MATCH POINT

I think it's safe to start regularly shaving our legs now, isn't it ladies? I mean, as I type this, it is 84° and sunny -- I couldn't feel better.

And I'm on a roll. Yesterday was a pretty good day too, for many reasons, but mostly because it was free ice cream day at Haagen Dazs! And also because, despite a nine-hour back-breaking shift at work, I felt lovely! 

Someone tell my why these shoes are not advertised as the best god-damn shoes ever ever ever!? Okay, so these are clearly made in the likeness of Keds classics, but only cost me $6 (and to low cost manufacturing I am eternally grateful). I could buy a pair of these for every day of the week and not feel the emptiness of my wallet. 

It is in my nature to be opposed to tennis shoes, probably because it is in my nature to avoid anything slightly athletic (don't make me sweat, please). But I'd seen these styled in a very clean and classic (dare I say, preppy?) way that I'd wanted to try. 

With equal parts comfort and classic cool, it turns out that I love it. I didn't feel like a hobo, which is how I normally feel in tennis shoes. I just felt very airy, how a great Spring day should make you feel. And given the opportunity to go all the way and pair it with a swing skirt and, duh, classic stripes, well, I might as well've been playing tennis. Wait, this is what people wear to play tennis right? 

 F21 Shirt, Rings|  LuLu's  Skirt|Fiore Boutique Arrow Cuff| Anthropologie Linkbloom Bracelet| Wal-Mart Shoes | Goodwill Necklace, Purse

 

NEW POST ON "FACES"

GLOW AHEAD: SPRING SKIN |TAKE A PEEK!

Skin! It's our body's largest organ! And, we want it to glow, don't we? Without getting knocked up, I've managed to find a good glow fitting of warmer weather. If you're still working on yours, this may help.

NEW POST ON "DIARY"

NO RISE, NO GRIND|TAKE A PEEK!

Do things that make you feel like you, just for you. Selfish, silly, random, even unproductive things (selfies included). It's okay and it's as important to your life as those 8 hours of work you're putting in somewhere.

EASY & ILL-PREPARED

My old-fashioned Caribbean mother tried to instill the value of looking like something when you may have nothing (we were in between nothing and something) in me at an early age. 

"People don't see how much money you have, they just see you, so look presentable," she would tell a clueless 10 year-old me. Under her watchful eyes, my uniform was always pressed and my shoes were always agleam. 

And then I grew up and out and away. And now I have a very lovely couch in my room that is mostly used as a second closet. Now, preparing outfits in advance is a luxury. I have to have the time (or an increased care level that day) for it to happen, and it doesn't often happen.

This means I'm usually found 20 minutes before an occasion scrambling pieces off of my couch, ripping tags off of unworn potentials and swearing at myself. And what you see here is the outcome. 

I had a wonderful Sunday off and was summoned by my male companion. I had four hours to get ready, 7/8ths of which went to watching Canadian teen dramas on Netflix (Instant Star, anyone? You, in the back?). 

The last 1/8 went to sliding into this. A glorified t-shirt, pretending to be a dress, featuring "I'm-really-cool-can't-you-tell" cut outs, a second skin cardigan and flats --- easy like a (lazy and ill-prepared for) Sunday morning. 

 F21 Dress, Cardigan, Locket|  Wanted  Coral Lario Flats|Fiore Boutique Watch, Arrow Cuff, Earrings| eBay Purse| Belk Vince Camuto Bracelet 

*please note that these were taken with my iPhone. How's that for ill-prepared? I'm acing life. 

NEW POST ON "FACES"

 MATTENIFICENT BIKINI|TAKE A PEEK!

MONOCHROMAYBE

A wise man once said, "if you're thinkin' of being my baby, it doesn't matter if you're black or white," but what happens when you're thinking of an outfit? What if you want that outfit to be BOTH black AND white? 

And then, what if you're like me and you can't just take black and white alone? What if you want to throw some burgundy/oxblood/wine (or whatever they're calling that color) up in there? These are legitimate concerns regarding this issue.

This black and white monochromatic-ness has evaded me for the longest, mostly because when I was going through my teenage all-black-everything phase I was asked, quite often, if I only wore black because I thought it made me look skinnier. 

That old adage had nothing to do with it, though. Black made me feel grown-up and gave me an attitude boost. But I stopped wearing it because of society's rules! And, also because, you know, I really do like being a walking rainbow. 

I wore a variation of this outfit in the past week and I felt like Angelina Jolie circa Billy Bob Thornton (let us never forget the tattoo) all day long. Lucky for me, monochrome is a Spring "thing" this year, so my desire to wear black is making a timely comeback.  

*Sidenote: I am questioning my internal style clock for its desire to wear black in the middle of one of the sunniest seasons. Why internal style clock? Why?! 

F21 Sweater, Button-Up, Necklace|  PacSun  Leggings (shamelessly worn as pants)|Charlotte Russe Boots| eBay Purse| Belk Vince Camuto Bracelet | M.A.C. Lipstick, Rebel

 Let's be clear about this purse. I appreciate the aesthetic of the Celine Boston tote,but as it stands, I cannot afford one. That said, I don't find it necessary to punish myself by not having a cute purse, dammit. I found a respectable look-a-like. It looks close enough to Celine's to please me, but still is not an exact duplicate, thus, not making it a cheap knock-off. And there we have it. See my "judge me if you dare" face below. 

NEW ON "FACES"

GILDED MINT GOODNESS |TAKE A PEEK!