Pages

Get Paid To Promote, Get Paid To Popup, Get Paid Display Banner

Four Score and Twenty Outfits Ago...

7.30.10a
7.30.10c
7.30.10e
7.30.10d
7.30.10b

Hello Friday and outfit #20. Today I had lots of meetings and I needed something that read "very professional" and not "reckless twenty-something who takes off mid-week to go to a concert." Enter in my office pants and a cardigan, how more professional looking could I get?

My husband just interjected and said that I could have worn a suit and then he busted into laughter. Why the laughter, you ask? Aren't suits a normal fare for professionals? He brings this up because I accidentally wore a suit on my first day of work, ever. My very first day at my very first big girl job, 3 years ago. I worked in an engineering firm as an administrative assistant and my mother had just bought me a suit on sale from Banana Republic. Maybe I'd watched too many episodes of The West Wing but it seemed appropriate at the time, ok? And I mean a suit--a full on blazer with gold buttons, a button down shirt, a nice, masculine belt, and crisp pair of pleated slacks. I looked like a child dressed up in my father's business wear for career day at school. (I always went as Donald Trump.) Turns out most secretaries don't wear suits to work every day, or as I found out ever. 7th grade aside, that might have been one of the most awkward moments of my life to date.

Despite my husband's jeers, I like to think of this outfit as a "soft suit." You know, not a full on blazer with slacks, just a nice coordinating cardigan with some office pants. SO you know,a soft suit. Kind of like this:

In fact, exactly like this.


(image via awkward family photos)

19 Kids and Counting

7.29.10f
7.29.10a
7.29.10d
7.29.10e
7.29.10c
7.29.10g
You guys I got really nervous today. And I mean more than normal since I usually function at a high rate of anxiety coupled with a bundle of nerves. Mix that with caffeine and boy am I a ball of fun. Anyways, back to me, today I got really nervous since I'm on day 24 but only on outfit 19. I got nervous that you all would tire of me before I was able to finish and so on and so on. My husband consoled me with a trip to the nearest Pei Wei and a trip to Borders for a magazine, a book and a bundle of journals. I am one cheap thrill after another, aren't I?

All that to say, I probably didn't save the best for last. What if I've used my best outfits at the beginning and now all you have to look forward to are drunken mixes of mismatched tops with bottoms? What will we do when all I have is a navy striped top left to go with a hot pink skirt? These are the questions, my friends, that keep me up at night.

So thanks for sticking it out with me (and not for sticking it to me) and for hopefully staying around until the end. From the bottom of my bloggy heart, I appreciate the support. And yes, I am wearing my hat backwards. And no, I did not know this until right about now.

(In regards to the title, the Duggars are up to kid #19, if you haven't been watching your TLC. And if you haven't been watching, you've not missed much. Just a new show called " What Not to Wear When You Don't Know You're Pregnant With 18 Other Kids at Home, I Make Cakes.")

vol. 18

7.28.10c
7.28.10b
7.28.10a
7.28.10d
7.28.10e
7.28.10g
7.28.10f
Bad news -- the real outfit number 18's photos got deleted. I know. You can blame my husband for that. Just send complaint mail to mistereveryday@randomemailprovider.com. Subject line: How Dare You?

So this is the stand in for outfit 18. She was a little upset when I explained to her that she was going to be 18 and not 19. But that's the way it goes when you are just a number in my closet line-up. Speaking of outfits and the 30 for 30 challenge, how the h are some of you almost done?? Just how is that possible? I've got 12 more outfits to go and about two more weeks. I'm envious of your determination, endurance and quick remix abilities. Also, I've noted that I must be a really slow dresser.

We were in Austin for the day and stopped over at BookPeople (one of my favorite spots in Austin) to take some pictures. You guys, this took lots of bravery because most of the time it's just me and Bryan and no one else. Today it was me, Bryan and a store full of books and people. Ha -- Books and People, BookPeople. I didn't even mean for that to happen, but I'm glad it did.

17 Again

7.26.10b
7.26.10e
7.26.10d
7.26.10c
7.26.10f
7.26.10a

I've been a bit obsessed with these cloth headbands I've been wearing. (Again, the no shopping thing is really taking a toll on my brain.) They probably aren't even cool, but I just keep wearing them. Take that, society and trends.

I shouldn't have been so hard on the number 17. It was the very lucky recipient of a Zac Efron movie. Not every number is as lucky as 17, you know.

I felt very Parisian in my outfit. Of course the closest I've ever been to Paris, is driving through Paris, Texas. Same name, but maybe not exactly the same thing. So what do I know? This outfit could be the furthest thing from what people in Paris (France or Texas) wear. But I did use a french accent all day, just to further my case. I looked all around our town for a chocolate crossiant and a bistro but no luck. Just a chocolate donut and a Subway. Fair enough.

Have you found this dog yet? My whole neighborhood is counting on you.

Win a Print from Penguin Palace (CLOSED)

Peguin-Palace-Giveaway



Here is how to enter:

Step 1: Visit Penguin Palace's shop and pick your favorite print.

Step 2: Leave a comment with the print that you would pick if you are the lucky winner before Saturday, July 31st at 11:00 p.m.

Step 3: Cross your fingers and wait until I randomly pick the winner next week. I'll post your name on my blog if you're the winner!

Step 4: For extra credit say "dog white poodle" three times while spinning in circles.

*This giveaway is open to US and international readers until Saturday, July 31st at 11 p.m. CDT. Good luck!

My Super Sweet Sixteen

7.25.10a
7.25.10b
7.25.10c
7.25.10d
7.25.10f
7.25.10e
I wanted to name this post Pretty in Pink, but I figured that I better take the opportunity to use the number 16 since not all numbers have something culturally relatable to them (I'm talking to you numbers, 14, 17 and 28.)

This year marks my ten year Sweet Sixteen anniversary. (I will mourn the loss of my youth a little closer to my birthday in October.) I had the best sweet sixteen party -- P. Diddy was there, I got two Range Rovers, MTV filmed it. You know, just a regular girl turning one year older at a regular party with cake, cash money and door prizes.

Just kidding. I think I went to a football game with friends for my 16th birthday. And then I took a nap and went to the DMV with my mom to get my license. And by my mom, I mean P.Diddy.

My girl Jentine of My Edit made a very important public service announcement on her blog this weekend and I feel like I need to do the same. We stumbled upon this flyer in our neighborhood:

7.25.10dog1

You guys, Satan's poodle is lost and we need to find it. It escaped from the dark side and is wondering the streets hungry, looking for souls. The picture of the dog is great, I'll know that dog when I see it but the description however needs a little help. It just says "Dog White Poodle." Now come on -- this isn't just any dog white poodle, this is a dog white poodle with diamond eyes. I mean just look at those beauties.
7.25.10dog2

We've got to find this dog white poodle and fast.



(Silver Rose Cocktail Ring courtesy of Morado)

Remix Round-Up 11-15

11-15roundup
Halfway done!! I have to say, as the second time I've taken this challenge it's much easier this round. One problem though -- since I'm not shopping for clothes, my brain is now focusing on other things I can buy like books, dvd's and housewares. I haven't bought anything yet, but I have many shopping carts full all over the internet. This problem may be bigger than us all.

Remixer Round-Up Must Reads:

Melissa takes the cake on this week's remix by turning her skirt inside out.

Hey Kristen -- I'm kind of in love with that shirt too.

The pattern mixing of this outfit is so good, I might have to copy it.

Tania shows us how to faux-thropologie from an Old Navy skirt.

Gee may have figured out the secret of getting through the challenge alive.

Major props to Anthro Bakery's co-workers for encouraging her on this challenge with daily reviews of her outfits.

Go read NOW-- The New Focus.

half way there

WARNING: The photos that you are about to see show some skin. I'm wearing a tankini that doesn't cover my tramp stamp area. You've been warned.

7.24.10a
7.24.10f
7.24.10c
7.24.10d
7.24.10e
7.24.10b
I've never been a fan of swim suits. Well okay when I was like 10 and the only parts of my body that I was aware of were my hands and the words "Fat" or "Cellulite" had no room in my vocabulary. But since then trying to fit an unconventional body into a very conventional swim suit has been -- trying. A few years ago I settled on tankini's -- mostly just because I like when two old words combine to form a new word (I use sporks and guesstimate whenever possible.) But now in my old age of 25, I feel it necessary to cover my parts when in public and water recreation is involved. So for me and my body, tankini's it is. Well until we took these pictures and I realized that tankini's don't cover my back side like they cover my front side. I had no idea I was showing the world that much of my lower back. I also fear that my body is longer in the back than in the front, which worries me on some level and explains so many other things.

So this is the other side of my life. My husband works at a retreat center and for the past two years this is where we have lived every weekend. I'm a style blogger by week, and a boy scout by weekend. And as you can see, I'm an avid canoe-er. I'm also really good at laying in an inner tube and floating down a river for hours at a time. My list of summer recreational talents just go on and on.

Now who wants me to show them how to make a double bowline knot?

6 for 30?

(Carrie from SATC's Famous and Fictional Closet. Image via Google Images)

Thanks to a few lovely readers (thanks guys!) this article in the NY Times was brought to my attention. It's about a group of people who are wearing 6 items of clothes for 30 days. They have been chronicling their journey through blogging, some have enjoyed it, others have struggled. And you thought remixing 30 items was tough, right??

For me, this article and the 6 Items or Less project brings about so many questions to mind. As a style blogger (if I can call myself that) I struggle with the balance of real life necessities and blog life necessities. I post my outfits 4-5x a week and if I'm not careful, I will start mouthing to words "gimme gimme gimme" and "I need that" to various items on the non-sales rack. I know that if we get to the core of my needs, I only need something to cover my top, my bottom and my feet. I also know deep down that I would not get fired for wearing the same thing every day to work, or even if I rotated out 6 items of clothing each week. So where does that leave me as a person with minimal core needs, as a style blogger and as a consumer?

When I started my blog, I simply wanted to show others what I was wearing. Plain and simple, there was no philosophical reason behind it -- I just simply wanted to blog what I wore. As I started gaining readers (much to my disbelief), I began to feel more pressure to buy more clothes, because who wants to see a repeat outfit right? Wrong. I quickly learned that I do not have the means to not repeat an outfit, not everything that I wear can be brand new and full-priced. So that's why I started the original 30 for 30 challenge. To remind myself that I am a real person with a real budget and if I didn't stop shopping I'd have some real debt. So here I am again, remixing and not shopping once more.

Some people have questioned the 30 items -- why 30? Is it really a challenge? I've had some people comment that they didn't even have 30 items in their closet, so this is just ridiculous to them. My whole point was not to change the world with this challenge; it was simply to tell myself to look at what I have and to use it with a little elbow grease, creativity and a few accessories to come up with 30 different looks. I added on no shopping to encourage myself to stick with it and to remind myself that I have enough right in front of me. To me 30 items (shoes included) was a realistic amount that someone would have in their closet or could easily acquire if they were starting out at and building a new wardrobe. I wanted to show people that you can buy just a few essential pieces, remix them and really get your money’s worth from a piece may it be from Target, J.Crew, Anthropologie or Forever 21. I hope that is what has come across to readers and participants of the challenge.

So then we come to a place of need vs. want as someone who doesn't need a closet full of beautiful clothes in order to survive. I think this is something every American struggles with, as it is our culture to consume, to strive to have the biggest and the best. This is no different for me in style blogging. As I said before, I wouldn't be fired for only wearing a few articles of clothing each day, as long as I was kempt and clean. I wouldn’t die if I only had one shirt and one pair of pants. So what gives? Why the need for more clothes than I can wear in a week's time? I don't think that I could ever come up with the eloquence needed to answer this question. Furthermore, I think it's been said before that there are people who understand the importance of fashion and those who don't.(The September Issue, anyone?) I believe that if you dress well, it can give you more confidence; can give you a better outlook or attitude. Maybe this isn't true for everyone, but it is for me. However, after reading this article perhaps there is another side of the coin, that I ignore at times, namely responsibility as a consumer and as a blogger. I should buy to consume, not just to have or just to waste. How many times have I bought an item that I wasn't crazy about and let it rot at the bottom of my closet? How many items of clothing have I given away that have been worn once or twice? I should never buy something that never gets worn or gets thrown to the bottom of my closet. That is not the reason to why I buy. I buy based out of a need to be dressed and since I have to get dressed everyday, why not enjoy it?

I hope that the purpose of this 6 Items or Less project and article was to make people think about what they really need and why they consume, because if so that is what was accomplished on this reader. I will be more aware of what I am buying and for what purpose I am buying it for. I don't know if there will ever be just 6 items hanging in my closet, but that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate what is hanging in there.

What are your thoughts on the project and article? Do you think that you could only wear 6 items for a month?

NY Times article can be found here.
6 Items or Less Project can be found
here.

there is nothing cool about the number 14

7.22.10a
7.22.10e
7.22.10d
7.22.10c
I feel like I should be singing "the touch, the feel of cotton" in this outfit while dancing around in my huge closet and throwing my beautiful dresses everywhere. Just kidding, my closet's tiny and last time I did this my husband locked me in there for an hour. I've since learned my lesson.
So today was the first day that I wanted to shop. I don't know if its the weather, or just the way this week has gone, but today I just wanted to shop. I didn't. I'm just being honest. Also, my husband ate a whole pizza last night, all by himself. Just trying to keep things honest here.

Normally I love a good summer rain, but ever since I got these suede shoes the rain has become my enemy. I loathe the rain. In the game of rock, water, suede, water kills suede every time. (Suede actually loses to the rock too, so I have been avoiding rock climbing as well)


Alright, friends. The time has come to vote for the Outtake of The Week.


Outtake 1: She's Got Bette Davis Eyes
druggy.



Outtake 2: The Best Pose Ever
7.22.10outtake1
Make the right choice.





*I forgot to label my purse! To those of you who asked, it's from Gap circa 2007. Originally priced at $225 and I got it for $40. It has a stain on one side so they discounted it 50%, then there was a sale on the sale items AND I had a coupon. It was basically the best deal I've ever run into. Now that is a steal of a deal, right?

Sponsor Kendi Everyday

July-Sponsors
If you're interested in sponsoring Kendi Everyday, there are a few spots left for August. Visit my sponsorship page or email me at kendieveryday@gmail.com.

Baker's Dozen

7.21.10d
7.21.10c
7.21.10f
7.21.10e
7.21.10b
I talked to my dad today. He asked if I was going to post on my "twelve fingers". (I didn't tell have the heart to tell him this was my 13th outfit.) I told him no, jokes over, I'm leaving the finger counting to the elementary kids and the photoshop tricks to graphic designers. He then proceeded to tell me about a friend of his named Bob -- who had twelve fingers. You know what they called Bob in school? Twelve Finger Bob. Clever, right? I would have gone for Baker's Dozen Bob, but I guess he would have needed an extra finger rounding him out to 13.

Bob wouldn't have liked me.

So extra appendages aside, thank you all for your comments yesterday. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who has to take a few breath's before walking out the door in the morning. (And not just because I'm unathletic and a heavy breather.)

My sister called me today and told me she liked my "cow skirt" instead of my leopard print skirt. How cute is that?

Bob also called. He said to tell you guys hi and to give you a high six.