Obsession

Top: J Crew
Skirt: Self made
Shoes: Tom's (gift from my mom)
Earrings: Turkey

Y'all, I might be obsessed with this skirt. I'd wear it every day if I thought B wouldn't sit me down to have a serious conversation about how I need to separate myself from this skirt long enough to wash it.


I got the idea for this outfit from this image I pinned over at my favorite website ever. My take is considerably more casual since there was a possibility I'd be walking home from work (again).


And, yes, I did walk home in these shoes. Most. Comfortable. Heels. Ever. It's been proven by this girl who walked up the mountain in them; that's pretty much scientific. The look on my face in the above photo isn't about the shoes, though. That's me singing about how this skirt fits me so well and is so cute.

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.

White shirt week day 2

Top: Target (gift from A)
Skirt: J Crew (gift from my mom)
Scarf: Target
Sunnies: Puerto Rico
Booties: Aldo
Earrings: Turkey

I don't know that this is my favorite look. Part of it is that the skirt was super wrinkled by the end of the school day, so I feel like I look a little sloppy.


But B really liked it and he liked the way the skirt fit, even though I was a little skeptical. So that made me feel a little better. I'm still not loving the look, though.


It could be the bagginess of the top combined with the pleated waist of the skirt. Or it could be the wrinkled mess that I'd become by the end of the day. Or it could be that this is kind of a boring look to begin with....


Help me out y'all. How can I make this work?

EBEW: Yellow and a return to my roots

Tank: Target
Cardigan: Target
Belt: Target
Dress (worn as skirt): Target
Flip flops: Ann Taylor
Earrings: Turkey
Bracelet: gift from our intern, A.

Another Everybody, Everywear post, y'all. It was hard to come up with this look - not because I don't have much yellow, but because I love yellow and I couldn't decide what to wear. Apparently it was Target day, though, so I reached for this dress. (P.S. Hey, Target, if you want to sponsor me, we can talk. If not, I accept gift cards....)


I got in touch with my roots today and visited a sugar processing plant. My maternal grandmother grew up in a town that was basically a sugar plantation / processing plant and my great-grandfather and great-uncle worked there in some capacity. I'm not sure of all the particulars, but it was cool to see this thing that was, for so many years, the driving force behind the Puerto Rican economy. And, yeah, we're in Costa Rica (two totally different countries), but it was really cool.


They also process coffee at this place - it's the oldest cooperative in Costa Rica - so we got a tour of that, too.


And yeah, I took pictures while we were on our tour and pretended that no one else could see me. Behind me are the machines that move the sugar cane and break it down into little pieces. And then they squeeze it so the juice comes out. Eventually that thickens to molasses and then they put it in the centrifuge and you get raw sugar. You guys! Sugar processing! It's so exciting!


Or maybe that's just me....

Sad story and upcoming vacation

Tee: Target
Skirt: I made it
Belt: Target
Sandals: Chinese Laundry
Earrings: Turkey
Scarf: J Crew
Kitteh: Elefante

True story: late on the evening of the fifth, Pirata, our other kitten disappeared. We live in the country and there are coyotes and big herding dogs that just kind of...roam. One of them must've roamed off with our other kitten.


So, I'm pretty sad about it, and now probably way overprotective of our remaining fur babies, Kiku and Elefante. The irony is that she disappeared on a day when we were all home all day long.


Anyway, we're on our short school vacation here in Costa Rica. We're off until the 18th, and then we leave for our real vacation on the 24th. I. Am. So. Excited! Development work requires even longer hours than teaching, and I'm doing both, so, long, busy days. But! Vacation is in sight.


And vacations make me do the happy dance. Oh, yeah! Even if it's a little tempered by the loss of our sweet kitten.



ETA: Pirata came back on the morning of the 8th. I walked out to feed Elefante, and there she was, meowing away as if I'd run away.

Happy birthday to me!

Dress (worn as skirt): Target
Tee: J Crew
Scarf: Covered Ladies Designs
Earrings: Turkey
Belt: Target
Booties: Aldo

Confession: B picked this outfit out, too; I'm too lazy to dress myself. Either that, or I just hired myself a stylist.


It's my birthday today.  I'm turning twenty-nine, and yes, I did just tell the internet that I am a year shy of thirty.  Y'all can go ahead and tell me how young I look; I get it all the time. Since I missed my blogiversary (bad blogger), I thought my birthday would be a good time to think about the past and future of Mad Dress Game.


For one thing, my pictures have definitely gotten better since my first post. For another, I've gotten a bit more creative in my mixes, have "met" a lot of people, and have drastically reduced my wardrobe.



I'm also going to tell myself that my poses have improved.... And that makes me think about the future. Just go with it, because we all know that was a terrible transition sentence. Anyway, as I think about the future of Mad Dress Game, I know I want to do a few things in the next year.


For one, I'd like to revamp the blog - maybe a "hire-a-professional" kind of revamp. For another, I'm thinking of doing a feature focusing on teachers who style/fashion blog (if you'd be about it, let me know and I'll email you.)  I want to really want to focus on getting the most out of my limited wardrobe while I'm here in Costa Rica - that might involve some remixing and creative layering challenges. I want to be a blog where women (and men) who can't shop - for whatever reason - can be inspired to work their closets.


Also in mind for the future of Mad Dress Game: more awkward hands and goofy faces.

Back

Top: Nectar via Marcas
Skirt: Gap
Booties: Aldo
Belt: came with a blazer
Earrings: gift from sister-in-law

So, my mom was here last week, which is why I pretty much didn't touch the computer. And I'll be honest, I'm kind of having a hard time bringing myself back to the blog. But! I've got all these pictures sitting around! And I have to do something with them, right? So, here I go....


So, my mom's suitcase didn't arrive with her, which meant that we ended up going to the mall to find clothes for her. We ended up stumbling into this store called Marcas (that translates to "Brands") which basically sells seconds from stores like Express, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Hurley.... So, US stores. Y'all! So. Stinkin'. Cheap!


My mom got this top, and I immediately borrowed it because I loved the pattern and the color. It's an XL, which, you know, isn't my size, but I figured I could make it work. And I think it did. The lesson? Sizes mean nothing.

Color Rotation - Yellow

Tee: Gap
Skirt: Target
Belt: Target
Scarf: Target
Shoes: Crocs
Earrings: Turkey

I'm still doing the color rotation, but I'm having a little trouble with purple, so I think I might restart the rotation and work in some purple over the weekend. I have no school appropriate purple items - they're all super casual and tattoo exposing. Anyway, this is yellow.


I had a massive headache this day - last Friday - and all my pictures are weird.


Anyway, I don't have a whole lot to say about this look. I like it fine, and I think it works. It was an appropriate look for a day when I had to walk a little over a mile - half downhill, half up - to and from work.


See this? Fake smile through a migraine.