mensa invitational

wearing AA t-shirt, thrifted button-down, thrifted Wrangler shorts, thrifted necklace, Zara boots

Today's outfit stars the thrifted cutoffs I got last weekend. Unfortunately, it's too chilly to rock them bare-legged, so I added black tights and a pair of boots. I guess you could call it summer dressing, San Francisco-style.

Currently watching: Brooke Knows Best. Don't ask. I'm not sure why I hate my eyes and want them to suffer either.

And here's a random outfit post from the weekend when I went to see a show. It was freezing. I'm glad I had the fur.

wearing DIY Topshop bleached jeans, Gap t-shirt, DIY crystal necklace, vintage cardigan and fur stole, Converse sneakers, vintage clutch

Oh, and I just wanted to share these hilarious 2009 winners from the Washington Post's Mensa Invitational. Every year, the Post asks readers to take a word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing a letter, and supplying a new definition. Here are my favorites:

Ignoranus: a person who is both stupid, and an asshole

Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease.

Bozone: The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little signs of breaking down in the near future.

Try using them in a sentence today!

kicking ass and taking names

photo by Miles Aldridge

Well, I survived interview #2. Hoping I totally killed it, but it's always hard to tell with these things. I guess we'll see.

I helped my new roommate paint her room red tonight. And believe it or not, I'd never painted before. It's fun! Next project: the split bathroom. I'm trying to decide which colors to use, but I like the ones below:

images via Apartment Therapy

Also, I'm loving the soft knits and playful prints in Quail's fall collection:

images via Coutorture

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with L.C. and crew on a little show I like to call The Hills. Don't hate.

fffound!

Rampage dress, vintage denim jacket, ? key necklace, Timex watch, Converse, Wrangler cutoffs

Finally, that elusive floral dress and the perfect cutoff shorts are mine!! I found them today at Black & Brown (where else?). I will now commence walking around like a living monument to 90210. I hope no one has a problem with that...

Interview #2 is tomorrow, and I'm nervous as all hell. I'm thinking some carnitas and a nice cold Chavela will calm my nerves. And, since I'm certainly not above begging for help, I sure wouldn't mind if everyone sent good vibes my way at 1pm pacific time! That's when I go in to talk to the big guys at this company. Until then, enjoy the rest of your Sunday evening!

home style porn

picture via apartment therapy

Even though I've lived in my place for a year and a half, I still feel like I've moved into a new apartment because both of my roommates either are or have already moved out, which means I'm losing every single item of furniture outside of my room...from the couches to the gigantic TV (*sadness*) to the wine glasses. Thus I am left in the predicament of having to refurnish on a severe shoe-string budget.

My taste in home furnishings--like my taste in clothing-- tends to be eclectic and lean towards a vintage aesthetic. Like clothing, furniture made in olden times is simply better quality, so I'd rather have that cute mid-century modern table from the thrift store than a brand-new one from Target.

While I know the process of collecting new items will be a slow, arduous one, I've already found some gems. They are pictured below for your enjoyment:

1. This chair was a garage sale find for $20. At first I wanted to paint it, but now I'm thinking I'd just like to re-finish and stain the wood a darker color. Thoughts?

2. This table was not nearly as cute when I found it at Salvation army for $12. We spray-painted the 2 table-tops mint green and left the legs natural, and I enlisted Wardell's help to repair some of the corners with wood putty. Good as new!

3. This side table was another Salvation Army find (I think I paid about $30 for it) and the lamp was the find of the century for $18 at a charity shop. The shade alone must be worth $100. I'm thinking of repainting the white part of the table but I'm not sure what color, given the fact that the upper-half of the living room walls are red. I need input!

4. Not really home decor, but I just wanted to show off how cute my jewelry collection looks now that it has a home on 2 branch hooks I got on sale at Urban Outfitters. I'd been wanting to do this forever, but couldn't find real branches sturdy enough for the job. I guess powder-coated metal ones work just as well...

This weekend I'm helping my best friend Tara move into my place (sooo excited), going to a show, celebrating a friends' birthday, and hopefully I'll fit a bike ride in there somewhere if this damn gale-force wind dies down. Have a great weekend, peeps!

thrifted loot part trois:

wearing AA tank, Urban Outfitters corset bra, thrifted necklace ($1.50!), Jones New York thrifted pants ($4), H&M shoes, thrifted jean jacket ($3)

The latest installment of my thrifted loot stars what has become a rather polarizing item of apparel. Namely, the pleated, unapologetically octogenarian high-waisted pajama pant. Some people (you know who you are) find this item of clothing hideous, even downright offensive. In spite of this (maybe even because of it?) I am drawn to them, both because they're comfy as hell and because I find them somewhat chic in a Golden Girls kind of way. In my mind, the words 'chic' and 'Golden Girls' are in no way fundamentally opposed.

I helped my mom go shopping for new jeans today at one of the local Nordstrom Racks, where I found a killer pair of YSL platform wedges and a butter yellow patent pair of Bally pumps that were begging for me to take them home. It takes a strong will to resist such temptations. Ok not really, because even at 35% off, the YSL's would have all but wiped out half of my bank account. I carried them around for about a half an hour anyway though, mostly because I couldn't bear the thought of someone else picking them up and taking them home on my watch. I am a jealous shopper.

is it hot in here, or is it just me?

wearing F21 skirt, AA tank, Urban Outfitters corset bra, vintage bracelets and necklace

...Or is it the fact that I've been watching For the Love of Ray J for the past hour? Hm... I'm going to go with, it's just hot in here. Because it's 9:30 but it's still damn near 80 degrees. I am ill equipped to deal with a heat surge of this magnitude, but I'm trying to cope by doing as little moving as possible and eating ice cream bars. I wish I had a fan.

I just found out I landed a second interview at the company I interviewed with last week. I also have to do a writing sample for them and hand it in by Friday. Oh god, it's so close, I can taste it. I dare not imagine what would happen if I don't get this job. I'm trying to think only good thoughts.

Today's outfit of shorts and a t-shirt is really not worth documenting on film. So instead, these are pictures from Sunday dinner at my parent's house. Just hangin' with Kobe on the front porch. Isn't he impossibly handsome?

thrifted loot part deux

wearing vintage Levis, thrifted Talbots blazer, Forever21 tank, Urban Outfitters corset bra, vintage necklace, Timex watch, H&M shoes

Item #2 from my thrift-happy weekend is this linen blazer from Talbots that cost $5. Yeah, that's right. It's Talbots and it's fucking cute. Deal with it.

Of course I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I was fully inspired by Mimi's thrifted pink blazer over at Style Scrapbook. While this one might be considered the less-cool cousin of hers, I still love it. Well-played, Talbots. Well played.

Also, the necklace I'm wearing was $4 from the same thrift store. It's actually a clock. When I bought it I thought it didn't work, but it turns out it just needed to be wound! Keeps perfect time. It may just usurp my trusty Timex as my timepiece of choice.

c.r.e.a.m.

I've completely adopted/stolen this t-shirt from my boyfriend. I hope everyone gets the double entendre...

Also, I did some serious thrifting this weekend. Can't wait to debut more of my new pieces on the blog, but for now, here's the $3 jean jacket I found at Salvation Army. It's already worn out in all the right spots. For the record, I would just like to say that I got this jacket, a blazer, a pair of pants, a bag, 2 necklaces, and a pair of earrings for under $20. I think I am the zen master of shopping. The secret is going to charity shops and not thrift stores. Charity shops get all their merchandise for free from old church ladies and aren't interested in turning a profit, so the prices are dirt cheap. Old church ladies have the best shit anyway.

Oh, and in case you didn't catch the double meaning going on with the t-shirt, c.r.e.a.m. is a Wu Tang track, and it stands for "cash rules everything around me." Pretty clever...

deep thoughts...with style porn

image via Tatielle

• I just ate a plate of beef ribs the size of my head. Contemplating cupcake.
• I can't believe Stringer Bell is now a regular on The Office. If you do not know who Stringer Bell is, I pity you.
• I bought new chucks today! Finally, those orange atrocities that I tried to bleach myself can be buried along with my love for oversized hoodies and platform flip flops.
• I should read more. You know, like real books.

image via Lolitas

• Look at this fucking hipster ... there are no words
• Marni's Fall 09 collection is like, sooooo good. Must do everything in my power to recreate it by artfully mixing prints, rocking bib necklaces, and generally putting my outfits together with an air of Italian Cool. Full-length gloves and patterned tights couldn't hurt either.

•  When I finally get a job, I am going to go shopping. Hard.

interview with a vampire

wearing Banana Republic dress, H&M sweater, Banana Republic belt, Navid O Nadia shoes, vintage bracelet, Timex watch

So I realized that despite having spent a weekend in the sun, my legs are about as tan as Billy Corgan's backside. If I weren't so cheap I would so totally fry my ass in a tanning booth once a week. Oh well.

I had a job interview today and it went pretty well. I actually really want this job. Unfortunately I have to wait until next week to find out if I made it to the second round of interviews, so it's back to the waiting game until then. I'm not a religious person, but right now is around the time I start praying. This needs to happen.

ps

Thanks Julia, for being my impromptu photographer today. Now if only you weren't so goddamn tall, maybe I wouldn't have pygmy legs in these pictures.

consumption is a treatable disease...

...But I'm not so sure I wanna be cured. Here's a short list of what I've been contemplating lately, in no particular order, since I'm equally smitten with it all:

In other news, the angels of mercy (aka Comcast guys) came today, bringing with them the gift of cable--a luxury that I hadn't taken advantage of in so long, I nearly forgot how thoroughly meditative an afternoon spent watching the Tyra Banks show could be. Especially while I sit and torture my leather goods with an awl and studs. More on that later...

Currently watching: Intervention. Candy Finnigan is kicking ass and taking names like always.

chickenhead

pictures via Lolita

I just couldn't resist posting shots of these sexy-ass chickens with good hair on this holy day. I'll bet the chicken on the bottom is totally smiling with her eyes (if you could see them under her massive feather 'fro). Ty Ty Banks would be so proud.

Went out last night for a few brewskis and finally debuted the oversized cardigan I found ages ago at Black and Brown. Wearing it feels like I left the house in my grandmother's bathrobe. What could be better? Really, I'm sold.

wearing vintage cardigan, F21 belt, J Brand jeans, Saks Fifth Avenue booties, earrings from Morocco

Anyhoo, I'm off to an Easter egg hunt. See you guys later!

you wouldn't hit a guy with glasses, would you?

A pair of my "made in China" Wayfarers took a hit in the bottom of my purse at some point, shattering one of the lenses. So, instead of lamenting the loss of a pair of sunglasses, I made them into a pair of eyeglasses! Today I rocked them Buddy Holly style, with my "ketchup and mustard" outfit that sort of made me look like I should be working at Hot Dog on a Stick. Mmm... hot dogs on a stick are good.

wearing, Banana Republic sweater, vintage Joan Vass skirt, vintage belt, earrings, and child's jacket, Betsey Johnson tights, Navid O Nadia shoes

Tonight I went to the ballet with my mom. I usually go a few times a year to see the shorter, modern performances at the San Francisco Opera House. As per usual, the show was spec-freaking-tacular. And I'm not gonna lie: there will always be a part of me who thinks that pointe shoes are THE ultimate shoe porn. I swear I took ballet for 6 years just so I could wear them. I have a serious case of ballerina envy.

While there, I ran into this chick I haven't seen since high school graduation. She was sitting two seats away from me in the same row, so we had to have one of those awkward "what have you been doing for the past eight years?" conversations while leaning over two people. It was pretty uncomfortable. Like, now I know what autistic people feel like when they try to socialize. That kind of uncomfortable.

Currently listening: Starstruck, by Santigold. Is it just me or is she the new M.I.A.?

not black

photo credit: Apartment Therapy

Maybe it's these gorgeous aerial photos of tulip fields in Holland, or maybe it's just the increasing presence of the sun, but suddenly color is looking mighty appealing. Especially when it's been worked so seamlessly into casual-chic outfits like in the photos below. Is it possible to be equally smitten with vibrant bursts of color and muted, pale shades of grey and pink at the same time? Sure, why not.

picture credits: I think they're all from The Sartorialist, but don't quote me on that

I hope everyone managed to watch the hot tranny fierce-ness that was the season premiere of The Hills. Sometimes, it's so hard to imagine life without this show that I'm afraid for my sanity. 

Useful factoid of the day: did you know you can use mayonnaise to get the sticker-goo off of glass and plastic? It works better than Goo Gone, in my opinion. Try it the next time you're struggling to remove one of those godawful perforated bar code stickers.

escapism

wearing vintage dress, faux-lenciaga bag, Minnetonka Moccasins

Home from Disneyland. I'm sun-burned, tired, and broke--which must mean it was a good trip.

And yes, I purposely dressed like Minnie mouse. I wanted to get my picture taken with her, but that slut was surrounded by a crowd of people with the same idea, so I never got the chance. And by 'never got the chance' I mean I was too busy stuffing my face with gross food to worry about photo-ops (hence the fact that the most attractive picture taken of me all day was the one above when it was very, very dark). I think I ate at least 3 cheese-filled pretzels. My bowels hate me.

Crossing my fingers that I'll get another call from the temp agency this week. They called me on the day I was leaving and had work for me! So close...sometimes I wonder if God is telling me he doesn't want me to have a job. Like I'm an ornate home decoration that belongs on the mantle instead of earning my keep like the rest of the adult world. My unemployment runs out godawful soon. Don't really want to think about it...

Here's an outfit I wore last week before I left, when the wind decided to kick up and remind me that spring or not, I still live in San Francisco, a city that takes every available opportunity to showcase below-average season temperatures.

I'm glad to be back and focusing on my job hunting! Los Angeles is a great place to visit, but it's also a great place to leave too. Spoken like a true NorCal hussy, I know.