Friend Friday: Refashioning

Tee: Hanes
Skirt: Target
Shoes: Steve Madden
Belt: Target
Earrings: Turkey

Today's visual Friend Friday is about refashioning, which is something I have only recently started doing. Well, I guess that's not entirely true because I've cut the necks out of a bunch of crew neck shirts for years.


Lately, though, I've been dabbling in hemming and I've got big plans to dye some stuff (I even have dye and rubber gloves on hand). Oh, and I took in this men's shirt so that it didn't fit me like a giant bag.


See? I got my instructions here and although I haven't quite gotten the technique, I think I can try it again.


As it is, I can still wear the shirt and not just as pajamas. Besides, any no sew trick is good in my book.


Oh, and speaking of DIY... I cut my hair. Just me, a pair of scissors and the bathroom mirror. It was scary as all get out, but I'm pleasantly surprised. Besides, it was so long, I was going CRAZY.

FFB: Ethics: new, old, self-made

Top: Zara
Skirt: self-made (with help, I mean, obviously.)
Booties: Aldo
Earrings: Target

Time for another FFB post. This month we're talking ethics, which is appropriate because, strangely enough, I've been thinking a lot about this topic in the past few weeks. And I've been thinking about it in terms of my clothing in particular.


B and I try to live simply. It's not that we're always good at it, but we try. We don't do flowers in our house except for the kinds that we plant because the flower industry makes me feel sick and icky. We don't do diamonds. We try to buy locally as much as possible and we make an effort to not buy stuff we don't need (I struggle more in this area than B). As someone with my particular educational and personal background who is currently working and living in rural Central America, it's hard to not be more aware of where things are made, especially clothes.


I've already talked about the americanas and I don't think I've really gotten through the ethics of those just yet. But let's talk new clothes for a minute, shall we? Like, maybe we should talk about my Zara shirt and the fact that Zara's been using child and slave labor to make its clothes in Brazil.


I'm not naive enough to think that they're the only retailer pulling such stunts. I don't do American Apparel, Forever 21, or Walmart because I don't agree with their business practices (similar to Zara's). I'm not the MOST educated on this, but I try to use what I know to help me make better shopping decisions.


I don't care so much if things are produced in the States, because I know that there's a need for jobs abroad, but I do care about a certain level of justice when it comes to working conditions. And I realize I can't always know what these conditions are like. I'm tempted to stick to the thrift stores, though those bring another set of questions (US American consumption, for one) but I think making clothes can be another way to fight the man. Maybe?


We'll see how my sewing class goes....

Heidi

Cardigan: Target
Tee: Gap
Skirt: swapped
Belt: thrifted
Shoes: Crocs
Earrings: Kohl's

I built this whole outfit around my Heidi braids. If you follow me on pinterest, you'll know that my Hair inspiration board is dominated by braids and buns, and it's just a matter of time before I try all these looks out.


Anyway, for these braids, I figured I might as well go ahead and go as all-out Heidi as I could. Enter full skirt and snug tee. And because it gets chilly quickly up here, I threw on a cardigan. Oh, and flat shoes because the car was still in the mechanic; I mean, it's still there, but it was there when I wore this outfit last week, too.


I'm pretty certain we've paid more in repairs over the course of this year than we (ADE) paid for the car in the first place. I try not to think too hard about that because that's just depressing.


So, how about I show you my pretty hair instead?


Pretty, right?


So much better than thinking about our money sucking car....

Untucked

Blouse: thrifted
Jeans: J Crew
Sandals: Simply Vera (gift from my mom)
Earrings: Turkey

This outfit was going to be more interesting. It was going to involve a leopard print belt and some heels, but our brakes are shot and the car's in the shop and I have to walk to work, so the heels were a no go. And then I started fighting with the top slipping out of my waistband when I tucked it in and the jeans bunching when I belted them.


So I said, "Bump proportions. I'm just doing this." And I put on some sandals and left my shirt untucked. Untucked shirts and I aren't too well acquainted and I often feel like a different person when I do this.


I do love this top, though. It was $.40 at the thrift store last weekend (direct from their 2 for 1 floor - yes, they have an entire FLOOR dedicated to 2 for 1 deals) and I couldn't resist the pattern or the yellow. I've got big plans for this top, many of which involve pattern mixing, because doesn't this look ripe for the mixing?


I'm also welcoming any outfit suggestions you might have for this top.

Gifts and questionable outfits

Tank: H&M - gift from my sister
Dress (worn as a skirt): Papaya - gift from my sister
Sunnies: Puerto Rico
Earrings: Target
Beach: Cahuita

I wore shoes this day, I just don't remember which ones and they're not in the pictures, so I figure it's okay to skip that little detail. This feels like so long ago, and that's because it was and I have a backlog of outfit pictures that I'm slowly going through. I'm fine with that. I'm taking it slowly because I'm enjoying the let up in the amount of work in my daily life.


I don't know if I love this outfit. I mean, it was appropriate for what we were doing (driving out to the East Coast to drop off our sweet intern, A, at her family's place in Limón) and it's comfortable... But somewhere between the blue on blue, the dress pulled down as a skirt, and the knotted top, I feel like it just wasn't working.


On the plus side, my sister gave me both the dress and the tank when I saw her in July. She tried to give me piles of stuff, but I have little use for anything summery up here in the land of the eternal fall (that's my affectionate name for this region of Costa Rica) so I selected these two pieces because I thought I could do a lot with them. And I will. Just maybe not together again.

White shirt week day 4

Tee: Target (gift from A)
Cardigan: Ann Taylor
Tank: Banana Republic
Belt: Etsy (don't remember which vendor and it was ages ago)
Leggings: Target (gift from my sister)
Earrings: Turkey
Boots: Noble Town Vintage via Etsy

It's the last installment of my white shirt challenge, y'all. I still have mixed feelings about this outfit, though I did feel like a dancer while I wore it (especially when I lost the cardigan when I hung around the house). Feeling like a dancer makes me happy because (a) I love dancing and (b) am OB.SESSED. with So You Think You Can Dance.


Of course, I'm a perfectly mediocre dancer so this about as close as I get to feeling like a real dancer - you know, piles of thin layers with some flowy pieces.


Y'all, my husband and I have the house to ourselves for the first time, in, oh, forever. We had seven people living in our house for most of the summer, which was sometimes nice but often overwhelming. Not that we didn't love our interns (we did), just that sometimes I'd like to live with just my husband and our pets.


We're on our own for the next two weeks and I'm. So. Excited.

Mixology

Top: Zara
Skirt: Target
Booties: Aldo
Sunnies: Puerto Rico
Earrings: Target

I know what you're thinking: That's not your magical white shirt, Frances Joy! But it's time for EBEW, so I decided to interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to do this. Besides, I only have pics of four white tee outfits; this works out perfectly!


I woke up feeling pretty this morning, though I couldn't tell you why. I just did. When I wake up feeling like that, I think I'm bolder in my clothing choices. I've been eyeing this stars and leopard combo for a while, but I didn't have the guts to actually put it on until today.


I had a back up outfit in mind, but once I put this on, I was in love. In. LOVE. I mean, how can you feel bad wearing stars AND leopard?! I feel like a rockstar. And besides, everyone here knows I dress like a crazy person and they don't even notice it anymore. Either that or I'm OWNING it. Probably the latter.


Also, you can't really tell, but my earrings have flowers on them. One more pattern, right? I mean, why not?

Pinterest love

Sweater: H&M
Skirt: Target
Belt: Thrifted
Booties: Aldo
Earrings: Kohl's

Y'all, if it weren't for pinterest, I'd probably walk around naked. Or in pajamas. Or in the same boring outfits I always wear. Anyway, I pinned the third image on this post and this is my interpretation of that look.


I don't know if I love it on myself, but I'm glad I tried it. Also, I love these shoes. Have you noticed that? Because I do. I wear them ALL. THE. TIME!


So are any of you on pinterest? If so, can I stalk your boards?

Dress Your Best Week - Day 5: To lean on

Tee: J Crew
Skirt: Target
Belt: Target
Booties: Aldo
Bracelet: gift from A
Earrings: Turkey
Sunnies: Puerto Rico
Hair: courtesy of this tutorial (though I couldn't quite get the video to load, so I improvised.)

I will admit that I had a hard time deciding on the fifth feature to highlight this week. I was torn between my wide hips or my equally wide shoulders, and in the end I decided there's a lot of similarity between hips and thighs, so I decided to go with the shoulders.


I've often said that I have linebacker shoulders. I don't really know what a linebacker does because I prefer my football spelled fútbol, but I've heard they have broad shoulders. I do, too, especially for a woman of my stature. My mother is so tiny up top, with delicate little shoulders. My shoulders, however, come from my dad's side of the family. There is nothing delicate about my shoulders - they're wide and strong.


And while I've often been self-conscious about most of the other features I've talked about this week, I'm strangely proud of these shoulders. So I decided to play them up with a scoop neck top that's just a little ill-fighting in precisely that area - no scarf to draw the eye down, no necklace to serve the same purpose, just me and my shoulders in a simple tee.


Everyone says I look like my dad - la misma cara (the same face) - but I just don't see it. I do see him in these shoulders, my calves, and my bellybutton, though. (Yes, I know the last one is especially weird, but it's totally true.)


And I love that, because I love my daddy. I see him in my penchant for travel, in my work ethic, in my perfectionism (though I've got that coming from both parents), in my love of music, and my need to dream big. I feel like I talk a lot about what I've learned from my mom here on the blog, and she's really taught me a lot - a whole lot - but so has my dad.


My dad taught me to fight for things, that good things are worth making a sacrifice, that sometimes peer pressure works for the best, that I should demand the best treatment in every situation and relationship, and that I should let myself be led while dancing.


So thanks, Daddy, for all those lessons and for these shoulders. Oh, and I didn't drop anything, I just don't like looking at the camera. ;)

Awkward pictures day

Top: Zara
Skirt: Ann Taylor
Belt: Banana Republic
Booties: Aldo
Earrings: Target

Today was apparently awkward pictures day around here. I blame the pouring rain. True story: if I don't get pictures at seven in the morning, by the time I finish the school day, sit through a meeting, and eat, it will be raining - not just raining, pouring.


Also, it'll be so cold that I'll just stand around awkwardly and shiver. (I can just hear Tyra telling me that I need to pose through my cold - no one should know how cold I am! A model's job is to suffer for beauty! - Good thing I'm a teacher, then.)


BUT! I"m wearing a star shirt. And, if you didn't know, star shirts are second only to yellow shoes in the happiness factor. I got this shirt for my birthday at Zara, which in Costa Rica should be called the $60 store because EVERYTHING is $60. I was (a) depressed and (b) feeling guilty for how expensive the two items I wanted for my birthday were. B consoled me, though (it didn't take much) and I got this top and one other thing that will be revealed in due time.


Thanks for the birthday wishes, too, y'all. I won't lie - the past few months have been tough for me, both personally and professionally, and I am counting the days till I can have a vacation and see my family again. On the plus side, my birthday was good: time with my sweet husband, a movie date (complete with popcorn, because it's the little things), pizza, and a little shopping. It was a little taste of relaxation, and it was so nice.

And, because I promised more awkwardness:

That's me saying "It's so cold!"