Warm Colors for a Cold Winter

 

Autumnal shades saw me through the whole first part of winter, actually--it was 40 degrees on Christmas day!!!  Which is, like, unheard of up here in da nort' (dare I add a "yah, dere hey!"..?). 

But I promise we're making up for it now.  As I type, my phone tells me it is an exhilerating 3 DEGREES (which is spoiling me, because our forecasted high was 2 degrees), and it "feels like -13 degrees."

And, yes, many my wintertime posts will contain some sort of commentary on the weather (lol it IS the chief topic of conversation in these parts since we're all, you know, a little focused on trying to NOT DIE.  We're "hardy." <--read as "absolutely insane" )

 

OMG OMG OMG

I AM NOT DEAD.

Whew...it's been awhile. Like...almost a year. 😱 That's rather inexcusable on my part, but I hope that I can rekindle some of the relationships I've let go. 😁

Anyway, here's an outfit from back in fall. But it's what I've been doing a lot of lately--denim and white with gold jewelry.  I go through phases, you know?  I always have.  So I guess 'classic american' was my phase for this past summer.  Mostly because I spent most of my time heavily under the influence of Lana del Rey.

Burberry Girl in a Plaid, Plaid World

I wanted to dress in such a nonchalantly elegant way that it stunned the world!  :)  It was a cold, rainy day, and I wanted to bring a little pep (and prep) and freshness into it.

Also: these are the first pictures you all get to see of the inside of my new apartment...a little anti-climactic, huh? lol I'm standing in from of our linen closet.

I had fun sporting all this plaid...  This is another outfit--like the one in my last post--that I feel is really me.  I felt comfortable and vibrant while wearing it out and about.  And I wasn't trying to impress anyone but myself.  :)  Though if you guys, my readers, like it, I will certainly be very happy about that.



Like my cateyes?  I've been doing that a lot lately...
I've also been really into highlighter.  Trying to find new ways to define my cheekbones.  Any suggestions?

 Plaid on plaid...how English of me.  :)  I'm returning to my roots, I guess.  I was quite the little Anglophile back in high school...even to the point of spelling words the English way, adding 'U's and such where Americans don't.  Someday I'll visit.  :)

 

Scarf: thrifted || Coat: old || Shirt: Gap || Jeans: Charlotte Russe || Shoes: thrifted || Bag: thrifted Burberry ||Earrings: thrifted

Nerdy Skirt

This was a beautiful day: both weather-wise and event-wise.  I took a nice long walk with my hubby and visited his family to watch the Packer game.

My burnished silver metallic cut-out shoes originally from Aldo. I had to buy new laces, but otherwise I'm pretty sure whoever had them before I did hardly wore them! Her loss, poor, unfortunate soul.

 I love Fall layers...denim shirt, leather coat, plaid skirt, and fun pops of color in my accessories!

The skirt is kinda nerdy, really, but I love the pattern and texture! 
I'm trying to dress like me, again. 
I know it sounds silly to blame a thing like this, but Lookbook really started to mess with my personal style; I thrifted thinking in my head, "Ooh! I don't really care for this, but it would get a lot of hypes on Lookbook!"  Whenever I catch myself thinking that kind of thing, I back off of whatever is causing it.  [I've said since the start of this blog that it's not primarily a FASHION blog, but rather a STYLE blog.]  So, I've stopped going on Lookbook completely.  Lookbook could have been a wonderful fashion and style tool, but I'm tired of seeing all the emaciated women wearing slutty clothes getting all the love! Ripped fishnets are not innately stylish; showing off long, thin legs does not mean a woman has pinache. Yes, of course I am jealous of those legs and the money required to buy all brand new designer denim to clothe those legs in, but that is not my chief qualm with Lookbook: my biggest problem is the lack of originality.  There are so many women who are regarded as international fashion plates who I respect and admire and so many pictures in magazines that I really don't believe would get majorly hyped on Lookbook (if they were unknowns like me).  And really, what are hypes to tell you what is cool and what is not?
Sorry for the rant, but it's been on my mind since I read similar thoughts on another blog I really like recently. 

Has anyone else had a problem with Lookbook?

or something similar?  

 

Skirt: thrifted || Purse: old || Scarf: old || Shoes: thrifted (orig. Aldo) || Shirt: H&M || Sunnies: Marshall's (orig. American Eage Outfitters) || Belt: White House | Black Market || Jacket: gift

 



Monochromatic for Fall (And: helloooo new Louis bag!!!)

Never thought I'd be posting a sweatshirt and jeans outfit on my blog...
but when an outfit is an outfit, then it's an outfit! regardless of how "unspecial" its elements are.

...right?  Do you agree, my lovely readers?

 

 

Wanted to sport my new Goodwill purchase with a casual outfit to really bring it to the front.  :)  Not like its multicolored nature doesn't do that, anyway.

Like my monogrammed aviators?  The rhinestone "C" might be a bit much, but I loved the personal touch.  What do you all think?  Too much or no?

Sorry it's been so long since my last post!  I've been moving.  You'll get photos of my old apartment soon (this blog needs to branch out a bit more than just being photos of me), and photos of my new apartment (when I feel like its worth posting).  The flavors of the two are COMPLETELY different!

Bag: thrifted Louis Vuitton || Coat: JouJou || Collar : DIY || Sweatshirt: Target || Jeans: old || Boots: old || Gloves: my late grandmother's || Aviators: Wal*Mart || Watch: thrifted Rolex

For your amusement...I lost my balance and laughed...  :)

 





Lace Shorts in October

We have been blessed with a couple of warm, WARM days this week (pray it stays this lovely for my move this weekend).  Amazing for a Wisconsin Fall!  It was warm enough for shorts and t-shirts! 
So I got to debut the shorts I snagged off the end-of-season clearance rack at Marshall's a bit sooner than next year.  YAY!

I was seriously envying these lacey shorts on other girls this summer.  Most of my shorts are denim...more in the American classic laid-back style (which rocks: don't get me wrong), but I really wanted a pair of shorts that could be more ladylike, like these. 
I still kept their debut laid-back enough, though, by wearing a button-up (floral print, yes, but still...).

 

Cardi: Gap || Button-up: Target || Shorts: Marshall's || Boots: thrifted || Earrings: old || Bag: thrifted Nine West

The PIANO SIDEWALK. and a BIG thank-you!

My dear readers, I am filled with pleasure, pride, and gratitude to announce that...

I have over 100 followers! 

Having been blogging for just a year, with very limited funds/time and a crappy camera, and from my little place in the middle of nowhere, I can't even tell you how much this means to me! 

Now whenever my family members [rather snarkily] ask, "What's the point of this 'blogging' stuff?" I tell them, "Look at all the friends I'm making!  Look at all the people who care about what I share with them, and who share with me in return!  The coolest part?  I have a bunch of followers from other countries! direct connections with special people I never would have met any other way!" 
And who knows the wonderful places it'll go from here?  Social networking, FTW!  So I'm glad to just keep on keeping on: posting my blog posts, putting photos up on Instagram (@spritzy88), and sharing cool stuff on my Facebook page (link at right).  And this kind of feedback--100+ followers--makes the sharing even more fun.

So, my mom (who has been by far my staunchest supporter) took me out to lunch to celebrate my 100 followers.  :)  Here's the outfit I wore that day, incorporating a blouse she gave me to sort of honor her in return:

This is also the debut of my patterned pants from H&M.  :)  I was soooo excited to find a pair of patterned pants that I actually like and will be able to style with my pre-existing wardrobe.  And they're comfy, too.

As I'm posting these photos, I'm seeing the effects of Instagram and Pinterest and magazine subscriptions hahaha...

What I mean is that this is *gasp* a TRENDY outfit.
 
Patterned cropped pants, sexy statement shoes, a sheer hi-lo blouse, a cropped tuxedo jacket, burgundy lipstick, and even my bangs are all "IN" right now. 
Except for my Rolex and my eyes (lol), I don't think I'm wearing anything NOT trendy. 
How weird.

These photos were taken in the center square of a city next to my hometown.  Actually, the suburbs where I live are all kinda mushed together, sooo it's all kinda the same place, but I digress; the point is that the fountain and gazebo (which you've already seen) are lovely, annnnnnd the following photos showcase my favorite thing about this square:

The PIANO SIDEWALK.

 

 

 

And with that, dear readers, this post draws to its end.  :)  I'll put one more great big THANK YOU out there, throw out a quick Rundown, and see you later!

 

Jacket: thrifted (orig. from Target) || Blouse: gift || Pants: H&M || Shoes: thrifted (orig. from Charlotte Russe) || Watch: thrifted (Rolex)



Love is a Two-Way Street

Prior to the taking of these (again, unedited) photos, I have:
cut my own bangs with a paper scissors,
locked myself out of my apartment like the scatterbrain that I am, and
walked in the cold, cold rain. 
Good to know I can do all of that and still look this good.

This was Sunday, and it was a cold and rainy one, but I'm determined to make use of my right to bare legs (see what I did there?) as much as I can before it snows!!  So I took a strapless summer dress (a thrifted piece originally from Banana Republic) and put a sweater over it to make a more seasonally-appropriate look.

And in other news, this coat is GOOD, right?

It's nice for me to see that I can still use my older clothing items to create a fresh look.  And when I say "older," I'm not talking about a matter of months, here.  The shoes, coat, and sweater I've owned since high school (that was when my obsession with Audrey Hepburn first started, hence the basic black patent pumps, nice lines of the black sweater, and feminine skirted trench).
And as an aside, for any of you who like this kinda stuff, I have a cute little story:
These pumps were a gift from my first boyfriend. who also happens to have put a ring on it.  heehee Yup, that's right!  I'm married to my highschool sweetheart.

 

Watch This:

The title of this post was taken from the refrain of this song by Kimbra.  I'm obsessed with this artist!  Longer-time readers will recall that my folks gave me her CD, VOWS for my birthday.  I've been obsessed ever since.  And how about her fabulous style in this video??? That pale skin, those red lips, the heavy bangs, the out-of-this-world dress, those shoes...drooooool...

OMG, an unedited, extra-large photo of MY FACE.

Sweater: Kohl's || Scarf: thrifted || Belt: White House | Black Market || Dress (worn as skirt) thrifted Banana Republic || Shoes: Payless (gift from my hubby) || Coat: Forever 21