Headless

I just wasn't feeling how my head looked today...odd but true.

I'm not sick yet, though still stiff and a little stuffy. Hopefully I'm fighting it off!

And despite everyone's suggestions, I still haven't succeeded in opening my juice. I almost pulled the lawn service guy into my apartment this morning, but thought better of it...my boyfriend will be here this weekend, and he can do it. Or we'll just buy another bottle of juice.

(Hopefully after a few more weeks of exercise class I'll be able to open my own bottles.)

Outfit: Shirt: NY&Co; Jeans: Express; Boots: Gianni Bini

Here's a better picture, stolen from the Web site, of the boots...

Monday Blues

Monday just keeps on coming...I guess that's better than the alternative, but I still can't wait for Thanksgiving break.

I'm currently struggling with one of the pitfalls of living alone--I can't open my V8. Grr. I tried a towel, and a jar opener, and smacking it on the counter. (Although that probably didn't do anything but relieve frustration.)

My boyfriend and the person I sit by in my classes are both sick and getting sicker, so I feel a frantic need for vitamins and hence the V8...I can't imagine missing too much class. I feel behind even though I go every day.

Outfit: Sweater: Moth; Yellow lace tank: ???; Denim pencil skirt: Old Navy; Satin Ballet Flats: Nine West Outlet

Fashion for the Four-Legged Set

Hunk of Burnin' Love

Nutcracker Suite
Hula Pug

Pirate Witch...Arrr

This weekend I went to the Chiesta, a fundraiser held by Chihuahua Rescue and Transport. I've gone for the last four years, and it's always a lot of fun. I also find dogs in costumes hilarious, so that might be part of my enjoyment.

So many people get chihuahuas because they're so small and cute, and they don't realize the work that goes into them. Then the dogs end up abused or abandoned, and that's where CRT comes in. They put the dogs in foster homes and get them the correct medical care, as well as working on socialization and training.

Chihuahuas are very obstinate little dogs, but their quirks are worth it, as they're also very devoted and loving. Nothing makes them happier at the end of the day than curling up in the bend of your knees...and not a lot makes me happier, either.

My family possibly loves Lester, my black and tan chihuahua, more than they love me...my relatives are always trying to get me to "loan" him to them for a while, and my mom sends him presents all the time. (Not me, now. Just him.) And my father claims not to like Lester, but when I'm at home Lester sleeps in his bed at night. Lester is very friendly and laidback, so much so that he'll snuggle up to complete strangers.

Mirabelle, technically my boyfriend's dog, is two pounds of feist and totally the boss...but she's more "typical" chihuahua and not a fan of strangers. She tried to attack the washer delivery man once, and of course he was completely terrified. I'm pretty ashamed of the fact that she also hates babies and went nutzo toward one at the festival. (Disclaimer: my BF would probably want you to know that he wanted a schnauzer, not a chihuahua, but, as general wrangler, those are really too big for me to handle comfortably.)

Best friends and occasional enemies...

Finally Fall

I went to my exercise class again tonight, and it was just as intense...I had to stop and rest this time in the middle, though, because my quads were still sore from last week! But I also feel happy that I'm finally taking charge and trying to be healthy. I threw out most of my junk food and filled the fridge with chicken and veggies and soy milk, etc., in hopes that I'll have more energy for school and, more importantly, look smokin' amazing in Greece next summer.

Also, I've tagged for the Honest Weblog award by the lovely Penny-Pinching Princess. So there are the rules, and then 10 honest things about me.

Rules:When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back.Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or more) that you find brilliant in their content or design.Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with ‘Honest Weblog’. Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize (optional).List [if you can and/or dare] at least ten honest things about yourself. And then, pass it on.

I decided to go to law school because I didn’t know what else to do.

Every time I see a version of Wuthering Heights that I don’t have, I want to buy it—whether it’s an edition of the book or one of the movie adaptations. I even have two musical versions.

I love that my boyfriend’s Jewish and we don’t have to fight over who spends what holiday where for how long.

Sometimes, I have the strongest urge to start buying little dresses and outfits for my future (far future, maybe non-existent!) baby.

I haven’t had a haircut since April…and it’s not looking like it’s not going to happen anytime soon.

I have one Dr Pepper a day, and it’s my favorite thing. Sometimes I wake up thinking about it. Sad…but true.

I usually have all my Christmas shopping done by October.

I bleach my tub several times a week. It needs to be CLEAN for my daily bubble bath.

I like to say I'm bad at math, but I'm actually not. I just hate it, and claiming incompetence has so far proved an excellent avoidance technique.

I’m an only child, and I’ve never wanted to be anything else. Once you get a little spoiled it’s hard to go back!

Lots of people I love have already been tagged...so if you haven't done this and want to, consider yourself tagged by me. :)

This is yesterday's outfit...it was warm when I left my apartment, but by the time I left school it was brrr cold!

(P.S.--pile of Dr Peppers in the corner=how I get through any given day without drowsing. My health kick doesn't involve giving up my favorite drink!)

Outfit: Skirt: Ann Taylor Factory; Shirt: H&M; Shoes: Dolce Vita via Piperlime.com; Necklace: Forever 21. I'm trying out purple nail polish...I think I just bought it because I liked the name: "Louvre Me or Leave Me." OPI is so clever.

Paper-ed Out

Oh my, but I am tired of law school. For my writing class, we have an assignment due every period—but none of them are for grades. The final paper is the only thing that counts. So, I spend an inordinate amount of time on busywork. Almost as much time as I spend on perezhilton.com, reading about how Angelina Jolie got so skinny just by breastfeeding and chasing her kids. (Ha! Hahahaha.)

In addition, my professor gives us little feedback sheets on which she checks “Yes” or “No” to questions like “Has the student understood the issue?” On my last feedback sheet, she circled both “Yes” and “No” on a few questions and neither on another one. So that was pretty helpful, and I appreciated her diligent devotion to my learning.

Outfit: Dress: a store in Spain; Suede Heels: AT Loft; Shirt: AT Loft; Earrings: NY&Co.

And the Kettleball Killed Me

My "Butt and Gut" class definitely almost killed me...I pictured some crunches and lunges, but instead I spent an intense half an hour swinging around a 15-pound yellow ball with a handle, lurching left and right and up and down. So much harder than I thought, and by the time I was done I was shaking. But I'll keep going, because something that painful must be working, right?

Now that it's finally getting cooler I'm scrambling to wear my summery clothes as much as possible and make them work for as long as I can...I love fall and winter outfits most of all, but since the season here is relatively short my summer wardrobe is much larger than my winter one, and I always get bored with my sweaters before it warms up again.

However, I never get bored with Halloween. It's my favorite. I've been buying up candy and favors to drop in kids' buckets, and I also picked up this zombie baby at the Halloween store down the road. Because I read too much Stephen King, I usually have to cover it before I go to bed at night.

His name is Eustace...but I'm the only one who seems to think he's great.

Outfit: Skirt: Urban Outfitters; Button-Down: Anthropologie; Cardigan: NY & Company; Shoes: Liz Claiborne via Outlet. I need to wear some different shoes!

Blog Award Thanks

I'm very flattered and excited that Lady D, a stylish fellow student who rocks everything she puts on, gave me a blog award!

I'm reposting her rules and passing it on to a few people, as well!

1.The nominated is allowed to put the picture on their blogs.
2.Link to the person who awarded you.
3.Nominate seven other people and link to them.
4.Leave a message on those people's blog to make them aware that they're nominated.

So, first up is D'rae, from Slices of Life, another fellow student who always looks chic and so put-together even though she's working and going to school at the same time. Also, she has to best collection of flats, and flats always make my heart flutter.

Next up is Allie from My Wardrobe Today...I hope I also manage to maintain great style as a mom-to-be! She shows how well it can be done.

I also greatly admire Boutique Girl at Things a Boutique Owner Sees, both for following her dream of owning a store and for her ability to always manage a different look that's somehow still true to her quirky-chic style. She has also inspired me to buy some colored tights!

And finally, the ladies at Cute on the Cheap...shopping on a budget is hard, but they always look great and are so gracious in their answers and return posts!

I also heartily endore Lady D's choices, because I love all those ladies, as well. Fashion blogs got me through civil procedure today. Well, that and "Fowl Words." I love that game.

In other news, I'm starting my "Butt and Gut" exercise class tomorrow...I've been living on fast food and watching too much TV lately, and since I want to look great in Greece, to the gym I go! I bought some cute exercise outfits and actually started working out yesterday, which led to some pretty sore muscles and a big bruise from where I fell (almost to my death) off the Stairmaster. Why are the new machines so tall? And why did I set the speed so high? The people around me were not amused when I plummeted backward to the floor, but since I'm pretty used to incidents like that I remained unfazed.

Outfit: Striped navy pants: AT Factory; Open-weave cardigan: AT Factory; Shoes: Liz Claiborne via outlet; Beaded cami: JC Penney; Heart locket: 16th birthday present from the parents; Nail polish: OPI's Chocolate Shakespeare, my new favorite color. It's hard for pasty people to do bronzy brown, but this looks great.

I don't usually like to wear the pieces from the same store together like this, but I make an exception when I think I can't find anything that would go better with them...I might try a thin-knit mustard-colored cardi with the pants, next time.

Bridesmaid Revisited

This is what I wore this weekend to order my bridesmaid dress for an upcoming January wedding . . . the dress is purple and bright green. (I won't comment, but you feel free.)

I was a little depressed about the price going in, but then I got a discount and used the extra money to buy a lavender and gray color block dress at Target...I also searched for this amazing bagged salad that has little nuts and cranberries and apple cider dressing with it, but no luck. I bought it last week and can't find it again! But I recommend it if you're also in Target shopping for cute sweaterdresses and more costume jewelry that you absolutely don't need but inevitably keep buying.

And today I just wore my PJs, because I have a large project due next week and decided just to tackle the bulk of it today. I feel like I'm learning so much, but I'm also bored...the law is so dry and plodding, and more often than not I deeply miss my Brontes class, or my Native American Studies class, or my VicLit class...I think after I've worked for a few years I'd like to start night classes for a master's in English, just for my own enjoyment...we'll see.

Right now I'm re-reading Emma, which was always my favorite Austen book, for the first time in several years, and I'm finding it very different. Of course I'm bringing different life experiences with me now, but I'm not finding the heroine all that charming and likeable...her manipulations and self-centered musings strike me as cruel, not folly, and Mr. Knightley seems more overbearing and obnoxiously self-important than commanding and wise. Whereas earlier this summer I re-read Persuasion and found it much more beautiful and poignant than when I tackled it a few years back...which is why literature is superior to law. It's always transforming, changing as you do, and the joy of a great novel is that you can always find something new in it and yourself. And the law...is the law. :/

But I always appreciate book suggestions if anyone else has them! I genuinely love all kinds of books, but right now I'm particularly interested in women's memoirs.

Also, when it's colder, should I pair this with tights and a funky shoe? Or footless leggings and a ballet flat?

This was a budget outfit:

Dress: JC Penney's $15

Stretch croc belt: Nordstrom BP $10

Shoes: Liz Claiborne Outlet $15

Necklace: JC Penney $4

Ring: White House Black Market...this ring was free because the company lost my order and then reimbursed my card...and then the package came two months later after bouncing all over the place!

Trauma

My professor called on me for almost forty minutes today, and I almost had a heart attack. I hate this "Socratic Method" of instruction. Several of the questions he asked I didn't know the answer to, and I slunk out of class feeling very dunce-y.

I feel like I'll do well on my exams, because I've always been a hard worker and a calm tester, but there's something about getting sporadically called on in front of 90 other people that makes me shake in my little patent flats. And I know most of my classmates are probably sympathetic to me, because I'm always rooting for whoever gets called on...but still. Not pleasant.

Outfit: Dress: Fossil, Cardigan: AT Loft; Shoes: Steve Madden

I had seen these shoes on What Not To Wear and was waiting for them to go on sale, and then lo and behold, on a random trip to Dillards they had one pair left...and it was my size...and it was over half off.

Goin' to the Chapel...Again and Again

This weekend brought another wedding, but this time we just went to the reception. The bride was beautiful, and her dress was amazing--it was cream and had a lovely vintage feel, rather than the strapless princess pouf look favored by so many right now.

Honestly, though, I still haven't caught the nuptial bug, and every wedding or engagement brings up the sometimes-sore subject of me not wanting to get married in the foreseeable future. I've been with my boyfriend for four years, we lived together before I had to go back to school, and the assumption is that, yes, we will eventually tie the knot.

But I hate being asked about it, or told, "Oh, it will happen for you!" Generally, I don't feel like I'm being left behind or left out--I'm just moving in a different direction. I like living alone, and that the only socks in the drawer are mine. I like not worrying about buying a house or having babies or cooking dinner after I've spent 12 hours on schoolwork. I like knowing how to pay my own bills and put together my own shoerack. And I really like not justifying why I had to have that pair of $200 boots.

In short, while I do want to get married eventually, right now I'm not ready to give up my own freewheeling autonomy. I want to pursue my career, and travel, and cook or clean or not as I please. But with so many of my friends getting married and trying for babies, it's hard to keep it in perspective, and in the face of it all my fears of becoming a Ms. Havisham-type spinster occasionally get the better of me. Although I'd rather be her than crazy Bertha in the attic, I suppose.

Okay, rant over.

Outfit: Dress: One.September; Mary-jane kitten heels: Nine West Outlet; Clutch: Bandolino; Jewelry: NY&Co.

Before Summer Ends...

...I like to wear my maxi-dress as much as possible. I'm aware that I'm possibly too short for this, and the pattern overwhelms me, but I love it anyway.

Also, I'm in the midst of cleaning out my closet...before/after pictures to come, as suggested! Hopefully pulling out all my tights and sweaterdresses will work some mojo and full the temps down from the 90s.

Outfit: Dress: Target; Bracelets: outlet mall; Earrings: Spain

Skinny Jeans

When it gets a little cooler (and today it was not as sweltering!), it's time to bust out the skinny jeans...for some reason, I just can't stand them when it's too hot.

I like the fairy on this shirt (which I mentioned in an earlier post on Prada's fairy bags), and the way the orange goes with the muted purple of the shoes. Usually I don't wear T-shirts, but sometimes I make exceptions; skinny jeans and flats generally manage to make even ho-hum tops look more stylish, though I realize I need to start stepping it up with accessories.

Outfit: Jeans: 7 for All Mankind; Shirt: Old Navy; Flats: Nine West via DSW