Fall Trend: Nail Polish

 I think our Indian Summer is finally over.  There are more leaves on the ground and the wind is blowing cold and strong.  I can finally wear my sweaters but my ballet pink nail polish wasn't going with them as well as I'd like.  One trip to Target and I'd taken the plunge into the fall nail color palette.

Essie's Sew Psyched

A's Moving Away

October 14 marked A's last day as a resident of my town.  I missed not seeing her at least twice a week after I left our tutoring job three weeks ago, but I don't know what I'm going to do now that she lives over an hour away.  Drive there, I guess, but I'll miss having her so close to grab some Starbucks at a moment's notice.

Over the summer, A took Photography as her last college class before graduating.  After tutoring one evening, I "worked" as her portrait model.  She gave me a signed print of the photo once she'd developed it and I finally got a frame for it.

<3 Best Friends

Second Hand Score!

Last weekend, I was out with a friend during the monthly "First Friday" event downtown.  One of my professors had a film exhibit at one of the galleries, which all stay open late on the first Friday of every month, hence the name.  Every month has a different theme and its usually a pretty fun thing to get out and go to.

This month, we noticed a new store and stopped in.  I had just started watching Breakfast at Tiffany's that morning, so the set of 1960's style champagne glasses in the window of this consignment shop caught my eye.  I picked them up for only $5, figuring that even if I didn't want to drink milk out of them a la Holly Golightly, they'd make pretty containers for earrings or rings.

When I was checking out, the cashier got me to enter my name in a drawing.  Never thinking I'd win, I gave her my name, phone number, and email, assuming I'd just get junk emails from them for the rest of my life.  Well, I haven't gotten a single email, but they did call me yesterday to tell me that I was the winner of a $25 gift certificate!  This morning, The Writer and I went down their main shop, which is in a different part of town, right after drinking mimosas out of the new champagne glasses.  They have a huge selection of some pretty cool stuff as well as some typical second hand eccentricities.

I found a soft gray J. Crew wool cardigan and a Talbots cotton blouse to use my gift certificate on.  Neither retailer is within my usual budget as far as clothes go, so I was pretty excited to score some quality items for virtually free.  Even if I hadn't had my gift certificate, the more expensive of the two was only $15.  Wow! The cardigan is so soft and has a unique twisting detail to it that is really flattering, I think.  I can't wait to wear them to work.







Also in shopping this week, I was lured into Marshall's by a commercial.  Some things were ok, and had they had my size in the few pairs of shoes that I liked, I might have bought something, but in general it was a big pile of polyester kitsch.  I never thought I'd say this, but I like the thrift store better.

Back in Blue (10.10.11)

I've been absent from my blog for too long!  I know the shattered screen on my camera shouldn't be as worthwhile of an excuse as I've let myself make it out to be, but I want to post with original pictures as much as possible.  I've finally got ahold of my lovely boyfriend's camera, so I can snap away until mine is replaced (Santa, are you there?).  I'm also now out of the doldrums of underemployment, thankfully.  This is a two-fold blessing for my bloggy, since I'm not mopey about my job and I also have some cash to spend on new looks that I will be happy to talk about here.

Its a funny time of year here in Ohio.  We had a week or so of chilling rain which prompted me to go out and stock up on sweaters.  The weather then decided it wasn't finished with summer and it has been fairly warm and sunny ever since.  I've, therefore, been in this confusing place sartorially, since the thermometer demands short sleeves and airy fabrics but I want cozy fabrics in a subdued autumn palette.

I have a love of striped tops.  The Writer has to physically stop me from buying every blue and white striped top that I see.  Luckily, I got this one in the spring before he realized my "problem." Its not a silhouette I usually wear, which makes it even more fun!

What I'm wearing:

Tank & Mini Wedges: Target

Jeans: Gift from A, but originally from Charlotte Russe, I believe

Striped Top: Forever 21

This is actually a fairly budget friendly outfit, haha. The top from F21 was probably the most expensive item, and I seriously doubt that it topped $20.  I always feel a bit funny mixing red, white, and blue as if I'm suddenly patriotic, or something. 

I did have the day off on Monday, not because of Columbus, but because I'm cramming all of my work hours into a training class during the latter part of the week.  I enjoyed a lazy day of sleeping in, meeting Spam for coffee, shopping, and possibly the highlight of my day, dinner with her family.  Her mom is an excellent cook! I was spoiled with cedar plank tilapia and grill steamed vegetable with fresh ciabatta bread. Mmmm! Wine and ice cream may have been involved as well, hehe. Waking up at six this morning was not an easy thing to do.

Looking Forward To...

Underemployment is depressing. I'm sure that's not surprising.  I find it pretty difficult to write when I'm feeling down, since all my thoughts seem to come out as whining, at least that's how it seems to me.  I'm feeling an upswing in my mood after a pleasant phone call today with a woman who may end up being my next boss.  I'm really hoping things fall into place with this job.  Its what I've been looking for, almost exactly.

I'm looking forward to being financially stable and to having a job that can become my career if I so choose.  I'm also really looking forward to indulging, if you'd like to call it that, in things that have fallen by the wayside in my time of fiscal scarcity.  Things like: new work clothes, having a professional cut and color my hair, groceries every week, new glasses, shoes that don't hurt my feet and last more than six months, jeans that fit well, Sephora eyeliner, new panties, eyebrow waxes, pedicures and Netflix.

Its funny how many of the things in that list never seemed like luxuries back in February when I though I had everything set.  I know its going to take time before I can have all those things, but I'm definitely looking forward to a good cut and color.  My hair is out of control.  The Writer lovingly equates my bangs to those of a sheepdog, as in, they've grown past my nose.  I'm also going to have the batch of dress pants that A handed down to me altered, since they're way too long.  Once that's done,  getting new work clothes won't be such an issue.

I just keep hoping.  I want stability so badly.  I want to be able to afford ice cream, oh yum!