruts. Comments (like those left by one of my favorite fellow bloggers, Emily of a Radiant Mephit) help keep me sharp and give me tons and tons of ideas for remixing and revamping my wardrobe.

2. Do you think at times people leave comments that are insincere or not well thought out?

This little blog isn't big enough for that (thankfully). For the most part I only get comments from people who actually have something to say about my posts.

I do see comments on blogs with big audiences that are basically spam. I've got to say, if I started to get comments that were just: "cute top, link my BLOG!" I'd probably just delete that person's comment.

3. Would you ever leave a comment that could be considered negative?

I almost did, twice. If you've read this blog before, you know how irritated I get with cultural appropriations in fashion. I've come across two bloggers (one I stopped reading) who either embraced this or defended it. In both cases I was tempted to launch an all out diatribe in the comments section to let the writer know of the offensive nature of their posts.

But you know what? That doesn't get me anywhere in the end really. In both cases the poster was pretty clear about how they felt about the issue, even acknowledged the "problems" with their posting - and how others had addressed the issue, and then I'd just be speaking past the writer, essentially addressing deaf ears. That's pointless. So instead I opt not to read. No harm, no foul. In the end, posting something that can be construed as negative or as attacking another writer does nothing for me in the eyes of the blogging community. It's bad PR. I'd rather be neutral, positive, or, when solicited, constructive, in my commenting.

4. Most people claim to like constructive criticism. Do you really and how do you offer that kind of criticism to others?

I love it! (that's pretty much covered above).
When I have constructive criticisms to offer I'll usually frame it either as a question with a compliment encased: "Oh, I dig that top, how do you think it would play if you layered it instead of wearing it on its own?" OR, as a compliment, criticism, suggestion combination. Example: "Wow, I love how the green in that skirt compliments your skin tone and your bracelet. I wonder though whether that plastic bangle is distracting from your other statement jewelry. Maybe try letting the skirt shine on its own."

As I said though, I usually only leave a constructive criticism if solicited.

For example, (incoming solicitation!):

I know I'm not good at wearing jeans. I pretty much always pair them with a tshirt and cardi or just a tee and a jacket. I wandered about in my jeans, new Rugby jacket, and Kiwi's scarf last weekend.

But there's not much oomph to this look. What can I do to improve it? How would you work these jeans and jacket? <-- see there's the solicitation. (And I'm serious, let me know what you'd do!).

my outfit's as bare as these surroundings! HELP!

5. Some bloggers don't allow comments in order to cut down on negativity. Do you think that is the way to go or are there other ways to deal with the negative vibes?

There's a big difference between shutting off comments because of a desire to maintain a climate of positivity (or your own sanity) and shutting off comments to feed one's own ego.

I think most bloggers are familiar with the comment controversy on the blog What I Wore. Jessica received some comments from a less than tactful reader who naively made a comment inquiring about whether she was pregnant. From there the situation escalated quite quickly with Jessica posting a series of entries on "trolls" and "jealous" commenters. Needless to say, readers erupted. There were a few whose comments bordered on trolling but most of the insight was overwhelmingly positive.

At the time I'd been a long time and regular reader of WIW. As someone who moderates web sites for a living, I was totally shocked with the way the situation was handled. To be absolutely blunt, I found the whole thing akin to a temper tantrum. Comments like "I don't like that scarf with that outfit," or "this looks a little matronly" suddenly translated (in posts on comments policies) to "you're overwhelming me with negativity!" "you're trolls!" "You're jealous!"

I found it wildly unprofessional that a blogger who made their livelihood from their site would IGNORE the majority of comments - which were positive, inspiring, supportive, and occasionally apologetic in favor of arguing with detractors. (One snarky person mentioning that a belt makes you look like The Nanny, or someone asking, politely, whether you might be pregnant, should not drown out HUNDREDS of comments from long time, productive, readers). Eventually Jessica shut off comments altogether. (Although she's recently reopened them with a very stern comments policy). At the time, as a reader, I felt kind of like "what's the point." I mean really, what is the point of visiting a site, taking the time to comment, thoughtfully, only to be ignored in favor of a brawl fest with an alleged troll? The time that Jessica spent engaging with a handful of commenters who she didn't seem to want on her site anyway would have been better spent responding to and engaging with supportive, long time readers, offering up insight into the situation or their own perspectives on comment policies.

There's a BIG difference between someone naively posting a comment that may come across as an insult and true trolling. Trolls (and believe me, I've had to deal with A LOT in my professional life)* cannot be reasoned with. Their entire purpose is garnering negative attention, getting personal very quick, and hiding behind internet anonymity. In extreme cases, trolls will even threaten violence against the blogger or regular posters.

I've seen some class A trolling on Style Rookie and even over on Keiko Lynn's blog (which shocks me because she seems like such a delight). On Tavi's blog the troll comments are moderated out. On Keiko's I've actually seen her leave them up and attempt to productively engage with the people. Both of these bloggers make it their point to actively moderate their comments (or have a third party do it - I don't know whether they do it).

In the case of Sea of Shoes, I completely understand why there was a need to shut off comments. First, the volume of comments was incredible, and, I'm sure, totally unruly to moderate. Secondly, she was the target of some grade A trolls - and some true internet anonymity inspired bravery. Not only was she getting personally attacked on an almost daily basis, but she was dealing with threats of violence. Believe me, even when staring at them from across a computer screen, having someone threaten you is terrifying. Again, I won't go into it, but I've seen some atrocious things directed at myself (not on this blog obviously) that have really shaken me - even knowing that the comments are "just talk."

If a person puts themselves out there in the public eye, or even on the internet, they've got to have a thick skin. Part of the incredible part of blogging - especially style blogging - is engaging with other writers and folks with similar interests. It's understood that as a blog gets bigger it will attract a larger audience. Larger audiences of course mean the potential to attract a few trolls. There's a difference between fostering a sense of positive community on a site and truly beating out negativity, and enforcing a policy meant to just feed the bloggers' ego.

NOW, here are my well formed recommendations for fostering a productive online community - either on your own blog's talk comments or in a larger forum.

(I'm not blowing smoke out my bum here. I've actually been doing this for several years. As a paid freelancer/consultant, and now as a full time community manager/moderator).

From my many years of moderating different communities and web sites I can tell you that the key to truly eradicating negativity is to ignore it. Don't engage with trolls. Delete their comments, block them if you can, report their IP addresses if it's at all possible. Don't engage with a true troll. If a regular commenter leaves a comment that seems nasty or mean spirited, reach out to them. Chances are that (in the case of regular readers), they may have not read their comment before posting and didn't consider how it would come across in print, without context. Engage with your regular posters. Return comments and messages as often as you're able, or in the comments of your own posts. Not only will you encourage them to return to your blog often, you'll ensure that they stand up against trolls for you and even begin to self moderate.

Also - consider your audience - as it is and as you'd like it to be. Moderate according to that goal. If, for example, you'd like open discourse and lots of variations in opinion, be liberal with what you leave up. If, you'd like your comments to remain focused on fashion and don't want politics, religion, or other topics brought in, delete those comments and let the regulars who might have left them know why you did. Create a comments policy that is clear and concise and leave it up in a prominent place on your site. Tweet out links to it and add it to Facebook as well.

Finally, if you've only gotten into blogging to feed your ego and with the sole end-goal of sponsorship, I'd recommend either getting a thicker skin or a reality check, pronto. While some bloggers are able to make their livelihood off their blogs - they are few and far between. And even then - the most successful blogs are those who (even if they've since shut them down) engaged heavily with their audience and fostered a community with their comment responses and moderation from the ground up.

**If you're further interested in this please reach out to me via email and I'll potentially discuss the issue. I don't want to make some of these incidents public on the blog as they involve past and present employers and clients.

She Works Hard for the Money

2010-10-04T19:45:00.000-04:00

I cannot resist sharing these photos because the fabulously talented photographer for these events just makes us all look so amazing. I call these "aspirational" in terms of what I'm aiming for with my struggling photo skills. Also, I believe they are also very strong evidence that I should finally get a haircut instead of doing the scarf/ponytail or hair down/beanie combo anymore. Several magazines are telling me that short hair is in. Is this true?

By the way, the title of this post references the fact that, yes, this is me at work. ... In a manner of speaking. Also, note to self, always buy lipsticks with Beyonce's photo attached to them. They work wonders.

All photos taken by and property of BeckThis. See her Flickr stream and amazing talent here.

The Spree...

2010-10-03T12:41:00.005-04:00

On Saturday I overslept. A lot.

I had to be downtown for my burlesque class at 1 and only dragged myself out of bed at 11:50am. How I overslept that much, I'll never know. Usually I'm up at a little after eight on the weekends (the time that I strangely aspire to but never achieve during the week). But today my body had other plans.

So I didn't get to shower but that's no excuse for not looking marginally human. I actually threw on an entirely different oversized tunic first but caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and realized: whoa, that is just too much. Happily this polo dress was hanging nearby.

After class I met up with my fantastic gal pal and old roommate for some brunch (or is it lunch once it's past 3?) and then some window shopping. She had to head home so I kept wandering. I realized I'd forgotten to have her take a photo for me and then had the further realization that I'd actually forgotten my camera. So out went my plans for a self portrait in the garden. So I snuck into a shop and snapped some photos....and spent $260 on some "essentials" for my wardrobe. Last time I give myself a shopping ban. Whoa.

Also, I know that dressing room photos are like the BIGGEST blogger faux pas listed. Which was kind of my inspiration for taking them. I have a backlog of a bunch of bad photos and I'll be doing a big hilarious bad photo dump sometime soon. The outtakes are ridiculous but the outfits deserve to be seen ;). Maybe that should be my new blog name: Deserve To Be Seen...

Polo dress and leggings: American Apparel
Boots: Mom's old boots
Bandana: brought to our PAX booth by one of our fans (it was a decoration)
Hoodie: swapped from Sis (H&M)
Jacket: Target

Swapping Really is the New Shopping!

2010-10-01T20:16:00.000-04:00

I love clothing swaps. I know that's come across on the blog before, but I absolutely do. I love seeing people rediscover the potential in my wardrobe and I adore upcycling something lovely with a back story and a history. I'd say at this point, excluding skivvies and shoes for my monster feet, my wardrobe is probably 90% second-hand or just plain old (I have some hangers-on from high school and middle school kicking around in my drawers).

Me shopping the swap in my vintage YSL jacket (photo c/o of Swap.Com)

Last night I attended the Swapaholics' amazing Boston Fashion Week Sip N Swap event. I'll have a full post on it later, but I was so thrilled to end a trying day with a blogger mixer, a little bit of runway walking, and a ton of fun. I made out like a bandit at the swap and wore a largely swapped outfit to work today.

I'm trying (desperately trying) to take better photos. I've been researching all sorts of posts on IFB and other sites about self portraits, including this great read by Katy. So today, I went home and decided to try to get some outfit shots in. If you're in the North East you're probably also experiencing horrendous weather so outdoor photos were an impossibility. Hence my little boudoir setup. Here's what I managed. Two essential pieces of this outfit were swap finds!

Who needs a dye job? Look at those roots!!

Details:

Vest and leggings: swap! Leggings donated to the swap by The Closet Boston

Elephant necklace: gift from Sis (believe it's H&M)

Bracelet: vintage from Great Eastern Trading

Top: actually a nightgown (gift from Momma earlier this summer)

Shoes: my last Target purchase before I realized I need to boycott the chain

My Desert Sanctuary

2010-09-30T11:47:00.002-04:00

I love the desert.

If heaven is a reality, and I'm meant to go there, I'll wake up at the end of my life amidst agave, yucca, red mountains, and butterflies.

And I won't get sunburned.

"Am I willing to give up what I have in order to be what I am not yet? Am I able to follow the spirit of love into the desert? It is a frightening and sacred moment. There is no return. One's life is charged forever. It is the fire that gives us our shape." ~Mary Richards

"A desert is a place without expectation." ~Nadine Gordimer

Dress: LA Vintage
Shades: vintage from Austin Buffalo Exchange
Bike shorts: American Apparel
Rugby by Ralph Lauren bag: gift from Sis, Christmas 2005

all photos taken on my new iPhone 4

Isn't the quality amazing?

Into The Sunset

2010-09-28T02:37:00.000-04:00

Hey all, the blog is on vacation this week. I'm out in the desert on a work trip and wrapped up in some BFW fun when I return. Normally I'd have scheduled autoposts but with my camera still in awful shape that wasn't a possibility.

I'll be back soon!

Desert sunset from Starwood Hotels website

Friend Friday (6): Do's & Don'ts

2010-09-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

I'm pretty excited about this week's Friend Friday. It's nice to have a light hearted topic every now and then. Katy put out a note on Twitter that she was stuck for topics this week so in my infinitely stressed out and longing to be lazy state I tweeted back: "why not do's and don'ts?" I proceeded to elaborate via tweet (sorry all of my followers who were hoping for juicy video game secrets). I was pretty stoked when my inbox got the lighthearted FF email later on in the day. (It was a nice break after receiving a positively devastating email moments before - but that's private and not for blogging).

1. What do you think are some of the top fashion don'ts? (Things you would never be caught dead in and cringe when other people wear them.) My big giant don't? Fur. Or Leather (though I can see the utilitarian appeal for some folks). To me, this is someone elses' skin. ::Shudder:: I may appear hypocritical because I love the luxury of faux fur (holla Chanel Winter), but faux is fun - real is just icky.

Other things I can't get behind (despite being huge trends recently): open toed shoes with any sort of stock or stocking. Gah. Shudder. I hate it. One of my first posts on this blog went into how gross I thought this trend was.

2. What previous fashion don’t do you now wear with pride? I'm a big fan of mixing navy and black or brown and black. I can actually remember the point in college when, slaving away at my local Gap, I showed up to work in black shirt, jeans, black shoes, with a ::gasp:: brown belt and some brown/brass jewelry. I got an up and down from the manager who then pronounced: "on you this works." Score one for 21 year old me.

3. Do you think there is a universal fashion do? Confidence and a smile. Feeling great about what you're wearing, wearing it with pride, and wearing it well. That's the universal do. Also, yes, I don't think one can ever go wrong with an LBD (or all black ensemble) and a colorful accent or two.

4. What items lately, either recently in style or coming in now, do you think should never make it off the retail shelves? I don't think Uggs should have ever been a thing. Unless you/re a New Zealand sheep farmer they should never have been on your feet. And Uggs w/mini skirts? Really? If it's hot enough for a mini, take off the Uggs. If it's cool enough for Uggs, put on some tights or pants.
Lately one trend that's really infuriated me has been all the native inspired "headresses" and headbands I've seen folks wearing. I've even seen bloggers doing "photoshoots" inspired by Native peoples. Hooray for cultural appropriations! Barf. It utterly disgusts me when I see these images or "accessories" - those aren't pieces of jewelry, they're deep seated parts of someone else's cultural and religious tradition, not mass market knick knacks.I actually stopped reading one blogger entirely after she posted a shoot for her etsy store featuring feather head dresses and war paint. Not only was the piece narcissistic but it was overtly racist and the fact that the blogger felt she was being "open minded" and "paying homage" to a "forgotten culture" was even more disgusting. I almost emailed her b/c I was pretty PO'd about her assertions/assumptions that American Indians didn't exist anymore. It was one of those "seriously?!" moments. ::end rant - but I could go on. Shall I go on? Let me know in the comments.::

5. In your opinion, is there any blogger, fashion icon, celebrity who some how manages to pull off some fashion don'ts and still look good? Hmmm...can't think of anyone super specifically. I do think that Kelly Framel, The Glamourai, always looks perfectly spot-on. Zooey Deschanel can also do no wrong in my mind.

My First Vlog

2010-09-22T23:38:00.000-04:00

Hey all,

My camera is still being exceptionally wonky so I decided to get a little bootleg and record a video on my handy-dandy phone. I've posted it below! Nothing too interesting, just a quick run down of what I'm wearing:

I've done two (very poor) vlogs so far. The other will be making its debut during my Friend Friday post. I've been able to get the camera to snap one or two photos at a time but that's all I can generally get out of it, so I have some outfit photos from this week but they are poor quality photos in which my head is generally cut off. Oops.

I could say much more but I'm pretty sick and trying to recoup before my trip to Phoenix on Sunday. So that's all for now. Adieu.

Outfit details:
Second-hand: Rodarte for Target dress (from Buffalo Exchange), & vintage Avante-Guarde jacket (Great Eastern trading).
From the closet: Look of London tights via Modcloth (probably the only decent thing I've ever purchased from that site), and boots.

Occassion for dressing up?
Trani Wreck at Oberon. Just google it ;)

To Betsey With Love (Encore)

2010-09-20T16:04:00.000-04:00

So something awful has happened with my camera and it is just not functioning properly at all. I've misplaced the warranty info as well of course. Boo hoo.

I'm experimenting with my fancy new iPhone and hoping I can either grab some photos or just start vlogging to help things along.

I began an experiment yesterday of trying to wear one vintage statement piece every day for a week. Yesterday's piece was an avant-guarde jacket from the 80s w/very lady gaga shoulders. Today I have on a vintage punk label (can you believe it!?) skirt set that I scored on etsy. Since I have nothing to show you (just yet anyway), I invite you to oggle at this fabulous video from February. I know it's older, but this was one of my favorite Betsey collections to date. (I die for black and red combos). Plus Kelly Osbourne is cute as a button (I loved her little solo album back in 2006), and she's very much a motivator for me as I take on my "quick get in shape before your highschool reunion!" challenge.

Happy Monday all - hope your weekends were fabulous!

Friend Friday (5): Work Wear Vs Blog Wear

2010-09-17T08:27:00.002-04:00

Time for another Friend Friday post. This week's topic is work wear vs blog wear. I'm really curious to read others' posts on this matter. For the lovely few of you who've been reading this little blog on the regular you know that I only post what I wore that day. Whether it's an ugly sweater (see below), a naughty tshirt, or a mishmash of layers (also below), I only put my real wardrobe on the blog. Have I missed photographing a few amazingly sexy time outfits that I'd love to show? Yes, definitely. Would I ever photograph an ensemble for the blog that I wouldn't be able to practically wear out (or in depending on the occasion)? Absolutely not. Read on for the FF questions and my answers.

If you'd like to participate, just follow the link above!

1. When it comes to outfit posts on your own blog, be honest are they what you actually wore that day?
Yup. Pretty much always. Sometimes I'll put up an outfit I wore out to a party as opposed to what I might have worn during the day, but this basically started as an outfit a day blog so I always post myself as I am. With or without makeup, with or without hair done, with or without brows done, etc...

For example, here's me working from home on Monday. And yes, I did go run errands in this $3 thrifted ugly sweater:

2. For a fashion blogger, working in a corporate environment can be tricky. How do you mesh your day job with your personal style choices?
I don't actually work in a traditional or corporate environment. (I mean, this is me at work). For me, work is very much about come as you are, be who you are. (That's kind of why they hire us). I may dress a bit different out on the road (contacts, more makeup, a bit more rock), but otherwise I'm pretty much always as I am. Even if I did find myself back in corporate america again, my day to day wear would be very much still emblematic of my character.

3. When you get dressed in the morning, do you think what should I wear to work or what should I wear for the blog?
I usually think: "oh shit I overslept again, oh my lord what matches!?" and then I run out the door semi-dressed.

Another perfect example:

(This is Wednesday's outfit). I'm lucky that usually I hang things that sort of "go" near each other. I also keep a mental catalog of things I'd like to experiment with so if I'm pressed for time I'll just go ahead with whatever experiment I had in mind.

and the back

and properly layered up (freezing in some parts of the office, warm in others)

4. Do professionals you interact with ever make comments about your clothing choices?
When I'm more dressed up people are often quite impressed that my clothes are second-hand. Usually I get nice comments about my wardrobe. The only insulting comments I've ever received have been at shows or cons - they usually come from socially stunted dbags and involve some snide comment about me being a booth babe (because obviously women who look cute or dressed up and are at a games-show are only there as human props. Only sloppily dressed girls should be taken seriously. BARF). When I think about it though, none of those guys are really professionals. So, no, never gotten a bad work comment about my attire.

5. Some bloggers openly admit to wearing outfits only for the blog post. What's your opinion on that? I guess I get it. Personally, I think it's pretty disingenuous, especially if you make a living off your blog. If you're the product and the brand you should have some authenticity to you. I mean obviously if you work in a manufacturing plant or wear a uniform you have to dress only for the blog, but I think a person can achieve a balance. I don't find myself really all that interested in a blogger if s/he notes that they only "put on this outfit to take photos." Or they write something like: "well I really wear jeans and a tshirt all week but I thought this looked cute so I tossed it on for 15 minutes to take photos." If you don't have the guts to actually show off an outfit I don't think you should "market" it as "your style" on a blog - especially a blog that is monetized. (I realize re-reading this that it sounds as if this bothers me more than it really does. I'm just thoroughly elaborating).

If you didn't get to write about this for Friend Friday, what are your answers to these questions?

I Interrupt This Blog For a Dance Break...

2010-09-16T21:08:00.001-04:00

I had a pretty brutal day today. Along with general stress part of it involved someone who doesn't know me personally attacking me based on my looks

Now, normally I'm thicker skinned. But with a dogpile of stuff going on in my life today was just not a day that I could handle this. I cried at my desk, I took a breather, a walk. Then in the afternoon I went to hot yoga to sweat it out.

I have a lot of anxiety about my looks. I'll be the first to say it. As a kid I got bullied - a LOT - for being weird or different. I got made fun of for how I dressed or the way I did my make up or the clothes I wore (even when I was ahead of the trends and others were wearing that stuff months later). Wah, wah, boo hoo, I know. Life is hard. First world problems and all that.

Point is, I grew up to be a fairly confident, secure, adult. But even still, my vanity gets the best of me sometimes - and I think that's why listening to this danc-y, tongue in cheek song, helped me get through today.

Posting the video below. A big head's up - this is NSFW so listen/watch at home if you must.

Lyrics:

If I can't be beautiful, I'd rather just die

So self-obesessed with my mascara and mistakes
Vanity's like a funeral and everyone is at my wake
Before I run out of air there's more make-up to apply.
Doll eyes stare into Valium colored skies.

I gotta sweet tooth and strawberry youth
You wanna be my licorice and misguided truth
And right now I'll show you how
I'm a beauty killer

Rhinestone my eyes closed, and please fix my hair
This concealer can't hide all my pink nightmares
Before I ran out of air there's more makeup to apply
Doll eyes stare into Valium colored skies.

I almost died, but it felt great.
Faking perfection wasn't worth the wait
I may be easy, easy to hate
But you're fucking easy, easy to break

I gotta a sweet tooth and strawberry youth
You wanna be my licorice in misguided truth
And right now I'll show you how
I'm a beauty killer

I almost died, but it felt great.
Faking perfection wasn't worth the wait
I may be easy, easy to hate
But you're fucking easy, easy to break

Tell me your secrets, and I'll tell you my lies
Everything is monotone in my dead eyes
If I can't be beautiful, I'd rather just die

I'm a beauty killer
A sweet tooth and strawberry youth
You wanna be my licorice in misguided truth
And right now I'll show you how
I'm a beauty killer
Doll eyes stare into Valium colored skies

I'm a beauty killer gorgeous killer,
hot pink killer,
fierce killer
I'm a beauty killer

Tattoo Stories (again)

2010-09-14T09:52:00.000-04:00

I've been wearing my hair up a lot lately. It's a big bleachy mess but I'm working on conditioning it, laying off the color for awhile, and growing it out for locks of love. The easiest way to manage as I give it some TLC is just throwing it in a quick bun or wrapping it up in a scarf.

With my hair up so often people are starting to notice the cherry blossom tattoos behind my ear. These are probably some of my more special tattoos.

There's a saying that each cherry blossom, as it blooms, is "unique and perfect," as it is. I have three because I have three wonderful siblings each represented by one blossom behind my ear. Mine are traditional Japanese blossoms but done in a style that matches my other Americana work. I've also been told that in Chinese style tattooing cherry blossoms represent "strong women" or "powerful femininity" - so though that's not the intention behind them I do enjoy that they can carry that interpretation.

I'm looking to spend more time in the chair soon to finish my left sleeve (I've set my high school reunion as my deadline, haha). I'd like to start on my right arm - but I want to take a lot more time there and focus on more "deep" tattoos that carry stronger significance than some of the pieces on my left arm. My left arm is kind of like a scrap book of my life. My right arm will ultimately be a tribute to my family.

The photo above is from a shoot for an office culture piece we did at work awhile back. It's a long rambly read but features some photos of mine and a colleague's tattoos. You can read it here.