Number 23

Dress: Marshall's(?), Cardigan: Ann Taylor, Tights: Hue, Shoes: Target

It's the ugliest of ugly days out today. Rain, wind and darkness took their toll on me and I wanted to take some dark photos to reflect my inner mood. When i got home from work I had serious thoughts about curling up with a book and blankets in the bathtub (no water of course, the bathroom is just the warmest room in my house).

My tights are green and whenever I wear them I feel a bit like Peter Pan (especially with this green dress). That's fitting with a comment I gave to a co-worker today that I still felt like a 16 year old. That guarantees he won't be trusting me with any large responsibilities in the near future: triple points for that.

My birdcage necklace is from one of those cheap jewelry stores in the mall (Claire's? The Icing?). I have a huge obsession with all things bird and I own around 20 or so necklaces adorned with them. And then I also have the cutest bird of all:

His name is Pooker and he's a rescue bird (a co-worker found him floating in a river actually, poor little thing). I've had him for about a year and a half. Our love's not entirely reciprocal- I try to hug and kiss him and he tries to bite me, but we have our moments of compatibility. We both like the warmth so we spend a lot of time just sitting together on the bathroom floor.

Number 22

Tshirt: Target, Dress/shirt: BCBG, scarf: ross, shoes & tights: Target

This outfit was so comfortable, which is always the most important thing on a day off. Of course it was freezing outside, so mostly I walked around in my big fluffy coat, even when I was indoors (painters came and all the windows had to be open to venitlate- I was hudled up under coat and blanket the whole time I was home).

I'm excited about "shopping" through my own clothes next week. The other day I was thinking, "why don't I own any black pants?" and then I remembered that I own several in fact, I had just forgotten about them because they aren't in my 30 items. I wonder how many other things I've been taking for granted. What do you miss most?

Number 21

Shirt & Cardigan: Old Navy, Skirt: NY&Co, Boots & Tights: Target

Windy days make for great facial expressions. Ha. Also, don't ask why a couple of my photos are date stamped with 1/16/2010, I'm working on it; I'm not exactly a technological genius.

I call the place in the photos "the pond of life" because this summer, when we discovered this park, it was full of turtles, frogs and fish. Sadly they're all now in hibernation. I'll shortly follow suit. I broke out the thermal lined curtains and really that's the last step. See you in the spring. Or tomorrow with another outfit.

All I want for Christmas...

1. Nike Free Run+ Women's Running Shoes $85 (size 9.5)
2. Nadya Dolman Cardigan $44.50 (size medium)
3. DwellStudio® for Target® Algiers Comforter Set $79.99 (Queen size)
4. UO Suede Pump- yellow $49 (size 9)
5. Piper Tweed Short $28.50 (size medium)
6. Levi's Stacked Denim Legging- Indigo $58
7. Fair Isle Tie-Belt Wrap Cardigan $35 (size small)
8. Bell R/T Rally Helmet (XS) $67.99

And there you have it. A decent sized list of things I'd like to see under the tree this year, all priced affordably under $100. If you know and love me and want to buy me a present, please buy me one of these as it took me a really long time to make this in photoshop and I'd hate for that to have gone to waste.

Numbers 19 and 20

Number 20. Jacket: Wet Seal, Cardigan: Target, Shirt: Loft, Jeans and boots: Target

I'm feeling slightly revitalized in the challenge, though I still haven't had time to reorganize my 30 pieces. That's on the agenda for tonight. Yes, it's a Saturday night and I have a date with my closet. Never mind that I have a free ticket to see the Black Lips. Priorities. And honestly once the temp drops below 60 degrees I'm pretty much a hermit. Just give me a space heater and some clothes to remix and I'll be happy.

I didn't forget day 19, I swear. I was just so turkey hungover that I didn't feel like an actual photo shoot. I did get Mr. PBR to take this so I could prove I wasn't cheating:

Number 19. Jacket: Ross, Belly Bulge: Sweet Potato Casserole, Everything else: Target.

Number 18

Blazer: Gap, Dress: Tucker for Target, Boots: Target

I hope everyone has had a great Thanksgiving. I'm stuffed and if I ever see another pie again it may be too soon. But I can imagine changing my mind between now and breakfast...

I'm in a bit of a remixing slump and I'm pretty sure it's due to lack of organization. In cleaning the house to prepare for tday guests, I crammed lots of loose ends into my bedroom and piled stray pieces of clothing in laundry baskets. Finding this ensemble today was a bit of a challenge. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have a chance to sort things out again and start fresh.

Twelve days left and I still have 2 items that haven't been worn and I'm beginning to think I shouldn't have included them. Does anyone else have any regrets in a piece they picked out?

Number 17

Blazer: Gap, Pants: H&M, Shoes: Target, Necklace: Ann Taylor

I looked okay today, but the real winner of "best dressed" is my dinning room table:



Though, I'm pretty sure it's cheating in the 30 for 30 contest, cause I counted way more than 30 pieces in this outfit.

Let's hope the food looks just as good tomorrow and the discount turkey doesn't kill the whole family. fingers crossed.

Number 16

Cardigan: Old Navy, Shirt: Loft, Jeans and Boots: Target

It started pouring down rain 2 seconds before I went outside to take pictures today, hence the boring shots. Also, my brand new camera decided to stop working. When it rains it pours.

The good news is that my hair decided to embrace the humidity today and instead of a frizzy mess it actually has some nice volume. A good hair day and no camera to capture it decently. Murphy's Law.

Anyone else ready for some turkey and green bean casserole?

15 and elf ears

Jacket: Wet Seal, Shirt: Target, Scarf: H&M, Skirt: Ny&co, Tights: Old Navy, Boots: Target

All my pictures from day 15 were majorly flawed. I spilled coffee on my skirt right before we went out to take these and there was still a wet spot that showed up in almost every one. Thanks to photoshop and strategic jacket placement, I was able to salvage these two. The closeups were just as bad- they were a hodgepodge of lazy eyes, elf ears and crooked smiles. Oh well: you win some and lose some, right?

They tried to recruit me for Lord of the Rings

Speaking of elf ears- It's sort of a running joke when Mr.Pbr and I are taking pictures. He'll stop before shooting and say "your ear's sticking out" and I'll adjust my hair to cover the protrusion and we'll continue. I hated my ears when I was growing up. Kids at school called me Dumbo or sang the Delta theme song as I passed by ("we love to fly and it shows"). I can even recall a couple of nights when I taped them to my head before I went to sleep hoping they'd stop sticking out so much. I embrace them now for the most part because they're part of what makes me unique. A few months ago at a party a girl walked up to me and said "you look just like Joanna Newsom." I had no idea who Joanna Newsom was so when I got home that night, Mr.Pbr and I googled her and both marveled over the fact that I looked NOTHING like this girl. That is, until we came across this picture. Meet my ear twin:


That's right. Joanna Newsom and I share the same elf father.

Number 14

Jacket: Ross, Dress: Target, Belt: Rag-o-rama, Shoes: Target

I started out my Thanksgiving break with a 4 mile run this morning and I feel great. Whenever I run I instantly feel like I look better and thinner. Every picture today was a winner and I found it hard to pick just a handful. I love how exercise endorphines give such great confidence.

These pictures were taken at Oakland Cemetery and it's always weird to me how beautiful it is for being a place for the dead. It reminds me of Walt Whitman and his "Song of Myself:"

The smallest sprout shows there is really no death,
And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at the
end to arrest it,
And ceas'd the moment life appear'd.

All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses,
And to die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier.

Tomorrow will be the halfway point in the 30 for 30 challenge and I'm looking forward to keeping up my blog after the challenge is done. I have some cool ideas for some weekly/bi-weekly topics.

Number 13

Shirt/dress: Clothing swap, Belt: Marshall's, Pants: Old Navy, Boots: Target

This week has been one of the longest of my life! Between working two jobs, being a solo dog owner while Mr. PBR was out of town and keeping up with a blog, I've barely had time to sleep. I was literally chasing the sunlight in these pictures today (notice the shadow? It followed me to every new spot I picked). Fortunately, I have the next 6 days completely off work. All I have to do is clean a house, bathe a dog, cook my first Thanksgiving dinner... hmm... maybe work would be easier after all.

This shirt (or dress) is one of my favorite clothing swap finds. Every so often a group of my girl friends gets together and we throw all of our unwanted clothing into a big heap in the middle of someone's living room and go crazy digging through it. Professional swappers might object to the chaos and the fairness (someone who brings all crap could conceivably wind up with the best stuff), but we're not all that serious about it. It's more about the gathering and the process than what you leave with- or at least that's how I feel.

In other news, we got a 25 pound turkey for $12. Mispriced? Expired? We'll find out soon enough!

Number 12

Cardigan: Target, Shirt: Loft, Jeans & Boots: Target

If this challenge has made me realize anything, it's that I love Target. I mean I really do. And why shouldn't I? They have cute stuff at reasonable prices and there's one within walking distance of my house, which is perfect for carless ol' me. I've had a couple of people ask me how I have such luck at Target; they never seem to find cute stuff there. I think mostly it just comes down to what you pair your Target finds with. For example, the cardigan and jeans I'm wearing today are cute, but they're pretty basic articles so they really needed to be paired with a shirt with a lot of character like this one from Loft. Also, a cardigan and jeans can look boyish without some sort of ruffles and lace (which is good sometimes, I love the tomboy look). A lot of it also depends on whether or not you wear the item as Target intended. The Tucker for Target dress that I wore yesterday came with a cloth belt, but I personally think that matching cloth belts can cheapen the look of an item. So sometimes it's best to switch out belts or other pieces or to wear a dress as a skirt (throw a sweater over it) or even as a shirt (tuck it into a skirt). Just use your imagination and save your money for a piece that'll pull together the Target basics into an amazing outfit.

Tell me what you love about Target. I'm always looking for more reasons to go. :)

Number 11

Dress: Tucker for Target, Belt: Marshall's, Shoes: Target

How's everyone doing with their challenge? In just a few days I will have worn every item out of the thirty at least once and then the real science begins. Science? Yes, I really do believe there is a science behind dressing and it's one of the original reasons I started this blog. Life is a multiple of factors (name plug) and figuring out what to wear to accomodate various situations can be a huge challenge. For example, when I wake up and it's raining I need to figure out how hard, whether or not it's warm rain or cold rain, what (if any) meetings I have to attend and what I want to pack for lunch ALL before I can even think of what to put on. More often, it's just a trial and error process: I think, "I want to wear my brown wedges," but then I realize that it's raining too hard to ride my scooter so walking to work is in order and my brown wedges are really heavy and I'm already bringing a can of soup and a grapefruit, so I opt for carrying along a lighter pair of shoes. I would say that in this way, my outfits usually start from the bottom. Once I have the shoes figured out I can figure out legwear/dresses.

What about everyone else? What item of clothing/accessory do you build your outfits around?