Rock your Docs

I would like to take this opportunity to pay homage to my magical and entirely fabulous Doc Martens. The great  Jenni Larsen took this pic at a mysterious location that I may or may not be allowed to talk about. Let me talk to you about their origin story: 

One day, my dad brought a pair of big, heavy, masculine boots home from a garage sale, said he got 'em for less than a dollar. To be perfectly honest with you, I was not immediately enamored. They sat in the back of my closet. But then I got old, and I figured out what was up. Here was my revelation: Docs are where. it's. at. Since I started wearing them, they have been nearly addictive-- no matter what, they bring a sense of irony or hardcoreness to an outfit, and I always feel like a total hot feminist in them. Indeed, sometimes I like to pull them on on weekends and go around kicking misogynists in the face. 

Just kidding. 

 I do contemplate that sometimes, though. 

(Caitlin Doerflein told me once that pulling them on is my "Signature move" *grins*)

I love stomping through snow and mud, pretending to be tough, and kickin' stuff... gently. 

Oh, allow me to address the right shoelace: once upon a time, I had a long hippie skirt with a drawstring. I lent it to a friend in Turkey, but the drawstring came out and the skirt was out of commission for a while. I started wearing said drawstring around my wrist, and decided to try using a shoelace instead. This left the issue of a shoelace for the boot. I took the drawstring from a shirt that certainly didn't need one, and strung her on in. Recently, on an excursion to the previously mentioned mysterious location, I accidentally broke off a portion of my right shoelace and just left it there on the ground. You know, for nostalgia or whatever.

Here's the other thing. If a lady is wearing Doc Martens, there is no doubt that she is an Awesome Lady. It's like a secret sign, like those Jesus fishes. Hot feminist extraordinaire  Kanintron Pietraskiewicz, for example, and the beautiful fairy princess Tess Bybee. And, OF COURSE, my dear coblogger Amelia Campbell. 

blah blah blah

Has it been a long time?
Why yes, yes it has! About a month. Hooooo boy.
I think we might have to accept the fact that neither of us are good at updating this blog (I'm talking to you, Bing), and that we will never make it in the blog industry. But I'm going to keep updating anyway, whenever it strikes my fancy. Like today.

I've really been feeling the style of the '90s lately. Well, if the character's clothes on Arthur reflect the actual style of the times. Which, when you think about it, is kind of unlikely. Because it is a children's show. An ANIMATED children's show. But anyhow.

The thing about Arthur is that the characters really only have one outfit they wear on every episode. So, rather than saying my favorite person's style, I'm saying my favorite OUTFIT on Arthur is Francine's older sister, Catherine's:

I'm really digging this vest/sweatshirt situation. And also the legwarmers/high tops situation.
ps, it was really hard to get this screen shot. I actually had to watch almost an entire episode of Arthur on YouTube. I know, how awful.

I also like Sue Ellen's style:

What's with the vests and high tops? I guess it WAS the '90s. But anyway, the whole thing is kind of tomboy-chic, much as I hate using that category. The t-shirt dress, with the vest, and the scrunched socks and sneakers. I aspire to have those curly pigtails, too.

I need to own these things. I also need to be better about posting? Or maybe I should just watch more Arthur. You know, for research.

chopin

Today I met up with some friends and went to the mall. The mall I speak of is Northgate Mall, which was the first mall ever to be built in the US. It's pretty small and kind of out-dated.

It's also across the street from Target. If I were the sort of person that used emoticons, there would be a :D after that statement. Oh Target, love of my life.
We made stops at Forever 21, the BP section of Nordstrom, and Target, along with some other stores selling perfume and the like. You know how girls are. Despite the fact that we spent FOUR HOURS shopping, I bought nothing. I am currently broke, so I was only window shopping. But I did try on some rather nice things that I wouldn't mind owning. Too bad Christmas is over...
Anyway, so I'll get the negative part of this post out of the way. I have a PROBLEM with Forever 21. Yeah, they have lots of clothes, and some are even cute, but
a)practically everything is made in some impoverished country (that's an issue I'll talk about on some other post someday), and
b)there's just too much STUFF. It's overwhelming. Kind of like H&M, but different. I think it's because it's so bright in F21. You walk inside the door, and you think "eeek! there's so much stuff!" but then slowly you realize that it's not all cute. So while I did try on a few pieces at F21, there was nothing that I really liked.

Moving on to positivity!

At BP I DID find something I liked quite a bit, but...I'm broke. So never mind. Here's a picture from the website:

I REALLY REALLY REALLY liked this skirt, because I could totally see myself wearing it with a slouchy white t-shirt and a cardigan, and possibly some boots. Frye boots? Because I saw those too. Sooooooooooo booooooootiful, but they will never be mine, due to the hefty $197.95 price tag of the Engineer 12R that my lucky sister has. SIIIIGH.
(Mimi Chica Chambray Skirt from nordstrom.com)

Anyway, so on to Target, where I was much more successful. I mostly tried on tops, which might seem weird. But it's easier to take off your shirt than to take off your pants, right? Am I right? YEAH.

I finally got to try on the Rodarte for Target dress EVERYONE is blogging about. Okay, exaggeration, but it was in Lucky and maybe Seventeen, I don't remember. But I'm sure people are blogging about it because it's so frickin' CUTE.

LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY (I knew SOME blogger had talked about it. SO THERE.)
I tried it on in the wrong size though, so it was really saggy and somewhat depressing. They were all sold out of any other sizes and actually most of the collection. I wanted the blue swiss dot dress SO BAD but it was nowhere to be found.
Tearing up. I'm a little verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves.
Moving on.

Love.

LOVE! I wish the model hadn't buttoned it up all the way, though. It looks better with the top few buttons left undone
(HINT HINT)(JK)(YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN).
Perfect with a pair of jeans or maybe some leggings or dark pants? And also tucked into a skirt. Oh, what could have been...
I suppose it wasn't the most successful trip after all. Next time I go, I think I shall take a camera so I can SHOW how it looks.
Expect some sort of "what i wore" post in the next couple days because I thought up a really good outfit last night in bed.

All I want for Christmas is...

- a fake moustache

- glitter

- underwear

and

- a wicker basket for my bike.

Oh, and world peace would be nice too. 

Thanks.

roll up your sleeves

So...it's been another long period of time since my last blog post. And really, I tried to post, but I couldn't think of anything interesting until now.

I don't like long sleeves. It's weird, I know, but whenever i wear something with wrist-length sleeves I always have the overwhelming desire to push them up. And so I do--sometimes I even plan my outfit around pushed-up sleeves. To me, scrunched up sleeves look kind of masculine and tough, and when pairing a denim jacket with the sleeves pushed up with, say, a skirt, it makes me feel less DAINTY and more EDGY. Examples:

Simple. I like the black dress with the sunset blazer and the gold belt.
(from fashionation)

Actually, these outfits are kinda similar. But whatevs. The mustard color of this blazer is just lovely, plus I like her hair.
(from Face Hunter)
Even though Seattle is not extremely cold in winter, we've been going through a cold snap this week (is "going through" the correct verb?). Temperatures have been hovering between 15 and 30 degrees. To deal, I've been wearing leggings under EVERYTHING. Even tights. However, I've still been pushing up my sleeves on sweatshirts and coats and sweaters and EVERYTHING. I think I should start doing "what I wore" posts, because I'm sure my personal style isn't really coming across here. I'll get around to it. Meanwhile, I have to push up my sleeves (ha ha) and get some homework done.

Ich liebe meine LEDERHOSEN!

This is not a love story. It is a story about love. 

No, just kidding, it's a love story too. I was just thinking about that movie. 

In any case, here is how it goes: 

Once upon a time, there was a little girl. And she was me. And I always, ALWAYS wanted a pair of lederhosen very dearly. Well, when I found out that I was going to Germany to be an exchange student for a year, after I was done prancing around and screaming and giving everybody a high five, my amazing pseudo-godfather Brian Kubarycz reminded me: Germany = lederhosen! I will surely find some while I am there! So the whole year, I kept my eyeballs peeled for a pair. Here were my requirements: 

1: Cheap

2: Leather, but vintage (otherwise I'd be a bad vegetarian, right?)

3: My size (easier said than done) 

4: I think that's all

In any case, despite all my poking around, I didn't find any until February, and ironically, they were not in Germany. They were in perhaps the most wonderful city in the world, which is to say Vienna. I was in the bus on the way to the Hundertwasserhaus (which is amazing) and I saw, in a thrift store window, a most wondrous pair. It was love at first sight. They were adorable and just my size, though they could not promise to flatter, nobody's perfect, you know? In any case, I made a snap judgement and got out at the next stop. To my delight, the Hundertwasserhaus was just a block from the store. I popped in, grabbed the Hosen, paid my twenty euros, and still had time to see the Haus as well. 

So, you might be thinking, wtf is with that other guy in the lederhosen? 

I meant to mislead you, make you think I was in love with that guy. I'm actually in love with the lederhosen. 

In any case, it was Fasching, which is like... Mardi Gras? Karneval? It's the holiday right before Lent where everybody sins a lot because God isn't watching. Also, everybody wears crazy costumes. I wore the Lederhosen and my wonderful tiger ears and went as the "Queen of the Austrian Cats" (don't worry, everyone was too drunk to realize that's not a real thing). Then I saw yet another man in lederhosen!! Gosh, what a surprise! So I went up to him and said, "Wir sind Zwillinge! Machen sie ein Bild mit mir?" (we're twins! will you take a picture with me?) and he said "Jawohl!!" and, in a very unexpected manner, picked me up for the photo. It was a glorious moment. If somebody asked for a photo that described the exchange student experience in Germany, I would for sure show them this one. It's just like that picture. 

Oxfam Hunger Banquet

Hello All!

A few friends and I are hosting an Oxfam Hunger Banquet for our senior service project. We would be honored if you would join us. It will be held on November 19 at 7:00 pm at the Walden School (4230 N. University Avenue), tickets will be $10.

            There will be talks from Gerald Brown and Warner Woodworth, as well as some musical entertainment and a photo slideshow.

We hope to see you there!