Love and marriage

shirt: target, skirt: loft, shoes: target

Right now my husband and I are watching the Oscars and waiting for a pizza.  Did you hear that?  I said husband!!  We got married on Friday at our neighborhood park with close friends and family and we'll be having a reception in April.  It was really a perfect ceremony.  My stepdad escorted me across the park to Mr. Pbr, who escorted me the rest of the way to where all of our friends were gathered and his dad was waiting to perform our ceremony.  The best part was that all of our friends and family members had cameras so it was like paparazzi attacking as we walked across the park.  That being said, there should be tons of pictures eventually.

We've had a blissful weekend- stayed at a fancy hotel on Friday after dinner and drinks with my best friends, spent the day watching movies and sleeping yesterday (and eating tons of cake and cookies) and then went on a long urban adventure today.  I've never been happier and I'm looking forward to a long life of happiness and fun with the sweetest cutest boy in the world. 

On the go

dress: nine west, cardigan: loft, shoes: target

My new mantra is "can't talk, gotta run."  Can't talk, gotta run.  Thanks for understanding!

One of those days

dress: nine west, shirt: target, shoes: nine west

There are very few words for a day like today.  Or maybe there are lots more, but I'm too tired to think of them.  Night night.

Also, I've just realized that I have no idea what day I'm on.  This challenge could be over for all i know, though I'm pretty sure it's not.  I'll just add "find out what day I'm on" to the impossibly long list of things to do tomorrow. 

Boys don't make passes

blazer: gap, dress: lands' end canvas, boots: target, glasses: zenni optical

I've had glasses since around age 9 and I absolutely hate wearing them. People can tell me they're cute over and over again, but I still see myself as a 50 year old when I have them on.  I tried contacts once, but I'm equally turned off by the idea of sticking something in my eye.  Yuck.  So I wear my glasses to watch t.v. or to drive (and when I was younger if a cute boy pulled up next to me I'd quickly take them off- surprisingly I never crashed doing so).  I buy my glasses at Zenni Optical because they're around 8 a pair (including my prescription!!) so I can buy lots of different colors and shapes in hopes of finding that one perfect pair that I love... not yet.  I've always found it fascinating that people who don't have to wear glasses want to.  I'll trade eyesight with you anytime, girls.  Just name the day.  

On another note, I'm going to the courthouse this Friday to get married and will be wearing a strapless dress.  I realized today that I'm as white as a sheet of paper so I went to the tanning bed.  The idea of the tanning bed really weirds me out, as do the leathery looking girls who work there.  And now I swear my skin smells like burnt meat and I think I might vomit.  Vomit, eyeballs and burnt skin?  This is my most pleasant blog post to date, I'm pretty sure.

Dressing up casual Friday

cardigan and jeans: target, shoes: nine west, necklace and belt: ann taylor

Okay, so you want to wear your comfie clothes to work on Friday?  Jeans and a cardigan can go to work with some heels, a necklace and a nice belt.  It took me a long time to learn this however.  After enough "wow, your dressed casual today"s, I learned to leave the Nikes at home and that they don't really mean "casual Friday."

I know that this is supposed to be the Winter version of 30 for 30, but I'm not sure the weather we're experiencing here in Atlanta this week can be referred to as winter.  It's up to 70 degrees and I'm contemplating how to remix a wool skirt.  Something's not right.  I guess I'll just have to sweat it out.

Remixing rewards

cardigan: old navy, shirt: ann taylor, skirt: loft, boots: target

Today's outfit is the perfect example of why I remix and why I love participating in the 30 for 30 challenge.  I would've never paired these items before now.  A preppy striped cardigan and a sparkly skirt somehow feels innately wrong, but the pieces just sort of fell together this morning and here I am breaking my own rules.  When you only have 30 pieces to choose from, you get creative and find great new combinations.  It really creates an argument for having a smaller wardrobe, no?  

On another note, I just ate about a thousand peanuts and I might explode.  Isn't that a nice image?

fourteen and frantic

 blazer: gap, shirt: target, skirt: lands' end canvas, shoes: nine west

Thank god for the iphone. And for fiances who meet you on your walk home from work to take pictures of your outfit.  Without them (iphones and fiances) some of us would arrive home from work too late to take outside outfit photos and as we all know, that is the most important thing in life: outfit photos.

I wish everyone else knew this- including the people coming to my wedding and the people I work with.  Then maybe they'd leave me alone about everything else.  :)

Pinky swear

shirt: ann taylor, skirt: loft, boots: urban outfitters, scarf: borrowed from mom

This was my Valentine's Day outfit and a second attempt for a "monochromatic monday."  Unfortunately, I don't have pink tights or pink shoes, but I promise to work on it after the 30 for 30 challenge is over.  

Did everyone have a nice V-Day?  Mr. Pbr and I went on a five mile hike and then stared at each other sleepily (we were so worn out) over  a nice dinner out.  It was a good day and the weather was perfect.  I guess I got a little sun, because in a few of the outfit pictures we took (the ones I did NOT include) my face is as pink as the rest of my outfit.  I should've posted them to complete the monochromatic look... oh well.  

I've got a busy week ahead of me, but I'll do my best to keep up with my 30 for 30 posts.  Wedding planning, book club meetings and a couple of huge work events have my head spinning! 

The 12th day of remix

shirt: ralph lauren, shorts: h&m, shoes: anne klein, tie: stepdad's closet

It should come as no surprise that when I was growing up I was extremely envious of kids who went to private school.  In 7th grade, I decided to start wearing a "uniform" to school.  I wore a plaid pleated skirt, oxfords and a button down shirt just enough times for the other kids to completely humiliate me.  In 8th grade when I went to high school, the "grunge" era was just beginning and I still had a lot of my prep sensibilities that invited even more ridicule from my peers.  But I have to point out, to all those kids that made fun of me who I'm sure are not among my readers, that my style of choice back then is still here and relevant and I still love it.  I hope you're not still wearing your Nirvana t-shirts and smoking pot in your parents' basement.  Or maybe I hope you are.  :)  That would be enough justice for me.

For Christmas, my grandma would let me pick toys or clothing, when I got older, out of the Sear's catalog (classy, right?) and the catalog had a whole section of private school clothes- plaid skirts, blazers, jumpers, cardigans.  That's where I headed first, envisioning my life as a rich kid at a prestigious school (even though those kids would have never shopped from the private school section of the Sear's catalog!).  I love that even though I've changed a lot over the past 15 or so years, I can still identify with some part of the young me and that the young me made choices and had tastes that are still with me now.  So here's to you, young me:  I think you're pretty cool, despite what you're classmates might be saying.

speed (the movie, not the drug)

cardigan: loft, shirt: target, skirt: forever 21, shoes: nine west, scarf: borrowed 

 While reviewing my full length photos I was struck by how much empty space is above my head.  I have my father, a photographer, to thank for this observation.  Until recently, I paid no mind to how much head space was in a photo- I only worried about making sure my head and feet were both included.  At my cousin's wedding in December, my father pointed out that it was best to include as little "above head" room in a photo as possible.  He coached me as I was taking pictures: "too much head room," "oh, now you've cut off the feet," and other such comments.  I felt like I could never get it right.  And maybe I can't.  It reminds me of when I was learning to drive (my dad being the one who taught me): if I was going over 55 he'd say "you're going to fast," but anything under 55 would get a "you're going to slow."  I had a nightmare that I was a human hood ornament during that time, that would be blown off the car if it was going anything other than an exact 55 miles an hour.  (Kind of reminds you of Speed the movie, right?)

All this to say, sometimes we can't be perfect and that's okay.  I get caught up in how perfectly (or not) an outfit works and I lose sight of my comfort or the outfits functionality.  Nobody's perfect, not even me (ha!), and it's probably good that all of us out here in blogland keep sight of that as we post our outfits for others to judge.  I'm hoping that this blog will not heighten my drive to be perfect, but instead help me come to terms with who I am, everyday, regardless of what I'm wearing.  Thanks for reading!  :)

Keeping it real

 

cardigan and jeans: target, shirt: loft, scarf: t.j.maxx (?), boots: target

I'll be honest, this cardigan was not in my original 30 items (gasp).  I have replaced a dress.  There was really no need for me to include 6 dresses in the mix, but there was a good reason for throwing another cardigan in there and that reason is called weather.  I didn't plan very well.  I have what I like to call "Heather's birthday syndrome" in which one forgets that it's still going to be cold in February.  I named this syndrome after my friend who optimistically plans outdoor events for her February 9th birthday.  

Also, my outfit isn't very inspiring today, but the light coming through my dining room window was, so I've tried to capture that for you guys.  I've provided an image below to show which dress will be put away.  (it's the one with the big red "x" through it, but wouldn't it be funny if it weren't?)

On another note:

Yesterday, Amy of the blog In My Closet tagged me in a post to receive 2 blogger awards

 

The requirement of these awards is for me to share 7 things about myself and then to tag 7 others to do the same.  So here goes:

1. I am getting married in 2 weeks from today (at a courthouse) and then having a family reception in April.

2. I have had type 1 diabetes since age 9 and take up to 5 shots a day.

3. I lived in a house with 3 very messy dudes in Newcastle, England for 10 months during college.  

4. I love moving.  The longest I've ever stayed in one place (even as a child) is about a year and a half- I've moved over 30 times in my 30 years.  

5. I detest mayonnaise.  More than anything in the world.

6. I can't pronounce the word mirror.  I spell it out instead (so i pronounce it m-i-r-r-o-r) or avoid saying it all together.  It can be a challenge.  In a store I have to sometimes ask a sales associate where I can see my reflection.

7.  I was a competitive swimmer for about 10 years of my life, but now I prefer running and biking.  About once a year though I crave long distance swimming. 

 And now I'd like to tag:

Melissa of Our Great Adventure
Laura of Laura Brock in the Burbs
Kimmie of Blue Paper Lanterns
Patty of Working it Out
Marie of Hand in Hand
Brittney of A Day in the Life Too
Danielle of Another Blog

I can't wait to learn more about these awesome girls!

(#)9 to 5 (and then some)

dress: land's end canvas, shoes: anne klein

Do you guys remember last week when I was raving about Land's End Canvas?  Well, this is the other dress I bought about a month or so ago (for $20!!!).  I've been loving wearing this all day long and then I got home and there was a hand addressed card in the mailbox for me and guess who it was from?  Land's End!  They were not offering me free clothing (which is what I was hoping for) but they did want to thank me for my recent purchases.  The thing was handwritten and personally addressed.  How amazing is that?  And it wasn't even a large purchase...  is that great customer service or what?  I love them.  Officially.  Okay, I'll stop cause it really does sound like I work there or like my grandpa owns it or something (i don't, he doesn't).

Today is one of those miserable days that I not only have to work 9-5, I have to go to my second job tonight.  I will be making fancy coffee drinks and pouring wine, so I'll leave my 30 pieces at home to spare them from the spillage.  Jeans and a t-shirt it is.  Does anyone else have a job that they prefer to slum it at?  (and by "slum it" I mean dress down, I'm sure there are some other perverse meanings of that term, but I being of such pure heart know nothing about them).

Oh and I've decided to give something away, because I think that is what we do here in blogland to help each other out.  I'm not sure what it will be though.  I'll keep you posted.

greight (that's green and eight!)

 dress: nine west, shirt: loft, boots: urban outfitters

I haven't really been keeping up with what # outfit I'm on, so I was pretty surprised to learn that this is already #8.  Almost a third of the way through and I had no idea!  

 

This dress actually tricked me into buying it.  While looking for wedding dresses a couple of months ago, I ran across this in a department store.  It was way out of my normal clothing budget and  not appropriate as a wedding dress (it was way under wedding dress budget though).  I tried it on for fun and fell in love.  I was a smart shopper and put it back with the thought "it will go on sale."  When I arrived home that night from wedding dress shopping (empty handed) I was determined to track this dress online and buy it the moment it was affordable.  But after searching and searching, I found it nowhere.  I used every combination of description terms imaginable hoping to find it online SOMEWHERE, but I failed.  For the next couple of weeks I had dreams about myself wearing this dress.  One night I'd be wearing it to business meetings, the next to a party on a yacht (this has never been a real life scenario, not sure why my dream life is so fancy).  I was heartbroken that I had missed the opportunity to buy this dress and was sure that the store would be out of my size if I found myself there again.  3 weeks later a day trip to a nearby park ended with Mr. PbR and I having a meal at a mall and there it was: my dream dress.  In my size.  I really had no choice- and no, it was not on sale.  I paid full price for this thing so I have to get full use of it.  And I had to promise to use it in my 30 for 30 (which was announced a few days after I made the purchase) even though there aren't too many ways to wear it.  I just couldn't let it sit for 30 days after spending such a horrific amount on it.  So, I'll be making my best efforts to remix.  Any tips will be appreciated.  Also feel free to leave tips on self-control as it's obvious I have none.

monochromatic "monday"

jacket: ross, dress and shoes: target, necklace: loehmans

Okay, so it's not actually Monday in the real world, but because my work week runs Tuesday through Saturday, Tuesdays are the equivalent.  I often find myself wanting to wear all 1 color on the first day of the week- maybe it's easier?  maybe it's my way of mentally preparing for a week of routine, sameness?  Well, whatever the case is, "monochromatic monday" certainly has a nice ring and perhaps I'll keep it around for a while.  Maybe I'll do pink next week for Valentine's Day.  You should come back and check it out as it will probably be your only chance to ever see me in all pink.  

My only regret is that I didn't include any gray shoes in my 30 for 30.  Next time.

Clothes for Crafting?

jacket: ross, shirt: loft, pants and scarf: old navy, boots: target

It's another off day, aka wedding planning day.  My one trip out of the house was to the craft store where I spent way more money than I should have.  The rest of my day was spent gluing together invitations and cutting paper hearts to attach to ribbon.  Fortunately, there's an America's Next Top Model marathon on to keep me entertained while crafting. 

So I didn't really include enough casual clothing in my 30 pieces.  Normally I'd be wearing a hoodie and jeans on a day off, but it didn't make sense to include that type of stuff as I can't wear it to work and it's certainly nothing you'd want to see pictures of.  How does everyone else handle this issue?  Do you take your weekends off from the challenge?  I'd love to hear your feedback!