Harvesting

Here's the only picture you get for today:

Two kids, one sick, one injured.  Not a lot of motivation to dress! Everybody is on the mend though.  And, unless the universe REALLY hates me, my husband will be home tomorrow evening.  So, in anticipation of that...I give you...my clothes for the 30 for 30 challenge!

Skirts
1. Cranberry corduroy pencil skirt, Victoria's Secret
2. Nordic Blue double serge wool pencil skirt, J. Crew (never worn here!)

Pants
3. Black trousers, Context
4. Black wideleg trousers, Anthropologie (also new! and to be hemmed!)
5. Heritage Chinos, J. Crew
6. Blue cords, Lands' End Canvas
7. Black leggings, Target

Dresses
8. Stretch denim sheath dress, London Times
9. Brown dress, Soprano
10. Blue wool sweater dress, Gap

Jackets
11. Cobblestone velvet school boy blazer, J Crew
12. Tweed Blazer, via TJ Mass
13. Khaki military jacket, Victoria's Secret
14. Black blazer, Victoria's Secret

Sweaters
15. Heather gray cardigan, Jones New York
16. Pink cardigan, Lands' End Canvas
17. Blue v-neck, Loft

Tops
18. White linen button down, thrifted
19. White cotton button down, New York and Company
20. Black and white patterned blouse, J. Crew
21. Blue, grey and berry floral patterned blouse, Loft
22. Black turtleneck, J. Crew
23. Gray turtleneck, J. Crew
24. Black silk ruffled cami, J. Crew
25. Black cami, Target
26. Cream tee, gifted

Shoes
27. Black patent flats, Zigi Soho
28. Brown boots, Madden Girl
29. Gray heels, Madden Girl
30. Black suede booties, Adrienne Vittadini

Can't wait to start!

Old School

Before I started blogging, this was my color palette.  Blue, blue and more (not bright) blue.  I know it works for me, but man, more color is more fun!  Still it is nice to go back to an old favorite.

The light blue on top with the dark bottom reminds me of what I wore in graduate school.  Well, of what we all wore.  Picture it, Austin, 1998...Old Navy, Old Navy, Old Navy.  We all lived in tees of all kinds and jersey skirts of all lengths.  Oh, and cargo pants.  I do miss one outfit I had though...it was my fancy one and I got it from Bebe...black tube top with an embroidered flower on it, also in black, and a black lace skirt.  I still have the skirt, but it only fits on one leg.

Cardi, J. Crew; Cords, Lands' End Canvas

Holding

Well...wind and blizzard conditions are not stillness and visibility, but thanks for trying!  Next flight? Sunday.  We are hoping the weather holds for that one.

The light is extending later and later in the day, so soon we will be able to get back outside for pictures, but in the meantime, I will continue to try and find amusing indoor shooting locations.

Dress, Soprano; cardi, Target; shoes, Madden Girl; beads, from Haiti.

Somebody Put Baby In a Corner

Alright, blogoverse...I need your help.  My beloved is stranded on a desert island.  Ok, so not a desert island.  But it is deserted.  And an island.  So there are 2 flights a week, and if the flight in can't land, it can't take off.  And that's what happened on Sunday.  And may very well happen again tomorrow, if we don't all pitch in and think "STILLNESS and VISIBILITY."  Thanks!  I am positive this will work, because the power of positive thinking MUST be stronger than the power of 75 mile an hour winds off the Bering Sea.  Right?

Maybe until he returns I should wear mourning colors and pace about? Sounds like a plan, if only I could find time in my busy day to pace!  Maybe during a conference call...

Dress, Hanna Anderssonn (how many Ns and Esses?); blouse, Loft, thrifted!; Bangles, Grandma; boots, the great state of Texas; necklance, Pink, Saranac Lake; hair, in need of a trim!

Helpers

Three things saved my day:  

Glass of wine

Space Heater

My friend Bob (not pictured)

So when last we spoke, I was pouty but doing okay.  My (sink) elbow was busted.  But other than that, I was doing fine.  Then at 10 (and one degree) last night, my furnace stopped working.  Egads. Thanks to my helper on that one, Chuck. Send me a bill, sir.

Then, this morning as I prepared for my plumber, Tony, I found a frozen hot water pipe in the bathroom.  Odd since the heat had only been out for about an hour and a half.  But we agreed, temps were rising, it would thaw.  Check's in the mail, Tony, thanks for the elbow.

But then when I got home, the kitchen hot was also iced up. I needed my husband.  So I called Bob.  Who rushed over, braved mouse poop and spiders in our shed, investigated, examined, and THAWED.  Seriously, Bob is my hero tonight.  And ye of Winkytown, when you see that man at the dump?  Give him three cheers!

And also, considering how the day started and ended?  I think I managed to pull together a cute look here! Capris?  With boots?  Yes.

Blazer, J. Crew (wet spot, from doing dishes!  Which I can, because I have hot water and a drain that DOESN'T empty onto the floor); tee, J crew; scarf, Italia!; capris, TJ Maxx (and a small size, woohoo!); boots, Madden Girl.

Every Body: Every Wear: Breton Stripe

So there's a really cool project going on in Fashionbloggington.  Every Body, Every Wear - one piece, as many ways to style as there are bloggers!  This month is Breton Stripes...For patternphobes like me, stripes are as crazy as I get, so I am going for it!

Hey, Martha, why so glum?  

It is not easy to look cute at 30 below, let me tell you!  And an outside picture?  Could have been deadly!  I am also pouting because Bill was supposed to be back from Alaska and he is still stuck on a God-and-US-military-forsaken Rock 1200 miles SW of Anchorage.  Oh, and I broke my kitchen sink.  

Check out what the warmer fashionistas are doing with their stripes!

Stripes, J Crew; chinos, J Crew; sweatershirt, Stella Stars via TJ Maxx; shoes, Adrienne Vittadini.

Front and UnCentered

Sorry for the lack of posting this week...I've been feeling off my game in all sorts of ways and have been oversleeping, which means grab and go styling.  This was the best effort all week!

If I weren't a.) broke and b.) heading in to 30 for 30, I would be considering purchasing black boots.  I really feel they are a missing link for me!

Cardi, Context; Dress, Lands' End Canvas; tights, target; boots, Madden Girl.

Seasons Change

Sometime in October, I wore this:

Today, I remixed the same idea this way:

Heavier jacket, heavier boots, MUCH heavier scarf, and an added layer.  I actually like it better than the original!

Not much else too say, because I am busy pondering why I decided to sign up of Kendi's Winter 30 for 30 Challenge.

Dress and sweater, Target; jacket, Gap; belt, gift from S.; cowl, still handknit by me!

Skinny No More

Enough with the skinny pants.  I am feeling that wider is better these days.  But I am kind of between sizes, so I am not totally satisfied with the fit.  I thought about returning, but think I can style these pants in a way that disguises the paradox of slightly too big pants making you look chunkier.  I am also 99% sure the next size down would be too tight.

Chinos and blouse, J. Crew; cardi, Lands' End Canvas; cowl, hand knit by me!

And...exhale

Oh, one of those days, on every front.  Good, Bad, and Ugly.  The good?  It is my little girl's 5th birthday!  I remember my own fifth birthday.  I was at school, outside the nurse's office, waiting for my TB test.  I must have been whining, and the kindergarten aide said to me, "Just because it is your birthday, doesn't mean you can be a little bitch."  I think that's enough Bad amd Ugly to share for one day!

Jacket, J.Crew, Velvet Schoolboy Blazer, final sale! $56.99; boots, Madden Girl; scarf, Eddie Bauer; cords, Lands' End Canvas.

Wrap Me Up

I had a great outfit yesterday, but you will have to take my word for it, because all though my left side was on tv and a legislative aide took about 15 pictures of me talking to a state Senator, I never took a picture.

Since yesterday was our big lobby day, I was also dressed pretty uncomfortably to be running around the hallowed halls of the state Capital.  Today, I wanted comfort.  I had a LOT of writing and thinking to do and this was just the ensemble to do it in!

And it was about 6 out when I took this picture.  So I took one, to hell with the cut off head!

Dress, Hanna Andersson (I spell it differently each time!): cardi, Target; scarf, Lord and Taylor, gift; boots, Madden Girl.

Dynamic Static

Whenever I contend with static electricity, I think about Raiser's Edge.  That's a popular fund raising software, and I used it at my last job.  Queries of the system could be either static or dynamic, and now those two words are linked in my mind.  Which brings me to today's outfit:

I know the belted scarf thang is sort of trendy right now...but I've done it to keep this beautiful scarf from levitating and clinging to my face and hair.

I am so very practical.

Scarf, gift from my boss, who bought it in Pisa, Italy; cardi, Victoria's Secret; pants, Context; tee, gift from Dad's wife, who bought it in France.  How very internacional I am!

Flashy

I've been trying to think of a way to wear today's blouse since I was give it, back in the fall, by my dear friend Lin.  It has a LOT of pattern going on and is not a color I would normally wear...red, with paisley.  But it doesn't stop there.  No. There is animal print in the paisley.  

I am confident, but not confident enough to pull that off so...openly.  So this morning, I just committed to it, and grabbed the next thing I could see that seemed to go.  And it worked!  I actually wish you could see more of the blouse...So it may make another appearance.

Blouse, Simon Chang, gifted from Lin; jacket, Victoria's Secret; skirt, Tommy Bahama, from my mother-in-law.

The Why Nots

That skirt that you bought for the Ski Sweater Ball and only wore once?  Why not wear it?  Don't have a fancy party?  Why not wear it to work?  Does the thought of doing that make you happy?  Then why not?

Best and worst outfits come from unexpected pairings.  This one?  I loved.

And just so you know, that's Eva's shovel.  Mine is much bigger.  But as you can see, I didn't use it.

Skirt, Sears, actually, three years ago, $30; jacket, Victoria's Secret; Denim Shirt, American Outpost; bracelets, Grandma Jane!

Let There Be Light

The days are getting longer by the second!  Like one second longer each day.  Sill, I have hope that outdoor pictures will once again be possible in a month.  Thank goodness, because my photo quality STINKS.

I am still working on styling this sweater and this is my best attempt yet...Too bad it's also my best attempt at looking like a crazy-ass lunatic in the eyes.

Dress, Lands' End Canvas; tights. Cynthia Rowley; sweater, French Connection.

Into the Woods

Cure for the blues? Get out in the fresh air! (And get an email from the one you love.)

Stealing his shirt couldn't hurt.  

And a little cuddle helps, too.

Feeling more like myself again, thank goodness.

Shirt,  Lands' End (Bill's); cardi, J Crew; jeans, Lands' End; Boots, Bogs; earrings, Beth's Baubles, gift from my boss.