you make me wanna say OH OH OH OH OH OH OH MY GOSH.

Dear Miz Mooz,
Could you get any better? I mean, not only do they have an awesome blog, but...but...look at their SHOES!



(these are my favorite because they remind me of these Swedish Hasbeens, which I loooove).

Okay, so not only do they have ADORABLE pumps, they have....boots.



YOUR HEAD A SPLOAD.
See, there's really nothing I want more than a good, flat, every-day kind of ankle/mid-calf boot.
Sigh. But almost all of Miz Mooz shoes (they probably did that on purpose, that's why I love them soo much) cost anywhere from $50 to $150, and my spending range is somewhere from $5 to $15 (Value Village is the best).

So sadly, I will never own these.
WAHHHHHHHH.

Swimming Soup.

What greater challenge is there in life that finding the perfect swimsuit? Particularly when your tummy is more substantial than your wallet, for a really flattering swimsuit takes a lot of excellent engineering and the finest materials available. My theory is that the folks in the 1950's had the right idea-- earlier on, ladies got arrested for indecent exposure for bearing their arms and legs on beaches, and the burkaesque swimming dresses of the time don't seem hydrodynamic, per se.

 Later on, Twiggy was around, spreading her curveless influence and all was lost. 

(Twiggy does the skinny thing well, I don't do it at all.)

What I'm saying, I guess, is that maybe the pinups knew how to do it in the era before 98 lbs. was the ideal weight. Therefore, I have spent a great deal of time in recent years seeking the perfect, Monroeish swimsuit-- something like this: 

Or maybe this: 

(Uh, is that Posh Spice? Maybe.) 

The problem is that there is not enough demand for such things for there to be reasonably priced versions of things like this, but as soon as there is, they will lose at least 42% of their allure. Story of my life, though. So far, I've found versions of these on Daddy-O's and at ModCloth. 

Naturally, those were all lots of money, so my temporary, mejum-satisfying solution comes from Old Navy and looks like this: 

(As I said, mejum.)

The bottom line? Perhaps swimsuits are more trouble than they're worth-- maybe the best solution is none at all... 

one dress, three ways

Okay, I know I haven't been a very reliable blogger. But I got up this morning and thought "I'll make a giant post today to kick-start my new blog regimen." So here goes.

The is a dress I got at H&M in a sale a while back. It's a navy-blue, jersey tank dress with a scoopneck. It's simple, comfy, and cute.

(sorry about my face/hair, I decided to take all the pictures this morning so I didn't have to deal with crazy wet hair.)

This first look is something I wore last week to see Eclipse with some of my friends. Despite the fact that it was the first day of July, I live in Seattle and Seattle summers only begin after the Fourth of July. So it was about 56 degrees and cloudy.


dress: H&M
vest: Gap
cardigan: Target
I love that vest. My favorite thing about this look is that it's kind of sporty and yet cute at the same time. I'm forever trying to find a happy medium between the two.
(I also originally wore this with black tights and boots, but it was toooo hot to put those on. It's the seventh of July, so naturally it's 89 degrees today.)
The next look is kind of a spring-y way to wear this dress. I like that it looks like a cute little jumper, in kind of a little-kid way. I always try to make myself look younger because people always confuse me with my college-aged sister. Annoying.

shirt: Target

The last look is my favorite and the most summery of all the ensembles (I love using that word in relation to clothes).


scarf: my mom's
belt: off a dress from Salvage Life

silly.

Benjamin Blümchen.

So, I was sitting in my dining room today. My family had gone for a picnic in the mountains and I was staying home with my little brother (who was sleeping when they left) and working on these painfully boring driver's ed videos (because I WILL have a license before I turn eighteen! I promise!) I was sitting, "watching" these videos and gazing out the window at our lovely and unkempt flower garden. Why is it that flowers are so lovely? And, indeed, why are florals so captivating? I love how versatile they are-- that is, they can be used as a shout-out to so many different cultural movements, and can be delivered with either delicious irony or complete sincerity, all depending on the level on which the accessories juxtapose. Every time they seem like they're outdated, some brilliant mind comes up with something like this, at all is saved.

(Did I mention that I'm obsessed with Doc Martens? Yes? OK good.) 

Polka-dots, plaids, stripes may come and go, but something about florals just keeps us coming back to reinvent, ever enchanted by their feminine magic. 

Oh, Dior... 

The Hills are Alive

My favorite movie in the whole world is the Sound of Music. It is so freaking good. Also, it's got some really fabulous clothing, such as: 

This dress is probably my favorite thing in the whole movie-- it's hard to convey in an image, but it moves so beautifully. And this dude's suit? Adorable! 

The Baroness may be a super-biotch, but she certainly knows how to dress herself.

I've already mentioned my weakness for Lederhosen, yes? And I love a good Drindl.

Clothing made of drapes? Divine! 

I always secretly wanted to be a nun. Wearing a habit would probably get itchy and hot and unbearable, but for the first 10-11 seconds it might be fun.

Oh, Captain von Trapp. He is a complete and total dish, am I right? I love those lapels.

"I'm sure you'll make a very fine nun."-- do you think Carrie Bradshaw drew some inspiration from this beautiful golden ball gown? I hope so. 

I love all of the Austrian flavor going on in the movie, all of the sassy Z-snap moments ("You flatter me, sir." "Oh how clumsy of me-- I meant to accuse you!"), the Alps and Julie's voice. 

I am probably a tiny bit obsessed right now.

With ModCloth and with these shoes: 

GLORIOUS! To make things better, do you know what they are called? Unicorn Princess Heels! I am totally giggling like a schoolgirl right now. Like a schoolgirl riding a unicorn. Here's the problem: they cost like a hundy. I am actually seriously considering buying them, because... well, because I want them. Very, very much. I might see if my parents take the hint and get me these instead of any other things for my birthday/graduation... but who wants to wait that long? For the phone to ring? Not me. 

I've never made such a big purchase on something so frivolous. Also, I feel like this kind of contradicts the post directly previous. I am almost nervous about trying to decide whether I like Doc Martens more than Unicorn Princess shoes. Also, that much responsibility? Over such a beautiful pair of objects? I don't know if I could handle that. 

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.