BBCA 4 - Belting

Shirt: Ralph Lauren, thrifted
Dress, worn as skirt: Target
Pumps: Zara
Belt worn as belt: Target
Belt worn as headband: Etsy (although the vendor is no longer around)
Earrings: Turkey

Apparently the way for me to get BBCA done is by tying stuff around my head, and I'm cool with that as long as you're cool with that. Actually, even if you're not, most of my pink is in accessory form, so this is how it's going to be.


Anyway, this outfit. I've seen a lot of midi skirts on the Internet - apparently it's the new thing this fall. I've had this dress for something like six years and it's terribly stretched out (and faded, though you can't tell in these pictures) to the point that it's a bit midi in length. I've been playing with the idea of wearing it as a skirt for a while, but I hadn't quite worked out all the kinks yet.


Anyway, it just happened to be hanging next to this top which I thrifted (for $1!) while we were back in the States in September. I keep meaning to ask my sewing teacher to help me take it in, but I'm way more interested in learning to draft patterns and make new stuff, so I haven't yet. I figure I can figure this out on my own when I'm reunited with sewing machine in December. I guess pairing two ill-fitting, loose pieces shouldn't be natural, but the color combo was hard for me to resist.


It took a bit of creative tucking, folding and belting, but I think I made it work. It's the silhouette I was hoping to recreate, and the crazy high green pumps keep me from being overwhelmed by the length of the skirt. That said, one of my students asked me why I was dressed like a pilgrim, so maybe the heels didn't mitigate the frump factor. Or the pilgrims had some hot fashion sense.


Oh, and just as long as we're on the topic of pilgrims, I think it's time for confessions of a closet nerd. When I was in second grade, I was a pilgrim for Halloween. I had a long, grey dress, an apron, and a bonnet. I thought it was the most amazing costume EVER and I may have worn it in third grade, too. I guess I've always been a fan of Puritanical dressing....


Less Puritanical, however, is the belt around my head.

BBCA 1 - Family

Cardigan: Target? gift from my mom
Tee: Ann Taylor
Pants: New York & Co.
Scarf: gift from my mom
Brooch: vintage
Earrings: Target
Shoes: Steve Madden

Well, hello, y'all. Can I start by saying that sometimes a week off is just the right thing? It's been a rough couple weeks. Let me go ahead and confess that it's been a rough nine or so months since we moved. Things haven't been easy and the blog felt like one more thing on my to do list, which wasn't cool, so, a break.


But! I am participating in BBCA, started by Melissa over at A Working Mom's Closet (breaks are apparently going around these days...). I don't own a lot of pink; I don't really like it, but I did want to participate so I've been digging out my pink.


I love this outfit and I honestly built it around this brooch, with its pops of pink. When B and I were back in the States, his grandmother pulled out her jewelry box and let me and B's sister M take whatever we wanted. I fell in love with this brooch, and I love the sense of connection I have with B's family - now my family, too - when I wear it.


And, yeah, I think I've just come to a point where I feel like they're my family, too. Apparently it takes me visiting them four times to get to that point; that's the problem when the family lives all over the place.

Picture Overload

Here I am playing catch up again. This has been one of the longest weeks I've had in a long time. We've had several meetings this week regarding our work in Costa Rica, and we've also been doing our regular work and a few extra things. Things have been quite hectic.

So let's start with Thursday, shall we?


All remixed
Tee: Target
Skirt: Gap
Flats: Target
Scarf: Turkey
Earrings Turkey

This is my last true BBCA look, and I mixed up my shades of pink for it.


I also wore this shirt backwards, so that the scoop neck became a scoop back - additional coverage up front where I need it is always a plus in my world. I was going to wear a belt with this, but then I just didn't. No real rhyme or reason, I just didn't do it.


I did, however, dance with Kiku.

Saturday we went to a party and B. and I dressed up for it.

All remixed except jeans and scarf
Shirt: Old Navy
Jeans: New York & Co.
Belt: thrifted
Boots: Nine West
Earrings: gift
Scarf: Target

I've been doing a lot of research on WWII for my NaNoWriMo project, and have been seeing this image over and over again.

source

I thought it was the perfect costume since I've got all the pieces. This is actually how I usually wear this scarf: over a pin curl set or over hair that's not quite dry. And I've gone out in public with it tied up like this. Why? Because I think it's adorable.


B. dressed as Agent Smith from The Matrix.

I also thought my friend Z.'s costume was just too cute:

She's a Tootsie Pop with a Baby Pop. Adorable, yes?

Now, on to today:

All remixed:
Cardigan: New York & Co.
Dress: Ann Taylor
Boots: Nine West
Earrings: Kohl's


I don't love it; I don't hate it. I think I liked it better before I saw the photos. Does that ever happen to y'all? You see the pics and then you're like, "Huh, I thought I looked better"?

Thrifted and gifted

I have been so busy this week, y'all. We've got something planned for every single evening this week. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, possibly Friday, and Saturday. And I picked up a little extra translation work in addition to my usual activities.... Busy girl. I am doing well with BBCA, though.


Tuesday - All remixed
Skirt: Ann Taylor
Shirt: thrifted
Booties: Aldo
Belt: thrifted
Earrings: Target

I felt a bit like a rock star in this. I'm pretty sure it's the plaid shirt with the booties. And the fact that my skirt is a little short - at least for me.


And I promise Kiku isn't growling at me - she's got a dog biscuit between her teeth. I love the touch of pink in this shirt and the softness of it. It's probably my all time favorite thrifting find.


And I think this is the outfit where I realize booties can work even for me.



Today I was considerably less inspired.

All remixed except scarf
Dress: Ann Taylor - gift from my sister
Scarf: Morocco - gift from my mom
Pumps: Nine West
Earrings: Turkey

What I do like about this is that I mixed red and pink. Which shouldn't work, but I kinda like it. It's a little unexpected.


Kiku clearly loves it.


The other thing that I love about this outfit is that it was made up of a couple of really great gifts from two of the women I most love. Do y'all think of the people who gave you things when you're wearing those pieces? I do, and that made me happy all day.

LBD

Shoes and earrings remixed
Dress: Kohl's - super old
Scarf: ? gift from my mom
Earrings: Kohl's
Shoes: Nine West

I am so on track for BBCA today. Also, I didn't feel like getting dressed this morning. It was a victory to make it out of bed, actually. I am quite an insomniac and last night I was up till past three am and then woke up around 7:30. When that happens, I reach for a dress.


This wrap dress is so old and it's been a travel staple since I purchased it because it doesn't wrinkle and works surprisingly well with cute sandals. It's one of my favorite dresses in the whole wide world because it's such an easy to wear piece, but I have to be careful so that I don't look like I'm on my way to a funeral.


My solution today was to tuck this floral scarf into the neckline. It created a pretty collar, gave me a little added modesty (there's a cami under there, but this is a modesty bonus), and brought some color up by my face so I look a little less washed out. In my world, that's a win.


And it's official: When I'm not wearing my cowboy boots, I'm wearing these grey patent pumps. I may or may not have worn them while cooking tonight, they are THAT comfortable.


P.S. I'm finally on Twitter - @MadDressGame - you know you want to....

Kiku and compliments

All remixed
Dress: Ross
Scarf: H&M
Earrings: Turkey
Boots: Nine West
Puppy: Kiku

Another successful BBCA day, y'all. I worked the pink in again and I'm feeling pretty good about it.


Kiku's been getting a lot of love in the comments recently, and for good reason, because she's so adorable. My aunt calls her a robacámara, which literally means that she steals the camera, but figuratively means that she likes to be in every shot. What is that in English?


I got compliments on both my scarf and dress from coworkers today, which made me feel pretty good. Isn't it great when that happens?


Also, I had to run to get on the train today. A couple of nursing students held the doors open for me and a couple that were trying to get on the train just before it pulled away. Which is super rare and super nice. I got on the train, thanked the girls, and then one of them was like, "Oh my gosh! She's so pretty! You're so pretty!" Which was a little awkward but also really nice. I mean, I've had to tell B. "Oh my gosh, she/he is so beautiful!" sometimes when people are just exceptionally gorgeous, but I've never actually said it so that the other person can hear. Maybe I should, because it totally made my day.

Mixing causes

All remixed except sweater
Jacket: Banana Republic
Pin: ?
Sweater: H&M
Tank: Target
Skirt: New York & Co.
Pumps: Nine West
Earrings: Kohl's

I'm pretty proud of this BBCA look. These pink pumps are so fabulous for adding that touch of color. Also, I wore purple. Did anyone else do this today?


A friend of mine put it pretty well: "AG is praying that WE will get better so we don't have to say "Man, it's so crazy about those kids committing suicide" EVER again. May the Holy Spirit convict and renew us to love every single person in Jesus' name. My conscience is purple right now."


On a (much) lighter note, I won the necklace giveaway over at Twenty York Street! I'm already planning all the outfits I'll build around this necklace and also coming up with ways to defend it from my mom. Just kidding, Mamita! But you're not getting my new necklace.


Also, could I just say that I had to give a grown man at B.'s flag football game a stern talking to for getting up in Kiku's face? It included the words, "I don't think it's funny, and neither does she." Yeah...

Black and Denim

All remixed except scarf

Dress: Target
Jacket: Banana Republic
Belt: Target
Scarf: Target
Pin: ? Super old
Earrings: Buenos Aires street market
Boots: Nine West

Today's outfit was inspired by two of my fellow bloggers: Shey of Modesty is Pretty and Liz from lizzypunch. I'm still participating in BBCA brought to you by the lovely Melissa as well, even if it's just with my default butterfly pin.


To answer a few questions brought up by yesterday's post: We're moving to Costa Rica to work with an organization started by a friend from grad school. He and his family are working in a town that was severely affected by an earthquake about a year and a half ago. We're going to help with some of the projects that they're working on there, particularly teaching at the school and helping with some ideas they've got for tourism (meaningful vacations and ecotourism type stuff). I'm hoping that I'll also be able to work out some student leadership type stuff involving students in the US and other parts of the world and students in Costa Rica - this is actually one of my dreams and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to see these ideas put into practice.


Besides that, this is what I thought to myself today as I was walking home from the train thinking about taking pics for the blog:


Dear Frances,
Stop wearing so much black!
That is all.


P.S. Can I just tell y'all that this is the first post coming to you from my new computer?