Green eyes, she's not a monster.

*The song of my summer. Believe it.

So, My life goes one of two ways. 

I am either bored, listless, doing almost nothing on a daily basis (and you know what they say, only boring people get bored)... 

OR

I am in-over-my-head style busy. I am panic stricken in the face of endless tasks and to-do's, making me want to take a bottle of lambic to my bed and watch netflix instant movies in a puddle of booze.

I am very firmly planted inside the latter of these two possibilities. I have to say, I prefer it. I like being addled, if you can believe it. I like being occupied. I have never gotten into yoga because they're constantly badgering you to clear your mind, as if that is possible. I find pilates much more pleasant and calming because your brain is so distracted by the mechanics of the exercise (for example, pull your stomach up, ground your pelvis, keep your toes active and grow taller from both ends! All at once!!) that you do forget your life for an hour or so... without all the cosmic, spiritual hoo-ha that makes me so uncomfortable*

*not that I have a problem with spirituality... I just don't like to mix exercise with my soul.

Moving on. 

So let's examine the situation. Here is what is happening-

 1. My munchkin, aka "Da Pook" is off in Montana for the week at her Grandma and Bom-Boms house. She is having a blast. She is fishing, going to farmers markets, having play dates with outdoorsy kids and having the run of the place obviously. 

          Having all this freedom is nifty and all but I miss her. Don't you? In case you forgot how missable and almost edible her adorable little head is,

Avery models her new, thrifted, grunge-y sun dress.

So yeah, it's nice sleeping in and being my own boss (ahem) for the week, but I want to SQUUUUUEEEZE her!!

2. I have two kind of HUGEASAURUS styling projects coming up at the end of the month that are keeping me enslaved to the computer and the closet for most of my days. First I will be going back up to Houston to work with Page Parkes modeling agency again, styling test shoots for models with the amazing Tommy Chung. We should be shooting even more girls this time, which means even more clothes and even more hours standing on my stinkin feet!*

*this is not complaining. This is me toning down how awesome-tastic my job is.

I'm looking forward to working with the whole team again. Alot of the shots from the last shoot turned out really well!

Sheets from the last shoot

Immediately following, Tommy and I will be shooting a fall eco-fashion story for a magazine I cannot disclose yet. I have to admit that at first the idea of doing a completely "green" shoot wasn't ringing by bell. I didn't know a whole lot about eco-friendly designers a week ago and I pictured a lot of crunchy, art-school looking garb. I have been pleasantly surprised! There are more options and better quality offerings than I could have imagined!! In case you're as naive as I when it comes to the subject, some of my favorite sustainable/environmentally responsible fashion discoveries have been,

The Battalion

 

*I may have to spend months searching, but I will find that cape from last season. I will.

POPOMOMO

Lina Rennell

*I adore that bathing suit and fringe belt!

Bahar Shahpar

*that little floral frock is achingly sweet.

Also, a couple of great sites/resources that I discovered, and you might also like, if you aren't up on the eco-tip yet,

* TheFourHundred- A great little online "showroom" for higher end eco-labels. Ashley Watsons recyled leather belts are wondrous!

* TheGreenLoop- I imagine all truly green glamour girls know this one inside and out. A dizzying aray of goodies that won't push your carbon footprint any farther.

* Gorgeously Green- Your comprehensive how to be green and look good doing it web site. I will be frequenting this one a lot as I try (I said TRY) to convert my beauty product collection to an all natural selection.

So I don't expect to start blogging regularly about "going green" and whatnot, but the more I find the more intrigued I am. My particular mission for planet earth is currently focused on RE-USING and I am happy that way. For now. All in all, I am VERY excited about our eco-fashion story and cannot wait to show it off here!

3. (Yeah, we're still counting) I have been thrifting like a MANIAC. Not only do I have big plans for Magnolia Family Vintage, which has unfortunately been neglected in the face of the rest of my life, but I have been newly inspired in the search for my OWN collection of secondhand treasures. I'm going to use this opportunity to show off some of my newest acquisitions,

*Vintage sunglasses, Goodwill

*Vintage cross stitch handbag, Goodwill

*Big Ol' platforms! Salvation Army

*Lace top, Salvation Army

*I can't lie, I ebayed this United Colors of Beneton frock!

*Rockabilly-esque halter dress, Goodwill

*Low-heel platforms, Goodwill

*I got this pretty, cotton Necessary Objects dress from Buffalo Exchange. I love it. And I did flash on purpose to cover my face. AND YES I AM WEARING FLIP-FLOPS IN PUBLIC. Ugh, I think the Austin heat has broken my spirit...

That's not even the lot of it! I may start hosting thrifting boot-camps in the near future. I still get the question " How do you find cool stuff?" pretty regularly. I have tried to explain it but I may have to take it a step further. Seminars? Pamphlets? We all learn differently.

4. And as if this blog hasn't gotten EPIC enough in length, I have one more thing to report on. I recently got together with several other Austin bloggers for a hot, steamy, sweat filled (we were outside after all) photo shoot to accompany a piece in the Daily Texan.

We are the voice of Austin... apparently. We are a handsome bunch if I do say so myself.

Little Leigh, the articles author, wore a splendid thrifted top. So of course I took her photograph... against her will.

Tolley Moseley over at Austin Eavesdropper wore her MFV garage sale earrings!!

It was a blast to meet other bloggers and I can't wait to see our mugs all over the front page of UT's newspaper in the near future.

So while that is the last drop of blogging I can handle today, I want to let you guys know I'll be hosting one of those nifty Chickdowntown giveaways here!! I have seen them on a lot of other great blog (haven't won anything yet, sadly) and now I get to do my own! Joy! Just so you know, winning or being given FREE new clothes is basically the same as thrifting. I promise. So, keep checking back for your chance to win something lovely and covetable...

Seacrest Out.

Shade.

My face is as sun kissed as it needs to be. I'm beginning to freckle.

So, I picked up some anti-ultraviolet gear at the salvation army this week.

Somewhere once lived Jade. She loved airbrushing and ballet.

You don't know if I'm being ironic or if I am mocking people who wear things to be ironic.

seacrest out.

For real.

Ahahaha, I am so enamored of the "1960's effect" I just discovered on Picnik.com. Late the game as usual. I suppose this could have been used to better ends on a picture of me in a pretty vintage dress but I defy all expectations. And, I didn't think of that before I started typing. So anyhow...

I made a video blog!

A few things I would like to note...

1. I am mortified by my egregious use of "Ummm..." in this video. I had no idea.

2. Learning how to edit video is low on my priority list. It could happen, but don't count on it.

3. You are definitely hearing Britney in the background.

And that is that. Hope you liked it. Or at the least, did not HATE it. I am easy to please that way.

In the spirit of getting back on track, here are some recent outfits that have made it out into the light of day...

The skirt that won't quit.

100% thrifted outfits

The hippie inside.

To be honest lately I have been hating self-photography. I think the extra time spent analyzing myself, my body, my hair, the way my face looks from different angles... It has been disconcerting. But I think it is important. For someone like me who is so prone to self-censorship and constant self-evaluation, I feel like it is an exercise in acceptance. Not every photo I take is flattering and not every outfit I wear is good. I am all kinds of mess some days and I have to look at that fact on the little lcd screen. In order to get out of the house, I have to move past whatever disappointment befalls me in those images. I very literally have to say to myself (some times in the mirror for added angst) "it is OK that you don't look good today. People like you anyway." I mean, honestly, how tragic can one woman be? The good new is my daughter tells me how beautiful I look almost every day. She says "Oooooh mommy you look pretty." And every time she does I get a little closer to believing it.

xo

Jordan loves Angela.

Photos Pierre Bailly

Sometimes I see an editorial so soft and inviting, so perfectly tailored to my own tastes that I spend months looking at it every single day. Reminding myself why I shun the contemporary edginess of bowed legs inside their lycra/cotton homes, slouchy v-necks, and menswear... It all has a place in the fashion spectrum, of course, and a place in my heart! But, I will probably spend the rest of my life getting dressed in the most feminine manner possible. Putting on a dress and shoes with a heel, wearing slips and lockets, enjoying the freedom of movement underneath a skirt, and emphasizing every last inch of the ratio between my measurements...the curve!! It doesn't have anything to do with weight. The linking of the words curve and weight is misleading. Miss Lily Cole is parading her own meandering femininity in the photos above! She goes out, she comes back in, she goes out again! Just like me, and you most likely. Although we aren't lucky enough to do it in those ensembles or under the forgiveness of a soft focus lense!

So today I got dressed in the best way I know how. I put on a vintage dress with a waist and a smattering of flowers.

Everyone needs a fall back look and this is mine. I don't believe in fall back careers but this is different. Sometimes you need to look good easy...cause it makes you feel good easy. I have been manipulating, abusing, and wearing thin the obvious combination of vintage dress + vintage boots for many, many years. Since way back when it was considered cool. An era that I think peaked in 2004? I blame Sienna Miller. I blame myself mostly though, because she moved on and I never will. Moving on is overrated. Find love and never move one, that's what I say.

Other news in "things I didn't buy new or pay much for either way."

dress as top-Target brand, THRIFTED

Skirt- American Apparel many many moons ago

shoes-Marc by Marc Jacob, Buffalo Exchange

The shoes only I love. Apparently.

Have you ever made a purchase you're OH SO EXCITED about and you run around town going "ooooh look what I found!!!" and the response you get is usually "oh?" Yeah, that's what happened with these shoes. I love them so much!! I love them so much I "hyperbole hyperbole hyperbole." I will spare you. No one else loves them with the same special intensity I do. But come on! They have SEQUINS! WEDGE HEELS! MARC! They were made for me, so I guess I am glad no one else loved them enough to snatch them up. And for $20 no less!

While I am on a rare streak of NOT crapping all over American Apparel, I pulled this random mustard yellow, cowl-neck top from the epicenter of cool out of my closet last week and...tried to make it happen.

Not so much.

Top- American Apparel

Skirt-American Apparel

Booties-Walmart

Belt-THRIFTED

low score for thrifting on this one

Slightly better. I may have to look grown up one day...

Jacket-THRIFTED

skirt-H&M

Shoes-Steve Madden

I wasn't thrilled by anything happening there. I sent it back. To the back of my closet, I mean.

I was however thrilled with my new POUFY JACKET from the ever generous Goodwill...

My apologies for the wonky colors on this last one!

Ooooh, I love the folds and the texture!!! I need more texture in my wardrobe. I also need a new place to self-photograph myself...or whatever. I have the most boring bedroom of all time. I mean the way it looks, of course.

OH, and Halloween is coming! I have almost decided on my costume..what do you think?

Angela?

Or Rayanne?

If you never watched My So Called Life you should probably hurry up and do so. The moment when Jordan realizes he does love Angela and he takes her hand in the hallway. It's epic. Who is with me?

Goodnight.