Lucky’s 30 Day Challenge: Day 11. Date Night.

I've got places to go and one person to see!

This is day eleven of a series I’m doing that features a month of outfits. Read my intro here, find out about the Challenge here, and Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5 , Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, and Day 10.

Good day everyone!

I feel a tiny bit bad for not getting the OOTD post up last night, but not too bad because instead of blogging, the hubby and I got to go out on a date. Yes! I’d like to say that date night is a common occurrence around here, but since Calliope was born, we’ve only been able to go out a handful of times. Now that I think about it, we never really went out on dates before Calliope either because we thought we were so poor. Oops! We definitely missed out on an opportunity there huh?!  Now mostly it’s a rare occasion because finding good quality (and free) baby sitting is tough when the grandparents don’t live in the same city as you. Luckily, even in a grandparent-less town, we’ve been able to rely on the kindness of good friends. For those of you that have watched Calliope for us, thanks, you’re the best. Seriously. You are.

Anyway, on to the OOTD:

Cowgirl chic! Outfit Details: Top- Old Navy, Vest- Guess, Skirt- Thakoon for Target, Sandals- AE, Belt and earrings- Vintage.

On Calliope: Dress- Target, Diaper- Flip, Necklace- Tweet Baby Designs

Calliope checking out her new used car!

Bag- Lisa Stickley of London

The earrings are made from vintage Mahjong scoring chips, which is one of my favorite social games, sweet!

This is what I looked like during the day before our date. Lucky’s Day 11 involved a statement necklace, but I thought with the side ponytail and vintage rainbow belt, earrings would be a better jewelry choice. I’ve never worn a side pony (at least not since the 80s) and it was a fun change. Again, normally I wouldn’t have paired these sandals with such a long and full skirt, but I think they are cute. Andrew said the whole outfit looked very cowgirl to him (though he liked it), and actually I would agree with him. The vest, full skirt, and pony are kinda cowgirl, but what’s wrong with that?!

As fate would have it, we went to go see Cowboys Vs. Aliens, so the whole cowgirl-esque look could not have been more appropriate. I did want to make the look a smidgen more sexy so I swapped out the bag and shoes like so:

Switched out a few accessories and I'm now ready for my date- Yeehaw!

Bag- Lucky, Heels- Oh Deer!

I felt pretty, and we had a great time, though it is hard not to at a movie theatre that has Lazy Boy type seats, a bar with some decent wine selections, and excellent fries! The movie was fun too, though I’ll see Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig in almost anything.

When we got back to our friend’s house to pick up Opie, this is what we found:

Can't take the cute.

Clearly fun was had by all!

 Day 11 on a scale of 1-10: Ease of Wear-8. Personal Excitement: 8. Cowboys V. Aliens- 6.5. Having a night out- 11.

So what do y’all think? Do you like the vest and skirt combo? What is your opinion about grown women in side ponies? Which shoes did you prefer?

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Lucky’s 30 Day Challenge: Day 10. In the Trenches.

All dressed up, someone take us to lunch!

This is day ten of a series I’m doing that features a month of outfits. Read my intro here, find out about the Challenge here, and Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5 , Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, and Day 9.

Greetings! I appreciated all the feedback from yesterday’s post. Not that I want to make outfits that aren’t working for me a regular part of this challenge, but it was kind of fun to hear how you all would make it work better. I like your can-do spirit! Maybe I’ll do a mini-post where I try the ensemble again but with some of your suggestions. Would that be something you would want to read, or is that stupid? Let me know!

Today feels like ‘yang’ to yesterday’s ‘ying’. I’m in a mini love affair with my outfit today, but my personal life was a bit of a bomb. Calliope did something to my laptop which completely deleted all of my preferences and customizations. All my bookmarks, stickies, even my desktop picture is gone! It’s really all my fault, because I have let Calliope play with my Macbook in the past. Thanks to her lifetime experience with our IPhones, she now knows how to press the power button…and clearly she did something while it was starting up.

I hate to say it, but my response to the whole situation was less than stellar. I think I just needed some ‘me’ time to process my frustration, but Andrew was out, and so I had to try to suck it up, ‘try’ being the operative word. I tell ya, being a mom is hardcore! Hopefully Calliope will keep her fun and good nature even though as our firstborn she is getting newbie parenting complete with newbie mistakes. Some days I don’t feel like I pass muster, but I’m working on it.

Luckily, this OOTD passes muster (at least for me anyway)! Let’s take a look-see shall we?!

The Deets: Trench Coat worn as dress-AE. Belt- XXI. Scarf- Target. Peeptoe Oxford Heels- Vince Camuto. Bag- Hayden Harnett for Target.

Losing the scarf. Its hot y'all!

Its about time Opes had her own photo (and her manatee, 'TeeTee' ). On Calliope: Dress- Gymboree. Necklace- Tweet Baby Designs.

Mahjong decided she wanted to model today too!

Oh my goodness, I love Day 10′s look!

I recently bought the trench coat at Plato’s Closet because I felt like it was a wardrobe item that my closet lacked, and I don’t know how I lasted 30 years without one. So classic, but so fun. I really appreciate the idea of cinching it with a waist belt and wearing it as a dress, since it is Florida and the days of perfect trench coat weather are few and far between. Not every trench will work, apparently Nico’s trench has a slit that made today’s outfit more than a little scandalous for her (Oh my! Stay tuned for her weekly challenge post sometime after Day 14), but I lucked out and mine has a button and placket that keeps things tasteful (Even so, for the record I’m wearing my trusty swap shorts underneath- no wardrobe malfunctions here! ).

Back it on up

As you can see from the pics, I decided against the scarf for my own ‘health safety’, but in cooler temps I would definitely welcome the sophisticated addition (and by now you all know how much I lean towards orange for a color accent). Also, Lucky’s model didn’t have any earrings on, but I think they are a glamorous touch to the ponytail, goofy photo below notwithstanding ;D

Earrings and Sunnies- XXI (A.K.A. accessories Valhalla!)

I don’t think it came up during Day 4 but the shoes were the happy result of what felt like an exhaustive search for the perfect incarnation of the oxford trend (at least for me). I wanted a heel, I wanted it to be neutral, lace up, and peep toe, and I didn’t want to spend more than 60 bucks. When these babies came up on Gilt heavily discounted and during a free shipping promo I pounced on them. No buyers remorse here, and they are actually quite comfortable.

Cute shoes and cute toddler - Yes!

All things considered, I feel like a jet setting spy! All I need is my passport and my Angel pose!

Day 10 on a scale of 1-10: Ease of Wear-8 (with the proper back button of course). Personal Excitement: 9. Outfit’s use of closet ‘must haves’- 10.

And what do my fellow other Angels think? Is the trench coat one of those items that ideally every closet should have? Are you into the Oxford shoe trend? Do you think I’m in an orange rut? And do any of you have some valuable parenting advice to offer an occasionally frazzled mommy besides keeping my wine rack well stocked?

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Lucky’s 30 Day Challenge. Day 9. Sigh! Uninspired.

Not feelin it.

This is day nine of a series I’m doing that features a month of outfits. Read my intro here, find out about the Challenge here, and Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5 , Day 6, Day 7, and Day 8.

Good evening everyone! And how are we?

So far my day has been pretty good. You know, I got some stuff done around the house, worked out a bit, got to hang out with my bestie, Nico (and eat fro-yo), and spent some time playing with Andrew and Calliope… Not a bad gig! The only thing that I felt wasn’t successful about today was my outfit. But no big deal, who cares about what I’m wearing right?………….

So <ahem> here is the OOTD:

Details: Top- Old Navy, Jeans and Blazer- Gap, Booties- Target, Bracelet-XXI, Hat- Eugenia Kim for Target. On Opie: Top- Vintage, Diaper- Flip

Diaper clutch (Yes, awesome I know!)- Petunia Pickle Bottom

Color Coordinated

Perhaps my outfit looks better upsidedown ;D

You’ll notice that today I didn’t post a ton of photos, and that half of them featured me monkeying around with the always adorable Calliope. No, it’s not an HTML glitch! The short story is that there weren’t a ton of ‘blog worthy’ photos. Part of the problem was that there was only 5 minutes of Sun today, but mostly I didn’t have very many pics where I didn’t have a fake or semi-pained look on my face. Really I don’t know what happened, perhaps the heat has finally got to me! On paper, I thought I would love Lucky’s Day 9:

1. The blazer is an old staple of mine, I love the heck out of it, and I don’t know if you know this, but jackets are kind of my thing.

2. The shirt is a lovely print and a super fun shade of yellow.

3. Although a bit of a style stretch pour moi, I was excited to try the “boyfriend jean” trend.

But when I put on the outfit this morning I just felt- ‘meh’ about it. To be clear, I didn’t think it was a bad outfit, I just felt uninspired by it (or maybe in it?). I dunno, it just really didn’t “do” anything personally for me.

Not to feel defeated, I tried to jazz it up: Despite the heat, I added a white undershirt to make the silhouette more flattering. I curled my hair. I put on a cute hat as a sort of play on the masculinity of the look. At one point, I even put on the daring red lip stain. But nothing, I repeat, nothing seemed to make me feel more excited about it. For me, this outfit just falls flat. Bleh.

To be honest I’m kind of bummed about it. Maybe I’m a silly woman, but I like to feel good in what I wear. Ideally, I want my clothes to be an attractive reflection of my inner beauty. I want to feel special, or at least feel like my butt looks good! I can’t really put my finger on it (which is especially disconcerting since these are all my clothes!) but today was a small fashion failure because this getup didn’t accomplish any of the things that I like my clothes to do.

Oh well, such is life!

As you can see, I didn’t let it get in the way of the enjoyment of my day. Lucky wouldn’t have called it a challenge if it was all easy, right? So I’m moving on. But here’s something that is odd; Nico felt the exact same way about Day 9 and her outfit today. Now what does that mean?!

Day 9 on a scale of 1-10: Ease of Wear: 3. Personal Excitement Factor: 3 (1 point each for the accessories). Disappointment:8.

So dearest readers, am I crazy? What do you think about today’s combo? Should I be rethinking some of these items as wardrobe ‘staples’? Do you think my accessorizing helped or hindered?

Looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings

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Lucky’s 30 day Challenge: Day 8. Grey Day.

Looks like rain

This is day eight of a series I’m doing that features a month of outfits. Read my intro here, find out about the Challenge here, and Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5 , Day 6, and Day 7.

Good afternoon fair readers, I hope you all have been having a great day!

Well…I knew it was bound to happen eventually, and it did. I think because I was having such good luck I became complacent, and so it snuck up on me when I was least expecting it. Though I suppose it is possible that it was the introduction of the jacket.

Grey jacket= Grey skies, That sounds logical right? Yes. I definitely think it is my jacket’s fault.

Regardless, may I introduce to you ‘Grey Jacket’ accompanied by ‘Grey Skies’, with special guest, ‘Crappy Auto Flash’ in today’s production of  the OOTD:

Outfit Details: Dress- Tucker for Target, Jacket- XXI, Cardigan- Old Navy, Shoes- Target, Necklace- Erickson Beamon for Target, Bag- Fake Chanel, Gifted from a Dexter's Reg.

This pic is too cute to let a little thing like a weird flash halo keep it from getting published! On Opes: Dress- Baby Gap, Diaper- Sunbaby and gifted from Labri and Bauer, Necklace- Tweetbaby designs

Ok, I guess they aren’t that bad. Calliope certainly is cute, and the orange does look quite vivid on the dull background, but I must selfishly say that the lighting is doing nothing for my make-up, hair, or skin tone. Oh well, C’est La Vie!

As for the outfit, you can see our favorite LOD (little orange dress) has made another appearance, though it is hiding under many layers. Oh those layers. Really Lucky?! I guess it is a good thing it was cloudy today because if it was sunny, those layers would’ve been unbearable. And no I didn’t cheat, I wore them <most> of the day, and I was fairly comfortable too because a good chunk of that was spent in Target, and they have excellent A.C. ;D

To be honest when I first saw what today entailed I was a little concerned that I wouldn’t like it, but actually on an aesthetic level I rather like what is going on. Lucky’s Day 8 features a boxy utilitarian khaki jacket, which is not something I own or would be naturally drawn to, and so I improvised. I took my trusty grey safari jacket (seriously, I’m pretty sure the whole world has seen me wear it at least once, I wear it all the time) and made it boxy-ish by tying its belt in the back.

I guess creative belting is my thing

Pretty inventive huh?! The result is a little bit more feminine than what Lucky did, and I like it better. I also think the 3/4 sleeves and scrunched cardigan gives it a touch of 80′s Miami-Vice-awesomeness. I mean really, who couldn’t use some of that- Not this gal!

Actually, I think my Miami metaphor works pretty well to explain the accessories too: We have a crazy 50′s-kitsch Carmen Miranda inspired necklace, and we have a wonderfully in-your-face fake Chanel bag. Both I think would be comfortable hanging out at South Beach. I guess I should mention that I couldn’t stand to wear my platforms 3 days in a row and so I cheated and substituted for the booties again even though they are getting worn tomorrow (is cheating more popular down there or am I stretching my metaphor too far?)

No animals were harmed in the making of this fake Chanel

Check out the charms on this baby

Perhaps the accessories are a little over the top, but I like them. I think they add a fun factor to offset the boring black cardigan. And actually the bag was a gift from a regular at Dexter’s, and it worked fantastic as a laptop bag when I was going to UCF. Me and my fakey fit right in with the 18-21 year old set. So Kim if you are reading this, thanks for the bag! I’ve had a lot of fun using it. Maybe one day I’ll buy the real thing, though as a pescatarian I don’t know how I get around the morality factor. And lets face it, Andrew and I have one child with plans for more, we’ll NEVER have any luxury money ever. ha! But a girl can dream can’t she?

Day 8 on a scale of 1-10: Ease of Wear: 6. Personal Excitement Factor: 6. Miami Vice-ness: 8.

How about you arm-chair quarterbacks? Was I crazy to actually wear the layers? Do you like the attention getting accessories? Which LOD look do you prefer, today or Day 4?

I look forward to getting your feedback!

Someone is playing with my camera cable, time to stop taking pictures!

P.S. Nico has posted about her first week on the challenge. Go check it out!

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Lucky’s 30 Day Challenge: Day 7. One Week Down!

A toast is in order!

This is day seven of a series I’m doing that features a month of outfits. Read my intro here, find out about the Challenge here, and Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5 ,and Day 6.

Today is Day 7, which means one week down, three to go, and so far so good. Thank-you so much for reading, I raise my cup of DD coffee to you. Huzzah!

As you can see we are back to homebase and to my beloved deck (which BTW my Dad, Brother Ted, and Andrew made, impressive, no?!)  It feels good to be home and back into my own bed, though ironically the bed we slept in at my parent’s house WAS my own bed back in the day, a.k.a the infamous wrought iron one that gave me the butterfly shaped scar over my right eye on my forehead when I ran into it when I was about 6 (which may be another reason why I’m so glad to be back to my current one!).

After all the excitement over the past few days, I’ve been trying to keep things low-key around here, but I feel like I’m failing miserably. It doesn’t help that my MacBook is driving me crazy today. Just because it’s old doesn’t give it the right to have its charger crap out on me! So. frustrating.

Luckily, Andrew took pity on me and came home to share his perfect and newer charger with me. He’s a good egg, I tell ya! So since my computer is back in commission, on to the OOTD pics:

Details: Dress and Sunnies- XXI, Vest- Guess, Scarf- Vintage and inherited from my Great Grandmother, Shoes- Target, Owl Pin- Vintage, Bag- Lucky, from my Mom and I'm supposed to sell it, but haven't got around to it yet ;D

A Dress with pockets yet again- score!

Me and My lil' heartbreaker. On Calliope: Dress- Old Navy, Amber Necklace- Tweet Baby Designs.

'Earth Day Everyday' Diaper- Fuzzibunz OS

Pretty cute huh?! I really like this outfit today, and almost wish I had somewhere to go to other than the laundry room. In Lucky’s outfit today the scarf was tied around in the back, but it didn’t work with my vest so I tied it around the front instead. I think it looks much cuter this way, if I do say so myself.

I tied a bow around myself because I'm good enough, smart enough, and darn it, people like me!

I bought this dress at Forever XXI a few months back, and I think it is awesome. It is a fun length, really taps into the Ethnic/tribal trend that is so in right now, AND has pockets, all for $12 bones- what a bargain! My only complaint is that it is a little loose in the front and is therefore showing more than church appropriate cleavage. Funny, I don’t remember it being quite this way, and I’m wondering if Calliope cutting back on feedings has had anything to do with how this is fitting now (Mommies in the know, any thoughts?). Not a big deal for me, but maybe for some.

The BOTD, 'Lucky' me!

I also have to comment on the bag. It is Lucky, oh my my!

It was my Mom’s, she bought it, and then decided that turquoise suede wasn’t for her (She can correct me if I’m wrong, but I do believe she bought another one in turquoise leather later, ha!), and just recently gave it to me to sell on Ebay. Normally, suede and turquoise aren’t my thing either, but I have to say I’m kind of enjoying it. It has the perfect amount of L.A./casual beach chic to satiate me, and I don’t have anything like it. I might eventually get around to selling it…might.

Another thing: although they look super cute here, I am already starting to get espadrille fatigue, which means it is gonna be a long 30 days for a shoe lover like me. What can I say, sometimes life is real tough! ;D

Day 7 on a scale of 1-10: Ease of Wear: 9. Personal Excitement Factor: 9.3/4.

Any feedback for today? Do you like the scarf tied in the front too? Are you enjoying the Tribal print trend that is of the moment right now? And most importantly should I sell or keep the Lucky bag?

Inquiring minds want to know!

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Lucky’s 30 Day Challenge: Day 6. Off Location

I

This is day six of a series I’m doing that features a month of outfits. Read my intro here, find out about the Challenge here, and Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5.

Hello From Melbourne (that’s FL, not AU just in case you wondered, Internet)!

I am here for the day to try to help keep my my Mom sane while she tries to help keep her Dad sane, and I brought Andrew and Calliope to help keep me sane, and well..the circle of (in)sanity continues. These are interesting times! I have noticed that there have been a lot of sensitive feelings around, me included, which has led to some tense moments where normally nothing would be going on. I guess everything is still raw. But, I do think we are all well on our way to our happy place in a world without Gramgree. I am thankful to have such a tight knit family, and even in these sad circumstances it is wonderful to spend time with them. Nuff said.

So doing this challenge ‘on the road’ was both easy and a P.I.T.A.

Packing= easy. Instead of packing too much or not knowing what to bring for our overnight trip, it took me all of five minutes. I Love that! It was quite freeing b/c I’m a chronic over-packer.

Taking pictures however, without my normal place and ‘system’ (basically self timer and a stool on top of my cafe table that serves as a tripod. SO professional, I know!) was a bit of a pain. Seriously, you should see the outakes! My cute rambunctious niece who loves to get her photo taken also didn’t help me much, hehe. But we made do, and so without further a-do, the OOTD:

The Deets: Love Bird Top and necklace:-XXI, Madras Skirt- URBN, Espadrilles-Target. Photos courtesy of Frankie, Thx sis!

On Opie: Top- Baby Gap, Diaper- Bumgenius, Necklace- TweetBaby Designs.

On Zoey: Dress- Calypso for Target, Shoes- also Target. Note: This photo was taken by me and my Canon which is why the composition is sucky

Today I was true to Lucky’s Day 6 ‘vision’ and made no mods, except that it was too hot for me to wear the cardigan, tied like a country club member or not. Sorry Lucky! Also, I forgot to take a bag photo. Rest assured, I had about 3 with me at most times.

This outfit was cute. I can’t say it was exactly a revelation or anything, but it got the job done. I do love this madras skirt, as did my sister…So much so that she lamented multiple times of not owning one like it, which I guess that is the best that a skirt can hope for in the way of compliments!

I think my favorite component of this outfit is the necklace. I love the chanel-esque bang it offers for not-as-much buck. And paired with the madras it feels very classy. A broad like me likes that!

Day 6 on a scale of 1-10. Ease of Wear: 8. Personal Excitement Factor: 6. Madras and Necklace: 9. Photo hassle: 10.

So what is the consensus: Do you consider madras and pearls a classic do, or a classic dud? And how about the locale change: was it refreshing, or do you miss my deck?

See you all later!

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Lucky’s 30 Day Challenge: Day 5. Keeping my balance

Only on day 5 and already I am desperately seeking new poses!

This is day five of a series I’m doing that features a month of outfits. Read my intro here, find out about the Challenge here, and Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4.

Hello friends. Since I’m fairly certain there isn’t a ton of you reading who do not at least know of me in the real world, let me start by getting something out of the way. Overnight my grandmother “Gramgree” died. She had advanced Leukemia and was choosing not to fight it as the prognosis was not good and also because she had been down that path before and so instead she died comfortably and peacefully in her own home with her husband of 60 years (my Papa), and her daughter (my most beautiful and gracious mother) by her side. Although we all knew it was coming soon, I did not think we were prepared for it to be this soon. I’m a little in denial, and a lot sad, but taking solace in that I got a chance to say goodbye and kiss her one last time yesterday, as well as being grateful that she died as close to the way she wanted to as possible.

Calliope and Gramgree when Opie was about 2 weeks old

I know she lived a good long life, and I am blessed to have a wonderful husband and daughter who are taking good care of me right now (I even got the ultimate in comfort food today: a Publix sub), and of course she will always be alive and well in my memories.

She was a gifted photographer and a huge lover of technology and the internet. She also was definitely not a fan of being sad or alone, and I’m thinking that keeping up with my blogging is a beautiful way of remembering her. So Gramgree, I love you always, and this one is for you:

The Deets: Dress- Anthropologie, Puff sleeve top, Belt, and Sunnies- XXI, Heels- Oh Deer!

Purse- Orla Kiely, one of my favorites

Earrings- XXI. On Calliope: Dress and Sunnies- Baby Gap. Amber Necklace- Tweet Baby Designs. Diaper- Bumgenius

With the day 5 outfit, Lucky and I had another tiny disagreement on shoes. They wanted the black booties, but I felt that since my outfit palette is so well… brown, I needed the orange heels for a color pop. Besides, they are the only pair that hasn’t had a chance to be worn yet, and to be frank, I could use the fun factor that they offer today.

As far as the rest of the outfit goes, I’d say it’s a solid look. I love the classic cut and print of the dress and it is comfortable, which is always a plus for me. Also hello, it has pockets! Perhaps the puff sleeves are a touch too princess-ey when paired with the dress for my usual taste, but I think the feather earrings and straight no-fuss hair help counteract that, and of course the heels are just awesome. Originally, I bought the shoes for an event, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised how versatile they are and I wear them a lot. Patent leather orange and gold faux crocodile four inch heels= wardrobe staple? who knew! Even though I don’t plan on going out today, I love my Orla purse too.

Day 5 on a scale of 1-10. Ease of Wear: 7. Personal Excitement Factor: 5. Orange Heels: 10.

And just because a picture of Opie is always a good thing, here is one more:

What do you think: Are orange heels the new black? How do you feel about wearing brown in the summertime?

Please go kiss your loved ones, and I’ll see you all tomorrow.

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Lucky’s 30 Day Challenge: Day 4. Today was supposed to be easy…

Mom, you don't get your purse back until you put on some pants!

This is day four of a series I’m doing that features a month of outfits. Read my intro here, find out about the Challenge here, and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3.

Good evening everyone. First off let me apologize for the late post, but I had to rush off suddenly to Melbourne for the day and spend some time with my family. Isn’t the saying that life is what happens while we are busy making other plans? In this instance I wish it wasn’t happening, but it is what it is, and sometimes you have to drop everything, go with your gut, and do what matters most/tell your loved ones how much they mean to you and maybe even cry and hug and drink a pitcher of Sangria together…but we can save that for another post because this is supposed to be light and fun, and right now I could use light and fun! So on to day 4 and the OOTD!

When I looked at the Lucky’s Day 4 I thought to myself: easiest day ever. I mean it is just a dress, with a belt, shoes, and a bracelet. Piece of cake right?!…. And then I put on the dress, and wondered what I got myself into. Lets take a looksie shall we?!

Please take note of the cute baby in the background brushing her teeth.

Outfit Details: Dress- Tucker for Target, Shoes- Vince Camuto, Belt- Vintage, Bracelet and Sunnies- XXI. Dress on Opie: Zara Baby

I don’t know if it is clear in the photos, but this. dress. is. really. short.

I mean short enough that I don’t think you can sit down or bend over without getting yourself into a bit of trouble. It is particularly obvious when looking at it from the back where all my Mediterranean DNA is (Sorry NO photos of that ;D) and proper undergarments and a thorough leg shaving are a must. Not exactly mommy friendly, though maybe friendly for ladies who want to be moms, har har!

I <might> have worn a dress this length when I was 18 and oblivious (I mean I wore backless tops. really, what was I thinking?!) but things are different now. I am 30, I am married, semi-respectable, and I have a kid…specifically a daughter for whom I am setting an example. You might be thinking in your head, “But Angelyn, aren’t these YOUR clothes. If you think this dress is too short, why do you own it?” Ah, that’s a good point, but I have answers:

1. I am fairly certain I have only worn this dress as a tunic.

2. If I ever did wear it just as a dress I am almost positive I would have worn it with flats which in my mind makes a short dress infinitely more wearable.

So these were some of the thoughts running in my head as I got dressed this morning. But then I had another thought: this is supposed to be a challenge AND fun, so I should just go for it! My resolve lasted until I got into my car and saw how much of my thigh was exposed while sitting and promptly ran (carefully, ha!) back into the house and put on the shorts from yesterday underneath the dress. Did I chicken out? Yes! But Lil C and I had lunch plans with some lovely ladies in Winter Park, not to mention later out of town plans where I would be seeing my Dad, brother, grandfather, and uncle- so today I can live with being a chicken!

I will concede that this is a hot dress (which BTW I am wearing backwards so that I could feed Opie in it- neato huh?!), and I would definitely wear it on an evening out with Andrew, especially since he complimented me on it today, I just don’t think it is practical to wear on a day following Calliope around or for a job interview or anywhere that has stairs for that matter. ;D

Day 4 on a scale of 1-10. Ease of Wear: alone: 3, with shorts: 9. Personal Excitement Factor: 8.

So another one bites the dust! I’m curious to know what all you dear readers think about today. Is this dress a ‘Do’ or a ‘Don’t’ ? Do you think age/status is a factor ? Would it be better suited to a flat shoe? Or do you think I’m being silly and should just enjoy this lil number while I still can!

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Lucky’s 30 Day Challenge: Day #3. Cast a Spell

I'm a day owl

This is day three of a series I’m doing that features a month of outfits. Read my intro here, find out about the Challenge here, and Day 1, and Day 2.

Why hello! Do I look jovial and well rested? That is because I am! My darling little Opes decided to surprise me with a 7 hour stretch of sleep from 12-7, and I didn’t even have to nurse her the whole time (mommy joke, sorry!) And as another switch, she was actually in her bedroom, so there was no little baby feet kicking my side when I woke up this morning..though actually, I kind of missed the little feet. I know it, I’m sick! Ha!

Anyway, today is day 3, and marks the first day I have cheated on Lucky and made a substitution. According to Lucky I am supposed to wear my espadrilles, and not that you know this, but for some reason over the course of the 30 days the espadrilles get proportionally more Lucky shoe lovin than the other 4 pairs. I am not a supporter of shoe discrimination, so even though they looked completely fine with today’s outfit, I made a command decision and put on my oh-so-trendy booties instead. I know, such a rebel, I’m sooo naughty!

Speaking of naughty, today’s outfit struck me as very ‘sassy librarian’ until I realized that my unconscious styling choice of the owl pin coupled with the vest and scarf made it more like ‘naughty Harry Potter’. Actually, as a lover of the HP books and most of the movies (ask my sister, I cried buckets last week when watching the new and sadly final one), I think it takes the outfit up a notch. Not too shabby for a muggle like me! I think I might even wear my glasses today.

Alright, ACCIO OOTD PICS:

Outfit Details: Puff Sleeved Top- XXI, Vest- Guess, Shorts- Mossimo and acquired at Nico's swap, Shoes- Target, Owl Pin- Vintage, Scarf- Vintage and inherited by my Great Grandmother

Don't be a hatah, white legs are in!

the BOTD: Hayden Harnett for Target

My impressions: Although it is a little hot to be wearing a scarf, chiffon or not, I can dig the combo, and I think the scarf helps keep the outfit from looking too juvenile. I don’t know if I would have considered combining puff sleeves with a vest, but I think it looks pretty good. Even though I wouldn’t normally mix brown and black (and Lucky probably wouldn’t either, but again, we worked with what I had in my closet to match the staple items) I think it looks fresh.

Day 3 on a scale 1-10: Ease of wear: 6, Personal Excitement Factor: 7 Harry Potterness: 7

So what are your thoughts on today? Is this a look I should try to replicate in my non-challenge life? Do you like the Librarian/HP vibe? And for future reference should I take photos when Calliope is awake so she can be in them?

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Lucky’s 30 Day Challenge: Day #2. Red lips? It’s a hair flip

I got this all under control

This is day two of a series I’m doing that features a month of outfits. Read my intro here, find out about the Challenge here, and Day 1 here!

Good afternoon fair readers and welcome to Day 2!

I got a lot of good feedback from yesterday’s post, which was fun. My parents were shocked that I even had a blog, and my darling ‘twin’ brother was impressed with my blog’s mad design aesthetic (Sadly, I had to inform him that it was a template, and a free one at that, but I did make my header, so there!). Anyway, you can’t threaten me with a good time, so hopefully I can keep up with this, and thanks for showing up.

But enough chit chat, on to today’s OOTD reveal!

Leaning 'Casually'

Calliope automatically makes me look exponentially more chic

The Deets: Striped Top- Express and acquired at Nico's swap, Leather Pencil Skirt- Vintage, Fringed Sandals- AE, Necklace- Target, Bag- Petunia Pickle Bottom

As much as I loved yesterday’s outfit because it was so “me”, I love this one for exactly the opposite reason- I would never have assembled this outfit on my own! In fact, this outfit breaks more than a few of my own preconceived notions and style rules for what works on my body as I shall now explain:

1. Those that know me know I love a good tall shoe, in fact it is a rare day to see me in flats of any kind. I am not a tall lass (5’4″ on a good day) and I think my ensembles generally benefit from some extra height.

2. IMO, my legs are too short to wear a pencil skirt without aforementioned heels.

3. If I dare to wear horizontal stripes, the silhouette better be fitted.

Rules are broken all over the place here, but you know what? I think it might be working for me. I feel ‘Mommy Chic’ in this, sophisticated but comfortable; This outfit says to me, “This woman is not trying too hard, but darn it if she doesn’t look good chasing around a toddler!”- I like that, and I could get used to that. Chasing a child in heels is hard, let me tell ya!

Also, I should mention that Nico and I are also attempting to emulate the Lucky model’s hairstyle (and bag where applicable) for each day. Day 2′s hair was a pony tail, which suits my dirty Mom hair perfectly today. The bag was a large brown hobo, but I opted instead for my trusty PPB Sashay Satchel. What a fantastic diaper bag! If my budget was willing, I’d have a small army of Petunia diaper bags in every color palette. But I digress…

Now lets talk about the lipstick. Maybe it is because it reminds me of my ballerina days, but red matte lips has got to be one of my favorite trends going on right now. So much so, that the last time I made an order at e.l.f. I eagerly swiped up a tube among other cheap make-up goodies. However, I secretly suspect that I’m in a Ted Mosby ‘red cowboy boots‘ kind of situation, a suspicion which Andrew may or may not have confirmed when I tried to slyly put some on while hanging out at home a few months back, whoops! Alas, like Mosby, I can’t help myself, so this is me “Pulling it off”. In my defense, I think that this is the perfect kind of outfit to inject a bold lip into.

Busted trying to take photos without her! On Opie: Dress-Target

Day 2 on a scale of 1-10. Ease of wear: 8. Personal excitement factor: 7 Red Lipstick: ?

What does the Hoi Polloi think: Can I get away with the red lips? And do you think the flats and pencil skirt work on me?

Go ahead, don’t be shy! I can take it ;D

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