Like, I'm Devastated.

Hooray Monday!

Do you ever wake up and feel energized and legitimately optimistic about facing the day?  No?  Not really?  Me neither.  But I did today!  Now I am usually the sleepiest person ever but today I got out of bed right at 5:50 a.m. (that's super early for me, btdubs) and put on the very first thing I tried on (that's usually never how it works for me, btdubs) and had enough time to bypass all forms of rushing whatsoever.

There was no traffic on the usually terrible 101 (ask Bahb, I've talked about how bad traffic on the 101 is in my sleep before) and I made it to work in what felt like record time.  Since there is a new "absolutely no extraneous internet usage" policy at work, that they are more or less not fucking around with, I had a productive couple of hours at work until I had to come back home and finish up my report for our monthly research meeting.  

So here I am, it's 3 p.m. I've already worked three hours at my enjuneerin' job as well as read upwards of five research papers and written a report summarizing my work in the lab over the last month, and... AND... I found time to take some outfit pictures.

So welcome, this is Day One of my new schedule, and I'm hoping to keep this up for the rest of the summer, more or less.  

So this weekend I discovered something amazing.  I discovered something beyond words; something that spoke through me to my teenage angst-ridden soul... I discovered My So-Called Life.

And like, OH MY GOD.

I know this is kind of old news (like 1994 old news) but I was 8 when it first broadcast, so I wasn't necessarily the target demographic.

I can only imagine how much of a groundbreaking cultural icon My So-Called Life had to have been when it first aired.  It traversed every taboo issue in the mid-90's imaginable, such as emerging homosexuality, domestic violence, substance abuse, peer pressure, betrayal, illiteracy, obsession, codependency, the dissolution of the American standard of family and even the irreparable transmogrification of friendships that occurs naturally as one develops, which is not necessarily taboo, but it certainly is a sad and bittersweet truth in everyone's life.  I can only imagine how hard pressed one would be to watch the series without finding at least one of the issues tackled that mirrors closely their own experiences as an adolescent.

I don't know what I loved most about it.  The clothes?  The drama?  The nostalgia?  The music?  The way Jordan Catalano leans?  Definitely the clothes.  I want... nay... I need to own a flannel babydoll dress.  And really?  Why did I ever get rid of my Doc Marten lace ups?

I have a feeling a lot of what I wear in the coming weeks will be inspired by the 90's.  

Jumper: Urban Outfitters (Kimchi Blue)

T-shirt: American Apparel

Oxfords: Report

Hat: Urban Outfitters (Cooperative)

Bracelets: Forever 21, some random Venice Beach vendor and the Goodwill by my house

Sun Glasses: Ray Bans

So it's been a restful couple of days since finals ended and I'm back to feeling like myself.  

I mean, don't get me wrong, as I'm typing this my bed is staring at me with those blank, pillow-shaped eyes, more or less burning holes in the back of my head, and whispering "nap-time... naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap tiiiiiiiiiime..." but I have to resist.  I have to be productive.  I took a couple of "me" days, as it were, to  recover and regain some semblance of motivation and now I have things to do!

Hmmm, maybe just a quick nap...

Have a wonderful Mundy (ahem... Monday) anyone who stumbles across this inadvertently or otherwise!

I literally had to Google "things referees say" in an attempt to name this post.

Hi!  I'm not dead!  I was just real stinking busy.  But actually, now that I think about it, busy is not an adequate descriptor for how busy I was.  The stress from these last few weeks probably, quite literally, shaved years off my life.  Ok, maybe I'm just being drama, but my life was a clusterfuck for sure.

I did try to post yesterday, but as soon as I was done with everything and went to click "Publish Post" Blogger gave up on life and it was lost, so, you know, cool?

I have been kind of chilling these last 48 hours.  I finished finals on Wednesday, but living off trail mix, energy drinks and virtually no sleep for about a solid week took its toll and I have been plagued with this bitch of a migraine ever since.  It's much better today; I'm relatively functional.  So that's good and I can hopefully actually accomplish something in the lab today.

So I'm sure if Bahb reads this he will go "of course she had to tell this story..." and yes, I did have to tell this story because it's amazing.  

Ok, so last night I was fussily grappling with what I wanted to wear for pretty much an excessive amount of time. I didn't want to leave the house because I felt gross and bloated and icky and at this point we were already over an hour late for the engineering convocation (we knew a lot of people graduating so we were going to go).  I was rummaging around in my closet looking for something to wear while Bahb was saying something that neither of us remember given the hilarity that ensued. He was still talking when at last I proudly walked out of the closet in this exact outfit.  He turned to me, stopped mid-sentence and blurted out "Hey! You look like a referee!"  It was perfect and made me not want to wear this dress.  Ever.   

But I manned up and I wore it anyway.  Boys are the best and I love how they unintentionally drop these little bombs of awesome. I will probably always hold that moment near and dear to my heart, because if you and your beloved can't give each other shit, is that really a relationship worth being in?

It's also important to note that although, yes, he said I looked like a referee in the brand new dress I was dying to wear and one time he referred to me as his "beefy girlfriend" (hehe) in actuality Bahb is probably the most supportive boyfriend in the world.  He always knows just what to say when I'm freaking out or hating how I look or just generally being a girl about things. And I probably don't tell him enough how much I appreciate all of that.

Dress: Urban Outfitters (KNT)

Belt: H&M

Purse: Vintage Coach

Sun Glasses: Betsey Johnson

Shoes: Dolce Vita for Target

Also, I didn't realize how short this dress is until I took these pictures.  Honestly, mirrors do not accurately convey how you look in something most of the time.

There's no real rhyme or reason to why I posted this picture of me looking at my elbow, but I like how messy my hair is.

Anyway, I hope everyone's finals went well and that all of you sexy little bloggin' mamas out there had wonderful Mother's Days.  I go now.  Have great days anyone who sees this :)

A Tale of Two Tights

So it actually just occurred to me that that is a really stupid name for this post, as this post is photos of me from yesterday and today wearing the same pair of tights.  Is that gross?  Whatever.

It should be called something like "A Tale of One Pair of Tights Worn Two Different Ways" which has far less of a ring to it, and the alliteration is not so striking when it is lengthened like that.  

But anyway, the first outfit I wore to dinner with Bahb to this wonderful place in downtown Phoenix called Bliss.

I mean wonderful.  I had a grilled cheese sandwich (OHMYGODILOVEGRILLEDCHEESES) and it had not only cheese in it, but also bacon and pear slices.  I know, right?!  So good.  

I also had a cucumber martini and it was insanely refreshing.  

It was just a nice evening out with muh babby.  It was gorgeous outside, so we sat on the patio, and there were tea lights in the trees and it was in an artsy part of town, so it was done up all cute.  Not to mention the martini got me reasonably wasted as it realistically only contained vodka with little bits of cucumber mixed in.

Romper: Urban Outfitters (Nom de Plume) 

Tights: Target

Bag: Vintage Coach thrifted at some point

Belt: Thrifted at some point

Shoes: MIA

Heart-shaped Sunglasses: Juicy Couture

So I can usually never wear rompers... my torso is fuh-reakishly long.  I'm serious, I'm 5'8 and every pair of jeans ever needs to be hemmed because I only have a 31" inseam, as all my height is in my torso. Basically rompers are a bad, wedgie-inducing scene. This one, however, fit pretty well. At least as well as could be hoped for with a torso such as mine. Then when I saw it was marked down to $4.99?  Well, I really had no choice at that point.

 Now for today's outfit...

This dress is uh-mazing.  I'm really abusing the italics on this post, aren't I?  Aren't I???!?

Anyway, this dress was on super sale from Modcloth and although I never have luck with their dresses as they usually never carry things in my size, this dress fit surprisingly perfect.

I love the juxtaposition of the starry print with the vintage silhouette.  I mean look at that sweetheart neckline! So high!  So demure! 

Also, and perhaps the most wonderful thing of all, it has... brace yourself... LITTLE TINY RHINESTONES SCATTERED ABOUT IT SPORADICALLY!  AHHHHHHHHH!  I love shiny things, so heck yeah I was excited.

Although driving home from work today the light caught on a rhinestone just so and it blinded me momentarily. No big deal, but still kind of funny; the irony of what I love most (shiny things) ultimately leading to my downfall. 

Dress: Some random Modcloth find

Tights: Target

Bag: Thrifted from somewhere

Bangle: The Goodwill by my house

Shoes: Poetic Licence  

Sun Glasses: Ray Bans

Anyway, I am still up to my eyeballs in crap to do for school, and my house and truck have consequently gone to shit.  I mean dishes everywhere; books, paper scattered about.  Empty energy drink cans on every surface.  It's really embarrassing, and I need to pick up after myself.  After finals, promise!

Ok, study time!  Have wonderful days anyone who sees this :)

Bom Bom Chicka Chicka Chicka Oh Yeah

I couldn't think of a title, so I named it after how that song from Ferris Bueller's Day Off sounds to me.

I'm branching out.  These were taken in my front yard, as in people could see me, well they could see me if they drove by, but only one car drove by.  But yeah, so kind of a big step for me here.  I went from absolutely dreading even the thought of having my picture taken to being "meh" about it to being "meh" yet slightly adventurous about it... I'm getting cuh-cuh-cuh-crazy.

The picture below is of me at the exact moment of realization that there are literally hundreds of bees just chilling in that bush.  I know they wanted my Diet Coke, but like hell I'd give it up without a fight.  

Wait, have we ever spoken about my obsession with Diet Coke before?  

Bahb gives me shit because I will have an open can in the closest cup holder in my truck, and then an unopened one (my refill, as he refers to it) sitting right next to it at the ready.  You open up my fridge and it's like MTV Cribs up in that bitch.  I will have sometimes as many as 48 cans lined up neatly on the top shelf.  

Anyway, enough about me and my drank. I felt so ladylike all day! I love the full chiffon skirt on this dress, and I almost never wear heels so there was definitely some added feminine novelty there. How sad am I that I consider these heels?  

Heart tights!  They're just so cute, but I have only worn them this one time and they are already mangled beyond recognition.  I would say that I need to remember not to get hosiery from Urban Outfitters, but really?  It's not just the hosiery from Urban Outfitters.  I love that store, believe you me, but I am continually having my heart broken by the quality.  Le sigh.

Dress: Urban Outfitters (Cooperative)

Tights: Urban Outfitters

Bangle: a Goodwill somewhere

Shoes: MIA ($20 at the Clearance Dillard's)

Sun Glasses: Ray Bans

So my mom is on a plane right now, as I type, going back to Maryland, how fussy is that!  It was just too little time together.  I love when I visit because it's like I'm in high school again.  We shop every day, run errands like get groceries and pick up dry cleaning and dinner's ready every night at 6.  After dinner we'll watch Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventures (my mom calls the dude from Ghost Adventures Sexy Zach sarcastically... read: we are the same person) and drink hot chocolate with Crown Royal in it until we've thoroughly scared ourselves and then we go to bed.  The next morning we wake up and do it all over again.  It's wonderful!

Oh well, I guess I have no choice but to take a trip out to see her in October when all of the leaves are changing.  Oh no!  I am such a sucker for leaves.  Palm trees and palo verdes don't have leaves that change colors, if you can believe it, so I really never get to enjoy any sort of a fall display 'round my neck of the woods.

This post is all over the place, and while I do apologize, I have to admit that everything I post will probably be a discombobulated jumble of various strings of words and pictures until finals are over next week.  Muh brains are just plain tired!   

Imma take a nap.  Night night!  Have wonderful Tuesdays anyone who sees this!

Swedish Hasbeens: Let's Discuss

These pictures were taken during a rare, not-so-sunny moment in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.  Since they were just kind of off I enhanced the brightness by sliding the bar in Windows Live Picture Viewer that says "Brightness" a little to the right.  The red shown in the pictures is a pretty accurate depiction of this skirt, however, as it is insanely red.

Anyhoo, as I have alluded to before, I am quite the bargain shopper and I try to always be pretty fastidious about buying only excessively inexpensive items. I really have no choice now, but I will admit when I was working I was known to pay full-price for certain items that I felt I had to have.

Button-up: H&M

Skirt: Forever 21

Socks: Forever 21

Bag: the Goodwill by my house

Bangles: the Goodwill by my house

Shoes: Swedish Hasbeens

With that said, these Swedish Hasbeens are an example of something I paid full price for because I literally could not imagine that the earth would commence rotating upon its axis if I did not.  

Yes, they are super cute and it's true that I am a such a sucker for the story of how they are re-releases of clogs made in Sweden in the 70's... but still, these shoes are almost incredulously expensive considering the workmanship involves staples and unfinished leathers and woods.  I mean, they even came with a booklet that more or less terrified me out of the idea of wearing or even enjoying owning them.

Seriously, the included informational pamphlet just seemed to go on and on with this list of things that will ruin them and basically said in no uncertain terms that these shoes will undoubtedly stretch, fade, get permanently soiled and so on and so forth.  I wish I kept it, because holy crap, they seemed to be adamant about covering all the bases with these shoes.  

What I want to know is if there are any of you out there with success stories about how you've worn your pair to hell and back and they still look fabulous?  I basically want someone to tell me to just man up and wear them.  So what if they get dirty?  Also, I can't imagine them stretching would be a bad thing, right?  

So here we are a year and $150 later and I have only worn them three times, with the above pictures depicting the third time.

Looking at them melts my heart though, as they are quite the little cuties.  And that thrifted wicker bag was basically made to be worn with them.  Alright, I'll man up, these guys are becoming wardrobe staples.

So my mommy got to meet Bahb this Saturday.  We went to this little Italian eatery in Fountain Hills with SUPER creepy imagery all over the place... eeeeesh... but the food was pretty freaking good.  Anyway, my mom absolutely loved him, of course.  She said she could tell how crazy we are about each other, duuuuh Mom!  And then she and I went to the Clearance Dillard's on Sunday.  Oh the Clearance Dillard's... or the C Dubs as I call it because I'm just super embarrassing like that.  It's amazing, I scoff at regular Dillard's now.  Pfffft, you want me to pay $118 for this French Connection dress?  I think I will only pay $17, and you'll like it.

Since I'm a broke student once again, my mom was kind enough to buy me some pretty awesome Vince Camuto clogs and a French Connection halter top.  Oh heavens those clogs are wonderful.  I wore them all night around the house; does anyone else do that with new shoes?  Just stomp around the house in them just looking down at your feet the whole time?  I realized some time ago that I am basically a 6-year-old with a driver's license and a credit card.

Alright, I've got some school stuff to attend to (I don't wanna!)... but I hope everyone's Mondays don't suck!