Rain, gingham, and sweater tights

Posted on 22 May, 2013 by The Owl

Just when we all thought that spring – the sunshiny, flowers-are-blooming, warm-and-golden days we all want forever- was here to stay, the week turned rainy. But that’s Washington for you. The weather is a jerk. It gets you all excited for better days, and then dumps rain like nobody’s business.

On the bright side, that’s why everything here is so green…

And on the other bright side, that means I can legitimately pose with an umbrella. Am I the only one who doesn’t like using props unless they’re actually practical for the outfit? Maybe that’s why I have never been a purse person, because to me I only need one. And you don’t really need to see it with every outfit.

I thought I was done wearing tights for the year. But that’s okay, these ones are really comfortable and sweater-y. Perfect for a rainy day!

I’ve been trying lately to shop my closet more. Ever since I cleaned and organized my clothes and realized I have 55 dresses and only wear about 6 of them regularly, I’ve decided to go through and wear the dresses one by one in an effort to style them all in the next few months. Not consecutively, because I love skirts too, but y’know. I think it’s time to start shopping my closet more!

I’m really looking forward to this weekend; we’re going camping with my family up at Kalaloch. I went last year as well, and it was amazing! It’s this great campground up on a kind of cliff above a beach, where you can actually gather and burn driftwood (that’s prohibited most places here), and climb among ginormous logs on the beach, and walk beneath the roots of trees, and cross rivers on logs. It’s pretty amazing. I’m so excited!

It’ll be our first camping trip as a married couple, though, and I have NO idea what to buy for food. Other than, you know, hot dogs and ingredients for s’mores. And bacon. Can’t go anywhere without bacon.

Do any of you have exciting weekend plans? I’m also really excited because our office is closed Monday for memorial day. So I basically get a four day weekend. I SO need the extra day off after two weeks of fulltime work!

I feel like such a wimp saying that. I really admire all of you who work full time AND take care of a house. Or even just work full time. It’s hard.

Target: Dress (similar)
Nordstrom Rack: Tights
Thrifted: Shirt (similar), brooch, shoes

I hope you are all having a great week so far!

Friday Fitness: Why I Want To Lose Weight

Posted on 17 May, 2013 by The Owl

So Jess at Animated Cardigan wrote an amazing post on why she doesn’t want to lose weight. I love that post. It is wonderful that she is confident in her size regardless of what the world thinks, and I personally think she’s absolutely beautiful. It was also a very honest post, which I really admired. It inspired me to write my own, on a complete opposite tangent.

Because I have a confession to make: I haven’t been entirely honest in the past. I may have put on a brave face, or not given full reasons for my health choices, or just plain been too afraid to offend someone, make someone feel bad for their own choices, or get discouraging comments. Weight loss is a touchy subject.

But here’s the thing: it’s not a bad thing to want to lose weight. It’s not a bad thing to love your body the way it is regardless of how much or little you weigh. It’s not a bad thing to be curvy. It’s not a bad thing to be skinny. It’s not a bad thing to want to want to change, nor is it a bad thing to want to stay the same. If you’re happy being you, good for you! If you want to change, go for it!

With that said, here are the top reasons why I want to lose twenty pounds:

One: Simply, I want to look good (or better) in clothes.

The very first reason… well, it’s probably completely and utterly vain. I could reorder the list to say it’s for health reasons, I could move that down under the next reason to make it seem less narcissistic, but we’re being honest here, and I’m really tired of my thighs making it impossible for me to wear a shift dress or a pencil skirt. I want to feel confident in a bathing suit without feeling like I should hide my jiggle in a pair of shorts or a swim-skirt. I want to wear shorts without the fabric riding up in the middle. I want to sweat in the summer without getting a heat rash because my thighs chafe. I want to pose sideways for a picture without worrying that my butt sticks out too far and my belly pooch makes me look pregnant (and please don’t protest that, you guys; I’m really good at masking my flaws with the right clothes and poses.).

Two: I want to weigh less than my husband.

Here’s the thing: my husband is naturally thin. He comes from a family of nine other people who are all pretty fit without having to do too much about it. Me, I come from a family of pudgy people, and we’re all really good at gaining weight without too much effort. So on a week-to-week basis right now, I weight about ten pounds more than my husband. And of course, as a woman, that’s kind of discouraging. But it’s also discouraging for him. Nothing reflected on me in any way, because my husband daily professes his love for my curves, but my weighing more than him makes him feel as though he’s too skinny. And I think in a guy’s mind, that translates as not manly enough, or something. I don’t know, I’m not a guy. Bottom line, it makes both of us feel bad for personal reasons.

Three: I don’t want to end up at 180+ pounds when I’m pregnant/a new mom.

We want to have kids eventually. Sooner rather than later. And I know that weight gain during pregnancy is completely normal, inevitable, and healthy. But I don’t want to go back to being 180lbs. It wasn’t a good feeling, and when I’m a new mom, getting very little sleep, and generally already probably having little time to make myself feel pretty, I don’t want to be stuck with a weight higher than the one I’m already sitting at and just feel like crap. Again, it’s a vain reason, but I think it’s a legitimate one.

Four: I want to run and not die.

This one has more to do with exercise than weight loss, and going to the gym to build up stamina. Currently, I can’t do more than three repetitions of 30 seconds of a leisurely jog- one minute of a brisk walk in a row without getting totally and completely winded. So winded that my chest feels like it’s being crushed and I get sideaches and the whole shebang. It’s not pretty. Now, my heart does beat faster than it should… and you know how this is fixed? You got it. Exercise. I’d like to be fit enough to jog for five or ten or twenty minutes and feel good. And not like death.

Five: to honor God with my choices.

This one is a reason I know many people will disagree with, or skip over entirely, and that’s okay with me. It’s my personal opinion, and I respect your right to your own beliefs. But for me, I have been more and more convicted that making unhealthy choices is… well, to be blunt… sinful. It’s lust over food I want, and greed to eat it without care, and sloth to make excuses for not moving healthfully, and gluttony to eat more than I need, and pride that I think it won’t affect me because… who knows, I’m special or something. I want to honor God with every choice I make, and that includes how I eat and how I treat my body. And hey, as a Christian this should probably be reason number one. But to keep up with honesty, this is where it falls right now. I’m a little ashamed of that, but I’m working on it.

Six: Because I want to reach my goals.

I have been trying to lose weight for at least two years, and I have yet to have enough perseverance to do it. I get lazy because it’s constant hard work. I get emotional because I want chocolate now. I get discouraged because it’s a slow process. I stop caring to keep myself from getting emotional and discouraged. But under it all, there’s still that stubbornness and that determination that one day, I am going to do it. I am going to reach my goal weight and I am going to maintain it. No more putting it off, no more getting distracted or wavering from my goals because the husband gets to eat cake and I don’t. I want to be able to say “I did it!” and triumph over my weaknesses.

I want to be strong. I want to be healthy. I want to be God-honoring. I want to feel good about my body. I want to conquer my goals.

I have already been half-writing somewhat biweekly chronicles or tidbits of how I’m doing weight or food wise, but from now on, to help me stick with it and see my own progress, I’ll be keeping an open diary of my week and posting it every Friday as a new feature (named, as you can see, Friday Fitness). Knowing that you guys know my goals and are expecting to hear how it’s going will help keep me accountable.

I feel as though I’ve been a broken record over the past, and I want to change that. I hate saying I’m going to do things and then failing.

Just so you know the stats: I currently weigh 164 pounds, with the measurements of: bust 36; waist 29; belly 37; hips 45; thigh circumference 27.

So, here’s to reaching goals, and also to stop being a broken record!

Remix, rewear, repeat.

Posted on 16 May, 2013 by The Owl

It’s official: I am in love with this skirt. I don’t even care that I just wore it, and with polka dots no less; I can foresee many, many ways to mix this with all of my current wardrobe items. It was the best $2.50 I ever spent. Love.

I don’t really have much else to say today! But the sun is shining, the weekend is almost here, and life is good. Other than the fact that I don’t have a car. But even that is fine! I get to drive my in-laws’ car, which is way nicer than mine (the window rolls down! The back windshield wiper works! The heat actually switches from feet to vents to defrost!). And, best of all, tomorrow will be my last day of working full-time for two weeks, so I get to go back to part time and having time to actually get things done! Yay!

My sink is so full of dishes that need to be washed. I have no idea how bloggers with full-time jobs get work, housework, AND blogging done… and still have time to sleep.

I am hoping to get lots done this weekend: I desperately need to clean the house, go grocery shopping, and finish organizing our bedroom. And going through my closet to clear out the items I never wear.

I can’t wait for next weekend; we’re going camping for the first time this year! And the first time as a married couple. Although it won’t feel too much different since we’re still going with my family, so same setting. But we get to share a tent this time.

Forever 21: blouse
Target: Heels, earrings
Thrifted: skirt, brooch

I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday!

Coral skirts and fish pins

Posted on 15 May, 2013 by The Owl

Yesterday, as I was driving home from work thinking what a great day it was, planning to take outfit pictures of my entry for the Style Imitating Art series that Jess and Salazar are doing (which I had tried to take that morning, but didn’t like), my car made the loudest noise it’s ever made (and my car is pretty darn loud) and started to lurch and grunt in a dangerous way. Thankfully, there were no cars in the lane next to me so I was able to pull over to the side of the road quickly and safely… with no idea what was wrong. All I could think was that my car might explode if I tried to drive it.

That may have been a little overdramatic of me to think, but I know very little about cars other than they shouldn’t be backfiring, lurching, and growling like they’re about to die. My first reaction? Check underneath, open the hood, look at the grime-covered mass of engine components, confirm that I didn’t know anything at all about the workings of a car, and get back in. And proceed to panic.

As in, start to cry even though I knew everything would be fine because I wasn’t actually stranded on the side of the road permanently. I called my mom, and she didn’t answer. I called my mechanic brother, and he didn’t answer, either. I called my husband, and he didn’t answer… but he called back five minutes later, and I proceeded to sob and tell him what had happened, fully aware that this was not as bad of a situation as my emotions seemed to think it was.

Long story short, he came to save me, and my poor car had to be towed to my parents’ house. We’re pretty sure it has to do with the muffler (which is blown completely open) or the transmission… or something wiring-wise. I don’t really know. But my brother will (hopefully) be able to fix it, or fix it well enough to drive it somewhere to be fixed, and for now I get to drive my husband’s beast of a truck.

Which is fun, because the speedometer doesn’t work so I don’t know how fast I’m going. We both have really… um… special cars. They’re both loud, and have many endearing flaws (like windows that don’t roll down, meters that don’t work, gas mileage that kills our paychecks…) and are generally always in need of some sort of fixing.

Suffice it to say, yesterday seemed really great until my car broke down. And I didn’t get to re-take my first Style Imitating Art outfit pictures, which were really spot-on for the picture Jess chose this time. I did find two salveagable pictures, though:

I really loved how that outfit looked, and I thought it was a great match for the picture, considering my closet and how little orange I have now. I used to have a ton, but somehow it’s all disappeared.

I tried to do a second outfit (today’s) for SIA too, and I think it fits, although it’s not quite as good at matching.

Target: tank top
Thrifted: everything else.

Which one do you like better? I can’t decide now, looking at the pictures again. The skirt I’m wearing is one that I’m loathe to get rid of but which I never wear. I’m thinking about hemming it up to the knee and seeing if that makes it more wearable for me, because I’m not fond of this length on myself. But I am in love with the colors (which my husband says remind him of his great-aunt, who loves fur and flashy jewelry), and it actually can be mixed with white, turquoise, blue, yellow, or purple… or any neutral. It just needs hemming.

Along with half of my other skirts. I’m such a slacker.

I hope you all have a beautiful Wednesday!

Polka dots and perfect red skirts

Posted on 14 May, 2013 by The Owl

Have you ever done that thing where you publish a post and then go back a few hours later and decide you really don’t like it? Yeah, I just did that. I had another post up, but I just… really didn’t like the pictures or the post. So it’s gone. Is that weird?

I have been looking for a red skirt to add to my wardrobe for AGES. I cannot tell you how many red skirts I’ve tried on in the last few months in search of that perfect one; so many of them were too short, too straight, just fit wonky, or didn’t fit at all. Or were nice, but too expensive for my little budget.

But a week or two ago, I went to Goodwill and I saw this one there. I tried it on, liked it, but decided to leave it there because it was $5 and the waist was just a tad bit too tight. Not that $5 for a skirt is too much, just too much when the fit isn’t quite as good as I wanted and isn’t as easy to fix. (If it had been too large, I could totally have taken it in. But it’s hard to make things bigger.)

But then we went back to Goodwill on Saturday, and this skirt was still there. I grabbed a few other (crappy) red skirts to try on as well, and when I tried this one on again, I tossed all of the others and decided…. what the heck, I can endure a slightly-too-tight waistline for an otherwise perfect $5 skirt.

Imagine when I discovered that it was on the tag sale, and was $2.50 instead!

Totally sold.

So on Mother’s day, I endured a slightly-too-tight waistline on the otherwise perfect skirt while we stuffed ourselves with Cornish Game Hens, mashed potatoes (my favorite), and grilled asparagus… and I regretted just slightly that I’d bought the skirt with the tight waistline.

But only for a moment. Because otherwise, this skirt is just perfect. It even has pockets!

And there you see what I do when I have no idea what pose to do.

Okay, I actually was in the middle of stretching to put my hands on my head, and then I thought that was a bad idea so I went to put them down and he caught me before I got my arms where they should have been.

Does anyone else ever struggle with being photographed vs working with a tripod and selftimer? I have found that even though it makes getting certain shots more difficult, I prefer using my tripod to being photographed. Nothing against my husband, because as you can see he’s an excellent photographer, but I know the timing of the camera. I know when it’s going to go off, where to set it for the best angle, and what to tell it to do to get the shots I want.

My husband, however, doesn’t beep faster and faster right before he’s about to take the picture, and I never know what shot he’s going for next.

And I’m not a good communicator in this area, so I often forget to tell him what I want… and basically… I’ll admit: I’m a total control freak when it comes to pictures and I’m a really, really bad collaborator. I want what I want, but I don’t know how to tell you what I want. And I also don’t take direction very well. Or suggestions.

I wish I still lived close to this location. This is the beach by my parents’ house, and it’s beautiful. Stinky, mushy, full of sand fleas and pooping geese, but still beautiful. I LOVE the water. I hope one day when we buy a house of our own, it’s somehow close to the water while still having enough property to wander… with a creek.

A girl can dream, right?

Fred Meyer: Top
Thrifted: Skirt, belt, heels, brooch
From the yard: Daisies in my hair

I hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday!