Oh, hai...

Top: Self made
Skirt: Thrifted
Pumps: Zara
Earrings: Target

Oh hai.... Yes, I've been MIA. Things have been super busy with work and getting ready to come back to the States, which is actually where I am right now. It wasn't my intention to disappear for so long, it just kind of happened. Also, I'm at my in-laws right now, and they have dial up, so let's just say there won't be much posting until I'm back in VA towards the end of the month.


Anyway, this outfit. It's bright, huh? I kind of love it, though, especially because I felt like I was finally able to pull off that "color blocking" thing that was super trendy over the summer. Is that still a thing? Does anyone still do it? I was pretty proud of my bright top and neon thrifted skirt (I found it for $1!) and super bright shoes.


Bright colors for a bright day. Also, I'm pretty sure that was the last sunny day we had in the mountains until the day we left for the States. We have to take advantage of the sun when it comes out up there.

Boho

Tunic: Banana Republic
Jeans: Costa Blanca (thrifted)
Cami: Target
Wedges: Toms
Earrings: Turkey
Scarf: gift from my mom

In case you couldn't tell, I built this look around my new-to-me jeans. I mean, I've seen similar pairs online for way more than I ever want to spend on jeans, and I scored these for $4 at a thrift store.


I generally think this silhouette is (a) a bit too reminiscent of mid-nineties Frances Joy and (b) a little too much for my height, but I wanted to try the trend and these jeans make my butt look good. That's important.


I decided I wanted to wear these jeans with a flowy top and some heels. I chose this tunic because I haven't worn it in a while and it went well with my Tom's. The Tom's are important because I had to walk to work and they are ridiculously comfortable.


More comfortable than my jeans. Sigh. Stupid jeans. You do NOT beat skirts in my world of comfort.


Headscarves, however, are always a win.

P.S. This scarf is all kinds of tacky. It's got pictures of Venetian landmarks on it. I can't figure out of my mom actually bought it while we were there (doubtful) or if someone gave it to her. Either way, I love it.

Saturday doubles

In an attempt to get caught up-ish before the 30x30, I'm going to go ahead and double up on Costa Rica outfits today and tomorrow. Prepare for photo overload, y'all.


All remixed
Cardigan: Apt. 9 via Kohl's
Blouse: Banana Republic
Skirt: Ann Taylor
Shoes: Steve Madden
Belt: Thrifted

I wore this for church on 23 January. I also wore it to cook, wait tables, and do dishes in the restaurant that we're managing to raise funds for the school.


Yes, I wore THESE SHOES to work all day at a restaurant; it was considerably harder on my body than teaching in them. Live and learn...


I really like the big, tough belt buckle with all the frilly, delicate pieces of this outfit. Yeah, I'm wearing ruffles, leopard, a skirt, wedge heels, AND a ginormous belt buckle. And what?


I dig it.

The Monday following that super busy day at the restaurant was NOT a good day for me. And then B saved the day and took me out for dinner at a nearby French restaurant.

All remixed except cardigan
Cardigan: Ann Taylor
Tank: Ann Taylor
Jeggings: J Crew
Shoes: Naturalizer
Earrings: swapped
Crazy face: c/o the freezing cold wind

For the record, French food fixes everything. Also, I have no idea why there's a relatively upscale French restaurant in the rural Costa Rican mountainside, either, but thank God there is.


And how about that sunset?! Between the dramatic sky, the red lipstick, and my sequins (oh, and hours of crying), I'd worked up quite an appetite.


Bonus: I got dessert.

Flashback and sequins

All remixed except tank, sweater, and tights
Sequined tank: Ann Taylor
Cardigan: J Crew
Skirt: Gap
Belt: Ann Taylor
Tights: gift from my sister-in-law
Bangles: Banana Republic
Boots: Nine West
Earrings: Kohl's?

I wore this on January 9th, for our last Sunday at my parents' church and I loved it so much that I had to share this look. The tank, cardi, and tights were Christmas gift and I'm a huge fan of each of them.


I have straight hair in these pics because I'd just gotten my hair cut. It's a little shorter than I wanted, but I did get all the dead ends chopped off (finally). I get my hair cut, like, twice a year. Someone tell me I'm not alone in this....


And how fabulous are these floral mesh tights? I'm already imagining them over a pair of hot pink tights, but I haven't had an occasion to try that kind of layering yet. I guess I'll just have to create that occasion up here in the mountains....

You've Got this Week - Revisiting Camel

All remixed
Top: New York & Co.
Dress: Ann Taylor
Belt: Target
Boots: Nine West
Earrings: Street market in Buenos Aires
Bracelets: gift from my mom

This was my last day of You've Got This Week sponsored by Iris over at 260 Days, No Repeats. I decided to revisit camel and pull out this ruffly flannel shirt. I wanted to wear it with a denim skirt, which I don't have, so I put it on over my denim dress, tied it at the waist, and belted it in place. Voila. Denim skirt and plaid flannel.


For my last day of checking labels with Lorena of Lorena's Every Day Wear, I went heavy on Asia. I couldn't even tell you where all my food was from that day since I went to a friend's place after work for a fundraiser and snacks. I will say that my hair products (shampoo and conditioner and POSSIBLY my gel) are made in the US. I wasn't expecting that to be the case.


I also found myself thinking about the "where" of purchasing a lot this week. I bought those earrings in Argentina at a n artisan's market. So it was like shopping local while on vacation. I bought clothes in Vietnam that were made there as well - again, local, but global. I also got some stuff in Guatemala that was made in Guatemala but they were kind of like factory seconds - the stuff that wasn't good enough for export to the US. I don't know if the "where" makes a difference, you know? Supporting local economies is important to me, and I guess I'm doing that when I travel and shop a little off the beaten tourist path - or even on the tourist path, I guess. But then I think that I'm not knowledgeable enough about international labor laws and conditions to make really educated decisions about those things....


All that to say I still don't know how I feel about globalization and the fact that most of my clothes were NOT made here in the States. I do, however, know that I like camel pretty well. I do so well with the shallow things.... But y'all should check out Lorena's recap post here.


I also quite enjoyed doing the trend thing for a week. I sometimes get so overly analytical when I do challenges, and it happened to me again with the trend week, but I did it! And I'm proud of myself for it. And I'm going to go ahead and say that I've been thinking about more trends that are already sitting in my closet. I'm so going to pull those pieces out in the weeks to come.

You've Got this Week - Minimalism - kind of.

Boots and bracelet remixed
Dress: Banana Republic Factory Store
Boots: Nine West
Bracelet: gift from my uncle
Earrings: street vendor in Istanbul

It's day four of You've Got This Week brought to you by Iris at 260 Days, No Repeats. I'm going to call this trend "minimalism". Also, the September issue of Lucky (which is the only fashion magazine I've read since December) mentioned ruffles. And believe, there is a ruffle on this dress. One more thing, I've seen a lot of cowboy-type boots in the stores these days. Does that qualify as a trend?


And I'm still participating in Lorena's challenge. Since this is such a simple look, there aren't too many countries represented. But it's also the first time that South America shows up in my clothing. I wasn't expecting Perú. Also, that bracelet was a gift from my uncle in Puerto Rico, but I suspect that it didn't come from PR. My breakfast was the same as yesterday's. For lunch, I had last night's leftovers, an orange (Florida), and yogurt (US). Dinner was rice (US grown) cooked in chicken broth (from Canada) and sofrito made by my mom, and some picadillo made of ground turkey (no idea), the same veggies I used yesterday, raisins (California), and olives (Spain). Oh, and lemonade (Florida).


I have to confess that my hair wasn't quite this neat for most of the day. I had it up with one of those awful claw clips as I took the train down to work because it was muggy and rainy. My plan was to leave it loose once I got to the office, but that didn't happen. Between the walk to the subway, the walk to work, and then walking to two buildings to get my computer log in issues (partially) taken care of in the muggy nastiness, my hair was just ridiculous and it was too HOT to leave it. So I wore that claw clip most of the day.


Here you can see my earrings, which I really like. This is the third pair of earrings I picked up in Turkey. I like the design on them and the turquoise color going on. I tried to pick up the turquoise there with a turquoise bracelet, and I have to say I'm pretty satisfied with the look.


Oh, and I did a little revamping here on the blog, which I was loathe to do because I really liked the shade of green I had before. Green is important to me. The color, I mean. Anyway, still not totally sure how I feel about it, but it's a start. I might do some more tinkering with the layout at some point. And this is where I wish I knew something - anything - about graphic design.

You've Got this Week - 50s inspired and lace

All remixed except cardigan and skirt
Cardigan: vintage; thrifted
Tee: Turkey
Skirt: Kohl's
Earrings: Turkey
Shoes: Steve Madden

Day three of You've Got This Week sponsored by 260 Days, No Repeats. Today I was inspired by fifties silhouettes which are apparently in for fall. So, yeah, the fifties and lace. I have to say that I felt beautiful and ladylike all day in this outfit.

And now for Lorena's Where did it come from? challenge:

I COULD NOT find any "made in" info on this tee. I purchased it in Turkey, but that, of course, means nothing.... As far as food: my cereal came from Minnesota, soy milk from Illinois. Later, I had a granola bar - not sure where that came from.... For lunch, I had bread from Illinois, goat cheese from France, and sausage and peppers made with (tons of) locally grown tomatoes and peppers. No idea where the chicken sausage came from. Dinner consisted of salsa verde (Mexico), black beans (no idea), corn (again, no info), tortilla chips (Illinois), and croquetas made by my mom. Oh, and I made fresh salsa using garlic from China (what?!), onions grown in the US, limes (no idea), salt from Argentina, and CSA tomatoes and peppers. I've also had a ton of tap water and some raspberry lemonade (Florida).


As far as my make-up, blush and bronzer are made in Italy, and my mascara and lip gloss are made in the US. Oh, and my gym wear: tee made in the US, pants made in Indonesia, sneakers made in Vietnam. I feel like I've traveled the world just thinking about it.... Oh, and our car was made in Sweden; my parents even picked it up at the factory years ago. (Five points to whoever guesses what type of car we have!)


But back to this outfit. I rarely wear this skirt because the only color I've ever paired it with is black. And then I feel too matchy-matchy and I hate that feeling. I know, I could wear it with white or grey, but that's kind of the same thing. Any suggestions? I felt like I could get behind the matchy-matchy when going for a 50s inspired look, though, since that was the norm then. I mixed it up by throwing in a grey patent pump. That is mixing it up, right?


The vintage cardi (probably actually from the 60s) helped me feel like a throwback while the sexy, lacy back of this shirt (seen here) made it all very modern and NOW. Overall, I'm feeling successful.


I don't want to jinx myself, but I just might be on the fall train. And that calls for an awkward hands dance:


PS Enter the giveaway if you haven't already!

You've Got this Week - Camel, Military, and Leopard

Shoes, tee, and belt remixed
Jacket: Vintage from the back of my mom's closet
Tee: Gap
Skirt: Ann Taylor
Belt: vintage Etienne Aigner - thrifted
Bracelet: H&M
Earrings: a street vendor in Istanbul
Shoes: Candie's via Kohl's

It's day two of You've Got This Week sponsored by Iris over at 260 Days, No Repeats. I was channeling a bit of the military vibe, though I will say it's quite distilled in this look. I always distill my military looks; it's a by-product of my Army brat upbringing. My hair is totally regulation, though. Anyway, military inspired. I like to think I've got some jewel tone and animal print bonuses going on, too. Oh, and that's a camel skirt. I'm, like, a stinkin' trend train, y'all.


I was reading Lorena's Every Day Wear, and she's tracking where all her clothes and food come from this week. While I kind of forgot to keep track of where all my food came from (though I will say that we did have some delicious locally grown veggies from our CSA for dinner), I did take note of where my clothes were made. I couldn't find any info on my belt or bracelet, but everything else is up there for y'all to see. Do I feel a little guilty? Yes. Is it screaming "sweatshop" to me? Maybe.


To be quite honest, I try not to think too much about where my clothes come from because A) It makes me feel bad and B) I struggle with finding pieces that are ethically made at a price that fits into our budget. Because we honestly have a budget and there are about $70 in it for clothing every month. For both of us. Try to figure out how many ethically made items of clothing that is for two people.... Yeah.


So, it's not that I'm unaware, it's just that I'm trying to find a balance among all the pieces that go into my decisions about where we're spending our money. Right now, our priority is to spend money in our own neighborhood, and at small businesses as often as possible, because our neighborhood needs the money. Anyway, I'm thinking about it....



P.S. Enter the giveaway to win some earrings similar to these!

You've Got this Week - Animal Prints Double Whammy

All remixed except shoes
Skirt: Target
Tee: Banana Republic
Cardi: New York & Co.
Flats: Nine West (like, four years ago)
Earrings: Target

Confession: I don't love this outfit. I feel like the proportions are a little off. I love all the pieces, but I don't love them all together. I feel like this has been a common occurrence this fall - like I'm not quite on the Fall Train and I can't translate my style into this transitional weather. It happens every fall, though, and then I jump on the train and work it out. It'll happen....


Anyway, I'm participating in the "You've Got This! Fall Trends 2010" week, sponsored by Iris over at 260 Days, No Repeats. We just got back from a trip to VA late last night, so this morning I wasn't trying to search out my most obscure on-trend-for-fall pieces. I turned to my old favorite: animal prints.


Can we discuss how happy I am about leopard being the IT print for fall? My love for leopard is deep and well-documented and I'm thrilled that I'll be able to rock my leopard and be the height of fashion for this season at least.

Now, the outfit I'll probably pull out of the closet and wear again:

On me (boots and accessories remixed):
Dress: Ross
Boots: Nine West (and probably five years old)
Scarf: Turkey - the same shop where I got the scarf you could win here
Earrings: Banana Republic
Bangles: Banana Republic

On my mom:
Blouse, vest, and belt: Ann Taylor
Pants, shoes, earrings, ring, and necklace: Kohl's
Bracelet: Morocco

How stylish is my mamita? So many levels of stylish, that's how stylish. This is where I credit her for any bit of style I have. She is the reason I have this blog. The end.


I love this woman. Second confession of the post: I have that same Ann Taylor blouse. She bought it for me when we went out on Saturday. I'm pretty excited to wear it some time soonish. We have a lot of the same pieces, but we rarely style them the same way; funny how that happens, huh?


This outfit is probably one of my favorites, ever. EVER! It's comfortable, seasonably appropriate, stylish, sassy, and simple. I may just wear this again at some other point, I won't lie. Also - more leopard print.


PS My dad, though hilarious and wonderful, is not quite as naturally stylish as my mamita. ;)

Oh, and y'all should enter the giveway!