A Well-Rounded Venture

09
Oct 13

OOTD: Swan song

It is hard to believe that it has been almost three whole months since my last post! Oops. Time flies when you’re having fun? But here I am, again – with an outfit!

Blouse: eShakti,”Swan print chiffon top”, custom size
Skirt: eShakti, “Her fifties colorblock skirt”, custom size
Cardigan: Old Navy, XXL
Shoes: Steve Madden, via Barefoot Tess, size 11
Earrings/bracelet: gifts from family
Hat: Target, Summer 2013

I’ve been blessed to meet a bunch of great people in Houston. I feel like I’ve known them for several years… but in reality, it’s only been a little over one year! Why is this relevant?

These women inspire me in various ways. Some of them are amazing crafters, that inspire me to finish my own projects. Others are go-getters, that set goals, get shit done and generally kick ass. Some are so nice and sweet, I start to wonder why they’re friends with me… Or all of the above! Either way, these ladies are awesome and I am proud to call them friends.

I think most of them read my blog on occasion, and have made subtle hints that I need to update… but the one that stuck in my mind is:

“Bitch, you need to update your blog!”

Each time I wear something awesome, her voice runs through my head. It’s kind of hilarious. Since the weather is cooling down, I decided to stop, snap some pictures and update my blog – as ordered. Mission accomplished!

My eShakti pieces have been getting a lot of wear lately, especially this skirt. I’ve wanted it for ages, and finally took the plunge this summer. I think I’ve worn it four times in the last two weeks. The custom sizing is off on both pieces, but they’re wearable. One of these days I’ll bring my pile of clothes to the tailor… but until then, I’ll manage.

Speaking of managing… I’ve finally managed to make my mark – a blue (ink?) smudge on one of the white stripes… doh! Maybe it’s time for a visit to the dry cleaner?

Anything with an animal print catches my attention these days, so I paired my beloved skirt with the printed blouse. A little quirky pattern mixing never hurt anybody!

How you do you feel about the animal prints popping up lately? Love it or leave it?

16 comments

14
Jul 13

OOTD: Yellow & Warby Parker

While I love my giant cat-eye glasses, I never meant for them to be worn every day. Getting my new prescription made me realize that there was a huge difference between the new & old. I have a couple of pairs that I used to swap between but it was giving me migraines. Womp, womp. Though I can’t give up my (old prescription) sunglasses quite yet…

Feeling good (and being able to see stuff) is more important than vanity or fashion, any day… so I’ve been sporting these until I can get a new “every day” pair. It isn’t too much trouble.

Dress: “Zigzag print cotton halter dress” from eShakti, size 28
Cardigan: Old Navy, XXL
Bracelets: Margaret Elizabeth
Necklace: F21
Shoes: Steve Madden, via Barefoot Tess, size 11

A few months back, Chris and I tried out Warby Parker’s offerings, with some success. They have a great (free) home try-on program that lets you try before you buy… and that’s a must for me when it comes to buying glasses. We were skeptical that they wouldn’t be great for wide/fat faces, but both of us found glasses that fit – some were even too wide!

I got my own box this time, to try the ones I liked the first round and a few others. Chris picked his on the first box. I think his look pretty cute, but I’m biased. You might get a peek of his new glasses in my next post…

It seems like I’ve tried on every pair of glasses at Costco, Sam’s, Walmart, Sears, etc. and can’t find the perfect combination of price, feel and appearance.

Left to right – Warby Parker, ‘Nedwin’ in Summer Green, ‘Marshall’ in Rum Cherry, and ‘Langston’ in Whiskey Tortoise Matte. Without an anti-glare coat, they are a little hard to photograph!

Maybe one of these? I haven’t decided yet. I love the idea of colored frames, but since I started wearing glasses in high school, my frames have been black or dark brown. Colors that don’t contrast as much with my face throw me off. The prices vary a bit, but most of the ones I’m looking at are around ~$100 a pair. As someone without vision insurance, it’s a great price. I remember the last time I lost my glasses (with insurance) and had to pay out of pocket to buy new ones… ouch!

Some of you might be wondering when I’ll stop talking about glasses and get to the dress…

I have a major love/hate relationship with eShakti. I love their dresses. They are normally great quality, use decent fabrics and arrive in a decent time for something custom made. However, my experience with their customer service department has been and continues to be awful. And it baffles me.

My willpower when it comes to cute dresses isn’t what it could be, so I decided to pick up a couple of things in their recent sale. One being this “Zigzag print cotton halter dress” from their “overstock” category. It is seriously one of the best things I’ve bought from them, ever. I am still trying to decide why my regular purchases of a size 28 (off the rack) do not correspond with this size 28 (supposedly off the rack) but that will continue to be a mystery.

Right now, eShakti has a buy 3, get 40% off sale until July 15th. If you’re a new customer, it stacks with this $40 of $55 coupon – AWEL8079.

Summer is alive and well in Houston. The humidity has behaved – for now, but cotton dresses, cardigans and capri leggings have been a blessing. This outfit is a good example of my summer uniform:

A cotton dress, bike shorts/capris for comfort, cute flats and a cotton cardigan to avoid sunburn and/or save me from over air-conditioned spaces. I try to top it off with simple accessories, like a pendant and bracelet. I leave my bulkier or fussy jewelry for cooler days.

I feel like I wear the same clothes all the time. You can see lots of a certain green dress on my Instagram… It’s just too hot for anything with polyester!

Do you prefer clothing made out of natural fabrics? What is your summer “uniform”?

Disclosure: The above eShakti coupon is a referral code. My account will be credited $30 if a new customer uses it. All thoughts/opinions regarding both companies are my own and I did not receive any other compensation for posting this information.

22 comments

31
May 13

Outside My Comfort Zone: 7 – Geek Chic

Time for another Outside My Comfort Zone! This challenge features 11 (!!!) bloggers, brought together by Rachel, of Happyness Magnet.

“This week”, Gail was in charge of the theme and she choose “Geek Chic”. I’m a week behind on posting.

Outside-My-Comfort-Zone

Summer has definitely arrived in Texas. This caused a little problem with my outfit(s) for the challenge because it isn’t possible to wear polyester with the lethal heat + humidity combination. So, I improvised with something in a natural fabric, but this outfit ended up very much in my comfort zone and something I’ve totally worn before.

Challenge fail? Maybe. But an important lesson: Don’t suffer for fashion. Trying new things is great, but feeling comfortable is also important!

Dress – eShakti, 28
Cardigan – Old Navy, XXL
Leggings – Torrid, 3
Necklace – F21
Pumps – Softspots, “Mischa”, 10W, via 6pm

My style sometimes leans toward retro silhouettes, with a geeky twist. Full skirts, cardigans buttoned at the top and/or using sweater clips, quirky jewelry, etc. I’m told I dress like a librarian or teacher a lot. More so with these cat-eye glasses… I was hoping the weather would cool down enough for a do-over, but summer is here and 100+ days aren’t far behind. Yuck!

It didn’t even occur to me (til now) that I could have stolen one of Chris’ game nerd t-shirts and called it a day. Damn. Most of my “Geek Chic” outfit ideas ran towards lots of layers and some of my favorite thrift store pieces… which wasn’t working.

Chris and I are getting ready to visit California next week. I’ll be there for work, but I’m also really excited to see my family and friends! It’s been too long.

Check out the other ladies participating in “Outside My Comfort Zone”:

Stephanie: Seeing Sp0ts
Gail: Gaily Gumdrops
Rachel: Happyness Magnet
Leah: Just Me Leah
Crystal: Tales from the Fat Side
Mary: Mary’s Big Closet
Becky: Does My Blog Make Me Look Fat
Emma: Plus Size Millard
Becky: Mrs Bebe Blog
Rachel: A Dress is for Life

What are your plans for the summer?

22 comments

11
May 13

OOTD: Crafternoon Delight

Once a month, I host a “crafternoon” event for some of my friends. It is a social, crafty gathering, where we get together, make stuff and chat. It’s pretty awesome… but I’m not biased or anything. This is what I wore for a laid back Saturday!

Denim shirt – Pure Energy, via Target, 4 (“present” from Chris)
T-shirt – Avenue, 26/28
Skirt – Evans, UK 30
Ring – Cato
Sandals – Clarks, “Caslynn Paula“, 11M

I’ve always been a creative person, but in the last few years “responsibilities” get in the way of hobbies. It isn’t that I don’t have time – I do, but it’s easier to put off things that don’t pay the rent, you know? Or prioritize sleep, getting outside, visiting friends, etc.

So what if Chris won’t get his handknit socks for another year… To be fair – he knows that it takes about two years, which is how long it took me to knit and send a pair to the friend who introduced us. But really, who needs handknit socks in Texas anyway?

I’ll finish them… someday.

Being around other creative people inspires me, so this once a month get-together is perfect – visiting with friends and crafts! The added bonus is productivity – the more time I spent around other creative people, the more I get done. Win, win!

This outfit was chosen for comfort. Summer is creeping up on us, but it’s still cool in the morning, warmer in the the afternoon and definitely unpredictable. I love maxi dresses and skirts because they are perfect for anything! Except for the fact that I’m a klutz.

Today I tripped over a shelf in CVS, after getting my skirt caught and then I drove around with my skirt hanging out of the car door. A neighbor informed me of that when I went to get the mail. At least it wasn’t raining, right?

Despite my tendency to trip (which let’s be real – happens anyway), maxi’s are comfortable and versatile. Especially skirts like this one in a jersey knit. It’s like fancy pajamas. Unfortunately, knits aren’t a great medium for pleats. I have a poor track record with washing them… and then the pleats fall out. What’s up with that?

I ditched 11 pairs of shoes this spring for various offenses. Many of them were just too old, worn out and hurt my feet. Just because they still look cute does not mean my feet have to suffer! It took me a few outings to remember why I started investing in good shoes. Blisters aren’t worth it!

After my purge, I noticed that I was lacking in the sandal department. Since summer in Texas lasts from now until December, I wear them a lot! I remembered to have Chris take a picture of my new summer sandals (also featured in my last post, just hidden) – the “Caslynn Paula” from Clarks, in black. Which are surprisingly comfortable (they have a fancy “ortho” sole), well made, easy to walk in and cute.

Normally, I don’t do well with tall shoes, but I haven’t had any issues with these. The tripping mentioned above was actually done in flats. I’m special like that. They come in black, nude and grey. I wish they had a tan/cognac because I would have snapped those up too. They retail for $109, which is pricey but I got mine for 20% off and they are worth every penny. I’d trade 4 pairs of Target sandals for a pair of these any day!

P.S. I got Chris to take these by promising I’d post them tonight (which basically never happens, and he makes fun of me). BAM! Done.

Have you made any summer purchases? What’s your favorite summer footwear?

13 comments

A Well-Rounded Venture

OOTD: Swan song

OOTD: Yellow & Warby Parker

Outside My Comfort Zone: 7 – Geek Chic

OOTD: Crafternoon Delight

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