happy day :)

just another Wednesday. had a headache. went to work. so hot at work i felt like stripping. no work to do at work so felt like leaving.

and guess what? my wish came true and we got off early!!!

this is the first day in a while i've been able to come home when the sun was still shining and sometimes it really makes a difference in my life. and i was so hot from the workplace i walked outside without a coat and i was perfectly comfortable- its in the 30's today, which really feels tropical to me after the below zero temperatures last week- and so i drove home with my windows down! ahhh...so nice.

and then- i came home and my monthly magazine had arrived in the mail- wahoo! this afternoon just kept getting better.

as much as i would like to say i subscribe to Time or National Geographic, i don't. not that i don't enjoy reading intellectual things, but i truly enjoy clothes and fashion. so my magazine of choice is Lucky-the magazine about shopping. i may not participate in every trend, and i definately can't afford it. even if i could, i wouldn't be able to live with myself spending hundreds of dollars on one article of clothing! the main name brand of clothes in my closet is Old Navy, Gap, or Target at best. and i'm not ashamed- i always find the best deals!

and so- with my free time i was thinking if i made my own magazine, what kind of articles i would have in there, and what sort of items i would showcase. truly nerdy, i know. but its a fun idea to toy with. and so here's my amatuer, small quasi-article of the best and worst fashion trends (at least in my opinion, at least right now in my life)

my top 5 favorite fashion looks:
1) crazy colored sneakers- what a better way to jazz up an old t-shirt and jeans? when i listen to the song "new shoes" by Paulo Nutini, this is what i think of. and i'm currently obsessed with getting a pair of affordable KangaROO's- because they exemplify fun and i used to get this brand when i was a little girl. (before my parents had another kid and couldn't afford them ;)

2) jersey cotton skirts- perfect for summer and for just lounging around the house. they're the new "sweatpants" look for me. they are just as or more comfortable, affordable, and always cute, for when you don't want to look like you just got out of bed or are coming back from the gym.

3) off-white vintagy peasant tops - since they come in a variety of styles i have about 4 currently. they go with anything, you can dress them up or down, and they look like you stole them from your mom's high school closet. which i love :)

4) tights- the one thing i used to hate wearing is now considered cool and helps keep me warm in the colder months as i will even wear them under jeans sometimes. not to mention, slight tummy control!

5) gray as a neutral- for the color thats not really a color, its one of my favorites to wear. i like the simplicity of anything gray, but it also can look very classic and is a good substitute for black when you're fair skinned like i am. my coat is gray, and thus in my opinion goes equally well with black and brown, since i don't often like wearing those two colors together.


my least 5 favorite fashion looks:

1) fur, even if its faux- if you're walking around and look like you're accessorizing with the game you just killed, i hope you're in a movie about Native America. i understand the practicality of wearing fur back in the day, or even now in colder climates. but i will never find this attractive. at least i don't plan on ever wearing it!

2) shoulder pads- need i say more? with all the 80's and early 90's fashion trends coming back on the market, i've actually seen one or two modern blazers advertised with shoulder pads intact. vomit reflex inducing. thats all.

3) when people wear sweatshirts and high heels- i wouldn't even call this fashion, but i've seen this crime committed so many times it definately had to make the list. its like- if you're going to wear heels, or any dressy shoe for that matter, whats with the baggy University of Iowa sweatshirt that looks at least 20 years old? maybe its just to keep warm, or maybe their jeans are too long. but i will never understand what is going through people's minds when they put these two things together.

4) a shoe heavier than your foot (think Doc Martins' ish)- they had their place when i was in high school. now they should be gone. at least, i'm over them!

5) embellished "mom" sweaters- now this may be acceptable for your 85 year old grandmother to wear on Christmas, but that's my personal age cut off for this unstobable manufacturing nightmare. i have tried- without avail, i might add- to save my own mother from this catastrophe. if a sweater is embellished on over 30% of the fabric, lights up, or the piece looks like it was made from wrapping paper design, you probably shouldn't be wearing it!


i definately don't consider myself a diva, or the most fashion forward girl around. but this kind of stuff is fun for me. i'm sure i've made some poor style choices before and i know for a fact that my boyfriend and maybe even a girlfriend or two has pinched their nose at one of my pair of shoes here, or a blousy top there.

but the only real thing that matters is if what you're wearing makes you happy! otherwise, just give it to charity and call it a day ;)