the spring witch

Whew. I just got back from a 3-day trip to Boston (or, 1.5 days in Boston with 1.5 days of travelling) for a conference and boy am I glad to be home. Not because I don't love Boston (because I do!), but because plane trips just take it out of me. Even though all you do is sit when you're on a plane, it's still incredibly tiring. I couldn't tell you why.

Oh wait, yes I can — it's because being crammed in a tiny seat for 4.5 hours next to people who don't understand the concept of keeping their elbows to themselves so that you can actually nap without waking up every 5 minutes from a bony jab to the ribs and/or head (this actually happened) is vexing, and being vexed for extended periods of time is exhausting.

Air travel is a lot less fun now that I'm all grown up. Maybe because now I know that Disney World isn't at the end of the flight.

But anyhoodle, here's a little something I wore the week before my trip...

And those dots on my nails aren't random. They're wee little constellations.
dress, vintage via ebaysweater, f21tights, xhilarationboots, vintage via etsybelt, j.crewheart ring, coachstone ring, novica

the mullet dress, once more

Daylight savings can be a pain for someone who takes her pictures early in the morn — you know, before the sun even peeks its golden head over the horizon. Ah well. I'm making it my mission to hunt down a tripod this weekend so I can at least snap photos on the parking garage roof, where it may be one iota brighter. My cramped, shadowy balcony just isn't going to cut it.

But at long last, here I am again! And with much less hair.

dress, cotton onblazer, urban outfitterstights, xhilaration (target)belt, j.crewbooties, vintage via etsymonocle necklace, gift

Is it incredibly obvious that my Andre-the-Giant-sized Boyfriend (at least, that's how big he is compared to me) took these photos? Bless his heart, but the guy can't snap a picture of me without me looking either incredibly fat (shooting angled up) or incredibly bobble-headed (shooting angled down). I tell him to just back up and keep the camera level, but he can't quite get the hang of it yet…

Finally, check out my little witch booties! I'm fairly certain they're from the '80s. That decade wasn't all FRANKIE SAYS RELAX and cone boobs.

Tomorrow, I've got a nifty little giveaway to tell you all about! Woohoo! Just think of it as a thank you for sticking with me, even when I disappear for weeks at a time.

beantown bound

I'm leaving for Boston tomorrow! Woooooohoooooooo! I'm kind of excited to get in an airplane again because my experience from flying back and forth multiple times each year for college has taught me that there is no better time to really listen to music than whilst soaring in a steel tube at 35,000 feet in the air.

And guys, I have plenty of music in need of listening to because of upcoming concert dates. Guess who will be on repeat on my ol' mp3 player? Bon Jovi, the BACKSTREET BOYS, and -- hoping to send some good vibes their way so that they'll include a Texas tour date this year -- Soundgarden!

It'll be quiet here on the blog for a few days until I return next week. The weather forecast leaves much to be desired, but what can you do? Like Outkast once said, "You can plan a pretty picnic, but you can't predict the weather."

Today's outfit is inspired by one of my favorite bloggers, Tien of adiaphane. She always puts together such wonderfully romantic outfits, and when I saw her in this effortlessly chic look, I knew I had to mimic it the best I could.

raglan sweater, f21

knit skirt, vintage via etsy

sandals, mia

monocle necklace, gift

gold bangle, kate spade

heart ring, coach

skull ring, ebay

leaf ring, australia

I don't have the gorgeous updo and filmy skirt like Tien's, but I'll take what I can, haha!

And, for those of you who are keeping track, here's a short little weight loss update. I've received some awesome emails from others who are struggling to lose weight, so I hope to show you that it can be done, even if your progress is slow.

Here's a little visual guide that I put together. I initially had 35 pounds to lose altogether in order to get back into a healthy weight range:

Now, I've lost 8 pounds after 2 months! Woohoo! That's an entire dumbbell eliminated!

I just have a few more dumbbells to go. Let me tell you, picking up the 35 pounds worth of free weights really put into perspective just how much I had gained. Yeesh! So don't give up on losing weight, even if you falter -- trust me, I've messed up in dieting and exercising a few times already, but I'm still sticking to this and seeing it through. Come July, I'll be fit again!

MUSTARD FLOWERS

I just Googled "mustard flowers" and am struck by just how beautiful they are. I wonder if they smell anything like mustard, since I know that garlic plants tend to smell like garlic. Looks like I'll have to make a trip to big yellow field of mustard flowers one day to find out for myself. I'll keep you all posted in the event that this occasion actually occurs.

What I actually meant with the title of this post is that I paired this wonderful mustard-yellow cardigan (which I'm sure you're all sick of seeing, but nyeh nyeh nyeh!) with my old 90s calico-print dress. Post titles are perplexing.

calico dress, vintage

infinity cardigan, j.crew (in curry)

tights, hue

tasseled loafers, f21

woven belt, mom's

ring, f21

gold bangle, kate spade

polish: zoya's "shawn" + sinful color's "call you later"

Since my nail polish choices seem to attract a fair bit of interest (I can thank Boyfriend's sister for fueling my recent obsession with expanding my polish collection), I'll start including those details in the outfit description. This week's green hues are inspired by tomorrow's St. Patty's Day holiday! Now I am safe from pinches, bwahaha!

And guys, my birthday is in a few weeks. I need to start putting together a birthday outfit, pronto! Any suggestions on a nice party frock for little ol' me?

Also, I only lost half a pound since last week instead of my goal of losing 2 pounds. I'm pretty sure I cried out in agony. I can be dramatic.

MARCHING BAND PLEATS

Brrr, it's cold out there! My apartment complex even stuck little notices on our doors telling us to drip our faucets while we're out so that none of the pipes will freeze and then burst due to the sudden drop in temperature. Because I am a good citizen and generally do not enjoy having the pipes in my dwelling dabble in any explosive activity, I complied. I can't believe those of you who live in colder climates deal with this stuff annually. Or maybe your pipes are actually insulated against the cold whereas ours are not... hmmmmmmm...

But, the upside to this chill spell is that I got to finally wear my favorite coat! I bought this red J.Crew number as my first "real winter coat against the elements" a few years back when I was still in college up in Boston. I just can't get behind puffer jackets, warm as they are, so instead I opted to buy a nice wool coat lined with thinsulate. It did the job admirably and has held up against sleet, rain, and snow for 3+ years.

Also note the glittens that Boyfriend got me for Christmas, which do a good job of keeping my digits warm/making my hands look street urchin-y:

button cami, gap

twisted trooper cardigan, f21

pleated sweater skirt, vintage via etsy

berry bush tights, anthropologie

kinnetic flats, steve madden

leatherette accent belt, f21 [x]

duchess stone ring, j.crew

gold bangle, kate spade

coat, j.crew (pictured below)

glittens, j.crew outlet (pictured below)

Speaking of my college life in Boston, I have awesome news: Boyfriend and I are officially going up to Boston in mid-April. Woo hoo! I am super psyched! We've already booked our hotel, so now we just have to keep our ears and eyes perked for a cheap flight. Any Bean Town ladies who want to meet up, let me know because I will most definitely be doing some shopping while I'm there!

a hilltop picnic

The last time that I layered a skirt under a too-short dress worked out so well, I decided to try it again. With the same skirt. I have yet to wear this skirt on its own (due to a lack of the perfect brown belt to go with it), but it's already ventured out of the closet twice now thanks to how great it looks under some of my more hemline-challenged frocks.

I've worn this dress a few times without feeling like it was too short, but today, for whatever reason, I just decided that it was. Too short, I mean. So I popped the white eyelet skirt under it and voilà! Instant length. I'm thinking that this trick works best with full skirts because I'm hard-pressed to think of how it might be successfully executed with something like a pencil skirt or a mini. Feel free to prove me wrong, though!

For those of you who were bummed that my particular skirt is sold out on the Modcloth site, I have a surprise for you: CLICK HERE. This is literally THE EXACT SAME SKIRT being sold on Alloy aka The Poor Man's Delias. And for half the price of what I paid! Lucky, lucky you! I admit that I'm a little peeved that I paid $60 for mine when I could've gotten it for $29.90, but eh. Now I know that Modcloth hikes up their prices like no other and will have to shop around the next time my mouse-clickin' finger's feeling itchy over there. YOU'RE WELCOME. Haha...

For reference, I ordered a size Medium and it fits wonderfully. I have a 28" waist.

calico dress, thrifted

green cardigan, gap [x-ish]

can't believe my eyelet skirt, modcloth [x] [x]

village slingback sandal, mia [x]

skinny brown belt, urban outfitters

red evil eye bracelet, kiosk

elephant ring, f21

leaf wrap ring, outdoor market

Well, TGIF, you guys! Happy weekending! I'll see you all bright and early on Monday morning...

spotty dotty

Thanks to everyone who came bearing great suggestions for my face wash dilemma! I wrote down all of the cleansers that were suggested yesterday and will embark on the Great Face Wash Hunt this weekend. It's good to know that so many of you have found perfect skin nirvana! Hopefully, I can join you all there in a few weeks!

For now, I'm celebrating some form of joy and bliss in the debut of this swingy and spotty frock:

spotted dress, vintage 90s
'bling-button' cardigan, j.crew [x]
eloise 'berry bush' tights, anthropologie [x]
'air margot' heels, cole haan [x]
wide belt, calvin klein
'pave heart' ring, coach [x]

I got this off of eBay for $5. I won't even bother to tell you how great that is because when this dress arrived, I was loving it. The print is so 90s that you can almost taste the genie pants and Adidas, but I think that as long as I stay away from pairing it with Keds and a denim floppy hat à la Singles, I should be okay.