the wrinkled theater patron

I went to see the Mythbusters live yesterday at Jones Hall for their Behind the Myths Tour. For those of you not in the cool kid know like me, Mythbusters is a show on the Discovery Channel. I have a strange addiction to watching it.

It's been a while since I had a random weekday date night with Boyfriend, so it was nice to get out and do something rather than just staying in and watching endless episodes of Friends. Though the latter is nice, too.

I must have tried on every single thing in my closet before deciding to just go with this skirt and a white shirt. Boring, but after "testing out" a bunch of ensembles for this event, I was just too tired to think anymore. I mean, I went through more wardrobe changes in the span of 30 minutes than a Jubilee! marathon.

The downside of this simple outfit? How insanely wrinkled my pencil skirt was after a car ride. Hence my completely unamused expression here:

shirt, gapskirt, j.crewpumps, steve maddenbag, rebecca minkoff

But I have no excuse for Boyfriend's expression here:

I don't know what makes his face so funny in that shot, but ohhhhh, it is.

I brought in my (flashless) Polaroid 220 camera too, which predictably garnered a few stares and murmurs of "What is that?" But for these pictures, it was all worth it.

The bottom I took after the show, when Boyfriend and I met Adam Savage (half of the Mythbusters duo). He was trapped behind a glass door (which explains the glare), but was nice enough to pose for a picture anyway. Plus, I got the back signed after someone eventually set him free. All in all, not a bad evening, despite the skirt wrinkles and high heel blisters.

Giveaway post tonight!

the clark kent

A coworker mentioned to me a long time ago that I should name my outfits, but I never did get around to ever doing that. Until now. Boyfriend mentioned that I looked like Clark Kent ("in a good way!") in this outfit, and well, I can't disagree. So, I give you The Clark Kent.

How does Superman avoid VCL (Visible Costume Line)? Is the cape seamless? Maybe detachable? And what does he do with his Daily Planet reporter suit after he's done changing in the telephone booth? So many questions.

shirt, gap

pencil skirt, banana republic

mary jane heels, cole haan

knit tie, j.crew

belt, j.crew

ring, f21

watch, fossil

bangle, kate spade

tights, xhilaration

coat, j.crew

let's bring back the sweater vest

I love a good sweater vest. Granted, I've now only owned two of them in my life, but I do enjoy those two. Er, well, I now only enjoy one of them because I accidentally shrunk the other in the dryer.

Damn.

Decided to break out some colorful jeans too for some extra pep, and I did rather enjoy how festive my legs looked. It's strange because I have 3 pairs of colored jeans -- red, purple, and turquoise. But I can never get myself to wear the turquoise ones out of the house. They just always read too much like pajama bottoms, but I'm not sure why. I mean, why are red and purple jeans okay, but turquoise ones pajama-y?

shirt, j.crew

sweater vest, gap

jeans, zara

belt, mom's

loafers, f21

ring, novica

For those who are interested, my nail polish is OPI ("The Thrill of Brazil") with a swipe of Essie ("Mezmerise").

Also, do any of you ever get annoyed whenever something you order online comes shipped in a box that's way too big for it? I mean, what a waste of space and resources! The biggest offender of this used to be J.Crew in my experience, but Barnes & Noble took the cake recently. Check it out:

so many pleats, but so little fun

This outfit seemed cooler in my head than in execution. I think maybe with a bright skirt and a plain white button-up (instead of a striped one), it'd look better. As is, it's pretty "ho hum, that's a lot of drab colors... yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawnnnzzzzzzzznnnxxxxx...." Next time!

But at least my nails made it slightly more interesting, maybe? I loved Jessie's "Galaxy Nails," so I

just had to try it out for myself, especially since I have a not-so-secret fascination with all things space-related. Despite my general lack of motor skills, I think they turned out pretty good! (And please ignore how dry and crazy my fingers look. I'm working on it.)

Try not to fall asleep while looking at this outfit. Unless you're an insomniac and desperately need something to help you knock out after you've been awake for 3 days straight, in which case, let the outfit work its magic and give in. Give in to the sweet, blissful haze of slumber's embrace... zzzzzzzz--wha? Sorry, here we are:

shirt, gapjacket, diane von furstenbergskirt, anthropologietights, targetbooties, seychellesbelt, calvin kleinring, novica

Heading out to Houston's Alamo Drafthouse tonight for the release of Houston's own Scarlet Spider (see here for more details if you're so inclined). Even though I don't follow comics or anything (Boyfriend is the geek of that department, which is why we're going to this panel tonight), I'm still stoked that my city finally gets a superhero! I never understood why New York City got all the supers anyway, so I'm glad one of them finally made his way down here.

And then tomorrow I have jury duty. Wah-wahhhhh.

closing walls and ticking clocks

Did I quote a Coldplay song in the post title? Yessir, I did.

I love this skirt, but it can be a challenge to wear because sometimes I feel like the short length + poofy factor + crazy clock motif can be a bit overwhelming if it's not paired with just the right thing. With those concerns in mind, I decided to go for a classic striped Oxford buttoned top, as well as some plain black tights and plain black pumps. Kind of like a sanity sandwich around something potentially nutty.

My metaphors need work.

top, gap

skirt, anthropologie

tights, xhilaration

heels, steve madden

belt, j.crew

 

Looking at these pictures, I don't even know why I was concerned over the skirt length. Sometimes I forget that I'm fun-sized and not normal-people-sized, so I can get away with wearing shorter hem lengths.

Purple Week, Day Four: Purple Thwarted

The end of Purple Week is nigh, and today's outfit is regrettably sedate. I was planning to wear some awesome aqua-hued pants with it so that there would be like an aqua + yellow + purple trifecta happening, but it turns out that I'm still a smidge too pudgy to fit into my aqua pants at the moment. Hmmmph. So boring ol' "accommodate those love handles" jeans it is.

top, f21

cami, j.crew

jeans, gap

sandals, lauren by ralph lauren

Move along now, not much to see here. I'm getting sleepy just looking at these pictures of my outfit. YAWN. But tune in tomorrow for my Friday send-off to Purple Week!

And now, your much more exciting purple outfits!

Jenn of Complex Cardigans is wearing my favorite yellow + purple color combination here. The skinny little belt, shorts, and zebra flats add some personality and fun to this ensemble, and I can just imagine wearing something similar when I'm out and about! Also, I'm fairly certain I need a cardigan in this exact shade now.

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I've been following goldenmean's blog for quite some time, so I can personally vouch for the fact that she is always putting together really fun and girly outfits! I'm always in awe of how fun all of her outfits always look... She went all the way with her purple outfit, throwing in awesome purple wedges and purple hair. Love!

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Tomorrow's the last installment of Purple Week, so if you have an outfit you'd like featured, send it in to me before 5 p.m. Friday at amy.kelinda@gmail.com!

mucho maxi

I snapped some photos of my outfit yesterday, but I looked decidedly cracked out of my mind in all of them (well, more than usual, anyway) so I decided to not post them. Instead, here's an outfit from a few days ago...

shirt, gap
cami, cotton on
skirt, zara
belt, mom's
ring, f21
bangle, kate spade

I'm living in maxi skirts this summer. They're just so easy to wear! Not to mention that they are the most logical choice for me when it comes to enduring the typical triple-digit temperatures of Houston. I mean, whenever I hear that the high is going to be 110 degrees, my first instinct on wardrobe options is "NAKED," so it's excellent that I have an alternative to that.

A while back, I did a guest DIY post for one of my absolute favorite bloggers (Infinite Whimsy), and there was a good response to my crafting skillz (with a 'z' which is how you know it's for real). Unfortunately, I don't craft all day, every day, so I can't do craft-type DIY posts regularly. But, I do create different and new dishes/desserts on a regular basis, so I will include some recipe successes whenever I come across them and count them as pseudo-DIYs. Sound good?

Today, I present to you one of my new favorites light lunches/dinners -- asparagus with a fried egg and pecorino cheese:


I got the recipe from Steamy Kitchen, and you can find it here. The only changes I made is that I used pecorino cheese instead of parmesan because it's what I had on hand. The result was still outrageously delicious for something that's only 3 ingredients, if you don't include the salt and pepper.

borrowed too much from the boys

Who gets a cold in the middle of summer? THIS GIRL! Do I get a prize? A box of Kleenex, mayhaps? A bottle of Nyquil with a bendy straw in it? Because that's what I need right now.

Moving on...

shirt, j.crew
jacket, gap kids
jeans, j.crew outlet
sandals, aldo
men's belt, ae
bracelet, kate spade
ring, f21

This was thrown together at the last possible second. I have a bad habit of sleeping through my alarm, which I pay dearly for whenever I'm trying to get dressed because I can think is "jeans! sandals! shirt! jacket! DONE!" without thinking that maybe these jeans with those sandals make me look shorter than I already am, or that maybe a men's-style shirt paired with a boy's-style jacket might need a touch more femininity to balance it all out.

Lesson learned: Wake up on time and get dressed thoughtfully.

dun dun dun DUNNNN

GUYS. Some days when it feels like all the joints in my hands ache, and today is one of those days. BLAAAARGH. It's no bueno for someone who types all day long for a living, and I'm pretty certain it's affecting my ability to string together coherent thoughts. Some of my articles are beginning to sound like this:

"U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo recently announced that they are now offering college students the chance to take out a fixed-rate private student loan, which is great for those lucky students who do not suffer from INCREDIBLY IRRITATING hand pain ARGH SO ANNOYING WHY WHY WHYYYYY SAHFDAIUFYCNBACA21U3RFN8WCENA#$#"

That last bit is me thrashing my hands around on the keyboard like I'm playing an especially passionate rendition of Beethoven's 5th. Stirring.

I keep popping my fingers in an effort to alleviate the pain (even though it never works, but I don't learn, do I?) and I know that if Chloe (of The Conspiracy) were here in the office with me, she'd start a mutiny and call for my immediate banishment. Sorry, Chloe.

But stupid hands aside, here's an outfit.

crochet bib cami, h&m
jacket, diane von furstenberg
long and lean jeans, gap
wedge sandals, lauren by ralph lauren
men's belt, american eagle
ring, f21
gold bangle, kate spade

Now before I leave you lovely readers for the weekend, here's some more of Beethoven's 5th for you:

CLVJWQEGnP4YHGQNVIRNSWGOINW SJRG94W TU93Q9RFINCOWN#tyt@$#qe

Thank you, and yes, I am classically trained in Keyboard Rage.

Sometimes I seriously can't believe that you actually read the nonsense I post here. I LOVE YOU GUYS.

the return of the pencil skirt

Is it weird that every time I hear the phrase "the return of the..." I automatically think "King" or "Jedi"?

But that's neither here nor there.

What is here, guys, is a pencil skirt -- which has not been on my bottom half (or any other half of me, come to think of it) since early April. I had forgotten how much I missed my pencil skirts, and it was a joyous reunion, especially since it heralded in the fact that I am now getting back to my old, healthier size.

So in celebration, I ate an entire cake.

Just kidding.

OR AM I?

Yeah, I am.

cami, gap
jenna's cardigan, j.crew
pencil skirt, j.crew outlet
peeptoe leopard flats, steve madden
studded skinny belt, j.crew
ring, f21
gold bangle, kate spade

This picture totally happened. Lisa, are you looking to do another outtakes post soon? Haha!




Also, have you noticed my new wall decor? I finally decided to get some art prints I bought ages ago framed and now we're going to be slowly adding to this collection. I already have a gorgeous illustration from Rachel I need to print and frame as well. It'll be exciting to watch the collection grow!

those jeans again

I know posting has been sporadic this week, and I apologize. After a sty in the eye one day, and then a phone alarm failing to ring on another, this week has not started off with my most ideal of mornings. But hurrah! It's the weekend now, and a long weekend at that, especially since I'll be taking a holiday the day after July 4th as well. Can I get a WOOT WOOT? (no?) (carry on, then.) (party pooper.)

Some of you observant ladies have pointed out that I appear slightly slimmer these days, and you'd be right. I'm 10 whole pounds slimmer in fact, thanks to a change of eating habits for the better and semi-regular workout routines. That means I only have 20 more pounds to go before reaching my healthy weight range, so I'm pretty jazzed. So close!

But that also means I'm still stuck in denim limbo land, where out of the 7 pairs of jeans I own, I now am too slim to fit into 1 of them, but still too tubby to fit into my other 5 pairs from pre-love handle days of yore. So I'm stuck with only one pair of denim that fits correctly -- THESE.

striped shirt, gap

cami, cotton on
long and lean jeans, gap
belt, american eagle
wedges, lauren by ralph lauren
skull ring, ebay
leaf ring, australia
bangle, kate spade

My cami is from Cotton On, a store I was obsessed with when I was studying abroad in Australia during my college years. And guess what? They're opening one in the Galleria in Houston! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! Just another reason for me to frequent that mall even more often than I already do. From what I remember, Cotton On is basically H&M Lite, which I don't mind at all, seeing as how my hometown has yet to get H&M Full Fat. Hmmph.

Have a good weekend!

grape blazer ahoy

I was browsing through Zara last weekend when I spotted this purple blazer. Thinking it'd be good for a laugh, I put it on and thought about how amazingly crazy it would look with matching purple pants. A real Grimace-of-McDonalds-fame-joins-Miami-Vice ensemble, if you follow me.

But instead of laughing, I looked at my reflection and went, "Hmmmm... this could work." Strange how sometimes things that seem hilariously ill-advised on the hanger can actually surprise you when you put it on. Now I wonder how I ever doubted the allure of this sweet grape-hued jacket.

blazer with lapel, zara
long and lean jeans, gap
yellow print cami, fossil
wedge sandals, lauren by ralph lauren
gold ring, f21
silver ring, from australia
gold bangle, kate spade

Have any of you guys ever saw what you thought was a tragedy on a hanger only to discover that it's anything but once you put it on?

Also, I would like to point out how amazing it is that this outfit features no J.Crew at all, especially since 75% of my staple wardrobe consists of J.Crew pieces. Branching out!

my hair needs major CPR

Dear Multigrain Cheerios,

You are delicious and I thought we were friends. But then you cut up the inside of my mouth so now I can't chew correctly. What gives?

Sincerely,

AmyK

It seems every few weeks, the Cheerios I eat for lunch every day decide to attack the soft, squishy parts of my mouth, robbing me of my mandible efficiency. Either they're out to get me, or I need to be retaught how to properly masticate my food because I clearly am not doing it right.

perfect fit v-neck tee, j.crew

blazer, j.crew outlet

long and lean jeans, gap

sandals, lauren by ralph lauren

monocle necklace, gift

skull ring, ebay

pave heart ring, coach

gold bangle, kate spade

nail polish, 'mesmerize' by essie + nail art pen by sally hansen

I was clearly in a business casual kind of mood when I picked out this outfit. Sometimes all I want to wear is a simple tee, but a good blazer will easily dress that right up. It's nothing terribly original, but it'll do for mornings when I can't be bothered to think too hard about what goes with what.

Also, I am in desperate need of a hair cut. The ends of my hair are dryyyyy and splittttt and it is bumming me out! It's like within a single week, it went from being super shiny and full of life to completely lackluster. Isn't it crazy what damaged ends can do to your entire head of hair?