Two nine

Top: J.Crew | Skirt: JCPenney | Heels: DSW

I've made the leap (amble? inevitable drag?) into another age, from 28 to 29. I really like prime numbers, so I'm pretty enthused about being 29. I don't have any significant life plans for 29, except maybe probably moving in with my boyfriend, who very patiently listened to my strongarming ("I can't wait to get flowers for my birthday!"), and spending a likely very humid week with him in New Orleans in August. Lots of painting walls and decorating and gardening and all that cute crap that comes with living with the person you love. Maybe a couple more 5K races, if my knees can hold up (more on my first ever 5K later this week, I promise). Other than that: more work, more money, more (fewer?!) problems. One can hope. One can always hope.

Style Imitating Art: The Scream

It's time for Style Imitating Art! This week's inspiration was The Scream, the instantly recognizable piece by Edvard Munch. There was a small group this week--maybe y'all are as busy as I am? Below are this week's submissions!

First is Stephanie, who included some stripes in her outfit. I dug deep in my closet but couldn't find anything that suited the painting but Stephanie's skirt is perfect!



Jen of Librarian for Life and Style also represented the stripes, which I love. The pattern mixing also adds to the look! Super cute.



Salazar of 14 Shades of Grey evoked the mood of the painting instead of the composition. And as usual, she nailed it.



And then there's me! I was aiming more for the aggressive colours & the emotion of the painting. I feel like I succeeded some. One bad idea: wearing a wool skirt when it's 82 outside. Bad call. But whatever, it was worth it.



Thank you for participating, ladies! I love this week's submissions--Jen and Stephanie went one way, and Salazar and I went in the other direction. Pretty neat!

Pink slip

Jacket, top, skirt: Target | Heels: Urban Outfitters

I felt ready to fire somebody today. I mean, I have no capability of doing that and wouldn't want to anyway, but with this outfit? Why not, amirite?

Dead trout

Cardigan: JCPenney | Dress: Dorothy Perkins, via Dani | Belt: Target | Heels: Pink Studio via Anthro (super old though)

Fun fact: when petals on Bradford pear trees start to wilt, they smell like rotting fish. The south currently smells like rotting fish.

Be happy you don't live here.

The struggle is real

Top: Target | Skirt: Boden | Tights: Target | Boots: Off Broadway | Lips: NARS Heat Wave

I've bemoaned my gray hair before (truth is that I love them), but it's getting real now. I have found no fewer than four gray hairs long enough that they we cut the last time I trimmed my hair, and they're blatantly obvious now that I'm no longer dying my hair. I read online that the age you gray is usually tied to genetics, but my parents--and THEIR parents--went gray at a normal middle-to-older age. And yet there I was, in front of the mirror at age 21, staring at a gray hair protruding straight out of the edge of my hairline, practically reaching out to the mirror to say hello to itself. The only person I have to blame is my dad's dad, because my father can't remember when he went gray. But he had a full head of snow white hair by the time I was old enough to have memories of him, so there's plenty of upside. Silver fox, here I come.

Downgrade

Sweater: Boden | Skirt: Boden | Boots: Target

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know why these pictures look differently than my standard fare. My 50mm f/1.8 lens (the "nifty fifty", as it were) officially moved on to the great camera body in the sky, and I am back to using my kit lens for the time being. I've rented a lens until I can figure out my next step, but it won't arrive until Christmas eve. So for now: back to basics. It certainly makes me appreciate my 50mm a looooot more.

Also, an FYI: Style Imitating Art is taking a break for the holidays, and we will return in full force on January 5th, 2015!

HGTV or bust

Cardigan: Target | Camisole: JCPenney | Skirt: made by me | Wedges: Target | Hospital nails: butter London All Hail the Queen & Wallis and China Glaze Choo Choo Choose You

I only wore this outfit for about long enough to take photos, I'm not going to lie. I've been almost exclusively in tee shirts and pajama pants since I got home from the hospital last week, and I'll probably continue to do so until the 10th, when my stitches come out. I'm really looking forward to Monday--I am SO itchy! I'm not even in pain anymore, but between the healing scar and the gauze tape on my back, I am practically rolling in my chair to scratch everything. Oof. My boyfriend helped me downstairs today so I could raid my closet for SIA, and when I got back upstairs I was huffing and puffing like I had just run a 5k. It sucks to feel THAT out of shape, but I know it's temporary. I've been keeping myself busy with lots of cross stitch and reading and watching HGTV, because that is my jam. I can't wait to get all better so I can break out my table saw and cut some wood. (Not a euphemism.)

Pre-op pondrances

Brooch: family heirloom | Top: Target | Skirt: Boden | Boots: Off Broadway

I had my pre-op appointment today. Lots of bloodwork and questions and an x-ray and an EKG and paperwork. It wasn't fun, and I have to say, things are a lot different now than when I had my first surgery in 2006. I was 19 and young and depressed and didn't much care what happened--major depression kind of has that effect of putting you above fear and intimidation and worry. But I'm 28 now, and I have a career and a family and a boyfriend and bills and I'm scared. I know everything will be fine; this is a relatively minor surgery, after all, compared to something like open heart surgery. But I'm nervous and scared and I don't want to lose anything except the part of my disc that is pressing so painfully into my spinal cord. I don't want to take a month off work. I don't want to be trapped or lost. But I'm doing it, because I can't be in pain for the rest of my life.

I'm going to have to use special soap Monday night and Tuesday morning and I will have to be at the hospital at 6am. My doctor thinks the appointment surgery will take 2.5 hours. I should be awake by 2pm at the latest.

I can't wear nail polish, so I'm packing polish in my overnight bag so I have something to do while I'm up all night wearing booties that puff up with air every 30 seconds to keep the blood flow going in my feet. I am also taking books and if all goes well, my coworkers are going to visit me to cheer me up.

The hospital is freezing but I'm going to get a robe that has its own HEATING SYSTEM. That nearly completely makes up for the booties.

I just really want to be good again. I hope I will be.

Fair wear

Scarf: Target | Cardigan: Ralph Lauren via Dani at DIYFATSHION | Top: Target | Skirt: Boden | Heels: Urban Outfitters

I have been trying very hard to photograph this skirt for the blog. I've worn it a ton since I got it, and it has just never been photographed. So not fair! But here it is, in all its crowning glory.

In other news, the FAIR is in town, and my friend dragged me off for a trip to the fair. We partially went to see what we could lay claim to for next year (her, banana bread and cornbread; me, pumpkin spice cookies, apple pie and possibly some sort of embroidery), but also for funsies. She forced me to eat a fried Oreo (first time/last time), and we went to a petting zoo where I made friends with a yak (a YAK!!!!). We saw piglets and a giant parrot seemed really fascinated with my face for some reason but the alpaca was terrified of me. The yak was definitely my fave though.

She also made me go on a ride, which did not go well. I do not like rides much at all--no fast no upside down no backward etc.--but she loves them, so we compromised and went on those giant swings that go up a pole and swing around really fast. It was terrifying and I did not like it but I'm not dead, so at least there's that. Next time I'm sticking with the Ferris wheel.

Bee it

Necklace: made by friend T. | Top: J.Crew Factory | Skirt: Old Navy via Dani at DIYFATSHION | Heels: Urban Outfitters | Lips: NARS Lodhi

As promised a while ago, here is a photo of the bee I drew at work. He is not a normal bee, clearly. My boss and I are batting around the idea of having a spelling bee for adults with adult words--a Dirty Bee, if you will--and we wanted to have a mascot. I may have made the bee go a little Jersey Shore, but there's no shame in a visor and a can of PBR. You do you, Dirty Bee. You do you.