Check-List Therapy

Things are weird around here right now. 

The sewing machine decided to protest, my living situation has been jeopardized (due to circumstances out of my control), a big move might come sooner than expected, and I'm feeling unsettled. This unease has crept on me in the past, and I haven't always handled it correctly. Now is the time I prove to myself that positivity and a good dose of smile-therapy can help me forge ahead. No, really. I forced myself to do some smiling on my drive home from a rough day of work, and I felt better immediately. Endorphins are magic! 

BE EXCITED, ME!

So my output of anything valuable will be little today. Without my sewing machine, I sadly won't complete the Vest Project on time, and the only other craft projects I've produced must stay top secret until a certain lady celebrates her birthday.

Instead of substance, look at me looking ridiculous and what I looked like while looking ridiculous:

The glare is from my winter-neglected bike, not-so-subtly reminding me that it exists.

Tuesday

Top: Thrifted beauty, complete with gold studs on the print, as well as its sleeves. $1.50

Bottoms: Discount black faux acid-wash leggings, bought for lazy days, $5.00

Shoes: Work-filthy saddle shoes, $18.00

Approximate Total: $24.50 (yikes!)

 

Tuesday, I chose to lift my mood with check-marks on my to-do list. Consider these exciting things accomplished: dishes washed and put away, apartment tidied up, cat litter dealt-with, boyfriend nagged, dreaded e-mails drafted, healthy asparagus and organic chicken breast dinner prepared and consumed. Maybe I'm boring, but my sanity remains!

Dress: Favorite grunge-era floral dress with modern details: bright floral, pockets, pleated top, and a tulip shape. Thrifted for $2.50.

Sweater: Men's Docker's brand cardigan, bought for an ex-boyfriend but serendipitously rejected, $.50

Tights: Clearance rack at Target, with a hole already on their first day out, $3.50

Shoes: Cherished Justin's, $4.50

Hair: Finally long enough to do this! There's a hard-to-see purple bow, for old-timey-Brooke's sake.

Approximate Total:  $11.00

A Cold Fool

Wearing skirts and tights (single layered) in this -23 degree windchill weather makes me pretty dumb, but the feeling of being "dressed" cheers me up more than being warm does.

The sewing machine stayed busy today (see messy sewing table for evidence) and made my first-ever bunting for our coming prom.

Sweater: Thrifted on Saturday, up close it is a beautiful loose crochet pattern in green and white, $2.00

Skirt: Bright blue and rolled up nice and short, thrifted, $2.00

Tights: Cheapie L'egg style, $.75

Socks: Warm and wool, Christmas gift from the beau

Shoes: Not pictured, thrifted grey jazz-style shoes, $3.00

Approximate Outfit Cost: $7.75

Tuesday has been a breeze so far! I started my day earlier than usual, eating a blood orange while farting around on the internet. My shift at work was short (which means less messy), so I chose to wear something a little nicer than usual and even broke out the flat iron and liquid eyeliner. After just three hours behind the counter, I came home with a rosemary bread baguette in one paw and an amazing americano in the other.

Tuesday, you can be real cute sometimes.

Look! It's the bunting I made! And I'm kinda fancy! And confusing! The flat iron met the bangs, but I prefer to let the rest run free.

Dress: Thrifted Ann Taylor shift dress. Best winter colors in a super flattering pattern, $3.00

Cardigan: Ages old Old Navy, $7.00ish

Tights: Betsy Johnson, $3.00

Socks: Target. I wish these were thigh-highs like Mona's! $2.00

Shoes: The ol' Justins, $4.38 (these would cost upwards of $200 new and $80 on etsy)

Necklace: Luxe Debris, a very generous gift

Approximate Cost: $20.00 (pretty impressive considering this dress probably cost four times that new!)

Sweata Weatha

Jake did this to me. It's the snow's fault.

We, along with most of our country, got our share of snow this week. The local FOX news has been referring to it as the "Brutal Blizzard of 2011" to the point that they will not say "blizzard" without preceding it by "brutal." Typical. Really, life has been slowed down nicely with all of this snow around. The coffee gods granted me a legit snow day on Wednesday! I've been spending time cooking and crafting, and basically doing every kind of cozy nesting activity I can think of. I've only gotten my car stuck twice, impressive when you consider it's my little Mitsubishi up against 4 ft snow walls.

Thursday's Outfit

Sweater: Birthday gift from Carissa last year, described as "Brooke in sweater form"

Earrings: Also a gift from Carissa, for Christmas 2010 (made by her! she is amazing!)

Skirt: Thrifted, $2.00

Tights and Socks: Christmas and birthday gifts

Shoes: Justins (I swear I wear other shoes sometimes, but there's a reason they call me "Boots") $4.38

Approximate Outfit Total: $ 6.38

Charlie and I sharing a sweeter sweater moment. Painting by the talented Vaclav.

Charlie (a new SPECTACULAR, good-time-lovin, and oh-so-adorable co-worker) suggested we have a silly sweater shift together. I grabbed the sweater on top of the pile, but immediately regretted my choice when I saw Charlie's. Shoulda worn this:

Photo borrowed from Ramona at Patterned Piles

Have a good Friday! I'm cooking my mom a belated birthday dinner, then hosting buddies for a snuggly night of wine, music videos, and possibly some valentine making. Look for a post about re-usable household items SOON. 

An out-take for you. I haven't quite worked out the timing on my camera's timer.

 

Smudging the Awkwards

"Even though you got part of it at Urban Outfitters, your outfit was ROCKIN'! -B (the other one)" Note left on my apartment door by my co-worker, house-mate, and buddy Brandon. He is oh-so-sweet and terribly handsome, ladies! I cannot for the life of me get this to publish the right way...so I'll have to try again later.

I cleaned the eff out of my kitchen tonight. Tackled the avoided recycling pile, moved things and scrubbed off the who-knows-what-it-was sludge underneath them, and soaked my stove grates in All Natural Borax. 

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm trying to beat those winter doldrums--the doldrums that manifest as a serious case of the awkwards. Completing tasks that show immediate results is my number one combatant against a bad case of bummers. Next time you feel down, I challenge you to clean or organize something. Pick a small, easily accomplished task like a load of dishes or scrubbing your tub. Organize the pile that's on top of your coffee table. Don't bite off more than you can chew for the time you have, nor choose something that will discourage you halfway through (some cleaning projects seem to get worse before they get better, like organizing a closet). SEE? Doesn't that feel better?

Frolicking/acting a fool in my freshly cleaned kitchen. That weird bump on my hip is from the pocket.

Top: Urban Outfitters, bought in San Francisco when I was 16, $12.00

Skirt: Grey corduroy, thrifted and rehemmed and shaped, $2.00

Belt: Borrowed from another dress

Tights: Betsy Johnson, $3.00

Socks: Christmas gift from the boy's momma

Necklace: Gift from Carissa of Luxe Debris

Shoes: Justin's, $4.38

Approximate Total: $22.00

I've got a lot to say about the place I bought this shirt ten years ago. This isn't the place to say it (if for no reason than to avoid libel). What I will say is that since I was 16, I have obviously realized the necessity to avoid being a consumer of the mass-produced, and spending my money outside of the community. Still, if I were to throw the shirt out on principle, that money would have been spent in vain. It's too late to do anything about it, so I may as well get every last cent's worth. If you ever want to have a chat with me about Urban Outfitters, I'll bring the coffee if you bring the snacks.

This is a smudge stick, just dried sage bundled together to be burned like incense. I got mine for cheap ($3.50) at The Wishing Realm.

I smudged my space for the first time tonight. A bundle of sage and a brain full of empowering thoughts and positive goals to cleanse and renew. Surely there are various ways to do this, but my process was to slowly follow the perimeter of my apartment while blowing on the sage and focusing deeply only on the smoke and my thoughts. This is the time in my life that I make good on the promises I make to myself. Negative feelings are only motivation to try harder. My energy will be devoted to being a better person, a better friend, a better family member, and a better member of my community. Say all you want about the hippie-dippie, crystal-humping stigma behind a practice like this, it is never a bad idea to take five minutes to focus on your priorities and goals. 

Besides, what can it hurt? 

And it smells good.

Winter Slap

Winter got me. Those doldrums are here. Hopefully I can kick them tomorrow with a healthy dose of positive attitude and lots of greens and almonds. 

I'm working on a legit, relevant post full of substance. But until that happens, here are some photos. Blogging for the sake of blogging. Or at least, for the sake of not not-blogging. Get it?

Disclaimer: living alone without a tripod or camera remote makes taking photos of yourself reaaallll awkward. Evidence as follows:

Monday, Takin' a lean in the kitchen.

Top: Thrifted, $1.50

Dress: Thrifted and cropped shorter, $2.50

Belt: Thrifted, $.50

Earrings: Handmade by Rusty La Rue, $7.00 (available at White Rabbit!)

Leggings: Target, years ago, $5.00

Boots: Second-hand, FREE DOLLARS

Approximate Cost: $16.50

What did I do? I made delicious chili verde from scratch! One secret ingredient: a can of Hamm's beer. The rest are secret secret ingredients.

Tuesday, Muschi Cat pictured in the chair.

Top: Reconstructed out of two thrifted shirts and some elbow grease, $1.00 (two shirts for 50cents each)

Skirt: Thrifted, a longer skirt that is comfy enough to roll if I choose to wear it "mini"--an excellent way to get more use out of it, $2.00

Tights: Years old, $2.00ish

Socks: Target, $2.00

Boots: Thrifted cowboys as usual, FREE

Bow: A gift from Carissa at the peak of my bow days, years ago

Approximate Cost: $7.00

What did I do? Sang karaoke stone-cold-sober and altered 2 skirts to wear this week.

Bow & junk pile.

more bang trimming

SATURDAY DATE NIGHT. Note Jake's "before" hair, and his ability to align himself exactly in the two right squares.

Skee-ball! One of our favorite date night activities. And so cheap!

After. More to note: his wide stance and the denim shirt to match my own.

More date night. Jake prefers colored pencils (top), I prefer crayons (bottom).

Erin and I brought identical snacks to work. Nothing gives me an energy punch like a handful of almonds and an orange. $6.00 worth of natural almonds has lasted me nearly two weeks at a handful a day.

Our espresso machine leaked (where the dial is), so we hired Macgyver to rig up half a paper cup and some cardboard. Busted and beautiful!

PS: Happy day-late birthday to my loveliest, lovely Jessica. A birthday post will follow, featuring lots 'o ladies in jumpsuits.

Stir crazy!

This was originally a dress--thrifted AVON(!) brand--that I hemmed up with lace to be a tunic-style shirt. Something about it is off. Is it the sleeves? Does it need a cinched waist? Lace over the chest? Can you put your finger on it? I cannnnn't!

Excuse the shoegazing, I was sparing ya'll from my grease face. I wore this at work today. This top, black jeans & cowboy boots, greasy hair, and sleepy eyes. Still feeling a bit crummy. Getting to work at 6am is rough, especially when mother nature surprises you with a couple inches of snow on your car. I get it, Winter. You've made your point. Now hush up and let your buddy Spring do some talkin'.

Sweats went on as soon as I got home from work, and some serious couch loafing happened. PBS is such good daytime T.V....but even Lidia's Italy wasn't enough to keep the stir crazies at bay. After a couple hours, I strapped on some boots and set outside to decorate the snow. VOILA:

Just a little food coloring and water in a spraybottle.

Happy MLK Jr Day! Remember to thank Dr. King by being excellent to one another.