Friday Five Under $50 and Word of the Year

Focus 

A lot of bloggers having been sharing words of the year - a word they have chosen to represent the mindset they want to have for the year. It wasn't something I'd thought about doing, but when paying close attention to my behaviors lately, I've realized that I need to focus.

Life is full of distractions. Sometimes I feel like I start to do something, and an hour later I find I've gotten distracted, started half a dozen other things, and not finished the first. I'll pick up my phone to see what time it is, instead look at my notifications, several minutes later put my phone down, and then realize I still don't know what time it is. Trying to limit phone time is something I want to do.

I often wonder how I find the energy to sink tons of time and effort into fruitless and frivious tasks, like trying to find the perfect ballet-inspired wrap sweater (hint, not this one, this one, or this one). Yet when it comes to sitting down and actually writing my blog post, I make excuses and procrastinate (too tired, too hungry, need to let the dog out). I know if I focused more on the blog, I could make it better. Even if the idea of it ever being more than a hobby is off the table, being a better expression of me and creating content that I truly love, which doesn't feel rushed or forced, should be higher up on my priority list than a sweater.

If I focused more on my job search, I could have applied to half a dozen jobs by now instead of one. If I focused more on the positive things in my life, I could probably be happier. As it is still Friday, I want to leave you with some fun, inexpensive things to shop for, and I also thought I'd share this article, "Things to give up if you want to be successful" because I liked a lot of the quotes and there was definitely some truth to it.

Baggu Round Canvas Shoulder Bag, $45 at Nordstrom
Short Sleeve Blouse, $10 at H&M
BP Split Leg Striped Pants, $55 (oops) at Nordstrom
Double Ring Belt, $7 at H&M
Dip Front Heeled Mules, $30 at Target

Double Mint

Well hello there 2013. I hope the feelings I have right now, about a new year with a fresh start when anything and everything could happen last, and that things do in fact, happen.

I know things are always happening, like three different shades of green in the same outfit happened, but I mean bigger things, better things, important things.

It all comes down to me of course, and maybe, just maybe I can make them happen. I think I'll leave you with this quote I've been carrying around since my senior year of high school, and believe in the possibility that is my year, the year this quote changes from potential, to actual.

"The day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud became more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

Happy New Year.

The Rundown

Mint Button Down Thrifted similar

Mint Cardigan H&M similar

Fur Vest American Eagle similar, similar
Red Jeans Urban Outfitters similar

Silver Flats Cindy Says similar
Tote London Fog c/o Linger Rose

Spike Bracelet Ebay similar

Crystal Bracelet Taken for Granite similar

Watch c/o Caravelle by Bulova via Lucky Fabb

Signature Spade Ring Kate Spade

 iPhone Case Kate Spade

Ever so fleeting

I love these photos. I took them Tuesday night and I raced to the beach like a mad woman to make sure I didn't miss the sun before it disappeared beyond the trees.

Then I went home and wrote up my Lucky FABB post and was so exhausted after that, that I didn't download these photos off the camera.

Last night I went out to take photos, got to the beach, set up the tripod and for some reason - I have no idea what possessed me - I pressed the menu button on the camera. Saw that I didn't format the card last night, so I decided to do it.

The moment I said, yes I'm sure, delete contents of card, I realized I hadn't taken off the photos.

I had a little panic attack, immediately packed everything back up and went home.
Called my Brother.
He told me most memory cards come with free card recovery software you can download, but there is a catch, you need a number off the packaging. Obviously I threw that away years ago.

Thankfully my father came to the rescue and produced a SanDisk package. Once I jumped through all their hoops, gave them all my personal information and promised my first born, I was able to recover my photos.

Thank God. I love this outfit, and I adore these photos. The sunlight is only in this spot for a short time late in the summer, and I love being able to capture it.

(By the way, I skipped my usual processing - these are practically SOOC)

The Rundown

Chambray Tuxedo Shirt J.Crew

Paisley Pencil Skirt c/o JC Penney similar

Panama Hat Gap similar

Bag Thrifted

Sandals MRKT
Ring Thrifted

Bracelets The Cavernous Jewelry Box

Turquoise Cuff TJ Maxx similar

Wish I were superman

I've always told you before when I had odd encounters while out taking my photos.
This one crossed the line from odd to completely unsettling.

This area might look secluded from where I'm standing, but really it's not. I'm right by a moderately busy road and a side walk where people often pass by jogging or walking their dogs. I'm barely a five minute walk from my home.

I had my back to the road and was checking the photos on my camera when a pickup truck with two young guys drove by. The one on the passengers side was hanging out the window and he shouted at me, "What the F--- are you taking pictures of, you stupid little B----?!"

I was quite shaken by this, and honestly, scared. I was imagining them doubling back... wondering if I could use the tripod as a weapon, wondering where all the joggers and dog walkers were when I needed them... thinking about the beginnings of all those crime scene investigation shows...

I followed my standard protocol for such situations: snapped one more frame so that there would be a record of the last minute I was alive, collapsed my tripod, and headed straight home.

Maybe I'm over reacting, but I really felt frightened and unsafe, in my own town, minutes from my home, in broad daylight... and it's just not a good feeling.

Some days I wish I had a photographer.

Red Pants Urban Outfitters - Blue Button Down Thrifted - Yellow Clutch Zara - Sandals Nine West - Sunnies Kohls - Ring American Eagle - Bracelets Taken for Granite, Kohls, Coco's, Thrifted - Nail Color Avon Loving Lavender

Thanks for the hug

It's always a tricky decision when I write something a bit more personal on the blog, and I just wanted to say thank you, so much to all of you who commented on my last post.

Your kind words really touched me, and many of you offered me a lot of advice that I know I truly need to take.

I am continually astounded by the wonderful community I've found myself in since I started this blog, and that alone makes doing this worth it.

Thank you all

And I totally bought that stuff from Old Navy.
Some other stuff too. Like this camel blazer, which was $20, secondhand from Coco's on the Green. I think it's vintage since it has a union tag, but I honestly don't know that much about vintage - just what I read on the internet.
Still, it's a gorgeous jacket, and a camel blazer is something that has been on my list of basics I've been wanting to acquire.

I can't really say that my other purchases over the weekend were quite as justified as the blazer -- like the earrings I'm wearing; I bought them thinking I'd give them to a friend for her birthday, but then realized they weren't really her taste...

I also picked up a pair of Adrienne Vittadini black pumps because I had a wedding over the weekend and "no" shoes to wear - $20 on clearance at TJMaxx!
And maybe I bought some other things too... but we can discuss my horrible binge shopping habits later...

The Rundown

Top NY&Co. - Blazer Thrifted - Skirt TJMaxx - Booties Madden Girl - Station Bag Coach Thrifted - Earrings Swish - Sunnies Betsey Johnson

Negative space

Sometimes I think about all the things I never do. Because I'm too afraid, because it's so easy to convince myself that I can't. I quit before I ever even try.

From big things like looking for a new job (I don't have a bachelors degree, no one would even look at my resume), to small things like monetizing the blog (I'm just a girl in clearance rack leftovers running around with a tripod, I'll never be the next Atlantic-Pacific, who would sponsor me?), I even keep myself from doing fun things like going to see a concert next month (It's on a Wednesday night, no one wants to go with me, driving in New Haven is scary).

The more I think about it, the more I worry, how will I ever become a confident person in control of my life?

And the more I worry, the more I shop. There is a 30% off code for Old Navy that ends today, and some pink capris, a green button down, and leopard tights calling my name...

The Rundown

Lace Top NY&Co. - Tank TJMaxx - Skirt Iisli New York - Sandals Onex Joan2 - Pendant Kohls - Bracelets The Cavernous Jewelry Box

Nope, I'm a blogger

Sometimes when I'm taking outfit photos in public people stare, sometimes they ask me what I'm doing, and sometimes they ask me if I'm a model.
I always laugh at that one.
Sure, I consider it a compliment - I mean - I'm 5'2" and curvy, which does not at all fit the profile of model; even when America's Next Top Model did the "short" girl cycle the shortest one was 5'3" and the winner was 5'7". Ahh, to tower above the world at 5'7", wouldn't that be nice? Even with these heels on I'm still only 5'6"!

Still, people just don't know what to think about a girl, a tripod and a camera, so maybe I'm some poor model, forced to do fashion shoots without a photographer...

Oh - good news, my striped tank dress from Urban Outfitters shipped today, the bad annoying news is that they are charging me an additional $2.50 to ship it.

Part of me is rationalizing that it's only $2.50 and not to get all pissy about it, but the other part of me is saying that I already spent $10 on shipping an there is no way that $10 couldn't cover two packages, weighing less than a pound to be shipped to me.

Also, they should have told me upfront that there would be additional shipping charges. It's not my fault the dress was back ordered! A ten dollar flat rate shipping should mean just that -- not more if they happen to mess up their warehouse inventory.

The Rundown

Top Lauren Conrad for Kohls - Skirt Gap - Sandals MRKT Holly via DSW -Bag Charm & Luck - Sliced Leather Cuff Etsy - Turquoise Bracelets Towne & Reese - Gold Bracelets The Cavernous Jewelry Box - Orange Bracelet Kohls - Necklace Kohls - Belt Banana Republic - Sunnies Kohls

Shopaholic strikes again

What is it about August that gives me this unquenchable desire to shop? It must be all the Fall things rolling out, combined with all the great end of summer sales, and the whole fashion world buzzing - becuase I can not keep my damn wallet closed. Again.

It was last August, I was feeling disgusted by my shopaholic tendencies that I decided to instate my monthly budget. Which, some months I've stuck to, others I've unapologeticly gone over, and while I've been trying to force myself to consider purchases more carefully, I'm still prone to impulse buys.

Not to say that I haven't made some really good purchases this year. I got my brown leather fold over Lucky Brand bag that I'll be carrying for years to come; I got some absurdly comfortable neutral sandals that I've now worn 17 times, a starfish cuff that is undeniably awesome, scalloped hem shorts I'd been coveting for a year, and the Stormy Sea necklace I'd been coveting even longer.

Last August I had a cart full of stuff at Urban Outfitters I wanted to buy, but didn't. You know I still wish I'd gotten those darn red shorts.
So this year when faced with that cart at Urban, I decided to place the order. Only the item I want most, the striped dress that reminds me of the Marc by Marc Jacobs dress (a little) didn't ship!

Because I'm a little pathetic, and a total dork, here is the email I sent to the Urban Outfitters Customer Service:

Dear Customer Service,
Why is my cooperative tank dress on back order, and what the the chances that it will ship?
I was really looking forward to that dress, it reminds me of the Marc by Marc Jacobs dress that I could never afford, and I wanted to wear it with my cognac wedges and orange cross body bag and straw hat, and my heart sunk when I saw it wasn't shipping.
Is there any hope of getting it?
Thanks,
Lydia

I know, whoever read it was probably laughing and rolling their eyes, but what can I say? I want that dress. I'll probably end up returning all the other things...

Today I was caught between a wet and a shopping place, and you know that I chose to shop.

The Rundown

Top Gap - Leopard Skirt Forever 21 - Trench Coat London Fog - Quilted Bag Thrifted - Sandals Onex - Belt Gap - Watch, Bracelets, Ring The Cavernous Jewelry Box - Earrings Taken for Granite

Today's damage at the outlet mall:

Chevron Print Dress from the Gap $18

Yes Vanessa, You are to blame.

White Linen Shorts from Banana Republic $14

Betsy Johnson Sunnies $15 (currently $75 at Zappos)

And that's all I've got to confess for now, but there are still two weeks left in August, and a whole lot of Fall things I've got my eyes on...

The wedge quest continues

Since returning the two pairs of sandals that didn't work out, I've become, maybe a touch obsessed with finding a pair that will. I've got quite a few in mind that are from DSW, so a trip to the store might be in order, and may be more productive than ordering online and then having to deal with returns.

On the left:
Michael Antonio Galena Wedge Sandal, $40 at DSW
Mrkt Candy Wedge Sandal, $80 at DSW
Miss Me Heart 25 Wedge Sandal, $45 at DSW
On the right:
Michael Antonio Galactic Sandal, $30 at DSW
Iveans Wedge Sandal, $65 at Aldo
Nine West Braxton, $70 at Zappos (I don't know why I'm even including this sandal, this color isn't available in my size anywhere; but in the cream color, at Nine West's site, it's only $36.)
Steve Madden Fantasik Espadrille, $50 at Amazon

I suppose in the meantime, I can just borrow my sisters wedges, which are pretty cute, but don't pass my comfort standards. I mean, I wouldn't have bought them, but I'll certainly wear them if they are at my disposal.

In other news, taking photos at the yacht club might be ruined for me.

For the most part, there aren't too many people at the yacht club. It's a private club, and a small one, so unless there is some sort of event going on, usually there are only a handful of people around.
I've gone there to take photos plenty of times and been happily left alone.

But, on this particular evening, a window from the club house (I guess you'd call it the club house, since it's a yacht club) bar area opens and a creepy old dude sticks his head out and says "Don't mind me, I just like to watch you take pictures. And don't worry, I won't call the police."
I mumbled some sort of 'uh-huh' noise and finished up as quickly as I could and left.

I don't really understand the police threat. Yeah, it's a private club, but if someone asked me to leave, obviously I would just leave. He must have been drunk and thought he was being funny or something. Either way, I was not amused.

Why? Why must I be a creepy old dude magnet? Why I can't I attract a young potential boyfriend instead?

I imagine those of you who have boyfriend/husband photographers never have to worry about creepy old dudes bothering you. You lucky bitches.

The Rundown

Dress Twitch Vintage - Wedges Chinese Laundry - Clutch London Fog - Belt Thrifted - Ring American Eagle - Necklace Made by Me "Sweet Drops" - Sunnies Old Navy - Dog Chloe