Springtime spells- Monday through Thursday

The common thread for this week's outfits seems to be wishing for Spring/Summer! While the calendar claims it is spring, the winter weather is still clinging onto upstate New York like Sarah Palin clings to her political hopes after stooping to reality TV.

To both: please, just go away with dignity, already....

Monday:



While I've got a sweater under that jacket, my Van Gogh flowers are there to coax the real ones back.

Wednesday:

More sartorial flowers to encourage the real ones:



My favorite summer top, with a layer underneath to account for the cold reality of the situation. Which is that I feel like "natural fertilizer" (if you catch my drift), and went straight to bed with Nyquil the moment I got home.

Tuesday:

I'm so tired of winter weather! I should be encouraging spring flowers, but I forgot to wear one this time:



But I am wearing a summer top pulled from the dark recesses of my basement. I am sick to death of my sweaters, and really want to be able to put them away! I really like the weird ribbon ruffle detail on this one:

[Edited to add]: Upon further reflection, the swirly design the dots are making looks vaguely floral.



OK, I mixed up the order of the days... but my head is infected, and I just want to sleep until it's 70F outside!

Thursday:



I just couldn't bear to wear a sweater today, so I went with a warmer jacket to cope with the Arctic chill. I thought combining this bright red jacket with the subtle blue and brown might make me look better than I feel... I'm sick, and going home to my bed and more Nyquil later.



But hope springs eternal... so my hair flower is another talisman to encourage the real ones to burst forth!

Internet trouble

I only occasionally post on Friend Friday, but I really wanted to do this week's topic, "Fashion and Feminism", so I delayed my Friday post until I could get onto my actual computer. I had more to say than I wanted to thumb-type.

But my home internet wasn't working Friday and Saturday, then on Sunday Hubby hogged the computer for trial prep. So here's the Friday outfit post, and I'll post the belated Friend Friday topic later this week.

Friday was an office-only day, no scheduled court appearances. So I don't feel the need to wear a jacket. But I never wear jeans on any weekday, because I can get called into court at any time. I figure if it's last-minute... they can't give me a hard time about a jacket.



Like my Sheila "Wonder Woman" pose?

I'm wondering whether I should get rid of this necklace... the gold color has seen better days.
This was Friday:



Here's how it looked on Thanksgiving:



I don't have any earrings that really go with this necklace, but that may be moot. This was as close as I could get:



I need to stop trying to wear this barette this way... it just doesn't work:





I just polished these the previous day, and salt stains already:

Framing saga: a trilogy

I was trying to post outfit photos and Friend Friday, but my home internet isn't working today and I had way too much to say to type it out with my thumbs on my phone.

So here's a backup I was saving for just such an occasion:

I have a lot of professional-type documents that *should* be nicely framed and on my office wall. But between one of Mom's homemade frames that didn't survive the last three moves, and the acquisition of two new documents within the last few years... I need to get this done.

I've been in my current job over a year and a half, and my office walls are still covered with empty hangers from the last occupant. It's getting ridiculous.

Mom was going to get my law school diploma professionally framed as a Christmas gift, but she didn't have time, so she gave me a check instead. Between that money, and the offset of the grocery store gift card we got from Hubby's mother (for the expensive store we love)... I started looking into getting this done.

My sister's friend manages a Michael's (arts and crafts national chain store) in MI, and he gave me a heads-up for a 60% off custom framing sale. Yee-haw! So I packed up my university diploma, law school diploma, and all three Bar admission certificates, and practically skipped on over to the local Michael's.

I chose a nice midprice frame, and complimentary black and colored matting. My diplomas are off-white, two of my admission certificates are more yellow-toned, and one of them is recycled-gray. The colors of framing and matting were chosen very carefully to unite very different documents.

The clerk, who was a very pleasant art-school grad type, gave me a bit of a shock with the final price for getting them all done at once. Even at 60% off... it's not chump change. After a good bit of agonizing, I decided to bite the bullet and get it done.

No wonder Mom initially made frames herself. I get it now!

So I ordered:



OK, this sample is more "gold" than what I ordered, but it's just here for illustration purposes.

What I GOT a couple weeks later:









This is on just ONE of my FIVE documents I took for framing... they were all jacked up!

I started off pleasantly objecting, but when the clerks kept trying to fob me off with "we send them all out to Artistree, they don't guarantee that the corners will match...." Well....

I went "Ugly American". Yup. I threw an absolute fit.

The store manager came, was very pleasant, and totally saw the situation my way. He asked me to give him a few days to see what he could do. OK....

When I spoke with someone from the store a few days later, I was offered a complete redo, with a different frame of my choice, at no extra cost. So I went to the store, picked the most expensive "regular" frame instead of another midpriced one this time... again, being very careful with the color. It even went with the matting I chose the first time.

Second try:



The inner frame is the sample I based my choice on... the outer is what I received.

The corners didn't go screwy this time, but the color of the finished product was so different than the sample... much colder/grayer. These looked absolutely terrible with my yellow-toned Bar certificates. I chose the warmer color very carefully to harmonize very different documents... so the change was disasterous.

Again... not happy. The clerk saw it my way... and now do I not only pick out a more expensive frame than I originally paid for *again*, but the matting also has to change this time to go with my THIRD frame choice.

Isn't this stupid? Artistree refuses to "waste" a half-inch or so of materials per corner to match up properly... so they have now wasted how many HUNDREDS of dollars of materials replacing my frames?

And I'm wondering if the third time will be the charm, or if this is going to be a Douglas Adams trilogy (which has 4 books).

Third try... *drumroll*... SUCCESS!



They look really good! Here is one of the finished products:



Overall review: the management at the local Michael's handled the situation pretty well, given the stupidity of their contractor. This was a real pain in the behind, but I was given a great upgrade... so what I got at the end of it all was definitely nicer than what I actually paid for.

Avoiding the obvious

I've never worn brown with navy before:



Hubby actually said how nice my outfit was when I was just hanging around in the office, sans jacket. I actually wore brown shoes, but the photos were done when I was in my black "office slippers". My foot is healing up nicely, but I'm definitely still in pain....

This outfit was chosen as the base for my plaid jacket:



But it looks kind of sloppy here... is that just because I have my purse under it? Or because it's open?



Hmm... I'm not quite slim enough to button this sucker up, after all. Anyway... I decided to go for a brown top rather than the more obvious blues or tans. You like?



The brown part is nearly microscopic... I actually took my cue from the lining:



Of course, along with the cross-body purse to make using my walker easier, I'm taking Freeda's advice and keeping my hair up:



Shirt: VanHusen outlet
Jacket: Amanda Smith via consignment shop
Pants: Lane Bryant
Necklace: gift from a friend
Hair clip: I forgot
Earrings... whoops! I forgot to put them on today!

This is NOT what I ordered! Return it, NOW!

The scheduling of my surgery was, in part, timed so that I could hibernate for the rest of the winter, and not emerge until Spring.



Yeah... that worked really well. The last 2 weeks were in the 50s and 60s. When I was still housebound. *sigh* At least I have new winter boots, from an end-of-season sale:



They were the only ones I found that would fit around my freakish cankles. I'm not running myself down... I'm just being frank. My ankles are bizarre.

This is where I should be:



Mediterranean... warm.... Well, guess I will have to wear my vacation spot in my hair, since I'm out of paid time off:



I suppose I wanted to show what's really on my mind as I go through my day all bundled up:



Some festive jangly earrings, and my mental vacation is in full swing!



I'm on that sailboat... not in court with another "unsatisfied" client... the sun is kissing my skin as I put my hand over the edge of the boat into the blue sea as I look up to the sunbaked buildings... ahhhhh....

Jacket: VanHusen outlet
Sweater: Tribal via Pip's in Corning, NY
Earrings: Lia Sophia
Collar: Lia Sophia
Pants: Lane Bryant
Shoes: Bass
Boots: Bass
Purse: nat et nin via random store in Paris, France
Barette: probably a gift from Mom... I've had it forever

Double-shot of red for good cheer

This outfit is from yesterday, because I was busy... then exhausted.

The "I overslept" special:



I was an hour late to work, and only woke up at all because Hubby woke me at 9! So I grabbed the pants from yesterday because they didn't need ironing, and the sweater to skip ironing as well. No time to do anything with my hair... it's a lost cause.

At least I remembered jewelry. I went with plain gold hoops:



Because I really wanted to wear this bracelet, which I haven't worn in years:



The photos didn't come out well, but the beadwork is just gorgeous.



It's actually pretty special to me, but I don't wear bracelets much. It was a gift from my ex-boyfriend's mother, who is one of the sweetest people on the planet. She only speaks about ten words of English, but her beautiful heart shines through any language barrier. I probably stayed with him longer than was wise because I was so attached to the family.

Jacket: VanHusen outlet
Sweater: VanHusen outlet
Pants: Lane Bryant
Earrings: Lia Sophia
Bracelet: gift from a friend

Back to the world outside my house

I've worn this outfit a zillion times, but thought you might like the tweaks:



Yes, I'm wearing my cross-body purse under my jacket- it's easier to for me to move around in my little blue cage. Obviously, carrying a briefcase could be a problem:



Solved! This little treasure was left over from law school. In my pre-gimp days, I used it as a disc golf case.

And wow, is my hair curly! I was up extra-early, and thought I blow-dried it straight. Do I need new products, or new technique? I'm still not used to my "new" hair....

Jacket: VanHusen outlet
Sweater: VanHusen outlet
Pants: Lane Bryant
Jewelry: made by me
Purse: nat et nin via random store in Paris, France
Groovy blue walker: Drive via Airlink Medical Supply, Kalamazoo, MI
Messenger bag: employee "perk" for Bar review company

I was going to post a last bit of "Man-Candy" for Hubby's growing fanbase on Friday, but I dropped my phone into my doctor-mandated epsom-salt soak water. Whoops.

So I put my phone into a ziploc full of rice for 48 hours. It worked! I have one weird streak across my screen... but it's minor.

Without further ado... your belated Man-Candy:



I really love this shirt, jacket, and tie combo. I think it's my favorite:



Jacket: Jos. A. Bank
Shirt: VanHusen outlet
Tie: VanHusen outlet
Pants: Ralph Lauren

Makeover, Part 1

Since it's been a bit difficult for me to get things around, some things have had to slide. So I've been taking inspiration from Frida Kahlo:



and seeing what happens when I stop waxing for a month. When I see myself in the mirror, my upper lip now has a GRAY cast. I don't think it shows in this photo:



Not a good look for me... I'm not 1/10 as cool as Frida. So I better get Hubby to set out my kit, because I'm not awesome enough to pull off this look.

It is odd how we, as women, often can't let allow ourselves out of the house in a natural state. People don't see me unwaxed, unplucked, unshaved, barefaced. Is the problem with my own lack of confidence, or that I'm part and parcel with the beauty industry machine?

I'll ponder that more another day... maybe. Now, I'm more concerned with "what's on the inside":

BEFORE:



Meets AFTER:



What, you thought I meant my soul? I'm more concerned with my "sole" at the moment. (That danged defective "Dad pun-gene" rearing it's ugly head again!)

Friend Friday: Beauty Products

Another questionnaire, courtesy of Modly Chic

1. What’s your favorite drug store makeup product and your favorite higher-end product?

My skin care is exclusively Mary Kay, and has been for the last fifteen years. I have very oily, acne-prone skin, and the line for oily skin was the only thing I found that kept it under control. I know new things have come out since, but "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"!

More recently, I have been using drugstore foundation because MK discontinued the one I liked. I hate the Almay "Smart Match" foundation because it doesn't hide my "freckles" aka sun damage. It's OK for the days I'm trying to look like I'm not wearing makeup, when I actually am. The L'Oreal "True Match" I realy love.

2. Is there one type of product that is your go-to, can’t live without?

Lip balm and Vaseline. I'm constantly slapping goo on my lips... they are always dry, and chap the second I slack off.

When I was a kid, I had red chewed-up rings around my lips every winter.

3. What’s the best hair product you’ve ever used?

When my hair was straight, fine, and flyaway: Bedhead "Manipulator". That blue goo really helped weigh my hair down, especially in the winter.

Now that my hair is suddenly coarse and curly, I'm still experimenting.

4. Fess up, what’s the worst beauty look you’ve tried to rock and look back at now with a little shame or apprehension that you actually did that?

When I used talc powder as face powder in high school. I took the "Snow White" look a little too far....

5. When it comes to beauty products, we all use the same basic products. What do you use that helps show off your personal flair and personality?

I do a "cat-eye" with my eyeliner every day. I'm using Maybelline gel eyeliner, which come in a pot with a brush rather than the usual pencil. It works so much better!

The rest of my makeup is pretty conservative, which is a combination of a conservative job and sheer laziness. I'm not sure which is the higher factor, but I'm betting on laziness.

Wow, I'm bored...

... but at least Hubby is looking good:



I keep forgetting to get a texture photo of this jacket... it's felted, which is handy because it will go with separate pants.



Looks like I caught him mid-movement.



Shirt: VanHusen outlet
Tie: George (gift)
Jacket: Jos. A. Bank
Pants: Ralph Lauren

My medical-leave blogging plans have gone largely unfulfilled, because Hubby has to take our only operational laptop to work with him. Blah.

Let's see... I finally left the house yesterday. To get my stitches out. Whee. I'm not allowed to wash it or try putting any weight on unil the weekend, so I'm looking forward to at least another week of bedbound boredom.

I wonder if my brain is shrinking along with my muscles?