Work's been keeping me pretty busy this week, but now I have a three day weekend to look forward to. Here's a "casual Friday" outfit to kick that off. Have a good weekend, everyone!
I've been taking self photos with a tripod for awhile now and I still get somewhat embarrassed. I usually try to pick secluded areas because the occasional passerby do not bother me. My eyes give me away, but no one would be able to see them behind my sunglasses. In an open environment like today's is a different story. There's just that feeling of being watched, which leads to a brain freeze, then of course the camera capturing the awkwardness at that mid-pose, hahaha. I have a feeling this is like public speaking, where the nervousness will never go away. Only time will tell I suppose.
Have a great weekend!
Fur, denim, gingham, boots. Umm... how many trends could I possibly wear at once? Too many apparently, lol. I'm thinking this fur vest will be too bulky to wear under winter coats soon, so I'm taking advantage while the nice weather lasts. 60 degrees in November? Heck yeah!
Hope you're having a great Wednesday!
My most recent purchase is this nautical-inspired rope bracelet with a knot from Etsy seller junghwa. She customized the length of the rope to fit my wrist (5.75"), with room to spare by tightening or loosening the knot. The bracelet came with toggle clasps, which I had trouble putting on one-handed. I did eventually get the hang of it by using a flat surface to keep the toggle steady so I could loop the t-bar through. I love this bracelet's simple design with a knot that doesn't overwhelm my hands. I can see this piece fitting in nicely with my casual style.
For 20% off jewelry at Amy's shop use code BRIGHTEN20 until October 17th.
Bf bought a $10 for $20 Groupon to Old Navy, but could only find a polo for $15, so the remaining amount was up to me. Just my luck, they were having a shorts sale that final weekend with many at $5. $5 shorts?! (Can you tell I'm not a great bargain hunter?) Even better, a lot of small sizes were left. I picked up these pink/purple shorts with a longer inseam than what I'm used to. No biggie; I need to start the transition away from short shorts and this was the perfect starter item.
I know I have a lot of pink items in my closet, so I wished these came in other fun colors. But for my first pair of colorful shorts at $2.50, I shouldn't nitpick too much.
Are you a fan of colored shorts?
A big thanks to Sunshine for the hidden-face-behind-leaves idea :)
This scarf is like my favorite child. Not that I would ever pick favorites if I have more than one child... or admit it ;) The print was love at first sight, and I still have not gotten sick of it yet. When in doubt, this is the first item I grab to put on.
Is there a piece you own that you feel this way about?
Every once in awhile, I'd Google map surrounding areas using the satellite view, just cuz I'm a dork with too much time on my hands. To my surprise, I saw this huge body of water near me, topped with a PIER. How very cool! But why did I not know about it until NOW? I'm stoked because the surrounding areas looked quite secluded, so it should be perfect for picture taking. How do you scout out potential photo spots?
I was wearing this denim jacket when bf and I met up with his sister for lunch the other day. As soon as we sat down, his sister asked, "Are we wearing the same jacket?" I looked down at myself (because when I'm happily eating, I forget what I'm wearing), then looked at hers. "Yep, it looks like it. I got mine from Abercrombie." To which she responded, "Me too! Circa 2002?" "Err... probably? It was a long time ago."
I've always wondered what it would feel like to wear the same thing as someone else in public. Awkward? Embarrassing? Surprisingly, not so much. But if I'm ever out in my crewcuts shirt and see a little boy in the same one, you can bet I'd be running away as fast as I can, hahaha.
Do you have any accidental matching clothing stories to share?
Today is day 15, which means I'm halfway through the 30 for 30. Yay! Not that this is a sigh of relief and I'm dreading the days until it's over, but it has been quite challenging to stay creative, take pictures everyday, blog everyday (so hard!), and staying away from shopping. Not spending a penny has been the most shocking of all. I thought this would be the hardest obstacle to hurdle, but every store email that comes into my inbox has been relegated to a click-and-archive. It hasn't stopped me from browsing online completely, but it has certainly freed up a lot of my time, lol. Already on my wishlist? This, this, this, this or this, and this. Pleasepleaseplease let none of my favorite stores hold a major sale this month. In the meantime, exerting my willpower is a beautiful feeling :)
Warning: whiny post ahead. Feel free to skip.
Has anyone been following the housing bubble/fallout? I have, and I'm still waiting for the fallout. What recession? My area is practically immune. Reading articles, following message boards hardly makes me an expert, but I do know what I want. And I know there's no way of getting it unless I compromise. All I want is a garage townhome with 3 bedrooms, a place I can live in the rest of my life. Semi-newly built? Good schools? Prime location (for a decent commute)? Move-in ready? Right size? I'd be lucky to get 3 of 5.
Sure, I can easily increase my price range and possibly get everything I want, but I'm too cheap to be paying off a mortgage into my 50s/60s. Who in their right mind expects to buy their dream home (really, a garage townhome is my dream home) in their 20s as your first house unless you're a millionaire?! I know I'm being difficult and not following the traditional path of buying a starter home (ie, condo) and using equity to move up the housing ladder. I honestly can't foresee housing prices going up significantly in the next few years where it'd be easy to move up to the next tier. But what do I know? People are still snatching up houses left and right that I feel are overpriced (as in, out of my budget).
Then you ask, if you're not happy with these prices, why are you even looking to buy? A part of me is ready for the next step, owning a home, starting a family, etc. Sure, lots of people do that in rentals, but it isn't what I want (and I realize I'm being greedy and wanting too much). The logical part of me believes housing is a good investment in the long run, when you're free to live in something you own without any more monthly payments. Plus, there's the help of inflation. Oh, and I also hate moving. The realistic part of me knows that I'll never be satisfied with prices and my budget. Every generation probably feels that housing is expensive and adjusts their budget according to the market. It's only looking back that we'd say, "You had it so lucky to only pay $X for a house when nowadays we're paying three times that amount for the same house. I'd snatch up $X for that house in a heartbeat." Well, if I was in that situation back then, I bet I wouldn't feel $X was cheap and rather budget according to the norm then. It's a lose-lose situation.
Sometimes I half-joke to bf that we should up and move to Atlanta or Texas, the land of cheap housing. If we didn't have family ties or steady jobs, I wonder if we really would have the guts to do so? ...probably not as I'm a wuss at heart.
Nope, don't feel bad for me. In fact, I know I come across as bitter, entitled, and unreasonable. Someone who wants too much (used 'want' 7 times in 4 paragraphs?!) and am too stubborn to compromise. Eventually, I'll grow up and realize the error of my ways. I hope to come back to this post in the future whenever I'm moody and remind myself: wake up, life isn't fair, learn to compromise.
Did you have to make compromises when purchasing your home? If so, how did you prioritize?
Thanks for putting up with me. I promise this won't be the norm. *deep breath* Knock some sense into me and bring on the honest feedback. As bf likes to say, "do you want some cheese with your whine?" :)
Kidada designed a series of wrap leather bracelets for Disney Couture. Each contained different charms for different princesses. The one I loved and finally bought was the general princess one, with charms of feathers, bows, roses, glass slippers, etc. Soo cute!!
