Things I Love Right Now

I just had this idea for a new reoccurring blog topic that will - like all of my reoccurring blog topics (see: Music Mondays, Favorite Songs Ever, Sunday Lists as examples) just die a quick death. But, whatever.

So I think - for now - I might make the first blog post of each month be about things I'm really loving at the moment. Things I'm really loving in all areas of all things.

So here goes (in no particular order)...

1. My black jeans.

I'm not saying I look super awesome in them or anything. It's just that I don't buy jeans because I don't find them all that comfortable. And the last time I tried to wear these I must have been super bloated or I've dropped a few pounds recently because they were one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever dressed my body in. But the other day I was in a pinch and needed something to wear and I put them on and they felt like sweatpants. So I've worn them pretty much every day since. So I should probably give them their props now because next week they most likely won't fit so well again and I will go back to hating them.


2. The Walking Dead

This show is quite the roller coaster, isn't it? And I don't just mean the intensity of each episode, but I mean how it can go from being a pretty good show to sucking so horribly to suddenly being ridiculously amazing. Three episodes into the third season and it seems to have finally figured itself out. But there's still a lot to go, so we'll see if it can hold up. (There I go. Always the pessimist).


3. "Good Intentions Paving Company" by Joanna Newsom



I've been in love with this song for a couple of months now. A week ago I had a show in Duluth and, driving home that night, I listened to this song 3 times in a row. I would have listened more, but I didn't want to be ridiculous. My goal is to write a song like this.


4. This dog.

The husband and I are totally ready to get a dog again. We still cry for Murray way more than is probably normal, but we are ready to have a dog in the house again. Unfortunately, the timing is just not that great right now. But I don't know. I've got it bad for this guy. If he's still available to adopt in a week...


5. Mashed Potatoes

OMG I could eat mashed potatoes for every meal and be so happy. Right now my favorite meal consists of a heaping helping of mashed potatoes, which I pick up from the Byerlys' hot dish meal deli section, fake bbq riblets, and corn. It's so good. Such comfort food.

Unravelled

I HAVE NO CLOTHES ANYMORE!!!

For the past week, every outfit I wear I have noticed a small hole has formed somewhere. Most of the time they are not very noticeable (I hope), but some are and I am quickly running out of clothes that are acceptable to where to the office. I mean, running around to shows and hanging out with friends, it’s totally cool for me to have a couple of small holes…but to work, I have to look somewhat nice.

And it’s gone beyond my clothing. My newish boots (I got them for Christmas) somehow got a rip in them. It’s small…but it is noticeable and I wear them all the time and they are supposed to be my “nice” boots and boots aren’t cheap.

And then this morning, as I was getting ready to head to the bus to go to work, I tried zipping up my winter coat and it just wouldn’t stay zipped. I would get it zipped up and then look down and it would be split. It’s been giving me trouble lately and now I think it just gave up. So I had to rush around the house to try to find some sort of seasonal outerwear because it is still winter here in Minnesota and it had just started snowing outside. I settled on a hoodie underneath a jean jacket. I was still cold.

Luckily it is going to be 60 degrees on Saturday and in the high forties and fifties for the foreseeable future after that. I should be able to get by. For now.

But that still doesn’t help my clothing situation. I honestly don’t know what to do. Every extra dollar I have is going into the new album. And I can’t afford to not do that. Because the new album is very important to me. Which means no new clothes for me.

And that’s fine. I can live without being fashionable. I’ve never been all that fashionable in the first place. I’m just so bored with my hole-filled clothes.

Thankfully I only work 4 days a week now. One less day to find something work acceptable to wear.

Good Face

I’m kind of becoming obsessed with Adele’s face after seeing her photo spread in Out magazine. I don’t know if it’s just the way they style her make-up or her natural beauty and ability to give good face in photographs, but she is gorgeous.

I want someone to do my make-up like this.

For The Love Of Leggings

I’m addicted to leggings. I would wear them everyday if I had enough pairs. Actually, I pretty much wear them 6 out of 7 days. I don’t wear them in the Lindsay Lohan style of leggings and just a t-shirt as seen below:

Although, I wish I could wear that outfit.

But, I usually pair them with a skirt or dress, boots or ballerina flats. I love them so much that I actually ventured into the land of jeggings. I’ve worn them a couple of times, but they are really hard to pull off when you are not someone with toothpick legs.

Where am I going with this? I was off getting coffee this morning in my leggings and plaid dress with ballerina flats and I passed by a rather large, older woman in stretch pants and a t-shirt and I looked at her and I looked at my outfit and I thought, really, what’s the difference? Why are her pants stretch pants and mine leggings? In 20 years will I still be wearing my leggings but calling them stretch pants?

One of the main reasons I love them so much is the comfort factor. It’s like wearing pajamas. I can move easily. There are no restrictions. There is less fretting over what to wear when I can always just throw on some leggings with a dress or skirt and a t-shirt. They offer a simplicity to my life, which recently, has become complicated and a bit overwhelming.

And now they make them in so many different styles and colors, it’s opened up a whole new world of fashion for me.

But, as I become an older woman and my hips and waist expand - as they inevitably will – will I become one of those women I see lumbering through downtown in her stretch pants and over-sized t-shirt still happily discussing the comfort and ease my now stretch pants provide? Will my love of my leggings make this transition happen with an ease I am uncomfortable with since I am not ever dealing with the awful realization of struggling to put on a pair of jeans that no longer button?

I love my leggings, as I’ve said. I like how they look. I like how the feel. I like how easy they are.

I’ve never been a fashionista and have always found it frustrating trying to keep up with trends. But, eventually, these leggings will become so outdated that I will look the fool wandering around in them. But, what if there’s no going back? What if this is my uniform for life? What if one day I wake up and my leggings are now stretch pants?

This concerns me.

Almost

It's a rainy Saturday and it's really putting a damper on my plans. So, out of boredom, I thought I would run to DSW and see if I can find some boots. And I did. I loved them. They were exactly what I was looking for, they fit, they were comfortable.

They were $100. I couldn't do it. I just couldn't justify buying them when I could only think of one piece of clothing in my closet that I could wear with them.

No I'm sad. I should have bought them.

UPDATE: I bought these on Monday and I love them so much! Now, what can I wear them with?

Skirting The Issue

Why is it impossible to find a black skirt these days? I spent 3 hours at the mall today and could not find one. Sure, there are a ton of black business skirts. Pencil skirts meant to be worn with power blazers and pumps. But what about a classic, black, flowly skirt? Impossible to find. I searched through every store and could not find one.

I started with a very specific skirt. I wanted a new black knit skirt

that could be worn with leggings. I wanted no embellishments. Once that proved impossible, I decided I just wanted a black skirt. You would think something as basic as this would be easy to find. But I could not find one anywhere.

The real problem, I discovered, is that if you're not 19 or a career woman, there are no clothes for you. My style is not slacks and blouses. But, I feel silly in the trendy section filled with 18 year olds in layered t-shirts, skinny jeans, and over-sized high-tops. That's not my style, either.

I just like casual comfort. Not khaki. Not low-riding skinny jeans. Why is it so difficult for a 30 year old woman to find clothing?

Pretty Dresses

I pass by L'atelier Couture bridal shop everyday on the bus. It makes me want to get married all over again just so I can wear on of the many fabulous bridal gowns displayed in the windows over the course of the year.

Not that I could afford one of these gowns.

http://www.lateliercouturebridal.com/default.php

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!

The $1,960 Trashbag

I'm always amazed at the cost of designer handbags. For such little fabric, spending sometimes upwards of $4000 and more just seems incredibly hard to grasp. And I love handbags. Love them. I had a bit of an addiction to them for a while. I never spent more than $65 on bag and even now, that seems crazy. I average about $30-$40 a bag now and I haven't bought one since Christmas '08.

Like most things fashion, you are paying more for the name on the label than the look of the product. You're not spending $4000 because it's a practical, cute purse that will last you many years. You're spending $4000 because it is the latest Hermes' bag and you must have it because it is the latest Hermes' bag.

And I get that. I'm human. I don't agree with it. But I get the want and the coveting. If I had an extra $4000 to spend on something lavish, I might not spend it on a purse, but I might spend on something else that someone else would deem ridiculous.

But this, this is just plain stupid. Below is a picture of the latest Louis Vuitton bag. You know Louis. If you don't, you know his symbol. All those little LVs covering everything from handbags to sweatshirts to socks. Below is his latest handbag design. What does it look like to you?

If you said garbage bag, ding ding ding! You are correct. These garbage bags cost $1,960. Allegedly they are made from leather, which might help to explain the price. But when I look at them, I can't help but think that some designer was truly inspired by Zoolander and is trying to come up with their own Derlict campaign. I mean, have we really run out of fashion ideas that we are going to look to the homeless? I guess in the early 90s we looked to junkies, so is this really any worse?

Silly Suits

I'm sure it's incredibly difficult as a designer to come up with new and interesting designs for men's fashion. How many different kinds of suits can you make?

Well, according to Alexander McQueen, a lot.

Check out his latest menswear line at Project Rungay

I just find it all so silly, which makes it all incredibly fun. It is so Zoolander. Can you really imagine any man anywhere walking into an office in any of these suits? I suppose they are not made for just any man to wear. But the idea amuses me and I wish someone at my office would walk in with one of these on in a completely serious way.